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

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2017 in BSA

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Defending Copa Sudamerica winner Callao claimed the top seed in the Bolivar League at 109-53. The Cats won the Peru-Bolivia Division for the third straight year and earned their eighth playoff berth of the decade. Callao had historic popularity with a season attendance of 2,800,647; a new Beisbol Sudamerica record. They scored more than any BSA team by a healthy margin at 898 runs. The Cats’ 480 stolen bases were also the second most in league history. Their closest divisional foe was Trujillo far away at 84-78.

Caracas ended a ten-year playoff drought and won the Venezuela Division at 103-59. The Colts allowed the fewest runs in the Bolivar League (542) and the second fewest in all of BSA. Ciudad Guayana at 91-71 earned the second wild card and grabbed a third straight wild card. There was a shakeup in the division, as both Maracaibo (83-79) and Barquisimeto (75-87) fell off after recent playoff berths.

Guayaquil claimed the Colombia-Ecuador Division at 101-61 to end a two-year playoff drought. It was the Golds seventh playoff appearance of the decade, but they hadn’t won the division since 2010. Guayaquil also grew their run of winning seasons to 14 years, the longest active such streak. Medellin was a close second at 99-63, getting the first wild card. The Mutiny continued the longest active playoff streak in BSA at seven seasons. Quito was a solid 87-75, but they were four games behind Ciudad Guayana for the second wild card.

The Bolivar League had its eighth different MVP in eight seasons. This time it was Ciudad Guayana LF R.J. Zavaleta in his third season. The 24-year old Venezuelan led in average (.367), slugging (.714), OPS (1.105), and wRC+ (189). Zavaleta added 8.0 WAR, 40 home runs, 105 RBI, and 50 stolen bases. He got his totals despite missing most of May to injury.

In his first year as a full-time starter, Caracas righty Julio Arias claimed Pitcher of the Year. The 24-year old Colombian righty led in wins (22-6), WHIP (0.90), and quality starts (30). Arias had a 2.16 ERA over 250.1 innings, 266 strikeouts, 182 ERA+, and 8.1 WAR. He ended up being a hidden gem for the Colts, who picked him in the fourth round (136^th overall) in the 2012 BSA Draft.

Ciudad Guayana beat Medellin 2-0 in the first round of the playoffs, then shocked top seed and defending champ Callao with a road sweep in the Divisional Series. The Giants earned their first Bolivar League Championship Series appearance since 2000. Guayaquil bested Caracas 3-1, giving the Golds their first BLCS since 2010. CG’s improbable run continued, rolling to a BLCS sweep of Guayaquil.

Since the five-team playoff format and first round series started in 2009, Ciudad Guayana is the first team to win the pennant from the #5 seed. The Giants did it in remarkable fashion, running the table and going 9-0. It was the fourth pennant for the Giants, who also won in 1984, 1989, and 1992.



Santiago had the best mark in the Southern Cone League at 99-63, winning the South Central Division. The Saints earned their third consecutive playoff berth. From there, only three wins separated the #2 seed from the #5 seed. Concepcion was seven behind Santiago at 92-70 in the division, but secured the first wild card. The Chiefs grabbed their sixth playoff berth in seven years.

In the North Division, Manaus (92-70) edged Recife (91-71) for the top spot. Both Manaus and Porto Alegre became the first of the 2009 expansion teams to earn a division title. The Retrievers ended up the second wild card, growing their playoff streak to five years. It was Recife’s eighth berth in nine seasons. Belo Horizonte at 85-77 was the only other team in the wild card race. Fortaleza was at .500 despite leading in scoring at 778 runs.

The Armadillos won the Southeast Division at 89-73, besting Montevideo by six games and Sao Paulo by seven. Last year’s league champ Rio de Janeiro dropped to 79-83. Rosario allowed the fewest runs (539) but also scored the fewest (521), thus a 76-86 record. All three of the 2009 expansion teams in the Southern Cone League now have a playoff berth with Salta earning a 2015 wild card. The three expansion squads over in the Bolivar League have yet to advance.

Santiago 1B Nuno Escalante won Southern Cone League MVP in his second season as a starter. The 25-year old Chilean lefty led in hits (248), total bases (420), batting average (.383), and WAR (9.9). Escalante added 116 runs, 42 home runs, 118 RBI, 1.054 OPS, and 201 wRC+.

In his Beisbol Sudamerica debut for Recife, Yuandong Wang won Pitcher of the Year. He had won six Pitcher of the Year awards previously in China for Zhengzhou, joining a very small list of aces in world history with a POTY in two leagues and 7+ for their career. Wang signed a six-year, $64,800,000 deal with the Retrievers to start his BSA endeavor.

The 30-year old lefty debuted with the 12^th Triple Crown pitching season in BSA history and the first since 2002. Wang had a 20-9 record, 2.26 ERA, and 311 strikeouts over 258.1 innings. He also led in WHIP (0.88), shutouts (6), WAR (8.4), and FIP- (64) while posting a 157 ERA+.

Recife edged Porto Alegre 2-1 in the first round of the playoffs, then pulled off their own Divisional Series upset of the top seed Santiago 3-2. The Retrievers picked up their seventh Southern Cone League Championship appearance in nine years, the first team with such a streak since Buenos Aires (1975-1982).

On the other side, Concepcion cruised to a sweep of Manaus. This was the Chiefs’ first LCS since winning the pennant in 2012. Like in 2012, the 2017 LCS needed all seven games and ended with Concepcion on top. The Chiefs became five-time league champs (1987-89, 2012, 2017). Recife fell to 3-4 in their recent run of LCS berths.



The 87^th Copa Sudamerica was a rematch of the 1989 final, which saw Concepcion defeat Ciudad Guayana. The 2017 edition went all seven games and saw the Giants cap off their improbable run with the franchise’s second Cup (1984). Ciudad Guayana was the fifth different champ in five years and only the second Venezuelan cup winner of the last 30 years (Valencia in 2011).

1B Juan Rizo had a big postseason, winning Copa Sudamerica and BLCS MVP for Ciudad Guayana. The 25-year old Nicaraguan had 16 playoff starts with 26 hits, 13 runs, 3 doubles, 2 triples, 4 home runs, 14 RBI, and 7 stolen bases.



Other notes: Fernan Murillo became the fifth pitcher in BSA history to 300 career wins, a mark that wouldn’t be reached again until 2036. He retired after the 2018 season at 316, ranking fourth in BSA history. As of 2037, Murillo has the 25^th most wins of any pitcher in all of world history.

Marco Del Cid became the 12^th member of the 3000 hit club and the 16^th to reach 1500 runs scored. Antonio Arceo was the 18^th to join the 600 home run club. SS Merkin Najera won his eighth Gold Glove. Catcher Cicero Lugo won his tenth consecutive Silver Slugger, a position record. 2B Antonio Arceo and 3B Niccolo Coelho won their eighth Silver Sluggers and 2B Oscar Valdivia won his seventh.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2017 in EAB

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The Japan League again had impressive parity in 2017 with the top record being a mere 93-69. The only time in JL history that the top seed had a lower record was 1936 (90-72). Both Capital Division champ Yokohama and West Division champ Hiroshima won 93 games with the Hammerheads earning the top seed via tiebreaker. Hiroshima’s playoff streak grew to six seasons and the Yellow Jackets’ grew to four. Neither path was easy though. The two-time defending JL champ Yokohama had to fend off 91-71 Kawasaki, while the Hammerheads dueled with 87-75 Kitakyushu.

Osaka claimed the Central Division for the third straight season at 89-73, besting Kyoto by four games. The weakest playoff team was Saitama at 85-77 atop the North Division, edging Niigata by two games. The Sting ended both an 11-year playoff drought and 11-year run of losing seasons. Sendai, who had won the North four years running, fell to 74-88. The top scoring team (Kyoto at 696) and team allowing the fewest runs (Kawasaki at 546) both missed the playoffs.

Nagoya was the only team that didn’t get to at least 72 wins, finishing a putrid 62-100. Even so, Nightowls LF Renjiro Matsunaga won Japan League MVP in his third season. The 24-year old lefty led in RBI (136), total bases (403), slugging (.687), OPS (1.089), wRC+ (224), and WAR (10.0). Matsunaga added 43 home runs, 35 doubles, 105 runs, and a .402 OBP. He also hit for the cycle against Kawasaki on May 11. Matsunaga would get traded by 2020 to Sendai.

Osaka’s Nobuyoshi Yamauchi won his second Pitcher of the Year in three seasons. The 26-year old lefty led in wins (23-7) and strikeouts (301). Yamauchi added a 2.40 ERA over 239.2 innings, 140 ERA+, and 6.2 WAR. He committed to the Orange Sox the following spring with a seven-year, $133,000,000 extension.

Both first round matchups needed all five games as Hiroshima outlasted Saitama and Osaka upset Yokohama. The Hammerheads earned their sixth consecutive Japan League Championship Series appearance, while the Orange Sox hadn’t been there since their 2005 pennant. Hiroshima had home field advantage, but Osaka rolled to a 4-1 win for their tenth pennant (1923, 25, 43, 46, 58, 85, 89, 02, 05, 17). It was the fourth year in a row that the Hammerheads were denied in the JLCS.



Defending East Asia Baseball champ Changwon had the top seed in the Korea League at 100-62, winning back-to-back South Division titles. It was the Crabs’ first 100+ win season since 1961. Ulsan was second in the division at 93-70, which earned them the second wild card. The Swallows had seen their four-year playoff streak snapped in 2016 with a surprising 70-92 campaign. Ulsan had the most runs in the KL at 803, just ahead of Changwon’s 789.

Seoul repeated as North Division champ narrowly at 95-67, allowing the fewest runs in the KL at 535. Seongnam was right behind at 94-69, earning the first wild card for their third playoff berth in four years. The next closest team in the wild card race was Incheon at 88-74. Pyongyang and Yongin were next at 84-78. The Pythons notably set a new EAB record as their offense drew only 227 walks all season. That remains the all-time low as of 2037.

Changwon 2B Dae-Eui Ha won Korea League MVP in his fourth season. The 25-year old leadoff man led in hits (235) and stolen bases (120). He posted only the fifth 120+ steals season in EAB history and was the first since 1987 to do so. Ha added a .371/.396/.567 slash, 110 runs, 43 doubles, 27 triples, 164 wRC+, and 9.5 WAR.

For the fourth time in five years, Seoul’s Do-Kyun Lee earned Pitcher of the Year. He was the ninth in EAB history to win 4+ POTYs. He also became the first to win three consecutive pitching Triple Crowns and joined Aiya Kodama as the only EAB pitchers to do it thrice. The only pitcher in world history with three straight Triple Crowns was CABA’s Junior Vergara (1979-81),

Lee had a 21-8 record, 1.93 ERA (a career best), and 404 strikeouts over 256.1 innings. He also led in WHIP (0.74), K/BB (16.2), complete games (22), shutouts (7), FIP- (53), and WAR (9.9) with a 192 ERA+. Lee now had three 400+ strikeout seasons, while no one else in EAB even had one yet. Lee had 20 strikeout games against Yongin in July and Hamhung in April. There had been 15 games with 20+ Ks to that point and Lee had five of them. The Seahawks wisely locked Lee down with a seven-year, $154,600,000 extension signed in April.

Changwon swept their divisional foe Ulsan in the first round, while Seoul survived 3-2 against their rival Seongnam. This set up a rematch in the Korea League Championship Series for the first time since 1980-81’s Busan versus Suwon. The Crabs became the first repeat Korean champ since Daegu (1999-00), defeating the Seahawks 4-2. This was Changwon’s seventh KL title (1923, 45, 59, 63, 64, 2016, 17).



Changwon also earned repeat EAB titles, outlasting Osaka 4-3 in the 97^th East Asian Championship. The Crabs became the ninth franchise to pull off a repeat and won their fourth overall EAB crown (1945, 1963, 2016, 2017). 3B Sang-Wook Park was the finals MVP as the 25-year old had 16 playoff starts, 18 hits, 10 runs, 2 doubles, 1 triple, 4 home runs, and 6 RBI. Changwon was the fourth repeat champ since the turn of the millennium, joining Kawasaki (2000-01), Seoul (2003-04), and Kyoto (2010-11).



Other notes: Soo-Geun Yim became EAB’s new career home run king, passing Lei Meng’s 897 that had held since the 1960s. Yim hit 38 at age 38 to become the first in EAB to reach 900, ending the season at 914. He played one more year and added seven more to end with 921. Yim held the top spot in EAB until the early 2030s, but still ranks second. As of 2037, he’s one of only 23 players in all of pro baseball history to breach 900 dingers. Yim still holds EAB’s RBI top mark (2279) as of 2037 and ranks 19^th in world history.

Yim also became the fourth in EAB history to reach 3500 hits and would retire third at 3545, behind only Byung-Oh Tan (3871) and Dong-Ju Hahn (3585). In other milestones, Hitoshi Kubota became the 31^st member of the 600 home run club. Sang-Jun Gang became the 42^nd to cross 1500 RBI and won his eighth Silver Slugger between RF/LF. C Ha-Jun Au won his ninth Silver Slugger. In pitching, Kaneo Kuroda became the 37^th to 3500 strikeouts and Seo-Hu Tongbang became the 54^th to win 200 games.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2017 in CABA

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Reigning Central American Baseball Association champ and two-time defending Mexican League champ Juarez continued to roll at 10656, taking the top seed and the North Division for the third straight year. It was the Jesters’ fourth consecutive playoff berth and 100+ win season, as well as their sixth berth in seven years. They allowed the fewest runs by a large margin (519) and were second in scoring (792).

There was a 14 game gap to second place Tijuana and Torreon at 92-70, which earned both teams wild cards. The Toros ended a 17-year playoff drought, while the Tomahawks grew their playoff streak to five. Torreon had the most runs in the ML at 805 and posted their 18^th winning season in a row. The next closest teams in the wild card hunt were San Luis Potosi (87-75), Merida (86-76), and Hermosillo (85-77).

In a weak South Division, Guadalajara (89-73) came out on top to end their own 20 year playoff drought. The Hellhounds hadn’t won a division title since 1990. Merida (86-76), Puebla (84-78), Leon (82-80), and Ecatepec (81-81) each fell short. For the Lions, they saw their four-year division title and playoff streak ended.

Leon’s Ivan Girard earned Mexican League MVP honors in his CABA debut. The 30-year old Canadian had played his first nine seasons between MLB’s Denver and Phoenix before signing a seven-year, $31,720,000 deal for 2017 with the Lions. Playing left field, Girard had 120 games and 102 starts, blasting 54 home runs with 99 RBI, 88 runs, 1.153 OPS, 217 wRC+, and 7.2 WAR. As a pitcher, he had a 16-9 record and 3.35 ERA over 231.1 innings, 213 strikeouts, 113 ERA+, and 5.1 WAR. These were both by far career bests for Girard, who dealt with numerous injuries in his run.

Juarez’s Luis Ruiz won Pitcher of the Year in his eighth season for the Jesters. The 29-year old Honduran righty led in wins (21-5), innings (262), shutouts (3), and WAR (7.6). Ruiz posted a 2.71 ERA, 258 strikeouts, and 143 ERA+. He also won his second Gold Glove and provided a very solid bat as an occasional pinch hitter with a 1.059 OPS over 135 plate appearances and 2.3 WAR. Before the 2018 season, Juarez would give Ruiz a six-year, $79,200,000 extension.

The Jesters swept Tijuana 3-0 in the first round while Guadalajara topped Torreon 3-1. Juarez earned its fifth Mexican League Championship Series appearance in six years, while the Hellhounds hadn’t gotten that far since 1990. The Jesters dynasty continued, although it took all seven games to survive Guadalajara’s challenge. Juarez posted the first ML three-peat since Ecatepec’s 1999-2004 dynasty. The Jesters earned their 15^th title overall, second most in Mexican League history behind Monterrey’s 18.



Jamaica claimed the Caribbean League’s top seed at 100-62 atop the Island Division, earning the Jazz a fourth straight playoff berth. Defending CL champ Havana was second at 96-66, grabbing the first wild card. Honduras returned to the top of the Continental Division at 97-65 for their fifth berth in seven years. Last year’s division champ Salvador was next at 93-69, taking the second wild card.

It was a seven-game drop to the next wild card competitors at 86-76, Haiti and Suriname. This ended a five-year playoff streak by the Herons and was only their second postseason miss in 21 years. Haiti’s streak of winning seasons grew to 24. Havana led the league in scoring at 903 runs while Honduras allowed the fewest at 595.

For the third time in four years, Jamaica CF Herve Mickler earned Caribbean League MVP. The 30-year old Aruban led in home runs (55), RBI (135), runs (124), total bases 9124), slugging (.713), OPS (1.095), wRC+ (181), and WAR (10.1). Mickler also had a .322 batting average and 58 stolen bases in his eighth year for the Jazz. He stayed another three before leaving for MLB and Brooklyn.

Pitcher of the Year was fourth-year Honduras starter Javier Miramontes. The 26-year old Puerto Rican lefty led in WAR (8.2) and FIP- (64). Miramontes added a 19-6 record over 249 innings, 2.39 ERA, 279 strikeouts, and 166 ERA+. The Horsemen gave him a four-year, $42,000,000 extension in the winter, but he’d suffer shoulder inflammation for much of 2018. He fell off quickly after that and was out of the league by age 31.

Honduras swept defending champ Havana in the first round, giving the Horsemen their fourth Caribbean League Championship Series appearance in seven years. Salvador then shocked top seed Jamaica 3-2, giving the Stallions their first CLCS since 2008. The Stallions then outlasted the rival Horsemen 4-3 for their first pennant since 2005. Salvador became 12-time Caribbean champs, third most behind Honduras (17) and Santo Domingo (14).



Juarez and Salvador had met before in the CABA Championship with the Jesters winning in 1978 and the Stallions taking it in 2005. The 107^th CABA final lacked the drama of the LCS matchups as Juarez prevailed 4-1, becoming the first repeat champ since Haiti (2006-2007). Since then, there had been nine different champions from 2008-2016.

For back-to-back years, CF Gangzhun Peng was CABA Championship MVP. The 34-year old Chinese lefty was in his fourth season in Mexico after a great run in Hong Kong. In 14 playoff starts, Peng had 14 hits, 9 runs, 2 doubles, 3 homers, 9 RBI, and 5 stolen bases. Juarez became five-time CABA champs (1977, 1978, 1981, 2016, 2017) and remained a Mexican League contender into the mid 2020s.



Other notes: 47-115 Chihuahua had a historically bad season, posting the fourth-worst record in CABA history. Terrible pitching sank them, posting the all-time worst Mexican League mark in ERA (4.87) and runs allowed (844). Their 777 earned runs were second worst behind only San Luis Potosi’s 784 from 2008. As of 2037, no teams have done worse.

Guadalajara’s Pancho Burgos had a 33-game hitting streak, which was five shy of Ivan Iniguez’s record of 38 from 1911. Matias Esquilin became the 18^th to reach 1500 runs scored and the 50^th to reach 2500 hits. CF Santiago Flores won his tenth straight Gold Glove. Only Linus Williams had more in center field with 12 from 1948-59.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2017 in MLB

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The National Association’s Northeast Division was very top heavy and had the NA’s top two records. After narrowly missing the playoffs the prior two years, Boston emerged as the top seed at 101-61. The Red Sox had to fend off fierce efforts by Hartford (100-62), and Buffalo (98-64), who secured the two wild cards. Boston ended a six-year playoff drought while the Blue Sox snapped a 21-year skid. The Huskies got their third wild card in four years. Toronto, the NACS runner-up the prior two years, plummeted to 69-93.

Two other division winners finished 98-64, but Brooklyn had the tiebreaker for the #2 seed and bye over defending National Association champ Kansas City. The Dodgers ended a three-year playoff drought atop the East Division, finishing five games ahead of Philadelphia and eight ahead of New York. This was only the third playoff miss for the Phillies in the last 15 years. Baltimore, a wild card last year, fell to 83-79.

The Cougars repeated as Lower Midwest Division champ, eight games ahead of 90-72 St. Louis. That ended a four-year playoff streak for the Cardinals. Detroit at 96-66 returned to the Upper Midwest Division perch, taking their seventh division title in a decade. They edged a solid 94-68 Minneapolis squad, which extended the Moose playoff drought to 20 years. Last year’s division champ Chicago fell to 77-85. The Tigers led the NA in runs (773) while St. Louis allowed the fewest (528).

Pittsburgh was 80-82, but they had an all-time season from National Association MVP Fred Hynes. In only his second season, the 22-year old left fielder from New York led in hits (211), runs (127), home runs (60), total bases (412), triple slash (.352/.413/.687), OPS (1.100), wRC+ (235), and WAR (11.0). He was only the 18^th position player in MLB history with a 11+ WAR season and the 11^th to hit 60+ homers. Hynes also had 121 RBI, falling four short of a Triple Crown. He was the fifth overall pick by the Pirates out of Louisville in the 2015 MLB Draft.

Leading Buffalo’s turnaround was Emmett “Blackjack” Pierson, the Pitcher of the Year. In his sixth season, the 26-year old righty from Ashburn, Virginia led in wins (21-7), strikeouts (282), and WAR (8.6). His 2.40 ERA ranked fourth in the NA. Pierson pitched 262.2 innings with a 145 ERA+ and 0.95 WHIP. The Blue Sox locked him up with a seven-year, $143,700,000 extension.

Hartford swept Detroit and Kansas City survived 2-1 over Buffalo in the first round. The top two seeds held firm with Boston sweeping the Huskies and Brooklyn outlasting the defending champ Cougars 3-2. It was the Dodgers’ first National Association Championship Series appearance since their 2011 pennant and the Red Sox’s first since 2010. Boston picked up a 4-2 win over Brooklyn to claim only their fourth-ever pennant (1955, 1967, 1995, 2017).



The Southwest Division was the loaded one in the American Association yet again. San Francisco secured the top seed at 107-55 for repeat playoff berths, although it was their first division title since 1999. Las Vegas was next at 101-61, marking the second time in three years with both a wild card and a 100+ win season. Los Angeles bounced back after their six-year playoff streak ended in 2016, taking the second wild card at 99-63. Albuquerque was also in the wild card mix for a bit at 91-71, while last year’s division champ Phoenix fell to 83-79 to end the Firebirds’ five-year playoff streak.

Denver had the #2 seed at 103-59, the best record for the Dragons in their eight-year streak of Northwest Division titles. This tied Atlanta (1987-94) for the longest division title streak in MLB history and was only the third 8+ year playoff streak (1932-41 Ottawa had the record at 10). Salt Lake City was a strong 95-67 in the division, falling four short of the Angels for the second wild card.

The Southeast Division had a tie at the top between Jacksonville and Atlanta at 91-71. The Gators won the tiebreaker game to end a seven-year stretch without a playoff berth or winning season. It was Jacksonville’s first division title since 2005. Last year’s AACS runner-up Nashville was third at 87-75, while defending World Series champ Charlotte dropped to 83-79.

The South Central Division also needed a tiebreaker game after both Houston and New Orleans finished at 87-75. The Hornets prevailed over the defending division champ Mudcats to end a four-year playoff drought. Despite being 76-86, San Diego led the AA in scoring at 785 runs. Denver allowed the fewest at 566. Notably by expected W/L, top seed San Francisco outperformed by ten games while Salt Lake underperformed by eight.

New Orleans SS Fritz Louissi won his second American Association MVP, having previously done it in 2014. The 26-year old Florida Man led in runs (128), total bases (383), and WAR (11.9). Louisi’s WAR was the tenth-best by a MLB position player to that point and he joined Elijah Cashman (2) and Morgan Short (4) as the only guys in the top ten multiple times. Louissi also had 52 home runs, 111 RBI, a 1.041 OPS, and 176 wRC+. The following spring, he became one of the richest players ever on an eight-year, $261,500,000 extension with the Mudcats.

Despite their big records, both wild cards were swept on the road in round one with Houston over Las Vegas and Jacksonville over Los Angeles. The top seeds rolled in round two with San Francisco topping the Hornets 3-1 and Denver sweeping the Gators. The Dragons got their fifth American Association Championship Series berth of their playoff streak, while the Gold Rush hadn’t gotten that far since 1999. SF ended a 22-year pennant drought, winning the AACS handily 4-1 over Denver. This was the seventh pennant for San Francisco (1921, 24, 29, 50, 84, 94, 2017).



In the 117^th World Series, Boston bounced San Francisco 4-1 to give the Red Sox their second-ever MLB title (1967). CF Aubrey Lott was World Series MVP in his 11^th season in Boston. The Quincy, Massachusetts native had 14 playoff starts with 14 hits, 12 runs, 4 home runs, and 8 RBI. Lott was never an all-star, but he got to play 16 years with his childhood team and help them win it all.



Other notes: 62-100 Wichita had an all-time putrid offense, scoring the fewest runs in MLB history at 430. The previous worst was 437 by Pittsburgh in both 2008 and 2010. The Wasps’ still hold the all-time low as of 2037. Miami’s offense set an all-time American Association low with a team .277 on-base percentage. The Mallards had also posted .277 in 2010. Miami’s playoff drought in 2017 grew to 45 years and they haven’t been above .500 since 2001. The only longer stretch of suck in MLB history belonged to Oklahoma City, who didn’t make the postseason in their first 54 seasons.

Atlanta’s Kelly Frazier threw MLB’s 30^th Perfect Game on May 28, striking out four against Memphis. Salt Lake City’s Vinny Alvares threw his third no-hitter with 8 Ks and 3 walks against Houston. He became the first in MLB history with three no-nos, also posting one in 2016 with SLC and one for Tampa in 2015. Alvares joined EAB’s Zeshin Saito (1921-23), world strikeout king Mohamed Ramos of BSA (1935-37), APB’s Yu-Ching Kuo (1996-98), Bo Sun (2007-09) and Ridhwan Pilus (2006-08) as the only players with no-hitters in three consecutive seasons.

Bryant Packer and Daniel Hecker both joined the 3000 hit club, making that group 60 players strong. C Krist James won his seventh Silver Slugger. Brooklyn CF Morgan Short finished the year at 149.4 career WAR, passing pitchers Newton Persaud (145.8) and Parker Harpaz (141.8) for the #2 spot on the MLB leaderboard. Only pitcher Ned Giles (1929-49) at 151.7 ranks better. Short had passed Elijah Cashman (136.6) the prior year to claim the top spot among position players. After the 2017 season, 37 players in pro baseball history had reached 150+ career WAR.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2017 Baseball Grand Championship

The eighth Baseball Grand Championship was hosted in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It was also the first time in BGC history that the defending champion made it back the next year with Guam returning as OBA champ. The auto-bids went to MLB’s Boston and San Francisco, CABA’s Juarez and Salvador, EAB’s Osaka and Changwon, BSA’s Concepcion and Ciudad Guayana, EBF’s Brussels and Thessaloniki, EPB’s Krasnodar, APB’s Johor Bahru, CLB’s Changwon, WAB’s Kano, SAB’s Yangon, ABF’s Tehran, ALB’s Casablanca, and AAB’s Mogadishu.

The 20^th “wild card” slot went to Bamako, the WAB runner-up at 109-53. They wanted to do with Johannesburg did in 2015 and win the Grand Championship from that slot. The Bullfrogs very nearly pulled that off amidst an incredibly competitive field. For the second time (2012), it was a 12-7 record that won it. Eight teams finished within one game of first place and 12 teams were within two games, showing how little distance existed between the world’s champs.



There was a three-way tie for the top spot at 12-7 between Juarez, Concepcion, and Bamako. In the head-to-head tiebreaker, the Jesters defeated the Chiefs 8-2 and topped the Bullfrogs 4-2, giving making Juarez the Grand Champion. They were the first Mexican League team to win the BGC and marked the fourth different league to claim the title in four years. Pitching won the day for the Jesters, who allowed the fewest runs at 55.



Concepcion beat Bamako head-to-head to earn the silver, which was the best finish yet by a Beisbol Sudamerica team. The Chiefs had scored the most runs at 100. The Bullfrogs’ third place tied Cotonou’s 2010 for the top place by a West African Baseball squad. In the five-way tie for fourth were Tehran, Brussels, Changchun, San Francisco, and Thessaloniki. Officially after the tiebreaker formulas, the Tarpons were the fourth place team, earning the first-ever top four by an Asian Baseball Federation team. The Tritons had the best run differential at +35.

Defending Grand Champion Guam joined Boston, Kano, and Mogadishu at 10-9. Finishing 9-10 were Casablanca, Ciudad Guayana, and Johor Bahru. Changwon and Salvador were next at 8-11. Yangon was alone in 18^th at 6-13, while Krasnodar and Osaka tied for the bottom spot at 5-14. The Steamers had the worst run differential at -31. The Orange Sox meanwhile set BGC all-time worsts for ERA (5.92), hits allowed (174), runs allowed (112), earned runs (109), and WHIP (1.533).

Tournament MVP was Bamako 1B Ashraf Abdullah. The 26-year old Egyptian in 19 starts had 27 hits, 17 runs, 10 home runs, 28 RBI, 10 walks, a 1.393 OPS, and 2.1 WAR. Abdullah’s RBI ranks fifth most as of 2037 and he is one of 27 position players with a 2+ WAR effort. Abdullah also had the first (and as of 2037, the only) 8 RBI game in BGC history, doing it in a 3-4, 2 homer day against Brussels.

Best Pitcher went to Changchun’s Bingxu Zhu, who tossed BGC’s fifth no-hitter in an 11 K, 3 BB effort against Salvador. Zhu’s other start was also a shutout in a two-hitter against Kano. The 26-year old righty had 21.1 innings total with a 0.84 ERA, 22 strikeouts, 3 hits, 5 walks, and 1.0 WAR. Among all qualifying pitchers (21 IP) as of 2037, Zhu holds BGC records for H/9 (1.27), opponent’s AVG (.045), opponent’s OBP (.111) and opponent’s OPS (.201).

Other notes: Brussels’ Oscar Dissard had 58 strikeouts, the third-most to that point in BGC history with Vincent Lepp’s 2015 first at 61. Dissard had two 19-strikeout games, one versus Johor Bahur and the other against Thessaloniki. San Francisco’s Graham Gregor had 15 home runs, two short of Ludevit Dano’s record from the prior year.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2018 MLB Hall of Fame

Two players were added into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame in 20187. RF Monty Moody led the way as a strong first-ballot choice at 89.1%. SP Keifer Bobbins joined him on his fifth try, getting across the 66% requirement with 72.0%. SP Bob Gallagher came close on his eight ballot, but narrowly missed at 61.1%. Also above 50% was SS Robert Hightower (59.8%, 5^th), C Sebastian Van Velzen (57.2%, 2^nd), and C Brayan Varela (53.4%, 3^rd). The second best debut was RF Jameson Hughes at 47.3%.



Catcher Warwick Weah fell off the ballot after ten failed tries, debuting with a peak of 43.3% and ending at 34.1%. The Liberian had a 22-year career, but lost some accumulations since his first seven seasons came in West Africa Baseball. Weah won two Gold Gloves and was a seven-time MLB All-Star mostly with Detroit. In MLB, Weah had 1884 hits, 930 runs, 302 doubles, 342 home runs, 1049 RBI, a .271/.330/.467 slash, 137 wRC+, and 75.1 WAR.

As of 2037, Weah has the 11^th most WAR among MLB catchers and even had Van Velzen and Varela beat despite finishing below them in 2018. It was always hard though with the low totals that come with the position, plus Weah lacked black ink and awards. Some might call him a compiler and with a number of other comparable catchers on the ballot, he couldn’t stand out.

Also falling off the ballot after ten tries was SP Frankie Benedict, who had a 14-year run with Las Vegas. He peaked at 22.0% on his second try and ended at 10.3%. Benedict didn’t have accolades and almost no black ink, but ended with a 215-174 record, 3.35 ERA, 3683 innings, 2634 strikeouts, 948 walks, 220 complete games, 42 shutouts, 118 ERA+, 93 FIP-, and 61.1 WAR. It was a fine career, but he needed either more dominance or more accumulations to get the nod.



Monty Moody – Right Field – Boston Red Sox – 89.1% First Ballot

Monty Moody was a 6’3’’, 200 pound left-handed right fielder from Monson, Massachusetts; a town of 8,000 people within the Springfield metropolitan area. Moody’s claim to fame was having a tremendous eye for the strike zone as few were better at drawing walks in MLB history. He was also solid at avoiding strikeouts and was a great contact hitter. Moody’s power was reliably solid, getting you 26 home runs and 33 doubles per his 162 game average.

Moody was a very smart and slick baserunner, although his speed was below average for most of his career. He had a strong arm though which made him a perfectly serviceable right fielder, grading as just below average defensively. Moody’s durability was solid, allowing him to play into his 40s. The main knock was his personality with many teammates calling him a lazy and selfish jerk. Even so, Moody’s natural talent made him one of MLB’s finest players of the 1990s and 2000s.

He left New England to play college baseball at Michigan State, taking second in NCAA MVP voting as a junior. Moody also had a Silver Slugger as a freshman. In three years for the Spartans, he had 146 games, 180 hits, 99 runs, 38 doubles, 38 home runs, 108 RBI, 109 walks, a .338/.450/.628 slash, 207 wRC+, and 11.2 WAR. This caught the attention of many teams, including Boston. The Red Sox picked Moody tenth overall in the 1990 MLB Draft, bringing him back to his home state.

Although some argued Moody was disloyal, he ended up playing 19 years in Boston. He started for most of his rookie year, but did miss a month to a sprained ankle. Still, Moody earned a third place in Rookie of the Year voting. He took third in MVP voting in his sophomore campaign, leading the National Association in RBI with a career best 111. The Red Sox ended a 12-year playoff drought and got to the NACS for the first time since 1967, but lost to rival Hartford. Moody struggled in his first postseason with -0.1 WAR.

1992 did mark the first of six consecutive seasons worth 7+ WAR, a mark he ultimately hit eight times in his career. Moody led in doubles (42), slugging (.630), and OPS (1.067) in 1993; all career highs. He was second in MVP voting, but Boston would narrowly miss the playoffs the next two years. Despite his impressive stats, Moody generally didn’t lead the league from here on out. He also never won a Silver Slugger, although much of that was because he shared a position with Nathaniel D’Attilo, who won nine.

1995 solidified Moody as a popular figure for many Boston fans, helping them earn only their third-ever World Series appearance. They would lose to Denver in the Fall Classic, but Moody had a big playoff run, posting 22 hits, 17 runs, 5 doubles, 5 homers, 15 RBI, and 14 walks in 18 starts with a 1.119 OPS and 1.7 WAR. Moody was never quite as dominant again, but he overall had solid playoff numbers in his career for the Red Sox. In 67 starts, he had 69 hits, 39 runs, 16 doubles, 9 homers, 39 RBI, 45 walks, a .291/.398/.473 slash, 163 wRC+, and 3.2 WAR.

Moody also but up big numbers for the United States in the World Baseball Championship, leading twice in runs scored and total bases, thrice in doubles, and once in hits, RBI, and WAR. He became the fifth player in WBC history to win Tournament MVP twice (1994, 2000). In 1994, he had 2.6 WAR, 32 hits, 12 doubles, 7 home runs, 20 RBI, and 20 walks. The doubles mark was a tournament record that has been matched, but not beaten since.

In addition, Moody was second in 1996’s WBC MVP voting and third in 1997. He was a part of America’s 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2003, and 2007 World Champion teams. In 227 games and 204 starts, Moody had 256 hits, 188 runs, 57 doubles, 63 home runs, 156 RBI, 122 walks, a .332/.426/.658 slash, 214 wRC+, and 17.1 WAR. As of 2037, Moody ranks 6^th in WAR among position players, 13^th in hits, 7^th in runs, 2^nd in doubles, 39^th in home runs, 18^th in RBI, and 21^st in walks. Among all WBC players with 250+ plate appearances, Moody’s 1.084 OPS ranks 38^th.

After the 1995 World Series run, Boston gave Moody an eight-year, $27,280,000 extension. His last time as an MVP finalist was a second in 2007, leading the NA that year with a career-high 9.2 WAR. Moody also had 8.3 WAR in 1998 and led in runs scored with 107 in 2000 and walks with 99 in 2007. He settled more into being a 4-5 WAR player into his early 30s, but that was still very strong production. Boston had the top seed in 1996, but was upset by Indianapolis in the NACS. They had a second round exit in 1997, then fell into a six-year playoff drought.

The Red Sox gave Moody another five years and $52,500,000 after the 2003 season. Boston started to contend again, falling in the 2004 NACS to Winnipeg. They missed the playoffs in 2005, but had a five-year streak after that. From 2006-2009 though, they couldn’t get beyond the second round. 2009 seemed like their best shot with the top seed at 107-55, but they were upset by Milwaukee.

After generally being sturdy, Moody missed half of 2006 between a broken finger and rotator cuff strain. Back spasms and a hamstring strain cost him a big chunk of 2009, which would be his last year in Boston. Moody still had very solid numbers when healthy, but the Red Sox were worried that the 39-year old was starting to break down and let him leave for free agency.

In total for Boston, Moody had 2856 hits, 1597 runs, 543 doubles, 412 home runs, 1489 RBI, 1427 walks, 181 stolen bases, a .299/.390/.495 slash, 171 wRC+, and 117.9 WAR. Although he rubbed some in management the wrong way, Moody was still a popular figure for his nearly two decades with the Red Sox. Boston would retire his #95 uniform once his pro career was over.

Moody could still command big money and signed a three-year, $34,800,000 deal with Houston. The Hornets had first round playoff exits in both of his seasons there. 2010 was decent but a strained oblique cost him a month. Then in 2011, Moody missed most of the season to a severely strained hip muscle. Still, that autumn he joined the 3000 hit club. However, he didn’t meet the vesting criteria for the third year of his deal.

With Houston, Moody had 162 games, 169 hits, 114 runs, 30 doubles, 21 home runs, 95 RBI, a .290/.405/.467 slash, 147 wRC+, and 5.4 WAR. That would be a very good single season, but the injuries were a concern for most teams. Still, Calgary signed the 41-year old Moody to a one-year deal for 2012. It was his statistically weakest full season, but he did still manage 3.2 WAR. Moody became the fifth player in MLB history to reach 600 career doubles.

Moody wanted to continue on, but no MLB teams were interested. He didn’t get signed until May 2013, resigning himself to the European Second League with Stuttgart in a backup role. Moody was then a backup for Manchester in the 2014 E2L season and struggled, posting a .169/.354/.214 slash during his two years in Europe. He finally realized it was time to retire at age 44.

The final MLB stats for Moody: 2935 games, 3157 hits, 1794 runs, 609 doubles, 48 triples, 444 home runs, 1647 RBI, 1637 walks, 189 stolen bases, a .297/.390/.488 slash, 167 wRC+, and 126.5 WAR. As of 2037, Moody ranks 4^th in doubles, 46^th in hits, 27^th in runs, 78^th in RBI, 7^th in walks, 30^th in games played, and 12^th in WAR among position players. His OBP ranks 39^th among all MLB batters with 3000+ plate appearances. In world history as of 2037, he ranks 17^th in walks drawn and is one of only 22 guys with 1600+ career walks.

Some voters were shocked Moody ranked so high on the WAR lists, especially since he wasn’t a huge home run guy. The reliable doubles and walks went a long way towards an excellent career. There were still a few voters that held out because of the lack of accolades and because Moody was a jerk. However, his resume was no-doubt headliner worthy. It was fitting that a long-time Boston legend got inducted only a few months after the Red Sox won the World Series. At 89.1%, Moody led the way for MLB’s 2018 Hall of Fame class.



Keifer “Powder” Bobbins – Starting Pitcher – Winnipeg Wolves – 72.0% First Ballot

Keifer Bobbins was a 6’4’’, 195 pound right-handed pitcher from Newcastle upon Tyne, a city of 300,000 inhabitants in northeast England. He would be the third Englishman added into the MLB Hall of Fame, joining CL Kelly Hughes (1982) and SP Dirk Hughes (2013). Bobbins joined Hughes as the only inductees wearing Winnipeg’s red and grey.

Bobbins had strong stuff, very good movement, and above average to good control. His velocity peaked in the 96-98 mph range with a slider, sinker, and changeup. The changeup especially was known to be his most devastating pitch. Bobbins fared noticeably better against right-handed hitters (2.82 ERA) versus lefties (3.37 ERA).

Early in his career, Bobbins had excellent stamina. His durability was also terrific, starting 30+ games with 200+ innings in all 16 of his MLB seasons. Bobbins did struggle with holding runners and with his defense. He wasn’t considered the brightest guy or a locker room leader, but he put up reliably solid numbers for three teams.

After high school, Bobbins left England for the United States and the University of Notre Dame. He spent three years in South Bend and posted a 21-6 record over 287.1 innings, a 2.38 ERA, 297 strikeouts, 85 walks, 151 ERA+, and 10.4 WAR. Because of the regional restrictions, Bobbins wasn’t available until the fourth round of the 1992 MLB Draft. He was the first pick of the round and 173^rd overall, selected by Oklahoma City.

Bobbins was a full-timer immediately and led the American Association in innings pitched (297.2) and quality starts (25). The innings and his 8.0 WAR would both be career highs and it was one of the higher WAR seasons ever by a rookie. Yet somehow, Bobbins wasn’t a Rookie of the Year finalist. OKC being a terrible team cost him some recognition, as their best season with him there was 77-85 in 1993.

In 1996 and 1997, Bobbins led in complete games with 24 both years. He otherwise wasn’t generally a league leader and he was never a Pitcher of the Year finalist. He still put up regular and reliable innings in five years and chance with Oklahoma City posting a 91-84 record, 2.99 ERA, 1632 innings, 1131 strikeouts, 131 ERA+, and 39.3 WAR. Statistically, this was his strongest run with a team. Bobbins also had his lone no-hitter on May 9, 1998 against New Orleans with nine strikeouts and three walks.

At the 1998 trade deadline, OKC sent him to New York for RF Carter Hilburn and SP Shawn Hoffler. Bobbins had a nice second half for the Yankees, but he gave up four runs over seven innings in his one playoff start as they fell in the first round. New York was happy with his addition and gave Bobbins a three-year, $16,480,000 extension after the 1999 season. NY won division titles again in 2000 and 2002, but lost in the first round both years. Bobbins had a 3.71 ERA in his three playoff starts for the Yankees.

In total in the Bronx, Bobbins had a 60-55 record, 1166.1 innings, 1027 strikeouts, 306 walks, 113 ERA+, and 24.5 WAR. He led in quality starts in 1999 with 28 and had his career best ERA in 2000 at 2.53. New York let Bobbins leave for free agency after the 2002 season heading towards age 31. He ended up signing a six-year, $49,800,000 deal with Winnipeg. This is the colors he’d be inducted into the Hall with, despite having bigger final totals with OKC.

Bobbins maintained his steady production for most of the run and even led in WHIP in 2003 with a career best 0.96. He wasn’t a big strikeout guy, but his career high saw 241 in 2004. One of the 1982 expansion teams, Winnipeg got their first-ever National Association pennant in 2004. They missed the playoffs in 2005, but then won back-to-back pennants in 2006 and 2007. The Wolves ultimately lost in all three World Series tries falling to Phoenix, Nashville, and San Diego.

In the 2004 playoff run, Bobbins was iffy with a 4.66 ERA over 19.1 innings. He was excellent in 2006 though, which is what cemented his primary association with Winnipeg. Bobbins had three quality starts with a 1.54 ERA over 23.1 innings and 20 strikeouts. Despite being healthy, he wasn’t used at all in the 2007 playoff run.

Bobbins saw his production drop to career lows in 2008, the last year of his Winnipeg. He was still able to eat innings and was passable, but he decided to retire that winter at age 36. With the Wolves, Bobbins had a 85-69 record, 3.16 ERA, 1428.1 innings, 1203 strikeouts, 320 walks, 107 ERA+, and 27.2 WAR. While not dominant in Winnipeg, fans were very happy with the three pennants during his tenure.

Bobbins retired with a 236-208 record, 3.04 ERA, 4226.2 innings, 3361 strikeouts, 1085 walks, 363 quality starts, 206 complete games, 47 shutouts, a 117 ERA+, and 90.9 WAR. As of 2037 in MLB, he ranks 79^th in wins, 54^th in innings, 52^nd in strikeouts, 84^th in complete games, and 53^rd in WAR among pitchers. Bobbins had hit some solid tallies through his longevity, but the lack of awards and dominance had critics dismissing him as a compiler.

This brought up the debate yet again between guys who sustained above average to good production versus those who had brief dominance. Bobbins was rarely incredible, but he rarely gave you bad outings either. In 2014, Bobbins debuted on the ballot at 50.9%. He slightly bumped to 52.5% in 2015, then fell just short of the 66% requirement with 64.1% in 2016 and 61.4% in 2017. Bobbins won over just enough doubters on his fifth try in 2018, getting to 72.0%. With that, he was the second member of MLB’s 2018 Hall of Fame class.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2018 CABA Hall of Fame

Two players from Haiti’s dynasty run secured first ballot Hall of Fame slots for 2018 in the Central American Baseball Association. SP Sal Meza was a slam dunk at 97.6%, while closer Vicente Gonzalez had a solid 82.2%. 1B Yonder Aguirre nearly joined them in his debut, but missed the 66% mark at 64.7%. Also close were pitchers Julio Sandoval in his fifth ballot and the debuting Ian Paniagua both at 61.9%. No one else was above 40%.



1B Gonzalo Juarez was dropped after ten failed ballots, peaking at 49.1% in 2011 and ending with 33.9%. He had 14 years with Salvador and won three CABA titles with the Stallions, stepping up big in the postseason. Juarez was the 1997 finals MVP and CLCS MVP in 1998 and 1999. His regular season numbers saw 2114 hits, 1151 runs, 244 doubles, 584 home runs, 1487 RBI, a .278/.316/.546 slash, 132 wRC+, and 49.2 WAR. Juarez was a solid power hitter, but wasn’t a league leader and only had one Silver Slugger. A “Hall of Pretty Good” type and still an important piece in a dynasty run.

Also part of the Salvador run was SP Angel Tobar, who played 14 years between the Stallions and Bahamas. He got as high as 59.2% in 2015, but ended only at 14.0%. Tobar had a 199-116 record, 3.31 ERA, 3079.2 innings, 2712 strikeouts, 121 ERA+, and 63.8 WAR. There had been inducted starters with similar or arguably weaker resumes, but Tobar lacked black ink or awards. Either more dominance or a few more years of accumulations were needed to get him across the line. Although he won two titles with Salvador, Tobar did notably have a lackluster 5.28 ERA in the playoffs.



Sal “Speedy” Meza – Starting Pitcher - Haiti Herons – 97.6% First Ballot

Sal Meza was a 6’2’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Mexico City. The nickname “Speedy” was a sarcastic one, as he was a comically slow runner. Luckily, that wasn’t an important skill as a pitcher. Meza had quite solid stuff and movement with above average control. His fastball peaked in the 97-99 mph range and was mixed in with a splitter and changeup.

Although Meza had good stamina, numerous nagging injuries limited his innings and ability to go deep in games. Still, he managed to post an 18-year run thanks to a tireless work ethic. Meza was excellent at holding runners, but below average defensively. He ended up being one of the more popular pitchers both at home and aboard.

Coming up through the amateur ranks, Meza was considered the top prospect coming out of Mexico for the 1994 CABA Draft. With that, Mexicali grabbed him with the #1 overall pick. Meza was a full-timer immediately and debuted with 5.6 WAR for the Maroons, taking third in Rookie of the Year voting. He had a great pace in 1996, but various injuries kept him out roughly half the season. Meza bounced back with a solid 1997.

In 1998, Meza led the Mexican League with 274 strikeouts. Mexicali reached 90 wins for the first time since 1972, but narrowly missed the playoffs. They were just above .500 in 1999, which was still an improvement from the awful outings early in Meza’s career. He missed the final chunk of 1999 to an oblique strain. Meza and Mexicali couldn’t come to terms on a long-term deal and he entered free agency heading towards 2000 and his age 28 season.

In five years for Mexicali, Meza had a 59-42 record, 2.95 ERA, 992.2 innings, 1089 strikeouts, 201 walks, 124 ERA+, and 26.7 WAR. The rest of his pro career would be in the Caribbean League, although Meza still did represent his country in the World Baseball Championship. He was primarily a reliever for Mexico and a fantastic one with an 0.75 ERA over six tournaments and 48 innings, striking out 68 with 2.1 WAR.

Meza began his most famous run in 2000, signing a seven-year, $20,460,000 deal with Haiti. While the Herons had already started their playoff streak three years prior, Meza helped turn them into a dynasty. Haiti won three straight Caribbean League titles from 2000-02, setting up their classic CABA Championship battles with Ecatepec. The Explosion won in 2000, but the Herons took it in 2001 and 2002.

All seven of Meza’s seasons with Haiti were worth 6.5 WAR or better, leading in FIP- four times and WAR twice. He won Pitcher of the Year in 2001 and 2002, was third in 2005, and was second in 2006. Meza’s best season by WAR (8.9) and strikeouts (322) was 2004, although it was his worst by ERA. He had a full season career best 2.26 ERA in 2002 and led the CL matching that 2.26 in in 2006.

Haiti fell in the first round of the 2003 and 2004 playoffs, then had a CLCS loss in 2005 to Salvador. The Herons returned to the CABA perch in 2006 over Juarez, giving Meza his third CABA ring. Over 89.1 playoff innings with Haiti, Meza had a 5-2 record, 2.82 ERA, 102 strikeouts, 7 walks, 140 ERA+, and 2.3 WAR. In total for the Herons, he had a 120-52 record, 2.70 ERA, 1628.2 innings, 1899 strikeouts, 260 walks, 147 ERA+, and 54.2 WAR.

His contract expired after 2006 and even heading towards age 35, Meza was at the top of his game. He entered free agency and signed a four-year, $28,000,000 deal with Honduras. He delivers immediately with his third Pitcher of the Year in 2007, winning back-to-back ERA titles (2.41). Meza also led in wins for the first time with a career best 21-5 record. The Horsemen got the #1 seed, but fell to Haiti in the CLCS despite Meza’s 2.31 ERA in 23.1 playoff innings.

That was Meza’s last great season unfortunately. He was having a decent 2008, but suffered a torn labrum in August and was never quite the same. Other injuries kept him from building momentum, including a torn meniscus and shoulder inflammation in 2010. The inflammation began September 2010 and setbacks carried that into the summer of 2011. Meza then missed much of that year with an elbow strain.

Honduras kept him around on qualifying offers and then signed Meza to a three-year, $20,000,000 deal in January 2011. The Horsemen fell to around .500 from 2008-2010, but got back into the 2011 playoffs as a wild card. Honduras had a surprising run to the CABA Championship over Chihuahua, giving Meza his fourth ring. He showed that old greatness in the 2011 playoffs with a 1.70 ERA and 4-1 record over 37 innings. For his playoff career, Meza had a 2.47 ERA, 11-4 record, 149.2 innings, 143 strikeouts, 160 ERA+, and 3.4 WAR.

Meza continued that strong effort into the Baseball Grand Championship in 2011 with a 1.42 ERA over 12.2 innings, although they finished 7-12. He managed to keep that momentum going with a 4.1 WAR effort in 2012, his best since 2008. Honduras lost in the CLCS that year, but Meza wasn’t used in the playoffs. He decided to retire there at age 40, finishing his six-year Honduras run with a 54-38 record, 3.37 ERA, 855 innings, 741 strikeouts, 167 walks, 119 ERA+, and 19.0 WAR.

The grand totals for Meza: 233-132 record, 2.94 ERA, 3476.1 innings, 3729 strikeouts, 628 walks, 72 complete games, 20 shutouts, 132 ERA+, and 100.1 WAR. As of 2037, he ranks 10^th in WAR among pitchers, 24^th in strikeouts, and 27^th in wins. Among all pitchers with 1000+ innings, Meza’s opponent’s OPS of .577 ranks 35^th and his ERA ranks 44^th. He also ranks 22^nd in WHIP (0.92). That plus his playoff heroics made Meza an easy Hall of Fame headliner in 2018 at 97.6%.



Vicente Gonzalez – Closer – Haiti Herons – 82.2% First Ballot

Vicente Gonzalez was a 6’4’’, 200 pound right-handed relief pitcher from Soyapango, El Salvador; a satellite city of the capital San Salvador with more than 284,000 residents. Gonzalez had electric stuff along with above average control and movement. He had the one-two punch of a 99-101 mph fastball and a circle change that looked the same out of his hand. Gonzalez had good stamina and excellent durability relative to other relievers. He was an excellent defensive pitcher and was adaptable to his circumstances.

Gonzalez certainly drew plenty of attention locally in San Salvador as he progressed through the amateur ranks. Known relievers weren’t often first round draft picks, but the Stallions selected Gonzalez 21^st overall in the 1997 CABA Draft. He only had a part-time role in the 1998 regular season for a loaded Salvador squad that repeated as CABA champs and won their third straight Caribbean crown. Gonzalez was moved to the closer role by the postseason and had five saves over 5.2 innings.

For the next five years, Gonzalez was Salvador’s full-time closer. He led the league with a career best 44 saves in 2003. Gonzalez won Reliever of the Year in 2000, while posting a third place finish in 1999 and a second place in both 2002 and 2003. Salvador won a fourth straight Caribbean pennant in 1999, but the fledgling Ecatepec dynasty denied the Stallions’ CABA Championship three-peat hope. Gonzalez was great again with six saves and a 1.74 ERA over 10.1 innings.

Salvador had first round playoff exits in 2000 and 2001 with Gonzalez struggling in his two appearances. He tossed seven scoreless innings in 2003 as the Stallions dropped the CLCS to Honduras. In only six years, Gonzalez had a 2.63 playoff ERA over 27.1 innings, 12 saves, and 39 strikeouts; playing an important role for their late 1990s dynasty.

In total with Salvador, Gonzalez had a 37-31 record, 186 saves and 194 shutdowns, 2.11 ERA, 419 innings, 654 strikeouts, 94 walks, 190 ERA+, and 15.2 WAR. He continued to play regularly for El Salvador in the World Baseball Championship, even though he left the Stallions after the 2003 season. From 1999-2014, Gonzalez was a WBC regular and often saw use as a starter. He tossed 175 innings with a 3.13 ERA, 9-12 record, 5 saves, 262 strikeouts, and 4.0 WAR.

A free agent at age 28, Gonzalez signed a four-year, $14,480,000 deal with Haiti for 2004. It was rare for relievers to get longer term deals and despite this, Gonzalez saw limited use in middle relief in his first three years. He did well in this role and tossed 6.2 scoreless innings between the 2005 and 2006 postseasons. Haiti had a first round exit in 2004 and CLCS loss to Salvador in 2005. The Herons started the second chunk of their dynasty by winning the 2006 CABA title over Juarez.

Gonzalez was back to a full-time closer role in 2007 and led the Caribbean in saves with 40, winning his second Reliever of the Year. Haiti repeated as CABA champ by beating Mexicali, although Gonzalez struggled with six runs allowed over seven postseason innings. He never allowed an earned run in any other postseason run while a Heron, posting a 1.95 ERA over 27.2 innings, 7 saves, 41 strikeouts, 212 ERA+, and 1.1 WAR. Haiti extended Gonzalez for three years and $14,840,000 after the 2007 campaign.

2008 was his third Reliever of the Year and saw career highs in ERA (1.57), innings (103), games (76), strikeouts (157), and WAR (5.3). Gonzalez was third in 2010’s ROTY voting and led in saves for the third time. Haiti had first round exits in 2008 and 2009. In 2010, they won their sixth Caribbean title of their playoff run, but fell to Ecatepec in the CABA finale. They earned a spot in the inaugural Baseball Grand Championship with Gonzalez allowing one run in four innings over five games.

In total for Haiti, Gonzalez had a 37-30 record, 155 saves and 183 shutdowns, 2.34 ERA, 454 innings, 707 strikeouts, 93 walks, 175 ERA+, and 17.7 WAR. He played one more year there and had a few more innings than Salvador, although you could argue he was equally associated between the two teams. Now 35-years old, Gonzalez signed a two-year, $12,200,000 deal with Honduras.

The Horsemen had missed the playoffs in the prior three years, but made a surprise run to the CABA Championship in 2011 as a wild card. They lost in the 2012 CLCS to Santo Domingo. Gonzalez was the closer both years and took third in 2011 Reliever of the Year voting. He also became the third closer in CABA history to earn 400 career saves.

Gonzalez was again strong in the playoffs, posting a 0.45 ERA and nine saves over 20 innings for the Horsemen. He posted a 2.70 ERA over 6.2 innings in the 2011 Baseball Grand Championship. Gonzalez’s reputation for stepping up in the playoffs was deserved in CABA, finishing with 28 saves over 75 innings and 53 games, a 1.80 ERA, 102 strikeouts, 18 walks, 225 ERA+, and 2.9 WAR. As of 2037, he is the CABA playoff leader in saves (and the only one with more than 20) and games pitched. Gonzalez’s playoff ERA is 37^th among any pitcher with 30+ playoff innings.

In two seasons for Honduras, Gonzalez had 61 saves, a 2.53 ERA, 156.1 innings, 212 strikeouts, 152 ERA+, and 5.8 WAR. His velocity and strikeouts had dipped in his second year, thus some CABA teams were weary of adding him in free agency. Gonzalez’s CABA career and run as a closer was officially done, but he would carry on in Brazil. He signed a two-year, $10,980,000 deal with Fortaleza.

Gonzalez was unremarkable in two seasons with the Foxes, posting a 3.76 ERA over 67 innings and 0.3 WAR. He only faced two batters in the 2013 postseason, but earned a Copa Sudamerica ring with the Foxes. This gave Gonzalez five championship rings between four teams and two different world leagues; almost certainly a unique accomplishment in professional baseball history.

Gonzalez also tossed 21.1 innings with a 3.80 ERA in the 2013 Grand Championship. That gave him another unique distinction, playing in three of the first four BGCs. Gonzalez may be the only guy in Grand Championship history that competed in it for three different franchises.

In 2015, he signed with Brasilia and struggled to a 6.75 ERA in 16 innings. Gonzalez also gave up six runs over two playoff innings. For his Beisbol Sudamerica career, he had a 4.34 ERA over 83 innings, 81 strikeouts, and 0.2 WAR. Gonzalez retired after the 2015 campaign at age 40.

In CABA, Gonzalez retired with an 81-73 record, 402 saves, 444 shutdowns, 2.27 ERA, 1029.1 innings, 1573 strikeouts, 223 walks, 176 ERA+, and 38.7 WAR. As of 2037, Gonzalez is 4^th in saves and he’s fifth in WAR among Hall of Fame relievers. He didn’t have the most pure dominance among CABA’s great relievers, but he often stepped up in big moments for contenders. Gonzalez received 82.2% for a first ballot nod as the second member of CABA’s 2018 Hall of Fame class.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2018 EAB Hall of Fame

East Asia Baseball’s lone Hall of Famer for 2018 was 1B/LF Gengyo Michio, earning the first ballot nod at 80.9%. SP Kachi Ishii came very close to the 66% requirement on his seventh try, but just missed it at 64.7%. Also above 50% were SP Dong-Won Kim debuting at 57.2%, 3B Min-Seong Ryu with 56.9% on his fourth ballot, SP Nazonokusa Mori at 54.4% for his seventh go, and SP Rais Malikov debuting at 51.9%.



Falling after ten ballots included reliever Yong-Woo Kim, who won Reliever of the Year as a rookie and two EAB titles between Ulsan and Daegu. Kim had a 13 year career with 266 saves, 2.22 ERA, 888 innings, 921 strikeouts, 173 ERA+, and 23.8 WAR. He was only a closer for seven years, which kept him from hitting the benchmarks voters want from closers. Kim peaked at 44.6% in 2011 and ended at 41.3%, generally hovering in the 30-40% range.

Also dropped was Koji “Ice Cold” Ota, a two time Reliever of the Year winner. He had a 14-year career, but had five seasons in MLB. In EAB, Ota had a 1.86 ERA over 695.1 innings, 1.86 ERA, 1133 strikeouts, 179 ERA+, and 33.7 WAR. The pace was there, but he needed more EAB innings and tallies. Ota peaked with his debut at 41.6% and was down to 9.9% at the end.

Starting pitcher Yamato Fukunaga also fell off after ten ballots, peaking at 21.3% and ending with 6.7%. He was 1999’s Pitcher of the Year and had a 14-year run with Suwon, posting a 183-153 record, 3.64 ERA, 2991 innings, 2779 strikeouts, 105 ERA+, and 56.0 WAR. Fukunaga lacked the big dominance expected and stunk in the playoffs with a 5.22 ERA and 2-8 record over 69 innings. Thus, he was banished to the Hall of Pretty Good.



Gengyo Michio – First Basel/Left Field – Sendai Samurai – 80.9% First Ballot

Gengyo Michio was a 6’2’’, 185 pound right-handed first baseman and outfielder from Kansa, a town of 37,600 in southwest Japan’s Fukuoka Prefecture. Michio was a solid contact hitter with a decent eye for drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts. He had reliable home run power, topping 30+ homers in 11 different seasons and 40+ in five seasons. Michio was also good for around 20-30 doubles per season. He wasn’t going to leg out extra bases, as his speed and baserunning were both awful.

Michio made around 70% of his career starts at first base, where he graded as a reliably solid defender. Most of his other starts came in left field in his earliest years, where he was mediocre due to poor range. Michio’s durability was strong, starting 140+ games in all but one year from 1998-2010. He generally kept his head down and got the job done as best he could.

Scouts saw Michio’s potential to be a top slugger coming out of Sapporo Ohtani High School. In the 1992 EAB Draft, Hiroshima picked him fifth overall, but Michio didn’t sign and opted for Hijiyama University instead. After three college seasons, he was eligible again with the 1995 EAB Draft. Sendai grabbed Michio with the sixth overall pick and he spent his entire career with the Samurai.

Michio didn’t crack the lineup right away, only seeing 53 games and 27 starts in his first two seasons. Sendai gave him the full-time gig in 1998, which he held for the next 13 years. In his first full season, Michio had a career high 50 home runs and his first of six consecutive seasons worth 6+ WAR. He topped 6+ WAR in ten different seasons with his reliable power, but wasn’t typically a league leader.

His first Silver Slugger came in 2000 in left field. Michio won Sluggers at first base in 2003 and 2007. He was never an MVP finalist, hurt by Sendai’s annual struggles. The Samurai never made the playoffs in Michio’s tenure, averaging 76 wins per season. They were only above .500 thrice in that stretch, peaking with a 92-70 record in 2007. Thus, Michio was one of the rare Hall of Famers to never see a playoff game. He also only played in two editions of the World Baseball Championship for Japan (2000-01).

Michio stayed loyal to Sendai, who gave him an eight-year, $48,140,000 extension after the 2001 season. In 2003, he led the Japan League with a .383 on-base percentage. 2007 would be Michio’s finest year, winning a batting title with a .353 average and 208 hits. Those were career highs, as were his 32 doubles, 127 RBI, .406 OBP, .642 slugging 1.048 OPS, 213 wRC+, and 9.6 WAR. Michio officially became a free agent after the 2009 season, but returned to Sendai after a month on the market with a four-year, $35,300,000 deal.

At age 35, Michio saw some regression 2010 with 3.8 WAR; his second-lowest full season to that point. He missed part of 2011 with a fractured ulna, but was reduced to a bench role prior despite decent rate stats. Michio only had 41 games and no starts in 2012, kept around mainly out of respect. He retired that winter at age 37 and Sendai immediately retired his #12 uniform.

Michio finished with 2369 hits, 1204 runs, 366 doubles, 510 home runs, 1436 RBI, 618 walks, a .307/.358/.562 slash, 176 wRC+, and 88.3 WAR. As of 2037, Michio ranks 82^nd in WAR among position players, 79^th in home runs, and 69^th in RBI. Among all batters with 3000+ plate appearances, his slugging ranks 83^rd and his .920 OPS ranks 73^rd.

His numbers weren’t jaw dropping and he didn’t have big awards, but many voters appreciated reliable production and staying loyal to one team. With a relatively quiet group on the 2018 EAB Hall of Fame ballot, Michio’s resume popped out a bit more. He received 80.9% for the first ballot addition as the lone selection for 2018.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2018 BSA Hall of Fame (Part 1)

Three players were added into the Beisbol Sudamerica Hall of Fame as first ballot selections in 2018. The obvious headliner was RF Vicente Sainz at 97.8%. 3B Luis Calderon (75.0%) and OF Eli Lee (71.7%) joined him with respectable debuts. Missing the 66% cut on his tenth and final try was C Moises Avalos at 64.%. Also above 50% were 1B Aidan Duparc at 52.9% for his debut and 3B Artemio Reyes with a 51.8% second ballot.



Avalos started at 55.1% and was above 60% seven times, peaking at 64.6% in 2015. For whatever reason, Beisbol Sudamerica voters really seemed to hate catchers. It would take 100 years of existence for BSA to finally add a backstop into the HOF and that was Cicero Lugo, arguably the greatest catcher in pro baseball history.

As for Avalos, he had a 17-year career with his hometown Bogota and was a 14-time all-star and 6-time Silver Slugger winner. He also had one Gold Glove, a Rookie of the Year, a BLCS MVP, and a Copa Sudamerica ring. He had 2038 hits, 994 runs, 425 doubles, 350 home runs, 1144 RBI, 548 walks, .268/.321/.478 slash, 121 wRC+, and 84.3 WAR. Avalos certainly goes down as one of the biggest snubs, but such is the life of a catcher.



Vicente Sainz – Right Field – Barquisimeto Black Cats – 97.8% First Ballot

Vicente Sainz was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed hitting right fielder from the capital of Venezuela, Caracas. Sainz was a well-rounded batter in his prime with good to great contact, power, and eye. His 162 game average got you 34 home runs and 29 doubles. Sainz was a very crafty and skilled baserunner, although his speed was subpar.

Sainz played the vast majority of the time in right field, although he did see occasional use in left field or as a designated hitter. He graded as a consistently lousy defender, but he was an ironman who played 138+ games in all but his rookie season. Sainz rarely was a league leader or was a clubhouse captain, but he was as reliable and steady as they come at the plate. He would emerge as one of Venezuela’s biggest baseball stars of the era.

His entire career would come with Barquisimeto, who picked Sainz fifth overall in the 1992 BSA Draft. He was a part-time starter with okay results as a rookie, then took over a full-time gig from 1994-2012. Sainz emerged as a big time player by 1996, his first of six seasons worth 6+ WAR. This earned his first of three Silver Sluggers. He was a reason to come to the ballpark in a lousy era for Barquisimeto, who had a playoff drought from 1983-2000. They won a bad division at 81-81 in 2001, then didn’t make the postseason again until 2008.

Sainz did have a chance earlier in his career to play on the World Baseball Championship state for Venezuela. He struggled in his 20s, but became a reliable producer in his 30s. From 1994-2013, Sainz played 163 games and started 147, posting 124 hits, 75 runs, 20 doubles, 40 home runs, 83 RBI, 82 walks, a .231/.335/.500 slash, 138 wRC+, and 5.1 WAR.

2000 was Sainz’s only time as a Bolivar League leader, posting the most hits (218) and best batting average (.367) and OBP (.430). Those were career bets, as were his 38 doubles, 1669 wRC+, and 7.2 WAR. Sainz won his second Silver Slugger, then grabbed his third in 2001 and a third place in MVP voting. That was his only time as an MVP finalist and was his first of six 40+ home run seasons. Extremely popular in Barquisimeto, the Black Cats gave Sainz a six-year, $37,300,000 extension in May 2002.

Sainz had his biggest power numbers in his 30s, peaking with 45 home runs in 2004 and 127 RBI in 2002. In 2008, he reached the 500 home run, 1500 RBI, and 2500 hit milestones. Barquisimeto also started a seven-year playoff streak in 2008, although they suffered round one exits from 2008-10. The 38-year old Sainz was still producing and signed a two-year, $13,800,000 extension after the 2008 season. He tacked on another two years and $12,600,000 after the 2009 campaign.

Barquisimeto had the league’s top seed in 2011 at 107-55, but fell in the Bolivar League Championship Series to Valencia. In his limited playoff experience, Sainz was decent with 33 starts, 37 hits, 18 runs, 6 doubles, 5 home runs, 16 RBI, a .308/.346/.483 slash, 125 wRC+, and 0.9 WAR.

Age and injuries finally arrived for Sainz, who lost missed some games in 2012 and saw his lowest home run total (25) since his second full season. He became a free agent for the first time and still played in the 2013 WBC for Venezuela. Sainz couldn’t find an interested pro team though for 2013 and retired that winter at age 43. Barquisimeto brought him back to immediately retire his #51 uniform.

Sainz had 3036 games, 3293 hits, 1712 runs, 535 doubles, 644 home runs, 1899 RBI, 1047 walks, a .301/.360/.536 slash, 140 wRC+, and 90.3 WAR. He was the sixth in BSA history to play 3000+ games and ranks tenth in games played as of 2037. Sainz’s longevity also sees him 8^th in hits, 10^th in runs, 8^th in doubles, 18^th in home runs, 6^th in RBI, 17^th in walks, and 56^th in WAR among position players.

The rate stats show Sainz was never overwhelmingly dominant, but his longevity and reliability was both top shelf. It was no surprise that Sainz became a beloved figure, even if he didn’t rack up many accolades and trophies. He was a well-deserved Hall of Fame headliner, captaining the three-player 2018 BSA class at 97.8%.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2018 BSA Hall of Fame (Part 2)

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Luis Calderon – Third Base – Montevideo Venom – 75.0% First Ballot

Luis Calderon was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed third baseman from Santa Rosa del Monday, a district of southeastern Paraguay’s Alta Parana department. Calderon was an excellent contact hitter who regularly put the ball into play. He struck out far less than most Beisbol Sudamerica batters, but also didn’t draw many walks. Calderon’s gap power was very good with 33 doubles per his 162 game average. While not a prolific home run hitter, he also topped 20+ dingers in nine straight seasons.

Unlike many high contract guys, Calderon was comically slow and sluggish on the basepaths. He had a cannon arm, which served him well as he played third base exclusively. Calderon was an excellent defender, winning four Gold Gloves. He had good durability early in his career, but his body began breaking down into his early 30s.

Calderon was picked fifth overall by Montevideo in the 1999 BSA Draft and played his entire Beisbol Sudamerica career in Uruguay. He would still play for his native Paraguay in the World Baseball Championship, even after leaving for the United States. From 2002-2016, Calderon had 127 WBC starts with 119 hits, 55 runs, 28 doubles, 20 home runs, 59 RBI, a .252/.319/.443 slash, 120 wRC+, and 3.4 WAR.

Montevideo only used Calderon in 16 games in 2000 and not at all in 2001, as they tried to develop their young prospect. He was a part-timer in 2002, then took the full-time gig from 2003-2011. All of Calderon’s full seasons for the Venom were worth 6.5 WAR or better, even with injuries knocking him out a few weeks in 2004, 2008, and 2009. Calderon won Silver Sluggers in 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2010. He took Gold Gloves in 2007, 2008, 2010, and 2011.

Calderon didn’t win MVP, but was third in 2007’s voting and second in 2010. He won a batting title and led in hits in 2005. In 2010, he had Southern Cone League and career bests in hits (243), doubles (46), and WAR (10.3). Calderon also had a career best .393 batting average, although he shared a league with Francisco Magellan’s record-breaking .420. Calderon led in doubles and average then in 2011 and again topped 10 WAR. He also had a six-hit game in 2007 against Sao Paulo.

Despite his efforts, Montevideo never made the playoffs in his run, averaging 78.5 wins per season. The franchise’s struggles made getting a long-term deal difficult. Plus, a 32-year old Calderon off back-to-back 10+ WAR seasons was primed to make bank in free agency. He decided to leave Montevideo and ultimately South America. He would remain popular in both Uruguay and Paraguay and did see his #31 uniform eventually retired by the Venom.

Calderon had worldwide suitors and moved to Major League Baseball on a five-year, $93,000,000 deal with Tampa, who was coming off both a World Series win and a Baseball Grand Championship title. Calderon was a full-time starter in 2012, but struggled to adjust with below average batting tallies. His glove still allowed him to have positive value at 2.9 WAR. The Thunderbirds kept him as a starter for the contract, but injuries took him out for bits of the next four years.

Tampa made four straight playoff berths from 2012-15, but couldn’t get beyond the second round. Calderon’s playoff stats were mediocre over 19 starts with a .197/.264/.348 slash and 75 wRC+. By his final year, his hitting went from subpar to actively awful. With Tampa, Calderon had 527 hits, 228 runs, 86 doubles, 53 home runs, 242 RBI, a .246/.284/.370 slash, 81 wRC+, and 6.9 WAR. He ultimately didn’t live up to the award-winning hopes the Thunderbirds had for him.

Calderon wanted to play somewhere, but his value had tanked with his last MLB season. After going unsigned in 2017, he retired at age 38 that winter and returned to South America. For his combined pro career, he had 2446 hits, 1026 runs, 417 doubles, 283 home runs, 1097 RBI, a .325/.354/.502 slash, 142 wRC+, and 83.6 WAR.
Just with Montevideo, Calderon had 1919 hits, 798 runs, 313 doubles, 230 home runs, 855 RBI, a .356/.382/.555 slash, 166 wRC+, and 76.8 WAR. Because of the short tenure, he doesn’t crack the top 100 in any accumulations. However among all hitters with 3000+ plate appearances, Calderon’s batting average ranks 11^th, his OBP ranks 42nd, and his .937 OPS ranks 87^th. His contact stats still hold up even as hits spiked in Beisbol Sudamerica in the coming decades.

Because he left when he did, was underwhelming in MLB, and lacked team success, Calderon had plenty of detractors. Supporters noted though that he was clearly a top three level third baseman for his entire run as a starter. Calderon got to 75.0% in his ballot debut, earning his spot in BSA’s 2018 Hall of Fame class.



Eli Lee – Outfielder – Rio de Janeiro Redbirds – 71.7% First Ballot

Eli Lee was a 6’1’’, 200 pound left-handed outfielder from Sao Goncalo, Brazil; a city with just under 900,000 within the Rio de Janeiro metropolitan region. Lee wasn’t incredible at any one thing as a hitter, but in his prime he graded out as having good to occasionally great contact and power. His ability to draw walks and avoid strikeouts were average. Lee did get extra base hits with regularity, posting 34 home runs, 26 doubles, and 10 triples per his 162 game average.

Lee’s baserunning skills and stealing ability were both excellent despite having just good speed. He was notably stronger against right-handed pitching (.916 OPS, 160 wRC+) compared to lefties (.798 OPS, 130 wRC+). The front half of Lee’s career came as a right fielder, where he graded as a very solid defender. As he aged and his range dipped, Lee played more in right field with some first base at the end. He graded as delightfully average in those spots.

Few players were considered smarter or better leaders than Lee, who became a popular figure in the clubhouse and with fans. He dealt with some major injuries, but still managed to have a 20-year career. Helping his popularity was spending most of it in Rio de Janeiro. Lee grew up near Rio and was a childhood Redbirds fan. He was picked 17^th overall by Rio de Janeiro in BSA’s 1992 draft.

Lee was a part-time starter as a rookie with good results, posting 3.4 WAR over 111 games. His second year saw 8.7 WAR, which would be the second-best of his career. Lee regressed a bit but was still quite good in 1995. He then had setbacks with a torn abdominal muscle costing him the second half of 1996 and a broken kneecap that needed a nine month recovery in 1997.

In 1998, Lee bounced back expertly with his finest season. It was his only time leading the Southern Cone League in a stat, posting a .627 slugging percentage, 1.001 OPS, and 204 wRC+. Lee career highs in WAR (9.2), 44 home runs, hits (193), and in the triple slash for a full season. He won his lone Silver Slugger and took third in MVP voting. In July 1999, Rio de Janeiro gave Lee a seven-year, $25,800,000 extension.

Despite his efforts, Rio had been stuck in the middle tier since Lee’s arrival. They ended a seven-year playoff drought in 1999 with a division title, but lost in the first round. Lee missed that postseason run with a strained hamstring in late September. The next three years saw losing seasons. Lee still played at a high level, winning his lone Gold Glove in 2000. For his career, he had nine seasons worth 5+ WAR.

Although he hadn’t gotten playoff experience in his prime, Lee did play for Brazil with good results in the World Baseball Championship. From 1995-2007, he had 115 games and 95 starts with 103 hits, 70 runs, 14 doubles, 28 home runs, 57 RBI, 39 stolen bases, a .270/.359/.558 slash, 165 wRC+, and 5.1 WAR. Lee helped Brazil to final four runs in 1995 and 1999.

Rio earned a wild card in 2003 and went on a playoff tear, winning their second-ever Copa Sudamerica with a finals win over Caracas. That had been a strong regular season for Lee, although he had a lousy .627 OPS in the playoff run. Still, his leadership played a big role in finally getting them some success. The Redbirds won the division title the next three years. They lost in the first round in 2004 and had LCS defeats in 2005 and 2006.

For his playoff career with Rio de Janeiro, Lee had 37 starts, 43 hits, 26 runs, 5 doubles, 5 home runs, 9 RBI, 16 stolen bases, a .301/.329/.455 slash, 118 wRC+, and 1.2 WAR. An oblique strain kept him out part of 2004, then he contended with a sprained knee and a torn abdominal muscle in 2005. Lee bounced back in 2006 and at age 35, had a career high 47 home runs. He also tied the BSA single-game record with 10 RBI in a three-homer game on July 23 against Rosario.

That would be his final season with Rio de Janeiro, as they couldn’t come to terms on an extension. With the Redbirds, Lee had 1988 hits, 1081 runs, 323 doubles, 116 triples, 400 home runs, 1116 RBI, 578 stolen bases, a .297/.345/.559 slash, 161 wRC+, and 76.9 WAR. He’d remain popular and returned home after his playing career was done. Rio would retire his #7 uniform in 2012.

Lee signed a three-year, $11,680,000 deal with Salvador and helped the Storm post a mini dynasty. Salvador won Copa Sudamerica in 2007 and 2009, while falling to Rio in the 2008 LCS. Lee was instrumental in the 2007 playoff run with 23 hits, 11 runs, 8 doubles, 6 homers, and 15 RBI in 16 starts. For his Storm run, he had 43 playoff starts, 46 hits, 19 runs, 10 doubles, 13 homers, 33 RBI, a .284/.322/.611 slash, 161 wRC+, and 1.6 WAR.

In total for Salvador, Lee saw 480 hits, 253 runs, 71 doubles, 96 home runs, 295 RBI, a .285/.340/.525 slash, 140 wRC+, and 14.7 WAR. He was still a hot property even heading towards age 39 and signed a three-year, $19,500,000 deal with Buenos Aires. Lee had a nice first season, but saw his power dip a bit in year two. With the Atlantics, he picked up his 1500^th RBI and 1500^th run scored.

Buenos Aires was stuck in the middle tier and traded Lee with one year on his deal to Cordoba for two prospects. With BA, Lee had 7.5 WAR over 297 games with a 139 wRC+. He would struggle in his one year with the Chanticleers and got benched, posting -0.6 WAR and a .569 OPS over 107 games and 18 starts. Lee retired that winter at age 41.

In total, Lee had 2801 hits, 1515 runs, 434 doubles, 159 triples, 564 home runs, 1602 RBI, 630 walks, 793 stolen bases, a .292/.341/.547 slash, 153 wRC+, and 98.5 WAR. As of 2037, Lee ranks 40^th in WAR among position players, 36^th in hits, 24^th in runs, 38^th in home runs, 59^th in doubles, 22^nd in RBI, and 54^th in stolen bases.

Despite those tallies, there were a group of voters that dismissed Lee as a compiler, citing his lack of black ink and awards. Thus, he debuted with a surprisingly low 71.7%. However, that got him across the 66% requirement for a first ballot induction to cap off BSA’s 2018 Hall of Fame class.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2018 EBF Hall of Fame

Two were added into the European Baseball Federation Hall of Fame for 2018. 1B/OF Romano Piredda was the headliner with a first ballot 84.9%. Meanwhile SP Geza Sebstyen grabbed a big boost on his third try at 77.0%. Third-ballot closer Elias Blomqvist barely missed joining them at 64.7%, within 2% of the 66% requirement. Also above 50% was 1B Ulf Alstrom at 59.9% in his debut and 3B Isaad Dorgham at 51.2% for his third ballot.



Dropped after ten failed ballots was 3B Rich Grausam, who won three Silver Sluggers and a Gold Glove with Vienna. He had a 20-year pro career, but had late career stints in OBA and AAB to dent his totals. Grausam had 3026 hits for his combined pro career, but in just EBF he had 2299 hits, 1118 runs, 369 doubles, 145 triples, 354 home runs, 1233 RBI, a .294/.327/.513 slash, 132 wRC+, and 70.2 WAR.

Grausam didn’t stand out at any one thing and never was a league leader. He was also hurt by being on mostly bad teams that didn’t make the playoffs. If his full run was EBF, he might have had enough pure accumulations to make it without the big accolades. Grausam debuted at 29.5% but never got higher, ending at 13.1%.



Romano Piredda – First Base/Outfield – Rome Red Wolves – 84.9% First Ballot

Romano Piredda was a 6’1’’, 200 pound left-handed first baseman and outfielder from Partanna, Italy, a town of 10,000 on the island of Sicily. Piredda’s biggest asset was booming home run power, topping 40+ each year from 2000-2011 with four seasons in the 50s. He was much better against right-handed pitching (1.013 OPS, 172 wRC+), but wasn’t bad versus lefties (.828 OPS, 130 wRC+). Piredda was generally above average in terms of contact and walks, but below average at avoiding strikeouts.

Piredda’s gap power was respectable, getting 28 doubles per his 162 game average. He was a decent baserunner, but his subpar speed meant you weren’t going to get extra bases out of him too often. Piredda bounced around defensively with about half of his career starts at first base and the rest split between left and right field. He was lousy at each spot, but was the most playable at first. Piredda’s durability made him versatile and he basically never missed time to injury.

In the 1998 EBF Draft, Piredda was picked 11^th overall by Rome. He quickly became very popular in the Italian capital with a following throughout the country. Piredda would play regularly for Italy in the World Baseball Championship. From 2000-12, he had 127 games and 108 starts, 77 this, 63 runs, 9 doubles, 35 home runs, 78 RBI, a .194/.314/.482 slash, 132 wRC+, and 3.5 WAR. Piredda helped Italy to a runner-up finish in 2005 and fourth place in 2006.

Piredda was a full-time starter almost immediately and won 1999 Rookie of the Year honors for Rome, debuting with 34 home runs and 102 RBI. He smacked 40+ homers each of the next 11 years and topped 6+ WAR in seven seasons. Piredda also had 100+ RBI in all but two of his full seasons. He led in slugging in his second season with a career best .668. Piredda also had a career best 7.3 WAR and hit for the cycle in June against Malta. The Red Wolves got a wild card in 2000, but lost in the first round. They’d be generally stuck in the middle tier for the next six seasons.

In 2001, Piredda led the Southern Conference with a career-best 55 home runs and saw career bests in OPS (1.070) and wRC+ (183). He won his first Silver Slugger at first base and was third in MVP voting. After the 2003 season, Rome gave Piredda a five-year, $20,160,000 extension. He won his second Silver Slugger (in RF) in 2006 with a career high and conference best 123 runs scored. Piredda also had 51 homers and a career-best 131 RBI. The year prior, he led with 48 home runs and matched his WAR best at 7.3.

Despite his efforts, Rome began to falter with a 66-96 season in 2005. They bounced back to 83-79 in 2006, but plummeted to 53-109 in 2007. This led to the Red Wolves’ relegation to the European Second League. Piredda stayed loyal and didn’t exercise his opt-out clause, but he did only have one year left on his deal. Figuring he’d leave to return to the EBF Elite, Rome traded him back to the top tier, getting three prospects from Budapest.

With Rome, Piredda had 1488 hits, 908 runs, 262 doubles, 416 home runs, 996 RBI, a .303/.372/.621 slash, 165 wRC+, and 51.5 WAR. He remained a fan favorite with Roman fans, but never saw his uniform number retired. Piredda had one strong year with the Bombers, posting 6.0 WAR, 48 homers, and 109 RBI. Budapest won a division title, but lost in the second round of the playoffs. With that, Piredda entered free agency for the first time at age 33.

He ended up in England, signing a five-year, $32,500,000 deal with Birmingham. Piredda hit 52 homers in his debut season for the Bees and maintained his usual solid production for three seasons. Birmingham lost in the second round of the 2010 playoffs. They won the division and got to the Northern Conference Championship in 2011, but fell there to Dublin. The Bees had a first round exit in 2012 and second round exit in 2013.

Piredda did fine for Birmingham in the playoffs after being unremarkable in his other limited tries. He finished with 25 playoff starts, 0.9 WAR, 139 wRC+, and an .822 OPS. In his fourth season with the Bees, Piredda’s production dropped to middling levels, leading to his benching. He decided to retire from the game that winter at age 37. With Birmingham, Piredda had 534 hits, 323 runs, 80 doubles, 154 home runs, 380 RBI, a .281/.341/.570 slash, 156 wRC+, and 16.3 WAR.

Piredda’s final tallies had 2188 hits, 1340 runs, 369 doubles, 618 home runs, 1485 RBI, 751 walks, a .298/.365/.608 slash, 163 wRC+, and 73.8 WAR. In 2011, he became the 13^th member of the 600 home run club. As of 2037, Piredda ranks 20^th in homers, 38^th in RBI, 59^th in runs, and 87^th in doubles. He does fall outside the top 100 in WAR among position players. However, among all hitters with 3000+ plate appearances, Piredda is one of only 56 with a slugging above .600. His .973 OPS ranks 51^st.

While he wasn’t generally in the MVP conversations in his career, you knew year-in and year-out that you’d get very good reliable power out of Piredda. He won’t come up in any GOAT-level conversations, but there was a solid consensus that he was a deserving Hall of Famer. Piredda got 84.9% on his first ballot to lead EBF’s 2018 class.



Geza Sebestyen – Starting Pitcher – Lisbon Clippers – 77.0% Third Ballot

Geza Sebestyen was a 6’2’’, 195 pound right-handed pitcher from the capital of Hungary, Budapest. Sebestyen was known for having absolutely incredible stuff and excellent movement, although his control was mediocre at best. He had a three-pitch arsenal of a 96-98 mph fastball, curveball, and changeup. Sebestyen also had top flight stamina when healthy, but various injuries greatly limited his production.

Sebestyen was poor at holding runners, but he fielded the position expertly, winning a Gold Glove in 1999. He was incredibly humble and quiet, but led by example. Sebestyen’s leadership, work ethic, and selflessness were greatly lauded by his teammates and coaches.

Growing up in the 1980s and early 1990s, Sebestyen’s native Hungary was Eurasian Professional Baseball territory. Even as the Iron Curtain faded away, EBF scouts rarely looked that far east for prospects. Sebestyen was an exception for one Portuguese scout, who convinced him to sign a developmental deal with Lisbon as a teenager in November 1992. Sebestyen spent three years in their academy before debuting at age 21 for the Clippers in 1996.

Sebestyen had a respectable rookie season for the Clippers, who were coming off winning the European Championship in 1995. He took third in Rookie of the Year voting. Lisbon suffered a first round exit as a wild card in 1996. Sebestyen became a full-time starter after that and took second in Pitcher of the Year voting, leading the Southern Conference in his sophomore campaign with 323 strikeouts.

Lisbon won the conference crown in 1997, but lost the European Championship to Paris. Sebestyen was a stud in the playoffs, posting a 0.79 ERA over 22.2 innings with 34 strikeouts. The Clippers had a first round exit in 1998, but injuries knocked Sebestyen out most of the year. Most notably in July, forearm inflammation cost him the second half of the season.

Sebestyen bounced back in 1999 and led in Ks again at 364, although he did also lead in walks at 81. This season had his career best WAR (8.7), ERA (2.30), and ERA+ (165), winning Pitcher of the Year and his lone Gold Glove. Lisbon got back to the conference final, but lost to Madrid. Sebestyen was solid again in the playoffs with a 2.86 ERA over 22 innings. This would end Lisbon’s nine-year playoff streak with a decade-long drought to follow. The Clippers were routinely just above .500 in the drought and only had one losing season, but they couldn’t get over the hump.

In 2000, Sebestyen repeated as Pitcher of the Year with a career best 21-7 record. This season saw four shutouts, including his lone no-hitter on June 14 with 14 strikeouts and one walk against Zagreb. Sebestyen stayed loyal to the squad that gave him a chance, inking a five-year, $16,240,000 extension after the 2000 season. He wasn’t a POTY finalist again, but was still very good in his late 20s. Sebestyen led in strikeouts for a third time in 2002 (300). From 1997-2005, all but his injury-riddled 1998 season were worth 6+ WAR.

Unfortunately for Sebestyen, things began to break down shortly before his 30^th birthday. In August 2004, he suffered radial nerve compression, putting him out seven months. Still, Lisbon gave Sebestyen a four-year, $21,740,000 extension. This injury tanked his stuff, which had been rated 10/10 by scouts at his peak down to a 6/10. Even worse, his 4/10 control soon was a 2/10. The pure stuff had been enough to overcome the weak control in his prime, but now that wasn’t an option.

Sebestyen was actively bad from 2005-2008 with ERAs consistently above four. While he did have some small injuries, Lisbon ultimately had to reduce his role to a part-time starter. By his last year, Sebestyen was almost exclusively out of the bullpen, although he did at least look passable as a reliever. The Clippers let him enter free agency after the 2009 season at age 35.

Seville gave Sebestyen a chance on a one-year deal in 2010, where he managed to throw four complete games despite only 56.1 innings all year. Not satisfied though with his lesser ability, Sebestyen retired that winter at age 36. Lisbon quickly brought him back to retire his #10 uniform for his 14 years of service in the Portuguese capital.

Sebestyen finished with a 155-111 record, 3.32 ERA, 2559 innings, 2800 strikeouts, 930 walks, 196/319 quality starts, 69 complete games, 115 ERA+, and 57.3 WAR. Because of his sudden decline, Sebestyen’s final tallies are on the low end compared to other Hall of Famers. As of 2037, he ranks 88^th in strikeouts, but he’s outside of the top 100 in most counting stats. On the bad side, Sebestyen managed to rank 12^th in walks.

Detractors will point to the tallies simply not being enough for induction and point to Sebestyen’s wildness. Supporters note the two Pitcher of the Year wins, three strikeout titles, and his quiet leadership. They also argue for sympathy arguing that the big injury is what derailed his 30s. Sebestyen’s 20s were certainly excellent and had him on the Hall of Fame track.

On his 2016 ballot debut, Sebestyen just missed the 66% requirement at 63.0%. He dropped to 56.7% in 2017, but received notable new support on his third try at 77.0%. With that, Sebestyen was the second member of EBF’s 2018 Hall of Fame class. He was also notably the first Hungarian to earn a spot into EBF’s HOF.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2018 EPB Hall of Fame

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SP Markiyan Konoplya headlined the 2018 Eurasian Professional Baseball Hall of Fame class as a no-doubter at 98.7%. OF Oleg Ivashko narrowly joined him at 69.3%, just crossing the 66% threshold finally on his seventh ballot. RP Elgiz Alisher barely missed the cut at 64.5% in his fifth attempt. No one else was above 50% and no players were dropped after ten failed ballots.



Markiyan Konoplya – Starting Pitcher – Minsk Miners – 98.7% First Ballot

Markiyan Konoplya was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Bila Tserkva, a city with around 207,000 inhabitants in central Ukraine. Konoplya had good-to-great stuff and movement along with average control. His 98-100 mph fastball was quite solid, but his splitter, changeup, and curveball were each potent. Konoplya was good at holding runners and was a strong defensive pitcher, winning two Gold Gloves.

Konoplya’s stamina and durability were perhaps his most impressive quality. He tossed 240+ innings each year from 1996-2011. Konoplya led his league four times in innings pitched, twice in complete games, and seven times in shutouts. He mostly kept to himself, but became a superstar with his remarkable talent and longevity.

Initially coming out of college, Konoplya wasn’t a tip-top prospect. He was picked late in the second round by Warsaw in the 1994 EPB Draft; 68^th overall. Konoplya opted to return to college and decline the offer, hoping to improve his ability and stock. The next year, Konoplya was selected 28^th overall by Minsk, beginning his pro career in Belarus.

The Miners at that point had earned 15 consecutive playoff berths with six European League titles and four EPB titles in that stretch. However, they had three first round exits and one ELCS loss in the prior four years. Konoplya was a full-time starter immediately and thrived, taking second in Rookie of the Year honors. His depth paid off big in five postseason starts with a 4-1 record and 2.33 ERA over 38.2 innings. With that, Minsk returned to the perch with an EPB Championship win over Irkutsk.

For the next nine seasons with Minsk, Konoplya had 7.5+ WAR each year. In this stretch, he won five ERA titles and led in wins thrice. From 2000-2004, he led the EL in WAR and strikeouts each year. He also led thrice in WHIP, thrice in quality starts, four times in shutouts, and four times in FIP- with the Miners.

Konoplya secured back-to-back Triple Crown seasons in 2000 and 2001. There had only been four total EPB pitching Triple Crowns before that and the last one had come in 1983. 2000 had his career bests in strikeouts (372), and WAR (12.5). Konoplya’s best ERA was 1.60 in 2003 and his highest win total was 25-6 in 1999.

From 2000-04, Konoplya earned five consecutive Pitcher of the Year awards. He was second in 1998’s voting, third in 1999, and second in 2005. Konoplya won a Gold Glove in 2001 and was second in MVP voting in 2000, 2001, and 2003. In 2002, he tossed his lone no-hitter with 17 strikeouts and one walk against Volgograd. Konoplya’s dominance and the exodus of teams from EPB in 2000 helped Minsk carry on its dynasty.

The Miners lost in the first round of 1997 and in the 1998 and 1999 ELCS. From 2000-04 though, they won five straight European League pennants. Minsk three-peated as EPB champ from 2000-02, but was denied in 2003 and 2004 by Yekaterinburg. Konoplya’s excellence carried into the playoffs, including winning 2001 ELCS MVP. 2002 was his strongest run by far though with an 0.67 ERA over 26.2 innings. With Minsk, Konoplya had an 18-7 record, 2.09 ERA, 223.2 innings, 218 strikeouts, 132 ERA+, and 4.8 WAR.

Konoplya became a beloved baseball icon in Belarus for his role in the dynasty. He was also a superstar back home in Ukraine, even after his country’s teams left for EBF in the 2000 exodus. From 1997-2013, Konoplya pitched 226.1 innings for Ukraine in the World Baseball Championship, posting a 12-9 record, 255 strikeouts, 4.0 WAR, and 3.81 ERA.

In total for Minsk, Konoplya had a 195-91 record, 1.81 ERA, 2818 innings, 3363 strikeouts, 571 walks, 168 complete games, 153 ERA+, and 91.0 WAR. The Miners would later retire his #23 uniform for his role in the dynasty. Konoplya opted to leave for free agency after the 2005 season at age 32. Minsk’s playoff streak had ended that year after a world record 24-year run. He did disappoint some Minsk fans by staying in the division, inking a five-year, $27,000,000 deal with St. Petersburg.

Konoplya’s excellence continued with the Polar Bears, leading thrice in wins and twice in strikeouts, innings, shutouts, and WHIP. He also led in ERA and WAR in the 2007 season and topped 8+ WAR in his first two years there. Konoplya won back-to-back Pitcher of the years to start with the Polar Bears, becoming the European League’s only seven-time winner. The only EPB pitcher with more was Matvey Ivanov, who at the same time would win a bonkers 11 POTYs with Yekaterinburg. Konoplya was also second in 2009 voting.

St. Petersburg was the #1 seed in 2006, but lost to Moscow in the ELCS. Konoplya gave up two runs over 6.1 innings in his one playoff start. The Polar Bears would be just outside of the playoffs for the rest of Konoplya’s tenure. In four seasons, he had an 81-37 record, 2.15 ERA, 1059 innings, 1141 strikeouts, 192 walks, 145 ERA+, and 30.2 WAR.

Entering the final year of his deal in 2010, the 36-year old was traded before the season to Omsk in a five-player deal. Konoplya had his weakest year since his rookie season, although he was still an excellent starter. Most importantly, the Otters ended a seven-year playoff drought and won it all, beating Moscow in the EPB Championship. Konoplya was 3-0 in the playoffs with a 1.78 ERA over 25.1 innings.

With that run, Konoplya passed Fredi Tamasi’s 20 wins for the most playoff wins in EPB history. Omsk re-signed Konoplya for two years and $10,200,000. He led in wins in 2011 and the Otters earned repeat Asian League pennants, although Minsk beat them in the EPB final. 2011 also saw Konoplya become the fourth EPB pitcher to 300 career wins and the fifth to 5000 strikeouts.

Konoplya had an iffy 3.86 ERA in his final playoff run. He’d still go down as one of the finest playoff pitchers in league history. Konoplya ended with a 22-9 record, 2.23 ERA, 278.2 innings, 266 strikeouts, 48 walks, 14 complete games, 129 ERA+, and 5.6 WAR. As of 2037, he’s the EPB playoff leader in wins, third in innings, sixth in strikeouts, and seventh in WAR. At retirement, 22 playoff wins was a world record. Only two pitchers have passed him as of 2037. He also had a 2.63 ERA in two starts for Omsk in the inaugural Baseball Grand Championship in 2010.

In 2012, Omsk narrowly missed the playoffs. Konoplya won a Gold Glove, but was merely above average and had career lows across the board. The ironman finally looked mortal, missing the final two months of the season to shoulder inflammation. In three years for the Otters, Konoplya had a 47-24 record, 2.92 ERA, 712 innings, 709 strikeouts, 112 ERA+, and 15.9 WAR. This marked the end of his EPB career.

Konoplya still wanted to pitch somewhere, but EPB teams thought he might be done and didn’t want to pay the big salary for someone of his resume. Konoplya ended up in Brazil with Sao Paulo, but looked merely average over 129.1 innings. He stayed in Beisbol Sudamerica for two more years, posting subpar stats with Salvador in 2014 and Barquisimeto in 2015. Konoplya retired after the 2015 season at age 42. In BSA, he had a 21-37 record, 3.98 ERA, 517.1 innings, 363 strikeouts, 95 ERA+, and 2.2 WAR.

For his combined pro career, Konoplya had a 344-189 record, 2.25 ERA, 5106.1 innings, 5576 strikeouts, 1013 walks, 465/605 quality starts, 285 complete games, 78 shutouts, 136 ERA+, and 139.3 WAR. Among all of pro baseball history as of 2037, Konoplya is ninth in wins, 17^th in strikeouts, 20^th in innings, 22^nd in complete games, 4^th in shutouts, 11^th in quality starts, and 27^th in pitching WAR. He’s one of only 25 pitchers in world history to toss 5000+ innings, one of 44 with 5000 strikeouts, and one of 13 with 340+ wins.

Just in EPB, Konoplya had a 323-152 record, 2.06 ERA, 4589 innings, 5213 strikeouts, 884 walks, 439/540 quality starts, 268 complete games, 75 shutouts, 143 ERA+, and 137.1 WAR. As of 2037 on the EPB leaderboards, Konoplya ranks 3^rd in wins, 4^th in innings, 4^th in strikeouts, 7^th in complete games, 2^nd in shutouts, and 6^th in pitching WAR. Among all pitchers with 1000+ innings, Konoplya’s ERA ranks 20^th and his .544 opponent’s OPS ranks 23^rd.

His contemporary Matvey Ivanov often ranks above Konoplya when discussing the best pitcher of his ERA in EPB. However, any top ten or top five conversation should feature Konoplya prominently. He was a no-doubt Hall of Fame headliner and topped the 2018 class at 98.7%.



Oleg Ivashko – Left Field – Kazan Crusaders – 69.3% Seventh Ballot

Oleg Ivashko was a 6’3’’, 200 pound right-handed hitting outfielder from Borovichi, a town of 53,000 people in northwestern Russia’s Novgorod Oblast. Ivashko was known for being an above average to good contact and power hitter. He was decent avoiding strikeouts, but below average at getting walks. Ivashko wasn’t a prolific slugger, but got you 22 home runs, 26 doubles, and 8 triples per his 162 game average.

On the basepaths, Ivashko had above average speed with excellent baserunning instincts. Around 2/3 of his career starts were in left field with the rest split between right field and designated hitter. Ivashko was a reliably solid defender and picked up Gold Gloves in 2001 and 2003. He had fantastic durability and was well respected as a team captain. Ivashko’s leadership, loyalty, and work ethic made him popular with teammates and fans alike.

Ivashko was picked 17^th overall by Kazan in the 1991 EPB Draft. He started most of his rookie year with okay results, then was a full-time starter after. Ivashko’s power improved by his third year, which started a nine-year stretch of seasons at 4.9 WAR or better. Around this time, Kazan started to improve their fortunes. They got a wild card in 1994, but lost in the first round of the playoffs. They narrowly missed the playoffs in 1995 and 1996, but started a four-year playoff streak after that.

After the 1995 season, Ivashko signed an eight-year, $11,740,000 extension with the Crusaders. 1996 started a three-year streak for Ivashko leading the European League in RBI. In 1996, he also led In total bases (324) and posted career bests in home runs (33), WAR (9.3), OPS (.897), and wRC+ (186); taking third in MVP voting.

1997 saw league bests in RBI (100) and hits (175). It began Kazan’s playoff streak, although they were a wild card each year due to Minsk’s dominance. As a 107-55 wild card, the Crusaders went on a playoff tear and won the 1997 EPB Championship over Irkutsk. Ivashko had a strong playoff run over 16 starts with 16 hits, 9 runs, 4 doubles, 2 homers, 7 RBI, and 5 stolen bases.

Kazan fell in the first round in 1998 and 1999, then lost in the 2000 ELCS to Minsk. Ivashko won his lone MVP and Silver Slugger in 2000, leading the EL in runs (89), and wRC+ (180). He also had 8.8 WAR and a career best .311 batting average. Ivashko won a Gold Glove in both 2001 and 2003. In 2002, he took second in MVP voting, leading in doubles (36) and RBI (97).

The Crusaders missed the playoffs narrowly in 2001 and 2003, while falling in the ELCS in both 2002 and 2004 to Minsk. Ivashko’s playoff stats were unremarkable outside of his big 1997 run. In 43 career starts, he had 36 hits, 16 runs, 9 doubles, 3 homers, 12 RBI, 8 stolen bases, a .229/.262/.357 slash, 97 wRC+, and 0.9 WAR. Still, his role in Kazan’s title and general contention played a big role in Ivashko’s #8 uniform being retired.

Ivashko did also play for Russia in nine editions of the World Baseball Championship from 1995-2005. He had 66 games and 63 starts with 56 hits, 31 runs, 9 doubles, 9 home runs, 27 RBI, 12 stolen bases, a .265/.305/.436 slash, 116 wRC+, and 1.4 WAR. Ivashko helped the Russians take runner-up to the United States in 2001.

Soon to be 35-years old, Ivashko entered free agency for the first time, but ultimately returned to Kazan on a two-year, $6,560,000 deal with a team option. He had struggled in 2003 with 2.8 WAR, his worst since his rookie year. Ivashko bounced back in 2004 with 7.7 WAR, taking third in MVP voting. To his surprise, the Crusaders voided the option year of his contract, making Ivashko a free agent again.

With Kazan, Ivashko had 2060 hits, 929 runs, 326 doubles, 107 triples, 284 home runs, 1039 RBI, 482 stolen bases, a .277/.309/.465 slash, 151 wRC+, and 75.5 WAR. He switched sides in the rivalry and joined Minsk on a three-year, $13,080,000 deal. With Moscow improving, Minsk saw their world record 24-year playoff streak snapped, narrowly missing the field in 2005 and 2006.

Ivashko never reached his Kazan production while in Belarus. He was a below average bat in 2005 and poor in 2006. Ivashko posted a .226/.258/.339 slash, 86 wRC+, and 0.7 WAR in two seasons for Minsk. He retired after the 2006 campaign at age 37.

The final stats saw 2253 hits, 1013 runs, 356 doubles, 113 triples, 302 home runs, 1117 RBI, 405 walks, 527 stolen bases, a .272/.304/.452 slash, 144 wRC+, and 76.2 WAR. As of 2037, Ivashko ranks 77^th in hits, 84^th in doubles, 75^th in RBI, and 59^th in WAR among position players. He doesn’t crack the top 100 in other stats, making Ivashko a borderline candidate.

There were voters who thought his tallies and accolades were too low. Supporters noted his MVP (and a few times as a finalist) along with Kazan’s team success in his era and his being a respected team captain. Ivashko debuted at 48.0% in 2012 and slowly worked his way up. He finally cracked 60% on his sixth ballot with 63.4% in 2017. In 2018, Ivashko just crossed the 66% requirement at 69.3% to become a seventh-ballot Hall of Famer.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2018 OBA Hall of Fame

The Oceania Baseball Association for back-to-back years didn’t induct any players into the Hall of Fame. There was one notable debut as SP Val Moran had 60.4%, still shy of the 66% requirement. No other players were above 30% with the best returner being RF Asaeli Ali with a 29.6% third try. No players were dropped after ten failed ballots either.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2018 APB Hall of Fame

Two starting pitchers earned spots into the 2018 Hall of Fame class for Austronesia Professional Baseball. Kan-Lin Tung was nearly unanimous at 98.8%, while Kan-Lin Ching crossed the line with 73.0% on his sixth ballot. CF Fransisco Hartati barely missed the 66% requirement on his seventh try at 63.4%. Also above 50% on their sixth tries were RF Sutanto Mangkoepradja at 59.9% and 1B Gavin Loh at 59.3%. SP Putra Andriani also notably had 54.0% in his debut.



Dropped after ten failed ballots was LF Chih-Chang Chin, who won five Gold Gloves and one Silver Slugger in a 17-year career with Kaohsiung. Chin had 2366 hits, 907 runs, 292 doubles, 218 triples, 194 home runs, 911 RBI, a .279/.318/.433 slash, 142 wRC+, and 72.0 WAR. He wasn’t a dominant enough hitter to earn much consideration, although he did win three batting titles. Chin peaked on his second ballot at 29.5% and ended at 3.4%.



Kan-Lin Tung – Starting Pitcher – Taichung Toucans – 98.8% First Ballot

Kan-Lin Tung was a 6’2’’, 195 pound left-handed pitcher from Chungho, Taiwan; an inner-city district of 400,000 in New Taipei City. Tung had very good control with solid movement and above average stuff. His velocity peaked in the 92-94 mph range with a cut fastball, mixed in with a slider, curveball, and changeup. Tung was great at holding runners, but poor defensively otherwise. He had excellent stamina and led the Taiwan-Philippine Association four times in complete games. He had pretty good durability, but his work ethic could be questionable.

Tung attended Pu-Men High School and earned plenty of attention from scouts even without college experience. Taichung picked him #9 in the 1997 APB Draft and put Tung into their developmental system for two years. Tung debuted mostly as a full-time starter with iffy results in 2000, allowing the most home runs in the TPA at 27. He cut that nearly in half the next year, then emerged as a legit ace by his third year.

2002 started a run of nine straight seasons worth 6+ WAR for Tung, taking third that year in Pitcher of the Year voting. In May 2003, Taichung signed Tung to a seven-year, $27,720,000 extension. He led in WAR in back-to-back seasons in 2003-04, winning 2003 POTY and finished second in 2004. Tung tossed 10 shutouts in 2003 and led in wins at 21-8. He led in wins again in 2005, earning his second Pitcher of the Year. Tung had his career best in innings (294) and strikeouts (306).

Despite Tung’s efforts, Taichung was stuck in the middle tier. They were rarely outright bad, averaging 82.3 wins per season during his tenure. The Toucans topped 90+ wins thrice, but couldn’t claim the top spot in the Taiwan League. Tung had a weaker year in 2006, although still posted 6.1 WAR. Even so, he led the TPA in losses at 9-16.

Tung bounced back with his finest season in 2007 with career and TPA bests in ERA (1.12), WHIP (0.74), K/BB (18.0), quality starts (31), ERA+ (255), and WAR (11.6). Tung’s ERA is the 20^th-lowest qualifying season in APB history as of 2037, but he lost out on Pitcher of the Year to Davao’s Bima Idris. His 2008 was also historic with APB’s 29^th perfect game in an 11 strikeout effort against Taoyuan on May 1.

While a Taiwan League fixture, Tung was also a regular in the World Baseball Championship. From 2001-11, he pitched 176.2 innings for Taiwan with a 2.60 ERA, 11-9 record, 197 strikeouts, 30 walks, 138 ERA+, and 4.8 WAR. Taiwan earned a runner-up to Canada in the 2004 World Championship. He had some bad run support in that run with a 1-5 record and 3.35 ERA over 45.2 innings with a 105 ERA+. Five losses is an all-time WBC worst.

With Taichung, Tung finished with a 171-123 record, 2.03 ERA, 2901.1 innings, 2880 strikeouts, 374 walks, 136 ERA+, and 78.7 WAR. The Toucans would retire his #26 uniform for his efforts. Tung would leave for free agency heading towards the 2011 and age 32. He signed a four-year, $35,800,000 deal with Taipei, who had taken first in the TL the prior two years.

Tung lost a month to a strained hamstring in 2012 and had his weakest year since 2001, although he still provided positive value. Despite that, Taipei missed the playoffs narrowly. Tung’s already lower velocity plummeted and he soon peaked in the 85-87 mph range. The Tigercats only used him for 43.1 innings primarily in relief in 2012. Taipei made the playoffs, but Tung wouldn’t be used and never pitched a playoff inning. He remained under contract for both 2013 and 2014, but never saw the field, retiring in winter 2014 at age 35. With Taipei, Tung had 4.0 WAR over 267.1 innings.

In total, Tung had a 187-129 record, 2.06 ERA, 3168.2 innings, 3086 strikeouts, 410 walks, 305/370 quality starts, 199 complete games, 51 shutouts, 134 ERA+, and 82.7 WAR. Even with his sudden decline, Tung as of 2037 ranks 29^th in pitching WAR, 44^th in wins, 73^rd in strikeouts, 8^th in complete games, 19^th in shutouts, and 52^nd in innings. Among all pitchers with 1000+ innings, his ERA ranks 51^st.

During his prime run, Tung was an impressive pitcher and often in the Pitcher of the Year conversations. That dominance and his two trophies made him a lock for most voters, even in he didn’t see team success or have a lengthy career. Tung easily headlined APB’s 2018 Hall of Fame class with 98.8%.



Kan-Lin Ching – Starting Pitcher – Manila Manatees – 73.0% Sixth Ballot

Kan-Lin Ching was a 6’2’’, 205 pound right-handed pitcher from the capital of Taiwan, Taipei. Ching had solid stuff with above average movement and decent control. His velocity regularly hit 98-100 mph with his sinker, but Ching had five equally potent pitches including a slider, curveball, forkball, and changeup. Relative to other APB aces, his stamina was average and his defense was awful.

The biggest knock on Ching was his personality, as he considered was selfish, greedy, and lazy. Many argue this kept him from a more prominent and successful career. Still, he made his impact over a 17-year pro career. Ching caught the eye of a Filipino scout visiting a prospects camp in Taipei. They signed Ching in June 1985 to a developmental deal with Manila.

Ching spent most of six years in the Manatees’ academy. He debuted in 1991 at age 22 and pitched most of the season with average results, but still earned a third in Rookie of the Year voting. Ching had a full-time gig after that and reliably ate innings, although his overall production was merely above average compared to other APB aces. He did up his strikeout rate with 300+ Ks from 1996-1999.

1997 was Ching’s breakout season, winning his lone Pitcher of the Year. He led the Taiwan-Philippine Association and had career bests in wins (21-6) and quality starts (31). He also had a career-best 1.61 ERA, helping end a decade-long playoff drought for Manila. They had the top seed, but fell in the TPA Championship to Taoyuan. Ching struggled in his two playoff starts, allowing 12 runs in 13.2 innings. Still, the Manatees were generally happy with his production and gave Ching a four-year, $10,240,000 extension that winter.

Ching’s next two years were his best by WAR with both at 7.1. Manila dropped off in 1998, but surprised the field by winning the TPA pennant in 1999 despite being 83-79. They did fall to Surabaya in the APB Championship with Ching posting a 3.42 ERA in 23.2 playoff innings. This would be the last time he saw the postseason in his career.

2000 saw a notable regression and eventual demotion out of the full-time rotation. Ching had only 0.5 WAR over 146.2 innings, a career worst. He seemed to give up on Manila at that point and with a year left on his deal, Ching was traded in the offseason to Taoyuan. In total with Manila, Ching had a 136-124 record, 2.67 ERA, 2477 innings, 2686 strikeouts, 568 walks, 104 ERA+, and 46.8 WAR.

Taoyuan was bottom-rung at this point, but Ching bounced back and gave the Tsunami innings and average production in 2001. Now 33-years old, Ching signed a three-year, $6,480,000 deal to stay with Taoyuan. He maintained similar production in the next two years, finishing with a 32-46 record, 2.75 ERA, 774.2 innings, 760 strikeouts, 101 ERA+, and 9.4 WAR.

Ching was traded in the last year of his deal from Taoyuan to Bandung for two prospects. He would miss a month to elbow inflammation, but posted 2.3 WAR over 159.2 innings for the Blackhawks. Ching returned to Taiwan for 2004 with a three-year, $9,360,000 deal with Taichung.

He struggled as a part-time starter in 2005, then was demoted to the bullpen in 2006. Ching had a 3.37 ERA over 229.2 innings, 85 ERA+, and 0.1 WAR with the Toucans. After failing to reach the criteria for the third year of the Taichung deal, Ching was a free agent again. Tainan grabbed him for 2007 and used him for 99.1 innings with a 2.72 ERA and 0.9 WAR. After that, Ching retired from pro baseball at age 38.

Ching finished with a 196-199 record, 2.73 ERA, 3740.1 innings, 3927 strikeouts, 835 walks, 334/456 quality starts, 126 complete games, 102 ERA+, 93 FIP-, and 59.5 WAWR. His record was hurt by being on some bad teams, but even the Sabermetric stats suggested Ching was merely above average. As of 2037, he ranks 82^nd in pitching WAR, 36^th in wins, 16^th in innings, and 27^th in strikeouts. However, he was also third in losses, 12^th in home runs allowed, and ninth in hits allowed.

He had longevity and one Pitcher of the Year award, but that was really it. Ching also had the benefit of APB voters being very friendly towards pitchers and also valuing longevity. Ching debuted at 47.7%, followed by 52.3% and 44.8%. He barely missed the cut in his fourth try at 64.2%, then dropped back to 49.5% in 2017. On his sixth ballot, Ching got the bump up to 73.0% and grabbed a spot in APB’s 2018 Hall of Fame class. Most scholars agree he’s one of the weaker starters in any league to make it into a HOF, but Ching is in regardless.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2018 CLB Hall of Fame

Pitcher Lei Li was a strong choice to stand alone for Hall of Fame induction in 2018 for Chinese League Baseball at 99.2%. RF Hongbo Wan was the next closest to making the 66% cut, getting 62.8% on his eighth ballot. SP Xin Ruan had 58.9% in his ninth try. Also cracking 50% was LF Seok-Hyeon So’s 56.6% fifth ballot and RF Minghui Ruan’s 55.8% third ballot.



Dropped after ten failed ballots was LF Ruilong Xu, who won five Silver Sluggers, one MVP and two Gold Gloves in an 18-year career. He won four championship rings with Dalian’s dynasty and won a fifth with a finals MVP for Harbin in 2003. Xu’s final four years came in MLB with Columbus, which slightly dented his final accumulations for CLB.

In China, Xu had 2058 hits, 859 runs, 383 doubles, 239 home runs, 836 RBI, a .283/.330/.452 slash, 160 wRC+, and 83.4 WAR. As of 2037, he ranks 47^th in WAR among position players. However, the notoriously harsh-on-batters CLB voters felt Xu lacked the tallies they wanted. He peaked at 52.0% on his fourth ballot in 2012 and ended with 40.7%. The Gold Dragons did retire his #4 uniform for his role in their dynasty and Xu remains a very popular figure around Dalian.



Lei “Wasp” Li – Starting Pitcher – Changsha Cannons – 99.2% First Ballot

Lei Li was a 6’6’’, 195 pound right-handed pitcher from Houpu, a city of 86,000 in China’s Guangdong province. Li had excellent stuff and movement along with very good control. He had a great 98-100 mph fastball, but his slider was his most dominant pitch. Li also had a changeup as a third option. He was especially dominant against right-handed bats (162 ERA+) compared to lefties (127 ERA+). The nickname “wasp” came from the sting batters felt when making contact as Li had an extreme groundball tendency.

Relative to other Chinese aces, Li stamina was quite good. He also managed to avoid major injuries in his 20s. He was poor defensively and wasn’t good at holding runners. The big knock on him was perceived selfishness and laziness. Li wasn’t going to take on a leadership role, but his raw dominance made him one of CLB’s all-time great pitchers. His potential was noticed even as a teenager, as Changsha gave him a developmental deal in August 1996.

After four years in the Cannons academy, Li was brought up to be a reliever in 2001 and 2002, struggling in that role. He was split between starting and closing in 2003 with strong results, including a Southern League best 0.76 WHIP. Changsha got to the semifinal and fell to Harbin, but Li tossed 11 innings with two runs allowed in the playoffs. The Cannons moved him to the rotation full-time after that, where he stayed for the rest of his run. He would still see bullpen use, but he was now good for 200+ innings each year.

This move paid off big time, as Changsha became a dynasty and Li became the best pitcher in China. For the next decade, he had 7+ WAR or better each year and led the league four times in WAR. Li led in FIP- eight times, complete games and shutouts thrice, WHIP twice, ERA twice, wins once, and strikeouts once. Li won four straight Pitcher of the Year awards from 2004-2007. He took second in 2008, then won POTY again in 2009 and 2010 and had another second place in 2011. As of 2037, Li is the only six-time Pitcher of the Year in CLB history.

Li topped double-digit WAR thrice, peaking with 11.2 in 2007. That year also had an ERA title at 1.40 and his career-best 325 strikeouts. His career best ERA and ERA+ came at 1.20 and 205 in 2009. Li’s best WHIP was 0.67 in 2006. He topped 300 strikeouts four times and had a nine year streak with an ERA below two. Even for the very low offense environment of CLB, that was a remarkable stretch.

Perhaps even more important, Li stepped up big in the playoffs. In 2004, he tossed 17.1 scoreless innings with 28 strikeouts in two postseason starts, pushing Changsha to a China Series victory over Macau. The Cannons repeated in 2005 over the Magicians with Li tossing 23 innings with a 0.78 ERA and 26 strikeouts. Changsha got back to the China Series in 2006, but had their three-peat bid thwarted by Xiamen. Li had a 1.41 ERA over 32 innings with 40 strikeouts.

After the 2005 title, Changsha inked Li to a seven-year, $36,840,000 extension. The Cannons fell in the 2007 semifinal, then narrowly missed the playoffs in 2008 and 2009. They started a three-year stretch as a wild card from 2010-12. Changsha lost in the 2010 semifinal and 2012 first round. However in 2011, the Cannons returned to the pole position, winning the China Series over Beijing. Li had another epic playoff run in 2011 with a 0.46 ERA over 39 innings with 50 strikeouts and 1.9 WAR. He was less dominant in the second Baseball Grand Championship with a 3.89 ERA over 34.2 innings.

For his playoff career, Li had a 15-5 record and 4 saves, 1.18 ERA, 183.2 innings, 228 strikeouts, 22 walks, 17/20 quality starts, 13 complete games, 6 shutouts, and 6.5 WAR. As of 2037, he is the all-time CLB playoff leader in wins, complete games, shutouts, innings, strikeouts, and WAR. Li makes a very strong case as being the best-ever playoff pitcher in CLB history and is one of the all-timers in all of baseball history.

Li also was successful for China in the World Baseball Championship from 2005-2011. He had a big run in their 2007 runner-up campaign, going 4-0 in five starts with a 1.65 ERA over 43.2 innings and 52 strikeouts. He tossed 149.1 WBC innings with a 15-3 record, 2.22 ERA, 178 strikeouts, 42 walks, 16 quality starts, and 4.5 WAR.

After the 2012 season, Li’s deal expired and he wanted to get the big payday in free agency heading towards age 33. This ended his time in China, as he had plenty of offers worldwide. Changsha would later retire his #33 uniform for his critical role in their dynasty. Even though he did rub some the wrong way personally, Li’s dominance couldn’t be denied, giving him a big fan base wherever he went.

Li ended up in Major League Baseball with a four-year, $86,400,000 deal with Hartford. He didn’t get run support in his first two years with a 17-29 record despite posting 12.9 WAR over the two seasons. The Huskies were just below .500 in 2013, then lost in the second round as a wild card in 2014. Li dealt with injuries that year though, missing six weeks in the summer to an elbow strain and then missing the postseason with shoulder inflammation.

In 2015, Li had a 20-9 record, 2.95 ERA, and 4.6 WAR with Hartford again getting a wild card. Unfortunately, the shoulder inflammation came back in a big way just before the postseason, ultimately costing Li ten months. Although Li had pitched quite solidly, the Huskies were worried that this recurring injury was going to be a problem. Thus, Hartford voided the fourth year of Li’s contract with a $3,800,00 buyout.

In MLB, Li had a 37-38 record, 2.90 ERA, 704.1 innings, 549 strikeouts, 153 walks, 65/90 quality starts, 35 complete games, 117 ERA+, and 17.5 WAR. He was now 36-years old and had trouble passing physicals with the inflammation. The Arab League’s Damascus finally gave him a shot in May 2016 to a one year deal. Li made three relief appearances in the summer, but quickly picked up a torn biceps to end his season. He would receive a championship ring as the Dusters won the Arab League title. Li opted for retirement that winter at age 36.

For his combined pro career, Li had a 203-124 record, 137 saves, 1.87 ERA, 3005.1 innings, 3487 strikeouts, 479 walks, 257/314 quality starts, 191 complete games, 144 ERA+, and 100.9 WAR. As of 2037 among all Hall of Fame starters in world history, Li’s ERA ranks 14^th best and his .506 opponent’s OPS Is 10^th. As for his Changsha and CLB run, Li had a 165-86 record, 137 saves, 1.56 ERA, 2298 innings, 2936 strikeouts, 325 walks, 192/224 quality starts, 156 complete games, 51 shutouts, 155 ERA+, and 83.4 WAR.

Even though he left China before his 33^rd birthday, Li still as of 2037 ranks 11^th in pitching WAR, 17^th in wins, 20^th in strikeouts, 73^rd in innings pitched, 5^th in shutouts, and 10^th in complete games. Among all CLB pitchers with 1000+ innings, Li’s ERA ranks fifth, his WHIP (0.76) ranks sixth, and his opponent’s OPS (.470) sits fifth. Li’s batting average (.175) is 11^th, OBP (.210) is 5^th and slugging (.261) is 5^th. He also ranks 12^th in H/9 (5.53) and 25^th in K/9 (11.5).

When you combine those rate stats with his playoff dominance, it is no surprise that Li’s name often comes up when discussing China’s all-time greatest pitcher. Had he not left for Hartford and gotten injured, he might have made a run at the top accumulation slots. Li’s raw dominance over a decade was among the best runs by any pro pitcher and his playoff stats were absurd, pushing Changsha to three titles. He was an obvious headliner and the lone inductee into CLB’s Hall of Fame in 2018 at 99.2%.