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

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 10-28-2024, 08:53 AM

2017 ALB Hall of Fame (Part 1)

For only the second time, Arab League Baseball had a three-player Hall of Fame class. IF Abderrazak Zouari was the no-doubt headliner of the 2017 class with 98.9 in his debut, while the other two made it on their third tries. RP Adlen Sharif had 75.2%, while SP Ahmad Abu Kabeer barely crossed the 66% requirement at 66.4%. Also cracking 50% was 1B Sultan Riaz at 59.2% for his debut and SP Ali Al-Shakal with 56.9% for his fifth ballot. No players were dropped from the ballot after ten failed tries.

Abderrazak “Danger Man” Zouari – Third/Second Base – Casablanca Bruins – 98.9% First Ballot

Abderrazak Zouari was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed infielder from Khemisset, a city with around 130,000 people in northern Morocco. Nicknamed “The Danger Man” for penchant for risk taking, Zouari was a very well rounded batter who was good to great in terms of contact, power, and eye. His 162 game average had 40 home runs, 26 doubles, and 6 triples.

On top of his bad, Zouari was one of the smartest and craftiest baserunners going and had very good speed in his younger days. His strikeout rate was a bit weak, but Zouari still got on plenty and was a dangerous force on the basepaths. His intelligence, loyalty, and adaptability served him very well over a 22-year pro career. He did run into sporadic injury issues, but usually avoided missing big chunks.

Zouari played second base often in his early to mid 20s with solid results defensively. He made the full-time move to third base at 29 and made about 2/3s of his career starts there with generally above average to good production. He played first base at the very end once his body started to break down, struggling in his brief stint there. For the majority of his run, Zouari provided positive value in all facets of the game, turning him into a megastar of the early Arab League.

On top of that, Zouari became a national hero in Morocco starring for the capital’s team in Casablanca. They signed him as a teenage amateur in December 1990 and kept him in the academy for most of five years, although he did see 36 games and 11 starts from 1994-1995. Zouari looked okay in 1996 over 83 games and 53 starts.

The lineup wasn’t easy to crack, as the Bruins were one of the first regular contenders in ALB. They won three straight Western Conference pennants from 1993-95 and back-to-back ALB titles in 1994 and 1995. Zouari had two at-bats in the 1994 run, but did play six games with four starts in 1995 with 7 hits, 3 runs, 3 doubles, 1 homer, and 6 RBI. In August 1996, he suffered a torn labrum that put him out until the summer of 1997.

Zouari earned the full-time gig in 1997 and had an impressive 5.2 WAR in only 1997 games. A flexor-prontaor injury cost him part of 1998, but he again thrived when on the field. Zouari finally got a full uninterrupted 1999 and took second in MVP voting, leading in runs (171) and WAR (9.8). This was his first of six seasons with 40+ homers, first of eight with 100+ runs scored, and first of ten seasons worth 7+ WAR.

In 2000, Zouari won his first MVP and a Silver Slugger at second base, leading in WAR at 8.4. Casablanca remained the class of the Mediterranean Division with four titles from 1996-2000, but they couldn’t make it out of the first round. Zouari lost seven weeks in 2001 to a strained triceps, but he still posted 6.2 WAR over 85 games. The Bruins won the conference title again, but lost to Mosul in the ALB Championship.

Zouari then won three straight MVPs and three Silver Sluggers (one at 2B, two at 3B), leading all three years in runs and WAR. In 2002, he led and had career highs in runs (131), homers (55), RBI (147), total bases (401), slugging (.706), OPS (1.115), wRC+ (206), and WAR (12.0). Zouari briefly had the single-season runs record and the WAR mark still ranks sixth-best by an ALB position player as of 2037.

Despite that, Casablanca missed the playoffs in 2002 and 2004. However, they won it all at 108-54 in 2003 over Dubai. Zouari was conference finals MVP and in 10 playoff starts had 17 hits, 7 runs, 5 homers, 11 RBI, and a 1.395 OPS. That winter, he was finally up for a new deal and signed for $18,440,000 over seven years to stay with the Bruins.

Zouari was a mega star throughout all of Morocco, as he annually represented his country in the World Baseball Championship. From 1995-2016, Zouari had 164 games, 156 starts, 141 hits, 88 runs, 24 doubles, 45 home runs, 114 RBI, 54 stolen bases, a .250/.338/.531 slash, 152 wRC+, and 6.8 WAR.

From 2005-2008, Zouari won four more Sluggers for seven total in ALB. He was second in 2005’s MVP voting, third in 2006, and third in 2007. Zouari’s fifth MVP win came in 2008, leading in WAR for the seventh time and runs for the fifth time. Only Zouari, Mohammed Mohamed, and Nordine Soule have 5+ MVPs in ALB history as of 2037. Casablanca won conference titles in 2005 and 2008, but fell in the ALB final to Medina in 05 and Basra in 2008. The Bruins lost in the 2007 conference final to Jerusalem.

Zouari’s playoff numbers were solid in ALB with 61 games, 56 starts, 71 hits, 41 runs, 13 doubles, 16 home runs, 43 RBI, 31 stolen bases, a .333/.395/.638 slash, 177 wRC+, and 3.4 WAR. His #19 uniform was an easy one for Casablanca to retire as a big reason they were a regular contender in ALB’s first two decades. Coming off his fourth MVP and age 35, Zouari couldn’t resist the worldwide opportunities he was getting, leaving for MLB.

In total with Casablanca, Zouari had 1938 hits, 1278 runs, 353 doubles, 475 home runs, 1263 RBI, 770 walks, 875 stolen bases, a .305/.382/.613 slash, 170 wRC+, and 100.8 WAR. As of 2037, he ranks eighth in WAR among position players, 51^st in runs, 54^th in homers, 62^nd in RBI, 26^th in walks, and 27^th in stolen bases. Among all ALB hitters with 3000+ plate appearances, his .995 OPS ranks 22^nd.

Had he stayed, Zouari probably gets to some tallies that slot him in the inner circle of ALB greats. Even still, that excellence was enough with Casablanca for an easy first ballot Hall of Fame nod, headlining the 2017 Arab League class at 98.9%. However, Zouari had another eight years of pro baseball after leaving Morocco.

Baltimore won the sweepstakes at four years and $56,700,000. A strained hamstring cost him two months of his debut season, but Zouari thrived in the next three years, winning Silver Sluggers in 2010 and 2011. The Orioles ended a 24-year playoff drought in 2011, although they lost in the first round. In total for Baltimore, Zouari had 560 hits, 321 runs, 60 doubles, 132 home runs, 326 RBI, a .268/.328/.494 slash, 149 wRC+, and 24.0 WAR.

He proved he could hang in MLB even in his late 30s. Washington signed him for two-years and $46,800,000, giving him an annual salary roughly that of his combined Casablanca earnings. Zouari remained a very good starter for the Admirals with 9.9 WAR, 293 hits, 163 runs, 26 doubles, 59 home runs, 153 RBI, a .266/.347/.463 slash, and 155 wRC+. They were just outside the playoffs in both seasons there.

Heading to age 41, Zouari finished his final two seasons with Omaha. He was still playable, but diminished in 2015 as age finally started to catch him. Zouari struggled in the first half of 2016, then suffered a torn ACL in July. Rather than rehab it, Zouari retired that winter at age 42. He had 2.1 WAR over 205 games with Omaha.
In MLB, Zouari had 1024 hits, 590 runs, 107 doubles, 232 home runs, 575 RBI, 383 walks, 165 stolen bases, a .259/.327/.473 slash, 144 wRC+, and 36.0 WAR. That was a remarkable run for a guy who started at age 35, dispelling any doubters that his success came from weaker ALB competition.

For his combined pro career, Zouari had 2962 hits, 1868 runs, 460 doubles, 110 triples, 707 home runs, 1838 RBI, 1153 walks, 1040 stolen bases, a .287/.361/.559 slash, 160 wRC+, and 136.8 WAR. Zouari narrowly misses being in the top 50 all-time in WAR among position players. He’s also notably one of four in pro baseball history with 700+ home runs and 1000+ stolen bases. Certainly Zouari was an all-timer and is one of Morocco’s favorite sons for good reason

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 10-28-2024, 03:38 PM

2017 ALB Hall of Fame (Part 2)

Adlen Sharif – Relief Pitcher – Algiers Arsenal – 75.2% Third Ballot

Adlen Sharif was a 6’1’’, 200 pound right-handed relief pitcher from Oulad Ayad, a town of 21,000 inhabitants in central Morocco. Sharif had great stuff and terrific movement, although his control was mediocre at best. He had a 96-98 mph cutter as his primary pitch mixed with a slider, leading to an extreme groundball tendency. Sharif’s stamina and durability were both strong for a reliever, making him ready whenever called upon. He also graded as a good defensive pitcher.

Sharif was picked early in the second round of the 1996 ALB Draft, taken 30^th overall by Algiers. He was the Arsenal closer right away and was third in Reliever of the Year voting in his second season. Sharif then took third in ROTY in 1999, 2000, and 2001; third in 2002, and second again in 2003. He led the Western Conference in saves in 2001 (43) and 2003 (41).

Perhaps it was hard to get noticed with Algiers, who never made the playoffs in Sharif’s tenure. 1998 was their first winning season and they topped 90+ wins in 1999, 2001, and 2002; but got denied narrowly each time. Sharif’s best season by strikeouts was 2002 with 155. His top by WAR was 4.5 in 1999. His best ERA came in his final season with Algiers at 1.24, along with a best 306 ERA+.

Sharif finally won Reliever of the Year in his final campaign for the Arsenal. In total, he had 285 saves and 327 shutdowns, 2.15 ERA, 749.2 innings, 1073 strikeouts, 268 walks, 179 ERA+, and 26.1 WAR. Sharif was liked enough by management that his #4 uniform was later retired by Algiers. Sharif was due free agency after the 2005 season and knowing that, the Arsenal began shopping him.

They found the buyer in February 2005, trading Sharif to Basra for two prospects. The Bulldogs were the defending Eastern Conference champ and Sharif solidified the bullpen, winning his second Reliever of the Year. He also became the third in ALB history to reach 300 career saves. Basra was the lowest seed, but got hot en route to their first ALB Championship over Giza. Sharif had two scoreless innings and two saves in the postseason.

That marked the end of his ALB career at age 31, as he left for MLB. Sharif finished with a 79-62 record, 316 saves, 2.08 ERA, 843.2 innings, 1199 strikeouts, 295 walks, 185 ERA+, and 30.0 WAR. As of 2037, he ranks seventh in saves and his stats were comparable to the other relievers in the ALB Hall at that point. Some felt he might have made a run up the leaderboards had he stayed.

Because Sharif didn’t stay, many voters thought he didn’t have enough to get in. Sharif debuted at 64.4% in 2015, barely missing the 66% requirement. He dropped slightly to 60.8% in 2016, then made it in at 75.2% in 2017 for the third ballot induction.

Even after leaving ALB, Sharif did still come home to Morocco for the World Baseball Championship. From 1998-2012, he was split between relief and starting with 153.1 innings, 9-10 record, 6 saves, 3.05 ERA, 200 strikeouts, 65 walks, 117 ERA+, and 4.0 WAR.

Sharif was delighted to start his MLB career with a three-year, $15,960,000 deal with Washington. He threw 6.1 scoreless innings to start off, but stunningly was cut outright in late April due to roster demands. He finished the season with Chicago, then Washington brought him back again in 2007 on a three-year deal. Sharif pitched all of 2007, but was cut before spring training 2008.

He spent 2008 with Detroit and 2009 with Cincinnati and generally wasn’t in a prominent role, but was good in his limited innings. Sharif was called upon in 10 games and 14 innings with a 3.21 ERA as the Reds made it to the 2009 World Series, falling to Nashville. This ended his first MLB stint, as the now 35-year old had trouble finding buyers.

Sharif found a home for two years in Europe with Brussels, posting 2.5 WAR over 68.2 innings. He did have 4.2 scoreless playoff innings for the Beavers, who got to the conference final in 2010. Sharif made it back to MLB in 2010 with Kansas City and again had a great start in limited use, but the Cougars released him in June. Charlotte picked Sharif up to finish 2012.

In total in MLB, Sharif had 275.1 innings, 5 saves, 58 shutdowns, 2.12 ERA, 258 strikeouts, 162 ERA+, and 5.9 WAR. He provided positive value, but never was given chances beyond middle relief. Still wanting to play, Sharif went back to Europe and tossed 73 innings for Edinburgh in 2013. He was still under contract all of 2014 for the Enforcers, but wasn’t used. Sharif retired after the 2014 season at age 40.

For his combined pro career, Sharif had 347 saves and 465 shutdowns, a 121-80 record, 2.10 ERA, 904 games, 1260.2 innings, 1576 strikeouts, 419 walks, 178 ERA+, and 39.5 WAR. He wasn’t at the tip-top of all-time relievers, but Sharif provided good value everywhere he went. In his ALB prime, he was reliably a top three closer each year, which got him the nod for ALB’s 2017 Hall of Fame.

Ahmad Abu Kabeer – Starting Pitcher – Jeddah Jackals – 66.4% Third Ballot

Ahmad Abu Kabeer was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Gaza, the largest city in Palestine. At his peak, Abu Kabeer had outstanding stuff with good movement and great control. Injuries unfortunately diminished his stuff early in his career, but his control allowed him to forge ahead. Abu Kabeer had a tough 98-100 mph fastball at his peak combined with a slider, screwball, and changeup.

Abu Kabeer’s stamina was excellent and he went deep into games far more often than most ALB aces. However, his eagerness perhaps doomed him to his future injury issues. Abu Kabeer was good at holding runners but below average defensively.

In a September 1990, a teenaged Abu Kabeer signed a developmental deal with Jeddah, bringing him east to Saudi Arabia. He spent three years in the Jackals academy and was made a full-time starter at age 20 in 1994. The injuries started there as an elbow strain kept him out for the second half. Abu Kabeer was iffy as a rookie and looked better in 1995 with a full load, but still below average. It was his third year that he put it together.

From 1996-2000, Abu Kabeer led the Eastern Conference four times in strikeouts, peaking with 410 in 1997. He was the first-ever in ALB to reach 400+ Ks and held the single-season record until Abdelmalek Kamal’s 434 in 2013. Abu Kabeer’s mark remains tied for second as of 2037 and his 387 from 1996 ranks ninth. He took second in Pitcher of the Year voting in 1996 and 1997, and third in 1999.

1998 was on pace to be the best of the bunch, but Abu Kabeer tore his UCL in late June. He rehabbed back and was stellar again for the next two years. He topped 6+ WAR all five of those seasons and topped 9+ WAR thrice. Jeddah got to the conference final in 1999 and 2001, but lost both years to Mosul’s dynasty. In four playoff starts, Abu Kabeer had a 2.20 ERA over 32.2 innings, 36 strikeouts, and 175 ERA+.

Abu Kabeer had two no-hitters in his career. The first was July 27, 1996 with 12 strikeouts and two walks against Doha. The second was April 18, 2000 with 14 strikeouts and one walk over Riyadh. He was also the first ALB pitcher with a 20 strikeout game, doing it on May 8, 1997 versus Doha. In seven different games, Abu Kabeer struck out at least 18 batters.

Thrilled with their ace, Jeddah signed Abu Kabeer to a four-year, $8,200,000 extension after the 2001 season at age 28. Sadly, things quickly went sour here. He suffered a torn labrum in spring training 2002. Abu Kabeer made it back for five starts later in the season, but then shoulder inflammation put him right back on the shelf.

In 2003, it was a partially torn labrum that caused him problems. His velocity was down quite a bit and he was merely okay in the limited action he saw. Abu Kabeer was split between starting and the bullpen that year, then was moved permanently to the bullpen.

Jeddah fell to the bottom of the standings around this time, bottoming out at 55-107 in 2005. They wanted to get some value for Abu Kabeer, but he was terrible in his last three years in relief with -1.0 WAR over 156.1 innings. Still, his prime years were remembered fondly as his #44 uniform would eventually be retired. The Jackals didn’t re-sign him after the 2006 campaign, making Abu Kabeer a free agent for the first time at age 33.

Mecca gave him a chance for 2007, but Abu Kabeer suffered a stretched elbow ligament that required another year of rehab. He was rostered by Alexandria in 2008 and Abu Dhabi in 2009, but only saw eight relief appearances between them with awful results. Abu Kabeer finally retired after that at age 36.

Abu Kabeer ended with a 139-99 record, 3.27 ERA, 2181 innings, 2755 strikeouts, 535 walks, 69 complete games, 22 shutouts, 115 ERA+, and 50.3 WAR. Even with the shortened career, as of 2037 he ranks 37^th in strikeouts, 14^th in complete games, seventh in shutouts, and 50^th in pitching WAR. Abu Kabeer certainly had Hall of Fame production at his peak, but that lasted only about six years.

Many voters thought it simply wasn’t enough, but others felt sympathy knowing it was injuries that derailed his track. Abu Kabeer’s big strikeout games were remembered fondly and he barely missed a first ballot induction at 62.2% in 2015. He fell to 57.7% in 2016, but just crossed the requirement in 2017 at 66.4%. With that, Abu Kabeer’s incredible peak got him across the line as a third ballot member of the Arab League Baseball Hall of Fame.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 10-29-2024, 05:12 AM

2017 AAB Hall of Fame

2017 marked the fifth and sixth inductees into the African Association of Baseball Hall of Fame. OF Mohau Sibiya was a no-doubter at 98.4% in his debut, while SP Joel Mwasesa snuck past the 66% requirement with 67.3% on his third ballot. Three others topped 50% with 1B Abebe Chekol at 57.4% for his fifth try, 1B Boubacar Mavinga with 56.6% on his sixth go, and SP Hendrik Jongman at 55.4% on his tenth and final chance.

For Jongman, he was hurt by having his official debut at age 29 and only eight years of stats. He was a big part of Kinshasa’s early dynasty and posted a 127-60 record, 3.17 ERA, 1755.1 innings, 1374 strikeouts, 470 walks, 128 ERA+, and 43.7 WAR.

Jongman also was 11-6 with a 2.85 ERA over 142.1 playoff innings with 117 strikeouts and 4.0 WAR. As of 2037, he’s third in playoff wins, fourth in strikeouts, and third in WAR. Despite that, Jongman wasn’t around long enough to get the tallies a lot of voters wanted. He debuted at 35.7% but climbed as high as 59.5% in 2013 before ending at 55.4%.

Similarly dropped after ten failed ballots was Ahmed Hussen Rooble, who peaked at 50.0% in 2012 but ended at only 6.8%. Rooble also had only an eight-year official career and was part of both Cape Town’s and Kinshasa’s early titles. He won two Pitcher of the Year awards and had an 117-58 record, 3.06 ERA, 1644 innings, 1553 strikeouts, 132 ERA+, and 38.6 WAR. Rooble had a 2.75 ERA over 75.1 playoff innings as well.

Mohau Sibiya – Center/Right Field – Brazzaville Blowfish – 98.4% First Ballot

Mohau Sibiya was a 6’0’’, 200 pound left-handed hitting outfielder from Durban, South Africa’s third-most populous city. Sibiya had tremendous home run power with 40+ homers each year from 1998-2007 and five years with 59 or more dingers. He was also great at drawing walks, but was a below average contact hitter and struck out at ton. Sibiya could also find the gap with 27 doubles and 8 triples per his 162 game average.

Unlike the traditional slugger archetype, Sibiya was very quick and was a fantastic baserunner. He made around 2/3s of his career starts in center field, where he ranked as a solid defender. The other 1/3 came in right where Sibiya was excellent, winning three Gold Gloves in right. He had decent enough durability and was appreciated for his loyalty and leadership. That plus his exciting combo of power and speed made Sibiya one of AAB’s first megastars.

The first AAB rookie draft was 1995 and Sibiya was arguably the top prospect. He was picked second overall by Brazzaville and was a full-time starter immediately with great results. Sibiya led the Central Conference in triples (13) and stolen bases (94) with 6.7 WAR for Rookie of the Year honors. He did also lead in strikeouts at 205 and while he always had trouble with whiffs, that was his career worst.

Sibiya led with 100 stolen bases in 1997, a career best. This was also his first of nine straight seasons worth 8+ WAR. Sibiya became even more dangerous soon as he found his home run power. 1998 started an 11-year streak of 40+ homer seasons. During that run, Sibiya also had an OPS above one ten times. All three of Sibiya’s Gold Gloves came with Brazzaville (1997, 1998, 2002) and he won his first four Silver Sluggers three (1998, 1999, 2001, 2002).

1998 saw a third place finish in MVP voting, leading for the first time in slugging, OPS, wRC+, and WAR. Sibiya then topped it with an all-timer in 1999 with conference bests in runs (143), home runs (69), RBI (142), total bases (413), OBP (.445), slugging (.838), OPS (1.283), wRC+ (241), and WAR (13.1). The runs, triple slash, OPS, wRC+, and WAR would all be career highs, winning his first MVP. He also smacked 69 home runs with 142 RBI.

In the young AAB, Sibiya’s runs, slugging, OPS, RBI, homers, and WAR all set single-season records. The WAR mark by position players would only get passed once in 2009. As of 2037, the OPS and slugging both still ranks fourth, Sibiya maintained similar paces the next two years, but missed about two months to injury both years. He was third in 2000’s MVP voting and second in 2001 and still led in WAR (10.0) in 2001 despite playing 111 games.

Sibiya smashed his own home runs (76) record in 2002 for his second MVP. This also tied the then world record for homers. He lost the single-season home run crown in AAB four years later, but his 76 still ranks sixth as of 2037. He also had a career-best 158 RBI, which fell one short of the new record., and led for the third time in OPS, slugging, and wRC+. This was Sibiya’s fourth time as the WARlord and third time with 10+ WAR. He also scored 134 runs and had 78 stolen bases, becoming the only player in world history with a 75-75 HR/SB season.

Despite this dominance by Sibiya, Brazzaville was stuck in the middle to bottom of the standings, averaging 78.4 wins per season over his seven year tenure. Knowing Sibiya was due a big payday with free agency coming soon, the Blowfish traded him across the river to Kinshasa for three prospects. In total with Brazzaville, Sibiya had 859 hits, 763 runs, 152 doubles, 343 home runs, 741 RBI, 623 walks, 546 stolen bases, a .270/.395/.676 slash, 183 wRC+, and 66.9 WAR.

Sibiya was already a megastar in African baseball and the fans on the other side of the Congo River were pumped to have him. Kinshasa was the first AAB mega dynasty, winning five Africa Series titles from 1997-2002. Sibiya won his third MVP and fifth Silver Slugger in his one year with the Sun Cats, leading again in runs, homers, slugging, OPS, wRC+, and WAR. The 11.8 WAR and 1.144 would be his second-best season for his career.

Kinshasa set a new franchise record at 108-54 and won their sixth title in seven years, beating Antananarivo in back-to-back Africa Series matchups. Sibiya’s playoff debut was okay with 11 hits, 7 runs, 2 home runs, and 3 RBI. He ended up being a rental, as Kinshasa couldn’t secure him long term. Sibiya entered free agency for the first time before his age 31 season.

Sibiya switched conferences and went to Madagascar with a six-year, $17,200,000 deal with Antananarivo. He was third in MVP voting in 2004 and 2005, then won the award for the fourth time in 2007 and got his sixth Silver Slugger. Injuries slightly dulled his pace in 2005 and 2006. Sibiya led in homers in 2004 and 2007. In 2007, he also led again in runs, RBI, and WAR.

Antananarivo narrowly missed the playoffs in 2004 and 2006. In 2005, they won their first Africa Series and got revenge on Kinshasa. The Eagles were upset in the 2007 conference final by Durban, then won the 2008 pennant over Johannesburg. They would fall in the 2008 Africa Series as the Addis Ababa dynasty had begun. Sibiya was a strong playoff performer winning finals MVP in 2008 despite the loss. In 33 starts, he had 30 hits, 29 runs, 18 home runs, 25 RBI, a .250/.328/.750 slash, 192 wRC+, and 2.1 WAR.

In total for the Eagles, Sibiya had 625 hits, 519 runs, 119 doubles, 249 home runs, 556 RBI, 315 stolen bases, a .260/.366/.647 slash, 159 wRC+, and 41.0 WAR. To his surprise, Antananarivo bought out the final year of his deal, making him a free agent after the 2008 season heading towards age 36. Sibiya ended up returning to his native South Africa on a two-year, $8,320,000 deal with Johannesburg.

Despite playing elsewhere on the continent to that point, Sibiya had still represented South Africa in the World Baseball Championship. From 1996-2001, he had 138 games and 137 starts, posting 106 hits, 85 runs, 17 doubles, 50 home runs, 95 RBI, 54 stolen bases, a .215/.306/.575 slash, 150 wRC+, and 6.6 WAR.

Sibiya still looked good in 2009 despite losing two months to a strained groin, but had easily his worst season to that point in 2010. The Jackalopes had fallen towards the bottom of the standings at that point, but the run was still notable. While in Johannesburg, Sibiya became the first in AAB history to reach 700 home runs, 1500 runs scored, 1500 runs batted in, 1000 stolen bases, and 1000 walks.

As of 2037, the only other player in all of pro baseball history to breach each of those milestones was Abderrazak Zouari; who joined the Arab League Hall of Fame in 2017. With Johannesburg, Sibiya had 7.7 WAR over two seasons. Ndjamena gave him a one-year deal for 2011, but Sibiya was terrible with a .551 OPS over 77 games and 17 starts. He retired that winter at age 38.

Sibiya ended with 1872 hits, 1604 runs, 346 doubles, 107 triples, 727 home runs, 1585 RBI, 1222 walks, 2317 strikeouts, 1075 stolen bases, a .263/.377/.649 slash, 171 wRC+, and 126.7 WAR. He fell from the top spot on leaderboards quickly as AAB grew and offense exploded. Still, as of 2037 Sibiya is third in WAR for position players, ninth in homers, 14^th in RBI, ninth in runs, 58^th in hits, 11^th in steals, 11^th in walks, and sixth in strikeouts.

Among all AAB batters with 3000+ plate appearances, his OPS (1.026) ranks 12^th and slugging ranks ninth. Among all Hall of Famers and future locks in world history, his OPS is 25^th best. Sibiya was a huge superstar for good reason and is both an inner-circle AAB Hall of Famer and someone worth a mention in GOAT-level conversations. At 98.4%, he headlined the 2017 class.

Joel Mwasesa – Starting Pitcher – Lilongwe Lightning – 67.3% Third Ballot

Joel Mwasesa was a 6’4’’, 200 pound right-handed starting pitcher from Kolwezi, a city of 573,000 in the southern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Mwasesa had very good stuff and solid movement, but his poor movement gave him issues with allowing home runs. A 97-99 mph fastball was his top pitch while he mixed in a changeup and curveball.

Mwasesa’s stamina was solid and he had great durability, giving you plenty of innings each year. He was a good defensive pitcher and was respectable at holding runners. Mwasesa was smart and calculating, but also selfish and you couldn’t call on him for a leadership role.

In AAB’s first rookie draft in 1995, Mwasesa was picked third overall by Lilongwe. He was a full-time starter right away and ate innings, but struggled to a 5.00 ERA. Mwasesa’s ERA was closer to average the next three years, but he started a six-year streak of leading the Southern Conference in strikeouts. Despite his efforts, the Lightning didn’t post their first winning season until 2003 at 87-75. Mwasesa had the most losses (19) in 1999 even with a 7.2 WAR season.

In 2000, Mwasesa won his lone Pitcher of the Year, leading in WAR (8.9), WHIP (0.97), strikeouts (319), and quality starts (23). All but the K mark would finish as career bests. Mwasesa also had a career best 2.87 ERA, 149 ERA+, and 16 complete games. The 319 strikeouts set the single-season record for the new league. He topped it two years later with 328 in 2002, which was the top mark until 2011. It ranks 19^th as of 2037.

Mwasesa also led in WAR at 8.4 in 2002. He had 2.97 ERA in both 2001 and 2002, taking second in Pitcher of the Year voting both times. Mwasesa would regress a bit in 2003, giving up a conference-worst 42 home runs. It wasn’t the best look for a contract year, but Mwasesa still opted for free agency heading towards his age 31 season.

In total for Lilongwe, Mwasesa had a 110-107 record, 3.61 ERA, 1918.2 innings, 2285 strikeouts, 551 walks, 112 ERA+, and 49.3 WAR. The Lightning would later retire his #9 uniform for being a reason to come to the ballpark during their weak early years. Mwasesa ended up moving to Burundi, signing a six-year, $15,500,000 deal with Bujumbura.

Mwasesa never played for the teams in his native country, but he did represent the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the World Baseball Championship from 1997-2008. His stats were unremarkable with a 3.78 ERA over 152.1 innings, 5-11 record, 205 strikeouts, 44 walks, 94 ERA+, and 1.9 WAR.

He could never reach his previous strikeout highs with Bujumbura, but did lead in WHIP in his debut year. Mwasesa topped 4+ WAR in his first two seasons for the Bighorns, but struggled in 2006 and 2007. He allowed a conference-worst 46 homers in 2007. Bujumbura was generally mid-tier, but did earn a playoff berth that year. Mwasesa struggled in his one career playoff start, allowing four runs and two homers in 3.1 innings.

Mwasesa did bounce back for 5.1 WAR in 2008, his best of the Bujumbura run. In total, he had a 56-55 record, 3.92 ERA, 1073 innings, 1154 strikeouts, 105 ERA+, and 18.4 WAR. Mwasesa did also throw a no-hitter for the Bighorns on April 15, 2005 with 14 strikeouts and 1 walk against Lubumbashi. Bujumbura would buy out the final year of his six year contract.

In 2009, Mwasesa signed with Dar es Salaam and posted below average results over 191.1 innings. He did notably cross 3500 career strikeouts, becoming the first in AAB history to do so. Mwasesa wanted to play in 2010, but no teams were interested. He retired that winter at age 37.

Mwasesa finished with a 175-175 record, 3.78 ERA, 3183 innings, 3583 strikeouts, 901 walks, 460 home runs, 104 complete games, 25 shutouts, 108 ERA+, 83 FIP-, and 68.4 WAR. He was the strikeouts leader at retirement and still ranks third as of 2037. Mwasesa sits seventh in pitching WAR, 11^th in wins, fifth in complete games, second in shutouts, and sixth in innings. On the bad end, he retired with the most losses and home runs allowed. Mwasesa is tied for the most losses and fifth in homers as of 2037.

Mwasesa’s resume was a tough one for the voters to handle. Being the strikeout leader and the longevity were major plusses, but the traditionalists noted a .500 record and unremarkable ERA. His better FIP- than ERA+ does suggest being on bad Lilongwe teams dented his tallies. Mwasesa missed the cut at 56.4% and 59.2% in his first two years. He would get the slight bump just beyond the 66% requirement on his third ballot. At 67.3%, Mwasesa secured his spot in AAB’s 2017 Hall of Fame class.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 10-29-2024, 08:23 AM

2017 World Baseball Championship

The 2017 World Baseball Championship was hosted in Kinshasa and was the 71^st edition of the event. Division 1 had a first-time champ in Sudan at 8-1, beating 7-2 France and 6-3 efforts by England and the Netherlands. The Sudanese are the 77^th unique nation to win a division title. The lone unbeaten was the United States in Division 2 at 9-0, sending the Americans forward for the 57^th time.

Division 3 was remarkably competitive with Taiwan surviving at 6-3. Reigning world champ China was one of six countries at 5-4, just missing along with Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Germany, Haiti, and Romania. The Taiwanese advanced for the ninth time and the first time since 2010. Division 4 saw Australia (7-2) prevail over 6-3 Japan and South Africa. The Australians moved forward for the seventh time, having last done it in 2012.

D5 was also very tight with Slovakia (6-3) hanging on against 5-4 efforts by Brazil, Chile, the DR Congo, Egypt, and India. This was only the third-ever division title for the Slovakians, ending a 57-year drought. Indonesia claimed Division 6 at 7-2, topping El Salvador and Turkey at 6-3. The Indonesians got their 22^nd division title and first since taking runner-up in 2014.

Austria had an impressive 8-1 run in Division 7 with their closest foes being 6-3 Nigeria and Ukraine. The Austrians advanced for only the third time and ended a lengthy drought (1961, 1966). Meanwhile in D8, Finland (7-2) edged 6-3 runs by Bolivia, Poland, and Uzbekistan. The Finns had their first-ever division title the prior year, joining the Americans as the only return winners from 2016. Last year’s runner-up Venezuelan was a non-factor in D8 at 3-6.

Taiwan had the top spot in Round Robin Group A at 4-2, earning their eighth final four appearance and first since 2004. The United States and Australia tied at 3-3 and Indonesia was 2-4. The Americans had the tiebreaker to earn their 50^th semifinal berth.

Group B was guaranteed to see two relative underdogs move forward. Slovakia and Austria both prevailed at 4-2 with 2-4 marks for Finland and Sudan. The Austrians had never made it to the final four prior, while Slovakia had scored a fourth place finish way back in 1956. With Austria’s advancing, that makes 46 different countries that have gotten to the semifinal at least once.

The more traditional powers prevailed in the semifinals. The USA swept Austria 3-0, sending the Americans to the World Championship for the 46^th time. Taiwan held off a solid challenge 3-2 from Slovakia to earn their third finals berth. The Taiwanese had lost in the 1980 final to the Czech Republic and in 2004 to Canada.

After a two-year absence, the United States returned to the throne, defeating Taiwan 4-1 to move to 40-6 all-time in the World Championship. The Taiwanese join Italy and Ukraine in having the most second-place finishes (3) without having a title. Leading the American offense was LF Killian Fruechte, who led with 11 home runs and 23 RBI.

It was Taiwan’s Yu-Ting Tsai that earned Tournament MVP honors. The 36-year old third baseman had been a 15-year veteran with Kaohsiung and a league MVP back in 2006. In 25 starts, Tsai had 33 hits, 13 runs, 7 doubles, 7 home runs, 22 RBI, 63 total bases, and a 1.6 WAR. Best Pitcher went to Italy’s Lorenzo Rotella, a Pitcher of the Year winner in 2013 for EBF’s Oslo. The 31-year old tossed 11.2 scoreless innings with 14 strikeouts, three hits allowed, and one walk. Rotella had a two-hit shutout against the Philippines.

Other notes: American CF Morgan Short became the WBC all-time leader in hits (345) and doubles (60). Connor Neumeyer had the previous hits mark (330) and Monty Moody had the doubles mark (57). Short already had the most runs scored and stolen bases as well. He finished the 2017 WBC with 19.7 WAR, passing Jimmy Caliw’s 19.4 for second among position players and third overall. Neumeyer has the top spot at 20.86, while pitcher Nick Hedrick has 20.28.

The tenth Perfect Game in WBC history came from Uzbekistan’s Shakhban Ramilov, striking out 13 against Venezuela. Japan’s Toshikuni Naikai had a 20 strikeout game against Australia. Taiwan’s Sheng-Chie Wu hit for the cycle against Indonesia, becoming only the 16^th player to get the cycle. Between 2016 and 2017, Brazil’s Daniel Schafer had a 23-game hit streak; the third-longest in WBC to that point.

Below are the updated all-time tournament stats. Notably with their division title in 2017, Indonesia passed South Korea for sixth in the all-time standings.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 10-29-2024, 07:14 PM

2017 in E2L

Naples dominated the European Second League’s Western Conference at 107-55. It was the Nobles’ first playoff berth since getting relegated to the E2L for 2013. The Nobles won a lot of close games, setting a league record with 71 team saves. Toulouse was a distant second at 95-67, which was the first-ever playoff berth for the Toads. Belfast grabbed third at 91-71 in their second year in the E2L. Meanwhile, the fourth place slot saw a very tight battle.

Turin (88-74) managed to take it by one game over Gothenburg, two over Lyon, and four over both Manchester and Nantes. The Tanks had generally been over .500, but hasn’t gotten a playoff spot since 2007. Nottingham’s three-year playoff streak ended as they were ninth at 82-80.

In the Round Robin, #3 seed Belfast surprised the field at 4-2. Naples and Turin were both 3-3 and Toulouse was 2-4. The #4 seed Tanks had the tiebreaker over the #1 seed Nobles. However, Turin was swept by the Brewers in the Western Conference Championship. With that, Belfast guaranteed a return to the European Baseball Federation’s Elite. The Brewers escaped after only a two-year stint in the Second League.

Kharkiv crushed the Eastern Conference competition at 115-47 for their first playoff berth since 2014. This also was the best record in E2L history to that point with the Killer Bees offense posting an E2L record .339 OBP. Last year’s #1 seed Lodz had their own impressive 101-61 record, taking second with a new franchise best. Helsinki bounced back from a 69-win 2016 to grab third at 94-68; their first berth since getting relegated right back in 2014.

Berlin narrowly grabbed fourth place at 85-77, beating Dnipro by one game. Lviv and Vienna were both four games back and at five games away were Odessa and Cluj-Napoca. This was the third playoff berth in four years for the Barons, who haven’t posted a losing season since joining E2L in 2011. Berlin set an EC record for fewest runs allowed (456) and had the second-best marks in strikeouts (1743) and K/9 (10.61).

Top seed Kharkiv had the top mark in the Round Robin at 5-1, while Berlin (3-3) secured back-to-back Eastern Conference Championship appearances. Both Helsinki and Lodz finished 2-4. The Killer Bees defeated the Barons 4-2, ending Kharkiv’s Second League stay at four years.

In the Second League Championship, Belfast bested Kharkiv 4-2. There wouldn’t be extra teams in the top tier with 100+ losses in 2017, meaning only the conference champions got promoted. The Killer Bees hoped this meant the end of a dark era, as they had been both an EBF and EPB powerhouse previously in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Other notes: Lviv’s Zurab Karpenko became the first player with 1000 runs scored in E2L. The left fielder also became the first player with eight Silver Sluggers in the Second League. Belfast closer Thomas Kraus set a league playoff record with a 16.43 K/9, fanning 28 batters over 15.1 innings. Despite that, he still had a lackluster 5.28 ERA. Toulouse set a new E2L team record with 321 doubles. Odessa set a conference worst allowing 1384 hits as a staff.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 10-30-2024, 05:56 AM

2017 in AAB

Last year’s wild card Maputo took first in the AAB Southern Conference at 101-61. While the Piranhas have four playoff berths now in seven years, this was their first time atop the standings. It was a tight battle for second with Luanda (94-68) edging out two-time defending conference champ Johannesburg and Cape Town (93-69). Despite missing, this was the Cowboys’ first winning season since 2007.

For the Landsharks, this ended a seven-year playoff drought. Great pitching led the way for them, setting a conference record for team ERA (3.19) and earned runs (518). Luanda’s 552 runs allowed was the second-best in SC history. Meanwhile Maputo had 1670 strikeouts and a 10.32 K/9, which both ranked third-best in conference history.

Dar es Salaam stunk at 74-88, but they had the Southern Conference MVP in 1B Patrick Babila. The 29-year old Cameroonian won his fourth Gold Glove and led in home runs (58), total bases (36), slugging (.653), OPS (1.037), wRC+ (185), and WAR (8.3). Babila signed a long-term deal with the Sabercats prior to the 2017 campaign at seven years and $46,360,000.

Leading Luanda’s impressive pitching staff was Addison Kasende, the Pitcher of the Year. The 29-year old Congolese lefty won the ERA title at 2.12. Kasende added an 18-6 record over 203.2 innings, 229 strikeouts, 183 ERA+, and 6.0 WAR. He also had signed an extension the prior year at five-years and $31,140,000. He impressively bounced back in 2017, having seen his 2016 end with a bone spur in his elbow.

The Central Conference saw a shakeup with Mogadishu on top at 105-57. This ended a six-year playoff drought for the Mighty Mice, who had never finished first before. At 99-63, Bujumbura ended their own nine year playoff drought. The Bighorns were one game ahead of two-time defending Africa Series champ Brazzaville. Kampala was a competitive fourth place at 92-70. Kinshasa, who had taken first in the standings the prior two years, was a distant fifth at 82-80.

Central Conference MVP went to Kampala 1B Relebogile Matima. Nicknamed “The Duck,” the 31-year old South African led in home runs (54), RBI (120), and total bases (366). Matima added a 1.058 OPS, 190 wRC+, and 7.2 WAR. He had been the Peacocks’ loyal star since getting picked third overall in the 2008 AAB Draft.

Pitcher of the Year was Mogadishu’s Franklin Goagoseb, who led in wins (18-8) and quality starts (21). In his 11^th season for the Mighty Mice, the 33-year old Namibian lefty also had a 2.95 ERA over 256.1 innings, 243 strikeouts, 134 ERA+, and 6.9 WAR. Goagoseb beat out Brazzaville’s Augustin Garba and others for the top honor. Garba struck out 347 batters, the second-most in AAB history to that point behind Ali Amour Osman’s 366 from 2011.

Maputo won their second-ever Southern Conference Championship (2011), beating Luanda 4-2. The Central Conference Championship was guaranteed a first-time winner with Mogadishu rolling 4-1 over Bujumbura. This set up the two top seeds in the Africa Series for the first time since 2013.

The 23^rd Africa Series also was guaranteed to mark the 11^th first-time winner, as Maputo had lost in their one prior appearance. The Piranhas were denied again as Mogadishu took the series 5-3. Finals MVP was CF Ayaz Dobrolovsky, a 35-year old Ukrainian journeyman in his second year with the Mighty Mice and seventh in Africa. In 12 starts, Dobrolovsky had 22 hits, 11 runs, 8 doubles, and 8 stolen bases.

Other notes: 2017 was the final AAB season for Felix Chaula, who reached multiple milestones. He became the first to 2000 RBI, the first to 900 home runs, and the third to 2500 hits. Chaula’s time in the #1 spot would be brief thanks to Mwarami Tale, but as of 2037, he still sits second in homers (925) and RBI (2021), second in runs (1874), and second in WAR for position players (135.4).

Chaula was only the sixth in world history to that point with 900 career professional home runs. As of 2037 on the combined world charts, he is 12^th in homers, 45^th in RBI, 12^th in walks drawn (1690), and just outside the top 50 in WAR among position players. After a one-off with Kampala in 2017, Chaula played his final two pro seasons in MLB with Atlanta.

Luke Tembo became the fifth to 1500 runs scored and Tale was the fourth to 2500 hits. Kaunda Kalinga was the fifth member of the 700 home run club and the sixth to 1500 RBI. Tale won his 12^th Silver Slugger in CF, while 2B Fani Ngambi won his 12^th at 2B. SS Said Tesfaye won his 11^th Silver Slugger and C Steven Isaac won his eighth. Each of those Slugger wins were AAB position records. Tsegaye Alemu stole 137 bases for Bujumbura, falling two short of Fani Ngambi’s record 139 from 2009. SS Didrik Borgstrom won his eighth Gold Glove.

Lusaka and Ndjamena both had historically bad offenses. The Lake Monsters had a .209 batting average, the worst in all of AAB history to that point. Their 1102 hits and 221 doubles were both the second worst in Southern Conference history. Meanwhile the Magic set a new Central Conference worst for runs (519) and doubles (214). Their .286 OBP, .213 average, 1109 hits, and 1596 strikeouts are each third worst in conference history as of 2037. Lubumbashi also set a conference offensive worst, only drawing 403 walks.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 10-30-2024, 12:26 PM

2017 in ALB

Casablanca claimed the Western Conference’s top seed at 98-64 and won the Mediterranean Division for the third straight year. Tripoli at 94-68 gave them a run, but ended up out with no wild cards in the Arab League. Tunis also was in the mix for a while at 87-75. The Bruins allowed the fewest runs in the conference at 568 and guaranteed their second conference finals berth in three years. Casablanca has made it to the conference final 15 times, more than all other teams in ALB.

For the first time since 2003, Cairo was Nile Division champ. The Pharaohs at 94-68 fended off fierce challenges from 90-72 Khartoum, defending division champ Giza at 87-75, and Alexandria at 85-77. Meanwhile, defending Arab League champ Damascus claimed a fourth consecutive Levant Division title at 90-72. All of the other teams in that group were below 70 wins.

Casablanca had the top award winners, led by Hamdan Fahed’s second Western Conference MVP in three years. The 31-year old Kuwaiti second baseman bounced back after a ruptured tendon in his finger cost him most of 2016. In 2017, Fahed led in slugging (.691), OPS (1.053) and wRC+ (188). He added 7.3 WAR, 56 home runs, and 115 RBI. Fahed beat out Khartoum’s Ali Jassem for the award despite Jassem’s 69 home runs and 146 RBI. It was his third time leading in home runs with 60+.

Also for the second time in third years was Pitcher of the Year winner Fawaz Hussein. The 30-year old Yemeni righty led in wins (19-9), WAR (7.7), and shutouts. Hussein added a 2.82 ERA over 234.2 innings, 302 strikeouts, and 136 ERA+. The Bruins veteran signed a six-year, $87,200,000 extension in the summer to stick around in Casablanca.

Cairo ousted the reigning ALB champ Damascus 2-1 in the first round of the playoffs, sending the Pharaohs to their first Western Conference Final in 14 years. This rekindled a historic WCF rivalry with Casablanca, which was 4-2 Bruins in their previous encounters. Casablanca added another victory to that tally, although they needed all five games to do it. With that, the Bruins won their ninth pennant, leading all teams by a healthy margin.

The Eastern Conference was remarkably top-heavy as all three division winners won 100+ games. All three divisions had repeat winners as well with defending EC champ Abu Dhabi getting the top seed at 106-56. The Destroyers grew their Gulf Division streak to six years and guaranteed their sixth Eastern Conference Final appearance in eight years.

Jeddah extended the longest active streak to seven atop the Saudi Division at 101-61. The Jackals set a new ALB record for fewest runs allowed at 455, beating Medina’s previous best of 457 from 1993. Jeddah still holds the top mark as of 2037. They had a 2.64 team ERA and 428 earned runs, which were both just behind the 1993 Mastodons for the top spot.

Mosul took back-to-back Mesopotamia Division titles at 103-59. This was the only somewhat competitive division and the Muskies still won by nine games over 94-68 Basra. The next best records in the entire conference were Kuwait and Mecca both down at 83-79.

Abu Dhabi’s Abham Abdallah repeated as Eastern Conference MVP. The 28-year old Tunisian designated hitter led in runs (126), hits (211), home runs (60), total bases (437), batting average (.340), and WAR (10.2). Abdallah added a 1.109 OPS, 202 wRC+, and 138 RBI, falling six short of a Triple Crown. He played one more year for the Destroyers before inking a big seven-year, $112,600,000 free agent deal with Tripoli.

Jeddah’s historic pitching staff had the top four in pitching WAR for the conference. Lucas MacDougall was narrowly second in that group behind two-time Pitcher of the Year Herdi Wahib, but it was MacDougall winning the honor in 2017. He was a 29-year old American in his fifth year in Saudi Arabia after washing out of MLB. MacDougall had a 19-10 record, 2.40 ERA, 232.1 innings, 269 strikeouts, 159 ERA+, and 7.5 WAR. He led in complete games (7) and shutouts (3), including a no-hitter in September against Baghdad with 12 strikeouts and four walks.

Mosul’s high-powered offense bested Jeddah’s pitching 2-1 in the playoffs, giving the Muskies their first Eastern Conference Final since the 1996-2001 dynasty run. Abu Dhabi would win a 3-2 classic over Mosul, capping it off with a 4-3 walkoff win in game five. The Destroyers earned repeat pennants and their third in six years.

In the 28^th Arab League Championship, Casablanca seemed poised for only the second-ever sweep as they started up 3-0. Abu Dhabi rallied to win games 4-6, but the Bruins avoided the collapse and won game seven. Casablanca won their second title in three years and became the first franchise to five rings (1994, 1995, 2003, 2015, 2017). Conference MVP Hamdan Fahed was also the finals MVP in his 11^th season with the Bruins. In 12 starts, he had 17 hits, 6 runs, 1 double, 3 home runs, and 5 RBI.

Other notes: In eight playoff games, Cairo’s Hazem Ibrahim set playoff records for slugging (1.417), and OPS (2.083). The 24-year old Egyptian had 15 hits, 11 runs, 4 doubles, 5 homers, and 9 RBI; winning MVP of both rounds he was in. RF Farouk Adam won his ninth Silver Slugger. Winning their seventh Sluggers were 1B Yahya bin Hakam, 2B Hamden Fahed, and LF Mohamed Hassan.

In bad records, Sulaymaniyah’s Amir Khaled struck out 263 times, beating the old ALB worst of 256. Khaled still managed to have positive value with 56 home runs. He would lead his conference eight times in strikeouts in his career and would end as one of 29 in world history with 3000 career Ks. Suez’s offense drew only 225 walks all season in 2017, which is still the ALB all-time worst as of 2037.

Tarek Abdel Rahman became the sixth ALB member of the 600 home run club. Mohamed Mustafa and Abdul Rahman Abu Hamal made it 11 batters to reach 2500 hits. Hazam El-Morsy became the 11^th pitcher to reach 3000 strikeouts. Ibrahim Mourad was the seventh reliever to 300 saves.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 10-30-2024, 03:57 PM

2017 in ABF

Asgabat secured the ABF East League’s top seed at 101-61, earning their first-ever North Division title. The Alphas also picked up their third playoff berth in four years. Two-time defending EL champ Dushanbe was second at 96-66, easily getting the first wild card and growing their playoff streak to five years. Almaty’s playoff streak grew to three seasons, taking the second wild card at 86-76. They edged Bishkek by one game and were six games better than both Gujranwala and Multan.

Rawalpindi was the only South Division team above .500 at 90-72, ending a six-year playoff drought. The Red Wings pitching staff allowed only 234 walks, the fewest in EL history. Their 1.42 BB/9 and 0.884 WHIP ranked second best in EL history. Hyderabad’s six-year playoff streak ended as they fell to 70-92. That was the first losing season for the Horned Frogs since 2006.

After five years of MVPs and dominance to start his career, Dushanbe 2B Nizami Aghazade missed the second half of 2017 after multiple setbacks with a fractured finger. He had averaged 14.3 WAR over his first five seasons and still managed 4.5 WAR in only 60 games. Aghazade’s absence opened up the MVP race and Rawalpindi’s Lahed el-Hadji took it. He joined the Red Wings in 2016 in a trade from Mashhad.

A 26-year old Pakistani first baseman, el-Hadji led in hits (207), runs (93), doubles (45), total bases (374), average (.340), slugging (.615), OPS (.988), wRC+ (221), and WAR (9.4). He added 36 home runs and 98 RBI, falling three homers short and seven RBI from a Triple Crown. This earned el-Hadji an eight-year, $61,780,000 extension in the offseason. He would have a very good 2019, but otherwise wouldn’t live up to the big paycheck.

Rawalpindi also had the Pitcher of the Year in Ali Massoudi, marking seven different winners of the award in seven years. In his 11^th year with the Red Wings, the 31-year old Iranian righty led in innings (260.1), complete games (14), and shutouts (70). Massoudi had a 16-8 record, 2.07 ERA, 318 strikeouts, 147 ERA+, and 6.8 WAR. He would test free agency, but ultimately re-signed with the Red Wings for $52,000,000 over five years.

Asgabat survived 3-2 in a fierce first round challenge from Almaty, giving the Alphas their second East League Championship Series appearance in four years. Two-time defending champ Dushanbe scored the road 3-1 win over Rawalpindi for their fourth ELCS in five years.

For the first time since 2010, the ELCS needed all seven games. Asgabat dethroned Dushanbe in the end for their first-ever East League pennant. The Alphas became the 12^th of the EL teams with a title, leaving only Almaty and expansion Kabul without a pennant. Asgabat had only once before gotten a pennant, winning the 1979 Eurasian Professional Baseball championship.

Reigning Asian Baseball Federation champ Tehran broke their own ABF wins record atop the West League and the Central Division at 116-46. The Tarpons had set the previous best two years prior at 115-47, although that season ended with a stunning first round playoff loss. They grew their playoff streak to seven years and their division title streak to three. Tehran also was the first ABF team to post five straight seasons with 100+ wins.

Tehran set the new West League record for fewest runs allowed (395), which remains the top mark as of 2037. The Tarpons also had a 2.28 ERA and 373 earned runs, both second only to Istanbul’s 1988 (2.25 ERA, 369 ER). Tehran’s .944 WHIP ranked third-best behind the 88 Ironmen and 15 Tarpons.

Even with Tehran’s dominance, the wild card race was centered in the Central. Baku (97-65) and Tabriz (92-70) got the spots while Shiraz (91-71) just missed. The Blackbirds are back in the playoffs after their seven-year streak was narrowly snapped in 2016, while the Tiger Sharks got back-to-back wild cards. Tabriz led the WL in scoring with 670 runs.

Ankara cruised to the Turkish Division at 103-59, ending a three-year playoff drought. Istanbul was a distant second at 87-75, also falling five short in the wild card race. Adana, who had three straight division titles and WLCS berths, struggled to a 72-90 campaign.

Tehran took the top awards, led by MVP 1B Habib Saquib. The 28-year old Pakistani switch hitter led in home runs (52), RBI (114), total bases (354), slugging (.644), OPS (1.022), and WAR (8.9). Saquib added a 189 wRC+ and .287 average.

For the second time in three years, Khalid Osmonov was the Pitcher of the Year. The 30-year old Azeri righty won the ERA title (1.25) and led in WHIP (0.66) and FIP- (42). Osmonov’s ERA was the second-best qualifying season in ABF history (162+ IP), only behind Dhofar Ghaffar’s 1.22 from 1989. His WHIP also ranked second-best behind Faysal Jabalandi’s 0.62 from 1990.

Osmonov added an 18-3 record, 208.1 innings, 301 strikeouts, 259 ERA+, and 9.0 WAR. He also became an eight-time Gold Glove winner and threw a no-hitter in August against Ankara with 17 strikeouts and one walk. Osmonov had one more great year with Tehran, then saw his career derailed in 2019 by a torn rotator cuff.

Tehran topped Tabriz 3-1 and Baku upset Ankara 3-1 in the first round of the playoffs. This set up a rematch of the 2013 West League Championship Series, which the Blackbirds won. The Tarpons got their revenge in a seven-game classic, earning back-to-back pennants and their third overall (2011, 2016, 2017).

The 33^rd ABF Championship lacked the drama of the LCS matchups as Tehran dominated 4-1 over Asgabat. The Tarpons were the first repeat champ since 2007-2008 Istanbul and staked their case for being ABF’s all-time greatest team. At 116-46, they beat the 2008 Ironmen (112-50) for most wins by an ABF champion.

Third year pitcher Samal Abdul won finals MVP, tossing 43.1 postseason innings with a 1.45 ERA in five starts, 3-1 record, and 53 strikeouts. Abdul tied playoff records with three complete games and two shutouts. Both shutouts came in the finals over Asgabat with 20 strikeouts, 13 hits, and 1 walk over the two starts. It was a remarkable effort by a 22-year old, but unfortunately he’d never be the same after a 2019 torn rotator cuff.

Other notes: Baku’s Fakhri Rajavi became the fourth ABF slugger with a four home run game, going it against Tabriz on September 25. Aayush Pereira became the eighth member of the 500 home run club. 3B Eser Haspolatli won his ninth straight Gold Glove. CF Ziad Tarkhan won his ninth Silver Slugger and both LF Shadi Alam and 2B Mehrdad Javadi won their eighth.

Khalil Shaan became the third pitcher with 4500 career strikeouts. He pitched one more year and ended at 4799, which ranks fourth as of 2037. Shaan and Laith Saleh both crossed 200 wins, making eight pitchers in that club

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 10-31-2024, 04:58 AM

2017 in SAB

Four teams were in a close fight for the Indian League’s top seed with three of them fighting for two playoff spots out of the South Division. It was Central Division champ Kanpur who ended up the top dog at 101-61, extending their playoff streak to three seasons. Last year’s division champ Jaipur was their closest foe at 88-74, which still put them 13 games short of the division and 10 away from the wild card. Kolkata missed at 82-80, but posted their 11^th consecutive winning season narrowly.

In the South, it was Hyderabad first at 100-62, Chennai second at 98-64, and Nagpur third at 96-66. The Hippos earned repeat division titles, while the Cows had their third berth in four years. For the Patriots, it was a new franchise record, but the 2004 expansion team was still two wins from their first playoff berth. Meanwhile in the West Division, two-time defending IL champ Mumbai cruised to their fourth straight division title at 88-74. Since 2001, the Meteors have earned 13 playoff berths, the most of any IL team.

Indian League MVP went to Mumbai 3B Yasir Malkawi in his fifth year with the Meteors. The 30-year old Bangladeshi joined them in a December 2012 trade with Hai Phong, then signed an eight-year, $66,000,000 extension in late 2013. In 2017, Malkawi led in home runs (53), RBI (111), and slugging (.667). He added 9.9 WAR, a 1.040 OPS, and 207 wRC+, winning his seventh Silver Slugger.

Chennai’s Arjay Mohan was the eighth different Pitcher of the Year in as many years for the IL. The 26-year old Indian righty led in ERA (1.77), WHIP (0.80), K/BB (18.8), FIP- (34), and WAR (10.4). As of 2037, his ERA mark is the 29^th-best qualifying single season in SAB history. Mohan added a 14-7 record over 208.1 innings, 338 strikeouts, and 206 ERA+. The Cows had locked him up after the 2015 campaign at $43,940,000 over seven years.

Hyderabad ousted the reigning champ Mumbai 3-1 in the first round, while Kanpur topped Chennai 3-1. The Hippos had only twice before gotten to the Indian League Championship Series (1980, 2007) while it was repeat berths for the Poison. They had met in the 2007 encounter with Kanpur prevailing 4-3. The 2017 edition was far less exciting at the Poison clobbered Hyderabad with an ILCS sweep, earning their fourth pennant (1988, 1993, 2007, 2017). It was the first ILCS sweep since 2008.

Perennial powers Yangon and Hanoi jockeyed for the Southeast Asia League’s top seed. The 2014-15 SEAL champ Green Dragons narrowly took it at 101-61 atop the South Division, while the reigning South Asia Baseball champ Hounds finished 100-62 atop the North Division. Yangon’s playoff streak grew to 23 seasons, tying the SAB record set by Ahmedabad (1985-2007) and Ho Chi Minh City (1987-2009). The world record was EPB’s Minsk with 24 (1981-2004). Hanoi’s own impressive run grew to 13 years. In the last decade, the Hounds have nine division titles and the Green Dragons have seven.

Last year’s top seed Vientiane was solid again, six back on Yangon in the division at 95-67. The Vampires earned the first wild card and their fifth playoff berth in six years, allowing the fewest runs in SEAL at 579. Prior to that, Vientiane had only three playoff berths in their first 32 seasons. Mandalay grabbed the second wild card at 89-73, ending a two-year playoff drought. The Mammoths were three games better than Phnom Penh and six ahead of Colombo.

Hanoi DH Majed Darwish joined very elite company in world history becoming an eight-time Southeast Asia League MVP. As of 2037, he’s the only guy to do it in SAB. Darwish earned his third straight and eighth in ten years. The 34-year old Bahraini also won his 11^th Silver Slugger, leading in runs (115), RBI (151), walks (76), slugging (.670), OPS (1.047), and WAR (8.1).

It was only the second time in 11 years that Darwish didn’t lead in home runs, although he still smacked 61 (Yangon’s Rochana Sanson had 64). Darwish made more world history with his 11^th consecutive season with 150+ RBI. He also led in runs scored for the 13^th straight year with 125+ each year. Darwish had his tenth 60+ homer season, which tied world home run king Nordine Soule of the Arab League for the most.

Vientiane’s Huynh Pham continued his own impressive dominance with his fourth Pitcher of the Year and back-to-back wins. The 30-year old Vietnamese lefty led in ERA (2.55), strikeouts (331), quality starts (25), and WAR (7.7). Pham added an 18-9 record, 239.2 innings, and 149 ERA+, falling one win short of a Triple Crown. He continued his two-way exploits at first base with 98 games and 876 starts at the plate for 2.1 WAR and a .823 OPS.

It would be an unexpected offseason for Pham, who declined his contract option to become a free agent. One week later, he re-upped with the Vampires for six years and $54,400,000. Shockingly one month later, Vientiane traded Pham away to Yangon for two prospects.

Hanoi cruised to a first round sweep of Vientiane, while Yangon survived 3-2 over Mandalay. This set up a 12^th playoff battle between the Hounds and Green Dragons since 2005. The last six Southeast Asia League titles have gone to these two teams. Yangon evened the series back up at 6-6, ousting the defending SAB champs 4-2. The Green Dragons won their fourth pennant in six years and their tenth overall.

The SAB Championship had seen incredible drama recently as the last three ended either in extra innings or a walkoff in game seven. The 38^th finale had little drama as Yangon crushed Kanpur for the first finals sweep since 2004. It gave the SEAL champ eight of the last ten SAB crowns; three of which were the Green Dragons. Yangon became four-time South Asia Baseball champs (2001, 2012, 2015, 2017).

SS Htun Than won finals MVP in his third season with Yangon. The 31-year old Burmese righty in 15 playoff starts had 14 hits, 8 runs, 3 doubles, 1 triple, 2 homers, and 6 RBI. Than had come to Yangon as a free agent after playing with Khulna and Ahmedabad.

Other notes: Devavesman Toppo became SAB’s new RBI leader, passing Tirtha Upadhyaya’s 2160 with 2185. Toppo got to 946 home runs, second only to Upadhyaya’s 973. He had tough competition on his heels as both Majed Darwish and Ratan Canduri joined the 900 home run club in 2017 and had crossed 2000 RBI the prior year. Canduri won his tenth Silver Slugger in 2017.

Dhuna Itar, Chris Saandeep, and Avi Mukherjee each got to 2500 career hits, making 16 hitters to dos o. Jatinder Chodhary was the 12^th to 600 home runs and the 13^th to 1500 runs scored. Jay Singh became the fifth pitcher to 200 career wins. He would retire after the 2020 season with 249, retiring third all-time. Kolkata’s Mohan Zaman had 29 triples in 2017, falling two short of the SAB single-season record. 1B Kumar Clark won his seventh Gold Glove.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 10-31-2024, 09:00 AM

2017 in WAB

Bamako had West African Baseball’s best record in 2017, leading the Western League by 11 games at 109-53. This was a new franchise best for the Bullfrogs and their third straight playoff berth. Bamako set a new WAB record for team on-base percentage (.364) and set a WL record with 987 runs scored. As of 2037, the OBP mark remains the best in Western League history while the runs scored ranks third.

Kumasi was second at 98-64 and had their own impressive offense with 944 runs scored. The Monkeys had 453 stolen bases, the third-most in WAB history at that point. Kumasi earned a third straight wild card and their fifth in six years. Defending WAB champ Dakar and Nouakchott tied for the remaining playoff spots at 94-68. Accra was the next closest foe at 89-73. The Dukes grew their playoff streak to seven seasons, while the Night Riders had their first berth since 2008. Last year’s WLCS runner-up Banjul was 84-78 in seventh, one behind Abidjan.

Leading Bamako’s historic offense was repeat Western League MVP winner Clarence Cole. The 29-year old Sierra Leonean right fielder posted the fifth-ever Triple Crown season for a WAB hitter with 60 home runs, 171 RBI, and a .400 average (technically .3997). The RBI mark was the third-most in a WAB season and the HR mark was five shy of WAB’s record. Cole set single-season records for OBP (.483), slugging (.786), and OPS (1.268). The OBP and OPS marks remain WAB records as of 2037, while the slugging ranks fourth.

Cole also led the league in runs (147), hits (233), walks (100), total bases (458), wRC+ (213), and WAR (11.6). The run tally was tied for second-most at the time and sits sixth as of 2037. The total bases were third most to that point and ranks eighth as of 2037. The WAR tally also ranked ninth best at the time and was the second most by someone not named Darwin Morris. The Bullfrogs locked up their superstar in April with a seven-year, $94,300,000 extension.

Pitcher of the Year went to Nouakchott’s Vince Adenodi, bouncing back after a torn rotator cuff cost him most of 2016. In his third season, the 25-year old Nigerian lefty led in ERA (2.53), quality starts (21), FIP- (64), and WAR (7.8). Adenodi had a 21-4 record over 238.2 innings, 261 strikeouts, and 185 ERA+.

Defending champ Dakar swept Nouakchott 2-0 in the first round, but saw their repeat bid dashed 2-0 by Kumasi in round two. Despite being a playoff regular recently, this was the first Western League Championship Series for the Monkeys since 2006. Bamako was going for their second pennant in three years and pulled it off, winning 3-1 over Kumasi. The Bullfrogs earned their sixth pennant (1976, 1983, 1986, 2003, 2015, 2017).

Last year’s Eastern League runner-up Kano claimed first in the standings at 101-61, giving the Condors their first #1 seed since 2008. Kano allowed the fewest runs in WAB at 674. It was a nine game drop to second place Cotonou at 92-70, who grew their playoff streak to eight years. The Copperheads led the EL in scoring (910), topping the Condors by eight runs.

The other two wild cards went to Niamey (91-71) and Ibadan (88-74). The Atomics ended a two-year playoff drought and the Iguanas snapped a three-year skid. Defending EL champ Libreville dropped to a tie for fifth at 81-81 with Ouagadougou. Also notable was the end of Lome’s five-year playoff streak as the Lasers dropped to 79-83.

Douala struggled to 73-89, but their designed hitter Adrian Kollie claimed Eastern League MVP. The 26-year old Liberian led in total bases (414), slugging (.730), OPS (1.147), wRC+ (189), and WAR (7.8). Kollie added 51 home runs, 131 RBI, 51 doubles, and 116 runs.

Kano’s Paul Mulbah won Pitcher of the Year in his third season. The 25-year old Liberian lefty led in ERA (2.53) and WHIP (0.92). Mulbah had a 16-4 record over 196 innings, 234 strikeouts, 176 ERA+, and 5.6 WAR. The #6 overall draft pick in 2014, the Condors got six years out of Mulbah before he got lured to MLB.

Ibadan topped Niamey 2-0 in the first round and gave Cotonou a battle in round two. However, the Copperheads survived 2-1 for their fifth Eastern League Championship Series berth in eight years. Top seeded Kano made quick work of Cotonou with a 3-0 sweep, giving the Condors their first pennant since their historic nine consecutive titles from 1997-2005. Kano won the EL for the 14^th time, leading all teams.

In the 43^rd West African Championship, Kano returned to the throne for the first time since the great dynasty. The Condors cruised 4-1 over Bamako, becoming the first franchise to win 10 WAB titles (1975, 76, 84, 86, 97, 98, 99, 01, 02, 03, 05, 15). Kano joined Mexico City, Minsk, and Ahmedabad as the only franchises in any world league to win it all ten times.

3B Joey Agboola was finals MVP in his fourth season for Kano and 11^th in the league. The 31-year old Nigerian in eight playoff starts had 16 hits, 11 runs, 5 homers, 11 RBI, 1 double, and 2 triples. The Bullfrogs are now 0-6 all-time in their finals berths and lost for the fourth time to Kano (1976, 1986, 2003, 2017).

Other notes: Niamey’s Ibrahim Atouba had a 36-game hit streak, falling four short of Chrsitian Ndiaye’s WAB record 40 from 2013. Abdel Rahmane Padacke became the ninth member of the 500 home run club and Lawrence Nassif became the tenth. Nassif and Mohamed Elsheikh both crossed 1500 RBI (seven have done it) and 2500 hits (11). Arthur Boateng was the 15^th pitcher to 3000 strikeouts. RF Jacob Jamil won his 12^th Gold Glove and LF Julius Ayuba won his tenth. Both were position records, while Jamil was the first at any position with 12 in WAB.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 10-31-2024, 06:05 PM

2017 in CLB

Reigning Chinese League Baseball champion Changchun again took the top seed in the Northern League. This time, they did it in dominant fashion with a franchise-record 109-53. That’s the highest win total by a NL team since Tianjin won 110 in 1986. The Camels led all of CLB in runs scored (648) and allowed the second fewest runs (402). Ten games back was Shanghai in second at 99-63, getting the Seawolves back to the playoffs after their eight-year streak was snapped in 2016.

Shenyang (90-72) and Urumqi (89-73) took the final two spots, while Zhengzhou (88-74) missed by one (despite allowing the fewest runs at 395) and Xi’an (84-78) missed by five. The Swans got their second playoff berth in three years, while the Unicorns earned their first since joining CLB in the 2009 expansion. Last year’s wild cards each fell below .500 with Jinan at 75-89, Shijiazhuang at 69-93, and Qingdao at 67-95.

Shenyang two-way star Chuchuan Cao became a three-time Northern League MVP and three-time Pitcher of the Year winner. On the mound, the 28-year old lefty led in wins (22-7), innings (265.1), strikeouts (328), FIP- (45), and WAR (11.1). Cao added a 1.90 ERA and 141 wRC+. In the field (primarily LF), Cao had 128 games and 121 starts with 6.4 WAR, 185 wRC+, and a .316/.367/.520 slash. His combined 17.5 WAR was the third-best in CLB history, behind Cao’s own 21.6 in 2013 and 17.9 in 2015.

Cao led Shenyang to the top record in the Northern League’s Round Robin at 5-1. They advanced to the semifinal along with top seed Changchun (4-2), while Shanghai (2-4) and Urumqi (1-5) were ousted. The Swans last got to the semifinal back in 2002. However, the reigning champ Camels clobbered them and grabbed repeat pennants with a sweep.

Last year’s Southern League runner-up Shantou took the top seed at 96-66. This was their first-ever #1 seed, although it was their third berth in four years (and they won the China Series in 2014). A close second was Shenzhen at 93-69, growing their playoff streak to seven years. Guangzhou ended a four-year playoff skid by grabbing third at 91-71.

Chengdu narrowly grabbed the fourth and final spot at 89-73, putting the Clowns back in after their eight-year streak ended in 2016. They were one game ahead of Wuhan (88-74) and two better than both defending SL champ Kunming (86-76) and Wenzhou. The expansion Wild set a new franchise best. After back-to-back berths, Nanning was a non-factor in 2017 at 73-89.

Southern League MVP was Shantou first baseman Xugang Zheng, who picked up the sixth Triple Crown hitting season in CLB history. The 28-year old lefty led in runs (97), homers (52), RBI (124), total bases (404), triple slash (.345/.395/.673), OPS (1.068), wRC+ (243), and WAR (11.3). Zheng was the 12^th in CLB to post a 50+ homer season.

Shenzhen’s Wei Huang won his second Pitcher of the Year in three years. The 28-year old lefty led in wins (22-6), strikeouts (355), and quality starts (30). Huang added a 1.72 ERA over 261.2 innings with a 158 ERA+ and 9.8 WAR. Team success pushed him by Hong Kong’s Min-Yen Fu, who matched Huang in strikeouts and beat him in ERA (1.56) and WAR (11.6).

#4 seed Chengdu surprised the field by taking first in the round robin at 5-1. Guangzhou and Shenzhen both went 3-3 with the Gamecocks getting the tiebreaker. Top seed Shantou fared the worst at 1-5. The Clowns continued to roll by sweeping Guangzhou in the semifinal, giving Chengdu three China Series berths (2010, 2013, 2017).

In the 48^th China Series, Changchun cruised 4-1 over Chengdu as they looked to establish a new dynasty. The Camels became the fifth franchise to earn repeat titles, joining Changsha (2004-2005), Dalian (1991-94 fourpeat), Beijing (1984-85), and Kunming (1977-78). It was a remarkable run for a 2009 expansion franchise that only posted its first winning season two years prior. 1B Tie Li repeated as China Series MVP. In 15 starts, the 27-year old had 20 hits, 8 runs, 4 doubles, 3 homers, and 13 RBI.

Other notes: Shenzhen’s Yun Chang set a playoff record with a .583 OBP over six games. Wuhan’s Ning Jiang set a single-season record for singles with 180, which remains the top mark in CLB as of 2037. C Yaqi Zhao won his seventh Gold Glove.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 11-01-2024, 05:50 AM

2017 in APB

Zamboanga claimed the Taiwan-Philippine Association’s top record at 107-55. The Zebras returned to the top of the Philippine League after seeing their three-year run ended by Davao in 2016. Zamboanga led the TPA in runs allowed at 390. The Devil Rays were third at 89-73, while Cagayan de Oro was second at 96-66. This was the first-ever winning season for the 2007 expansion Critters.

Defending TPA champ Taipei claimed the Taiwan League for the sixth year running at 98-64. Taoyuan (87-75) and Tainan (86-76) were distant competitors. The Tigercats led in scoring (562) and became the first team in Austronesia Professional Baseball history to earn eight playoff berths over a nine year stretch.

Taichung was terrible at 69-93, but their second baseman Buwono Gunawan won back-to-back Taiwan-Philippine Association MVPs. It was his third MVP, having also won back in 2013. Still only 26 years old, the Indonesian lefty was the WARlord at 9.2. Gunawan posted a 172 wRC+, .855 OPS, 25 home runs, 80 RBI, and 73 stolen bases. It was his final year with the Toucans, as he cashed in with an eight-year, $141,600,000 free agent deal with Medan.

For the fifth time in six years, Zamboanga’s Ching-Chen Yao earned Pitcher of the Year. He became the fifth APB pitcher to win the top honor five times. The 29-year old Taiwanese lefty led in ERA (1.27), strikeouts (420), WHIP (0.55), K/BB (17.5), FIP- (21), and WAR (13.8). Amazingly, Yao has been so dominant that this season ranked fourth best for him in WAR. He also had a 14-8 record over 247.1 innings and 210 ERA+. Yao notably had a 21 strikeout game against Quezon.

Johor Bahru again had the top seed in the Sundaland Association, repeating as Malacca League champ at 94-68. The Blue Wings had to fend off a 91-71 effort by Pekanbaru and 88-74 run from Singapore. Reigning APB champ Semarang repeated atop the Java See League at 89-73, topping Bandung by four games. The Sliders allowed the fewest runs (424) while Johor Bahru scored the most (551).

Sundaland Association MVP went to Asraf “Elephant” Noor of Johor Bahru. The 29-year old Malaysian third baseman led in hits (176), total bases (324), slugging (.578), OPS (.924), wRC+ (231), and WAR (10.3). Noor added 33 home runs, 84 RBI, and a .314 batting average. Prior to the 2017 season, he committed long-term to the Blue Wings with a seven-year, $88,700,000 extension.

In his 11^th year for Kuala Lumpur, Raja Kamal won Pitcher of the Year. The 31-year old Indian lefty led in ERA (1.09), and WHIP (0.71). Kamal added a 17-7 record over 223 innings, 284 strikeouts, 228 ERA+, and 7.5 WAR. As of 2037, his ERA ranks as the 15^th-best qualifying season in APB history. Kamal would be a Leopards lifer, having signed a five-year, $47,500,000 extension the prior spring.

For the fourth time in five years, Zamboanga met Taipei in the Taiwan-Philippine Association Championship. The Tigercats had finally won in 2016 with the Zebras out of the picture, as Zamboanga had defeated them in 2013, 2014, and 2015. The Zebras made it four pennants in five years, winning again over Taipei 4-2. This was Zamboanga’s seventh pennant, having also won thrice in the early 2000s.

The Sundaland Association Championship was a rematch with Semarang having upset Johor Bahru the prior year. The Blue Wings again had home field advantage and this time came out on top 4-2. This was Johor Bahru’s first pennant since joining APB. It was their second-ever pennant, as they were the 1993 South Asia Baseball champion, famously upsetting a 126-36 Ho Chi Minh City squad in the first round.

The 53^rd APB Championship gave Johor Bahru its first APB crown, defeating Zamboanga 4-1. The Blue Wings are the first Malaysian team to take the crown and the 17^th APB franchise with a title. The bad finals luck continued for the Zebras, falling to 1-6 all-time in their appearances. LF Mohammed Habibi was finals MVP in his fifth season for JB. The 26-year old had 12 playoff starts with 7 hits, 3 runs, 3 homers, and 3 RBI.

Other notes: Zamboanga’s Oliverio Sampoerna had a playoff no-hitter with 12 strikeouts against Taipei in the Taiwan-Philippine Association Championship. Donnie Luzon became the 17^th pitcher to 4000 strikeouts. Rizal Prastiche was the tenth closer to 300 career saves. 1B Widodo Megawati won his seventh Gold Glove in a row.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 11-01-2024, 11:38 AM

2017 in OBA

One year removed from their historic 126-36 season, Christchurch was dethroned as Australasia League champion. Their bid for a fifth straight title was barely thwarted by Brisbane at 99-63. The Chinooks were one game back at 98-64 while Sydney (93-69) and Perth (91-71) also had a shot. The Black Bears became three-time AL champs, having also won in 1991 and 2002.

The big acquisition for Brisbane was LF Merlin Megson, who won his sixth Australasia League MVP. He joined Jimmy Caliw, Sione Hala, and Vavao Brighouse as OBA’s only six-time MVP winners. Megson had won his previous five with Canberra, but signed with the Black Bears for 2017 on a six-year, $78,400,000 deal.

In his Brisbane debut, Megson led in home runs (52), RBI (129), and total bases (394). The 31-year old English lefty added a .311/.353/.648 slash, 1.001 OPS, 167 wRC+, and 6.3 WAR. Megson also earned his eighth Silver Slugger, but his first in left field. His previous wins came in right field (5) and first base (2).

The Black Bears also had Emmanuel Bram win both Pitcher of the Year and Reliever of the Year. He was the sixth closer to win POTY in OBA and made it back-to-back in the AL as Lyle Summer did it the prior year for Christchurch. Bram led in saves (46) and games (70), posting a 1.30 ERA over 96.2 innings with 130 strikeouts, 301 ERA+, and 4.8 WAR. He would struggle the next year and become a journeyman between MLB and BSA after that.

The reigning Baseball Grand Champion and Oceania Champion Guam repeated atop the Pacific League at 100-62. The Golden Eagles won their 16^th pennant, leading all OBA teams. Guadalcanal was their nearest foe at 91-71, followed by Honolulu at 90-72. Samoa was fourth at 86-76 with a tie for fifth at 83-79 between Tahiti and Vanuatu. The Tropics posted their 15^th straight winning season, although it was their first time dipping below 90 wins in that stretch.

Vanuatu LF Hama Brotherson won Pacific League MVP in his third season. The 25-year old Tahitian led in hits (210), doubles (31), triples (25), total bases (381), triple slash (.355/.379/.644), OPS (1.023), wRC+ (198), and WAR (9.2). Brotherson also had 30 home runs, 107 RBI, 98 runs, and 79 stolen bases.

Guam’s Peyton McCoy earned Pitcher of the Year in his seventh season. The 26-year old New Zealander led in wins at 24-8. McCoy posted a 2.79 ERA over 286.2 innings, 344 strikeouts, 125 ERA+, and 9.3 WAR. He would go onto sign a seven-year, $95,900,000 extension before the 2019 season.

The 58^th Oceania Championship was a rematch from 1991, which saw Brisbane’s first OBA crown. 2017 was the first to end in a sweep since 2006 as Guam crushed Black Bears. The Golden Eagles earned repeat titles for the third time in franchise history and earned their eighth title (1979, 1980, 1992, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2016, 2017). There is now a four-way tie for the most titles between Guam, Honolulu, Adelaide, and Melbourne. RF Willy Waldron won finals MVP, going 11-18 with 7 runs, 3 doubles, 2 homers, and 4 RBI.

Other notes: Junia Lava completed his 22^nd and final season with Fiji, passing Quentin Basa’s 3078 to become OBA’s new hit king at 3113. He held that title for only a few years, but still ranks fifth as of 2037. Lava’s 778 home runs retired him third behind Vavao Brighouse (804) and Arjita Gabekja (786). Lava did also retire as the RBI leader at 1989 and would only be passed once in the next 20 years. His longevity also leaves him as of 2037 as the OBA leader in games (3243), at-bats (12,223), and strikeouts (3268). In world history, Lava has the sixth most strikeouts.

Flynn Murphy, Isaac Tague, and Akira Brady each passed 4000 strikeouts in 2017, making ten pitchers to reach the mark. Dale Harper was the 13^th batter to 2500 hits. Merlin Megson and Clifford James became the 12^th and 13^th members of the 500 home run club. DH Roe Kaupa won his seventh Silver Slugger.

OBA’s 14^th Perfect Game came from Gold Coast’s Johnny Richardson, striking out eight against Adelaide on September 25. Timor was terrible and set Pacific League pitching worsts In WHIP (1.428), strikeouts (963), and K/9 (6.00) that still hold in 2037. Their hits (1573) and H/9 (9.81) were also new worsts, but both marks would be passed twice.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 11-01-2024, 05:50 PM

2017 in EPB

2017 was a major changing of the guard in EPB’s European League as both playoff spots went to the 2008 expansion teams. Neither had been in the playoffs before with only one winning season between them before that. Voronezh took first at 97-65 and Krasnodar was second at 92-70. The Zephyrs scored the most runs in EPB by a healthy margin at 784; no one else was above 700.

Reigning Eurasian Professional Baseball champ Moscow was tied for third with Volgograd at 84-78. The Mules had their three-year playoff streak ended, but maintained their run of winning seasons going back to 1999. Rostov’s five-year playoff streak snapped as well with the Rhinos falling to 76-86.

Leading Voronezh’s offense was European League MVP Zygmunt Socha. The 25-year old Polish first baseman led in runs (111), home runs (59), RBI (130), total bases (.402), and slugging (.636). Socha added a .999 OPS, 185 wRC+, and 9.1 WAR. He had been the Zephyr’s #1 overall draft pick in 2009 and had arrived, signing an eight-year, $55,460,000 extension before the 2017 season.

Although Minsk was a non-factor, their ace Rumyan Mardanyan repeated as Pitcher of the Year. In only his third season, the 24-year old Armenian righty led in ERA (1.58), WHIP (0.75), FIP- (31), and WAR (11.1). Mardanyan added a 15-12 record over 221.1 innings with 320 strikeouts and a 211 ERA+. Also of note, Krasnodar’s Dato Aschepkov became a three-time Reliever of the Year winner. He posted 5.2 WAR and a 1.18 ERA over 91.1 innings.

In a tight race for the Asian League title, Omsk (96-66) returned to the perch for their seventh playoff berth in nine years. It was the fourth time in that run the Otters took the #1 seed. They edged Ulaanbaatar by one game, but 95-67 ended the Boars’ three-year playoff drought. Two-time defending AL champ Ufa was a close third at 90-72, ending their three-year playoff streak. Last year’s wild card Krasnoyarsk dropped to 76-86.

Vladivostok stunk, but they had the Asian League MVP Gansukh Byambasuren. The 25-year old Mongolia first baseman led in home runs (51), RBI (116), total bases (372), slugging (.618), OPS (.962), and wRC+ (181). Byambasuren added 7.7 WAR and a .296 average. He also had the 11^th four homer game in EPB history, doing it against Perm in September. In October 2018, he committed as the Shibas’ leader on an eight-year, $49,400,000 extension.

It was the second Pitcher of the Year for Irkutsk’s Kamil Domanski, who also won back in 2013. The 30-year old Polish righty led in ERA (1.92), WHIP (0.84), and quality starts (26). Domanski added a 16-10 record over 249 innings, 290 strikeouts, 169 ERA+, and 7.3 WAR.

In the first European League Championship Series for both teams, #2 seed Krasnodar upset #1 seed Voronezh 4-2. Meanwhile, the Asian League Championship Series was a rematch of 2013, which saw Ulaanbaatar defeat Omsk. The Boars were the road underdog, but rolled 4-1 over the Otters for their third pennant. They hoped to grab their second-ever EPB title (1976).

The 63^rd Eurasian Professional Baseball Championship saw a first-time winner. In only their tenth season, Krasnodar defeated Ulaanbaatar 4-1 to become the seventh different EPB champ in seven years. The Steamers were the 21^st different franchise to win the cup. Although defeated, Boars 2B Roman Rudenko was final MVP and ALCS MVP. In 10 playoff starts, he had 20 hits, 7 runs, 4 doubles, 2 triples, and 7 RBI. Rudenko was only the seventh qualifying hitter in EPB playoff history to bat .500 or better.

Other notes: In his 21^st and final season with Moscow, Ivan Mushailov became EPB’s all-time RBI leader with 1755, passing Konrad Mazur’s 1702. Mushailov remains the RBI leader as of 2037 and also became the first EPB player with 3000+ games played (3085). At 1561 runs, Mushailov retired second to Zaur Kadirov’s 1619.

Aram Sargsyan became the 21^st batter to reach 2500 hits. SS Mehmet Ucar won his ninth Gold Glove and 1B Artur Sagdatullin won his eighth. 3B Vladyslav Chychykov won his seventh Silver Slugger.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 11-02-2024, 04:51 AM

2017 in EBF

The EBF’s Northwest Division was absolutely stacked with the top three records in the Northern Conference. Brussels was the only team in all of EBF with triple-digit wins in 2017 at 105-57, which ended a four-year playoff drought for the Beavers. Last year’s top seed Antwerp (99-63) and Amsterdam (94-68) both gave chase and got the wild cards. The Airedales grew their playoff streak to four seasons and the Anacondas’ grew to five. Rotterdam (88-74) also had a nice showing, but missed the cut. Brussels scored the most runs in the NC (783) and Antwerp allowed the fewest (574).

The other three division winners were separated by one game. Both at 91-71, North Central Division champ Cologne earned the #2 seed with a tiebreaker over British Isles champ Sheffield. The Copperheads grew their division title streak to eight years, the longest active playoff streak in EBF. The Steelhounds were seven ahead of Edinburgh for their first-ever EBF Elite playoff berth. They had only gotten promoted the prior year and nearly got relegated right back. Also of note, Dublin dropped to 79-83 for their first losing season since 2003.

At 90-72, Hamburg won the Baltic Sea Division, giving the Hammers two division titles in three years. That division had the tightest race with Oslo (87-75), and Kyiv (84-78) close behind. The worst record went to 63-99 Cardiff, relegating the Crew after a three year run in the top tier. Ljubljana nearly dropped at 64-98, but stayed one game ahead of Cardiff and two ahead of the 100-loss demotion mark. The Juggernauts were the Second League runner-up the prior year.

Although his Oslo squad missed the cut, SS Harvey Coyle continued to dominate with his record eighth Northern Conference MVP in nine seasons. Coyle won his tenth Gold Glove (a position record at shortstop) and his tenth Silver Slugger. Still only 30-years old, the Englishman was the WARlord for the ninth time at 12.6. Coyle added 60 home runs, 138 RBI, 102 runs, a 177 wRC+ and 1.035 OPS. In 2017, Coyle moved up to sixth in WAR among position players at 138.4. He became the 17^th member of the 600 home run club and hit for the cycle against Krakow.

While the MVP had little parity, Pitcher of the Year saw its ninth different winner in nine years. This time it was Hamburg’s Forest Campbell, who led in wins (19-6), strikeouts (327), and shutouts (4). The 27-year old Scottish righty had a 2.66 ERA over 250.2 innings, 148 ERA+, and 7.3 WAR. Campbell never had another season quite this good, but he remained a reliable starter for the next eight years for the Hammers.

Antwerp ousted Hamburg 2-1 and Sheffield swept Amsterdam 2-0 in the first round. Both fell in round two with Brussels sweeping the Airedales and Cologne surviving 3-2 over the Steelhounds. The Copperheads got back-to-back Northern Conference Championship appearances, while it was the first since 2010 for the Beavers. Top seed Brussels blew out Cologne with a sweep for their first pennant in 44 years and fourth overall (1960, 1961, 1978, 2017).

Three teams tied for the top record at 97-65 in the Southern Conference. After tiebreakers, the #1 seed went to Palermo and the #2 seed and bye went to Thessaloniki. Zaragoza ended up the #3 seed, forced to play in the first round. It was an impressive debut for the Priests atop the South Central Division, as they were the Second League champ the prior year. They finished six games ahead of Zurich for the division title. The Tritons dominated the Southeast Division for their second title in three years.

The Gold Hawks had the tightest battle in the Southwest Division, beating Madrid (94-68) by three games. Zaragoza got their fourth division title in their five years among the EBF Elite. The Conquistadors were a repeat wild card. In the East Central Division, Tirana (93-69) earned their second-ever EBF playoff berth (2000). The Trojans were only in their fourth season back since a brief demotion.

Budapest (90-72) and Belgrade (88-74) narrowly missed out on both the East Central Division and the second wild card. Reigning European Champion Zurich was just above them both at 91-71 for the final spot. Four playoff teams from the prior year missed the cut in 2017 with poor showings by Chisinau (76-86), Marseille (78-84), Leipzig (70-92), and Yerevan (68-94).

By far the worst team in EBF went to Tbilisi at 54-108, relegating the Trains for the third time. This return stint had lasted only four seasons with no success. The next closest in danger were Rome and Varna at 67-95, but both avoided the 100-loss threshold for damnation.

Leading Palermo’s transition into the EBF Elite was Southern Conference MVP Jean-Paul Lafontaine. The 27-year old French first baseman led in hits (239), runs (126), total bases (445), average (.377), slugging (.702), OPS (1.115), wRC+ (212), and WAR (11.0). Lafontaine added 48 home runs, 119 RBI, and 48 stolen bases. He had signed an eight-year, $65,180,000 extension the prior year for the Preists, showing his commitment even before they had earned promotion.

Zagreb’s A.J. McGee won his second Pitcher of the Year, having previously grabbed it in 2014. The 27-year old lefty from Northern Ireland led in wins (20-7), ERA (1.70), and quality starts (28). McGee added 277 strikeouts over 264.2 innings with a 225 ERA+ and 8.4 WAR. He also had a no-hitter on July 6 with 11 strikeouts and two walks versus Barcelona. As of 2037, his 1.70 ERA is 33^rd best qualifying season in EBF history. The Gulls locked him up the prior winter at $48,900,000 over five years.

Madrid swept Tirana and Zaragoza swept the defending champs Zurich in the first round. Both then got swept 3-0 in round two with Thessaloniki rolling the Gold Hawks and Palermo over the Conquistadors. The Tritons had never been to the Southern Conference Championship before. This was the first time since the Second League formed in 2005 that two teams that started in E2L faced off for a pennant. Thessaloniki defeated Palermo 4-2 and became the 17^th different franchise to win the SC crown.

In the 68^th European Championship, it was Brussels topping Thessaloniki 4-1 to earn their third EBF title (1961, 1978, 2017). With Antwerp’s win in 2015, this brought the cup to Belgium for the second time in three years. LF Nikolai Gavazov won finals MVP in his second year for the Beavers, having come over in a trade from Tbilisi. The 27-year old Bulgarian had 12 playoff starts with 16 hits, 10 runs, 4 doubles, 2 triples, 4 home runs, and 15 RBI.

Other notes: Francisco Cruz became EBF’s new all-time hit king, finishing the season at 3654 to pass Carsten Dal’s 3633 for the top spot. Cruz played two more seasons to end at 3720. He’d lose the top spot soon, but ranks second as of 2037 and 21^st among all pro baseball history. Cruz also became the 16^th member of the 600 home run club and the third to 2000 RBI. His 2066 RBI ranks fifth as of 2037.

Cruz also grabbed his eighth and final Gold Glove at 1B. Jiri Lebr (the future hit king) became the tenth to 3000 hits. Alan Dikov became the 24^th to reach 1500 RBI. SS Billy Wishart won his eighth Gold Glove.

Promotion/Relegation: Tbilisi was demoted to the Second League’s Eastern Conference and Cardiff sent to the Western Conference. E2L champ Belfast logically took the Crew’s spot in the British Isles Division. However, runner-up Kharkiv would also be moved into the Northern Conference, specifically the Northeast Division. This required some swapping to restore balance.

Hamburg was moved out of the Northeast (previously the Baltic Sea Division) over to the North Central and Frankfurt was switched from the North Central to Northwest. Ljubljana was then taken out of the Northwest and switched conferences, taking Tbilisi’s spot in the Southeast Division. That was a more logical landing spot anyway for the Juggernauts, who only were in the Northwest last year to avoid the multiple swaps that time around.

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

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