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

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1978 OBA Hall of Fame

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Starting pitcher Flynn Rodden became the Oceania Baseball Association’s first Hall of Famer in 1978. In his ballot debut, Rodden crossed the 66% threshold with 70.8%. Closer Neemia Taa’apitaga had 49.7% on his sixth try and SP Te Paoro Rangi had 48.3% in his debut.





Flynn Rodden – Starting Pitcher – Adelaide Aardvarks – 70.8% First Ballot

Flynn Rodden was a 6’2’’, 200 pound left-handed starting pitcher from Perth, the capital of Western Australia. Rodden was a well-rounded pitcher with solid stuff, control, and movement. His velocity only peaked at 94-96 mph but he was a master at changing speeds, especially using a legendary changeup. He mixed it with a fastball, slider, and curveball. Rodden had an extreme groundball tendency and was viewed as a very intelligent pitcher. He was also considered good at holding runners and defense.

OBA’s second-ever rookie draft came in 1961 and Rodden was the crown jewel, picked first overall by Adelaide. He immediately became the Aardvarks ace, winning 1962 Rookie of the Year and taking third in Pitcher of the Year voting. Rodden helped lead Adelaide to their first Oceania Championship against Honolulu, posting a 3.86 ERA over 23.1 playoff innings with 15 strikeouts. In his second year, he took second in Pitcher of the Year voting.

In 1964, Rodden seemed on his way to a Pitcher of the Year and still led the league with a 1.67 ERA, but he suffered a torn back muscle in June to end his season. Adelaide went onto win another OBA title and Rodden received a ring, although he missed the playoff run. He bounced back in 1965 to win his first Pitcher of the Year, although he’d suffer elbow inflammation late in the year. This earned him the first OBA Triple Crown with a 21-10 record, 173 ERA, and 358 strikeouts. Rodden also led in WHIP, FIP-, and WAR with 11.9.

Rodden was on pace to be even better in 1966, but a torn rotator cuff in late May ended his season and kept him from Adelaide’s finals appearance that year. Rodden still earned third in Pitcher of the Year. He bounced back again in 1967 to lead the Australasia League in ERA and WHIP for the third time, posting 10.3 WAR despite still a few weeks to injury biceps. This gave him his second Pitcher of the Year. A strained biceps put him out six weeks in 1968 and his production dropped some in what would be his last great season.

Despite his injuries, Rodden also made 14 starts for Australia in the World Baseball Championship from 1964-60. In this stretch, he had a 2.58 ERA in 97.2 innings with 110 strikeouts. In 1969 at only age 29, elbow inflammation and a rotator cuff strain knocked him out another good chunk of the season. He pitched the 1970 WBC, but suffered a ruptured finger tendon in spring training that cost him the entire season. This was ultimately the end of his Adelaide run, although the team would later retire his #11 uniform for his role in their 1960s title runs.

Rodden was still only 31-years old and teams were hopeful that he could still be valuable if he could stay healthy. MLB’s Phoenix signed him to a four-year, $1,080,000 deal, but Rodden ultimately never threw a pitch in MLB. Bone chips in his elbow, then a forearm strain kept him out almost all year. His only action was seven relief appearances in minor league Tucson. Rodden was cut in January 1972 by the Firebirds and signed for spring training with San Antonio, but was cut before the regular season. He returned to OBA in the summer with Guam and made eight relief appearances. Rodden would choose to retire after the 1972 season at age 33.

Rodden’s final stats: 119-54 record, 1.79 ERA, 1717 innings, 1744 strikeouts to 300 walks, 168/217 quality starts, 84 complete games, a FIP- of 62, and 55.8 WAR. When healthy, he was unquestionably a beast and he’s the only OBA Hall of Famer with a sub-two ERA as of 2037. Many thought he could’ve been inner circle if he could stay healthy, but injuries were a continuous issue. Because of that, he only had around seven years’ worth of true production and many voters felt that wasn’t enough to justify the vote. Enough were sold though on his dominance and the “what if?” to make Rodden OBA’s first Hall of Famer at 70.8%.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1978 APB Hall of Fame

The first Austronesia Professional Baseball Hall of Famer wouldn’t come in 1978. Closer Abdul Rizki was the only one who was somewhat close, getting 56.6% in his second ballot. Another reliever, Hartirono Siagian, was the only other one above the 1/3 mark with 39.2% in his fourth ballot.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1978 World Baseball Championship

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The 1978 World Baseball Championship was the 32^nd edition of the event and was hosted in New Orleans. This was the first time it was hosted in the continental United States since 1960. Looking for an eighth straight World Title, the Americans won Division 1 at 8-1, two games ahead of Nigeria, Tajikistan, and the Netherlands. This gives the US 29 elite eight berths. In D2, China was unbeaten at 9-0 with France the closest competitor at 7-2. It is the ninth division title for the Chinese. Japan was atop Division 3 at 8-1, beating Chile and Denmark each by two. This was the 12^th division title for the Japanese, snapping a drought back to 1972. South Korea snapped a drought dating to 1973 as they took Division 4 at 8-1, beating Austria, North Korea, and Scotland each by two. South Korea now has 11 division wins to their name.

Mexico dominated Division 5 at 8-1, three games ahead of the closest competitors. This gave the Mexicans their 15^th division title. In Division 6, Australia prevailed at 8-1, beating Ecuador by one game. It is only the second division title for the Aussies, who did it back in 1962. Canada claimed Division 7 at 8-1, two ahead of last year’s runner-up Philippines and Spain. The Canadians have now moved to the elite eight 23 times. And in Division 8, Brazil narrowly took first at 7-2, topping Russia and Papua New Guinea each at 6-3. The Brazilians have advanced 17 times now.

In Round Robin Group A, China (5-1) and Mexico (4-2) moved forward, while Brazil (2-4) and Canada (1-5) were ousted. This sends the Chinese to the semifinal for the seventh time and the Mexicans for the ninth time. The United States and South Korea advanced out of Group B with both at 4-2, while Japan and Australia were both 2-4. The Americans have made it to the final four 28 times, while the Koreans have eight times.

In the best-of-five semifinal, South Korea knocked out neighboring China 3-1. This sends the Koreans to their sixth World Championship and first since 1973. Meanwhile, Mexico stunned the United States with a sweep. This gives the Mexicans their seventh finals appearance, but first since 1967. It snaps the Americans’ seven-year title streak, as they officially finish fourth and China takes third.



The 32^nd World Championship was the second time Mexico and South Korea had played in the finale, with the Mexicans sweeping the Koreans in 1949. Mexico would take the 1978 edition in five games for their fourth world title (1949, 1950, 1963, 1978). South Korea is now 1-5 all-time in the championship.



Although they fell in the semifinal, China had the tournament MVP in CF/P Nick Wei. The two-time defending Northern League MVP with Hangzhou had 18 hits, 14 runs, 8 home runs, and 11 RBI in 15 games. Wei also had two wins on the mound, going 15 innings with a 1.20 ERA and 18 strikeouts. Bulgaria’s Svetoslav Angelov was named Best Pitcher. A three-time Reliever of the Year winner with Budapest, the 31-year old lefty pitched 16.2 scoreless innings with 30 strikeouts and only two hits allowed.

Other notes: Honduras’ Chavez Hinojosa had the lone no-hitter of the tournament, striking out nine against Bulgaria. Below are the updated event stats.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1978 in WAB

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Abidjan set the West Africa Baseball record for wins in a season in 1978, finishing atop the Western League standings at 118-44. The Athletes have earned a playoff spot so far in each of WAB’s four seasons to date. Defending WAB champ Freetown was second at 102-60 to earn the first wild card. Kumasi at 98-64 earned their first-ever playoff berth, beating out both Monrovia and Accra by four games. Bamako, who had made the playoffs in their first three years, fell to sixth at 89-73.

Abidjan had the league MVP and Pitcher of the Year with the former going to LF George Nandjou. The 30-year old Cameroonian left fielder had signed a seven-year free agent deal in the offseason with the Athletes. He was the WL leader in runs (122), home runs (57), RBI (138), walks (99), total bases (369), slugging (.635), OPS (1.014), and wRC+ (192). Meanwhile, Kouadio Diao won back-to-back Pitcher of the Year. The second-year righty from the Ivory Coast was one win short of a Triple Crown with a 22-5 record, 1.83 ERA, and 383 strikeouts in 265.1 innings. He also led the Western League in WHIP (0.69), quality starts (28), FIP- (47), and WAR (11.5). Diao also set multiple single-season records that still stand as of 2037, such as 5.05 hits/9 innings, 0.69 WHIP, .1599 opponents average, .1909 opponents OBP, and .4624 opponents OPS.

Kumasi would upset Freetown 2-0 in the wild card round, but wouldn’t hold up against powerhouse Abidjan. The Athletes took the Western League Championship Series 3-1 to earn their second trip to the finals, having done it in the inaugural 1975 season.



In the Eastern League, last year’s second place squad Port Harcourt took first at 115-47. Defending EL champ Lagos was second at 109-53, joining Abidjan as the teams to make the playoffs in each of the first four seasons. Benin City, who had finished fourth the prior two years, this time took third at 107-55 for the final wild card. Kano missed the playoffs for the first time by placing fifth at 93-69.

Douala’s Joseph Ambane won the EL MVP. The 31-year old Cameroonian shortstop had two miserable overworked seasons previously with the abysmal Ouagadougou squad, but had finally found relief and help by signing with the Dingos. In his one year with Douaga, he was the WARlord (12.3) and leader in OPS (1.077), and slugging (.665), adding 48 home runs and 115 RBI. Lagos’ righty Power Bonou won his second Pitcher of the Year. The 28-year old Beninois was the leader in WAR (10.4), wins (27-4), innings (284.1), quality starts (29), and complete games (12), adding 357 strikeouts and a 2.06 ERA. The 27 wins remains a WAB single-season record as of 2037.

Lagos swept Benin City in the wild card round, then upset Port Harcourt in a five-game classic for the Eastern League Championship Series. This sent the Lizards to back-to-back WAB finals.



After falling in seven to Freetown the prior season, Lagos prevailed in 1978 for their first West African Championship. The Lizards defeated Abidjan in five games with rookie catcher Bruno Alaba winning finals MVP. The 25-year old Nigerian had 15 hits, 3 runs, 8 doubles, and 6 RBI in 12 playoff games. Three of the first four champions in WAB history would be based in Nigeria.



Other notes: At 1-161, Ouagadougou set a world record as the worst team in professional baseball history. Conakry at 14-148 in the other league wasn’t much better. The leagues would help resolve their issues in the offseason and they end up with conventionally bad records as opposed to comically bad ones moving forward.* With the Ospreys’ and Coyotes’ awfulness especially, a number of players had historical games beating up on them. Four pitchers tied the single-game record of 21 strikeouts and five no-hitters were thrown.

There ended up being four perfect games in WAB in 1978. Port Hartcourt’s Adebayo Chukwu on June 14 had 16 strikeouts against Ouagadougou. On July 23, Edwin Ibe of Lagos had 12 Ks versus the Osprey. On Spetember 19, Kumasi’s Ayi Usman fanned 16 against Conakry. The most impressive perfecto was by Lome’s Nathanie Schwarzman, since he did it against a good Kano squad with nine strikeouts. In team records: Abidjan had a 2.55 team ERA, 0.902 WHIP and 1092 hits allowed, still the top marks all-time in the WL as of 2037.

*as mentioned in another post, there was an issue with roster limits that I missed initially that caused these teams to accidentally play shorthanded, leading to the atrocious records. I found the issue and fixed it after the 1978 season, so such records wouldn’t occur again.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1978 in CLB

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Xi’an had the best record in the Chinese Northern League for the third straight season and earned a fourth playoff berth in five years. The Attack finished at 100-62. Hangzhou and Zhengzhou tied for the second place spot at 96-66 with Shenyang four games back. The Hens beat the Zips in a one-game playoff to earn the wild card spot; their first-ever playoff berth.

Hangzhou’s Nick Wei won his third straight Northern League MVP, CLB’s first three-time winner. The 26-year old CF/P had 8.6 WAR, a .317/.376/.508 slash, wRC+ of 194, and 19 home runs offensively. On the mound he had a 1.90 ERA with a 19-9 record over 269.1 innings with 285 strikeouts, 7.7 WAR, and 28 quality starts. Wei won Silver Sluggers at both CF and P. The Hens also had Pitcher of the Year with third-year righty Mingyue Lin. He was the WARlord (9.4) and leader in quality starts (28) and shutouts (6). He added a 2.04 ERA and 15-11 record in 282.2 innings with 288 strikeouts.



Defending Chinese League Baseball champ Kunming took first in the Southern League for the third straight year. The Muscle were 102-60 in 1978 and led the SL in both runs scored (628) and runs allowed (458). Hong Kong earned their first playoff berth by firmly taking second at 94-68. Shenzhen was the closest competitor at 88-74. Last year’s CLB runner-up Changsha fell to a fifth place 79-83.

Kunming 2B Weiping Gao won back-to-back SL MVPs. The 25-year old was the WARlord at 10.0, adding 38 home runs and 103 RBI with a .170 wRC+. Hong Kong’s Zhijan Dong won his second Pitcher of the Year. The 27-year old righty had a 27-3 record, setting the single-season wins record that still stands as of 2037. He also led the league in strikeouts (362), WHIP (0.78), K/BB (12.9), and quality starts (30), adding 10.6 WAR and a 1.66 ERA in 287.2 innings. He was 12 ERA points away from a Triple Crown.

Both Southern League teams prevailed over their Northern League counterparts in the semifinals. Hong Kong upset Xi’An in six games for their first finals berth, while Kunming clobbered Hangzhou 4-1. The Muscle became the first repeat CLB champion by edging the Champions in seven games in the China Series. 27-year old LF Yongjian Jiang was the finals MVP, posting 15 hits, 6 runs, 3 doubles, 4 home runs, and 11 RBI in 12 playoff games.





Other notes: The eighth CLB Perfect Game was thrown on May 6 by Dalian’s Bin Zhan, who struck out seven against Nanjing. 1B Shenchao An won his ninth straight Gold Glove.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1978 in APB

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The Taiwan League was a tight battle in 1978 with the Kaohsiung dynasty and Taoyuan tying for first at 91-71 and Taipei one back at 90-72. In a one game tiebreaker, the Tsunami beat the Steelheads to take the title and deny Kaohsiung’s six-peat bid. For Taoyuan, it is their second Taiwan League title (1971). In the Philippine League, Davao earned a third title in four years. The Devil Rays were first at 84-78, three games ahead of Cebu.

Davao’s Francis Pung won the Taiwan-Philippine Association MVP. The 30-year old Filipino 1B led the TPA in hits (206), doubles (36), average (.337), OBP (.384), and OPS (.922), adding 6.9 WAR. Pitcher of the Year went to Taoyuan’s Hok Hoei Wahyu. It was a big comeback for the 25-year old lefty, who missed almost all of the prior year with a torn rotator cuff. In his return, he led in ERA (1.66), posting a 17-8 record over 255 innings with 297 strikeouts and 8.2 WAR.



Depok won the Sundaland Association’s Java League for the second time in three years. The Demons finished first at 99-63, well ahead of 88-74 Bandung. Defending SA champ Surabaya fell to third at 83-79. In the Malacca League, Palembang took first for the fourth time in five years. The Panthers were 96-66, 12 games ahead of Medan.

Bandung CF Fajar Lastori at age 22 won the Sundaland Association MVP. He had a reserve role in the prior four years, but exploded in his first full year as a starter, falling eight average points short of a triple crown. Lastori led in runs (103), home runs (51), RBI (108), total bases (374), OBP (.387), slugging (.664), OPS (1.051), wRC+ (259), and WAR (12.8). This was APB’s single-season WAR record for a hitter and remained the top mark until 1996. Pitcher of the Year went to Depok’s Norman Archuleta, who posted a 17-7 record and 1.92 ERA over 253.2 innings with 292 strikeouts and 6.3 WAR.

In the Taiwan-Philippine Association Championship, Taoyuan cruised to a sweep over Davao to earn their second-ever finals berth (1971). The Sundaland Association final was a seven game classic. Game seven went 10 innings with Palembang taking it 4-1 over Depok. This earned the Panthers their third Association title in five years.



The 14^th Austronesia Championship also was a seven game battle between two teams hoping for their first-ever overall title. Taoyuan ultimately edged Palembang 4-3, giving the title to a Taiwanese team for the fifth time in six years. LF James Chang was finals MVP with 13 hits, 8 runs, 2 doubles, 3 home runs, and 13 RBI in 10 playoff starts. The Panthers are now 0-3 in their finals appearances. Notably, Palembang’s Nazarul Sasongko set a still standing postseason record with 14 RBI. He also had 20 hits, which stood as an APB playoff record until 2032.



Other notes: Manila’s Lin Zulkifli had 39 triples, a single-season record that still stands in APB as of 2037. The sixth APB Perfect Game came on April 22 from Quezon’s Joss Bonotan, striking out 1- against Cebu. It was the first perfecto in APB since 1974. Abracham Gumelar and Brandon Wright became the second and third APB batters to 400 career home runs. Gumelar and Kim Shin Pan joined Wright as the only batters with 1000 RBI to this point. Gumelar also became APB’s third eight-time Silver Slugger winner. 1B Kent Wang won his ninth straight Gold Glove, while 2B Dario Albores became an eight time winner. LF Rafid Thiam won his ninth GG and SS Antonio Yanto his eighth.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1978 in OBA

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Perth pounded the competition in the 1978 Australasia League at 111-51, setting a new AL wins record. It was the third league title for the Penguins, who hadn’t done it since winning in 1960 and 1961. Perth’s pitching led the way with 386 runs allowed, a 2.13 ERA, a 6.36 H/9 and 0.882 WHIP; each of which remain Australasia League records as of 2037. Sydney was a distant second at 94-68 with Auckland at 90-72. The Avengers actually allowed fewer hits than Perth (1039 to 1071) and hold the single-season record. Meanwhile, Adelaide’s dynasty ended with a thud as the two-time defending Oceania Champions fell to a sixth place 73-89.

Sydney RF Ryan Whatley won league MVP with the 26-year old leading in runs (82), walks (71), stolen bases (79), triple slash (.305/.383/.513), OPS (.896), wRC+ (176) and WAR (8.2). Perth’s Jinhai Mo won back-to-back Pitcher of the Year awards. Still only 23 years old, he pitched the most innings at 323.1, adding 362 strikeouts and a 1.89 ERA with a 20-10 record, 34 quality starts, and 9.5 WAR. Mo also had a no-hitter with eight strikeouts and one walk on April 7 against Christchurch.



A competitive Pacific League saw a first-time champion with Port Moresby. The Mud Hens finished at 93-69, beating Guam by two games and Samoa by five. Last year’s league champ Guadalcanal fell off a cliff, dropping to a seventh place 69-93 record.

Fiji 1B Trent Atkins won the Pacific League MVP. The 25-year old Hawaiian led in home runs (50), RBI (109), OBP (.353), slugging (.572), and OPS (.925), adding 8.9 WAR and 191 wRC+. Samoa ace Brad Nelson won his fourth Pitcher of the Year, joining Nathaniel Doloran as OBA’s only four-time winners. The 31-year old lefy from Vanuatu led in wins (20-12), innings (324.2), and quality starts (35), adding a 1.94 ERA, 387 strikeouts, and 8.2 WAR. Also of note, Laisenia Valevalavou became OBA’s second three-time Reliever of the Year winner. He’d spend one more year with Fiji, then move onto an MLB run.



In the 19^th Oceania Championship, Perth pummeled Port Moresby 4-1. It is the second title for the Penguins, who were the inaugural champ in 1960. 2B Sebastian Jacobs was the finals MVP with 10 hits, 2 runs, and 5 RBI. With their 111-51 record, Perth had the best record ever for an OBA champion to that point. They’d lose this distinction the very next year, but this group is still remembered fondly as an all-timer in Western Australia.



Other notes: Christchurch’s Toni Kuman set three single-season pitching records that still stand as of 2037; he had a 4.73 H/9, .155 opponent batting average and .237 opponent slugging. Perth’s Percy Silvestri also set a single-season record with 0.42 BB/9. He walked only 11 batters in 237 innings. Ross Deacon had the second-ever six hit game in OBA, doing it on June 8 for Tahiti against Guadalcanal.

Sione Hala became the first OBA hitter to reach 600 home runs and 2500 career hits. He and 3B Ieremia Tenakanai became 11 time Silver Slugger winners. Jimmy Caliw became the fourth to 1000 RBI and the fourth to 1000 runs scored. He also won his 11^th Gold Glove and 11^th Silver Slugger. This would be Caliw’s penultimate OBA season, as he’d leave for a decade in MLB after the 1979 campaign. Brad Nelson became the fourth pitcher to 3500 career strikeouts. LF Martin Topio won his record 13^th and final Gold Glove.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1978 in EPB

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Defending Soviet Series champ St. Petersburg won the EPB European League North Division at 98-64 for their fifth straight playoff appearance. They were the only team in the division to earn a wild card with Warsaw and Helsinki both at 86-76 and Vilnius and Moscow both at 85-77. Minsk, who had made the playoffs in 22 of the first 23 Eurasian Professional Baseball seasons, had their first-ever losing record at 71-91. In the South Division, Kyiv was first at 98-64 for their fourth playoff berth in six years. Prague at 91-71 got the first wild card for back-to-back playoff berths. Budapest, who won only 64 games the prior year, finished at 90-72 to secure the second wild card. It was the first playoff berth since 1972 for the Bombers.

European League MVP went to Prague 1B Matej Vodzak. The 28-year old left-handed Czech slugger smacked a league-best 56 home runs and led in total bases (356), slugging (.632), OPS (.970), wRC+ (201), and WAR (8.7). Kyiv’s Ihor Poalvliy won his third Pitcher of the Year in his fourth season. The left handed Belarusian was the leader in ERA (1.63), wins (20-9), WIHP (0.73), K/BB (15.1), and quality starts (29), adding 287 strikeouts and 7.6 WAR over 287.1 innings. Also of note, Budapest reliever Svetoslav Angelov became a four-time Reliever of the Year winner, posting 6.3 WAR over 93.1 innings with 166 strikeouts.

In the first round of the playoffs, both series went all five games. Prague stunned St. Petersburg, while Kyiv survived the challenge from Budapest. This sent the Pilots to back-to-back European League Championship Series berths, while it was the eighth appearance for the Kings and first since 1975. Kyiv would claim the series 4-1 over Prague, giving the Kings their sixth European League title and first since 1965.



Tashkent topped the Asian League with a franchise record 109-53 record, giving them back-to-back playoff berths and their first South Division title since 1972. The tight wild card race was in the South Division with Almaty, Dushanbe, and Asgabat all finishing tied for the two spots at 90-72 with Bishkek two back at 88-74. The first tiebreaker game had the Assassins beat the Alphas, then the Dynamo downed Asgabat to set the field. This extended Almaty’s playoff streak to eight years, the longest active streak in EPB. Dushanbe earned their second berth in three years. Meanwhile in the North Division, Chelyabinsk was first at 90-72 to snap a five year playoff drought, beating 1976 Soviet Series champ Ulaanbaatar by three games. Last year’s Asian League champ Irkutsk dropped to third at 79-83.

29-year old DH Ivan Valev had signed a massive eight-year, $3,342,000 deal with Krasnoyarsk before the 1978 season after winning two MVPs with Bucharest. His debut season with the Cossacks earned him his third MVP with the left-handed Bulgarian leading in home runs and RBI for the fifth time in his career. “Socks” had 50 dingers and 115 RBI, while also leading the AL in runs (95), total bases (368), slugging (.582), OPS (.909), and wRC+ (185). It was his fourth season of 50+ homers, the first EPB player to reach the mark four times. Pitcher of the Year went to Bishkek’s Murat Muradov. The 27-year old right-handed Turkmen led in ERA with 1.70, adding a 20-10 record over 270.2 innings with 305 strikeouts and 7.7 WAR.

The first round saw a stunning upset with Dushanbe not only winning at Tashkent, but sweeping the top ranked Tomcats. This sent the Dynamo to their sixth Asian League Championship Series and first since 1971. Meanwhile, Chelyabinsk swept Almaty to give the Cadets their third ALCS berth with their prior appearances in 1961 and 1962. The series was a dramatic seven game affair with Chelyabinsk taking game seven 7-6 on a walkoff RBI single by CF Anatolie Rotaru. This earned the Cadets their second Asian League title (1962).



In the 24^th Soviet Series, Chelyabinsk earned their first-ever EPB title by defeating Kyiv in five games. 31-year old RF Matas Finkelis was the finals MVP with the Lithuanian lefty posting 17 hits, 10 runs, 6 home runs, and 13 RBI in 15 playoff starts. It was the first time the Kings had fallen in the final, putting them at 4-1 all-time in the Soviet Series.



Other notes: Talgat Abishev, Zaur Kadirov, and Kirill Ohlobystin each crossed 2500 career hits in EPB. They joined Edgars Lika as the only EPB hitters to reach the mark thus far. Kadirov became the first to reach 1500 runs scored and won his ninth Silver Slugger at 3B. Novrus Toshev became the second to 1500 RBI. Toshev also was the eighth to 500 home runs. SS Nazar Gogunov won his eighth Gold Glove and CF Andrei Yevdokimov won his eighth.

Alvi Tahiri crossed 6500 career strikeouts in 1978. He’d pitch two more years and finish with 6909 as the undisputed EPB strikeout king, as well as the leader in wins (349), losses (265), starts (664), complete games (386), innings (5699), walks (1502), and WAR (160.85). He remains the EPB leader in those stats as of 2037. Also as of 2037, his complete game mark is the world record.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1978 in EBF

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Glasgow had the best record in the European Baseball Federation’s Northern Conference in 1978 at 105-57, earning a third straight British Isles Division. This was also a franchise record for the Highlanders. Close behind overall was Stockholm at 103-59, winning the North Central Division. The Swordsmen earned a fifth consecutive playoff berth. Brussels at 99-63 earned back-to-back Northwest Division titles. Birmingham won the wild card at 93-69, finishing one game ahead of defending European Champion Rotterdam. This snapped a four-year playoff drought for the Bees.

Third-year Birmingham 1B John McLendon was the Northern Conference MVP. The 24-year old Scot was the leader in home runs (59), runs (108), and total bases (371), adding 8.7 WAR, 121 RBI, and a 185 wRC+. Pitcher of the Year went to Stockholm’s Johannes Soderberg. The 25-year old Swedish lefty was the WARlord at 9.2, adding 328 strikeouts and a 2.13 ERA over 283.2 innings with a 23-8 record.

Birmingham stunned their division rival Glasgow with a road sweep in the first round. Meanwhile, Brussels edged Stockholm in a five game classic. This game the Bees their third conference finals berth of the decade and gave the Beavers back-to-back and their seventh overall. Brussels would win the Northern Conference Championship 4-3 over Birmingham to give the Beavers only their third conference title (1960, 1961).



Athens at 105-57 had the top mark in the Southern Conference, winning back-to-back Southeast Division crowns. The wild card came out of the same division with 93-69 Zagreb taking it by five games, ending a two-year playoff skid for the Gulls. Zurich won a sixth straight South Central Division title and set a franchise record at 103-59. As a pitching staff, the Mountaineers set an EBF record with 1709 strikeouts. Meanwhile in the Southwest Division, Lisbon took first at 99-63 for a third straight playoff berth. Defending conference champ Seville fell to 86-76, finishing just outside of the wild card spot along with divisional foes Barcelona and Marseille.

Athens had both the Southern Conference MVP and the Pitcher of the Year. 3B Radovan Smodlaka was MVP in his second year as a starter with the 27-year old Serb leading with 145 RBI, 412 total bases, a .356 average, .688 slugging, 1.097 OPS, and 216 wRC. He also had 10.7 WAR and 55 home runs, but was second in both stats thanks to Nicolas Guerrero’s 60 dingers and Richard Rautenstrauch’s 12.0 WAR.

Pitcher of the Year was Anchors righty Cornelius Danner. The 2t-year old Austrian led in wins (23-9), innings (278.1), complete games (14), and shutouts (4), adding 7.9 WAR, a 2.13 ERA, and 356 strikeouts. He won the award despite Barcelona’s Alejandro Canas posting an incredible 13.7 WAR season, the second highest pitching WAR season in EBF history. Canas had 454 strikeouts over 271 innings and a FIP- of 34, but was overlooked for the guy on the better team.

Athens survived a challenge from Zagreb in the first round with their series going all five games. This gave the Anchors only their second-ever Southern Conference Championship appearance, joining the 1966 campaign. Meanwhile. Zurich defeated Lisbon 3-1, sending the Mountaineers to their third SCC in four years and their seventh overall. Athens ultimately took the title for the first time in franchise history, dropping Zurich 4-2.



In the 29^th European Championship, Brussels bested Athens 4-1 to give the Beavers their second EBF title (1961). Finals MVP was 32-year old RF Luke Janssens, a hometown hero for Brussels. In 17 playoff games, he had 23 hits, 11 runs, and 13 walks.



Other notes: Alejandro Canas became the third EBF pitcher to 4000 strikeouts and would be the EBF strikeout leader two years later.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1978 in BSA

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Four-time defending Bolivar League champ Valencia won the North Division for the fifth straight season. The Velocity had their worst record of the run at 96-66, but were still four games ahead of both Bogota and Maracaibo and six better than Barquisimeto. La Paz won their third straight South Division and had the best overall record in the BL at 103-59. It was the first 100+ win season for the Pump Jacks since 1947. Guayaquil was their closest competitor but were still 12 games back.

La Paz LF Tito Poma was the Bolivar League’s MVP. The 33-year old Bolivian exploded with league-bests in home runs (58), RBI (134), runs scored (121), total bases (418), slugging (.701), OPS (1.092), wRC+ (190), and WAR (10.6). Valencia’s Lazaro Rodriguez became a four-time Pitcher of the Year winner. The 27-year old Paraguayan righty was the strikeout leader for the fifth straight season (455) and WARlord for the sixth straight with 12.0. He added a 24-8 record, 2.27 ERA over 270 innings, 0.88 WHIP, 11.1 K/BB, 21 complete games, and FIP- of 46.



Buenos Aires won the Southern Cone League’s South Division for the fourth straight season with the Atlantics finishing 1978 at 103-59. Fortaleza took the Brazil Division at 98-64 for their first playoff berth since 1972. Rio de Janeiro (92-70) and Recife (91-71) were in the mix. The Retrievers are the first of the 1974 expansion teams to post a winning season. The last two years’ league winner Sao Paulo dropped to fifth in the division at 84-78.

Salvador slugger Valor Melo won his fourth league MVP. The29-year old Brazilian lefty had his fifth season with 60+ dingers, although his 63 was down from the record-setting 76 and 74 in the prior two years. Melo also led the league in RBI (125), runs (114), total bases (393), slugging (.685), OPS (1.052), wRC+ (211), and WAR (9.2). Fortaleza’s Che Castillo won Pitcher of the Year with the 28-yeaer old Ecuadoran leading in ERA (1.68). and quality starts (28). He added a 18-5 record over 204.2 innings with 260 stirkeouts and a nice 6.9 WAR. Also of note, Buenos Aires closer Pedro Heredia won his fifth Reliever of the Year, posting a career best 0.43 ERA over 84.1 innings with 166 strikeouts, 43 saves, and 7.0 WAR. He joins Chano Angel as the only five-time winners in Beisbol Sudamerica with Angel having done it six times.

The Bolivar League Championship Series was the third straight between Valencia and La Paz. The Velocity were the underdog for the first time, but they continued their dominance and took the series 4-1. Valencia became the second team in Bolivar League history to five-peat, joining the 1942-46 Pump Jacks. In the Southern Cone Championship, Fortaleza upset Buenos Aires in seven games. The Foxes took the finale in 3-2 game that went 11 innings. Fortaleza is now a five team league champ (1932, 1965, 1967, 1972, 1978).



The 48^th Copa Sudamerica ended up being a forgettable one overall as it was the first sweep since 1968. Valencia pounded Fortaleza to give the Velocity back-to-back titles, the first repeat Cup winner since Caracas in 1959-60. 3B Saul Puerta was finals MVP with 9 hits, 3 runs, 2 home runs, and 6 RBI in 11 playoff starts. This officially marked the end of Valencia’s 1970s dynasty, as they wouldn’t return to Copa Sudamerica until 2007. Although they were 2-3 in the finals, it still goes down as one of the most impressive runs in Bolivar League history and certainly the signature run for the franchise.



Other notes: Javier Herrera became Beisbol Sudamerica’s first batter to reach 3500 career hits. In his final season, he finished with 3597 for his career. He’d remain the BSA hit king until passed in the early 2010s. At retirement, Herrera was also the BSA runs leader (1639) and fourth in BSA hitting WAR (117.9). Cy Cavazos became the ninth to 1500 career RBI. CF Ernesto da Vinci won his ninth Gold Glove. Pitcher Robinson Moreira won and 2B Vito Gomez won their eighth Gold Glove. 2B Niculao Semide won his tenth Silver Slugger.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1978 EAB Expansion

In 1978, East Asia Baseball became the third organization to expand beyond its original teams, following the lead of CABA and BSA. Baseball’s popularity had only continued to grow throughout both Japan and Korea and the number of viable markets had grown significantly since both World War II and the Korean War. The approach taken to expansion would differ between the two leagues with the Japan League completely realigning, while the Korea League kept their structure the same. Both would add two teams, bringing each league to 16 teams.

Both had used the standard two division structure, but the Japan League opted to split their 16 teams into four divisions of four teams each. The first franchise added was the Niigata Green Dragons, located on the western coast and becoming the third northern-most team. The Kumamoto Monsters were the second addition, located in the southwest.

The new divisional alignment saw the North Division with Sendai, Saitama, Sapporo, and Niigata. The other four teams previously in the North Division formed the Capital Division; Tokyo, Chiba, Kawasaki, and Yokohama. The old South Division was split into the Central Division (Nagoya, Kobe, Osaka, Kyoto), and the West Division (Kitakyushu, Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Kumamoto). The change also meant playoff expansion was required, as previously only the two division winners advanced. Now in the Japan League, the four division winners would advance with no wild cards. The first round would be best-of-five, followed by the still standard best-of-seven JLCS.

The Korea League opted not to switch from the two division setup, simply adding a team to each to make two divisions of eight teams. Both teams added were in South Korea with the North Division getting the northwest-based Bucheon Bolts and the South Division adding the southwest-based Jeonju Jets. The KL decided to also expand their postseason to match the JL to have four teams advance with the same round structure. However, their playoff teams would be the two division winners and two wild cards. This would be the East Asia Baseball structure until a second expansion in 2025.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1978 in EAB

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The first year of the realigned Japan League saw new faces at the top with each of the division winners snapping notable playoff droughts. The best overall record went to Nagoya at 103-59, who won the Central Division for their first playoff berth since the 1964 EAB title win. Last year’s league champ Kyoto dropped to 79-83, The Capital Division was incredibly competitive with Chiba narrowly first at 95-67, edging Kawasaki (94-69), Tokyo (93-70), and Yokohama (88-74). This snapped a 13-year playoff drought for the Comets. The West Division had Kitakyushu on top at 86-76 to end a six-year playoff drought. Sendai secured the North Division at 84-78 to get their first playoff appearance since 1970.

Japan League MVP went to Yokohama’s Makata Araki. The 29-year old RF put up stellar seasons despite only playing 134 games due to an early season injury. He still led in home runs (60), runs (116), total bases (372), slugging (.782) OPS (1.197), wRC+ (234), and WAR (9.9), adding 121 RBI and a .338 average. Pitcher of the Year and Reliever of the Year went to Chiba’s Dong-Myung Choy. The 26-year old righty was the first-ever reliever to win PotY, doing it with a 0.68 ERA over 94 innings with 169 strikeouts, 13 walks, 7.5 WAR, 40 saves, and 52 shutdowns. His FIP- was 1 and ERA+ was 424.

In the first round of the playoffs, Sendai stunned top-ranked Nagoya in four games, while Kitakyushu outlasted Chiba in five. In the Japan League Championship Series, the Samurai smacked the Kodiaks 4-1 to give Sendai only its second-ever Japan League title (1953).



The Korea League was incredibly competitive with seven teams finishing within five games of the best record. At 95-67, Goyang was the top overall team and won the North Division for their third playoff berth in five years. Hamhung was one game back at 94-68, followed by Seoul (92-70), defending EAB champ Pyongyang (91-71), and Suwon (90-72). The Heat got the first wild card for their second berth in three years, while the Seahawks snapped a 26 season playoff drought.

The South Division saw a tie at 92-70 between Daegu and Busan, while Changwon was 88-74. This led to a one-game tiebreaker for the division title, while the loser would drop a half-game below Seoul and miss the second wild card. The Diamondbacks defeated the Blue Jays to extend their postseason streak to six seasons.

Taking Korea League MVP was Seoul RF Takuya Yamada. Nicknamed “Tornado,” the 30-year old had joined the Seahawks in a midseason 1976 trade from Sapporo. In 1978, he led in total bases (373) and slugging (.616), adding 8.2 WAR, a .317 average, 39 home runs, and 111 RBI. Daegu’s Nam-Chun Jang won Pitcher of the Year in a breakout season. He had been traded there after five forgettable seasons with Yongin. The 28-year old led in wins (23-10), innings (278.1), and quality starts (26), adding a 2.78 ERA, 255 strikeouts, and 5.1 WAR. Also of note, Goyang’s Yeong-U Oum became a three-time Reliever of the Year winner with a league-best 49 saves.

It was the first Korea League season with wild cards, but both division champs would prevail in the first round. Goyang outlasted Seoul 3-2 and Daegu downed Hamhung 3-1. The Korea League Championship Series saw a Diamondbacks sweep of the Green Sox, giving Daegu its fifth league title in six years. It was their 10^th Korea League title overall.





In the 58^th East Asian Championship, Sendai stunned Daegu by taking the series in five games, giving the Samurai their first-ever overall title. 2B Gang-Min Bu won both finals MVP and JLCS MVP, ultimately a critical addition as Sendai had gotten him from Daejeon in a July trade. Bu in 14 playoff games had 25 hits, 6 runs, 6 doubles, and 9 RBI. The Diamondbacks are now 2-3 in the EAB final in the 1970s and 4-6 overall. This ultimately marked the end of their 1970s dynasty with Daegu’s next KLCS appearance coming in 1989.



Other notes: Osaka’s Shigekazu Ikeda had East Asia Baseball’s 26^th Perfect Game on August 29, striking out seven against Saitama. 2B Se Park and LF Ki-Chun Park both became eight time Gold Glove winners.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1978 in CABA

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The competition in the Mexican League’s South Division was fierce in 1978 with the five best records in the league coming from that group. Guadalajara took the title at 94-68 for their second division title in three years. Right behind them was a three-way tie at 93-69 between Merida, Ecatepec, and Puebla; while Queretaro was at 89-73. Tiebreaker games were required with one wild card available between the three teams. The Explosion beat the Pumas, but would lose to the Mean Green to give Merida back-to-back playoff berths. Over in the North Division, defending CABA champion Juarez was the only team above .500, taking the top spot at 88-74.

Although Hermosillo wasn’t in the playoff mix, they had the Mexican League MVP with 25-year old 2B Mesquito Delion. He led the league in runs (114), hits (217), triples (25), total bases (365), OBP (.409), and WAR (10.4). Torreon also wasn’t competitive, but they boasted the Pitcher of the Year Conrado Gonsalez. The 26-year old Cuban righty was the WARlord (10.6) and leader in strikeouts (357), K/BB (12.8), quality starts (29), and FIP- (50). He added a 1.86 ERA and 17-8 record in 261.1 innings.

Juarez used the home field advantage as division champ to defeat Merida 3-1 in the wild card round. The Jesters carried the momentum into the Mexican League Championship Series and defeated Guadalajara in six games. This gives Juarez back-to-back Mexican League titles and their third league title in five years. It is their fifth ML title overall.



In the Caribbean League, Guatemala and Salvador jockeyed for the top spot overall and in the Continental Division, finishing tied at 96-66. The Ghosts won the division in the one-game tiebreaker, although the Stallions easily got the wild card. Salvador snapped an 11-year playoff drought, while Guatemala is back in after missing the last two years. Last year’s league champ Costa Rica fell off a cliff from 104 wins to 67, while last year’s wild card Nicaragua was at 85-77. In the Island Division, Jamaica was first at 90-72, four ahead of Santiago and six better than both Haiti and Puerto Rico. It was the first playoff berth for the Jazz since winning the 1968 CABA crown.

Caribbean League MVP went to veteran RF Alvaro Quintana with Salvador. The 32-year old Nicaraguan lefty led in home runs (53), RBI (124), runs (107), total bases (363), slugging (.654), OPS (1.016), and wRC+ (171). Santo Domingo’s Lamont Amerson was the Pitcher of the Year. The 26-year old Jamaican lefty led in ERA (2.00), and quality starts (29), adding 283 strikeouts in 269.2 innings, 8.1 WAR, and a 17-7 record.

Salvador and Jamaica had an intense battle in the wild card round with the Stallions taking it 3-2 despite the one-game disadvantage. Salvador carried that momentum into the Caribbean League Championship Series and rolled their rival Guatemala 4-1. It was the fifth league title for the Stallions and first since their 1964-65 repeat. There have been seven different Caribbean champs in seven years, easily the longest stretch in league history without a repeat winner.



In the 68^th Central American Baseball Association Championship, Juarez defeated Salvador 4-2 to make the Jesters back-to-back CABA champs. LF Caetano Penuelas was finals MVP with the 26-year old posting 20 hits, 5 runs, 4 doubles, and 9 RBI in 15 playoff starts. The Mexican League has now won the CABA crown over the Caribbean League eight times in the last ten seasons.



Other notes: 1978 had CABA’s 24^th and 25^th Perfect Games. On April 11, Chihuahua’s Teodoro Tovar struck out 10 against Mexicali. Then on June 24, Noah Lopez of Tijuana had seven against Mexicali, Lopez had thrown a separate no-hitter a month earlier, joining Marcos Lopez (1950) as the only pitchers in CABA to throw multiple no-hitters in a season. Wesley Dubar became the seventh hitter to 600 career home runs. Mario Benitez became the eighth to 4000 strikeouts. 1B Rafioby Barajas won his ninth Gold Glove.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1978 in MLB

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The longest active playoff streak in Major League Baseball belongs to Louisville at four seasons. The Lynx had been a lower wild card in the prior three seasons, but they had the National Association’s best record in 1978 at 105-57. This earned them their first Midwest League title since 1958. Louisville was also the only NA team in last year’s playoff field to make it back in 1978. The top two wild cards came out of the MLB with Kansas City at 96-66 and Chicago at 95-67. This was the fifth berth in five years for the Cougars, while the Cubs snapped a two-year skid.

Boston won the Eastern League at 97-65 for their second EL title in three years. Philadelphia was second at 91-71, which earned them the third wild card and snapped a five-year playoff drought. The fourth wild card went to 89-73 Minneapolis, who finished one game ahead of defending National Association champ Indianapolis. This gave the Moose their first playoff berth since winning the NA title in 1971. St. Louis and Columbus both were wild cards with 90+ wins the prior year, but both fell to the very bottom.

In his MLB debut, Hugo Vegas won National Association MVP, becoming one of a select few to win MVP in multiple leagues. The 29-year old Costa Rican 3B was the Caribbean League MVP with Panama in 1976, then signed with Montreal for the 1978 season. With the Maples, he led with 58 home runs and 126 RBI, adding 102 runs and 7.8 WAR. Pitcher of the Year was Louisville’s Val Moscow. The 32-year old lefty in his third season with the Lynx was the ERA leader at 1.89, adding 196 strikeouts and 6.7 WAR over 257.2 innings with an 18-6 record.

In the wild card round, Chicago swept Philadelphia and Minneapolis upset Kansas City 2-1. The Cubs continued on to oust Boston 3-1, while Louisville survived in five against the Moose. This gave the Lynx their sixth National Association Championship Series berth, but first since 1936. For the Cubs, it was their fifth NACS appearance with all five coming in the last 15 years. Louisville would win the NACS 4-1 over Chicago, giving the Lynx their third-ever NA title (1906, 1933).



For the second straight season, Las Vegas had the best overall record in MLB. The Vipers earned a third straight playoff berth and won the Western League title at 108-54. Houston took the Southern League at 99-63 for their fourth playoff spot in five years. The Hornets set a still-standing American Association record with 91 triples as a team. They by far had the most runs scored at 942, while Las Vegas had the fewest allowed at 571 and the best run differential.

Atlanta (93-69) had the first wild card with the next two going to Portland and Nashville, both at 91-71. The Aces ended a five-year playoff drought, the Pacifics snapped a seven-year one, and the Knights ended a 19-year skid. Calgary at 89-73 narrowly took the final spot, finishing one better than Tampa, two ahead of defending World Series champ Dallas and Oakland, and three ahead of Albuquerque.

San Francisco DH Joziah Perry won the American Association MVP. The 24-year old lefty set the MLB single-season record with 147 runs scored, passing the old mark of 142. Perry’s mark would stand as the MLB record until 1994. He added an AA-best 238 hits, 45 doubles, 450 total bases, .372 average, .704 slugging, 1.142 OPS, 195 wRC+, and 10.1 WAR, adding 49 home runs and 137 RBI. His 450 bases was second-best all-time behind Sebastian Lunde’s 476 in 1949. Perry managed to overshadow Tampa’s Will Brenneisen, who powered his way to 53 home runs and 168 RBI. The 168 RBI was the third most in a MLB single season, behind only Aitor Cerda’s 175 in 1913 and Blake Wynn’s 171 in 1940. No one would hit more in MLB until 2036 and it wouldn’t be until 2005 that a player had 150+. Meanwhile, fourth-year Las Vegas righty Jonah Mors won the Pitcher of the Year. He led the AA in wins at 23-5, as well as ERA (2.23), quality starts (30), FIP- (67), and WAR (9.1), adding 255 strikeouts over 283 innings.

Portland beat Nashville 2-1 and Atlanta topped Calgary 2-0 in the first round of the playoffs. Both league champs prevailed in round two with Houston sweeping the Aces and Las Vegas outlasting the Pacifics in a five-game battle. This set up an American Association Championship Series rematch from two years prior, which saw the Vipers sweep the Hornets. Las Vegas would win again, although this time they had to go all seven games to do so. It is the third AA title for the Vipers, who also won it in 1959.



The 78^th World Series was the third appearance for both Louisville and Las Vegas, both of which were 2-0 in the Fall Classic. It was also one of the seemingly rare times that the team with the top record from both associations got to the finale. The Lynx won the series 4-2 for their third title with the last one all the way back in 1933. Journeyman RF Bray Farwick was a surprising World Series MVP, as he only made 41 starts all season. In his one year with the Lynx, the 34-year old made 16 playoff starts with 23 hits, 11 runs, 5 home runs, and 11 RBI. Louisville’s win also gave the National Association its first title in a decade, as the American Association had the top team from 1968-77.



Other notes: Ottawa’s Tyrone Funk became only MLB’s third pitcher to strike out 21 or more in a game. He did it over a 16 inning marathon against Baltimore. All three pitchers to fan 21+ did it in extras. Julius Jordan of Houston became the seventh MLB pitcher to 300 career wins. It wouldn’t be until 1998 that the next player reached the mark. This would be Jordan’s last season and he’d retire with 312, fourth on the all-time list. Jordan also fell just short of 5000 strikeouts, retiring MLB’s all-time leader at 4988. As of 2037, he remains the MLB Ks king. Luke Peters became the sixth to 4000 strikeouts. Peters would retire after 1979 with 4157, fifth all-time. 3B B.J. Orwig won his 12^th and final Gold Glove. SP Wayne Mitz won his eighth Gold Glove.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1979 MLB Hall of Fame

Two players were added to Major League Baseball’s Hall of Fame in 1979, although both got in by incredibly slim margins. On his ninth time on the ballot, catcher Gray Caraway finally got above the 66% requirement with 69.7%. SP David Maggio joined him with a 68.2% mark on his second attempt. RF Gavin Gauthier on his third try barely missed out with 65.9%, while SP Richard Thieman was also very close with 63.7% in his sixth attempt. Three others were above 50% with SP Jeremiah Rutledge on his eighth try at 59.9%, LF CJ West at 55.7% in his seventh, and 1B Braylen Nelson at 54.8% for his second. It was a quiet ballot for newcomers with the highest percentage for a first ballot option at 37.6%.



Dropped after ten ballots was LF/1B Taffarel Gomes, who had a 23 year career between MLB and OBA. Notably, he was a native of the Azores, a small island group in the North Atlantic Ocean. He won MVP in 1953 and had 2395 hits, 1423 runs, 534 home runs, 1571 RBI, a .267/.327/.515 slash and 53.0 WAR. Respectable totals, but it took a lot of years to get there and he peaked at 14.1% on his second ballot and ended below 5%. Also notable was SP Jamison Phillips, who fell below 5% on after nine ballots. In 15 years, he had a 212-207 record, 4.05 ERA, 2907 strikeouts, 54.7 WAR, and five Gold Gloves. He peaked at 16.5% on his first ballot.



Gray Caraway – Catcher – Denver Dragons – 69.7% Ninth Ballot

Gray Caraway was a 5’11’’, 200 pound right-handed catcher from Denver, Colorado. Especially for a catcher, Caraway was a great contact hitter and was incredible at avoiding strikeouts. He was respectable at drawing walks as well and could get you 25-30 doubles per year. Caraway lacked home run power and speed, but he still provided better value than most catchers. Defensively, he was considered a bit below average, but his durability and reliability made him worth regular starts. Caraway was also a fan favorite as a hard worker and loyal player.

Caraway attended the University of Kentucky and would return home to Denver when picked by the Dragons in the 1942 MLB Draft. He was a second round pick, ninth in the round and 63^rd overall. Caraway only was a part-time starter in his first two seasons, then would become the full-time starter for the next eight years with Denver. He won a Silver Slugger in 1947 and was very popular with Dragons fans in a weak era, as the team only made the playoffs in his rookie season. With Denver, Caraway had 1203 hits, 461 runs, 222 doubles, 487 RBI, a .298/.360/.411 slash, and 28.8 WAR.

After a decade with his hometown team, the 32-year old Caraway entered free agency and signed for the 1954 season with San Antonio on a five-year, $342,000 deal. Caraway won Silver Sluggers in 1954 and 1956 and won the batting title in 1956 with a .365 average and career-best 5.3 WAR. The Oilers made the playoffs once in what would be a three-year run for Caraway that saw 444 hits, 164 runs, a .343/.399/.460 slash and 12.9 WAR. He decided to opt out of his contract after the 1956 season and the now 35-year old Caraway signed a four-year, $372,000 deal with Las Vegas.
The Vipers were a contender at this point but couldn’t get over the hump. In 1959, they finally won the World Series, giving Caraway his lone ring. Caraway had 7.9 WAR and 364 hits over three seasons with the Vipers. In that World Series season, he became only a part-time starter. He’d play another six seasons, although he only in 1962 was a full-time starter. Caraway played with San Diego in 1960-61, Atlanta in 1962, Indianapolis in 1963-64, and Charlotte in 1965. The season with the Aces saw a bit of a resurgence with his fourth Silver Slugger. He went unsigned in 1966 and retired that winter at age 44.

Caraway’s final stats: 2572 hits, 994 runs, 494 doubles, 124 home runs, 1054 RBI, a 3.9% strikeout percentage, a .308/.368/.420 slash, 114 wRC+, and 62.4 WAR. At retirement, he was the only catcher with 2500+ hits and had the fourth most WAR of any MLB catcher. However, only two catchers had earned induction previously and the lower stats that come with the position has led to very catchers getting serious consideration. With only four Silver Sluggers, many thought Caraway wasn’t dominant enough to deserve the nod. Plenty respected his longevity and he was above 50% each time he was on the ballot, but he needed nine tries to get in. Caraway got 63.5% on his seventh try, but then dropped to 54.7% the next year. In 1979 with no big stars debuting, Caraway finally got the bump required and earned the induction at 69.7%.



David Maggio – Starting Pitcher – Cincinnati Reds – 68.2% Second Ballot

David Maggio was a 5’7’’, 195 pound right-handed starting pitcher from Westland, Michigan; a city of around 85,000 located about 16 miles west of downtown Detroit. Maggio had very good control and solid stuff with 97-99 mph peak velocity and a stellar fastball. He mixed it with a slider, curveball, forkball, and changeup. Maggio’s movement was merely average and he had issues allowing home runs and didn’t strike out as many as you’d expect with his arsenal. Maggio was very durable and reliable for a full season and lots of innings.

Maggio went to Vanderbilt for college and caught attention of multiple teams. After his junior season, Chicago picked him 30^th overall in the 1954 MLB Draft, but Maggio opted to return for his senior year with the Commodores. His stock improved in the 1955 Draft and he was picked 11^th overall by Cincinnati. Maggio was used primarily as a reliever in his rookie season, then became a full-time starter for the rest of his pro career. In his first few years, he struggled, although by his fourth season, Maggio had emerged as a more passable arm.

His first run with the Reds lasted eight-and-a-half seasons worth 29.1 WAR. The Reds remained a bottom-tier team and trying to rebuild, Maggio was traded in the summer of 1964 to Kansas City. His second half with the Cougars was his strongest production to date and he had a good playoff start, even if KC was eliminated in the second round. This gave him some steam entering free agency at age 31 and Phoenix gave Maggio a shot with a six-year, $1,132,000 deal.

Maggio’s most productive seasons came with the Firebirds, leading the American Association in ERA in both 1966 and 1969. He also led in quality starts and wins in 1966, winning his lone Pitcher of the Year. He’d take third in the voting in 1969. Maggio got to play in three postseasons with Phoenix, although his results were mixed and the Firebirds only once got to the AACS. In his six years there, he had a 99-67 record, 3.18 ERA, 1108 strikeouts in 1581.1 innings, and 30.7 WAR.

Phoenix didn’t re-sign Maggio when his contract ended, making him a 37-year old free agent for 1971. He returned to Cincinnati and spent 1971 and part of 1972 there. Maggio posted middling at best stats, but was well liked enough that the Reds would retire his #47 uniform. In total with Cincinnati, he had a 124-133 record, 3.77 ERA, 2306.2 innings, 1790 strikeouts, and 33.9 WAR. The Reds traded him at the 1972 deadline to Philadelphia, where he collected his 3000^th career strikeout. He was decent in his Phillies tenure, but struggled in his two playoff starts. Maggio retired after the 1972 season at age 39.

Maggio’s final stats: 239-204 record, 3.52 ERA, 4078 innings, 3046 strikeouts to 838 walks, 318 quality starts, 183 complete games, a FIP- of 92, and 69.5 WAR. He had nice tenure, but lacked the dominance usually expected out of Hall of Famers outside of his brief stretch with Phoenix. Advanced stats put him closer to the “Hall of Very Good” list, but the accumulations and a Pitcher of the Year gave Maggio plenty of supporters. He missed the mark at 58.7% on his debut, but gained just enough on the second ballot to get in with 68.2%.