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

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1997 EPB Hall of Fame

Eurasian Professional Baseball inducted two into the Hall of Fame for 1997 with both guys getting in easily. LF/1B Darian Tasos got 99.7% and SP Azer Sattrali received 98.5% in their debuts, easily making the cut. A third debutant came close to joining them, but 1B Vyacheslav Afonin’s 64.4% fell just short of the 66% requirement. Also above 50% was 1B Bartlomiej Tarka at 59.8% for his eighth ballot and SP Maxim Aivazyan at 52.0% on his second go.



One player was dropped after ten ballots in relief pitcher Iosif Kusainov, who had a 19-year career between 12 teams. He debuted at 45.8% in 1988, but was down to merely 6.2% at the end. Kusainov had 314 saves and 410 shutdowns, a 2.42 ERA, 1158.2 innings, 1308 strikeouts, 83 FIP-, and 19.7 WAR. Impressive longevity for a reliever, but he had no major awards and wasn’t nearly as dominant as other contemporary relievers.



Darian “Horseface” Tasos – Left Field/First Base – St. Petersburg Polar Bears – 99.7% First Ballot

Darian Tasos was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed hitter from Bulqize, Albania; a small municipality of 32,000 people. Tasos was one of the top bats of his era with great power plus respectable contact ability. He had a solid eye for drawing walks, but did strike out a bit more than average. Tasos regularly averaged around 40 home runs per year while adding about 30 doubles/triples per 162 games. He had decent speed and base stealing ability, especially for a slugger. Tasos split his career nearly evenly between left field and first base. Defensively at both spots, he graded out as delightfully average. He was durable and reliable, becoming a fan favorite throughout his two decades of pro ball.

Despite being from humble beginnings in Albania, Tasos was able to get looks at various camps across the Eastern Bloc as a teenager. In May 1967, it would be St. Petersburg that noticed him, signing Tasos to a developmental contract at age 16. He made his official debut at age 20 in 1971 with a mere 24 plate appearances that year. Tasos also had three at bats in the postseason as the Polar Bears had a surprise playoff run as a wild card, winning the 1971 EPB Championship.

Tasos would be a full-time starter the next year and held a starting job for the next 19 years. Much to his chagrin, teammates and fans began calling him “horseface.” He eventually learned to take that moniker in stride. During his career in St. Petersburg, Tasos led the European League in runs scored thrice, hits once, home runs once, RBI thrice, total bases twice, OBP thrice, slugging thrice, OPS five times, and WAR three times. His biggest numbers would come in his 30s, but Tasos did start to win accolades in his 20s as well. 1973 was his first of six Silver Sluggers with the others in 1975, 76, 77, 82, and 84.

The Polar Bears missed the playoffs in 1972 and 1973, but finished out the 1970s with six consecutive playoff berths from 1974-79. St. Petersburg won the European League pennant in 1976 and 1977, taking the EPB title as well in 1977. Tasos was a big time player in the two pennant runs, posting 35 hits, 19 runs, 11 home runs, and 25 RBI between those 30 starts. In 54 playoff games for his career, Tasos had 56 hits, 26 runs, 5 doubles 16 home runs, 34 RBI, a .276/.310/.557 slash and 2.3 WAR.

In the fall of 1975, St. Petersburg locked up Tasos to an eight-year, $1,876,000 extension. He took second in MVP voting in 1975 and 1976. In 1977, Tasos won MVP for the first time, leading the EL in WAR at 8.9 and OPS at .998. 1978 would be his first setback in his career, suffering a torn ACL late in spring training. This knocked Tasos out 9-10 months, missing the entire 1978 season.

Tasos returned in 1979 and still looked good, taking third in 1979 MVP voting. But he wasn’t quite as dominant in the following two years. The Polar Bears retreated towards the middle of the standings in the 1980s. They were a wild card in 1983 and 1984, but were ousted in the first round both years. Tasos would see a resurgence though with the 1982 season, posting then-career bests in runs, home runs, RBI, OPS, and WAR. This earned him his second MVP and a payday. Early in the 1983 season, St. Petersburg signed Tasos to a five-year, $2,210,000 extension.

Tasos won his third MVP in 1984 with his best season and an all-timer. He posted 13.4 WAR, which set an EPB record by a position player that would only get topped once in the following 50 years. Tasos had career and European League bests in runs (107), hits (200), homers (58), RBI (125), total bases (419), OPS (1.098), and wRC+ (262). He also had a career best .340 average, falling 13 points short of a Triple Crown season.

The final three years of his run with the Polar Bears didn’t reach that obscene level, but were still very solid. With St. Petersburg, Tasos had 2278 hits, 1242 runs, 300 doubles, 127 triples, 570 home runs, 1409 RBI, a 281/.343/.560 slash, and 109.3 WAR. His #8 uniform would later get retired and he’d remain a beloved franchise icon for decades to come. But all good things do come to an end.

Tasos was 37 years old entering the final year of his contract in 1988. Hoping they could reload after being middling for a few years, St. Petersburg traded Tasos to Tashkent for three prospects. He picked up his 600^th home run in his first year with the Tomcats and posted similar production to what he had been doing. Tashkent decided to give Tasos a two-year contract extension worth $1,260,000.

He had a respectable 1989, but his tallies dropped a bit in 1990 while also missing a month to a strained oblique. The Tomcats extended Tasos again, but he would struggle in 1991 and eventually be used in a platoon role. Tasos opted to retire that winter at age 41. With Tashkent, he had 440 hits, 248 runs, 113 home runs, 251 RBI, a .240/.308/.467 slash, and 13.4 WAR.

Tasos’ final stats were 2718 hits, 1490 runs, 350 doubles, 141 triples, 683 home runs, 1660 RBI, a .273/.337/.543 slash, 174 wRC+, and 122.7 WAR. At induction, he was the EPB WARlord among position players and fourth all-time in home runs, third in RBI, fifth in hits, second in runs scored. Tasos still has the top WAR spot and remains in the top ten as of 2037 in all of the above mentioned stats minus hits. Few batters in EPB history can claim to be Tasos’ equal or superior, thus the obvious 99.7% first ballot induction into the 1997 Hall of Fame class.



Azer Sattarli – Starting Pitcher – Ulaanbaatar Boars – 98.5% First Ballot

Azer Sattarli was a 5’11’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Bratsk, Russia, city of 220,000 people in the Irkutsk Oblast. Sattarli was known for having very good stuff with above average control and okay movement. His fastball hit the 97-99 mph range, while he could fool you with four other potent pitches; slider, forkball, sinker, and knuckle curve. Sattarli’s forkball was the most effective of the five, but none of his pitches were poor. His stamina was quite solid and he was known as a very durable and reliable arm.

It wasn’t easy as a prospect in Siberia to earn a ton of attention as a teenager. However, a scout from nearby Mongolia caught wind of Sattarli and signed him to a developmental deal in Ulaanbaatar in 1070. He made his debut for the Boars with four relief appearances in 1975 at age 21. Sattarli was a full-time starter the next year and looked promising. Sattarli had five relief appearances in the 1976 postseason as Ulaanbaatar won the Soviet Series over St. Petersburg. He also took second in Rookie of the Year voting, although he’d be reduced to an emergency starter type role in the following two seasons.

1979 saw Sattarli back in the rotation full-time, a spot he’d hold for the rest of his Ulaanbaatar tenure. He became the ace at this point and became a master at mixing his pitches, leading the Asian League in strikeouts four times from 1980-84. He also led in ERA in 1983, WHIP thrice, and WAR in 1983 and 1984. Sattarli was second in Pitcher of the Year voting in 1981, then won the award three straight seasons from 1982-84. He was also third in MVP voting in both 1983 and 1984. One highlight was a no-hitter with 15 strikeouts and one walk against Krasnoyarsk on 5/18/83. Later that year, Sattarli had a 41 inning scoreless streak from late July to mid August.

Ulaanbaatar made it back to the playoffs in 1982 and 1984, falling in the ALCS in the latter. The Boars signed him to a five-year, $3,450,000 extension during spring training 1985, seemingly locking Sattarli down for the long haul. The Boars surprised many though when they traded him near the deadline to Kyiv for four prospects. It frustrated many fans in Mongolia, as the Boars remained middling after he left and bottomed out in the 1990s. The franchise would later patch things up and retire his #31 uniform at the end of his career. For his Ulaanbaatar run, Sattarli had a 139-97 record, 2.14 ERA, 2305.1 innings, 2937 strikeouts, and 62.7 WAR.

The Kings were in an arms race against their European League foes and hoped Sattarli could give them the edge. Although not an award winner or league leader with Kyiv, Sattarli was a solid veteran arm. He posted a 3.69 ERA and 6-3 record over 90.1 playoff innings with the Kings, striking out 103. Sattarli earned two championship rings as Kyiv won it all in 1986 and 1987.

Sattarli started to fade as his contract ran out and was only used as a part-time starter in 1990. For his Kyiv tenure, he had a 72-63 record, 2.60 ERA, 1315 innings, 1595 strikeouts, 29.3 WAR. A free agent for the first time at age 37, he signed a one-year deal with Dushanbe. He provided a lot of innings in his one year with the Dynamo, but his production was average at best. Sattarli decided to retire after the 1991 campaign at age 38.

For his career, Sattarli had a 228-172 record, 2.37 ERA, 3907.1 innings, 4817 strikeouts, 632 walks, 345/452 quality starts, 234 complete games, 123 ERA+, 76 FIP-, and 97.7 WAR. He was seventh all-time in strikeouts at induction and still sits tenth as of 2037. Sattarli doesn’t sit at the tip-top of the leaderboard for EPB Hall of Fame pitchers, but he’s definitely not at the bottom either. The voters didn’t hesitate to put him in at 98.5% as the second member of the 1997 class.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1997 OBA Hall of Fame

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Pitcher Thomas Harrison was the lone inductee for 1997 into the Oceania Baseball Association Hall of Fame at a strong 98.1%. Two others crossed the midway mark, but fell short of the 66% requirement. RF Dede Hayati had 58.6% on his sixth ballot and closer Lorenzo Amaru got 52.1% for his second attempt.



Thomas Harrison – Starting Pitcher – Guam Golden Eagles – 98.1% First Ballot

Thomas Harrison was a 6’0’’, 190 pound right-handed pitcher from Newcastle, Australia; a city of roughly 350,000 inhabitants in the Sydney Basin. Harrison was a well-rounded pitcher with solid stuff, movement, and control. His fastball hit around 97-99 mph and was his strongest pitch. Harrison mixed in a sinker and changeup to fool hitters. Compared to his contemporaries, his stamina was low and he didn’t toss many complete games.

Harrison was noticed as a teenage amateur by a scout for Guam, who signed him to a developmental deal in spring 1974. He officially debuted with one relief appearance in 1977 at age 21. Harrison was moved into the rotation full-time in 1978, although a strained oblique cost him two months. Still, he had enough innings to qualify for an ERA title at 1.58. This season, Guam fell two games short of the Pacific League title behind Port Moresby.

The next two seasons, the Golden Eagles won the Oceania Championship. They won 112-50 games in 1979, setting the top mark at the time for wins in a season. Harrison was second in Pitcher of the Year voting in 1979, then won the award in 1980. He missed the 1979 finals to a sprained elbow, but was a big part of their 1980 finals run, tossing 16 scoreless innings in his two starts. Guam remained solid for the next few years, but wouldn’t make it back to the final in the 1980s as Honolulu’s dynasty dawned. Harrison also started pitching for Australia in the World Baseball Championship, playing eight WBCs from 1981-91. He was mostly a reliever in the WBC, posting a 1.93 ERA over 56 innings with 87 strikeouts and 2.2 WAR.

Harrison signed a six-year, $3,016,000 extension in the spring of 1983. That season, he picked up his second Pitcher of the Year award, leading in ERA, wins, and WAR. Harrison led in wins thrice, WHIP thrice, K/BB twice, quality starts four times, and FIP- three times. He stayed solid over these next few years, although elbow and forearm inflammation cost Harrison a number of starts in this stretch. Guam finally bottomed out in 1987 at 64-98, needing to rebuild after having posted nine straight winning seasons. However, the Golden Eagles decided to keep Harrison around, adding a three-year extension for the 33-year old just before the 1989 season.

Sadly, 1988 was Harrison’s final full season. Elbow issues cost him much of early 1988, then he suffered a torn UCL in August 1989 to put him out 11 months. Harrison made it back for a few starts in late 1990, although his production was average at best. He looked good to start 1991, but had another torn UCL that ultimately ended his career. The Golden Eagles won the PL pennant in 1991, but Harrison was watching in a sling. He retired that winter at age 35. Guam retired his #12 uniform soon after.

Harrison’s stats saw a 203-108 record, 2.22 ERA, 3067 innings, 3030 strikeouts, 520 walks, 346/431 quality starts, 82 FIP-, 132 ERA+, and 67.3 WAR. He was the seventh pitcher to reach 200 wins and the 11^th to 3000 strikeouts. Harrison’s overall accumulations are a bit low compared to some others due to his injury issues, but his ERA and rate stats hold up very well against the best of the best. He was a big reason Guam was a consistent contender in the 1980s. The voters recognized this and gave Harrison the slam dunk first ballot induction at 98.1% as the lone member of OBA’s 1997 class.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1997 APB Hall of Fame

Two pitchers made it into the Austronesia Professional Baseball Hall of Fame for the 1997 class. Both guys were first ballot selections, but both only narrowly breached the 66% requirement for induction. Ed Arua had 71.3% and Eka Mattalatta received 67.9%. Also above 50% on their debuts were three closers; Ting-Wei Ping (57.4%), Hong Quinonez (55.8%), and Afriza Bachdim (55.1%).



Dropped after ten ballots was designated hitter Po-Yu Shao, who played 14 years with his hometown Kaohsiung. Shao came very close, reaching 60.7% in his debut and in 1995. He ended at 53.2% and had a low at 45.9%. Shao won six Silver Sluggers, was finals MVP twice, and won four titles with the Steelheads. Shao led in home runs seven times and posted 1556 hits, 1015 runs, 592 home runs, 1160 RBI, 2304 strikeouts, a .218/.297/.497 slash, 154 wRC+, and 61.8 WAR. He was very much a “three true outcomes” type and there were enough voters who dinged Shao for being a DH and for his deficiencies. Still, it is surprising someone with his power was left out, especially considering his prominent role in Kaohsiung’s dynasty.

Also dropped from the ballot was closer Lee Tira, who bounced around between APB, MLB, and EPB in his career. In APB, he had 315 saves, 1.69 ERA, 859.1 innings, 1128 strikeouts, and 29.1 WAR. His stats were comparable to some others who got into the APB Hall, but Tira didn’t have any Reliever of the Year awards. He came close with 57.3% in his debut, but eventually ended at 37.0%.



Ed Arua – Starting Pitcher – Batam Blue Raiders – 71.3% First Ballot

Ed Arua was a 5’9’’, 195 pound right-handed pitcher from Surabaya, Indonesia. He was known for having very good control with solid movement and respectable stuff. His 94-96 mph cut fastball was his top pitch, although Arua also fooled batters with a strong screwball, good sinker, and okay changeup. He had solid stamina and was considered great at holding runners and a good defensive pitcher. However, Arua was very outspoken and controversial, known for his many inflammatory hot takes. Even with his talent, a lot of teammates and fans didn’t think Arua was worth the hassle.

Arua’s potential was evident as a teenager with Batam signing him in late 1972 as an amateur free agent. He spent just over five years in their developmental system, making his debut in 1978 at age 21 with 59 innings. The plan was to put Arua full-time in the 1979 rotation, but he suffered a torn ulnar collateral ligament in May. Some worried that this could derail his career, but Arua returned from the injury as a legitimate ace.

In 1981, Arua took second in Pitcher of the Year by leading in wins, ERA, and WHIP. He never won the top award, but placed third in 1983, second again in 1984, and third in 1985. Arua led in wins twice and ERA twice and posted six straight seasons worth 6.5+ WAR. He also pitched for the Indonesian national team from 1981-88 in the World Baseball Championship, posting a 13-4 record, 3.01 ERA, 140.2 innings, 155 strikeouts, and 2.7 WAR.

On April 1, 1982, Arua tossed a no-hitter with 10 strikeouts and one walk against Pekanbaru. He one-upped himself on September 4, tossing a perfect game against his hometown team Surabaya with 14 strikeouts. Despite being a strong ace, Batam was middling in his run. Arua only had one playoff start in his career, getting rocked in 1985 with six earned runs against him in 2.2 innings. In total with Batam, Arua had a 112-81 record, 1.80 ERA, 1970.2 innings, 2166 strikeouts, and 52.1 WAR.

The Blue Raiders weren’t sure what to do with Arua. His talent was undeniable, but his outspoken nature was starting to cause trouble. In March 1986, Batam committed long-term to the 29-year old with a seven-year, $6,300,000 extension. The Blue Raiders dropped to 75-87 and started to have buyers’ remorse. They ultimately decided to go with a full rebuild, which did pay off as they would contend in the 1990s. Batam traded Arua after the 1986 season to Tainan for five prospects.

Arua was never nearly as dominant in his time with the Titans. He was average to below average in his first three seasons, allowing the most home runs in 1989. He flat out stunk in 1990 and was moved out of the rotation full-time. In early 1991, shoulder inflammation required surgery and effectively ended Arua’s career at age 35. With Tainan, he had a 46-57 record, 3.18 ERA, 894.2 innings, 830 strikeouts, 166 walks, and 8.7 WAR.

For his career, Arua had a 158-138 record, 2.23 ERA, 2865.1 innings, 2996 strikeouts, 438 walks, 266/346 quality starts, 126 complete games, 115 ERA+, 82 FIP-, and 60.8 WAR. Batam would later retire his #20 uniform and he was a legit ace during his Blue Raiders run. Still, Arua’s tallies are among the lower end of the APB Hall of Fame leaderboard, plus he lacked awards or playoff accolades. He definitely was a borderline choice, but the 1997 ballot didn’t have any no-doubt guys or strong returners. There were enough voters sold and those who didn’t want to leave the ballot blank, giving Arua the first ballot induction at 71.3%.



Eka Mattalatta - Starting Pitcher – Medan Marlins – 67.9% First Ballot

Eka Mattalatta was a 5’11’’, 195 pound right-handed pitcher from from Surabaya, Indonesia. Mattalatta wasn’t dominant at any facet, but gave you above average control and movement with decent stuff. He had 94-96 mph velocity on his fastball, but countered it with very good changeup. Mattalatta also had a forkball and slider in his arsenal. He had great stamina and was considered a good defensive pitcher that knew how to hold runners. Mattalatta also was a good hitter by pitcher standards with a .194/.208/.235 slash and 2.3 WAR in his career, winning Silver Sluggers in 1981, 82, and 83. He would clash with teammates though, considered thick-headed and greedy.

Mattalatta emerged as a top-end Indonesian prospect coming out of the amateur ranks. With the third pick of the 1975 APB Draft, Medan selected Mattalatta. They didn’t use him at all in 1976 though and only gave him four relief appearances in 1977. Mattalatta became a full-time starter from 1978 onward. His debut in the rotation was strong, leading the Sundaland Association in wins and quality starts. Mattalatta won Rookie of the Year and was second in Pitcher of the Year voting.

Mattalatta was third in Pitcher of the Year voting in 1980, but wouldn’t ever win the award or be a finalist again. He had steady production with the Marlins, but wasn’t a league leader. It was Mattalatta’s playoff success that earned him acclaim. Medan made the playoffs four times from 1980-84 and won the Sundaland Association pennant in 1981, 83, and 84. The Marlins were unable to win the APB title, but it certainly wasn’t Mattalatta’s fault. In nine playoff starts for Medan, he had a 1.32 ERA, 75 innings, 57 strikeouts, and 2.0 WAR. That effort was a big reason his #48 would be retired eventually by the Marlins.

For his Medan tenure, Mattalatta had a 119-98 record, 2.14 ERA, 2138 innings, 1984 strikeouts, 401 walks, 212/254 quality starts, and 38.1 WAR. He became a free agent after the 1985 season at age 32 and inked a six-year, $5,170,000 contract with Semarang. Mattalatta’s stats declined a bit with age, posting very average stats with the Sliders.

They would win two pennants in his tenure, 1988 and 1990. Mattalatta missed the 1988 postseason to injury, but was there to earn his first APB ring in 1990 as Semarang beat Cebu in the final. For his Sliders tenure, Mattalatta had a 65-49 record, 2.36 ERA, 1100.2 innings, 1013 strikeouts, and 7.2 WAR. Semarang would trade him in 1991, oddly enough to the team they beat in the championship. The Sliders sent him and 1B Dan Ong to Cebu for 3B Raymond Jo.

Mattalatta pitched one year with the Crows and posted 5.2 WAR, his highest since his Medan days. The Crows won the Taiwan-Philippine Association title again and bested Batam for the APB title. Mattalatta posted a 2.60 ERA over 27.2 playoff innings in the run, earning his second APB ring and sixth Association pennant. Mattalatta decided to retire with the title in winter 1991 at age 37.

Mattalatta had a 196-158 record, 2.25 ERA, 3490.2 innings, 3234 strikeouts, 632 walks, 329/412 quality starts, 190 complete games, 109 ERA+, FIP- of 96, and 50.7 WAR. His rate stats and WAR were very much among the weakest of those who made the APB Hall of Fame. Mattalatta’s playoff successes though won over many voters that were skeptical of his resume. He had more longevity than his HOF classmate Ed Arua, but was less efficient. A case could be made that the 1997 was an all-time weak class for the APB HOF, but APB voters a very pitcher-centric and were loath to leave a blank ballot. Mattalatta just narrowly crossed the 66% requirement at 67.9% to earn a first ballot induction.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1997 CLB Hall of Fame

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Center fielder Libo Li received an induction into the Chinese League Baseball as the lone member of the 1997 Hall of Fame class. Li was a first ballot selection at 83.7%. The next closest to making it was closer Huyi Gao at 59.3% for his fourth try. Two others were above 50% with RF Zhengyu Peng at 54.8% and SP Xiabin Chen at 52.1%; both on their first ballots. No players were dumped from the ballot after ten failed tries.



Libo Li – Center Field – Qingdao Devils – 83.7% First Ballot

Libo Li was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed center fielder from Huaibei, a city of just under two million people in east China’s Anhui province. Li was a solid contact hitter with a terrific pop in his bat. He wasn’t a prolific home run hitter, but he added around 25 per 162 games. Li’s ability to find the gap made him very dangerous, posting upwards of 40-50 doubles/triples in his best seasons. He had a respectable eye for drawing walks with an average strikeout rate.

Li was also incredibly fast and was a terrific baserunner, adept at steals and stretching out for extra bags. He was a career center fielder and an excellent defender, winning six Gold Gloves in his career. Despite the physical demands of the position, Li rarely missed time to injury in his prime seasons. Although he started to break down some as he aged, Li had the very rare distinction as someone still capable of playing center effectively into his 40s. Li also was occasionally used as a pitcher, although he wasn’t a true two-way guy. He had a fastball and circle change combo, posting a 2.82 career ERA with 16 saves over 76.2 innings.

Li seemed to have all of the tools, making him the top prospect ahead of the 1974 Chinese League Baseball Draft. Qingdao had the first overall pick and used it on Li. He was a full-time starter immediately and posted an impressive 8.6 WAR in his debut, taking the 1975 Rookie of the Year. That year, he also became the third CLB hitter to have a six hit game. His great defense gave him impressive WAR totals with 11 consecutive seasons worth 8+ WAR to start his career. Li’s Gold Gloves were six straight from 1976-81.

Li very quickly added offensive excellence to his defensive greatness. He would lead the Northern League in runs scored twice, triples five times, home runs once, RBI twice, total bases twice, stolen bases twice, batting average once, OBP twice, slugging twice, OPS twice, wRC+ twice, and WAR five times. Li won eight Silver Sluggers (1977, 79-85).

These dynamic performances made him one of the most beloved figures in Chinese baseball. He also was a regular for the Chinese team in the World Baseball Championship. Li played in 18 editions of the event from 1977-96, playing 248 games and starting 247. He had 208 hits, 158 runs, 32 doubles, 13 triples, 53 home runs, 124 RBI, a .237/.331/.484 slash, 133 wRC+, and 8.5 WAR. Li was second in WBC MVP voting in 1979, helping China take the World Championship. He got a second world title with the 1994 team.

Li was a regular MVP finalist with Qingdao. He won the award in 1980 and 1985. Li took second in 1977, third in 1978, third in 1982, second in 1983, and third in 1984. In 1980, his staggering 15.8 WAR set the CLB record for the most in a season, a mark that still stands as the all-time best in 2037. Li scored 121 runs, which held as the CLB record until 2029. He also posted career bests in home runs (41), total bases (386), average (.311), OPS (1.020), and wRC+ (244).

He was beloved by Qingdao, but he couldn’t turn the Devils into a winner. 1982 would be their only playoff appearance in his entire run, falling in the semifinal to Hong Kong. Qingdao was usually just above .500 during Li’s run, but couldn’t get over the hump. Still, Devils crowds were full of #20 jerseys. They would eventually retire the #20 once Li’s impressive run was done. In the summer of 1982, he would sign a seven-year, $4,830,000 extension to stay in Qingdao.

In 1986, things would trend downward for the Devils. They finished at 66-96, their worst season in a decade. Li missed the second half of the season with a broken bone in his elbow. It didn’t look like Qingdao would be competitive in the coming years. Li disappointed many fans by opting out of the remainder of his contract, becoming a free agent for the first time at age 35. This would also end his time playing in China, although he still remained nationally popular as he left for the United States.

With Qingdao, Li had 1841 hits, 1002 runs, 239 doubles, 270 triples, 248 home runs, 841 RBI, 771 stolen bases, a .278/.334/.509 slash, 180 wRC+, and 130.6 WAR. As of 2037, he’s still fifth all-time in batting WAR. He was the all-time triples leader until 2035. Had his last decade of stats been still in China, Li might have totals atop the leaderboards to put him in the GOAT conversations. It was still more than enough to get him the first ballot induction, although some voters were against him for leaving and for his lack of playoff success with Qingdao. Li ended up at 83.7% as the lone inductee into CLB’s Hall of Fame in 1997.

He had another decade of baseball ahead, signing a four-year, $6,780,000 with MLB’s San Francisco. Li never was an award winner in MLB, but he still provided strong value, especially with his great defense. With the Gold Rush, he had 15.8 WAR, 441 hits, 251 runs, and a .270/.329/.497 slash. He struggled a bit offensively in 1989 with the Gold Rush and the team traded him early in the 1990 season. Li was traded to Tampa for two pitchers. His Thunderbirds season was plagued by injury, putting his future in doubt after the campaign. Li was a free agent at age 39, signing a one-year deal with Portland.

Li spend three season ultimately with the Pacifics, posting 6.3 WAR, 294 hits, 156 runs, 53 home runs, and a .233/.294/.418 average. In 1994, the now 42-year old signed with Washington and saw a resurgence, as he had been subpar offensively in the prior couple seasons. Li posted 5.1 WAR and 33 home runs in his one year with the Admirals. Toronto signed him for 1995 and he looked decent, but missed time to injury. Li ended up in Tampa in 1996 and finally looked cooked that season. He retired that winter at age 44.

For his MLB career, Li had 1077 hits, 610 runs, 149 doubles, 58 triples, 204 home runs, 593 RBI, a .248/.309/.451 slash, 111 wRC+, and 29.7 WAR. A pretty solid decade for a guy on the back end of his career. He didn’t have any better luck being on playoff teams in MLB, only seeing two playoff games in 1987 with San Francisco. For his entire pro run, Li had 2918 hits, 1612 runs, 388 doubles, 328 triples, 452 home runs, 1434 RBI, 994 stolen bases, a .266/.324/.486 slash, 152 wRC+, and 160.3 WAR. Li was one of the finest center fielders of his era and one of the absolute best players of any era to come out of China.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1997 WAB Hall of Fame

For the first time since 1989, West African Baseball didn’t add a player into its Hall of Fame. Two debuting players led the 1997 ballot, but fell short of the 66% requirement. SP Moussa Sidi ended up with 57.4% and SP Issaka Camara had 56.6%. The top returner was CF Stephen Tshukudu at 56.6% on his eight try. That was the highest mark yet for Tshukudu, whose previous best was 52.4% in 1994. No one else was above 50% and no players were dropped after making it on ten ballots.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1997 SAB & ABF Hall of Fame

For the second time in three years, no players made the cut into the South Asia Baseball Hall of Fame. Only one player was above 50% in 1997 as SP Ramesh Kohinoor received 59.5% on his fourth try. Interestingly enough, no new players qualified for the ballot in 1997. Closer Jason Mayekar was the only other player above ¼, getting 49.0% for his sixth ballot.



The Asian Baseball Federation seemed no closer to getting its first Hall of Famer. The top vote getter in 1997 was SP Abbas Nadim at only 24.1% for his fourth try. The best debut was SP Ali Dahir at a mere 13.5%

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1997 World Baseball Championship

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The 1997 World Baseball Championship was the 51^st edition of the event and was hosted in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. Division 1 had Colombia and Costa Rica tie for first at 7-2, while Burkina Faso was close behind at 6-3. The tiebreaker went to the Colombians, denying the Costa Ricans what would’ve been their first division title. It was the 14^th time Colombia advanced, but the first since 1993. The defending world champion United States crushed the Division 2 field and were the only 9-0 in divisional play. The Americans advanced for the 43^rd time in WBC history.

Turkey claimed Division 3 at 7-2, beating out Australia and Denmark. This was only the second division title for the Turks, who were runner-up in 1985. China, who had been in the championship in the prior four seasons, limped to 4-5. D4 had Peru and Japan tied for first at 7-2, while Iran and the Dominican Republic were both 6-3. The Peruvians had the head-to-head tiebreaker to win their third-ever division title with the other two coming way back in the 1960s. Division 5 saw Panama prevail at 7-2, edging four 6-3 teams (Canada, Haiti, India, Portugal). This was the third time advancing for the Panamanians (1992, 1965).

Division 6 went to 7-2 England, besting 6-3 efforts by Argentina, Brazil, and the Czech Republic. This was the fourth division title for the English, who last pulled it off in 1975. Division 7 was claimed by Mexico at 8-1, who topped Bolivia and the Netherlands by two games. The Mexicans advanced for the 21^st time. D8 featured 7-2 Indonesia outlasting 6-3 runs by Germany, Greece, and Nigeria. The Indonesians impressively earned a fifth consecutive division title, the longest active streak. It was their 14^th division title overall.

Indonesia took top marks in Round Robin Group A at 5-1, becoming a semifinalist for the eighth time and first time since 1993. The United States also advanced at 4-2, while Peru was 2-4 and England finished 1-5. The Americans earned a 37^th final four berth. Group B saw Mexico on top at 5-1, moving forward along with 3-3 Colombia. Panama and Turkey both ended at 2-4. It was the 11^th final four appearance for the Mexicans, although they hadn’t gotten that far since 1981. It was the eighth semifinal for the Colombians, whose own drought dated to 1982.

In the semifinals, Indonesia downed Colombia 3-1 and the United States swept Mexico 3-0. This earned the Indonesians only their second-ever championship appearance, as they fell to Canada in the 1986 final. The Americans earned a 33^rd finals berth. The Colombians were officially third, matching their best effort. Six times, Colombia has ended up as the third place team. Mexico placed fourth for the second time.



The 51^st World Championship was unique as it was the first sweep since 1974. The United States rolled over Indonesia to earn back-to-back world titles, making the Americans 29-4 all-time in the final. Indonesia’s Nerius Senaen would earn tournament MVP despite the runner-up finish. The 31-year old three-time MVP left fielder with Batam had 32 hits, 18 runs, 7 doubles, 10 home runs, 19 RBI, a .372/.460/.802 slash, and 2.4 WAR over 23 WBC starts. Dominican pitcher Marco Del Valle was named Top Pitcher. The 27-year old closer tossed 10 scoreless innings with four hits and three walks allowed and 14 strikeouts.



Other notes: Burkina Faso’s Paul Zorome tossed the fifth perfect game in WBC history, striking out 17 against Nicaragua. That set a record for most Ks in a perfecto, although that would be beaten when the next one occurred in 2004. Bangladesh’s Budail bin Hafiz posted the WBC’s first-ever six hit game, going 6-7 against the Philippines. As of 2037, no other player has gotten six hits in a WBC game. Below are the updated all-time tournament stats for the WBC. Mexico became the fifth nation to reach 100 points.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1997 in AAB

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The Southern Conference saw defending AAB champion Cape Town and Dar es Salaam finish tied for first at 95-67. The tiebreaker gave the Sabercats the top seed with their first-ever winning season. Dar es Salaam allowed 1132 hits as a pitching staff, which sits third best in conference history as of 2037. The Cowboys earned repeat playoff berths as the wild card. Johannesburg was third at 87-75, eight games back. Luanda, last year’s wild card, dropped to fifth at 80-82.

Southern Conference MVP was Sabercats 1B Boubacar Mavinga. The 30-year old Congolese righty led in hits (163) and total bases (339). He added 51 home runs, 125 RBI, a .281/.362/.584 slash, and 6.0 WAR. Cape Town’s Ahmed Hussen Rooble was the Pitcher of the Year. The 30-year old Somali righty led in wins (20-9), innings (277.2), WHIP (1.02), quality starts (25), FIP- (66), and WAR (8.9). He added 281 strikeouts and 2.85 ERA.



The Central Conference also had two teams well above the rest. Bujumbura took first at 104-58 for their first-ever playoff berth. They were one game ahead of wild card Kinshasa, who is the only team to make playoffs in all three years of AAB. The Sun Cats allowed 1109 hits as a pitching staff, which is still second-best in conference history as of 2037. Defending conference champ Ndjamena was a solid third at 93-69, but still ten games shy of the wild card. No other teams in the conference were above .500.

Bujumbura’s Stijn Steeneveld repeated as Central Conference MVP. The 32-year old Dutch right fielder led in hits (185), RBI (131), total bases (381), and WAR (8.0). He added 56 home runs and a .312 average, finishing second in both stats. His Bighorns teammate Henry Kibirige won Pitcher of the Year in only his second season. The 22-year old Ugandan righty led in wins (23-6), ERA (2.60), innings (266.2), WHIP (0.97), K/BB (4.2), quality starts (26), FIP- (58), and WAR (10.0). Kibirige added 242 strikeouts.



In the Southern Conference Championship, Dar es Salaam knocked out defending champ Cape Town 4-2. The Central Conference Championship had Kinshasa upset Bujumbura 4-1. The Sun Cats were the first team to make the Africa Series twice, having taken runner-up in 1995. The second try was the charm for Kinshasa, who cruised to a 5-0 Africa Series sweep over the Sabercats. CF Bawaka Ngoie was MVP of the Africa Series and the conference finals. The Congolese righty had 11 hits, 13 runs, 9 home runs, and 15 RBI in 9 playoff starts. 9 homers was a playoff record in AAB until passed in 2008.



Other notes: Bujumbura’s Jose Elias became the first hitter in AAB to smack 60 homers in a season. He’d only hold the home run record for one year.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1997 in ALB

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Reigning Arab League Baseball champion Cairo was a solid 95-67, but that wasn’t enough to win a strong Nile Division. At 105-57, Khartoum took the top seed in the Western Conference for their first-ever playoff berth. It was only the second time in ALB’s eight seasons to date that the Pharaohs missed the playoffs. Casablanca, who had won five straight Mediterranean Division titles and three conference pennants in that stretch, dropped to 76-86. Tripoli would roll to the Mediterranean crown at 99-63 to get their second division title along with the 1991 campaign. Jerusalem took the Levant Division at 84-78, beating defending division winner Amman by four games. The Jets snapped a four-year playoff drought.

Western Conference MVP went to Jerusalem 2B Mustafa bin Nazim. In his first full-time season as a starter, the 22-year old Omani switch hitter led in total bases (385), slugging (.675), OPS (1.071), wRC+ (187), and WAR (10.1). He added a .319 average, 50 home runs, and 112 RBI. Khartoum’s Mohamed Wael became a two-time Pitcher of the Year winner. The 26-year old Egyptian lefty led in ERA (2.36), strikeouts (329), WHIP (0.79), K/BB (9.7), FIP- (57), and WAR (8.7). Wael added a 16-9 record over 233 innings.

Tripoli rolled to a 2-0 first round series win over Jerusalem, earning their second-ever Western Conference Final appearance. They proved no match for Khartoum, who became a first-time pennant winner by sweeping the WCF 3-0.



The only repeat playoff team in all of ALB was reigning Eastern Conference champion Mosul. The Muskies earned a third Iraq Division title in a row at 107-55. They led all ALB teams in both runs scored (820) and fewest allowed (557). Doha had a remarkable turnaround to win the Gulf Division at 95-67. The Dash hadn’t won more than 65 games in any season prior and had an ALB-worst 58 wins in 1996. Dubai, who had won three straight Gulf Divisions, was a distant second at 85-77. The Saudi Division needed a tiebreaker game as both Medina and Jeddah tied at 88-74. The Mastodons prevailed for their seventh division title in eight years. Riyadh was a competitive third at 83-79, while last year’s winner Mecca fell to 76-86.

Mosul SS Mohammed Mohamed won a third consecutive Eastern Conference MVP. He didn’t reach his record-setting 16.0 WAR for the prior year, but his 14.5 WAR still stands as the second-best ever in 2037 by a position player. At only 23 years old, the Saudi righty repeated as a Triple Crown winner and won his third Gold Glove at shortstop. Mohamed led the EC in runs (124), hits (198), home runs (51), RBI (141), triple slash (.390/.453/.776), OPS (1.229), and wRC+ (242). His runs, batting average, and OPS set single season ALB records. As of 2037, he’s the only ALB batter to earn multiple Triple Crown seasons.

Muskies ace Rashiq Tariq was also dominant again, taking his third straight Pitcher of the Year and the fourth of his career. The 28-year old Iraqi righty led in wins (27-4), ERA (1.72), innings (293.2), WHIP (0.85), quality starts (29), complete games (15), shutouts (5), FIP- (53), and WAR (11.9). The 27 wins remains the ALB single-season record as of 2037. Tariq also struck out 365, second to a record-setting 410 Ks from Jeddah’s Ahmad Abu Kabeer. Abu Kabeer, a fourth-year Palestinian righty, was the first ALB pitcher to fan 400+ in a season. Only two others would eventually join him with only one passing him in 2013.

Doha downed Medina 2-0 in the first round of the playoffs. The Dash were a major underdog against a loaded Mosul squad for the Eastern Conference Final, as the Muskies looked for a repeat pennant. However, Doha pulled off the stunning upset 3-1 to take the title.



Doha’s improbable run continued into the eighth Arab League Championship. The Dash were the underdog to 105-win Khartoum, but swept the Cottonmouths 4-0. Doha completed one of the finest bounce-back stories in pro baseball history, going from a 58-win stinker the prior year that had never posted a winning season to the champion of the Arab world. 2B Ammar Mohammed was finals MVP as the 28-year old Yemeni had 16 hits, 6 runs, 2 doubles, 2 home runs, and 5 RBI in 10 playoff starts.



Other notes; Doha’s Jassem Al-Yamahi threw ALB’s second perfect game on September 14, striking out 13 against Baghdad. In addition to setting the single-season strikeout record, Jeddah’s Ahmad Abu Kabeer became the first ALB pitcher to strike out 20 in a game. He did it against Doha on May 8 while walking two. Alexandria’s Alfons Brandstetter set a bad record as a pitcher, walking 127 batters. This remains ALB’s all-time worst as of 2037. Casablanca’s Mamadou Bassirou had a 26-game hit streak, which set the ALB record that held until 2002. Abdullah Al-Muhafazat became the first pitcher to 2500 career strikeouts.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1997 in ABF

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Hyderabad had the top record in the Pakistan League for the third successive season and earned a fourth straight playoff berth. The Horned Frogs ran away with first at 104-58 and set a still-standing PL record with 438 stolen bases as a team. The battle for second place was tight as Faisalabad took it at 88-74. It was the second-ever playoff berth for the Fire, who were wild card in 1992. Lahore was four games back while two-time defending PL champ Karachi was six behind.

Peshawar was sixth at 77-85, but they had the Pakistan League MVP in veteran RF Hakim As-Salam. It was the second MVP for the 33-year old, who also won it back in 1992. In his 11^th season with the Predators, As-Salam led in the triple slash (.312/.388/.616), OPS (1.004), wRC+ (241), total bases (343), and hits (174). He added 43 home runs and 8.8 WAR. Hyderabad’s Ahmad Oorzhak repeated as Pitcher of the Year. The 24-year old ace led in wins (17-3), ERA (1.54), and FIP- (59). He added 265 strikeouts and 6.3 WAR over 186.2 innings.



For the first time in franchise history, Bursa had the top record in the Turkish League. The Blue Claws took the top seed in the West Asia Association at 102-60, outracing Istanbul by six games. With their berth, Shiraz is now the only ABF team without a single playoff berth through the first 13 seasons of the Asian Baseball Federation. Adana, the two-time defending ABF champs, took third in the TL at 88-74. The Persian League had Isfahan on top again at 94-68, earning a third consecutive title. Tehran was their closest competitor at a distant ten games back.

West Asia Association MVP went to Tabriz LF Vahid Hadadi, making him a three-time MVP. It was his first MVP since earning back-to-back honors in his first two seasons. Hadadi earned the award despite the Tiger Sharks being an atrocious 58-104 in 1997. The 30-year old Iranian led in slugging (.678), OPS (1.083), and wRC+ (202), while adding a .322 average, 8.1 WAR, 50 home runs, and 99 RBI. Isfahan’s Yazeed Anwari won a third straight Pitcher of the Year and set the ABF wins record at 27-6. As of 2037, no other pitcher has won 27 in ABF. The 24-year old Pakistani righty also led in strikeouts (401), WHIP (0.83), K/BB (16.0), innings (280.1), complete games (22), FIP- (42), and WAR (13.1). Anwari’s WAR total remains the second best season by an ABF pitcher as of 2037. He also had a 2.05 ERA, falling five points shy of a Triple Crown.

After dropping three straight Pakistan League Championship Series appearances, Hyderabad ended up on top as the Horned Frogs bested Faisalabad 4-2. Isfahan also snapped their own recent finals woes, upsetting Bursa 4-2 in the West Asia Association Championship. It was the third pennant for both the Imperials and the Horned Frogs. Oddly enough, both teams won their prior titles in 1986 and 1987, setting up a third finals battle between the two.



Hyderabad had beaten Isfahan in their earlier two meetings in the ABF Championship. In the 13^th final, the Imperials flipped the script and won their first title in six games. 2B Hayadeh Taraghijah led the win, winning WAA MVP. The 27-year old played 11 playoff games with 9 hits, 8 runs, 3 doubles, 4 home runs, and 12 RBI.



Other notes: Tehran’s Hasballah Kadoor set the ABF batting average record at .383. This held as the single-season best until 2016 and remains fourth as of 2037. Kadoor also had 171 singles, which remains the ABF record. Bursa’s Shahnawaz Ikram had 677 at-bats, the ABF record as of 2037. Faisalabad’s Hasan Acar set playoff records for lowest WHIP (0.19), opponent OBP (.080) and OPS (.163). He allowed three hits and one run over 15.2 innings with 19 strikeouts. Lahore’s Hasan Afshin twice had games with 20+ strikeouts. He fanned 21 against Rawalpindi on 7/9 and 20 versus Multan in his next start over 10 innings. Although he was one short of the ABF single-game record of 22, no pitcher in any pro league had ever struck out 41 batters between back-to-back starts. Vahid Hadadi became the first slugger to 400 career home runs. RF Yakup Gunduz won his seventh Gold Glove.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1997 in SAB

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Ahmedabad’s remarkable dominance of the Indian League continued in 1997. The three-time defending South Asia Baseball champs were 120-42, the second-best mark in IL history behind their own 124-38 two years earlier. The Animals in 1997 allowed 410 runs, which is the lowest by any team in SAB history as of 2037. Their 0.911 WHIP set a new IL record, while the 2.33 team ERA was second to their own 2.23 from 1995. Ahmedabad’s postseason streak extended to 13 seasons, while their West Division title streak and streak of 100+ win seasons both moved to ten.

Despite their dominance, the wild card race was also in the West Division. Pune took the spot at 90-72, edging out Mumbai by two games. It was the Purple Knights first playoff berth and winning season since 1987. Jaipur repeated in the Central Division at 96-66. Kanpur was a distant second at 83-79 and saw their seven season playoff streak snapped. The South Division was abysmal, but 76-86 Hyderabad was the best of the bad to earn their first playoff spot in a decade. Visakhapatnam had won 101 games in 1996, but collapsed to a 73-89 finish. The Hippos were only two games better than 1995 Tokyo, who holds the record for worst mark by a division champ in any pro league.

It was a bad year for Bengaluru with only 68 wins, but another great year for Blazers 2B Tirtha Upadhyaya. The 23-year old Nepali lefty won his third consecutive Indian League MVP, leading in runs (104), home runs (60), RBI (116), total bases (383), slugging (.696), OPS (1.075), wRC+ (247), and WAR (12.9). It was the third straight 60+ homer season for Upadhyaya. He also became the second SAB batter to have a four home run game, smacking them against Kanpur on July 3.

Pitcher of the Year was 29-year old Burmese righty Na Thinn. After six solid seasons with Bangkok, he joined the evil empire of Ahmedabad for 1997 on a five-year, $5,800,000 deal. Thinn led in strikeouts (344), WHIP (0.81), FIP- (58), and WAR (8.1). He added an 18-4 record over 234.2 innings with a 1.73 ERA. Thinn also won a Silver Slugger with a .278/.303/.319 slash in his starts on the mound.

Ahmedabad bounced divisional foe 3-0 in the first round, while Jaipur had no trouble sweeping Hyderabad. This set up a rematch in the Indian League Championship Series and gave the Animals their 12^th straight ILCS berth. The dynasty rolled forward as Ahmedabad won the pennant 4-1. This gave the Animals four straight Indian League titles, eight in nine years, and ten in twelve years.



Ho Chi Minh City maintained its dominance of the Southeast Asia League, taking top marks in the South Division at 119-43. This was the third-best season in SEAL history, behind the Hedgehogs’ 126 wins in 1993 and 124 in 1995. HCMC’s playoff streak extended to 11 seasons and the division title run grew to nine years. The Hedgehogs had the most runs (853) and fewest allowed (481) by a considerable margin in SEAL.

Reigning SEAL champ Yangon was an impressive 103-59 atop the North Division, tying a franchise best. This made back-to-back-to-back division titles for the Green Dragons. There was a steep drop to the wild card race. Phnom Penh (84-78) ended up with the first spot while Bangkok (82-80) took the second. Mandalay (81-81) was right behind with a few others not far from that. The Pandas ended a five-year stretch without a playoff spot or a winning season. The Bobcats grabbed a third wild card in four years.

The big offseason change was veteran slugger K.C. Choudhury ending up with Ho Chi Minh City. He had been a beast for a decade plus within Ahmedabad’s dynasty, but he sat out the 1996 season as no one matched his price. The Hedgehogs were the only other team willing and able to spend on the level required and got the 37-year old legend on a one-year deal. Choudhury won his third MVP award and led in runs (120), walks (106), OPS (1.030), wRC+ (189), and WAR (9.7). He added 44 home runs and 110 RBI. It would be his only season in Vietnam, as Choudhury went back to the Animals the next year.

Pitcher of the Year also went to a HCMC player as Ansin “Godzilla” Mohammad was a repeat winner. He became the third SAB pitcher to earn a Triple Crown season in his second year as a Hedgehog. The 30-year old righty had a 25-5 record, 1.97 ERA, and 356 strikeouts over 273.2 innings. He also led in quality starts (27), shutouts (6), FIP- (61), and WAR (9.3). Mohammad also had a 20 strikeout game versus Bangkok on April 13, putting him one short of the SAB single-game record. He was only the third SAB pitcher to fan 20+.

In the first round of the playoffs, Phnom Penh stunned Yangon 3-1. This was the third-ever Southeast Asia League Championship Series for the Pandas, joining the 1988 and 1989 campaigns. Ho Chi Minh City would best Bangkok 3-1 for a fourth straight SEALCS berth. The Hedgehogs rolled their divisional rival 4-1 to earn a third pennant in four years. It was HCMC’s seventh SEAL title in eleven years.



The 18^th South Asia Baseball Championship was yet another battle between Ahmedabad and Ho Chi Minh City. The Animals were looking to four-peat for the second time and had a 6-0 record against the Hedgehogs in the final. The 239 combined wins between the two was the second most ever for a final in any world league, only behind the 248 wins from their 1995 battle. This time, HCMC finally slayed the great dragon to win their first SAB title. Not only did the Hedgehogs win, but they swept Ahmedabad. Veteran 3B Thang Huynh, who played with the Animals in the 1995 championship, was finals MVP in 1997 for the Hedgehogs. The 35-year old had 20 hits, 11 runs, 4 doubles, 3 home runs, and 10 RBI in 13 playoff starts.



Other notes: For the third time in SAB history, there were zero no hitters thrown. Janapati Sara became the second pitcher to 3500 career strikeouts. Dhavalapaksa Dattatreya was the seventh member of the 400 home run club. 3B Manju Abbas won his eighth straight Gold Glove; the first player in SAB history to win the award eight or more times. 2B Abdul Deepkaran won his ninth Silver Slugger and 3B Thang Huynh won his seventh.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1997 in WAB



Four teams battled intensely for the three playoff spots in WAB’s Western League in 1997. Nouakchott took first at 98-64 to get back to the playoffs after a two-year absence. Freetown was one behind at 97-65, taking second for back-to-back seasons. The third spot saw a tie between defending West African Baseball champion Accra and Abidjan, both at 95-67. In a one-game tiebreaker, the Alligators prevailed to extend their playoff streak to three seasons. The Athletes had their own streak ended at five.

Western League MVP went to Nouakchott third baseman Yakubu Odiye. The 28-year old Nigerian led in wRC+ (172) and added 7.9 WAR, 208 hits, 29 home runs, and a .350/.392/.574 slash. Accra’s Antonio Akinyemi secured Pitcher of the Year, surprising many. He had a 2.36 ERA, 258 strikeouts, and 11-9 record over 224.2 innings with 4.4 WAR. Akinyemi did lead in complete games with 24.

In the wild card round, Freetown topped Accra 2-0 to oust the reigning champs. The Foresters earned back-to-back Western League Championship Series berths, while Nouakchott hadn’t been there since taking their lone title in 1984. The WLCS went all five games as the Night Riders edged Freetown to take the crown.



Kano clobbered the competition in the Eastern League at an impressive 111-51. It was the third straight playoff berth for the Condors, but their first time taking the top spot in the standings since 1984. 15 games separated them from second place Lagos at 96-66, who ended a two-year playoff drought. Ibadan was third at 91-71 to extend the Iguanas playoff streak to eight seasons, the longest active streak in WAB. Port Harcourt’s bid for nine in-a-row was thwarted with the Hillcats falling to a sixth place 77-85.

Kano shortstop Darwin Morris won his third Eastern League MVP in four seasons. He posted an incredible 14.7 WAR, the second most ever in a WAB season behind his own 15.1 from two years prior. The 25-year old Liberian also broke his own runs scored record from 1995 (142), coming home 146 times in 1997. Morris also led the league in home runs (59), RBI (129), total bases (421), stolen bases (82), OBP (.432), slugging (.761), OPS (1.194), and wRC+ (231). His .354 batting average was three points shy of a Triple Crown.

Pitcher of the Year went to Kano’s Pomeyie Mensah, his second in three years. It was a record-setting campaign for the 28-year old Ghanaian lefty, who broke the WAB single-season ERA record at 1.32. That and his opponent’s slugging percentage of .248 remain WAB records as of 2037. This great season also featured WAB’s 11th perfect game, as Mensah struck out 11 against Port Harcourt on May 6. Mensah also led in wins (24-7), WHIP (0.79), FIP- (50), and WAR (9.6). He struck out 322 over 237 innings.

In the wild card round, Lagos edged Ibadan 2-1. For the Lizards, this was their first Eastern League Championship Series since 1994. Kano was entering their third straight, having fallen in the prior two. The Condors got over that hump, besting Lagos 3-1. It was the fifth EL pennant for Kano (1975, 76, 84, 86, 97).



The 23rd West African Championship was the second time that Kano and Nouakchott had met for the title. Back in 1984, the Night Riders won their only title over the Condors. Kano claimed revenge in 1997 and won the series 4-2. DH Revelation Maseko was finals MVP with the 30-year old South African proving a key addition. The Condors had signed him to a seven-year, $10,740,000 deal following a solid prior run with Port Harcourt. In 10 playoff starts, Maseko had 17 hits, 4 runs, 4 doubles, 2 triples, and 5 RBI.



It was the Condors’ fourth WAB ring (1975, 76, 86). Kano made WAB history as the winningest team to take the title at 111-51, beating the previous high mark of 110-52 by Ibadan in 1993. This would mark the beginning of a prolific decade of dominance for the Condors.

Other notes: Abidjan’s Benedict Collins broke his own single season stolen base record of 136, swiping 139 bags in 1997. This remains the WAB record as of 2037. SS Jorginho Fonseca won his eighth Gold Glove and LF Jake Pourchet won his seventh.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1997 in CLB

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For the 1997 season, Chinese League Baseball expanded its postseason by one team in each league. Now, the top three teams from each team advance with the first place team getting a bye into the semifinal. CLB did maintain its unique structure of having playoff interleague play and still allowing the possibility of a championship between two teams from the same league. The first round matchups would see the second place finisher from one league hosting the third place team of the other league in a best of three. The winners move onto the best-of-seven semifinal, followed by the best-of-seven China Series. The #2 NL vs. #3 SL winner faced the SL #1, while the #3 NL vs. #2 SL winner met the NL #1 in the semi. This remained the CLB playoff format until 2009.

Reigning CLB champ Nanjing finished atop the Northern League standings for back-to-back seasons with a 95-67 mark. The Nuggets were one game better than 1995 champ Xi’an at 94-68, giving the Attack their third playoff berth in four years. For the new third place playoff spot, Jinan (85-77) edged out Beijing (82-80), Dalian (82-80), and Zhengzhou (81-81). This was the first time in a decade that the Jumbos earned a postseason berth. Harbin, the CLB runner-up last year, dropped to ninth place at 76-86.

Leading the Nuggets was Northern League MVP Hao Wu. The 27-uear old shortstop was the WARlord at 8.2, posting a .281/.355/.458 slash with 53 extra base hits. Xi’an’s Momota Oichi won his third straight Pitcher of the Year, becoming the second in CLB history to win three in a row. The 26-year old Japanese righty led in strikeouts (375), quality starts (28), FIP- (53), and WAR (9.0). Oichi added a 1.70 ERA and 18-8 record and 1.70 ERA.



Changsha bounced back from their 79-win 1996 and dominated the Southern League at 109-53. This was a franchise-best for the Cannons, who had only made the playoffs twice before and never had finished first in the standings. There was a 16-game drop to 93-69 Hong Kong, who placed second for back-to-back seasons. Foshan, the first place squad the prior year, grabbed third at 91-71. The Flyers were seven games ahead of Chongqing and nine ahead of Chengdu.

Guangzhou was tied for tenth at 70-92, but they had Southern League MVP Xiaotian Xu. The 25-year old center fielder was the WARlord (9.1) and leader in total bases (305), OPS (.857), and wRC+ (211). He added 22 home runs and a .296 average. Foshan’s Jinlong Han repeated as Pitcher of the Year, leading in ERA (1.45), shutouts (12), FIP- (42), and WAR (10.7). The 27-year old Han added 371 strikeouts over 260.2 innings for a 15-11 record. The big highlight was a 20 strikeout, one walk no-hitter on June 18 against Hong Kong. This set the CLB record for most strikeouts in a no-hitter and would only get matched once in 2025.

While the Northern League had recently dominated the Southern League in the crossover playoff games, the SL reversed the trend in 1997. In the first round, Hong Kong edged Jinan 2-1 and Foshan upset Xi’an with a road sweep. The Champions then upset NL #1 Nanjing 4-3 in a semifinal classic. Changsha downed the Flyers 4-2 in the other semi, There hadn’t been an all-Southern League final since 1978, while there had been eight all-NL finals since then, including the last three.



Hong Kong had lost to Kunming in that 1978 final, while winning the 1982 title over Nanjing in their other China Series berth. That 1982 season was the last time any SL team had won it all. For Changsha, their only other China Series appearance was in 1977, losing an also all-SL final to Kunming. In the 28^th China Series, the Cannons claimed the cup in a seven game classic over the Champions. Fourth year shortstop Dalun Lou was finals MVP, getting 14 hits, 3 runs, 3 doubles, and 5 RBI over 13 playoff starts. With Changsha’s title, 13 of CLB’s 24 teams have claimed the cup.



Other notes: CLB had three perfect games thrown in 1997, making it 26 perfectos in CLB history. The first was Dongguan’s Xin Ruan on April 17 with 12 strikeouts against Ghangzhou. Next was Hong Kong’s Gen Tu on July 1, fanning 15 versus Wuhan. The third was August 26 by Qindgao’s Manuel De La Cruz, who struck out six. Two way P/1B Wei Qin won his 12^th and final Silver Slugger. As of 2037, no other CLB player at any position has won the award 12 times.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1997 in APB

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Manila dominated the Philippine League at 103-59, getting their first playoff berth since their 1986 title. The Manatees were the only PL team above .500 and had the top seed in the Taiwan-Philippine Association. Cebu, last year’s winner, struggled to 68-94. In the Taiwan League, defending Austronesia Champion Taoyuan took the TL title for the fourth successive season. The Tsunami was 93-69, edging out Taipei (90-72) and Kaohsiung (89-73).

TPA MVP was Taoyuan’s Ting-Jen Hsu for the second time in three years. The two-way 27-year old lefty had a 2.26 ERA over 299.1 innings with 319 strikeouts and 6.5 WAR. In the outfield, he had 94 games with 6.3 WAR, a .298 average, and 11 home runs. Pitcher of the Year was Manila’s Kan-Lin Ching, who led in wins at 21-6 and quality starts in 31. The 28-yaer old righty had a 1.61 ERA over 285.2 innings with 313 strikeouts and 6.9 WAR.



After missing the playoffs last year, Batam was back atop the Malacca League standings for the sixth time in eight years. The Blue Raiders were 99-63 for the top record in the Sundaland Association. Defending SA champ Singapore was a distant second at 82-80. Depok ended an impressive Java League title drought at 96-66. The Demons hadn’t been in the postseason since 1978. Depok was two games ahead of Jakarta. Bandung, who had taken the JL three straight years, fell to 76-86.

Batam’s Wisnu Mahmudiana won his fifth straight Pitcher of the Year while also winning Sundaland Association MVP. The 30-year old Indonesian righty led in wins (21-8), ERA (1.05), WHIP (0.65), quality starts (32), shutouts (6), FIP- (31), and WAR (13.2). Mahmudiana was second in strikeouts with 407 over 273.1 innings. He became the third APB pitcher to win POTY five times.

Taoyuan took out Manila 4-2 in the Taiwan-Philippine Association Championship. For the Tsunami, this was their third pennant in four years and their seventh overall. The Sundaland Association Championship had Batam sweep Depok for their first pennant since 1991. It was the fourth title for the Blue Raiders (1972, 73, 91, 97).



In the 33^rd Austronesia Championship, Taoyuan outlasted Batam in a seven game thriller. RF Fernando Reyes was a postseason beast, winning MVP of both playoff series. The 30-year old had missed half the season to a sprained knee. In 13 playoff starts, Reyes had 16 hits, 11 runs, 4 doubles, 5 home runs, and 12 RBI. The Tsunami became the third franchise to repeat as APB champs, doing it for the second time (1982-83). Taoyuan is now tied with Jakarta for the most APB titles with five apiece.



Other notes: Manila’s Dedi Dewi set a playoff record for K/9 at 19.8. He fanned 33 over 15 innings, although still struggled to a 4.20 ERA. Dewi also had other notable strikeout efforts, fanning 21 against Taichung on March 31. He also had two 20 strikeout games later in the season. Dewi also tossed one of the season’s seven no-hitters, striking out 14 with one walk against Zamboanga on June 5. Three pitchers (Ricky Jungao, Ronald Purnomo, Mulya Dayanti) crossed 4500 career strikeouts, making seven players to reach the mark. Dayanti and Jungao both crossed 200 wins, making 10 to do so. Chang-Rong Chang was the fourth batter to 500 home runs. 1B Akbar Fatchurohman won his tenth Gold Glove. Fransisco Hartati won his eighth Silver Slugger. It was his second at 2B with the others at CF. 3B Gede Manuaya grabbed his seventh Silver Slugger.

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1997 in OBA



Following second place finishes in the prior two years, Perth was back on top of the Australasia League at 94-68. It was their third title in five years and their eighth pennant total, more than any other AL team. Sydney was second at 88-74, while reigning Oceania Champion Adelaide was third at 87-75.

Australasia League MVP went to Perth 3B Dane Molitor. The 30-year old switch hitter led in runs (85), total bases (319), and WAR (7.3). He added a .310/.356/.540 slash and 26 home runs. Sydney’s Jim DeRossi grabbed Pitcher of the Year honors in his fourth season. He was the WARlord (10.2) and leader in K/BB (9.2), complete games (20), shutouts (7), FIP- (66), and innings (328.2). DeRossi added 366 strikeouts and a 2.38 ERA with a 21-14 record.



The Pacific League title race was a three-team one. Guam took the title at 95-67 for their fourth of the 1990s (91, 92, 94). Samoa was one game short at 94-68, while two-time defending PL champ Honolulu was third at 91-71. The Golden Eagles grabbed their ninth league pennant, second only to the Honu’s 13.

Guadalcanal was fourth in the standings, but had the Pacific League MVP in CF Damien Patton. The 27-year old righty led in WAR (8.6) and runs (11), while adding 38 home runs. He denied Honolulu’s Vavao Brighouse his eighth MVP despite Brighouse smacking 68 home runs and 131 RBI. This was one homer short of the record 69 Brighouse set in 1995 and 1988.

Guam’s Timothy Manglona was the Pitcher of the Year in his third season. The 23-year old lefty from the Northern Marianas led in ERA (2.43), WHIP (0.84), quality starts (32), FIP- (73), and WAR (9.2). He added 411 strikeouts over 333.2 innings with a 15-18 record. Manglona also had a no-hitter on May 1 against Tahiti with 13 strikeouts and two walks. Manglona had no run support, while teammate Scott Webster had it all with a 28-8 record and league-best 441 strikeouts.



The 38th Oceania Championship wasn’t the first finals meeting between Guam and Perth. The Penguins won in the inaugural final in 1960. The Golden Eagles earned the win in 1979, then Perth got it back in 1994. The 1997 edition evened the series back up as Guam swept the Penguins for their fourth OBA title (1979, 80, 92, 97). CF Anthony Lehoux was finals MVP in his debut OBA season, having joined the Golden Eagles after eight years in EBF’s Luxembourg. He went 6-17 with four runs, four extra base hits, and six RBI.



Other notes: Vavao Brighouse passed Sione Hala’s 691 to become the OBA all-time home run king. Brighouse became the first to cross 700 homers. He also won his ninth Silver Slugger at first base. Graham Chapman was the third to reach 600 homers. SS Jay Lawrence won his seventh Gold Glove. Quentin Basa won his ninth Silver Slugger in left field.