Baseball: The World's Game (OOTP 22 Fictional World)

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Prague and Stuttgart tied for the Western Conference’s top record at 94-68 with the Pilots getting the #1 seed via the tiebreaker. The other playoff spots went to Reykjavik (92-70) and Cardiff (90-72). This was the first-ever playoff berth for the Raccoons. The Crew earned a third straight berth hoping to finally earn promotion.

Many teams were close to the final spot, but fell short. Hanover (88-74), Valencia (88-74), Palermo (87-75), and Rome (85-77) were all in the mix. Liverpool notably collapsed from 89 wins in 2009 to only 65 in 2010.



Helsinki had just gotten relegated from the EBF Elite, but made their Second League debut with a first place in the Eastern Conference at 96-66. Riga (93-69), Tbilisi (90-72), and Lviv (89-73) earned the other playoff spots.

The Lunkers picked up a fifth straight playoff berth, hoping this time they’d finally earn the promotion. Like the Honkers, the Trains had just gotten relegated and looked to escape after one year. The closest foes who fell short of the postseason were Sarajevo (87-75), Gothenburg (83-79), Lodz (83-79), and Wroclaw (82-80).

Round Robin Group A saw Prague on top at 4-2. Cardiff and Stuttgart both went 3-3, while Reykjavik was 2-4. The Crew had the tiebreaker over the Silver Sabres to advance to the Western Conference Championship. In Group B, Helsinki and Riga each prevailed at 4-2. Lviv and Tbilisi were both 2-4.

Prague swept Cardiff in the Western Conference Championship and Helsinki topped Riga 4-2 in the Eastern Conference Championship. Both the Pilots and Honkers earned promotion right back after only one season in the European Second League.



In the championship, Prague edged Helsinki 4-3. If additional promotion spots were available because of Elite teams losing 100+ games, Riga would be next in line for promotion, followed by Cardiff, then Lviv.



Other notes: Zaragoza’s Nick Murray threw a perfect game on May 25 with six strikeouts against Toulouse.

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The Southern Conference standings saw a major shakeup in 2010. For the first time in franchise history, Harare earned a playoff berth, finishing first at 97-65. The Hustlers pitching staff set a conference record for fewest walks (372) and lowest BB/9 (2.31), which still ranks second as of 2037.

Lusaka was second at 95-67 for the wild card spot. The Lake Monsters’ only other playoff berth was the inaugural 1995 season. Maputo came close to their first-ever playoff berth at 91-71, but missed the cut by four games. Defending conference champ Luanda fell off hard, dropping to seventh at 73-89. Durban, last year’s wild card, was fourth at 83-79.

Southern Conference MVP went to Lusaka RF Kaunda Kalinga. The 28-year old Tanzanian lefty led in home runs (63), RBI (136), total bases (375), slugging (.678), OPS (1.052), wRC+ (180), and WAR (7.8). Kalinga also had 116 runs and a .273 batting average.

Pitcher of the Year was Antananarivo’s Hjalmar Eekman in his second year in AAB. The 26-year old Dutch righty had started his pro career with EBF’s Helsinki. Eekman led in ERA (2.45), WHIP (0.89), and quality starts (23). He also had a 170 ERA+, 6.3 WAR, 241 strikeouts, and 18-7 record over 223.2 innings. Eekman also tossed a no-hitter with seven strikeouts and two walks against Maputo on August 15.



Two-time defending African Association of Baseball champ and four-time defending Central Conference champ Addis Ababa managed to top themselves. The Brahmas set a new record at 120-42, which still stands as of 2037 as the winningest season in AAB history.

Addis Ababa led all of AAB in runs (859) and fewest allowed (556). The Brahmas also tied the AAB single-season team record with 58 saves. There was a 33 game drop to second place Mogadishu, who repeated as the wild card at 87-75. The Mighty Mice finished four games ahead of Kampala, five ahead of Bujumbura, six over Kigali, and seven over Kinshasa.

Mwarami Tale joined Felix Chaula as the only five-time MVP winners in AAB to that point. The 29-year old Tanzanian set the all-time single-season WAR record the prior year with Luanda. He left for free agency and inked a massive eight-year, $29,640,000 deal with Addis Ababa. His debut as Central Conference MVP turned the Brahmas from a great team to a record-setting one. Tale in his debut led in RBI with 136. He also had 58 home runs, 115 runs, 83 walks, a .316/.407/.684 slash, 188 wRC+, and 8.7 WAR.

His teammate Michael Wakachu won his second Pitcher of the Year in three years. The 30-year old Malawian set AAB single-season records in WHIP (0.76) and opponents’ OBP (.221) which still stand as of 2037. He also led in ERA (1.84), K/BB (6.6), quality starts (27), FIP- (49), and WAR (9.8). Wakachu added 319 strikeouts and a 20-4 record over 230 innings. He had signed a five-year, $14,760,000 extension prior to the 2010 season.

The Southern Conference was guaranteed a first-time champion. Top seed Harare prevailed 4-1 over Lusaka to advance. In the Central Conference Championship, record-setting Addis Ababa rolled to a sweep of Mogadishu for a fifth straight pennant.



In the 16^th Africa Series, Addis Ababa capped off their historic season by defeating Harare 5-2. The Brahmas became the second-ever AAB team to three-peat, joining Kinshasa (who won four straight from 1997-2000). Finals MVP was 3B Marlin Kimwaki in his 12^th season for the Brahmas. The Congolese lefty had 13 hits, 7 runs, 1 double, 3 home runs, and 6 RBI in 10 starts.



At 120-42, it is hard to argue against the 2010 Addis Ababa squad as AAB’s best-ever team. The previous record for wins as a champ was Cape Town (1996) and Dar es Salaam (2004) at 114-48. They’re the eighth team in world history to win 120+ games and a league title. The Brahmas dynasty would continue on, although the 2010 group stands out as the best of the bunch.

Other notes: Mohau Sibiya became the first AAB slugger to 700 career home runs. He would play one more season and finish with 727, which ranks ninth as of 2037. Felix Chaula joined him as the only other player to 600 homers. Chaula won his ninth Silver Slugger in right field, setting an AAB record to that point. Four players crossed 1000 runs scored and two crossed 1000 RBI in 2010.

RF Enzo Cussoca won his eighth consecutive Gold Glove, becoming AAB’s first eight-time winner. 2B Gedeon Bukasa won his eighth Silver Slugger. 2B Fani Ngambi and finals MVP Marlin Kimwaki won their seventh Silver Sluggers.

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Since 1997, Arab League Baseball had an active roster size of 26 players; the largest of any of the pro leagues. For the 2010 season, they lowered the limit down to 25. A couple leagues had dropped down to 24 or 23, but 25 was the default standard number. ALB would eventually bump back up to 26 in 2032.



Reigning ALB champion Amman greatly improved from their 99-win 2009 campaign. The Aviators set a Western Conference all-time mark at 116-46, which still stands as the WC record as of 2037. It was tied for the second-best ever ALB record and was only behind Mosul’s 121-41 from 2000. Amman claimed the Levant Division for the third consecutive season. The Aviators pitching staff had a team 1.003 WHIP, which remains a conference record.

For the third straight year, the WC had the same three playoff teams. Casablanca took the Mediterranean Division for the fourth consecutive year at 91-71, besting Tripoli by five games. In ALB’s 21 seasons to date, the Bruins have 16 playoff appearances. Giza’s Nile Division streak grew to five seasons. The Goats were 91-71, nine games ahead of their closest foe Khartoum.

Jerusalem’s Tarek Abdel Rahman repeated as WC MVP despite his Jets finishing at 82-80. The 29-year old Egyptian DH certainly deserved it, becoming ALB’s new single-season home run king. He socked 72 dingers, passing Nordine Soule’s record of 70 from 2005. Although Rahman was later passed as HR king, his .837 slugging from 2010 remains ALB’s single-season best.

Rahman also led the conference in runs (115), total bases (441), batting average (.353), OPS (1.244), wRC+ (264), and WAR (11.5). The OPS mark also narrowly beat Soule for the single-season best and still ranks third as of 2037. Rahman also had 136 RBI, falling four short of a Triple Crown.

Casablanca’s Abdullah Al-Tamtami won his fifth Pitcher of the Year, a mark only previously reached by Rashid Tariq. The 29-year old Omani righty led in wins (22-5), ERA (2.02), WHIP (0.83), quality starts (27), FIP- (42), and WAR (11.6). Al-Tamtami had a 180 ERA+ over 249 innings and 367 strikeouts, missing a Triple Crown by only five Ks.

Amman posted 69 saves as a pitching staff, which is the second-most in world history by any time behind only China’s Wuhan with 74 in 1974. Leading that effort was Ramy Kayat, who won his second Reliever of the Year. He set a world record with 58 saves, which still holds as of 2037. He also set the ALB record for appearances at 81. The 30-year old Moroccan righty had a 1.66 ERA over 103 innings, 160 strikeouts, a 217 ERA+, and 4.5 WAR.

Casablanca beat Giza 2-1 in the first round of the playoffs, giving the Bruins their fourth consecutive Western Conference Final appearance and their 12^th overall. They met Amman for the third straight year. The record-setting Aviators rolled to a 3-0 sweep to earn repeat pennants and their third overall.



Basra dominated the Eastern Conference for the top seed at 100-62. The Bulldogs rolled to an eighth straight Iraq Division title, tying Mosul (1995-02) for the longest playoff streak in ALB history. It was the fifth time in that stretch that Basra won 100+ games. The rest of the conference saw a bit of a shakeup.

In the Gulf Division, Abu Dhabi ended a 16-year playoff drought, winning only their third-ever division title. At 89-73, the Destroyers edged Dubai by only one game. Defending conference champ Kuwait struggled to last in the division at 79-83. After seeing their playoff streak ended in 2009 at six seasons, Medina returned to the top of the Saudi Division. The Mastodons were 87-75, ousting reigning division champ Mecca by four games.

Basra RF Farouk Adam won a third consecutive Eastern Conference MVP. The 29-year old Comoran lefty led with a .398 batting average, 198 wRC+, and 10.4 WAR. Adam added 119 runs, 229 hits, 44 doubles, 15 triples, 28 home runs, and 112 stolen bases. The Bulldogs would eventually extend him again just before the 2012 season with a six-year, $36,300,000 deal.

Medina’s Mostafa Nabil won his fourth Pitcher of the Year in five years. The 27-year old Egyptian righty led in wins (20-5), WHIP (0.81), K/BB (10.8), FIP- (53), and WAR (8.5). He added a 2.67 ERA, 212.1 innings, and 378 strikeouts. He beat out Sulaymaniyah’s Abdelmalek Kamal for the award despite Kamal’s 410 strikeouts. That tied the ALB single-season record set by Ahmad Abu Kabeer in 1997.

Abu Dhabi edged Medina 2-1 in the first round, sending the Destroyers to their first-ever Eastern Conference Final. They were the big underdog to Basra, making their seventh straight appearance. AD took the Bulldogs to the limit, but Basra prevailed 3-2. The Bulldogs earned their fourth pennant in seven years, succeeding in even-numbered seasons (2004, 2006, 2008, 2010).



In the 21^st Arab League Championship, Amman repeated as champs with a 4-2 victory over Basra. 1B Mahmood bin Aminuddin was finals MVP, posting 15 hits, 7 runs, 4 doubles, 4 home runs, and 10 RBI in nine playoff starts. The Aviators became the fourth franchise to repeat, joining Mosul (1998-99), Casablanca (1994-95), and Medina (1992-93). Amman also tied 1993 Medina for the most wins by an ALB champ at 116-46. The 2010 Aviators certainly deserve consideration when discussing ALB’s best-ever season.



Other notes: Basra’s Nordine Soule became the first ALB hitter to 900 career home runs and only the third in world history to reach that mark. After his age 35 season, Soule has 916 dingers, behind only Beisbol Sudamerica’s Milton Becker (941) and CABA/MLB’s Prometheo Garcia (928) for the world record. Soule also won his record 14^th Silver Slugger in left field.

Basra’s Hassan El Zamek broke his own previous record of 138, stealing 141 bases. This held as the record for eight years. El Zamek also had a 34-game hitting streak, breaking the previous ALB record of 30 by Farouk Adam. This held as the top mark until 2024. Amman’s Tarek Samy struck out 20 in April against Cairo, becoming the sixth ALB pitcher with a 20K game.

SS Amr Khatab won his 11^th Gold Glove, an ALB record at any position. Mustafa bin Nazim won his 12^th Silver Slugger and his second at third base. His previous 10 were all at second base.

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Bishkek’s playoff streak ended at five seasons in 2009, but the Black Sox bounced back for the ABF East League’s best record in 2010. At 104-58, Bishkek won the North Division by 14 games. The South Division went to 96-66 Rawalpindi, earning repeat playoff berths. It was the Red Wings’ first time leading the standings, taking the top spot by nine games.

Almaty (90-72) got the first wild card for a repeat playoff berth. Defending ABF champ Karachi and Faisalabad tied for the second wild card at 87-75. The tiebreaker went to the Fire, ending the Carp postseason streak at six seasons. It was Faisalabad’s third-ever berth, snapping a 12-year drought. Falling just short for the second wild card were Tashkent (85-77), Hyderabad (83-79), and Asgabat (83-79). The Horned Frogs saw a three-year playoff streak ended.

Rawalpindi’s Vural Yildiz won his second East League MVP in three seasons. The 29-year old Turkish right fielder led in home runs (45) and slugging (.625). Yildiz added 94 RBI, a .992 OPS, 204 wRC+, and 8.6 WAR. This was his final season in ABF, as he’d earn big MLB money with a four-year, $65,700,000 offseason deal with Los Angeles.

Oskar Tamm became ABF’s second player to win Pitcher of the Year five times. The 33-year old Estonian lefty for Bishkek had also won it in 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2007. In 2010, Tamm led in WAR (7.8), shutouts (7), and innings (260.1). He added a 16-12 record, 2.11 ERA, 148 ERA+, and 314 strikeouts.

Both division champs had first round playoff sweeps with Bishkek over Faisalabad and Rawalpindi over Almaty. For the Black Sox, this was their third East League Championship Series appearance in four years. For the Red Wings, their only prior ELCS was their 1988 pennant. Rawalpindi pulled off the upset in a seven game classic for their second-ever title.



The West League’s best records were in the Central Division with Baku (95-67) edging out Shiraz (94-68) for the top spot. The Blackbirds earned back-to-back division titles, while the Suns as a wild card picked up their fifth playoff berth in seven years. In only their second season since expansion, Gaziantep was a surprise Turkish Division champ at 87-75. The Gorillas were two games ahead of defending WL champ Ankara.

For the second wild card, Tabriz (87-75) narrowly beat Isfahan (86-76) and Ankara. The only previous playoff berth for the Tiger Sharks was the inaugural 1985 season. The Imperials’ playoff streak ended at four seasons, while the Alouettes’ repeat bid was dashed. Istanbul finished 78-84, which ended their postseason streak at seven seasons. The Ironmen hadn’t posted a losing record since 2000.

West League MVP was Baku first baseman Ali Sungu. The 25-year old Turkish lefty led in runs (114), home runs (56), RBI (134), total bases (369), slugging (.636), OPS (1.019), and wRC+ (196). Sungu added 9.9 WAR and a .302 average. The Blackbirds had committed eight years and $47,080,000 to Sungu the prior winter.

Tabriz lefty Gevorg Qasimov won his second Pitcher of the Year in three seasons. The 25-year old Uzbek lefty led in ERA (1.59), wins (20-4), innings (271), WHIP (0.81), K/BB (9.6), quality starts (28), shutouts (6), FIP- (50), and WAR (11.2). He had a 215 ERA+ and was second in the league at 357 strikeouts. Qasimov also earned a big extension prior to the 2010 campaign worth $29,500,000 over six years.

Baku bested Tabriz 3-1 and wild card Shiraz won 3-1 at Gaziantep in the first round of the playoffs. The Blackbirds had never been to a league championship before ****** back to their EPB days, while the Suns were making their third West League Championship Series appearance in six years. Top seeded Baku outlasted Shiraz in a seven-game classic.



The 26^th Asian Baseball Federation Championship was guaranteed to crown the 15^th unique champ in ABF history. Rawalpindi survived a seven game thriller over Baku, becoming the sixth of the seven Pakistani teams to win it all. 3B Darak Ghulam won finals MVP in his lone season with the Red Wings. The 35-year old had previously won finals MVP with Bursa in 2004. In the 2010 playoffs, Ghulam had 17 starts, 15 hits, 12 runs, 5 doubles, 5 home runs, and 9 RBI.



Other notes: Radi Umar became the second ABF slugger to 600 home runs. He passed Vahid Hadadi’s all-time mark of 603 and retired after the 2011 season with 633. Umar remained ABF’s home run king for about a decade and ranks eighth as of 2037. He also became the first to 1500 career RBI, retiring with 1573. Umar ranks seventh as of 2037.

Altaf Aslam became only the third member of the 500 homer club. Catcher Amir Yskakov won his ninth Gold Glove. 3B Tomas Pataki and C Faris Saifullah both won a seventh Silver Slugger.

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Pune ended a three-year playoff drought and posted the Indian League’s best record at 109-53, leading in both runs scored (824) and fewest allowed (543). The Purple Knights won a strong West Division, finishing 17 games better than Mumbai. The Meteors at 92-70 took the wild card by four games over Ahmedabad. Mumbai got its second berth in three years, while the Animals missed the playoffs for the second time in three years. Ahmedabad had never done that, only missing the field four times over SAB’s 31 year history.

Kolkata clobbered the competition at 100-62 in the Central Division. Defending IL champ Jaipur dropped hard to 73-89, which ended a six-year playoff streak. The Jokers hadn’t posted a losing record since 1998. A tight South Division title went to Chennai at 87-75, topping Visakhapatnam by two games and Nagpur by five. It was the third-ever division title for the Cows, joining their 2006 and 1987 efforts. Hyderabad notably went from 85 wins in 2009 to 60-102 in 2010, tying with Bengaluru for the IL’s worst record.

LF Ratan Canduri spent only 2010 with Pune, but he earned the Indian League MVP while there. He had previously won the top honor with Mandalay in 2006. The 33-year old Indian righty led in runs (149), home runs (69), walks (11), OBP (.475), slugging (.796), OPS (1.270), wRC+ (262), and WAR (12.6). Canduri also had a .367 average and 141 RBI. He continued to play at a high level for another decade, but wouldn’t commit long-term anywhere, ultimately playing for seven more teams.

Ahmedabad’s Arkakara Raja won his third Pitcher of the Year, joining his 2002 and 2005 wins. The 31-year old lefty only pitched 188.1 innings in a split starter/relief role, but led the league with a 1.86 ERA. Raja had a 13-7 record and 12 saves, 243 strikeouts, 195 ERA+, and 4.1 WAR.

Pune swept Mumbai in the first round and Kolkata outlasted Chennai in five games. The Purple Knights earned their first Indian League Championship Series appearance since 1987, while it was back-to-back for the Cosmos. Kolkata pulled off the ILCS upset 4-2 to earn their first-ever pennant. They became the ninth of India’s 14 teams to win the title once.



The Southeast Asia League’s North Division saw an intense battle for first place between Hanoi and Dhaka. The Hounds prevailed again at 121-41, becoming the first franchise in world history to win 120+ games in three consecutive seasons. The Dobermans set a franchise record at 114-48, but were again relegated to a wild card. Both teams extended playoff streaks to six seasons. Hanoi set a SAB record with a team .348 on-base percentage, which remained the all-time best until 2031.

Bangkok and Yangon tied for the South Division title at 90-72. A one-game tiebreaker gave the Bobcats their first division title since 1988 and their first playoff berth since 2001. The Green Dragons earned the second wild card, finishing four ahead of Chittagong and five better than Kathmandu.

Defending South Asia Baseball champ Ho Chi Minh City fell short at 82-80, ending their historic playoff streak at 23 seasons. The Hedgehogs tied with Ahmedabad for SAB’s longest-ever streak and fell one year shy of Minsk’s world record of 24. This perhaps officially marked the end of the era of dominance for the Hedgehogs and Animals. The only other time that both had missed the playoffs was SAB’s inaugural 1980 season.

The bonkers power numbers for Hanoi DH Majed Darwish didn’t stop as he won his fourth straight SEAL MVP. For the third consecutive season, he topped 80+ home runs and 200+ RBIs, two marks no other player in the world had even reached once. Darwish won his second Triple Crown with a .381 average, 85 home runs, and 200 RBI. He was short of his world records of 91 homers from 2009 and 220 RBI from 2008. That said, this was still arguably Darwish’s best season.

He broke his own SAB records for runs scored (172), total bases (546), slugging (.869), and OPS (1.321) with each still holding in SAB as of 2037. The runs and total bases marks were also world records that still stand. Darwish had a career best 241 wRC+ and 14.5 WAR. That fell just short of Basava Sanjahay’s 14.7 WAR in 2006, but Darwish nearly passed him despite the DH penalty. He also had a career and league best 50 doubles.

While he’d still dominate SAB plenty more, this was the final of the absurd seasons for the 27-year old Bahraini, as his numbers would look more human in later years. But posting 261 homers, 629 RBI, 692 hits, and 506 runs in a three year stretch is a truly absurd stretch that still feels impossible.

Hanoi also had the Pitcher of the Year in Ba Phan, who they had signed the prior offseason on a four-year, $14,400,000 deal. The 31-year old Vietnamese lefty had posted mostly average seasons in his prior run with Vientiane. Phan led in ERA (2.43), wins (22-7), innings (255.2), complete games (14), and shutouts (5) in 2010. He also had 6.9 WAR, 165 ERA+, and 307 strikeouts. Phan was 14 strikeouts away from a Triple Crown.

Hanoi ousted Yangon and Dhaka dumped Bangkok 3-0, setting up a massive showdown between the division rivals. Despite their recent success, the Dobermans hadn’t been to the SEAL Championship since 2002, suffering five straight one-and-dones. The Hounds had suffered a first round loss the prior season despite going 122-40, but now had a shot at their third title in four years. The series was somewhat anticlimactic as Hanoi prevailed 4-1, becoming four-time Southeast Asia League champs.



The Hounds’ hopes for a third SAB Championship win in four years was thwarted with Kolkata earning the upset in six games. The Cosmos became the 10^th franchise to win it all through SAB’s 31 seasons to date. Finals MVP was 1B Umesh Pant, who joined Kolkata in a 2008 trade from De Nang. The 29-year old Nepali had 17 playoff starts, 24 hits, 11 runs, 4 doubles, 5 homers, and 10 RBI.

The Cosmos’ Lwin Swe Ko also had a big postseason, winning LCS and first round MVP. He set a playoff record with 59 total bases which still stands as of 2037. The 26-year old Burmese left fielder had 20 hits, 11 home runs, 2 doubles, 2 triples, 16 runs, and 15 RBI. The 11 homers was also a playoff record, although it would get passed in 2015.



Other notes: Aftab Alam became the sixth batter to reach 1500 runs scored. Alam, Devavesman Toppo, Dhuna Itar, and Ratan Canduri each crossed 600 career home runs in 2010, making six members of the club. Dong Hung and Kamlesh Kanmani became the sixth and seventh to reach 2500 career hits.

In their third season, Colombo finished 49-113, which tied SEAL’s all-time worst set by Kathmandu in 1994. 3B Kamala Vijay won his eighth Gold Glove. 3B Jatinder Chowdhary won his tenth Silver Slugger. Ratan Canduri won his seventh Silver Slugger, although it was his first as a first baseman. The previous wins were all in left field.

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For the 2010 season, West African Baseball lowered its active roster size from the default 25 down to 24. Many leagues had lowered to 24, feeling it promoted more strategy. Teams still had their hefty reserve rosters which didn’t have a limit, allowing them to hold onto prospects and specialists.



Defending WAB champ Abidjan and Cape Verde tied for the top spot in the Western League at 96-66. The Vulcans earned first place with the tiebreaker for their first playoff berth since 2002. It was Cape Verde’s first time leading the standings. The Athletes extended their playoff streak to six years. Monrovia’s playoff streak also grew to six, taking third place at 90-72.

The fourth place spot and final wild card went to Conakry at 85-77. The Coyotes edged Nouakchott by one game, Dakar by two, and Accra by four. Conakry ended a four-year playoff drought. Bamako and Freetown, wild cards last year, both fell below .500.

Leading Cape Verde’s success was Western League MVP Abdoulaye Sissako. The 26-year old designated hitter from Mauritania led in runs (104), hits (200), home runs (48), RBI (156), total bases (388), and slugging (.610). Sissako also had a .314 average, .980 OPS, and 6.8 WAR. It was one breakout season in an otherwise unremarkable career.

Abidjan’s Arthur Boateng earned a third consecutive Pitcher of the Year and earned back-to-back Triple Crowns. He joined Kouadio Diao as the only multiple-time Triple Crown winners in WAB. The 26-year old Ghanaian lefty had an 18-7 record, 1.61 ERA, and 326 strikeouts. Boateng’s ERA mark still ranks as the fourth-lowest in WAB history as of 2037 by any pitcher with 162+ innings. He also led the league with 257.1 innings and 7.0 WAR with a 229 ERA+.

Monrovia beat Conakry 2-0 in the first round, then lost to #2 seed Abidjan 2-0 in round two. That was the first time in their six-year playoff streak that the Diplomats didn’t make it to the Western League Championship Series. The Athletes earned a third consecutive berth, while top seed Cape Verde was making their second-ever berth. The Vulcans’ last appearance was their lone pennant in 2002.

Cape Verde had home field advantage from the tiebreaker, but Abidjan prevailed 3-1 in the WLCS. The Athletes repeated as WL champs and won their 12^th pennant. That was the most of any WL team and second in all of WAB’s 36 years behind only Kano’s 13.



Cotonou had never finished first in the Eastern League standings and their only previous playoff berths were in 1987 and 2001. The Copperheads looked to reverse their fortunes, taking first in the EL standings in 2010 at 101-61. Cotonou took the top spot by eight games.

Four teams were in a fierce fight for the remaining three playoff spots. Ibadan and Niamey tied at 93-69, Lome was 92-70, and Port Harcourt went 88-74. The tiebreaker gave the defending EL champ Iguanas the #2 seed over the Atomics. The Atomics earned their fourth playoff appearance in five years.

For the Lasers, they ended a seven-year playoff drought by taking fourth. Ouagadougou, who went 111-51 in 2009, dropped to sixth at 81-81. The Osprey saw their playoff streak ended at three seasons. Despite finishing .500, Ouagadougou’s pitching staff set an Eastern League record with a 11.34 K/9. That stood as the top mark until 2023.

Douala was seventh at 80-82, but they had the Eastern League’s MVP in 2B Bright Abubakar. The 27-year old Nigerian led in runs (128), home runs (49), RBI (132), total bases (445), slugging (.749), OPS (1.173), wRC+ (206), and WAR (10.7). His .365 batting average fell nine points shy of a Triple Crown.

Lome’s Nana Villars earned Pitcher of the Year. The 27-year old righty from Ghana was in only his second season as a full-time starter and led in wins (18-7), innings (256), strikeouts (364), WHIP (0.83), K/BB (9.6), quality starts (24), FIP- (60), and WAR (9.0). Villars had a 162 ERA+ and 2.43 ERA, taking second to Ouagadougou’s Zeb Onyedika at 2.12. This effort earned Villars a five-year, $15,700,000 contract extension after the season.

Niamey won 2-0 over Lome in the first round, then lost 2-0 to Ibadan in round two. The Iguanas were going for repeat titles and were making their 12^th Eastern League Championship Series appearance in 20 years. Cotonou’s only prior ELCS was a defeat in 1987. In 2010, the Copperheads prevailed 3-1 over Ibadan, becoming the sixth EL franchise to win a pennant.



In the 36^th West African Championship, Cotonou denied Abidjan’s repeat bid and won the series 4-2. The Copperheads were the 13^th franchise in WAB history to win it all. Finals MVP was DH Fares Belaid in his second full season. The 21-year old Tunisian in 10 playoff starts had 15 hits, 9 runs, 1 double, 2 triples, 4 home runs, 9 RBI, and 7 stolen bases. This was the introduction to the big stage for Belaid, who would retire 23 years later with more hits than any player in pro baseball history.



Other notes: Ouagadougou’s Charles Compaore threw WAB’s 17^th perfect game on September 15, striking out 15 against Lome. Luc Mariam became the seventh to 500 career home runs. Ibrahima Bah was the fifth to join the 2500 hit club. Zachary Owusu became the 13^th to 3000 career strikeouts.

SS Tchiressoua Yao won his ninth Gold Glove. 2B Sambegou Toure and C Okoro Otene both became eight time Gold Glovers. 1B Ahamad Mathew won his ninth Silver Slugger.

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Three of the four CLB Northern League playoff teams earned repeat berths in 2010. Last year’s China Series runner-up Zhengzhou narrowly took first at 96-66, earning their third straight berth and fourth in five years. Nanjing was only one game back at 95-67, ending a three year playoff drought. Tianjin took third at 94-68 and Shanghai was fourth at 92-70. The Seawolves extended their playoff streak to three.

For the Jackrabbits, they had an impressive pitching staff and had top three all-time seasons in runs allowed (357, 3^rd), hits (988, 2^nd), and WHIP (0.826, 2^nd). The Zips were close by with only 368 runs allowed. Harbin was the first team to miss the playoffs, allowing 371 runs but finishing fifth at 88-74. Beijing was third last year and dropped to sixth in 2010 at 83-79.

Shanghai’s Lin Wan earned Northern League MVP. Nicknamed “Black Magic,” the 31-year second baseman was in his ninth season with the Seawolves and led with 306 total bases. Wan added 33 home runs, a .285/.330/.516 slash, 200 wRC+, and 10.1 WAR.

Zhengzhou’s Yuandong Wang repeated as Pitcher of the Year in only his third season. The 23-year old lefty had a 16-6 record, 1.59 ERA, and 318 strikeouts over 265.2 innings with a 150 ERA+, 60 FIP-, and 8.4 WAR. His effort included a no-hitter against Shiijazhuang on May 16 with 15 strikeouts and four walks.

Also worth noting was Shanghai’s Jingxing Zhang winning his third Reliever of the Year. His 0.55 ERA was the fourth time a ROTY winner in CLB had a sub 0.60 ERA. Zhang added 158 strikeouts and 46 saves over 98.1 innings and 79 games with a 440 ERA+ and 6.9 WAR. Zhang played one more year for the Seawolves before leaving for MLB and BSA in his later seasons.



Macau led the Southern League standings for the third consecutive season and again won 100+ games. At 102-60, the Magicians took first by four games over Foshan at 98-64. The Flyers ended a nine year playoff drought and had the SL’s third lowest season by hits allowed (945) and H/9 (5.71). Changsha took third at 94-68 to end a two-year playoff drought.

Chengdu grabbed the fourth and final playoff spot at 93-69, extending their playoff streak to three seasons. Narrowly missing the cut were Shenzhen (89-73), Wuhan (88-74), Dongguan (87-75), and Guangzhou (85-77). Last year’s CLB champion Xiamen struggled to 73-89, finishing tenth in the standings.

Hong Kong center fielder Gangzhun Peng picked up Southern League MVP honors despite his squad winning only 69 games. He missed six weeks to injury, but in 122 games still posted 9.6 WAR, a .270/312/.580 slash, 213 wRC+, and 37 home runs.

Changsha’s Lei Li repeated as Pitcher of the Year and became the first (and as of 2037, only) six-time POTY in CLB history. The 30-year old righty led in FIP- (46) and had a 17-7 record, 14 saves, 1.55 ERA, 276 strikeouts, and 7.6 WAR over 209.1 innings. It was Li’s last POTY, although he still had two more strong years ahead for the Cannons. He would leave for MLB for the 2013 campaign on a four-year, $86,400,000 deal with Hartford.

The Southern League teams dominated Round Robin Group A with #4 seed Chengdu and #2 Foshan both advancing to the semifinal at 5-1, while #1 Tianjin and #3 Zhengzhou were both 1-5. Group A ended up having a calamity as all four teams finished 3-3, requiring complex tiebreakers to figure out who moved on. The formula sent Macau and Changsha forward and sent both Shanghai and Nanjing home

With that, the semifinals featured all four SL playoff teams. Chengdu earned a repeat berth and Macau had their second in three years. Changsha ended a two-year drought and Foshan had their first semifinal since 2000. Both series ended up being seven game thrillers with the top ranked Magicians outlasting the Cannons and the bottom ranked Clowns surviving against the Flyers.



The 41^st China Series was guaranteed to crown the 17^th unique franchise as CLB champ. For Macau, they had lost in four prior finals berths (1975, 1989, 2004, 2005). Chengdu’s lone prior appearance was a 1987 defeat. The Clowns would upset the top seeded Magicians in a seven game classic. Finals MVP was 1B Peng Wang in his fourth season. In 20 playoff starts, he had 18 hits, 11 runs, 3 doubles, 7 home runs, and 15 RBI.



Other notes: 2010 saw three perfect games, making it 43 thrown in CLB history. The first came on July 20 by Macau’s Jeff Hinson with 19 strikeouts against Shenzhen. This set a CLB record for most Ks in a perfect game. The second was August 9 by Chongqing’s Jizhu Tang with 12 Ks versus Hong Kong. The third came via Macau’s Yiak Pang with 16 strikeouts over Wuhan. Minghui Ruan became the fifth CLB hitter to 400 home runs and the eighth to 1000 RBI.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

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Taipei set a franchise record at 110-52, repeating as Taiwan League champs and taking the top seed for the Taiwan-Philippine Association. The Tigercats still had to fend off a tough Kaohsiung squad at 101-61. The Steelheads became the sixth team in APB history to miss the playoffs despite 100+ wins.

Defending Austronesia champion Davao secured the Philippine League for the sixth consecutive season with a 107-55 record. Cebu was a distant second at 92-70. The Devil Rays tied 1965-70 Manila for the longest playoff streak in APB history. Davao finished with 100+ wins for the fifth time in their run.

For the third time in four years, Taipei designated hitter Ching-Hui Lin won TPA MVP. The 26-year old Taiwanese lefty led in runs (107), home runs (52), RBI (109), total bases (383), OBP (.366), slugging (.632), OPS (.998), wRC+ (227), and WAR (10.4). His .315 batting average was second to Junior Sanchez’s .329. Prior to the 2010 season, the Tigercats gave Lin a massive eight year, $98,400,000 extension.

Davao’s Bima Idris won his second Pitcher of the Year, having previously earned it in 2007. The 31-year old Indonesian lefty led in wins (20-5), ERA (1.17), WHIP (0.66), and shutouts (8). Among the shutouts was a no-hitter with 9 Ks and 2 walks against Hsinchu on April 26. Idris also had 311 strikeouts over 230.2 innings for a 227 ERA+ and 8.9 WAR. The Devil Rays gave him a five-year, $58,000,000 extension prior to the 2010 campaign.



Surabaya’s Java Sea League title streak grew to five seasons. The Sunbirds at 103-59 had the Sundaland Association’s best record, besting Depok by 10 games. Surabaya led in both runs scored (577) and fewest allowed (411). Medan edged two-time defending champ Singapore in a tight Malacca League race. The Marlins took it at 92-70, one game better than the 91-71 Sharks. That ended a three-year playoff drought for Medan.

Surabaya’s Aluii Nguyen won Sundaland Association MVP for the second time in three years. The 26-year old Cambodian first baseman led in runs (100), home runs (47), slugging (.610), OPS (1.004), and wRC+ (223). Nguyen added 10.0 WAR, 96 RBI, and a .299 average. He beat out Singapore’s Wil Tabaldo for the award despite Tabaldo being four homers short of a Triple Crown with 43 homers, 98 RBI, a.314 average, and 9.0 WAR.

The Sunbirds also had Pitcher of the Year Rahmat Hasjim. The 27-year old Indonesian righty led in wins (19-8), ERA (1.65), WHIP (0.75), K/BB (13.7), and shutouts (8). Among the shutouts was APB’s 33^rd Perfect Game on July 30, striking out eight against Batam. Hasjim had 260 strikeouts over 245.2 innings with a 153 ERA+ and 5.8 WAR.

Davao won the Taiwan-Philippine Association Championship rematch with Taipei 4-2, giving the Devil Rays repeat titles and their fifth in nine years. Davao became seven-time TPA champs with the win. Surabaya was denied for the third consecutive season in the Sundaland Association Championship, suffering a 4-1 upset loss to Medan. It was the Marlins’ first pennant since 2000 and their eighth overall.



In the 46^th Austronesia Championship, Davao outlasted Medan in a seven game classic to repeat again as APB champs. 32-year old Junior Sanchez won finals MVP in his 14^th year with the Devil Rays. In 13 playoff starts, he had 19 hits, 8 runs, 4 doubles, 1 triple, and 10 stolen bases.



Davao won its fifth title overall (1995, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010) and became the second-ever APB team to win four rings in six years. Only Kaohsiung matched that feat with their four in five years from 1973-77. This Devil Rays run has a strong case as the top dynasty in APB history.

Other notes: The 34^th APB Perfect Game came from Surabaya’s Dyan Wetete with 14 strikeouts against Johor Bahru on September 2. Along with Rahmat Hasjim’s perfecto, APB had back-to-back seasons with two perfect games thrown.

Dedi Dewi became the sixth pitcher to 5000 career strikeouts, a mark no others have reached as of 2037. He finished his age 35 season with 5275 Ks, 90 away from Vhon Lasam’s all-time record of 5365. Dewi and Eddie Abundez became the 15^th and 16^th pitchers to reach 200 career wins. Finals MVP Junior Sanchez became the sixth to reach 2500 career hits. Sanchez and Hector Constanza both scored their 1000^th run, a mark now reached by 16 players in the low-scoring APB.

2B Dimas Sunarto won his seventh Gold Glove. Paolo Baptista won his tenth Silver Slugger and his first in left field. He won in right field in 2009 and had his other eight previous Sluggers in center. SS Chi-Chao Shih won his ninth Silver Slugger.