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

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2015 ABF Hall of Fame (Part 1)

The Asian Baseball Federation had a massive four-player Hall of Fame class in 2012, then saw no inductees in either 2013 or 2014. 2015 would be another four-player group, led by two impressive debuting pitchers. Yazeed Anwari was a slam dunk at 99.3% and Nasser Avizeh got 81.8%.



Two returners also crossed the 66% requirement. Pitcher Sa’id Farahani on his fifth ballot got to 75.6%, while catcher Alireza Omidvar received 73.1% for his third ballot. No one else was above 40% and no players were dropped from the ballot following ten failed tries.



Yazeed Anwari – Starting Pitcher – Isfahan Imperials – 99.3% First Ballot

Yazeed Anwari was a 6’5’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Rajo Khanani, Pakistan; a town of about 8,000 people in the southeastern Sindh province. Anwari was known for having electric stuff, tremendous movement, and excellent control in his prime. His 99-101 mph fastball was dangerous, but his splitter was equally potent and frustrating for batters. Anwari also had a slider and curveball in his repertoire.

Early in his career, Anwari’s stamina was elite, leading the league five times in innings pitched and six times in complete games. His efficiency also helped him go deep regularly. Anwari had average defense and was good at holding runners. His work ethic was also tremendous, helping him become arguably ABF’s best-ever pitcher.

Anwari grew up in Pakistan and had a lot of love for his country, playing from 1994-2004 in the World Baseball Championship. He had a 12-4 record, 2.76 ERA, 172.2 innings, 210 strikeouts, 42 walks, 127 ERA+, and 5.2 WAR. However, his ABF dominance came entirely in Iran. Anwari was signed as a teenage amateur in January 1990 by Isfahan.

His talent was immediately evident and Anwari was a rare player to debut at age 19, although he only saw 14.1 innings in 1992. He was a full-time starter and leading the West Asia Association in innings pitched and complete games at only age 20. Anwari led again in innings in 1994, taking second in Pitcher of the Year voting.

From 1995-2003, Anwari would see unmatched dominance in ABF history, winning eight Pitcher of the Year awards. His lone miss was 2000, which still saw a second place finish. Anwari also picked up a second place in 1997’s MVP voting. All but 2001 were worth 9+ WAR and he topped triple-digits six times. Anwari led the league seven times in WAR, thrice in wins, six times in ERA, thrice in innings, four times in strikeouts, six times in WHIP, eight times in K/BB, and four times in complete games during this run.

Despite that dominance, Anwari never managed to snag a Triple Crown. He set the ABF wins record in 1997 at 27-6. As of 2037, he has the 2^nd, 3^rd, 5^th, and 9^th best pitching seasons by WAR. Only Ali Dahir’s 13.6 in 1988 bests Anwari’s 13.1 in 1997 and 13.0 from 2000. Anwari’s 416 strikeouts in 2002 ranks seventh best. Anwari’s top ERA came in 2000 at 1.66, but he missed POTY to his fellow 2015 Hall of Fame classmate Nasser Avizeh. Anwari is one of a select few in world history to win eight Pitcher of the Year awards and the only in ABF history.

This 1995-2003 run also unsurprisingly saw a nine-year playoff streak for Isfahan. The Imperials repeated as ABF Champion in 1997 and 1998 and were finalists in both 2000 and 2002. In his playoff career, Anwari had a 6-7 record, 2.89 ERA, 140 innings, 199 strikeouts, 14 walks, 121 ERA+, and 5.7 WAR.

Despite his 49 ABF shutouts, Anwari never threw a no-hitter. He did throw a 21 strikeout game in 2002 and a 20 K effort in 1998. Isfahan locked him up in April 1997 to a seven-year, $10,140,000 extension. Anwari powered ahead, but did see his first injury concern in 2001. Elbow inflammation kept him out the final month of the season and for the playoffs. Anwari was quickly back to form the next two years.

In 2003, Anwari became the first in ABF’s young history to 200 career wins and the second to 3500 strikeouts. Having reached these marks at age 30, Anwari was on pace for some truly untouchable final numbers. But things changed on April 7, 2004. In his third start of the season, Anwari suffered a torn ulnar collateral ligament.

This knocked him out 12 months and ultimately ended his run with Isfahan. It was a contract year for Anwari, who was soon to be 32-years old. The Imperials weren’t sure they could compete with big money from outside ABF, but the injury also made them leery that Anwari could get back to form. He would remain a beloved superstar and icon of the franchise who later saw his #15 uniform retired.

There were teams still willing to bet that Anwari could return to form. One of them was MLB’s Albuquerque Isotopes, who signed him to a five-year, $46,500,000 deal. Anwari managed to maintain his velocity upon return, but his control and movement both dipped significantly. That, plus the tougher MLB competition, meant Albuquerque would quickly have buyer’s remorse.

Anwari struggled to a 4.79 ERA and was eventually demoted from the starting rotation in 2005. Albuquerque cut their losses after two relief appearances in 2006 with Anwari’s deal being one of the biggest busts of the era. Kansas City grabbed him for the rest of the year to eat innings, posting a subpar 4.96 ERA over 172.1 innings.

He spent 2007 with San Francisco and finally got to at least league average production with a 3.81 ERA in 177 innings. Oakland briefly signed him in 2008, but he never pitched an inning for the Owls. Anwari tossed 11 relief innings in early 2008 for Winnipeg before being cut. He spent most of the rest of the year in Ottawa’s minor league Kingston affiliate, only seeing seven innings for the big league club.

Anwari had two relief appearances in 2009 for Cleveland before being cut, officially ending his MLB career with a 4.48 ERA, 28-34 record, 544.1 innings, 389 strikeouts, 194 walks, 82 ERA+, and 3.2 WAR. This poor MLB run often sinks Anwari when he gets discussed among the top worldwide pitchers of the era. Supporters correctly note that MLB got him post-injury with diminished skills.

He returned home to Pakistan and returned to the ABF with Peshawar to finish 2009. Anwari was decent in 31.1 relief innings, but elbow inflammation knocked him out two months. The hard-working Anwari was frustrated that this was it after his earlier dominance. He retired from the game that winter just after his 37^th birthday.

For his combined pro career, Anwari had a 244-131 record, 2.46 ERA, 3507.2 innings, 4296 strikeouts, 586 walks, 145 ERA+, and 114.6 WAR. Just in ABF, Anwari had a 216-97 record, 2.09 ERA, 2963.1 innings, 3907 strikeouts, 392 walks, 179 complete games, 169 ERA+, and 111.4 WAR. Most impressively about the ABF run is that almost all of that came before his 31^st birthday.

As of 2037 in ABF, Anwari still leads all pitchers in WAR and ranks seventh in wins and 20^th in strikeouts. Among all pitchers with 1000+ innings, he’s fourth in ERA, ninth in WHIP (0.90), and 11^th in opponent’s OPS (.557). Among all ABF Hall of Fame starters, Anwari has the best ERA.

You could still make a case that Anwari’s the greatest pitcher in ABF history purely based on the Isfahan days alone. There is a “what if?” with him as if he stayed healthy, he might have become the undisputed GOAT. Anwari is a no-doubt Hall of Fame headliner though with 99.3% to lead ABF’s four-player 2015 class.



Nasser “Judge” Avizeh – Starting Pitcher – Bursa Blue Claws – 81.8% First Ballot

Nasser Avizeh was a 6’4’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Bukan, Iran; a city of roughly 190,000 inhabitants in the West Azerbaijan province. He was incredibly intelligent and well-read with his knowledge earning him the nickname “Judge.” Avizeh had solid stuff and movement, although his control was below average. He had an extreme groundball tendency from his repertoire.

Avizeh’s velocity hit 96-98 mph with his cut fastball, but his big breaking curveball was his top pitch. He also had a circle change in the arsenal that could draw whiffs. Avizeh had the stamina to go deep, but did have to contend with some injury woes.

Living in western Iran earned Avizeh some attention from nearby scouts in Turkey. One of them from Bursa was impressed and inked Avizeh in April 1991 to a developmental deal. He spent much of seven years in their developmental system. Avizeh did officially debut in 1996, but was used a total of 39.2 innings between 1996 and 1997. He did also see 3.1 playoff innings in 1997 as the Blue Claws fell in the West Asia Association final to Isfahan.

Avizeh became a full-time starter from 1998 onward and was a big piece of a nine-year playoff streak for Bursa. The Blue Claws made it to the ABF Championship in 1999 and 2001, but fell to Hyderabad and Tashkent, respectively. They had defeats in the newly formed West League Championship Series in 2000, 2002, and 2005. They did break through for their first ABF title as a wild card in 2004, beating Dushanbe for the title.

In the playoffs for Bursa, Avizeh had a 10-6 record, 2.90 EREA, 183.2 innings, 224 strikeouts, 41 walks, 132 ERA+, and 3.4 WAR. He also did return to Iran for the World Baseball Championship from 1999-2007, throwing 104.2 innings with a 4.47 ERA, 108 strikeouts, 52 walks, and 80 ERA+.

Avizeh had a lot of grey ink and was often a top five guy statistically with Bursa, but it was hard to break through against peak Yazeed Anwari. Avizeh’s lone Pitcher of the Year broke up Anwari’s eight in nine years in 2000. That year, Avizeh led in wins (26-3), quality starts (29), complete games (24), and shutouts (7). He also had career bests in ERA (1.70), innings (280.1), ERA+ (198), and WAR (10.1). This season also included a no-hitter against Shiraz in June with 9 strikeouts and 3 walks.

Bursa gave Avizeh a four-year, $12,440,000 extension after the 2002 season. He took second in 2001’s Pitcher of the Year voting and finished third in both 2003 and 2004. Avizeh led in strikeouts in 2001 with 347, although his career high was 365 in 2003. From 2000-2004, he had 6.5 WAR+ each season.

Avizeh would see a drop-off in 2005 as a hamstring strain knocked him out three months. He was back healthy in 2006, but had a career worst 4.46 ERA. That year also saw the end of Bursa’s playoff run, as they had their first losing season since 1995. Looking at a full rebuild, the now 32-year old Avizeh wasn’t re-signed.

With Bursa, Avizeh had a 155-76 record, 2.70 ERA, 2182.1 innings, 2710 strikeouts, 539 walks, a 130 ERA+, and 57.5 WAR. Avizeh was a critical reason that the Blue Claws were a regular playoff contender for nearly a decade and they retired his #14 uniform once his playing days were done.

Avizeh returned home to Iran and signed a three-year, $8,880,000 deal with Isfahan. He struggled in his first seven starts in 2007, then missed the rest of the season with a damaged elbow ligament. Avizeh bounced back for a full 2008 with average production. The Imperials earned a third straight wild card and lost to Istanbul in the WLCS with Avizeh not seeing playoff use.

By 2009, he was only a part-time starter with firmly subpar value. Isfahan did again make the WLCS, but fell to Ankara. Avizeh had two playoff starts, but allowed 9 runs in 11.2 innings. With his deal expiring and his diminished skills, Avizeh retired that winter at age 35. With Isfahan, he had a 19-21 record, 3.87 ERA, 398 innings, 358 strikeouts, 94 ERA+, and 2.8 WAR.

For his career, Avizeh had a 174-97 record, 2.88 ERA, 2580.1 innings, 3068 strikeouts, 662 walks, 123 ERA+, and 60.3 WAR. As of 2037, he’s 35^th in pitching WAR, 45^th in strikeouts, and 37^th in wins. You could argue his production was more borderline than his 81.8% first ballot induction suggestions, but being the ace of a prolonged playoff run goes a long way.

At retirement, Avizeh was the only ABF pitcher with 10 playoff wins and wouldn’t be passed until the 2020s. He does also rank 16^th in pitching playoff WAR. This played a big role for enough skeptical voters to make Avizeh a firm selection even amongst a four-player 2015 Hall of Fame class.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2015 ABF Hall of Fame (Part 2)



Sa’id Farahani – Starting Pitcher – Peshawar Predators – 75.6% Fifth Ballot

Sa’Id Farahani was a 6’1’’ 205 pound right-handed pitcher from Shiraz; Iran’s fifth-most populous city. Farahani had incredible stuff in his prime that graded as a 10/10 for some scouts. He also had good movement with above average control. Farahani had an electric 99-101 mph fastball that he mixed with a slider, curveball, and changeup.

Farahani had great stamina and excellent durability, throwing 220+ innings each year from 1991-2004. He was a good defensive pitcher and considered a strong leader in the clubhouse. Few pitchers in his era could be counted on to consistently pitch as many innings and get as many strikeouts as Farahani.

Although he grew up in Iran, it was a Pakistani scout from Peshawar that pegged Farahani for greatness. He signed with the Predators in June 1986 to a developmental deal and earned the ABF call up in 1989 at age 21. After tossing 35.1 innings that year, Farahani had largely a full-time role for the next six years with Peshawar. He still had some control issues in his third season, but posted a 2.37 ERA, 315 strikeouts, and 6.3 WAR.

Peshawar was an early Pakistan League contender with five straight playoff berths from 1989-93. They won the PL in 1989 and 1990, but lost both years in the ABF Championship. Farahani had mixed results in these early years, but stepped up big in the 1992 postseason with a 1.76 ERA and 46 strikeouts over 30.2 innings. This helped the Predators win their only ABF Championship to date, defeating Mashhad in the final. For his playoff career with Peshawar, Farahani had a 2.33 ERA, 5-4 record, 92.2 innings, 129 strikeouts, 136 ERA+, and 2.4 WAR.

Farahani emerged as an elite strikeout pitcher with 411, 448, and 471 from 1992-1994. The 471 in 1994 remains the ABF single-season record as of 2037 while the 448 sits fourth. Farahani is one of only ten pitchers in world baseball history to record a season with more than 470 strikeouts. Farahani also led in WAR three straight years from 1993-95, led in wins in 1993, and led in quality starts and complete games in 1994.

Farahani took Pitcher of the Year in both 1993 and 1994 and had a third place in MVP voting in 1994. He tossed a no-hitter in 1992 with 15 strikeouts against Lahore. Farahani also twice struck out 22 batters in a game, doing it in nine innings in 1992 and in only 8.1 innings in 1993, both against Lahore. He’s one of four pitchers in world history to have multiple 22K games.

Despite his efforts, Peshawar’s playoff streak ended in 1994 at 82-80, followed by a complete collapse in 1995 at 63-99. That was a contract year for Farahani, who knew he’d have big money offers from around the world. With Peshawar, he had a 98-58 record, 2.30 ERA, 1501.1 innings, 2300 strikeouts, 456 walks, 132 ERA+, and 50.1 WAR. His abrupt departure led to some cold feelings from Predators management, who never retired his #16 uniform.

Farahani left for Major League Baseball on a four-year, $12,520,000 deal with the Atlanta Aces. He didn’t have the same level of dominance against the higher talent level, but he still was generally a positive starter for the Aces. They gave him a four-year, $17,760,000 extension in May 1999. Each of his seven seasons there were worth 4.9+ WAR.

Strikeout numbers are lower in MLB relative to other leagues, but Farahani still cracked 300+ twice. As of 2037, he’s one of only 20 pitchers in MLB’s 136 year history to top 300+ strikeouts in multiple seasons. Farahani’s finest season came in 1999 with a 23-9 record, 2.74 ERA, 313 strikeouts, and 8.5 WAR. That earned him a second place finish in Pitcher of the Year voting.

Atlanta was competitive in his tenure with six winning seasons and three division titles, but they never made it deeper than the second round of the playoffs. In his four playoff starts, Farahani had a 4.55 ERA over 31.2 innings and 33 strikeouts. He did also pitch for his native Iran in the World Baseball Championship while playing in MLB. From 1992-2005, Farahani tossed 201.1 WBC innings with a 13-10 record, 3.71 ERA, 310 strikeouts, 80 walks, 97 ERA+, and 5.1 WAR.

In total for Atlanta, Farahani had a 124-89 record, 3.66 ERA, 1938.1 innings, 1959 strikeouts, 545 walks, 110 ERA+, and 42.1 WAR. 2002 saw the Aces’ first losing season since 1985. They had a fire sale, which included trading Farahani in the last year of his contract to Tampa for three prospects and a draft pick.

Farahani ate innings in his one year with the Thunderbirds, but had a career-worst ERA to that point at 4.30. He became a free agent heading into his age 36 season with MLB teams still thinking he could contribute. Farahani signed a three-year, $16,800,000 deal with Columbus. It didn’t go well, posting -0.3 WAR over 222.1 innings in 2004. That was his final MLB season, finishing his tenure there with a 146-123 record, 3.78 ERA, 2441.1 innings, 2341 strikeouts, 702 walks, 104 ERA+, and 46.3 WAR.

Columbus cut Farahani after spring training 2005, but he still wanted to pitch. He returned to ABF on a one-year deal with Bursa, but his velocity had dropped dramatically by this point to a 91-93 mph peak, a far cry from his prior 100+ days. Farahani had a 4.40 ERA and 1.7 WAR in a full season for the Blue Claws. He went unsigned in 2006 and retired that winter at age 38.

For his combined pro career, Farahani had a 257-188 record, 3.27 ERA, 4130.2 innings, 4824 strikeouts, 1213 walks, 305/507 quality starts, 205 complete games, 111 ERA+, and 98.0 WAR. Not many guys were near or over 5000 career strikeouts. However, ABF Hall of Fame voters generally didn’t care about Farahani’s MLB excursion. His ABF tallies would be on the lower end since it was only seven years with Peshawar and the Bursa season.

In ABF, Farahani had a 111-65 record, 2.54 ERA, 1689.1 innings, 2483 strikeouts, 511 walks, 123 ERA+, and 51.8 WAR. As of 2037, he does rank 45^th in pitching WAR and 79^th in strikeouts, but doesn’t crack the top 100 in wins. The rate stats are strong though, sitting fourth among all pitchers with 1000+ innings with a 13.23 K/9. Farahani’s ERA ranks 41^st and his .572 opponents’ OPS ranks 31^st.

Many voters couldn’t get over the short tenure, thus a debut at 51.2% in 2011. He dropped down to 38.4% in 2012, but got a boost to 62.8% in 2013 against weaker competition. Farahani fell back to 52.5% in 2014. The fifth time was the charm as his big strikeout stats, two POTYs, and starring role in Peshawar’s 1992 title got him across the line. Farahani received 75.6% for the fifth ballot induction as the third player in ABF’s four-player 2015 class.



Alireza Omidvar – Catcher/Designated Hitter – Isfahan Imperials – 73.1% Third Ballot

Alireza Omidvar was a 6’0’’, 190 pound right-handed catcher from Fariman, Iran; a small northeastern city of around 40,000 people. He was an above average to good contact hitter with a solid pop in his bat. Omidvar was merely okay at drawing walks and average at avoiding strikeouts. His ability to find the gap was quite impressive, getting 43 doubles per his 162 game average. Omidvar could also go long reliably with 20+ homers in all of his full seasons and three 30+ seasons. He was comically slow and clumsy on the basepaths.

Omidvar spent half of his career as a catcher and the other half as a designated hitter. He’d provide a far better bat than the average catcher, but he was an atrocious defender. It was the inverse of what teams usually got from the spot. His most effective role was generally as a primary DH with occasional catcher starts to spell his teammates. Omidvar did also have the benefit of respectable durability and being a generally likeable guy.

Iranian teams saw Omidvar’s potential coming out of high school. Tehran picked him 17^th in the 1989 ABF Draft, but he didn’t sign with the Tarpons. He raised his stock after three years in the college ranks, getting picked second overall in the 1992 ABF Draft by Shiraz. Omidvar also earned a four-year, $1,840,000 big league deal from his rookie season.

Shiraz used Omidvar exclusively as a designated hitter in his first three seasons. He had decent results in his first two years and took second in Rookie of the Year voting in 1993. 1995 was one of his stronger hitting seasons with a career best in hits (192), doubles (52), and RBI (116). The Suns moved him to catcher in 1996 and kept him there for the next three seasons.

Omidvar won three straight Silver Sluggers from 1996-98 behind the plate. Despite his efforts, Shiraz was firmly the worst team in Iran, averaging a pitiful 62.1 wins per season during his tenure. With the Suns, Omidvar had 934 hits, 419 runs, 234 doubles, 154 home runs, 522 RBI, a .286/.335/.509 slash, 138 wRC+, and 28.7 WAR. It was the team he played the most games with narrowly, but Omidvar would be better known for his second run with Isfahan, wearing Imperials colors for his Hall of Fame induction.

A free agent at age 28, Omidvar signed a six-year, $6,680,000 deal with Isfahan. He wanted to stay home in Iran and joined his country’s most successful team thus far. The Imperials had won back-to-back ABF Championships in 1997-98. Omidvar also represented Iran from 1994-2007 in the World Baseball Championship with 89 games, 67 starts, 65 hits, 26 runs, 16 doubles, 12 home runs, 42 RBI, a .244/.305/.440 slash, 115 wRC+, and 1.6 WAR.

Isfahan kept their playoff streak going for the next five years. The Imperials won pennants in 2000 and 2002 for the newly rechristened West League, but suffered ABF Championship losses both years to Tashkent. For his playoff career, Omidvar had 41 games and 36 starts, 37 hits, 22 runs, 9 doubles, 10 home runs, 21 RBI, a .261/.333/.535 slash, 160 wRC+, and 1.9 WAR.

Omidvar was used in a hybrid role from 1999-2003, but saw much more time as a DH than catcher. He won Silver Sluggers in 2000 and 2003 as a DH. Omidvar was a full-time catcher in 2004 and won a Slugger that year as well. All six of his Isfahan seasons were worth 4+ WAR and he topped 6+ thrice. 2002 would see his career best for home runs with 39.

In total for the Imperials, Omidvar had 928 hits, 428 runs, 246 doubles, 170 home runs, 497 RBI, a .289/.337/.531 slash, 155 wRC+, and 33.2 WAR. In his last year there in 2004, Isfahan’s playoff streak ended at nine seasons as they fell to 73-89. The Imperials didn’t re-sign the now 34-year old Omidvar, sending him to free agency for the second time.

Omidvar left Iran for Kazakhstan, taking a four-year, $21,600,000 deal with Almaty. This did force him into the full-time catcher spot, as the East League didn’t use the DH like the West League. His 2005 debut was his finest season, winning his seventh Silver Slugger and taking third in MVP voting. Omidvar had career bests in WAR (8.4), OPS (.959), and wRC+ (221). However, Almaty’s bid for a third straight ELCS berth came well short at 78-84. They’d be stuck in the 70s for wins from 2005-2008.

2006 saw closer to league-average hitting from Omidvar. He was then actively terrible in 2007, posting -1.4 WAR over 126 games and 89 starts. Omidvar opted to retire that winter at age 37. For his Almaty run, he had 319 hits, 154 runs, 82 doubles, 65 home runs, 198 RBI, a .234/.276/.446 slash, 131 wRC+, and 10.6 WAR.

Omidvar finished with 2181 hits, 1001 runs, 562 doubles, 389 home runs, 1217 RBI, a .278/.326/.507 slash, 143 wRC+, and 72.5 WAR. As of 2037, he’s 16^th in doubles, 50^th in hits, 52^nd in home runs, and 59^th in WAR among position players. Because of his career split, he only had 35.0 WAR as a catcher, which ranks 20^th best.

He found himself in an odd spot for voters with much better hitting stats than expected from catchers, but a bit worse than you’d want from a DH for Hall of Fame consideration. While many leagues’ voters were very biased against catchers, ABF had already elected two in its short history with Erhan Buyukdemir and Razak Mohiyoudeen.

Omidvar was generally likeable though, had some hardware, and played an important role for some strong Isfahan teams. He only narrowly missed the 66% requirement with 64.8% and 60.2% for his first two ballots. Omidvar boosted up to 73.1% for a third ballot nod. That made him the fourth and final member of ABF’s 2015 Hall of Fame class.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2015 ALB Hall of Fame

Pitcher Ali Sabet was the Arab League Baseball Hall of Fame’s lone inductee in 2015 with an 80.2% first ballot nod. Two other debuts barely missed the 66% requirement with CL Adlen Sharif at 64.4% and SP Ahmad Abu Kabeer with 62.2%. SP Nacerdine Rahim got 60.1% in his tenth and final chance. Also cracking 50% was 2B Ahmad Abbas with 59.4% on his fifth ballot and SP Ali Al-Shakal with 51.1% for his third ballot.



For Rahim, he peaked the prior year at 61.4% after debuting at only 33.8%. The Tunisian lefty was hurt by starting his official career at age 28 and by the lack of awards. Still, with five teams he posted a 149-77 record, 2.59 ERA, 2005 innings, 2048 strikeouts, 378 walks, 138 ERA+, and 52.8 WAR. With a few more years of accumulations, Rahim probably gets across the line.

Two others were dropped from the ballot after ten failed tries. One was American reliever Isaiah McAlister, who oddly had a split career between ALB and AAB. His entire ALB run was ten years with Abu Dhabi, winning Reliever of the Year twice. McAlister had 235 saves, a 2.24 ERA, 714 innings, 734 strikeouts, 200 walks, a 164 ERA+, and 18.0 WAR. He needed more longevity and/or raw dominance, peaking at 38.2% in 2008 and ending with 9.0%.

Another reliever, Fawzi Ismail, was dropped with a peak of 23.8% and finish at 5.4%. He only pitched five seasons in ALB with the rest in MLB. He won Reliever of the Year twice with Cairo and led in saves twice with a 1.53 ERA, 183 saves, 375.1 innings, 660 strikeouts, 226 ERA+, and 25.2 WAR. Ismail was a beast in his very limited sample size, but five years can’t make a Hall of Famer.



Ali Sabet – Starting Pitcher – Riyadh Rats – 80.2% First Ballot

Ali Sabet was a 6’7’’, 195 pound left-handed pitcher from Giza; Egypt’s third largest city. Sabet had solid stuff and movement with great control. His velocity topped out at 97-99 mph between his sinker and cutter. Sabet also had a slider and curveball in the arsenal. He was a pitcher who notably fared much better against left-handed bats (2.42 ERA, 160 ERA+) versus righties (3.20 ERA, 120 ERA+).

Although complete games were less common in ALB relative to other leagues, Sabet was still on the low end for stamina. However, his excellent durability meant you’d still get plenty of innings from him. Sabet graded as a good defensive pitcher that was effective at holding runners. Despite his natural talent, Sabet was viewed as dumb, lazy, and selfish by many teammates and coaches.

Even with personality flaws, “tall lefty” goes a long way. Sabet was tall even as a teenager, which drew attention from scouts. One from Saudi Arabia poached Sabet from Egypt, giving him a developmental deal with Riyadh in May 1990. He spent most of six years in their academy, officially debuting in 1995 at age 21 with two relief appearances. Sabet was a split reliever and starter in 1996, then had a full-time rotation spot after that.

Sabet first got awards consideration in 2000 with his career-best 7.3 WAR, taking third in Pitcher of the Year voting. That also marked Riyadh’s first-ever playoff berth, although they lost in the first round and Sabet didn’t see the field. The Rats made the Eastern Conference final in 2002, but lost to eventual ALB champ Dubai. He lost both of playoff starts with a 3.45 ERA over 15.2 innings.

2002 was his breakout year and was his only time leading in wins (20-6), ERA (2.5), WHIP (0.88), and WAR (7.1). Sabet won his lone Pitcher of the Year and at age 28 signed a four-year, $8,340,000 extension with Riyadh. Sabet finished third in 2003’s POTY voting and topped 5+ WAR in seven seasons for the Rats. They dropped into the middle tier after the 2002 season with Medina dominating the Saudi Division.

With Riyadh, Sabet had a 139-76 record, 2.90 ERA, 2199.2 innings, 2373 strikeouts, 357 walks, 134 ERA+, and 57.0 WAR. His #33 uniform would later be retired by the Rats. Sabet had one year left on his deal after the 2005 season, but Riyadh opted to trade him to Jerusalem for three prospects. The Jets didn’t want a rental though and gave the 32-year old Sabet a six-year, $12,600,000 extension before spring training 2006.

Although he never played for an Egyptian franchise, Sabet did represent his country from 1997-2005 in the World Baseball Championship. In 77.1 innings, he had a 7-2 record, 3.03 ERA, 88 strikeouts, 21 walks, 119 ERA+, and 1.7 WAR.

The deal with Jerusalem started well with a second place finish in Pitcher of the Year voting for Sabet in 2006 and a career-best 2.31 ERA. He allowed three runs in seven innings in his one playoff start as the Jets lost in the first round of the playoffs to Algiers. Sabet was solid again in 2007, helping Jerusalem win the Western Conference pennant. The Jets lost to Medina in the ALB final with Sabet posting a 2.61 ERA over 20.2 playoff innings.

Sabet’s velocity dropped down to 93-95 mph by 2008 and his poor work ethic became noticeable with below average results. Jerusalem’s playoff streak ended with a 71-91 record. They bounced back for 98 wins in 2009, but Sabet stunk in only 28.2 innings of relief. Clearly cooked, Sabet retired at age 36. With Jerusalem, he had a 3.17 ERA, 45-24 record, 680.2 innings, 564 strikeouts, 119 ERA+, and 11.3 WAR.

The final stats had a 184-100 record, 2.97 ERA, 2880.1 innings, 2937 strikeouts, 469 walks, 130 ERA+, and 68.3 WAR. As of 2037, Sabet sits 19^th in pitching WAR, 20^th in wins, and 34^th in strikeouts. His ERA is also 27^th amongst all pitchers with 1000+ innings and his opponent’s OPS of .6487 is 43^rd.

Sabet won’t be in the GOAT pitcher conversations, but he was regularly a top five or top ten level pitcher for most of his career. The resume was strong enough for the first ballot induction at 80.2%, making Sabet the lone addition to ALB’s Hall of Fame in 2015.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2015 AAB Hall of Fame

014 finally saw the African Association of Baseball’s first Hall of Famer in Bawaka Ngoie on his fifth ballot. That broke the seal just enough for reliever Jaures Ibara to cross the 66% requirement in 2015 with 72.5% for his fifth ballot. AAB also had its first-ever first ballot inductee in 2015 as SP Henry Kibirige received 71.5%.



Four other players were above 50%, led by 1B Abebe Chekol with a 58.1% third ballot. SP Joel Mwasesa debuted at 56.4%, SP Hendrik Jongman had 54.0% for his eighth go, and 1B Boubacar Mavinga saw 50.2% for his fourth ballot. No players were dropped after ten failed ballots in 2015.



Jaures Ibara – Closer – Johannesburg Jackalopes – 72.5% Fifth Ballot

Jaures Ibara was a 6’5’’, 200 pound right-handed relief pitcher from Nioki, a town of 62,000 in the western Democratic Republic of the Congo. Ibara had incredible stuff with jaw-dropping movement, although his control was merely average. He had a 99-101 mph fastball and an equally fast splitter that looked the same out of his hand. This one-two punch led to many strikeouts and harmless ground balls.

Ibara’s stamina was solid for a reliever and he had good durability early in his career. He was a very intelligent pitcher, but he rubbed a lot of people the wrong way. Ibara was considered very greedy and selfish who often only tried hard if it benefited him. His raw talent though was undeniable though, but it meant he never stuck around any one place very long.

When the African Association of Baseball formed in 1995, Ibara already had a few years on the semipro ranks and was 26-years old. He joined the new league on a two-year deal with Johannesburg, although he spent three years total in this first run with the Jackalopes. Ibara was a dominant closer, leading the Southern Conference three straight years in saves. He won Reliever of the Year in 1996 and took second in 1997, along with a third place in 1997 for Pitcher of the Year voting.

Johannesburg won the first Africa Series in 1995 against Kinshasa with Ibara giving up three runs over 8.1 playoff innings. He posted 17.1 WAR, 122 saves, and a 1.72 ERA in his first three seasons with the Jackalopes. They just missed the playoffs in 1996 and 1997. Ibara left after that as a free agent heading towards his age 29 season.

He spent the next two years with Kinshasa, returning to his home country. Ibara did pitch regularly for the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the World Baseball Championship even as he bounced around. From 1995-2006, he tossed 105.1 as he also started 14 games, posting a 2.31 ERA, 5-5 record, 3 saves, 158 strikeouts, 33 walks, 153 ERA+, and 4.3 WAR.

Kinshasa was AAB’s first dynasty and they continued with Ibara, winning the Africa Series in 1998 and 1999, the middle seasons of a four-peat. Ibara led in saves in 1998 and had career bests in ERA (1.06), innings (93.2), strikeouts (161), ERA+ (374), and WAR (6.9). Yet, he took second in Reliever of the Year voting and third in Pitcher of the Year voting. Ibara would take his second ROTY in 1999. He also had a 47 save streak from May 1998 to May 1999 with Kinshasa.

Ibara was a beast in Kinshasa’s 1998 title run, tossing 9.2 scoreless and no-hit innings with 18 strikeouts and just a walk allowed. He earned four saves and two wins over seven games. Ibara allowed five runs in 15 innings the next year with 3 saves. With Kinshasa, Ibara had a 1.54 ERA, 78 saves, 181 innings, 299 strikeouts, 258 ERA+, and 12.3 WAR.

Both finals wins had come against Johannesburg, who Ibara returned to in 2000. He won his third Reliever of the Year and was second in POTY voting. Ibara was a playoff beast again with seven saves over 13 innings with a 0.69 ERA and 15 strikeouts. However, Johannesburg fell to Kinshasa in the Africa Series for the third straight year.

Ibara left for Lubumbashi in 2001 at age, which had a career-altering moment. A partially torn labrum cost him much of the season and greatly diminished his control and output in later years. Ibara missed the playoff run, but did earn his third AAB ring as the Loggerheads beat Johannesburg for the title.

Johannesburg brought him back in 2002 and he took second in ROTY voting, but he had a full-season career low with 104 strikeouts and 2.8 WAR. He wasn’t used in the playoffs as the Jackalopes’ conference title streak was snapped by Antananarivo. This would be his last season as a full-time closer.

Ibara went to Luanda in 2003 and only tossed 33.1 innings. He had a fourth stint with Johannesburg in 2004, but struggled and was traded back to the Landsharks. In total between stints for the Jackalopes, Ibara had 200 saves, a 1.96 ERA, 463 innings, 685 strikeouts, 191 walks, 206 ERA+, and 26.5 WAR. Between his Luanda stints he had a 2.55 ERA, 12 saves, -0.2 WAR, and 55 strikeouts in 53.

Lubumbashi brought him back in 2005, but only used him for 10.2 innings. This was during the brief era when AAB and EBF teams had a trading agreement. The Loggerheads sent Ibara to Germany in a deadline trade, finishing out the season with 12 innings for Munich. He would remain in Europe for his final two seasons.

Ibara was a part-time closer in 2006 for Krakow with 20 saves and a 3.07 ERA in 73.1 innings. He went to Glasgow in 2007 and made two starts even, but struggled to a 5.51 ERA over 16.1 innings. Ibara retired from the game that winter at age 38. In Europe, he had a 3.45 ERA over 101.2 innings, 71 strikeouts, and 0.1 WAR.

For his AAB career, Ibara had 297 saves and 330 shutdowns, 51-48 record, 1.89 ERA, 743.2 innings, 1099 strikeouts, 305 walks, 214 ERA+, and 40.0 WAR. Perhaps most impressive were his playoff starts with a 1.65 ERA in 49 innings, 18 saves, 71 strikeouts, 246 ERA+, and 2.5 WAR. One of the biggest parts of his candidacy was dominance in playoff runs for both Kinshasa and Johannesburg.

With AAB being new, there weren’t many other guys to compare Ibara to. As of 2037, he has the best ERA of any Hall of Famer and even as a reliever, he ranks 62^nd in pitching WAR. Ibara is ninth in saves, but supporters note that he lost a few years of production in his 20s. However, his lousy personality and mercenary attitude didn’t earn him many friends. A lot of voters didn’t want Ibara to be AAB’s first-ever Hall of Famer.

Ibara debuted at 56.1% in 2011, then dropped to 50.9% in 2012. He just barely missed the 66% cut the next two years at 65.6% and 63.3%. With 2014 finally getting an inductee, that softened up enough voters to push Ibara across the line. He received 72.5% in 2015 for the fifth ballot induction and the first reliever into AAB’s Hall of Fame.



Henry Kibirige – Starting Pitcher – Bujumbura Bighorns – 71.5% First Ballot

Henry Kibirige was a 6’1’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Jinja, a city of 300,000 in Uganda’s Eastern Region on the shore of Lake Victoria. Kibirige was known for having excellent control of his arsenal, although his stuff and movement were both only above average. His velocity peaked in the 93-95 mph range with a slider, changeup, cutter arsenal.

Kibirige’s changeup was his most dangerous pitch and his combination of control and changing speeds allowed him to excel without raw power. Kibirige had strong stamina and led the league thrice in innings pitched. He also had fantastic durability and very rarely missed a start. Kibirige’s loyalty also garnered a lot of respect as he spent his entire pro career with Bujumbura.

The 1995 AAB Draft was the inaugural rookie draft and featured a 21-year old Kibirige, who was picked 14^th overall by the Bighorns. They used him mostly in relief with average results in his rookie season. Kibirige became a full-time starter from 1997 onward and made an immediate impact. That year had career and Central Conference bests in WAR (10.0), WHIP (0.97), and wins (23-6).

1997 was also Kibirige’s first ERA title at 2.60, earning Pitcher of the Year. Bujumbura took first in the conference standings, but fell to Kinshasa in the conference final. The Sun Cats dynasty dominated for the next decade and the Bighorns were usually stuck in the middle of the standings. They averaged 85.4 wins per season in Kibirige’s career. Bujumbura had wild cards in 1999 and 2007, but fell both years. For his part, he had a 2.42 ERA over 26 career playoff innings.

Kibirige made history in 1999 as AAB’s first-ever Triple Crown pitcher with a 22-10 record, 2.38 ERA, and 261 strikeouts. These were career highs in ERA and Ks, earning his second Pitcher of the Year. Kibirige led in WAR as well and led twice more in 2000 and 2002. He picked up a second ERA title in 2002. Kibirige was second in POTY voting in 2000 and 2002 with a third place in 2001. He had six straight seasons with 6+ WAR and topped 9+ twice.

After the 2002 season, Bujumbura gave Kibirige a six-year, $14,400,00 extension. As the talent improved in Africa, Kibirige would look more like an average pitcher in these later years. He didn’t top 5+ WAR again, but did lead in wins and WHIP in 2007. In 2009, Kibirige would become the first AAB pitcher to reach 200 career wins. When his contract expired after the 2009 season, Kibirige retired at age 35. His #28 uniform would be the first retired by the Bighorns.

Kibirige had a 203-143 record, 3.38 ERA, 3254.2 innings, 2719 strikeouts, 777 walks, 121 ERA+, 90 complete games, and 68.0 WAR. He stayed the wins leader until the early 2020s and still ranks 4^th as of 2037. Kibirige also ranks eighth in pitching WAR, 18^th in strikeouts, and 4^th in innings pitched. Kibirige’s 26^th shutouts also remain the most in AAB history, although he never managed to toss a no-hitter.

For rate stats among all pitchers with 1000+ innings, Kibirige’s ERA is 33^rd and his .691 opponents’ OPS is 63^rd. There would be later pitchers with more raw dominance, but Kibirige was rock solid for a long time and a legit force in his prime. It was surprising to many in hindsight that he only received 71.5% for induction. However, that was enough to the first-ever first ballot inductee as part of AAB’s 2015 Hall of Fame class.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2015 World Baseball Championship



The 2015 World Baseball Championship was the 69^th edition of the event was hosted in Casablanca, Morocco. Division 1 went to the Philippines at 7-2 with four teams at 5-4. The Filipinos earned their 14^th division title, but it was their first since 2000.

Division 2 had a tie at 7-2 between Italy and France with the tiebreaker going to the Italians. It was their 16^th division title, which leads all European nations, and their first since the 2012 runner-up campaign. The defending world champion United States was back at 5-4, marking only the 14^th time in WBC history that the Americans didn’t advance.

Spain and Romania tied at 7-2 atop D3 with Guatemala next at 6-3. The Spanish had the head-to-head tiebreaker for their eighth division title and first since 2006. China notably struggled to 3-6, which would be their worst-ever finish under the nine-game divisional format.

Argentina and Brazil were both strong in Division 4 at 8-1, but the Argentinians won the head-to-head to advance. This was Argentina’s 12^th division title, but ended a drought back to 2001. Last year’s fourth place finisher Egypt was fourth at 5-4. Division 5 was a mess as Australia, Bolivia, Colombia, and Greece each were 6-3. The tiebreaker formula favored the Colombians for their 18^th time advancing and first since 2010.

Iran prevailed at 8-1 in a strong Division 6, fending off 7-2 efforts from last year’s runner-up Indonesia and last year’s third place team Serbia. The Iranians’ only previous division title was back in 1995. Mexico claimed D7 at 8-1, besting Nigeria and Turkey by two games. The Mexicans were the only team from the 2014 elite eight to make it back in 2015. They advanced for the 29^th time, which was fourth most behind the USA, Canada, and Brazil. The Canadians advanced for the 38^th time and the second time in three years. They were the lone unbeaten team in division play, dominating Division 8 at 9-0.

Spain stunned many by going a perfect 6-0 in Round Robin Group A, earning their third semifinal appearance. Canada advanced as well at 3-3, while Colombia (2-4) and Argentina (1-5) were eliminated. The Canadians picked up their 27^th final four berth, second behind only the Americans. They hadn’t gotten that far though since winning the 2004 world title.

The Philippines were the top dog in Group B at 5-1 for their ninth semifinal berth, although they hadn’t done it since 1988. Mexico and Italy both finished 3-3 and Iran was 1-5. The Mexicans advanced on the tiebreaker for their 17^th trip to the final four.

Both semifinals needed all five games with the Philippines edging Canada and Mexico outlasting Spain. The Mexicans earned their 10^th finals appearance and ended a 16-year drought. The Filipinos’ only prior finals was their loss to the US in 1977. The Spanish were officially third, matching their-best ever finish from 1976 and 1987. The Canadians were fourth for the fourth time.



The 69^th World Championship was a seven-game classic that saw the Philippines earn their first-ever world title over Mexico. The Filipinos became the 15^th unique nation to win it all and the sixth based entirely in Asia. They were the first Asian champ since India in 2009. The defeat moved the Mexicans to 4-6 all-time in the final.



Two-time Sundaland Association MVP Wil Tabaldo led the way for the Philippines as the 28-year old first baseman from the Singapore Sharks led in runs (18), home runs (10), RBI (20), and total bases (63). He had 28 hits in 27 games with a 1.027 OPS and 1.6 WAR.

Tournament MVP meanwhile went to Spain’s Wil Cavazos. The 29-year old first baseman for Barcelona in 20 starts had 27 hits, 14 runs, 3 doubles, 6 home runs, 14 RBI, a 1.072 OPS, and 1.3 WAR. Best Pitcher was given to Serbia’s Pedrag Zganec, a 29-year old starter for Munich. He had a zero ERA over 10 innings with 18 strikeouts, 4 hits, 3 walks, and an unearned run.

Other notes: American CF Morgan Short scored 13 runs to get to 241 career WBC runs, tying him with countryman Connor Neumeyer for the most in WBC history. Short was also in striking distance of Neumeyer’s hits and WAR records as well as Monty Moody’s mark for the most doubles. He was already the all-time stolen bases leader with 180 after the 2015 WBC.

After zero no-hitters in the prior two WBCs, Thailand’s Pichit Pechmanee ended that drought, striking out 15 with four walks in a no-no against Chile. Below are the all-time tournament stats. Mexico’s runner-up finish allowed them to reclaim the third place spot from China in the all-time points standings.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2015 in E2L

---

London got relegated from the EBF Elite after a 66-96 season in 2014. The Monarchs hoped to quickly escape the European Second League, leading the Western Conference standings in 2015 at 102-60. Sheffield was a close second at 99-63. For the Steelhounds, they had never earned a playoff berth prior in their 11-year history.

The other two spots required tiebreaker games as Liverpool, Nottingham, Hanover, and Turin each finished the regular season at 95-67. The Phantoms and North Stars both prevailed, making for an all-English playoff field from the WC. This was Liverpool’s first playoff berth since 2007 and repeat berths for Nottingham. Notably Nantes, last year’s conference finalist, fell to ninth at 80-82.

In the Round Robin, despite being the top seed, London fared the worst at 1-5. Nottingham and Sheffield advanced to the Western Conference Championship at 4-2, while Liverpool missed at 3-3. The Steelhounds bested the North Stars 4-2, earning Sheffield its first-ever promotion.



For the third time in four years, Ljubljana earned a playoff spot. It was their first top in the pole position in that run at 97-65 atop the Eastern Conference standings. Kyiv was a close second at 95-67 for their first playoff berth since getting demoted to E2L after the 2011 season. The Kings pitching staff set a conference record with 1794 strikeouts and a 10.63 K/9, which still hold as EC bests as of 2037.

Varna (90-72) and Tallinn (89-73) grabbed the other two playoff spots. It was an impressive turnaround for the Vigilantes, who were a lousy 65-97 the prior season. They hadn’t been a playoff team since 2009. The Twisters had never been a playoff team and had never finished better than 82-80 prior. Numerous playoff teams from 2014 fell just short, notably Berlin (88-74), Kharkiv (85-77), and Lviv (80-82). Helsinki (85-77) and Dnipro (82-80) were also in the mix.

The #1 seed was also a curse in the Eastern Conference round robin as Ljubljana went 2-4. Varna (5-1) and Kyiv (4-2) advanced with Tallinn in the bottom spot at 1-5. The Vigilantes then rolled the Kings 4-1 in the conference final to guarantee their first-ever promotion. In the Second League Championship, Varna won over Sheffield in a seven-game classic.



Varna and Sheffield were promoted, but a third spot opened up with an extra 100+ loss team in the EBF Elite. Because Kyiv lost to the eventual champion Varna, they were the semifinalist given the third spot up instead of Nottingham. The Kings earned their way back only seven years removed from being the European Champion.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2015 in AAB

---

Johannesburg was first in the Southern Conference standings for back-to-back years, but greatly improved from 96 wins in 2014 to 110-52 in 2015. This tied the Jackalopes’ franchise record set in 1999 during their 1998-2001 pennant four-peat. Johannesburg led all of the African Association of Baseball in runs scored (886)

16 games back in second was Lusaka at 94-68, bouncing back after a lousy 73-win 2014 ended their four-year playoff streak. Reigning AAB champ and Baseball Grand Championship runner-up Harare fell short at 90-72 in third, ending a two-year playoff streak. Maputo at 88-74 was also competitive. Notably Antananarivo, who missed the playoffs by one game last year, dropped off to seventh at 72-90.

Leading the way for Lusaka was RF Kaunda Kalinga, the Southern Conference MVP. After 2015, he was one of five in AAB history to win MVP four or more times, having also taken it from 2010-2012. Kalinga crushed 72 home runs, five short of his single-season record 77 from 2012. He became the seventh player in world baseball history to hit 70+ homers in multiple seasons. Kalinga also had a four home run game against Lilongwe in August and hit for the cycle in September against Johannesburg.

Kalinga also led the conference in runs (128), RBI (146), total bases (418), slugging (.799), OPS (1.177), wRC+ (205), and WAR (9.8) and added a .300 average. He actually bested his slugging and OPS from the 77-homer season. The 33-year old Tanzanian would play two more years for the Lake Monsters before playing his final five seasons between Kampala and Maputo.

The Piranhas had the unique feat in 2015 of having the top three pitchers in the conference by WAR. Yannick Thomas finished second in WAR at 7.8, but earned Pitcher of the Year in his second Maputo season. The 27-year old Frenchman had twice been POTY in the European Second League with Odesa.

He came to Africa in a 2013 offseason trade during the window where AAB and European teams could trade. In 2015, Thomas led in strikeouts (288), WHIP (0.88), K/BB (6.1), quality starts (21), complete games (8), and shutouts (3). He added a 2.10 ERA and 197 ERA+ over 205.2 innings and a 14-8 record.



Kinshasa had a Central Conference dynasty from 1995-2005 that saw six Africa Series titles. The Sun Cats hadn’t been in the playoffs since that run ended, but snapped the nine-year drought in 2015. At 109-53, Kinshasa earned their ninth first place finish in the standings. Neighboring Brazzaville was a strong second at 102-60 for their first-ever playoff appearance. That left Lilongwe and Kampala as the only teams without a playoff berth through the first 21 seasons of AAB.

The mighty Addis Ababa dynasty fell, ending a nine-year streak of first place finishes. The Brahmas finished 86-76, taking fourth place behind 88-74 Mogadishu. AA did extend their streak of winning seasons to 13, the longest in AAB history. Last year’s conference winner Nairobi struggled to an eighth place finish at 72-90.

Bujumbura was a non-factor in sixth at 77-85, but their veteran slugger Luke Tembo won his fourth Central Conference MVP. It had been a while for the 34-year old Malawian first baseman, whose other wins were in 2005, 2007, and 2008. He had still been racking up big home run, walk, and strikeout totals. Tembo’s 61 homers made him the conference leader for the eighth time and was his eighth 60+ season.

Tembo also led in walks (114), OBP (.409), slugging (.699), OPS (1.108), wRC+ (189), and WAR (7.4). He added 126 RBI with a .261 batting average. Tembo was already AAB’s all-time leader in walks drawn and strikeouts with 1728 walks and 2611 whiffs to that point. He won his tenth and final Silver Slugger in 2015 as well with eight at first base and two as a designated hitter. Tembo joined Mwarami Tale, Felix Chaula, Mohau Sibiya, and Kaunda Kalinga as the only players with four or more AAB MVPs.

Kinshasa’s Paulin Pongo became the fourth to win Pitcher of the Year thrice, earning the honor for the third time in four years. The 29-year old Congolese righty led in wins (20-4), strikeouts (306), WHIP (0.96), and WAR (9.2). Pongo had a 3.04 ERA and 136 ERA+ over 246 innings. Sadly, 2016 would be his final full season with multiple UCL tears knocking him out of AAB before his 32^nd birthday.

Both conference finals needed all seven games just as they did the prior year. Johannesburg outlasted Lusaka 4-3 to win their sixth Southern Conference pennant, joining their glory years of 1995 and the 1998-2001 four-peat. The cross-river showdown saw Brazzaville upset Kinshasa, giving the Blowfish their first-ever pennant.



The Africa Series went all nine games with Brazzaville surviving in a classic with Johannesburg. The Jackalopes’ fell to 1-5 all-time in their finals appearances with the only win in the inaugural 1995 season. The Blowfish became the tenth of AAB’s 20 franchises to win it all at least once. It was an impressive capper for their first-ever playoff berth. RF Kampamba Phiri was finals MVP as the 27-year old Zambian had 24 hits, 14 runs, 7 doubles, 7 home runs, and 18 RBI in 15 playoff starts.



Brazzaville also saw a record-setting postseason from Stefan Gudbjornsson, who was the conference finals MVP. The 24-year old Icelandic OF came to Congo in a 2013 trade and stepped up in 15 playoff starts with 26 hits, 20 runs, 4 doubles, 2 triples, 5 home runs, 11 RBI, and 14 stolen bases. The hit and run marks are still AAB playoff records as of 2037.

Other notes: Another playoff record was broken by Brazzaville pitcher Joseph Senaji with 44 strikeouts, which still holds as of 2037. The 24-year old Kenyan had a 3.45 ERA over 28.2 innings and was 3-0 in four starts. Johannesburg closer Minasie Elyas also set new playoff records for H/9 (2.45) and opponent’s batting average (.089). Elyas had a 1.96 ERA over his 18.1 innings with 5 hits allowed and 28 strikeouts.

Marlin Kimwaki became the sixth to 600 home runs and the first to 2500 hits. He retired after the 2017 season with 2737 hits, although he held the hit king crown very briefly. Kimwaki still ranks seventh as of 2037. Mwarami Tale became the third to 1500 runs scored. Tale also won his tenth Silver Slugger in center field.

2B Fani Ngambi and 1B Luke Tembo both also won their tenth Silver Sluggers, making four players to do so in AAB. The king remained OF Felix Chaula, who won his record 14^th in 2015. SS Said Tesfaye won his ninth Slugger and C Steven Isaac won his seventh. SS Joaquim Artur won his ninth Gold Glove, becoming the first at any position to win nine.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2015 in ALB

---

From 2012-14, Casablanca posted back-to-back-to-back losing seasons for the first time in franchise history. The Bruins returned to prominence in 2015 with the top seed in the Arab League’s Western Conference at 98-64. It was the 18^th time in ALB’s 26-year history that Casablanca won the Mediterranean Division. Tripoli, who had won it each year in their absence, fell to the bottom of the standings at 77-85. Tunis at 84-78 was the closest, but still a long way off. The Thunder Cats remained the only ALB team without a single playoff berth.

Defending conference champ Damascus got their first-ever berth the prior year. The Dusters cruised to a repeat in the Levant Division at 95-67, taking the division by 26 games. The lone close division was the Nile, but Alexandria pulled off a fifth consecutive crown. At 92-70, the Astronauts were three games ahead of Giza and ten better than Khartoum. Alexandria allowed the fewest runs in the conference at 582, while Casablanca scored the most at 793.

The Bruins swept the top awards, led by 2B Hamdan Fahed as Western Conference MVP. The 29-year old Kuwaiti led in WAR (8.5) and wRC+ (182). Fahed added 183 hits, 103 runs, 50 home runs, 107 RBI, and a 1.014 OPS. He was in his ninth year in Casablanca and committed to eight more in the offseason with a massive $139,700,000 extension, becoming one of ALB’s richest.

Also in his ninth year for the Bruins was Pitcher of the Year Fawaz Hussein, who led in strikeouts (305), shutouts (4), and WAR (9.5). The 28-year old Yemeni righty was second in both wins (19-6) and ERA (2.35) over his 252.2 innings with a 167 ERA+.

Damascus edged Alexandria 2-1 in the first round, sending them to repeat Western Conference Final berths. However, Casablanca reclaimed the throne 3-1, taking their eighth pennant (1993-95, 2001, 03, 05, 08, 14). The Bruins were now 8-6 all-time in their myriad conference finals appearances.



Abu Dhabi had the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference at 99-63 and guaranteed both back-to-back conference finals appearances and their fourth in six years. The Destroyers grew their Gulf Division title streak to four years and led the entire Arab League in runs scored at 818.

The strongest division was the Iraq Division as Sulaymaniyah won for the second time in three years. The Sultans at 96-66 were eight games ahead of defending champ Baghdad and nine ahead of Mosul. In the Saudi Division, two-time reigning ALB champ Jeddah earned a fifth straight division crown. The 90-72 Jackals finished nine better than Medina and ten ahead of Riyadh. Jeddah allowed the fewest runs in ALB at 549.

Mecca at 63-99 had the second-worst record in ALB despite getting an Eastern Conference MVP season from 1B Yahya bin Hakam. The 31-year old Emirati righty became ALB’s single-season home run king with 75, breaking Tarek Abdel Rahman’s record of 72 from 2010. He also broke the ALB OPS record at 1.254, also passing Rahman’s 2010 (1.243). Yahya’s mark would only be passed once in 2015.

Additionally, bin Hakam led the conference in runs (126), total bases (442), RBI (141), OBP (.448), slugging (.807), wRC+ (226), and WAR (11.2). He was third in batting average at .343, 13 points short of a Triple Crown. It was the eighth season in Mecca for bin Hakam, who led in homers for the fourth time in his career and in OBP for the seventh straight year.

Pitcher of the Year was Abu Dhabi’s Ryan El Hadl in his fourth year. The 26-year old Libyan left led in ERA (2.07) and wins (22-7). El Hadl had 273 strikeouts in 221.2 innings with a 7.6 WAR and 192 ERA+. It was a remarkable recovery for El Hadl, who missed all of 2014 with a partially torn UCL.

Jeddah’s three-peat bid was denied as they lost 2-1 to Sulaymaniyah in the first round. It was the second Eastern Conference Final in three years for the Sultans. They were the underdog, but dominated with a surprising 3-0 sweep of Abu Dhabi. Sulaymaniyah won its third pennant, but hadn’t done it since ALB’s first two seasons. The Destroyers are 1-3 in their four ECF berths since 2010.



In the 26^th Arab League Championship, Casablanca bested Sulaymaniyah 4-2, making the Bruins four-time champs (1994, 1995, 2003, 2015). That tied them with Medina for the most in league history and ended an 11-year drought. The Sultans drought grows to 25 years with their only title in the inaugural 1990 season.

Finals MVP was an unlikely one in RF Ed Dowell. The 32-year old Englishman had seen a respectable run in Europe with Glasgow, but signed with Casablanca for 2015 on a four-year, $24,200,000 deal. Dowell won a Gold Glove in the regular season and in the playoffs had 11 hits, 5 runs, 2 doubles, 2 home runs, and 5 RBI in 10 starts.



Although Sulaymaniyah lost, ace Abdelmalek Kamal had a huge postseason. The 28-year old Tunisian set playoff records for strikeouts (67) and WAR (2.3) which still stand as of 2037. It was the second-most Ks ever by any pitcher in any world league’s postseason to that point, only behind EBF’s Lindsey Brampton (75 in 1996).

Kamal was 2-2 in four starts despite a 1.54 ERA over 35 innings. In his second start against Casablanca, he struck out 23 over an 11-inning game. This set ALB’s single-game record and was a playoff world record, although that amazingly fell the next year in South Korea. This helped Kamal get noticed worldwide, as he signed a mammoth seven-year, $211,300,000 deal with MLB’s San Francisco that winter.

Other notes: Kuwait had an all-time bad season at 50-112, tied for the second-worst in Eastern Conference history. They allowed 962 runs, 903 earned runs, and had a 5.69 team ERA, which were all-time ALB worsts at that point. As of 2037, the R/ER marks are the second-worst in conference history and the ERA is third worst.

Farouk Adam and Mohammad Al-Munibi both crossed 2500 career hits, making nine players to have reached it in ALB. Al-Munibi won his eighth Silver Slugger at third base. Mohamed Mustafa won his ninth Slugger at second. Abdullah Al-Tamtami became the 4^th pitcher to win 200 games. He pitched one more year and ended at 213, which ranks 12^th as of 2037. Mostafa Nabil was the 10^th pitcher to reach 3000 strikeouts.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2015 in ABF

---

The Asian Baseball Federation’s East League didn’t have any major standouts as 92-70 was good enough for the top seed. That went to Almaty atop the North Division, which ended a two-year playoff drought. The Assassins allowed the fewest runs in the EL at 486. Defending ABF champ Faisalabad won the South Division at 88-74, which grew their playoff streak to six and their division title streak to three.

Hyderabad was two back on the Fire at 86-76 and earned the second wild card. The Horned Frogs playoff streak grew to five seasons and saw their eighth berth in nine years. Five teams were within a game of taking the second wild card. Dushanbe (83-79) secured it for their third straight playoff berth. The Dynamo had the top offense in the EL with 698 runs scored. Bishkek, Peshawar, Tashkent, and Rawalpindi were each 82-80. Last year’s ELCS runner-up Asgabat dropped to 78-84.

Nizami Aghazade continued his remarkable pace as the Dushanbe infielder won a fourth consecutive East League MVP. He joined Humayun Kahil as ABF’s only four-time MVPs thus far. The 27-year old Kazakh in four seasons now has four MVPs and won his first Gold Glove after switching from shortstop to second base, posting a 17.4 zone rating and 1.100 EFF. This defense helped him to the highest single-season WAR in ABF history at 15.99, passing Gokhan Karatas’ record 14.9 from 1993.

In terms of all-time WAR seasons by a position player in any league, this ranked only behind EBF’s Harvey Coyle (16.55 in 2011), and OBA’s Jimmy Caliw (16.07 in 1976) while tying Mohammed Mohamed’s 1996 ALB season. Aghazade also won his second Triple Crown with 46 home runs, 125 RBI, and a .372 average. It would have been his third Triple Crown, but he fell just short of the at-bats needed to quality in 2013 due to injury. He also led in runs (107), hits (211), total bases (381), OBP (.452), slugging (.672), OPS (1.124), and wRC+ (248).

In just four seasons, Aghazade has an absurd 57.1 WAR, 420 runs, 182 home runs, and 444 RBI in one of the greatest starts to a career in baseball history. You’d be hard pressed to find many better four-year runs at any point for any player. Dushanbe smartly locked him up in the winter on an eight-year, $74,200,000 extension.

Pitcher of the Year went to Bishkek’s Sijad Khaleel, who won back-to-back ERA titles with his 1.76 mark. The 25-year old Afghani lefty had a 14-8 record over 219.1 innings, 338 strikeouts, 184 ERA+, and 10.6 WAR. Khaleel’s efforts earned him a payday with a five-year, $33,160,000 extension with the Black Sox.

Dushanbe upset Almaty 3-1 in the first round while Hyderabad ousted the defending champ Faisalabad 3-1. This set up a rematch of the 2013 East League Championship Series, which saw the Horned Frogs win en route to the ABF title. The Dynamo got their revenge, winning handily 4-1. This was Dushanbe’s third pennant since joining ABF (2001, 2004, 2015) and their sixth overall counting the Eurasian Professional Baseball years.



While the East League had no big standouts, the West League was extremely top-heavy with three 100+ win teams. Tehran led the way at 115-47 and set a new ABF single-season record, topping the previous high mark of 113-49 by Hyderabad in 1998. The Tarpons earned a fifth straight playoff berth, but it was their first Central Division title in that run. The record setting season was led by pitching with a 2.40 team ERA, 395 earned runs allowed, and 0.924 WHIP; each ranking second in WL history to that point.

Baku (104-58) was 11-back in second place behind Tehran, taking the first wild card easily. This ended their six-year division title streak, but grew the playoff streak to seven. The Blackbirds had their fourth straight season with 104 wins or better. Their pitching staff had a 11.33 K/9, the third-highest in WL history.

Adana at 101-61 repeated as Turkish Division champ easily. They set their own pitching records and actually allowed two fewer runs (437 to 435) than Tehran. That was the second-lowest output in WL history. For the second wild card, Shiraz (94-68) outlasted Isfahan (91-71) and Mashhad (86-76). The Suns ended a four-year playoff drought, while the reigning WL champ Mercury had their playoff streak ended at three seasons.

Baku designated hitter Fakhri Rajavi won West League MVP and became ABF’s new single-season RBI leader with 158. That held as the top mark until 2024, but still ranks third in 2037. Rajavi cranked 67 home runs, tied for fourth place at the time and eighth as of 2037. The 28-year old Iranian lefty also led in total bases (415), slugging (.692), OPS (1.040), wRC+ (210), and WAR (9.7). The Blackbirds gave the former #1 overall pick an eight-year, $91,700,000 extension in May.

Leading Tehran’s pitching staff was Khalid Osmonov, winning Pitcher of the year in his ninth season. The 28-year old Azeri righty led in wins (24-2), and WAR (9.0) while adding a 1.57 ERA over 218.1 innings, 291 strikeouts, and 201 ERA+. Osmonov also won his sixth consecutive Gold Glove. In May, the Tarpons inked Osmonov to a six-year, $54,000,000 extension.

Both first round series went the distance with Shiraz upsetting Tehran 3-2 and Adana outlasting Baku 3-2. With 115 wins and nothing to show for it, the 2015 Tarpons go down as one of ABF’s all-time flops. The Axemen earned repeat West League Championship Series appearances, while it was the first since 2010 for the Suns. Shiraz not only upset Adana in the WLCS, but did it soundly with a sweep for their third pennant (2005, 2006).



The 31^st Asian Baseball Federation Championship was unique for having the #4 seed from both leagues. Despite their 83-79 record, Dushanbe cruised 4-1 over Shiraz for their second ABF title (2001). The Dynamo became four-time league champs, having also won EPB crowns in 1981 and 1960. League MVP Nizami Aghazade capped off his historic season with an epic playoff run, winning MVP of each round of the playoffs.

In 14 playoff starts, Aghazade had 22 hits, 16 runs, 3 doubles, 8 home runs, 14 RBI, a .423/.492/.942 slash, 335 wRC+, and 1.9 WAR. That fell one run short of the ABF postseason record. With that run, his 15.9 WAR regular season, and a championship ring, Aghazade’s 2015 is up there for the greatest single season ever by any player in pro baseball history. Dushanbe was 11-3 in the postseason, a remarkable run for a team two games away from a .500 record and one away from missing the playoffs entirely.



Other notes: Izmir hit only 61 homers as a team, matching their ABF all-time worst from the prior year. This remains the all-time low mark as of 2037. Zahir Nasir became the 6^th pitcher to 200 wins and the 4^th to 4000 strikeouts. It was his final season, ending with 205 wins and 4058 Ks. Khalil Shaan joined him in the 4000 K club.

Petri Viskari became the second to 1500 RBI. Viskari would miss most of 2016 to a torn PCL, but would pass Radi Umar’s 1573 RBI in 2017 to become the ABF career leader. 3B Shaheed Abbas won his 11^th Gold Glove, which was the most at any position to that point. 1B Adnan Mohamed and 3B Eser Haspolatii both won their seventh Gold Gloves. LF Rahman Polat won his eighth Silver Slugger. It was his first in left field after winning seven Sluggers in center.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2015 in SAB

---

Last year’s Indian League wild card Chennai ended up as the top seed in 2015 at 98-64. The Cows earned their first South Division title since 2010. Visakhapatnam, who had won each year since, finished 89-73 while Hyderabad was 88-74. Both fell just short of the wild card, which ended a four-year playoff streak for the Volts.

Kanpur and defending South Asia Baseball champion Kolkata tied for the Central Division title at 92-70. The Poison won the tiebreaker game, ending a seven-year playoff drought. Kanpur hadn’t won a division title since 1995. The Cosmos still advanced via the wild card, growing their playoff streak to eight years. Mumbai repeated as West Division champ at 85-77 with Ahmedabad their closest foe at 77-85.

Veteran RF Vicharleen Anasuri signed a three-year, $25,800,000 deal with Mumbai for 2015 after 15 years between Chittagong and Yangon. He won his seventh Silver Slugger at age 36 and earned his first Indian League MVP. Anasuri was one home run short of a Triple Crown with 61 homers, 130 RBI, and a .343 average.

While he had been a reliably strong player previously, his only time previously leading the league in any stat was a batting title in 2012. In 2015, Anasuri also led the IL in runs (110), hits (196), total bases (405), slugging (.708), OPS (1.111), wRC+ (233), and WAR (10.5).

Kanpur allowed the fewest runs in the league at 472 and leading the way was Pitcher of the Year Harry Keshab. It was the only somewhat full season in an injury plagued career, as his 4.9 WAR in 2015 would make up almost 3/4 s of his career tally. The 24-year old lefty in 207.2 innings had a 16-3 record, 2.21 ERA, 244 strikeouts, and 158 ERA+.

Chennai eliminated the defending SAB champs Kolkata 3-0 in the first round, while Mumbai outlasted Kanpur 3-2 in an upset. The Cows had never gotten to the Indian League Championship Series before, while the Meteors’ two prior berths saw pennants in 2005 and 2008. Despite being the underdog, 85-win Mumbai cruised to a 4-1 victory for their third pennant. Although defeated, Chennai’s berth leaves Surat as the only original SAB team without a single LCS appearance.



Defending Southeast Asia League champ Yangon took the top seed at 111-51 and grew their outstanding playoff streak to 21 seasons, only two way from the SAB record shared by Ahmedabad and Ho Chi Minh City. The Green Dragons earned a fifth straight South Division title and fifth straight 100+ win season.

Hanoi’s own impressive playoff streak grew to 11 years, winning a fourth straight North Division title at 107-55. The Hounds posted their tenth 100+ win season of their streak. Although Yangon was better by four games, Hanoi led the league in both runs scored (895) and fewest allowed (601). The Green Dragons were second in both (889-621). There was a massive offensive gap to the third-highest scoring team at 701 (Bangkok).

Kathmandu (88-74) and Bangkok (86-76) earned the wild card spots, winning the race over Da Nang (84-78) and Vientiane (83-79). The Chaparrals ended the longest playoff drought in SAB at 28 years, while the Bobcats ended a four-year drought. The Vampires saw their playoff streak end at three years. Also notable was Dhaka dropping to 70-92, which ended their decade-long run of winning seasons.

Hanoi designated hitter Majed Darwish won his sixth Southeast Asia League MVP, becoming the first SAB player to win the award six times. It was his first since winning five straight from 2007-11. The 32-year old Bahraini had still been putting up big power stats, although they weren’t the cartoonish world records of the prior years.

Still, Darwish led in 2015 in homers (69), RBI (176), runs (136), walks (83), total bases (436), slugging (.712), OPS (1.096), wRC+ (194), and WAR (9.7). He was his ninth straight year leading in RBI and total bases, his eighth time leading in homers, and his 11^th straight year leading in runs scored. Darwish picked up his ninth Silver Slugger and his 10^th season with 60+ homers, tying world home run king Nordine Soule. The 176 RBI from 2015 ranks fourth-best in SAB history behind his absurd 200+ efforts from 2008-2010.

Pitcher of the Year was Bangkok righty Franklin Tung, who led in ERA at 1.85 and WHIP at 0.86. The 27-year old Singaporean had a 14-4 record over 190 innings, 250 strikeouts, 204 ERA+, and 7.2 WAR. He ultimately had only one more year with the Bobcats before getting traded to Kanpur, where he’d sign a six-year extension.

Yangon rolled Bangkok with a first round sweep, while Hanoi survived a spirited challenge from Kathmandu 3-2. It set up yet another SEAL Championship showdown between the Green Dragons and Hounds, their fifth of the decade and their tenth playoff battle in 11 years. Yangon cruised to a 4-1 victory for the repeat and their third pennant in four years. They are now an even 5-5 against the Hounds in their recent playoff encounters, although the Green Dragons have won four straight series.



85-win Mumbai was a surprising team to even be in the 36^th South Asian Championship and were a heavy underdog to Yangon. The Meteors gave them an absolute classic and for the second straight year, it came down to the final inning of game seven. The Green Dragons were on the losing end to Kolkata in 2014, but came out on the winning end in 2015 with a 5-4 walkoff win. Earlier in the series, they were a 4-3 walkoff winner in 11 innings.

Veteran CF Chris Saandeep was the finals MVP. The 36-year old Indian in 15 playoff starts had 24 hits, 11 runs, 4 doubles, 1 triple, 2 homers, 12 RBI, and 11 stolen bases. It was Yangon’s third SAB title, joining their 2001 and 2012 rings.



Mumbai came close because of two record-setting efforts. 3B Yasir Malkawi smacked 12 home runs, which set a world record for any league’s postseason. It would get passed elsewhere, but remains the SAB standard in 2037. Teammate Vicharleen Anasuri set the SAB playoff record with 23 RBI, which is still untouched as of 2037.

Other notes: In his final season, Tirtha Upadhyaya became the second in SAB history to reach 3000 hits, finishing with 3056. While he was well short of Manju Abbas’ 3897 for the hit king, Upadhyaya passed Abbas to retire as the all-time WARlord at 156.1. Upadhyaya came close to joining ALB’s Nordine Soule in the 1000 home run club, retiring with the second-most in world history and the SAB leader at 973. He also retired as the RBI leader (2160) and was second in runs to Abbas (2057-1981).

Devavesman Toppo joined Upadhyaya with 2000 RBI, the only SAB players to that mark thus far. Toppo and Anasuri became the 10^th and 11^th players to 2500 hits. Anasuri was the 12^th to cross 1500 RBI. Kanpur’s Manjit Alfonso tossed 288 innings, breaking SAB’s old single-season record by one inning. This mark still holds as of 2037. Khon Aye Ko became the tenth reliever to 300 saves. SP Yar Mai Zaw won his eighth Gold Glove. OF Xuan Hung won his seventh Silver Slugger.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2015 in WAB



Three games separated first from third in WAB’s Western League with Bamako narrowly taking first at 95-67. This ended a five-year playoff drought for the Bullfrogs and was their first tie leading the standings since 2003. Dakar, who took first the prior two years, was second at 94-70. The Dukes grew their playoff streak to five seasons.

Abidjan was third at 92-70 for back-to-back berths and their ninth playoff berth in eleven years. The Athletes allowed only 572, while everyone else in the WL by Dakar allowed 800+. They underperformed their expected W/L by 11 games, while Bamako outperformed by nine. The Dukes scored the most runs (900) and had the second fewest allowed (787).

Taking the fourth and final playoff spot was Kumasi at 84-78, beating defending WL champ Banjul by one game. The Monkeys earned their third wild card in four years. Monrovia was also in the hunt for a bit, but dropped to 78-84 at the end for sixth.

Leading Kumasi’s effort was Western League MVP Alex Lebeid. The 26-year old Mauritanian right fielder led in home runs (61) and RBI (151). He added 210 hits, 111 runs, a .344/.385/.699 slash, 174 wRC+, and 6.5 WAR. This would be the one standout season in an otherwise journeyman career that would span four leagues. Lebeid’s next-best effort was 35 homers in 2016.

Abidjan’s Christopher Larbi became the fourth WAB pitcher to win Pitcher of the Year four times in his career. The 29-year old Ghanaian lefty was the first to do it consecutively, leading the league in ERA (2.35), wins (19-4), WHIP (0.93), quality starts (26), and WAR (7.9). Larbi added 256 strikeouts over 219.2 inning and a 193 ERA+.

The Athletes ousted Kumasi 2-0 in the first round of the playoffs, then fell 2-0 at Dakar in round two. The Dukes earned a fourth straight appearance in the Western League Championship Series. They lost in back-to-back years as Bamako won 3-2 in a classic. Game five had a 3-2 final score with a walkoff winner for the Bullfrogs, earning their fifth pennant (1976, 1983, 1986, 2003, 2015).



The top three teams in the Eastern League all extended playoff strengths with the fourth straight for Lome, sixth straight for Cotonou, and third straight by Port Harcourt. The reigning West African Baseball champ Lasers narrowly took first at 97-65, leading in pitching with 644 runs allowed. The Hillcats were one back at 96-66, while the Copperheads fell five games short at 92-70.

Lagos ended a six-year playoff drought and stretch of losing seasons, taking the final wild card at 89-73. Kano (86-76), Niamey (84-78), and Yaounde (83-79) were close behind. For the once dominant Condors, it was their first winning season since 2009. Also notable was Ibadan in eighth at 78-84, which ended an 11-year streak of winning seasons by the Iguanas.

The Yellow Birds fell short despite having a record-setting offense, setting new WAB records for hits (1837) and team slugging percentage (.534). Those remain top three seasons in EL history as of 2037. Yaounde’s 999 runs were close to Cotonou’s top mark from the prior year. Sinking the Yellow Birds were their 971 runs allowed with no other WAB teams even allowing 900+.

Leading the Yaounde offense was DH Shafiu Hassan, who earned Eastern League MVP in his third season. It was the first as a full-time starter for the 23-year old Nigerian lefty, who led in home runs (61), RBI (164), runs (139), total bases (471), and slugging (.709). Hassan also had 234 hits, 52 doubles, a .352 average, and 6.8 WAR.

The Yellow Birds would give Hassan an eight-year, $51,940,000 extension after the 2016 season. He beat out future teammate Fares Belaid for MVP despite the Cotonou DH’s effort. The 26-year old Tunisian had set the world record for hits in a season in 2014 with 266. In 2015, he broke that mark with 268 hits. It is a mark that Belaid would match the next year and top twice later in his storied career. En route to 268 hits, Belaid had a 31-game hit streak that ended in late April and a 34-game streak that ended in late August.

Lome’s Nana Villars repeated as Pitcher of the Year and won it for the third time. The 32-year old Ghanaian righty had a 3.43 ERA and 137 ERA+ over 218 innings, 16-7 record, 266 strikeouts, and 5.1 WAR. Villars would have one more strong year before back troubles tanked his productivity and led to a retirement after the 2018 season.

Cotonou edged Lagos 2-1 in the first round, but quickly was swept 2-0 by Port Harcourt. Despite four playoff berths in five years, the Hillcats hadn’t been to the Eastern League Championship Series since their 1995 WAB title. PH stunned defending champ Lome by not only beating them, but earning a road ELCS sweep. Port Harcourt became six-time Eastern League champs.



Despite the relative successes of both, the 41^st West African Championship was the first finals meeting between Port Harcourt and Bamako. The Hillcats prevailed 4-2 to earn their fourth title, having also won in 1980, 1989, and 1995.

CF Steve Embe was finals MVP in his fourth season for PH. In 11 playoff starts, the Cameroonian had 15 hits, 3 runs, 3 doubles, 2 triples, and 7 RBI. The finals struggled continued for the Bullfrogs, who fell to 0-5 all-time in the championship. It was also the sixth straight WAB title by an Eastern League team.



Other notes: 2015 didn’t have a no-hitter in WAB, ultimately starting a six-year run without a single no-no. Morrison Udobong became the eighth to reach 2500 career hits. RF Jacob Jamil won his tenth Gold Glove, while LF Julius Ayuba and SP Isaac Appiah won their eighth. Jamil was the first in WAB history to win the award ten times. Bright Abubakar won his seventh Silver Slugger and first as a DH, as his previous six wins were at second base.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2015 in CLB

---

Beijing ended a three-year playoff drought and finished first in the Chinese Northern League standings for the first time since 1999. Beijing led the league in scoring with 516 runs. At 97-65, the Bears beat Shanghai by one game for the #1 spot. The Seawolves extended their NL record playoff streak to eight years.

Third place Shenyang (93-69) had a 1.83 team ERA and allowed 299 earned runs, which were the second-lowest in NL history behind only Beijing’s 1985 season. The Swans ended an 11-year playoff drought, which was tied for the longest active CLB drought entering the year.

Last year’s Northern League champ Xi’an narrowly took the fourth and final playoff spot at 89-73, edging Shijiazhuang (87-75), Changchun (84-78), Jinan (82-80), and Hangzhou (81-81). The 84 wins were a new best for the expansion Camels, who had won 62, 62, and 63 in the prior three years. After earning a playoff spot last year, Qingdao was tied for last at 67-95. Tianjin fell to 76-86 for their first losing seasons since 2006.

Shenyang two-way star Chuchuan Cao won both his second Northern League MVP and Pitcher of the Year. On the mound, the 26-year old lefty led in strikeouts (353) and WAR (9.7), while posting a 17-9 record, 1.47 ERA, and 156 ERA+ over 258 innings. Playing left field, he had 126 games with a .324/.373/.520 slash, 217 wRC+, 8.2 WAR, and 65 stolen bases.

The combined 17.9 WAR was only behind Cao’s own world record 21.6 from 2013. He tied with legendary Beisbol Sudamerica pitcher Mohamed Ramos’ 1936 for the second-most single-season WAR by one player in any pro league. Cao also had a no-hitter on May 23 with 15 strikeouts and three walks against Qingdao. In only four seasons, the Jiaxing native had already cemented his spot in pro baseball history.

While Cao certainly wasn’t to be denied, Shijiazhuang’s Cheng Kang deserved a mention as he posted repeat Triple Crown seasons, becoming the first in CLB history to do it twice. The fourth-year left fielder led qualifying batters in the triple slash (.306/.412./619), OPS (1.031), home runs (43), RBI (102), runs (85), walks (91), wRC+ (260), and WAR (11.7). This would be a slam dunk season in any other season with Kang posting a remarkable 46.7 WAR in his first four seasons for the Serpents. Meanwhile, Cao’s first four years saw 36.2 pitching WAR and 30.3 offensive WAR for an absurd 66.5.

Shanghai was the top performer out of the Round Robin at 4-2. Top seed Beijing and Xi’an both were 3-3, while Shenyang was 2-4. The Attack had the tiebreaker over the Bears to set up a Northern League semifinal rematch with the Seawolves. Shanghai again had home field advantage, but Xi’an earned repeat pennants in an absolute thriller.

All seven games of the series were decided by only one game. Game seven needed ten innings with Xi’an winning it 3-2. The Attack earned their sixth trip to the China Series (1974, 1976, 1994, 1995, 2014, 2015). With CLB’s notable parity, Xi’an was the first team since Changsha’s 2004-06 run to earn consecutive finals berths.



Chengdu dominated the Southern League at 101-61. Even though they set the SL’s record for consecutive playoff berths at eight and had won two CLB titles in that run, the Clowns hadn’t taken first in the standings since 1998. Chengdu led all of China in runs scored at 520.

The next three playoff teams were close together with Shenzhen (91-71), Nanning (90-72), and Kunming (87-75). The Spartans grew their playoff streak to five years. Like Shenyang, the Muscle ended what was the longest active playoff drought in CLB at 11 years. For the Nuts, they became the second of the 2009 expansion teams to advance to the playoffs, joining Shantou.

The Scorpions, who shockingly won it all in 2014, were tied for seventh at 82-80 with Macau. Chongqing and Guangzhou were tied for fifth at 84-78, which ended the Cavaliers hope for a third straight semifinal berth. Hong Kong and Wenzhou were both also in the mix at 81-81. Xiamen at 60-102 was a firm last place, posting the second fewest hits (939) and third worst batting average (.180) in SL history.

Foshan was the next worst team at 70-92, but their center fielder Zhen Zhang earned Southern League MVP. The 27-year old led in WAR at 12.9, which ranks as the 19^th best by a CLB position player as of 2037. Zhang had a 209 wRC+, .883 OPS, 33 home runs, and 77 runs. He stayed committed long-term to the Flyers, inking an eight-year, $152,000,000 extension in February 2016.

Pitcher of the Year was Shenzhen’s Wei Huang in his fifth season. He bounced back from a torn triceps and partially torn labrum in the prior two years. The 26-year old left led in ERA (1.32), and WHIP (0.74). Huang had a 17-5 record over 210.2 innings, 297 strikeouts, 176 ERA+, and 9.0 WAR. Despite the injury history, the Spartans bet on Huang with a six-year, $37,540,000 extension prior to the 2015 campaign.

Chengdu had the top record in China, but fared the worst in the Southern League’s Round Robin at 2-4. Shenzhen took first at 4-2, while Nanning and Kunming were both 3-3. The Nuts had the tiebreaker for their first-ever semifinal berth, while the Spartans had their second in four years. Nanning surprisingly crushed Shenzhen with a sweep, giving the Southern League crown to expansion teams in back-to-back years.



Unlike Shantou the prior year, Nanning was unable win the finals matchup with Xi’an. The Attack claimed the 46^th China Series in six games over the Nuts, giving Xi’an its fourth CLB title (1974, 1976, 1995, 2015). Second-year pitcher Weiwei Tam was finals MVP, posting a 0.40 ERA over 22.1 playoff innings. He had nine relief appearances and one start with 30 strikeouts and one complete game.



Other notes: CLB’s 48^th Perfect Game came on September 25 by Changsha’s Rashid Teklemariam with 10 strikeouts against Xiamen. LF Yucheng Xu won his seventh Gold Glove.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2015 in APB

---

Taipei’s dominance of the Taiwan League continued at 110-52, 29 games better than second place Hsinchu. The Tigercats earned the Taiwan-Philippine Association’s #1 seed for the fifth time in seven years and earned their sixth playoff berth in seven years. During this streak, Taipei has averaged 107.4 wins per season for the winningest such stretch in APB history.

Two-time defending TPA champ Zamboanga won the Philippine League for the third straight year. The Zebras had their first-ever 100+ win season at 105-57. They needed to go big to outrace an impressive 100-62 effort by Cebu. The Crows posted their ninth straight winning season, but only had one playoff berth to show for it. Zamboanga led the TPA in fewest runs allowed (414) while Taipei led in run scored (627).

Taipei DH Ching-Hui Lin became the fourth player in Austronesia Professional Baseball history to win five MVPs. The 31-year old Taiwanese lefty earned the TPA’s top prize and his ninth Silver Slugger, leading in home runs (46), RBI (105), runs (93), total bases (372), slugging (.603), OPS (.943), wRC+ (192), and WAR (8.6). His .303 batting average was nine points behind teammate Meiga Rafiandri for a Triple Crown. Lin’s previous MVPs were in 2007, 08, 10, and 11.

This marked the end of his 11-year run with the Tigercats, as he’d leave in the offseason for MLB and a four-year, $87,200,000 deal with Toronto. In Lin’s impressive career, he led the TPA in home runs and RBI six times, runs scored five times, total bases seven times, OPS five times, wRC+ four times, and WAR four times.

Zamboanga’s Ching-Chen Yao won his third Pitcher of the Year in four years with an all-time great season. The 27-year old Taiwanese lefty led in ERA (1.08), strikeouts (450), WHIP (0.57), K/BB (18.0), quality starts (28), FIP- (10), and WAR (17.24). Yao’s WAR was the third-best in APB pitcher, barely behind Kun-Sheng Lin’s 17.30 in 1972 and Afiq Parker’s 17.27 in 1999. It was only the sixth-time anyone had posted 17+ pitching WAR in pro baseball history.

Yao’s .380 opponents’ OPS ranks seventh-best in APB history as of 2037 while his WHIP ranks sixth best. The 450 strikeouts also sit seventh best as he became only the fourth APB pitcher to reach 450. Yao had a 268 ERA+ over 259.1 innings and 21-3 record, falling two wins shy of a Triple Crown.

Ching-Chen Yao led the way as Zamboanga rolled Taipei 4-1 for their third straight Taiwan-Philippine Association Championship. Yao had a three-hit shutout in the series and had a monster playoff run, going 3-0 over 27.1 innings with a 0.33 ERA, 45 strikeouts, 874 ERA+, and 1.8 WAR. The playoff struggles continued for the Tigercats, who were now 0-6 in the TPA Championship since 2009 despite having home field advantage five times.



The Sundaland Association’s Java Sea League was an intense battle with Bandung and Palembang tying for the top spot at 91-71, while Jakarta (88-74) and Semarang (85-77) were right in the mix. The Blackhawks beat the Panthers in a one-game tiebreaker to give Bandung a third straight playoff berth. They allowed the fewest runs in the SA at 385.

While a disappointing loss for the Panthers, it was an impressive turnaround considering they won only 61 games in 2014 and hadn’t won more than 73 since 2009. Surabaya, who won 91 games the prior year, collapsed for a SB-worst 66-96. The Sunbirds’ .233 team on-base percentage was the second worst in SA history to that point.

The Malacca League saw Kuala Lumpur first at 88-74, beating Medan by six games. Defending APB champ Pekanbaru tied for third at 79-83 with Batam. This was the Leopards’ first playoff berth since they and Johor Bahru left South Asia Baseball for APB in 2008. KL’s most recent SAB berth came back in 2003. The Leopards outperformed their expected win/loss by ten games. They and Palembang had their success in 2015 despite having the lowest payrolls in the Association at $87 and $84 million, respectively.

Fresh off leading the Philippines to the World Baseball Championship, Singapore 1B Wil Tabaldo won his third Sundaland Association MVP. Although the Sharks were middling at 78-84, the 28-year old lefty led in homers (53), RBI (113), total bases (339), slugging (.581), OPS (.918), and wRC+ (234). Tabaldo also had 9.4 WAR and a .283 average. It was his fifth straight season leading the SA in homers and the sixth straight in RBI. Tabaldo joined Po-Yu Shao as the only sluggers with three 50+ home run seasons in the low-scoring APB world.

Bandung’s Gosner Rahmawati earned his third straight Pitcher of the Year, leading in complete games (18), and shutouts (8). The 27-year old Indonesian lefty was second in WAR (8.8), and added a 1.72 ERA over 267.1 innings, 18-8 record, and 142 ERA+.

The Sundaland Association Championship was no contest as Bandung swept Kuala Lumpur in the Leopards’ first-ever appearance. The Blackhawks earned their second pennant in three years and their sixth overall (1967, 1994, 1995, 2003, 2013, 2015). This set up a 2013 rematch with Zamboanga in the 51^st Austronesia Championship.



The Zebras won their first-ever APB title in 2013, then lost in 2014 to Pekanbaru. Bandung got revenge in 2015, taking the series 4-2 for their fourth APB crown (1967, 1994, 2003, 2015). Finals MVP was third-year shortstop Tarif Ahmad. In 10 playoff starts, the Gold Glove winner had 11 hits, 3 runs, 2 doubles, 2 triples, and 6 RBI.



Other notes: APB hit king Junior Sanchez became the first to reach 3500, finishing the 2015 season and his career with 3564. This remains APB’s all-time mark entering the 2037 season. Sanchez also still the all-time leader in at-bats (11,243), singles (2583), triples (367), stolen bases (1610), and caught stealing (1227).

He retired with a .317 batting average, which led all APB batters with 3000+ plate appearances until the future APB GOAT Binh Tang emerged on the scene. Sanchez also retired the runs leader at 1446, doubles leader at 481, and games played leader at 2893. However, his 89.9 WAR is only 28^th amongst APB position players as of 2037. At retirement, Sanchez also had the fourth most stolen bases in world history. He holds the world record for most times caught stealing at 1227 and is one of only three players in baseball history to be caught 1000+ times.

APB’s 38^th and 39^th Perfect Games were thrown in 2015. On May 3, Jakarta’s Rahmat Hasjim did it with 7 strikeouts against Semarang. Then on September 30, Zamboanga’s Oliverio Sampoerna did it with 10 Ks over Davao. Donnie Luzon became the 20^th pitcher to 200 wins. Bima Idris became the 16^th to 4000 strikeouts. Evan Yanizar was the 8^th reliever to 300 career saves.

RF Shih-Cheih Tseng won his eighth Gold Glove and 3B Adalberto Salenda won his seventh. 3B Nicky Abizar won his ninth Silver Slugger in the SA, while 3B Rip Salim won his seventh Silver Slugger in the TPA.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2015 in OBA

---

Two-time defending Oceania Champion Christchurch won a third straight Australasia League pennant. The Chinooks had to work for it as their 98-64 was two games ahead of Sydney, four better than Canberra, and nine ahead of Perth. Christchurch earned its 11^th pennant and despite the narrow margin led the AL in runs (778) and fewest allowed (566).

The Snakes set a franchise best record and got the closest they’ve ever been, but Sydney remains the only original OBA team without a pennant over OBA’s 56 seasons. Melbourne had their lowest win total since 2003, taking sixth at 84-78. The Mets still extended their streak of winning seasons to 13.

Canberra slugger Merlin Megson won his fifth Australasia League MVP, becoming the sixth in OBA history to win 5+ MVPs. The 29-year old English right fielder led in hits (214), RBI (149), total bases (452), triple slash (.357/.396/.755), OPS (1.151), wRC+ (215), and WAR (10.4). Megson scored 128 runs and had 58 home runs, missing a Triple Crown by one to Christchurch’s Roe Kaupa. Megson stayed with the Centurions for one more year before inking a massive free agency deal worth $78,400,000 over six years with Brisbane.

Perth’s Raj Marple won his third Pitcher of the Year in four years. The 28-year old Australian lefty led in wins (27-6), ERA (2.32), quality starts (32), FIP- (57), and WAR (10.8). Marple had 338 strikeouts over 290.1 innings and a 160 ERA+. He would have a strong 2016, but his career would get derailed in 2017 by a torn UCL.



Tahiti repeated as Pacific League champ, winning their 13^th pennant and their eighth of the 21^st Century. The 13 titles ties them with Honolulu for the most among PL teams and is one behind Melbourne amongst all OBA teams. The Tropics dominated at 108-54, leading the PL in runs scored (711) and fewest allowed (480).

It was a 14-game gap to second place Vanuatu at 94-68, followed by 90-72 Guam. This was a franchise record for the Wizards, who joined OBA in the 2006 expansion. Three of the four expansion teams have at least gotten to .500. Timor has continued to fail, as their mediocre 68-94 in 2015 tied their best record in their first decade. Guadalcanal and Samoa tied for fourth at 85-77. Honolulu had their worst season in a decade, taking last at 64-98.

Fiji was sixth at 83-79, but boasted the Pacific League MVP in LF Jerry Joram. The 29-year old from Nauru led in hits (191) and WAR (8.3). Joram added 97 runs, 26 doubles, 22 triples, 30 home runs, 112 RBI, a .944 OPS, and 181 wRC+. It was his fourth season with the Freedom after starting his career with Auckland. Joram would sign a seven-year, $89,300,000 deal in the offseason to join Guam.

Vanuatu’s Geddy Brewer picked up Pitcher of the Year. The 25-year old Australian righty joined the Wizards in an offseason trade from Adelaide. Brewer won the ERA title (2.12) and led in complete games (27) and shutouts (8). He added 12.0 WAR, 392 strikeouts, and a 21-16 record over 340 innings with a 157 ERA+. Brewer narrowly denied Fiji’s Akira Brady a fifth POTY win despite Brady’s lead in strikeouts (496) and WAR (13.0).



The 56^th Oceania Championship was a rematch of the prior year with Christchurch looking to become the third franchise to three-peat. Tahiti denied them and got revenge in a seven-game classic. The Tropics became six-time OBA champs (1965, 1975, 2003, 2008, 2011, 2015). 2014 Pitcher of the Year Flynn Murphy was finals MVP for Tahiti, as the 32-year old lefty was 3-0 with three quality starts. Murphy had a 1.07 ERA over 25.1 innings and 28 strikeouts. He also had a one-hitter in game one of the series.



Other notes: Junia Lava became the third OBA slugger to 700 home runs and the third to 1500 runs scored. He played two more seasons and retired with 778 homers (4^th as of 2037) and 1611 runs (5^th). Jacob Crotchett was the eighth to reach 1500 RBI and would retire after 2016 at 1648 (6^th as of 2037). Crotchett also became the 11^th to 2500 hits. Flynn Murphy became the 15^th pitcher to 3500 strikeouts.

CF Ashton Hughes won his 13^th straight Gold Glove. He joined LF Martin Topio as the only OBA players at any position to win the award 13 times to that point. LF Samson Gould won his tenth and final Gold Glove. MVP Merlin Megson won his seventh Silver Slugger. It was his fifth in right field with the other two at first base.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2015 in EPB

---

Moscow and Rostov were again the playoff teams out of the European League, although they switched spots from 2014. The Mules took first at 103-59 and grew their streak of winning seasons to 17 years. The three-time defending EL champ Rhinos were second at 98-64, leading the league in scoring with 736 runs.

The next closest teams were Voronezh at 90-72 and St. Petersburg at 89-73. At 90 wins, the Zephyrs became the first of the 2008 expansion teams with a winning season. Kazan dropped to 78-84, which ended a 22-year streak of winning seasons for the Crusaders.

Rostov LF Igor Gorbatyuk won his second European League MVP in three years. The 30-year old Russian led in runs (117), home runs (40), walks (89), OBP (.428), slugging (.618), OPS (1.046), wRC+ (217) and WAR (10.1). Gorbatyuk also had a .319 average and 103 RBI.

Moscow’s Andrei Linev won Pitcher of the Year in his third season as a starter. The 24-year old Russian righty led in wins (21-5), strikeouts (305), K/BB (12.2), quality starts (27), shutouts (4), and WAR (7.2). Linev added a 2.00 ERA and 160 ERA+ over 260.2 innings.



The Asian League had an intense fight with four teams within four games of first place. Defending Eurasian Professional Baseball champ Omsk and Ufa finished tied for first at 95-67, guaranteeing a rematch in the ALCS. No tiebreaker game was used to determine the first place finisher, which went to the Fiends on the formula. It’s Ufa’s third-ever first place finish with the other two coming way back in the mid 1960s. For the Otters, they got their fifth playoff berth in six years.

Ulaanbaatar finished only one game back at 94-68 while Irkutsk was a close fourth at 91-71. The Boars allowed the fewest runs (495) and underperformed their expected win/loss total by seven games. Notable was the collapse of Yekaterinburg, who posted their first losing season since 1998. The Yaks were the worst in the AL at 65-97, their lowest win total in two decades.

Afzal Koveshnikov became the first EPB Triple Crown hitter in a decade with the tenth such season. This earned Asian League MVP for the Ulaanbaatar designated hitter in his second year as a full-time starter. The 24-year old Russian had 45 home runs, 108 RBI, and a .351 batting average. Koveshnikov also led in runs (105), hits (220), total bases (400), slugging (.638), OPS (1.034), wRC+ (204), and WAR (9.7).

Vladivostok’s Kaysar Alkhasov won Pitcher of the Year in his eighth season for the Shibas. The 30-year old Kazakh righty had an 18-8 record and 2.20 ERA over 253.1 innings with 256 strikeouts, a 149 ERA+, and 7.4 WAR. Vladivostok gave Alkhasov a five-year extension after the 2013 season, but would trade him in 2018 to Krasnoyarsk.

Both LCS matchups were 2014 rematches with both swapping winners in 2015. Moscow bested Rostov 4-2 in the European League final and Ufa topped Omsk 4-2 for the Asian League crown. The Mules earned their first pennant since 2010, but it was their sixth since 2005 and ninth overall. For the Fiends, this was their first-ever pennant.



In the 61^st EPB Championship, Ufa became the 20^th franchise to win it all, outlasting Moscow in a classic 4-3. It was the fifth different champ in five years in EPB. With the Fiends title, that leaves Novosibirsk as the only remaining charter EPB franchise without a title. CF Ibragim Zeynalov was finals MVP as the fourth-year lefty had 16 hits, 6 runs, 4 doubles, 2 homers, and 7 RBI in 13 playoff starts.



Other notes: Zero no-hitters were thrown in 2015, the first time that had ever happened in an EPB season. Ivan Mushailov became the seventh slugger to 1500 career RBI. RF Elbeyi Shevchenko won his eighth Gold Glove.