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

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2014 in MLB

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St. Louis was the second wild card in 2013, but put together a 107-55 mark in 2014 for the National Association’s top seed. This was the second-best record in franchise history, only behind their 111-win 1907 effort. This was also the first Lower Midwest Division title for the Cardinals since 2005. St. Louis allowed the fewest runs in MLB (509) and were third in the NA with 706 runs scored.

Kansas City was 11 back, but their 96-66 got them the first wild card. It was an impressive turnaround for the Cougars, who were an abysmal 57-105 only two years prior. This ended the NA’s second-longest active playoff drought of 22 years going back to 1991. Louisville has the NA’s current worst at 28 seasons after an NA-worst 60-102 in 2014. Meanwhile, Indianapolis’s four-year playoff streak was snapped with the Racers falling to .500.

Detroit had their third Upper Midwest Division title in four years and earned the #2 seed at 104-58. The Tigers posted their 18^th winning season in a row, but this was their first 100+ win effort since 1954. Last year’s NACS runner-up Omaha was 91-71, which ultimately was one game shy of the second wild card.

Two-time reigning NA champ Philadelphia won the East Division at 97-65, although it was their first division title in four years. The Phillies own streak of winning seasons grew to 16 with their 12^th playoff berth of that stretch. Last year’s division champ Brooklyn was 90-72, which also fell short of the wild card. This ended the Dodgers’ playoff streak at four years.

Montreal scored the most in the NA (742), which narrowly got them a repeat Northeast Division title at 95-67. Hartford was close behind at 92-70, which snagged the second wild card for their second berth in four years. It was a tight race with Omaha (91-71), Brooklyn (90-72), Chicago (89-73), Toronto (89-73), and Virginia Beach (88-74) all right in the mix in the final weeks.

Maples RF Ezekiel Thomas won his third National Association MVP in four years. It was his second since signing with Montreal in 2012 after starting with Virginia Beach. This was an all-timer from Thomas, as the 30-year old New Yorker led in home runs (53), runs (129), hits (209), total bases (399), triple slash (.384/.456/.733), OPS (1.189), wRC (271), and WAR (11.3).

As of 2037, Thomas’ 2014 ranks as the 16^th-best season in MLB history by WAR for a position player. It also ranks fifth in OPS and came just short of passing the then record of 1.945 by Nathaniel D’Attilo in 1995. His 119 RBI fell two short of getting the eighth-ever Triple Crown hitting season in MLB’s 114-year history. Last year’s MVP Killian Fruechte of Omaha had his own stellar year with a 1.089 OPS, 10.3 WAR, and 240 wRC+.

St. Louis righty Vincent Lepp won his third straight Pitcher of the Year. The 25-year old in his fifth season led in wins (21-9) and quality starts (27). posted a 2.18 ERA, 264.1 innings, 296 strikeouts, 152 ERA+, and 7.6 WAR. Lepp already was living up to the seven-year, $107,700,000 extension he signed the prior winter.

Lepp was second in ERA to teammate Ulrich Kogler (2.07) and second in Ks to Hartford’s Seth Southworth (352). Southworth became only the third pitcher in MLB history to that point to fan 350+ in a season, behind Jamaal Coleman’s 380 in 1996 and Jeremiah Rutledge’s 366 in 1962. The Huskies lefty also led in WAR (10.4), having signed a six-year, $104,600,000 in winter 2013. Unfortunately for Hartford, Southworth would battle a torn UCL over the next two seasons.

Both wild cards got surprise 2-1 upset wins in the first round with Kansas City over Montreal and Hartford over Philadelphia. This denied any three-peat hopes for the Phillies. The Cougars kept the momentum going, upsetting #2 seed Detroit 3-1. This gave KC its first National Association Championship Series appearance since their 1991 World Series win.

On the other side, top seed St. Louis cruised to a round two sweep of the Huskies. The Cardinals hadn’t been in the NACS since their 1982 World Series win. It was the first time since 2006 that the NACS pitted two teams from the same division against each other. The all-Missouri final went to the favored Cardinals 4-2 over the Cougars, giving St. Louis its sixth pennant.



Tampa had the American Association’s best record at 109-53, setting a new franchise best. Their previous top season was the inaugural 1901 campaign at 106-56. The Thunderbirds repeated as Southeast Division champ and grew their playoff streak to five years. This was tied with Denver and Los Angeles for the longest active streak in MLB.

Phoenix narrowly got the #2 seed at 103-59 over the reigning World Series and Baseball Grand Champion Dragons at 102-60. Denver earned a fifth straight Northwest Division crown and led MLB in scoring with 862 runs. The Firebirds had their third straight playoff berth and 100+ win season. Their 542 runs allowed was by far the fewest in the AA and would’ve ranked fifth even in the DH-less National Association.

Phoenix had fierce completion in the Southwest Division with Los Angeles (100-62), Albuquerque (96-66), and Oakland (95-67). The Angels fell from their historic 119-win 2013, but still got the first wild card. San Antonio was the weakest division champ at 95-67, repeating in the South Central Division. New Orleans was their nearest foe at 89-73, six away from the division crown and seven away in the wild card hunt.

The Isotopes got the second wild card spot to end a four-year drought. The Owls were one game short as their playoff drought grew to 18 years. Also in the wild card mix were Orlando (91-71), Salt Lake City (90-72), and San Francisco (87-75). The 91 wins for the Orcas tied a franchise record since joining in the 1982 expansion. Seattle at 84-78 was the only team from the AA’s 2013 playoff field not to make it back in 2014. Also notable was San Diego at 78-84, their first losing season since 2000.

American Association MVP went to New Orleans shortstop Fritz Louissi with an all-time great season. The 23-year old Florida Man had 12.96 WAR, which was the second-highest by any player in MLB history behind only Killian Fruechte’s 13.04 from 2012. Excellent defense at short helped big with a 15.6 zone rating and 1.065 EFF.

At the plate, Louissi led in runs (121), homers (53), RBI (138), and total bases (394). His .322 batting average was third and he had a 1.051 OPS and 180 wRC+. Also notably in the AA, San Francisco’s Graham Gregor had a 1.153 OPS and 200 wRC+. That OPS was the seventh-best season in MLB to that point and still ranks 13^th as of 2037.

Second-year pitcher Leroy Lindabury won Pitcher of the Year from Tampa. He grabbed the ERA title at 2.26 and posted a 19-7 record over 222.2 innings, 223 strikeouts, 171 ERA+, and 6.8 WAR. He missed the final month and playoffs to elbow inflammation. Unfortunately for Lindabury, 2014 accounted for almost 40% of his career WAR as injuries and regression had him out of the game by age 31.

Los Angeles cruised to a first round sweep of San Antonio, while Denver survived a strong 2-1 challenge from Albuquerque. Phoenix would get revenge for their 2013 AACS loss by sweeping the defending champ Dragons in the second round. The Angels meanwhile rolled top seed Tampa with a round two sweep. Despite being on a five-year playoff streak, LA hadn’t gotten to the American Association Championship Series since 1998.

Like the NACS, the AACS had two teams from the same division, the first since 2009. Although only three wins separated them in the regular season, Phoenix dominated Los Angeles with a sweep. The Firebirds won their second pennant in three years and their 13^th overall. That led all AA teams and was second-most in all of MLB behind Philadelphia’s 14.



St. Louis’s most recent World Series win had come against Phoenix back in 1982; their only prior meeting. However, the 2014 Firebirds did something no MLB team had done in 114 years of MLB history. With Phoenix’s sweep of St. Louis in the World Series, they became the only team to go unbeaten in the postseason (11-0). As of 2037, the Firebirds are still the only MLB team to do that.

Leading the way on the mound was 2012 Pitcher of the Year Easton Ray, who was named AACS and World Series MVP. He only had one start in each series, but both were complete game shutouts, becoming one of nine pitchers in MLB playoff history with a zero ERA over 15+ innings. Ray allowed 10 hits and 3 walks with 13 strikeouts.



This was Phoenix’s seventh MLB title (1907, 1953, 1960, 1985, 2003, 2004, 2014). This ties them for second with Houston and San Diego, while Philadelphia remains first with eight. It was the 11^th World Series sweep in history and incidentally the fourth involving the Firebirds. They were on the good side over Toronto in 1985 and over Winnipeg in 2004, but on the bad side in 2012 versus the Phillies.

Other notes: The 26^th and 27^th MLB Perfect Games came in 2014. Despite the small number, this was the third season that had two, joining 2010 and 2005. On April 19, Detroit’s Abdul Karim Hussein had nine strikeouts over Philadelphia. Then on May 31, Chicago’s Jason Gilliam did it with seven strikeouts against New York. It was Hussein’s second no-hitter, as he did it against Milwaukee in 2005. Gilliam’s also had the rare occurrence of happening on the same day as another no-hitter thanks to Kansas City’s Cristian Matzal against Indianapolis.

Cody Lim, Cole Becenti, and Ustad Shaikh each reached 500 home runs, making 79 batters in that club in MLB. Lim notably had posted 50+ homers in each of his first seven seasons, reaching the mark at only age 30. Rinat Khan became the 76^th pitcher to 3000 strikeouts.

CF Morgan Short won his 12^th Silver Slugger, becoming the first in MLB history to do so. It was the first in the National Association for the 33-year old, who signed a five-year, $115,000,000 deal with Brooklyn in 2014. Despite his young age, Short ended the season at 124.3 WAR; eighth already on the all-time list amongst position players. Killian Fruechte won his seventh Silver Slugger in left field.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2014 Baseball Grand Championship

The fifth Baseball Grand Championship was the first to be hosted in Africa, centered in Lagos, Nigeria. The auto-bids were MLB’s Phoenix and St. Louis, CABA’s Torreon and Nicaragua, EAB’s Kyoto and Seongnam, BSA’s Fortaleza and Medellin, EBF’s Paris and Valencia, EPB’s Omsk, OBA’s Christchurch, APB’s Pekanbaru, CLB’s Shantou, WAB’s Lome, SAB’s Kolkata, ABF’s Faisalabad, ALB’s Jeddah, and AAB’s Harare. The wild card spot would go to OBA’s Tahiti to complete the 20-team field.

Only two games separated first place from sixth. Little did anyone realize early on that a November 9^th battle between Phoenix and Harare would be the ultimate decider. On that day, the Firebirds survived 6-4 in a 17-inning marathon. That win proved to be the tiebreaker as Phoenix and Harare both were even for first at 14-5.



It was the third time that the World Series winner won the Grand Championship and the fourth Grand Champion from MLB. Pitching led the way for Phoenix with 55 runs allowed and a 2.68 ERA. The Firebirds became the second franchise to finish twice in the top three in the BGC, joining Goyang (1^st in 2012, 3^rd in 2011). Phoenix was officially third in 2012 as part of that year’s 12-7 tie at the top.



The Hustlers were the one pitching staff better with 53 runs and 2.62 ERA. Harare won most of their games close with ten saves, which remains the tournament record as of 2037. Their finish was the best-ever thus far by any African team. It was a remarkable season for Harare, who needed a tiebreaker game just to get a wild card, then won their first-ever AAB title.

Christchurch stood alone in third at 13-6, scoring the most runs of any team with 100. This was the third time that an OBA team finished in the top three. Roe Kaupa led the way with 12 home runs and 32 RBI, tying the homers record and obliterating the RBI Mark. While many players would later top 12 homers, 32 RBI has only been matched once as of 2037.

Next were three teams at 12-7 with the tiebreakers officially placing Pekanbaru fourth, Omsk fifth, and Torreon sixth. The Otters set a new best for an EPB team. Jeddah was seventh at 11-8, then Lome rounded out the winning teams in eighth at 10-9. Fortaleza, Medellin, Paris, and Tahiti each finished at 9-10.

Faisalabad, Kolkata, Kyoto, Seongnam, and Valencia were each 8-11. St. Louis was 18^th at 7-12 with Nicaragua 19^th at 6-13. Shantou was a distant last place at 3-16, which was an all-time worst under the current format. There wouldn’t be a team that fared worse until 2025. Their 140 runs allowed and 7.05 ERA were cartoonishly poor and would be all-time worsts under the 20-team format by a healthy margin.

Paris’s Salvko Maric made history by winning Tournament MVP and Best Pitcher, something no one else has done as of 2037. It was a surprising run by the 31-year old Serbian lefty in his second year with the Poodles, as he ultimately was a “Hall of Good” level pitcher. In four starts, Maric tossed 32.1 innings with a 0.84 ERA, 2-0 record, 45 strikeouts, 12 hits, 5 walks, 464 ERA+, and 2.0 WAR. His .343 opponents’ OPS ranks 11^th best as of 2037 by any BGC pitcher with 21+ innings.

Other notes: Paris’s Gian Tosoni notably threw the BGC’s third-ever no-hitter, striking out seven with four walks against Medellin. In bad pitching stats, Tahiti’s Christian Valenzuela allowed 17 home runs, which is a tournament worst as of 2037.

Lome 2B Pedro Serna notably had a .500/.608/.903 slash with 31 hits, 15 runs, 5 doubles, 6 home runs, 18 RBI, 17 walks, a 1.511 OPS, and 2.1 WAR. Serna’s average, OBP, and OPS were all BGC records by any player with 65 plate appearances. The AVG and OBP remain the top mark as of 2037, while his OPS still ranks second. The 31 hits would be the all-time record under the 20-team format and would only finally get passed with the 22-team format in 2035.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2015 MLB Hall of Fame

The 2015 Major League Baseball Hall of Fame ballot was historic as no players ended being inducted. It was the first blank ballot since 1987 and only the fifth since 1924. Playing a big role was the lack of impactful debuts. The top newcomer was CL Emery Gulbranson who only received 32.0%, well short of the 66% requirement.



Some returners got very close, led by CF Tyler Ryabenko at 65.1% on his second try. 2B Elias Wilson had 63.7% and C Elliott McKay got 62.0%, both on their eighth ballots. CL Brendan Gordon had 60.9% in his tenth and final chance. Also cracking 50% were SS Robert Hightower with 54.9% for his second go, SP Qazi Khwaja at 54.6% in his sixth ballot, and SP Keifer Bobbins with 52.5% for his second attempt.

For Gordon, he never fell below 50% and got as high as 63.8% in 2014. He won Reliever of the Year in 1987 and in 15 seasons had a 1.84 ERA, 304 saves, 377 shutdowns, 850.1 innings, 1320 strikeouts, 255 walks, 207 ERA+, and 47.8 WAR. Gordon’s ERA was better than any of the relievers that got inducted and his WAR would’ve ranked sixth compared to the other inducted relievers.

However, many of the traditionalist voters thought his save total was too low, although there had been others with similar lines that made it. Gordon only won ROTY once, although he finished second four times. Hurting him was poor playoff efforts during Atlanta’s regular berths with a 4.08 ERA over 35.1 innings. Still, it was surprising to see Gordon miss out considering the criteria used for prior relievers and the lack of competition on the ballot.

Also dropped after ten failed ballots was another reliever in Christopher Fournier. He got as high as 50.6% in his second ballot, but fell as low as 8.8% before ending at 35.6%. Fournier also had one Reliever of the Year and ended with 293 saves and 348 shutdowns, a 1.70 ERA, 830.2 innings, 1206 strikeouts, 223 ERA+, and 45.6 WAR.

Most of the same critiques of Gordon could be used for Fournier. He also struggled in his limited playoff appearances with a 5.79 ERA over 14 innings. Fournier also had only the one ROTY, although Fournier’s ERA was actually better than anyone in MLB’s Hall of Fame. The 2015 MLB voters though were much stricter looking at relievers compared to the older generation, leaving both guys out.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2015 CABA Hall of Fame (Part 1)

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The Central American Baseball Association’s Hall of Fame added three players from the 2015 ballot. Each were first ballot guys with little opposition, led by a nearly unanimous 1B Maikel Loya at 99.6%. Fellow 1B Corneles Menendez was close behind at 96.1% and two-way star Fabian Quintana had a very healthy 88.6%. Only one other player topped 50% with SP Angel Tobar at 59.2% for his seventh ballot. No players were dropped after ten ballots.



Maikel Loya – First Base – Juarez Jesters – 99.6% First Ballot

Maikel Loya was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed first baseman from Totocuitlapilco; a village of only 377 people located about 60 kilometers southwest of Mexico City. Loya was an incredibly well-rounded hitter who was good to great with his power, contact, and eye. He was reliably strong, averaging 43 home runs and 31 doubles per 162 games. Loya hit above .300 in each of his full seasons while also drawing a decent number of walks and posting a respectable strikeout rate.

Loya’s baserunning wasn’t atrocious, but it was firmly below average. He started every game of his career at first base and was a consistently solid defender. Loya had some smaller injuries later in his career, but he didn’t miss time often. He became a very popular figure in Mexican baseball as a fixture for Juarez over 18 years.

The Jesters were quite interested in Loya and picked him with the fourth pick in CABA’s 1990 draft. He only saw 17 games in 1991, but took the full-time job from 1992 onward. With 4.9 WAR and a 151 wRC+ in 1992, Loya claimed Rookie of the Year honors. From 1993 to 2007, Loya was worth more than 6 WAR each season. In only his second year starting, he led the Mexican League in on-base percentage at .404. That earned him an eight-year, $19,800,000 extension that summer.

With the always strong bats at first base, Loya only won four Silver Sluggers (1994, 1995, 1998, 2001) despite his production. His 1995 was an all-timer, earning his lone MVP. As of 2037, Loya’s 12.78 WAR was the 14^th-best season by a CABA position player. He also earned a Triple Crown (59 homers, 138 RBI, .318 average) with career highs in each stat, plus in runs (132), hits (235), total bases (463), OBP (.419), slugging (.750), OPS (1.169), and wRC+ (240).

Loya would top 8+ WAR eight times from 1994-2002, taking second in 1998 MVP voting and third in 2000. During that run, he also hit above a one OPS each year. He won his second batting title in 1998 and led that season in the triple slash and runs. Loya led the league in hits as well in both 1999 and 2001.

Despite his efforts, Juarez was stuck in the middle tier without a single playoff berth in the 1990s, averaging 78.6 wins per year during the decade. It didn’t help that they were stuck in a division with Monterrey’s dynasty and a strong Tijuana. Things would start to turn around for the Jesters in the new millennium.

In 2000, Juarez got their first playoff berth since 1988 and their first division title since 1984. They beat Monterrey in the first round, but couldn’t get by a now emerging Ecatepec dynasty in the Mexican League Championship. Juarez missed the playoffs narrowly in 2001, then lost in the 2002 MLCS again to Ecatepec. Loya was big in the playoffs in the defeat with a 1.159 OPS, 15 hits, 8 runs, and 5 homers in 11 games.

In July 2002, a now 33-year old Loya signed a four year, $25,200,000 extension. He missed a month in 2004 and 2005 to injury, but still played at a very high level. Juarez suffered first round playoff losses in 2003 and 2004 as a wild card. The Jesters would finally end their pennant drought in 2005, getting revenge against Ecatepec, who was going for their seventh straight league title. Loya was named the MLCS MVP.

Juarez lost the CABA Championship to Salvador even with Loya’s playoff run seeing 22 hits, 10 runs, 4 homers, 10 RBI, and a 1.270 OPS over 15 starts. Now 36 and still rolling, Loya officially became a free agent that winter. He looked around for a month, but ultimately re-upped with Juarez for two years and $11,200,000.

Loya was beloved by Juarez fans, but he also had great national support from his time in the World Baseball Championship for Mexico. From 1994-2008, Loya had 185 games and 181 starts with 174 hits, 107 runs, 27 doubles, 46 home runs, 126 RBI, a .253/.331/.496 slash, 141 wRC+, and 7.4 WAR. Loya helped Mexico to a finals berth in 1998 and semifinal appearances in 1997, 2000, 2001, 2004, and 2007.

Juarez repeated as Mexican League champs in 2006, but Haiti denied them the CABA Championship. Loya again was solid and in his playoff career had 59 starts, 73 hits, 41 runs, 10 doubles, 16 home runs, 43 RBI, a .330/.406/.638 slash, 197 wRC+, and 3.5 WAR. Unfortunately, 2006 was his last shot at the CABA crown. Juarez would miss the playoffs in Loya’s remaining seasons.

Loya signed a two-year, $13,200,000 extension after the 2006 season. In 2007, he became only the tenth CABA member of the 3000 hit club. Loya posted a 9.3 WAR, 47 home run, 131 RBI, 1.115 effort in 2007 at age 38. That was his last hurrah, although he still had respectable stats in 2008 despite missing two months to an oblique strain.

Age finally caught up to Loya in 2009 and he was relegated to a part-time role. He still had 0.7 WAR and a 132 wRC+ over 78 games and 52 starts, but was done as an elite performer. Some thought Loya might try to chase 700 home runs, but he’d retire that winter at age 41 and finish 11 short of the milestone. Juarez immediately retired his #2 uniform for his nearly two decades of service.

Loya finished with 3288 hits, 1796 runs, 491 doubles, 79 triples, 689 home runs, 1902 RBI, 857 walks, a .338/.393/.617 slash, 191 wRC+, and 136.1 WAR. As of 2037, he’s one of only 11 Hall of Famers with a career OPS above one at 1.010. Among all CABA hitters with 3000+ plate appearances, Loya is 19^th in OPS, 24^th in slugging, 21^st in OBP, and 32^nd in batting average.

He also ranks ninth in hits, seventh in runs, 12^th in homers, 15^th in doubles, eighth in RBI, and sixth in WAR among position players. Loya was almost under-rated due to lesser black ink and awards despite his tallies. However, his grey ink of 309 is fourth best of all CABA Hall of Famers as of 2037, behind only nine-time MVP Prometheo Garcia, ten-time MVP Kiko Velazquez, and seven-time Pitcher of the Year Ulices Montero.

Few players in all of baseball history sustained such a high consistent level of play over a career. Loya truly had an inner-circle level Hall of Fame career, even if it wasn’t fully appreciated in his time. The voters certainly got it though, giving him a near unanimous 99.6% to headline CABA’s 2015 class.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2015 CABA Hall of Fame (Part 2)

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Corneles “Putt-Putt” Menendez – First Base – Guadalajara Hellhounds – 96.1% First Ballot

Corneles Menendez was a 6’3’’, 185 pound right-handed first baseman from Carolina, Puerto Rico; a city of roughly 155,000 inhabitants within the San Juan metropolitan area. He earned the nickname “Putt-Putt” for his obsession with mini golf. Menendez even built a course at his home and regularly invited teammates to his house to play a round. He was also quite smart and adaptable, which made him a beloved baseball figure.

Menendez was also popular because he socked dingers. Every full season as a starter, Menendez hit at least 40 home runs and topped 50+ eight times. He had respectable gap power with 27 doubles per his 162 game average, although his sluggish speed meant he wasn’t getting extra bags with his feet. Menendez was a good contact hitter, but he drew far fewer walks than you’d expect for a big slugger and his strikeout rate was merely okay.

Around 2/3s of Menendez’s career starts were at first base, where he was subpar defensively. Guadalajara tried him in the corner outfield spots early in his career, but he was atrocious there. Once Menendez found his spot, he was almost never out of the lineup with ironman durability. From 1998-2009, he played 157+ games each year.

Menendez was a late bloomer though, as he was 25-years old when he finally became a full-time starter. A scout from Guadalajara spotted him as a teenager, bringing him from Puerto Rico to Mexico in September 1989. Menendez officially debuted in 1994 at age 21, but saw mostly pinch hitting in his first four years with only 35 starts. In 1997, he posted 190 wRC+ and a 1.052 OPS in his limited play. The Hellhounds realized they had to find some spot in the lineup for Menendez.

First base was occupied though and the Mexican League didn’t have the designated hitter, thus Menendez spent his first two years as a starter in the outfield. He smacked 51 home runs in his first full season, then followed it up with league bests in homers (63), RBI (148), and slugging (.697). Menendez won Silver Sluggers both years.

2000 marked his debut at first base and he led in RBI with 154, winning his third Silver Slugger. Guadalajara had been mostly middling in the 1990s with their lone playoff appearance in 1996 during Menendez’s tenure. They were 89-73 in 2000 and with hopes high, signed Menendez to a five-year, $18,640,000 extension. The team utterly collapsed for a 52-win 2001 and wouldn’t be above .500 again until 2009.

Menendez had two more good years, but they would be the weakest of his run as a starter. He decided to opt-out of his contract after the 2002 season, becoming a free agent at age 30. With Guadalajara, Menendez had 992 hits, 521 runs, 135 doubles, 277 home runs, 682 RBI, a .303/.338/.605 slash, 172 wRC+, and 32.0 WAR. He was still beloved enough even in this short run to later see his #26 uniform retired.

2003 saw a four-team expansion for CABA and many were surprised to see Menendez sign with the new Suriname squad for three years and $9,240,000. He was a critical reason why the Silverbacks had a stunning 97-65 debut, becoming the first expansion team in world history to earn a playoff spot in year one.

That year, Menendez led the league with career bests in homers (67), RBI (158), total bases (431), and slugging (.700). He fell five short of the then single-season home run record of 72 by Yohnny Galaz. These efforts earned Menendez Caribbean League MVP honors. He hit 5 homers with 10 RBI in the playoffs, but Suriname fell in the first round to eventual CABA champ Honduras.

It was a flash-in-the-pan for Suriname, who fell to 73-89 the next year and bottom out in 2007 at 51-111. Still, Menendez repeated as MVP and won his fifth Silver Slugger in 2004, leading again in RBI and total bases. He also made history as the first player in CABA history with three seasons of 150+ RBI; a distinction he held alone until 2031.

Disappointed in Suriname’s decline, Menendez opted out of his third year to become a free agent again at age 32. In two years with the Silverbacks, he had 393 hits, 216 runs, 72 doubles, 124 home runs, 315 RBI, a .316/.348/.679 slash, 172 wRC+, and 14.9 WAR. Menendez wanted to play for a winner, which led him to a five-year, $32,100,000 deal with Salvador. The Stallions had seen 10 playoff berths in the last 11 years, although they hadn’t gotten the pennant since their 1996-1999 three-peat.

Menendez had 59 homers in his Salvador debut, helping them to a division title. He was unremarkable in 14 playoff starts with a .750 OPS and 104 wRC+. However, Menendez achieved his goal with the Stallions winning the CABA Championship over Juarez. They made the playoffs again over the next three years, but had two first round defeats and a CLCS loss in 2008.

One critique you could make is Menendez’s playoff stats were unremarkable. In 32 games, he had 33 hits, 14 runs, 5 doubles, 9 homers, 19 RBI, a .268/.295/.528 slash, 121 wRC+, and 0.8 WAR. Menendez did fare a bit better in his sporadic World Baseball Championship outings for his native Puerto Rico. In six WBCs, he made 52 starts with 50 hits, 26 runs, 6 doubles, 20 home runs, 40 RBI, a .250/.318/.580 slash, 161 wRC+, and 2.3 WAR.

Menendez carried on with strong power, posting 52 home runs and a league-best 39 doubles in his final season in 2009. In five seasons with Salvador, Menendez had 913 hits, 536 runs, 151 doubles, 253 home runs, 627 RBI, a .291/.329/.591 slash, 140 wRC+, and 23.9 WAR. In 2008, he became the 15^th member of the 600 home run club and the 23^rd to cross 1500 RBI.

He was a free agent after the 2009 season. Menendez spent most of his final two seasons as a DH and had limited defensive utility. His power was still major league caliber, but squads didn’t want to commit to an aging slugger. Menendez was unsigned in 2010 and decided to retire that winter at age 38.

Menendez finished with 2298 hits, 1273 runs, 358 doubles, 654 home runs, 1624 RBI, a .300/.336/.611 slash, 159 wRC+, and 70.8 WAR. As of 2037, he’s one of only six in CABA history to smack 50+ homers in eight or more seasons. Menendez also still ranks 18^th in homers and 25^th in RBI, although he doesn’t crack the top 100 in WAR among position players.

He certainly wasn’t the all-around talent like his Hall of Fame classmate Maikel Loya, but Menendez’s towering homers made him one of CABA’s biggest superstars of the era. Hall of Fame voters felt he was a lock for the 2015 class at 96.1% and he’d be a headliner in most other classes. Ol’ Putt-Putt now spends his retirement refining his hole-in-one talents.



Fabian “Dixie” Quintana – Pitcher/First Base/Designated Hitter – Trinidad Trail Blazers – 88.6% First Ballot

Fabian Quintana was a 6’8’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher and switch-hitter from Antilla, Cuba; a city of around 21,000 inhabitants on the country’s northeastern coast. The towering Quintana had a unique career as a two-way player, coming onto the scene with outstanding home run power. He had 42 home runs and 32 doubles per his 162 game average. Quintana was a great contact hitter, but his ability to draw walks and avoid strikeouts were both average at best.

Quintana was clumsy and slow on the basepaths, but his length played well at first base. He graded as a reliably average defender there, splitting his non-pitching starts between first and the DH. Quintana also was considered a strong defensive pitcher and was tough to steal on.

On the mound, Quintana threw fire with 99-101 mph peak velocity. His stuff and movement graded out as quite good in his prime, although his control was always considered below average. Quintana had a three-pitch arsenal of fastball, slider, and changeup. His stamina was decent and he was viewed as very durable in the front half of his career. Regardless of his role, Quintana was considered one of the smartest and hardest working guys in the game.

Quintana’s potential was undeniable ahead of the 1995 CABA Draft, but teams were mixed on what his role would be. He wanted to be a two-way guy, but many franchises felt he should focus on either hitting or pitcher alone. Quintana ended up selected 12^th overall by Trinidad, who was leaning more towards hitting. He saw mixed use in 1996 with 26 relief appearances and 85 plate appearances.

The Trail Blazers decided to make Quintana focus on hitting as a full time designated hitter in 1997 and 1998. He would only see seven innings of relief in 1997 and didn’t pitch at all in 1998. However, Quintana exploded in 1997 with Caribbean League bests in home runs (61), RBI (145), total bases (416), slugging (.683), and runs (126). He won his lone Silver Slugger and was second in MVP voting.

Quintana had similar success in 1998 with 55 homers and 153 RBI, but Trinidad was still stuck in the middle of the standings. He still wanted to pitch and insisted that his combined value would be better than what he offered just as a slugger. Thus, the Trail Blazers made Quintana a full-time starting pitcher for the next seven seasons with additional starts between DH and 1B.

Critics argued it was a poor choice to surrender potentially 50+ homers a year by limiting Quintana’s at-bats. His full-time pitching debut saw a lackluster 4.62 ERA as well. However, Quintana settled into being a reliably above average to good pitcher while maintaining good rate stats as a hitter. He topped an one OPS twice more and from 2000-2004 had combined WAR seasons of 11.2, 8.1, 10.3, 10.5, and 8.3. This justified the move since his peak WAR in his best DH season was 6.9.

Quintana wasn’t a good enough pitcher to earn Pitcher of the Year consideration and didn’t hit enough for Silver Slugger looks. However, his combined value gave him a third in MVP voting in 2000, 2002, and 2004. His 11.2 WAR in 2002 set a CABA record for a two-way guy, led by career pitching bests in WAR (6.1), ERA (3.00) and strikeouts (264) in 270.1 innings. Quintana also had 5.1 WAR offensively that year with a 1.005 OPS, 173 wRC+, and 27 home runs.

Trinidad gave Quintana a four-year, $18,200,000 extension after the 2000 season. Despite his efforts, the Trail Blazers never made the playoffs in his tenure, although they averaged 85.1 wins per season. They peaked at 95-67 in 2000, falling one game short of a division title. Still, Quintana’s efforts were appreciated and his #17 uniform would later by retired by Trinidad.

Quintana would return back home to Cuba for the World Baseball Championship as well, seeing action in 13 WBCs from 1997-2010. He had more use at the plate with 99 games and 82 starts, 85 hits, 56 runs, 14 doubles, 31 home runs, 74 RBI, a .258/.321/.588 slash, 156 wRC+, and 4.0. As a pitcher he saw 91.1 innings with an 8-4 record, 3.45 ERA, 82 strikeouts, 105 ERA+, and 0.3 WAR.

After the 2004 season, a 32-year old Quintana became a free agent for the first time. In total with Trinidad at the plate, he had 1079 hits in 920 games, 620 runs, 193 doubles, 283 home runs, 705 RBI, a .312/.352/.631 slash, 163 wRC+, and 41.1 WAR. On the mound, he had a 97-73 record, 3.47 ERA, 1565.1 innings, 1366 strikeouts, 110 ERA+, and 28.9 WAR. Quintana wanted to get a ring and signed with Honduras, who had won back-to-back Caribbean League pennants. He inked a five-year, $30,000,000 deal.

It was a rough start for Quintana as in his sixth start on the mound with the Horsemen, he suffered a damaged elbow ligament. This knocked him out 12 months, but he bounced back impressively with arguably his best pitching season with 6.1 WAR, a 3.07 ERA, and 132 ERA+ over 243.1 innings in 2006. Quintana’s batting numbers saw new full-year lows though with a .877 OPS and 2.4 WAR. Honduras lost in the CLCS to Haiti, but a strained abdominal muscle kept Quintana out of the playoffs.

2007 was worth 4.4 WAR pitching and 2.4 WAR at the plate. He again missed the playoffs with a sprained ankle in late September and the Horsemen losing again to Haiti in the CLCS. While Quintana was still valuable, he wasn’t providing the value Honduras was hoping for. Thus with two years left on his deal, he was traded in February 2008 to Salvador.

With Honduras at the plate, Quintana had 200 hits, 113 runs, 52 home runs, 122 RBI, a .281/.322/.554 slash, 133 wRC+, and 5.4 WAR. On the mound, he had a 38-15 record, 3.24 ERA, 511 innings, 497 strikeouts, 125 ERA+, and 11.1 WAR. The Stallions had been falling just short to Honduras in the division recently and had hoped Quintana could help get them over that hump. Considering the rivalry, it was stunning to see such a high profile trade between the two.

Quintana was off to a stronger start at the plate with comparable pitching stats in 2008, but again missed the playoffs thanks to a late season hamstring strain. Salvador won the division, but suffered an upset CLCS loss to Nicaragua. Then in 2009, Quintana was awful pitching with a 5.18 ERA, getting moved out of the rotation. He did still provide positive value with 2.0 WAR and a .899 OPS in 63 games at the plate.

Salvador fell to 82-80 and missed the playoffs and Quintana became a free agent again at age 37. With the Stallions, he had 141 games at the plate with 162 hits, 89 runs, 24 doubles, 35 home runs, 111 RBI, a .329/.374/.596 slash, 150 wRC+, and 5.1 WAR. Pitching, Quintana had a 16-20 record, 4.19 ERA, 324.2 innings, 236 strikeouts, 99 ERA+, and 4.2 WAR. This marked the end of his CABA run, sadly without a single playoff appearance.

Quintana was determined to still play somewhere and in late March found a home in Russia with Omsk. The Otters hoped he could maybe go both ways, but gave up on that after a terrible 6.43 ERA in two starts. Quintana started most of the year as a DH with passable results with a 128 ERA+ and 2.7 WAR.

He would finally get his championship ring, although he most certainly hadn’t envisioned that accomplishment coming in Siberia. Quintana had 11 playoff starts with 11 hits, 6 runs, 4 homers, and 11 RBI as Omsk won the 2010 Eurasian Professional Baseball Championship against Moscow. Quintana was only there on a one-year deal and didn’t get re-signed by the Otters in the winter.

Still, Quintana wanted to play somewhere and ended up in Turkey on a one-year, $3,000,000 with ABF’s Istanbul. He started much of the season as a DH, but stunk with -0.7 WAR and 79 wRC+ over 127 games. Quintana still wanted to play in 2012, but was out of chances at this point. He finally retired from the game at age 40.

For his CABA batting career, Quintana had 1263 games, 1441 hits, 822 runs, 245 doubles, 370 home runs, 938 RBI, a .309/.350/.615 slash, 157 wRC+, and 51.6 WAR. Among all CABA batters with 3000+ plate appearances, his .965 OPS ranks 38^th and his slugging ranks 27^th. Many wonder if Quintana could’ve ended up as an all-time slugger had he dedicated his career fully to hitting.

As a pitcher, Quintana had a 151-108 record, 3.52 ERA, 2401 innings, 2099 strikeouts, 533 walks, 111 ERA+, and 44.3 WAR. He was an above average to good pitcher, but definitely not a Hall of Famer from his arm alone. Quintana’s batting tallies weren’t high enough on their own either, but he combined for 95.9 WAR between the two. Most voters thought that was plenty, giving Quintana the first ballot nod at 88.6%. With that, he rounded out an impressive three-player 2015 class.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2015 EAB Hall of Fame

Two players were inducted into the East Asia Baseball Hall of Fame in 2015. Both were first ballot guys with SP/OF Morikazu Ichikawa nearly unanimous at 98.9% and 1B Yachi Ito at 81.2%. RF Jung-Sang Ryu barely missed the 66% requirement in his second ballot at 63.6%. Also with strong showings were third basemen Min-Seong Ryu with a 59.8% debut and Kazuo Shiraki at 59.0% for his third ballot. No one else was above 50%.



Dropped after ten ballots was SP Motoaki Sato, who had a 15-year career between four teams. He peaked at 43.6% in 2008 and ended at a low of 11.5%. Sato had a 186-162 record, 3.24 ERA, 3240 innings, 3269 strikeouts, 102 ERA+, and 46.3 WAR. He had a nice tenure, but was a pretty firm “Hall of Good” level guy.

Also notable was SP Han-Soo Hu falling below the 5% threshold after nine ballots. The ultimate journeyman, he peaked at 26.8% in 2008 but lost out on EAB consideration since much of his career came in MLB. The North Korean pitched with Pyongyang and Hamhung in EAB with a 183-103 record, 3.16 ERA, 2661.1 innings, 2550 strikeouts, 122 ERA+, and 64.8 WAR. However, he lacked awards and accolades, not leading in any major stats apart from a 9.6 WAR effort in 1994 at age 35. Those were also down seasons for those franchises.

Hu ended up playing for ten different MLB teams and for his combined pro career had a 319-206 record, 3.39 ERA, 4851.1 innings, 4053 strikeouts, 826 walks, 113 ERA+, and 102.6 WAR. That longevity alone probably gets him in if it was confined to one league. Not many professional pitchers can say they got to 300 wins or 100+ WAR in their career, making Hu worth a special mention.



Morikazu Ichikawa – Pitcher/Outfielder – Sapporo Swordfish – 98.9% First Ballot

Morikazu Ichikawa was a 5’10’’, 195 pound right-handed pitcher and outfielder from Kumamoto on southern Japan’s island of Kyushu. The stocky Ichikawa on the mound had solid stuff and excellent control, although his movement graded as just below average. The stocky righty’s fastball only peaked in the 94-96 mph range, but he had an incredible curveball and a great circle change.

Ichikawa’s ability to change speeds made him incredibly effective. He also had outstanding stamina on the mound and was considered an excellent defensive pitcher, winning a Gold Glove in 1997. Ichikawa’s durability was excellent for most of his career, holding up incredibly well with the demands as a two-way player. From 1995-2005, he tossed 230+ innings and had 400+ plate appearances in each of those seasons.

In the field, Ichikawa split his time between center and left field. His great athleticism and instincts led to a solid grade defensively in both spots. Ichikawa was a very smart and crafty baserunner, but his top speed was merely average. Still, he provided positive baserunning metrics overall.

As a hitter, Ichikawa was below average in terms of contact and avoiding strikeouts, but was better than most at drawing walks. When he made contact, Ichikawa hit the ball hard. Over a 162 game average, Ichikawa got 27 home runs, 15 doubles, and 14 triples; making him a valuable bat even with a lower average. Getting that bat from a legit ace pitcher made Ichikawa an incredibly valuable talent in his prime. He was also a great team captain and leader, becoming a very popular figure with fans and colleagues alike throughout Japanese baseball.

By the 1992 EAB Draft, Ichikawa had earned plenty of attention playing at Tohoku University in Sendai. While his two-way potential was appreciated, most scouts fancied him as a pitcher far more. Sapporo though jumped at the possibility for the two-way star, picking Ichikawa sixth overall.

He was used as a hitter more early on with 207 plate appearances in 1993 compared to only 35.2 innings pitching. Ichikawa struggled initially pitching and only saw 24.1 innings in his second season. However, he was a full-time outfielder in 1994 with 3.4 WAR. This started a seven-year run of North Division titles for Sapporo, although they suffered a first round defeat in 1994. The Swordfish would make it to the Japan League Championship Series each year from 1995-1999.

Ichikawa became a full-timer both ways during this stretch. Initially, he was merely an average pitcher that could eat innings, but he was a strong outfielder. From 1995-99, Ichikawa had 4.9+ WAR or better each year in the field, posting a career-best 6.4 WAR in 1995. 1996 had his best OPS (.946) and wRC+ (188), while 1999 had his top home run tally at 35.

In both 1997 and 1999, Ichikawa had the rare distinction of winning a Silver Slugger as a pitcher and as a center fielder. He also won in 1996 and 1998 as a pitcher, getting six for his career. Ichikawa took third in 1996 and 1997’s MVP voting. Even with merely above average pitching, Ichikawa had combined WAR totals of 9.9, 10.2, and 10.5 in his first three two-way seasons.

Sapporo lost in the JLCS in both 1995 and 1996. Then in 1997, they took the Japan League title in an upset over 109-win Kitakyushu. The Swordfish would fall to Yongin in the EAB Championship. Ichikawa had a 3.13 ERA over 31.2 playoff innings and a .819 OPS and 152 wRC+ over the playoff run. Sapporo wisely gave him a five-year, $12,360,000 extension in May 1997.

1998 saw Ichikawa emerge as a true ace, leading the JL in pitching WAR (7.4), strikeouts (314), and wins (22-6) to win his first Pitcher of the Year award. His 4.9 WAR offensively gave him 12.3 WAR total, taking second in MVP voting. Sapporo took the top seed at 101-61 and repeated as JL champs. They then won their first EAB Championship since 1981, knocking off Bucheon in six games.

Ichikawa earned legendary status in Sapporo, winning finals MVP and first round MVP. Although he was 3-2, he was lights out in five starts with a 1.48 ERA over 42.2 innings, 55 strikeouts, and 1.8 WAR. At the plate in 16 games, Ichikawa had 15 hits, 12 runs, 6 home runs, 14 RBI, a .979 OPS, and 198 wRC+ with a combined 2.7 WAR for the postseason run.

That cemented Ichikawa’s reputation as a clutch playoff performer. The overall pitching results with Sapporo were more hit-or-miss with a 3.16 ERA, 9-8 record, 148 innings, 169 strikeouts, 106 ERA+, and 3.2 WAR. His playoff batting stats were more impressive in 60 games with 56 hits, 36 runs, 6 doubles, 5 triples, 15 home runs, 43 RBI, a .917 OPS, 178 wRC+, and 2.9 WAR.

Ichikawa’s World Baseball Championship stats were less dominant, making seven appearances for Japan from 1997-2006. As a pitcher, he had a lackluster 5.08 ERA over 106.1 innings, 163 strikeouts, 6-8 record, 71 ERA+, and 1.4 WAR. He had 33 games and 24 starts hitting with 20 hits, 14 runs, 8 homers, 11 RBI, a .217/.321/.511 slash, 141 wRC+, and 0.9 WAR. He did earn a world title ring in 2006 for Japan.

His 1999 saw many career and league highs, especially on the mound. Ichikawa’s 7.6 WAR, 11.1 K/BB, and 379 strikeouts were both league and career bests. He also led in wins for the third straight year at 22-7 and led in innings (278.2) and complete games (18). His 0.84 WHIP was also a career best. At the plate, he had a career-high 35 home runs and added 5.9 WAR. The combined 13.5 WAR was the fifth-best single-season in EAB history at that point. Ichikawa repeated as Pitcher of the Year, but again was second in MVP voting.

Sapporo would fall in the 1999 JLCS to Kawasaki despite Ichikawa’s 1.08 ERA in his 25 innings. They went one-and-done in 2000, which was the final year of their playoff streak and their last winning record until 2011. Ichikawa struggled to a career worst 1.1 WAR and .664 OPS at the plate while posting 5.3 WAR on the mound. Ichikawa and the Swordfish struggled in 2001 and he led in losses at 8-21 and home runs allowed at 37. His batting was only marginally better that year with a .741 OPS, 116 wRC, and 2.2 WAR.

By the summer of 2002, it was clear that the competitive window was over for Sapporo. Ichikawa looked a bit better in the first half, but he was now 31-years old in the final year of his deal. The Swordfish decided to trade him at the deadline to Ulsan for SP Do-Hyeon Kim and 2B Akira Maekawa. He would remain popular in Sapporo for his role in their success and his #24 uniform would later be retired.

Pitching for Sapporo, Ichikawa finished with a 131-91 record, 3.11 ERA, 2053.2 innings, 2353 strikeouts, 108 ERA+, and 39.1 WAR. At the plate in 1206 games, he had 1001 hits, 555 runs, 111 doubles, 110 triples, 219 home runs, 615 RBI, 336 walks, 169 stolen bases, a .250/.311/.497 slash, 141 wRC+, and 38.8 WAR.

Ichikawa saw less use at the plate with Ulsan with the Korea League using the DH, but he pitched well to finish the year with a 2.28 ERA in 83 innings and 2.3 WAR. The Swallows had the KL’s best record at 109-53, but suffered a first round upset loss to Daegu. With that, Ichikawa now entered free agency for the first time at age 32.

Osaka signed Ichikawa to a five-year, $24,200,000 deal to bring him back to Japan. He had a return to form on the mound with career highs in wins (25-4), ERA (2.43), and quality starts (27), winning his third Pitcher of the Year. Ichikawa was statistically average at the plate, but combined for 8.1 WAR and a third place MVP finish. The defending JL champ Orange Sox improved their record to 109-53, but were upset in the first round by Niigata. Ichikawa lost both of his pitching starts with a 4.97 ERA.

The Orange Sox fell to .500 in 2004 as Ichikawa had a career-high 287 innings with an unremarkable 101 ERA+. He still got 5.3 WAR with that and another 2.8 WAR at the plate. Ichikawa looked better in 2005 and led in wins for the fifth time at 21-6 with 6.3 WAR pitching. His bat got a mere 1.7 WAR and 112 wRC+ though.

However, Osaka returned to the playoffs and had surprised many by winning the 2005 Japan League pennant at 87-75. Seoul stopped them in the EAB Championship; a repeat for the Seahawks. Ichikawa had a 3-0 record and 2.88 ERA in 40.2 playoff innings while adding a 117 wRC+ at the plate. Osaka made the playoffs again in 2006, but had a first round exit.

Ichikawa wasn’t around for most of the season or the playoffs though with his first major injury; a concussion suffered in early May. He didn’t reach the vesting criteria for the fifth year, becoming a free agent at age 36. With Osaka pitching, Ichikawa had a 66-22 record, 2.85 ERA, 872.2 innings, 972 strikeouts, 117 ERA+, and 18.8 WAR. Hitting, he had 402 games, 299 hits, 177 runs, 64 home runs, 154 RBI, a .223/.277/.450 slash, 115 wRC+, and 7.6 WAR.

Tokyo gave Ichikawa a two-year, $11,200,000 deal. He became the 34^th pitcher to 3500 career strikeouts in May 2007. He led in innings pitched, but had only above average production at a 111 ERA+ and 3.6 WAR. The Tides used Ichikawa less at a hitter with 61 games, a 134 wRC+, and 1.3 WAR. However, he stepped up big come postseason time for the Tides, who repeated in a terrible Capital Division at 82-80.

Despite that, Tokyo upset 110-win Niigata and then Kyoto to claim the Japan League pennant, although they did lose the EAB Championship to Yongin. Ichikawa had an impressive 1.08 ERA over 41.2 innings with 39 strikeouts, a 307 ERA+, and 1.4 WAR. He would be less impressive in 2008 as Tokyo lost the JLCS to the Green Dragons, but Ichikawa cemented a bond in the megalopolis in only two years.

For his playoff career, Ichikawa had a 15-12 record, 259.1 innings, 2.92 ERA, 277 strikeouts, 33 walks, 115 ERA+, and 5.9 WAR pitching. As of 2037, he has the most playoff strikeouts, is tied for the most playoff wins, and ranks fourth in playoff pitching WAR. Ichikawa also has the most losses (12), starts (34), complete games (14), innings (259), and hits allowed (216).

He also had 90 games and 81 starts offensively with 80 hits, 48 runs, 14 doubles, 6 triples, 18 home runs, 52 RBI, a .275/.324/.550 slash, 162 wRC+, and 3.5 WAR. His last playoff opportunities came in 2008 for Tokyo.
Ichikawa did miss the summer of 2008 to a partially torn labrum.

In two seasons for Tokyo, he had a 23-17 record, 3.25 ERA, 384.2 innings, 363 strikeouts, 103 ERA+, and 5.5 WAR. He also had 1.7 WAR, a .691 OPS, and 103 WRC+ in 106 games offensively. Ichikawa was now a free agent again at age 38. Niigata still thought he had plenty of value left and gave him a sizeable investment at three years and $16,800,000.

Unfortunately the prior labrum injury sank Ichikawa’s pitching effectiveness, posting career worsts in ERA (4.26) and home runs allowed (38) in 203 innings. He did still at least provide positive value offensively with 2.6 WAR and a 130 wRC+. In early September, Ichikawa suffered another partial labrum tear. Instead of trying to rehab back, he opted for retirement at age 39.

For his pitching career, Ichikawa had a 236-147 record, 3.12 ERA, 3597 innings, 3981 strikeouts, 625 walks, 287/454 quality starts, 166 complete games, 108 ERA+, and 66.7 WAR. As of 2037, he ranks 22^nd in strikeouts and 26^th in wins, although his pitching WAR is merely 92^nd. Despite his accolades, the rate stats suggest he was more above average in total with excellent longevity. Ichikawa’s playoff ERA+ of 115 is a similar story, but he did notably step up in the pennant runs of three franchises.

Offensively in 1826 games and 1580 starts, Ichikawa had 1431 hits, 803 runs, 165 doubles, 160 triples, 308 home runs, 843 RBI, 262 stolen bases, 495 walks, a .241/.303/.479 slash, 132 wRC, and 50.8 WAR. He wasn’t a Hall of Famer purely on his bat, but he provided a solid starter quality bat and more than held his own with his glove in the outfield.

The combined WAR of 117.5 as of 2037 ranks eighth among all two-way players in all world leagues. Ichikawa also narrowly beats fellow EAB two-way guys Umi Kihara (116.7), Tadasumi Tanabe (116.0), Totaro Uchiyama (106.7), and Junichi Muto (106.6). It is hard to rank which was the most impactful, but certainly a strong case exists for Ichikawa.

While he wasn’t the absolute most dominant pitcher or hitter, Ichikawa’s combined efforts made him one of the most important guys of his era. It is no surprise that he had so many playoff appearances, leading Sapporo, Tokyo, and Osaka each to Japan League pennants. Ichikawa is a deserving 2015 Hall of Fame headliner at 98.9%.



Yachi Ito – First Base – Osaka Orange Sox – 81.2% First Ballot

Yachi Ito was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed hitting first baseman from Toyama, a city with around 415,000 people on the west central coast of Honshu. Ito wasn’t viewed as incredible at one thing, but he was an all-around solid batter. He was good to occasionally great in terms of both contact and power with an above average eye and decent strikeout rate. Ito was especially strong against left-handed pitching (188 wRC+, .956 OPS) but was no bum against righties (158 wRC+, .850 OPS).

Ito never led the league in home runs, but he topped 30+ in 12 seasons and hit 40+ six times. He also had 25 doubles per his 162 game average. You wouldn’t get extra bases with his legs, as Ito was a painfully slow and clumsy baserunner. He played every inning of his career at first base and was a terrible defender. Still, Ito’s impressive work ethic, bat, and loyalty made him a fan favorite throughout Japan.

In 1988, Ito was one of the rare draft picks to come straight out of high school, as he wowed scouts at Chukyodai Chukyo High in Nagoya. Kobe picked him ninth overall and took their time developing him. He officially debuted in 1991 at age 20, but only saw eight plate appearances that year. Ito had 78 games and 9 starts in 1992, then had 120 games and 33 starts in 1993.

With a nice outing in 1993, the Blaze promoted him to the full-time gig. Ito was an ironman who almost never missed games and would play 145+ games in all but one season from 1994-2009. He posted 4.9 WAR, a .874 OPS, and 172 wRC+ in his first full season starting. Kobe made it to the Japan League Championship Series for the first time in a decade, but fell to Hiroshima’s dynasty.

Kobe signed Ito to a five-year, $9,160,000 extension in late July 1995. They were competitive during his run, averaging 84.8 wins per season. The Blaze would win three straight division titles from 1997-99, but lost in the first round each year. Ito held up his end in 43 playoff games with 47 hits, 22 runs, 11 doubles, 8 homers, 27 RBI, a .307/.339/.549 slash, 161 wRC+, and 1.5 WAR.

Ito was a reliably strong bat for Kobe, but wasn’t often in awards conversations with the stacked competition at first base. His finest year there came in 1997, leading the league with career highs in runs (112) and total bases (389). This year also had career bests in homers (54), OPS (.992), wRC+ (206), and WAR (8.1). Ito also led with 115 RBI in 1995 and topped 5+ WAR in four seasons.

In total with Kobe, Ito had 1181 games, 1175 hits, 586 runs, 181 doubles, 254 home runs, 652 RBI, a .295/.337/.543 slash, 169 wRC+, and 37.8 WAR. He’d remain popular there, although his signature run came elsewhere. It seemed like the Blaze wanted Ito long-term, giving him a four-year, $12,240,000 extension in March 2000. However, they surprised many by trading Ito away only two months later.

In May, Ito was sent to Osaka for three prospects. It was an especially surprising trade not only because of Ito’s popularity, but because it was within the same division. He helped Osaka to 100-62 in 2000, but that still fell short of the playoffs thanks to a 104-58 Nagoya. The trade paid off for the Orange Sox ultimately, earning five division titles from 2001-06.

Ito’s lone Silver Slugger came in 2002 with career bests in hits (204), batting average (.337), and OBP (.381). He was also third in MVP voting, his only time as a finalist. 2002 also saw Osaka win the Japan league crown, falling to Incheon for the EAB title. In 17 playoff starts, Ito had 20 hits, 8 runs, 4 doubles, 3 homers, and 11 RBI.

Osaka won 109 games in 2003, but had a stunning first-round upset loss to Niigata. Ito was moved to a surprise platoon role that season with only 65 starts, but regained the full-time job after that. They missed the playoffs in 2004, but won the Japan League title again in 2005, falling to Seoul in the EAB final. They were one-and-done in 2006 before finishing the decade towards the bottom of the standings.

Still, two pennants was an impressive haul for Ito. With the Orange Sox in the playoffs, Ito had 47 hits, 22 runs, 11 doubles, 8 homers, 27 RBI, a .307/.339/.549 slash, and 161 wRC+ over 43 games with 1.5 WAR. In the 2005 playoff run specifically, Ito had 20 hits, 11 runs, 5 doubles, 4 homers, and 13 RBI in 15 starts.

Osaka gave Ito a five-year, $34,500,000 extension in March 2004. He aged quite well, matching his career-best WAR total in 2006 at age 35 with 8.1. He posted 46 homers, 116 RBI, a .978 OPS, and 195 wRC+ that year. After a strong 2007, Ito did regress with a middling 1.3 WAR and 20 homers in 2008. He looked better in 2009 with 33 homers, a 148 wRC+, and 3.5 WAR.

After back-to-back losing seasons, Ito’s contract was up and Osaka wasn’t likely to re-sign him. While he felt he could still contribute, Ito opted to retire that winter at age 39. The Orange Sox quickly retired his #20 uniform and he remained a popular ambassador for many years after. In 1526 games there, Ito had 1533 hits, 781 runs, 237 doubles, 331 home runs, 826 RBI, a .290/.349/.533 slash, 164 wRC, and 49.3 WAR.

Ito ended with 2708 hits, 1367 runs, 418 doubles, 585 home runs, 1478 RBI, 715 walks, a .292/.344/.537 slash, 166 wRC+, and 87.1 WAR. As of 2037, he ranks 86^th in WAR among position players, 39^th in homers, 57^th in hits, and 55^th in RBI.

Ito was never a tip-top level guy, but he was reliably quite solid for a long time. Plus, he was a beloved fan favorite for two franchises and helped Osaka win two pennants. That was enough for most voters to overlook the lack of big awards and black ink, making Ito a first-ballot Hall of Fame inductee at 81.2% for the 2015 class.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2015 BSA Hall of Fame

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1B/DH Nyx Navas was the lone inductee into the Beisbol Sudamerica Hall of Fame in 2015. On his sixth ballot, Navas narrowly breached the 66% requirement at 70.1%. Catcher Moises Avalos almost joined him on his seventh try, but fell painfully short at 64.6%. 1B Rafael Cervantes was next at 56.6% on his sixth ballot. The only other player above 50% was LF Sergio Echevarria, the best debutant at 56.2%. No players were dropped following ten ballots.



Nyx Navas – First Base/Designated Hitter – Valencia Velocity – 70.1% Sixth Ballot

Nyx Navas was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed first baseman from the capital of Brazil, Brasilia. Navas was one of the strongest sluggers of his era, hitting 30+ home runs in every season as a full-time starter and topping 40+ seven times. His gap power was quite impressive with 31 doubles per his 162 game average. He’d even get a few triples despite being a painfully slow baserunner. In his prime, Navas was a very good contact hitter with an above average eye, although his strikeout rate was merely okay.

Navas only ever took his glove to first base and was a terrible defender. About 1/3 of his career starts came as a designated hitter, but he didn’t have that option much in the second half of his career. Navas had reliable durability and adaptability, playing 145+ games in 16 different seasons. His impressive power made him a popular player in a career that spanned three continents.

Growing up in the Brazilian capital, Navas got attention from scouts as a teenager. One from Venezuela took a liking to him and in March 1983, signed Navas to a developmental deal with Valencia. He spent most of five years in the academy, officially debuting with two at-bats in 1987 at age 20. Navas was iffy in 82 games and 41 starts in 1988. Still, the Velocity gave him the full-time job in 1989 and he held it for the next seven years with them.

Navas had a good 1989 and helped Valencia end a decade-long playoff drought, although they lost in the first round. Unfortunately, that was their only winning season of Navas’ tenure. He thrived though, leading the Bolivar League in 1990 in home runs (48), RBI (115), and total bases (383). Navas won his first Silver Slugger as a DH with his first of five 6+ WAR seasons with Valencia.

His power dipped a bit in 1991, but he had it back in spades in an impressive 1992. Navas had one of the most impressive batting seasons in BSA history with 11.7 WAR from the DH spot, winning MVP honors and his second Silver Slugger. Navas had career highs in hits (242), runs (134), homers (60), doubles (38), RBI (147), total bases (470), triple slash (.375/.412/.728), OPS (1.14), and wRC+ (219).

He would’ve had a triple crown if not for the BSA homer king Milton Becker’s 64 dingers and 1.161 OPS. Navas’ 134 runs were seven short of the then single-season record and his 147 RBI was four shy of the record. As of 2037, his WAR mark still ranks as the 22^nd best by any position player. Again, that was especially impressive with the vast majority of his starts as a DH.

Navas was moved to first base in 1993 and stayed there for the next decade. His production dropped to 5.0 WAR that year, but he bounced back with back-to-back 7.3 WAR efforts. In 1995, Navas led in homers (56), total bases (398), slugging (.662), and wRC+ (189). He won his second MVP and fourth Silver Slugger. Despite that, Valencia bottomed out at a terrible 66-96. That didn’t give Navas much motivation to stick around with his stock very high after that contract year.

With Valencia, Navas had 1373 hits, 722 runs, 264 doubles, 319 home runs, 798 RBI, a .316/.369/.609 slash, 171 wRC+, and 48.2 WAR. Even if it was a down era for the team, he was popular enough to still get his #34 uniform eventually retired. Heading into his age 29 season, Navas had offers from all across South America. However, he would take his professional talents to the United States for the next eight years.

Although he didn’t play in his native Brazil until 2004, Navas did still proudly represent his country in the World Baseball Championship. From 1990-2003, he had 149 games and 137 starts with 121 hits, 85 runs, 31 doubles, 37 home runs, 88 RBI, a .230/.317/.507 slash, 137 wRC+, and 5.0 WAR. Navas earned a world champion ring as part of Brazil’s 1990 title season.

MLB teams often didn’t get a crack at international stars until their twilight years, so a 29-year old Navas garnered a lot of attention. He ended up inking an eight-year, $29,360,000 deal with Chicago. Navas was a four-time all-star with the Cubs, but was never in the MVP or Silver Slugger conversations. Still, he had 30+ homers in seven straight seasons and had 3.5+ WAR each of those years.

Navas’s best effort was 6.2 in 2000, which also saw a National Association best 119 RBI. His strongest pace was 1997 with a 197 wRC+ over 118 games, but he lost six weeks in the autumn to injury. Chicago was delightfully average during his tenure, usually hovering at or just above .500. Their lone playoff appearance would come with a division title in 1998.

That year, the Cubs made it to the NACS, but lost to Toronto. In 11 playoff starts, Navas had 11 hits, 8 runs, 4 homers, and 6 RBI. He was the full-time starter at first for seven years, but struggles in his last season relegated him to a bench role in 2003. In total for the Cubs, Navas had 1194 games, 1195 hits, 625 runs, 187 doubles, 261 home runs, 729 RBI, a .282/.340/.517 slash, 156 wRC+, and 35.8 WAR.

Now a free agent again heading towards age 37, MLB teams figured Navas was done as a contributor. He headed home to Brazil and just before the 2004 season inked a one-year deal with defending Copa Sudamerica winner Rio de Janeiro. Navas showed he still had power with 42 homers, a .901 OPS, 155 wRC+, and 5.3 WAR at first base.

The Redbirds won their division again, but had a first round playoff loss. Navas was a free agent again and despite the strong showing, couldn’t find a South American team interested at his price point. He still wanted to play and knew he could contribute. Navas’ worldwide feelers led to an unlikely landing place in Mozambique, signing a two-year, $3,240,000 with the AAB’s Maputo Piranhas.

Navas was a positive value starter with 35 and 32 home runs in his seasons there. He had 5.3 WAR, a .258/.330/.504 slash, and 129 wRC+ with Maputo. Navas still wanted to play somewhere in 2007, but most teams could find younger and cheaper sluggers to plug at first or DH. He ultimately retired that winter at age 40.

For his combined pro career, Navas had 3040 hits, 1608 runs, 547 doubles, 689 home runs, 1817 RBI, 841 walks, a .295/.351/.558 slash, 159 wRC+, and 94.6 WAR. That combined stat line makes you a lock anywhere if it is all in one year. However, a full decade came outside of Beisbol Sudamerica, meaning the voters were essentially looking just at the Valencia run and his one year in Rio.

In BSA, Navas had 1562 hits, 825 runs, 294 doubles, 361 home runs, 900 RBI, a .315/.365/.604 slash, 169 wRC+, and 53.5 WAR. There weren’t any position players with a lower career WAR and very few made it below the 1000 run, 1000 RBI, and 2000 hit thresholds. Those that did tended to have brief runs of excellence before leaving.

The rate stats for Navas were very good, but not undeniable. As of 2037 among any BSA hitters with 3000+ plate appearances, his .969 OPS ranks 42^nd and his slugging is 35^th. Two MVPs and one all-time season were major plusses for supporters. Detractors had his lack of team success, low accumulations, and the DH penalty.

Navas still had a respectable 54.3% debut in 2010 and bumped to 60.1% in 2011. He dropped back to 47.8% in 2012, but barely missed in 2013 at 63.1%. Navas fell again though with 47.7% in 2014. For 2015, Navas was helped out by a lack of major debuts. Some detractors noticed that he was the best on offer, crossing the 66% requirement at 70.1%. With that, Navas earned his Hall of Fame spot as Beisbol Sudamerica’s lone inductee in 2015.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2015 EBF Hall of Fame

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Two players were inducted in 2015 for the European Baseball Federation’s Hall of Fame on their debuts. LF/1B Villum Kleist was nearly unanimous at 99.0%, while RF Chris Klause made it with 73.0%. The next closest to the 66% requirement was SP Jarand Dahl, taking 57.8% for his fifth ballot. Also crossing 50% were RP Steven Macario at 53.4% on his third go and C Ulrich Thomsen’s 52.0% second ballot effort. No players were removed in 2015 after ten failed tries.



Villum Kleist – Left Field/First Base – Copenhagen Corsairs – 99.0% First Ballot

Villum Kleist was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed hitting slugger from Lemvig, Denmark; a town of 6,800 near the northwestern coast. Kleist was one of Europe’s most prolific home run hitters, leading the Northern Conference in seven different seasons. He crushed 50+ dongs in nine seasons and topped 60+ four times. At his peak, some scouts called him a 10/10 player for power. Kleist’s power helped him draw a lot of walks, although his strikeout rate was quite poor.

Kleist was an average-at-best contact hitter, but more than half of his career hits went for extra bases. He also was good for 21 doubles and 9 triples per his 162 game average. Kleist wasn’t a big galoot like many sluggers with average to above average speed and baserunning chops. This enabled him to score runs at an impressive rate.

Kleist’s excellent durability also gave him tremendous value, playing 150+ games in all but one season from 1992-2006. A left-handed thrower, Kleist made about 3/4s of his starts in left field with the rest at first base. Unfortunately, he was firmly lousy in both spots. But Kleist socked dingers better than all but a very select few in baseball history, making him a popular figure.

It helped that his prime years came for his home country team Copenhagen, who picked him 4^th overall in the 1990 EBF Draft. Kleist was also a fixture of Denmark’s World Baseball Championship teams from 1993-2008 with 149 games and 148 starts. In the WBC, he had 110 hits, 78 runs, 17 doubles, 47 home runs, 101 RBI, a .208/.322/.529 slash, 141 wRC+, and 4.8 WAR.

Copenhagen’s stadium was friendly for home runs, a perfect fit for Kleist. It was one of the best one-two power punches in baseball history as he played alongside Hall of Fame Class of 2014 inductee Mattias Stole for much of his Corsairs run. Stole came onto the scene with a record-breaking 75 home runs in 1994. However, Kleist would be more often atop the home run leaderboards in the conference.

Kleist only played 79 games with 2 starts in 1991, but earned the full-time job in 1992. He had initial whiffing issues, leading in strikeouts thrice from 1992-1995. However, 1993 started a streak of four straight 50+ home run seasons and a run of ten seasons with 47 or more. During that run, Kleist was worth 5+ WAR nine times. After the 1995 season, Copenhagen locked him up for eight years at $20 million. 1995 was his first of four Silver Sluggers in left field, also getting it in 1998, 1999, and 2001.

1996 was Kleist’s first time leading in both homers (57) and RBI (139). He’d then lead in homers five straight years from 1998-2002. He also led in runs in 1998 and led thrice in slugging. Kleist snagged his first MVP in 1998 with 7.8 WAR, 60 homers, a 1.037 OPS, and 196 wRC+. His second MVP came in 2001, which was his best season by many metrics.

At age 32, Kleist had conference and career bests in homers (71), RBI (143), total bases (422), slugging (.733), OPS (1.096), and wRC+ (201). Kleist became only the sixth in EBF history with a 70+ homer campaign. His 8.0 WAR was also a career best. Kleist’s second-best homer total came the next year with 64.

Copenhagen was merely above average in his early years. They won division titles in 1995, 1998, and 2000 with first round exits. The Corsairs lost in the Northern Conference Championship in 2001 to Glasgow. Then despite going 106-56 in 2002, they were upset in the second round. Kleist’s playoff numbers were subpar and rightly deserved criticism.

In 29 playoff starts, Kleist had 22 hits, 20 runs, 4 doubles, 11 home runs, 24 RBI, a .190/.226/.509 slash, 104 wRC+, and 0.6 WAR. Although he remained very popular in Denmark, many Corsairs fans had Stole as their favorite over Kleist. Stole played a huge role in the dynasty run Copenhagen would have in the mid 2000s. Kleist wouldn’t be there for that though, which he would later express regrets over.

Kleist’s contract came up after the 2002 season and the 34-year old opted for free agency. With Copenhagen, he had 1764 hits, 1179 runs, 222 doubles, 102 triples, 601 home runs, 1365 RBI, a .275/.331/.623 slash, 168 wRC+, and 63.8 WAR. Kleist would later see his #29 uniform retired alongside Stole’s #23 in a joint ceremony in 2009.

He signed with Amsterdam for 2003 at four years and $23,200,000. Kleist did notably hit for the cycle that March against Riga, but he ultimately underperformed in three years for the Anacondas. Kleist still was a positive value starter, but he peaked at only 39 home runs in 2003. He was reduced to a platoon starter by 2005 and didn’t meet the criteria for the fourth year of the deal. Amsterdam was above .500 each of his seasons, but short of the playoffs each time.

Kleist had 393 hits, 269 runs, 73 doubles, 98 home runs, 268 RBI, a .269/.344/.547 slash, 139 wRC+, and 9.3 WAR in the Netherlands. Many teams were worried he was cooked at age 37, but Munich gave him a shot in spring training 2006. Kleist had an impressive resurgence for the Mavericks, winning his lone Silver Slugger at first base and fifth of his career. He hit above .300 for the only time in his career (.303) and led in homers for the seventh time with 57.

That was Kleist’s ninth 50+ homer season, which was the EBF record until matched and topped by Harvey Coyle in the early 2020s. The 6.7 WAR effort caught the attention of Paris in free agency for 2007, who gave Kleist two years at $9,440,000. He couldn’t re-capture the magic in one year with the Poodles, playing 127 games with 75 starts, 21 homers, a 138 wRC+, and 2.4 WAR.

Kleist joined Lisbon for 2008 and joined the 800 home run and 2500 hit clubs that year. Only Jack Kennedy at 875 had topped 800 dingers previously and some thought Kleist might chase him, hitting 36 in 2008. The Clippers brought him back in 2009, but he only added 10 more dingers with only 54 games and 25 starts. Kleist opted for retirement that winter at age 41.

The final stats: 2570 hits, 1719 runs, 357 doubles, 147 triples, 823 home runs, 1934 RBI, 837 walks, 259 stolen bases, a .273/.332/.606 slash, 160 wRC+, and 84.8 WAR. As of 2037, Kleist is still third all-time in EBF for homers, ninth for RBI, 14^th in runs, and 45^th in hits.

His porous defense and weaker contact skills pushed him down to only 70^th in WAR among position players. Kleist doesn’t crack the top 100 in OPS with his .937 missing the cut by three points among those with 3000+ plate appearances. He also had 2734 strikeouts, the second most in EBF history behind Augusto Reis’s 3079.

Those advanced stats and his poor playoff numbers rightfully keep Kleist out of the inner-circle level Hall of Fame conversations overall. But for raw power, few were more impressive and 800+ dingers with close to 2000 RBI makes you a lock. Kleist was nearly unanimous at 99.0%, headlining EBF’s 2015 Hall of Fame class.



Chris Klause – Right Field – Stockholm Swordsmen – 73.0% First Ballot

Chris Klause was a 6’1’’, 200 pound left-handed right fielder from Dortmund, Germany’s ninth largest city with around 612,000 in the Ruhr. Against right-handed pitching, Klause was an excellent contact hitter with strong power, posting a career .983 OPS and 170 wRC+. He was merely decent against lefties with a 117 wRC+ and .768 OPS. On the whole, this made Klause a reliably good to occasionally great bat. For his 162 game average, Klause would get you 36 home runs and 29 doubles.

He was respectable at drawing walks, but his strikeout rate was subpar. He was a smart baserunner, but he was quite slow. Klause played essentially his full career in right field, but his poor speed and range meant he graded out as a mediocre defender. However, he did have a very strong arm and runners would be hesitant to try for an extra base against Klause. His durability was decent, but his 30s were plagued with recurring back troubles.

A visiting Swedish scout noticed Klause as a teenager in Germany and brought him to Stockholm on a developmental deal in June 1986. He officially debuted in 1990 as a rare 19-year old pro with 43 games and three starts. Klause stayed in developmental in 1991, then saw nine games in 1992. Stockholm opted to make him a full-time starter from 1993 onward.

Klause had a remarkable debut season, leading the Northern Conference in slugging at .654. That was a career best, as was his 1.045 OPS and 190 wRC+, earning a third in MVP voting. Stockholm made it to the conference finals, but were defeated by Birmingham. Klause struggled in the playoffs with a .167/.184/.312 slash. That and their 1992 one-and-done would be his only playoff appearances with the Swordsmen.

Stockholm wasn’t terrible in his run, averaging 82.6 wins per season. They were stuck in the middle tier despite Klause’s efforts. He wasn’t a league leader, but he topped 40+ homers thrice, 100+ RBI five times, and 6+ WAR five times. 1997 was his finest season statistically with career bests in runs (113), hits (205), homers (47), RBI (136), and WAR (8.8). Klause won Silver Sluggers in both 1995 and 1997 and took third in 1997’s MVP voting.

Klause signed a five-year, $13,060,000 extension after the 1996 season, but was a free agent after the 2002 season at age 31. With Stockholm, he had 1667 hits, 893 runs, 283 doubles, 348 home runs, 971 RBI, a .316/.362/.583 slash, 163 wRC+, and 55.5 WAR. Although the Swordsmen had an uneventful run in Klause’s tenure, he remained popular years later and his #25 uniform was later retired.

Vienna signed Klause to a four-year, $6,640,000 deal. The Vultures decided to use him from 2002-04 in a platoon role. They just missed the playoffs in 2002, then started a five-year playoff streak in 2003, winning 100+ games each year. Vienna went 108-54 in 2003 and won the European Championship against Warsaw. The Vultures were ousted in the second round in 2004, 2006, and 2007. However, they won the Southern Conference title again in 2005, losing the European Championship to Copenhagen.

Klause was good in the 2005 playoff run, but mediocre otherwise. For his playoff career, he had 57 games, 34 starts, a .208/.244/.357 slash, and -0.2 WAR. Klause fared much better on the World Baseball Championship stage from 1993-2008 for Germany with 120 games, 94 starts, 91 hits, 66 runs, 20 doubles, 34 home runs, 75 RBI, a .243/.317/.575 slash, 158 wRC+, and 4.5 WAR.

Still, Vienna was happy and gave Klause a three-year, $20,700,000 extension after the 2005 season. He was a full-time starter again in 2005 and for 2006 when healthy. Klause was switched back to the platoon role in 2007, then missed most of 2008 between a strained oblique and sprained ankle Vienna fell below .500 in 2008, but made it back for a second round exit in 2009.

Klause agreed to a qualifying offer in 2009, but missed two months to a torn thumb ligament. Even when healthy, he saw only 14 starts and 58 games all season. Klause decided to retire after the season at age 39. For his Vultures run, he had 743 hits, 437 runs, 133 doubles, 164 home runs, 471 RBI, a .295/.356/.551 slash, 148 wRC+, and 23.7 WAR.

For his career, Klause had 2410 hits, 1330 runs, 416 doubles, 512 home runs, 1442 RBI, a .309/.360/.573 slash, .933 OPS, 158 wRC+, and 79.2 WAR. As of 2037, he ranks 67^th in hits, 64^th in runs, 49^th in home runs, 45^th in RBI, and 89^th in WAR among position players.

Klause didn’t have black ink or big awards and critics noted his poor playoff stats. However, Klause quietly put up pretty good accumulations over an 18-year career. Enough voters were satisfied by his resume for 73.0% of the vote. Klause crossed the 66% requirement for the first round induction as the second member of the 2015 EBF Hall of Fame class.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2015 EPB Hall of Fame

Closer Shahin Lebedev was the lone addition for the Eurasian Professional Baseball Hall of Fame in 2015 with an impressive first-ballot 91.0%. SP Edmond Vardanyan was very close to the 66% threshold in his third ballot, but fell just short at 64.8%. CL Stilian Zaborov almost made it in his debut at 64.2%. Two other returners cracked 50% with LF Oleg Ivashko at 59.0% for his fourth ballot and SS Gleb Khassanov at 53.6% on his third try.



Dropped after ten failed ballots was pitcher Dmitry Popov. He got as high as 52.1% in 2009 and ended at 45.5%. Popov had eight stellar years with Ufa with a 138-104 record, 2.33 ERA, 2354 innings, 2697 strikeouts, 126 ERA+, and 71.4 WAR. Popov led twice in WAR and led in strikeouts in 1997.

However, Popov never won Pitcher of the Year and didn’t have the longevity. He left for MLB in 2001 at age 30, but only pitched 88.2 innings for the rest of his career due to injuries. Had he stayed healthy and remained in EPB, Popov’s rate stats likely would’ve gotten him across the line. As of 2037, he ranks 80^th in pitching WAR.



Shahin Lebedev – Closer – Moscow Mules – 91.0% First Ballot

Shahin Lebedev was a 6’1’’, 200 pound left-handed relief pitcher from Tugalan, Tajikistan; a town of around 18,000 in the southwestern Khatlon Region. Lebedev had incredible stuff with great movement and good control. He had an impressive 99-101 mph fastball, but his curveball was even better. Lebedev also had very good stamina and durability for a reliever, leading the league in appearances six times in his career.

Despite coming from very humble origins, Lebedev’s raw stuff was getting attention even as a teenager. A visiting scout from Moscow saw his potential and signed him to a developmental deal in November 1988. Lebedev spent six full years in the Mules academy before getting the call up in 1995 at age 22. Moscow put him into the closer role right away and he held it for the next decade.

Lebedev had the rare accomplishment of leading the European League in saves as a rookie with 40. He topped it with 46 the next year, taking third in Reliever of the Year voting both seasons. Lebedev was second in 1997 voting with fewer saves, but a stronger 1.14 ERA. Despite Moscow being historically a powerhouse, they didn’t have a single playoff berth in the 1990s. They were stuck in the mid-tier, averaging 81.7 wins for the decade.

1998 saw Lebedev’s first Reliever of the Year win with 6.6 WAR, a 1.69 ERA, 165 strikeouts, and 28 saves over 90.1 innings. Incidentally, that would be his lowest save total in a season in EPB. Lebedev then led the league the next four years in saves with 43, 38, 38, and 45. He matched the 6.6 WAR in 1999, which was his career best. 1999 also had a career high in strikeouts (171) and innings (102.1), although Lebedev finished second in ROTY voting.

Lebedev placed second again in 2000, 2001, and 2002. Moscow ended their playoff drought in 2001, but lost to Minsk in the European League Championship Series. They missed the playoffs in 2002, then lost again to the Miners in the 2003 ELCS. Lebedev’s small playoff sample size was poor with a 4.38 ERA over 12.1 innings for a 62 ERA+.

2001 was by far his most dominant season by ERA (0.58), and ERA+ (483) with 5.8 WAR, but his lower inning total at 77.2 cost him the ROTY. Lebedev would win the award for the second time in 2003 and the third time in 2004; posting sub-one ERAs both seasons. 2004 also saw his seventh time as the saves leader at 44. Lebedev made history as the only EPB pitcher to top 40 saves in five seasons.

Lebedev became a free agent after 2004 heading into his age 32 season. His consistent results drew international attention and he left for the allure of Major League Baseball money. With Moscow, he had 384 saves and 448 shutdowns, 1.37 ERA, 894.2 innings, 1455 strikeouts, 225 walks, a 207 ERA+, and 50.6 WAR. The Mules would eventually retire his #32 uniform at the end of his playing career.

Los Angeles signed Lebedev to a three-year, $19,600,000 deal. He had a respectable 2005 season as their closer with 28 saves, a 2.56 ERA, and 2.4 WAR with a 153 ERA+. However, the Angels traded him in the offseason in a four-player deal with St. Louis. He was the Cardinals closer for two years with a 2.88 ERA over 162.2 innings, 199 strikeouts, 115 ERA+, and 6.4 WAR.

Although his second year with the Cardinals was weaker, Albuquerque brought in a 35-year old Lebedev on a two-year deal. However, he struggled in only 23.1 innings with a 6.17 ERA in 2008 and was let go in the winter. Thus ended his MLB tenure with a 3.09 ERA, 77 saves, 256.1 innings, 311 strikeouts, 8.9 WAR, and 114 ERA+. Lebedev was a perfectly serviceable reliever in MLB, but never found the dominance he had in the Russian capital.

EPB teams didn’t forget Lebedev though and Minsk brought him back for 2009. He led in saves with 42; his eighth time doing so, although a lower strikeout rate kept his WAR at only 1.9. Minsk had the #1 seed, but this time it was Moscow beating them in the ELCS. Lebedev struck out 14 in 6.1 playoff innings, but also allowed three runs.

This season did allow Lebedev to join Jas Starsky and Demis Mankovsky as EPB’s only closers with 400 career saves. Combining his MLB numbers, he became one of a select group with 500+ professional saves. A free agent again in 2010, Lebedev signed with Nicaragua and was used more in middle relief.

He had a 2.28 ERA over 71 innings, 172 ERA+, and 1.9 WAR. He allowed two runs in seven playoff innings. Nicaragua earned the Caribbean League’s top seed, but lost to Haiti in the CLCS. Lebedev was under contract in 2011 still, but the Navigators opted not to use him. He decided to retire that winter at age 39.

For his combined pro career, Lebedev had a 101-97 record, 516 saves and 611 shutdowns, 1.80 ERA, 1302.1 innings, 1938 strikeouts, 341 walks, 174 ERA+, and 63.2 WAR. Those were combined tallies that not many relievers reached over a full career. Just in EPB, Lebedev had a 72-68 record, 426 saves, 487 shutdowns, 1.43 ERA, 975 innings, 1552 strikeouts, 238 walks, 201 ERA+, and 52.5 WAR.

As of 2037, Lebedev ranks third in saves and WAR among relief pitchers. He was just short of the 1000 innings required for career rate stats, but if you count him, Lebedev’s ERA is second only to Jas Starsky’s 1.42 and his 0.82 WHIP would be top five. His poor playoff stats are a mark against him, but Lebedev was a top three reliever for essentially his entire Moscow tenure. Thus, he received a strong 91.0% for a first ballot induction as the lone member of EPB’s 2015 Hall of Fame class.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2015 OBA Hall of Fame

Third baseman Dane Molitor and pitcher Kai Brockhurst earned first ballot inductions into the Oceania Baseball Association Hall of Fame in 2015. Molitor made it at 94.3% and Brockhurst received 87.9%. RF Will Lee nearly joined them in his eight ballot, but his 64.4% fell painfully short of the 66% requirement. This was the highest number yet for Lee, who debuted at 38.1%.



The only other player above 50% was CF Jonathan Buai at 55.0%. This was his highest number, but also his tenth and final shot. The Solomon Islander had a 13 year career mostly with Honolulu and was a traditional leadoff guy, leading the league eight times in stolen bases and thrice in hits. He won two Silver Sluggers, one Gold Glove, and was finals MVP twice as part of the Honu dynasty.

Buai finished with 2087 hits, 974 runs, 277 doubles, 163 triples, 38 home runs, 521 RBI, 1097 stolen bases, a .281/.309/.378 slash, 111 wRC+, and 67.1 WAR. As of 2037, he’s sixth all-time in stolen bases. However, the lack of power numbers make him look unremarkable sabremetrically, even with good defensive production. Buai does rank 46^th in WAR amongst position players, but even his role in the Honolulu dynasty couldn’t get him across the line.

LF Thompson Bobby also fell off the ballot after ten years, although his peak was only 23.6% in his debut. Bobby ended at 9.1% with a low of 7.3% in 2012. He won a Silver Slugger once and was a nine-time all-star in his 15-year career with three teams, primarily with Port Moresby.

He had 1856 hits, 983 runs, 200 doubles, 83 triples, 471 home runs, 1165 RBI, a .249/.294/.488 slash, 146 wRC+, and 57.6 WAR. Bobby didn’t quite have the longevity or the black ink and accolades needed, especially with the big hitting numbers often expected from the corner outfield. As of 2037, Bobby is 80^th in WAR among position players, but does rank 29^th in home runs.



Dane Molitor – Third Base – Perth Penguins – 94.3% First Ballot

Dane Molitor was a 6’1’’, 200 pound switch-hitting third baseman from Brisbane, Australia. Molitor was a well-rounded hitter with good-to-great contact skills, along with above average power. His 162 game average got you 24 home runs, 25 doubles, and 10 triples. Molitor was respectable at drawing walks, but had a below average strike out. He fared noticeably better hitting right-handed pitching (154 wRC+, .871 OPS) versus lefties (124 wRC+, .773 OPS).

On the basepaths, Molitor’s speed and baserunning were delightfully average. He had a strong arm, leading to the majority of his career being at third base. Molitor graded as reliably average for his career at third and at second base, where he sporadically started as well. He would see lingering knee and back troubles, but his work ethic still pushed him to a 20-year career. Molitor’s strong leadership skills also made him a fan favorite, becoming one of Australia’s most beloved players of the era.

By the 1989 OBA Draft, Molitor was arguably the top prospect out of Australia. He was picked second overall by Perth and played 15 years with the Penguins. The plan was to make him a full-time starter immediately, but he missed two months in his rookie year to a strained ACL. Molitor was a full-timer in 1991 with okay results. He showed more promise in 1992, but missed more than half of the year to another ACL strain.

Even with the sluggish start, Perth gave Molitor an eight-year, $7,130,000 extension after the 1992 campaign. He missed a month in 1993 to a sprained ankle, but won a batting title (.308) and led the Australasia League in on-base percentage at .365. That and his 7.0 WAR earned him his first Silver Slugger and his lone one as a second baseman. From there, Molitor won seven consecutive Sluggers playing third.

His efforts pushed Perth to the AL pennant in 1993 and 1994. The Penguins repeated as Oceania Champion, beating Honolulu in 1993 and Guam in 1994. Perth took second in both 1995 and 1996, then claimed the AL crown again in 1997. That year, they dropped the OBA final to Guam. The Penguins would be stuck in the middle tier for the following five years.

One criticism you could make of Molitor is that his playoff stats were lousy. In 15 starts, he had 12 hits, 6 runs, 3 doubles, 4 RBI, a .203/.262/.254 slash, 59 wRC+, and 0.0 WAR. Molitor did fare a bit better on the World Baseball Championship state for Australia. From 1992-2008, he had 131 games and 111 starts with 102 hits, 59 runs, 15 doubles, 25 home runs, 73 RBI, a .242/.332/.466 slash, 130 wRC+, and 3.4 WAR.

Playoff woes aside, Molitor played a huge role in Perth being a regular contender in the 1990s. He led the league in runs and WAR twice; and once in hits, RBI, total bases, slugging, OPS, and wRC+. 1994 had a career-best 9.7 WAR, which earned a second in MVP voting. Molitor was second again in 1995, 1996, 1999, and 2000; and took third in 1998.

Molitor finally won the MVP in 1997, which saw him lead in WAR (7.3) and post a career best in total bases (319). 1999 would have career bests in OPS (.938), and wRC+ (193), while 2000 had bests in homers (30), and RBI (109). From1993-2000, Molitor topped 6+ WAR each season and topped 8+ thrice. In 1996, he would hit for the cycle against Gold Coast.

After the 2000 season, Molitor officially became a free agent heading into his age 34 season. He didn’t look for long, quickly signing again with Perth for five years and $19,600,000. Injuries plagued him the first two years of the deal. Molitor had mostly full 2003 and 2004 efforts and was still a good starter, but his award-winning days were behind him. Perth’s time as a contender ended as well as they plummeted to 59-103 in 2004.

Molitor didn’t meet the vesting criteria for the fifth year and was a free agent after that heading towards age 38. A rebuilding Perth didn’t keep their longtime superstar, but he remained a beloved icon for many years after. The Penguins later retired his #8 uniform. With Perth, Molitor had 2102 hits, 1007 runs, 323 doubles, 134 triples, 293 home runs, 1065 RBI, 241 stolen bases, a .295/.350/.501 slash, 149 wRC+, and 83.5 WAR.

Fiji was a Pacific League contender at this point and gave Molitor a three-year, $10,840,000 deal. He was a reliably good starter in 2005 and 2006, providing veteran leadership. In August 2006, his Freedom run ended with a ruptured MCL, knocking him out nine months. Fiji did win the pennant that year, but lost in the final to the Melbourne dynasty. In two years, Molitor had 249 hits, 123 runs, 25 doubles, 41 home runs, 128 RBI, a .281/.344/.473 slash, 138 wRC+, and 8.0 WAR.

Molitor still had some intangible value and wanted to play into his 40s. Christchurch signed him for 2007 to a three-year, $12,040,000 deal. Injuries kept him to roughly half a seasons games in 2007 and 2008, although he still had positive value when healthy. By 2009, the Chinooks made him a bench player mostly used for leadership and pinch hitting.

With Christchurch, Molitor had 243 games, 218 hits, 99 runs, 31 doubles, 26 home runs, 94 RBI, a .297/.366/.473 slash, 127 wRC+, and 5.3 WAR. He did notably become OBA’s seventh batter to reach 2500 career hits. Molitor retired after the 2009 season at age 42.

Molitor finished with 2569 hits, 1229 runs, 379 doubles, 155 triples, 360 home runs, 1287 RBI, 737 walks, 286 stolen bases, a .294/.351/.496 slash, 146 wRC+, and 96.7 WAR. As of 2037, he ranks 10^th in WAR for position players, 23^rd in hits, and 36^th in runs. Molitor also compiled 84.1 WAR specifically at third base, which ranks second-best as of 2037 behind only Dale Harper’s 88.2.

During his Perth prime, Molitor was consistently in the MVP conversations. He was also a beloved superstar and fan favorite with fans throughout Australia often holding very fond memories of the man. Molitor was an easy headliner for the 2015 Hall of Fame class, getting the first ballot nod at 94.3%.



Kai Brockhurst – Starting Pitcher – Adelaide Aardvarks – 87.9% First Ballot

Kai Brockhurst was a 6’3’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Wollongong, Australia; a city of 300,000 inhabitants in New South Wales. Brockhurst was known for having excellent movement on his pitches. His stuff was good to occasionally great, although his control was average at best. Brockhurst’s fastball peaked in the 96-98 mph range, but was often his best pitch in a five-pitch arsenal.

Each offering was potent with a forkball, curveball, slider, and changeup lineup. Compared to most OBA aces, Brockhurst was below average for complete games. He stayed quite durable though and tossed 240+ innings in all but two seasons from 1996-2007. Brockhurst was considered lackluster defensively and struggled with holding runners.

Adelaide selected Brockhurst 10^th overall in OBA’s 1993 Draft. He saw limited use initially with only 106.1 innings in his first two years. Brockhurst earned a full-time rotation spot in 1996 and kept it for the rest of his time with the Aardvarks. He provided plentiful innings and topped 5+ WAR seven straight years from 1997-2003 with Adelaide. Brockhurst’s ERA numbers though were average at best for much of his 20s.

That still was quite helpful for Adelaide, who won Australasia League pennants in 1996, 1998, and 2001. They also won the Oceania Championship those years, beating Honolulu in 1996 and Guam in both 1998 and 2001. Brockhurst didn’t pitch in the 1998 final, but he had three starts between the other two with a 2.38 ERA over 22.2 innings. His role in this run played a big role in Adelaide retiring his #15 uniform.

Brockhurst signed a three-year, $6,500,000 extension in May 2000 and became a free agent after the 2003 season at age 32. He led the league with 7.8 WAR in 2001 and had 8.7 in 2000. However, Brockhurst wasn’t ever a Pitcher of the Year finalist with Adelaide. For the Aardvarks, he had a 136-119 record, 3.57 ERA, 2365.2 innings, 2354 strikeouts, 541 walks, 97 ERA+, and 50.8 WAR.

Melbourne signed Brockhurst to a four-year, $9,120,000 deal. The Mets won the AL pennant the prior year, which ultimately began their historic dynasty run. They were the Australasia League champ ten years running from 2003-2012. They won the Oceania Championship four straight seasons from 2004-07, then won two more in 2009 and 2010. Brockhurst earned five OBA rings, staying through 2009 after a $15,440,000 extension signed in January 2007.

These were his strongest seasons, leading the AL in WAR thrice and FIP- in five straight seasons. Brockhurst’s lone ERA title came in 2004 at 3.07, winning his lone Pitcher of the Year. He finished second in 2005 and 2006. Although not a finalist in 2007, it was arguably Brockhurst’s best season with a career-best 9.0 WAR. 2005 featured his lone no-hitter, coming against his old team Adelaide on June 22 with seven strikeouts and three walks.

Brockhurst was a mixed bag in the playoffs with iffy outings in 2004 and 2009 and average production in 2006. He was excellent though in the 2005 and 2007 finals against Tahiti. In 2005, Brockhurst won his three starts with a 1.23 ERA over 22 innings and 20 strikeouts. In 2007, he won his two starts with a 1.32 ERA over 13.2 innings. In total with Melbourne in the playoffs, Brockhurst had a 7-2 record, 3.01 ERA, 74.2 innings, 63 strikeouts, 131 ERA+, and 1.5 WAR.

By the end, Brockhurst had eight OBA championship rings and nine AL pennants. Very few players in any world league in baseball history finished with 8+ championship rings. Brockhurst may be unique in having multiples with two franchises, as the few other examples generally got them all with a single prolonged dynasty.

As of 2037, Brockhurst is tied with Randol Smith for the most OBA playoff wins at 8. He’s second to Smith with 97 innings, fifth in WAR at 2.20, and sixth in strikeouts at 84. Brockhurst was 8-2 with a 2.87 ERA and 136 ERA+ over his playoff career; better rate stats than his regular season career by a healthy margin. He also had a 2.81 ERA over 51.1 innings in eight editions of the World Baseball Championship for Australia.

Elbow and forearm issues cost him bits of the 2008 and 2009 seasons. Brockhurst became a free agent after the 2009 season at age 38. In six years with Melbourne, he had a 103-39 record, 3.06 ERA, 1437 innings, 1378 strikeouts, 275 walks, 130 ERA+, and 43.6 WAR. Brockhurst hoped to still pitch somewhere and ended up finding a home in Cuba, signing with CABA’s Havana Hurricanes.

Elbow tendinitis plagued him much of the 2010 season and he struggled with a 4.95 ERA for Havana. Brockhurst went to Mexico in 2011 with Ecatepec, but the Explosion ultimately never used him despite having him under contract all year. Brockhurst retired after the 2011 season at age 40.

For his OBA career, Brockhurst had a 239-158 record, 3.38 ERA, 3802.2 innings, 3732 strikeouts, 816 walks, 108 ERA+, and 94.4 WAR. Longevity helped get him to 11^th in pitching WAR, 14^th in wins, and 23^rd in strikeouts as of 2037. Brockhurst’s rate stats were fairly underwhelming though with his ERA and ERA+ both ranking as merely above average.

However, when you’re a starter for two different dynasty runs and win eight championship rings, that goes a long way. Brockhurst’s playoff success overshadows the lack of blank ink or flashy strikeout numbers with most voters. He received 87.9% for an easy first ballot addition in OBA’s two-player 2015 Hall of Fame class.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2015 APB Hall of Fame

Pitcher Afiq Parker was nearly unanimous at 99.2% headlining the 2015 Austronesia Professional Baseball Hall of Fame class. He was joined by closer Bo-Kai Yen, crossing the 66% requirement on his third try at a nice 69.0%. The only other player above 50% was RF Basuki Susanti with 58.3% for his fifth ballot.



Dropped after ten failed ballots was reliever Ming-Han Hsia, who had a 14-year career between Batam and Taichung. He won Reliever of the Year once and posted 213 saves over 888.2 innings, 1166 strikeouts, a 1.63 ERA, 165 ERA+, and 25.1 WAR. He didn’t have the longevity or black ink to stand out in the pitcher-centric APB. Still, Hsia peaked at 52.5% in 2007 before ending at 31.0%.

Another player worth mentioning was CF Roy Cardillo, who fell off the ballot after getting 2.8% on his eighth try. His peak was 37.5% in 2008 and he surprisingly never got much traction despite eight Silver Sluggers with Zamboanga. Cardillo had 2267 hits, 970 runs, 385 doubles, 165 triples, 277 home runs, 967 RBI, a .260/.397/.438 slash, 136 wRC+, and 79.9 WAR. He’s 49^th in WAR among position players as of 2037, but ended up in the Hall of Good.



Afiq “Train” Parker – Starting Pitcher – Medan Marlins – 99.2% First Ballot

Afiq Parker was a 6’5’’, 195 pound left-handed pitcher from the city-state of Singapore. At his best, Parker had absurd stuff which some scouts graded as an 11/10. He also had excellent movement and prior to his torn rotator cuff, Parker’s control was also very good. He was a rare pitcher with a six-pitch arsenal with each option providing a challenge for hitters.

Parker’s finest pitch was a 97-99 mph sinker, which stood in place of a true fastball. He also had a curveball, splitter, slider, changeup, and knuckle curve. His ability to alternative and change speeds between these pitches made Parker truly unhittable at his peak. He had good stamina early in his career, but did see a noticeable dip post-injury. Parker worked hard and was loyal, becoming the biggest baseball superstar perhaps ever out of Singapore.

For the 1996 APB Draft, Parker was nearly unanimously the top ranked prospect. Medan selected him with the #1 overall pick and made him a full-time starter immediately. Parker showed flashes in his rookie year and took third in Rookie of the Year voting. By year two, he emerged as an undeniable ace. He would sign a seven-year, $15,760,000 extension after the 2000 season.

From 1998-2001, Parker won four straight Pitcher of the Year awards as well as MVP in 2000. He also was second in MVP voting in 1999 and 2001 and third in 1998. It was one of the most dominant four-year stretches by any pitcher ever, even by the standards of the dead-ball APB. Combined over the four years, he had 1053.1 innings with an 86-28 record, 1.24 ERA, 1707 strikeouts, and 60.9 WAR.

Parker topped 400+ strikeouts each year and won Triple Crowns in 1999 and 2000. He led in wins, ERA, and strikeouts thrice, WHIP twice, shutouts twice, and WAR four times. Parker’s 1999 was worth 17.27 WAR, narrowly second to Kun-Sheng Lin’s all-time APB record of 17.30 from 1972. As of 2037, it is one of only eight 17+ WAR pitching seasons in all of pro baseball history. His 454 Ks in 1999 ranks sixth in APB history.

Additionally, Parker’s 0.59 WHIP in 2001 is ninth in APB history and his .390 opponents’ OPS in 2000 ranks 11^th. He’s the only APB pitcher with two seasons with 10 shutouts. Parker had three no-hitters in this run with the first two both getting 19 strikeouts and 1 walk against Jakarta, one in 1998 and one in 2000. The third had 18 Ks and 1 walk in 2001 versus Batam. He also had a 21-strikeout game against Palembang in 1999 and a 20K effort in 2001 versus the Panthers.

Medan ended a decade-long playoff drought in 2000 and won three straight Malacca League titles. The Marlins won the Sundaland Association pennant in 2000, but lost in 2001 and 2002 to Semarang. Medan was denied in the 2000 APB Championship by Kaohsiung. Despite the defeat, Parker had perhaps the greatest postseason run ever by a pitcher.

In his four starts, Parker had a zero ERA, allowing only one unearned run over 33 innings. All four starts were wins with 55 strikeouts, 16 hits, and 7 walks. In the finals, he had a six-hit shutout, followed by eight innings with the one unearned run. Sometimes Parker’s run gets overlooked since Medan didn’t win it all, but you’d be hard pressed to find runs more impressive. He was 0-2 in the 2001 playoffs with a 2.50 ERA over 18 innings, striking out 31.

Although he didn’t play with the Singapore APB team, Parker proudly represented the country in the World Baseball Championship. From 1998-2012, he had 158 innings with a 2.79 ERA, 8-10 record, 220 strikeouts, 50 walks, 128 ERA+, and 4.2 WAR.

On March 8, 2002, Parker suffered a torn rotator cuff in a spring training game. This knocked him out for the entire season with a 12-13 month rehab time. Most importantly, Parker’s stuff and control were never as impressive as during his prime. Still, he was no scrub when he made it back for the 2003 season. He led the Sundaland Association again in WAR from 2003-06. Parker led in strikeouts in both 2003 and 2004 and took his fourth ERA title in 2006 at 1.19.

Parker won Pitcher of the Year in 2003, 2004, and 2006. He became the first pitcher in APB history to win the award seven times, a mark only Ching-Chen Yao would later reach. Parker’s ERAs were still impressive, but he was done as a 400+ strikeout guy. Other injuries started to crop up, including bone chips in his elbow late in 2005 that cost him six months.

Medan would miss the playoffs from 2003-05, but got back in 2006. However, they lost in the Sundaland Association final to Surabaya with Parker allowing four runs in eight innings in his lone playoff start. Parker dealt with forearm inflammation in the early summer of 2007. By this point, it was clear the Marlins weren’t going anywhere this season. With Parker in his final year of his deal at age 33, Medan opted to trade him to Cebu in July for three pitching prospects.

With the Marlins, Parker had a 165-72 record, 1.60 ERA, 2279.2 innings, 3270 strikeouts, 471 walks, 172 ERA+, and 100.3 WAR. He would remain a beloved superstar in Medan and his #24 uniform would be retired once his playing career was over in 2014. Parker had struggled to start 2007, but had a good second half with the Crows with a 1.87 ERA and 3.9 WAR in 101.1 innings. While the rental got them to 86-76, they were still 22 games away from dethroning Davao in the Philippine League.

Perhaps they thought Parker would sign long-term, but he ultimately opted for free agency. After an international search, he ended up in Greece on a four-year, $13,440,000 deal with Thessaloniki. The Tritons had just won the European Second League Championship and wanted to immediately compete in the top tier. 2010 would see their first-ever EBF Elite playoff berth, although they went one-and-done with Parker struggling in his lone playoff start.

Parker adapted well overall to the European game, leading the Southern Conference in WAR (7.2) and quality starts (26) in his debut season. That earned him a second place finish in Pitcher of the Year voting. Parker had a similar ERA in 2009 and dipped a bit in 2010, but he gave Thessaloniki three solid years. He also had a no-hitter in 2009 with four strikeouts and three walks against Valencia. Parker finished with a 40-28 record, 2.92 ERA, 684 innings, 600 strikeouts, 166 walks, 132 ERA+, and 17.1 WAR.

Entering the final year of his deal, the 37-year old Parker was traded to Kampala for P Lee Buthelezi. This was the brief window where EBF teams could trade with AAB teams, thus Parker ended up in Uganda. He had one decent season with the Peacocks with a 3.91 ERA and 3.3 WAR. Parker also had the fifth no-hitter of his pro career, striking out seven with two walks against Addis Ababa.

A free agent again at age 38, Parker stayed in Africa and signed with Kigali. It was a rough, injury filled year with a partially torn labrum in the spring and a second rotator cuff tear in the summer. Parker didn’t want to retire and Addis Ababa was willing to give him a shot on a three-year, $11,280,000 deal.

Parker had limited action in 2013 with only 45 innings. He would toss 3.2 scoreless innings in relief, helping the Brahmas win their sixth consecutive Africa Series. His postseason ended with elbow tendinitis. Parker still didn’t want to quit, but by now he couldn’t even reach 90 mph. He was under contract for all of 2014, but never saw the field. Parker retired after the season at age 41.

For his combined pro career, Parker had a 233-118 record, 2.07 ERA, 3376.1 innings, 4241 strikeouts, 719 walks, 336/439 quality starts, 148 ERA+, and 127.0 WAR. Just in APB, he had a 173-75 record, 1.61 ERA, 2381 innings, 3403 strikeouts, 448 walks, 161 ERA+, and 104.2 WAR. Despite only playing 10 APB seasons, he ranks 12^th in WAR among pitchers as of 2037.

The lower inning count keeps him lower on the accumulation charts than you’d expect for a seven-time POTY winner, ranking 43^rd in strikeouts and 71^st in wins. His raw dominance was remarkable, especially before the first rotator cuff tear. Among all APB pitchers with 1000+ career innings in 2037, Parker is eighth in ERA, 18^th in WHIP (0.80), 11^th in H/9 (5.52), and 13^th in K/9 (12.86).

His career triple slash from opponents is .177/.221/.261, ranking him 11^th in average, 16^th in OBP, and 8^th in slugging among pitchers with 1000 innings. His .481 OPS ranks ninth-best in APB history. Despite still having a stellar career, Parker is still somewhat of a “what if?” in terms of the heights he may have reached without the tear. Regardless, he’s easily one of APB’s best-ever pitchers and an easy headliner for the 2015 Hall of Fame class at 99.2%.



Bo-Kai “Monk” Yen – Relief Pitcher – Kaohsiung Steelheads - 69.0% Third Ballot

Bo-Kai Yen was a 6’7’’, 210 pound right-handed pitcher from the Tucheng District, located within New Taipei City in Taiwan. He earned the nickname “Monk” from his infallible character. He was renowned for being a man of high character known for his leadership, work ethic, and selflessness. Yen was also very reliable at avoiding injuries and was ready to go at a moment’s notice out of the bullpen.

Yen had a one-two punch of a 97-99 mph cutter and a changeup. His ability to make both look the same until it was too late gave him an outstanding stuff rating. Yen’s movement rating was average at best, but he did have solid control and good stamina.

After attending the University of Kang Ning in Taipei, Yen was eligible in the 1997 APB Draft. Kaohsiung picked him 15^th overall and he’d spend his full APB run with the Steelheads. He saw 42.1 innings in mid relief in his rookie year, then was moved to the closer role for the next seven years. Yen thrived in that spot, leading the Taiwan-Philippine Association four times in saves and five times in games pitched.

From 1999-2002, Yen won four straight Reliever of the Year awards. He also took third in 2003, second in 2004, and third in 2005. Addtionally, Yen was third in 2001’s Pitcher of the Year voting. That year had career highs in ERA (0.98), saves (43), and ERA+ (268). Yen’s highest strikeout total was 193 in 2004, while his best WAR was 5.8 in 1999. He had four seasons with above 5+ WAR with Kaohsiung. Yen also threw 44 scoreless innings consecutively in the spring of 2000.

Kaohsiung won the Taiwan League from 1999-2001, falling in the TPA Final in 1999 and 2001. They broke through in 2000 for their first Austronesia Championship since the 1970s dynasty, beating Medan in the final. Yen was strong in the 2000 playoff run with six saves, 27 strikeouts, and a 1.62 ERA over 16.2 innings. He had three saves over five other playoff appearances for the Steelheads. They would be stuck out of the playoffs from 2002-06 due to a five-year streak by Tainan.

Yen did also pitch regularly in the World Baseball Championship for Taiwan. Over his tournament career from 1999-2011, he had a 1.83 ERA in 88.1 innings, 17 saves, 10-5 record, 149 strikeouts, 24 walks, 196 ERA+, and 3.9 WAR. Yen also started occasionally in the WBC, most notably throwing a no-hitter in 2000 in a 17 strikeout, two walk effort against the Ivory Coast.

After the 2005 season, a 30-year old Yen became a free agent for the first time. He earned international attention and left APB for MLB, signing a three-year, $14,600,000 deal with San Diego. Yen saw limited use at the back of the bullpen for the Seals with only 58 innings in that deal. He had mixed results in the playoffs, but helped San Diego win back-to-back American Association pennants in 2007 and 2008. In 2007, the Seals won the World Series against Winnipeg.

Yen was a free agent at age 33 for 2009 and signed a one-year deal with Calgary. He was happy to return to the closer role and led in both games and saves. However, his 3.80 ERA and 0.9 WAR were unremarkable. For 2010, San Diego brought him back with 30.2 innings. In total between the Seals stints, he had a 2.74 ERA in 88.2 innings, 117 strikeouts, 138 ERA+, and 1.7 WAR.

San Diego won the World Series in 2010 over Philadelphia and took second in the first Baseball Grand Championship. Yen faced two batters in the BGC, retiring one and allowing one hit. The Seals had given him a two-year, $7,920,000 deal, but declined the team option second year. Yen then signed for two years and $14,100,000 with Baltimore.

Yen was good with a 1.97 ERA in 45.2 innings in 2012 as a setup man for the Orioles. However, his velocity plummeted in 2012 down to the low 90s. He had only five MLB appearances, then spent the rest of the season closing for minor league Annapolis. Yen retired after the 2012 season at age 37. Soon upon returning home to Taiwan, Kaohsiung retired his #28 uniform.

For his combined pro career, Yen had an 84-77 record, 283 saves and 395 shutdowns, 1.89 ERA, 973.1 innings, 1519 strikeouts, 194 walks, 160 ERA+, and 37.9 WAR. Just in APB with Kaohsiung, Yen had 250 saves and 336 shutdowns, a 64-58 record, 1.57 ERA, 756.1 innings, 1268 strikeouts, 138 walks, 173 ERA+, and 34.1 WAR. As of 2037, he is one of ten to win APB’s Reliever of the Year four times.

Yen was consistently a top three closer during his whole Steelheads run, but it only lasted eight years. APB voters were very generous to pitchers and relievers especially with a few sub-300 save guys getting the nod. Yen’s 250 are the lowest of any of them. His rate stats certainly compared favorably to other relievers that got the APB nod, but the accumulations were on the low-end.

Still, his peak dominance and role in Kaohsiung’s 2000 title gave him plenty of supporters. Yen debuted at 62.7% in 2013, then dipped slightly to 58.5% in 2014. He got the boost on his third try in 2015 at a nice 69.0%, finding his way into that year’s two-player APB Hall of Fame class.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2015 CLB Hall of Fame

Chinese League Baseball added two into the Hall of Fame in 2015, led by SP Cheng Song with an impressive 97.4% debut. Reliever Chiang-Ho Yang barely joined him on his sixth ballot, just crossing the 66% requirement at 67.2%. LF Seok-Hyeon So came close with a 61.0% second ballot. Two other returners cracked 50% with RF Hongbo Wan at 56.8% on his fifth try and SP Xin Ruan with a 55.8% sixth ballot.



SP Chengwei Wang dropped off the ballot after ten tries, ending at only 7.5% and peaking with his debut at 26.6%. He only had an eight-year career in China with Chengdu, then pitched five years in Buenos Aires. Wang had a 102-62 record, 1.83 ERA, 1764.1 innings, 1723 strikeouts, 130 ERA+, and 36.3 WAR. He was good in his small sample size, but didn’t have the big awards or black ink needed to overcome such low accumulations. Wang does notably rank 26^th in ERA among all CLB pitchers with 1000+ innings.

Notably falling off after his ninth ballot was Chia-Jung Cheng, a five-time Silver Slugger winning LF over 14 years with Macau. He peaked at a 38.2% debut, finishing with 2171 hits, 948 runs, 262 doubles, 163 triples, 227 home runs, 855 RBI, 727 stolen bases, a .267/.305/.423 slash, 157 wRC+, and 84.8 WAR. As of 2037, he’s 45^th in WAR among position players. Cheng didn’t have big power stats and CLB voters are notorious harsh on hitters as is, thus banishing him to the Hall of Pretty Good despite a fine run.



Cheng Song – Starting Pitcher – Dalian Gold Dragons – 97.4% First Ballot

Cheng Song was a 6’3’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Hohhot, China; a city of 3.4 million people in the Inner Mongolia region. Song boasted outstanding stuff with very good control and above average movement. He had a 97-99 mph fastball mixed with a standard changeup and a circle change. Song’s ability to change speeds between the three from the same arm slot made him one of the best strikeout pitchers in Chinese baseball history.

Song also had very good stamina and durability for much of his career, leading the league thrice in complete games and innings pitched twice. He was also a very good defensive pitcher and won a Gold Glove in 2008. Song was a fan favorite, beloved for his loyalty, intelligence, work ethic, and selflessness.

He was a very hot commodity entering the 1998 CLB Draft and went second overall to Dalian. His entire 11-year CLB run came with the Gold Dragons, who made him a full-time starter immediately. Song was great from the start with a 1.81 ERA and 5.7 WAR rookie campaign. He not only won 1999’s Rookie of the Year, but he was the Rookie of the Month four times.

Song only got better, posting 7.5+ WAR and 300+ strikeouts in each of the next nine seasons. In that run, he led the Northern League seven times in strikeouts, peaking with 379 in 2002. Song had a sub-two ERA seven times with Dalian, but only had one ERA title with his career-best 1.39 in 2006. 2004 was his strongest by WAR at 12.1, which ranks as the 13^th-best pitching WAR season in CLB as of 2037.

Naturally, he racked up awards, winning Pitcher of the Year four times (2004, 2006, 2007, 2008). Song was also second in 2000, third in 2002, and third in 2005. He topped 9+ WAR six times and had double-digits thrice. Song also led the league from 2004-2007 in WHIP. He had six seasons with 350+ strikeouts, tied with Jinlong Han for the most in CLB history. Song also saw a no-hitter on July 12, 2002 with 14 strikeouts and 1 walk against Shenyang.

Dalian was up-and-down during his tenure, averaging 82 wins per season. They took first in the standings in 2004 and 2007, but lost both years in the semifinal round. The Gold Dragons also had playoff berths with round robin defeats in 2000 and 2005. Song was solid in his 35.1 playoff innings with a 1.78 ERA, 44 strikeouts, and 140 ERA+.

Song also was a regular for China in the World Baseball Championship from 2000-2011, although his stats were relatively underwhelming. He had a 14-8 record over 188.2 innings, but a 4.01 ERA and 90 ERA+. Song struck out 214 with 53 walks and 0.9 WAR. He earned a world championship ring with China’s 2002 squad.

After the 2004 season, the then 29-year old Song signed a five-year, $20,680,000 extension with Dalian. He led the league in WAR each year from 2004-2008, but dipped to 6.8 in 2009, his weakest since his rookie season. Song also had a career low 242 strikeouts and 189.1 innings due to some nagging injuries. Dalian opted to let Song head to free agency at age 34.

This ended his Chinese run to the surprise of many. He had become the seventh to reach 3500 strikeouts and some felt he could chase Zhiyuan Lai’s all-time mark of 4367. However, Song ultimately left for the European Baseball Federation, inking a four-year, $25,600,000 deal with Naples. He was a good starter in his first year in Italy with 5.0 WAR.

Unfortunately in August 2011, he suffered ulnar nerve entrapment. Song’s velocity fell quickly and by the end of 2012, he had trouble reaching 90 mph. He was league average in 2011, but led in losses at 7-17. Song was actively bad in 2012 for a terrible 56-106 Naples squad that got relegated.

He was still under contract in 2013, but never saw the field even in the European Second League. With Naples, Song had a 28-37 record, 3.85 ERA, 560.2 innings, 474 strikeouts, 100 ERA+, and 8.7 WAR. Soon after returning to China, Dalian retired his #5 uniform. For his combined pro career, Song had a 194-151 record, 2.14 ERA, 3332.1 innings, 4130 strikeouts, 479 walks, 130 ERA+, and 106.5 WAR.

Just in China, Song had a 166-114 record, 1.79 ERA, 2771.2 innings, 3656 strikeouts, 383 walks, 165 complete games, 139 ERA+, and 97.8 WAR. As of 2037, he’s one of only six to win 4+ Pitcher of the Year awards. Song ranks fourth in pitching WAR, sixth in strikeouts, and 16^th in wins. His ERA is 21^st among all pitchers with 1000+ innings. Song’s K/9 (11.87) ranks 16^th, his WHIP (0.78) is 15^th, and his opponent’s OPS (.496) is 19^th.

He needed a few more years of accumulations and more team playoff success to get more attention in GOAT pitcher conversations. Song is most often cited though as the best CLB pitcher specifically of the 2000s with little argument. He was an easy headliner for the 2015 Hall of Fame class at 97.4%.



Chiang-Ho Yang – Relief Pitcher – Xi’an Attack – 67.2% Sixth Ballot

Chiang-Ho Yang was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed relief pitcher from the capital of Taiwan, Taipei. Yang was known for having good to great stuff, movement, and control. His 97-99 mph fastball was very tough to hit and had a splitter as the counter offering. For a reliever, Yang especially had strong stamina and durability, however his defense was lackluster. He was respected as a leader in the clubhouse.

Yang attended National Chiayi University, but stunned many by declaring for the 1994 CLB Draft. Taiwanese players almost always were in the Austronesia Professional Baseball sphere. With the political climate, leaving Taiwan for mainland China for Yang was a complicated endeavor. It’s also likely why he never got to pitch for Taiwan’s team in the World Baseball Championship.

CLB teams didn’t spend much time scouting Taiwanese players, but Xi’an was impressed by Yang’s potential and picked him 23^rd overall in 1994. He looked respectable in middle relief mostly as a rookie. The Attack earned repeat China Series appearances and this time won it all, defeating Zhengzhou for the title. Yang only had one playoff inning, but it was scoreless.

Xi’an barely missed the playoffs in 1996, but earned four straight berths from 1997-2000. They fell in the round robin in each year but 1998, which had a semifinal exit. Yang was the full-time closer from 1996 onward with great regular season stats. He did earn criticism for poor outings in the playoffs in a limited sample size. In seven appearances, Yang had an 8.10 ERA, 0-3 record, and 13 strikeouts.

In the regular season, Yang won Reliever of the Year thrice (1997, 1999, 2001) and took second thrice (1998, 2000, 2002). From April 21, 1997 to June 26, 1998, Yang had an incredible streak of 59 successful save opportunities. He led the Northern League in saves in both 1997 and 2000, posting a career-high 46 in 1997. That year also had his highest WAR tally at 5.5. Yang’s best strikeout tally was 146 in 1999, while 2001 had his best ERA (0.89) and ERA+ (270).

Xi’an missed the playoffs in 2001 and 2002, then bottomed out with an abysmal 58-104 in 2003. That year, the Attack had a fire sale, including trading Yang in July to Shenyang. They sent him and $12,870,000 over for three prospects. Xi’an would later honor Yang by retiring his #19 uniform for his nine years of service.

Yang finished the season as a middle reliever for the Swans, who earned a wild card at 96-66. They lost in the round robin and Yang wasn’t used in the playoffs. He was now a free agent for the first time at age 31 and put out feelers around the world. This started what would be a six-year run with eight different teams in MLB.

Kansas City gave him a two-year, $9,360,000 deal and he was respectable in middle relief in 2004 with a 2.06 ERA and 1.4 WAR over 65.2 innings. However, the Cougars needed to make room on their roster in August and cut Yang. He finished 2004 with San Francisco, tossing four scoreless innings in one appearance.

Yang saw 20 innings in 2005 for Montreal with strong results with a 1.35 ERA, but a torn meniscus in late May ended his season. Nashville signed him for2006, his lone run as a closer in MLB. Yang was solid with 29 saves, a 2.07 ERA, and 2.6 WAR in 61 innings with 54 strikeouts. He had an eventful playoff run with seven appearances, 4 saves, a 3-0 record, 2.53 ERA, 10.2 innings, and 7 strikeouts. Yang became a World Series champion, as the Knights defeated Winnipeg in the Fall Classic.

Nashville didn’t keep him, but the now 34-year old Yang signed for two years with Boston. He was respectable in 48.2 innings of middle relief in 2007, but the Red Sox declined the team option for 2008. Yang spent the first half of 2008 with Albuquerque before getting cut after four appearances. He finished the season with 23.1 innings for Seattle.

Yang’s velocity had dropped a lot by 2009, but he still had strong enough control to have some utility. He pitched 28.1 innings with Louisville in 2009, then retired that winter at age 37. While not dominant in MLB, he was a respectable positive-value reliever with a 2.18 ERA over 259.2 innings, 35 saves, 60 shutdowns, 219 strikeouts, 164 ERA+, and 6.8 WAR. For his combined pro career, Yang had 323 saves and 442 shutdowns, a 1.70 ERA, 1035 innings, 1237 strikeouts, 166 ERA+, and 39.5 WAR.

Just in China with Xi’an, Yang had 288 saves and 382 shutdowns, a 66-38 record, 775.1 innings, 1018 strikeouts, 120 walks, 166 ERA+, and 32.7 WAR. Even for the very pitcher-friendly CLB voters, Yang’s accumulations were on the low side since he left for MLB. As of 2037, no other inducted closer has a lower save, strikeout, and WAR total. Other critics noted his poor playoff performances, although supporters argued the sample size was too small.

Yang’s rate stats fit in with the other inducted relievers and those who like big peaks noted that he either was first or second in Reliever of the Year voting in six straight seasons. Yang was undoubtedly borderline though even for the most reliever friendly voter. He debuted at 54.3% in 2010 and bounced around there for the next two years.

He jumped to 62.7% in 2013, but fell to 58.7% in 2014. Apart from Cheng Song, the 2015 CLB Hall of Fame ballot was weak on impactful debuts, allowing Yang’s resume to get another look. He received the bump on his sixth try to 67.2%. This only barely scratched the 66% requirement, but that was enough to snag Yang a spot among CLB’s honored greats.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2015 WAB Hall of Fame

Pitcher Tiemogo Idrissa was West African Baseball’s lone Hall of Fame addition in 2015, but he was a no-doubter at 98.9%. Six other guys were above 50%, but short of the 66% requirement. RF Emmanuel Kao had the best showing with 62.9% for his second ballot. Next was RF Ada Nwankwo at 60.1% on his sixth go. SP Alusine Sadiq posted 58.3% in his seventh ballot, 3B Yakubu Odiye got 56.5% on his third chance, 3B Awudu Haddad debuted at 53.2%, and 3B Falaba Bah received 52.2% for his third ballot.



Dropped after ten ballots included reliever Corliss Ganiyu, who won Reliever of the Year twice and led in saves four times between nine seasons with Ibadan and Freetown. His tallies were weakened by later MLB and EBF stints, finishing in WAB with 228 saves, a 1.96 ERA, 523 innings, 724 strikeouts, 195 ERA+, and 19.9 WAR. Ganiyu still never was lower than 37%, but he peaked at 48.7% in 2008.

Also dropped was 1B Theodore Lawal, who played 12 years with four teams, winning three Silver Sluggers. He won four championship rings, one with Port Harcourt in 1995 (with a finals MVP) and three with Kano from 1997-99. Lawal peaked with his 38.3% debut and dropped down to 9.0 by the end.

He was hurt by low tallies, as he was only a full-time starter in nine seasons. Lawal still managed to get 1661 hits, 879 runs, 341 doubles, 357 home runs, 1040 RBI, a .293/.341/.552 slash, 149 wRC+, and 46.0 WAR. That pace with a few more years might have gotten him in. Lawal wasn’t dominant enough in his short peak to overcome the lack of overall tallies.



Tiemogo Idrissa – Starting Pitcher – Ibadan Iguanas – 98.9% First Ballot

Tiemogo Idrissa was a 6’8’’, 195 pound right-handed pitcher from the capital of Niger, Niamey. He was too lanky to have overpowering stuff, but Idrissa’s movement was outstanding. His stuff still graded as above average with 95-97 mph peak velocity and his control was quite good. Idrissa’s arsenal was cutter, slider, curveball, and changeup.

Idrissa’s stamina was very good for a WAB ace and while he had some lingering back troubles, he still topped 200+ innings 12 times. Idrissa was a great defensive pitcher, but was awful at holding runners that got on. His great work ethic allowed him to often overcome any flaws, becoming a very popular player in his time.

Although he grew up in Niger, he spent the vast majority of his career in neighboring Nigeria. Idrissa was very tall from a young age, which caught scouts’ attention. They thought he’d fill out more than he did, but his potential was undeniable regardless. Ibadan snagged Idrissa to a developmental deal in August 1986. He spent four years in the Iguanas’ academy before debuting in 1991 at age 21.

Idrissa was a reliever in his first two seasons with fairly unremarkable results. Cracking the rotation also wasn’t easy as Ibadan had started what would be a 12-year playoff streak in 1990. They lost in the 1992 Eastern League Championship Series to eventual champ Lagos, but Idrissa’s 2.57 ERA in seven innings of relief earned him a greater role in 1993. Idrissa wasn’t 100% a starter though until 1994.

He only tossed 2.2 innings in the 1993 postseason, but they were scoreless. Ibadan led WAB at 110-52 and beat Abidjan for the championship. The Iguanas won the EL pennant again in 1994 and 1996, but lost in the finals both years. The Athletes got revenge in 1994, while Accra beat Ibadan in 1996. While the Iguanas’ playoff streak continued five more years, they had a first round loss in 1997 and four straight ELCS losses to the Kano dynasty from 1998-2001.

For his playoff career, Idrissa had a mixed bag with a 3.44 ERA, 5-6 record, 102 innings, 82 strikeouts, 18 walks, 111 ERA+, and 1.8 WAR. He also pitched 87 innings for his country Niger in eight editions of the World Baseball Championship from 1992-2000. In the WBC, Idrissa had a 2.69 ERA, 4-5 record, 3 saves, 92 strikeouts, 29 walks, 133 ERA+, and 2.9 WAR.

Idrissa first looked like a stud in 1996, taking second in Pitcher of the Year voting with league bests in wins (24-6), innings (266.2), and shutouts (7). That year also had his career best in strikeouts (285) and was one of three seasons worth 7+ WAR. He reliably got 4+ WAR each year from 1993-2006. Ibadan’s team success allowed him to lead in wins five times in his career. The Iguanas gave him a three-year, $3,900,000 extension after the 1995 season.

In 1998, Idrissa won Pitcher of the Year with league bests in wins (18-6), and WAR (7.4). Ibadan locked him up to a six-year, $14,620,000 extension that winter. Idrissa repeated in 1999 as POTY and had his finest season with his lone ERA title (2.28). That was a career best, as was his 8.3 WAR, 171 ERA+, 24-6 record, and 26 quality starts. He led in innings each year from 1999-2001 and took second in POTY voting in 2001.

Idrissa was less dominant, but still reliable for the next few years. Ibadan missed the playoffs in 2002 and 2003, then lost in the 2004 ELCS to Kano. 2005 had injury issues, but he posted a career and EL best 0.94 WHIP and 4.7 WAR over 175.1 innings. Ibadan gave the soon-to-be 36 year old another three-year, $7,800,000 extension with that.

2006 would be his last strong year, taking second in POTY voting and leading again in WHIP. Idrissa also passed Power Bonou’s 238 to become WAB’s all-time wins leader. 2007 was notable for reaching the 250 win and 3500 strikeout milestones. He was only the fifth to reach 3500 Ks in WAB. However, Idrissa’s productivity dropped steeply with a 4.22 ERA, his worst as a full-time starter to that point. He was used only for one relief appearance in the playoffs as Ibadan again lost in the ELCS, this time to Niamey.

Mainly out of respect, Ibadan gave Idrissa a two-year, $3,600,000 extension in 2008. His velocity was dropping and he struggled to a 4.73 ERA in 104.2 innings. The Iguanas ended up trading Idrissa to Niamey three prospects, sending him to his hometown team. The Atomics were back-to-back EL champs and hoped Idrissa could provide some veteran leadership and ticket sales as a hometown guy made good.

Unfortunately, he stunk with a 5.50 ERA in 90 innings and Niamey narrowly missed the playoffs. Idrissa was worse in 2009 with a 6.21 ERA and had his season ended with shoulder inflammation. His return home had a terrible 5.94 ERA over 239.1 innings. Idrissa retired that winter at age 39 and his second home Ibadan quickly retired his #20 uniform.

Idrissa finished with a 268-172 record, 3.44 ERA, 3926.2 innings, 3713 strikeouts, 678 walks, 322/519 quality starts, 84 complete games, 113 ERA+, and 79.9 WAR. As of 2037, he’s still WAB’s all-time wins leader and with his longevity, also leads in games started (519), innings, and hits allowed (3810). Idrissa ranks fifth in strikeouts and fourth in WAR.

There were more dominant pitchers, as his ERA doesn’t crack the top 100 among all WAB arms with 1000+ innings. But Idrissa was as reliably solid as they come and for the majority of his career gave Ibadan a good shot at winning in each start. Idrissa was a slam dunk for the 2015 WAB Hall of Fame, standing alone in the class at 98.9%.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2015 SAB Hall of Fame (Part 1)

The 2015 ballot for South Asia Baseball’s Hall of Fame had no debuts of note, with the best debutant getting a measly 2%. This did allow for three returners to make it across the 66% requirement for induction. Pitcher Raja Ahmad Saari got a very strong boost on his third try to 82.5%. Fellow pitchers Salim Islam and Sandeep Koneru both barely made it in on their second attempts with 68.1% and 67.5%, respectively.



Four other players were above the 50% mark, but short of induction. RF Han Kywe Khant led this group with 58.5% on his third ballot. 1B Sunil Lamichhane had 57.6% on his seventh go. Catcher Kumar Patel had 56.4% for his eighth ballot and RF Teerapat Siriyakorn had 54.4% in his fourth ballot. No players were dropped following ten failed ballots and oddly enough, the only players dropped were all newcomers that failed to reach 5%.



Raja Ahmad Saari – Starting Pitcher – Kolkata Cosmos – 82.5% Third Ballot

Raja Ahmad Saari was a 6’5’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Kejang-Sungai Chua, Malaysia; with a metro of just over a million just southeast of Kuala Lumpur. Saari was best known for having pinpoint control of his arsenal, which allowed him to thrive despite having merely above average stuff and movement. His fastball was his strongest pitch and regularly hit 98-100 mph. Saari also had a curveball, slider, and sinker in the arsenal.

Relative to other SAB aces, Saari’s stamina was merely decent. Nagging injuries also plagued him as he only topped 200+ innings in four seasons. Saari was considered a good defensive pitcher that could effectively hold runners. Despite his talents, some teammates later criticized him for a poor work ethic and selfishness.

Saari was signed in August 1988 out of Malaysia by a visiting scout from Kolkata. He spent four full years training in the Cosmos academy before making his Indian League debut in 1993 at age 21. Saari was a decent reliever in his rookie year, then moved to the rotation full-time starter that. A hamstring strain and rotator cuff inflammation cost him a chunk of his sophomore season.

1995 saw his first full load, leading in K/BB at 13.7. It was also his first of four seasons with Kolkata worth 5+ WAR. Kolkata gave him a six-year, $5,830,000 extension that winter. Saari led with five shutouts in 1996, but generally wasn’t a league leader. His assorted injuries often kept him from pitching enough innings to get awards consideration.

In 1999, Saari was a Pitcher of the Year finalist for the first time, taking third. He had a career-best 1.93 ERA and 162 ERA+ this season. Kolkata had three straight playoff berths from 1998-2000, going one-and-done in 1998 and 2000. The Cosmos got to the ILCS in 1999, but lost to the Ahmedabad dynasty. Saari was great in that postseason with a 0.55 ERA over 16.1 innings. He missed the 1998 run to injury, then had a lackluster start in 2000.

Saari did have experience on the World Baseball Championship stage, playing for his native Malaysia from 1995-2007. He had average production over 164 innings with a 9-8 record, 3.46 ERA, 142 strikeouts, 30 walks, 103 ERA+, and 2.4 WAR.

In 2000, Saari was second in Pitcher of the Year voting with a 6.1 WAR effort and 289 strikeouts. He regressed a bit in 2001, but led again in K/BB (12.4). This would be his final season with Kolkata, finishing with a 92-60 record, 2.33 ERA, 1539 innings, 1875 strikeouts, 134 ERA+, and 37.7 WAR. The Cosmos would later retire his #30 uniform for his efforts over his nine year run.

Saari was a free agent for 2002 and ultimately didn’t sign anywhere that season, only pitching in the WBC. Hanoi brought him back to SAB in 2003 at age 31 on a one-year deal. Saari had his best WAR total to that point at 6.8 and again led in K/BB. He had a quality playoff start, but the Hounds had a first round exit. Saari was a free agent again and signed a four-year, $8,980,000 deal with expansion Da Nang, who began play in 2004.

The Drillers stunned the baseball world by getting to the Southeast Asia League Championship Series in their inaugural season, although they couldn’t get by a 122-win Ho Chi Minh City. Saari was a big reason they had such an impactful season, posting career bests in wins (24-10), strikeouts (325), K/BB (15.5), and WAR (8.6). Saari took second in Pitcher of the Year voting and ultimately never won the top award.

2004 also saw Saari throw SAB’s eighth perfect game, striking out nine against Mandalay on July 7. He was great in the playoff run with a 1.17 ERA over 23 innings and finished with a strong 1.68 ERA over his 53.2 career playoff innings. Saari couldn’t maintain his production level of 2004, but still was an above average starter in 2005 and 2006 for Da Nang. The Nailers fell to 85-77 in 2005, then collapsed at 62-100 in 2006.

With Da Nang, Saari had a 45-28 record, 3.08 ERA, 584.2 innings, 686 strikeouts, 121 ERA+, and 16.5 WAR. The Nailers had a fire sale after their disastrous 2006 and sent Saari to Jaipur in a seven-player offseason trade. He was respectable in his one year with the Jokers, posting a 2.87 ERA and 2.6 WAR over 150.1 innings.

On August 1, 2007, Saari suffered a torn flexor tendon in his elbow, putting him out 11 months. He hoped to make a comeback with a target return of late in the 2008 season. However, no teams wanted to take a flyer on a 36-year old coming off a major injury. Saari eventually called it quits that winter.

Saari finished with a 159-104 record, 2.58 ERA, 2502.1 innings, 2973 strikeouts, 311 walks, 9.6 K/BB, 229/327 quality starts, 131 ERA+, and 63.6 WAR. As of 2037, Saari ranks 24^th in pitching WAR, 53^rd in strikeouts, and 58^th in wins, losing out on accumulations from his injuries. His rate stats were impressive, ranking 25^th in ERA among all SAB pitchers with 1000+ innings.

He also had a 1.12 BB/9, which was the best of any pitcher at retirement and sits 4^th as of 2037. Saari also sits 10^th in WHIP (0.93), 13^th in opponent’s OBP (.252) and 34^th in opponent’s OPS (.597). Among Hall of Famers, he’s the only pitcher with fewer than 325 walks and more than 2500 innings. Sabremetrically inclined voters pointed at these numbers for Saari’s Hall of Fame case.

Traditionalists still thought his lack of counting stats, black ink, and awards made him borderline. Saari missed the cut narrowly in his 2013 debut at 63.8%, then dropped to 55.7% in 2014. In 2015, many voters re-evaluated Saari with the expanded stats in mind, realizing he had a stronger case than many realized. Saari bumped to a solid 82.5% in 2015 for the third ballot induction and the headlining role for SAB’s 2015 class.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2015 SAB Hall of Fame (Part 2)

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Salim “Nervous” Islam – Starting Pitcher – Ahmedabad Animals – 68.1% Second Ballot

Salim Islam was a 6’4’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. Islam had good stuff with above average movement, although his control was quite inconsistent. He had a stellar 97-99 mph cutter along with a very good splitter, solid curveball, and rarely seen changeup. Islam had strong stamina for his career, but did run into trouble with major injuries. He was considered a good leader in the clubhouse as well.

Islam earned plenty of attention as an up-and-comer in the Bangladeshi capital as a teenager. Nearby Chittagong took an interest and signed him in October 1989 to a developmental deal. Islam spent five years in their academy before debuting with 40 relief innings in 1995 at age 22. The Commandos made him a full-time starter in 1996, leading the Southeast Asia League with 270 innings. Islam also had 7.2 WAR and 306 strikeouts, giving Chittagong hope that they had found their ace.

1997 saw a major setback with a torn UCL in late May, knocking Islam out for 10-11 months. His control was never the same after this, going from a 7/10 grade down to between a 4 or 5. Islam still was a solid starter in the next three seasons for Chittagong, but couldn’t match his 1996 production. The Commandos were stuck at or near .500 towards the end of Islam’s time there.

Before the 2001 season, Chittagong traded the 28-year old Islam to Ho Chi Minh City. With the Commandos, he had a 65-62 record, 2.81 ERA, 1080.2 innings, 1268 strikeouts, 259 walks, 127 ERA+, and 27.4 WAR. It was the team he had the most innings and WAR with, but Islam opted to be inducted wearing Ahmedabad colors for his more prominent run there.

In one year with the Hedgehogs, Islam took third in Pitcher of the Year voting with a 2.49 ERA, splitting time between starting and relief. He had a 2.25 ERA in 8 playoff innings out of the bullpen as HCMC was upset by Yangon in the SEAL Championship. Islam entered free agency that winter and inked a six-year, $11,640,000 deal with Ahmedabad.

At that point, the Animals had won the Indian League title 14 times in the prior 16 years, although they had lost in back-to-back SAB Championships. Islam had an impressive debut season with career bests in wins (24-4), ERA (1.94), strikeouts (348), quality starts (30), and shutouts (7). He also had 7.9 WAR, which earned a second place in Pitcher of the Year voting.

Islam stepped up in the playoffs with a 1.89 ERA over three starts and 19 innings with 25 strikeouts. Ahmedabad returned to the top spot, winning the 2002 SAB Championship over Dhaka. This was the final title for their epic dynasty, although their playoff streak did continue for five more years. The Animals lost in the ILCS in 2003, 2005, and 2006 and had first round exits the other years.

Islam did struggle in later playoff appearances with a 5.26 ERA in 27.1 innings. He did have good stats in his eight editions of the World Baseball Championship for his native Bangladesh. From 1996-2004, Islam had 70 innings with a 2.83 ERA, 95 strikeouts, 25 walks, 128 ERA+, and 2.3 WAR.

2003 saw his lone Pitcher of the Year win, leading in wins (20-9), ERA (2.00), innings (260.2), and WAR (8.2). Islam’s 347 strikeouts fell five short of earning a Triple Crown season. He’d see another major setback though in July 2004 with a second torn UCL. This one was more catastrophic and cost Islam 16-17 months in total, losing the second half of 2004 and all of 2005.

Islam came back in 2006 at age 33, but his time as a full-time starter was done. Ahmedabad used him mostly out of the bullpen and his stuff was still good enough for respectable results in that role. In total for the Animals, Islam had a 71-31 record, 2.34 ERA, 835.1 innings, 1143 strikeouts, 199 walks, 140 ERA+, and 23.3 WAR.

A free agent again for 2008, a 35-year old Islam signed a one-year deal with Yangon. The Green Dragons also split him between starting and relief, but his velocity and production began to drop with a career-worst 4.43 ERA over 103.2 innings. Islam retired that winter at age 35.

For his full career, Islam had a 161-103 record, 2.68 ERA, 2203.2 innings, 2772 strikeouts, 557 walks, 191/263 quality starts, 131 ERA+, and 57.1 WAR. The injuries lowered his accumulations and as of 2037, Islam ranked 37^th in pitching WAR, 72^nd in strikeouts, and 51^st in wins. For rate stats, his ERA was 42^nd among all pitchers with 1000+ innings and his opponent’s OPS (.601) was 41^st.

Like with his Hall of Fame classmate Raja Ahmad Saari, strong rate stats helped him with voters that were iffy on his accumulations. Islam also had a POTY to his name and a great playoff run in 2002 for Ahmedabad. Some were also sympathetic to his tallies being lessened by big injuries. Islam just missed in his debut at 59.5%, but just bumped over the 66% line in 2015. With 68.1%, Islam earned second ballot induction with SAB’s 2015 Hall of Fame class.



Sandeep Koneru – Starting Pitcher – Hanoi Hounds – 67.5% Second Ballot

Sandeep Koneru was a 5’9’’, 195 pound right-handed pitcher from Mumbai (Bombay), India’s most populous city with more than 23 million in the metropolitan area. Koneru was known for having both pinpoint control and excellent movement on his pitches, although his stuff graded as just above average. He had a 94-96 mph fastball, but a similarly quick sinker was his strongest pitch. Koneru also had a forkball and changeup in his arsenal.

Koneru’s stamina was low relative to most SAB starting pitchers, but his excellent durability meant you’d still usually get solid innings from him. His defense was poor and he was okay at holding runners. Koneru got criticized for a lack of leadership and poor work ethic. The latter contributed to the already stocky Koneru being overweight in his later days.

A visiting Vietnamese scout was impressed by how much Koneru’s sinker dropped even as a teenager at a camp in Mumbai. They signed him in August 1988 to Hanoi’s academy, where he spent most of the next four years. Koneru officially debuted in 1992 at age 21 with 41.2 unremarkable innings. He became a full-time starter in 1993 with okay results and posted a 4.00 ERA over 18 playoff innings as Hanoi got to the Southeast Asia League Championship.

Koneru put it together by 1994, leading SEAL that year with a career best 23-4 record and 27 quality starts. It was his first of nine seasons worth 5+ WAR. His ERA weakened in 1995, followed by his lone ERA title in 1996 at 2.06. Koneru also had a career-best 8.8 WAR this year, taking second in Pitcher of the Year voting. He had two more solid seasons for Hanoi, who made the playoffs four times in his tenure.

The Hounds got to the SEAL Championship again in 1998, but lost to the Ho Chi Minh City dynasty. They were a one-and-done wild card in 1995 and 1996. In the playoffs for Hanoi, Koneru had a 3.77 ERA over 45.1 innings, 41 strikeouts, and 95 ERA+. In total for the Hounds, Koneru had a 97-61 record, 3.13 ERA, 1419.2 innings, 1499 strikeouts, 243 walks, 116 ERA+, and 38.2 WAR. This was enough to later get his #55 uniform retired.

Koneru would bounce around over the next few years with teams not trusting his work ethic for a long-term deal. He also sat out 1999, 2001, and 2003 despite being healthy. Koneru did still pitch for India in the World Baseball Championship and had 79.1 innings from 1995-2006. In the WBC, he had a strong 2.16 ERA, 7-3 record, 95 strikeouts, 16 walks, 163 ERA+, and 1.9 WAR.

In 2000, Koneru joined the Ahmedabad dynasty and led the Indian League in wins (22-4), WAR (7.3), and K/BB (17.8). The Animals won their seventh straight IL pennant, but fell to Ho Chi Minh City in the SAB Championship. Koneru had a strong postseason run with a 1.85 ERA and 27 strikeouts in four starts and 24.1 innings.

After sitting out 2001, Koneru went to Visakhapatnam in 2002 and had a career-best 1.98 ERA. They gave him a two-year, $2,720,000 deal, but he declined the player option and sat on his couch in 2003. Yangon signed him in 2003 for two-years and $4,000,000 on December 2, but his run lasted one day. That made him eligible in that year’s expansion draft, where he was the #1 overall pick by the new Khulna Claws.

Koneru had a nice 5.4 WAR effort the Claws, but they opted to trade him in the winter of 2004 to reigning IL champ Bengaluru for prospects. Koneru posted 4.3 WAR in his one year for the Blazers and had a 1.69 ERA in the playoffs despite going 0-2 as Bengaluru lost in the first round. A free agent again at age 35, Yangon was still interested from before and this time knew they’d actually have him for the two-year, $5,920,000 deal.

He had a good first year for the Green Dragons with 5.2 WAR, but was reduced to a part-time role in 2007. Koneru had a 2.48 ERA and 3-0 record over five playoff starts in 2006 as Yangon won the SEAL title, but lost to Jaipur for the SAB title. They lost in the SEALCS the next year with Koneru tossing 4.1 innings of relief.

Koneru’s velocity dropped notably by 2008, but Hanoi brought him back. He struggled in only 11 relief appearances and wasn’t used in the playoffs, but did receive a SAB Championship ring as the Hounds repeated as champs. Koneru decided to retire with that at age 38.

In total, Koneru had a 183-104 record, 2.85 ERA, 2573.2 innings, 2795 strikeouts, 400 walks, 124 ERA+, and 69.4 WAR. He also had a 2.68 ERA over 117.1 playoff innings with 118 strikeouts, a 131 ERA+, and 2.4 WAR. As of 2037, he’s 19^th in pitching WAR, 28^th in wins, and 68^th in strikeouts. Koneru’s ERA ranks 66^th among all SAB pitchers with 1000+ innings.

He managed pretty nice tallies even with his three season sabbaticals, although his rate stats weren’t as strong as his 2015 Hall of Fame classmates. Of the three, he did have the most WAR, which led some voters to posit that if the other two deserved yes votes, than Koneru did too. He debuted at 50.1% in 2014, but got the bump just across the 66% line in 2015. At 67.5%, Koneru got the second ballot induction to round out SAB’s three-player 2015 class.