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

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 08-10-2023, 03:23 PM

1971 in EBF

The EBF Northern Conference saw a new face with the best record as Luxembourg went 102-60 atop the Northwest Division. It is only the second-ever playoff berth for the Lancers, who won the division back in 1958. Rotterdam earned the wild card again with a 92-70 record, extending their playoff streak to five years. Defending European Champion Paris finished 89-73, falling short of the postseason. In the British Isles Division, Dublin went 91-71 for back-to-back division crowns and four in five years. Birmingham finished seven back and London was eight back. In the North Central Division, Berlin and Copenhagen tied for the top spot at 83-79. The Barons won a one-game playoff to get their third playoff berth in four years. Last year’s division champ Oslo dropped to 79-83.

Leading Luxembourg’s effort was second-year left fielder Wesley Visscher. The 25-year old Dutchman was the leader in hits (213) and average (.336), adding 7.0 WAR. Birmingham fourth year righty Joseph Wilson won the Pitcher of the Year, leading the conference in ERA (1.97), strikeouts (344), WHIP (0.78), shutouts (8), and WAR (8.6), adding an 18-11 record in 278.2 innings.

Munich had the best overall record in the European Baseball Federation again at 106-56 for back-to-back Southern Conference Southeast Division titles. Naples won the South Central Division for a third straight season with a franchise-record 102-60 mark. In the Southwest Division, Madrid snapped a nine season playoff drought at 96-66. Marseille was only one back at 95-67 and ended up two behind Vienna for the wild card. The defending conference champion Vultures finished 97-65, giving them seven straight playoff berths.

Milan was 78-84, but had an MVP season from 1B Jared Psaila. The 25-year old Maltese was the leader in hits (217), average (.358), OBP (.421), OPS (1.023), wRC+ (191), and WAR (10.1), adding 36 home runs and 113 RBI. Pitcher of the Year was Munich’s Kurt Ryborsch. The 27-year old German had a 2.27 ERA and 21-7 record over 285.1 innings with 241 strikeouts, 27 quality starts, and 5.1 WAR.

All of the first round playoff series were 3-0 sweeps. In the Northern Conference, Luxembourg handled Berlin and Rotterdam dusted Dublin. In the Southern Conference, Munich mauled Madrid and Vienna dropped Naples. In their first-ever Northern Conference final, the Lancers took the title in six games over the Ravens, leaving Rotterdam as runner-up in back-to-back years. The Mavericks denied the Vultures a three-peat with Munich winning the Southern Conference final in five. It is the third conference title for the Mavericks, who also won it back in 1951 and 1952.

In the 22^nd European Championship, Luxembourg became a first-time EBF champion. The Lancers beat Munich 4-2 with 1B Alex Zonneveld earning finals MVP. In his eighth season with the Lancers, the 30-year old Dutch lefty had 18 hits, 7 runs, 7 extra base hits, and 15 RBI in 15 playoff games. For the third straight season, the champion came out of the Northwest Division.

Other notes: Seville’s Joseph Lander had a 34-game hitting streak, the fifth-longest in EBF history. Hermann Hoffmann became the eighth pitcher to 3000 career strikeouts.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 08-11-2023, 05:33 AM

1971 in BSA

Defending Bolivar League champ Medellin won the North Division for the seventh straight season in 1971, easily taking the top spot at 95-67. The Mutiny were ten games ahead of second place Bogota. Meanwhile, Guayaquil narrowly took the South Division at 89-73. The Golds beat Cali by one game, Quito by five, and defending division winner Lima by seven. For Guayaquil, it is their second playoff berth in three years.

1B Jorge Masana led the Golds with an MVP in his fifth season for Guayaquil. The left-handed Ecuadoran was the WARlord at 10.3 and league leader in hits (212), RBI (122), total bases (376), OPS (1.020), and wRC+ (191), adding 109 runs and 39 home runs. Medellin’s Ivo Ferreira won back-to-back Pitcher of the Year awards. The 29-year old Brazilian lefty was WARlord (9.5) and strikeout leader (340) for the second straight year, also leading in wins at 20-12 and FIP- at 58. He posted a 2.05 ERA over 267.1 innings.

Brasilia had the top mark in the Southern Cone League, winning the Brazil Division title for the first time since 1963. After coming close the last few years, the Bearcats finally got the top spot at 104-58, their first 100+ win season since the 1930s dynasty. Sao Paulo was a distant second at 93-69 while defending Copa Sudamerica champ Rio de Janeiro dropped to 80-82. Santiago cruised to the South Division crown for an eighth straight season, winning it at 96-66.

Rosario CF Celso Galo won his second league MVP in three years. The 28-year old lefty won his third batting title at .351 and also led the league in slugging (.649), OPS (1.061), total bases (374) and wRC+ (229). He had 10.6 WAR, 43 home runs, 97 RBI, and 202 hits. Sao Paulo’s Domingas Ribeiro became the first Beisbol Sudamerica pitcher to win Pitcher of the Year in four consecutive seasons. He led in ERA for the sixth straight year (1.49) and WAR (10.8) for the sixth straight year. Ribeiro also led in WHIP (0.74) and K/BB (18.5) with a remarkable 351 strikeouts to only 19 walks. He tossed 260.1 innings with a 16-6 record and eight saves.

Nothing was going to stop the Medellin train as the Mutiny swept Guayaquil in the Bolivar League Championship Series. Medellin now has won three straight and five of the last six titles. Their ten league titles are also the top mark in BSA. The Southern Cone Championship delivered a great series however with Santiago edging Brasilia in seven games. This gives the Saints five league titles since 1961 and eight overall.

The 41^st Copa Sudamerica was not the first time the two storied franchises had met in the final with Medellin winning the 1934 title over Santiago, the Saints taking it in 1936, and Santiago winning in 1966. The fourth meeting between the two went to the Saints 4-2, sending the Cup to Chile for the first time since their 1966 battle. LF Rosario Cristoval was the playoff leader for Santiago, winning LCS MVP. In 13 playoff games, he had 19 hits, 12 runs, 8 doubles, 3 triples, and 2 home runs. Santiago is tied with Medellin for the most Cup wins at five with their titles in 1936, 1961, 1964, 1966, and 1971. This also ultimately marked the end of the Mutiny’s dominance in the Bolivar League, as they wouldn’t make the playoffs again until 1986.

Other notes: Laurenco Cedillo became the 11^th BSA pitcher to 4500 strikeouts. Javier Herrera became the 18^th batter to reach 2500 career hits and also crossed 1000 RBI. SS Alexander Rolon won his eighth consecutive Gold Glove in the Bolivar Leauge, while Kaique Salvao won his eighth at SS in the Southern Cone.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 08-11-2023, 10:38 AM

1971 in EAB

Hiroshima’s dynasty in the Japan League was disrupted in 1971 as the three-time defending league champs dropped to 81-81, fifth in the South Division. With their absence, Kitakyushu took first place at 100-62, beating Nagoya by six games. For the Kodiaks, this is their first playoff berth since 1955. Meanwhile in the North Division, Kawasaki cruised to the crown at 104-58, back in the postseason after missing the prior two years. Defending division champ Sendai was a distant second at 93-69.

Sapporo was third at 89-73, but they had the Japan League MVP and Pitcher of the Year. Sosuke Hoshizawa won back-to-back MVPs and was the WARlord at 10.8. The 22-year old centerfielder had a 1.022 OPS and .320 average, 45 home runs, 116 RBI, and 100 runs. Pitcher of the Year was 27-year old Eikichi Utsubo in his sixth and final season of his first run with the Swordfish. He was the leader in ERA (2.10) and wins (20-8), and second in strikeouts at 312. He had a 0.86 WHIP and 7.8 WAR over 270.1 innings. Utsubo would leave for MLB and Montreal in 1972.

The Korea League had two division winners that snapped lengthy playoff droughts. Busan won the South Division at 96-66, ending Yongin’s five-year run on top. The defending league champ Gold Sox and Daegu tied for second at 88-74. Seongnam won the North Division at 95-67, two games ahead of Pyongyang and seven better than last year’s division winner Hamhung. For the Blue Jays, it is their first playoff berth since winning the EAB title in 1944, and it is the first berth for the Spiders since 1952.

Suwon has the longest playoff drought in Korea going back to 1935 and stunk at 70-92 in 1971, but the Snappers had the league MVP in Si-Heon Kang. The 27-year old lefty was a two-way player, getting 4.7 WAR, 199 strikeouts, and a 2.63 ERA over 256.1 innings on the mound. In right field over 100 games, he had 4.8 WAR, a .924 OPS, 28 home runs, and 65 RBI. Busan’s Cheng Yang was the Pitcher of the Year. The third-year Chinese lefty led in wins at 22-6, strikeouts at 307, and WAR at 7.8. Yang added a 2.68 ERA in 272.1 innings.

In the 1971 Japan League Championship Series, Kitakyushu downed Kawasaki in six games. It is the third title for the Kodiaks, who also won it in 1954 and 1955. The Korea League Championship Series had a Busan sweep of Seongnam. It is the ninth league title for the Blue Jays and the first since their 1930s and early 1940s dynasty run.

In the 51^st East Asia Championship, Busan bested Kitakyushu 4-1. The Blue Jays are now five team EAB champs (1933, 1938, 1942, 1944, 1971). Finals MVP was RF Seung-Hyeok Jang, who had signed with Busan in the offseason after nine seasons with Sendai. In nine playoff games, Jang had 11 hits, 6 runs, 3 home runs, and 8 RBI.

Other notes: Dong-Ju Hahn became the second EAB batter to 3500 career hits. In his final season, Hahn finished with 3585 hits, second to Byung-Oh Tan’s 3871. Man-Hee Cho became the fifth EAB hitter to 3000 career hits and the ninth to 1500 runs scored. Yoriyuki Kono and Masaru Oya both crossed 600 home runs, bringing it to 11 players in the club in EAB. Kono and three others crossed 1500 RBI, making it 15 batters to have done son.

Sang-Hun Joon became the second EAB pitcher to 4500 strikeouts. He finished the year at 4502 and would pass Michiro Yabuta’s all-time mark of 4608 the next year. Two-way player Totaro Uchiyama won his eighth Silver Slugger as a pitcher. 2B Min-Hyeok Shin won his 12^th Silver Slugger, SS Kyung-Hwan Choi won his tenth, and C Jung-Soo Chen won his ninth.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 08-11-2023, 04:45 PM

1971 in CABA

Mexico City continued its dominance in the Mexico League, finishing 109-53 and leading in both runs scored (739) and runs allowed (483). The four-time defending league champion Aztecs won their fifth straight division title and earned a sixth straight playoff berth. Tijuana won the North Division at 98-64 for their second title in three years. The wild card race was incredibly tough between four teams with Guadalajara ultimately taking the wild card for the third straight year. The Hellhounds took it at 93-69, one game ahead of both Merida and Mexicali and two better than Hermosillo.

Mexico City shortstop Aaron Valencia won his second MVP, posting an impressive 12.8 WAR, ranking 10^th best ever by a CABA hitter to that point. The 32-year old Puerto Rican led the league in hits (220), runs (110), total bases (377), batting average (.374), slugging (.641), OPS (1.038), and wRC+ (204). Valencia also posted 16.7 ZR defensively at short. Guadalajara’s Mario Benitez won his second Pitcher of the Year in three years. The 29-year old righty led in WHIP at 0.85, adding a 2.23 ERA over 234.1 innings with 278 strikeouts, 5.9 WAR, a 17-13 record, and 10 saves. For a pitcher, he also had a respectable .268 batting average.

Two-time defending Caribbean League champ Guatemala (107-55) took the Continental Division for the fifth straight year and for the third straight season, had the best record in the league. Trinidad won the Island Division for the first time in franchise history at 95-67, earning their second playoff appearance in three years. In the wild card race, Costa Rica took the spot at 91-71, topping Haiti by two games. It is the first playoff berth for the Rays since 1957.

Guatemala CF Wesley Dubar won his sixth Caribbean League MVP. The 28-year old Panamanian tied his and Timmy Ramirez’ own single-season RBI record of 154. Dubar also led in runs (131), triples (24), walks (74), total bases (425), OBP (.410), slugging (.730), OPS (1.151), wRC+ (199), and WAR (12.7), adding 53 home runs. He set personal bests in total bases, slugging, and OPS. Costa Rica third-year lefty Manuel Valdovinos won the Pitcher of the Year. The 24-year old Guatemalan was the ERA leader at 2.37, posting a 19-7 record, 254.1 innings, 288 strikeouts, 26 quality starts, and 6.3 WAR.

Tijuana swept Guadalajara in the wild card round, while Costa Rica upset Trinidad 3-1. In a rematch of the 1969 Mexican League Championship Series, Mexico City defeated the Toros in six games. The Aztecs won their fifth straight ML title, joining 1950-54 Mexicali as the only teams to five-peat. This also gave Mexico City a record ten league titles. The Caribbean League Championship Series was a Guatemala sweep of Costa Rica, giving the Ghosts a three-peat and four titles in five years.

For the fourth time in five years, the CABA Championship saw Mexico City against Guatemala. The Aztecs continued their dynasty and made it 4-0 over the Ghosts, sweeping them in the 1971 final. Veteran American CF Ewing Shearer was Finals MVP, who at age 39 had 11 hits, 5 runs, 2 home runs, and 8 RBI in 10 playoff games. Mexico City becomes the first team to three-peat as overall CABA champ. The Aztecs have four titles in five years and eight titles in franchise history.

Other notes: Vicente Gutierrez became the second hitter in CABA to 700 career home runs. He’d play one more season and finish with 734, 19 short of Prometheo Garcia’s all-time mark. Gutierrez also became the 22^nd hitter to reach 2500 hits and the fifth to 1500 runs scored. 3B Juan Pena won a ninth Gold Glove and SS Ivan Marrero won his eighth.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 08-12-2023, 03:43 AM

1971 in MLB

The best record in the National Association belonged to St. Louis in 1971, extending their postseason streak to three years and giving the Cardinals seven playoff berths in nine years. St. Louis went 101-61 for their fourth Midwest League crown in that stretch. Columbus was second at 93-69, but the Chargers firmly got the first wild card. The 1969 NA champs are back in the postseason field after going .500 in 1970. Philadelphia won the Eastern League at 96-66 for back-to-back playoff berths. It is their first league title since 1959. Pittsburgh was second at 90-72 and got the second wild card, ending a three-year playoff skid for them.

A huge group of teams were in the mix for the remaining two wild cards. Those spots ultimately went to Montreal and Minneapolis, both at 86-76. The Maples end a six-year playoff drought and the Moose end a two-year one. Right behind them were New York and Washington at 85-77, Louisville at 84-78, Brooklyn at 83-79, Ottawa at 82-80, and Buffalo at 81-81. Last year’s National Association champion Toronto was 78-84.

Pittsburgh’s Connor Neumeyer picked up the MVP award. Picked 36^th by the Pirates in the 1969 MLB Draft, 1971 was Neumeyer’s first full season as a starter and the left-handed left fielder delivered. The Erie, PA native led the National Association in hits (219), total bases (383), batting average (.366), slugging (.640), OPS (1.060), wRC+ (212), and WAR (9.7), adding 37 home runs, 108 RBI, and 107 runs scored.

In his MLB debut, 27-year old Italian star Ugo Musacci won the Pitcher of the Year with Hartford. Musacci had won four straight Pitcher of the Year awards with Malta of the European Baseball Federation and seamlessly carried his dominance to the Huskies on a seven-year, $2,104,000 contract. He led the National Association in WAR (10.6), strikeouts (315), innings pitched (280.2), quality starts (29), and K/BB (6.8), adding a 2.37 ERA and 17-9 record.

The first round of the playoffs had Minneapolis defeat Pittsburgh in two games and Columbus top Montreal in three. The Moose upset St. Louis 3-1 in the second round, continuing the streak of early exits recently for the Cardinals. Philadelphia rolled to a sweep of the Chargers, earning their first National Association Championship Series appearance since 1960. Minneapolis had gotten there five times before, most recently in 1968, but their only title came all the way back in 1907. The Moose ended that 63 year drought, defeating the Phillies 4-2.

Defending World Series champion New Orleans won the Southern League in back-to-back seasons, but had to fend off tough competition to do so. The Mudcats had a franchise-record 101-61 mark, holding off surges from Jacksonville and Atlanta. The Gators were one behind at 100-62, a strong improvement from the 77-win 1970 season, and ended a three-year playoff drought. The Aces were 97-65 and got the second wild card, giving the 1969 World Series champs a third consecutive playoff berth. After a surprising 74-88 mark in 1970, San Diego bounced back to take the Western League at 101-61. This gave the Seals seven playoff appearances over the last eight years.

The remaining two wild cards came from the Western League with Oakland at 91-71 and Los Angeles at 90-72. Falling just short were Memphis (89-73), Albuquerque (88-74), Houston (87-75), and Phoenix (86-76). The Owls are back after a two-year layoff, while the Angels have the longest active playoff streak in MLB at four seasons. The most notable swing was San Antonio, who went from a 94-win wild card team in 1970 to a lousy 64-98 in 1971.

Los Angeles 1B Edward Torres won back-to-back American Association MVPs. The 26-year old was the home run (56), RBI (147), and total bases (390) leader, adding 7.6 WAR and a 1.049 OPS. Veteran pitcher Julius Jordan won his first Pitcher of the Year. The 33-year old righty was in his fourth season with Houston, leading in strikeouts (294), innings pitched (292.2), K/BB (6.0), quality starts (26), complete games (24), FIP- (69), and WAR (9.0). He added a 2.61 ERA and 18-12 record. For Jordan, it is the fourth time in his career as the strikeout leader.

The wild card round had Atlanta defeat Oakland 2-0 and Jacksonville drop Los Angeles 2-0. The league champs prevailed in round two as New Orleans swept the Gators and San Diego folded the Aces in four. The Mudcats were able to continue their fledgling dynasty, winning the American Association Championship Series in six games. They’re the first AACS back-to-back winner since the Seals did it in 1966-67.

The 71^st World Series saw New Orleans earn back-to-back rings and their third in franchise history, having also won it all in 1935. The Mudcats downed Minneapolis 4-2, becoming the first back-to-back World Series winner since San Diego in 1955-56. CF Amro Adda was the World Series MVP, a 31-year old Egyptian who had played in EBF’s Rome in the prior decade. Historically a great fielder but iffy batter, Adda had 17 hits, 6 runs, 3 home runs, and 12 RBI in 15 playoff games for New Orleans.

Other notes: Houston’s James Eisenhuth had the 13^th MLB Perfect Game on September 16, striking out six against Memphis. After seeing four thrown between 1965-71, it wouldn’t be until 1981 that we’d have another MLB perfecto. Catcher Gait Datsko won his eighth Silver Slugger.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 08-12-2023, 10:44 AM

1972 MLB Hall of Fame

Three first ballot selections were made for Major League Baseball’s 1972 Hall of Fame Class. The star was first baseman Martin Medina at 98.4%, followed by pitchers John Delaney and E.J. Perron at 82.6% and 78.8%, respectively. Two returners were above 60%, but short of the required 66% with RF Estefan Salinas at 62.0% on his eighth attempt and 1B Tiger Novak at 61.7% on his ninth. Three others were above 50% with closer Vicente Guerrero (57.6%, 4^th), catcher Gray Caraway (55.8%, 2^nd), and SP Abraham Reiner (55.1%, 5^th).

Three players fell off the ballot after ten failed attempts. Closer Hunter Walsh peaked at 50.4% on his second attempt and ended at 39.3%. In 19 years with nine teams, he had 339 saves and 400 shutdowns, 2.70 ERA, 970 strikeouts, and 33.5 WAR. Solid, but no major accolades or dominance. 2B

Matthew Verdey was dropped at a low of 21.2% after hovering generally in the 40-50% range. In 18 years with Hartford, Nashville, and Houston, the 2B had 2629 hits, 1593 runs, 468 doubles, 126 triples, 189 home runs, 974 RBI, 1005 walks, a .784 OPS, and 79.0 WAR. He had four Silver Sluggers, but also lacked the big accolades or the power numbers the voters like.

Catcher Eric Barker peaked at 43.3%, but was down at 11.5% by the end. He had three Silver Sluggers and a 19-year career with four teams, posting 2088 hits, 1016 runs, 295 home runs, 1132 RBI, a .767 OPS, and 54.5 WAR. The general anti-catcher bias in the voting meant he never had a real chance without more awards. Also worth noting was SP Eduardo Muniz, who dropped below 5% on his eighth attempt. He had a 258-199 record, 3.63 ERA, 4232 innings, 2515 strikeouts, 224 complete games, and 63.0 WAR. Well tenured, but viewed as a compiler with little dominance and no accolades as well.

Martin Medina – First Baseman – Tampa Thunderbirds – 98.4% First Ballot

Martin Medina was a 6’3’’, 195 pound left-handed hitting first baseman from Panama City. He is the third Panamanian MLB Hall of Famer and has the very unique dual-nationality with Tokelau, a tiny obscure Pacific island nation of around only 1,500 people. With the bat, Medina was considered good to great at all phases of the game. He was an excellent contact hitter with very strong power, he was very solid at drawing walks and great at avoiding strikeouts. Medina’s one offensive flaw was a lack of baserunning speed, although he was still a smart enough player to make the most of what he had. Medina was a career first baseman and generally viewed as an average to slightly below average defender. He was incredibly durable and viewed as an ironman, playing 140+ games in all 18 years of his pro career.

Medina left Panama as a teenager and came to America, playing college baseball at Clemson. As a foreign born player, he wasn’t eligible until the fourth round of the MLB Draft due to regional restrictions, but teams took notice of his potential. In the 1947 Draft, he was picked 11^th in the fourth round, 162^nd overall, by Buffalo. Medina ultimately didn’t sign with the Blue Sox and played his senior year with the Tigers. In 198 college games, he had 252 hits, 117 runs, 50 home runs, 164 RBI, and 11.6 WAR. His name came up again in the 1948 MLB Draft and he went to Tampa, grabbed with the 159^th overall selection.

Medina immediately slotted into the starting lineup, finishing second in Rookie of the Year voting. Medina was good in his first two years, but then became great in year three with his first Silver Slugger and a second place MVP finish. Moved to designated hitter in 1952 and 1953, he won MVP and Silver Sluggers in both seasons, posting a career-best 54 home runs and 123 runs in 1952, and a career-best 1.069 OPS and 223 hits in 1953. Medina would win his third MVP in 1957 and fourth in 1958, while taking third in 1954. He won nine consecutive Silver Sluggers from 1951-59, an incredibly difficult task considering the quality of bat found at 1B and DH.

Medina also stayed true to his Panamanian roots, playing for Panama in the World Baseball Championship from 1950-67. In 143 games, he had 165 hits, 105 runs, 61 home runs, 126 RBI, a .327/.431/.715 slash and 10.2 WAR. He was third in WBC MVP voting in 1953 with a 1.708 OPS in 11 games.

With Tampa, Medina led the National Association in total bases four times, homers and RBI twice, OBP five times, slugging three times, OPS four times, wRC+ three times, and WAR twice. The Thunderbirds were a bottom-rung franchise for most of his run, although they did finally make playoff appearances in 1957 and 1958, falling in the 1957 AACS to Vancouver. Medina arguably had Hall of Fame numbers just in his 11 years in Tampa, posting 2162 hits, 1150 runs, 318 doubles, 449 home runs, 1302 RBI, a .334/.407/.599 slash and 76.1 WAR. His #3 uniform would be retired by the Thunderbirds and he’d remain an incredible popular player with fans of the franchise.

Medina was very popular throughout the league and decided to try free agency for the 1960 season at age 33. Oakland was the buyer with a five-year, $640,000 contract. Medina didn’t win any awards with the Owls and saw his power numbers decline a bit, but he still was a very solid starter for five years, putting up 855 hits, 158 home runs, 489 RBI, 508 runs, and 23.2 WAR. Oakland made the playoffs twice but had early playoff exits both years, keeping Medina from ever getting to the World Series. With the Owls, Medina crossed 3000 career hits and 600 home runs His contract came up for 1966 and he signed at age 38 with Jacksonville. He had a great 1965 and a bit of a resurgence, but dropped off with a career-worst 1966. Medina wanted to stick around if nothing else than to get to 2000 career RBI, but no one signed him in 1967 and he retired at age 40.

Medina’s final stats: 3339 hits, 1850 runs, 486 doubles, 660 home runs, 1972 RBI, 1301 walks, a .319/.395/.565 slash, wRC+ of 155 and 107.1 WAR. At retirement, he was fifth all-time in both home runs and RBI, 12^th in hits, and seventh in runs scored. Medina was also 11^th in hitting WAR and as of 2037 is 34^th all-time. He was undoubtedly one of the premiere sluggers of his era and an obvious slam dunk first ballot choice at 98.4%.

John Delaney – Starting Pitcher – Brooklyn Dodgers – 82.6% First Ballot

John Delaney was a 5’7’’, 160 pound right-handed pitcher from Elkton, Maryland; a town of around 15,000 people in the Delaware Valley. He was known for having remarkable movement on his pitches, ranked 10/10 for most of his career. Delaney’s velocity peaked at 97-99 mph with a three pitch arsenal of a curveball, changeup, and sinker. He had an extreme groundball tendency with solid stuff and average to above average control. Delaney was viewed as fairly durable with solid stamina in his earlier years.

Delaney attended Miami University in Ohio for college and had a no-hitter his freshman year against Louisville. In three college seasons, he had a 1.92 ERA in 38 starts with a 21-9 record, 290 innings, 301 strikeouts, and 11.5 WAR. Naturally, this made him a highly sought after prospect and he ended up picked sixth overall by Brooklyn in the 1951 MLB Draft. Delaney ultimately spent his entire professional career as a Dodger. In his rookie season, he was split between starting and the bullpen. He became a full-time starter when healthy from year two onward.

After a very solid second season, Delaney emerged as a true ace in his third and fourth seasons, leading the National Association in WAR for both with 9.3 and 9.7. In part hurt by the Dodgers being below average, he finished third and fourth in Pitcher of the Year voting these seasons. Delaney also made appearances in the 1953, 54, and 55 World Baseball Championships for the United States. Primarily as a reliever, he had a 1.19 ERA in 22.2 innings with 39 strikeouts. He earned a world championship ring with the 1955 squad.

In 1957, he won Pitcher of the Year by leading in ERA at 2.21 and wins at 21-7. Delaney improved his ERA to a career-best 1.90 in 1958, winning another Pitcher of the Year and taking third in MVP voting. In 1959, he made it three straight with the individual highlight being a no-hitter on September 15 against Baltimore with 10 strikeouts and two walks. He led the National Association in quality starts five times in this stretch. Brooklyn put together some playoff success with four straight berths from 1958-61. In 1958, they made it to the World Series and got to the NACS in 1961. In 10 playoff starts, Delaney had a 1.92 ERA, 5-2 record, 75 innings, 48 strikeouts, and 1.3 WAR. Delaney got a huge seven-year, $1,036,00 starting with the 1960 season.

The Dodgers dropped into mediocrity after the 1961 season. Delaney’s first notable setback with elbow tendinitis putting him out five weeks, although his 1962 was still solid. His production dropped off noticeably after that with only slightly above average numbers, plus a few missed starts from injury. In September 1964, he required radial nerve decompression surgery in his elbow. This put him out part of 1965 and he struggled in his return. Delaney bounced back with a respectable league-average 1966, but he decided it was time to call it, retiring at age 35. Brooklyn would retire his #1 jersey that winter.

Delaney’s final stats: 215-162 record, 2.79 ERA, 3499.1 innings, 2604 strikeouts to 970 walks, 330/461 quality starts, FIP- of 76 and 90.1 WAR. Despite winning three Pitcher of the Year awards, he had a somewhat quiet career being on a weaker Dodger squad and being a much lower strikeout guy than the average Hall of Famer. His credentials were still plenty impressive to get a first ballot nod at 82.6%.

E.J. Perron – Starting Pitcher – Calgary Cheetahs – 78.8% First Ballot

E.J. Perron was a 5’9’’, 175 pound left-handed starting pitcher from North Vancouver, British Columbia. Despite his smaller frame, Perron was a fireballer with peak velocity at 99-101 mph and filthy stuff. His main pitch was an incredible cutter, balanced with a solid curveball and changeup. Perron’s movement was generally rated as above average with his control being considered middling, but his stuff was generally strong enough to overcome that weakness. Perron also had very solid stamina and defensive skills and was considered reliable and durable in his 20s.

Perron went to the University of Iowa for college and in three years as a Hawkeye, had a 2.74 ERA over 289 innings with 295 strikeouts, a 19-13 record, and 10.1 WAR. He was picked 13^th overall by Calgary in the 1951 MLB Draft and spent nearly his full pro career with the Cheeaths. He was split between the rotation and bullpen as a rookie, then was a full-time starter starting his second year.

Year two was arguably the best of his career, as at age 21, he led the American Association in ERA at 2.49, posting 8.9 WAR and 10 shutouts. This earned him second place in Pitcher of the Year voting and he took third the following year when he led the AA in wins at 25-7. He was still very good, but not in the award conversations or at the top of the leaderboards the next few years, perhaps also overlooked with Calgary struggling in the 1950s. Perron did become a popular player within all of Canada though with a stellar run in the 1954 World Baseball Championship, helping them to the title with a 1.98 ERA and 2.1 WAR in 36.1 innings. He played for the Canadian team from 1954-61 and posted a 13-2 record with a 2.34 ERA over 138.1 innings, 218 strikeouts, and 6.0 WAR.

In 1961, a 29-year old Perron picked up his lone Pitcher of the Year award, leading in wins at 24-6 and complete games with 20. The Cheetahs made the playoffs from 1961-63, but never made it out of the second round. Perron had a 2.01 ERA in 40.1 playoff innings for Calgary. 1963 saw his first major injury setback with elbow inflammation putting him out seven weeks. Perron wasn’t the same after that, struggling mightily in 1964.

The 33-year old Perron was healthy in 1965, but was a spot starter that even saw time in the minors. The Cheetahs opted to cut him that August, although they’d still honor him soon after by retiring his #24 uniform. Perron signed with San Diego in 1966 but was only used 14.2 innings, notably including one complete shutout. He pitched 0.2 innings in the postseason in relief and earned a World Series ring with the Seals. No longer able to hang as a full-time pro, Perron retired at age 35.

Perron’s final stats: 219-138 record, 3.43 ERA, 3303 innings, 3049 strikeouts, 1182 walks, 245/413 quality starts, 197 complete games, and 79.2 WAR. Considering how quickly he fell off after his age 31 season, it’s impressive he accumulated the totals he did, even if they’re lower than a lot of other MLB Hall of Famers. The voters felt his resume was worthy and surprised some doubters by giving Perron the first ballot nod at 78.8%.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 08-12-2023, 03:56 PM

1972 CABA Hall of Fame

The 1972 ballot for the Central American Baseball Association Hall of Fame was an uncharacteristically small group with only five first-time players eligible and only one of those getting above 3%. This left an opening for those returning to the ballot to maybe get a bump in aided by weaker competition. That worked ultimately for two players who both barely crossed the 66% mark to earn induction. 1B Salvador Islas on his eighth ballot got 67.6% and SP Mario Guerrero on his sixth go had 66.7%. Two players finished with 53.6%, 3B Diego Sierra on his third ballot and SP Danny Ledo on his eighth. No players were on their tenth ballot in the 1972 group.

Salvador Islas – First Baseman – Hermosillo Hyenas – 67.6% Eighth Ballot

Salvador Islas was a 6’0’’, 200 pound left-handed hitting first baseman from Huejutla, a city of around 115,000 in the central-eastern Mexican state of Hidalgo. At as batter, Islas was known for having a terrific eye, leading the league in walks seven times in his career. He was respectable at avoiding strikeouts, but was an average to below average contact hitter. When Islas made contract, he had a solid pop in his bat, averaging around 25-30 home runs and around 30-40 doubles/triples per season. He had average speed and was a career first baseman. Islas was considered the premiere defender at the position in his career, winning a then position-record 11 Gold Gloves. He was well known, but polarizing for being a very outspoken player.

Islas was a top prospect coming out of the amateur ranks and was picked fifth overall in the 1942 CABA Draft by Merida. He was a bench player in his first two seasons and a part-time starter in year three, finally earning the full-time gig in 1946. That season was his most impressive offensively from a power standpoint with career highs in home runs (44) and RBI (100), earning him a third place finish in MVP voting. It would be his only time as a finalist and he’d never win a Silver Slugger. As mentioned, he was an elite defender, winning Gold Gloves from 1945-55 and in 1958. Islas also played 71 games for Mexico in the World Baseball Championship from 1947-58, although he made only 18 starts. He posted 21 hits, 23 runs, 16 home runs, and 27 RBI.

His only opportunity in the playoffs for his whole career was 1946 with the Mean Green, who fell in the Mexican League Championship Series to Chihuahua. Islas played five years with Merida, posting 433 hits, 246 runs, 111 home runs, 259 RBI, and 19.4 WAR. The Mean Green traded the now 28-year old Islas before the 1948 season to Hermosillo for Hall of Fame pitcher Miguel Martinez and outfielder Manuel Figueroa. This began his longest tenured and most memorable run.

The Hyenas won the 1947 CABA Championship, but never made the playoffs in Islas’ tenure, being generally competitive but just shy of the division crown. He ultimately played seven years in Hermosillo with solid production throughout, posting three 7+ WAR seasons. He led the league in runs with 116 in 1948 and led in walks drawn six times. In total, Islas had 1001 hits, 625 runs, 153 doubles, 112 triples, 206 home runs, 552 RBI, a .263/.360/.524 slash line and 43.3 WAR.

Islas opted for free agency at age 35 and signed a four-year, $214,800 deal with Havana for the 1955 season. The Hurricanes were competitive, but again not quite good enough to make the playoffs in his run. After a strong debut, aging and injuries saw his production decline. In four years, he had 498 hits, 317 runs, 91 home runs, and 15.1 WAR. Islas became a free agent again at age 39 and signed back with Hermosillo as a bench player for his final season of 1959.

Islas’ final stats: 1932 hits, 1188 runs, 294 doubles, 226 triples, 408 home runs, 1114 RBI, 1090 walks, a .259/.353/.523 slash, 158 wRC+ and 77.8 WAR. Some of the advanced stats were favorable, but he was low on some of the sexier stats, like being short of 2000 hits. Walking a lot and great defense don’t tend to get you much attention and as such, Islas seemed like a long shot for the Hall of Fame. He debuted at only 40.7% and was as low as 34.8%, but he bumped up into the 50-55% range on ballots four through seven. With a very small group and voters loath to leave their ballot blank, Islas got enough of a boost on the eighth try to just cross the line at 67.6%.

Mario Guerrero – Starting Pitcher – Honduras Horsemen – 66.7% Sixth Ballot

Mario Guerrero was a 5’10’’, 180 pound right-handed pitcher from Barillas, a small Guatemalan town of around 17,000 people. Guerrero had solid stuff and movement with a peak velocity of 95-97 mph, boasting a three-pitch arsenal of a slider, changeup, and cutter. His control was considered below average and he could get into trouble with walks. Guerrero had solid stamina and was generally viewed as quite durable and reliable. He was also a team captain and considered a great clubhouse leader.

Guerrero emerged a promising prospect in continental Central America and was picked fourth overall by Honduras in the 1947 CABA Draft. His entire pro career was with the Horsemen, although he’d make 32 appearances for his native Guatemala in the World Baseball Championship. From 1948-60 in the tournament, he had a 3.65 ERA over 150.1 innings with 165 strikeouts and 2.6 WAR.

He was a full-time starter immediately for the then-struggling Honduras franchise, but he was considered average at best in his first three seasons. Still, he was third in Rookie of the Year voting purely on innings. 1951 was his first notable year, leading the league in innings pitched, quality starts, and complete games, earning a third place in Pitcher of the Year voting. Guerrero was third again in 1953, leading again in innings and this time in wins.

Honduras had emerged as a contender by 1953 and would make the playoffs in seven of Guerrero’s nine remaining seasons. They were the Caribbean League champion in 1953, 1958, and 1959; and took the overall CABA title in 1958. In 15 playoff starts, Guerrero had a 7-5 record, 2.87 ERA, 113 innings, 107 strikeouts, and 1.9 WAR. 1954 would be his finest season with his lone Pitcher of the Year, leading in ERA (1.86) and wins (26-3) and adding a career-best 6.1 WAR. The season featured a no-hitter with five strikeouts and four walks against Panama on August 13. He even finished third that year in MVP voting.

This would be Guerrero’s last time in any sort of award or league-leading conversations. He had okay 1955 and 1956 seasons, then struggled in parts of 1957, getting demoted for a time to the bullpen. He was back in the rotation the next two years and provided innings, but with middling production. After great durability, Guerrero suffered a torn rotator cuff late in the 1960 season, putting him out almost a full calendar year. He made four starts in late 1961 in a return attempt, but opted to retire after that season at age 36.

Guerrero’s final stats: 193-161, 3.39 ERA, 3389.1 innings, 2805 strikeouts to 975 walks, 262/429 quality starts, 129 complete games, an FIP- of 98 and 47.0 WAR. Honduras retired his #28 uniform as well. Advanced stats placed him as only slightly above average for his career and among CABA starters, his totals are well near or at the bottom of the leaderboards. He started at 34.1% on his first ballot, but slowly climbed up to 55.5% by his fifth try. Guerrero was a benefactor of the weak and small 1972 group, getting just across the line on his sixth attempt at 66.7%. He’s not the first pitcher anyone thinks of in the Hall, but staying one a single team and helping in their 1950s playoff success was enough to get Guerrero in.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 08-13-2023, 02:52 AM

1972 CABA Hall of Fame

Four players ended up indicted into East Asia Baseball’s Hall of Fame from the 1972 voting. The standout was pitcher Yutaro Tachibana as the lone first ballot selection, receiving 82.8%. The other three were all returners who only narrowly got beyond the required 66% to earn a spot. LF Chong-Chun Pak on his eighth attempt made it at 68.3%. 1B Ju-An Pak and SP Young-Gwon Shin both earned it on their fourth go at 68.0% and 67.2%, respectively. Just missing the cut above 50% were closer Hyeon-Jae Seo at 58.7% on his eighth attempt and SP Katsuya Watanabe at 57.0% in his debut. There were no players dropped after a tenth ballot in 1972.

Yutaro Tachibana – Pitcher – Yokohama Yellow Jackets – 82.8% First Ballot

Yutaro Tachibana was a 6’1’’, 185 pound right-handed pitcher from Ishioka, a city of around 70,000 people in the Ibaraki Prefecture of east central Japan. He was viewed as having very good movement with respectable stuff and above average control. Tachibana’s velocity peaked in the 94-96 range and he had a fastball, slider, curveball, and changeup. The slider and changeup were considered his most impressive pitches. He was viewed as an ironman with great durability, although his stamina was unremarkable and he very rarely threw complete games. Tachibana was very well liked in the clubhouse, considered a very smart and hard working player.

Tachibana attended Urawa Gakuin High School in Saitama and was one of the rare players selected straight out of high school. Yokohama was so enamored that they chose him second overall in the 1945 East Asia Baseball Draft. Tachibana played almost his entire pro career with the Yellow Jackets. He didn’t see the field in 1946 and only had 5.1 innings in 1947. He was used as a reliever in 1948 and 1949, then became a full-time starter in 1950 at age 22. In 1951, he began pitching for Japan in the World Baseball Championship. From 1951-64, he had 38 appearances and 13 starts in the WBC, posting a 11-3 record, 3.14 ERA, 123.1 innings, 137 strikeouts, and 2.5 WAR.

His second season in the rotation was the one that saw Tachibana emerge as an ace, posting 6.9 WAR and earning third in Pitcher of the Year voting. He finished second in 1955, but ultimately never won the award. In 1955, he had a league-best 2.05 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, and 7.1 WAR. He led in ERA again in 1960 with a career best 1.96, although he typically didn’t get enough innings to be at the top of the rankings. Tachibana was consistently solid and helped the Yellow Jackets to a number of strong seasons, although they fell just consistently of the North Division title throughout the 1950s.

At age 33, Tachibana was traded for the 1961 season to Kobe in a five-player deal. He had one solid year with the Blaze and made his first playoff start. Tachibana became a free agent and returned home to Yokohama for the rest of his career. He remained quite effective into his 30s and finally got to see team success with the Yellow Jackets, who won the Japan League title in 1965 and 1966, falling in the EAB final both years to Pyongyang. A shoulder injury meant he only had one start in the 1965 playoffs.

1966 would be his final season and his weakest as a pro with only 1.3 WAR. He made four playoff starts in the run, but had a lousy 6.65 ERA in 23 innings. Yokohama opted not to re-sign him for 1967 and after going unsigned that year, Tachibana retired at age 40. He had no hard feelings against the Yellow Jackets and the franchise retired his #18 uniform in 1967.

Tachibana’s final stats: 230-179 record, 2.77 ERA, 3792 innings, 3611 strikeouts, 692 walks, 351/518 quality starts, FIP- of 80 and 85.2 WAR. He wasn’t the most dominant pitcher, but was reliably constant for the better part of two decades and a loyal company guy. This resonated with the Hall of Fame voters, giving Tachibana the first ballot honor at 82.8%.

Chong-Chun Pak – Left Field – Seoul Seahawks – 68.3% Eighth Ballot

Chong-Chun Pak was a 5’10’’, 200 pound right-handed hitting left fielder from Incheon, South Korea’s third most populous city. In his prime, Pak was a great contact hitter with terrific gap power and solid speed. He was great for stretching doubles into triples, leading the league in triples three times. Pak averaged around 20-30 doubles and 20-30 triples per year while also providing around 30 home runs. Pak was unremarkable in terms of drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts. He spent the vast majority of his defensive time in left field and was viewed as a delightfully average defender.

Pak attended went to Japan for college and played for Doshisha University in Kyoto, one of the most prestigious in the country. In 175 college games, he had 250 hits, 216 runs, 43 doubles, 36 triples, 50 home runs, 196 RBI, and 10.2 WAR. This made Pak the top prospect in the 1943 EAB Draft and he was the first overall pick by Seoul. He immediately was a starter for the Seahawks and won the 1944 Rookie of the Year. He had similar good numbers in years two and three and even won a Gold Glove in year four.

Pak’s fifth season is when he truly arrived, earning Korea League MVP and a Silver Slugger. He led in WAR, RBI, slugging, OPS, and total bases; and would lead those stats as well in 1949 and 1950. 1948 was the first-ever playoff berth for Seoul and they won the EAB Championship. Pak won MVP and Silver Slugger again in both 1949 and 1950, leading in runs and batting average in 1949 along with a career-best 9.9 WAR and 140 RBI. The Seahawks won the Korea title again in 1949 and 1951, although they fell in the EAB final both years to Sapporo. Pak was the KLCS MVP in 1949 and 1959 and in 30 playoff games with the Seahawks, he had 33 hits, 14 runs, 7 home runs, 18 RBI, and 1.0 WAR.

1948 marked the beginning of Pak playing for the South Korean national team in the World Baseball Championship. He’d be on the squad from 1948-59 even as he left EAB, posting 98 hits, 67 runs, 30 home runs, 68 RBI, and 3.1 WAR in 105 games. He led the tournament in RBI in 1949 as well. 1952 saw his fourth EAB Silver Slugger, despite missing two months to various injuries. This ultimately was the end of his time in Seoul which had 55.6 WAR total. Now age 31, Pak cashed in with MLB’s Minneapolis, joining the Moose for 1953 with a six-year, $444,000 contract.

Pak won a Silver Slugger in Minneapolis in 1954 and was very solid in his first two seasons, helping the Moose to a National Association Championship Series appearance in 1953. He was less elite in the following seasons, but was still a very solid starter in the lineup. In six seasons, Pak had 918 hits, 483 runs, 146 home runs, 502 RBI, a .289/.337/.511 slash and 24.9 WAR. When his contract ended, the now 37-year old returned to South Korea on a three-year, $242,000 deal with Changwon. His return season of 1959 was unimpressive and Pak retired at season’s end at age 38.

For his entire pro career, he had 2606 hits, 1341 runs, 403 home runs, 367 doubles, 304 triples, 1488 RBI, .300/.347/.552 slash, 152 wRC+ and 81.9 WAR; more than enough. However, his EAB totals were much lower with the six MLB seasons subtracted: 1688 hits, 858 runs, 242 doubles, 234 triples, 257 home runs, 986 RBI, a .307/.353/.576 slash and 57.0 WAR.

Everyone would agree his nine year Seoul run was elite with the Seahawks retiring his #20 uniform and he was essential in bringing the team its first success. But his overall numbers were at the bottom among Hall of Famers because he had only a decade in EAB, and many voters held that against him. Enough thought his run and what he would’ve done had he stayed was still plenty worthy, but Pak bounced around the ballot. He got as high as 64.0% in 1970, but fell as low as 43.6% the next year. His eighth attempt in 1972 saw a bump back up and pushed the three-time MVP to the hallowed grounds at 68.3%.

Ju-An Pak – First Baseman/Designated Hitter – Suwon Snappers – 68.0% First Ballot

Ju-An Pak was a 6’2’’, 195 pound right-handed first baseman from the South Korean metropolis of Daegu. He had one of the most bizarre profiles of any player and was the definition of the “three true outcomes.” Pak had incredible home run power, was solid at drawing walks, and had reliable gap power. However, Pak was a human windmill that led Korea in strikeouts in 13 different seasons. He was a generally below average contact hitter and had weak baserunning speed. Pak played about 60% at first base and the rest as a DH and was an absolutely abysmal defender. Despite his many drawbacks, he was a hard worker that stayed loyal.

Pak attended Woosung High School in Uiwang and was a high school draft selection, picked 17^th overall by Suwon in the 1942 EAB Draft. He spent his first three years under contract as a reserve roster guy, making his debut with 29 games in 1946. Pak became a full-time starter for the rest of his Snappers run when healthy. Suwon stunk his entire time there and never made it to the playoffs, but Pak’s dingers provided a reason to go the ballpark.

Pak won the 1947 Rookie of the Year with his first full season having 42 home runs and 93 RBI. Pak had 14 seasons with 40+ home runs and three with 50+, although he only led the league in 1951 with 53. His career high was 55 with a career-best 135 RBI in 1960. He won two Silver Sluggers, in his rookie year of 1947 and in 1952. Despite the homers, he was never an MVP finalist as his career-best WAR season was 5.0 in 1952. Pak racked up the strikeouts and was the league leader in 1947, 49, 50, and then from 1954-63.

Pak was rarely out of the lineup from injuries and never lost his power even into his late 30s. Fans got excited as he and Takashi Ishihara both seemed to have a shot at Byung-Oh Tan’s career homer record of 718. Ishihara retired in 1959 with 703. Pak passed him in his final season with Suwon, getting to 711.

The Snappers didn’t re-sign him though and Pak went to Goyang for 1963. At age 39, he had a career-worst .198 average and 232 strikeouts, but Pak still pounded 49 home runs, passing Tan and becoming EAB’s home run king. Even with that power, he had enough drawbacks that he went unsigned in 1964, retiring after the season at age 40. Pak wasn’t the home run king ling with Lei Meng passing him later in the decade and Young-Hwan Sha matching him at 760, but he stills sits tied for eighth on the all-time leaderboard as of 2037. He also is the all-time whiff king with 3493 strikeouts and remains EAB strikeout leader as of 2037; one of only two with 3000+.

The final stats for Pak: 2249 hits, 1440 runs, 393 doubles, 760 home runs, 1722 RBI, 843 walks, 3493 strikeouts (33.0% K rate), .235/.300/.524 slash, wRC+ of 126 and WAR 47.4. In theory, retiring as the home run king would make you a Hall of Fame lock, but even with his power, advanced stats said the copious strikeouts and terrible defense really diminished that value. That, no big accolades, and no playoff appearances with a bad franchise meant there were plenty of voters against his induction. By WAR, he’d have the lowest career total of any EAB hitter in the Hall. Pak’s first three attempts fell short, albeit by small margins with 58.5%, 63.4%, and 62.9%. The fourth ballot was the one that finally saw just enough of a boost to put Pak in just barely at 68.0%.

Young-Gwon “Nomad” Shin – Starting Pitcher – Daegu Diamondbacks – 67.2% Fourth Ballot

Young-Gwon Shin was a 6’0’’, 185 pound right-handed pitcher from Yeongcheon, a city of around 100,000 people in South Korea located 220 miles southeast of Seoul. Shin threw gas with an outstanding 99-101 mph fastball overpowering foes in his peak. His stuff was terrific with the steallar fastball, a great forkball, along with an alright slider and rarely-used changeup. His movement was merely above average with average-at-best control. Shin was also a well-rounded batter and saw sporadic two-way action as an occasional first baseman, designated hitter, or pinch hitter. Ultimately, injuries kept Shin from quite reaching the two-way potential of a guy like Tadasumi Tanabe.

Shin’s incredible potential was noticed though while he attended Masan High School in Changwon. In the 1946 EAB Draft, Daegu selected Shin first overall. He was kept on the reserve roster though until making his debut as a reliever in 1949 at age 21. Shin became a full-time starting pitcher in 1950 and finished third in Pitcher of the Year voting in 1951, leading Korea in strikeouts.

In 1952, Shin had an incredibly dominant season with a then-EAB record 380 strikeouts, posting the sixth EAB pitching Triple Crown with a 21-6 record, 2.08 ERA, and 11.8 WAR. This earned Shin Pitcher of the Year and a second place finish in MVP voting. The Diamondbacks also made the playoffs for the second straight year and got to the EAB final, falling to Chiba in the championship. Shin seemed on his way to similar success in 1953, which was the first year he got some use as a hitter; as the Korea League uses the DH. However, midseason he suffered a torn rotator cuff. This kept him out of the playoffs, although he earned a ring as Daegu went on to win it all.

Shin bounced back and nearly got another Triple Crown in 1954, posting a career-best 1.84 ERA and leading with 363 strikeouts and 11.4 WAR. He also made 72 starts as a batter worth 1.0 WAR, getting his second Pitcher of the Year and a third place in MVP voting. 1955 saw an impressive 21 strikeout game in April against Seongnam, but in May, he was injured for ten months with a partially torn UCL.

Again, he bounced back better than you’d expect and led in ERA for the third time and still posted 261 strikeouts in only 184.2 innings. 1956 also saw 73 games as a hitter and was by far his best offensive season with 3.5 WAR, 22 home runs, and 72 RBI. Shin got his second ring as Daegu won the EAB Championship and this time he got to play in the postseason run. In total in the playoffs, he had a 5-3 record in 10 starts with 104 strikeouts over 75 innings and 2.9 WAR. He also had 10 hits, 7 runs, 3 home runs, and 6 RBI in the 1956 title run. He was the LCS MVP and finished second in Pitcher of the Year.

Shin also pitched for South Korea from 1951-1960 in the World Baseball Championship and was rarely used as a hitter. He posted a 3.27 ERA in 104.2 innings with 164 strikeouts and 3.2 WAR. 1957 was his last year with Suwon and a torn rotator cuff in the summer ended his season prematurely. The Diamondbacks would eventually retire his #28 uniform for his efforts in helping them to their 1950s titles. Despite his injury issues, Shin was still incredibly electric when he was on. MLB’s Philadelphia Phillies were impressed and decided to sign the 30-year old to a seven-year, $667,000 contract starting in 1958.

The contract was cursed as only once did he even get halfway through a season without major setbacks. A hamstring strain, elbow inflammation, shoulder inflammation, and a torn flexor tendon meant that Shin had only 51 starts over four-and-a-half seasons in Philadelphia. Despite the big money, the Phillies finally cut him in summer 1962. Shin went to Australia with OBA’s Sydney, but only pitched 22 innings before he suffered another torn flexor tendon. Yongin gave him a chance in 1963 although his arm was fried, struggling in his one appearance on the mound, although his bat was good in 14 games. Minor League Quebec City gave him a brief look in 1964, but Shin ultimately retired after that season at age 36.

Shin’s final EAB pitching stats: 116-48, 2.44 ERA, 1529.2 innings, 2133 strikeouts, 385 walks, 134/191 quality starts, a FIP- of 59, and 55.7 WAR. In 244 EAB games as a hitter, he had a career .311/.362/.558 slash with 10.7 WAR, 56 home runs, 277 hits, 152 runs, and 182 RBI. Shin was one of EAB’s all-time “what ifs?” and many from the era say he had the best fastball they’d ever seen. His pitching numbers are great in a small sample size, but his totals are at the very bottom of leaderboards due to a very short peak. That peak was remarkable though and he was a huge part of Daegu’s dynasty run, leading many voters to favor his candidacy even if the overall numbers are way lower than you’d expect. The batting value and the potential was just enough to get him close on the first three tries, above 60% each time. He was one percent short at 65.2% in 1971, then got the bump needed to make it on the fourth try at 67.2%.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 08-13-2023, 10:04 AM

1972 BSA Hall of Fame

The 1972 Beisbol Sudamerica Hall of Fame ballot was a relatively unremarkable group with only three players even above 50%. Pitcher Sousa Marques was the lone inductee, receiving 72.5% on his second attempt. SP Jon Mancilla got 56.0% on his third try and RF Nando Gasper had 50.3% on his tenth and final attempt.

For Gaspar, he got tantalizingly close in the 61% range on three different occasions and bounced anywhere between the mid 40% range to low 60%s. He was a six-time Gold Glove winner and five time Silver Slugger winner in right field and won three Copa Sudamerica rings with Buenos Aires. In 19 years with the Atlantics, he had 2411 hits, 1212 runs, 403 doubles, 487 home runs, 1489 RBI, a .253/.297/.475 slash and 105.7 WAR. As of 2037, he has the highest WAR of any eligible player not in the BSA Hall of Fame. Gaspar is often the first name cited on lists for the best player sitting on the outside.

Also dropped in 1972 after ten attempts was pitcher Lauro Almeida, who had a 16 year career with seven teams. He had a 197-160 record, 2.57 ERA, 2828 strikeouts, 3420.1 innings, and 69.6 WAR. He got as high at 50.9% on his sixth ballot and ended at 35.1%. With no major accolades, Almeida was banished to the Hall of Very Good.

Sousa Marques – Pitcher – Rio de Janeiro Redbirds – 72.5% Second Ballot

Sousa Marques was a 5’10’’, 190 pound right-handed pitcher from Vitoria, the capital of Brazil’s state of Espirito Santo on the southeastern coast. Marques was known for having terrific control along with very good movement and stuff. His velocity peaked at 95-97 mph with an arsenal of a slider, curveball, cutter, and knuckle curve. Stamina issues and later durability were the major problems with Marques, who very rarely went deep in games. He was signed as a teenage amateur free agent by Rio de Janeiro in 1953 and made his debut at age 21 in 1956 with 73 innings.

Marques would see a mix of starts and bullpen action from here on out with the Redbirds. In his second full season in the rotation in 1958, Marques led the Southern Cone League in ERA (1.68), WHIP (0.77), K/BB (14.4) and FIP- (46). He led in ERA and WHIP four times, K/BB three times, and FIP- six times. 1960 was the first time he got award consideration, taking second in Pitcher of the Year with a career-best 1.40 ERA in 186.0 innings. He would take third in 1962, second in 1963, and third in 1964. Lack of innings and being stuck on a struggling Rio team ultimately kept Marques from betting stronger consideration for the top honor. Marques was also on the Brazilian national team in the World Baseball Championship from 1958-65, posting a 4.01 ERA over 107.2 innings with 127 strikeouts and 2.5 WAR. In the 1964 run, he had a remarkable 40 strikeouts to only one walk in 31.2 innings.

1964 began his troubles with injuries as the 29-year old Marques suffered a torn rotator cuff in late August. He was back ready to go for the 1965 campaign, but suffered a damaged elbow ligament and needed reconstruction surgery. He became a free agent during this time, but was assumed to be healed up by the 1966 season MLB’s Houston Hornets gave the 31-year old Marques big money with a six-year, $1,210,000 deal. Only two weeks after signing the deal, he had a setback in recovery and required another surgery. This put Marques out an additional 15 months, causing him to miss the entire 1966 campaign.

Marques finally made his Houston debut in 1967 and was respectable in 24 starts, although not dominant. But in late August, he blew out his elbow again and required another ligament reconstruction surgery, putting him out 12 months. He made two starts in late 1968 and had smaller injuries put him out in chunks of early 1969 and Houston cut him, only getting 165.1 innings out of their million-plus investment. San Diego signed him to a minor league deal in Chula Vista, but in late July, a torn UCL put Marques out another calendar year. He made 15 relief appearances in the minors in 1970, retiring at the end of the season at age 35.

For his Beisbol Sudamerica run with Rio de Janeiro, Marques had a 137-74 record, 35 saves and 69 shutdowns, a 1.94 ERA over 1718.1 innings, 2132 strikeouts, 219 walks, 176/220 quality starts, a FIP- of 55 and 59.8 WAR. Of Hall of Fame starters, only Timoteo Caruso has a lower ERA. His rate stats are impressive, but he essentially had only eight seasons worth of real production without any postseason appearances or major awards. Marques had by far fewer innings pitched than any other Hall of Fame starter. Had his arm not fallen off and he pitched another few years in BSA, he would’ve been a slam dunk. Enough were enamored with his peak and felt sympathy towards his injuries, giving him 60.1% on his debut ballot and 72.5% on his second attempt, enough to put Marques into the Hall.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 08-13-2023, 03:41 PM

1972 EBF Hall of Fame

Two players earned induction to the European Baseball Federation’s Hall of Fame in the 1972 voting. 3B Fragiskos Fakas was a firm first ballot pick at 95.3%. Closer Richard Hackl joins him in the class, getting across the 66% threshold on his seventh try at 69.3%. 3B Orion McIntyre was close but short on his seventh go at 61.0%. Also above 50% were SP Karlo Godina at 56.7% on his first attempt, closer Ken Jacob at 51.0% on his eighth, and 1B Fabian Wittkowski at 50.0% even on his second attempt.

Joe Ramet became the first EBF player to last ten ballots and not earn eventual induction. He was the first player that got serious attention when Hall of Fame voting began, debuting at 58.6% and getting as high as 60.8% before ending at 44.7%. The French centerfielder played seven years with Amsterdam and Paris, posting 1084 hits, 705 runs, 260 home runs, 716 RBI, a .290/.364/.948 slash and 52.6 WAR, winning two MVPs and three Silver Sluggers. Had his EBF career not started at age 32, he almost certainly would’ve gotten enough totals to get the nod. But the small sample size wasn’t enough despite being excellent and helping the Anacondas to two European Championships.

Fragiskos Fakas – Third Base – Zagreb Gulls – 95.3% First Ballot

Fragiskos Fakas was a 5’10’’, 180 pound right-handed third baseman from Ammoudia, a village in the Serres regional unit in northern Greece. Fakas was a solid power hitter that could reliably get 35-40 home runs and around 35-40 doubles/triples per season. He was a solid contact hitter in his peak years as well and was respectable at avoiding strikeouts, although he was fairly average at drawing walks. Fakas had above average to good speed and baserunning skills despite being a career third baseman. He was considered a pretty solid defender and was thought of as fairly durable.

Fakas left Greece to play college baseball in England at the University of Liverpool. After his sophomore season, he was picked third overall in the 1952 EBF Draft by his home country team Athens, but he ultimately didn’t sign with the Anchors. He returned for his junior year of college and finished in 160 college games with 247 hits, 219 runs, 50 home runs, 176 RBI, and 12.1 WAR. Fakas improved his stock and was the first overall pick of the 1953 EBF Draft by Zagreb. He’d ultimately spend his entire EBF career with the Gulls.

Fakas became a full-time starter as a rookie, although he missed six weeks in his debut season with a fractured rib. The next year, he won the first of eight Silver Sluggers, also taking it in 1956, 58, 59, 60, 61, 64, and 66. After having some small injuries in his first three years, Fakas would play in 145+ in all but one of his remaining Zagreb seasons. 1958 was his first year in the MVP conversation, taking third with a Southern Conference best 143 RBI. In 1959, Fakas won the award with a batting title (.343), WARlord status at 11.7, and leading in OPS (1.044), hits (214), and runs (126), adding 43 home runs and 116 RBI. He had another incredible 11.7 WAR 1960, but took second in MVP voting.

Zagreb made the playoffs in 1956, 1959, and 1960. In 1960, the Gulls broke through and won their first European Championship. Fakas was the finals MVP and had a tremendous playoff run with 26 hits, 15 runs, 15 extra base hits, and 20 RBI in 18 playoff games. The Gulls fell off for the next few years, but Fakas remained excellent, although not in the MVP race. He also continued to play for Greece in the World Baseball Championship. From 1956-68, he made 91 starts with 64 hits, 48 runs, 26 home runs, and 44 RBI.

At age 36, he became a free agent for the first time and went to MLB’s Milwaukee for the 1967 season. He was respectable in his first year, but missed some time with a separated shoulder. More injuries and age meant he was reduced to a bench role in 1968, opting to retire at season’s end at age 38.

Fakas’ line in EBF: 2085 hits, 1177 runs, 247 doubles, 234 triples, 445 home runs, 1300 RBI, a .292/.348/.579 slash, 164 wRC+ and 98.5 WAR. Zagreb would retire his #28 uniform as he was a key player in their early days and in their first title season. An elite third baseman of the 1950s and 1960s, Fakas was an easy first ballot pick at 95.3%; the first Greek Hall of Famer.

Richard Hackl – Closer – Stockholm Swordsmen – 69.3% Seventh Ballot

Richard Hackl was a 6’0’’, 195 pound right-handed relief pitcher from Mittersill, a tiny town of around 5,000 people on the Salzach River in central Austria. Hackl had excellent stuff and movement with solid control and 96-98 mph peak velocity. He had two pitches; a fastball and a splitter, with the combo owing to an extreme groundball tendency. Hackl was considered a strong leader and a good defender as well.

Hackl picked up the game in his mid 20s in post World War II Austria and had honed his craft significantly by the time the European Baseball Federation was formed. At age 29, he signed with his home country team Vienna for the 1951 and spent his first three EBF teams with the Vultures. He took third in Reliever of the Year voting in 1952 and in three seasons, had 105 saves, a 1.37 ERA, 236 innings, 308 strikeouts, and 11.0 WAR. For the 1954 season, the 32-year old Hackl was traded to Stockholm for 2B Ben Storessund and CF Johnan Karlsson.

Hackl was best known as the closer for the Swordsmen, who were a consistent contender in the 1950s. He won his lone Reliever of the Year award in 1955 and took third in 1958. He led in saves twice and had a spectacular 0.56 ERA in 96 innings in 1955, posting 6.1 WAR. Hackl had a 1.30 ERA in 34.2 playoff innings, including 13.1 scoreless innings in 1957. Stockholm was the European Champion in 1957 and runner-up in 1959.

Although playing in Sweden, Hackl still went home to Austria for the World Baseball Championship from 1956-60. He made six starts and three relief appearances with a 2.20 ERA in 45 innings with 56 strikeouts and only two walks. 1959 saw him become the second EBF closer to 300 saves in April, followed by a partially torn labrum later that month, although he was back by the playoffs. Hackl was less effective and moved out of the closer role in 1960, opting to retire after that season at age 38. With the Swordsmen, he had a 1.51 ERA, 207 saves and 235 shutdowns, 501 innings, 596 strikeouts, and 22.7 WAR.

Hackl’s overall stats: 312 saves and 349 shutdowns, 1.47 ERA, 737 innings, 904 strikeouts, 150 walks, a FIP- of 44 and 33.7 WAR. Very strong accumulations considering his EBF career started at age 29 and he only had a decade of production. He has the best ERA of any EBF Hall of Famer by a good margin, but it is still a tough climb sometimes to get noticed by voters as a reliever. He was around the 54% mark for his first three years, then was around 62-63% the next three years. Hackl’s seventh try finally got him just above the 66% mark with 69.3%, becoming the first Austrian Hall of Famer.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 08-14-2023, 02:37 AM

1972 EPB Hall of Fame

Two starting pitchers were firm first ballot Hall of Famers with the 1972 class for Eurasian Professional Baseball. Taleh Ismailov (98.0%) and Kirill Edelman (96.4%) were the additions to the Hall. Two other pitchers were above 50% on their second attempts, but just short with Skerdi Hoxha (60.2%) and Andrei Doman (52.2%). No players were dropped after a tenth ballot.

Taleh Ismailov – Starting Pitcher – Irkutsk Ice Cats – 98.0% First Ballot

Taleh Ismailov was a 6’1’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Stepnogorsk, a town of around 45,000 in north central Kazakhstan. Ismailov had great movement with respectable control and above average stuff with a peak velocity around 95-97 mph. He had an extreme groundball tendency with his arsenal of a slider, curveball, forkball, and sinker. In his prime, Ismailov had strong stamina and durability with a great work ethic.

Ismailov started playing amateur and semi-pro baseball in his early 20s around Kazakhstan, which was one of the states within the Soviet Union at that time. He was 27 years old when Eurasian Professional Baseball was formed in 1955 and Ismailov was signed by Irkutsk on a five-year, $146,000 deal. The Ice Cats were an early Asian League contender and Ismailov was an ace, leading the league in WAR his first two seasons.

In 1956, Ismailov had the first EPB Triple Crown season with a 28-4 record, 1.81 ERA, and 340 strikeouts. He had a staggering 14.2 WAR, which as of 2037 is still the single-season EPB record for a pitching season. Irkutsk won the Asian League, falling to Minsk in the Soviet Series. This season earned Ismailov both Pitcher of the Year and league MVP. He’d finish third in Pitcher of the Year in 1958. In his five years with the Ice Cats, he had a 109-43 record, 2.63 ERA, 1381.1 innings, 1515 strikeouts, and 48.6 WAR. He also pitched for Kazakhstan in the World Baseball Championship from 1956-64, posting an 8-3 record and 2.69 ERA in 97 innings with 98 strikeouts and 3.8 WAR. In the 1959 edition, he tossed 16 shutout innings in two starts.

Ismailov became a free agent at age 32 and signed for 1960 to a five-year, $400,00 deal with Moscow. He continued to excel with the Mules, taking third in Pitcher of the Year voting in both 1961 and 1962 and winning it for the second time in 1963. In 1963, he led the European League with a career-best 1.73 ERA and posted 10.1 WAR. The Mules made it to the ELCS that year and had four playoff appearances in his tenure, although they didn’t get to the Soviet Series. His final Moscow stats had a 87-36 record, 2.15 ERA, 1160 innings, 1173 strikeouts, and 40.4 WAR.

The 37-year old was a free agent again for 1965 with his Moscow contract completed and he joined Warsaw on a two-year, $228,000. Ismailov had a solid debut season with the Wildcats, but fell off noticeably in his second year, opting to retire after the 1966 season at age 39. He had a 2.61 ERA and 7.2 WAR in his two seasons with Warsaw.

Ismailov’s final stats: 221-93 record, 2.44 ERA, 2906 innings, 3012 strikeouts, 279/364 quality starts, FIP- of 64, and 96.3 WAR. Even without having his early 20s seasons, his tallies still look great on the Hall of Fame leaderboard even years later. Ismailov was the first pitcher to EPB to reach 200 career wins and the first Kazakh Hall of Famer with an impressive 98.0% of the vote.

Kirill “Mayday” Edelman – Starting Pitcher – Dushanbe Dynamo – 96.4% First Ballot

Kirill Edelman was a 6’0’’, 205 pound left-handed starting pitcher from Krasnodar, city of more around 900,000 people in southern Russia not far from the Black Sea. He had 93-95 mph peak velocity with a fastball, slider, and changeup. Edelman’s stuff was considered good with above average movement and control. He had excellent stamina and durability and was a great leader with a strong work ethic.

Edelman was 27-years old when EPB was formed in 1955. He had emerged in Southern Russia as a top pitcher in the semi-pro circuit and was signed to a four-year, $121,600 for the inaugural season with Yekaterinburg. He had a strong debut season and helped the Yaks win the first Soviet Series, taking third in Pitcher of the Year voting. Edelman took second in 1957 voting and in four years with Yekaterinburg, had a 78-37 record, 2.71 ERA, 1091.1 innings, 1249 strikeouts, and 33.2 WAR.

Edelman entered free agency at age 31 and joined Dushanbe on a six-year deal worth $444,000 starting in 1959. In 1960, he won his lone Pitcher of the Year and also took second in MVP voting. The Dynamo would go onto win the Soviet Series and Edelman earned finals MVP. He was dominant in the postseason, posting a 4-0 record and 0.50 ERA in four starts with 42 strikeouts in 36 innings. All four starts were complete games with two shutouts. Dushanbe would fall off in the following years, although Edelman remained excellent. He finished in five seasons with an 84-66 record, 2.67 ERA, 1625 strikeouts in 1395.1 innings, and 44.6 WAR.

In the last year of his contract, the 36-year old Edelman was traded for five prospects to Bucharest. He had one great season with the Broncos, then signed with Moscow on a two-year deal. He had a great 1965 with the Mules, but had forearm inflammation put him out most of 1966. A setback to this injury ended Edelman’s career at age 39.

Edelman’s final stats: 202-126, 2.64 ERA, 3141.1 innings, 3524 strikeouts, 615 walks, 270/376 quality starts, 190 complete games, FIP- of 68, and 95.6 WAR. Like his Hall of Fame classmate Ismailov, his totals still look great even with his official career starting in his late 20s. Edelman was a big part of two EPB champion teams and is well worthy of being the first Russian-born Hall of Famer, a first ballot pick at 96.4%.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 08-14-2023, 10:23 AM

1972 World Baseball Championship

The 26^th World Baseball Championship came back to the Caribbean and was hosted for the first time in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The defending champion United States advanced to the Elite Eight for the 23^rd time, taking Division 1 at 6-1 with a two game gap over three teams. Last year’s runner-up China tied with New Zealand at 5-2 atop Division 2. The tiebreaker gave the Chinese a third straight division title and denied the Kiwis their first. Division 3 had Argentina first at 5-2, beating Greece, South Korea, and the Netherlands each by a game. This was Argentina’s seventh division title and first since 1962. Japan claimed Division 4 at 6-1 with a two game gap over four teams. This is the third straight division win for the Japanese and their 11^th total.

Division 5 had a three-way tie at the top with Canada, Peru, and Venezuela at 5-2, while Colombia and Uzbekistan were 4-3. The tiebreaker went to the Canadians, giving them 19 elite eight appearances and four straight. Division 6 saw Mexico first at 6-1, one ahead of Australia. The Mexicans have 12 elite eight berths to their name. The lone unbeaten in the opening round was Indonesia at 7-0 atop Division 7. The Indonesians got only their second ever division title joining 1969 and they’re the one relative newcomer in the group. Division 8 finished with a three-way tie between Brazil, Belarus, and Russia at 5-2 while North Korea and Puerto Rico were 4-3. The Brazilians took the tiebreaker for their 12^th division title.

In Double Round Robin Group A, Indonesia took the top spot at 4-2 to advance to their first ever final four berth. Mexico and China were 3-3 and Brazil was 2-4. The tiebreaker moved the Chinese forward to their third straight semifinal. In Group B, the United States ran the table at 6-0 to earn their 22^nd semifinal appearance. Canada took the second spot at 3-3 while Japan was 2-4 and Argentina was 1-5. It is the 18^th semifinal for the Canadians and their fourth straight. The Canadians have twice made it four straight years, the only non US team to have a streak that long.

The two traditional powers prevailed in the semifinal. In a rematch of last year’s championship, the Americans beat the Chinese in a seven-game thriller. Meanwhile, the Canadians bested the Indonesians 4-2. China officially takes third and Indonesia has an all-time best finish of fourth.

The 26^th championship was the sixth time that the United States and Canada had met in the final with the Americans leading the series with wins in 1947, 48, 57, and 60, while the Canadians won in 1954. It was the first time in a decade though that they had played in the championship despite it being the 19^th finals berth for the US and tenth for Canada. The series went six games with the Americans ended up on the perch again, back-to-back world champs and 16-time champs overall. Canada has finished second seven times, which is more than any other non-US nation has total finals appearances (Mexico has six).

Tournament MVP was American LF Connor Neumeyer, who would go on to be a consistent star of the tournament. The 22-year old Pittsburgh Pirate was the defending National Association MVP and he followed that up with a remarkable record-setting tournament. In 26 games, he had 40 hits, 33 runs, 8 doubles, 20 home runs, 40 RBI, a .392/.443/1.059 slash and 3.5 WAR. Neumeyer set the tournament record for home runs, which would hold until 2031, and set the RBI record that held until 2008. His 3.48 batting WAR was also a record that held until 2008 and he tied the runs record previously set in 1952; this also held until 2008.

American Thurman Lofink won back-to-back Best Pitcher awards, the first player to win the award twice in WBC history. The 28-year old closer with New Orleans had a 0.83 ERA over 21.2 innings with 46 strikeouts and four walks, worth 1.6 WAR.

Other notes: For the first time since 1966, there weren’t any no-hitters thrown for the entire tournament. This was also the second straight WBC that didn’t feature a first-time division winner into the elite eight. Below are the update overall stats for the event.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 08-14-2023, 04:41 PM

1972 in CLB

Tianjin had the best record in the Northern League for back-to-back seasons, although they had a more realistic good season at 102-60 instead of last year’s 123-39. The 1970 league champ Nanjing took the second place spot after finishing third in 1971 with the Nuggets at 100-62. They edged 1970 China Series champ Beijing by one game at 99-63. Shanghai, who won 107 in 1971, dropped to a fourth place 84-78.

Winning Northern League MVP was Tianjin RF Boyang Zhang. The 32-year old in his final year with the team was the leader in home runs (51), total bases (344), slugging (.578), wRC+ (189), and WAR (9.7). Xi’An’s Guichao Li won the Pitcher of the Year in his first full season, bouncing back after missing his rookie year with a torn labrum. Li was the ERA leader at 1.75, posting 8.6 WAR and 254 strikeouts in 247 innings.

Dongguan became a first time Southern League champ, taking the top spot at 107-55. Defending China Series champ Guangzhou and Chengdu tied for the second playoff spot at 100-62. The Gamecocks won the one-game playoff to earn back-to-back playoff appearances. Last year’s wild card Foshan fell off a cliff to 63-99, placing tenth.

In an odd twist, MVP and Pitcher of the Year were both won by pitchers, but different ones. Dongguan’s Feixien Zhang won the MVP with the 30-year old lefty joining the team after a trade from Shanghai. He was the ERA leader at 1.34 with 293 strikeouts in 283 innings, 31 quality starts, and 9.8 WAR. Meanwhile, Chengdu’s Chun Lin was the Pitcher of the Year and was third in MVP voting. His 13.3 WAR was a single-season record to that point and he also led in strikeouts (325) and wins (22-7) with a 1.37 ERA over 249 innings with 31 quality starts.

Both semifinal series went all seven games. In a rematch of last year’s China Series, Tianjin and Guangzhou again went seven games and the Jackrabbits prevailed again. Tianjin becomes the first team to earn back-to-back finals berth. On the other side, Dongguan won the first three games, followed by three straight by Nanjing. The Donkeys avoided the collapse and claimed game seven.

In the third China Series, Tianjin defeated Dongguan in five games, earning redemption after dropping last year’s final despite their incredible record. 2B Jinwoo Si was the finals MVP with the 31-year old getting 16 hits, 7 runs, 3 doubles, and five RBI in 12 playoff games.

Other notes: Qingdao’s Shenchao An had 215 hits, which held as a the CLB single-season record until 1996. Zachary Li had 125 RBI, tying Andrew Song’s mark from the prior year. This was the single-season RBI record for CLB until 2011. As a team, Beijing had a .316 on base percentage, which held as the Northern League’s single-season record until 2030. The Bears drew 565 walks, which is still by-far the all-time CLB record as of 2037. On the reverse end, Zhengzhou’s pitching staff allowed 584 walks, which remains the worst mark in NL history.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 08-15-2023, 03:04 AM

1972 in APB

The best record in the Taiwan-Philippine Association went to Davao, who became a first-time Philippine League champ at 98-64. The Devil Rays had a team on-base percentage of .307, which would be the association record until 2033. Cebu was a distant second at 84-78, followed by last year’s winner Zamboanga at 83-79. Tainan took the Taiwan League at 86-76, edging Taichung by one game and defending champ Taoyuan by three. It is the second title for the Titans, who were Taiwan’s best team in 1969.

TPA MVP and Pitcher of the Year both went to Tainan’s Kun-Sheng Lin, his third MVP and fourth straight Pitcher of the Year. This was his best year yet and arguably the best pitching season ever, getting his third Triple Crown. Lin had 17.3 WAR, 511 strikeouts in 308.1 innings, 1.61 ERA, and 25-8 record with a 17.6 K/BB, 30 quality starts, 26 complete games, and 25 FIP-. He set strikeout and WAR records which still stand as the APB top mark as of 2037. To this point, the only pitcher in any professional league to have 17+ WAR and/or 500+ strikeouts in a season was Beisbol Sudamerica legend Mohamed Ramos, who did it twice. Ramos held the world record with 549 strikeouts and 17.94 WAR in the 1936 season.

The Sundaland Association had the same two league champs in 1972. Defending Austronesia champion Surabaya claimed back-to-back in the Java League at 100-62, eleven games ahead of Depok. Batam rolled to the Malacca League crown at 102-60, the third straight for the Blue Raiders. They had a 21-game gap to second place Medan.

MVP was Surabaya 3B Kin Shin Pan, who was the playoff hero last year. The 26-year old Singaporean was the WARlord (10.4) and leader in RBI (102), adding 43 home runs and a 205 wRC+. His Sunbirds teammate Ametung Tirta won Pitcher of the Year in his fifth season. Tirta was the ERA leader at 1.55 and WHIP leader at 0.79, adding 262 strikeouts over 249 innings with 7.1 WAR.

The TPA Championship went seven games for the second time in history with Tainan edging Davao. The Titans become a two-time champ, having also won it in 1969. In a Sundaland Association final rematch, Batam got revenge on Surabaya, winning it in six games for their first title.

In the eighth Austronesia Championship, Batam bested Tainan 4-2, giving the Blue Raiders their first title. Finals MVP was pitcher Ahmad Nasir Suryadi with the 28-year old righty posting a 0.79 ERA over four playoff starts with 46 strikeouts in 34.1 innings and 1.9 WAR. The championship has been won by a Sundaland Association team in four straight seasons.

Other notes: In his historic season, Kun-Sheng Lin set the single game strikeout record with 21 Ks. He did it on May 16 against Taoyuan, then did it again on June 15 versus Quezon. Lin had 17 games with 15+ strikeouts in the 1972 season. Davao’s Francis Pung had 211 hits, setting the single-season APB record. This remained the record until 2007. Pung also had a 25-game hit streak, tying the APB record set the prior year by Alex Yustinus. Tainan’s Wei-Chung Hsu pitched 313 innings, still the single-season APB record as of 2037. Chang-Yung Cheng became the first APB hitter to 300 career home runs. CF Ruben Yu and 3B Stanley Susilowati won their eighth Gold Gloves.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 08-15-2023, 10:03 AM

1972 in OBA

Defending Oceania Champion Gold Coast won back-to-back Australasia League titles and set a league record with a 109-53 record. They scored 743 records, 105 more than second-best Adelaide, who gave a good effort in second place at 100-62.

Aardvarks 2B/SS Jimmy Caliw won a fourth straight MVP at only age 25. The left-handed Filipino narrowly beat his own single-season WAR record from the prior year with 13.4, also leading the league in runs (102), home runs (43), total bases (337), slugging (.577), OPS (.907), and wRC+ (179). Caliw also won a fifth consecutive Gold Glove, this time at second base. Pitcher of the Year was Melbourne’s Luke “Wild Thing” King. The 29-year old Australian lefty was the ERA leader at 1.85 and WHIP leader with 0.74, posting an absurd 19.6 K/BB with 352 strikeouts to only 18 walks in 292.1 innings. King had 10.6 WAR with a 21-7 record.

Samoa won the Pacific League title for the first time and not only let a PL record, but an overall OBA record with a 110-52 mark. They led the league in runs scored (616) and fewest allowed (399), finishing 20 games ahead of second place Honolulu. Last year’s champ Tahiti dropped to fourth place at 83-79.

Guam DH Sione Hala won his fifth league MVP with the 29-year old Tongan leading in WAR (9.8), runs (97), hits (196), home runs (52), total bases (393), slugging (.604), OPS (.949), and wRC+ (217). Samoa’s Brad Nelson won Pitcher of the Year with the 25-year old lefty from Vanuatu leading the league in strikeouts (457), innings (329), wins (28-6), and quality starts (35), adding a 1.75 ERA and 8.3 WAR. He also led the league with 126 walks allowed. His 457 strikeouts would’ve been a single-season if not for Brisbane’s Nathaniel Doloran getting 459 in the Australasia League. Nelson barely beat out Honolulu’s Matthew Falefa for the award with the American Samoan setting single season records for WHIP (0.63), opponent OBP (.184) and opponent OPS (.440), which remain single-season records as of 2037. He had Nelson beat in ERA as well at 1.30 and WAR (9.4), but lacked innings and strikeouts.

In the 13^th Oceania Championship, Gold Coast became the first team to repeat as champion. The Kangaroos defeated Samoa in five games, led by finals MVP CF Michael Severson. The 28-year old Gold Coast native in the series had 10 hits, six runs, two doubles, and seven stolen bases. His .555 average and .636 average for the series remain OBA records as of 2037.

Other notes: Pitcher of the Year Brad Nelson had 20 strikeouts in 8.2 innings against New Caledonia on April 27, tying the single-game OBA record. Nelson also had the second no-hitter of his career, striking out 14 with five walks against New Caledonia on July 19. Sakeo Rasalato became the first OBA pitcher to 3000 career strikeouts. MVP Sione Hala became the second hitter to 300 home runs. Danny Carrott became the third months later.

Port Moresby scored only 383 runs and had a .247 team OBP, both still all-time worsts in the Pacific League as of 2037. Melbourne had 1082 hits as a team, an all-time Australasia League low to that point. It remains third-worst as of 2037. Catcher Graham Parker won his record ninth Gold Glove, while LF Martin Topio got his eighth.

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

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