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

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1963 in EBF

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The best record in the entire European Baseball Federation in 1963 belonged to the Northern Conference’s Hamburg. The Hammers finished 105-57 atop the North Central Division with the fewest runs allowed at 499. They earned a fourth division title in six seasons, while last year’s winner Berlin dropped to below .500. Last year’s wild card Paris picked up the Northwest Division at 98-64 and Birmingham secured the British Isles Division at 95-67, snapping a two-year drought. In a weak wild card field, Brussels was able to extend their playoff streak to five years with an 85-77 record, two games ahead of Stockholm and three over London. The 1962 European Champion Dublin limped to a 75-87 season.

For the third consecutive season, both the MVP and Pitcher of the Year belonged to Hamburg Hammers. It was a new MVP in Hartwig Werner, the 32-year left fielder. In his 11^th year with the team, he exploded for a career-best 10.9 WAR and a league leading .676 slugging, adding 36 doubles, 22 triples, 43 home runs, 128 RBI, and a .340 average. Werner also picked up the sixth Gold Glove of his career. Hermann Hoffman won back-to-back Pitcher of the Year honors. The 27-year old Austrian had the most wins (21-10), innings (291.2), and complete games (21), adding 7.6 WAR, a 2.75 ERA, and 283 strikeouts.



Three of the four playoff teams from the prior season in the Southern Conference made it back in 1963. Belgrade was the exception, as the 1961 conference champ bounced back after finishing below .500 the prior year. The Bruisers had the SC’s best mark at 98-64, cruising to the Southeast Division title. Defending conference champ Rome won the South Central Division again with a 95-67 record and Seville secured the Southwest at 97-65. In the wild card race, Barcelona come out on top at 85-77, finishing two games ahead of Marseille, three over Naples, and four over Zurich. The Bengals now have four playoff berths in the last five seasons.

Zurich slugger Gabriel Staudt won his third conference MVP. The 35-year old Swiss left fielder was the leader in home runs (51), runs (122), RBI (120), walks (94), slugging (.713), OPS (1.141), wRC+ (211), and WAR (10.7). Pitcher of the Year went to 28-year old German Christian Michel. He began the season in his sixth year with Vienna, but was traded to Seville in the summer. He finished with a conference-best 12.0 WAR, 344 strikeouts, 16 complete games, and 46 FIP-, adding a 24-11 record and 2.31 ERA. It was Michel’s final season in Europe, as he left for Major League Baseball and signed with Hartford the next season.

In the first round playoff matchups, Hamburg outlasted a feisty five-game challenge from Brussels, Paris swept Birmingham, Barcelona upset Belgrade 3-1, and Rome defeated Seville 3-1. In the Northern Conference Championship, the Poodles prevailed over the Hammers 4-1, giving Paris its third conference title (1952, 1956). The Red Wolves repeated as Southern Conference champs, although it came down to extras in a seven-game classic with the Bengals. Rome won the finale 3-2 with a walkoff in 10 innings to advance.

The Red Wolves carried that momentum to claim their first-ever European Championship, defeating the Poodles in six. Paris is now 0-3 in the finale, while Rome’s win sends the title to Italy for the first time. 30-year old 2B Pete Habberstad was perhaps the playoff hero, winning SCC MVP. The Norwegian had 17 hits, 6 runs, 2 home runs, and 11 RBI over 17 postseason games.





Other notes: In addition to his MVP, Gabriel Staudt became the first EBF batter to 600 career home runs and 1500 RBI. Staudt also became the first ten-time Silver Slugger winner, while SS Paolo Gigliotti earned his eighth. Julien Olivier joined Staudt, Gigliotti, and Pietro Ribsi as the lone 2000 hit club members thus far. Loris Eichelberger became the second 200 win pitcher and Armando Rojas the third 3000 strikeout pitcher.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1963 in BSA

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After failing to make the playoffs in its first 32 seasons, Quito finally finished on top of the Bolivar League South Division. The Thunderbolts were a league-best 103-59, edging out defending division champ Guayaquil at 101-61 and Lima at 95-67. This leaves Montevideo as the only Beisbol Sudamerica team without a single playoff appearance, an unfortunate streak that continued until 1981 for the Venom. Meanwhile in the North Division, the Caracas dynasty continued as the four-time defending Bolivar League champ and defending Copa Sudamerica winner finished first at 97-65.

Leading the charge for Quito was league MVP Javier Herrera. The 25-year old Ecuadoran first baseman led the league in runs (113), hits (217), doubles (44), triples (20), walks (76), stolen bases (101), batting average (.372), OBP (.445), slugging (.609), OPS (1.054), wRC+ (191), and WAR (9.4). Lima’s Roberto Gonzalez was Pitcher of the Year and the sixth in BSA to have a Triple Crown season. The 27-year old Peruvian righty had a 25-5 record, 1.37 ERA, and 324 strikeouts, also leading with 0.82 WHIP, 30 quality starts, a 10.1 K/BB, FIP- of 46, and 12.1 WAR. He was the first BSA pitcher to have a 12+ WAR season since the 1940s.



Buenos Aires finished with the Southern Cone League’s best record at 100-62, snapping a 14-year playoff drought. The Atlantics finished seven games better than second place Santiago, while Cordoba went from 106 wins the prior year to only 71. Brasilia snapped their own 11-year postseason skid by winning the Brazil Division at 98-64. Defending league champ Salvador took second at 94-68. Sao Paulo, the dynasty only two seasons earlier, hit rock bottom at 60-102.

League MVP went to Buenos Aires 1B Marco Angeles. The 31-year old Argentine led in home runs (41), slugging (.594), OPS (.984), and wRC+ (202), adding 8.4 WAR, 104 RBI, and 183 hits. It was the last season of his nine-year run with the Atlantics, as he left for America and signed with Oklahoma City in the offseason. Argel Souza became only the second BSA pitcher to win Pitcher of the Year five times, joining the legendary Mohamed Ramos. The 33-year old had joined Salvador in March after being traded by longtime home Sao Paulo in a rebuilding effort. Souza was the WARlord at 8.1 and the wins leader with a 23-7 record, adding a 2.28 ERA and 301 strikeouts in 265 innings. This was the last good year for Souza, as an elbow strain led to a steep fall off a cliff, retiring after posting a -2.0 WAR season in 1965. Also of note for the Storm was Gustavo Telhados, winning his third straight Reliever of the Year. He posted 45 saves, a 0.77 ERA, and 5.1 WAR.

In the Bolivar League Championship Series, Quito denied the five-peat bid from Caracas, winning their first league title in six games. In the Southern Cone Championship, Buenos Aires defeated Brasilia 4-2, giving the Atlantics their sixth league title and first since the 1940s dynasty. Copa Sudamerica went all seven games with Buenos Aires stopping Quito short of their first title. RF William Duran was the series MVP with the 28-year old getting 18 hits, 4 runs 6 doubles, and 9 RBI over 13 playoff games. The Atlantics are now four time winners of the Cup, joining the 1941, 42, and 45 campaigns. It is also the first title for an Argentine team since Cordoba in 1956.





Other notes: Ralph Jung became the seventh BSA pitcher to 250 career wins and also became the 16^th to 4000 strikeouts. Miseal Sanchez became the 12^th hitter to 2500 hits. Sebastiao Navarijo became the 10^th member of the 500 home run club and sixth to 1500 career RBI. Ishmael Perla became a ten-time Silver Slugger winner in LF.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1963 in EAB

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Two-time defending Japan League champ Chiba won the North Division for the third straight season, finishing at 97-65. Meanwhile, the best two records in the league were in the South Division. Nagoya snapped a 14-year playoff berth with a 109-53, outlasting defending division champ Kyoto who went 105-57.

Kawasaki’s Kakuzo Yokoyama won back-to-back league MVPs. The 26-year old first baseman became the first player to hit 60+ home runs in consecutive seasons as he led Japan with 62 dingers, 142 RBI, 113 runs, .705 slugging, 1.100 OPS, a WRC+ of 213 and a 9.8 WAR. Pitcher of the Year was Nagoya’s Chun-Ho Kim. The 25-year old lefty was the ERA leader at 2.03 and also led Japan with a 0.89 WHIP, 26 quality starts, 55 FIP-, and 8.6 WAR. He added 252 strikeouts over 230.1 innings.



Pyongyang continued to roll in the Korea League. The two-time defending East Asian Champion had their third straight season with 112+ wins with a 112-50 mark atop the North Division. The Pythons were uncatchable despite solid efforts by Seoul (99-63) and Hamhung (93-69). Changwon won the South Division title with a 95-67, making the playoffs for the fifth time in seven years. Last year’s division champ Ulsan was a distant second at 86-76.

MVP went to 27-year old Seoul second baseman Min-Hyeok Shin. He was the Korean WARlord at 10.0 and also led in hits (202), .OBP (.431), slugging (.679), OPS (1.110) and wRC+ (194). He added 47 home runs and 139 RBI. Pitcher of the Year was Pyongyang’s Jun-Hui Ahn. The 25-year old righty was the leader in wins at 26-7 and innings (289) with a league-best 27 complete games. Ahn added 9.1 WAR, a 2.24 ERA, and 265 strikeouts.

In the Japan League Championship Series, Chiba made it a three-peat, outlasting Nagoya in a seven game classic. The Comets now have four league titles, having also won in 1952. In the Korea League Championship Series, Pyongyang was denied their three-peat by Changwon. The Pythons seemed on their way by winning the first three games, but the Crabs rallied from the 3-0 hole to take the series in seven games. The final game went 10 innings with Changwon taking it5-4, giving the Crabs four league titles (1959, 1945, 1923).

The East Asian Championship also was a seven game classic, although not as dramatic as the KLCS rally. Changwon edged Chiba, giving the Crabs their second-ever overall title, joining the 1945 campaign. RF Yeqing Zhao was the series MVP, posting 16 hits, 10 runs, 4 homers, and 7 RBI in 14 playoff games. The Comets suffer defeat in the championship for the third straight season, joining 1925-27 Gwangju as the only team to fall in three straight finals.





Other notes: It was the final season for Ju-An Pak, who smacked 49 home runs at age 39. This allowed him to pass Byung-Oh Tan as the all-time home run king with 760 for his career. Pak also finished with 3493 strikeouts, the most whiffs all-time. He’d be an interesting debate in the future as despite his prolific power, he posted only 47.4 WAR career WAR due to stinking at all other aspects of the game. His hold of the home run king title lasted only a few years with Lei Meng taking the title later in the decade.

1963 saw both Young-Hwan Sha and Ki-Wook Ahn cross 600 career home runs, becoming the fifth and sixth EAB players to do so. Sha also crossed 1500 runs scored, the fifth to accomplish that. Jae-Ha Pak became only the fourth pitcher to reach 250 career wins. Hirotaka Mizutani became a ten time Gold Glove winner at third base.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1963 in CABA

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A competitive Mexican League in 1963 saw three different playoff teams advance then from the prior year. Monterrey came away with the North Division title at 99-63, putting the Matadors back in the playoffs after a four year break. Second was Hermosillo at 96-66, who finished three ahead of Mexicali to secure the wild card spot. For the Hyenas, this is their first playoff berth since winning it all back in 1947. Defending league champ Juarez was fourth in the division at 88-74, while last year’s wild card Chihuahua fell to 79-83. In the South Division, Leon ran away with the title at 99-63 while defending division champ Ecatepec was a distant second at 86-76. The Lions are back in the field after just missing out last year on a fifth straight appearance. Monterrey had the tiebreaker over Leon, making the Lions have to play in the wild card round against Hermosillo.

League MVP went to Tijuana outfielder Vicente Gutierrez. The 30-year old lefty in his tenth year with the Toros led the league for the second straight year in home runs (51), RBI (124), runs (118), and walks (89), while also leading in WAR (10.7), OBP (.434), slugging (.668), OPS (1.103), and wRC+ (232). Juarez veteran Jaime Rivas won Pitcher of the Year for the second time, joining his 1956 honor with Puerto Rico. In his sixth and final season with the Jesters, the 33-year old Costa Rican led in wins at 19-8, as well as ERA (1.94), K/BB (13.1) FIP- (60), and WAR (8.9). He struck out 248 over 206.1 innings. Rivas would leave for MLB in the offseason and sign with Louisville.



The best record in the Caribbean League went to Honduras atop the Continental Division at 107-55, giving the Horsemen six straight division titles. Puerto Rico won the Island Division at 100-62, earning their first berth since taking the CABA title in 1956. Defending overall champ Santo Domingo and Haiti finished 93-69, while last year’s wild card Jamaica fell to 86-76. The Dolphins and Herons both were three games behind Salvador in the wild card race with the Stallions at 96-66. Salvador snaps a 13 season playoff drought with the result.

Winning Caribbean League MVP was Emmanuel Lopez, winning his fifth MVP and first in the Caribbean League after being traded mid-1962 from Mexico City to Honduras. In his first full season with the Horsemen, the 34-year old centerfielder led the league in RBI (114) and WAR (9.8), adding 43 home runs and a .318 average. Honduras also had Pitcher of the Year as Diego Morales made it back-to-back. The 30-year old Dominican lefty had the most wins at 22-6 and also led in ERA (1.95), WHIP (0.92), quality starts (26), FIP- (56), and WAR (9.2). Morales struck out 262 over 244.1 innings.

In the wild card round, Leon cruised to a sweep of Hermosillo, while wild card Salvador went the distance to upset Puerto Rico. The Mexican League Championship Series saw Monterrey defeat the Lions in six games, giving the Matadors eight titles and their first since the late 1950s dynasty. They also now stand alone with the most Mexican League titles. In the Caribbean League, Honduras edged Salvador in a seven game thriller, allowing the Horsemen to get over the hump after being runner-up to Santo Domingo the prior three seasons. Honduras now has a record 12 league titles.



Despite the successes of both franchises, it was only the second time they had met in the CABA Championship, with Honduras taking it in six back in 1958. The 1963 final had the same result; the Horsemen winning in six over Monterrey. League MVP Emmanuel Lopez was an absolute beast in this run, winning both CABA Championship and CLCS MVP. In 13 games, he had 22 hits, 10 runs, 4 home runs, 12 RBI, and a .407 average for 1.2 WAR. It was their first CABA title since that 1958 meeting and the fifth in franchise history, also winning in 1942, 1940, and 1927.



Other notes: On top of all of the other accolades, Emmanuel Lopez won his 10^th Silver Slugger. 2B Luis Miranda became a 10-time Silver Slugger winner, a record for the position. Grant Duncan became the 16^th CABA batter to 500 career home runs. Kendri Quinones won his eighth Gold Glove at shortstop.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1963 in MLB

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1963 saw perhaps the most impressive turnaround season in baseball history from the St. Louis Cardinals. The prior season, they had the worst record in the entire National Association at 54-108. In 1963, they had the best record at 101-61, winning the Midwest League title and ending a 32 season playoff drought. Meanwhile, the Eastern League battle had three teams right in the mix until the end with Pittsburgh, Montreal, and Hartford. The Pirates and Maples tied for the top spot at 97-65, while the Huskies finished one game back at 96-66. In the one-game tiebreaker, Pittsburgh prevailed for their second EL title in a three-year playoff streak.

For the Maples, they were the first wild card and earned back-to-back playoff berths. Hartford had the second spot for their second berth in three years. The third wild card belonged to Boston at 92-70, giving the Red Sox four appearances in five years. The final spot required a tiebreaker game over in the Midwest League with Omaha and Indianapolis tied at 89-73, both two ahead of Detroit and three ahead of Cincinnati and Ottawa. The Hawks defeated the Racers to advance with back-to-back wild cards. Last year’s NACS teams both missed the cut. Two-time defending National Association champ Kansas City fell to 80-82, while Toronto dropped from 107 wins in 1962 to only 77 in 1963.

Indianapolis outfielder R.J. Clinton won his third NA MVP and back-to-back MVPs. It was only the sixth season to that point in MLB that a hitter was above 11 WAR, as Clinton posted 11.3. He was the leader in runs (124), home runs (52), RBI (138), slugging (.753), OPS (1.175) and wRC+ (242). His batting average of .363 was second to Easton Poropat’s .372. St. Louis’s Poropat and Garland Mulholland both had outstanding 10+ WAR seasons in their own right with Poropat getting 237 hits, five short of the single-season record. St. Louis’s Jerry Addison was Pitcher of the Year and Rookie of the Year, helping the Cardinal tournament. The second overall pick in the prior draft, Addison was the WARlord at 7.3 and led with a 2.13 ERA and 0.96 WHIP. He had a 17-5 record and 205 strikeouts in 220 innings.

The wild card round saw Boston edge Hartford in three and Montreal top Omaha in two. The second round had St. Louis top the Red Sox and Pittsburgh over the Maples, both in four games. The Pirates were back in the National Association Championship Series for only the third time (1958, 1913) and sixth for the Cardinals, but first since their 1908-1910 dynasty. In the NACS, St. Louis defeated Pittsburgh in six games, culminating the miracle turnaround with the team’s fourth National Association title.



Seattle won the Western League title for the first time in the franchise’s 63 year history. The Grizzlies earned a third straight playoff berth with their American Association best 104-58 record. Calgary was the top wild card for the third straight year with a 99-63 record. San Francisco was third at 95-67 and were the second wild card, giving them two wild cards in three seasons.

In the Southern League, Oklahoma City finished first at 99-63, giving them four straight league titles and the longest active playoff streak at five seasons. Second was Charlotte at 91-71, followed by Houston at 90-72. The Hornets would finish one game shy of a wild card, as both the Canaries and defending World Series champ Denver took the final two spots at 91-71. For Charlotte, it is their first playoff appearance since 1943. The Dragons are on a three-year streak. Oakland, who had the best record in the American Association the prior season at 108-54, fell to a lackluster 71-91.

The AA MVP was Prometheo Garcia in his MLB debut for San Francisco at age 40. It was the ninth overall MVP for the CABA legend and cemented his claim as not only perhaps CABA’s best-ever hitter, but professional baseball’s best. The ageless slugger as a DH led the American Association in runs (117), hits (224), RBI (136), slugging (.626), and OPS (1.008), adding 7.6 WAR, 52 home runs, and a .345 average. Calgary’s Parker Harpaz won his second Pitcher of the Year, having won prior with Miami in 1960. In his third year with the Cheetahs, the 31-year old lefty had the most wins with a 22-8 record, adding a 3.07 ERA over 296.1 innings, 256 strikeouts, and 8.2 WAR.

In the first round of the playoffs, Charlotte won in three over San Francisco and Calgary swept Denver. In round two, the Canaries stunned Seattle in four games, while Oklahoma City cruised to a sweep of the Cheetahs. This gave OKC its fourth straight American Association Championship Series appearance, while it was the fifth for Charlotte and first since 1941. In the AACS, the Outlaws defeated the Canaries in six, giving Oklahoma City two titles in three seasons.



In the 1963 World Series, St. Louis capped off the remarkable turnaround with a ring, joining the 1909 campaign as their only overall championships. The Cardinals clobbered Oklahoma City in five games, snapping what was an 11-season streak of titles for the American Association. Montreal in 1951 was the last National Association team to take the Fall Classic. World Series MVP was pitcher Sammy Talbert. In four postseason starts, the 32-year old journeyman lefty had a 2.48 ERA over 29 innings for a 3-1 record and 19 strikeouts.



Other notes: Ted Henderson and Robert Pimental both crossed 3000 career hits, making it 33 MLB batters to have reached the mark. Walter Brechler became only the 13^th pitcher to 3500 career strikeouts. Nathaniel Maxwell became a 10-time Gold Glover at first base.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1964 MLB Hall of Fame

For the first time since 1939, Major League Baseball didn’t induct a single player into its Hall of Fame. The leading vote getter on the 1964 ballot missed by the thinnest possible margin as pitcher Alec Ebner was at 65.9% on his second ballot, barely missing the 66% threshold. Four others finished above 50%; closer Victoro Fraijo at 57.9% on his sixth attempt, 2B Matthew Verdery at 55.0% on his second, 1B Tiger Novak at 51.3% in his debut, and closer Hunter Walsh at 50.4% on his second go.

One player was dropped after ten tries in closer Jason Boychuk. In 20 years with 10 teams, he had 220 saves and 302 shutdowns, a 2.33 ERA, 1193 strikeouts in 925.2 innings, and 31.4 WAR. A steady career, but hardly Hall of Fame worthy and almost a surprise he made it ten ballots. Boychuk peaked at 37.4% on his debut and was at 10.6% at the end.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1964 CABA Hall of Fame

For the second time in three seasons, the Central American Baseball Association didn’t induct a single player into the Hall of Fame. Like MLB’s 1964 class, there was a player who missed by the thinnest margin. Pitcher Sheldon Malcolm on his fifth ballot received 65.9%, barely under the 66.0% mark required for induction. Only two others finished above 50% with 1B Alejandro Encinas at 54.3% on his debut and LF Curtis Velazquez at 51.5% on his fifth attempt.

One player was cut following ten unsuccessful bids. Pitcher Sandalio Lopez spent his entire 16 year career as a starter with Leon, finishing with a 156-127 record, 2.98 ERA, 2637.2 innings, 2696 strikeouts, and 40.9 WAR. A respectable career, but definitely a “Hall of Very Good” guy. He managed to hang on despite his peak being 17.6% on his second ballot.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1964 EAB Hall of Fame

East Asia Baseball elected two players into the Hall of Fame with its 1964 class. Both received no-doubt first ballot nods with pitcher Haruo Matsuzaki at 96.7% and pitcher Yeon-U Choo at 95.0%. Another pitcher, Min-Chin Park, came close on his second ballot, but was a few notches short at 63.8%. Two others, CF Ha-Min Park (51.2%, 5^th ballot) and LF Dong-Hee Cho (50.5%, 2^nd ballot) were above the 50% mark.



Dropped after ten attempts included shortstop Soo-Hyun Choo, a seven-time Silver Slugger winner and 1941 MVP. He had 90.7 WAR and 2572 hits for his entire pro career, but played his age 33-37 seasons in Oakland; limiting his EAB totals. With Seongnam and Kobe, he had 1997 hits, 906 runs, 267 home runs, 934 RBI, a .307/.341/.517 slash and 81.9 WAR; still very much worthy of strong consideration. He peaked at 58.1% on his fourth ballot before ending at 43.5%. Had his entire career been in EAB, that probably gets him across the line.

Also dropped was closer Masaji Toguchi, who ended at 7.3% after peaking at 42.2%. A two time Reliever of the Year, in 14 years almost entirely in Kobe, he had 348 saves, 2.19 ERA, 1158 strikeouts in 882 innings, and 26.1 WAR. Guys with similar resumes have gotten in with 300 saves often being the magic number, but Toguchi didn’t have the support. Also notably dropped after nine attempts with a somewhat similar story was Jun-Yeong Lee. He had 319 saves, a 2.32 ERA, 832.1 innings, 799 strikeouts, 19.1 WAR, and two Reliever of the Year awards. But he also lacked the longevity and true dominance required for strong consideration. Lee peaked at 31.1%.



Haruo Matsuzaki – Starting Pitcher – Yokohama Yellow Jackets – 96.7% First Ballot

Haruo Matsuzaki was a 5’11’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Tokyo, Japan. He wasn’t considered amazing at anything, but had very consistently solid stuff and movement with average to above average control. Matsuzaki’s velocity peaked in the 96-98 mph range and he mixed five pitches in the arsenal; a fastball, curveball, forkball, splitter, and changeup. Apart for the changeup, the other four pitches were considered equally effective. Matsuzaki was also considered a very intelligent pitcher who knew how to pick his spots.

Matsuzaki attended the University of Tokyo and posted a 2.52 ERA over 314.2 innings with 376 strikeouts in his college career. This made him a highly touted prospect and he was picked second overall in the 1944 EAB Draft by Yokohama. Matsuzaki’s entire pro career came with the Yellow Jackets. He was a popular player and one of the few redeeming things about the franchise in his run, as they were mid to bottom tier his entire tenure with no playoff appearances.

After a primarily relief role in his rookie year, Matsuzaki became a full time starter in year two with respectable production. He emerged as a true ace a few years later, leading Japan in WAR in five straight seasons from 1950-54. Matsuzaki also led in strikeouts four times in five years from 1951-55 and led in ERA with 1.77 in 1953. He won the 1951 Pitcher of the Year, took third in 1952, then won it again in 1953 while also taking third in MVP voting that year.

Matsuzaki was also considered very durable, not suffering a single injury of not until a biceps strain put him out a month in 1957. That would be his final season of note, as in 1958 at age 35, his production fell hard off a cliff. He went from 2.24 ERA and 6.3 WAR the prior year to a lousy 4.01 ERA and 0.8 WAR. He opted to retire after this season at age 36. Also of note, Matsuzaki pitched for Japan in the World Baseball Championship tournaments of 1949 through 1957. He had a 3.83 ERA in 160 innings with 192 strikeouts and 2.9 WAR.

His final EAB stats: 195-153, 2.49 ERA, 3362.2 innings, 3595 strikeouts, 304/416 quality starts, FIP- of 76, and 81.7 WAR. A very solid and steady career that perhaps was overlooked by some due to being stuck throughout on a lousy Yokohama squad. The Yellow Jackets didn’t overlook him, retiring his #21 uniform. The Hall of Fame voters didn’t either ultimately, giving him first ballot induction status at 96.7%.



Yeon-U Choo – Pitcher – Tokyo Tides – 95.0% First Ballot

Yeon-U Choo was a 5’9’, 180 pound right-handed Pitcher from Sinch’ang, a small North Korean town located about an hour east of Pyongyang. Choo was known as an incredibly hard thrower with a 99-101 mph fastball. This with his curveball, changeup, and sinker meant he was considered to have great stuff. His movement was viewed as below average though at times with average to above average control. A questionable work ethic worked against him at times. Choo was also notable as the first East Asia Baseball Hall of Famer to have significant runs as both a starting pitcher and a closer, moving to the bullpen in his 30s.

A Tokyo scout discovered Choo as a teenage amateur in his small North Korean home, signing him in 1938 at age 16. Choo made his debut at age 20 in 1942 and struggled in a partial season, then saw some improvement in year two. The entirety of his 10 year Tokyo run was in the rotation and by year four, he had emerged as a premiere strikeout pitcher. Choo had five straight 300+ strikeout seasons and led Japan from 1946-49. He also led the league in WAR five straight years from 1945-49.

In 1945, Choo won his first Pitcher of the Year award. He took it again in 1947 with a blistering 11.5 WAR season with career bests in strikeouts (364), ERA (1.56), and wins (21). Choo took second for the award in 1949. In total with Tokyo, he had a 117-94 record, 2.50 ERA, 1976.2 innings, 2672 strikeouts, and 57.0 WAR. He was the best thing for a generally low-tier Tides squad in that era, never making the playoffs. They would go on to retire his #12 uniform.

In 1951 at age 29, Tokyo traded Choo to Sendai in a deal for five prospects. He finished that year as a starter, but the Samurai thought he would be better suited to the bullpen for most of his run. Despite his successes as a starter, Choo’s main knock was a lack of stamina and inability to go deep in games. His 10 career complete games is well below the majority of EAB Hall of Fame starters who typically had triple digits. He picked up 40 saves in his relief debut in 1952. Sendai moved him back to a starter role in 1953 and he had a strong 7.1 WAR season that earned him second in Pitcher of the Year voting, but the rest of his career after was in the bullpen.

He was a good closer, finishing second in Reliever of the Year in 1957. Choo got his first playoff experience with Sendai, who won the Japan League title in 1953 and made berths in 1954 and 57. A ruptured disc put him out a big chunk of 1956, but he bounced back to lead Japan in saves the next year. In total, he had 169 saves and a 47-27 record with the Samurai, posting a 2.20 ERA, 961 strikeouts in 675 innings, and 18.3 WAR.

Choo was also a regular for the North Korean team in the World Baseball Championship, playing the event 11 times. He had a 4.59 ERA over 104 innings with 161 strikeouts. Choo returned to North Korea in his final pro year signing with Hamhung at age 36. He was a decent bullpen piece in the regular season, but shined in the playoffs en route to the EAB title with the Heat. In the postseason, he had a 0.61 ERA and six saves in eight appearances, striking out 17 in 14.2 innings. Choo opted to retire on this high.

The final stats: 168-128, 211 saves and 235 shutdowns, 2.44 ERA, 2705 innings, 3703 strikeouts, 466 walks, FIP- of 69, and 76.3 WAR. He has a peculiar stat line with the split career, but still notably was the 14^th pitcher to 3500 strikeouts despite that. At his peak, he was among the most dominant starters in the game and still had respectable tallies despite the lack of innings relative to other HOF starters. Thus, Choo’s peers put him into the Hall on his first ballot at 95.0%.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1964 BSA Hall of Fame

Beisbol Sudamerica saw two first ballot selections in the 1964 Hall of Fame class. 1B Adrian Calvo received 94.4% of the vote and pitcher Lincoln Parra earned 91.4%. Three others were above 50%, but short of the 66% requirement for selection. RF Nando Gaspar led this group at 61.7% on his second attempt. LF Martyn Jarava received 55.2% on his debut and closer Adrian Amaro was at 54.6% on his third look.



Starting pitcher Aldemar Ramires was dropped following ten failed attempts at election. He generally hovered in the 40% range, although he made it as high as 60.3% in 1960. The 1938 Bolivar League Pitcher of the Year, in 13 seasons with primarily Quito he had a 177-142 record, 2.43 ERA, 2993 innings, 3371 strikeouts, FIP- of 70 and 83.4 WAR. Had he not been stuck on such a lousy franchise for his career, Ramires might have gotten a stronger look, especially among the typically pitcher-friendly BSA voters.

Another pitcher made it to ten ballots in Ruben Metzler, although he peaked at 23.5% and finished at 5.2%. In 18 seasons with Buenos Aires and Cordoba, Metzler had a 161-144 record, 2.46 ERA, 3094 strikeouts over 3063 innings, a FIP- of 85 and 58.6 WAR. Not bad, but more firmly a Hall of Very Good type compared to Ramires.



Adrian Calvo – First Baseman – Asuncion Archers – 94.4% First Ballot

Adrian Calvo was a 6’0’’, 200 pound left-handed first baseman from Filadelfia, a town of fewer than 20,000 people in west central Paraguay. Calvo was an impressive home run hitter that could also reliably hit for good contact. He also was solid at drawing walks and in his prime years was a low strikeout guy in a strikeout-heavy Beisbol Sudamerica. Incredibly durable, he was a hard working ironman who was beloved by fans and players alike. Calvo was a slow baserunner and a career first baseman, viewed generally as an average to above average defender.

Calvo was quickly viewed as the best prospect in Paraguay and was picked by his home-nation team Asuncion first overall in the 1944 BSA Draft. He made sparse appearances in 1945, then earned Rookie of the Year in his first full season in 1946. From there after, Calvo was an absolute beast with nine 8+ WAR seasons in 10 years. He had 40+ home runs 11 times, 50+ four times, and was the Southern Cone leader in dingers six times. Calvo led the league in RBI four times, OBP three times, average twice, and WAR twice.

Calvo won his first MVP in 1948, his most impressive year with career bests in homers (56), RBI (118), OPS (1.026), wRC+ (253), and WAR (11.9). Calvo won his second MVP in 1953 and third in 1956. He was second in 1949, 1950, 1951, and 1954. He won Silver Slugger nine times from 1947-51, then from 1953-56. In 13 seasons with Asuncion, he had 2017 hits, 1041 runs, 535 home runs, 1177 RBI, a .294/.360/.579 slash, and 99.6 WAR. Calvo was viewed by many in this stretch as the overall best hitter in South American baseball. His #29 uniform would be retired by the Archers and he served as a team ambassador once his playing career ended.

Despite his efforts, Asuncion not only never made the playoffs in his run, but only once even were above .500 (at 82-80, no less). He was beloved by the fans throughout Paraguay, and was captain of their World Baseball Championship teams from 1947-63. In 148 tournament games, he hit 56 home runs, 120 RBI, 125 hits, 91 runs for 7.1 WAR.

He stayed loyal to his team and country, but his Asuncion run ended in a trade for the 1958 season to Salvador. He had one great year with the Storm, leading yet again in home runs. Now a free agent though, Calvo had become well known in the world as an elite power hitter and he garnered attention from Major League Baseball teams. He ultimately signed with Denver to a five-year, $510,000 deal. Calvo would make $102,000 per season with the Dragons, far more than his peak salary of $40,100 with Asuncion.

Calvo was a decent starter in three seasons with the Dragons, still putting up 30+ homers, but he was nowhere near the MVP anymore as age and new pitchers lowered his production. He did finally get to play In the playoffs in 1961 with Denver. He was released in April of 1962, although he still received a ring as the Dragons went onto the World Series title. He played one last WBC in 1963 and went unsigned that season, opting to then retire at age 38.

For Calvo’s full pro career, he had 2599 hits, 1405 runs, 688 home runs, 1583 RBI, and 114.1 WAR. In just BSA, he had 2176 hits, 1143 runs, 582 home runs, 334 doubles, 1285 RBI, a .293/.358/.578 slash, 200 wRC+, and 107.5 WAR. To that point, he was one of only seven BSA batters to finish above 100+ WAR. He wasn’t as high up the final BSA leaderboards as he could have been since he left at age 34, but Calvo was as feared as any hitter in South America in the late 1940s to mid 1950s. Although he officially retired from baseball in 1963, since he had been out of BSA for more than five years, Calvo was immediately eligible for voting. Unsurprisingly, he was a first ballot pick at 94.4%.



Lincoln Parra – Starting Pitcher – Buenos Aires Atlantics – 91.4% First Ballot

Lincoln Parra was a 6’0’’, 200 pound left-handed starting pitcher from Santa Rosa, a small city that is the capital of the La Pampa province in central Argentina. Parra was known for having terrific movement on his pitches, which made up for what was often viewed as average-at-best stuff and control. His velocity peaked at 94-96 mph with a repertoire of a fastball, curveball, slider, and changeup; the curve being his most feared pitch. Parra was viewed as a good defensive pitcher who was outstanding at holding runners and preventing steals.

In his college career, Parra had a 2.46 ERA over 45 starts, 304 innings, and 375 strikeouts. This earned him the 18^th overall pick by Buenos Aires in the 1940 Beisbol Sudamerica Draft. He was an immediate starter and an immediate success, winning Rookie of the Year in 1941 with a 1.66 ERA, 6.6 WAR season. In a scary moment, he suffered a torn flexor tendon in his elbow in late September. He still received a ring as the Atlantics won Copa Sudamerica, their first of the 1940s dynasty, but there were fears the injury could jeopardize Parra’s career.

He missed the start of 1942 but bounced back with a respectable effort. On August 28, he had the ninth BSA perfect game, striking out nine against Rosario. Parra starred in the postseason with a 1.17 ERA in three starts and 23 innings, helping Buenos Aires to back-to-back Copa Sudamerica crowns. For his efforts, he earned Copa Sudamerica MVP, a rarely achieved award by a pitcher. Parra had a career-best 10.3 WAR, 24 wins, and 298 strikeouts in 1944. This season also had a no-hitter in May against Brasilia. Yet, Parra finished second in Pitcher of the Year voting. He never won the big award, also taking second in 1945.

But he was essential in getting rings as the Atlantics had eight straight playoff berths, five Southern Cone League titles, and three Copa Sudamerica titles. In 75.1 playoff innings with Buenos Aires, Parra had a 179 ERA, 85 strikeouts, and 1.3 WAR. In total with BA, Parra pitched to a 141-82 record, 2.24 ERA, 2049.1 innings, 2085 strikeouts, 411 walks, and 54.5 WAR. The #1 jersey he wore would also be retired once his career ended, honoring a key cog in the 1940s dynasty.

The dynasty ended as the 1940s came to a close and it was time to rebuild for Buenos Aires. In late June 1949, Parra was traded to Quito. He pitched the rest of that season and 1950 with the Thunderbolts before opting for free agency at age 33. With Quito, he had a 2.78 ERA in 365.2 innings, 326 strikeouts, and 7.3 WAR.

Parra remained committed to his native Argentina, pitching in the World Baseball Championship from 1948-55 with a 3.83 ERA over 91.2 innings, 81 strikeouts, and 1.4 WAR. In 1949, Parra was named the tournament’s Best Pitcher with one run allowed over 16.2 innings. When his Quito days were done, Parra wanted to head back to Argentina and he ultimately signed a five-year, $161,000 deal with Rosario.

Parra wasn’t dominant with the Robins, but consistently and reliably very solid. He had a 67-53 record, 2.39 ERA, 1173 innings, 1117 strikeouts, and 27.9 WAR. That contract expired after the 1955 season and the now 38-year old Parra moved on, but stayed again in Argentina, signing with Cordoba. The Chanticleers had become the Southern Cone dynasty of the 1950s, winning four league titles and Copa Sudamerica thrice from 1951-56.

A forearm strain put Parra out the first three months of his Chanticleers debut, but he bounced back for a solid season. He had a 1.88 ERA in 14.1 playoff innings, helping Cordoba win its third and final Copa Sudamerica of their 50s run. Parra had a respectable 1957, but saw his 1958 plagued by a partial torn labrum and a partially torn UCL. These injuries caused him to close his career at the end of the season at age 40.

Parra’s final career numbers: 260-160, 2.31 ERA, 3979.2 innings, 3898 strikeouts, 383/517 quality starts, and 97.0 WAR. He was the sixth pitche to 250 career wins and the 18^th to 3500 strikeouts despite not being viewed as a big strikeout guy. Parra was rarely viewed as the most dominant pitcher in the game, but he was reliably solid in the 1940s and 50s and a key contributor in Buenos Aires’ dynasty run. It didn’t take much convincing for the voters to make him a first ballot choice at 91.4%.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1964 EBF Hall of Fame

The first European Baseball Federation Hall of Fame selections wouldn’t come in 1964, but two players would get above 50%. CF Joe Ramet would do it for the second time, leading the group at 54.7%. Joining him was LF Joel Ullmark at 51.1% on his first attempt. SP Mike Ring at 33.9% was the only other above 1/3s of the votes. Next year’s ballot would be the first for EBF to actually vote anyone in.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1964 World Baseball Championship

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The 1964 World Baseball Championship was the 18^th edition of the event and took place in Santiago, Chile. The United States continued its streak of always advancing from its division, taking D1 at 7-0, two better than Spain. In Division 2, Poland prevailed at 6-1, one ahead of South Korea. This moved the Poles to the Round Robin for the third time and first since taking tournament runner-up in 1959. The Philippines became a first time elite eight qualifier by winning Division 3 at 6-1, besting last year’s runner up Canada, Haiti, and Venezuela by a game each. Japan won its second division in three years by taking Division 4 at 6-1, one ahead of Peru.

Division 5 went to defending world champ Mexico at 6-1, edging Argentina and the Dominican Republic by a game. Brazil survived a tough Division 6 at 6-1, outlasting both 5-2 Germany and England. Mexico and Brazil both advance for the seventh time, tying them for third most behind only the US and Canada. In Division 7, Uzbekistan made sure people didn’t think last year was a fluke, advancing again. They were 7-0, while Australia, Chile, and Russia were 5-2. In Division 8, Colombia and Belarus tied at 5-2, both a game better than France, Guatemala, and Jamaica. The Colombians got the tiebreaker to earn their fourth elite eight berth and first since 1960.

Last year, the Americans missed the final four, the first time in tournament history. The US didn’t let that happen in 1964, taking Round Robin Group A at 5-1. Brazil at 4-2 moved forward as well, while defending champ Mexico (2-1) and Colombia (1-5) were eliminated. Group B had Japan and Poland both prevail at 4-2, while Uzbekistan at 3-3 and the Philippines at 1-5 were ousted. This sent the US to their 17^th semifinal, Brazil’s fourth, Japan’s fourth, and Poland’s second.

The Americans rolled to a 4-1 series in over Japan in their semi, pushing the US to the final for the 14^th time. Poland edged Brazil in a seven-game classic to give the Poles their second finals appearance. The Brazilians officially took bronze with Japan fourth; giving Brazil four finishes of third. In the 1964 World Championship, the USA returned to its thrown, taking the series in five. That gives the Americans 11 world titles.





Winning Tournament MVP was American catcher Galt Datsko. A 22-year old up-and-comer with Jacksonville, Datsko’s tournament debut saw 35 hits, 22 runs, 4 doubles, 7 home runs, 16 RBI, and 2.0 WAR. Best Pitcher was given to Russia’s Mikhail Marakhovsky. A 28-year old closer for St. Petersburg, he was a starter in the tournament and tossed 15 shutout innings, striking out 34.

Other notes: As a way to keep track of historical tournament success, a standings was created. You received 10 points for a world title, seven for a runner-up, five for third, four for fourth, and two for making it to the elite eight. Here are the standings thus far. Unsurprisingly, the USA and Canada are well at the top with their early success. Mexico is a strong third place, followed by Japan and Brazil.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1964 in OBA

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After taking second in the Australasia League the prior year from a tiebreaker game, Adelaide found its way back to the top in 1964. The Aardvarks won their second title in three years, posting a franchise-best 99-63 record. Brisbane was second at 94-68, followed by Perth at 89-73. Defending Oceania Champion Christchurch finished fourth at 85-77.

Adelaide shortstop Fineasi Hausia won his second straight league MVP. The 29-year old Tongan led the Australasia League in hits (185) and WAR (9.4), posting a .312 average and .790 OPS. He also won his third consecutive Gold Glove and would go onto win it five times between OBA and MLB. Christchurch’s Arthur Bennett won the Pitcher of the Year. The 25-year old Ausralian didn’t lead the league in any stats, but posted a 1.87 ERA over 221.2 innings with 210 strikeouts and 6.7 WAR.



1961 OBA champ Guadalcanal claimed the Pacific League title in 1964. The Green Jackets were first at 99-63, four games better than two-time defending league champ Honolulu and eight ahead of Tahiti. Despite finishing third, the Tropics had the MVP and Pitcher of the Year. The former was 35-year old left fielder Jake Silverberg, an American who joined OBA after a respectable 13-year MLB career. He led the league with 34 home runs, .514 slugging, and .838 OPS, adding 6.0 WAR. Martin Samala was the Pitcher of the Year in his sophomore campaign, finishing a win short of the Triple Crown. The 1963 Rookie of the Year had a 21-12 record, 2.12 ERA, and 369 strikeouts. The Manila, Philippines native also led the Pacific League in innings (331.1), WAR (10.6), quality starts (33), complete games (19), and FIP- (63).

The 1964 Oceania Championship for the first to be a sweep as Adelaide cruised to the title over Guadalcanal. The Aardvarks become the first time to win the OBA title twice.





Other notes: 2B Kenny Rehling became OBA’s first five-time Gold Glove winner.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1964 in EPB

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The European League North Division was very top heavy in the 1964 Eurasian Professional Baseball Season. St. Petersburg narrowly came out on top at 105-57, while Moscow (104-58) and Minsk (102-60) earned the wild cards. Kazan finished 101-61, falling just short of the postseason. It is the first division title for the Polar Bears, giving them two playoff appearances in three years. The Mules made it four straight, while the Miners remained the only franchise yet to miss the playoffs in EPB’s first decade. Defending Soviet Series champ Kyiv won the South Division at 93-69, five games better than Bucharest. The Kings earned a third straight playoff berth and eighth in 10 years.

Warsaw finished at 87-75, but boasted the league MVP and Pitcher of the Year. Both went to 24-year old Polish lefty Konstanty Fedoruk, who led the league in wins (26-4) ERA (1.49), inning (302.2), WHIP (0.76), and quality starts (33). He struck out 349 for 12.2 WAR. Fedoruk was just behind Helsinki’s Alvi Tahiri in WAR, as Tahiri set a single-season strikeout record with 418 Ks. This was the peak for Fedoruk sadly, as three torn labrums from 1965-68 put him out of the game before age 30.



The Asian League’s best record went to Yekaterinburg atop the North Division at 102-60. This gave the Yaks their fourth division title. Omsk was second at 98-64 to earn back-to-back playoff berths. Bishkek narrowly claimed back-to-back South Division titles with a 96-66 finish, one better than Tbilisi. The Trains and Ufa finished tied for the final wild card at 95-67 and a one-game playoff went to the Fiends, putting Ufa in the field for back-to-back seasons. Last year’s Asian League winner Almaty had a respectable year, but missed out at 90-72. They would fall hard with only 68 wins in 1965.

Omsk’s Tamkin Gimayev won league MVP in his third full season. The 25-year old Russian outfielder led in hits (184), average (.316), and WAR (9.2), adding 29 home runs. Ufa’s Artur Golub became the third EPB Triple Crown Pitcher, winning Pitcher of the Year as a result. The 26-year old Ukrainian lefty, nicknamed “Bug Eyes”, had a 24-8 record, 1.75 ERA, and 416 strikeouts. He also led in WHIP (0.71) and was second in WAR with 10.4.

Minsk beat St. Petersburg and Kyiv topped Moscow, both in four games in the first round of the playoffs in the European League. The Asian League first round had Ufa upset Yekaterinburg in four and a Bishkek swept of Omsk. The ELCS was the third time that the Miners and Kings had met in the final. Minsk denied Kyiv’s repeat, winning in five. This gave the Miners two titles in three years and four of the first ten in the European League. In the ALCS, Bishkek’s first appearance led to a title. The Black Sox bested the Fiends in six, making Ufa runner-up for back-to-back seasons.



In the 1964 Soviet Series, Bishkek beat Minsk 4-2, sending the title to Kyrgyzstan for the first time. Madiyar Abdiev was Soviet Series MVP and the MVP of the first round. The 35-year old Russian first baseman joined the Black Sox in a midseason trade from Chelyabinsk. The trade paid off, as he had 21 hits, 11 runs, 5 home runs, and 12 RBI in 15 playoff starts.



Other notes: Tbilisi’s Zina Gigolashvili hit 55 home runs, second most in a season to date in EPB. He also owns the record, having hit 56 in 1961. Sergei Filatov and Kirill Edelman became the first EPB pitchers to 3000 career strikeouts. Eldar Vdovichenko became the first batter to score 1000 runs. Ruslan Strembicky won his sixth Gold Glove at third base. Anton Kirilenko won eighth Silver Slugger at second base.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1964 in EBF

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Stockholm finished the 1964 season with the best record in the European Baseball Federation. The Swordsmen won the Northern Conference’s North Central Division at 100-62, giving them tenth playoff appearances in EBF’s first 15 years. Last year’s division winner Hamburg was close behind at 98-64, earning the wild card spot by three games. Defending conference champ Paris picked up the Northwest Division title again at 98-64. Brussels’ playoff streak was ended at five games despite finishing 95-67; the Beavers were three games out of the division and the wild card. Over in the British Isles Division, Glasgow advanced for the first time since 1951. The Highlanders finished 92-70, eight better than last year’s winner Birmingham.

Glasgow had the league MVP in 25-year old English right fielder Jasper Blackmore. The Liverpool native was the league leader in runs (120), triples (38), slugging (.639), OPS (.994), and WAR (10.1), adding 34 home runs and 104 RBI. Pitcher of the Year also was a Highlander with 25-year old Wendell Aston winning the award. He was the ERA leader at 1.57, adding 246 strikeouts over 201 innings and 7.5 WAR.



A wild card team the year prior, Barcelona won the Southwest Division at 97-65 and had the Southern Conference’s best record. Last year’s division winner Seville was 89-73, eight short of the division and ultimately three from the wild card. In the Southeast Division, Munich edged Belgrade and Vienna for the top spot. The Mavericks finished 93-69 for their second division title in three years. The Bruisers were 92-70 and Vultures 90-72; giving the wild card spot to Belgrade. It is their third berth in four years. Defending European Champion Rome won the South Central Division for the third straight season. The Red Wolves were 88-74, three games ahead of Zurich and four better than Naples.

Zurich slugger Gabriel Staudt won his third straight MVP and fourth overall. Still going strong at age 36, the Swiss left fielder was the leader in home run s(50), runs (117), OBP (.415), slugging (.702), OPS (1.117), wRC+ (206), and WAR (10.9). It was his fourth time leading in homers and fifth time as the hitting WARlord. Pitcher of the Year was 26-year old Barcelona right Abelando Serrano. The Spaniard was the leader in innings (297.1), strikeouts (346), and WAR (11.0), adding a 2.09 ERA and 17-9 record. He had a great 1965 as well, but injuries ruined his game beyond that.

The first round of the Northern Conference playoffs saw Glasgow upset Stockholm in a sweep and Hamburg outlast Paris in five. In the Southern Conference it was two sweeps; Barcelona over Rome and Munich over Belgrade. In their fourth NCC appearance, the Hammers finally became conference champs, defeating the Highlanders in five games. The Bengals bested the Mavericks in six games, giving Barcelona three conference titles (1959, 1950).



The Bengals joined Amsterdam as the only franchises with two European Championships to date. Barcelona beat Hamburg for the title in five games, sending the trophy to Spain for the third time. RF Josias Bastida was the series MVP and first round MVP. The 33-year old Spanish lefty in 14 playoff games had 22 hits, 12 runs, 3 home runs, and 12 RBI.



Other notes: Loris Eichelberger and Armando Rojas became the second and third EBF pitchers to 35000 career strikeouts. Rojas joined Eichelberger and Pietro Ribsi as the only 200 win pitchers. Ribsi became the first to 250 in 1964. Afonso Dida and Hartwig Werner became the fifth and sixth batters to 2000 hits. Gabriel Staudt was the first to 1500 runs scored and won his record 11^th Silver Slugger. Werner became an eight-time Gold Glove winner in LF.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1964 in BSA

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Defending Bolivar League champ Quito made it back-to-back South Division titles, as the Thunderbolts easily had the top mark in the league at 108-54. They allowed 418 runs, 74 fewer than second best La Paz; their top competitor in the division at 93-69. Caracas claimed the North Division again with an 87-75 record, beating Bogota by four games and Medellin by seven. This extends the Colts’ division title streak to six seasons and would ultimately be the final one of the run.

Javier Herrera won back-to-back MVP’s for Quito. The 26-year old Ecuadoran first baseman was the league leader in hits (192), doubles (34), walks (70), stolen bases (113), triple slash (.345/.416/.560), OPS (.976), and WAR (7.9). The 113 steals was tied for third for the most in a single Beisbol Sudamerica season. Guayaquil’s Laurenco Cedillo won his fourth Pitcher of the Year. The 29-year old Chilean was the WARlord at 10.8 and led in WHIP (0.80), FIP- (49), and K/BB (10.6). He had a 17-9 record, 1.62 ERA over 266.2 innings and 298 strikeouts.



The top two records in the Southern Cone League belonged to Santiago and Buenos Aires, who battled to the bitter end for the South Division title. The defending Copa Sudamerica champion Atlantics and the Saints both finished the regular season at 102-60. In a one-game playoff, Santiago won, giving them six playoff berths in eight seasons. This also marked the start of sustained dominance for the Saints atop the division for the next decade. Over in the Brazil Division, it was a three-team fight between Fortaleza, Brasilia, and Salvador. The Foxes finished first at 91-71, three ahead of the Bearcats and four over the Storm. This snapped a 23 season playoff drought for Fortaleza and was only their fourth playoff berth overall (1940, 1933, 1932).

Buenos Aires two-way player Lewis Miranda won MVP in the Southern Cone. The 25-year old Argentine was the pitching wins leader with a 20-9 record, adding a 2.58 ERA, 274 strikeouts in 265 innings, and 8.3 WAR. Offensively at first base, Miranda added 3.6 WAR with 136 hits, 68 runs, and 27 home runs. Corboda’s Will Feliciano won his second Pitcher of the Year in three seasons. The 27-year old righty was the WARlord at 8.5 and leader with 18 complete games. He added a 1.84 ERA over 283.1 innings with 306 strikeouts.

The Bolivar League Championship Series rematch went again to Quito, defeating Caracas in five games. The Southern Cone Championship saw Santiago prevail 4-1 over Fortaleza, giving the Saints five league titles (1961, 36, 34, 33).



In Copa Sudamerica, Santiago defeated Quito in six games, giving the Saints the Cup for the second time in four years and third time overall. The Thunderbolts are the runner-up for back-to-back seasons. Series MVP was CF Josias Chavez. In 11 postseason games, he had 15 hits, 7 runs, 4 triples, and 5 RBI.



Other notes: Belo Horizonte’s Pedro Spaziani threw a perfect game against Buenos Aires, striking out 11. Argel Souza and Ricardo Blanco both crossed 3500 career strikeouts. LF Ishmael Perla won his 11^th Silver Slugger.