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

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2016 OBA Hall of Fame

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



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2016 APB Hall of Fame

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



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



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2016 CLB Hall of Fame

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



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

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



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2016 WAB Hall of Fame

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



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

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



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2016 SAB Hall of Fame (Part 1)

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



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



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2016 SAB Hall of Fame (Part 2)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2016 ABF Hall of Fame

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

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2016 ALB Hall of Fame

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



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



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2016 AAB Hall of Fame

Relief pitcher Tewderos Tadesse became the fourth member of the African Association of Baseball’s Hall of Fame. He was the lone addition in 2016, debuting at 84.0%. Four others were above 50%, but short of the 66% requirement. SP Joel Mwasesa had 59.2% on his second ballot, SP Hendrik Jongman got 57.4% for his ninth go, 1B Abebe Chekol earned 54.4% for his fourth attempt, and SP Alemayehu Legesse saw 51.1% in his fifth try.



1B Laurent Kouakou became the first player to last ten ballots without induction. The Ivorian notably played a decade in West Africa Baseball before finishing his final seven years in AAB, winning MVP in 1999. His combined resume had 2281 hits, 1351 runs, 498 doubles, 682 home runs, 1766 RBI, a .254/.329/.545 slash, 142 wRC+, and 70.2 WAR.

However just in AAB, Kouakou had 1041 hits, 676 runs, 224 doubles, 332 home runs, 856 RBI, a .266/.355/.584 slash, 156 wRC+, and 38.3 WAR. That’s a stellar seven years, but not enough tenure to make it in. He peaked at 41.8% in 2010 and ended at 9.4%.

Also worth a mention was SS Nlandu Sankuru, who fell below 5% on his eighth ballot. He was hurt by his official career starting at age 30, but in nine seasons he managed five Silver Sluggers, 1229 hits, 753 runs, 306 doubles, 259 home runs, 831 RBI, a .279/.375/.539 slash, 150 wRC+, and 37.7 WAR. If he had his 20s to add to the tallies, Sankuru probably would’ve had a shot.

Additionally, RF Stijn Steeneveld dropped after nine ballots. The Dutchman played his first seven years in Europe before playing eight years in Africa, winning two MVPs with Bujumbura and AAB titles with both Kinshasa and Lubumbashi. Steeneveld was another hurt by lack of tenure, finishing in AAB with 1167 hits, 681 runs, 135 doubles, 358 home runs, 836 RBI, a .273/.313/.561 slash, 137 wRC+, and 35.3 WAR.



Tewderos Tadesse – Relief Pitcher – Kinshasa Sun Cats – 84.0% First Ballot

Tewderos Tadesse was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed relief pitcher from the capital of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa. Tadesse’s stuff and movement were both tremendous in his prime, while his control was above average. His velocity hit the 95-97 mph range with a one-two punch of slider and sinker. Both looked the same until it was too late with steep movement.

Tadesse did have severe platoon splits, owning right-handed hitting with a career 1.49 ERA compared to a 2.97 ERA versus lefties. He had solid stamina for a reliever and boasted excellent durability over a 21-year career. Tadesse was a team leader and was adaptable.

When AAB officially formed for the 1995 season, Tadesse was already 26-years old and had a few years’ experience in Ethiopia’s semi-pro scene. He earned a couple offers and ended up going to the Democratic Republic of the Congo on a two-year deal with Kinshasa. Tadesse ended up spending five years with the Sun Cats, helping them become AAB’s first dynasty.

1995 saw career bests for Tadesse in saves (44), and WAR (7.6), earning Reliever of the Year honors and a second in Pitcher of the Year voting. His 7.6 WAR remains the AAB record by a ROTY winner as of 2037. Tadesse took second in ROTY in 1996, then won it again in 1997 with another second in POTY. Despite this, he saw a lesser role in the next two years for Kinshasa, still pitching effectively in a set-up role.

Kinshasa lost the inaugural Africa Series to Johannesburg in 1995, then fell in the 1996 Central Conference Championship. The Sun Cats then rattled off four straight AAB titles with Tadesse getting three rings. In the playoffs for Kinshasa, Tadesse had a 1.91 ERA over 37.2 innings with 9 saves, 61 strikeouts, 210 ERA+, and 2.1 WAR. In total for the Sun Cats, Tadesse had 126 saves and 163 shutdowns, a 1.53 ERA and 263 ERA+, 377.1 innings, 585 strikeouts, and 25.5 WAR.

Tadesse became a mercenary from 2000 onward going to Johannesburg in 2001, Lubumbashi in 2001, Dar es Salaam in 2002, then back to Lubumbashi in 2003. Although not the closer, his 1.72 ERA over 104.2 innings with the Loggerheads in 2001 earned him second in ROTY voting. Tadesse reclaimed the closer spot in 2002 with the Sabercats and won his second Reliever of the Year award. He had two more Africa Series appearances as the Jackalopes lost the 2000 final, while Lubumbashi won it in 2001. Tadesse had 11.2 scoreless innings in six appearances in the 2001 run.

In 2004, Tadesse returned to his hometown and became the closer for Addis Ababa. He had been a regular for his country in the World Baseball Championship from 1995-2010 despite his pro career taking him elsewhere. Ethiopia often used Tadesse as a starter with 22 starts and 17 relief appearances, posting 186 innings, a 14-9 record, 1.79 ERA, 268 strikeouts, 196 ERA+, and 8.0 WAR. As of 2037, he ranks 46^th in pitching WAR among all pitchers in WBC history.

Tadesse returned to the closer role in his lone year with the Brahmas, winning his fourth Reliever of the ear and taking third in Pitcher of the Year voting. Now 36-years old, he ended up back in lesser roles in 2005 with Luanda and 2006 with Dar es Salaam. Tadesse was back to the closer spot in 2007 with Durban and led in saves and games, taking third in ROTY voting. He struggled in the playoffs with a 5.19 ERA in 17.1 innings, but the Deer earned repeat AAB titles and Tadesse became a five-time Africa Series champ.

Next was a third stint with Lubumbashi in 2008, taking third in Reliever of the Year voting. Tadesse then had a second stay with Luanda, where he won his fifth ROTY. As of 2037, he’s one of only three to win the award five times in AAB. The Landsharks earned their first-ever pennant, but dropped the Africa Series to Addis Ababa. Tadesse had five saves over 12.2 playoff innings with a 1.42 ERA.

For the most part, Tadesse was a solid playoff pitcher. He had 50 appearances in AAB with 90.2 innings, a 2.38 ERA and 174 ERA+, 20 saves, 24 shutdowns, 111 strikeouts, and 3.2 WAR. Tadesse was the playoff saves leader in AAB at retirement, although Sipho Zuke would pass him in the 2030s. Tadesse does hold the record for the lowest opponent’s slugging percentage (.227) among all pitchers with 30+ playoff innings.

Tadesse signed with Ndjamena for 2010, but was sent to the European Second League as EBF teams could trade with AAB teams at this point. The Magic got three prospects for Tadesse, sending him to Stuttgart. He stayed in E2L to start 2011 with Dnipro, but got traded to the top tier in July with Birmingham. Tadesse got rocked in only nine appearances for the Bees and decided to retire that winter at age 43.

For his AAB career, Tadesse had a 2.12 ERA over 1129 innings, 803 games, 326 saves and 424 shutdowns, 103-60 record, 1577 strikeouts, 357 walks, 194 ERA+, and 56.8 WAR. As of 2037, he’s seventh in saves in AAB and 23^rd amongst all pitchers in WAR. Among all pitchers with 1000+ innings, his ERA ranks third, as does his opponent’s OPS of .531. Tadesse ranks #1 still in on-base percentage and sits third in both average and slugging.

He didn’t stay specifically in the closer role to rack up saves, but his rate stats were impressive. Among all relievers in pro baseball history, Tadesse is 25^th in WAR and 42^nd in ERA+. His contemporaries Rajab Hamadi and Mulumba Mwamba are considered better by some AAB scholars, but Tadesse’s playoff successes especially give him an argument. Most voters didn’t need extra convincing as Tadesse received 84.0% to earn first ballot induction as AAB’s lone 2016 Hall of Fame inductee.

[johnstone1987]

Re: 2016 AAB Hall of Fame

Tewderos Tadesse – Relief Pitcher – Kinshasa Sun Cats – 84.0% First Ballot

Sun Cats. Epic name.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2016 World Baseball Championship



The 2016 World Baseball Championship was the 70^th edition and was hosted by India for the second time, this time centered in Kolkata. Division 1 was a mess as France, England, and the Netherlands each tied for first at 7-2. The tiebreaker went to the French for their first division title since 2011 and their 12^th overall. After a rare miss in 2015, the United States was the lone unbeaten in 2016 atop Division 2. Their closest foes were Peru (7-2) and Italy (6-3). The Americans advanced for the 56^th time. Last year’s world champion Philippines stunningly had an abysmal 1-8 effort, tied for the worst of any team.

Division 3 also had a three-way tie at 7-2 between China, Ethiopia, and Germany. The Chinese advanced on the tiebreaker for their second division win in three years and their 26^th overall. Spain, third last year, stunk at 2-7. Division 4 also had a three-way tie, but at 6-3 between Finland, Japan, and Taiwan. Haiti and Sweden were both close at 5-4. The tiebreaker went to the Finns for their first-ever division title. Finland became the 76^th unique nation to advance to the elite eight at least once.

Brazil advanced for the second time in three years and 33^rd time overall, taking Division 5 at 8-1. Hungary and India were their nearest foes at 6-3. A competitive D6 had Venezuela (7-2) edging 6-3 efforts by El Salvador, Indonesia, and Slovakia. It was the sixth division title for the Venezuelans and first since 2001. Division 7 went to 8-1 Ukraine, topping 7-2 Nigeria and 6-3 Iran. The Ukrainians earned their tenth division win and first since taking runner-up in 2013. The 2015 runner-up Mexico took fourth in D7 at 5-4.

Division 8 was the tightest with four teams at 6-3; Canada, Denmark, Poland, and Uzbekistan. Austria and Pakistan at 5-4 were both in the hunt as well. After the tiebreaker formula was sorted out, the Poles prevailed for their seventh division title. It was Poland’s second elite eight in four years. With that, 2016’s elite eight saw no repeats from 2015.

China claimed first in Round Robin Group A at 5-1, advancing along with 4-2 Venezuela. The United States at 2-4 and Finland at 1-5 were eliminated. It was the 19^th time to the semifinal for the Chinese, who last did it in 2007. The Venezuelans had only gotten this far once before, taking fourth place way back in 1951.

Group B saw Brazil and Ukraine both advance at 4-2, while 3-3 France and 1-5 Poland were ousted. The Brazilians earned their 19^th final four berth, but they ended a lengthy drought back to 2003. Ukraine moved forward for the fourth time, having most recently done it in 2013. This continued a run of parity for the WBC over the last five years. The Ukrainians were the only country to make it to the semifinal twice that span. The 20 slots from 2012-2016 were claimed by 19 different countries.

Both semifinals saw 3-0 sweeps as China rolled Brazil and Venezuela dumped Ukraine. The Brazilians officially were third place, their eighth time finishing there. The Ukrainians had their first-ever fourth place finish. The Chinese earned their 12^th finals berth, having last made it as the runner-up in 2007. For the Venezuelans, they had never gotten this far.



In the 70^th World Championship, China returned to the throne by besting Venezuela 4-1. The Chinese are now 6-6 in the finals with titles in 1970, 1979, 1993, 1994, 2002, and 2016. They have the third most world titles behind the US (39) and Canada (7). It was the first time in WBC history as well seeing five different champs in a five year run. Shijiazhuang LF Cheng Kang led the way for the Chinese as the 27-year old slugger had 27 hits, 21 runs, 8 doubles, 15 home runs, 26 RBI, a 1.346 OPS, and 2.4 WAR.



Venezuela had the Tournament MVP in LF Emilio Scolari, an eighth-year pro for Maracaibo. In 21 starts, Scolari had 28 hits, 19 runs, 5 doubles, 2 triples, 13 homers, 27 RBI, a 1.397 OPS, and 2.2 WAR. Ecuador’s J.J. Cruz was given Best Pitcher honors. The Quito righty tossed 10.1 scoreless innings with 13 strikeouts and 4 hits allowed.

Other notes: Venezuela as a team had 12 triples, tying the all-time WBC best previously hit by the USA in 2003. With their title, China passed both Brazil and Mexico to move into third on the all-time tournament standings (listed below). The Brazilians remained fourth, as Mexico fell to fifth.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2016 in E2L



For the first time in franchise history, Hanover earned a playoff spot. They had just missed the cut in 2015, but left no doubt in 2016 as the Western Conference’s top seed at 108-54. Palermo had also never been a playoff team since the European Second League formed in 2005, but pulled it off in 2016 at 103-59. Nottingham took the third playoff spot at 96-66, hoping their third straight berth finally earns them the promotion.

The fourth and final playoff spot went to Gothenburg at 92-70, edging out Liverpool (88-74) and Turin (87-75). The Gales were the 2012 E2L champ, but immediately got relegated right back. This was their first winning season since that 2012 title. A notable drop was London, who went from 102 wins in 2015 to an abysmal 62-100 in 2016.

The top two seeds advanced out of the Round Robin with Palermo going unbeaten at 6-0 and Hanover second at 4-2. Gothenburg finished 2-4 and Nottingham went 0-6. The Western Conference Championship needed all seven games, but the Priests upset the top-ranked Hitmen to guarantee their first-ever promotion.

It was a historic postseason run for Jean-Peal Lafontaine that led the way for Palermo, setting playoff records for runs (24), total bases (79), home runs (14), and RBI (28) that still stand as of 2037. Lafontaine’s 30 hits also set a new record, although that would fall in 2024. His 1.675 OPS was also a playoff record until 2035.



Only five wins separated first from fourth in the Eastern Conference. Lodz led the way at 98-64 for their second-ever playoff berth (2008). It was the Legion’s first time taking first in the standings. Tying for second at 96-66 were Berlin and Ljubljana. The Barons earned their second berth in three years, while the Juggernauts got back-to-back spots.

Cluj-Napoca secured the final playoff spot at 93-69, their first berth since 2007. Dnipro was also in the mix, but finished fifth at 89-73. Tallinn, a wild card last year, fell to ninth at 80-82. 2014 conference champ Sarajevo was 81-81 in their E2L return, having gotten relegated after only one season among the EBF Elite.

Ljubljana had the best run in the Round Robin at 5-1, advancing along with 3-3 Berlin. Cluj-Napoca and top seed Lodz both were ousted at 2-4. In the Eastern Conference Championship, the Juggernauts defeated the Barons 4-2, guaranteeing the Slovenian capital a first-ever promotion.



The Second League Championship ended up uneventful as Palermo dominated with a sweep of Ljubljana. Both earned their first trips to the European Baseball Federation’s top tier, as did Hanover. With two 100+ loss teams in the Northern Conference in 2016, that opened up a third promotion spot. The Hitmen as the best semifinalist at 108-54 moved up.



Other notes: Lviv’s Zurab Karpenko became the first player in E2L history with 400 career home runs. Although London stunk, their 1B Tomas Erdos won his third straight Western Conference MVP in only his fourth season. He joined Karpenko as the only three-time E2L MVPs to date.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2016 in AAB

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For the third year running, Johannesburg finished first in the African Association of Baseball’s Southern Conference. The reigning Baseball Grand Champion Jackalopes were dominant at 106-56, leading the AAB in runs scored by a healthy margin at 877. The Johannesburg pitching staff also had 1679 strikeouts and 10.38 K/9, which as of 2037 still rank second-best in conference history. The team ahead of them was Maputo, who set the record with one more K (1680) and a 10.56 K/9. This was also the overall AAB record until passed by the Central Conference’s Kinshasa in 2030.

At 93-69, the Piranhas ended a three-year playoff drought. They only snagged second by one game though, edging a 92-70 Luanda. The Landsharks notably got their first winning season since 2009. Last year’s wild card Lusaka dropped to fifth at 82-80 with Antananarivo fourth at 84-78. Harare was Africa Series champs in 2014 and just missed the playoffs in 2015 at 90-72, but they collapsed to a last place 62-100 in 2016. This was a franchise worst for the Hustlers.

Cape Town was a forgettable sixth at 78-84, but their RF Ange Ndikuriyo won his second Southern Conference MVP in three years. The 24-year old Rwandan lefty led in RBI (134), total bases 9400), and OPS (1.104). Ndikuriyo added 62 home runs, 177 hits, 118 runs, 189 wRC+, and 8.1 WAR. After the 2017 season, the Cowboys signed him to an eight-year, $56,980,000 extension.

He managed to unseat Lusaka’s Kaunda Kalinga for the award despite the latter’s 73 home runs. The 34-year old Tanzanian was also the leader in slugging (.724) and WAR (8.5). Kalinga became the first in AAB history with three 70+ home run seasons. To that point, the only others to do it in all of pro baseball history were SAB’s Majed Darwish and BSA’s Valor Melo.

Antananarivo’s Vasile Russu won his second Pitcher of the Year in three years. The 26-year old Moldovan lefty led in strikeouts (318), quality starts (24) and had a 152 ERA+. Russu had 6.7 WAR and a 2.64 ERA over 238.2 innings with a 14-11 record.



The cross-river rivals Kinshasa and Brazzaville both earned repeat playoff berths in the Central Conference. The Sun Cats again finished first at 107-55, while the defending Africa Series champ Blowfish were close behind at 104-58. Kinshasa’s pitching was especially impressive with 532 runs and 500 earned runs allowed, as both were second in AAB history only behind Addis Ababa’s 2013. The Sun Cats also had a 10.18 K/9, which was second in CC history to that point.

Brazzaville’s pitching staff was close behind with 561 runs allowed, while they scored more (809 to 755) than the Sun Cats. Third place Kampala had the most runs at 817, but poor pitching limited them to 94-68. That was still a new franchise best for the Peacocks, who along with Lilongwe were the only AAB teams without a playoff berth yet. The Addis Ababa dynasty was truly 100% over as they finished 76-86, their first losing season since 2002.

Bujumbura was fourth at 88-74, led by Central Conference MVP Tsegaye Alemu. The 24-year old Ethiopian second baseman led in runs (125), hits (213), triples (21), stolen bases (136), batting average (.376), OBP (.430), and WAR (8.3). Alemu set a new triples record which still holds in 2037 and fell three short of the then-stolen bases record. He’d regularly be high on the steals and triples charts, but the rest of Alemu’s career was relatively unremarkable.

Leading Kinshasa’s record-setting staff was Pitcher of the Year Reginald Ulengo. The ninth-year South African righty led in quality starts (25) but also walks (129). Ulengo had a 2.31 ERA over 230 innings, 304 strikeouts, 16-6 record, 178 ERA+, and 6.4 WAR. The Sun Cats gave him a four-year extension after 2016, but control issues would plague him consistently, leading in walks nine times. Kinshasa also notably had Deon Westerveld in the bullpen, who won his third Reliever of the Year in a row.

Johannesburg made quick work of Maputo with a Southern Conference Championship sweep, giving the Jackalopes repeat pennants and their seventh overall. In the Central Conference Championship rematch between the neighboring rivals, #2 seed Brazzaville again upset top seed Kinshasa, this time 4-2.



The 22^nd Africa Series was a rematch and yet again, it was Brazzaville defeating Johannesburg. The Blowfish became the fourth AAB franchise to earn a repeat, defeating the Jackalopes 5-3. Brazzaville is the only team to repeat despite finishing second in the standings both years (they still have never finished first). Third-year RF Salum Khosa was finals MVP, posting 17 hits, 12 runs, 3 doubles, 6 homers, and 15 RBI in 13 playoff starts.



Although Johannesburg stunningly was the Baseball Grand Champion in 2015, they continued to fail in the Africa Series. Since winning the inaugural 1995 finale, the Jackalopes have gone 0-6 since. This was also the eighth time in nine years that the Central Conference champ won it all.

Other notes: A concussion kept six-time Felix Chaula out all but 27 games in 2016, but he earned his eighth championship ring in his lone season with Brazzaville. Few players in any pro league had eight titles and Chaula may be the only one to do it with three franchises, winning with Durban in 2007 and six straight from 2008-2013 with Addis Ababa.

Luke Tembo and Mwarami Tale both joined Chaula as the only AAB members of the 800 home run club. Marlin Kimwaki became the fourth to reach 1500 runs scored. Negue Rouillard joined Kimwaki as the only players with 2500 hits. Both retired after 2017 with Kimwaki the hits leader at 2737, although it would be a short-lived reign.

Both Tale (CF) and 2B Fani Ngambi became 11-time Silver Slugger winners. SS Said Tesfaye earned his tenth Slugger. They won theirs in the Southern Conference, while the Central Conference had the rare occurrence of only first-time Slugger winners. SS Didrik Borgstrom won his seventh Gold Glove.

Pitcher Paul Lambote finished the season with 3591 strikeouts, passing Joel Mwasesa’s 3583 to become AAB’s strikeout leader. He still holds the top spot as of 2037, finishing with 4093 after the 2018 season. The Cape Town offense struck out 1688 times, setting a new Southern Conference worst that still holds in 2037. It was the AAB worst until beaten in 2018 by Addis Ababa.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2016 in ALB

Baseball quickly grew in popularity in the Arab world and Arab League Baseball began looking into expansion after 20+ years. The general thought was to eventually grow each conference’s three divisions by one team, creating three divisions of five teams each. However, getting there all at once would require adding six teams, which many franchises thought was too many too soon due to concerns about diluting the talent pool. There were others who wondered if six viable markets were ready to have a big league team.

As discussions continued in the early 2010s, eventually it was settled on expanding with four teams first, then later adding the other two to get to 30 total teams. In the interim, each conference would have two divisions with five teams and one with four. The postseason format remained the same with only the three division champions advancing. The eventual expansion year would be for the 2016 season.



The Western Conference saw the Egypt-based Suez Sabres added to the Nile Division and the Algeria-based Oran Rattlesnakes posted in the Mediterranean Division. The Eastern Conference would see a bit of realignment, as the two additions would both go into the Gulf Division; the Oman-based Muscat Threshers and the Bahrain Blitz. This required one team to switch divisions and Kuwait was sent out of the Gulf. The Whales joined the four Iraqi teams and the former Iraq Division became the Mesopotamia Division.

This left the Saudi Division and the Levant Division as the two remaining with four teams. They would each gain a team in the second expansion in 2024 with the Syria-based Aleppo Alliance for the Levant Division. Yemen would get its first team with the Sanaa Shockers and the Saudi Division would be renamed the Arabia Division.



The three Western Conference division winners took their spots by double-digits, although the gap between the #1 seed and #3 seed was only four games. Giza surprised many by earning the top seed at 101-61 atop the Nile Division. It was the Goats’ first playoff berth since 2010. Alexandria had won five-straight division titles since then, but finished third in 2016 at 86-76. Khartoum was second at 89-73 and Cairo was a respectable 81-81.

Reigning Arab League Champion Casablanca repeated in the Mediterranean Division, finishing 11 games ahead of Algiers and 15 better than Tunis. Damascus earned a third straight Levant Division crown and was the only team in the division with a winning record. The Dusters led in runs scored at 785, while Giza allowed the fewest at 565. Expansion Suez made bad history debuting at 46-116, which remains the ALB’s all-time worst record as of 2037.

Western Conference MVP went to four-year Damascus RF Tzidkiel Monnish. The 25-year old Israeli switch-hitter led in runs (121), doubles (46), OPS (1.033), wRC+ (189), and WAR (8.3). Monnish added 44 home runs, 124 RBI, and a .333 average. Although he never won MVP again, Monnish became a staple for the Dusters over the next decade, signing a massive eight-year, $136,400,000 extension in 2019.

Damascus also had the Pitcher of the Year Ziyad bin Mostafa, winning for the second time (2012). The 32-year old Jordanian lefty earned his lone ERA title at 1.99. In 212.2 innings, bin Mostafa had a 16-5 record, 234 strikeouts, 189 ERA+, and 6.2 WAR.

The first round saw a rematch of the prior year’s Western Conference Final. Damascus got revenge 2-0 over Casablanca to guarantee their third straight WCF appearance. Giza was the #1 seed in only their second-ever WCF (2006). The series needed all five games with the Dusters getting the 3-2 upset over the Goats. Damascus earned their second pennant in three years, having won their first in 2014.



Both Jeddah and Abu Dhabi had historic seasons in the Eastern Conference. The Destroyers set a franchise-record at 114-48, earning a fifth straight Gulf Division title and their sixth in seven years. However, that wasn’t good enough for the #1 seed thanks to Jeddah at 117-45. The Jackals earned an eighth consecutive Saudi Division crown and guaranteed their third EC Final appearance in four years. Jeddah’s record was the second-best in ALB history, only behind Mosul’s 121-41 from 2000.

Both teams had impressive pitching staffs with the fewest runs allowed in ALB, but Jeddah’s 475 was the third fewest in ALB history at that point. As of 2037, that ranks third in conference history, as does their 11.95 K/9 and 1952 strikeouts. The Jackals staff also had only 255 walks and a 1.56 BB/9, which remain all-time EC bests. While Abu Dhabi allowed 553 runs by comparison, the Destroyers led ALB in runs scored at 837.

The Mesopotamia Division was a tight battle that didn’t include defending conference champ Sulaymaniyah, as the Sultans collapsed to 60-102. Mosul at 90-72 edged out 88-74 efforts by Basra and Kuwait. The Muskies ended a 13-year playoff drought. The Whales notably bounced back from an abysmal 50-win 2015. Of note from the expansion teams, Bahrain fared the best with a 78-84 debut in the Gulf Division.

Leading the Abu Dhabi offense was Eastern Conference MVP Adham Abdallah. The 27-year old Tunisian DH led in runs (127), home runs (63), RBI (151), total bases (460), slugging (.720), OPS (1.096), and wRC+ (189). Abdallah added 8.2 WAR and his .340 average was 14 points short of a Triple Crown. The Destroyers had extended Abdallah for six years and $28,580,000 after the 2012 campaign. He was only the fourth player in ALB history to breach 150+ RBI.

Jeddah’s Khamis Sheik won Pitcher of the Year and nearly broke the ERA record at 1.56. This is still the second-lowest qualifying season in ALB history behind Hossam Bouaziz’s 1.45 from 1993. The 26-year old Somali lefty also fell one short of the wins record at 26-3 and led in WHIP (0.82), K/BB (11.7), quality starts (26), and WAR (10.4). Sheik struck out 338 batters over 231.1 innings, 12 short of a Triple Crown, and had a 260 ERA+. The Jackals gave him a four-year, $37,400,000 extension mid-season.

Mosul gave Abu Dhabi a strong challenge in the first round, but the Destroyers escaped 2-1 to set up the historic showdown with Jeddah. AD earned their third straight Eastern Conference Final appearance. They had lost to the Jackals in the 2014 conference final and in the 2013 first round. The Destroyers did have a first round win in 2012 en route to their lone pennant prior.

The 117-45 versus 114-48 matchup potentially was the most wins ever in a sub-league final in pro baseball history. Abu Dhabi earned the road upset over Jeddah 3-1 to even up their recent playoff battles at 2-2. The Jackals as the second-winningest team in ALB history suffered the same fate as the #1 team Mosul, who also lost in the conference final despite going 121-41.



The Destroyers became the third-winningest team to win a pennant in ALB history, behind only 116-win Medina (1993) and Amman (2010). Both of those all-timers went on to win it all. However, Abu Dhabi didn’t have the same luck as Damascus won the 27^th Arab League Championship handily 4-1. The Dusters became the 14^th of ALB’s original 24 franchises to win it all. Conference MVP Tzidkiel Monnish was also finals MVP for Damascus. In 12 playoff starts, he had 12 hits, 8 runs, 2 doubles, 2 homers, and 7 RBI.



Other notes: For the first time in ALB history (and as of 2037, the only time), there were two perfect games in the same season. There hadn’t been a perfecto since 2007. The 5^th perfect game came on July 3 by Tripoli’s Wilfried Niang with 13 strikeouts against Beirut. Then on July 31, Doha’s Amjad Yousif did it with seven strikeouts over Bahrain.

Farouk Adam became the fifth to reach 1500 runs scored. He eventually retired with 1817, which still sits fifth as of 2037. Moahmed Grisha became the 10^th batter to reach 2500 hits. Yahya bin Hakam was the 14^th to 500 home runs. 2B Mohamed Mustafa won his tenth Silver Slugger. It was his seventh straight at second base, having won his first three as a shortstop.

Abdullah Al-Tamtami was the second pitcher to 4000 strikeouts, passing Rashid Tariq’s 4008 for the all-time leader. This was Al-Tamtami’s last season, ending with 4035. He held the top spot for about a decade and ranks fifth as of 2037. Nour Al-Haj was the sixth reliever to reach 300 saves.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2016 in ABF



2016 didn’t have any powerhouses in the Asian Baseball Federation’s East League, as 94-68 was good enough for the top seed. That went to Hyderabad, who earned their sixth consecutive playoff berth and their ninth in a decade. It was only their third division title in that stretch. The Horned Frogs finished 11 games ahead of three teams in the South Division. Notably at the bottom was Faisalabad at 66-96, ending a six-year playoff streak for the Fire. Faisalabad had won it all only two years prior.

Defending ABF champ Dushanbe won the North Division at 91-71, earning their fourth straight playoff berth. The Dynamo were the top scoring team by a healthy clip at 740 runs. Last year’s division winner Almaty had the first wild card at 89-75, while Asgabat and Bishkek tied the second at 87-75. ABF doesn’t use a tiebreaker game and the formula gave the spot to the Alphas for their second berth in three years. Karachi, Multan, and Rawalpindi each finished four games back of the wild card.

Dushanbe’s Nizami Aghazade continued his tear with his fifth East League MVP in his fifth season and his third Triple Crown. The 28-year old’s 14.5 WAR was slightly down from his record 16.0 the prior year, giving him a bonkers 71.6 WAR over a five-year stretch. Aghazade led the league in runs (118), hits (201), home runs (39), RBI (102), total bases (363), triple slash (.389/.473/.702), OPS (1.175), and wRC+ (254). He also won his second Gold Glove at second base,

The batting average and on-base percentage marks set new ABF single-season records. They’re both second as of 2037 with the average getting bested in 2031 and the OBP in 2034. His triple slash and wRC+ would be career highs for a qualifying season (his 2013 was better, but his 119 games kept him just shy of the league-leading limit). The Dynamo had wisely signed Aghazade to an eight-year, $74,200,000 extension the prior winter after posting likely the greatest start to a career in pro baseball history.

Almaty’s Nikolai Zvyagintsev won Pitcher of the Year in his third season. The 25-year old Kazakh righty led in ERA (1.73) and wins (19-9) with a 176 ERA+ over 233.2 innings. Zvyagintsev struck out 305 with 8.0 WAR. The Assassins gave him a six-year, $41,780,000 extension after the 2017 season.

Hyderabad survived 3-2 over Asgabat in their first round series, sending the Horned Frogs to their third East League Championship Series in four years. The reigning champ Dushanbe cruised by divisional foe Almaty 3-0. Hyderabad had home field advantage, but the Dynamo dominated 4-1 in their ELCS rematch. This was Dushanbe’s fourth pennant since joining ABF (2001, 2004, 2015, 2016) and their seventh overall counting their EPB years.



Tehran repeated as the West League’s #1 seed, but it wasn’t an easy path for them. They finished 102-60, only winning the Central Division by three games over Tabriz. The Tarpons grew their playoff streak to six years, while the 99-63 Tiger Sharks ended a five-year playoff drought as the first wild card. Adana rolled to a third straight Turkish Division title at 100-62, missing the top seed by two games. The Axemen allowed the fewest runs (455) in the WL while Tehran scored the most (643).

Lower down the Central Division, defending WL champ Shiraz repeated as the second wild card at 88-74. The Suns edged Baku by two games, Ankara by four, and Istanbul by five. The Blackbirds saw their seven-year playoff streak snapped despite their pitching staff allowing the second-fewest hits in WL history at 1077 (with the third-best H/9 at 6.62).

Tabriz dominated the West League awards with the MVP, Pitcher of the Year, and Rookie of the Year. MVP went to LF Shadi Alam, who won his seventh Silver Slugger as well. The 31-year old Iranian led in WAR (10.4) and runs (101) while adding a 1.010 OPS, 205 wRC+, 45 home runs, and 110 RBI. The #1 overall pick by the Tiger Sharks in 2007, the beloved slugger had signed an eight-year, $79,900,000 extension after the 2012 season to stay with Tabriz.

Pitcher of the Year went to fifth-year righty Akram Bhatti. The 26-year old Pakistani led in complete games (19) and shutouts (6). Bhatti added a 19-7 record over 246.1 innings, 2.27 ERA, 331 strikeouts, and 7.6 WAR. This accounted for about half of his career WAR thanks to numerous major injuries. Fellow Tabriz pitcher Hafez Farzani was the Rookie of the Year with a 2.52 ERA and 5.4 WAR over 228.1 innings.

The division champs prevailed in round one as Adana swept Tabriz and Tehran beat Shiraz 3-1. This was the Tarpons’ third West League Championship Series berth of their six-year playoff streak, while the Axemen earned their third in a row. Yet again, Adana couldn’t get over the playoff hump with Tehran winning 4-1. The Tarpons earned their third pennant (1993, 2011, 2016), bouncing back after their disappointing first round exit the prior year despite a 115-47 record.



Tehran became the 18^th franchise to win the ABF Championship, taking the 32^nd finale 4-1 over the defending champ Dushanbe. The Tarpons were also the first Iranian team to win it all since Shiraz in 2005. Finals MVP was veteran SS Saeed Joorabchian in his tenth season with Tehran. In 14 playoff starts, he had 23 hits, 10 runs, 7 doubles, 2 triples, 2 homers, and 9 RBI. Joorabchian parlayed that run into a seven-year, $45,500,000 free agent deal with Hyderabad.



Other notes: Petri Viskari became the second batter to 2500 career hits. Ali Sungu was the seventh member of the 500 home run club. 1B Adnan Mohamed and 3B Eser Haspolatli both earned their eighth Gold Gloves, while SP Khalid Osmonov won his seventh. CF Ziad Tarkhan won his eighth Silver Slugger.