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

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1994 World Baseball Championship

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The 1994 World Baseball Championship was the 48^th edition of the event and the first to be hosting in the Ivory Coast, centered around the largest city Abidjan. Taiwan took Division 1 at 8-1 with the closest competitor 6-3 Serbia. It is the fourth division title for the Taiwanese and second in three years. The United States won D2 at 8-1, although 7-2 Vietnam came close to its first-ever title. For the 40^th time, the Americans advanced to the elite eight.

Both Division 3 and Division 4 had three-way ties at 6-3. D3 saw China, Australia, and Greece in the top spot while Argentina, Poland, and Portugal were all one back. The tiebreaker went to the defending world champion China, giving the Chinese a fourth consecutive division title and 17^th overall. In D4, it was the Dominican Republic, Belarus, and Pakistan each tied for first, while one back were Ecuador and Turkey. The Dominicans advanced on the tiebreaker for what was surprisingly only their third-ever time advancing (1948, 1974).

In Division 5, 7-2 Russia edged 6-3 efforts from last year’s runner-up India and Iran. The Russians have advanced 12 times with their first division win since their 1990 runner-up campaign. In Division 6, Mexico prevailed at 8-1, two better than both Cuba and France. It is back-to-back division titles for the Mexicans and their 20^th overall. Canada, who had made the final four five times in the last decade, limited to an unremarkable 4-5.

In a tough Division 7, South Korea (7-2) won despite 6-3 efforts from Germany and Nigeria, plus four others at 5-4. It was the Koreans’ first division win since 1989 and their 16^th overall. And in D8, Indonesia led the way at 7-2, one ahead of both Hungary and Peru. It was a repeat title for the Indonesians and their 11^th overall. 1994 was notable as the first time without an undefeated team in divisional play since 1986.

In Round Robin Group A, China finished first at 5-1 for a third successive semifinal berth and the 12^th overall. 3-3 Taiwan was the other team to advance, while both Indonesia and Russia finished 2-4. It is the fourth semifinal appearance for the Taiwanese and second in three years. Group B had the USA on top at 5-1, while the Dominican Republic was second at 3-3 and both South Korea and Mexico were 2-4. It is the 35^th time in the final four for the Americans, while it is only the second for the Dominicans (1948).

In the semifinals, the United States cruised to a 3-0 sweep of Taiwan for a 31^st finals appearance. Defending world champ China survived a fierce challenge 3-2 from the Dominican Republic. The Chinese earned a seventh finals berth. The DR officially was third and Taiwan was fourth. This was the best-ever finish for the Dominicans.



The 48^th World Championship was the fourth time that the United States and China had met. They battled thrice in the 1970s with the Americans winning each time. However, the Chinese claimed the 1994 edition 4-2 to become the fourth nation to repeat as champs; joining the US, Mexico, and Brazil. It was the fourth title for China, who is now 4-3 all-time in the championship. The Americans have a 27-4 record in their finals appearances.



Although they were runner-up, the US had the Tournament MVP and Best Pitcher. Monty Moody was MVP, a fourth-year RF for Boston. In 24 starts, he had 32 hits, 20 runs, 12 doubles, 7 home runs, 20 RBI, 20 walks, a .376/.500/.788 slash and 2.6 WAR. Moody’s Red Sox teammate Elijah Porter was Best Pitcher. A fourth-year reliever, he had 10 appearances and one start, posting a 0.47 ERA over 19.1 innings with a 4-0 record, 5 saves, 38 strikeouts, 4 hits allowed, and 1.1 WAR.

Other notes: There were two no-hitters in 1994, both on January 18. England’s Dirk Hughes had 15 strikeouts and one walk in his against Germany. Meanwhile, the Philippines’ Ricky Jungao fanned 15 with three walks versus Ireland. Looking at the overall stats for WBC history, China’s title has put them within striking distance of passing Mexico for the fourth most total points.

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1994 in ALB

Arab League Baseball made some rule tweaks before the 1994 season. The offensive numbers in the first four seasons had been in the below average to low range. Officials wanted to boost that to closer to average tallied. From 1993 to 1994, the league’s batting average went from .230 to .245 and the ERA went from around 3.32 to around 3.72.



Defending Western Conference champion Casablanca set a conference record with a 111-51 mark, winning a fourth Mediterranean Division title in five years. The Bruins pitching staff allowed 1127 hits and 474 runs, which are still conference records as of 2037. In the Nile Division, Alexandria broke Cairo’s grip on the top spot. The Astronauts took it at 93-69, while the Pharaohs finished 90-72 and had their four-year streak snapped. 87-75 Khartoum was also in the fight for most of the season. In the Levant Division, Beirut earned repeat titles with an 85-77 record. Amman was their closest foe at six games back.

Western Conference MVP went to Cairo center fielder Sahar Ahmdai. The 27-year old Afghan signed an eight-year, $9,740,000 deal with the Pharaohs in the offseason after playing his first seven seasons in the ABF with Mashhad. In his ALB debut, he led in runs (106), RBI (128), total bases (392), slugging (.648), OPS (.981), wRC+ (170), and WAR (8.3); while adding 54 home runs. Pitcher of the Year was Khartoum’s Mohamed Wael. The 24-year old Egyptian lefty led in wins (21-4), strikeouts (338), and WAR (10.5). Wael added a 1.83 ERA over 235.2 innings.

In the first round of the playoffs, Alexandria edged Beirut 2-1. It was the first Western Conference Finals berth for the Astronauts, while Casablanca was entering their fourth in five years. The Bruins prevailed 3-1 in the WCF to secure repeat pennants.



Two-time defending Arab League champs Medina again had the top record in the Eastern Conference. At 111-51, the Mastodons took the Saudi Division for the fifth consecutive season and are the only team to make the playoffs in all of ALB’s seasons to date. Basra secured repeat Iraq Division titles at 96-66. The Bulldogs were eight games ahead of Baghdad and nine better than Sulaymaniya. In the Gulf Division, Dubai (86-76) edged defending champ Abu Dhabi (84-78). The Diamonds have three division crowns in four years.

Eastern Conference MVP went to Medina 1B Bilal Hamdan for the second time in three years. The 33-year old Lebanese lefty led in runs (115), home runs (53), walks (74), total bases (359), slugging (.615), OPS (.981), wRC+ (176), and WAR 8.2). Hamdan also won his second Gold Glove. It would be his last year with the Mastodons, as he’d sign a five-year, $8 million dollar deal with Casablanca in the offseason. Basra’s Abdullah Al-Muhafazat got his second Pitcher of the Year in three years as well. The 33-year old Saudi lefty led in wins (19-13), innings (270), strikeouts (399), quality starts (27), and WAR (9.5), while adding a 2.67 ERA.

Basra bested Dubai 2-1 in the first round of the playoffs to set up an Eastern Conference Finals rematch between the Bulldogs and Medina. The Mastodons continued their dominance by taking the series 3-1, becoming the first ALB team to three-peat as conference champs.



Medina also wanted to be the first to win the Arab League Championship in three consecutive years. It was a highly anticipated rematch with Casablanca as both teams entered with 111-51 records. The Bruins would get their revenge and deny the three-peat, taking the series 4-1. 1B Karam Hashim was the postseason hero, winning WCF MVP and finals MVP. The 29-year old Yemeni had been acquired in a spring training trade with Jerusalem. In nine playoff starts, Hashim had 14 hits, 5 runs, 5 doubles 3 home runs, and 12 RBI.



Other notes; On August 24, Baghdad’s Ahmed Daham Maslamah pitched ALB’s first-ever perfect game. He struck out 11 in the effort against Mosul. He was also the first ALB pitcher to have thrown multiple no-hitters, having done that in 1991. MVP Bilal Hamdan won his fifth Silver Slugger with two at first base and three in left field. He’s the only player to win the award in each of ALB’s first five seasons.

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1994 in ABF



Defending Asian Baseball Federation champ Multan finished first in the Pakistan League standings for back-to-back seasons. The Mighty Cocks ran away from the competition at 98-64, 14 games better than second place. It was a tight race for the other playoff spot, as Hyderabad and Lahore tied at 83-79 and Peshawar was 82-80. The tiebreaker game saw the Horned Frogs best the Longhorns, ending a five-year playoff drought for Hyderabad. Falling one short, the Predators had their five-year playoff streak snapped.

Karachi’s Rizwan Qureshi took Pakistan League MVP and had the second Triple Crown season by an ABF batter. He led the league in runs (98), hits (197), doubles (47), home runs (51), RBI (109), total bases (401), triple slash (.349/.412/.710), OPS (1.122), wRC+ (296), and WAR (13.2). Peshawar’s Sa’id Farahani won repeat Pitcher of the Year honors. The 26-year old Iranian righty struck out 471 batters, which still stands as the ABF single-season record as of 2037. He also led in innings (283), K/BB (8.4), quality starts (29), complete games (15), FIP- (45), and WAR (11.8); while posting an 18-8 record and 1.78 ERA. Farahani would pitch one more year with the Predators, then leave for MLB and Atlanta.



Ankara had the best record in the West Asia Association at 103-59. This gave them only their second-ever Turkish League title (1987). Defending TL winner Izmir was a distant second at 86-76. After narrowly missing the playoffs last year, Mashhad was back atop the Persian League at 97-65. It was the fourth PL win for the Mercury in five years. Tabriz was 11 back in second at 86-76, while defending WAA champ Tehran limped to a 76-86 campaign.

Izmir 1B Gokhan Karatas won a third straight West Asia Association MVP. The 25-year old Turkish lefty led in runs (123), hits (212), doubles (50), RBI (142), total bases (411), OBP (.448), slugging (.704), OPS (1.152), wRC+ (215), and WAR (12.6). He would have two more seasons with the Ice Caps before heading off to MLB for the big payday. Pitcher of the Year was Ankara’s Ertugrul Ornek. He led in wins (22-9), ERA (2.47), and complete games (16). Ornek added 269 strikeouts over 248 innings and 5.2 WAR.

The Pakistan League Championship needed all seven games with the home team winning each time. That favored Multan over Hyderabad, making the Mighty Cocks repeat champs. In the West Asia Association Championship, Mashhad upset Ankara 4-2. For the Mercury, this earned a third pennant in five years.



In the 10th ABF Championship, Mashhad defeated Multan 4-2 to give the Mercury their second ring (1990) and deny the Mighty Cocks’ repeat bid. RF Hamza Muhtar won finals MVP, as he had 14 hits, 8 runs, 3 home runs, and 6 RBI over 12 playoff starts.



Other notes: ABF’s third perfect game came on July 4 from Adana’s Vedat Unal, who struck out nine against Bursa. Catcher Erhan Buyukdemir won his seventh Silver Slugger.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1994 in SAB

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For the fourth consecutive season, the Indian League had the same four playoff teams. Ahmedabad reclaimed the top record with a 116-46 mark atop the Western Division to earn a SAB-record tenth straight playoff appearance. Visakhapatnam finished 100-62 to secure a sixth successive South Division title. In the Central Division, defending IL champ and last year’s wild card Kanpur took first at 86-76 for a fifth straight playoff spot. Delhi, who won 111 games last year, was one back at 85-77. That was enough for the Drillers to narrowly take the wild card for a fourth straight berth. Bengaluru was one back on the wild card and Kolkata was four away.

Indian League MVP was Visakhapatnam 1B Sunil Lamichhane in his first full-time season as a starter. The 24-year old Nepali lefty led in the triple slash (.350/.392/.621), OPS (1.013), wRC+ (239), and WAR (10.3). Lamichhane added 39 home runs and 86 RBI. Janapati Sara became a three-time IL Pitcher of the Year winner. The 31-year old left Surat after the 1992 season and sat out 1993 before signing with Ahmedabad for 1994. Sara led in ERA (1.95) and FIP- (45). He added a 13-5 record with 17 saves over 198.2 innings, 310 strikeouts, and 7.9 WAR.

Ahmedabad outlasted Delhi 3-2 in the first round of the playoffs to send the Animals to their ninth consecutive Indian League Championship Series. Kanpur upset Visakhapatnam 3-1 to set up an ILCS rematch between Ahmedabad and the Poison. The Animals got revenge in six games over Kanpur to reestablish the Ahmedabad dynasty. Since 1986, the Animals have claimed seven IL pennants.





Ho Chi Minh City picked up a playoff spot for the 11^th time in 12 years. The Hedgehogs won the South Division for the sixth consecutive season and their fifth 100+ win year in a row. HCMC’s 112-50 was lower than their record-setting 126 wins in 1993, but was their second-best year ever. Both wild cards came from the South Division with Kuala Lumpur (99-63) and Bangkok (93-69). The Leopards earned a third straight wild card, while the Bobcats snapped a five-year playoff drought. After missing last year, Dhaka reclaimed the North Division title at 96-66. It was their third division win in four years. Last year’s winner Hanoi was 91-71, five games short of the division title and two away from the second wild card.

Kuala Lumpur’s Bunnath Soeung won the Southeast Asia League MVP. The 25-year old Cambodian DH led in hits (197), RBI (154), total bases (410), slugging (.651), OPS (1.019), and wRC+ (180). The 154 RBI tied the SAB single-season RBI record set in 1988 by Dhavalapaksa Dattatreya. The home run record came close to falling with Chittagong’s Pranaav Bhat smacking 65 dingers. This was two behind Andee Siddharth’s 67 in 1987.

Zainal bin Aziz continued his quest to be the greatest pitcher in SEAL history. The 34-year old lefty for Ho Chi Minh City won a historic seventh Pitcher of the Year award and his third consecutive. He was two wins short of his fourth Triple Crown with a 21-3 record, 1.64 ERA, and 376 strikeouts over 241.1 innings. The 0.72 WHIP and 13.1 WAR were career bests for bin Aziz, who also led the league in K/BB (13.4), and FIP- (30). The 13.1 WAR was also a single-season SAB record which only he himself would top. The Hedgehogs also set a SAB team strikeout record with 1947 as a pitching staff.

Ho Chi Minh City downed Bangkok 3-1 in the first round of the playoffs, while Dhaka edged Kuala Lumpur. The Hedgehogs earned a seventh Southeast Asia League Championship Series berth in eight years, while the Dobermans got their second in four years. HCMC was determined to not suffer the same disappointment as the prior year and took the pennant in a seven game thriller with Dhaka. The Hedgehogs now have five SEAL titles in in eight years.



The 15^th South Asian Championship was the fifth chapter in the finals rivalry between Ahmedabad and Ho Chi Minh City. They had met in 1987, 89, 90, and 92 with the Animals winning all four meetings. Ahmedabad did it once again, topping the Hedgehogs 4-2. The historic dynasty restarted for the Animals with their seventh SAB title in nine years. They’re only the second team in any world league to win seven in nine years, joining OBA’s Honolulu and their 1982-90 run.



Finals MVP was slugger Andee Siddharth as the 32-year old lefty had 17 hits, 9 runs, 7 doubles, 4 home runs, and 12 RBI in 17 playoff starts. Two playoff records were also set in 1994 from the Pitcher of the Year winners. Ahmedabad’s Janapati Sara had a record five wins with a 5-0 record, 2.86 ERA, and 43 strikeouts over 28.1 innings. It was Zainal bin Aziz setting a playoff WAR record with 1.98. The HCMC ace was 3-1 over 40.1 innings with a 0.89 ERA and 56 strikeouts.

Other notes: Zainal bin Aziz also had SAB’s second-ever perfect game, striking out 14 on April 8 against Mandalay. He also became the first SAB pitcher to 200 career wins. Andee Siddharth became the third batter to 500 career home runs. 2B VJ Williams won his 12^th Silver Slugger.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1994 in WAB

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Two-time defending WAB Western League champ Abidjan dominated the standings in 1994 at 107-55, taking first by 16 games. This gave the Athletes three straight first place finishes and nine first places over WAB’s first 20 seasons. Dakar finished second at 91-71 for a fifth consecutive playoff berth. In the battle for the third place spot, Nouakchott (85-77) edged Freetown by one game and Cape Verde by four. The Night Riders picked up their first playoff berth since their 1984 championship season.

Western League MVP went to Abidjan’s Germain Tchouga, who set a single-season WAB record with 136 runs scored. The 30-year old Cameroonian left fielder also led the league in home runs (60), RBI (139), total bases (437), and WAR (8.9) while adding a .329/.376/.688 slash. Dakar’s Ousseynou Darboe won Pitcher of the Year, becoming the third WAB pitcher to win the award four times. The 28-year old Gambian lefty led in ERA (2.07), strikeouts (317), WHIP (0.87), quality starts (26), FIP- (68), and WAR (7.2). He added an 18-4 record over 238.2 innings.

Dakar topped Nouakchott 2-1 in the wild card, sending the Dukes to the Western League Championship Series for the fifth consecutive year. For the fifth straight time, Dakar was defeated in the WLCS. Abidjan swept them in the best-of-five series to earn a third WL pennant in a row.



Lagos took the top spot in the Eastern League convincingly at 106-56. The Lizards earned a fourth successive playoff berth with their eight playoff berth in the last decade. Defending WAB champ Ibadan and Port Harcourt both finished 93-69 to get the wild card spots with the Hillcats taking second on the tiebreaker. Both extended impressive playoff streaks with PH getting a sixth straight and the Iguanas making it five in-a-row. Kano (88-74) and Ouagadougou (85-77) were both in the mix, but came up short.

Eastern League MVP went to budding star Darwin Morris of Kano. The 22-year old shortstop from Liberia got the first major award in what would become maybe the most decorated career in WAB history. In 1994, Morris led the league in runs (120), stolen bases (66), OBP (.408), OPS (1.043), wRC+ (191), and WAR (11.5). Morris added 38 home runs and a .318 average. Lagos pitcher Messan Atte earned a second Pitcher of the Year with the Togolese 31-year old leading in wins (16-4), ERA (2.51), WHIP (0.92), and FIP- (59). Atte added 282 strikeouts in 190 innings with 6.3 WAR.

Ibadan rolled in two games over Port Harcourt in the wild card round, giving the Iguanas a third consecutive Eastern League Championship Series appearance. For Lagos, it was their third in four years, setting up a rematch of the 1992 final which the Lizards won. In the 1994 edition, Ibadan earned an impressive 3-2 road upset over Lagos, securing repeat pennants.



The 20^th West African Championship was a rematch of the prior season, which had Ibadan prevail over Abidjan in 1993. In 1994, the Athletes got their revenge by taking the title in six games. Abidjan is now 2-5 all-time in the championship with their other championship back in 1982. League MVP Germain Tchouga was also finals MVP, posting 14 hits, 7 runs, 3 home runs, and 9 RBI over 9 playoff starts.



Other notes: Tchouga and Tim Ngwenya both hit 60 home runs, falling two short of WAB’s single-season record. Ibadan’s Matias Flores struck out 21 in a game against Benin City, tied for the second-most in a WAB game. Lagos’ Howard Pearman had a 30-game hit streak, two shy of WAB’s longest streak to date. Daouda Kadri and Abel Alemu became the fourth and fifth batters to 1000 RBI.

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1994 in CLB



Xi’an surprised many in Chinese League Baseball by finishing atop the Northern League in 1994 at 105-57. It was their first playoff berth since 1979, led by a pitching staff that set a CLB record with 1835 strikeouts. This is still the most Ks in a CLB season as of 2037. It was also the first time since 1988 that Dalian wasn’t atop the NL standings. The three-time defending China Series champs did still extend their postseason streak to six seasons, finishing second at 97-65. Harbin was the closest competitor at five games back.

The Hellcats had the Northern League MVP in 1B Xiaoyu Su. The 29-year old righty led in runs (93), RBI (93), total bases (324), stolen bases (83), and WAR (11.3). Su added 33 home runs and a .295 average. Dalian’s Jiancheng Jiao picked up Pitcher of the Year. The 31-year old led in ERA (1.70) while adding a 16-7 record over 227 innings, 252 strikeouts, and 5.3 WAR. Also of note, Hangzhou closer Zhiming Cao won his fourth Reliever of the Year. He had an impressive 0.87 ERA in 92.2 innings with 39 saves, 179 strikeouts, and 6.4 WAR.



In the Southern League, Macau finished first at 105-57. This gave the Magicians a sixth playoff berth in seven years. Xiamen secured a third consecutive playoff berth with a second place finish at 96-66. Chengdu (95-67) was one game short of snapping a seven-year playoff skid. Wuhan, who was the China Series runner-up last year, dropped to fifth at 83-79.

Xiamen 1B Dehai Tai won Southern League MVP, leading the league in home runs (45), RBI (104), and total bases (320). Tai added 8.4 WAR and 202 wRC+. The Mutts also had Pitcher of the Year Guangjun Ma, who led in WHIP at 0.72. He had an 18-7 record and 12 saves over 238.1 innings with a 1.77 ERA and 6.8 WAR.

The semifinal playoff series saw the two Northern League teams prevail over their Southern League counterparts. Xi’an topped Xiamen 4-2, sending the Attack to their third-ever China Series (1974, 76). Dalian went on the road and easily dispatched Macau 4-1 to give the Gold Dragons a record sixth consecutive finals berth.



The 25th China Series was a seven game classic. Dalian had to go on the road against their divisional foe Xi’an, but the Gold Dragons continued the dynasty and won it 4-3. Dalian became the first (and as of 2037, the only) CLB team to four-peat as champs. It was also the fifth title in six years for the Gold Dragons, putting them in rare territory in any world league. 3B Dexin Weng was finals MVP as the 31-year old had 12 hits, 5 runs, 2 doubles, 2 home runs, and 5 RBI in 12 playoff starts. This would mark the end of Dalian’s dynasty, but it still holds up as the most impressive sustained run in Chinese baseball history.



Other notes: Lisheng Yang of Xi’an set a single-game CLB record, striking out 21 batters over 9.2 innings against Beijing. 1B/P Wei Qin won his tenth Silver Slugger. 2B Liang Shang Guan won his eighth Silver Slugger.

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1994 in APB

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For the first time since their repeat APB titles in 1982-83, Taoyuan was atop the Taiwan League. The Tsunami finished 100-62 to also post the best record in the Taiwan-Philippine Association. Taichung was the closest competitor at 96-66, while defending TPA champ Taipei fell to 83-79. Davao was a repeat Philippine League winner with a 95-67 mark. The Devil Rays finished seven games ahead of Cebu.

Claiming Association MVP was Davao designated hitter Austin Calmet. The 31-year old Filipino righty joined the Devil Rays in 1994 in a trade after spending a decade with Quezon. Calmet led in OBP (.374) and OPS (.886) while adding 6.4 WAR and a .315 average. Cebu’s Ricky Jungao became a three-time Pitcher of the Year winner. The 31-year old lefty led in WAR (11.2), FIP- (41), and strikeouts (384). Jungao added a 2.03 ERA over 261.1 innings with a 16-10 record.



Batam was the Malacca League’s best for the fourth time in five years. The 103-59 Blue Raiders also had the Sundaland Association’s best record by a large margin. In a competitive Java League, Bandung earned its first playoff berth since 1981. The Blackhawks were 91-71, edging two-time defending APB champ Jakarta by two games.

Blue Raiders LF Nerius Senaen won his fourth Sundaland Association MVP in five years. He remarkably earned the honor with only 108 games played as a herniated disc and a fractured hand cost him more than two months. Still, Senaen managed to post 8.5 WAR with a .313/.387/.606 slash and 258 wRC+ with 26 home runs. He also won his second Gold Glove and became the fifth APB hitter to pick up six hits in a single game. His Batam teammate Wisnu Mahmudiana earned repeat Pitcher of the Year honors. He was two ERA points shy of a Triple Crown with a 20-4 record, 1.36 ERA, and 398 strikeouts over 258 innings. Mahmudiana also was the leader in WHIP (0.66), K/BB (13.3), and WAR (11.2). His crowning moment was throwing APB’s 20^th Perfect Game on August 14 against Depok with 16 strikeouts in the effort.

In the Taiwan-Philippine Association Championship, Taoyuan topped Davao 4-2. This gave the Tsunami their fifth pennant (1971, 78, 82, 83, 94). Despite having home field, Batam was swept by Bandung in the Sundaland Association Championship. It is only the second pennant for the Blackhawks, who won it all back in 1967.



The home field advantage rotation belonged to the Sundaland Association in 1994. This helped Bandung prevail over Taoyuan in the 30^th Austronesia Championship, as the home team won every game of a seven-game battle. Leading the Blackhawks to their second title was CF Ansar Salim, who won both APB finals and Association finals MVP. The 32-year old Salim had joined Bandung on a four-year, $4,960,000 free agent deal after spending his first decade with Singapore. In 11 playoff starts, Salim had 17 hits, 7 runs, 2 doubles, 2 home runs, and 7 RBI.



Other notes: Hadi Ningsih became the second APB pitcher to 4000 career strikeouts. Chang-Rong Chang became the eighth batter to 1000 runs scored. Wei-Shan Tsai became the 14^th member of the 2000 hit club. Akbar Fatchurohman won his eighth consecutive Gold Glove at first base. Tai-Chi Chu won his seventh Gold Glove and his first at second base, as he won the other six at first base. CF Fransisco Hartati won his seventh Silver Slugger.

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1994 in OBA

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Defending Oceania Champion Perth repeated as Australasia League champs in 1994. The Penguins improved to 97-65 and set an AL record as a pitching staff with 1748 strikeouts. This was the top mark in AL history until 2034. Perth led in both runs scored (640) and fewest allowed (505). Their closest competitors were Melbourne at seven back and Christchurch at nine back.

Australasia League MVP went to Christchurch DH Beres “Badger” Melrose. It was the second MVP for the 28-year old Australian righty, who led in hits (204), average (.336), OBP (.393), OPS (.941), and wRC+ (182) while adding 8.2 WAR and 31 home runs. Melrose had one more season with the Chinooks before leaving for the MLB ranks. Perth picked up Pitcher of the Year with fourth-year righty Joseph Kaplan. The 26-year old Israeli led in strikeouts (423), WHIP (0.95), walks (99), and quality starts (31). He added a 2.36 ERA over 312.2 innings with a 20-8 record and 7.1 WAR. Kaplan also tossed the second no-hitter of his career with 12 Ks and 2 BBs on July 8 over Brisbane.



Yet again in the Pacific League, it was Guam and Honolulu fighting for first. After finishing second last year, the Golden Eagles finished 96-66 to secure their third pennant in four years. The Honu and Guadalcanal tied for second with both at 92-70. It was the winningest season the Green Jackets had posted since their 1966 title.

Pacific League MVP was Guadalcanal right fielder Will Lee. A native of the Northern Mariana Islands, the 26-year old led the PL in runs (111), walks (66), average (.306), OBP (.380), OPS (.969), wRC+ (203), and WAR (9.2). Tahiti’s Kurt Sanders won Pitcher of the Year in his third season. The 24-year old Australian lefty led in WAR (8.3), innings (328.1), quality starts (32), complete games (21), and FIP- (76). Sanders added 367 strikeouts, a 2.19 ERA, and 21-11 record.



In the 35^th Oceania Championship, Perth rolled to a 4-1 win over Guam to earn a repeat championship. The Penguins are the fourth OBA franchise to repeat and also picked up their fourth title (1960, 78, 93, 94). 2B Henry Lunness was finals MVP in an impressive return from a partially torn UCL in May. After signing a six-year, $7,400,000 free agent deal with the Penguins, Lunness only had 40 games in 1994. In his five playoff games though, he was 9-20 with 2 runs and 2 stolen bases.



Other notes; Slugger Vavao Brighouse had 61 home runs, giving him five seasons with 60+ dingers. He also became the fourth member of the 500 homer club in OBA and the 18^th to reach 1000 career RBI.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1994 in EPB



Defending European League champ Warsaw and Kyiv were again their division’s leaders. The Kings this time had the top overall record at 103-59, earning a fourth consecutive South Division. The Wildcats finished 102-60 to repeat as North Division winners and extend their playoff streak to seven seasons. Minsk’s EPB-record playoff streak increased to 14 seasons as they took the first wild card at 98-64. Kazan at 96-66 secured the second wild card, topping Bucharest by three games and Kharkiv by six. The Crusaders snapped a six-year playoff drought.

Warsaw’s Mahammad Tagiyev won his second European League MVP. The 31-year old Ukrainian left fielder won his fifth Gold Glove and won the batting title at .311. Tagiyev also had 8.8 WAR, a .912 OPS, and 31 home runs. Kyiv’s Artem Makarevich earned repeat Pitcher of the Year honors and a was only a few strikeouts shy of a Triple Crown with 392 Ks, a 24-5 record, and 1.56 ERA The 31-year old Belarusian lefty also led the EL in WHIP (0.73), K/BB (10.6), quality starts (33), FIP- (42), and WAR (12.5).

The division champs prevailed in the first round of the playoffs as Kyiv swept Kazan and Warsaw topped Minsk 3-1. The Wildcats earned a third consecutive appearance in the European League Championship Series, while it was the third in four years for the Kings. Like their battle two years prior, the ELCS went all seven games. Unlike the 1992 edition, Warsaw came out on top and earned repeat pennants.



Defending EPB champ and two-time defending Asian League champ Irkutsk improved their record to a franchise-best 109-53 atop the North Division. Almaty at 97-65 assumed the South Division for their fourth straight playoff berth and third division title in that stretch. Four teams fought over the two wild card spots with Bishkek (92-70) and Novosibirsk (91-71) advancing while Tashkent and Tbilisi were both one short at 90-72. The Nitros extended their playoff streak to four years with six appearances in seven seasons. The Black Sox ended a three-year postseason drought.

American right fielder Jonas Swiatkowski was the Asian League MVP. The 34-year old was in his third year with Bishkek after having a decade as a decent starter in MLB primarily with Boston. Swiatkowski led the league in walks drawn (68), OBP (.366), OPS (.986), and wRC+ (184). He added 7.2 WAR and 35 home runs. Tashkent’s Frantisek Kasa was Pitcher of the Year in only his second full season. The 23-year old Czech lefty led in ERA (1.59), FIP- (42) and WAR (11.8). He added 390 strikeouts over 266.2 innings with a 19-4 record; only one win and 20 Ks from a Triple Crown.

Irkutsk ousted Novosibirsk 3-1 in the first round, while Bishkek upset Almaty with a road sweep. The Ice Cats earned a chance to three-peat as Asian League champs, while the Black Sox got back to the ALCS for the first time since their impressive run of eight berths from 1980-90. Irkutsk was the heavy favorite, but Bishkek stunned them and earned the upset 4-2. It was the ninth pennant for the Black Sox, the most of any AL team.



With the 40th Eurasian Professional Baseball Championship, the title came to Poland for the first time. Warsaw beat Bishkek 4-2 to get their first title, dropping the Black Sox to 2-7 all-time in the championship. Although Bishkek lost, Jonas Swiatkowski was finals MVP with 17 hits, 9 runs, 6 home runs, and 14 RBI over 15 playoff starts. With the Wildcats’ win, 17 of EPB’s 32 teams have taken the title.



Other notes: Irkutsk’s Orel Mastinsky had a 22 strikeout game against Dushanbe on April 12. This tied Arutyun Lezjov’s single-game record from 1962, but notably Mastinsky’s came in nine innings compared to the 11.1 needed by Lezjov. Dushanbe’s Micah Hewitt became the eighth EPB batter to hit four home runs in a game. Both Igor Bury and Pavel Bely reached 4500 career strikeouts, making it 10 EPB pitchers to hit that mark. Bely also became the seventh pitcher to 250 wins. CF Jose Rodriguez won his seventh Gold Glove.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1994 in EBF

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Birmingham, winners of the Northern Conference crown twice in the prior three seasons, set a franchise record in 1994 at 110-52. The Bees had the best record in the EBF and earned a fourth consecutive British Isles Division. After missing the playoffs in four straight years, Amsterdam returned to the top spot in the Northwest Division at 100-62. The division had the wild card battle with Brussels (92-70) besting Rotterdam (88-74). The Beavers ended a two-year drought, while the Ravens’ missed the postseason for only the second time in a decade and saw a four-year streak stopped. At 91-71, Hamburg won the North Central Division for the first time since their 1990 pennant. Stockholm (84-78) and Copenhagen (83-79) were the closest competition, while Berlin’s playoff streak ended at three years as they fell below .500.

Copenhagen 1B Mattias Stole had an incredible sophomore season, winning Northern Conference MVP and setting world records along the way. The 24-year old Norwegian lefty had EBF’s fourth Triple Crown for a hitter with a staggering 75 home runs, 183 RBI, and .376 average. Within EBF, this beat Sean Houston’s record-setting 1984 efforts of 72 home runs and 167 RBI. This also set a world record for RBI and was one short of Valor Melo’s 76 home run mark in BSA. Stole’s 183 RBI is still the EBF record as of 2037 and was the world record until 2003. His 75 homers remains third as of 2037. Stole also led the conference in runs (136), hits (239), total bases (503), OBP (.418), slugging (.791), OPS (1.209), wRC+ (223), and WAR (10.8).

Meanwhile, Birmingham’s Lindsey Brampton secured a fourth consecutive Pitcher of the Year. He came close to a Triple Crown, but was second in ERA with a 24-4 record, 2.14 ERA, and 463 strikeouts. The 463 Ks was second-most in a EBF season, two behind his own mark of 465 the prior year. The 26-year old Englishman also led in WHIP (0.78), innings (273.1), quality starts (27), complete games (16), FIP- (49), and WAR (11.7).

In the opening round of the postseason, Birmingham outlasted Hamburg in a five game battle and Amsterdam swept divisional foe Brussels. It was the first Northern Conference Championship for the Anacondas since their 1980s dynasty run, while the Bees earned a shot at a third pennant in four years. Birmingham was successful in repeating as NC champs, although it took a seven-game war that saw the home team win all seven games. The Bees joined the Anacondas as the only Northern Conference franchises to win the pennant thrice in a four year stretch.



The top two teams in the Southern Conference battled for the Southwest Division title. After taking the wild card last year, Barcelona finished first at 101-61 for their first division title since their 1979 European Championship. Lisbon was close behind at 97-65 and extended its playoff streak to four seasons.

Meanwhile, the two massive division title streaks both came to a close. Defending European Champion Zurich had its incredible 21-year stranglehold on the South Central Division thwarted by Rome. The Red Wolves took it at 86-76, beating the Mountaineers by two games. It was Rome’s second playoff spot in four years, taking a wild card in 1991. In the Southeast Division, Munich’s 11-year run was stopped by Zagreb. The Gulls ended a 15-year playoff drought with an 89-73 mark. The Mavericks were two behind and Athens was four back.

Lisbon took the top honors with CF Willy Fierro winning Southern Conference MVP. It was the second MVP for the 29-year old Spaniard, who also won it back in 1989. Fierro led the SC in runs (132), total bases (407), triple slash (.342/.409/.689), OPS (1.098), wRC+ (1920, and WAR (12.7). He also smacked 49 home runs with 130 RBI. His Clippers teammate Daniel Ramires won Pitcher of the Year. Nicknamed “Buddy,” the 31-year old Portuguese righty was in his fourth year with Lisbon. He led in wins (25-10), innings (303), strikeouts (313), complete games (16), and WAR (9.3). His 303 innings tied the EBF single-season record, which stills stands as of 2037. Ramires also had a 3.27 ERA.

Barcelona survived in a five game first round battle with Rome, while Zagreb ousted Lisbon 3-1. It had been a long while since either had been to the Southern Conference Championship with the Bengals’ last berth being 1979 and the Gulls’ being 1975. The finale needed all seven games as well as extra innings in game seven. In the tenth inning of a wild affair, 1B Lionel Wackerlin had the walk off RBI single to win it 11-10 for Barcelona. It was the fifth pennant for the Bengals (1950, 59, 64, 79, 94).



After winning their first European Championship in 1991, Birmingham lost a heartbreaker in 1993 to Zurich with game seven decided 3-2 in 10 innings. The Bees bounced back in 1994, besting Barcelona 4-2 in the 45^th European Championship. Veteran slugger Sean Houston was EBF finals MVP and conference finals MVP, as the 35-year old Scot had 34 hits, 13 runs, 6 home runs, and 12 RBI in 18 playoff starts. The 34 hits was a playoff record which would only get passed once in 2015.



Other notes: Birmingham’s win was also the third ring for RF Jacob “Rowdy” Ronnberg, who had won two as Marseille’s star in the 1980s. The 38-year old had signed with the Bees in the offseason and had his last great season, although he still played two more years. In 1994, Ronnberg became the first EBF batter to reach 2000 runs scored. He also passed Sauncho Fiero as EBF’s hit king, finishing the season with 3460. Ronnberg remained both the EBF hit king and runs leader until 2015.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1994 in BSA

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After being both the wild card and BLCS runner-up in the prior two seasons, Medellin had the Bolivar League’s best record in 1994. At 106-56, the Mutiny won the Colombia-Ecuador Division and had the top mark in Beisbol Sudamerica. Quito finished 96-66 to take the wild card by a wide margin, ending a three-year playoff drought. Bogota dropped to 83-79 and saw its three-year postseason streak snapped. In the Peru-Bolivia Division, defending BL champ Lima cruised to the title at 101-61. The Lobos have BSA’s longest active playoff streak at seven seasons and won their sixth division title in that stretch. The Venezuela Division had Maracaibo first at 87-75, ending their own three-year playoff drought. Ciudad Guayana, who had controlled the division in recent years, fell to a lousy 73-89. That was the Giants’ first losing season in a decade.

Leading Medellin’s effort was Bolivar League MVP Kasim Mati. The 27-year old Guyanese left fielder had a .315/.369/.568 slash with 7.6 WAR, 31 home runs, and 110 RBI. After taking Rookie of the Year the prior season, Quito’s P.J. Sifuentes picked up Pitcher of the Year. The Ecuadoran righty led in wins (24-5), ERA (1.84), quality starts (32), FIP- (53), and WAR (11.8). He was second in strikeouts with 333 Ks over 293.1 innings.



Quito upset their divisional foe Medellin 3-1 in the divisional series, while Lima survived in five over Maracaibo. It was the Thunderbolts’ first Bolivar League Championship Series berth since their 1983 pennant, while it was the fourth in five years for the Lobos. Quito denied Lima from repeating again, as the Thunderbolts took the BLCS convincingly 4-1. The Thunderbolts now have six BL pennants (1963-65, 81, 83, 94).

Defending Copa Sudamerica winner Sao Paulo had the Southern Cone League’s best record at 97-65. It was their sixth Southeast Division title in seven years, finishing 10 ahead of Rio de Janeiro. In the South Central Division, Santiago (90-72) took it for the fourth time in five years. Meanwhile, the North Division race was incredibly intense. Fortaleza was first at 92-70, ending a four-year playoff drought. Brasilia was one back (91-71) with both Recife and Salvador two back (90-72). This did earn the Bearcats the wild card and their first playoff appearance in 22 years.

Fortaleza lead-off man Caco Gallegos won his first Southern Cone League MVP. The 30-year old Colombian switch hitting first baseman led the league in runs (119), hits (253), doubles (55), triples (37), total bases (391), average (.383), OBP (.406), OPS (.997), and wRC+ (201). Gallegos’ 253 hits was second-most in a BSA season behind his own 257 in 1989. His 55 doubles fell one short of Jamie Scagliotti’s 1952 record. Sao Paulo’s Andres Ramirez won his fourth Pitcher of the Year award, putting him in rare company. The 30-year old Bolivian led in ERA (1.97), quality starts (31), and WAR (7.4). He added a 21-8 record over 278 innings with 319 strikeouts.

Both Divisional Series matchups went all five games. Brasilia upset defending champ Sao Paulo, while Fortaleza outlasted Santiago. For the Bearcats, this was their first Southern Cone League Championship berth since 1971, while it was the first since 1987 for the Foxes. Fortaleza rolled to a 4-1 win over Brasilia to secure a seventh pennant (1932, 40, 65, 67, 72, 78, 94).



Quito and Fortaleza had met once before in Copa Sudamerica. Back in 1965, the Thunderbolts won their only Cup in a series that saw them start ahead 3-0, lose the next three games, then take game seven. Amazingly, the 1994 edition followed that exact same script. Quito claimed the first three games of the 64^th Copa Sudamerica, then dropped games four, five, and six. The Thunderbolts edged the Foxes in game seven to take the title. Casimiro Guzman was an unexpected hero as finals MVP, as the Paraguayan second baseman would post negative WAR over an eight year career. He was a full-time starter in the playoffs after starting 53 games in the regular season, posting 19 hits, 7 runs, 3 doubles, 3 triples, 1 homer, and 8 RBI. Guzman managed to have 0.7 WAR in the playoffs alone; his best season was 0.4.



Other notes: 1994 had the 44^th and 45^th BSA Perfect Games. On June 3, Brasilia’s Juary Varicoes fanned six against Valencia. Then on August 28, Shepherd Fortenberry of Bogota did it with 13 Ks over Quito. 2B Kip Flores won his tenth Silver Slugger while 3B Dyjan Rondo won his ninth.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1994 in EAB

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Two-time defending East Asia Baseball champion Kitakyushu again had the best record in the Japan League. The Kodiaks finished 103-59 to secure a fifth consecutive West Division title. They impressively pulled this off despite Fukuoka going 96-66 and Hiroshima at 94-68. Because the JL only sees division champs advance, that left the Frogs and Hammerheads out of the playoffs despite having the second and third best overall record in the league. Tokyo took the Capital Division for the third successive season at 93-69. Kobe grabbed the Central Division at 90-72, topping defending division winner Kyoto by five games. In the North Division, Sapporo ended a four-year playoff drought with a 90-72 mark. Last year’s division winner Sendai was six games back. Niigata, the JL champ with 106 wins only three years earlier, bottomed out at 68 wins.

Veteran slugger Tsukasa Kato had a historic season for Kitakyushu, winning Japan League MVP. Kato had joined the Kodiaks in 1991on a massive seven-year, $10,240,000 deal after eight years with Hiroshima and a MVP season in 1987. In 1994, Kato became the new EAB home run king, smacking 72 dingers. This passed Carl Valdes’ top mark of 71 in 1972. Kato remarkably also led in home runs for the eighth time in his career and had his fifth season with 60+ bombs. The left-handed first baseman also led in RBI (129), walks (67), total bases (372), slugging (.658), OPS (.985), wRC+ (204), and WAR (8.1). Pitcher of the Year also went to Kitakyushu as Yutaka Kobayashi earned it for the first time. The 29-year old righty led in WHIP (0.86) and posted a 20-5 record, 2.00 ERA, 242.2 innings, 269 strikeouts, and 7.5 WAR.

The Kodiaks were taken to the brink in the first round of the playoffs, but survived 3-2 over Sapporo to earn a fifth consecutive Japan League Championship Series berth. Kobe clobbered Tokyo with a sweep, giving the Blaze their first JLCS berth since winning the 1984 pennant. Kobe couldn’t compete with the Kodiaks, who completed the three-peat bid in only five games. It is the sixth pennant for Kitakyushu, who joined Hiroshima (1968-70) and Sapporo (1949-51) as the only franchise to win three consecutive Japan League crowns.



Yongin snapped a six-year playoff drought and had the Korea League’s best record in 1994 at 103-59. This was a franchise record for the Gold Sox, getting their first South Division title since taking the pennant in 1985. They had fierce competition with both Ulsan and Busan finishing the regular season at 99-63. A tiebreaker game gave the Swallows the first wild card and the Blue Jays the second one. Both teams also ended notable playoff droughts with Ulsan’s dating back to 1987 and Busan’s to 1983. Defending KL champ Gwangju’s playoff streak ended at four as they finished 88-74. In the North Division, Suwon (100-62) earned three postseason spots in a row. Pyongyang was their closest competitor at 94-68, falling six short of the division and five from the wild card. Goyang at 84-78 also had their postseason streak end at three seasons. Bucheon, who was the KLCS runner-up in 1993, limped to a lousy 71-91 record.

Korea League MVP was Ulsan first baseman Byung-Tak Wie. Nicknamed “Penguin,” the 24-year old lefty led the KL with a 1.045 OPS and posted 8.2 WAR, 46 home runs, 116 RBI, and a .339 average. Ha-Ram Lee won his third Pitcher of the Year award. He started the season with a terrible Incheon squad, but was traded for five prospects in July to Busan. The combined effort for the 28-year old lefty saw a league-best 348 strikeouts and 0.91 WHIP. Lee also had 8.5 WAR over 257.1 innings with a 2.87 ERA and 16-14 record.

Yongin rolled Busan with a first round sweep, while Ulsan upset Suwon in a 3-2 battle. Neither team had been back to the Korea League Championship Series since their 1985 and 1987 KLCS encounters against each other. The Gold Sox had won in 1985, while the Swallows took it in 1987. For the 1994 meeting, Yongin defeated Ulsan 4-2 for the franchise’s fourth pennant.



In the 74^th East Asian Championship, Kitakyushu made history with their 4-2 victory over Yongin to complete the overall title three-peat. Fittingly, the new single-season home run king Tsukasa Kato also won both finals MVP and JLCS MVP. In 16 playoff games, Kato had 16 hits, 13 runs, 9 home runs, and 15 RBI. The nine homers was one short of the single postseason record. Kato also joined rare company as a two-time finals MVP, having also done it in 1992.



Kitakyushu’s run would go down as one of EAB’s all-time dynasties. They were only the second team to win three consecutive rings in EAB, joining Pyongyang (who won four from 1965-68). It wouldn’t be until Hamamatsu from 2034-36 that EAB would see another three-peat. Kodiaks fans would long for the early 1990s, as they wouldn’t win another pennant in the next 40 years.

Other notes: Hiroshima as a team stole 407 bases, which was the Japan League record until 2012. Yongin’s Si-Hun Lee had 241 hits and a .393 batting average. Both marks were second-best in an EAB season behind his own .411 average and 252 hits the prior season. Lee also had a 37-game hit streak, the fifth longest in EAB history. Shoji Ohbiki became the 15^th member of the 3000 hit club. Ju-Kan Yoo became the 24^th batter to 600 home runs. Woo-Hong Ryu became the 13^th to 4000 strikeouts. CF Yuma Akasaka won his ninth Silver Slugger.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1994 in CABA

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For the fifth year in a row, the best record in the Mexican League went to Monterrey. The four-time defending league champ Matadors won the North Division at 105-57, extending their playoff streak to seven seasons. Monterrey also had the most runs (803) and fewest allowed (553) in the ML. Tijuana was five back at 100-62 to secure a third straight wild card. In the South Division, Ecatepec and Guadalajara tied for the top spot at 88-74, while Leon was two back. The Explosion won the tiebreaker game over the Hellhounds to secure repeat division titles.

Tijuana 3B Jacky Castillo was a repeat Mexican League MVP winner. The 27-year old lefty led in home runs (61), slugging (.670), and WAR (9.7). He added 108 runs, 117 RBI, and a .309 average. The Toros also had Pitcher of the Year from second-year rising star Jeraldo Gonzalez. The 22-year old led in ERA (2.43) and wins (20-11), while adding 225 strikeouts over 259.2 innings with 4.6 WAR.

In the wild card round, Ecatepec topped Tijuana to earn repeat appearances in the Mexican League Championship Series. The Explosion would then stun Monterrey and deny their bid for a fifth consecutive pennant. Ecatepec won the MLCS 4-2 for their first pennant since 1975 and seventh overall.



The battle for the top record in the Caribbean League was also the battle for first in the Continental Division. Defending CABA champion Honduras and Salvador both finished the regular season tied at 100-62. The Stallions won the one game playoff to take the division for the second time in three years. The Horsemen were still the wild card, earning a fifth playoff appearance in seven years. Guatemala, a wild card last year, was still 10 games away despite a solid 90-72 season. In the Island Division, Santo Domingo reclaimed the throne at 96-66. The Dolphins secured their fifth playoff spot in six years and their 11^th since 1981. Havana was second, finishing four games back. Trinidad, winners of 106 games in 1993, dropped to fifth at 82-80.

Santo Domingo CF Hugh Boerboom won his second Caribbean League MVP, having also earned the honor in 1991. The 31-year old Aruban led the CL with 55 home runs, 386 total bases, .644 slugging, and 173 wRC+. He added a .317 average, 6.7 WAR, and 115 RBI. Salvador’s Benito Bertran was Pitcher of the Year for the second time in three years. The 26-year old Honduran righty won the ERA title (2.43) and led in WHIP (0.96), quality starts (25), and WAR (7.3). Bertran also had 216 strikeouts in 278.1 innings with a 17-8 record.

Santo Domingo used home field advantage in the wild card round to sweep the defending champ Honduras. For the Dolphins, this would mark the eighth time in 14 years that they played in the Caribbean League Championship Series. They had lost their last three appearances, while Salvador had similar rough luck. The Stallions had earned six CLCS berths since 1978, but had lost their lost five tries. Salvador succeeded in snapping their struggles, taking the pennant 4-1 over Santo Domingo. The Stallions now have six titles to their name.



The 84^th Central American Baseball Association Championship was not the first meeting between Ecatepec and Salvador. All the way back in 1931, the Explosion edged the Stallions in seven games. The 1994 edition was also a seven game classic and even more dramatic. In game seven, rookie LF Heathcliffe Davis etched his name into history. He had only three starts all season and was 0-7 in his postseason pinch hit opportunities. In Davis’ eighth try; he got the walkoff RBI single to give Salvador both the 4-3 win in the game and the 4-3 series win. Inigo Polanco was finals MVP, posting 16 hits, 8 runs, 3 doubles, 3 home runs, 9 RBI, and 8 stolen bases in 12 playoff starts. It was the fourth CABA title for Salvador, who also won in 1915, 1966, and 1965.



Other notes: Ruben Chavez became the ninth CABA batter to score 1500 career runs.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1994 in MLB

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The Lower Midwest Division saw a tie for the top record in the National Association as both Columbus and Indianapolis finished 98-64. In a one-game tiebreaker, the Chargers beat the Racers to earn the first round bye. It was the first playoff berth since 1977 for Columbus and their first division win since 1986. For Indy, they were the first wild card and ended a five-year playoff drought. Cleveland won the Upper Midwest Division at 98-64 to take the other bye. The Cobras got back-to-back playoff berths, but their first division title in a decade. Buffalo hadn’t been a playoff team since 1977, but the Blue Sox took the Northeast Division at 94-68. In the East, New York finished first at 91-71. The Yankees now have a four-year playoff streak with five berths in six years.

In the battle for the second wild card, Wichita came out on top of at90-72. This was the first playoff berth for the Wasps since joining the NA in 1982. Detroit was one behind at 89-73, followed by St. Louis (88-74), Chicago (87-75), Ottawa (86-76), and Pittsburgh (85-77). Defending NA champ Toronto dropped to 83-79. Quebec City and Virginia Beach, both division winners last year, plummeted to 74 and 79 wins, respectively.

Washington was 77-85 for back-to-back seasons, but their right fielder Nathaniel D’Attilo became a repeat National Association MVP. The 24-year old lefty led in walks (86), OBP (.446), slugging (.650), OPS (1.095), wRC+ (231), and WAR (9.8). D’Attilo added 43 home runs and a .359 average.

Boston was right at .500, but they boasted Pitcher of the Year Samuel Raimundes. The 26-year old righty led in WAR (10.6), quality starts (30), complete games (18), shutouts (7), and innings (285.2). Raimundes added 294 strikeouts, a 2.30 ERA, and 21-7 record. That effort beat out Chicago’s Qazi Khwaja for the award despite Khwaja becoming only the sixth MLB pitcher to earn a Triple Crown and the first since 1974. The 26-year old Pakistan had come to the Cubs on a six-year, $19,280,000 deal after a great run with ABF’s Karachi. Khwaja had a 22-9 record, 1.99 ERA, and 296 strikeouts over 281 innings with 7.7 WAR. Still, Raimundes had the WAR advantage and also won a Silver Slugger at pitcher, allowing him to take the honor over Khwaja. As of 2037, MLB hasn’t seen another Triple Crown pitcher.

Indianapolis ousted New York 2-1 and Buffalo swept Wichita 2-0 in the first round of the playoffs. Both top seeds prevailed in round two as Columbus survived in five against their division foe Indy, while Cleveland swept Buffalo. It was the first National Association Championship Series for the Cobras since 1973 and the first since 1969 for the Chargers. It was also the first NACS to feature two Ohio teams. Cleveland defeated Columbus 4-2 for their first pennant in 67 years. It was the Cobras’ third, as their other wins were 1922 and 1927.



Two-time defending American Association champion Calgary finished at 106-56, earning a third consecutive Northwest Division, third top seed, and third 100+ win season. The other bye went to Albuquerque at 98-68, ending a six-year playoff drought. The Isotopes won the Southwest Division for the first-time post alignment with their last first place coming back in 1972. In the Southeast Division, Atlanta (94-68) was first for the eighth consecutive season. This set the MLB record for consecutive division titles and gave them the second longest playoff streak behind Ottawa’s ten-year run from 1932-41.

In the wild card race, 92-70 San Francisco took the first spot to earn repeat wild cards. Edmonton and Phoenix tied for the second spot at 91-71 with the next closest competitors being Tampa (87-75) and Seattle (85-77). The Firebirds beat the Eels in the tiebreaker game, ending a four-year playoff drought for Phoenix. Denver, the AACS runner-up last year, dropped to .500. In the weak South Central Division, New Orleans earned a repeat title at 86-76. The Mudcats were three better than both Dallas and San Antonio; while Memphis and Houston were five back.

Calgary claimed the top awards, both with first-time winners. Third-year LF Hendrix Landry was MVP as the Red Deer, Alberta native led in doubles (42), total bases (375), slugging (.620), OPS (1.005), and wRC+ (163). Landry added 39 home runs, 123 RBI, a .314 average, and 8.7 WAR. Fabian Kulik was the Pitcher of the Year, bouncing back from a ruptured finger tendon that cost him almost all of 1993. The 25-year old Polish lefty led in wins at 26-4, as well as FIP- (59), and WAR (10.5). Kulik added a 2.62 ERA over 285.1 innings with 272 strikeouts. Sadly, he would rupture his UCL the next season and struggled with injuries for the remainder of his run.

San Francisco downed New Orleans 2-0 and Atlanta topped Phoenix 2-1 in the first round of the playoffs. Both the Gold Rush and Aces carried their momentum into second round upsets. SF shocked defending champ Calgary 3-1, while Atlanta outlasted Albuquerque 4-2. It was San Francisco’s first American Association Championship Series berth since their 1984 pennant. For the Aces, this was their fifth appearance in their division title streak. Atlanta would be snake bitten again though with the Gold Rush winning the AACS 4-3. The Aces went 0-5 during their playoff streak and saw their window end here, as they wouldn’t make it back until 2036. It is SF’s sixth pennant (1921, 24, 29, 50, 84, 94)



In the 94^th World Series, San Francisco defeated Cleveland 4-1 to give the Gold Rush their third ring (1921, 1950, 1994). Catcher Luca Adams was the World Series MVP as the 25-year old righty had 27 hits, 12 runs, 6 doubles, 3 home runs, and 10 RBI in 18 playoff starts.



Other notes: Bentley Wade became the 11^th MLB batter to reach 3500 career hits. He would play only one more season and finish with 3548 hits, retiring 11^th. Wade is still 13^th as of 2037. T.J. Nakabayashi became the 20^th MLB pitcher to reach 3500 career strikeouts.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1995 MLB Hall of Fame

The 1995 Major League Baseball Hall of Fame class was an impressive one with three players receiving above 95% on their opening ballot. RF Will Brenneisen (99.1%), LF Connor Neumeyer (98.5%) and SP Jonah Mors (96.9%) each earned their spots into the HOF. Closer Devin Ivey almost joined him in his debut, but was just short at 62.2%. LF Aiden Hertelin also had a respectable first ballot at 59.4%. The only player above 50% that was a returner was 1B Kymani Massey, taking 56.9% in his third attempt.



Russ Spratt was the lone player to fall off the ballot following ten failed tries. He was hurt by the usual anti-catcher bias of the voters, although having only a 13-year career lowered his accumulations too. Exclusively with Chicago, he had seven Silver Sluggers, 1717 hits, 755 runs, 288 doubles, 177 home runs, 754 RBI, a .310/.374/.465 slash and 62.1 WAR. As he fell off the ballot, he was eighth in WAR among catchers, Spratt got as close at 60.8% in his ninth ballot, but ended at 47.4% after bouncing around between the 45-55% range. He declined too soon to reach the tallies that might have gotten him across the line.



Will Brenneisen – Right Field – Tampa Thunderbirds – 99.1% First Ballot

Will Brenneisen was a 6’0’’, 200 pound left-handed right fielder from Covington, Louisiana; a small city of around 11,000 people within the New Orleans metropolitan area. Brenneisen was a great contact hitter with a very strong bat, averaging around 40 home runs and 30 doubles per 162 games. He was decent at drawing walks and very solid at avoiding strikeouts. Brenneisen was an intelligent baserunner, but his speed was mediocre. He played almost exclusively in right field and was viewed as above average overall with a great arm, but iffy range. Brenneisen did make a few starts in center, but struggled there from his lack of range. He was very durable for the majority of his career and was one of the most popular players of the era.

Brenneisen’s college career at Oklahoma included a Silver Slugger in his junior year. In 146 games as a Sooner, he had 150 hits, 91 runs, 27 doubles, 41 home runs, 92 RBI, and 6.3 WAR with a .266/.342/.535 slash. In the 1971 MLB Draft, he was picked 17^th overall by Tampa. Brenneisen was a full-time starter immediately for the Thunderbolts as a designated hitter and had one of the all-time great rookie campaigns. In his debut, he led the American Association in home runs (55), RBI (132), and total bases (385), while adding a .342 average and 7.5 WAR. This earned him both Rookie of the Year and his first of seven Silver Sluggers.

Brenneisen led in homers and RBI again in 1973, but saw his overall productivity drop. In 1974, he led in runs (120), total bases (373), OPS (1.067) and posted 8.3 WAR. This earned him his lone MVP and a second Silver Slugger. Brenneisen would miss two months in 1975 with a torn ligament in his thumb, which was ultimately the only major injury he had in his storied Tampa tenure.

The Thunderbirds ended their postseason drought with appearances in 1976 and 1977, although both years they were ousted in round two. In 1978, Brenneisen led in home runs for the third time (53) and added an impressive 168 RBI; which was the third-best MLB season to that point. This got him second in MVP voting, his final time as a finalist. His seven Silver Sluggers came in 1972, 74, 76, 77, 78, 79, and 83. Tampa would lock Brenneisen up in the spring of 1977 on an eight-year, $7,150,000 extension.

As the 1980s dawned, Brenneisen wouldn’t be a league leader ever again. Still, for the life of that extension he could generally be counted on for around 35-40 home runs and 100+ RBI in the middle of the lineup. Tampa made the playoffs a few more times in the early 1980s winning weak divisions, but they never got out of the first round. Brenneisen’s playoff numbers were fine with 22 hits, 10 runs, 7 home runs, and 19 RBI in 18 starts. However, he ultimately never had a chance to play beyond the second round.

His contract ran out after the 1985 season and it was mutually agreed to part ways. For his Tampa career, Brenneisen had 2351 hits, 1336 runs, 380 doubles, 568 home runs, 1635 RBI, a .296/.350/.565 slash and 76.5 WAR. He was beloved by Thunderbirds fans and his #20 would be retired only a few years later. At age 35 though, Brenneisen was a free agent for the 1986 season. Minneapolis was the buyer, signing him to a four-year, $5,340,000 deal.

Brenneisen’s numbers with the Moose were similar to his later Tampa years. Still worthy of a starting spot, but not outstanding. With Minneapolis, he became the 16^th member of the 600 home run club. As a Moose, Brenneisen had 430 hits, 218 runs, 89 home runs, 251 RBI, and 10.2 WAR. Some thought he might try to chase the power records, but his production faded. Entering the final year of his Minneapolis deal, the Moose traded him to Indianapolis. Brenneisen was unimpressive in his limited time with the Racers, who cut him in May 1989. After going unsigned for the remainder of the year, Brenneisen retired at age 38.

Brenneisen’s stat line was 2792 hits, 1558 runs, 457 doubles, 658 home runs, 1893 RBI, a .291/.342/.550, 142 wRC+, and 86.9 WAR. His amazing rookie season made him a star, although he only showed brief flashes of that peak. Still, Brenneisen’s reliable power placed him ninth in home runs and eighth in RBI at induction, making him a virtual lock. He received 99.1% to lead off the impressive 1995 MLB Hall of Fame class.



Connor Neumeyer – Left Field – Pittsburgh Pirates – 98.5% First Ballot

Connor Neumeyer was a 6’4’’, 200 pound left-handed left fielder from Erie, Pennsylvania; a city with around 90,000 on the south shore of Lake Erie. Neumeyer was an outstanding contact hitter, one of the best at avoiding strikeouts, and was solid at drawing walks. He also hit for very good power, averaging around 35-40 doubles/triples and around 35-40 home runs per year. Neumeyer was also quite quick and was a very intelligent baserunner. He was a career left fielder and was considered good to great defensively. Neumeyer was also a team captain and became one of the most beloved and well respected players of his generation.

Much of that admiration came not from his MLB career, but from his time playing for Team America in the World Baseball Championship. He was sometimes looked at as “Captain America,” for his role on the squad. In his first WBC in 1972, Neumeyer won Tournament MVP and set then-records for home runs (20), RBI (40), runs (33), WAR (3.48), and total bases (126). It was also the first of 10 World Championship rings Neumeyer earned for the United States from 1972-89.

In 1975, Neumeyer became only the fourth player to win WBC Tournament MVP twice. In 1976, he won his third and in 1984, his fourth. As of 2037, no other player has won it more than twice. Neumeyer was prolific on the world stage and went back-and-forth with the Philippines’ Jimmy Caliw in the later years up the all-time WBC leaderboards. At retirement, Neumeyer played 296 WBC games with 284 starts and posted 330 hits, 241 runs, 54 doubles, 111 home runs, 265 RBI, 133 walks, 135 stolen bases, a .315/.394/.690 slash, 209 wRC+, and 20.9 WAR. At retirement, Neumeyer was the WBC’s all-time leader in runs, hits, doubles, RBI, and WAR. He was also second in home runs and third in RBI. As of 2037, he still has the most RBI and remains in the top five in each of the other stats.

While being best known for his WBC endeavors, Neumeyer certainly had an excellent Major League Baseball career as well. He attended Ball State University and earned a Gold Glove in his junior season. In his three years in Muncie, Neumeyer had 128 games, 174 hits, 101 runs, 36 doubles, 26 home runs, 99 RBI, a .334/.376/.560 slash, 174 wRC+, and 7.4 WAR. In the 1969 MLB Draft, he was picked 36^th overall by Pittsburgh. He debuted in 1970 and did show some promise, although he was only using sparingly as a rookie. Neumeyer became a full-time starter the next season and was a starter when healthy for the next two decades.

Neumeyer’s sophomore season was a coming out party, as he led the National Association in hits, batting average, OPS, and WAR. He became a rare second-year player to win MVP and grabbed his first of nine Silver Sluggers. The Pirates also made the playoffs, although they suffered a first round defeat. Back spasms cost Neumeyer a chunk of 1972, but he helped Pittsburgh make it to the NACS for the first time in a decade. Despite his strong effort, the Pirates were defeated by Montreal.

Pittsburgh would end up in the mid-tier outside the playoffs for the reset of Neumeyer’s tenure. Still, he was excellent as he led the NA in OPS four times, slugging six times, average twice, OBP twice, wRC+ six times, and WAR five times. Neumeyer won two more MVPS as a Pirate in 1973 and 1974, while taking third in both 1975 and 1978. He won six Silver Sluggers (71, 73-76, 78). Neumeyer would be beloved in the Steel City, even though his tenure was only eight seasons. His #32 would be retired in 1991 and his final Pittsburgh stats saw 1465 hits, 826 runs, 224 doubles, 293 home runs, 787 RBI, a .335/.398/.617 slash, and 68.4 WAR.

The Pirates were committed to Neumeyer as the face of the franchise, giving him an eight-year, $4,424,000 extension after the 1974 season. He wanted to make it work too for a squad less than two hours from his hometown of Erie. But after lackluster play from Pittsburgh and little reason for optimism after a 75-87 mark in 1978, Neumeyer opted out of the remaining part of his contract. This made him a highly prized free agent age only age 29. He ended up signing an eight-year, $6,470,000 deal with Baltimore.

As an Oriole, Neumeyer won Silver Sluggers in 1979 and 1982, as well as each of his four Gold Gloves from 1979-82. He led in slugging in 1982, but that was his last time as a league leader. Still, Neumeyer was regularly hitting above .300 with 30+ homers when healthy. The trouble was, small injuries knocked him out for bits of 1981 and 1982. Baltimore was mid when he arrived, although they did finally snap a playoff drought in 1982.

The Orioles would start a playoff streak from there, but Neumeyer wouldn’t stay around for it. He decided to opt out again after the 1982 season, becoming a free agent now at age 33. In four seasons with Baltimore, Neumeyer had 640 hits, 385 runs, 103 doubles, 124 home runs, 354 RBI, a .330/.386/.599 slash, 186 wRC+, and 29.6 WAR. This time, he inked a five-year, $5,480,000 deal with St. Louis. The Cardinals had just won the 1982 World Series and Neumeyer hoped this might be his shot to get a ring.

Neumeyer played all five years of the deal with the Cardinals, although age did start to catch up some. His lone award would be a Silver Slugger in the 1984 season. Various injuries again kept him from full seasons, but his overall value was still undeniable. St. Louis wasn’t bad in this run, but they only made the playoffs once with a second round exit in 1984. That would be the final time Neumeyer played in the MLB postseason, posting 36 hits, 20 runs, 12 home runs, and 2.1 WAR over 26 career playoff starts.

For the Cardinals tenure, Neumeyer had 705 hits, 420 runs, 132 home runs, 392 RBI, a .316/.377/.562 slash, and 31.4 WAR. Now 38 years old, he would spend 1988 in Toronto and 1989 with Virginia Beach. Neumeyer was still respectable with the Timberwolves, but he found himself only a part-time starter with the Vikings. While there, he became the 45^th MLB batter to reach 3000 career hits.

The now 40 year old Neumeyer still wanted to play in 1990, but MLB teams felt he was washed. He ended up in an unusual landing spot for a guy renowned as the star of the US national team for so long. Neumeyer moved to the Soviet Union, more specifically Belarus, and signed with EPB’s Minsk. A strained hamstring cost him two months and he wasn’t anything special when healthy. Neumeyer missed the playoffs to injury, but did get a ring as the Miners won the Soviet Series. Neumeyer still wasn’t ready to call it quits, but realized it was time after going unsigned in 1991. He officially retired at age 42.

For his MLB career, Neumeyer had 3037 hits, 1754 runs, 448 doubles, 126 triples, 585 home runs, 1643 RBI, 927 walks, 624 stolen bases, a .326/.387/.589 slash, 184 wRC+, and 135.5 WAR. At induction, he had the second most batting WAR of any MLB player behind only home run king Elijah Cashman’s 136.6. His .976 OPS was also second only to Cashman among Hall of Famers at induction. As of 2037, Neumeyer is still sixth in the WAR list. He was the first player to hit 500+ home runs and steal 600+ bases. He was a guy that could do it all and was an American hero for his WBC exploits, becoming a beloved MLB icon even if his pro teams never made the deep push. Neumeyer was an obvious inner-circle selection, getting the nod at 98.5%.



Jonah “Toro” Mors – Starting Pitcher – Las Vegas Vipers – 96.9% First Ballot

Jonah Mors was a 5’9’’, 160 pound right-handed pitcher from Greeley, Colorado; a city with around 108,000 in the north central part of the state. His tenacity despite his small frame for a pitcher earned him the nickname “Toro (bull).” Mors threw fire with 99-101 mph peak velocity and had a combination of great stuff and movement with quite good control. He had a good fastball and curveball along with an excellent changeup and strong splitter. Mors had great stamina and durability for most of his career, although his body broke down in his mid 30s. He was intelligent and a hard worker, becoming one of the most endearing pitchers of the era.

Mors went to Ohio University and was third in NCAA Pitcher of the Year voting in his junior season. In 40 college starts, he had a 2.28 ERA, 19-16 record, 311.1 innings, 347 strikeouts, and 11.0 WAR. In the 1974 MLB Draft, Mors was picked 18^th by Las Vegas. The Vipers were coming off a stretch of seven consecutive losing seasons, but Mors helped turn things around as their ace. He would be mostly a reliever in his rookie year with middling production, but he moved to the rotation from 1976 onward.

Las Vegas ended their playoff drought in 1976 and began an American Association dynasty, winning the World Series. Mors had a strong postseason with a 2.20 ERA over 41 playoff innings and 27 strikeouts. The next year, he led the AA in WAR for the first time, something he’d do five times with the Vipers. Mors led the AA in both ERA and wins in both 1978 and 1981. He also led in WIHP twice, quality starts thrice, and FIP- five times. Mors started to rack up awards, becoming only the seventh pitcher in MLB history to win Pitcher of the Year four times. He took the honor in 1978, 79, 81, and 82. Mors was also third in both 1977 and 1980.

His later postseason appearances were more of a mixed bag, but Mors did post a 3.22 ERA, 11-4 record, with 116 strikeouts and 3.6 WAR over 162 playoff innings for Las Vegas. The Vipers made the playoffs six times in his tenure with AA pennants in 1976, 78, and 79; along with World Series rings in 1976 and 1979. Mors also won five world titles over nine editions of the World Baseball Championship with the American team. He posted a 22-7 record, 3.39 ERA, 247 innings, 336 strikeouts, and 7.9 WAR in the WBC.

After the 1978 season, Mors signed a seven-year, $5,342,000 contract extension with Las Vegas. By the time he was on the last year of that deal, the Vipers’ window had seemingly closed and a rebuild was in order. Mors decided to decline his contract option, becoming a free agent for the first time at age 31. For his LV tenure, Mors had a 176-98 record, 2.90 ERA, 2554.2 innings, 2171 strikeouts, and 72.5 WAR. He’d remain one of the franchise’s most popular icons for years after and his #31 uniform would be retired at the end of his career.

San Francisco was the American Association champ in 1984 and they wanted to try to build a dynasty run. The Gold Rush signed Mors to a five-year, $7,000,000 deal. He was still quite good in his first two seasons, although SF was one-and-done in the 1985 playoffs and missed the field in 1986. 1987 saw Mors look rather pedestrian for the first time with his season ending due to bone chips in his elbow.

Mors’ smaller frame began to break down at this point. Eight starts into the 1988 season, he suffered a torn rotator cuff that put him out for 14 months. Mors battled back and returned to the Gold Rush in the summer of 1989. After seven weak starts, he tore his rotator cuff again This was a career-ender, knocking Mors out of the game at age 36. For the San Francisco run, he had a 56-43 record, 3.51 ERA, 876.1 innings, 645 strikeouts, and 19.3 WAR.

For his career, Mors had a 232-141 record, 3.06 ERA, 3431 innings, 2816 strikeouts, 758 walks, 284/424 quality starts, 216 complete games, 75 FIP-, and 91.8 WAR. The injuries kept him from getting the accumulations to be at the top of leaderboards, but his prime was among the finest ever by a MLB pitcher. Plus, Mors was beloved and an essential part of Las Vegas’ late 1970s title runs. He was an easy choice at 96.9% to round out the very impressive 1995 MLB Hall of Fame class.