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

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2020 APB Hall of Fame

Austronesia Professional Baseball’s 2020 Hall of Fame voting was a wide open field as the top newcomer got 45.3%. Three guys with tenure on the ballot came close to the 66% requirement, but it was CF/2B Fransisco Hartati as the only one getting in at 73.3% on his ninth try. RF Sutanto Mangkoepradja was next at 64.2% and 1B Gavin Loh saw 60.8%, both on their eighth ballots.



One other returner topped 60% with SP Putra Andriani getting 60.5% for his third ballot. SP Dwi Aditya Supandi had 56.4% on his second try and LF Beau Cabral received 54.7% on his second attempt. SP I Komang Ainaga was the best debutant at 45.3%.

SP Arfandi Bekti was the lone player dropped after ten failed ballots. He had a 19-year career between eight teams and won APB titles in 1998 with Batam and 2000 with Kaohsiung. Bekti had a 239-197 record, 2.46 ERA, 4146 innings, 3320 strikeouts, 105 ERA+, and 55.8 WAR. In the playoffs, he had a 2.45 ERA over 139.2 innings, 125 strikeouts, and 103 ERA+. APB voters are very pitcher-friendly, but Bekti lacked black ink and was never in awards conversations. He was purely a compiler, peaking at 33.6% in his debut and ending with 10.5%.



Fransisco “Wasp” Hartati – Center Field/Second Base – Surabaya Sunbirds – 73.3% Ninth Ballot

Fransisco Hartati was a 6’3’’, 205 pound right-handed center fielder and second baseman from Sumenep, Indonesia; a regency of the East Java province with 1.1 million people. He was nicknamed “Wasp” for his incredible ferocity, known as one of the hardest workers in the game. Hartati was a rock solid contact hitter with a reliable pop in his bat, getting 22 doubles, 9 triples, and 23 home runs per his 162 game average. He was graded as average in terms of drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts relative to other APB hitters.

Hartati was one of the more clever and savvy baserunners you’d find despite his speed being merely above average in his peak. He gutted out a 22-year career despite dealing with numerous recurring injuries into his 30s and 40s. The big downside was Hartati was absolutely atrocious defensively playing in leagues without a designated hitter.

For his career, his accumulated zone rating was an appalling -409.1. Hartati was primarily split between center field and second base with occasional stints at first base and left field. It was baffling to many how someone so abysmal defensively was placed between two of the more challenging and important defensive spots. Hartati’s can-do attitude and his strong bat still gave him positive value in the lineup even if he was complete booty defensively.

Hartati’s bat alone made him one of the highest graded Indonesian prospects ahead of the 1984 APB Draft. He was picked #2 overall by Surabaya, where he’d spend the next 19 years. Hartati was used primarily as a pinch hitter his first three years, in part because there wasn’t a logical spot for him in the field. He earned the starting gig in 1988 and played 150+ games each year from 1988-1994. Hartati’s first Silver Slugger as at CF came in 1988.

In 1989, Hartati led the Sundaland Association in RBI (86), total bases (296), OBP (.352), slugging (.536), OPS (.888), and wRC+ (237). He took second in MVP voting and won his second Silver Slugger. He had 5.9 WAR or better from 1989-1993 and topped 8+ twice. Hartati won Sluggers in CF in 1990 and 1992 with his first at second base in 1991. He was third in MVP voting in 1990 and signed an eight-year, $11,230,000 extension with Surabaya that winter.

The Sunbirds ended an 11-year playoff drought in 1991, but lost the Sundaland Association final to Batam. Surabaya was rarely bad during Hartati’s 20s, but they wouldn’t make the playoffs again until 1999 and were stick in the mid-tier. He had back-to-back batting titles in 1991 and 1992, leading in hits both years. Hartati also led in runs and total bases in 1992. 1991 had his career best WAR at 8.4.

Hartati won Silver Sluggers in CF in both 1993 and 1994, giving him eight total to that point. He ran into injury issues with a sprained ankle in 1995, then was reduced to a part-time starter in 1996. 1997 saw a strained abdominal muscle costing him six weeks, although Hartati still managed to win a Silver Slugger at second base. He finally had a full season in 1998 and won another Slugger at 2B. Hartati was now soon to be 37-years old, but Surabaya extended the popular player for another three years at $8,440,000.

Even with a fractured foot keeping him out more than a month, Hartati had a 5.3 WAR effort in 1999. Surabaya ended their playoff drought and upset defending champ Batam in the Sundaland Association Championship. The Sunbirds then won the Austronesia Championship over Manila with Hartati getting finals MVP. He more than made up for his weak 1991 playoff effort, starting 13 games with 19 hits, 10 runs, 3 doubles, 2 home runs, and 9 RBI. After a 15-year run, he brought a title to his longtime team.

Surabaya fell mostly to the middle tier for the next few years, as did Hartati’s production. He would manage his tenth Silver Slugger in 2003, becoming only the fifth in APB history with ten Sluggers at any position. It was his fourth at 2B with six in CF. The Sunbirds gave Hartati a three-year, $10,520,000 extension after the 2000 season. Various injuries plagued him in his later years, including a torn meniscus in 2001 and a torn thumb ligament in 2003.

Hartati’s deal expired after the 2003 season, making him a free agent for the first time at age 42. He still hoped to play somewhere and opened up a worldwide search. That led him to EPB and the Russian capital, signing a three-year, $10,400,000 deal with Moscow. A strained abdominal muscle kept him out almost half of his debut season with the Mules.

2005 saw very average numbers with 1.1 WAR over 124 games. However, Hartati stepped up big in the playoffs as Moscow won the EPB Championship over Yekaterinburg. In 11 playoff starts, Hartati had 12 hits, 2 runs, 2 doubles, 2 triples, 1 homer, and 6 RBI. He was named finals MVP, becoming one of the very few in pro baseball history to earn finals MVP in multiple leagues. He had 4.0 WAR and a 137 wRC+ over 213 games total for Moscow. Hartati failed to meet the vesting criteria for the third year of his deal.

Hartati was now 44 years old, but still willing and eager to play. He came back to Indonesia and Semarang was willing to sign him for three years at $8,720,000. Hartati started the whole season, but was merely passable with a 99 wRC+ and 0.7 WAR. He decided to officially retire that winter just after his 45^th birthday. Surabaya would honor him by retiring his #11 uniform for his 19-years of service.

For his APB career, Hartati had 2390 hits, 1115 runs, 329 doubles, 139 triples, 362 home runs, 1072 RBI, 482 walks, 485 stolen bases, a .278/.320/.475 slash, 177 wRC+, and 69.7 WAR. These tallies rank well in the very low scoring world of APB as of 2037 with Hartati 18^th in hits, 21^st in runs, 65^th in doubles, 66^th in triples, 55^th in home runs, 32^nd in RBI, and 77^th in WAR among position players. His WAR was notably far lower than you’d expect due to his garbage defense. Among all batters with 3000+ plate appearances, his .795 OPS ranks 65^th.

Hartati proved a tough case for many voters, especially those turned off by his defense. APB voters were notably tough for hitters to begin with and even with the ten Silver Sluggers and longevity, his tallies weren’t as high as some would’ve wanted. Supporters appreciated his steadfastness to Surabaya and role in their 1999 championship season.

In his 2012 ballot debut, Hartati began with 51.0%. He bounced around and was in the 40s twice, but also in the 60s twice. Hartati made it to 62.7% in 2016 and 63.4% in 2018, but couldn’t breach the 66% requirement. He fell back to 51.6% in 2019, then had a chance with his penultimate ballot in 2020. With a quieter field, Hartati got the bump he needed to 73.3%. He became only the third APB inductee to get in on his ninth ballot and was the lone addition in 2020.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2020 CLB Hall of Fame

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RF Hongbo Wan joined Class of 2007 inductee Baoxian He as the only tenth ballot Hall of Fame inductees in Chinese League Baseball history. Wan was the only addition for 2020, making it in on his final try at 73.8%. Two others came very close to the 66% requirement. The best debut was CL Boyang Cao at 64.6%, while LF Seok-Hyeon So received 64.0% for his seventh try. Two others were above 50% with RF Minghui Ruan at 55.7% on his fifth ballot and CL Jingxing Zhang at 50.5% for his second go. No players were dropped after ten failed tries.



Hongbo “Iguana” Wan – Right Field – Qingdao Devils – 73.8% Tenth Ballot

Hongbo Wan was a 6’0’’, 190 pound left-handed right fielder from Hegang, China; a prefecture-level city of 891,000 inhabitants in the northeast near the Russian border. Nicknamed “Iguana,” Wan was a well-rounded batter with good-to-great contact, power, and eye. His 162 game average saw 22 doubles, 20 triples, and 25 home runs; strong extra-base hit numbers in the very low scoring environment of CLB. Wan’s main downside a batter was a poor strikeout rate despite his other skills.

Wan was an excellent baserunner with good speed, often creating opportunities with his legs. The majority of his starts came in right field, where he graded as reliably average defensively. Wan moved to first base in his final years with passable results. He also played a little center field early on, but didn’t have the range for that spot. Assorted injuries greatly limited Wan despite a 16-year career, as he missed a month or more in six different seasons.

He tore through China’s amateur circuit and was the #1 overall pick by Qingdao in the 1989 CLB Draft. Wan’s entire career came with the Devils and he had an impactful debut. His rookie season saw a league-best 24 triples and he became one of a select few Rookie of the Year winners with 8+ WAR in his debut season. He dipped a bit the next year, but still had 5+ WAR in each of his first seven seasons.

In 1992, Wan won Northern League MVP and his first Silver Slugger, leading the NL in runs (103), homers (38), total bases (339), slugging (.606), OPS (.971), wRC+ (212), and WAR (12.4). All these marks were career highs, as was his 158 hits, 71 stolen bases, .283 batting average, and .365 OBP. Qingdao ended a nine-year playoff drought for only their second-ever playoff berth. The Devils got to the China Series for the first time in franchise history, falling to the Dalian dynasty. Wan had 9 hits, 4 runs, 2 doubles, 2 triples, 3 homers, 5 RBI, and a 137 wRC+ in his lone playoff chance.

Qingdao the definition of mid over the next 13 years with no playoff berths and an average of 80.9 wins per season. Wan still thrived, winning additional Silver Sluggers in 1994, 1995, 1996, 1999, and 2000. He earned his second MVP in 1995, leading in runs (103), total bases (322), slugging (.560), and WAR (10.9). Wan was the WARlord and runs leader again in 1996, taking third in MVP voting. That year, Wan also hit 35 triples, which remains CLB’s single-season record as of 2037.

After the 1993 season, Wan signed an eight-year, $8,560,000 extension with Qingdao. 1997 saw setbacks with a fractured wrist and chronic back soreness costing him half the season. Wan would deal with smaller sporadic injuries into his 30s. He became the third player in CLB history to hit for the cycle twice, doing it in 1998 and 1999. At age 33, he signed a five-year, $24,000,000 extension after the 2000 season.

Wan also played for China from 1095-2001 in the World Baseball Championship. He was a big reason they were the runner-up in both 1995 and 1996, taking third in 1996’s MVP voting. Wan started 98 games with 97 hits, 73 runs, 17 doubles, 8 triples, 27 home runs, 66 RBI, 49 stolen bases, a .264/.351/.573 slash, 165 wRC+, and 5.9 WAR. This gave a sense of what Wan’s tallies would look like in a more neutral offensive environment.

In 2003, Wan suffered a strained PCL that kept him out roughly half the season. His hitting started to dip here with only 1.4 WAR and 119 wRC+ in 2004 despite a full load. Wan had -0.8 WAR then in 2005 which showed his time had ended. He retired that winter at age 38 and Qingdao immediately retired his #11 uniform.

Wan finished with 1781 hits, 1083 runs, 288 doubles, 258 triples, 331 home runs, 924 RBI, 776 walks, 641 stolen bases, a .241/.319/.485 slash, 164 wRC+, and 95.6 WAR. As of 2037, Wan ranks 9^th in runs scored, 61^st in hits, 21^st in total bases, 49^th in doubles, 5^th in triples, 50^th in home runs, 38^th in RBI, 29^th in stolen bases, 12^th in walks, and 26^th in WAR among position players.

Wan was also a popular player with two MVPs, but CLB voters were notoriously stingy when it came to hitters. Being on mostly forgettable Qingdao teams hurt him with some voters, although others appreciated his loyalty. Even for the low-scoring CLB, his .241 batting average was well below the normal standard for Hall of Famers with only two inductees to that point with less than .265. Supporters noted that nearly half of Wan’s hits were for extra bases.

He debuted in 2011 at 48.6% and never was lower, but he was stuck around 48% for the next two years. Wan got to 60.3% in 2014 and was above 60% each year from 2016-19. However, he just couldn’t get across the 66% requirement, peaking at 63.5%. 2020 was Wan’s tenth and final try, as well as a ballot without any strong contenders. He got the bump to 73.8% to finally secure that deserved spot. Wan was the lone CLB inductee in 2020 and the second in league history to make it on his tenth and final chance.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2020 WAB Hall of Fame

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West African Baseball’s 2020 Hall of Fame voting was headlined by SS Darwin Morris, who somehow only got 98.1% despite bring widely considered WAB’s greatest ever player. His longtime teammate DH Sam Pappoe joined him in the class, sneaking across the line at 66.3% on his third ballot. 3B Awudu Haddad had a near miss with 59.9% for his sixth ballot. No one else was above 50% and no players fell off the ballot after ten failed tries.



Darwin “Shrimp” Morris – Shortstop – Kano Condors – 98.1% First Ballot

Darwin Morris was a 6’4’’, 200 pound right-handed shortstop from the capital of Liberia, Monrovia. Despite being a bigger guy, Morris had the nickname “Shrimp,” although that came from his love of eating the crustacean. He emerged as one of West Africa’s first true baseball megastars. By the time he retired, Morris was the undisputed GOAT of West African Baseball and is considered by many scholars to be a top ten player in all of pro history.

Morris was an outstanding contact hitter with excellent home run and gap power. He also had a terrific eye for drawing walks, although he strikeout rate was surprisingly pedestrian. For his 162 game average, Morris got you 44 home runs, 32 doubles, and 11 triples. He had 15 consecutive seasons with 30+ home runs and had a 50-burger five times in that run. Not only did Morris have power, but he had blistering speed and baserunning ability. He stole 60+ bases in nine different seasons and topped 80+ four times.

Just over ¾ of Morris’s career starts came at shortstop, where he was a reliably above average to good defender. In his final years as he physically began to break down, Morris split time between second base and designated hitter. By the time he was shifted, his range had dropped notably and tanked his defense. Morris held up remarkably well over a 24-year run at a very demanding position. However, he usually missed a few weeks each year from his 30s onward, often because of back troubles.

Morris’s incredible ability was going to make him a superstar regardless, but his personality made him even more of a fan favorite. Few guys in baseball worked harder, were more loyal, or were smarter. Morris became the symbol and ambassador for the sport throughout the entire region. Not only that, but he was also often cited as the best ever from all of Africa. Morris’s exploits played a notable role in the sport’s popularity surging on the continent from the 1990s onward.

As a teenager in Monrovia, it was immediately clear that Morris was a can’t miss, five-tool type prospect. In the 1990 WAB Draft, he was the #1 overall pick by Kano, who really hit the lottery with their timing. The Condors were one of WAB’s early powerhouses, winning three titles with ten playoff appearances from 1975-88. However, they had plummeted down to 49-113 by 1990, thus getting the #1 slot. Kano would still be terrible in 1991 and 1992, but it set the stage for WAB’s all-time best dynasty.

Kano didn’t throw Morris immediately into the fire, as he only played 106 games with 21 starts in his first two years He became a full-timer in 1993 at age 21 with a very respectable 4.7 WAR season. That would be the last time he didn’t lead the Eastern League in WAR until 2007. From 1994-07, Morris had 8.9 WAR or better every season along with an OPS above one. From 1994-01, he had an eight-year run of seasons worth 11+ WAR. In that stretch, Morris was the leader in OPS and wRC+ each season.

Morris won 15 consecutive Silver Sluggers from 1994-2008. As of 2037, he is one of 13 players in world history with 15+ Sluggers, one of three exclusively at shortstop, and the only 15+ winner in WAB. He was also the first player to win all 15 consecutively, a feat only later matched by OBA’s Roe Kaupa and Nordine Soule.

The first MVPs for Morris came in 1994 and 1995. The 1995 campaign was next level, leading the league in runs (142), homers (53), RBI (135), total bases (401), stolen bases (91), slugging (.693), OPS (1.103), wRC+ (204), and WAR (15.1). The WAR mark remains the WAB single-season record as of 2037 and ranks as the 44^th best season by any player in any world league. The 142 runs also set a new WAB single-season record.

Kano was back above .500 in 1993 and 1994, but 1995 ended a playoff drought and started what would be a 12-year playoff streak. The Condors fell in the 1995 ELCS to Port Harcourt, then lost in the 1996 ELCS to Ibadan. Morris dropped down to 10.7 WAR and finished second in MVP voting, but that’s because he missed six weeks to a torn labrum. The following April, Kano wisely inked Morris to an eight-year, $23,800,000 extension.

Morris would win six consecutive MVPs from 1997-02 and Kano’s dynasty began. From 1997-2005, the Condors won a historic nine straight Eastern League titles, becoming only the second franchise in world history to win nine subleague crowns in a row. Kano three-peated as WAB Champion from 1997-99, winning 111, 114, and 123 games in that stretch. The 123-39 mark in 1999 was the all-time WAB team record and was the second-best ever record a team that won it all in any world league.

Morris broke his own runs scored record in 1997 with 146 and had career highs in homers (59), OPS (1.194), and wRC+ (231). His 14.74 WAR was the second-best WAB season, while his OPS and slugging were both new WAB records. Morris would beat the slugging mark in 1999 at .769. 1999 also saw his career bests in RBI (150) and total bases (450); the latter of which was briefly the WAB single-season record.

In 2000, Kano won even more at 125-37, tied for the second-most wins by any team in all of baseball history. They were denied their near perfect season, getting upset in a finals rematch with Abidjan. The Condors didn’t breach 110+ wins again, but they had three more 100+ win, first place finishes from 2001-03. This led to Kano’s second three-peat.

Morris’s 2001 saw him break the runs record again, this time with 152. That broke the then world record for runs scored. Morris’s mark would get topped once in WAB and ranks 9^th in world history as of 2037. He also again had 14+ WAR and barely missed his OPS record at 1.193. Morris did win his first batting title and post career highs in average (.365), OBP (.454), and hits (206).

He remained the WAR leader from 2002-04, but this is when injuries started to appear. Strained hamstrings cost him bits of 2002 and 2003, while it was a shoulder strain in 2004. Even playing 111 games in 2004, Morris won his ninth MVP. That was a down year for Kano finishing second place, but they made it back to the WAB Championship. Their four-peat bid was denied by Kumasi. It was soon contract time and the Condors signed the 33-year old Morris to a new five-year, $14,160,000 extension.

2005 was Morris’s last truly unbelievable season with a career best 234 wRC+ and 59 home runs. He again was above 13+ WAR and above 1.100 OPS for the seventh time. Morris also notably secured his lone Triple Crown season with his second batting title, fifth time leading in homers, and fourth time leading RBI. He won his historic tenth MVP; to that point Rudy Bambara was the only other WAB player even with four. At that point, Morris was only the third player in all of world history with 10+ MVPs, joining world WARlord Jimmy Caliw (12 between OBA/MLB) and CABA’s Kiko Velazquez (10). Morris also had both of his career Cycles in the 2005 season.

Additionally, 2005 was the final WAB Championship win of Kano’s dynasty. The Condors finished second in the standings, but went on a run and beat Monrovia in the final. Kano was first place in 2006, but was upset in the ELCS by Niamey to end their nine-year pennant streak. Morris’s 11^th and final MVP came in 2006 despite losing a month to a fractured foot. This also marked the end of his 13-year run as the EL’s WARlord.

We haven’t even mentioned Morris’s playoff statistics yet, which were also outstanding during the dynasty run. He won ELCS MVP in 1997, 2001, and 2005; although he surprisingly never won finals MVP. Counting four starts at the end of his career with Abidjan, Morris’s playoff totals saw 92 starts, 108 hits, 86 runs, 17 doubles, 7 triples, 29 home runs, 71 RBI, 38 walks, 48 stolen bases, a .314/.396/.657 slash, 189 wRC+, and 6.8 WAR. As of 2037, Morris ranks 1^st in playoff runs in WAB, 2^nd in hits, 2^nd in homers, 2^nd in stolen bases, and 3^rd in RBI.

Morris has the top seven seasons by WAR for a position player in WAB still as of 2037. Later higher-scoring eras of WAB displaced him from the #1 spot in other stats. Still, Morris has the #10, #11, #12, and #14 single-seasons by OPS. He holds the #7 and #10 seasons by slugging; and the #2, #9, and #12 seasons for runs scored.

He “fell off” in his final four years with Kano, but he was still elite by normal person standards with all four years above 6+ WAR. Kano’s playoff streak ended with an 80-82 finish in 2007. The Condors bounced back and took first in 2008, but were upset in the ELCS by Lagos. A sprained ankle kept Morris out of that playoff run. The Condors were 83-79 in 2009, then started a five-year run of losing seasons after that to truly signal the end of the era.

By the 2010 offseason, Morris held the top spot or was close to it in most of the big offensive stats. He had 2996 hits, 2056 runs, 530 doubles, 187 triples, 753 home runs, 1971 RBI, 1148 walks, 1101 stolen bases, a .325/.408/.669 slash, 194 wRC+, and 187.9 WAR. Morris was the WAB leader in hits, runs, homers, RBI, and WAR. These would be his final statistics with Kano. The Condors had fallen to 73-89 and were looking to enter the full rebuild. To the shock of many, Morris was traded to Conakry for three prospects. Now 39-years old, Morris would be wearing different colors for the first time in his career.

Morris posted 3.2 WAR over 115 games with the Coyotes, missing two months with numerous injuries. With Conakry, he became WAB’s first-ever player to 3000 this and 2000 RBI. Morris became a free agent for the first time at age 40 and even with diminishing skills, his box office appeal with undeniable. Abidjan ended up inking him for two-years and $13,200,000. Morris would miss two months early in the season to a strained hamstring.

In 2012, Morris had 2.1 WAR and 130 wRC+ in 96 games for the Athletes, They took the Western League’s #1 seed, but fell to Dakar in the WLCS. Morris was a lousy 2-15 in the playoffs and didn’t meet the vesting criteria for the second year of the deal, returning to free agency. He wanted to keep playing, even if his body wasn’t cooperating.

For 2013, Morris signed a one-year, $6,100,000 deal with Ouagadougou. He posted 1.4 WAR and a 148 wRC+ in 43 games with his season ending in mid May on a torn ACL. Morris was determined not to end with that and rehabbed back for the 2014 season. Dakar gave him a shot and he became WAB’s first 800 home run player. However, Morris struggled in 58 starts for -0.1 WAR. In June, a broken bone in his elbow ended his season and he retired that winter just past his 43^rd birthday. WAB honored Morris with a league-wide celebration and Kano retired his #24 uniform.

Morris finished with 2939 games, 2234 runs, 3288 hits, 577 doubles, 199 triples, 806 home runs, 2129 RBI, 1307 walks, 2093 strikeouts, 1165 stolen bases, a .320/.404/.649 slash, 1.053 OPS, 187 wRC+, and 194.4 WAR. At retirement, he was WAB’s career leader in games, at-bats, runs, hits, total bases (6681), home runs, RBI, stolen bases, and WAR; while also ranking second in walks drawn. Morris also had the best OPS and slugging percentage of any batter with 3000+ plate appearances.

Offensive numbers would generally soar in WAB especially in the 21^st Century, which led to Morris losing the #1 spot in all of those stats except for WAR and no one else is even remotely close. #2 is Fares Belaid’s 129.7, more than 64 points away. Belaid does lose WAR points with a lot of time at DH, but his longevity and a higher-scoring WAB eventually gave him the #1 spot in games, at-bats, runs, hits, total bases, singles, doubles, triples, and steals by the time he was done. Still, most scholars still quickly rate Morris ahead of Belaid in the GOAT conversations.

As of 2037, Morris is still 2^nd in runs scored, 5^th in games, 8^th in hits, 6^th in total bases, 20^th in doubles, 5^th in home runs, 6^th in RBI, 5^th in stolen bases, and 3^rd in walks drawn. Among all WAB batters with 3000+ plate appearances even with the inflated numbers, Morris is still 3^rd in OPS, 6^th in slugging, 11^th in OBP, and 94^th in batting average.

When looking at the leaderboards for all of pro baseball history as of 2037, Morris is 9^th in runs scored and 36^th in RBI. Among all Hall of Famers worldwide, Morris ranks ninth in OPS and 31^st in wRC+. He’s one of only three players with 11+ MVP wins and one of 13 with 15+ Silver Sluggers. For position players, he ranks fourth in WAR and sits fifth among all players ever.

At retirement, Morris’s 194.4 WAR was third in world history only behind 12-time MVP Jimmy Caliw (214) and world strikeout king Mohamed Ramos (205.1). Caliw often got the edge over Morris in conversations for the greatest of all-time as he had great batting numbers while also winning 17 Gold Gloves between SS/2B in MLB and OBA. EBF’s Harvey Coyle and ABF’s Nizami Aghazade would both also later pass Morris in WAR and similarly played the middle infield with greater defensive accolades.

A few other guys with lower WAR may get ranked above Morris depending on how you weight certain eras, leagues, stats, and accolades. That’s part of the nerd appeal of baseball with billions of statistical calculations thrown into the mix. One thing Morris had over most of the other guys on the grand WAR leaderboard was championship rings. Very few dynasties in world history reached the heights of Kano’s decade of dominance.

Even if you don’t put him in the GOAT slot overall, basically any scholar worth their salt has Morris as a top ten all-time position player. You could make a strong case for top five among position players or even top five amongst everybody. Very few could credibly argue Morris isn’t WAB’s GOAT. Fares Belaid may have him beat with historic longevity in counting stats, but his best individual seasons didn’t sniff Morris’s.

You could also make a very convincing case that Morris is the GOAT among all African-born players and the best to play in one of the Africa-based pro leagues. Darwin Morris is the essentially the godfather of baseball for the entire continent, reaching almost deity status in some places. No one player is more responsible for the immense growth of baseball’s popularity in Africa from the 1990s onward. Morris is more than an inner-circle Hall of Famer and is one of the sport’s very few immortal figures. Somehow he only got 98.1% as the ultimate headliner for WAB’s 2020 class.



Sam Pappoe – Designated Hitter/Outfield – Kano Condors – 66.3% Second Ballot

Sam Pappoe was a 6’6’’, 200 pound left-handed slugger from the capital of Ghana, Accra. He was a solid contact hitter with impressive power, averaging 36 home runs and 36 doubles per his 162 game average. Pappoe hit 40+ homers in seven different seasons. Pappoe’s eye was below average, leading to more strikeouts and fewer walks than you’d want. He was a big galoot with laughably slow baserunning speed and ability.

That clumsiness carried into the field, thus Pappoe made about ¾ of his starts as a designated hitter. His few starts defensively came mostly between left and right field with abysmal results in either spot. Pappoe did have very good durability, which meant his bat was almost always available. Even if he was a big doofus generally, Pappoe’s power and bat gave him a 17-year career despite his deficiencies.

Pappoe was a very big teenager as well, which drew the attention of scouts. A scout from Cameroon inked him to a developmental deal with Douala signed in January 1992. Pappoe spent five full years in their academy before debuting in 1997 at age 21. In his first three years, he was almost exclusively a pinch hitter. Pappoe struggled initially with only 0.1 WAR over 272 games and 34 starts.

In 2000, Pappoe became a full-time starter and showed nice power with 37 home runs, 111 RBI, a .916 OPS, and 3.7 WAR. Douala was still a bottom tier team at this point and they had some frustrations with Pappoe’s limitations. After 35 games in 2001, the Dingos traded him to Kano for three prospects in late April. With Douala, Pappoe had 463 games, 208 starts, 313 hits, 139 runs, 71 doubles, 51 homers, 176 RBI, a .287/.324/.511 slash, 123 wRC+, and 4.2 WAR.

At this point, Kano was already in the middle of their dynasty run. The Condors had three-peated as WAB Champion from 1997-99, then lost in the 2000 final despite their 125-37 record. They wanted Pappoe long-term and only two weeks after the trade inked him to a four-year, $5,300,000 extension. Pappoe had a solid showing and Kano began their second three-peat, winning the WAB title in 2001, 2002, and 2003. The Condors were the runner-up in 2004, then won it all again in 2005.

Pappoe’s finest season was 2002, winning his first Silver Slugger as a DH. He was third in MVP voting, leading the Eastern League in hits (214), RBI (130), and total bases 9384). Those were all career bests, as was his 115 runs and 6.2 WAR. Pappoe repeated as a Slugger winner in 2003 despite playing only 133 games. He also earned finals MVP in 2003, posting 9 hits, 5 runs, 3 doubles, 3 homers, and 11 RBI over 8 playoff starts.

In 2004, Pappoe led the league with a career best 49 home runs for his third Slugger. Kano gave him a three-year, $5,600,000 extension in March 2005. He remained steady into his 30s, although he wasn’t a league leader. Kano lost in the 2006 ELCS to Niamey. Their 12-year playoff streak ended in 2007, although they had a last hurrah with a 2008 ELCS defeat. The Condors then had a seven-year playoff drought.

For his playoff career, Pappoe had 49 starts with 47 hits, 26 runs, 11 doubles, 12 home runs, 36 RBI, 15 walks, a .245/.298/.510 slash, 120 wRC+, and 1.3 WAR. From 1999-2010, Pappoe also played for his native Ghana in the World Baseball Championship. In 98 WBC games, he had 117 hits, 51 runs, 19 doubles, 28 home runs, 60 RBI, 26 walks, a .321/.378/.610 slash, 186 wRC+, and 5.6 WAR.

Pappoe stuck around through the Kano rebuild, signing another five-year, $16,400,000 extension in April 2008. He smacked 40+ homers thrice more with four more 100+ RBI seasons and won his fourth Silver Slugger in 2011. That was his only Slugger in the field, playing in left. He became the eighth WAB slugger to reach 500 home runs and the 16^th to reach 2000 hits.

In 2013, Pappoe’s steady production finally ended as he struggled to -0.5 WAR over 130 games and 89 starts. He became a free agent in 2014 and couldn’t find any interested teams, retiring that winter at age 39. Kano would quickly retire Pappoe’s #9 uniform for his role in their dynasty. With the Condors, he had 2084 hits, 1063 runs, 440 doubles, 461 home runs, 1296 RBI, a .294/.334/.556 slash, 143 wRC+, and 46.9 WAR.

Pappoe finished with 2397 hits, 1202 runs, 511 doubles, 512 home runs, 1472 RBI, a .293/.332/.550 slash, 140 wRC+, and 51.1 WAR. As of 2037, Pappoe ranks 32^nd in home runs, 34^th in RBI, 67^th in runs, 54^th in hits, and 91^st in WAR among position players. Pappoe’s steady power stats and his role in the Kano dynasty made him a solid Hall of Fame choice for many voters.

However, there were many detractors who penalized him severely for being a DH. Pappoe’s terrible baserunning was also a big mark against him. Being a strong power hitter though is often considered the most important possible trait by many. Pappoe just missed the cut at 64.7% in his 2019 ballot debut. He only bumped to 66.3% in 2020, but that got him across the 66% requirement. On the second ballot, Pappoe joined his long-time Kano teammate Darwin Morris as the 2020 WAB HOF inductees.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2020 SAB Hall of Fame

Two players earned induction into the South Asia Baseball Hall of Fame in 2020 by slim margins. OF Ko Ratanaveroj got the first ballot nod at 70.2% and SP Pwint Moe Nyein sneaked across the 66% requirement with 68.2% for his third ballot. Two other players were above 50%, both catchers on their debut. Quoc Pham received 57.6% and Trung Lai grabbed 54.1%.



Falling off the ballot after ten failed tries was 3B Gotem Sarwar. He had a 13-year career with Mumbai, winning four Silver Sluggers and one MVP while leading thrice in home runs. Sarwar had 1326 hits, 787 runs, 202 doubles, 468 home runs, 957 RBI, a .235/.310/.526 slash, 166 wRC+, and 65.2 WAR. His career had an abrupt ending with a broken kneecap in spring training 2006 at age 35, keeping Sarwar from the accumulations that probably would’ve got him in. Sarwar peaked at 48.0% on his second ballot, but fell to only 9.0% by the end.



Ko Ratanaveroj – Right/Center Field – Kuala Lumpur Leopards – 70.2% First Ballot

Ko Ratanaveroj was a 6’1’’, 200 pound right-handed outfielder from Suphan Buri, a town of 26,000 people in central Thailand. Ratanaveroj was a decent contact hitter with respectable power, getting 27 home runs, 26 doubles, and 8 triples per his 162 game average. Few players were better at drawing walks than Ratanaveroj, leading the league in walks six times. Despite that, he was below average at avoiding strikeouts.

Ratanaveroj often took advantage of his walks with outstanding baserunning speed and skills. His career was split almost evenly between right field and center. Ratanaveroj was excellent in right and won three Gold Gloves there, however he was below average in center. He had strong durability, playing 138+ games in 15 different seasons. Ratanaveroj emerged as one of the most potent leadoff guys of his era and as one of the first successful Thai players.

Ahead of the 1996 SAB Draft, Ratanaveroj was not only the top prospect out of Thailand, but arguably the best overall prospect. He was taken with the #1 overall pick by Kuala Lumpur, making the move to Malaysia for the next seven years. Ratanaveroj was a full-time starter for his entire run with the Leopards, starting with the 1997 Rookie of the Year. His speed and defense made him a solid starter in his second and third years despite being merely a decent hitter at that point.

Ratanaveroj put it together in 2000 and posted 7+ WAR in four of the next five years for KL. He led in walks for the first time in 2000 (91) and won his first Gold Glove that year. 2002 saw 8.5 WAR, the best of his Leopards run. In 2003, Ratanaveroj drew a career-best 131 walks, which is the third-highest mark in SAB history as of 2037 and is one of only 32 seasons in world history of 130+ walks.

Kuala Lumpur ended an eight-year playoff drought in 2003 as the last wild card at 85-77 and went one-and-done. With franchise struggles, the Leopards weren’t in position to keep Ratanaveroj and he entered free agency for 2004 heading towards age 29. With KL, Ratanaveroj had 958 hits, 614 runs, 186 doubles, 50 triples, 155 home runs, 457 RBI, 587 walks, 443 stolen bases, a .260/.362/.464 slash, 129 wRC+, and 37.2 WAR. He would be inducted in Leopards colors as it was the longest of his five team stints. KL would depart for Austronesia Professional Baseball in 2008.

Ratanaveroj signed a four-year, $11,520,000 deal with Ho Chi Minh City, the reigning SAB champs. The Hedgehogs were 17 years into what would be a 23-year playoff streak. HCMC won it all again in 2004 and 2005 for the three-peat with 122 and 121 win seasons. The Hedgehogs were upset in the Southeast Asia League Championship in 2006 by Yangon, then fell in the first round of 2007. Ratanaveroj maintained his steady production with 7+ WAR in his first three seasons and 5.9 WAR in his final year.

With Ho Chi Minh City, Ratanaveroj played center field and won Silver Sluggers in 2004, 2005, and 2007. 2005 saw his career high in WAR (8.6) while he scored 110+ runs in all four years there. Ratanaveroj led in 2006 with 122 walks and posted his career best 109 stolen bases. In 39 playoff starts for the Hedgehogs, Ratanaveroj had 30 hits, 28 runs, 1 double, 2 triples, 5 homers, 9 RBI, 31 walks, 22 steals, a .216/.366/.360 slash, 114 wRC+, and 1.4 WAR.

Ratanaveroj became a free agent again for 2008 heading towards age 33. He inked a three-year, $13,320,000 deal with Hanoi, who had begun their own reign of dominance. The Hounds were the defending SAB champ and were in the third year of what would be a 13-year playoff streak. Hanoi repeated as SAB champ in 2008 at 120-42, winning the final over Mumbai. The Hounds were stunned in the 2009 first round despite going 122-40. Hanoi then was 121-41 in 2010 and won the SEAL title again, but lost the SAB finale to Kolkata.

Once again, Ratanaveroj’s production was steady with 7.8, 8.3, and 4.6 WAR seasons. His numbers in 2010 were down mainly due to losing a month to injury. In 2008, Ratanaveroj won both a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger in right field. These seasons saw Majed Darwish’s world-record breaking power stats while Ratanaveroj hit in front of him. He scored 147 runs in 2008 and 144 in 2009, which rank as the 5^th and 7^th most in a single season in SAB history. Ratanaveroj’s 147 would’ve been the new SAB single-season record that year if not for Darwish’s 167.

In the playoffs, Ratanaveroj was solid for Hanoi with 34 starts, 36 hits, 28 runs, 9 doubles, 11 home runs, 20 RBI, 17 walks, 7 steals, a .277/.373/.615 slash, 156 wRC+, and 1.6 WAR. In the first Baseball Grand Championship in 2010, Ratanaveroj went 8-35 with 5 runs, 2 doubles, 2 homers, 7 RBI, 10 walks, and a 131 wRC+.

He did generally have good tournament stats having played for Thailand from 2007-14 in the World Baseball Championship. Ratanaveroj played 71 games with 68 starts, posting 44 runs, 57 hits, 9 doubles, 2 triples, 16 homers, 35 RBI, 33 steals, 56 walks, a .259/.420/.536 slash, and 3.5 WAR. He helped Thailand to their first-ever division title in 2011.

With Hanoi, Ratanaveroj had 437 hits, 391 runs, 75 doubles, 94 home runs, 240 RBI, 300 walks, 234 stolen bases, a .281/.400/.525 slash, 143 wRC+, and 20.7 WAR. Soon to be 36-years old, Ratanaveroj was still a hot commodity and signed for three years and $17,100,000 with Ahmedabad. The Animals were still a playoff regular at this point, although they were no longer the perennial champion they had from the late 80s to early 00s. Ahmedabad won division titles in both of Ratanaveroj’s seasons there, losing in the first round in 2011 and the Indian League Championship Series in 2012.

Ratanaveroj had a great debut season with 7.3 WAR and won his third Gold Glove. He dropped to 3.9 in 2012; his lowest since 1999. A strained hip muscle also kept him out just over a month. Ratanaveroj had 11 playoff starts with a .674 OPS and 1.0 WAR. In total for Ahmedabad, he had 255 hits, 186 runs, 35 doubles, 20 triples, 46 homers, 144 RBI, 177 walks, 95 steals, a .263/.378/.483 slash, 159 wRC+, and 11.2 WAR.

In 2013, Ratanaveroj returned to Ho Chi Minh City on a three-year, $24,900,000 deal. The 38-year old couldn’t recapture the old magic with a 2.4 WAR effort in 161 games in 2013. The Hedgehogs were in a full rebuild at this point, bottoming out that year at 61-101. Between his two stints in HCMC, Ratanaveroj had 691 hits, 546 runs, 109 doubles, 43 triples, 140 homers, 364 RBI, 504 walks, 373 stolen bases, a 252/.371/.476 slash, 137 wRC+, and 31.7 WAR.

HCMC traded Ratanaveroj and 3B Paresh Rewari in the offseason to Kolkata for 3B Ahmed Kader. He was a backup in one year with the Cosmos, posting 115 games and 33 starts with 0.8 WAR. Ratanaveroj would get his fourth championship ring as Kolkata upset Yangon in the final, although he went 2-10 as a pinch hitter. Ratanaveroj joined a short list in world history to have championship rings from three different franchises. He retired that winter at age 39.

Ratanaveroj ended with 2389 hits, 1763 runs, 419 doubles, 128 triples, 442 home runs, 1231 RBI, 1590 walks, 2302 strikeouts, 1151 stolen bases, a .261/.372/.480 slash, 137 wRC+, and 101.6 WAR. As of 2037, Ratanaveroj ranks 3^rd in walks, 6^th in steals, 7^th in runs, 51^st in hits, 88^th in doubles, 60^th in home runs, 67^th in RBI, and 19^th in WAR among position players. His walks tally is 26^th amongst all of pro baseball history.

Even with that resume, some traditionalist voters undervalue things like walks, baserunning, and defense; items Ratanaveroj exceled at. He only got 70.2%, but that was just enough for the first ballot induction and a spot in South Asia Baseball’s 2020 Hall of Fame class.



Pwint Moe Nyein – Starting Pitcher – Phnom Penh Pandas – 68.2% Third Ballot

Pwint Moe Nyein was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Mawlamyine, Myanmar’s fourth-largest city with around 289,000 people. Nyein had very strong stuff and excellent control, although his movement was often below average. His most dangerous pitch was his changeup, but Nyein also had a 98-100 mph cut fastball and a curveball.

SAB aces weren’t expected to go the distance as often as other world leagues, but even by that standard Nyein had merely okay stamina. His innings were also limited many years due to various injuries. Nyein was below average defensively and at holding runners. He was considered a bit of a mercenary, focused more on the next paycheck as opposed to the team’s success.

In September 1993, Nyein was signed to a developmental deal by Phnom Penh and made the move to Cambodia. He spent four years in the Pandas academy, then came up in 1998 at age 21. Nyein was a part-time starter with iffy results, but did enough to earn a full-time spot in the rotation for the next six years. Nyein had a solid 5.0 WAR 1999 which helped Phnom Penh to a wild card. He had a 2.42 ERA over 26 playoff innings with 32 strikeouts, but the Pandas couldn’t overcome the Ho Chi Minh City dynasty in the Southeast Asia League Championship.

Phnom Penh fell to well below .500 for the next four seasons. Nyein thrived in 2000 and took third in Pitcher of the Year voting, leading SEAL with a 0.85 WHIP. He also had a career best 347 strikeouts along with a 2.75 ERA and 7.6 WAR. He carried that momentum into a strong World Baseball Championship showing for Myanmar with a 4-0 record, 0.79 ERA, 34 innings, and 50 strikeouts. They earned their first-ever final four appearance and Nyein was third in Best Pitcher voting. Nyein was never quite that dominant again, but he was overall solid in the WBC from 1999-2009 with a 10-7 record, 2.99 ERA, 144.1 innings, 194 strikeouts, 36 walks, 121 ERA+, and 2.5 WAR.

Unfortunately the 2001 regular season would be dented by a partially torn labrum suffered in April. He lost some time in 2002 to shoulder irritation, then suffered a full labrum tear in July 2003. Nyein did bounce back with a 5.4 WAR and 2.87 ERA over 238.1 innings in 2004, showing he could still thrive when healthy. Phnom Penh got back to the playoffs but suffered a first round defeat. Nyein allowed three runs in 5.2 innings in his lone start.

In total for Phnom Penh, Nyein had a 74-73 record, 3.12 ERA, 1322.2 innings, 1684 strikeouts, 245 walks, 118 ERA+, and 30.1 WAR. He threw the most innings with the Pandas and ended up inducted in their red and white. However, Nyein’s second run would be more impactful in a shorter burst. A free agent heading towards his age 28 season, Nyein signed with Jaipur for $17,360,000 over seven years. The Jokers had been a regular division champ in the last decade but had no pennants to show for it.

Nyein had a nice debut season with a 2.27 ERA, 313 strikeouts, and 5.7 WAR; taking second in Pitcher of the Year voting. He allowed three runs in eight playoff innings as Jaipur took the top seed at 106-56, but suffered a first round upset loss to Mumbai. Then in 2006, the Jokers went 105-57, knocked off 109-win Ahmedabad for the Indian League pennant, and won their first-ever SAB Championship over Yangon.

2006 was Nyein’s finest year, leading the league in strikeouts (340), K/BB (11.7), quality starts (28), FIP- (52), and WAR (8.9). Each of those sans the K mark were career bests, as was his 2.23 ERA and 18-6 record. He finished second in POTY voting, but established himself in Jaipur’s lore in the playoffs. Nyein posted a 1.77 ERA and 55 strikeouts over 35.2 postseason innings. This was the third most Ks in SAB postseason history.

Nyein led in WHIP and K/BB in 2007 and tossed 9.1 scoreless playoff innings. Jaipur was the #1 seed at 106-56, but had a first round exit courtesy of Kanpur. Nyein would fall off in 2008 with a 3.45 ERA and 3.8 WAR in 2008. He allowed 6 runs in 11.2 playoff innings as a wild card Joker squad dropped the ILCS to Mumbai. For a solid playoff career, Nyein had a 7-4 record, 2.43 ERA, 96.1 innings, 136 strikeouts, 143 ERA+, and 2.7 WAR.

Jaipur would win the Indian League in 2009, but lost to Ho Chi Minh City in the SAB Championship. Unfortunately Nyein watched the action in a sling, suffering a torn UCL in June. After that, the Jokers started a six-year skid of losing seasons. Nyein couldn’t catch a break, partially tearing his labrum shortly after returning in 2010. A biceps strain cost him a good chunk of 2011, but Jaipur only used him for 16 innings of relief even when healthy. The previous injuries did a number to Nyein’s stuff and control.

With the Jokers, Nyein finished with a 67-36 record, 2.69 ERA, 1025.2 innings, 1590 strikeouts, 159 walks 130 ERA+, and 26.3 WAR. He still hoped to pitch in 2012 and signed a one-year deal with Colombo, who had joined in 2008 as an expansion team. A sprained ankle kept him out the spring and he looked awful even when healthy. Nyein only pitched 5.1 innings with the Catfish and resigned himself to retirement that winter at age 35.

Nyein finished with a 142-109 record, 2.94 ERA, 2353.2 innings, 3078 strikeouts, 404 walks, 214/321 quality starts, 38 complete games, 123 ERA+, and 56.2 WAR. The injuries greatly dented his accumulations and as of 2037, Nyein ranks 96^th in wins, 87^th in innings, 49^th in strikeouts, and 39^th in pitching WAR. Among pitchers with 1000+ innings, his ERA ranks 87^th, but his 0.98 WHIP is 21^st.

His rate stats and pace were on par with many of the lower-end Hall of Fame starters in SAB. However, the accumulations and low black ink totals dinged Nyein with many voters. He also didn’t have a Pitcher of the Year, although he came close. Supporters gave him some grace for being derailed by injuries in his early 30s. They also pointed to very good playoff stats and his big role in Jaipur’s 2006 championship.

Nyein’s first two ballots saw respectable 52.1% and 55.0% marks. His third try in 2020 was aided by a quieter group of debuts. Nyein got the boost to 68.2% and just passed the 66% requirement to become a third ballot inductee and the second member of South Asia Baseball’s 2020 Hal of Fame class.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2020 ABF Hall of Fame

The Asian Baseball Federation didn’t add any players into the Hall of Fame in 2020. It was the second blank ballot in five years and the fifth of the decade, as ABF seemed to add players in big bunches. No one cracked 60% and the best debut was down at 28.6%. Three returners were above 50% with SP Omar Ma’mur with 55.9% on his second ballot, SP Masruq Abbas at 55.6% on his eighth try, and 1B Altaf Aslam with 55.2% for his fifth go.



Four players ended up removed from the ballot after ten failed attempts with each ending with less than 15% of the vote on their last try. SP Brazi Nawaz was the highest of this bunch, peaking at 32.2% in his debut. His ABF tenure had a 2.52 ERA, 123-115 record, 2320 innings, 2282 strikeouts, 451 walks, 119 ERA+, and 39.0 WAR. Not a bad run, but he was never dominant or rarely viewed as truly elite.

CF Cuneyt Solak notably won seven Silver Sluggers over a 13-year ABF career and got as high as 44.7% in 2013. He got hurt for lacking power as a speedy leadoff man. Solak had 2063 hits, 1119 runs, 365 doubles, 193 triples, 100 home runs, 725 RBI, 632 walks, 1016 stolen bases, a .284/.351/.428 slash, 121 wRC+, and 74.1 WAR. Solak retired as the only ABF player with 1000 steals, but that wasn’t an important metric for the voters. He still sits sixth in steals as of 2037.

DH Shahnawaz Ikram won three Silver Sluggers and led in homers and RBI in 1997. He was hurt by both being a career DH and by playing his five final years in WAB, where he notably smacked 66 home runs for Abidjan in 2006. In ABF, Ikram had 1738 hits, 861 runs, 368 doubles, 445 home runs, 1236 RBI, a .271/.293/.546 slash, 139 wRC+, and 42.2 WAR. Ikram had 650 homers and 1739 RBI for his full pro career, which likely gets him in if that was all in ABF. His debut ballot of 29.8% was his highest effort.

Lastly, RF Hasballah Kadoor fell off heaving peaked in 2013 at 23.9%. He was another leadoff type guy who led twice in hits and batting average, while leading thrice in triples. Kadoor had 13 years between Tehran and Tashkent with one Silver Slugger, 1969 hits, 767 runs, 365 doubles, 169 triples, 27 homers, 526 RBI, 509 steals, a .325/.356/.455 slash, 141 wRC+, and 41.5 WAR. Kadoor helped the Tomcats to ABF titles in 2000 and 2002 and still ranks 12^th in batting average as of 2037 among batters with 3000+ plate appearances. However, his lack of power and longevity torpedoed his efforts.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2020 ALB Hall of Fame (Part 1)

The 2020 Arab League Baseball Hall of Fame class was an impressive one with three first ballot inductions, led by LF Nordine Soule. The world home run king was the headliner at 98.2%, although LF/DH Mohamed Aziz had his own very strong showing at 92.8%. DH/3B Mahmoud Abbas joined them with his own solid 79.3% debut.



Three others came close to the 66% requirement. SP Mohamed Abdou got to 63.2% on his third ballot. DH Ibrahim Ahmed Raafat got 60.2% on his tenth and final chance. CL Ramy Kayat received 55.1% for his second try. No other players were even above 20%.

For Raafat, he was just not strong enough especially with so many powerful DHs getting the nod adjacent to him. He had a 15-year career mostly with Khartoum and won four Silver Sluggers with 2181 hits, 1158 runs, 546 doubles, 433 home runs, 1313 RBI, a .283/.335/.536 slash, 140 wRC+, and 53.9 WAR. Raafat also struggled in his limited playoff appearances, which worked against him. His 60.2% mark in 2020 was his peak and he bounced around on the ballot, falling as low as 10.7% in 2017.

Also getting dropped after ten ballots was closer Abdulla Al-Hashemi, whose accumulations were hurt by pitching his final six seasons in MLB. He led in saves twice, won Reliever of the Year once, and won a title in 1997 with Doha. In his nine ALB seasons, Al-Hashemi had 273 saves, a 2.51 ERA, 681.1 innings, 885 strikeouts, 149 ERA+, and 18.0 WAR. He needed either much more tenure at the same rate or far more dominance to have a chance, peaking at 32.0% in 2012 and ending with 5.4%.



Nordine “Hawk” Soule – Left Field – Basra Bulldogs – 98.2% First Ballot

Nordine Soule was a 5’11’’, 185 pound left-handed left fielder from Moya, a commune of 24,140 in the Comoros. Despite not being a huge guy, the stocky Soule emerged as an all-time home run hitter. Nicknamed “Hawk,” he had stellar reliable home run power, especially against right-handed pitching. Against RHP, he had an absurd career 1.132 OPS and 201 wRC+. Soule wasn’t a bum against lefties with a 139 wRC+ and .868 OPS.

On the whole, Soule was a quite good contact hitter and had a solid eye for drawing walks despite an unremarkable strikeout rate. His power was very concentrated on dingers, but he still got you 31 doubles and 5 triples per his 162 game average along with his bonkers 57 homers per 162. Soule’s speed was average, but his baserunning instincts were poor.

Soule was a career left fielder and was perfectly serviceable there, grading as reliably below average. His durability and reliability helped him rack up impressive tallies, playing 150+ games in 16 of his 21 professional seasons. Soule became one of the first renowned worldwide superstars to come out of the Arab League. His towering dingers helped the ALB’s popularity soar in the 1990s and 2000s.

When Soule was growing up, baseball was still in its infancy in the Arab World with ALB starting in 1990. There was even less baseball in his native Comoros, an island nation of around a million people between southeastern Africa and Madagascar. What little baseball there was in that region, Soule dominated as a teenager. There didn’t seem to be much of an avenue to become a professional though at that point from Comoros.

An Iraqi scout working for the recently formed Basra Bulldogs happened to be vacationing in Comoros and checked out a local baseball game. He was stunned by what he saw from a 15-year old Soule and made it a point to meet the young man. By July 1991, Soule signed a developmental contract and picked up and moved to Basra. He spent most of three years in the academy, officially debuting in 1994 at age 19 with 17 games and 5 starts. He even had four plate appearances in the playoffs as the Bulldogs lost in the Eastern Conference Championship to Medina.

Soule was a part-time starter with iffy results in 1995, then earned the full-time gig in 1996 with 41 home runs, 109 RBI, 101 runs, and 6.1 WAR. This year started numerous remarkable streaks for Soule. It began an 18-year run of 40+ home run seasons, 16-year run of 100+ RBI and 100+ runs, and a 15-year run of seasons worth 6+ WAR. 1997 would see his first Silver Slugger and a second place in MVP voting, leading in total bases with 400. This started a historic 14-year streak of 50+ home run seasons. It was also Soule’s first of seven 10+ WAR seasons and his first of 14 seasons with an OPS above one.

Basra was the perfect landing spot for Soule’s power with a ballpark and climate favorable for a left-handed slugger. From 1997-2011, Soule won 15 consecutive Silver Sluggers in left field. He is one of only three in all of pro baseball history to win 15 straight and one of 13 with 15+ Sluggers as of 2037. Soule is also the only of the 15+ winners to do it in left field.

In the mid to late 1990s, Basra had good teams but couldn’t compete in the Iraq Division against Mosul’s dynasty. Soule thrived, taking second in 1997’s MVP voting. Seeing that he was the future, the Bulldogs locked him up in July 1998 with an eight-year, $8,660,000 extension. Soule was awarded his first MVP that year, leading in homers, slugging, OPS, and wRC+ for the first time in his career.

He would finish second in MVP voting in 1999 and 2000 despite leading in homers, runs, and total bases both years. Soule posted his first of ten seasons with 60+ home runs. He smacked 66 in 2000, falling one short of Ahmed Hassan Egeh’s single-season record established in the inaugural season. In 2001, Soule won his second MVP by again leading in homers, total bases, slugging, OPS, and wRC+. He had a down year in 2002 with only 53 homers and 6.4 WAR, still taking second in MVP voting. This would be his only season below 8+ WAR and below an OPS of one from 1997 to 2010.

With Mosul’s dynasty ending and their star SS Mohammed Mohamed departing for Major League Baseball, this opened up the flood gates for Soule and Basra to dominate. He won five straight MVPs from 2003-07, passing Mohamed’s five total for the most in ALB history. Soule broke the single-season home run record with 68 in 2004, then broke it again in 2005 with 70. He also set a new RBI high mark with 169 in 2005, then bested it in 172 in 2008. Soule would post 150+ RBI in five consecutive seasons and as of 2037 is one of only three in world history with five or more 150+ RBI seasons.

During the MVP streak, Soule led the Eastern Conference each year in homers, RBI, slugging, and OPS. He led in runs and wRC+ four times, total bases thrice, OBP thrice, and WAR thrice. In 2005, Soule had career bests in homers (70), total bases (454), triple slash (.360/.429/.814), OPS (1.243), and wRC+ (224). He had matching career WAR bests of 11.4 in 2005 and 2006. 2007 saw his highest marks in runs (135) and walks (81). During this run, Soule signed a six-year, $14,520,000 extension with Basra.

From 2003-12, the Bulldogs had a ten-year streak atop the Iraq Division. From 2004 onward, they were in the Eastern Conference Final each season, winning the pennant in 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, and 2011. Basra won the Arab League title in 2006, 2008, and 2011. Their crown jewel season was 2008, taking the title over Casablanca with a 109-53 record.

Soule’s playoff stats were plenty good, although not as jaw-dropping as his regular season efforts. He earned conference finals MVP in both 2007 and 2008. Over 78 games and 74 starts, Soule saw 69 hits, 40 runs, 13 doubles, 24 home runs, 58 RBI, 31 walks, a .255/.342/.583 slash, 144 wRC+, and 2.8 WAR. As of 2037, Soule is the career playoff leader in walks drawn, 5^th in homers, and 4^th in RBI.

The MVP streak was disrupted by Soule’s own teammates with the rise of both Farouk Adam and Mohamed Hassan. From 2003-14, the Eastern Conference MVP went to a Basra Bulldog ten times. Soule still kept the run of OPS seasons above one through the 2011 campaign, although that season saw his WAR drop to 5.9; his lowest to date. He was now the elder statesman of their loaded outfield.

Even at age 37 though, Soule still was a force to be reckoned with. In the second Baseball Grand Championship, Soule had 25 hits, 20 runs, 5 doubles, 12 homers, 12 RBI, a .379/461/1.000 slash, 314 wRC+, and 2.2 WAR. Basra had a strong showing at 10-9, better than expected from many observers from the young Arab League. Soule’s OPS and slugging marks remain the sixth best qualifying runs in BGC history as of 2037. His WAR is the eighth most by a position player.

Soule had racked up plenty of accumulations and firsts for the Arab League. He was the first to 600 home runs in 2005, 700 in 2007, 800 in 2009, and 900 in 2010. He had 15 seasons of 50+ homers and ten with 60+, leading the league 11 times. He led in RBI nine times, runs scored six times, total bases ten times, OBP thrice, slugging 11 times, OPS ten times, wRC+ eight times, and WAR thrice. Soule was the first to 1500 RBI in 2006, the first to 1500 runs scored in 2008, 2000 RBI in 2009, 3000 hits in 2011, and 2000 runs in 2012. Players would be chasing him for years to come across ALB’s leaderboard.

But of course, it was home runs that drew the most attention. When Soule reached 900 home runs, he was only the second-ever to do it in all of pro baseball history to that point. He finished the 2010 season with 916, just short of Prometheo Garcia’s 928 between MLB and CABA from 1943-68. In 2011, Soule hit 48 more dingers to become the new world record holder at 964. Then in 2012, Soule hit 40 more to become the first in world history with 1000 bombs.

It was a monumental accomplishment in an otherwise frustrating season for Soule. He missed 6-7 weeks to shoulder bursitis and posted career lows across the board, although he still had 40 homers and 4.1 WAR. Basra had the top seed, but lost to Abu Dhabi in the conference final. This served as the changing of the guard as the Bulldogs’ playoff streak ended the next year. It also was Soule’s final season in Basra.

He was an absolutely beloved superstar in Basra, all of Iraq, and throughout the Arab world. It seemed wrong that Soule might play in colors other than Bulldogs red, but the team opted to let him leave for free agency at age 38. He maintained good relations with the franchise and his #1 uniform (a fitting number) would soon be retired. To this day, you wouldn’t find a bigger celebrity in Basra.

Soule wasn’t ready to be done though and had new goals still. Garcia was still the world record holder in both RBI (2618) and runs scored (2374), two marks Soule thought he could make a run at. He ended up signing a three-year, $29,600,000 deal with Casablanca. The Bruins were also looking to rebuild after seeing their own playoff streak snapped the prior season.

In 2013, Soule had one last 50+ homer season, but still saw new lows with a .871 OPS, 140 wRC+, and 3.4 WAR. He did lead in one stat, strikeouts with 221. Still, he still had positive value that season and hoped to carry it on. Sadly, Soule declined sharply in 2014 with an abysmal -1.5 WAR and .589 OPS. He couldn’t catch Garcia’s marks, but he did become the second in world history with 2500 RBI. Soule retired that winter at age 40 holding the crown as the world’s home run king at 1073.

Soule finished with 3056 games, 3339 hits, 2162 runs, 576 doubles, 100 triples, 1073 home runs, 2518 RBI, 1285 walks, 2633 strikeouts, 7334 total bases, 171 stolen bases, a .308/.388/.676 slash, 1.064 OPS, 186 wRC+, and 153.5 WAR. As of 2037, Soule remains the ALB all-time leader in games, at-bats (10,846), runs, hits, total bases, homers, RBI, and WAR. He also ranks fourth in walks drawn and among all batters with 3000+ plate appearances sits third in OPS, second in slugging, and 14^th in OBP. Soule is ALB’s only seven-time MVP and the only player with 15 Silver Sluggers.

When discussing ALB’s greatest all-time player, Soule’s name is the first that comes up most often. The only position player who tends to have a strong case argued is Mohammed Mohamed, but he lost ground on the leaderboards since he left for MLB for most of his 30s. Mohamed has him narrowly beat in OPS specifically within ALB and does have a higher career WAR narrowly when adding his MLB numbers. A lot of his value came from great defense at shortstop as well. As a pure batter, Soule is the GOAT without much argument. Even later ALB guys with the league’s overall offensive numbers spiking have can’t reach Soule’s output.

Soule would surrender the home run world title only a few years after retirement to SAB’s Majed Darwish with his bonkers slugging. As of 2037 in all of pro baseball history, Soule is 3^rd in homers, 4^th in RBI, and 16^th in runs scored. Among all position players, he sits 30^th in WAR. When looking at all players ever, Soule is 42^nd in the WAR chart. With merely decent fielding and subpar baserunning, he isn’t usually mentioned in the all-time baseball GOAT discussion. Some weight his numbers lower due to ALB’s high-homer environment and perceived weaker talent level during Soule’s prime.

When discussing pure raw power though, you would be hard pressed not to have Soule near the very top in all of baseball history. Among all Hall of Famers and HOF locks, Soule’s slugging percentage ranks 4^th and his OPS ranks 5^th. His 186 wRC+ ranks him tied for 38^th with the likes of Prometheo Garcia.

In any event, Soule is one of the true immortals of the game and perhaps ALB’s biggest-ever superstar. He helped grow the game immensely in the Arab World and throughout Africa as well. In his retirement, Soule spearheaded the drive to bring a major pro team to his native Comoros and succeeded with the Comoros Chimps debuting with the 2018 African Second League season. Somehow he only got 98.2% of the vote, but he was the ultimate headliner for a rock solid three-player 2020 class for the ALB Hall of Fame.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2020 ALB Hall of Fame (Part 2)

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Mohamed Aziz – Left Field/Designated Hitter – Giza Goats – 92.8% First Ballot

Mohamed Aziz was a 6’0’’, 205 pound left-handed outfielder from Alexandria, Egypt’s second-largest city. Aziz was a well-rounded batter who had good to great contact, power, and eye ratings in his prime. He fared notably better against right-handed pitching (.969 OPS, 160 wRC+) but was still respectable against lefties (.807 OPS, 124 wRC). Aziz had great gap power with 39 doubles per his 162 game average, but also got you 41 homers per 162. His strikeout rate was below average despite his otherwise reliable bat.

While a great batter, Aziz was a clumsy athlete otherwise. He was painfully slow and sluggish as a baserunner and a defender. Aziz had around 1/3 of his career starts as a designated hitter. He saw the most time in left field with around 2/5s of his starts there, but did also try right field and first base. At any spot, Aziz was a putrid defender. The great bat and ironman durability made him still quite valuable, as he played 140+ games in all 17 of his pro seasons. Aziz was also an excellent clubhouse captain, known for his leadership and work ethic. He became one of the most beloved baseball stars in his native Egypt and throughout the region.

Aziz was arguably Egypt’s best prospect heading into the 1997 ALB Draft and went 8^th overall to Giza. He was a full-time starter immediately and a good one, winning 1998 Rookie of the Year with a 45 homer, 125 RBI, 6.6 WAR debut. Aziz led the Western Conference in doubles (51) in 1999 and added 50 homers and 6.2 WAR. He fell off a bit in 2000, then bounced back with two more 5+ WAR efforts for the Goats. Aziz won a Silver Slugger in 2001 at first base and one in right field for 2002.

Giza was a bottom-rung team at this point, averaging only 68.2 wins per season during Aziz’s first tenure. Aziz had become very popular, but the team seemed to be going nowhere. Thus in late April 2003, the Goats traded Aziz to Tripoli for two prospects. In his first tenure for Giza, Aziz had 28.7 WAR, 217 homers, and 547 RBI over just over five seasons.

Although his pro career took him away from Egypt, Aziz remained a regular for his country in the World Baseball Championship throughout his run. From 1997-2013, he played 127 games and started 101, recording 93 hits, 54 runs, 14 doubles, 29 home runs, 71 RBI, 49 walks, a .233/.321/.491 slash, 131 wRC+, and 3.3 WAR. The Egyptians earned their first-ever elite eight appearances in 1999, 2003, and 2005 with Aziz playing an important role.

Aziz had a nice second half for Tripoli in 2003. 2004 would be his finest season by many metrics, leading the conference in doubles (49), RBI (134), walks (93), and OBP (.413). His RBI, walks, triple slash (.320/.413/.643), OPS (1.056), wRC+ (187), and WAR (6.8) were all career bests. The Privateers won their division, but went one-and-done against Beirut. Those three games would sadly be Aziz’s only playoff experience for his entire career.

Tripoli would fall below .500 in his final two years there, although his production was steady. Aziz led in doubles (51) for the third time, his final season as a league leader. With the Privateers, Aziz had 617 hits, 355 runs, 177 doubles, 138 home runs, 395 RBI, 283 walks, a .290/.373/.576 slash, 162 wRC+, and 20.0 WAR. Aziz became a free agent for the first time at age 32 and inked a five-year, $15,600,000 deal with Baghdad.

The Brown Bears were generally lousy in Aziz’s run, but he remained fairly steady. In 2009, Aziz had a career-best 53 home runs and breached 1.000 OPS for the fourth time in his career. He also joined the small group of players with a four home run game, doing it on 5/28/08 against Basra. With Baghdad, Aziz had 750 hits, 433 runs, 175 doubles, 207 home runs, 530 RBI, 334 walks, a .263/.341/.547 slash, 134 wRC+, and 17.0 WAR.

Now 37-years old, Aziz joined Casablanca in 2012 on a one year deal. He had fallen off a bit in his last two years with the Brown Bears, but found some life with the Bruins on a 5.4 WAR, 44 home run, 179 wRC+ season. That earned Aziz his third Silver Slugger (LF). Casablanca had been a traditional power, but 2012 saw their five-year playoff streak end. While in Morocco, Aziz became ALB’s fourth member of the 600 home run club and the fifth to reach 1500 RBI.

After that, Aziz went back where he started with a two-year, $18,200,000 deal with Giza. He posted 4.3 WAR and 70 home runs over two full seasons for the Goats and breached the 2500 hit and 1500 run milestones. Between his Giza runs, Aziz had 1097 hits, 654 runs, 268 doubles, 287 home runs, 712 RBI, 502 walks, a .276/.357/.570 slash, 153 wRC+, and 33.1 WAR. He retired after the 2014 season at age 40 and his #34 uniform became the first retired by the Goats.

Aziz ended with 2606 hits, 1520 runs, 649 doubles, 39 triples, 676 home runs, 1708 RBI, 1175 walks, 2253 strikeouts, a .276/.356/.567 slash, 151 wRC+, and 75.5 WAR. As of 2037, Aziz is 32^nd in hits, 21^st in runs, 13^th in doubles, 12^th in home runs, 19^th in RBI, 8^th in walks, and 25^th in WAR among position players. Amongst all batters with 3000+ plate appearances, his .924 OPS is 79^th.

He never had the massive eye-popping seasons of some of his contemporaries, but Aziz gave you reliable and steady power numbers over a 17-year career. Aziz’s leadership and durability made him one of the most popular and well-respected sluggers of the early Arab League, giving him a well-deserved 92.8% first ballot induction for ALB’s 2020 Hall of Fame class.



Mahmoud Abbas – Designated Hitter/Third Base – Mosul Muskies – 79.3% First Ballot

Mahmoud Abbas was a 5’9’’, 180 pound switch-hitting slugger from Hanaqin, a city of 175,000 people in northeast Iraq near the Iranian border. Despite his smaller size, Abbas was known for having reliably strong home run power and a great eye for drawing walks. However, he was average at best as a contact hitter and middling at avoiding strikeouts. Abbas did bring you 36 home runs per his 162 game average and topped 50+ thrice. His gap power was unremarkable with only 26 doubles per 162.

Abbas was laughably slow and clumsy on the basepaths and in the field. He did at least have a strong arm, thus his limited defensive starts came at third base. Still, Abbas was an atrocious gloveman and made close to 2/3s of his career starts as a designated hitter. Good durability did keep him in the lineup with 140+ games in 15 seasons. Abbas didn’t stay in any one place long though as he was considered lazy and selfish.

In the 1994 ALB Draft, Abbas was picked 19^th overall by Sulaymaniyah. The Sultans kept him on the reserve roster in 1995 and only used him 17 games in 1996. Abbas properly debuted with 122 games, 33 homers, and 4.1 WAR in 1997 to win Rookie of the Year honors. He then had a full-time starting job for the next three years with the Sultans.

Abbas’ strongest seasons came with Sulaymaniyah, hitting 50+ homers each year from 1998-2000. 1999 had a career high 53 dingers, while 2000 had his bests in batting average (.315), on-base percentage (.404), OPS (1.021), wRC+ (184), and WAR (7.4). Abbas was a Silver Slugger winner at DH in both 1999 and 2000 and was third in 1999’s MVP voting, his only time as a finalist.

The Sultans were the first ALB champ in 1990, but were atrocious by the middle of the decade. During Abbas’s tenure, they averaged only 58 wins per season. Abbas made it clear he wasn’t thrilled with being on a loser, plus Sulaymaniyah was trying to rebuild with prospects. Just before the 2001 season, Abbas was traded within the Iraq Division to Mosul for three prospects. With the Sultans, he had 660 hits, 359 runs, 100 doubles, 187 home runs, 420 RBI, 287 walks, a .293/.379/.597 slash, 168 wRC+, and 23.7 WAR.

Mosul was in the midst of a dynasty and a six-year playoff streak. The Muskies had been repeat ALB champs in 1998-99 and won the Eastern Conference in 1996. In 2000, they had a historic 121-41 campaign, but suffered a stunning conference finals upset lost to 83-win Kuwait. The Muskies hoped Abbas could help extend their window as a top contender.

It paid off in 2001, as Mosul beat Casablanca for their third Arab League title in four years. Abbas won his third Silver Slugger with a conference and career best 133 RBI. He would lead in walks in 2002, but wouldn’t breach 40 homers again over the next decade. Mosul went one-and-done in 2002, which was their final year of the playoff streak. Abbas was unimpressive in his limited playoff appearances with a .654 OPS, 75 wRC+, and 0.1 WAR over 12 games.

He did fare a bit better on the World Baseball Championship stage as a regular for the Iraqi team. From 1997-2014, Abbas played in 145 WBC games and started 119, posting 102 hits, 62 runs, 14 doubles, 33 home runs, 81 RBI, 68 walks, a .226/.333/.480 slash, 136 wRC+, and 4.2 WAR. As of 2037, Abbas had the most WAR, RBI, and walks of any Iraqi position player while also ranking second in games, runs and home runs.

In 2003, a fractured finger and a sore shoulder combined to keep him out roughly half of the season. Mosul had their first losing season since 1994 and wouldn’t finish above .500 again until 2012. The Muskies decided to keep Abbas around through the lean times, singing him to a four-year, $10,080,000 extension in June 2004. While down from his peak seasons, Abbas still provided four more seasons with 3+ WAR during this deal.

With Mosul, Abbas had 980 hits, 541 runs, 190 doubles, 218 home runs, 617 RBI, 417 walks, a .273/.354/.512 slash, 137 wRC+, and 27.3 WAR. He was inducted in Muskies colors, but isn’t generally viewed as a franchise legend. Abbas was a free agent heading towards age 33 and initially signed a one-year, $2,040,000 deal in spring training with Beirut. The Bluebirds would give him a five-year, $16,600,000 extension that June.

Abbas won his fourth Silver Slugger in 2008 for Beirut with 38 homers and 3.9 WAR. He fell towards middling numbers the next two years, but bounced back a bit after that. In 2012 at age 37, Abbas surprised many with a 41 homer, 108 RBI, 4.4 WAR season. He hadn’t gotten both 40 homers and 100+ RBI since his first year with Mosul. Beirut didn’t make the playoffs during his time there, averaging 78.2 wins per season. As a Bluebird, Abbas had 672 hits, 361 runs, 116 doubles, 157 home runs, 383 RBI, a .242/.332/.457 slash, 124 wRC+, and 12.3 WAR.

His brief 2012 resurgence spiked his value and Beirut used that with one year left on his deal. Abbas was traded in the offseason for three prospects to Basra, sending him back home to Iraq. He was unimpressive with 1.4 WAR and a 100 wRC+ in 152 games for the Bulldogs, whose own 10-year playoff streak ended in 2013.

Abbas was a free agent again in 2014 and got a one-year deal with Khartoum, getting a lackluster 15 home runs, 98 wRC+, and 0.5 WAR over 136 games. This final season did allow him to reach the 600 home run, 2500 hit, and 1500 RBI career milestones. Abbas retired that winter at age 39.

In total, Abbas had 2510 hits, 1375 runs, 437 doubles, 605 home runs, 1526 RBI, 1138 walks, 2406 strikeouts, .264/.349/.506 slash, 137 wRC+, and 65.2 WAR. As of 2037, Abbas ranks 38^th in hits, 39^th in runs, 84^th in doubles, 22^nd in home runs, 31^st in RBI, 9^th in walks, and 50^th in WAR among position players.

Abbas wasn’t considered among the upper echelon of players, but his steady and consistent production over 18 years got him to the milestones that most ALB voters wanted ticked for a slugger. He received 79.3% of the vote in his debut for the first ballot nod, capping off a very powerful and impressive 2020 ALB Hall of Fame class.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2020 AAB Hall of Fame

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The African Association of Baseball’s 2020 Hall of Fame class had two slam dunk inductees with SP Michael Wakachu at 95.8% and OF Arsenio Barroso at 92.6%. CL Mandla Ndungane barely missed the 66% cut to join them with 65.2% on his second ballot. Three other long-standing returners had good showings, but fell short. SP Alemayehu Legesse got 61.6% in his ninth ballot, CL Abba Abdul had 59.4% on his seventh go, and 1B Abebe Chekol received 56.8% for his eight attempt. No one else was above 50% and no players were dropped after ten failed ballots.



Michael Wakachu – Starting Pitcher – Addis Ababa Brahmas – 95.8% First Ballot

Michael Wakachu was a 6’3’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Lilongwe, Malawi’s capital and largest city. He would become the first Malawian into AAB’s Hall of Fame. Wakachu eventually developed incredible stuff mixed with consistently good control and movement. He had a 97-99 mph fastball and a nice curveball, but his screwball was his most effective pitch.

Even by AAB’s lower standards relative to other world leagues, Wakachu’s stamina was subpar with only nine complete games in his career. His durability was merely decent as well, limiting his career innings. Wakachu was incredibly intelligent though and knew how to pick his spots. He was a good defensive pitcher and was average at holding runners.

Wakachu wasn’t at the tip-top of prospect lists ahead of the 2002 AAB Draft, but a few teams liked his potential. He was picked early in the second round, 25^th overall, by Addis Ababa. Wakachu was third in Rookie of the Year voting with a 3.2 WAR debut, although he came more out of the bullpen. He was a full-time starter from then onward.

He was good in his first few years, but not incredible. Wakachu also dealt with injuries, missing half of 2005 to biceps tendinitis and two months in 2007 to a strained abdominal muscle. Around this time, Addis Ababa was emerging as an African powerhouse. 2006 marked the beginning of an eight-year streak of Central Conference Championship wins. In 2006 and 2007, the Brahmas fell in the Africa Series to Durban.

In 2008, Wakachu perfected his screwball and went from a solid starter to the best in the league. He posted the second-ever AAB Triple Crown season for a pitcher at 23-3, 2.30 ERA, and 296 strikeouts. Wakachu also began a four-year streak leading the conference in WHIP, K/BB, FIP-, and WAR. Each of those seasons would see WAR marks above 7.

Wakachu won Pitcher of the Year in 2008, 2010, and 2011; and took second in 2009. He won ERA titles in both 2010 and 2011 as well. 2010 saw Wakachu’s career best in ERA (1.84), strikeouts (319), WHIP (0.76), ERA+ (218), and WAR (9.8). The ERA mark was the second-lowest in AAB history by a qualifying starter to that point and still ranks fourth as of 2037. The WHIP and his .221 opponent’s OBP both set single-season records that still hold. Wakachu’s .486 opponent’s OPS ranks as the second-best in AAB history, his .162 batting average ranks third, and .265 slugging is 5^th.

Addis Ababa had a historic six-year run as Africa Series champ from 2008-13. While a few all-time dynasties won six in seven years, the Brahmas are the only team in world history to six-peat as the overall champ. Wakachu’s dominance generally carried into the playoffs, posting a 12-5 record over 162.2 innings, 2.66 ERA, 212 strikeouts, 32 walks, 17 quality starts, 153 ERA+, and 4.5 WAR. His most impressive runs came with a 0.48 ERA over 18.2 innings in 2010 and a 2.42 ERA over 26 innings in 2011. As of 2037, Wakachu has the most starts, wins, strikeouts, innings, and home runs allowed (25) in AAB playoff history and ranks second in WAR.

After the 2009 season, Wakachu inked a five-year, $14,760,000 extension with Addis Ababa. He won his fourth ERA title in 2013 at 2.35, taking second in Pitcher of the Year voting. Wakachu declined his contract option that winter and became a free agent, but he returned a month later to the Brahmas on a new five-year, $44,200,000 deal. The expectation was that he and the dynasty would continue rolling on for the rest of the decade.

Shockingly without an injury, Wakachu’s velocity fell completely off a cliff. It had dipped in 2013 to 95-97 mph, only two MPH lower than his previous highs. In 2014, he topped out in the 89-91 mph range and his strikeout tallies plummeted. He went from someone regularly with a K/9 above 10 to only 117 strikeouts over 201.1 innings. Wakachu had a 3.35 ERA and only 1.7 WAR, a career low even against his injury-shortened seasons.

His last playoff start was good, allowing one run in six innings. Addis Ababa’s title streak ended though in 2014, upset by Nairobi in the conference final. The Brahmas hoped Wakachu might bounce back, but his velocity in 2015 was now peaking in the 85-87 mph range. He wasn’t used at all in 2015 and retired that winter at age 35. Wakachu’s #3 uniform was immediately retired for his key role in the dynasty run.

Wakachu finished with a 169-72 record, 2.75 ERA, 2212 innings, 2577 strikeouts, 616 walks, 210/325 quality starts, 9 complete games, 147 ERA+, and 64.7 WAR. Even with the lower inning tally, Wakachu ranks 12^th in pitching WAR as of 2037. He ranks 19^th in wins, 44^th in innings, and 24^th in strikeouts. Among all pitchers with 1000+ innings, his ERA and WHIP (1.00) are fifth. Wakachu’s .599 opponent’s OPS ranks 4^th with his .203/.267/.332 slash all ranking in the top 6.

If not for the sudden and steep decline, Wakachu may have been on pace to be considered AAB’s all-time greatest pitcher. Still, he was a force to be reckoned with in his prime and a critical piece of the historic dynasty run by Addis Ababa. Wakachu was an easy headliner for AAB’s 2020 Hall of Fame ballot, getting 95.8% of the vote.



Arsenio Barroso – Center/Right Field – Dar es Salaam Sabercats – 92.6% First Ballot

Arsenio Barroso was a 6’2’’, 200 pound left-handed hitting outfielder from Luanda, the capital and largest city in Angola. Like his Hall of Fame classmate Michael Wakachu, Barroso was the first AAB inductee representing his country. On the whole, Barroso graded as having good to great contact and power skills. He was notably stronger facing right-handed pitching (.943 OPS, 154 wRC+) while posting merely average results against lefties (.725 OPS, 101 wRC+).

Regardless, Barroso had a very strong pop in his bat and had a 162 game average of 36 home runs, 38 doubles, and 6 triples. He was however fairly weak when it came to drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts. Barroso was reliably solid on the basepaths and had good speed for most of his career. He was also considered one of the smartest players in the game.

Defensively, Barroso split his career almost equally between right field and center field. He had a cannon arm and was excellent at avoiding errors, grading as very good in right. Barroso’s range was respectable enough to grade as average to above average in center. He powered through for a 20-year professional career, although numerous smaller injuries kept him out a few weeks in most seasons.

Barroso stood out amongst the teenage players in Angola as AAB officially started in 1995. A scout for Dar es Salaam inked Barroso to a developmental deal in December 1995, bringing him to Tanzania. He spent three full years in the academy before debuting in 1999 at only age 19. Barroso wasn’t ready yet though, struggling to a -1.2 WAR season over 93 games. He would be moved into a full-time starting role from 2000-onward.

He put it together well in 2000, winning a Silver Slugger in center field and leading the Southern Conference in doubles (49), and triples (12). Barroso didn’t have his home run power developed yet, but still managed 5+ WAR in 2000 and 2002. He had a similar pace in 2001, but a strained MCL cost him the final chunk of the season. Dar es Salaam took second in the standings in both 2000 and 2001, but lost both years to Johannesburg in the conference final. They missed the playoffs in 2002 at 93-69.

Barroso had another 5+ WAR season in 2003 and had 37 home runs. That winter, Dar gave him a five-year, $6,136,000 contract extension. The Sabercats were first in the standings, but were upset in the conference final by Antananarivo. Dar es Salaam learned from that with a 114-48 season in 2004, tying the then-AAB wins record. The Sabercats won it all for the first time, upending Kinshasa’s dynasty in the Africa Series. A massive breakout year for Barroso played a huge role in Dar’s historic run.

In 2004, Barroso won his lone MVP and a Silver Slugger, leading the conference in hits (200), RBI (162), total bases (422), average (.351), slugging (.740), wRC+ (205), and WAR (11.3). Those would all be career highs, as would his 58 homers, 117 runs, .388 OBP, and 1.128 OPS. The RBI mark was a new single-season record for the young league, although it fell five years later. He also had a 29-game hit streak, which would be the AAB record for about a decade.

Barroso carried his dominance into the playoffs, winning Africa Series MVP. In 15 playoff starts, he had 20 hits, 14 runs, 6 doubles, 4 homers, 10 RBI, and a 1.042 OPS. This solidified his status as a Dar es Salaam legend with his #19 uniform getting retired at the end of his career. However, he wouldn’t be staying too much longer with the Sabercats.

Dar es Salaam peaked in 2004, missing the playoffs by one game in 2005 at 95-67. The Sabercats fell to 85-77 in 2006, then began an 11-year streak of losing seasons. In 2005, Barroso won his third Slugger and was second in MVP voting, leading the conference in hits, doubles, RBI, total bases, and batting average. He had 9.3 WAR and had his career best of 53 doubles. He wouldn’t reach these heights though in his later years.

Barroso still had a good pace for the next two years with Dar, but lost two months of 2006 to a strained MCL and about a month in 2007 to a strained calf muscle. With the Sabercats struggling, Barroso opted out of the final year of his deal and entered free agency at age 28. With Dar es Salaam, Barroso had 1325 hits, 721 runs, 313 doubles, 258 home runs, 799 RBI, 246 stolen bases, a .300/.352/.566 slash, 145 wRC+, and 46.6 WAR.

It wasn’t until after spring training that Barroso signed for 2008 on a one-year, $3,200,000 deal with Mogadishu. They would later give him a four-year, $15,000,000 extension in the summer. Barroso’s first two years were both rock solid with 6+ WAR and 40+ homers. He breached a one OPS in 2008 and led the conference in triples. A strained MCL cost him half of 2010, but he bounced back with similar 6+ WAR production in 2011.

Mogadishu did earn wild cards in 2009 and 2010, but couldn’t stand up to the Addis Ababa dynasty in the conference final. In total for the Mighty Mice, Barroso saw 643 hits, 360 runs, 146 doubles, 145 home runs, 460 RBI, 154 stolen bases, a .309/.348/.610 slash, 150 wRC+, and 21.4 WAR. He now re-entered free agency at age 32.

Barroso signed a two-year, $7,840,000 deal with Antananarivo, but only played 13 games for the Eagles due to a broken bone in his elbow. This marked the end of his time in Africa as well. In these early days, AAB and the European Baseball Federation had an arrangement where trades could happen between then. Antananarivo sent Barroso to Germany, getting three prospects from Berlin. At this point, the Barons were a member of the European Second League.

He was a solid starter with 4.8 WAR in his one year in Berlin, proving he could still play. Barroso stayed in E2L on a two-year, $14,600,000 deal with Kyiv and had similar 4+ WAR production for the Kings over that deal. Although he struggled in the playoffs, Kyiv was able to earn promotion back to the EBF Elite after finishing as a semifinalist. The Kings rewarded Barroso with a three-year, $21,100,000 extension.

Barroso was merely okay in these seasons against Europe’s best and struggled to play more than half of the games in any year. A torn ACL ended his 2016 and delayed his start to 2017. Barroso then strained his ACL in 2018. Between the leagues for Kyiv, he had 467 hits, 229 runs, 77 doubles, 95 home runs, 289 RBI, a .250/.296/.465 slash, 121 wRC+, and 11.9 WAR. Barroso was unsigned in 2019 and retired from pro baseball that winter at age 40.

For his AAB career, Barroso had 1979 hits, 1085 runs, 461 doubles, 69 triples, 405 home runs, 1264 RBI, 442 walks, 400 stolen bases, a .302/.350/.579 slash, 146 wRC+, and 67.9 WAR. As of 2037, Barroso ranks 42^nd in hits, 49^th in runs, 38^th in doubles, 52^nd in home runs, 31^st in RBI, and 20^th in WAR among position players. His .929 OPS is 51^st among all batters with 3000+ plate appearances. Barroso ranks 41^st in slugging and 38^th in batting average.

Later players would have more impressive raw tallies, but Barroso was elite in his prime. He had the MVP win, two batting titles, and a starring role in a championship for Dar es Salaam. Most voters forgave his lower accumulations due to injury and being shipped off to Europe. Barroso earned 92.6% as an easy Hall of Famer for a strong one-two punch with the 2020 class.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2020 World Baseball Championship

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The 2020 World Baseball Championship was the 74^th edition of the event and was hosted in Kano, Nigeria. Taking the title in Division 1 at 8-1 was Romania, beating out defending world champ England, Guatemala, and Bulgaria each at 6-3. The Romanians advanced for the fifth time and the second time in three years. After rare back-to-back misses for the United States, the Americans were the lone unbeaten at 9-0 in Division 2. The USA moved to the elite eight for the 58^th time.

Spain won a very competitive Division 3 at 7-2, fending off 6-3 efforts by Belgium, China, and France. It was Spain’s ninth division title and first since their third place in 2015. Germany prevailed at 7-2 in Division 4 while four nations were two back at 5-4. The Germans advanced for the 11^th time, but this ended a drought dating back to their 2006 runner-up finish.

Division 5 had Ukraine (7-2) hold off 6-3 tries by Cuba, Indonesia, and Scotland. The Ukrainians advanced for the 12^th time overall and the third time in five years. Mexico dominated D6 at 8-1, three games better than their nearest foe. The Mexicans were the only team to make it back from the 2019 elite eight and earned their third straight division title. Mexico advanced for the 32^nd tie, which ranks fourth behind only the US, Canada, and Brazil.

The only division with a tie at the top was D7 with both Thailand and Turkey at 7-2. Brazil and South Korea were close behind at 6-3. The Thais took the tiebreaker over the Turks for only their second-ever division title (2011). Lastly, Division 8 went to Pakistan at 7-2. Last year’s runner-up Uzbekistan and Venezuela were both 6-3. The Pakistanis won their sixth division title and first since 2010.

In Round Robin Group A, the United States dominated at 6-0 to earn a 51^st semifinal trip. Germany also advanced at 3-3, while Spain (2-4) and Ukraine (1-5) were ousted. In Group B, Mexico ran the table for their third semifinal in six years and their 19^th overall. Thailand took the #2 spot at 3-3 with Pakistan 2-4 and Romania at 1-5. The Thais became the 48^th unique nation to get to the final four.

Thailand would be the only team to beat the United States in 2020, but the Americans survived 3-2 in the semifinal. On the other side, Germany swept Mexico to give the Germans their fourth finals try. They won in 1983 and lost in both 1991 and 2006. Thailand officially took third and Mexico was fourth.



In the 74^th World Championship, the United States returned to the perch once again by sweeping Germany. The Americans won their third title in seven years and moved to 41-6 all-time in the championship. The USA was 22-2 for the entire event in one of the most dominant showings yet. Little did anyone know that this would be the final American title for more than a decade, as the 2020s would see unprecedented parity at the top spot.



It was fitting that Morgan Short won Tournament MVP for the second time, joining his 2009 trophy. MLB’s all-time WAR leader also became the WBC’s all-time WAR leader, passing OF Connor Neumeyer’s 20.86 and P Nick Hedrick’s 20.28. Short finished the 2020 edition with 21.6 WAR, leading all players with 2.0 over 24 games. The 39-year old CF also led in hits (37) runs (25), total bases (66), and stolen bases (24) while adding 8 homers, 17 RBI and 13 walks. As of 2037, Short is still the WBC leader in hits, runs, singles, doubles, steals, and WAR.

The Americans also had the Best Pitcher in Vic McCallister, who is set to enter his third season as the closer for Memphis. The 22-year old from Shreveport, Louisiana had seven saves over 11 games, allowing one run over 22.1 innings with 50 strikeouts, 6 hits, and 3 walks.

Other notes: Mexico’s Vicente Vasquez became the 17^th player to hit for the cycle in the WBC, doing it against Thailand in the Round Robin. China’s Yuandong Wang had a no-hitter with 11 strikeouts and 4 walks against Malaysia and Romania’s Simon Lica had a 9 K no-no versus Finland.

The updated tournament stats are below. With their fourth place finish, Mexico passed China to reclaim third in the all-time tournament standings.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2020 in A2L

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2020 was the third season for the African Second League, which was still looking to build its talent base before promotion/relegation began in 2022. Defending A2L champ Mauritius repeated atop the Southern Conference at 96-66. Maseru again was second, eight games back at 88-74.



The Central Conference had a tie for first place at 95-67 between Asmara and Juba. In a one-game playoff, the Anteaters prevailed for the top spot. Mbuji-Mayi was also in the mix with a solid 90-72 third place. Bangui, the conference champ in the first two seasons, dropped to fourth at 82-80

Asmara won the third-ever Second League Championship 5-2 over Mauritius, denying the repeat bid by the Monsoon.





Other notes: Bukavu’s Alex Mumbi won Pitcher of the Year with the first-ever Triple Crown season for A2L. In the cartoonishly high scoring A2L, that was a 23-4 record, 3.55 ERA, and 15 strikeouts.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2020 in E2L

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Seville hadn’t posted a winning season in five years in the European Second League, but the Stingrays finally put it together and finished first in the Western Conference at 98-64. Reykjavik was a close second at 95-67 for their first playoff berth since returning to E2L in 2017.

The remaining playoff spots went to Toulouse (92-70) and Belfast (91-71). The Toads earned their fourth consecutive playoff berth hoping to finally earn their first-ever promotion. The Brewers had just gotten relegated back after winning the Second League title in 2017. Falling just short of the playoffs were Cardiff (88-74) and Nantes (87-75). Gothenburg, the runner-up last year, fell to seventh at 83-79.

In the Round Robin, Reykjavik (5-1) and Toulouse (4-2) advanced to the Western Conference Championship. Belfast went 2-4 and top seed Seville had the worst effort at 1-5. In the WCC, the Raccoons rolled the Toads 4-1 to guarantee promotion for the Icelandic capital This will be the second time Reykjavik made it to the European Baseball Federation’s Elite tier, having been in the top group from 2013-16.



Wroclaw ended an eight-year playoff drought and finished atop the Eastern Conference standings at 106-56. This was a franchise record for the Wolf Pack, as was Tallinn’s 99-63 in second place. It was only the second-ever playoff berth for the Twisters (2015). Skopje was a solid third at 96-66 for their first playoff berth since getting relegated back to E2L for 2014.

The fourth and final playoff spot went to 92-70 Helsinki, who held off 88-74 Lodz and 87-75 Dnipro. The Honkers got their third playoff berth in four years. Notably Odessa, a playoff team last year, fell hard to 69-93. It was also a rough year for Yerevan, who went from 54-108 in 2019 in the EBF Elite to the Second League’s worst record at 59-103.

Skopje had the top spot in the competitive Eastern Conference Round Robin at 4-2. Both Helsinki and Tallinn were 3-3 while top seed Wroclaw fared worst at 2-4. The tiebreaker sent the Honkers to the conference final, but they promptly got swept 4-0 by the Stags. This guaranteed Skopje a second shot at the top tier, having previously made it from 2010-13.



In the Second League Championship, Reykjavik won 4-3 over Skopje in a thriller. Even though it was the second promotion for both franchises, neither had been in the championship before. As a turns out, there would be immense movement between the leagues in 2020. Five teams in the EBF Elite lost 100+ games, which meant five teams were promoted.



The two semifinalists Helsinki and Toulouse were also promoted. With the best overall record of all teams, Wroclaw advanced as well for the fifth spot. The Honkers returned to the top tier for the first time since 2013. This was the first promotion for both the Toads and the Wolf Pack.

Other notes: Skopje’s Oleg Potemkin set E2L playoff records for WHIP (0.37), opponent’s OBP (.109), and opponent’s OPS (.236). He tossed 16.1 scoreless innings with 13 strikeouts and six hits allowed. Seville’s Raul Garcia became the seventh player to win multiple MVPs.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2020 in AAB

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Johannesburg finished atop the Southern Conference standings for the third straight year and for the sixth time in seven years. At 98-64, the Jackalopes took the top spot by nine games. Based on expected win/loss, Johannesburg outperformed expectations by 11 games. They were third in runs scored and sixth in runs allowed.

The top scoring team was Dar es Salaam at 760 runs, allowing them to narrowly capture the second place slot at 89-73. The Sabercats edged Antananarivo by one game, Lilongwe by four, and reigning Africa Series champ Luanda by six games. Dar es Salaam ended a 15-year playoff drought, which was the longest time between berths in AAB history to that point.

It was a fascinating road for the legendary Mwarami Tale, who won Southern Conference MVP with Johannesburg. He became the first eight-time MVP in AAB history, having won four in his 20s with Luanda and three in his early 30s with Addis Ababa. The Tanzanian center fielder won his eighth at age 39, seven years since his last MVP Tale had been with Johannesburg since signing in 2015.

2020 wasn’t without difficulty for Tale, who missed six weeks in the spring to a sprained knee and seven weeks in the fall to a sprained elbow. Despite playing 111 games, he led the conference with 7.3 WAR. Tale added 35 home runs, 79 RBI, 84 runs, a .308/.416/.630 slash, 1.046 OPS, and 189 wRC+. Tale won his 15^th Silver Slugger, becoming the ninth in any world league to do so and the first in AAB. Tale was also the first-ever to win the award 15 times in center field.

Pitcher of the Year was Dar es Salaam’s Sam Obam in a breakout season. He had been mediocre initially with Ndjamena, then came to the Sabercats in a 2019 trade, then suffered a torn UCL in June. The 27-year old Cameroonian rehabbed back in 2020 and led in wins at 18-6. Obam added a 2.83 ERA over 223 innings, 236 strikeouts, 142 ERA+, and 4.8 WAR. Sadly, this was the one notable season for Obam, who suffered another UCL tear the next year and was done by age 33.



The Central Conference was extremely top heavy with 2018 Africa Series champ Kampala on top at 109-53. The Peacocks had placed third in 2019 at 96-66, but bounced back and led all of AAB in 2020 in runs (831) and fewest allowed (626). Defending conference champ Brazzaville was a strong second at 100-62. The Blowfish earned a third straight playoff berth and their fifth in six years. Lubumbashi was a distant third at 87-75. Bujumbura, 104 –game winners the prior year, sat fourth at 82-80.

Although the Bighorns fell off, they had the top awards winners in the Central Conference. 3B Warren Biloa three-peated as MVP, leading in RBI (146) and slugging (.669). The 28-year old Central African added 51 home runs, a 1.051 OPS, and 7.3 WAR. Biloa committed long-term to Bujumbura with a seven-year, $61,300,000 extension signed in May 2021.

In his fourth season, Bonyanga Ebengo pitched up Pitcher of the Year. The 24-year old Congolese righty won the ERA title (2.34) and had the best FIP- (58). Ebengo posted an 18-5 record over 184.2 innings, 219 strikeouts, and 6.8 WAR. He would have a few more strong years and eventually get his own big payday, although UCL tears would also limit Ebengo’s career value.

Johannesburg defeated Dar es Salaam 4-2 in the Southern Conference Championship, giving the Jackalopes their fourth pennant in six years and their ninth overall. Kamala outlasted Brazzaville 4-3 in a classic battle for the Central Conference crown, giving the Peacocks their second pennant in three years. This also set up a rematch of the 2018 finale.



The 26^th Africa Series looked familiar to the 24^th as Kampala again prevailed over Johannesburg, this time 5-2. While the Peacocks won their second title in three years, the Jackalopes fell to 0-4 in the finals over the last six seasons. Johannesburg won the inaugural 1995 championship, but had gone 0-8 in the Africa Series since. C Alexandre Selemani was finals MVP as the 25-year old Congolese righty had 16 hits, 6 runs, 4 2oubles, 2 homers, and 5 RBI in 13 playoff starts. Teammate Djibrilla Ousseini notably had a playoff record 3 triples.



Other notes: MVP Mwarami Tale missed part of the playoffs to injury, but set AAB playoff records for batting average (.667), OBP (.720), and OPS (2.006), minimum 20 plate appearances. This was the final AAB season for the legendary CF, who played two more professional seasons with MLB’s Baltimore. Tale left as AAB’s all-time leader in runs (1982), total bases (6418), homers (968), RBI (2252), and WAR (155.83). At this point, Tale was 67 dingers away from the world record by ALB’s Nordine Soule (1073).

Relebogile Matima became the seventh member of the 600 home run club. Kaunda Kalinga was the seventh to reach 1500 runs scored. Catcher Steven Isaac won his 11^th Silver Slugger and LF Roddy Mukeshimana won his seventh Silver Slugger. 1B Herve Otepa won his eighth Gold Glove. Kinshasa’s Edwin Kyalo became the fourth AAB player to record a six-hit game.

Maputo had two notable team stats in 2020; one good and one bad. The Piranhas hit only 95 home runs, the all-time single-season low in AAB. On the other end, they stole 521 bases, the second-most in conference history behind their own 553 from the prior year.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2020 in ALB

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Reigning Arab League champ Tripoli posted the league’s top record in 2020 at 108-54, earning the Western Conference’s #1 seed and their third consecutive Mediterranean Division title. The Privateers led all teams in scoring with 887 runs and allowed the fewest in the conference at 649. Tripoli secured a third straight conference final appearance as well. Casablanca had the conference’s second-best record at 96-66, but missed the cut with only division champs advancing in ALB. It was the sixth consecutive winning season for the Bruins, but their third year in a row outside of the postseason.

Last year’s top record Cairo fell to 93-69, but that was still enough for a fourth straight Nile Division crown. The Pharaohs fended off 88-74 Khartoum for the top spot. Cairo had a team .349 on-base percentage, setting a new WC record. The Levant Division had a shake up with Amman on top at 90-72, their first division title since 2012. Damascus’s six-year reign came to a close as they were second at 85-77.

Western Conference MVP had an intense battle between first basemen Adham Abdallah of Tripoli and Ali Jassem of Oran, both shooting for their third MVP. Abdallah ended up snagging it in his second season with the Privateers, having signed a mammoth seven-year, $112,600,000 deal in 2019. The 31-year old Tunisian’s previous MVPs came in 2016 and 2017 with Abu Dhabi. He also earned his seventh Silver Slugger with the effort.

In 2020, Abdallah led in hits (233), runs (139), average (.389), OBP (.441), OPS (1.173), wRC+ (200), and WAR (8.6). He added 49 doubles, 45 home runs, and 112 RBI. Tripoli’s team success also helped Abdallah earn the honor over Jassem despite the latter’s historic power.

Jassem became ALB’s new single-season home run king with 76 dingers, beating Yahya bin Hakam’s 2015 mark by one. The 32-year old Kuwaiti also led in RBI (163), total bases (451), and slugging (.764). The RBI mark was the third-most in an ALB season to that point. He also had a 1.137 OPS, 122 runs, 177 wRC+, and 7.8 WAR. Jassam joined the Rattlesnakes on a six-year, $87,600,000 deal in 2019 after winning his previous MVPs with Khartoum. With Oram at 69-93, even the home run record couldn’t get Jassem the top prize. He would opt out of his deal in the offseason and sign a five-year, $73,000,000 deal with Damascus.

Amman lefty Mohammed Ghaleb picked up Pitcher of the Year in his third full season. The 25-yar old Omani won the ERA title at 3.00. Ghaleb had a 15-7 record, 215.2 innings, 335 strikeouts, 141 ERA+, and 4.3 WAR. He also allowed the second most walks (76) and had the lowest WAR total ever by an ALB POTY winner. Ghaleb signed a five-year, $14,680,000 extension with the Aviators before the season.

Cairo swept Amman 2-0 in the first round to set up Pharaohs versus Privateers for the third year in a row in the Western Conference Final. In the previous two, Cairo had home field advantage and lost to Tripoli. The script was reversed this time with the heavy favorite Privateers falling 3-1 to the Pharaohs. This was Cairo’s first pennant in 20 years and their fifth overall. It is also the first time an Egyptian team has made it to the final since Alexandria in 2013.



Two-time defending Eastern Conference champ Jeddah again was the #1 seed, cruising to the Saudi Division at 104-58. The Jackals allowed the fewest runs in ALB with 586, growing their playoff streak to nine seasons. That stood as the second-longest in ALB history behind Basra’s ten years from 2003-12. Jeddah also posted their fifth consecutive 100+ win season and guaranteed a third consecutive conference final berth. Getting the #1 seed wasn’t a guarantee though with two challengers from the Mesopotamia Division.

Basra and Mosul had a fierce battle for the one spot, tying at the end of the regular season at 100-62. In the one-game tiebreaker, the Bulldogs survived for their third straight division crown. Mosul tied Riyadh from last year with the most wins by a team that didn’t make the playoffs. In the Gulf Division, Dubai (91-71) earned their first playoff berth since 2011. Muscat was six games back and defending division champ Doha was 11 away.

Mecca had the worst record in all of ALB at 59-103. Despite that, Marksmen DH Omar Abdel Rahman won his third consecutive Eastern Conference MVP. The 25-year old Egyptian missed nearly two months to a sprained ankle, but still led in home runs (59), slugging (.774), OPS (1.137), and wRC+ (199). Rahman added 119 RBI, a .339 average, and 6.5 WAR. Mecca would trade him to Mosul for 2022, but Rahman would return to the holy city the following year.

Riyadh’s Diyar Abbas won Pitcher of the Year in his third full season. The 25-year old Iraqi righty led in strikeouts (318), innings (262.2), complete games (9), shutouts (4), and WAR (9.5). Abbas had a 17-7 record, 2.84 ERA, and 149 ERA+. He eventually inked a seven-year, $180 million extension in 2023 with the Rats. Also of note, Fawzi Yousef Al-Issa became a three-time Reliever of the Year winner in his lone season with Sulaymaniyah.

Basra outlasted Dubai 2-1 in the first round of the playoffs, setting up an Eastern Conference Final rematch with Jeddah. The Jackals’ three-peat hopes were denied with a surprising 3-0 sweep by the Bulldogs. Basra earned its sixth pennant and first since 2011.



In the 31^st Arab League Championship, Basra bested Cairo 4-1 to become four-time ALB champs (2006, 2008, 2011, 2020). They’re tied with Medina for the second-most and one behind Casablanca’s five titles. The Pharaohs fell to 1-4 all-time in the championship.

LF Mohamed Hassan won finals MVP in his 11^th season with Basra as the star still left from the end of the last dynasty. Still only 29-years old, Hassan had 20 hits, 12 runs, 8 doubles, 4 homers, and 10 RBI in 11 playoff starts. Meanwhile his teammate Ramy Geziry scored 19 runs and stole 15 bases to set new ALB playoff records. The 24-year old Geziry was the conference finals MVP and had 23 hits, 19 runs, 5 doubles, 2 triples, 4 homers, and 11 RBI. This combo hoped to bring Basra to the heights that the Nordine Soule/Farouk Adam pairing saw in the late 2000s.



Other notes: Damascus’s Mourad Atia threw ALB’s seventh perfect game on June 22, striking out nine against Amman. It was Aita’s second no-hitter, having also tossed one in 2018. The Dusters’ Ahmed Essa posted the tenth 20 strikeout game in ALB history, doing it against Dubai. Riyadh set a new league record with 97 triples as a team.

Fawaz Hussein became the sixth pitcher to 200 wins. Hussein and Herdi Wahib both crossed 3500 strikeouts, making five pitchers to do so. Raed Falahen became the ninth to smack 600 home runs. Four players joined ALB’s 500 home run club, bringing the membership to 22. Yahya bin Hakam became the 11^th to 1500 RBI. LF Adnan Al-Hija won his seventh Gold Glove. LF Mohamed Hassan and 2B Hamdan Fahed won their ninth Silver Sluggers.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2020 ABF Expansion

The Asian Baseball Federation had continued to see impressive growth since the six Central Asian teams joined from the 2000 exodus of Eurasian Professional Baseball. ABF did an expansion in 2009 that added Kabul (Afghanistan) and Gaziantep (Turkey), but was looking to gradually keep expanding. Although Iran and Turkey did have more potential cities, ABF wasn’t looking to put another team in either quite yet. The hope was to give a second team to the larger “Stans.”

Part of the challenge was that these countries were within the East League, which was already two teams larger than the West League. ABF officials wanted the expansion to balance the leagues out at 14 teams apiece. To do that though would require shifting two teams from the EL to the WL.

Officials settled on shifting Kabul, as a newer expansion franchise without the longer standing rivalries, from the North Division to the Central Division. Also making the same shift would be Asgabat, whose location in Turkmenistan made them geographically slot in with Kabul and the Iranian teams. To achieve balance, Baku was shifted out of the Central Division to join the six Turkish teams. The division was renamed from the Turkish Division to the West Division.

The East League kept the seven Pakistan teams in the South Division, leaving the one remaining Pakistani team (Peshawar) and the four Central Asian teams in the North Division. This meant both expansion teams for the 2020 campaign would come into the North. Officials primarily centered on adding one team in Kazakhstan and one in Uzbekistan.

In Uzbekistan, they had two viable choices of similar sized cities that were on opposite ends of the country from the existing Uzbek team Tashkent. Samarkand in the southeast ended up getting the nod over the northeastern Namangan, thus introducing the Samarkand Spurs to the ABF.

Kazakhstan was a tougher choice with the large landmass of the country. The capital Astana in the north was a popular choice, but it was far more geographically isolated from the other existing teams. For example, it was a 15+ hour drive to the other Kazakh team Almaty. Shymkent in the south made more logistical sense, but was a slightly smaller city. It was fairly close to the borders of the neighbors, although Tashkent 125 kilometers away was worried about losing some market share.

EPB was also looking to expand around the same time and planned to extend outside of Russia, heavily keying in on Astana. It was actually geographically closer to a few of the Siberian teams. As to be discussed in another post, Astana took a sweetheart package to join up with EPB in the same year. Thus ABF went with the Shymkent Squirrels. This gave Kazakhstan three teams between two world leagues.



ABF wouldn’t change their playoff structure at all at this point, leaving it as the two division champs and two wild cards. It would be another decade before ABF’s next expansion, which would bring four teams total split between the WL and EL.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2020 in ABF

In addition to the league expansion for 2020, the Asian Baseball Federation wanted to increase scoring. The league had seen below average to low offense in the 2010s compared other leagues. The West League (which has the DH) would jump from a 3.40 ERA in 2019 to 4.11 in 2020, putting them on the border of above average to high scoring. The East League (sans DH) only slightly jumped from 3.08 to 3.25 ERA in 2020, but would hover around the 3.50 range for most of the decade. The EL ranked on the low end of average on the historical scale.



Defending East League champ Dushanbe set a franchise record at 110-52 for the ABF’s best record. The Dynamo won their third straight North Division and grew their playoff streak to eight seasons. Dushanbe really took advantage of the new offensive rules for a new high mark with 777 runs scored, 161 ahead of the next best EL team.

The EL’s second best record was also in the North Division with 97-65 Bishkek easily taking the first wild card. Perhaps beating up the new expansion teams helped both the Black Sox and Dynamo’s fortunes. Bishkek earned their second wild card in three years. The division also had the #2 wild card in 88-74 Almaty; their fourth berth in six years. The Assassins outlasted Tashkent (87-75), Hyderabad (86-76), Multan (86-76), and Peshawar (85-77) for the final slot. Out of the South Division, Faisalabad finished first at 91-71 for a repeat title. The Horned Frogs and Mighty Cocks were five games from the division title and two short of the second wild card.

Dushanbe SS Nizami Aghazade won his historic seventh East League MVP. He suffered a torn ACL in the 2018 playoffs, keeping him out a big chunk of 2019. Seemingly only injuries kept Aghazade from having nine MVPs in nine seasons. In 2020, the 32-year old Kazakh led in runs (119), triple slash (.356/.428/.661), OPS (1.090), wRC+ (253), and WAR (13.4). Aghazade added 47 home runs and 127 RBI. In each of his MVP seasons, Aghazade had an incredible 13+ WAR, giving him seven of the top eight seasons by an ABF position player. He also won his seventh Silver Slugger

Almaty’s Nikolai Zvyagintsev won his second Pitcher of the Year, having previously done it back in 2016. He won the ERA title (2.04) and posted a 16-6 record over 229.1 innings, 10 saves, 292 strikeouts, a 157 ERA+, and 5.4 WAR. The 29-year old righty would be out of the league four years later as he was never the same after a torn labrum.

In the first round, Almaty shocked top seed Dushanbe with a 3-1 upset, giving the Assassins their first East League Championship Series berth since 2012. Bishkek beat Faisalabad 3-1 for their first ELCS since 2010. In a seven-game classic, the Black Sox held on for their second ABF pennant (2007). It was Bishkek’s 11^th subleague title counting their EPB years. For Almaty, they’re now 0-6 in the ELCS since joining ABF in the 2000 exodus, leaving the Assassins as the only non-expansion team without an EL pennant.



Defending ABF and Baseball Grand Champion Tabriz took the West League’s top seed for the third year running with a 109-53 finish atop the Central Division. They led the WL both in scoring (821) and runs allowed (560). The Tiger Sharks playoff streak grew to five seasons, as did Asgabat’s. The Alphas joined the division in the re-alignment and picked up the first wild card at 94-68. The big shakeup was Tehran’s stunning drop to 68-94. This ended a nine-year playoff streak for the Tarpons, which tied the ABF record.

Bursa was a surprise winner in the West Division at 89-73 for their first playoff berth since 2005. The Blue Claws hadn’t posted a winning season since 2008. Defending division champ Izmir was close behind at 87-75, narrowly securing the second wild card. The Ice Caps playoff streak grew to three seasons as they fended off Isfahan (85-77), Kabul (84-78), and Baku (83-79) for the final playoff slot. Izmir had the second most runs scored (813) but also allowed the most (779).

Captaining the Izmir offense was Hakan Mocuk, who repeated as West League MVP. The 26-year old Turkish 3B led in doubles (62), total bases (416), slugging (.686), OPS (1.069), wRC+ (177), and WAR (9.7). The doubles were the second-most in ABF history behind Gokhan Karatas’ world record 72 from 1990. Mocuk added 112 runs, 47 homers, 140 RBI, and a .342 batting average. The Ice Caps had given him an eight-year, $65,640,000 extension the prior summer.

Tabriz’s Hafez Farzani repeated as Pitcher of the Year and repeated as a Triple Crown winner with a 23-1 record, 1.87 ERA, and 361 strikeouts over 226.1 innings. The 26-year old Iranian righty also led in WHIP (0.79), K/BB (15.7), quality starts (24), shutouts (5), FIP- (42) and WAR (10.9) with a 216 ERA+. Farzani’s .958 winning percentage was the second-best in world history by a qualifying starter (MLB’s Calvin Becerra went without a loss in 1926). The Tiger Sharks gave him a seven-year, $46,180,000 extension the prior winter. He was the 14^th pitcher in world history to repeat as a Triple Crown winner.

In the first round, Tabriz topped Izmir 3-1 and Bursa survived in five over Asgabat. The Tiger Sharks earned their third straight West League Championship Series appearance, while the Blue Claws hadn’t done it since 2005. Bursa shocked the reigning Grand Champion Tabriz 4-3 to deny the repeat bid, giving the Blue Claws their fourth pennant (1999, 2001, 2004, 2020).



The 36^th ABF Championship went the distance with Bishkek besting Bursa 4-3. The Black Sox won their first-ever ABF title, becoming the 21^st franchise to win it all. It was Bishkek’s third overall title, having taken the EPB crown back in 1964 and 1967. Finals MVP was 3B Noor Kleifawi, a young player acquired in an offseason trade with Hyderabad. In 18 playoff starts, the 26-year old Pakistani had 17 hits, 7 runs, 4 doubles, 4 homers, and 10 RBI.

Bishkek closer Mohammad Kapani also set a new ABF playoff record for K/9 at 17.47. He had 33 strikeouts in 17 innings, posting a 1.06 ERA and four saves. Two playoff records were set by players from other squads. Bursa’s Qasim Muqtadir broke the hits record with 32. Asgabat’s Hasan Yun set the new slugging record of 1.143 (narrowly passing the 20 plate appearances required to qualify).



Other notes: Baku legend Ali Sungu became ABF’s new career home run king, passing Radi Umar’s previous high mark of 633. Sungu hit 34 in 2020 to get to 666. He played one more year and retired at 683, although he only held the top spot for five years. Sungu would also retire just short of the runs record (1438, eight away from Petri Viskari). He did join Viskari and Umar as the only ABF batters with 1500+ RBI, retiring third at 1571.

Fakhri Rajavi became the ninth member of the 500 home run club. Majd Bsharri became the third to reach 2500 hits. Ali Massoudi and Amgad al-Jal became the sixth and seventh pitchers to 4000 career strikeouts. Gafar Aliev became the first closer to 300 saves, wrapping up his ABF run with 333. He would hold the top spot until the early 2030s.

3B Eser Haspolatlii won his straight 12^th Gold Glove, passing fellow third baseman Shaheed Abbas for the most at any position. RF Hana Zuhair won his eighth consecutive Gold Glove. Shadi Alam won his ninth Silver Slugger and his second in left field. He had won four in right field and three in center.

Izmir had 382 doubles as a team, an ABF record that held until 2036. Bursa stole 426 bases for a new WL record that held until 2026. Biskhek’s pitching staff had 1906 strikeouts and a 11.73 K/9, ranking third and second in WL history, respectively. In a bad record, Gujranwala’s offense struck out 1901 times and they remain ABF’s biggest whiffers as of 2037.