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

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 08-14-2024, 05:20 AM

2011 APB Hall of Fame

Third baseman Gede Mamuaya was the lone addition in 2011 for the Austronesia Professional Baseball Hall of Fame. He earned a firm first ballot nod with 90.6%. The next closest was closer Chang-Heng Chang at 61.2% on his third try, just missing the 66% requirement. RF Basuki Susanti was next with a 59.3% debut. Also above 50% was SP Nai-Wen Teng with a 52.4% fourth ballot and SP Wahyu Toy with a 50.5% second ballot. No one was dropped after ten failed ballots in 2011.

Gede Mamuaya – Third Base – Surabaya Sunbirds – 90.6% First Ballot

Gede Mamuaya was a 5’11’’, 190 pound left-handed hitting third baseman from Godean, Indonesia; a town just outside of Yogyakarta on Java. Mamuaya was one of the most reliable home run hitters of his era in APB, averaging 37 per his 162 game average. He was also excellent at drawing walks. However, Mamuaya was at best an above average contact hitter and had trouble with strikeouts.

Mamuaya’s power was focused on homers and not the gap, only getting around 20 doubles most years. He was a respectably smart baserunner, but had subpar speed. Mamuaya was almost exclusively a third baseman, although he did move to first base in his final three seasons. He graded as a firmly mediocre defender. But his bat certainly played and he was a good leader over a 17-year career. Mamuaya ended being one of Indonesia’s most popular figures of the era.

Most teams in the country thought he was a top prospect, but Mamuaya ended up going through three APB Drafts. He was picked 11^th in 1986 by Bandung, but declined their offer and returned to college. Pekanbaru picked him in 1987 with the sixth pick, but he again couldn’t come to terms. In 1988, Mamuaya was the #1 overall pick with Surabaya, where he ultimately spent his entire career.

He signed a four-year, $29,200,000 major league deal and was a full-time starter right away with strong success. Mamuaya won 1989 Rookie of the Year and won his first of 11 Silver Sluggers. The Sunbirds had an impressive turnaround, going from a terrible 57 wins in 1988 to 91 wins in 1989. He quickly became a superstar for Surabaya fans with this impressive debut.

Mamuaya also was popular for all of Indonesia as he played from 1990-2004 in the World Baseball Championship. He had 159 games and 128 starts with 95 hits, 87 runs, 13 doubles, 37 home runs, 78 RBI, 86 walks, a .210/.348/.483 slash, 137 wRC+, and 4.7 WAR.

Mamuaya led in walks five times in his career with four coming from 1990-1994. 1991 was a banner season, winning Sundaland Association MVP and his second Silver Slugger. Mamuaya led in WAR at 10.8 and posted 45 home runs with a 220 wRC+. Surabaya won the Java League title for the first time in 11 years, but lost the Association final to Batam. Mamuaya had a .368/.429/.842 slash in the series’ six games with 3 home runs.

From his rookie year in 1989 through 2003, Mamuaya had 5.5+ WAR every season. His Silver Sluggers came in 1989, 1991-95, and from 1997-2001. Surabaya gave Mamuaya a seven-year, $21,160,000 extension after the 1995 season. He was an all-star game selection 14 times and would lead in homers twice (1998, 2001).

The Sunbirds remained competitive after their 1991 playoff berth, but wouldn’t break through again until 1999. That year, they won it all, taking the Austronesia Championship against Manila. Mamuaya had 13 hits, 9 runs, 3 home runs, 8 RBI, and a 184 wRC+ in 13 starts during the playoff run.

Mamuaya was third in MVP voting in 2000. Then in 2001, he won the top honor for the second time at age 36. It was a banner year with career and league bests in homers (55), RBI (108), runs (101), slugging (.622), OPS (.967), wRC+ (225), and WAR (12.2). The 55 homers was third-most in an APB season at that point. As of 2037, the WAR mark is the eight-best by a position player.

With that, Surabaya signed Mamuaya for another three years at $20,100,000. The Sunbirds wouldn’t make the playoffs again in his run and he’d just miss out on their dominance that ended the 2000s. Mamuaya had three more good seasons after the MVP run, although he never matched the raw power of that 2001 campaign.

The Old eventually caught up to Mamuaya, who struggled in 2005 with a .191 average and a league-worst 223 strikeouts. His deal ended there and Surabaya didn’t re-sign him. No one signed Mamuaya for 2006 and he retired that winter at age 42. The Sunbirds retired his #20 uniform and gave him honorary rings as they won pennants in 2006 and 2007.

Mamuaya had 2065 hits, 1164 runs, 335 doubles, 577 home runs, 1241 RBI, 1038 walks, a .243/.330/.493 slash, 182 wRC+, and 118.8 WAR. At retirement, he was fourth in home runs and still sits seventh in 2037. As of 2037, Mamuaya is also third in walks, 16^th in runs, 15^th in RBI, and 8^th in WAR among position players.

Some argue Mamuaya is APB’s best-ever third baseman. As of 2037, he’s the all-time leader at the position for WAR, homers, walks, OBP, slugging, OPS, and runs. He was an easy first ballot choice at 90.6% and a fine player to headline the 2011 APB Hall of Fame class alone.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 08-14-2024, 11:14 AM

2011 CLB Hall of Fame

The 2011 Chinese League Baseball Hall of Fame class had two pitchers known for their time with Beijing inducted. Rajit Khatiwada was a first ballot choice at 92.6%. Jun Tang got a sizeable bump in his fifth ballot, getting in at 75.3%. The only other player above 50% was reliever Chiang-Ho Yang at 55.4% on his second ballot. No one was dropped following ten failed tries in 2011.

Rajit “Snake” Khatiwada – Starting Pitcher – Beijing Bears – 92.6% First Ballot

Rajit Khatiwada was a 6’0’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Birganj, Nepal; a city of roughly 265,000 people on the border with India. Nicknamed “Snake,” Khatiwada was great across the board in terms of stuff, movement, and control. His 98-100 mph fastball was his strongest pitch, but he had five strong options including a forkball, changeup, slider, and curveball.

Khatiwada’s stamina was very good compared to most CLB aces, although various injuries popped up over his run. He wore down to the point of never hitting a full season of starts in his 30s. Still, Khatiwada was a sparkplug with an incredible work ethic and was someone who always tried to battle through adversity. This helped make him a very popular player in his time.

Prospects coming from Nepal typically ended up in South Asia Baseball, but Khatiwada decided to move to nearby China for his college career. He dominated and by the 1996 CLB Draft was considered by many to be the top prospect. Khatiwada was picked #1 overall by Beijing, beginning his pro career in the Chinese capital. The Bears had been a powerhouse in the mid 1980s, but bottomed out at 63-99 in 1996.

Khatiwada was a full-time starter as a rookie in 1997 and was quite good, helping Beijing bounce back to 82-80. Although he missed a few starts to a dead arm, he pitched enough to lead the Northern League in ERA (1.44), WHIP (0.75), and K/BB (10.7). Khatiwada finished second in both Rookie of the Year and Pitcher of the Year voting.

He won another ERA title in 1998 and again was second in POTY voting. Khatiwada led in WAR in 1999 at 9.6 and started a streak of six straight seasons with 8+ WAR. He again was second in POTY, but did earn his lone Gold Glove.

Beijing also ended a five-year playoff drought, taking first in the NL at 95-67. They rode that all the way to the China Series, winning the CLB title against Guangzhou. Khatiwada had two complete game quality starts in the postseason run, which forever cemented him as a huge fan favorite for Bears fans.

They dropped to 80-82 in 2000, but Khatiwada again led in WAR, WHIP, K/BB, and FIP. This season also saw a career high 345 strikeouts, but he surprisingly wasn’t a POTY finalist. In 2001, Khatiwada finally took the top award with career bests in WAR (10.9), ERA (1.02), WHIP (0.67), K/BB (11.4), and shutouts (7).

Khatiwada’s 1.02 ERA was the fifth lowest qualifying season in CLB history to that point and still ranks seventh as of 2037. He took second in MVP voting and won his lone Silver Slugger, posting a .305/.321/.402 slash in 90 plate appearances. Beijing made it back to the China Series, but fell to Wuhan in the final. Khatiwada was incredible in the playoff run, allowing one run over 23.1 innings with 36 strikeouts.

2002 saw Khatiwada take second again in Pitcher of the Year voting, although led in WHIP for the fourth time and had his sixth sub-two ERA season. Beijing advanced to the semifinal, but was denied with Khatiwada struggling with six runs allowed in eight playoff innings. From 2003-06, the Bears were stuck just below .500.

Khatiwada missed more than two months in 2003 to back spasms and other injuries, but still earned his second Pitcher of the Year. He picked his his fourth ERA title and led in WAR for the fourth time. Khatiwada finished second in POTY voting in 2004, his final season as a finalist.

Beijing was rebuilding by 2005 and Khatiwada was in the final season of team control. The Bears opted to get trade value, sending Khatiwada and $14,570,000 to Chongqing for prospects. He pitched well in his brief stint with the Cavaliers, but suffered a torn meniscus in late August that ended his season.

This also ended his run in Chinese League Baseball with a 118-81 record, 1.57 ERA, 2034.1 innings, 2579 strikeouts, 252 walks, 114 complete games, 33 shutouts, 161 ERA+, 49 FIP0, and 76.6 WAR. Khatiwada would have the fewest wins of any CLB Hall of Fame starter, but also as of 2037 has the third lowest ERA of any inducted starter.

Despite only a nine year run, he ranks 17^th in pitching WAR as of 2037 and sixth in ERA and WHIP (0.76) among any pitcher with 1000+ career innings. Khatiwada’s raw dominance was impressive, plus he helped Beijing to the finals twice with one title. Khatiwada was a top three pitcher essentially his whole run and with four ERA titles, was a no doubter even with the low accumulations. He received 92.6% to headline CLB’s 2011 Hall of Fame class.

After the 2005 season, a 31-year old Khatiwada cashed in with a five-year, $41,000,000 deal with MLB’s Nashville Knights. Various injuries cost him a few starts in 2006, but Khatiwada still posted an American Association best 2.49 ERA and 0.93 WHIP over 184.1 innings.

He also went 4-0 in the playoffs with a 2.73 ERA over 29.2 innings, 25 strikeouts, and 141 ERA+, helping the Knights win the World Series against Winnipeg. This made Khatiwada one of a select few to be a league champion in multiple leagues. Sadly, his MLB run peaked there.

Khatiwada still looked decent when healthy in 2007, but back spasms and multiple weeks with a dead arm meant he only tossed 101.1 innings. He looked very average in 13 starts in 2008, then suffered a torn UCL on June 4. That effectively ended his MLB run with a 21-18 record, 2.94 ERA, 352.1 innings, 293 strikeouts, 131 ERA+, and 8.1 WAR.

He attempted a 2009 comeback but struggled in six minor league starts in Chattanooga, getting released in June. Cleveland signed him soon after and he spent the rest of the year with little success in minor league Akron. Then in August 2009, he tore his UCL for a second time to force his retirement at only age 35. Khatiwada returned home to Nepal and was soon honored in Beijing with his #22 uniform retirement ceremony.

For his full pro career, Khatiwada had a 139-99 record, 1.77 ERA, 2386.2 innings, 2872 strikeouts, 318 walks, 0.80 WHIP, 155 ERA+, 54 FIP-, and 84.7 WAR. It was a shame that injuries prevented more longevity, but for a stretch in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Khatiwada was arguably the most dominant pitcher in the world.

Jun Tang – Starting Pitcher – Beijing Bears – 75.3% Fifth Ballot

Jun Tang was a 6’4’’, 205 pound right-handed pitcher from Mingshui, a county of more than 330,000 inhabitants in northeast China’s Heilongjiang province. Tang had very good stuff with excellent movement, but his control was mediocre. He had a very tough 96-98 mph fastball and a sinker that led to an extreme groundball tendency. Tang also had a curveball and a changeup in his arsenal.

Tang’s stamina was good, but he had trouble at times going deep due to high pitch counts from his control issues. He avoided major injuries for most of his 20s, but Tang had a very short burst career like his teammate and Hall of Fame classmate Rajit Khatiwada.

Unlike Khatiwada, Tang was signed as a teenage amateur. He also was with Beijing though, joining the Bears officially in February 1987. Tang officially debuted with 11 poor innings in 1991. Despite that, he made two playoff starts that year, struggling with 8 runs allowed in 12 innings. The Bears made it to that year’s China Series, falling to Dalian.

He was mostly a reliever in 1992 with a few starts with still unremarkable results. Tang was moved to a full-time starter role in 1993 and held it for the rest of his time in the Chinese capital. Beijing made the playoffs again in 1993, but lost in the semifinal to Wuhan. Tang got lit up in his one playoff start, allowing six runs over only 1.2 innings.

Tang had posted a respectable season as a starter in 1993, taking third in Pitcher of the Year voting. Beijing had a five-year playoff drought from there with Tang chugging along. He posted a league-best 7 shutouts in 1996, but still only had 2.4 WAR over 231 innings. Tang was more effective overall in 1997, but missed some time to elbow tendinitis.

Tang was third in POTY voting in 1998, leading the Northern League in WAR at 8.1. He didn’t lead in 1999, but improved to a career high 8.6. Tang had a league-best 23-7 record, 1.24 ERA, 0.72 WHIP, 290 innings, 19 complete games, and 9 shutouts. Tang also had a career-best 324 strikeouts and 204 ERA+, winning Pitcher of the Year and taking second in MVP voting.

Among the shutouts was a no-hitter on May 25 with 7 strikeouts and 2 walks against Jinan. Beijing ended its playoff drought and won the CLB title over Guangzhou. Despite a great regular season, Tang did struggle to a 4.07 ERA over 24.1 innings in the playoffs. Still, his role in helping them win it all was a big reason his #31 uniform was later retired.

Tang looked good in 2000, but suffered a torn rotator cuff on August 9. That marked the end of his Chinese career. He finished with a 128-86 record, 1.96 ERA, 2008.1 innings, 2290 strikeouts, 490 walks, 71 complete games, 31 shutouts, 135 ERA+, 77 FIP-, and 47.3 WAR.

Like his HOF classmate Khatiwada, Tang had very low accumulations compared to most inductees due to a short run. However, Tang was far less dominant. The only starting pitcher that got in with a lower WAR was Xiabin Chen. As of 2037, Tang doesn’t crack the top 100 in WAR for pitchers and even many of the pitcher-centric voters thought he wasn’t strong enough.

Tang did have a dominant POTY season and won a title with Beijing, even if his playoff numbers were crap (5.92 ERA in 38 innings). Playing in the capital gives you a lot of attention and Tang managed to debut near the 66% requirement at 59.9%. He then finished at 56.2%, 64.4%, and 63.7% in the next three tries.

Some voters thought it was a nice one-two punch to put in the Beijing pitchers of the era together. Tang bumped up to 75.3% in 2011 and earned a fifth ballot addition into the Chinese League Baseball Hall of Fame. That said, most scholars agree that Tang is among the weakest of those to earn the honor.

Even off a torn rotator cuff, a 30-year old Tang got plenty of attention in free agency after the 2000 season. MLB’s Cleveland Cobras gave him a massive six-year, $24,960,000 deal. They immediately had buyers remorse, as he only gave them four starts with very average results. Tang suffered a torn labrum and ended up flat out released by Cleveland by late August.

Tang finished out 2001 with four minor league appearances for Sasaktoon. Vancouver signed him in 2002 for spring training, but he didn’t make it beyond that. Omaha gave him a look in 2003 spring training, but again Tang didn’t make the cut. Thus, his adventure in North America was done with a mere 27 big league innings with a 3.33 ERA.

The Arab League’s Casablanca and Mosul gave Tang a look in 2003, but he never pitched a proper game for either. The Asian Baseball Federation’s Almaty signed him for two-years, $2,760,000 after that. The Assassins didn’t use him in 2004, but he would toss 22.2 innings with only one unearned run allowed in his brief 2005 action.

ABF’s Dushanbe signed Tang for the 2006 campaign. However, he only saw 7.1 innings between two appearances with six runs allowed. That winter, he finally resigned himself to retirement at age 36. It was stunning how Tang was such a non-factor in these later years, but his control fell to abysmal levels. Still, Tang was just strong enough in his eight years starting for Beijing to end up with a notable career.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 08-14-2024, 04:54 PM

2011 WAB Hall of Fame (Part 1)

West African Baseball had a three-player Hall of Fame class in 2011, led by 3B Arnaud Aho at 96.4%. The other two additions made it on their third ballot and only scraped by the 66% requirement. Still, pitcher Angelo Costa at 70.5% and 2B Hamza Seidu at 66.5% secured their spots among the honored greats. No one else was above 50% and no players fell off the ballot from ten failed tries.

Arnaud Aho – Third Base/Designated Hitter – Port Harcourt Hillcats – 96.4% First Ballot

Arnaud Aho was a 6’0’’, 205 pound left-handed hitting third baseman from Abomey-Calavi, Benin; a city of around 655,000 just outside of Cotonou. Aho was a very good contact hitter with a decent eye and strikeout rate. Most importantly, he hit the ball very hard when making contact. Aho topped 35 home runs nine times and topped 35 doubles nine times. He breached both marks together in five seasons.

Aho was notably stronger against right-handed pitching (.921 OPS, 152 wRC+) but wasn’t bad at all against lefties (.783 OPS, 120 wRC+). He was a very smart baserunner and could sneakily steal the occasional base despite having lousy speed. He was not quick on his feet at all, which hurt him defensively.

Aho made about half of his career starts at third base. He had a very strong arm, but still graded as a terrible defender with poor glove work. Aho wasn’t much better with his final two seasons at first base. He would make roughly 1/3 of his starts as a designated hitter.

Regardless of those flaws, Aho hit the ball very hard, which made him one of WAB’s most popular players of the 1990s and early 2000s. He was also considered an ironman that almost never missed a start. He played 140+ games each year from 1991-2005 and started 145+ each year from 1993 onward.

Aho was spotted and signed as a teenage amateur on Christmas Day 1984 by Port Harcourt. He spent most of six years in development, officially debuting in 1990 at age 22 with 18 at-bats in eight games. Aho would see 24 at-bats in the 1990 postseason as the Hillcats made it to the WAB Championship in back-to-back seasons. This time, they were defeated in a rematch with Conakry.

Aho was a full-time roster guy in 1991 and 1992. He didn’t start every game those years, but posted 118 and 113 starts, respectively. His bat was immediately strong, earning Rookie of the Year in 1991 and a Silver Slugger in 1992 as a DH. Port Harcourt won 106 games both seasons, but lost in the Eastern League Championship Series in 1991 and wild card round in 1992.

In 1993, Aho led the EL with 52 home runs to get his second Silver Slugger as a DH and a third place in MVP voting. The Hillcats continued their postseason streak, but again fell in the ELCS. The following May, Port Harcourt gave him a five-year, $6,880,000 contract extension. Aho won a third Slugger that year as a DH, but PH again suffered an early playoff exit.

Aho won his fourth Slugger in 1995 and earned ELCS MVP as Port Harcourt ended their playoff woes. They won it all that year, topping Abidjan in the WAB Championship. In that run, Aho had 13 hits, 13 runs, 6 home runs, and 15 RBI over 11 starts. In 38 playoff games total for the Hillcats, he had a .272/.311/.584 slash, 149 wRC+, and 1.3 WAR.

Port Harcourt lost in the wild card round in 1996, then fell into the middle tier for the next decade-plus. Still, Aho helped them to the 1995 title and would be a beloved fan favorite. The Hillcats later retired his #13 uniform. PH moved him to third base in 1996 and he won three straight Silver Sluggers for them there.

In total for Port Harcourt, Aho had 1387 hits, 762 runs, 290 doubles, 287 home runs, 807 RBI, a .299/.349/.554 slash, 150 wRC+, and 41.9 WAR. As the Hillcats weren’t a contender by the end of 1998, Aho declined his contract option. He was a free agent for the first time heading into his age 31 season.

Aho had plenty of suitors, including the two-time defending WAB champion Kano. The Condors signed Aho to a seven-year, $17,720,000 deal and he helped push Kano to an all-time dynasty run. In his debut season, the Condors set an all-time wins record at 123-39. They completed the three-peat with Aho getting 14 hits, 8 runs, 4 doubles, 4 homers, and 10 RBI in 10 playoff starts.

Kano broke their wins record in 2000 at 125-37, one win short of the all-time record in any world league. They suffered a stunning WAB Championship defeat in a rematch with Abidjan. The Condors bounced back from that with WAB titles in 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2005 with a runner-up finish in 2004. Aho was the finals MVP in both 2001 and 2002.

In the playoffs for Kano, Aho had 71 starts, 73 hits, 43 runs, 13 doubles, 19 home runs, 52 RBI, a .267/.311/.524 slash, 129 wRC+, and 2.3 WAR. For his entire career, he had 109 games, 107 hits, 69 runs, 21 doubles, 28 home runs, 75 RBI, a .269/.311/.543 slash, 135 wRC+, and 3.5 WAR.

At retirement, Aho was the all-time playoff leader in games, hits, runs, homers, and RBI. He has still played more games than anyone as of 2037 and still ranks fourth in hits, fourth in runs, second in doubles, third in home runs, and second in RBI.

In 2000, Aho led the league with 152 RBI, two short of the league record at the time. He won his eighth Silver Slugger and fifth as a DH. Aho won his ninth and final Slugger in 2001 (his fourth at third base) and took second in MVP voting. He led in both home runs (51) and RBI (141) and had a career best 6.8 WAR to that point. Aho beat the career best with 7.1 WAR in 2002.

Aho’s power and contact diminished in his final three seasons, but he still provided some positive value. In 2004, he became the fifth WAB slugger to reach 500 career home runs. Aho was the first to 1500 RBI, although Darwin Morris quickly passed him for the all-time lead. He was also the second to 2500 hits.

His deal expired after the 2005 championship win, getting his sixth ring overall. Aho decided to retire with that at age 37. With Kano, he had 1145 hits, 630 runs, 233 doubles, 262 home runs, 747 RBI, a .281/.331/.539 slash, 138 wRC+, and 31.7 WAR. Aho would be extremely popular with Kano fans as well for his role in their historic dynasty.

Aho’s final stats saw 2532 hits, 1392 runs, 523 doubles, 549 home runs, 1564 RBI, 643 walks, .291/.341/.547 slash, 144 wRC+, and 73.7 WAR. As of 2037, he ranks 20^th in WAR among position players, losing some ground due to his time as a DH and bad defense. Later higher offense eras in WAB pushed Aho out of the top 20 in the major statistical categories.

That said, he still remains high on the playoff leaderboards and played a big role both in Kano’s all-time dynasty and a 1995 title for Port Harcourt. Aho was a beloved superstar and an easy headliner for the 2011 Hall of Fame class at 96.4%.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 08-15-2024, 06:41 AM

2011 WAB Hall of Fame (Part 2)

Angelo Costa – Starting Pitcher – Monrovia Diplomats – 70.5% Third Ballot

Angelo Costa was a 6’2’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from the capital of Cape Verde, Praia. At his peak, Costa had incredible stuff and movement along with solid control. His fastball was exceptional with 97-99 mph velocity, but he also had excellent options with a slider, changeup, sinker, and circle change. Scouts gave him a 9/10 grade in both stuff and movement during his best years; marks rarely reached by any pitcher.

Costa also had excellent stamina and won a Gold Glove in 1995. He had decent durability in his 20s, but injuries derailed him into his 30s. Some teammates criticized him for selfishness and occasional laziness. However, Costa’s peak was remarkable and made him one of the renowned pitchers of his era.

A scout visiting Cape Verde in 1989 took notice of a teenage Costa and signed him to a developmental deal with Monrovia in March. He spent five years in development and debuted in 1994 at age 21 as a part-time starter. He looked merely average as a rookie and in 1995 as a full-time starter. However, Costa put it all together by his third season.

In 1996, Costa won Pitcher of the Year and led the Western League in wins, innings, strikeouts, quality starts, complete games, and WAR. The 292 innings was the second-most in a single-season in WAB history and the 20 complete games remains the WAB record in 2037. He was the WARlord in five consecutive seasons and had 6.5+ WAR in seven straight WAB seasons.

Costa also led in strikeouts in 1997 and 1998, while leading in ERA in 1998. The 2.09 ERA in 1998 was a career best and he fell two wins short of the Triple Crown. Costa was second in 1997 POTY voting, won it in 1998, and was third in 1999. He thrived despite Monrovia’s struggles, who averaged only 71.5 wins per season from 1994-99.

After the 1998 season, Costa signed a two-year, $4,000,000 extension with Monrovia. They couldn’t get a long-term extension with him and traded him for three prospects before the 2000 season with Kano. The Condors had won three straight WAB Championships, having just posted a record-setting 123-39 in 1999.

In his lone Kano season, Costa won his third Pitcher of the Year and earned a Triple Crown with a 24-2 record, 2.19 ERA, and 370 strikeouts. He also led in innings, K/BB, shutouts, and had a career-best 11.7 WAR. That sits third-best all-time in WAB history by a pitcher as of 2037.

The Condors broke their own record at 125-37, but suffered a stunning finals loss to Abidjan. Costa was great in his three playoff starts with a 0.77 ERA over 23.1 innings with 33 strikeouts. That marked the end of his WAB career, as Costa was a free agent for the first time at age 28 and had attention from all around the world.

For his seven WAB seasons, Costa had a 116-67 record, 2.74 ERA, 1727.2 innings, 2137 strikeouts, 306 walks, 143/207 quality starts, 77 complete games, 142 ERA+, 66 FIP-, and 55.1 WAR. It was about as strong of seven years as you can have. However, many WAB Hall of Fame voters felt he simply didn’t have the tenure to deserve the nod. He had the fewest wins of any HOF as of 2037, but still ranks 38^th in WAR.

Some voters figured he’d have continued to dominate had he stayed considering he would do great in MLB. Still, Costa missed the cut at 58.6% on his debut in 2009. He barely missed in 2010 at 65.5%, then crossed the 66% requirement at 70.5% in 2011. That made Costa a third-ballot inductee with WAB’s 2011 class.

Costa found a big payday in MLB for 2001 with a five-year, $39,500,000 deal with Montreal. He debuted with a third place finish in Pitcher of the Year voting and 8.4 WAR in 2001. Costa was again strong in 2002 and finished in two years with the Maples with a 30-27 record, 2.86 ERA, 538.2 innings, 505 strikeouts, 121 ERA+, and 16.3 WAR.

Montreal was mid-grade during his two seasons. It shocked many as Costa opted out of his deal after two years, becoming a free agent again at age 30. Philadelphia gave him an all-time lucrative deal of seven seasons and $80,200,000. The Phillies won the National Association pennant in 2001, but just missed the playoffs in 2002.

Costa’s 2003 season was an all-timer, leading in wins (22-9), strikeouts (319), and WAR (11.7). The WAR mark was the seventh-best by a MLB pitcher. Costa had a 2.15 ERA and 159 ERA+, winning the fourth Pitcher of the Year of his career. He became one of a select group to win POTY in multiple leagues.

But even more impressive was this season earned National Association MVP. This was only the second time in NA history that a non-two-way pitcher won MVP, joining Jerry Addison in 1964. Philadelphia took the top seed at 102-60, but Costa struggled with a 5.14 ERA in 21 playoff innings. The Phillies lost to Ottawa in the NACS.

Costa still looked pretty good in 2004, but he missed much of the fall to shoulder inflammation. He allowed 3 runs in 13 playoff innings as Philadelphia lost in the second round. Costa had an okay start to 2005, but disaster struck with a torn rotator cuff in late May, putting him out five months.

He managed to make it back just in time for one World Series start in 2005, but got rocked with six runs allowed in three innings. Philadelphia ultimately lost in the World Series to Seattle. Costa decided not to opt out of his deal with a huge payday still owed for the next four seasons. However, Costa struggled in spring training and Philadelphia cut him in late March.

With the Phillies, Costa had a 33-16 record, 2.34 ERA, 488 innings, 557 strikeouts, 114 walks, 146 ERA+, and 18.1 WAR. It was a very impressive three years, but the rotator cuff injury absolutely ruined his control. Omaha signed him for 2006, but he was terrible with 74 walks in 126 innings. Costa’s highest walk total previously as 58 over 274.1 innings.

Costa had a -0.6 WAR with the Hawks, who cut him in late August 2006. He finished the year struggling with minor league Morgantown. Buffalo gave him a shot in 2007, but he stunk with a 7.36 ERA and -1.1 WAR in only four starts. The Blue Sox cut him in late April and Costa couldn’t find another job in 2007 or 2008. He retired from the game at age 35.

In MLB, Costa had a 68-56 record, 2.92 ERA, 1178.1 innings, 1166 strikeouts, 299 walks, 117 ERA+, and 32.7 WAR. For his entire pro career, he had a 184-123 record, 2.81 ERA, 2906 innings, 3303 strikeouts, 605 walks, 130 ERA+, and 87.8 WAR. His decline was steep, but Costa was arguably the best pitcher in all of pro baseball in his peak. Winning four Pitcher of the Years and a MLB MVP is a very impressive run.

Hamza Seidu – Second Base – Monrovia Diplomats – 66.5% Third Ballot

Hamza Seidu was a 6’0’’, 195 pound switch-hitting second baseman from Zaria, Nigeria; a city of 736,000 people in the north central part of the nation. Seidu overall a solid contact hitter with an above average ability to draw walks, although his strikeout rate was subpar. He had extreme splits with great numbers against right-handed arms (.989 OPS, 166 wRC+) compared to very average stats against lefties (.749 OPS, 108 wRC+).

Seidu had a much stronger bat than most second basemen, topping 30+ home runs seven times and 40+ thrice. He also was effective at finding the gap and had 33 doubles and 10 triples per his 162 game average. Seidu had excellent running speed, yet he had terrible baserunning skills and was mediocre at getting steals.

Defensively, Seidu played exclusively at second base and was a reliably strong glove, winning Gold Gloves in both 1994 and 1995. His durability was decent, managing to play 135+ games in all but two seasons from 1991-2001. Seidu worked very hard and was considered a solid leader. He was a likeable and respected player that became extremely popular with fans.

A visiting scout from Monrovia was impressed by a teenaged Seidu and signed him to a developmental deal in October 1985. He spent five years developing in Liberia before debuting in 1991 at age 21. Seidu was a full-time starter from the start with an impressive .300/.358/.536 slash as a rookie with 6.1 WAR, earning Rookie of the Year honors.

A sprained ankle cost Seidu about two months in 1992, but he bounced back in 1993 for his first Silver Slugger and a third place in MVP voting. He led in slugging and WAR in 1993. Seidu had 7+ WAR again in 1994 and won his first Gold Glove.

1995 would be his strongest year, winning both a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger. Seidu was second in MVP voting, leading the Western League with 9.2 WAR. He also had career bests in home runs (52), runs (97), hits (186), RBI (127), average (.321), slugging (.688), OPS (1.066), and wRC+ (190).

It was hard to get noticed despite his talent as Monrovia stunk in the 1990s. They were a wild card in Seidu’s rookie year, but only had one winning season in the rest of his tenure (a mere 82-80 in 1992). Seidu didn’t lead in any stats beyond 1995, but he won additional Silver Sluggers in 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, and 2001.

Seidu also played for his native Nigeria from 1992-2003 in the World Baseball Championship. He had 113 starts with 89 hits, 53 runs, 15 doubles, 5 triples, 27 home runs, 63 RBI, a .213/.267/.460 slash, 104 wRC+, and 2.1 WAR.

Monrovia gave Seidu an eight-year, $11,000,000 extension in July 1994 and he kept plugging along. In total for the Diplomats, Seidu had 1753 hits, 884 runs, 323 doubles, 103 triples, 381 home runs, 1065 RBI, a .294/.354/.574 slash, 151 wRC+, and 63.8 WAR. Seidu and HOF classmate Angelo Costa were redeeming qualities in an otherwise lousy era for Monrovia. The Diplomats would retire his #12 uniform soon after he retired.

Seidu’s final season with Monrovia ended with a ruptured Achilles tendon in late September 2001. He had one year left on his contract, but the Diplomats opted to trade him to Kumasi for three prospects. The Monkeys gave Seidu a two-year, $3,600,000 extension in early May in hopes he could be a solid starter.

Kumasi made it to the WLCS in both 2002 and 2003, but lost both times. Injuries meant Seidu only played in around half of the games in both years with solid hitting in 2002, but merely okay stats in 2003. He had 4.0 WAR, a .265/.294/.502 slash, and 126 wRC+ with Kumasi. Seidu decided to retire after the 2003 campaign at only age 34.

For his career, Seidu had 1919 hits, 971 runs, 361 doubles, 112 triples, 412 home runs, 1167 RBI, 601 walks, 326 stolen bases, a .291/.349/.567 slash, 149 wRC+, and 67.8 WAR. A relatively short career gave him lower accumulations than many WAB Hall of Famers. A few guys got in with lower totals, but that was because they started official WAB careers late, entering the debuting league as seasoned pros.

Working in Seidu’s favor was that he was the WAR leader among second baseman, a mark he still holds in 2037. Among all position players, he ranked 29^th. But second base was a lesser valued position and Seidu also was stuck on some forgettable Monrovia teams.

He missed the cut at 57.3% and 57.7% on his first two ballots. Seidu’s popularity and likeable nature helped get him a bump just beyond the 66% requirement on his third ballot. At 66.5%, he became the third and final member of WAB’s 2011 Hall of Fame class.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 08-15-2024, 12:49 PM

2011 SAB Hall of Fame

South Asia Baseball added two players into the Hall of Fame in 2011 with left fielder Amoda Shah leading the way at 98.3%. Pitcher Jalal Mohammad joined him, narrowly breaching the 66% requirement with 67.5% on his second try. Also above the 50% mark was 1B Sunil Lamichhane with 59.2% on his third ballot and C Kumar Patel at 57.5% on his fourth try. No players were dropped following ten failed tries in 2011.

Amoda Shah – Left Field – Ho Chi Minh City Hedgehogs – 98.3% First Ballot

Amoda Shah was a 6’0’’, 200 pound left-handed left fielder from Bhiwandi, India; a city of around 870,000 people within the greater Mumbai region. Shah simply socked dingers and had one of the strongest bats in the world during his run. He topped 50+ homers nine times and smacked 30+ in all of his full seasons. Shah especially raked against righties (1.064 OPS, 190 wRC+) with merely decent stats against lefties (.742 OPS, 115 wRC+).

Shah’s contact skills and his eye were both average at best and he struggled significantly with strikeouts. He was very much boom or bust, but any contact would be very hard as almost 60% of his career hits went for extra bases. Shah could find the gap with around 30-40 doubles/triples most years. He was also far faster on the basepaths than you’d expect from a big bopper with very good speed and baserunning skills.

Defensively, Shah spent the majority of his time in left field and graded as a firmly above average defender there. He had rare starts in center field, but was poorly suited for that spot. His durability was great for much of his career, playing 150+ games each year from 1992-2003. Shah was likeable and his towering dongs made him a massive superstar.

Shah emerged seemingly out of nowhere, signed as an 18-year old by Bangkok in June 1989. He debuted for the Bobcats in 1991 at age 20 with 56 games and only 10 starts. Shah was a full-time starter in 1992 and made a massive impact. He led the Southeast League in runs, homers, total bases, slugging, OPS, and wRC+. His 59 home run, 8.3 WAR effort earned a Silver Slugger as a designated hitter and a second place in MVP voting.

He did even better in 1993 with 64 home runs, which was only three short of the then single-season record. Shah led in strikeouts again, but also had the most total bases with the best slugging and OPS in SEAL. This earned his second Slugger (his first in LF) and his first MVP. All six of his full seasons with Bangkok were worth 6+ WAR.

Shah won additional Silver Sluggers with Bangkok in 1994, 1995, and 1997 along with a Gold Glove in 1997. He took second in 1995 and 1997 MVP voting. Shah led in homers and RBI in 1997 and would lead in slugging four times with Bangkok. The Bobcats earned wild card berths in 1994, 1996, and 1997; but could never get beyond the first round.

Although his full pro career was in SEAL, Shah was a superstar back home in India after an impressive 1993 World Baseball Championship. In 23 games, he had 24 hits, 21 runs, 12 homers, and 23 RBI, helping India to its first-ever championship berth. They fell to Canada in the final ultimately. From 1993-2005, Shah had 130 games and 107 WBC starts with 86 hits, 67 runs, 15 doubles, 34 home runs, 69 RBI, a .216/.308/.534 slash, 142 wRC+, and 3.8 WAR.

In total with Bangkok, Shah had 955 hits, 632 runs, 187 doubles, 324 home runs, 700 RBI, a .277/.347/.639 slash, 173 wRC+, and 49.3 WAR. He was extremely popular in Thailand, but the Bobcats couldn’t keep with the massive money Shah would likely get in free agency. Thus, he left after 1997 and tested the waters at only age 27.

In this era, Ho Chi Minh City and Ahmedabad were the two dynasties who almost exclusively scooped up all the big free agents of the era. Shah ended up in Vietnam with an eight-year, $12,000,000 deal with the Hedgehogs. This would ultimately be his signature and most famous run.

Shah immediately made a massive impact, becoming the single-season home run king in his debut with 70 homers. He only held the top spot two years, but Shah’s season still is one of only nine in SAB history with 70+ as of 2037. He also led in runs and posted both league and career highs in RBI (140), total bases (405), slugging (.713), OPS (1.069), wRC+ (195), and WAR (9.8). Shah won his second MVP and sixth Silver Slugger.

HCMC won its eighth SEAL pennant in 12 years, but lost in the 1998 SAB Championship to Ahmedabad. Shah was underwhelming in the postseason with only 0.4 WAR in 14 starts. He made up for it in 1999, winning LCS MVP with a 9 home run, 20 RBI, 1.284 OPS, 264 wRC+, 1.8 WAR effort in 17 starts. Ho Chi Minh City again fell in the SAB Championship to Ahmedabad.

Shah was less dominant in 1999, but still repeated as MVP and won another Silver Slugger with a league best 118 runs scored, plus 53 homers. In 2000, he had a career and league-best 126 runs scored while smacking 65 homers with 9.5 WAR. Shah won his eighth and final Slugger, but was second in MVP voting as Dhuna Itar broke his homers record with 74.

However, 2000 saw Ho Chi Minh City win its second-ever SAB Championship, getting one over on Ahmedabad. Shah was a bit off in 2001 with a mere 40 home runs, but smacked 54 and 51 in the next two years with 6+ WAR both years. HCMC was upset in the LCS in both 2001 and 2002.

From 2003 to 2005, Ho Chi Minh City had a SAB Championship three-peat, winning 118, 122, and 121 games in their epic seasons. This gave Shah four SAB title rings for his impressive career. He wasn’t called upon to be “the guy” as much in this run, but still delivered plenty of power. In 89 playoff starts, Shah had 75 hits, 50 runs, 11 doubles, 26 home runs, 57 RBI, a .230/.300/.534 slash, 138 wRC+, and 3.0 WAR.

Shah became the career home runs leader later in his career, becoming the first to reach 700 home runs in 2005. That year, Shah also was the third to reach 1500 career RBI. His HCMC teammate Tirtha Uphadhyaya passed him as the homers leader about two years later. Shah would fall down the leaderboards a bit as a new group emerged in a higher offense SAB.

His tallies also didn’t reach their full heights due to injuries. In 2004, Shah missed six weeks to a fractured hand. Then in August 2005, he suffered a broken bone his elbow that ended his season and kept him out of the playoffs. 2005 was also the end of his Ho Chi Minh City contract and unexpectedly ended his career.

In December, Shah suffered a setback in his elbow which forced his retirement from the game at only age 35. With Ho Chi Minh City, he had 1070 hits, 809 runs, 183 doubles, 405 home runs, 855 RBI, 267 stolen bases, a .259/.333/.625 slash, 165 wRC+, and 50.1 WAR.

Shah’s final stats had 2025 hits, 1441 runs, 370 doubles, 101 triples, 729 home runs, 1555 RBI, 679 walks, 478 stolen bases, a .267/.339/.632 slash, 169 wRC+, and 99.4 WAR. As of 2037, Shah is 20^th in WAR among position players, seventh in homers, and 23^rd in RBI. He also has the sixth highest slugging percentage among Hall of Famers.

There were other great home run hitters in that era and the later years in SAB that overshadowed his final tallies. But Shah’s incredible power was something to behold in the 1990s and early 2000s, making him a major superstar beloved in multiple countries. He was an easy headliner for the 2011 Hall of Fame class for SAB at 98.3%.

Jalal Mohammad – Starting Pitcher – Kolkata Cosmos – 67.5% Second Ballot

Jalal Mohammad was a 5’11’’, 185 pound right-handed pitcher from Kurumbalur, India; a town of only 21,000 in the southern Tamil Nadu state. Mohammad had terrific stuff led by a dominant 99-101 mph fastball. He had above average movement, but his control was mediocre at best. Mohammad’s arsenal included a good cutter and curveball, plus an okay slider and changeup. But the fastball, when on target, was among the most impressive in the game.

Mohammad had very good stamina and was a decent defensive pitcher. Teammates and coaches were often critical of him for a poor work ethic and a lack of leadership skills. Mohammad generally just let his fastball carry him to success despite his other flaws.

He threw hard even from a young age, which earned the attention of Indian scouts. Kolkata grabbed a teenaged Mohammad in June 1988 and officially debuted him in 1993 at age 21. He only had 30 innings that year, but showed great potential. Mohammad was a full-timer in 1994 with mixed results, leading the Indian League with 99 walks. Still, he did well enough to earn Rookie of the Year honors.

Mohammad had a good 1995, the missed much of 1996 to a sore shoulder. He bounced back with a third place in 1997’s Pitcher of the Year voting. This saw his lone ERA title at 1.73 along with a career best 7.5 WAR. He matched the WAR total in 1998 and again was third in voting. Mohammad also made history in 1998 with SAB’s third-ever perfect game, striking out 11 on September 8 against Hyderabad.

1998 saw Kolkata end an eight-year playoff drought. They had three straight berths from 1998-2000 with their best performance being an Indian League Championship Series loss in 1999. Mohammad had an unremarkable 4.22 ERA in 21.1 career playoff innings. He also had a 3.51 ERA over 48.2 innings for India in the World Baseball Championship from 2001-2004.

Mohammad led the IL in strikeouts and innings pitched in both 2000 and 2001, as well as in WAR in 2001. 2000 would be his lone Pitcher of the Year win with his 383 strikeouts ranking as the eighth-best single season as of 2037. His 387 Ks in 2001 is tied for third most. 2001 also marked the end of his time with the Cosmos.

Kolkata would go onto retire Mohammad’s #13 uniform. With the Cosmos, he had a 120-84 record, 2.43 ERA, 1859.2 innings, 2545 strikeouts, 584 walks, 128 ERA+, and 40.7 WAR. Few teams had the money or interest needed for Mohammad and he ended up sitting out all of 2002. He returned to the game at age 31 in 2003 on a two-year, $2,720,000 deal with Dhaka. The Dobermans had won the Southeast Asia League pennant in 2002.

2003 notably saw a no-hitter against Kuala Lumpur on August 7 with 16 strikeouts and 3 walks. He struck out 300+ for the sixth time, but also posted a career worst 3.64 WAR. Dhaka missed the playoffs in both 2003 and 2004.

Mohammad had a better ERA and WAR in 2004, but an elbow strain put him out for the final two months. With Dhaka, he finished with a 3.19 ERA, 23-17 record, 375 innings, 528 strikeouts, 116 ERA+, and 7.6 WAR. Mohammad was unsigned in 2005 and retired that winter at only age 33.

The final stats saw a 143-101 record, 2.56 ERA, 2234.2 innings, 3073 strikeouts, 721 walks, 220/289 quality starts, 63 complete games, 21 shutouts, 126 ERA+, and 48.3 WAR. The rate stats were quite good and as of 2037, he has the 22^nd best ERA of any SAB pitcher with 1000+ innings. The accumulations were quite low with a short career and he ranks 63^rd in pitching WAR as of 2037.

Working in Mohammad’s favor was a perfect game, one ERA title, and one Pitcher of the Year award. He missed the cut with a debut at 62.8%, but enough voters were impressed with his resume to get him in on the second ballot. Mohammad only narrowly crossed the 66% requirement at 67.5%, but that made him the second member of SAB’s 2011 Hall of Fame class.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 08-15-2024, 06:41 PM

2011 ABF Hall of Fame

For back-to-back seasons, the Asian Baseball Federation didn’t elect any players into the Hall of Fame. Only one player in 2011 even crossed 50% with SP Sa’id Farahani debuting with 51.2%. The best returner was 1B Mohammed Khan at 42.4% on his fourth ballot. CF Cuneyt Solak was the only other guy above 1/3 with a 39.8% debut. No one was dropped following ten failed ballots.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 08-16-2024, 05:54 AM

2011 ALB Hall of Fame (Part 1)

The Arab League Baseball Hall of Fame had elected five players from 2005-2010, but never had a multi-person class to that point. 2011 changed that with the first-ever three player group. Two pitchers were nearly unanimous and both got 98.4% with Rashid Tariq and Mohamed Wael.

Closer Khadr Seif was the third inductee with 67.4% on his third try, narrowly crossing the 66% requirement. LF Jonoon Asghar barely missed a first ballot nod with 62.7%. SP Ahmed Khandour also had a strong debut, but missed at 57.5%. No players were dropped following ten failed ballots.

Rashid Tariq – Starting Pitcher – Mosul Muskies – 98.4% First Ballot

Rashid Tariq was a 6’5’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Basra, Iraq’s third largest city. Tariq’s pitches had absolutely absurd movement on them that some scouts graded as a 10/10 at his peak. His stuff was also very good with solid control. Tariq’s sinker hit the 96-98 mph range regularly and was mixed with a great forkball, quick slider, and a changeup. He had an extreme groundball tendency

Tariq was also known for legendary stamina and good durability. He would lead the Eastern Conference nine times in innings pitched, eight times in complete games, and nine times in shutouts. Tariq was a prankster in the clubhouse, but was also known for great leadership and intelligence. It’s no wonder that Tariq became ALB’s first great superstar pitcher.

The 1990 ALB Draft was the very first rookie draft for the new league. The timing worked out that Tariq was a top prospect for this and went fifth overall to Mosul. He had a full load immediately with 237.2 innings as a rookie split between starting and relief. Tariq took second in Rookie of the Year voting and earned a full-time gig for the next 14 years with the Muskies.

He quickly became a beloved figure both in Mosul, but for all of Iraqi baseball. Tariq was a regular in the World Baseball Championship from 1991-2005 and posted a 2.66 ERA, 9-13 record, 189.1 innings, 184 strikeouts, 65 walks, 134 ERA+, and 4.8 WAR. Tariq was a consistent positive figure for Iraqis during a tumultuous era generally for the country.

In his third season, Tariq led in WAR, wins, and innings, earning his first Pitcher of the Year. This started a streak of nine consecutive seasons worth 9+ WAR. From 1993-2001, Tariq led the conference in wins seven times, ERA five times, innings eight times, strikeouts once, WHIP four times, complete games seven times, and WAR seven times.

1995 was Tariq’s second Pitcher of the Year with a 23-9 record, 2.02 ERA, 340 strikeouts, 11.7 WAR, and 0.88 WHIP. The WAR mark set a new single-season best for the new league and still ranks fifth in 2037. The 298 innings pitched remains ALB’s single-season most as of 2037. This also was good for third in MVP voting. Perhaps most importantly, this helped make Mosul a contender.

The Muskies had posted losing seasons in the first five years of existence, but 1995 started an eight-year Iraq Division title streak. Mosul would lose to Medina in the conference final, but they knew they were on the right track with Tariq as the ace. That winter, the Muskies signed Tariq to a six-year, $5,020,000 extension.

Tariq repeated as Pitcher of the Year in 1996 with a 24-6 record, 2.42 ERA, 282.1 innings, 343 strikeouts, and 11.5 WAR. He had a 1.52 ERA over 23.2 playoff innings as Mosul won their first-ever Eastern Conference pennant, although they lost the Arab League Championship against Cairo. They lost in the 1997 conference final in an upset to Doha with Tariq posting a 4.70 ERA in 7.2 playoff innings.

Still, 1997 was his best-ever regular season, winning a fourth POTY and taking third in MVP voting. He had career bests in wins (27-4), ERA (1.72), strikeouts (365), WHIP (0.85), quality starts (29), complete games (15), ERA+ (219), FIP- (53), and WAR (11.9). The 27 wins remains the single-season ALB record as of 2037, while the WAR mark ranks third and the ERA mark ranks seventh. There have been eight 11+ WAR pitching season in ALB history and Tariq has three of them.

Tariq’s Pitcher of the Year streak was broken in 1998 with a third place, although he led again in WAR and had his only time leading in strikeouts. However, this year saw an impressive playoff run with a 1.17 ERA over three starts and 23 innings. Mosul won it all, defeating Khartoum in the ALB Championship.

They officially began a dynasty by winning the ALB title again in 1999, this time over Amman. Tariq was second in POTY voting and posted a 2.97 ERA and 3-0 record over 30.1 playoff innings. In 2000, Tariq won his fifth Pitcher of the Year and took third in MVP voting with a 25-8 record, 2.28 ERA, 288 innings, 324 strikeouts, and 10.2 WAR.

Mosul set a league record at 121-41 and seemed primed for a three-peat, but they suffered a stunning upset in the conference final to 83-win Kuwait. Tariq gave up four runs in eight innings over his lone playoff start. Although a disappointing end to that season, Mosul didn’t hesitate to re-up their 31-year old ace. Tariq signed a five-year, $23,600,000 extension that winter.

The Muskies rebounded by winning the 2001 title over Casablanca, making it three titles in four years. Tariq won his sixth Pitcher of the Year in 2001 with his fifth ERA title, seventh WAR title, and seventh time as the wins leader. He only saw 0.2 playoff innings though due to a rotator cuff strain in his lone appearance.

The rotator cuff was strained again in 2002, costing Tariq the first two months of the season. An oblique strain in the summer cost him another six weeks. Tariq allowed four runs in eight innings in his lone playoff start as Mosul fell in the first round to Dubai. This ended their playoff run, as the Muskies fell just below .500 for the next three years, then to the bottom shortly after.

Tariq went down as an all-timer in the playoffs for his career with a 7-5 record, 2.56 ERA, 116 innings, 129 strikeouts, 26 walks, 13/16 quality starts, 4 complete games, 149 ERA+, and 4.2 WAR. As of 2037, he’s fifth in playoff pitching WAR, seventh in wins, and ninth in strikeouts. Tariq’s four complete games are also the most of any player.

He bounced back from an injury-laden 2002 by winning his seventh Pitcher of the Year in 2003, winning a sixth ERA title and leading in WAR for the eighth time. As of 2037, he’s the only seven-time POTY winner in ALB with the next closest having six.

Tariq also started hitting notable statistical firsts in the young league. In 2000, Tariq was the first to reach 200 career wins, then was the first to 250 in 2003. He was the second to reach 3000 strikeouts in 2001, but the first to 3500 in 2003 and the first to 4000 in 2005.

His velocity dropped from a 96-98 mph peak to 92-94 in 2004. While he still was a good pitcher, the 5.7 WAR was the lowest full season since his rookie year and the 3.29 ERA was his worst full season. By 2005, Tariq couldn’t get out of the 80s on his pitches and he posted a middling 3.94 ERA and 3.4 WAR over 264.2 innings. Tariq allowed 296 hits, which remains a single-season ALB worst. Tariq retired that winter at age 37 and was immediately honored with his #11 uniform retired.

Tariq finished with a 285-132 record, 2.64 ERA, 3979.2 innings, 4008 strikeouts, 732 walks, 346/493 quality starts, 167 complete games, 48 shutouts, 142 ERA+, 67 FIP-, and 125.5 WAR. At retirement, he was the all-time leader in wins, innings, complete games, shutouts, strikeouts, and pitching WAR.

As of 2037, Tariq is third in WAR, third in wins, seventh in strikeouts, and fourth in innings. He remains the all-time complete games and shutouts leader by a significant margin, but surprisingly never threw a no-hitter. Tariq’s ERA ranks 11^th among all ALB pitchers with 1000+ career innings and his opponent’s OPS of .611 ranks 14^th.

That, seven POTYs, and three titles with Mosul makes for an impeccable resume. A couple guys would make a run in later years at the GOAT pitcher title, but Tariq is pretty much undisputed for his era. Many still argue that he is the Arab League’s all-time best pitcher and certainly a strong case can be made to that effect. Tariq earned 98.4% to co-headline the 2011 ALB Hall of Fame class.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 08-16-2024, 12:30 PM

2011 ALB Hall of Fame (Part 2)

Mohamed Wael – Starting Pitcher – Khartoum Cottonmouths – 98.4% First Ballot

Mohamed Wael was a 6’2’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Shubra El Kheima, Egypt’s fourth largest city. It has around 1,240,000 people and is part of the greater Cairo area. Wael had excellent stuff with above average to good movement and control. His fastball his the 96-98 mph range and was complimented by a forkball, changeup, and curveball.

Wael’s stamina was average to below average relative to other ALB aces. However, he was an ironman that started 34+ games in all 13 of his full ALB seasons. Wael was one of the hardest working guys in the game and his popularity and notoriety at times rivaled his Hall of Fame classmate Rashid Tariq.

Like Tariq, Wael was a top prospect in the first rookie draft in 1990. He was picked 11^th overall by Khartoum, but only saw eight relief appearances in 1991. Wael was moved to the rotation full-time the next year and took second in 1992 Rookie of the Year voting. He was a dominant ace by 1993 and from 1993-1997, Wael led the Western Conference in both strikeouts and WAR four times.

Wael was second in 1993 Pitcher of the Year voting, leading in WAR (10.5), strikeouts (314), K/BB (10.1), and WHIP (0.70). He took second despite setting multiple single-season records that still hold in 2037. Wael’s 0.70 WHIP, 5.14 H/9, opponent’s triple slash (.165/.202/.258), and opponent’s OPS (.460) are each all-time single-season ALB bests.

In 1994, Wael again led in WAR (10.5) and strikeouts (338), but this time led in wins too at 21-4. He won Pitcher of the Year and finished second in ERA at 1.83. Wael finished second in POTY voting in 1995, again leading in wins and WHIP. In 1996, Wael led in Ks (300) and WAR (8.7) again, but took second. 1996 also featured a no-hitter on May 18 against Beirut with nine strikeouts and four walks.

Despite his efforts, Khartoum was stuck in the middle tier, averaging 82 wins per season in Wael’s first six years. Things changed with 1997, which saw Wael’s second Pitcher of the Year. It was his first ERA title (2.36) and he also led in strikeouts and WAR again. Khartoum earned its first-ever playoff berth and the top seed at 105-57. Wael posted a 2.08 ERA in 13 playoff innings with the Cottonmouths winning the Western Conference title, falling to Doha in the ALB Championship.

Wael won a third Pitcher of the Year in 1998 with his second ERA title and fourth time leading in WHIP. He struggled in the playoffs with a 6.00 ERA over 21 innings, but Khartoum repeated regardless as conference champs despite dropping to 86-76. They lost the Arab League Championship matchup against Mosul.

All the while, Wael had pitched for his native Egypt in the World Baseball Championship regularly. He had 203.1 innings from 1993-2008 and posted a 9-13 record, 3.14 ERA, 272 strikeouts, 57 walks, 115 ERA+, and 5.5 WAR. Wael continued to pitch for Egypt even after he left the Arab League.

May 1999 saw a five-year, $7,880,000 extension for Wael, although the season had a 3.19 ERA, a career worst to that point. He tossed seven shutout innings in his one playoff start as Khartoum had the #1 seed, but was upset by Amman in the conference final. The Cottonmouths would be stuck back around .500 for the remainder of Wael’s run. He had an unremarkable 3.73 ERA over his seven playoff starts there.

Wael bounced back with his fifth WARlord season in 2000, taking third in Pitcher of the Year voting. He was respectable, but not outstanding in 2001 and 2002. In 2003, Wael returned to form and led in strikeouts for the fifth time, WAR for the sixth time, and WHIP for the fifth time. He finished third in POTY voting.

One year remained on his Khartoum deal, but they opted to trade the 34-year old ace within the division to Alexandria for outfield prospects Mido bin Zahoor and Hamza Moheisen. His one year with the Astronauts was excellent, earning the second-ever pitching Triple Crown season with a 22-8 record, 2.36 ERA, and career best 359 strikeouts. This made Wael a four-time Pitcher of the Year winner.

Alexandria took the top seed at 106-56, but lost to Beirut in the conference final. Wael struggled in six playoff innings, allowing 10 runs. It was a lackluster way to end an otherwise brilliant run in the Arab League. A free agent at age 35, Wael left for Major League Baseball on a three-year, $29,400,000 deal with Quebec City.

In ALB, Wael had a 225-105 record, 2.47 ERA, 3087.1 innings, 3977 strikeouts, 569 walks, 331/462 quality starts, 26 complete games, 152 ERA+, and 101.9 WAR. He was often right there with HOF classmate Tariq on the pitching leaderboards. Some thought Wael might get more play in the GOAT conversations had his final five seasons stayed in ALB.

As of 2037, he’s still fifth in WAR, eighth in strikeouts, eighth in wins, and 16^th in innings. His rate stats are tremendous and he still ranks first in 2037 among all pitchers with 1000+ innings in WHIP (0.91) and opponent’s OBP (.248). Wael also is third in ERA and second in OPS (.576). He has the best OPS of starters, behind fellow 2011 HOFer Khadr Seif.

Certainly, you could see how Wael might have made a run at some of Tariq’s all-time numbers. Four POTYs versus seven, plus Wael’s mediocre playoff stats, certainly puts Tariq ahead in the minds of most. But Wael’s resume was still a lock and he finished with the same 98.4% as Tariq. Thus, they co-headlined the 2011 ALB Hall of Fame class as the top pitchers of their era.

Wael debuted in MLB in 2005 and looked below average, getting demoted to a part-time role. He made it back to a full-time spot with strong numbers in 2006 with a 2.63 ERA and 5.0 WAR. Wael had 4.3 WAR and a 3.93 in 2007. He also had a 1.54 ERA over 11.2 playoff innings as Quebec City lost in the 2005 National Association Championship Series and the second round in 2006.

With the Nordiques, Wael had a 40-27 record, 3.36 ERA, 646.1 innings, 525 strikeouts, 144 walks, 101 ERA+, and 11.2 WAR. A free agent again and now 38, Austin gave him a two-year, $14,200,000 deal. Wael looked decent in 12 starts with a 3.15 ERA and 2.0 WAR, but the Amigos surprisingly cut him loose in June.

Portland picked him up soon after, although a hamstring strain knocked him out in September. He had a 3.41 ERA and 1.3 WAR over 108.1 innings. This ended his MLB tenure, but Wael still wanted to pitch somewhere. He posted a 51-35 record, 3.34 ERA, 851.2 innings, 661 strikeouts, 104 ERA+, and 14.6 WAR in his MLB career.

West African Baseball’s Port Harcourt gave him a three-year, $7,800,000 deal with expectations of solid things. Wael struggled in his one season with the Hillcats, posting a 4.57 ERA and 2.6 WAR over 203 innings. He remained on roster for all of 2010, but never saw the field. Wael retired from the game that winter at age 41.

For his entire career, Wael had a 285-151 record, 2.75 ERA, 4142 innings, 4799 strikeouts, 837 walks, 411/598 quality starts, 135 ERA+, and 119.0 WAR. He was certainly one of the strongest pitchers to come from Arab League Baseball’s first decade of play and is often a part of any conversation about ALB’s top five pitchers ever.

Khadr Seif – Closer – Amman Aviators – 67.4% Third Ballot

Khadr Seif was a 6’0’’, 205 pound right-handed relief pitcher from Irbid, Jordan; the nation’s third largest city with around 569,000 inhabitants. Seif had terrific stuff with an impressive 98-100 mph fastball and an even better splitter. His movement was reliably good, but his control was below average to poor. Seif had excellent durability, but a lack of stamina and a third pitch confined him to the bullpen.

Seif had just started a pro career by the time Arab League Baseball formed for the 1990 season, giving him free agency at age 22 to start. He signed with his home country team Amman. Seif was the starting closer for five seasons and won Reliever of the Year honors in 1993 with a 1.69 ERA and 136 strikeouts over 90.1 innings with 31 saves. Seif was third in ROTY voting in 1994.

Amman finished below .500 in their first five seasons. Seif had a reduced role in 1995, but had a 0.79 ERA over 45.1 innings. The Aviators won their first-ever division title, but lost in the first round of the playoffs to Cairo. This ended Seif’s first run with Amman after six seasons with 167 saves, 841 strikeouts, 523.2 innings, 2.02 ERA, and 19.4 WAR.

Just before the 1996 season started, Seif was traded to Cairo for three prospects and a draft pick. He was a part-time closer with the Pharaohs in 1996, but helped them win the Arab League Championship over Mosul. They missed the playoffs in 1997, but Seif saw his only season as the saves leader with 39. That secured him his second Reliever of the Year.

A free agent at age 30, Seif signed a three-year, $2,220,000 deal with Basra. He repeated as Reliever of the Year in 1998, but was moved out of the closer role by his third season with the Bulldogs. In three seasons there, he had a .238 ERA, 77 saves, 230.1 innings, 320 strikeouts, and 5.3 WAR. While there, he also became the first ALB reliever to 300 career saves.

Seif signed a one-year deal in 2001 with Kuwait, but was traded to Cairo in the summer. He had 66 saves, a 1.86 ERA, 169.1 innings, 257 strikeouts, and 7.2 WAR between his Cairo stints. Seif’s only playoff appearances came with the Pharaohs with 3 runs allowed over 6 innings with 9 strikeouts. In 2002, Seif started in Beirut and was traded to Jeddah in June.

Amman brought him back in 2003, but he was traded in July to Khartoum. That was his last ALB season, although he saw stints in AAB with Johannesburg and Dar es Salaam in 2004. He earned a championship ring in 2004 with the Sabercats, although he only had one appearance with them. Seif retired after the 2004 season at age 37.

In ALB, Seif had 357 saves and 444 shutdowns over 1118.1 innings, a 2.19 ERA, 1715 strikeouts, 413 walks, 166 ERA+, and 34.8 WAR. Combining his brief AAB run, he had 1136.2 innings, 1731 strikeouts, and 35.1 WAR. Seif retired as ALB’s saves leader and still ranks third as of 2037.

His rate stats were also excellent. As of 2037, Seif leads all pitchers with 1000+ innings in career ERA, H/9 (5.71), opponent’s batting average (.180), slugging (.301), and OPS (.564). However, Seif’s lack of postseason success hurt him with some voters. Others thought the first-ever reliever into the Hall of Fame needed more eye-popping numbers.

Seif barely missed the cut in his first two ballots. He fell short of the 66% requirement by less than one point at 65.1% and 65.2%. His third ballot got the very slight bump to 67.4%. Seif was the third member of the 2011 ALB Hall of Fame class and the first relief pitcher to earn the nod.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 08-16-2024, 06:49 PM

2011 AAB Hall of Fame

2011 still didn’t mark the first Hall of Famer for the African Association of Baseball. However, closer Juares Ibara set a new high mark at 56.1% on his debut, still falling short of the 66% requirement. CF Bawaka Ngoie made a slight improvement on his second ballot at 54.0%. SP Hendrik Jongman also topped ½ with 50.2% on his fourth ballot. Three others were above 1/3 of the vote. No players were dropped after ten failed ballots.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 08-17-2024, 06:12 AM

2011 World Baseball Championship

The 65^th World Baseball Championship in 2011 was the first hosted in the Arab World since 1991, this time centered around Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. France advanced out of Division 1 at 7-2, topping Canada by one game and three other nations by two. This was the first division title since 2004 for the French and their 11^th overall.

The defending champion United States was the only unbeaten team in divisional play at 9-0 atop D2, although Guatemala gave them a fight at 8-1 The Americans advanced for the fifth consecutive year and for the 54^th time overall. Division 3 was tight with China and Panama tied at 7-2, while both Germany and Scotland were 6-3. The Chinese advanced on the tiebreaker to end a three-year drought and earn their 24^th division crown.

England advanced out of Division 4 at 7-2, holding off 6-3 efforts by Brazil and Japan. This was the seventh division title for the English and their first since 2002. Division 5 had a tie between Thailand and Egypt at 7-2, while Sudan was 6-3 and 2009 champ India was 5-4. The Thais took the head-to-head tiebreaker and became the 74^th unique nation to earn a division title.

Ireland and Serbia were even atop Division 6 at 6-3, while Russia and Spain were 5-4 and five countries went 4-5. The Irish had the head-to-head tiebreaker for their second-ever division title with the other way back in 1960; a 50 year gap.

Indonesia and South Africa each were 7-2 in Division 7, while last year’s runner-up Colombia and Nicaragua were 6-3. The Indonesians had the tiebreaker to advance for the 19^th time and the second time in four years. Lastly, Nigeria snagged D8 at 8-1, topping last year’s third place team Pakistan (7-2) plus both the Czech Republic and Myanmar at 6-3. The Nigerians secured a second division title in three years and their third overall.

The United States ended up being the only team from the 2010 playoff field to make it back in 2011. They advanced to the semifinal for the 48^th time, taking the top record in Round Robin Group A at 5-1. Ireland at 3-3 moved forward as well for their first-ever final four. Both France and Indonesia finished 2-4.

Group B saw England and Nigeria prevail with 4-2 records, while China was 3-3 and Thailand went 1-5. The Nigerians earned a fourth semifinal berth and their second in three years. It was the third semifinal for the English, who hadn’t made it that far since 1975.

The Americans swept Nigeria in one semifinal for a fifth consecutive finals appearance and their 44^th overall. England topped neighboring Ireland 3-1 on the other side, making the English the 25^th different nation to earn a championship berth. The Irish’s third place was a new best for them. Ireland became the 44^th unique country to make it to the final four.

The United States maintained its dominance by winning the 65^th World Championship 4-1 over England. The Americans moved to 38-6 in the finals, winning back-to-back, their fourth in five years, and their 11^th and 16 years.

Ezekiel Thomas became the fifth player to win Tournament MVP twice, having also won in 2008. The 27-year old RF with Virginia Beach had 36 hits, 26 runs, 10 doubles, 14 home runs, 32 RBI, 88 total bases, a .434/.505/1.060 slash, 317 wRC+, and 3.1 WAR. It was the fourth-highest WAR by a position player to that point and the second most total bases.

The Americans also had the best pitcher in Stevie Ray Thornton, a 27-year old closer for Philadelphia. The two-time Reliever of the Year winner tossed 13 scoreless innings with 32 strikeouts, one hit, and four walks. Both Thornton and Thomas were New York City natives.

Other notes: In the all-time team score, China’s division title pushed them just past Brazil for the third most points of any team.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 08-17-2024, 11:32 AM

2011 in E2L

Reykjavik had the European Second League’s top record for the Western Conference at 99-63, earning repeat playoff berths. They were one game better than 98-64 Rome, who hoped to escape the bottom tier for the second time. After only 64 wins in 2010, Antwerp improved to 94-68 to earn the #3 seed.

Valencia narrowly grabbed the fourth and final playoff spot at 87-75. Four teams were two back at 85-77; Hanover, Liverpool, Nottingham, and Palermo. Recently relegated Berlin was in the mix too at 83-79. Notably Cardiff and Stuttgart, both playoff teams in 2010, plummeted to 57-105 and 66-96, respectively.

Wroclaw finished atop the Eastern Conference at 100-62 to end a four-year playoff drought. Lviv (97-65), and Chisinau (94-68) were next. The Lunkers earned a fifth straight playoff berth hoping to finally earn promotion. For the Counts, this was their first-ever winning season.

Odessa in its second season in the E2L grabbed the fourth playoff spot at 91-71. The closest foes were Cluj-Napoca and Varna at 86-76, plus recently demoted Tirana at 85-77. Riga, a semifinalist last year, was tied for eighth at 83-79 along with Sarajevo and Tbilisi.

Round Robin Group A had Antwerp and Rome both advance at 4-2, while top seed Reykjavik and Valencia were both 2-4. In Group B, Lviv and Chisinau advanced at 4-2, while it was Odessa and top seed Wroclaw both at 2-4. Antwerp rolled Rome in a Western Conference Championship sweep and Chisinau topped Lviv 4-2 in the Eastern Conference final.

The Airedales earned a second promotion to the European Baseball Federation Elite, having made it in 2008 only to get relegated immediately back. The Counts earned their first-ever trip to the top tier. In the Second League Championship, Antwerp defeated Chisinau 4-1 for the top spot.

If any additional promotion spots come up due to 100+ loss teams in the Elite tier, Lviv would be the first in line to join Antwerp and Chisinau, followed by Rome, then Wroclaw.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 08-17-2024, 05:41 PM

2011 in AAB

After a second place in 2010, Lusaka took first in the African Association of Baseball’s Southern Conference in 2011 at 107-55. It was the second-ever first place for the Lake Monsters, who did it in the inaugural 1995 season. Lusaka showed impressive power, setting a conference record with 318 team home runs. That remained the top mark until 2036. Lusaka’s 938 runs were 179 more than second place.

It was great pitching that gave Maputo second place at 101-61, earning their first-ever playoff berth. The Piranhas allowed only 540 runs, which remains the conference record as of 2037. It was an 11 game drop to third place with reigning conference champ Harare and Durban both at 90-72. Antananarivo was fifth at 88-74.

Lusaka right fielder Kaunda Kalinga repeated as Southern Conference MVP. The 29-year old Tanzanian led in home runs (64), OPS (1.097), and WAR (8.8). Kalinga added 124 runs, 144 RBI, 184 wRC+, and a .282/.395/.702 slash.

Maputo’s Natnael Seyoum won Pitcher of the Year in his third season. The 25-year old Ethiopian lefty led in strikeouts (258), innings (253.2), WHIP (1.03), quality starts (24), shutouts (4), FIP- (74), and WAR (6.9). Seyoum had a 2.73 ERA. 155 ERA+, and 16-7 record.

Three-time defending AAB champ and five-time defending Central Conference champ Addis Ababa earned another first place finish. The Brahmas dropped from their historic 120-win 2010, but still finished strong at 104-58. AA’s pitching staff set a new conference record for strikeouts (1653) and K/9 (10.22). Both held as the top mark until 2030.

Kigali was a close second at 100-62, a nice improvement from a .500 mark the prior year. This was the third-ever playoff berth for the Guardians (2008, 2003). It was a steep drop to third place Mogadishu at 86-76, ending their hopes for a third straight wild card.

CF Mwarami Tale repeated as Southern Conference MVP and became the first six-time MVP in AAB history. The 30-year old Tanzanian won his second with Addis Ababa, having won the prior four with Luanda. It was his fourth consecutive season with an MVP.

Tale led in WAR (8.8), and runs (125) while adding 61 home runs, 122 RBI, a .290/.394/.681 slash, and 181 wRC+. He edged out Bujumbura’s Luke Tembo for the honor despite Tembo’s conference-best 66 homers, 143 RBI, and 131 walks.

Addis Ababa ace Michael Wakachu repeated as Pitcher of the Year and won his third award. The 31-year old Malawian led in ERA (2.56), WHIP (0.96), K/BB (5.5), FIP- (53), and WAR (7.4). Wakachu added a 13-8 record over 186.1 innings, 160 ERA+, and 269 strikeouts.

Maputo stunned top seed Lusaka 4-1 in the Southern Conference Championship for their first-ever pennant. They became the eighth team from the SC to win the pennant, leaving the Lake Monsters and Lilongwe as the only teams without.

Addis Ababa’s dynasty rolled on with a sixth straight Central Conference Championship win, although Kigali made them earn it. The series needed all seven games and game down to the final at-bat. In the bottom of the ninth tied 4-4, Marlin Kimwaki ended it with a three-run home run for a 7-4 game seven victory. The Brahmas joined SAB’s Ahmedabad, WAB’s Kano, CLB’s Dalian, MLB’s Philadelphia, OBA’s Melbourne, and CABA’s Mexico City as the only franchises to win six consecutive subleague titles.

In the 17^th Africa Series, Addis Ababa defeated Maputo 5-3 for a fourth consecutive title, matching Kinshasa’s four-peat from 1997-2000. Conference MVP Mwarami Tale was finals MVP, posting 21 hits, 8 runs, 6 doubles, 4 home runs, 10 RBI, and a 1.211 OPS in 14 playoff starts. The Brahmas were joined the Sun Cats, Ahmedabad, Dalian, Mexico City, and Melbourne as the only teams in any world league to four-peat as overall league champs.

Other notes: Felix Chaula became the second player to 700 career home runs. He finished the season at 713, while Mohau Sibiya played his final season to end with 727. Chaula would pass him the next year for the home run king crown. Chaula also joined him in the 1500 RBI club with Sibiya retiring at 1585. Chaula also passed him for that top mark in 2012. Adding to the accolades, Chaula became the first ten-time Silver Slugger winner with his in right field.

2B Gedeon Bukasa won his ninth Silver Slugger and 3B Marlin Kimwaki won his eighth. Mwarami Tale and Luke Tembo both breached 500 home runs, making that a six-player club. Tembo won his seventh Slugger at first base and Tale earned his sixth in center field. Nairobi’s Amisi Kongolo was the third player to have a six hit game and would be the last one until 2020. SS Joaquim Artur won his seventh Gold Glove.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 08-18-2024, 06:08 AM

2011 in ALB

Two-time defending Arab League Baseball champ Amman won the Levant Division for the fourth consecutive year. They dropped from an impressive 116-win campaign in 2010 down to 97-65, fending off a spirited effort from 94-68 Jerusalem. The Aviators weren’t able to take the top seed, as that went to Casablanca at 99-63.

The Bruins guaranteed a fifth consecutive appearance in the Western Conference Final with their fifth straight Mediterranean Division title. They also had some competition, holding off 92-70 Tunis. Giza’s hope for a sixth Nile Division title in a row was thwarted as they dropped to 77-85. Alexandria won a weak division at 81-81, beating the Goats and Khartoum both by four games. The Astronauts ended a five-year playoff drought.

Jerusalem DH Tarek Abdel Rahman won a third consecutive Western Conference MVP. The 30-year old Egyptian led in hits (207), runs (109), RBI (146), total bases (418), average (.351), OBP (.414), OPS (1.122), and wRC+ (229). Rahman added 9.6 WAR and 56 homers. The Jets would reward their slugger the following Jul with a six-year, $35,800,000 extension.

Giza’s Hazem El-Morsy became a two-time Pitcher of the Year winner, having also taken it in 2007. The 27-year old Egyptian righty led in WAR (10.2), WHIP (0.86), quality starts (28), and FIP- (53). El-Morsey added a 10-12 record over 257.2 innings, 2.58 ERA, 324 strikeouts, and a 142 ERA+.

The reigning champ Amman was shocked as Alexandria upset them 2-1 in the first round of the playoffs. The Astronauts continued to stun the Arab world, ousting Casablanca 3-1 in the Western Conference Final. This was the second pennant for Alexandria, who also won in 2002. At .500, the Astronauts became the weakest team in advance to the ALB Championship. The Bruins suffered a third consecutive WCF defeat.

Nobody stood out in the Eastern Conference as six teams were within six games of the #1 seed. Dubai took the top spot at 90-72 in the Gulf Division, ending a three-year playoff drought and guaranteeing their first conference finals berth since their 2003 pennant. They outlasted 86-76 Abu Dhabi. In the Saudi Division, Jeddah ended a nine-year drought at 88-74. They edged 87-75 Mecca by one game and 84-78 Medina by four.

Defending EC champ Basra maintained control of the Iraq Division for the ninth consecutive year, which stands alone as ALB’s longest playoff streak. 86-76 was the weakest record the Bulldogs had posted in that run, ending a three-year stretch of 100+ win campaigns. Sulaymaniya came closest in the division race at 81-81 with Kuwait at 79-83. Basra uniquely led all of ALB in runs scored (875) while also allowing the most (846).

Eastern Conference MVP was Abu Dhabi 2B Mohamed Mustafa. The 30-year old Sudanese righty led in hits (222), total bases (450), batting average (.368), and WAR (11.2). Mustafa also had 56 home runs, 141 RBI, a 1.151 OPS, and 202 wRC+. The Destroyers gave him a seven-year, $24,040,000 extension the prior summer. Mustafa beat out Mecca’s Yahya bin Hakam for the honor despite the latter’s 64 home run, 152 RBI, 10.9 WAR effort.

In his second season in the rotation, Jeddah’s Herdi Wahib won Pitcher of the Year. The 24-year old Palestinian lefty led in wins (19-10), ERA (2.11), innings (268.2), quality starts (28), complete games (14), shutouts (3), FIP- (60), and WAR (9.7). He finished second in strikeouts with 337 and had a 195 ERA+.

Although the road underdog, reigning conference champ Basra bested Jeddah 2-1 in the first round of the playoffs. The high powered Bulldogs then knocked off Dubai 3-2 in the Eastern Conference Final. This gave Basra its fifth pennant in eight years, the most of any ALB team in the league’s short history to date.

The 22^nd Arab League Championship had one of the weakest combined records of any league final in any league with Alexandria at 81-81 and Basra at 86-76. The Bulldogs rolled the Astronauts in five games, giving Basra its third overall title (2006, 2008, 2011). RF Farouk Adam was finals MVP with the three-time conference MVP getting 17 hits, 3 runs, 4 doubles, 2 homers, 10 RBI, and 7 stolen bases in 11 playoff starts.

Other notes: Basra slugger Nordine Soule became the all-time world leader in home runs, passing Beisbol Sudamerica’s Milton Becker’s 941 by finishing the 2011 season with 964. Soule smacked 48 homers at age 36, which actually ended a 14-year streak of 50+ homers each year. The Comoran left fielder also won his 15^th straight Silver Slugger, adding to an ALB record.

Adding his accolades, Soule became the first ALB batter to reach 3000 career hits. Mustafa bin Nazim joined Soule as the only ALB hitters with 700 home runs. Both bin Nazim and Fadi Adwan breached 2500 hits, making four batters to cross that mark. Samer Al-Mousa became the third to 600 home runs and the fourth to 1500 RBI. Additionally, bin Nazim won his 13^th Silver Slugger and third at third base. His previous 10 came at second base.

Ramy Kayat became the fifth reliever to 300 saves. Jabor Karim and Abdullah Al-Tamtami made seven pitchers to reach 3000 strikeouts. SS Amr Khatab won his ALB-record 12^th Gold Glove. Khatab would be the only ALB player with 12+ Gold Gloves until RF Nathan Nasreddine joined him in 2034.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 08-18-2024, 11:08 AM

2011 in ABF

After taking the fourth and final seed in 2010, Faisalabad earned the East League’s #1 seed in 2011. The Fire won the South Division at 96-66 for their first-ever division title. Both wild cards came out of the South with Hyderabad (92-70) and Karachi (90-72). Both the Carp and Horned Frogs return to the playoffs after having streaks ended in 2010.

Almaty won the North Division at 91-71 for a third consecutive playoff berth. Peshawar was their closest competitor at 83-79. Bishkek, winners of 104 games the prior year, fell to 82-80. Reigning Asian Baseball Federation champ Rawalpindi also missed the cut, dropping from 96 wins in 2010 to 83 in 2011.

East League MVP went to Faisalabad 1B Rafkat Kudaybergenov. The 25-year old Uzbek lefty led in hits (204), runs (107), doubles (52), total bases (352), OBP (.407), slugging (.602), OPS (1.009), wRC+ (215), and WAR (10.3). Kudaybergenov added 32 home runs, 91 RBI, and a .349 batting average. He had signed a four-year, $20,760,000 extension the prior summer and would ultimately be the face of the Fire for the next decade-plus.

Karachi’s Zahir Nasir won his second Pitcher of the Year, having previously won in 2008. Like that season, Nasir in 2011 won an ERA title (1.45) and was the WARlord at 8.3. The 31-year old righty also led with a 0.81 WHIP and posted a 228 ERA+ over 217 innings, 295 strikeouts, and 17-6 record. His ERA mark was the eighth-best single season by a starter.

The division champs earned first round sweeps with Faisalabad over Karachi and Almaty over Hyderabad. The Assassins earned their second East League Championship Series berth in three years, hoping for their first pennant since joining ABF. The Fire also was searching for their first pennant, having fallen in 1992 and 1997 appearances. Faisalabad prevailed 4-2 in the ELCS, which gives all eight Pakistani teams at least one pennant to their name.

Ankara won the Turkish Division at 98-64 to take the top seed in the West League. The Alouettes earned a second division title in three years. Reigning WL champ Baku took a competitive Central Division at 95-67, giving the Blackbirds three straight division titles. Tehran was second at 92-70 to take the first wild card. The Tarpons ended a 17-year playoff drought and posted their first winning record since 2000.

Isfahan and Gaziantep tied for the second wild card at 89-73, while Tabriz was one back at 88-74. The tiebreaker formula gave the Imperials the final spot, putting them back in the postseason after seeing a four-year streak ended in 2010. The Tiger Sharks and Gorillas both missed out on repeat berths.

Ankara LF Guriel Chacham won West League MVP in his fifth season. The 28-year old Israeli righty led in home runs (55), and RBI (115). Cacham added 6.8 WAR, a 175 wRC+, and .964 OPS. The Alouettes gave him a six-year, $56,600,000 extension in May 2013, but he never posted an MVP caliber season again.

Bursa’s Ardak Novruzov snagged Pitcher of the Year honors and his second ERA title at 1.54. The 25-year old Tajik lefty also led in WHIP (0.81), quality starts (27), and FIP- (65). Novruzov had 6.3 WAR, 219 ERA+, 204.2 innings, 251 strikeouts, and a 15-6 record.

Wild card Isfahan stunned Ankara with a first round sweep, while fellow wild card Tehran outlasted Baku 3-2. The Imperials earned a third West League Championship Series appearance in four years and have made it 10 times since the Tarpons’ lone pennant in 1993. Tehran would snap the drought, defeating Isfahan 4-2 in the WLCS.

The 27^th Asian Baseball Federation Championship was guaranteed to crown the ABF’s 16^th unique champion. Faisalabad cruised to the title 4-1 over Tehran. Rookie RF Rahim Hashwani was a surprise finals MVP after starting only 32 regular season games. He only had 8 playoff games and two starts, but posted 5 hits, 2 runs, 3 doubles, 1 homer, and 3 RBI. The Fire are the third straight Pakistani team to win the title and mark four different champs in the last four seasons.

Other notes: Bishkek’s Talgat Bekturov had a 21 strikeout no-hitter against Rawalpindi on September 9 with 1 walk. This set the ABF record for most strikeouts in a no-hitter and was the 11^th time an ABF pitcher has fanned 21+. The previous no-hitter record was Rami Naqvi’s 20 Ks in 1999.

Hyderabad’s Ibrahim Bulak had two no-hitters in 2011. The first had 14 strikeouts on July 14 versus Multan with the second seeing 12 Ks and 3 walks on September 14 over Rawalpindi. Bulak became the first ABF pitcher with three career no-hitters, as he also tossed one in 2008.

Dushanbe had a historically bad pitching staff, setting East League all-time worsts in team ERA (4.64), earned runs (745), H/9 (9.95), hits (1598), and WHIP (1.483). Those remain all-time worsts as of 2037. Their 792 runs allowed ranks third worst.

Radi Umar became the first to reach 2500 career hits. Simin Arefi was the fourth to earn 500 home runs. Oskar Tamm became the 4^th pitcher to 3500 career strikeouts. Lakhani Mustafa was the fourth pitcher to 200 career wins. LF Martyn Khaladkow and 3B Shaheed Abbas won their seventh Gold Gloves.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 08-18-2024, 06:26 PM

2011 in SAB

Defending South Asia Baseball champ Kolkata had the Indian League’s top record at 111-51. The Cosmos dominated the Central Division and earned a fourth consecutive playoff berth. Ahmedabad returned to the playoffs by taking the West Division at 104-58. Mumbai was close behind at 96-66, easily repeating as a wild card. Their closest wild card foes were in the division with Surat (88-74) and Pune (86-76).

The South Division was terrible with a tie for the top spot at 78-84 between Visakhapatnam and defending winner Chennai, while Bengaluru was 77-85. The Volts won the tiebreaker game over the Cows to earn a second berth in three years. Amazingly, this wasn’t the weakest-ever division winner as the 2002 Blazers took first with only 74 wins.

Kanpur was 82-80, but underperformed their expected wins by ten. The Poison had signed 1B Bassava Sanjahay to a five-year deal before the season worth $33,500,000. Sanjahay had won three Indian League MVPs previously with Mumbai and won his fourth in his Kanpur debut.

The 31-year old righty led in WAR (10.5), OPS (1.035), wRC+ (212), slugging (.643), total bases (370), and runs (111). Sanjahay also had 44 home runs, 119 RBI, and a .329 batting average. He played one more year with the Poison, then opted out of his deal and went back to finish up with the Meteors.

Kolkata signed 30-year old Amarjit Bedi for 2011 on a five-year, $26,960,000 after a decent run with Lucknow. Bedi excelled in his Cosmos debut and won Pitcher of the Year with an ERA title at 2.02 and the most WAR at 7.0. Bedi had a 17-6 record in 195.2 innings, 276 strikeouts, and 178 ERA+ with a 55 FIP-.

Despite their losing record, Visakhapatnam swept Ahmedabad in the first round for their first Indian League Championship Series berth since 1998. Reigning champ Kolkata survived 3-2 over Mumbai, giving the Cosmos a third straight ILCS appearance. Kolkata had little trouble with the Volts, winning 4-1 to repeat as Indian League champs. They’re the first repeat IL winner since Bengaluru (2003-04).

The Southeast Asia League continued to be very top-heavy. After six consecutive wild cards, Dhaka finally won the North Division title at 113-49. Defending SEAL champ saw their streak of 120+ win seasons ended at three, settling for the wild card at 110-52. The Hounds still extended their playoff and 100+ season streak to seven, averaging a staggering 113.1 wins per season in that stretch.

Yangon’s playoff streak grew to 17 years as they won the South Division at 100-62. That was the 12^th division title of that run for the Green Dragons. The second wild card spot ended up with a four-way tie at 88-74 between Bangkok, Chittagong, Kathmandu, and Mandalay. Former powerhouse Ho Chi Minh City missed the playoffs in back-to-back years, finishing 83-79.

SAB didn’t use tiebreaker games for wild cards and had to great creative looking at the formulas for a four-way tie. The math favored Mandalay, ending a 27-year postseason drought. The Mammoths’ last berth was 1983. The Chaparrals notably had their best record since their 1986 pennant.

Hanoi’s Majed Darwish won his fifth straight SEAL MVP, although his stats looked human in 2011 after obliterating world records in the prior few seasons. He did miss three weeks to a strained groin, otherwise he might have kept his absurd pace. The 28-year old Bahraini DH led in runs (130), home runs (65), RBI (153), total bases (429), slugging (.750), and wRC+ (207). Darwish added a .336 average, 1.145 OPS, and 9.9 WAR.

Yangon had the Pitcher of the Year Sargis Jaffar. The 24-year old Bangladeshi righty won the ERA title at 2.05 and led in WHIP (0.79), K/BB (12.4), FIP- (52), and WAR (7.8). Jaffar added an 18-6 record, 190 ERA+, and 285 strikeouts in 193 innings. He had a couple more solid years, but flamed out by age 31.

Dhaka survived in five games over Mandalay and Hanoi ousted Yangon 3-1, setting up a rematch in the Southeast Asia League Championship. It was a seven game classic with the Dobermans dethroning the Hounds’ dynasty. This was Dhaka’s fifth SEAL pennant (1981, 84, 91, 02, 11) and finally got them back to the final after six straight years ending empty handed in the playoffs.

Kolkata’s repeat hopes were also dashed by Dhaka as the Dobermans won the 32^nd South Asia Baseball Championship 4-2. This was the second overall title for Dhaka, whose other triumph was back in 1981. LF Tommy “Dynamite” Toe was finals MVP in his 12^th SAB season and fifth with Dhaka. The four-time Gold Glover from Myanmar had 19 hits, 11 runs, 2 doubles, 2 triples, 6 homers, and 15 RBI in 18 playoff starts.

Other notes: Ageless 3B Manju Abbas won a ring with Dhaka and made world history. With 26 doubles at age 44, he passed EAB’s Dong-Ju Hahn (778) for the world record in career doubles. Abbas played one more year and finished with 816, which held as the world record until passed by eventual world hit king Fares Belaid of WAB in the late 2020s.

Abbas also became the first SAB player to 2000 runs scored. He finished with 2057, which ranks third in 2037. Abbas retired after the 2012 season at age 45 as the SAB hit king at 3897, a distinction he still holds as of 2037. He’s also the leader in singles (2412), games (3656), and at-bats (13,463). His 3656 games is a world record within any one specific league. Prometheo Garcia is the only player with more games played with 3784 between CABA and MLB.

Tirtha Upadhyaya also made history as the first SAB slugger to 900 home runs and the first to 2000 RBI. He joined Garcia, Nordine Soule, and Milton Becker as the only players in any world league with 900+ career homers. The 500 homer club in SAB had 15 players after 2011 with the addition of Abbas, Majed Darwish, and Sameer Sheikh.

Devavesman Toppo became the seventh to reach 1500 RBI and Ko Ratanaveroj became the seventh to 1500 runs scored. Suhrawadi Baisya became the fourth pitcher to 200 career wins. He pitched one more year and ended with 210. 3B Kanala Vijay won his ninth Gold Glove.

Dhaka Reliever of the Year winner Nopporn Samornchai set a playoff record with 12 appearances in relief. He had five saves over 20.2 innings with a 1.74 ERA and 34 strikeouts. Kathmandu set a SAB single-season team record with 473 stolen bases which held until 2025. Colombo only hit 91 home runs as a team, a SEAL all-time worst that stood until 2035.

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

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