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

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Christchurch bounced back from a 79-83 mark the prior year to finish atop the Australasia League at 96-66. This gave the Chinooks their fourth league title, joining the 1963, 1983, and 1985 titles. Combined with Auckland’s success, the last six AL titles have gone to a New Zealand team. Sydney was second at 92-70, followed by the Avengers and Brisbane both at 83-79.

Melbourne LF Riley Singleton won the Australasia League MVP. The 25-year old Australian led in home runs (41), RBI (111), total bases (371), slugging (.642), OPS (.991), wRC+ (197), and 9.7 WAR. He also was second in batting average at .324. Adelaide ace Tarzan Rao won his fifth Pitcher of the Year of the 1980s. The 32-year old righty from Vanuatu led in WAR (11.9) for the eighth straight season and strikeouts (445) for the sixth straight. Rao also led in ERA (2.20), innings (336), WHIP (0.82), K/BB (14.4), and FIP- (58). His 22-16 record left him one win shy of a third straight Triple Crown. Also of note, Sydney’s Lorenzo Amaru won his third Reliever of the Year. The 27-year old Tahitian would leave for MLB in 1986 and spend the next decade stateside.



Port Moresby won the Pacific League for only the second time, joining the 1978 season. The Mud Hens were dominant at 107-55, setting a franchise record. This broke up the Honolulu dynasty, who had won four straight PL titles and three straight OBA rings. The Honu were still second place at 90-72, but 17 games away from the top spot.

Leading Port Moresby’s efforts was Pacific League MVP Jay Guadalupe. A 26-year old from Guam, he had a league-best 98 runs, 91 stolen bases, and .361 OBP, adding a .298 average, 25 home runs, and 8.0 WAR. He played one more season with the Mud Hens, then left for MLB’s Detroit. Pitcher of the Year went to 28-year old Australian Theo Stocker, who joined Guam in a 1983 midseason trade with Melbourne. Stocker led in strikeouts (337) and WAR (9.0), adding a 2.49 ERA over 322 innings and 21-11 record. Unfortunately, injuries would put him out of the game only three years later.

In the 26^th Oceania Championship, Christchurch was looking for their second ring and Port Moresby was gunning for its first. The Mud Hens ended up the victor 4-2, bringing the trophy to Papua New Guinea. Veteran LF Rui Guo was the finals MVP, a 37-year old from China who had played in both EAB and CABA before coming to Port Moresby. The 1976 Japan league MVP, Guo had 7 hits, 5 runs, 4 home runs, and 4 RBI in the series.





Other notes: The 6^th OBA perfect game was thrown by Samoa’s Leo Nathaporn on May 25. He struck out 16 against Fiji, setting the record for most strikeouts in an OBA perfecto and tying the mark for any no-hitter. At 47-115, Fiji set the mark for the worst record in OBA history. It remains the low mark for a Pacific League team, although a later expansion Australasia League team would fare worse. Pitcher of the Year Tarzan Rao became the second pitcher to 250 wins and the fourth to 4000 strikeouts. Nigel Chalmers became the third to 4500 Ks. Scott Kyle became the first to 300 saves, a mark no OBA pitcher would reach again until 2020. Pitcher Durant Lindly won his eighth Gold Glove.

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Defending Soviet Series champ Bucharest improved on their record from the prior year and won a fourth EPB European League South Division title in five years. The Broncos were 110-52, one win short of a franchise record. After seeing their six-year playoff streak snapped narrowly last year, Kyiv returned the playoffs by easily taking the first wild card at 104-58. Kharkiv, the EL runner-up last year, fell to 84-78. Minsk’s North Division streak moved to five straight years with their 102-60 finish. Warsaw was close behind at 100-62, good enough for the second wild card. The Wildcats ended a four-year playoff drought. Last year’s wild card St. Petersburg dropped to 80-82.

For the seventh time, the European League MVP went to a pitcher, although it was the first time happening for a pitcher-only since 1966. Bucharest ace Haxhi Maho won MVP and his second Pitcher of the Year. The 27-year old Albanian lefty led the EL in wins (24-8), ERA (1.68), quality starts (31), shutouts (8), FIP- (57), and WAR (10.7). He added 315 strikeouts over 294 innings.

Despite his efforts and their season success, Bucharest was stunningly swept in the first round of the playoffs by Warsaw. This sent the Wildcats to the European League Championship Series for the fifth time and first time since 1980. Minsk renewed its postseason rivalry with Kyiv and got the sweep, giving the Miners their third ELCS berth in five years. Minsk also has an impressive 17 ELCS berths in EPB’s first 31 seasons. The Miners added their eighth EL pennant to the accolades by outlasting Warsaw in a seven game classic. Game seven was the ultimate pitcher’s duel, staying scoreless until Minsk won it 1-0 in the 14^th inning. Their eighth EL title matches Kyiv for the most.



Omsk surprised many in the Asian League by finishing with the best record at 101-61 atop the North Division, ending a 13-year playoff drought for the Otters. They had tough competition with Yekaterinburg at 99-63, snapping their own 12-year playoff drought by getting the first wild card. Novosibirsk at 91-71 was the second wild card. In the South Division, Almaty took first at 96-66 to end a six-year playoff skid, beating Dushanbe by nine games. With that, all four playoff teams were different than the prior year in the AL. Two-time defending league champ Bishkek dropped to ,500 with similar middling efforts from Ufa, Krasnoyarsk, and Ulaanbaatar.

Asian League MVP went to Yekaterinburg first baseman Aleksei Sakalauskas. The 26-year old Russian led in runs (103), home runs (54), RBI (116), total bases (362), OBP (.374), slugging (.623), OPS (.997), wRC+ (223), and WAR (10.8). Pitcher of the Year was Novosibirsk’s Igor Bury with the 25-year old righty leading in strikeouts (418), quality starts (30), FIP- (45), and WAR (11.8), while taking second in ERA at 1.78 over 278.1 innings. This was the first major accolade for someone who would be considered by many to be the EPB GOAT by career’s end. Not only would he continue to pitch at this high level, but he also plays the outfield. In 1985, Bury had 3.2 WAR with 19 home runs over 89 games and a 144 wRC+.

In the first round of the playoffs, Omsk defeated Novosibirsk 3-1 and Almaty outlasted Yekaterinburg 3-2. For the Otters, this was their third ever Asian League Championship Series berth (first since 1970). It was the 11^th for the Assassins, but it had been a decade since their last appearance. Omsk would win the ALCS 4-2 over Almaty, giving the Otters their second-ever AL pennant (1966).



Omsk wouldn’t get their first EPB ring though with perennial power Minsk sweeping them in the 31^st Soviet Series. It was the fifth title for the Miners, but surprisingly their first since 1969 despite having 13 playoff berths in the 15 years since then. Minsk is now tied with Kyiv for the most overall EPB titles. CF Ihar Kabelsky was the postseason leader, winning ELCS MVP for the Miners with 20 hits, 9 runs, 6 extra base hits, and 8 stolen bases over 14 games.



Other notes: EPB’s 24^th and 25^th perfect games came in 1985. On May 5, Novosibirsk’s Pavol Blovsky struck out nine against Bishkek. Then on August 6, Omsk’s Fredek Nikuradze fanned 12 against Baku. Konrad Mazur became the fifth hitter to 1500 RBI. DH Ivan Valev won his 11^th and final Silver Slugger. “Socks” had three more years left in MLB, but this ended his EPB career. He left with 2856 hits, just behind Kirill Ohlobystin’s 2998 for the top EPB mark.

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Leading the European Baseball Federation’s Northern Conference in 1985 was Copenhagen at 106-56, giving the Corsairs their third North Central Division title in five years. Rotterdam snapped a four-year playoff drought to take the Northwest Division at 101-61, while Birmingham at 98-64 won a third straight British Isles Division. Two-time defending EBF champ Amsterdam managed to just barely extend its postseason streak to four years. The Anacondas finished at 92-70 and took the wild card, besting Hamburg by one game and Paris by three. Last year’s NC runner-up Berlin was 83-79.

Birmingham slugger Sean Houston won back-to-back Northern Conference MVPs, although he didn’t match the record setting 72 home run, 167 RBI mark from the prior year. He still led the NC with 237, which would’ve been a single-season record if not topped by two players in the Southern Conference as well. The 26-year old Scot also led with 146 RBI, 460 total bases, a .382 average, .741 slugging, 1.154 OPS, and 219 wRC+. Houston also had 52 home runs and 10.4 WAR. Houston’s single-season runs record of 144 from the prior year almost got matched by Copenhagen’s Lasse Kallevik, who scored 141 times. London’s Oliver Churchley won the Pitcher of the Year and was only eight strikeouts short of a Triple Crown. The 27-year old English righty had a 19-9 record, 2.39 ERA, and 294 strikeouts. He was also the leader in WAR (9.2), FIP- (64), and innings pitched (278.1).

In the first round of the playoffs, Copenhagen outlasted Amsterdam in five to pause the Anacondas dynasty. Birmingham beat Rotterdam 3-1 to earn their first Northern Conference Championship berth since 1978. The Corsairs had made it two years prior, but their only pennant had been the inaugural 1950 EBF season. It went all seven games, but Copenhagen pulled off the conference title over the Bees.



Zurich continued to make history in the Southern Conference with the three-time defending conference champs finishing at 117-45. This set a franchise record with the Mountaineers also setting conference records in hits (1717) and batting average .301. Both of those still stand as of 2037. Additionally, Zurich extended its playoff and South Central Division title streak to 13 seasons. Munich won a third straight Southeast Division handily at 105-57. The Southwest Division was very competitive with Marseille on top at 103-59, returning to the playoffs after their four-year streak was snapped the prior season. Seville and Madrid jockeyed for the wild card with the Stingrays (93-69) taking it by one over the Conquistadors and five over Naples. This ended a seven year playoff drought for Seville. Lisbon, the conference runner up the prior season, plummeted to a not nice 69 wins.

The increased offensive environment set in motion the prior year was very evident in the Southern Conference MVP race. Marseille RF Jacob Ronnberg ended up taking his third trophy, setting the EBF single season record for hits with 242. He became the second to bat over .400 with a .402 average, just behind Franco Gilbert’s .408 the prior year. Gilbert, for what its worth, batted .389 with 238 hits in 1985. Ronnberg also led in runs (136), triples (34), total bases (483), slugging (.804), OPS (1.243), wRC+ (228), and WAR (12.9). He also won his eighth Gold Glove.

Despite all that, you could’ve easily given the MVP to Athens LF Josip Stojanovic. The fourth-year slugger for Serbia crushed 71 home runs, only one behind Sean Houston’s record from the prior year. His 161 RBI was just six lower than Houston’s 1984 mark. Stojanovic had 9.8 WAR and a .320 average. Munich’s Casper Ebsen won Pitcher of the Year in his third season. Nicknamed “Barbarian,” the 23-year old Dane led in wins (26-8), inning (292.1), WHIP (0.93), and quality starts (28). He added a 2.74 ERA and 317 strikeouts with 6.0 WAR.

Both first round playoff series were sweeps with Zurich over Seville and Marseille over Munich. It would mark the third time in the decade that the Mountaineers and Musketeers had met in the Southern Conference Championship. Marseille prevented Zurich from a conference title four-peat, shutting down the record setting offense and winning the series in five. Despite being their 11^th SCC appearance, it was only the third pennant for the Musketeers (1966, 1981).



The 36^th European Championship was the second title for Marseille, who had won it all in 1981. The Musketeers won 4-2 over Copenhagen, bringing the cup back to southern France. 1B Julien Lefebvre was the finals MVP with the 27-year old Frenchman getting 29 hits, 20 runs, 4 doubles, 5 triples, 4 home runs, and 11 RBI in 14 playoff starts. The 20 runs scored was a EBF postseason record that has been matched twice, but not topped as of 2037.



Other notes: Although the focus was on offensive milestones, Zurich’s Jean-Luc Roch notably became the first to 5500 career strikeouts. He’d retire after the 1986 season with 5757 as the all-time leader and remains second best as of 2037. Chrstophoros Zarkadis became the fourth to 600 career home runs. Zarkadis aslo won his ninth and final Silver Slugger at shortstop. Jacob Ronnberg won his eighth at RF.

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For the first time in a decade, Cali earned a playoff spot. The Cyclones had the best record in 1985 in the Bolivar League at 102-60, winning the South Division. Quito was a distant second at 88-74 and last year’s division winner Lima dropped to 80-82. In the North Division, Caracas ended a 12-year postseason drought. The Colts were only 85-77, but this allowed them to squeak by Barquisimeto by one game. Defending Copa Sudamerica champ Ciudad Guayana finished 80-82, in a three-way tie for third with Medellin and Valencia.

Bolivar League MVP went to Cali DH Arnau Aceves. In his second full season, the 25-year old Colombian led in runs (114), home runs (59), RBI (131), total bases (410), slugging (.679), and WAR (8.3). Ciudad Guayana’s Ruben Garcia was the Pitcher of the Year. The 28-year old Venezuelan righty led in WAR (10.7), strikeouts (356), K/BB (11.1), quality starts (26), and FIP- (55). Garcia added a 2.89 ERA over 277 innings and 18-11 record.



The Southern Cone League also saw a large postseason drought snapped for Belo Horizonte, who had come close in recent years. The Hogs got their first Brazil Division title since 1968 with a 102-60 finish, besting defending league champ Recife by nine games. In the South Division, Cordoba edged out last year’s winner Concepcion by two games. At 96-66, the Chanticleers earned their second division title in three years.

Belo Horizonte’s great season saw them take both MVP and Pitcher of the Year. The former went to RF Yago Prata with the 26-year old Brazilian leading in runs (121), home runs (61), RBI (129), total bases (444), slugging (.724), OPS (1.111), wRC+ (216), and 9.9 WAR. His .356 average left him 13 points shy of a Triple Crown season. Benjamim Alegre won his fifth Pitcher of the Year in six seasons despite missing nearly two months to injury. In only 218.2 innings, he still led the league in WAR (8.6) and posted 317 strikeouts, a 2.30 ERA, and 14-9 record.

The Bolivar League Championship Series was a seven game classic that saw Cali prevail against Caracas. This was the fifth pennant for the Cyclones, but the first since they won four from 1948-52. It is also the first pennant for a Colombian team since Bogota in 1973. Cordoba cruised to the Southern Cone Championship 4-1 over Belo Horizonte. This gave the Chanticleers their sixth pennant with the last one in 1974.



Cali hoped that the 55^th Copa Sudamerica would bring them their first overall title, as they had 0-4 in their prior appearances. Cordoba dashed those hopes as the Chanticleers took the series 4-1, improving their record to 4-1 in the finale. Cordoba’s other cup wins came in 1951, 53, 56, and 74. SS Nando Crispin was the finals MVP, making his return to the lineup after missing the LCS to injury. In the five Copa Sudamerica games, he had 7 hits, 4 runs, 3 home runs, and 4 RBI.



Other notes: Valor Melo became the first Beisbol Sudamerica hitter to cross 800 career home runs. He’d play two more seasons and retire with 870, holding the HR king title until the mid 2000s. Melo would also retire the RBI leader with 1862, passing Diego Pena’s 1754, and held that as well until the 2000s. Melo also won his 10^th and final Silver Slugger at first base.

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Osaka ended a 26-year playoff drought in style as the Orange Sox had the best record in the Japan League at 104-58. This won them the Central Division by ten games over Nagoya, while defending league champ Kobe fell off to 79-83. After seeing their five-year North Division streak snapped in 1984, Sapporo reclaimed the throne at 102-60. Last year’s winner Sendai plummeted from 105 wins to 76. Kawasaki claimed a fifth straight Capital Division at 95-67, six games ahead of Tokyo. In a weak West Division, 82-80 Hiroshima took first, beating Kumamoto by one and Fukuoka by three. This ended a 12-year playoff drought for the Hammerheads. Kitakyushu, who had dominated the division since the realignment, completely collapsed with the worst record in the Japan League at 59-103.

JL MVP went to Kawasaki third baseman Seizo Shinad. The 30-year old righty led in home runs (56), slugging (.685), and WAR (10.6), adding 126 RBI, a .329 average, and 219 wRC+. Hiroshima’s Aiya Kodama won his fourth straight Pitcher of the Year. Still only 26 years old, Kodama led in WAR (9.1) and strikeouts (364) both for the fourth straight season. He also led in complete games (20), FIP- 962), and innings (279.2), while adding a 2.35 ERA and 17-11 record.

Osaka survived their divisional series 3-2 over Hiroshima, while Kawasaki defeated Sapporo 3-1. It was the fourth straight season the Killer Whales were in the Japan League Championship Series, while the Orange Sox hadn’t done it since their 1958 pennant. Kawasaki lost in the JLCS for the third straight season with Osaka winning 4-2. It is the sixth JL title for the Orange Sox, who also won in 1923, 25, 43, 46, and 58.


The Korea League’s strength was tilted towards the South Division with the top four records coming out of there. Defending East Asian Champion Yongin finished first at 101-61, getting their fourth playoff berth in six years. Second was Ulsan at 96-66, who snapped a 22-year playoff drought to take the first wild card. The second wild card saw a tie between Jeonju and Daejeon at 93-69. The tiebreaker favored the Jets, snapping the Ducks’ four-year playoff streak. Jeonju also became the first of the 1978 expansion teams to earn a playoff berth. In the North Division, Seongnam was fist at 89-73 for a fourth straight playoff berth. The Spiders were one game ahead of Suwon and three better than Hamhung.

Korea League MVP went to Seongnam’s Jin-Uk Song. The 28-year old left fielder was the WARlord (9.2) and leader in wRC+ at 173. He had 32 home runs, 120 runs, and a .999 OPS. Yongin’s Ju-Eon Eun won Pitcher of the Year for the second time. The 26-year old righty was the wins leader at 26-6 and led in WAR (9.3), and FIP- (62). Eun added 269 strikeouts and a 2.70 ERA over 270.1 innings.

Yongin topped Jeonju 3-1 in their first round series while Ulsan went on the road and beat Seongnam 3-2. The Swallows celebrated their first Korea League Championship Series appearance since 1962, but they were no match for the defending champs. The Gold Sox swept Ulsan and claimed their third KL pennant, having also won in 1970.



Yongin’s efforts to repeat as East Asian Champion would be denied as Osaka won the 65th EAB finale 4-2. For the Orange Sox, it was their fourth title (1923, 1925, 1943). LF Kazuharu Yonesaki won finals MVP as the 23-year old had 25 hits, 10 runs, 5 doubles, 1 home run, 14 RBI, and 12 stolen bases in 17 playoff starts.


Other notes: Hisao Arai of Daejeon hit 56 doubles, one short of the EAB single-season record. Sosuke Hoshizawa became the 20th EAB batter to 600 career home runs. LF Ki-Chun Park won his 15th and final Gold Glove. No other EAB player has won that many at any position. Catcher I-An Lee won his eighth Silver Slugger. Before the 1986 season, East Asia Baseball increased the minimum service time for free agency requirement from six to seven years.

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1983 CABA champion Hermosillo had the best record in the Mexican League in 1985, bouncing back from their 75-win mark in 1984. The Hyenas were 100-62, earning their fourth playoff appearance in six years. Despite that and having two ML titles, this is their first time atop the North Division standings in that stretch. Monterrey was second at 95-67 to take the wild card by a firm margin, ending a five-year playoff drought. Defending champ Juarez plummeted to 71-91 and last year’s wild card Mexicali was a league-worst 61-101. In a competitive South Division, Mexico City took first at 89-73 to end a three-year playoff drought. Defending division champ Puebla and Leon were both two back at 87-75.

Monterrey 1B Tomas Maldonado emerged on the scene to take Mexican League MVP. The 27-year old was the 6^th overall pick by Tijuana, but barely played there before being traded to the Matadors in 1984. In his second year as a starter, Maldonado smacked 65 home runs, tied for the second most ever in a CABA season. He also led in RBI (123), runs (116), and total bases (389), adding a .939 OPS and 7.8 WAR. Puebla’s Junior Vergara continued his dominance with a seventh consecutive Pitcher of the Year. This was his best season by WAR at 13.67, third-best ever by a CABA pitcher. He led in ERA (1.66), with a career best 433 strikeouts and league best 0.67 WHIP, 25.5 K/BB, 8 shutouts, and 36 FIP- He added an 18-8 record over 277.1 innings. Vergara’s award streak would end in 1986 though due to a torn UCL in spring training.

In the wild card round, Monterrey outlasted Mexico City for the 3-2 road victory. This gave the Matadors their first Mexican League Championship Series appearance since 1968. They took their division foe Hermosillo to the limit in a seven game classic, but the Hyenas would prevail with a 4-3 walkoff win in game seven. Hermosillo now has three ML pennants in the last six seasons and six titles overall.



Salvador had the top overall record for back-to-back seasons in the Caribbean League, taking the Continental Division at 98-64. Defending CABA champ Santo Domingo earned a fifth straight Island Division crown at 96-66. The wild card ended up hotly contested with Puerto Rico ultimately grabbing it at 93-69. It is the second wild card in three year for the Pelicans. Guatemala’s five-year playoff streak ended as they were 91-71. Costa Rica (90-72) and Nicaragua (88-74) were also in the hunt, but ultimately on the outside.

Dolphins RF Lobo Villanueva became a five-time Caribbean League MVP, leading in runs (111), RBI (132), triple slash (.337/.395/.687), OPS (1.082), and wRC+ (200). He added 8.3 WAR and 52 home runs, finishing second in dingers to Trinidad’s Yohnny Galaz (61). This would be the last season with Santo Domingo for the 32-year old Nicaraguan, as Villanueva signed a massive $7,400,000 deal with MLB’s San Antonio for the 1987 season. Dolphins teammate Hugo Peguero won Pitcher of the Year. The 26-year old Dominican led in strikeouts (376), FIP- (58), WAR (8.9), and wins (24-5). He added a 2.33 ERA over 250.2 innings. Also of note, Guatemala closer Reynaldo Alvarado won his fourth Reliever of the Year with career bests in saves (42), ERA (1.18), and WAR (6.0).

Santo Domingo downed division rival Puerto Rico 3-1 in the wild card to set up a Caribbean League Championship Series rematch with Salvador. The Dolphins dropped the Stallions again, dominating with a road sweep. SD claimed back-to-back CL pennants and their fourth in five years. They became the fourth Caribbean franchise to earn four titles in a five year stretch, joining Guatemala (1967-71), Santiago (1951-55), and Puerto Rico (1941-45).



The Dolphins continued to make history as they downed Hermosillo 4-1 in the 75^th Central American Baseball Association Championship. Santo Domingo repeated as champs and won their third overall ring in four years. Only two other franchises had won three in four; Mexico City with their six titles in seven years (1967-73) and Ecatepec from 1929-32. SS Juan Paulino was the finals MVP. A home grown talent, he had 15 hits, 8 runs, 4 home runs, and 7 RBI over 12 playoff starts.



Other notes: Santo Domingo’s Solomon Aragon became the CABA home run king, finishing the season with 754 to pass Prometheo Garcia’s mark by one. He’d play one more season and finish with 772, holding the home run title until the mid 2000s. Aragon also became the third player to 2000 career RBI. He would finish with 2137, passing Wesley Dubar’s 2104 to become the all-time leader. Aragon held this distinction for more than 40 years. He also ended with 3619 hits, second-all time only to Garcia’s 3871 at retirement, and finished tied for the all-time doubles mark at 585. As of 2037, Aragon is 4^th in hits, 2^nd in RBI, 3^rd in home runs, and 4^th in doubles.

Hermosillo’s Donaldo Lee became the 14^th CABA pitcher to strike out 20+ in a game. He became the first though to do it in only eight innings of work. 1985 was the first CABA season to have two players hit 60+ home runs. LF Julio Santana won his ninth Gold Glove. 3B Kenedy Ortiz won his ninth Silver Slugger.

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The big story in the 1985 National Association was Toronto’s impressive turnaround from their lousy 67 win season the prior year. The Timberwolves finished at 104-58 to take first place in the Northeast Division, taking first for the first time since 1962. They did it in a loaded division too with both wild cards firmly coming out of there. Montreal at 98-64 earned a fifth berth in seven years and Ottawa at 97-65 extended its playoff streak to four seasons. Hartford, winners of a NA-best 113 games in1984, dropped down to a middling 84-78.

Baltimore won a fourth straight East Division title at 101-61. In the Upper Midwest, Cleveland snapped an 11-year playoff drought with a 93-69 mark. This beat defending World Series champion Chicago by four games, keeping the Cubs from the postseason. In the Lower Midwest Division, Louisville (89-73) edged Kansas City by one and St. Louis by two. This extended the Lynx’ playoff streak to four years and gave them their ninth playoff appearance in the last 11 years.

Baltimore’s Chuji Kaizoji won the National Association MVP. After showing powerful production in seven seasons in Japan, he signed with the Orioles in 1984, but missed most of that season to a torn meniscus. The 29-year old right fielder had an impressive comeback by leading the NA in home runs (59), RBI (141), runs (123), total bases (398), slugging (.671), OPS (1.053), wRC+ (221), and 9.8 WAR. His 59 dingers were three behind the all-time MLB record of 62. Pitcher of the Year was Chicago’s Jinhai Mo, in his third season with the Cubs after winning Pitcher of the Year thrice in the Oceania Baseball Association. The 30-year old Australian led in quality starts (29), and shutouts (70), adding 8.5 WAR and 213 strikeouts over 267.1 innings with a 2.26 ERA and 17-8 record.

In the first round of the playoffs, Louisville topped Montreal 2-1 and Ottawa ousted Cleveland 2-1. Toronto survived in five over the Elks in round two, while Baltimore bested the Lynx in four. This put the Orioles in the National Association Championship Series for the second time in three years and gave the Timberwolves their first berth since taking the 1970 pennant. Toronto capped off their impressive turnaround season by rolling Baltimore in the NACS 4-1. The Timberwolves are now five-time NA champs.



The American Association’s best record in 1985 belonged to 109-53 Calgary atop the Northwest Division. This gave the Cheetahs a third consecutive playoff berth. The second best record was San Diego at 100-62, winning the Southwest Division and ending a 13-year playoff drought. The Seals had to fend off tough competition as both wild cards came out of the Southwest. Phoenix took the first one at 94-68 for their fourth playoff berth in five years. Defending AA champ San Francisco and Albuquerque tied for the second spot at 91-71. The Gold Rush won the playoff tiebreaker game to earn a third straight playoff berth.

San Antonio won the South Central Division at 96-66 to end their own 14 year playoff drought, finishing 11 ahead of Houston. Tampa took the Southeast Division for the third time in four years, finishing 93-69. Miami was second at 88-74 for their first winning season in a decade. With San Diego and San Antonio’s success, the Mallards now have the longest playoff drought in the American Association at 13 seasons. The biggest drought in all of MLB though is in the NA with Milwaukee’s 25 years of futility. Also of note, expansion teams Orlando and Austin both went 81-81 and Salt Lake City was 80-82; these are the best marks yet for any of the expansion teams in their four years of existence.

Miami’s Armand Whipple earned the AA MVP as the 28-year old 3B was the WARlord at 7.4. He had a .306 average, 51 home runs, and 126 RBI. He managed to beat out Oklahoma City’s Brian Ostrovskaya for the award despite Ostrovskaya’s 60 home runs and 147 RBI. The 60 dingers was two short of the MLB record of 62. Pitcher of the Year was Albuquerque’s Jimmy Roussel, a second-time winner. The 28-year old led in WAR (11.3), innings (293.1), WHIP (0.93), K/BB (9.0), and FIP- (57). Roussel added 269 strikeouts and a 2.73 ERA with a 22-9 record. Also of note, Calgary’s James Chretien became a four-time Reliever of the Year winner, only the second in MLB history to win the award four times.

Phoenix edged Tampa 2-1 and San Antonio topped San Francisco 2-1 in the first round of the playoffs. The Oilers stunned San Diego with a round sweep in round two, while the Firebirds upset Calgary 3-1. It was San Antonio’s first time in the American Association Championship Series since 1958 with the Oilers as one of the few teams without a single pennant over MLB’s 85 seasons. They wouldn’t get their first in 1985 either as Phoenix won the AACS 4-1. The Firebirds are now nine time AA champs (1907, 30, 33, 51, 53, 60, 64, 82, 84), tying them with Houston for the most titles.



The 85^th World Series was the first one to end in a sweep since 1969. Phoenix destroyed Toronto to become four-time MLB champs, having also won in 1907, 1953, and 1960. The Firebirds win ended a four-year streak of wins by National Association teams. Pitcher Gabriel Adams was World Series MVP, going 3-0 in five postseason starts with a 3.38 ERA over 40 innings and 29 strikeouts. The Timberwolves are now 1-4 in the World Series, having won in 1903 but lost in their subsequent berths. There has also been an impressive streak of parity with eight different champs in eight years.



Other notes: Raymond Boisvert became the 44^th MLB hitter to reach 3000 career hits. Khaled Scott became the 33^rd pitcher to 250 wins.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

Three players earned induction into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame in 1986, each of them getting in on the first ballot. Outfielder Garland Mulholland was the star of the group with an impressive 97.3%. Joining him were reliever Thurman Lofink at 83.1% and starting pitcher Edward Delesdernier at 76.6%. Coming close on his ninth try but falling short of the 66% threshold was 1B Braylen Nelson at 60.9%. It is the third time he’s topped 60%. Also above 50% were catchers Russ Spratt at 53.6% on his debut and Gavin Geogham at 52.1% his fourth go.



Only one player was dropped after ten failed ballots in LF Leo Compian, who peaked at 35.1% on his fourth attempt and ended at 12.4%. He had a 21-year career and was a starter for San Diego’s 1950s dynasty run, posting 2465 hits, 1633 runs, 315 doubles, 449 home runs, 1328 RBI, a .271/.382/.472 slash, and 75.6 WAR. He also drew 1604 walks, one of only nine MLB players as of 2036 to have more than 1600. Compian was dismissed as a compiler though with only one Silver Slugger to his name. Pitcher Will Feliciano was also removed from the ballot after getting elected to Beisbol Sudamerica’s 1986 class. (Editor’s note: The way OOTP works, once a guy is elected to any HOF, they’re removed from the ballot of the other leagues. They show up on the HOF list for any of the leagues they played in).



Garland Mulholland – Outfielder – St. Louis Cardinals – 97.3% First Ballot

Garland Mulholland was a 6’4’’, 200 pound right-handed outfielder from Richmond Heights, Ohio; a Cleveland suburb with around 10,000 people. Mulholland was a very good contact hitter with a great eye and impeccable ability to avoid strikeouts. He retired with a 4.8% strikeout percentage and is one of a very select group of Hall of Famers to have played 2500+ games and struck out fewer than 600 times. Mulholland wasn’t just a guy who drew walks and got singles though as he averaged around 25 home runs and 25-30 doubles/triples per year. He also had solid speed and baserunning skills. Mulholland primarily played left field, although he did make starts in right and center. He was viewed as a pretty good defender in the corners and weak defender in center. On top of this, Mulholland was a team captain and clubhouse leader, viewed as a stand-up guy that was universally beloved.

He attended college at South Carolina and in 144 college games had 167 hits, 73 runs, 33 doubles, 13 home runs, a .293/.348/.430 slash, and 4.2 WAR. In the 1958 MLB Draft, Mulholland was picked 55^th overall by St. Louis, the second pick of the supplemental first round. He spent all of 1959 in minor league Columbia and most of 1960 there, although he made 21 plate appearances in the bigs in 1960. Mulholland’s proper debut came in 1961 where he earned the full-time starter role, which he’d have for nearly the next two decades save time missed to injury.

In 1961, Mulholland posted a 5.8 WAR rookie season to earn the National Association Rookie of the Year. In 1962, he won the batting title (.351) and led with 202 wRC+, earning his first of seven Silver Sluggers. Mulholland also won the award in 1963, 64, 65, 67, 68, and 69. 1962 also saw a third place finish in MVP voting despite a historically bad 54-108 season for the Cardinals. This also marked the start of Mulholland playing for the United States in the World Baseball Championship. From 1962-76, he played 187 games and made 173 starts with 182 hits, 137 runs, 45 home runs, 118 RBI, a 302/.421/.568 slash, and 10.6 WAR. Mulholland was a part of eight world title teams and three times was a finalist for tournament MVP.

Mulholland played a huge role in turning around St. Louis’s fortunes as 1963 saw one of the greatest turnaround seasons in MLB history. The Cardinals went from 54 wins to 101, earning their first playoff appearance since 1930. Mulholland had a career best 10.2 WAR and bests in the triple slash (.358/.427/.603), OPS (1.030), and wRC+ (211). He took third in the MVP voting, but picked up 18 hits and 7 runs in the postseason as St. Louis won the World Series for the second time in history. That run alone cemented him as forever a Cardinals favorite, whose #34 would later be retired.

St. Louis made seven playoff appearances over the next nine years, although they never got out of the second round. Still, they were consistently in the mix with Mulholland after being bottom tier for a long time. He won two more batting titles and led in OBP twice and hits once. Mulholland’s lone MVP win came in 1965, but he was regularly a finalist (3^rd in 1965, 2^nd in 1967, 2^nd in 1968, 2^nd in 1969, and 3^rd in 1970). In 1971, he won the All-Star Game MVP. Mulholland was as steady and reliable as you could be with his only missed time coming from a torn flexor tendon in 1966. Although the Cardinals struggled in later postseasons, Mulholland still had 51 hits, 29 runs, and a .321/.396/.434 slash in 43 playoff starts.

For his entire Cardinals career, Mulholland had 2125 hits, 1183 runs, 241 doubles, 87 triples, 312 home runs, 1038 RBI, 783 walks, 480 stolen bases, a .326/.402/.532 slash, 180 wRC+, and 90.4 WAR. This alone probably was enough to get into the Hall of Fame, but he would have another decade in front of him. At age 34, Mulholland opted out of the final year of the eight-year, $1,972,000 extension he had signed in 1965. He signed a four-year, $1,472,000 deal with Albuquerque.

Mulholland was never quite the same level player with the Isotopes and missed chunks of his first two seasons to injury. He had a solid 1975 full season and although his playoff stats weren’t anything great, Mulholland’s leadership helped Albuquerque win the 1975 World Series, their first title since 1934. In four seasons as an Isotope, Mulholland had 509 hits, 314 runs, a .278/.360/.463 slash and 12.0 WAR.

Now 38 years old, Mulholland’s contract expired and he signed a three-year deal with Columbus. He still provided respectable value in his first two seasons with the Chargers, but he struggled in the third season and was eventually relegated to a bench role. This effectively ended his MLB career, although Mulholland wasn’t ready to retire and wanted to get to 3000 hits. He was unsigned for most of 1980, making one start with Seattle that fall. Minor League Charleston (Charlotte’s affiliate) briefly employed him in 1981, but he didn’t see the field and eventually had to retire at age 43.

Mulholland’s final stats: 2978 hits, 1719 runs, 359 doubles, 115 triples, 435 home runs, 1422 RBI, 1191 walks to only 540 strikeouts, 658 stolen bases, a .306/.387/.501 slash, 161 wRC+, and 109.9 WAR. At induction, he had the tenth most WAR of any MLB batter. Mulholland was a beloved figure and an undisputed great of the 1960s and 70s, getting him the first ballot induction at 97.3%.





Thurman Lofink – Closer – New Orleans Mudcats – 83.1% First Ballot

Thurman Lofink was a 6’6’’, 195 pound left-handed closer from the west Texas city of El Paso. Lofink had electric stuff with very good movement and solid control. The lanky lefty had two pitches, a 97-99 mph sinker and an unhittable curveball. Lofink was also very good at holding runners, making him a great pitcher to get you out of a jam. His main downside was being a loudmouth jerk. His outspoken personality and spicy hot takes didn’t make him a lot of friends, although he would be popular among a certain type of fan.

Lofink attended West Virginia and was iffy as a starter in college, getting moved to the bullpen as a junior. He took third in 1964’s college Reliever of the Year voting, but true relievers didn’t tend to get a ton of attention in the draft. New Orleans picked Lofink with the first pick of the fourth round, 149^th overall, in the 1964 MLB Draft. He immediately was thrown into the bullpen and saw regular use, often as a closer. Lofink was second in 1966’s Reliever of the Year voting and led the American Association in saves in 1968 with 35.

Lofink’s biggest claim to fame would come from 1970 to 1972, as New Orleans had their historic dynasty. After being a bottom rung franchsie for nearly 70 years, the Mudcats won three straight World Series rings. Lofink was a stud in the 1970 playoffs with six saves and 10 scoreless innings. In total, he had a 0.60 ERA over 45.1 playoff innings, 14 saves, 64 strikeouts, and 3.3 WAR. The playoff heroism earned him a spot in the hearts of New Orleans fans despite his outspoken nature and was a big reason his #5 uniform would be retired by the franchise. Lofink also took second in Reliever of the Year voting in both 1970 and 1972.

Lofink also earned Best Pitcher honors in both the 1971 and 1972 World Baseball Championship for the United States. In 1971, he had a 0.29 ERA and 72 strikeouts over 30.2 innings, then followed it up with a 0.83 ERA over 21.2 innings with 46 strikeouts. In total from 1967-80, Lofink tossed 169 innings with a 1.44 ERA, 21 saves, 327 strikeouts, and 9.3 WAR. After the 1972 season, Lofink (rightly) thought he was pretty big deal.

For his New Orleans run, he had 175 saves and 208 shutdowns, a 2.04 ERA, 513 innings, 640 strikeouts, and 25.9 WAR. Fresh off the three-peat and back-to-back Best Pitcher honors in the WBC, the 29-year old Lofink wanted to cash in. He left the Mudcats, but couldn’t find the massive money he was looking for. Lofink signed a one-year, $332,000 deal with Baltimore in April 1973. After a solid effort, he then signed a one-year, $414,000 deal with Montreal. Lofink delivered his usual production, then got a two-year, $834,000 deal with New York.

Although he liked the paycheck, the Yankees didn’t use Lofink as a closer. He wasn’t thrilled with his use and before the 1977 season, New York traded him to Houston for five prospects. Lofink reclaimed a closer role with the Hornets and spent four years there, helping them to three American Association Championship Series appearances. With Houston, he had 116 saves, a 2.19 ERA, 243 innings, 320 strikeouts, and 11.0 WAR. In his final season with the Hornets though, his production fell to middling levels and he wasn’t re-signed.

At age 37, Lofink still wanted to be a MLB closer, but many teams felt he was past his prime. The others that might have considered him didn’t think he was worth the big paycheck with his loud mouth. This marked the end of his MLB career, although he wasn’t ready to be done with baseball. A connection sent him to an unlikely place; Ghana. He signed with Kumasi of West African Baseball, although he only pitched 28 innings. Lofink was good in his limited use though and got a contract and a closer role again, this time in Liberia.

Lofink signed with Monrovia for 1982 and led with 41 saves. In 1983, he started with the Diplomats and was traded at the deadline to Nouakchott. Between the two though, he won his first-ever Reliever of the Year at age 39. In 1984, he signed with Port Harcourt and won Reliever of the Year for the second time. In total in WAB, he had 109 saves over 282 innings, 446 strikeouts, 1.56 ERA, and 15.4 WAR. However, late in the 1984 season, Lofink suffered a damaged elbow ligament that effectively ended his career. He was briefly signed in a comeback attempt in 1985 with Tampa, but never threw another pitch, retiring at age 41.

For his entire pro career, Lofink had 472 saves and a 1.92 ERA, 1288 innings, 1713 strikeouts, and 65.0 WAR. For just MLB, he had a 2.02 ERA, 363 saves and 431 shutdowns, 1006 innings, 1267 strikeouts, 260 walks, a FIP- of 46, and 49.5 WAR. At induction, he had the fifth most WAR of any MLB reliever. Although he never won the top award in MLB, Lofink was a great closer and a big part in the New Orleans dynasty. Even voters who thought he was a loudmouth goof couldn’t deny his resume, giving Lofink the first ballot induction with 83.1%.





Edward Delesdernier – Starting Pitcher – Nashville Knights – 76.6% First Ballot

Edward Delesdernier was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Seven Oaks, South Carolina; a town of around 14,000 people in the center of the state. Delesdernier was a fireballer with 99-101 mph peak velocity and electric stuff, although he had solid movement and control as well. His fastball and curveball were his main two pitches, although he did also mix in a changeup. Delesdernier was also known for great stamina and going deep in games early in his career, although later injuries ruined that in the back end of his career. He was very intelligent, but considered a bit of a loner and mercenary type.

Delesdernier played collegiately at Virginia and had a great college career with a 22-5 record and 2.19 ERA over 303.2 college innings with 322 strikeouts and 12.7 WAR. He was one of the hottest prospects for the 1964 MLB Draft and was picked second overall by Nashville. Delesdernier was a part-time starter in his rookie year, but took over a full-time role from his second season onward. He posted five straight seasons worth 6+ WAR for the Knights and led the American Association with a 2.57 ERA in 1968. That earned Delesdernier a second place finish in Pitcher of the Year voting.

His first major setback came with a torn labrum in late 1970, putting him out nearly a full calendar year. In total with Nashville, Delesdernier had a 84-67 record, 2.98 ERA, 1483.2 innings, 1344 strikeouts, and 39.5 WAR. The Knights stunk during his run though and he made it clear to management that he wasn’t planning on sticking around. Plus, they weren’t sure what he’d look like coming off a major injury. Nashville traded him at the 1971 deadline to Philadelphia.

Delesdernier made 11 starts with the Phillies and looked dominant with a 1.55 ERA over 87 innings. This made him a hot commodity entering free agency in 1972 at age 28. His terms for a long-term contract proved too rich for other teams and Delesdernier wasn’t signed until the very start of the year. He ended up a with a one-year, $330,000 deal with Montreal. Delesdernier had a great year with the Maples, taking second in Pitcher of the Year voting and helping them to a World Series appearance. He entered free agency again though and finally got the bag he was looking for, a seven-year, $2,868,000 deal with Phoenix.

It proved a sound investment for the Firebirds in the first three seasons. Delesdernier’s second year in Phoenix saw only the fifth Triple Crown season for a MLB pitcher to that point with a 26-8 record, 2.16 ERA, and 313 strikeouts worth 10.2 WAR. He finally won Pitcher of the Year and even took second in MVP voting. Although he delivered early on, the Firebirds never became the high-level playoff contender they hoped to become, although they did get to the AACS in 1977.

By then though, Delesdernier’s value was diminishing, in part due to shoulder and hamstring issues. He had only partial 1976 and 1977 seasons with average at best results, then struggled in 1978. That summer, a damaged elbow ligament would put him on the shelf for 12 months. In total with Phoenix, Delesdernier had an 84-72 record, 3.28 ERA, 1374.1 innings, 210 strikeouts, and 35.1 WAR.

He tried to make a comeback in 1979 at age 35, but struggled in only two starts with Phoenix. On the last year of his big contract making $464,000, the Firebirds decided to trade him in June to Columbus. He did better with the Chargers, but was still subpar. Delesdernier signed with Minneapolis in 1980, but was cut midseason due to poor performance. He’d make one minor league appearance in Richmond before having to retire at age 36.

Delesdernier’s final stats: 197-160 record, 3.06 ERA, 3386 innings, 2990 strikeouts to 877 walks, 257/418 quality starts, 213 complete games, 77 FIP- and 87.4 WAR. He managed to build a solid resume despite a relatively short peak. His accumulations were lower than most other MLB Hall of Famers and he was one of a small list of starters to get in without 200 wins. Delesdernier’s Triple Crown season helped boost him and the pitcher-friendly voters gave him the bump needed for a first ballot induction at 76.6%.