Baseball: The World's Game

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Two players made it into CABA’s 1940 Hall of Fame Class. Outfielder Victor Valenzuela was a first ballot selection at 95.5%. Also just reaching the threshold on his third try was starting pitcher Lian Llames.



Three players made it to the 10^th ballot and were dropped, each finishing in single-digits. Ecatepec pitcher Colt Kasper finished with a 177-152 record, 2.94 ERA, and 45.8 WAR with 3138 strikeouts. He peaked at 31% on his first two goes on the ballot. Closer T.J. Heredia finished with 20.5 WAR and 204 saves with a 1.99 ERA in 12 seasons with Santiago. He also peaked on his debut at 33%. Hernan Tarrayo was another closer who finished with 176 saves and a 1.85 ERA in a 15-year career between both CABA and MLB, winning Reliever of the Year in 1922.


The 1940 EAB Hall of Fame inducted pitcher Chikara Ohkubo at 99.1% on the first ballot. Two got close on their second try but just fell short of the 2/3s threshold with closer Moon Kim at 64.1% and RF In-Seong Kim at 62.0%.



Victor “Mr. Reliable” Valenzuela – Outfielder – Guadalajara Hellhounds – 95.5% First Ballot

Victor Valenzuela was a 6’1’’, 200 pound left-handed outfielder from Culiacan in northwest Mexico. He was nicknamed “Mr. Reliable” and that was a very fitting moniker for one of the best and most consistent baseball players in CABA history. Valenzuela was an excellent contact hitter with great gap power and speed. He started in right field generally in the first half of his career and in center fielder in the latter half. He was regarded as a terrific defensive right fielder, winning six Gold Gloves, while also respectable in center.

Valenzuela was such a highly touted prospect that he was drafted fourth overall by Guadalajara out of high school in 1913, where he’d spend his entire CABA career minus his final season. He spent 1914 training and debuted at age 19 in 1915 seeing limited action. He became a starter the next season in 1916 and by 1917, he was an all-star and Gold Glove winner. In 1919, the Hellhounds started their signature run of the era and Valenzuela was instrumental in that success. Guadalajara made the playoffs seven times in eight years from 1919 to 1926; winning the Mexican League title in 1920, 21, and 25; and adding the CABA crown in 1920 and 21.

Over his run, Valenzuela won seven Silver Sluggers and six Gold Gloves. His first of four batting titles came in 1919 at only age 23. He led Mexico in runs scored thrice, hits twice, triples three times, and WAR five times. Valenzuela won four MVPs, spread out over a decade; 1920, 1923, 1926, and 1930. In 1920, on the way to the first CABA title for the Hellhounds, he career bests in WAR (11.8), runs (99), and hits (200).

Mr. Reliable put up consistent strong production for almost 15 years. His last MVP came at age 34 with a 9.8 WAR season, setting career highs in OBP (.393), OPS (.982) and triples (29). But the 1930s marked a downturn for the Hellhounds and Valenzuela’s production began to falter in his mid 30s. Hamstring trouble caused him to miss about half of his final year with Guadalajara in 1933. He was released at the end of the season and then spent 1934 with Havana. But at age 38, he only played 39 games with little production, retiring at the end of the season.

Unsurprisingly, Guadalajara retired his #24 and he remains a beloved icon of the franchise from its dynasty run. He finished with 2914 career hits, which was the all-time CABA record at retirement. He added 1345 runs, 424 doubles, 335 triples, 267 home runs, 1172 RBI, a .294/.343/.485 slash, 952 stolen bases, and 131.1 WAR. He retired the all-time batting WARlord, although Kiko Vleazquez would throne him shortly after. His 335 triples was second most all-time and he was one of only two players with 900+ stolen bases at retirement. One of the inner-circle Hall of Fame outfielders of CABA’s early years, Valenzuela forever will be known among the best to ever do it.



Lian Llanes – Starting Pitcher – Mexico City Aztecs – 69.2% Third Ballot

Lian Llanes was a 6’2’’, 200 pound left-handed starting pitcher from Havana, Cuba. He had 92-94 mph velocity with above average to good movement and control. Llanes had five pitches he mixed in his repertoire; a fastball, slider, forkball, changeup, and splitter.

Llanes was drafted fifth overall in the 1918 CABA Draft by Haiti. He had a solid debut for the Herons, earning Caribbean League Rookie of the Year honors. But he saw less use in year #2 and was traded in January 1921 to Mexico City to begin what would become his signature run. Llanes led Mexico with a 1.39 ERA and 0.81 WHIP in his Aztecs debut, earning his lone career Pitcher of the Year. Llanes spent six seasons with the Aztecs as a solid start and in 1924, was a big part in Mexico City’s surprise CABA championship run.

In 1927 at age 31, Llanes left for free agency to Honduras. He spent three seasons with the Horsemen, but was a back-of-the-rotation level player. In 1930, he spent one season with Leon. In 1931, he joined back with Mexico City and had a mini resurgence with a 4.8 WAR season at age 35. He struggled in 1932 and would be done at the close of that season. With the Aztecs, Llanes had a 118-64 record, 2.37 ERA, 35.5 WAR with 1634 strikeouts.

The final career numbers are 179-118, a 2.54 ERA, 2806 innings with 2510 strikeouts and 519 walks, a 1.01 WHIP, 262 quality starts out of 382, and 47.8 WAR. His totals are among the weakest of the inducted HOF starters and after a 50.2% debut ballot and 43.8% in year two, many commentators expected he’d never make the cut. But Llanes picked up support for 69.2% in year three, putting him into the Hall of Fame.



Chikara Ohkubo – Starting Pitcher – Hamhung Heat – 99.1% First Ballot

Chikara Ohkubo was a 5’11’’, 195 pound right-handed pitcher from Sagamihara, Japan; part of the greater Tokyo area. Ohkubo was known for having excellent movement and solid control with velocity topping out around 95-97 mph. He alternated a fastball, slider, forkball, and changeup; and could beat you with each of them equally. Ohkubo also was a very good defender, earning two Gold Gloves at pitcher.

By the time East Asia Baseball was officially formed, Ohkubo was already 27-years old and established in the amateur and semi-pro ranks as an ace. For the EAB debut season in 1921, he signed with Busan. He had a no-hitter in this season and led Korea in WAR (11.7) and strikeouts (313). He would lead the league in strikeouts in his first five EAB seasons and seven times total, while also starting his EAB run with nine straight seasons of 10+ WAR.

After two seasons with the Blue Jays, he signed with Hamhung, where he spent the rest of his career. His first year with the Heat saw his first of four Pitcher of the Year Award, adding additional awards in 1925, 1927, and 1931. The Heat were a EAB power in the first decade of EAB, making five playoff appearances in Ohkubo’s run and winning the EAB Championship in 1928. His second no-hitter came in 1925.

Hamhung remained a winning team, but couldn’t get by Pyongyang in the 1930s. Ohkubo kept dominating until his last three seasons, where his productivity began to wane. He mainly spent his last year largely in relief, retiring after the 1934 season at age 40. He was the first EAB pitcher to 3500 career strikeouts and 200 wins.

The final line: 249-114, 2.25 ERA, 3372.2 innings, 3843 strikeouts with 603 walks, 322/422 quality starts and 126.9 WAR. At retirement, he was the Pitching WARlord and would finish the century second all-time. His stats are favorable on the all-time leaderboards and this is with him not starting the EAB counting stats until age 27. Had he added a few more years in his 20s, he might be the undisputed GOAT pitcher. Still, Mount Rushmore conversations of EAB pitchers usually include Ohkubo, a legendary name in the early years of EAB.

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The Bolivar League saw a record-setting season in 1940 from defending Copa Sudamerica winner La Paz. The Pump Jacks set a Beisbol Sudamerica record with a 122-40 season. Medellin's 118 wins in 1934 was the previous high mark. That stands as the BSA record a century later and between the four existing major organizations is tied for the winningest season along with the 1926 Hamhung Heat of EAB. The Bolivar North Division had a first time winner in 1940 as Maracaibo took the title at 98-64, eight games better than last year's division champ Barquisimeto.

Barquisimeto outfielder Matias Aramo won the MVP in his third season, leading the Bolivar League in home runs (53), RBI (105), runs (98), and slugging (.590). He had the first 50+ homer season since 1932. 30-year old La Paz pitcher Pascal Aguirre beat out teammate Mohamed Ramos for the Pitcher of the Year. In his last season with the Pump Jacks, Aguirre led in wins (26), ERA (1.56) and innings pitched (300). Ramos, meanwhile, was dominant again with 485 strikeouts and 13.4 WAR.



Liga Cono Sur had Fortaleza take the Brazil Division for the first time since 1933, finishing 93-69. Rio de Janeiro was two games behind and defending league champ Belo Horizonte fell to 80-82. Cordoba won the Southern Division for the second time, posting a league-best 104-58 record.

Salvador two-way player Ignacio Rola won league MVP. The 26-year old Brazilian posted 6.6 WAR and a 2.19 ERA pitching over 270.2 innings, while adding 140 hits and 4.3 WAR as a hitter in the outfield. Rio de Janeiro’s Timoteo Caruso won his second straight Pitcher of the Year. He again led the league in ERA at 1.39, while adding the lead in strikeouts (383), K/BB (10.9), FIP- (37) and WAR (10.9).

In the Bolivar League Championship, La Paz earned back-to-back titles by beating Maracaibo in five games. The Southern Cone went to Fortaleza for the second time in franchise history as they downed Cordoba in five. The Foxes put up a solid effort in Copa Sudamerica, but the Pump Jacks prevailed for back-to-back titles in six games. WIth the overall title and a 122-40 record, the 1940 La Paz Pump Jacks have a solid resume to be the greatest South American baseball team of all-time.





Other notes: Mohamed Ramos in his continued dominance passed 4500 career strikeouts and also became the first BSA pitcher to 200 career wins. Cali's Virsimo Ibarra joined him with win #200 later in the year and also became the second to 3000 Ks. Maracaibo's David Silva became the fourth BSA batter to 300 home runs. Chano Angel, this season with Maracaibo, won his record sixth Reliever of the Year Award.

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Kawasaki in 1940 won its third straight Japan League North Division, going 94-68 to finish eight games better than Yokoahama. Japan's best record overall was the South Division champ Nagoya at 109-53, getting their first playoff spot since taking the 1937 league title. Last year's East Asia Champ Hiroshima fell off hard to a 76-win season and wouldn't make the playoffs again until 1959.

Nagoya shortstop Si-U Gim won his third MVP award at only age 25. He led in WAR again with 12.0 while adding 46 home runs, 93 RBI, and 171 hits. Kobe’s Drew St. Louis won his third Pitcher of the Year, the Trinidadian still only 26 years old. He led in strikeouts (360) for the fourth straight season and in WAR (9.3) for the third straight season.



Two-time Defending Korea League champ Busan earned a third-straight south division title at 98-64, eight ahead of Changwon. Seongnam won the North Division at 99-63 for the franchise's first playoff berth in its 20-year history. Last year's division champ Goyang was a distant second at 84 wins.

Goyang LF Byung-Oh Tan won back-to-back league MVPs with the league lead in hits (208), average (.354) and WAR (9.3). Busan’s Yu-Geon Moon became a five-time Pitcher of the Year as he achieved the fifth EAB Triple Crown and the first since 1927. Moon had a 23-5 record, 1.90 ERA, and 330 strikeouts with 28 quality starts and a career-best 9.2 WAR.

The JLCS was a seven game classic with Nagoya edging Kawasaki, making the Nightowls the first four-time Japan League champ (31, 34, 37, 40). Busan made it a three-peat in the KLCS with a six-game series victory against Seongnam. The Blue Jays now hold five Korean titles, leading all teams. In the East Asian Championship, Nagoya swept Busan to give the Nightowls a third overall title. They are the first franchise to win the EAB final three times.





Other notes: Pyongyang's Joon-Kyu Cho became the fourth EAB pitcher to 3500 career strikeouts. Hiroshima's Seung-Mo Kim and Seoul's Seong-Yeon Lee joined the 3000 strikeout club. Hualyu Lu made it to 400 home runs for Hiroshima. The 6th, 7th, and 8th members of the 2000 hit club were Sung-Man Hyon (Busan), Yerong-Chae Sim (Yongin) and Shosuke Hirai (Sapporo).

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Monterrey's hold on the Mexican League North Division ended in 1940 as they dropped to below .500, preventing a seven-peat. Tijuana at 90-72 edged out Juarez by two games, giving the Toros their first playoff berth since winning the league in 1923. In the South DIvision, Mexico City took their sixth title in seven years with a league-best 107-55 record. They had to fend off solid competition from Ecatepec (96-66) and last season's CABA champ Leon (91-71).

Aztecs legend Kiko Velazquez won a ninth Mexican League MVP with arguably his best season yet at age 33. Velazquez had 13.7 WAR to set a single-season CABA record and became an unprecedented four-time Triple Crown winner. His line was .358/421/.723, 230 wRC+, 50 home runs, 136 RBI, 209 hits, 144 runs, and 77 stolen bases. All of those stats were league-best. Tijuana’s Samuel Valadez won Pitcher of the Year despite the 12-13 record. He had a league-best 2.12 ERA and 7.0 WAR.



The Caribbean League final will have Haiti and Honduras squaring off for the third time in four seasons. The Herons had the best record in CABA at 108-54 for a fourth consecutive division title. The Horsemen were close behind at 105-57 with both teams firmly beating the field.

Haiti’s Myeong-Wong Lee won his third MVP with the CF leading the Caribbean League with 9.3 WAR, adding a .306 average and 157 hits in 135 starts. Honduras’s Pablo Hernandez picked up Pitcher of the Year in his fifth season, leading the way in ERA (2.39), quality starts (25), and WAR (8.6). The Horsemen also had Reliever of the Year Lazaro Briones, winning for the third time.

Mexico City rolled Tijuana with a sweep in the Mexican League Championship, giving the Aztecs their third league title in the prior seven seasons. The rubber match in the Caribbean Championship rematch between Honduras and Haiti went to the Horsemen in five games. The CABA championship was highly anticipated and lived up to the billing as a classic, going seven games for the third straight season. Honduras prevailed over Mexico City for the second overall title for the Horsemen, joining the 1926 campaign.





Other notes: Kiko Velazquez joined the 500 home run club late in 1940, the third CABA player to achieve the feat. Also become the third to a milestone was Santiago pitcher Leo Antonucci getting to 4000 strikeouts. Monterrey's Paul Garcia became the 13th CABA pitcher to 200 wins. Mexico City's Honorio Guzman became the fifth to 300 career saves.

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Ottawa extended its postseason streak to a record nine consecutive seasons by winning their eighth Eastern League title in that stretch in 1940. The Elks tied for first with Boston at 103-59, but had the tiebreaker. Montreal came just short of advancing at 101 wins, while defending World Series champ Baltimore dropped to 83 wins. For the Red Sox, it is only their second playoff appearance in their history, joining the 1913 campaign. The Midwest League saw Omaha in first at 97-65, one ahead of Louisville. The Hawks are in for the fourth time in franchise history and first since 1935. The Lynx are in for the first time since '36. Last season's playoff teams, Cincinnati and Milwaukee, both dropped to around .500.

Boston 1B Blake Wynn earned MVP honors with an all-time great power season at 59 home runs and 171 RBI. The RBI tally was second most in a single-season behind 175 by Aitor Cerda in 1913. Wynn also led the NA in runs (119), slugging (.645) and WAR (8.5), while winning his fifth Gold Glove at 1B. The Red Sox also had the Pitcher of the Year in Luigi Mariko. A native of American Samoa, Mariko led the National Association in wins (26) and strikeouts (265).

In the first round, Ottawa swept Louisville and Boston battled to a five-game series win over Omaha. In the National Association Championship Series, the Elks bested the Red Sox in six games. It’s Ottawa’s second NA title in three years and fifth overall, the most titles of any NA team.



New Orleans picked up the 1940 Southern League title for the franchise's third playoff berth, taking it at 95-67. The gap to second in a weak field was 87-win Atlanta. Last year's playoff squads Houston and Charlotte were just short with the Hornets at 86 wins and the Canaries at 83. The Western League title went to Calgary at 103-59 for their third playoff appearance in six seasons. Seattle had a huge rebound to take second at 97-65, as the Grizzlies won only 65 games the prior season. It's Seattle's second-ever playoff berth, joining the 1915 wild card season. Las Vegas fell off a cliff, going from 110 wins last year to the cellar at 61 wins. Defending American Association champ Vancouver fell to 87 wins.

Mudcats LF Andrei Tanev won his fifth AA MVP with the 33-year old Russian leading in runs (116), slugging (.637) and OPS (1.050) with a 9.2 WAR and 39 home runs. Denver’s Ned Giles became a five-time Pitcher of the Year as the 31-year old Irishman in his last year with Denver had an AA best 2.29 ERA and 0.94 WHIP with a 9.8 WAR season.

Calgary survived in a five game challenge from Atlanta, while Seattle upset New Orleans in five. The Cheetahs topped the Grizzlies in six in the American Association Championship Series, their third AA title and first since 1904. In the first-ever World Series between two Canadian teams, Ottawa won a seven-game classic over Calgary. It’s the third MLB title for the Elks.





Other notes: Calgary's Jax Sanders became the first MLB hitter to reach 3500 career hits. Sanders would retire after 1941 with 3609 and would be the all-time hits leader for about a decade before being passed. Albuquerque's Crazy Legs Snider became the eighth MLB pitcher to 250 career wins. Omaha's Kaby Silva crossed 500 career home runs. Calgary's Ryan Gray made it past 1500 RBI and Cleveland's Kadoor Saleem crossed 3000 strikeouts.

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Two members were added to the MLB Hall of Fame in the 1941 class, both on the first ballot. Pitcher Bailey Johnson was close to unanimous at 99.4%, while pitcher Fabian Fusco made it in at 70.2%. Another pitcher, Ray Biedermann, barely missed out on his ninth ballot at 64.9%. SP Dee Walters (61.4%, RP Paul Leo (59.1%), 3B Franz Bolt (57.6%) SP Rush Anest (55.0%) and 1B Emanuel McCain (52.6%) all had solid showings but missed out.



Getting dropped after 10 attempts was catcher Seth Bryant, whose MLB career was primarily in Kansas City with two seasons as well in Charlotte. He peaked at 43.4% on his fifth try and won three Silver Sluggers, but lacked counting stats as a catcher with 52.6 WAR, 276 home runs, 1879 hits, and 1050 RBI. Reliever Peter Atkinson made it 10 seasons on the ballot, peaking at 41.8% on try two. He had 266 saves and a 2.10 ERA with 31.9 WAR.



Bailey “Basket Case” Johnson – Starting Pitcher – Brooklyn Dodgers – 99.4% First Ballot

Bailey Johnson was a 6’0’’, 200 pound left handed pitcher born in Cedar Grove, New Jersey. He wasn’t a fireballer at 94-96 mph velocity, but had tremendous stuff and movement with a deadly slider and forkball to compliment a solid fastball and a rare changeup. Johnson also fielded the position very well, twice winning Gold Glove in his career.

He had a great college career at Purdue, finishing third in the NCAA Pitcher of the Year race in 1915. In the 1916 MLB Draft, Brooklyn picked Johnson third overall, but he opted to return for his senior college season. In the 1917 MLB Draft, Brooklyn called again, this time with the fourth overall pick.

He’d spend the first decade of his career with the Dodgers and immediately became the staff ace, leading the National Association in WAR (9.0) as a rookie. He didn’t get Rookie of the Year, but finished second in Pitcher of the Year voting.

The Dodgers never made the playoffs in his tenure, but Johnson couldn’t be blamed He led the NA in strikeouts five times and WAR thrice with the Dodgers. He peaked in 1923 with a 23-7 record, 2.34 ERA, career-best 313 strikeouts and 9.8 WAR. This earned him his only Pitcher of the Year, but he would finish second or third on six different occasions in his career. In 1921, Johnson tossed a no-hitter against Boston.

In 10 seasons with Brooklyn, Johnson had a 152-118 record with a 2.69 ERA, 2549 strikeouts over 2570.2 innings with 245 quality starts, 110 complete games, and 73.3 WAR. The Dodgers traded Johnson to Las Vegas for prospects for the 1928 season at age 31.

Johnson spent seven years with the Vipers and remained a solid contributor, twice leading the American Association in WAR. He finally had a chance to pitch in the postseason, although Las Vegas didn’t make any deep runs during his tenure. In 1932, the always sturdy Johnson dealt with a herniated disc and back problems would pop up sporadically for the rest of his career. But he still finished his LV run with a 119-60 record, 2.99 ERA, 1471 strikeouts over 1624.1 innings with 45.7 WAR.

In his last year with the Vipers, he crossed 4000 career strikeouts, joining Newton Persaud as the only MLB pitchers to do so. He also became the fourth pitcher to 250 career wins. He left Las Vegas and signed with Philadelphia for 1935, but struggled in his one season with the Phillies and retired that offseason.

The final line: 276-184, 2.83 ERA, 4064 strikeouts over 4277.1 innings, 381 /564 quality starts, and 119.0 WAR. At the time, he was behind only Persaud in career WAR for pitchers. One of the most consistent ace pitchers of all time, Johnson was an easy Hall of Fame choice and unsurprisingly got in above 99%.



Fabian Fusco – Starting Pitcher – Atlanta Aces – 70.2% First Ballot

Fabian Fusco was a 6’1’’, 195 pound left-handed pitcher from Ocoee, a town near Orlando, Florida. Fusco ended up as a reliable journeyman pitcher with solid stuff and movement with 94-96 mph velocity. His best pitches were a changeup and forkball, along with a solid sinker and slider. His movement made him tough to hit, but he was also at times hard to catch with spotty control. His 1709 career walks would be second most all-time behind only Casey Esnault’s 1810.

Fusco attended Western Michigan University and was picked 22^nd overall in the 1918 MLB Draft by Atlanta. Arguably, Fusco’s best single season was his rookie year with 7.0 WAR, a 21-7 record, and 3.09 ERA. He was second in Rookie of the Year voting and Pitcher of the Year voting. He’d never finish that high in the voting-ever again despite his longevity.

He’d spend only five years and change with the Aces, but it would be his longest run and ultimately most successful. He went 99-66, with a 3.61 ERA and 38.6 WAR. Atlanta made it to the American Association final twice in his run But he was viewed as being greedy and disloyal, and was traded at the deadline in 1924 to Kansas City.

Fusco finished his 20s with the Cougars, then signed for three seasons with Los Angeles. His Angels tenure ended with a deadline trade in 1930 to Philadelphia, where he finished the year. Fusco signed in 1931 with Montreal for two seasons, then spent one year with Toronto and his final two seasons with Houston. In that stretch, he basically never missed a start, becoming the sixth MLB pitcher to cross 250+ wins.

The final line: 262-219, 3.56 ERA, 4522.1 innings with 3156 strikeouts and a 88.2 WAR. His longevity allowed him to put up respectable career totals, despite never being dominant or having a signature run with a team. The voters decided that his tallies were enough to get him to 70.2% and a first ballot induction into the Hall of Fame.

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The 1941 CABA Hall of Fame didn’t have any inductees with the closest being starting pitcher Dunbar Brown at 64.2% on his second try. 1B Jose Angel Islas got 55.8% on his first try and SP Makenson Augistin was at 51.2% in the sixth go. One player was dropped after 10 years in 1B Javier De Los Santos, who played with Puerto Rico, Havana, Juarez, Guatemala, and Guadalajara. He had 2330 hits, 1088 runs, a .303 average, and 44.1 WAR. Also notably, he led the league in triples 12 times with 363 in his career. That stood as the career triples record until the 1980s.



Three players were added to the East Asia Baseball Hall of Fame in 1941. RF Kota Takada got in on the first ballot at 88.4%. Two made it on their third try; RF In-Seong Kim (72.0%) and RP Moon Kim (67.4%). Closer Ji-Hyun Kim on his first try was the only other above 50%.



Kota Takada – Right Field – Fukuoka Frogs – 88.4% First Ballot

Kota Takada was a 5’10’’, 205 pound right-handed outfielder from Higashikurume, part of western Tokyo. Takada was among the best all-time at getting on base as a good contact hitter and someone excellent at drawing walks. Takada also boasted reliable power, averaging 30+ doubles and 30+ home runs per season. A team captain, Takada leadership and ability made him extremely popular among fans and teammates. He spent nearly his entire defensive career in right field and was generally thought as a below average defender.

Takada was the third overall pick by Fukuoka in the 1921 EAB Draft after attending Tenri University. He was a huge part of why the Frogs became a contender late in the 1920s. Fukuoka won the Japan League MVP in 1925, 1928, and 1930, leading the league in runs four times, doubles thrice, home runs one, RBI twice, walks six times, OBP eight times, OPS four times, and WAR four times. 1925 was his top season statistically with 11.8 WAR, 1.061 OPS, 46 home runs, 113 runs, 126 RBI, and 92 walks.

Fukuoka won the Japan title in 1928 and 1929, winning the overall EAB title in 1929. He had 25 hits, 11 runs, and nine doubles over 23 playoff games. The Frogs would begin to falter into the 1930s and as Takada entered his 30s. In June 1933, Fukuoka traded Takada to Nagoya for five prospects He finished that season and played one more with the Nightowls, helping them to the EAB title in 1934. He ended his career in Japan on a high, but still had another six seasons of baseball to go.

Takada went stateside just before the World War II block against EAB players leaving went into effect, signing for three seasons with Houston. He was a solid contributor with the Hornets, earning a Silver Slugger in 1936. In 1938, he signed with Miami and played his final three seasons, getting another Silver Slugger in the process. He earned 11 between his nine in Japan and two in America.

Between the two leagues, he had 2836 hits, 1599 runs, 560 home runs, 1670 RBI, 1316 walks, and 117.2 WAR. For his EAB run, Takada finished with 1997 hits, 1101 runs, 424 doubles, 380 home runs, 1149 RBI, 924 walks, a .292/.378/.537 slash, and 101.4 WAR. He doesn’t factor in the leaderboards much due to leaving after his age 34 season, but a three-time MVP and nine Silver Sluggers meant few hitters were better in the 1920s and early 1930s in East Asia Baseball. Beloved in Fukuoka for helping them win a title, his #17 was the first number retired for the Frogs. With that, Takada gets a first ballot spot into the EAB Hall of Fame.



In-Seong Kim “Toxin” – Right Fielder – Kawasaki Killer Whales – 72.0% Third Ballot

In-Seong Kim was a 5’9’’, 195 right-handed outfielder from Pyongyang, the capital of modern North Korea. Kim was known as an excellent power hitter and a team captain and leader. He was a decent contact hitter and fairly weak baserunner and defender. He primarily played right field, although he did see some action in left field, first baseball, and as a designated hitter.

By the time East Asia Baseball was created, Kim was already 29-years old, having established himself as a premier power hitter in the amateur and semi-pro ranks. For the 1921 EAB debut, he signed with Kawasaki, where he would spend seven seasons and would ultimately be inducted represented. Three of his seven Silver Sluggers came with the Killer Whales.

His best season with Kawasaki was his third in 1923, leading Japan in runs (102), homers (45), and RBI (95). He hit 40+ homers in five of his seven Killer Whale seasons, finishing with 38.2 WAR, 288 homers, 621 RBI, 981 hits, and 595 runs.

After falling off a bit in his last season with Kawasaki, he was traded for the 1928 season to Hamhung. He spent the next six seasons with the Heat. Kim had a great debut season with 46 home runs and 116 RBI, helping the Heat to the 1928 EAB Championship, with Kim earning KLCS MVP. He won his lone MVP in 1931, hitting above .300 for the only time. He led in homers (45), RBI (182), and WAR (7.9).

His first four seasons with the Heat were excellent, but he entered 1932 at age 40. A torn labrum and fractured ankle caused him to miss large chunks of his last two seasons. With Hamhung, Kim had 189 home runs, 800 hits, 559 RBI, and 27.8 WAR.

His final line was 1781 hits, 1033 runs, 477 home runs, 1180 RBI, a .262/.329/.517 slash and 66.0 WAR. He was the second EAB hitter to 1000 RBI and fourth to 1000 runs scored. Those numbers by themselves would deserve consideration, but are more impressive considering this was almost entirely in his 30s. Not having most of his 20s in EAB keeps him off the leaderboards and hurt him in voting, making him wait three years for induction. But his powerful bat earned 72.0% in his third time on the ballot, earning In-Seong Kim induction into the HOF.



Moon Kim – Pitcher – Fukuoka Frogs – 67.4% Third Ballot

Moon Kim was a 5’10’’, 185 pound right-handed pitcher from Suncheon in South Jeolla Province in modern South Korea. Kim had 96-98 mph velocity with a strong fastball-splitter one-two combo. Early in his career, he was a starting pitcher, eventually settling into a relief role in his 30s. Kim was 27-years old when East Asia Baseball officially started, signing with Changwon for the 1921 season.

His first season with the Crabs was split between the rotation and bullpen, followed by starting pitching in the next three seasons. He was a successful starter, posting 7.7, 8.4, and 7.4 WAR seasons with Changwon. In 1923, Kim helped the Crabs to the Korea League title. They would fall to Osaka in the EAB final. That season as well, he pitched a perfect game on May 20 against Suwon. In 1924, he threw a second perfect game on September 12 against Busan.

Terrible shoulder inflammation would derail his 1925 season and ultimately his career as a starter. The next season, he’d return in a closer role. Changwon traded him to Fukuoka in July. He’d play with the Frogs through 1932 and win Reliever of the Year in 1927 and 1929. Despite being a reliever, he still posted 7.1 WAR and 42 saves in 1927, with a 5.6 WAR, 51 save 1929. In 28 and 29, Fukuoka won back-to-back Japan League titles and in 1929, Kim got his lone EAB ring. In eight postseason appearances, he had 15 scoreless innings with 25 strikeouts.


The shoulder inflammation came back and cost Kim the entire 1931 season. He came back with limited success in 1932, his last year with the Frogs. His 1933 was split between Ulsan and Seoul with retirement at the close.

His final line was 93-66, 196 saves, 2.25 ERA, 1433.2 innings with 1751 strikeouts, 240 shutdowns, and 51.6 WAR. 29.9 WAR with Changwon and 21.9 WAR with Fukuoka. His career WAR is higher than most other Hall of Famers, but half of that came as a starter to skew the numbers. He had a unique statline and also lost a few years of production due to when EAB started. The voters decided his career was successful enough to barely get him across the 2/3 line at 67.4% on the third ballot.

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The Bolivar League had repeat division champions in 1941. Fresh off back-to-back Copa Sudamerica wins, La Paz rolled to the South Division again, although their 106-56 record was a drop from the historic 122-win 1940. Maracaibo again took the North Division, but posted a franchise-best 108-54 season in the process.

Pump Jacks ace Mohamed Ramos picked up his sixth Pitcher of the Year award and his second MVP award. He earned the Triple Crown for the first time in his career with a 23-5 record, 1.37 ERA, and 478 strikeouts for 15.2 WAR.



In the Southern Cone League, both divisions had first-time winners. Rio de Janeiro won the Brazil Division at 103-59, while defending league champ Fortaleza and Salvador were both next at 90-72. Buenos Aires easily claimed the South Division at 98-64 with the rest of the division below .500.

Sao Paolo LF Carlo Mizurado won the MVP with a career year at age 30. He led in the triple slash (.326/.361/.631) and also led the league in WAR (11.2), hits (190), doubles (38), and home runs (39). He also picked up his sixth Gold Glove of his career. Rio’s Timoteo Caruso won his third straight Pitcher of the Year. He also had a Triple Crown season with him and Ramos being the first in league history to do it as pitchers. Caruso had a 24-6 record, 1.20 ERA, 358 strikeouts with 12.5 WAR.

In a Bolivar League Championship Series rematch, Maracaibo got revenge on La Paz, preventing a Pump Jacks three-peat and giving the Mariners their first league title. In the Southern Cone finale, Buenos Aires outlasted Rio de Janeiro in seven games for their first title. Copa Sudamerica went six games in favor of the Atlantics over Maracaibo; the first overall for an Argentinian team.





Other notes; Mohamed Ramos passed 5000 career strikeouts. Meanwhile, Cali's Daiquel Grimaldo and Rio's Fernandinho Fuentes became the fourth and fifth to get to 3000 Ks. Rosario's Mohammed Jimenez became the first BSA player to 400 home runs and the first to 1000 RBI. The fifth, sixth, and seventh players to 300 home runs were Barry Huaman (Callao), Jose Negron (Brasilia) and Rui Gazo (Belo Horizonte) Cali’s William D’Arle (1B) and Bogota’s R.J. Garza (LF) became the first eight-time Gold Glove winners.

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Defending East Asia Baseball champion Nagoya won the Japan League South Division again, going 107-55. Kawasaki secured a fourth consecutive North Division with a franchise-best 100-62 season. While the Nightowls won their division by 13 games, the Killer Whales had to outlast a solid challenge from Saitama, who finished two back at 98-64.

Japan League MVP went to 25-year old 1B Kazushi Takano of Saitama. He was only the second EAB hitter to earn a Triple Crown with a .349 average, 48 home runs, and 126 RBI. Takano also led the league in runs (122), hits (203), triples (23), OBP (.405), slugging (.723), OPS (1.128) and wRC+ (262). Kobe’s Drew St. Louis won his fourth Pitcher of the Year and third straight at only age 27. The Trinidadian righty had the league lead in ERA (1.67), strikeouts (364), and WAR (10.8).



In the Korea League North Division, Goyang won the title at 92-70, two games ahead of Hamhung and four over Seongnam. The Green Sox are now in the playoffs for the fourth time in six years. In the South Division, Daegu broke up the Busan dynasty with their first division crown in a decade. The Diamondbacks finished first at 100-62 with Changwon second at 95-67 and the Blue Jays at 94-68.

MVP went to fourth-year shortstop Soo-Hyun Choo of Seongnam. Choo led Korea in the slash line (.373/,398/.664) and was the leader in OPS (1.062), WAR (11.7), hits (227), and runs (114). Daegu’s Jae-Won Mho picked up Pitcher of the Year with a career year of 23-4, a league-best 2.38 ERA, 0.85 WHIP, 12.4 K/BB, and 25 quality starts.

In a JLCS rematch, Kawasaki avenged their defeat from the prior season by downing Nagoya in five games. For the Killer Whales, it is their second Japan League title in four seasons. In the KLCS, Daegu dropped Goyang in five for the Diamondbacks' second title (1931). The Green Sox now have the misfortune of being the runner-up four times in six years. The EAB Championship went seven games for the first time since 1934. Kawasaki prevailed over Daegu to give the Killer Whales their first overall title. The Japan League now has taken six of the last eight series over the Korea League.





Other notes: Two perfect games were thrown in 1941. Yokohama's Goro Nakanishi did it with 12 strikeouts against Sapporo on April 6. On August 11, the teams were reversed with the Swordfish's Su-Huk Oh doing it with 14 strikeouts against the Yellow Jackets.

Nagoya's Danzu Min became the second to reach 500 career home runs. Min also crossed the 1000 runs scored mark earlier in the season. Tokyo's Ichirouta Oya crossed 3000 strikeouts. Ulsan's Ji-Hu Yoon became the ninth to reach 2000 hits. Kawasaki's Kazuo Ogiwara is the first closer to record 400 saves. Nagoya catcher Sang-Sik Bom won his ninth Silver Slugger. RF Hee-Ho Pho of Hamhung won his eighth Gold Glove.

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The Mexican League North Division was competitive, but weak in 1941. Jaurez at 83-79 took it for their first title since 1932, one better than Tijuana, two ahead of Monterrey, and four ahead of Hermosillo. In the South Division, 1939 CABA champ Leon had a franchise-best 106-56 record. Defending champ Mexico CIty was third at 92-70, behind Ecatepec at 99-63.

Aztecs RF Kiko Velazquez won his record 10^th and final MVP. At 34-years old, Velazquez posted a league-best 114 runs, 206 hits, 107 RBI, 72 stolen bases, .349 average, and 10.0 WAR. Monterrey’s Ernesto Urbina won his fourth Pitcher of the Year award, a decade after winning his first. The 33-year old Urbina posted a league and career best 1.50 ERA and 8.4 WAR. He also led in wins (21), WHIP (0.72), K/BB (10.8), quality starts (28/30) and shutouts (8).



Puerto Rico dominated the Caribbean Island Division at 98-64, 13 games better than Santo Domingo. The Haiti mini-dynasty officially ended as they fell to 84 wins. Honduras's hold on the Continental Division continued with a fourth title in five years. The Horsemen finished 100-62 with an 11-game gap to second place Nicaragua.

Pelicans 1B Ildefonso Vazquez earned league MVP with the Caribbean League lead in runs (110), hits (199), doubles (40), average (.336), OPS (.992), and WAR (9.2). Honduras ace Pablo Hernandez became a back-to-back Pitcher of the Year winner, again leading the league in ERA (2.22) while also posting a league best 0.91 WHIP and 27 quality starts.

In the MLCS, Leon beat Juarez in six to give the Lions their second title in three years and third overall. Puerto Rico rolled to a five game CLCS win over Honduras to prevent a Horsemen Caribbean League three-peat. It is the fifth Caribbean title for the Pelicans and first since 1929. The CABA Championship went seven games for the fourth straight season with Leon edging Puerto Rico. The Lions secured their second overall championship in three seasons.





Other notes: Simon Diaz of Guadalajara and Kiko Velazquez of Mexico City became the fifth and sixth CABA players to reach 2500 hits. Leo Antonucci of Santiago became the third pitcher to 250 career wins.

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The Eastern League in 1941 would have a tough battle at the top between Philadelphia, Ottawa, and Baltimore. The Phillies ended up taking the league title at 109-53 for their first playoff berth since 1930. Defending World Series champ Ottawa was second at 108-54, extending their record postseason streak to 10 seasons. Baltimore ended up out despite 102 wins. In a weak Midwest League, Omaha took the title for the second straight year with a 90-72 finish. Louisville again was second, going 86-76.

Hawks 1B Kaby Silva at age 34 got his fourth MVP and first since 1935. Silva led the National Association in home runs (52) for the fifth time, and also had the NA lead in slugging (.619) and OPS (.999) with 7.6 WAR. Philadelphia’s Henry Lopez in his second season grabbed Pitcher of the Year with the lead in ERA (2.35), posting 6.0 WAR with only 27 starts due to injury.

In the first round, Ottawa downed Omaha in four games and Philadelphia survived five games with Louisville. The NACS went the distance with Philadelphia beating Ottawa in seven. This would serve as a sort of passing-of-the-torch moment as Ottawa's playoff streak would end the next season and it marked the start of what would become a historic Phillies dynasty.



In the Southern League, Charlotte grabbed first at 100-72, giving the Canaries their sixth playoff appearance in eight seasons. New Orleans made it back-to-back berths by taking second at 92-70, three games ahead of Atlanta and four over Houston. Defending American Association champ Calgary improved and again won the Western League, this time at 108-54. Oakland beat out Seattle by a game and San Diego by three as the Owls finished at 93-69. It's Oakland's second-ever playoff berth, joining the 1925 season.

Mudcats LF Andrei Tanev secured his sixth and final MVP award. The 34-year old was the AA leader in RBI (134), slugging (.709), OPS (1.117), wRC+ (196) and a career-high 10.7 WAR. Charlotte pitcher Domingo Martinez got his second Pitcher of the Year in three seasons by tossing a 20-9 record with 2.45 ERA and 8.7 WAR.

The first round had Calgary survive in five games over New Orleans and Charlotte sweeping Oakland. The AACS went seven games with Charlotte preventing a Calgary repeat. In the 41st World Series, Philadelphia prevailed in six to take the franchise's third MLB title, joining the 1917 and 1918 seasons. It has now been 12 consecutive seasons with a different World Series winner.





Other notes: Brooklyn's Brayden Sherwood put together a 36-game hitting streak. It stands as the fourth longest streak to date, behind Jax Sanders (37, 1928), Condela Gurrola (40, 1902), and Jayden Gagnon (49, 1930). New Orleans' Andrei Tanev and Calgary's Ryan Gray joined the 500 home run club. Tanev also crossed 1500 RBI, as did teammate Balthasar Sharp and Louisville's J.R. Johnson. Sharp also crossed 2500 hits, as did Omaha's Kaby Silva. Kansas City CF Luke Murray earned his eighth Silver Slugger.

In pitching notables, Ned Giles, now in Montreal, crossed 3000 strikeouts. Andy Cowan of Montreal became the ninth to reach 250 career wins. Ottawa’s Julian Ouellet became a three-time Reliever of the Year.

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Two players were inducted into the 1942 MLB Hall of Fame class. Unsurprisingly, 1B Elijah Cashman was a near unanimous first ballot pick at 99.4%. Joining him in the class just past the 2/3s threshold on his third try was closer Paul Leo. Two barely missed at 65.7%, 3B Franz Boldt on his fourth try and SP Ray Biedermann on his 10^th and final try. SP Dee Walters on his fourth ballot was 60.9%.



It was heartbreaking for Biedermann to miss out by less than a percentage point on his last attempt, climbing from the 40% range to start into the 60% range in his last four ballots. The 1918 Pitcher of the Year, he split a 16 year career between Louisville, Denver, and Houston with a 204-146 record, 3.13 ERA, 2533 strikeouts, and 82.7 WAR. Starters with arguably less impressive resumes had made it in, but Biedermann’s reputation as unmotivated and greedy just barely kept him out. He was the only player to get dropped on his 10^th ballot in the 1942 voting.



Elijah Cashman – First Baseman – St. Louis Cardinals – 99.4% First Ballot

Elijah Cashman was a 6’1’’ 200 pound first baseman from Jacksonville, Florida who was a left-handed hitter and right-handed thrower. A candidate for MLB’s best-ever position player, Cashman combined incredible power and contact hitting ability. He was also solid at avoiding strikeouts and decent at drawing walks. He wasn’t a great baserunner, but he was incredibly solid defensively at first base, where he played nearly exclusively. Among his accolades were 11 Gold Glove awards.

Cashman played for Boston College and was drafted 45^th overall in the 1917 MLB Draft by Dallas. Only astute baseball historians even realize he was picked by the Dalmatians, as his entire playing career came with St. Louis. Before getting a chance to play for Dallas, he was traded to the Cardinals on March 1 with two other prospects for pitcher Tim Townsend, who finished as a 17 career WAR pitcher. I’d venture to say St. Louis won that trade.

The Cardinals didn’t bring him up right away, as he spent his entire 1918 at the minor league Columbia affiliate, where he earned minor league MVP. He made his MLB debut the next season and earned Rookie of the Year honors on a 6.9 WAR season. His first three years were very good, but year four separated him from very good to elite. 1922 was his first of seven MVP seasons and the first of a four-year MVP streak. He added additional MVPs in, 27, 29, and 30.

He led the National Association in home runs eight straight seasons starting in 1923, which saw him set the MLB record with 61 a season. It would be one of only three 60+ HR seasons in the 20^th Century. In 1927, he became the second MLB batter to earn the Triple Crown on a .353 average, 57 homers, and 150 RBI. In 1929, he did it again with a382 average, 56 HR, and 149 RBI. To date, he is the only MLB player to achieve the feat twice.

Nine times Cashman was a Silver Slugger winner and 11 times a Gold Glover. He was twice a batting champion, led the NA in WAR five times, OPS and wRC+ seven times, RBI five times, hits twice, and runs twice. He had five 10+ WAR seasons and holds two of the five 12+ WAR seasons achieved in MLB. His 12.25 WAR in 1923 held as the single season record until 1955 and would stay second all-time until 2012. The 1923 season had a then-record 1.1519 OPS. His .3819 average in 1929 was the second best season at the time.

The only blemish against Cashman’s record is the lack of playoff statistics as despite his efforts, the Cardinals were a weak franchise during his tenure. Only three times in his 18 seasons did St. Louis make the playoffs and they never advanced out of the first round. Many wondered if he’d leave to try to chase a ring, but #9 was loyal until the end with the Cardinals. Reliably sturdy, he almost never dealt with injuries over the 18 seasons. It wasn’t until his late 30s that his production finally began to falter, retiring after the 1936 season at age 40.

With his prolific power, Cashman was the first player to 700+ career home runs and retired the all-time leader at 750, a distinction he’d hold for 85 years. He was the second to 2000 career RBI and was the leader at 2050 at retirement. He was the 10^th to 3000 hits and retired second at 3455. His .327 career average was best among Hall of Famers at retirement, as was his .977 OPS. And he would retire the hitting WARlord at 136.6, not getting passed for that crown until the 2010s. Whomever the jerk was that prevented him from getting 100% of the vote should be mocked, as Elijah Cashman will forever be remembered not only as the GOAT hitter of the 1920s-30s, but possibly the greatest 1B and position player in MLB history.




Paul Leo – Closer – Chicago Cubs – 69.8% Third Ballot

Paul Leo was a 6’1’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Sandusky, Ohio. Leo had strong stuff and good control, hitting upper 90s consistently with his fastball. He mixed it with a curveball that wasn’t outstanding, but solid enough for a one-two punch. Leo went to Auburn to play in college and was picked in the second round of the 1916 MLB Draft, 58^th overall, by the Chicago Cubs. Nine of his 18 MLB seasons would be as a Cub.

Leo took over the closer role in his second season and held it for five years where he did decent, but not outstanding. The outspoken Leo was traded in 1923 to Atlanta and spent two seasons in the back of their bullpen, getting again traded for 1925 to Buffalo. He regained a closer role in his one year with the Blue Sox, then spent 1926 with St. Louis. He signed with Las Vegas in a limited role in 1927, then went back to the Cubs from 1928 to 1930.

His best season of that run came in 1929 where he led the National Association with 36 saves At age 35 for 1931, he signed with Montreal and led the NA in saves with 37, although his ERA was a weak 3.63. He was moved to setup in 1932, then went to Ottawa in 1933 for one last shot as a closer. He had a career year with the Elks with a 1.72 ERA and 34 saves, finishing second in Reliever of the Year voting. It also gave him only his second shot at the postseason, as he had historically been on weaker teams. Despite the great 1933, Ottawa traded him before the 1934 season to Calgary, where he struggled. He retired at age 39 after that.

The final line: 354 saves, 2.83 ERA, 1254 strikeouts in 1162.2 innings, 436 shutdowns, and 25.3 WAR. His WAR and ERA are generally among the worst of the inducted relief pitchers and his lack of dominance made him a no for a lot of voters. However, there were enough voters who were like the Loch Ness Monster; they just needed about 350. Every closer to that point with 350+ saves was in and Paul Leo at 69.8% continued that trend on his third try on the ballot.

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Two players earned induction in the Central American Baseball Association’s 1942 Hall of Fame class; both starting pitchers. Dunbar Brown on his third ballot surged to 79.0%, while Glen Anderson at 76.6% was a first-ballot pick. Both Brown and Anderson are Jamaican, the first Jamaicans to make it into the CABA Hall. 1B Jose Angel Islas on his second try was short at 59.3% and SP Makenson Augistin on his seventh attempt was at 55.1%. No CABA players were a 10^th ballot guy.



Dunbar Brown – Starting Pitcher – Havana Hurricanes – 79.0% Third Ballot

Dunbar Brown was a 6’1’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Spanish Town, just outside of Kingston in Jamaica. Brown had 95-97 mph velocity and was known for strong control with three pitches; a fastball, splitter, and knuckle curve. Brown would be drafted seventh overall by Havana in the 1921 CABA Draft and would spend the majority of his career in Cuba.

Brown saw limited action in 1922, then became a full-time starter from 1923 onward. He led the Caribbean League in wins with 26 in 1925 and 20 in 1926, leading the league with 8.5 WAR in 26. He finished third in Pitcher of the Year voting in 1925 and second in 1926, then took second again in 1928.

The Hurricanes consistently had a winning record in Brown’s run, but was never able to win a division title in his tenure. Brown’s Havana final line was 153-82, a 2.76 ERA, 2171 strikeouts in 2255 innings and 60.4 WAR. Brown was well known and well liked in the Hurricanes clubhouse and signe da five-year contract extension on June 30, 1931. To the surprise of many, on July 20, Havana traded Brown to Hermosillo.

Brown finished his career with Hermosillo, but was snakebitten by injuries. In the summer of 1932, he suffered a ruptured UCL, ending his 1932 and putting him out for half of 1933. He had a nearly full 1934, but ruptured his UCL again in September, ending his career at age 36.

His final line was 179-102, 2.77 ERA, 2738 innings with 2554 strikeouts and 484 walks, 242 quality starts out of 351, and a 69.3 WAR. His final totals are relatively low on the leaderboards due to his injury-plagued 30s, but his Havana run was a very solid decade of production. Brown’s #26 was the first retired number for Havana and he was considered good enough to get into the Hall of Fame on his third ballot at 79.0% after missing by a hair the first two tries.



Glen Anderson – Starting Pitcher – Jamaica Jazz – 76.6% First Ballot

Glen Anderson was a 5’11’’, 190 pound left-handed pitcher from Spanish Town, Jamaica. He and Dunbar Brown were from the same town and came up in the same early baseball circles, making it appropriate that both went into the Hall of Fame together as the first Jamaican inductees. However, Anderson would stay in Jamaica for his whole career, picked by the Jazz 18^th overall in the 1922 CABA Draft. Anderson had mid 90s velocity and good movement and respectable control between a fastball, slider, and curveball. He was also a good defender, once winning a Gold Glove.

Anderson only played partial seasons in his first three years and was largely mediocre, but his fourth year he became a full-time starter and became a solid one by his fifth year. He continued to work on his game and earned Pitcher of the Year in his eight season at age 30 with 24 wins and 6.5 WAR. He also had a solid postseason in helping the Jazz to their first overall CABA Championship.

Jamaica would win five straight division titles and three Caribbean League titles, also taking the CABA crown in 1933. Anderson was a key part of this run, getting a second Pitcher of the Year in 1934 at age 34 with a career-best 7.5 WAR and 2.00 ERA. In 1935, he earned his 200^th career win, the eighth pitcher to do so. His production finally faltered in 1936 and he retired at the end of the season at age 37. At the end of that season, Jamaica retired his #15 jersey.

The final line for Anderson: 209-127, 2.85 ERA, 3137.1 innings with 2474 strikeouts and 643 walks, 271/393 quality starts and 54.9 WAR. His lack of strikeouts and overall dominance meant his advanced numbers place him lower on the CABA Hall of Fame Leaderboards. However, two Pitcher of the Year awards, 209 wins and a notable role in a dynasty run for his home-country team meant Glen Anderson got in on the first ballot at 76.6%.

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Two first ballot picks were added in East Asia Baseball’s 1942 Hall of Fame Class; also both starting pitchers. Chul Ryu was a no-doubter at 97.5% and Yoshimatsu Sakamoto was in at 82.4%. SP Kil-Sung Min and 1B Ji-Hoo Kim had solid first showings at 62.6% and 56.8%, respectively.



One player was dropped after an 10^th ballot in the EAB group. Closer Ga-On Ko had 258 saves and a 1.61 ERA with 31.6 WAR and 952 strikeouts in his career split between EAB, MLB, and CABA. His stats also began at age 31, so perhaps a full career in EAB would’ve gotten him in. He peaked at 43.6% on his second ballot and fell to 11.5% on his last attempt.



Chul Ryu – Starting Pitcher – Hamhung Heat – 97.5% First Ballot

Chul Ryu was a 6’3’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Pyongyang, North Korea. He threw 96-98 mph velocity with excellent movement and later strong control. He had a unique arsenal of a screwball, changeup, sinker, and cutter; making Ryu an incredibly difficult pitcher to figure out. He also fielded the position well with a Gold Glove to his name.

Ryu was the 30^th overall pick in the 1923 EAB Draft by Hamhung and spent his entire career with the Heat. He immediately found success, winning the Rookie of the Year. He led the Korea League in ERA in 1926, 1928, and 1929, getting his lone Pitcher of the Year in 1928 with a 24-6 record, 1.71 ERA, and 317 strikeouts with 10.2 WAR. He had 10.2 WAR again in 1931, Although Ryu only won PotY once, he placed second on five occasions.

Ryu came into a successful Hamhung squad that won four straight North Division titles and the EAB title in 1928. While still a solid club, they didn’t have another playoff appearance during Ryu’s tenure. Injuries would start to hurt him into his 30s, missing a big chunk of 1933 with biceps tendinitis and part of 1934 with elbow tendinitis. In 1935, a late season torn rotator cuff was devastating. He tried a return in 1936 but was abysmal. He remained on roster but wasn’t used in 1937, retiring at age 36. His #8 was retired by Hamhung the following year.

Ryu’s final line: 199-92, 2.35 ERA, 2626.1 innings with 2836 strikeouts and 489 walks, 244/346 quality starts and 82.1 WAR. His stretch from 1925 to 1931 is about as good of one a starting pitcher can have. His injury and steep decline in his 30s keep him off the leaderboards, but Ryu was no doubt on of the dominant pitchers of the early Korea League, deserving of his 97.5% first ballot induction.



Yoshimatsu Sakamoto – Starting Pitchers - Chiba Comets – 82.4% First Ballot

Yoshimatsu Sakamoto was a 6’1’’ 195 pound left-handed pitcher from Kumagaya in Saitama Prefecture Japan. Sakamoto peaked at 96-98 mph velocity with solid stuff and movement, balancing his repertoire with a fastball, curveball, changeup, and knuckle curve. After playing college baseball at Rikkyo University, he was drafted 17^th overall in the 1921 EAB Draft by Osaka.

His Orange Sox tenure lasted one very poor season, getting rocked for a -2.3 WAR season. Osaka opted to trade him to Chiba, where he would find his greatest success during a seven-year run. After a respectable debut in 1923, Sakamoto emerged as one of the best pitchers in the Japan League. He posted 10.7 WAR in 1925, 11.6 in 1927, and 10.0 in 1929. He led Japan in ERA in 1927 at 1.74 and strikeouts at 351, earning Pitcher of the Year honors.

His win-loss record was underwhelming despite his success, as the Comets were a bottom-tier franchise in the 1920s. Still, he was second in PotY voting in 1925 and third in 1929. He threw his first no-hitter against Saitama in 1929 and earned his 200^th career strikeout, He finished with a 96-79 record, 2.04 ERA, 2036 strikeouts, and 57.9 WAR with Chiba.

Sakamoto left Chiba in free agency and signed a six-year deal with Sendai, immediately making an impact with a 9.9 WAR season at age 31 for his second Pitcher of the Year award. This would be his career peak, as a number of injuries would cause him to miss time in the coming seasons, although he still put up 29.4 WAR and 1092 strikeouts over five seasons with the Samurai. He also had his second no-hitter against Yokohama in 1934.

Sakamoto signed with Saitama for the 1935 season at age 36 and would get traded midseason to Ulsan. 1936 with the Swallows saw a sore shoulder take him out for a large chunk of the year. He finally did get to have his first playoff appearance that October, but suffered a torn labrum to end his career.

His final statistics: 173-143, 2.36 ERA, 3072.1 innings with 3373 strikeouts and 662 walks; 294/401 quality starts and 87.1 WAR. His advanced statistics show how solid he was despite spending his career in relatively obscurity with bad teams. Although only a seven-year stretch, his Chiba run puts him atop a number of Comet leaderboards. This all earned Sakamoto a first ballot induction at 82.4%.

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Maracaibo and La Paz both won their divisions again in the Bolivar League in 1942. The defending league-champ Mariners won their third straight division title with a 97-63 record, outlasting Barquisimeto by two games. The Pump Jacks won their fourth straight division with a 96-66 mark, six games better than Quito.

Black Cats RF Matias Amaro won his second MVP in his fourth season. Amaro led the Bolivar League in home runs (48), WAR (11.5), triple slash (.307/,400/.627), OPS (1.027), and wRC+ (216). Amaro led the league in homers for the third straight season. Barquisimeto also had the Pitcher of the Year in Angel Guitron with a 21-7 record, league best 1.68 ERA, 12.1 WAR, 23 complete games and 10 shutouts. Guitron’s 403 strikeouts were only 10 behind Mohamed Ramos, preventing Guitron from grabbing a Triple Crown.



In Liga Cono Sur, Sao Paolo won the Brazil Division for the first time. The Padres went 94-68, three games ahead of Salvador and four over Fortaleza. Last year’s winner Rio de Janeiro dropped to 77 wins. Defending Copa Sudamerica champ Buenos Aires again claimed the South Division with a franchise record 104-58 season.

The Atlantics had both the league MVP and Pitcher of the Year. RF Rene Espinoza grabbed MVP on a career year with the lead in OBP (.385), slugging (.592), OPS (.997), and wRC+ (217). Evan Yho was the top pitcher with the lead in ERA (1.24) and WHIP (0.67) with all by one of his 35 starts a quality start. Yho also had 10.4 WAR and was second in wins (22) and strikeouts (363). Timoteo Caruso meanwhile had a staggering 16.0 WAR season, but finished behind Yho in the voting as the Redbirds struggled.

The Bolivar League Championship Series was round three between La Paz and Maracaibo with the Pump Jacks claiming the rubber match in five games for their third title in four seasons. Buenos Aires earned back-to-back Southern Cone titles by defeating Sao Paolo in six games. In Copa Sudamerica, the Atlantics beat the Pump Jacks in five games for back-to-back overall titles.





Other notes: Buenos Aires pitcher Lincoln Parra threw a perfect game on August 28 against Rosario with nine strikeouts. Mohamed Ramos made it to 5500 career strikeouts, while Callao’s Pierre Ramirez in second place just passed 3500 Ks. Ramos also became the first to 250 career wins. Valencia’s Chano Angel became the first to 400 career saves. Sao Paolo LF Carlo Mizurado and Rio de Janeiro RF Martin Arriaga both became seven-time Gold Glove winners. CF Saul Vargas of Cali became a seven-time Silver Slugger winner.

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Defending East Asia Baseball champion Kawasaki and Saitama went back and forth in the Japan League North Division, finishing tied for the title at 99-63. In the one-game playoff to break the tie, the Killer Whales won to extend their playoff streak to five years. Kobe grabbed the North Division for the first time since 1936 and fourth time in franchise history. The Blaze went 92-70, five games ahead of both Hiroshima and Kyoto. Last year’s division champ Nagoya dropped to 79-wins.

Japan League MVP was Byung-Joo Kim of Kawasaki. The first baseman in his first full season at age 23 led in home runs (43), OBP (.369), slugging (.619), OPS (.988), and wRC+ (218). The Killer Whales also had the Pitcher of the Year in Toshihiro Tsukahara. The 34-year old veteran had a career year with a league-best 1.48 ERA and 6.7 WAR over 218.1 innings.



Goyang again controlled the Korea League North Division with a 101-61 record for their fifth division title in seven years. It was their franchise-best record as well. After missing the playoffs last year, Busan got back on track looking to reestablish their dynasty. The Blue Jays went 110-52 to lead EAB. Changwon was second with 99 wins, while defending Korea League champ Daegu was third at 92 wins.

Green Sox LF Byung-Oh Tan won his third MVP and eighth Silver Slugger. The 29-year old had his best season left with a league-best 10.7 WAR, 121 RBI, 212 hits, 117 runs, .367/.404/.687 slash, 1.091 OPS, and 199 wRC+. It was the sixth time he led in runs and fifth time leading in hits. Busan’s Yu-Geon Moon won his sixth Pitcher of the Year. The 34-year old veteran had a 2.09 ERA, leading the Korea League for the seventh time in his career. He also had 306 strikeouts and 8.5 WAR. He’s the first six-time PotY winner in EAB history.

Both League Championship Series went seven games. Kobe defeated Kawasaki to give the Blaze their second-ever league title. Busan bested Goyang to five the Blue Jays their fourth league title in five years and sixth of the last decade. Goyang falls in the KLCS for the fifth time in seven years. In the East Asian Championship, Busan beat Kobe in six games to give the Blue Jays their third overall title. They join Nagoya as the only franchises with three EAB titles to date.





Other notes: Hamhung’s Joon-Kyu Cho and Daejeon’s Hyeong-Jun Sim became the second and third pitchers to 4000 career strikeouts. Cho, Busan’s Yu-Geon Moon, and Kyoto’s Seugn-Mo Kim all made it to 200 wins, making it five pitchers to have crossed that benchmark. Hiroshima’s Huaiyu Lu is the third EAB batter to 500 home runs.

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Defending CABA champ Leon won the Mexican League South Division for the third time in four years, as the Lions finished 100-62. Monterrey took the North Division at 97-63. Both teams won their division by 13 games.

Leon SS Emmanuel Zavala won his second MVP award with a league-best 9.7 WAR. He added his eight Silver Slugger, hitting 33 home runs and 997 RBI with a .307 average. Puebla’s Felix Hernandez was the Pitcher of the Year as the 29-year old Honduran righty led the Mexican League in ERA for the first time at 1.73. He also led in WHIP at 0.74 and had a 7.5 WAR season.



Puerto Rico picked up a second straight Caribbean Island Division title with CABA’s best record in 1942 at 106-56, 14 games ahead of Haiti. Honduras grabbed their fifth division title in six years, going 91-71 but still winning the division by 10 games.

Pelicans RF Pasqualino Yanez at age 30 earned his first MVP award, leading the Caribbean in home runs (52) and WAR (9.2). He also was the leader in the triple slash (.321/.379/.642), OPS (1.020), and wRC+ (186). Honduras had the Pitcher of the Year from veteran Steadman Arzu in his 10^th year with the club. The Belizean led the Caribbean in ERA (1.97) and WHIP (0.86).

In the MLCS, Leon rolled in five games against Monterrey, giving the Lions Mexican League dynasty status with their third title in four seasons. Honduras swept Puerto Rico in a CLCS rematch, also giving the Horsemen their third title in four years. In the CABA Championship, it was decided 4-3 for the sixth straight season. In a 1939 rematch, Honduras prevailed over Leon to give the Horsemen their second overall CABA title in three seasons.





Other notes: Mexico City legend Kiko Velazquez became the first CABA hitter to 1500 runs scored and the second to 1500 RBI. He also secured his record 14^th and final Silver Slugger award. It would be the final CABA season for the 35-year old RF, who would spend his final three seasons in America.

Guatemala pitcher Michelangelo Nava threw a perfect game with six strikeouts against Havana on August 4. Monterrey shortstop Carlos Almonte in his final CABA season won his 11^th Gold Glove. Salvador’s Emmanuel Reyes and Nicaragua’s Egor Guzman became the fourth and fifth members of the CABA 500 home run club. Guzman and Tijuana’s Ric Rodriguez both crossed the 2000 hit threshold.

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Defending World Series Champion Philadelphia won their second straight Eastern League title by going 103-59, outlasting Baltimore by one game. Ottawa’s record 10-year playoff streak ended as they dropped to 77 wins. The Elks wouldn’t make the playoffs again until 1954. Cincinnati claimed the Midwest League title at 102-60, their fourth title in franchise history. Omaha made it three straight playoff berths by taking second at 90-72, beating Minneapolis by one game.


Moose two-way player Jared Lee won the league MVP in his third season. As a pitcher, Lee had 6.2 WAR with the National Association lead in wins (20) with a 2.60 ERA and 196 strikeouts in 27 starts. He added 5.4 WAR offensively playing in left field, hitting 28 home runs with 84 RBI and a .327 average in 346 at bats. Toronto’s Zach Gagnier won Pitcher of the Year. The 32-year old journeyman had a career year, leading the NA in ERA (2.38) and WHIP (0.90).

Both first round playoff series were sweeps in favor of the league champs; Cincinnati over Baltimore and Philadelphia over Omaha. In the NACS, the Phillies topped the Reds 4-2 for back-to-back National Association titles.




Dallas at 95-67 won the Southern League title, their first playoff berth since 1931 and first league title since 1919. Last year’s American Association champ Charlotte made it back into the playoffs with a second place 89-73 season, beating Atlanta by two games. Oakland at 105-57 had the best record in the AA for their first-ever Western League title. Phoenix at 97-65 took second, beating Portland by four games and defending WL champ Calgary by five. For the Firebirds, it is their first playoff berth since 1933.

Charlotte LF Danys Vera won the MVP with the AA lead in RBI (130) and WAR (9.1). In his fourth year with the Canaries, Vera joins a select few in history to have MVPs in multiple leagues, having won the 1939 Caribbean League MVP with Jamaica. Vera ultimately would finish with 106.2 WAR between the two leagues, but miss the Hall of Fame in both due to the statistical split.

Vancouver pitcher Levi Flynn in his rookie season won the Pitcher of the Year, leading the AA with 22 wins, 2.24 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, and 22 complete games with 8.8 WAR. His 306 innings was the second most in a single-season at that point in history. It was one of the most impressive debuts for a pitcher ever, but Flynn’s story had a tragic end. In his fifth season, a torn rotator cuff, followed by a partial torn UCL, would force Flynn into retirement by age 28.

In the first round, Oakland swept Charlotte and Dallas survived Phoenix in five games. The Dalmatians would sweep the Owls in the AACS for Dallas’s third American Association title and first since the 1918-19 seasons. They would be denied their first World Series title as the Phillies won the 1942 Fall Classic in five games, giving Philadelphia back-to-back crowns.






Other notes: Five players crossed 1500 career runs scored; Calgary’s Ryan Gray, New Orleans’ Balthasar Sharp and Andrei Tanev, Buffalo’s Dale Brooks, and Louisville’s J.R. Johnson. Omaha’s Kaby Silva became the fifth MLB player to 600 career home runs. Silva also crossed 1500 RBI. Kent Price and Caleb Yang, both of Baltimore, got to 500 homers. Louisville’s Isaac Epperson became the 14^th to 3000 hits.

In pitching notables, Toronto’s Lee Barajas and Montreal’s Ned Giles were the 10^th and 11^th to get to 250 career wins. Giles also crossed 3500 strikeouts, the sixth player to do so.

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Two players were inducted in Major League Baseball’s 1943 Hall of Fame Class. Two-way player Dylan D’Ippolito and 2B Norris Thuston both made it on the first ballot with the former at 91.1% and the latter at 80.6%. Pitcher Dee Walters on his fifth ballot came close but just short at 63.8%. 3B Brantley Lloyd had a solid debut but was also just out at 62.9%. Franz Bolt, Rush Anest, and Emanuel McCain were the others to top 50%.



Getting dropped on his 10^th ballot was shortstop Joe Thibault. He joins George Showalter as the only eligible players with 3000+ hits at this point in history to not get inducted. He played the majority of his 22 years with Montreal and had 3257 hits, 1438 runs, 451 doubles, 264 HR, 1473 RBI, a .271/.316/.390 slash and 87.8 WAR with five Gold Gloves. His lack of power stats and lower slash sank him despite having some tallies that suggest induction. His 87.8 WAR is the highest of a hitter to be left out thus far. His highest tally was 54.6% on his sixth ballot.



Dylan D’Ippolito – Pitcher/Left Fielder – Washington Admirals – 91.1% First Ballot

Dylan D’Ippolito is a 5’8’’, 180 pound left-handed pitcher and hitter from New York City. He was Major League Baseball’s first real two-way star player, although his biggest contributions were as a pitcher. He had great stuff with 98-100 mph velocity and strong movement, although his control could be spotty. D’Ippolito had four great pitches; a fastball, slider, curveball, and splitter.

As a hitter, he had respectable contact and power and rarely struck out, although he also rarely drew walks and was not a great baserunner. The vast majority of his starts away from the mound were in left field, where he was a below average but passible fielder. He was generally thought of as an average to above average defensive pitcher.

D’Ippolito played college baseball at Cincinnati and did play both ways, although he was expected to make his mark as a pitcher. Washington selected him 32^nd overall in the 1922 MLB Draft. He immediately made a mark, leading the National Association in ERA at 2.33 as a rookie. The pitching earned him Rookie of the Year, as his limited batting exploits were unremarkable.

His second through fifth seasons were truly full-time two-way seasons and these also included his best years as a pitcher. In his third season, he won Pitcher of the Year with the National Association lead in wins (22), ERA (1.90), inning (289.2), quality starts (29/34) with 18 complete games and 9.1 WAR. He did that while hitting 32 home runs with 82 RBI in 116 total starts, posting 12.5 WAR for the entire season. That combined tally was higher than any individual pitching or hitting WAR in a single season to that point in MLB history.

In 1927 at age 25, he won his second Pitcher of the Year award with a 21-6 record, 2.45 ERA, and 6.8 WAR while adding 109 RBI and 3.2 WAR as a hitter. This season also saw a no-hitter on April 7 against Minneapolis with 10 strikeouts and one walk. In both 1925 and 1927, he was second in MVP voting.

Through his first five seasons, D’Ippolito had posted 42.2 total WAR between his pitching and hitting exploits. But that workload did a toll on his body and he wouldn’t again be physically able to maintain that for a full season. Each year, various injuries would usually cost him one to two months of action for the rest of his Washington run. He was still generally good for around 20 starts on the mound and around 40-50 games in the field. This got him around 2-3 WAR pitching and another 1-2 WAR with his bat on average, making him still a very important part of the squad.

In his peak seasons, the Admirals were typically in the top half of the standings in the Eastern League, but not good enough to make the playoffs. They finally broke through in 1930 and D’Ippolito was able to have his first playoff action and help Washington to a World Series title.

In 1932 at age 30, D’Ippolito struggled on the mound and wanted to remain a two-way player regardless. He had signed a six-year extension at the start of the season, but with his struggles and a hamstring strain midseason, Washington decided to cut their losses and release him on August 29. Detroit signed him for the remainder of the 1932 campaign. Still only 31 entering 1933, Phoenix felt he still had a lot of offer and signed D’Ippolito to a six-year, $63,600 deal.

His debut season with the Firebirds was the closest he had gotten to a full pitching season since 1927 and he still gave them decent batting numbers, although his patching stats were merely decent. The signing was ultimately a win, as Phoenix won the American Association title, losing in the World Series to Louisville.

The Firebirds wouldn’t make the playoffs again during D’Ippolito’s tenure and his body began to fall apart hard. A torn back muscle in spring training put him out most of 1934 and he needed surgery for bone chips in his elbow mid-1935, putting him out of the game for a calendar year. When he returned in late 1936 at age 34, he put up solid pitching numbers in his limited play, giving Phoenix hope. He had a full pitching season in 1937, but struggled with production. D’Iippolito opted to retire at the end of the year at age 36. He was able to mend his relationship with Washington the next year, as they retired his #33 jersey.

His final pitching stats alone warranted Hall of Fame consideration: 200-109, 2.82 ERA, 2899.1 innings with 2320 strikeouts and 978 walks, 264/372 quality starts and 58.3 WAR. As a hitter, he added 24.3 WAR with a .291 average, 222 home runs, 746 RBI, 1283 hits, and 586 runs. These stats come too with the fact that he generally missed chunks of each year in the final decade of his career. One of the most fascinating talents in MLB history and certainly one deserving of his spot in the Hall of Fame.



Norris Thuston – Second Baseman – Baltimore Orioles – 80.6% First Ballot

Norris Thuston was a 5’9’’, 200 pound right-handed second baseman from Cazenovia, a small town in central New York State. Thuston played almost exclusively at 2B and joins Archie Meredith as the only 2Bs in the MLB Hall of Fame. He was considered a pretty solid defender early in his career, but closer to below average in his 30s. Thuston was an excellent contact hitter and a smart (but not super quick) baserunner who rarely struck out. He had deceptive power with three 30+ home run seasons. Thuston also was considered a great leader and team captain.

Thurston played college baseball at Minnesota, winning a Silver Slugger as a sophomore and a Gold Glove as a junior. In the 1919 MLB Draft, Baltimore selected him 12^th overall and he would spend his entire 18-year professional career as an Oriole. He immediately made a huge impact, earning Rookie of the Year with an 8.8 WAR debut and .358 average.

In his second season, he earned the National Association MVP, a Gold Glove, and Silver Slugger with a 10.5 WAR season. Thuston hit .347 with 37 home runs and 110 RBI. This year, Baltimore made it to the playoffs for the first time ever and won the NA title, falling to San Francisco in the 1921 World Series. He had a stellar junior season (second in MVP voting) and good fourth year, although injury caused him to miss a month. He was back just in time to lead them to the 1923 World Series title, the franchise’s first.

Baltimore would fall off hard to close the 1920s and didn’t find notable success again until the end of the 1930s. But Thuston remained the loyal soldier and captain throughout. In 1925, a torn PCL caused him to miss nearly the entire season. Other nagging injuries kept him out a few weeks most years, but he still had reliable production, winning four Silver Sluggers in total.

In 1930 at age 31, he finished second in MVP voting with a 10.2 WAR campaign. He got his only batting title with a .356 average, while also leading the NA in OBP at .422 and adding 35 home runs. The next season would be his last full year as a start with the nagging injuries and age catching up into his 30s. More knee trouble, as well as a concussion in 1936, made it tough for Thuston. In 1937, another torn PCL finally made him call it quits at age 39.

The final statistics: 2701 hits, 1409 runs, 342 doubles, 136 triples, 353 home runs, 1206 RBI, a .314/.365/.509 slash, and 89.9 WAR. Unsurprisingly, his #9 was the first number retired by Baltimore and he remained an Oriole ambassador for years after. An elite 2B of the 1920s and 30s and a big part of a World Series title, Thuston was a well-deserved first ballot Hall of Fame pick.

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Three players made it into the 1943 Central American Baseball Association Hall of Fame class. Closer B.J. Cabrera made it on the first ballot at 86.2%. 1B Jose Angel Islas on his third got in at 73.4%. Starting pitcher Makenson Augustin made it on the thinnest of margins, sneaking in at 66.1% on his eighth time on the ballot. Two others crossed the 50% threshold but are still on the outside; SP Aitor Moreno (52.6, 6^th) and 2B Junior Moto (50.2%, 4^th)



Two players were dropped after their 10^th go on the ballot. SP Yelder Guzman had a 14-year career with three teams with a 174-160 record, 2.79 ERA, and 44.9 WAR with 3065 strikeouts. He peaked at 25.7% on his second ballot. Another SP, Alfredo Fernandez, spent 14 of 15 seasons with Honduras and had a 188-157 record, 3.04 ERA, 2652 strikeouts, and 29.2 WAR. He peaked at 15.4% on his first try. Both respectable careers, but not Hall worthy.



B.J. Cabrera – Closer – Monterrey Matadors – 86.2% First Ballot

B.J. Cabrera was a 5’10’’, 185 pound left-handed relief pitcher from the capital of Honduras, Tegucigalpa. He developed 97-99 mph velocity as his career advanced with a solid fastball and a strong splitter to counter. After playing high school baseball around Tegucigalpa, his home country team Honduras drafted him 23^rd overall in the 1919 CABA Draft. He remained on the reserve roster for a few years, finally making his Horseman debut in 1923 at age 22.

After two respectable seasons in middle relief with Honduras, he was traded to Jamaica for the 1925 season. He spent six seasons with the Jazz, becoming the closer in his second season and holding the role for four seasons. He led the Caribbean League in saves (45) in 1927 and won Reliever of the Year in 1929. In 1930, the Jazz won the CABA championship for the first time. It was Cabrera’s first ring, but he has reduced to middle relief in his last year with Jamaica.

At age 30, he signed with Ecatepec for the 1931 season and spent two seasons in middle relief. Cabrera earned two rings in this stretch as it was the middle of the Ecatepec dynasty. In March 1933, the Explosion traded Cabrera to Monterrey.

His five years with the Matadors were considered his signature run, even though his longest tenure was with Jamaica. With Monterrey, he won three additional Reliever of the Year awards, leading in saves in 1933 and 1934. The Matadors won two Mexican League titles during Cabrera’s run and he picked up his fourth CABA ring in 1937. He retired at the end of the season at age 37.

Cabrera’s final line: 382 saves, 2.06 ERA, 1062.1 innings, 1351 strikeouts, 491 shutdowns, and 35.0 WAR. At retirement, his 382 saves was second all-time only behind Olivio Madrid. These tallies and being a part of numerous championship teams got Cabrera noticed by the voters and inducted on the first ballot at 86.2%.



Jose Angel Islas – First Baseman – Chihuahua Warriors – 73.4% Third Ballot

Jose Angel Islas was a 5’8’’, 200 pound switch-hitting first baseman from Leon, Mexico. Islas was a well-rounded hitter who didn’t excel at anything, but was above average to good at most facets of batting. He struck out more than you’d like, but was one of the best in the era at drawing walks. He was a slow baserunner and played exclusively at first base in his career as a slightly below average fielder. His great bat gave him a 21-year career despite generally being considered a bit of a disloyal jerk.

After a successful amateur career, Islas was picked third overall by Chihuahua in the 1914 CABA Draft. After limited action in 1915, his first full season in 1916 earned him Rookie of the Year honors. He would spend nearly 14 seasons with the Warriors, leading Mexico in walks three times, doubles twice, and runs once. He earned two Silver Sluggers and was third in MVP voting in 1920 and 1921. Chihuahua became a winner into the 1920s and took the Mexican League title in 1922 and 1926; taking the CABA title in 1922. Islas was the MCLS MVP in 1921 despite the team losing the series to Guadalajara.

Chihuahua entered a rebuilding phase in 1928 and traded Islas, despite the 36-year old still consistently putting up solid production. His final line with Chihuahua was 1825 hits, 895 runs, 318 home runs, 341 doubles, 946 RBI, a .271/.347/.473 slash and 64.0 WAR.

Islas was moved on July 28 to Puebla for prospects, as the Pumas were trying to make a playoff push. It paid off, as Puebla won the CABA championship and Islas earned his second overall ring. Islas spent another four seasons with the Pumas, although they wouldn’t get back to the playoffs in his tenure. He still put up 22.1 WAR, 634 hits, 143 home runs, and 382 RBI. With Puebla, he earned his 1000^th career run, 2000^th hit, and 400^th home run.

The Pumas didn’t re-sign Islas after the 1932 season, although the now 41-year old was coming off a 5.3 WAR season. He signed with Mexico City and was a starter in 1933, then saw limited action in the next two years due to age and injury. He came in right around the time the Aztecs dynasty began, getting a third CABA ring and fifth Mexican League ring in 1934. Islas became a free agent after the 1935 season and after being unsigned in 1936, retired at age 45.

His lengthy career led to some nice totals: 2715 hits, 1384 runs, 464 doubles, 493 home runs, 1448 RBI, 1179 walks, a .270/.345/.472 slash and 90.5 WAR. At the time, his 464 doubles was the most all-time by a CABA player and he was second in hits and walks drawn. Still, his rude personality and lack of an MVP title meant he didn’t get in the Hall of Fame until his third try at 73.4%. But his career tallies and longevity were undeniable, along with his role on numerous championship teams.



Makenson “Magoo” Augustin – Starting Pitcher – Haiti Herons – 66.1% Eighth Ballot

Makeson Augustin was a 6’0’’, 205 pound right-handed pitcher from Carrefour, part of greater Port-au-Prince in Haiti. Nicknamed “Magoo,” he was a fireballer who regularly hit triple digits with a great fastball. He also had a strong forkball, along with passable slider and changeup. Control was at times an issue along with injuries, as inflammation his throwing elbow was a reoccurring issue.

Augustin caught the attention of Haitian baseball leaders as an amateur and was picked by his home-country Herons sixth overall in the 1917 CABA Draft. He immediately became a key part of Haiti’s rotation. In his fifth season, Augustin won his lone Pitcher of the Year award with a 23-12 record, 1.92 ERA, 313 strikeouts, and 8.3 WAR.

In 1924, Haiti traded Augustin to Jamaica midseason. He spent 1925 with Jamaica as well, then re-signed with Haiti the next season at age 31 and spent the remaining five seasons of his career back with the Herons. His production began to fade in his 30s with his injuries, going from consistently above average to closer to average. In 1930, a ruptured ulnar collateral ligament ultimately forced Augustin into retirement at age 35.

Magoo’s final stats: 186-136, 2.80 ERA, 2924 innings, 2631 strikeouts, and 53.6 WAR. He was consistently around a 3-5 WAR pitcher for each year of his career, but apart from his 1922 season, he was never considered elite. His debut on the Hall of Fame ballot was at 39%, but he slowly gained support as the years passed. After getting 55.1% in his seventh try, Augustin finally crossed the 2/3s threshold by the slimmest margin at 66.1% on his eighth try. Thus, Augustin will forever be enshrined with the all-time greats.