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

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2005 APB Hall of Fame (Part 1)

The 2005 Austronesia Professional Baseball Hall of Fame voting didn’t have any major standouts, but still saw three players cross the 66% requirement. Leading the way was DH Chang-Rong Chang with a first ballot nod with 77.6%. RP Hong Quinonez finally crossed the line on his ninth ballot with 71.6%. OF Fajar Lastori rounded it out as a first ballot guy, albeit barely with 68.0%. RP Wen-Yang Kuo also came very close on his second try but missed at 63.4%. No one else was above 50%.



The lone guy dropped after ten ballots was pitcher Gilbert Tang. In his APB career, he had one Reliever of the Year but saw a split career between starting and the bullpen. Tang had a 120-106 record, 143 saves, 2.65 ERA, 1952.2 innings, 1674 strikeouts, 400 walks, a 107 ERA+, and 34.6 WAR. He was never outstanding in either role though. Tang still managed to debut in 1996 with 31.4%, but he was down to 4.3% by the end.



Chang-Rong Chang – Designated Hitter – Taichung Toucans – 77.6% First Ballot

Chang-Rong Chang was a 6’1’’, 195 pound left-handed slugger from Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Chang was a reliably strong bat with solid contact skills and a good eye. His strikeout rate was poor, but Chang hit the ball hard when he made contact. Over a 162 game average, he’d get 33 home runs and 27 doubles per year. You couldn’t expect much from him as a baserunner as Chang was painfully slow and sluggish.

It was a clubhouse joke that Chang didn’t own a glove. He did not play a single inning in the field in his entire career; not one. Chang’s bat though was among the best in APB and solid durability for most of his career meant you could always rely on him in the lineup.

Chang’s batting was noticed across Taiwan even at Gubao High School. Many teams wanted him right away, including Tainan, who picked Chang with the #2 overall pick in the 1976 APB Draft. Chang declined to sign and instead went to Kao Yuan University in Kaohsiung. His stock was still quite high when he was next eligible in the 1979 Draft. Chang was picked #3 by Taichung and signed with the Toucans.

Due to having no defensive value, Chang had some trouble cracking the lineup initially, as he only had 41 starts and 83 games in his rookie year. He earned a full-time role in 1981 and looked excellent with 37 home runs and 7.4 WAR in only 118 games. A strained hamstring cost him seven weeks in the middle of the season. His effort was still so good that he not only won Silver Slugger, but earned MVP honors.

Most importantly, Chang was healthy for the playoff run. The Toucans won their first Taiwan League title since 1967 and went onto win the Austronesia Championship over Medan. Chang was only okay in the playoffs, he did get 8 hits, 5 runs, 3 home runs, and 3 RBI. However, he had a .195/.283/.439 slash. A broken bone in his elbow cost Chang almost all of 1982, but he stayed mostly healthy for the next decade after.

Taichung was a regular contender for the next few years, although they just fell short of the TL title in 1982 and 1983. From 1984-87, they had four straight playoff berths. 1987 was their only pennant in that stretch and they lost the APB final to Medan. Chang’s career playoff stats were underwhelming with 45 games, 40 starts, 30 hits, 14 runs, 6 doubles, 7 home runs, 13 RBI, a .191/.266/.363 slash, 93 wRC+, and 0.5 WAR.

Still, they were a regular contender and Chang’s regular season stats were strong in the 1980s. He led the Taiwan-Philippine Association thrice in runs, twice in home runs, twice in RBI, twice in walks, and thrice in total bases. 1987 was his second MVP, leading the TPA in runs (97), homers (48), RBI (95), walks (59), total bases (358), OBP (.350), slugging (.594), OPS (.943), wRC+ (204), and WAR (9.3).

Chang was also second in 1984 MVP voting, third in 1985, and second in 1986. He had seven Silver Sluggers in total (1981, 83-88). In March 1988, Taichung signed Chang to a six-year, $6,760,000 extension. He remained a reliably strong bat into his 30s, but his awards contention had ended by the 1990s. The Toucans’ competitive window also ended as 1988 marked the start of a 41 year playoff drought.

Chang opted out of his contract after the 1992 season, but signed a new four-year, $5,120,000 deal with Taichung. He was beloved by the fans and was the main reason to come to the ballpark as the team drifted towards mediocrity. 1996 would see a strained hamstring cost him three months. Chang was a free agent after that, but the Toucans brought him back for one more year.

In 1997, he became the fourth member of the 500 home run club. However, his power had dwindled in his later years, meaning Chang didn’t have a realistic shot at Chun-Chia Lan’s all-time mark of 619 homers. This would be his last season with Taichung, but he’d remain a beloved franchise icon for decades to come. His #10 uniform would quickly be retired once his playing days were done.

Chang still wanted to play and the 40-year old inked a two-year, $3,240,000 deal with Taoyuan. More hamstring troubles kept him from playing full seasons with the Tsunami. Still, he had 227 games, 4.0 WAR, 33 homers, and a 126 wRC+ with Taoyuan. Chang still wanted to play in 2000, but couldn’t find anyone interested. He retired that winter at age 42.

Chang ended with 2428 hits, 1273 runs, 456 doubles, 63 triples, 554 home runs, 1383 RBI, 869 walks, a .250/.312/.480 slash, 149 wRC+, and 81.1 WAR. At induction, he was fifth in homers, third in RBI, sixth in hits, second in runs, and 18^th in WAR. As of 2037, he’s still 10^th in homers, seventh in RBI, and tenth in runs.

There were voters still who felt being a career DH was a major knock against him. A few were also against him for his weaker playoff numbers. Despite his high totals on the APB leaderboards, Chang only got 77.6% in his ballot debut. However, that was still plenty for the first ballot nod to lead the 2005 class.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2005 APB Hall of Fame (Part 2)

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Hong Quinonez – Relief Pitcher – Medan Marlins – 71.6% Ninth Ballot

Hong Quinonez was a 6’6’’, 200 pound right-handed relief pitcher from Tagum, a city of just under 300,000 inhabitants in the Davao Region of the Philippines. Quinonez had outstanding stuff with a tremendous 99-101 mph fastball and a great slider. He had good movement, but his control was often below average. Quinonez had excellent durability and thrice pitched more games than anyone else in the league. His power meant he racked up strikeouts at a high rate.

Having two pitches and generally low stamina meant teams knew Quinonez was only going to be a reliever. Thus, he wasn’t a top prospect despite his terrific fastball. In the 1977 APB Draft, Quinonez was picked with the 48^th overall pick early in the third round by Zamboanga. He couldn’t come to terms with the Zebras and played one more amateur season. Quinonez improved his draft stock and was picked 33^rd overall in 1978, the 11^th pick of the second round. It was Cebu who snagged Quinonez, who came to terms with the Crows.

Cebu immediately gave Quinonez the closer job and he held that role all six years of his first run. In his second year, the Crows made a surprise run and won the Austronesia Championship. Quinonez had a 0.84 ERA over 10.2 playoff innings with 11 strikeouts. They were a non-factor in his remaining years, but Quinonez was consistent. He took second in 1980’s Reliever of the Year voting, but otherwise wasn’t a finalist with the Crows.

Quinonez did also pitch for the Philippines in the World Baseball Championship from 1981-88. His stats were unremarkable with a 4.13 ERA over 32.2 innings, 13 saves, 47 strikeouts, 22 walks, and 90 ERA+. In 1984, Quinonez struggled to 3.49 ERA, easily his worst year as he had always kept his ERA below two previously. With that, Cebu decided to begin shopping Quinonez to other squads.

The 30-year old Quinonez was sent for 1985 to Medan with another reliever in exchange for four prospects. The Marlins had won the Sundaland Association title thrice in the 1980s thus far and hoped Quinonez could add depth. He was middle relief in 1985, but had a career-best 1.00 ERA in his limited innings. Medan moved him to the closer role for the next three years.

After missing the playoffs in 1985 and 1986, Medan earned three straight berths from 1987-89. The Marlins put together a dynasty, winning the APB title in 1987 and 1989. Quinonez was excellent in the playoffs, posting a 0.45 ERA over 12 appearances and 20 innings, strikeout out 31 with seven saves. Quinonez took second in Reliever of the Year voting in 1987, then won it for the only time in 1988. That season had career bests in games (78), innings (104.1), strikeouts (152), and WAR (5.4).

Quinonez’s role was diminished in 1989, but he still looked good in 60.1 innings. Medan fell to below .500 in 1990 and Quinonez was only used in 27.1 innings, missing some time to elbow inflammation. In total with Medan, he had 108 saves and 167 shutdowns, 1.60 ERA, 400.1 innings, 612 strikeouts, 155 ERA+, and 18.2 WAR. Now 36 years old, Quinonez was a free agent for the first time in 1991.

Cebu brought him back, but his stuff had started to weaken. Quinonez stunk with a 4.91 ERA in the 22 innings he saw. He wasn’t used in the playoffs, but Quinonez got his fourth APB championship ring as the Crows won the final over Batam. Quinonez retired with that at age 37. For his two Cebu stints, he had 199 saves and 243 shutdowns, a 2.08 ERA, 518.1 innings, 675 strikeouts, 136 ERA+, and 16.1 WAR.

Quinonez finished with 307 saves and 410 shutdowns, a 1.87 ERA, 918.2 innings, 1287 strikeouts, 210 walks, 144 ERA+, 51 FIP-, and 34.3 WAR. He was the fifth APB reliever to 300 career saves. Quinonez was in a weird spot compared to the other relievers that had gotten into APB’s Hall. There were guys with more longevity and less dominance, while there were those with less longevity but more dominance. Quinonez was in the middle of those two and spent a lot of time on the ballot with guys that had more accolades than him.

Quinonez debuted at 55.8% and dropped to 53.8% the next year, although he never was lower. He stayed in the mid-upper 50s until missing by a razor thin margin in 2003 at 65.8%. He slightly dropped in 64.3%. With his ninth try in 2005, Quinonez’s playoff successes helped win over just enough new voters. He received 71.6% for the ninth ballot add with the 2005 Austronesia Professional Baseball Hall of Fame class.



Fajar “Soupy” Lastori – Center/Left Field – Bandung Blackhawks – 68.0% First Ballot

Fajor Lastori was a 6’2’’, 200 pound left-handed outfielder from Ciomas, a district of about 170,000 in Indonesia’s West Java province. Nicknamed “Soupy” for his love of soup, Lastori in his prime was a well-rounded bat statistically. However, he was far better though against righties (career 172 wRC+) compared to lefties (career 100 wRC+).

He graded out with good to great contact and power with an above average eye and below average strikeout rate. Lastori’s gap power was average at best with around 20-30 doubles/triples per year. He was a fairly smart and savvy baserunner, but his speed was merely above average in his prime years.

Lastori made about 2/3s of his career starts in center field and the rest in left. He graded out as a lousy CF as he lacked the range needed to succeed there. However, his arm and glovesmanship made him great defensively in left, even winning a Gold Glove in 1994. Small injuries sporadically cost Lastori time, but he managed to stick around for more than two decades.

Bandung spotted Lastori as a teenage amateur and signed him in February 1972. He became one of a select few in pro baseball history to debut at 18 years old, although he had one start and 21 games only in the 1974 season. Lastori made very limited appearances in the next three seasons with 104 games and 30 starts. In 1978, the now 22-year old Lastori earned a full-time starting role. Here, he posted easily the strongest season in his career.

Lastori won MVP and a Silver Slugger in center, leading the Sundaland Association in runs (103), home runs (51), RBI (108), total bases (.387), slugging (.664), OPS (1.051), wRC+ (259), and WAR (12.8). All of those were career bests and the 12.8 WAR was a single-season record for an APB position player. It remained the top mark until 1996, but still sits fourth best as of 2037. His .314 batting average also fell only eight points short of a Triple Crown season. Despite that, Bandung was second in the Java League standings.

Lastori remained a star for the Blackhawks, but the franchise was stuck in either the middle or bottom of the standings eternally. Their lone playoff appearance with him was 1981, but they lost the Sundaland Association Championship to Medan. Lastori never had a monster season quite like 1978 again, but he had 6.9 WAR or better each year from 1979-1984.

Lastori led with 7.8 WAR in 1982, then in 1983 was the leader in runs (85), homers (42), total bases (312), and slugging (.533). 1983 saw his second MVP, while he was third in 1979, second in 1981, and third in 1982. He won eight Silver Sluggers in total (1978-84, 1987). Bandung knew they had a superstar and signed Lastori to an eight-year, $4,456,000 contract extension after the 1981 campaign.

Lastori was still a strong starter from 1985-88, but had some minor injuries and saw his power numbers dwindle. He was still very popular with Bandung fans, but the Blackhawks weren’t expected to keep him once his deal was up with the 1989 season. They decided to trade the now 33-year old Lastori on the last year of the deal to Depok for two prospects. For the Bandung run, Lastori had 1573 hits, 801 runs, 214 doubles, 339 home runs, 790 RBI, a .260/.317/.492 slash, 184 wRC+, and 76.2 WAR.

Lastori was also a popular figure throughout all of Indonesian baseball from his efforts in the World Baseball Championship. He played in 11 WBCs from 1978-92 with 153 games, 149 starts, 130 hits, 96 runs, 18 doubles, 39 home runs, 82 RBI, 63 walks, a .254/.352/..530 slash, 144 wRC+, and 5.4 WAR.

Lastori was a good starter in his one year with Depok, posting 4.2 WAR and a 161 wRC+. He didn’t stick around and had free agency for the first time at age 34. His skills had garnered worldwide attention and it would be MLB’s Ottawa Elks that inked him. Lastori signed a five-year, $8,400,000 deal to bring him to the Canadian capital.

Lastori was a full-time starter all five years in Ottawa. He had spotty results in his first four years, but had an excellent fifth year in 1994 with 6.6 WAR and a 150 wRC+. The move to left field helped him bump his value, as he won his lone Gold Glove. Ottawa made playoff appearances in 1991 and 1992 but had no luck. In total for the Elks, Lastori had 624 hits, 364 runs, 119 home runs, 363 RBI, a .248/.308/.443 slash, 120 wRC+, and 18.0 WAR. A very fine tenure for a guy in his 30s.

Now 39 years old, Lastori had bumped his value back up entering free agency for 1995 as he was fresh off his most impressive MLB season. Detroit gave him a two-year, $6,080,000 deal. He was merely decent with 2.3 WAR and a 126 wRC+ for the Tigers, which wasn’t enough to reach the vesting criteria for the second year. With that, Lastori decided it was time to return home to Indonesia.

Lastori joined Surabaya in 1996 and missed about half the year to back problems. He could still hit alright against righties, but was struggling against lefties. The Sunbirds brought him back for 1997, but traded him at the deadline to Taoyuan for prospects. He would only play 37 games with unremarkable results in the regular season for the Tsunami.

However, Lastori stepped up in the playoffs with 8 hits, 8 runs, 2 doubles, 3 home runs, and 9 RBI over 11 games. This helped Taoyuan repeat as the APB champion and extended Lastori’s career. Surabaya gave him another look in 1998 and at age 42, he posted a very solid campaign worth 4.0 WAR and 142 wRC+. In total with the Sunbirds between the stints, Lastori had 8.8 WAR and 137 wRC+.

In 1999, Lastori’s final season would be with Depok. He struggled and quickly was benched with a -0.4 WAR and .165 effort over 27 starts and 82 games. Lastori finally retired that winter at age 43. His former squad Bandung, where he still had a huge following, was happy to bring Lastori home to retire his #29 uniform.

For his entire pro career, Lastori had 2673 hits, 1397 runs, 365 doubles, 135 triples, 543 home runs, 1370 RBI, 557 stolen bases, a .251/.308/.463 slash, 159 wRC+, and 109.4 WAR. For just the APB run, he had 1970 hits, 993 runs, 277 doubles, 103 triples, 409 home runs, 972 RBI, 489 stolen bases, a .252/.308/.471 slash, 173 wRC+, and 89.1 WAR. As of 2037, he’s 29^th in WAR among all APB position players.

APB voters are notably stingy though for batters in the very low offense league. Some felt that Bandung’s lack of team success in his prime was a mark against him. It seems surprising that Lastori only got 68.0%, but it was enough to make him a first ballot inductee regardless to close out the 2005 Hall of Fame class.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2005 CLB Hall of Fame

Chinese League Baseball came close to a blank ballot with the 2005 Hall of Fame voting. There were no impressive debuts with the top newcomer being 1B Bei Wu at a lowly 30.3%. It would be two guys on their penultimate opportunity who cashed in on the weak field, earning ninth ballot inductions.



RF Zhengyu Peng crossed the 66% requirement with 70.8%, while SP Pengju Xue made it in with 67.3%. SP Baoxian He very nearly joined them on his eight ballot, but fell short at 64.4%. No one else was above 50% and no players fell off the ballot after ten failed tries.



Zhengyu Peng – Right Field – Hong Kong Champions – 70.8% Ninth Ballot

Zhengyu Peng was a 5’11’’, 200 pound left-handed right fielder from Changsha in central China. Peng was a solid contact hitter that was good at drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts. His gap power was quite impressive, as he was good for around 20-25 doubles plus 15-20 triples most years. Peng wasn’t a major slugger, but he was still reliable for around 20 homers per year. His speed was above average and he was considered an above average to good baserunner.

Peng played exclusively in right field and was a great defender. He was known for his cannon arm, making many runners reconsider going for that extra base. Peng had pretty good durability and was considered a team leader. He became one of the most popular players of the era and was absolutely adored in Hong Kong, where he spent his entire pro career.

The Champions spotted Peng as a teenage amateur and inked him to a developmental deal in June 1973. He was a full-time starter in his rookie year of 1976 at age 21 and held that role for the next 15 years. Peng was the Rookie of the Year winner and soon became a reliably strong starter. From 1977-1984, he posted 6+ WAR each season and thrice had 8+.

Hong Kong quickly realized they had struck pay dirt and gave Peng an eight-year, $2,364,000 extension after the 1979 season. He won five consecutive Gold Gloves from 1978-82. He did have the misfortune of sharing a position with 2003 Hall of Famer Shichao Zhang, meaning Peng’s only Silver Slugger came in 1980. He certainly couldn’t be denied that season with by far the strongest year of his career.

1980 was his lone MVP as well, leading the Southern League in runs (98), hits (193), triples (27), total bases (358), average (.335), slugging (.622), OPS (1.007), wRC+ (222), and WAR (12.2). Peng had career bests in runs, hits, triples, total bases, average, slugging, wRC+, and WAR, as well as home runs (29), and RBI (89). Prior to this season, he had only been a league leader once (19 triples in 1977). Peng would only be a league leader again in 1987.

Hong Kong had eight straight winning seasons from 1978-85. They made the China Series in 1978 but lost to Kunming despite a stellar showing by a second-year Peng. In 13 starts, he had 20 hits, 9 runs, 4 doubles, 3 triples, 3 homers, 7 RBI, a .426/.451/.830 slash, and 1.5 WAR. He had earned MVP honors in their semifinal win against Xi’an. Peng also was third in league MVP voting in 1978.

HK would narrowly miss the playoffs the next three years, but won it all in 1982 over Nanjing. They earned berths in 1984 and 1985, but lost both years in the semi. For his playoff career, Peng had 36 starts, 42 hits, 20 runs, 7 doubles, 4 triples, 6 home runs, 18 RBI, a .296/.331/.528 slash, 187 wRC+, and 2.5 WAR. Peng was critical in making the Champions a contender in this era, earning adoration from the fans.

Peng also had broad popularity in China through his World Baseball Championship appearances from 1979-89. In 85 games and 79 starts, he had 77 hits, 38 runs, 13 doubles, 16 home runs, 47 RBI, a .264/.336/.486 slash, 129 wRC+, and 1.8 WAR. Peng earned a world title ring from China’s 1979 campaign.

In 1983, a strained MCL cost Peng two months to injury. He had 7.7 WAR and a 221 wRC+ in 98 games, on pace to match his MVP season. Peng had opted out of his original extension to sign a new one for seven years and $4,590,000 in May 1984. However, Hong Kong dropped towards the bottom of the standings as the 1980s came to a close.

Peng remained reliably good and even showed MVP flashes again with a second place in 1987. That year, he was the WARlord (10.1) and leader in runs scored (84). Peng had three more seasons worth 4+ WAR after that. However, the now 36-year old struggled throughout the 1991 season. That campaign ended with a torn meniscus, putting him out four months. He became a free agent for the first time for 1992, but couldn’t find any interested suitors. Peng retired that winter at age 37 and Hong Kong quickly retired his #56 jersey.

Peng ended with 2290 hits, 1037 runs, 301 doubles, 261 triples, 292 home runs, 924 RBI, 712 walks, 494 stolen bases, a .273/.331/.476 slash, 164 wRC+, and 106.7 WAR. At retirement, he was sixth among position players in WAR and still sits 11^th as of 2037. Peng is also still 17^th in runs scored, seventh in hits, and fourth in triples. In the ultra-low offense environment of Chinese League Baseball, Peng frankly seems like a slam dunk.

However, the CLB voters were incredibly stingy towards position players and Peng had to wait nine years. He debuted in 1997 at 54.8% and never was lower, but didn’t cross 60% until 2003. He missed by less than a point in 2004 at 65.6%. Finally, 2005 gave Peng his deserved spot with 70.8%.



Pengju Xue – Starting Pitcher – Chongqing Cavaliers – 67.3% Ninth Ballot

Pengju Xue was a 6’1’’, 185 pound right-handed pitcher from Xinyang, a city of just over six million in China’s Henan province. Xue graded out with most scouts as a firmly above average to sometimes good pitcher across the board in terms of stuff, movement, and control. He did have a 97-99 mph fastball, although his excellent slider and great changeup were his most deadly options. Xue also had a curveball and circle change in his arsenal.

His stamina was good and his durability was excellent. Xue did struggle with holding runners and wasn’t a great defensive pitcher. However, Xue was incredibly well respected and considered a “player’s player.” He was a team captain with great leadership and loyalty, plus a strong work ethic.

Xue was picked out of primary school in the 1974 CLB Draft, but wasn’t considered a “can’t miss” prospect. In the mid second round, Xue was picked with the 69^th overall pick by Shenzhen. The Spartans kept him in the developmental system for all of 1975 and 1976. He debuted with 67 innings mostly in relief at age 21 in 1977. Xue would earn a full-time starting role the next year.

Xue spent six seasons in the rotation for the Spartans with five seasons above 5+ WAR. Their lone playoff appearance was a semifinal defeat in 1979 with Xue posting a 1.98 ERA in two starts. He was reliably good, but never considered dominant. That was the story of Xue’s career, as he never was a league leader or Pitcher of the Year finalist. He would toss a no-hitter notably for Shenzhen, striking out 13 with 3 walks on 8/25/1980 against Macau.

In total with Shenzhen, Xue had an 87-73 record, 2.62 ERA, 1471 innings, 1629 strikeouts, 115 walks, 106 ERA+, and 32.9 WAR. The Spartans were in full fire sale mode after winning only 55 games in 1983. Xue was traded in the offseason to Chongqing for three prospects. The Cavaliers were very interested in Xue long-term and only weeks after the trade, signed him to a seven-year, $3,090,000 extension. They had just suffered a defeat in the 1983 China Series to Tianjin.

Chongqing made the playoffs again in 1984 and 1985. They got to the 1985 China Series, but lost to Beijing. The Cavaliers would then hover around the mid-tier for the rest of Xue’s run. He threw eight shutout innings in the 1984 postseason, but was more forgettable with a 3.12 ERA in 26 playoff innings in 1985. He kept up his same reliable innings with seven straight seasons worth 4.5+ WAR and three seasons above 6+ WAR. Xue didn’t get a ton of run support in those later years.

Xue did toss a second no-hitter on August 11, 1984 with 11 strikeouts and 1 walk. On September 5, 1985, Xue became only the fourth CLB pitcher to earn three no-hitters, striking out 12 with two walks against his former squad Shenzhen.

His 1991 saw a career low 3.0 WAR and for the first time didn’t reach 200+ strikeouts in a full season. Xue’s Chongqing deal expired and he finished the eight-year run with a 101-121 record, 2.47 ERA, 2070.2 innings, 2095 strikeouts, 441 walks, 101 ERA+, and 43.9 WAR. He was unsigned in 1992 and retired that winter at age 37.

Xue finished with a 188-194 record, 2.53 ERA, 3541.2 innings, 3724 strikeouts, 784 walks, 112 complete games, and 76.8 WAR. As of 2037, he’s eighth in wins and 16^th in pitching WAR. His 194 losses however are still the most of any CLB pitcher. A career 103 ERA+ suggestions sustained averageness. However, a career 80 FIP- would lead some to argue that Xue was a victim of bad luck and better than the stats might suggest.

Even though CLB voters are very pitcher friendly, Xue was definitely borderline. Traditionalists felt a losing record as a non-starter, but he was a well-respected captain. Xue seemed destined for the Hall of Pretty Good, typically hovering in the 40s to low 50s. 2003 was a peak at 54.7%, but with no one new of note in 2005, Xue received more looks. On his ninth try, he got a solid bump up to 67.3%, just crossing the line for induction in the 2005 Hall of Fame class.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2005 WAB Hall of Fame (Part 1)

West Africa Baseball had a three player Hall of Fame class for 2005, each earning solid first ballot nods. SP Ousseynou Darboe was nearly unanimous with 99.3%, while his Dakar teammate and fellow pitcher Lin Freire was close behind at 95.0%. LF Abel Alemu joined them with a very solid 83.5%. 1B Daouda Kadri on his third try had a nice showing at 57.3%, still short of the 66% requirement. No one else was above 50%.



Mokhtar Mariama was dropped after ten tries, having played 11 years for three teams between 1B, 3B, and DH. He won five Silver Sluggers and had 1603 hits, 853 runs, 273 doubles, 227 home runs, 790 RBI, a .305/.360/.511 slash, 150 wRC+, and 46.3 WAR. Mariama retired young at age 34 despite having 5.0 WAR in his final season. That kept his grand accumulations too low to have a real shot at the Hall of Fame. He peaked at 28.3% on his second try and ended at 11.1%.



Ousseynou “Tarzan” Darboe – Starting Pitcher – Dakar Dukes – 99.3% First Ballot

Ousseynou Darboe was a 6’3’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Jambajeli, a village in the Gambia. Darboe had outstanding stuff with good control and above average movement. His fastball peaked at 96-98 mph but was still excellent. Darboe countered it with a great slider and changeup.

He had great durability for most of his career, although his stamina was considered average by WAB standards. Darboe was considered a good defensive pitcher that was solid at holding runners. He was viewed as one of the hardest working guys in the game and was a very popular fan favorite at each of his career stops.

Darboe’s potential was very noticeable right away and he entered the 1986 WAB Draft as the top pitching prospect. Dakar picked him with the #1 overall pick, although they did ease him in with only 77 innings in his rookie season. Darboe struggled as a rookie, but looked great by his first full season in the rotation in 1988. His ascension was critical in a sudden reversal of fortune for Dakar.

From 1979-87, Dakar had nothing but losing seasons. In 1988, they stunned many by taking first in the Western League at 98-64. They took the pennant as well, although they lost the WAB Championship to Lagos. The young phenom Darboe had a 1.64 ERA over 22 playoff innings with 36 strikeouts. It was clear that Darboe had arrived as was going to be a force. He finished second in Pitcher of the Year voting in 1988, then took third in 1989.

From 1990-94, Darboe was absolutely dominant with five straight seasons leading the Western League in both ERA and strikeouts. 1991 saw a career-best 1.68 ERA, which is the sixth-best qualifying season as of 2037 in WAB. In 1993, Darboe became the third WAB pitcher to earn a Triple Crown with a 1.99 ERA, plus career bests with a 26-3 record, 381 strikeouts, and 9.2 WAR. He also led in both WAR and WHIP in 1993 and 1994, and led in quality starts from 1991-94.

Darboe won four Pitcher of the Year awards (1990, 91, 93, 94) and took second in 1992. He was also third in MVP voting in 1991, posting one of the most dominant stretches in WAB history. Dakar wisely gave Darboe a five-year, $6,180,000 extension after the 1992 season.

After missing the playoffs in 1989, Dakar had five straight berths from 1990-94. However, the Dukes were always a wild card and all five years, they were eliminated in the WLCS. Abidjan’s fledgling dynasty slayed them thrice in that stretch. Darboe did have a mixed bag in those runs, but ultimately still had great playoff numbers in total. In 69.1 postseason innings with the Dukes, Darboe had a 2.73 ERA, 112 strikeouts, 13 walks, a 137 ERA+, and 2.4 WAR.

Darboe’s dominant streak was snapped in 1995 with a surprisingly pedestrian 3.54 ERA. Dakar had their first losing season since 1987 and would ultimately enter a dark period, being stuck at the bottom of the standings to close the 1990s and enter the 2000s. They still had Darboe for two more years, but decided to try to get some value for him. Even after a weaker 1995, there were still plenty of suitors.

In total with Dakar, Darboe had a 145-66 record, 2.46 ERA, 2012 innings, 2689 strikeouts, 402 walks, 203 complete games, 152 ERA+, and 54.8 WAR. As of 2037, he’s one of only five WAB pitchers to win four or more Pitcher of the Year awards. That dominance forever made him beloved by Dakar fans and the franchise would retire his #21 uniform once his playing career was over.

The trade was made for the 1996 season, sending the 30-year old Darboe to Lagos with a prospect to get four other prospects. The Lizards had been one of WAB’s most successful teams, but had just been outside the playoffs the prior year. They barely missed again in 1996, then got to the Eastern League Championship Series in 1997. Darboe was iffy in his two playoff starts in Lagos with six runs allowed in 11.1 innings.

However, his two years were still very good with 8.0 WAR and 6.2 WAR. In 1996, he led in strikeouts, WHIP, and K/BB. He surprisingly wasn’t a Pitcher of the Year finalist that year, but did take third in 1997’s voting. In two years with Lagos, Darboe had a 36-17 record, 2.62 ERA, 481 innings, 740 strikeouts, 140 ERA+, and 14.2 WAR. That would ultimately mark the end of his WAB career at only age 32.

In just over a decade in West Africa, Darboe had a 181-83 record, 2.49 ERA, 2493 innings, 3429 strikeouts, 490 walks, 244 quality starts, 46 complete games, 150 ERA+, 71 FIP-, and a nice 69.0 WAR. Even in a shorter career, as of 2037 Darboe is 10^th in pitching WAR, 14^th in strikeouts, and fourth in ERA. Had he stuck around to rack up some more accumulations, Darboe may have had a shot at being WAB’s all-time greatest pitcher. He was still a slam dunk first ballot inductee in 2005, getting 99.3% of the vote.

Darboe’s pro career did continue in 1998 with big-time Major League Baseball money, signing a five-year, $20,800,000 deal with San Francisco. His stats were below average though with the Gold Rush. He did still strike out guys at a strong rate, but his ERA was above four in all four seasons with the Gold Rush. Darboe did see a 3.41 ERA over 31.2 playoff innings in 1999 as SF fell in the American Association Championship Series.

In total in the Bay Area, he had a 4.46 ERA over 716.2 innings, 41-37 record, 635 strikeouts, 87 ERA+, and 7.9 WAR. Darboe also saw his first major injury setback in 2000. He suffered a rotator cuff strain in May that knocked him out a month. Then in August, he tore the rotator cuff and went on the shelf for 14 months. This cost him the end of the 2000 campaign and much of 2001. San Francisco bought out the final year of his contract, making Darboe a free agent at age 36 for the 2006 season.

Seattle gave Darboe a one year deal and he had his most efficient season in MLB with a 3.85 ERA, 19-9 record, 188 strikeouts, and 3.3 WAR. Las Vegas was impressed and signed him for 2003, but a partially torn UCL cost him most of that season. Darboe also stunk with a 5.59 ERA in the 48.1 innings he did see. For his MLB run, he had a 63-49 record, 4.37 ERA, 1024.1 innings, 868 strikeouts, 90 ERA+, and 11.2 WAR.

Darboe was determined to make a comeback and found a home in 2004 in England, signing with Manchester of the European Baseball Federation. His stuff was greatly diminished from the injuries and he had a lousy 4.70 ERA over 162.2 innings for -0.3 WAR. Darboe retired that winter at age 39.

For his entire career, Darboe had a 251-143 record, 3.11 ERA, 3680 innings, 4416 strikeouts, 321/479 quality starts, 108 complete games, 122 ERA+, and 80.0 WAR. He was one of the most electric pitchers of his era and the first major star from the Gambia. As of 2037, he’s the country’s lone Hall of Famer. Darboe also would play a big role in getting his country its own pro team with the capital Banjul joining WAB in a 2009 expansion.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2005 WAB Hall of Fame (Part 2)

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Lin Freire – Starting Pitcher – Dakar Dukes – 95.0% First Ballot

Lin Freire was a 6’7’’, 200 pound left-handed from Bissau, the capital of Guinea-Bissau. Freire was best known for having outstanding control. His stuff was very good as well, although his movement was considered average at best. Freire’s fastball was considered great despite only having 93-95 mph peak velocity. He knew how to spot it though and alternate it with a changeup and a knuckle curve.

Even by the lower expectations of going deep in games in West African Baseball, Freire’s stamina was considered below average. He was a good defensive pitcher and was solid at holding runners. Injuries were issues at points, limiting Freire from reaching his true potential. Stull, he managed to have an outstanding career regardless.

Freire was a big kid even as a teenager and it was hard to be incognito as a 6’7’’ lefty. A scout from Dakar signed him in July 1981 to a developmental deal. Freire debuted in 1986 at age 1986 and was split between starting and relief in his first two seasons. He struggled in those first two years, but put it together by the third season. Freire was the #2 in the rotation to Ousseynou Darboe, but he would soon pitch as well as many teams’ #1.

Freire helped Dakar’s turnaround and their finals berth in 1988. In total over 46.2 playoff innings for the Dukes, Freire had a 3.47 ERA, 71 strikeouts, 4 walks, 110 ERA+, and 1.3 WAR. He would lead the Western League in WHIP in both 1989 and 1990. He led in wins in 1990 and 1991 and was the WARlord in 1991 at 9.1

The 1991 season saw a staggering 21.9 K/BB with 328 strikeouts to only 15 walks, as well as a career-best 1.82 ERA. However, Freire couldn’t win Pitcher of the Year because of his teammate Darboe, taking second to him in both 1990 and 1991. In total with Dakar, Freire had a 90-56 record, 2.99 ERA, 1299 innings, 1633 strikeouts, 198 walks, 122 ERA+, and 28.7 WAR.

Freire and Dakar couldn’t come to terms though and he’d have a chance to escape Darboe’s shadow. A free agent at age 28, Freire signed a six-year, $6,250,000 deal with Abidjan. The Athletes had just knocked out the Dukes in the 1992 WLCS and some Dakar fans resented Freire for leaving for their rival. Abidjan would oust Dakar again the 1993 and 1994 WLCS.

It was a dynasty run for Abidjan. During Freire’s tenure from 1993-99, they won the Western League pennant four times (1993, 94, 95, 99) and won the WAB Championship in 1994 over Ibadan. Despite the team success, Freire wasn’t good in the postseason, posting a lousy 5.81 ERA over 52.2 innings with 68 strikeouts.

However, Freire was quite good in the regular season for his first five years there. He won his lone Pitcher of the Year in 1995, leading in strikeouts (334) and WAR (9.3) with career highs. Freire also had the best K/BB in the EL four years running. He also placed third in the 1996 Pitcher of the Year voting.

1997 was the beginning of Freire’s body breaking down. In July, he suffered a torn rotator cuff that knocked him out 12 months in total. Freire only made it back for 22.1 innings in 1998, although he still looked like he could go in the limited sample size. His stuff was weaker, but his pinpoint control meant that he could still play.

Freire was less impressive in 1999 and then suffered a partially torn labrum in late July. There was a setback in the recovery in September and doctors told him he had to quit the game at age 34. Freire finished his Abidjan run with an 83-32 record, 2.90 ERA, 1122 innings, 1456 strikeouts, 138 walks, 133 ERA+, and 33.6 WAR. He had a greater WAR total with the Athletes, but the more innings and starts with Dakar led to Freire being inducted in the Dukes’ silver and purple.

Freire finished with a 173-88 record, 2.95 ERA, 2421 innings, 3089 strikeouts, 336 walks, 220/356 quality starts, 127 ERA+, 76 FIP-, and 62.4 WAR. As of 2037, he’s 21^st in pitching WAR and 26^th in strikeouts. Of Hall of Famers with more than 2000 career innings, Friere has the fewest walks with 336. Freire may have been underappreciated in his time, but the Hall of Fame voters recognized his contributions. At 95.0%, Freire easily made it in on the first ballot with the 2005 voting.



Abel Alemu – Left Field – Conakry Coyotes – 83.5% First Ballot

Abel Alemu was a 6’1’’, 200 pound right-handed left fielder from Agaro, a town of 25,000 in southwestern Ethiopia. Alemu was a great contact hitter with a decent eye and strikeout rate. He wasn’t a prolific power hitter, but reliably got you around 25 home runs per year. Alemu’s gap power was terrific, averaging 35 doubles and 10 triples per his 162 game average. Alemu was often able to leg out extra bases with very good speed. He was also one of the most efficient base stealers of his era.

Defensively, Alemu played pretty much exclusively in left field. He graded out for his career as a bit below average, but not awful by any stretch. Alemu had good durability for most of run and became a popular player with fans. He wasn’t always popular in the clubhouse though, as some felt he was a selfish loner.

The baseball market in Ethiopia was relatively untapped with prospects not having their own pro scene yet. Alemu stood out by far as the best prospect out of his country though and garnered plenty of attention from West African scouts despite his humble beginnings. He entered in the 1982 WAB Draft and was the #3 overall pick by Conakry. Alemu would spend 12 seasons in Guinea in total.

The Coyotes only used him in six games for the 1983 season. He was made a full-time starter in 1984, although he had some troubles adjusting to the bigs. Alemu also lost a part of his rookie season to a partially torn labrum. He was the full-time guy after that and played 136+ games each year for the next decade with Conakry. The Coyotes had been awful in WAB’s first decade, but Alemu helped them emerge as a contender to end the 1980s.

Conakry had four playoff appearances from 1986-90. They lost in the 1987 Western League Championship Series to Kumasi. The Coyotes broke through and won back-to-back pennants in 1989 and 1990. They lost the 1989 WAB Championship to Port Harcourt, but got revenge on the Hillcats in the 1990 final for their first ring. In 29 playoff starts, Alemu had 33 hits, 13 runs, 5 doubles, 2 triples, 4 home runs, 17 RBI, a .297/.333/.486 slash, and 138 wRC+.

Alemu wasn’t generally a league leader, but he did post eight seasons worth 5+ WAR for Conakry. He led in RBI in 1987, but didn’t lea a stat again until 1991. Still, he won a Silver Slugger in 1987 and was third in MVP voting. The Coyotes had signed Alemu to an eight-year, $4,194,000 extension after the 1986 campaign. He won his second Silver Slugger in 1990 and took second in MVP voting.

1991 was his finest year, leading in batting average (.353), OBP (.384), and wRC+ (185) with a career high 7.6 WAR. That earned his lone MVP and a third Silver Slugger. In 1992, he had a 29-game hit streak and led the league in total bases (354), OPS (1.012), and wRC+ (171). Alemu won a fourth Silver Slugger and was third in MVP voting. His fifth Slugger came in the 1994 campaign.

After their 1990 title, Conakry declined and started a 14-year playoff drought. By the time his deal ended after the 1994 season, the 34-year old Alemu was ready to move on. He remained popular with Coyotes fans and his #16 uniform would get retired. In total, Alemu had 1866 hits, 867 runs, 340 doubles, 260 home runs, 1000 RBI, 517 stolen bases, a .314/.357/.535 slash, 152 wRC+, and 55.7 WAR.

Alemu signed a four-year, $6,320,000 deal with Lagos. The Lizards hoped he’d help maintain their playoff success, although that wasn’t the case. They just missed the field in 1995 and 1996, then lost in the 1997 Eastern League Championship Series to the fledgling Kano dynasty. They had their first losing season since 1982 when they were 76-86 in 1998.

It wasn’t Alemu’s fault though, as he gave them four solid seasons each worth 4+ WAR. In 1996, he won his sixth and final Silver Slugger. A couple injuries did cost him notable time in his final seasons for the Lizards. Still, in four years, Alemu had 686 hits, 348 runs, 115 doubles, 93 home runs, 294 RBI, a .319/.357/.535 slash, 154 wRC+, and 20.0 WAR.

Alemu also became West African Baseball’s all-time hit king and in 1998, was the first player to reach 2500 hits. He held the top spot until passed by Darwin Morris in 2008. Alemu fell well down the later leaderboards as WAB became a far more offensive league in the 21^st Century, but it was a nice distinction to hold for a decade.

Alemu still seemed to be at a solid level when he signed a two-year, $3,600,000 deal for 1999 with Freetown. He regressed hard in his one year with the Foresters, posting a 101 wRC+ and 0.2 WAR. Alemu chose to retire that winter at age 39.

Alemu had 2692 hits, 1282 runs, 484 doubles, 138 triples, 364 home runs, 1350 RBI, 718 stolen bases, a .313/.355/.528 slash, 150 wRC+, and 75.8 WAR. As of 2037, he’s 27^th in hits, but still 16^th in WAR among position players. He also led in WAR at retirement, although Darwin Morris quickly took that mantle and blew him away.

To a modern eye, Alemu’s stats are less remarkable. He was rarely incredible, but he was very good for a long time and had one of the finest hitting runs of WAB’s early days. That nabbed him 83.5% for a first ballot induction into the Hall of Fame in 2005, rounding out a strong class.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2005 SAB Hall of Fame

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Two debuting names were near unanimous selections into South Asia Baseball’s Hall of Fame in 2005. 3B Thang Huynh had 98.5% and SP Janpati Sara got 98.2% as an excellent one-two punch. LF Indirjeet Dayada only barely missed joining them on his fifth ballot, missing the 66% requirement with a painfully close 65.5%. 3B Hoai Truong also had a nice showing at 57.6% on his sixth ballot; a new high for him. No one was dropped after ten ballots.



Thang Huynh – Third Base – Chittagong Commandos – 98.5% First Ballot

Thang Huynh was a 5’11’’, 200 pound switch-hitting third baseman from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Huynh was an excellent contact hitter with a decent eye for walks and solid knack for avoiding strikeouts. His bat was consistently quite strong, regularly getting you around 40 home runs and around 35 doubles most years. He wasn’t going to leg out many extra bases though as he was painfully slow on the basepaths..

Huynh primarily played third base defensively, although he did move to first base at the very end of his career. He had a very strong arm, but terrible range and glove work, grading out as quite lousy in both spots. Huynh was an ironman who played 145+ games in every season he was signed. He was humble one and one of the most popular players of his era. Huynh parlayed that into opportunities outside of the game.

Huynh was one of Vietnam’s top prospects when he entered the 1984 South Asia Baseball Draft. Chittagong selected him with the fourth overall pick, beginning a seven-year run in Bangladesh. Huynh was a full-time starter and a stud immediately, winning 1985 Rookie of the Year with a 6.1 WAR debut. This was Chittagong’s lone playoff appearance of his tenure, falling in the Southeast Asia League final to Hanoi.

He would win four Silver Sluggers with the Commandos (1986, 87, 89, 90), although the team was mostly stuck in the mid-tier. In his second season, Huynh led SEAL in hits (206), total bases (402), OPS (1.070), and wRC+ (192), earning MVP honors. He would take third in MVP voting in 1987, posting 9+ WAR in both seasons.

Huynh’s second MVP was 1989, where he became SAB’s first-ever Triple Crown hitter with 57 home runs, 148 RBI, and a .347 average. He also led in runs (131), hits (207), total bases (429), OBP (.411), slugging (.719), OPS (1.130), wRC+ (212), and WAR (12.0). His next two seasons were down from those highs, but still both worth more than 6 WAR. He also led in total bases in 1991 with 356.

This marked the end of Huynh’s Chittagong run. In only seven years, he managed 1331 hits, 697 runs,, 243 doubles, 291 home runs, 770 RBI, a .325/.391/.615 slash, 175 wRC+, and 59.2 WAR. Now 30 years old, Huynh began to ponder his options in the game. By this point, Ahmedabad and Ho Chi Minh City had both established their dynasties and top free agents pretty much had those two teams as their options.

Huynh was tempted to return to his home city of HCMC and was extremely popular back in Vietnam. However, he couldn’t come to terms and ended up taking a three year sabbatical. Teams would reach out each offseason, but Huynh was generally content to enjoy quiet time with his family. A big move to a country outside the SAB umbrella didn’t interest Huynh either.

He didn’t give up the game completely though, as he still played for Vietnam those years in the World Baseball Championship. He was on roster each year from 1984-2000 for the Vietnamese team. In 151 games and 145 starts, Huynh had 152 hits, 76 runs, 28 doubles, 35 home runs, 86 RBI, a .271/.349/.512 slash, 146 wRC+, and 5.5 WAR. This also helped keep him sharp and in shape in case he did decide to return to the pro game.

Now 33 years old, Ahmedabad finally coaxed Huynh back for the 1995 season, signing a one-year deal in February. He looked great in his return, leading the Indian League in OBP at .399. The 7.7 WAR effort won him his fifth Silver Slugger. 1995 was the historic finals showdown with both the Animals and Hedgehogs at 124-38. Ahmedabad won for their sixth SAB title in seven years, although Huynh had a forgettable 91 wRC+ in the playoffs.

Huynh was a free agent again and Ho Chi Minh City officials finally got their hometown son to sign with a four-year, $2,200,000 deal. He was a Silver Slugger winner all four years, giving him nine for his career. In total for the Hedgehogs, he 698 hits, 407 runs, 120 doubles, 151 home runs, 410 RBI, a .307/.375/.566 slash, 169 wRC+, and 28.1 WAR.

HCMC won three more SEAL pennants from 1997-99. After going 0-6 in their previous SAB Championships, they finally overcame Ahmedabad in the 1997 final. Huynh was the finals MVP and in the playoff run had 20 hits, 11 runs, 4 doubles, 3 home runs, 10 RBI, a .400/.446/.660 slash, and 216 wRC+. Ahmedabad got them back in the 1998 and 1999 finals. For his playoff career, Huynh with HCMC had 69 hits, 33 runs, 13 doubles, 12 home runs, 34 RBI, a .343/.404/.587 slash, 182 wRC+, and 3.5 WAR.

1999 was the weakest season of his career, but that still was good for 5.7 WAR. Heading towards age 38, Huynh was a free agent again and was again largely content to move on. He played in the 2000 WBC and was a free agent all year, choosing not to sign. Huynh officially filed the retirement papers that winter.

For his career, Huynh had 2209 hits, 1189 runs, 395 doubles, 468 home runs, 1281 RBI, a .320/.386/.593 slash, 175 wRC+, and 95.0 WAR. As of 2037, he’s 24^th in WAR among position players. Among Hall of Famers, his OPS is eighth best. Had he not taken the sabbatical and added a few more years, Huynh could’ve truly been in the absolute top tier of the SAB leaderboards. Regardless, his tenure was still a lock for Hall of Fame induction, earning 98.5% with the 2005 voting.



Janapati Sara – Starting Pitcher – Surat Silver Sox – 98.2% First Ballot

Janapati Sara was a 6’6’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Amritsar, India; a city of around 1,130,000 in the state of Punjab. Sara had incredible stuff with excellent movement, but he did run into control issues at points. He had a 98-100 mph cutter that was deadly, but his knuckle curve and regular curveball were both outstanding. Sara also had a rarely used changeup as a fourth pitch.

That arsenal took a lot out of him and Sara had weak stamina compared to most great starters. Injury issues also plagued him as he only topped 200 innings in seven of his 15 seasons. Sara had a tremendous work ethic and was one of the most exciting and electric pitchers in the game. He was one of the first true superstar pitchers of Indian baseball.

South Asia Baseball’s first official season was 1980, but teams began preliminary operations the year before. The still new Surat Silver Sox had a scout aware of a teenaged prospect that they thought could be the future of the franchise. That was Sara, who signed a developmental deal in December 1979. He officially debuted in 1984 at age 21, although he really struggled mostly in relief for his first two seasons.

Sara earned a rotation spot in 1986 and looked pretty solid. In 1987, he emerged as a true ace, taking second in Pitcher of the Year voting. That year, he led the IL in both strikeouts (365), and WAR (9.9). This season also saw a no-hitter with 13 strikeouts and 1 walk against Bengaluru.

Surat earned wild cards from 1988-90, but they had the misfortune of sharing the West Division with the now fully formed Ahmedabad dynasty. They were ousted in the first round each year and Sara struggled with a 5.49 ERA in 19.2 playoff innings. He would be a national star though as he pitched great for India in the World Baseball Championship. From 1987-2000, he had an impressive 17-2 record over 186.2 innings with a 2.56 ERA, 255 strikeouts, 59 walks, 143 ERA+, and 4.6 WAR.

1988 saw Sara‘s second no-hitter in a nine strikeout, five walk effort on August 4 against Hyderabad. That winter, Surat committed to a four-year, $2,720,000 extension with their ace. Sara would win Pitcher of the Year for the first time in 1989, posting a career best 1.57 ERA, 24-2 record, and 0.82 WHIP.

He won his second POTY in 1990, then took third in 1991. He led the IL with 9.2 WAR and with a career-best 367 strikeouts. Sara won his second ERA title in 1991 and led in WHIP again. He also had the IL’s best FIP- in five seasons for the Silver Sox. In total with Suray, he was 111-64 over 1564.2 innings with a 2.43 ERA, 2253 strikeouts, 439 walks, 137 ERA+, and 52.6 WAR. The franchise would retire his #21 uniform once his playing days were over.

Coming up on age 30, Sara was now a free agent for the first time. Like so many others, he was limited seemingly to Ahmedabad or Ho Chi Minh City, as the two dynasties had built up financial resources far outweighing the other SAB teams. Having shared a division with the Animals, Sara wasn’t itching to jump there. However, he did want to remain in India if possible. He would ultimately sit out the 1993 season, although he still pitched in that year’s WBC.

Sara finally caved and signed a two-year, $1,690,000 deal with Ahmedabad for 1994. He came in hot, winning his third Pitcher of the Year and his third ERA title. The next year, he led in WHIP and bested the prior year’s WAR total with 8.4, although he was third in Pitcher of the Year voting. With the Animals, Sara had a 31-10 record, 1.98 ERA, 435.1 innings, 665 strikeouts, 93 walks, 157 ERA+, and 16.3 WAR.

Ahmedabad won the SAB Championship both years Sara was there. In his playoff games, he had a 2.40 ERA over 60 innings, 7-0 record and 2 saves, 91 strikeouts, 13 walks, 129 ERA+, and 2.0 WAR. That erased any doubters who called him a playoff choker from his earlier Surat days. He was a free agent again at age 33 and Ho Chi Minh City made an aggressive play to get him to switch sides. It worked and Sara moved to Vietnam with a five-year, $7,780,000 deal.

His first two years were solid as a Hedgehog, leading in WHIP in 1996 and taking third in Pitcher of the Year voting. He also threw his third no-hitter on May 30 with 14 strikeouts and three walks against Phnom Penh. As of 2037, Sara and Tanner Lamont are the only pitchers in SAB history with three no-nos. HCMC was upset in the Southeast Asia League Championship in 1996 by Yangon, although Sara allowed only two unearned runs in 14 innings.

1997 saw the Hedgehogs finally beat Ahmedabad in the final. Sara had trouble in the playoffs though with a 5.95 ERA over 19.2 innings. They were SEAL champs again in 1998 and 1999, but lost both times in the finals to Ahmedabad. Sara missed the 1998 playoffs, but had a 3.12 ERA in 1999 for a 3.35 ERA over 51 innings for HCMC in the postseason. He finished with a career 3.24 ERA over 130.2 postseason innings with 173 strikeouts and a 103 ERA+.

Sara looked great to start 1998, but suffered elbow inflammation and missed three weeks in May. Then at the end of the month, he tore his flexor tendon, knocking him out 10 months. Sara did make a comeback in 1999 and was still a respectable starter, but he was far from his previous dominance. In total with HCMC, Sara finished with a 52-26 record, 2.61 ERA, 669.2 innings, 922 strikeouts, 176 walks, 137 ERA+, and 20.4 WAR.

Sara didn’t meet the vesting criteria for the last year of the Hedgehogs deal, becoming a free agent for 2000. He still pitched in that years’ WBC, but couldn’t find a suitor for the season. He had to retire that winter at age 37.

Sara’s career stats saw a 194-100 record, 2.40 ERA, 2669.2 innings, 3838 strikeouts, 710 walks, 264/356 quality starts, 140 ERA+, 60 FIP-, and 89.4 WAR. As of 2037, he’s still seventh among pitchers in WAR and 13^th in strikeouts. He also has the fifth best ERA among HOF starters as of 2037. Even with injury and stamina issues, Sara still emerged as one of the most dominant pitchers of SAB’s first two decades. That made him an easy first ballot selection at 98.2% for the 2005 Hall of Fame class.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2005 ABF Hall of Fame

The Asian Baseball Federation didn’t add any players into the Hall of Fame in 2005. There were no strong debuts with the best newcomer being SP Qazi Khwaja at only 27.1%. RF Hakim Baig and 1B Hazan Sheikh were the only two close to the 66% requirement, both only their fourth ballot. Baig had 60.6% and Sheikh had 56.6%. Baig was slightly down from a high of 62.5% the prior year, while it was a new peak for Sheikh.



Relief pitcher Touraj Haghighat fell off the ballot after ten ballots. His ABF run was only five years, but he won four Reliever of the Year awards with Multan and had a 1.28 ERA over 379 innings, 152 saves, 705 strikeouts, 252 ERA+, and 23.3 WAR. He’d go onto pitch in MLB, EPB, and WAB. They were five outstanding years with the Mighty Cocks, but that’s nowhere near enough time to get the resume needed. Still, Haghighat got as high as 21.3% in 1997 before ending at 13.5%.

SP Avid Balakh had a similar fate, pitching only five years in ABF with Izmir. He then had six seasons in Bishkek while they were still in EPB. Balakh didn’t win awards, but in five years had an 81-49 record, 2.34 ERA, 1271 innings, 1756 strikeouts, 136 ERA+, and 39.0 WAR. His official career also started at age 27, keeping him from the accumulations needed. Still, he led in strikeouts twice and was second in 1989 Pitcher of the Year voting. Balakh peaked at 17.6% on his second ballot and ended at 6.8%.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2005 ALB Hall of Fame

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Arab League Baseball’s first Hall of Famer was inducted in 2005. On his third try, pitcher Abdullah Al-Muhafazat earned the distinction, crossing the 66% requirement with 71.6%. One other player was above 50% with CL Khemais Khalid debuting at 50.3%. Fellow reliever Paul Arfaoui got 43.6% on his sixth try, while SP Ilwad Maxamed debuted with 40.2%.



Abdullah Al-Muhafazat – Starting Pitcher – Basra Bulldogs – 71.6% Third Ballot

Abdullah Al-Muhafazat was a 6’2’’, 195 pound left-handed pitcher from Jeddah, the second-largest city in Saudi Arabia. Al-Muhafazat had very good stuff, which allowed him to overcome poor control and merely okay movement. His velocity was only 92-94 mph with a cutter, but he knew how to fool you with a curveball, changeup, or splitter. Al-Muhafazat had great stamina and durability. He was hard working and humble, wanting to just keep his head down and get the job done.

When Arab League Baseball officially formed for the 1990 season, Al-Muhafazat was already 29 years old and an eight-year veteran of the various semi-pro offerings in Saudi Arabia. He was viewed as one of the most impressive pitchers for the new league and had a couple franchises angling to get him. Al-Muhafazat ultimately moved to Iraq as Basra gave him a six-year, $5,420,000 deal.

It was an excellent investment for the Bulldogs, as Al-Muhafazat led the Eastern Conference five straight seasons in strikeouts. His 399 Ks in 1994 set the record at the time and still sits fourth best as of 2037. He also led in WAR in 1992 at 10.0 and in 1994 at 9.5 Al-Muhafazat twice led the conference in innings pitched and thrice in quality starts.

He also led in wins in both 1992 and 1994, winning Pitcher of the Year both years. Al-Muhafazat also played third in 1995’s voting. On April 18, 1992, he tossed a no-hitter with 6 strikeouts and 1 walk against Sulaymaniyah. Basra earned conference finals berths in 1993 and 1994, but fell both years to Medina’s dynasty. Al-Muhafazat got rocked in 1993 with a 15.00 ERA in six innings, but was solid with a 2.30 ERA in 15.2 innings in 1994.

Al-Muhafazat also pitched for Saudi Arabia from 1991-96 in the World Baseball Championship. While he dominated the Arab League, he wasn’t ready yet for the global stage. In 12 WBC starts and 75 innings, Al-Muhafazat had a 2-10 record, 6.36 ERA, 100 strikeouts, 21 walks, and -0.5 WAR.

With Basra, Al-Muhafazat had a 108-71 record, 2.61 ERA, 1637.2 innings, 2196 strikeouts, 491 walks, 132 ERA+, and 46.7 WAR. He became a free agent at age 35 and ended up in Egypt on a three-year, $4,700,000 deal with Cairo. Al-Muhafazat had the weakest year of his ALB run, but still had a very solid 4.7 WAR in his 1996 debut.

The Pharaohs also won their first Arab League title in 1996, knocking off Medina in the final. Al-Muhafazat struggled in his one playoff start, allowing seven runs and four earned runs in 3.2 innings. His already low velocity dropped in 1997 and Al-Muhafazat ended up benched after posting a 4.20 ERA in 75 innings and only 59 strikeouts. He retired that winter at age 38.

Al-Muhafazat had a 128-87 record, 2.72 ERA, 1930.1 innings, 2508 strikeouts, 610 walks, 130 ERA+, and 52.1 WAR. It’s an impressive run for seven-and-a-half seasons starting at age 29. Without the late start, he probably would’ve held a notable spot on the leaderboards, especially in strikeouts. However, that short tenure and his playoff struggles made it tough once he popped onto the ballot.

Many voters wanted to wait for someone transcendent to be the Arab League’s first-ever Hall of Famer. Others just thought Al-Muhafazat wasn’t quite there. He got 52.0% and 50.5% in his first two tries, but also lacked much competition. On the third try, Al-Muhafazat won over enough doubters to get to 71.6%. That earned him the distinction in 2005 as ALB’s first-ever Hall of Famer.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2005 World Baseball Championship

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The 59^th World Baseball Championship was hosted in Europe for the first time since 1995. Italy was the host nation for the first time with the festivities centered around Naples. Division 1 was a tight race with Egypt and Sweden tying for first at 7-2, while both Ireland and Morocco were 6-3. The Egyptians had the head-to-head tiebreaker for their third-ever division win and second in three years. Taiwan, last year’s runner-up, was fifth in D1 at 4-5.

Perennial powerhouses were stuck together in Division 2 with the United States at 8-1 ousting reigning world champ Canada at 7-2. The Americans were back into the playoff field after a rare miss in 2004, advancing for the 49^th time in WBC history. In Division 3, China (7-2) took the top spot with four other nations behind at 5-4. The Chinese advanced for the 22^nd time and won their third division title in four years.

Division 4 saw Japan on top at 8-1 with Greece the closest foe at 6-3. The Japanese advanced for the 17^th time and ended a two-year drought. Division 5 saw the 71^st unique nation to win a division title as South Africa won it at 8-1. They held off challenges from 7-2 India and 6-3 Brazil.

Division 6 had Chile and Australia tied for first at 7-2. The Chileans had the head-to-head tiebreaker, moving forward for only the third time (1987, 1962). They would be the lone South American team to advance in 2005. Nigeria and the Netherlands tied atop D7 at 7-2 with Tanzania at 6-3. The Nigerians had the tiebreaker to advance for the fifth time. It was their first division title since their 1999 runner-up effort.

Division 8 had the host Italy prevail at 7-2, topping France by one game. This was the 13^th time advancing for the Italians, who ended up being the only team from the 2004 playoff field to advance in 2005. They were also the only European team in the fold. 2005 was also the first time in WBC history that three African teams had won divisions; a major win showing the growth of the game in Africa in just a short time.

However, those three African nations would cede semifinal spots to the more traditional powers. Round Robin Group A had Japan and China both advance at 4-2, while Chile and Nigeria were 2-4. It was the eighth semifinal for the Japanese, who last did it in 2002. The Chinese earned a third semifinal in four years and their 17^th overall.

In Group B, the United States was dominant at 5-1 for a 43^rd appearance in the semifinal. At 3-3, Italy edged out 2-4 finishes from both South Africa and Egypt. This was the sixth semifinal for the Italians, who hadn’t gotten that far since their lone championship appearance in 1988.

Italy would secure a second-ever trip to the finale, surprising Japan with a semifinal sweep. The United States also swept China, giving the Americans a 39^th finals berth. It would be the eighth finals berth in ten years for the US. Officially, Japan was third and China was fourth with the tiebreaker being the superior divisional record for the Japanese (8-1 to 7-2). It was Japan’s best finish since 1989.



In a rematch of the 1988 World Championship, the United States rolled to a sweep of Italy. The Americans are now 34-5 all-time in the finale and won its seventh title in the last decade. Leading the way was tournament MVP Graham Gregor, a third baseman entering his sixth MLB season with Omaha. In 22 games, Gregor had 28 hits, 19 runs, 6 doubles, 10 home runs, 27 RBI, a .326/.414/.744 slash, 236 wRC+, and 1.8 WAR.



The American pitching staff was impressive as well. The team’s 0.632 WHIP was the second lowest in WBC history, while the 3.71 H/9 was the third best. Best Pitcher would go to closer A.J. Gilhooley, a fourth-year MLBer with Austin. His one start was historic as it was the eighth-ever WBC Perfect Game. Gilhooley tied the record for strikeouts in any no-hitter by fanning 22 against New Zealand.

Gilhooley also had three relief appearances, finishing with 14 no-hit innings, 36 strikeouts, one walk, and a 3-0 record. It was an incredible highlight in an otherwise injury plagued career. He ultimately had two torn flexor tendons and two torn rotator cuffs, effectively ending his career before turning 30.

Other notes: The United States also saw a no-hitter in the championship against Italy from Joshua Williams, who had 15 strikeouts and five walks in the effort. Canada allowed only 10 runs and had a 1.11 team ERA in divisional play. These two marks remain all-time WBC bests as of 2037. Below are the all-time tournament stats.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2005 European Second League Formed (Part 1)

Baseball’s popularity in Europe continued to surge into the 1990s and 2000s. Many cities and markets on the continent felt they were now ready for the major leagues and the European Baseball Federation was looking to expand. EBF officials wanted to have an organization comparable in size and stature to Major League Baseball. Figuring out the exact logistics though was something that took planning over a number of years.

Further complicating things were the Eurasian Professional Baseball teams that were considering a jump or were able to be poached. In 2000, the great exodus occurred and the EBF grew from 30 teams to 48. 14 teams formerly from EPB defected (Kyiv, Kharkiv, Warsaw, Prague, Helsinki, Riga, Vilnius, Budapest, Bratislava, Bucharest, Tirana, Sofia, Yerevan, Tbilisi), greatly expanding EBF’s footprint eastward. They also did add four new expansion teams from Manchester, Cologne, Odessa, and Krakow.

The expansion and the growth of organizations like the European Union and NATO meant that pretty much the entire continent was a viable option, making for even more cities that wanted a team. At 48 teams, EBF had found a good new balance and wasn’t trying to change that setup. However, they did worry that some of the other cities may try to go rogue and start a new competing league. EBF also wanted to tap more markets and grow the game.

The concept of promotion and relegation wasn’t new to European sports, as it was heavily seen already in various soccer leagues. The idea of a second tier league in which teams could be promoted to the main EBF grew a lot of steam and many cities were onboard. Some of the existing EBF franchises were leery of the idea with fears that their team could get demoted into irrelevancy. But most officials agreed this was going to be the best way to expand.

The next steps became figuring out which cities and countries to add teams from, then figuring out the format and structure of blending this new league into the existing EBF structure. It would become known as the European Second League (E2L), officially starting play in 2005. Cities were encouraged to submit bids and applications throughout the early 2000s to join this new endeavor. Eventually, 32 new franchises were chartered.

The teams would be a mix of cities from large countries that already had teams, as well as cities from smaller countries that had been under represented previously. Unlike the main EBF which had a Northern Conference and Southern Conference divide, the E2L used a Western and Eastern division.

For the inaugural season, the Western Conference lineup included three teams from England (Nottingham, Sheffield, Liverpool), three from France (Lyon, Toulouse, Nantes), three from Germany (Hanover, Frankfurt, Stuttgart), and two from Spain (Valencia, Zaragoza). Turin was added from western Italy. Scotland also got its second team (Edinburgh) as did Belgium (Antwerp). Countries getting their first franchise were Wales (Cardiff) and Iceland (Reykjavik). Reykjavik became the northernmost pro baseball team in the world.

The Eastern Conference additions had more new nations adding teams as part of the goal of integrating the post-Soviet states into the broader European community. The West/East divide of the E2L was also set up that way instead of the top tier’s North/South setup in part to encourage more opportunities for the comparatively less wealthy nations and cities.

Countries getting their first major baseball franchise were Estonia (Tallinn), Moldova (Chisinau), North Macedonia (Skopje), Bosnia and Herzegovina (Sarajevo), and Slovenia (Ljubljana). Previous EPB strongholds Ukraine (Lviv, Dnipro) and Poland (Lodz, Wroclaw) both added two teams. Nations getting a second team were Czechia (Brno), Greece (Thessaloniki), Sweden (Gothenburg), Bulgaria (Varna), and Romania (Cluj-Napoca). The Eastern Conference also added another German team (Leipzig) and an Italian one (Palermo).

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2005 European Second League Formed (Part 2)

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Now that the teams were decided, the next question became how to handle the other logistics of the European Second League. Because of the movement that would be happening annually, the decision was made not to have divisions. Both 16-team conferences would play a balanced schedule which also allowed for interleague play. E2L teams were allowed to make trades with top tier teams. Officially, the top tier was now called the EBF Elite, but most just were referring specifically to the top-tier when talking about the EBF.

Financial and on-field rules would be the same between the two. A shared draft was also in effect with the E2L teams getting first dibs. The teams just demoted got the very first slots, followed by the weakest E2L teams, then the weakest top-tier teams began the main EBF picks. Some worried that top prospects could get trapped on E2L teams even with top flight talent, but the idea was that the studs could lift franchises upward into the top tier.

If a team got demoted, veteran players would receive the option to opt out of their current contracts and enter free agency. Thus, the demoted teams getting the first crack in the draft gave them a chance to prevent an immediate free fall.

There was no inaugural draft for the new franchises, making for very unique team makeups initially. The squads were a hodgepodge of independent European players, veteran EBF free agents looking for a job, and free agent veterans from other world leagues hoping to prolong their careers and get another payday. Many of the award winners and top players in the early years weren’t even European players, making for an eclectic mix. It would take a few years for the talent to level off with more organically scouted and drafted European talent.

As for how promotion was earned, the system was as follows. At the end of a 162-game season, the top four teams from each conference advance to the postseason. The four teams compete in a double round robin with the top two finishers advancing to a best-of-seven conference championship.

By winning the conference championship series, you guarantee promotion to the EBF Elite. The Second League Championship is a best-of-seven which exists mainly for pride and money since both participants are guaranteed promotion. The worst team in each EBF Elite conference would be demoted, although who ends up in which conference during the swap varied based on the geography of the teams involved. This would lead to interesting swaps year on year in the EBF Elite with some teams changing divisions or even conferences to maintain a semblance of geographic continuity.

Initially, only the bottom two teams were demoted. However starting in 2007, it was possible for more than two teams to be promoted and relegated in a year. Along with the Northern Conference and Southern Conference’s worst team dropping, any additional EBF Elite teams that lost 100+ games would also be demoted. The E2L conference finalists would earn promotion in these scenarios with the better regular season record being used as a tiebreaker if it is only one additional spot. On the rare occasions more than four teams were demoted, the next best regular season record among the remaining E2L playoff teams would get the bump up.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2005 in E2L

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2005 was the debut for the European Second League. In the Western Conference, the top mark went to Turin at 107-55. Tying for second was Stuttgart and Valencia at 99-63. Liverpool took the fourth and final playoff spot at 97-65. Edinburgh and Frankfurt were both in the mix at 92-80, but fell short.



In the Eastern Conference, Ljubljana snagged first place at 97-65. Varna was next at 94-68, followed by Wroclaw (93-69) and Thessaloniki (91-71). The closest competitors were Lodz and Sarajevo both at 88-74.

In the Double Round Robin, top seed Turin took first in the WC at 5-1. Valencia at 3-3 advanced to the Western Conference Championship, while both Liverpool and Stuttgart were 2-4. In the EC, #4 seed Thessaloniki surprised the field with a 5-1 run. Top ranked Ljubljana also advanced at 3-2, while Wroclaw and Varna were ousted with 2-4 finishes.

In the Western Conference finals, #3 Valencia upset Turin 4-1 to guarantee promotion. Meanwhile, #4 seed Thessaloniki won a seven game classic over top ranked Ljubljana to earn their promotion.



The first-ever European Second League Championship saw Valencia defeat Thessaloniki 4-2. Leading the way for the Vandals was former ABF East League Pitcher of the Year Nadir Kaliev. The 30-year old Uzbek went 3-1 over 36 playoff innings with a 2.25 ERA and 33 strikeouts. He also had a postseason no-hitter against Turin, striking out six with one walk.



Other notes: Zaragosa had a 4.54 team ERA, which still stands as the E2L’s all-time worst as of 2037. However, Reykjavik allowed more total runs with their 833 allowed the all-time worst mark. Offensively, Liverpool’s .332 team OBP is still the second-best as of 2037.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2005 in AAB

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After a third place finish in 2004, Antananarivo finished first in the AAB Southern Conference standings in 2005. Although the Eagles were the conference champ in 2002 and 2003, this was their first time taking the top spot in the standings. The second playoff spot was incredibly hotly contested. Defending Africa Series champ Dar es Salaam, Luanda, and Durban all finished tied at 95-67. Harare was right in the mix at 93-69 as well.

Tiebreaker games were needed to determine the second playoff team. In the first game, the Landsharks topped the Sabercats, ending Dar es Salaam’s repeat bid. Luanda would lose though to the Deer, giving Durban its first-ever playoff appearance.

The Deer took the top individual awards in the Southern Conference. LF Marley Mubiru became the third player to become a three-time MVP in the African Association of Baseball. The switch-hitting Ugandan had won it in 1998 and 1999 with Luanda. Now 32-years old, Mubiru signed a six-year, $14,640,000 deal with Durban for 2004, but underperformed and had injuries in his debut. He was elite in 2005, leading in runs (128), home runs (57), slugging (.708), OPS (1.115), wRC+ (209), and WAR (10.2). Mubiru also had a .324 average and 129 RBI.

Siyabonga Zongo repeated as Pitcher of the Year in his fifth season for Durban. The 27-year old South African lefty led in strikeouts (294), WAR (7.8), quality starts (24), and FIP- (67). Zongo also had a 19-7 record and 2.86 ERA over 251.1 innings.



Three-time defending Central Conference champ Kinshasa continued its control by taking first at 101-61. It was the fourth straight season and eighth time that the Sun Cats had the top record. They’ve also still made the playoffs in every AAB season, growing the streak to 11 years. Ndjamena (95-67) edged Kigali (94-68) for the number two spot. It is the third time in the playoffs for the Magic, who hadn’t done it since AAB’s first two seasons of 1995-96. After taking second last year, Lubumbashi struggled to sixth at 76-86.

Bujumbura was right at .500, but they had the Central Conference MVP in 1B Luke Tembo. In his fourth season, the Malawian lefty was the leader in runs (113), home runs (61), walks (155), strikeouts (181), OBP (.441), slugging (.682), OPS (1.123), wRC+ (185), and WAR (8.0). Tembo’s 155 walks drawn fell one short of his own world record set the prior year.

Pitcher of the Year went to Ndjamena’s Ivan Craque. A sixth-year righty from Mozambique, Craque led in wins (19-9), complete games (10), and shutouts (4). He added a 3.21 ERA over 241.1 innings with 244 strikeouts and 6.2 WAR. This was the peak for Craque, who had two more decent years with the Magic before eventually suffering a catastrophic rotator cuff tear.

Antananarivo downed Durban 4-1 in the Southern Conference Championship, giving the Eagles their third pennant in four years. Kinshasa made it four straight Central Conference titles as they swept Ndjamena. The Sun Cats earned their ninth appearance in the Africa Series, trying to win their seventh overall title after falling in 2004 to Dar es Salaam.



In both 2002 and 2003, Kinshasa defeated Antananarivo in the Africa Series. Round three in 2005 finally went the Eagles’ way. For back-to-back years, the finale was an intense battle that needed all nine games. Antananarivo prevailed 5-4 over the Sun Cats to earn their first-ever title.



Finals MVP was an unlikely face in 1B Kikuji Nakamura. After a 17-year career in Japan, Nakamura split 2005 between Antananarivo and Stuttgart of the European Second League. He came over in an August trade, as the EBF and AAB would briefly allow trading between its teams in the early part of the 21^st Century. In 13 playoff starts, Nakamura had 13 hits, 5 runs, 2 doubles, 2 home runs, and 4 RBI.

2005 would also mark the end of Kinshasa’s incredible dynasty run with a 6-3 finals record over AAB’s first 11 seasons. Addis Ababa would soon take over the Central Conference with their own impressive dynasty run. The Sun Cats would have to wait until 2015 for their next conference finals appearance and until 2033 for their next Africa Series appearance. Still, they go down as the dynasty of AAB’s first decade and helped popularize the sport in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Other notes: Bujumbura’s Joel Mwasesa had a 14 strikeout, 1 walk no hitter on April 15 against Lubumbashi. This would be the AAB record for Ks in a no-no until 2012. Mohau Sibiya became the first AAB hitter to 500 career home runs. Boubacar Mavinga became the second to 1000 runs scored. Marley Mubiru became the third to 1000 RBI. Mubiru won his seventh Silver Slugger in left field, the first AAB player to win seven.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2005 in ALB

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Alexandria repeated as the top seed in the Arab League’s Western Conference, winning a very tough Nile Division at 96-66. The Astronauts were five games ahead of Khartoum and six better than Cairo. For Alexandria, it was their third division title in four years. 2003 ALB champ Casablanca bounced back from a losing 2004 season, taking the Mediterranean Division at 93-69. Algiers (81-81) and last year’s division winner Tripoli (80-82) were distant competitors. Since 1992, the Bruins have 11 division titles.

The big shock came in the Levant Division. Beirut had stunned everyone when they ended a nine-year streak of losing seasons in 2004 by winning the Arab League title at 100-62. The Bluebirds collapsed back to 64-98 in 2005. That left the door open for Jerusalem to take the division at 89-73 as the only team above .500. That ended a three-year playoff drought for the Jets.

Jerusalem 2B Mustafa bin Nazim won his third Western Conference MVP, although the other two were way back in 1997 and 1999. The 31-year old Omani switch hitter posted the fifth ever ALB Triple Crown by a hitter with 64 home runs, 140 RBI, and a .338 average. Bin Nazim also was the leader in runs (122), total bases (432), OBP (.407), slugging (.741), OPS (1.148), wRC+ (214), and WAR (11.2). He won his seventh Silver Slugger as well in 2005.

For the second time in three years, Casablanca’s Abdullah Al-Tamtami won Western Conference Pitcher of the Year. The 24-year old Omani righty led in strikeouts (364), K/BB (12.6), complete games (9), shutouts (4), FIP- (51), and WAR (10.6). Al-Tamtami added a 2.51 ERA over 257.2 innings and a 21-8 record.

The highlight of the season saw Al-Tamtami throw the third Perfect Game in ALB history. On July 12, he struck out 15 in a dominant effort against Alexandria. That remains the ALB record for most Ks in a perfect game as of 2037. The Bruins signed Al-Tamtami to a seven-year, $12,180,000 extension in late May to keep him as Casablanca’s ace for the long haul.

Casablanca edged Jerusalem 2-1 in the first round of the playoffs, giving the Bruins their eighth Western Conference Final appearance. Alexandria was the top seed favorite for back-to-back years, but once again was ousted. Casablanca edged the Astronauts 3-2 to become six-time conference champs (1993, 94, 95, 01, 03, 05).



For the third consecutive season, the Eastern Conference had the same three division winners. Defending conference champ Basra won the Iraq Division and Medina took the Saudi Division, both at 101-61. The tiebreaker gave the Mastodons the top seed and forced the Bulldogs to play in the first round. The one competitive division race was in the Gulf Division with Dubai (97-65) outlasting Abu Dhabi (94-68). The Diamonds extended their division title streak to five seasons, the longest active streak in ALB.

Basra LF Nordine Soule was again Eastern Conference MVP, joining Mohammed Mohamed as the only five-time winners of the award. The 30-year old Comoran lefty had set the single-season home run record the prior season with 68. He broke his own mark with 70 in 2005 and had 169 RBI, breaking Mohamed’s single-season record of 162 from 2000. It was the sixth time in Soule’s career that he his 60+ homers in a season.

Soule also led the conference in total bases (454), OBP (.429), slugging (.814), OPS (1.234), wRC+ (224), and WAR (11.4). The slugging and OPS marks were both new single-season records that held until 2010 and still both sit fourth as of 2037. His .360 average was second best, falling short of a Triple Crown behind teammate Farouk Adam at .377. Soule also scored 134 runs, which would have been a new single-season record if not for Adam crossing home 139 times.

Soule also became the new career home run leader and the first in ALB history to reach 600 dingers. Basra kept their megastar slugger Soule by giving him another six years and $14,520,000 in early 2006. His amazing 2005 also netted him a ninth Silver Slugger. Soule would only continue to rewrite the record books for what a slugger could be in ALB.

Dubai’s Uria Lerner earned back-to-back Pitcher of the Year awards and repeated as a Triple Crown winner. As of 2037, he’s the only ALB pitcher to earn the Triple Crown twice. The 24-year old Israeli righty had a 21-2 record, 1.67 ERA, and 362 strikeouts over 237.2 innings. The ERA mark was the fourth lowest in ALB history for a qualifying starter. Lerner also led in WHIP (0.79), K/BB (13.9), quality starts (27), FIP- (37), and WAR (12.3). The WAR mark still stands in 2037 as the second-best season by an ALB pitcher behind Lerner’s own 13.37 from the prior year. Dubai had locked up their ace with a seven-year, $9,700,000 extension in late 2004.

Basra swept Dubai in the first round to set up a rematch with Medina in the Eastern Conference Final. It was the third straight ECF for the Mastodons, who had come up short in 2003 and 2004. Medina got its revenge on the Bulldogs, ousting the reigning EC champs 3-2 in a classic. This was the fifth pennant for the Mastodons, who hadn’t taken the Eastern Conference their 1992-96 four-peat.



The 16^th Arab League Championship renewed an old playoff rivalry between Casablanca and Medina. The Mastodons won their first encounter in 1993, then the Bruins were victorious in both 1994 and 1995. Medina evened up the series by taking the 2005 title over Casablanca 4-2. This was the third ring for the Mastodons, joining their 1992 and 1993 wins. Finals MVP was 3B Abdul Rahman Abu Hamal, who had 11 hits, 5 runs, 4 doubles, and 5 RBI in 11 playoff starts.



Other notes: It was the final season for seven-time Pitcher of the Year winner Rashid Tariq. He set a bad record in 2005 by allowing 296 hits, the most by an ALB pitcher in a season as of 2037. Tariq did set a good milestone by becoming the first pitcher to 4000 strikeouts, ending with 4008. He remained the strikeout king until 2016 and sits seventh as of 2037. Tariq also retired with the most wins (285) and WAR (125.5) and held both distinctions until the 2030s. As of 2037, he’s still third in both stats. Tariq is still the all-time leader in both complete games (167) and shutouts (48).

Adlen Sharif became the third reliever to 300 career saves. OF Amin Arafat won his eighth Gold Glove. It was his first in left field, the previous seven came in right.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2005 in ABF

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Lahore missed out on the playoffs by a tiebreaker in 2004, but took the top spot in the ABF East League in 2005 at 101-61. It was the second berth in three years for the Longhorns. Karachi repeated as a playoff team by taking the second place slot at 94-68. Multan’s three-year streak was snapped in 2004, but the 2003 ABF champs took third in 2005 at 93-69.

The fourth and final playoff spot went to Bishkek at 88-74. The Black Sox had finished first the prior year and earned a fifth playoff spot in six years. Gujranwala was their closest competitor for the last spot at 83-79. Dushanbe, last year’s EL champ, fell to eighth at 73-89. Almaty, who had been in the ELCS the prior two years, also struggled with a seventh place 78-84.

Bishkek’s two-way star Tomas Pataki repeated as East League MVP. The 29-year old Hungarian switch hitter had 115 games in the field primarily at third base, picking up 117 hits, 65 runs, 19 home runs, a .288/.363/.525 slash, 178 wRC+, and 5.7 WAR. On the mound, he had a 18-8 record over 246 innings, 2.20 ERA, 221 strikeouts, and 5.0 WAR.

That two-way effort gave him MVP despite Gujranwala LF Borzoo Atashi posting only the seventh-ever Triple Crown by an Asian Baseball Federation hitter. The 25-year old Iranian lefty had 50 home runs, 117 RBI, and a .325 average. He also led in runs (99), hits (193), total bases (385), OPB (.370), slugging (.649), OPS (1.019), wRC+ (248), and WAR (9.1). He was clearly the best pure hitter, but the voters sided with the two-way exploits of Pataki.

Bishkek also saw Oskar Tamm win a third consecutive Pitcher of the Year. The 28-year old Estonian lefty had the ERA title at 1.80 and led in WHIP (0.79), and quality starts (28). Tamm added 312 strikeouts over 275.1 innings, a 14-12 record, and 7.3 WAR. He also had a no-hitter on June 26 with 11 strikeouts against Hyderabad.

Top seed Lahore ousted Bishkek 3-1 and Multan edged Karachi 3-2 in the first round of the playoffs. This was only the fourth time the Longhorns had made it to the East League Championship Series, while it was the second in three years for the Mighty Cocks.

Lahore seemed on their way to a sweep by winning the first three games of the series. Multan rallied to force a game seven, but the Longhorns avoided the collapse to win the finale and their first-ever pennant. Lahore’s win leaves Faisalabad as the only Pakistani team without at least one pennant.



Reigning ABF champ Bursa and Shiraz had an intense battle for first in the West League standings. The Blue Claws took it at 106-56, edging the Suns by one game. Bursa’s playoff streak grew to nine years, tying Isfahan (1995-03) for the longest streak in ABF history. Shiraz earned repeat playoff berths and set a franchise best at 105-57.

Istanbul (94-68) and Ankara (90-72) both kept their playoff streaks alive by taking the remaining two slots. The Ironmen grew their run to three years, while the Alouettes snagged a sixth straight berth. Asgabat at 84-78 was the next closest team in the playoff battle.

West League MVP was Shiraz center fielder Rahman Polat. The 25-year old Turkish lefty was the WARlord at 10.3 and added 43 home runs, 111 RBI, a 164 wRC+, and a .287/.365/.593 slash. The Suns had wisely given Polat an eight-year, $24,400,000 extension after the 2003 campaign.

Mashhad was eighth place, but they had the Pitcher of the Year in Basrai Syed. The 26-year old Pakistani righty led in strikeouts (380), WAR (9.4), innings (289), WHIP (0.89), and quality starts (29). Syed also had a 2.30 ERA and 18-12 record. Syed stayed one more year with the Mercury before leaving for an unremarkable South American run.

The top two won their first round playoff encounters with Bursa over Ankara and Shiraz over Istanbul, both 3-1. The Blue Claws were looking to repeat and were in their sixth West League Championship Series in seven years. Meanwhile, the Suns had never gotten this far before and were the only original West Asia Association team without a pennant to date. The series was an all-timer that went all seven games with Shiraz upsetting the defending champion Bursa.



The 21^st Asian Baseball Federation Championship was guaranteed to have a first time champ and the 12^th unique franchise to win it all. It was anti-climactic as Shiraz swept Lahore, becoming the first Iranian ABF champ since Isfahan in 1998. League MVP Rahman Polat was a beast in the postseason, winning finals and WLCS MVP. In 15 playoff starts, he had 20 hits, 8 runs, 5 doubles, 4 home runs, 13 RBI, and 9 stolen bases.



Other notes: Lahore’s Hasan Afshin threw ABF’s 11^th Perfect Game, striking out 12 against Hyderabad on May 31. He joined the very short list of pitchers in pro baseball history with two perfect games, having also done it in 1996. As of 2037, Afshin is the only ABF pitcher with two perfectos.

Cuneyt Solak and Alireza Omidvar became the second and third members of the 2000 hit club. Omidvar also won his seventh Silver Slugger at catcher. LF Humayun Kahil also became a seven-time Silver Slugger winner.