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

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

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The 2016 ballot for the Oceania Baseball Association was incredibly small with only 15 players total eligible. The best debut only got 28.1% in RF Asaeli Ali and he had the second highest percentage of all players. With such weak competition, RF/DH Will Lee finally made it across the 66% requirement with 68.8% in his ninth ballot. No one was dropped following ten failed ballots.



Will Lee – Right Field/Designated Hitter – Fiji Freedom – 68.8% Ninth Ballot

Will Lee was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed right fielder from Cairns, Australia; a city of 150,000 people on the northeastern coast in Queensland. Lee was a well-rounded hitter in his prime who was good to sometimes great in terms of contact, power, and eye. His 162 game average saw 30 home runs and 23 doubles. While not cartoonishly slow, Lee’s baserunning speed and chops were firmly below average.

That also translated into weak outfield range at his primary position of right field. Lee’s arm was solid, but he graded as a below average defender. The Pacific League had eliminated the designated hitter option early in Lee’s career, but it came back for his 30s. From 1997 until retirement, Lee was a full-time DH. He had some recurring injuries, but his sparkplug work ethic and attitude pushed him through for a 17-year career with Fiji.

Lee was spotted as a teenage amateur and signed in November 1981 to a developmental deal with Fiji, where he’d ultimately spend his entire pro career. He spent four years in their academy, then debuted in 1986 at age 21. Lee won his first Silver Slugger in 1987 in RF, followed by wins in 1989 and 1990. An excellent 1989 gave him a second place in MVP voting thanks to a career best 40 home runs.

1990 was by far his finest season, winning his lone MVP. Lee led the Pacific League and posted career highs in hits (202), doubles (35), total bases (366), triple slash (.342/.396/.619), OPS (1.016), wRC+ (240), and WAR (11.2). As of 2037, the WAR mark is the 11^th best season by an OBA position player. Lee wouldn’t lead the league in any stat for the rest of his career.

1993 saw a third place in MVP voting with 7.2 WAR and 40 home runs, but it would be his last big statistical season. He would win a fourth Silver Slugger in 2000 despite only 2.7 WAR. Fiji had given Lee a four-year extension at $2,940,000 in May 1989, then added a seven-year, $7,420,000 extension in April 1993. He remained a popular figure for a historically inept Fiji franchise.

The Freedom were the only Pacific Team without a pennant in OBA’s first 40 seasons. They finally started to post some winning seasons into the 21^st Century, but Lee had started to struggle by this point. He posted negative WAR in both 1998 and 1999, although he bounced back a bit after that. By 2002, Lee was reduced a part-time role with only 82 starts and 100 games.

2002 was historic for Fiji, winning their first-ever Pacific League pennant. They lost the OBA Championship to Brisbane with Lee’s contribution being a lone pinch hit at-bat. It was an important milestone for Lee, even with a reduced role. That was the last year of his deal and he read the tea leaves, retiring that winter at age 38.

Lee finished with 2171 hits, 996 runs, 331 doubles, 429 home runs, 1101 RBI, 732 walks, .259/.320/.463 slash, 143 wRC+, and 60.2 WAR. As of 2037, he is 68^th in WAR among position players, 56^th in hits, 81^st in runs, 42^nd in home runs, 78^th in doubles, and 67^th in RBI. His .783 OPS didn’t crack the top 100 players with 3000 plate appearances.

No doubt, Lee’s resume was borderline at best. Debuting at 38.1%, many figured he was destined for the Hall of Good. He slowly made it into the 50s by 2012 and up to 60.8% in 2014 and 64.4% in 2015. With a laughably poor 2016 group, Lee was the only guy with any shot. That helped him just across the line at 68.8% for a ninth ballot induction. He may be one of the weaker additions to OBA’s Hall of Fame, but he got to stand alone in 2016.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

Two players earned spots into the Austronesia Professional Baseball Hall of Fame in 2016, led by pitcher Henry Fernandes with a first ballot 84.5%. RF/1B Basuki Susanti on his sixth ballot barely joined him across the 66% requirement at 66.9%. Three came very close with SP Kan-Lin Ching (64.2%, 4^th), CF Fransisco Hartati (62.7%, 5^th) and 1B Gavin Loh (60.3%, 4^th). No one else was above 50%.



Dropped after ten failed ballots was SP Surapati Kartodirojo, who had a 10-year run with Singapore. He had a 131-94 record, 2.09 ERA, 2152.2 innings, 2196 strikeouts, 412 walks, 122 ERA+, and 44.5 WAR. It was a nice run, but nowhere near dominant enough to makeup for lower tallies. Kartodirojo didn’t have much black ink or any individual awards. He debuted at 26.6% and peaked at 29.8% the next year before ending at a low of 5.7%.



Henry Fernandes – Starting Pitcher – Davao Devil Rays – 84.5% First Ballot

Henry Fernandes was a 6’1’’, 195 pound right-handed pitcher from Canubing, Philippines; a barangay (district) of about 4,000 people within Calapan City. Fernandes was known for having stellar movement on his pitches, although his stuff and control were only above average. His changeup was his strongest pitch, mixed with a 94-96 mph cutter and a curveball.

Compared to other APB aces, Fernandes had below average stamina. However, he had great durability and still was good for 240+ innings each year from 1994-2008. Fernandes had trouble holding runners, but was very good defensively otherwise, winning five Gold Gloves in his career. He was known as a prankster in the clubhouse, but also respected for his leadership and intelligence.

Fernandes was picked in the second round, 32^nd overall, by Davao in the 1992 APB Draft. He had four starts in 1993, then was a full-time starter from then onward. Fernandes’ first full season in 1994 earned a second place in Rookie of the Year voting. He would post 5.5+ WAR or better seven times from 1994-2001. Fernandes led the Taiwan-Philippine Association thrice in quality starts and twice in wins during this run. 1996 saw his career best WAR (9.9) and strikeouts (325), while his 1.98 ERA in 1998 was his best.

Davao won the Philippine League each year from 1993-1995. They took the TPA pennant in 1995 and beat Bandung for their first-ever APB Championship. They dropped notably to .500 in 1996, then had five straight losing seasons. Fernandes’ playoff results were mixed in this first run with a 3.37 ERA over 45.1 innings. . Fernandes did have strong stats in the World Baseball Championship for the Philippines, making six starts and 18 relief appearances from 1996-2009. He had a 1.85 ERA over 87.1 innings, 6-1 record, 102 strikeouts, 194 ERA+, and 3.1 WAR.

Fernandes won four straight Gold Gloves from 1998-2001. He was entering the last year of team control in 2002 and Davao was coming off a 67-win season. They decided to trade Fernandes to defending APB champ Semarang in a four-player deal. He had a solid year and the Sliders repeated as APB champ, incidentally beating a resurgent Davao in the final. Fernandes stepped up in the 2000 playoffs with a 1.09 ERA over 24.2 innings. He posted 6.8 WAR in his one year with the Sliders.

A free agent for the first time at age 33, Davao brought Fernandes back home with a five-year, $17,800,000 deal. He won his fifth Gold Glove in 2003 and carried on with similar production from the prior days. The Devil Rays missed the playoffs in 2003 and 2004, then started their dynasty run and a seven-year playoff streak in 2005. Davao repeated as APB champs in 2005 and 2006, then lost in the Association final in 2007.

Fernandes fared a bit better in his 30s in the playoffs, finishing with a 3.17 ERA over 102.1 innings with Davao in the playoffs. He had a 5-4 record, 83 strikeouts, 91 ERA+, 75 FIP-, and 2.6 WAR. Between the two stints with the Devil Rays, Fernandes had a 192-157 record, 2.34 ERA, 3462.1 innings, 3446 strikeouts, 756 walks, 119 ERA+, and 82.0 WAR.

Now 38-years old, Fernandes was a free agent again and ended up in South America, signing a three-year, $14,600,000 deal with Lobo. He gave them respectable innings in 2008, then missed much of 2009 with bone chips in his elbow In two years for the Lobos, Fernandes had a 20-13 record, 3.65 ERA, 322.2 innings, 227 strikeouts, 112 ERA+, and 6.5 WAR.

Fernandes came back to the Philippines in 2010 with Quezon giving him three years and $12,520,000. He ate 219 innings but had a subpar 83 ERA+ in 2010 with 2.4 WAR. Fernandes decided to retire with that at age 41. For his combined pro career, he had a 235-196 record, 2.49 ERA, 4266.1 innings, 4077 strikeouts, 917 walks, 115 ERA+, and 97.7 WAR.

Just in APB, Fernandes had a 215-183 record, 2.40 ERA, 3943.2 innings, 3850 strikeouts, 858 walks, 395/504 quality starts, 115 ERA+, 79 FIP-, and 91.2 WAR. He was never a Pitcher of the Year finalist and rarely a league leader. Despite that, as of 2037 he ranks 22^nd in pitching WAR, 21^st in wins, 31^st in strikeouts, and 9^th in innings pitched.

Fernandes quietly put up reliably steady numbers over a 16-year APB career. He also was a cog in three championship teams for Davao and one for Semarang. That gave Fernandes plenty of support even without the big accolades or tallies. At 84.5%, he earned a first ballot induction in the 2016 APB Hall of Fame.



Basuki Susanti – Right Field/First Base – Surabaya Sunbirds – 66.9% Sixth Ballot

Basuki Susanti was a 6’1’’, 195 pound left-handed right fielder and first baseman from Bekasi, Indonesia, a city of 2,500,000 within Greater Jakarta. Susanti was a very solid contact and power hitter with a good eye, although his strikeout rate was below average. He didn’t have prolific power, but Susanti’s 162 game average got you 32 home runs and 31 doubles. Susanti was a decent baserunner, but his speed was mediocre.

Defensively, Susanti made about half of his career starts in right field with lousy production. He was merely below average at first base, where he started roughly 1/3 of the time. Susanti’s other starts tended to be at designated hitter. He had pretty good durability and was known for his intelligence, helping him become one of Indonesia’s most popular players.

Susanti was highly touted coming out of high school and went 12^th overall to Pekanbaru in the 1991 APB Draft. He declined the selection and spent the next three years in the college ranks. Susanti’s stock improved to the #3 overall pick by Surabaya in 1994. He was a full-time starter immediately and led the Sundaland Association with 177 hits in his debut, earning 1995 Rookie of the Year.

1996 saw a career-best 9.8 WAR, earning a third place finish in MVP voting. Susanti won a Silver Slugger in 1997 at first base and one in right field for 1998. He led in OBP and OPS in 1997 and had 7+ WAR both years. Susanti’s production dipped in 1999, but Surabaya got over the hump. The Sunbirds ended a seven-year playoff drought and won it all, beating Manila in the APB Championship.

Susanti stepped up in the playoffs and won finals MVP. In 13 playoff starts, he had 18 hits, 9 runs, 4 doubles, 2 home runs, 6 RBI, and a .947 OPS. Susanti kept it going in 2000 with his third Silver Slugger and a second place in MVP voting, leading in batting average (.323), slugging (,583), OPS (.969), and wRC+ (220). All seven Surabaya seasons saw 5+ WAR. The Sunbirds would drop to 75-87 after their title season and missed again in 2002 despite improving to 87-75.

With Suyabaya, Susanti had 1131 hits, 551 runs, 195 doubles, 212 home runs, 521 RBI, a .292/.349/.522 slash, 195 wRC+, and 52.5 WAR. They couldn’t come to terms on a long-term deal, sending Susanti to free agency at age 29. He inked a massive seven-year, $52,900,000 deal with Jakarta.

Susanti continued his strong production with Silver Sluggers in 2003 and 2004. He was second in 2003’s MVP voting, then won the award in 2004. Susanti led in homers, total bases, OPS, and wRC+ both seasons. He also led in RBI and OBP in 2002 and RBI in 2003.

Jakarta ended a decade-long playoff drought in 2004 and won it all, beating Zamboanga in the APB Championship. Susanti was unremarkable in this playoff run with a .536 OPS and 72 wRC+ in 11 starts. He spent three seasons with the Jaguars, posting 500 hits, 243 runs, 90 doubles, 98 home runs, 279 RBI, a .297/.355/.536 slash, 198 wRC+, and 23.6 WAR.

Susanti’s stock was at an all-time high off his MVP win heading towards his age 33 season. He surprised many by opting out of the Jakarta deal, chasing the allure of Major League Baseball. Houston signed him to a four-year, $38,400,000 deal, which ended his APB career. Susanti also played only one more year for Indonesia in the World Baseball Championship.

In the 1999 WBC, Susanti led all players in runs (21), home runs (12), and total bases (66) with 2.0 WAR and a 1.197 OPS. This earned him Tournament MVP and helped the Indonesians to their first world title win over Nigeria. Indonesia also earned second place finishes in 1997 and 2000 with Susanti. From 1996-2005, he had 95 games and 68 starts with 67 hits, 58 runs, 12 doubles, 25 home runs, 52 RBI, a .252/.369/.579 slash, 168 wRC+, and 3.9 WAR.

Despite his success in APB and on the world stage, Susanti struggled jumping to MLB. He had -0.9 WAR in his debut year for the Hornets. Susanti at least provided marginally positive value in the next two years, but ended with 1.6 WAR and 98 wRC+ in three years for Houston. He also had -0.5 WAR in the playoffs, which included an American Association Championship Series loss in 2006.

Houston bought out the final year of Susanti’s contract for $1,400,000, making him a free agent at age 35. He had limited options and ended up in the Asian Baseball Federation with Hyderabad. In two years for the Horned Frogs, Susanti had 3.5 WAR and 148 wRC+. He was used as an occasional starter in these two years. Susanti wanted to play in 2010, but went unsigned and had to retire that winter at age 38.

For his combined pro career, Susanti had 2121 hits, 1055 runs, 373 doubles, 401 home runs, 1088 RBI, 701 walks, a .277/.341/.494 slash, 172 wRC+, and 81.2 WAR. Just in APB, he had 1631 hits, 794 runs, 285 doubles, 310 home runs, 800 RBI, 473 walks, a .294/.351/.526 slash, 196 wRC+, and 76.1 WAR. Having only ten APB seasons hurt his tallies, but a 196 wRC+ is outstanding offensively. Susanti still ranks 58^th in WAR among position players even with the short tenure.

Among all APB hitters with 3000+ plate appearances, Susanti’s .877 OPS ranks tenth best. His slugging ranks 16^th, his OBP 13^th, and batting average was 21^st. Five MVPs and a title with two different franchises are also impressive accomplishments. However, many voters couldn’t overlook the low accumulations from his relatively short APB career.

Susanti’s Hall of Fame voting was basically unchanged from 2011-2015 with all five years being between 58% and 61%. He finally got a slight bump in 2016 to 66.9%, which just got him past the 66% requirement. That earned Susanti a sixth ballot nod as the second member of APB’s 2016 Hall of Fame class.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

Pitcher Yihe Li was the lone addition to the Chinese League Baseball Hall of Fame in 2016, receiving a first ballot nod at 82.5%. A couple guys came very close to the 66% requirement, led by RF Hongbo Wan with a 63.5% sixth ballot. SP Xin Ruan had 61.7% on his seventh go and RF Minghui Ruan debuted with 61.1%. Also above 50% was LF Seok-Hyeon So’s third ballot 57.6%.



Dropped after ten failed tries was 2B Chenglin Huang, who won eight Silver Sluggers in nine years with Dongguan. He was hurt by leaving for MLB after that, limiting his tallies. With the Donkeys, Huang led the league thrice in OPS and wRC+ and won two MVPs. He had 1368 hits, 582 runs, 203 doubles, 265 home runs, 766 RBI, a .287/.325/.508 slash, 198 wRC+, and 66.4 WAR.

Huang then had four decent years in MLB with Phoenix. If those years added to CLB tallies, he almost certainly would’ve gotten in. Even just with nine seasons, Huang debuted at 48.1% in 2007 and never dropped below 35%. He finished with 48.7% in 2016.



Yihe Li – Starting Pitcher – Wuhan Wolverines – 82.5% First Ballot

Yihe Li was a 5’11’’, 195 pound right-handed pitcher from Hefei, the capital of east China’s Anhui province with more than nine million people. Li had excellent control and movement, allowing him to thrive despite just above average stuff. He had a 97-99 mph fastball as part of a five-pitch arsenal that included a forkball, splitter, changeup, and curveball.

Li had average stamina relative to other CLB pitchers, but was an ironman who tossed 230+ innings each year from 1999-2013. He was also an excellent defensive pitcher that won four Gold Gloves. Additionally, Li was a solid hitter who posted a career 117 wRC+ and 7.0 WAR offensively. He wasn’t a true two-way guy, but he did see 27.2 innings in the field at various spots. Li primarily saw use as an occasional pinch hitter.

Few prospects were hotter ahead of the 1997 CLB Draft than Li. He was picked #2 overall by Wuhan and spent his rookie season in the bullpen. Li earned a full-time starter job for the next eight years for the Wolverines and by 2000 had emerged as a true ace. Li led the Southern League six times in quality starts during this stretch and topped 6+ WAR four times.

Li helped Wuhan become a regular contender with five straight playoff berths from 2001-2005. The Wolverines won their only China Series to date in 2001 and had semifinal losses in 2003 and 2004. In the title run, Li had a 2.05 ERA and 3-1 record in four starts with 28 strikeouts over 30.2 innings. For his playoff career with Wuhan, he had a 1.62 ERA over 66.2 innings, 59 strikeouts, and 154 ERA+.

From 2000-03, Li won four straight Gold Gloves. He also picked up a Silver Slugger in 2003. Li never won Pitcher of the Year, but placed third in voting in 2001, 2003, and 2004; and got second in 2006. Li won ERA titles in 2004 and 2006 and led in wins from 2004-2006. 2006 was Li’s finest year with a career-best 0.98 ERA, 244 ERA+, and 8.8 WAR. His mark is one of six qualifying sub-one ERA seasons as of 2037 in CLB.

That 0.98 ERA season was his last in China, as he had worldwide attention entering free agency at age 31. With Wuhan, Li had a 143-79 record, 1.76 ERA, 2173.2 innings, 1999 strikeouts, 292 walks, 237/268 quality starts, 140 ERA+, and 50.0 WAR. Because his run was only nine years, his accumulations are on the low end. However, Li’s ERA ranks 17^th amongst all pitchers with 1000+ innings and his .498 OPS ranks 20^th.

Based on his later success, Li probably could’ve made a run at being an all-timer if he stayed in China. Sometimes voters hold leaving against the guy, but Li didn’t seem to get that penalty. His brief run with Wuhan was enough to get 82.5% on his Hall of Fame ballot debut, making him the lone CLB inductee in 2016.

Li had the second half of his career still to come, leaving for MLB and a six-year, $44,900,000 deal with San Diego. He led the American Association in wins in 2008 at 24-5 and posted four 5.5+ WAR seasons to start his Seals tenure. 2010 was his best MLB season with 7.0 WAR and a 2.56 ERA over 274.1 innings, taking third in Pitcher of the Year voting.

The investment paid off for San Diego, who had a dynasty run during Li’s tenure. The Seals won the American Association pennant in 2007, 2008, and 2010; missing the playoffs in 2009. SD won the World Series in 2007 over Winnipeg and won in 2010 against Philadelphia. Li stepped up in the playoffs with a 2.45 ERA over 92 innings and 12 starts with 61 strikeouts, a 4-3 record, 155 ERA+, and 3.3 WAR. He also had a 2.35 ERA over three starts and 23 innings in the first Baseball Grand Championship, as the Seals took second to their World Series foe Philadelphia.

In total with San Diego, Li had an 83-35 record, 3.02 ERA, 1096.2 innings, 689 strikeouts, 1661 walks, 126 ERA+, and 26.3 WAR. The run ended abruptly as he was stunningly cut by the Seals after his fourth start of 2011. Dallas quickly scooped him up, finishing the year with 4.6 WAR for the Dalmatians. Now 35-years old, Li went to Louisville on a two-year, $15,500,000 deal.

Li led in wins in 2012 at 21-10 and had two respectable years for a middling Louisville franchise, posting 8.8 WAR, a 3.01 ERA, and 110 ERA+ over 508.1 innings. This marked the end of his MLB career, finishing with a 129-66 record, 3.02 ERA, 1804 innings, 1112 strikeouts, 260 walks, 99 complete games, 121 ERA+, and 39.8 WAR. It was a very solid run for a guy who reached MLB in his 30s.

By his late 30s, Li’s velocity had dropped down towards the 89-91 mph range, but he still had pinpoint control. He ended up in West African Baseball with Cape Verde in 2014 and ate innings, although he had a lackluster 5.04 ERA. Li was actively bad in 2015 with an 8.01 ERA and -1.6 WAR over 132.2 innings, finishing with 0.4 WAR and a 74 ERA+ in two years for the Vulcans. He retired that winter at age 40.

For his entire pro career, Li had a 289-167 record, 2.63 ERA, 4303 innings, 3281 strikeouts, 585 walks, 168 complete games, 123 ERA+, and 90.2 WAR. He didn’t have the raw strikeout dominance of some of the other great aces of the era, but Li was as reliable as they came. His post-CLB success was impressive enough to get him enough votes for the CLB Hall of Fame despite a brief tenure.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

LF Jack Kiadii and DB/1B Mo Reda secured first ballot inductions for the 2016 West African Baseball Hall of Fame class. Kiadii was a very strong 89.0% and Reda got a respectable 77.0%. The top returner just missed the 66% requirement with 3B Yakubu Odiye’s 63.2% on his fourth attempt. Four others crossed 50% with RF Emmanuel Kao (59.1%, 3^rd ballot), RF Ada Nwankwo (59.1%, 7^th), 3B Falaba Bah (57.7%, 4^th), and 3B Aqudu Haddad (51.5%, 2^nd).



Strangely enough, OOTP decided to remove Kao from the ballot after only three tries. He likely would’ve made it eventually with 58.6% and 62.9% in his first two ballots. He only had a seven year WAB run between Dakar and Freetown, but won three straight MVPs from 1998-2000. Kao led in home runs thrice, runs twice, total bases four times, and OPS four times in WAB.

In WAB, he had 996 hits, 570 runs, 238 doubles, 250 home runs, 659 RBI, a .312/.373/.629 slash, 173 wRC+, and 38.7 WAR. As of 2037, he’s one of only 17 WAB batters with an OPS above one (1.002) and 3000+ plate appearances. He went onto win an MVP in MLB with New York and played 12 more seasons between the Yankees and Albuquerque.
In MLB, Kao had 1597 hits, 886 runs, 232 doubles, 453 home runs, 1034 RBI, a .271/.330/.545 slash, 163 wRC+, and 52.6 WAR. The combined pro totals had 2593 hits, 1456 runs, 470 doubles, 703 home runs, 1693 RBI, a .285/.346/.575 slash, 166 wRC+, and 91.3 WAR. Kao did stay on the MLB ballot and peaked at 30.5% in 2018. It is uncertain why he was removed from the WAB ballot when he was, but Kao’s career certainly deserved a spotlight as one of the finest hitters of his era.



Jack Kiadii – Left Field – Niamey Atomics – 89.0% First Ballot

Jack Kiadii was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed outfielder from the capital of Liberia, Monrovia. Kiadii was a solid contact hitter with incredible gap power and steady home run power. His 162 game average saw 48 doubles, 13 triples, and 31 home runs. Kiadii was poor at drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts, but nearly half of his hits went for extra bases. On the basepaths, he graded as slightly above average.

Kiadii played the vast majority of his starts in left field, where he was a reliably great defender that won six Gold Gloves. He made some starts in center early in his career and was perfectly adequate there. Kiadii had excellent durability, playing 140+ games each year from 1996-2007. He was intelligent and adaptable, skills that served him well over a 16-year career.

In the 1993 WAB Draft, Kiadii was picked third overall by Niamey, where he’d spend nearly his entire career. The Atomics only used him in 15 games in 1994, then started him 115 games in 1995. Kiadii was second in Rookie of the Year voting and had the full-time gig the next year.

From 1996 to 2004, Kiadii posted seven seasons worth 6+ WAR. He won his first Silver Slugger in 1996 playing center field, then won in left for his 2001 and 2003 efforts. Kiadii won three Gold Gloves from 1998-2000, then another three from 2002-2004. Niamey had been terrible to start the 1990s, but became a reliable wild card by the end of the decade. The Atomics earned three straight playoff berths from 1998-2000, but couldn’t make it beyond the first round.

Kiadii signed a three-year, $9,080,000 extension after the 2000 season. That year had seen his first time as a league leader with 50 doubles and 396 total bases. 2001 would feature a 34-game hitting streak, which fell one short of the then WAB-record. His production was slightly down though in 2001 and 2002 from the prior years. Niamey made it to the Eastern League Championship Series in 2002, but lost with Kiadii going a lousy 2-26. The Atomics had another first round exit in 2003.

2003 was THE year though for Kiadii, earning his lone MVP and the rare MVP/Slugger/Gold Glove sweep. He led the league in RBI (148), total bases (41), and slugging (.679); each career highs. Kiadii also had career highs in hits (211), runs (116), home runs (41), average (.349), OPS (1.044), wRC+ (178), and WAR (8.2). That effort promoted Niamey to give the 30-year old Kiadii a five-year, $19,600,000 in May 2003.

Kiadii followed it up with a league best 53 doubles and 381 total bases in 2004, but struggled to a 92 wRC+ and 0.9 WAR in 2005. He bounced back in 2006 by leading with 120 RBI. Niamey missed the playoffs both years, but emerged again as a contender by winning back-to-back pennants in 2006 and 2007. They lost the 2006 WAB final to Monrovia, but beat the Diplomats in the 2007 rematch.

In the 2007 postseason, Kiadii was the ELCS MVP and posted 8 hits, 6 runs, 4 homers, and 7 RBI in 10 playoff starts. For his career, he wasn’t great in the playoffs with 39 starts, 39 hits, 22 runs, 8 doubles, 3 triples, 6 home runs, 17 RBI, 11 stolen bases, a .245/.269/.447 slash, 92 wRC+, and 0.5 WAR. He had a less prominent role by this point, but Niamey’s 1993 draft pick proved a successful one overall. Kiadii would see his #1 uniform eventually retired by the Atomics.

2008 was his last year in Niger and saw him reach the 2500 hit, 400 home run, and 1500 RBI milestones. Although his production had dropped, Niamey was still happy to have him. Kiadii signed a three-year, $7,360,000 extension in October 2008. Two months later, he was packing for Gabon. Kiadii wasn’t protected in the 2008 expansion draft and the newly formed Libreville Lakers grabbed him with the fourth overall pick.

Kiadii was only a part-time starter with unremarkable results in 2009 for Libreville, then only played 41 games in all of 2010 with 17 starts. He had 1.6 WAR and a .280/.310/.493 slash in a forgettable tenure there. Kiadii retired that winter at age 37 and returned to his adopted home of Niamey, where he remains a popular media figure for the Atomics.

The final stats had 2677 hits, 1243 runs, 659 doubles, 183 triples, 434 home runs, 1570 RBI, 309 stolen bases, a .304/.324/.568 slash, 144 wRC+, and 72.2 WAR. As of 2037, Kiadii ranks 22^nd in WAR among position players, 30^th in hits, 59^th in runs, 9^th in doubles, 30^th in triples, 52^nd in home runs, and 23^rd in RBI. Kiadii certainly had an impressive run and received the first ballot induction easily at 89.0% to headline WAB’s 2016 Hall of Fame class.



Mo Reda – Designated Hitter/First Base – Kumasi Monkeys – 77.0% First Ballot

Mo Reda was a 6’1’’, 200 pound left-handed slugger from Giza, Egypt. Especially against right-handed pitching, Reda had great contact skills with impressive home run power. He had a career 169 wRC+ and 1.009 OPS against RHP, while posting a more pedestrian 107 wRC+ and .752 OPS against lefties. Still, Reda’s strength got him 42 home runs and 34 doubles per his 162 game average. His eye for walks and avoiding strikeouts were both considered average at best.

Reda was actually a very intelligent and crafty baserunner who knew how to pick his spots despite his lackluster speed. He started about 3/5 of games as a designated hitter and spent the rest as a first baseman, grading as a mediocre defender. Reda’s durability was respectable, but he later fell victim to a sudden decline.

Arab League Baseball had formed when Reda was a teenager, but was still a fairly new thing as he entered high school. A scout from Kumasi noticed him while visiting Egypt and convinced him to join their academy and the more established WAB. Reda signed in June 1994 and spent most of five years in their developmental system. He did officially debut with a lone at-bat in 1998 at age 20, then had 40 games and 8 starts in 1999.

Reda earned a starting gig in 2000 and showed power potential. He then emerged as WAB’s top slugger from 2001-2004, winning Silver Sluggers each year. During this run, he led the Western League in runs scored thrice, home runs thrice, RBI four times, total bases four times, slugging thrice, OPS thrice, wRC+ thrice, and WAR twice. Reda won three straight MVPs from 2001-2003 and finished second in 2004.

In 2001, he broke WAB’s single-season RBI record with 156, then obliterated it with 186 in 2003. That set a new world record at the time, although SAB’s Majed Darwish would best that mark thrice later in the decade. Still, Reda’s mark is still the WAB record as of 2037 and is tied for the fifth-most in a season for any pro league.

2003 also saw 64 home runs to beat the old WAB record by two, although Reda’s mark would fall three years later. His 461 total bases stood as the WAB record until 2015 and still ranks fifth as of 2037. These efforts helped return Kumasi to contention after hovering around .500 from 1999-2001. The Monkeys lost in the Western League Championship Series in both 2002 and 2003. Then in 2004, they won their first WAB Championship and upended the Kano dynasty.

Reda was the MVP of the 2004 WLCS, posting 23 hits, 12 runs, 6 doubles, 2 home runs, and 22 RBI over 12 playoff starts that year. The 22 RBI tied the WAB playoff record and hasn’t been topped yet. For his playoff career, Reda had 31 games and 30 starts with 42 hits, 22 runs, 10 doubles, 5 home runs, 37 RBI, a .333/.383/.532 slash, 135 wRC+, and 1.1 WAR.

Ghana had become an adopted home for Reda with Kumasi, but he did go back to Egypt from 2001-2007 for the World Baseball Championship. He had an impressive 2003 with 11 home runs, 23 hits, 19 runs, and 15 RBI, helping the Egyptians to their second-ever elite eight. In 68 games, Reda had 82 hits, 53 runs, 15 doubles, 29 home runs, 51 RBI, a .323/.378/.732 slash, 215 wRC+, and 5.2 WAR.

After the 2002 season, Kumasi locked him up to an eight-year, $19,240,000 extension. Reda’s production dropped a bit in 2005, but a fractured hand in the early summer played a big part in that. He had hit decently in the prime years against lefties, but became actively bad against them from 2006 onward. Reda still was strong enough against righties to lead with 46 home runs in 2007. Kumasi missed the playoffs narrowly in 2005, then lost in the 2006 WLCS. The Monkeys fell to the bottom of the standings for the next five years.

Plantar fasciitis cost Reda part of 2008, but his overall value was dwindling quickly. In 2010, even his power against righties seemed to be gone, hitting only 18 homers despite a full season. He posted -0.5 WAR for the season as his contract expired. Reda wanted to still play somewhere in 2011, but most teams agreed that he was cooked. Thus, he retired at only age 33. Kumasi did quickly honor him by retiring his #12 uniform for an impressive decade of service.

Reda had 1984 hits, 1047 runs, 362 doubles, 445 home runs, 1377 RBI, 515 walks, 118 stolen bases, a .309/.359/.582 slash, 153 wRC+, and 55.8 WAR. As of 2037, he ranks 46^th in RBI, 44^th in home runs, 71^st in WAR among position players, and 99^th in hits. Among all batters with 3000+ plate appearances, his .941 OPS is 57^th and his slugging percentage is 51^st.

His accumulations are definitely on the lower end due to a short career, but his brief peak was as impressive as any WAB slugger had been. Three MVPs, the RBI record, and a championship ring with Kumasi was enough for most voters to overlook his sudden decline. At 77.0%, Reda earned a first ballot induction with WAB’s 2016 Hall of Fame class.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

For the second time in three years, South Asia Baseball inducted four players into its Hall of Fame. The 2016 crew was an impressive one with all earning first ballot induction and the top three players above 97%. 2B/1B David Rusli and RP Saroth Bora were both nearly unanimous at 99.3% with OF Kamlesh Kanmani close behind at 97.6%. RP Quang Huy Canh joined with a very solid 85.7%. No one else was above 50% with the top returner being RF Han Kywe Khant at 46.6% in his fourth try.



Dropped after ten failed ballots was P Saddam Rahman, who pitched 14 years between Mandalay, Ho Chi Minh City, and Ahmedabad. He had 179 saves and a 104-63 record over 1290.2 innings with a 2.64 ERA, 1530 strikeouts, 260 walks, 134 ERA+, and 29.7 WAR. Rahman was mostly a reliever with a few seasons of starting, which gave him an odd stat line. He didn’t have any individual awards either, but the voters still gave him 52.0% in his 2007 ballot debut. Rahman dropped down to 7.8% by the end, but was generally in the 30-50% range.



David “Fang” Rusli – Second Base/First Base – Jaipur Jokers – 99.3% First Ballot

David Rusli was a 6’0’’, 200 pound switch-hitting infielder from Sungai Kolok, Thailand, a town of 38,000 on the southern border with Malaysia. Nicknamed “Fang,” Rusli was one of the all-time great leadoff men with excellent contact ability and outstanding baserunning chops. He led the Indian League 11 times in stolen bases and was a menace when he got aboard. Rusli also was solid at drawing walks and terrific at avoiding strikeouts in his prime.

Rusli’s gap power was impressive, getting 39 doubles and 10 triples per his 162 game average. He didn’t have big home run power, but still averaged 9 per 162 games. Rusli made about 3/5 of his starts at second base with the rest at first. He graded as a terrible 2B defensively and a below average one at 1B. Strong durability meant he was rarely out of the lineup, starting 147+ games each year from 1996-2007.

With his skillset, Rusli was a very popular player with fans. However, he did clash at times with teammates and coaches due to selfishness and laziness. Despite of perceived lack of leadership and loyalty, he did play his entire career in Jaipur. A visiting scout caught wind of Rusli as a teenage amateur and gave him a developmental deal in September 1988, bringing him from Thailand to India.

Although he played his full career in the Indian League, Rusli did regularly return home for the World Baseball Championship. From 1995-2010, he had 134 games and 126 starts for the Thai national team, posting 139 hits, 65 runs, 24 doubles, 7 triples, 13 homers, 55 RBI, 73 stolen bases, a .291/.381/.453 slash, 138 wRC+, and 4.6 WAR.

Rusli’s IL debut came at age 20 in 1993 with 59 games and 8 starts. He was a regular pinch hitter and runner in 1994 and 1995, then earned a full-time starting job after that. Rusli played second base almost exclusively in his 20s, then started to shift over to first in his 30s. Even with his lackluster defense, Rusli’s batting impact was immediately felt in 1996, leading the league in triples (14), walks (78), steals (99), and OBP (.421). Sharing a position with the legendary Tirtha Upadhyaya early in his career did limit his awards potential despite regularly posting 6+ WAR.

1997 started an 11-year streak of 100+ stolen base seasons. Rusli led in doubles in 1998 and on-base percentage in 1999. Jaipur became a playoff regular with six berths from 1996-2002, but couldn’t compare with the historic Ahmedabad dynasty. In that stretch, the Jokers lost five times to the Animals in the ILCS. Still, they were pleased with Rusli’s results, giving him an eight-year, $20,840,000 extension after the 1998 season. He was one of the few big ticket players of the era to not eventually player for either Ahmedabad or Ho Chi Minh City, who hoovered up talent to maintain their dominance.

In 2001, Rusli exploded for an MVP season and his first Silver Slugger. He became SAB’s second-ever .400 hitter and led the league with career highs in hits (234), runs (135), wRC+ (239), and WAR (13.3). Rusli stole 143 bases, destroying the previous SAB single-season record of 125. To that point, that was the second most steals by any player in any world league and it remains the SAB record as of 2037. Rusli’s 13.3 WAR mark also ranks as SAB’s seventh-best season by a position player. He also had a career high 52 doubles and his .463 OBP broke the then-SAB record, although it would be topped three years later.

Rusli won two more batting titles and led in hits in both 2002 and 2003, earning Silver Sluggers both years and second place finishes in MVP voting. 2002 also saw a lead in doubles and his fourth time lading in OBP. It was one of nine seasons for Rusli worth 8+ WAR. Jaipur’s playoff streak ended in 2003, but they started a new six-year run the next year. The Jokers lost in the ILCS in 2004 and the first round in 2005 despite earning the #1 seed.

2005 saw Rusli lead in runs and OBP again, while 2006 had a lead in triples. With the Ahmedabad dynasty winding down, Jaipur finally had a chance to break through. They upset the Animals in the 2006 ILCS, then defeated Yangon for their first SAB title. Rusli was finals MVP and over 18 playoff starts in 2006 had 25 hits, 9 runs, 3 homers, 10 RBI, and 18 steals. The 18 stolen bases is a world playoff record that hasn’t been topped as of 2037, although a few have matched it.

The 33-year old Rusli signed a four-year, $10,080,000 extension in March 2006. He took third in 2007 MVP voting by batting .400 with a .480 OBP, along with league bests in hits (225), doubles (46), walks (91), and steals (110). Rusli’s 1.081 OPS and 117 RBI were also career bests. The .480 OBP ranks third-best as of 2037, behind only Ratan Canduri’s .487 in 2013 and .486 in 2006. The .400 average was rounded up, officially at .3996 for the seventh-highest in SAB history.

2008 saw injury issues for the first time as a fractured thumb, then a fractured hand, kept him out almost the entire fall, including the playoffs. Rusli was still a strong starter in 2009, but posted 5.0 WAR, his weakest full-season output. He came up big again in the playoffs as Jaipur won the IL pennant. They fell to Ho Chi Minh City in the SAB Championship, but Rusli was finals MVP in the defeat with 29 hits, 10 runs, and 10 steals over 18 playoff starts.

For his playoff career, Rusli had 103 starts with an impressive 136 hits, 60 runs, 23 doubles, 7 triples, 6 home runs, 40 RBI, 40 walks, 69 steals, a .343/.402/.481 slash, 174 wRC+, and 6.6 WAR. As of 2037, Rusli ranks third in steals, eighth in hits, and 16^th in runs in SAB history.

Jaipur surprisingly struggled to 73-89 in 2010, their first losing season since 1998. A torn quad kept Rusli out for a big chunk, but his production dropped notably too. He became a free agent for the first time and looked for work in 2011, but couldn’t find a suitor. Rusli retired that winter at age 39 and Jaipur immediately brought him in to retire his #14 uniform.

Rusli finished with 2913 hits, 1478 runs, 617 doubles, 156 triples, 145 home runs, 1068 RBI, 952 walks, a 7.2% strikeout rate, 1515 stolen bases, a .338/.404/.497 slash, 179 wRC+, and 119.2 WAR. Rusli retired as the SAB steals leader, but he would get passed in the 2030s by Gunavati Candrajita. As of 2037, he ranks 18^th in pro baseball history in stolen bases. Among world Hall of Famers, he also ranks 39^th in batting average and 29^th in on-base percentage.

On the SAB leaderboards as of 2037, Rusli is 14^th in WAR among position players, 11^th in hits, 26^th in runs, ninth in doubles, 26^th in triples, and 18^th in walks drawn. Among all hitters with 3000+ plate appearances, Rusli is ninth in batting average and sixth in OBP. He’s one of seven in SAB with a career OBP above .400. Rusli’s .901 OPS ranks 82^nd.

Tough competition kept Rusli from getting more awards, but few position players in his era of SAB were more reliably valuable. Despite perceived laziness, Rusli always stepped up in the playoffs and helped Jaipur break Ahmedabad’s control of the IL. He stands out even with a loaded four-player 2016 Hall of Fame class, earning co-headliner status with a near unanimous 99.3%.



Saroth “Goat” Bora – Closer – Ho Chi Minh City Hedgehogs – 99.3% First Ballot

Saroth Bora was a 6’3’’, 205 pound relief pitcher from the capital of Cambodia, Phnom Penh. Bora had absolutely filthy stuff with good to sometimes great movement and control. He had a one-two combo of a 97-99 mph fastball and an excellent curveball. Bora had outstanding stamina and durability out of the bullpen and was almost always available to pitch. He was one of the smartest and hardest working guys in the game, thriving in a 17-year career.

Bora was spotted as a teenage amateur by a Vietnamese scout visiting Cambodia and signed in November 1988 by Ho Chi Minh City. He spent four years in the Hedgehogs academy before debuting at age 21 in 1993 with 33.1 innings. Bora earned the full-time closer the next year and led the Southeast Asia League in saves (48) and games (76).

1994 officially counted as his rookie season and Bora achieved a very unique feat of a Rookie of the Year and Reliever of the Year winner in the same campaign. Bora also was third in Pitcher of the Year voting. He led in saves again in 1995 and 1997. Bora took second in ROTY in 1995 and 1996, then won it for the second time in 1997. His 0.68 ERA, 5.5 WAR, and 532 ERA+ in 1997 were all career bests.

Ho Chi Minh City was the dynasty of SEAL with 23 straight playoff berths from 1987-2009 and 14 pennants in that run. Ahmedabad’s Indian League dynasty often got in their way in the SAB Championship in the early part of the run, beating HCMC in 1987, 89, 90, 92, 94, 95, 98, and 99. The Hedgehogs finally got their first SAB title win over the Animals in 1997. Bora was excellent in that playoff run with six saves and a 0.63 ERA over 14.1 innings with 30 strikeouts.

Bora took second in Reliever of the Year in both 1998 and 1999. This wrapped up his first HCMC run with 29.7 WAR and 250 saves over seven years, an impressive haul for a closer. Now 28-years old, he switched sides in the great rivalry and spent the next two years with Ahmedabad. Bora saw limited mid relief use in 2000, which saw a finals loss to HCMC.

The Animals won the IL with a historic 125-37 record in 2001, but were upset by Yangon in the SAB Championship. Bora reclaimed the closer role and tied the SAB record for saves with 52, a mark that still holds as of 2037. That earned him his third Reliever of the Year win. With Ahmedabad, Bora had a 1.75 ERA over 133.2 innings, 252 strikeouts, 181 ERA+, and 5.2 WAR.

Now 30-years old, Bora returned to Ho Chi Minh City, winning back-to-back ROTYs in 2002 and 2003. He also took second in 2002’s POTY voting, posting a league-best 47 saves that year with a 1.09 ERA in 90.2 innings and 5.1 WAR. The Hedgehogs lost in the 2002 LCS, but won the SAB title in 2003 against Bengaluru. This ended his second run with HCMC, as Bora was picked sixth overall by Lucknow in the 2003 expansion draft.

Bora spent the front end of 2004 with the Larks, who traded him at the deadline to Yangon for three prospects. The Green Dragons fell in the first round of the playoffs and didn’t sign Bora long-term. He decided to go back “home” for a third tenure with Ho Chi Minh City from 2005-2007. He wouldn’t be the closer during this stretch, but still was an important mid relief guy. HCMC won the 2005 SAB Championship, giving Bora his third ring.

His playoff exploits were impressive at all of his stops, playing 84 games with 152.1 total. In that run, Bora had 42 saves and 52 shutdowns, a 12-8 record, 2.36 ERA, 279 strikeouts, 31 walks, 155 ERA+, and 5.6 WAR. As of 2037, he’s the world record holder in playoff saves and appearances by a healthy margin. Bora also ranks second in playoff strikeouts and third in WAR among all SAB pitchers, starters included.

In 2001, Bora had an all-time great playoff run by tossing 19.2 scoreless innings in 11 games, posting six saves and 37 strikeouts. He’s one of only three pitchers in SAB playoff history with a zero ERA and 15+ innings. He had eight saves in the 2003 run, which is the SAB record still as of 2037.

In 2008, Bora signed with Kanpur and had his worst ERA to date at 3.62 in a part-time closing role, posting 0.7 WAR in 97 innings. HCMC then brought him back for a fourth tour in 2009, returning to the closer role. Bora wasn’t as dominant with 1.8 WAR and a 2.71 ERA in 73 innings, but he led in saves for the sixth time with 41. Bora also posted six playoff saves as HCMC won their final SAB title of the dynasty, beating Jaipur in the final.

Over 13 seasons between the four runs with Ho Chi Minh City, Bora had 387 saves and 420 shutdowns, a 1.71 ERA, 721 games, 941.1 innings, 1720 strikeouts, 220 walks, a 217 ERA+, and 45.4 WAR. His role in their dominance was certainly noticed by management, who later retired his #8 uniform After his last year with HCMC, Bora had 498 saves, inches away from becoming their first 500+ save closer.

Sadly, he didn’t get it as his velocity dropped steeply in 2010. Bora signed with Bangkok but only got one save with a 3.98 ERA over 40.2 innings, posting -0.5 WAR for the season. Instead of trying to hang around, Bora was content holding SAB’s #1 save spot and retired that winter at age 39.

For his career, Bora had a 95-84 record, 499 saves, 1.90 ERA, 976 games, 1307 innings, 2350 strikeouts, 290 walks, 546 shutdowns, a 191 ERA+, and 55.6 WAR. He remained the saves leader until passed by Amu Singh in the late 2020s. As of 2037, Bora is second in saves and third in games. Among all pitchers, he ranks 41^st in WAR.

Bora’s rate stats are impressive and as of 2037, he leads all SAB pitchers with 1000+ innings in WHIP (0.83), opponent’s average (.170) and opponent’s OBP (.225). His slugging (.294) ranks fifth and both ERA and his OPS (.520) ranks second only to his contemporary Taj Kanikaraja. These two and Singh are the only closers to win five SAB Reliever of the Year awards (Kanikaraja has six). Bora is second only to Singh in strikeouts amongst SAB relievers and leads them all in WAR.

It is often a debate pitting Bora against Kanikaraja in the SAB GOAT closer conversation, as Singh had more accumulations but less dominance. For many, Bora’s playoff heroics put him in the pole position and you could argue he’s the most prolific playoff closer in pro baseball history.

Among the world’s best relievers as of 2037, Bora ranks 14^th in saves, 27^th in shutdowns, 4^th in strikeouts, 26^th in WAR, 38^th in games, and 35^th in ERA+, Rarely do even the best relievers get close to unanimous inductions, but Bora’s 99.3% was well deserved as a co-headliner in SAB’s loaded 2016 Hall of Fame class.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

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Kamlesh Kanmani – Outfielder – Delhi Drillers – 97.6% First Ballot

Kamlesh Kanmani was a 6’2’’, 195 pound right-handed outfielder from Bhopal, India; the capital of the Madhya Pradesh state with about 1,900,000 in its metro area. Kanmani was a very good contact hitter with an impressive pop in his bat. His gap power was especially great, getting 47 doubles and 4 triples per his 162 game average. Kanmani could go yard, topping 40+ home runs thrice in his career. He had a solid strikeout rate, but was below average at drawing walks. Kanmani didn’t get many extra bags with his legs as a firmly mediocre baserunner.

Kanmani was a career outfielder and primarily played right, where he graded as reliably average to above average. He played center in his first two seasons and was terrible with his lackluster range. Kanmani played a lackluster left at the end of his career once his arm weakened and his overall athleticism declined. He had fairly sturdy durability and was adaptable. Kanmani was a smart guy, but could get lazy when he thought he could get away with it.

In September 1991, Kanmani was signed to a developmental deal as a teenager by Delhi. After four years in their academy, he debuted in 1996 for the Drillers at age 21, struggling as a full-time starter. He fared better the next two years and even led the Indian League in doubles with 55 in 1997. Kanmani’s home run power started to emerge later in his 20s, upping his value. He won his first Silver Slugger in 1999, leading that year in RBI at 108.

Kanmani won Sluggers the next three years for Delhi and took third in 2000’s MVP voting and second in 2001. In 2000, he led in hits (194), total bases (336), average (.330), and slugging (.571). Then in 2001, Kanmani set the SAB single-season record with 58 doubles. That would be passed six times in later years. Each of his Slugger seasons with the Drillers were worth 6.5+ WAR or more. Kanmani was above a 200 wRC+ in 2000 and 2001.

Despite his work, Delhi was generally stuck in the mid-tier. Their only playoff berth during his run was a wild card round loss in 1998. The Drillers couldn’t match the powerhouse teams in spending and the budding superstar Kanmani left for free agency after his age 27 season. In seven years for Delhi, he had 1173 hits, 517 runs, 327 doubles, 141 home runs, 581 RBI, a .302/.342/.511 slash, 171 wRC+, and 38.3 WAR. He played the most games with them and they gave him his first break, thus Kanmani opted for induction in the Drillers brown and gold.

However, his most impactful seasons came with the Ho Chi Minh City dynasty, who signed him to an eight-year, $23,600,000 deal. Each of his first four seasons were worth 8+ WAR, winning Silver Sluggers in 2003, 2004, and 2005. Kanmani’s lone MVP came in 2005, which saw league bests in hits (214), doubles (48), total bases (406), and WAR (9.9), along with 46 homers and 144 RBI. He was third in 2003 MVP voting and second in 2004. 2004 saw his career best WAR (11.2), OPS (1.115), and home run tally (51).

Kanmani was a key piece as Ho Chi Minh City had their strongest stretch of the dynasty, three-peating as SAB champ from 2003-2005. He had solid showings during these runs, including earning 2004 finals MVP. The Hedgehogs would lose in the Southeast Asia League Championship in 2006, then fell in the first round in 2007. With HCMC in the playoffs, Kanmani had 52 starts, 63 hits, 23 runs, 13 doubles, 9 home runs, 28 RBI, a .315/.355/.545/ slash, 150 wRC+, and 2.4 WAR.

In 2007, Kanmani was on a solid pace but lost two months to a strained hamstring. He still had three years left on his deal, but with salaries generally increasing decided to opt out of the rest of the deal. With the Hedgehogs, Kanmani had 951 hits, 483 runs, 200 doubles, 211 home runs, 616 RBI, a .337/.379/.643 slash, 184 wRC+, and 42.1 WAR. Heading to his age 33 season, Kanmani signed with Yangon four years at $16,320,000. The Green Dragons had been one of the top contenders to HCMC for the SEAL throne.

Kanmani had a nice debut season in 2008 with 7.4 WAR and a league-best 52 doubles. Yangon won 114 games, but lost to a 120-win Hanoi in the LCS. However, Kanmani suddenly declined steeply in 2009, posting a mere 0.4 WAR and 99 wRC+ over a full season. He was reduced to a bench role in 2010, only playing 81 games with 41 starts. Yangon bought out the final year of his contract and Kanmani retired at age 35.

The final stats saw 2508 hits, 1185 runs, 618 doubles, 411 home runs, 1384 RBI, 511 walks, a .315/.356/.562 slash, 169 wRC+, and 88.4 WAR. As of 2037, Kanmani ranks 34^th in WAR for position players, 43^rd in hits, 8^th in doubles, 69^th in runs, 73^rd in homers, and 50^th in RBI. Among all players with 3000+ plate appearances, his .918 OPS ranks 59^th.

Despite the steep decline, Kanmani was one of SAB’s strongest hitters for a good decade and a big reason that Ho Chi Minh City earned their historic three-peat from 2003-2005. He’d be a clear headliner in most classes, although he managed to rank third in the loaded four-player 2016 Hall of Fame class. Kanmani was a no-doubter at 97.6%.



Quang Huy “Tank” Canh – Closer – Dhaka Dobermans – 85.7% First Ballot

Quang Huy Canh was a 6’3’’, 200 pound right-handed relief pitcher from Ho Chi Minh City, the largest city in Vietnam. Nicknamed “Tank” for his impressive physique, Canh was a fireballer with dangerous stuff, although his control and movement were both average at best. He had an impressive 98-100 mph fastball and a strong slider. Canh had good stamina and durability for a reliever, tossing 65+ innings in all but one of his 14 seasons. He was quite adaptable and known as a hard worker.

Canh got attention at a camp in HCMC as a teenager, which led to him signing a developmental deal in August 1991 with Dhaka. He spent five years training in their academy in Bangladesh, then debuted as a full-timer in 1997 at age 23. Canh was the closer immediately, although he was merely decent in his first few seasons. He emerged as a going concern in 2000 when he led the Southeast Asia League with 42 saves, taking second in Reliever of the Year voting.

2001 saw a 1.06 ERA and a career-best 4.8 WAR, earning Reliever of the Year honors. 2002 had his highest totals for innings (108.2), strikeouts (185), and games (75), finishing second in voting. After a six-year playoff drought, Dhaka surprised many by winning SEAL in 2002, although they lost to the Ahmedabad dynasty in the SAB Championship. Canh had six saves in the playoffs with a 2.57 ERA and 26 strikeouts over 14 innings.

That marked the end of the Dhaka run after six seasons, as Canh entered free agency at age 29. It was his longest tenure, posting 192 saves and 221 shutdowns over 500.1 innings, a 2.34 ERA, 811 strikeouts, 156 ERA+, and 15.7 WAR. Canh joined SEAL’s evil empire in 2003, but it made sense since Ho Chi Minh City was his hometown.

Canh had a set-up role in 2003 as his Hall of Fame classmate Saroth Bora was the Hedgehogs closer. He posted 1.7 WAR over 57 innings, winning the SAB Championship with the Hedgehogs. HCMC was happy with him and gave him a three-year, $4,020,000 extension. However, Canh was drafted eighth overall by Nagpur in the expansion draft.

That ended his brief time playing in his native Vietnam. Canh did still represent his country regularly in the World Baseball Championship with 76.2 innings from 1999-2010. He posted 20 saves, a 2.35 ERA, 6-2 record, 131 strikeouts, 153 ERA+, and 1.6 WAR. After the expansion draft to Nagupur, Canh played his remaining years in the Indian League.

In two decent seasons for the Patriots, Canh had 64 saves, 162.1 innings, a 2.83 ERA, 276 strikeouts, 116 ERA+, and 6.2 WAR. Nagpur traded him after the 2005 season to Jaipur for three prospects. The Jokers wanted him long-term and gave him a three-year, $4,140,000 extension in spring training. Canh’s debut season saw a career and league-best 49 saves and 75 games in 2006.

In the playoffs, Canh had a 2.60 ERA over 17.1 innings with 26 strikeouts, helping Jaipur win the SAB Championship in 2006 over Yangon. He struggled in his later playoff appearances for the Jokers and finished his playoff career with a 3.73 ERA, 96 ERA+, and -0.5 WAR. Canh would win his second Reliever of the Year in 2007 with a career best 0.85 ERA over 95.2 innings.

His production in 2008 was merely decent, then he had some struggled in 2009. In total for Jaipur, Canh had 150 saves, a 2.30 ERA, 360.2 innings, 519 strikeouts, 153 ERA+, and 9.8 WAR. While there, he became the third in SAB to reach 400 career saves, which his contemporaries Bora and Taj Kanikaraja had done the prior two years.

Canh signed with Visakhapatnam in 2010 and filled more of a setup role, posting a 2.76 ERA over 65.1 innings and 0.8 WAR. He would miss much of the fall to shoulder inflammation. Canh retired that winter just after turning 37 years old.

The final stats for Canh: 425 saves and 490 shutdowns, 2.39 ERA, 69-80 record, 1145.2 innings, 1783 strikeouts, 309 walks, 148 ERA+, and 34.2 WAR. Among all SAB pitchers with 1000+ career innings, his ERA ranks 10^th as of 2037 and his .587 opponent’s OPS ranks 24^th. Canh sits seventh in saves in SAB and 46^th in all of pro baseball history.

Canh’s resume is far less dominant compared to Bora or Kanikaraja, who are the top two in ERA and OPS in SAB as of 2037. In a vacuum, he had a very solid run that the voters reacted favorably to. Canh received 85.7% for a first ballot nod as the fourth and final member of the loaded 2016 SAB Hall of Fame class.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

For the third time in four years and the fifth time in seven years, the Asian Baseball Federation didn’t add any players into the Hall of Fame. They had put four in with the 2015 and 2012 classes in between. 1B Altaf Aslam was the only one close to the 66% requirement, debuting at 62.5%. Two others were above 40% with LF Ramazan Olcay debuting at 47.3% and SP Masruq Abbas with 46.4% for his fourth ballot. No players were dropped after ten failed ballots.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

The 2016 Hall of Fame ballot for Arab League Baseball lacked impactful debuts with the top newcomer at only 17.7%. That helped open up the field for 2B Ahmad Abbas in his sixth ballot. His 66.2% barely crossed the 66% requirement, but it was enough to be the lone 2016 inductee. Also close was CL Adlen Sharif at 60.8% on his second try.



Four other returners were above 50%. SP Ahmad Abu Kabeer had 57.7% in his second ballot and LF Hassan El Mubarak saw 56.5% for his fifth. SP Ali Al-Shakal’s fourth ballot got 52.7% and LF Ibrahim Ahmed Raafat received 51.9% for his ninth opportunity. No players were dropped after ten failed ballots.



Ahmad “Torch” Abbas – Second Base – Tripoli Privateers – 66.2% Sixth Ballot

Ahmad Abbas was a 6’2’’, 200 pound switch-hitting second baseman from Fes, Morocco; the country’s second-largest city with over one million people. Abbas earned the nickname “Torch” for his impressive speed and baserunning ability. He was the traditional leadoff hitter who pared the speed with solid contact skills and gap power. Despite the solid contact ability, Abbas rarely drew walks and was merely average at avoiding strikeouts.

Abbas knew how to find the gap and leg it out, leading the conference six times in triples. His 162 game average saw 36 doubles and 19 triples, but he wasn’t going to smack dingers with only 28 career home runs. Abbas primarily played second base and was an excellent defender, winning two Gold Gloves. He stayed fairly healthy in his 20s, but dealt with injury woes in his 30s. Abbas was hard working, intelligent, and loyal, garnering the respect of his peers.

The 1991 ALB Draft was the second rookie draft for the still new league. Tripoli picked Abbas 21^nd overall and made him a full-time starter immediately, leading the Western Conference in at-bats as a rookie. Abbas earned his two Gold Gloves in 1994 and 1995 and his lone Silver Slugger in 1996. From 1995-1997, he led the conference in hits and triples. Abbas had 28 triples in 1997, setting the ALB single-season record which has been matched twice since, but not beaten.

1997 also saw his lone batting title (.362), as well as both league and career highs in runs (115) and hits (215). Abbas also had career bests in WAR (9.2), OPS (.942), and total bases (322), earning a third place in MVP voting. Tripoli made it to the conference final that year to break a five-year playoff drought, but lost to Khartoum. The Privateers would miss the playoffs for the next four years.

After the 1997 season, Tripoli locked Abbas up for eight years and $10,020,000. He played his entire pro career in Libya, but did return home to Morocco for the World Baseball Championship. He had 91 games and 84 starts from 1994-2004 with 77 hits, 36 runs, 13 doubles, 4 triples, 40 stolen bases, a .238/.285/.313 slash, and 0.5 WAR.

1999 had his career best in stolen bases with 107 and was his third time leading in steals. His bat regressed closed to league average in the next few years, but Abbas’ defense still made him a positive value player. 2002 would be a rough year due to a concussion in spring training that kept him out almost the entire season. Abbas made it back in the final month and Tripoli made the conference final, losing to Alexandria.

Abbas bounced back for a solid 2003, but struggled and was benched in 2004 with only 49 starts of 98 games. He saw only three pinch-hit at-bats in the playoffs as Tripoli fell in the first round. Abbas fared little better in 2005 and saw the season end with a broken bone in his elbow. His contract expired and he had no suitors for 2006, retiring that winter at age 37. Abbas was popular in Tripoli and his service was rewarded with his #34 uniform’s retirement.

In total, Abbas had 2122 hits, 1039 runs, 404 doubles, 218 triples, 28 home runs, 559 RBI, 993 stolen bases, a .296/.328/.425 slash, 108 wRC+, and 59.4 WAR. He was the all-time triples leader at retirement, although two players would pass him. As of 2037, he ranks 80^th in hits, 100^th in runs, 16^th in stolen bases, and 62^nd in WAR among position players. Abbas is sixth in WAR accrued at second base.

It wasn’t easy for leadoff guys to get noticed with the low power numbers. Plus with his few walks, sabremetric markers viewed Abbas as a slightly above average bat. He did have strong defense and some black ink, but his awards were limited. Tripoli was generally a middling team in his run and Abbas was unimpressive in his limited playoff appearances.

The resume was definitely borderline and he debuted at a measly 38.2%. Abbas climbed his way into the 50s by 2013 and got to 59.4% in 2015. With no notables up for the 2016 class, Abbas just barely got across the line for the sixth ballot add into the Arab League Hall of Fame. Especially as ALB aged, Abbas in retrospect ranks as one of the weakest inductees, but he’s in regardless.