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

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 01-11-2024, 06:34 PM

1989 in OBA

Gold Coast dominated the Australasia League in 1989, giving them their first title since their 1971-73 AL three-peat. The Kangaroos were 106-56, finishing 20 games ahead of second place Auckland. Defending league champ Christchurch fell from 101 wins to .500, tying for third at 81-81 with Brisbane.

Leading the effort for Gold Coast was Neville Ryan, winning Australasia League MVP for the fourth time in his career. The 33-year old Australian left fielder led in runs (108), RBI (139), total bases (386), slugging (.674) and WAR (9.9). He added 49 home runs, a .300 average, and 190 wRC+. Kangaroos teammate Akif Erdem was Pitcher of the Year in his Oceania Baseball Association debut. The 32-year old Turkish lefty had earned MVP with the ABF’s Istanbul in 1986, but sat out in 1988 as no team matched his salary wants. He came to Australia and delivered the 10^th Triple Crown season for an OBA pitcher with a 27-6 record, 2.26 ERA, and 320 strikeouts. Erdem also was the leader in quality starts (32), WAR (8.4), and innings (326.2). Also of note, Brent Sami won his fourth Reliever the Year award, having signed with Brisbane in the offseason after previously pitching for New Caledonia.

Defending Oceania champion Honolulu continued its Pacific League dominance, taking the top spot at 96-66. For the Honu, this gives them seven PL pennants across the 1980s. New Caledonia (92-70) and Tahiti (91-71) were the closest competitors. Samoa and Fiji tied for fourth at 84-78.

Honolulu slugger Vavao Brighouse won his third Pacific League MVP with another high powered season. The 26-year old Samoan first baseman was the leader in home runs (64), RBI (128), total bases (379), slugging (.693), OPS (1.027), and wRC+ (228); adding 8.4 WAR and a .296 average. Samoa’s Logan Mathews had OBA’s 11^th Triple Crown for a pitcher with a 21-11 record, 1.69 ERA, and 363 strikeouts. The 28-year old Australian also had the most innings (325.1), and WAR (11.1) while also leading in WHIP (0.81), quality starts (34), shutouts (6), and FIP- (60). Mathews seemed on his way to a Hall of Fame career, but a torn flexor tendon to start 1990 effectively ended his career and forced him to the unemployment line by 1992.

The 30^th Oceania Championship would be remembered as an all-time great series and was the first to go all seven games since 1979. It came down to a pitcher’s duel game seven that went to Honolulu 1-0 over Gold Coast, giving the Honu repeat titles and their sixth in eight years. 22-year old CF Jonathan Buai came onto the scene to lead in WAR in his first full season and capped it with the finals MVP. The Solomon Islander had 10 hits, 3 runs, 2 triples, 2 RBI, and 6 stolen bases in the series.

Other notes: 1989 was the final season for Tarzan Rao, who capped off his outstanding career with two milestones. He became the second OBA pitcher to 300 wins and passed Nigel Chalmers by one game to finish with the most wins at 314. He also became the first to reach 5500 strikeouts and retired the strikeout king at 5650. Additionally, Rao’s 154.9 career WAR gave him the most of any OBA player. As of 2037, Rao remains second in wins, second in pitching WAR and third in strikeouts. CF Starlin Leka won his eighth Gold Glove.

The Oceania Baseball Association in the 1980s remained on the historical scale as a low to very low offensive environment. There was a noticeable gap between the leagues with the Australasia League seeing higher tallies with a .237 batting average and 3.26 ERA, while the Pacific League was at .227 and 2.98. This was still not as low as CLB or APB, but still on the lower end. OBA would see a similar environment in the 19990s before bumping up to more world average statistics in the new millennium.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 01-12-2024, 06:26 AM

1989 in EPB

Bucharest had an impressive bounce back in 1989 after seeing their playoff streak end the prior year with a 75-87 season. They ended up dead even with Kyiv at 101-61 for both the top mark in the European League’s South Division and the best record in the EL. In a one-game playoff, the Broncos bested the Kings to take the #1 seed. It was Bucharest’s seventh playoff berth of the 1980s and the ninth for Kyiv. In the North Division, Warsaw earned back-to-back division titles, getting first at 99-63. The defending Soviet Series champ Minsk was two back at 97-65 to get the second wild card and extend their playoff streak to nine years. St. Petersburg was in the mix at 93-69, but ultimately four back of the playoffs. Moscow, a conference finalist the prior season, plummeted from 93 wins to only 69.

European League MVP went to Warsaw LF Mahammad Tagiyev. Nicknamed “Mole,” the 26-year old Ukrainian lefty led the league in runs (87), slugging (.543), OBP (.887), wRC+ (182), and WAR (7.9). He added a .297 average, 28 home runs, and strong defense. Pitcher of the Year was Bucharest’s Artem Nurov, who had won the award in the Pakistan League with Multan in 1985. After leaving ABF and going unsigned in 1988, the 33-year old Azeri lefty joined the Broncos for 1989 and led the league in wins at 21-6. He added a 1.82 ERA over 262 innings with 264 strikeouts and 7.3 WAR.

Minsk upset Bucharest 3-0 in the first round while Warsaw dropped Kyiv 3-1. This set up a rematch between the division rivals of the 1985 European League Championship Series. The Wildcats were 1-4 historically in the ELCS, while the defending champ Miners were 9-10. Despite being on the road, Minsk took the series 4-1 for the EL title repeat and their fourth pennant of the 1980s. By getting their 10^th title, the Miners matched Kyiv for the most pennants of any EPB team.

Defending Asian League champion Novosibirsk improved upon their record from the prior year to take the North Division at 107-55. The Nitros did it despite both wild cards firmly coming from their division with Omsk at 96-66 and Yekaterinburg at 94-68. Both the Otters and Yaks had missed the playoffs in 1988 after having gotten in the field from 1985-87. Last year’s wild cards fell off with Krasnoyarsk going from 97 to 81 wins and Ufa getting the big oof from 95 to 63 wins. In the South Division, Biskhek was first at 103-59 for a third consecutive division title and their eighth playoff berth of the 1980s. Their closest competitor was Almaty at 88-74, a distant 15 games from the division title and six games from the second wild card.

Novosibirsk two-way star Igor Bury won Asian League MVP for the third time and narrowly missed winning a fifth Pitcher of the Year. On the mound,, the 29-year old led in strikeouts for the fifth straight season (403) and posted a 1.94 ERA and 17-8 record over 282.2 innings with 10.5 WAR. On top of that, he added 4.1 WAR playing 89 games in left field with a 173 wRC+, 104 hits, 48 runs, 22 home runs, and a .296/.320/.553 slash. Edging him out for Pitcher of the Year was Bishkek’s Fredi Tamasi. The 31-year old Hungarian righty led in ERA (1.75), innings (307), WHIP (0.78), K/BB (14.3), quality starts (31), and shutouts (6). Tamasi added a 21-11 record, 357 strikeouts, and 10.5 WAR, along with a no-hitter in July against Omsk that had 14 strikeouts and one walk.

Yekaterinburg upset Novosibirsk 3-2 in the first round, while Bishkek outlasted Omsk in five. This gave the Yaks their second Asian League Championship Series appearance in four years and seventh all-time, while the Black Sox were making their seventh ALCS of the 1980s. Yekaterinburg got revenge for their 1986 ALCS defeat in a seven-game classic over Bishkek. This was the fourth pennant for the Yaks, who were the inaugural winner in 1955 along with the 1968 and 1970 AL champ.

The 35^th Soviet Series was a rematch of the very first one in 1955, which had seen Yekaterinburg beat Minsk in six games. The Yaks would prevail again, denying the Miners repeat bid in a seven game thriller. Finals MVP was veteran CF Adam Pichardo, 34-year old Mexican player in his fourth year in Russia that made only 54 starts in 1989. In 19 playoff games, he had 19 hits, 8 runs, 2 home runs, 5 RBI, and 11 stolen bases. The Yaks also had a stellar postseason from closer Nodar “Biceps” Zarqua. The 29-year old Georgian had six saves and a 0.00 ERA over 18.1 playoff innings with 31 strikeouts, four this, one unearned run, and seven walks allowed. He holds EPB playoff records for H/9 (1.96), opponent average (.074), and opponent slugging (also .074). Yekaterinburg is now a three-time champ (1955, 1970, 1989) and snapped a six-year title drought for Asian League teams.

Other notes: On May 23, Vilnius’s Dana Bancu tossed EPB’s 26^th perfect game with 19 strikeouts against Minsk. This tied the EPB record for most strikeouts in any no-hitter and tied the world record for most Ks in a perfect game, which had amazingly been set only one day earlier in Indonesia by Bandung’s Vhon Lasam. EPB would see its 27^th perfect game only two weeks later when Kyiv’s Artem Makarevich fanned 15 against St. Petersburg on June 5. Darian Tasos became the sixth batter to 1500 career RBI and the 16^th to 2500 hits. He’d play two more seasons and end with 1660 RBI, third on the leaderboard at retirement and only 42 shy of Konrad Mazur’s 1702 top mark.

For the 1980s, Eurasian Professional Baseball was considered a low offense environment, although still higher than the very low numbers of APB or CLB. EPB saw a league ERA of around 2.95 and batting average around .288. The environment would look much the same over the next 20 years with a slight bump after.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 01-12-2024, 12:00 PM

1989 in EBF

Amsterdam, winners of five of the last six EBF Northern Conference titles, posted its best record of the 1980s at 105-57. This won the Anacondas the Northwest Division easily and gave them the top record in the entire EBF, along with an eight consecutive playoff berth. In the British Isles Division, Dublin ended a six-year playoff drought with a 96-66 record, finishing 11 better than London. Birmingham, who had won five of the last six division titles, fell to a middling 77 wins. Berlin won the North Central Division for the fourth consecutive season with a 93-69 mark. Hamburg was five back at 88-74, which was ultimately enough for the Hammers to get the wild card and end a nine-year playoff drought. Brussels was only one game behind with London two away. Rotterdam’s four-year postseason streak ended with the Ravens falling to 76-86.

Although Birmingham dropped off in 1989, RF Sean Houston picked up Northern Conference MVP for the fifth time, an EBF record. The 30-year old Scot was the leader in home runs (51), total bases (409), and slugging (.651), while adding 7.3 WAR, 214 hits, 135 RBI, and a .341 average. He also earned his eighth Silver Slugger. Brussels ace Khaled Jabri won back-to-back Pitcher of the Year and was one win shy of a Triple Crown with a 18-5 record, 2.40 ERA, and 325 strikeouts. Jabri was the WARlord (9.9) over 262.2 innings and also led in WHIP (0.94), quality starts (24), and FIP- (56).

Amsterdam downed Hamburg 3-1 in the first round of the playoffs and Dublin dropped Berlin 3-1. This gave the Anacondas their fourth straight Northern Conference Championship appearance and sixth in seven years, while the Dinos hadn’t gotten that far since the late 1960s. Amsterdam made quick work of Dublin with a sweep for their sixth pennant in seven years. As of 2037, the Anacondas are the only team in EBF history to win four consecutive conference titles. The 1989 win was also their eighth, giving them the most of any franchise.

The top seed for the Southern Conference was 104-58 Marseille atop the Southwest Division standings, earning their ninth playoff berth of the 1980s. Defending European Champion Munich went 97-75 to win the Southeast Division for the seventh consecutive season. Meanwhile, Zurich’s historic South Central Division title streak improved to 17 seasons with a 90-72 record. Rome was only three back with Milan six behind. Both ultimately fell short in the wild card race as well with 89-73 Lisbon taking the spot. It ended a four-year playoff drought and stretch of losing seasons by the Clippers.

Leading Lisbon’s turnaround was third-year centerfielder Willy Fierro, who won Southern Conference MVP. The 24-year old Spanish lefty had 11.6 WAR with a .352/.422/.643 slash, 37 home runs, 117 RBI, 206 hits, and 129 runs. Amazingly, he wasn’t a leader in any stat, although Fierro was top three in most of the big ones. Munich’s Marlon Hoffman won his third Pitcher of the Year award. The 31-year old German righty led in ERA (2.49) and complete games (16), while adding a 17-11 record over 249 innings with 260 strikeouts and 8.1 WAR.

Lisbon stunned their divisional foe Marseille 3-1 in the first round, while Munich outlasted Zurich in five games. This gave the Mavericks the chance to repeat as Southern Conference Championship winners, while it was the Clippers’ first appearance since 1984. Lisbon had only once before claimed the pennant, having won it all back in 1956. A new generation in Portugal got to see a title season as the Clippers defeated Munich 4-2.

In the 40^th European Championship, Amsterdam reclaimed the throne after having taken runner-up in the prior three seasons. The Anacondas beat Lisbon 4-1 to become the first five time European champs (1951, 54, 83, 84, 89). In his final season, 14-year Amsterdam veteran Leif Skjelvik won finals MVP. The 35-year old Norwegian shortstop had been relegated to the bench with only 25 regular season starts, but he stepped up in 12 playoff starts with 17 hits, 9 runs, 6 doubles, and 4 RBI. Skjelvik decided to retire on that high note two days after the final.

Other notes: After zero no-hitters from 1986-88, Marseille’s Giacomo Orazi ended the drought with a 12 K, 1 walk no-no in April against Malta. Christophoros Zarkadis become the second batter in EBF to 3000 career hits, retiring after the season with 3094. He also retired with the home run lead at 795, the top RBI mark at 1903, and was the WARlord at 164.0. Zarkadis lost those top spots in the 1990s, but is still third all-time in WAR and fifth in homers as of 2037. One of the guys in his orbit, Jacob Ronnberg, reached 500 homers, 1500 RBI, and 2500 hits all in 1989. This also got Ronnberg his 11^th Silver Slugger in right field. Jacky Muro became the sixth pitcher to 4000 strikeouts and the 17^th to 200 wins. Two-way player Edgar Miranda won his eighth Silver Slugger as a pitcher.

The rule changes made after the 1984 season were successful at increasing the European Baseball Federation’s offensive numbers. The .254 batting average and 3.72 ERA for the 1980s were highs for the EBF. This was considered to be average on the grand historical stage, although it was near the highest scoring among any of the leagues in the 1980s. EBF would see a slight bump in the next few decades with generally above average statistics.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 01-12-2024, 05:42 PM

1989 in BSA

Ciudad Guayana set a franchise record at 108-54 for the top mark in the Bolivar League and winning them the Venezuela Division for the third straight year. Valencia was a distant second in the division at 93-69, but that got them the wild card for their first playoff berth since their 1978 Copa Sudamerica crown. Lima was a repeat Peru-Bolivia Division champ at 94-68. La Paz was 91-71, three short of the division crown and two away from the wild card. Medellin took the Colombia-Ecuador division at 92-70 for their first playoff berth in three years. Defending Copa Sudamerica champ Cali was 88-74, ending their four-year playoff streak. Bogota, the wild card last year, also missed out by falling to 85-77.

La Paz designated hitter Lincoln Ruvalcaba won his third Bolivar League MVP in four seasons. The 28-year old switch hitting Bolivian was the leader in runs (130), RBI (140), total bases (427), slugging (.693), OPS (1.066), wRC+ (184), and WAR (8.5). Ruvalcaba added a .331 average and 56 home runs; both second in the league. Medellin’s Vennacio Rodriguez picked up Pitcher of the Year. The 29-year old Colombian righty had a 22-9 record and 2.54 ERA over 269.1 innings with 297 strikeouts and 8.5 WAR.

Both Divisional Series matchups went 3-1 with Ciudad Guayana downing wild card Valencia and Medellin scoring the road upset over Lima. This gave both the Mutiny and Giants their second Bolivar League Championship Series appearance in four years. Ciudad Guayana would cruise to the pennant 4-1, giving the 1974 expansion squad its second pennant (1984).

Recife matched its best record in its 16 year history, winning the North Division at 101-61 and posting the top record in Liga Cono Sur. The Retrievers ended a four year playoff drought and got their third berth of the 1980s. They had tough competition from Fortaleza (96-66), Belo Horizonte (90-72), and Brasilia (88-74). The Foxes ended up with their second playoff berth in three years. Sao Paulo’s playoff streak was extended to four seasons as they won the Southeast Division at 98-64. Rosario, the league runner-up last year, was 93-69, missing the division title by five games and the wild card by three. Two-time defending league champ Concepcion fell off from 102 wins to only 84, but their 84-78 record allowed them to win a weak South Central Division. The Chiefs got their fourth straight playoff berth and fifth in six years. Santiago was three back at .500 and Cordoba was five behind for the division.

Veteran first baseman Emanuel Ajanel won the MVP for Rosario, having joined the Robins as a free agent that offseason. The 35-year old Argentine lefty had a banner year, leading in runs (108), home runs (54), RBI (129), total bases (392), slugging (.653), OPS (1.024), and wRC+ (202) with 9.1 WAR. While Ajanel had been a solid slugger previously, he had never led the league in anything prior to 1989.

Ajanel managed to take the MVP over Fortaleza’s Caco Gallegos despite a record setting season. He set a single-season record with 257 hits in 1989, topping his own BSA record of 240 from the prior year. Gallegos’ mark was a world record, besting Franco Gilbert’s 254 the prior year in the EBF. This stood as the Beisbol Sudamerica hits record until 2018 and is still third best in BSA as of 2037. Gallegos also had a .394 average, 46 doubles, 26 triples, and 9.4 WAR. He also posted a 35 game hit streak early in the season, the second-longest streak in BSA history to that point behind Remberto Borja’s 43 in 1955.

Sao Paulo’s Andres Ramirez won back-to-back Pitcher of the Year honors. The fifth-year Bolivian righty was the leader in wins (22-9), ERA (2.12), FIP- (66), and WAR (8.6). He added 314 strikeouts over 279.2 innings and was second in strikeouts in the league. It was a big gap though to strikeout leader Pepito Cortina of Rosario with 431. He became only the fourth BSA player to fan 430+ in a season, although it was the 15^th best season (Mohamed Ramos did it ten times and Lazaro Rodriguez did it thrice).

Despite their weak regular season record, defending league champ Concepcion got a road sweep of Sao Paulo in the divisional round. Recife downed division foe Fortaleza 3-1, setting up a rematch of the 1984 Southern Cone Championship. The 1989 final was an all-time classic that went seven games. The finale needed 15 innings for the Chiefs to earn a 2-1 road win over the Retrievers. Concepcion becomes the third Southern Cone team to three-peat as champs, joining Buenos Aires (1945-47) and Sao Paulo (four-peat from 1957-60).

It was the second time that Copa Sudamerica had two teams from the 1974 expansion facing off for the title, as Ciudad Guayana beat Recife in the 1984 edition. The Giants had the big advantage by record over Concepcion, but the Chiefs carried their playoff hot streak through to a 4-1 series win in the 59^th Copa Sudamerica. Concepcion is now two time cup winners, having also won two years earlier.

Other notes: Pasquale Martin became the eighth BSA batter to 600 career home runs. He also crossed 1500 RBI, the 14^th to do so. Carlos Rodriguez became the sixth to 400 career saves. Catcher Sancho Sanchez won his eighth and final Silver Slugger.

Rule changes made it so the 1980s were the highest scoring yet in Beisbol Sudamerica. The Bolivar League had a cumulative batting average around .258 and ERA of 3.66, while the Southern Cone was at 3.43 and .252. Both were considered around average for the overall history of baseball and compared to other leagues in the era. The 1990s would look similar in South America, followed by a jump to above average marks beyond that.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 01-13-2024, 05:59 AM

1989 in EAB

The Capital Division was the Japan League’s strongest again in 1989. After taking second the prior year despite winning 98 games, 1987 EAB champ Chiba took the top spot at 96-66 for the best record in Japan. Kawasaki missed out at 91-71, as did defending JL champ Yokohama at 89-73. Osaka and Sapporo continued their holds on their respective divisions as both picked up a fifth consecutive division title. The Orange Sox were 95-67, nine games better than Nagoya in the Central Division. The Swordfish were 91-71 and the only winning team in the North Division. Hiroshima’s three-year West Division title streak was snapped the prior season by Kumamoto, but the Hammerheads returned to the perch in 1989. Hiroshima took it at 88-74, while the Monsters were 80-82.

The Japan League MVP and Pitcher of the Year both came out of Osaka. CF Yuma Akasaka was MVP as the 29-year old l posted 202 hits, 23 home runs, a .346/.388/.527 slash and 9.7 WAR. Akasaka also had a 36-game hitting streak, the fifth longest in EAB history. 28-year old lefty Rikiya Fujiwara was the pitching WARlord at 8.8 and led with 31 strikeouts. He added a 2.48 ERA and 19-9 record over 265.1 innings.

Both first round playoff series went all five games as Chiba outlasted Hiroshima and Osaka edged Sapporo. This gave the Comets their second Japan League Championship Series berth in three years, while it was the second in five years for the Orange Sox. Osaka would dominate the JLCS, defeating Chiba 4-1. It is the seventh pennant for the Orange Sox (1923, 25, 43, 46, 58, 85, 89).

Daegu had its first playoff berth in nine years with a 95-67 record to post the Korea League’s top record and win the South Division. Hamhung won the North Division at 93-69 for a third division title in four years. Seoul was second at 88-74, which earned the Seahawks the first wild card and their first playoff berth since 1981. The battle for the second wild card was a mess with three teams tying at 86-76; Incheon, Goyang, and defending EAB champ Jeonju. East Asia Baseball doesn’t use tiebreaker games and the tiebreaking formula gave the spot to the Inferno, giving them back-to-back playoff berths. Bucheon (85-77), Busan (84-78), Changwon (83-79), and Seongnam (81-81) were all right in the mix too. After winning 100+ games six times in the 1980s, Daejeon finished 79-83 for their first losing season since 1976.

Seongnam veteran first baseman Byung-Il Jun won his fourth Korea League MVP. He was the first player in EAB to reach 150 RBI in 20 years, while also leading the league in runs (116), hits (220), total bases (408), slugging (.641), OPS (1.042), wRC+ (176) and WAR (8.6). Jun was second in the league in both home runs (47) and batting average (.351). Second-year Incheon lefty Ha-Ram Lee was Pitcher of the Year, leading in wins (20-10), strikeouts (310), and WHIP (0.96). Lee added a 2.68 ERA over 255.1 innings with 6.5 WAR.

Daegu downed Incheon 3-1 in the first round of the playoffs and Seoul upset divisional foe Hamhung 3-2. This was the Seahawks’ first Korea League Championship Series berth since their 1979 title and the first for the Diamondbacks since their 1978 pennant. Daegu dominated Seoul 4-1 to earn the 11^th KL crown in franchise history, second to Pyongyang’s 13 pennants.

In a nice 69^th East Asian Championship, Osaka defeated Daegu 4-2 to give the Orange Sox five overall titles (1923, 25, 43, 85, 89). League MVPP Yuma Akasaka was also finals MVP, posting 27 hits, 6 runs, 3 doubles, and 11 RBI in 16 playoff starts.

Other notes: Nagoya’s My-Sung Jo struck out 17 with one walk in a no-hitter on July 3 against Saitama, tying the EAB record for most Ks in a no-hitter. Katsuo Nakayama became the 12^th pitcher to 4000 strikeouts. Sosuke Hoshizawa became the ninth EAB slugger to 700 career home runs. He’d play two more forgettable seasons to finish at 718, tied for seventh all-time. Yeo-Min Kwan won his ninth Gold Glove in left field and Tae-Won Ahn won his ninth in right. Seong-Jun Yeon won his eighth Silver Slugger at shortstop.

East Asia Baseball’s statistics stayed similar in the 1980s as they looked in the prior few decades. The Japan League had a 3.45 ERA and .250 average, a slight drop from the 1970s. The Korea League had a .261 average and 3.85 ERA; a slight bump upward. The KL was the second highest ERA of any world league in the 1980s behind only MLB’s American Association, although their numbers were merely above average in the greater historical context. The JL was slightly below average historically and right in the middle compared to other leagues in the 1980s. While other leagues will fluctuate more, EAB would stay largely consistent over the coming years.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 01-13-2024, 12:06 PM

1989 in CABA

The battle for the best record in the Mexican League was also the battle for the North Division title. Hermosillo finished at 105-57, taking the spot by one game over 104-58 Monterrey. It was the sixth playoff berth for the decade for the Hyenas, who had missed the field in the prior two seasons. The Matadors were easily the wild card for back-to-back seasons. Defending ML champ Juarez was 82-80, placing them fifth in the division. In the South Division, 86-76 gave Guadalajara the crown for their first playoff berth since 1978. Puebla was second at 81-81 and defending division champ Ecatepec was 77-85.

Although 73-win Merida was a non-factor in the standings, their 3B Stephen Soriano picked up Mexican League MVP honors. The 28-year old Mexican righty led in home runs (55), walks (84), slugging (.610), OPS (.984), wRC+ (217), and WAR (9.8). Pitcher of the Year was Monterrey’s Juan Meza. The 27-year old lefty led in wins (24-5), WHIP (0.74), shutouts (6), and WAR (8.5). He also tossed a perfect game on July 9 with 12 strikeouts against Puebla. Meza added a 2.07 ERA and 357 strikeouts over 264.2 innings. The Matadors also had a notable season from Rookie of the Year Francklin Bonhomme, who became the fourth in ML history to win the award and post 7.5+ WAR. He had 44 home runs, 121 RBI, and 7.8 WAR in his debut.

By being the wild card, 104-win Monterrey had to travel to 86-win Guadalajara for the wild card round and begin with a one-game disadvantage. The Hellhounds used those perks to sweep the Matadors and earn their first Mexican League Championship Series appearance since 1978. They were no match for Hermosillo, who claimed the MLCS in five games. It was the fourth pennant of the 1980s for the Hyenas and the seventh in franchise history.

The Caribbean League had a shake up with three different playoff teams than the prior year. After missing the field the prior two seasons, Nicaragua took the Continental Division and had the CL’s best overall record at 97-65. It was their first division title since 1976. Costa Rica, the CABA champ in 1986 and 1987, bounced back from their 1988 miss and took the wild card at 90-72. Salvador and Honduras, playoff teams last year, dropped to 81 and 73 wins, respectively. Santo Domingo had won the Island Division from 1981-86, but had missed the postseason field in 1987 and 1988. The Dolphins were back on top in 1989 at 95-67. Haiti was a distant second at 84-78, while defending CABA champ Trinidad fell to .500.

Leading the Navigators effort was second-year center fielder Manuel Rodriguez, the Caribbean League’s MVP. The 23-year old Guatemalan lefty had the most homers (51) and added 107 RBI with 101 runs, a .939 OPS, and 8.9 WAR. Costa Rica’s Alexis Lagunes won Pitcher of the Year as the 29-year old Colombian lefty had the best ERA (1.98), WHIP (0.86), strikeouts (343), K/BB (10.1), quality starts (27), FIP- (57), and WAR (9.8). He had a 17-12 record over 268.2 innings. The highlight of his season was the 34^th CABA perfect game, thrown on May 6 with 14 strikeouts against Havana.

Santo Domingo swept Costa Rica in the wild card round to send the Dolphins to the Caribbean League Championship Series for the sixth time in the decade. For Nicaragua, it was their first appearance since 1977 and they had gone 0-7 all-time in their previous berths. At that point, Nicaragua and Bahamas were the only Caribbean League teams that hadn’t won a single league title. The Buccaneers at least had the excuse of being an expansion team, while the Navigators had failed in their first 78 seasons. Nicaragua finally secured its first pennant as they swept Santo Domingo.

In the 79^th Central American Baseball Association Championship, Hermosillo rolled Nicaragua 4-1, making the Hyenas three-time CABA champs (1947, 1983, 1989). LF Tony Galvan was the finals MVP, posting 11 hits, 3 runs, 3 doubles, 2 home runs, and 6 RBI in 10 playoff starts. It would be the last finals appearance until 2008 for the Hyenas, but their supporters fondly look back on the 1980s as the franchise’s best decade.

Other notes: Torreon’s Matias Flores set a CABA record for strikeouts in a regulation game, fanning 22 against Juarez on May 12. Nick Bermea had also reached 22 Ks in a 1918 game, but needed 14.2 innings to do it. Remarkably, CABA had four perfect games thrown in 1989, something that had never happened in any league. CL Pitcher of the Year Alexis Lagunes of Costa Rica did it first with 14 strikeouts against Havana on May 6. On June 16, it was Trinidad’s Julian Engel with nine Ks versus Guatemala. ML Pitcher of the Year Juan Meza was third with 12 Ks against Puebla on July 9. The fourth was Leon’s Yusuf Manto with 10 strikeouts against Guadalajara.

In milestones, Junior Vergara became the third pitcher to 4500 career strikeouts, finishing his final year with 4532. Vergara also ended with 123.7 WAR, second all-time only to Ulices Montero’s 165.6. Luis Feliz Brea became the 10^th to 4000 Ks and the seventh to 250 wins. It was also his final season and he ended at 107.6 WAR, retiring fourth among all CABA pitchers.

CABA’s 1980s offensive numbers dipped slightly from the prior decades, but were still viewed as average relative to other leagues. The Mexican League had a 3.24 ERA and .246 batting average, considered below average offense numbers on the greater historical scale. The Caribbean League was more generally average with a .253 BA and 3.60 ERA. Following the 1989 season, CABA opted to make some rules changes to boost offense and saw the CL numbers into the above average range and ML numbers the average range moving forward.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 01-13-2024, 04:49 PM

1989 in MLB

For the first time since 1969, the New York Yankees earned a playoff spot. NY won the East Division at 100-62 and posted the top record in the entire National Association. Virginia Beach, the defending World Series champion, fell to third in the division at 85-77, two behind Baltimore. Brooklyn, the division champ last year, fell to 83-79. Hartford won the Northwest Division at 96-66, bouncing back after missing the field last year.

Chicago was also 96-66, earning the Upper Midwest Division for their third playoff berth in six years. Last year’s division winner Detroit dropped to 84 wins. In the Lower Midwest Division, Cincinnati took first at 92-70 to end a nine year playoff drought. The first wild card went to Ottawa, who won 107-55 games last year. The Elks finished 91-71 for their eighth playoff berth of the decade and were the only team from the 1988 NA playoff field to make it back in 1989. Kansas City at 90-72 took the second wild card, topping Winnipeg by one and both Milwaukee and Baltimore by three. It was the second playoff berth in three years for the Cougars. The 89-73 mark for the Wolves was a franchise-best so far in Winnipeg’s eight seasons.

Toronto was only three games above .500, but they had the National Association MVP in Elliott McKay. It was a rare MVP a catcher as the 27-year old from Asbestos, Quebec was the leader in OPS (.958) and wRC+ (193), adding 9.0 WAR, 38 home runs, and a .319/.381/.577. Pitcher of the Year was New York’s Benjamin Justinussen, a 26-year old righty from the Faroe Islands. He was the leader in ERA (1.76), WHIP (0.80), shutouts (9), and FIP- (55). Justinussen’s WHIP mark set a single-season MLB record that held until 2000 and his ERA mark was the fifth lowest to that point in MLB history. He only had 24 starts with 184 innings, a 16-5 record, 223 strikeouts, and 7.1 WAR. A strained hamstring cost Jusinussen seven weeks of the season. His standout effort came on July 2 with a 16 strikeout, one walk no-hitter against Wichita.

In the first round of the playoffs, Cincinnati ousted Ottawa 2-1 and Hartford topped Kansas City 2-1. Both second round series ended up in sweeps as New York took care of the Reds, while the Huskies upset Chicago on the road. For the Yankees, it was their first National Association Championship Series appearance since their 1968 pennant, while Hartford was making their third appearance in six years. However the Huskies hadn’t taken the top honors since 1950. Hartford prevailed 4-1 in the NACS to win the franchise’s fifth pennant (1916, 20, 48, 50, 89).

Phoenix had the best record in the American Association at 101-61, giving them their third consecutive Southwest Division title and seventh playoff berth of the decade. Atlanta, who had the top record last year, was the second winningest AA team at 97-65, earning a third straight Southeast Division. Their divisions had the wild cards with Tampa (95-67) and Los Angeles (94-68) getting the spots. The Thunderbirds snapped a two-year playoff drought and the Angeles ended a seven game skid.

Defending American Association champ Edmonton and Denver both finished 93-69, tying them for the Northwest Division title and putting both teams one short of the second wild card. In a one-game playoff, the Dragons eliminated the Eels and earned back-to-back playoff berths. Calgary entered the season with the longest active playoff streak in MLB at six seasons, but saw it ended after finishing 86-76. The South Central Division title went to Austin for back-to-back seasons. The Amigos set a new franchise-best at 95-67, eight games ahead of second place Memphis.

American Association MVP went to fourth-year Los Angeles LF James Franco. The 23-year old lefty from Inglewood, California was the leader in runs (117), hits (235), total bases (373), average (.373), OBP (.429), OPS (1.021), and wRC+ (175). He added 23 home runs, 112 RBI, and 8.3 WAR. Pitcher of the Year went to Aiya Kodama, the seventh of his career but first in MLB. He signed a five-year, $7,800,000 deal with Denver for 1989 after a decade of dominance in Japan with Hiroshima. Kodama set a still-standing MLB record with 318 innings pitched and was the leader in wins (24-9), WHIP (0.93), and quality starts (29). He added a 2.29 ERA, 277 strikeouts, 10.5 WAR, and a no-hitter in September against Miami.

Austin ousted Los Angeles 2-0 and Denver dropped Tampa 2-0 in the first round of the playoffs. Both the Dragons and Amigos carried momentum into round two upsets with Denver over Phoenix 3-1 and Austin over Atlanta 3-0. It was back-to-back American Association Championship Series appearances as an underdog for the expansion Amigos, while it was the first since 1983 for the Dragons. Denver dominated the AACS and swept Austin, giving the Dragons their fourth pennant (1925, 38, 62, 89).

Entering the 89^th World Series, Denver had been 3-0 in their prior appearances while Hartford was 2-2. The series went all seven games and came down to the wire. The Dragons scored a run in the top of the ninth inning to ultimately win game seven 4-3, becoming four time MLB champions. Denver’s roster was notable in being very international, as they had signed award winners from other leagues like Kodama (Japan), SS Bernd Sprenger (Germany), and RF Haojian Yu (China).

Other notes: Dallas’ Segun William had a 34-hame hit streak. Connor Neumeyer became the 45^th MLB batter to join the 3000 hit club. Later in the season, Cade Parker became the 46^th and Lindsey Garcia the 47^th. Joziah Perry became the 18^th to reach 600 career home runs and also crossed 1500 RBI. Perry ended with 660 homers after retiring following the 1991 season, retiring tied for sixth on the MLB leaderboard. Christopher Sollinger won his record 15^th Gold Glove at third base. This matches fellow third baseman Dusty Knight as the most GGs for any player in MLB history at any position.

Major League Baseball had slight very slight drops in offense from the 1970s to the 1980s, although they were still very much in line with what MLB generally saw. The National Association had a 3.59 ERA and .250 batting average, considered statistically average on a historical perspective. The American Association had a .258 average and 4.00 ERA. This was the highest ERA of any league in the 1980s, but would be viewed as merely above average compared to the big offense numbers seen in other leagues in the 21^st Century. MLB would largely stay in the same range offensively with slight decreases, followed by a big bump from rule changes in the 2020s.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 01-14-2024, 06:30 AM

1990 MLB Hall of Fame

First Baseman Sawyer Williams was the lone inductee for Major League Baseball’s 1990 Hall of Fame classic, getting the first ballot nod at 77.0%. Two other guys nearly got in on their debut, but fell just short of the 66% requirement. LF Tim Morgan received 64.7% and closer Dominic Thurman got 63.3%. Two other returners were above 60% on their eighth tries with 2B Bobby Davis at 61.8% and C Gavin Geogham at 60.8%. Three others were above 50% with C Russ Spratt at 58.7% on his fifth try, CL Angel Kiernan at 53.0% in his fourth, and C Earl Tucker at 50.2% on his eighth ballot.

One player fell off the ballot after ten failed tried in pitcher Dale Conrod. He pitched 17 seasons primarily with Kansas City with a 198-171 record, 3.45 ERA, 3422.1 innings, 3309 strikeouts, 802 walks, a 86 FIP-, and 70.0 WAR. Conrod did lead in strikeouts three times, but he was never an award winner and his 105 ERA+ suggests more sustained above averageness. The voters agreed, he never got higher than his debut at 17.2%, although he managed to never fall below 5% to stay on the ballot.

Sawyer “Trooper” Williams – First Base – Tampa Thunderbirds – 77.0% First Ballot

Sawyer Williams was a 6’3’’, 200 pound left-handed first baseman from Arlington, Virginia; a city within metropolitan Washington, D.C. The city is known for hosting The Pentagon and Williams’ nickname “Trooper,” comes from his family’s military background. He was a very solid contact hitter that was excellent at avoiding strikeouts and good at drawing walks. Williams wasn’t a prolific slugger, but still got you around 25 home runs and around 35 doubles/triples per season on average. He also had deceptively decent speed for a guy of his frame. Williams was a career first baseman and viewed as a firmly below average defender. He also made about 1/6 of his starts as a designated hitter with a small few in right field. Williams was one of the most durable of his era, starting 105+ games every year for 21 years. That and his tireless work ethic helped make him a fan favorite.

Williams went to college at Mississippi State won a Silver Slugger as a sophomore. In 146 college games, he had a .323/.396/.551 slash, 183 hits, 90 runs, 29 home runs, 93 RBI, and 8.2 WAR. This made him one of the best hitting prospects in the 1963 MLB Draft and Tampa picked him eighth overall. He was immediately in the lineup regularly with 118 starts, 138 games, and 4.3 WAR to push him to 1964 Rookie of the Year honors. He was a regular for the struggling Tampa franchise for seven seasons, which was surprisingly his longest tenure of his 21 year career.

In 1968, the Thunderbirds snapped a nearly decade long playoff drought, falling in the American Association Championship Series. This was Williams’ best year, earning his only MVP and his first Silver Slugger. He led the AA in total bases (352) and posted a career high 6.3 WAR. This was his only time in his career as a league leader in any notable stat, as he was more about sustained solid quality. He’d win Silver Slugger again in 1969 with career bests in home runs (34), RBI (139), and batting average (.348). Williams wouldn’t win the award again for the rest of his career, nor was he ever a MVP finalist again.

For his Tampa tenure, Williams had 1323 hits, 676 runs, 172 home runs, 709 RBI, a .325/.389/.525 slash, and 31.7 WAR. It was a nice tenure and he’s popular with Thunderbirds fans, but it wasn’t notable enough to get his jersey retired. At age 28, Williams was eligible for free agency and decided to leave Florida. He found a buyer in Seattle, signing an eight-year, $2,640,000 deal. Williams only played five seasons with the Grizzlies, but provided the steady production that was expected of him.

Seattle made the playoffs in 1973, 1974, and 1975; but got no deeper than the AACS in the latter two years. Williams had strong playoff numbers with 35 hits, 15 runs, 4 home runs, 11 RBI, and 1.0 WAR. Sadly, 1975 would be the last time he’d get to play in the postseason. In total with the Grizzlies, Williams had 946 hits, 513 runs, 116 home runs, 492 RBI, a .315/.371/.511 slash and 22.5 WAR.

Williams opted out of his remaining seasons on his Seattle contract and at age 33, went up the road to Vancouver on a five-year, $2,750,000 deal. He ended up with four seasons as a Volcano and was still steady, albeit slightly worse from age. Williams had 12.8 WAR, 681 hits, 357 runs, and 83 home runs in Vancouver. The signing didn’t get the Volcanoes over the hump and he failed to meet the vesting criteria in his contact, making him a free agent after the 1979 season at age 37. Williams signed with Memphis for 1980 and had his best season since his 20s with 5.2 WAR.

Next, Williams spent 1981 and 1982 with Charlotte. He was still a decent starter with the Canaries, but didn’t have the power you’d often expect from the position. He carried on and played two more seasons with Oakland, although Williams had fallen to below average by then. Notably with the Owls, he became the 11^th batter to reach 3500 career hits. He retired after the 1984 season at age 41.

Williams final stats: 3655 hits, 1928 runs, 615 doubles, 100 triples, 458 home runs, 1887 RBI, 1215 walks, a .306/.368/.489 slash, 131 wRC+, and 75.6 WAR. His longevity allowed him to quietly climb leaderboards and at induction, he was fifth in games played (3122), fourth in hits, fifth in runs scored, second in doubles, and 11^th in RBI. As of 2037, he’s still fifth all-time in hits, tenth in runs scored, and third in doubles. There were detractors though who dismissed Williams as a compiler, pointing to his lack of black ink and his low WAR and wRC+ totals. Still, there is value in longevity and sustaining respectable play and that value earned Williams a first ballot selection at 77.0% as the lone member of MLB’s 1990 Hall of Fame class.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 01-14-2024, 11:29 AM

1990 CABA Hall of Fame

Third baseman Odisseus Toribio was the only inductee in 1990 for the Central American Baseball Association Hall of Fame. Toribio earned a first ballot nod with 92.2%. Only two other players were above 50%, both at 52.9%. CF Wilmer Mora was on his third ballot and closer Leo Otero was in his ninth.

One player was dropped after ten ballots in closer Rodrigo Montero. He had a 15-year career split between CABA and MLB, winning Reliever of the Year twice with 295 saves, a 2.39 ERA, 847.2 innings, 992 strikeouts, and 24.1 WAR. Those tallies would be very borderline even in total, and that was his full career including four seasons in MLB. Still, Montero managed to get 44.1% on his debut before ending at 7.6%.

Odisseus “Thrash” Toribio – Third Base – Torreon Tomahawks – 92.2% First Ballot

Odisseus Toribio was a 5’11’’, 200 pound right-handed third baseman from Santiago; the second largest city in the Dominican Republic. Toribio was a terrific leadoff hitter with excellent contact skills and speed. He was outstanding at avoiding strikeouts and putting the ball in play, but he very rarely drew walks. Toribio wasn’t just a singles slap hitter, as he averaged around 25-30 doubles and another 25-30 triples per season. This gave him a solid slugging rate despite generally hitting single-digit home runs per season. Toribio was quick and a very smart baserunner who was successful on 70% of his steal attempts. He was a career third baseman who also made about ¼ of his starts as a designated hitter. Defensively, he was viewed as below average, but not abysmal.

Toribio attended a prospect camp in Santiago as a 16-year old in 1965 and was noticed by a scout from Torreon. The expansion Tomahawks were only a few years into existing at this point, but they thought Toribio had potential to be a great player down the road. They signed him and put him into their developmental academy, where he stayed until debuting with some pinch hit appearances in 1969 at age 20. Toribio was a part time starter the next season, then took over the full-time job in 1971. That year was his first of four straight Silver Sluggers.

With the Tomahawks, Toribio led the Mexican League four times in hits, three times in triples, three times in stolen bases, four times in batting average, once in OBP, and once in WAR. He very nearly took home an MVP in this stretch, taking second in 1973 and third in 1974. Both of those seasons saw 9+ WAR. After the 1974 season, he signed a five-year extension with Torreon for $1,694,000 and seemed to be the future of the young franchise. He was also a regular for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Championship, playing 102 games from 1970-84. In the WBC, Toribio had 92 hits, 49 runs, a .251/.296/.387 slash, 41 stolen bases, and 1.3 WAR.

Toribio missed nearly two months with back spasms in 1975, but bounced back with a strong 1976. This got Torreon to its second-ever playoff appearance, falling in the Mexican League Championship Series to Guadalajara. He surprised the Tomahawks though by opting out of the remaining three years of his deal, becoming a free agent at age 28. With Torreon, Toribio had 1339 hits, 589 runs, 185 doubles, 173 triples, a .352/.373/.537 slash, and 48.1 WAR. Despite the short tenure, he was one of the franchise’s first stars and Toribio’s #39 uniform would later get retired. He was also the first player to be inducted wearing the cap of an expansion franchise.

Toribio was feeling homesick and returned to his hometown of Santiago. He also cashed in as the Sailfish inked him to an eight-year, $3,026,000 deal. His debut season there saw him moved to DH and he led the Caribbean League in hits and triples. More back problems cost him much of 1978, but he was so good even in only 95 games that he won his fifth and final Silver Slugger. The back spasms were a recurring issue for the rest of his career and he’d miss a few weeks in each of the next four seasons. Toribio still led the league in triples twice, but his overall production and power declined a bit.

Still, Toribio was a solid starter and a hometown favorite in Santiago. He cemented his status as a favorite in 1979 as the Sailfish posted their first playoff berth in a decade. They went on a run and won the CABA Championship with Toribio earning CLCS MVP. In 10 playoff starts, he had 16 hits, 9 runs, 2 doubles, 3 triples, 2 home runs, 7 RBI, and 5 stolen bases.

The Sailfish dropped to 88 wins the next year, then were at the very bottom of the standings throughout the early 1980s. Toribio had his last full-time season in 1983, then found himself on the bench in 1984. He wasn’t re-signed when his contract was up with Santiago and no one picked him up in 1985. Toribio retired that winter at age 37. With the Sailfish, he had 1177 hits, 512 runs, 163 doubles, 155 triples, a .327/.344/.504 slash, and 27.8 WAR.

For his full career, Toribio posted 2516 hits, 1101 runs, 348 doubles, 328 triples, 112 home runs, 894 RBI, a 5.5% strikeout rate, 920 stolen bases, a .340/.359/.521 slash, 151 wRC+, and 75.9 WAR. At induction, the only CABA Hall of Famers with a better batting average was the legendary Prometheo Garcia and Kiko Velazquez. He didn’t have the longevity to rack up big accumulations and it wasn’t often easy for leadoff guys with low home run and RBI numbers to get noticed. To his advantage, Toribio was sixth all-time in triples and 15^th in stolen bases at induction. His popularity with both his hometown franchise and a new franchise helped and Toribio got in on the first ballot fairly easily with 92.2% of the vote as the lone 1990 CABA inductee.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 01-14-2024, 04:47 PM

1990 EAB Hall of Fame

Three players earned a spot in the East Asia Baseball Hall of Fame with the 1990 ballot. RF Takuya Yamada was the undisputed star of the group with a 98.1% first ballot selection. SP Sohichiro Nakano also earned a first ballot nod, although he sat at 74.6%. The third member was RP Kyeong Pyo, who narrowly crossed the 66% requirement with 69.7% in his fifth attempt. SP Ho-In Koh barely missed out on being a first ballot selection himself at 64.0%. One other was above 50% with SP Kunizo Tsuda at 58.0% in his second ballot. No players were dropped after ten tries.

Takuya “Tornado” Yamada – Right Field – Seoul Seahawks – 98.1% First Ballot

Takuya Yamada was a 6’2’’, 175 pound right-handed right fielder from Kitakami, a city of around 90,000 people in Japan’s Iwate Prefecture. Nicknamed “Tornado,” Yamada was a solid contact hitter with very reliable power. He averaged around 30-40 home runs per year along with around 40 doubles/triples per season. He was above average at drawing walks, although a bit below average at avoiding strikeouts. Yamada had nice speed, but he was a surprisingly poor baserunner despite being considered generally intelligent. Yamada exclusively was a right fielder and was viewed as consistently good defensively, although he never won a Gold Glove largely due to being a contemporary of 13-time Gold Glove winner Hyeog-Jun Wi.

Yamada shined at Yamagata Chuo High School, which got many teams in Japan wanting to convince him to skip college and go pro. One of those was Sapporo, who selected Yamada third overall in the 1966 EAB Draft. He signed on the dotted line and made his debut with 6 plate appearances in 1968. The next year, he became a part-time starter, then a full-timer afterward. From 1970-1983, he started 145+ games in all but one season, earning an ironman stature.

Yamada would league the league with 38 doubles in his first full season and was a very good starter in his first few seasons. He’d start to get notice as an elite player in 1973 and in 1974, he finished second in MVP voting with the batting title (.355) along with career highs in WAR (10.1), and runs (124). Sapporo made the playoffs in 1972 and 1974 after struggling throughout the 1960s, but Yamada couldn’t get them to the pennant. He was very solid again in 1975 and 1976, but the team regressed towards the middle of the standings. With the Swordfish, Yamada finished with 1194 hits, 604 runs, 225 doubles, 196 home runs, 608 RBI, a .299/.354/.538 slash, and 44.1 WAR.

Sapporo seemed committed to Yamada and signed him to an eight-year, $3,478,000 contract extension just before the start of the 1976 season. Four months later, they got an offer they couldn’t refuse from Seoul, who was trying to make a push to snap their nearly three decade playoff drought. Yamada was traded for 1B Danjuro Yoshida, pitcher Dong-Hyeon Yu, and 3B Kansuke Ota. Those three, Ota especially, ended up as important contributors in helping the Swordfish become a regular playoff team throughout the 1980s.

Seoul inherited a big contract, but they felt Yamada was worth the investment. They were right as he won five Silver Sluggers from 1977-82. His power picked up and he led the Korea League three times in total bases, twice in slugging, and twice in RBI. Yamada was third in MVP voting in 1977, then won the award for the only time in 1978. He was second in MVP voting in 1980 and third in 1981. In 1980, he posted a career best 50 home runs and led the KL in runs, RBI, total bases, and WAR.

Most importantly, Yamada’s success helped Seoul snap a playoff drought dating back to 1951. They made the playoffs three times from 1978-81 with two North Division titles. In 1979, the Seahawks won the East Asian Championship and Yamada was integral, winning finals MVP. In that run, he made 15 playoff starts with 19 hits, 16 runs, 9 home runs, and 20 RBI. His role in bringing Seoul a ring made him popular for many years after with Seahawk fans and was a big reason why his #44 uniform was retired by the team. In total with Seoul, Yamada had 1477 hits, 800 runs, 253 doubles, 297 home runs, 892 RBI, a .319/.376/.609 slash, and 55.1 WAR.

The Seahawks would be decent, but miss the playoffs in Yamada’s final seasons there. His last year there in 1984 was plagued by an oblique strain that knocked him out nearly three months. Yamada’s contract ended after this season and at age 37, he was a free agent for the first time in his career. It was hard to pass up the allure of MLB money and he signed a three-year, $3,820,000 deal with Phoenix. This would nearly triple his yearly earnings from his top salary with Seoul.

Yamada really didn’t live up to the price tag with the career .300+ hitter only batting .235. He was a starter and earned a World Series ring in 1985 with the Firebirds, although Yamada posted negative WAR in his 16 playoff starts. Phoenix kept him a starter for part of 1986, but he’d miss the second half to injury and finish the year in minor league Tucson. The Firebirds cut him and Yamada ended up in an odd spot to finish his career, going to Russia with Irkutsk. He made a couple starts in 1987 with the Ice Cats and was a full-time bench piece the next year with forgettable results. Yamada technically signed late in 1989 with minor league Raleigh, but never played a game there and retired at age 41.

For his EAB career, Yamada had 2671 hits, 1404 runs, 478 doubles, 167 triples, 493 home runs, 1500 RBI, a .310/.366/.576 slash, 162 wRC+, and 99.2 WAR. He wasn’t at the very top of the leaderboards, but he quietly had reached 15^th all-time at induction in batting WAR. Yamada was popular and his role in Seoul’s 1979 championship season was a clincher. The voters felt “Tornado” was an easy choice, putting him in on the first ballot at 98.1%.

Sohichiro Nakano – Starting Pitcher – Kobe Blaze – 74.6% First Ballot

Sohichiro Nakano was a 6’2’’, 205 pound right-handed pitcher from Ni****ama, a district within the Tokyo Metropolis. Nakano was a well-rounded pitcher with solid stuff, control, and movement. His velocity peaked in the 98-100 mph with a five pitch arsenal of led by a splitter and a cutter, plus a forkball, curveball, and changeup. Nakano mixed them well, making him hard to solve. He was considered a very good defensive pitcher and won Gold Gloves in both 1975 and 1976. Nakano’s stamina wasn’t amazing, but perfectly acceptable. It would be injuries that would prevent him from reaching his fullest potential.

Nakano was arguably the top college prospect entering the 1971 EAB Draft after his run at Toyo University in Kawagoe. Chiba would pick him second overall in the draft and immediately throw him into the rotation full time. Nakano struggled in his rookie season, but found his groove as an average starter in the next three years. He only ultimately played four years for the Comets with a 45-53 record, 3.84 ERA, 941.2 innings, 910 strikeouts, and 20.0 WAR. Chiba was still a crappy team at that point and Nakano hadn’t turned into the lights out ace they had expected from the #2 overall pick.

After the 1975 season, Nakano was traded to divisional foe Tokyo for SP Pijon Ono and SS Ji-Hun Kangjon. It all clicked for him with the Tides, as Nakano led the Japan League in back-to-back seasons. He took second in Pitcher of the Year voting in 1976, then won the award in 1977 with an outstanding 1.42 ERA and 26-4 record with a league-best 9.9 WAR. At that point, that was the sixth lowest ERA in a season in EAB history and tied for the second most wins. It also earned him a third place in MVP voting. The highlight of the season was a 12 strikeout no-hitter against his former team Chiba.

Nakano’s productive also started to improve in the World Baseball Championship for Team Japan. From 1974-84, he had a 3.59 ERA over 133 innings with a 10-5 record, 154 strikeouts, and 2.1 WAR. Tokyo made the playoffs both years he was there and Nakano had a solid 2.66 ERA over 23.2 innings. However, the Tides couldn’t claim the league title. In his Tokyo stint, Nakano had a 1.75 ERA, 44-11 record, 468.1 innings, 541 strikeouts, and 16.5 WAR. That excellent run allowed Nakano to enter free agency at age 28 with teams expecting an elite ace.

Kobe signed Nakano to a seven-year, $2,884,000 deal. It would ultimately be his longest run and the hat he wore into the Hall of Fame. It had a rough start with severe shoulder inflammation costing him more than half of his debut 1979 season. Nakano bounced back with solid 1979 and 1980 efforts, earning third in Pitcher of the Year in 1979 and second in 1980. He never reached the dominance of his peak run, but he was a solid arm that helped Kobe win four division titles to start the 1980s. Nakano stunk in the playoffs with the Blaze though with a 5.68 ERA over 38 innings.

A triceps injury cost him a chunk of 1981, which was a very middling year statistically. He bounced back with a solid 1982, but suffered a torn labrum at the start of the 1983 season. Nakano returned in 1984 and was iffy in 58.2 innings before tearing the labrum yet again, this time forcing his retirement at only age 34. With Kobe, he had a 72-51 record, 2.87 ERA, 1130.2 innings, 1121 strikeouts, and 23.9 WAR.

For his full career, Nakano had a 161-115 record, 3.03 ERA, 2540.2 innings, 2572 strikeouts to 409 walks, 219/336 quality starts, a 78 FIP-, and 60.5 WAR. He was popular and really rode the wave from that 1977 season into being viewed as more impressive than the stats indicate. His accumulations are on the lower end of Hall of Fame pitchers, although there were voters who gave him a break based on what could have been if not for the injuries. Some baseball scholars argue that Nakano is among the weakest first ballot guys in EAB’s Hall of Fame, but regardless, he earned that distinction at 74.6%.

Kyeong Pyo – Closer – Busan Blue Jays – 69.7% Fifth Ballot

Kyeong Pyo was a 6’0’’, 195 pound right-handed relief pitcher from Sonsan, a large village of around 20,000 people in central South Korea. Pyo was a hard thrower with 98-100 mph peak velocity with a one-two punch of a terrific cuter and decent sinker. He had good stuff despite his movement and control being considered above average at best. Pyo was a good defensive pitcher with great durability and stamina for a reliever. Pyo would get criticized though for a perceived lack of work ethic and thick-headedness.

Busan signed Pyo as a teenage amateur in 1959 at age 16. He made his debut in 1965 at age 22 and moved into the closer role for the next six seasons with the Blue Jays. These were his most impactful seasons, finishing second in Reliever of the Year voting twice (1968, 1971) and third in 1967. After a more than 20 year playoff drought, Busan won the EAB Championship in 1971. Pyo played a big role in that postseason with four saves and a 1.00 ERA over nine innings. In total with the Blue Jays, he had 214 saves and 241 shutdowns, a 1.99 ERA, 534.2 innings, 601 strikeouts, and 15.3 WAR.

Coming off this high, Pyo decided to leave Busan and sign a three-year, $668,000 deal with Seoul. This started a journeyman phase for Pyo, who was disappointed by generally not being used as a closer. He had the role in 1973 with the Seahawks, but saw somewhat limited use otherwise decent but far from outstanding results. Pyo was traded at the deadline in 1974 to Daegu, who ended up winning the Korea League title that year.. He pitched 19 innings without allowing an earned run for the Diamondbacks, but got rocked in two postseason appearances.

Pyo was a free agent again at age 32 and signed a three-year deal with Goyang worth $800,000. He was used as middle relief and a setup man with the Green Sox, posting a 2.40 ERA, 12 saves, 39 shutdowns, and 3.1 WAR in that run. Pyo then signed with Suwon in 1978 and got one last shot at the closer job, becoming the 17^th EAB reliever to 300 career saves. He went back to Seoul in 1979 and was part of their EAB Championship roster, although he wasn’t used in the playoffs. Pyo was cut after the 1980 season and found work in Russia for 1981 with Ufa. The Fiends cut him in September and he signed with Kazan later that month, although he wasn’t used. After going unsigned in 1982, Pyo retired at age 39.

For his EAB run, Pyo had a 2.21 ERA over 1005.2 innings, 308 saves and 386 shutdowns, 1114 strikeouts, 216 walks, and 25.1 WAR. By raw stats, he’s one of the least impressive members of the EAB Hall of Fame, but the voters had been closer friendly with two other guys getting inducted even with lower WAR totals. 300 saves wasn’t a guarantee, but it got you a look with EAB’s deciders. Pyo debuted at 58.% and got to 64.2% in his third ballot, but a drop to 42.0% on the fourth try made many think he’d be destined to the Hall of Good. On the fifth attempt, Pyo got the bump to 69.7% to secure a spot in the EAB Hall of Fame as the third member of the 1990 class.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 01-15-2024, 06:50 AM

1990 BSA Hall of Fame

The 1990 Beisbol Sudamerica class was an impressive one with three players getting first ballot inductions with the lowest at 89.0%. OF Celso Galo had the highest mark at 98.4%, followed by SP Santiago Veliz at 93.7% and SP Bernardo Pinheiro at 89.0%. Another pitcher, Manuel Gonzalez, got 57.1% on his tenth and final chance. The only other player above 50% was 1B Cy Cavazos at 51.2% in his seventh attempt.

For Gonzalez, he had a 15 year career with Santiago and won four titles with the Saints. He spent a stretch of his early career as a reliever, finishing with a 150-92 record, 114 saves, 2.36 ERA, 2101 innings, 2487 strikeouts, 332 walks, a FIP- of 66 and 61.1 WAR. The rate stats are solid, but he didn’t have the innings to rack up the accumulations and suffered some major injuries in his 30s. Gonzalez debuted at 47.5% and hovered roughly around that range, although his case got more traction later on. In his ninth try, he was tantalizingly close at 64.7%, but that’s as close as he got, forever banished to the Hall of Very Good.

Also dropped after ten tries was Julen Angel, a third baseman with 18 years between Cordoba, Lima, and Recife. He won six Silver Sluggers and an MVP and posted 2371 hits, 1071 runs, 488 doubles, 383 home runs, 1108 RBI, a .269/.320/.468 slash, 143 wRC+, and 100.4 WAR. Defense helped him accumulate WAR and he’s one of only 36 batters as of 2037 to make triple digits in BSA, but he didn’t have the sexy accumulations to get noticed. Angel peaked at 38.0% on his second ballot and ended at a low of 13.4%.

Celso “Yogi” Galo – Outfield/First Base – Rosario Robins – 98.4% First Ballot

Celso Galo was a 6’2’’, 205 pound left-handed hitter from Uruacu, a small town of 40,000 people in the central Brazilian state of Goias. Nicknamed “Yogi,” Galo was one of the all-time great contact hitters in Beisbol Sudamerica history. He was decent at drawing walks and pretty good at avoiding strikeouts in his prime. While not a prolific home run hitter, Galo did lead the league once and posted four seasons with 40+ dingers. He averaged around 30-35 doubles/triples per season as well and had respectable speed.

Despite decent speed, Galo’s range wasn’t great and he had a noodle arm. He played center field for the first chunk of his career and was considered a terrible defender. He was moved to right field for the second chunk and wasn’t good there either, but he caused less damage. Galo finally ended up at first base some in his later years, ultimately playing about 1/5 of his starts there with an even split for the rest between CF/RF. His bat was too good to leave out of the lineup and the Southern Cone League didn’t have a designated hitter. Galo still provided stellar value as an ironman who played 140+ games every year from 1965-1977. When he was done, he was a very popular baseball figure within Brazil.

Despite his popularity in his home country, Galo’s signature and first professional run was in Argentina. He was spotted as a teenager by Rosario, who signed him at age 16 in 1959. Galo’s official debut was 1963 with 46 games and five starts, but he wasn’t ready at that point. After spending 1964 in the developmental system, Galo became a full-time starter in 1965 and made his case by leading the league with 47 doubles.

Galo would find himself on the leaderboards multiple times in his decade with the Robins. He won four batting titles, led in slugging thrice, OPS thrice, total bases thrice, and wRC+ thrice. Galo also led in hits twice and once in runs, home runs, RBI, and WAR. He had seven seasons worth 7+ WAR and three times reached double-digits even with his negative defensive value. Galo won eight Silver Sluggers, seven with Rosario (1966-71, 73). He also was a regular for Brazil in the World Baseball Championship, playing 182 games with 162 starts from 1966-81. He posted 170 hits, 106 runs, 54 home runs, 115 RBI, and 7.8 WAR.

Galo won MVP honors in 1969 and 1971, while taking third in 1970, third in 1972, and second in 1973. In 1968, he had the strange distinction of finishing outside the top three in MVP voting despite posting the eighth Triple Crown by a BSA hitter, although his 39 home run, 97 RBI, .327 mark was far from his most impressive year. 1969 was a banner year with career and league bests in hits (225), total bases (389), OPS (1.078), wRC+ (248), and WAR (12.0). This year also had a career best 45 home runs and a league best in the triple slash. You could not deny that Galo was one of the finest hitters in the game at this point.

However, he never played a single playoff game with Rosario. The Robins had a few winning seasons in the late 1960s, but they were no match for Santiago within the South Division. By the 1970s, Rosario had fallen to the very bottom of the standings. At this point, Galo was in his early 30s and was weighing his future. In total with Rosario, he had 2039 hits, 922 runs, 339 doubles, 356 home runs, 923 RBI, 313 stolen bases, a .333/.381/.585 slash, 201 wRC+, and 85.2 WAR. The franchise would later retire his #44 uniform and he would remain a Robins icon years later.

However, in the summer of 1975, it was clear his time in Rosario was coming to an end. Galo had signed an eight-year, $1,408,000 contract extension after the 1968 season. After winning only 56 games in 1974, the Robins explored trade options and ended up moving Galo and a pitcher to Rio de Janeiro for five prospects. The Redbirds were making a push at a playoff spot and succeeded, although they were denied in the LCS by Buenos Aires. Galo decided to sign a five-year extension and hitch his wagon to Rio.

They wouldn’t make the playoff again in his tenure despite posting winning records. Galo lost half of 1978 a torn ACL, but came back with his best season with Rio in 1979, posting career bests in batting average (.385) and OBP (.426). This earned him his lone Silver Slugger with the Redbirds and a second place finish in MVP voting. Injuries cost him part of 1980, but he was still solid at age 37. In total with Rio, Galo had 960 hits, 467 runs, 148 home runs, 497 RBI, a .357/.409/.589 slash, 187 wRC+, and 36.6 WAR.

The allure of MLB money came calling and Galo signed a three-year, $2,620,00 deal with St. Louis. He ended up being a merely average starter in his one full season with the Cardinals. He played only 7 games at the start of the 1982 campaign before being released, although he did get sent a World Series ring as the Cardinals won it all that winter. He was back in Brazil almost all of 1982 though, signing with Recife in early April. With the Retrievers, he became the fourth BSA batter to 3000 career hits. Galo had a decent 1982 season, but spent his final two seasons with Recife as a bench player. He retired after the 1984 season at age 41.

Galo’s final BSA numbers: 3182 hits, 1467 runs, 516 doubles, 526 home runs, 1506 RBI, 759 walks, 403 stolen bases, a .337/.387/.576 slash, 193 wRC+, and 126.1 WAR. At induction, he was seventh among BSA batters in WAR, third in hits, and tenth in runs. Galo also had the best batting average of any BSA Hall of Famer at induction, although he’d fall out of the top 10 in later years as offensive numbers increased across the board. Galo was easily one of the finest pure hitters of his era and an easy first ballot choice at 98.4%.

Santiago “Trigger” Veliz – Starting Pitcher – Bogota Bats – 93.7% First Ballot

Santiago Veliz was a 6’4’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from San Gil, a town of around 50,000 people in northeastern Colombia. Nicknamed “Trigger,” Veliz had strong stuff with good movement and decent control. He had 97-99 mph peak velocity with a filthy slider that he mixed with a sinker and splitter. Veliz had great stamina in his prime, leading in complete games twice and innings pitched once. He would receive criticism though with some detractors saying he was lazy and dumb. Although that may have kept him from his ceiling, Veliz put together a fine career regardless.

Veliz was a top Colombian baseball prospect ahead of the 1968 BSA Draft, but he was still considered a bit raw at that point. Bogota took a chance on him with the 14^th overall pick and he’d spend his entire run with the Bats. They didn’t debut him though until 1971, where he was used in a relief role. Veliz was a full-time starter the next year with middling results.

1973 is when he emerged as an ace, leading in wins and complete games that year. Bogota won the Bolivar League title for the first time since 1951, falling in Copa Sudamerica to Cordoba. Veliz was a beast in the playoff run with a 0.37 ERA over 24.1 innings, earning LCS MVP honors. 1973 also marked his first of 11 editions with Colombia in the World Baseball Championship. In his WBC career, Veliz had a 3.18 ERA, 13-8 record, 195 innings, 251 strikeouts, and 5.5 WAR.

1974 was shaping up to be a career year, but various injuries cost him more than half the season. The next year, he seemed to regress a bit, but Veliz bounced back with his lone Pitcher of the Year in 1976. He led in wins (23-10), and innings (285), while posting a career best 317 strikeouts plus 8.7 WAR. He had a good 1997, then a great 1978 that saw him take second in Pitcher of the Year voting with a career best 8.8 WAR. Veliz again seemed primed for a career year with his start to 1979, but a strained forearm knocked him out for eight weeks.

Bogota hadn’t made the playoffs since their 1973 BL title, but they had gotten close with 90+ win seasons in 1978 and 1979. The Bats extended Veliz on a six-year, $2,584,000 deal in hopes he’d help take them to the next level. They won 104 games in 1981 and Veliz was second in Pitcher of the Year voting, but he struggled in two playoff starts with a 5.68 ERA and Bogota was upset by Quito in the BLCS.

1982 was another year for Veliz with time lost to various injuries. The Bats were just outside the playoff picture again this year and in 1983. He had a near full season in 1983, but suffered a catastrophe that September with a torn flexor tendon. Veliz attempted a comeback and pitched 45 innings in 1984, but it was clear his days as an ace were finished. He was able to hit the 200 win milestone at least. Veliz retired that winter at age 35 and Bogota immediately retired his #15 uniform.

Veliz’s final stats: 201-115 record, 64 saves, 2.73 ERA, 2758.2. innings, 2876 strikeouts, 581 walks, 212/327 quality starts, 166 complete games, 77 FIP-, and 66.3 WAR. He seemed on the cusp a few times of really becoming something special, but injuries seemed to pop up at the worst times. Still, he managed fairly solid totals despite not making it to 3000+ innings like most BSA Hall of Famers. Playing with one franchise and getting a league title with them helped win over the few doubters and Veliz secured a first ballot induction at 93.7%.

Bernardo Pinheiro – Starting Pitcher – La Paz Pump Jacks – 89.0% First Ballot

Bernardo Pinheiro was a 6’0’’, 175 pound left-handed pitcher from Sao Jose dos Campos, a city of around 730,000 people within Brazil’s Sao Paulo state. Pinheiro was a master at changing speeds, giving him strong stuff despite only having 92-94 mph peak velocity and slightly below average movement and control. His eephus-like changeup was a 10/10 with even the best batters flailing miserably against it. Pinheiro also had a fastball, slider, curveball, and forkball. He had excellent stamina and durability, pitching 240+ innings in all 14 of his full seasons.

Pinheiro was a top Brazilian pitching prospect and was picked 12^th overall by Brasilia in the 1967 BSA Draft. Most forget that the Bearcats picked him since every inning of his career came with La Paz. After sitting in the developmental roster for the first year and a half, Brasilia traded him in the summer of 1970 to the Pump Jacks for pitcher Ignacio Valle. Pinheiro made nine starts that fall and showed flashes of potential, earning a full time rotation spot the next season.

Pinheiro didn’t lead the league very often, but he was steady. He had the most quality starts in 1972 and 1973 and in the latter year, led in strikeouts for the only time in his career. Pinheiro still posted nine seasons with 300+ strikeouts, although he’d have some issues with allowing home runs and walks. Pinheiro never won the top award, taking third in Pitcher of the Year in 1973 and 1974 with a second place in 1982. In 1974, he had an impressive 21 strikeout game against Lima, making him the fourth pitcher in BSA history to fan 21+ in a game.

After their 1940s dynasty, La Paz had fallen into irrelevancy and posted a 29-year playoff drought. They finally saw success with four straight playoff berths from 1976-79, winning the Bolivar League title in 1979. Pinheiro was a big part of that run with a 1.88 ERA in 24 innings that season. For his playoff career, he had a 2.47 ERA over 62 innings with 64 strikeouts; oddly enough posting a much better playoff ERA than his regular season career ERA. Pinheiro’s playoff success was a large reason La Paz later retired his #33 uniform.

He carried on into his 30s, posting one of his best seasons in 1982 at age 34. He regressed a bit in the next two years, a consequence of growing old. Pinheiro became the 21^st pitcher to reach 4000 career strikeouts. He wanted to be the tenth to 250 wins, but his subpar 1984 led Pinheiro to opt for retirement instead after that season at age 37.

Pinheiro’s final stats: 241-173 record, 3.11 ERA, 3843.1 innings, 4255 strikeouts, 868 walks, 321/475 quality starts, 182 complete games, 91 FIP-, and 68.0 WAR. The advanced stats aren’t as high on him even with his high strikeout total and innings. Not many guys who made the BSA Hall of Fame had an ERA above three. But Pinheiro’s changeup was legendary, plus he had big playoff moments and got bonus points for staying with one team for his run. On his debut ballot, Pinheiro got 89.0% and rounded out the solid three-man 1990 Hall of Fame class.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 01-15-2024, 12:14 PM

1990 EBF Hall of Fame

The European Baseball Federation had a fine 1990 Hall of Fame class consisting of three guys receiving above 90% in their ballot debuts. Pitcher Alejandro Canas was close to unanimous with 99.0%. Fellow pitcher Elfar Freyr Finsen got 95.1% and right fielder Monte Montanez earned 90.9%. 1B Alex Zonneveld very nearly made it a four-player class on his third ballot, but was just short of the 66% requirement at 62.5%. The only other player above 50% was SP Ugo Musacci at 50.5% in his fifth try.

The lone player dropped after ten ballots was RF Edin Janezic, who played 14 years with Vienna. He had 1934 hits, 1192 runs, 326 doubles, 140 triples,, 426 home runs, 1169 RBI, a .279/.340/..550 slash and 74.2 WAR. He was also a solid playoff performer during Vienna’s sustained success, but Janezic didn’t have the big totals or awards to get across the line. He debuted at 37.0% and got as high as 54.5% on his eighth ballot, ending at 48.5%.

Alejandro Canas – Starting Pitcher – Barcelona Bengals – 99.0% First Ballot

Alejandro Canas was a 6’1’’, 195 pound right-handed pitcher from Zamora, a city of around 61,000 in northwestern Spain. In his prime, Canas’ stuff was rated 11/10 along with solid control and decent movement. He had 98-100 mph velocity on his cutter and was a master at fooling you with his curveball and forkball. While he didn’t throw a ton of complete games, Canas was quite durable and tossed 200+ innings for 13 straight seasons to start his career. He was a great defensive pitcher and won a Gold Glove in 1975. Some said Canas lacked hustle, but that didn’t stop him from dominating and becoming a beloved Spanish baseball figure.

Canas left Spain for the college game in England at the University of Oxford, posting a 1.27 ERA and 16-1 record in only two college seasons. It was clear that he was a can’t miss star and Barcelona selected Canas with the #1 overall pick in the 1967 EBF Draft. He was immediately a starter for the Bengals and by his second year was also a starter for Spain in the World Baseball Championship. He made 33 WBC appearances from 1969-82 with a 3.65 ERA, 177.1 innings, 287 strikeouts, and 4.3 WAR.

Canas had some control issues as a rookie, but sorted it out in year two and became unhittable. He led each season from 1969-74, plus 1976; in both ERA and WHIP. In this stretch, he had a sub-two ERA five times and sub 0.80 WHIP six times. 1974 had his lone career no-hitter in a blistering 18 strikeout game against London Canas had 9+ WAR seven times in that stretch and had 350+ strikeouts six times, leading the Southern Conference in 1971. Despite that, he only won Pitcher of the Year twice, taking it in 1972 and 1974. He took second in 1969, 1970, 1971, 1975, and 1976; while taking third in 1973.

This was the curse of sharing the Southern Conference with some all-timers. In his early years, Canas was behind Malta’s Ugo Musacci, who won four straight from 1967-70. After Musacci left for MLB, Canas then was foiled by Zurich’s Jean-Luc Roch. Roch won the award eight times and is often considered the EBF’s greatest pitcher. Roch also had the benefit of the Mountaineers winning numerous conference titles in his run, while Canas’ Bengal teams were often stuck in above average tier. During his ERA title streak, Barcelona only made the playoffs once with a one-and-done in 1973.

Canas didn’t lead in ERA again after 1976, but he arguably got better as his strikeout numbers and innings increased. 1977-80 each saw 400+ K seasons, including conference bests in 1978 and 1979. His 454 Ks in 1978 was a new EBF record and only one pitcher ever did better in Lindsey Brampton, who passed that mark five times in the 1990s. Canas also incredibly had 13+ WAR in three consecutive seasons with his 13.7 WAR standing as the second-best ever in EBF history. As of 2037, EBF pitchers have hit 13+ WAR only nine times; and Canas did it twice.

Would you believe that he didn’t win Pitcher of the Year any of those seasons? He was third in 1977, second in 1978, second in 1979, and third in 1980. 1979 would give Canas something Roch never got despite numerous conference titles. Barcelona won the Southwest Division that year at 98-64 and went onto to win the European Championship. In the playoffs, Canas had a 2.48 ERA over 29 innings with 39 strikeouts.

Fans often debated who would end up at the top of the leaderboards between Canas and Roch going into their 30s. Canas was the first to reach 5000 strikeouts in 1981, something Roch did two years later. But in that 1981 season, Canas suffered a ruptured finger tendon that cost him three months. He had one year left on a seven-year extension he had signed before the 1976 season, but Barcelona surprised many by buying out the final year. At 35 years old, Canas was a free agent for the first time.

Some teams were worried that his injury and age meant that Canas had peaked. MLB’s Montreal was willing to spend big though, signing Canas to a three-year, $2,850,000 deal. He gave the Maples innings in 1982 and 4.5 WAR, but his strikeouts were down and he had a dead-average 100 ERA+. Montreal moved him out of the rotation in early 1983 and Canas eventually was diagnosed with bone chips in his elbow, ending his MLB run. Now 37-years old, Barcelona signed him on a two-year deal hoping for a farewell tour for a franchise legend. Canas only mustered 15 relief innings in 1984 and retired that winter at age 38. The team would immediately retire his #46 uniform and he’d forever be beloved in Barcelona.

For his EBF and Barcelona career, Canas had a 236-116 record, 2.08 ERA, 3248.1 innings, 5071 strikeouts, 637 walks, 345/432 quality starts, a FIP- of 47, ERA+ of 166, and 137.0 WAR. As of 2037, only two qualifying starters have a better career ERA. At induction and as of 2037, Canas was third in pitching WAR behind only Roch (151.4) and Armando Rojas (141.7). He retired second in strikeouts and remains third as of 2037. He’s also the all-time EBF leader in H/9 (5.57), WHIP (0.82), opponent average (.177), opponent OBP (.223), opponent slugging (.288), and opponent OPS (.512). Canas still often is overshadowed by Roch in the debates of EBF’s GOAT pitcher as Roch had more awards, more playoff success, and higher accumulations. But the rate stats make the case that Alejandro Canas deserves consideration when arguing about EBF’s all-time best pitcher.

Elfar Freyr Finsen – Starting Pitcher – Glasgow Highlanders – 95.1% First Ballot

Elfar Freye Finsen was a 6’2’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland. Finsen would be the first Icelandic Hall of Famer and the first major baseball star from the island. He had great movement and very good control, allowing Finsen to thrive despite having merely above average stuff. His velocity peaked at 94-96 mph with a three-pitch arsenal of fastball, curveball, and changeup. Finsen had excellent stamina and durability with 250+ innings each year from 1974-86. He was considered a great defensive pitcher, winning three Gold Gloves in the 1980s. Finsen was intelligent and well liked at each of his stops, while becoming popular back home as Iceland’s face of baseball.

Being in Iceland, there wasn’t a huge amateur circuit and despite his talent, Finsen wasn’t at the top of draft lists in 1972. That year, Glasgow selected him with the first pick of the fifth round, 130^th overall. The Highlanders used him as a reliever with okay results as a rookie, then moved him into the rotation in year two. By his third season, Finsen emerged as a legitimate ace, taking second in Pitcher of the Year voting.

Finsen’s rise coincided with Glasgow’s rise, as they won six straight British Isles Division titles from 1976-81. Finsen led in wins four straight seasons while leading twice in complete games. He had six seasons worth 7+ WAR in Scotland, peaking at 10.3 WAR in 1979. It was 1977 that was Finsen’s lone Pitcher of the Year win in EBF, although he was second in 1975, 1976, and 1979 with a third in 1978 and a third in 1979’s MVP voting. In 1976, Glasgow claimed the European Championship. In the playoffs with the Highlanders, Finsen posted a 2.87 ERA over 106.2 innings with 94 strikeouts and 3.4 WAR.

After winning it all in 1976, Glasgow couldn’t get over the hump in their next five playoff appearances, falling twice in the conference final. Finsen signed a three-year extension after the 1978, but that left him a free agent after the 1981 campaign. Finsen surprised many by not staying, although he was still a very popular figure in Scotland for years to come and his #6 uniform would be retired later.

Perhaps most surprising is where he left for. The 1980s marked the first time that EBF players were allowed to leave for Eurasian Professional Baseball and vice versa. Largely for political reasons, it would rare to see anyone in their prime switch between the two. Plus, those who left Europe usually did for the allure of MLB. But Finsen defected for EPB and moved to Belarus, signing a six-year, $4,080,000 deal with Minsk.

The Miners had won the European League the prior season and had historically been a dominant franchise. With Finsen, they won six straight North Division titles, making three conference finals berths and winning the Soviet Series in 1985. Finsen’s most impressive seasons by WAR came with Minsk, posting three straight 10+ WAR seasons to start his run. He was the 1982 and 1984 European League Pitcher of the Year and was third in 1984 MVP voting. Finsen also won three Gold Gloves (1982, 1984, 1986).

Finsen was an even better playoff pitcher in Belarus than he was in Scotland, posting a 1.78 ERA over 96.1 innings with a 6-1 record, 101 strikeouts, and 3.6 WAR. By rate stats, he was better with Minsk than Glasgow, although his totals were lower. Finsen posted a 113-52 record, 1.99 ERA, 1623 innings, 1568 strikeouts, 211 walks, 157/189 quality starts, 60 FIP-, and 54.4 WAR. (You could argue he had an outside shot at an EPB Hall of Fame induction, although OOTP removes you from the ballot of other leagues once you’re inducted somewhere)

Finsen’s Minsk contract expired after the 1987 season and he was a free agent again at age 38. His resume earned him the MLB payday with Charlotte at $1,640,000 per year, more than double his peak $680,000 with Minks and his peak of $670,000 with Glasgow. Finsen wasn’t outstanding in 1988, but he gave the Canaries respectable innings. His strikeouts plummeted though and he was terrible the next season with a 6.43 ERA. Finsen would retire after the 1989 season at age 39.

Finsen’s final stats for his entire pro career: 297-151 record, 2.49 ERA, 4252.1 innings, 3810 strikeouts, 709 walks, 380/507 quality starts, 257 complete games, 71 FIP-, and 117.7 WAR. That line is a lock for the Hall of Fame combined, but his EBF tenure was to be judged just on his Glasgow time. There, he had a 168-70 record, 2.49 ERA, 2265.1 innings, 2116 strikeouts, 407 walks, 203/267 quality starts, 118 complete games, 75 FIP-, and 58.4 WAR. It is incredibly impressive considering that was only over eight years as a starter. Finsen might have been right among the top of the leaderboard had he stayed in EBF, but his run in Glasgow alone was enough for the voters. Finsen got in on the first ballot at 95.1% as Iceland’s first Hall of Famer.

Monte Montanez – Right Field – Madrid Conquistadors – 90.9% First Ballot

Monte Montanez was a 6’2’’, 195 pound right-handed right fielder from Valencia, Spain’s third largest city located on the eastern coast. Montanez made his name as a great home run hitter, averaging 45 homers per year in his run. He also had good gap power with solid speed and baserunning instincts, making him a rare player to have more triples in his career than doubles. Montanez was only an okay contact hitter and he struck out a lot, although he did draw walks at a respectable clip. He was a career right fielder and was a bit below average defensively, although not terrible by any stretch. He was a hard worker and fairly durable, making him a very popular figure in Spanish baseball.

His entire pro career was within his home country, although he did leave for the University of Oxford in England for College. Madrid picked Montanez second overall in the 1967 EBF Draft, The Conquistadors used him sparingly in his first two seasons, primarily as a pinch hitter. Montanez became a full time starter in his third year and earned an all-star selection, although he missed much of the second half to a strained MCL.

His first full season was 1971, where he won his first of five Silver Sluggers and took third in MVP voting. Montanez posted four consecutive seasons worth 8+ WAR with 40+ home runs and won additional Sluggers with Madrid in 1972, 73, and 74. He was third in MVP voting again in 1972 and second in 1974, ultimately never winning the top accolade. Montanez led the Southern Conference and had career highs in 1974 with 54 home runs, 120 runs scored, and 391 total bases. He also was the RBI leader in 1972 with a career best 128.

Madrid would make the playoffs thrice in this tenure with division titles in 1971, 72, and 74. He had 6 home runs, 11 runs, 12 hits, and 11 RBI in the 1974 playoff run, but the Conquistadors were denied in the conference final. Montanez also began playing for Spain in the World Baseball Championship in 1970, becoming one of Spain’s favorite sons. From 1970-84, he had 133 games with 120 hits, 97 runs, 56 home runs, 110 RBI, and 7.6 WAR. Coming off a career best season, Montanez left Madrid at age 29 with the hopes of a big payday. He got it from Seville, who signed him on a seven-year, $2,814,000 contract.

Montanez had a great debut season with the Stingrays with 49 home runs and 7.8 WAR despite missing six weeks to injury. He regressed a bit in 1976, then won his fifth Silver Slugger in 1977. Montanez won Conference Championship MVP in 1977 as Seville got to the finale, falling in the European Championship to Rotterdam. In five seasons with the Stingrays, Montanez had 653 hits, 486 runs, 231 home runs, 516 RBI, a .251/.327/.611 slash and 31.9 WAR.

Two years after their conference title, Seville had plummeted to only 64 wins. Montanez opted out of the final two years of his contract, but decided to stay in Spain. He signed a four-year, $2,420,000 deal with Barcelona at age 34. The Bengals had won the European Championship in 1979, but they wouldn’t make the playoffs in his tenure. He missed half of 1980 to a torn groin muscle, but was healthy the next two years with diminished, but still decent production. With Barcelona, he had 318 hits, 226 runs, 90 home runs, 222 RBI, and 12.4 WAR.

A free agent again for 1983 at age 37, Montanez decided to return where he started with Madrid. He had a solid return season with 47 home runs, his highest since 1979. The Conquistadors earned the wild card, but were ousted. His production fell off in 1984 and a strained MCL knocked him out for the second half. Still, Montanez crossed 600 home runs, the third EBF batter to do so. He retired after the season at age 39 and Madrid honored him by retiring his #9 uniform. Over his two stints with the Conquistadors, Montanez had 984 hits, 654 runs, 284 home runs, 733 RBI, a .270/.336/.615 slash, and 45.7 WAR.

For his entire career, Montanez had 1955 hits, 1366 runs, 254 doubles, 259 triples, 605 home runs, 1471 RBI, 463 stolen bases, a .259/.330/.601 slash, 166 wRC+, and 90.0 WAR. He was one of a small group of EBF Hall of Famers to not reach 2000 hits and his batting average is the worst of any EBF Hall of Famer as of 2037. However, he made his hits count as 57% of his career hits were for extra bases. His power tallies would be overshadowed on the leaderboards, but Montanez was undoubtedly a top-tier slugger and a favorite of the Spanish baseball fan, earning him a first ballot induction at 90.9% to round out EBF’s 1990 class.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 01-15-2024, 04:37 PM

1990 EPB Hall of Fame

Two pitchers earned spots in the Eurasian Professional Baseball Hall of Fame in the 1990 voting. Closer Sergiu Onisie grabbed a first ballot spot with 86.5%. Joining him was starter Serhiy Belov, who finally crossed the 66% requirement with 71.2% on his sixth ballot. SP Maksim Ekstrem was close on his second try, but short at 60.1%. Also above 50% was 1B Bartlomiej Tarka with a debut of 58.9%.

Dropped after ten ballots was closer Joachim Kohut, who had a 16 year career with ten different teams. He had a 1.45 ERA, 359 saves and 448 shutdowns, 1089.2 innings, 1719 strikeouts, 57.4 WAR, and two Reliever of the Year awards. His stat line was far more impressive than a lot of other relievers who got into other HOFs and his WAR was even around eight points better than Onisie, who got the nod. Kohut came very close with 60.5% in his debut, but fell down the ballot to only 14.7% by the end.

Also dropped was two-way player Elmar Petrov, who won the Asian League MVP in 1970. He had a 16-year career with seven teams, but was never a league leader statistically with his split duties. As a pitcher, Petrov had a 170-129 record, 2.83 ERA, 2791.1 innings, 2585 strikeouts, and 32.7 WAR. As a first baseman, he had 1252 hits, 608 runs, 277 home runs, 734 RBI, a .270/.317/.505 slash and 45.1 WAR. His combined numbers deserve a look, but being above average at both didn’t sway the voters, even despite winning three rings with three teams. Petrov debuted at 37.2% and had fallen to 4.6% at the end.

Sergiu Onisie – Closer – Tbilisi Trains – 86.5% First Ballot

Sergiu Onisie was a 6’4’’, 190 pound right-handed relief pitcher from Cornetu, a commune of around 7,000 people in southern Romania. Onisie had excellent stuff with great movement, although his control was subpar and he could be wild. His velocity peaked at 96-98 mph with a terrific slider and cutter, along with an occasional changeup. Onisie was a clubhouse captain that was greatly respected by his compatriots for his leadership, worth ethic, and intelligence.

Known relievers don’t often get picked high in the draft, but Onisie was an exception. Tbilisi selected him 18^th overall in the 1965 EPB Draft, although he wouldn’t debut until 1968 with limited appearances. He took over the closer role in 1969 and held it for the next seven seasons in Georgia. Onisie missed the second part of 1973 to a fractured elbow, but he had 30+ saves in each of the other seasons as the closer for the Trains.

1975 was his lone Reliever of the Year with a 0.88 ERA, 35 saves, 18-2 record, and 170 strikeouts over 91.2 innings with 6.6 WAR. He took third in voting in 1970, 71, and 72. Tbilisi had its first-ever sustained success with four straight playoff berths from 1972-76, although they only once got as far as the LCS. Onisie had a 2.84 ERA over 19 playoff innings with 31 strikeouts. In total with Tbilisi, he had a 1.34 ERA over 618.2 innings with 235 saves and 285 shutdowns, 971 strikeouts, and 33.7 WAR. Onisie also played for his native Romania in the World Baseball Championship from 1970-84. He was primarily a starter in the WBC with 150 innings, a 2.94 ERA, 229 strikeouts, a 10-7 record, and 4.9 WAR.

Despite his 1975 effort, Onisie was moved out of the closer role in 1976 and only pitched 40.1 innings that year. This led him to leave Tbilisi at the end of the season and enter free agency at age 31. He joined Moscow in 1977, taking second in Reliever of the Year voting with a league-best 34 saves. Onisie joined Almaty in 1978, but missed a chunk of the season to a strained shoulder. Next was two seasons with Ulaanbaatar, which included a third in Reliever of the Year voting in 1980.

The Boars traded him to Asagabat for the 1981 season, which was his last full-time season as a closer. Onisie’s ERA was above two for the first time since the start of his career and he wasn’t re-signed after one year with the Alphas. Moscow brought him back in 1982, but he was traded at the deadline to Bucharest. He finished the season with the Broncos as a closer with solid results. Onisie then signed with Kyiv for his final two seasons and earned a Soviet Series ring in 1983 as a setup man. He’d only see 4.1 innings the next year and retired that winter at age 38. Upon retirement, Tbilisi would opt to retire his #26 uniform.

Onisie’s final stats: 399 saves and 476 shutdowns, 1075 innings, 1614 strikeouts to 340 walks, a 45 FIP-, and 49.6 WAR. He was third all-time in saves at induction and still sits fourth as of 2037. This seemed to be the magic numbers for the EPB voters, plus Onisie was known as a clubhouse leader and standup guy. He got the first ballot nod at 86.5%.

Serhiy Belov – Starting Pitcher – Krasnoyarsk Cossacks – 71.2% Sixth Ballot

Serhiy Belov was a 5’11’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Biysk, a city of 210,000 in south central Russia not far from Kazakhstan’s eastern border. Belov had great control on his pitches with good stuff, although his movement was often subpar. His velocity on his fastball peaked at 96-98 mph and he mixed in a changeup, splitter, and cutter. Belov had excellent stamina, leaving the league in both innings pitched and complete games thrice in his career. Through the first decade of his career, Belov was a bit of an ironman with 11 straight seasons of 250+ innings pitched.

Belov was a top Russian pitching prospect out of the amateur ranks and was selected 11^th overall in the 1963 EPB Draft by Krasnoyarsk. He was a full-time starter immediately for the Cossacks and essentially never missed a start in his eight seasons there. Belov took third in Rookie of the Year voting in 1964, but regressed in his second season. He found consistency in year three and would post 6+ WAR and 300+ strikeouts in each of his remaining Krasnoyarsk seasons.

Belov would never be a Pitcher of the Year finalist and generally only led the league in innings pitched. Krasnoyarsk saw improvement over his tenure, but they never made the playoffs and merely were above average. Belov was steady and reliable though and the Cossacks would retire his #23 uniform at the end of his career. With Krasnoyarsk, Belov had a 130-125 record, 3.19 ERA, 2304.1 innings, 2544 strikeouts, 396 walks, 174/277 quality starts, 150 complete games, and 51.3 WAR.

At age 30, Belov entered free agency for the first time and ended up signing a five-year, $1,002,000 deal with Kazan. He would lead in WHIP in his debut season, his only time leading the stat in his career. Belov had three consecutive 5+ WAR seasons to start his Kazan run, although he’d never see the playoffs with them either. Injuries cost him large chunks of his final two seasons with the Crusaders, including a bone spur in his elbow in 1976. With Kazan, Belov had a 58-58 record, 2.80 ERA, 1072.1 innings, 1210 strikeouts, 159 walks, 84 FIP-, and 21.7 WAR.

Belov became a free agent again at age 35 and signed with Prague, giving them one average season. He went to Yekaterinburg in 1978, but a ruptured finger tendon cost him most of the season. Belov signed with Tbilisi in 1979, but suffered a torn labrum in his one start with the Trains. He opted to retire that winter at age 38.

Belov’s final stats: 206-200 record, 3.07 ERA, 3713 innings, 4011 strikeouts, 618 walks, 292/448 quality starts, 234 complete games, a 84 FIP-, and 76.7 WAR. He was the 11^th pitcher to 4000 strikeouts and the 24^th to reach 200 wins. But his ERA+ (102) suggested sustained averageness and he’d be the first EPB Hall of Famer with an ERA above 3.00. As of 2037, he has the worst ERA of any EPB Hall of Famer. His accumulations still were enough for many voters, as Belov was never below 50% in his six ballots. He debuted at 61.3% and got to 63.1% on his fourth try, although he fell to a low of 53.1% on the fifth ballot. With a fairly quiet 1990 group, Belov won enough over to sneak in with a sixth ballot induction at 71.2%.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 01-16-2024, 07:15 AM

1990 OBA Hall of Fame

No players received an induction into the Oceania Baseball Association Hall of Fame in 1990 and none were above 50%. The highest debut was CF Kyle Jett at 39.0%.

The top vote-getter overall was RF Danny Carrott at 44.5%. This was his tenth and final chance. Carrott peaked at 57.0% on his fourth ballot and was a two-time MVP with six Silver Sluggers and two Gold Gloves in a 13-year career with Melbourne. Injuries and a sharp decline put Carrott out of the game by age 34 and kept him from the accumulations needed to get in. He led the league in home runs five times and had 1351 hits, 760 runs, 372 home runs, 853 RBI, a .247/.305/.512 slash, and 58.1 WAR. Carrott won two titles with the Mets as well and would’ve likely been a lock with a few more full seasons of stats, but alas.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 01-16-2024, 11:47 AM

1990 APB Hall of Fame

Pitcher Wisnu Dharmayuman was the lone inductee in 1990 to the Austronesia Professional Baseball Hall of Fame, getting a 96.0% first ballot nod. 1B Francis Pung barely missed the 66% threshold with 65.7% in his debut. SP Kai Diaz also had a strong showing, but missed out with 61.4% on his fifth attempt. Also above 50% were SP Ary Mustofa at 55.9% on his second attempt and 1B Po-Yu Shao at 51.0% for his third attempt.

Dropped after ten failed ballots was SP Ryan Aguinaldo, who was hurt by having his APB career begin at age 31. Still, in a decade he posted 61.7 WAR, a 150-136 record, 2.46 ERA, 2758.2 innings, and 2290 strikeouts. If he had all of his 20s, Aguinaldo probably has plenty of accumulations. But his tallies were too low and he didn’t have any big awards. He got as high as 54.5% on his seventh try, but ended at a low of 33.4%.

Another pitcher was dropped in Muljadi Suwandi, who also had lower accumulations from a debut at age 28. In a decade with four teams, he won Pitcher of the Year in 1968 and had a 138-93 record, 2.11 ERA, 2154 innings, 2637 strikeouts, and 68.4 WAR. Suwandi bounced in the 30-40% range his whole time on the ballot with a peak of 49.0% in 1987 and a finish of 33.1%.

Wisnu Dharmayuman – Starting Pitcher – Manila Manatees – 96.0% First Ballot

Wisnu Dharmayuman was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Lahat, a city of around 110,000 within Indonesia’s South Sumatra province. Dharmayuman had electric stuff with 99-101 mph peak velocity on his fastball mixed with a great slider, good sinker, and occasional changeup. He had good control in his prime, although his movement was generally considered below average. Dharmayuman had very good stamina when healthy, leading the Taiwan-Philippine Association twice in both complete games and innings pitched.

Dharmayuman was discovered as a teenage amateur by a scout from Manila, who signed him in the spring of 1965. He played his entire pro career with the Manatees, making his debut with a few appearances in 1969 at age 20. Dharmayuman emerged as a very solid starter in his second and third seasons. In 1970, Manila made it to the Austronesia Championship, falling in the final to Jakarta. Dharmayuman had a solid showing with a 2.31 ERA in 23.1 playoff innings, establishing himself as an ace.

1971 saw a no-hitter against Zamboanaga on May 16 with 13 strikeouts. He would suffer major injury setbacks though with a stretch elbow ligament after his second start of the 1972 season, putting him out ten months. Dharmayuman came back with an excellent 9.0 in his 1973 return, which led to Manila giving him a seven-year, $1,254,000 contract extension. They had another scare though as Dharmayuman suffered a torn flexor tendon in his elbow in the early summer of 1974.

Dharmayuman bounced back from that with the best season of his career, leading in ERA for the only time (1.57) and WAR (10.9). In 1975, hetied the single-game record in APB with a 21 strikeout game. This earned him second in Pitcher of the Year voting. It also started a streak of four seasons as the strikeout leader, peaking with 408 in 1978. In 1977, he threw his second no-hitter, fanning 12 against Davao. Dharmayuman was second again in Pitcher of the Year in 1976 and third in 1978. He also pitched from 1972-83 with Indonesia in the World Baseball Championship, posting a 4.01 ERA over 146 innings with 231 strikeouts and 2.6 WAR.

In 1980, Dharmayuman finally won Pitcher of the Year despite it being his worst WAR in a full season It was his second time though with a sub-two ERA and had a TPA-best 0.80 WHIP. This was Dharmayuman ‘s final great season thanks to a torn flexor tendon in June 1981. Despite his efforts, Manila missed the playoffs 12 straight years from 1971-82. They would finally get back in 1983, falling to Taoyuan in the Association Championship. Various injuries in these final years kept him from reaching 100 innings in any of last three seasons. He opted to retire after the 1984 campaign at age 36. The Manatees retired his #31 uniform that winter.

Dharmayuman’s final stats: 175-134 record, 2.29 ERA, 2995.1 innings, 4094 strikeouts, 264/351 quality starts, 185 complete games, 65 FIP-, and 89.8 WAR. He was the first APB pitcher to 4000 career strikeouts, although he’d get passed on the leaderboards by 23 other pitchers over the years in APB. Dharmayuman wasn’t appreciated perhaps as much as he should’ve been in his time being on middling Manila teams and injuries cost him the big accumulations. Still, he was firmly recognized still as one of the finest pitchers of his era, earning 96.0% as a first ballot Hall of Famer and the lone member of the 1990 APB class.

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

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