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

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1950 BSA Hall of Fame

---

Closer Chano Angel was the only inductee in Beisbol Sudamerica’s 1950 Hall of Fame Class at 91.7% on his first ballot. Only one other player was above 50%, starting pitcher Rey Parisi at 57.6% on his second try. No one made it to a 10^th ballot.



Chano “Steady” Angel – Closer – Salvador Storm – 91.7% First Ballot

Chano Angel was a 6’0’’, 190 pound left-handed reliever from the Venezuelan capital Caracas. He was known for having incredible movement on a 97-99 mph fastball which he mixed with an unexpected changeup. The nickname “Steady” was appropriate for a guy who could reliably come in from the bullpen in any situation and get the job done. He was 26-years old when Beisbol Sudamerica formed, signing with Salvador for the debut season.

He was instantly elite for the Storm, winning the Reliever of the Year in 1931, 35, and 36, while taking second in 1932 and third in 1934. In those six seasons alone he posted 39.0 WAR, which is a great career for a lot of relievers. After this run, he went home to Venezuela and signed with Maracaibo, winning Reliever of the Year in his one season with the Mariners. In 1938, Angel joined with Valencia, but was traded in late June to Cali. He finished second in Reliever of the Year voting, then won the award for the fifth time in 1939 at age 34 in his one season with Barquisimeto.

He signed with Maracaibo again and won his record sixth and final Reliever of the Year in 1940. Angel played for his hometown Caracas briefly in 1941, getting traded in the summer back to where it all started with Salvador. Fittingly, he picked up his 2000^th career strikeout with the storm and was third in Reliever of the Year voting. A free agent again, he went back to Valencia and was second in Reliever of the Year voting in 1942, getting his 400^th save; the first BSA player to do so. He then had a third stint with Maracaibo and finally fell off in his final two seasons, retiring at age 39 after the 1944 season.

Angel finished with an incredible sub one ERA at 0.99, which would stand as the all-time record for any Beisbol Sudamerica pitcher with 1000+ innings pitched. His BB/9 (0.78), H/9 (3.67), K/9 (17.33), WHIP (0.63), average against (.122), OBP against (.183), slugging against (.184), and OPS against (.368) are each all-time records. He picked up 411 saves and 533 shutdowns over 1124.2 innings with 2165 strikeouts, only 252 walks, and 79.0 WAR. His career FIP- was 10 and he had nine seasons with ZERO FIP-. Angel achieved dominance that very few relievers in professional baseball history came close to and was an obvious first ballot choice at 91.7%.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1950 World Baseball Championship

The 1950 World Baseball Championship was held in Sao Paulo, Brazil with the fourth edition seeing significant expansion. The concept had proved a success and with the game expanding its reach in Europe and Asia; it was time to adjust the format. The field was expanded to 40 teams in four divisions of 10 teams each. The four division champs would meet in a three round robin and the top two from that round robin advanced to a best-of-seven championship. This postseason format lasted two years ultimately.



Division 1 saw the United States dominate at 10-1, three games ahead of second place Peru at 7-4. Division 2 ended up in a four-way tie between Colombia, France, Italy, and South Korea. The tiebreaker ultimately sent Colombia forward as the first South American team in the final four. Canada claimed Division 3 at 10-1, besting Venezuela by two games. Defending world champ Mexico picked up Division 4 at 9-2, one better than Bolivia and two ahead of Japan.

In the Round Robin format, the Americans were the best team at 7-2, advancing to their third championship in four years. The Mexicans were second at 6-3, while Colombia took the bronze at 3-6 and Canada was fourth at 2-7. In the championship series, Mexico prevailed for the second straight season. The Mexicans defeated the United States in five games, giving both nations two titles over the first four editions of the tournament.

Although they were the silver medalist, the MVP and Best Pitcher both went to Americans. 25-year old Baltimore CF Adam Lewis posted 42 hits, 26 runs, 10 doubles, 8 home runs, 20 RBI, and a .412 average over 24 games. Second-year Phoenix pitcher Oliver Henke, who struggled with a 5.26 ERA in his rookie season, had a 0.48 ERA over 18.2 tournament innings with 36 strikeouts.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1950 in EBF

---

The first-ever European Baseball Federation season in 1950 was a tremendous success as fans across the continent embraced the introduction of the new league. In the debut season, the best overall record went to Copenhagen and Amsterdam; both at 108-54. The Anacondas took the Northwest Division, 11-games ahead of Paris. The Corsairs claimed the North Central by 16 games over Hamburg. Glasgow won the British Isles Division at 92-70. The Northern Conference’s wild card went to the Poodles at 97-65, who was five games better than the Hammers.

The first Northern Conference MVP went to Copenhagen’s Aleksandr Gultyaev. The 29-year old RF from Moscow led the NC with 128 runs scored, adding 51 home runs, 129 RBI, and 7.9 WAR. Pitcher of the Year went to Glasgow’s Seok-Jae Song; a South Korean journeyman who left for the new EBF after struggling with Yongin in 1949. Song had a 19-7 record, 2.17 ERA, and 6.1 WAR.



The best record in the Southern Conference went to Barcelona at 104-58, giving them the Southwest Division title. Their Spanish rival Madrid was second at 99-63, comfortably taking the wild card with the second best record in the entire conference. Vienna won the Southeast at 93-69, 10 games better than Munich. Meanwhile, Milan at 94-68 grabbed the South Central, 11 games ahead of Naples.

Madrid RF Mauro Chavez was the SC’s first MVP. A 33-year old Spaniard, he led the SC in WAR (7.7), slugging (.588), OPS (.990) and wRC+ (169), while adding 207 hits, 35 home runs, and 115 RBI. American Nate Conner won the Pitcher of the Year for the Conquistadors as well. Conner was an MLB seventh round draft pick by Washington who was cut and unsigned in 1949. The 22-year old tried his hand in the new EBF and had a 24-6 season, 2.51 ERA, and 6.5 WAR. As the local talent grew significantly soon after, Conner quickly flamed out.

In the Northern Conference, the first round of the playoffs saw Amsterdam edge Paris in five games and Copenhagen sweep Glasgow in three. In the Southern Conference, Barceona swept Madrid and Milan edged Vienna 3-2. The first NC Championship saw the Corsairs prevail in six games over the Anacondas, while the SC Championship had the Bengals best the Maulers in five. The first European Championship would have Copenhagen defeat Barcelona 4-1, sending the first EBF title to Denmark.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1950 in BSA

---

Bogota had a franchise-record 111-51 season in 1950 to win back-to-back Bolivar North Division titles, leading the league in both runs scored (708) and allowed (508). Meanwhile, two-time defending league champ Cali won their fourth straight South Division title with a 100-62 finish. Lima was a distant second at 90-72.

The Bats had the league MVP and the Cyclones had the Pitcher of the Year. 24-year old 3B Pedro Quintana had a fantastic sophomore season, tying the league single-season record with 227 hits. He also led the Bolivar League in runs (104) and average (.361), posting 8.2 WAR for the season. PotY Tomas Cruz also was in his sophomore season, leading in ERA (2.03) and WHIP (0.84) with 8.4 WAR and 308 strikeouts. Sadly, Cruz required elbow ligament reconstruction surgery in September and would never again pitch a full season. He would accumulate only 3.5 WAR for the rest of his career. Bogota also had Alex Aldeinha win his third straight Reliever of the Year, leading in saves at 41 with 1.72 ERA and 152 strikeouts.



After missing the playoffs last year, 1948 Copa Sudamerica champ Belo Horizonte won their fourth Brazil Division title in five seasons. The Hogs finished first at 97-65, eight games ahead of Rio de Janeiro. Last year’s overall champ Salvador fell to third at82-80. In the South Division, Cordoba won their first division title in a decade. The Chanticleers had the best record in Liga Cono Sur at 98-64, eight games ahead of Buenos Aires for the division title.

League MVP was Santiago CF Emiliano Sauceda. The 28-year old led the league in hits (187), runs (119), slugging (.640), OPS (1.027), and WAR (11.4). He added 43 home runs and 99 RBI. Pitcher of the Year went to Belo Horizonte veteran Omar Kung. The 30-year old had a career best 23-5 record with a 1.91 ERA, 317 strikeouts, and 9.8 WAR.

The Bolivar League Championship Series was a rematch and unlike last year’s sweep, went seven games in 1950. The final result was the same as Cali beat Bogota, giving the Cyclones a third straight league title. In the Southern Cone Championship, Belo Horizonte bested Cordoba in six games to give the Hogs their second title in three years. The Chanticleers are now 0-3 all time in the league final. Copa Sudamerica was a rematch of 1948 and yet again, Belo Horizonte beat Cali, this time 4-2. The Hogs get their second overall title in three years, while the Cyclones have now been the runner-up three straight seasons; the first franchise to suffer that fate.





Other notes: Two perfect games were thrown in 1950. On April 30, Lima’s Hernan Alatorre struck out eight in a perfecto against Valencia. Then on September 18, AJ Fernandez of Valencia struck out 10 against Barquisimeto. Buenos Aires ace Evan Yho became the third pitcher to 4500 strikeouts, while Alatorre crossed 4000 Ks and 200 wins. Yho and Tilson Garcia became the third and fourth pitchers to 250 career wins. Saul Vargas became the first BSA player to 1500 runs scored. Shortstop Jamie Escoto won his 10^th Gold Glove, the second player to win ten. SS Diego Pena won his record 12^th Silver Slugger.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1950 in EAB

For the 1950 season, East Asia Baseball instituted similar rule changes to the ones Beisbol Sudamerica had recently applied with the intent of increasing offensive production. In the Japan League, the batting average for the league went up from .232 to .247 with the changes and the league ERA went from 3.03 to 3.38. In the Korea League, the average went from .243 to .260 and the ERA went from 3.39 to 3.79. Runs per game in Japan went from 3.4 to 3.8 and in Korea went from 3.8 to 4.2.



Along with this explosion saw a record-setting season for Sapporo, finishing 121-41 atop the Japan League North Division. This was a Japanese record and only behind Hamhung’s 122-win 1926 for most wins in a season by an EAB team. This also gave the defending EAB champs their eighth playoff berth in nine years. In the South Division, Kitakyushu earned only their second ever playoff berth (1924). The Kodiaks finished 92-70, three games better than both defending division champ Kobe and Kyoto.

Sendai at 95-67 was second to Sapporo and boasted the league MVP in Maozhen Wang. The 27-year old 1B China had a career season with the league lead in runs (104), hits (213), average (.346), OBP (.388), and WAR (8.7), while adding 38 home runs and 98 RBI. The Swordfish meanwhile had Pitcher of the Year Yoko Nishii. The 30-year old veteran led in wins (22), strikeouts (283), quality starts (27), WHIP (.086), and K/BB (9.8) while adding 7.2 WAR and 2.14 ERA.



Things were chaotic in Korea with the war beginning between the recently created separate DPRK and ROK, but even as the conflict carried on, baseball was allowed to continue relatively uninterrupted. Incheon in the North Division won their first-ever division title with an impressive 113-49 season, while defending league champ Seoul was a distant second despite being 98-64. In the South Division, Daejeon earned only their second-ever playoff berth at 101-61, while last year’s division winner Changwon dropped to 78 wins in fourth. Daegu was second at 92-70.

Seoul LF Chong-Chun Pak won his third straight league MVP. The 28-year old led in RBI (134), slugging (.673), OPS (1.068), wRC+ (178), and WAR (7.8) while adding 40 home runs and 190 hits. Leading the Ducks to their division title was Ji-Yoon Park, getting his third Pitcher of the Year at age 29. He was one ERA point away from a Triple Crown, going 22-5 with a 2.27 ERA and 370 strikeouts. He added a league-best 11.1 WAR in 250 innings.

Sapporo’s dynasty continued as they cruised to a five game win over Kitakyushu in the Japan League Championship Series, giving the Swordfish their fifth league title in seven seasons. Meanwhile, the Korea League Championship Series was guaranteed a first-time winner. Incheon bested Daejeon in six games to advance. The East Asian Championship was a seven game classic and set a record for most combined wins between the two competitors with Incheon at 113 and Sapporo at 121. The series ended with the Inferno upsetting Sapporo to deny the repeat.





Other notes: On April 27, Seongnam’s Moon-Suk Ham threw a perfect game with 11 strikeouts against Daegu. Ulsan’s Ha-Jun Na had a 31-game hitting streak. Suwon’s Bum-Young Ahn became the sixth EAB hitter to 2500 career hits. Ju-Won An crossed 3500 strikeouts.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1950 in CABA

---

Mexicali won the Mexican League North Division for the second straight season, taking the top spot at 98-64. Hermosillo was their closest competitor at 91-71. In a tight South Division, Guadalajara narrowly took it at 96-66, better than Merida by one game. Ecatepec was six games back and defending champ Puebla was fourth at 86-76.

Leading the Maroons was a record-setting season from 1B Timmy Ramirez. The 28-year old won his third MVP and set the new single-season record with 65 home runs, beating the prior record of 61 he set two years earlier. Ramirez also had the first 150+ RBI season in CABA history with 154. He also led the league in runs (120), slugging (.710), OPS (1.102), and WAR (10.9). Pitcher of the Year went to Hermosillo’s Timothy Sandoval with the 30-year old American leading the league in wins (21) and WAR (7.6) with a 2.83 ERA and 271 strikeouts.



The Caribbean Island Division came down to the wire with Jamaica taking it at 97-65, only one game ahead of defending CABA champ Havana 96-66. In the Continental Division, Nicaragua was first at 92-70, three better than Honduras. For the Navigators, this is their third-ever playoff berth and first since 1919.

Leading Nicaragua’s effort was 26-year old RF Ricardo De Jesus, who won league MVP. He had a league-best 7.7 WAR, .317 average, and .899 OPS. Guatemala’s Edgar Andunvar won his third straight Pitcher of the Year. The 28-year old lefty nicknamed “Penguin”, led the Caribbean in ERA (2.10), WAR (8.3), and FIP- (52).

In the Mexican League Championship Series, Mexicali bested Guadalajara in six games to give the Maroons their first-ever league title in three MLCS appearances. The Caribbean League Championship Series went seven games for the fourth time in five seasons. Jamaica edged Nicaragua to give the Jazz their fourth league title and first since their early 1930s dynasty. Jamaica added its third CABA title by taking the overall championship over Mexicali in five games.





Other notes: Jeong-Hyeon Pin became the second CABA batter to reach 600 career home runs. Pin would play one last season in CABA in 1951 and finish with 634 home runs, passing Diomar Glas for the all-time lead. He’d surrender the lead by the end of the 1950s to Prometheo Garcia. Pin also crossed 2500 hits in 1950 along with Sandro Villanueba. SS Emmanuel Zavala would win his 16^th and final Silver Slugger, a number that wouldn’t be caught as of 2036.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1950 in MLB

---

After just missing the playoffs in the prior two seasons, Philadelphia was back atop the Eastern League standings in 1950 with a 100-62 record. 1948 World Series champ Hartford, who missed the playoffs last year on a tiebreaker game, took the second place spot at 97-65. Defending World Series champion Montreal missed out by taking third at 92-70. Toronto, who had been strong in recent years, fell to ninth at 76 wins. In the Midwest League, Chicago won back-to-back titles with a 97-65 finish. Columbus took the second place spot at 92-70, one better than St. Louis and three ahead of both Cleveland and St. Louis. This gives the Chargers the longest active postseason steak in the National Association at four seasons.

NA MVP went to Cubs 3B Jimmy Morris. The 27-year old led in doubles (52) while adding a .354 average, 218 hits, and 8.1 WAR. Indianapolis ace Rayan Orozco won his second Pitcher of the Year in three seasons. The 25-year old Puerto Rican was the leader in WAR (8.4) with a 20-7 record, 2.37 ERA, 255 strikeouts, and 6 shutouts.

In the first round of the playoffs, Hartford went to Chicago and upset the Cubs in four games, while Columbus stunned Philadelphia on the first in five games. The Huskies took the National Association Championship Series in six games over the Chargers in a rematch of the 1948 NACS. The Huskies win their fourth NA title, while Columbus is now 0-7 all-time in the NACS.



The Southern League had a tie for first place at 94-68 between Jacksonville and San Antonio. The tiebreaker went to the Gators for their third league title and fourth playoff appearance in the last five seasons. Both advanced to the playoffs with Houston third at 89-73. In the Western League, San Francisco took the top spot at 104-58 for their first playoff berth and WL title since 1932. Las Vegas at 103-59 was one back, earning their first playoff berth since 1939. Defending American Association champ Los Angeles fell hard, dropping to 11^th at 66-96.

New Orleans RF Stan Provost had a career rebirth for his second MVP. The 37-year old set a record for longest gap between MVPs, having won back in 1939 with Cincinnati. In his one and only year with the Mudcats, Provost led the AA in the triple slash (.370/.438/.682) for a 1.120 OPS and 8.8 WAR. He added 44 home runs and 135 RBI. Provost also passed 3000 career hits and 500 home runs this season. New Orleans also had the Pitcher of the Year despite being fifth in the SL. Ayaz Shainidize, a 23-year old from Georgia (the country, not the state) led the AA in WAR (8.9) and innings (304.2) with 23 complete games and 6 shutouts with a 2.81 ERA.

The first round saw the Western League prevail as Las Vegas got a road sweep over Jacksonville and San Francisco bested San Antonio in four. In the American Association Championship Series, the Gold Rush dropped the Vipers in five games, giving SF their first title since 1929 and fourth in franchise history. They added their second World Series title as the Gold Rush edged Hartford in seven games with all seven games won by the home team.






Other notes: JR Osborn crossed 3000 career hits and 1500 runs scored. Eliot Cote passed both 1500 runs and 1500 RBI in late May with Cash Watson and Jack McCoy also getting to 1500 runs scored. Passing 200 pitching wins were Juwan Oliver, George Friend, Finn Jean-Pierre, and Luigi Mariko. Oliver and Millard Barkley crossed 3000 strikeouts.

Jacksonville closer Nick Hedrick won his second straight Reliever of the Year in his Gators debut. His 6.3 WAR was the most by a winner of the award, as he had a 0.99 ERA and 35 saves with 139 strikeouts. 2B Hunter Pride won his 11^th and final Gold Glove.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

MLB After 50 Seasons

Major League Baseball has now completed 50 seasons of play with some interesting results thus far. Here are the players selected for the Major League Baseball 50^th Anniversary All-Time Team.

C: Gary Nodine (1910-29) – 7 Silver Sluggers, 2 Gold Gloves, 2626 hits, 1127 runs, 282 home runs, 1218 RBI, 87.3 WAR.

1B: Elijah Cashman (1919-36) – 7 MVPs, 11 Gold Gloves, 9 Silver Sluggers, 3455 hits, 1794 runs, 750 HR, 2050 RBI, .327 Avg, 136.6 WAR

2B: Archie Meredith (1909-28) – 1 MVP, 3 Gold Gloves, 7 Silver Sluggers, 2964 hits, 1674 runs, 626 home runs, 1752 RBI, .284 Avg, 119.8 WAR

SS: Kyle Bartz (1905-23) – 4 Silver Sluggers, 3383 hits, 1657 runs, 163 HR, 1210 RBI, .303 Avg, 62.7 WAR

3B: Caleb Yang (1928-47) – 1 MVP, 8 Silver Sluggers, 1 Gold Glove, 3208 hits, 1772 runs, 625 HR, 1831 RBI, .320 Avg, 127.5 WAR

LF: Andrei Tanev (1928-45) – 6 MVPs, 7 Silver Sluggers, 3 Gold Gloves, 2842 hits, 1719 runs, 616 HR, 1869 RBI, .309 Avg, 110.1 WAR

CF: Jax Sanders (1922-41) – 1 MVP, 7 Gold Gloves, 5 Silver Sluggers, 3609 hits, 1786 runs, 227 HR, 1196 RBI, .302 Avg, 928 Stolen Bases, 101.8 WAR

RF: Jason Salvage (1903-21) – 3 MVPs, 8 Silver Sluggers, 1907 World Series MVP, 2167 hits, 1497 runs, 559 HR, 1588 RBI, .284 Avg, 99.1 WAR

DH: Kaby Silva (1928-47) – 4 MVPs, 5 Silver Sluggers, 3218 hits, 1665 runs, 731 HR, 1895 RBI, .321 Avg, 108.1 WAR.

SP: Ned Giles (1929-1949) – 5x Pitcher of the Year, 356-232, 3.10 ERA, 5346 innings, 4561 strikeouts, 151.7 WAR

SP: Newton Persaud (1910-1928) – 5x Pitcher of the Year, 328-241, 3.41 ERA, 5356.2 IP, 4655 strikeouts, 145.9 WAR

SP: Bailey Johnson (1918-1935) – 1x Pitcher of the Year, 2 Gold Gloves, 276-184, 2.83 ERA, 4277.1 IP, 4064 strikeouts, 119.0 WAR

SP: Jeremy Frechette (1902-1915) – 5x Pitcher of the Year, 233-104, 3.32 ERA, 3080.1 IP, 2522 strikeouts, 92.5 WAR

SP: Josh Davis (1905-1915) – 6x Pitcher of the Year, 196-109, 2.53 ERA, 2862.0 IP, 2763 strikeouts, 90.1 WAR

CL Rovaldis Arvelo (1928-1947) – 3x Reliever of the Year, 128-84, 438 saves, 2.26 ERA, 1170 IP, 1430 strikeouts, 51.5 WAR.

Below is a look at the National Association through the first 50 seasons.



With their 1940s dynasty especially, Philadelphia has the most World Series wins (7) and appearances (9), most Association Finals appearances (11), and playoff berths (19). Ottawa actually has the highest average win total of any National Association team at 87.4. The Eastern League has been stronger than the Midwest League on average with eight EL teams averaging a winning record over 50 years to only two in the Midwest League. Brooklyn is the only EL team without an association finals appearance and has the fewest playoff appearances at one. They’re also the only EL team without a first place finish.

Milwaukee has the most playoff appearances of the Midwest League teams but oddly is eighth in wins with a lot of parity in the ML. Two teams, Omaha and Chicago, have never been to the Association final, but all teams have finished first. Despite having the best winning percentage of the group, Louisville has the fewest first place finishes with only one. They’re also the only ML team with two World Series wins. The Midwest League has only made it to the World Series 18 times compared to 32 for the Eastern League.


Switching over to the American Association after the first 50 seasons.



Houston has been the most dominant franchise as a whole averaging 89.1 wins per season and has the most playoff appearances (21) of any MLB team and the most Association Finals berths (13) and most first places (15). They’re behind Philly in titles by one. The rest of the SL is generally weaker than the Western League with Jacksonville as the only other team averaging a winning record. Yet, in part because of Houston, the SL has 28 World Series appearances compared to 22 for the WL. 10 of the 12 SL teams have been to the World Series once. San Antonio has the fewest wins of any MLB team, but it is Oklahoma City who are the only one without a single playoff spot. They’re also the only team without a first place in the SL.

Denver at 88 wins per season has the second most wins of any team, but still only sees 5 AACS appearances. San Diego may be the most unlucky team with an average 84.2 wins per season, but only five playoff appearances compared to some teams with less sustained success. Every WL team has been to the AACS at least once.

Meanwhile, here are the college baseball national champion and conference champion results in the first 50 years of baseball.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1951 MLB Hall of Fame

The 1951 Major League Baseball Hall of Fame class was an impressive one with four first-ballot inductees. The star was LF Andrei Tanev at 98.7%, followed by 1B Kent Price (92.0%), SP Randy Trainor (91.0%), and 3B Isaac Epperson (89.1%). SP Andy Cowan was close to making it a five-person class on the second ballot at 61.7%. Two closers; Otto Thurston and Cliff Bettis, made it above 50% along with C Elijah Watson.



One player was dropped after a 10^th ballot. SP Wyatt Maman had 15 seasons with Cincinnati and was the 1928 Pitcher of the Year. He had a 171-190 record, 3.21 ERA, 2505 strikeouts, and 81.1 WAR. He peaked at 37.6% on his first go on the ballot.



Andrei “Frisky” Tanev – Left Fielder – New Orleans Mudcats – 98.7% First Ballot

Andrei Tanev was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed left fielder born in Ulyanovsk, a city on the Volga River in Russia. Tanev was one of the best all-around batters of the 1930s and 40s, combining very good contact ability, power, eye, and speed. He was a career left fielder and considered a good to sometimes great defender, winning three Gold Gloves early in his career. Tanev was also a team captain and tremendous leader, beloved in every clubhouse he played in.

Tanev left the Soviet Union as a teenager and played college baseball at Wichita State, In the 1927 MLB Draft, he was drafted 157^th overall in the fourth round by Memphis. Tanev immediately found success with the Mountain Cats, winning the 1928 Rookie of the Year with 37 home runs, 118 RBI, and 6.3 WAR. In 1932 and 1933, he won the American Association MVP, leading both of those seasons in runs, home runs, RBI, and OPS. He helped Memphis get wild card berths in 1933 and 34 after struggles throughout the 1920s. In seven years with the Mountain Cats, Tanev had 1165 hits, 732 runs, 278 home runs, 830 RBI, .301 average, and 49.1 WAR.

Tanev left for free agency for the 1935 season and at age 28, signed an eight-year, $159,600 contract with New Orleans. In their prior 34 seasons, the Mudcats had never made the playoffs, but in his first year there, Tanev led New Orleans to their first World Series title. He won his third MVP, again leading in runs, home runs, RBI, and OPS. In the postseason, he had 17 hits, 8 runs, 3 home runs, and 9 RBI. Instantly, “Frisky” became beloved by the Mudcats fans as a hero.

New Orleans made the playoffs thrice more in his tenure, but didn’t again make a big run. Still, Tanev was a beast, winning MVPs in 1936, 1940, and 1941; giving him six for his career. Four of his six Silver Sluggers came with New Orleans, including a career-best 10.7 WAR in 1941. In his run, Tanev had 1384 hits, 814 runs, 287 home runs, 855 RBI, a .318 average, and 51.1 WAR. Late in his run with the Mudcats, he earned his 2500^th hit, 1500^th RBI, and 1500^th run scored. His #7 jersey was the first retired by the franchise.

The 36-year old Tanev became a free agent again and signed with Seattle in 1943, where he spent his final three MLB seasons. Injuries and age started to catch up, including a torn PCL that put him out almost all of 1944. He did cross 600 home runs with the Grizzlies, the 6^th player to do so. Tanev spent his final two seasons in CABA with Monterrey. After going unsigned in 1948, Tanev retired from professional baseball at age 42.

The final MLB line for Tanev: 2842 hits, 1719 runs, 372 doubles, 208 triples, 616 home runs, 1869 RBI, 966 walks, 380 stolen bases, a .309/.376/.595 slash and 110.1 WAR. He was one of four with 200+ triples at retirement and at retirement, his was fourth all-time in RBI. His .595 slugging percentage was the all-time top mark of the 21^st century. Tanev was well deserving of a near-unanimous first ballot induction.



Kent Price – First Baseman – Baltimore Orioles – 92.0% First Ballot

Kent Price was a 5’11’’, 195 pound left-handed first baseman from Sea Cliff, a small town on Long Island New York. Price was a terrific contact hitter who added solid reliable home run power with a pretty good eye. He was a poor baserunner and a career first baseman, considered an average to decent defender. Price played college baseball at Western Michigan and was selected second overall in the 1927 MLB Draft by Baltimore. He’d spend his entire 18-year pro career with the Orioles, where he’d become a fan favorite.

Price saw an impressive debut by winning Rookie of the Year in 1928 with 35 home runs and 6.1 WAR. He’d win two Silver Sluggers spread out, one in 1933 and the other in 1943. Price never won MVP, but did finish third in 1933. He very rarely was a league leader, but he was an iron man who reliably hit 30-40 home runs, around 100 RBI, and roughly 5-6 WAR. In 1943, he had a career-best 50 home run season at age 36 and in 1932, led the National Association in 142.

He became the face of the Orioles, who were almost always above .500 but had trouble breaking through. They finally did in 1939, winning the Eastern League title and ultimately the World Series. In the postseason, he had 20 hits, 7 runs, 3 home runs, and 14 RBI. Unsurprisingly, his #11 uniform would be retired by Baltimore. After his huge 1943 at age 36, he fell off in 1944 and spent 1945 as a bench player. Price was released after the 1945 season and after going unsigned in 1946, retired at the age of 40.

The final statistics: 2940 hits, 1604 runs, 418 doubles, 577 home runs, 1707 RBI, 949 walks, a .309/.378/.540 slash and 96.4 WAR. He almost quietly built the Hall of Fame resume by being a consistently solid performer for almost two decades. Any Baltimore fan though would tell you that he was a Hall of Fame talent and indeed he was, picked on the first ballot at 92.0%.



Randy Trainor – Staring Pitcher – Kansas City Cougars – 91.0% First Ballot

Randy Trainor was a 5’8’’, 175 pound left-handed pitcher from the small town of Choctaw, part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. Despite his smaller stature, Trainor threw hard with velocity in the 98-100 mph range. His movement was good, but his great control was his calling card. Trainor had a six-pitch repertoire with a slider, curveball, forkball, changeup, cutter, and circle change. He was a solid defensive pitcher and for a pitcher, a decent batter with a .198 average and 98 hits. He earned a Silver Slugger in 1937.

Trainor played college baseball at Iowa and earned the 11^th overall pick by Kansas City in the 1930 MLB Draft. After limited relief as a rookie, he became a full-time starter for the rest of his career. He finished second in Pitcher of the Year voting in both 1935 and 1936 for the Cougars and in 1937, won the award for the only time in his career. That season finally saw KC break through a more than decade-long playoff drought, winning the National Association title. He had a 2.10 ERA over 30 playoff innings. With Kansas City, he had a 108-63 record, 3.02 ERA, 1392 strikeouts over 1623.1 innings, and 38.3 WAR.

Fresh off an award-winning season, Trainor left for free agency and signed a seven-year, $156,800 contract with Calgary at age 28. He finished third in Pitcher of the Year voting in 1939 and twice led the American Association in WAR with the Cheetahs. In 1940, Calgary won the AA title and Trainor had a 3.27 ERA over 41.1 innings for 1.6 WAR. Although inducted as a Cougar, his Cheetah run was arguably better. In seven seasons, he had a 120-77 record, 3.35 ERA, 1888 innings, 1227 strikeouts, and 50.9 WAR. Trainor began to struggle in his last year at age 34 in 1944. He was briefly rostered by Houston and San Diego before eventually spending most of the year with Cincinnati’s affiliate in Dayton. At that point, he was washed and retired at age 35.

The final line for Trainor: 228-140, 3.20 ERA, 3513.1 innings, 2620 strikeouts and 611 walks, 282/435 quality starts, 179 complete games, and 89.2 WAR. Trainor was a reliably solid starting pitcher for two franchises and perhaps a bit underappreciated in his time. The Hall of Fame voters appreciated him though, adding Trainor on the first ballot to the 1951 class at 91.0%.



Isaac Epperson – Third Baseman – Detroit Tigers – 89.1% First Ballot

Isaac Epperson was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed third baseman from Lebanon, a small town in central Indiana. Epperson was an excellent contact hitter who regularly put the ball in play, as he rarely walked but also rarely struck out. He had solid gap power and was an excellent doubles hitter who also could get you 15-20 home runs per season. He wasn’t a particular fast baserunner and was exclusively a third baseman defensively, considered an above average to good defender. Epperson was also thought of as an ironman, very rarely missing games due to injury.

He stayed in the Midwest by playing college baseball at Akron, then was picked 15^th overall in the 1925 MLB Draft by Detroit. The Tigers were his longest stay of his lengthy career, becoming a full-time starter after his rookie year for the next seven seasons. He won his first Silver Slugger at 1929 and led the National Association in hits with 221 in 1932. That season, the Tigers were NA champs with Epperson getting 26 hits, 12 runs, and 0.7 WAR over their postseason run, falling in the World Series to Jacksonville. With Detroit, he had 1446 hits, 621 runs, 136 home runs, a .325 average, and 42.1 WAR. He was well liked enough in this run that his #2 jersey was the first to be retired by the Tigers.

Epperson left for free agency and signed at age 28 with Calgary. He spent 1934-36 with the Cheetahs, winning Silver Sluggers in 1935 and 36. In 1935, Epperson had his highest MVP voting finish at third, winning the batting title at .339. The Cheetahs made it to the American Association Championship series in 1935. Despite his success, Epperson opted out two years early from his Calgary contract, signing with San Diego at age 31 for the 1937 season.

His fourth and final Silver Slugger came in his first year with the Seals. Epperson ultimately spent four years with San Diego, struggling immensely in 1940. Fearing his was washed, the Seals traded him to Louisville for the 1941 season. He bounced back with a solid 5.8 WAR year with the Lynx, his last great season. He also spent 1942 with Louisville, where he picked up his 3000^th career hit.

Epperson signed with Memphis in 1943 at age 43 and was traded the next year to New Orleans. He spent one season with the Mudcats, then signed for his final year in 1945 with the New York Yankees. In that last season, he crossed 1500 runs scored and 1500 RBI. He became the third player to pass 3500 career hits, retiring third all-time. He also ended with 579 doubles; second most all-time at retirement.

The final stats for Epperson: 3551 hits, 1519 runs, 579 doubles, 333 home runs, 1557 RBI, a .310/.338/.457 slash and 86.7 WAR. Epperson was one of the most dependable players in Major League Baseball for 20 seasons and was generally liked by each team and fanbase he met. Even in a loaded four-person Hall of Fame class, Epperson earned a first ballot selection with 89.1% of the vote.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1951 CABA Hall of Fame

The 1951 Central American Baseball Association Hall of Fame class had two players get in, although both barely crossed the 66% threshold in a weak field. On his third attempt, first baseman Mason Mick made the cut at 67.8%. On his fifth try, pitcher Dusty Louis crossed the line at 66.9%. Pitcher Hugo Aguilar almost joined them on his first attempt, just missing it at 64.4%. No one else was above 50% and no one was dropped after 10 tries.



Notably dropped on his 8^th try was pitcher Yusdel Ximenez, the 10^th pitcher in CABA to cross 200 wins. He had a 211-213 record over a lengthy career with 3.21 ERA, 3109 strikeouts, and 61.1 WAR. He peaked at 23.2% on the first attempt.



Mason Mick – First Baseman – Hermosillo Hyenas – 67.8% Third Ballot

Mason Mick was a 5’11’’, 200 pound right-handed first baseman from the tiny Maine town of Bar Harbor. Mick would become known as someone with a tremendous eye and the ability to draw walks like none other. He still did strike out a lot and was at best an average contact hitter. He would eventually hit for respectable home run power. He was a poor baserunner and played the vast majority of his career at first base and was considered an above average defender.

Mick had an unusual path to the Central American Baseball Association as a guy from Maine who played college baseball at Kent State. He wasn’t at all highly touted as a prospect, but did get drafted by Boston in the third round, 140^th overall, in the 1919 MLB Draft. He was a bench player in minor league Providence in 1920 and was then cut before the 1921 season. In May, he went to Mexico and signed with Hermosillo. He was a reserve roster guy who didn’t play for two seasons, then spent three seasons with the Hyenas as a bench player. A late bloomer, Mick finally became a full-time starter in 1926 at age 27 and would remain a full-time starter until his mid 40s.

Mick won his three Silver Sluggers in 1926, 1927, and 1929. In his second season as a starter in 1927, Mick won the Mexican League MVP, leading the league in home runs (37), walks (76), OBP (.374), slugging (.547), OPS (.921), and wRC+ (204). He won again the next season with a league lead 8.7 WAR and drew 106 walks, which was second-most in a season at the time. Mick would lead the league in walks nine times in his career.

In 1930 and 1933, Hermosillo won the Mexican League title and Mick had a big postseason in both. In 1930, he had five home runs, 15 RBI, and five doubles. In 1933, he added three homers and eight RBI. As he entered the 1930s, Mick was no longer an MVP candidate, but he consistently was a solid starter throughout his 30s and into his 40s as a reliable ironman. Torn ankle ligaments put him out for most of 1935, but outside of that, he regularly started full seasons or close to it. In his time with Hermosillo, Mick had 1514 hits, 803 runs, 279 home runs, 826 RBI, 794 walks, and 60.8 WAR. His #22 jersey would get retired at the end of his career.

After his injury shortened 1935, Mick was traded to Jamaica for three players. When the Jazz got him at age 37, they probably didn’t expect to get solid production for another eight seasons. The Jazz weren’t a playoff team in his time, but he was a bright spot with a reliable 3-4 WAR, 25 home run, 125 hits or so each year. He finally played his last year at age 44 in 1943, posting 985 hits, 562 runs, 189 home runs, 627 RBI, and 23.3 WAR in his time in Jamaica.

The final stats for Mick: 2499 hits, 1365 runs, 361 doubles, 468 home runs, 1453 RBI, 1350 walks, a .263/.359/.458 slash and 84.1 WAR. At retirement, no player in CABA had drawn more walks and he’d hold the career record until the 2020s. Still, walks aren’t sexy and with that as his calling card, it would take three tries to get Mick into the CABA Hall of Fame. He barely missed at 65.7% in his second year and just got over the hump at 67.8% in his third try to join the greats in 1951.



Dusty Louis – Starting Pitcher – Jamaica Jazz – 66.9% Fifth Ballot

Dusty Louis was a 6’0’’, 200 pound left-handed starting pitcher from Haiti’s capital Port-au-Prince. At his peak, Louis had 97-99 mph velocity with four pitches; his most dangerous being a splitter. He added a fastball, slider, and changeup and had respectable movement and control. He was also generally thought off as a good defensive pitcher and someone great at holding runners.

After his amateur career in his native Haiti, he was drafted in the 1927 CABA Draft by Jamaica in the second round with the 44^th overall pick. He spent two seasons on the reserve roster, making his debut as a part-time starter in 1930 at age 22. He struggled in four postseason starts, but the Jazz prevailed anyway and won the CABA title in 1930. In 1931, Louis won the Pitcher of the Year with the league lead in ERA (2.08), wins (23), quality starts (30), and WAR (8.6). A biceps strain in late September kept him out of the postseason run.

Jamaica would make the playoffs five straight seasons from 1930-34, also winning the CABA title in 1933 and Caribbean title in 1934. Louis was second in Pitcher of the Year voting in 1933 and third in 1932. He was much stronger in these later postseason runs with a sub 1.50 ERA in eight starts between 1932-34. Jamaica would go into a playoff drought for the rest of the 1930s, but Louis kept a warm spot in Jazz fans’ hearts as a big part of a mini dynasty. His #7 jersey would be retired after retirement.

In late May 1935, a partially torn UCL put Louis out for 13 months, ending his season and putting him out for a chunk of 1936. He was back pitching full seasons in 1937 and 1938, but the now 30-year old Louis was no longer a dominant pitcher. At the end of the 1938 season, Louis was traded to Monterrey for prospects. He spent 1939 with the Matadors, then signed with Puerto Rico in 1940 and Juarez in 1941. In summer 1941, Louis suffered a partially torn labrum and after going unsigned in 1942, retired at age 34.

His final statistics: 173-88, 2.76 ERA, 2386.1 innings, 2025 strikeouts, 450 walks, 214/312 quality starts, and 45.2 WAR. His peak with Jamaica was electric, but he was never the same over the UCL injury. He was impressive in a short burst, but his career numbers were thought by many as a “Hall of Very Good” type. But Louis had enough defenders to keep him around the 50% mark in his first four ballots. In a relatively weak 1951 field, he got enough of a bump to barely cross the 66% threshold at 66.9%.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1951 EAB Hall of Fame

Two players were inducted in the East Asia Baseball 1951 Hall of Fame Class. Slugger Danzu Min was a first ballot selection at 96.3%, while Pitcher Shinji Mizuguchi on his second try got in at 73.2%. SS Jun-Yeong Dang on his debut barely missed the 66% cut with 65.1%. Three others were above 50%, all starting pitchers in Toshihiro Tsukahara, Kazuo Udagawa, and Ping’an Xie.



Two players were cut after 10 tries on the EAB ballot. Pitcher Tadakatsu Kyuki was the 1928 Japan League Pitcher of the Year with Chiba and between them and Yokohama in 13 years had a 162-124 record, 2.52 ERA, 2596 strikeouts, and 59.5 WAR. He fell off too early though to accumulate the requisite numbers, peaking on his second ballot at 21.2%. Meanwhile, closer Kazuto Ichihara peaked at 35.9% on his second attempt. The 1925 Reliever of the Year had 13 seasons primarily with Sapporo and Seongnam, posting 294 saves, a 2.14 ERA, 1399 strikeouts, and 31.7 WAR. A solid closer, but not quite HOF worthy.



Danzu Min – Third Baseman – Nagoya Nightowls -96.3% First Ballot

Danzu Min was a 6’2’’, 205 pound switch-hitting third baseman from Shenyang, a metropolis in northeast China. He was very much a “three true outcomes” player who had tremendous home run power and the ability to draw walks, but also was someone who struck out a ton. He was a poor contact hitter, but made up for that with raw power and run scoring ability as a respectable baserunner. Min was a career third baseman who was an average to above average defender.

Min’s family moved to Japan and he attended Tsuda Gauken High School in Kuwana. He was a rare player drafted straight out of high school in EAB, but picked late, as Nagoya selected Min 128^th overall in the fifth round of the 1922 EAB Draft. He had nine at-bats over 1923-1926 as they trained him up. He struggled in 31 games in 1927 and spent his entire 1928 on the reserve roster. He played his first full-time season at age 24 in 1929 and was a full-time starter the next year.

Nagowa became a contender as Min came to prominence with four straight 100+ win seasons from 1931-34, winning the EAB title in 1931 and 1934. In 1931, Min won the Japan League MVP with the league lead in home runs (54) and RBI (116). He had an incredible postseason with eight home runs, 12 runs, and 13 RBI over 12 games as the Nightowls took home a ring. He won his second MVP in 1932 and set the single-season home run record of 64, while adding 120 RBI, a .985 OPS, and 10.1 WAR.

That would be his peak season, but he’d remain a solid contributor for Nagoya into the mid 1940s. The Nightowls won the Japan League title again in 1937 and the EAB championship in 1940. At retirement, Min was the all-time EAB playoff home run and RBI leader with 28 dingers and 49 RBI. He won four Silver Sluggers in total, led in homers three times, walks thrice, and runs twice. Notably, he also led in strikeouts nine times and at retirement had whiffed more than any other EAB player at 3205. Min’s unusual #97 uniform would get retired by Nagoya, who he finally left after the 1945 season at age 40. In 1944, he became the first EAB hitter to 600 career home runs and was the career leader at retirement. He tried one year post-war in MLB with the New York Yankees in 1946. He hit 27 home runs at age 41, but led the league in strikeouts and retired at season’s end.

The final EAB stats for Danzu Min: 1879 hits, 1355 runs, 237 doubles, 658 home runs, 1431 RBI, 986 walks, 3205 strikeouts, 494 stolen bases, a .214/.300./490 slash and 93.9 WAR. His power, especially in the playoffs, was legendary. He was a key crusher for Nagoya despite being the all-time whiff king. All of Danzu’s dingers meant he was a no-doubt first ballot selection at 96.3%.



Shinji Mizuguchi – Starting Pitcher – Sapporo Swordfish – 73.2% Second Ballot

Shinji Mizuguchi was a 5’10’’, 195 pound right-handed starting pitcher from Tokyo, Japan. He was a hard thrower with 98-100 mph velocity and solid control with average movement. Mizuguchi mixed a fastball, slider, splitter, and changeup. Mizuguchi was a college standout at the University of Tokyo and was picked sixth overall by Sapporo in the 1929 EAB Draft.

After spending his rookie year as a reliever, Mizuguchi became a fulltime starter for the Swordfish for the next 12 seasons. Although he never was a Pitcher of the Year finalist, Mizuguchi was a reliable innings eater. He led the Japan League six times in complete games and lead in innings three times. He consistently put up around 5-6 WAR, 250 or so strikeouts and around an upper two/low three ERA. Sapporo found success in the early years for Mizuguchi, winning the EAB title in 1932 and Japan League title in 1933. He had a strong 1932 postseason with a 1.89 ERA over 33.1 innings with 29 strikeouts.

Mizuguchi kept chugging along into his 30s and stayed loyal to the Swordfish, despite the team struggling in the later 1930s. They started an upswing into the 1940s and would get back top form in 1944 and 45, but Mizuguchi would miss that. In September 1942, he suffered a catastrophic ruptured ulnar collateral ligament. He made one regular season and one playoff start the next year and was not re-signed by Sapporo, although they would retire his #23 uniform. In 1944, he had 11.1 relief innings for Chiba and would retire that offseason at age 37.

The final line for Mizuguchi: 194-157, 2.78 ERA, 3305.2 innings, 3197 strikeouts, 601 walks, 280 quality starts, 163 complete games and 65.8 WAR. Quiet and reliable, but not at all flashy. Without the injury, he surely would’ve crossed 200 wins and maybe 250 as he had remained steady up until that fateful day. Still, he was a key player for some solid 1930s Sapporo teams and that earned the attention of the Hall of Fame voters, who put Mizuguchi in on his second try at the ballot with 73.2%.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1951 BSA Hall of Fame

---

The 1951 Beisbol Sudamerica Hall of Fame Class consisted of two starting pitchers both making it on their first ballot. Cato Arias was a slam dunk at 97.7%, while Ivo Sovereira checked in with a solid 85.0%. It was very nearly a three pitcher class with Rey Parisi falling less than one percent short on his third attempt at 65.4%. No one else was above 50% and there were no players who were dropped after a 10^th ballot.



Cato Arias – Starting Pitcher – Rosario Robins – 97.7% First Ballot

Cato Arias was a 6’4’’, 210 pound left-handed pitcher from the town of Rio Gallegos in southern Argentina. His velocity peaked around 95-97 mph and he expertly mixed up four solid pitches with decent control and movement. His arsenal was a fastball, slider, curveball, and splitter. He was viewed as an effective fly ball pitcher and a pretty solid defender, once winning a Gold Glove.

Arias was part of the first Beisbol Sudamerica amateur draft in late 1931 and had garnered attention in his native Argentina, getting selected fourth overall by Cordoba. He spent his entire 14-year professional career with the Chanticleers, throwing 209 innings in his rookie year. He became a regular ace for the team, peaking in 1936 with his lone Pitcher of the Year season. Arias posted a dominant league-best 1.34 ERA with 362 strikeouts over 283 innings with 32 quality starts, 18 complete games, and 11.1 WAR. He also had a no-hitter with 14 strikeouts and two walks that season against Rio de Janeiro.

He never had another year quite that good, but did take second in Pitcher of the Year voting in 1938 with a 1.60 ERA and 9.1 WAR. He had nine seasons of 6+ WAR, nine seasons with 275+ strikeouts and finished below 2.00 in ERA five times.

His #22 uniform was the first to be retired by Cordoba and he was a bright spot for a generally low to mid-tier franchise. The Chanticleers only made the playoffs in 1937 and 1940 while Arias was there and he missed the 1940 run with a partially torn UCL that put him out most of the year. Even after that injury at age 30, Arias had four more very solid seasons with Cordoba before finally falling off at age 35. He was still under contract in 1946 but didn’t play a game, retiring at age 37 at the end of the year.

The final line for Arias was 220-136, 2.10 ERA, 3330.2 innings, 3593 strikeouts, 719 walks, 302 quality starts out of 407, 165 complete games, and 79.2 WAR. Arias was a reliable face of a franchise for a good decade or so and certainly worthy as an early Hall of Famer, getting in impressively at 97.7%.



Ivo Sovereira – Starting Pitcher – Belo Horizonte Hogs – 85.0% First Ballot

Ivo Sovereira was a 5’7’’, 195 pound right-handed pitcher from Santa Maria, a city in the southernmost state in Brazil. The thick Sovereira was known was having excellent control along with strong 97-99 mph velocity on his fastball. He mixed it up with a curveball, changeup, and forkball. As pitchers go, he was a decent hitter with a career .198 average and 121 hits, winning a Silver Slugger once. Defensively, he was fairly average. He was reliable and an ironman with his longest injury outage being three days for food poisoning.

Sovereira was drafted fifth overall by Belo Horizonte in the 1931 Beisbol Sudamerica amateur draft. He made some starts and relief as a rookie and struggled in a -2.0 WAR season, but fared much better in year two and was excellent by year four. He never won Pitcher of the Year, but took second in both 1935 and 1936. In 1939, the Hogs made their first playoff appearance and advanced to Copa Sudamerica with Sovereira posting a 1.53 ERA over 29.1 innings in the playoff run. In total with Belo Horizonte, he was 143-82 with a 2.42 ERA over 2053 innings with 2036 strikeouts and 49.8 WAR.

At the 1940 trade deadline, he was traded to Quito at age 31. He spent four seasons with the Thunderbolts and posted a career best 1.56 ERA in 1943 at age 34. The Thunderbolts turned around from being bottom-tier while he was there, but they were still just short of being a playoff team. In his tenure, he was 60-42 with a 2.17 ERA, 1017 strikeouts, and 27.6 WAR. With Quito, he picked up his 3000^th strikeout and 200^th win. Sovereira returned home to Brazil in 1945 on a three-year contract with Brasilia, but retired after one lackluster season at age 37.

The final statistics for Sovereira: 209-132, 2.34 ERA, 3131.2 innings, 3157 strikeouts, 467 walks, 330/423 quality starts, and 78.5 WAR. His #94 uniform was the first to be retired by Belo Horizonte and he would be well known as a franchise ambassador after retirement. One of Brazil’s top pitchers of the 1930s and although his final numbers aren’t at the top of the Hall of Fame leaderboards, it is understandable why he was a first ballot pick at 85.0%.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1951 World Baseball Championship

---

The fifth World Baseball Championship took place in 1951 in San Diego, California. The United States went unbeaten dominating Division 1 at 11-0, three games ahead of Argentina, Germany, and North Korea. In Division 2, Venezuela and South Korea tied for the top spot at 9-2 with Colombia one back and Spain two back. Venezuela advanced to the round robin stage on the tiebreaker. In Division 3, Brazil prevailed at 9-2, finishing a game better than Peru and two ahead of Canada, Dominican Republican, Ecuador, and England. And in Division 4, defending world champ Mexico and Japan tied for first at 8-3. Japan had the tiebreaker, sending them to the final four.

1951 would be the final season using this postseason format with the final four playing a three-round robin against each other. The Americans had the top mark at 8-1, advancing to the championship along with Japan at 5-4. Brazil was third at 3-6 and Venezuela was fourth at 2-7. In the best-of-seven World Championship, the USA defeated Japan in five games. The Americans have taken three of the first five championships. It was the first finals appearance for Japan.





Adam Lewis was tournament MVP for back-to-back seasons. The 26-year old Baltimore CF had 42 hits, 26 runs, 10 doubles, 8 home runs, 20 RBI, a .412/.465/.765 slash and 2.0 WAR over 24 games. The Best Pitcher went to Mexico’s Aaron Reyes. A 33-year old veteran currently with Seattle, he had 12.2 scoreless innings with 19 strikeouts, four hits allowed, and one walk.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1951 in EBF

---

Year two of the European Baseball Federation saw some record setting seasons. In the Northern Conference, Paris dominated the Northwest Division at 124-38, the first-ever 124 win season in any of the professional league. Last year’s division champ Amsterdam had a 107-55 mark, easily taking the wild card spot. Stockholm cruised to the North Central Division at 112-50, while the first European Champion Copenhagen fell off hard to 75-87. The Corsairs would have to wait until the 1980s to make the playoffs again. Glasgow was the British Isles champ again with a 94-68 record, beating Dublin by five games.

Amsterdam CF Joe Ramet was the NC MVP. The 32-year old Frenchman had 131 runs, 207 hits, 60 home runs, 142 RBI, and 13.2 WAR. The WAR total would remain a top 10 single-season mark even into the 21^st Century. Pitcher of the Year went to Stockholm’s Pietro Ribsi. The 26-year old Italian had the first Triple Crown pitcher season with a 25-6 record, 2.05 ERA, and 328 strikeouts. He also had a conference-best 293.2 innings, 28 quality starts, and 11.9 WAR.



Believe it or not, Paris didn’t have the best record in the EBF in 1951, as Madrid finished at 125-37. It was the first 125 win season in professional baseball and wouldn’t be matched in any league again until 2000 during Kano’s West African Baseball dynasty. Last year’s Southern Conference champ Barcelona took the wild card at 109-53, the second-best record in the SC. Munich won a tight Southeast Division at 99-63, finishing two ahead of defending division champ Vienna. The South Central Division was decided by one game with Milan successfully defending their title at 92-70, edging 91-71 Zurich.

Munich’s Orion McIntyre won the Southern Conference MVP. The 35-year old Northern Irish 3B crushed 68 home runs, which would be the EBF single-season record until 1984. He added 140 RBI, 1.051 OPS, and 10.4 WAR. The Mavericks also had the Pitcher of the Year in Todd Sandstrom. The 27-year old Swede had a 2.13 ERA, 0.81 WHIP, 292 strikeouts, and 8.7. WAR.

Despite the record-setting seasons, both Paris and Madrid were knocked out in the first round of the playoffs. Amsterdam downed the Poodles in four games, while Barcelona swept the Conquistadors. Glasgow edged Stockholm in five games and Munich outlasted Milan in five games. The Northern Conference Championship saw the Anacondas defeat the Highlanders in five games, while the Southern Conference had the Mavericks best the Bengals in six. The second European Championship saw Amsterdam defeat Munich in six games, sending the cup to the Netherlands.





Other notes: Paris’s Gabriel Staudt’s 151 RBI would stand as the single-season record until 1982. Poodles closer Romain Guy-Blache had 57 saves, which would not only be the EBF single-season record, but the record in any world league until 2010.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1951 in BSA

---

Bogota claimed a third straight Bolivar League North Division title in 1951, finishing at 91-71. The Bats beat Valencia (89-73) by two games. Meanwhile, the best record in the league went to South Division champ Cali. The three-time defending Bolivar League champ won their fifth straight division with a 98-64 record, eight games better than second place Quito.

The MVP and Pitcher of the Year both went to Bogota. Bats 3B Pedro Quintana won his second straight MVP, leading the league in hits (220) and batting average (.346), adding 41 doubles, 15 triples, and 6.4 WAR. Alonzo Guzman won his second PotY in three years as the 33-year old led in wins (22) and ERA (1.53) with 296 strikeouts, 33 quality starts, and 8.0 WAR.



Brasilia won a weak Brazil Division for their first playoff berth since their 1938 Copa Sudamerica season. The Bearcats finished 86-76, beating defending BSA champ Belo Horizonte by two games. Cordoba at 101-61 won their second straight South Division and had the best overall record in Beisbol Sudamerica.

The Chanticleers boasted the MVP and Pitcher of the Year in 1951. 28-year old LF Placido Guerrero had the MVP on 48 home runs, 108 RBI, .949 OPS, 198 wRC+, and 8.1 WAR. 27-year old Nono Louceiro was the PotY on 8.3 WAR, a 1.87 ERA, 19-7 record, and 296 strikeouts over 264.1 innings.

The 1951 Bolivar League Championship Series was the third straight between Bogota and Cali. For the first time, the Bats prevailed by sweeping the Cyclones, denying a Cali four-peat. This also gave Bogota its first-ever league title. Cordoba won its first-ever Southern Cone Championship Series by beating Brasilia in five games. In a novel Copa Sudamerica, the Chanticleers clobbered the Bats in five games, bringing the title back to Argentina for the first time since Buenos Aires’ 1945 title.





Other notes: Quito’s Carlos Vargas had a 30-game hitting streak, tying the BSA single-season record. Matias Amaro and Diego Pena became the first BSA batters to reach 500 career home runs. Leonardo Velasco became the second to 2500 career hits. Evan Yho became the second pitcher to 5000 career strikeouts, while Tilson Garcia and Hernan Alatorre became the fourth and fifth to 4500 Ks. Jonathan Iglesias became the first (and as of 2036, the only) reliever to 500 career saves.

Cordoba shortstop Jamie Escoto became an 11-time Gold Glove winner, while LF Carlos Matamoros became a nine-time winner. Escoto joins RF Martin Arriaga as the only 11-time winners. SS Diego Pena won his record 13^th Silver Slugger.