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

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1967 in MLB

Much to the chagrin of many players. MLB increased the minimum service time for free agency in 1967 from six to seven years. This put them aligned with Global Baseball Alliance members CABA and APB also at seven; although CABA would drop to six the next year. EAB had just moved down to six two years earlier, which leaves them, EBF, and OBA as the leagues at six years. BSA and EPB were the most restrictive at the time at eight seasons, although BSA would also lower theirs down to seven shortly. MLB’s goal was to keep local players at home longer and try to corral big free agent salaries.



Pittsburgh had the National Association’s best record in 1967 with a franchise-record 105-57 mark atop the Eastern League This ended a three season playoff skid for the Pirates, who had the top offense in the NA at 787 runs scored. In the Midwest League, Omaha and St. Louis tied for the first place spot at 95-67. The Hawks won the one-game playoff for their first league title since 1956, snapping a three-year playoff drought. The Cardinals still advanced as a wild card, in the field for the fourth time in five years.

Minneapolis was 92-70, three games off the Midwest League title. The Moose tied with Boston for the second and third wild card spots. This gave Minneapolis its first playoff spot since 1953 and gave the Red Sox 11 appearances in 15 seasons. It was tight for the final spot with Washington and Kansas City finishing even at 90-72, both one ahead of Toronto and two better than Columbus. The Admirals defeated the Cougars in the one-game playoff, allowing the defending National Association champs to make it back to the postseason. They finished as the only NA team with an active multi-year playoff streak at two as Hartford (77-85), Ottawa (79-87) and Philadelphia (81-81) all saw their steaks end in 1967.

Washington 1B Elliot Fisher won the National Association MVP. The 27-year old from New York City was the home run (50) and RBI leader (123) and the WARlord (8.6), adding 99 runs, a .316 average, and 1.015 OPS. Pitcher of the Year was Minnesota’s Ju-Hwan Park in his MLB debut. Park became one in a very select group to win the top award in two different leagues, having won the 1960 and 1961 Korea League Pitcher of the Year awards with Hamhung. The 30-year old signed a six-year, $1,068,000 deal with the Moose and delivered as the WARlord at 8.7. He added a 2.24 ERA, 19-6 record, and 250 strikeouts in 268.2 innings.

In the first round of the playoffs, Boston swept Minneapolis and St. Louis swept Washington. The Red Sox stunned Pittsburgh with a 3-2 upset in round two, while Omaha cruised to a sweep over the Cardinals. This earned the Hawks only their second National Association Championship Series appearance, while it was only Boston’s third. The Red Sox took the NACS 4-1, sending them to the World Series for only the second time (1955).



Defending World Series champion San Diego improved upon their record, leading the Western League and all of Major League Baseball at 106-56. Second was Las Vegas at 99-63 and third was Vancouver at 98-64 with both getting the wild card for the second time in three years. San Francisco finished 92-70 to take the third wild card, giving them the longest active playoff streak in MLB at five seasons.

The Southern League saw a new face on top with Jacksonville at 102-60. This was the Gators’ first playoff appearance and SL title since 1950. Only Dallas (1945) and New Orleans (1949) had longer active playoff droughts in the American Association. Atlanta was a distant second at 91-71, but that was good for the final wild card, ending a six-year playoff skid for the Aces. The next closest teams in the wild card hunt were Phoenix and Oakland, both at 87-75. The Firebirds and Houston (85-77) both had won 100+ the prior year, but missed out in 1967. San Antonio also saw a big drop, going from a 93-win wild card berth in 1966 to only 71 wins in 1967.

In his second season, Charlotte 2B Rodd Shackelford won the American Association MVP. He led in WAR (94), hits (218), and doubles (42), adding 116 runs, 22 home runs, and a .343 average. Shackelford also had a 30-game hit streak over the summer. San Diego’s Ryan Rankin won the Pitcher of the Year. The 28-year old lefty nicknamed “Lucifer” had a 27-6 record with the lead in ERA (2.41) and innings (298.1), adding 218 strikeouts and 6.3 WAR. He was only the fourth MLB pitcher to win 27+ games in a season.

Both wild card series needed all three games with San Francisco beating Vancouver and Las Vegas topping Atlanta. The league champs prevailed in the second would with Jacksonville sweeping the Vipers and San Diego surviving a five-game battle with the Gold Rush. For the Gators, this was only their fifth American Association Championship Series appearance and first since 1948. They gave the defending champ Seals a seven-game battle, but San Diego survived for back-to-back titles and their sixth overall. The Seals were the first repeat AA champ since they did it themselves in 1955-56.



San Diego entered the 67^th World Series as a big favorite; the defending champs with the best record in MLB against a wild card Boston franchise that had seen little playoff success despite many recent berths. The series would be a sweep for the first time since 1937 and only the fourth time ever. However, the result was the exact opposite of what was expected with the Red Sox rolling to their first-ever MLB title. CF Ashton Holbrook was the World Series MVP and NACS MVP. A local New England favorite, the 26-year old from Eastport, Maine in 16 playoff games had 21 hits, 10 runs, 4 home runs, and 16 RBI.



Other notes: Catcher Roland Southerland won his ninth and final Gold Glove at catcher. As of 2037, this is still the MLB record for the position.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1968 MLB Hall of Fame

The 1968 Major League Baseball Hall of Fame ballot saw three players earn first ballot inductions. Pitcher Ayaz Shainidze was the start with 99.4% of the vote, one of a very select few to earn 99+ thus far. Outfielders Bill Tan and Patrick White both firmly made it in as well with Tan at 89.6% and White at 85.2%. 1B Tiger Novak on his fifth attempt barely missed the 66% mark again, finishing at 65.1%. Three others, OF Estefan Salinas, SP Abraham Reiner, and SS Chance Warren were above the 50% mark.



Dropped after ten attempts was closer Victoro Fraijo, who ended at 48.4% after peaking at 58.2% and generally hovering in the 50s. He had a 21-year career between MLB and CABA with a combined 438 saves and 41.6 WAR, including two CABA Reliever of the Year nods. His MLB tally was 356 saves, 2.13 ERA, 1017 strikeouts, and 32.8 WAR. Guys with similar looking lines had made it in, but Fraijo couldn’t earn any new supporters for whatever reason.

Six other players also made it ten years and were dropped after the 1968 ballot, although none of those finished above 15%. RF Jack McCoy never was above 37.3% despite a career with 3110 hits, 1668 runs, 390 home runs, 1546 RBI, and 76.7 WAR. Meanwhile, RF Wei-Ju Wang had 3275 hits, 1716 runs, 460 doubles, 273 triples, 94 home runs, 957 RBI, and 49.1 WAR. 3000+ hits wasn’t a guarantee though and they joined Joe Thibault (3257) and two others who had crossed the mark but didn’t get in. McCoy won two titles with Los Angeles as well, making his exclusion even more surprising considering other guys in a similar stat range had gotten the nod. Lack of home run power hurt Wang, although he finished second all-time in triples at 273, one behind Jess Lewis. Wang peaked at 29.7%.

Also dropped was closer Alex Lusk, a three time Reliever of the Year winner with340 saves, a 2.81 ERA, and 31.4 ERA with 903 strikeouts. He had the awards and a save number that usually gets attention, but lacked the dominant strikeout numbers to get higher than 39.3%. Another reliever dropped was Aaron Reyes, who had 254 saves, 2.19 ERA, 826 strikeouts, and 29.6 WAR. He actually peaked at 44.8% before falling to 13.5% at the end.

Rounding out the dropped players was 1B Gage Fairbanks, with 1599 hits, 882 runs, 283 home runs, 884 RBI, a .320 average, and 50.1 WAR. The vast majority of his value were in his first six excellent years with Oakland, but he never recovered from a torn MCL. SP Leon Frausto also fell off peaking at 20.8%. The 1946 Pitcher of the Year was a part of Philadelphia’s dynasty with a 203-171 record, 3.64 ERA, 2901 strikeouts, and 56.4 WAR.



Ayaz Shainidze – Starting Pitcher – Las Vegas Vipers – 99.4% First Ballot

Ayaz Shainidze was a 5’11’’, 200 pound left-handed starting pitcher from Georgia; the country in Asia, not the US state. He was from a town called Zahesi, located nine miles north of the capital Tbilisi. Shainidze’s velocity peaked at 96-98 with solid control and stuff, plus above average movement. He had a slider, curveball, and sinker that were all excellent, along with a rarely used terrible changeup. Shainidze was also known for great durability and stamina, as well as solid leadership skills and adaptability.

Shainidze’s family left Georgia during World War II and he instantly picked up baseball when fully exposed in the United States. He attended Notre Dame and excelled in college, taking the 1947 NCAA Pitcher of the Year with a 12-1 record, 0.81 ERA, and 6.0 WAR with 124 strikeouts in 111 innings. Due to the regional restrictions in the first three rounds, he wasn’t eligible until the fourth round of the 1947 MLB Draft. Shainidze was the third pick of the round, 154^th overall, by New Orleans.

He had an excellent rookie season with 7.7 WAR, yet somehow wasn’t even in the top three for Rookie of the Year voting. He instantly was the Mudcats ace and in five seasons there, had a 92-55 record, 2.96 ERA, 1151 strikeouts in 1376.1 innings, and 37.6 WAR. In his third season with New Orleans, he won his lone Pitcher of the Year with 8.9 WAR, 304.2 innings, and a 2.81 ERA. Shainidze was third in 1952. The Mudcats stunk though with only one playoff berth his tenure in 1949 that he missed to a late-season injury, Unlikely to stick around, New Orleans traded Shainidze before the 1953 season to Las Vegas for prospects.

The Vipers run is what Shainidze would be known for, pitching the remainder of his ten professional seasons there and earning the retirement of his #26 uniform. He put up six 7+ WAR seasons and was a consistent force, although he rarely was a statistical leader. He still earned award looks, but never won Pitcher of the Year again. He was third in 1953, second in 1954, and second in 1958.

During this stretch, Las Vegas became a regular playoff contender, making it nine times from 1950-59. Shainidze caught the back-end of the run, going 3-3 with a 4.04 ERA in 10 playoff starts with 71.1 innings and 55 strikeouts. He made five starts with a 3.50 ERA in 1959, the year that the Vipers finally got over the hump and won the World Series. In the back end of his career as well, Shainidze’s home country began to compete in the World Baseball Championship. From 1956-61 for Georgia, he had a 3.61 ERA over 12 starts and 92.1 innings with 120 strikeouts.

Shainidize’s innings never dwindled, but his production began to fade as he entered his 30s. His ERA went above four in 1960 and 1961 with the stats closer to league average, although he did cross the 250 win and 3000 mlestones. After a middling 1962 at age 35, he opted to retire fairly young. This last year pushed him above 100 career WAR, making him only the 11^th MLB pitcher to that point to do so. His Las Vegas stats saw a 184-114 record, 3.38 ERA, 2323 strikeouts in 2781.1 innings and 64.7 WAR.
For his career, Shainidze had a 276-169 record, 3.24 ERA, 4157.2 innings, 3474 strikeouts, 324/514 quality starts, 267 complete games, FIP- of 80 and 102.3 WAR. He was about as consistently strong as you come and even in his weaker years, he still gave you a lot of innings. A big part in Las Vegas finally winning the big one, Shainidze earned no-doubt induction at 99.4%.



Bill “Wall” Tan – Outfielder – Albuquerque Isotopes – 89.6% First Ballot

Bill Tan was a 6’0’’, 195 pound right-handed hitting outfielder from South Gate, California; located seven miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles. Tan had one of the most unique skillsets of all-time as he known for incredible speed and baserunning skills, along with a terrific eye for drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts. He was still a good contact hitter with respectable gap power, although Tan’s home run power was almost non-existent. He could get on base and fly around the basepaths though and combined with his work ethic, this made him a popular player. He bounced around the outfield defensively with about 2/5 of his starts in center, 2/5 in left, and 1/5 in right. Tan was viewed as above average to good defensively in the corners and just below average in center. Tan was also very durable, making 130+ starts each year from age 21 to age 36.

Tan went east to play college baseball for Pittsburgh. After his junior year with the Panthers, he was picked seventh overall in the 1941 MLB Draft by Albuquerque. Tan was an immediate starter and immediate success, leading the American Association as a rookie in steals and OBP. This game him third in Rookie of the Year voting. His two Silver Sluggers came in 1947 and 1948 with third place MVP finishes in both years as well and the most WAR in the AA in 1947. Without the big power numbers, he wasn’t often in the MVP conversation. Tan occasionally had down years when he was overworked, but he typically provided good things. Tan led in stolen bases 11 times, walks five times, runs thrice, and OBP thrice. He also played once in the World Baseball Championship with five games in 1949.

Tan was a key leader as Albuquerque regularly contended in the late 1940s and early 1950s. The Isotopes made the playoffs eight times in Tan’s tenure with the deepest run coming in 1948 with an American Association title, falling to Hartford in the World Series. In 52 playoff games with Albuquerque, Tan had 55 hits, 34 runs, 11 doubles, 21 RBI, 28 walks, and 20 stolen bases. In total with the Isotopes, he had 2535 hits, 1565 runs, 422 doubles, 115 triples, 1343 walks, 974 stolen bases, and 69.0 WAR. The team retired his #18 uniform as well.

At age 35 in 1956, Tan had a career-best 110 walks drawn and led in stolen bases for the 11^th and final time. He crossed 2500 hits and 1500 runs scored, but opted to leave Albuquerque sensing a rebuild was to come. Tan signed a three-year, $270,000 deal with St. Louis that saw his salary jump from a peak of $48,400 with the small market Isotopes to $90,000. He set a career best with 116 walks in his Cardinals debut and became the first MLB player to reach 1000 stolen bases for his career. He was a bit weaker in year two and became a free agent, signing for the 1959 season at age 38 with Minnesota.

Notably with the Moose, he hit for the cycle in a game against Indianapolis, scoring four times. Tan also earned his 3000^th hit with Minneapolis in 1960. That was his last year as a full-time starter as he joined Phoenix in 1961, but was benched after struggling. Tan spent 1962 in both Baltimore and Buffalo before retiring after the season at age 41. He ultimately came just short of the 2000 runs scored milestone, which to that point had only been crossed by Stan Provost.

Tan’s final stats: 3324 hits, 1982 runs, 528 doubles, 148 triples, 53 home runs, 994 RBI, 1838 walks, 1177 stolen bases, a .294/.396/.382 slash, and 83.2 WAR. He retired MLB’s stolen base king and still holds the title as of 2037 (as well as the caught stealing record of 725) At retirement, Tan was also third all-time in runs scored, second in walks drawn to Chris Louden’s 2106 and ninth in doubles. His OBP was fifth best among Hall of Famers at the time of induction, but his .382 slugging was also the worst. With such lousy power numbers, some wondered if Tan would get snubbed by the voters. But as the all-time best base stealer and one of the all-time best at simply getting on base, Tan couldn’t be ignored and earned induction on the first ballot at 89.6%.



Patrick White – Center Fielder – Houston Hornets – 85.2% First Ballot

Patrick White was a 5’11’’, 205 pound left-handed center fielder from Fairfield, Texas; a tiny town of around 3,000 people located about 90 miles southeast of the Dallas Metroplex. White was best known as an excellent contact hitter that could also give respectable gap power and around 20 home runs per year. He was very quick as well, stealing 816 bases in his career while only getting caught 370 times. White was just okay and drawing walks and at times had troubles with strikeouts, although he was fine when properly rested. White was an ironman who played exclusively in center with above average to good defense. He was also a team captain and was known as a terrific leader.

White went to Western Michigan University for college, then came home to Texas when picked 25^th overall by Houston in the 1944 MLB Draft. He had an excellent rookie season that earned third place in Rookie of the Year honors. But he struggled immensely in 1946 for an abysmal -4.9 WAR and 229 strikeouts. White suffered from being overworked and fatigued in center with no other options for a then middling Hornets squad. He was much better but still poor offensively in year three, then again lousy in year four.

The switch flipped in his fifth season of 1949 that saw a batting title at .361 and the most WAR in the American Association at 9.8, earning a Silver Slugger and a second place finish in MVP voting. White would never have a year quite this good again, but he became a consistent strong performer until his final year, posting nine 5+ WAR seasons. White won additional Silver Sluggers for Houston in 1951, 56, and 58.

After a down period in the 1940s, Houston had a very brief resurgence and won the Southern League title in 1951 and 52. In 1952, they went all the way and won the World Series with White posting 21 hits, 11 runs, 3 home runs, and 7 RBI in 16 playoff games. He continued into his mid 30s with the Hornets, posting a final line there of 2487 hits, 1300 runs, 358 doubles, 236 home runs, 1113 RBI, 707 stolen bases, and 60.7 WAR. Houston would retire his #10 uniform once his career was finished. He also was a captain for the United States team as a World Baseball Championship starter from 1950-54, then a reserve in 1955 and 59-61. In 133 tournament games, he had 148 hits, 87 runs, 86 RBI, 57 stolen bases, and .325 average. Three times he finished second in WBC MVP voting (50, 51, 52) and won world titles in 51, 52, 55, 60, and 61.

Now 35 years old, White opted for free agency and signed a hefty four-year, $451,000 contract with Las Vegas. His fifth and final Silver Slugger came in his Vipers debut and he was critical in helping the Vipers win their first World Series. White won both World Series and AACS MVP, posting 33 hits and 21 runs in 16 playoff games with four home runs, 15 RBI, a .524 average, and 1.8 WAR. At the time, it was a MLB playoff record for most hits and runs in a postseason with the runs mark still standing as of 2037, even despite the later expanded postseason.

The playoff heroics alone made the contract worth it. Las Vegas fell off, although his second year was equally solid and White led in runs with a career-high 115. He regressed to average in year three and struggled in year four, retiring after the 1962 season at age 38. With the Vipers, White had 668 hits, 360 runs, and 13.9 WAR.

White’s final stats: 3155 hits, 1660 runs, 447 doubles, 139 triples, 311 home runs, 1426 RBI, 816 stolen bases, a .291/.333/.444 slash and 74.7 WAR. At his peak, White was an excellent reliable center fielder who you could trot out every day. At retirement, he was one of only six MLB players with 800 stolen bases and the 31^st member of the 3000 hit club, although that wasn’t a guaranteed mark for induction. The couple of terrible years he had weighed down some of the advanced stats, but his leadership and playoff performances in helping both Houston and Las Vegas to rings put White over the top for a first ballot induction at 85.2%.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1968 CABA Hall of Fame

Two players earned additions into the Central American Baseball Association Hall of Fame from the 1968 class. On his fifth try, designated hitter Alejandro Encinas got the bump across the line by getting 74.3%. RF Niki Petit was a first ballot nod with 72.6%, low but beyond the 66% threshold required. Two others were above 50% with pitcher Tirso Sepulveda at 61.8% on his second attempt and 1B Salvador Islas at 51.4% on his fourth attempt.



None were dropped after ten attempts but an honorable mention goes to pitcher Galeno Garza, dropped after falling below 5% on his seventh try. In only eight years with Salvador, he won a Pitcher of the Year and led in strikeouts and WAR twice, posting a 2.80 ERA, 99-79 record, 1727 strikeouts, and 47.9 WAR. Garza seemed like he was on his way, but suffered a torn rotator cuff late in his seventh season. He hung around as a back-end starter in MLB in his later years but was done as an ace at that point.



Alejandro Encinas – Designated Hitter – Panama Parrotts – 74.3% Fifth Ballot

Alejandro Encinas was a 5’8’’, 205 pound switch hitter from Socoltenango, a small town near Mexico’s southern border. Encinas was a very good pure hitter with excellent power and good to great contact ability. He was above average with his eye and rarely struck out relative to other hitters. Encinas had below average speed and was primarily used as a designated hitter, although he made about 1/5 of his career starts at first base with a few at second and third. At any spot, he was considered a terrible defender, thus the DH assignment. But Encinas’ bat was more than worthy of finding him a spot to swing from.

Encinas was initially picked out of high school 18^th overall in the 1935 Central American Baseball Association Draft by Leon, but he opted to attend college and didn’t sign with the Lions. His stock was lower when he was next eligible, but Encinas was picked in the 1938 CABA Draft in the second round, 38^th overall, by Tijuana. Encinas stayed on the reserve roster in 1939 and made a few pinch hit at-bats in 1940. Before the 1941 season, he and two other prospects were traded to Panama for RF Yong-Pa Lee.

Encinas became a starter with the Parrots with a promising debut season in 1941, finishing second in Rookie of the Year voting and taking a Silver Slugger at second base. In 1942, he led the Caribbean League in hits and won Silver Slugger at DH. He won it again in 1943 at DH, 1945 at second base, and 1948 at DH. 1942 was his first 40+ home run season, a feat he’d reach seven times in his career. In 1943, he won his first batting title (.335), led in homers (45), hits (214), doubles (32) and had 119 RBI, earning a second place finish in MVP voting. He also was a reserve for the Mexican National Team from 1947-52 in the World Baseball Championship with 8 home runs in 71 at bats. Encinas earned two rings with Mexico in 1949 and 1950.

1944 saw a torn quad put him out two months and his production fell a bit the three seasons, although he was still starter quality. Panama had been a historically lousy team, but in 1946 they had a Cinderella run, snapping a 31-year playoff drought. Despite only finishing 83-79, they won a weak Continental Division and went on a run all the way to the CABA Championship. Encinas stats weren’t great with a .178 average in 45 at-bats, but he still helped the team ultimately to a ring and was remembered fondly by Parrots fans, helping him see his #26 uniform retired.

At age 31 in 1947, Encinas led in RBI with 130. Then in 1948, he had his finest year, earning CABA’s sixth Triple Crown hitting season (and the second by someone other than Kiko Velazquez. Encinas had a .332 average, 51 home runs, 147 RBI, 210 hits, 114 runs, and a 1.006 OPS, earning the Caribbean League MVP. Riding high, Encinas opted out of his Panama contract knowing that someone would give him a great payday as a defending MVP. Both CABA and MLB teams were interested and it would be MLB’s Albuquerque that would sign him up at five years, $195.000.

Encinas put up solid power numbers with the Isotopes, although he missed parts of 1950 and 1951 to injury. Albuquerque had made the World Series the year prior to his signing and would twice get back to the American Association Championship Series, but ultimately no deeper in his tenure. He had solid playoff numbers in 23 starts with 31 hits, 20 runs, 11 home runs, and 23 RBI. In total with the Isotopes, Encinas had 727 hits, 403 runs, 167 home runs, 533 RBI, a .288 average, and 15.2 WAR.

The Albuquerque deal ran out and Encinas returned to Mexico at age 38, signing for 1954 with Tijuana. He spent three years as a decent starter for the Toros, then returned to Panama for his final two seasons. With the Parrots, he picked up his 2000^th CABA hit and 1000^th run. Encinas was cut after the 1958 season and retired at age 43 after going unsigned in 1959. His final Panama tallies saw 1625 hits, 817 runs, 342 home runs, 971 RBI, a .294 average, and 39.9 WAR.

For his entire pro career, Encinas had 2823 hits, 1433 runs, 425 doubles, 601 home runs, 1762 RBI, a .288/.330/.524 slash and 66.3 WAR. Just in CABA, he had 2096 hits, 1030 runs, 323 doubles, 434 home runs, 1229 RBI, a .288/.326/.522 slash and 51.1 WAR. Good totals, but lower accumulations than most other CABA Hall of Famers thanks to the five-year gap to Albuquerque. There were also the voters reluctant to put any primarily DH guys in unless they had generational stats. Encinas hovered around 54% on his first and second ballots, then had a jump and just missed at 64.7%. He fell back to 54.6% on his fourth try, but a relatively quiet 1968 ballot allowed Encinas to pick up enough votes to get in at 74.3% on his fifth attempt.



Niki Petit – Right Fielder – Santiago Sailfish – 72.6% First Ballot

Niki Petit was a 6’3’’, 200 pound left-handed right fielder from Limbe, a northern Haiti commune of about 70,000 people. Petit was a strong power hitter who could also reliably draw walks, although he did strike out quite a bit. Petit was a fairly average contact hitter with below average speed. He was incredibly durable, making 135+ starts in 16 straight seasons, and was considered a solid leader with a sturdy work ethic. Petit was almost exclusively a right fielder in his career and was viewed as average to slightly above average with the glove.

Petit was picked 20^th overall out of college by Santiago in the 1945 CABA Draft, sending him to the other side of Hispaniola and the Dominican Republic. He made limited appearances with poor results in 1946, but was excellent in his first full season of 1947. That began a streak of nine straight seasons with 30+ home runs. Petit was almost never a league leader in any major stats, but his steady production did receive notice. He was second in 1949 MVP voting and third in 1950, hitting 40+ home runs and 6+ WAR in both seasons. Petit’s first Silver Slugger came in 1951, followed by additional awards in 1952, 53, and 55.

Santiago became a Caribbean League contender during Petit’s tenure, winning the league title in 1947, 1951, 1952, 1954, and 1955. The Sailfish claimed the CABA Championship as well in 1951 and 1952. Petit won the CABA Championship MVP in 1951 and the CLCS MVP in 1954. Over 58 playoff games, Petit had 58 hits, 41 runs, 23 home runs, and 47 RBI, worth 3.3 WAR. Petit also became a regular for his native Haiti in the World Baseball Championship, playing in 153 and making 146 starts from 1947-64. In total, he had 124 hits, 87 runs, 46 home runs, 103 RBI, and 6.2 WAR in the WBC.

Petit’s stats dropped a bit into his 30s with less power, but still respectable production. Santiago’s playoff run had ended by the close of the 1950s and midway through the 1959 campaign, the Sailfish traded the 35-year old Petit to Monterrey in exchange for prospects. He remained very popular with the Santiago faithful and would see his #17 uniform retired by the team. Petit’s final Sailfish stats were 1880 hits, 1049 runs, 441 home runs, 1124 RBI, and 61.4 WAR.

Petit finished 1959 with the Matadors and signed an extension to stay in Monterrey for another three seasons. He had a bit of a career resurgence, leading the league in homers for the first time in 1960 (albeit only at 35, a number he had passed multiple times earlier). In three and a half seasons, he put up 525 hits, 281 runs, 116 home runs, 297 RBI, and 16.5 WAR. When his contract was up, the now 39-year old went to MLB’s Pittsburgh for the 1963 season. Petit was merely adequate as a part-time starter in 1963 and bench player in 1964 with the Pirates, retiring after the 1964 season at age 41.

Petit’s final CABA stats saw 2405 hits, 1330 runs, 429 doubles, 557 home runs, 1421 RBI, a .262/.322/.502 slash and 78.0 WAR. The numbers aren’t out of place among other Hall of Famers, but aren’t on the top end of the leaderboard. To that point, he was only the 15^th CABA player to smack 500+ home runs and he was a key cog in a decade of dominance for Santiago. This combined for a first ballot selection, although at a lower-end percentage of 72.6%.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1968 EAB Hall of Fame

Only one player made it into East Asia Baseball’s Hall of Fame with the 1968 ballot. Centerfielder Ha-Min Park had come very close eight other times, but just short. With a weak group in 1968, Park finally just crossed the 66% mark with 68.2% on his ninth attempt. Three other returners were above 60% but below the required mark with LF Dong-Hee Cho (61.7%, 6^th ballot), CL Hyeon-Jae Seo (61.4%, 4^th Ballot) and LF Chong-Chun Pak (60.8%, 4^th ballot). 1B Jae-Ha Cho on his ninth try was the only other player above 50% at 53.4%.



Dropped after ten attempts was 1B Sung-Heun Park, a six-time Silver Slugger winner and 1938 Korea League MVP. Primarily with Changwon, he had 2403 hits, 1247 runs, 368 doubles, 494 home runs, 1375 RBI, a .295 average, and 73.9 WAR. Those types of numbers had put others in and Park had a big role in Changwon winning the 1945 EAB title, but he peaked at 52.9% on his third ballot and ended at 40.1%. You could argue that his numbers were more impressive than his former teammate Ha-Min Park, but more is expected as a slugger at first base than a center fielder. Also dropped was pitcher Yeo Kim, another who was almost exclusively with Changwon. He had a 183-105 record, 2.94 ERA, 2776 strikeouts in 2872.2 innings, and 59.3 WAR. With no major awards, he was more firmly a Hall of Very Good type, peaking at 29.8% and ending at 8.3%.



Ha-Min “Ferret” Park – Center Fielder - Changwon Crabs – 68.2% Ninth Ballot

Ha-Min Park was a 6’0’’, 185 pound right-handed center fielder from Kijang, a South Korean county of around 150,000 within greater Busan. Park was a very good power hitter that reliably gave you 30-40 home runs and around 40 doubles/triples per season when healthy. He was an above average contact hitter, but did strike out a lot and rarely drew walks especially relative to his power. Park had solid speed and spent the majority of his career in center field with around 1/5 of his starts in right. He was viewed as a slightly below average, but not terrible defender.

Park moved to Seoul for college and played at Chung-Ang University, putting up 38 home runs and 10.1 WAR in 116 games with the Dragons. This got the attention of Changwon, who drafted Park second overall in the 1939 East Asia Baseball Draft. He was immediately a starter and an impactful one with a 6.9 WAR rookie season, earning 1940 Rookie of the Year and his first Silver Slugger. He won additional Sluggers in 1941, 42, 43, 44, 45, 47, 48, and 51, All but the final one were in centerfield (the last one was DH) and his eight remains a Korea League record for the position. Park earned MVP consideration in three seasons, taking third in 1944, second in 1945, and second in 1947. He led the league in home runs in 1942 (49) and 1947 (48), and led with 131 RBI in 1951.

Changwon made the playoffs twice in Park’s tenure; 1945, 1948, and 1949. In 1945, the Crabs won their second-ever Korea League title and earned the franchise’s first EAB Championship. Park was very impactful in the 1945 run with 17 hits, 14 runs, 5 home runs, and 12 RBI in 13 starts. He struggled in 1948 and missed the 1949 run to injury.

Park had been durable in his first nine seasons with Changwon apart from a sprained ankle in 1946. 1949 saw a devastating broken kneecap with another sprained ankle in 1950 causing Park to miss significant time and see a production drop. The Crabs opted to let him go after the 1950 season, but the team would go onto honor him by retiring his #27 uniform. In total with Changwon, Park had 1592 hits, 897 runs, 231 doubles, 175 triples, 379 home runs, 973 RBI, and 61.8 WAR.

Now 33 years old, Park signed for the 1951 season to a five-year, $165,000 deal with Daegu. His Diamondbacks debut was excellent with his final Silver Slugger, 48 home runs, and 131 RBI from the DH spot. Injuries and a noticeable drop in production plagued him the rest of the run, fully relegated to the bench by his fourth year in 1954. Park got to participate in four postseasons with Daegu, although his playoff numbers were subpar. The Diamondbacks won the 1952 and 1953 Korea League titles and gave Park his second EAB Championship ring in 1953. Park opted to retire after the 1954 season at age36. With Daegu, he had 390 hits, 230 runs, 89 home runs, and 7.4 WAR.

Park’s overall numbers: 1982 hits, 1127 runs, 290 doubles, 220 triples, 468 home runs, 1230 RBI, 463 stolen bases, a .272/.310/.566 slash, and 69.2 WAR. Park had some excellent seasons when healthy, but his final accumulations were a bit low compared to other Hall of Famers due to a relatively short career. The few guys in the Hall without at least 2000 hits typically had much more dominant peaks and/or were guys who started their careers late when EAB was formed. For eight ballots, Park was never below 50%, but never above 60%, seemingly destined for Hall of Very Good status. But with a weak group in 1968 for his ninth attempt, Park finally got the bump just past the 66% mark, earning his spot at 68.2%. He was the first EAB Hall of Famer to be inducted as a ninth ballot and as of 2037, one of two.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1968 BSA Hall of Fame

1968 was a weak ballot for Beisbol Sudamerica’s Hall of Fame with only one player ultimately getting in. Pitcher Julio Cigala was only narrowly beyond the 66% threshold, but did earn a first ballot nod at 71.4%. RF Nando Gaspar was at 61.5% on his sixth attempt and LF Martyn Jarava was at 60.6% on his fifth. Two others, LF Placido Guerrero and SP Lauro Almeida, were just above 50% on their seventh and sixth attempts, respectively.



Leonardo Velasco was dropped after ten failed ballots and is viewed by many as one of the best players denied a Hall of Fame spot. A six-time Silver Slugger winner at third base, he had 2698 hits, 1118 runs, 465 doubles, 214 home runs, 990 RBI, a .299/.345/.433 slash and 102.3 WAR. Advanced stats, especially that WAR total, makes Velasco seem pretty strong, but he never won MPVP and never made the playoffs, spending most of his career with a weak Guayaquil franchise. He peaked at 47.4% on his third ballot and ended at a shockingly low 10.9%.

Cut from the ballot after ten failed attempts also included SP Saul Jiao, who had a 137-88 record, 1.98 ERA, 2642 strikeouts over 2221.1 innings and 74.6 WAR. Very good numbers over too small a sample size hurt by injuries and low inning totals when healthy. He peaked at 46.3% and ended at 14.0%. Closer Miggy Alemao was also dropped, peaking at 42.8% but ending at 6.5%. He won Reliever of the Year twice and was a part-time starter with a 2.21 ERA, 111-67 record, 184 saves, and 34.5 WAR. He wasn’t a closer enough to get pro-reliever voters to his side. Also worth noting was 2B Adrian Lanzas cut after seven years and falling below 5%. He retired second all-time in walks drawn at 1371 and won three Silver Sluggers at second base with 72.1 WAR. His poor batting average sunk him despite 2156 hits, 1276 runs, 318 home runs, and 914 RBI.



Julio Cigala – Starting Pitcher – Barquisimeto Black Cats – 71.4% First Ballot

Julio Cigala was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed starting pitcher from Barinas, a city of around 350,000 in west central Venezuela. Terrific pinpoint control was Cigala’s biggest strength, allowing him to overcome merely above average stuff and movement. His velocity peaked around 95-97 mph, but he had the rare six pitch arsenal with none amazing, but all respectable. He mixed a fastball, slider, curveball, forkball, changeup, and splitter; making Cigala hard to solve for hitters. He was a good leader with strong stamina and excellent durability, an ironman who made 32+ starts and had 260+ innings in each of his 15 professional seasons.

Cigala was picked second overall in the 1947 Beisbol Sudamerica Draft by Barquisimeto and instantly became a key part of their rotation, finishing third in Rookie of the Year voting. He wasn’t dominant in his first run with the Black Cats, but very consistent and reliable. Cigala also pitched for Venezuela in the World Baseball Championship from 1949-52, posting a 3.54 ERA over 84 innings with 84 strikeouts. Barquisimeto was a bottom rung franchise in Cigala’s first few seasons and in his sixth year of 1953, he was traded midseason for three prospects to Brasilia.

The Bearcats just missed the playoffs in 1953, then fell off despite Cigala’s efforts in the next two seasons. Cigala led the Southern Cone League in losses despite posting a 7.2 WAR season in 1955, a career best. With Brasilia, he had a 33-44 record, 2.52 ERA, 718 strikeouts in 717 innings, and 15.9 WAR. The 31-year old Cigala went back to Barquisimeto for 1956 on a four-year, $212,000 deal.

Cigala struggled a bit in his return season, but returned to his usual form soon after. By this point, the Black Cats were now competitive and won division titles in 1957 and 1958. In 1957, Cigala won his lone Pitcher of the Year with a 21-11 record, 2.52 ERA, 281.2 innings, 249 strikeouts, 5.2 WAR, and 18 complete games. He never was in the top three any other season. In 1958, Barquisimeto won their first ever Bolivar League title, although Cigala struggled with a 7.36 ERA in 18.1 innings in the run. The Black Cats fell off a bit in 1959 and traded Cigala over the summer to Medellin.

The now 35-year old Cigala was a free agent again after half a season with the Mutiny and signed one more time with Barquisimeto, playing his final three pro seasons with the Black Cats. He had two more solid seasons as the franchise began to rebuild again, then struggled in his final year. Cigala retired after the 1962 season at age 37 and had his #8 uniform retired for more than 3000 innings of service with Barquisimeto

Cigala’s final stats: 218-231, 3.01 ERA, 4218.2 innings, 3873 strikeouts, 635 walks, 324/513 quality starts, 245 complete games, a FIP- of 90 and 76.0 WAR. He would become the first (and as of 2037, the only) Beisbol Sudamerica starting pitcher in the Hall of Fame with a losing record. Although it is obviously a flawed metric skewed by Cigala playing primarily on bad teams, others looked at him as a merely above average pitcher who managed to stick around and earn tenure. But enough voters appreciated his longevity and consistency, allowing Cigala to snag a first ballot induction at 71.4%.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1968 EBF Hall of Fame

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The European Baseball Federation added a player into its still young Hall of Fame with the 1968 ballot. Pitcher Luigi Kerac earned the nod easily in his debut at 95.9%. Another starter, Harald Solbach, had a promising debut on the ballot with 63.7%, only slightly behind the 66% required for entry. Also above 50% were closer Richard Hackl and slugger Orion McIntyre; both on their third ballot.



Luigi “The Bandit” Kerac – Starting Pitcher – Amsterdam Anacondas – 95.9% First Ballot

Luigi Kerac was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed starting pitcher from Osijek, the fourth largest city in Croatia with just shy of 100,000 people. Kerac was known for outstanding control of his pitches, mixed with very good movement and above average stuff. His velocity peaked around 96-98 mph with a fastball, forkball, cutter, and changeup. Kerac was viewed as a “sparkplug” personality with high energy and drive.

After World War II, Kerac got into the game in the amateur and semi-pro ranks in Yugoslavia. By the time the European Baseball Federation was formed, Kerac was already in his 30s, but was a known and desired commodity by many teams. He joined the EBF by signing with Copenhagen for the 1951 season on a five-year, $136,800 deal.

The Corsairs were the first European Champion in 1950, but fell into immediate mediocrity following. Kerac excelled despite his team’s struggles, finishing third in Pitcher of the Year voting in all three of his seasons in Denmark. With Copenhagen, Kerac had a 47-37 record, 1.98 ERA, 851.1 innings, 490 strikeouts, and 31.0 WAR. He led the Northern Conference in WHIP all three seasons and posted WAR totals of 9.2, 12.7, and 9.1. Not satisfied with the Corsairs being noncompetitive, Kerac opted out of his contract after the third season. The now 34-year old signed in 1954 to a five-year, $232,600 deal with Amsterdam.

In his Anacondas debut, Kerac won his lone Pitcher of the Year with a conference-best 1.74 ERA and a 22-1 record. Amsterdam went 118-44 that season and won their second European Championship with Kerac throwing 19 innings with a 19 ERA in the postseason. They also made the playoffs in 1955 and 1957, although didn’t get to the final. Kerac wasn’t in the award conversation in his other four years in Amsterdam, but was a consistent all-star. In total with the Anacondas, he had a 76-42 record, 2.36 ERA, 1155 strikeouts in 1192.1 innings and 39.1 WAR.

Kerac began to long for home a bit after starting to play for Croatia in the World Baseball Championship. From 1957-61, he had a 4.37 ERA over 68 innings with 61 strikeouts. When his Amsterdam contract expired, the now 39-year old signed with his home country team Zagreb. Kerac took third in Pitcher of the Year voting in 1959 and in 1960 helped lead the Gulls to their first European Championship. In total with Zagreb, he had a 37-19 record, 2.82 ERA, 442 strikeouts, and 14.1 WAR. With control being his greatest asset, Kerac’s game aged well and he seemed primed to still put up great numbers into his 40s. In his first start of 1961, a ruptured UCL derailed that hope. Kerac made it back for a few relief appearances in 1962, opting to retire at season’s end at age 43.

His final stats: 160-98, 2.33 ERA, 2579 innings, 2537 strikeouts to only 228 walks for a 11.1 K/BB ratio, 243/322 quality starts, 112 complete games, and 84.2 WAR. He led his conference in K/BB in eight seasons and WHIP four times and his rate stats are among the best in the Hall of Fame. The overall accumulations are low since his career started at age 31, which makes you wonder how high his tallies could’ve gone with a full EBF career. Either way, his accomplishments were plenty to earn first ballot induction at 95.9% and become EBF’s fifth Hall of Fame member

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1968 EPB Hall of Fame

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Eurasian Professional Baseball officially began Hall of Fame voting in 1965 but until 1967, no one had even gotten above 5%. In 1967, closer Krzystzof Lazaridis’s 22.7% was the new high percentage, far from the 66% required. In 1968, Bogdan Chirita was on the ballot and became the first Hall of Famer; a no-doubter at 99.0%. Closer Mircea Ioan’s debut was a respectable 48.6%, still short of induction. Lazaridis got 26.4% on his second try. It would be a three year gap between Chirita’s induction and the next players to get in.



Bogdan Chirita – Starting Pitcher- Bucharest Broncos – 99.0% First Ballot

Bogdan Chirita was a 6’1’’, 195 pound right-handed pitcher from Tiganasi, a small commune of 4,000 people in northeast Romania on the border with Moldova. Chirita was known for having incredible movement on his pitches and great stuff with 96-98 peak velocity, although his control was viewed as merely above average. He only had three pitches, but the break on his cutter, slider, and changeup made Chirita a dominant force.

After World War II ended, Chirita picked up the game in his early 20s in the still young Romanian baseball scene. He quickly emerged as a dominant force locally who considered heading to the European Baseball Federation, but wanted to stay closer to home. In 1955, Eurasian Professional Baseball was formed with his country’s capital Bucharest among the cities with teams. He signed a six-year, $243,600 contract with the Broncos and began his official career at age 28.

Chirita carried his amateur dominance into EPB, leading the European League in ERA five times, wins twice, WHIP four times, FIP- six times and WAR six times. His worst season had a WAR of 9.3 with an unprecedented five seasons with 10+. In 1959, he had the second EPB Triple Crown season for a pitcher. In eight seasons, he won Pitcher of the Year five times (1955, 58, 59, 60, 62) and won league MVP twice (1959, 60). Chirita twice pitched no hitters against Bratislava with the first In 1955 and the second in 1962.

Bucharest was an early European League contender, making the playoffs in its first seven seasons. The Broncos made it to the league championship series thrice and in 1957, claimed the third ever Soviet Series and overall title. Naturally, Chirita was also a great playoff pitcher, posting a 2.54 ERA in 120.2 innings with 105 strikeouts and 4.4 WAR. In the championship season, he had a 1.59 ERA in 39.2 innings with 38 strikeouts. Chirita also was the ace for Romania’s national team in the World Baseball Championship from 1955-64, posting a 3.59 ERA over 170.1 innings with 188 strikeouts.

It was in the 1963 World Baseball Championship were disaster struck for the now 36-year old Chirita, who had shown no signs of regression in his eight years with Bucharest. Chirita would suffer a torn flexor tendon in his elbow, ultimately putting him out for the entire 1963 season. He rehabbed and was back for the 1964 tournament and seemingly ready to return to form for the Broncos. However, Chirita suffered a torn labrum in spring training to end his 1964 before it even started and ultimately his career at age 38.

Chirita’s stats: 151-54, 1.95 ERA, 2045 innings, 2347 strikeouts to 369 walks, 199/255 quality starts, a FIP- of 47 and 88.9 WAR. You would be hard pressed to find a better eight year stretch from any pitcher in any professional league ever. Had Chirita not officially started at age 28 or seen injury end his career early, his final stats may have placed him among the greatest pitchers in any league ever. Chirita’s excellence certainly was appreciated in Romania and with Bucharest, who retired his #41 uniform. It was also appreciated by the EPB baseball community at large with a 99.0% first ballot induction; a very worthy player to be EPB’s first Hall of Famer.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1968 World Baseball Championship

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The 1968 World Baseball Championship was the 22^nd edition of the event and the second to be held in Europe, this time hosted in Athens, Greece. After missing the elite eight for the first time last season, the United States was back to its usual perch atop Division 1. The Americans went 7-0, holding off a 6-1 Peru squad. Division 2 had a three-way tie for first at 5-2 between North Korea, Poland, and the Netherlands with both Greece and Kazakhstan at 4-3. The Dutch advanced on the tiebreaker, giving them their second-ever division title. Division 3 went to Italy at 6-1, one ahead of both Germany and Scotland. It was the fourth time advancing to the elite eight for the Italians. Defending world champ Canada finished 4-3 in D3, ending their repeat hope and leaving them out for only the seventh time in 22 tournaments. Japan rolled to Division 4’s crown at 7-0, moving the Japanese forward for the eighth time.

Mexico and Australia tied atop Division 5 at 6-1 and the Mexicans advanced with the head-to-head, sending last year’s runner-up to their ninth elite eight appearance. Brazil claimed Division 6 at 6-1, edging England by a game. The Brazilians have moved forward nine times now. A tight Division 7 saw Puerto Rico on top at 5-2, one better than five other teams (Belarus, Belgium, Colombia, Ecuador, and Russia). For PR, it is their second time advancing. And in Division 8, Guatemala became a first time division champ going 5-2, ending one ahead of Indonesia, Panama, Switzerland, and Taiwan.

In Round Robin Group A, the United States was first at 4-2, earning a 20^th semifinal berth. Both Italy and Mexico were 3-3 and the Netherlands was 2-4. The tiebreaker sent the Italians to the semifinal for the third time in history. In Group A, Puerto Rico and Guatemala earned their first-ever semifinal berths. PR was first at 4-2 and the Guatemalans were 3-3 with the tiebreaker on Brazil, while Japan was 2-4. Having lasted one more game in the semifinal, Guatemala was awarded third and Italy fourth. It was the third time Italy had finished fourth, their deepest mark to date.



The Americans won their semifinal in six games over Guatemala, moving the US to the championship for the 17^th time. Puerto Rico meanwhile downed Italy in five, giving PR its first championship appearance. The USA rolled to a 4-1 World Championship win over Puerto Rico, putting the Americans back to their usual spot on top for the 14^th time.



Leading Puerto Rico’s efforts was tournament MVP Santiago Duarte. A 30-year old outfielder for Houston, he posted 29 hits, 17 runs, 9 home runs, 18 RBI, and 16 walks in 23 tournament games for 1.7 WAR. Best Pitcher was awarded to Italy’s Hugo Coria. A 34-year old journeyman reliever, he tossed 8.2 scoreless innings with five saves and 15 strikeouts.

Other notes: Venezuela’s Simon Arenas set a still-standing tournament record for batting average at .619, getting 13 hits in 21 at bats. England’s Jacob Bidwell hit four home runs in a game against Paraguay, becoming the fourth batter in WBC history with a four dinger day.

Below are the updated all-time stats for the tournament.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1968 in APB

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Defending Taiwan-Philippine Association champ Manila made it four Philippine titles in the first four years of Austronesia Professional Baseball. The Manatees had a franchise worst record of 97-65, still good enough to take the title by a comfortable 12 games over Zamboanga. In the Taiwan League, Taichung was unseated for the first time atop the standings. Taipei took the top spot at 97-65 while the Toucans were 90-72.

Tigercats 1B Shen-Hsiung Hsue won back-to-back MVPs. The 34-year old lefty was the TPA leader in home runs (52), RBI (93), runs (96), slugging (.555), OPS (.874), and wRC+ (188) with 8.2 WAR. Pitcher of the Year went to Zamboanga’ s Xinbin Sun. The 23-year old from China in his first full season in the rotation was the leader in wins at 21-10, ERA at 1.49, WHIP at 0.71, and quality starts at 32. He added 253 strikeouts in 290 innings with 9.2 WAR.



Medan won a third straight Malacca League title at 98-64, beating Pekanbaru by four games. Jakarta won the Java League for the first time, also going 98-64 and taking the title by 13 games. Defending Austronesia Champion Bandung, winners of 107 games the prior year, fell to a lousy 75-87.

Pekanbaru’s Stanley Susilowati won his second Sundaland Association MVP award. The 29-year old third baseman was the leader in WAR (10.8), walks (100), OBP (.378), OPS (.873) and wRC+ (178), adding 35 home runs and 92 RBI. Jakarta’s Muljadi Suwandi was the Pitcher of the Year. The 31-year old lefty joined the Jaguars on a one-year deal after prior stints with Tainan and Medan. Suwandi had an 18 strikeout no-hitter on May 16 against Semarang, setting an APB record for Ks in a no-no and also tying the general strikeouts in a game record. He was the leader in ERA (1.71), strikeouts (357), quality starts (29), FIP- (38), and WAR (11.1),



In the Taiwan-Philippine Association final, Taipei became a first-time champion by defeating Manila in six games. The Sundaland Association final had its fourth different champ in APB’s first four years as Jakarta topped Medan in five. The 1968 Austronesia Championship was the first to go all seven games with the Tigercats topping the Jaguars. Winning finals MVP was Taipei’s Chang-Yung Cheng, who in 13 playoff games had 14 hits, 6 runs, 4 home runs, and 5 RBI.



Other notes: Singapore actually improved from 45 wins the prior season to 57 in 1968, but set a number of still standings records for pitching mediocrity. The Sharks allowed 665 runs, 593 earned runs with a 1.237 WHIP and 3.65 ERA. In the very low offense environment of APB, these are all-time worsts for the Sundaland Association.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1968 in OBA

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Defending Oceania Champion Melbourne repeated as Australasia League champ in 1968, taking first place at 96-66. The Mets were four games better than Perth, five ahead of Sydney, and six ahead of Adelaide.

MVP went to Christchurch LF Alapati Tatupu. The 24-year old from American Samoa was the league leader in the triple slash (.336/.384.573), OPS (.956), wRC+ (206), WAR (10.1), hits (194), and runs (90). It was his third straight season winning the batting title and leading in hits. Auckland’s Zachary Nelson won Pitcher of the Year and set a new OBA single-season record with a stellar 14.2 WAR season and became the first to have a 400+ strikeout season with 406. The 26-year old Australian lefty added a 2.10 ERA with a 16-15 record in 325.2 innings and 34 quality starts.



The Pacific League title came down to a tiebreaker game after Guadalcanal and New Caledonia each finished at 86-76. The Green Jackets prevailed in the tiebreaker to take their third title in six seasons and fourth in OBA’ s first nine seasons. Port Moresby was third at 84-78 and defending champ Guam was fourth at 82-80.

Guam RF Sione Hala won his third MVP in four seasons. The 25-year old Tongan set the new single-season OBA home run record with 59, which would hold as the top mark until 1986. Hala was also the first to hit 50+ homers twice for OBA. He was also the Pacific League leader in runs (90), RBI (118), OBP (.359), slugging (.636), OPS (.995), and wRC+ (211). Pitcher of the Year was Port Moresby’s Isaac Parker. The 25-year old Hawaiian was the ERA leader (1.92) and WARlord (10.1), also leading in WHIP (0.90) and quality starts (32). He posted 343 strikeouts in 290.1 innings. Unfortunately, a torn UCL the next spring would render Parker irrelevant.

The ninth Oceania Championship would go seven games with Guadalcanal defeating Melbourne, denying the repeat for the Mets. The Green Jackets becoming the first three-time winner, having also taken the title in 1961 and 1966. Finals MVP was 1B Austin Dennis, a Canadian who joined the Green Jackets in 1966 after playing previously for MLB’s Calgary. In the championship, Dennis had 7 hits, 3 runs, 2 home runs, and 7 RBI.





Other notes: MVP Sione Hala had a 24-game hit streak in the summer to tie the OBA record. Five days later, New Caledonia’s Seymour Lennox got to 25 to set the new high mark. SS Fineasi Hausia won his seventh and final Gold Glove.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1968 in EPB

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Kazan claimed the top record in EPB’s European League for back-to-back seasons, winning the North Division in 1968 at 104-58. Tirana meanwhile took the South Division for back-to-back seasons at 99-63. After missing the playoffs for the first time ever the prior year, Misnk was the first wild card ta 96-66. The final spot came down to a tiebreaker game after Helsinki and Kyiv both finished 93-69. The Honkers took the tiebreaker game to earn their first-ever playoff berth. Defending league champ Moscow saw its seven-year streak snapped as they limped to 79-83.

The Crusaders had the league’s MVP and Pitcher of the Year. 28-year old CF Andrey Voronin won the MVP as the leader in runs with 88, adding 37 home runs, 92 RBI, and 8.0 WAR. The Pitcher of the Year as 32-year old lefty Artyom Rudasev with a league-best 1.45 ERA, 0.77 WHIP, and 47 FIP-. He added 8.9 WAR with 283 strikeouts in 217.2 innings and a 17-6 record.



Yekaterinburg took the top record in the Asian League at 100-62, winning the North Division and grabbing a fifth consecutive playoff berth. Ulaanbaatar finished one behind at 99-63, getting back-to-back wild cards. After missing the playoffs the prior year, 1966 league champ Omsk took the second wild card at 95-67. Ufa, winners of 101 games the prior year, dropped to .500. Defending Soviet Series champ Bishkek won a weak South Division at 91-71, giving the Black Sox six straight division titles and the longest active postseason streak in Eurasian Professional Baseball.

Ulaanbaatar CF Amam “Mad Dog” Charyyew won his third MVP. The 30-year old Tukrmen was the leader in runs (101), home runs (54), RBI (118), slugging (.674), OPS (1.041), wRC+ (211) and WAR (10.8). Omsk’s Arutyun Lezjov won his third Pitcher of the Year, doing it in only 25 starts. Despite injuries and having missed almost all the entire prior season, Lezjov posted a 1.79 ERA in 216.1 innings with 263 strikeouts, 8.8 WAR, and a 19-4 record.

In the first round of the playoffs in the European League, Kazan downed Helsinki in four games and Minsk took it 3-1 at Tirana. In the Asian League, Bishkek swept Ulaanbaatar and Yekaterinburg beat Omsk in four. After taking runner-up the prior two seasons, the Crusaders claimed the ELCS in six games over the Miners. In the ALCS, the Yaks swept the Black Sox, giving Yekaterinburg its second title after winning in the inaugural 1955 campaign.



The 1968 Soviet Series went to Kazan 4-2 over Yekaterinburg, making the Crusaders two time EPB champions. It is the first title for a Russian-based team since Kazan’s 1961 crown. Finals MVP was 38-year old Ilya Simutenkov, who played in only 37 games in the regular season due to a broken kneecap. In 16 playoff games, he had 14 hits, 4 runs, 6 doubles, 3 home runs, and 10 RBI.



Other notes: Two perfect games were thrown in 1968 in EPB. Maarek Pettai had the first for Warsaw on April 28, striking out 10 against Kyiv. Earlier that month, Pettai set a record with a 19 strikeout no-hitter with two walks versus Bucharest. The second perfect game saw seven strikeouts for Omsk’s Nikita Titov on July 14 against Baku. Anatoliy Mykhaylenko became the fourth EPB pitcher to 3500 career strikeouts. Corin Dragomir became the first EPB hitter with 500 home runs. Six hitters crossed 2000 career hits, bringing it to 10 hitters in the club thus far. German Daugelo won his ninth Gold Glove in right field.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1968 in EBF

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The top mark for the EBF Northern Conference in 1968 went to Berlin at 100-62, giving them the North Central Division title after missing the playoff field in the prior two years. Defending conference champ Dublin won the British Isles Division again at 94-68. The Northwest Division went to Rotterdam at 96-66 for back-to-back playoff berths for the Ravens. In the wild card race, London (91-71) edged out Paris (90-72) and Oslo (89-73) for the spot. The Monarchs have their third playoff berth in four years, back in the field after missing the division by two games the prior season.

London 1B Benny Baker became a three-time conference MVP. The 32-year old Englishman was the leader in home runs (50), RBI (121), and runs (102), adding a .295 average and 8.2 WAR. Berlin’s Joachim Muller won his third Pitcher of the Year with the 30-year old German posting a 21-7 record and 2.09 ERA in 280 innings with 284 strikeouts and 8.2 WAR.



The best record in the entire European Baseball Federation came from the Southern Conference as both Marseille and Athens finished 104-58. This gave the Musketeers a third straight Southwest Division title and Athens the Southeast Division title and a second berth in three years. Last year’s conference champ Vienna finished 92-70, firmly earning the wild card and a fourth straight playoff berth. Rome extended their playoff streak to seven, the longest active one in the EBF. The Red Wolves finished 86-76, taking the South Central Division by one game over Naples and four over Malta.

Southern Conference MVP was Vienna CF Lars Vogtland. The 27-year old German in his seventh and final year with the Vultures led in slugging (.632), OPS (1.034), and wRC+ (195), adding 8.2 WAR and a .330 average. Malta’s Ugo Musacci won back-to-back Pitcher of the Year awards. The 24-year old Italian righty was the leader in ERA (1.74), strikeouts (368), WHIP (0.78), K/BB (14.2), FIP- (36), and WAR (12.4).

In the first round of the Northern Conference playoffs, London stunned Berlin in four games and Dublin knocked out Rotterdam in four. In the Southern Conference, Rome shocked Athens with a road sweep and Marseille downed Vienna in four. The NCC saw the Dinos sweep the Monarchs, giving Dublin back-to-back conference titles and their third overall. In the SCC, the Red Wolves outlasted the Musketeers 4-3 for Rome’s third title. Marseille is now 1-4 in the Southern Conference final.



In the 19^th European Championship, the Red Wolves defeated the Dinos 4-1, denying Dublin’s repeat. At 86-76, Rome has the worst record of any EBF. champ. The Red Wolves are two-time champs, having also won in 1963. The finals MVP was Norwegian 2B Pete Habberstad. In his final season with the Red Wolves, the 35-yaer old in 15 playoff games had 21 hits, 9 runs, 5 doubles, and 7 RBI. After 13 seasons with Rome, Habberstad would leave for MLB’s New York next season.



Other notes: Vienna’s Walter Fischer threw a perfect game against Hamburg on June 19 with six strikeouts. Two players had 41 game hit streaks in 1968 with Glasgow’s Graeme McNay and Belfast’s Tobias Sigmarsson. They are both tied for the second-best streak In EBF history behind Rudjar Bosnjak’s 49 in 1960. Rotterdam’s Isaac Trenton had a 27-7 record, setting an EBF record for wins in a season. Hamburg’s Hartwig Werner became the second EBF hitter to 2500 hits.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1968 in BSA

Beisbol Sudamerica became the latest league to make an adjustment to service time rules in 1968, but they went in a different direction than some of their contemporaries. BSA had previously featured eight years of service time required for free agency, tied with Eurasian Professional Baseball for the most restrictive within the Global Baseball Alliance. However, they changed theirs to seven seasons, putting them in line with MLB and APB. CABA was also seven historically, although in 1968 they lowered theirs to six.



Entering 1968, the longest playoff drought in the Bolivar League belonged to Lima at 32 years, dating back to their 1935 league title season. The Lobos snapped that streak to take a very tough South Division at 107-55, fending off a fierce challenge from 104-58 Guayaquil. Callao, who had won the division the prior two seasons, dropped to 74-88. Meanwhile, two-time defending league champ Medellin won the North Division for the fourth consecutive season. The Mutiny cruised to the title at 101-61 to earn their 13^th playoff appearance in franchise history, the most among Bolivar League teams.

Medellin had both the MVP and Pitcher of the Year in 1968. CF Ferdinand Ferrer was MVP with the 27-year old lefty earning WARlord at 9.9 with a Gold Glove season in center. He was no slouch on offense with 41 home runs, 91 RBI, and a .303 average. Fidel Saldana won Pitcher of the Year, his second after winning the award eight years earlier with Lima. In his second season with the Mutiny, the 33-year old Peruvian lefty was the leader in ERA (1.70), innings (301.2) and wins at 24-7, adding 319 strikeouts and 9.7 WAR. Also of note, Lima’s Nils Luis became a three-time Reliever of the Year winner.



Over in the Southern Cone, Santiago earned the South Division crown for a fifth consecutive season and the tenth time in twelve years. At 101-61, the Saints finished six games ahead of Buenos Aires. The Brazil Division saw Belo Horizonte first at 94-68, their first division title since taking Copa Sudamerica back in 1952. The Hogs were five games better than Sao Paulo and seven better than Brasilia. Defending Copa Sudamerica champ Fortaleza struggled to a forgettable 79-83.

Atlantics SP/1B Lewis Miranda won his second league MVP, joining his 1964 trophy. On the mound, the 29-year old was the wins leader at 23-8 with a league-best 19 complete games and nine shutouts. He added a 1.78 ERA over 272.1 innings with 284 strikeouts and 8.3 WAR. At the plate in 118 starts, Miranda added 4.8 WAR with a .303 average, 137 hits, and 19 home runs. Sao Paulo’s Domingas Ribeiro won his first Pitcher of the Year after leading the league in ERA for the third straight season. He posted a 1.22 ERA; the best single-season posted since 1957 in Beisbol Sudamerica. Ribeiro also was the leader in strikeouts (333), WHIP (0.65), K/BB (14.5), FIP- (29), and WAR (12.2). The 0.65 WIHP was the fourth best season ever behind Timoteo Caruso’s 0.62 and 0.63 marks, plus a 0.64 from Mohamed Ramos.

In the Bolivar League Championship Series, Lima beat Medellin in seven games with the home team winning each game. This denied the Mutiny their three-peat and gave the Lobos their second-ever title (1935). The Southern Cone Championship also went the distance and needed extra innings in game seven. Santiago defeated Belo Horizonte 3-2 in 11 innings to take the finale for their fourth title of the decade and seventh overall, tying Sao Paulo for the most in league history. Both LCS have now gone seven games in three straight seasons.



The 38^th Copa Sudamerica was far less dramatic as Lima swept Santiago, giving the Lobos their first overall title. It is also the first time the Cup has gone to Peru since Callao’s 1957 crown. The postseason star was RF Luca Alvares, the BLCS MVP. In 11 games, he had 12 hits, 8 runs, 5 home runs, and 9 RBI.



Other notes: Rosario’s Celso Galo quietly posted the eight Triple Crown hitting season in BSA history, overshadowed by the two-way MVP season of Lewis Miranda and the Chanticleers’ lousy 68-win season. Galo had a .327 average, 39 home runs, and 97 RBI. Maracaibo finished 47-115, tied with 1932 La Paz for the worst record in Bolivar League history. BSA’s all-time worst is Asuncion at 45-117 in 1944. Guatemala rookie Malik Carreon hit 41 triples, setting a new BSA single-season record. The prior mark was 34 from Victorino Monarrez in 1936.

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1968 in EAB

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Kawasaki and Hiroshima both earned back-to-back division titles in the Japan League. The defending league champ Killer Whales won the North Division at 98-64, finishing eight games better than Sendai. Kawasaki led the league in both runs scored at 769 and fewest allowed at 593. The Hammerheads claimed the South Division at 93-69, six games ahead of Fukuoka.

Two-way star Totaro Uchiyama won both MVP and Pitcher of the Year for Hiroshima. It was the second Pitcher of the Year and first MVP for the 27-year old righty. On the mound, he led in innings pitched (271), quality starts (26) and complete games (15) with a 2.23 ERA, 18-13 record, 258 strikeouts, and 6.4 WAR. Offensively mostly at third base, he had 7.0 WAR in 127 games with 30 home runs, 140 hits, 83 runs, and a .302 average.



The Korea League also had the same two teams at the top yet again. For the Pyongyang dynasty, they secured a record eighth straight North Division title at 105-57, leading in both runs scored (780) and runs allowed (573). The previous high mark for consecutive playoff berths was seven by Gwangju from 1924-30. Oddly enough for the three-time defending EAB champs, 105 wins is the lowest total they’ve had during the run. Seoul was second in the division with a respectable 95-67 season. In the South Division, Yongin won for the third straight season. The Gold Sox at 87-75 fended off Busan by two games and Ulsan by five.

Pyongyang shortstop Kyung-Hwan Choi won MVP in an incredible comeback season after missing all of 1967 with a ruptured MCL. The 31-year old had a league-best .355 average for his third career batting title. He also led in hits with 222, adding 8.7 WAR and a 12.2 Zone Rating defensively. Pitcher of the Year was Yongin’s Tae-Hong Kim. The 25-year old led in FIP- at 67, adding 7.8 WAR, a 2.52 ERA in 253.2 innings and 265 strikeouts. Also of note, Pythons closer Geun-U Phan won his third straight Reliever of the Year, this time posting 36 saves with a 1.57 ERA.

In the Japan League Championship Series rematch, Hiroshima got revenge by this time defeating Kawasaki in five games. It is the third league title for the Hammerheads, who also won in 1939 and 1959. In the Korea League Championship Series, Pyongyang’s dynasty continued by beating Yongin in five. It is a four-peat for the Pythons with six Korean titles in eight years and a record ten overall.



In the 48^th East Asian Championship, Hiroshima came as close as anyone to unseating the Pyongyang dynasty. The Pythons survived the seven game classic to become the first (and as of 2037, the only) team to four-peat as overall EAB champ. Catcher Hui-Jun Youn was the playoff leader as the KLCS MVP. In 12 games, he had 15 hits, 7 runs, and 5 RBI. At this point in history, this is one of only two four-peats in any of the major leagues, joining the 1941-44 Philadelphia Phillies of MLB. Pyongyang also now has a record eight EAB titles, more overall rings than any other pro franchise (the Phillies and Houston have seven in MLB).



Other notes: On July 28, Ulsan’s Dong-Ju Hahn became the second EAB hitter to reach 3000 career hits. Two weeks later, Hamhung’s Young-Hwan Sha became the third. Man-Hee Cho and Chu Park became the eighth and ninth EAB hitters to 1500 career RBI. Kawasaki’s Kakauzo Yokoyama hit 61 home runs, joining Lei Meng as the only EAB hitters with three seasons of 60+ homers. He was still shy of Chu Park’s single-season record of 67. Yeo Jeun became the eighth pitcher to 4000 strikeouts. SS Han-Hyeol Bu became an 11 Gold Glove winner and catcher Wan-Seon Kwan won his ninth. Min-Hyeok Shin won his ninth Silver Slugger at 2B, a record for the position.

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1968 in CABA

The Central American Baseball Association made changes to their minimum service time rules for free agency like other leagues did. They followed Beisbol Sudamerica and East Asia Baseball’s lead for 1968 by decreasing the years required as opposed to raising this. This moved CABA from seven years to six, putting them in line with EAB, the European Baseball Federation, and Oceania Baseball Association. Despite all of the changes in the 1960s, it would be about a decade before the next change by any of the big leagues.



The fight for the top spot in the Mexican League took place in the South Division between defending CABA champion Mexico City and Ecatepec. The Aztecs would defeat the Explosion in a one-game playoff to take the division at 97-66, giving them three straight playoff berths. Ecatepec finished 96-67 for their third berth in four years. Of note in the division, Queretaro finished third at 91-71, the first winning season in the expansion squad’s seven years to date. Last year’s wild card Puebla dropped to 82-80. Meanwhile, Monterrey cruised to the North Division at 92-70 after missing out last year, giving the Matadors four playoff berths in a six year span. After making it to the playoffs for the first time last year, Torreon tumbled to 76-86.

Tijuana was a mid-level team, but Toros LF Vincente Gutierrez was a stud again for his fourth Mexican League MVP. The 35-year old lefty showed no signs of aging by leading in home runs (54), RBI (132), walks (81), OBP (.415), slugging (.672), OPS (1.087), and wRC+ (217), adding 10.8 WAR and a .330 average. He set career bests in RBI and WAR and had his record sixth 50+ home run season, as well as his ninth Silver Slugger. Pitcher of the Year was Guadalajara’s Simon Alegre. The 26-year old lefty in his fourth season was the ERA leader at 2.07, adding a 17-8 record over 248 innings with 293 strikeouts, 28 quality starts, and 6.9 WAR. Alegre also won his fourth consecutive Gold Glove at pitcher. Like so many others, his potential would end up unfulfilled with a torn flexor tendon the next year.



Jamaica won the Caribbean League Island Division for the third consecutive season as the 1966 CABA champ finished at 104-58. The wild card battle was in the Island Division as well with Santiago (93-69) edging out Havana (91-71) and Trinidad (90-72). It was the first playoff berth for the Sailfish since their 1955 league title. For the expansion Trail Blazers, it was their best season in their young history. In the Continental Division, defending league champ Guatemala took first easily at 95-67 for a third berth in four years. Perennial contender Honduras fell to 80-82 for their first losing season since 1956. Salvador, who had won 90+ in the prior five years, finished second at 84-78.

Despite being a bottom rung team, the Bahamas boasted the league MVP with 27-year old Dominican CF Amazado Matos. He became the second CABA player to ever hit above .400 in a season, finishing at .402. This was only behind Prometheo Garcia’s .406 from 1949. Despite only making 117 starts due to some lingering injuries, Matos still was the league leader in hits (196), home runs (48), OBP (.441), slugging (.789), OPS (1.229), and wRC+ (234), adding 11.1 WAR and 129 RBI. The OPS mark was a single-season record that would hold until 2019 and the slugging mark a single-season record that stayed first all the way until 2031. Despite these marks, he was just behind perennial MVP candidate Wesley Dubar in WAR (11.4 vs 11.1) and Dubar beat him by six in RBI to deny the Triple Crown. The 1963 first overall draft pick, Matos would get traded to Tijuana for the 1969 season. Meanwhile, Santiago had the Pitcher of the Year in fourth year righty Barnabe Sanchez. The Cuban righty was the wins leader at 22-8, posting a 2.85 ERA over 278.1 innings, 335 strikeouts, and 8.3 WAR.

In the wild card round, Monterrey swept Ecatepec and Guatemala swept Santiago. For the second straight season, the Mexican League Championship Series went seven games and ended in dramatic fashion. Mexico City made it back-to-back titles by defeating Monterrey, winning game seven 5-4 on a walkoff. This gave the Aztecs their seventh league title in franchise history. The Caribbean League Championship Series saw Jamaica prevail in six games against Guatemala, giving the Jazz two titles in three years and six overall.



For the second straight season and the fourth time in the 1960s, the 1968 CABA Championship ended in a sweep. Jamaica denied Mexico City’s repeat to give the Jazz their second crown in three seasons. Finals MVP was CF Franckel Pierre with 13 hits, 6 runs, and 9 RBI in 10 playoff games. Jamaica now has five overall CABA titles (1930, 1933, 1950, 1966, 1968), tying them for the most with the Aztecs and Honduras.



Other notes: Guatemala’s Victor Zazueta threw CABA’s 21^st perfect game, striking out 14 against Santo Domingo on April 14. Julio Hinojosa joined Prometheo Garcia as the only CABA hitters with 3500+ hits. This would be Hinojosa’s last season and he’d finish with 3564, behind Garcia’s 3871. The next player to cross 3500 hits would be Solomon Aragon in 1986. Argenis Cabrera became the fifth batter to reach 600 home runs. He would finish at 673 after the 1971 season, retiring third all time. Cabrera also crossed 1500 RBI, the ninth batter to do so.