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

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 01-31-2024, 04:35 PM

1992 EBF Hall of Fame

Jean-Luc Roch was the only member of the 1992 Hall of Fame class for the European Baseball Federation. Few guys are more worthy of being the lone member of a class than arguably the GOAT pitcher, receiving 99.6% on the first ballot. Fellow pitcher Ugo Musacci was just short again of the 66% threshold with 62.0% for his seventh ballot. Also above 50% were 1B Isak Steffensen at 57.9% in his tenth and final try, plus SP Jose Calderon at 50.8% on his second ballot.

For Steffensen, he debuted on the ballot at only 37.7%, but slowly grew to a peak of 60.3% in 1991. He was just short despite his 16 year career with all 13 seasons in EBF with Dublin and three seasons in EPB. With the Dinos, Steffensen had five Gold Gloves, 2248 hits, 975 runs, 332 doubles, 331 triples, 139 home runs, 871 RBI, 574 stolen bases, a .311/.343/.506 slash and 64.0 WAR. The lack of power numbers hurt him with some voters and another two/three years of accumulations might have gotten him across the line. But instead, the Danish righty was banished to the Hall of Very Good.

Jean-Luc Roch – Starting Pitcher – Zurich Mountaineers – 99.6% First Ballot

Jean-Luc Roch was a 5’8’’, 185 pound left-handed pitcher from Sallertaine, a small commune of around 3,000 people in western France. Roch went down as arguably the top pitcher in EBF history with incredible stuff despite only having a peak velocity in the 92-94 mph range. He had excellent control, above average movement, and an incredible knack for changing speeds with a legendary changeup. Roch had five pitches total, also using a fastball, curveball, cutter, and knuckle curve. He was great at holding runners and had excellent durability with good stamina and the ability to keep pitch counts low.

Roch was spotted at age 15 by a scout from Zurich, who signed him to a developmental contract in January 1967. After spending four years in the academy in Switzerland, he made his debut with 29 games and 194.2 innings in 1971. He was below average as a rookie, but showed flashes of potential. Roch was a full-time starter every year after with 230+ innings in all but his final season. He got noticed with a very good sophomore season, leading the Southern Conference in strikeouts.

Roch became a regular atop the strikeout lists, leading the conference 11 times in total. This was especially impressive considering he was competing with the likes of Alejandro Canas in the SC. Roch would continue to dominate, posting ten consecutive 10+ WAR seasons from 1973-82 and 12 years with 8+ WAR. He was the WARlord nine times as well. Among Roch’s other statistical successes was leading in wins six times, ERA four times, innings once, WHIP seven times, K/BB nine times, quality starts four times, and FIP- four times.

This made Roch one of the most exciting players in Europe throughout the 1970s and 1980s. He was beloved in Switzerland as Zurich’s ace and was loved as a French baseball icon. Roch pitched from 1974-85 for France in the World Baseball Championship, posting a 17-8 record over 209.2 innings with a 2.88 ERA, 350 strikeouts, 39 walks, and 6.8 WAR.

In 1973, Roch won Pitcher of the Year for the first time with a 1.95 ERA, 402 strikeouts, and 10.5 WAR. He’d have six seasons with an ERA below two and seven seasons with 400+ strikeouts. There have been 25 total seasons in EBF with 400Ks with Roch (7), Canas (4), and Lindsey Brampton (12) dominating the list. This also marked the start of Zurich’s historic postseason streak which ultimately saw 21 straight division titles. With Roch as the ace, the Mountaineers became an annual contender within the EBF’s Southern Conference. 14 of their 21 division titles came during Roch’s run, which included five conference titles and nine conference finals appearances.

Despite their success, Zurich seemed cursed during Roch’s time in the EBF Championship, going 0-5. You couldn’t blame him for their failings though, as his postseason stats were just as excellent as his regular season stats. Over 278 playoff innings, Roch had a 20-13 record, 2.40 ERA, 395 strikeouts to only 32 walks, 56 FIP-, and 10.3 WAR. At induction, he was the all-time playoff leader in wins, strikeouts, and WAR. As of 2037, Roch still has the most Ks in EBF playoff history and is second in both WAR and wins only behind 2020s-2030s star Nejc Novak. Roch was 1983’s conference finals MVP and saw pennants in 1976, 80, 82, 83, and 84.

Roch racked up an unprecedented eight Pitcher of the Year awards, winning in 1973, 75, 76, 77, 79, 81, 82, and 83. He took second in voting in 1974, third in 1978, second in 1980, and second in 84; giving him a 12 year run as either the award’s winner or a finalist. Eight remains the EBF record for the award and put him in rare company in any world league. Roch also is one of a select few in any world league with multiple Triple Crown seasons, doing it in 1975 (22-3, 1.83 ERA, 399 Ks) and then again in 1982 (24-7, 1.64 ERA, 434 Ks).

In 1977, Roch set the single-season strikeout record of 443 while Canas was at 439 the same season. Canas topped it the next year at 454 with Roch hitting 445 as a best in 1980. Brampton would top them both on five times, but Roch still holds the seventh and eighth best strikeout seasons as of 2037. Roch’s 26 wins in 1977 was one short of the single-season record and his 13.1 WAR in 1980 is the eighth best single season in EBF history. He had a career best 1.64 ERA in 1982.

Roch is also the only EBF pitcher as of 2037 to throw three no-hitters in his career. He was one of a select few in world history to throw two in one season. His first was August 23, 1975 against Naples with 12 strikeouts and one walk. A month later on September 27, he fanned nine with three walks against Seville. The next season on April 8, 1976, he struck out nine with no walks versus Milan, but narrowly missed the perfect game. During that stretch, Roch had a 39 game undefeated streak. In early 1974, Roch also posted a streak of 41 consecutive scoreless innings. Zurich locked him up long-term with a seven-year, $3,206,000 contract extension before the 1977 season.

Roch started to climb the still relatively young EBF leaderboards into his 30s. He became the third to 250 wins and the second to 5000 strikeouts both in 1983. Shortly after, he passed Pietro Ribsi and Alejandro Canas to become the career leader in both stats. Roch seemed primed to compile unreachable stats, reaching the top spots only at age 33.

Sadly, a decline came quickly despite generally being healthy. The small-framed Roch hadn’t ever relied on velocity, but it started to drop a bit in 1985. It was his worst year since his second season with under 300 strikeouts and 2.92 ERA, although he still had 6.9 WAR and was great compared to normal pitchers. That September, he suffered from forearm inflammation that kept him out of the postseason.

He was officially healthy in 1986, but not remotely the same. Roch suddenly was pedestrian with a 4.26 ERA over 192.1 innings with only 128 strikeouts. His record was 10-9, which allowed him to hit one critical milestone; 300 career wins. Roch was weak enough though by this point that Zurich didn’t use him in the playoffs, going one-and-done. He had signed a five-year, $3,950,000 extension before the 1984 season and was still a beloved figure, but he seemed completely washed in 1986. Roch still wanted that elusive ring, but he saw the writing on the wall and retired at age 36. Immediately, Zurich retired his #35 uniform.

Roch’s final stats: 300-127 record, 2.30 ERA, 4058.2 innings, 5757 strikeouts to only 625 walks, 397/515 quality starts, 116 complete games, 56 FIP, and 151.4 WAR. At induction, he was the all-time leader in wins, innings, strikeouts, and pitching WAR. As of 2037, Roch is still the WARlord and is second in both wins and strikeouts. Among EBF Hall of Fame starters, he has the fourth best ERA and second best winning percentage. Roch’s efficiency was marvelous, putting up accumulations that other all-time great pitchers needed 20+ years to hit. Any conversation about EBF’s greatest all-time pitcher features Roch mentioned prominently. His 99.6% first ballot induction was frankly too low, but he stands alone in the 1992 Hall of Fame class.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 02-01-2024, 04:28 AM

1992 EPB Hall of Fame

The 1992 Eurasian Professional Baseball Hall of Fame class saw three starting pitchers earn first ballot inductions. Ihor Polvaliy led the way with 98.4%, joined by Viktor Paidoverov at 91.2% and Murat Muradov at 77.0%. Two others were above 50% with LF Emin Ismayilov at 59.3% on his second ballot and SP Maksim Ekstrem at 57.1% on his fourth go.

Dropped after ten failed ballots was 2B Ali Alasgarov, who won seven Silver Sluggers and a MVP in his 21-year career. Primarily with Minsk and Tashkent, Alasgarov debuted on the ballot at 60.5%, but never got closer and ended at 48.6%. He had 1983 hits, 1145 runs, 306 doubles, 209 triples, 359 home runs, 1108 RBI, 674 stolen bases, a .282/.346/.529 slash, and 79.2 WAR. Despite a long career, Alasgarov was plagued by injuries and had more partial seasons than full ones, keeping his accumulations low enough to sink his candidacy.

Also dropped was closer Elgiz Gulyamov, who won three Reliever of the Year awards over 16 seasons with Ulaanbaatar and nine other teams. He debuted at 59.0% and got to 62.8% in his second time, but plummeted after and closed at 36.3%. Gulyamov had 376 saves and 451 shutdowns, a 2.01 ERA, 1048.2 innings, 1426 strikeouts, 231 walks, and 43.0 WAR. His numbers were comparable to other Hall of Fame relievers, but he ended up on the outside.

Ihor “Fireman” Polvaliy – Starting Pitcher – Kyiv Kings – 98.4% First Ballot

Ihor Polvaliy was a 6’0’’, 205 pound left-handed pitcher from Gomel, the second largest city in Belarus with around 500,000 people. It is in the southeast of the country near the Russian and Ukrainian borders. Nicknamed “Fireman” for his offseason volunteering for the local fire station, Polvaliy had excellent control with solid movement and stuff. His primary pitch was an impressive 94-96 mph cutter that he mixed with a good changeup and okay slider. Polvaliy had solid stamina and was viewed generally as durable, throwing 250+ innings in 10 seasons and 200+ in all 12 of his pro seasons. He was also considered a very intelligent pitcher and became very popular in Eastern Europe.

He was a top prospect out of the college ranks ahead of the 1973 EPB Draft and was picked 19^th overall by Warsaw. Polvaliy and the Wildcats couldn’t come to terms and he returned for an additional collegiate season. Eligible again in 1974, Kyiv picked him 17^th overall. Polvaliy signed and moved to the Ukrainian capital, located about four and a half hours south of his home town in Belarus. He’d be a very popular player both in Ukraine for his time with the Kings and back in his home country.

Polvaliy was a full-time starter immediately and an immediate success, leading the European League with 10.5 WAR in his debut. On May 10, he tossed a 10 strikeout, two walk no-hitter against Prague. Polvaliy won Rookie of the Month four times and Pitcher of the Month in 1975. This ultimately earned him a rare distinction of not only winning Rookie of the Year, but taking Pitcher of the Year as well. The Kings bounced back from a losing season the prior year and made it to the ELCS, falling to Moscow.

Kyiv became a consistent contender during Polvaliy’s run with eight playoff appearances and five division titles over ten years. The Kings won four European League titles (1978, 79, 82, 83) and secured the Soviet Series title in 1983. In the playoffs with Kyiv, Polvaliy had a 12-8 record over 194.1 innings with a 2.45 ERA, 191 strikeouts, 21 walks, and 4.5 WAR. He also regularly pitched in the World Baseball Championship with Belarus. From 1974-86, he had a 13-5 record over 170.2 innings, 1.85 ERA, 187 strikeouts, and 6.5 WAR. Polvaliy was third in WBC Best Pitcher voting in 1980, posting a 0.32 ERA and 33 strikeouts over 28 innings.

Polvaliy led the league in WAR and FIP- in each of his first three seasons. He led in K/BB five times, WHIP four straight years from 1976-79; ERA three times from 1977-79, and wins twice. Polvaliy won Pitcher of the Year four times with Kyiv (1975, 76, 78, 80) and was second in 1977, third in 79, and second in 1985. After the 1979 season, Polvaliy signed a five-year, $1,612,000 deal with the Kings.

In total in a decade with Kyiv, Polvaliy had an 180-91 record, 1.86 ERA, 2722.2 innings, 2899 strikeouts to 284 walks, 63 FIP-, and 87.1 WAR. The Kings would later retire his #11 uniform and he’d remain a popular figure, but his time ended there after the 1984 as they couldn’t come to financial terms. At age 34, Polvaliy signed a four-year, $2,960,000 deal with Bucharest. This doubled his peak yearly salary from $362,000 in his best year with Kyiv to $740,000. The Broncos were the defending Soviet Series champ and in an arms race with the Kings for the South Division title.

The deal seemed like a winner in the first year as Polvaliy had his typical great season and took second in Pitcher of the Year voting. Bucharest won the division over Kyiv, but went one-and-done in the playoffs. But in 1986, Polvaliy had a pronounced decline despite being healthy. His ERA swelled up to 3.76, far worse than his previous worst season of 2.22. Polvaliy was moved to the bullpen for the playoffs as Bucharest again suffered a first round exit. He decided that this wasn’t satisfactory and didn’t want to hang around if he wasn’t going to be elite, retiring that winter at age 36. He had a 2.89 ERA and 11.9 WAR in his two Broncos seasons.

In total, Polvaliy had a 213-114 record, 2.02 ERA, 3214 innings, 3357 strikeouts to 353 walks, 310/379 quality starts, 160 complete games, 65 FIP-, and 99.0 WAR. Even with a relatively short career compared to most Hall of Fame pitchers, his accumulations don’t look out of place. Polvaliy had the seventh most pitching WAR among EPB inductees when he went in. He doesn’t get the attention some of his longer tenured contemporaries get, but Polvaliy was incredibly elite in his prime and a big part of Kyiv’s success. The voters certainly recognized this for a 98.4% first ballot selection as the star of the 1992 class.

Viktor Paidoverov – Starting Pitcher – Almaty Assassins – 91.2% First Ballot

Viktor Paidoverov was a 6’0’’, 195 pound left-handed pitcher Kirove, Ukraine. Renamed to Pivnichne in 2016, it is a small town of around 9,000 people in the eastern Donetsk Oblast. Paidoverov was a hard thrower with 98-100 peak velocity, using his powerful stuff to success while having above average movement and merely okay control. He had a four pitch arsenal of slider, forkball, splitter, and cutter. Paidoverov was durable with 15+ straight seasons with 200 innings and respectable stamina. He was good at holding runners and defense as well. Paidoverov was well liked in clubhouses as a smart, hardworking and honest player.

Paidoverov was spotted as a teenage amateur by a scout from Moscow, signing with the Mules at age 16 in June 1962. He never played in the Russian capital though and many fans don’t realize he started there. After a few years in the academy, Paidoverov was traded with another prospect in late 1965 to Almaty for veteran OF Eldar Vdovichenko. Paidoverov debuted with 22 innings in 1966 at age 20 for the Assassins. He earned a full-time starting gig the next year and was viewed as an ace-level guy by 1968.

Paidoverov never won Pitcher of the Year and the closest he came was a second place finish in 1970. That year, he led the Asian League in ERA with 1.67. It was really his only time as a league leader, but he stayed steady and reliable with ten seasons worth 6+ WAR, ten seasons with 300+ strikeouts, and eight seasons with an ERA at 2.25 or lower. Paidoverov also returned home to Ukraine for the World Baseball Championship from 1969-83, posting a 2.58 ERA over 132.1 innings with 153 strikeouts and 3.9 WAR.

Paidoverov was a big part in Almaty establishing a dynasty run in the 1970s that saw eight straight playoff appearances from 1971-78 and four division titles. The Assassins won the Asian League pennant in a three-peat from 1971-73, then fell in the ALCS the next three years. Almaty won back-to-back Soviet Series titles in 1972 and 1973. Paidoverov was a solid playoff pitcher, posting a 2.18 ERA and 10-8 record over 177.2 playoff innings with 193 strikeouts, 40 walks, and 4.6 WAR.

Paidoverov had signed a six-year contract extension worth $1,452,000 in mid 1975 and carried on with his consistent success. Almaty’s window ran out and they dropped to the bottom of the standings by 1981. That year was also the first time Paidoverov’s production had dipped significantly from solid to merely average. The Assassins decided to move on from Paidoverov as they began their rebuild, but he would later be honored with his #23 uniform’s retirement and remembered by fans in Kazhakstan as an important part in Almaty’s 1970s success.

EPB had recently opened up so players could explore foreign leagues and Paidoverov interestingly enough had the attention of the Mexican League. The 36-year old signed in 1982 to a one-year, $464,000 deal with Ecatepec. Paidoverov was merely okay, then went to Puebla in 1983. He was mediocre with the Pumas, becoming a free agent again. Paidoverov signed with Hermosillo and spent 1984 there as a part-time starter with again uninspiring stats.

His final stop in Mexico came in 1985 with Merida, which would be his best statistical season in CABA although over a small sample size. His season ended in July with radial nerve compression. For his CABA career, he had a 23-42 record, 3.52 ERA, 556.2 innings, 378 strikeouts, and 4.3 WAR. Paidoverov wasn’t ready to reitre yet and went back to EPB, signing with Chelyabinsk. He posted 22.2 forgettable innings in relief with the Cadets and retired that winter at age 41.

Paidoverov’s final stats in EPB (and almost exclusively with Almaty) was a 241-143 record, 2.32 ERA, 3816.2 innings, 4379 strikeouts, 835 walks, 367/475 quality starts, 140 complete games, 77 FIP-, and 91.7 WAR. At induction, he had the sixth most wins and strikeouts of any EPB Hall of Famer. Paidoverov’s stats wouldn’t be at the top of any leaderboards and he wasn’t typically a league leader, but he was very good for a long while and an indispensible part of Almaty’s 1970s dynasty. The voters were easily solid on his resume and gave him the first ballot selection with 91.2%.

Murat Muradov – Starting Pitcher – Bishkek Black Sox – 77.0% First Ballot

Murat Muradov was a 5’11’’, 195 pound right-handed pitcher from Turkmenabat, the second largest city in Turkmenistan with around 524,000 people in the country’s northeast. He was the second Turkmen EPB Hall of Famer along with 1979 inductee Anmam Charyyew. Muradov wasn’t outstanding at anything, but was considered above average to good in terms of stuff, movement, and control. His fastball peaked in the 96-98 mph range and was mixed with a solid splitter and changeup, along with an okay slider. He did have excellent stamina, leading the league in complete games thrice and innings pitched twice. Muradov was sometimes viewed as being a bit lazy, but he still put up a strong career regardless.

Muradov was one of the most impressive Central Asian prospects ahead of 1973’s EPB Draft. He ended up going east to Kyrgyzstan, picked seventh overall by Bishkek. The Black Sox used him primarily in the bullpen with some starts as a rookie, seeing mixed results. He was a full-time starter in year two and for the remainder of his 13 year career.

The highlight of his Bishkek tenure came with the Pitcher of the Year award in 1978. That season, he led the Asian League with 1.70 ERA and posted 7.7 WAR. Muradov wasn’t an award finalist in the rest of his Black Sox run, but did four seasons with 300+ strikeouts and three seasons worth 6+ WAR. He also made World Baseball Championship appearances in 1977-78 with Turkmenistan, who generally didn’t have the roster to qualify for the event.

Bishkek had been a mid-tier team in most of Muradov’s tenure, but they snapped an 11-year playoff drought with a wild card in 1980. The Black Sox went on a surprise run to the Asian League title, falling in the Soviet Series to Kharkiv. Muradov had an excellent postseason with a 1.41 ERA over five starts, a 3-2 record, 44.2 innings, 43 strikeouts, and 0.9 WAR. This would ultimately be his only postseason starts in his career.

Muradov had one more season with Bishkek in 1981, which missed the playoffs. They would become a regular contender throughout the 1980s, but Muradov decided to enter free agency at age 31. With the Black Sox, he had a 128-116 record, 2.57 ERA, 2156.2 innings, 2235 strikeouts, and 41.9 WAR. Bishkek would opt to retire his #18 uniform later on, largely due to his part in the 1980 AL pennant season.

Muradov signed a five-year, $2,900,000 deal with Irkutsk. The Ice Cats were terrible for much of his tenure, but he got well paid with his $580,000 annual salary looking much fatter than his $326,000 peak with Bishkek. Muradov pitched well for them, posting 8.2 WAR in both 1983 and 1984 and taking third in 1983 Pitcher of the Year voting. 1984 was one of his finer years, although his 10-21 record doesn’t reflect it. Against his former squad Bishkek on July 14, Muradov tossed a no-hitter with 12 strikeouts and no walks, only missing the perfect game because of a fielding error.

He only pitched three seasons in Irkutsk, posting a 46-46 record, 2.36 ERA, 873.1 innings, 957 strikeouts, and 21.9 WAR. The struggling Ice Cats held a fire sale after the 1984 season and traded Muradov to Ulaanbaatar for two prospects. The Boars had gotten to the ALCS in 1984 and hoped Muradov could get them across the line, but they were just above .500 and missed the playoffs in his two years. He had a respectable 1985, but saw a career-worst 3.38 ERA in 1986. Muradov’s original Irkutsk contract was ending and he decided to retire with it at age 36. He posted a 3.16 ERA, 21-28 record, 487 innings, 474 strikeouts, and 8.1 WAR with Ulaanbaatar.

For his full career, Muradov had a 195-190 record, 2.60 ERA, 3517 innings, 3666 strikeouts, 621 walks, 286/408 quality starts, 258 complete games, 84 FIP-, and 71.9 WAR. He was definitely the weakest of the three pitchers in the 1992 HOF class and was on the lower end of inductees, but his numbers didn’t look out of place by any means. The voters who cared about win-loss record held some sympathy, knowing he would’ve been a 200+ win guy easily on better teams. The EPB voters love pitchers and Muradov did enough to round out the 1992 class with a 77.0% first ballot selection.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 02-01-2024, 12:45 PM

1992 OBA Hall of Fame

For the second time in three years, the Oceania Baseball Association didn’t elect any Hall of Famers. The top mark in the 1992 ballot was CF Kyle Jett at 53.7% on his third attempt. The only other player above 50% was the top debutant at 53.0% in RF Dede Hayati.

One player was dropped after ten ballots in American closer Parker Ryder. After a decade as a middling reliever in MLB, the Colorado native came to OBA at age 32 and had eight solid years between four times. He won two rings and two Reliever of the Year awards with Adelaide, putting up an OBA line of 204 saves, 1.93 ERA, 544.1 innings, 739 strikeouts, and 17.2 WAR. The longevity wasn’t there and his MLB mediocrity didn’t help him. Ryder debuted at 20.3% and stuck around despite being single-digits most of the time, finishing at 7.8%.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 02-01-2024, 05:49 PM

1992 APB Hall of Fame

Pitcher Sahid Fakhruddin was a nearly unanimous Hall of Fame selection in 1992 for Austronesia Professional Baseball, getting 99.3%. He would be the only inductee, although four others landed between 57-59%; SP Ary Mustofa (fourth ballot), SP Kai Diaz (seventh), SP Lifki Santoso (first), and 1B Po-Yu Shao (fifth).

One player was dropped after ten ballots in pitcher Dwi Aditya To. He had a solid debut with Taichung, helping them win the 1965 APB title and taking Association Finals MVP in 1966. He never won any other major awards and bounced around for the rest of his run with a 2.50 ERA, 175-169 record, 3133 innings, 2920 strikeouts, 583 walks, 107 ERA+, and 53.5 WAR. To was viewed as being solidly above average, debuting at 21.6% and finishing up at 5.0%.

Sahid Fakhruddin – Starting Pitcher – Semarang Sliders – 99.3% First Ballot

Sahid Fakhruddin was a 6’2’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Depok, Indonesia; a city of more than two million located just south of Jakarta. Fakhruddin had very good stuff with respectable control, although his movement was subpar. His fastball was in the 96-98 mph range and he was excellent and fooling you when he switched to either his changeup or curveball. Fakhruddin had excellent stamina, leading in complete games four times and innings pitched once. He was an ironman who missed only eight days in his entire career, both because of brief illness.

Scouts throughout Indonesia were impressed with a young Fakhruddin as a teenager. In late 1967, it was Batam who signed him to a developmental contract. He spent three years in the Blue Raiders academy, but never played a game for Batam. In November 1970, he was traded with two other prospects to Semarang in exchange for veteran RF Geng Wu. Fakhruddin debuted with 213.2 innings in 1971 with mixed results, but good enough success to earn Rookie of the Year honors.

Fakhruddin had a very good second season with the Sliders, leading the Sundaland Association in strikeouts. His lone career no-hitter was in his sophomore season with a 13 strikeout, one walk game on August 29 against Bandung. 1972 even saw a 44 inning scoreless stream from mid July to mid August. He then emerged as an elite ace in year three with a TPA best 1.41 ERA, 424 strikeouts, and 12.2 WAR. This was the first of five straight Pitcher of the Year awards for Fakhruddin. He led in WAR four times in the stretch with each year above 9+. He would lead in strikeouts nine straight years while also leading in wins thrice, ERA twice, WHIP four times, complete games three times, and shutouts seven times.

As far as pitchers go, Fakhruddin was also a good batter. He won Silver Sluggers in 1972, 73, and 75. For his batting career, he had 3.5 WAR with a .198/.215/.237 slash, 162 hits, 49 runs, 4 home runs, and 52 RBI; good by pitcher standards in a very low scoring league. Fakhruddin was also a regular for Indonesia in the World Baseball Championship from 1974-85. He struggled though in 143.1 WBC innings with a lackluster 5.71 ERA, 2-14 record, 223 strikeouts, and -0.1 WAR. It was a far cry from the dominance he had with Semarang.

In 1975, Fakhruddin became the second APB pitcher with a Triple Crown season on a 23-5 record, 388 strikeouts, and 1.06 ERA. That ERA was a career best and the single-season record at the time. As of 2037, it is the 10^th lowest single-season ERA in APB. 1975 also saw Semarang earn its first-ever playoff berth and eventually the APB title as well. Fakhruddin had a 2.50 ERA over 18 playoff innings with 23 strikeouts.

Fakhruddin was third in Pitcher of the Year voting in both 1978 and 1979, then won for the sixth and final time in 1980. As of 2037, he’s one of only five pitchers in APB history to win the award six or more times. After missing the field in the four years after their 1975 title, Semarang took the 1980 Sundaland Association pennant. They lost in the APB Championship to Cebu, but Fakhruddin had an excellent postseason with a 0.72 ERA over 25 innings with 41 strikeouts.

That would be his final season in Austronesia Professional Baseball. With Semarang, he had a 172-111 record, 1.84 ERA, 2713 innings, 3755 strikeouts, 470 walks, 269/316 quality starts, 66 FIP-, and 78.7 WAR. It was a remarkable decade, although leaving did keep him from the top of the later leaderboards. Semarang retired his #15 uniform and that dominance couldn’t be ignored as APB’s Hall of Fame inducted him as a slam dunk at 99.3%. But ultimately, this was only the front half of his career.

Fakhruddin received MLB attention, but some teams were still weary based on his poor WBC stats. Some were afraid he was merely beating up weaker APB competition, while some didn’t want to risk spending big only for a big injury to ruin him like with Kun-Sheng Lin. His durability to that point was a major plus and Los Angeles took a chance on the 31-year old with a six-year, $5,020,000 deal.

Fakhruddin was never elite in MLB, although he did reliably eat innings. He put up average results for a then bottom-tier Angel team in his first two years in LA. Fakhruddin was lousy in 1983, but rebounded to middling stats in 1984. In total with the Angels, he had a 4.33 ERA, 57-60 record, 1046 innings, 824 strikeouts, and 9.6 WAR.

His big contract was an albatross for the Angels, who decided to straight up release him after his first five starts of 1985. St. Louis signed him and he posted a very respectable 4.0 WAR, giving some value entering free agency again at age 36. Fakhruddin signed a three-year, $4,060,000 deal with Vancouver.

He spent two years with the Volcanoes and was a respectable veteran presence with a 3.75 ERA, 29-34 record, 554 innings, 430 strikeouts, and 8.2 WAR. His 4.9 WAR and 3.59 ERA in 1986 was by far the best he had looked since leaving Indonesia. Vancouver decided to trade him in December 1987 to Kansas City for outfield prospects Jase Edgar and Fraser Gilliam.

Fakhruddin never played for the Cougars, who cut him at the end of 1988 spring training. Brooklyn would sign him where he again ate innings at the back up of the rotation. He would see his lone MLB playoff start with the Dodgers, allowing only two runs over eight innings.

His final stop would be Oklahoma City on a three-year, $4,980,000 deal, He actually led the American Association in 1989 in complete games with 23. Fakhruddin had a respectable 1989, but he struggled in 1990 with a 5.13 ERA and 7-27 record. The 27 losses tied the MLB single-season record for the most in a season. Fakhruddin had one more year on the contract in OKC, but the Outlaws cut him after spring training 1991. After going unsigned that year, he retired from professional baseball at age 42.

Fakhruddin’s MLB stats saw a 136-153 record, 4.13 ERA, 2635.1 innings, 1948 strikeouts, 798 walks, an ERA+ of 94, FIP- of 106, and 27.3 WAR. That was a respectable journeyman career, albeit far from MLB’s HOF. For his entire pro run, he had a 308-264 record, 2.97 ERA, 5348.1 innings, 5703 strikeouts, 1268 walks, 297 complete games, and 106.1 WAR. Not many guys can say they had 300+ professional wins, 5000+ innings, 5000+ strikeouts, and 100+ WAR. Fakhruddin’s spot in the APB Hall of Fame and as one of the top Indonesian pitchers ever is certainly undisputed.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 02-02-2024, 04:27 AM

1992 CLB Hall of Fame

Chinese League Baseball had two players receive first ballot Hall of Fame inductions with the 1992 ballot. Pitcher Peng Huang led the way with 96.1% and was joined by a solid 87.3% for OF Hao Lan. Lan became the first position player inducted to CLB’s HOF after a bunch of pitchers made the cut before him. Two other position players fell just short of the 66% requirement. RF Xinze Yan had 63.1% on his third ballot and 1B Shenchao An got 62.7% on his fourth go. No players were dropped after ten failed ballots.

Peng Huang – Starting Pitcher – Changsha Cannons – 96.1% First Ballot

Peng Huang was a 6’1’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Urumqi, the capital of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in China’s far northwest with around four million people. Huang was known for having great control with strong movement and above average stuff. His velocity peaked in the 96-98 mph range with a three pitch arsenal of fastball, slider, and changeup. Huang had great stamina and durability, leading four times in complete games and twice in innings. He tossed 240+ innings in all but his first two seasons. Huang was a great leader and hard worker, earning the respect of his peers.

His talent and leadership was very evident coming up through the amateur ranks. In the 1972 CLB Draft, Changsha picked him with the #2 overall pick. Huang’s entire pro career came with the Cannons, although it took time to catch on. He was split between the rotation and bullpen as a rookie, then was used almost exclusively as a reliever in his second season. Year three is when Huang finally broke out as a full-time starter and a good one, leading that year in wins and quality starts.

Huang was second in Pitcher of the Year voting in both 1977 and 1978 and won the award in 1980. He had a league and career best 11.1 WAR season in 1978 and posted four seasons worth 8+ WAR. In 1976, he tossed a no-hitter with 14 strikeouts and one walk against Hong Kong on May 2. Huang also pitched from 1976-81 and in 1984 for China in the World Baseball Championship. He had a 12-1 record over 123 WBC innings with a 2.56 ERA, 153 strikeouts, 29 walks, and 2.8 WAR. Huang also earned a world title ring with China in 1979.

Despite Huang’s efforts, Changsha was generally one of CLB’s weaker teams for its first two decades. The Cannons would break through in 1977 with a second place finish in the Southern League. They upset Xi’an in the semifinal to earn a China Series berth, where they were defeated by Kunming. This was Huang’s only postseason and he had iffy results with a 3.41 ERA (79 ERA+) over 31.2 innings with a 0-3 record and 37 strikeouts. Still, his career-best 1.47 ERA in the regular season was a big reason they got there to begin with.

Huang signed a six-year contract extension worth $2,412,000 midway through the 1981 season. He wasn’t an awards finalist or league leader in his 30s, but Huang was consistently and reliably solid. The highlight of this run came on April 21, 1982. On that day, Huang tossed CLB’s 13^th perfect game, striking out 11 against Wuhan. He carried through the 1986 season with his last year seeing a noticeable drop in strikeouts and WAR. Huang considered staying to chase the 200 win milestone, but he opted to retire at age 36.

Huang’s final stats: 194-151 record, 2.10 ERA, 3398 innings, 3231 strikeouts to 572 walks, 323/403 quality starts, 171 complete games, 73 FIP- and 87.1 WAR. He was a leader and consistent contributor for a long time for Changsha, who retired his #24 uniform. At induction, he was sixth in pitching WAR and is still ninth all-time as of 2037, almost quietly putting up an excellent career. The voters certainly noticed Huang though, giving him a first ballot induction at 96.1%.

Hao Lan – Outfielder – Dalian Gold Dragons – 87.3% First Ballot

Hao Lan was a 6’3’’, 190 pound left-handed hitting outfielder from Neijiang, a city with around three million people in the southwestern Sichuan province. In his prime, Lan was a great all-around hitter with solid contact, great home run and gap power, and a solid eye. He had excellent pop in his bat, averaging around 30-35 home runs and around 30-35 doubles/triples per season. Lan was also very fast and an intelligent baserunner. His one weakness as a batter was a high strikeout rate, but he still made his plate appearances count far better than most. Lan was an outfielder who made about 2/3 of his starts in left with about 1/4 in center field and the rest in right. He was viewed as an above average defender in the corners and below average in center.

Lan’s talent was very evident as an amateur and he was picked third overall by Dalian in the 1971 CLB Draft. He was put into the lineup as a starter immediately and showed he belonged, although he’d miss two months to a strained abdominal muscle as a rookie. Despite that, Lan still was second in Rookie of the Year voting. He’d be healthy and a full-timer for the remaining six years with the Gold Dragons.

By his third season, Lan was established as the top hitter in China. He was the Northern League MVP in 1972 and led the league in runs, home runs, RBI, total bases, slugging, OPS, wRC+, and WAR. The next year, he won MVP again and led in all of those same stats minus RBI. With Dalian, Lan had Silver Sluggers in 1974, 75, and 78 with the first in center and the others in left. He took third in 1976 MVP voting and second in 1978. Lan was also a regular in the World Baseball Championship for China from 1975-86, playing 152 games with 114 hits, 87 runs, 17 doubles, 34 home runs, 75 RBI, and 4.4 WAR.

Lan’s MVP bat helped Dalian finish first in the Northern League standings in 1974 and 1975. In 1975, the Gold Dragons were CLB champions and Lan was China Series MVP. In 17 playoff starts with Dalian, he had 24 hits, 9 runs, 2 doubles, 2 home runs, 11 RBI, 11 stolen bases, and 1.3 WAR. In total with the Gold Dragons, Lan had 1078 hits, 618 runs, 180 doubles, 236 home runs, 572 RBI, 384 stolen bases, a .279/.344/.550 slash, 187 wRC+, and 61.4 WAR.

By the end of the 1970s, Dalian had fallen towards the bottom of the standings and wasn’t expecting to be able to re-sign Lan with free agency pending soon. Before the 1979 season, he was traded to Hong Kong for prospects. One of those was pitcher Baoxian He, who went onto have a 14-year Hall of Fame run with Dalian.

HK had been the league runner-up in 1978 and hoped Lan could make the Champions the champs. They actually won more games in 1979, but fell short of the playoffs in a top-heavy Southern League. Lan certainly held up his end by winning a third MVP and fourth Silver Slugger. He won his lone batting title and led the league in the triple slash, WAR, hits, runs, home runs, and wRC+. His 115 runs scored was a single season record, although it would get beat the next year. Still, that and his 114 in 1974 were the second and third most in a CLB season until the 2010s.

Lan was a huge commodity in free agency at age 30 and signed a six-year, $2,628,000 with Jinan. The Jumbos were a bottom tier team in his tenure and never made the playoffs, but Lan was still great. He took third in 1980 MVP voting and won five Silver Sluggers from 1980-84, giving him nine for his career. Lan led in stolen bases in 1981 with 70, but this would be his only time as a league leader. Still, he posted five straight seasons of 7+ WAR and crossed 100 career WAR.

In his final season with Jinan in 1985, Lan suffered a broken kneecap in late April that knocked him out almost the entire season. In total with the Jumbos, Lan had 709 hits, 386 runs, 105 doubles, 160 home runs, 390 RBI, a .256/.317/.503 slash, 177 wRC+, and 41.3 WAR. His contract expired and his future was uncertain as a 36-year old coming off a major injury. Still, his success drew attention from suitors across the globe and Lan decided to end his run in China.

MLB’s Seattle Grizzlies was the big buyer, signing Lan to a three-year, $3,960,000 deal. He started all of 1986 and was a respectable starter, but not an award winner. Injuries cost him a bit of 1987 and his production were merely average. Lan failed to meet the vesting criteria in his deal and became a free agent at age 38. He remained in MLB and signed a one-year, $1,660,000 deal with Virginia Beach.

Here, Lan became an interesting part of MLB lore. The Vikings were only in their seventh season, but the expansion squad had a Cinderella wild card run to the 1988 World Series title. Lan was a starter with below average hitting in the regular season, but he stepped up in the playoffs with 19 hits, 12 runs, 4 doubles, and 8 RBI in the postseason. Lan was named World Series MVP, holding the incredibly unique distinction of winning finals MVP in two different leagues. In total in MLB, he had 6.4 WAR, 346 hits, 216 runs, 62 home runs, 181 RBI, and a .238/.319/.436.

That would be the end of his MLB career, although Lan wasn’t done yet. He ended up signing a three-year, $2,440,000 to go to Eurasian Professional Baseball and the Almaty Assassins. He struggled in his two years in Kazakhstan and was eventually relegated to the bench, posting -0.5 WAR for the run. Lan was released after the 1990 season and hoped to catch on somewhere in 1991. After going unsigned, he retired at age 42.

For his entire pro career, Lan had 2386 hits, 1375 runs, 373 doubles, 171 triples, 518 home runs, 1276 RBI, 772 stolen bases, a .262/.332/.515 slash, 170 wRC+, and 120.8 WAR. For his China run specifically, Lan had 1971 hits, 1119 runs, 307 doubles, 147 triples, 437 home runs, 1056 RBI, 721 stolen bases, a .273/.338/.538 slash, 185 wRC+, and 114.9 WAR. Those accumulations are impressive in CLB’s very low offense environment. At induction, Lan was CLB’s home run leader as well as third in runs, 12^th in hits, fourth in RBI, ninth in stolen bases, and third in hitting WAR. As of 2037, he’s still seventh in WAR and eighth in runs. Although 437 homers is low compared to other leagues, Lan stayed CLB’s leader until the early 2000s and sits 11^th as of 2037. He was a fitting choice to be the first position player inducted into the CLB Hall of Fame, even if his 87.3% seems a bit lower than the stats might suggest.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 02-02-2024, 12:59 PM

1992 WAB Hall of Fame

2B/SS Alberto Bissau was the lone inductee into the West African Baseball Hall of Fame in 1992, earning a first ballot induction with 89.3%. SS Joseph Ambane very nearly joined him on his third ballot, but fell just short of the 66% requirement with 63.8%. Closer Johnson Madu was also above 50%, receiving 52.0% on his third ballot. No players were dropped after ten ballots.

Alberto Bissau – Second Base/Shortstop – Benin City Blue Devils – 89.3% First Ballot

Alberto Bissau was a 5’11’’, 200 pound switch hitting middle infielder. He shared a surname with his hometown of Bissau, the capital city of Guinea-Bissau with around 500,000 people. Bissau was an excellent contact hitter that led the league in hits seven times in his career. He was the master at finding the gap, leading in doubles seven times and averaging nearly 50 doubles per season. Bissau didn’t smack many bombs, but did add around 10-15 home runs and a couple triples per year. He didn’t walk all that often with a slightly above average strikeout rate.

Bissau was a very smart base stealer with excellent speed, boasting an impressive 83.6% success rate in his career at stealing. Defensively, he made about 2/3 of his starts at second base with around ¼ at shortstop and the rest at third base. Bissau graded out as just below average at second and was actively bad at short. He viewed as an ironman by many, playing in 140+ games in 12 straight seasons. Bissau was a very popular player with fans, but he wasn’t the most popular in the clubhouse with some teammates calling him greedy and disloyal.

When West Africa Baseball officially formed for the 1975 season, Bissau was already 26 years old and established in the semi-pro ranks in the region. He came to Nigeria and Benin City on a two-year, $302,000 deal. Bissau’s entire WAB run came with the Blue Devils, who eventually inked him to a seven-year, $2,094,000 contract extension just before the 1977 season. He delivered instantly, leading in 1975 in hits, doubles, and WAR. He earned his lone Gold Glove this year at second base and took second in MVP voting.

1976 was Bissau’s first MVP and Silver Slugger, leading the league in runs (121) hits (229), average (.357), wRC+ (189), and WAR (11.2). The 229 hits was a single season record in WAB for nearly two decades. Bissau won additional Silver Sluggers in 1980 and 1982. He was MVP again in 1980 and hit 60 doubles, which stayed the single-season record for almost 20 years as well. Bissau was second in MVP voting in 1982. In 1980, he also earned All-Star Game MVP honors.

Benin City was a regular contender during Bissau’s time with five playoff appearances, although they were never able to claim the Western League title. In 18 playoff games, Bissau had 23 hits, 8 runs, 4 doubles, 3 RBI, and a .299/.333/.351 slash. In the regular season, he led in hits seven times and had 200+ hits six times. Bissau had eight seasons with 50+ doubles and hit above .300 in all but his last year with the Blue Devils.

Bissau’s last year with Benin City saw a noticeable drop in production with only a .275 average and 3.6 WAR. He had posted 5+ WAR in all of his prior seasons. The team decided to not re-sign him, but the Blue Devils would later retire his #5 uniform; the first number retired by the franchise. At age 36, Bissau decided to make a surprising move to EPB and Romania. The defending Soviet Series champion Bucharest signed him to a three-year, $2,090,000 deal, ending his African baseball career.

Bissau had a nice bounce back in 1985 with the Broncos, winning a Silver Slugger. Bucharest won the division at 110-52, but ended up one-and-done in the playoffs. He had a good 1986 as well, but the Broncos again were ousted in the first round. Injuries and iffy production cost him part of 1987. In total with Bucharest, Bissau had 442 hits, 190 runs, 79 doubles, 93 stolen bases, a .292/.329/.416 slash, and 14.2 WAR.

At age 39, Bissau still had numerous suitors and signed a hefty three-year, $4,480,000 deal with MLB’s Seattle Grizzlies. Although his overall value in 1988 wasn’t great, Bissau still managed to lead the American Association in doubles despite only playing 129 games. He lost the gap power noticeably the next year and was relegated to a bench role in his final season. With Seattle, Bissau had 269 hits, 120 runs, 70 doubles, a .270/.307/.399 slash and 1.1 WAR. He went unsigned in 1991 and retired that winter at age 43.

For his full career, Bissau had 2695 hits, 1291 runs, 665 doubles, 1001 RBI, 718 stolen bases, a .308/.343/.459 slash and 88.4 WAR. Specifically with Benin City and in WAB, he had 1984 hits, 981 runs, 516 doubles, 126 home runs, 719 RBI, 615 stolen bases, a .318/.351/.479 slash, 139 wRC+, and 73.1 WAR. Bissau was the all-time doubles leader at induction and held that title until the early 2000s, although he’d get passed by many players as WAB’s offensive environment exploded in the 21^st Century. His accumulations seem low in comparison to modern players in the high octane WAB of the future, but Bissau still put up very impressive stats despite officially starting at age 26 and only spending ten years in WAB. His resume was plenty impressive for the Hall of Fame voters to put him in on the first ballot at 89.3% as the lone 1992 inductee.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 02-02-2024, 06:01 PM

1992 SAB Hall of Fame

South Asia Baseball had officially begun Hall of Fame voting in 1989, but the highest mark anyone got on the first three ballots was Louis Gungbissoon’s 13.6% in 1990. 1992 saw the first real contenders debut on the ballot and pitcher Sankar Sundaram earned 72.1%, becoming SAB’s first-ever Hall of Famer. 1B Yamin Thaw also had a nice showing at 57.7%, but was shy of the 66% threshold. Closer Jason Mayekar and SP Vannak Thai both debuted around 44%.

Sankar “Punchy” Sundaram – Pitcher – Pune Purple Knights – 72.1% First Ballot

Sankar Sundaram was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Chanigarh, a city of around a million people that is the shared capital of the Indian states of Punjab and Haryana. Sundaram had excellent stuff with respectable movement and decent control. His velocity peaked at 95-97 mph on his splitter and sinker and he mixed them with a strong curveball and knuckle curve, plus a rarely used changeup. Sundaram was a great defensive pitcher, winning Gold Gloves in 1984 and 1985. He was a great leader and team captain, becoming one of the most respected players in Indian baseball.

Sundaram was already a multi-year veteran of India’s semi-pro circuits when South Asia Baseball was officially established beginning with the 1980 season. The 27-year old signed a seven-year, $1,934,000 deal with Pune, which made up the entirety of his “official” pro career. Sundaram led the Indian League in ERA in 1980 at 1.73, but a fractured cheekbone cost him six weeks of the season. He led in strikeouts in 1981, 82, and 84. Sundaram led in WHIP from 1980-83 and was twice the league’s pitching WARlord.

Because of this success, Sundaram won four consecutive Pitcher of the Year awards from 1981-84. He also took third in 1985. As their ace, Pune was a consistent contender with six straight playoff berths to start their existence. The Purple Knights won the Indian League title in 1981, 83, and 84. In the latter two years, they also were South Asian Champion. Sundaram was 1984 ILCS MVP and was a stud in the postseason. He had a 9-2 record over 118.1 innings with a 1.75 ERA, 176 strikeouts, 26 walks, and 4.7 WAR.

Sundaram was also a popular player nationally, as he pitched for India in the World Baseball Championship from 1980-86. He had a 3.76 WBC ERA over 93.1 innings with 128 strikeouts, 33 walks, and 1.8 WAR. Sundaram’s numbesr dropped a little bit in his final season, but at 6.0 WAR, he was still an elite pitcher. His contact expired and he couldn’t come to terms with any teams in 1987. Still in great health, Sundaram decided to retire early at age 35.

For his seven year Pune run, Sundaram had a 97-51 record and 39 saves, a 3.47 ERA, 1476 innings, 2139 strikeouts, 136/207 quality starts, FIP- of 57, and 51.1 WAR. He presented a very interesting case for the voters with such a small sample size, albeit an impressive one. Supporters noted that his accumulations would’ve been more impressive if his “official” start didn’t begin at age 27, although he was credited for service time from his semi-pro days and thus eligible for the vote. Sundaram’s early retirement also was pointed out by both supporters and detractors when considering his candidacy. Winning three pennants and dominating in the playoffs with Pune went a long way, as he still has the fourth most pitching WAR in the postseason as of 2037. That, plus four Pitcher of the Year awards, gave Sundaram the support he needed to become SAB’s first Hall of Famer. He only received 72.1%, but that was enough for enshrinement.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 02-03-2024, 03:50 AM

1992 World Baseball Championship

The 1992 World Baseball Championship was the 46^th edition of the event and was hosted for the first time in Singapore. In Division 1, Taiwan went undefeated at 9-0 with the closest competition being 7-2 Switzerland. This was the third division title for the Taiwanese, who were the 1980 runner-up and took third in 1986. In D2, the United States advanced for the 39^th time. At 8-1, the Americans beat out 7-2 Colombia and 6-3 Pakistan. China crushed the Division 3 competition at 9-0. This gave the Chinese back-to-back division titles and their 15^th overall.

France won Division 4 at 7-2, beating Ecuador by one game and four nations by two. It was back-to-back division wins for the French, who now have advanced eight times. Division 5 had a three-way tie for the top spot at 6-3 between Cuba, India, and Russia, while both Bolivia and North Korea were 5-4. The tiebreaker went to the Indians for their first-ever division title. Defending world champ Canada dominated D6 at 9-0, while last year’s runner-up Germany was a distant second at 6-3. The Canadians have moved forward 28 times now. Mexico was 5-4, extending a surprisingly long division title drought for them to seven years.

Division 7 was a mess as Brazil, Spain, and the Netherlands were each 6-3, while Algeria and South Korea were 5-4. The tiebreaker went to the Brazilians, moving them forward for the 26^th time. This extends their impressive run to six straight division titles. Only the US and Canada have advanced as often as Brazil in the history of the WBC. Lastly, Panama picked up Division 8 at 8-1, topping 6-3 efforts by Indonesia, Ireland, and Nigeria. It is only the second-ever division title for the Panamanians with the other all the way back in 1965.

In Round Robin Group A, the United States cruised to a 6-0 mark for their 34^th final four. China and India tied at 3-3, while Panama was 0-6. The tiebreaker went to the Chinese for their 10^th semifinal berth. In Group B, defending champ Canada had the top mark at 5-1 for their 22^nd semifinal appearance. Taiwan narrowly took second at 3-3, while both France and Brazil were 2-4. The Taiwanese earned a third semifinal appearance. Brazil’s impressive streak of final fours ended at five.

In the semifinal round, the United States swept Taiwan 3-0 and Canada topped China 3-1. The Chinese were officially third for the third time. This set up the two traditional powers in the finals yet again with the Americans making their 30^th appearance and the Canadians their 14^th. This also gave Canada its third finals appearance in four years. It was the sixth time they had faced off for the world title, although it was the first time since 1972. The US had led the all-time series 5-1 with Canada’s only win coming with a 3-0 rally in 1954.

The Americans finished on top yet again and denied Canada their world title repeat. The US won the series 4-2, moving to 27-3 all-time in the championship while the Canadians fell to 5-9. The Americans had missed the finals in the prior three years, tying the longest gap between finals appearances for the US (1978-80).

Quinn Iosifian became the fourth player to win Tournament MVP multiple times, having also taken it in 1988. The 29-year old Los Angeles RF made 24 starts with 28 hits, 25 runs, 13 home runs, 27 RBI, 11 walks, and 1.9 WAR. Best Pitcher was given to Belarusian Yakov Fomin, who had joined MLB’s Milwaukee in 1991. The 32-year old had 12 scoreless innings with four hits and four walks allowed and 19 strikeouts.

Other notes: Canada’s Jeremiah Farnworth had five triples to set a single-season record. After seeing zero no-hitters in the 1990 or 1991 WBCs, 1992 tied a single-tournament most with five. This included the fourth WBC perfect game from Ukraine’s Petro Mihalko, who struck out nine against Fiji. This also included a 21 strikeout, three walk no-hitter by Canada’s Christopher Fournier against France. This was the third most Ks in a WBC no-no, as two pitchers had fanned 22.

Looking at the updated all-time scoring, China’s third place finish moved them into a tie with South Korea for the fifth most all-time points.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 02-03-2024, 10:33 AM

1992 in ALB

In the third season for Arab League Baseball, the best record in the Western Conference went to Cairo at 99-63. The Pharaohs won the Nile Division for the third straight year, this time needing to fend off a strong 93-65 Alexandria squad. Jerusalem was Levant Division champ for the third successive year. The Jets were 92-70, beating Damascus by eight games. Defending ALB champ Tripoli fell to 77-85, allowing Casablanca to reclaim the Mediterranean Division. The Bruins took the title at 85-77 for their second berth in three years.

Taking Western Conference MVP was Cairo DH Niral Sharett. The 27-year old Israeli lefty led in walks (100), OPS (.932), and wRC+ (176). He had a .293/.406/.525 slash with 4.6 WAR and 23 home runs. Casablanca’s Mohamed Abdelhafeed was the Pitcher of the Year. The 29-year old righty from Morocco led in wins at 22-7 and won the ERA title at 2.03. Abdelhafeed added 233 strikeouts and 7.0 WAR over 244.1 innings.

Jerusalem had home field advantage for the first round playoff matchup, but Casablanca upset them 2-1. This set up a rematch of the 1990 Western Conference final between the Bruins and Cairo, which saw the Pharaohs win in a five game thriller with the finale going extras. The 1992 edition was eerily similar, also going five games and also seeing Cairo win over Casablanca. The Pharaohs again won game five in extras, this time taking it on a walkoff 4-3 in 11 innings.

In the Eastern Conference, the Iraq Division was intense with arguably the best three teams in the conference fighting for one spot. Two-time defending EC champ Sulaymaniya prevailed again, although their 96-66 was only one better than Baghdad and five ahead of Basra. The Saudi Division was also competitive, but Medina claimed a third consecutive title. The Mastodons were 91-71, edging Jeddah by two games. Although they missed the playoffs, the Jackals’ 1082 hits allowed as a pitching staff is still the EC’s all-time best mark as of 2037. The Gulf Division was weak with 81-81 Dubai winning the crown for back-to-back seasons. The Diamonds were three ahead of their in-country rival Abu Dhabi.

Medina 1B Bilal Hamdan won the Eastern Conference MVP. The 31-year old Lebanese slugger led in home runs (52), RBI (109), total bases (.641), OPS (1.017), wRC+ (200), and WAR (9.4). Pitcher of the Year went to Basra’s Abdullah Al-Muhafazat. The 31-year old Saudi lefty was nine ERA points short of a Triple Crown, posting a 21-11 record, 2.06 ERA, and 386 strikeouts. He also led in WAR (10.0), innings (279.2), quality starts (29), and shutouts (6). Also of note was Sulaymaniya’s Paul Arfaouri, who won his third straight Reliever of the Year. This was the finest season for the 29-year old Moroccan, who had 43 saves, a 0.76 ERA, 7.1 ERA and 192 strikeouts over 106.2 innings.

Medina swept Dubai in the first round to set up a 1990 rematch in the Eastern Conference Championship. The Mastodons prevented Sulaymaniya from their three-peat, taking the series 3-1. Medina kept rolling into the third Arab League Championship, downing Cairo 4-1 to send the title to Saudi Arabia for the first time. SS Tarek Soliman was the finals MVP with the 31-year old Egyptian shortstop posting 11 hits, 6 runs, 4 home runs, and 7 RBI over 11 playoff starts.

Other notes: Ilwad Maxamed of Casablanca had 17 complete games, which stands as of 2037 as the ALB single season record.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 02-03-2024, 03:07 PM

1992 in ABF

Peshawar earned a playoff spot for the fourth consecutive season, finishing first in the Pakistan League standings for the third time in that stretch. The Predators at 92-70 were only two ahead of Faisalabad, who earned their first-ever playoff berth at 90-72. With that, all eight PL teams have made the playoffs at least once. Defending Asian Baseball Federation champ Gujranwala was 89-73, missing the cut by one game.

Peshawar’s Hakim As-Salam won the Pakistan League MVP. The 28-year old RF nicknamed “Squirt” more than a month to injury, but still led the PL in average (.341), slugging (.676), OPS (1.095), and wRC+ (264). As-Salam added 10.1 WAR, 40 home runs, and 93 RBI. Karachi was below .500, but their ace Qazi Khwaja won the Pitcher of the Year. He led in strikeouts (416), WHIP (0.74), K/BB (14.9), FIP- (42), and WAR (11.3). The 416 Ks was an ABF record and although it would fall the next year, it is still the seventh best season as of 2037. Khwaja also had a 1.77 ERA over 260 innings and a 19-12 record.

Mashhad was the top seed in the West Asia Association in 1992, winning the Persian League for the third consecutive season. The Mercury had their best record yet at 103-59, scoring 100 more runs than the next best team in the WAA. Tabriz was a solid 92-70, but still 11 short of Mashhad. In the Turkish League, Adana was a first-time champ at 92-70. Bursa was second at 86-76 and defending WAA champ Izmir was third at 85-77. The Blue Claws and Shiraz are the only ABF teams without one playoff berth through ABF’s first eight seasons.

23-year old slugger Gokhan Karatas of Izmir won the MVP despite the Ice Caps being third. The left-handed Turkish first baseman was one RBI short of a Triple Crown with 52 home runs, 138 RBI, and a .346 average. Karatas also led the WAA in runs (125), total bases (405), OBP (.434), slugging (.726), OPS (1.159), wRC+ (232), and WAR (13.1). This set a single season WAR record that Karatas would break himself the next year. Adana’s Nadir Cak had a breakout season to win Pitcher of the Year. The Turkish lefty had dealt with two ruptured UCLs already by age 35, but he finally had a full season and exceled, leading the WAA in ERA (1.450, WHIP (0.70), K/BB (10.1), FIP- (37), and WAR (9.7). Cak also had 352 strikeouts over 205.1 innings. He would leave for MLB the next season, but tore his UCL again and spent the next decade bouncing around teams on the injured list.

For the fourth consecutive season, the Pakistan League Championship Series needed all seven games. Peshawar outlasted Faisalabad to give the Predators their third pennant in four years. Meanwhile in the West Asia Association Championship, Mashhad took their second title in three years, defeating Adana 4-1.

The 1992 Asian Baseball Federation Championship was Peshawar’s third finals appearance and a rematch of the 1990 final with Mashhad. The Predators finally earned their first ring, getting revenge over the Mercury 4-2. CF Rabbani Luqman was both finals MVP and PLCS MVP for Peshawar. The 25-year old center fielder had 19 hits, 10 runs, 5 doubles, 3 home runs, 8 RBI, and 6 stolen bases in 13 playoff starts.

Other notes: Peshawar’s Sa’id Farahani set an ABF single-game pitching record with 22 strikeouts in their June 29 encounter with Peshawar. One month later, Farahani had a no-hitter against Lahore with 15 strikeouts. Kamran Abenov of Istanbul set a bad record with 292 strikeouts at the plate, which remains the ABF all-time worst as of 2037.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 02-04-2024, 03:51 AM

1992 in SAB

1992 in the Indian League saw the exact four teams earn playoff spots as the prior season with three of the four extending lengthy playoff streaks. Ahmedabad, fresh off five SAB titles in six years, dominated yet again with a 112-50 mark atop the West Division. The Animals scored 813 runs, while no other SAB team was above 700. Ahmedabad earned its eight consecutive playoff berth and 11^th in 12 years. In the Central Division, Delhi and Kanpur switched positions. The Drillers went 96-66 to win the division title for the first time. The Poison took the wild card at 85-77 for their fourth playoff appearance in five years. Kolkata was the next closest in the wild card race, finishing three back on Kanpur. Visakhapatnam cruised to a fourth successive South Division title at 93-69.

Indian League MVP went to Ahmedabad RF Johar Rai. The 34-year old veteran led the league with 53 home runs while posting 110 runs, 116 RBI, a .295/.353/.634 slash, and 8.7 WAR. His Animals teammate Shola Ibeh won Pitcher of the Year. The 32-year old Nigerian had come to South Asia Baseball the prior year after a decade in West Africa Baseball, winning the SAB championship MVP for Ahmedabad in 1991. In 1992, he was the IL’s WARlord (8.5) and leader in wins (21-7) and innings (265.1). Ibeh added a 2.44 ERA and 312 strikeouts.

In the first round of the playoffs, Ahmedabad bested Kanpur 3-1 and Delhi downed Visakhapatnam 3-1. This gave the Drillers their first-ever Indian League Championship Series appearance and they would take the Animals to the limit. However, Ahmedabad survived in seven games to claim a fourth consecutive pennant and sixth in seven years.

Ho Chi Minh City was yet again the class of the Southeast Asia League, earning a sixth consecutive playoff berth and ninth in ten years. At 109-53, the Hedgehogs won the South Division and led SEAL in both runs scored (692) and fewest allowed (507). Offensively, they set a still-standing single season record by striking out only 1024 times over the course of the season. Defending SEAL champ Dhaka dropped from 107 wins the prior year to 91-71, but that still secured the Dobermans the North Division title.

The battle for the two wild card spots ended up being a mess with four teams in the fight. Vientiane, Chittagong, and Kuala Lumpur each finished tied at 87-75, while Johor Bahur was one back at 86-76. Two tiebreaker games were needed to determine the wild cards. The Vampires beat the Leopards to secure Vientiane’s spot. Then, Kuala Lumpur advanced by besting Chittagong. The Vampires snapped a four-year playoff drought and the Leopards ended a five-year skid. The Blue Wings saw their three-year wild card streak snapped.

Ho Chi Minh City’s big offseason acquisition was CF Van Loi Phung, who had won two MVPs with Chennai and taken second in voting last year with Ahmedabad. Phung inked a six-year, $4,610,000 deal with the Hedgehogs and won MVP, Silver Slugger, and a Gold Glove in his HCMC debut. The 31-year old Vietnamese righty was the WARlord (10.8) and added a .306/.363/.592 slash, 38 home runs, and 104 RBI. His Hedgehogs teammate Zainal bin Aziz won his fifth Pitcher of the Year award and posted a historic third Triple Crown season with a 22-6 record, 1.93 ERA, and 396 strikeouts over 252 innings. That beat the single-season strikeout record set the prior year by Ansin Mohammed (391) and remains the SAB record as of 2037. The 32-year old Malaysian lefty also led in WAR (12.4), WHIP (0.83), K/BB (8.4), quality starts (27), and FIP- (38). He also broke his own SAB record for pitching WAR and would top it twice more before he was done.

Ho Chi Minh City swept Kuala Lumpur in the first round and Vientiane upset Dhaka 3-1. This gave the Vampires their first ever berth in the Southeast Asia League Championship Series, but they were no match for the perennial power Hedgehogs. HCMC swept Vientiane to claim a fourth pennant in six years.

For the fourth time, the South Asia Baseball Championship saw Ahmedabad against Ho Chi Minh City. The Hedgehogs got tantalizingly close to finally winning it all, but the Animals outlasted them in a seven game classic. Game seven went 11 innings with Ahmedabad winning it 6-5 on a walk-off RBI single by K.C. Choudhury. CF Anjan Sumanjit was finals MVP with 25 hits, 7 runs, 15 stolen bases, and 5 RBI over 18 playoff starts. Sumanjit was also caught stealing 12 times, a playoff record. HCMC’s James Cole also had a noteworthy postseason with a 0.38 WHIP and .116 opponent OPS, both SAB records that still stand in 2037. Cole had a 1.06 ERA and 40 strikeouts over 34 innings with one walk.

Ahmedabad’s fourth straight SAB title puts them in elite company as the only four-peats in any world league to this point were CABA’s Mexico City (five-peat from 1969-73), EAB’s Pyongyang (1965-68), and MLB’s Philadelphia (1941-44). They’ve also now won six titles in seven years, a mark only matched by the Aztecs (1967-73),

Other notes: Zainal bin Aziz became the first SAB pitcher to 3000 career strikeouts. Andee Siddharth became the third batter to reach 400 home runs. Van Loi Phung won his seventh Gold Glove at CF. 2B VJ Williams won his tenth Silver Slugger, while RF Johar Rai won his eighth.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 02-04-2024, 09:36 AM

1992 in WAB

After missing the playoffs in the prior six seasons with middling results, Abidjan dominated the Western League standings at 105-57. There was a 15 game gap to second place Dakar at 90-72. The Dukes extended their postseason streak to three seasons. The third place spot and final playoff spot went to 87-75, impressively bouncing back from 67 wins the prior year to end a four-year playoff drought. Freetown (85-77), Conakry (83-79), and Monrovia (82-80 were each in the mix. Defending WL champ Kumasi was seventh at 79-83, ending their historic playoff streak at 14 seasons. It was the second longest in world history behind EBF’s Zurich, which grew to 20 in 1992.

Western League MVP went to Freetown 2B Korian “Fireball” Idi. In his second season as a full-time starter, the 24-year old righty from Niger led in hits (222), triples (29), stolen bases (101), average (.364), OBP (.404), and WAR (10.3). Pitcher of the Year was Abidjan’s Bomba Toe. A 24-year old righty from Sierra Leone, Toe led in WAR (7.1), wins (21-5), innings (272.2), quality starts (27), and complete games (12). He added a 2.54 ERA and 325 strikeouts.

Dakar held off Bamako 2-1 in the wild card round, sending the Dukes to their third consecutive Western League Championship Series. For the third straight year, Dakar was denied. Abidjan swept them 3-0 to give the Athletes their fifth pennant, although it was the first in a decade. Abidjan’s WL titles previously came in 1975, 78, 81, and 82.

The Eastern League’s top spot had a two team race between defending West African champion Lagos and Port Harcourt, who placed first in the standings the prior season. The Lizards grabbed it by a game at 107-55, while the Hillcats were 106-56. For Lagos, it was their 14^th playoff berth over the 18 year history of WAB. Port Harcourt earned a fourth consecutive berth and tenth overall. In the battle for third, Ibadan (94-68) beat out Lome (90-72). This gave the Iguanas a third consecutive postseason appearance.

Ibadan’s Rudy Bambara won his second Eastern League MVP in three years. The 26-year old two-way star from Burkina Faso had a 19-11 record, 2.81 ERA, 246.1 innings, 274 strikeouts, and 6.9 WAR on the mound. At third base, he played 98 games with 114 hits, 23 home runs, 64 RBI, a .316/.393/.595 slash, and 5.1 WAR. Pitcher of the Year was Lagos righty Messan Atte. The Togolese 29-year old led in ERA (1.96), wins (26-6), quality starts (28), FIP- (61), and WAR (8.7). Atte added 328 strikeouts over 253 innings.

Ibadan stunned Port Harcourt 2-1 in the wild card round, sending the Iguanas to the Eastern League Championship Series for the first time. Defending champ Lagos would take the ELCS 3-1 over Ibadan, giving the Lizards back-to-back pennants. It is Lagos’ ninth EL title overall, the most of any team in WAB.

The 18^th West African Championship was the third finals meeting between Lagos and Abidjan with the Lizards winning in the 1978 and 1981 encounters. Lagos had been incredibly successful in the finals with a 7-1 record entering the 1992 edition, while the Athletes were 1-3. The series needed all seven games, but the general trend held and the Lizards repeated as WAB champs. Lagos now has eight rings over a 15 year stretch. 2B Ali Sami Naas was finals MVP as the 25-year old Algerian had 14 hits, 6 runs, 2 doubles, and 4 RBI in 11 playoff starts.

Other notes: 1992 saw zero no-hitters thrown in WAB. Addise Assefa became the first pitcher to 4000 career strikeouts. He’d retire with 4147 and would lose the top spot by the end of the 1990s, but Assefa is still second as of 2037.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 02-04-2024, 03:40 PM

1992 in CLB

For the fourth successive season, Dalian took first in the Northern League standings. The defending China Series champs finished 100-62 and led the NL in both runs scored (574) and fewest allowed (418). Qingdao was nine back in second place at 91-71, but the Devils were still nine ahead of third place Tianjin. This was only the second time making the playoffs for the Devils (1982). Beijing, who got to the league semifinal last year, finished in a three-way tie for third at 80-82 with Hangzhou and Zhengzhou.

Qingdao RF Hongbo Wan won Northern League MVP in his third season. Nicknamed “Iguana,” Wan led in runs (103), home runs (38), total bases (339), slugging (.606), OPS (.971), wRC+ (212), and WAR (12.4). He also had 71 stolen bases and 89 RBI. Shanghai’s Zengziang Zhang won Pitcher of the Year for the third time in four years. He led in ERA (1.43) for the sixth time in his career while also leading in WHIP (0.71), K/BB (16.5), quality starts (30), FIP- (41), and WAR (10.6). Zhang had a 12-8 record and 314 strikeouts over 245.1 innings. It would be his final season in China, as the 32-year old righty signed a five-year, $11,880,000 offseason deal with MLB’s Philadelphia.

The Southern League was very competitive for the two playoff spots with five teams finishing within five games of first. Xiamen narrowly took first at 96-66 for only their second-ever playoff berth (1981). The Mutts pitching staff had 1799 strikeouts to set a SL single-season record that stood until 2009. Their 0.810 WHIP was also second-best in SL history. For second place, Macau and Wuhan tied at 94-68, while Changsha was 93-69 and Hong Kong was 91-71. The Magicians won the tiebreaker gave over the Wolverines to earn their fourth playoff appearance in five years. Shenzhen’s four-year postseason streak ended as they finished sixth at 88-74.

Macau two-way star Wei Qin won his third Southern League MVP. The 30-year old at first base played 130 games with 31 home runs, a .264/.349/.526 slash, 206 wRC+, and 6.7 WAR. On the mound, Qin was 17-9 over 264.1 innings with a 2.42 ERA, 306 strikeouts, and 7.1 WAR. Xiamen’s Xinbo Wang won Pitcher of the Year in his fifth season. He led in wins (20-8), complete games (23), and shutouts (9). Wang added a 1.64 ERA over 252 innings with 301 strikeouts and 8.9 WAR. Wang also had two no-hitters, striking out 14 with three walks on 5/20 against Foshan and with 11 Ks and one walk on 9/24 over Qingdao in the playoffs. This was the first-ever postseason no-hitter in CLB history

For the third consecutive postseason, the two Northern League teams beat their Southern League opposition in the semifinals. Dalian outlasted Macau in a seven game classic, giving the Gold Dragons four successive finals berths. Qingdao upset Xiamen 4-3 to send the Devils to the China Series for the first time.

Dalian’s dynasty run continued in the 23^rd China Series as they defeated league rival Qingdao 4-2. The Gold Dragons are the third CLB franchise to earn repeat titles, joining 1977-78 Kunming and 1984-85 Beijing. Dalian also joined the Bears (1984-87) as the only teams to win three titles in four years. Veteran pitcher Baoxian He won finals MVP in his last season in CLB. The Gold Dragons ace had a 2.65 ERA over 34 playoff innings with 24 strikeouts.

Other notes: Xinbo Wang wasn’t the only CLB pitcher with multiple no-hitters in 1992. Jinan’s Teng Wu also pulled off the accolade, striking out nine with one walk on 4/17 against Xi’an and fanning 13 with two walks versus Hangzhou on 8/14. Second-year Wuhan ace Martin Cui struck out 409 batters, setting a CLB single season record that still holds as of 2037. Cui also had 9.8 WAR and a 20-12 record with a 2.04 ERA, but somehow didn’t place in the top three for POTY voting. Mingqi Dai became the 10^th to reach 1000 runs scored and the 10^th to 2000 hits. 1B Guangjun Ma won his seventh Gold Glove. Wei Qin won his eighth Silver Slugger, having won six as a pitcher and two at first base. Shichao Zhang won his eighth, taking it at first base for the first time (the other seven were in right field).

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 02-05-2024, 04:34 AM

1992 in APB

Defending Austronesia Champion Cebu took the Philippine League title for the fourth time in five years and had the best record in the Taiwan-Philippine Association. The Crows only barely took the top spot at 90-72, beating out Zamboanga by one game. The Taiwan League was also decided by one game with Kaohsiung on top at 88-74. The Steelheads secured their first playoff berth since their mid 1970s dynasty. Taipei was one back at 87-75, snapping their postseason streak at four seasons. Tainan was also in the hunt at 85-77.

Leading Kaohsiung’s resurgence was TPA MVP Min-Yi Lu. The 29-year old RF led with 43 home runs and added 90 RBI, a .226/.311/.500 slash, and 7.2 WAR. Cebu’s Ricky Jungao won his second Pitcher of the Year, narrowly beating teammate Alex Clavijo for the award. The 29-year old Jungao led in strikeouts (407), wins (18-9), innings (310), complete games (21), and shutouts (5). He added a 1.71 ERA and 12.2 WAR. Clavijo narrowly beat him for WAR (12.5) and ERA (1.51).

The Sundaland Association saw a switch in 1992 in the top spots. After missing the postseason the prior two seasons, Jakarta was back atop the Java League at 98-64. Defending JL champ Surabaya was second at 92-70. In the Malacca League, Pekanbaru took first at 87-75 and ended a five-year playoff drought. Defending SA champ Batam was tied for second with Medan at 80-82.

Although the Blue Raiders dropped out of the top spot, LF Nerius Senaen won his second Sundaland Association MVP. The 26-year old fourth year left led the SA in doubles (36), walks (75), total bases (309), OBP (.398), slugging (.543), OPS (.942), wRC+ (222), and WAR (9.5). Jakarta veteran ace Hadi Ningsih became a three-time Pitcher of the Year winner, having also taken the top prize in 1987 and 1989. The 35-year old left led in wins at 18-6, ERA (1.28), WHIP (0.70), K/BB (20.6), and FIP- (30). Ningsih added 329 strikeouts over 232.2 innings with 10.9 WAR.

In the Taiwan-Philippine Association Championship, Cebu topped Kaohsiung 4-2 to give the Crows their third consecutive pennant. In the Sundaland Association final, Jakarta rolled 4-1 against Pekanbaru. For the Jaguars, it was their record seventh pennant and first since 1986.

In the 28^th Austronesia Championship, Jakarta cruised to a 4-1 victory over defending champ Cebu. The Jaguars now have four overall titles (1969, 70, 85, 92), which ties them for the most along with Kaohsiung. Pitcher Rafit Arifin was finals MVP, proving to be a quality acquisition as Jakarta got him in an offseason trade with Tainan. In four playoff starts, Arifin had a 0.50 ERA with only two runs allowed over 36.1 innings, striking out 43 with two walks and a 3-0 record. One of those starts was a no-hitter in the final against Cebu with 11 strikeouts and one walk. This was not the first APB playoff no-hitter, but it was the first-ever finals no-hitter. It was the highlight for the 29-year old Arifin, whose Hall of Fame trajectory would be derailed by two torn labrums in the next four years, forcing his retirement at age 33.

Other notes: Pitcher Poh Tan received two major milestones, becoming the third to reach 4500 strikeouts and the second to 250 wins. It would be his final season with his 259 wins second to Dave Hermillo, who also retired in 1992 at 269. As of 2037, they are fourth and fifth in wins. Tan’s 4693 Ks placed him third behind Heromillo (4785) and Vhon Lasam (5365). Tan would also finish with 230 losses and 3632 hits allowed, both of which are the most as of 2037. Chang-Rong Chang became the eighth batter to 400 home runs. 3B Mahyadi Muhammad won his seventh Gold Glove.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 02-05-2024, 12:44 PM

1992 in OBA

Christchurch ended atop the Australasia League standings for their fourth pennant in the last decade and first since 1998. The Chinooks finished at 98-64, besting Gold Coast at 96-66. Defending Oceania Champion Brisbane dropped to 85-77, putting them fourth place one game behind Melbourne.

Australasia League MVP and Pitcher of the Year both went to Christchurch players. DH Beres “Badger” Melrose won MVP as the 26-year old led the LA in runs (113), home runs (43), RBI (120), total bases (381), OBP (.363), OPS (.958), and wRC+ (190). Melrose added 8.5 WAR and had a .320 average. Owen Allardyce was the Pitcher of the Year with the 25-year old righty leading in ERA at 2.18. He had a 17-9 record and 12 saves in a split starter/relief role, posting 190.1 innings with 201 strikeouts and 4.5 WAR.

Guam and Honolulu had an intense battle for the top spot in the Pacific League. The Golden Eagles earned repeat PL titles at 112-50, tying their own record from 1979 for most wins in a season by an OBA team. Honolulu’s 108-54 would be a lock almost any year for the title, but the Honu had to settle for second again. It was the 13th consecutive winning season for Honolulu.

Honu slugger Vavao Brighouse won his fourth Pacific League MVP. The 29-year old Samoan led in runs (103), home runs (65), RBI (139), total bases (396), slugging (.667), OPS (1.017), wRC+ (210), and WAR (8.8). Brighouse tied the single-season RBI record set three years earlier by Neville Ryan and had the second most homers in a season behind his own nice 69 in 1988. It was also impressively his fourth season with 60+ dingers. Guam’s Corbin Acupan took Pitcher of the Year with a 23-8 record over 326.2 innings, 2.20 ERA, 306 strikeouts, and 7.2 WAR.

In the 33rd Oceania Championship, Guam was the heavy favorite over Christchurch in a rematch of the 1980 final. It ended up being a seven game thriller with game seven needing 11 innings. The Golden Eagles won 4-3 in the finale to take the series 4-3 and earn their third title (1979, 1980). 1B Benito Hower was series MVP going 9-22 with 2 doubles, 1 triple, and 2 RBI. For the Chinooks, they’ve made it to the final five times since 1980, but are 0-5 in those appearances.

Other notes: Tahiti’s Quentin Basa hit three milestones in the same season, getting to 2000 hits, 400 home runs, and 1000 RBI. Theo Evans won his ninth and final Gold Glove. His 1992 win was at second base, his second at 2B, while the other seven were at shortstop.

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

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