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

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1979 CABA Hall of Fame

Two first ballot inductees earned spots in 1979 to the Central American Baseball Association Hall of Fame. SP Santiago Esquivel received a stellar 99.2% and SP David Soto got 93.7%. Only one other was above 50% with catcher Sebastian Gonzalez at 52.8% on his debut.



One player fell from the ballot after ten attempts in 3B Diego Sierra. He had a 17-year career primarily with Ecatepec, winning six Silver Sluggers with 2320 hits, 1063 runs, 499 doubles, 320 home runs, 1151 RBI, a .299/.347/.501 slash, 148 wRC+, and 76.1 WAR. The doubles were impressive, but the lack of big home run or RBI numbers hurt him ultimately. He peaked at 56.4% on his ninth ballot and ended at a low of 41.3%.



Santiago Esquivel – Starting Pitcher – Hermosillo Hyenas – 99.2% First Ballot

Santiago Esquivel was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Chimalhuacan, a city of around 600,000 people within the greater Mexico City urban area. Esquivel was a master of changing speeds with a 99-101 mph fastball that he mixed with an incredible changeup and a good slider. His stuff was considered outstanding with above average movement, although his control was average at best. Esquivel regularly went deep in games, leading the Mexican League six times in complete games. He was a good leader and was considered an excellent defensive pitcher, winning four Gold Gloves from 1960-63.

Esquivel’s arsenal drew plenty of attention as an amateur and he earned the second overall pick by Hermosillo in the 1959 CABA Draft. He immediately lived up to the billing, joining Alonso De La Garza (1939) as the only CABA players to win Rookie of the Year and Pitcher of the Year in the same season. From there, he’d lead the Mexican League in strikeouts in seven consecutive seasons, while also leading in wins four times, ERA once, innings thrice, WHIP once, and WAR four times.

Esquivel took second in 1961’s Pitcher of the Year despite leading the league with 10.0 WAR. He’d win the award in 1962, take second in 1963, win it for the third time in 1964, finish third in 1966, and take second in 1967. Esquivel posted a 20 strikeout game against Puebla in 1967. His career high for Ks was 354 in 1961 and his best WAR was 10.1 in 1966. In 1964, Esquivel had a career best 1.65 ERA en route to the ninth CABA Triple Crown season for a pitcher. Despite his efforts, Hermosillo remained a middling team with his only playoff start with the Hyenas coming in 1963.

Esquivel was also a force for Mexico in the World Baseball Championship from 1961-72. In 43 games, he had a 25-9 record, 2.97 ERA over 306.1 innings with 421 strikeouts and 5.7 WAR. He won the World Championship with Mexico in 1963 and helped them to the 1967 final with an impressive 6-1 record and 86 strikeouts in 50 innings. 6 wins is tied for the WBC single-tournament record still as of 2037 and the 86 Ks is the fifth most in a single edition. He also holds a bad record with his 29 walks in 1963 being the most by a pitcher in a single tournament.

Esquivel became very popular nationwide and remained beloved in Hermosillo even after he left the Hyenas to become a free agent in 1970. The fans certainly understood the desire to play for a winner (and get the bad), and his #27 uniform would end up retired by Hermosillo. In total there, he had a 154-118 record, 2.49 ERA, 2623.1 innings, 3118 strikeouts, and 76.8 WAR.

At age 32, he’d sign a five-year, $1,220,000 deal with Guatemala, who had won the Caribbean League title twice in the prior three years. They did it again in both 1970 and 1971, although they didn’t win the CABA Championship thanks to the Mexico City dynasty. Esquivel delivered with second place Pitcher of the Year finishes both years, although his playoff ERA was a mere 4.50 in 30 innings. His numbers dipped a bit in his third year, then numerous injuries led to a lackluster 1973. Esquivel opted to retire after the season at only age 36. In four seasons with the Ghosts, he had a 64-37 record, 3.05 ERA, 935 innings, 1016 strikeouts, and 20.1 WAR.

The totals for Esquivel: 218-155, 2.64 ERA, 3558.1 innings, 4134 strikeouts to 769 walks, 301/422 quality starts, 208 complete games, FIP- of 73 and 96.9 WAR. At retirement, he was sixth all-time in CABA strikeouts, third in complete games, and seventh in pitching WAR. He pulled off excellent numbers despite not having as lengthy a career as many other Hall of Famers. Esquivel was a dominant force at his peak and an easy first ballot Hall of Fame choice with 99.2% of the vote.



David Soto – Starting Pitcher/Designated Hitter – Salvador Stallions – 93.7% First Ballot

David Soto was a 6’2’’, 205 pound right-handed starting pitcher from Morazan, a municipality of around 50,000 people in northwestern Honduras. He had solid stuff and movement, although his control was below average. Soto’s velocity peaked at 93-95 mph, but he was great at drawing groundballs with an excellent cutter. He mixed it with a nice changeup, fastball, and rarely used curveball. Soto was also a solid batter who was occasionally used as a designated hitter and pinch hitter. He wasn’t outstanding as a batter, but was average to above average at all phases and provided positive value with his bat.

Soto was selected in the 1955 CABA Draft out of high school, picked 19^th overall by Salvador. He remained on the reserve roster until debuting in 1958 at age 22, although he was iffy as a rookie and missed a chunk to injury. Soto was a part-time starter in his second year, then became a full-time starter for the rest of his Stallions run. It wasn’t until his fifth season that he emerged as a legitimate ace, leading the Caribbean League in strikeouts. He’d lead in strikeouts in 1962, 1964, and 1966. Soto had four straight seasons with 6+ pitching WAR with Salvador, although he never was a Pitcher of the Year finalist.

Offensively with the Stallions, he made 430 starts with 14.6 WAR, a .267/.324/.501 slash, 494 hits, 295 runs, 81 home runs, and 267 RBI with a 124 wRC+. On the mound, he had a 135-107 record, 3.59 ERA, 2227 innings, 2238 strikeouts, 767 walks, FIP- of 87, and 44.5 WAR. Salvador found success with four straight playoff berths from 1963-66 and CABA titles in 1964 and 1965. In 12 playoff starts, Soto had a 3.25 ERA worth 2.3 WAR. He also became a regular for the Honduras national team in the World Baseball Championship with 174.2 innings from 1959-75. Soto had a 2.58 ERA, 174.2 innings, 243 strikeouts, and 5.7 WAR.

Elbow tendinitis cost him part of 1967, his last year with Salvador. Soto would still see his #21 uniform retired by the franchise, but he would move into free agency at age 32. Mexico City signed him to a six-year, $1,068,000 deal. The Aztecs had just started their dynasty run with the 1967 CABA Championship and Soto would earn five additional CABA rings and five Mexican League rings. In the playoffs with Mexico City, he had a 2.22 ERA over 13 starts and 89 innings with 87 strikeouts and 1.8 WAR.

He won two Silver Sluggers as well (1968, 71) as it was an option for a pitcher with the Mexican League not having the DH like the Caribbean League. Without the DH spot, Soto wouldn’t get as many at-bats, but he’d still hit from the pitching spot and as a pinch hitter. As a batter with Mexico City, he added 3.9 WAR over 650 plate appearances with 141 hits, 86 runs, 21 home runs, and 70 RBI. On the mound, he had a 68-34 record, 2.85 ERA, 978.2 innings, 1014 strikeouts, and 23.9 WAR.

His first four years with Mexico City were solid, but a fractured coracoid bone in his shoulder cost him most of 1972. Soto was a healthy scratch for most of 1973 and wasn’t used in the playoffs, although he did earn one more ring. Now 38 years old, no CABA team was interested and Soto signed with OBA’s Gold Coast for the 1974 season. He planned on pitching in 1975, but a partially torn UCL effectively ended his career at age 39.

Soto’s final CABA pitching stats: 203-141 record, 3.36 ERA, 3205.2 innings, 3252 strikeouts, 1035 walks, 251/428 quality starts, 113 complete games, a FIP- of 84, and 68.4 WAR. As just a pitcher, his stats were a bit more borderline and toward the lower end of the CABA Hall of Fame leaderboards. However, he also added as a batter 19.8 WAR, 680 hits, 406 runs, 101 doubles, 75 triples, 111 home runs, 359 RBI, and a .259/.319/.482 slash. Soto was also a rare player whose playoff stats were better than his regular season ones with a 2.74 ERA and 13-7 record over 25 starts. He was an integral part of multiple CABA championship teams between Salvador and Mexico City, which put him over the top for the first ballot induction at 93.7%.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1979 EAB Hall of Fame

East Asia Baseball’s 1979 Hall of Fame class was an impressive one with three first ballot selections above 90%. 2B Min-Hyeok Shin had the highest percentage at 98.4%, followed by SP Chun-Ho Kim at 95.9% and RF Yoriyuki Kono at 93.3%. No other players were above 50%.



One was dropped after ten ballots with SP Tokinari Nakano. In 13 years with Incheon, he had a 160-99 record, 2.88 ERA, 2399 innings 2866 strikeouts, 61.5 WAR, and the 1956 Pitcher of the Year. Major injuries started to pop up in his early 30s and he was retired at age 35, preventing him from the accumulations that could’ve gotten him in. Still, Nakano got as high as 59.5% on his fourth ballot before finishing at a paltry 14.3%.



Min-Hyeok “Fox” Shin – Second Base – Seoul Seahawks – 98.4% First Ballot

Min-Hyeok Shin was a 5’9’’, 200 pound right-handed second baseman from Incheon, South Korea. Affectionately nicknamed “Fox,” the stocky Shin was an incredibly well-rounded batter. He hit for a very high average and regularly smacked 40+ home runs per year. Shin drew walks at an excellent rate, although he did still strikeout a bit more than average. He also averaged around 25-30 doubles per year, although he didn’t leg out many additional extra base hits due to his slow running speed. Despite his slowness, he considered a firmly average defensive second baseman. He also made some starts with poor defense at shortstop and occasional stints as a designated hitter.

Shin went to Japan to play collegiately for Rikkio University. He excelled on the college diamond, earning him a fourth overall selection in the 1957 East Asia Baseball Draft by Seoul. He would spend his entire EAB career with the Seahawks and be a full-time starter immediately, only missing starts if injured. Shin was a DH in his rookie season and won Rookie of the Month five times, posting 48 home runs and 5.9 WAR in his debut. Unsurprisingly, this earned him Rookie of the Year and his first of 12 Silver Sluggers. He won the Silver Slugger again in 1959 and 1960 as a DH, then won at second base in 1961, 63, 64, 66, 68, 69, 70, 71, and 72.

Shin first emerged as a MVP candidate in 1961 when he hit .390, setting a single-season EAB record that stood until 1992. Despite this, an 1.185 OPS, and 9.9 WAR, he took third in the MVP voting. He’d win the batting title again in 1966 and would lead the Korea League in OBP six times, slugging four times, OPS six times, wRC+ six times, and WAR four times. Shin won his first MVP in 1963 with a league-best 202 hits, 10.0 WAR, and 1.110 OPS. He won again in 1964 with a league and career-best 56 home runs and 11.5 WAR.

1965 was shaping up to be another great season, but at the start of July, a partially torn labrum would end Shin’s season prematurely. He bounced right back in 1966 at age 30 with 51 home runs, 134 RBI, a .347/.411/.682 slash and 10.7 WAR. This would be Shin’s third and final MVP win. He’d take third in 1967 and 1970, posting 11 seasons worth 7+ WAR in his career. He had 12 seasons with a .300+ average and 11 seasons with 40+ home runs.

Shin became an extremely popular player nationally, playing with South Korea’s World Baseball Championship team from 1959-66. In 101 games, he had 104 hits, 69 runs, 31 home runs, 59 RBI, and 6.3 WAR. He was beloved in the capital as well, but Shin never got to play a single postseason game with Seoul. The Seahawks had 11 winning seasons in his tenure, but were stuck in the same division as Pyongyang’s dynasty that saw the Pythons win seven Korea League titles.

Shin’s production continued to be great into his 30s, although injuries started to cost him a few weeks each year. 1973 was his last year with Seoul with his lowest outputs of his career; albeit still posting a 4.7 WAR season. At age 38, Shin became a free agent for the first time in his career and took the bag with MLB’s Oklahoma City on a three-year, $1,236,000 deal. This more than doubled his best single-season salary with Seoul. The Outlaws hoped he’d excel in America, but Shin struggled hard with a -3.4 WAR season and .178 average. He decided to retire after that season at age 38. Upon returning home, his #11 uniform was immediately retired by Seoul.

Shin’s final statistics with Seoul: 2699 hits, 1445 runs, 414 doubles, 657 home runs, 1732 RBI, a .329/.392/.631 slash, 176 wRC+, and 124.8 WAR. At retirement, he was 9^th all-time in EAB home runs, eighth in RBI, and fourth in hitting WAR. Among other Hall of Famers at induction, Shin had the best slugging percentage and OPS, as well as the second best batting average and the third best OBP. He was one of the most effective hitters of his era and an obvious first ballot selection, getting 98.4% of the vote.



Chun-Ho Kim – Pitcher – Nagoya Nightowls – 95.9% First Ballot

Chun-Ho Kim was a 5’10’’, 165 pound left-handed pitcher from Seoul, South Korea. He was known for having excellent control and solid movement, which allowed him to excel despite merely above average stuff. Kim’s velocity peaked at 94-96 mph and he had five pitches; fastball, slider, curveball, forkball, and changeup. The curveball was considered his most dangerous pitch. Kim didn’t go deep into games relative to other Hall of Fame level pitchers, but he tended to be very durable still. He was also considered a good defensive pitcher who was strong at holding runners.

Kim was a player signed as an amateur teenage free agent, discovered by Japanese scouts at age 16 and brought over to Nagoya. After five years in their academies, Kim debuted at age 21 as a reliever in 1959. He was split between starting and the bullpen and starting in year two, then was largely a starter for the rest of his career. Kim would still see more relief appearances and fewer starts than most other Hall of Fame starters, but he still provided a pretty regular slate of innings.

He first got noticed on a bigger state in 1962, his fourth season. Kim led Japan in WAR (8.8), and wins (21-10), taking second in Pitcher of the Year voting. He’d then lead in ERA in both 1963 (2.03), and 1964 (2.15) and would win Pitcher of the Year in both seasons. Nagoya snapped a 14-year playoff drought with division titles in both seasons and they’d win the East Asian Championship in 1964. Kim had a 2.45 ERA over 22 playoff innings with 24 strikeouts. He also played for South Korea in the World Baseball Championship with 103 innings from 1963-71, posting a 2.18 ERA with 116 strikeouts.

The 1964 title season would be the last playoff season for Nagoya during Kim’s tenure. His production dropped off a bit in the next few seasons and he wouldn’t be an award candidate, although he was still solid. He had a resurgence in 1969 at age 31, leading in ERA for the third time and WAR for the fourth time. This earned Kim his third Pitcher of the Year award. He had similar production the next year and finished second for the award.

Kim had another solid year in 1971, then a good but not great 1972. This would be his last season with the Nightowls, who would shortly thereafter retire his #23 uniform. At age 35, he returned to both his home country and home town, signing a four-year, $1,080,000 deal with Seoul for 1973. He earned his 200^th career win and 3000^th strikeout in his one season with the Seahawks, but otherwise was only around above average with his strikeout numbers falling. Kim decided to call it a career after the 1973 season at age 35.

Kim’s final stats: 204-144 record, 2.81 ERA, 3193 innings, 3005 strikeouts to 534 walks, 275/424 quality starts, FIP- of 72, and 84.4 WAR. Some of his accumulations are towards the lower end of the Hall of Fame leaderboards, but his efficiency and tallies certainly don’t look out of place. Plus, not many guys can say they won the Pitcher of the Year three times. Thus, Kim got the first ballot nod at 95.9%.



Yoriyuki Kono – Outfield/First Base – Osaka Orange Sox – 93.3% First Ballot

Yoriyuki Kono was a 6’0’’, 205 pound left-handed slugger from Nakagawa, Japan, a city of around 50,000 people in the southwestern Fukuoka Prefecture. Kono was a very good contact and power hitter who had a career .304 average and 11 straight seasons with 35+ home runs. He was respectable at drawing walks, although he was slightly below average at avoiding strikeouts. He averaged around 20-25 doubles per season and had above average speed and very strong baserunning instincts. Kono made about half of his career starts in right field with the rest split between left field and first base. At any spot, he was an absolutely abysmal defender who probably wishes the Japan League had the DH. Still, Kono was a hard worker, very durable, and a strong batter, which made him a popular figure of the 1950s and 1960s.

Kono attended Saga Shogyo High School and was a top prospect even without a college career. He was picked sixth overall in the 1951 East Asia Baseball Draft by Osaka. Kono debuted with 16 plate appearances in 1952 at age 19. He was a sporadic pinch hitter from 1954-56, then finally earned his way into the Orange Sox starting lineup in 1957 at age 24. He’d be a full-time starter for the rest of his Osaka run and until the waning years of his career.

In his first full season of 1957, Kono won a Silver Slugger in right field. The following season was his best with a batting title and a league best slash of .347/.398/.660, along with a 236 wRC+ and 9.2 WAR. He’d finish third in MVP voting, his only time as a finalist. Kono would win his second Silver Slugger and win six more (1959, 60, 61, 63, 64, 65). He’d put up reliable production with 40+ homers, 100+ RBI, and a .300+ average pretty much year in and out. However, Kono wasn’t a league leader outside of the 1958 season and in 1966 with the lead in walks.

He’d become popular in part for playing from 1957-69 for Japan in the World Baseball Championship. In 75 starts and 91 games, he had 69 hits, 41 runs, 23 home runs, 57 RBI, and 2.6 WAR. Kono was very popular with Osaka, who didn’t have much reason to cheer in that era as they usually were sub .500. The Orange Sox would have a surprising 1958 run that won a Japan League title, falling to Hamhung in the EAB final. This was ultimately Kono’s only playoff experience in a 20 year career, although he delivered with 12 hits, 4 runs, and 2 homers in 10 games.

In total with Osaka, Kono had 1642 hits, 896 runs, 209 doubles, 418 home runs, 969 RBI, a .313/.363/.605 slash, wRC+ of 190, and 62.3 WAR. After the 1965 season, the 33-year old Kono left for free agency. He’d still remain popular in Osaka and would see his #6 uniform retired at the end of his career. For the 1966 season though, he signed a five-year, $924,000 deal with Kitakyushu.

Kono had three solid seasons with the Kodiaks, although he wasn’t award winning. His production started to drop in the fourth year and he was traded at the deadline to Seoul. With the Kodiaks, he had 578 hits, 321 runs, 126 home runs, 354 RBI, a 17.0 WAR. Kono finished 1969 and played 1970 with the Seahawks, posting 4.7 WAR in that stretch. At age 38, he signed with Kyoto for the 1971 and 1972 seasons. He’d be relegated to a bench role by the end of his Kamikaze run, but while there he collected his 2500^th hit, 600^th home run, and 1500^th RBI. Kono spent one final season with poor success with Hiroshima in 1973, retiring after the season at age 40.

Kono’s final stats: 2759 hits, 1470 runs, 387 doubles, 1616 RBI, a .304/.357/.571 slash, 173 wRC+, and 91.1 WAR. He almost quietly put up some very solid hitting numbers that very much look worthy of induction and he might have been a 100+ WAR guy had his fielding not been so atrocious. Kono’s strong bat allowed him to round out the 1979 Hall of Fame class with a first ballot, 93.3% induction.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1979 BSA Hall of Fame

The 1979 Beisbol Sudamerica Hall of Fame class added two first ballot selections with SP Fidel Saldana at 93.7% and SP Demetrio Antunes at 85.8%. Only two others were above 50% with SP Jon Mancilla at 58.6% on his tenth and final try and closer Jaguare Maia at 50.5% in his fifth attempt.



For Mancilla, he consistently hovered around the 45-55% range and actually peaked in his final ballot at 58.6%. He had 10 very good seasons with Caracas, posting a 144-84 record, 2.61 ERA, 2690 strikeouts over 2305.1 innings, 54.7 WAR, and a Pitcher of the Year in 1961. However, the Paraguayan spent his final six seasons jumping between CABA and MLB rosters and was unremarkable with back issues. With maybe two or three more good BSA seasons, he might have gotten the accumulations to get across the line.

He was not the only guy dropped after ten ballots. RF Sabastiao Naraijo had a 22-year career and in BSA had 2783 hits, 1433 runs, 435 doubles, 533 home runs, 1567 RBI, 95.5 WAR, three Gold Gloves, two Silver Sluggers, and notable playoff success during Belo Horizonte’s title runs. Somehow with this resume, he peaked at 42.9% on his debut and dropped to 10.3% by the end; a curious oversight.

Ricardo Blanco was a pitcher who dropped to 10.3% on his final ballot in 1979 after peaking at 38.4%. He had a 184-163 record, 2.66 ERA, 3612 strikeouts in 3329.2 innings, and 68.7 WAR. More firmly in the Hall of Very Good territory. Also dropped after falling below 5% on his ninth was Edwin Mendoza, who was doomed by the general anti-catcher bias of the voters. He had seven Silver Sluggers in 19 years between Guayaquil and Sao Paulo, posting 1931 hits, 835 runs, 252 home runs, 893 RBI, and 67.8 WAR. At retirement, he had more WAR than any Beisbol Sudamerica catcher, but it wouldn’t be until the 2030s that BSA’s voters would actually induct a catcher (and that guy needed to win 17 Silver Sluggers)



Fidel Saldana – Starting Pitcher – Lima Lobos – 93.7% First Ballot

Fidel Saldana was a 5’9’’, 200 pound left-handed starting pitcher from Lima, Peru. Saldana was known for having good movement on his pitches with above average stuff and okay control. His velocity peaked at 96-98 mph and he mixed together a fastball, curveball, changeup, and splitter. Saldana was best known for having excellent stamina with the ability to regularly go deep into games. He was also very durable and rarely injured, giving you consistent quality year in and out.

The Lima native was noticed by his hometown club in college and was picked 23^rd overall by the Lobos in the 1957 Beisbol Sudamerica Draft. Saldana pitched 200.2 innings as a rookie and finished second in Rookie of the Year voting. He became a legitimate ace in his second year and led the Bolivar League in wins from 1959-61. Saldana was second in Pitcher of the Year voting in 1959, then won the award in 1960. Those three seasons each were worth 8+ WAR. Saldana also became a regular for Peru’s World Baseball Championship team. From 1959-73, he had a 2.93 ERA over 227.1 innings with 248 strikeouts and 4.4 WAR.

After the fast start to his career, Saldana settled into having 5 WAR seasons for the rest of his Lima run. The Lobos generally had winning seasons while Saldana was there, but they were never able to earn a playoff spot. After the 1966 season, Lima would trade the 32-year old Saldana to Medellin, who were coming off a Bolivar League title. He had the best year of his career in his second season with the Mutiny with career bests in wins (24-7), ERA (1.70), and WAR (9.7). This earned him his second Pitcher of the Year award, eight years after winning his first.

Saldana spent three seasons with Medellin, who won the North Division each season he was there. They won the Bolivar League title in 1967 and 1969 and fell to Lima ironically in the 1968 BLCS. In 1969, the Mutiny and Saldana earned the Copa Sudamerica title. In eight playoff starts, Saldana had a 2.18 ERA with 64 strikeouts. In total with Medellin, he had a 56-37 record, 2.15 ERA, 875.1 innings, 879 strikeouts, and 22.9 WAR. Following the title season, the 35-year old Saldana was a free agent and got worldwide offers. He opted to leave for Major League Baseball with a four-year, $984,000 from the Minneapolis Moose.

Saldana had two seasons ultimately with Minneapolis with a weak 1970 and a decent 1971. He did get to play in the World Series in 1971 with the Moose falling to New Orleans. In four playoff starts, he had a 3.77 ERA and 3-1 record. That offseason, he was traded to Los Angeles. Saldana had an okay 1972 with the Angels, then struggled in eight starts in 1973. LA released him in the summer and Saldana returned home to Lima. He finished the season with the Lobos and retired at the end of the season at age 38. Lima would retire his #56 uniform soon after. Between the final year and his original run with the Lobos, Saldana had a 163-118 record, 2.77 ERA, 2560.1 innings, 2447 strikeouts, and 58.5 WAR.

For his entire pro career, Saldana had a 257-205 record, 2.81 ERA, 3805 strikeouts in 4247 innings, FIP- of 84, and 89.7 WAR. Just in Beisbol Sudameirca, he had a 219-155 record, 2.61 ERA, 3435.2 innings, 3326 strikeouts, 302/417 quality starts, 201 complete games, 79 FIP-, and 81.4 WAR. Statistically, he’s more towards the middle of the BSA Hall of Fame leaderboard, but his stats certainly not out of place. Combine that with good playoff stats in his Medellin run and two Pitcher of the Year wins and you get a first ballot inductee at 93.7%.



Demetrio Antunes – Starting Pitcher – Belo Horizonte Hogs – 85.8% First Ballot

Demetrio Antunes was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Mossoro, a city of around 300,000 people in northeastern Brazil. He had great movement and solid stuff, although his control was average at best. Antunes had 95-97 mph peak velocity and three pitches; a fastball, slider, and curveball. He was also considered an ironman who never missed a start to injuries. Antunes was viewed as a solid defensive pitcher who was solid at holding runners as well. He was considered a sparkplug personality with a strong work ethic and great energy in the clubhouse.

Antunes was a top prospect after his amateur career and was picked second overall by Belo Horizonte in the 1959 Beisbol Sudamerica Draft. He was a full-time starter immediately, although he was middling in his first two seasons. Antunes emerged as a top pitcher in his third season, leading the Southern Cone League in quality starts (31) and posting a career best 1.73 ERA. He’d take second in Pitcher of the Year voting. He’d finish third in both 1965 and 1969, but would ultimately never win the top award.

Antunes had nine seasons worth 5+ WAR, but rarely led the league in the sexy stats. He had the most strikeouts in 1967 with 291, was the 1965 WARlord at 8.3 and led in quality starts four times, but that was the extent of his leaderboard appearances. He would find his spot in the history books though on April 16, 1965. Against Cordoba, Antunes threw the 21^st Perfect Game in Beisbol Sudamerica history, striking out 11.

Belo Horizonte made the playoffs only once in his nine year tenure, falling in the LCS in 1968. In total with the Hogs, he had a 132-110 record, 2.51 ERA, 2322.2 innings, 2382 strikeouts, 228/297 quality starts, and 51.6 WAR. He also sporadically pitched for Brazil in the World Baseball Championship with a 5.23 ERA in 43 innings. The Hogs opted to trade him in February 1969 to Sao Paulo. Belo Horizonte would later retire his #27 uniform.

Antunes was 32 years old when he began with Sao Paulo and he spent five seasons with the Padres. They made it to Copa Sudamerica in 1969, falling to Medllin. Antunes had a 3.18 ERA in 28.1 playoff innings in the run. His first three years were his usual solid stats, followed by a career best 9.0 WAR season in 1972 at age 35. However, he fell off significantly the next year in the worst season of his career and retired at age 37 following the 1973 campaign. With Sao Paulo, he had a 68-51 record, 2.36 ERA, 1276 strikeouts in 1128.1 innings, and 26.9 WAR.

For his career, Antunes had a 200-161 record, 2.46 ERA, 3451 innings, 3658 strikeouts to 708 walks, 338/470 quality starts, a FIP- of 80 and 78.5 WAR. He quietly compiled a solid resume despite rarely dominating by posting regular quality starts each and every week. Enough voters took note of this resume and gave Antunes the first ballot nod with 85.8%.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1979 EBF Hall of Fame (Part 1)

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For the first time in its history, the European Baseball Federation in 1979 had a four-player Hall of Fame class. All of them were first ballot guys as well, although with differing percentages. Leading the group was 1B Jacob Bidwell at 90.2%. 1B Benny Baker (83.6%) and RF Blaise Combes (82.4%) were next in line. Taking the fourth spot was SP Gabriel Emiliani at 68.4%, narrowly crossing the 66% threshold. One other was above 50% with SP Karlo Godna at 50.8% for his eighth attempt. No players were dropped after ten ballots.



Jacob Bidwell – First Base – Birmingham Bees – 90.2% First Ballot

Jacob Bidwell was a 5’10’’, 200 pound left-handed first baseman from Ipswich, a city of around 130,000 people in eastern England’s Suffolk county. Bidwell was one of the first great European home run hitters, averaging around 40 dingers per season. He was a respectable contact hitter who was very good at drawing walks and decent at avoiding strikeouts. Bidwell also added around 25 doubles per season, rarely legging out too many with subpar speed. He was a career first baseman and considered below average defensively. Bidwell was a very humble player, which made him popular among the English baseball fans.

His entire career would be at home in England, starting with a college run for the University of Oxford. He’d be drafted 14^th overall in the 1955 European Baseball Federation Draft by Birmingham and would spend his entire pro career with the Bees. Bidwell was a pinch hitter his first two seasons and part of the third season, then was the full-time starter from then onward, only missing time to small injuries.

He first got noticed more widely with his 1960 campaign, arguably his best season. He led the Northern Conference with 58 home runs and 1.053 OPS and posted career bests in average (.321), RBI (142), and WAR (9.5). Bidwell would narrowly miss out on both MVP and a Silver Slugger because of fellow 1979 Hall of Famer Benny Baker. Bidwell took third in 1962’s MVP voting in second in 1963, but never won the top award. With the tough competition at first base, his only Silver Sluggers were in 1962, 63, and 64. In 1963, he led in runs (121), homers (54), and RBI (141) with 9.2 WAR. He had 12 straight 5+ WAR seasons, seven straight 40+ homer seasons and seven straight 100+ RBI seasons.

In Bidwell’s 20s, the Bees would make the playoffs five times. However, each time they would fall in the wild card round. He’d get a chance to excel though in the World Baseball Championship, making 109 starts and playing 123 games for England from 1957-73. In that stretch, he had 105 hits, 66 runs, 44 home runs, 88 RBI, and 5.6 WAR. In 1962, he was third in tournament MVP voting.

Bidwell continued the same steady production into his 30s as well. He was loyal to Birmingham, even though they were middling for the rest of the 1960s. They finally made the playoffs again in 1972, falling in the conference final. Bidwell in total had 25 hits, 8 runs, 3 home runs, and 11 RBI in 100 playoff plate appearances. His numbers dropped a bit in his final seasons, but he was able to reach the 1500 RBI and 600 home run thresholds in 1972. Bidwell retired after the 1973 season at age 40 and saw his #26 uniform immediately retired by the Bees.

Bidwell’s final stats: 2464 hits, 1334 runs, 371 doubles, 620 home runs, 1569 RBI, a .281/.351/.549 slash, 168 wRC+, and 91.9 WAR. He was the second EBF batter to 600 home runs and the third to 1500 RBI. Bidwell was an impressive slugger and certainly worthy of the first ballot Hall of Fame nod at 90.2%.



Benny Baker – First Baseman – London Monarchs – 83.6% First Ballot

Benny Baker was a 6’6’’, 200 pound right-handed first baseman from Middlesbrough, a town of around 150,000 in England’s North Yorkshire county. He is of mixed heritage from both England and Scotland. Baker was a powerful hitter who also had solid contact skills. He’d average around 40 home runs and 30 doubles per season over his career. Baker was above average at drawing walks and around average at avoiding strikeouts. He was a slow baserunner and a career first baseman, although he was generally viewed as an above average defender.

Baker was a highly touted prospect from his high school days and he was ultimately drafted three different times. In 1955, Glasgow picked him fifth overall in the EBF Draft, but he declined to sign and enrolled at the University of Oxford. After three college seasons, he was up for the 1958 EBF Draft and was the #1 overall pick by London. Baker couldn’t come to terms with the Monarchs and returned for one more season in Oxford. In the 1959 Draft, London picked him again, this time with the second overall pick. Baker was finally able to come to terms and would play his entire professional career with the Monarchs.

Baker had arguably the most impressive rookie season in EBF history, posting career highs in runs scored (120), doubles (37), hits (200), home runs (54), RBI (145), total bases (409), OPS (1.045), wRC+ (218), and WAR (10.7). This made Baker the first in EBF history to win Rookie of the Year, Conference MVP, and a Silver Slugger in the same season. He helped turn the Monarchs around from an abysmal 57 wins the prior year to 109-53 in 1960 with a conference finals appearance.

He’d never quite match that season, but he would go onto have 10 straight 6+ WAR seasons and nine seasons with 35+ home runs. Baker took third in MVP voting in 1965, then won it for the second time with his second Silver Slugger in 1966. He’d miss the final two months of 1967 with a fractured finger, but bounced back in 1968 with his third MVP. That year, he was the leader in runs (102), home runs (50), and RBI (121).

Baker played in the World Baseball Championship eight times from 1960-72. He played two games in 1960 for England, then made his remaining appearances for Scotland. In total, he had 34 hits, 19 runs, 11 home runs, and 23 RBI in 48 starts.

London made the playoffs four times in his prime years, but never made it beyond the conference final. At age 35 in 1971, Baker suffered another fractured finger, this time putting him out five months. He was never quite the same, putting up only 23 home runs in a full 1972 season. In 1973, Baker was relegated to a bench role and struggled in only 17 starts. However, London made a run that season and won the European Championship, allowing Baker to get a ring with the Monarchs. He retired on that high and saw his #3 uniform retired that winter.

Baker’s final stats: 2145 hits, 1110 runs, 343 doubles, 473 home runs, 1292 RBI, a .300/.361/.560 slash, wRC+ of 175, and 89.4 WAR. The injuries later in his career kept him from reaching some of the higher totals, but in his prime, he was undoubtedly a dangerous batter. This earned Baker a first ballot Hall of Fame nod with 83.6% of the vote.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1979 EBF Hall of Fame (Part 2)

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Blaise Combes – Right Field – Rome Red Wolves – 82.4% First Ballot

Blaise Combes was a 5’10’’, 195 pound right-handed right fielder from Domarin, a tiny commune of one thousand in southeastern France. Combes was an excellent contact hitter and an expert at avoiding strikeouts, although he very rarely walked. He didn’t have much home run power, but he was a master at finding the gaps and baserunning. Combes actually had more triples in his career than doubles, averaging around 30 of each per season. He was lighting fast and a very intelligent base stealer. Combes was a career right fielder and considered above average defensively.

Combes went to Paris’s Lycee des Francs Bourgeois for high school and got noticed by the hometown Poodles. Paris would pick him out of high school 38^th overall in the 1955 European Baseball Federation Draft. His Poodles tenure was brief, making a few pinch hit appearances in 1957 and 1958. In the summer of 1958, Combes was traded to Rome, where he’d spend the rest of his pro baseball career. He was largely a reserve initially with the Red Wolves, but worked his way into a full-time starter role by 1961, still only 23 years old.

With Rome, Combes led the Southern Conference in hits four times, triples four times, runs scored once, and batting average three straight seasons from 1964-66. The triples meant he still had solid slugging stats even without the home run power, but he was only once a MVP finalist, taking second in 1964. That year and 1962 were his only Silver Slugger winners with many more powerful bats competing at the position. In 1962, he posted an incredible 45 triples, which is not only the EBF single season record, but the record for any professional season as of 2037.

Combes played a big role in Rome being a regular contender with seven straight playoff berths from 1962-68. The Red Wolves won Southern Conference titles in 1962, 63, and 68; and won the European Championship in 63 and 68. In 61 playoff games, Combes had 74 hits, 36 runs, 19 extra base hits, 31 RBI, 28 stolen bases, and a .310/.348/.452 slash. Combes kept chugging along into his 30s, collecting his 2500^th hit in 1973, the fifth to reach the mark. However, that April, he suffered a torn meniscus to end his season. Rome didn’t re-sign him and no one take a chance on him in 1974, forcing Combes’ retirement at age 37. There would be no hard feelings with the Red Wolves, who retired his #15 uniform that year.

Combes final stats: 2518 hits, 1154 runs, 356 doubles, 379 triples, 116 home runs, 936 RBI, 837 stolen bases, a .321/.346/.507 slash, 147 wRC, and 82.4 WAR. At retirement, he was EBF’s all-time leader in triples and fourth in stolen bases. He had one of the more unique hitting profiles in baseball history, one worthy of honoring. That, plus his role in Rome’s title success in the 1960s earned Combes a first ballot selection with 82.4%.



Gabriel “Buddha” Emiliani – Starting Pitcher – Marseille Musketeers – 68.4% First Ballot

Gabriel Emiliani was a 6’5’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Monte Carlo in the microstate of Monaco. He was known for having great stuff with 96-98 mph peak velocity and overpowered hitters with it, making up for average movement and often lousy control. Emiliani’s fastball was legendary, mixed with an excellent changeup, strong splitter, and okay slider. He could be wild though and has more walks than any EBF Hall of Famer. Emiliani was a hard worker with excellent durability, although he wasn’t one to go super deep in games compared to some other all-timers.

He left Monaco to play college baseball at England’s Birmingham City University. Emiliani was picked 14^th overall in the 1960 European Baseball Federation Draft by Naples, although his time with the Nobles was brief. He pitched 120 innings in his rookie year with okay results, but Naples would trade him that summer in a five-player deal to Madrid.

Emiliani became a full-time starter from 1962-67 with the Conquistadors, posting four seasons of 5+ WAR and three with 300+ strikeouts. However, he had four seasons with 100+ walks, twice leading the conference. Notably, he tossed a no-hitter in1 963 against Barcelona with 11 strikeouts and four walks. In total with Madrid, he had an 83-81 record, 3.23 ERA, 1500 innings, 1686 strikeouts, 613 walks, and 28.5 WAR. In his final year in Spain in 1967, Emiliani struggled to a 4.54 ERA.

It seemed like he might be cooked at only age 29. Madrid let him go and he wasn’t signed until April 1968 by Marseille, but he surprised many with a career-best 1.99 ERA and third place finish in Pitcher of the Year voting. Emiliani put up seven solid seasons with the Musketeers and was third again in Pitcher of the Year in 1971 with a conference-best 23 wins.

Marseille made the conference finals thrice in his tenure, although they couldn’t get over the hump. Still, Emiliani had a solid 2.39 ERA in 64 playoff innings. In total with the Musketeers, Emiliani had a 106-61 record, 2.54 ERA, 1535.1 innings, 1724 strikeouts to 479 walks, and 33.7 WAR. His final season was a solid 1973 and despite still having seemingly plenty in the tank, Emiliani decided to retire at only age 35.

Emiliani’s final stats: 196-147 record, 2.90 ERA, 3155.1 innings, 3499 strikeouts to 1139 walks, 294/413 quality starts, FIP- of 86 and 62.8 WAR. His career was a mixed bag with no major awards and totals that are on the low end of the EBF Hall of Fame leaderboard. Some might think of him as a “Hall of Very Good” type and observers were curious how he’d fare on the ballot. Emiliani ultimately was given the first ballot nod, albeit barely at 68.4%.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1979 EPB Hall of Fame

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The 1979 Eurasian Professional Baseball Hall of Fame class saw three players earn induction, each on the first ballot. SP Serkan Petrov (90.3%), SP Petr Amangeldi (83.3%), and CF Amam Charyyew (81.8%) were the gentlemen whose names were added among the greats. Two other first ballot pitchers came very close with Artyom Rudasev at 64.7% and Eryk Wozniak at 62.6%. Two relievers on their second go were also above 50% with Vyacheslav Leskov (54.7%) and Mikhail Marakhovsky (50.5%). There were no players dropped after ten ballots.



Serkan Petrov – Starting Pitcher – Ufa Fiends – 90.3% First Ballot

Serkan Petrov was a 6’2’’, 205 pound left-handed pitcher from Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. He was known for having great control and solid movement, which made up for only having above average stuff. Petrov’s velocity peaked at 94-96 mph and he had a mix of fastball, slider, changeup, and cutter with an extreme groundball tendency. Petrov was very durable and rarely had truly bad stats. He was also excellent at holding runners. Petrov was viewed as very intelligent, but was thought of as a bit of a loner.

Petrov was a relatively unheralded prospect, not picked until the third round of the 1955 EPB Draft. He was taken 82^nd overall by his hometown team Sofia, but his run with the Spikes lasted 86.1 innings. They traded him his rookie year to Ufa with CF Vilhelm Buziuc in exchange for closer Liridon Shapoval. This began his signature run with the Fiends, although he had a rough start with a -1.8 WAR season in 1957. Petrov was spotty the next two years before finally finding his rhythm at age 26 in 1960.

From there, he had ten seasons of 5+ WAR with Ufa. Petrov had two no-hitters, striking out 10 against Krasnoyarsk in 1961 and fanning another 10 against Tashkent in 1966. In 1967, he won his lone Pitcher of the Year with a career and league-best 1.63 ERA and 0.79 WHIP. Strangely enough, he was only used in 20 relief appearances the following season despite being a healthy, an absence that was never publically explained. He bounced back with a second place Pitcher of the Year finish in 1969.

Ufa made the playoffs six times from 1963-69 and got to the league final three times, although they never took the title. You couldn’t blame Petrov, who had a 1.95 ERA in 69.1 playoff innings with 65 strikeouts. He also was a regular for Bulgaria in the World Baseball Championship with 184.1 innings from 1956-73. He posted a 2.29 ERA with 174 strikeouts and 5.7 WAR. In total with Ufa, Petrov had an 198-135 record, 2.70 ERA, 3104.2 innings, 3100 strikeouts, and 78.2 WAR.

Petrov became a free agent in 1971 at age 37 and signed a two-year deal with Tbilisi. He had two respectable seasons for 9.9 WAR and a 3.07 ERA, earning his 3500^th strikeout along the way. In 1973, he signed and played one season with Warsaw. Petrov opted to retire after the season at age 39. When he announced his retirement, Ufa opted to retire his #11 uniform.

Petrov’s final stats: 248-175 record, 2.76 ERA, 3924 innings, 3753 strikeouts to 657 walks, 372/521 quality starts, FIP- of 80, and 91.6 WAR. He rarely was a league leader, but he was incredibly solid for a lengthy career. The totals were an easy sell for the Hall of Fame voters, who gave him the first ballot nod at 90.3%.



Petr Amangeldi – Starting Pitcher – Kazan Crusaders – 83.3% First Ballot

Petr Amangeldi was a 5’11’’, 190 pound left-handed pitcher from Kievka, a village of around 6,000 people in central Kazakhstan. He was a hard thrower with solid control and 98-100 peak velocity. He had an excellent fastball that was mixed with a slider and sinker. Amangeldi’s movement was poor though, leading to an extreme flyball tendency and issues allowing home runs at times. However, his power still made him quite formidable. Amangeldi was also a great defensive pitcher, winning four Gold Gloves from 1967-70. He also had very good stamina and durability for most of his career.

Amangeldi was picked out of high school in the third round of the 1956 Eurasian Professional Baseball Draft. He was picked 88^th overall by Tashkent and pitched 27.1 innings as an 18-year old, although unsurprisingly he struggled. The Tomcats would trade him that offseason to Kazan, who would let Amangeldi develop on their reserve roster for the next three seasons. He’d make a few appearances in 1960 and 1961, becoming a full-time starter beginning in 1962.

His first full season was his first of nine seasons with 300+ strikeouts. He’d never win the top award, although he was third in Pitcher of the Year voting in 1968 and second in 1971. Amangeldi led in strikeouts with 388 in 1965, but he wasn’t a league leading pitcher otherwise. Still, he had six seasons of 6+ WAR, including 9.7 in 1967 and 8.9 in 1964. He also pitched for his native Kazakhstan team in the World Baseball Championship from 1962-73, posting a 4.95 ERA over 103.2 innings.

Kazan was a contender in the 1960s, making the playoffs seven times in the decade. The Crusaders won the Soviet Series in 1961 and 1968 and were league finalists in 1966 and 1967. Although his playoff record was 4-10, Amangeldi had a 2.81 ERA in 15 playoff starts with 118.2 innings, 146 strikeouts, and 1.6 WAR. He became a free agent after the 1971 season and at age 32, went back where his career began with Tashkent. He signed a five-year, $950,000 deal with the Tomcats.

Amangeldi’s return season with Tashkent was solid, taking second in Pitcher of the Year voting. He started to struggle a bit in year two and at the deadline was traded back to Kazan. In total with the Tomcats, he had 7.7 WAR over 472.2 innings with a 2.89 ERA and 553 strikeouts. He finished 1972 with the Crusaders and spent one more season with Kazan, opting to retire after the 1973 campaign at age 35. The Crusaders would retire his #16 uniform and his final stats there saw a 186-123 record, 2.76 ERA, 2906 innings, 3634 strikeouts, and 69.0 WAR.

Amangeldi’s final stats overall: 213-146 record, 2.78 ERA, 3378.2 innings, 4187 strikeouts to 661 walks, 267/391 quality starts, 201 complete games, FIP- of 80, and 76.8 WAR. He was the fifth EPB pitcher to 4000 career strikeouts and one of only four at the time with 200+ complete games. His overall stats are more towards the middle of the EPB Hall of Fame leaderboard and he didn’t win the top award, but he struck out a lot of batters and helped Kazan to two rings. Thus, Amangeldi earned the first ballot induction at 83.3%.



Aman “Mad Dog” Charyyew – Outfielder – Ulaanbaatar Boars – 81.8% First Ballot

Aman Charyyew was a 6’0’’, 185 pound left-handed outfielder from Gubadag, a city in north central Turkmenistan located on the border with Uzbekistan. The town is known for a special round meat pie, called “fitchi.” Nicknamed “Mad Dog,” Charyyew was a great power hitter who also had solid contact skills. He averaged around 35-40 home runs per year, as well as around 35-40 doubles and triples per season. He was around average at drawing walks and below average at avoiding strikeouts. Charyyew was quick, although he got caught stealing about as often as he succeeded. He made about 2/3s of his start in center field with the rest in left. Charryew was considered average in center and above average in left defensively.

Charyyew was the top Turkmen prospect and the home country team Asagbat picked him out of high school 13^th overall in the 1956 EPB Draft. At this point, Charyyew opted to continue his amateur career. In 1960, Ulaanbaatar picked him first overall, but Charyyew again decided against starting a professional career. In 1961, the Boars picked him again, this time second overall. Charyyew finally signed and started his pro career in Mongolia. He was a full-time starter immediately, winning the 1962 Rookie of the Year and his first of eight Silver Sluggers

Charyyew’s second year was incredible as he became EPB’s second Triple Crown hitter, posting career bests with 55 home runs, 122 RBI, .318 average, and 112 runs. This earned him MVP and a Silver Slugger. He’d win additional sluggers in 1964, 66, 67, 68, 69, and 71. Charyyew had nine straight seasons worth 6+ WAR and had four seasons worth 9+ WAR. He led the Asian League in total bases five times, runs thrice, home runs and RBI twice, batting average twice, OPS four times, wRC+ four times, and WAR three times.

Charyyew took third in 1966’s MVP voting, then won the award in 1967 with a 10.0 WAR, 1.016 OPS season. He took his third MVP in 1968 with 54 home runs, 101 runs, 118 RBI, 1.041 OPS, and 10.8 WAR. Ulaanbaatar earned its first-ever playoff berths in 1967 and 1968, although both seasons saw one-and-dones. In total while in Mongolia, Charyyew had 1367 hits, 753 runs, 161 doubles, 143 triples, 325 home runs, 819 RBI, a .305/.358/.622 slash, and 67.7 WAR.

Charyyew became a free agent at age 32 and for the 1970 season signed a six-year, $1,356,000 deal with Moscow. His first two years with the Mules were solid and saw a league finals berth. However, Charyyew struggled immensely in 1962 with a -1.3 WAR season. He did little better the next year and eventually full out of the starting lineup. Charyyew opted to retire after the 1973 season at age 35. With Moscow, he had 495 this, 243 runs, 86 home runs, 260 RBI, and 11.0 WAR. His #1 uniform would get retired by Ulaanbaatar soon after he announced his retirement.

Charyyew’s final stats: 1862 hits, 998 runs, 225 doubles, 174 triples, 411 home runs, 1079 RBI, 507 stolen bases, a .287/.341/.566 slash, 167 wRC+, and 78.7 WAR. His rate stats and WAR were excellent, although his final accumulations were relatively low since he retired fairly young. As of 2037, he’s one of only four hitters in the EPB Hall with fewer than 2000 hits. However, three MVP wins and a Triple Crown were more than enough to sway the voters towards the first ballot induction with 81.8%.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1979 OBA Hall of Fame

The second member of the Oceania Baseball Association wouldn’t come in 1979. Pitcher Te Paoro Rangi was the only one who was somewhat close, taking 54.8% in his second ballot. 1B Dawson Schnee was the second highest with a distant 33.1% for his second ballot.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1979 APB Hall of Fame

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1979 saw Austronesia Professional Baseball induct its first Hall of Famer. On his third attempt, reliever Abdul Rizki narrowly crossed the 66% threshold required for induction with 66.3%. One other was above 50% with SP W.C. Yu at 55.7% for his debut.



Abdul Rizki – Closer – Taichung Toucans – 66.3% Third Ballot

Abdul Rizki was a 6’6’’, 210 pound right-handed reliever from Kadungora, located just southeast of Bandung in Indonesia’s West Java Province. He only had two pitches, but his slider/cutter combo was considered incredible with 95-97 mph peak velocity. Rizki also had good control and respectable movement, along with good durability for a reliever.

When Austronesia Professional Baseball was officially formed in 1965, Rizki was already 29-years old and known as a good pitcher in Indonesia’s semi-pro circuit. He signed his first APB deal with Taichung and spent four seasons in Taiwan as the Toucans closer. He had 46 saves in his debut season and was the Taiwan-Philippine Association’s first Reliever of the Year. Rizki won the award again in 1966 and 1967 and took third in 1968.

He played a big role as Taichung won the Taiwan League title in APB’s first three seasons. The Toucans won the association title in 1965-66 and were the first Austronesian Champion in 1965. In 22.2 playoff innings, he had 29 strikeouts, six saves, and a 1.19 ERA. In total over four seasons, Rizki had a 1.28 ERA, 150 saves and 174 shutdowns, 373 innings, 606 strikeouts, and 22.5 WAR. He became a free agent at age 33 and signed for 1969 with Jakarta.

Rizki pitched three seasons as the Jaguars closer and won his fourth Reliever in the Year in his Jakarta debut. He took second in 1970 and third in 1971, while the Jaguars won the Austronesian Championship in both 1969 and 1970. Rizki was a beast in the playoffs for Jakarta with 21.1 scoreless innings, 11 saves, and 42 strikeouts in the two runs. In total with Jakarta, he had 108 saves, a 0.99 ERA, 263 innings, 512 strikeouts, and 18.4 WAR.

Now 36-years old, Rizki tried his hand at Major League Baseball. He struggled in his time in America and saw limited action. Rizki played 1972 and part of 1973 with Washington, then was traded mid-season to Miami. He had nine appearances in 1974 with Las Vegas and spent 1975 in minor league Lincoln, retiring after the season at age 40.

For his APB career, Rizki in seven seasons had 258 saves and 300 shutdowns, a 1.16 ERA, 636 innings, 1118 strikeouts and 108 walks, a FIP- of 16 and 40.9 WAR. He was remarkably dominant in seven seasons, but it is hard to put someone into the Hall of Fame on such a short stint. Had Rizki not officially began at age 29, he almost certainly would’ve had the longevity you’d expect from an inductee. Many voters still held that against him and others didn’t want the first Hall of Famer to be a reliever with Rizki getting 56.4% and 56.6% in his first two attempts. His incredible playoff run and role in titles for two teams got him the bump for enough voters in his third try, putting Rizki in at 66.3% as the first APB Hall of Famer.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1979 World Baseball Championship

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The 33^rd World Baseball Championship was the first to be hosted officially by the People’s Republic of China, centered around the southeastern city of Xiamen. In Division 1, the United States advanced to the elite eight for the 30^th time in WBC history. The Americans went 7-2, finishing one ahead of Sweden and two better than both Denmark and New Zealand. In Division 2, China prevailed at 8-1, two ahead of Germany and Romania. It is the 10^th division title for the Chinese. In Division 3, Italy took the top spot at 8-1 with Argentina, Japan, and North Korea each at 6-3. It is the sixth division title for the Italians and first since 1976. In Division 4, Nigeria was unbeaten at 9-0, two ahead of last year’s runner-up South Korea. Nigeria becomes the first African nation to advance out of the group stage.

Spain won Division 5 at 8-1, edging out defending world champ Mexico and Taiwan at 7-2. It Is the third division title for the Spaniards, who also did it in 1976 and 1953. Indonesia earned the D6 crown at 8-1, two ahead of closest competitor Australia. It is the third time advancing for Indonesia (1972, 1969). The Philippines won Division 7 at 8-1, one better than Canada and two over Kazakhstan. The Filipinos advanced for the eighth time. And in Division 8, Russia and Brazil tied for first at 7-2, while Poland, Paraguay, and Belgium were each 6-3. The tiebreaker pushed Russia forward for the ninth time.

In Round Robin Group A, Nigeria was first at 4-2. Indonesia and the Philippines tied at 3-3 with the tiebreaker sending the Indonesians forward. The United States was 2-4, missing the final four for the first time since 1970. In Group B, China was undefeated at 6-0 to earn their seventh semifinal berth and sixth of the 1970s. Russia and Spain both were 3-3, while Italy was 0-6. The tiebreaker went to the Russians for their seventh semifinal and second in three years.

The results also marked that for the first time in WBC history, the final four had no teams from the Western Hemisphere. China beat Indonesia 3-1 to send the Chinese to the championship for the fifth time. Nigeria downed Russia in four, making the Nigerians the first-ever African nation in the final. Indonesia officially took third and Russia was fourth. For the Indonesians, third was a tournament best for them.



The 33^rd World Championship would see China defeat Nigeria 4-1. It is the second title for the Chinese, who won it all in 1970. They’re now 2-3 in the final with each appearance in the 1970s. Tournament MVP went to French RF Baptiste Viens, a 23-year old who plays for MLB’s Seattle. Despite France only playing their nine group state games, Viens posted a 1.809 OPS with 37 plate appearances, 13 hits, 13 runs, 7 home runs, and 10 RBI. Taiwan’s Hao-Ming Lu won Best Pitcher. A five-time Reliever of the Year winner currently with MLB’s Portland, the 33-year old righty struck out 2 with one walk, one run, and two hits allowed over 14.2 innings. His one start was a no-hitter with 18 strikeouts and one walk against Portugal.



Other notes: Extended from the prior WBC, the Philippines’ Jimmy Caliw had a 21-game hitting streak. This was the second longest in event history, behind American Adam Lewis’ 24 in that ended in 1953.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1979 in WAB

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West Africa Baseball’s Western League was very top heavy in 1979. It was a foregone conclusion late in the season that defending WL champ Abidjan, Kumasi, and Monrovia were going to be the playoff teams. It came down to the very end on who finished where. The Monkeys ended up first at 102-60, earning back-to-back playoff berths. The Athletes and Diplomats both finished one back at 101-61 with the tiebreaker putting Abidjan second and Monrovia third. The Athletes have made the playoffs in all five of WAB’s seasons so far, while it was the first playoff berth for the Diplomats. Freetown, who won 102 games the prior year, dropped to a distant fourth at 86-76.

Kumasi’s Joseph Ambane won Western League MVP in his Monkeys debut. The 32-year old Cameroonian had won MVP the prior year with Douala, which helped him land a five-year, $1,772,000 deal with Kumasi. The switch hitting shortstop led in runs (109), home runs (46), RBI (110), slugging (.578), OPS (.952), wRC+ (173), and WAR (9.3). Abidjan’s Kouadio Diao won his third straight Pitcher of the Year and his second Triple Crown. The 25-year old Ivorian had a 20-8 record, 1.96 ERA, and 356 strikeouts. He also was the WL leader with 266.2 innings, a 0.83 WHIP, 28 quality starts, 12 complete games, a 49 FIP- and 10.9 WAR. Also of note, Freetown’s Clifford Quattara became the first three-time Reliever of the Year winner in WAB.

Monrovia would knock out defending WL champ Abidjan in two games for the wild card round. However, the Diplomats would fall 3-1 in the Western League Championship Series to Kumasi, sending the Monkeys to their first WAB final.



In the Eastern League, Port Harcourt finished first for back-to-back seasons and had their third straight 105+ win season. The Hillcats led the way at 11-51, although defending WAB champ Lagos was close behind at 107-55. The Lizards join Abidjan as the only teams to make the playoffs in all five WAB seasons so far. After missing for the first time last year, Kano grabbed the third place spot and wild card. The Condors were 85-75, one better than Lome and four ahead of Benin City.

Port Harcourt swept the major awards, led by Mario Duc at MVP. The 35-year old Malagasy LF was the leader with 61 home runs, one short of WAB’s single-season record. He also led the EL in RBI (142), total bases (360), slugging (.664), OPS (1.018), wRC+ (176), and WAR (8.7). Pitcher of the Year was 27-year old righty Marcus Nyathi of Botswana. He led in wins (21-10), ERA (2.53), innings (259.1), quality starts (27), FIP- (66), and WAR (8.1), adding 276 strikeouts. V.J. Balogun won his fifth Silver Slugger and is the only player to win it in each of WAB’s first five years.

Lagos defeated Kano 2-1 in the wild card round and carried that momentum into the Eastern League Championship Series rematch with Port Harcourt. The Lizards again took the series 3-2, giving them their third straight league title.



In the fifth West African Championship, Lagos was dominant with a four game sweep of Kumasi. The Lizards repeat as champion, the second repeat winner along with 1975-76 Kano. Four of the first five titles have gone to Nigerian teams thus far. Veteran American LF Jaxson Keith was the finals MVP, having come to Lagos after 11 years as an MLB journeyman. In 12 playoff games, he had 13 hits, 9 runs, 5 doubles, and 6 RBI.



Other notes: For its first five seasons, WAB had an average ERA around 3.68 and batting average around .235. This put them as a slightly below average offensive environment. The 1980s would look fairly similar with offensive spikes coming from the 90s onward to make West Africa Baseball eventually the highest offense pro league. Freddie Baga of Idaban became the first WAB hitter to have six hits in a game, going 6-6 against Lome on September 15.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1979 in CLB

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The Chinese Northern League had the same two playoff teams again in 1979, although the spots were reversed. Hangzhou finished 99-63 to earn their the top spot for the first time. Xi’An took second at 92-70, beating Zhengzhou by two games and Harbin by five. It is the fourth straight playoff berth for the Attack and their fifth in six seasons.

Northern League MVP went to Xi’An’ SS Junjie Hsiung. The 29-year old was the WARlord (12.3) and leader in hits (195), total bases (308), average (.326), slugging (.515), and wRC+ (194). His season ranked third to date on the Chinese League Baseball leaderboard for batting WAR, aided by his sixth Gold Glove at shortstop. He also won his fourth Silver Slugger. In his debut with Hangzhou, Zhijan Dong won his third Pitcher of the Year. The 29-year old signed a seven-year, $2,740,000 contract in the offseason after exceling with Hong Kong. With the Hens, he had a 1.64 with a league-best 23-7 record, 284.2 innings, 361 strikeouts, 18.1 K/BB, 21 complete games, 43 FIP- and 12.1 WAR.



The Southern League saw a three-team battle for the two playoff spots. Two time defending Chinese champion Kunming and Shenzhen tied for first at 102-60, while last year’s runner-up Hong Kong just missed the cut at 100-62. The tiebreaker gave the Muscle the first place spot for the fourth consecutive season. For the Spartans, it was their first-ever playoff berth.

OF Hao Lan became a three time MVP. The 29-year old had been with Dalian previously, but was traded to Hong Kong in January for four prospects, one of which would be eventual Hall of Fame pitcher Baoxian He. In his one year with the Champions, Lan led the Southern League in hits (184), runs (115), home runs (41), total bases (363), triple slash (.315/.390/.622), OPS (1.012), wRC+ (209), and WAR (12.1). He’d sign with Jinan in the offseason.

Pitcher of the Year for the first time went to a reliever with Shenzhen’s Yongjie Xie. The 28-year old also won his third Reliever of the Year. He spent the first eight years of his career with Changsha before getting traded to Qingdao mid 1978. He signed a one-year deal with the Spartans and dominated in his one season with a 0.52 ERA over 83 games and 103 innings with 48 saves, 59 shutdowns, 202 strikeouts, and 7.9 WAR. This set a record for best ERA by a CLB Reliever of the Year winner, a mark that would only get topped once by Xie himself.

The playoff semifinals would both be won by the first place team over the second place team in six games. Hangzhou defeated Shenzhen to give the Hens their first finals berth, while Kunming bested Xi’An to earn a third straight appearance. The Muscle would be denied the overall three-peat through as Hangzhou won the China Series 4-2. 25-year old LF Yuhong Jin was finals MVP as in 12 playoff games he had 13 hits, 9 runs, 4 home runs, and 7 RBI.





Other notes: Encai Xing became the first CLB reliever to 400 career saves. Four reached 300 home runs, bringing the club to six members. RF Xinze Yan earned his ninth Silver Slugger, leading all players through CLB’s first decade. Two-way player Nick Wei won his seventh Silver Slugger.

For its first decade of play: Chinese League Baseball boasted incredibly low offensive numbers with league batting averages around the .220 range and ERAs in the 2.80. They were next to their neighbors in Austronesia Professional Baseball for the lowest scoring professional baseball league. The “dead ball” style would persist with Chinese baseball consistently being the lowest scoring or second lowest scoring of the pro leagues.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1979 in APB



The top two records in the Taiwan-Philippine Association came in a battle for the Taiwan League between Tainan and Taoyuan. The Titans took the top spot at 99-63, while the defending Austronesian champ Tsunami were three back at 96-66. For Tainan, it is their third league title (1969, 1972). In the Philippine League, Zamboanga claimed the top spot at 84-78, finishing two better than Quezon and six over Cebu. It is the third title for the Zebras (1971, 1974). Last year’s winner Davao dropped to last at 71-91.

TPA MVP went to Taoyuan’s Ming-Yi Wang. The 27-year old DH led the association in hits (190), RBI (102), total bases (337), triple slash (.322/.384/.571), OPS (.956), and wRC+ (188), while adding 8.1 WAR and 37 home runs. Zamboanga’s Vhon Lasam won Pitcher of the Year in his third season. He was the ERA leader (1.50) and wins leader at 18-9, adding 331 strikeouts in 264 innings with a FIP- of 52 and 9.9 WAR.



In the Sundaland Association’s Java League, Surabaya took first for the second time in three years. The Sunbirds were 96-66, seven games ahead of Semarang and eight better than last year’s winner Depok. In a tight Malacca League, Batam prevailed at 85-77 for their sixth division win and first since 1975. Singapore was second at 83-79 and defending association champ Palembang was third at 81-81. For the Sharks, they and Quezon remain the only teams in Austronesia Professional Baseball without one playoff berth in the first 15 seasons.

Palembang LF Abracham Gumelar became APB’s first five-time MVP winner. The 32-year old Indonesian lefty was the leader in runs (89), home runs (46), RBI (103), total bases (320), slugging (.573), and WAR (8.6). It was the sixth time he led the Sundaland Association in home runs. Batam’s Lifki Santoso was the Pitcher of the Year. The 27-year old led in quality starts with 30, adding a 2.19 ERA, 15-14 record, and 342 strikeouts in 283.2 innings with 6.3 WAR. Also of note, Freddy Annisa became a three-time Reliever of the Year winner. The 28-year old Blue Raider had a 0.42 ERA with 37 saves and 52 shutdowns in 85.2 innings with 168 strikeouts and 6.0 WAR.

In the Taiwan-Philippine Association Championship, Tainan defeated Zamboanga in six games. The Titans are now 3-0 all-time in the association final, while the Zebras are 0-3. In the Sundaland Association Championship, Surabaya bested Batam 4-2. It is the second title in three years and third overall for the Sunbirds.



In the 15^th Austronesia Championship, Surabaya rolled to the title in five games over Tainan. For the Sunbirds, it is their second overall ring, joining their 1971 season. CF Ridha Arifin was finals MVP with the 24-year old posting 12 hits, 4 runs, 3 doubles, and 7 stolen bases in 12 playoff games.



Other notes: Po-Yu Shao became the first APB hitter to 500 career home runs. Sahid Fakhruddin and Wisnu Dharmayuman became the second and third pitchers to 3000 career strikeouts. Singapore’s Mohamad Yulianti set a single-season record for being caught stealing, getting nabbed 90 times. He did at least have 55 steals with it. 1B Kent Wang won his tenth straight Gold Glove. SS Antonio Yanto won his ninth Gold Glove. Abracham Gumelar and Kim Shin Pan became nine time Silver Slugger winners.

For the 1970s, the Taiwan-Philippine Association had a league average ERA of 2.80 and batting average of .222. The Sundaland Association had a .214 average and 2.54 ERA. These totals put Austronesia Professional Baseball firmly as the lowest scoring league of the 1970s with only Chinese League Baseball being close. APB would continue to maintain roughly similar numbers into the new millennium with their “dead ball” style relative to the rest of the world.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1979 in OBA

The Oceania Baseball Association decided to make rule changes to increase scoring and offense prior to their 1979 season. While OBA wasn’t as dramatically low scoring as APB or CLB, they still boasted a league ERA around 2.90 for the decade and batting averages around .223. The bumps wouldn’t be dramatic and OBA would end up having merely below average to low offense into the 1980s as opposed to low to very low.



The Australasia League was very competitive in 1979. Defending Oceania Champion Perth prevailed again, although they dropped from their record-setting 111 win season down to 88-74. That mark was still enough for the Penguins to beat Auckland by one game, Christchurch and Gold Coast by three, and Sydney by six.

Winning back-to-back AL MVPs was Sydney’s Ryan Whatley. The 27-year old Australian RF was the leader in average (.320), OBP (.379), WAR (8.8), and stolen bases (101), adding 22 home runs, 111 RBI, and 99 runs. He was the fifth player in OBA history to steal 100+ bases in a season. Auckland’s Nigel Chalmers was the Pitcher of the Year. The 29-year old Englishman led in wins (21-8), adding a 2.28 ERA over 308.1 innings, 353 strikeouts, and 9.3 WAR.



The Pacific League saw a record setting season by Guam, who won their fourth PL title (1960, 1967, 1969). The Golden Eagles were 112-50, beating Perth’s record from the prior year by one game for the most wins in a season. Last year’s Pacific League champ Port Moresby dropped to a fifth place 76-86. Second place was Guadalcanal at 85-77, 27 games back on Guam.

Leading the Golden Eagle effort was MVP LF Ping Janer. The 27-year old from the Marshall Islands was the leader in runs (99), stolen bases (70), average (.305), OBP (.363), OPS (.953), wRC+ (206), and WAR (9.9), adding 35 home runs and 86 RBI. New Caledonia’s William Joma was the Pitcher of the Year in his fifth and final year with the Colonels. The 27-year old Filipino led the league in ERA (2.09), innings (327), quality starts (34), and complete games (15), adding 7.8 WAR, 271 strikeouts, and a 22-14 record.

The 20^th Oceania Championship ended up being one of the most dramatic. Defending champ Perth started ahead 3-0 on Guam, but the Golden Eagles rallied to take the series in seven games. It is Guam’s first title; they were 0-3 previously; and they take the mark for winningest season in OBA history with a championship. This group held that distinction until 1999. Finals MVP was RF Abraham Tristan, who had eight hits, five runs, four home runs, and 10 RBI in the series. The win also finally gave a ring to eight-time MVP Sione Hala.





Other notes: Brad Nelson became the second OBA pitcher to 200 career wins and the second to 4000 strikeouts. Nathaniel Doloran became the first to 4000 Ks two months earlier. Jimmy Caliw became the third to 400 home runs. Alapati Tatupu became the second to 2500 hits and the fifth to 1000 RBI. Ieremia Tenakanai became the fifth to 1000 runs scored. Caliw won his 12^th Silver Slugger in his final OBA season, as the 34-year old SS would depart for MLB’s Houston in the offseason. Sione Hala won his 12^th at DH.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1979 in EPB

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In the Eurasian Professional Baseball European League, St. Petersburg had the top overall record at 102-60. This gave the Polar Bears their third straight North Division title and sixth straight playoff berth, the longest active streak in the EL. Defending league champ Kyiv took the South Division at 94-68 for the fourth time in five years. Prague finished two back at 92-70. The first wild card went to Moscow at 93-69, while the Pilots and Minsk tied for the second spot. The one-game tiebreaker went to the Miners, giving them their 23^rd playoff berth in EPB’s first 25 seasons. The Mules snapped a three-year playoff drought.

EL MVP went to 23-year old Misnk LF Vasili Shi tov. In his breakout year, the right-handed Russian was the leader in WAR (9.1), triples (25), OBP (.375), and OPS (.913). The Miners also had the Pitcher of the Year in veteran Nikita Zubrilin. The 33-year old Belarusian had a 1.86 ERA and 19-8 record over 275.2 innings with 293 strikeouts and 8.4 WAR. Also of note, Budapest’s Svetoslav Angelov became EPB’s first five-time Reliever of the Year winner. He had a 0.40 ERA over 89.2 innings with 162 strikeouts and 7.3 WAR for 30 saves and 40 shutdowns.

In the first round of the playoffs in the European League, Minsk upset St. Petersburg in four games and Kyiv topped Moscow in four. This put familiar foes in the ELCS with the Miners making their 14^th appearance and the Kings their ninth. It was the fifth time they faced each other in the ELCS, although the first since 1965. The 1979 edition went to Kyiv in six games, giving the Kings back-to-back European League titles and their sixth in franchise history.



For only the second time in franchise history, Asagbat earned a playoff spot (1960). The Alphas had the best record in the Asian League South Division at 102-60. Baku at 97-65 got the first wild card and also earned their second-ever playoff berth, having only made it previously in 1956. Dushanbe at 91-71 took the second wild card spot. Almaty dropped to 79-83 and saw their eight-year playoff streak ended. In the North Division, Irkutsk was first at 91-71 for their fourth playoff berth in five years, back after finishing below .500 the prior year. Ulaanbaatar at 90-72 finished both one game short of the division and one game short of the second wild card. Defending Soviet Series champ Chelyabinsk fell to sixth in the division at 76-86.

Asgabat 1B Bartlomiej Tarka won his second MVP in three years. The 26-year old Pole was the leader in hits (216), stolen bases (96), average (.354), OBP (.380), and WAR (9.8). It was the fourth straight season he had the most hits. Ufa’s Maksim Ekstrem was the Pitcher of the Year. The 29-year old right led in ERA (1.66), quality starts (27), complete games (29), FIP- (59), and WAR (10.0), adding 288 innings, 319 strikeouts, and a 19-12 record.

Asgabat cruised to a first round sweep of Dushanbe and Irkutsk bested Baku in four. In the Asian League Championship Series, the Alphas defeated the Ice Cats in a seven-game classic, giving Asgabat its first-ever AL title.



The 25^th Soviet Series saw Asgabat beat Kyiv 4-2, which would be the only time the title would end up in Turkmenistan during the Alphas’ EPB tenure. Kyiv has now dropped back-to-back finals after winning their first four appearances. Catcher Stefan Sanginov was finals MVP with 13 hits, 4 runs, 1 home run, and 3 RBI in 16 playoff starts.



Other notes: The 18^th and 19^th Perfect Games in EPB history came in 1979. On May 21, Minsk’s Nikita Zubrillin did it with eight strikeouts against Kyiv. On August 8, Almaty’s Rolands Karlovskis had six Ks in a perfecto against Tbilisi. Bucharest’s Henryk Konorski had a 28-game hitting streak, two shy of the EPB record of 30. Zaur Kadirov became the third to 600 home runs and the third to 1500 RBI. Novrus Toshev became the fourth batter to 2500 hits. SS Nazar Gogunov and CF Andrei Yevdokimov became nine time Gold Glove winners.

For the 1970s, Eurasian Professional Baseball saw a league batting average around .229 and ERA around 2.97. This was a drop from the around 3.27 ERA and around .244 batting average they had in the 1960s. This put EPB in the low to very low offense range overall, but still had them above OBA, APB, and CLB. EPB’s numbers would continue in the same general range until seeing a bump in the 2010s.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1979 in EBF

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Glasgow had the best record in the European Baseball Federation’s Northern Conference for back-to-back seasons and won their fourth straight British Isles Division. The Highlanders cruised to the division title at 102-60 and set a still-standing EBF record with 1778 strikeouts as a pitching staff. In the Northwest Division, Rotterdam took first at 91-71 for their eighth playoff berth of the decade. In the North Central, Hamburg snapped a six-year playoff drought with a first place 89-73. They finished three ahead of Stockholm, who took the wild card at 86-76 and earned a sixth straight playoff appearance. The Swordsmen finished one ahead of Amsterdam, two ahead of Copenhagen, three better than Luxembourg, and four over Paris in a tough wild card race. Defending European Champion Brussels fell off a cliff down to 70-92, the second worst record in the conference.

NC MVP went to Glasgow outfielder Mason Gough for the third time in four years. The 27-year old from Portsmouth, England led in RBI (112) and OBP (.365), adding 8.1 WAR, 40 home runs, and a .920 OPS. Rotterdam’s Kevin Grandjean won the Pitcher of the Year. The 33-year old veteran was the ERA leader at 1.63, adding a 23-5 record over 270 innings with 314 strikeouts and 9.0 WAR.

Glasgow survived in five games a first round challenge by Stockholm, while Hamburg bested Rotterdam 3-1. The Northern Conference Championship was a rematch of the 1964 edition, which was the Hammers’ only conference title to that point. Hamburg secured their second crown by dropping the Highlanders 4-1. They’re the first German team to advance to the European Championship since Munich in 1971.



Zurich earned a seventh consecutive South Central Division title and had the best record in the Southern Conference at 107-55. This also set a franchise record for the Mountaineers. In the Southwest Division, Barcelona ended a five-year playoff drought with a 98-64 finish. Madrid at 92-70 took second and fairly easily won the wild card to end their own four-year drought. Lisbon’s streak of three straight playoff spots ended with a 78-84 record. Meanwhile, defending conference champ Athens extended their streak to three by taking the Southeast Division at 95-67.

Zagreb SS Richard Rautenstrauch won his second SC MVP despite only playing 137 games. He led the conference in OBP (.389), slugging (.706), OPS (1.095), wRC+ (220), and WAR (12.8), adding 47 home runs and 112 RBI. It was his fourth season of 12+ WAR and the 11^th 12+ WAR season for any batter. Rautenstrauch also won his sixth consecutive Gold Glove at shortstop.

Meanwhile, Pitcher of the Year was a historic battle between Zurich’s Jean-Luc Roch and Barcelona’s Alejandro Canas. Roch took the award for the fifth time ultimately with the 28-year old French lefty leading in wins (23-6), ERA (1.70), WHIP (0.70), K/BB (11.8), and quality starts (30). The WHIP mark set a single-season record that still holds as of 2037. He also had 412 strikeouts in 269.2 innings and 12.1 WAR. Roch didn’t lead in WAR or strikeouts because of Canas, who had 13.3 WAR and 432 strikeouts over 261 innings with a 2.07 ERA and 19-10 record. Canas’ WAR was the fourth most in a season by an EBF pitcher.

Canas and Roch would collide in the Southern Conference Championship after Zurich swept Madrid and Barcelona beat Athens 3-1. The Bengals bested the Mountaineers 4-2 in the final, giving Barcelona its fourth conference title (1950, 1959, 1964). Zurich is now 1-3 in the SCC in the last five seasons.



In the 30^th European Championship, Barcelona beat Hamburg in six games, giving the Bengals their third EBF ring (1959, 1964). They’re the first Spanish champion since their 1964 campaign. 31-year old Portuguese LF Augusto Reis was both finals and SCC MVP for Barcelona. In 16 playoff games, he had 19 hits, 14 runs, 2 doubles, 3 triples, 4 home runs, and 8 RBI.



Other notes: The 15^th EBF Perfect Game came on August 21 as Luxembourg’s Greg Saint-Pierre struck out 10 against Brussels. For the 1970s, the European Baseball Federation’s batting average was around .242 with an ERA around 3.32. The Southern Conference interestingly enough had higher offensive numbers (3.43 ERA vs 3.22) despite no rules differences between the two. The stats were only slightly lower than the 1960s and are considered below average on the grand scale. It’s about middle of the road though compared to the other existing leagues in the 1970s. EBF would adjust their rules to boost offense midway through the 1980s, putting them in average to above average territory for the next few decades.