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

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1985 in CABA

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1983 CABA champion Hermosillo had the best record in the Mexican League in 1985, bouncing back from their 75-win mark in 1984. The Hyenas were 100-62, earning their fourth playoff appearance in six years. Despite that and having two ML titles, this is their first time atop the North Division standings in that stretch. Monterrey was second at 95-67 to take the wild card by a firm margin, ending a five-year playoff drought. Defending champ Juarez plummeted to 71-91 and last year’s wild card Mexicali was a league-worst 61-101. In a competitive South Division, Mexico City took first at 89-73 to end a three-year playoff drought. Defending division champ Puebla and Leon were both two back at 87-75.

Monterrey 1B Tomas Maldonado emerged on the scene to take Mexican League MVP. The 27-year old was the 6^th overall pick by Tijuana, but barely played there before being traded to the Matadors in 1984. In his second year as a starter, Maldonado smacked 65 home runs, tied for the second most ever in a CABA season. He also led in RBI (123), runs (116), and total bases (389), adding a .939 OPS and 7.8 WAR. Puebla’s Junior Vergara continued his dominance with a seventh consecutive Pitcher of the Year. This was his best season by WAR at 13.67, third-best ever by a CABA pitcher. He led in ERA (1.66), with a career best 433 strikeouts and league best 0.67 WHIP, 25.5 K/BB, 8 shutouts, and 36 FIP- He added an 18-8 record over 277.1 innings. Vergara’s award streak would end in 1986 though due to a torn UCL in spring training.

In the wild card round, Monterrey outlasted Mexico City for the 3-2 road victory. This gave the Matadors their first Mexican League Championship Series appearance since 1968. They took their division foe Hermosillo to the limit in a seven game classic, but the Hyenas would prevail with a 4-3 walkoff win in game seven. Hermosillo now has three ML pennants in the last six seasons and six titles overall.



Salvador had the top overall record for back-to-back seasons in the Caribbean League, taking the Continental Division at 98-64. Defending CABA champ Santo Domingo earned a fifth straight Island Division crown at 96-66. The wild card ended up hotly contested with Puerto Rico ultimately grabbing it at 93-69. It is the second wild card in three year for the Pelicans. Guatemala’s five-year playoff streak ended as they were 91-71. Costa Rica (90-72) and Nicaragua (88-74) were also in the hunt, but ultimately on the outside.

Dolphins RF Lobo Villanueva became a five-time Caribbean League MVP, leading in runs (111), RBI (132), triple slash (.337/.395/.687), OPS (1.082), and wRC+ (200). He added 8.3 WAR and 52 home runs, finishing second in dingers to Trinidad’s Yohnny Galaz (61). This would be the last season with Santo Domingo for the 32-year old Nicaraguan, as Villanueva signed a massive $7,400,000 deal with MLB’s San Antonio for the 1987 season. Dolphins teammate Hugo Peguero won Pitcher of the Year. The 26-year old Dominican led in strikeouts (376), FIP- (58), WAR (8.9), and wins (24-5). He added a 2.33 ERA over 250.2 innings. Also of note, Guatemala closer Reynaldo Alvarado won his fourth Reliever of the Year with career bests in saves (42), ERA (1.18), and WAR (6.0).

Santo Domingo downed division rival Puerto Rico 3-1 in the wild card to set up a Caribbean League Championship Series rematch with Salvador. The Dolphins dropped the Stallions again, dominating with a road sweep. SD claimed back-to-back CL pennants and their fourth in five years. They became the fourth Caribbean franchise to earn four titles in a five year stretch, joining Guatemala (1967-71), Santiago (1951-55), and Puerto Rico (1941-45).



The Dolphins continued to make history as they downed Hermosillo 4-1 in the 75^th Central American Baseball Association Championship. Santo Domingo repeated as champs and won their third overall ring in four years. Only two other franchises had won three in four; Mexico City with their six titles in seven years (1967-73) and Ecatepec from 1929-32. SS Juan Paulino was the finals MVP. A home grown talent, he had 15 hits, 8 runs, 4 home runs, and 7 RBI over 12 playoff starts.



Other notes: Santo Domingo’s Solomon Aragon became the CABA home run king, finishing the season with 754 to pass Prometheo Garcia’s mark by one. He’d play one more season and finish with 772, holding the home run title until the mid 2000s. Aragon also became the third player to 2000 career RBI. He would finish with 2137, passing Wesley Dubar’s 2104 to become the all-time leader. Aragon held this distinction for more than 40 years. He also ended with 3619 hits, second-all time only to Garcia’s 3871 at retirement, and finished tied for the all-time doubles mark at 585. As of 2037, Aragon is 4^th in hits, 2^nd in RBI, 3^rd in home runs, and 4^th in doubles.

Hermosillo’s Donaldo Lee became the 14^th CABA pitcher to strike out 20+ in a game. He became the first though to do it in only eight innings of work. 1985 was the first CABA season to have two players hit 60+ home runs. LF Julio Santana won his ninth Gold Glove. 3B Kenedy Ortiz won his ninth Silver Slugger.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1985 in MLB

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The big story in the 1985 National Association was Toronto’s impressive turnaround from their lousy 67 win season the prior year. The Timberwolves finished at 104-58 to take first place in the Northeast Division, taking first for the first time since 1962. They did it in a loaded division too with both wild cards firmly coming out of there. Montreal at 98-64 earned a fifth berth in seven years and Ottawa at 97-65 extended its playoff streak to four seasons. Hartford, winners of a NA-best 113 games in1984, dropped down to a middling 84-78.

Baltimore won a fourth straight East Division title at 101-61. In the Upper Midwest, Cleveland snapped an 11-year playoff drought with a 93-69 mark. This beat defending World Series champion Chicago by four games, keeping the Cubs from the postseason. In the Lower Midwest Division, Louisville (89-73) edged Kansas City by one and St. Louis by two. This extended the Lynx’ playoff streak to four years and gave them their ninth playoff appearance in the last 11 years.

Baltimore’s Chuji Kaizoji won the National Association MVP. After showing powerful production in seven seasons in Japan, he signed with the Orioles in 1984, but missed most of that season to a torn meniscus. The 29-year old right fielder had an impressive comeback by leading the NA in home runs (59), RBI (141), runs (123), total bases (398), slugging (.671), OPS (1.053), wRC+ (221), and 9.8 WAR. His 59 dingers were three behind the all-time MLB record of 62. Pitcher of the Year was Chicago’s Jinhai Mo, in his third season with the Cubs after winning Pitcher of the Year thrice in the Oceania Baseball Association. The 30-year old Australian led in quality starts (29), and shutouts (70), adding 8.5 WAR and 213 strikeouts over 267.1 innings with a 2.26 ERA and 17-8 record.

In the first round of the playoffs, Louisville topped Montreal 2-1 and Ottawa ousted Cleveland 2-1. Toronto survived in five over the Elks in round two, while Baltimore bested the Lynx in four. This put the Orioles in the National Association Championship Series for the second time in three years and gave the Timberwolves their first berth since taking the 1970 pennant. Toronto capped off their impressive turnaround season by rolling Baltimore in the NACS 4-1. The Timberwolves are now five-time NA champs.



The American Association’s best record in 1985 belonged to 109-53 Calgary atop the Northwest Division. This gave the Cheetahs a third consecutive playoff berth. The second best record was San Diego at 100-62, winning the Southwest Division and ending a 13-year playoff drought. The Seals had to fend off tough competition as both wild cards came out of the Southwest. Phoenix took the first one at 94-68 for their fourth playoff berth in five years. Defending AA champ San Francisco and Albuquerque tied for the second spot at 91-71. The Gold Rush won the playoff tiebreaker game to earn a third straight playoff berth.

San Antonio won the South Central Division at 96-66 to end their own 14 year playoff drought, finishing 11 ahead of Houston. Tampa took the Southeast Division for the third time in four years, finishing 93-69. Miami was second at 88-74 for their first winning season in a decade. With San Diego and San Antonio’s success, the Mallards now have the longest playoff drought in the American Association at 13 seasons. The biggest drought in all of MLB though is in the NA with Milwaukee’s 25 years of futility. Also of note, expansion teams Orlando and Austin both went 81-81 and Salt Lake City was 80-82; these are the best marks yet for any of the expansion teams in their four years of existence.

Miami’s Armand Whipple earned the AA MVP as the 28-year old 3B was the WARlord at 7.4. He had a .306 average, 51 home runs, and 126 RBI. He managed to beat out Oklahoma City’s Brian Ostrovskaya for the award despite Ostrovskaya’s 60 home runs and 147 RBI. The 60 dingers was two short of the MLB record of 62. Pitcher of the Year was Albuquerque’s Jimmy Roussel, a second-time winner. The 28-year old led in WAR (11.3), innings (293.1), WHIP (0.93), K/BB (9.0), and FIP- (57). Roussel added 269 strikeouts and a 2.73 ERA with a 22-9 record. Also of note, Calgary’s James Chretien became a four-time Reliever of the Year winner, only the second in MLB history to win the award four times.

Phoenix edged Tampa 2-1 and San Antonio topped San Francisco 2-1 in the first round of the playoffs. The Oilers stunned San Diego with a round sweep in round two, while the Firebirds upset Calgary 3-1. It was San Antonio’s first time in the American Association Championship Series since 1958 with the Oilers as one of the few teams without a single pennant over MLB’s 85 seasons. They wouldn’t get their first in 1985 either as Phoenix won the AACS 4-1. The Firebirds are now nine time AA champs (1907, 30, 33, 51, 53, 60, 64, 82, 84), tying them with Houston for the most titles.



The 85^th World Series was the first one to end in a sweep since 1969. Phoenix destroyed Toronto to become four-time MLB champs, having also won in 1907, 1953, and 1960. The Firebirds win ended a four-year streak of wins by National Association teams. Pitcher Gabriel Adams was World Series MVP, going 3-0 in five postseason starts with a 3.38 ERA over 40 innings and 29 strikeouts. The Timberwolves are now 1-4 in the World Series, having won in 1903 but lost in their subsequent berths. There has also been an impressive streak of parity with eight different champs in eight years.



Other notes: Raymond Boisvert became the 44^th MLB hitter to reach 3000 career hits. Khaled Scott became the 33^rd pitcher to 250 wins.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1986 MLB Hall of Fame

Three players earned induction into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame in 1986, each of them getting in on the first ballot. Outfielder Garland Mulholland was the star of the group with an impressive 97.3%. Joining him were reliever Thurman Lofink at 83.1% and starting pitcher Edward Delesdernier at 76.6%. Coming close on his ninth try but falling short of the 66% threshold was 1B Braylen Nelson at 60.9%. It is the third time he’s topped 60%. Also above 50% were catchers Russ Spratt at 53.6% on his debut and Gavin Geogham at 52.1% his fourth go.



Only one player was dropped after ten failed ballots in LF Leo Compian, who peaked at 35.1% on his fourth attempt and ended at 12.4%. He had a 21-year career and was a starter for San Diego’s 1950s dynasty run, posting 2465 hits, 1633 runs, 315 doubles, 449 home runs, 1328 RBI, a .271/.382/.472 slash, and 75.6 WAR. He also drew 1604 walks, one of only nine MLB players as of 2036 to have more than 1600. Compian was dismissed as a compiler though with only one Silver Slugger to his name. Pitcher Will Feliciano was also removed from the ballot after getting elected to Beisbol Sudamerica’s 1986 class. (Editor’s note: The way OOTP works, once a guy is elected to any HOF, they’re removed from the ballot of the other leagues. They show up on the HOF list for any of the leagues they played in).



Garland Mulholland – Outfielder – St. Louis Cardinals – 97.3% First Ballot

Garland Mulholland was a 6’4’’, 200 pound right-handed outfielder from Richmond Heights, Ohio; a Cleveland suburb with around 10,000 people. Mulholland was a very good contact hitter with a great eye and impeccable ability to avoid strikeouts. He retired with a 4.8% strikeout percentage and is one of a very select group of Hall of Famers to have played 2500+ games and struck out fewer than 600 times. Mulholland wasn’t just a guy who drew walks and got singles though as he averaged around 25 home runs and 25-30 doubles/triples per year. He also had solid speed and baserunning skills. Mulholland primarily played left field, although he did make starts in right and center. He was viewed as a pretty good defender in the corners and weak defender in center. On top of this, Mulholland was a team captain and clubhouse leader, viewed as a stand-up guy that was universally beloved.

He attended college at South Carolina and in 144 college games had 167 hits, 73 runs, 33 doubles, 13 home runs, a .293/.348/.430 slash, and 4.2 WAR. In the 1958 MLB Draft, Mulholland was picked 55^th overall by St. Louis, the second pick of the supplemental first round. He spent all of 1959 in minor league Columbia and most of 1960 there, although he made 21 plate appearances in the bigs in 1960. Mulholland’s proper debut came in 1961 where he earned the full-time starter role, which he’d have for nearly the next two decades save time missed to injury.

In 1961, Mulholland posted a 5.8 WAR rookie season to earn the National Association Rookie of the Year. In 1962, he won the batting title (.351) and led with 202 wRC+, earning his first of seven Silver Sluggers. Mulholland also won the award in 1963, 64, 65, 67, 68, and 69. 1962 also saw a third place finish in MVP voting despite a historically bad 54-108 season for the Cardinals. This also marked the start of Mulholland playing for the United States in the World Baseball Championship. From 1962-76, he played 187 games and made 173 starts with 182 hits, 137 runs, 45 home runs, 118 RBI, a 302/.421/.568 slash, and 10.6 WAR. Mulholland was a part of eight world title teams and three times was a finalist for tournament MVP.

Mulholland played a huge role in turning around St. Louis’s fortunes as 1963 saw one of the greatest turnaround seasons in MLB history. The Cardinals went from 54 wins to 101, earning their first playoff appearance since 1930. Mulholland had a career best 10.2 WAR and bests in the triple slash (.358/.427/.603), OPS (1.030), and wRC+ (211). He took third in the MVP voting, but picked up 18 hits and 7 runs in the postseason as St. Louis won the World Series for the second time in history. That run alone cemented him as forever a Cardinals favorite, whose #34 would later be retired.

St. Louis made seven playoff appearances over the next nine years, although they never got out of the second round. Still, they were consistently in the mix with Mulholland after being bottom tier for a long time. He won two more batting titles and led in OBP twice and hits once. Mulholland’s lone MVP win came in 1965, but he was regularly a finalist (3^rd in 1965, 2^nd in 1967, 2^nd in 1968, 2^nd in 1969, and 3^rd in 1970). In 1971, he won the All-Star Game MVP. Mulholland was as steady and reliable as you could be with his only missed time coming from a torn flexor tendon in 1966. Although the Cardinals struggled in later postseasons, Mulholland still had 51 hits, 29 runs, and a .321/.396/.434 slash in 43 playoff starts.

For his entire Cardinals career, Mulholland had 2125 hits, 1183 runs, 241 doubles, 87 triples, 312 home runs, 1038 RBI, 783 walks, 480 stolen bases, a .326/.402/.532 slash, 180 wRC+, and 90.4 WAR. This alone probably was enough to get into the Hall of Fame, but he would have another decade in front of him. At age 34, Mulholland opted out of the final year of the eight-year, $1,972,000 extension he had signed in 1965. He signed a four-year, $1,472,000 deal with Albuquerque.

Mulholland was never quite the same level player with the Isotopes and missed chunks of his first two seasons to injury. He had a solid 1975 full season and although his playoff stats weren’t anything great, Mulholland’s leadership helped Albuquerque win the 1975 World Series, their first title since 1934. In four seasons as an Isotope, Mulholland had 509 hits, 314 runs, a .278/.360/.463 slash and 12.0 WAR.

Now 38 years old, Mulholland’s contract expired and he signed a three-year deal with Columbus. He still provided respectable value in his first two seasons with the Chargers, but he struggled in the third season and was eventually relegated to a bench role. This effectively ended his MLB career, although Mulholland wasn’t ready to retire and wanted to get to 3000 hits. He was unsigned for most of 1980, making one start with Seattle that fall. Minor League Charleston (Charlotte’s affiliate) briefly employed him in 1981, but he didn’t see the field and eventually had to retire at age 43.

Mulholland’s final stats: 2978 hits, 1719 runs, 359 doubles, 115 triples, 435 home runs, 1422 RBI, 1191 walks to only 540 strikeouts, 658 stolen bases, a .306/.387/.501 slash, 161 wRC+, and 109.9 WAR. At induction, he had the tenth most WAR of any MLB batter. Mulholland was a beloved figure and an undisputed great of the 1960s and 70s, getting him the first ballot induction at 97.3%.





Thurman Lofink – Closer – New Orleans Mudcats – 83.1% First Ballot

Thurman Lofink was a 6’6’’, 195 pound left-handed closer from the west Texas city of El Paso. Lofink had electric stuff with very good movement and solid control. The lanky lefty had two pitches, a 97-99 mph sinker and an unhittable curveball. Lofink was also very good at holding runners, making him a great pitcher to get you out of a jam. His main downside was being a loudmouth jerk. His outspoken personality and spicy hot takes didn’t make him a lot of friends, although he would be popular among a certain type of fan.

Lofink attended West Virginia and was iffy as a starter in college, getting moved to the bullpen as a junior. He took third in 1964’s college Reliever of the Year voting, but true relievers didn’t tend to get a ton of attention in the draft. New Orleans picked Lofink with the first pick of the fourth round, 149^th overall, in the 1964 MLB Draft. He immediately was thrown into the bullpen and saw regular use, often as a closer. Lofink was second in 1966’s Reliever of the Year voting and led the American Association in saves in 1968 with 35.

Lofink’s biggest claim to fame would come from 1970 to 1972, as New Orleans had their historic dynasty. After being a bottom rung franchsie for nearly 70 years, the Mudcats won three straight World Series rings. Lofink was a stud in the 1970 playoffs with six saves and 10 scoreless innings. In total, he had a 0.60 ERA over 45.1 playoff innings, 14 saves, 64 strikeouts, and 3.3 WAR. The playoff heroism earned him a spot in the hearts of New Orleans fans despite his outspoken nature and was a big reason his #5 uniform would be retired by the franchise. Lofink also took second in Reliever of the Year voting in both 1970 and 1972.

Lofink also earned Best Pitcher honors in both the 1971 and 1972 World Baseball Championship for the United States. In 1971, he had a 0.29 ERA and 72 strikeouts over 30.2 innings, then followed it up with a 0.83 ERA over 21.2 innings with 46 strikeouts. In total from 1967-80, Lofink tossed 169 innings with a 1.44 ERA, 21 saves, 327 strikeouts, and 9.3 WAR. After the 1972 season, Lofink (rightly) thought he was pretty big deal.

For his New Orleans run, he had 175 saves and 208 shutdowns, a 2.04 ERA, 513 innings, 640 strikeouts, and 25.9 WAR. Fresh off the three-peat and back-to-back Best Pitcher honors in the WBC, the 29-year old Lofink wanted to cash in. He left the Mudcats, but couldn’t find the massive money he was looking for. Lofink signed a one-year, $332,000 deal with Baltimore in April 1973. After a solid effort, he then signed a one-year, $414,000 deal with Montreal. Lofink delivered his usual production, then got a two-year, $834,000 deal with New York.

Although he liked the paycheck, the Yankees didn’t use Lofink as a closer. He wasn’t thrilled with his use and before the 1977 season, New York traded him to Houston for five prospects. Lofink reclaimed a closer role with the Hornets and spent four years there, helping them to three American Association Championship Series appearances. With Houston, he had 116 saves, a 2.19 ERA, 243 innings, 320 strikeouts, and 11.0 WAR. In his final season with the Hornets though, his production fell to middling levels and he wasn’t re-signed.

At age 37, Lofink still wanted to be a MLB closer, but many teams felt he was past his prime. The others that might have considered him didn’t think he was worth the big paycheck with his loud mouth. This marked the end of his MLB career, although he wasn’t ready to be done with baseball. A connection sent him to an unlikely place; Ghana. He signed with Kumasi of West African Baseball, although he only pitched 28 innings. Lofink was good in his limited use though and got a contract and a closer role again, this time in Liberia.

Lofink signed with Monrovia for 1982 and led with 41 saves. In 1983, he started with the Diplomats and was traded at the deadline to Nouakchott. Between the two though, he won his first-ever Reliever of the Year at age 39. In 1984, he signed with Port Harcourt and won Reliever of the Year for the second time. In total in WAB, he had 109 saves over 282 innings, 446 strikeouts, 1.56 ERA, and 15.4 WAR. However, late in the 1984 season, Lofink suffered a damaged elbow ligament that effectively ended his career. He was briefly signed in a comeback attempt in 1985 with Tampa, but never threw another pitch, retiring at age 41.

For his entire pro career, Lofink had 472 saves and a 1.92 ERA, 1288 innings, 1713 strikeouts, and 65.0 WAR. For just MLB, he had a 2.02 ERA, 363 saves and 431 shutdowns, 1006 innings, 1267 strikeouts, 260 walks, a FIP- of 46, and 49.5 WAR. At induction, he had the fifth most WAR of any MLB reliever. Although he never won the top award in MLB, Lofink was a great closer and a big part in the New Orleans dynasty. Even voters who thought he was a loudmouth goof couldn’t deny his resume, giving Lofink the first ballot induction with 83.1%.





Edward Delesdernier – Starting Pitcher – Nashville Knights – 76.6% First Ballot

Edward Delesdernier was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Seven Oaks, South Carolina; a town of around 14,000 people in the center of the state. Delesdernier was a fireballer with 99-101 mph peak velocity and electric stuff, although he had solid movement and control as well. His fastball and curveball were his main two pitches, although he did also mix in a changeup. Delesdernier was also known for great stamina and going deep in games early in his career, although later injuries ruined that in the back end of his career. He was very intelligent, but considered a bit of a loner and mercenary type.

Delesdernier played collegiately at Virginia and had a great college career with a 22-5 record and 2.19 ERA over 303.2 college innings with 322 strikeouts and 12.7 WAR. He was one of the hottest prospects for the 1964 MLB Draft and was picked second overall by Nashville. Delesdernier was a part-time starter in his rookie year, but took over a full-time role from his second season onward. He posted five straight seasons worth 6+ WAR for the Knights and led the American Association with a 2.57 ERA in 1968. That earned Delesdernier a second place finish in Pitcher of the Year voting.

His first major setback came with a torn labrum in late 1970, putting him out nearly a full calendar year. In total with Nashville, Delesdernier had a 84-67 record, 2.98 ERA, 1483.2 innings, 1344 strikeouts, and 39.5 WAR. The Knights stunk during his run though and he made it clear to management that he wasn’t planning on sticking around. Plus, they weren’t sure what he’d look like coming off a major injury. Nashville traded him at the 1971 deadline to Philadelphia.

Delesdernier made 11 starts with the Phillies and looked dominant with a 1.55 ERA over 87 innings. This made him a hot commodity entering free agency in 1972 at age 28. His terms for a long-term contract proved too rich for other teams and Delesdernier wasn’t signed until the very start of the year. He ended up a with a one-year, $330,000 deal with Montreal. Delesdernier had a great year with the Maples, taking second in Pitcher of the Year voting and helping them to a World Series appearance. He entered free agency again though and finally got the bag he was looking for, a seven-year, $2,868,000 deal with Phoenix.

It proved a sound investment for the Firebirds in the first three seasons. Delesdernier’s second year in Phoenix saw only the fifth Triple Crown season for a MLB pitcher to that point with a 26-8 record, 2.16 ERA, and 313 strikeouts worth 10.2 WAR. He finally won Pitcher of the Year and even took second in MVP voting. Although he delivered early on, the Firebirds never became the high-level playoff contender they hoped to become, although they did get to the AACS in 1977.

By then though, Delesdernier’s value was diminishing, in part due to shoulder and hamstring issues. He had only partial 1976 and 1977 seasons with average at best results, then struggled in 1978. That summer, a damaged elbow ligament would put him on the shelf for 12 months. In total with Phoenix, Delesdernier had an 84-72 record, 3.28 ERA, 1374.1 innings, 210 strikeouts, and 35.1 WAR.

He tried to make a comeback in 1979 at age 35, but struggled in only two starts with Phoenix. On the last year of his big contract making $464,000, the Firebirds decided to trade him in June to Columbus. He did better with the Chargers, but was still subpar. Delesdernier signed with Minneapolis in 1980, but was cut midseason due to poor performance. He’d make one minor league appearance in Richmond before having to retire at age 36.

Delesdernier’s final stats: 197-160 record, 3.06 ERA, 3386 innings, 2990 strikeouts to 877 walks, 257/418 quality starts, 213 complete games, 77 FIP- and 87.4 WAR. He managed to build a solid resume despite a relatively short peak. His accumulations were lower than most other MLB Hall of Famers and he was one of a small list of starters to get in without 200 wins. Delesdernier’s Triple Crown season helped boost him and the pitcher-friendly voters gave him the bump needed for a first ballot induction at 76.6%.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1986 CABA Hall of Fame

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The Central American Baseball Association Hall of Fame picked two for induction for the 1986 class, both on their first ballot. Pitcher Deinis Alonso received 94.9% while first baseman Hector Vanegas got 92.7%. 1B Carlos De La Fuente was the only other guy above 50%, coming close to the 66% threshold with 63.6% for his fourth ballot. No players were dropped after ten failed attempts.



Deinis Alonso – Starting Pitcher – Santo Domingo Dolphins – 94.9% First Ballot

Deinis Alonso was a 5’11’’, 195 pound left-handed pitcher from Manicaragua, a mountain town of 73,000 people in central Cuba. Alonso had excellent stuff with solid control and movement in his peak. His velocity peaked in the 97-99 mph range with a terrific fastball and changeup, plus a passable curveball. Injuries would limit his stamina and innings relative to other Hall of Fame type pitchers, but he’d be incredibly dominant when he was out there. Alonso was a very intelligent pitcher who knew how to change speeds, making him a popular player. He was also very good at holding runners and solid defensively, winning a Gold Glove in 1973.

Alonso was one of the top prospects coming out of Cuba and was picked seventh overall in the 1967 CABA Draft by Santo Domingo. He was immediately thrown into the rotation and excelled with a 6.1 WAR season and 309 strikeouts, earning 1968 Rookie of the Year Honors. He’d lead the Caribbean League in strikeouts the next two seasons and WAR in 1969, finishing third that year in Pitcher of the Year voting.

1970 was the first setback with a sore shoulder costing him 7 weeks, but Alonso bounced back by leading in strikeouts again in 1972 and 1973; posting a career-best 347 in 1972. In 1973, Alonso led in ERA for the first time with a career-best 1.87 and led with 299 strikeouts and 0.87 WHIP, earning his first Pitcher of the Year. In his six seasons with the Dolphins, Alonso had a 84-55 record, 2.68 ERA, 1352 innings, 1774 strikeouts, and 43.7 WAR. This would be his longest tenure though, as he opted for free agency after the 1973 season. Alonso was in the DR during a down period for the Dolphins, who didn’t make the playoffs during his run.

Meanwhile, Guatemala had won four Caribbean League titles in the last decade, although they had been the CABA Championship runner-up each time. Alonso wanted to be on a winner and the Ghosts wanted someone to put them over the top, signing Alonso to a six-year, $1,720,000 deal at age 28. He took second in Pitcher of the Year voting in his debut season and succeeded in getting Guatemala over the hump, winning their first CABA Championship. He posted a 3.00 ERA over 15 playoff innings with 22 strikeouts.

Alonso missed part of the next season to injury, but still managed to take his second Pitcher of the Year award and lead in ERA. He was the ERA leader again the next two seasons, earning the title four times for his career. Alonso was third in 1976’s Pitcher of the Year voting. Guatemala made the payoffs twice more in his tenure, but didn’t get beyond the CLCS. In total with the Ghosts, Alonso had an 82-40 record, 2.62 ERA, 1133.2 innings, 1301 strikeouts, and 27.7 WAR.

In his fifth season with Guatemala in 1978, a slew of injuries kept him below 160 innings for the season. Alonso still posted a 4.0 WAR season, but his 3.50 ERA was the worst of his career. Then in May 1979, he suffered a partially torn UCL to end his season and ultimately his time with the Ghosts. Still only 34 years old, Alonso hoped for a comeback and Torreon signed him to a one-year, $394,000 deal. He would only toss 4.1 innings with the Tomahawks, retiring after the 1980 season.

Alonso’s final stats: 166-95 record, 2.66 ERA, 2490 innings, 3081 strikeouts, 409 walks, 244/332 quality starts, FIP- of 71 and 71.4 WAR. His career length and tallies are on the lower end, but his ERA and rate stats are plenty impressive. Two Pitcher of the Year awards plus numerous times leading in ERA and strikeouts made Alonso a no-brainer for many voters and he received the first ballot inclusion with 94.9%.



Hector Vanegas – First Base – Guadalajara Hellhounds – 92.7% First Ballot

Hector Vanegas was a 5’11’’, 200 pound left-handed first baseman from Martinez, a municipality of around 97,000 people in the Mexican state of Veracruz. Vanegas had very good power while also being a solid contact hitter. He averaged around 40 home runs per game and around 25-30 doubles per season. Vanegas had a good eye for drawing walks but was more middling at avoiding strikeouts. He was a slower baserunner and exclusively a first baseman in his career, providing below average, but not atrocious defense. Vanegas was considered an ironman as he made 140+ starts in 15 consecutive seasons. This and his positive attitude made Vanegas generally well liked among fans and teammates.

Vanegas was a top level Mexican prospect entering the 1962 CABA Draft. With the seventh pick, he was selected by Guadalajara, although he wasn’t immediately used by the Hellhounds. Vanegas spent all of 1963 in the developmental system and made only four plate appearances in 1964. He made a few starts in 1965, then saw his first full season in 1966. From then onward, Vanegas was a regular in the lineup.

Vanegas hit 50 home runs in his second full season and had a career best 54 dingers with 143 RBI in 1969. He won Silver Sluggers in 1968, 69, 73, and 76. Vanegas never won MVP, but was second in 1968 and third in 1971 while with Guadalajara. He posted 11 straight seasons worth 4.5+ WAR and 35+ home runs. Vanegas earned a batting title in 1968 at .343 and also led in total bases that year and posted a career best 9.8 WAR. Despite his successes though, he typically wasn’t the league’s leader in any one stat.

Still, Vanegas became popular with Guadalajara fans and helped bring them back to relevance. The Hellhounds made the playoffs from 1969-71, then again in 1976. In 1976, Vanegas went on a playoff tear as Guadalajara won the CABA Championship. He was both finals MVP and MLCS MVP, posting 18 hits, 10 runs, 4 home runs, 4 doubles, and 14 RBI in 13 starts. Vanegas also played with the Mexican team in the World Baseball Championship from 1967-77, playing 102 games and getting 79 hits, 57 runs, 30 home runs, and 64 RBI.

In total with Guadalajara, Vanegas posted 1996 hits, 1032 runs, 311 doubles, 462 home runs, 1218 RBI, a .305/.364/.578 slash and 71.9 WAR. Although he had the playoff success in 1976, that season had seen a dip in production. Now 34-years old, the Hellhounds decided to move on instead of giving Vanegas the big contract he was expecting. He’d still keep good relations with the organization and the fans, getting his #30 uniform later retired. Vanegas ultimately signed a five-year, $1,780,000 deal with Jamaica. The $362,000 yearly salary was a big jump from his peak of $210,000 with Guadalajara.

Vanegas had a respectable 1978 season with the Jazz, then had a bit of a resurgence in 1978, even taking third in MVP voting. But he fell off significantly in 1979, posting only 1.2 WAR and 102 wRC+ over a full season. Vanegas was relegated to bench duties in 1980 and had success in the pinch hitter role. Jamaica would go onto win the 1980 CABA Championship and Vanegas got his second ring. The Jazz wouldn’t re-sign him though and after going unwanted in 1981, Vanegas retired at age 38. With Jamaica, he had 481 hits, 265 runs, 126 home runs, 300 RBI, and 10.3 WAR.

The final stats for Vanegas saw 2477 hits, 1297 runs, 388 doubles, 588 home runs, 1518 RBI, a .296/.351/.564 slash, 164 wRC+, and 82.2 WAR. He was 10^th all-time in CABA home runs and 12^th in RBI at induction, boasting a fine powerful career. The epic playoff run of 1976 and his general popularity in his Guadalajara tenure made the voters look very fondly on Vanegas, giving him the first ballot induction with 92.7%.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1986 EAB Hall of Fame

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Two pitchers were inducted on their first ballot in 1986 to the East Asia Baseball Hall of Fame. They took different paths to get there with starter Jae-Min Lee a slam dunk at 97.4% and closer Geun-U Phan barely making it at 67.5%. Another closer, Kyeong Pyo, had a good debut showing but missed the cut at 58.5%. Also above 50% were 2B Su-Yeon Park at 57.0% on his tenth ballot and 3B Hiromichi Ono at 56.6% on his third try.

For Park, he was the starting second baseman of the Pyongyang dynasty, peaking at 64.0% on his ninth ballot with a low of 49.8%. He had a 17-year career with 2746 hits, 1308 runs, 335 doubles, 290 triples, 60 home runs, a .311/.343/.435 slash, 116 wRC+, 1201 stolen bases, and 62.7 WAR. Park was the all-time steals leader at retirement, but he lacked any power numbers, won Silver Slugger only once, and only had average defensive skills. Thus, he ended up on the outside despite a fine career.

Also dropped after ten ballots was 1B Bon-Sang Choi, although he peaked at 32.1% on his debut before ending at 11.3%. He posted 2454 hits, 1344 runs, 340 doubles, 592 home runs, 1519 RBI, a .274/.339/.517 slash, and 68.5 WAR. Solid power numbers, but he was mostly forgotten on bad Daejeon teams and didn’t have any awards compared to other sluggers at first. Closer Chang-Hee Lee was also dropped after ten tries, peaking at 43.2% on his debut but ending at 7.2%. He won four straight Reliever of the Year awards from 1957-60 with Changwon, but was largely a non-factor after that, bouncing between eight teams in EAB, CABA, and MLB. For his entire pro career, Lee had 255 saves, 2.33 ERA, and 29.5 WAR. Had he stayed in EAB and had maybe two or three more great seasons, he might have gotten the nod.



Jae-Min Lee – Starting Pitcher – Hamhung Heats – 97.4% First Ballot

Jae-Min Lee was a 6’0’’, 180 pound right-handed pitcher from the capital of North Korea, Pyongyang. He had an incredible 99-101 mph fastball and overpowered hitters with his stuff, despite having only slightly above average movement and control. Lee’s stuff was stellar though as he expertly mixed the fastball with a slider and changeup. He was also considered a great defender, winning six straight Gold Gloves from 1971-76. Lee’s stamina was excellent in the front half of his career, leading thrice in complete games. His tireless work ethic also made Lee an endearing player to the public and teammates.

Although Lee grew up in North Korea, he left for Japan as a teenager and played high school baseball at Choshi Shogyo High School in Choshi. He garnered enough attention to be drafted out of high school 19^th overall by Hamhung in the 1968 EAB Draft. He returned home to North Korea and spent 1969 in development, then made eight relief appearances in 1970. Lee became a full-time member of the rotation in 1971 and pitched 220+ innings each year for the next decade with the Heat.

By his second full season, he led the Korea League in strikeouts and wins, winning Pitcher of the Year at age 22. He won it again in 1976 and 1977 and took second place in EAB thrice (1975, 1978, 1979). Lee led in strikeouts six times and led in WAR, WHIP and ERA three straight seasons from 1975-77. 1977 was a Triple Crown season with a 23-5 record, 2.01 ERA, and 374 strikeouts. Lee had a career best 397 Ks in 1976, setting a single-season EAB record that wasn’t topped until 2015. In 1977, he had a no-hitter with 13 strikeouts and one walk against Gwangju.

Hamhung had good teams in the 1970s, but often ended up in second place. They only made the playoffs thrice in his tenure and couldn’t claim the league title. Lee also pitched for North Korea in the World Baseball Championship from 1971-84, although he didn’t match his EAB production with a 4.66 ERA over 164 innings with a 13-10 record, 230 strikeouts, and 2.5 WAR. He did notably have 17 scoreless innings with 29 strikeouts in his two 1976 starts. His playoff starts with the Heat were great with a 1.37 ERA over 19.2 innings. He’d miss the 1976 postseason though to injury.

Lee had a big decision to make after the 1980 season, now 31 years old and a free agent. Big MLB money had an interest and it was too hard to turn down, although he’d remain popular with Hamhung fans and later see his #2 uniform retired. Lee signed a six-year, $5,790,000 deal with Hartford and had an excellent debut season with the Huskies, taking second in National Association Pitcher of the Year voting. Lee got rocked in his one postseason start with Hartford, who was ousted in the second round.

1982 marked the expansion of Major League Baseball and many were stunned when Lee wasn’t on Hartford’s protected list. He ended up the sixth overall pick in the expansion draft by Winnipeg. The Huskies were proven right in the end, as Lee never came close to his previous production the rest of his career. He struggled in 21 starts with the newly minted Wolves franchise, who opted to trade him in the summer to Toronto.

Lee had a solid second half with the Timberwolves, but was terrible in 1983 with a 5.26 ERA and -1.4 WAR. Toronto was stuck with the albatross contract he had signed with Hartford and he was reduced to mop up work in 1984. After spring training 1985, Toronto finally cut Lee. Another new franchise Quebec City gave him a chance, but he was no better there. The Nordiques traded him to Tampa, where he finished the season and retired at age 35. For his MLB career, he had a 3.87 ERA, 38-48 record, 584 strikeouts in 786.1 innings, and 6.5 WAR (although 6.3 of that WAR was from his first Hartford season).

Although it ended poorly for Lee, his EAB Hall of Fame candidacy was based on his Hamhung tenure. With the Heat, he had a 189-89 record, 2.80 ERA, 2588.1 innings, 3273 strikeouts, 222/316 quality starts, and 71.0 WAR. You would be hard pressed to do much better over one decade of work. Some wonder where he could’ve ended up on the leaderboards had he stayed in EAB or if he would have fallen off similarly. But Lee’s Hamhung dominance was more than plenty for EAB’s Hall of Fame voters, giving him the first ballot nod at an impressive 97.4%.



Geun-U Phan – Closer – Pyongyang Phythons – 67.5% First Ballot

Geun-U Phan was a 6’1’’, 200 pound left-handed relief pitcher from the South Korean capital Seoul. Phan was a hard thrower with 98-100 mph peak velocity along with solid control and decent movement. His fastball and splitter were his main two pitches, although he did rarely sneak a changeup in as well. He was considered to have good stamina and durability for a career relief pitcher. Although from the South Korean capital, he’d be best known for playing in the North’s capital, as he was signed as a teenage amateur by Pyongyang.

Phan’s debut came in 1964 at age 22 and he took over the closer role in the next season. He took third in Reliever of the Year voting in 1965, then made history by winning the award five consecutive seasons from 1966-70. Phan was only the second to win the award five times period, joining Hall of Famer Oki Tanaka. He was the leader in appearances five times and saves thrice and had only EAB’s ninth 50+ save season in 1967. Phan also pitched for South Korea’s national team in the World Baseball Championship in eight tournaments from 1969-78. He made five starts with 22 relief appearances, posting a 3.93 ERA and 130 strikeouts in 75.2 innings.

Phan’s biggest success though was in the postseason for Pyongyang’s dynasty. He was there for five straight Korea League titles from 1965-69 with EAB Championships in all of those years sans 1969. In the playoffs, Phan had a 1.45 ERA over 68.1 innings with 17 saves, 91 strikeouts, and 3.1 WAR. In total in only seven seasons with the Pythons, Phan had a 1.61 ERA, 262 saves, 566.1 innings, 800 strikeouts, and 22.9 WAR.

At age 29, Phan became a free agent and word of his dominance reached across the Pacific. Oklahoma City signed him to a three-year, $834,000 deal to come to MLB. He’d be a mid-level reliever in his first year who struggled in limited use, although he became the closer in 1972 and looked respectable. The Outlaws decided to trade him to Cincinnati for the 1973 season, where he struggled in the closer role with a 4.76 ERA. Phan re-signed with OKC in 1974, then spent 1975 barely used by Seattle. Calgary gave him innings in 1976, but this effectively ended his MLB tenure which saw a 3.46 ERA, 75 saves, 341 innings, 288 strikeouts, and 4.2 WAR.

At age 35, Phan returned to EAB and signed with Goyang in 1977. After a decent return season, he went to Daegu and regained a closer role in 1978. Phan was back to lesser use after that in 1979, then wrapped his EAB career with Daejeon in 1980. MLB’s Washington signed him in 1981 but never used him, releasing him after a month. Louisville picked him up for 13 innings with retirement after the season at age 39.

For his entire pro career, Phan had 382 saves, 2.26 ERA, 1109 innings, 1325 strikeouts, and 33.6 WAR. For just EAB, he had 307 saves and 345 shutdowns, a 1.73 ERA, 1037 strikeouts over 768 innings, and 29.4 WAR. His seven years with Pyongyang were elite, but the rest of his career was very unremarkable. When looking at the other Hall of Famers in EAB, none had fewer innings pitched than Phan, although his ERA was the best of any relievers in the HOF. Many thought his tenure wasn’t long enough to be deserving, but others felt his playoff dominance and five Reliever of the Year awards were more than worthy. Phan ended up winning enough voters over to get a first ballot selection, albeit barely across the 66% mark at 67.5%.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1986 BSA Hall of Fame

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Beisbol Sudamerica welcomed three players into the Hall of Fame for the 1986 class. RF Jael Pablo and SP Will Feliciano both received first ballot recognition with 98.0% for the former and 91.8% for the latter. Joining them was closer Tomas Nobel, barely crossing the 66% threshold with 66.3% on his second attempt. Also above 50% were 1B Cy Cavazos at 58.0% on his third ballot and SP Franklin Flor with 54.5% for his ninth go. No players were dropped after ten failed ballots.



Jael Pablo – Right Field – Rio de Janeiro Redbirds – 98.0% First Ballot

Jael Pablo was a 6’1’’, 200 pound right-handed right fielder from Manaus, a city of more than two million people in the Amazon Rainforest of Brazil. Pablo was a very well-rounded hitter who effectively hit for contact and power, batting above .300 with around 35-40 home runs per year. He was also pretty good at drawing walks, although more average at avoiding strikeouts. Pablo had gap power along with home power, good for around 30 doubles and 10 triples per season. He was able to leg out extra bases with very good speed. Pablo primarily played right field, although he made some starts in left. Generally in right, he was viewed as a delightfully average defender. Pablo was a team captain and a respected leader in the clubhouse.

Pablo was a highly touted Brazilian prospect and Rio de Janeiro snatched him up with the ninth pick in the 1965 Beisbol Sudamerica Draft. He played 64 games in 1966, then took over a full-time starting job after. Pablo won his first of four consecutive Silver Sluggers in 1969. In 1970, he led the Southern Cone League in home runs (44), RBI (114), and runs scored (101). He led again in RBI in 1972 while also leading in total bases and slugging. Pablo had seven straight seasons with a wRC+ of 185 or better for the Redbirds. He never won MVP, but took second in 1970, third in 1971, and second again in 1972.

Prior to Pablo’s tenure, Rio de Janeiro had only made the playoffs once before. He helped them put together a surprise 102-60 run in 1970 that ended with the Copa Sudamerica crown. Pablo added 9 hits, 4 runs, 4 doubles, and 2 home runs in 11 playoff starts. Although it was their only playoff berth in his eight year tenure, Pablo is forever fondly remembered for his role in bringing the Cup to Rio. His #13 uniform would be retired at the end of his career. With the Redbirds, Pablo had 1157 hits, 668 runs, 255 home runs, 636 RBI, a .298/.365/.577 slash and 52.5 WAR.

Rio couldn’t keep him though as the 31-year old Pablo opted to test free agency after the 1973 season. He signed a six-year, $1,664,000 deal with Fortaleza. Pablo maintained the same impressive production with the Foxes, taking third in 1976’s MVP voting. At this point, he also began playing for Brazil in the World Baseball Championship. Pablo made 100 starts from 1974-81 with 98 hits, 79 runs, 14 doubles, 44 home runs, 88 RBI, and 6.9 WAR.

In total in just four seasons with Fortaleza, Pablo had 721 hits, 388 runs, 141 home runs, 389 RBI, a .334/.385/.628 slash, and 32.4 WAR. The Foxes were middling in his tenure though, which was sandwiched between their 1972 and 1978 league titles. Pablo opted out of his contract with two years left to become a free agent before the 1978 season at age 35. He signed a four-year, $1,484,000 deal with Recife, which was entering its fifth season post expansion.

Injuries cost Pablo key starts with the Retrievers, although his numbers were still excellent. 1980 was poised to be a career year with 42 home runs and 6.6 WAR in only 111 games, but his was fallen by a bone spur in his elbow. Still, this effort won his fifth and final Silver Slugger and a third place in MVP voting. The prior year, elbow tendinitis and a fractured finger kept him out of the lineup. Still, in three seasons with Recife, Pablo had 433 hits, 241 runs, 105 home runs, 259 RBI, and 18.8 WAR.

Pablo became a free agent again now at age 38 and MLB’s Denver gave him a hefty $1,880,000 deal, more than double his best yearly salary with Recife. His two years with the Dragons though were plagued with injuries and mediocrity. Pablo ended up with -0.9 WAR over 135 games and called it quits after the 1982 season at age 39.

Pablo’s final stats in South America saw 2311 hits, 1297 runs, 372 doubles, 130 triples, 501 home runs, 1284 RBI, 724 stolen bases, a .314/.372/.604 slash, 196 wRC+, and 103.7 WAR. At induction, he was 14^th all-time in hitting WAR for a BSA player. Pablo was one of the most consistently high-level batters of his era and was an easy choice for the voters with 98.0% on his first ballot.



Will Feliciano – Starting Pitcher – Cordoba Chanticleers – 91.8% First Ballot

Will Feliciano was a 6’4’’, 200 pound right-handed starting pitcher from Buenos Aires, Argentina. He had extraordinary movement on his pitches with 98-100 mph peak velocity, good stuff, and average control. Feliciano had a three-pitch arsenal of fastball, curveball, changeup; but the elite movement made him untouchable at his best. He was also renowned as an ironman who never missed a start and had great stamina, tossing 250+ innings in every season from 1960-1977. Feliciano was a good defender and a very intelligent pitcher, although the knock on him was a lack of effort and leadership.

Feliciano was a sought after prospect within the Argentine amateur baseball scene and he was picked 12^th overall by Cordoba in the 1958 BSA Draft. He was only used sparingly in relief in 1959, then became a full-time starter in 1960 and for the next two decades. In his first full season, he impressed enough to earn third place in Pitcher of the Year voting. In 1962, Feliciano won the award for the first time by posting only the fifth pitching Triple Crown in BSA history with a 25-5 record, 1.35 ERA, and 348 strikeouts. That season, he also became one of a very select group of professional pitchers with two no-hitters in the same season. He struck out 12 with one walk against Montevide on May 8 and fanned seven with one walk against Asuncion on June 28.

Feliciano also began a lengthy run pitching for Argentina in the World Baseball Championship. He made 44 appearances from 1961-78 and posted a 2.90 ERA over 298 innings with 321 strikeouts, a 16-12 record, and 7.7 WAR. 1962 also saw two solid playoff starts with Cordoba, although they fell in the Southern Cone Championship to Salvador. The Chanticleers would be a mid-level team for the rest of his run, but Feliciano was still great. He won Pitcher of the Year twice more (1964 & 1964). In total with Cordoba, he had a 138-80 record, 2.06 ERA, 2127 innings, 2282 strikeouts, and 56.9 WAR.

Entering the 1967 season, free agency loomed for the 30-year old Feliciano and Cordoba realized it would be difficult to match his demands. They would trade for three players at the deadline to Quito, although the Chanticleers would memorialize his run much later by retiring his #35 uniform. He had a strong finish with the Thunderbolts, but they’d fall two games short of the division title. Feliciano entered free agency and had international suitors, eventually taking a five-year, $1,128,000 deal to join MLB’s Buffalo.

Feliciano led the National Association in wins thrice and WAR twice with the Blue Sox, certainly living up to the deal. His first two seasons in Buffalo saw two Pitcher of the Year awards, making him one of a very small group to win the award multiple times across multiple leagues. The Blue Sox made the playoffs twice in his run to snap a decade-plus drought, although they couldn’t get beyond round two. In total with Buffalo, Feliciano had a 77-56 record, 2.80 ERA, 1232.2 innings, 914 strikeouts, and 31.6 WAR.

The Blue Sox fell off a cliff hard in 1972, the last year of Feliciano’s contract. Hoping to restock, they traded him at the deadline for prospects to New Orleans, who had won the previous two World Series. The Mudcats made it a three-peat and Feliciano earned a ring, although that season’s production was the first time in his career that he was merely above average instead of great. Still, it was worth the rental for New Orleans to shore up the rotation. Feliciano was a free agent again now at age 36 and signed a two-year deal with Miami.

The next few years of his career, Feliciano was no longer dominant with his velocity diminishing. The ironman still reliably got you innings with average to above average production. He spent 1973-74 with the Mallards, then played 1975 with Pittsburgh. 1976 and 1977 were spent in Louisville with 23.4 WAR accumulated between those stops.

However, Feliciano fell off after that and was reduced to only part-time starting jobs or bullpen spots. 1978 was split between San Antonio and Kansas City. 1979 was split between Indianapolis and Cincinnati. Still, for his MLBL career, Feliciano had a 178-142 record, 3.21 ERA, 2948.1 innings, 1841 strikeouts, and 59.1 WAR. He didn’t play long enough to get traction for the MLB Hall of Fame, but still received 21.9% on his second ballot there. He would attempt a South American comeback in 1980 with Rosario, but stunk in 33 innings and had to finally retire at age 44.

For his entire pro career, Feliciano had a 328-228 record, 2.72 ERA, 5219 innings, 4256 strikeouts, 466/637 quality starts, 260 complete games, a FIP- of 80, and 120.3 WAR. For just Beisbol Sudamerica, he had a 138-80 record, 2.06 ERA, 2127 innings, 2282 strikeouts, 202/244 quality starts, 122 complete games 72 FIP-, and 56.9 WAR. The totals aren’t at the top of the leaderboards since he left, but he was no doubt one of the premiere pitchers in Argentina in the 1960s. The voters were sold on his overall resume and gave Feliciano a first ballot selection with 91.8%.



Tomas Nobel – Closer – Brasilia Bearcats – 66.3% Second Ballot

Tomas Nobel was a 6’1’’, 200 pound right-handed relief pitcher from Porto Alegre, the southernmost Brazilian capital with nearly 1,500,000 people. Nobel threw fire with 98-100 mph peak velocity on a great fastball that he mixed with an excellent curveball. The curveball’s great movement, plus decent enough control, made Nobel a tough pitcher. Relievers don’t always get a lot of attention, but a young Nobel caught the eye of Brasilia, who picked him 15^th overall in the 1968 Beisbol Sudamerica Draft.

Nobel was a setup man in his first two seasons, then took over the closer job for the following seven years with the Bearcats. He had five seasons with 40+ saves and led the Southern Cone League in saves four times. Nobel’s 1971 efforts earned him Reliever of the Year, which would be his only time winning the award. Still, he was a finalist multiple times with a third in 1973, second in 1975, second in 1976, second in 1977, and second in 1978. He also pitched for Brazil in the World Baseball Championship from 1972-81, posting a 2.91 ERA over 133 innings with 218 strikeouts.

Brasilia had a winning record each season Nobel was there, but the only made the playoffs once with an LCS defeat to Santiago. In total with the Bearcats, he had a 1.84 ERA, 285 saves, 708.2 innings, 1198 strikeouts, and 33.9 WAR. After the 1977 season, the Bearcats traded him to Fortaleza, where he’d earn his 300^th career save. Brasilia would later opt to retire his #2 uniform. After one season with the Foxes, the now 33-year old Nobel was a free agent and he decided to take a hefty pay increase and sign with MLB’s Chicago Cubs.

Nobel wouldn’t be a closer in Major League Baseball, but he did bounce around for five seasons with respectable results. He played 1979 and 1980 with the Cubs, then 1981 with Las Vegas, 1982 with Austin, and 1983 with Atlanta. Nobel had a minor league deal with San Diego in 1984, but was washed and had injury issues that season, never making it back to the bigs. He opted to retire at age 38 and for his MLB tenure had a 3.19 ERA with 10 saves over 242.1 innings, 212 strikeouts, and 2.5 WAR.

For his Beisbol Sudamerica career, Nobel had 313 saves and 366 shutdowns, a 1.82 ERA, 786.2 innings, 1337 strikeouts, a FIP- of 42, and 38.8 WAR. There had been relievers that had gotten into the pitcher-friendly BSA Hall of Fame with similar or slightly weaker numbers, but his tallies weren’t a slam dunk by any means. Nobel missed the Hall on his first ballot at 59.1%, but got the slight bump to 66.3% for his second try to just reach across the line and secure a spot among the greats.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1986 EBF Hall of Fame

Pitcher Joshua Chaillot was the only member of the 1986 Hall of Fame class for the European Baseball Federation, getting a first ballot induction at 85.3%. Only one other guy even got above 50% with 1B Isak Steffensen at 51.7% for his fourth attempt.



One player fell off after ten failed ballots in closer Jesse Legault, who bounced around over 14 years between EBF, MLB, and OBA. Combined, he had 2.35 ERA, two Reliever of the Year awards, 252 saves, 836.1 innings, 1192 strikeouts, and 26.4 WAR. That resume is likely short on its own and keep in mind this included three leagues of totals. Still, he managed to get 45.8% on his debut before plunging to 11.3% by the end.



Joshua Chaillot – Starting Pitcher – Rotterdam Ravens – 85.3% First Ballot

Joshua Chaillot was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Ajaccio, a French commune with around 70,000 people and the capital of the island of Corsica. Chaillot had very good stuff with solid movement, which allowed him to succeed despite below average control. His velocity topped out in the 96-98 mph range and he had four equal potent pitches with a fastball, curveball, screwball, and forkball; plus a weak changeup. Chaillot was also a solid batter for a pitcher and occasionally got pinch hit appearances, posting a .235/.306/.392 slash with 3.1 WAR and 16 home runs in his career.

Chaillot left for England’s RAF College Cranwell to play college baseball, although he wasn’t a top end prospect. He was picked in the third round of the 1966 EBF Draft with the 77^th overall pick by Rotterdam. Chaillot made only three appearances in 1967 and then was a part-time starter the next year. He earned a full-time spot in the rotation in 1969, although injuries hurt him early on. He suffered a torn back muscle in August 1969 and missed the postseason run as the Ravens won the European Championship. Chaillot needed surgery for bone chips in his elbow in July 1970.

For the next few years after that though, he became a solid ace for the Ravens, who remained a consistent contender in the 1970s. Chaillot was the leader in quality starts twice and FIP- thrice. He wouldn’t lead the big categories generally though and never won Pitcher of the Year, although he was third in 1971, second in 1972, third in 1974, and second in 1977. Chaillot also pitched for France in the World Baseball Championship from 1971-75, posting a 3.86 ERA over 39.2 innings with 63 strikeouts.

It was the postseason where Chaillot excelled and really earned his Hall of Fame spot. Rotterdam made it to the Northern Conference Championship eight times in his tenure and won the European Championship four times. Over 161 career playoff innings, Chaillot had an 11-3 record, 1.51 ERA, 205 strikeouts, and 6.5 WAR with 18/21 of his starts being quality starts. At induction, he was second all-time in playoff strikeouts and third in pitching WAR.

1975 saw a major setback with a torn UCL in late September. He battled back with a career-best 1.50 ERA in his limited action in 1976 and had a 0.32 ERA over 28 playoff innings. In 1977, Chaillot tossed a no-hitter with 14 strikeouts and two walks against Luxembourg. 1978 saw Chaillot lead in ERA for the first time in his career, although forearm inflammation cost him from a full season. Injuries started to catch up into his mid 30s with only 86.2 innings in his last season. The Ravens bought out the final year of his big 1974 contract and Chaillot retired at age 36. That winter, Rotterdam held a ceremony to retire his #35 uniform.

Chaillot’s final stats: 185-79 record, 2.41 ERA, 2473.1 innings, 2958 strikeouts to 646 walks, 241/333 quality starts, 68 FIP-, and 71.3 WAR. The accumulations are on the lower end with fewer innings, but his ERA and rate stats are more than belonging. Chaillot’s clutch performances in the playoffs generally won over voters who might have felt he have enough innings to deserve the distinction. Chaillot was a first ballot nod at 85.3% and the lone member of EBF’s 1986 Hall of Fame class.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1986 EPB Hall of Fame

Eurasian Professional Baseball’s 1986 Hall of Fame class was a very solid one with three first-ballot picks that received more than 85%. Pitcher Alvi Tahiri was nearly unanimous with 99.0% and 3B Zaur Kadirov was close behind with 97.5%. Pitcher Georgi Egorov joined them with his own very sturdy 87.9%. Two second-ballot guys were above 50%, but short of the 66% requirement. Pitchers Pavel Melnichuk and Serhiy Belov had 61.0% and 57.5%, respectively.



Dropped following ten ballots was Hryoriy Boychuk, a four time Reliever of the Year winner and two-time EPB champ with Kyiv. In 11 seasons, he had a 1.01 ERA, 297 saves, 797 innings, 1284 strikeouts, and 52.0 WAR. Relievers with far less WAR and worse ERAs had gotten in elsewhere, but Boychuk didn’t have the innings to win over enough voters. He got very close at 63.8% on his second ballot, but dropped to 15.2% by the end.

Another closer was dropped after ten tries in Zhaksylyk Sarychev, who won Reliever of the Year twice and won two titles with Minsk. He had a 1.39 ERA, 276 saves, 793.2 innings, 1277 strikeouts, and 44.0 WAR. If Boychuk wasn’t going to get in though, Sarychev similar but weaker resume wasn’t either. He also came close with a 60.3% debut, but was at 14.6% by the end.



Alvi Tahiri – Starting Pitcher – Helsinki Honkers – 99.0% First Ballot

Alvi Tahiri was a 5’11’’, 195 pound right-handed pitcher from from Elbasan, the fourth largest city in Albania with around 140,000 people. Despite his smaller frame, he was one of the hardest throwing and most impressive strikeout pitchers of all-time with incredible stuff and solid movement. Tahiri had 99-101 mph on his fastball and mixed it with a great splitter, good curveball, and occasional changeup. His control was erratic at times, but he made up for it with his overpowering stuff. Tahiri also had incredible stamina with more complete games than any pitcher in professional baseball history. Despite his longevity, he was sometimes criticized for being greedy and lacking a work ethic.

Tahiri’s unique career began when he was picked 37^th overall by Sofia in the 1957 EPB Draft; the third pick of supplemental round one. Few remember he was drafted by the Spikes, as the tenure was very short lived. Tahiri struggled in his limited appearances with Sofia in 1958 and the team traded him to Helsinki with two other players for 1B Olxandr Boyko. He finished the year as a reliever for the Honkers, then was a back-end starter in 1959. 1960 began a streak of 14 straight seasons with Helsinki where Tahiri tossed more than 265 innings.

Once he became a bit less wild, Tahiri became an all-time great strikeout pitcher. He led the European League in Ks ten times from 1963-72, including 425 in 1971 for the second-most in an EPB season to date. Tahiri led in innings pitched four times, complete games six times, WAR five times, and FIP- four times. He had 12 straight seasons worth 8+ WAR and six times had seasons in the double-digits. Tahiri also led in ERA in 1966 with Helsinki and WHIP in 1963. He had a record 19 strikeout no-hitter in 1963 against Budapest and had a 21 strikeout extra-inning game in 1968 against Warsaw.

Despite all of that above, Tahiri never won Pitcher of the Year. He finished second in 1963, 64, 66, 69, 71, and 73. Tahiri never got much attention being stuck in Finland as Helsinki only made the playoffs once in his tenure and typically had a losing record. He racked up the stats though, becoming the first EPB pitcher to 5000 career strikeouts and the second to 250 wins while with the Honkers. In total with Helsinki, Tahiri had a 259-185 record, 2.37 ERA, 4144.1 innings, 5370 strikeouts, 1163 walks, 295 complete games, and 135.3 WAR. The Honkers would retire his #19 uniform; the only player to earn the honor so far for the franchise.

Tahiri’s tenure in Finland ended after the 1973 season as the now 36-year old wanted to try free agency. He signed to a two-year, $480,000 deal with Dushanbe, who had been a playoff team in recent memory. Tahiri had a fine 1974 season, but missed a month to a biceps injury. Before the 1975 season, the Dynamo opted to trade for three prospects to perennial contender Minsk. Tahiri led in ERA for the second-time in his career with a career-best 1.63, but he fell short of 200 innings for the first time since the start of his career due to radial nerve compression putting him out seven months.

Tahiri was a free agent again for 1976, now 38 and coming off a big injury. Irkutsk took a chance on him and he ended up pitching four seasons for the Ice Cats, although he was no longer the dominant force or the innings eater he previously was. Tahiri did make his lone Soviet Series appearance in 1977, although his limited playoff innings in his career saw an unremarkable 4.08 ERA. With the Ice Cats, Tahiri had a 44-43 record, 2.87 ERA, 849.1 innings, 854 strikeouts, and 12.1 WAR. He joined Moscow in 1980 for his final season, retiring at age 42.

Tahiri’s final stats: 349-265 record, 2.50 ERA, 5699.1 innings, 6909 strikeouts to 1502 walks, 486/664 quality starts, 386 complete games, 60 shutouts, 70 FIP-, and 160.8 WAR. As of 2037, Tahiri remains EPB’s all-time leader in wins (and losses), starts, complete games, innings, strikeouts, walks, and WAR. As of 2037 in any league, he has the most complete games, second most innings, second most strikeouts, and fourth most pitching WAR. It’s amazing that a guy can have that kind of stats and yet didn’t win a Pitcher of the Year or have any notable playoff success. Still, any conversation about EPB’s all-time best pitcher has Tahiri included prominently and he was a shoo-in Hall of Famer with 99.0%.



Zaur Kadirov – Third Base/Designated Hitter – Tashkent Tomcats – 97.5% First Ballot

Zaur Kadirov was a 5’10’’, 200 pound third baseman from Namangan, a city with just over one million people in eastern Uzbekistan. Kadirov was known for solid power and an incredible knack for drawing walks. He led the Asian League in walks drawn in nine different seasons. Despite that, he was an iffy contact hitter who struck out a bit more than the average hitter. Kadirov got you around 30 home runs and 20 doubles per year and had decent baserunning speed. He never played defensively anywhere outside of third base and was a lousy defender. About 1/3 of his career starts came as a designated hitter, although either way he was almost always in the lineup over most of a 25 year pro career.

Kadirov was a popular amateur in his native Uzbekistan, which caught the attention of the country’s team in Tashkent. He was picked 10^th overall in the 1955 EPB Draft and spent his entire career with the Tomcats. He debuted at only age 19, although he was a relatively unsuccessful backup in his first four seasons. Kadirov became the full-time starter in 1960 and held that job for the next two decades with 17 of those seasons seeing 150+ games played. He also was a fixture for the Uzbek team in the World Baseball Championship with 151 games from 1959-80. In the WBC, Kadirov had 104 hits, 100 runs, 54 home runs, 99 RBI, and 8.2 WAR.

Kadirov’s second full season as a starter saw a league and career best 9.0 WAR, which got him his first Silver Slugger and a second place in MVP voting. He’d win the Slugger nine times, also taking it in 63, 64, 67, 68, 68, 70, 72, and 78. Kadirov’s average wasn’t good enough for him to lead the league often in stats, but he still hit 35+ home runs six times and 100+ RBI thrice. Most notably, he led in walks nine times.

Tashkent was primarily an average team in his lengthy tenure, but Kadirov did lead them in 1969 to their first-ever Asian league title, falling to Minsk in the Soviet Series. Kadirov was the Asian League Championship Series MVP this season. They made the playoffs seven times in his tenure with him posting 45 starts, 42 hits, 20 runs, 10 home runs, 24 RBI, and 2.1 WAR. After years of steady production, Kadriov exploded with a career season in 1972 at age 35. He smacked 52 home runs with 112 RBI, 101 runs, a .552 slugging, and 180 wRC+, all league bests. This earned him his lone MVP.

He never replicated that season again, but still remained a solid starter for about another decade. It wasn’t until the 1980 season at age 43 that Kadirov finally had a bad season, plagued by a broken hand that put him out three months. The loyal soldier for the Tomcats knew it was time to retire at age 43 and Tashkent immediately retired the #16 uniform of their favorite countryman after 25 fine years of service.

Kadirov’s final stats: 2716 hits, 1619 runs, 423 doubles, 604 home runs, 1546 RBI, 1582 walks, a .243/.339/.451 slash, 143 wRC+, and 107.2 WAR. As of 2037, he remains the all-time EPB leader in games played and walks drawn. At induction, he was second in batting WAR, sixth in home runs, fifth in RBI, and fifth in hits. Kadirov is still fifth best in hitting WAR as of 2037. He helped many in Uzbekistan fall in love with baseball and was an easy induction on the first ballot with 97.5%.



Georgi Egorov – Starting Pitcher – St. Petersburg Polar Bears – 87.9% First Ballot

Georgi Egorov was a 5’10’’, 190 pound left-handed pitcher from Kazan, the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan within the Russian Federation. Egorov had solid stuff with 96-98 mph velocity on a very good fastball, mixed with a slider, curveball, and cutter. His movement was below average with decent control, but his stuff typically covered for his weaknesses. Egorov had solid stamina and durability and was good at holding runners, although he was considered a terrible defender. He was a fan favorite who was scrappy and worked hard, endearing himself as one of Russia’s most popular players despite never playing in the World Baseball Championship.

Egorov was picked 66^th overall late in the second round of the 1964 EPB Draft by St. Petersburg. He spent his entire pro career with the Polar Bears and was a full-time starter in his third season after limited use initially. Egorov wasn’t one to lead the league, he only once led in WHIP and once in quality starts. However, he still posted eight seasons worth 6+ WAR.

His status as a favorite of St. Petersburg fans was solidified in 1971 when the Polar Bears snapped a six-year playoff drought. As the second wild card, they went on a surprise run all the way to the Soviet Series and the EPB title. In the playoffs, Egorov had a 0.69 ERA over 39.1 innings with 44 strikeouts, playing a massive role in their run. His later playoff appearances were more pedestrian, but he still finished with a 2.44 playoff ERA over 136.2 innings with 165 strikeouts.

St. Petersburg went on a run of six straight playoff berths from 1974-79, winning the European League title in 1976 and 1977. Egorov got his second Soviet Series ring with their 1977 title. In 1974, he won his lone Pitcher of the Year and took third in 1975. Another highlight came back in 1971, a no-hitter with nine strikeouts and one walk against Budapest. Egorov carried on into his 30s, although his productivity dropped a bit in 1978. They moved him to part-time starter and part-time relief the next year with some success, but shoulder inflammation would end his season. It ultimately ended his career, as he required surgery and opted to leave the game at age 35 instead of trying to return after 15 months. The Polar Bears quickly retired his #48 uniform.

The final stats for Egorov, 199-120 record, 2.42 ERA, 3157 innings, 3751 strikeouts to 585 walks, 288/392 quality starts, 116 complete games, 77 FIP-, and 77.1 WAR. He didn’t have the longevity to be near the top of the leaderboard, but he had some confidence he’d get in with some others with similar stats getting the call. Being a one-team lifer and the amazing playoff run in 1971 was more than enough for most voters, giving Egorov the first ballot selection at 87.9% as the third member of the 1986 class.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1986 OBA Hall of Fame (Part 1)

The Oceania Baseball Association’s Hall of Fame had grown to four players after the 1985 ballot. The 1986 would more than double that with an impressive five-player class. Each player would earn the spot on their debut ballot, led by a nearly unanimous 99.3% berth for DH Sione Hala. LF Alpati Tatupu was close behind with 90.3%. The other three were in the 70s, but still got in with SP Zachary Nelson at 74.0%, 1B Seymour Lennox at 72.2%, and SP Luke King at 71.1%. No one else was above 50%.



One player was dropped after ten ballots with closer Damon Pydida ending at a mere 2.2%. He debuted at 27.7% and had a 11 year career mostly with Perth, winning three Reliever of the Years and posting 184 saves, a 1.73 RA, 576.2 innings, 769 strikeouts, and 24.5 WAR. A nice run, but lacking the longevity or raw dominance needed to get more of a look in.



Sione “Electric” Hala – Designated Hitter/Right Field/First Base – Guam Golden Eagles – 99.3% First Ballot

Sione Hala was a 5’10’’, 200 pound right-handed hitter from Mu’a, a small town of the island of Tongatapu; Tonga’s main island. Hala is one of the best pure hitters in baseball history with tremendous contact and power. He managed in a very low offense environment in OBA to hit 40+ home runs ten times and bat above .300 eight times. Hala also was good for around 30 doubles per year, although he didn’t leg out many triples with slow baserunning speed. Hala was okay at drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts, but not amazing at either. He made about half of his career starts as a DH with the rest split between right field and first baseball; he was a lousy fielder in both spots. But Hala was an elite bat and an ironman who played 148+ games in 17 consecutive seasons, making him one of the first superstars of the Pacific League.

Hala’s bat drew plenty of attention even in a small place like Tonga and he was picked second overall in the 1962 OBA Draft by Guam. He remained on the reserve roster in 1963, then made a few starts and pinch hit appearances in 1964. Hala’s first full-time season was 1965 and he immediately delivered a batting title with a league-best .931 OPS and 7.7 WAR. This earned his first of nine MVPs and his first of 12 Silver Sluggers. For much of this era in OBA, you could reliably count on Hala winning the Pacific League MVP and Jimmy Caliw taking the Australasia League’s MVP.

Hala’s additional MVPs came in 1967, 68, 69, 72, 73, 75, 77, and 80, while also taking third in 1966, second in 1970, and third in 1974, He won eight straight Silver Sluggers from 1965-73 with the first six as a right fielder. His remaining Sluggers would be at DH in 1971, 72, 75, 77, 78, and 79. Hala was constantly atop the leaderboards during this run, leading in runs scored five times, hits seven times, doubles twice, home runs nine times, RBI seven times, total bases ten times, average five times, OBP four times, slugging, OPS, and wRC+ each ten times, and WAR seven times. His 59 home runs in 1968 was the single-season record for almost two decades in OBA, as was his 130 RBI and 1.0567 OPS in 1967. He had the first ever Triple Crown hitting season in OBA in 1966, then did it again in 1967 and 1977. As of 2037, OBA has had ten Triple Crown hitting seasons, Hala has three.

Guam was consistently competitive during Hala’s reign. The Golden Eagles won the Pacific League title in 1967 and 1969, but then had a decade-long drought. Hala remained a constant and as a wily veteran, helped them to a record-setting 112-50 1979 season. They won the Oceania Championship and set the records for most wins in a season. They dropped to 95 wins in 1980, but earned back-to-back titles. In his playoff career with Guam, Hala had 39 starts, 44 hits, 20 runs, 6 doubles, 9 home runs, 21 RBI, and 1.9 WAR.

He didn’t seem to slow down into his 30s and continued to make history. He was the first to 500 career home runs, then the first to 600. Hala was the second to reach 2000 hits (behind only fellow Class of 86 Hall of Famer Alapti Tatupu by a month), was the first to 1000 runs scored, 1000 RBI, and 1500 RBI. When his OBA tenure ended, he was the all-time leader in home runs, RBI, hits, and runs scored; and second in doubles (by one to Tatupu) and second in WAR (behind Caliw).

After winning back-to-back titles with Guam, there wasn’t too much more for the now 38-year old Hala to accomplish there. MLB’s St. Louis came knocking with $960,000 per year, more than his last four years with the Golden Eagles combined. Guam fans were disappointed, but understood his decision to head stateside. Hala’s #13 uniform naturally would be retired soon after.

He joined the Cardinals in 1981 and had a respectable season, although his power fell off significantly with only 20 home runs. In 1982, he suffered a torn calf muscle in April that put him out four months. Hala was merely okay returning later in the regular season, but he found some of that old electric bat in the postseason. In 16 playoff starts, Hala had 20 hits, 9 runs, 3 doubles, 4 home runs, and 10 RBI, helping St. Louis to win the 1982 World Series. His contract expired and he joined Miami for two years and $2,320,000. Hala had some nice power and could be used as a DH again in 1983. Only 20 games into 1984 though, the Mallards opted to release Hala and that ended his career at age 41. For his MLB tenure, he had 419 hits, 213 runs, 64 home runs, 239 RBI, and 5.7 WAR.

For his entire pro career, Hala had 3291 hits, 1615 runs, 508 doubles, 755 home runs, 1843 RBI, a .293/.343/.549 slash, 181 wRC+, and 125.5 WAR. In just OBA with Guam, he had 2872 hits, 1402 runs, 444 doubles, 691 home runs, 1604 RBI, a .296/.345/.564 slash, 191 wRC+, and 119.9 WAR. Later OBA stars passed him for first in the major stats, but as of 2037 he’s still fifth in homers, eighth in RBI, 13^th in runs, 13^th in hits, and third in WAR. The common debate still is who was better between him and Jimmy Caliw. Most would agree Hala was the better batter (and maybe the best pure bat in OBA history), but Hala had negative defensive value while Caliw earned the WARlord with a great bat and stellar defense. Either way, Hala is a legend of Pacific baseball for good reason and one of Tonga’s favorite sons. His 99.3% of the vote is frankly too low.



Alapati “Headgame” Tatupu – Left Field – Christchurch Chinooks – 90.3% First Ballot

Alapati Tatupu was a 6’3’’, 200 pound left-handed hitting left fielder from Pago Pago, the capital of American Samoa. Tatupu was a terrific contact hitter who also had a respectable knack for drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts. He was lightning quick and very crafty, making him one of OBA’s most dangerous baserunners ever. Despite that, he still had a good pop in his bat and averaged around 25-30 doubles, 15-20 triples, and 15-20 home runs per year. Tatupu was a career left fielder and despite his speed, he was a terrible defender. Still, had had a great bat and was very reliable and durabe, playing in 140+ games in all but his first two seasons. He was one of the most popular players of the era with fans and teammates as a hardworking, intelligent, and overall likeable guy.

Tatupu was spotted at a camp in 1959 by a scout from Christchurch and signed as a teenage amateur. His debut came four years later with a few at-bats as a 19-year old. The Chinooks earned their first-ever Oceania Championship that year with the young Tatupu starting six games and getting eight hits and two runs. Tatupu started a good chunk of 1964 and earned second in Rookie of the Year voting. He took over a full-time job the next season and started 130+ games each year for the next 16 years. Tatupu’s early 20s were his most impressive as he won four batting titles and also led the Australasia League four times in hits, six times in OBP, and six times in stolen bases.

Tatupu’s finest season came in 1968 where he led the league in runs, hits, total bases, triple slash, OPS, wRC+, and WAR. This earned him his lone MVP of his career. His lack of home run numbers and sharing a league with Jimmy Caliw cost him other chances at the top award, but he did place second in 1967 and third in 1969. Tatupu was a ten time Silver Slugger winner (1965-69, 71-72, 74-75, 76). He also played five times in the World Baseball Championship, eligible for the United States team as a citizen of American Samoa. He had 30 hits, 21 runs, 10 home runs, 23 RBI, and 14 stolen bases in 31 games and won world titles in 1968 and 1971.

Christchurch won the league title in his rookie year, but they never got back in the rest of his run and had fallen to the bottom of the standings by the 1970s. In 15 seasons with the Chinooks, Tatupu had 2172 hits, 996 runs, 342 doubles, 195 triples, 228 home runs, 835 RBI, 1000 stolen bases, a .296/.344/.488 slash, and 75.3 WAR. His #76 uniform would later be retired by the team. Tatupu had remained solid in his later years, but had his worst season in 1976 at age 32. Christchurch decided to trade him before the 1977 season straight up to Perth for 3B Jarrod Stacy.

Tatupu was never elite with the Penguins, but he found his rhythm and was again a solid starter. He spent four seasons with the Penguins, who won the AL in 1978 and 1979. Tatupu earned his second OBA ring in 1978 as Perth won the title with a then-record setting 111-51 season. In 12 playoff games, Tatupu had 14 hits, 8 runs, 4 home runs, and 8 RBI. His productivity fell off a bit again in his last year of 1980 and he decided to retire at age 37. For his Perth run, Tatupu had 618 hits, 304 runs, 103 doubles, 49 triples, 46 home runs, 201 RBI, 250 stolen bases, a .279/.331/.431 slash, and 9.7 WAR.

For his full career, Tatupu had 2790 hits, 1300 runs, 445 doubles, 244 triples, 274 home runs, 1036 RBI, 1250 stolen bases, a .292/.341/.475 slash, 151 wRC+, and 85.1 WAR. At retirement, he was second all-time in hits and runs behind Sione Hala. Tatupu was the doubles leader by one over Hala, He was the stolen bases king and held that title until the late 2010s, still sitting third most in OBA as of 2037. At induction, Tatupu was also fourth all-time in OBA hitting WAR and sits 21^st as of 2037. Tatupu may not have gotten the publicity of a Hala or Caliw, but he was very popular and had an excellent career certainly deserving of the first ballot induction at 90.3%.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1986 OBA Hall of Fame (Part 2)



Zachary Nelson – Starting Pitcher – Auckland Avengers – 74.0% First Ballot

Zachary Nelson was a 5’10’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Adelaide, the capital of South Australia. Nelson was a well-rounded pitcher with solid stuff, movement, and control. His velocity peaked at 95-97 mph with the somewhat unusual arsenal of forkball, changeup, splitter, and cutter. Nelson had excellent durability for the front end of his career. He was also a great defensive pitcher who was stellar at holding runners.

Nelson was one of the top Australian prospects for the 1963 OBA Draft and Auckland selected him fourth overall. He was immediately a full-time starter, winning 1964 Rookie of the Year. He spent seven years as the ace of the Avengers. His third, fourth, and fifth seasons were very impressive as he led the Australasia League in WAR each time, while also leading in strikeouts twice. Nelson’s 1968 season earned him Pitcher of the Year with an incredible 14.2 WAR with 34 quality starts, a FIP- of 42, 406 strikeouts, and 1.96 ERA. It set a record for most WAR in a season for an OBA pitcher and still is the ninth most in a season as of 2037.

Although that was his only time winning the top award, Nelson was regularly a finalist. He finished second in 1965, 1966, and 1967; then took third in 1969 and second again in 1971. In Nelson’s second season, Auckland won the Australasia League title, falling to Tahiti in the final. He allowed five runs over 14.2 playoff innings with 20 strikeouts. In total with Auckland, Nelson had a 119-88 record, 2.24 ERA, 2061.1 innings, 2496 strikeouts, and 67.0 WAR.

The Avengers slowly fell into irrelevancy after that 1965 title and had bottomed out to 63-99 in 1970. Auckland needed to rebuild and they figured Nelson would leave for free agency after the 1971 season, so they traded him to Gold Coast for CL Ryder Doan and 2B Jan Galic. Nelson helped put the Kangaroos over the top as they won their first-ever Oceania Championship. He went 2-0 with an ERA of 3.78 in 16.2 playoff innings with 21 strikeouts. Nelson was ultimately a rental and opted for free agency at age 30, but many Gold Coast fans have a soft spot for him helping kickoff a brief dynasty run.

The money offers from Major League Baseball were too much to deny and Nelson went across the Pacific for the rest of his career. He signed a seven-year, $2,302,000 deal with Detroit and while he was never an elite pitcher there, he provided the Tigers with four solid years as a starter. His fifth season would be marred by a torn UCL in June, knocking him out for 13 months. In total with Detroit, Nelson had a 62-49 record, 3.25 ERA, 1139.2 innings, 892 strikeouts, and 23.7 WAR.

Detroit cut him loose after the 1976 season and the 36-year old Nelson became a journeyman for the next six seasons. He had stints with San Francisco, Cincinnati, Tampa, Philadelphia, New Orleans, Denver, Quebec City, and Milwaukee and provided decent production for those teams, although age and injuries hindered him. Nelson ended up in minor league Lafayette, Louisiana in 1985 and had his career end there with a partially torn UCL, forcing retirement at age 44. For his MLB tenure, Nelson had a 122-111 record, 3.63 ERA, 2348.1 innings, 1700 strikeouts, and 42.8 WAR.

For his entire professional career, Nelson had a 262-209 record, 2.92 ERA, 4730.2 innings, 4580 strikeouts to 993 walks, 412/639 quality starts, 76 FIP-, and 119.3 WAR. That would be a slam dunk Hall of Fame resume, but his OBA candidacy was based on seven years with Auckland and one with Gold Coast. For OBA, he had a 140-98 record, 2.22 ERA, 2382.1 innings, 2880 strikeouts, 438 walks, 238/303 quality starts, 62 FIP-, and 76.5 WAR. It didn’t have the tallies many voters want, but you’d be hard pressed to find a better eight year stretch and he was certainly considered a top three pitcher that entire run. Enough voters were solid on the short burst to put Nelson in on his first ballot with 74.0%.



Seymour “Moby Dick” Lennox – First Base/Designated Hitter – New Caledonia Colonels – 72.2% First Ballot

Seymour Lennox was a 6’0’’, 200 pound left-handed batter from Wellington, the capital of New Zealand. He was nicknamed “Moby Dick,” for his obsession with whales and love of sharing whale facts. Lennox was a scrapper who became very popular in each of his stays. He was a leadoff man who was an excellent contact hitter with great speed and baserunning instincts. Lennox rarely hit home runs, but he had terrific gap power and still got you around 25-30 doubles and another 25-30 triples per season on average. He was good at avoiding strikeouts, but didn’t draw many walks. Lennox made about half of his starts at first base, where he was a slightly below average defender. Most of his other starts were as a designated hitter, although he did play some second base with horrendous defense there.

New Caledonia selected Lennox sixth overall in the 1964 OBA Draft and mostly kept him in developmental in 1965 with only six at bats. He started half of the games in 1966, but was impressive enough to earn Pacific League Rookie of the Year. He was a full time starter in 1967, although he missed six weeks to a hamstring strain. From then onward, Lennox was consistently a full-time starter and rarely missed time to injury. He led the league in hits eight times, doubles twice, triples seven times, total bases once, stolen bases seven times, batting average four times, and OPS twice.

Lennox’s highlight with New Caledonia was winning the 1970 MVP, leading in runs, hits, doubles, steals, average, and OBP. He also was third in 1969’s MVP voting and won four Silver Sluggers from 1968-71. The Colonels won their first ever Oceania Championship in 1970, beating Melbourne in the final. Lennox had four starts with four hits and three runs in the series. This would be ultimately the only playoff experience he’d have in his career. Lennox would play on the world state regularly for New Zealand’s national team though from 1963-85. In the World Baseball Championship, Lennox made 115 starts and 134 appearances with 135 hits, 56 runs, 20 doubles, 10 triples, 12 home runs, 45 RBI, and 64 stolen bases.

Lennox decided to try free agency when he was up after the 1971 season. For his New Caledonia tenure, he finished with 984 hits, 408 runs, 148 doubles, 123 triples, 35 home runs, 322 RBI, a .310/.351/.467 slash, and 30.2 WAR. He found a new home in Brisbane for $1,432,000 over eight years. Lennox only spent four years with the Black Bears, although 1974 was arguably his strongest season with career highs in WAR (9.4), hits (214), doubles (36), triples (38), total bases (341), average (.349), OBP (.386), OPS (.942), and wRC+ (184). This earned second in MVP voting and a Silver Slugger. He also won Sluggers in 1973 and 1975 with Brisbane.

Lennox decided to opt out of his contract with the Black Bears and finished there with 717 hits, 300 runs, 108 doubles, 126 triples, 21 home runs, 257 RBI, 297 steals, and 23.9 WAR. He got a pay raise with Melbourne to the tune of six years and $1,794,000. Lennox played five years of the deal and was still a solid starter, but his power and speed diminished into his 30s. He won one Silver Slugger in 1979 with the Mets, who were consistently at the bottom of the standings. For his tenure there, he had 866 hits, 369 runs, 128 doubles, 100 triples, 275 RBI, 317 steals, and 22.9 WAR. This marked the end of his OBA career, but it wasn’t the end of his baseball career.

Lennox was a rare player to leave for Eurasian Professional Baseball, which started to open up more to outsiders in the late Soviet period. He signed with Russia’s Yekaterinburg Yaks and had two solid seasons there. His third season was ruined in the opening weeks by a ruptured MCL. Lennox attempted a comeback with Yerevan in 1984, but was middling in his one season in Armenia. After going unsigned in 1985, he retired at age 41. For his EPB tenure he had 475 hits, 201 runs, 67 doubles, 45 triples, 140 RBI, 166 stolen bases, and 8.6 WAR.

For his OBA career, Lennox posted 2567 hits, 1077 runs, 384 doubles, 349 triples, 97 home runs, 854 RBI, 1075 stolen bases, a .307/.342.472 slash, 149 wRC+, and 77.0 WAR. He retired the all-time triples leader and held that crown until the early 2020s, still sitting second as of 2037. He was the third to 2500 career hits, joining his Hall of Fame classmates Hala and Tatupu, and was the sixth to 1000 runs scored. The lack of home run power or defensive value made some voters iffy on Lennox, plus they were tired of learning about whales. But enough appreciated his accomplishments and made him the fourth member of the 1986 class with 72.2% on his debut.



Luke “Wild Thing” King – Starting Pitcher - Melbourne Mets – 71.1% First Ballot

Luke King was a 6’3’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Sydney, Australia. He was nicknamed “Wild Thing,” mostly because it flowed well off the tongue, as he wasn’t a particularly wild or crazy person. His solid control was his biggest asset with only above average stuff and movement for most his run. King’s velocity peaked at 93-95 mph with a changeup, splitter, cutter arsenal. He wasn’t one to go deep in games as often as some of his contemporaries. King was also considered a strong defensive pitcher, winning Gold Gloves in 1969 and 1970.

King was a very highly touted Australian prospect coming from the amateur ranks and was selected second overall by Melbourne in the 1965 OBA Draft. He was thrown into the rotation full-time as a rookie, but missed nearly two months to back spasms. It was still a solid enough debut to get third in Rookie of the Year voting. He had a solid 1967, but again back troubles kept him out for a big chunk. The Mets would win the 1967 Oceania Championship, but King would miss the series to injury.

That began a dynasty run for Melbourne, who won four straight Australasia League titles from 1967-70 and took the OBA ring in 1967 and 1969. It seemed King would never got a chance at the playoffs for a time, as a stretched elbow ligament in June 1968 knocked him out 11 months, King bounced back though with a mostly full 1969 and got to throw 10 playoff innings in the 1969 championship. In 1970, he made one playoff start and had a full season with 341 strikeouts, starting to finally live up to the high potential.

Melbourne would slowly fade to the bottom of the standings in the next few years, but these were King’s most impressive individual seasons. 1972 saw his lone Pitcher of the Year as he led in ERA (1.85), WHIP (0.74), and K/BB (19.6) with 10.6 WAR. 1973 saw a no-hitter with 10 strikeouts against Adelaide and a third place finish in Pitcher of the Year. He’d never be a finalist again or league leader, but he had another few solid seasons with the Mets. King also made some appearances in the World Baseball Championship with Australia. From 1968-77, he had 46.1 innings with a 1.94 ERA and 55 strikeouts.

In total with Melbourne, King had a 164-118 record, 2.46 ERA, 2632 innings, 2733 strikeouts, and 66.8 WAR. By 1976, the Mets were terrible and King missed a month to start the season with shoulder inflammation. The team opted to move the 33-year old at the deadline to Port Moresby, although King would remain well liked by Melbourne fans and later see his #31 uniform retired. King stayed through 1977 with the Mud Hens and posted a 2.27 ERA over 285.1 innings with 7.4 WAR.

His career would be in doubt with radial nerve compression in August 1977. Port Moresby let him go and Adelaide gave him a chance on a four-year, $1,120,000 deal. King still pitched respectably with the Aardvarks, but then suffered a stretched elbow ligament in late August 1978. This ended his 1978 and cost him all of 1979. He attempted a 1980 comeback and pitched 125 innings with unremarkable results and was cut at season’s end, opting for retirement at age 37. With Adelaide, he had 6.7 WAR and a 2.90 ERA over 316.1 innings.

King’s final stats: 199-153 record, 2.49 ERA, 3233.2 innings, 3281 strikeouts to 513 walks, 307/433 quality starts, 75 FIP-, and 80.8 WAR. A fine career, but one lacking dominance or big accolades. Still, he had respectable totals even over a shorter span and the voters of the era were trying to get more names into the OBA Hall of Fame. King got 71.1% on his first ballot, allowing him to be the fifth and final member of the massive 1986 class.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1986 APB Hall of Fame

Relief pitcher Hao-Ming Lu was the lone member of the 1986 Austronesia Professional Baseball Hall of Fame class. He barely made the cut with 68.5% on his third ballot, but earned the spot regardless. Starting pitcher Vitorio Pinga was just short again with 62.2% on his seventh try, a new peak for him. The only other above 50% was pitcher Kai Diaz at 58.6% on his debut ballot.



One player was cut after ten ballots in starter Perumal Jayaweera. He was hurt by having his debut at age 28 and playing his last two years in CABA. In only seven APB seasons, he won Pitcher of the Year twice and had a 97-53 record, 1.91 ERA, 1411.2 innings, 1287 strikeouts, and 44.3 WAR. Better timing might have gotten him in, but he ended at 10.4% after peaking at 35.7% on his third ballot.



Hao-Ming “Big Time” Lu – Closer – Taipei Tigercats – 68.5% Third Ballot

Hao-Ming Lu was a 5’9’’, 175 pound relief pitcher from Sanchung, a district with 380,000 people in the western part of Taiwan’s New Taipei City. “Big Time” had a big time triple-digit fastball, considered one of the fastest in baseball history. He mixed it with a fast sinker and had very good control and solid movement, making Lu very tough to face. He was also quite durable for a reliever with good stamina, never missing time to injury. His great work ethic, plus the spectacle of a consistent 100+ fastball, made Lu a popular player worldwide.

Lu attended college in the Tatung Institute of Commerce and Technology and was drafted 15^th overall by Taipei in the 1967 APB Draft. He was immediately thrown into the closer role and held that for his entire six year run with the Tigercats. Lu led the Taiwan-Philippine Association in saves three times and won Reliever of the Year in 1970, 71, and 72; and took third in 1969. The “Big Time” moniker in part came from the 1968 postseason where a rookie Lu had six saves and a 0.53 ERA over 17 playoff innings with 33 strikeouts, helping Taipei to the APB championship.

In just six seasons, he posted a 1.11 ERA, 217 saves and 260 shutdowns, 553 innings, 959 strikeouts, and 38.4 WAR. The Tigercats started to struggle though and blew up the team before their historically bad 43-win 1974 season. Lu was moved to defending APB champ Kaohsiung for two prospects in a trade. He took second in Reliever of the Year voting and again was a beast in the playoffs, tossing 16 scoreless innings with five saves and 33 strikeouts. This helped Kaohsiung win back-to-back titles and cement Lu’s status as a lights out closer. It also marked the end of his APB run, as his fastball earned international attention.

Lu left for America on a four-year, $1,592,000 deal with Portland. He ended up playing six seasons with the Pacifics and primarily had the closer role. In 1977, he won the American Association’s Reliever of the Year, his fifth award between MLB and APB. Lu also took third in Reliever of the Year voting in 1979. That year was also his lone appearance for Taiwan in the World Baseball Championship. He made his presence known by starting a game against Portugal and throwing a no-hitter with 18 strikeouts and one walk. He also had two relief appearances for a 0.61 ERA over 14.2 innings with 26 strikeouts, earning WBC Best Pitcher honors.

His only playoff chance in Portland came in 1978 and he struggled. For the Pacifics run though, Lu had 159 saves and 184 shutdowns, 19.4 ERA, 403.2 innings, 477 strikeouts, and 16.6 WAR. Portland moved the now 35-year old Lu before the season to Los Angeles in a trade. He only made one appearance with the Angels, who surprisingly cut him. Chicago signed Lu two weeks later, but traded him at the deadline to Atlanta. Buffalo signed Lu to be their closer in 1982 with okay results, then traded him to Oklahoma City. Lu struggled in limited use with the Outlaws and retired after the season at age 38. For his MLB career, he had a 2.29 ERA, 197 saves, 607 strikeouts, and 18.3 WAR.

For Lu’s entire career, he had 448 saves and 547 shutdowns, 1217 innings, 1767 strikeouts, FIP- of 38, and 64.2 WAR; totals that suggest one of the all-time best closers period. Just in APB, he had 251 saves and 305 shutdowns, 1.13 ERA, 658.1 innings, 1160 strikeouts to 131 walks, FIP- of 11, and 45.9 WAR. Even with a small sample size, Lu provided tremendous value and played a big role in championship runs for both Taipei and Kaohsiung. Many voters couldn’t get over the short APB tenure and few innings, causing Lu to miss the cut at 61.0% and 61.8% on his first two ballots. With a quiet 1986 group, he got the slight bump to 68.5% and earned his place as a third ballot Hall of Famer.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1986 CLB Hall of Fame

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After inducting its first two Hall of Famers in 1984 and 1985, Chinese League Baseball put in two more in 1986. One was relief pitcher Encai Xing at 91.8% and the other starter Luke Ren at 78.2%; both getting the first ballot nod. Closer Yi Li came close to joining them on his second attempt but was just short at 61.5%. No players were cut after ten ballots.



Encai Xing – Closer – Wuhan Wolverines – 91.8% First Ballot

Encai Xing was a 6’0’’, 200 pound left-handed relief pitcher from Jiupu, a city with around 120,000 people in the northeastern coastal province of Liaoning. Although his velocity peaked at 94-96 mph, Xing had excellent stuff with his fastball-curveball combo. Both pitches had very good movement and he had respectable command. Xing was durable and was a team captain, known for great leadership and work ethic. When Chinese League Baseball was formed for the 1970 season, he had already been established as a great semi-pro arm. At age 26, Xing’s first CLB contract came with Wuhan.

Xing spent five seasons with the Wolverines and won Reliever of the Year in both 1971 and 1974, while taking second in 1970 and 1972 and third in 1973. He had 7.9 WAR over 100.1 innings with 206 strikeouts and a 0.54 ERA in 1971; unheard of dominance even in the very low offense CLB. In 1974, he set the still-standing CLB record with 57 saves, tying the then-world record as well. As of 2037, 57 saves has only been topped once in any world league.

Xing also threw seven scoreless playoff innings in his time with Wuhan, although they never got beyond the semifinal round. In total with the Wolverines, he had 208 saves and 263 shutdowns, a 0.76 ERA, 461.1 innings, 841 strikeouts, an FIP- of 4 (yes, FOUR); and 33.4 WAR. He also began pitching for the Chinese national team in the 1970s editions of the World Baseball Championship. Xing had 63 appearances with 18 starts, posting a 2.43 ERA, 18-12 record, 18 saves, 192.1 innings, 307 strikeouts, and 7.5 WAR. He helped China win world titles in 1970 and 1979.

Xing became a free agent at age 31 for 1975 and signed with Hong Kong. He did fine there, but the Champions struggled and decided to trade him to Macau at the deadline. Between the two, Xing won his third Reliever of the Year. He signed with Xiamen in 1976 but again was a deadline trade, moved to Xi’an. Xing was an important acquisition, getting five saves with a 0.69 ERA over 13 innings in the playoffs, helping the Attack win the China Series.

He’d stay with Xi’an and lead the league in saves the next three seasons, winning Reliever of the Year again in 1977 and 1978 and taking second in 1979. The Attack made the playoffs each of those years, but couldn’t advance beyond the semifinal. Xing pitched great though and finished his playoff career with a 0.76 ERA and 11 saves over 47.1 innings with 83 strikeouts. His stuff fell off hard in 1980 and he retired after the season at age 37. For his run with Xi’an, Xing had 165 saves and 196 shutdowns, a 1.50 ERA, 420.1 innings, 603 strikeouts, and 19.4 WAR.

For his full career, Xing had 426 saves and 529 shutdowns, a 1.14 ERA, 1015.2 innings, 1666 strikeouts to only 187 walks, a FIP- of 21, and 61.3 WAR. He finished just behind Yongjie Xie’s 437 saves for the top mark in CLB history; they remain #1 and #2 as of 2037. Xing does boast the lowest ERA of anyone in CLB’s Hall of Fame as of 2037. Even the most closer-skeptic voter couldn’t deny Xing’s value, getting the first ballot induction at 91.8%.



Luke Ren – Starting Pitcher – Tianjin Jackrabbits – 78.2% First Ballot

Luke Ren was a 5’7’’, 195 pound left-handed pitcher from Xi’an, a city of nearly 13 million and the capital of Shaanxi Province. The stocky Ren was known for having solid control, making up for having average at best stuff and movement. His velocity peaked at 92-94 mph, but he had four pitches he could equally beat you with; fastball, slider, splitter, and knuckle curve. Ren had solid stamina and durability, making him a reliable arm in his run. He was also a team captain that was renowned for his great leadership and work ethic.

Ren was 25-years old when CLB was formed and signed his first deal in 1970 with Tianjin. He spent six seasons with the Jackrabbits, leading in wins twice. Tianjin would make it to the 1971 and 1972 China Series, winning it all in 1972. Ren in the playoffs there had a 2.08 ERA over 56.1 innings with a 5-2 record and 36 strikeouts. Although not dominant or high up leaderboards generally, his 8.3 WAR effort in 1971 earned a Pitcher of the Year. He’d also finish third in 1975 voting and win a Gold Glove in 1972.

In total with Tianjin, Ren had a 116-48 record, 2.41 ERA, 1666.1 innings, 1410 strikeouts, and 33.0 WAR. He became a free agent at age 31 before the 1976 season and signed a six-year, $1,822,000 deal with Kunming. He had five solid seasons with the Muscle, who put together their own dynasty run. They finished first in the Southern League standings from 1976-79, made it to the championship thrice and won it all in 1977 and 78. In the playoffs, Ren had a 3-4 record, 2.16 ERA, 75 innings, 69 strikeouts, and 2.2 WAR. In total with Kunming, he had a 66-58 record, 2.44 ERA, 1281.1 innings, 1008 strikeouts, and 18.3 WAR. His production dipped a bit in 1980 and instead of hanging around and risking overstaying his welcome, Ren retired at age 36.

Ren’s final stats: 182-106 record, 2.42 ERA, 2947.2 innings, 2418 strikeouts to 508 walks, 270/358 quality starts, 128 complete games, 90 FIP-, and 51.3 WAR. When looking back at his stats against other Hall of Famers in 2037, Ren’s totals are a bit underwhelming. But he was a leader and captain for three championship teams, and a very likeable guy. That went a long way for voters looking to start filling voids in a still pretty new CLB Hall of Fame. Ren received first ballot induction at 78.2%.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1986 World Baseball Championship

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The 1986 World Baseball Championship was the 40^th edition of the event and was the first to be held in Pakistan with Karachi as the primary host city. Division 1 had Colombia on top at 8-1, two ahead of both Denmark and North Korea. It is their first division win since 1982 and the 11^th elite eight appearance in total for the Colombians. In D2, Taiwan was the upset winner at 8-1, ousting the perennial power United States at 7-2 with Guatemala and Pakistan both 6-3. It is only the second division title for the Taiwanese, who were the 1980 runner-up. For the Americans, this marks only the fifth time in 40 WBCs that they weren’t among the final eight teams. The last time that happened with 1980.

In Division 3, France finished first at 8-1, one ahead of China and two better than both Belgium and Haiti. It is back-to-back division titles and the sixth total for the French. It is the first time since the late 1960s that the Chinese missed the elite eight in back-to-back WBCs. Turkey, who was the runner-up last year, finished 5-4. Japan topped Division 4 at 8-1 with three teams below them at 6-3. The Japanese now have 14 division titles to their name. In D5, South Korea advanced at 7-2, besting Bangladesh by one. The Koreans also have 14 division titles. They and Japan have the most of any Eastern Hemisphere nation.

Italy won a competitive Division 6 at 7-2, edging Honduras and Sweden by a game each. It is the ninth division win for the Italians. Indonesia dominated D7 at 8-1 with Brazil the closest competitor at 6-3. The Indonesians earned back-to-back division titles and their seventh total. Canada claimed Division 8 at 8-1, besting Spain (7-2) and India (6-3). The Canadians get back-to-back berths and their 25^th overall, second only to the United States.

Indonesia crushed the competition in Round Robin Group A, going unbeaten at 6-0. France advanced as well at 3-3, while Italy (2-4) and Colombia (1-5) were eliminated. The Indonesians earned back-to-back semifinal berths and their sixth in total, while the French secured their fourth semifinal appearance. Group B had Canada on top at 4-2. Taiwan and South Korea tied at 3-3 and Japan was 2-4 with the tiebreaker moving the Taiwanese forward. It is the 19^th semifinal for the Canadians, although the first since 1972. It is Taiwan’s second semi.

Indonesia defeated Taiwan 3-1 and Canada swept France 3-0 in the semifinal round. The Taiwanese were officially third place and France finished fourth for back-to-back WBCs. The Indonesians earned their first-ever finals appearance, while Canada got its 11^th and first since 1972.



The Canadians would claim the 40^th World Championship 4-2. It was Canada’s third-ever world title, joining their 1954 and 1959 triumphs. The Canadian team had 52 doubles, setting a WBC record that held until 2026. Tournament MVP went to Indonesia’s Tunggul Widhyasari. The three-time Sundaland Association MVP with Medan made 25 starts with 32 hits, 22 runs, 8 doubles, 14 home runs, and 27 RBI with 2.7 WAR. Best Pitcher went to France’s Lorenzo Amaru; a Tahitian with three Reliever of the Year awards with OBA’s Sydney. Amaru tossed 18 scoreless innings with 4 saves and two wins, striking out 33 with five hits and one walk allowed.



Other notes: The third perfect game in WBC history came from Pakistan’s Jamal Saifullah, who fanned nine against El Salvador. Ireland’s Shane Collins also had a no-hitter, striking out eight against Australia.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1986 in ABF

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The second season for the Pakistan League saw a big shake up from the first season. Hyderabad went from a last place 66-96 to a first place 92-70. Lahore, winners of 79 games in the first season, narrowly took second at 91-71 to get the second playoff spot. Faisalabad (89-73) and Multan (87-75) were both right in the mix but just short. Last year’s PL winner Karachi fell to sixth at 82-80, while Peshawar went from second place to seventh at 69-93.

The Pakistan League’s second MVP went to Lahore’s Masood bin Sharif. A 31-year old right fielder from Pakistan, he led with 56 home runs, 94 runs, a .621 slugging, .966 OPS, and 204 wRC+. Bin Sharif’s 56 home runs would be the single-season home run mark for a few years, not getting topped until 1990. He added 8.9 WAR and 112 RBI. Karachi’s Ziad Khan was the Pitcher of the Year with the first Triple Crown season in Asian Baseball Federation history. The 34-year old lefty had a 21-4 record, 1.79 ERA, and 361 strikeouts over 251.2 innings with a FIP- of 38 and 11.7 WAR. He would be the only ABF pitcher with a Triple Crown until 2019.



Defending ABF champ Istanbul remained the top team in the Turkish League, finishing at 101-61. Adana gave them a run for the top spot, but finished five back at 96-66. In the Persian League, Isfahan claimed first at 94-68 with a seven game lead over Mashhad and eight over Tehran. Last year’s TL champ Tabriz dropped to 70-92. Meanwhile, Shiraz was an abysmal 38-124, which remains the ABF’s all-time worst record as of 2037.

The Ironmen swept the West Asia Association’s top awards with both MVP and Pitcher of the Year going to Akif Erdem. The 29-year old Turk led in ERA at 1.68. He also had 10.8 WAR over 268.1 innings with 333 strikeout s and a 20-6 record. Izmir’s Abbad Nadim had a very good case that his season was better with a 1.92 ERA, 24-8 record, 389 strikeouts, and 11.7 WAR. Erdem being on the top team compared to the .500 Ice Caps put him over the top.

The Pakistan League Championship Series ended up going to Hyderabad 4-1 over Lahore. Meanwhile, Istanbul’s repeat bid was foiled in the West Asia Association Championship as not only did Isfahan beat then, but they swept them.



The Imperials seemed poised to do the same to Hyderabad in the second Asian Baseball Federation Championship. Isfahan took a 3-0 series lead, but the Horned Frogs had an incredible rally to win the series in seven games. Leading the comeback was RF Abolhassan Moghadam, who won finals MVP. In 12 playoff starts, he had 14 hits, 8 runs, 5 home runs, and 13 RBI.



Other notes: Tehran’s Ali Dahir struck out 22 against Bursa on September 20. This would stay the ABF’s single-game strikeout record until passed in 1999. Peshawar’s Ali Karaduman had the first six-hit game, going 6-7 against Lahore on 6/13. Istanbul’s Alaeddin Simsek had a 37-game hitting streak, which as of 2037 remains the ABF all-time mark, only getting matched once in 2028.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1986 in SAB



Visakhapatnam had an impressive turnaround from 73 wins in 1985 to the most wins in the Indian League in 1986 at 103-59 This won them the South Division over defending South Asian Champion Bengaluru, although the Blazers easily took the wild card at 96-66. Bengaluru has made the playoffs in each of SAB’s first seven seasons. Pune and Jaipur’s chance to match that failed as both were below .500 in 1986. Ahmedabad won the West Division at 98-64 for their fifth playoff berth. Meanwhile in the Central Division, Kolkata earn it’s first-ever berth. The Cosmos finished 89-73, edging out Delhi by two games.

Drillers 2B V.J. Williams won his third straight Indian League MVP. The 26-year old lefty led in runs (127), hits (212), RBI (127), total bases (425), triple slash (.358/.428/.717), OPS (1.145), wRC+ (253), and 13.0 WAR. His 54 home runs left him four short of the Triple Crown as both Andee Siddharth and Johar Rai smacked 58. Volts rookie righty Saddam Khan won Pitcher of the Year and somehow was second in Rookie of the Year voting. The eighth overall pick in the 1985 draft by Visakhapatnam, Khan was the ERA leader with 1.44. He had a 17-5 record and 15 saves over 212 innings with 211 strikeouts and 5.0 WAR. It was Kanpur RF Kyu-Jin Jeong who beat out Khan for the top rookie spot as Jeong had 7.0 WAR as a hitter and led the league with 19 triples.

The division rivals Visakhapatnam and Bengaluru had a fierce battle in the first round of the playoffs with the Blazers upsetting the Volts 3-2. The adjacent series was less interesting with Ahmedabad sweeping Kolkata. The Indian League Championship Series ended up a seven game classic with the Animals denying Bengaluru’s repeat bid. It is the first IL title for Ahmedabad, who would go onto be the perennial league powerhouse for the rest of the 21^st Century.



The Southeast Asia League had very competitive races for the division titles and wild cards. The best overall record went to Bangkok at 90-72 atop the South Division, giving the Bobcats their first division title since the inaugural SAB season. Vientiane finished one back at 89-73, getting them the first wild card and their first-ever playoff berth. In the North Division, Kathmandu’s 89-73 claimed first place to give them their third playoff berth in franchise history and first division title. Yangon was second in the division at 86-76 and tied with Kuala Lumpur for the second wild card, while close behind were Chittagong at 83-79, Ho Chi Minh City at 82-80, and defending SEAL champ Hanoi at 81-81. There is no tiebreaker game in SAB and the Leopards had the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Green Dragons. This gave Kuala Lumpur its second-ever playoff appearance.

Chittagong 3B Thang Huynh won the Southeast Asia League MVP. The second-year Vietnamese switch hitter led in hits (206), total bases (402), OPS (1.070), and wRC+ (192). He added 9.8 WAR, 46 home runs, and 115 RBI. Vientiane’s Zainal bin Aziz was the Pitcher of the Year. The 26-year old Malaysian lefty led in ERA (2.37), strikeouts (330), WHIP (0.92), K/BB (.66), FIP- (60), and WAR (8.0). He had a 17-10 record over 231.1 innings.

Both first round series went the distance with Kuala Lumpur upsetting Bangkok and Kathmandu surviving Vientiane. This guaranteed a first-time league champ with both squads earning their first appearance into the Southeast Asia League Championship Series. The Chaparrals took the title with a 4-2 victory over the Leopards.



In the seventh South Asia Baseball Championship, Ahmedabad downed Kathmandu 4-1 to keep the title in India for the fifth straight season. LF K.C. Choudhury was the finals MVP, posting 16 hits, 9 runs, 3 doubles, 3 triples, 2 home runs, and 8 RBI in 15 playoff starts. It was the first SAB title for the Animals, who would soon begin an unparalleled stretch of dominance over the next two decades or so.



Other notes: Phnom Penh’s Alberto de Sa had 22 losses on the mound, setting the SAB single-season mark that still stands as of 2037. Bangkok’s Joe Pomphan had a 30-game hit streak, setting the new SAB record. This would hold until 1995. Sankar Sundaram became the first pitcher to 2000 strikeouts and Najib Kumaili joined Al-Amin Kundu as the only SAB hitters with 300 homers. Kundu (shortstop) is the only player to have a Silver Slugger in all seven SAB seasons to date, although Kumaili (right field) is close with six.