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

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

Pitcher Daniel Fontan was a no-doubt headliner at 99.3% atop a three-player Hall of Fame class in 2014 for the Central American Baseball Association. Shortstop David Davila and OF/1B Alfred Wooster joined him as first ballot inductees at 76.1% and 70.7%, respectively. No one else was above 50% with the top returner being 1B Gonzalo Juarez at 38.8% on his sixth ballot.



Dropped after ten failed tries was SP Bengie Beltran, the 1992 Pitcher of the Year with Torreon. He was hurt by having only a 12-year run, posting a 162-97 record, 3.02 ERA, 2318.2 innings, 2440 strikeouts, 118 ERA+, and 54.2 WAR. Beltran didn’t have the longevity to get the accumulations needed for more attention. He peaked at 29.1% in 2008 and ended with 6.9% in 2014.



Daniel Fontan – Pitcher – Monterrey Matadors – 99.3% First Ballot

Daniel Fontan was a 6’2’’, 190 pound left-handed pitcher from the capital of Honduras, Tegucigalpa. Fontan’s stuff was incredible and some scouts graded it as a 10/10 in his prime. He also had good control and average movement. Fontan’s excellent fastball regularly hit the 99-101 mph range. He had a five pitch arsenal that included a great curveball, slider, splitter, and changeup.

Five great pitches usually made for a strong starter, but Fontan’s stamina was terrible, leading to a split career between the rotation and relief. Although he couldn’t go deep in games, Fontan boasted excellent durability and rarely missed time to injury. He was a strong defensive pitcher and was very good at holding runners. Fontan was a fan favorite known for his intelligence, work ethic, and loyalty.

A visiting Mexican scout from Monterrey spotted Fontan as a teenager at a camp in Tegucigalpa. In January 1987, they signed Fontan to a developmental deal. He spent six years in the Matadors’ academy, debuting with 15 excellent starts in 1993 with a 1.56 ERA over 109.2 innings. This earned him second place in Rookie of the Year voting.

Fontan again was a part-time starter in 1994 and wasn’t as dominant, but was still very good. Monterrey was in the midst of their dynasty run, having won three straight CABA Championships from 1990-92 with a runner-up in 1993. Fontan’s first playoff starts came in 1994 with a lackluster 4.66 ERA over 9.2 innings. The Matadors were defeated by Ecatepec in the Mexican League Championship Series.

1995 saw Fontan with a full season of starts, leading the league in strikeouts (305), WHIP (0.88), quality starts (27), and wins (21-4). He had a 2.44 ERA and 7.2 WAR over 221 innings, winning Pitcher of the Year honors and helping the Matadors to a historic 116-46 record. Fontan stepped up this time in the playoffs with a 1.40 ERA over 19.1 innings, helping Monterrey win the CABA Championship over Santiago.

Monterrey signed Fontan to a five-year, $10,080,000 extension that winter. With a loaded roster and Fontan’s stamina woes, many were shocked that the reigning Pitcher of the Year was moved to the bullpen for 1996. Fontan was a team player and got 33 saves in 1996, but had a pedestrian 3.60 ERA. He would tie the then-CABA playoff record with seven saves over 15.1 postseason innings with 22 strikeouts and a 2.93 ERA. The Matadors dropped down to 87-75 that year, but got hot and repeated as CABA Champions with a victory over Salvador.

Fontan looked more comfortable in relief in 1997, taking second in Reliever of the Year voting with a league-best 44 saves and a 2.02 ERA over 80.1 innings. Fontan surprisingly only saw one batter for the entire postseason despite being healthy. Monterrey’s playoff streak grew to a decade and their won the Mexican League for the seventh time in eight years, although the 113-win Matadors were upset in a CABA Championship rematch with Salvador.

Regardless of his role, Fontan remained a fan favorite both with Monterrey and back home in Honduras. He pitched regularly for his country in the World Baseball Championship from 1993-2008, also splitting between the bullpen and rotation. Fontan had unremarkable results with a 3.83 ERA, 9-11 record, 14 saves, 129.1 innings, 193 strikeouts, 38 walks, 94 ERA+, and 3.3 WAR.

Fontan was demoted from the closer role and only pitched 49 innings with a 3.49 ERA in 1998. He did toss 8.1 scoreless innings in the playoffs as Monterrey lost in the MLCS to Tijuana. The dynasty would be over, although their playoff streak continued through 2005. The Matadors were ousted in the 1999 MLCS by Ecatepec. They would lose in the first round for the next six years.

For his playoff career, Fontan’s numbers were pretty strong in his various roles. In total for Monterrey, he had 29 appearances with eight starts, 85 innings, a 2.33 ERA, 5-4 record, 8 saves, 120 strikeouts, 13 walks, 156 ERA+, and 2.7 WAR. He played a big role in their historic 18-year playoff streak and his #34 uniform would later be retired by the squad.

Fontan was split between starting and relief in 1999 and returned to his previous dominant form, leading the league with a 0.85 WHIP. He posted a 2.34 ERA over 196.1 innings, 303 strikeouts, and 7.6 WAR. Fontan would be moved back to the closer role for the next four seasons, signing a three-year, $7,560,000 extension in June 2000.

He took better to the role this time, winning Reliever of the Year in 2000 and 2002 while finishing second in both 2001 and 2003. Fontan led in saves with 44 in 2003 and had a career-best 1.16 ERA and 0.67 WHIP over 85.2 innings in 2002. His 4.8 WAR would be his best season in relief. Fontan signed another three-year, $8,480,000 extension in March 2003.

Now 33 years old for 2004, Fontan was moved back to the rotation and excelled. He posted a league-best 1.83 ERA, 0.80 WHIP, and 25 quality starts in 2004 over 216.2 innings with 7.1 WAR. Fontan won his second Pitcher of the Year award and is believed to be the only pitcher in any world league with two POTYs as a starter as well as two Reliever of the Year awards.

Fontan wasn’t a finalist in 2005 despite posting a career-best 8.7 WAR and leading in both WHIP and quality starts again. In 2006, Fontan fell off from the elite pace, but still had 4.7 WAR over 184 innings. The Matadors still won 92 games in 2006, but their 18-year playoff streak ended. Monterrey opted not to re-sign him, making Fontan a free agent for the first time at age 36.

With the Matadors, Fontan had a 132-82 record, 226 saves, 2.28 ERA, 1842.1 innings, 2574 strikeouts, 311 walks, 158 ERA+, and 63.7 WAR. He ended up signing with their great playoff rival of the era with a two-year, $5,760,000 deal with Ecatepec. Fontan had an excellent debut with the Explosion, finishing third in POTY voting. He posted 8.0 WAR, his only time leading the league and the second-highest of his career. Fontan also led the ML in WHIP for the fifth time in his career.

Fontan was merely okay over three playoff starts, allowing 8 runs in 18 innings with 22 strikeouts. Ecatepec’s own playoff streak had also ended in 2006, but they lost in the MLCS in 2007 to Mexicali. When he reported for 2008, his velocity had plummeted. After regularly hitting triple-digits his whole career, Fontan was now topping out in the low 90s. He struggled in only 19.2 innings in 2008 and retired that winter at age 38.

The final stats saw a 150-90 record, 226 saves, 2.34 ERA, 2065 innings, 2870 strikeouts, 340 walks, 0.90 WHIP, 155 ERA+, 6 complete games, and 72.2 WAR. His split career means he didn’t tally up big accumulations in terms of wins or strikeouts that voters wanted from starters, or the big save tallies for a reliever. However, Fontan’s trophy case and role in a dynasty spoke for themselves.

In terms of rate stats, among all pitchers with 1000+ career innings as of 2037, Fontan’s ERA ranks 21^st best, his WHIP ranks 11^th, and his opponent’s OPS of .564 ranks 21^st. Of the Hall of Famers with 70+ WAR, Fontan also did it with the fewest innings. The CABA voters felt this made Fontan a headliner for the 2014 class with a near unanimous 99.3%.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

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David Davila – Shortstop – Honduras Horsemen – 76.1% First Ballot

David Davila was a 6’0’’, 195 pound right-handed shortstop from San Nicolas, a municipality of nearly 15,000 in western Honduras. Davila was a well-rounded hitter with good contact skills as well as a solid knack for drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts. He had a reliable pop in his bat with 33 doubles and 21 home runs per his 162 game average. Davila’s speed was below average, but he was still a crafty baserunner that could pick his spots.


Finding reliable bats that could play shortstop wasn’t the easiest. Davila played almost exclusively at short and graded as reliably average on the whole. He was above average to good in his earlier years with some struggles at the end. Davila was a hard worker and had respectable durability at a demanding position, leading to a 19-year career. He was never considered the best at any one thing, but being above average to good across the board made him an invaluable piece for Honduras for nearly two decades.

Davila’s entire pro career came with his home country team, taken by Honduras seventh overall in the 1989 CABA Draft. He was a full-time starter immediately, but did miss part of his rookie year to injury. Davila quickly became one of the most popular figures in Tegucigalpa and the entire country.

In addition to his run with the Horsemen, Davila played from 1990-2008 reliably in the World Baseball Championship for Honduras’ national team with 161 games and 151 starts. He posted 118 hits, 65 runs, 31 doubles, 21 home runs, 53 RBI, a .226/.327/.413 slash, 117 wRC+, and 3.3 WAR in his WBC career.

The Horsemen would be a playoff regular during Davila’s tenure, making the postseason 16 times with ten Continental Division titles, 11 appearances in the Caribbean League Championship Series, four pennants, and two CABA titles. Honduras won the CLCS in Davila’s second season of 1991, falling in the CABA finale to Monterrey’s dynasty. Their only losing season from 1990-2007 would come in 1992, Davila’s third year.

Although he missed some time to injury, 1993 saw Davila’s career best in home runs (28, and was his first of nine seasons worth 5+ WAR. He won his first Silver Slugger and got his first CABA title with Honduras getting revenge on Monterrey. The Horsemen remained a playoff regular, but would go the next nine seasons without a pennant due to eventual dynasty runs by both Salvador (1996-99) and Haiti (2000-02).

Davila kept on chugging along, leading in doubles in 1994 with 41 for his second Silver Slugger. He signed a two-year, $4,960,000 extension in April 1994, then a five-year, $16,600,000 add-on in May 1996. 1998 would see a career best in WAR (8.9), triple slash (.340/.411/.569), OPS (.980), runs (100), and RBI (93).

Davila would never be an MVP finalist in his career, but did win 11 Silver Sluggers (1993, 94, 96, 97, 98, 99, 2000, 02, 04, 05, 06). As of 2037, he’s one of only three in CABA history with 11+ Sluggers specifically at shortstop. While Honduras had early playoff exits though, Davila’s numbers were relatively underwhelming with only 0.1 WAR over 35 starts from 1994-2002.

Still, Davila was popular and reliable and few pointed the finger at him for the disappointments. After the 2000 campaign, the now 33-year old Davila signed another five years for $19,000,000. 2002 would be one of his finest seasons with a career high 42 doubles along with a .905 OPS and 7.8 WAR.

In 2003, Honduras took the top seed at 110-52 and finally slayed their divisional foe Salvador on the way to a CABA Championship win over Ecatepec. Davila stepped up and earned finals MVP, posting 13 hits, 3 runs, 3 doubles, 2 homers, and 3 RBI over 12 playoff starts. The Horsemen won the Caribbean crown again in 2004, but lost in a CABA finals rematch with the Explosion.

Honduras would lose in the first round in 2005, then had CLCS defeats in 2006 and 2007 to wrap up a ten-year playoff stretch. For his playoff career, Davila had 111 starts, 112 hits, 42 runs, 21 doubles, 14 home runs, 49 RBI, a .286/.334/.457 slash, 115 wRC+, and 2.1 WAR. His reliable presence in the lineup was greatly appreciated by Honduras and their fans, leading to his #29 uniform’s retirement at the end of his career.

Davila signed a three-year, $18,400,000 extension after the 2005 season. He won his final Silver Slugger in 2006, then was shuffled to a platoon role in 2007. Davila was notably stronger in his career against lefties (.953 OPS, 153 wRC+) compared to righties (.815 OPS, 122 wRC+). Age caught up and he was largely a bench piece with middling results in 2008. He also no longer had the athleticism needed to play shortstop defensively. Davila would retire from the game after the 2008 campaign at age 40.

The final stats saw 2737 hits, 1325 runs, 517 doubles, 331 home runs, 1246 RBI, 747 walks, 116 stolen bases, a .306/.365/.486 slash, 130 wRC+, and 89.3 WAR. Despite almost never leading the league in stats, as of 2037 Davila ranks 32^nd in hits, 12^th in doubles, and 54^th in WAR among position players.

Specifically playing shortstop, Davila has the third-most WAR of any CABA player. There were still a few voters that thought he merely sustained above averageness, but you really couldn’t find a better shortstop in CABA in the 1990s or early 2000s than Davila. He was a big piece to Honduras’ consistent contention and earned the first ballot induction into the Hall of Fame in 2014. While the 76.1% may not be the biggest number, it secured Davila’s spot with the greats.



Alfred “Horseface” Wooster – Outfield/First Base – Torreon Tomahawks – 70.7% First Ballot

Alfred Wooster was a 6’2’’, 205 pound switch-hitting outfielder and first baseman from Road Town, the capital and largest city of the British Virgin Islands. With only around 30,000 for the entire island group, Wooster is unsurprisingly the only Hall of Famer from the British Virgin Islands and one of a small few to play pro baseball from there. He was once insulted by a fan as “horseface,” despite being a fairly average looking guy. The absurdity of the insult was hilarious for his teammates and stuck as Wooster’s career moniker.

On the whole, Wooster graded as a pretty good contact hitter with a respectable eye and average strikeout rate. He had great power, topping 30+ home runs in 11 seasons and 40+ in five seasons. Wooster could find the gap decently with a 162 game average of 24 doubles and 9 triples. He had good quickness and was considered a very crafty baserunner. Wooster was much stronger against right-handed pitching (.974 OPS, 167 wRC+) compared to lefties (.775 OPS, 120 wRC+).

Wooster’s great baserunning speed didn’t translate to great defensive range. He played right field the most with around 2/5s of his starts, while also seeing time at first base, left field, and designated hitter. Wooster graded as a mediocre defender in the outfield, but had good stats at first. He had respectable durability and didn’t miss too many starts over an 18-year career.

He thrived in the very limited amateur scene in the British Virgin Islands, eventually playing elsewhere in the Caribbean in college. Wooster’s induction is believed to make BVI the smallest country by population with an inductee in any league. Wooster got attention ahead of the 1990 CABA Draft and ended up in the Dominican Republic, picked 14^th overall by Santiago.

Wooster was mostly a pinch hitter as a rookie and struggled initially. He became a full-time starter with decent results in year two, then figured it out in his third season. A fractured finger cost him a month of 1993, but Wooster still posted a career best 6.6 WAR and led the Caribbean League with a .406 OBP. This would be his only season as a league leader, although he would top 6+ WAR in six different seasons.

Santiago was terrible in the 1980s and into the early 1990s. The Sailfish went 68-94 in 1994, but stunned everyone with a 98-64 mark in 1995. Santiago won the Caribbean League title, falling to Monterrey in the CABA Championship. Wooster had 15 hits, 11 runs, 2 homers, 3 triples, and 8 RBI over the 17 playoff starts.

The Sailfish regressed back to 85-77 in 1996 and a now 28-year old Wooster was headed towards free agency. He couldn’t come to terms with Santiago, who ended up back at the bottom of the standings shortly after. In total for his original squad, Wooster had 884 hits, 442 runs, 112 doubles, 57 triples, 165 home runs, 501 RBI, 212 stolen bases, a .299/.363/.543 slash, 141 wRC+, and 23.5 WAR.

Wooster ended up in Mexico, signing a seven-year, $16,760,000 deal with Torreon. This would become his signature run, becoming very popular with Tomahawks fans and eventually seeing his #35 uniform retired. It wasn’t an immediate success as he only hit 24 home runs in his debut 1997 season. Wooster then missed all of 1998 to a torn ACL suffered in spring training, which made his future prospects murky.

He bounced back impressively and hit 40+ homers and 100+ RBI each year from 1999-2002. 2003 was well on pace for it with 37 homers and a career best 196 wRC+ in 123 games, but shoulder bursitis cost him a month. Torreon would become a contender to start the new Millennium, winning North Division titles in 2001, 2003, and 2004. Each year, they won 100+ games, but each time they lost to Ecatepec in the Mexican League Championship Series.

Wooster held up his end in the postseason for Torreon. In 27 playoff starts, he had 36 hits, 20 runs, 3 doubles, 6 triples, 5 home runs, 17 RBI, 12 walks, a .364/.429/.667 slash, 218 wRC+, and 2.0 WAR. 2003 would be his lone Silver Slugger season in a contract year. The Tomahawks would re-sign a 35-year old Wooster on a three-year, $13,520,000 deal.

In his 30s, Wooster also put up stellar numbers in the World Baseball Championship. With the British Virgin Islands as a territory of the United Kingdom, Wooster was eligible and accepted a spot with England’s team from 2000-2005. Over 60 starts, Wooster had 67 hits, 44 runs, 12 doubles, 20 home runs, 55 RBI, 27 walks, 27 stolen bases, a .338/.450/.722 slash, 235 wRC+, and 5.1 WAR.

A fractured wrist cost Wooster a month in 2004, then a concussion knocked him out most of 2005. When he returned in 2006, Wooster moved him primarily to a platoon starter. He was back in the full-time role in 2007 with solid results at age 38. Torreon would lose in the first round of the 2005 playoffs as a wild card, then just miss the field in 2006 and 2007.

Wooster signed a one-year, $3,920,000 deal for 2007, but Torreon didn’t bring him back after that. Over 11 years, Wooster had 1398 hits, 844 runs, 207 doubles, 62 triples, 329 home runs, 884 RBI, 336 stolen bases, a .299/.357/.581 slash, 164 wRC+, and 47.0 WAR. He stayed a popular figure for Tomahawks fans for years to come, regularly appearing at events for the franchise.

For 2008, Wooster signed a one-year, $4,600,000 deal with Ecatepec, where he became the 40^th member of the 500 home run club. He had a solid 3.0 WAR and .863 OPS over 116 starts and 148 games for the Explosion. Wooster also had 15 hits, 8 runs, and 5 extra base hits with 1.0 WAR and 241 wRC+ in only 9 playoff starts as Ecatepec lost to Hermosillo in the MLCS. Wooster was a free agent again for 2009 and surprisingly was unsigned despite still looking solid in 2008. He retired in the winter of 2009 at age 41.

Wooster finished with 2411 hits, 1355 runs, 346 doubles, 124 triples, 519 home runs, 1457 RBI, 678 walks, 571 stolen bases, a .298/.358/.563 slash, 154 wRC+, and 73.5 WAR. As of 2037, he’s 62^nd in home runs, 54^th in RBI, 57^th in runs scored, 100^th in WAR among position players, and 85^th in hits.

He was steady, but never particularly dominant. Wooster lacked black ink or big awards, which made his resume a bit borderline. He was popular though and had just enough accumulations to win over 70.7% of the voters. Wooster earned the first ballot nod to cap off CABA’s 2014 Hall of Fame class.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

Pitcher Soo Moon was East Asia Baseball’s lone Hall of Fame inductee in 2014, earning a nearly unanimous 98.1%. RF Jung-Sang Ryu came very close to the 66% requirement in his debut, but just missed at 63.3%. Three returners cracked 50% with 3B Kazuo Shiraki at 54.4% on his second ballot, SP Nazonokusa Mori at 53.3% for his third ballot, and SP Kachi Ishii at 52.5% on his third ballot.



The one player dropped after ten failed ballots was LF Atsushi Ishida. He was hurt by playing his final six seasons in MLB. Between Sendai and Gwangju, Ishida had three Silver Sluggers, 1998 hits, 972 runs, 405 doubles, 369 home runs, 1157 RBI, a .296/.341/.535 slash, 152 wRC+, and 67.2 WAR. Counting MLB, he had 500 home runs, 2595 hits, 1534 RBI, and 72.7 WAR; totals that might have gotten him across the line. Just in EAB, the accumulations weren’t there, leading to a peak at 27.4% and finish at 9.7% for Ishida.



Soo Moon – Starting Pitcher - Kawasaki Killer Whales – 98.1% First Ballot

Soo Moon was a 6’1’’, 205 pound right-handed pitcher from Suwon, South Korea. Moon had both incredible stuff and tremendous control, both grading at 9/10 from many scouts in his prime. His movement was below average, but he picked his spots and changed speeds expertly. Moon’s fastball regularly hit 99-101 mph and was complimented with a great cutter, strong knuckle curve, and okay regular curveball.

He was especially strong against right-handed bats with a career 140 ERA+ compared to a 116 ERA+ against lefties. Moon had fantastic stamina and led the Japan League six times in complete games. He had good durability early in his career, although a major injury would limit his longevity. Moon was a good teammate and became one of the most popular pitchers of the 2000s in Japan.

Moon attended Woosung High School and was getting some attention even then. Players in EAB usually went to college as opposed to being drafted out of high school, but Changwon took a flier on Moon. Midway through the second round of the 1994 EAB Draft, the Crabs picked Moon with the 47^th overall pick. Many fans don’t realize he began his pro career with Changwon, since he never pitched an inning for them.

He spent 1995 in Changwon’s developmental system, then was part of a big offseason trade. Kawasaki got Moon and four other prospects, including 2019 Hall of Fame inductee RF Hyun-Jun Nahm. In exchange, Changwon got 2004 Hall of Famer LF Kazuharu Yonesaki and $32,550,000. The Killer Whales certainly won the deal with two later HOF prospects. Yonesaki only played for the Crabs in 1996 and while he was fine, Changwon went 73-89. Had they kept their prospects, perhaps the Crabs wouldn’t have had only two winning seasons from 1990 to 2013.

Moon was still a raw prospect and spent three years in development for Kawasaki. He debuted as a full-time starter with respectable results in 1999 at age 22. Moon was second in Rookie of the Year voting and had a solid postseason with a 3.00 ERA and 3-1 record over four starts and 33 innings. The Killer Whales won the Japan League title, falling to Daegu for the EAB title.

Kawasaki started a brief dynasty run here, winning it all in both 2000 and 2001. They lost in the 2002 JLCS to Osaka and had a first round loss in 2003 to Hiroshima. During this stretch, Moon emerged as an ace. His playoff numbers weren’t overly dominant, but he had an 11-5 record over 131.2 innings, 3.49 ERA, 161 strikeouts, 97 ERA+, and 2.6 WAR. In the regular season though, Moon was an absolute boost.

His second season in 2000 saw a Triple Crown with a 23-5 record, 1.74 ERA, and 334 strikeouts for 9.7 WAR. Moon had another Triple Crown in 2001 with a 19-8 record, 2.05 ERA, and 395 strikeouts. He was two Ks short of the then-single season record with his 2001 effort still ranking 11^th as of 2037. 2001 also had career and league-bests in WHIP (0.72), K/BB (24.7), innings (276.1), and WAR (11.2). Naturally, this earned back-to-back Pitcher of the Year awards.

Moon made it three straight by leading again in ERA, WHIP, K/BB, complete games, and WAR in 2002. He had three seasons worth 10+ WAR and nine straight worth 6.9 WAR or better. Moon’s ERA numbers went up after 2002, but he led in strikeouts five times from 2003-2008. Moon led in WAR six times in his career, K/BB seven times, WHIP five times, and strikeouts seven times. In 2002, he joined the shortlist with a 20 strikeout game in a two-hitter against Kyoto.

Kawasaki signed Moon to a seven-year, $64,500,000 extension in May 2005. Despite his efforts, the Killer Whales narrowly missed the playoffs in 2004 and 2005, then posted losing records from 2006-2009. Moon won his fourth Pitcher of the Year in 2006, leading wins for the third time and posted a 2.23 ERA and 10.3 WAR. He placed third in 2007’s POTY voting. Moon was only the third in Japan League history with 4+ POTYs and one of eight in all of EAB history to that point.

With Kawasaki falling to 69-93 in 2008, Moon decided to opt out of the remainder of his contract. While this disappointed Killer Whales fans, he remained a popular figure and his #36 uniform would eventually be retired. Moon was a free agent for the first time at age 32 and his resume garnered worldwide offers. He ended up taking big MLB money on a five-year, $63,000,000 deal with Toronto.

Moon’s time in Canada ended up being a bit disappointing. He had a decent full debut season in 2009, but was merely above average. After a subpar start to 2010, Moon suffered a stretched elbow ligament that put him out 11 months.

He tried a comeback in 2011, but his velocity had plummeted post-injury to the low 90s. Moon was awful in 37 innings with a 8.27 ERA and retired that winter at age 35. In only three seasons for Toronto, Moon mustered a 21-25 record, 3.69 ERA, 390 innings, 382 strikeouts, 92 ERA+, and 4.1 WAR.

With Kawasaki, Moon finished with a 179-99 record, 2.45 ERA, 2465.2 innings, 3377 strikeouts, 230 walks, 207/281 quality starts, 169 complete games, 137 ERA+, and 84.0 WAR. Even with a relatively short tenure, Moon ranks 36^th in pitching WAR as of 2037. Among all pitchers with 1000+ innings, Moon’s ERA is 50^th best. His 0.84 BB/9 is 4^th best and his 12.33 K/9 ranks 10^th. Moon also had an opponent’s OPS of .570, which sits 32^nd.

Certainly he was one of the most dominant pitchers in the game in his prime. While Moon’s accumulations are on the lower end, his rate stats were absolutely elite. He was a no-doubter for the voters with 98.1% to headline and stand alone for EAB’s 2014 Hall of Fame class.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

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Three first ballot selections earned induction for Beisbol Sudamerica’s 2014 Hall of Fame class. Home run king Milton Becker was nearly unanimous at 99.7% and 3B Luca Ulloa was also a slam dunk at 96.0%. Pitcher Lobo Alvarado’s 71.7% was just enough to cross the 66% mark and join them Catcher Moises Avalos fell just short with 62.6% for his sixth ballot. RF Amauris Garcia also notably debuted at 50.8%. No one else crossed 50% and no players were dropped following ten failed ballots.



Milton Becker – Designated Hitter – Caracas Colts – 99.7% First Ballot

Milton Becker was a 6’1’’, 190 pound left-handed from Maracaibo, Venezuela. Despite not having a massive frame, Becker had incredible home run power. He had 10 seasons with 50+ dingers and 16 of his 19 seasons had 40+. Becker was also an excellent contact hitter with a great eye and above average strikeout rate for the league.

He wasn’t only about dingers and had 25 doubles and 5 triples per his 162 game average. Becker’s speed and baserunning were below average, but not awful like you might expect. He especially mashed against right-handed pitching with a career 1.061 OPS, 179 wRC+, and 731 home runs. Becker was no bum against lefties though with a .961 OPS and 161 wRC+.

Becker’s biggest flaw as a player was abysmal defense, but fortunately for him the Bolivar League had the designated hitter. He made about 60% of his career starts as a DH with the rest split fairly evenly between right field and first base. You could tolerate the terrible defense though for the best bat in the game in his prime. Becker would have some recurring hamstring issues, but still had a full load in the majority of his 19 seasons.

Certainly Becker’s home run heroics made him an absolute superstar, but he was also known as an absolute class act. Becker was a team captain with a tireless work ethic, great leadership, and strong intellect. He would become a worldwide baseball icon and perhaps Venezuela’s most famous citizen overall.

Becker’s power potential quickly drew attention from scouts ahead of the 1989 Beisbol Sudamerica Draft. He went third overall to Caracas and played nearly his entire pro career in the capital. It was also a perfect fit for Becker’s skillset with the Ballpark of Caracas known as a home run favorable park. Lefty power hitters especially thrived with the short porch in right at only 303 feet down the line and 367 to right-center.

Becker had some strikeout issues as a part-time starter in his rookie year, but still smacked 33 homers in only 116 games at age 20. He was a full-time starter from 1991 onward and a regular atop the home run leaderboards. Becker led in strikeouts (203) in 1993 but also led in homers (53), quickly becoming noticed in his home country.

Early in his career, Becker did represent Venezuela in the World Baseball Championship. From 1991-2001, he had 99 games and 91 starts with 99 hits, 70 runs, 13 doubles, 38 home runs, 90 RBI, 63 walks, a .321/.455/.747 slash, 231 wRC+, and 7.8 WAR. This helped make Becker beloved in Venezuela, but also popular worldwide.

Caracas was terrible in the early 1990s, averaging only 69.8 wins per season in Becker’s first five years. But by his third season, he put up many career-bests. Becker led the Bolivar League in home runs (64), OBP (.419), slugging (.742), and OPS (1.161) in 1992. This season also had career highs in slugging, OPS, wRC+ (214), WAR (10.9), and hits (212). Becker was second in MVP voting, missing out on the MVP and a Silver Slugger because of Valencia’s Nyx Navas at 11.7 WAR.

From 1992-1998, Becker was dominant as he led the league each season in OPS. That stretch also saw him lead five times in wRC+, three times in WAR, six times in slugging, four times in OBP, thrice in total bases, four times in homers, and thrice in RBI. Becker won Silver Sluggers in 1993, 94, 95, 96, and 98. A strained hamstring in 1994 and a fractured finger in 1997 was the only thing to slightly slow him down.

1993 was his first MVP, boasting league and career-bests in homers (65), runs scored (134), and total bases (417). That winter, Caracas signed Becker to an eight-year, $15,980,000 extension. Becker was second in 1995’s MVP voting, third in 1996, and second in 1997.

1995 saw the Colts’ snap a seven-year streak of losing seasons and began a run of dominance. From 1995-2006, Caracas had 11 playoff appearances, winning the Venezuela Division each time. They made the Bolivar League Championship Series in 1995, but Becker missed the playoffs to a torn hamstring.

In 1996, Caracas won the BLCS with Becker posting 8 homers, 19 hits, 13 runs, and 18 RBI with a 1.111 OPS in 16 playoff starts. The Colts would lose in Copa Sudamerica to a 115-win Recife squad. Caracas had four straight 100+ win seasons from 1996-99, but suffered first round exits in 1997 and 1998, followed by a BLCS loss in 1999. They lost in the first round of 2000, then missed the playoffs in 2001 at 80-82.

Becker stayed strong, winning his second MVP in 1998 with his lone batting title at .355. From 1995-2007, he hit 40+ home runs each season. Becker had an OPS above one from 1992-2003. He led the league in homers eight times, RBI seven times, total bases four times, OBP four times, and WAR three times. Becker’s third MVP win came in 1999 with 58 homers, 147 RBI, and 9.7 WAR.

He wouldn’t win MVP again, but took second in 2000 and 2002 with a third place in 2003. Becker had 12 Silver Sluggers total with nine as a DH (1993, 95, 98, 99, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07), one in right field (1994), and two at first base (1996, 98). He posted nine games with three home runs as well.

Although Caracas missed the playoffs in 2001, Becker committed to a seven-year, $37,100,000 extension that spring at age 31. Part of the reason they struggled that year is a strained hamstring cost him two months. Still, Becker had 6.3 WAR, 45 home runs, and an 1.152 OPS over 111 games. He would stay healthy for the next six years, which allowed the Colts to re-establish their hold on the division.

Caracas lost in the 2002 BLCS and had first round exits in 2004 and 2005. They would win two more Bolivar League titles in underdog efforts in 2003 and 2006. Both years, they lost in Copa Sudamerica with loss to Rio de Janeiro in 2003 and to Asuncion in 2006. They just missed the playoffs by a game in 2007, then fell to below .500 in 2008.

Becker’s biggest regret was that he never won the Cup, although three pennants and 11 division titles is far more than most players get. Becker’s playoff stats were plenty solid with 73 starts, 88 hits, 45 runs, 19 doubles, 18 home runs, 52 RBI, a .315/.379/.584 slash, 160 wRC+, and 3.6 WAR.

In his later years, it was clear Becker had a shot at Valor Melo’s home run king title of 870. He joined Melo and Diego Pena as the third member of the 700 club in 2003, then got to the 800 club in 2005. That was the number that got the most attention, but Becker was quickly rising up the lists for hits, runs, and RBI.

2006 saw Becker pass Valor Melo’s 1862 to become BSA’s all-time RBI leader. He also became the seventh member of the 3000 hit club. In 2007, Becker became the home run king, hitting 52 at age 37 to finish the season at 906. Becker then passed Melo’s 1708 runs scored to become that stat’s all-time BSA leader.

World history was also in reach as Becker was the second in any world league to cross 900 career homers. The world record was 928 set by Prometheo Garcia between his split CABA and MLB career. Becker had a sluggish start to the season and Caracas was struggling as well. He got to 927, one short while with the Colts. To the shock of many, Becker would end up traded away at the deadline. Caracas’ officials were less interested in the milestone ultimately than the fans were.

Becker was sent across the division along with $2,360,000 to Valencia for three prospects. He did finish strong in his final 41 games, hitting 14 more homers to become the world leader at 941. Becker’s hold on that title would be short-lived with the Arab League’s Nordine Soule passing him in 2011 on his way to becoming the first-ever 1000 home run hitter. Still, Becker is one of a very select few with 900+ homers even as power numbers soared in many leagues in the 21^st Century.

On September 14, Becker’s season ended with a torn labrum. He then became a free agent for the first time heading into his age 39 season. The injury originally had a 4-5 month recovery window with Becker hoping to still play somewhere. He was 211 away from Javier Herrera’s BSA hits record of 3597 and might have had a shot at it.

Unfortunately, Becker suffered a setback in January from the torn labrum that forced his retirement. Despite the awkward end with the trade, Caracas immediately brought him in to retire his #5 uniform. There were no hard feelings and he would remain a franchise icon and ambassador for decades to come.

Becker finished with 3386 hits, 1980 runs, 446 doubles, 91 triples, 941 home runs, 2226 RBI, 1131 walks, 159 stolen bases, a .320/.389/.647 slash, 174 wRC+, and 126.7 WAR. At retirement, he was the leader in homers, RBI, runs, and total bases (6837); second in hits, seventh in WAR among position players, sixth in walks drawn, second in OPS, and second in slugging percentage.

As of 2037, he’s still the home run king of South America, although Niccolo Coelho would usurp him in runs, RBI, and total bases. Becker still ranks second in those stats even against a higher offense era after his retirement. He also ranks fifth in hits and among all batters with 3000+ plate appearances is eighth in OPS and slugging and 24^th in OBP.

Becker is also tenth in WAR, losing notable points from being a DH and having porous defense. That often hurts him in discussions for the overall GOAT position player in BSA history, but he has a healthy case for South America’s greatest pure hitter. It seemed only one anti-DH grump voted against him with 99.7%, making Becker the headliner for the 2014 Hall of Fame class.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

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Luca Ulloa – Third Base – Salvador Storm – 96.0% First Ballot

Luca Ulloa was a 6’0’’, 190 pound right-handed third baseman from Marica, Brazil, a city of around 224,000 people within the Rio de Janeiro metropolitan area. Ulloa was best known for reliably strong home run power and a nice knack for drawing walks. He had 16 seasons with 30+ homers and topped 40+ seven times. Ulloa was merely an average at best contact hitter and struggled with strikeouts.

His gap power was respectable with around 20-25 doubles most years. Ulloa’s baserunning and speed were both abysmal though, so you couldn’t expect many extra bags with his legs. He had an absolute cannon arm and solid glovesmanship at third base, grading as reliably good-to-great defensively.

Ulloa played exclusively at third, making more than 3000 starts at the hot corner. He was fairly durable for a 22-year career, plying 130+ games in all but four of those seasons. Ulloa was one of the hardest working guys in the game. He was a fan favorite known for his great leadership and loyalty. Few Brazilian players of the era were more popular.

By the 1988 BSA Draft, Ulloa was one of the top amateur prospects. Salvador selected him 12^th overall, beginning a 16-year odyssey with the Storm. Ulloa was a full-timer right away, winning 1989 Rookie of the Year honors with a 3.9 WAR debut season. He topped 5+ WAR thrice in his first five seasons as a solid starter, only missing the mark in 1991 to a torn thumb ligament. By the end of the 1993 season, Salvador signed Ulloa to an eight-year, $13,560,000 extension.

Ulloa played for his native Brazil right away in the World Baseball Championship and ended up with 209 games and 204 starts in the WBC from 1990-2009. In total, he had 151 hits, 95 runs, 23 doubles, 49 home runs, 99 RBI, 79 walks, a .216/.303/.460 slash, 119 wRC+, and 4.6 WAR. Ulloa’s debut WBC saw Brazil win the world title in 1990. They would make six more semifinal appearances during his run.

Salvador would earn wild card appearances in 1990 and 1993, but lost in the first round both years. Although Ulloa would reach his prime in the late 1990s, the Storm were stuck in the middle tier with no berths and 83.1 wins per year from 1994-2000. 1994 would be Ulloa’s first of seven seasons worth 7+ WAR from then to 2002. He shared a league with nine-time Silver Slugger winner Dyjan Rondo early on, meaning Ulloa’s first Silver Slugger didn’t come until age 31.

That was his 1998 season, which also saw a second in MVP voting and a career and league best 10.2 WAR. Ulloa led the Southern Cone League with 113 RBI and also added 198 wRC+, 46 home runs, and a .965 OPS. He lost some momentum though with a torn UCL costing him the final two months of 1999.

Ulloa bounced back with a career and league best 62 home runs in 2000 for his second Silver Slugger. Surprisingly, he wasn’t an MVP finalist despite also having 9.7 WAR and 134 RBI. Ulloa also had career bests in 2000 in runs (105), hits (184), triple slash (.316/.351/.678), and OPS (1.029). He grabbed his third Slugger in 2002.

Salvador ended their playoff drought with wild cards in 2001 and 2002, but again were bounced in the first round. Ulloa still showed no signs of slowing down and at age 35 inked another three years and $15,300,000 with the Storm. After being stuck in the mid-tier for so long, Salvador finally broke through with Ulloa in 2004.

2004 saw a 96-66 record and their first North Division title since 1981. Salvador also won their first pennant since 1981, although they lost to Bogota in Copa Sudamerica. Ulloa was subpar in the playoffs with a .220/.278/.380 slash, 88 wRC+, and 0.2 WAR. For his playoff career, he had 36 starts, a .270/.333/.484 slash, 140 wRC+, and 0.9 WAR. Ulloa remained a beloved favorite and wasn’t generally blamed for the lack of playoff success.

Ulloa’s contract was up with the 2004 campaign and Salvador didn’t want to commit big money to a 38-year old, even if he still was playing at a high level. In total for Salvador, Ulloa had 2412 hits, 1192 runs, 351 doubles, 590 home runs, 1544 RBI, a .279/.325/.535 slash, 151 wRC+, and 102.4 WAR. The Storm would later retire his #26 uniform as well and he’d be a regular fixture at Salvador events post retirement.

Teams worldwide were interested in this popular veteran and MLB’s Milwaukee Mustangs gave Ulloa a two-year, $15,000,000 deal. A hamstring strain cost him the first month of the season and he was merely an average starter with 2.6 WAR and a 104 wRC+ for Milwaukee in 2005. He didn’t meet the vesting criteria for the second year of the deal.

Chicago signed Ulloa for 2006, but he was terrible with -0.3 WAR and a .536 OPS over 144 games. That ended his MLB tenure after two years, but the 40-year old Ulloa still wanted to play. He returned to South America on a two-year, $8,160,000 deal with Caracas. In 2007, Ulloa became the 12^th BSA slugger to reach 600 home runs and the 45^th to reach 2500 hits. He also won his fourth Silver Slugger in 2007.

Ulloa was back to being a very solid starter with the Colts. In his two seasons, he had 279 hits, 149 runs, 49 doubles, 69 home runs, 171 RBI, a .269/.317/.529 slash, 124 wRC+, and 8.5 WAR. However, he couldn’t find any takes after that, ending his Beisbol Sudamerica run after the 2008 season at age 41.

He was still in good health and wanting to play somewhere. In 2009, Ulloa signed with Hobart of the Oceania Baseball Association. He still could smack the ball hard, posting 41 homers and 4.7 WAR in 2009 to win a Silver Slugger. Guam signed him in 2010, but a strained groin kept him out two months. He ended up with average production for the Golden Eagles, but still managed 30 home runs in 109 games.

In two OBA seasons, Ulloa had 208 hits, 118 runs, 36 doubles, 71 home runs, 163 RBI, a .221/.263/.492 slash, 110 wRC+, and 7.0 WAR. He still wanted to play, but finally retired at age 45 after going unsigned in 2011. For his combined pro career, Ulloa had 3186 games, 3085 hits, 1545 runs, 463 doubles, 769 home runs, 1982 RBI, a .267/.313/.516 slash, 139 wRC+, and 120.1 WAR.

Just in BSA, Ulloa ended with 2691 hits, 1341 runs, 400 doubles, 50 triples, 659 home runs, 1715 RBI, 649 walks, a .278/.324/.534 slash, 148 wRC+, and 110.8 WAR. As of 2037, Ulloa ranks 20^th in WAR among position players, 15^th in home runs, 12^th in RBI, 50^th in hits, and 60^th in runs.

Specifically at third base, he ranks fourth in WAR. Ulloa never won a Gold Glove, but his reliable defense earned him the seventh-most zone rating at the spot in BSA at 69.8. Ulloa wasn’t one to generally dominate leaderboards, but few would argue against him as his era’s most complete third baseman. Ulloa would be a headliner in almost any other class, receiving 96.0% as the second addition in BSA’s 2014 Hall of Fame group.



Lobo Alvarado – Closer – Mendoza Mutants – 71.7% First Ballot

Lobo Alvarado was a 6’3’’, 200 pound right-handed relief pitcher from Buenos Aires, Argentina. He had incredible stuff in his prime which some scouts graded as a 12 or 13 on a scale from 1/10. Alvarado also had very solid control and above average movement. He had a one-two punch of a 98-100 mph fastball and an almost equally quick and even more dangerous slider.

Especially for a reliever, Alvarado had excellent stamina and ironman durability, meaning he was ready to go as much as needed at almost any time. Alvarado had an impressive work ethic and would become one of the first really popular players for the new Mendoza franchise. The Mutants joined Beisbol Sudamerica in the 1987 expansion, but saw their first winning seasons during Alvarado’s tenure.

Two-pitch guys were pretty much guaranteed to be bullpen pieces and that’s how Alvarado graded out. It was also rare for even great relief prospects to get picked high in the draft due to the comparatively lower value versus a starter or position player. However, Mendoza fell in love with Alvarado’s potential, picking him #2 overall in the 1994 BSA Draft. The Mutants made him their closer immediately, a role he held for eight years.

Alvarado was spotty as a rookie, but quickly found his footing. He won his first Reliever of the Year in his third season of 1997. Alvarado won ROTY three times for Mendoza, also taking it in 1998 and 2002. He took second in 2001’s voting as well.

His best ERA (1.48) and ERA+ (216) came in the 1997 campaign. Alvarado’s career-best for saves was 48 in 1999, his lone time leading the league. His 161 strikeouts in 1998 was his top mark with the Mutants and his 5.1 WAR in 2002 was his Mendoza best.

Mendoza’s first playoff appearance was a division title in 1996, although they were one-and-done in the playoffs. They earned their first Southern Cone Championship appearance in 1999, but lost to eventual Copa Sudamerica champ Brasilia. The Mutants were one-and-done again in 2000, then fell back to the bottom for the standings for the next few years. In his 18.2 playoff innings for Mendoza, Alvarado had an excellent 0.96 ERA, 7 saves, and 31 strikeouts.

Alvarado was especially dominant on the World Baseball Championship stage for Argentina. He had 19 starts and 14 relief appearances from 1996-2007, posting a stellar 1.93 ERA, 16-4 record, 8 saves, 308 strikeouts, 55 walks, 185 ERA+, and 7.8 WAR. Alvarado made history in 2004 with the WBC’s sixth-ever perfect game, striking out 20 against North Korea.

With Mendoza dropping to 67-95 by 2002, the Mutants began a fire sale that included trading Alvarado to Belo Horizonte for prospects. In total with Mendoza, Alvarado had a 2.12 ERA, 663.2 innings, 290 saves, 1016 strikeouts, 154 ERA+, and 29.5 WAR. He made enough of an impression to see his #33 uniform as Mendoza’s first retired number at the end of his career.

Alvarado had a career-best 5.6 WAR in 2003 for Belo Horizonte, winning his fourth Reliever of the Year. At the time, he was the seventh in BSA history to win Reliever of the Year four times. Alvarado finished third in 2004’s voting with the Hogs just above .500 in both seasons. He had 66 saves, a 2.13 ERA, 194.1 innings, 340 strikeouts, and 9.9 WAR.

He became the 10^th to reach 350 career saves in BSA and was a free agent for 2005 at age 32. Some thought he could chase the saves record if he stayed, but Alvarado opted for the MLB payday on a three-year, $16,200,000 deal with Memphis. Alvarado looked good in limited use for the Mountain Cats with a 1.62 ERA over 66.2 innings and 2.0 WAR. He also had 4.1 scoreless innings in the playoffs in 2005.

Memphis never gave him a big role though and ended up trading Alvarado to Austin for three prospects and a draft pick. He never pitched for the Amigos though, who cut him after 2007 spring training. Albuquerque scooped him up quickly where he posted an average 3.72 ERA over 36.1 innings for the Isotopes. In total for MLB, Alvarado had a 2.36 ERA, 103 innings, 10 saves, 134 strikeouts, and 2.8 WAR.

Now 35-years old, Alvarado felt he could still be a closer if he came back to South America. Sao Paulo signed him to a one-year deal in 2008, but his velocity had plummeted to this point, peaking in the 90-92 mph range. The Padres gave him 15 relief appearances and even three starts, but Alvarado posted a lousy 5.32 ERA over 45.2 innings. He retired after the 2008 season at age 35.

Alvarado’s BSA career had 356 saves and 423 shutdowns over 903.2 innings, a 2.28 ERA, 1383 strikeouts, 214 walks, 149 ERA+, and 39.2 WAR. As of 2037, he ranks 20^th in saves. Alvarado didn’t reach the 1000 innings needed to qualify for all-time rate stats, but he’d be around a top ten K/9.

His stats compared favorably to other Hall of Fame relievers in BSA and he had the distinction of four Reliever of the Year awards. Some voters felt Alvarado didn’t quite have the longevity, but his popularity and WBC excellence helped get him across the line. At 71.7%, Alvarado was a first-ballot inductee and the third member of BSA’s 2014 Hall of Fame class.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

The European Baseball Federation had a very strong 2014 Hall of Fame class with three first ballot guys all above 85%. 1B Mattias Stole was the headline at 98.7% with 1B/RF Roberto Baccin very close behind at 96.3%. OF Giulio Lago joined them at a very solid 88.3%. Catcher Ulrich Thomsen was the only other player above 50%, debuting at 53.7%. The top returner was closer Steven Macario at 43.6% on his second ballot.



Pitcher Silvio La Paglia was dropped after ten failed ballots, having posted a 15-year career between Malta, Dublin, and Paris. He had a 186-185 record, 3.37 ERA, 3349.1 innings, 3104 strikeouts, a 113 ERA+, and 65.9 WAR. La Paglia had nice longevity, but no awards and little black ink. He was very much a “Hall of Pretty Good” level guy.

Albrecht Busch was also notable, falling off after dropping below 5% on his seventh ballot. He had longevity with 4539 innings, which was the EBF record until the early 2020s and still ranks second. Busch was below average in those innings though with a 4.04 ERA and 95 ERA+, posting a 209-301 record. Thus, he is the only pitcher in world history as of 2037 to have recorded 300 losses. Busch had 63.4 WAR and 3528 strikeouts over his 21-year run primarily with Zagreb.



Mattias Stole – First Base – Copenhagen Corsairs – 98.7% First Ballot

Mattias Stole was a 6’0’’, 200 pound left-handed first baseman from Stavanger, Norway’s third-largest city with around 360,000 in its metro area. Stole was one of his era’s prolific home run hitters, topping 40+ each year from 1994-2004. He also smacked 50+ dingers five times. Stole absolutely destroyed right-handed pitching with a career 1.050 OPS and 190 wRC+. Against lefties, he was a decent .762 OPS and 118 wRC+.

On the whole, Stole graded as a great contact hitter with a good strikeout rate, although he was surprisingly average at drawing walks despite his power profile. Stole found the gap regularly, hitting 30+ doubles in seven seasons. He couldn’t get extra bags with his legs though, as he was a painfully slow and sluggish baserunner.

That clumsiness carried over to first base, where he played his entire career defensively. Stole graded as a mediocre gloveman, but you had to find a spot in the lineup for that bat in the DH-less EBF. He had very good durability and quickly became one of Europe’s most popular sluggers. Stole was especially beloved back home in Norway and in Denmark, playing his entire pro career with Copenhagen.

The Corsairs drafted Stole #2 overall in the 1992 EBF Draft and he won Rookie of the Year as a part-time starter in 1993. In 126 games and only 87 starts, he hit 33 homers for 3.8 WAR. Copenhagen would be a perfect spot for a powerful lefty pull hitter with Corsairs Park known as a very homer-friendly park. At only 310 feet down the right field line, 327 to right, and 373 to right center, Stole was in the perfect place to do some big damage.

In only his second season in 1994, Stole shocked the baseball world with a 75 home run, 184 RBI season. He broke EBF’s single-season record of 72 homers by Sean Houston in 1984 and obliterated Houston’s 167 RBI record. Stole was one short of the then-world record 76 homers reached twice by Beisbol Sudamerica’s Valor Melo. He was the first-ever player in any league to top 180+ RBI in a season and this remains the EBF single-season record as of 2037.

Stole’s home run record held five years in EBF with Peter Brinkmann getting 76 in 1999. It still ranks third as of 2037. Stole ‘s 503 total bases still sit second in EBF history to Houston’s 522 in 1984. Stole also led the Northern Conference in runs (136), hits (239), triple slash (.376/.418/.791), OPS (1.209), wRC+ (223), and WAR (10.8). It ranks as the sixth-best OPS in EBF history as well.

He easily won MVP and a Silver Slugger, but Copenhagen still could only muster an 83-79 record. This did end a six-year run of losing seasons and the Corsairs would stay above .500 for the rest of the 1990s. They won division titles in 1995 and 1998, but lost both years in the first round of the playoffs.

Stole never had a monster year quite like that again, but he followed it up with a repeat MVP in 1995 with 53 homers, 153 RBI, 418 total bases, 1.081 OPS, and 8.7 WAR. Stole won his third Silver Slugger in 1996 and was third in MVP voting. After going third in 1998 MVP voting, Copenhagen signed Stole to an eight-year, $29,680,000 extension.

He wouldn’t be a league leader from 1996-2002, but he had 40+ homers and 6+ WAR in each of those seasons. In the 2000s, Stole would help turn Copenhagen into a dynasty. The Corsairs would earn eight straight division titles from 2000-07, winning 100+ games each year from 2001-2005. They initially had the reputation as a playoff choker, going one-and-done in 2000, 2002, and 2003 with a conference finals loss in 2001.

Stole won his third MVP and fourth Silver Slugger in 2003 with 52 home runs and 133 RBI. He led with 142 RBI in 2004 and smacked 50 homers, helping Copenhagen to the top seed at 112-50. They finally broke through in the playoffs, winning their first European Championship since the inaugural 1950 season.

Copenhagen beat Madrid in the 2004 final with Stole posting 18 hits, 10 runs, 5 doubles, 4 home runs, and 11 RBI in the playoff run. At age 34, Stole had finally delivered the Corsairs the cup after 11 seasons. As he aged, Stole would start to struggle more against left-handed pitching, although he remained quite good against righties.

2005 saw a career-worst 3.0 WAR, his only time below 6+ WAR since his rookie season. Copenhagen still won 101-61 games and Stole stepped up in the playoffs, helping them repeat as European Champion with a finals win over Vienna. Stole was finals MVP and over 12 games and 7 playoff starts had 5 home runs, 12 RBI, and a 1.332 OPS.

Stole bounced back with 5.7 WAR in 2006, then dropped to 3.9 WAR in 2007 despite still getting 41 homers. Copenhagen would suffer round one playoff exits both years, seeing their playoff streak end in 2008. For his playoff career though, Stole was excellent over 64 games with 75 hits, 39 runs, 8 doubles, 20 home runs, 43 RBI, a .329/.388/.627 slash, 190 wRC+, and 3.6 WAR. As 2037, he’s one of 27 players in EBF playoff history with 20+ home runs.

After the 2006 season, Stole signed a three-year, $20,700,000 deal. Continued struggles in 2008 against lefties demoted him to a platoon role with 1.3 WAR over 122 games and 66 starts. Stole missed the vesting criteria for the final year of his deal, becoming a free agent for the first time. He had hoped to make a run at the 700 homer, 3000 hit, and 2000 RBI milestones. However, he went unsigned in 2009 and retired that winter at age 39. Copenhagen would immediately retire his #23 uniform.

Stole finished with 2868 hits, 1523 runs, 419 doubles, 686 home runs, 1872 RBI, 638 walks, a .324/.373/.612 slash, 174 wRC+, and 100.0 WAR. As of 2037, he ranks 12^th all-time in homers, 13^th in RBI, 21^st in hits, 25^th in runs scored, and 30^th in WAR among position players. Among all batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Stole ranks 39^th in slugging and 40^th in OPS.

Few sluggers were as reliably powerful in European baseball as Stole in his era, helping turn Copenhagen into a regular divisional contender during his 16-year career. The Norwegian baseball legend was an obvious headliner even in a loaded 2014 Hall of Fame class at 98.7%.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

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Roberto Baccin – First Base/Right Field – Madrid Conquistadors – 96.3% First Ballot

Roberto Baccin was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed first baseman from Venice, Italy; located in the northeast with around 258,000 inhabitants. Baccin had a very well rounded bat and was one of the better contact hitters of his era with a solid eye for walks and avoiding strikeouts. He wasn’t a prolific power hitter, but Baccin had no shortage of extra base hits. Per his 162 game average, he got 33 doubles, 9 triples, and 25 home runs. Baccin’s speed and baserunning were both good-to-great.

Defensively, Baccin’s career was split almost evenly between first base and right field with a slight lead for 1B. While those are spots that you often hide bad glovemen, Baccin posted very good defense in both spots. He won two Gold Gloves in right field early in his career. Baccin had strong durability and was loyal, but he wasn’t much for leadership. He wasn’t incredible at any one thing, but Baccin was good to great across the board, becoming one of the most steady performers during Madrid’s 2000s dynasty run.

Although well known for his time in the Spanish capital, Baccin didn’t get there until his 30s. He was the #1 overall draft pick in 1988 by Malta, where he spent the first eight years of his career. The Marvels hoped Baccin could be the one to finally turn the perennial loser into a success. He wasn’t a magician despite his talents though, as Malta averaged 67 wins per season in Baccin’s run.

It was hard to get noticed on the worst franchise in the league, but Baccin did win his Gold Gloves there in 1992 and 1994. He was a full-time starter immediately, although he was merely okay in his first three years. Baccin emerged as a great starter with 5+ WAR each year from 1992-1996, including 8.2 WAR in 1992. Baccin’s only time leading a stat was his .398 OBP in 1996 for the Marvels.

Although his pro career kept him from his native Italy, Baccin was a staple for his country from 1990-2008 in the World Baseball Championship with 150 games and 117 starts. He posted 109 hits, 60 runs, 24 doubles, 18 home runs, 49 RBI, a .242/.318/.420 slash, 113 wRC+, and 2.4 WAR.

With Malta, Baccin had 1382 hits, 641 runs, 218 doubles, 77 triples, 174 home runs, 653 RBI, 170 stolen bases, a .306/.352/.504 slash, 136 wRC+, and 41.3 WAR. He had signed a five-year, $12,940,000 extension after the 1994 season, but grew tired of the losing. Baccin opted out of his deal after the 1996 season, becoming a free agent heading towards his age 30 season. Madrid was very interested, signing him for seven years and $21,080,000.

The Conquistadors were coming off a subpar 73-89 season, their worst effort since the 1960s. They hoped a reliable guy like Baccin could get them back into contention. From 1997-2005, Baccin gave them 6+ WAR each year but 2003 (and only narrowly missed it that year despite losing seven weeks to a strained hip muscle).

He never did win a Silver Slugger though competing against the great sluggers at his positions. Still, Baccin took second in MVP voting in both 2001 and 2002. 2000 saw a batting title at .386 and a career and conference best 1.061 OPS and 191 wRC+. He led in average and OBP again in 2001 and had 8+ WAR each year from 2000-2002. Baccin also led twice in doubles, once in runs, and once in doubles.

Baccin’s presence helped Madrid become a regular contender again. They ended an eight-year playoff drought in 1999, winning the European Championship against Hamburg. The Conquistadors started a seven-year playoff streak and won the Southern Conference pennant again in 2000, 2002, and 2004. They lost the finals in 2000 and 2002 to Kharkiv and were defeated in 2004 by Copenhagen.

In the playoffs, Baccin’s production remained solid, including a conference finals MVP in 2002. Over 87 games and 84 starts, he had 110 hits, 51 runs, 17 doubles, 5 triples, 10 home runs, 54 RBI, 21 stolen bases, a .332/.381/.505 slash, 143 wRC+, and 3.4 WAR. This made Baccin very popular in Madrid with his #35 uniform eventually being retired.

The Conquistadors gave Baccin a three-year, $17,400,000 extension after the 2002 season. He started missing some time to nagging injuries in his late 30s, but his production remained excellent. Baccin became a free agent after the 2005 season, which saw him cross the 3000 hit and 1500 RBI thresholds. He would re-up with Madrid for another two years and $15,500,000. After another two solid seasons, Baccin added another two years and $8,400,000 before the 2007 season.

It was looking like Baccin had a shot at Jacob Ronnberg’s all-time hits mark of 3520, sitting with 3409 hits after a 4.9 WAR 2007 season. Baccin had also posted 33 doubles in 2007, passing Jack Kennedy for EBF’s all-time doubles record. However, age and regression finally caught him that year, posting 0.2 WAR over only 42 games and 25 starts. Baccin was cooked and decided to retire that winter at age 41 instead of trying to hang around.

Baccin ended with 3439 hits, 1665 runs, 567 doubles, 146 triples, 436 home runs, 1699 RBI, 911 walks, 533 stolen bases, a .329/.380/.537 slash, 153 wRC+, and 115.2 WAR. As of 2037, Baccin is 4^th in doubles, 6^th in hits, 18^th in RBI, 17^th in runs, and 19^th in WAR among position players. Those are amazing tallies for a guy who never won MVP or a Silver Slugger.

Anyone who watched him knew that Baccin was one of the most complete players of his era. He was a critical part of Madrid’s Southern Conference dominance to start the 21^st Century and would be the headliner in most Hall of Fame classes. Baccin was the #2 vote-getter in 2014 at 96.3%, earning his spot with the all-timers.



Giulio Lago – Outfielder – Naples Nobles – 88.3% First Ballot

Giulio Lago was a 6’3’’, 200 pound left-handed outfielder from Fermo, Italy; a town of 37,000 people near the Adriatic coast. Lago was a very good contact hitter with a respectable eye for walks and average strikeout rates. He was a master at getting extra base hits and finding the gap, getting 32 doubles and 15 triples per his 162 game average. Lago also boasted reliably solid home run power, topping 30+ eight times and 40+ twice. He had very good speed, but his baserunning instincts were average at best.

Lago made around 2/3 of his starts in right field, where he graded as an excellent defender. His range wasn’t quite good enough to thrive in center, posting below average metrics there. About ¼ of his starts came in center with the rest in left with average results. Lago ended up as one of Italy’s more popular players of the 1990s and 2000s.

Naples selected Lago 6^th overall in the 1993 EBF Draft and made him a full-time starter immediately. He held a starting job for 13 years with the Nobles, only missing some time to various injuries. Lago posted 4.6 WAR and a .922 OPS to earn 1994 Rookie of the Year honors. By his third year, Lago posted his first of seven seasons worth 6+ WAR.

Lago first received MVP consideration in 1997, leading the Southern Conference with 45 doubles and a .422 on-base percentage. The doubles mark, his 25 triples, and 199 wRC+ were each career-bests. He also had a 1.095 OPS and 10.2 WAR, taking second in MVP voting and his first Silver Slugger. This effort gave Naples back-to-back .500 seasons. The Nobles hadn’t had many seasons at or above .500 in recent memory, as their playoff drought grew to 26 years.

That snapped in 1998 with an unexpected 98-64 finish and their first-ever European Championship, beating Berlin for the title. Lago won MVP honors and a Silver Slugger, leading with a career-best 10.6 WAR and 206 hits. He also had career bests in runs (121), homers (48), and RBI (123). In 18 playoff starts, Lago had 27 hits, 10 runs, 6 doubles, 3 homers, 13 RBI, a .954 OPS, and 0.8 WAR. This run forever cemented Lago’s place in Naples’ lore.

Lago had already seen some popularity in all of Italy playing in the World Baseball Championship. He had 131 games and 116 starts from 1995-2008 with 113 hits, 68 runs, 18 doubles, 34 home runs, 70 RBI, a .256/.330/.537 slash, 151 wRC+, and 3.9 WAR.

Late in the 1998 season, Naples locked Lago up with an eight-year, $27,800,000 extension. The Nobles wouldn’t sustain the team success, losing in the first round in 1999 after a division title. They also had wild cards in 2004 and 2006, but went one-and-done both years, hovering around the mid-tier otherwise.

Lago had a great 1999, winning a batting title (.378) while also leading in OBP (.426), OPS (1.088), and WAR (9.1) to take second in MVP voting. This would be his last time as a league leader or MVP contender, although Lago did win additional Silver Sluggers in 2001, 2002, 2004, and 2005. His rate stats remained strong, topping a one OPS four more times. However from 2000-2006, Lago missed a month or more in five different seasons due to various injuries.

After the 2006 season, Lago became a free agent for the first time at age 36. With Naples, he had 2209 hits, 1165 runs, 373 doubles, 194 triples, 409 home runs, 1233 RBI, 416 stolen bases, a .329/.383/.625 slash, 171 wRC+, and 88.2 WAR. The Nobles would later retire his #11 uniform and he’d remain a popular figure for decades to come in Naples.

Lago signed a two-year, $16,400,000 deal with Munich, who hoped he could help them get over the playoff hump. Although the Mavericks were conference champs in 2001, they hadn’t gotten back with first round exits from 2002-04 and conference finals losses in 2005 and 2006. Munich’s playoff streak continued, but they fared no better with Lago with a first round loss in 2007 and second round defeat in 2008.

His production was the lowest of his career to that point, but Lago was still a positive value starter. In two years in Germany, he had 273 hits, 150 runs, 50 doubles, 15 triples, 52 home runs, 185 RBI, a .279/.339/.521 slash, 130 wRC+, and 6.4 WAR. This marked the end of his EBF Elite career, as he had to broaden his job search as a 38-yar old free agent.

Lago ended up in Saudi Arabia in 2009 for Mecca, but was unremarkable with a 1.3 WAR and 117 wRC+ over 113 games. He came back to Europe in 2010, but as a part-time starter with the Second League’s Odesa. Lago was unsigned in 2011 and retired that winter at age 41.

His EBF Elite numbers saw 2482 hits, 1315 runs, 423 doubles, 209 triples, 461 home runs, 1418 RBI, 707 walks, 481 stolen bases, a .323/.378/.611 slash, 166 wRC+, and 94.6 WAR. All of the extra base hits helped Lago rank 40^th in slugging among all batters with 3000+ plate appearances as of 2037 despite ranking merely 79^th in homers. Lago’s .989 career OPS also sits 34^th best.

He also ranks 44^th in WAR among position players, 41^st in doubles, 52^nd in hits, and 47^th in RBI. Lago wasn’t the tip-top guy in many years, but he was consistently a top ten outfielder in EBF for many years and a big part of Naples’ only European Championship trophy. Lago received 88.3% for the first ballot induction to complete an impressive three-player 2014 Hall of Fame class.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2014’s ballot for the Eurasian Professional Baseball Hall of Fame was a fairly weak one. Only relief pitcher Nijat Arzhanov made it in, barely crossing the 66% requirement on his fifth ballot with a nice 69.0%. SP Edmond Vardanyan was next closest at 57.3% on his second ballot with LF Oleg Ivashko close behind with a 56.7% third ballot. The best debut was RP Elgiz Alisher at 52.0%.



Three players were dropped from the ballot after ten failed tries, led by 1B Jov Vyrubov. Injuries and leaving for MLB in his final years hurt his final tallies, although his accolades were excellent in 13 years with Moscow. Vyrubov had two MVPs, three Gold Gloves, and seven Silver Sluggers with 1608 hits, 845 runs, 248 doubles, 360 home runs, 929 RBI, a .273/.336/.528 slash, 172 wRC+, and 74.1 WAR. He only had five seasons without some injuries, keeping his accumulations just low enough to cancel out the accolades. Vyrubov peaked at 46.6% in 2008 and was as low as 10.4% in 2013 before ending with 38.4%.

SP Valdas Navikas had longevity, but lacked dominance, black ink, and awards. He also was almost exclusively with Moscow and had a 170-156 record, 2.64 ERA, 3160.1 innings, 3517 strikeouts, 601 walks, 108 ERA+, and 61.9 WAR. The Lithuanian righty peaked at 39.3% in 2008 and was down to 11.7% in 2013 before ending with 24.1%.

Also dropped was 3B/2B/DH Chaghatai Tumuchudar, who had a 17-year career with Tashkent. His final four seasons were post exodus and didn’t count for his EPB tallies, plus he was hurt by being a DH for much of his run. The Mongolian had one Silver Slugger, 1633 hits, 847 runs, 212 doubles, 377 home runs, 946 RBI, a .255/.283/.489 slash, 143 wRC+, and 49.4 WAR. Tumurchudar’s peak was only 19.1%, but he managed to last ten years with a finish at 12.4%.



Nijat Arzhanov – Relief Pitcher – Asgabat Alphas – 69.0% Fifth Ballot

Nijat Arzhanov was a 6’0’’, 190 pound left-handed relief pitcher from Karaganda in central Kazakhstan, the country’s fifth largest city with just under 500,000 inhabitants. Arzhanov had good stuff with strong movement and average control. He had a 94-96 mph cutter mixed with a curveball with both being equally potent.

Arzhanov had very good stamina for a reliever and was considered great at defense and holding runners. In his 20s, he was also considered very durable and able to always pitch at a moment’s notice. Unfortunately, major injuries quickly derailed him before turning 31. Arzhanov would be a rare draft pick out of high school, going 47^th overall in 1987’s second round to Asgabat.

After three years in the developmental system, Arzhanov debuted with 40 relief innings in 1991 at age 22. He would be the Alphas primary reliever for the next eight years with 80+ innings and 55+ appearances each season. Arzhanov led the Asian League with 76 games in both 1997 and 1999. 1997 saw career bests in ERA (1.00), saves (43), and WAR (5.4). His highest strikeout tally was 146 in 1995.

Additionally, Arzhanov was split between the bullpen and starting for his native Kazakhstan in the World Baseball Championship. From 1991-2005, he tossed 101.1 innings with a 3.20 ERA, 6-7 record, 5 saves, 119 strikeouts, 37 walks, 112 ERA+, and 2.4 WAR.

Arzhanov never won Reliever of the Year in his career, but came close multiple times. He took third in 1995, then finished second in 1996, 1997, and 1999. Hurting his recognition and save totals was Asgabat’s mediocrity for most of his run. From 1991-98, the Alphas averaged only 70.75 wins per season.

1999 was a breakout season for Asgabat, who shockingly went from 65 wins in 1998 to 104-58. They made it to the ALCS, but lost to reigning champ Tashkent. Arzhanov allowed one run over 6.1 playoff innings, but disaster struck in his third appearance with a torn labrum that ultimately derailed his career.

Asgabat left EPB for the Asian Baseball Federation in 2000, but Arzhanov never pitched an ABF inning. The labrum tear originally had a five month recovery time, but a setback in February 2000 required surgery and added another 12 months to that. Arzhanov’s contract expired that winter, making him a free agent entering his age 32 season in 2001.

Arzhanov returned to EPB on a one-year deal with Krasnoyarsk, but he looked merely average over 40 innings. The Cossacks won the Asian League pennant, losing the EPB Championship to Minsk. Arzhanov only saw 2.1 playoff innings total and allowed three runs. He would be a free agent again soon after and tried his hand in the European Baseball Federation with Hamburg.

The Hammers only used him in 4.2 innings all season, although they were scoreless with eight strikeouts to Arzhanov’s credit. Lisbon signed him for 2003, but he only saw 9.2 innings with six runs allowed. Arzhanov came back to EPB and Krasnoyarsk in 2004, but again was barely used with four runs allowed over 9.2 innings.

Arzhanov finally seemed to have regular use scheduled in 2005 with Dublin, although he had a middling 3.79 ERA over 35.2 innings in two months. Unfortunately, he suffered a damaged elbow ligament in late May that knocked him out for another 12 months. Birmingham gave Arzhanov a brief shot in 2006, but he allowed three runs in only 1.1 innings. He decided to retire that winter at age 37.

For his EPB career, Arzhanov had 252 saves and 325 shutdowns, 1.64 ERA, 807.1 innings, 958 strikeouts, 192 walks, 0.94 WHIP, 176 ERA+, and 28.3 WAR. His rate stats matched up fairly well with some of the other relievers to earn EPB Hall of Fame nods, but he had small accumulations. Supporters argued without the labrum tear that he might have gotten more impressive tallies. As of 2037, he ranks only 41^st in saves.

Arzhanov would rank with the lowest WAR of any EPB Hall of Fame inductee with many scholars arguing he should’ve been left out. Still, EPB voters tended to be favorable towards pitchers and didn’t like for ballots to be blank. Arzhanov hovered in the 50s for his first four ballots, but a weaker 2014 group allowed him to earn the bump up to 69.0% as the lone inductee. He may be one of the worst players to make any pro league’s Hall of Fame, but Arzhanov has his plaque regardless.