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

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1987 EPB Hall of Fame

Eurasian Professional Baseball had a two-player Hall of Fame class in 1987. Pitcher Nikolai Saidov was a first ballot choice leading the way with 77.5%. He was joined by fellow pitcher Pavel Melnichuk, who barely reached the 66% threshold with 66.4% on his third attempt. Another pitcher, Serhiy Belov, fell just short with 61.4% on his third try. Four others were above 50% with starting pitchers Artyom Rudasev (56.2%) and Eryk Wozniak (54.3%) both short for the ninth time. 2B Ali Alasgarov was at 54.6% on his fifth ballot and closer Marius Patrascu was at 54.0% in his second.



One player was dropped after ten failed attempts in closer Vyacheslav Leskov. A three-time Reliever of the Year winner, he had a 15-year career between eight teams with 315 saves and 388 shutdowns, 1.82 ERA, 1004.1 innings, 1546 strikeouts, and 45.1 WAR. Relievers with weaker resumes had gotten into other Halls of Fame and you could argue he fit more than 1973 inductee Theo Siitonen, but the lower save total hurt him with some voters. Leskov got very close though with 64.1% on his debut, although he plummeted down to 15.1% by the end.



Nikolai “Rival” Saidov – Starting Pitcher - Chelyabinsk Cadets – 77.5% First Ballot

Nikolai Saidov was a 6’0’’, 190 pound left-handed pitcher from Selyatino, Russia; a town of around 12,000 located within the Moscow Oblast. Saidov’s biggest strength was having excellent control, which allowed him to thrive even with merely above average at best stuff and movement. His velocity peaked at 96-98 mph and he mixed a splitter, changeup, cutter, and curveball. Saidov had respectable stamina and his defense won him a Gold Glove in 1970. Saidov was a team captain and very respected in the clubhouse for his work ethic, loyalty, and intelligence. He also was very durable and pitched 30+ games in every season but his rookie year.

Saidov was selected 13^th overall by Chelyabinsk in the 1965 EPB Draft. He was used sparingly as a reliever in the first two seasons, then was moved into the rotation full-time in 1968. Saidov posted 11 seasons worth 5+ WAR and was consistently solid, although rarely dominant or atop the leaderboard. In 1973, Saidov led the European League in wins, WHIP, and quality starts, taking third in Pitcher of the Year voting. This was his only time as a finalist for the award.

Saidov pitched for Russia’s national team off and on in the World Baseball Championship with a 1971-73 run and 1978-80 run. He tossed 29.1 innings with 50 strikeouts with a 3.07 ERA. Chelyabinsk was generally middling in his tenure, making the playoffs only twice in his tenure. They were one-and-done in 1973, but put it all together in 1978 to win their first Soviet Series. Saidov had an impressive postseason with five starts, a 4-1 record, 1.80 ERA, 40 innings, 43 strikeouts, four walks, and 1.5 WAR. The playoff run was a big reason that Saidov’s #17 uniform would later be retired by the franchise.

He stayed loyal as a team leader for the Cadets into his 30s. Saidov’s production stayed consistent until the 1980 season, where he saw his velocity begin to fall. Chelyabinsk opted to buyout the rest of his contract and he became a free agent at age 36. Saidov played one additional season with Tbilisi in 1981 and had an alright season for the Trains. He opted to retire though after the season at age 37.

Saidov’s final stats: 227-177 record, 2.71 ERA, 3757.1 innings, 3726 strikeouts, 543 walks, 326/461 quality starts, 154 complete games, FIP- of 82, and 81.2 WAR. His stats are firmly in the middle of the Hall of Fame leaderboard where he isn’t a slam dunk no-doubter, but he isn’t out of place either. Saidov was consistently reliable and loyal to Chelyabinsk, which resonated with enough voters to get him the first ballot nod with 77.5%.



Pavel Melnichuk – Starting Pitcher – Kharkiv Killer Bees – 66.4% Third Ballot

Pavel Melnichuk was a 6’4’’, 190 pound right-handed pitcher from Moscow, Russia. He had overpowering stuff with 99-101 mph peak velocity and used that to overwhelm hitters despite having lousy control and below average movement. Melnichuk knew how to change speeds though with a fastball, changeup, slider arsenal. He was pretty durable in his career, but his hard throwing meant he rarely went the distance in games compared to his contemporaries. Critics also panned Melnichuk for a lack of work ethic, but his talent still carried him to a great career.

Growing up as an amateur in Moscow, Melnichuk drew a lot of attention from Russian teams. His hometown Mules drafted him 32^nd overall in the 1964 EPB Draft, but Melnichuk opted not to sign and play another year of college baseball. In 1965, Kazan picked him 31^st overall and he decided to sign with the Crusaders. They used him as a back-end starter and bullpen piece for his first three seasons, but he showed flashes of potential. In 1968, Melnichuk had a 15 strikeout, one walk no-hitter against Riga. That season, he stepped up big in the postseason with a 1.47 ERA and 42 strikeouts over four starts and 30.2 innings. This helped Kazan claim the Soviet Series title.

Melnichuk was a full-time starter the next season and in 1970, but the Crusaders decided to move him at the 1970 deadline. His final stats with Kazan was a 59-26 record, 2.45 ERA, 821.2 innings, 1150 strikeouts, 242 walks, and 18.1 WAR. In 51.2 playoff innings, he had a 1.39 ERA and 80 strikeouts. He was traded straight up to Kharkiv for 1B Mykyta Lukyanenko. Melnichuk’s longest run was with the Killer Bees, although he was only there four-and-a-half years like with Kazan.

He wasn’t as good in the playoffs with the Killer Bees as he had a 3.38 ERA in 53.1 innings, but Melnichuk helped Kharkiv to the 1983 European League pennant. His inconsistent control kept him from ever being a Pitcher of the Year finalist despite his strikeout tallies. In total with the Killer Bees, Melnichuk had a 65-43 record, 2.86 ERA, 1006.2 innings, 1313 strikeouts, 287 walks, and 20.8 WAR. He also had a second no-hitter while in Ukraine, striking out 10 with one walk on September 3, 1973 against Helsinki.

Melnichuk entered free agency for the first time at age 32 and signed for the 1975 season on a two-year, $508,000 deal with Almaty. The Assassins were on their own playoff streak at this point and Melnichuk pitched in two league championship series with Almaty, posting a 2.70 playoff ERA in 33.1 innings. His 1976 season was arguably his best as he led the Asian league with a 1.77 ERA. This was Melnichuk’s only time with an ERA title or really any spot atop a leaderboard. He had an impressive 1.92 ERA and 36-15 in his two seasons in Kazakhstan with 588 strikeouts over 453.2 innings and 11.6 WAR.

Coming off arguably his best season, Melnichuk was a free agent again now at age 34. He went back home to Moscow on a four-year, $1,168,000 deal with the Mules. 1977 saw another sub-two ERA and a career-best 6.9 WAR season. He was more mid the next season and was relegated to a part-time role in 1979. Melnichuk was still under contract for all of 1980 with Moscow, but didn’t see the field. He retired after the season at age 38. With the Mules, he had a 34-25 record, 2.47 ERA, 609.2 innings, 675 strikeouts, and 12.1 WAR.

Melnichuk’s final stats had a 194-109 record, 2.51 ERA, 2891.2 innings, 3726 strikeouts, 796 walks, 291/389 quality starts, 82 FIP-, and 62.6 WAR. His strikeout rate is impressive, but his other tallies were on the lower end compared to other Hall of Famers. Bouncing between teams also soured him for some voters and Melnichuk missed the cut narrowly on his first two ballots with 65.4% and 61.0%. His postseason success helped give him some consistent supporters and kept him close to that 66% threshold. In the 1987 ballot, he got just enough new allies to sneak across the line at 66.4% to become a third ballot Hall of Famer.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1987 OBA Hall of Fame

Pitcher Sebastian Wiens was the one addition to the Oceania Baseball Association Hall of Fame in 1987, getting a first ballot induction at 83.9%. Two other pitchers on their sixth try came close, but just short of the 66% mark with Honore Waheo at 62.5% and Ryan Cudiaboo at 61.1%. The only other player above 50% was another pitcher with Kent Thackray at 57.9% for his third attempt.



First baseman Dawson Schnee was dropped after ten failed attempts. He was an American player who spent his first chunk of his career as a lower-level MLB guy, coming to OBA at age 30. He won four Silver Sluggers and a MVP in a decade plus with five OBA teams and posted 1730 hits, 740 runs, 319 doubles, 247 home runs, 864 RBI, a .271/.316/.449 slash and 46.0 WAR. Schnee wasn’t around long enough or stuck with one team enough though to hit all the checkmarks to get the nod. He peaked at 40.7% on his fourth try and ended at 23.5%.



Sebastian Wiens – Starting Pitcher – Tahiti Tropics – 83.9% First Ballot

Sebastian Wiens was a 6’3’’, 205 pound right-handed pitcher from Des Moines, Iowa. He had very solid control, although his stuff and movement were often viewed as merely above average. Wiens’ velocity peaked at 94-96 mph, but he had a filthy changeup as his biggest out pitch. He mixed it with a fastball, cutter, and forkball. He had solid stamina later in his career and was a respectable defender, although considered poor at holding runners. Wiens was also very durable, which served him well in OBA’s unique four-man rotation setup.

Like other American ballplayers, he wanted to success in America first. Wiens attended LSU in college but was a rather middling college pitcher with a 3.74 ERA over 187.2 innings. He was a late pick in the 1966 MLB Draft in the seventh round by Boston, 331^st overall. Wiens was cut after spring training though by the Red Sox and didn’t have any MLB teams chomping at the bit to sign him. He decided to look internationally to continue his career and OBA’s Auckland was willing to sign him to a developmental contract for 1967.

Wiens made his OBA debut with a few forgettable appearances in 1968. He’d get a couple starts here and there with the Avengers, but was used more often out of the bullpen. In four years in Auckland, Wiens had a 3.20 ERA, 24-34 record, 477.2 innings, 479 strikeouts, and 4.3 WAR. At this point, he certainly wasn’t looking like someone destined for the Hall of Fame. Auckland decided to trade Wiens in the 1971 offseason to Tahiti, which began what would be his signature run.

He showed a bit more potential in his debut season with the Tropics and began seeing more use. In July 1973, Wiens tossed a 10 strikeout no-hitter against Fiji. In 1974, he led the Pacific League with a career-best 1.81 ERA. This also began a streak of three consecutive PL titles for Tahiti, who won the OBA championship in 1975. Wiens was moved more to the bullpen in 1975, but still had regular use. He was back with a solid starting role in 1976 and had a career best 10.4 WAR, earning third in Pitcher of the Year voting. Wiens was third again in 1977, but never won the top prize. He threw his second no-no in 1977, fanning 10 versus Guam.

Wiens in the postseason had a 1.95 ERA over 32.1 innings with 32 strikeouts and 1.1 WAR, helping earn a spot in the hearts of Tahiti fans. His #22 uniform would later be retired by the franchise. The Tropics fell to the bottom of the standings to close the decade and Wiens was still working hard with 300+ inning seasons. He still had a solid 6.0 WAR season in 1981, but decided he wasn’t going to overstay his welcome, retiring at age 35. With Tahiti, Wiens had a 159-140 record, 2.40 ERA, 2842.1 innings, 2806 strikeouts, and 60.6 WAR.

For his pro career, he finished with a 183-174 record, 2.52 ERA, 3320 innings, 3285 strikeouts, 500 walks, 291/400 quality starts, 117 complete games, 85 FIP-, and 64.9 WAR. Wiens is more towards the bottom of the Hall of Fame leaderboard statistically and didn’t have the dominant award winning seasons you’d expect from a guy who got in on the first ballot. Some felt he would’ve had more impressive accumulations if he hadn’t retired early. Enough voters were solid on his resume to give Wiens a first ballot nod at 83.9%.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1987 APB Hall of Fame

For the first time since 1982, Austronesia Professional Baseball had no new Hall of Famers in 1987. Three were above 50%, led by pitcher Adrian Su’s 57.6% on his third attempt. Pitcher Kai Diaz had 54.5% on his second ballot and another pitcher Ryan Aguinaldo was 54.5% on his seventh. The best debut was 1B Ardan Riyadi with 45.9%.

Closer Rahaimi Ibrahim was cut after ten ballots, peaking at 30.9% on his second try and ending at 7.5%. He was hurt by having his official career begin at age 29 when APB formed. In eight seasons, he had 204 saves, a 1.61 ERA, 604 innings, 869 strikeouts, and 27.7 WAR. Maybe with his full 20s, he would’ve had enough totals to earn more of a look.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1987 CLB Hall of Fame

Chinese League Baseball didn’t induct any players into the Hall of Fame with the 1987 ballot. Closer Yi Li was very close on his third attempt with 63.3%. Two debuting guys were above 50% with starting pitcher Li Jin at 54.1% and reliever Yuzeng Liang at 50.5%. No players were dropped from the ballot after ten tries.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1987 WAB Hall of Fame

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1987 was only the third season that anyone was eligible for voting for the still new and empty West African Baseball Hall of Fame. 1986’s best candidate had a paltry 3.3%, but 1987 saw the first inductee with LF V.J. Balogun. He received 70.8% to earn the nod as the first Hall of Famer. Pitcher Souleymane Moussa was next with a 25.4% debut, still a long way from the 66% requirement.



V.J. “Puke” Balogun – Left Field - Lagos Lizards – 70.8% First Ballot

V.J. Balogun was a 6’4’’ 210 pound right-handed slugger from Ibadan, Nigeria’s third largest city. He was the first superstar of West African Baseball, known for being a prolific hitter. Balogun had great contact skills, excellent home run power, a solid eye, and good knack for avoiding strikeouts. He was an okay baserunner, but was hurt by being his 30s by the time his official career started. He primarily played left field with a few starts at first base and right field and was viewed as a below average defender. Balogun was a fan favorite with a tremendous work ethic.

Balogun had already emerged as one of Nigeria’s best baseball players, regularly dominating the amateur and disorganized semi-pro ranks that existed in his 20s. When West Africa Baseball formed for the 1975 season, Balogun was already 32 years old with nearly a decade of pro baseball under his belt. Many teams wanted him to be their star and he ultimately made his WAB start in Sierra Leone, signing with Freetown on a four-year, $1,008,000.

He immediately established himself as the top bat in Africa by winning MVP and Silver Sluggers in 1975 and 1976. Balogun was the WARlord and triple slash leader in both his seasons with the Foresters and also led in runs scored both years. He also returned home to play for Nigeria in the World Baseball Championship from 1975-80, getting 57 hits, 48 runs, 32 home runs, and 50 RBI over 65 starts. Balogun had a tournament best 21 runs scored in 1979 as Nigeria became the first African nation to make it to the championship.

Despite his efforts, Freetown was just outside of the playoffs in his two seasons there, posting 408 hits, 253 runs, 103 home runs, 229 RBI, a .357/.435/.701 slash and 21.8 WAR. He decided to opt of his contact, becoming a free agent at age 34. Balogun returned to his home country and signed a five-year, $1,692,000 deal with Lagos. The Lizards had been an Eastern League finalist in their first two seasons. Balogun got them over the hump as they won four EL pennants in his tenure. They lost in the 1977 WAB Championship, ironically to Freetown, but won it all in 1978, 79, and 81.

Balogun won his third straight MVP in 1977 and smacked 61 home runs, becoming the first to 60+ homers along with Onamado Agenor’s 62 that season. He won additional Silver Sluggers in 1977, 78, and 79; and took second in 1978 MVP voting. In 1978, he was the ELCS MVP and posted 42 hits, 26 runs, 10 home runs, 33 RBI, and 1.8 WAR over 41 career playoff games.

Age began to catch up to Balogun, who declined to merely good levels in 1979, followed by a steeper drop in 1980. His power dropped significantly in 1981 and he eventually was moved more to the bench, but Balogun still played a solid role behind the scenes for the loaded Lagos squads. He would retire after the 1981 season at age 39. With Lagos, he had 824 hits, 493 runs, 180 home runs, 535 RBI, a .305/.386/.570 slash and 31.5 WAR.

For his only seven season WAB tenure, Balogun had 1232 hits, 746 runs, 229 doubles, 283 home runs, 764 RBI, a .321/401/.609 slash, 184 wRC+, and 53.3 WAR. Obviously the accumulations are on the low end because of how late he started, losing out on nearly a decade of his possible best production. Still, he came in in his early 30s and immediately dominated with three MVPs, becoming one of the first superstars of WAB. There were some voters that felt they would cheapen the Hall by not requiring certain statistical benchmarks, but enough ignored that thought to put Balogun in. He only received 70.8%, but his brief excellence was worthy of being the first Hall of Famer for West African Baseball.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1987 World Baseball Championship

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The 1987 World Baseball Championship was the 41^st edition of the event and was the second to be held in Australia, this time with Melbourne as the main city. Division 1 had a major upset as 8-1 Colombia took the title over the United States at 7-2. It is a very rare back-to-back division title miss for the Americans, while it is back-to-back titles for the Colombians. Colombia has now made it to the elite eight 12 times. Division 2 had a surprise result as well with Haiti on top at 7-2, finishing one game better than China, Greece, Papua New Guinea, and Switzerland. It is the third-ever division title for the Haitians, who also advanced in 1980 and 1969. Chile secured Division 3 at 8-1, edging out 7-2 France. It is only the second-ever division title for the Chileans (1962). Division 4 champ Ukraine was the lone unbeaten team in the group stage at 9-0. It is their fifth division title and third of the 1980s.

A tight Division 5 saw Spain on top at 7-2, beating out 6-3 efforts by Panama and the Philippines. It is the fifth division title for Spain, who last advanced in 1984. Division 6 had a tie between Italy and Burkina Faso at 7-2. The tiebreaker prevented a first-time title for BF and gave the Italians their 10^th. D7 was also tight with last year’s runner-up Indonesia and Hungary tying at 7-2, while the Dominican Republic was 6-3. The tiebreaker gave the Indonesians a third straight division title and eighth overall. Defending world champ Canada and Brazil tied at 8-1 in a strong Division 8 with Paraguay one back. The tiebreaker ended the Canadian’s repeat bid and sent the Brazilians forward for the 21^st time.

In the Double Round Robin Group A, Chile took the top honor at 5-1 to advance to the semifinal for the first time. Spain and Indonesia tied at 3-3, while Ukraine was last at 1-5. The tiebreaker went to Spain to give them their second-ever semifinal appearance (1976). Brazil dominated Group B at 5-1 for their tenth semifinal berth. Italy took second at 3-3 to advance, while both Haiti and Colombia were 2-2. It was the fourth semifinal berth for the Italians, who last pulled it off in 1968.

Both semifinal series went all five games. Chile upset Italy, making the Chileans the 20^th unique nation to earn a spot in the World Championship. Brazil edged Spain 3-2 to give the Brazilians a fifth shot at the cup. Spain officially was third place and Italy was fourth; both matching their best-ever finish.



The 41^st World Championship was guaranteed to have a first-time champion. Brazil had gone 0-4 in their previous appearances, while Chile had never gotten this far. This also marked the first time two South American nations met in the finale. Brazil would prevail 4-1 to claim the world title, led by tournament MVP Ademir Rocha. A decent outfielder with Rio de Janeiro, the 26-year old made 21 starts with 27 hits, 15 runs, 4 doubles, 9 home runs, and 22 RBI. Best Pitcher went to Cuba’s Murray Rodriguez, an up-and-coming starter with Santiago. He pitched 10.1 scoreless innings with 15 strikeouts and two hits allowed.



Other notes: France’s Lorenzo Amaru struck out 22 in a complete game against the Czech Republic. Australia’s Riley Singleton became the fourth to hit for a cycle in the WBC, doing it against Kazakhstan. There were four no-hitters with the most dominant being a 18 strikeout effort by Australia’s Logan Mathews against Jamaica. The others were thrown by Spain’s Jacky Muro, Santiago Marroquin of the Dominican Republic, and Donte Parks of Jamaica. Panamanian Leonardo Salvador became the fourth to have a 20+ game hitting streak, getting to 21 between the last three WBCs.

Below are the updated all-time stats. The championship for Brazil puts them in striking distance of Mexico for the third most points accumulated.

[Dark Cloud]

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

Rad use of OOTP22 and what a vibrant, deeply detailed world. Impressed, stumbled into it looking for alternate Japanese leagues and was transfixed by the storyline and diversity of the baseball world.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1987 in ABF

Rad use of OOTP22 and what a vibrant, deeply detailed world. Impressed, stumbled into it looking for alternate Japanese leagues and was transfixed by the storyline and diversity of the baseball world.

Thanks for the kind words, glad you're enjoying it! It has been a ton of fun for me going back and really taking in all of the history of these leagues. Still got a long way to go to catch up to the actual current season of the file (2037).

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The third season for the Pakistan League saw Lahore set a league record. Last year’s second place finisher became the first 100+ PL team, doing so in impressive fashion at 110-52. Defending Asian Baseball Federation champ Hyderabad was second at 89-73 to earn the wild card spot. The Horned Frogs had the fewest runs allowed at 482 and allowed only 957 total hits, a mark that still ranks as the third lowest as of 2037.

The Longhorns had the MVP and Pitcher of the Year with the former going to LF Mahyar Rahmani. Nicknamed “Warrior,” the 31-year old Iranian was the leader in runs (112), home runs (54), RBI (128), walks (93), total bases (356), OBP (.386), slugging (.630), OPS (1.016), wRC+ (204), and WAR (11.3). Lahore’s Nadim Abbas was Pitcher of the Year with the hometown hero leading in wins at 24-7 and posting a 1.87 ERA over 249.2 innings with 324 strikeouts and 8.6 WAR. Also of note, Multan closer Touraj Haghighat won his third straight Reliever of the Year, posting 40 saves and a 0.93 ERA with 173 strikeouts in 86.2 innings.



Defending West Asia Association winner Isfahan won the Persian League again at 94-68. Mashhad was six back and Tabriz seven behind. The Imperials allowed only 1076 hits as a pitching staff, which remains the all-time low as of 2037 for the WAA. The best overall record in the WAA was Ankara at 95-67, who dominated the Turkish League for their first-ever title. Istanbul, who had claimed the first two crowns, fell off from 101 wins to only 74 in 1987.

Leading Ankara’s success was SS Caner Danishmend, who won West Asia Association MVP. The 29-year old Turk was the leader in runs (106), home runs (56), RBI (113), total bases (356), slugging (.614), OPS (.920), wRC+ (195), and WAR (10.9). His 56 home runs tied the single-season record, which would hold for another four years as the record. Pitcher of the Year was Adana’s Zaheer Yasin. A 30-year old Pakistani righty, he led in wins with 21-5 and posted a 2.14 ERA over 269.1 innings with 290 strikeouts and 8.8 WAR.

Lahore was a heavy favorite in the Pakistan League Championship Series with their 110 win season, but defending champ Hyderabad upset the Longhorns 4-2. Meanwhile, Isfahan and Ankara were evenly matched and as expected, went all seven games in the Association Championship. The Imperials prevailed to earn back-to-back titles and set up a rematch in the ABF Championship.



The third ABF Championship had Hyderabad defeat Isfahan 4-2, making the Horned Frogs back-to-back ABF champs. Finals MVP went to SS Muhammed Emin Cikirikci, who had 11 hits, 5 runs, 4 home runs, and 7 RBI over 12 playoff starts.



Other notes: The second ABF perfect game came on April 15 from Hyderabad’s Piyan ar-Rahman. He struck out 16 against Faisalabad, which would remain the record as of 2037 for most Ks in an ABF perfecto.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1987 in SAB

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The 1987 Indian League had two first-time division winners. Kanpur had the best overall record at 95-67, winning the Central Division by nine games over Kolkata. Chennai claimed a weak South Division at 85-77 as the only team above .500. Visakhapatnam, who won the division last year with 103 wins, fell to 78-84. The West Division had Pune narrowly secure the title at 91-71, bouncing back after missing the playoffs for the first time the prior year. Defending South Asian Champ Ahmedabad was one back at 90-72, which earned them the wild card and a sixth playoff berth over SAB’s first eight seasons.

Delhi’s V.J. Williams won his fourth straight Indian League MVP. The 26-year old second baseman was the leader in runs (115), hits (188), total bases (391), OBP (.421), slugging (.688), OPS (1.109), wRC+ (252), and 12.4 WAR. His overall resume gave him the MVP over Ahmedabad’s Andee Siddharth despite record setting power. Siddharth set the new single-season home run record with 67 (passing the previous high of 66) and had the first 150+ RBI season with 153. Siddharth remained the home run king until 1996. Kanpur’s Arvind Lal won Pitcher of the Year, leading in wins (21-3), ERA (1.63), WHIP (0.82), and K/BB (9.7). Lal had 281 strikeouts over 215.1 innings with 7.5 WAR.

Defending champ Ahmedabad won 3-1 on the road over Kanpur in the first round of the playoffs, while Pune swept Chennai 3-0. The division rivals met in the Indian League Championship Series with the wild card Animals taking it 4-2 to earn back-to-back IL pennants.



The Southeast Asia League was quite competitive in 1987 with the best overall record being only 92-70. That went to Bangkok, who earned the South Division title for back-to-back seasons. They were only two ahead of Ho Chi Minh City and three ahead of Vientiane, although both of those teams snagged wild cards. The Hedgehogs earned a fourth playoff berth in five years and the Vampires got back-to-back wild cards. In the North Division, Hanoi was first at 91-71 for their first division title and second playoff berth in three years. Mandalay (86-76) and defending SEAL champ Kathmandu (85-77) both ended up a few games shy of both the division crown and a wild card spot.

Chittagong fell below .500, but CF Van Loi Phung won his second Southeast Asia League MVP. The 26-year old Vietnamese righty was the leader in runs (108), RBI (129), total bases (376), OPS (1.045), wRC+ (1830, and WAR (11.3). He added a .340 average and 43 home runs. Vientiane’s Zainal bin Aziz won back-to-back Pitcher of the Year awards and led in strikeouts (381), innings (261.2), WHIP (0.89), K/BB (8.1), FIP- (43), and WAR (12.1). bin Aziz also had a 1.96 ERA and 20-4 record.

Ho Chi Minh City upset Hanoi 3-2 in a classic first round series and Bangkok bested Vientiane 3-1. It was the first Southeast Asia League Championship Series berth for the Bobcats and the second for the Hedgehogs, who were runner-up in 1984. The series was a seven game thriller with Ho Chi Minh City taking it for their first title of what would become a run of annual dominance for the next 20 years.



The eighth South Asian Championship wouldn’t have much excitement though as Ahmedabad swept Ho Chi Minh City to earn back-to-back SAB titles. Although a sweep, this kicked off what would become an intense rivalry with these teams meeting in numerous championships for the rest of the 20^th Century. Andee Siddharth was finals MVP and had 6 home runs, 17 hits, 9 runs, and 15 RBI over 14 playoff starts.



Other notes: V.J. Williams won his sixth Silver slugger at 2B. RF Najib Kumaili also won his sixth.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1987 in WAB

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The Western League had the same three playoff teams as the prior year, although the roles were switched. At 102-60, Conakry took first place for the first time in franchise history and got back-to-back playoff berths. Kumasi had a record tenth straight playoff berth, taking second at 91-71. Defending WL champ Bamako finished third at 90-72 for the second wild card, getting their fifth straight postseason appearance. Both Abidjan and Cape Verde were right in the mix at 88-74, but short of the last spot by two games. For the Vulcans, it was their first winning season in West Africa Baseball’s 13 year history thus far.

Conakry 3B Moussa Naba won the Western League MVP in his second full season as a starter. The 25-year old Burkinabe led in WAR (8.0) and runs (96), adding Gold Glove defense with a .267/.328/.464 slash. Bamako’s Addise Assefa won his third Pitcher of the Year; the third WAB pitcher to win the award thrice so far. The 30-year old left handed Ethiopian led in ERA (1.88), innings (268.2), strikeouts (379), WHIP (0.82), and quality starts 931). He added a 20-8 record and 7.3 WAR.

The wild card round had Kumasi sweep Bamako 2-0, sending the Monkeys to the Western League Championship Series for the sixth time. It was Conakry’s first WLCS appearance and they had home field advantage, but Kumasi would prevail with their playoff experience. The Monkeys took the series 3-1 to take their third WL pennant (1979, 1985).



Niamey made the playoffs for the fourth straight season, although 1987 was their first time atop the Eastern League standings with a franchise-best 101-61. The Atomics allowed 475 runs with a 2.60 team ERA, which both still stand as the second-best in EL history as of 2037. There was a shift in the El in the wild card spots with Cotonou at 91-71 and Lome at 87-75. This was the first-ever playoff berth for the Copperheads and only the second for the Lasers (1976). Perennial power Lagos was one game short of the last playoff spot at 86-76 and defending WAB champ Kano was fifth at 83-79. 1987 joins 1982 as the only years so far that didn’t have the Lizards and/or the Condors in the playoff field.

Leading Cotonou was 3B Lilian Sule, who won Eastern League MVP. The 27-year old Nigerian was the WARlord (7.2) and leader in RBI (12), while adding 40 h0me runs and a .880 OPS. Sule would leave WAB in the offseason and spend the next eight years in Honduras. The Copperheads also had Pitcher of the Year in Bello Stephen, back-to-back wins for the second-year star. The 24-year old Nigerian led in ERA (1.95), WHIP (0.78), FIP- (43), and WAR (10.0). He added 351 strikeouts over 226 innings and a 16-8 record.

Cotonou won the wild card round 2-0 against Lome. In the Eastern League Championship Series, we were guaranteed a first-time EL champ. After being the runner-up in 1984 and 1985, Niamey finally prevailed to take the ELCS 3-1 over the Copperheads.



The 13^th West African Championship went all seven games with Niamey edging Kumasi 4-3 to bring the cup to Niger for the first time. The Monkeys are now 0-3 in their WAB finals appearances. Finals MVP went to CF Alfred Koker, who posted 16 hits, 4 runs, 3 doubles, and 3 RBI in 11 playoff starts.



Other notes: The 10^th WAB Perfect Game was thrown by Lome’s Dedric Godwin on May 14, striking out 8 against Kano. There were 10 perfect games in WAB’s first 13 seasons, although the 11^th wouldn’t come until 1997. Kouadio Diao was the second pitcher to 3000 career strikeouts. 3B Adama Toure won his seventh Gold Glove.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1987 in CLB

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Beijing and Tianjin both continued their dominance atop the Chinese Northern League. They switched spots in the standings with the Bears first at 104-58 and the defending CLB champ Jackrabbits at 101-61. It was Beijing’s fourth straight playoff berth and Tianjin’s fifth straight. The Jackrabbit pitching staff set a NL record for fewest walks (202) while the Bears had the second best second for strikeouts at 1805, three behind their record from the prior season.

Dalian was third at 90-72, 11 games from a playoff spot despite having the Northern League MVP Hongbo Yang. Nicknamed “Otter,” it was the breakout season for the 25-year old right fielder, leading in hits (193), RBI (101), total bases (330), triple slash (.355/.383/.607), OPS (.99), wRC+ (237), and WAR (10.5). Beijing’s Youpeng Yin won back-to-back Pitcher of the Year awards. The 25- year old led in ERA (1.17), WHIP (0.60), quality starts (30), FIP- (36), and WAR (10.7). He added a 15-2 record and 293 strikeouts over 239.1 innings. Also of note, Junwei Zhu won his third Reliever of the Year and led in saves for the fourth straight season.



Guangzhou finished first in the Southern League at 99-63, earning back-to-back playoff berths. Close behind were Chengdu and Dongguan with the Clowns earning the second playoff spot at 98-64. That snapped a four-year playoff drought for Chengdu. The Donkeys, first place last year, were two games short at 96-66. Hong Kong (89-73) and Foshan (87-75) had solid seasons, but faded from contention late.

Chengdu CF Zhang Yu won the Southern League MVP, leading in hits (169), and triples (24). He added 9.8 WAR with a .837 OPS and 187 wRC+. The Clowns’ playoff hopes though would fade as Yu suffered a torn ACL in late September, knocking him out 10 months. Pitcher of the Year was Guangzhou’s Qinshu He, who posted a 1.74 ERA and 16-12 record over 269.1 innings with 291 strikeouts and 7.3 WAR.

The first place teams prevailed in the semifinal rounds with Beijing besting Chengdu 4-2 and Guangzhou topping Tianjin 4-2. This sent the Bears to the China Series for the fourth straight year and fifth time overall. For the Gamecocks, it was their third finals berth and first since 1974.



The 18^th China Series was a seven-game battle with Beijing winning over Guangzhou 4-3. 1B Guangjun Ma was the playoff hero, winning finals MVP and semifinal MVP. In 13 starts, Ma had 17 hits, 6 runs, 4 home runs, and 13 RBI. This gave the Bears their third title in four years, becoming the first team in CLB history to achieve that. Beijing is also the first time to win four titles overall in CLB history (1970, 84, 85, 87).



Other notes: Changsha’s Cong Tien Anh threw CLB’s 18^th Perfect Game on September 17, fanning five against Xiamen. Bears’ pitcher Xi Han had two no-hitters in 1987, fanning 14 against Jinan in May and striking out 10 against Zhengzhou in July. Beijing’s Robin Kwan tied the CLB single-game strikeout record, fanning 19 against Xi’an. Guodong Lin became the fourth pitcher to 3500 career strikeouts. Zhiyuan Lai and Hla Khun Mon became the third and fourth pitchers to 200 career wins.

Junjie Hsiung became the second to 2500 hits. He would play two more seasons and finish with 2824 hits, passing Shenchao An’s 2704 to become the CLB hit king. Hsiung remains the hit king as of 2037. He also won his 10^th and final Silver Slugger at shortstop. Faqing He won his ninth Gold Glove in center field.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1987 in APB

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Taichung won the Taiwan League for the fourth straight season and set a franchise-record with a 107-55 record. They had the most runs scored (615) and fewest allowed (444) in the whole Taiwan-Philippine Association, allowing them to finish 11 games ahead of 96-66 Taipei. The Philippine League needed a tiebreaker game to determine the champ as Quezon and Cebu both finished 89-73. The Zombies prevailed to take the top spot for the third time in the 1980s. Manila, the two-time defending TPA champ, fell to a third place 78-84.

TPA MVP went to Taichung’s Chang-Rong Chang, who also won it back in 1981. The 29-year old Taiwanese first baseman led in runs (97), home runs (48), RBI (95), walks (59), total bases (358), OBP (.350), slugging (.594), OPS (.943), wRC+ (203), and WAR (9.3). Cebu’s Alex Clavijo won Pitcher of the Year in only his second season. The 23-year old lefty led in ERA (1.33), strikeouts (393), WHIP (0.71), FIP- (38), and WR (12.6). He pitched 278 innings and had a 21-5 record. Although most agreed Clavjio was the top pitcher, Taichung’s Cedric Fenny set the Austronesia Professional Baseball record with 27 wins. The 36-year old went 27-2 with a 1.38 ERA over 281 innings, 291 strikeouts, and 8.8 WAR. Also of note, Toucans closer Edhie Dalem won his third straight Reliever of the Year.



Two-time defending Sundaland Association champ Jakarta set a franchise record at 107-55, winning the Java League by 14 games over Semarang. The Jaguars led the association in runs (556) and fewest allowed (368). After taking second the prior two seasons, Medan was back atop the Malacca League at 95-67. It is the fifth playoff appearance of the 1980s for the Marlins. Pekanbaru, last year’s league winner, fell off a cliff to 69-93.

Pitcher of the Year and Sundaland Association MVP both went to Jakarta’s Hadi Ningsih. The 30-year old Indonesian lefty had a 0.94 ERA, only the second-ever sub-one ERA season for an APB starter behind Ahmad Syahmi Rusli’s 0.89 in 1982. He also led in wins (24-5), WHIP (0.61), K/BB (19.4), quality starts (34), FIP- (32) and WAR (14.1). Ningsih also struck out 408 batters over 287.1 innings and threw APB’s 14^th perfect game, striking out 12 against Palembang on April 5. It was his second career no-hitter, having also thrown one in 1984.

After taking runner-up the prior three seasons, Taichung finally took the Taiwan-Philippine Association Championship, outlasting Quezon in a seven-game classic. It is the fourth title for the Toucans, who also won it in 1981, 1966, and 1965. The Sundaland Association Championship also went the distance with Medan denying Jakarta’s three-peat. The Marlins have now won five pennants with four in the 1980s (1966, 81, 83, 84, 87).



The 23^rd Austronesia Championship was also a thriller, the first final to go seven games since a prior Taichung/Medan final in 1981. It was their third time meeting in the finale with the Toucans winning in 1981 on a walkoff and the Marlins taking it in five in 1966. Medan won it all in 1987 for their second championship, led by third-year left fielder Mohd Yusri Rusli. He won finals MVP, posting 13 hits, 6 runs, 2 doubles, 2 home runs, and 4 RBI over 14 playoff starts.



Other notes: Chun-Chia Lan became the second to 600 career home runs and became the APB home run king, passing Abracham Gumelar’s record of 604. Lan played one more season and finished with 619, holding the all-time mark for nearly 40 years. He’d end with 1413, retiring 13 short of Gumelar for the top spot. Vhon Lasam, Dave Hermillo, and Poh Tan all crossed 3500 career strikeouts, bringing it to five pitchers to have reached the mark. Cedric Fenny became the first to 200 career wins. CF Fajar Lastori won his eighth Silver Slugger.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1987 in OBA

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For the first time since their dynasty ended in 1970, Melbourne took first in the Australasia League. The Mets took the top spot at 98-64 with the top offense in the AL, scoring 701 runs. Christchurch at 95-87 was their closest competitor with Sydney at 88-74. Defending AL champ Perth was fourth at 79-83.

Leading Melbourne’s success was fourth-year 3B Thomas Silverhawk, who won Australasia League MVP. The 25-year old Australian hit the most home runs (50) and led in hits (188), average (.313), and WAR (10.5). He added a 180 wRC+ and 119 RBI. For the first time in AL history, Pitcher of the Year went to a reliever with Mets closer Scott Kyle taking it. He also became OBA’s first five-time Reliever of the Year winner. In his second season with Melbourne, the 32-year old New Zealander posted 5.4 WAR over 97 innings with 44 saves, 53 shutdowns, 149 strikeouts, and a 1.30 ERA. He also became the first OBA pitcher to cross 400 career saves. It would be his final OBA season as Kyle would spend his remaining five seasons in MLB. His 402 OBA saves would be the all-time top mark until the late 2020s.



The Pacific League title went Samoa, snapping a 13-season drought. The Sun Sox finished 89-73 and beat out defending champion Honolulu by only one game, denying the Honu their sixth title of the 1980s. It was a competitive race with only ten games separating first from seventh.

Fiji’s David Rotinsulu was named Pacific League MVP in his second season. The two-way righty from Indonesia on the mound led in wins at 25-12 and posted a 2.53 ERA over 327.2 innings with 273 strikeouts and 6.9 WAR. As an outfielder, he had 3.0 WAR with a .271/.310/.489 slash, 167 wRC+, and 14 home runs in 122 games. Honolulu’s Scottie Hunt was the Pitcher of the Year, having joined the Honu in 1985 after flaming out of MLB. The 30-year old from Portsmouth, Virginia led in ERA (2.21), strikeouts (368), quality starts (34), FIP- (70), and WAR (8.9), adding an 18-13 record in 317.2 innings. Hunt would miss all of 1988 needing elbow reconstruction surgery, then spent his remaining seasons bouncing between MLB teams.



The 28^th Oceania Championship would see the first sweep since 1970. Like in 1970, Melbourne was on the bad side of it as Samoa took the title. It is the second championship for the Sun Sox, who also won in 1973. CF Luther Barry was the finals MVP with 8 hits, 5 runs, 1 triple, and 3 RBI in the series.



Other notes: Tarzan Rao and Nigel Chalmers became the second and third OBA pitchers to 5000 career strikeouts, both passing Nathaniel Doloran’s top mark of 5026. Chalmers would retire after the season with 5144, while Rao played two more years and retired the all-time leader with 5650 Ks. Port Moresby’s Thompson Bobby had the third four home run game by an OBA slugger. Trent Atkins became the second batter to 500 home runs. He’d retire after 1989 with 564, still a distant second to Sione Hala’s 691. 3B Jarrod Stacy won his ninth Gold Glove.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1987 in EPB

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The European League’s best record in 1987 went to 98-64 Bucharest, earning a fourth straight playoff berth and a third South Division title in that stretch. Defending Soviet Series champ Kyiv was 95-67, which got the Kings the first wild card and a third consecutive berth. Minsk was North Division champ for the seventh straight season, finishing 96-66. Kazan and Warsaw were both four back at 92-70 and tied for the second wild card spot. The Crusaders took the tiebreaker game to secure their first playoff appearance since 1969. Vilnius (89-73), Riga (87-75), and Kharkiv (85-77) were also in the mix, but faded down the stretch.

Winning European League MVP was Vilnius LF Tapani Knuuti. The 28-year old from Finland was the WARlord at 8.3 and boasted Gold Glove defense along with 38 home runs, 98 RBI, and a .292/.325/.525 slash. Warsaw’s Lukasz Oleksy won Pitcher of the Year. The 28-year old Polish lefty was the leader in WHIP (0.76) and quality starts (30), adding 10.4 WAR over 278.2 innings with 363 strikeouts, a 1.58 ERA, and 20-9 record.

Both first round playoff series in the European League were five games classics that saw wild card victories. Kazan upset Bucharest and Kyiv ousted Minsk. The ELCS was familiar for the defending champion Kings, who had gotten that far seven times in the last decade. Meanwhile, the Crusaders hadn’t gotten to the ELCS since 1968. Kyiv continued its control of the European League by beating Kazan 4-1. The Kings now have 10 EL pennants and four in the last six seasons.



The battle for the top record in all of Eurasian Professional Baseball ended up focused in the Asian League’s North Division. Omsk won an intense battle for the division title at 104-58; the third straight playoff berth for the Otters. Krasnoyarsk was only one back at 103-59, taking the first wild card and ending a two-year playoff skid. Yekaterinburg was also in the mix at 98-64, easily taking the second wild card for their third straight playoff berth. Bishkek won back-to-back South Divisions, running away with it at 100-62. Last year’s division winner Almaty plummeted to only 68 wins.

Novosibirsk at 91-71 also had a solid season, but fell short in the very competitive field. Still, Nitros two-way star Igor Bury won his third straight Pitcher of the Year and second AL MVP. On the mound, he set two EPB records that still stand in 2037 with a 4.67 H/9 and .152 opponent batting average. Bury also led the league in ERA (1.44), strikeouts (416), WHIP (0.73), FIP- (45), and WAR (11.6), posting a 20-6 record over 269.2 innings. He also added 2.1 WAR offensively with 87 hits and 15 home runs. His Novosibirsk teammate Dzmitry Kuliev was also notable smacking 61 home runs, becoming only the fourth in EPB history to hit 60+.

Omsk ousted Yekaterinburg 3-1 in the first round and Krasnoyarsk won 3-2 at Bishkek. This gave the Otters their second Asian League Championship Series berth in three years and sent the Cossacks back for the first time since their 1982 title. Omsk claimed the ALCS 4-2 over Krasnoyarsk, making the Otters three-time AL champs (1966, 1985, 1987)



Omsk’s first-ever EPB ring wouldn’t come in the 33^rd Soviet Series. Kyiv claimed back-to-back cups by taking the finale 4-2, making the Kings a record-setting seven time champions (1958, 59, 63, 65, 83, 86, 87). Finals MVP was American 1B Alex McGinnis, who had 12 hits, 6 runs, 3 home runs, and 6 RBI in 16 playoff starts. Kyiv also had a record-setting postseason from Sumer Cetin, who stole 16 bases, a mark that still stands as the top one as of 2037. This Kyiv group is the fourth repeat champ in EPB history, joining the Kings’ 1959-59 titles, Almaty’s 1972-73 run, and Moscow’s 1974-75. Along with their 1983 title, Kyiv is the first franchise to win three titles in a five year stretch.



Other notes: Andrey Fisyuk became the seventh pitcher to 4500 strikeouts.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1987 in EBF

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Three of the four Northern Conference playoff spots in 1987 went to repeat winners. Rotterdam, the wild card last year, had the top overall record and won the Northwest Division at 99-63. Defending conference champion Amsterdam was second at 89-73, which was still good enough to get the wild card by four games over Copenhagen. The Anacondas earned a sixth straight playoff berth, while the Ravens got their third straight. Berlin claimed back-to-back North Central Division titles at 91-71, their fourth playoff berth in five years. Copenhagen was second at 85-77 with Oslo at 84-78. The British Isles Division had a shakeup with Glasgow snapping a five-year playoff drought, taking the title at 95-67. Birmingham’s four-year division title streak ended as the Bees fell to 78-84.

Although Birmingham fell off as a team, Bees RF Sean Houston certainly didn’t, winning his fourth consecutive Northern Conference MVP. The 28-year old Scot led in home runs (63), RBI (146), runs (130), total bases (456), slugging (.708), OPS (1.062), wRC+ (193), and WAR (9.5). Rotterdam’s Xavier Pereira won Pitcher of the Year as the 28-year old Frenchman led in wins (19-8), strikeouts (269), and WAR (8.5). He added a 3.20 ERA over 269.2 innings.

Amsterdam knocked off their divisional foe Rotterdam 3-1 in the first round of the playoffs, while Berlin outlasted Glasgow in five. This pitted the Anacondas against the Barons in the Northern Conference Championship for the third time in four years. The Barons had home field advantage, but they once again fell victim to Amsterdam. The Anacondas won the series 4-1 for their fourth NC pennant in five years. They’re the first Northern Conference team to ever win four titles in five, although it had occurred twice in the Southern Conference (1969-73 Vienna and 1980-84 Zurich).



The SC’s playoff field had the same four teams as the prior year. Munich had the best record in the entire European Baseball Federation at 114-48, setting a franchise record and winning a fifth consecutive Southeast Division title. Last year’s runner-up Madrid won the Southwest Division at 101-61 for a fourth berth in five years. Two time defending European Champion Marseille was again the wild card with a 96-66 mark. Zurich’s historic hold on the South Central Division continued with a 15^th straight title. The Mountaineers dropped down to 93-69 and had to fend off a solid 89-73 Milan squad.

Seville’s Edgar “Slap” Miranda picked up the Southern Conference MVP. A two-way player, the 28-year old Spaniard on the mound led in wins at 24-5, posting a 2.87 ERA over 279.1 innings with 295 strikeouts and 6.9 WAR. As a left fielder, he added an impressive 6.2 WAR with 34 home runs, 93 RBI, and a .320/.385/.603 slash. The 13.1 WAR total goes down as one of the EBF’s finest all-time seasons, although Miranda still couldn’t get the Stingrays to the playoffs in the loaded Southwest Division. Munich’s Marlon Hoffman won back-to-back Pitcher of the Year awards. The 29-year old German posted a 22-7 record and 2.29 ERA over 263.2 innings with 315 strikeouts and 8.9 WAR.

Zurich stunned Munich 3-1 in the first round, making the Mavericks go one-and-done for the fifth straight season. Madrid would sweep division foe Marseille, denying the Musketeers’ their shot at a three-peat. It was the ninth Southern Conference Championship appearance for the Mountaineers in their 15-year playoff streak, while it was back-to-back for the Conquistadors. Madrid cruised to a sweep, the first sweep in the SCC since 1980. It is the fourth pennant for the Conquistadors, but it is their first since the 1953-55 three-peat.



The 38^th European Championship was uneventful as it saw the first finals sweep since 1974. Madrid dominated Amsterdam, giving the Conquistadors their second-ever EBF ring (1955) and leaving the Anacondas runner-up in back-to-back campaigns. Madrid is the first Spanish champion since Barcelona’s 1979 title. Finals MVP was veteran 2B Tim Castanos with the 35-year old Spaniard posting 14 hits, 4 runs, 3 home runs, and 8 RBI in 11 playoff starts.



Other notes: Christophoros Zarkadis became the second EBF hitter to 700 career home runs and passed Gabriel Staudt’s all-time mark of 701. Zarkadis also won his 10^th Silver Slugger at shortstop. He would play two more seasons and retire with 795, although he’d lose the home run king spot to Jack Kennedy by the mid 1990s. Kennedy in 1987 got his 600^th dinger, the fifth to reach that mark. Stockholm’s pitching staff allowed 1684 hits on the season, which stands in 2037 as the worst in Northern Conference history. For back-to-back seasons, there were zero no-hitters thrown. Jacob Ronnberg won his 10^th Gold Glove in right field. C Georg Drost won his eighth straight Gold Glove.