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

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1979 in BSA

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Valencia’s hold on the Bolivar League crown was finally snapped in 1979 after the Velocity had won five straight league titles. They were still great at 100-62, but Barquisimeto at 102-60 was just better to snatch the North Division title. Bogota at 98-64 had an excellent showing as well, but faded down the stretch. For the Black Cats, it is their first playoff berth since 1958. Meanwhile, La Paz won a fourth straight South Division title with their 102-60 mark.

Winning Bolivar League MVP for back-to-back seasons was La Paz LF Tito Poma. The mustachioed 34-year old Bolivian had a league best 10.4 WAR and 137 RBI, adding 50 home runs and a 1.094 OPS. It was his final season in Beisbol Sudamerica, as he’d leave for MLB’s Boston in the offseason and play seven seasons in the United States. Valencia’s Lazaro Rodriguez won his fifth Pitcher of the Year. Still only 28-years old, the right-handed Paraguayan was the leader in wins (24-8), strikeouts (411), complete games (19), FIP- (64), and WAR (8.7), adding a 2.93 ERA over 276.1 innings. It was his seventh consecutive season as WARlord and sixth straight leading in strikeouts.



Buenos Aires earned a fifth straight South Division title and had the best record in the Southern Cone League at 99-63. Salvador won the Brazil Division and ended a four-year playoff drought. The Storm were 92-70, edging Brasilia by two games, Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro both by four, and defending league champ Fortaleza by five games.

Salvador’s Valor Melo won his fifth MVP with another record setting season. The 30-year old Brazilian first baseman tied his own single-season home run record of 76, which still stands as the Beisbol Sudamerica record. It was his third 70+ home run season and fifth with 60+. He also led the league in runs (134), RBI (147), total bases (473), slugging (.800), OPS (1.214), wRC+ (243), and WAR (13.1). Melo was also second in batting average at .352, although he wasn’t going to catch the impressive .385 by Rio’s Celso Galo. Melo set the single-season total bases record which held until 2022. It was the second best slugging season in BSA history behind his own .807 in 1976 and the third best in OPS.

Pitcher of the Year also saw history made as Buenos Aires’ Pedro Heredia became the first reliever to win the award. He also won a BSA record sixth Reliever of the Year, posting 44 saves and 47 shutdowns, a 0.68 ERA over 92.2 innings, 192 strikeouts, and 7.0 WAR. Oddly enough, it would be his final BSA season as he’d go join the newly formed South Asia Baseball.

The Bolivar League Championship Series was the fourth straight appearance for La Paz and with Valencia finally out of the way, the Pump Jacks prevailed. La Paz won a seven game classic over Barquisimeto, earning their first title since the 1939-46 dynasty run. It was their eighth title overall. Meanwhile, Buenos Aires couldn’t get over the hump and lost their fourth straight Southern Cone Championship. Salvador defeated the Atlantics 4-2 to give the Storm their fourth title (1949, 1962, 1973).



In the 49^th Copa Sudamerica, Salvador downed La Paz 4-2. This makes the Storm 3-1 in finals history with their other wins in 1949 and 1973. 1B Nessos Baresi was a surprising finals MVP, considering he was a backup who made nine starts in the regular season. He only started three and played eight playoff games, but he had six hits, four home runs, four runs, and six RBI.



Other notes: Valor Melo crossed 500 career home runs and 1000 RBI in his historic season. Luca Alvares became the tenth to 1500 RBI and the 22^nd to 2500 hits 2B Vito Gomez won his ninth Gold Glove. 2B Niculao Semide won his 11^th Silver Slugger. Celso Galo won his eighth.

Beisbol Sudamerica’s offensive numbers jumped up from the 1960s to the 1970s. The Bolivar League batting average went from .243 to .252 and the ERA from .322 to 3.48. The Southern Cone ERA went from 2.97 to 3.25 and the batting average went from .236 to .242. Those numbers are still considered a bit below average in the grand scheme, but it put them more towards the middle of the active leagues in the 1970s. Beisbol Sudamerica would see incremental offensive gains in the coming decades.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1979 in EAB



The top record in the Japan League in 1979 went to Sapporo, who saw an impressive turnaround from 71 wins the prior year to 100-62. This won them the North Division for their first playoff berth since 1974. Defending East Asian Champion Sendai actually improved their record, but were a distant second at 91-71. The Capital Division was tough with Kawasaki taking first at 95-67, snapping a seven-year playoff drought. The Killer Whales were three ahead of defending division champ Chiba and five better than Yokohama. In the Central Division, Nagoya narrowly won back-to-back divisions at 87-75, edging Kobe by one game and Kyoto by four. Kitakyushu also secured back-to-back division titles, taking the West at 84-78.

Winning Japan League MVP was Sendai’s Ryota Shintani, his second in three years. The 28-year old center fielder was the WARlord (11.0) and leader in runs (118), total bases (377), OBP (.402), slugging (.694), OPS (1.097), and wRC+ (212), adding 49 home runs and 119 RBI with 65 stolen bases. He took the honor over four guys who hit 50+ home runs, including Saitama’s Chuji Kaizoji (62), and Yokohama’s Makata Araki (61). Pitcher of the Year was Sapporo’s Hisataka Otsuka. The 29-year old lefty joined the Swordfish as a free agent in the offseason after being with Kyoto prior. Otsuka led in wins (23-7), ERA (2.17), and quality starts (29), adding 236 strikeouts in 269 innings with 7.1 WAR.

Both first round playoff series went all five games and saw the team with the worse record advance. Kitakyushu edged Sapporo and Nagoya knocked off Kawasaki. This gave the Kodiaks back-to-back Japan League Championship Series appearances, while it was the first since their 1964 title for the Nightowls. Nagoya would win the JLCS 4-2 to become seven-time Japan League champs (1931, 34, 37, 40, 48, 64, 79).



Seoul earned back-to-back playoff berths and their first Korea League North Division title since winning the league in 1951. The Seahawks finished 104-58 for the best record in the KL. Suwon was second at 97-65 to take the first wild card to end a playoff drought of 43 seasons (1935). That was the longest active drought in Korea and the second longest in all of EAB (Fukuoka’s last berth was 1929). Defending division champ Goyang dropped to 85-77. In the South Division, Daejeon ended their own lengthy drought by finishing first at 96-66. The Ducks most recent division title was back in 1950. Defending Korean champ Daegu finished second at 95-67, edging Busan by two games and Changwon by four in the battle for the second wild card. This kept the Diamondbacks playoff streak alive, extending it to seven seasons.

To snap their massive drought, Suwon had both the league MVP and Pitcher of the Year. MVP went to second year LF Myeong-Won Song, who had an impressive Rookie of the Year campaign the prior season. Song led the Korea League in triple slash (.379/.446/.690), OPS (1.136), wRC+ (208), and WAR (10.1), adding 43 home runs and 111 RBI. Yu-Min Kim was Pitcher of the Year, bouncing back from a torn elbow ligament and partially torn labrum in the prior two seasons. Kim had a 2.71 ERA and 16-6 record in 232.2 inning with 237 strikeouts and 4.6 WAR.

Seoul cruised to a sweep of Daegu in the first round, while Suwon stopped Deajeon in four games. This sent the Seahawks to their first Korea League Championship Series since 1951 and the first for the Snappers since 1935. Seoul secured the title 4-1 for their fourth league title, joining their dynasty run from 1948-51.



The 59^th East Asian Championship was the second finals meeting between Seoul and Nagoya, with the lone Seahawk title coming in their 1948 encounter. Seoul prevailed in the rematch, surviving a seven game classic against the Nightowls. 1978 KL MVP Takuya Yamada was the finals MVP, posting 19 hits, 16 runs, 9 home runs, and 20 RBI over 15 playoff starts. Also worth mentioning is Nagoya’s Sol Kim, who had an incredible playoff run with 36 hits and 24 runs in 18 playoff games. He remains the single postseason record holder as of 2037 for runs, hits, and singles (25).



Other notes: Hyeog-Jun Wi became the eighth EAB batter to reach 700 career home runs and the 13^th to 1500 runs scored. Ha-Rang Pan became the eighth to 3000 career hits. Pan played one more season and retired with 3157 hits, fifth best at his retirement. 1979 was the final season for Yu-Chan Jang, who finished with 3429 hits. He retired third all-time and still sits fifth as of 2037. LF Ki-Chun Park won his ninth consecutive Gold Glove.

For the 1970s, the Japan League had a league batting average around .250 and the Korea League was .259; while the ERA was 3.59 in Japan and 3.77 in Korea. These numbers were almost unchanged from the prior decade and historically were considered very average. Interestingly enough, the next few decades would see a slight increase in offense in Korea and a slight decrease in Japan.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1979 in CABA

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Torreon had the Mexican League’s best record in 1970 at 95-67 atop the North Division, seeing an impressive turnaround from their 70-92 mark the prior year. It is the second playoff berth in four years for the Tomahawks. Monterrey was second at 88-74, good enough for the wild card and their first playoff berth since 1968. Two-time defending CABA champion Juarez missed the postseason with a third place 83-79. Leon won the South Division at 89-73; their fifth playoff appearance in seven years. Queretaro was second at 86-76, finishing three off the division lead and two from the wild card.

Taking MVP for the second time was Merida 3B Kenedy Ortiz. The 29-year old Colombian righty was the leader in runs (107), RBI (115), walks (90), OBP (.419), OPS (1.042), and WAR (11.9), adding 40 home runs and a .318 average. Winning his first of to be many Pitcher of the Year awards was Pubela’s Junior Vergara. He posted CABA’s 11^th pitching Triple Crown with a 22-3 record, 1.42 ERA, and 377 strikeouts in 246.2 innings. He also led the Mexican League with a 0.63 WHIP, 16.4 K/BB, 38 FIP-, and 11.8 WAR. His 0.63 WHIP and .4234 opponent OPS were both single-season CABA record that still stand as of 2037.

Leon swept Monterrey in the wild card round, but put up little opposition to Torreon. The Tomahawks won the Mexican League Championship Series 4-1 to give them their first-ever title in the expansion franchise’s 18 year history. They are the second of the four 1962 expansion teams to win their league, as Trinidad did it first in 1972.



The Caribbean League Island Division had an intense battle with Santiago taking first at 99-63, snapping an eight-year playoff drought. Haiti was two behind at 97-65, which earned them the wild card and their first berth since 1973. Close behind but just short were defending division champ Jamaica at 95-67 and Santo Domingo at 93-69. In the Continental Division, defending CL champ Salvador took first at 93-69. They were five ahead of Costa Rica and seven better than Nicaragua. Last year’s division winner Guatemala dropped to 82-80.

Santo Domino RF Lobo Villanueva had a historic MVP season at age 26, with the left-handed Nicaraguan becoming the new CABA home run king. Villanueva socked 70 dingers, passing the previous mark of 65 owned by Hugo Vegas and Timmy Ramirez. He would hold the record until 1988. Villanueva also joined EAB’s Carl Valdes and BSA’s Valor Melo as the only players in any pro league to this point with a 70+ homer season. He was also one average point away from a Triple Crown with a .338 and 149 RBI. Villanueva also led the Caribbean League in runs (122), total bases (445), OBP (.398), slugging (.759), OPS (1.158), wRC+ (203), and WAR (9.4). His slugging was second-best in a season behind Amazado Matos’ .788 in 1968. Pitcher of the Year was fourth-year Haiti lefty Bonito Benitez, who had a 19-8 record, 2.42 ERA, 279.1 innings, 296 strikeouts, 26 quality starts, 8.0 WAR, and a Gold Glove.

Salvador claimed the wild card round 3-1 against Haiti. However, the Stallions repeat hopes in the Caribbean League Championship Series were immediately squashed with a sweep by Santiago. It is the first league title since the early 1950s dynasty for the Sailfish and the ninth overall for them.



In the 69^th (nice) Central American Baseball Association Championship, Santiago defeated Torreon 4-2. The win gives the Sailfish five CABA rings (1916, 1923, 1951, 1952, 1979) and they are the first Dominican champ since Santo Domingo in 1962. 3B Odisseus Toribio led the effort for Santiago against his original team. He won CLCS MVP with 16 hits, 9 runs, 2 doubles, 3 triples, 2 home runs, and 7 RBI in 10 playoff starts.



Other notes: Wesley Dubar became the fifth CABA batter to 3000 career hits. He’d play two more seasons and retire fourth on the hit list at 3362. 1B Rafioby Barajas won his tenth Gold Glove. For the 1970s, the Mexican League had an ERA of around 3.43 and a .251 batting average, while the Caribbean League saw a .258 average and 3.76 ERA. Both are slightly down from the 1960s. From an overall historical perspective, both were considered to have around average numbers. The offense would drop a bit more in the 1980s before jumping to above average tallies from the 1990s onward.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1979 in MLB

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Chicago won the Midwest League at 102-60 for the National Association’s best record. Although the Cubs had gotten to the NACS last year, this is their first ML title since 1969. Kansas City was second at 96-66, easily grabbing the first wild card. The Cougars have now earned six playoff berths in the last seven seasons. In the Eastern League, Montreal was first at 96-66 to snap a four-year playoff drought.

For the remaining three wild cards, the spots ultimately went to Detroit (92-7), Cincinnati (91-71), and Boston (90-72). Defending World Series champ Louisville (88-74) just fell short, as did Brooklyn (87-75), Toronto (85-77), Philadelphia (85-77), Washington (85-77), and Baltimore (84-78). The Tigers are back in the playoffs after missing the prior two years. The Reds and Red Sox both secured a third berth in four years.

Chicago CF Janus Garcia followed up his 1978 Rookie of the Year with the 1979 National Association MVP. He pulled it off despite only playing 119 games due to injuries, but still managed to lead the NA in slugging (.595), and OPS (.977), adding 8.3 WAR and 26 home runs. The Cubs also had Pitcher of the Year from Gilbert Macias. The 29-year old Salvadoran was in his second year in the Windy City after beginning his career in CABA’s Nicaragua. Macias was the leader in ERA (2.28), wins (23-4), K/BB (6.5), FIP- (67), and WAR (8.1), adding 208 strikeouts in 261 innings.

In the first round of the playoffs, Cincinnati swept Detroit and Kansas City bested Boston 2-1. Chicago downed the Reds 3-1 and Montreal defeated Kansas City 3-1 to send both league champs to the National Association Championship Series. It was the third NACS berth in five years for the Cubs and the third of the decade for the Maples, who won in 1972 and 1973. Montreal won the series 4-2 for their seventh National Association title. The Cubs have gotten to the NACS six times since 1964 after no appearances prior, but they have gone 1-5.



The best record in the American Association went to Houston at 103-59, winning their third Southern League title in four years. Oklahoma City had a historic turnaround from 66 wins to 101-61, the most wins in franchise history. This gave the Outlaws their first playoff berth since 1963 with the first wild card. Defending AA champ Las Vegas won the Western League for a third consecutive season. They’ve made the playoffs four consecutive seasons, which is now the longest active streak after Louisville just missed out.

Dallas was third in the SL at 98-64, giving them the second wild card and their fourth playoff appearance in five years. Portland (97-65) placed second in the WL to earn back-to-back wild cards. Los Angeles at 91-71 edged out Seattle by one game for the final playoff spot. For the Angels, it is their first appearance since the 1974 World Series win.

Winning back-to-back American Association MVPs was San Francisco DH Joziah Perry. The 25-year old lefty was the leader in runs (125), hits (211), home runs (56), total bases (439), slugging (.708), OPS (1.123), wRC+ (190), and WAR (9.2), adding 130 RBI and a .340 average. Las Vegas ace Jonah Mors was Pitcher of the Year, also earning back-to-back honors. He had a 2.80 ERA and 19-10 record over 267 innings with 237 strikeouts and 7.0 WAR.

Both wild card round series’ ended in sweeps with Dallas over Portland and Oklahoma City over Los Angeles. Just like their counterpart, both league champs advanced to the American Association Championship Series. Houston defeated Dallas 3-1 and Las Vegas survived Oklahoma City 3-2. For the third time in four years, the AACS was Vipers versus Hornets. Just like in 1978 and 1976, it was Las Vegas who came out on top. LV took the series 4-1 for the franchise’s third AA title in four years and fourth ring overall.



In the 79^th World Series, Las Vegas defeated Montreal 4-1 to give the Vipers their third MLB title (1959, 1976, 1979). Fourth-year LF Jeffrey Maschmann was finals MVP with 20 hits, 9 runs, 4 doubles, 3 home runs, and 11 RBI in 15 playoff starts.



Other notes: Sawyer Williams crossed both 1500 runs scored and 1500 RBI. He’s the 78^th MLB batter to the former and 77^th to the latter. Pitcher Wayne Mitz won his ninth Gold Glove. For the 1970s, the National Association’s league batting average was around .253 and ERA was 3.64. For the American Association, the average was .263 and ERA was 4.04. In the grand historical context, this put the NA around average offensive numbers and the AA at above average, although the AA had the highest offense of any pro league in the 1970s. Both would see a gradual decline in the next few decades, although the American Association’s ERA would remain at or near the highest until the explosion of offense in the African Leagues from the 2000s onward.
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[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1980 South Asia Baseball Formed

Baseball had become immensely popular throughout eastern Asia especially since World War II. East Asia Baseball, Austronesia Professional Baseball, and Chinese League Baseball each showed how the game could thrive throughout the continent. That popularity and love of the game bled over to the neighboring nations in southeastern Asia and the Indian subcontinent. However, it was an area marked by turmoil and war while baseball grew. Any attempts or plans for organized leagues of any significance were quickly thwarted.

Baseball started to get more traction in India in the 1960s and 1970s. Cricket had already been popular in the area and much of the field infrastructure could be easily adapted for baseball. There were certainly enough people and major cities to create a substantial baseball league and efforts to do so progressed quickly as the modern Indian state developed post World War II. The hope was to create an organization that could join and compete among the Global Baseball Alliance leagues, although some questioned if a league within India alone would suffice.

Some suggested a league made up of the neighboring lands previously colonized by the British, but India’s many conflicts post colonialism with Pakistan made that a non-starter. They did have much better relations with Bangladesh, but despite its large population, Bangladesh had very few cities able to support a major baseball franchise. Myanmar had the same issue with similarly mixed relations at times. They looked to the remaining Southeastern Asian states, but the Vietnam War and associated conflicts meant the region was incredibly unstable.

While things certainly weren’t sunshine and kittens, the area stabilized just enough by the end of the 1970s to open up more potential baseball markets. Southeast Asia certainly had plenty of people who enjoyed the game and wanted a diversion from the conflicts of the prior decades. Enough officials from the major cities of the area were able to come together and ultimately form the organization known as South Asia Baseball (SAB).

In its original form, SAB had two 12-team leagues. The Indian League, as the name suggests, had teams from India. The IL was divided into three divisions of four teams each. The South had Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Visakhapatnam. In the Central were Delhi, Jaipur, Kanpur, and Kolkata. The West Division saw Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Pune, and Surat. The Indian League would opt not to use the designated hitter rule and there would not be interleague play.

Meanwhile, the Southeast Asia League (SEAL) would use the DH. It would instead by divided into two divisions of six teams each. The North Division had Chittagong and Dhaka (Bangladesh), Kathmandu (Nepal), Mandalay and Yangon (Myanmar), and Hanoi (Vietnam). The South Division had Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam), Bangkok (Thailand), Kuala Lumpur and Johor Bahru (Malaysia), Phnom Penh (Cambodia), and Vientiane (Laos).



Both leagues would have four teams advance into the postseason. The Indian League had the three division winners and a wild card, while it was the two division winners and top two wild cards for the Southeast Asia League. The first round was best-of-five, followed by a best-of-seven League Championship Series and a best-of-seven South Asian Championship. The first official season would be 1980.

SAB would initially have six years required of minimum service time for free agency. Unlike their immediate neighbors from CLB and APB, SAB’s early offensive numbers would be more in the below average range as opposed to the very low. By the 2000s, SEAL would be viewed as an above average offensive environment with the IL more near average.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1980 MLB Hall of Fame

The 1980 Hall of Fame voting for Major League Baseball very nearly ended up with no inductees. One player very narrowly made the cut on his debut ballot in SP Ryan Rankin. He received 66.1%, barely crossing the 66% threshold required for induction. SP Jeremiah Rutledge fell just short again with 64.2% on his ninth attempt. Four others were above the 60% mark, but couldn’t cross the line even with the weak field. RF Gavin Gauthier had 62.6% on his fourth attempt, 3B Benton Gibney at 61.3% for his debut, 1B Braylen Nelson at 61.0% on his third ballot, and SP Richard Thieman at 60.7% for his seventh attempt.



One player was dropped from the ballot after ten failed attempts. LF Brendan Emmanuelli had a 20 year career with 15 years between Memphis and San Antonio and the rest in OBA. He was MVP in 1955 with a 234 hit, .387 season and won two Silver Sluggers with caeer MLB totals of 2626 hits, 1207 runs, 332 doubles, 351 home runs, 1282 RBI, a .317/.374/.488 slash, and 69.3 WAR. A strong career, but he lacked the power numbers the voters typically want from a corner outfielder. He peaked at 31.8% on his second ballot before finishing at 18.5%.



Ryan “Lucifer” Rankin – Starting Pitcher – San Diego Seals – 66.1% First Ballot

Ryan Rankin was a 5’7’’, 160 pound left-handed pitcher from Riverside, the largest city in California’s Inland Empire area. Nicknamed “Lucifer,” Rankin had 97-99 mph peak velocity despite his small stature. His cutter was his most effective pitch, mixed with a changeup, splitter, circle change, and curveball. Rankin’s stuff and movement were considered strong, but his control was middling at best. He had excellent stamina and loved going deep into games, although injuries would plague him at points. Rankin’s thick-headedness sometimes got him into trouble in the clubhouse.

Rankin attended Boston College and actually had fairly unremarkable stats with a 14-19 record, 3.65 ERA, and 229 strikeouts in 293.1 college innings. Scouts still felt the potential was there and San Diego picked him 19^th overall in the 1959 Major League Baseball Draft. The Seals had won three World Series titles from 1955-58, but had fallen to the mid-tier at Rankin’s arrival. He became a full time starter right away and took second in 1960 Rookie of the Year voting.

Rankin’s second and third seasons were respectable but not amazing. It was his fourth year that he earned more acclaim as he led the American Association in ERA (2.47), innings (298.2), quality starts (27), and complete games (25). He took second in Pitcher of the Year voting with his lack of big strikeout numbers hurting him with some voters. He’d post nine seasons worth 5+ WAR, although the ‘pitch to contact’ approach wasn’t always the flashiest.

Rankin missed part of 1964 with elbow inflammation, but he’d see San Diego return to the postseason. The Seals would make the playoffs seven times from 1964-71 with World Series appearances in 1966 and 67 and a ring in 1966. Rankin was a big part of the 1966 title run with a 1.35 ERA over five starts with 46.2 innings, 29 strikeouts, and a 4-1 record. In the playoffs, he had an 11-4 record, 2.37 ERA in 17 starts, 129.1 innings, 85 strikeouts, and 3.1 WAR.

He would lead the American Association in innings pitched four times. In 1967, he led in ERA for the second time with a career-best 2.41 while also leading with a 27-6 record, earning his lone Pitcher of the Year award. He’d have a career-best 7.8 WAR in 1969 and finish second in Pitcher of the Year voting. Rankin would struggle to a 4.82 ERA in 1970, but rebound with a respectable 1971. He’d earn his 200^th win this season, his final with San Diego. Rankin’s final stats with the Seals was a 202-130 record, 3.18 ERA, 2230 strikeouts in 3099 innings, and 65.1 WAR.

In the 1971 postseason, Rankin suffered a partially torn labrum. He rehabbed and felt ready to go for his age 33 season in 1972, but San Diego would release him just before opening day after struggles in spring training. Milwaukee would sign him and he made 13 iffy starts before seeing his season end with a torn elbow ligament. Rankin was determined to continue and got signed late in 1973 with Atlanta with five lousy starts. In 1974, Jacksonville gave him a chance and he was a passable back-end starter. The Gators ultimately cut him in August and he was picked up by New York. His Yankees tenure lasted one inning with a torn labrum officially ending his career after the 1974 season at age 35.

Rankin’s final stats: 212-145 record, 3.28 ERA, 3374.1 innings, 2382 strikeouts to 1025 walks, 254/418 quality starts, 212 complete games, FIP- of 88, and 66.1 WAR. His productive career was shorter than most other MLB Hall of Fame pitchers and his lack of big strikeout totals hurt him with some of the advanced stats. Many voters thought Rankin fit more as a “Hall of Very Good” type guy. But he had a Pitcher of the Year to his name and some big time playoff performances during San Diego’s 1960s success. The Seals retired his #5 uniform because of that run and just enough voters were swayed to make him the lone member of the 1980 class. He made it on the slimmest margin at 66.1%, but Rankin can forever say he was a first ballot Hall of Famer.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1980 CABA Hall of Fame

The Central American Baseball Association saw two first ballot selections into its Hall of Fame with 1980’s voting. Although both first ballot, they had very different paths with SP Johan Balli a no-doubter at 97.1% and SP Cajetano Ortega barely crossing the line at 66.4%. Three others were above 50%, but short of the 66% threshold with RF Juan Jose at 57.5% on his sixth try, C Sebastian Gonzalez at 56.6% in his second go, and CF Santiago Perez at 53.1% for his third attempt.



One player was dropped after ten ballots. 2B Jesus Coronado won seven Silver Sluggers in a 21 year career primarily with Honduras. He had 2285 hits, 1348 runs, 317 doubles, 236 triples, 348 home runs, 1197 RBI, a .244/.306/.440 slash and 63.1 WAR. Nice totals, but it took a long time to get there with no dominant seasons. His debut ballot of 19.7% was his peak as Coronado dropped to 3.8% by the end.



Johan Balli – Starting Pitcher – Ecatepec Explosion – 97.1% First Ballot

Johan Balli was a 6’1’’, 205 pound right-handed pitcher from Managua, the capital of Nicaragua. He had electric stuff with 99-101 mph peak velocity. Balli’s fastball was terrific, but his other two pitches (changeup, cutter) were also very dangerous and he was a master at changing speeds. His movement and control were considered above average as well. Balli was very durable and more than capable of going deep into games regularly. This made him a very popular player during his run.

Balli was noticed as a teenager in Nicaragua and was signed at age 16 in 1954 to a developmental deal with Ecatepec. His entire pro career with be with the Explosion, making his debut with a few starts and some relief in 1960 at age 22. Balli became a full-time starting pitcher from his second season onward. He would have ten seasons worth 6+ WAR and lead the Mexican League in WAR thrice, wins twice, strikeouts twice, and quality starts thrice.

Despite his success, Balli never won Pitcher of the Year. He was second in 1964, third in 1965, second in 1966, second in 1968, second in 1969, and third in 1972. He had a career best 348 strikeouts in 1968 and 8.9 WAR. His best ERA was 2.11 in 1965 with nine seasons of a sub-three ERA. Ecatepec made the playoffs thrice in his tenure, although couldn’t make any deep runs with the fledgling Mexico City dynasty in their division. He made four playoff starts with a 2.76 ERA.

Balli was also a regular for his native Nicaragua in the World Baseball Championship. From 1960-74, he pitched 188.2 innings with a 10-11 record, 3.29 ERA, 279 strikeouts, and 4.9 WAR. Balli continued pitching into his mid 30s and started to see his production drop a bit in 1973 and 1974, although he was still a perfectly capable starter. He decided to move on from baseball after the 1974 at age 37.

Balli’s final stats: 208-142 record, 2.86 ERA, 3410.2 innings, 4042 strikeouts to 794 walks, 339/468 quality starts, a FIP- of 69 (nice), and 98.1 WAR. He was the seventh CABA pitcher to 4000 career strikeouts and at retirement had the sixth most career WAR of any CABA pitcher. Balli was an easy pick for the Hall of Fame voters, getting the first ballot induction at 97.1%.



Cajetano Ortega – Starting Pitcher – Merida Mean Green – 66.4% First Ballot

Cajetano Ortega was a 5’7’’, 165 pound right-handed pitcher from El Grullo, a town of around 21,000 people in central-western Mexico. He was renowned for having incredible movement on his pitches, although his stuff and control were very good as well. Ortega had 97-99 mph peak velocity and five pitches with a fastball, curveball, forkball, slider, and changeup. He had an extreme groundball tendency with his movement and was also viewed as a very good defensive pitcher. Injuries hurt him at times and he typically didn’t go as deep into games as many of his elite contemporaries. Ortega was an extremely popular player with fans, but teammates often felt was disloyal and he wasn’t always a clubhouse favorite.

Ortega was picked by Merida sixth overall in the 1963 CABA Draft and spent the first seven and a half pro seasons of his career with the Mean Green. He was hit-or-miss in his earliest years, but emerged as a star with a league-best 1.92 ERA in his fourth season, earning the Pitcher of the Year. He also pitched for Mexico in the World Baseball Championship from 1967-77 with a 15-4 record, 2.19 ERA over 205.2 innings with 241 strikeouts and 6.3 WAR. His highlight was a no-hitter in 1968 with 14 strikeouts and three walks against Bulgaria.

Ortega was strong with Merida, but the Mean Green were a perennial stinker. Free agency was lingering after the 1970 season and Ortega made it fairly clear that he didn’t want to stay with Merida. In total while there, he had an 81-67 record, 2.58 ERA, 1365 innings, 1335 strikeouts, and 37.3 WAR. The team found a buyer at the 1970 trade deadline, shipping him to Havana for prospects. He finished the combined season with a 2.11 ERA and 8.5 WAR and got his first playoff experience with the Hurricanes. Ortega would sign an extension and play another four seasons in Cuba.

Ortega seemed to get better as he aged as he had back-to-back 9+ WAR seasons with the Hurricanes, leading in FIP- and WHIP in both 1971 and 1972 and ERA in 1972. He earned his second Pitcher of the Year in 1972 and the Hurricanes got to the Caribbean League Championship Series, although they were defeated by Trinidad. 1973 had a big setback with a torn meniscus putting him out most of the year, but he bounced back to finish third in Pitcher of the Year voting in 1974. In total with Havana, Ortega had a 61-25 record, 2.32 ERA, 865.1 innings, 920 strikeouts, and 30.5 WAR.

That was ultimately the end of his CABA run, as Ortega entered free agency at age 34 and received Major League Baseball offers for the 1975 season. He signed a five-year, $2,200,000 deal with Seattle and immediately delivered with an American Association best 9.6 WAR. He won Pitcher of the Year, the third of his career, making him one of a select few to win the award in multiple organizations. The Grizzlies got back to the AACS for the second year, but still couldn’t earn their first first-ever title.

He followed it up with a excellent 1976 with a career-best 10.0 WAR, taking third in Pitcher of the Year voting. 1977 would be where the wheels would fall off, starting with back spasms putting him out for seven weeks. He got back on the field in July, but suffered a torn rotator cuff. This officially put him out 13-14 months, but two setbacks in his recovery ultimately ended his career at only age 37. In only two years and change with Seattle, Ortega had a 36-27 record, 2.60 ERA, 608.1 innings, 485 strikeouts, and 22.4 WAR.

For his entire pro career, Ortega had a 178-119 record, 2.51 ERA, 2838.2 innings, 2740 strikeouts to 526 walks, a FIP- of 65, and 90.2 WAR. Just for CABA, he had a 142-92 record, 2.48 ERA, 2230.1 innings, 2255 strikeouts to 411 walks, a FIP- of 67 and 67.8 WAR. His CABA run was short enough that there were voters who felt he didn’t compile enough stats to belong with many of those voters also disregarding his Seattle success. Ortega was also not the most well liked by some within the game, even if extremely popular with fans. The detractors were ultimately not enough to keep him out as he was one of the most dominant pitchers of the era at his best. Ortega was a first ballot pick, although narrowly at 66.4%.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1980 EAB Hall of Fame

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East Asia Baseball had two no-doubt first ballot Hall of Fame inductees for the 1980 class. Both were big slugging first basemen with Chu Park receiving 99.3% and Kakuzo Yokoyama getting 98.6%. Only one other player cracked 50% in 1980 with 2B Su-Yeon Park at 53.6% for his fourth attempt. No players were dropped after ten ballots.



Chu Park – First Baseman/Designated Hitter – Pyongyang Pythons – 99.3% First Ballot

Chu Park was a 6’3’’, 200 pound left-handed first baseman from Namyangju, a city of around 700,000 people located just northeast of Seoul. Park was a prolific home run hitter who also was a great contact hitter with an above average eye. He smacked 40+ home runs and 100+ RBI both in 10 different seasons. Park also got you around 25-35 doubles/triples per year and had solid baserunning skills despite below average speed. He was a career first baseman and was viewed as weak defensively, but not awful. He made about 3/5s of his starts at first with the rest as a DH. Park was also an intelligent and hardworking player, making him very popular and successful.

Park was a player signed as a teenage amateur free agent after being spotted by scouts from Pyongyang. He went north and made his debut at age 21 in 1955, although he wasn’t a starter until 1957. He’d be the full-time guy at 1B from there onward in a 14 year tenure with the Pythons, who emerged as the premiere dynasty in East Asia Baseball in the 1960s. Pyongyang won the Korea League North Division in nine straight seasons from 1961-69, winning the KL title seven times and the EAB championship six times (61, 62, 65, 66, 67, 68).
Park was a huge part of this success, leading Korea in runs scored thrice, hits once, home runs twice, RBI thrice, total bases twice, batting average once, OBP twice, slugging thrice, OPS thrice, and WAR once. Park won eight Silver Sluggers (58, 59, 60, 61, 63, 64, 65, 67). He was third in MVP voting in 1958, then won the award for the first time in 1959 with a 67 home run, 151 RBI, 11.1 WAR season. This set the single-season home run record in EAB, which held for 13 seasons. His was only the sixth season of 150+ RBI to that point.

Park won his second MVP in 1961 with 65 home runs, 135 RBI, 11.0 WAR, a career best .356 average and 135 runs; the sixth most runs a season to that point. Park would only win MVP twice, but he’d finish second again in 1965. He had nine seasons of 6+ WAR and continued to put up impressive stats as Pyongyang’s dynasty commenced. Over 66 playoff games in his career, he had 67 hits, 39 runs, 17 home runs, 43 RBI, and 2.4 WAR. Park won the 1961 KLCS MVP and the 1965 East Asian Championship MVP. While dominating in the North, he also played for the South in the World Baseball Championship from 1958-69. In 159 games, he had 130 hits, 95 runs, 55 home runs, 98 RBI, and 7.0 WAR.

At age 35, Park left Pyongyang and entered free agency for the first time. He’d remain beloved as a legend for the Pythons and would see his #14 uniform retired. His final stats in Pyongyang saw 90.6 WAR, 2206 hits, 1317 runs, 590 home runs, 1508 RBI, and a .318/.378/.644 slash. Park gave Major League Baseball a shot with a three-year contract worth $690,000 from Oklahoma City. ACL injuries would plague his three-year MLB tenure with limited effectiveness when healthy. In total with the Outlaws, he had 2.8 WAR in 302 games with 269 hits, 146 runs, 68 home runs, and 188 RBI.

Park decided to return to Korea at age 38 by signing with Changwon. He wasn’t able to find his old success in his EAB return either as his body continued to break down. He spent 1972 with the Crabs and was traded in late May 1973 to Seongnam, suffering a broken bone in his elbow that ended his season only two weeks into his Spiders tenure. They cut him and he went back to Changwon for 1974, retiring after the season at age 41.

For his EAB career, Park had 2407 hits, 1432 runs, 374 doubles, 643 home runs, 1634 RBI, a .308/.370/.622 slash, 168 wRC+, and 93.3 WAR. Including the MLB run, he had 711 home runs and 1822 RBI. He was 11^th in home runs and 10^th in EAB RBI among Hall of Famers at retirement. Park was a critical part of Pyongyang’s dynasty in the 1960s, which stands the test of time as one of the all-time impressive runs of any professional baseball team. He was an easy first ballot selection at 99.3%.



Kakuzo “Rush Hour” Yokoyama – First/Third Base – Kawasaki Killer Whales – 98.6% First Ballot

Kakuzo Yokoyama was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed corner infielder from Yamaga. a small city of around 50,000 in southwest Japan’s Kumamoto Prefecture. Yokoyama was an elite home run hitter who smacked 60+ home runs three times and 40+ in 12 different seasons. He was a solid contact hitter who could effectively draw walks, although he did have a high strikeout rate. Yokoyama was good for around 25 doubles per year and lacked speed to leg out too many extra bases. His defensive career was about 2/3s at first base and the rest at third where he was considered a weak defender at the former and an atrocious one at the latter. Yokoyama was a solid leader and very durable, making him one of the most popular Japanese players of the era.

His power was recognizable even while attending Chiharadai High School in Kumamoto. In the 1954 East Asia Baseball Draft, Yokoyama was picked second overall by Kawasaki, where he’d spend nearly his entire pro career. He had a few pinch hit appearances as a teenager, but mostly spent his initial years as a Killer Whale in their developmental academy. Yokoyama became a full-time starter in 1958 at age 21 and would play 130+ games each year for the next 17 seasons.

Yokoyama was a good starter immediately, but was considered elite by his third full season with 8.4 WAR and 46 home runs, earning his first Silver Slugger and a second place finish in MVP voting. He’d win the Silver Slugger again in 1962, 63, 64, and 68 and even took a Gold Glove at first base in 1972. Yokoyama won back-to-back MVPs in 1962 and 1963 with both seasons seeing 113 runs scored, 60+ home runs, 142+ RBI, and nearly 10 WAR. He’d lead the league in home runs five times and RBI four times. Yokoyama would take third in MVP voting in 1965 and second in 1968.

Kawasaki was a mid-tier team much of his run, although they would make the playoffs in 1967, 68, and 71. In 1967, the Killer Whales won the Japan League title, eventually losing in the EAB Final to the Pyongyang dynasty. In 21 playoff starts, Yokoyama had 20 hits, 12 runs, 6 home runs, and 14 RBI. He also played for Japan from 1961-73 in the World Baseball Championship; making 105 starts in 119 games with 86 hits, 72 runs, 42 home runs, 79 RBI, and 4.8 WAR.

Yokoyama’s production began to drop slightly as he entered his 30s, but he was still a solid starter. However, Kawasaki entered a rebuilding period in the early 1970s and the aging star would part ways after the 1973 season. He’d still maintain great relations with Kawasaki, who would quickly retire his #12 uniform. At age 37, he entered free agency for the first time and signed with Yokohama. His lone season with the Yellow Jackets was easily the weakest of his career, although he did cross the 2500 career hit and 1500 career RBI thresholds. Yokoyama opted to retire at age 38 following the 1974 campaign.

Yokoyama’s final stats: 2610 hits, 1520 runs, 388 doubles, 752 home runs, 1818 RBI, a .286/.352/.586 slash, 173 wRC+, and 103.1 WAR. He was the seventh EAB hitter to cross 700 career home runs and was fourth all-time at retirement. He also at retirement was fourth in RBI and ninth in hitting WAR. Yokoyama was a prolific hitter of the era and a no-doubt first ballot Hall of Fame pick at 98.6%.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1980 BSA Hall of Fame

Beisbol Sudamerica didn’t induct any players into its Hall of Fame with the 1980 voting. It is the first time since 1975 and only the second time in 35 years that BSA didn’t add a single player into its Hall. SP Franklin Flor was the closest with 61.3% on his third attempt. Also above 50% were 1B Ryan Azambuja (59.8%, 5^th), CL Jaguare Maia (55.7%, 6^th), and SP Raimundo Rodriquez (53.1%, 8^th).



One player was dropped after ten attempts in CF Rodrigo Leite. In 13 seasons with Salvador, he was a five time Silver Slugger winner and 1955 MVP winner with 1605 hits, 814 runs, 215 home runs, 690 RBI, 544 stolen bases, a .306/.383/.514 slash and 86.4 WAR. He peaked at 38.4% on his second ballot before ending at 13.2%. However, Leite’s tallies were low with major injuries hurting his career, including a career ending broken kneecap.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1980 EBF Hall of Fame

Karlo Godina was the lone member of the 1980 Hall of Fame class for the European Baseball Federation. It was the ninth ballot for the starting pitcher, who finally crossed the 66% threshold barely at 66.9%. It was a weak group of newcomers with the highest first ballot guy at 23.6%. Three others were above 50% with RF Paul Schlacher at 53.1% on his third ballot, closer Ringo Barros at 50.8% on his third, and 1B Carlo Della Latta at 50.4% in his tenth and final ballot.



For Della Latta, he peaked at 53.9% on his eighth ballot and was as low as the upper 30s. In 13 years with Naples, he had 1977 hits, 1105 runs, 415 doubles, 379 home runs, 1152 RBI, a .298/.376/.544 slash and 70.1 WAR. He didn’t have the ultimate tallies though needed or accolades to cross the line.

Also dropped was 1B Fabian Wittkowski, whose official career began at age 30. He peaked at 55.6% on his debut before ending at 42.5% and won three Gold Gloves and three Silver Sluggers. He had a few years in MLB, but with EBF he had 1566 hits, 1049 runs, 292 doubles, 448 home runs, 1126 RBI, and 78.0 WAR. Had he been able to add his 20s for production, Wittkowski probably would’ve been a lock. Also dropped was Ibrahim Matumona, who had a 13-year pitching career with a peak of 26.6% on his first ballot and 8.3% finish. He had a 167-111 record, 2.81 ERA, 2803.1 innings, 2266 strikeouts, and 54.3 WAR. A nice career, but firmly Hall of Very Good.



Karlo Godina – Starting Pitcher – Belgrade Bruisers – 66.9% Tenth Ballot

Karlo Godina was a 6’3’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Tutin, a small town of 30,000 people in southwestern Serbia. Godina was known for having solid movement with above average stuff and control. His velocity peaked at 97-99 mph with a sinker as his primary pitch, mixed with a slider and a changeup. Godina had good stamina and durability in his prime. He was a great clubhouse presence with excellent leadership, loyalty, and work ethic.

Godina left for the University of Oxford in England for his college career and would return home to Serbia as Belgrade picked him 20^th overall in EBF’s 1953 Draft. His entire pro career was with the Bruisers with relief appearances in 1954, followed by a full-time starting role after. He was a consistent presence with nine seasons worth 5+ WAR. Godina was generally not a league leading force, but was incredibly steady in his 20s.

Godina’s best efforts came in 1963 and 1964, where he finished both years second in Pitcher of the Year voting. He led both seasons in wins and had a conference and career-best 1.91 ERA in 1963 with 30 quality starts. Belgrade became a contender at this time with three playoff berths between 1961-64. In 1961, the Bruisers won their first Southern Conference title, falling to Brussels in the European Championship. Godina was a beast in that run with a 1.15 ERA over 39 innings in five starts. In 8 total playoff starts, Godina was excellent with a 1.26 ERA over 57 innings with 43 strikeouts and 1.2 WAR. He also pitched in the World Baseball Championship for Serbia from 1956-66 with a 3.26 ERA over 121.1 innings with 111 strikeouts.

Godina seemed poised to continue with his best production, but he’d suffer a ruptured tricep tendon at the start of the 1965 season, putting him out five months. Godina was never the same as his velocity dropped sharply and he had an unremarkable 1966 season. His career effectively was over at age 33, although he’d try to find work over the next two seasons. After going unsigned in back-to-back seasons, Godina officially retired at age 36.

Godina’s final stats: 188-144 record, 2.83 ERA, 2964.1 innings, 2637 strikeouts to 647 walks, 276/390 quality starts, 84 FIP- and 61.7 WAR. Injuries hurt his final tallies and he lacked the major awards, suffering the injury right as he truly hit his stride. As such, Godina wasn’t viewed by many voters as having enough stats to earn the nod, hovering in the 45-56% range in his first eight ballots. It seemed he might be destined to the Hall of Very Good, but with a weak list of newcomers in 1980, Godina was able to get the bump just beyond the required 66% to get into the EBF HOF at 66.9% on his ninth ballot.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1980 EPB Hall of Fame

Eurasian Professional Baseball added pitcher Artur Golub into the Hall of Fame with the 1980 voting, an easy choice receiving 99.1%. Two other pitchers barely missed the 66% threshold with both on their second ballot at Eryk Wozniak received 65.6% and Artyom Rudasev got 64.4%. Three others were above 50%, all pitchers, with Skerdi Hoxha (56.6%, 10^th ballot); Hryhoriy Boychuk (55.6%, 4^th ballot), and Vyacheslav Leskov (54.7%, 3^rd ballot).



For Hoxha, he came painfully close on multiple occasions with 65.8% on his third ballot and 65.4% on his eighth. He started his EPB career at age 27 and won eight Gold Gloves along with the 1958 MVP and Pitcher of the Year with Baku in 1958. Hoxha with Baku and Yekaterinburg had a 183-110 record, 2.84 ERA, 2779.1 innings, 2774 strikeouts, and 73.4 WAR. With a few more years, he almost certainly would’ve been in and many feel he should have been anyway.

Also dropped after ten ballots was pitcher Andrei Doman, who was as high as 59.2% on his third ballot before ending at 26.2%. With Irkutsk and Moscow, he had a 160-79 record, 2.70 ERA, 2175.1 innings, 2268 strikeouts, and 61.2 WAR. Without major accolades and smaller tallies with a lot of competition among pitchers, Doman was a long shot.



Artur “Bug Eyes” Golub – Starting Pitcher - Ufa Fiends – 99.1% First Ballot

Artur Golub was a 6’1’’, 200 pound left-handed starting pitcher from Komarno, a town of around 3,500 people in western Ukraine. Nicknamed “Bug Eyes,” for his large-eyed stare, Golub was known for having incredible stuff and great control, but terrible movement. He had 97-99 mph peak velocity with a great fastball, stellar curveball, plus a cutter and changeup. Golub was awesome at getting strikeouts, but his movement issues meant he could be prone to allow home runs. Still, he mixed speeds so effectively that he emerged as an all-timer at getting stirkeouts.

Golub was not an immediate success though. He was picked in the third round out of high school by Kyiv, 105^th overall in the 1956 Eurasian Professional Baseball Draft. The Kings would trade him that summer though to Ufa for reliever Nikolai Shatkov. The Fiends would use Golub as a reliever from 1957-60, although he was middling at best. He started to see more starts in 1961, then became a full-time starter from 1962 onward.

1962 began a streak of six straight seasons as the strikeout leader in the Asian League. He led in strikeouts eight times and had 400+ strikeouts in five seasons. Nine times, he led the league in K/BB. He had eight straight seasons of 7+ WAR with four seasons above 10+ WAR. In 1964, Golub won Pitcher of the Year and took third in MVP voting. He had only the third EPB pitching Triple Crown with a 24-7 record, 1.75 ERA, and 416 strikeouts. In 1967, Golub was second in Pitcher of the Year, then won it again in 1969. 1969 had a career-best 1.52 ERA and 431 strikeouts.

Ufa became a contender in the 1960s with six playoff berths from 1963-69. However, the Fiends never won the league title, falling thrice in the ALCS. It wasn’t Golub’s fault though as he had a 9-1 record over 85 playoff innings with a 2.44 ERA and 122 strikeouts. He also was a regular for Ukraine from 1962-74 in the World Baseball Championship with a 3.82 ERA over 153 innings with 217 strikeouts.

With his strikeout ability, Golub could be untouchable when he was on. He was the first EPB pitcher to throw four no hitters, the first coming with 13 strikeouts and two walks in 1962 against Almaty. The next year, he had 18 strikeouts and one walk against Tbilisi. His third no-no came with 14 Ks in 1966 against Irkutsk with the fourth in 1971 against Novosibirsk with nine strikeouts. In 1970, Golub also had a 20 strikeout game over 10.2 innings against Baku.

In total with Ufa, Golub had a 209-146 record, 2.63 ERA over 3225.1 innings, 4736 strikeouts, and 91.5 WAR. His #6 uniform would be retied by the Fiends, although his tenure would end after the 1972 season. At age 35, Golub entered free agency and signed with Tbilisi. He had a solid first year with the Trains, leading in strikeouts one last time. Golub struggled hard in the next year and had back issues with a herniated disc. He opted to retire after the 1974 season at age 36. With Tbilisi, he had a 25-19 record, 3.48 ERA, 592 strikeouts, and 7.4 WAR.

Golub’s final stats: 234-165 record, 2.73 ERA, 3642 innings, 5328 strikeouts to 634 walks, 303/431 quality starts, 177 complete games, a FIP- of 73, and 98.9 WAR. He was the second EPB pitcher to 5000 career strikeouts and retired second only to Alvi Tahiri’s 6909. At retirement, he was fifth all-time in pitching WAR and tied for sixth in wins. Golub was an electric strikeout pitcher and well deserving of the first ballot nod with 99.1%.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1980 OBA Hall of Fame

The Oceania Baseball Association had no new inductees into its Hall of Fame from the 1980 ballot. Two players had solid showings with SP Te Paoro Rangi at 57.3% on his third attempt and CL Neemia Tala’apitaga at 55.3% on his eighth go. This was a new high mark for both Rangi and Tala’apitaga. The highest newcomer was RF Aidan McMillan at a distant 37.4%. No players were dropped after ten attempts on the ballot.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1980 APB Hall of Fame

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The prior year, Austronesia Professional Baseball added its first Hall of Famer with reliever Abdul Rizki. The second member came with the 1980 voting as starting pitcher Hendrick John received 75.0% on his debut. Fellow pitcher W.C. Yu had 55.9% on his second ballot, still shy of the 66% threshold. Another SP Vitorio Pinga had 41.8% on his debut. No players were dropped after ten ballots.



Hendrick John – Starting Pitcher – Jakarta Jaguars – 75.0% First Ballot

Hendrick John was a 6’3’’, 210 pound left handed pitcher from Kebomas, a town just northwest of Surabaya in the East Java region of Indonesia. John wasn’t considered great at any one thing, but reliably average to above average at all facets. His velocity peaked at 94-96 mph and he had an arsenal of cutter, slider, curveball, and splitter. His cutter was his top pitch and he was excellent at drawing groundballs. John had terrific stamina and durability, leading the Sundaland Association five times in complete games and four times in innings pitched. He was also considered a solid defensive pitcher who was great at holding runners.

When Austronesia Professional Baseball was formed, John was 25 years old and already known among Indonesian baseball people. He signed a two-year, $64,200 deal with Bandung to start his tenure in the fledgling league. He spent four years with the Blackhawks, finishing third in Pitcher of the Year voting in 1966. He also won a Silver Slugger in 1966 as a decent hitter among pitchers. In 1967, John tossed a no-hitter with 11 strikeouts and five walks against Pekanbaru.

Bandung would win the Java League in 1966 and 1967. In 1967, they went all the way to claim the Austronesia Championship with John posting a 2.45 ERA in 33 playoff innings for the run. In total with Bandung, John had a 65-53 record, 2.34 ERA, 1097.2 innings, 1057 strikeouts, and 24.3 WAR. The Blackhawks fell off hard after their title win, going 75-87 in 1968. As they began to rebuild, they traded John to Jakarta prior to the 1969 season.
At 29 years old, John began what would become his most famous run with the Jaguars. Jakarta had won the Sundaland Association in the prior year and John helped put them over the top. He won Pitcher of the Year in both 1969 and 1970, posting a career-best 8.9 WAR in 1969. In both 1969 and 1970, the Jaguars won the Austronesia Championship with John posting a 2.72 ERA over 46.1 playoff innings with 39 strikeouts.

John spent six seasons ultimately with Jakarta with his numbers beginning to dip a bit toward the end, although he still provided reliable innings. In September 1974, he’d suffer his first major injury with a torn flexor tendon in his elbow. The Jaguars let him go, although John hoped he could return to baseball. He would be signed in August 1975 with CABA’s Hermosillo, but he’d never play for them, retiring that winter at age 36. With Jakarta, John had a 102-71 record, 2.29 ERA, 1673.2 innings, 1526 strikeouts, and 35.8 WAR.

John’s final stats: 167-124 record, 2.31 ERA, 2771.1 innings, 2583 strikeouts to 534 walks, 261/332 quality starts, 176 complete games, 48 shutouts, 81 FIP-, and 60.1 WAR. With APB’s newness, it was still tough to try to accurately rate guys as to where they fit for Hall of Fame consideration. With hindsight, John’s overall tallies are on the low end among the guys who later got inducted. However, two Pitcher of the Year awards and three rings are accomplishments that will get you attention. John became the first starting pitcher inducted with 75.0% of the vote.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1980 World Baseball Championship

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The 34^th World Baseball Championship was hosted in Bogota, Colombia; the first time the event was back in South America since 1974. The event started with a surprise in Division 1 as the United States didn’t advance for the fourth time in WBC history. Haiti took the top spot at 7-2, one game better than the US and New Zealand. The only other prior division title for the Haitians was back in 1969. In Division 2, defending world champion China advanced at 8-1, beating France by one game and both the Netherlands and Venezuela by two. This was the 11^th division title for the Chinese.

Division 3 had a three-way tie for the top spot between Kazakhstan, Japan, and Thailand at 7-2. India at 6-3 was close behind as well. The tiebreaker ultimately went to the Kazakhs for their third-ever division title (1970, 1977). Division 4 had a tie as well with both Taiwan and South Korea at 8-1. The tiebreaker moved the Taiwanese ahead, surprisingly this was their first-ever division title. Division 5 was no contest with Italy going unbeaten at 9-0, the only team to sweep their division. Last year’s runner-up Nigeria was a distant 5-4. This was the seventh division title for the Italians.

In Division 6, neighbors Belarus and Ukraine tied for first at 7-2 with perennial favorite Canada a distant third at 5-4. The tiebreaker went to the Belarusians for their first division title. D7 saw Indonesia first at 8-1, beating Cuba by one and Singapore by two. The Indonesians were a semifinalist the prior year and earned their fourth division title. Russia, the other semifinalist last year, was 5-4 in D7. In Division 8, the Czech Republic grabbed the top spot at 8-1, one game ahead of Brazil. This was the third division title for the Czechs, who previously did it in 1974 and 1960.

In Round Robin Group A, Taiwan ran the table at 6-0, while Belarus, Italy, and Czechia were all 2-4. The tiebreaker would send the Czechs forward for their second-ever semifinal berth. In Group B, Indonesia at 5-1 was the leader to earn their third semifinal appearance. Haiti also advanced at 3-3, topping 2-4 efforts by China and Kazakhstan. It was the first-ever semifinal appearance for the Haitians. The semifinals also lacked the top five teams in the all-time WBC standings entering the event (United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, and South Korea).

Taiwan swept Haiti 3-0 in their semifinal series and the Czech Republic beat Indonesia 3-1. The Indonesians officially were third for back-to-back seasons, matching their all-time best effort. Fourth place was a new best for Haiti as well.



The World Championship had two first-time finalists in the Czech Republic and Taiwan and was the first final to have two first-timers since the earliest days of the event. It was a classic seven-game battle as well with the Czechs prevailing in the end, becoming the second-ever European team to win World Champion honors (Russia, 1956).

Leading the Czech effort was tournament MVP Zdenek Kuciak, a 27-year old CF with EPB’s Bratislava. Kuciak crushed 17 home runs in 26 games with 22 runs, 27 hits, 28 RBI, and 1.9 WAR. The 17 HRs was second most in a WBC run at that point behind Connor Neumeyer’s 20 in 1972. Haiti’s Augustin Desir was named Best Pitcher. The 31-year old journeyman pitcher with Monterrey tossed 11 innings with no earned runs (one run allowed), 14 strikeouts, two walks, and four hits.



Other notes: With Taiwan and Belarus’s performances, there have now been 53 nations in WBC history to advance to the elite eight at least once. With their division win, China passed South Korea for fifth most points in the all-time tournament standings. The Chinese were the only team in the top ten to get to the Round Robin in the 1980 event. In other notes, Sweden’s Linus Erlandsson had the lone no-hitter of the vent with 11 strikeouts and two walks against Mali.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1980 in SAB

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1980 marked the inaugural season for South Asia Baseball. The top record in the Indian League was South Division champ Bengaluru at 97-65. Hyderabad was second at 89-73, which earned them the IL wild card by four games over Kolkata. Jaipur claimed the Central Division at 92-70, seven ahead of the Cosmos. The West Division had no teams above .500, but someone had to advance. Pune at 80-82 earned the spot, finishing one ahead of Ahmedabad and three ahead of Mumbai. Despite their losing record, the Meteors allowed only 1039 this as a pitching staff, which remains the IL all-time single-season best as of 2037.

The first Indian League MVP was 28-year old Pune shortstop Al-Amin Kundu. Nicknamed “Furball,” the right-handed Bangladeshi was the leader in home runs (52), RBI (116), total bases (359), slugging (.646), OPS (1.030), wRC+ (207), and WAR (13.9). He also earned a Gold Glove with an impressive 21.6 zone rating and 1.107 EFF. The 13.9 WAR was the single-season SAB record for any player until 2006. Pitcher of the Year was Bengaluru’s Alin Saengmanee. A 27-year old Thai righty, he led in wins at 20-4 and WAR at 8.7, posting a 1.90 ERA over 227 innings with 289 strikeouts.

With the wild card by rule facing the top division winner, the top two Indian League teams met in the first round. The wild card Hyderabad dispatched their divisional foe Bengaluru 3-1, while Jaipur held off Pune 3-2. In the first Indian League Championship Series, the series was a seven game classic. The Hippos defeated the Jokers to give Hyderabad the first Indian League title.



In the Southeast Asia League, the best record went to the South Division’s Bangkok at 97-65. Johor Bahru was second at 93-69 and earned the first wild card spot. In the North Division, Yangon took top honors at 90-72. Second was Mandalay at 86-76, which was good enough for the second wild card. The Mammoths finished one ahead of Ho Chi Minh City and four ahead of both Dhaka and Phnom Penh to take the final playoff spot.

SEAL’s first MVP went to Saadat Nazir of Vientiane. The 32-year old Burmese first baseman would only have a three year SAB career, but he’d smack a league-best 54 home runs with a .601 slugging, .957 OPS, and 179 wRC+ in 1980. He added 6.8 WAR and 111 RBI. Pitcher of the Year was Johor Bahru’s Anenas Kushwaha. The 30-year old Indian righty led in innings (284.2) and quality starts (30), adding 5.9 WAR with 257 strikeouts, a 2.21 ERA, and 19-12 record.

Both North Division teams advanced out of the first round with Mandalay upsetting Bangkok 3-2 and Yangon topping Johor Bahru 3-1. In the first Southeast Asia League Championship Series, the Green Dragons defeated the Mammoths 4-2.



In the first South Asia Baseball Championship, Hyderabad downed Yangon 4-1 to make the Hippos the first SAB champion. Pitcher Kiribaba Sangita was the finals MVP with a 2.32 ERA and 3-1 record in five playoff starts, posting 42.2 innings with 39 strikeouts. While they hoped it would be the start of dominance in the new league, it would be Hyderabad’s only finals appearance in the first 50 years of SAB.



Other notes: Three no-hitters were thrown in the first SAB season. Pitcher of the Year Alin Saengmanee had the third with 14 strikeouts against Kolkata. 14 Ks was the record for most in a no-hitter until 1988.