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

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2017 CABA Hall of Fame (Part 2)

---

Dario Becker – Starting Pitcher – Monterrey Matadors – 97.8% First Ballot

Dario Becker was a 6’0’’, 175 pound left-handed pitcher from Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic. Becker was known for having pinpoint control along with good stuff and below average movement. His fastball peaked in the 94-96 mph range, but he put it in the right spot regularly. Becker also had a solid splitter and sinker, along with a rarely used changeup.

Becker’s stamina was merely okay compared to most CABA aces, but his stellar durability meant you’d still get reliable innings out of him. He was great at holding runners and defense, winning a Gold Glove in 1996. The downside is that Becker was a selfish jerk with a questionable work ethic. Because of that, he didn’t stay in any one place too long. Becker’s production was reliable though and he could always find work.

In January 1988, he moved from the DR to Mexico as a scout from Torreon signed him to a teenage amateur developmental deal. He spent six years in the Tomahawks academy, then became a full-time starter in 1994 at age 22. Becker was merely decent in his first few years with Torreon. He looked solid in his fifth year in 1998 with 6.0 WAR. Torreon was stuck in the mid-tier at this point and wasn’t sure they should try to lock Becker up long-term with free agency coming soon.

Thus, Torreon traded him after the 1998 campaign to Haiti for three prospects. With the Tomahawks, Becker finished with a 62-48 record, 3.23 ERA, 1029.2 innings, 1006 strikeouts, 151 walks, 114 ERA+, and 17.6 WAR. His debut with the Herons saw his career-best in WAR (6.5). Becker topped five WAR in eight different seasons. He had a quality start in the 1999 playoffs, but Haiti fell to Salvador in the first round. Still, the Herons were happy with their acquisition and gave Becker a three-year, $10,560,000 extension.

Haiti in 1997 had started what would become a 14-year playoff streak. The Herons became a dynasty from 2000-2002 with three straight Caribbean League titles. They had a classic rivalry with Ecatepec, losing to the Explosion in the 2000 CABA Championship but winning in 2001 and 2002. Becker had trouble in the 2000 postseason with a 5.19 ERA. However in 2001, he went 3-0 over 19.1 innings with a 1.40 ERA.

In four seasons for the Herons, Becker had a 68-30 record, 3.27 ERA, 950 innings, 946 strikeouts, 110 walks, 122 ERA+, and 17.8 WAR. He entered free agency for the first time after the 2002 campaign at age 31. Monterrey would ink him for two years and $5,680,000 initially. His Matadors debut had career-best 290 strikeouts, giving Becker his lone Pitcher of the Year finalist bid, taking third.

This was at the tail end of Monterrey’s historic 18-year playoff streak with first round exits from 2003-2005. Becker stunk in his three playoff starts with a 5.57 ERA, but did well enough in the regular season to get a four-year, $19,360,000 extension in April 2004. Monterrey would be his longest tenure and ultimately the team Becker represented at induction. In 2006, he led in WHIP for the only time at 0.91.

In 2008 at age 36, Becker had a career-best 2.39 WAR and 149 wRC+, showing his skill set was aging well. After three straight years missing the playoffs, Becker went back to free agency at age 37. With Monterrey, Becker had a 93-51 record, 2.82 ERA, 1433.1 innings, 1454 strikeouts, 140 walks, 126 ERA+, and 28.7 WAR. He would sign a two-year, $10,200,000 deal with Havana.

In his later years, Becker did also return home to the Dominican Republic and pitch for his country in the World Baseball Championship. He tossed 71 innings from 2004-2011, but it didn’t go well with a 5.07 ERA, 81 strikeouts, 71 ERA+, and 0.7 WAR.

Becker helped Havana pull off a surprise 103-59 run in 2009. The Hurricanes won the Caribbean League and incidentally beat Monterrey in the CABA Championship. Becker was excellent in the playoffs with a 1.99 ERA over 31.2 innings with 25 strikeouts and a 212 ERA+. That and the 2001 season with Haiti gave Becker a reputation as a playoff performer. For his career, he graded as above average with a 3.45 ERA over 122.2 innings, 6-6 record, 114 strikeouts, 112 ERA+, and 2.2 WAR.

Despite helping Havana to the title with a 5.9 WAR season, Becker’s personality rubbed many the wrong way. In December 2009, he was traded to Costa Rica for two prospects. Becker had a respectable 2010 for the Rays, becoming the 10^th CABA pitcher to 250 career wins. Costa Rica brought him back on a qualifying offer in 2011, but he posted merely average numbers. Becker opted for retirement after that season at age 40.

Becker ended with a 270-157 record, 3.09 ERA, 4115 innings, 3990 strikeouts, 476 walks, 346/533 quality starts, 81 complete games, 25 shutouts, 122 ERA+, and 77.4 WAR. As of 2037, he ranks seventh in wins, sixth in innings pitched, and 19^th in strikeouts. A lot of that can be attributed to his longevity, as even with that workload, he only ranks 42^nd in pitching WAR. Becker never had raw dominance and won’t come up in the GOAT-level conversations.

However, Becker had steady production for a long-time and played a role in championship runs for both Haiti and Havana. Even if he was a jerk, Becker’s final totals easily hit the benchmarks the voters looked for in a starting pitcher. He earned a strong 97.8% as the second-highest ranking member of CABA’s 2017 Hall of Fame class.



Aitor Moran – Starting Pitcher – Juarez Jesters – 87.3% First Ballot

Aitor Moran was a 6’5’’, 205 pound left-handed pitcher from La Chorrera, a city of roughly 161,000 in central Panama. Moran was well-rounded with good to great stuff, movement, and control. He threw hard with a 99-101 mph fastball, but his incredible splitter was an all-timer. Moran also had a good slider and a rarely seen changeup. He was especially dominant against left-handed bats with a 2.11 career ERA compared to a 3.12 ERA versus righties.

Moran had good stamina compared to most CABA aces, but various injuries plagued him throughout his career. He was solid at holding runners, but below average defensively. Moran was a warm and likeable guy, becoming a popular arm throughout his pro career with Juarez. His entire run came with the Jesters, who brought Moran from Panama to Mexico on a developmental deal in April 1992.

He spent most of five years in the Juarez academy, officially debuting in 1996 at age 20 with three appearances. Moran was a full-time starter the next year with an impressive debut, leading the Mexican League in wins at 20-5 for a third place finish in both Pitcher of the Year and Rookie of the Year voting.

Moran debuted for his native Panama in the 1998 World Baseball Championship and made an immediately impression, throwing a no-hitter with nine strikeouts and five walks against India. From 1998-2011, he tossed 165 WBC innings with a 2.40 ERA, 11-10 record, 219 strikeouts, 54 walks, 151 ERA+, and 4.6 WAR.

He was decent in 1998 and 1999 for Juarez, earning a six-year, $26,480,000 extension in April 2000. Moran really emerged as an ace in 2000. That year, Moran led the league in strikeouts (312) and WAR (9.0), taking second in Pitcher of the Year voting. The Jesters became a contender in the new Millennium, falling that year to Ecatepec in the MLCS. Although Juarez lost, Moran had a 1.38 ERA over his 26 playoff innings.

Juarez narrowly missed the playoffs in 2001, then suffered another MLCS loss to the Ecatepec dynasty in 2002. That year was Moran’s lone Pitcher of the Year win, leading in WAR at 8.8. He also had a career best 317 strikeouts and his best full-season ERA (2.25) and record (20-4). Moran took third in POTY voting in 2004, his last time as a finalist. Juarez had first round playoff exits in both 2003 and 2004.

In 2005, the Jesters finally broke through and beat Ecatepec for the Mexican League title, although they lost to Salvador in the CABA Championship. Moran had a 2.36 ERA in 26.2 playoff starts. He was a big-time playoff pitcher in his career with a 1.71 ERA over 79 innings, 6-2 record, 92 strikeouts, 3 walks, 217 ERA+, and 2.9 WAR.

Unfortunately, 2005 would be Moran’s last playoff chance despite Juarez winning another pennant in 2006. Juarez gave him a big six-year, $42,600,000 extension in late June, but by September he was out with an arthritic elbow. In 2007, a torn back muscle cost him more than half the season. Then, Moran missed almost all of 2008 with bone chips in his elbow.

Things didn’t get better with another arthritic elbow in 2009, making only seven starts all season. Moran finally had a somewhat full load in 2010 with 3.4 WAR over 168 innings. He had a strong start to 2011 and seemed to be getting back to form. Unfortunately on June 3, Moran suffered a torn ulnar collateral ligament with an expected 12 month recovery needed.

The Juarez organization and fans still really liked Moran, but the big extension unfortunately didn’t pay off. They voided the last year of his deal, making Moran a free agent heading towards age 36. Instead of trying to rehab the UCL tear, he decided to retire. The Jesters quickly retired his #15 uniform for his 15 years of service.

Moran ended with a 178-90 record, 2.83 ERA, 2667.2 innings, 3057 strikeouts, 448 walks, 215/355 quality starts, 72 complete games, 20 shutouts, 130 ERA+, and 73.4 WAR. The truncated career hurt his tallies, but as of 2037 Moran ranks 55^th in WAR among pitchers and 81^st in strikeouts. His WAR tally was only four points below his Hall of Fame classmate Dario Becker.

There were a couple voters that thought the low tallies were an issue, but most gave Moran some grace for his physical breakdown. He stayed with one team his whole run, won two pennants, and a Pitcher of the Year. That got Moran to 87.3% for a first ballot induction in CABA’s five-player 2017 class. He had the third-highest percentage of the bunch.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2017 CABA Hall of Fame (Part 3)

---

Yusmani “Spike” Rodriguez – Starting Pitcher – Honduras Horsemen – 83.4% First Ballot

Yusmani Rodriguez was a 6’3’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Aserri, a canton of 58,000 in Costa Rica’s San Jose province. Nicknamed “Spike,” Rodriguez was a known prankster in the clubhouse. He had strong stuff, good movement, and above average control. Rodriguez’s fastball was stellar at 98-100 mph and he had a great changeup with it. He also had a respectable slider and cutter in the arsenal.

Relative to other CABA aces, Rodriguez had poor stamina and only tossed 17 complete games in his career. He also only topped 200 innings only four times between the weak stamina and some later injury issues, but his innings were quality ones. Rodriguez was effective at holding runners, but considered lousy defensively otherwise.

Rodriguez’s entire pro career came in nearby Honduras, as the Horsemen signed him as a teenage amateur in June 1993. However, Rodriguez did still pitch for his native Costa Rica regularly in the World Baseball Championship once he debuted. From 1998-2011, he had a strong 2.41 ERA over 116 innings, 156 strikeouts, 13 walks, 152 ERA+, and 3.4 WAR.

Honduras debuted Rodriguez at age 20 in 1997, but he struggled in five starts. He wasn’t much better in 1998 split between starting and relief. Rodriguez was a full-time starter from 1999 onward. That year also saw his first playoff action as the Horsemen were upset by Salvador in the Caribbean League Championship Series. Honduras would be a playoff regular with ten straight berths from 1997-2006.

In 2000, Rodriguez won his lone Pitcher of the Year, leading the league and posting career bests in ERA (1.76) and WHIP (0.84). He also had his career-best WAR at 8.6. However, Rodriguez gave up four runs in four playoff innings as Honduras again lost in the CLCS, this time to Haiti. They lost again in the 2001 CLCS and fell in the first round of 2002. Rodriguez started to find his footing in the playoffs with a 2.91 ERA in 2001 over 21.2 innings.

Rodriguez had signed a four-year extension worth $13,320,000 in May 2000. In 2003, he led in wins at 23-3 and WHIP at 0.99 to take second in POTY voting. Rodriguez had a 2.82 ERA over 22.1 playoff innings as Honduras won the CABA Championship over the Ecatepec dynasty. With that, Rodriguez signed a six-year, $39,100,000 extension in June 2004.

The Horsemen got back for a 2004 CABA Championship rematch, but lost to the Explosion. Rodriguez struggled in that postseason run with a 5.52 ERA in 29.1 innings. 2005 saw his second ERA title with a career-best 1.70 with a pace for his best season yet. Unfortunately on July 29, Rodriguez suffered a damaged elbow ligament and would be out for a calendar year.

Rodriguez only tossed 36 innings in 2006 and 15.1 playoff innings as Honduras in the CLCS. They fell again in the 2007 CLCS, the final year of their playoff streak. It was a mixed bag in Rodriguez’s playoff career, finishing with a 3.83 ERA and 103 ERA+ over 122.1 innings, 8-5 record, 147 strikeouts, 13 walks, and 2.8 WAR.

2007 saw a mostly full load and Rodriguez posted 6.3 WAR. His ERA was unremarkable (3.88), but his FIP- (62) led the league and suggested he didn’t get help. Either way, Rodriguez seemed like he could still be an ace as he turned 31. That would be quickly dashed though with a torn labrum in spring training 2008, costing him the entire season.

Worried about more injuries, Honduras brought him back in 2009 as a reliever with a 2.08 ERA and 32 saves, taking third in Reliever of the Year voting. The Horsemen moved him back to the rotation in 2010, but were satisfied enough with his health for a four-year, $24,200,000 extension. Rodriguez had a good 2010 with a 2.40 ERA over 168.2 innings, but he wasn’t able to go deep to the expectations of an ace.

With that, he went back to the bullpen primarily in 2011 with passable results. Honduras ended a three-year playoff drought and surprised everyone as a wild card, winning the CABA Championship over Juarez. In 6.1 relief innings, Rodriguez allowed one run with 10 strikeouts. He thought about continuing as a reliever, but decided retiring with a championship season was too good to pass up. Rodriguez left the game at age 35 and his #55 uniform was soon retired by the Horsemen.

Rodriguez had a 161-78 record, 2.87 ERA, 2260 innings, 2600 strikeouts, 388 walks, 171/287 quality starts, 138 ERA+, and 64.1 WAR. His accumulations are very low between the injuries and stamina issues. Rodriguez as of 2037 ranks 82^nd in pitching WAR and doesn’t crack the top 100 in wins or Ks. The rate stats were solid though, especially in the higher-offense Caribbean League.

Working in Rodriguez’s favor was two CABA title rings and three Caribbean rings, a Pitcher of the Year, and two ERA titles. Voters remembered his good playoff showings more than the bad ones and gave him some grace for the injuries costing him more innings. Rodriguez got 83.4% for a first ballot induction, the fourth of five in CABA’s 2017 Hall of Fame class.



Alphanso Keyes – First Base/Designated Hitter – Haiti Herons – 73.9% First Ballot

Alphanso Keyes was a 6’4’’, 205 pound left-handed first baseman from Freetown, Bahamas; an area on the island of Eleuthera. The island itself only has about 13,000 inhabitants. Keyes was a tremendous contact hitter with a good eye for drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts. He also had a very good pop in his bat with 34 doubles and 30 home runs per his 162 game average. Despite regularly being on base, Keyes was an abysmal baserunner.

Keyes made about 60% of his starts at first base with the rest as a designated hitter. He was a below average defender, but not a complete liability. Keyes was one of the hardest working guys in the game, which garnered him a lot of respect. He managed an 18-year career, although recurring injuries (especially with his knees) meant he rarely played a full season.

In the 1992 CABA Draft, Keyes was picked sixth overall by Haiti and ultimately spent his entire career as a Heron. He was a full-time starter immediately with passable results as a rookie. Keyes was used in a more limited role in his second year, but was back as a full-time starter from 1996 onward when healthy. His third season proved he could be an elite bat.

In 1996, Keyes led the Caribbean League in hits (233), batting average (.405), wRC+ (164) and WAR (7.3). He won his first Silver Slugger and took second in MVP voting. The next year began his recurring injury woes, losing a month to a torn hamstring. 1997 also was a milestone that began Haiti’s run as an annual contender, starting a 14-year playoff streak. The Herons would lose in the 1997 and 1998 CLCS to Salvador’s dynasty, then lost in the first round in 1999.

Keyes started every game of 1998 and led in doubles (44) and OBP (.438). The doubles were a career high, as was his 113 runs, taking third in MVP voting. This also started a streak of six seasons with an OPS above one. Haiti committed that offseason to Keyes with an eight-year, $31,120,000 extension. But he’d see a setback in July 1999 with a torn ACL.

In 2000, Keyes was back for the majority of the season, winning his second batting title (.371) and leading in OBP for the third time (.419). Haiti got over their playoff hump with Keyes taking CLCS MVP honors. The Herons won the Caribbean League pennant, but dropped the CABA Championship to Ecatepec’s dynasty. In 15 playoff starts, Keyes had 23 hits, 9 runs, 4 doubles, 3 homers, and 19 RBI.

Keyes was on a bonkers pace in 2001, leading the league and setting a career-best at 9.3 WAR despite only playing 109 games. A knee sprain put him out for two summer months, but even still Keyes won his first MVP and his second Silver Slugger. His triple slash was an absurd .453/507/.740 with a 232 wRC+. Keyes was 33 plate appearances short from qualifying (502 PA required), but his average and OBP would’ve been world records and his OPS (1.247) would’ve set the CABA record. A strained oblique meant he only had three playoff games, but Haiti won the CABA Championship in a rematch with Ecatepec.

In 2002, Keyes stayed healthy and repeated as MVP with his third Silver Slugger. He led in the triple slash (.398/.440/.691), OPS (1.130), and wRC+ (195), while adding a career best 40 home runs and 130 RBI. As of 2037, Keyes’ batting average ranks as the fifth-best CABA season. Haiti repeated as CABA champs over the Explosion. Keyes was CLCS MVP again and had 13 hits, 7 runs, 3 doubles, 4 home runs, and 8 RBI in 9 playoff starts.

Carrying over from 2002, Keyes had a 33-game hit streak that ended on April 16, 2003. That was his final full season, which saw Haiti upset in the first round of the playoffs. The Herons had another first round loss in 2004, then lost in the 2005 CLCS to Salvador. Now in his early 30s, the injuries would really start to pile up for Keyes.

It was a strained groin muscle among other things in 2004, and a torn hamstring in 2005. Haiti still appreciated Keyes and gave him a five-year, $26,100,000 extension in March 2006. A knee sprain cost him half of 2006, but he was back for a strong playoff run with 19 hits, 7 runs, 5 doubles, 3 homers, and 16 RBI in 14 starts. This began Haiti’s second dynasty winning the 2006 CABA title over Juarez. They repeated in 2007 over Mexicali, but Keyes missed almost the whole season between a fractured finger and torn hip flexor tendon.

Keyes managed 105 games in 2008, but still lost time to a fractured hand. Haiti was the top seed in 2008, but was upset in the first round. They had another first round loss in 2009 as a wild card. The Herons made Keyes a part-time starter that year to try to save him, getting 129 games but only 65 starts. In 2010, a fractured rib and knee sprain kept him out most of the year.

Haiti won their sixth Caribbean League title of the 14-year playoff streak in 2010, but lost to Ecatepec in the CABA final. Keyes struggled in this postseason with a .465 OPS and -0.4 WAR. Even worse, in the championship he suffered a torn PCL with an expected recovery time of nine months. On the whole, Keyes was a strong playoff player. In 79 games, he had 92 hits, 35 runs, 15 doubles, 13 home runs, 55 RBI, a .321/.377/.530 slash, 132 wRC+, and 2.4 WAR.

Keyes got back late in the 2011 season, but Haiti’s playoff streak ended. His contract ended as well and they felt he was too wrecked to re-sign. Keyes wanted to play somewhere still, but went unsigned in 2012 and retired that winter at age 39. The Herons quickly retired his #50 uniform for his critical role in their dynasty run.

In total, Keyes had 2530 hits, 1167 runs, 399 doubles, 353 home runs, 1327 RBI, a .359/.406/.579 slash, 160 wRC+, and 76.3 WAR. Because of the injuries, his accumulations ended up a lot lower than you’d expect. As of 2037, Keyes ranks 62^nd in hits, 87^th in RBI, and 91^st in WAR for position players, while missing the top 100 in the other counting stats.

However, he retired the leader in batting average among all CABA hitters with 3000+ plate appearances and only one player ranks ahead of him in 2037. Keyes also sits seventh in OBP and 28^th in OPS (.985). Among all world Hall of Famers and expected HOFers, Keyes’ batting average is fourth and his OBP is 23^rd. Very few players in baseball history were better contact hitters. Plus, Keyes was a big piece of an all-time dynasty run by Haiti.

Despite all that, the lower grand totals scared away a number of voters. Keyes was also dinged for played DH and for not having the huge power stats expected for a 1B/DH. Keyes received only 73.9%, but that was enough for the first ballot induction. He capped off an impressive five-player 2017 Hall of Fame class for CABA.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2017 EAB Hall of Fame

East Asia Baseball’s 2017 Hall of Fame class was very nearly empty, but two guys crossed the 66% requirement by the slimmest of margins. On his fifth ballot, 3B/2B Kazuo Shiraki snuck in at 67.3%, while 1B Hyeon-Seong Yang inched across the line at 66.7%. 3B Min-Seong Ryu nearly joined them on his third attempt, but missed at 62.6%. No other players were above 50%.



Reliever Genzo Fujikawa fell off the ballot after ten tries, peaking at 39.4% in 2011 and ending at 18.9%. He only had an 11-year career, posting 326 saves and 365 shutdowns, a 2.70 ERA, 800 innings, 986 strikeouts, 123 ERA+, and 12.3 WAR. The save number got him some support, but Fujikawa never won Reliever of the Year and he was hardly dominant compared to the other great closers. Frankly, it’s somewhat surprising he lasted ten years on the ballot.



Kazuo Shiraki – Third Base/Second Base – Bucheon Bolts - 67.3% Fifth Ballot

Kazuo Shiraki was a 6’0’’, 190 pound right-handed infielder from Gifu, Japan; a city of 400,000 in the Chubu region of Honshu. Shiraki was a well-rounded batter who wasn’t great at any one thing, but above average to good in terms of contract and power. His ability to draw walks and avoid strikeouts were both just below average.

Shiraki’s gap power was probably his best attribute, getting 28 doubles and 12 triples per his 162 game average. Shiraki was also good for 23 homers per 162. His speed was good and he was a very efficient base stealer. Defensively, Shiraki’s career was split almost evenly between third base and second base. The majority of his starts at 2B came in his 20s with the move to 3B in his 30s. Shiraki graded as below average at 3B and mediocre at 2B.

He did have fairly good durability over a 19 year career. Shiraki was a hard worker and a fan favorite, becoming one of Japan’s more popular players despite bouncing around in his career. Shiraki was signed as a teenage amateur in April 1983 by Bucheon, making the move to South Korea. He spent most of six years in the Bolts academy, debuting with 14 plate appearances in 1988 at age 21. Bucheon made him a full-time starter the next year.

Shiraki earned 1989 Rookie of the Year honors with a 2.6 WAR debut season. He then won his first Silver Slugger at 2B in 1991 with 6.1 WAR. He topped 5+ WAR in ten different seasons. In 1992, Shiraki led the Korea League with career bests in runs (107) and doubles (41). He also had a career-best 77 stolen bases, winning his second Silver Slugger.

A 1978 expansion team, Bucheon had their first success with wild cards in 1990, 1991, and 1993. The Bolts made it to the KLCS in 1990 and 1993, but fell both times. Shiraki had a .293/.326/.463 slash in 21 playoff starts. Bucheon fell to the bottom of the standings for 1994 and 1995. Shiraki would win his third Silver Slugger in 1994 and hit for the cycle that year against Hamhung.

Bucheon wanted Shiraki for their rebuild, but he opted for free agency after the 1995 season at age 29. With the Bolts, he had 1233 hits, 626 runs, 217 doubles, 126 home runs, 491 RBI, 362 stolen bases, a .312/.355/.502 slash, 138 wRC+, and 36.5 WAR. It was his longest tenure and the one he went into the Hall of Fame with, although you could argue Shiraki’s third team was the most impactful. The lack of a lengthy signature run in one spot did cost him some voters later on.

Shiraki signed four years and $9,840,000 with Sapporo. He had wanted to return home to Japan and would stay in the JL for the rest of his career. Shiraki also began playing for the national team in 1996, but generally was a reserve. From 1996-2005, Shiraki had 58 games and 30 starts in the World Baseball Championship with 44 hits, 26 runs, 8 doubles, 7 home runs, 18 RBI, 12 steals, a .367/.437/.708 slash, 209 wRC+, and 2.4 WAR.

The 1996 debut for Sapporo saw Shiraki lead the league with a career best 7.7 WAR and 102 runs. He also had a career-best .932 OPS and 184 wRC+, winning his fourth Silver Slugger and taking second in MVP voting. This was Shiraki’s final Slugger and only time as a MVP finalist. Sapporo won a third straight North Division, but lost to Hiroshima in the JLCS. Shiraki also hit for the cycle for the second time in 1996.

A strained ACL cost him part of 1997, but Shiraki stepped up in the playoffs and won JLCS MVP. Sapporo won the pennant, but did lose to Yongin in the EAB Championship. In 12 playoff starts, Shiraki had 16 hits, 9 runs, 6 doubles, 2 homers, and 7 RBI. In two years for the Swordfish, he had 311 hits, 161 runs, 41 doubles, 28 triples, 42 homers, 150 RBI, 170 wRC+, and 11.5 WAR.

Shiraki surprised many by opting out of the remaining two years of the Sapporo deal, becoming a free agent again at age 31. He nabbed a six-year, $16,440,000 deal with Hiroshima. Nagging injuries cost him some time in his first three years for the Hammerheads, but he stayed healthy after that. While Shiraki didn’t win awards with Hiroshima, all seven of his seasons were worth 4.5+ WAR.

Hiroshima had an eight-year playoff streak from 1999-2006, but famously struggled in the playoffs with six first round eliminations. Their deepest runs came with JLCS losses in 2003 and 2004, both in upset losses to Niigata. Shiraki was average at best in the playoff run with a 102 wRC+. For his playoff career, he had 81 starts, 88 hits, 43 runs, 18 doubles, 9 homers, 34 RBI, 25 steals, a .276/.307/.442 slash, 123 wRC+, and 2.3 WAR.

Shiraki opted out of his deal after the 2001 season, but signed a new three-year, $12,120,000 contract with Hiroshima. In total for the Hammerheads, Shiraki had 1000 hits, 548 runs, 145 doubles, 67 triples, 153 home runs, 516 RBI, 302 stolen bases, a .283/.329/.492 slash, 147 wRC+, and 39.2 WAR. He was a free agent again after the 2004 season, now 38-years old.

There were still multiple suitors and Yokohama gave Shiraki three years and $14,280,000. He had a nice 4.7 WAR effort in 2005, but the Yellow Jackets moved him in an offseason trade with Tokyo. They sent Shiraki and $15,420,000 over in exchange for four prospects. He had a respectable 3.8 WAR debut season for the Tides in 2006, but his season ended with a fractured foot. Shiraki missed the playoffs as Tokyo lost to Niigata in the JLCS.

Shiraki was barely saw the field in 2007 as a bench player, then saw his season end in September to a hamstring strain. Tokyo won the JL pennant shockingly at 82-80, but lost the EAB final to Yongin. With his deal up and skills diminished, Shiraki retired at age 41.

In total, Shiraki had 2845 hits, 1492 runs, 445 doubles, 189 triples, 363 home runs, 1276 RBI, 533 walks, 820 stolen bases, a .297/.341/.496 slash, 144 wRC+, and 96.4 WAR. As of 2037, Shiraki ranks 39^th in WAR among position players, 37^th in hits, 39^th in runs, 60^th in doubles, and 57^th in stolen bases. However, he quietly put up those tallies, lacking black ink or any big dominant performances. Shiraki bouncing around between so many teams also soured some voters.

Sabermetric voters pointed to the WAR total and his regular team success as plusses. However, many voters thought he merely sustained above averageness as opposed to greatness. Shiraki missed the cut on his debut at 56.1% and hovered in the 50s again in 2014 and 2015. He got to 64.1% in 2016, barely missing the 66% requirement. With a very weak 2017 ballot, Shiraki just bumped across the line at 67.3% to earn induction on the fifth ballot.



Hyeon-Seong Yang – First Base – Yokohama Yellow Jackets – 66.7% First Ballot

Hyeon-Seong Yang was a 6’4’’, 190 pound left-handed hitting first baseman from Icheon, South Korea. Not to be confused with Incheon, Icheon has 223,000 people in the Gyeonggi Province. Yang had extreme splits in his career, hitting well against right-handed pitching (.935 OPS, 169 wRC+) but with subpar results against lefties (.677 OPS, 96 wRC+). On the whole, he hit for a good average, but Yang struggled with drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts.

Yang had reliably solid home run power, topping 30+ in 13 seasons and 40+ in six seasons. He also had good gap power and topped 30 doubles regularly despite having abysmal baserunning speed and ability. Yang was a career first baseman and a generally lousy defender. He did see some starts as a designated hitter late in his career when that was an option in Korea. Yang’s durability was generally pretty good.

After an impressive run at Woosung High School, Yang was picked 14^th overall in the 1990 EAB Draft by Daejeon. He passed on the Ducks and spent the next three years at Sungkyunkwan University in Seoul. When next eligible in the 1993 EAB Draft, Yang was picked 21^st overall by Busan. His stint with the Blue Jays would be very brief with 54 games and 20 starts in 1994.

Near the trade deadline, Busan sent Yang and prospect Nobyuki Nakano to Yokohama for veteran LF Kitachachi Kawamoto to help with their playoff push. He was only a pinch hitter for the rest of the year, but the Yellow Jackets made him a full-time starter from 1995-2002. In that stretch, Yang topped 5+ WAR six times. Yokohama was generally stuck in the middle tier, averaging 77.5 wins in that stretch.

Yang led in total bases in 1996 and topped 35+ homers each year starting for Yokohama. He wasn’t generally a league leader though with the exception of a stellar 1998. This saw Yang win MVP and his lone Silver Slugger, leading the league in runs (103), hits (207), doubles (48), home runs (142), total bases (435), slugging (.720), OPS (1.097), wRC+ (231), and WAR (10.3). Those were all career bests by a healthy margin.

Yokohama gave Yang a five-year, $12,240,000 extension after the 1997 season. While still a reliably strong starter, his poor defense and weakness against lefties kept him from awards conversations. In total for Yokohama, Yang 1433 hits, 702 runs, 238 doubles, 342 home runs, 858 RBI, a .303/.332/.584 slash, 172 wRC+, and 45.2 WAR. He was a positive in a generally forgettable era for the Yellow Jackets, who later retired Yang’s #15.

Yang was a free agent after the 2002 season at age 29. He returned to South Korea on a five-year, $13,920,000 deal with Gwangju. Yang kept his general production in his first two years, but missed most of 2005 with a ruptured Achilles tendon. He did return to form in 2006, but couldn’t list the Grays beyond mediocrity. With Gwangju, Yang had 519 hits, 252 runs, 103 doubles, 119 home runs, 310 RBI, a .287/.314/.552 slash, 137 wRC+, and 12.3 WAR.

After the 2006 season, Yang declined his contract option and became a 34-year old free agent. Incheon grabbed him for five years at $18,000,000. Yang hit for the cycle in 2008 and crossed the 500 home run and 1000 runs scored milestones with the Inferno. Yang was a solid starter in his first two years, but started to drop off a bit in year three.

By the end, Yang was a healthy scratch, only playing 55 games with two starts in his final two years. Incheon was also middling and Yang never got to play in the postseason for his whole career. With the Inferno, he had 473 hits, 223 runs, 100 doubles, 92 home runs, 271 RBI, a 124 wRC+, and 8.4 WAR. Yang retired after the 2011 campaign at age 38.

Yang finished with 2453 hits, 1195 runs, 446 doubles, 559 home runs, 1463 RBI, a .294/.321/.560 slash, 153 wRC+, and 66.2 WAR. As of 2037, he ranks 51^st in home runs, 63^rd in RBI, and 59^th in doubles. However, Yang doesn’t crack the top 100 in any of the other stats, including WAR. That and his lack of team success made many voters look at Yang as a “Hall of Pretty Good” type.

Still, 550 home runs and a MVP season go a long way. Yang benefited from a very weak 2017 ballot where his resume looked comparatively stronger. At 66.7%, he barely crossed the 66% requirement, but it was enough for snag a first ballot induction into the EAB Hall of Fame.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2017 BSA Hall of Fame (Part 1)

Beisbol Sudamerica added three first-ballot selections into the Hall of Fame for 2017. Two were no-doubters with former teammates 1B Matt Monaco at 98.7% and OF Emiliano Pina at 98.1%. SP Camilo Medellin’s 72.5% got him across the 66% line narrowly. Falling just short was C Moises Avalos at 62.3% for his ninth ballot. This still left BSA without a single catcher in the Hall of Fame. No one else breached 50%.



Numerous players were cleaned off the ballot after ten failed tries. 2B Dani Alvarado had an 18-year career with Sao Paulo, winning two Silver Sluggers and two Copa Sudamerica rins. Alvarado had 2522 hits, 1010 runs, 321 doubles, 216 triples, 57 home runs, 681 RBI, 831 stolen bases, a .333/.354/.454 slash, 138 wRC+, and 79.6 WAR. Leadoff guys always had a tough climb with the lack of power numbers and Alvarado missed just enough time to injury to dull his accumulations. He peaked at 43.9% in 2009 and ended at 31.6%.

SP Erubiel Medina had 17 seasons mostly with Buenos Aires, posting a 230-175 record, 3.05 ERA, 3741.2 innings, 3636 strikeouts, 762 walks, 110 ERA+, and 77.9 WAR. He quietly had a reliable career, but was never an all-star or league leader. The lack of flashiness kept him to a peak of 49.2% in 2009 and a finish of 27.8%.

SP Louis Torres had a 15-year BSA career and led in wins twice, helping Rosario to their 1992 Copa Sudamerica. He had a 215-141 record, 3.02 ERA, 3435.2 innings, 2800 strikeouts, 529 walks, 111 ERA+, and 61.6 WAR. He was another guy with nice tenure, but lacked accolades or eye-popping stats. Torres peaked with 46.0% in 2010 and ended with 8.9%. He did see his #23 later retired by the Robins.

Lastly, 2B Hanley Civetta had a 21-year career overall and 17-years in BSA with Buenos Aires. He won two Silver Sluggers and one batting title, posting 2388 hits, 1027 runs, 424 doubles, 213 home runs, 982 RBI, a .315/.376/.472 slash, 153 wRC+, and 76.8 WAR. Civetta was another leadoff guy who didn’t have enough power to get the voters’ attention. He peaked with 34.4% and ended at only 2.6%, but managed to survive ten ballots.



Matt Monaco – First Base – Rosario Robins – 98.7% First Ballot

Matt Monaco was a 6’8’’, 200 pound left-handed first baseman from La Plata, a city of around 770,000 people in Argentina’s Buenos Aires province. Monaco was a very good contact hitter that also had excellent pop in his bat, posting 40 home runs and 36 doubles per his 162 game average. He especially mashed against right-handed pitching with a 1.027 career OPS and 198 wRC+. Against lefties, Monaco had a .761 OPS and 120 wRC+.

On the whole, Monaco was below average at drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts. He was also quite slow and clumsy on the basepaths. Monaco’s height did help him at first base, where he spent his entire career with reliably average defense. His durability was good, but he did suffer a few big injuries. Monaco was one of the smartest guys in the game and that combined with his propensity for extra base hits made him one of Argentina’s biggest baseball stars.

Although he grew up near Buenos Aires, Monaco’s entire Argentina career came with Rosario, who inked him as a teenage amateur in July 1991. He officially debuted in 1994 with 10 at-bats at age 21. Monaco had 119 games and 26 starts in 1995, then earned the full-time gig from 1996-2009. He basically never missed a start for the Robins in that run apart from injuries.

Monaco’s second full-season in 1997 saw league bests in hits (202), doubles (49), total bases 9383), and wRC+ (199), earning his first Silver Slugger and a third place in MVP voting. It was the first of eight 7+ WAR seasons over the next nine years. He may have had nine consecutive if not for a torn hamstring that cost him half of 1998.

In 1999, Monaco led in hits (209), doubles (39), average (.344), slugging (.643), and wRC+ (219). It was also his first of eight seasons with 45+ home runs and his first of five seasons with an OPS above one. Monaco won his second Silver Slugger and took second in MVP voting. The season also featured a 34-game hitting streak.

Monaco bested it in 2000 with his lone MVP and third Slugger. He broke the Beisbol Sudamerica doubles record with 58, a mark that still holds as of 2037. His 461 total bases also ranked as the fifth-most in a season to that point and still ranks 11^th as of 2037. Monaco led in runs (122), hits (235), average (.372), slugging (.729), OPS (1.126), wRC+ (226), and WAR (11.3); all career highs. His 52 home runs, 125 RBI, and .397 OBP were also career bests.

Despite Monaco’s efforts, Rosario was stuck in the middle tier.. In 2001, Monaco posted an impressive 36-game hit streak, which ranks as the sixth-longest in BSA history. However, he suffered a fractured knee in August to end his season. Worried about the injury, Rosario only gave him a two-year, $9,360,000 extension at that point. They would eventually sign Monaco the next winter for seven years and $43,600,000.

The Robins posted seven straight winning seasons from 1999-2005, but had no playoff berths to show for it. Monaco still performed, taking third in 2003 MVP voting and winning his fourth Silver Slugger in 2004. He led in hits in 2002 and in both doubles and total bases in 2003. Monaco’s run of 7+ WAR seasons ceased in 2006, but he still stayed above 4+ WAR for the next four seasons.

Although he didn’t get the big game experience with Rosario, Monaco did represent Argentina proudly in the World Baseball Championship. From 1997-2011, he played 117 tournament games with 96 starts, 108 hits, 69 runs, 19 doubles, 42 home runs, 82 RBI, a .290/.339/.691 slash, 192 wRC+, and 6.0 WAR.

Rosario remained mid for Monaco’s remaining tenure, averaging 79.4 wins per season with no playoff berths in total. A torn abdominal muscle cost him the second half in 2007, but he stayed healthy for 2008 and 2009 and topped 40 homers both years. Monaco declined the last year option of his deal and became a free agent for the first time after the 2009 season heading towards age 37.

Monaco wanted to make a run at Copa Sudamerica and thus signed with Recife, who was the Southern Cone League’s runner-up the prior year. He signed three years and $19,800,000 with the Retrievers, but was used exclusively as a backup in two years there. He had 195 games and 50 starts, seeing his production drop steeply in his limited use. Monaco ended up with a .237 average, 89 wRC+, and 0.2 WAR for the Retrievers.

He did get to Copa Sudamerica though, as Recife won back-to-back pennants in 2010 and 2011. The Retrievers couldn’t win the cup though, spoiled by Santa Cruz in 2010 and Valencia in 2011. Monaco had 20 playoff games and 9 starts, struggling to a .186/.217/.256 slash and -0.1 WAR. He also played seven games in with five starts in the inaugural Baseball Grand Championship. Monaco retired after the 2011 season at age 38 and quickly saw Rosario retire his #27 uniform for his dedicated service with the Robins.

Monaco ended with 2706 hits, 1295 runs, 525 doubles, 592 home runs, 1469 RBI, a .323/.353/.611 slash, 180 wRC+, and 98.4 WAR. As of 2037, he ranks 41^st in WAR among position players, 47^th in hits, 11^th in doubles, 73^rd in runs, 27^th in home runs, and 48^th in RBI.

Few power hitters were more reliable than Monaco in his era in Argentina. It was unfortunate that never translated to playoff appearances for Rosario, but he certainly wasn’t to blame. The voters acknowledged Monaco’s impressive resume with 98.7% to co-headline the three-player 2017 Hall of Fame class for Beisbol Sudamerica.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2017 BSA Hall of Fame (Part 2)

---

Emiliano Pina – Outfielder – Rosario Robins – 98.1% First Ballot

Emiliano Pina was a 6’0’’, 200 pound switch-hitting outfielder from Cordoba, Argentina’s second-most populous city. Pina was an outstanding home run hitter, hitting 40+ homers in 12 different seasons. He was a good contact hitter and was solid at drawing walks, although his strikeout rate was subpar. Pina’s gap power got him 24 doubles and 10 triples per 162 games. His speed and baserunning were both quite average.

Pina made about 2/3s of his starts in left field with the rest in right. He graded as a mediocre defender in both spots, lacking the range or glove work to thrive. Pina was an ironman in the outfield though, playing 155+ games each year from 1995-2009. He had an unremarkable personality, but his reliability and home run power made him a powerful force in the Southern Cone League.

In the 1993 BSA Draft, Rosario picked Pina 11^th overall. He saw part-time use in 1994, then earned the full-time gig from 1995-2005 for the Robins. As mentioned with his Hall of Fame classmate Matt Monaco, Rosario was reliably average in the 1990s and 2000s. Pina wouldn’t get to play in the postseason until after he left.

Pina’s first awards came with Silver Sluggers from 1999-2002 in left. From 1996-2008, he hit 40+ homers in all but one season. Pina posted 6+ WAR in nine seasons total. Yet, he wasn’t generally a league leader. His first time with black ink came in 2002, leading with a .702 slugging. Pina also hit 52 home runs, his second 50+ season (54 in 2000). 2002 would be his lone MVP win, featuring career bests in OPS (1.080), wRC+ (207), WAR (9.3), and hits (195).

Rosario signed him to a five-year, $27,440,000 extension after the 2001 campaign. Pina won his fifth Slugger in 2004 and took third in MVP voting. It was the only time he led in homers, smacking 60. He also led in RBI (125) and slugging (.681) and posted his third season with an OPS above one. Pina would drop off a bit the next year, his final with Rosario.

Pina was also a regular for Argentina in the World Baseball Championship, playing from 1996-2010. He had 143 tournament games and 134 starts in total, posting 94 this, 73 runs, 17 doubles, 33 home runs, 75 RBI, 80 walks, a .199/.322/.466 slash, 124 wRC+, and 3.1 WAR.

With Rosario, Pina finished with 1803 hits, 1070 runs, 280 doubles, 102 triples, 504 home runs, 1135 RBI, 649 walks, a .276/.343/.581 slash, 166 wRC+, and 65.6 WAR. Like Monaco, Pina’s #4 uniform would later be retired by the Robins. Pina declined his contract option after the 2005 campaign, becoming a free agent at age 34. He ended up signing a four-year, $26,800,000 deal with Fortaleza, who was the 2005 Southern Cone League champ.

The Foxes would just miss the playoffs in Pina’s first two years despite his reliable production. Fortaleza then earned the top seed in both 2008 and 2009, but suffered upset losses in the divisional series. Pina was lousy in his nine playoff starts with a .628 OPS and 75 wRC+. He was good generally though for Fortaleza, winning his sixth Silver Slugger in 2008. He led with a career-best 138 RBI that year and posted 6+ WAR in all four seasons for Fortaleza.

Pina finished there with 732 hits, 464 runs, 103 doubles, 168 home runs, 465 RBI, a .309/.374/.616 slash, 172 wRC+, and 27.7 WAR. He then followed Monaco’s lead and signed with Recife on a two-year, $17,600,000 deal. Pina regressed quickly and like Monaco, was used in a reserve role for the Retrievers. He had 141 games and 44 starts total with a 126 wRC+ and 1.0 WAR.

Recife won the Southern Cone League both years, but fell in Copa Sudamerica both times. Pina had a .646 OPS over 10 playoff games and three starts and went 1-5 as a pinch hitter in five games in the Baseball Grand Championship. He retired after the 2011 season at age 40.

Pina finished with 2600 hits, 1571 runs, 396 doubles, 164 triples, 688 home runs, 1644 RBI, 912 walks, 213 stolen bases, .284/.350/.588 slash, 166 wRC+, and 94.3 WAR. As of 2037, Pina ranks ninth in homers, 18^th in RBI, 19^th in runs, 69^th in hits, and 50^th in WAR among position players.

Like Monaco, it was unfortunate that Pina really never had a chance on the big stage in his prime. Rosario fans finally had reason to celebrate though with both going into the Hall of Fame together in the Robins orange and brown. At 98.1%, Pina was a co-headliner with Monaco for the 2017 BSA Hall of Fame class.



Camilo Medellin – Starting Pitcher – Buenos Aires Atlantics – 72.5% First Ballot

Camilo Medellin was a 6’6’’, 195 pound right-handed pitcher from Jujuy, a city of 257,000 inhabitants in northwest Argentina. All three Hall of Fame inductees in 2017 were Argentinian, but Medellin had Spanish dual nationality. He had very good control and his stuff and movement ranged from good to great. Medellin’s best pitch was a 96-98 mph cutter. He also had a splitter, forkball, slider, and changeup in the arsenal.

Medellin’s stamina was very good and he had impressive durability, thus he tossed 240+ innings each year from 1999-2011. He was a good defensive pitcher, but struggled holding runners. The big knock according to those who played with him is that Medellin was both lazy and dumb. Some feel he squandered his natural talent and never reached his full potential.

That potential was very evident even as a teenager to a visiting scout from Buenos Aires. They signed Medellin in May 1993 as an amateur and put him in the Atlantics academy for six seasons. Medellin debuted as a full-time starter in 1999 at age 22 and led the Southern Cone League with 16 complete games. He took second in both Rookie of the Year and Pitcher of the Year voting with his debut. Medellin gave up five runs in eight innings in his lone playoff start as BA fell in the first round.

Buenos Aires was a playoff regular in Medellin’s tenure with five straight berths to start his career. They also made it in 2005 and 2007, but the Atlantics couldn’t get over the hump. They lost in the Southern Cone Championship in 2000, 2002, and 2003. BA suffered divisional series defeats the other years. One knock on Medellin was poor playoff performances with a career 5.36 ERA over 84 innings.

Medellin’s regular season numbers were strong though. He led in complete games five straight years to start his career and led thrice in innings pitched. He led in wins in 2000 at 20-9 and had 7.7 WAR, earning Pitcher of the Year honors. Medellin finished third in POTY voting in both 2003 and 2007. 2003 had Medellin’s career bests in WAR (10.3) and strikeouts (335). 2007 was his best ERA at 2.47.

From 1999-2010, Medellin played in the World Baseball Championship but with his dual nationality, he oscillated between playing for Argentina and Spain. In total, he had a 4.28 ERA over 183 innings, 11-11 record, 194 strikeouts, 51 walks, 83 ERA+, and 3.5 WAR.

After the 2003 season, Medellin signed a six-year, $26,960,000 extension with Buenos Aires. He never repeated that effort, but posted 5+ WAR four more times. Medellin topped 5+ WAR in nine seasons total. Happy with the results, the Atlantics gave Medellin another five years and $34,500,000 after the 2008 season.

Buenos Aires fell towards the middle of the standings as the 2010s dawned. Medellin’s velocity also started to decline, posting merely average stats in 2010. In 2011, he was actively bad with a career worst 5.10 ERA over 204.2 innings. Seeing his goose was cooked, Medellin retired at age 35. Buenos Aires did recognize him by retiring his #11 uniform.

Medellin had a 201-164 record, 3.23 ERA, 3494 innings, 3319 strikeouts, 437 walks, 277/425 quality starts, 177 complete games, 34 shutouts, 112 ERA+, 85 FIP-, and 72.8 WAR. As of 2037, Medellin ranks 67^th in wins, 47^th in innings, 74^th in strikeouts, 25^th in complete games, 48^th in shutouts, and 69^th in WAR among pitchers.

BSA voters were often very favorable towards pitching, but many scholars argue that Medellin’s resume was quite borderline. Working in his favor was a Pitcher of the Year and staying with one team for his whole career. Against him was a lack of raw dominance and terrible playoff stats. Medellin debuted in 2017 at 72.5%, which got him across the 66% requirement for a first ballot induction to cap off the three-player crew.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2017 EBF Hall of Fame

SP Viktor Stier and 1B Oleksandr Belov earned first ballot additions in 2017 for the European Baseball Federation’s Hall of Fame. Stier got in at 86.6% while Belov received 77.8%. SP Jarand Dahl barely missed the 66% requirement with 65.1% on his seventh ballot. Two other returners cracked 50% with SP Geza Sebestyen at 56.7% on his second try and CL Steven Macario with 54.8% for his fifth go.



Dropped after ten failed ballots was RF Udo Gottschall, who played 17 years with Munich. He won MVP in 1991 and had eight Gold Gloves, helping the Mavericks to the 1988 European Championship. Gottschall finished with 2241 hits, 1232 runs, 289 doubles, 276 triples, 242 home runs, 1107 RBI, 1058 stolen bases, a .288/.333/.489 slash, 125 wRC+, and 68.5 WAR. Apart for the MVP season and the one before it, Gottschall’s offense wasn’t dominant enough to get much attention from voters. He peaked twice at 28.1% before ending at 17.2%.

Also dropped was closer Dario Wiesner, who played 15 years between Seville and Barcelona. He got to 348 saves, but had a 3.60 ERA, 107 ERA+, 12.7 WAR, 1014.1 innings, and 1284 strikeouts. Wiesner had no accolades and was basically the relief version of a compiler. He still got 29.4% in his debut, but fell to 8.8% by the end.



Viktor “Skeet” Stier – Starting Pitcher – Hamburg Hammers – 86.8% First Ballot

Viktor Stier was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Cottbus, a city of around 98,000 inhabitants in the German state of Brandenburg. Stier was a fireballer with dominant stuff along with solid control and movement. His impressive fastball regularly hit the 99-101 mph range and was among the best in the game at his peak. Stier also boasted a very good curveball along with a changeup and splitter.

Stier’s stamina was around average compared to other European aces, but he had pretty good durability in the front end of his career. He was good at holding runners, but was subpar defensively. Stier was quiet and humble, which served him well in a 15-year career with Hamburg. He became a well-known and popular figure in the German baseball world.

In the 1995 EBF Draft, Stier was picked 19^th overall by Hamburg. They kept him on the reserve roster for all of 1996, then made him a full-time starter in 1997. Stier struggled as a rookie, but showed more promise in his second and third seasons. He took third in 1998 Pitcher of the Year voting, then finished second in 2000. His fourth season in 2000 started a four-year streak of 8+ WAR efforts. Stier topped 5+ WAR in seven different seasons.

Stier first gained attention more broadly in 1999, which saw Hamburg as a wild card win the Northern Conference. They fell to Madrid in the European Championship, but Stier had an excellent 1.08 ERA over 25 playoff innings with 23 strikeouts. The Hammers made the playoffs again the next three seasons, but never got deeper than the second round. Stier had a weak start in 2000, but otherwise had strong playoff career with a 1.81 ERA over 64.2 innings.

Hamburg signed Stier to a five-year, $23,120,000 extension in April 2002. He immediately delivered, winning back-to-back Pitcher of the Year awards in 2002 and 2003. In both seasons, Stier led the Northern Conference with 9.0 WAR and led with sub-two ERAs. His 0.75 WHIP in 2002 is one of only 16 qualifying seasons in EBF history at that mark or better as of 2037. Stier also led in strikeouts for the only time with 291 in 2003, although he narrowly topped that mark in the prior three seasons. His 1.88 ERA in 2003 was his career best as well.

The Hammers would be in the middle of the standings largely for the rest of the 2000s, although they did get first round playoff exits in 2006 and 2008. Stier wasn’t in awards conversations after 2003, but he remained a very solid starter through 2007. Stier was also a regular for Germany in the World Baseball Championship. From 1998-2011, he had a 2.88 ERA and 12-13 record over 193.2 innings, 281 strikeouts, 43 walks, 124 ERA+, and 5.2 WAR.

Hamburg signed Stier for another five years and $37,000,000 in February 2007, shortly after his 32^nd birthday. The deal would be snake-bitten though as Stier suffered a damaged elbow ligament in August 2007. That put him out more than a calendar year, only getting back for three starts at the end of 2008. Then in late 2008, he tore his meniscus and needed knee surgery, knocking him out another eight months.

The injuries tanked Stier’s stamina, but he still could go in short bursts in 2009. Unfortunately, he suffered a stretched elbow ligament in August, knocking him out another ten months. Hamburg split him between the bullpen and starting in 2010 and 2011, but Stier was terrible with ERAs above 5.50. He retired after the 2011 campaign at age 36 and immediately had his #18 uniform retired by Hamburg.

Stier had a 182-113 record, 2.87 ERA, 2698.1 innings, 2952 strikeouts, 483 walks, 232/369 quality starts, 68 complete games, 130 ERA+, 70.2 WAR. The injuries prevented him from big accumulations but as of 2037, Stier still ranks 50^th in pitching WAR, 83^rd in wins, and 71^st in strikeouts. His rate stats though ranked in the mid-range compared to previously inducted starters in EBF.

A couple voters didn’t think he played long enough to belong, but most were sympathetic knowing bad injury luck was to blame and not talent deficiency. Stier received 86.6% to earn a solid first ballot induction, which made him the headliner in EBF’s two-player 2017 Hall of Fame class.



Oleksandr “Meal Ticker” Belov – First Base – Kyiv Kings – 77.8% First Ballot

Oleksandr Belov was a 6’4’’, 200 pound right-handed first baseman from Luhansk, a city of around 400,000 in eastern Ukraine. Belov was a very good contact hitter and was solid at avoiding strikeouts, although he was average-at-best at drawing walks. His gap power was impressive and he regularly got extra bases. Over a 162 game average, Belov got you 29 doubles, 24 triples, and 24 home runs. He had excellent speed, but was often overly aggressive and mistake-prone on the basepaths.

Despite that profile, Belov exclusively played first base in his career and graded as a reliably solid defender. He was an ironman that started 145+ games each year from 1998-2012. Belov’s reliability made him one of the more popular players to come out of Ukraine.

In the 1990s, Ukraine’s teams and players were in the Eurasian Professional Baseball sphere. Belov was picked 35^th overall by Kyiv in the 1994 EPB Draft and the Kings kept him in their developmental system initially. He didn’t play in 1995 and only saw five games in 1996. Belov started most of 1997 with promising results, then had the full-time job from 1998 onward in the Ukrainian capital. Despite statistically being one of his weaker years, Belov’s lone Silver Slugger came in 1998.

A powerhouse only a few years prior, 1997-2001 saw a playoff drought for Kyiv. The big shift came for the 2000 season with the massive exodus of teams from EPB to EBF and ABF. This began Belov’s EBF career as Kyiv made the move. 2000 was also his first of ten season worth 5+ WAR. In 2001, he led the Northern Conference with 36 triples and had a career-high 407 total bases. The Kings locked him up after the 2002 campaign to an eight-year, $47,960,000 extension.

Belov took third in 2003’s MVP voting and second in 2006. 2003 saw conference bests in hits (231), total bases (401), and triples (34). The hits were a career best, as was his 8.4 WAR, 195 wRC+, and his .379/.415/.658 triple slash and 1.074 OPS. It was the third of four seasons above one OPS. Belov would lead in triples thrice more in his career.

Kyiv returned to form and made the playoffs seven times from 2002-2009. This culminated in a dynasty run with five straight conference finals berths from 2005-2009. The Kings won three straight pennants from 2006-2008 and took the European Championship in 2006 and 2008. In his playoff career for Kyiv, Belov had 86 games, 105 hits, 47 runs, 11 doubles, 16 triples, 4 home runs, 28 RBI, a .299/.338/.456 slash, 121 wRC+, and 2.0 WAR.

Belov had similar production playing for his native Ukraine from 1998-2011 in the World Baseball Championship. In his combined tournament career, he had 145 games and 140 starts with 139 hits, 67 runs, 34 doubles, 4 triples, 20 home runs, 70 RBI, a .266/.329/.461 slash, 130 wRC+, and 4.0 WAR.

In 2009, Belov hit for the cycle against Kharkiv. He also reached 2000 career hits and 1000 runs in the EBF. Kyiv gave him a four-year, $32,200,000 extension heading towards his age 35 season. The Kings narrowly missed the playoffs in 2010, then stunningly plummeted to 52-110 in 2011. With that, they were relegated to the European Second League only three years after being the EBF champ.

Belov used the relegation opt-out clause, ending his lengthy run with Kyiv. In total, he had 2921 hits, 1408 runs, 369 doubles, 363 triples, 340 home runs, 1344 RBI, 555 stolen bases, a .324/.361/.558 slash, 164 wRC+, and 83.1 WAR. Fans understood why he left after the team’s collapse, but some in management held a grudge, thus Belov’s #16 uniform was never retired. This also ended his EBF career, as he ended up returning to EPB for his final two seasons.

He ended up in Russia on a two-year, $13,200,000 deal with Rostov, posting respectable results with a 7.4 WAR, 146 wRC+, and .836 OPS over 275 games. The Rhinos earned their first-ever playoff berth in 2012 and earned back-to-back European League titles. They lost the 2012 EPB Championship to Yekaterinburg, but claimed the title in 2013 against Ulaanbaatar.

In 24 playoff starts for Rostov, Belov had 1.1 WAR, 173 wRC+, and a .910 OPS, playing an important role. He also earned a chance to play in the Baseball Grand Championship in 2013, but struggled to -0.2 WAR and a .502 OPS in 19 starts. With that and his power waning, Rostov didn’t re-sign Belov in the offseason.

He wanted to still play, but most teams wanted big boppers at first base. After going un-signed in 2014, Belov retired at age 39. In EPB between Rostov and his early Kyiv years, he had 784 hits, 330 runs, 99 doubles, 83 triples, 78 home runs, 339 RBI, a .284/.316/.465 slash, 143 wRC+, and 14.3 WAR.

For Belov’s combined pro career, he had 3253 hits, 1567 runs, 415 doubles, 397 triples, 367 home runs, 1481 RBI, 626 stolen bases, a .322/.359/.551 slash, 162 wRC+, and 90.5 WAR. Among all pros as of 2037, Belov ranks 12^th all-time in triples. His EBF Hall of Fame candidacy though had slightly lower accumulations with 2469 hits, 1237 runs, 316 doubles, 314 triples, 289 home runs, 1142 RBI, 458 stolen bases, a .336/.375/.585 slash, 169 wRC+, and 76.2 WAR.

As of 2037 in EBF, Belov ranks 21^st in triples, 54^th in hits, and 92^nd in runs. He doesn’t crack the top 100 in WAR for position players, but his .958 OPS ranks 72^nd among all hitters with 3000+ plate appearances and his batting average ranks 37^th. Some voters felt he didn’t quite have the longevity or accolades to get in, but Belov was a critical piece of Kyiv’s 2000s dynasty. That quieted most doubters, getting him to 77.8% and a first ballot induction for the 2017 EBF Hall of Fame.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2017 EPB Hall of Fame (Part 1)

---

The 2017 Eurasian Professional Baseball Hall of Fame class was girthy at four players, the most since 2011. They had been four inductees total in the prior three years. SP Pascal Branescu was the clear headliner at 97.2%. The other three guys were in the 70% range, which was enough to cross the 66% requirement.

CL Stilian Zaborov got 74.8% on his third ballot, SP Edmond Vardanyan received 74.1% for his fifth go, and 3B/DH Roman Izosimov debuted at 71.3%. LF Oleg Ivashko barely missed the cut with 63.4% for his sixth ballot. SS Gleb Khassanov got 52.1% in his fifth try. No one else was above 50% and no players were dropped after ten failed ballots.



Pascal Branescu – Starting Pitcher – Krasnoyarsk Cossacks – 97.2% First Ballot

Pascal Branescu was a 6’4’’, 195 pound left-handed pitcher from Bacau, a city of roughly 136,000 people in northeast Romania. Branescu had strong stuff with a very highly rated slider and curveball, along with a 94-96 mph fastball and a changeup. His control was iffy early in his career, but solid in his later years. Branescu’s biggest issue was an extreme flyball tendency. His breaking pitches could often go flat and get sent over the fence.

Branescu had outstanding stamina and led the league four times in innings pitched. He also had great durability for most of his career, tossing 240+ innings in 12 of his 13 seasons. Branescu was excellent at holding runners and above average defensively. He could be inflexible at times, which perhaps limited his ultimate potential.

A Russian scout from Krasnoyarsk happened to spot Branescu at a prospects came in Romania. They signed him to a teenage amateur deal in August 1992 and had him in the academy for six years. Branescu debuted in 1999 at age 23 as a full-time starter, leading the Asian League with seven shutouts as a rookie. He finished third in Rookie of the Year voting.


Branescu’s 2000 was notable for a no-hitter on July 19, striking out 10 with two walks over Nizhny Novgorod. He arrived as an ace in 2001 with his first of six seasons worth 6+ WAR. Branescu took second in Pitcher of the Year voting, leading the league with nine shutouts and adding 354 strikeouts and a 2.33 ERA. This effort also helped Krasnoyarsk end a 12-year playoff drought.

The Cossacks upset Yekaterinburg to win the Asian League pennant, although they lost to a fledgling Minsk dynasty in the EPB Championship. In 2002, Branescu led in wins (27-7) and had a career best 1.77 ERA and 310 innings, taking second in Pitcher of the Year voting. He was third in 2003, which featured his career bests in strikeouts (366), and WAR (8.0).

Krasnoyarsk won 100+ from 2002-2004, but fell each year in the ALCS. They barely made the playoffs in 2005 at 87-75, but upset the Yaks and Moscow for the franchise’s second EPB title. The Cossacks were around .500 from 2006-2008, then won the pennant again in 2009 before falling to Moscow in the EPB Championship.

Branescu’s playoff stats were a mixed bag over 13 starts with 100.2 innings, a 3.58 ERA, 5-4 record, 97 strikeouts, 23 walks, 86 ERA+, and 2.0 WAR. He was strong in 2002 with a 1.72 ERA in two starts and was excellent in 2009 with a 1.48 ERA over 24.1 innings. Branescu was more middling in 2001 and 2004, bad in 2005, and awful in 2003.

Branescu’s stats were below average in total playing for his native Romania in the World Baseball Championship. From 2000-2010, he saw a 9-6 record, 4.48 ERA, 124.2 innings, 157 strikeouts, 48 walks, 79 ERA+, and 0.8 WAR. Like in EPB, his inconsistency with allowing home runs could burn him.

Branescu later took second in2004’s EPB Pitcher of the Year voting, third in 2006, second in 2007, and second in 2009; never winning the top honor. He had a rough 2005, allowing the most homers in the AL at 37, but bounced back to his usual production shortly after. Branescu led in wins in 2006 and topped 300 strikeouts in six seasons.

After the 2008 season, a 33-year old Branescu opted to give free agency a look. After three months on the market, he ended up going back to Krasnoyarsk for $26,080,000 over five years. Branescu had a nice 2009 and helped the Cossacks win the pennant, but he suffered his first injury setback the next year.

In June 2010, a torn back muscle ended his season. Branescu was back in 2011 and his production was closer towards league average. He still could eat innings, but his overall effectiveness was waning. Branescu decided to get out before he declined further, retiring that winter at age 36. Krasnoyarsk would honor him by retiring his #31 uniform.

Branescu had a 224-138 record, 2.83 ERA, 3473.2 innings, 3705 strikeouts, 781 walks, 286/410 quality starts, 185 complete games, 50 shutouts, 112 ERA+, and 68.9 WAR. As of 2037, he ranks 32^nd in wins, 49^th in strikeouts, 87^th in pitching WAR, 16^th in shutouts, 44^th in complete games, and 50^th in innings pitched. He’s a somewhat odd case statistically and the sabremetric stats aren’t kind due to his home run issues.

However, he checked a lot of boxes for traditionalist voters. Branescu went deep in games, he played with one team, and he was a regular finalist in Pitcher of the Year voting. Plus, Branescu was a key figure in three pennants and one EPB title for Krasnoyarsk. Those perks made him a slam dunk for the voters even if the raw numbers aren’t overly impressive. At 97.2%, Branescu was given headliner status for EPB’s four-player Hall of Fame class in 2017.



Stilian Zaborov – Closer – Irkutsk Ice Cats – 74.8% Third Ballot

Stilian Zaborov was a 6’2’’, 195 pound left-handed relief pitcher from Vladivostok, a city of 600,000 inhabitants in Russia’s Far East. Zaborov was known for outstanding stuff with excellent movement, although his control was often wild. He mixed a 95-97 mph cutter with a curveball to great effect. He also had very good stamina and durability out of the bullpen. That reliability and his leadership made Zaborov one of the most valuable relievers of his era in EPB.

As a known reliever, Zaborov wasn’t at the tip-top of prospect lists heading into the 1997 EPB Draft. Still, his college exploits were good enough to get him picked late in the second round by Irkutsk with the 67^th overall spot. This was at the tail end of the Ice Cats’ dynasty run and they didn’t immediately have a spot for him on the active roster. Zaborov didn’t play in 1998 and only saw six appearances in 1999.

Zaborov spent part of 2000 in the closer role, then took the full-time job for the next nine years. In 2001, he led the Asian League in saves (38) and games (69), finishing second in Reliever of the Year voting. He would lead in saves once more in 2004 and twice more in games pitched. From 2002-2008 though, Zaborov topped 4 WAR six times and twice had an ERA below one.

From 2002-04, Zaborov won three straight Reliever of the Year awards. He took second in 2005, then won his fourth ROTY in 2006. Zaborov was second in 2007 (and third in Pitcher of the Year), then won his fifth ROTY in 2008. He joined Svetoslav Angelov as the only five-time winners in EPB and as of 2037, is one of five to have pulled that off.

Zaborov’s 2002 was his best ERA at 0.80 and a 366 ERA+, but his top WAR came at 5.3 in both 2006 and 2007. 2003 saw his highest strikeout (146) and innings tally (100.2). Zaborov also pitched for Russia in six editions of the World Baseball Championship from 2002-2009. He was used more as a starter with eight starts and four relief appearances, but dominated with a 1.26 ERA over 57.1 innings, 91 strikeouts, 15 walks, 283 ERA+, and 2.6 WAR.

Irkutsk fell towards the middle of the standings for most of Zaborov’s tenure, but made it back to the playoffs in 2006 and 2008 as a wild card. Both years, they lost to Yekaterinburg’s dynasty in the ALCS. Zaborov had four scoreless innings and two saves in 2006, but allowed three runs in 5.2 innings in 2008.

Zaborov was finally due for free agency after the 2009 season, but disaster struck before he could get there. On July 21, he suffered a torn UCL, which effectively ended his EPB career. No team wanted to take a chance on him off a major injury like that, but he still wanted to play somewhere. Zaborov rehabbed back and found an unexpected taker in Mexico.

Based on his prior excellence, CABA’s Juarez gave Zaborov two years and $8,560,000. Unfortunately, he was a shell of his former self with a 4.11 ERA over 15.1 innings in 2010 with the Jesters, who bought out his second year of his contract. Zaborov stayed in CABA and actually signed a one-year deal with Salvador for 2011, but the Stallions left him on the reserve roster all year. With that, Zaborov retired that winter at age 36. He returned home to Russia and Irkutsk retired his #7 uniform.

With Irkutsk, Zaborov had 315 saves and 378 shutdowns, a 70-54 record, 1.57 ERA, 838.1 innings, 1172 strikeouts, 263 walks, 197 ERA+, and 37.9 WAR. As of 2037, he ranks 17^th in saves. Of the other Hall of Fame relievers in EPB at that point, his WAR was 7^th out of nine. Notably among all of the great closers in pro baseball history, Zaborov’s ERA+ ranks 28^th.

Zaborov didn’t have as much longevity as a lot of voters like, but his dominance at his peak was unquestioned. Five Reliever of the Year awards was a rare feat in any league, but Zaborov still had to wait to get in. He barely missed with his 2015 debut at 64.2% and dropped to 56.2% in 2016. In 2017, Zaborov got across the 66% line at 74.8% to earn a third ballot induction for EPB’s Hall of Fame

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2017 EPB Hall of Fame (Part 2)

---

Edmond Vardanyan – Starting Pitcher – Kazan Crusaders – 74.1% Fifth Ballot

Edmond Vardanyan was a 5’10’’, 190 pound left-handed pitcher from Vagharshapat, a city of around 37,000 people in Armenia just west of the capital Yerevan. Pinpoint control was Vardanyan’s biggest asset as his stuff and movement were merely above average. His fastball hit 95-97 mph and he had a nice slider, but Vardanyan’s changeup earned the most whiffs.

Vardanyan’s stamina was average relative to his EPB contemporary aces, but he got plenty of innings due to excellent durability. He was above average at holding runners but below average defensively. Vardanyan was adaptable and a hard worker, but wasn’t one to pick up the reigns of leadership. Perhaps that’s why he never stayed in one place very long despite being generally likeable in the clubhouse.

Top prospects didn’t come out of Armenia too often and the capital’s squad was excited for a possible local hero. Yerevan picked Vardanyan seventh overall in the 1991 EPB Draft. He saw part-time use with okay results as a rookie, then more use and better production in 1993. Vardanyan became a full-time after that and boasted his career best WAR (8.3), ERA+ (144), and ERA (2.02) in 1995. He led the Asian League in quality starts at 30, but didn’t get any awards acknowledgement.

Vardanyan had a strong 1996 as well at 7.5 WAR but it was hard to get traction with Yerevan, who had historically been a bottom rung team. From 1978-2003, the Valiants didn’t post a single winning season. Vardanyan’s time there ended after only five years as Yerevan traded him to Tashkent for four prospects. With Yerevan, Vardanyan had a 57-58 record, 2.24 ERA, 1079 innings, 1056 strikeouts, 228 walks, 129 ERA+, and 24.2 WAR. It was statistically his most effective run.

Tashkent was a contender at this point and hoped Vardanyan could strengthen the rotation. He was terrible though in his first year at a 4.19 ERA, by far the worst of his career. Vardanyan was split between starting and relief in 1998 with better results. He then was a nice starter in 1999, but still down from his Yerevan peaks. Despite iffy regular season numbers, Vardanyan stepped up in the postseason.

The Tomcats won back-to-back Asian League pennants in 1998 and 1999, losing both years in the EPB Championship to Kharkiv. Vardanyan had a 1.99 ERA in 22.2 innings in 1998 and a 1.45 ERA over 31 innings in 1999. This temporarily ended Vardanyan’s EPB career, as Tashkent was among the many teams in the great exodus before the 2000 season.

Tashkent made the switch to the Asian Baseball Federation and won the league title in their first year over Isfahan. Vardanyan had a strong 8.2 WAR season and a career-high 313 strikeouts. On July 14, he had a no-hitter with six strikeouts against Multan. Vardanyan also had a 2.41 ERA and 49 strikeouts over 37.1 playoff innings. In total for Tashkent, Vardanyan had a 56-41 record, 2.88 ERA, 855.2 innings, 900 strikeouts, 102 ERA+, and 16.2 WAR.

Vardanyan was a free agent after the 2000 season at age 32 and had to decide which league to go to. He ultimately returned to EPB and went to Russia on a five-year, $16,800,000 deal with Kazan. Vardanyan would later choose to be inducted in Crusaders purple and gold, as he threw more innings with Kazan than any other team.

He gave the Crusaders plenty of innings, but generally average production apart from 2004, which saw 6.9 WAR and a league-best 29 quality starts. Vardanyan was third in Pitcher of the Year voting, his only time as a finalist. Kazan made it to the European League Championship Series in 2002 and 2004, but lost both times to Minsk. Vardanyan struggled in his three playoff starts with a lousy 5.95 ERA over 19.2 innings.

In total with Kazan, Vardanyan had an 81-64 record, 2.60 ERA, 1416.2 innings, 1287 strikeouts, 193 walks, 103 ERA+, and 22.6 WAR. Now 37, he signed a three-year, $12,480,000 deal with Yekaterinburg. Vardanyan had an alright 2006 and was iffy in the playoffs with a 4.18 ERA over 23.2 innings. The Yaks won the ALCS, but lost the EPB Championship to Moscow.

Vardanyan missed a month in 2007 to a strained oblique and saw a part-time role in the rotation. He had one quality start in the playoffs as the Yaks won it all, getting revenge over the Mules. In two years for Yekaterinburg, Vardanyan had a 3.39 ERA, 19-22 record, 94 ERA+, and 5.0 WAR. He retired that winter at age 39.

For his combined pro career, Vardanyan had a 213-185 record, 2.64 ERA, 3728.1 innings, 3533 strikeouts, 599 walks, 108 ERA+, and 68.0 WAR. Removing his one ABF season for Tashkent, he had a 193-176 record, 2.65 ERA, 3464 innings, 3220 strikeouts, 564 walks, 157 complete games, 27 shutouts, 107 ERA+, and 59.8 WAR.

As of 2037, Vardanyan ranks 76^th in wins, 52^nd in innings, and 91^st in strikeouts while not making the top 100 in pitching WAR. He didn’t have black ink or awards, looking like a “Hall of Pretty Good” level guy for many. In total, he had a 2.99 playoff ERA with the strong Tashkent efforts giving him a boost. Being on multiple pennant-winning teams helped his cause. Also helping was EPB voters being generally favorable towards pitching.

Vardanyan debuted at 55.4% in 2013 and slowly moved up to 57.3%, 64.8%, and 65.3%. He got across the line in 2017 at 74.1% for a fifth ballot EPB Hall of Fame induction. Scholars will note Vardanyan is one of the weaker starting pitchers to secure the nod, but he’s in regardless.



Roman Izosimov – Third Base/Designated Hitter – Ufa Fiends – 71.3% First Ballot

Roman Izosimov was a 6’1’’, 180 pound right-handed third baseman from Novaya Tavolzhanka, a village of around 5000 people in western Russia’s Belgorod Oblast. Izosimov was a “three true outcomes” type of hitter that hit a lot of home runs and drew a lot of walks, but also struck out a ton. He was a below average contact hitter, but he regularly hit 30+ homers and topped 40+ thrice. Izosimov’s gap power was decent, getting 21 doubles per his 162 game average.

Izosimov wasn’t a great athlete and was very slow on the basepaths, although he had average baserunning chops. He had a strong arm, thus his entire defensive career came at third base. However, Izosimov’s poor range and glove work made him a subpar defender. Just over half of his career starts came at third with the rest as a designated hitter. Izosimov’s durability was excellent, playing 149+ games each year from 1996-2011. That reliability and his home run power made him a popular figure in Russian baseball.

In December 1989, Izosimov signed a teenage amateur deal with Ufa. He spent most of seven years in their developmental academy. Izosimov debuted in 1992 at age 20 with 13 at-bats, but didn’t see the field again until 1996. He was a full-time starter from then onward and led the Asian League in home runs as a rookie with 36.

Izosimov led the league from 2000-2003 in home runs, peaking with 49 in 2000. He also led in RBI thrice in that stretch and had a career best 6.8 WAR in 2001. In 2000, Izosimov led with career bests in total bases (335) and slugging (.559). Izosimov won Silver Sluggers as a DH in 2000 and 2001 and finished third in 2001’s MVP voting.

Ufa was generally stuck in the middle tier during Izosimov’s tenure. Their lone playoff appearance was a wild card and first round defeat in 1998. This was Izosimov’s only playoff experience, going 1-12. He did play some for Russia in the World Baseball Championship, but only had four starts over 23 games from 2001-2007.

In total for Ufa, Izosimov had 1270 hits, 716 runs, 194 doubles, 331 home runs, 874 RBI, a .238/.312/.467 slash, 138 wRC+, and 39.8 WAR. He was popular enough to see his #3 uniform later retired by the Fiends. Izosimov became a free agent after the 2004 season heading towards age 33. He signed a four-year, $17,280,000 deal with Nizhny Novgorod. The Ninjas were one of the expansion teams after the exodus and largely struggled in their early years in EPB.

Izosimov put up fairly steady stats for them and led the European League in home runs in 2007. NN gave him a two-year, $8,000,000 extension in July 2008. Izosimov dropped off notably in 2009 with only 20 home runs, but bounced back in 2010, which got him another two-year extension at $8,800,000.

In 2011, Izosimov was finally cooked with a -0.7 WAR season and only 14 home runs. He retired that winter at age 39. In total for Nizhny Novgorod, he had 820 hits, 431 runs, 139 doubles, 217 home runs, 492 RBI, a .218/.283/.433 slash, 120 wRC+, and 25.5 WAR.

In total, Izosimov had 2090 hits, 1147 runs, 333 doubles, 548 home runs, 1366 RBI, 915 walks, 2842 strikeouts, a .230/.300/.453 slash, 131 wRC+, and 65.3 WAR. As of 2037, he ranks 18^th in home runs, 24^th in RBI, 27^th in walks, and 62^nd in runs scored. On the bad side, he doesn’t crack the top 100 in WAR for position players and he has the ninth most strikeouts. Izosimov also has the lowest batting average of any EPB Hall of Famer.

Home run power goes a long way and he led the league six times in dingers. That power was enough for most voters to give him the nod with Izosimov debuting at 71.3%. It wasn’t by much, but he earned a first ballot induction and capped off EPB’s four-player Hall of Fame group in 2017.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2017 OBA Hall of Fame

---

For the first time since 2008, the Oceania Baseball Association didn’t induct any players into the Hall of Fame. No one was even particularly close as 1B Darren Lucklin was the only guy above 1/3s of the vote, getting 41.7% on his fifth ballot. The best debut was RF Solomon Wesley at a measly 10.4%.

Reliever T.J. Pablo was dropped from the ballot after ten failed tries, peaking at 28.1% in his debut and ending at 15.5%. He was the closer for Guam’s 2000 title but only had a nine year career in OBA before ending between EPB and BSA. Pablo had 219 saves, a 2.38 ERA, 608.1 innings, 733 strikeouts, 144 ERA+, and 13.9 WAR. He had no awards either and weak ballots are probably the only reason he made it ten years on the ballot.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2017 APB Hall of Fame

SP Eddie Abundez was the lone addition for the Austronesia Professional Baseball Hall of Fame in 2017, debuting at 80.3%. No one else got above 60%, but five returners topped 50%. On their fifth tries, RF Sutanto Mangkoepradja had 59.1% and 1B Gavin Loh earned 52.7%. CF Fransisco Hartati had 51.6% on his sixth ballot and SP Nai-Wen Teng had the same on his tenth try. SP Wahyu Toy was at 51.3% for his eighth go.



For Teng, he got as high as 52.6% in 2011 and usually hovered in the upper 30s to mid 40s. He had a 17-year career, but lost APB accumulations since he made an MLB attempt in his 30s. In APB, Teng had a 143-105 record, 2.20 ERA, 2325.1 innings, 2940 strikeouts, 443 walks, 115 ERA+, and 60.5 WAR. He was part of championship teams for Medan in 1987 and 1989 and had a 1.95 ERA in 69.1 playoff innings. However, Teng didn’t have the longevity or accolades to get across the line.



Eddie Abundez – Starting Pitcher – Quezon Zombies – 80.3% First Ballot

Eddie Abundez was a 6’6’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Manila, the capital of the Philippines. Abundez had very good stuff and movement along with above average control. His fastball was quite solid at 96-98 mph, but his changeup was also quite potent. Abundez also had a good forkball and okay slider in the arsenal and had an extreme groundball tendency.

Abundez was around average compared to other APB aces for going deep into games. He had stellar durability though and almost never missed a start, tossing 240+ innings each year from 1996-2009. Abundez could struggle holding runners, but he was excellent at fielding the position, winning four Gold Gloves. He had a stellar work ethic and was a selfless and loyal player.

By the 1994 APB Draft, Abundez was viewed by many as the top pitching prospect. Quezon had the #1 overall pick and went with Abundez, who played nearly his entire career for the Zombies. They kept him on the reserve roster for much of 1995, only using him in 14 games and 59.1 innings. Abundez earned a full-time rotation slot from 1996 onward.

After an iffy 1996, Abundez posted his first of four 6+ WAR seasons in 1997. He topped 5+ ten times in his career, but he wasn’t one to be a league leader generally. Abundez led in wins in 1998 at 21-8, taking third in Pitcher of the Year voting. That was his only time as a finalist and only time leading a major stat, apart from having 28 quality starts in 2001. Abundez notably did throw a no-hitter in August 1999 with 10 strikeouts and one walk against Cebu.

By WAR, 2003 was Abundez’s top season with 8.8. It was one of four seasons above 300 strikeouts with his peak at 326 in 1999. Abundez’s best ERA was 2.04 in 2001, which was also his best ERA+ at 131. Abundez also regularly pitched for the Philippines in the World Baseball Championship. From 1999-2011, he had a 3.27 ERA over 85.1 innings, 104 strikeouts, 35 walks, 110 ERA+, and 1.3 WAR.

Quezon generally bounced between middling and bad during Abundez’s tenure. Their lone playoff appearance came in 1998, where they won the Taiwan-Philippine Association pennant before falling to Batam in the Austronesia Championship. Abundez was subpar in his four playoff starts with a 4.39 ERA over 26.2 innings. Still, the Zombies were happy with him and gave him a four-year, $6,120,000 extension in July 1999.

In June 2003, Abundez signed for another five years and $15,800,000 with Quezon. His Gold Glove wins came in this later run from 2006-2009. He remained steady, but the Zombies’ best season in the early 2000s was a mere 82-80 in 2001. Abundez’s loyalty was appreciated and he later had his #37 uniform retired by the team.

Quezon bought out the final year of his deal after the 2007 season, but gave Abundez a new three-year, $12,240,000 deal. After the 2010 season, the Zombies traded Abundez to Depok for two prospects. He provided his usual later career value with 3.4 WAR for the Demons, but they couldn’t break their playoff drought.

A free agent for the first time at age 39, Abundez went back to Quezon on a three-year, $17,100,000 deal. He still had the same production in 2011, but his season ended with acute elbow soreness. Abundez decided not to overstay his welcome and retired that winter just after turning 40.

Abundez finished with a 219-210 record, 2.55 ERA, 4183.2 innings, 4149 strikeouts, 812 walks, 408/532 quality starts, 133 complete games, 108 ERA+, and 79.6 WAR. As of 2037, Abundez ranks 18^th in wins, sixth in innings, 19^th in strikeouts, and 32^nd in pitching WAR.

He wasn’t an overpowering dominant force, but Abundez reliably gave you quality starts in most outings. Being stuck on some forgettable Quezon teams may have kept Abundez from getting more recognition, but he quietly built a solid resume. He received 80.3% on his ballot debut to be the lone Hall of Famer for APB in 2017.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2017 CLB Hall of Fame

For the second time in four years, Chinese League Baseball didn’t add anyone into the Hall of Fame. 2017 was weak on debuts with the best newcomer being SP Hongtao Chen at 37.8%. A few returners came close to the 66% requirement, led by SP Xin Ruan at 62.2% on his eighth ballot. RF Hongbo Wan got 61.9% in his seventh go, RF Minghui Ruan earned 59.2% for his second try, and LF Seok-Hyeon So nabbed 57.7% in his fourth ballot.




No players were dropped after ten failed ballots. 1B Ziming Feng is worth a quick mention, falling below 5% on his seventh ballot. He led the league five straight seasons from 1995-1999 and won MVP in 1996 with Zhengzhou. Feng seemed like his was on the HOF track, but he tore his right PCL in 2000, then his left PCL in 2001 to derail his career. He still managed 52.1 career WAR, but ended up as a “what-if?” player.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2017 WAB Hall of Fame (Part 1)

West Africa Baseball’s 2017 ballot was an interesting one as a few points shifted could’ve gotten them zero inductees or up to six. Three managed to narrowly cross the 66% requirement, while three others topped 60% but fell short. Making it in was RF Ada Nwankwo at 72.3% in his eighth ballot, 3B/DH Yakubu Odiye at 67.0% for his fifth try, and SP Alusine Sadiq at 66.3% on his ninth attempt.

Just missing the cut by less than a full point was 3B Falaba Ba at 65.3% in his fifth ballot. LF Kely Ballard was the only strong debut, narrowly missing at 63.7%. 3B Awudu Haddad received 61.1% on his third try. No one else was even above 20% apart from the top six.



Getting dropped after ten failed ballots was SP Ohene Arthur, who had six championship rings between Kano and Lagos. In 13 seasons, he had a 133-69 record, 3.08 ERA, 1860 innings, 1988 strikeouts, 122 ERA+, and 37.9 WAR. Arthur won an ERA title, but otherwise wasn’t a league leader and lacked accolades or dominance. He debuted and peaked at 27.3% and survived ten ballots, ending at 5.0%.



Ada Nwankwo – Right Field – Ibadan Iguanas – 72.3% Eighth Ballot

Ada Nwankwo was a 6’3’’, 200 pound left-handed right fielder from Owerri, Nigeria. Called the “Las Vegas of Africa,” it has 1.4 million people in the country’s south. Nwankwo was an outstanding contact hitter and was a leadoff hitter. He was great at putting the ball in play and avoiding strikeouts, but he rarely drew walks. Nwankwo didn’t just slap singles though, regularly finding the gap with 43 doubles and 11 triples per his 162 game average. He lacked home run power though with 24 for his entire career.

Despite having solid speed, Nwankwo was a comically bad baserunner, which did limit his leadoff value. He was a career right fielder and was a reliably good to sometimes great defender. Nwankwo’s durability was a mixed bag with seemingly unrelated things keeping him out at points. He was a smart guy and one of the hardest working and least selfish players in the league.

In the 1988 WAB Draft, Nwankwo was picked early in the second round by Ibadan with the 23^rd overall pick. The Iguanas would begin a 12-year playoff streak from 1990 to 2001. Nwankwo couldn’t find a spot initially though, making only 39 starts and playing 110 games in his first three years. He earned a full-time role in 1992 and held it for the next six years for Ibadan.

Nwankwo pulled off the rare feat from 1992-1996 of winning five straight batting titles, leading in hits each year as well. His 237 hits in 1995 set a new WAB single-season record, then he matched it in 1996. Nwankwo’s .388 batting average in 1996 was also a record at the time, although the later explosions in offense for WAB dropped him down the leaderboard.

In addition, Nwankwo led in doubles thrice in this stretch, peaking with 52 in 1995. He led in triples that year as well at 18. He led in OBP in 1996 at .421 and had his career best WAR (7.9), wRC+ (179), and OPS (.957) that year. Nwankwo’s highest run total was 103 in 1993. He signed a five-year, $2,936,000 extension in June 1993. Nwankwo won his lone Silver Sluggers in 1995 and 1996

Ibadan won Eastern League pennants in 1993, 1994, and 1996. In 1993, the Iguanas were 110-52 and won their only WAB Championship to date over Abidjan. Nwankwo was actually iffy in that run, but stronger in later postseasons, including taking finals MVP in 1996 even in defeat. In 49 playoff games for Ibadan, Nwankwo had 71 hits, 32 runs, 18 doubles, a .378/.398/.511 slash, 160 wRC+, and 2.1 WAR.

In total for Ibadan, Nwankwo had 1405 hits, 512 runs, 284 doubles, 71 triples, 19 home runs, 456 RBI, a .355/.376/.477 slash, 143 wRC+, and 31.4 WAR. The Iguanas later retired his #14 uniform, but the run ended abruptly. Nwankwo declined his contract option and entered free agency after the 1997 season at age 31. He signed for five years and $7,700,000 with Kumasi.

Nwankwo broke his single-season hits record with 238 in 1998 and led in doubles and batting average. He also posted a 33-game hit streak in the spring and a 24-game one shortly after. Kumasi ended a five-year playoff drought and surprised many by winning the Western League pennant, although they fell to the Kano dynasty in the WAB Championship. Nwankwo had a weak postseason with -0.4 WAR over 10 starts.

1998 was the beginning of the end in some respects as Nwankwo. He had 5.3 WAR that year, then a combined 5.4 WAR over his final six seasons. Various injuries cost him chunks of 1999 and 2000. Nwankwo was mostly healthy in 2001 and 2002, but his average was merely good now and not elite. Kumasi was near .500 from 1999-2001, then had WLCS losses in 2002 and 2003. They gave him a two-year, $2,000,000 extension after the 2002 season. However, Nwankwo saw limited use at this point.

Nwankwo played 52 games with 29 starts in 2003, struggling to -0.3 WAR. He only had three at-bats in all of 2004 as a healthy scratch. Kumasi did win the WAB Championship in 2004 with Nwankwo getting a ring despite barely contributing. In total for Kumasi, he had 780 hits, 254 runs, 172 doubles, 43 triples, 5 homers, 298 RBI, a .323/.349/.436 slash, 119 wRC+, and 10.7 WAR. He retired after the 2004 season at age 38.

Nwankwo ended with 2185 hits, 766 runs, 456 doubles, 114 triples, 24 home runs, 754 RBI, a .343/.366/.461 slash, 133 wRC+, and 42.1 WAR As of 2037, he ranks 75^th in hits and 71^st in doubles, falling rapidly down the leaderboards as offensive numbers soared shortly after he retired. Nwankwo doesn’t crack the top 100 in WAR among position players. Notably, his batting average still ranks 20^th among all WAB hitters with 3000+ plate appearances.

Additionally among all Hall of Famers in world history as of 2037, Nwankwo’s batting average ranks 15^th best. In terms of batting average and getting hits, Nwankwo was obviously excellent. Traditionalist voters look at six batting titles as a very strong case for induction. Nwankwo also was a solid playoff performer during a prominent run for Ibadan.

However, modern analytics view batting average as a far less impactful stat, which grades Nwankwo much more harshly. His WAR is among the lowest of any position player in any Hall of Fame. Nwankwo was also hurt by a relatively short career and quick decline. These factors made his Hall of Fame case a tricky one for the WAB voters. With a debut at 38.6% in 2010, he seemed destined for the Hall of Pretty Good.

Nwankwo slowly gained traction and got up to 60.1% by 2015 and 59.1% in 2016. Without any major debuts in 2017, Nwankwo’s resume got another pass on his eighth ballot. The batting titles and playoff success won over just enough skeptics for 72.3%, putting Nwankwo into WAB’s 2017 Hall of Fame class.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2017 WAB Hall of Fame (Part 2)

---

Yakubu Odiye – Third Base/Designated Hitter – Nouakchott Night Riders – 67.0% Fifth Ballot

Yakubu Odiye was a 6’4’’, 200 pound right-handed third baseman from Iseyin, a city of 362,000 in southwest Nigeria. As a hitter, Odiye wasn’t amazing at any one thing, but was above average to good in terms of contact, avoiding strikeouts, eye, and power. He was good at finding the gap with 39 doubles per his 162 game average. Odiye wasn’t a big bopper, but still got you around 20-25 home runs most years.

Odiye wasn’t much of an athlete otherwise with poor and clumsy baserunning. He had a strong arm and thus played third base, but his range and glove work stunk. Odiye saw limited first base play late in his career with average results. He also had about ¼ of his career starts as a designated hitter. He had respectable durability in a 21-year career over three continents, becoming a very popular player along the way.

Many don’t realize that Odiye started his pro career with Lome, who brought him to Togo on a developmental deal as a teenager in April 1985. He spent six years in the Lasers system, but never played for them. In November 1990, Odiye and SP prospect Nama Diawara were traded to Nouakchott for LF Samuel Rockson. The Night Riders debuted Odiye in 1991 at age 22, but only in 13 games. He saw 69 games and 55 starts in 1992.

Odiye earned the starting job in 1993 and won his first Silver Slugger in 1996. In 1995, he led the Western League with a career-best 51 doubles. Odiye generally didn’t lead the league, but he did have the best wRC+ (172) in 1997 and led in hits in 2000 (205). Odiye earned MVP honors and a Slugger in 1997 with career bests in WAR (7.9), OPS (.966), home runs (29), RBI (126), hits (208), and triple slash (.350/.392/.574).

Nouakchott ended a nine-year playoff drought in 1994, but lost in the wild card round. They made it back to the playoffs in 1997 as the #1 seed and won the Western League pennant, although they lost to the fledgling Kano dynasty in the WAB Championship. Odiye unfortunately missed most of the 1997 playoff run to an intercostal strain. The Night Riders had a wild card round loss in 1999, then stayed just above .500 but outside of the playoffs for the next three years.

After the 1996 season, Odiye inked a four-year, $7,260,000 extension. He then nabbed a five-year, $10,400,000 extension in May 2000. Odiye won Silver Sluggers in 2000, 2002, and 2003. He also took third in 2000’s MVP voting with 7.8 WAR; the second-best of his career. 2001 would be a disaster though with shoulder inflammation that led to a setback and surgery, knocking Odiye out almost the entire year.

Odiye was back and strong after that and helped Nouakchott back to a wild card in 2003. They got to the WLCS in 2004 as the top seed, but were upset by Kumasi. Odiye’s playoff numbers were unremarkable with 0.1 WAR and 95 wRC+ over 13 games. His production dropped off in 2004 and he eventually lost the starting gig. The Night Riders voided the team option year for a buyout of $400,000, which ended his run in WAB.

In total for Nouakchott, Odiye had 2132 hits, 913 runs, 454 doubles, 241 home runs, 1191 RBI, 412 walks, a .318/.361/.507 slash, 140 wRC+ and 55.0 WAR. The Night Riders would retire his #9 uniform later and his popularity helped him get over the hump. Leaving WAB at age 36 though limited his final tallies and gave him a borderline case for WAB’s Hall of Fame.

As of 2037, Odiye is 73^rd in WAR among position players, 84^th in hits, 72^nd in doubles, and 79^th in RBI. The numbers weren’t eye-popping, but he had an MVP, a pennant, and five Silver Sluggers. Odiye debuted at 53.7% in 2013, but jumped up to 62.1% in 2014. He then had 56.5% in 2015 and 63.2% in 2016. With a wide open 2017 field, Odiye scraped by the 66% requirement at 67.0% even, earning a fifth ballot Hall of Fame induction.

Odiye’s pro baseball career did continue for another seven years post-WAB. As a popular veteran, the newly formed European Second League came calling with a two-year, $6,400,000 deal with Liverpool. He won Silver Sluggers in both years with the Phantoms, posting 11.6 WAR. Odiye wanted to show that he still had big-league talent and that effort helped him prove that.

A free agent again at age 38, he ended up in the Asian Baseball Federation with Bishkek. His production was merely okay over 69 games with a hamstring strain costing him the second half of the season. Odiye still wanted to play and ended up in the African Association of Baseball for his final four years. He started in 2008 with Cape Town and posted a 4.3 WAR effort.

Next came Harare in 2009 and 2010 with 4.0 and 4.3 WAR seasons for the Hustlers. Odiye had a strong postseason in 2010 with a .990 OPS and 0.6 WAR in 11 starts, helping the Hustlers earn their first-ever Southern Conference pennant. Ultimately, a 120-win Addis Ababa buzzsaw awaited in the Africa Series.

Odiye then spent 2011 in Nairobi and was still a respectable starter with 2.3 WAR in 116 starts. He was still wanting to play somewhere in 2012, but couldn’t find a suitor, finally retiring at age 44. In his AAB stints, Odiye had 563 hits, 296 runs, 114 doubles, 106 home runs, 347 RBI, a .296/.379/.530 slash, 147 wRC+, and 14.9 WAR.

Combining all leagues, Odiye had 3028 hits, 1394 runs, 637 doubles, 399 home runs, 1719 RBI, a .308/.364/.506 slash, 142 wRC+, and 82.4 WAR. The E2L seasons probably shouldn’t count as “major league,’ but Odiye had a solid run however you frame it. His post-WAB stats were just good enough to help him slightly in getting across the line for WAB Hall of Fame induction.



Alusine Sadiq – Starting Pitcher – Ibadan Iguanas – 66.3% Ninth Ballot

Alusine Sadiq was a 6’0’’, 205 pound right-handed pitcher from Omoku, a city of around 200,000 people in southern Nigeria. Sadiq had above average to good stuff and movement with below average control. His velocity peaked in the 92-94 mph range, but he had a diverse arsenal of slider, curveball, forkball, changeup, and cutter.

Sadiq’s stamina was below average relative to other WAB aces, but he showed excellent durability. He was excellent at holding runners, but subpar defensively otherwise. Sadiq’s biggest flaw was his personality, as he was known for being selfish and lazy. Some felt that if he put more work in, he could’ve had an even better career than he had.

By the 1984 WAB Draft, Sadiq was eligible after a brief college career. He was picked 12^th overall by Ouagadougou, but didn’t see the field in 1985 or 1986. The Osprey debuted Sadiq as a part-time starter with okay results in 1987. He was a full-time starter mostly in 1988 and 1989, but posted subpar results. Sadiq flashed some of the promised potential in 1990, but regressed back to below average production in 1991.

Ouagadougou was a lower-end team during this era and was unimpressed by what they got from Sadiq. After the 1991 season, they traded him and prospect RF Ajoku Oparaugo to Port Harcourt for CF Monday Adebayo. In total for the Osprey, Sadiq had a 41-63 record, 4.00 ERA, 945 innings, 870 strikeouts, 93 ERA+, and 9.1 WAR.

Sadiq looked quite good in his two years for Port Harcourt, posting a 35-13 record, 2.70 ERA, 426.2 innings, 436 strikeouts, 140 ERA+, and 7.3 WAR. The Hillcats were in the middle of a playoff streak at this point. They lost in the first round in 1992 with Sadiq not seeing the field in the brief series. PH lost the 1993 Eastern League Championship Series to Ibadan with Sadiq allowing four runs over 6.2 innings in his one playoff start.

Now entering 1994, Sadiq was a free agent for the first time and soon to turn 29. He scored a five-year, $4,110,000 deal with Lagos. The Lizards used him in a split starter/bullpen role with okay results, posting 2.4 WAR over 164 innings in 1994. He had two relief appearances in the playoffs as Lagos lost the ELCS to Ibadan. Sadiq wasn’t thrilled with his role after one year and clashed constantly with Lagos management.

Thus, he was traded to the team that beat the Lizards in the ELCS. In spring training 1995, Sadiq was shipped to Ibadan for LF Samuel Sawadogo and P Houssein Soares. The Iguanas had won back-to-back pennants and hoping for a dynasty. This would become Sadiq’s most famous run, although he was forgettable in his first year in a split role. He was back to full-time starting from 1996 onward.

Ibadan lost in the first round in 1995, but won the 1996 pennant at 112-52. Sadiq had a solid 1996 run with a 1.88 ERA over 14.1 innings. His other playoff starts were a mixed bag and in total, he finished with a lackluster 5.09 ERA in the playoffs over 58.1 innings. The Iguanas earned five more playoff berths from 1997-2001, but lost in the first round of 1997 and in the ELCS the other four seasons.

Sadiq’s production was good enough to get a three-year, $3,380,000 extension in May 1998. He improved his control in his later years and had his best two seasons in 2000 (5.0 WAR) and 2001 (5.2 WAR). 2001 was Sadiq’s only time as a Pitcher of the Year finalist, taking third. Ibadan gave him another two years and $2,960,000 that winter.

In 2002, Sadiq reverted back to middling production and got moved out of the rotation full-time. The playoff streak ended for Ibadan as well at 77-85. In 2003, Sadiq saw only 67.1 innings with a 4.81 ERA and retired that winter at age 38. With Ibadan, Sadiq had a 107-82 record, 3.43 ERA, 1770.1 innings, 1836 strikeouts, 420 walks, 112 ERA+, and 29.0 WAR.

In total, Sadiq had a 198-166 record 3.50 ERA, 3306 innings, 3325 strikeouts, 848 walks, 275/449 quality starts, 37 complete games, 108 ERA+, and 47.7 WAR. As of 2037, he ranks 11^th in wins, fifth in innings, and 17^th in strikeouts. His longevity got him up those leaderboards, but Sadiq only ranked 58^th in pitching WAR despite that. Advanced stats suggested he was merely an above average pitcher that happened to have tenure.

Plus, his personality, lack of black ink and awards, and playoff woes made Sadiq seem destined for the Hall of Good. He debuted at 38.9% in 2009 and fell to 33.9% in 2010. He gained some momentum and got as high as 58.2% in 2015, but fell back to 43.3% in 2016. In 2017 with a wide open field, Sadiq managed to win over some of the critics. He crossed the line by a very narrow threshold at 66.3%, but that got him a ninth ballot induction with WAB’s 2017 Hall of Fame class.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2017 SAB Hall of Fame

Earning a first ballot spot into the South Asia Baseball Hall of Fame in 2017 was shortstop Aftab Alam at 93.5%. No one else got in, but 1B Sunil Lamichhane barely missed the 66% cut at 64.5% in his ninth ballot. RF Han Kwye Khant got 60.9% on his fifth attempt. Also cracking 50% was C Kumar Patel at 59.8% in his tenth and final shot, plus RF Teerapat Siryakorn at 58.3% for his sixth go.



For Patel, he was hurt by the usual anti-catcher bias from voters with the lower tallies that naturally come from the spot. He had an 18-year career with Kolkata and was a 14-time all-star and four-time Silver Slugger winner. Patel had 2073 hits, 805 runs, 541 doubles, 180 home runs, 895 RBI, a .273/.319/.425 slash, 132 wRC+, and 74.6 WAR.

At retirement, Patel had the most WAR at catcher in SAB history and still ranks second as of 2037. He had a much better resume in paper than Krish Balvinder, SAB’s lone HOF catcher to that point. Patel debuted at 56.7% and got as close at 62.9% in 2012, but ended at 59.8%. The lack of power numbers probably sank him, but again voters seemed overly harsh towards a deserving catcher.

Also dropped after ten ballots was SP Raj Laghari, the 1996 Pitcher of the Year for Jaipur. He was hurt by only an 11-year career and a very sudden decline, finishing with a 147-103 record, 2.78 ERA, 2352.2 innings, 2836 strikeouts, 119 ERA+, and 58.1 WAR. Laghari peaked at 40.5% in his debut and ended with 18.5%. With a couple more years of production, he probably would’ve made the cut.



Aftab “Spider” Alam – Shortstop – Bangkok Bobcats – 93.5% First Ballot

Aftab Alam was a 6’2’’, 190 pound right-handed shortstop from Fulbari, an upazila of around 194,000 people in northwest Bangladesh. Nicknamed “Spider,” Alam provided reliable power with 36 home runs, 26 doubles, and 6 triples per his 162 game average. He was merely an average when it came to contact and drawing walks and subpar at avoiding strikeouts. However, Alam made his contact count regularly.

His speed was only above average, but Alam was a very crafty base stealer. He made the vast majority of his starts at shortstop and was a rock solid defender. Alam held up incredibly well at a demanding position over a 21-year career. He was quite smart and became a beloved superstar both in his native Bangladesh and his second home in Thailand.

The majority of his pro career came with Bangkok, who grabbed him as a teenage amateur in January 1986. After five years in the Bobcats academy, he debuted in the Thai capital in 1991 at age 21, playing 83 games with 27 starts. Alam became a full-time starter in 1992 and started 130+ games each year from 1992-2000. Apart from a poor showing in 1995, Alam had 6+ WAR each year in that stretch.

Alam generally didn’t lead the league in hitting categories, but his defense helped him to the WARlord title in 1994 and 1996. He also led in 1996 with a career high 117 runs. 1994 was his top season by WAR at 9.1. Both years saw 40+ home runs, a mark he’d reach four times in his career. Alam won three straight Silver Sluggers from 1992-94 and was second in 1994 MVP voting. That winter, he signed an eight-year, $11,700,000 extension.

1996 saw a second in MVP voting, but he missed the Silver Slugger somehow. Alam then won three straight Sluggers from 1997-1999. His seventh and final Sluggers with Bangkok came in 2001 despite missing two months to a strained knee. During Alam’s tenure, Bangkok earned five wild cards, but it was nearly impossible to compete against the loaded Ho Chi Minh City and Yangon rosters of the era. Thus, they never got beyond the first round.

Still, Alam was beloved for his efforts in Bangkok. He was also a star back home in Bangladesh and played for his country from 1993-2011 in the World Baseball Championship. Alam had 152 games and 147 starts in the WBC, posting 108 hits, 71 runs, 16 doubles, 35 home runs, 94 RBI, a .200/.267/.439 slash, 102 wRC+, and 2.3 WAR.

Bangkok fell to 64-98 in 2002 and would stay at the bottom of the standings for the next few years. Alam had signed a four-year, $7,300,000 extension before the 2002 season. He maintained his usual excellence, although back spasms cost him half of 2004. The Bobcats executed Alam’s contract option in 2005, but looked to trade him as it didn’t seem like they’d be competing in the near future.

In total for Bangkok, Alam had 2108 hits, 1171 runs, 347 doubles, 478 home runs, 1335 RBI, a .274/.325/.525 slash, 141 wRC+, and 98.1 WAR. There were no hard feelings from the trade and his #4 uniform was retired at the end of his career. In November 2005, Alam was traded to Bengaluru for four prospects. The Blazers had won back-to-back Indian League titles in 2003-04 and they hoped Alam could keep that train rolling.

Bengaluru narrowly missed the playoffs in 2006, although Alam more than held his own with a 7.7 WAR effort and his eighth Silver Slugger. He became a free agent for the first time at age 37 and hadn’t shown any signs of decline, having posted 14 seasons worth 5+ WAR and nine above 7+ WAR. Alam signed a three-year, $10,560,000 with Yangon, the defending Southeast Asia League champ.

The Green Dragons remained a contender in Alam’s two years there, but lost both seasons in the SEAL final to the fledgling Hanoi dynasty. Alam got his ninth Slugger in 2007, which as of 2037 remains the most by any SAB shortstop. His pace was strong in 2008, but recurring back spasms cost him two months. He didn’t meet the vesting criteria for the third year of the deal, becoming a free agent again at age 39.

Just before the season started, Alam signed for one season with Ho Chi Minh City. 2009 was the last gasp of the Hedgehogs dynasty, earning a 23^rd straight playoff berth and their sixth SAB Championship. Alam had his best postseason run with 17 hits, 11 runs, 5 homers, and a 1.022 OPS over 13 starts, securing his lone ring. Unfortunately though, he missed the clinching games of the series to a concussion.

Alam was respectable for his career in the playoffs with 51 games, 47 hits, 30 runs, 7 doubles, 3 triples, 13 home runs, 33 RBI, a .253/.307/.532 slash, 126 wRC+, and 1.7 WAR. A free agent again at age 40, Alam went back to Yangon for 2010. He missed some time to a strained back, but the Green Dragons used him in a backup role mostly. He only had four pinch hit at-bats in the 2010 postseason as Yangon lost in the first round.

Between the two stints for the Green Dragons, Alam had 12.4 WAR, 313 hits, 188 runs, 56 doubles, 61 home runs, 198 RBI, and a .282/.333/.520 slash. Alam wanted to keep going and Delhi gave him a three-year, $12,040,000 deal. He was mostly a full-time starter for the Drillers in 2011 with passable results, posting 1.5 WAR and a 114 wRC+. Alam decided to retire with that just after turning 42.

Alam finished with 2814 hits, 1598 runs, 464 doubles, 98 triples, 634 home runs, 1769 RBI, 776 walks, 585 stolen bases, a .273/.324/.521 slash, 139 wRC+, and 124.6 WAR. As of 2037, he ranks 16^th in hits, 14^th in runs, sixth in games played (2841), 58^th in doubles, 16^th in home runs, 11^th in RBI, 12^th in total bases (5376), and 13^th in WAR among position players. Alam also leads all shortstops in WAR, runs, hits, total bases, homers, and RBI.

Because there were so many other contemporaries putting up jaw dropping numbers, Alam almost flew under the radar. By the numbers though, it’s hard to argue he isn’t SAB’s greatest-ever shortstop thus far. Few guys in baseball history maintained and sustained such a high level of play over two decades. Alam got the first ballot nod at 93.5% and stood alone for SAB’s 2017 Hall of Fame class.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2017 ABF Hall of Fame

---

The Asian Baseball Federation had two first basemen added into the Hall of Fame in 2017, both on their debut ballots. Gokhan Karatas led the way at 87.7% with Radi Umar close behind at 81.5%. The best returner was also a first baseman with Altaf Aslam at 53.0% for his second attempt. No one else topped 50% and no players were dropped after ten ballots.



Gokhan Karatas – First Base – Izmir Ice Caps – 87.7% First Ballot

Gokhan Karatas was a 6’4’’, 200 pound left-handed hitting first baseman from Manavgat, a city of 252,000 inhabitants in southwestern Turkey’s Antalya Province. Especially against right-handed pitching, Karatas had excellent contact and power skills, posting a career .929 OPS and 161 wRC+. He was good against lefties in his prime, but below average overall with a .656 OPS and 89 wRC+. In total, he graded as a very good contact and power hitter with an average eye for drawing walks, although he did have a lousy strikeout rate.

Gap power was one of Karatas’s biggest strengths as a hitter, posting 35 doubles and 5 triples per his 162 game average. He could also go yard and had 33 home runs per the 162 game average, topping 40+ six times. Karatas was a very smart and savvy baserunner, but he was limited by below average speed. He was well respected in the clubhouse for his leadership.

Karatas was a lifetime first baseman and an excellent defender at the spot, winning three Gold Gloves in his career. He was a true ironman, starting 150+ games each year over a 20 year stretch. By the time he was done, Karatas played more games than all but one player in pro baseball history. He became a beloved superstar worldwide and a true icon of Turkish baseball.

He was only 18-years old when he was picked fourth overall by Izmir in the 1987 ABF Draft. Karatas was a part-time starter with iffy results as a rookie, but it was rare to see any teenager starting in any league. He grabbed the full-time job the next year and led the West Asia Association with 60 doubles., setting a record for the then young-ABF.

Karatas topped that with a bonkers 72 doubles in 1990, setting a single-season world record. The Arab League’s Kerlos Sharaf beat it with 73 in 2028, but no one else has topped it as of 2037. Izmir got its first-ever playoff berth, but lost to Mashhad in the Association final. Karatas led in doubles again in 1991 and the Ice Caps got their first-ever pennant, losing to Gujranwala in the ABF Championship. Karatas had a strong postseason with 13 hits, 5 runs, 3 doubles, 3 homers, 9 RBI, and a 1.190 OPS, winning MVP of the Association final.

In his first four years, Karatas had a combined 45 home runs. He found his raw power in 1992 and topped 45+ dingers for each of the next five years. Karatas led with 52 in 1992, then smacked a career-best 62 in 1993. He also had 153 RBI in 1993, which was an ABF record at that point. It ranks as the eighth-best as of 2037.

From 1992-1996, Karatas led four times in WAR, runs scored, and OPS. He led in OBP all five years; thrice in total bases, slugging, wRC+, and RBI; and twice in hits and batting average. 1993 was the topper with career bests in runs (133), homers (62), RBI (153), total bases (458), triple slash (.377/.462/.822), OPS (1.285), wRC+ (238), and WAR (14.9). Karatas won three straight MVPs from 1992-94 and finished second in 1995 and third in 1996. He also won four Silver Sluggers from 1992-95.

The 1993 effort also set ABF records at the time for WAR, runs, batting average, slugging, OPS, and total bases. The slugging mark still holds as the best season as of 2037, while the WAR ranks third, total bases ranks second, OPS second, and batting average ranks seventh. Getting 14+ WAR at first base was also a very rare feat, as almost all of the seasons in baseball history to get there needed the defensive boost from being at shortstop or center field.

Despite this incredible production, Izmir won 85, 85, 86, 86, and 83 games during this stretch. Their only playoff berth came in 1993 with an Association finals loss to Tehran. Karatas became a megastar though in Turkey and proudly represented his country in the World Baseball Championship. Even after leaving for MLB, Karatas always came home to play for the Turkish team.

From 1991-2010, Karatas had 194 games and 191 starts in the WBC, posting 158 hits, 119 runs, 28 doubles, 49 home runs, 115 RBI, a .237/.348/.505 slash, 147 wRC+, and 7.9 WAR. Karatas helped Turkey earn elite eight appearances in 1997, 2006, and 2008.

Karatas signed an eight-year, $7,070,000 extension in 1992 with Izmir, but his dominance quickly got attention worldwide. While he loved playing in Turkey, Karatas wanted to prove himself at a higher level. He also knew that he could command a much bigger paycheck elsewhere. To this disappointment of Turkish fans, he opted out of his contract after the 1996 season, becoming a free agent heading towards his age 28 season.

In total for Izmir, Karatas had 1620 hits, 954 runs, 448 doubles, 300 home runs, 1008 RBI, 606 walks, 56 stolen bases, a .325/.407/.618 slash, 1.026 OPS, 184 wRC+, and 80.4 WAR. The Ice Caps would later retire his #21 uniform and he’d remain a superstar in Turkey even after leaving. His countrymen kept an eye on his career as it led him next to Major League Baseball.

Karatas signed four years and $14,680,000 with Virginia Beach. He was never a league-leader in MLB, but he topped 5+ WAR in 1997 and 1999 for the Vikings. They won a division title and bye in 1997, but lost in the second round. Virginia Beach then sat around .500 the next two years. In three seasons, Karatas had 484 hits, 240 runs, 85 doubles, 80 home runs, 253 RBI, a .262/.328/.447 slash, 132 wRC+, and 12.0 WAR.

After declining his contract option fourth year, Karatas signed a four-year, $27,300,000 deal with Austin. He also played three years with the Amigos, whose lone playoff berth was a second-round exit in 2001. With Austin, Karatas had 483 hits, 259 runs, 57 doubles, 92 home runs, 264 RBI, a .266/.325/.468 slash, 118 wRC+, and 10.7 WAR. He again opted out of his fourth year contract option and was a free agent again heading towards age 34.

Next came a four-year, $34,000,000 deal with San Francisco. Karatas won his first Gold Glove in 2003 and chugged along for a then-below average Gold Rush franchise. Notably in 2005, he posted a 33-game hitting streak. In three seasons, Karatas had 489 hits, 276 runs, 71 doubles, 96 home runs, 264 RBI, .272/.321/.485 slash, 121 wRC+, and 12.4 WAR. He again opted out of his fourth year and was a free agent year again heading towards age 37.

Karatas signed three years and $29,200,000 with Edmonton, winning Gold Gloves in 2006 and 2008. He kept up the same reliable production that he had seen in his MLB run, finishing with 499 hits, 277 runs, 67 doubles, 94 home runs, 283 RBI, a .272/.330/.474 slash, 127 wRC+, and 14.8 WAR. Despite his efforts, the Eels were a sub-.500 squad during this run.

The now 40-year old signed for 2009 with Toronto and for the first time since his rookie year, he didn’t start 150+ games. He still posted 4.6 WAR over 120 starts with the Timberwolves. Karatas then went to Denver for 2010 with a similar workload. For the first time though, his wRC+ dipped just below 100 and he had 1.8 WAR in 127 starts. His weaker numbers against lefties started to be more noticeable and he was less dominant against righties.

Still, Karatas helped the Dragons end a 14-year playoff drought, making 12 playoff starts with 12 hits, 6 runs, 2 homers, and 7 RBI. Denver would fall to San Diego in the American Association Championship Series. This marked the end of 14-year run in MLB with 2170 games, 2222 hits, 1198 runs, 319 doubles, 415 home runs, 1217 RBI, a .267/.324/.467 slash, 125 wRC+, and 56.2 WAR. It was a very solid “Hall of Good” level run in the world’s top league.

Karatas wanted to still play somewhere and put out feelers to return to a much different looking ABF. Right after spring training, he got a one-year deal with Tashkent. He was a decent starter, but far from elite at this point. The Tomcats traded him to Tehran in July for two prospects. Karatas posted 140 starts between the two teams with 111 wRC+ and 1.6 WAR.

The Tarpons got a wild card and earned the West League pennant, falling to Faisalabad in the ABF Championship. In 16 playoff starts, Karatas had 16 hits, 8 runs, 3 home runs, 9 RBI, and a .794 OPS. At this point, Karatas had played 3682 professional baseball games, second in world history only behind the CABA legend Prometheo Garcia at 3784. He was also 30 hits away from 4000 for his pro career. He wanted to make a run at it, but his skills had unfortunately diminished. Karatas was unsigned in 2012 and ended up retiring that winter at age 43.

In ABF, Karatas had 1748 hits, 1005 runs, 468 doubles, 58 triples, 321 home runs, 1064 RBI, a .317/.398/.598 slash, 178 wRC+, and 82.1 WAR. Because he only played nine ABF seasons, he’s lower on the accumulation leaderboards. As of 2037, he’s 77^th in runs scored, 40^th in doubles, 80^th in home runs, and 65^th in RBI. Despite that, Karatas ranks 38^th in WAR among position players. His .996 OPS also ranks 12^th among all batters with 3000 plate appearances, while his slugging is 17^th, OBP sixth, and batting average 26^th.

A couple voters couldn’t get over the short tenure or held a grudge that he didn’t stay to help grow ABF in its early years. But his raw dominance in the Izmir prime was impossible to ignore. Thus, Karatas received 87.7% for a first ballot Hall of Fame induction with ABF’s 2017 class.

For his entire pro career, Karatas had 3970 hits, 2203 runs, 787 doubles, 106 triples, 736 home runs, 2281 RBI, 1182 walks, a .287/.354/.519 slash, 147 wRC+, and 138.3 WAR. For all of pro baseball history, he’s 12^th in runs scored, seventh in hits, fifth in doubles, 18^th in RBI, and 50^th in WAR by a position player. Karatas’s remarkable longevity and consistency made him one of the world’s finest ballplayers of the 1990s and 2000s.



Radi Umar – First Base – Karachi Carp – 81.5% First Ballot

Radi Umar was a 6’4’’, 190 pound right-handed first baseman from Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city. Umar was a “three true outcomes” type player who had strong home run power and a solid knack for drawing walks, but a poor strikeout rate. He was a below average contact hitter, but made his hits count with 35 home runs and 31 doubles per his 162 game average. On the basepaths, Umar was quite sluggish

Umar spent his entire career playing first base. Defensively, he was reliably above average to good. He had some big injuries, but he posted a stretch from 1996-2010 with 140+ starts each year. Umar was quite intelligent and appreciated for his fierce loyalty. Thus, Umar spent his entire 21-year career carrying the banner for Karachi.

The ABF formed in 1985 and in the 1988 ABF Draft, Umar was picked third by his hometown squad Karachi. He was excited to try to turn his city’s team into an early contender. Umar was picked as a teenager and debuted at age 19, but he definitely wasn’t ready. He saw 23 games and 1 start in 1989, then had only nine starts with 107 in 1990. Umar’s first year as a starter came in 1991 with unremarkable results.

For 1992-1993, Umar was a healthy scratch generally with only 45 starts between the two seasons in hopes that he’d develop better. They put him back in the starting role in 1994, but again he was average at best, plus he lost time to a sprained ankle. In 1995, torn ankle ligaments required surgery and put Umar out almost the entire year.

Umar did make it back for the playoffs in 1995 and finally flashed that great potential. In 12 starts, Umar had 19 hits, 8 runs, 4 doubles, 5 home runs, 13 RBI, a 361 wRC+, and 1.4 WAR. He was MVP of the Pakistan League Championship Series and Karachi won the pennant, although they lost to Adana in the ABF Championship.

From here, Umar finally put it altogether and became a top tier player. He led in RBI in both 1996 and 1997. 1997 had his career best 44 home runs, while 1996 had his best wRC+ at 218. Umar posted his first of eight seasons that were worth 6+ WAR. He took third in 1996 MVP voting, then won a Silver Slugger in 1997.

The Carp repeated as PL champ in 1996, again losing in the ABF final to Adana. Umar again had a big postseason with 14 hits, 8 runs, 8 home runs, 17 RBI, a 1.102 OPS, 318 wRC+, and 1.2 WAR. At the time, the HR and RBI marks were ABF postseason records. Because of that, Karachi signed Umar in April 1997 to an eight-year, $9,520,000 extension.

Karachi would go on a seven-year playoff drought after this and were below .500 from 1999-2003. It wasn’t Umar’s fault, as he reliably delivered. He wasn’t winning awards or leading the league, but he was good for around 4-6 WAR each season. Umar was still proud to represent his home city and his country. He played for Pakistan in 85 games and 73 starts from 1997-2010 in the World Baseball Championship, getting 50 hits, 34 runs, 13 doubles, 15 home runs, 35 RBI, a .186/.268/.401 slash, 96 wRC+, and 0.9 WAR.

The Carp started a six-year playoff streak in 2004, beginning with first round wild card exits in 2004 and 2005. It was now the East League after the Central Asian teams joined ABF in the 2000 exodus from EPB. Umar led the league in home runs and walks in 2004. Now 35-years old, Karachi gave him a three-year, $9,680,000 extension. He followed it up with back-to-back Silver Sluggers.

2006 was Umar’s best regular season by WAR (8.0), OPS (.945), home runs (45), RBI (115), and runs (94), taking third in MVP voting. The Carp earned the #1 seed with a franchise-best 111-51, but suffered a stunning first round upset to Gujranwala. This was a rare poor postseason for Umar, who went 1-19 at the plate. He bounced back with a career and league best 77 walks in 2007 while adding 42 home runs and 7.0 WAR. Umar had a decent 2007 postseason, but Karachi lost in the ELCS to Bishkek despite again being the #1 seed.

Umar was good again in 2008 and Karachi went 105-57, just losing the division to 107-55 Hyderabad. They went on a postseason run though and won the pennant, falling to Istanbul in the ABF Championship. Karachi signed Umar to another three-year extension at $16,440,000. Then in 2009, the Carp finally won it all, defeating Ankara in the 2009 ABF Championship.

In the playoff run, Umar had 14 starts, 11 hits, 8 runs, 4 home runs, and 8 RBI. As of 2037, this is Karachi’s only title and Umar was delighted to bring his home city the gold. He had strong playoff stats in total with 76 career starts, 79 hits, 38 runs, 13 doubles, 25 home runs, 63 RBI, a .277/.337/.593 slash, 221 wRC+, and 4.7 WAR. As of 2037, he ranks eighth in playoff homers and seventh in RBI.

Karachi just missed the playoffs in 2010 and lost in the first round in 2011 to end their run of success. Umar started to wind down with age, but was still a fine starter. In 2010, he became the second to 600 career home runs and passed Vahid Hadadi’s 603 to become the ABF home run king. Umar also became the first to reach 2500 career hits.

His 2011 season ended with torn ankle ligaments and he retired that winter at age 42. In addition to the HR king and hit king titles, Umar retired as the runs scored and RBI leader. Karachi immediately retired his #8 uniform for being a fine ambassador for the city and franchise for two decades.

Umar finished with 2588 hits, 1387 runs, 573 doubles, 633 home runs, 1573 RBI, 1010 walks, a .253/.325/.502 slash, 164 wRC+, and 96.1 WAR. As ABF aged, Umar’s tallies quickly slid down the leaderboards and he’d be out of the #1 spots by the end of the 2010s. Still as of 2037, he ranks eighth in home runs, seventh in RBI, 15^th in hits, 17^th in runs scored, eighth in walks, and 20^th in WAR among position players.

It is actually surprising considering where he retired on the leaderboards that Umar only got 81.5% on his ballot debut in 2017. Perhaps his lack of MVP and relatively small black ink hurt him. But Umar was an important piece for Karachi for two decades and brought them their only title so far, earning his spot in the ABF Hall of Fame.