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

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2007 ABF Hall of Fame

o players were added in 2007 into the Asian Baseball Federation’s Hall of Fame. The only player above 50% was 1B Hazan Sheikh, getting 59.8% in his sixth try. The best debut was RF Labid Harooon at 49.8%. No one else topped the 1/3 mark.



There was a player dropped after ten ballots in catcher Shah Sharif. He played seven seasons with Hyderabad before spending one year in MLB and three in OBA. Sharif had three Silver Sluggers and won two titles with 652 hits, 439 runs, 100 doubles, 241 home runs, 534 RBI, a .198/.289/.451 slash, 133 wRC+, and 37.7 WAR.

Sharif was a great defensive catcher too, which helped his WAR stats. However, his accumulations were nowhere close to what you’d need. Still, he managed to stay on the ballot ten years, even if he peaked at 14.2% in 1999.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2007 ALB Hall of Fame

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SP Assad Fouad became the second member of the Arab League Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007. He barely crossed the 66% requirement, but did it in his debut with 67.9%. Two players on their third ballot were above 50% with CL Kheamis Khalid at 57.6% and SP Ilwad Maxamed at 51.8%. No players were dropped from the ballot after ten attempts.



Assad “Busboy” Fouad – Starting Pitcher – Riyadh Rats – 67.9% First Ballot

Assad Fouad was a 6’1’’, 195 pound right-handed pitcher from At-Taif, Saudi Arabia; a city of 563,000 people in the Hijaz Mountains. Fouad was well rounded with strong stuff, control, and movement. He had a unique six-pitch arsenal with a 96-98 mph fastball, slider, curveball, forkball, splitter, and changeup.

Arab League pitchers didn’t go as deep in games as in other leagues, but Fouad’s stamina was still merely average compared to his peers. His durability was excellent though and he tossed 200+ innings in all 13 years of his pro career. He did struggle with holding runners and defense, but he got guys out well enough to avoid too much trouble.

1990 was ALB’s first rookie draft with Fouad going 10^th overall to Riyadh. The Rats made him a full-time starter immediately with mixed results in his first two years. Fouad’s third year was a big breakout year with a 1.77 ERA; which stands as of 2037 as the eighth lowest in ALB history. Despite that, he only took second in Pitcher of the Year voting.

Fouad never won the top award, taking third in 1994, second in 1995, third in 1996, and second in 1998. He was perhaps overlooked as Riyadh was lousy in the front part of the 1990s and merely around .500 by the end of the decade. Fouad led in ERA again in 1998 at 2.45 and led in strikeouts in 1995. He also led thrice in quality starts, twice in K/BB, and four times in FIP-.

From 1993-1998, Fouad had six straight seasons worth 7.5+ WAR. He topped 9 WAR five times and reached double-digits in 1995 and 1997. Riyadh was very happy with the results, giving him a six-year, $8,100,000 extension in April 1997. Fouad also pitched from 1992-2003 in the World Baseball Championship for Saudi Arabia, posting a 4.06 ERA in 159.2 innings, 209 strikeouts, 89 ERA+, and 2.7 WAR.

Fouad still ate innings, but saw his ERA drop to 3.41 in 1999 and 4.00 in 2000. The Rats finally earned a playoff berth in 2000, but lost in the first round of the playoffs to Kuwait. Fouad still had a few years on his Riyadh deal, but the Rats were ready to move on. After the 2000 season, he was traded to Alexandria for RF Osman Salah and SP Olivier Barbier.

With Riyadh, Fouad had a 139-132 record, 2.80 ERA, 2430 innings, 2998 strikeouts, 572 walks, 131 ERA+, and 76.5 WAR. In his one year with Alexandria, he was solid with a 2.97 ERA and 132 ERA+. Fouad decided to opt out of the rest of his deal and ultimately ended his run in the Arab League.

Fouad moved to South Africa and the African Association of Baseball, signing a four-year, $8,320,000 deal with Cape Town. He posted 7.3 WAR in his debut season with the Cowboys, but declined with a career worst 4.53 ERA in 2003. His two years there saw 10.9 WAR, a 104 ERA+, 456.1 innings, 3.96 ERA, 416 strikeouts, and 22-30 record.

In September 2003, Fouad’s season ended with a torn back muscle. He was expected to just be out four months, but he suffered a setback in November that forced his retirement from baseball. Fouad officially filed papers in late 2004 at age 35.

For his entire pro career, Fouad had a 173-172 record, 2.98 ERA, 3126 innings, 3691 strikeouts, 740 walks, 327/443 quality starts, 126 ERA+, 69 FIP-, and 93.1 WAR. Just in ALB, he had a 151-142 record, 2.81 ERA, 2669.2 innings, 3275 strikeouts, 613 walks, 289/379 quality starts, 46 complete games, 131 ERA+, 68 FIP-, and 82.2 WAR.

The advanced stats are very strong for Fouad, who as of 2037 still sits 15^th best in pitching WAR and 23^rd in strikeouts. However, he never won the top award, didn’t stick around for big accumulations, and was on some forgettable Riyadh teams. Still, Fouad’s resume was just strong enough to get across the line at 67.9%. This made him the second-ever ALB inductee and the lone member of the 2007 class.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2007 AAB Hall of Fame

The African Association of Baseball was still a long ways from adding its first Hall of Fame members. However, prior to 2007, the top percentage achieved was a mere 10.8%. Two newcomers bested that, although they were both still a long way from induction. 1B Laurent Kouakou set a new high at 38.2% and RF Peterson Mere had 26.9%.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2007 World Baseball Championship

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The 2007 World Baseball Championship was the 61^st edition of the event and the first to be hosted in Vietnam, centered in Ho Chi Minh City. In Division 1, Sweden took the top spot at 8-1, topping both Hungary and Peru by two games. This was the third-ever division title for the Swedes, but the other ones were way back in 1961 and 1953.

After a rare miss the prior year, the United States was unbeaten in Division 2. They were the lone unbeaten in division play and advanced to the elite eight for the 50^th time. Germany, last year’s runner-up, tied for fourth at 5-4. China took Division 3 at 7-2, edging both Panama and the Philippines by a game. The Chinese advanced for the 23^rd time and for the fourth time in six years.

Division 4 was very tight with defending world champ Japan tying with Cuba for first at 7-2, while both Bolivia and Iran were 6-3. The tiebreaker eliminated the Japanese and advanced the Cubans for the sixth time. It was their first division title since 2002.

India snagged Division 5 at 7-2, besting Austria and Kazakhstan each by a game. It was the fifth division title for the Indians, who last advanced in 2004. In D6, Ukraine and Australia tied for first at 7-2 with both Italy and Romania one back. The Ukrainians advanced on the tiebreaker for their eighth division win and first since 2002. The three-year division title streak ended for the Italians as none of the 2006 division winners advanced in 2007.

Mexico at 7-2 edged out both Argentina and Spain at 6-3 to take Division 7. The Mexicans advanced for the 26^th time to end a two-year drought. And in D8, 8-1 Pakistan prevailed over 6-3 runs by Indonesia, Iraq, and Scotland. This was the third division title for the Pakistanis (1996, 1990).

The Americans went 6-0 in the Round Robin Group A, making it to the semifinal for the 44^th time. China, Cuba, and India were all 2-4 with the tiebreaker sending the Chinese ahead. This was their 18^th time in the final four and the fourth time in the 2000s.

Mexico went unbeaten in Group B, advancing along with 3-3 Pakistan. Sweden was 2-4 and Ukraine went 1-5. The Mexicans advanced for the 16^th time and the fourth time in the 2000s. It was the third semifinal berth for the Pakistanis, who did it twice in the 1990s.

The United States remained unbeaten, sweeping Pakistan in the semifinal. China swept Mexico on the other side, setting up the seventh championship meeting between the two (1971, 74, 75, 94, 96, 02, 07). Mexico officially was third for the fifth time, while Pakistan placed fourth.



China did get two wins against the United States, but the Americans took the series 4-2 to reclaim their throne for the eighth time in twelve years. The US is now 33-5 all-time in the finals, while the Chinese are 5-6 overall and 2-5 against the Americans.

Leading the way as Tournament MVP was 2B Kayden Field, a 13-year MLB veteran with San Diego. In 23 starts, Field had 29 hits, 20 runs, 5 doubles, 7 home runs, 15 RBI, a .315/.388/.620 slash, and 1.4 WAR. Field’s Seals teammate Vic Ryan won Best Pitcher. The 27-year old righty tossed 17 scoreless innings with 26 strikeouts, 3 walks, and 6 hits allowed.



Other notes: The US’s T.J. Douglas had the WBC’s ninth perfect game, striking out 18 against Portugal in divisional play. Pakistan’s Humayun Kahil became the 13^th player to hit for the cycle in the WBC, doing it against Nicaragua. Australia’s Marlon Russell had his WBC record hitting streak end at 28 games. He had started the streak in 2004.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2007 in E2L

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For the second time, Turin had the top record in the European Second League’s Western Conference. The Tanks picked up a third straight playoff berth with a 106-56 record. Antwerp had its first-ever winning season, taking second at 99-63.

There was an 11-game gap to third place and a close battle for the final two playoff spots. Frankfurt (88-74) and Liverpool (87-75) ended up earning the spots, edging out Reykjavik (86-76) and Edinburgh (83-79). It was back-to-back berths for the Falcons and the second in three years for the Phantoms. Stuttgart, who won 101 the prior year, plummeted to 70-92.



Varna bounced back from only 77 wins the prior year to take first in the Eastern Conference at 99-63. Tying for second at 96-66 were Cluj-Napoca and Thessaloniki. The Tritons had gotten promoted in 2005, but were relegated right back in 2006. Lyiv was right behind in fourth at 95-67. Krakow, who was just relegated, was six games out of the playoffs at 89-73. Wroclaw (87-75) and Gothenburg (86-76) were next.

In the Western Conference Round Robin, Frankfurt finished first at 4-2. Antwerp and Turin tied at 3-3, while Liverpool was 2-2. The tiebreaker went to the Airedales, keeping the #1 seeded Tanks out of the conference final. The #2 and #3 seeds also advanced in the Eastern Conference with Thessaloniki and Cluj-Napoca both at 4-2. #1 seed Varna was 3-3 and Lviv went 1-5.

Frankfurt won 4-2 over Antwerp in the Western Conference Championship and Thessaloniki topped Cluj-Napoca 4-1. With that, the Tritons were promoted for the second time in three years. The Paladins suffered back-to-back conference finals defeat. In the E2L Championship. Thessaloniki picked up the title 4-2 against Frankfurt.





Other notes: 2007 was the first season where teams other than the two finalists could also be promoted. Any additional EBF Elite teams with 100+ losses would be relegated along with the worst team in each conference. The next in line to move up would be the conference finalists, then the next best playoff team by wins. With that, Antwerp, then Cluj-Napoca, then Turin, would be the additional teams that could move up along with Thessaloniki and Frankfurt.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2007 in AAB

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After a third place finish in 2006, the 2005 African Association of Baseball champion Antananarivo finished first in the Southern Conference standings at 100-62. This was the fourth playoff berth in six years for the Eagles. Reigning AAB champ Durban placed second at 93-69, earning a third straight playoff berth. Close behind but just short of the playoffs were Cape Town (90-72) and Luanda (87-75). It was a big bounce back for the Cowboys, as they hadn’t won more than 70 games in the 2000s.

CF Mohau Sibiya became the first-ever four time MVP in AAB history. It was his first MVP in the Southern Conference and with Antananarivo, having joined the Eagles in 2004. Sibiya had won two MVPs with Brazzaville and one with Kinshasa previously.

The 34-year old South African led in runs (121), home runs (59), RBI (130), walks (88), and WAR (9.0). Sibiya added a .260/.369/.672 slash and 171 wRC+. He had been strong since signing with the Eagles, but had missed parts of the prior two years to injury. Sibiya made history in 2007 as the first AAB slugger to 600 career home runs.

Maputo’s Valentine Hategekimana was the Pitcher of the Year. The 25-year old Rwandan led in ERA (2.99), quality starts (23), and WAR (6.5). Hategekimana added a 12-10 record and 244 strikeouts in 222.2 innings. Also of note, Luanda’s Mulumba Mwamba became a three-time Reliever of the Year winner.



Defending Central Conference champ Addis Ababa took the top spot again by replicating their 97-65 record. They edged Bujumbura by one game for first. The 96-66 Bighorns ended a seven-year playoff drought. Ndjamena, who had been second in back-to-back seasons, was a distant third place at 87-75.

Central Conference MVP went to Bujumbura 1B Luke Tembo. It was the second time taking the top award for the 26-year old Malawian lefty. Tembo led in runs (119), homers (64), RBI (134), walks (138), OBP (.446), slugging (.711), OPS (1.157), wRC+ (192), and WAR (8.2).

Rajab Hamadi made history as both the first AAB closer to win Reliever of the Year five teams and only the second reliever to win Pitcher of the Year. The 32-year old Tanzanian righty was with his fifth team in five years, spending 2007 with Addis Ababa. It was perhaps Hamadi’s finest season with an 0.81 ERA over 89.1 innings, 39 saves, 150 strikeouts, 512 ERA+, and 5.4 WAR.

As of 2037, Hamadi’s 0.81 ERA is the lowest in AAB history for a ROTY winner. He also became the first AAB pitcher to reach 400 career saves. Hamadi had a decent 2008, then bounced around with middling results after that in middle relief. However, his 444 career saves remains AAB’s all-time best as of 2037.

In a rematch of the 2005 Southern Conference Championship, #2 seed Durban knocked off Antananarivo 4-2. With that, the Deer earned back-to-back pennants from the wild card slot. In the Central Conference Championship Addis Ababa repeated by besting Bujumbura 4-1.



The 13^th Africa Series was a rematch between Durban and Addis Ababa. The Deer had swept the Brahmas in 2006 and won again in 2007, although this time it was in a nine game classic. The 2007 final joined 2000 as the only Africa Series’ to go 5-4 to date. With their second title, Durban joined Kinshasa as the only franchises with multiple rings and as the only teams to repeat as champ.

RF Gomez Rosa was finals MVP, a Mexican lefty in his third season in Africa after starting in Guadalajara. In 14 playoff starts, Rosa had 19 hits, 13 runs, 2 doubles, 6 home runs, and 12 RBI. This was the peak for Durban, who wouldn’t be back in the final in the next 30 years. For Addis Ababa, their own dynasty run would soon begin with the Deer out of their way.



Other notes: Felix Chaula and Gabriel Rakotomamonjy became the fifth and sixth to reach 1000 career RBI. The four-time MVP Chaula spent 2007 with Durban, his lone season with the Deer. He would end up captaining Addis Ababa in the next six seasons. Chaula won his seventh Silver Slugger in 2007. Joel Mwasesa became the first AAB pitcher to 3000 career strikeouts. Abba Abdul became the second to reach 300 saves.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2007 in ALB



Jerusalem by far had the Western Conference’s best record at 104-58, setting a franchise record. The Jets picked up a third straight Levant Division title, beating a respectable 88-74 Beirut squad by 16 games. Defending conference champ Giza repeated in a weak Nile Division at 89-73. No one else was above .500 in the group.

After a rare playoff miss in 2006, Casablanca was back atop the Mediterranean Division at 86-76. The Bruins were two games ahead of Tunis, which kept the Thunder Cats as the only WC team without a playoff berth. Casablanca got its 13^th division title over Arab League Baseball’s 18 seasons to date.

Leading Jerusalem’s effort was Western Conference MVP Ramy Homos. The 29-year old Egyptian left fielder led in home runs with 54. He added 114 RBI, 102 runs, a .279/.350/.609 slash, 175 wRC+, and 7.8 WAR. This effort earned Homos a seven-year, $23,120,000 contract extension. He’d be a decent starter over that contract, but injuries and regression kept him from any additional award winning efforts.

Pitcher of the Year went to Giza’s Hazem El-Morsy in only his second season. The 2006 Rookie of the Year followed it up by leading in wins (20-7), ERA (2.41), and WAR (8.5). The Egyptian righty also had 314 strikeouts over 250 innings, falling 26 Ks short of posting a Triple Crown.

Casablanca edged Giza 2-1 in the first round, sending the Bruins to the Western Conference Final for a record ninth time. Half of the WCFs so far had seen the Bruins. It was only the third for Jerusalem, who picked up their first pennant in franchise history by sweeping Casablanca 3-0.



Playoff streaks continued in the Eastern Conference for Medina, Basra, and Dubai. The Mastodons had the top overall record at 105-57, fending off a fierce challenge in the Saudi Division by 99-63 Riyadh. Medina earned a fifth straight division title with their fourth straight 100+ win season. The Mastodons also guaranteed a fifth consecutive Eastern Conference Final berth and their EC record tenth in franchise history.

Defending Arab League champ Basra battered the Iraq Division field at 97-65, giving the Bulldogs five division titles in a row. Dubai’s Gulf Division streak grew to seven seasons with their 88-74 mark. The Diamonds were six games better than Abu Dhabi.

Basra’s Nordine Soule won a historic seventh Eastern Conference MVP, a mark no one has matched in ALB as of 2037. The 32-year old Comoran lefty scored 135 runs, the second-most in a single-season to that point. Soule also led with 64 home runs, 159 RBI, 81 walks, a .406 OBP, .715 slugging, and 1.121 OPS. He added 8.7 WAR and a .321 batting average.

For Soule, this was his 11^th season with 50+ homers and his eighth with 60+. In June, he became ALB’s first slugger to reach 700 for a career. Soule also won his 11^th straight Silver Slugger, becoming the first ALB player to win the award 11 times. 2007 would be his final MVP season, but he’d continue setting new standards for power in the next seven seasons.

Medina’s pitching staff had 1981 strikeouts and a 12.08 K/9; the second-best in ALB history behind their own 2024 Ks and 12.27 K/9 from the prior season. Leading that staff was Mostafa Nabil, who repeated as Pitcher of the Year. The 24-year old Egyptian tossed the fifth-ever Triple Crown season by an ALB pitcher with a 21-5 record, 2.06 ERA, and 398 strikeouts.

Nabil’s 398 Ks was the third most in a season at the time and still sits fifth as of 2037. His 16.38 K/9 still stands as the all-time mark in ALB. Nabil also led in WHIP (0.78), FIP- (42), and WAR (10.4). Nabil also set the single-game strikeout record, fanning 21 on July 12 against Sulaymaniya. That remains the regulation record as of 2037, although it would be match thrice (and once by Nabil himself).

On top of that, Nabil had a no-hitter with 13 strikeouts and one walk against Doha on September 7. It was the second no-no of his career. The Mastodons quickly locked down their ace with a six-year, $10,360,000 extension in the offseason. Medina also saw closer Souilem Boudiaf win his third Reliever of the Year.

Basra bested Dubai 2-1 in the first round, setting up a fourth straight Eastern Conference Final between the Bulldogs and Medina. The Diamonds had the misfortune of four straight defeats in the first round. The Mastodons won the ECF in 2005, but Basra had won in 2004 and 2006. It was the sixth time total they had met in the ECF, as Medina prevailed in 1993 and 1994 as well. In the 2007 edition, the Mastodons took it 3-1 for their sixth pennant in franchise history.



Medina ultimately won its second Arab League Championship in three years. In the 18^th finale, the Mastodons defeated Jerusalem 4-2 to become the first four time ALB champs (1992, 93, 05, 07). Catcher Sultan Hawsawi was the finals MVP in his eighth year with Medina. The four-time Gold Glove winner had 10 playoff starts with 11 hits, 4 runs, 2 homers, and 4 RBI.



Other notes: ALB’s fourth perfect game was thrown on August 16 as Algiers’ Osama bin Javid struck out 14 against Damascus. The next perfecto would be a decade later. Mustafa bin Nazim became the fifth member of the 2000 hit club. He also won his ninth Silver Slugger as a second baseman.

CF Yousef Shehadeh won his ninth Gold Glove, joining SS Mohammed Mohamed and 1B Bilal Hamdan as the only nine-time winners to date in ALB. SS Amr Khatab won an eighth consecutive Gold Glove and 2B Hassan Kamal earned his seventh.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2007 in ABF

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Karachi (101-61) repeated as the #1 seed in the ABF East League and earned a fourth straight playoff berth. Hyderabad surprised many by taking second place at 95-67. The Horned Frogs had seen three consecutive 67-95 seasons prior to that. Hyderabad allowed 415 runs, the best in the entire ABF by a margin of 70.

Third place was Bishkek at 93-69, extending their playoff streak to four seasons. It was the seventh berth in eight years for the Black Sox. The fourth and final EL playoff spot went to defending Asian Baseball Federation champ Lahore. The Longhorns finished 88-74, edging out Multan by two games. Lahore’s playoff streak grew to three seasons.

East League MVP went to Lahore 1B Kleifawi Abdul. The 23-year old Pakistani was the finals MVP last year and followed it up with league-bests in runs (116), RBI (109), total bases (374), stolen bases (70), slugging (.623), OPS (.977), wRC+ (212), and WAR (10.4). Abdul added 49 home runs and a .303 average. The Longhorns had him for three more seasons, but they couldn’t keep him from eventually leaving for MLB after the 2010 season.

Biskhek’s Oskar Tamm became only the second pitcher in ABF history to win Pitcher of the Year four times. The 30-year old Estonian lefty led in ERA (1.79) and WAR (8.6). Tamm added a 17-7 record over 246.2 innings and 321 strikeouts. The Black Sox gave Tamm a five-year, $34,500,000 extension in January 2008 to further secure their beloved ace.

Karachi ousted two-time defending conference champ Lahore 3-1 and Bishkek bested Hyderabad 3-1 in the first round of the playoffs. Despite their recent success, the Carp hadn’t been in the East League Championship Series since 1996. For the Black Sox, they similarly had to go back to 2001 despite being a playoff regular.

The ELCS was a seven game classic with the finale going extra innings. Bishkek would go ahead in the top of the 11^th inning and win game seven 5-2. Although the Black Sox had been a playoff team in seven of their eight seasons since joining the ABF, this was their first pennant. It was Bishkek’s tenth subleague title overall though when adding in their days in Eurasian Professional Baseball. Their last EPB pennant came in 1994.



Istanbul took first in the West League for the third time in four years. At 104-58, the Ironmen extended their playoff streak to six seasons. Isfahan (98-64) and Mashhad (93-69) both repeated as wild cards. Asagabat at 90-72 took the fourth and final spot. This was the Alphas’ first ABF playoff appearance with their last EPB berth coming in 1999.

Shiraz (87-75) and Bursa (86-76) were the first teams out. This ended the dynasty hopes for the Suns, who had won back-to-back WL titles. It ended a three-year playoff streak for them as well. Tehran was seventh at 81-81, notably rebounding from winning 56, 68, 57, and 57 in the prior four seasons.

West League MVP went to Bursa LF Majd Bsharri. The 24-year old Pakistani led in runs (100), home runs (49), total bases (370), OBP (.388), slugging (.672), OPS (1.060), wRC+ (193), and WAR (9.1). Bsharri also had a .314 average and 104 RBI. He was already in his eighth season, having debuted for the Blue Claws at age 18. Bursa would give Bsharri a massive eight-year, $64,700,000 extension in the summer of 2009, keeping him as a franchise icon.

Pitcher of the Year went to Mashhad’s Kharman Khan. The 30-year old Iranian led in wins (20-9), innings (275.2), strikeouts (349), quality starts (27), and WAR (7.8). Khan’s 2.48 ERA was third in the WL, falling eight points short of a Triple Crown. This effort earned him a six-year, $20,160,000 extension the following summer, although he’d very suddenly regress, posing negative WAR by 2010.

Istanbul swept Asgabat 3-0 and Mashhad outlasted Isfahan 3-2 in the first round of the playoffs. The Ironmen earned repeat West League Championship Series appearances and their third in five years, while it was the Mercury’s first WLCS since 1994. Istanbul took the series 4-1 to end a pennant drought with their previous titles coming back in 1985, 1988, and 1989.



Istanbul moved to 4-0 all-time in the Asian Baseball Federation Championship, taking the 23^rd finale 4-2 over Bishkek. The Ironmen also became the first ABF team with four titles to their name. For the Black Sox, counting their EPB days they are now 2-8 all-time in championships.

1B Petri Viskari was a playoff force, winning finals and WLCS MVP. Istanbul had gotten the Finnish lefty the prior year in a trade from Baku. Viskari in 14 starts had 22 hits, 15 runs, 10 home runs, 20 RBI, and 2.1 WAR. This set the ABF playoff homers record and matched the RBI record. The HR record held until 2036 and the RBI mark did until 2034. Viskari was well paid for his efforts, earning an eight-year, $46,460,000 extension a mere week after the finals ended.



Other notes: Tabriz pitcher Memduh Ugur set a bad record with 24 losses, which still stands as ABF’s worst as of 2037. He was 4-24 with a 4.78 ERA over 216.2 innings. He’d become better known as the general manager for MLB’s Toronto Timberwolves from 2029-36. Radi Umar became the second to 500 home runs and the fifth to 2000 hits. 2B Rarru Najran won his seventh Gold Glove.


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[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2009 in SAB

For the 2007 season, South Asia Baseball made changes designed to increase scoring across the board. Perhaps the most impactful adjustments came to the ball itself, which led to more extra base hits and home runs in particular. Prior to the changes, the Southeast Asia League on the grand historical scale had average ERAs with below average batting averages, while the DH-less Indian League had low averages and ERAs.

From 2006 to 2007, the IL’s league batting average jumped from .233 to .253, while the ERA increased from 3.24 to 3.74. In SEAL, the average went from .243 to .259 and ERA from 3.70 to 4.27 year-over-year. SAB as a whole would grade in the next few years as average to above average offensively. They’d be more in line with EAB overall. SAB wouldn’t reach the peak numbers of the African leagues, but stayed away from the lows found in neighboring China and APB.



Defending SAB champ Jaipur had the IL’s best record at 106-56, winning a fourth straight Central Division title. The Jokers earned their tenth playoff berth in 12 years. The #2 seed was Hyderabad at 101-61. The Hippos had an incredible turnaround from only winning 69 games the prior year. It was a franchise record for Hyderabad and only their second South Division title, joining the 1997 and 1988 campaigns. Kanpur (95-67) was second in the Central and Chennai (94-68) was second in the South. The Poison ended up with the wild card by one game, ending a ten-year playoff drought for them.

The West Division had a very tight four-team race with Ahmedabad (89-73) edging out Mumbai (88-74), Surat (88-74), and Pune (85-77). This was the closest the Animals had gotten to their SAB record playoff streak ending. Ahmedabad’s run grew to 23 years, second most of any pro team behind Minsk’s 24 in EPB from 1981-04. It was also the 21^st division title in that stretch by the Animals.

Mumbai’s Basava Sanjahay won his third straight Indian League MVP. The 27-year old 1B led in runs (128), home runs (62), RBI (146), total bases (446), slugging (.761), OPS (1.185), wRC+ (241), and WAR (12.7). It was Sanjahay’s third straight season with 11+ WAR and third straight lead in OPS, wRC+, and homers. He also won his third Gold Glove.

Sanjahay was second in batting average at .345, but he didn’t have a prayer at the Triple Crown because of Jaipur’s David Rusli. The 34-year old switch hitter hit .3996, the third best in SAB history. The only seasons better to that point was Arnav Smedh’s .4057 in 1996 and Rusli’s own .4055 in 2001. His 2007 effort sits seventh best as of 2037.

Jaupur’s Jay Singh was the Pitcher of the Year. He had come to the Jokers in January in a trade for prospects with Kuala Lumpur. Jaipur quickly gave Singh a four-year, $13,120,000 extension as the 25-year old lefty led in wins (20-3), ERA (1.98), and FIP- (58). Singh also had 296 strikeouts in 195.2 innings and 6.9 WAR.

The first round of the playoffs had Kanpur stun the defending champ and their divisional rival Jaipur 3-2. The Poison hadn’t been in the Indian League Championship Series since 1994. Hyderabad ousted Ahmedabad 3-1, marking only the third time the Animals missed the ILCS in their playoff streak. The Hippos had only once ever gotten that far, back in 1980 as the inaugural SAB champ. In a seven-game classic, Kanpur edged Hyderabad 4-3 to become three-time Indian champs (1988, 1993, 2007).



Hanoi set a franchise record at 111-51 and took the top seed in the Southeast Asian League. The Hounds got their tenth playoff berth in 15 years, but their first North Division title in that stretch. Yangon had generally stood in their way and was a formidable foe again in 2007. The reigning SEAL champ finished 107-55, extending their playoff streak to 13 seasons.

The wild card also came out of the North with Dhaka (94-68) fending off Mandala (88-74). The Dobermans picked up a third straight wild card. Ho Chi Minh City dominated a weak South Division at 99-63, growing their own historic playoff streak to 21 seasons. The Hedgehogs’ division title streak grew to 19 years.

SEAL MVP went to Hanoi LF Majed Darwish, who set a new SAB record with 141 runs scored, besting the 138 by V.J. Williams in 1984. The 24-year old Bahraini switch hitter also led in home runs (67), RBI (150), total bases (435), slugging (.785), OPS (1.222), wRC+ (205), and WAR (10.4). He was only the eighth SAB player to have 150+ RBI in a season. Hanoi had locked up Darwish to an eight-year, $19,360,000 extension after the 2005 campaign. Little did anyone know that he’d end up absolutely torching the record books for power in the coming seasons.

Pitcher of the Year was Dhaka’s Tilan Ghai. In his third season, the Indian lefty led in ERA (2.67), strikeouts (341), WHIP (0.86), quality starts (22), FIP- (59), and WAR (7.8). On July 24, Ghai tied the SAB record for strikeouts in a game, fanning 21 against Khulna. Ghai also had a 15-8 record over 219 innings. Also of note, Ho Chi Minh City’s Taj Kanikaraja became the first-ever six-time Reliever of the Year winner in SAB. It is a mark that hasn’t been reached by anyone else. Kanikaraja also became the second to reach 400 career saves.

Hanoi downed Dhaka 3-1 in the first round, while Yangon ousted Ho Chi Minh City 3-1. That marked the first time since 1993 that the Hedgehogs didn’t advance to the SEAL Championship, ending a 13-year streak. The Green Dragons’ repeat bid was foiled as the Hounds held on in a seven-game classic. This was the second-ever pennant for Hanoi, joining the 1985 campaign.



Hanoi became a first-time SAB Champion, outlasting Kanpur 4-3 in the 28^th finale. The Hounds became the ninth franchise to win it all in the top-heavy SAB world. It was the first time in two decades that back-to-back SAB seasons happened without either Ahmedabad or HCMC taking the top spot. Finals MVP was 3B Agni Chandrakala, who had 17 playoff games with 17 hits, 6 runs, 7 doubles, 2 triples, 2 homers, and 10 RBI.



Other notes: For the first time since 1997, SAB didn’t have a single no-hitter thrown. Sulakhan Tyagi became the fifth pitcher to 3500 strikeouts. Aftab Alam became the sixth to 1500 RBI and Tirtha Upadhyaya became the fifth to 1500 runs scored. Alam won his ninth Silver Slugger at shortstop. 3B/DH Jatinder Chowdhary won his seventh Silver Slugger.

2007 also marked the final season in SAB for the Malaysian teams Kuala Lumpur and Johor Bahru. Both would leave and join Austronesia Professional Baseball starting in 2008. To keep the same number of teams, SAB would expand in 2008 and replace them with Vietnam-based Hai Phong and Sri Lanka-based Colombo.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2007 in WAB

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Reigning West African Baseball champion Monrovia took first again in the Western League standings, but they fell from their franchise record 111-51 record to 97-65. Still, that narrowly sealed it for the two-time defending WL champs. Abidjan was one behind at 96-66, earning a third consecutive wild card.

The third and final playoff spot went to 93-69 Nouakchott, who ended a two-year playoff drought. There was a seven game drop to both Accra and Conakry in fourth at 86-76. Kumasi, who was the WLCS runner-up in 2006, fell to eighth place at 72-90. That was the first time since 1996 that the Monkeys posted a losing record.

Western League MVP was Monrovia RF Abubakar Adam. The 28-year old Nigerian led in RBI (154) and total bases (364), while adding 40 home runs, 41 doubles, a .318/.346/.593 slash, 152 wRC+, and 6.1 WAR. Adam would spend 14 of his 15 seasons with the Diplomats, although he never replicated the production seen in 2007.

Monrovia also saw Razak Glele repeat as Pitcher of the Year, as his 2.74 ERA gave him the top mark for the third straight season. The 25-year old lefty had a 16-6 record over 200.1 innings, 223 strikeouts, and 5.0 WAR. Glele had a few more nice seasons, but injuries would make him largely irrelevant by the time he turned 30.

Nouakchott upset Abidjan 2-0 in the wild card round, giving the Night Riders their second Western League Championship Series berth in four years. They couldn’t hang with Monrovia, who got the 3-0 swept and earned a third pennant in a row. The only previous three-peats in the WLCS came from the Athletes, who did it twice (1992-96 four-peat and 1999-01).



Niamey had surprised the Eastern League field last year by winning a pennant from the #3 slot. This year, the Atomics finished first at 103-59. Niamey’s only other time atop the standings was back in 1987. The Atomics scored 873 runs, 107 more than the next best EL team. That was Ouagadougou (766 runs), who was a close second at 100-62. The Osprey grabbed their second wild card in three years.

The final spot required a tiebreaker game between Ibadan and Lagos, who both finished the regular season at 88-74. The Iguanas took the 163^rd game for their second playoff berth in four years. The Lizards’ playoff streak ended at four seasons.

Most shocking though was fifth place Kano at 80-82. This ended the Condors’ 12-year playoff streak, which included 12 ELCS berths, 8 first place finishes in the standings, 8 100+ win seasons, 9 EL pennants, and 7 WAB titles. Kano hadn’t posted a losing season since 1992.

Eastern League MVP went to Lagos RF Luc Mariam in his tenth season starting for the Lizards. The 30-year old Ivorian led in homers (59), total bases (422), slugging (.695), OPS (1.063), wRC+ (190), and WAR (9.0). Mariam also had 127 RBI, 114 runs, and a .318 average.

His Lagos teammate Francis Koomson repeated as Pitcher of the Year. Amazingly, he didn’t win his fourth straight Reliever of the Year despite leading all EL pitchers with 6.4 WAR. Cotonou’s Isaac Appiah was ROTY with 27 saves, a 1.94 ERA over 93 innings, and 2.3 WAR. Koomson only had 28 saves and a 2.10 ERA, but he struck out 207 over 111.2 innings and led in games pitched at 71. His first WAB run ended here after seven seasons for Lagos, as Koomson left for MLB and Washington in the offseason.

Ibadan upset Ouagadougou 2-1 in the wild card round, giving the Iguanas their second Eastern League Championship Series in four years. It was also their sixth since 1998, but they moved to 0-6 in those efforts. Niamey rolled to a 3-0 ELCS sweep to repeat and earn their third pennant overall (1987, 2006, 2007).



The 33^rd West African Championship was a rematch between Monrovia and Niamey, the fourth finals rematch in WAB history. The Diplomats took it 4-1 in 2006, but the Atomics got revenge by winning a 4-3 classic in 2007. It was the first finals to go the distance since 2002. RF Imoh Anyansi was finals MVP, stepping up after missing much of the last two seasons to injury. The 25-year old Nigerian had 10 playoff starts with 17 hits, 8 runs, 3 doubles, 3 homers, and 10 RBI. This was Niamey’s second overall title, joining their 1987 win.



Other notes: Tiemogo Idrissa became the first WAB pitcher to 250 career wins and the fourth to 3500 strikeouts. He would play two more seasons and retire the wins leader with 268. As of 2037, Idrssa remains the only 250+ winner in WAB. His 3717 Ks sits fifth as of 2037. Idrissa also would retire with the most starts (519), innings (3926) and hits allowed (3810).

Darwin Morris became the third member of the 2500 hit club. He finished the season with 2554 and would pass Abel Alemu’s 2692 the next season to become the WAB hits leader. Morris also became the first 14-time Silver Slugger winner in WAB, doing it consecutively at shortstop. 1B Ahmad Mathew won his seventh Silver Slugger.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2007 in CLB

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The Chinese Northern League was incredibly competitive in 2007 with only nine games separating first place from ninth place. Taking first was Dalian at 89-73, earning their third playoff berth in four years. Amazingly, the Gold Dragons earned first place despite having only a +8 run differential. They outperformed their expected W/L by seven games.

Beijing was second at 87-75, ending a four-year playoff drought for the Bears. Jinan also ended a four-year drought, taking the third and final playoff spot at 85-77. Xi’an ended up one game out of the final card at 84-78, followed by Nanjing and Tianjin at 82-80, Hangzhou and Qingdao at 81-81, and Shanghai at 80- 82. Zhengzhou, who made the semifinal the prior year, dropped to 11^th at 75-87.

Northern League MVP went to Dalian SS Juyu Liu in his fourth season. The 25-year old lefty led in the triple slash (.337/.410/.596), OPS (1.006), wRC+ (234), and WAR (12.0). Liu added 27 home runs and 28 doubles. He was rewarded with an eight-year, $35,020,000 extension in the offseason.

The Gold Dragons also had Cheng Song win his third Pitcher of the Year in four years. The 31-year old righty led in WHIP (0.75), complete games (16), shutouts (7), FIP- (47), and WAR (9.3). It was Song’s fifth time as the WARlord. He added a 1.64 ERA, 17-8 record, and 303 strikeouts over 241.1 innings.



Hong Kong had by far the best record in CLB at 107-55 atop the Southern League. It was a surprise as the Champions won only 75 the prior year and hadn’t been in the playoffs since their China Series runner-up in 1997. Dongguan was another surprise, taking second at 94-68. The Donkeys had missed the playoffs and been below .500 in the past four seasons.

Changsha managed to extend its playoff streak to five seasons by taking third at 91-71. The Cannons were the runner-up in 2006 and CLB champ the prior two years. Changsha finished four games better than reigning CLB champ Xiamen and six games ahead of Macau.

In his third season, Chengdu’s Yiteng Tang won Southern League MVP. The 22-year old right fielder led in runs (93), RBI (99), total bases (318), slugging (.575), OPS (.944), and wRC+ (226). Tang added 8.7 WAR, a .304 average, and 31 home runs.

The Cannons pitching staff allowed 939 hits, the second fewest in in CLB history behind Wuhan’s 926 from 1974. Changsha also had a 5.61 H/9, just edging the Wolverines for the league record. Lei Li led that effort, winning his fourth straight Pitcher of the Year. He led in ERA (1.40), WHIP (0.71), K/BB (10.8), complete games (20), FIP- (30), and WAR (11.2). Li also had 325 strikeouts and a 17-9 record in 237.2 innings.

In the first round of the playoffs, both third place teams upset their second place counterparts from the other league. Jinan beat Dongguan and Changsha topped Beijing, both 2-1. The Cannons earned their fifth straight appearance in the semifinal, while the Jumbos last got there in 2000. For the top seeds, it was Dalian’s second semi in four years and Hong Kong’s first since 1997.

Both semifinals ended up being seven game classics. Jinan upset Dalian to give the Jumbos their first-ever berth in the China Series. On the other side, Hong Kong and Changsha needed 13 innings to decide gave seven. In the bottom of the 13^th, catcher Xiangling Wang smacked a solo home run to win both the game and the series 4-3 for the Champions. HK earned its fourth trip to the finals (1978, 82, 97, 07).



The 38^th China Series also needed all seven games to decide it. 22 wins in the regular season separated top ranked Hong Kong from underdog Jinan. HK ultimately outlasted the Jumbos 4-3, giving the Champions their second CLB title (1982). It was the fourth title in a row by a Southern League team.



Other notes: CLB’s 38^th and 39^th perfect games were thrown in 2007. On May 14, Shenzhen’s Noor Nasir struck out 10 in his effort against Kunming. On June 22, Dalian’s Nouri Bani-Etemad did it with seven Ks against Shanghai. Both Cheng Song and Xirong Chen reached 3000 career strikeouts, making it 14 CLB pitchers to reach the mark.

Seok-Hyeon So became the 12^th to score 1000 runs. He played once more year to get to 1080, which sits 10^th place as of 2037. CF Martin Schindler won his seventh straight Gold Glove. Minghui Ruan won his seventh Silver Slugger in right field.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2007 in APB

Austronesia Professional Baseball had been looking to expand much their competitors had done throughout the 2000s. The Taiwan-Philippine Association fairly quickly landed on an additional team in each league. The Taiwan League added the Hsinchu Sweathogs and the Philippine League introduced the Cagayan de Oro Critters.



The Sundaland Association began exploring similar and looked at other Indonesian markets, but their more immediate plans were shelved. That was due to South Asia Baseball’s two Malaysian teams expressing interest in defecting. They culturally and geographically made a lot of sense, plus APB was reluctant to do a four-team expansion draft for fear of diluting the talent pool

Hsinchu and Cagayan de Oro began play in 2007 with an expansion draft in the preceding winter. Kuala Lumpur and Johor Bahru ultimately joined one year later for the 2008 season and merely brought over their existing roster from SAB. Through the additions, APB maintained its existing playoff structure with the two league champs meeting for the Association title in a best-of-seven, followed by a best-of-seven Austronesia Championship.



Two-time defending APB champ Davao won the Philippine League for the third straight year. The Devil Rays at 108-54 set a franchise best and earned the TPA’s top seed, leading in both runs scored (648) and fewest allowed (395). The Taiwan League had a shakeup with Kaohsiung at 102-60, earning their first title since 2001. Tainan’s five-year reign came to a close as they finished third at 87-75, one behind Taoyuan and one ahead of Taichung.

In only his second full season, Taipei DH Ching-Hui Lin won Taiwan-Philippine Association MVP. The #1 overall draft pick from 2004 led in home runs (42), RBI (106), total bases (329), slugging (.5570, and OPS (.892). Lin added 172 wRC+ and 7.4 WAR.

Pitcher of the Year was Davao’s Bima Idris. The 28-year old Indonesian lefty led in wins (23-5), strikeouts (362), and complete games (18). Idris added a 1.44 ERA over 250.1 innings and 9.9 WAR. He was second in ERA behind Taichung’s Kan-Lin Tung at 1.12. Idris also finished second in MVP voting with his effort.



Defending Sundaland Association champ Surabaya won another intense Java League battle with Jakarta. The Sunbirds repeated their 102-60 record, topping a 98-64 effort by the Jaguars. Jakarta has the misfortune of winning 95+ in four of the last five seasons, but only making the playoffs once. A weak Malacca League went to Palembang at 86-76 for their third title in four years. The Panthers were seven games ahead of second place Singapore.

Bandung veteran CF Gunansar Owagay picked up the Sundlanad Association MVP. The 31-year old righty was the WARlord at 11.0 and led in slugging (.536) and wRC+ (226). Owagay added 30 home runs, 39 stolen bases, and a .291 average. He pulled off the impressive totals despite missing a month to a separated shoulder.

Surabaya’s Elliot Tran picked up Pitcher of the Year as the 26-year old Singaporean led in WHIP (0.72) and FIP- (58). Tran added a 16-4 record, 1.55 ERA, and 246 strikeouts over 197 innings for 5.8 WAR. The highlight of the season came on May 27 against Medan when Tran struck out 11 in APB’s 28^th Perfect Game. He had signed a five-year, $22,120,000 extension before the season and seemed on his way. However, Tran’s 2007 ended in late August with a damaged elbow ligament. He’d miss the next 12 months and would have a strong 2009, but Tran was never consistently elite after that. Surabaya also saw Arcan Sari win his third straight Reliever of the Year.

In the Taiwan-Philippine Association Championship, Kaohsiung stunned reigning APB champ Davao with a sweep. This was the sixth pennant for the Steelheads and first since 2000. Palembang gave Surabaya a nice battle in the Sundaland Association Championship, but the Sunbirds won 4-2 to repeat. It was also Surabaya’s sixth pennant.



The 43^rd Austronesia Championship was the second time that Kaohsiung and Surabaya had met, with the Steelheads winning their 1977 encounter. Kaohsiung had gone 5-0 in their previous finals, while the Sunbirds were 3-2. Surabaya took the series 4-1 to add the 2007 cup next to their 1071, 1979, and 1999 wins. Veteran 3B Rey Susanti was finals MVP, having joined the Sunbirds the prior year after nine years with Pekanbaru. In 11 playoff starts, he had 11 hits, 3 runs, 3 doubles, 1 homer, and 5 RBI.



The Java League continued to be quite strong, representing the Sundaland Association in seven of the last nine APB finals. Four teams (Surabaya, Bandung, Semarang, Jakarta) have won titles in that stretch with a 6-1 record.

Other notes: Henry Fernandes became the 15^th pitcher to 200 career wins. He and Tyson Sugiarto became the 21^st and 22^nd to reach 3500 career strikeouts. CF Paolo Baptista won his seventh Silver Slugger.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2007 in OBA

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Melbourne’s dynasty continued as the three-time defending Oceania Champions won a fifth Australasia League title in a row. The Mets set a franchise record at 110-52, winning their tenth pennant. Brisbane at 94-68 was a distant second despite the Black Bears setting AL records for runs scored (872), hits (1656), and batting average (.288). The runs and hits marks remain AL records as of 2037. The difference was Brisbane allowed 700 runs, while Melbourne surrendered only 517.

Mets SS Tyler Straw won his fourth Australasia League MVP, placing it next to his 2000, 2001, and 2003 trophies. Leg injuries kept him from playing more than 95 games in a season from 2004-2006 and he still missed almost two months in 2007 including the championship. However, he was the WARlord (11.2) over 124 games and 118 starts, posting 39 home runs, a .360/.420/.727 slash, and 209 wRC+.

Melbourne also had Pitcher of the Year Gavala Rahim. In his third full season, the righty from Sydney led in ERA at 2.43. He added a 19-8 record over 233 innings, 202 strikeouts, and 6.1 WAR.



After taking second in 2006, Tahiti was back atop the Pacific League in 2007. The Tropics finished 98-64 to win their fourth pennant in five years, along with their ninth overall. Guam and Honolulu tied for second at 91-71 with Samoa at 89-73. Last year’s PL champ Fiji fell to fifth place at 82-80. Tahiti’s offense blew away the field with 872 runs and a .334 team OBP, both second-best all-time in the PL behind the Tropics’ 2005 efforts (880 and .334).

Honolulu 2B Kalos Ryniker repeated as Pacific League MVP and won his third in four years. The 27-year old Solomon Islander led in hits (212), average (.359), OBP (.408), and WAR (9.8). Ryniker added 49 home runs, 114 runs, 105 RBI, and a 1.063 OPS. He’d play one more year for the Honu, then head to MLB on a massive seven-year, $94,400,000 deal with Denver.

Samoa’s Austin Jong won Pitcher of the Year in his third season. The 22-year old Papuan righty led in WAR (13.0), strikeouts (434), quality starts (31), and FIP- (51). It was only the 11^th time in OBA history that a pitcher posted 13+ WAR in a season. Jong also had a 2.49 ERA over 314.1 innings and a 19-13 record. The Sun Sox locked him up after that effort with a seven-year, $26,560,000 extension in the winter.



The 48^th Oceania Championship was the fourth meeting in five years between Melbourne and Tahiti. The Tropics won in 2003, but the Mets took the 2004 and 2005 meetings, plus the 2006 final over Fiji. Melbourne rolled to a 4-1 victory earn the first-ever four-peat in OBA history. LF Samson Gould was the finals MVP as the five-time Gold Glover went 10-21 with 5 runs, 1 double, and 1 homer.



By record, this was Melbourne’s best team of the dynasty and as of 2037, they’re the only ever OBA team to win it all in four straight years. The only other four-peats in any other pro league came from EAB’s Pyongyang (1965-68), CABA’s Mexico City (1969-73), MLB’s Philadelphia (1941-44), CLB’s Dalian (1991-94), SAB’s Ahmedabad (1989-92), and AAB’s Kinshasa (1997-00). It was the Mets’ sixth overall title, having also won in 1967 and 1969.

Other notes: In only their second season, expansion Canberra was 44-118, which stands as the worst record in OBA history as of 2037. 2007 was odd in that four players had a six-hit game. There had been only eight previous six-hit games in OBA’s history prior to that.

Timothy Manglona became the sixth pitcher to 4500 career strikeouts. Kai Brockhurst became the 15^th to reach 200 wins. LF Ian Griff won his ninth Silver Slugger while also crossing 1000 runs scored and 400 homers.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2007 in EPB

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2007 saw a shakeup in the European League with Volgograd a surprise first place at 91-71. The Voyagers became the first of the 2000 expansion teams to earn a playoff spot. Defending Eurasian Professional Baseball champion Moscow was a close second at 89-73, growing their playoff streak to three seasons. St. Petersburg was third at 86-76 and Kazan was fourth at 83-79.

Also historic was Minsk in sixth at 78-84. This was only the third-ever losing season for the Miners, joining the 1978 and 1980 campaigns. They’ve now missed the playoffs three years running after only missing thrice in 50 years from 1955-2004.

St. Petersburg RF Jov Sakharov won his fourth consecutive European League MVP. The 29-year old Russian righty led in hits (168), triples (14), RBI (99), total bases (326), slugging (.556), and WAR (9.7). Sakharov also had 35 home runs and a .287 batting average. The Polar Bears had given their icon an eight-year, $32,760,000 extension the prior summer.

In his second year with St. Petersburg, Markiyan Konoplya won his seventh Pitcher of the Year award. The 33-year old Ukrainian had won the previous five with Minsk and joined Matvey Ivanov as the only EPB pitchers to win 7+ POTYs. Konoplya led in ERA (1.71), strikeouts (293), WHIP (0.80), shutouts (7), FIP- (58), and WAR (8.4). It was his eighth straight year leading in Ks. Konoplya also had a 13-11 record over 247 innings.



Yekaterinburg finished first in the Asian League standings for the fourth straight season and earned their eighth playoff berth in nine years. The reigning AL champ went 100-62, earning a fifth straight 100+ win season. Ufa had a big turnaround from 65 wins to 91-71, earning the wild card and their first playoff berth since 1998. The Fiends edged Novosibirsk by two and Krasnoyarsk by seven for the wild card.

Yaks DH Sarxan Niftaliyev was the Asian League MVP in his 12^th season. It was his third MVP, having previously won way back in 1999 and 2000. The 34-year old Russian lefty had 37 home runs, 118 RBI, a .296/.353/.532 slash, and 5.9 WAR. This ended his impressive run with Yekaterinburg, as Niftaliyev took a three-year, $10,880,000 free agency deal with Minsk in the offseason.

Yekaterinburg ace Matvey Ivanov won a historic ninth consecutive Pitcher of the year. He joined CABA’s Junior Vergara and BSA’s Lazaro Rodriguez as the only players in any pro league to earn the feat. Ivanov is the only one to do his consecutively. The 32-year old Russian left won his seventh straight ERA title, posting a 1.94 mark.

Ivanov also led in strikeouts (329), innings (269.1), WHIP (0.79), K/BB (10.3), quality starts (23), complete games (20), FIP- (55), and WAR (9.8). His 20-10 record left him three wins short of another Triple Crown. Yekaterinburg gave him a five-year, $19,600,000 contract extension in the spring. His quest to be EPB’s all-time GOAT pitcher would see a setback soon with a damaged elbow ligament in early 2009.

Volgograd had home field advantage in their first-ever European League Championship Series, but they weren’t ready for the big time. Moscow swept them to repeat and earn a fifth pennant overall. In the Asian League Championship Series, Ufa was making their first appearance since 1967. They put up a nice fight, but lost to Yekaterinburg 4-2. For the Yaks, this was back-to-back titles, their fourth in five years, and their fifth of the 2000s.



In the prior year’s EPB Championship, Moscow edged Yekaterinburg in a seven game classic. The 53^rd finale was also a seven game thriller, but the Yaks got revenge over the Mules. This gave Yekaterinburg its third ring in five years as well as its sixth overall (1955, 1970, 1989, 2003, 2004, 2007). RF Vasili Maksymov was finals MVP in his 10^th season with the Yaks. In 13 playoff starts, he had 9 hits, 2 runs, 1 double, 1 homer, 3 RBI, and 7 stolen bases.



Other notes: CF Miroslaw Skowronek won his ninth Gold Glove.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2007 in EBF

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Fresh of their first European Championship, Kyiv had the EBF Northern Conference’s best record at 104-58. This gave the Kings a fourth straight playoff berth and their third straight North Central Division title. It was not an easy division to win with Warsaw at 99-63 and Kharkiv at 96-66. Both earned wild cards with the Killer Bees ending a three-year playoff drought. The Wildcards picked up their fourth appearance in five years.

The other first round bye went to Amsterdam at 98-64 atop the Northwest Division. The Anacondas ended a four-year playoff drought and were 13 games better than both Brussels and Cologne. Paris, last year’s division champ and conference finalist, dropped to 81-81.

In the British Isles Division, Manchester and Dublin tied for first at 94-68. The one-game tiebreaker went to the Crushers, who became the first of the four 2000 expansion teams to earn a playoff berth. The Dinos saw their divisional three-peat bid thwarted and also fell two games behind Kharkiv for the second wild card.

In the Northeast Division, Copenhagen took first at 90-72, seven games better than Stockholm. This was the eighth straight division title for the Corsairs. At the bottom, both Riga and London stunk it up at 55-107. The Monarchs were lucky that in 2006, the rule where any 100+ loss team was relegated didn’t exist yet. That rule started in 2007 though, demoting both London and the Roosters. Riga had been relegated in 2005 and promoted back in 2006, but was relegated again.

Northern Conference MVP was Warsaw 1B Alan Dikov. The 27-year old Russian led in runs (122), home runs (61), RBI (137), total bases (431), slugging (.739), OPS (1.165), and wRC+ (215). Dikov had 10.2 WAR and a .365 batting average, falling six points short of a Triple Crown. The Wildcats made sure to keep him in the Polish capital, giving Dikov an eight-year, $75,400,000 extension in the offseason.

Prague’s Ondrej Simurka won Pitcher of the Year and became the tenth EBF pitcher to earn a Triple Crown. The 30-year old Slovak righty had an inspirational comeback story, having missed nearly all of 2006 to a torn rotator cuff. In 2007, Simurka had a 19-6 record, 1.66 ERA, and 352 strikeouts over 260.1 innings. He also had a conference-best 0.81 WHIP, 26 quality starts, 21 complete games, 7 shutouts, 57 FIP-, and 9.6 WAR.

Plus, he won a Gold Glove and posted a .309/.340/.511 slash over 104 plate appearances. Sadly, Simurka’s baseball story had a tragic end. In spring training 2008, he tore his rotator cuff again and never returned to the game. In eight years, he had a 92-75 record, 2.98 ERA, 1539.2 innings, 2020 strikeouts, 126 ERA+, 77 FIP-, and 44.0 WAR.

In the first round of the playoffs, Warsaw swept Copenhagen 2-0 and Manchester topped Kharkiv 2-0. The top seeds prevailed in round two with Amsterdam sweeping the Crushers 3-0 and Kyiv downing the Wildcats 3-1. The Anacondas hadn’t been to the Northern Conference Championship since 1996. They couldn’t hold up against the defending champs as the Kings took it 4-1. Counting their EPB dominance, Kyiv has 13 pennants to their name.



The best record in EBF was a tie at 105-57 between Bratislava and Vienna, both fighting for the East Central Division title. The Blue Falcons won the one-game playoff to claim top seed and force the Vultures into a wild card. This was a franchise record for Bratislava, whose only other playoff appearance in history was their Southern Conference runner-up in 2003. Vienna grew its playoff streak to five years with a fifth consecutive 100+ win season.

The #2 seed was defending conference champ Barcelona, who won a third straight Southwest Division. The Bengals were 96-66, besting Madrid by three games. At 93-69, the Conquistadors finished one ahead of Budapest to take the second wild card. Madrid was back in the playoffs after having their seven-year streak ended the prior season.

Munich’s playoff streak grew to seven as they won the South Central Division at 92-70. Zurich’s playoff run ended at three years as they were six back at 86-76. Yerevan at 83-79 repeated as the winners of the weak Southeast Division. They were four games better than Tbilisi and six ahead of Bucharest.

Two teams were relegated from the Southern Conference with the new 100+ loss rule. Rome at 53-109 earned the last place drop, while 54-108 Odessa also got the boot. Tirana very nearly made it five teams relegated in total, but just barely survived at 63-99.

Marseille LF Jean-Luc Tapie in his first full season earned Southern Conference MVP. Nicknamed “Sugar Bear,” the 22-year old Frenchman led in home runs (54), walks (70), total bases (404), slugging (.711), OPS (1.116), and wRC+ (201). Tapie added 8.8 WAR, 115 RBI, a .327 average, and 117 runs. Tapie would become the long-term face of the Musketeers franchise, a fitting heir to the throne previously held by Jacob Ronnberg.

Vienna’s Steffen Neumann won his fourth straight Pitcher of the Year and became the only player in EBF history with three Triple Crown seasons. The 28-year old German lefty had a 20-5 record, 2.37 ERA, and 311 strikeouts over 254.1 innings. He also led in WHIP (0.94), K/BB (8.4), quality starts (28), FIP- (59), and WAR (9.3). The Vultures tried their hardest to keep Neumann, but MLB teams were ready to make him the richest pitcher in the world as he entered free agency for 2008. Neumann would sign a seven-year, $86,600,000 deal with Los Angeles, ending a magnificent run in the EBF.

Vienna survived 2-1 against Yerevan and Madrid topped Munich 2-1 in the first round of the playoffs. As the lone wild card to advance, the Vultures drew their divisional rival Bratislava in round two with the Blue Falcons winning a classic battle 3-2. Meanwhile, Barcelona edged Madrid 3-2 to keep their repeat bid alive. Bratislava had home field advantage, but couldn’t win their first Southern Conference Championship as the Bengals took the series 4-2. This was the eighth pennant for Barcelona.



The 58^th European Championship was the second time in EBF history that there was a finals rematch, joining Amsterdam versus Zurich from 1983-84. Kyiv was the favorite to repeat, but Barcelona got revenge and took the series 4-1. The Bengals became five-time European champs (1959, 64, 79, 96, 07), tying Amsterdam and Rotterdam for the most.

1B Yvonnick Bello had an impressive postseason, winning MVP of the finals and the Southern Conference Championship. The 24-year old French lefty in 16 starts had 24 hits, 12 runs, 8 home runs, and 17 RBI. Barcelona brought the title back to Spain for the first time since Madrid’s 1999 win.



Other notes: EBF’s 30^th and 31^st Perfect Games were thrown in 2007. On March 24, Dublin’s Bilal Radic fanned eight against Rotterdam. On August 15, London’s Max McArthur did it with five strikeouts versus Paris. Rome’s Augie Mora had a 36-game hit streak, the seventh-longest in EBF history. RF Pierre Durand won his seventh Gold Glove. Two-way player Atanas Kalkanov won his eighth Silver Slugger.

Dublin’s Sergio Cipolla had 133 stolen bases, falling two short of Carsten Dal’s single season record. Speaking of Dal, he became the 24^th player to reach 2500 career hits. He also finished the year with 1457 stolen bases, firmly the EBF all-time leader. Dal became the world leader the
next year and retired the all-time steals king after the 2015 season with 1995.

Promotion/Relegation: For the first time, four teams were to be relegated with four promoted. Rome, Odessa, Riga, and London were those banished to the Second League. The E2L finalists Thessaloniki and Frankfurt moved up, as did conference finalists Antwerp and Cluj-Napoca. The Drifters and Roosters ended up in the E2L Eastern Conference, while the Monarchs and Red Wolves ended up in the Western Conference.

As for the new EBF Elite alignment, there was the awkward void of the six-team British Isles Division only having five teams from the named region. By default, Antwerp was placed with that group to avoid other shuffling. Frankfurt was placed in the North Central Division, while Hamburg was swapped from the North Central to the Northeast Division to fill Riga’s spot. That division also was renamed for 2008 to the Baltic Sea Division.

The Southern Conference saw more smooth transitions as Cluj-Napoca took Rome’s spot in the South Central Division and Thessaloniki replaced Riga in the Southeast Division.