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

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1998 CLB Hall of Fame

Two players were added into the Chinese League Baseball Hall of Fame in 1998. Right fielder Mingqi Dai was the star of the ballot with 86.1% and a first ballot nod. Closer Huyi Gao joined him with 72.6%, making the cut in his fifth ballot. Fellow closer Junwei Zhu was close in his debut, but short at 59.5%. Also above 50% was RF Zhengyu Peng at 55.1% for his second go.



Dropped after ten ballots was SP Guicaho Li, who was a three-time Pitcher of the Year winner with Xi’an. Injuries derailed his career with two torn labrums and a partially torn UCL, giving him roughly six or seven full seasons worth of production in 13 seasons. Li had a 109-48 record, 1.92 ERA, 1591 innings, 1877 strikeouts, 146 ERA+, and 57.4 WAR. His rate stats were certainly HOF worthy, but the injuries meant Li just didn’t have the totals. He debuted at 44.8% in 1989, but was down at 9.1% by his last chance.

Also dropped was Wei Gao, who won seven Silver Sluggers at third base and an MVP. He played 12 seasons with Macau, retiring surprisingly early despite being in good health and still being a top player. He had 1832 hits, 778 runs, 347 doubles, 264 home runs, 893 RBI, a .269/.320/.449 slash, 154 wRC+, and 89.2 WAR. By WAR, he’s one of the more notable snubs, still leading all CLB third basemen in career WAR as of 2037. However, he peaked with 37.3% in his debut and plummeted to 4.1% by the end. The CLB voters remained particular harsh against batters with the deflated stats in the low offense environment.



Mingqi “Bumblebee” Dai – Right Field - Tianjin Jackrabbits – 86.1% First Ballot

Mingqi Dai was a 6’0’’, 195 pound left-handed outfielder from Tai’an, a city of around five-and-a-half million people in East China’s Shandong Province. Dai was a very solid contact and power hitter with an above average eye. He had a tremendous pop in his bat, averaging 28 doubles, 13 triples, and 30 home runs per 162 games. Dai had good speed and was an intelligent baserunner who knew how to stretch out for extra bags. He was considered an ironman, playing 145+ games in all but his final season. Dai was a career right fielder and considered reliably above average defensively. His impressive talent and work ethic made Dai one of the most beloved figures of Chinese baseball.

Dai’s talent was unmistakable during his amateur career ahead of the 1979 CLB Draft. Tianjin picked him fourth overall and he would be a full-time starter for the next 13 years for the Jackrabbits. Dai had some growing pains as a rookie, but was very good by his second year and elite by his third. 1982 would be the first of six seasons with double-digit WAR and the start of nine straight seasons of 7+ WAR.

During his remarkable career, Dai led the Northern League five times in runs scored, once in hits, once in doubles, twice in home runs, thrice in RBI, five times in total bases, once in batting average, thrice in OBP, five times in slugging, five times in OPS, five times in wRC+, and once in WAR. In 1983, he was one RBI short of a Triple Crown season. That season also had career bests in runs, hits, total bases, triple slash, OPS, wRC+, and WAR. Remarkably, his 13.3 WAR was second to Libo Li that season. It sits as the 12^th best as of 2037.

Dai became the second player in CLB history to win four MVPs. As of 2037, only nine players have reached that mark. Dai took the top honor in 1983, 86, 88, and 90. Dai was second in 1984 and 1985 and third in 1989. He won eight Silver Sluggers (1982-86, 88-90). After the 1984 season, the Jackrabbits locked him up long term with an eight-year, $5,142,000 extension.

The mid 1980s in Chinese League Baseball was defined by the rivalry between Tianjin and Beijing. These two teams won the CLB title thrice each between 1983-88. The Jackrabbits made the playoffs six straight seasons in that stretch with finals berths in 1983, 84, 86, and 88. Tianjin won it all in 1983, 86, and 88; beating the Bears in 1986 and falling in 1984. Dai was a two-time China Series MVP, taking the award in 86 and 88. In his playoff career, Dai had 60 starts, 63 hits, 40 runs, 8 doubles, 11 triples, 15 home runs, 48 RBI, a .284/.355/.622 slash, 221 wRC+, and 4.3 WAR.

Dai continued to look great into his 30s, but Tianjin would fade as the 1990s dawned. 1990 was their first losing season in a decade and they hovered around .500 in his last two years. In his last season with the Jackrabbits, Dai posted 9.2 WAR. With Tianjin looking to rebuild for the immediate future, he and the franchise opted to part ways. Dai would remain a beloved franchise icon for decades to come and his #13 uniform would be retired after the 1996 season.

His dominance in China was noticed worldwide, despite Dai not participating in the World Baseball Championship outside of the 1994-95 editions. Dai left for Major League Baseball with a four-year, $9,120,000 contract with Calgary. The Cheetahs had just won the American Association pennant the prior season and wanted to start a new run of dominance comparable to their 1980s success.

Dai had an excellent debut season in MLB with 6.7 WAR and 34 home runs. Calgary won the pennant again, this time winning the World Series over Toronto. Dai was solid again in 1994 and the Cheetahs won 106 games, but suffered an upset loss in the second round. Age started to catch up to Dai, as he had below average offensive numbers in 1995. For 1996, Dai was only a part-time starter. As his Calgary contract expired, he opted to retire at age 38. For his MLB run, Dai had 541 hits, 358 runs, 93 home runs, 290 RBI, a .265/.328/.478 slash, 116 wRC+, and 14.0 WAR.

For his Tianjin and CLB career, Dai had 2009 hits, 1065 runs, 359 doubles, 177 triples, 389 home runs, 1095 RBI, a .278/.338/.539 slash, 194 wRC+, and 114.7 WAR. As of 2037, Dai is eighth in hitting WAR, 12^th in runs scored, and 11^th in RBI. For his entire pro career, Dai saw 2550 hits, 1423 runs, 458 doubles, 206 triples, 482 home runs, 1385 RBI, a .275/.336/.525 slash, 176 wRC+, and 128.7 WAR. Dai was one of the finest players not only in China in the 1980s, but in any world league. The strict CLB voters gave him only 86.1%, but he still easily secured his deserved first ballot induction.



Huyi Gao – Pitcher – Xi’an Attack – 72.6% Fifth Ballot

Huyi Gao was a 6’5’’, 200 pound right-handed relief pitcher. Like his Hall of Fame classmate Mingqi Dai, Gao was also from Tai’an. He had excellent stuff with terrific control, although his movement was subpar. Gao had a dangerous 99-101 mph fastball and an incredible changeup, along with a great screwball and a decent curveball and knuckle curve. His stamina was terrible though, which led to him being primarily a reliever even though five-pitch guys usually were effective starters. Gao was a good defensive pitcher as well. He often clashed with teammates though and was viewed as a mercenary type.

Gao was signed as a teenage amateur in 1973 by Xi’an. The Attack brought him up in 1977 at age 21, where he largely struggled in relief. He would toss four scoreless innings in relief, although the defending champ Xi’an fell in the semifinal. The Attack would make the playoffs again the next two seasons with Gao posting a 1.97 ERA over 32 playoff innings, but they were unable to advance. Xi’an remained good into the 1980s, but not good enough for playoff berths.

In his second season and third seasons, Gao was used as a starting pitcher. He had nice results, leading the league in WHIP both years. Gao was a starter again to start 1980, but suffered a torn flexor tendon in late April, knocking him out nine months. The next year in spring training, a torn triceps cost him three months. These injuries also took a huge toll on his already iffy stamina. Thus, the decision was made that Gao would be a reliever for the rest of his career.

Gao was respectable in middle relief in 1981, then was moved to the closer role for his remaining three seasons with the Attack. He led the league with 45 saves in 1983. Then in 1984, Gao finished third in Reliever of the Year voting. Xi’an struggled though in 1984, posting their first losing season since 1971. The Attack looked to rebuild and in the process traded Gao to Beijing for 3B Zhifeng Li and SP Qing Hu. For his Xi’an tenure, Gao had a 52-43 record, 135 saves, 2.14 ERA, 1206 strikeouts, 836 innings, 124 ERA+, and 24.2 WAR. The franchise would later retire his #31 uniform as well.

Only a few weeks after acquiring Gao, Beijing gave him a three-year, $1,414,000 extension. The Bears were the defending China Series champion and in their arms race against Tianjin. Gao spent four years as Beijing’s closer, earning his lone Reliever of the Year in 1986. He took second in 1987 and 1988.

The Bears made it to the championship each year from 1985-87, winning the title in 1985 and 1987. In 21 playoff appearances for Beijing, Gao had a 1.36 ERA, 8 saves and 15 shutdowns, 33 innings, 48 strikeouts, and a 187 ERA+. For his Beijing tenure, Gao posted 158 saves and 204 shutdowns, a 1.57 ERA, 400.2 innings, 591 strikeouts, a 161 ERA+, and 13.0 WAR.

Gao’s contract expired after the 1988 season and the 33-year old became a free agent for the first time. No team in China would match the money or contract length Gao was looking for, so he opened up his search internationally. He found a buyer in the Oceania Baseball Association, signing a three-year, $1,860,000 deal with Auckland. Gao was decent with the Avengers, but his one season saw shoulder bursitis and a partially torn labrum plague him.

Auckland decided to move on, trading Gao to Tahiti in November 1989 for two prospects. He was alright in two seasons with the Tropics, but he missed notable time in both seasons to injury. He posted a 2.48 ERA and 119 ERA+, 116 innings, 149 strikeouts, and 2.8 WAR with Tahiti. Gao decided to retire that winter at age 35,

For his entire pro career, Gao had a 110-94 record, 353 saves, 2.04 ERA, 1423.1 innings, 2038 strikeouts, 132 ERA+, and 41.5 WAR. For just his time in China, he had 293 saves and 370 shutdowns, a 91-72 record, 1.96 ERA, 1236.2 innings, 1797 strikeouts, 187 walks, 134 ERA+, 64 FIP-, and 37.2 WAR. Gao’s accumulations were somewhat comparable to other CLB Hall of Fame relievers, but a good chunk of his value was in his initial stint as a starter. Removing or minimizing those innings made his case much more borderline. Gao’s playoff success with Beijing helped him though, keeping him above 50% for his entire run on the ballot. He narrowly missed out on his third try with 64.2% in 1996. Gao dropped to 59.3% in 1997, but made it across the line in 1998 at 72.6% for a fifth ballot induction.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1998 WAB Hall of Fame

Two players earned inductions for West African Baseball’s Hall of Fame in 1998. Pitcher Addise Assefa was nearly unanimous at 99.7%, while RF Vincent Langat picked up a first ballot induction with 74.5%. SP Issaka Camara was one percentage point short of joining them, getting 65.0% in his second ballot. CF Stephen Tshukudu received 57.3% in his ninth try, a new high in his slow climb. SP Moussa Sidi was the other player with more than half of the vote, getting 51.0% in his second go.



Dropped after ten ballots was LF Mario Duc, who was hurt by having his official WAB career start when he was already 31 years old. In nine seasons, he won one MVP, four Gold Gloves, three Silver Sluggers, and helped both Port Harcourt and Lagos win WAB titles. Duc had 948 hits, 776 runs, 136 doubles, 87 triples, 361 home runs, 817 RBI, a .228/.318/.563 slash, and 50.9 WAR. The low accumulations and high strikeout rate hurt him, although Duc would’ve probably been a lock had he been able to record stats in his 20s. He got as high as 44.4% on his sixth ballot and ended at 31.8%.



Addise Assefa – Starting Pitcher – Bamako Bullfrogs – 99.7% First Ballot

Addise Assefa was a 6’0’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Boditi, Ethiopia; a small city of around 60,000 in the country’s southwest. Assefa had very good stuff with solid control and above average movement. His fastball regularly hit 99-101 mph and was part of a five-pitch arsenal featuring a slider, curveball, slider, and splitter. Pitchers in WAB typically don’t go as deep in games as other leagues, but Assefa bucked that trend. He led his league in innings pitched five times and complete games thrice. For much of his career, Assefa was viewed as very durable. He was a fan favorite, popular for his intelligence and work ethic.

When Assefa was growing up, the baseball scene in his native Ethiopia was very limited. It wouldn’t be until the African Association of Baseball was formed in 1995 that his country had affiliated pro baseball. His skill was obvious though, so he went westward for his amateur career. Assefa quickly established himself as a top prospect and was picked ninth overall by Bamako in the 1978 WAB Draft. He was kept on the reserve roster in 1979, then made his debut as a full-time starter in 1980.

There were some growing pains, but quickly Assefa emerged as one of the most dominant pitchers in West Africa. From 1982-88, he led the Western League in strikeouts each year. That stretch also saw him lead in wins thrice, innings four times, WHIP four times, quality starts thrice, ERA once, shutouts three times, and WAR three times. Assefa had a stretch of eight consecutive seasons worth 6.5 WAR or more.

Four times Assefa won Pitcher of the Year, taking the award in 1983, 84, 87, and 89. He finished second in voting in 1985 and 1986 with a third place in 1988. Assefa was also second in MVP voting in 1984. He was the first WAB pitcher to strike out 400+ batters in a season. Since 2037, there have been seven such seasons; three by Assefa. His 427 strikeouts in 1984 remains the single-season record. That season also saw a 22 strikeout game against Accra, which was the WAB record until 2022. .

Assefa was a huge reason Bamako was a contender in the mid 1980s. He signed a six-year contract extension to stay in Mali in April 1985 worth $3,580,000. The Bullfrogs had five playoff berths in a row from 1983-87. They took the Western League pennant in 1983 and 1986, although both times they were defeated in the WAB Championship. Assefa was excellent in his 11 playoff starts for Bamako with a 1.90 ERA over 85.1 innings, 5-2 record, 125 strikeouts, 182 ERA+, and 2.8 WAR. The 1986 run saw 51 strikeouts and 1.43 WAR, which are still WAB playoff records.

Bamako’s era of success ended as the 1980s closed, dropping to 65-97 by 1990. Assefa remained solid, but suffered his first major setback with a torn rotator cuff in April 1990. He decided to decline his contract option that winter, becoming a free agent for the first time at age 34. Assefa remained popular with Bullfrogs fans and his #1 uniform would be retired later. With Bamako, Assefa had a 184-105 record, 2.57 ERA, 2701.1 innings, 3599 strikeouts, 553 walks, 138 ERA+, 73 FIP-, and 73.3 WAR.

Assefa went to Nigeria with a two-year, $1,660,000 deal with Lagos. He won his lone Gold Glove in 1991 with the Lizards and pitched solidly, although not as dominantly as before. Still, Assefa played a big role as Lagos won the WAB Championship in both of his seasons there. He was terrific again in the postseason, posting a 0.89 ERA in 30.1 innings with 38 strikeouts. In total with Lagos, he had a 24-21 record, 3.18 ERA, 463.2 innings, 548 strikeouts, 115 ERA+, and 9.8 WAR.

Notable milestones were also reached during the Lizards run. Assefa became the third WAB pitcher to pass 200 career wins and was the first to 4000 strikeouts. For his playoff career, he had 3.56 WAR, which is still the career high in WAB as of 2037. He had an 8-3 record, 1.63 ERA, 115.2 innings, 163 strikeouts, and a 213 ERA+. Assefa is second all-time in playoff Ks, behind only Power Bonou’s 173.

This would be the end of his WAB career, as he received MLB offers as a 36-year old free agent. Assefa joined Columbus on a three-year, $5,820,000 contract. A ruptured finger tendon cost him three months of the 1993 campaign, which saw below average production. He rebounded and looked respectable in 1994 for Columbus. Assefa had a 3.38 ERA in 16 playoff innings as the Chargers got to the National Association Championship Series. In total with the Chargers, he had a 3.05 ERA, 20-12 record, 318.2 innings, 192 strikeouts, 117 ERA+, and 4.7 WAR.

1995 marked the first time his native Ethiopia qualified for the World Baseball Championship, with Assefa pitching for them in 1995 and 1996. Columbus cut him in 1995 and he ended up signing with Tampa. He still gave you innings, but with very middling production as his velocity had dropped off significantly. Assefa pitched poorly in one final season with Phoenix in 1996. He retired at 40 after going unsigned in 1997. For his MLB run, Assefa had a 34-37 record, 3.67 ERA, 672.1 innings, 331 strikeouts, 103 ERA+, and 7.6 WAR.

For his WAB run, Assefa had a 208-126 record, 2.66 ERA, 3165 innings, 4147 strikeouts, 613 walks, 288/397 quality starts, 109 complete games, 134 ERA+, 74 FIP-, and 83.2 WAR. His ERA is among the best for any eventual WAB Hall of Famer. As of 2037, he’s still second all-time in strikeouts, sixth in wins, first in shutouts (34), and third in pitching WAR. Assefa certainly deserves a mention when considering who WAB’s GOAT pitcher is, especially when you look at his postseason dominance. He was nearly unanimously inducted into the 1998 class with 99.7%.



Vincent Langat – Right Field – Cotonou Copperheads – 74.5% First Ballot

Vincent Langat was a 6’6’’, 200 pound left-handed hitting right fielder from Lamu, Kenya; a small town of 25,000 inhabitants on the southeastern coast. Langat was an excellent power hitter who averaged around 40-45 home runs and 25-30 doubles per season. He was great at drawing walks, but he was a subpar contact hitter and had a horrible strikeout rate. Langat was one of the first “three-true outcomes” guys in West African Baseball. He was very slow on the basepaths, but still was intelligent about picking his spots.

Langat was viewed as an ironman, starting 147+ games in all but his rookie season (where he still started 136). He was a career right fielder and viewed as a mediocre defender. He had an incredibly strong arm, but lousy range. Langat was a team captain, becoming of the most respected players in the league with his work ethic and leadership. That personality, plus dingers, made Langat extremely popular and one of WAB’s first superstars.

Like his Hall of Fame classmate Langat, he had to move west to chase an amateur career. Langat’s native Kenya didn’t have much in the way of organized baseball in the 1970s and would not have proper pro teams until AAB’s formation in 1995. His big frame and power earned him plenty of attention, getting picked sixth overall in the 1978 WAB Draft by Cotonou. Langat made his debut in Benin and struggled with strikeouts quite a bit early on. He got marginally better as he aged at avoiding Ks, but he improved greatly at making hard contact.

Langat was third in 1979 Rookie of the Year voting. He won three Silver Sluggers with the Copperheads (1981, 82, 84). 1984 was his first time leading the league in home runs with 43, although it was his third straight season with 40+. From 1982 through his final season in 1992, Langat hit 40 or more homers each season. 1984 also saw him lead the Eastern League in slugging for the first time.

Despite Langat’s best efforts, Cotonou was terrible during his tenure, rarely sniffing a winning record. Langat entered 1985 with one year left on his contract and Copperheads officials weren’t expecting him to stick around beyond that. They opted to trade him to Kano in exchange for four prospects. With Cotonou, he had 771 hits, 486 runs, 228 home runs, 531 RBI, a .238/.342/.502 slash, 137 wRC+, and 24.1 WAR. Langat was inducted in the Copperheads hat as it was his longest run, although many fans would remember him in different colors.

1985 saw Langat win his fourth Silver Slugger. The Condors were ousted in the wild card round, but it was Langat’s first postseason experience. He had 47 home runs and 4.9 WAR in his one year there. Langat became a free agent for the first time at age 30. Abidjan ended up being the buyer, bringing Langat to the Ivory Coast on a five-year, $3,150,000 deal.

It ended up being a weak era for the Athletes sandwiched between two eras with multiple pennants. Abidjan didn’t make the postseason in Langat’s tenure, generally hovering around .500. His best season was 1989, which saw a Silver Slugger and a third place in MVP voting. Langat smacked 62 home runs this year to tie the single-season record, which held until 2003. It was his third time leading in homers and his only time also leading the league in RBI, OPS, total bases, and wRC+.

For his time with Abidjan, Langat had 639 hits, 493 runs, 226 home runs, 519 RBI, a .232/.324/.527 slash, and 20.1 WAR. While there, he also became the career home run leader and the first to reach 500. Langat also was the first to 1000 runs scored and the second to 1000 RBI. A free agent again at age 35, he signed a two-year, $1,820,000 deal with Port Harcourt.

Langat led in runs and homers in his first year with the Hillcats, winning his sixth and final Silver Slugger. Port Harcourt would make the playoffs in both of his seasons there, but were unable to advance both times. In two years, Langat posted 265 hits, 189 runs, 83 home runs, 200 RBI, a .233/.321/.511 slash, and 7.3 WAR. He was also the first player to reach 1000 walks drawn in a career. Langat’s bat still seemed respectable, but he went unsigned in 1993 and retired that winter at age 37.

For his career, Langat had 1815 hits, 1254 runs, 371 doubles, 584 home runs, 1351 RBI, 1068 walks, 2765 strikeouts, a .236/.332/.516 slash, 139 wRC+, and 56.4 WAR. At retirement, he was the all-time leader in the young league in runs, homers, RBI, walks, and strikeouts. Langat fell down those leaderboards into the 21^st Century, especially as offense exploded in WAB. He does remain ninth in walks and strikeouts as of 2037. Advanced stats aren’t too favorable and he ranks low on later comparisons due to his high strikeout rate, poor average, lack of team success, and lousy defense. However, Langat was one of the first great sluggers of West African Baseball, worthy of his Hall of Fame spot. The 74.5% isn’t high, but it was enough to get him in on the first ballot with the 1998 class.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1998 SAB Hall of Fame

---

On his fifth try, SP Ramesh Kohinoor made it into the South Asia Baseball Hall of Fame. He was the lone inductee in 1998, seeing a huge bump up to 87.7% with very few options to choose from. The only other player above 50% was closer Jason Mayekar at 51.5% on his seventh try. Only one player debuted on the ballot in 1B Harto Ohorella, getting a paltry 5.6%.



Ramesh Kohinoor – Starting Pitcher – Bengaluru Blazers – 87.7% Fifth Ballot

Ramesh Kohinoor was a 6’4’’, 215 pound right-handed pitcher from Pune, India; the country’s ninth most popular city with more than three million people in the city limits. Kohinoor had respectable stuff, control, and movement. His 98-100 mph fastball was his most impressive pitch, mixed with a splitter and slider. Kohinoor had excellent stamina and was viewed as a good defensive pitcher. He was also considered very durable and didn’t miss a start in his brief SAB run.

Kohinoor was already 28 years old when his “official” career began with the formation of South Asia Baseball in 1980. By that point, he was already known and established within India’s semi-pro circuits. Kohinoor signed a four-year, $890,000 deal with Bengaluru to begin his run. He would lead the Indian League thrice in innings pitched. Kohinoor also was the leader in wins, complete games, and shutouts in 1981. He took third in Pitcher of the Year voting in 1980 and second in 1981; his only times as a finalist.

Bengaluru was an early contender, winning the South Division in its first seven seasons. The Blazers won the 1982 SAB Championship with Kohinoor posting a 2.78 ERA over 22.2 innings with 30 strikeouts. He took the ILCS MVP for his efforts. His other playoff appearances weren’t great, posting a 4.81 ERA over 43 innings in total over the four years. Kohinoor’s most impressive moment with Bengaluru came on June 29, 1982, throwing a no-hitter with 12 strikeouts and two walks against Kanpur.

For his time in Bengaluru, Kohinoor had a 68-39 record, 2.77 ERA, 1061.2 innings, 1104 strikeouts, 122 ERA+, and 17.3 WAR. He was a free agent at age 32 and signed a four-year, $1,512,000 deal with Dhaka. Kohinoor had four respectable seasons as a Doberman, posting a 66-44 record, 3.38 ERA, 1000 innings, 1052 strikeouts, 111 ERA+, and 22.3 WAR. Dhaka won the Southeast Asia League pennant in 1984, falling to Pune in the SAB Championship. Kohinoor had an impressive playoff run, going 4-1 in five starts with a 2.02 ERA in 40 innings with 40 strikeouts

From 1983-87, Kohinoor also pitched for India in the World Baseball Championship. His WBC efforts weren’t good though with a 6.39 ERA over 31 innings and 35 strikeouts. He was a free agent again for 1988 at age 36 and inked a two-year, $552,000 deal with Ahmedabad. The Animals had just started their dynasty run, having won the SAB title in 1986 and 1987. They would get upset in the ILCS by Kanpur in 1988.

Kohinoor led the league in complete games and shutouts in his one season pitching for Ahmedabad. His 2.3 WAR was a career worst though with a middling 102 ERA+. He would toss his second no-hitter, fanning six with one walk against his hometown team Pune on June 11. Kohinoor remained under contract in 1989, but Ahmedabad opted to keep him on the reserve roster all year. He decided to retire that winter at age 37.

The final line for Kohinoor was a 149-97 record, 3.09 ERA, 2303.1 innings, 2310 strikeouts, 554 walks, 193/282 quality starts, 98 complete games, 26 shutouts, a 115 ERA+, 89 FIP-, and 41.8 WAR. His accumulations are on the lower end, but like a lot of early days Hall of Famers, he missed out on some prime seasons based on when he entered. Still, the advanced stats are borderline even when adjusting for that. Although his playoff career was a mixed bag, he did play on notable teams. Kohinoor debuted at 50.3% and dropped to 43.2% the next year. He bounced back with 63.3% and 59.5% in the following years. With no standouts in 1998 and many voters loath to leave ballots blank, Kohinoor earned a massive bump up to 87.7%. This made him a fifth ballot selection and the lone member of SAB’s 1998 class.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1998 ABF Hall of Fame

Voting continued for the Asian Baseball Federation in 1998 with little progress made towards inducting its first Hall of Fame member. SP Abbas Nadim was the leader at only 23.6% in his fifth try. The top debut was catcher Shah Sharif at 13.7%.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1998 World Baseball Championship

---

The 1998 World Baseball Championship was the 52^nd edition of the event. It returned to Mexico for the first time since 1967, this time centered in Juarez. In Division 1, Taiwan took top honors at 8-1, two ahead of second place Ukraine. It is the sixth time the Taiwanese have advanced and the fourth time in the 1990s. The two-time defending world champion United States secured D2 at 8-1, holding off a 7-2 Turkey and 6-3 efforts by Bangladesh and the Philippines. The Americans have gotten to the elite eight or further 44 times now.

Australia tore through Division 3 at 9-0 with only 7-2 Poland really competing. This was only the fourth division title for the Australians, who last did it with their runner-up 1982 campaign. Division 4 had Ghana and England tie for first at 7-2, while both Ecuador and Russia were 6-3. The Ghanaians had the head-to-head tiebreaker, moving forward for the second time-ever (1995). Over in Division 5, Canada (8-1) edged Italy (7-2), Malaysia (7-2), and India (6-3). The Canadians have advanced 32 times and six times in the 1990s.

The other team to go unbeaten in divisional play was Brazil at 9-0 atop Division 6. This was Brazil’s 28^th time in the elite eight, the most appearances apart from the US and Canada. D7 had Mexico and Switzerland tied at 7-2. The Mexicans advanced on the tiebreaker for repeat division titles and their 22^nd elite eight berth. Lastly in a competitive Division 8, neighbors Portugal and Spain tied for first at 6-3. Cuba, Indonesia, and Thailand were each one back. The Portuguese had the tiebreaker for their first-ever division title. They became the 67^th unique nation to advance at least once. The US and Mexico were the only teams to make it back to the Round Robin from the prior edition.

The Americans were atop Group A at 5-1, advancing along with 3-3 Brazil. Both Portugal and Canada finished 2-4. It was the 38^th time the United States had been to the final four and the 16^th for the Brazilians. Mexico and Taiwan both prevailed in Group B at 4-2, while both Ghana and Australia were 2-4. It was the 12^th time to the semifinals for the Mexicans and the sixth for the Taiwanese.

In the semifinal, the United States topped Taiwan 3-1 and Mexico beat Brazil 3-1. Officially, the Taiwanese were third and the Brazilians were fourth. The Americans advanced to their 34^th championship berth, holding an impressive 29-4 record in their previous finals. The Mexicans earned their ninth trip, having gone 4-4 previously. This was their first time in the championship though since all the way back in 1981.



The 1998 World Championship between the traditional powers. Mexico defeated the United States in their first finals clash in 1950. Two years later, the Americans got them back. The US took their third meeting in 1961 and claimed the 1981 battle. In the 1998 finale, the Americans were on top yet again, taking the series 4-2. It was the 30^th world title for the US and gave them a three-peat.



Despite being the runner-up, Mexico had the Tournament MVP in Julio Villa. A 32-year old MLB veteran in his second year with Portland, the left fielder had 32 hits, 23 runs, 7 home runs, 14 RBI, 17 walks, 16 stolen bases, a .333/.439/.594 slash, and 2.1 WAR. Canada’s Daniel Grondin won Best Pitcher in an impressive debut. The righty was the 26^th overall pick in the 1997 MLB Draft by Calgary and hadn’t even debuted in MLB yet. Grondin tossed 19.2 WBC innings with a 4-0 record, 0.46 ERA, 44 strikeouts, and 1.4 WAR.

Other notes: Poland had a 1.12 team ERA in their nine games, setting a WBC record. Among their great outings was a 14 strikeout, 2 walk no-hitter by Wojciech Grzybek against China. Panama’s Aitor Moran also had a no-hitter with nine strikeouts and five walks over India. Nigeria’s Segun William had a four home run game against DR Congo. Taiwan’s Yi-Cheng Sun became the eighth player to hit for the cycle, doing it against Costa Rica.

Below are the all-time tournament stats. Mexico’s effort allowed them to enter a tie for fourth place in total points with China.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1998 in AAB

---

Only three teams in the African Association of Baseball’s Southern Conference finished above .500 in the fight for the two playoff spots. Cape Town was on top at 102-60, earning a third straight playoff berth. After taking third the prior two seasons, the inaugural AAB champ Johannesburg made it back to the playoffs. The Jackalopes were 98-64, taking the spot by four games over Luanda. Reigning conference champ Dar es Salaam was a distant fourth at 79-83. Notably, Harare set a still-standing conference record for a pitching staff by allowing only 1122 hits. Their offense was abysmal though, thus the Hustlers were at the bottom of the standings at 69-93.

Luanda had the top awards winner despite taking third. Third-year LF Marley Mubiri won Southern Conference MVP with the Ugandan switch hitter leading in runs (121), hits (178), total bases (395), triple slash (.320/.425/.710), OPS (1.135), wRC+ (220), and WAR (10.9). Mubiri also had 60 home runs and 129 RBI, becoming the third AAB hitter with a 60+ homer season. Cape Town DH Titi Kolikoli would beat him with 62 homers, setting the new single-season record. Djedoboum Sanoussi won his second Pitcher of the Year, having also taken it in the inaugural 1995 season. The 30-year old Chadian lefty led in wins (22-6), and ERA (2.39), posting 258 strikeouts in 252 innings with 7.5 WAR.



Defending Africa Series champ Kinshasa finished first in the Central Conference at 106-56, making the Sun Cats the only team in the playoffs in each of AAB’s first four seasons. Mogadishu was second at 98-64 for their first-ever playoff berth. The Mighty Mice had a 3.03 team ERA, which would be the conference record until 2013. Kinshasa’s 3.05 was close behind. Nairobi was third, eight games back. Bujumbura, last season’s first place team, fell to fifth at 85-77.

Central Conference MVP went to veteran 1B Laurent Kouakou of Brazzaville. The 36-year old Ivorian was in his fourth season with the Blowfish after a decade in West African Baseball. Kouakou set the AAB RBI record with 139 and also led with 59 home runs and 347 total bases. He added a .253/.339/.619 slash and 6.4 WAR. Kinshasa’s Michael Mukasa was Pitcher of the Year, leading in wins (27-4), ERA (2.23), innings (278), quality starts (28), and WAR (8.6). The 34-year old Ugandan lefty had 231 strikeouts in his one year with the Sun Cats. The 27 wins is still the AAB single-season record, only finally matched in 2036.

In the Southern Conference Championship, Johannesburg upset Cape Town in a seven-game classic, becoming two-time pennant winners (1995). Kinshasa downed Mogadishu 4-1 to give the Sun Cats their third Central Conference pennant in four years.



Kinshasa would go onto be the first repeat AAB champion. In the fourth Africa Series, the Sun Cats defeated Johannesburg 5-3. LF Evander Solomon was finals MVP, redeeming himself after a negative WAR season. The 34-year old Australian had 21 hits, 9 runs, 4 doubles, and 10 stolen bases in 12 playoff starts.



Other notes: Johannesburg’s Chifundo Manda had 46 saves, setting the AAB record. It would be matched five more times in future seasons, but hasn’t been surpassed as of 2037. Brazzaville’s Hicham Al Khouga had an opponent’s slugging percentage of .241; this is still the AAB record as of 2037. Al Khouga also had one of the two no-hitters in the 1998 season. Harare’s Kasuri Sukhi became the first AAB batter to have a six hit game.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1998 in ALB

---

The best record in the Arab League’s Western Conference went to 95-67 Amman. The Aviators won their third Levant Division in three years, bouncing back from only 80 wins the prior year. Casablanca also reclaimed its hold on the Mediterranean Division after falling below .500 in 1997. The Bruins were 91-71, topping Tunis by two games and Tripoli by five. Casablanca has won the division seven times through ALB’s first nine seasons. Reigning conference champ Khartoum repeated as Nile Division champs. The Cottonmouths fell from the prior year to 86-76, narrowly holding off Cairo by one game.

Taking Western Conference MVP was Casablanca right fielder Amer Waleed. The 24-year old Iraqi lefty led in RBI (137), total bases (397), slugging (.696), OPS (1.069), and wRC+ (196). He added 7.7 WAR, a .316 average, and 55 home runs. Khartoum ace Mohamed Wael won his third Pitcher of the Year. The 28-year old Egyptian lefty was the ERA leader at 2.18 and had the best WHIP (0.91) and FIP- (62). Wael added 316 strikeouts in 231.1 innings, 7.8 WAR, and a 16-5 record. Also of note, Amman’s Khemais Khalid became a three-time Reliever of the Year winner.

In the first round of the playoffs, Khartoum topped Casablanca 2-1. The defending champs then went on the road and rolled Amman in the Western Conference Championship, sweeping them 3-0. The Aviators are now 0-2 in their WCC berths, having also fallen in 1996. Khartoum is the second team to earn repeat pennants in the West, joining the Bruins (who three-peated from 1993-95).



For the third consecutive season, Mosul had the top record in the Eastern Conference. The Muskies finished 102-60 to win a fourth straight Iraq Division title. It wasn’t easy though, as they had to fend off a 98-64 effort by Basra. Defending Arab League champ Doha repeated in the Gulf Division. The 93-69 Dash finished five games better than Dubai. The Saudi Division had a first-time playoff berth from Jeddah. The Jackals took it at 91-71, beating out Riyadh by six games. Medina, who had won the division in seven of the prior eight seasons, dropped to 79-83.

Basra may have missed the playoffs, but they had the Eastern Conference MVP in LF Nordine “Hawk” Soule. In time, he emerged as an all-time slugger in pro baseball history. The 23-year old Comoran led in home runs (54), total bases (424), slugging (.748), OPS (1.200), and wRC+ (226). Soule added 11.1 WAR, a .372 average, and 125 RBI. Doha’s Ali Al-Shakal earned Pitcher of the Year in only his second season. The 24-year old Yemeni righty led in wins (20-13), WHIP (0.90), complete games (14), and shutouts (6). Al-Shakal added a 2.40 ERA over 273.2 innings, 306 strikeouts, and 8.2 WAR. Also worth noting, Basra’s Khadir Seif became a three-time Reliever of the Year winner.

Doha downed Jeddah 2-0 in the first round of the playoffs, setting up a rematch in the Eastern Conference Championship with Mosul. Last year, the Dash pulled off the stunning upset. The Muskies were determined not to see that happen again, sweeping Doha 3-0. This was Mosul’s second EC pennant in three years.



In the ninth Arab League Championship, we were guaranteed to have the seventh different champ. Khartoum had been the runner-up in 1997, while Mosul took second in 1996. The two top records battled to a 4-2 Muskies victory. Three-time conference MVP Mohammed Mohamed was the finals MVP. In 9 playoff games, the 24-year old Saudi shortstop had 11 hits, 8 runs, 6 home runs, and 11 RBI.



Other notes: Bilal Hamdan became the first ALB batter to 400 career home runs. He also won his sixth Gold Glove at first base. Pitcher Fahed Al-Eryani won his seventh Gold Glove.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1998 in ABF

---

Hyderabad had a record-setting season atop the Pakistan League in 1998. The defending league champs set a new PL record and Asian Baseball Federation record with a 113-49 mark. As of 2037, this remains the best record by a team in the PL or its predecessor. The Horned Frogs earned a fifth straight playoff berth and set PL team pitching records with a 1.92 ERA, 915 hits, 345 runs, and 314 earned runs allowed. Those marks, plus a 0.868 team WHIP, all hold as all-time league records. The second place spot went to 87-75 Lahore for their first playoff berth since 1987. The Longhorns were three games ahead of Karachi and six better than Multan. Last year’s wild card Faisalabad fell off a cliff, taking last at 65-97.

Karachi’s Rizwan Qureshi won his third Pakistan League MVP. The 28-year old right fielder led in runs (116), doubles (36), home runs (61), RBI (122), total bases (403), slugging (.691), OPS (1.056), wRC+ (253), and WAR (11.1). Qureshi had two more great seasons, then was traded to Isfahan after the 2000 season. The fan favorite would shock the baseball world though by retiring from the game days later at only age 31 Qureshi would not be eligible for the Hall of Fame with just under nine years of major service, but he finished with 3 MVPs and 5 Silver Sluggers, 1450 hits, 784 runs, 345 doubles, 343 home runs, 845 RBI, a .293/.360/.579 slash, 218 wRC+, and 75.3 WAR. He remained extremely popular throughout the country for years after, but dedicated himself to other pursuits.

Pitcher of the Year went to Hyderabad’s Ahmad Oorzhak, who earned his third straight honor. He led in ERA for the third straight year with a career best 1.27. This was the second lowest by a qualifying pitcher behind Dhofar Ghaffar’s 1.22 in 1989. As of 2037, Oorzhak’s mark is still the third best season. The 25-year old was also the WARlord at 7.6 and had 322 strikeouts over 213 innings with a 17-5 record. Oorzhak pitched one more year with the Horned Frogs, then left for an unremarkable MLB run.



The Turkish League had a fierce battle for the top spot between Bursa and Adana. The Blue Claws ended up with repeat titles, taking it at 103-59. Adana ended five back at 98-64. Reigning Asian Baseball Federation champ Isfahan earned a fourth consecutive Persian League crown. The Imperials were 94-68, topping Tabriz by six games and Tehran by seven.

Adana LF Humayun Kahil won West Asia Association MVP. He was in his fourth year as a starter despite being still only 21 years old. The Pakistani lefty led in RBI (122), total bases (403), OBP (.435), and WAR (11.8). Kahil added 49 home runs, a .352 average, and 200 wRC+. Isfahan’s Yazeed Anwari secured a fourth straight Pitcher of the Year, becoming the first four-time winner in ABF. The 25-year old righty led in ERA (1.95), WHIP (0.85), K/BB (13.4), FIP- (43), and WAR (11.2). Anwari added 361 strikeouts in 240 innings with a 21-6 record.

With their record-setting season, Hyderabad cruised to a sweep of Lahore in the Pakistan League Championship Series. In a West Asia Association Championship rematch, Isfahan again bested Bursa. This time, the Imperials took the series 4-2. This also set up a rematch in the Asian Baseball Federation Championship.



Like the prior season, Hyderabad entered by record as a significant favorite over Isfahan. It was the fourth finals battle between the two, as the Horned Frogs repeated as champs over the Imperials in 1986 and 1987. Also like the prior year though, the Imperials prevailed. Isfahan won the 14^th ABF final in six games, becoming the fourth franchise to repeat as champions. 1B Faramarz Noushzad was finals MVP, as the 29-year old Iranian had 16 hits, 3 runs, 2 doubles, and 9 RBI in 12 playoff starts.



Other notes: Tehran’s Mohammad Kasravi tossed ABF’s eighth perfect game, striking out eight against Bursa on September 10. Hasan Afshin became the first ABF pitcher to 2500 career strikeouts. RF Yakup Gunduz won his eighth Gold Glove, becoming the first eight-time winner at any position.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1998 in SAB

---

Ahmedabad retained its dominance of the Indian League with a 118-44 record in 1998. The Animals had a 2.33 team ERA and 385 earned runs allowed, both second-best in IL history behind their own 1995 efforts. The four-time reigning league champs extended their record playoff streak to 14 seasons, winning a 13^th West Division title in that stretch. The other three playoff spots went to different teams compared to 1997. Visakhapatnam won the South Division at 90-72 for their eighth division title in a decade. Kolkata claimed the Central at 85-77, ending a decade-long playoff drought. Delhi was two games back at 83-79, but this earned the Drillers the wild card. They were three games ahead of Chennai and four better than both Mumbai and Jaipur. Delhi snapped a two season playoff skid.

Bengaluru had the worst record in the Indian League at 66-96. Despite their continued mediocrity, 2B Tirtha Upadhyaya won a fourth straight MVP. The 24-year old Nepali led in home runs (56), total bases (372), slugging (.650), OPS (1.011), wRC+ (224), and WAR (11.0). Upadhyaya added a .292 average and 113 RBI. Anabhisastra Tyagi was Pitcher of the Year, having arrived in Ahmedabad for 1998 after a trade with Dhaka. The 29-year old led in wins (22-7), and WHIP (0.86). He added 312 strikeouts, a 2.40 ERA, and 5.7 WAR over 251 innings. Tyagi surprised many by stepping away from the game for five years after this, returning for a one-off season in 2004.

Delhi took Ahmedabad to the limit in the first round of the playoffs, but the Animals escaped with a 3-2 victory. Visakhapatnam edged Kolkata in five, giving the Volts their first Indian League Championship Series appearance since 1991. Ahmedabad’s dominance continued though as they took the ILCS 4-1. This gave the Animals five straight Indian League pennants, nine in ten years, and 11 in 13 years.



Defending South Asia Baseball champ Ho Chi Minh City extended their own dominance in the Southeast Asia League. The Hedgehogs had the best overall record for the seventh straight year and extended their overall playoff streak to 12 seasons, finishing 117-45 atop the South Division. They set new SEAL pitching records for strikeouts (1948), and H/9 (6.74), while also having the second lowest tallies in runs (459), and hits (1106). Yangon repeated as North Division champs for the fourth year in a row. At 96-66, the Green Dragons edged Hanoi by two games. The Hounds picked up a third wild card in four years. Bangkok narrowly secured the other wild card for a third straight playoff berth. The Bobcats got it at 86-76, topping Mandalay by one game and Phnom Penh by three.

LF Amoda Shah became a two-time SEAL MVP, having left Bangkok in the offseason and signing an eight-year, $12,000,000 deal with Ho Chi Minh City. The 27-year old Indian became the new single-season home run king with 70 dingers, passing Tirtha Upadhyaya’s record of 69 from 1996. Shah’s reign would last only two years, but as of 2037, he’s one of only five SAB hitters with a 70+ homer season. Shah also led in runs (119), RBI (140), total bases (405), slugging (.713), OPS (1.069), wRC+ (195), and WAR (9.8).

Another big free agent acquisition for the Hedgehogs was Kirpal Kushwaha, who won his second Pitcher of the Year. He had left Delhi after the 1996 season and sat out a year, making a return on a two-year, $1,770,000 deal. Kushwaha led in strikeouts (349), WHIP (0.89), shutouts (6), FIP- (51), and WAR (10.4). The 30-year old Indian also had a 2.30 ERA and 21-6 record over 254.2 innings.

Ho Chi Minh City outlasted Bangkok 3-2 in the first round, while Hanoi upset divisional foe Yangon 3-1. This was the Hounds’ first time in the Southeast Asia League Championship since 1993, while the Hedgehogs were making a fifth straight appearance. In the battle of Vietnamese squads, HCMC dominated with a sweep. The Hedgehogs repeated as SEAL champs, won their fourth pennant in five years, and eighth in 12 years.



Ahmedabad and Ho Chi Minh City had become the “evil empires” of South Asia Baseball. With their tremendous successes, both squads had blown out their peers financially. Both had used their funds to maintain superiority as both had payrolls above $30 million in 1998. No other team in SAB was above $20 million. The 19^th SAB Championship was the eighth time they had met in the final. After seven straight wins for the Animals, the Hedgehogs had finally won in 1997.

It would be Ahmedabad returning to their perch in 1998, taking the series 4-1 over HCMC. The Animals picked up their fourth SAB title in five years, and their tenth in 13 years. CF Anjan Sumanjit was finals MVP, posting 20 hits, 7 runs, 4 doubles, 2 home runs, 9 RBI, and 10 stolen bases in 15 playoff starts. Also notable was Pitcher of the Year Anabhisastra Tyagi , who tossed two shutouts in his four playoff starts, posting a 1.32 ERA over 34 innings with 45 strikeouts.



Other notes: Kolkata’s Jalal Mohammad had the third SAB perfect game on September 8, striking out 11 against Hyderabad. K.C. Choudhury set the SAB record for walks drawn at 136, which remains the all-time mark as of 2037. Choudhury also became the second player to 1500 runs scored. He would pass VJ Williams and become the runs leader at 1711 when he retired in 2000 and held that distinction for around 15 years. Tirtha Upadhyaya had his second four home run game and only the third by any player In SAB history. Arvind Lal became the third pitcher to 3500 career strikeouts. 3B Manju Abbas won his ninth Gold Glove, the first nine-time winner at any position. Thang Huynh won his eighth Silver Slugger. It was his first as a first baseman, with the previous wins at third.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1998 in WAB

---

Kumasi was a surprising team atop the WAB Western League standings in 1998. The Monkeys hadn’t made the playoffs since their record 14-year postseason streak ended in 1991. Kumasi took the top spot at 100-62. Abidjan was second at 97-65, getting back into the field after a fourth place finish the prior year. The Athletes earned their sixth berth in seven years. Freetown, the WLCS runner-up the prior two seasons, took the third place spot at 92-70. Accra was close at 90-72, but saw their three-year playoff streak snapped. Defending Western League champ Nouakchott dropped to fifth at 86-76.

Dakar’s Emmanuel Kao won his first Western League MVP at only age 23. The Togolese right fielder led in home runs (52), total bases (389), slugging (.649), OPS (1.023), and wRC+ (179). Kao also had 8.3 WAR, a .316 average, and 131 RBI. Monrovia’s Angelo Costa won his second Pitcher of the Year in three years. The 25-year old Cape Verdean lefty was the ERA leader (2.09) and had the most strikeouts (355), quality starts (27), FIP- (50), and WAR (10.8). He had a 19-8 record over 258 innings, two wins short of a Triple Crown.

Freetown upset Abidjan 2-0 in the wild card round, sending the Foresters to the Western League Championship Series for the third consecutive season. They would end up the runner-up for the third year in a row, falling 3-2 in an intense battle with Kumasi. It was the fifth pennant for the Monkeys and their first since 1991.



Defending West African Baseball champion Kano set a franchise record at 114-48 atop the Eastern League standings. This was the second winningest-season in EL history to that point, behind Port Harcourt’s 115 wins in 1977. The Condors also extended their postseason streak to four years. Niamey surprised many by taking second at 96-66. The Atomics hadn’t posted a winning season since their last playoff berth back in 1988. Meanwhile, Ibadan continued the longest active postseason streak in WAB, taking third at 90-72. The Iguanas have advanced every year of the 1990s. The Hillcats were a competitive fourth at 85-77. Lagos, the ELCS runner-up last year, dropped to 76-86.

Eastern League MVP for the fourth time in five years went to Kano shortstop Darwin Morris. The 26-year old Liberian led in runs (136), home runs (47), stolen bases (85), OBP (.446), slugging (.713), OPS (1.159), wRC+ (213), and WAR (13.6). Morris added a .346 average and 125 RBI. Ibadan’s Tiemogo Idrissa won Pitcher of the Year as the 28-year old Nigerien righty led in wins (18-6) and WAR (7.4). He added 281 strikeouts and a 2.73 ERA over 260 innings. This effort convinced the Iguanas to sign Idrissa to a six-year, $14,620,000 extension in the offseason.

Ibadan upset Niamey 2-0 in the wild card round, sending the Iguanas to the Eastern League Championship Series for the fifth time in seven years. Meanwhile, Kano was making their fourth straight ELCS appearance. The defending champion Condors made quick work of Ibadan with a three-game sweep. Kano earned its sixth EL pennant (1975, 76, 84, 86, 97, 98).



In the 24^th West African Championship, Kano officially established a dynasty, rolling Kumasi 4-1 to repeat as champs. The Condors are also now 5-1 all-time in the final, while the Monkeys are 0-5. LF Amewu Murry was finals MVP as the 28-year old Ghanaian had 16 hits, 7 runs, 5 doubles, and 4 RBI in 8 playoff starts. At 114-48, Kano broke their own record from the prior year (111-51) as the winningest team to take the WAB title. At that point, many would have argued the 1998 Kano squad was WAB’s best-ever team, but they’d quickly be overshadowed as the Condors’ dominance continued in the coming years.



Other notes: Kumasi’s Ada Nwankwo and Kano’s Revelation Maseko had 238 hits, beating Nwankwo’s own single-season record from 1995 by one. This record would hold until 2004. Nwankwo also had a 33-game hitting streak, setting a new WAB record. The previous mark was 32 by Courtnall Ngcobo in 1988. Abidjan’s Benedict Collins scored 143 runs, falling three short of Darwin Morris’s 146 from the prior season. Collins also stole 130+ bases for the third time in his career, a feat not reached by any other player in any world league to this point. Lome’s Kieran du Toit struck out 407 batters, becoming only WAB’s fourth pitcher to fan 400+. As of 2037, no other players have hit that threshold. Xavi Leko reached 5000 career strikeouts, finishing his career with 5032. As of 2037, he’s still the strikeout king with only two others even crossing 4000.

Niamey’s Austin Folorunso became the 12^th WAB pitcher to throw a perfect game, striking out 15 against Cotonou. Germain Tchouga became the second batter to 500 home runs. He’d play two more seasons and end at 541, still falling short of Vincent Langat’s 584. Abel Alemu became the first batter to 2500 career hits. He’d retire after the 1999 season with 2692 and would hold the hit king distinction for about a decade. SS Jorginho Fonseca won his ninth Gold Glove, becoming the first WAB player at any position to win nine. LF Jake Pourchet won his eighth Gold Glove. 3B Arnaud Aho won his seventh Silver Slugger.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1998 in CLB

---

Xi’an finished first in the Northern League at 96-66, giving the Attack their fourth playoff berth in five years. 1996 league runner-up Harbin was second at 89-73, bouncing back from a 76-win effort the prior year. The third and final playoff spot went to Shenyang at 86-76, the first-ever playoff berth for the Swans. Entering the year, they were the only team in all of Chinese League Baseball without a single playoff berth. They edged Zhengzhou by one and Tianjin by four for the final spot. Nanjing, who had been a semifinalist in the prior two seasons, dropped to 79-83.

Shenyang CF Xirong Wang won Northern League MVP. The 25-year old third-year player led in WAR ((10.0), slugging (.479), and RBI (89). He added 32 home runs and a 13.1 zone rating in center. Xi’an’s Momota Oichi earned a fourth consecutive Pitcher of the Year, leading in wins (23-10), strikeouts (383), WHIP (0.73), and quality starts (31). Oichi added a 1.82 ERA and 7.7 WAR over 272 innings. He became CLB’s first-ever pitcher to win the top award four times.



Chengdu claimed first in the Southern League at 96-66, ending a two-year playoff drought. Chnogqing was second at 92-70 for their first playoff berth since 1985. Third place Dongguan at 88-74 also ended a lengthy drought dating to 1986. Kunming finished once game shy at 87-75. Changsha and Hong Kong, last year’s CLB champ and runner-up respectively, both tied for fifth at 86-76. Foshan, a semifinalist in 1997, dropped to seventh at 79-83.

Dongguan 2B Chenglin Huang won Southern League MVP. The 29-year old led in runs (76), slugging (.576), OPS (.937), wRC+ (233), and WAR (9.3). Kunming’s Luning Li was Pitcher of the Year as the ERA leader (1.21) with 22 complete games. Li added a 17-12 record over 261 innings with 299 strikeouts and 7.1 WAR. He was a surprising winner to some considering Hong Kong’s Yinjie Fu posted 12.3 WAR and 390 strikeouts. That was the fifth most strikeouts in a season by a CLB pitcher and only the 11^th time a CLB pitcher had posted 12+ WAR.

In the first round of the playoffs, both Northern League teams won over their Southern League counterparts with Shenyang beating Chongqing 2-0 and Harbin downing Dongguan 2-1. Both stunned their first place finishing foes in the semifinal. Shenyang shocked Xi’an 4-1, while Harbin toppled Chengdu 4-1. This sent the Hellcats to their second China Series in three years and fifth in franchise. The Swans had never been to the playoffs before and now found themselves finals bound.



The 29^th China Series wasn’t the first to have two Northern League teams in the final, but it was the first time since the playoff format changed that it was two wild cards from the same league. The series was a seven game classic that came down to the final inning of the final game. Harbin took game seven 5-4 on a walkoff to earn their second CLB ring (1981). RF Xin Dai was finals MVP as the 25-year old had 21 hits, 8 runs, 5 home runs, and 8 RBI in 15 playoff games.



Other notes: Chengdu’s Fei Huang threw CLB’s 27^th perfect game, striking out eight against Dongguan on July 3. Jinlong Han had a 21 strikeout game. The Foshan ace did it in a 12 inning marathon session against Hong Kong.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1998 in APB

Austronesia Professional Baseball lowered its active roster starting with the 1998 season from 25 to 24. This follows the trend that many of the other world leagues had taken in recent years. APB would keep their rosters at 24 years until the 2023 season, when they’d bump back to 25.



Taoyuan’s dynasty run in the Taiwan League ended in 1998 as the two-time defending APB champs dropped to 83-79. This put them in a three-way tie for second in the TL standings. Taipei finished first at 96-66 for their first playoff berth since 1993. In the Philippine League, Quezon snapped a playoff drought dating back to 1987. The Zombies were 91-71, the only PL team with a winning record. Manila, who won 103 games the prior year, limped to only 73 wins in 1998.

Taiwan-Philippine Association MVP went to Taoyuan two-way star Ting-Jen Hsu for the third time in four years. On the mound, the 28-year old had 6.4 WAR, a 2.45 ERA, 15-14 record, 282.2 innings, and 284 strikeouts. In 93 games in the outfield, he added 7.1 WAR with a .283/.342/.542 slash, 185 wRC+, and 48 stolen bases. Hsu played great defense with a combined 9.8 zone rating between center, left, and the mound. Four-year Manila pitcher Dedi Dewi won Pitcher of the Year. The 23-year old Indonesian righty led in ERA (1.31), strikeouts (394), WHIP (0.75), shutouts (8), FIP- (53), and WAR (10.2). Dewi added a 15-12 record over 275.2 innings.


Reigning Sundaland Association champ Batam improved their record to 105-57, a new franchise best. This gave the Blue Raiders their sixth Malacca League title of the 1990s. Singapore was their closest competitor in a distant second place at 87-75. Depok repeated as Java League champion at 96-66. The Demons were six games better than Surabaya.

Batam’s Nerius Senaen won his fifth Sundaland Assoviation MVP, although it was his first since 1994. He became the first player in APB history to win five MVPs. The 32-year old left fielder led in hits (179), RBI (103), total bases (342), triple slash (.312/.380.596), OPS (.976), wRC+ (223), and WAR (10.5). Senaen also hit 37 home runs. Second-year Medan pitcher Afiq Parker was Pitcher of the Year, leading in wins (22-8), shutouts (9), and WAR (12.4). The 24-year old Singaporean lefty also had 412 strikeouts in 267.2 innings with a 1.48 ERA. Parker also impressively had a 19 strikeout no-hitter against Jakarta on April 5.

In the Taiwan-Philippine Association Championship, Quezon topped Taipei 4-2. For the Zombies, this was their second-ever pennant along with their 1984 APB title season. The Sundaland Association Championship rematch between Batam and Depok was a seven game classic. The Blue Raiders again prevailed to repeat as SA champs and earn their fifth pennant overall.



In the 34^th Austronesia Championship, Batam battered Quezon 4-1, giving the Blue Raiders their second-ever APB ring (1972). Veteran RF Min-Yi Lu won finals MVP as the 35-year old had 13 hits, 7 runs, 3 doubles, 6 home runs, and 10 RBI in 12 playoff starts.



Other notes: Surabaya’s Yu-Ching Kuo struck out 473 batters, still the fourth most in a season in APB history as of 2037. Hadi Ningsih became the second pitcher to 5000 career strikeouts, finishing the season and his career with 5021. As of 2037, he’s sixth-best all-time. Ningish also passed Dave Hermillo to become APB’s wins leader, finishing with 277. He would be the wins leader until the late 2020s. Ronald Purnomo became the fourth pitcher to 250 career wins. He played two more years and fell just short of Ningsih at 272. Min-Yi Lu became the fifth to 500 home runs. 1B Akbar Fatchurohman won his 11^th Gold Glove. CF/2B Fransisco Hartati won his ninth Silver Slugger. 3B Gede Mamuaya won his eighth and CF Roy Cardillo won his seventh Silver Slugger.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1998 in OBA

---

1998 was an incredibly competitive season in the Australasia League as only seven games separated first place from seventh in the eight-team league. After taking third last year, 1996 Oceania Champion Adelaide was back atop the AL. Their 87-75 mark was enough to top reigning AL champ Perth by three games. The Aardvarks became eight-time pennant winners, tied with the Penguins for the most in the AL. Christchurch, Gold Coast, and Sydney were each 81-81 while both Brisbane and Auckland were 80-82.

Gold Coast shortstop Woody Bolling became a two-time Australasia League MVP, having also won it in 1995. It was an impressive comeback for the 29-year old righty, as he had missed almost all of the 1997 season to a torn PCL. Bolling led in WAR (11.1), and batting average (.312) while adding 175 wRC+ and 28 home runs. Pitcher of the Year was Brisbane’s Owen Killion. The 29-year old lefty led in strikeouts (379), quality starts (31), and WAR (8.0). Killion added a 16-16 record and 2.51 ERA over 305.1 innings.



Reigning Pacific League champ Guam was even better in 1998, going from 95 wins to a 107-55 mark. This gave the Golden Eagles their fifth PL pennant of the 1990s. Samoa was a strong second at 97-65, but still were ten games away. Honolulu was fourth at 81-81, which was their first time not posting a winning season since 1979. Guam now had ten PL pennants, behind only the Honu’s 13.

DH Quentin Basa made history with his second Pacific League MVP. The most notable part was that the 39-year old Filipino’s previous MVP was in his second season of 1981; 18 years earlier. Basa signed with Samoa for 1998 and posted league and career bests in runs (101), RBI (109), total bases (352), slugging (.644), OPS (.955), and wRC+ (187). He also had a career high 52 home runs and posted 7.5 WAR. Both winning a MVP at his age and the gap between MVPs was something never before seen in professional baseball. Age would catch up to Basa the next year, reduced to a part-time starter in 1999 and eventual bench piece in his final season of 2000.

Guam’s Timothy Manglona repeated as Pitcher of the Year with an all-time great season. The 24-year old from the Northern Marianas became the first OBA pitcher in a decade to earn the Triple Crown, posting the 12^th TC season for a pitcher. Manglona had a 29-5 record, 1.72 ERA, and 446 strikeouts over 334.2 innings. He also led in WHIP (0.72), innings (334.2), K/BB (17.8), complete games (18), shutouts (8), FIP- (47), and WAR (14.6). The wins mark was one short of the OBA record, while the WAR tally was the third-best to that point by a OBA pitcher behind Tarzan Rao’s 16.59 in 1984 and 15.51 in 1983. As of 2037, Manglona’s WAR mark is still the seventh best season in OBA pitching history.



Despite the relative success of both Guam and Adelaide, the 39^th Oceania Championship was their first time meeting in the final. The series was an all-timer and the first OBA final to go all seven games since 1992. The Aardvarks prevailed in the end for their second title in three years. In his OBA debut, Jimeno Hong won finals MVP. The 32-year old Brazilian had spent more than a decade in Beisbol Sudamerica before arriving in Australia. He was 3-0 in the finals with a 0.39 ERA over 23 innings and 22 strikeouts. Adelaide now has seven titles (1962, 64, 74, 76, 77, 96, 98), second only to Honolulu’s eight.



Other notes: Two bad all-time records were set in 1998 that still stand in 2037. Brisbane’s Ken Morphy was caught stealing 72 times, while New Caledonia’s Oni Blanco on the mound had 26 losses. 1998 didn’t have a single no-hitter for the first time since 1988. In addition to his MVP, Quentin Basa crossed 600 career home runs and 1500 RBI. At retirement, he was fourth all-time in home runs and third in RBI. Basa also won his tenth Silver Slugger, but his first as a DH with the others all in left field. Vavao Brighouse also crossed 1500 RBI in 1998, making it four batters to have reached the mark. SS Jay Lawrence won his eighth Gold Glove and 3B Errol Herne won his seventh. SS Woody Bolling won his seventh Silver Slugger.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1998 in EPB



The EPB European League had the exact same four playoff teams again in 1998 with three of the teams extending lengthy streaks. Minsk won the North Division at 113-49 and had the top overall seed. The Miners’ EPB record streak is now at 18 seasons, three years behind the world record of 21 by EBF’s Zurich. Kharkiv won the South Division for the fourth year in a row, dominating the field at 101-61. Reigning EPB champ Kazan was the first wild card at 107-55 for repeat playoff appearances. Warsaw at 95-67 was the second wild card, extending their impressive postseason streak to 11 seasons. Helsinki was the closest competitor in the wild card mix at 92-70, three games back on the Wildcats. It was the first winning season for the Honkers since 1978.

European League MVP was Kazan 3B Almas Abbasov. The 30-year old Uzbek led in WAR (9.7), adding a .309/.343/.531 slash, 179 wRC+, and 55 extra base hits. His Crusaders teammate Wojciech Grzybek won Pitcher of the Year. The 30-year old Polish lefty led in wins (22-7), innings (304.1), strikeouts (397), WHIP (0.75), quality starts (31), and WAR (10.3). Grzybek’s 1.74 ERA was only six points away from getting him a Triple Crown season.

Minsk outlasted Warsaw 3-2 in the first round of the playoffs, while Kharkiv swept the defending champ Kazan. The Killer Bees earned their third European League Championship Series berth in four years, while it was the Miners’ second in three years and the 11^th in their playoff streak. Minsk remarkably was making their 25^th ELCS appearance in EPB’s 44 seasons to date. After falling short despite incredible records in the prior three years, Kharkiv came out on top. The Killer Bees won the ELCS 4-2 for their third-ever pennant (1973, 1980, 1998).



The Asian League saw a significant shakeup, most notably with the end of Irkutsk’s dynasty. The Ice Cats had won the AL pennant five of the last six years and had an eight season playoff streak entering 1998, but they were ultimately middling at 83-79. The North Division and top seed went to Ulaanbaatar at 101-61. The Boars hadn’t posted a winning season since 1985 and earned their first playoff berth since 1984. Tashkent took the South Division at 95-67. The Tomcats were the only AL team to return to the playoffs, extending their postseason streak to four seasons. The wild cards went to Ufa (93-69) and Tbilisi (89-73). Dushanbe (87-75) and Chelyabinsk (86-76) were close behind with three others posting winning records. The Fiends ended a decade-long playoff drought, while the Trains had their first berth since 1993.

Ufa RF Sapar Durdyew won Asian League MVP. The 26-year old Russian won his fifth straight Gold Glove while leading the AL in RBI (112), slugging (.596), OPS (.956), wRC+ (195), and WAR (10.2). Durdyew added 37 home runs and a .306 average. Pitcher of the Year was Ulaanbaatar’s Artyom Tagilov. The 29-year old Kazakh lefty led in wins (23-7), complete games (28), and shutouts (9). Tagilov added a 1.64 ERA, 279.1 innings, 281 strikeouts, and 6.8 WAR. He was a surprising choice when checking WAR as he wasn’t in the top five, while three pitchers reached double-digits.

Both first round playoff series were five game battles which saw the division champs prevail. Ulaanbaatar outlasted Tbilisi and Tashkent edged Ufa. This was the first Asian League Championship Series for the Boars since 1984, while the Tomcats were making a third appearance in four years. After taking runner-up in 1995 and 1996, Tashkent finally came out on top. The Tomcats edged Ulaanbaatar 4-3 to earn only their second-ever pennant (1969).



In the 44^th Eurasian Professional Baseball Championship. Kharkiv toppled Tashkent 4-1. The Killer Bees earned their second-ever pennant (1980), and the first for a Ukrainian team since Kyiv’s 1992 ring. Pitcher Dmitry Marteshkin was finals MVP, stepping up despite being a back-of-the-rotation guy with only 11 starts in the regular season. The 28-year old Belarusian was 2-0 in three playoff starts with a 2.05 ERA, 26.1 innings, and 13 strikeouts.



Other notes: Riga’s Jacob Pierre-Louis had EPB’s 29^th perfect game, striking out 11 against Bratislava on July 18. Dushanbe’s Rovnag Akhatov had a 20 strikeout game against Asgabat. Dzmitry Kuliev became the eighth EPB batter to 600 career home runs. He retired after the 1999 season at 634, placing him sixth on the leaderboard. Mahammad Uzdenov won his eighth straight Gold Glove at third base.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1998 in EBF

---

The EBF Northern Conference had a fascinating battle at the top with five teams within four games of the top seed and only four playoff spots available. Reigning European Champion Paris ended up narrowly with the top seed at 98-64, earning their third Northwest Division title in four years. Amsterdam was four games back at 94-68. The Anacondas ended up the odd team out in the wild card race. Copenhagen (96-66) won the North Central Division to end a two year playoff skid. Berlin (95-67) fell one game short of a third straight division title. However, the Barons took the wild card by one game over Amsterdam. The one non-competitive division saw Glasgow on top at 97-65 in the British Isles, earning three straight playoff appearances. Birmingham’s seven-year playoff streak came to an end as the Bees finished at 85-77, 12 games from the division crown and 10 from the wild card.

Copenhagen LF Willum Kleist picked up Northern Conference MVP honors. The 29-year old Dane was the leader in runs (118), home runs (60), and slugging (.679), while adding 7.8 WAR, 129 RBI, and a .289 average. His Corsairs teammate Kenny Hallberg won Pitcher of the Year, snapping the seven-year reign of Birmingham’s Lindsey Brampton. In only his second season, the 24-year old Swedish lefty Hallberg led in wins (23-6) and quality starts (31). He added a 2.18 ERA over 273 innings, 288 strikeouts, and 8.3 WAR.

In the first round of the playoffs, wild card Berlin upset defending champ Paris 3-1, while Glasgow downed Copenhagen 3-1. This sent the Highlanders to back-to-back Northern Conference Championship appearances, while it was Berlin’s first since 1992. Both squads were looking to end losing streaks in the conference finals; the Barons had dropped their last seven appearances and Glasgow had lost its last four. In a seven game classic, Berlin prevailed for their third-ever pennant. The German capital’s other two titles were more than 40 years ago, coming in 1955 and 1958.



Naples was the big surprise in the Southern Conference, winning the South Central Division and taking the top seed at 98-64. The Nobles hadn’t posted a winning season since 1985 and they hadn’t been in the postseason since their 1971 division title. The Zurich dominance seemed finally over after taking 24 of the last 25 division titles. At 74-88, the Mountaineers posted their first losing season since 1971. Defending conference champ Lisbon was one short of the top seed at 97-65. The Clippers won a strong Southwest Division to extend their postseason streak to eight seasons. Barcelona was second at 92-70, which allowed the Bengals to get the wild card for their fourth playoff berth in six years. They had to fight off Madrid (88-74) for the wild card. Athens was Southeast Division winners for the third time in four years, going 93-69. Zagreb, last year’s wild card, was their nearest foe at 84-78.

Leading Naples’ turnaround was Southern Conference MVP Giulio Lago. The 27-year old Italian right fielder led in WAR (10.6) and hits (206). Lago added 121 runs, 48 home runs, 123 RBI, and .345 average. His MVP was somewhat of a surprise considering Lisbon 1B Peter Brinkman socked 72 home runs. That was tied for the second most in a season behind only Mattias Stole’s 75 in 1994. The 28-year old German had signed a massive six-year, $12,720,000 deal with the Clippers in free agency after playing 1997 in Birmingham and his prior seasons with Vienna.

Barcelona’s Anders Maurstad won a third consecutive Pitcher of the Year. The 29-year old Norwegian lefty led in wins (20-7), ERA (2.26), innings (291), WHIP (0.98), K/BB (11.1), quality starts (28), shutouts (6), FIP- (56), and WAR (11.1). Maurstad’s 288 strikeouts were six away from earning a Triple Crown. His continued dominance compelled the Bengals to sign Maurstad to a seven-year, $25,920,000 extension in the offseason.

The first round of the playoffs saw Naples outlast Barcelona in a five game battle. Meanwhile, Athens shocked Lisbon with a road sweep. The Anchors earned a third Southern Conference Championship appearance in four years. For the Nobles, their only prior SCC came when they won their lone pennant back in 1957. Naples ousted Athens 4-2 to become the first Italian conference champ since Rome’s 1968 title.



The 49^th European Championship went the distance and ended with a first-time champion as Naples edged Berlin 4-3. With that, 22 of EBF’s 30 teams have won it all. 1B Antonio Massolo was the postseason hero, winning MVP of the conference final and the European Championship. In 18 playoff starts, he had 21 hits, 12 runs, 4 doubles, 2 triples, 6 home runs, and 19 RBI.



Other notes: Daniel Galonopoulas became the ninth player to 600 career home runs. Both Lindsey Brampton and Khaled Jabri crossed 4000 career strikeouts, making it eight pitchers to have done so. SP Daniel Ramires and CF Slavomil Csonka both became seven time Gold Glove winners.