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

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1999 in CABA

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The Mexican League had the same three playoff teams for the third straight season. Ecatepec took the top seed at 110-52, winning a sixth South Division title in seven years. Monterrey’s impressive playoff streak extended to 12 seasons, as they rolled to the North Division at 108-54. The Matadors won the division title each year of the 1990s. Defending ML champ Tijuana earned the wild card for the seventh time in eight years at 97-65. Their closest foe was Merida at nine games back.

Rising Tijuana star Yusdet Remo won Mexican League MVP in his third season as a starter. The 23-year old Nicaraguan first baseman led in runs (115), total bases (416), and wRC+ (212). Remo added 57 home runs, 131 RBI, a .336/.369/.684 slash and 8.2 WAR. Veteran arm Franklin Odilon of Ecatepec won Pitcher of the Year. The 33-year old Honduran righty led in wins at 24-4 while posting a 2.56 ERA over 259.2 innings, 248 strikeouts, and 6.0 WAR.

Monterrey defeated their division rival Tijuana 3-1 in the wild card round, which enabled the Matadors to play in the Mexican League Championship Series in every year of the 1990s. For the fifth time in six years, it was against Ecatepec on the other side. This was only the second time the Explosion had home field advantage. It paid off, as Ecatepec won a seven game classic over Monterrey. The Explosion won their eighth ML pennant (1929, 31, 32, 43, 44, 75, 94, 99).

In their 1990s MLCS battles, Ecatepec won twice and Monterrey won thrice. 1999 would ultimately be a “passing of the torch,” moment. The Matadors’ MLCS streak would finally end the next year and the Explosion would start up their own strong run.



The Caribbean League was very top heavy with three teams winning 100+ games. Honduras had the top mark at 111-51 to take the Continental Division for the first time since 1993. It was their eighth playoff berth of the 1990s. The Horsemen had record setting power, hitting 298 home runs with a .516 team slugging percentage. These both would be CABA single-season records until 2025. They’re still third best as of 2037. Two-time defending CABA champ Salvador was still great, but ended up the wild card at 103-59. The Stallions extended their playoff streak to six seasons. The Island Division featured Haiti’s third consecutive first place finish. The Herons were 105-57, 14 games better than second place Havana.

Honduras 1B Stevie Montoya repeated as Caribbean League MVP. The 30-year old Mexican lefty led in runs (134), home runs (64), RBI (155), total bases (464), OBP (.419), slugging (.776), OPS (1.195), wRC+ (208), and WAR (10.9). He added a .363 average and 217 hits. Salvador’s Rafael Perez won his fourth straight Pitcher of the Year. The 31-year old Dominican threw the most innings (284.1) and had the most quality starts (24) and shutouts (6). Perez had an 18-8 record, 2.75 ERA, 319 strikeouts, and 8.9 WAR. Also of note, Haiti’s Pasqual Cantu won a third straight Reliever of the Year.

Wild card Salvador went on the road and outlasted Haiti 3-2 in the wild card round. This gave the Stallions their sixth straight Caribbean League Championship Series appearance, while it was Honduras’ fifth of the 1990s. Salvador’s pitching overcame the Horsemen’s home run power with the Stallions taking the series in five games. That gave Salvador a four-peat and their fifth Caribbean League pennant in six years. They became the first CL team to accomplish either of those feats. It was their tenth pennant overall.



It would be the third CABA Championship meeting between Ecatepec and Salvador with the previous two both being seven game classics. Back in 1931, the Explosion prevailed. More recently in 1994, the Stallions took it with a walk off in game seven. The 89^th CABA Championship would keep up the trend of excitement, needing all seven games. Ecatepec rallied with a three-run top of the ninth inning to take the finale 6-4. This was the Explosion’s first title since World War II and their fifth overall (1929, 31, 32, 43, 99). SS Michael Chamorro was finals MVP with the 31-year old hometown favorite getting 19 hits, 9 runs, 7 doubles, 9 RBI, and 8 stolen bases in 14 playoff starts.



Other notes: Hugh Boerboom became the 10^th batter to join the 600 home run club. He also was the 19^th to cross 1500 career RBI and he won his seventh Silver Slugger in center field. 2B Santiago Rosas won his eighth Gold Glove and 1B Erubiel Soto won his seventh. 3B Jacky Castillo won his ninth Silver Slugger.

CABA’s offense numbers did see a jump by around 0.40 ERA and around .013 batting average from the 1980s. The Mexican League had a .259 average and 3.61 ERA for the 1990s, which graded out as average on the historical scale. The Caribbean League was at a 3.97 ERA and .267 average. Those are both above average on the all-time scale, but were at the top of any world league in the 1990s. CABA’s scoring environment would be roughly unchanged over the next 30 years.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

1999 in MLB

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The National Association’s first round byes went to Philadelphia and Quebec City, who both finished 98-64. The Phillies ended a three-year playoff drought by winning the East Division. The Nordiques ended a five-year playoff drop to top a very strong Northeast Division. Both wild cards came from the Northeast with Montreal at 96-66 and Ottawa at 93-69. The Maples earned a third straight playoff berth, while the Elks ended a two-year drought. Defending National Association Toronto finished 90-72, narrowly keeping them from the postseason field. Washington fell seven short of Philly in the East Division with their 91-71 being two behind Ottawa for the last wild card.

The Lower Midwest Division came down to the final week with Indianapolis (91-71) edging Columbus (90-72). The Racers extended their playoff streak to four years, tied for the longest active streak in MLB. The Chargers were also three shy of the wild card, missing the postseason for only the second time in six years. The Upper Midwest had Cleveland end a three-year playoff drought, taking it at 90-72. Last year’s NACS runner-up Chicago and Detroit were tied for second at 86-76. Pennant winners only two years prior, Minneapolis plummeted to 69-93.

National Association MVP was Montreal RF Suhail Abou. He was a native of the United Arab Emirates that went undrafted, but he caught the attention of a Maples’ scout somehow and put it all together. In his second season at age 25, he led the NA in WAR (8.4), total bases (336), slugging (.577), OPS (.953), and wRC+ (197). Abou added 41 home runs and 105 RBI.

Chicago’s Qazi Khwaja won Pitcher of the Year in his sixth season with the Cubs. He had won the award in his previous stint with Karachi of the Asian Baseball Federation. The 31-year old Pakistani righty led in quality starts (28) and posted a 19-8 record, 2.08 ERA, 268.2 innings, 216 strikeouts, and 7.2 WAR. Khwaja would leave for Houston in the offseason on a massive six-year, $48,600,000 deal.

Montreal topped Cleveland 2-0 and Indianapolis edged Ottawa 2-1 in the first round of the playoffs. Quebec City survived 3-2 against the neighboring Maples in round two, while the Racers upset Philadelphia 3-1. This was the Nordiques’ first-ever appearance in the National Association Championship Series since joining in the 1982 expansion. Indy was making their second appearance in four years. In six games, the Racers prevailed over QC, making Indianapolis nine-time pennant winners. This tied them with Philadelphia and Montreal for the second-most NA pennants, one behind Ottawa’s ten.



After just missing the postseason in the two years since their 1996 World Series win, Edmonton re-emerged as a top contender. The Eels set a franchise record at 108-54, winning the Northwest Division and posting the American Association’s best mark. The other bye was Atlanta at 102-60 atop the Southeast Division. The Aces earned their second division title in three years. San Francisco ended their own two-year playoff drought, winning the Southwest Division at 96-66. Houston claimed a weak South Central Division at 86-76 for their third division title in five years.

San Diego finished 94-68, two games behind the Gold Rush for the division. This was still plenty to give the Seals their fourth consecutive playoff berth. Seattle repeated as a wild card, taking the other slot at 92-70. Also in the mix but falling short were Las Vegas (90-72), Charlotte (88-74), and Nashville (88-74). Defending World Series champion Vancouver came up short at 85-77. Their AACS foe in 1998 Los Angeles fell to 79-83. That was only the second losing season of the 1990s for the Angels.

American Association MVP went to San Francisco LF Leegan Shea. The Modesto, California native had won the Rookie of the Year the prior season, debuting with a 53 home run season. The 22-year old lefty saw an AA-best 56 dingers in his sophomore campaign, along with the top mark in slugging (.628), OPS (.980), and wRC+ (162). Shea added 8,0 WAR, 116 runs, and 131 RBI with a .293 average. Sadly, Shea’s career peaked here. Although he played another 15 seasons, various injuries severely limited what many thought could be a Hall of Fame career. These first two seasons helped him get paid as the Gold Rush signed him after the 2002 season to an eight-year, $74,500,000 deal.

Pitcher of the Year came in another sophomore season from Calgary’s Daniel Grondin. He had posted his own awesome 8.1 WAR season the prior year as a rookie. The Abbotsford, British Colombia native was the WARlord at 12.59, posting the second-highest total by a MLB pitcher ever. He was narrowly behind TJ Nakabayashi’s 12.64 in 1991. Grondin led in quality starts (26), complete games (24), and FIP- (53). He added a 22-9 record over 304.1 innings with a 2.57 ERA and 323 strikeouts.

San Diego went on the road and swept Houston in the first round, while San Francisco survived 2-1 against Seattle. The Gold Rush upset Atlanta 3-2 in the second round, while Edmonton outlasted a fierce challenge by the Seals in five. This was SF’s first American Association Championship Series appearance since winning the 1994 World Series. The top seeded Eels would take the series 4-2, winning their third pennant in only 18 seasons of existence (1988, 1996, 1999).



Despite their newness, Edmonton was gunning for their second World Series ring in four years. For Indianapolis, they hoped the ninth time would be the charm, as they were 0-8 previously in the Fall Classic. The Racers continued to be snake bitten as the Eels won the 99^th World Series 4-2. 2B Keith Brunet was World Series MVP. In 17 playoff starts, the 25-year old Canadian had 19 hits, 11 runs, 4 doubles, 2 home runs, and 13 RBI.



With Indy falling to 0-9, no team in any world league has made more championships without winning at least once. Meanwhile, Edmonton’s 108-54 was the best record by a World Series winner since Calgary’s 1987 title, The 1999 Eels make a case for the top MLB team of the decade.

Other notes: Chris Greer became the 40^th MLB pitcher to 250 career wins. Ambrose Heidinger was the 66^th to reach 500 home runs. CF Jonathan Valenzuela won his ninth Gold Glove. SS Matteo Canetti won his seventh Silver Slugger.

Major League Baseball’s 1990s were technically the lowest scoring in its 99-year history. However, it was only slightly down from prior years, as MLB had maintained an impressive consistency in its history. The National Association’s ERA was 3.44 with a .247 batting average; both grading out as just below average on the greater historical scale. The American Association had a .258 average and 3.98 ERA. This was above average on the historical scale, but among the highest of any league in the 1990s. MLB’s stats would slightly drop in the next 20 years before rule changes would boost it up in the 2020s.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

MLB's 20th Century Team

Major League Baseball officially started operations in 1901 and would see its 100^th season in 2000. MLB decided to honor its greats of the 20^th Century by announcing the MLB 20^th Century All-Star Team. It was a difficult choice trying to pick out the absolute best-of-the-best over a century, as there were many grades to choose from. Those receiving the nod are below:



Starting Offense

Catcher- Mason Wilkinson – 1977-97 - Oklahoma City Outlaws – 2468 games, 2637 hits, 1230 runs, 474 doubles, 253 home runs, 1098 RBI, .305/.388//.453, 103.8 WAR, 141 wRC+, 10x Silver Slugger

First Base – Elijah Cashman – 1919-36 – St. Louis Cardinals – 2797 games, 3455 hits, 1794 runs, 469 doubles, 750 home runs, 2050 RBI, .327/.386/.591, , 136.6 WAR, 180 wRC+, 7 MVPs, 9x Silver Slugger, 11x Gold Glove

Second Base – Archie Meredith – 1909-29 – Kansas City Cougars – 2805 games, 2964 hits, 1674 runs, 443 doubles, 626 home runs, 1752 RBI, .284/.342/.516, 119.8 WAR, 141 wRC+, 1x MVP, 6x Silver Slugger, 3x Gold Glove

Shortstop – Dave Douglas – 1901-16 – Cincinnati Reds – 2073 games, 2249 hits, 1392 runs, 353 doubles, 215 home runs, 838 RBI, 1035 walks, .286/.374/.437, 91.4 WAR, 134 wRC+, 1x MVP, 5x Silver Slugger, 1x Gold Glove, 3x World Series Champion

Third Base – Caleb Yang – 1928-47 – Baltimore Orioles – 2608 games, 3208 hits, 1772 runs, 456 doubles, 625 home runs, 1831 RBI, .320/.363/.574, 127.5 WAR, 163 wRC+, 1x MVP, 8x Silver Slugger, 1x Gold Glove, 1x World Series Champion

Left Field – Connor Neumeyer – 1970-90 – Pittsburgh Pirates – 2571 games, 3037 hits, 1754 runs, 448 doubles, 126 triples, 585 home runs, 1643 RBI, 624 stolen bases, .326/.387/.589, 135.5 WAR, 184 wRC+, 3x MVP, 8x Silver Slugger, 4x Gold Glove

Center Field – Luke Murray – 1930-46 – Kansas City Cougars - 2445 games, 2497 hits, 1548 runs, 411 doubles, 125 triples, 394 home runs, 1307 RBI, 1146 walks, 570 stolen bases, .276/.358/.480, 106.4 WAR, 131 wRC+, 8x Silver Slugger, 5x Gold Glove, Rookie of the Year

Right Field – Stan Provost – 1931-56 – Minneapolis Moose – 3633 games, 4133 hits, 2348 runs, 682 doubles, 660 home runs, 2271 RBI, 1552 walks, .322/.397/.545, 132.9 WAR, 158 wRC+, 2x MVP, 8x Silver Slugger

Designated Hitter – R.J. Clinton – 1957-77 – Indianapolis Racers – 2758 games, 3108 hits, 1742 runs, 440 doubles, 712 home runs, 1976 RBI, .305/.364/.582, 116.7 WAR, 173 wRC+, 3x MVP, 7x Silver Slugger, Rookie of the Year

Reserves

Catcher – Gary Nodine – 1910-29 – Cleveland Cobras – 2538 games, 2626 hits, 1127 runs, 387 doubles, 282 home runs, 1218 RBI, .298/.353/.445, 87.3 WAR, 130 wRC+, 7x Silver Slugger, 2x Gold Glove

First Base – Kaby Silva – 1928-46 – Omaha Hawks – 2646 games, 3218 hits, 1665 runs, 351 doubles, 731 home runs, 1895 RBI, .321/.376/.580, 108.1 WAR, 168 wRC+, 4x MVP, 5x Silver Slugger

Third Base/Shortstop – Purvis Jones – 1929-51 – Detroit Tigers – 2801 games, 3175 hits, 1800 runs, 444 doubles, 119 triples, 587 home runs, 1737 RBI, .304/.367/.537, 118.4 WAR, 146 wRC+, 1x MVP, 8x Silver Slugger, 3x Gold Glove

Outfield – Jess Lewis – 1939-59 – Hartford Huskies – 3144 games, 3714 hits, 1918 runs, 494 doubles, 274 triples, 404 home runs, 1809 RBI, 796 stolen bases, .311/.355/.499, 124.7 WAR, 139 wRC+, 1x MVP, 4x Silver Slugger, 3x Gold Glove, 1x World Series Champion

Outfield – Andrei Tanev – 1928-45 – New Orleans Mudcats – 2406 games, 2842 hits, 1719 runs, 372 doubles, 208 triples, 616 home runs, 1869 RBI, .309/.376/.595, 110.1 WAR, 160 wRC+, 6x MVP, 6x Silver Slugger, 3x Gold Glove, 1x World Series Champion, Rookie of the Year

Designated Hitter – Sebastian Lunde – 1943-60 – San Antonio Oilers – 2549 games, 3232 hits, 1678 runs, 451 doubles, 712 home runs, 2090 RBI, .316/.341/.574, 73.8 WAR, 142 wRC+, 4x MVP, 6x Silver Slugger

Pitching Staff

Starter - Ned Giles – 1929-49 – Denver Dragons – 356-232, 3.10 ERA, 683 games, 665 starts, 5346 innings, 4561 strikeouts, 1170 walks, 1.15 WHIP, 437 quality starts, 285 complete games, 129 ERA+, 151.7 WAR, 5x Pitcher of the Year, 1x World Series Champion

Starter – Newton Persaud – 1910-28 – Houston Hornets – 328-241, 3.41 ERA, 656 games/starts, 5356.2 innings, 4655 strikeouts, 1424 walks, 1.20 WHIP, 392 quality starts, 330 complete games, 125 ERA+, 145.9 WAR, 5x Pitcher of the Year, 2x World Series Champion

Starter – Spenser Emond – 1946-64 – San Diego Seals – 304-165, 2.83 ERA, 543 games/starts, 3985 strikeouts, 990 walks, 1.10 WHIP, 382 quality starts, 300 complete games, 144 ERA+, 139.0 WAR, 7x Pitcher of the Year, 3x World Series Champion

Starter – Parker Harpaz – 1953-72 – Miami Mallards – 361-247, 3.38 ERA, 688 games, 686 starts, 5606 innings, 4586 strikeouts, 1053 walks, 1.16 WHIP, 410 quality starts, 355 complete games, 120 ERA+, 141.8 WAR, 2x Pitcher of the Year

Starter – Bailey Johnson – 1918-35 – Brooklyn Dodgers – 276-184, 2.83 ERA, 564 starts/games, 4277.1 innings, 4064 strikeouts, 1193 walks, 1.13 WHIP, 381 quality starts, 206 complete games, 136 ERA+, 119.0 WAR, 1x Pitcher of the Year, 2x Gold Glove

Starter – Josh Davis – 1905-18 – Cleveland Cobras – 196-109, 2.53 ERA, 353 games/starts, 2862 innings, 2763 strikeouts, 800 walks, 256 quality starts, 157 complete games, 152 ERA+, 90.1 WAR, 6x Pitcher of the Year, 2x World Series Champion

Two-way (SP/OF) – Khaled Scott – 1973-86 – Kansas City Cougars – 269-149, 3.25 ERA, 3801.1 innings, 467 starts/games, 2921 strikeouts, 799 walks, 297 quality starts, 248 complete games, 110 ERA+, 78.0 WAR; 1376 hits, 727 runs, 209 doubles, 156 home runs, 678 RBI, .254/.293/.411, 28.3 WAR, 1x MVP, 11x Silver Slugger, Rookie of the Year

Reliever – Carson Hanford – 1960-78 – Oakland Owls – 130-96, 536 saves, 1.89 ERA, 1104 games, 1192.2 innings, 1660 strikeouts, 331 walks, 557 shutdowns, 214 ERA+, 58.2 WAR, 2x Reliever of the Year

Reliever – Nick Hedrick – 1945-59 – Cleveland Cobras – 94-66, 389 saves, 1.86 ERA, 811 games, 930.2 innings, 1434 strikeouts, 255 walks, 414 shutdowns, 214 ERA+, 52.8 WAR, 2x Reliever of the Year

Manager – Eric Stockmann – 1901-15 – Houston Hornets – 1367-1064 (56.2%), 4x World Series Champion, 6x American Association Champion, 10x Playoff Appearances, 5x Manager of the Year

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2000 MLB Hall of Fame

Major League Baseball added three players into the Hall of Fame from the 2000 ballot. Pitcher Jimmy Roussel was nearly unanimous at 99.2%, while CF Janus Garcia also had an impressive debut at 86.9%. LF Xiandong He was the third inductee, getting a huge bump on his eighth ballot and receiving 78.8%. The next closest was catcher Peter Wacker at 54.4% on his eighth ballot, still a good distance from the 66% requirement. Also above 50% were second year guys in closer Alex Cantos (53.3%) and 2B Rodrigo Badillo (51.4%).



Three players were dropped after ten ballots with each of them ending in the single digits. Reliever Mike Jennings had a 17-year career mostly with Chicago, posting 218 saves and 370 shutdowns, a 2.19 ERA, 977.1 innings, 1102 strikeouts, and 31.2 WAR. For someone who was largely middle relief, he was quite effective. But he never was Reliever of the Year and the saves number was too low to get much attention. Shockingly, Jennings actually debuted on the ballot at 51.2%, but he only went down from there.

SP Wayne “Stumpy” Mitz debuted at a high of 22.5%. He notably won ten Gold Gloves in his 15 year career with five times, posting a 173-134 record, 3.42 ERA, 2923.1 innings, 2395 strikeouts, 109 ERA+, and 56.1 WAR. Firmly a “Hall of Pretty Good” type guy.

SP Brit Mooney debuted at 27.2% and ended at 3.9%. He pitched 21 years with a stint in EPB at the end. He won Pitcher of the Year in 1972 with New Orleans and was part of their dynasty run. Mooney ended up playing for 12 teams total with a 215-199 record, 3.97 ERA, 3797.2 innings, 3220 strikeouts, 1537 walks, 99 ERA+, and 52.0 WAR. He mostly had sustained averageness and as of 2037, sits eighth all-time in most walks surrendered.



Jimmy “Cabfare” Roussel – Starting Pitcher – Albuquerque Isotopes – 99.2% First Ballot

Jimmy Roussel was a 6’1’’, 195 pound right-handed pitcher from West Point, Utah; a town of around 10,000 people in the northern part of the state. Roussel was best known for incredible pinpoint control, which at one point was graded as 10/10. He also had very good stuff with solid movement. His velocity peaked in the 95-97 mph range with an arsenal of slider, screwball, changeup, and cutter. Roussel had excellent stamina and his efficient control allowed him to go deep into games regularly. He also had a great work ethic, which helped make him a very popular player of his era. Roussel was also quite durable, tossing 200+ innings every year except his last.

Roussel left Utah to play college baseball at Toledo. In three seasons with the Rockets, he had a 17-16 record, 2.88 ERA, 306.1 innings, 287 strikeouts, and 9.5 WAR. Roussel was viewed as one of the finest pitching prospects in the 1977 MLB Draft and was picked seventh overall by Albuquerque. He was a full-time starter immediately for the Isotopes and tossed 220+ innings in all 11 years he spent in New Mexico.

Roussel’s results were okay in his first two years, but he provided strong value simply by eating innings. He broke out in his third season, winning 1980 American Association Pitcher of the Year. Roussel’s great control meant he had the best K/BB in ten different seasons in his career. With Albuquerque, he would lead in wins twice, innings pitched thrice, WHIP thrice, quality starts twice, and complete games twice.

The Isotopes gave Roussel a seven-year, $10,060,000 extension after the 1982 season. He was third in Pitcher of the Year voting in 1984, then won the award for the second time in 1985. Roussel’s finest year by WAR was a 11.3 mark in 1986, his only time as the WARlord. However, he wasn’t a POTY finalist that year. Roussel would win the top honor for a third time in 1987.

Albuquerque fans loved Roussel during his run. The Isotopes would make the playoffs four times during his tenure, but they never went deeper than the second round. His playoff starts were surprisingly poor with a 5.65 ERA in 36.2 innings. Roussel would post good numbers in his few World Baseball Championship appearances for the United States. He had nine starts from 1986-88 with an 8-1 record, 1.93 ERA, 70 innings, and 96 strikeouts. Roussel was 5-0 in the 1988 WBC, helping the Americans win the world title that year.

For his time in Albuquerque, Roussel had a 197-125 record, 3003.2 innings, 2469 strikeouts, 396 walks, 234/367 quality starts, 212 complete games, 128 ERA+, and 85.8 WAR. The Isotopes would later retire his #5 uniform as well. Roussel decided to opt out of the last year of his deal after the 1988 season, becoming a free agent for the first time at age 32. He ended up inking a five-year, $8,900,000 with Chicago.

Having great control meant his game aged fairly well, putting up consistent numbers for the Cubs. He took third in 1991 Pitcher of the Year voting and helped Chicago to three straight division titles from 1989-91. The Cubs didn’t get beyond the second round these years and Roussel again stunk in the playoffs with a 5.79 ERA in his three starts. With Chicago, Roussel had a 72-63 record, 2.83 ERA, 1272.2 innings, 869 strikeouts, 125 ERA+, and 29.5 WAR.

Roussel’s contract expired after the 1993 campaign and he was now a 37-year old free agent. Vancouver signed him to a two-year, $5,280,000 deal. He looked very pedestrian in a half season with the Volcanoes, who cut him that summer. San Antonio signed him to a minor league deal, but cut him after two days without a single appearance. Washington signed him a week later and he finished the season in minor league Richmond. Roussel decided to retire that winter at age 37.

The career stats saw a 274-197 record, 3.08 ERA, 4392.1 innings, 3386 strikeouts, 569 walks, 357/552 quality starts, 271 complete games, 41 shutouts, 126 ERA+, 76 FIP-, and 116.2 WAR. Roussel wasn’t overly dominant, but was incredibly efficient. He’s the only Hall of Fame pitcher with 4000+ innings and fewer than 600 walks. Roussel was seventh in pitching WAR at induction and still sits tenth as of 2037. In present day, he’s also 15^th in complete games. His ability to paint the corners was unparalleled, making Roussel an easy choice to lead off the 2000 ballot at 99.2%.



Janus Garcia – Center Field – Chicago Cubs – 86.9% First Ballot

Janus Garcia was a 6’3’’, 200 pound center left-handed hitter center fielder from Lee’s Summit, Missouri; a city of around 100,000 people within the Kansas City metropolitan area. Garcia was an incredible contact hitter who was a master at putting the ball play while also being decent at drawing walks. He had a respectable pop in his bat as well, averaging around 40 doubles/triples per 162 games and around 20-25 home runs. Garcia had pretty good speed and was an efficient base stealer. He was a career center fielder and was consistently strong defensively. Garcia was a scrappy spark plug type, always giving full effort.

Garcia played collegiately at the University of Michigan. He was third in NCAA MVP voting his junior season and won a Gold Glove that year. With the Wolverines, he played 123 games with 130 hits, 81 runs, 23 doubles, 28 home runs, 76 RBI, a .291/.370/.540 slash, and 5.8 WAR. Chicago had the 16^th pick of the 1977 MLB Draft and used it on Garcia.

He posted one of the finest rookie seasons of all-time, winning a batting title with a .360 average and leading with .420 OBP. Garcia posted 8.6 WAR, easily winning Rookie of the Year and taking second in MVP voting. The Cubs made it to the National Association Championship Series, but lost to Louisville. Chicago made the NACS again the next two years and won the pennant in 1980, although they lost in the World Series to Dallas. Garcia took MVP honors and Silver Sluggers in both 1979 and 1980. The 1979 MVP was especially impressive since his missed a month to a rotator cuff strain.

Garcia also became a regular for the United States in the World Baseball Championship from 1979-87. He played 141 games with 149 hits, 82 runs, 23 doubles, 28 home runs, 97 RBI, 77 stolen bases, a .294/.351/.533 slash, and 6.1 WAR. Garcia was third in 1981’s WBC MVP voting and won world titles for the Americans in 1981, 82, 84, and 85.

He missed part of 1981 to injury and Chicago stunning fell off a cliff, going from 105 wins to only 61 wins. Garcia bounced back for his third MVP and Silver Slugger in 1982, posting career and NA bests in runs, hits, average, and WAR. That effort convinced the Cubs to extend him for eight years at $10,660,000. Garcia won his fourth Silver Slugger in 1983 and was second in MVP voting, although the Cubs missed the playoffs both years. During his first six years, Garcia won three batting titles, led in WAR thrice, led in slugging and OPS twice, and once led in hits, runs, total bases, and OBP.

1984 was a banner year as Garcia won his fourth MVP and fifth Silver Slugger. The Cubs returned to the playoffs and won their second-ever World Series. Garcia was a beast in the postseason, winning World Series MVP and NACS MVP. In 20 playoff starts, he had 31 hits, 17 runs, 10 extra base hits, 12 RBI, 11 walks, 9 steals, a .419/.494/.689 slash, and 1.6 WAR. For his postseason career, Garcia had 59 starts, 74 hits, 41 runs, 8 doubles, 8 triples, 7 home runs, 28 RBI, 22 stolen bases, a .310/.365/.498 slash, and 2.7 WAR.

That was Garcia’s last award-winning season. He still looked very good in the next few years, but various injuries kept him in and out of the lineup for the rest of the 1980s. The Cubs won the division in 1987 and again from 1989-91, but they went nowhere in the playoffs. Garcia only played two playoff games in that entire stretch as his body started to break down in his 30s. He was still beloved and provided value when healthy, thus Chicago extended him another five years for $9,300,000 after the 1989 campaign.

The 1990s were particularly rough for Garcia, who kept trying to power through. His injuries included sprained knees, torn quads, torn ankle ligaments, and a fractured thumb. By 1992, Garcia’s play suffered even when he was healthy, becoming an only occasional starter. He failed to meet vesting criteria in his deal, becoming a free agent after the 1993 season.

Garcia wanted badly to play, but just couldn’t hold up anymore. Kansas City gave him a deal late in the 1994 season, making six appearances off the bench for the team nearest his hometown. He finally realized it was time to call it quits, retiring that winter at age 38. Chicago would immediately retire his #5 uniform. Interestingly, he had worn #7 for his prime seasons, but switched to #25 in 1985 and then #5 after. Although the best years were #7, it would be #5 that was taken out of circulation.

Garcia’s final stats: 2314 hits, 1209 runs, 356 doubles, 112 triples, 285 home runs, 1074 RBI, 447 stolen bases, a .325/.373/.527 slash, 158 wRC+, and 98.9 WAR. At induction, he was one of only seven Hall of Famers in MLB who had a .325 or better batting average. The injuries kept Garcia from shooting higher up the leaderboards, but he was a stud in the front half of his career and a key reason the Cubs won two pennants. Garcia earned 86.9% of the vote on his debut, becoming the second of three inductees in 2000.



Xiandong He- Left Field – Albuquerque Isotopes – 78.8% Eighth Ballot

Xiandong He was a 6’0’’, 195 pound left-handed left fielder from Jilin, China; a city of around 3,600,000 in the country’s northeast. He was an excellent contract hitter with an above average eye. Xiandong had great gap power, regularly getting around 30-35 doubles/triples per year. He wasn’t a prolific home run hitter, but reliably still smacked around 25-30 most seasons. Xiandong had average speed with pretty good baserunning instincts. He was a career left fielder and firmly mediocre defensively. He had a cannon arm, but his range and general glovework were subpar. Xiandong was durable and reliable much of his career, providing consistent value.

He’s family left China when he was a teenager and he ended up in California. Xiandong picked up baseball and played collegiately at UCLA, helping the Bruins win the 1968 College World Series. In 146 games as a Bruin, He had 158 hits, 97 runs, 28 doubles, 37 home runs, 120 RBI, a .285/.348/.536 slash, and 6.3 WAR. Due to the regional restrictions of the MLB Draft, He wasn’t eligible until the fourth round. With the eighth pick of the round and 159^th overall, Albuquerque selected He in the 1970 Draft.

Xiandong took up a starting role immediately and was a full-timer in all eight seasons with the Isotopes. He had a great debut with a .304 average and 4.1 WAR, earning 1971 Rookie of the Year honors. His finest season was 1972 with career bests in WAR (9.1), hits (206), runs (110), and triple slash (.347/.402/.592). He won his first Silver Slugger and was second in MVP voting. Xiandong won additional Silver Sluggers in 1974 and 1978 and was second in 1975 MVP voting.

1972 saw Albuquerque end a 16-year playoff drought, falling in the American Association Championship Series to New Orleans. 1975 would be a special year as the Isotopes surprised many with a World Series run. Xiandong was excellent in the 1975 playoffs with 26 hits, 12 runs, 5 doubles, 5 home runs, and 12 RBI over 19 starts. These were Albuquerque’s only playoff appearances in his tenure. He would play some for China in the World Baseball Championship. From 1971-80, He had 75 games and 31 starts with 45 hits, 34 runs, 19 home runs, and 39 RBI. Xiandong earned a world title ring with the 1979 Chinese squad.

Albuquerque fell off after the World Series win and He decided to leave for free agency after the 1978 campaign. For his time with the Isotopes, Xiandong had 1472 hits, 749 runs, 251 doubles, 219 home runs, 753 RBI, a .311/.364/.531 slash, 142 wRC+, and 41.8 WAR. Now 29 years old, Boston signed him to a five-year, $3,550,000 deal. His lone time as a league-leader came in 1979 with the Red Sox, posting 38 doubles.

He had a good first season with Boston, but his run shockingly lasted one season. Xiandong was cut after 1980 spring training, making many wonder what happened behind the scenes. He hadn’t been known as a malcontent or someone who clashed with others. His quality of play didn’t warrant a straight up release either, especially after one year of a five-year deal. He quickly found a new home, scooped up nine days later by Brooklyn.

A month in, the Dodgers gave Xiandong a five-year, $4,800,000 extension. He didn’t win awards with Brooklyn, but he was a solid starter for five years. Injuries would cost him part of 1983. 1980 would be He’s final playoff chance, as Brooklyn was decidedly mid. For the Dodgers run, Xiandong had 726 hits, 330 runs, 110 doubles, 107 home runs, 343 RBI, a.287/.340/.468 slash, 141 wRC+, and 15.1 WAR.

There was one year left on his deal after the 1984 campaign, but Brooklyn traded him to Oklahoma City for three prospects. He had one okay season with the Outlaws, then was a free agent at age 36. Omaha picked him up on a three-year, $4,020,000 contract. Xiandong was still a respectable starter in two years with the Hawks, although injuries started to linger.

He failed to meet the vesting criteria for the third year in his Omaha deal, becoming a free agent after 1987. That would be his final MLB season, although Xiandong wasn’t ready to stop playing. OBA’s Perth Penguins signed him in June 1988, but a torn quad kept him out two months. He was unremarkable anyway while in Australia. Xiandong briefly played in the minors in late 1989 with Colorado Springs, playing nine games. He retired that winter at age 39.

For his MLB tenure, Xiandong had 2747 hits, 1425 runs, 454 doubles, 104 triples, 420 home runs, 1401 RBI, 808 walks, a .295/.353/.501 slash, 140 wRC+, and 69.7 WAR. A fine career, but very borderline when compared to others who had made or missed the Hall of Fame cut. He helped Albuquerque win a title, but it was easy to miss someone in a small market.

He seemed destined to the Hall of Good with a 46.6% debut ballot, hovering around that mark for his first five tries. In 1998, Xiandong got a noticeable bump to 64.1%, less than 2% short of induction. He fell back to 54.4% in 1999, but managed to win over numerous doubters in 2000. On his eighth try, Xiandong received a large jump to 78.8%, making He the third and final member of a solid 2000 MLB class.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2000 CABA Hall of Fame

Corner outfielder Ruben Chavez was the lone addition in 2000 to the Central American Baseball Association Hall of Fame. He was a slam dunk choice, taking 95.4% in his debut. The next closest was catcher Hansel Morel at 61.4% in his tenth and final try. Also above 50% were 3B Pedro Pizarro at 53.7% for his fifth ballot and closer Reynaldo Alvarado at 52.8% in his ninth try.



Morel was another victim of the general anti-catcher bias among Hall of Fame voters. In 16 seasons with Guadalajara, he won eight Silver Sluggers, one Gold Glove, and posted 2031 hits, 940 runs, 367 doubles, 286 home runs, 1071 RBI, a .277/.324/.456 slash, 119 wRC+, and 72.7 WAR. As of 2037, he has the fifth best WAR of any CABA catcher and sixth most hits. However, the low accumulations that come with the position worked against Morel in the voting. He debuted at 49.8% and generally hovered in the 40-60% range. Morel’s closest efforts were 61.3% in 1998 and 61.4% in his final try in 2000.

Also dropped after ten ballots was 1B Ismael “Cooter” Alonso, who played 16 years with Haiti. He won two Silver Sluggers with 2233 hits, 1007 runs, 325 doubles, 150 triples, 104 home runs, 705 RBI, 974 stolen bases, a .322/.356/.457 slash, 127 wRC+, and 43.4 WAR. A fine leadoff man, but voters want dingers from first basemen. Alonso debuted and peaked at 30.6% before ending at 15.7%.



Ruben Chavez – Right/Left Field – Puebla Pumas – 95.4% First Ballot

Ruben Chavez was a 6’1’’, 200 pound left-handed corner outfielder from Tepic, Mexico; a city of around 330,000 inhabitants in the western state of Nayarit. In his prime, Chavez was a well-rounded hitter with strong contact and power, plus a great eye. He averaged around 40 home runs per 162 games for his career and added around 25 doubles. Chavez was quite slow as a baserunner and in the outfield. He did have a strong arm at least, splitting his career with about 3/5s of his starts in right and the rest in left. Chavez graded out as poor in both spots defensively, but his bat was well worth it. He was a hard worker and a fan favorite, becoming absolutely adored in his two decade career with Puebla.

Chavez was considered by many to be the absolute best prospect entering CABA’s 1974 Draft. Puebla had the #1 overall pick and agreed with that assessment. Chavez would be a full-time starter basically immediately and held that role for 20 years, only missing a few starts here and there to injury. He played 123 games as a rookie with 4.0 WAR, earning 1975 Rookie of the Year honors.

Chavez hit 40+ home runs five times from 1976-81, winning Silver Slugger in each of those years. 1981 had a league and career best 53 home runs, which earned Chavez his lone MVP. He was on pace for something special, as that tally came in only 119 games. Chavez missed the start of the 1981 season recovering from a broken kneecap suffered late in the 1980 campaign. He was consistently great with 7+ WAR in each of those seasons. Despite his consistent success, Chavez was almost never atop the leaderboards in any stats.

Puebla had bottomed out at 59 wins in the year Chavez was drafted. He helped get them back to respectability as they were at or above .500 each year from 1977-89. They would only make the playoffs thrice in his tenure, each time losing in the Mexican League Championship Series. In 21 playoff starts, Chavez had 19 hits, 12 runs, 6 doubles, 5 home runs, and 14 RBI. He also played from 1978-83 with Mexico in the World Baseball Championship. Chavez was part of the 1978 championship squad and posted 65 starts, 61 hits, 54 runs, 27 home runs, and 50 RBI over his tenure.

Chavez’s first contact extension came after the 1977 season for eight years and $3,182,000. He received another five years for $3,790,000 after the 1984 campaign. However, Chavez played only one game in 1985 as he yet again broke his kneecap in his right knee. He bounced back from that and gave them solid regular production for about another decade. Chavez was viewed as very solid, but no longer elite by this point.

He would win his seventh and final Silver Slugger in 1990, roughly a decade since his last one. He managed to see a resurgence with 42 home runs, 100 RBI, and 7.2 WAR at age 38. Chavez had gotten a three-year extension after the 1989 season, still beloved by Puebla fans. In the twilight years, Chavez crossed the 600 home run, 2500 hit, 1500 run, and 1500 RBI milestones. He still had a nice bat in his final year of 1944, but was only a part-time starter at this point mainly batting against right-handed pitching. Chavez retired at age 42 and immediately had his #8 uniform retired by Puebla. As of 2037, he’s still the franchise’s all-time leader in hits, games, and homers.

For his career, Chavez had 2692 hits, 1500 runs, 412 doubles, 677 home runs, 1604 RBI, 1052 walks, a .287/.361/.556 slash, 176 wRC+, and 109.7 WAR. As of 2037, he sits 22^nd among all hitters in career WAR and 13^th in home runs. He was one of the finest hitters of his era and a true franchise icon with Puebla. Chavez was an easy first ballot choice with 95.4%, becoming the lone member of CABA’s 2000 class.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2000 EAB Hall of Fame

Third baseman Seizo Shinad received 93.1% in his debut and was the only inductee in 2000 into the East Asia Baseball Hall of Fame. SS U-Seong San very nearly joined him with a 65.3% debut, falling less than a point short of getting in. LF Jay-Hoon Cho narrowly missed the cut with 63.7% on his fifth try. Also above 50% was 2B Seong-Jae Kang with 58.4% for a fifth ballot and Closer Geon Byung at 54.6% for his second go.



The one player dropped after ten ballots was pitcher Tianlong Tang, who split his career between starting and relief. He had a 120-110 record, 184 saves, 2.97 ERA, 1833.2 innings, 2022 strikeouts, 120 ERA+, and 37.4 WAR in 13 years. Tang lacked the awards or dominance to get in, but he got a surprising among of early traction, finishing above 40% on his first four ballots. He dropped to a low of 8.4% at the end.

1B Naomichi Yamamoto was notable as well, getting dropped after nine ballots as he fell below 5%. He was as high as 52.0% on his second try, but got dismissed as a compiler. In 21 seasons, Yamamoto won two Silver Sluggers with 2194 hits, 1146 runs, 303 doubles, 132 triples, 416 home runs, 1168 RBI, a .316/.384/.578 slash, 176 wRC+, and 75.0 WAR. There were some others that had gotten in with similar or seemingly weaker resumes, but Yamamoto didn’t get the traction for whatever reason.



Seizo Shinad – Third Base – Kawasaki Killer Whales – 93.1% First Ballot

Seizo Shinad was a 5’11’’, 200 pound right-handed third baseman from Tagawa, a small city of 45,000 people in Japan’s Fukuoka Prefecture. Shinad was an excellent slugger who hit 40+ home runs in nine different seasons. He was fairly effective at drawing walks, but he was merely an average at best contact hitter that struggled with strikeouts. Shinad had respectable gap power for doubles, but his baserunning speed and ability were abysmal. He made the majority of his starts at third base with the occasional stint at first. Shinad had a strong arm and graded out as a firmly average defender even with his weaker range. He was a fan favorite, becoming very popular for his tireless work ethic (and of course, the dingers).

Shinad’s potential as a top slugger was noticeable while he played at Takushoku Tokyo University. In the 1976 EAB Draft, Shinad was picked second overall by Kawasaki. He was mostly a full-time starter as a rookie, but struggled that first year. Shinad’s second year still had strikeout woes; he whiffed more than anyone in the Japan League; but he smacked 41 home runs with 105 RBI.

At the end of the 1978 season, he suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon, putting him out eight months. The Killer Whales were optimistic that he’d bounce back, signing him to a seven-year, $2,656,000 extension anyway. The investment paid off, as Shinad had 6+ WAR each year for the next eight seasons. He won Silver Sluggers in 1982, 83, and 85. Shinad posted league-bests with 56 home runs in both 1982 and 1985. He also led in slugging in 1984 and 1985 and was the 1985 WARlord at 10.6.

The 1985 season was his lone MVP, also featuring career bests in hits, average, and RBI. Shinad was third in 1982 MVP voting and second in 1984. He also became popular throughout the country for his work in the World Baseball Championship. He played on Japan’s national team from 1980-90 with 99 games, 71 hits, 48 runs, 14 doubles, 27 home runs, 47 RBI, and a .200/.257/.468 slash.

Shinad helped lead Kawasaki back to respectability. In his rookie year, the Killer Whales won only 59 games. They improved to 94 wins the next year. From 1979-85, Kawasaki made six playoff appearances. Shinad went on a tear in the 1982 postseason, helping the Killer Whales win the EAB Championship. Shinad was finals MVP and Japan League Championship MVP, posting 22 hits, 12 runs, 5 home runs, and 13 RBI in 16 playoff starts.

Kawasaki would get back to the JLCS in 1983, 84, and 85; although they were defeated each year. For his entire playoff career, Shinad had 59 starts, 60 hits, 33 runs, 8 doubles, 17 home runs, 40 RBI, a .261/.312/.535 slash and 2.3 WAR. After the 1984 season, the 30-year old Shinad signed an eight-year, $6,420,000 extension.

Shinad remained a solid starter for the next few years, although age and injuries started to cost him a few weeks each year. The competitive window ended for Kawasaki, who finished out the 1980s usually above .500 but outside of the playoffs. In 1988, Shinad suffered a broken bone in his elbow, putting him out for six months. In his last year with the Killer Whales in 1991, he did manage to reach the 600 home run and 2000 career hit thresholds.

After the 1991 season, the now 37-year old Shinad was a free agent for the first time. He had still put up solid hitting numbers and had suitors. Shinad stuck with the killer whale theme by signing with MLB’s Orlando Orcas on a two-year, $3,800,000 deal. He ended up mediocre at best in his two years in the United States, posting 1.8 WAR and a 98 wRC+ with 32 home runs in 227 games.

Shinad returned to Japan in 1994 on a two-year deal with Yokohama. A strained PCL cost him seven weeks to injury. The Yellow Jackets used him primarily as a pinch hitter with only 22 starts in 82 games. Shinad opted to retire that winter at age 39. Kawasaki would immediately invite him back to retire his #27 uniform. Shinad remained one of the franchise’s favorite icons for decades to come.

The career stats for Shinad in EAB saw 2077 hits, 1196 runs, 303 doubles, 640 home runs, 1481 RBI, a .272/.329/.571 slash, 164 wRC+, and 93.2 WAR. As of 2037, Shinad is 55^th all-time in WAR for an offensive player and 29^th in home runs. He is notably tenth all-time in WAR accrued at third base. Shinad was one of the finest home run hitters of his era and had a big role in a championship season for Kawasaki. Voters also love guys who spend all or most of their career with one team. Shinad stood out on a quiet 2000 ballot and was the lone inductee with a 93.1% first ballot addition.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2000 BSA Hall of Fame (Part 1)

The 2000 Beisbol Sudamerica Hall of Fame class was an impressive one with four inductees earning the honor in their ballot debuts. Three of the players were no-doubters with RF Emanuel Ajanel at 98.35, 2B Kip Flores at 97.9% and SP Ruben Garcia at 96.9%. DH Lincoln Ruvalcaba wasn’t as much of a lock, but still crossed the 66% requirement with 71.9%. Two other debuting players were above 50% with 1B Bastian Martin at 56.2% and RF Yago Prata at 55.2%. The top performing returner to the ballot was C Sancho Sanchez at 48.6% in his second try.



Dropped after ten ballots was pitcher Clark Castro, who had a 13-year career with five teams. He posted a 197-112 record, 3.04 ERA, 2764.2 innings, 2562 strikeouts, 699 walks, a 118 ERA+, and 47.5 WAR. A solid career, but fairly firmly in the Hall of Good. He still managed to hover in the low 40% for much of his time on the ballot before dropping to a low of 12.5% in his last try.



Emanuel “Pop” Ajanel – Right Field/First Base – Barquisimeto Black Cats – 98.3% First Ballot

Emanuel Ajanel was a 6’6’’, 205 pound left-handed hitter from Jujuy, Argentina; a city of around 235,000 people in the country’s northwest. Ajanel was a well-rounded batter with solid contract, power, and eye. His 162 game average saw around 40 home runs and around 30 doubles/triples per season. Ajanel’s speed and baserunning were below average, but not atrocious. Most of his career defensively was at right field, although he moved to first base in his final few seasons. Ajanel graded out as above average defensively. He was a quiet and humble player, which endeared him to many among his various stops.

Ajanel was a bit of a late bloomer as he didn’t come into Beisbol Sudamerica through the draft or as a teenage amateur. He picked up the game in his early 20s and started to shine in Argentina’s independent scene. He also had a late growth spurt, shooting up to 6’6’’. Ajanel and his big frame managed to catch the attention of someone from Barquisimeto, who offered him the chance to play in the big time. Ajanel agreed and moved up to Venezuela at age 24 to begin his official pro career. He was a full-time starter for the Black Cats and a very effective one, hitting 42 home runs with 120 RBI in his rookie season. That earned Ajanel the 1978 Rookie of the Year.

Ajanel posted nine straight seasons worth 4.5 WAR or better with Barquisimeto. He wasn’t a league leader, but he picked up a Silver Slugger in 1980, 1981, and 1986. Ajanel played a big role in the Black Cats finding success with three division titles from 1979-82. Barquisimeto won the Bolivar League pennant in 1980 and 1982; also winning Copa Sudamerica in 1982. Ajanel was BLCS MVP both years they took the pennant, posting 30 hits, 13 runs, 9 home runs, and 19 RBI over 22 playoff starts.

After the 1981 season, Ajanel signed a seven-year, $3,238,000 contract extension with Barquisimeto. Ajanel was now a star in Venezuelan baseball, but he didn’t forget his Argentine roots. From 1979-94, he played 146 games for Argentina in the World Baseball Championship, posting 115 hits, 77 runs, 25 doubles, 40 home runs, 83 RBI, a .229/.348/.522 slash, 143 wRC+, and 5.6 WAR.

After their championship in 1982, Barquisimeto spent the next few seasons in the middle tier. By 1987, the Black Cats collapsed and began a full rebuild, ultimately winning only 57 games that year. Ajanel was moved at the deadline to Caracas for three prospects and a draft pick. For his Barquisimeto run, Ajanel had 1527 hits, 832 runs, 230 doubles, 335 home runs, 911 RBI, a .300/.370/.556 slash, 151 wRC+, and 55.9 WAR. He’d be viewed fondly by Black Cats fans for years to come and his #20 uniform would eventually get retired.

Caracas hoped Ajanel could help with their pennant aspirations. They were right, as the Colts took the Bolivar League title. Caracas lost to Concepcion in Copa Sudamerica, but Ajanel held up his end as he was finals MVP even in defeat and won his third BLCS MVP. In 16 playoff games, Ajanel had 22 hits, 12 runs, 8 home runs, and 16 RBI.

Ajanel had one more solid season with Caracas, but the Colts didn’t make it back to the playoffs. He became a free agent for the first time at age 35. This enabled him to return home to Argentina, inking a three-year, $3,480,000 deal with Rosario. Ajanel moved to first base and debuted with the best season of his career. He led the Southern Cone League in runs, home runs, RBI, total bases, slugging, OPS, and wRC+; his first time leading in any of those stats. His career bests of 54 homers, 108 runs, 129 RBI, 1.024 OPS, and 9.1 WAR earned Ajanel MVP honors and his fourth Silver Slugger.

Statistically, Ajanel’s time with the Robins was his strongest seasons. They gave him a three-year, $3,900,000 extension after the 1990 season. He led again in runs and homers in 1992, taking third in MVP voting that season. Rosario won their division in 1991, but lost in the first round of the playoffs.

In 1992, the Robins were the wild card, but went on a tear and claimed their first-ever Copa Sudamerica. Ajanel again excelled in the postseason, getting 16 hits, 17 runs, 6 home runs, and 12 RBI over 14 starts. For his playoff career, Ajanel had 56 games, 74 hits, 44 runs, 24 home runs, 50 RBI, a .338/.393/.703 slash, 210 wRC+, and 3.9 WAR. Few players were more effective in their playoff at-bats than Ajanel.

Ajanel missed nearly all of the 1993 season, suffering a broken bone his elbow. This ended his Rosario run and his career was never the same. In only four seasons and change with the Robins, Ajanel had an impressive 32.5 WAR and 184 wRC+ with 697 hits, 402 runs, 104 doubles, 192 home runs, 432 RBI, and a .295/.368/.599 slash.

He still wanted to play and his last full season still had elite numbers. Salvador signed him on a one-year, $1,920,000 deal. Ajanel started most of the season for the Storm, but put up very middling numbers. He would cross the 2500 hit and 1500 career RBI thresholds with Salvador. After the 1994 campaign, Ajanel retired from the game at age 41.

Ajanel’s career stats saw 2523 hits, 1388 runs, 376 doubles, 592 home runs, 1516 RBI, 940 walks, a .295/.365/.560 slash, 158 wRC+, and 98.1 WAR. At induction, he was tenth all-time in home runs. As of 2037, he’s still 42^nd best in WAR among position players. Ajanel’s great playoff numbers also helped make him a Hall of Fame lock, leading off the 2000 ballot at 98.3%.



Kip “T-Bone” Flores – Second Base - Buenos Aires Atlantics – 97.9% First Ballot

Kip Flores was a 5’11’’, 185 pound right-handed second baseman from Dr. Pedro P. Pena, Paraguay; a village of around 6,000 in the country’s northwest. Nicknamed “T Bone” for his love of steaks, Flores was an outstanding contact hitter who regularly put the ball in play. He rarely walked and had a decent strikeout rate. Flores had plenty of quality hits, averaging around 25-30 home runs and around 40 doubles/triples per season. He was a very smart baserunner and had solid speed in his younger years.

Flores was a career second baseman and viewed as a great defender, winning six Gold Gloves in his career. He was very popular with fans, but was a bit polarizing in the clubhouse. Flores was viewed as smart and adaptable, but was also viewed as a loner who didn’t care about the team. Regardless of his flaws, he is viewed pretty universally as a top five second baseman in Beisbol Sudamerica history.

It was a scout for Buenos Aires who managed to notice Flores despite his humble begins in rural Paraguay. He signed a teenager amateur contract in 1975 at age 16. Flores officially debuted in 1979 at age 20, but he would see very limited action early in his career. From 1979-82, he played 93 games with 69 starts. The Atlantics were also in the midst of a dominant run, making it hard to crack their lineup. Buenos Aires would win the Southern Cone League title in 1980 and 1982. They took Copa Sudamerica in 1980 as well. Flores struggled in the 1980 playoffs, but was 9-18 in 1982.

Although he didn’t earn the starting gig with Buenos Aires until 1983, Flores returned to his native Paraguay starting in 1981 for the World Baseball Championship. From 1981-98, he had 129 games and 123 starts in the WBC, posting 127 hits, 74 runs, 19 doubles, 37 home runs, 84 RBI, a .269/.318/.553 slash, 5.2 WAR, and 150 wRC+.

After their 1982 pennant, the Atlantics would become a very mid-tier team for the rest of the 1980s. But Flores would start to shine, winning six consecutive Silver Sluggers from 1983-88 and four straight Gold Gloves from 1985-88. With Buenos Aires, Flores had seven straight 7+ WAR seasons with two above 10+. He led in batting average, hits, and total bases in both 1984 and 1987. Flores also had the best OPS in 1984 and was the WARlord that season. Flores won MVP twice with Buenos Aires, taking the award in 1984 and 1987. He was second in 1986 voting as well.

Flores was a popular player with the fans and they would retire his #3 uniform in Buenos Aires eventually. But the team wasn’t contending at this point and Flores was looking to cash in soon in free agency. The Atlantics didn’t expect to be able to keep him beyond 1988, so he was traded that winter to Santiago for two prospects. For his run with the Atlantics, Flores had 1289 hits, 576 runs, 198 doubles, 176 home runs, 577 RBI, a .346/.372/.574 slash, 175 wRC+, and 56.9 WAR.

His success carried over smoothly to the Saints, who quickly gave him a six-year, $9,680,000 contract. Flores won MVP twice more, taking the honor in 1992 and 1993. He was also third in 1990 and 1994 voting. He won four additional Silver Sluggers and two Gold Gloves, giving him six GGs and ten Sluggers for his career. Flores won a third batting title in 1992 and with Santiago twice was the WARlord and led in runs in 1993.

Santiago was back to contending with Flores, although they didn’t break through in his run. They had four division titles from 1990-94, but suffered first round exits thrice and a LCS loss in 1992 to Sao Paulo. Flores held up his end in 22 playoff starts with 36 hits, 12 runs, 7 doubles, 3 home runs, 10 RBI, a .383/.408/.553 slash, and 1.4 WAR. In total with the Saints, Flores had 1215 hits, 574 runs, 157 doubles, 164 home runs, 540 RBI, a .341/.372/.548 slash, 171 wRC+, and 53.3 WAR.

Flores remained consistently great in his Santiago run, making him a prized free agent still at age 36 when his contract came up. He left for the United States, inking a three-year, $9,840,000 deal with the Denver Dragons. He looked great in his debut season with 5.6 WAR in only 91 starts. However, the second half of the season was cursed by injuries. First, he had a bone bruise in his knee that cost him two months. Shortly after returning, a severe concussion kept him out the next eight months.

Flores would earn a World Series ring with Denver in 1995, but he was at home dealing with post-concussion issues. Flores was never the same after that sadly. He saw limited play in 1996 and 1997, dealing both with injuries and poor production when healthy. Flores played only 174 games in three seasons with Denver. His deal expired and he wanted to still play, but no one signed him in 1998. Flores played in that winter’s WBC, but ultimately had to retire at age 40.

For his Beisbol Sudamerica career, Flores had 2504 hits, 1148 runs, 355 doubles, 106 triples, 340 home runs, 1117 RBI, 610 stolen bases, .344/.372/.561 slash, 173 wRC+, and 110.2 WAR. At induction, he had the best batting average of any Hall of Famer in BSA and was 12^th in WAR by a position player. He’s still 22^nd in WAR as of 2037 and has the third most amongst second basemen. Flores is one of Paraguay’s finest-ever baseball products and was an easy first ballot pick for the 2000 ballot at 97.9%.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2000 BSA Hall of Fame (Part 2)

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Ruben Garcia – Starting Pitcher - Ciudad Guayana Giants – 96.9% First Ballot

Ruben Garcia was a 6’4’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Palo Negro, Venezuela; a town within the Libertador Municipality with around 115,000 people in north central part of the country. Garcia was a well-rounded pitcher with quite good stuff, control, and movement. His best pitch was a 94-96 mph sinker, but he also had a great slider along with a changeup, forkball, and curveball. Garcia had excellent durability and solid stamina, tossing 235+ innings in all but his final two seasons. He was also known as an intelligent pitcher and a good defensive pitcher, taking a Gold Glove in 1986.

Garcia was arguably the top prospect out of Venezuela entered into the 1978 BSA Draft. Ciudad Guayana picked him fifth overall and he’d ultimately spend his entire pro career with the Giants. CG was still a new franchise at that point, having entered Beisbol Sudamerica with the 1974 season. But Garcia would play a big part in the Giants becoming a contender in the 1980s. He was also a regular for Venezuela in the World Baseball Championship. From 1980-94, he had 186.1 innings for the national team with a 3.04 ERA, 231 strikeouts, 123 ERA+ and 5.3 WAR.

Garcia struggled with control in his rookie season, leading the Bolivar League in both walks and losses. He largely corrected that and looked solid in the next three seasons. His fifth season in 1983 was his first elite one with 9.6 WAR over 290 innings. Garcia was second in Pitcher of the Year voting this season. The Giants also earned their first-ever winning season and playoff appearance.

From there on, Garcia was a bona fide ace. He would post seven straight seasons worth 8+ WAR or more. In both 1985 and 1987 he led the Bolivar League in strikeouts, K/BB, quality starts, and FIP-. Garcia was also the WARlord in 1985, 1987, 1989, and 1991. He twice earned Pitcher of the Year honors (1985, 1987) and also took second in 1984 and third in 1989.

Garcia forever earned his spot in Ciudad Guayana history, helping the franchise to its first Copa Sudamerica ring in 1984. In three playoff starts, he had a 0.78 ERA over 23 innings with 26 strikeouts. The Giants missed the playoffs the next two years, but bounced back to be a regular playoff team shortly after. Just before the 1987 season, Garcia signed a seven-year, $6,650,000 contract extension.

Ciudad Guayana made the playoffs six times from 1987-93. They made four Bolivar League Championship Series appearances and won the pennant in 1989 and 1992, although they did lose Copa Sudamerica both years. Garcia was a great postseason pitcher, even if he didn’t always have the run support with a 7-9 record. He posted a 2.48 ERA over 156 innings with 155 strikeouts, 149 ERA+, and 3.5 WAR. He was one of the rare pitchers to have a better ERA in the playoffs than in the regular season; and he was no scrub in the regular season.

Garcia’s game aged well, as he continued to pitch at a very high level into his 30s. His first major setback would come in the summer of 1993, as sever shoulder inflammation put him out for the second half of the season. It was the first time he hadn’t started 32+ games in a season. The injury tanked his velocity and he had trouble hitting 90 mph in 1994. Garcia struggled and was ultimately reduced to a backup role. He would became the 11^th BSA pitcher to reach 250 career wins in May. Garcia retired in the winter at age 38 and saw his #22 uniform retired immediately.

For his career, Garcia had a 254-181 record, 3.06 ERA, 4094.1 innings, 4213 strikeouts, 777 walks, 339/512 quality starts, 195 complete games, 119 ERA+, 75 FIP-, and 108.7 WAR. At induction, he had the ninth most WAR of any BSA pitcher and still sits 13^th as of 2037. Garcia was also the first star for an expansion franchise and brought them their first title in only their eleventh season. This made Garcia a lock to join the impressive 2000 class, receiving 96.9%.



Lincoln Ruvalcaba – Designated Hitter – La Paz Pump Jacks – 71.9% First Ballot

Lincoln Ruvalcaba was a 6’0’’, 195 pound switch hitter from La Paz, Bolivia. Ruvalcaba was an excellent home run hitter who also hit quite well for contact. His eye and strikeout rate were both middling despite his contact ability. Ruvalcaba was great at getting extra base hits, averaging 46 home runs, 27 doubles, and 10 triples per 162 games. He also had average baserunning skills and speed, stretching out extra bases more than you’d expect from a slugger.

Ruvalcaba was exclusively a designed hitter, making only 99 starts in the field for his whole career. He was technically a right fielder, but an abysmal one in his few games using his glove. Ruvalcaba was a bit of a controversial and unlikeable player in the clubhouse. Some former teammates used words like “greedy,” lazy,” “selfish,” and “dumb,” to describe him. However, the man could hit dingers, which gave him plenty of value still despite his toxic personality and complete lack of defensive value.

Bolivia’s newest team was Santa Cruz, who joined Beisbol Sudamerica with the 1974 expansion. The Crawfish picked Ruvalcaba seventh overall in the 1980 BSA Draft. He wouldn’t see use in 1981 and only played 14 games with two starts in 1982. He was a part-time starter in 1983, but managed to hit 25 home runs with 3.3 WAR with only 66 starts. That earned Ruvalcaba a third place finish in Rookie of the Year voting and the starting job the next year.

The still young Santa Cruz franchise struggled, but Ruvalcaba emerged as a batter to watch. He led in runs scored in 1984, then led in 1986 in home runs, total bases, slugging, OPS, and wRC+. His 56 home run effort in 1986 earned Ruvalcaba Bolivar League MVP and his first Silver Slugger. This was also the best season in franchise history for the Crawfish, albeit at 81-81. Ruvalcaba also started playing for Bolivia in the World Baseball Championship in 1984. From 1984-98, he had 119 games with 105 hits, 55 runs, 27 home runs, 66 RBI, a .240/.307/.469 slash, and 3.1 WAR.

Despite his on the field accolades, there were clubhouse issues with Ruvalcaba and Santa Cruz. The reigning MVP ended up traded two months after the awards ceremony, being sent to La Paz for pitcher Martin Negron and SS Juan Herbas. For his Crawfish tenure, Ruvalcaba had 642 hits, 366 runs, 149 home runs, 361 RBI, a .308/.342/.608 slash, 161 wRC+, and 16.9 WAR.

Ruvalcaba immediately performed for his hometown squad with league bests in runs, homers, RBI, OPS, and wRC+. He repeated as MVP and Silver Slugger winner and helped the Pump Jacks to a division title, although they lost in the first round of the playoffs. He was on a similar pace in 1988, but lost the second half of the season to a torn meniscus.

Ruvalcaba was right back to his elite batting form, winning MVP in both 1989 and 1990 1989 saw career and league bests in runs (130), RBI (140), total bases (427), and WAR (8.5) along with another 56 home run season. That effort convinced La Paz to sign Ruvalcaba to a seven-year, $10,760,000 extension. He wouldn’t win MVP again, but did win a fourth Silver Slugger in 1994.

He still provided very solid firepower in his later La Paz years, although another meniscus tear in 1992 shredded his knee and cost him 10 months total. Ruvalcaba was a hometown star for the Pump Jacks and would get his #40 uniform retired eventually. La Paz won another division title in 1990, but eventually became a bottom-tier team soon after. In total with the Pump Jacks, Ruvalcaba had 1297 hits, 725 runs, 346 home runs, 856 RBI, a .321/.367/.654 slash, 178 wRC+, and 47.7 WAR.

With the competitive window clearly over for La Paz, Ruvalcaba opted out of the remaining years of his deal following the 1994 season. At age 34, he was a free agent for the first time and had plenty of suitors. He left for the United States and signed a big deal with MLB’s Denver Dragons on a five-year, $16,560,000 deal.

Ruvalcaba had a strong start to his MLB career, leading the American Association with 48 home runs in 1995. He stepped up in the playoffs as the Dragons won the World Series, posting 15 hits, 11 runs, 3 doubles, 4 home runs, and 14 RBI in 14 playoff games. MLB pitchers figured him out though in his second year. Although he still had 33 home runs, his .233 average and 96 wRC+ marked him as a subpar bat.
He was only a part-time starter in 1997 and struggled as his greatest asset disappeared; his power. Denver cut their losses and released Ruvalcaba two games into the 1998 season. For his MLB run, he had 397 games, 90 home runs, 236 RBI, and 3.8 WAR. Ruvalcaba was unsigned for the rest of 1998 and retired that winter at age 38.

For his BSA career, Ruvalcaba had 1939 hits, 1091 runs, 266 doubles, 111 triples, 495 home runs, 1217 RBI, 287 stolen bases, a .316/.358/.638 slash, 173 wRC+, and 64.6 WAR. His case was a peculiar one with his personality and lack of any defensive value working against him. He also had a relatively short career and lower accumulations as a result relative to other Hall of Famers. Ruvalcaba’s rate stats and his home run and RBI tallies were quite impressive though. Plus, at that point, he was one of only six players in BSA history with four MVPs to their name. There were also voters who didn’t want to put a pure DH in outside of exceptional circumstances. Enough were impressed by his prolific power though to get Ruvalcaba across the line at 71.9% as a first ballot inductee and the fourth member of the impressive 2000 crew.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2000 EBF Hall of Fame (Part 1)

For the first time in its history, the European Baseball Federation had a five-player Hall of Fame class. The 2000 ballot’s inductees each earned their spot in their debuts, albeit at different tallies. The most surefire guy was SP Marlon Hoffmann at a nearly unanimous 98.9%. Close behind was SP Haviv Harim at 89.7% and OF Mason Gough with 89.1%. More narrowly breaching the 66% requirement was OF Gart Schuermans at 73.6% and SP Kjell Gronas at 66.1%. The top returner was SP Johannes Soderberg, who didn’t miss by much with 61.8% on his third ballot. No other players were above 50%.



Dropped after ten tries was SP Jose Calderon, who pitched 11 years in two stints with Seville. He twice led in ERA and posted a 133-71 record, 2.45 ERA, 1959.1 innings, 2758 strikeouts, 143 ERA+, and 59.8 WAR. He lost five years of accumulations as he left for MLB and never won the top award, although his 11.3 WAR, 1.83 ERA effort in 1977 would’ve won it in almost any other year. Calderon came close with a peak of 59.3% in 19933, but he ended at a low of 29.3%. It was hard to get noticed when competing with some of the greatest of all-time in the Southern Conference during his run.



Marlon Hoffmann – Starting Pitcher – Munich Mavericks – 98.9% First Ballot

Marlon Hoffmann was a 5’11’’, 185 pound right-handed pitcher from Kuhbach, Germany; a small town of around 4,000 people in Bavaria. Despite his smaller frame, Hoffmann threw fire with 98-100 mph peak velocity. He had good stuff, excellent movement, and solid control. Hoffmann’s arsenal was fastball, slider, cutter, and changeup. He also was known for terffic stamina and durability, tossing 249+ innings each year from 1981-1993. He was also a strong defensive pitcher and was well liked in the clubhouse.

Hoffmann was able to stay close to home for nearly his entire career. He was picked ninth overall in the 1979 EBF Draft by Munich, located less than an hour southeast from Kuhbach. He was a part-time starter with 101.2 innings in his rookie season, struggling initially. By his second year, Hoffmann was clearly the Mavericks’ ace. After the 1983 season, Munich locked him in with a six-year, $3,944,000 extension.

Hoffmann would be especially appreciated in Bavaria, but would become popular throughout all of Germany. He pitched from 1981-96 for the national team in the World Baseball Championship, posting a 16-9 record over 264 innings, 2.97 ERA, 305 strikeouts, 124 ERA+, and 7.9 WAR. Hoffmann was instrumental in Germany’s 1983 world title, posting a 0.74 ERA over six starts and 48.1 innings with 63 strikeouts, three complete games, two shutouts, and 2.5 WAR.

Hoffmann was a critical part of Munich’s impressive 11-year division title streak from 1983-93. He would win Pitcher of the Year five times (1986, 87, 89, 90, 93); something that had only been achieved previously in EBF by Hall of Famer Jean-Luc Roch. Hoffmann was also third in 1983, 1988, and 1992 voting. Despite his impressive stats, he didn’t lead the conference often in anything. He would take ERA titles twice and lead in wins once, innings twice, WHIP once, and complete games twice.

Munich suffered first round playoff exits in the first five years of their playoff streak. They broke through to win the European Championship in 1988. The Mavericks got to the Southern Conference Championship in each of the next four years, winning the 1991 pennant. They would lose that year’s EBF final to Birmingham. For his playoff career, Hoffmann had an 11-5 record over 172.2 innings, 3.70 ERA, 165 strikeouts, 28 walks, 104 ERA+, and 3.5 WAR.

The Mavericks gave him another six-year extension before the 1989 season, this one worth $8,880,000. Hoffmann looked great into his 30s with a career best 2.05 ERA in 1993 at age 35. That was his fifth and final Pitcher of the Year. The next year, he’d suffer a torn meniscus in late May that knocked him out for five months. Munich’s playoff streak also came to an end narrowly, losing the division by two games to Zagreb.

To the surprise of many, Munich didn’t re-up Hoffmann after this, ending his run in Europe. His #29 uniform would soon get retired and he’d remain a popular figure of the franchise for years to come. Hoffmann wasn’t ready to retire with that knee injury and still had teams internationally showing interest. He ended up in Canada on a two-year, $5,600,000 deal with Montreal.

Hoffmann looked very pedestrian in his 107.2 innings with the Maples. He suffered a fractured elbow in June, which ended his Montreal tenure after a half-season. Denver gave him a shot in 1996, but Hoffmann was clearly washed at this point. His once triple-digit velocity was down to the 92-94 mph range and he posted an abysmal 5.52 ERA. Hoffmann retired that winter at age 39. His MLB run saw -0.2 WAR and a 5.00 ERA.

However, his Munich and EBF career was very worthy of praise. Hoffmann had a 238-139 record, 2.79 ERA, 3736.2 innings, 3836 strikeouts, 626 walks, 324/438 quality starts, 189 complete games, 135 ERA+, 72 FIP-, and 102.8 WAR. At induction, he was seventh in WAR among EBF pitchers and still sits tenth as of 2037. As of 2037, he’s also third all-time in complete games, 20^th in strikeouts, and 16^th in wins. Hoffmann was the ace in a decade of excellence for Munich and an obvious Hall of Famer, getting 98.9% to lead off the impressive 2000 EBF class.



Havim Harim – Starting Pitcher – Marseille Musketeers – 89.7% First Ballot

Havim Harim was a 6’3’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Qalansawe, a small city of around 24,000 in Israel’s Central District. Harim had outstanding stuff mixed with above average movement and control. His fastball regularly hit the 97-99 mph range and was part of a five-pitch arsenal that included a slider, cutter, forkball, and changeup. Harim was terrific at mixing these pitches to earn whiffs. He had good stamina and was considered quite durable for much of his run.

The first four rounds of the EBF Draft in that era had regional restrictions and Harim wasn’t eligible being born outside of the countries with teams. In the 1980 EBF Draft, he’d be the third pick of the fifth round; 134^th overall; by Zagreb. Harim debuted mostly in relief in 1981 and looked terrible, plagued by control woes. He still earned a full time rotation spot the next year and provided okay numbers in his second and third seasons. Harim at least got you innings and strikeouts, although his ERA+ was subpar at 92 both seasons.

1984 was the first season that Harim looked like an ace, posting 6.2 WAR with a 2.85 ERA and 317 strikeouts. At this point, Zagreb was terrible and wouldn’t post a winning season from 1979-93. They weren’t convinced they’d be able to lock up Harim as a free agent. There were suitors interested and the Gulls opted to sell high in July 1985, moving him to Marseille for five prospects. With Zagreb, Harim had a 47-56 record, 3.54 ERA, 1043.2 innings, 1166 strikeouts, 101 ERA+, and 17.4 WAR.

Marseille had been a top contender in recent years but needed another arm as they battled in an intense Southwest Division. The move paid off as they won the 1985 European Championship. Harim had a 2.91 ERA over 34 playoff innings with 37 strikeouts. He also took third in Pitcher of the Year voting. Harim was strong again and the Musketeers repeated as champs in 1986. With that, Marseille gave him a four-year, $4,840,000 contract extension.

Harim never won Pitcher of the Year, but was second in both 1987 and 1989 and took third in 1991. With Marseille, he led the Southern Conference in strikeouts thrice, wins once, WHIP once, FIP- four times, and WAR twice. The Musketeers made the playoffs again in 1987, 88, and 89, but lost each time in the first round, Harim’s playoff stats for his career were iffy with a 4.37 ERA over 90.2 innings with 114 strikeouts and 90 ERA+. Still, he had been an important piece in their success in the late 1980s.

Marseille fell into the mid-tier as Lisbon took over control of the division for the 1990s. Still, Harim got a six-year, $9,480,000 extension after the 1989 season. 1993 would see his first major injury issue with forearm inflammation costing him three months. Harim’s velocity dropped notably in 1994 and he struggled with 4.82 ERA. He opted to retire that winter at age 36 and Marseille quickly retired his #2 uniform. With the Musketeers, Harim had a 145-88 record, 2.99 ERA, 2211 innings, 2704 strikeouts, 130 ERA+, and 62.3 WAR.

For his career, Harim had a 192-144 record, 3.17 ERA, 3254.2 innings, 3870 strikeouts, 727 walks, 271/402 quality starts, 114 complete games, 119 ERA+, 78 FIP-, and 79.7 WAR. He was 11^th in strikeouts at induction and sits 17^th as of 2037. The rate stats don’t have him at the top of the all-time charts, but his totals certainly don’t look out of place. Harim was an important part of two championships for Marseille, helping him receive the first ballot induction with 89.7%.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2000 EBF Hall of Fame (Part 2)

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Mason Gough – Left/Right Field – Glasgow Highlanders – 89.1% First Ballot

Mason Gough was a 5’11’’, 200 pound right-handed outfielder from Portsmouth, England; a city with around 200,000 people on the country’s southern shore. He had dual citizenship with an English father and an Irish mother. Gough was a very good power hitter who averaged around 40 home runs per 162 games. He was a solid contact hitter with an average eye and below average strikeout rate. Gough had decent gap power, getting around 20-30 doubles/triples per year in his prime.

His speed was around average, but Gough was an incredibly crafty base stealer. He made around 3/5 of his starts in left field and the rest largely in right field. Defensively, he graded out as slightly above average in right and below average in left. Gough had great durability and longevity, becoming one of the most tenured players of his era.

Gough played for the University of York in college, becoming one of the top prospects in the 1971 EBF Draft. He was picked sixth overall by Glasgow and would spend his prime European baseball career in Scotland. Gough was a reserve in 1972 and debuted in 1973, but with only four games. He was a part-time starter in 1974, then held down the job for the next decade with the Highlanders.

Gough emerged as the man in 1976 and 1977, winning MVP and Silver Slugger in both seasons. Both years, he was the Northern Conference’s leader in runs, home runs, RBI, total bases, slugging, OPS, wRC+, and WAR. This also marked the start of six straight playoff berths for Glasgow, starting with the 1976 European Championship. Oddly enough, Gough struggled in that postseason run with a .185 average in 17 starts. For his career though, he had 49 starts, 47 hits, 19 runs, 8 home runs, 18 RBI, and 1.0 WAR in the playoffs for Glasgow.

The Highlanders’ only title came in the 1976 effort. They got to the conference final but lost in both 1979 and 1981 and suffered first round exits the other years. Gough won a third MVP in 1979 and took third in 1978. He won additional Silver Sluggers in 1979, 80, and 81. Gough led once more in WAR, RBI, and OBP. He was re-signed after the 1977s season on an eight-year, $3,666,000 deal.

Gough was a regular in the World Baseball Championship, appearing in 20 editions of the event between 1975-97. With his dual citizenship, he actually bounced back and forth between playing for England and Ireland; a controversial choice considering the political situation of the time. Between his efforts, Gough played 179 games with 148 hits, 113 runs, 65 home runs, 121 RBI, a .216/.280/.539 slash, 130 wRC+, and 5.8 WAR.

Glasgow faded into mediocrity in the mid 1980s. Gough was still a very good slugger, but his MVP caliber play seemed gone at that point. He decided to opt out of the remainder of his contract, becoming a free agent for the first time at age 33. Gough remained a popular player with Glasgow fans even as he left Europe and his #23 uniform would eventually get retired. The MLB came calling and Gough signed a five-year, $6,400,000 to head to Washington, D.C.

Gough was a good veteran slugger for the Admirals, hitting 40+ home runs in each of his seasons there. He picked up a Silver Slugger in 1987 and was a highlight on some unremarkable Washington teams. They didn’t make the playoffs in his four-year tenure, which saw 637 hits, 369 runs, 170 home runs, 431 RBI, a .267/.317/.522 slash, 152 wRC+, and 23.1 WAR. Gough declined the final year option in his deal, becoming a free agent again at age 37.

Up next was a three-year, $5,460,000 contract with Houston. His power diminished a bit, but he was still starter quality with the Hornets even at his advanced age. With Houston, he had 333 hits, 207 runs, 97 home runs, 229 RBI, 125 wRC+ , and 8.9 WAR. Gough was traded at the 1991 deadline for three prospects to Tampa. After finishing out the year with the Thunderbirds, he was a free agent again at age 40.

Gough still had plenty of suitors, signing a three-year, $5,820,000 contract with Seattle. He struggled in his stay in the Pacific Northwest with 0.4 WAR and a 92 wRC+ in two seasons with the Grizzlies. Gough failed to meet the vesting criteria in his contact and was let go, becoming a free agent again at 42. He returned to Europe, signing with Amsterdam.

Gough’s one season with the Anacondas saw a resurgence with an impressive 4.9 WAR effort. Amsterdam got to the conference finals as well with Gough getting 14 hits and 3 home runs in 10 starts. His return to EBF allowed him to cross the 2000 career hit threshold as well. With his contract up, suddenly more lucrative deals were available again even at age 43. Gough decided to give MLB another shot, inking a three-year, $7,800,000 deal with Buffalo.

He was an okay veteran presence as a backup mostly in two seasons with the Blue Sox, playing 143 games with 78 starts and 1.0 WAR. Gough was let go, but hoped to still find a home for his 25^th professional season. He briefly played for Hartford in 1997, but was released after a month with only 12 games and 17 at-bats. Gough retired that winter at age 45, one of the longest tenured players in baseball history. For his MLB career, he had 1279 hits, 748 runs, 335 home runs, 867 RBI, a .257/.307/.499 slash, 132 wRC+, and 35.0 WAR.

For his EBF career primarily with Glasgow, Gough had 2050 hits, 1138 runs, 287 doubles, 442 home runs, 1227 RBI, 433 stolen bases, a .296/.345/.556 slash, 164 wRC+, and 84.3 WAR. He didn’t stay long enough to be at the top of the leaderboards, but those numbers alone were quite worthy. Some wondered if he could’ve been an inner-circle guy had he played his entire career in Europe. Between EBF and MLB, Gough had 3329 this, 1886 runs, 441 doubles, 777 home runs, 2094 RBI, a .280/.329/.532 slash, 151 wRC+, and 119.3 WAR. He certainly was deserving of the first ballot nod at 89.1%, joining the five-player 2000 EBF class.



Gart Schuermans – Outfield/First Base – Birmingham Bees – 73.6% First Ballot

Gart Schuermans was a 6’2’’, 200 pound left-handed hitter from Tielt, Belgium; a town of 20,000 people within the West Flanders province. Schuermans was a great home run hitter with a solid knack for drawing walks. He was merely an average contact hitter and did have a below average strikeout rate. Schuermans had respectable gap power and could leg out extra bases with decent speed and intelligent baserunning.

Defensively, Schuermans was awful at every spot he tried. He saw notable time in right field, left field, and first base; stinking it up at all of them. Still, he was a fan favorite because he hit dingers and because he was a hard-working, likeable guy. Schuermans also had very good durability in his career. By the end of his career, he’d be absolutely adored in Birmingham and would never need to pay for his own drinks again in the city.

Despite growing up in a small town in Belgium, a Birmingham scout would be the one who spotted him. Schuermans signed as a teenage amateur in 1970 at age 16, bringing him to England. Nearly his entire 20 year pro career would come with the Bees, making his official debut in 1975 at age 21. Schuermans was only a pinch hitter with 16 at bats in his first season, but he took over the starting job the next year. After an unremarkable rookie campaign, Schuermans was a reliably strong starter for the next decade-plus with Birmingham.

Schuermans won Silver Sluggers in 1977, 1978, and 1983. The closest he came to an MVP was 1978, leading the Northern Conference that year in RBI, OBP, slugging, OPS, and wRC+. He led in runs scored the next year, but wasn’t a league leader for the rest of his career. Still, Schuermans was reliably strong with ten seasons worth 5+ WAR and four worth 7+ WAR in his Birmingham run. He also was a regular from 1976-95 with his native Belgium in the World Baseball Championship, playing 169 games with 141 hits, 74 runs, 30 doubles, 44 home runs, 85 RBI, a .240/.345/.515 slash, and 6.1 WAR.

Schuermans signed a four-year, $2,860,000 extension with Birmingham just before the 1981 season. He helped the Bees become a regular contender, winning five division titles from 1983-88. Birmingham had no playoff luck with a conference finals defeat in 1985 and one-and-dones in their other efforts. Schuermans would get extended though for his efforts again, receiving a six-year, $6,860,000 deal after the 1985 season. For his playoff career in Birmingham, he had 30 starts, 31 hits, 16 runs, 7 home runs, 14 RBI, a .277/.344/.536 slash and 156 wRC+.

The Bees missed the playoffs in 1989 and 1990. Schuermans lost chunks of both seasons to injuries, most notably a torn meniscus and a knee sprain. His deal expired after the 1990 season and he entered free agency for the first time at age 37. In retrospect, some Birmingham fans were sad that Schuermans missed out on the titles the Bees won later in the decade. He’d still be beloved regardless, eventually seeing his #34 uniform retired. Ownership later gifted him with one of the 1991 European Championship rings.

Schuermans signed a one-year, $1,360,000 deal with Brussels for 1991, returning to his home country. He looked good when wealthy with 3.0 WAR in 98 games, but he was plagued by knee troubles all season. A free agent again after that, he managed to earn a three-year, $2,760,000 deal with MLB’s Boston. Schuermans was mediocre in his one season with the Red Sox and was traded in the offseason to Denver for three prospects.

He was okay in 1993 for the Dragons with 23 home runs in 89 games. By that point, he was used in a platoon role and as a designated hitter. Schuermans came back to EBF in 1994 on a one-year, $1,620,000 deal with Barcelona. His bat still looked playable in his limited action, but EBF’s lack of DH and his worsening range made his value limited.

Still, he got to play in the European Championship with the Bengals, who interestingly enough were defeated by his former squad Birmingham. Schuermans had 15 games and 5 starts in the playoff run, posting 6 hits, 4 runs, 3 home runs, and 7 RBI. He had hoped to still play and competed for Belgium in the 1995 WBC. However, Schuermans went unsigned for the season and retired in the winter at age 42.

For his EBF career, Schuermans had 2310 hits, 1403 runs, 377 doubles, 598 home runs, 1398 RBI, a .282/.356/.570 slash, 165 wRC+, and 86.0 WAR. There were more decorated players before him, but he quietly built up an impressive resume. At induction, he was tenth all-time in home runs and still sits 23^rd as of 2037 even as offensive numbers spiked in later years. There were some who criticized his atrocious defense, but Schuermans’s dingers and popularity won the day. He received 73.6% in his ballot debut, enough to make him the fourth member of the impressive five-player 2000 EBF Hall of Fame class.



Kjell Gronas – Starting Pitcher – Zurich Mountaineers – 66.1% First Ballot

Kjell Gronas was a 6’1’’, 190 pound right-handed pitcher from Bergan, Norway; the country’s second-largest city with around 289,000 people. Gronas had excellent movement on his pitches were very good control. His stuff was merely average though with peak velocity of 95-97 mph on his fastball. Gronas had a five-pitch arsenal though with a curveball, forkball, changeup, and splitter. Those breaking balls’ movement and his ability to place them in the right spot made Gronas excel. He also had good durability and stamina for most of his run.

At a prospects camp in Norway, a scout from Zurich took note of Gronas and signed him as a teenage amateur in 1975. He eventually debuted with the Mountaineers with one relief appearance in 1980 at age 21. Gronas was an average starter the next year, then a good full-timer from then after. His entire pro career would come in Switzerland, although he didn’t forget his Norwegian roots. Gronas pitched from 1981-94 for Norway in the World Baseball Championship, posting a 3.96 ERA over 179.2 innings with 154 strikeouts and 2.2 WAR.

Gronas joined Zurich in the midst of their historic division title streak that ultimately spanned 21 seasons from 1973-93. With longtime ace Jean-Luc Roch retiring after the 1986 campaign, Gronas ended up slotting into the spot. He was never nearly as dominant with 1985 as his only time as Pitcher of the Year finalist, taking second. Gronas would lead the Southern Conference in ERA that season. His only other times as a league leader ame thrice in wins.

Gronas ended up signing a four-year, $3,290,000 extension starting in 198,6, followed by a seven-year, $10,460,000 deal after the 1989 campaign. Zurich was snake-bitten in the playoffs for most of the streak and Gronas’ playoff stats were a mixed bag as well. The Mountaineers won the conference title, but lost in the championship in 1982, 1983, and 1984. The next eight seasons saw three defeats in the conference final and five first round exits. For his playoff career, Gronas had a 4.23 ERA over 191.2 innings, 137 strikeouts, a 88 ERA+, and 3.1 WAR.

1993 was the last year of the streak, but it was the year that Zurich finally won it all. Gronas had a 3.72 ERA over 29 playoff innings in that run. He had pitched merely above average the prior few seasons. In 1994, he was below average and led the conference in losses, posting an ERA above four for the first time in his career. Gronas decided to retire with that at age 35. For his impressive tenure, Zurich immediately retired his #26 uniform.

For his career, Gronas had a 243-139 record, 3.30 ERA, 3489 innings, 2660 strikeouts, 548 walks, 288/446 quality starts, 140 complete games, 116 ERA+, 84 FIP-, and 73.2 WAR. His totals weren’t as sexy as some of the other great pitchers and perhaps had been on worse teams, he might not have gotten the nod. He was one of only 11 guys to that point to have won 240+ games and traditionalists liked that .636 winning percentage. The 2000 Hall of Fame class was loaded, but Gronas squeaked in at 66.1% for a first ballot nod. He was the fifth and final member of an impressive group.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2000 EPB Hall of Fame

Two starting pitchers were first ballot inductees for the Eurasian Professional Baseball 2000 Hall of Fame class. Both with first ballot picks who got in firmly with Lukasz Oleksy at 97.6% and Sergei Maslovskiy at 93.1%. Fellow pitcher Maxim Aivazyan came close on his fifth try, but was still short with 60.5%. The other player above 50% was another pitcher; Petr Bidzinashvili at 53.0% on his third try.



Closer Ramazan Naumov was dropped after ten failed ballots, ending at 24.6% with a peak of 47.1% on his debut. He played with eight teams between EPB, OBA, CABA, and MLB. In EPB, he had 301 saves and 375 shutdowns, 1.97 ERA, 904 innings, 1204 strikeouts, 146 ERA+, and 27.7 WAR. Naumov didn’t have any Reliever of the Year awards or overly dominant seasons though. He didn’t have big enough accumulations or accolades to get across the line with the EPB voters.

Also dropped was 1B Matej Vodzak, who had a 14 year career mostly with Prague. He had one MVP and four Silver Sluggers, posting 1826 hits, 1036 runs, 554 home runs, 1201 RBI, a .238/.289/.502 slash, 145 wRC+, and 67.2 WAR. A very solid power hitter, but one whose accumulations were still a bit below some of EPB’s other notable sluggers of the era. Vodzak peaked at 28.6% in his debut and ended with only 9.0%.



Lukasz “Kingfish” Oleksy – Starting Pitcher – Warsaw Wildcats – 97.6% First Ballot

Lukasz Oleksy was a 6’0’’, 190 pound left-handed pitcher from Lodz in central Poland; the country’s fourth largest city with more than 650,000 inhabitants. Nicknamed “Kingfish,” Oleksy was a fireballer with a stellar 99-101 mph fastball. He had great stuff overall as he knew how to mix in a great slider and changeup as well. Oleksy had above average to good movement and control in his peak. He was excellent at holding runners and was considered a solid defensive pitcher. Oleksy had great durability and respectable stamina. Although a powerful pitcher, he was also considered very intelligent.

Oleksy’s powerful arm became very well known throughout Poland’s amateur baseball ranks. In the 1979 EPB Draft, Warsaw picked him eighth overall. However, Oleksy couldn’t come to terms with the Wildcats and wanted to give the college game a shot. Two years later in the 1981 draft, Warsaw again picked him, this time with the 15^th overall pick. Oleksy signed with the Wildcats and was an immediate starter.

His extra years in college served him very well, as Oleksy debuted with an all-time great rookie season, leading the European League in ERA at 1.52. Oleksy also had 10.4 WAR and 341 strikeouts, easily taking 1982 Rookie of the Year honors. He was the second-ever ROY winner to debut with a 10+ WAR season, behind only Ihor Polvaliy’s 10.5 WAR in 1975. Povaliy won Pitcher of the Year that season, but Oleksy didn’t crack the top three in a loaded field.

Oleksy was now Warsaw’s ace as they looked to become a contender in the tough North Division. In 1985, the Wildcats ended a four-year playoff drought, falling to Minsk in the ELCS. Oleksy was third in Pitcher of the Year voting, leading the European League with 360 strikeouts. Warsaw wisely gave Oleksy a five-year, $2,590,000 contract extension. He was also a regular for Team Poland in the World Baseball Championship. From 1981-93 in the WBC, he tossed 151.2 innings with a stellar 1.60 ERA, 214 strikeouts, 230 ERA+, and 6.7 WAR.

In 1986, Oleksy had a league and career-best 11.8 WAR season, yet amazingly wasn’t a Pitcher of the Year finalist. The next season, his 104 WAR and league-best 0.76 WHIP finally got him the top honor. He had six straight years worth 8+ WAR for the Wildcats. They began a playoff streak in 1988, although didn’t get to the finals during Oleksy’s run. In the playoffs, he had a 1.97 ERA over 64 innings with 97 strikeouts.

Oleksy signed a five-year, $3,900,000 extension with Warsaw in March 1990, seemingly committing for the long haul. That season saw a no-hitter against Kyiv with nine strikeouts and two walks. Shockingly, that was his final year with the Wildcats. Hoping that better batting might get them over the playoff hump, Oleksy was traded straight up to Bucharest for 1B Babemba Ouattara. For his Warsaw tenure, he had a 161-70 record, 2362.1 innings, 3109 strikeouts, 147 ERA+, and 80.4 WAR.

Oleksy looked great in his Bucharest debut, leading in ERA in 1991. He had three great seasons with the Broncos and had 10 scoreless playoff innings in 1991. However, Bucharest would just miss the playoffs in the next two seasons. It stunned everyone, Oleksy included, when his velocity plummeted in 1994. Without a major injury, he now had trouble hitting beyond the low 90s. Bucharest only used him for 11.2 innings all season and he retired that winter at age 36. With the Broncos, Oleksy had a 42-30 record, 1.80 ERA, 735.2 innings, 915 strikeouts, and 25.6 WAR. Warsaw would bring him in soon after and retire his #38.

For his career, Oleksy had a 203-100 record, 1.91 ERA, 3098 innings, 4024 strikeouts, 537 walks, 317/384 quality starts, 102 complete games, 149 ERA+, 58 FIP- and 106.0 WAR. At induction, he was 12^th among pitchers in career WAR and 23^rd in strikeouts. Notably, at induction he had the lowest ERA of any starting pitcher in the HOF and as of 2037, is one of only five starters with a sub-two ERA. If anything, Oleksy seems to have been greatly under-rated in his time. The voters knew the truth though, giving him a slam dunk first ballot induction at 97.6%.



Sergei Maslovskiy – Starting Pitcher – Kyiv Kings – 93.1% First Ballot

Sergei Maslovskiy was a 6’4’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Horlivka, Ukraine; a city with around 240,000 people in the eastern Donetsk Oblast. Maslovskiy was known for having excellent movement and very good stuff, although his control was below average. His fastball regularly was in the 97-99 mph range and was mixed with three other equally potent pitches in a curveball, changeup, and splitter. Maslovskiy had good stamina and durability and was also considered a strong defensive pitcher.

In the 1981 EPB Draft, Maslovskiy was picked 28^th overall by Kyiv. He spent his entire pro career in the Ukrainian capital, debuting as a part-time starter in 1982. He was a full-time member of the rotation after for the next 12 seasons. Maslovskiy also pitched in the World Baseball Championship for Ukraine from 1984-94. In 152.2 WBC innings, he had a 3.30 ERA, 190 strikeouts, 1132 ERA+, and 4.6 WAR.

Kyiv was a regular contender during his tenure, making the playoffs 11 times in his 13 year career. The Kings won the European League title in Maslovskiy’s rookie season, although he wasn’t used in the playoff run. He’d be an important part of the next year’s run as they won the EPB title against Bishkek. Kyiv won the title again in 1986, 1986, and 1992; giving Maslovskiy four rings. In his playoff career, he had a 2.33 ERA, 13-10 record over 27 starts, 205 innings, 215 strikeouts, 121 ERA+, and 4.4 WAR.

Maslovskiy wasn’t generally a league leader, but he was consistently very good. He took third in 1986 Pitcher of the Year voting, third in 1987, and second in 1989. In 1988, Maslovskiy tossed a no-hitter with 12 strikeouts and one walk against Budapest. After the 1987 season, Maslovskiy signed a five-year, $3,196,000 extension with Kyiv.

In 1992 at age 33, he had the best year of his career and an all-time great season. Maslovskiy led the European League in ERA (1.14) and WAR (11.0); his only time leading in a major stat. The 1.14 ERA set the EPB record by a starter and would only get passed once in the next 50 years. This earned Maslovskiy his first Pitcher of the Year and a third place in MVP voting. He also had a 1.95 ERA over four playoff starts, helping Kyiv win the championship. In the midst of this historic season, the Kings signed Maslovskiy to a five-year, $4,000,000 extension.

Maslovskiy was great the next year and still pretty good in 1994, but his velocity started to dip. He didn’t suffer a notable injury, but he came into spring training 1995 looking completely cooked. Previously someone regularly hitting the upper 90s, he now barely could get to 90 mph. Maslovskiy was on roster for the entire 1995 season, but wasn’t used as he couldn’t get his mojo back. He retired that winter at age 36 and Kyiv immediately retired his #20 uniform.

For his career, Maslovskiy had a 212-110 record, 2.12 ERA, 3239.1 innings, 3644 strikeouts, 734 walks, 325/400 quality starts, 114 complete games, 134 ERA+, 71 FIP-, and 89.6 WAR. His 1992 effort remains a legendary season and Maslovskiy was a big part of Kyiv’s championships throughout the 1980s and 1990s. He’s not at the very top of the statistical leaderboard, but he was an easy first ballot Hall of Fame choice at 93.1%.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2000 OBA Hall of Fame

The Oceania Baseball Association saw two no-doubt first ballot Hall of Famers for their 2000 class. Pitcher Randol Smith got 95.7% and LF Neville Ryan received 94.5%. The next closest was RF Dede Hayati with 57.2% for his ninth time on the ballot. Also above 50% was closer Lornezo Amaru with 52.6% for his fifth go.



Dropped after ten ballots was SP Daniel McIlvaney. He pitched only nine years in OBA with Port Moresby before spending four forgettable seasons in MLB. McIlvaney had a 114-97 record, 2.75 ERA, 2077 innings, 2329 strikeouts, 107 ERA+, and 38.7 WAR. Nowhere near the dominance or accumulations needed to get the nod. His highest year was 16.0% in 1992 and he finished with 4.3%, but managed to last on the ballot for ten turns.



Randol Smith – Starting Pitcher – Honolulu Honu – 95.7% First Ballot

Randol Smith was a 5’10’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Honiara; the capital and largest city of the Solomon Islands with around 92,000 people. Smith would be the first Hall of Famer from the Solomons. He was well rounded with above average to good stuff, movement, and control. Smith had a 95-97 mph fastball mixed with a strong splitter and knuckle curve, as well as a rarely used changeup. He had good stamina and was considered a strong defensive pitcher, winning four Gold Gloves. Smith was also a team captain and was a key leader in Honolulu’s dynasty run.

The Honu selected Smith with the third overall pick in the 1976 OBA Draft. They picked him as a teenager and put him in their developmental system for his first two seasons under contract. Honolulu eased him in with spot starts from 1979-81. He was a part-time starter in 1982 and showed some of the potential they wanted to see. Smith won his first Gold Glove that year and won a Silver Slugger, batting .266.

Smith was a full-time starter from 1982 onward and played a large role in what became a tremendous dynasty. It actually began with a Pacific League title in 1981, although they fell to Adelaide in the OBA Championship. Honolulu followed that up with seven OBA titles in the next nine years, winning it all in 1982, 83, 84, 86, 88, 89, and 90. Smith’s first time pitching in the postseason was 1983, which marked the start of his time as a full-time starter.

Smith was second in Pitcher of the Year voting in 1983. He won additional Gold Gloves in 1983, 84, and 86. Honolulu signed him to a five-year, $1,606,000 extension after the 1984 season 1986 saw a no-hitter with 14 strikeouts and one walk against Guam. That season also was his first Pitcher of the Year. It was Smith’s lone season as the WARlord with a career-best 9.2.

1988 saw a second place finish in POTY voting. The now 32-year old Smith signed another extension with Honolulu, this time for six-years and $4,440,000. In 1990, he won his second Pitcher of the Year, leading in wins, innings pitched, and quality starts. Smith struggled a bit the next season, but bounced back with good 1992 and 1993 efforts. Honolulu just missed the Pacific League title in 1991 and 1992, but won it again in 1993. They fell to Perth in that year’s OBA Championship.

For his playoff career, Smith had an 8-5 record in 15 starts, 2.41 ERA, 101 innings, 92 strikeouts, 121 ERA+, and 3.0 WAR. As of 2037, he’s OBA’s all-time postseason leader in pitching WAR, wins, starts, and innings pitched. Smith is also third in strikeouts. Honolulu could always reliably give him the ball throughout the dynasty run.

1993 saw Smith lead in wins for the second time in his career. That would ultimately be his last great season. An elbow strain would cost him more than four months of the 1994 campaign. When he did pitch, Smith also looked mediocre for the first time since the very start of his career. He decided to retire at age 37. Honolulu immediately retired his #8 uniform.

Smith’s career stats saw a 236-146 record, 2.57 ERA, 3735 innings, 3759 strikeouts, 732 walks, 349/478 quality starts, 140 complete games, 115 ERA+, 83 FIP-, and 80.0 WAR. There were certainly other pitchers with greater dominance , but Smith was ol’ reliable and a team captain for OBA’s greatest dynasty. That made him an easy first ballot choice in 2000, receiving 95.7% of the vote.



Neville “Bullet” Ryan - Left Field – Gold Coast Kangaroos – 94.5% First Ballot

Neville Ryan was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed left fielder from Sydney, Australia. He earned the nickname “bullet” from the incredible exit velocity his swings produced. Ryan smacked the ball remarkably hard, averaging around 40 home runs and around 40 doubles/triples per 162 games. He was also a good contact hitter, although his eye and strikeout rate were both mid. Ryan’s speed and baserunning were also delightfully average. He was a career left fielder and was viewed as respectable defensively. Ryan showed good durability for his career and became one of Australian baseball’s most popular stars.

Ryan’s potential was immediately noticed by everyone and he quickly became the top ranked prospect entered into the 1978 OBA Draft. Gold Coast had the first overall pick and didn’t fool around, picking Ryan with little hesitation. He missed six weeks of his rookie season to a torn groin muscle, but still showed plenty of potential in 116 games, winning the 1979 Rookie of the Year. Ryan was a full-time starter for the next 14 years for Gold Coast.

In his second season, Ryan led the Australasia League in home runs for the first time. In his career, he led in homers thrice, runs twice, triples thrice, RBI six times, total bases six times, slugging seven times, OPS three times, wRC+ three times, and WAR four times. Ryan racked up accolades, winning four MVPs (1981, 82, 86, 89), six Silver Sluggers (1980, 81, 82, 86, 87, 88, 92) and one Gold Glove (1981). Ryan was also second in MVP voting in 1980, third in 1983, second in 1987, second in 1990, and third in 1992.

Ryan’s great hitting carried over into the World Baseball Championship from 1979-93 for the Australian team. He led the way in 1982 as the Aussies made it to the world championship for the first-ever time. In 25 games, he had 35 hits, 26 runs, 19 home runs, 36 RBI, and 2.8 WAR; winning tournament MVP. His 19 dingers was the second-most ever in a single WBC to that point. This made him an incredibly popular star nationally, For his career, he posted 129 games, 133 hits, 98 runs, 59 home runs, 119 RBI, a .290/.370/.691 slash, 198 wRC+, and 7.7 WAR.

Ryan was beloved by Gold Coast but despite his efforts, they usually remained around .500 give or take for most of the 1980s. The Kangaroos didn’t delay in inking him long-term with an eight-year, $2,508,000 extension after the 1981 season. The investment paid off long term as Gold Coast won the Australasia League pennant in both 1989 and 1990, Honolulu’s dynasty were able to get the better of the Kangaroos and Ryan in both finals..

Ryan received a four-year, $3,490,000 extension after the 1989 season. 1989 saw him post 139 RBI, which set the single season record in OBA. Gold Coast faded back into the mid-tier, but Ryan remained excellent. 1993 would be the first time he seemed to slip. He missed a decent chunk to injury, but also saw his power drop dramatically. That season, he would join Sione Hala as the only OBA sluggers with 1500 career RBI.

Gold Coast opted not to re-sign Ryan, making him a free agent for the first time at age 38. Christchurch gave him a shot on a one-year, $1,180,000 deal. However, Ryan was awful in his limited ply with a .170 batting average and -0.5 WAR over 70 games. He retired that winter at age 39. The Kangaroos would immediately retire his #9 uniform and he would remain a beloved franchise icon for decades to come.

Ryan’s career stats saw 2260 hits, 1298 runs, 320 doubles, 255 triples, 569 home runs, 1554 RBI, 288 stolen bases, a .279/.333/.591 slash, 168 wRC+, and 103.0 WAR. At induction, he was fourth all-time in RBI, fifth in home runs, sixth in runs scored, and fourth in WAR among position players. Ryan is still ninth all-time in offensive WAR as of 2037. He also retired with the best slugging percentage and best OPS of any HOFer to date. Ryan remains in the top ten in both among Hall of Famers as of 2037. Few can say they hit the ball harder than Ryan, who was well worthy of the first ballot induction at 94.5%.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2000 APB Hall of Fame

Pitcher Foo Su earned induction into the Austronesia Professional Baseball Hall of Fame in 2000, receiving 81.0% on his ballot debut. He would be the only inductee, although three returners did cross 50%. All three were relief pitchers with Stallion Ricciardi at 59.5% on his third ballot, Ting-Wei Ping at 58.3% on his fourth, and Hong Quinonez at 57.3 for his fourth.



One player was removed after failing in ten tries on the ballot. Pitcher Chung-Nan Yang had a 14-year career between Taichung and Depok, winning two Gold Gloves and Rookie of the Year. Yang had a 164-131 record, 2.38 ERA, 2801.2 innings, 3020 strikeouts, 112 ERA+, 88 FIP-, and 50.8 WAR. He was stuck on some bad teams, never playing in the postseason. He peaked at 42.8% in his debut and ended at 22.1%. He might have had a chance with more longevity and hardware, but Yang was banished to the Hall of Good.



Foo Su – Starting Pitcher – Kaohsiung Steelheads – 81.0% First Ballot

Foo Su was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Hsinchuang, Taiwan; a district of around 400,000 people in the western part of New Taipei. Su had very solid stuff and movement along with above average to good control. His fastball hit the 96-98 mph range and was part of a five pitch arsenal that included a curveball, forkball, changeup, and slider. Su had nice stamina and had excellent durability, tossing 225+ innings in every season of his career. He was also known as a clubhouse prankster who was a master of shenanigans.

Su pitched collegiately for Taiwan Sports University in Taoyuan and emerged as a top prospect. In the 1980 APB Draft, Tainan picked Su 15^th overall. However, he couldn’t come to terms with the Titans and returned for another year of college. His stock rose for the 1981 APB Draft, where he was picked third overall by Kaohsiung. Su was immediately a full-time member of the rotation for the Steelheads.

Su had some control issues early in his career, leading the Taiwan-Philippine Association in walks in his rookie season. Still, his 1.98 ERA got him the 1982 Rookie of the Year. He also won a Gold Glove in his rookie campaign. Su never won Pitcher of the Year, but took third in 1985 and 1989. He led in strikeouts in both 1985 and 1986. He also led in quality starts four times, complete games once, and WAR once.

Su was one of the redeeming qualities of a dark era for Kaohsiung. They had been a dynasty in the 1970s, but didn’t post a winning season from 1981-91. Su stayed loyal to the Steelheads, signing a five-year, $2,052,000 extension after the 1985 season. Su also pitched from 1984-94 for Taiwan in the World Baseball Championship. He tossed 168.2 innings in the WBC with a 3.15 ERA, 195 strikeouts, 117 ERA+, and 4.4 WAR.

Su made history in 1989. On April 10, he threw APB’s 15^th perfect game, striking out 15 on April 10 against Cebu. On July 5, he tossed a no-hitter with nine strikeouts and one walk against Taoyuan. This made Su one of a select few in world baseball history to throw multiple no-hitters in the same season.

Kaohsiung was closer to contention in 1990, but still around .500. It was the final season of Su’s contract and the Steelheads thought they could get trade value from him. On June 18, he was moved for three prospects to Semarang. Su helped the Sliders make the final push, as they won the Austronesia Championship. Semarang used Su as a reliever in the playoff run and he dominated, earning six saves and tossing 9.1 scoreless innings with 18 strikeouts.

Now 32-years old, Su was a free agent for the first time in his career. Kaohsiung decided to bring him back home, signing him to a five-year, $5,900,000 deal. Su helped the Steelheads break their 15-year playoff drought in 1992, posting a 1.29 ERA in 14 postseason innings. However, they lost the TPA Championship against Cebu.

That would be Su’s only time in the playoffs with Kaohsiung. He had a solid 1993 that included the third no-hitter of his career in a nine strikeout, two walk effort against Taichung. However, Su looked shaky in 1994 as his strikeout tally dropped notably, getting less than 200 for the first time in his career. He had one year left on his contract, but Su decided to retire at age 35. The Steelheads immediately would retire his #10 uniform,.

Su’s career stats had a 189-178 record, 2.46 ERA, 3551.2 innings, 3634 strikeouts, 755 walks, 342/441 quality starts, 153 complete games, 113 ERA+, 89 FIP-, and 64.8 WAR. His totals are somewhat on the lower end compared to some other APB Hall of Famers. He didn’t have the big stats or accolades and wasn’t always noticed as Kaohsiung stunk during his tenure. However, Su’s perfect game and his part in Semarang’s 1990 title gave him a boost With a fairly quiet 2000 ballot and no other standout debutants, Su earned the first ballot nod at 81.0% as the lone member of the 2000 class.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2000 CLB Hall of Fame

Chinese League Baseball very nearly had a blank 2000 Hall of Fame ballot. One player squeaked by the 66% requirement to get in as SP Lang Lu received 67.8% on his second try. The best debut was RF Shichao Zhang, who narrowly missed the cut at 61.0%. Closer Junwei Zhu also had a nice showing on his third ballot at 60.3%. Also above 50% were RF Zhengyu Peng at 58.3% and SP Baoxian He at 53.9% for his third try.



Pitcher Dalun Li was dropped from the ballot after ten tries. His accumulations were hurt by having only eight seasons in CLB with Harbin, followed by a couple seasons in MLB. With the Hellcats, he had a 135-77 record, 2.06 ERA, 2214 innings, 2307 strikeouts, 126 ERA+, 77 FIP-, and 52.0 WAR. With more tenure or hardware, Li might have had a better chance. He still got as high as 40.8% on his second ballot and ended at 36.6%.

Pitcher Yan Zhong also fell off the ballot after ten tries. He had a 13 year career between Xiamen and Xi’an, posting a 144-100 record, 2.08 ERA, 2589 innings, 2853 strikeouts, 128 ERA+, 73 FIP-, and 66.4 WAR. Major injuries derailed his shot at accumulations including back-to-back rotator cuff tears in his early 30s. Zhong was as high as 30.7% on his second ballot and ended at 8.8%.



Lang Lu – Starting Pitcher – Macau Magicians – 67.8% Second Ballot

Lang Lu was a 5’11’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Wuxi, China; a city with more than seven million inhabitants in eastern China’s Jiangsu province. Lu was well rounded with solid stuff, movement, and control. His fastball hovered in the 96-98 mph, although his most deadly pitchers were his cutter and sinker. Lu also mixed in a slider and curveball. His stamina was okay, hurt by various injuries throughout his run. Lu was scrappy and worked through the issues, becoming a fan favorite throughout his career.

Lu was picked 17^th overall by Macau in the 1982 CLB Draft. His entire Chinese League career came with the Magicians, debuting mostly in relief with the 1984 season. Lu split time between relief and starting the next year, then earned a full-time spot in the rotation in 1986. 1987 would see a notable setback as rotator cuff inflammation cost him the second half of the season.

Lu broke out in 1988, finishing second in Pitcher of the Year voting. Macau also made the playoffs, beginning a stretch with four berths in five years. The Magicians would sign Lu to a five-year, $2,604,000 extension after the 1988 campaign. He then emerged as a truce ace, leading the Southern League in ERA and WAR in both 1989 and 1990. Lu took home Pitcher of the Year honors in both seasons.

1990 also saw a China Series appearance for Macau, although they dropped the final to Dalian. The Magicians fell in the semifinals in their other playoff appearances in Lu’s tenure. He posted a 2.20 ERA over 57.1 playoff innings with 64 strikeouts and a 111 ERA+. Lu would finish second in 1992’s Pitcher of the Year voting.

His numbers would dip a bit in 1993, his final season in Macau. An oblique strain cost him a month of the season, but he still had plenty of offers entering free agency at age 31. Magicians fans were sad to see him leave, but Lu remained a popular figure. His #22 uniform would get retired by the franchise when his contract ended.

Lu got paid big time by MLB’s Buffalo Blue Sox with a seven-year, $18,840,000 contract. Unfortunately, he didn’t at all live up to that big deal. Lu looked pretty good in his debut season, but shoulder inflammation knocked him out the entire second half of the season. In 1995, Lu was terrible in the moments he was healthy. He also made eight starts in minor league Rochester and looked no better there.

Buffalo finally cut their losses in June 1996, ending Lu’s MLB run with a 3.96 ERA, 216 innings, 87 ERA+, and 3.1 WAR. Certainly not the value you wanted out of a big seven-year deal. Lu signed with Columbus in the summer and made a few appearances with minor league Toledo. However, it was clear that he was cooked and he retired after the 1996 season at only age 33.

For his CLB and Macau tenure, Lu had a 134-78 record, 1.86 ERA, 2050.1 innings, 2134 strikeouts, 362 walks, 206/243 quality starts, 133 ERA+, 74 FIP-, and 49.8 WAR. Those were very good numbers over a short time frame, but the trouble was it was a short time frame. The accumulations and innings were definitely on the low end compared to other CLB Hall of Fame starters. Lu was very likeable though and benefits by having no real standouts on the ballot against him. He just missed the cut at 64.0% in his debut, but made it across the line on his second go at 67.8% to be the lone 2000 inductee for CLB.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2000 WAB Hall of Fame

The lone addition into the West Africa Baseball Hall of Fame for 2000 was pitcher Issaka Camara. Making his fourth appearance on the ballot, Camara earned a large bump up to 79.5%. Only one other player was above 50% with pitcher Elodie Belem at 52.1% on his third try. The top debut was 3B Moussa Naba at only 25.6%.



Dropped after ten ballots was reliever Kent Chibuike. He was certainly well traveled, playing for 13 teams between his MLB and WAB careers. In WAB, he had 201 saves, a 1.39 ERA, 503.2 innings, 702 strikeouts, a 267 ERA+, 26.3 WAR, and one Reliever of the Year. Chibuike was dominant in a small sample size, but definitely lacked the longevity needed for the Hall. He still got as high as 42.0% on his sixth ballot and ended at 38.5%.

Starting pitcher Paulo Nasciemento also fell off after ten ballots. He was also well traveled, playing on 11 teams between WAB and CABA over 20 years. In WAB, Nascimento had a 138-116 record, 3.07 ERA, 2261 innings, 2672 strikeouts, 118 ERA+, and 58.7 WAR. He was steady and reliable, but lacked the accolades needed to get much traction. Nascimento peaked at 28.8% in his second ballot and ended at 14.5%.



Issaka Camara – Starting Pitcher – Kumasi Monkeys – 79.5% Fourth Ballot

Issaka Camara was a 6’3’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Bamako; the capital and largest city of Mali. Camara would be the first Malian to earn induction. His biggest strength was pinpoint control, mixed with above average stuff and movement. Camara had a 97-99 mph fastball mixed with a splitter and a cutter. He had good stamina early in his career, although that regressed to average. Camara was also graded as an excellent defensive pitcher, winning Gold Gloves in 1977, 79, and 90.

Camara just missed out on being eligible in the first WAB amateur draft. He joined the fledgling league at age 22 in 1977, signing a four-year deal with his hometown team Bamako. The Bullfrogs had taken league runner-up the prior season. Camara had already shown potential in his semi pro exploits prior and had an excellent debut with the Bullfrogs. He finished third in Rookie of the Year and Pitcher of the Year voting in the 1977 season. Camara had a 3.45 ERA in 15.2 playoff innings as Bamako fell in the WLCS to Freetown.

The Bullfrogs wouldn’t make the playoffs again during Camara’s tenure, but he gave them five strong seasons in total with a 73-60 record, 2.90 ERA, 1206 innings, 1376 strikeouts, 202 walks, a 123 ERA+, and 31.0 WAR. Bamako wasn’t sure they’d be able to afford the big contract Camara likely was going to soon get, as 1982 was his last year under team control. The Bullfrogs traded him in spring training to Kumasi for pitcher Omonefe Olatunji and catcher Dylan Rosario. Although gone from Mali, Camara did continue to pitch for his home country in the World Baseball Championship. From 1978-93, Camara tossed 227.2 innings with a 3.28 ERA, 236 strikeouts, 114 ERA+, and 4.2 WAR.

The Monkeys gave Camara a four-year, $1,188,000 extension and were immediately rewarded. On April 8, Camara threw a perfect game with 11 strikeouts against Freetown. He took second in Pitcher of the Year voting in 1982, the closest he came to the top award. This began his signature run, as he played for Kumasi for a decade.

Camara’s tenure came in the midst of Kumasi’s historic playoff streak with 14 straight appearances from 1978-1991. The Monkeys made it to the championship thrice with Camara, but never were able to win it all. His playoff stats were a mixed bag with a 3.52 ERA over 46 innings, 48 strikeouts, and a 102 ERA+. Camara remained a steady part of the rotation, but he was never a league leader. Kumasi was still happy with his efforts, giving Camara a four-year, $1,388,000 extension after the 1986 season.

Injuries started to become an issue as Camara entered his 30s. He notably missed five months in 1989 to a torn back muscle. Kumasi still gave him another two years at $780,000 after the 1990 season, but he failed to meet the vesting criteria after the 1991 campaign. This ended his time with the Monkeys with a 123-83 record, 3.26 ERA, 1759.1 innings, 1971 strikeouts, 110 ERA+, and 36.0 WAR. Kumasi would eventually retire his #36 uniform.

At age 37, Camara managed to land a two-year, $4,000,000 deal with MLB’s Las Vegas. However, he was cut before making an official debut with the Vipers. Los Angeles had him for part of spring training, but cut him before the season. Camara spent two days employed by Charlotte before eventually landing with Quebec City. He made 19 starts for the Nordiques with below average results. In 1993, Camara made one start with Ottawa and a few appearances in Washington. He retired after the 1993 season at age 39.

For his WAB career, Camara had a 196-143 record, 3.11 ERA, 2965.1 innings, 3347 strikeouts, 465 walks, 255/395 quality starts, 115 ERA+, 80 FIP-, and 67.0 WAR. At induction, he was eighth in WAR among WAB pitchers and still sits 14^th as of 2037. Camara had nice totals from longevity, but didn’t have the black ink or big awards. This kept him out narrowly on his first three Hall of Fame ballots with 56.6%, 65.0%, and 64.1%. A weak 2000 group allowed Camara’s resume to stand out more, getting the bump to 79.5% to earn a fourth ballot induction as the lone 2000 inductee.