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

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1990 CLB Hall of Fame

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The 1990 Hall of Fame class for Chinese League Baseball was the largest class to date in its short history. Three pitchers received first ballot selections, led by starter Zhijian Dong at 99.0%. Relievers Yongjie Xie and Mingxin Liang joined him with 94.4% and 80.5%, respectively. RF Xinze Yan came close to the 66% threshold with 61.0% in his debut. SP Lixuan Xiao was also above 50% with a 55.7% debut. No players were dropped after ten ballots.



Zhijan Dong – Starting Pitcher – Hong Kong Champions – 99.0% First Ballot

Zhijan Dong was a 6’0’’ 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Chengdu. Located in the center of the country, it is the fourth most populous city in China with nearly 21 million people. Dong had very good stuff with excellent control and above average movement. His fastball topped out in the 98-100 mph range and he mixed it with a splitter and curveball. Dong had terrific stamina, leading the league in complete games seven times in his career. He was a solid defensive pitcher with good intelligence and durability. Dong was also a respectable hitter who won five Silver Sluggers. He wasn’t a true two-way guy as he wasn’t used ever in the field, but Dong would get a number of pinch hit chances each year.

Dong was picked seventh overall in the 1970 CLB Draft by Hong Kong, which was the first rookie draft ever for Chinese League Baseball. He debuted with the Champions with a few starts and relief appearances in 1971. Dong was moved to the rotation full-time in year two and stayed in that role for the remainder of his career. It wasn’t until his fourth season that he became viewed as an ace, posting his first of ten seasons worth 7+ WAR. 1973 also was Dong’s first Silver Slugger, with the additional ones coming in 1976, 1977, 1978, and 1984.

In 1976, his sixth season, Dong won Pitcher of the Year for the first time. He posted a career and league best 1.39 ERA while also leading in strikeouts and WAR for the first time. The highlight of the season came on June 25 against Chongqing, striking out 12 in CLB’s fifth-ever perfect game. Dong was third in 1977 in Pitcher of the Year voting and threw his second no-hitter with 14 strikeouts and three walks versus Shenzhen. He then won POTY for the second time in 1978 with a second place in MVP voting as well. Dong went 27-3, setting a CLB single-season record for wins that still holds as the record in 2037. This season saw Hong Kong’s first-ever playoff run, making it to the China Series where they fell to Kunming. Dong had a 3.24 ERA over 25 playoff innings in the run.

That was ultimately Dong’s final season in Hong Kong, as he entered free agency at age 28. For his run with the Champions, Dong had a 128-78 record, 2.12 ERA, 1995.1 innings, 2089 strikeouts, and 48.3 WAR. He would remain extremely popular with HK fans and see his #2 uniform retired at the end of his career. Dong would sign a seven-year, $2,744,000 deal with Hangzhou for the 1979 season. That season also marked the start of his World Baseball Championship career, making 21 appearances from 1979-87 for China. He posted a 10-1 record, 2.78 ERA, 126.1 innings, 184 strikeouts, and 4.0 WAR.

Hangzhou had earned a playoff spot for the first time in 1978 and they hoped Dong would get them over the hump. He did just that, winning his third Pitcher of the Year in 1979 with a second place in MVP voting. Dong posted a career best in WAR (12.1) and led in strikeouts yet again with an 18.1 K/BB. In the playoffs, he had a 1.71 ERA and 3-0 record in four starts and 31.2 innings, helping the Hens to their first championship. They would make one more playoff appearance in 1981, although they lost in the semifinal.

Dong would be third in Pitcher of the Year voting in 1980, second in 1983, and third in 1984. He led in strikeouts three times with the Hens, giving him the lead six times in his career. He also led in K/BB four times, FIP- thrice, and WHIP thrice in his CLB run. In total with Hangzhou, Dong had a 112-53 record, 1.95 ERA, 1559 innings, 1965 strikeouts, and 51.4 WAR. By rate stats, he was better with the Hens than the Champions, but he had more innings with HK and ultimately wore their cap into the Hall of Fame. Fans of both franchises loved him though.

Dong was the first to a number of milestones in Chinese League Baseball. In 1982, he became the first 200 game winner and in 1984, he was the first to 4000 strikeouts. Dong did this by his age 33 season, but 1984 would be the end of his CLB run. He opted out of the final season of his Hangzhou deal and sought out MLB money. Cleveland signed him to a five-year, $6,400,000 deal, which saw his peak annual salary triple from $392,000 to $1,280,000.

Dong had a solid debut season for the Cobras, although back troubles cost him a month of the season. He led the National Association in innings pitched in 1986, but his production was more middling. Dong spent two more seasons with Cleveland and struggled with below average stats. Ultimately with the Cobras, he had a 38-50 record, 3.87 ERA, 806 innings, 532 strikeouts, and 11.5 WAR. With one year left on his deal, Cleveland cut Dong after spring training 1989. He went unsigned that year and retired in the winter at age 38.

For his CLB career, Dong had a 240-131 record, 2.04 ERA, 3554.1 innings, 4054 strikeouts to 609 walks, 322/410 quality starts, 207 complete games, 69 FIP-, and 99.6 WAR. As of 2037, he’s second all-time in wins, third in strikeouts, third in WAR, first in complete games, and third in innings pitched. Had Dong stayed for a few more years in China, he might be at the very top of the leaderboards. He also added 12.8 WAR at the plate in his career with a .276/.310/.421 slash and 130 wRC+. Dong was one of the first great aces in Chinese baseball and deserves mention in the CLB GOAT pitcher conversation. His Hall of Fame induction was obvious, getting in with 99.0%.



Yongjie “Claw” Xie – Closer – Changsha Cannons – 94.4% First Ballot

Yongjie Xie was a 5’11’’, 200 pound right-handed relief pitcher from Nanchang, a city of more than six million people in east China. Nicknamed “Claw,” Xie had an incredible one-two punch of a 98-100 mph fastball and a vicious curveball, giving him stuff rated 11/10. He had terrific movement on his two pitches and solid control. Xie was also very durable and considered an ironman. He was an outspoken player that you either loved or hated.

In the 1970 CLB Draft, Xie was picked with the first pick of the second round, 25^th overall, by Changsha. He debuted with some long relief and occasional starts in his first two years with the Cannons. Xie was moved to the closer role in his third season and would hold that role for the rest of his career in China. Xiv was second in Reliever of the Year voting in both 1974 and 1975, then won the award in both 1976 and 1977; posting 7+ WAR and sub-one ERAs in both seasons. 1977 also marked the start of his longest saves streak with 47 successful opportunities between August 1977 and April 1979.

1977 was Changsha’s first playoff appearance, making it to the China Series where they lost to Kunming. Xie had a 1.98 ERA over 13.2 playoff innings and eight appearances with 27 strikeouts. By then, he was also a regular for China in the World Baseball Championship. Xie was used both as a starter and reliever in the WBC from 1973-87 with 32 starts and 66 games. He had 249.1 innings, a 2.82 ERA, 21-10 record, 14 saves, 515 strikeouts, and 8.9 WAR. He was a finalist for WBC Best Pitcher in both 1981 and 1986 and earned a world title for China in the 1979 WBC.

The Cannons regressed in the 1978 season and ultimately fell below .500. They were sellers at the trade deadline and opted to move Xie. With Changsha, Xie had 218 saves and 303 shutdowns, a 1.51 ERA, 721.1 innings, 1230 strikeouts, and 39.5 WAR. The Cannons would ultimately retire his #31 uniform at the end of his career. Xie would become a journeyman mercenary from this point on, finishing out the 1978 season with Qingdao.

He entered free agency at age 28 and signed with Shenzhen for the 1979 season. This was perhaps his finest season with a career best 48 saves over 103 innings and 83 appearances, striking out 202 with 7.9 WAR. Xie not only won Reliever of the Year for the third time, but earned Pitcher of the Year honors as well. The Spartans earned their first-ever playoff appearance, but lost to Hangzhou in the semifinal. Xie left for Chengdu for 1980 and led in saves for the first time, getting his fourth Reliever of the Year with a second place POTY finish. The Clowns also earned their first-ever playoff berth, falling in the semifinal.

Xie went back to Qingdao in 1981 and won his fifth Reliever of the Year award, posting his fifth 7+ WAR season. He became a free agent again and was unsigned in 1982 as no team was willing or able to match his asking price. Xie returned to action in 1983 on a $328,000 deal with Beijing with an incredible 0.13 ERA in 70.1 innings. The Bears struggled though and traded Xie at the deadline to Harbin. He finished the season with career bests in ERA (0.44) and strikeouts (208). Xie won Reliever of the Year for the sixth time and was third in Pitcher of the Year voting.

Now 33-years old, Xie went to Chongqing for the 1984 season. He won a seventh Reliever of the Year and became the CLB all-time saves leader at 437. The Cavaliers made the playoffs, but fell in the semifinal. This would be Xie’s last playoff appearance and his final season in China. It wasn’t the end of his career though as he moved to EPB and Tajikistan, signing a two-year deal with Dushanbe.

Xie won Reliever of the Year in both seasons with the Dynamo, giving him nine awards between CLB and EPB. In 1986, he had a career-best 8.0 WAR with 48 saves and a 0.48 ERA. That earned Xie more attention outside of the East and he signed a two-year, $1,440,000 deal with MLB’s New Orleans. He had one respectable season with the Mudcats, but was traded that offseason to Austin. The Amigos cut Xie after spring training, but he signed with San Francisco weeks later. He spent 1988 in middle relief, then signed for 1989 with Washington. Xie made only five poor appearances before being cut by the Admirals. He finished out the season in minor league Dayton, then retired after the 1989 season at age 39.

For his entire pro career, Xie had a 1.34 ERA, 547 saves and 709 shutdowns, a 1.34 ERA, 1556.1 innings, 2727 strikeouts to 342 walks, a 20 FIP- and 214 ERA+, and 97.1 WAR. For just his CLB career, Xie had 437 saves and 582 shutdowns, a 1.20 ERA, 1227 innings, 2280 strikeouts, 272 walks, a 221 ERA+ and FIP- of 15, and 78.3 WAR. As of 2037, he’s still the CLB all-time saves leader, the leader in WAR for relievers, and leader in games. Xie is also the all-time CLB leader in H/9 (3.84), K/9 (16.72), WHIP (0.65), opponent average (.126), OBP (.185), slugging (.204), and OPS (.389). His accolades make him a top candidate for CLB’s all-time best reliever and his 97.1 WAR for his full pro career make him one of the most accomplished closers in baseball history. Xie earned a first ballot induction into the CLB Hal of Fame at 94.4%.



Mingxin Liang – Closer – Macau Magicians – 80.5% First Ballot

Mingxin Liang was a 6’2’’, 200 pound left-handed relief pitcher from Wuhu, a city of around 3,600,000 people in the eastern China province Anhui. Liang offered very good control with solid stuff and movement. His fastball only reached 92-94 mph, but he was excellent at fooling you with a great curveball. Liang had great stamina and reliability, leading the league in games pitched five times. He was quiet, humble, and hard working.

Liang was a second round pick in the 1971 CLB Draft, going 31^st overall to Macau. He debuted in 1972 with solid results split between long relief and starting. Liang took over the closer role in his second season with the Magicians and led the Southern League in saves, winning Reliever of the Year. He had a solid 1974, although he struggled a bit and lost the closer role in 1975. He would toss 5.1 scoreless innings in the postseason that year though, helping Macau make a China Series appearance.

Liang regained the role for the next two seasons to close out his Macao run. It was his longest tenure and the hat he wore almost by default at induction despite only pitching with the Magicians for five seasons. He posted 114 saves and 156 shutdowns, a 1.78 ERA, 450.2 innings, 543 strikeouts, and 19.3 WAR. Liang’s tenure ended just before the start of the season with a trade for three prospects that sent him to Kunming.

The Muscle had won 107 games the prior year, but lost in the semifinal. Liang would be the closer for a dynasty run as Kunming won the 1977 and 1978 China Series, while taking runner-up in 1979. Liang was second in Reliever of the Year voting in both 1977 and 1979. Over 30.1 total postseason innings, he recorded a 1.78 ERA with 10 saves and 34 strikeouts. In total with Kunming, Liang had 121 saves and 141 shutdowns, a 1.41 ERA, 267.1 innings, 348 strikeouts, and 12.4 WAR.

His last season with the Muscle saw a career and league-best 50 saves. That season was amidst a streak from August 1978 to April 1980 where he had 54 consecutive successful save opportunities. The streak ended with a new team in 1980 as the now 31-year old Liang signed with Foshan. He picked up his third ring, as the Flyers had an impressive turnaround season to take the 1980 title. Liang was third in Reliever of the Year voting and was a beast in the playoffs, throwing 11.1 scoreless innings with 20 strikeouts, six saves, and only three hits allowed.

Liang was a free agent again and spent the next two years with Chongqing, although he didn’t bring them the playoff success. In 1982, Liang won his second Reliever of the Year. He was traded that winter though to Harbin, where he spent his final two CLB seasons. Liang would finish third in Reliever of the Year voting in 1983. A free agent again in 1985 at age 36, Liang signed a two-year, $1,340,000 CABA deal with Guatemala. The Ghosts only used him once though before releasing him after the season. Liang signed for 1986 with Puerto Rico with limited use. He was briefly employed by both Nicaragua and Santo Domingo in 1987, but didn’t see the field. Liang retired that winter at age 39.

For his CLB career, Laing had 395 saves and 495 shutdowns, 1.71 ERA, 1128.2 innings, 1417 strikeouts to 204 walks, a 47 FIP- and 155 ERA+, and 47.7 WAR. Liang wasn’t as dominant as his HOF classmate Xie, but he retired third all-time in CLB saves and still holds that spot on the leaderboard. His playoff success was notable with three rings and 17 postseason saves, which was the CLB record at retirement and is still second as of 2037. Liang picked up the first ballot nod at 80.5% to round out the CLB 1990 Hall of Fame Class.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1990 WAB Hall of Fame

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West Africa Baseball inducted its second Hall of Fame member in 1980 as pitcher Jackson Manirakiza joined outfielder VJ Balogun. Manirakiza was a first-ballot pick at 80.1%. One other debutant, SS Joseph Amabne, was above 50% with 54.6%. CL Johnson Madu (48.6%) and CF Stephen Tshukudu (44.6%) also had respectable debuts. No players were dropped after ten ballots with the longest tenured being on his fourth try.



Jackson “Rainmaker” Manirakiza – Starting Pitcher – 80.1% First Ballot

Jackson Manirakiza was a 5’9’’, 195 pound left-handed pitcher from Muyinga, a city of around 100,000 in northeastern Burundi. Manirakiza wasn’t outstanding at anything, but was well rounded with respectable control, stuff, and movement. His velocity peaked in the 96-98 mph range with a five pitch arsenal of fastball, curveball, forkball, changeup, and splitter. Manirakiza was considered very durable, although his stamina was average. He was a solid defensive pitcher and was known as a very hard working and adaptable player.

When West Africa Baseball was officially formed for the 1975 season, Manirakiza was 25-years old and already somewhat established on the semipro ranks. The “Rainmaker” went to Nigeria and signed a five-year, $882,000 deal with Lagos to begin his WAB career. Manirakiza had a solid debut season, followed by a great second year with the Eastern League’s best ERA at 2.00. This earned a second in Pitcher of the Year voting. The season also saw a no-hitter with 19 strikeouts and one walk against Ouagadougou.

Lagos was a regular contender in the first decade of WAB and Manirakiza had an important role. His playoff stats were merely okay with a 3.77 ERA over 76.1 innings for a 3-6 record with 86 strikeouts and 1.1 WAR. The Lizards got to the championship in 1977, 78, and 79 and came away with the cup in both 78 and 79. In total with Lagos, Manirakiza had an 83-41 record, 2.72 ERA, 1082 innings, 1313 strikeouts, and 31.6 WAR. He would also wear the Lagos cap at induction, although his WAB career would be split almost evenly.

Manirakiza was a free agent after the 1979 title season at age 30 and signed a six-year, $1,544,000 deal with EL rival Kano. He led in WHIP in his first two seasons with the Condors and also led in both strikeouts and WAR in 1981. Manirakiza won his lone Pitcher of the Year in 1981 and would take third in 1983 voting.

Kano made the playoffs thrice in Manirakiza’s five-year tenure, getting to the championship but falling in 1984 to Nouakchott. In six playoff starts with the Condors, he had a 4.21 ERA over 36.1 innings. For his entire Kano run, Manirakiza posted a 2.70 ERA, 84-35 record, 1078.1 innings, 1171 strikeouts, and 24.8 WAR. His WAB run ended after the 1984 season as the Condors bought out the final year of his contract.

Now 35 years old, Manirakiza drew some international attention and signed a two-year, $1,560,000 deal in Mexico with Juarez. Despite being healthy, the Jesters only used him in relief over 8.2 innings, although they were scoreless. Juarez let him go and he played 1986 with Leon with only eight innings He did bank $700,000 though, which was more than double his best salary of $264,000 with Kano in the still fledgling WAB. Manirakiza would retire after the 1986 season at age 37.

Manirakiza’s final WAB stats saw a 167-76 record, 2.71 ERA, 2160.1 innings, 2484 strikeouts, 412 walks, 201/318 quality starts, 74 FIP- and 56.4 WAR. His stats wouldn’t be eye popping compared to some other Halls of Fame, but WAB would see fewer innings from its great starters due to play style. Manirakiza’s rate stats certainly would fit in on the later leaderboards and he was a solid pitcher for two successful early franchises, including a dynasty run for Lagos. The voters felt this resume made Manirakiza worthy of being WAB’s first Hall of Fame pitcher, getting in with 80.1% on his debut.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1990 Arab League Baseball Formed

In 1945, a political organization known as the League of Arab States was formed to try to increase relations and strengthen the counties in which Arabs formed a majority or plurality. As time passed, the Arab League was made up of most of the North African and Western Asian nations. It is certainly far from a perfect organization and many of the countries involved have had wars and conflicts with one another, but this bunching provided some existing framework for those who wanted to create a large baseball organization within this region.

As the 1980s came to a close, the Arab League area was one of the last major population centers that didn’t have a major baseball league within the Global Baseball Alliance. Efforts had been made by leaders throughout the region to grow the game and there were assorted semi-pro leagues and teams, but nothing coordinated. There were hopes though that even with the myriad of conflicts of the region that a multi-national league could be formed in a similar vein to Beisbol Sudamerica or the European Baseball Federation.

Eventually, enough leaders were able to make this a reality with what would be known as Arab League Baseball. In its original incarnation, ALB would have 24 teams split into two 12-team geographical conferences, each made up of three divisions of four teams each.

The Western Conference would have the Mediterranean Division made up of Algiers (Algeria), Casablanca (Morocco), Tripoli (Libya), and Tunis (Tunisia). The Nile Division had three Egyptian teams with Alexandria, Cairo, and Giza; along with Khartoum (Sudan). The Levant Division featured Amman (Jordan), Beirut (Lebanon), Damascus (Syria), and Jerusalem (Israel/Palestine). The Eastern Conference had the Gulf Division with Abu Dhabi and Dubai (United Arab Emirates), plus Kuwait and Doha (Qatar). The Saudi Division had Saudi Arabian teams in Jeddah, Mecca, Medina, and Riyadh. The Iraq Division saw teams from Baghdad, Basra, Mosul, and Sulaymaniya.



The original playoff formatting for ALB saw only the three division winners advance with the top seed getting a bye. The lower two seeds meet in a best-of-three first round hosted by the #2 seed with the winner advancing to a best-of-five conference championship hosted by the top seed. The two conference champs play in a best-of-seven for the Arab League Championship. ALB used the universal designated hitter as well as inter-conference play. Originally, ALB required nine years of minimum service time before free agency; the most restrictive of any of the GBA leagues. The first round of the rookie draft would have regional restrictions for teams, although the other two rounds would be open. ALB only had a three-round draft, smaller than the five rounds of most other leagues. Teams would primarily focus their efforts on scouting discoveries and signing young players prior to them becoming draft eligible. Statistically, ALB would have scoring considered fairly average, although it would evolve into one of the highest scoring environments in the world. The inaugural season for ALB would be 1990.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1990 World Baseball Championship

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The 1990 World Baseball Championship was the 44^th edition of the event and returned to the United States for the first time since 1978 as San Antonio served as the primary city. Despite being at home, the Americans suffered a rare exit in Division 1. Singapore took first at 7-2, finishing one ahead of the Americans and two better than four other nations. This was the first-ever division title for the Singaporeans and only the seventh time that the US didn’t get at least to the elite eight. In Division 2, Switzerland won at 7-2, besting both Argentina and Belarus by one game. It is the fourth division title for the Swiss, although all of their previous titles were back in the 1950s. China was a lackluster 4-5 in D2, extending their postseason drought to six seasons.

In Division 3, Pakistan and Japan tied for first at 7-2 with both France and Ukraine one back at 6-3. The tiebreaker went to the Pakistanis for their first-ever division title. D4 was very tight with Norway, Germany, and Poland each at 6-3, while the Philippines and Thailand were 5-4. The tiebreaker gave Norway its first-ever division title. Mexico was 4-5 in the group, making the perennial power miss out for the fifth consecutive season. In Division 5, Spain secured first at 8-1, although 7-2 Peru and 6-3 Australia gave them a run. The Spanish have won six division titles with their second division win in four years.

Division 6 went to 7-2 Russia, topping both England and India by a game. It is the 11^th division title for the Russians, although they hadn’t advanced in a decade. The Netherlands, fourth last year, were a non-factor at 4-5. D7 had the lone unbeaten team as Indonesia cruised to its ninth division title and its fourth over the last six years. Division 8 had last year’s finalists in the same grouping. Defending World Champion Brazil advanced for the fourth consecutive season with an 8-1 mark, while defending runner-up Canada was at 6-3 along with the Dominican Republic and Serbia. The Brazilians got their 24^th elite eight berth.

1990’s elite eight was notable as it was the first time that zero North American teams were in the group. There were three from Asia, three from Europe, one from both (Russia), and one from South America. Round Robin Group A had both Russia and Pakistan advance at 4-2, while Norway and Indonesia were 2-4. Brazil rolled Group B at 6-0, advancing along with 3-3 Singapore. Spain (2-4) and Switzerland (1-5) were both eliminated.

Both semifinal series were classics that went all five games, but both first-time semifinalists were ultimately ousted. Russia edged Singapore and Brazil outlasted Pakistan. The Pakistanis were officially third and the Singaporeans fourth due to Pakistan’s extra win in the group stage.



The 44^th World Championship was Russia’s fourth finals appearance and first since 1970. Meanwhile, it was the seventh for the defending champion Brazil, with four appearances in the last seven years. The Brazilians won the series 4-2 to officially establish a dynasty, getting their third title in four years. The Americans were the only other country that had won three in four previously and only the US and Mexico had gone back-to-back.



Leading Brazil’s efforts was Tournament MVP Diego Fernandes. A 30-year old four-time Silver Slugger winner in his second season with Fortaleza, Fernandes had 36 hits, 27 runs, 9 doubles, 6 home runs, 11 RBI, and 22 stolen bases over 26 starts for 2.2 WAR. Best Pitcher was given to Portugal’s Harry Almeida. A 37-year old veteran and five-time Reliever of the Year winner, Almeida tossed 11 scoreless innings with 21 strikeouts and one hit allowed.

Other notes: With the first-time appearances from Pakistan, Singapore, and Norway; 61 different nations have now made it to the elite eight at least once. Brazil is the fourth country to win three world titles, joining the US (26), Mexico (4), and Canada (3). Russia’s runner-up finish put them to seventh in the all-time event standings (listed below), passing Japan by two points.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1990 in ALB

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1990 marked the first official season for Arab League Baseball. The best record in ALB in the inaugural season was Casablanca at 99-63, who won the Western Conference’s Mediterranean Division by 15 games. The Nile Division required a tiebreaker game for the title as Cairo and Alexandria both finished at 94-68. The Pharaohs picked up the win despite the 2.74 team ERA from the Astronauts, which is still the conference record as of 2037. The Levant Division had Jerusalem first at 92-70, eight better than Beirut.

The first Western Conference MVP was Casablanca LF Ahmed Hassan Egeh. A 28-year old Somali lefty, he smacked 67 home runs and led in runs (109), RBI (117), total bases (374), slugging (.704), OPS (1.056), wRC+ (202), and WAR (8.7). Egeh’s 67 dingers would be the ALB single-season record until 2004. Pitcher of the Year was Jerusalem’s Adlene Sami, who also won Reliever of the Year. A 26-year old Algerian righty, Sami managed to post 7.5 WAR over 92.2 innings with 81 strikeouts, a 0.58 ERA, and 38 saves.

In the first round of the playoffs, Cairo bested Jerusalem 2-1. The Western Conference Championship went all five games and needed an extra inning in game five. The Pharaohs upset Casablanca 3-2 in the finale to take the series 3-2.



The top two records in the Eastern Conference were both in the Iraq Division, but only one could advance. Sulaymaniya took the title at 98-64, while Baghdad was second at 93-69. In the Saudi Division, Medina prevailed at 87-75, finishing four ahead of Mecca and five better than Jeddah. The Gulf Division had no teams with a winning record, but Abu Dhabi’s 80-82 earned a division title and playoff berth. Kuwait was three back and Dubai was four behind.

Eastern Conference MVP and Pitcher of the Year went to the same player; Medina’s Qadir Al-Khalid. A 29-year old Libyan righty, Al-Khalid led in wins (25-7), quality starts (28), FIP- (55), and WAR (10.6). He added a 2.20 ERA and 292 strikeouts over 278 innings.



The Mastodons made quick work of Abu Dhabi 2-0 in the first round. Medina wasn’t able to carry that momentum for an Eastern Conference Championship upset as top seed Sulaymaniya won the series 3-1. The Sultans went onto win the first Arab League Championship 4-2 over Cairo, bringing the first cup to Iraq. LF Radhi Hamad was both Finals MVP and conference finals MVP for Sulaymaniya. A 28-year old left-handed Iraqi, Hamad posted 14 hits, 10 runs, 3 home runs, 10 RBI, and 8 stolen bases in 10 playoff starts.



Other notes: Casablanca’s Temur Modebadze had ALB’s first four-home run game against Damascus. Three no-hitters were thrown in the inaugural season with the first by Tunis’s Gaye N’Diaye with 10 strikeouts and two walks against Jerusalem on April 7. On June 30, Abu Dhabi’s Mohammad Khatib had six Ks and two walks in a no-no versus Baghdad. On September 1, Jerusalem’s Talaat Abdel Fattah fanned 12 with two walks over Cairo.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1990 in ABF



The Pakistan League had the same two teams advance to the playoffs as the prior year, although the positions were switched. Gujranwala, second place last year, took first by a large margin at 103-59. Defending league champ Peshawar took second at 92-70. The Predators were five games ahead of Faisalabad and seven ahead of Hyderabad.

The Grasshoppers had both the MVP and Pitcher of the Year for the Pakistan League. MVP was catcher Razak Mohiyoudeen. Nicknamed “Jet,” the 25-year old fourth-year righty posted a league-best 13.0 WAR, .376 average, .457 OBP, and 231 wRC+ with 32 home runs, 111 RBI, and a Gold Glove. Mohiyoudeen set an ABF record for batting WAR and set a still-standing world record for most WAR in a season by a catcher. Dhofar Ghaffar won back-to-back Pitcher of the Year awards as the second-year ace led in wins (20-9), strikeouts (320), and K/BB (13.3). Ghaffar added a 2.07 ERA over 251.2 innings and 10.3 WAR. Ghaffar also made history with ABF’s third perfect game, striking out 13 against Lahore on July 14. He beat out teammate Faysal Jabalandi for the top award, despite Jabalandi setting a number of rate stat records in his 171.2 innings. He set still-standing ABF single season records for H/9 (3.51), WHIP (0.62), opponent average (.116), OBP (.181), slugging (.202), and OPS (.383).



The West Asia Association had two teams advance to the playoffs for the first time in their six year histories. Izmir won the Turkish League at 99-63 with Adana the closest competitor seven back. Two-time defending ABF champ Istanbul plummeted hard off a cliff, going from 90 wins to only 66. The Ironmen wouldn’t be back in the postseason again until 2004. In the Persian League, Mashhad prevailed at 98-64. Isfahan was five back and defending winner Tehran was third at eight games back.

Tabriz was four games below .500, but they had the WAA MVP and Rookie of the Year in LF Vahid Hadadi. In a remarkable debut season, the Tiger Sharks’ second overall pick became the Asian Baseball Federation’s new home run king with 67, becoming the first to hit 60+. Hadadi also led in runs (120, RBI (135), total bases (430), slugging (.813), OPS (1.223), wRC+ (263), and WAR (12.4).

Other notes: Faisalabad 1B Hazan Sheikh set a single-season record with 151 RBI, becoming the first to cross 150. The record would be topped three times more in the 1990s. Tehran’s Ghaem Shirazi was the Pitcher of the Year as the fourth-year righty led in ERA (1.87), WHIP (0.80), K/BB (11.7), FIP- (48), and WAR (9.7). He added an 18-7 record and 303 strikeouts over 236.1 innings.

The Pakistan League Championship Series was a rematch and once again went all seven games. Although they were the road underdog this time, Peshawar upset Gujranwala to claim back-to-back titles. The West Asia Association Championship saw Mashhad defeated Izmir 4-2



In the sixth Asian Baseball Federation Championship, Mashhad topped Peshawar 4-2, bringing the title to Iran for the first time and making the Predators runner-up again. CF Sahar Ahmadi was the playoff hero, winning finals MVP and Association Finals MVP. In 12 starts, the 23-year old Afghani had 15 hits, 10 runs, 3 doubles, 2 triples, 4 home runs, 13 RBI, and 6 stolen bases.



Other notes: Gujranwala CF Mahmood Omar had an 1.670 OPS in seven playoff games, a record that still stands as of 2037. 2B Qavi Naserwanji won his sixth Gold Glove, the only player to win each of ABF’s first six seasons.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1990 in SAB

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Defending South Asian Champion Ahmedabad was yet again the class of the Indian League. The Animals earned their ninth playoff berth in a decade and third straight West Division title with an 111-51 record. Surat was a distant second at 95-67, but that was more than enough to give the Silver Sox a third consecutive wild card. After a shockingly bad 66-win 1989, the 1988 SAB champ Kanpur bounced back impressively at 105-57 atop the Central Division. Last year’s league runner-up Kolkata was second at 87-75, eight games back on the wild card. 87-75 was enough for Visakhapatnam to win back-to-back titles in a weak South Division.

2B VJ Williams became the Indian League’s first five-time MVP. After winning the previous four with Delhi, Williams sat out 1988 before getting his desired big money with Ahmedabad. In his second season with the Animals, the 30-year old lefty led in hits (193), RBI (146), total bases (398), average (.337), slugging (.695), OPS (1.097), wRC+ (246) and WAR (12.5). His 51 home runs left him three shy of a Triple Crown. Surat’s Janapati Sara won back-to-back Pitcher of the Year, leading with 367 strikeouts, 29 quality starts, a 54 FIP-, and 9.2 WAR. Sara added a 16-8 record over 243.1 innings with a 2.44 ERA.

Visakhapatnam stunned Kanpur in the first round of the playoffs with a road sweep, earning their second-ever Indian League Championship Series berth (1984). Wild card Surat took their divisional foe Ahmedabad to the limit, but the Animals escaped to win the series in five. Ahmedabad wouldn’t have any problems with the Volts, sweeping them in the ILCS to give the Animals four pennants in five years.



Defending Southeast Asia League champion Ho Chi Minh City again had the top record in SEAL. The Hedgehogs won the South Division 109-53, dominating even with both wild cards coming from the South. Phnom Penh (93-69) and Johor Bahru (89-73) took the wild cards with only Vientiane (85-77) also in the mix. The Pandas earned a third consecutive wild card, while it was back-to-back for the Blue Wings. Yangon snapped a five-year playoff drought as the only team above .500 in the North Division at 88-74. Hanoi, who had won the division title the prior three years, dropped to a lackluster 70-92.

SEAL MVP was LF Ajmer Kulkarni, who signed with Ho Chi Minh City only the year prior. He was the WARlord (8.7) and leader in slugging (.633), OPS (1.013), and wRC+ (176). Kulkarni added 49 home runs and 118 RBI. This was the final season for the 30-year old, who had a polarizing personality. Wanting more money than teams could offer and legal issues meant he remained a free agent for the next six years before eventually retiring. He had 62.1 WAR, six Silver Sluggers, and three Gold Gloves, but wasn’t Hall of Fame eligible due to not making ten years of major service.

Vientiane’s Zainal bin Aziz won his fourth Pitcher of the Year and secured back-to-back Triple Crown seasons with a 21-5 record, 1.48 ERA, and 360 strikeouts. The 30-year old Malaysian lefty also led in WHIP (0.80), K/BB (8.0), quality starts (30), FIP- (41), and WAR (11.7), doing it over 243.2 innings. Also of note, Ho Chi Minh City’s La Wai Noe became a three-time Reliever of the Year winner, posting 32 saves and a 1.74 ERA over 77.2 innings.

The Hedgehogs rolled to a first round sweep of Johor Bahru, while Yangon won a five-game thriller over Phnom Penh. Ho Chi Minh City claimed the Southeast Asia League Championship Series 4-1 over the Green Dragons, winning a third SEAL title in four years.



The 11^th South Asia Baseball Championship looked familiar with Ahmedabad facing Ho Chi Minh City for the third time in four years. Just like the prior meetings, the Animals were victorious, taking it this time 4-2. LF K.C. Choudhury was finals MVP as the 1988 IL MVP had 17 hits, 13 runs, 4 home runs, 6 RBI, 12 walks, and 14 stolen bases over 15 starts. Ahmedabad’s dynasty now has four SAB titles in five years and their dominance would continue throughout the rest of the 20^th Century.



Other notes: For the second time in SAB history, there were zero no-hitters for the full season. Johar Rai became the first SAB batter to 400 home runs and to 1000 career RBI. VJ Williams joined him with 1000+ RBI one week later. Williams won his eighth Silver Slugger at 2B and Rai got his seventh at RF.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1990 in WAB

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Defending Western League champ Conakry was atop the standings for the third time in four years, finishing first at 100-62. Kumasi was second at 94-68, extending their West African Baseball record postseason streak to 13 seasons. Third place and the second wild card went to 92-70 Dakar, who bounced back from 82 wins the prior year. There was a nine game gap from third to fourth with both Abidjan and Freetown at 83-79.

Western League MVP was Conakry CF Ikechukwu Araromi. The 25-year old Nigerian led in runs (114), average (.323), slugging (.597), OPS (.951), wRC+ (169), and WAR (8.0). Araromi added 34 home runs, 1 18 RBI, and 72 stolen bases. The Coyotes had 503 steals in 1990, the second-best ever in WAB history behind their own 525 the prior season. Dakar’s Ousseynou Darboe won Pitcher of the Year. Nicknamed “Tarzan,” the fourth-year Gambian lefty led in ERA (2.51), and strikeouts (350). He was one win short of a Triple Crown with a 19-11 record over 240 innings and 6.4 WAR.

Dakar upset Kumasi 2-0 on the road in the first round of the playoffs, sending the 1988 Western League champs back to the WLCS. The Dukes gave Conakry a spirited effort, but the defending champ Coyotes took the series 3-2.



Lome took first in the Eastern League standings for back-to-back seasons with the Lasers on top at 103-59. Ibadan had an impressive turnaround from 63 wins the prior season to 94-68 in 1990. This gave the Iguanas their first-ever playoff berth in WAB’s 16 year history. Defending WAB champ Port Harcourt narrowly took third at 90-72 to get back into the postseason. Cotonou was fourth at 87-75 and Lagos, winners of 104 the prior season, was 86-76.

Leading Ibadan’s turnaround was Rudy Bambara, who was the #2 overall pick in 1988. He won Eastern League MVP with his two-way heroics, posting 7.0 WAR on the mound with a 17-8 record over 253.2 innings with a 2.84 ERA and 272 strikeouts. As a third baseman in only 96 games at the plate, the 24-year old Burkinabe had 5.7 WAR with a .331/.394/.675 slash, 34 home runs, and 93 RBI. Pitcher of the Year was Lome lefty Dedric Godwin. The 28-year old Cameroonian was the leader in ERA (2.16), wins (21-3), WHIP (0.80), quality starts (30), FIP- (65), and WAR (8.5). He was also second in the EL with 375 strikeouts over 266.1 innings.

Port Harcourt looked to recreate their magical run from the prior season where they took the #3 seed all the way to the title. The Hillcats accomplished step one by edging Ibadan 2-1 in the wild card. Then in an Eastern League Championship Series rematch, Port Harcourt accomplished step two, upsetting the Lasers 3-1. It was the fourth pennant for the Hillcats, who also won in 1980 and 1982.



Port Harcourt wouldn’t complete step three in their West African Championship rematch with Conakry. In the 16^th finale, the Coyotes got both revenge and their first title, taking the series in a seven-game classic. Finals MVP was 1B Shane Bowermaster, a 31-year old American that had joined Conakry in 1989 after a failed MLB bid. In 11 playoff games, he had 12 hits, 5 runs, 2 home runs, and 4 RBI.



Other notes: Port Harcourt’s Raoul Edah set a still-standing playoff record with 14 stolen bases. For the first time in WAB history, a season had zero no-hitters. Vincent Langat became the first batter to 500 career home runs and the first to 1000 runs scored. Langat would retire after the 1992 season with 584 HRs, which would be the top mark until the early 2000s. Siradji Yacouba became the third to 1000 RBI. Catcher Guy Kamga won his seventh Gold Glove.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1990 in CLB

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Defending Chinese League Baseball champion Dalian was first in the Northern League again in 1990, dominating the competition at 106-56. It was a 15-game gap to the second playoff spot, which went to Hangzhou. The Hens finished 91-71 to end an eight-year playoff drought. Shanghai was third at 87-75, followed by 84-78 Qingdao.

Although Tianjin was just below .500, RF Mingqi Dai won Northern League MVP for a CLB-record fourth time. The 32-year old lefty nicknamed “Bumblebee” led in runs (91), doubles (31), home runs (41), total bases (342), slugging (.626), OPS (.979), and wRC+ (234). Dai added 10.6 WAR and a .293 average. Shanghai’s Zuhang Cai won Pitcher of the Year in his seventh season. The 28-year old righty led in wins (22-10) with nine shutouts, posting 7.9 WAR over 242.2 innings with 286 strikeouts and 1.08 ERA. The ERA was the sixth lowest season in CLB history to that point, but was second in the NL to his teammate Zengxiang Zhang. Zhang was at 1.074 to Cai’s 1.076.



Macau and Shenzhen were again #1 and #2 in the Southern League. The Magicians set a new SL record at 115-47, the second most wins in a CLB season to date behind only 1971 Tianjin’s 123-39. The Spartans were 104-58, 11 games better than third place Changsha. Both Macau and Shenzhen earned their third consecutive playoff appearances.

Magicians 1B/P Wei Qin won his second Southern League MVP in three seasons, bouncing back after back spasms knocked him out much of 1989. At the plate, the 28-year old righty had 5.2 WAR, 28 home runs, 59 RBI, and a .251/.326/.492 slash. On the mound, he led in wins at 25-7 and posted a 1.95 ERA over 253.2 innings with 265 strikeouts and 6.9 WAR. His Macau teammate Lang Lu won back-to-back Pitcher of the Year awards, leading in ERA (1.51), quality starts (30), and WAR (6.9). The 27-year old Lu added a 20-8 record and 306 strikeouts over 263 innings.



Despite their SL-record effort, Macau was upset in the semifinal 4-2 by NL #2 Hangzhou. Dalian rolled to a semifinal sweep of Shenzhen, sending two Northern League teams to the 21^st China Series. The Gold Dragons would be denied the repeat in a stunning seven-game upset by the Hens. It Is Hangzhou’s second title, joining their 1979 campaign. LF Zengxiang Zhang was finals MVP, posting 14 hits, 8 runs, 3 home runs, and 6 RBI over 13 playoff starts.



Other notes: Three perfect games were thrown in CLB in 1990, making it 22 perfectos so far. The first was a dominant 18-strikeout effort by Yiping Chen of Shenzhen against Macau. This tied CLB’s record for most Ks in any no-hitter and was one short of the world record set the prior year for most in a perfect game. The second perfect game was one week later on April 3 as Zhengzhou’s Zueyu Lei fanned 11 against Hangzhou. On May 20, Guangzhou’s Zhilin Zhang struck out 11 against Kunming. Pengju Zue became the fifth pitcher to 3500 career strikeouts. LF Yuhong Huang won his seventh Gold Glove. Mingqi Dai won his eighth Silver Slugger at RF.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1990 in APB

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The best record in the Taiwan-Philippine Association was Cebu at 106-56, earning their second Philippine League title in three years. Manila was a distant second at89-73 with defending PL champ Davao dropping to 84-78. Two-time defending TPA champ Taipei took the Taiwan League for the third straight season. The Tigercats dropped from 106 wins to 91-71, but that was still plenty to win the TL with the other four teams finishing below .500.

The Taiwan-Philippine Association MVP and Pitcher of the Year both went to Cebu’s Alex Clavijo. It was his first MVP and third POTY. The 26-year old lefty had APB’s seventh Triple Crown season by a pitcher with a 24-6 record, 0.96 ERA, and 415 strikeouts. His 14.88 WAR was the most-ever by an APB pitcher not named Kun-Sheng Lin (who topped that five times). Clavjio’s ERA was the fourth lowest in APB history to that point as well. He pitched 272.2 innings and also led in WHIP (0.58), K/BB (14.8), complete games (20), shutouts (11), and FIP- (25). Among those nine shutouts was APB’s 18^th perfect game, a 13 strikeout performance on September 9 against Kaohsiung.



Semarang by far had the top record in the Sundaland Association at 106-56, winning the Java League for the second time in three years. Depok was 91-71 and Jakarta was 90-72; solid but far from the JL title. In a weak Malacca League, Batam was the only team above .500, taking it at 86-76. It was a turnaround for the Blue Raiders, who had won only 56 games the prior year. It also ended a four-year playoff drought for Batam. Defending Austronesia Champion Medan fell to third at 79-83.

Sundaland Association MVP went to Batam LF Nerius Senaen. The second-year lefty had the seventh APB Triple Crown season by a hitter with a .313 average, 38 home runs, and 93 RBI. Senaen also was the leader in runs (96), total bases (353), OBP (.379), slugging (.618), OPS (.997), wRC+ (253), and WAR (12.4). Semarang’s Mulya Dayanti won Pitcher of the Year. The 28-year old lefty led in ERA (1.07), strikeouts (384), WHIP (0.59), FIP- (45), and WAR (10.2). He had a 17-8 record and 11 saves over 260 innings with a 15.4 K/BB.

The top seed prevailed in both Association Championships. In the TPA final, Cebu knocked out defending champ Taipei 4-2, giving the Crows their second-ever pennant (1980). Semarang rolled Batam 4-1 in the SA final for their fourth pennant (1975, 80, 88, 90).



The 26^th Austronesia Championship was hotly anticipated with both teams entering at 106-56 in the regular season. Semarang would defeat Cebu 4-2 to get their second APB title (1975). RF Yu-Hsuan Hu was a big part of the Sliders’ success, winning Sundaland Association Championship MVP. In 11 playoff games, he had 9 hits, 5 runs, 2 home runs, and 7 RBI.



Other notes: Bandung’s Vhon Lasam had the 17^th APB perfect game with 15 strikeouts against Palembang on April 12. It was his sixth no-hitter (an APB record) and his second perfect game, having also done it in 1989. Poh Tan became the fourth pitcher to 4000 career strikeouts.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1990 in OBA

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Gold Coast successfully defended their Australasia League title in 1990, taking the title at 102-60. Brisbane was the closest competitor at 95-67. Melbourne was a distant third at 85-77. Auckland notably fell off hard, going from second place in 1989 to last place at 58-104.

Mets LF Riley Singleton won Australasia League MVP. It was the second MVP for the 30-year old Australian lefty, who also won it back in 1985. In 1990, he led the AL in RBI (109), average (.323), slugging (.603), wRC+ (178), and WAR (7.8). Brisbane’s Jax Royer won his second Pitcher of the Year in three years. The 28-year old hometown star led in WAR (7.5) and quality starts (32), adding a 22-11 record over 311 innings with a 2.26 ERA and 297 strikeouts. This would be Royer’s last year in Australia, as he’d leave for MLB and New York the following season.



Honolulu’s Pacific League dynasty continued with their third straight pennant and their eighth title in ten years. The Honu finished 101-61, finishing ten games ahead of second place Samoa and 17 better than New Caledonia.

Fiji finished .500, but fifth-year RF Will Lee picked up Pacific League MVP. The right-handed Australian led in hits (202), doubles (35), total bases (366), triple slash (.342/.396/.619), OPS (1.016), wRC+ (240), and WAR (11.7). Lee added 37 home runs and 102 RBI. Honolulu veteran righty Randol Smith won his second Pitcher of the Year. The 33-year old Solomon Islander led the PL in wins (24-10), innings (344.1), and quality starts (38). He added 7.7 WAR with 322 strikeouts and a 1.94 ERA.



The 31^st Oceania Championship was a rematch from the prior year between Honolulu and Gold Coast. Yet again, the Honu prevailed, cruising to the three-peat by winning the series 4-1. CF Jonathan Buai was the finals MVP with the 23-year old Solomon Islander going 8-20 with 3 runs, 1 triple, and 2 RBI in the series. It was OBA’s second-ever three-peat, joining the Honu’s 1982-84 run.



It was Honolulu’s seventh OBA title in nine years, a mark no team had hit in any pro league to this point. As of 2037, a run of seven overall titles in a nine year stretch has only happened thrice between all of the GBA leagues. The Honu would still be successful in the 1990s, but this would mark the peak of the dynasty, concluding one of the most impressive decades any pro baseball team has ever posted.

Other notes: Durant Lindly became the fifth pitcher to 4500 strikeouts. LF Ping Janer won his seventh Gold Glove.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1990 in EPB

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Two-time defending European League champ Minsk extended their postseason steak to ten consecutive seasons in 1990. The Miners won the North Division at 108-54, getting their eighth division title of that streak as they were the wild card in the prior two seasons. Minsk set a new EL record with a team ERA of 1.94 and 322 earned runs allowed, which are still EPB single-season records as of 2037.

Bucharest won the South Division at 105-57, getting their seventh division title in ten years. Kharkiv was second at 99-63, getting the first wild card and ending a three-year playoff drought. The second wild card went to 92-70 Warsaw, giving the Wildcats their third consecutive playoff berth. St. Petersburg was two games back on the second wild card, while Kyiv was five back. The Kings missed the playoffs for only the second time in the last 13 seasons.

European League Pitcher of the Year and MVP both went to Bucharest veteran Haxhi Maho. It was the third POTY and second MVP for the 32-year old Albanian lefty, who set an EPB record for wins in a season with a 29-3 record. This remains the EPB all-time mark and Maho was only the third pitcher in any world league at that point to win 29+. Maho added a 1.46 ERA over 283.2 innings with 308 strikeouts and 9.8 WAR.

In the first round of the playoffs, Bucharest outlasted Kharkiv 3-2 and Minsk topped Warsaw 3-1. This gave the Miners their seventh European League Championship Series berth of the last decade, while it was only the second for the Broncos in the same stretch despite being a playoff regular. Minsk would sweep Bucharest to become the first-ever EL team to three-peat and the second EPB team to three-peat in their league (1971-73 Almaty). The Miners won their 11^th EL pennant, passing Kyiv for the most of any team.



After winning the Soviet Series as the second wild card in 1989, Yekaterinburg had the Asian League’s best record in 1990 at 103-59. This gave the Yaks their fifth playoff berth in six years, although it was their only North Division title of the run. Both wild cards came out of the North with Chelyabinsk at 97-65 and Irkutsk at 94-68. The Cadets snapped an 11-year playoff drought, while the Ice Cats ended a nine-year drought. Last year’s division champ Novosibirsk fell to 83-79 and last year’s wild card Omsk dropped to 75-87. Bishkek won the South Division at 95-67 for their eighth playoff berth in nine years and their fourth consecutive division title. Almaty finished 93-69, two back on the division title and one back on Irkutsk for the second wild card.

Asian League MVP went to Chelyabinsk DH Nikolay Denisov. The 25-year old Russian switch hitting leadoff man led in runs (103), hits (231), doubles (40), triples (29), stolen bases (99), average (.351), and WAR (9.1). Two-way Novosibirsk star Igor Bury won his fifth Pitcher of the Year. The 30-year old righty led in strikeouts (407) for the sixth straight season and also led in quality starts (30), FIP- (48), and WAR (11.7). Bury added a 2.07 ERA and 21-13 record over 282 innings. He also had 90 games as a batter, although he struggled with only 0.3 WAR.

Yekaterinburg swept Irkutsk in the first round while Bishkek outlasted Chelyabinsk 3-2. For the third time in five years, this pitted the Yaks against the Black Sox in the Asian League Championship Series. For Bishkek, this was their eighth ALCS appearance in ten years. The Black Sox added their fifth pennant in that stretch as they earned the road series win 4-1 over the defending champ Yekaterinburg. It is the Black Sox’s eighth AL pennant, the most of any Asian League team.



The 36^th Soviet Series would be the final to have that name, as the fall of the Soviet Union made that name antiquated. Despite Minsk and Bishkek having the most titles in their respective leagues, this was only their second time meeting in the final, with the Black Sox winning in 1964. This time, the Miners were victorious, taking the series 4-2. 1B Igor Portnyagin was the finals MVP in his penultimate season. The 34-year old had 15 hits, 6 runs, 4 home runs, and 11 RBI in 14 playoff starts. It is the second title in three years for Minsk and their seventh overall (1956, 62, 66, 69, 85, 88, 90). This ties the Miners with Kyiv for the most overall titles. Bishkek now is 2-6 in their finals appearances.



Other notes: Two other single-season pitching records were set in 1990 that still stand as of 2037. El-Siraj Lahoud had a BB/9 of 0.22, while Jaylan Harrell had an opponent’s OPS of .413. Azer Sattarli became the sixth pitcher to 4500 career strikeouts. LF Ere Aittakumpu won his seventh Gold Glove.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1990 in EBF

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The EBF Northern Conference saw some shakeups in 1990, most notably with Amsterdam’s dynasty ending. The Anacondas defending European Champs and the conference champ in six of the last seven seasons. They were still a respectable 87-75 in 1990, but this ended their playoff steak at eight seasons. Rotterdam won the Northwest Division at 109-53, bouncing back from only 76 wins the prior season. It is the fifth playoff berth in six years for the Ravens. Brussels was second in the division at 96-66, firmly earning the wild card to snap an eight-year playoff drought.

The only returning playoff team in the Northern Conference was Hamburg, who was the wild card last year. The Hammers finished 97-65 to win the North Central Division, their first division crown since 1979. Berlin, who had won five of the last six division crowns, finished at 89-73, eight off the division title and seven off the wild card. In the British Isles Division, Glasgow took first at 90-72. This put the Highlanders back in the playoffs after back-to-back losing seasons. Belfast was second at 83-79 with Birmingham at 81-81. Dublin, the conference runner-up last year, fell off a cliff and finished 64-98.

Birmingham slugger Sean Houston won his sixth Northern Conference MVP, becoming the first six-time winner in EBF history. The 31-year old Scottish right fielder led in home runs (53), total bases (426), slugging (.741), OPS (1.126), wRC+ (213), and WAR (9.4). Houston added 112 RBI, 108 runs, and a .348 average. Brussels ace Khaled Jabri won his third consecutive Pitcher of the Year. Nicknamed “Tiger,” the 27-year old Dutch lefty was the WARlord (9.4) and leader in complete games (14), and FIP- (57). Jabri added a 3.17 ERA and 19-11 record over 258.2 innings with 353 strikeouts.

Despite having the best record, Rotterdam suffered a first round exit for the fifth straight postseason appearance. The Ravens fell 3-1 to Glasgow, sending the Highlanders to their first Northern Conference Championship since 1981. Hamburg held off Brussels 3-1, giving the Hammers their first berth since winning the pennant in 1979. Hamburg handled Glasgow 4-1 in the NCC to become three-time conference champs, having also won in 1964.



In the Southern Conference, Munich and Zurich continued their division title streaks. The Mavericks had the top overall record at 108-54, taking the Southeast Division for the eighth consecutive season. Meanwhile in the South Central Division, the 97-65 Mountaineers extended their record streak to 18 seasons. This is the longest unbroken playoff streak in professional baseball history to this point with the next highest being Kumasi’s 13-years in West Africa Baseball.

The South Central was a strong division with 90-72 Milan getting their second wild card in three years. Division foe Rome was two behind at 88-74 with both Vienna and defending conference champ Lisbon three back at 87-75. The Southwest Division saw a shakeup with Madrid first at 94-68, snapping a two-year playoff drought. The Clippers were seven back, ending their hopes at a repeat. Marseille’s five-year playoff streak ended as well with the Musketeers at 84-78.

Taking Southern Conference MVP was Madrid LF Rodrigo Vilanova. The 25-year old Portuguese lefty led in total bases (426) and wRC+ (191). He added 10.5 WAR, a .353 average, 45 home runs, and 128 RBI. Munich’s Marlon Hoffman won his fourth Pitcher of the Year in five years. The 32-year old German righty had a conference and career best 24-5 record. Hoffmann posted a 2.48 ERA over 275.2 innings with 288 strikeouts and 8.2 WAR.

Munich mauled Milan with a first round sweep, sending the Mavericks to a third consecutive Southern Conference Championship. Madrid outlasted Zurich 3-2 to give the Conquistadors their third finals berth in five years. It is the seventh time in the Mountaineers’ historic 18-year playoff streak that they were ousted in the first round. The SCC was a seven-game classic with Madrid coming out on top over Munich. It is the fifth pennant for the Conquistadors, who won in 1987 and had a three-peat from 1953-55.



The 41^st European Championship needed all seven games for the first time since 1983. Madrid edged Hamburg for their second EBF title in four years and their third overall (1955). The Hammers are now 0-3 all-time in the championship. Leading the Conquistadors’ efforts was 1B Fredrik Malm, who was conference finals MVP. The 34-year old Norwegian had 15 hits, 8 runs, 3 doubles, 4 home runs, and 11 RBI in 19 playoff starts.




Other notes: At 47-115, Luxembourg posted the worst record in Northern Conference history. There had been a few worse in the Southern Conference with EBF’s all-time worst being Malta’s 42-120 from 1982. Udo Gottschall of Munich scored 140 runs, tied for the third-best season in EBF history. Sean Houston holds the record with 144 in 1984. Birmingham’s Lindsey Brampton struck out 21 against Luxembourg on July 3, tying Ugo Musacci’s single game Ks record from 1970. This was the second season for Brampton, who would go onto have 13 games in his illustrious career with 20+ strikeouts.

Jack Kennedy became the third batter to 700 career home runs. He finished the season with 724, passing Gabriel Staudt’s 701 for second while still being behind the top mark of 795 by Christophoros Zarkadis. Kennedy also became the 11^th batter to 2500 career hits. Jacob Ronnberg became the fourth to 1500 runs scored and Charles-Olivier Mallen became the eighth to 1500 RBI. Wojtek Napierkowski became the sixth to 600 homers. 1B Oiver Michaelsen won his eighth Gold Glove. Ronnberg won his 12^th Silver Slugger in RF in the Southern Conference, which tied Staudt for the most Silver Sluggers at any position in EBF. Sean Houston won his ninth consecutive Silver Slugger in RF for the Northern Conference.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1990 in BSA

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The top two records in the Bolivar League were both in the Peru-Bolivia Division. La Paz at 99-63 took the top mark for their second division title in four years. Lima improved by four games to 97-65, but they were still short of a third straight division title by two games. This mark gave the Lobos the wild card firmly. In the Venezuela Division, Maracaibo ended a 36 season playoff drought, which was the longest drought in the BL. The Mariners finished 94-68, topping defending league champ Ciudad Guayana by four games. At 90-72, the Giants were also seven games shy of the wild card. In the Colombia-Ecuador Division, Quito finished first at 89-73 to end their own six-year playoff drought. Bogota was two back and defending division champ Medellin was nine away.

La Paz DH Lincoln Ruvalaba won his fourth Bolivar League MVP in five seasons. The 29-year old Bolivian switch hitter didn’t lead in any stats, but posted 45 home runs, 105 RBI, a .310/.367/.605 slash, 167 wRC+, and 6.3 WAR. Maracaibo’s Gonzalo Argueta won Pitcher of the Year as the 26-year old Venezuelan was one win short of a Triple Crown with a 20-0 record, 2.19 ERA, and 331 strikeouts over 270.2 innings, Argueta was the league leader in WHIP (0.89), quality starts (27), complete games (17), FIP- (63), and WAR (9.0).

By rule, the top division winner faces the wild card, which pitted the top two records against each other in round one. Lima got the road upset 3-2 over La Paz, giving the Lobos their first Bolivar League Championship Series berth since 1984. The other series was less dramatic as Maracaibo swept Quito, giving the Mariners their first BLCS berth since winning the title in 1953. The series was a seven game classic with game seven tied 1-1 after regulation. Lima scored three in the top of the 12^th inning to win game seven 4-1. For the Lobos, this is their third BL pennant, joining their 1968 and 1935 successes.



The Southern Cone League’s North Division was an intense three-team battle. Belo Horizonte finished 100-62 to take the division and narrowly earn the #1 overall seed, giving the Hogs their second division title in three years. Salvador was three back at 97-65, which earned them the wild card by three over Fortaleza. This ended an eight-year playoff drought for the Storm. In the Southeast Division, Sao Paulo’s postseason streak extended to five seasons. This is the longest active streak in Beisbol Sudamerica. At 93-69, Rosario was six short of the division and four away from the wild card. In the South Central Division, Santiago earned its first postseason spot since their 10-year streak from1 964-73. The Saints won the division handily at 99-63. Concepcion, the three-time defending league champion, was a distant second at 84-78.

League MVP went to Rosario RF Jairo Vincente. The 29-year old Venezuelan lefty had a breakout season, leading the Southern Cone League in runs (122), home runs (59), RBI (132), total bases (420), slugging (.709), OPS (1.106), wRC+ (228), and WAR (11.3). Sao Paulo’s Andres Ramirez won a third consecutive Pitcher of the Year. The 26-year old Brazilian led the league with 298 strikeouts over 274.1 innings. He added a 2.00 ERA and 20-9 record with 7.6 WAR.

The wild card round saw Belo Horizonte survive in five against divisional foe Salvador, while Sao Paulo bested Santiago 3-1. It was the Hogs’ first Southern Cone Championship appearance since 1985, while the Padres last made it with their 1986 pennant. Sao Paulo pounded Belo Horizonte with a sweep, giving the Padres their third league title in eight years. Sao Paulo now has 13 league titles, more than any other BSA team.



In the 60^th Copa Sudamerica, Sao Paulo defeated Lima 4-2 to make the Padres five time Cup winners (1944, 58, 76, 83, 90). Catcher Antonio Barros was finals MVP, posting 20 hits, 5 runs, 3 doubles, 2 triples, 2 home runs, and 11 RBI over 14 playoff starts. Pitcher of the Year Andres Ramirez also had a big postseason, setting a still-standing BSA record for most WAR by a pitcher in the playoffs at 2.1. Over 38.1 innings, Ramirez had a 1.41 ERA, 56 strikeouts, and five walks. Sao Paulo is the first Brazilian champ since doing it themselves in 1983. With five Cups, the Padres are tied for second with Medellin, Santiago, and Cordoba. Buenos Aires has the most with six.



Other notes: Enrique Tafoya became the fifth member of the 3000 hit club and the eighth to reach 1500 runs scored. In his final season, Tafoya ended with 3094 hits and 1516 runs. OF Pasquale Martin, 2B Kip Flores, and SS Nando Crispin each won their seventh Silver Slugger.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1990 in EAB

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The #1 seed in the Japan League went to Niigata at 95-67 in what was the first ever winning season in the expansion Green Dragons’ 13-year history. This earned them the North Division title for the first time, finishing eight ahead of Saitama. Sapporo, who had won the division 10 times in the last 11 years, fell to a middling 80-82. Defending East Asian Champion Osaka finished 93-69 to earn the Central Division crown for the sixth consecutive season. Kitakyushu ended a five-year playoff drought to win the West Division at 92-70. Fukuoka was second at seven back, while defending champ Hiroshima fell below .500. In the Capital Division, Yokohama took first for the third time in five years. At 90-72, the Yellow Jackets were 10 better than second place Tokyo. Chiba, the JL runner-up last year, dropped to 75-87.

Leading Niigata to their first playoff berth was Japan League MVP Makhmud Hakim. The third-year RF from China led the league in runs (113), and WAR (8.3), while adding 37 home runs, 109 RBI, and a .314/.370/.602 slash. Hakim also pitched 23.1 innings and would emerge as a legit two way star the following season. Hakim also set a JL record for RBIs in a game with 11, going5-5 with 4 home runs against Sapporo on September 1. Osaka’s Rikiya Fujiwara won back-to-back Pitcher of the Year awards, leading the JL in ERA (1.72), and WHIP (0.75). The 29-year old lefty had a 19-5 record over 214.1 innings with 221 strikeouts and 6.6 WAR.

Niigata outlasted Yokohama 3-2 in a first round classic, while Kitakyushu upset defending champ Osaka with a road sweep. It was the Kodiaks’ first Japan League Championship Series appearance since 1979. The Green Dragons would claim the pennant in their first-ever JLCS appearance, dropping Kitakyushu 4-1.



The Korea League’s top three records were all out of the North Division. Hamhung and Bucheon tied for the top spot at 100-62 with the one-game playoff going to the Heat. This gave Hamhung its fourth division title in five years. For the Bolts, this was both their first-ever winning season and playoff berth since joining EAB in the 1978 expansion. Seongnam finished 96-66 to firmly take the second wild card, ending a four-year playoff drought for the Spiders. In the South Division, Gwangju took first at 91-71 to end the longest active playoff drought in EAB. The Grays last playoff berth was way back in 1955. The new longest drought belongs to the JL’s Saitama at 30 seasons. Busan finished three short of the division title at 88-74. Last year’s KL champ Daegu fell to fifth in the division at 78-84.

Seongnam’s Byung-Il Jun became only the second-ever five time MVP winner in Korea League history, joining all-time hit king Byung-Oh Tan. The 33-year old DH led the league in hits (218), runs (111), average (.357), OBP (.422), and OPS (1.008). Jun added 35 home runs, 119 RBI, and 7.8 WAR. Pitcher of the Year was Bucheon’s Seon-U Pak. The sixth-year righty was the WARlord (7.8) and leader in wins (23-9), innings (285.1), and strikeouts (297). His 2.87 ERA was fourth in the league.

The wild card teams pulled off road upsets in the first round of the playoffs. Seongnam shocked Hamhung 3-1, while Bucheon ousted Gwangju 3-1. It was the Spiders’ first Korea League Championship Series appearance since their back-to-back titles in 1982 and 1983. For the Bolts, it was their first appearance and with Niigata’s success in the Japan League, this meant each of the 1978 expansion teams have now gotten to the LCS once. Bucheon wouldn’t make it an all-expansion final though, losing 4-3 to Seongnam in the KLCS and making the Spiders three-time KL champs.



In the 70^th East Asia Championship, Seongnam bested Niigata 4-2 to give the Spiders their second overall title (1983). LF Jin-Uk Song won finals MVP as the 33-year old former league MVP had 19 hits, 5 runs, 3 doubles, 2 triples, 1 home run, and 5 RBI in 17 playoff starts.



Other notes: Fumihiko Ueda became the fourth EAB pitcher to 4500 career strikeouts, ending the season and his career with 4577. As of 2037, that is seventh on the all-time leaderboard. Both Hiroshi Koike and Jun-Seong Gwan joined the 3000 hit club, making 12 members to date in EAB. In Gold Glove news, LF Yeo-Min Kwan won his tenth, 2B/SS Shuzo Toda won his ninth, and SS Hyo-Jin Chang won his eighth.