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

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2008 in EPB

Eurasian Professional Baseball had become the smallest of the Global Baseball Alliance leagues at 16 teams after the Oceania Baseball Association expanded to 20 for the 2006 season. EPB was still looking to rebuild after the great exodus of teams before the 2000 season. They wanted to wait a few years between expansion drafts, having commissioned four new teams to fill voids for 2000.



2008 was the opportunity for expansion with both the European League and Asian League getting two additional Russian teams. Joining the EL would be the Voronezh Zephyrs and the Krasnodar Steamers, while the AL gained the Vladivostok Shibas and the Perm Pitbulls.



With the addition, EPB maintained a no-division structure, making for two leagues of ten teams each. The playoff format remained the same since the 2000 exodus with the league champ and second place team as the playoff teams with a best-of-seven LCS and best-of-seven championship for the winners. The EPB maintained this alignment until its next expansion for the 2020 season.



Three-time defending EL champ Moscow took first place at 105-57, extending their playoff streak to four. Despite their recent pennants, this was the first time the Mules weren’t the wild card in that stretch. In fact, Moscow’s finish place finish was all the way back in 1966 despite having six EL titles since then. It was also their first 100+ win season since 1971.

After missing the playoffs three straight years for the first-time in franchise history, Minsk bounced back. The Miners were 95-67 to take the wild card, besting both St. Petersburg and Nizhny Novgorod by four games. 91-71 was a new franchise best for the Ninjas since joining EPB in 2000. Volgograd had earned their first playoff berth in 2007, but plummeted to 73-89 in 2008.

St. Petersburg’s Jov Sakharov made history as EPB’s first-ever five-time MVP. The 30-year old right fielder won his fifth consecutive European League MVP, leading in 2008 in runs (109), total bases (377), slugging (.640), OPS (.999), wRC+ (203), and WAR (10.4). Sakharov also had 41 home runs, 114 RBI, and a .324 average. He also picked up his seventh Silver Slugger. This would be his final MVP, although he had another eight years of baseball left.

Moscow’s Mateo Chaparro won his second Pitcher of the Year, having also won in 2005. The 34-year old Mexican lefty was in his fourth year in the Russian capital since leaving CABA’s Mexicali. Chaparro led in ERA (1.56), WHIP (0.83), and shutouts (6). He added a 19-5 record over 259.1 innings, 240 strikeouts, 207 ERA+, and 7.8 WAR. This was his final full season as he’d suffer a partially torn UCL the following summer.



Reigning EPB champion Yekaterinburg finished first atop the Asian League for the sixth straight year. The Yaks also got their ninth playoff berth in ten years, taking the top spot at 99-63. They have averaged 100.3 wins per season during their playoff run.

In a tight race for the wild card, Irkutsk (88-74) beat out Krasnoyarsk (86-76), Novosibirsk (86-76), and Ulaanbaatar (82-80). It was the second wild card in three years for the Ice Cats. Last year’s wild card Ufa dropped from 91 wins to a last place 69-93 in 2008, even falling below both expansion teams.

Ulaanbaatar RF Wolfgang Lind won Asian League MVP, leading in home runs (33), total bases (351), slugging (.585), OPS (.944), and wRC+ (173). The 29-year old German was in his seventh season in Mongolia. Lind also had a .325 average, 87 RBI, and 7.5 WAR. He would remain with the Boars his whole career, inking a six-year, $48,900,000 extension after the 2010 season.

Matvey Ivanov’s reign of nine straight Pitcher of the Year awards was ended in 2008 by his Yekaterinburg teammate Josef Popov. The 30-year old Russian righty joined Ivanov as a Triple Crown winner, posting a 23-4 record, 2.11 ERA, and 294 strikeouts in 260.2 innings. Popov also led in WHIP (0.9), quality starts (25), and WAR (8.2). That effort earned him a six-year, $25,000,000 extension the following spring.

Also notable was Irkutsk closer Stilian Zaborov joining Svetoslav Angelov as EPB’s only five-time Reliever of the Year winners. The 32-year old Zaborov had 36 saves, a 1.34 ERA, 87.1 innings, 130 strikeouts, and 5.0 WAR in 2008. He pitched two more years and was derailed by a torn UCL in 2009.

Moscow had won three straight European League Championship Series’ as the wild card. They were the #1 seed in 2008, but their fate was reversed with Minsk ousting them 4-1. The Miners reclaimed their throne for the first time since the 2000-04 five-peat. It was their 19^th pennant overall.

Meanwhile in the Asian League Championship Series, Yekaterinburg survived in a seven game fight with Irkutsk. The Yaks won their third straight pennant, their fifth in six years, and seventh of the 2000s. Yekaterinburg earned its tenth pennant overall.



The 54^th EPB Championship was the sixth finals meeting between Yekaterinburg and Minsk. The Yaks had controlled the series by winning the inaugural 1955 final, as well as in 1989, 2003, and 2004. The lone Miners win came in 2000. In the 2008 edition, Yekaterinburg won with ease by sweeping Minsk. It was the first finals sweep since their 2003 encounter.



The Yaks repeated as champs and won their fourth title in six years, moving to 7-3 all-time in the finals. As of 2037, they’re the only EPB team to pull off four rings in six years. Minsk still has the most overall titles with a 12-7 finals record.

Vasili Maksymov had a big postseason, winning finals MVP and ALCS MVP. The 31-year old right fielder repeated as finals MVP, making 11 playoff starts with 19 hits, 11 runs, 2 doubles, 1 triple, 2 homers, 8 RBI, and 13 stolen bases.

Other notes: Both Matvey Ivanov and Markiyan Konoplya hit the 250 win and 4000 strikeout milestones in 2008. There are now 10 EPB pitchers with 250 wins and 28 with 4000 Ks. 3B Boxuan Long won his tenth Silver Slugger.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2008 in EBF

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Three teams were fighting for the two playoff byes in the EBF Elite Northern Conference. The #1 seed went to Warsaw at 105-57 atop the North Central Division. The Wildcats earned repeat playoff berths and their fifth playoff berth in six years. Warsaw was nine games better than two-time defending conference champ Kyiv at 96-66. The Kings took the first wild card to extend their playoff streak to five seasons. Notably, Kharkiv dropped to 76-84 for their first losing season since joining EBF. The Killer Bees last losing season in EPB was way back in 1991 at 80-82.

British Isles Division champ Dublin and Northwest Division champ Cologne both took their titles at 102-60. The Copperheads earned the bye with the tiebreaker in their first playoff appearance since joining with the 2000 expansion. The Dinos secured a third division title in four years and had 447 stolen bases as a team, the third best in conference history. Last year’s division champ Manchester dropped to 77-83.

Brussels was seven back on Cologne in the Northwest Division at 95-67. The Beavers easily took the second wild card, finishing ten games ahead of their closest foe Luxembourg. It was Brussels’ first playoff berth since 1994. Last year’s conference runner-up Amsterdam dropped to 80-82.

The newly named Baltic Sea Division had the weakest playoff team with 90-72 Hamburg on top. The Hammers were eight games ahead of Oslo and grabbed their second berth in three years. Copenhagen’s reign of dominance ended with the Corsairs dropping to 79-83. This snapped an eight-year division title streak and was Copenhagen’s first losing season since 1993.

Antwerp struggled in their debut season at 55-107 and were relegated right back to the Second League. Rotterdam was second worst and narrowly escaped their own demotion at 63-99, one loss away from the cut line. Berlin’s pitching was bad, allowing 1674 hits (the second worst in conference history). However, the Barons at 69-93 were safe.

Leading Cologne to their first playoff berth was Northern Conference MVP LF Dominik Brozik. The 25-year old Czech was picked 16^th overall in the 2006 EBF Draft and had won Rookie of the Year in 2007. In 2008, he led in runs (132) and posted 211 hits, 45 home runs, 116 RBI, a .346/.395/.631 slash, 189 wRC+, and 9.5 WAR. The Copperheads had another Rookie of the Year as well in 3B Aaron Romero, who debuted with an impressive 54 home run, 131 runs, 8.6 WAR effort.

Brussels had the Pitcher of the Year Gustav Rosengren. In his second season in the rotation full-time, the 24-year old 6’6’’ Swedish righty led in WAR (8.7) and quality starts (24). Rosengren added a 2.41 ERA over 250.1 innings, 16-6 record, 280 strikeouts, and 161 ERA+.

In the first round of the playoffs, Kyiv edged Hamburg 2-1 and Dublin swept Brussels. The Kings upset their division rival Warsaw 3-2 in round two, sending Kyiv to a fourth straight Northern Conference Championship. Cologne outlasted Dublin 3-2 to give the Copperheads their first shot at a pennant. The Kings’ experience paid off as they were the road winner 4-2 over Cologne, sending Kyiv to a third straight European Championship.



Madrid was the Southern Conference’s only triple-digit winner at 102-60 atop a loaded Southwest Division. The Conquistadors earned repeat playoff appearances and their ninth in a decade. They had to fend off strong efforts from Seville (92-70), Lisbon (90-72), Marseille (90-72), and Barcelona (85-77). The Stingrays had been relegated only two years prior, but returned to form and took the first wild card. It was their first playoff berth since 2001.

Budapest had the #2 seed at 95-67, winning the East Central Division and ending a four-year playoff drought. Athens was second at 91-71, followed by Bratislava at 89-73. The Anchors ended up the second wild and ended their own five year drought. They were one ahead of the Clippers and Musketeers and two better than the Blue Falcons for the second wild card spot.

Bratislava had won 106 games the prior year, but missed the field in 2008. Reigning EBF champ and two-time defending conference champ Barcelona also missed the cut at 85-77, ending their playoff streak at three. Another broken streak was Vienna, who had seen five straight division titles and 100+ win seasons. The Vultures were a non-factor in 2008 at 78-84, their first losing season since 1999.

Bucharest grabbed the Southeast Division at 89-73, topping defending champ Yerevan by four games. This was the first EBF playoff berth for the Broncos, whose last playoff appearance was the 1991 EPB season. The South Central Division had Munich (87-75) outlast Malta (84-78) and Milan (81-81). The Mavericks extended their playoff streak to eight seasons, the longest active streak in EBF.

Newly promoted Cluj-Napoca was an abysmal 42-120, tying 1982 Malta for the worst record in EBF history. They were the lone relegated team from the Southern Conference, although Sofia (63-99) and Tirana (64-98) both came very close to the dreaded 100 loss mark. Zurich was notable at 68-94 as well, the worst season for the Mountaineers in 38 years.

Marseille RF Jean-Luc Tapie repeated as Southern Conference MVP in his second season as a starter. The 23-year old French lefty led in runs (130), home runs (59), walks (97), total bases (407), OBP (.451), slugging (.758), OPS (1.209), wRC+ (215), and WAR (9.8). Tapie added a .346 average and 121 RBI.

Pitcher of the Year was fourth-year Malta lefty Albino Molinari. The 26-year old Italian led in wins (20-8), ERA (2.47), innings (262), and complete games (18). Molinari added 236 strikeouts, a 155 ERA+, and 6.5 WAR. He fell 22 strikeouts short of a Triple Crown season.

Munich edged Seville 2-1 and Bucharest swept Athens 2-0 in the first round. Madrid outlasted the Mavericks 3-2 in round two, while the Broncos upset Budapest 3-1. The Conquistadors were making their fifth Southern Conference Championship appearance in a decade, while Bucharest hadn’t been there before. The Broncos pulled off the road upset 4-2 over Madrid for their first SC pennant. Bucharest had twice won the EPB’s European League (1957, 1984).



The 59^th European Championship was notable for being the first finals matchup between two squads that came over from Eurasian Professional Baseball in the 2000 exodus. There wouldn’t be another such matchup until 2036. Once upon a time, Kyiv and Bucharest were also rivals in the EPB European League’s South Division.

In the finale, the Kings bested the Broncos 4-1 to give Kyiv its second EBF title in three years. Finals MVP was LF Thomas Alasia in his lone season with the Kings. The Italian journeyman at age 34 had 19 playoff starts, 18 hits, 14 runs, 3 doubles, 8 home runs, and 14 RBI.



Counting their EPB rings, this was the 10^th overall championship for the Kings. They joined EPB’s Minsk (12), SAB’s Ahmedabad (12), and CABA’s Mexico City (10) as the only franchises with ten titles. Kyiv is now 10-4 all-time in their finals appearances. This ultimately was the peak for the Ukrainian capital, which wouldn’t be back in the EBF Championship in the following 28 years.

Other notes: Athens; Tanveer Mannan became the fourth EBF player to bat above .400 in a season. His .4041 remains the second-best mark in EBF history behind Franco Gilbert’s .4083 from 1984. Mannan had two separate 31-game hitting streaks and narrowly missed having those combined. In an opener role, Charles-Henri Delacoeur set the EBF record for games started on the mound with 73. He had a 3.25 ERA over 122 innings in the effort.

Villum Kleist joined Jack Kennedy in the 800 home run club. Kleist would play one more season and finish with 823 dingers, second to Kennedy’s 875. He still ranks third as of 2037. Kleist also became the 25^th to reach 2500 hits. He finished also with 1934 RBI, retiring fourth all-time and ranking ninth as of 2037.

Mattias Stole and Carsten Dal became the 13^th and 14^th to reach 1500 runs scored. Two-way player Atanas Kalkanov won his ninth Silver Slugger and his eighth as a pitcher. Oslo SS Harvey Coyle won his first Gold Glove and second Silver Slugger at age 21. He posted a 12.0 WAR season to begin his path to becoming pro baseball’s all-time WARlord.

Promotion/Relegation: Both Antwerp and Cluj-Napoca were sent right back down after only one season in the top rung. Rome took back the Paladins spot in the South Central Division, while Krakow was placed in the North Central Division. For balance, Berlin was shifted from the North Central to the Northwest and Rotterdam was sent into the British Isles Division to replace the Airedales.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2008 in BSA



Guayaquil ended a five-year playoff drought and took the top seed in the Bolivar League in 2008. The Golds were 104-58 atop the Colombia-Ecuador Division and dethroned Bogota and Cali, who both finished 87-75. The Bats specifically saw their playoff streak end at five years with only their third miss since 1991. Both teams were three games short in the wild card race.

Santa Cruz won a third straight Peru-Bolivia Division with a franchise-best 101-61. The Crawfish had never won 90+ games in a season since joining Beisbol Sudamerica in 1974. Callao was second in the division at 90-72, taking the wild card by three games over Bogota and Cali. The Cats ended the longest active playoff drought in BSA at 40 years. Barquisimeto snapped its six-year playoff drought by taking a weak Venezuela Division at 84-78. Defending Bolivar League champ Valencia was second at 82-80.

Bolivar League MVP went to Medellin RF Manuel Marquez in his fourth season. The 24-year old Colombian lefty led in runs (121), home runs (48), and total bases (397). Despite his team winning 73 games, he still posted 114 RBI, 202 hits, 6.5 WAR, and a .987 OPS.

Valencia’s Franco Rodriguez repeated and won his third Pitcher of the Year in four years. The 27-year old righty from Argentina led in strikeouts (318), innings (279.1), K/BB (9.1), complete games (16), and WAR (8.7). Rodriguez added a 3.25 ERA, 16-12 record, and 125 ERA+. In June, the Velocity locked up Rodriguez with a six-year, $48,800,000 extension.

Wild card Callao shocked Guayaquil 3-1 in the Divisional Series, while Santa Cruz swept Barquisimeto. The Cats’ last Bolivar League Championship Series appearance was 1967, while the Crawfish had never gotten that far. Santa Cruz earned their first pennant, taking the BLCS 4-1 over Callao. With that, all four of the 1974 expansion teams now have at least one pennant.



Fortaleza had a historic season in 2008, posting a franchise record 114-48 atop the Southern Cone League’s North Division. The Foxes ended a two-year playoff drought and set a league record for runs scored at 858, which remains the Southern Cone record as of 2037. Fortaleza shared a division with a strong Salvador squad that easily was the wild card at 101-61. The defending Copa Sudamerica champion Storm earned a third straight playoff berth. The division also had a 90-72 Recife squad.

90-72 won the Southeast Division for Rio de Janeiro, extending their plyoff streak to six seasons. The Redbirds were two games ahead of Buenos Aires thanks to their home run power, setting a new league record with 266. That sits third best as of 2037.

Asuncion won a third consecutive South Central Division title and earned their tenth playoff berth since 1997. At 86-76, the Archers edged out an 83-79 Cordoba squad. It is a remarkable stretch for Asuncion, who had earned only one playoff appearance from 1931-1996.

Brasilia was just above .500 and had the Southern Cone League MVP Alex Dos Santos. The 28-year old Chilean first baseman led in home runs (53), triple slash (.372/.408/.701), OPS (1.109), wRC+ (212), and WAR (9.t). Dos Santos also had 219 hits, 116 runs, and 124 RBI. He was 10 RBI short of earning a Triple Crown. The Bearcats gave their beloved slugger a seven-year, $53,200,000 extension the following summer.

Veteran pitcher Hernan Mendez won Pitcher of the Year for Buenos Aires. The 35-year old Venezuelan lefty had never been a finalist in his career, but took the top honor with a league-best 2.53 ERA. Mendez also had an 18-10 record in 245 innings, 273 strikeouts, 148 ERA+, and 6.3 WAR. Injuries effectively derailed Mendez after that, but it was a nice capper in a Hall of Good career. He prevented his Hogs teammate Juilao Costa from his seventh POTY despite leading with 8.1 WAR. Costa left for MLB the following year at age 33.

The wild card facing the top seed in the Divisional Series meant a loaded first round matchup between Fortaleza and Salvador. The reigning champs ousted the 114-win Foxes 3-2. On the other side, Rio de Janeiro swept Asuncion to send the Redbirds to their fourth Southern Cone Championship in six years. Rio ousted Salvador 4-2 to claim a second pennant in six years. It was their third overall (1970, 2003, 2008).



In the 78^th Copa Sudamerica, Santa Cruz defeated Rio de Janeiro 4-2 for their first title. It was the first time the Cup went to a Bolivian team since La Paz’s 1940s dynasty. 3B Timmy Andre won finals MVP in his seventh season for the Crawfish. The French Guianese righty had 24 hits, 12 runs, 4 doubles, 3 homers, and 8 RBI in 14 playoff starts.



With Santa Cruz’s win, 26 of the 30 Beisbol Sudamerica teams have won Copa Sudamerica at least once. That left the 1987 expansion teams (Arequipa and Mendoza) along with original squads Montevideo and Maracaibo as the only ringless teams. The Venom are the only original team without a single finals berth. It wouldn’t get easier either with 2008 being the final season of the 30 team format. Each division would add a team starting in 2009 for a 6x6 structure.

Other notes: Milton Becker became professional baseball’s world home run king in his final season. The long-time Caracas legend stunningly was traded by the Colts to Valencia at the deadline with 927, one short of the world record 928 set by Prometheto Garcia between CABA and MLB. Becker hit 14 more with the Velocity to finish his career with 941. This remains the BSA all-time mark, although the Arab League’s Nordine Soule would pass him for the world title in 2011.

Becker suffered a torn labrum in September that officially ended his career at age 39. He retired also as BSA’s all-time leader in RBI (2226) and runs (1980). Both sit second as of 2037, passed in the mid 2020s by Niccolo Coelho. Becker also ended with 3386 hits, which was second all-time at retirement and ranks fifth as of 2037.

Pedro Souza became the fourth batter to 700 home runs. He and Vicente Sainz made 19 members of the 1500 RBI club. Emiliano Pina hit his 600^th homer in 2008, the 13^th to reach that mark. 1B DJ Del Valle won his 15^th Gold Glove, the only player in BSA at any position to do so. 2B Jose Antonio Saenz won his seventh Gold Glove. 1B Arsenio Araujo won his eighth Silver Slugger.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2008 in EAB



Hiroshima’s streak of West Division titles was ended at eight seasons in 2007. In 2008, the Hammerheads reclaimed the thrown at 106-56. They fended off a very strong field of Kitakyushu (94-68), Fukuoka (89-73), and Kumamoto (87-75) and were the only EAB team to allow fewer than 500 runs.

Nagoya was the #2 seed, winning the Central Division at 95-67. The Nightowls were 11 games ahead of Kobe and ended a seven-year playoff drought. Niigata won a third straight North Division at 93-69, 13 games better than their nearest foe. The Green Dragons earned their seventh playoff berth of the 2000s.

The Capital Division was again the “Crapital” Division. Tokyo won the Japan League last year despite only going 82-80 to win the division. The Tides took the top spot for the third straight year, but did it with an abysmal 78-84. Chiba at 72-90 was the closest foe. This wasn’t even the weakest division title in history for Tokyo, who won a pennant in 1995 at 74-88.

Hiroshima’s Hitoshi Kubota repeated as Japan League MVP and became the sixth EAB batter to earn a Triple Crown. The 25-year old switch-hitting left fielder he 51 home runs, 127 RBI, and a .325 average. Kubota also led in total bases (375), slugging (.666), and OPS (1.070) while posting 8.0 WAR and a 201 wRC+.

Kitakyushu’s Sekien Ida won Pitcher of the Year, leading in ERA (1.49), WHIP (0.79), K/BB (13.0), FIP- (33), and WAR (10.0). It was Ida’s second POTY, having also won in 2004. The 30-year old had a 17-8 record over 205 innings, 286 strikeouts, and a 227 ERA+. This earned him a six-year, $47,400,000 extension in the offseason from the Kodiaks.

Also of note, Fukuoka’s Heihachiro Okasawa won a third straight Reliever of the Year. He had a 0.77 ERA, 43 saves, and 6.6 WAR. That was the third-lowest ERA ever posted by a Japan League ROTY winner. It was the first sub-one ERA for a JL award winner since 1992.

Niigata outlasted Nagoya 3-2 in the first round, sending the Green Dragons to their fifth Japan League Championship Series of the 2000s. Despite a weak record again, Tokyo stunned Hiroshima 3-1 for a third straight JLCS. The Hammerheads’ playoff woes continue with no pennants despite nine playoff berths in ten years. In that stretch, they’ve gone one-and-done seven times.

Niigata would cruise to a 4-1 win over Tokyo to claim a fourth Japan League pennant in six years (2003, 2004, 2006, 2008). It was the sixth title for the Green Dragons since joining EAB in the 1978 expansion, having also won the JL in 1990 and 1991.



Defending East Asia Baseball champ Yongin had the Korea League’s best record at 100-62, extending their playoff streak to four seasons. The Gold Sox won the South Division by only one game, fending off 99-63 Gwangju. The Grays easily took the first wild card, earning their first playoff berth since their 1993 pennant. Last year’s division champ Ulsan plummeted to 74-88, while Busan went from a 97-win wild card to a mere 84-78.

Four teams were in the mix in a competitive North Division. Seongnam (97-65) took first, bouncing back after repeat losing seasons. Goyang was second at 94-68, narrowly taking the second wild card and ending a two-year playoff skid. Both Seoul and Suwon finished one behind at 93-69. That ended a four-year playoff streak for the Seahawks, who had won the pennant from 2004-06 and were KLCS runner-up in 2007.

In 2007, Suwon LF A-Min Bae became the first Triple Crown hitter in EAB since 1966. He repeated the feat in 2008 and became the only hitter to do it twice. Still in only his third season, the 23-year old repeated as Korea League MVP with 61 home runs, 137 RBI, and a .385 average.

Bae also led in runs (132), total bases (449), OBP (.436), slugging (.805), OPS (1.240), wRC+ (238), and WAR (13.6). The WAR mark was the third-best season in EAB history by a position player and the OPS ranked second all-time to that point. The .805 slugging did set a new EAB single-season record that would only be passed once in 2028.

Gwangju’s Se-Dol Cheon won Pitcher of the Year honors, repeating as ERA champ with a career-best 1.69. Cheon added 6.9 WAR and a 217 ERA+ over 218.2 innings with a 20-4 record and 218 strikeouts. The Grays would give him a six-year, $68,600,000 extension before the 2010 season, but later injuries sadly derailed his efforts.

Goyang upset defending champ Yongin with a first round sweep, while Seongnam swept Gwangju. The Spiders had made the Korea League Championship Series recently in 2003 in 2004, but the Green Sox hadn’t since their lone 1991 pennant. Goyang kept rolling, ousting their divisional rival 4-1 for their second-ever KL championship.




Goyang’s only other East Asian Championship appearance was in 1991, when Niigata earned their first-ever title. The Green Dragons again denied the Green Sox their first-ever title, taking the 88^th championship in a seven game classic. Niigata won their second title in three years and their third overall. LF Ye-Jun Moon was finals MVP with 17 playoff starts, 21 hits, 10 runs, 5 extra base hits, and 14 stolen bases. The 14 steals matched the EAB playoff record set in 1964.



Other notes: EAB’s 33^rd perfect game came on August 19 as Pyongyang’s Purevsukh Tomorbaatar struck out six against Daegu. LF Munenao Abe won his seventh Gold Glove.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2008 in CABA

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The Mexican League’s North Division was very competitive with three teams fighting for the top spot. Hermosillo and Torreon tied for first at 99-63, while Chihuahua was two back at 97-65. The one-game tiebreaker went to the Hyenas for their first division title since their 1989 championship season. Hermosillo did earn a third straight playoff berth.

The Tomahawks were the first wild card, ending a two-year playoff drought. The Warriors were the second wild card, which ended the longest active playoff drought in CABA. Chihuahua hadn’t been in the playoffs since 1962, a 45-year drought. That was the longest drought in Mexican League history and the second-longest in CABA history.

Ecatepec repeated as South Division champ at 94-68, earning their 14^th playoff berth in 16 years. Merida finished two back at 92-70 with Leon four back a 90-72. The Mean Green and Lions were five and seven back in the wild card race, respectively. Reigning Mexican League champ Mexicali dropped to 86-76.

3B/1B Donald Gonzalez finally willed Chihuahua to the playoffs and won his fifth Mexican League MVP (2002, 04, 05, 07, 08). He also joined legends Kiko Velazquez and Prometheo Garcia (5) as four-time Triple Crown winners. The 29-year old Puerto Rican had 52 home runs, 145 RBI, and a .370 average. It was his sixth time leading in homers, fifth in RBI, and fifth in batting average. It was also good for his seventh Silver Slugger and his second at third base (the previous five were at first base).

Gonzalez also led in hits (220), total bases (412), OBP (.428), slugging (.692), OPS (1.120), wRC+ (223), and WAR (11.4). He also posted a 37-game hitting streak that carried over from the prior year, which fell one short of Ivan Iniguez’s CABA record of 38 from 1911. The Warriors would have him for another two seasons before he left for a historic five-year, $90,000,000 deal with MLB’s St. Louis Cardinals.

Hermosillo’s Simon Leal won his second Pitcher of the Year in three seasons. The 31-year old Mexican righty led in wins (22-9), ERA (1.99), FIP- (68), and WAR (7.1). Leal had 313 strikeouts in 253 innings with a 182 ERA+. He fell a mere five strikeouts short of his own Triple Crown. The Hyenas signed him to a seven-year, $66,500,000 extension the prior spring.

Hermosillo swept Chihuahua in the first round and Ecatepec outlasted Torreon 3-2. It was the second Mexican League Championship Series in three years for the Hyenas and the 13^th since 1993 for the Explosion. Top-seeded Hermosillo rolled to the title 4-1 over Ecatepec; their first since 1989. The Hyenas became eight-time Mexican champs.



Two-time defending CABA champ Haiti showed no sign of slowing down. The Herons had the Caribbean League’s best record at 108-54 atop the Island Division, extending their playoff streak to 12. It was their 11^th division title of that stretch. The Herons had a team OBP of .345, which set a new CABA record that held until 2028.

The Continental Division was tight with Salvador (96-66) topping Panama (94-68) and Nicaragua (90-72). The Stallions grew their playoff streak to six seasons and earned their 15^th berth in 17 years. For the Parrots, they ended the longest playoff drought in CABA history. Panama hadn’t made it since their 1946 championship; 61 years prior. That was also the longest drought in professional baseball history.

The Navigators also ended their own significant playoff drought at 17 seasons, taking the second wild card by six games over Costa Rica and seven over Santo Domingo. Honduras was at 79-83, ending a ten-year playoff streak. It was the Horsemen’s first losing season since 1992.

Despite that, Honduras 1B Salvador Soliz picked up Caribbean League MVP honors. The 27-year old Guatemalan led in hits (213), RBI (135), total bases (412), average (.340), slugging (.658), and wRC+ (169). Soliz added 7.4 WAR and 51 home runs, falling two dingers short of a Triple Crown.

Panama’s Adrian Estrella won Pitcher of the Year in his third season. The 25-year old Salvadoran led in quality starts (25) and posted a 2.38 ERA over 227 innings, 285 strikeouts, 13-11 record, 173 ERA+, and 7.0 WAR. Also of note, Haiti’s Vicente Gonzalez became a three-time Reliever of the Year winner.

Nicaragua shocked Haiti 3-1 in the first round of the playoffs, ending the Herons’ three-peat bid. It was the Navigators’ first time making it to the Caribbean League Championship Series since their back-to-back pennants in 1989-90. Salvador survived in five over Panama, sending the Stallions to their tenth CLCS since 1992. Nicaragua stunned Salvador with a road sweep for their third-ever Caribbean title.



Incidentally, Hermosillo’s last win in the Central American Baseball Association Championship came at the expense of Nicaragua back in 1989. The Navigators were one of only eight CABA teams that hadn’t won it all. The other seven were all expansion teams, leaving Nicaragua as the only original team not to win it all in the prior 97 years.

The 98^th CABA Championship an all-timer as it was the fourth time that the series was decided with an extra innings game seven. In the bottom of the 15^th inning, Hermosillo CF Jeronimo Martinez smacked the walk off RBI single to give the Hyenas a 10-9 victory. Nicaragua remained ringless in three tries, while Hermosillo won its fourth title (1947, 1983, 1989, 2008). The Hyenas were the first Mexican League North Division team to win it all since Monterrey in 1996.



Ironically, finals MVP went to 3B Gilberto Serrano. He played from 1996-07 with the Navigators, but was traded to Hermosillo in January 2008. The 33-year old native Nicaraguan thwarted his former squad, getting 16 hits, 6 runs, 2 double, 1 triple, 3 homers, and 8 RBI over 14 playoff starts.

Other notes: Furgan Kalkavan had a 34-game hit streak, which was the fifth-longest in CABA history to that point. San Luis Potosi had a team ERA of 4.86 with 832 runs allowed and 784 earned runs. Each was an all-time Mexican League worst. The ERA and runs mark would be beat, but the earned runs stat still holds in 2037.

Luis Fernandez and Corneles Menendez both reached 600 career home runs, making it 15 batters in CABA to hit the mark. Menendez also became the 23^rd player to cross 1500 RBI.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2008 in MLB

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Philadelphia repeated as the National Association’s #1 seed, taking the East Division at 103-59. This was the seventh division title in a decade for the Phillies. Washington (96-66) and Baltimore (93-69) gave them a fierce challenge. The Admirals repeated as a wild card team. The Orioles had an impressive turnaround from only 68 wins the prior year, but their playoff drought ultimately grew to 22 games.

The #2 seed was Upper Midwest Division champ Detroit at 96-66. It was the third playoff berth in four years for the Tigers, but their last division title was back in 1988. Cleveland was two back at 94-68, finishing one better than Baltimore for the second wild card. It was the sixth playoff berth in the last decade for the Cobras. Winnipeg, winners of the National Association pennant in three of the last four seasons, missed the cut at 87-75.

Cincinnati repeated as Lower Midwest Division champs at 94-68, finishing seven games ahead of Kansas City. Boston secured a third consecutive Northeast Division title and their fourth in five years. The Red Sox were 92-70, eight games better than Hartford.

Philadelphia 1B Murad Doskaliev repeated as National Association MVP and won his fourth overall MVP counting his Asian Baseball Federation days with Asgabat. The Tajik lefty had become the MLB single-season home run king the prior year with 65, beating Emmanuel Kao’s 63 from 2001. Doskaliev matched the former high mark with 63 dingers in 2008.

The 32-year old Doskaliev also led in runs (131), RBI (148), total bases (431), slugging (.666), OPS (1.024), and wRC+ (209). He posted 204 hits, a .315 average, and 9.8 WAR. Doskaliev would have one more year with the Phillies, and then signed a four-year, $70,000,000 deal in 2010 with Detroit.

Pitcher of the Year was Winnipeg’s Timothy Shibuya in his eighth year with the Wolves. The 28-year old lefty from Calgary led in ERA (1.90), and WHIP (0.85). Shibuya added a 19-8 record over 269.2 innings, 253 strikeouts, 183 ERA+, and 7.4 WAR.

In the first round of the playoffs, Washington edged Boston 2-1 and Cincinnati edged Cleveland 2-1. Both continued onto second round upsets with the Admirals sweeping Philadelphia and the Reds outlasting Detroit 3-2. Cincinnati hadn’t been in the National Association Championship Series since 1976, while Washington hadn’t since 1995. The Reds rolled the Admirals 4-1 for the franchise’s second-ever pennant, joining their 1919 World Series win.



Albuquerque’s six-year playoff streak was ended in 2007. In 2008, the Isotopes had the American Association’s best record at 104-58, winning the Southwest Division. They were five games ahead of defending World Series champ San Diego at 99-63. The Seals had the AA’s second-best record, but were stuck as the first wild card. It was SD’s third consecutive playoff appearance.

The #2 seed went to Austin at 97-65, wining their second South Central Division in three years. Houston was a close second at 94-68, taking the second wild card by one game. The Hornets had seen their five-year playoff streak ended the prior season. They were one game better than both Nashville and Atlanta, who ended the regular season at 93-69.

The Knights and Aces tied for first in the Southeast Division and only one could advance. Nashville claimed the tiebreaker game for their sixth playoff berth of the 2000s, while the defending division champ Atlanta missed the cut.

After taking a wild card the prior year, Portland won the Northwest Division at 87-75. The Pacifics had never won the division title post alignment and hadn’t finished first in the standings since 1919. Denver (83-79) and Calgary (81-81) were their closest foes. Last year’s AACS runner-up Seattle plummeted from 102 wins to a mere 71-91. It was the first losing season by the Grizzlies since 1996.

Despite Salt Lake City finishing 78-84, Loons CF Morgan Short won his fourth American Association MVP in five years. The 27-year old lefty led in hits (208), batting average (.359), and WAR (11.9). It was his fourth season with 11.9 WAR, which ranked 7^th-10^th among MLB position player seasons as of 2037.

Short won his third Gold Glove, posting a 15.8 zone rating in center field. He also had 117 runs, 26 home runs, 92 RBI, and a 1.025 OPS. He played one more year for Salt Lake, then signed a historic eight-year, $111,100,000 deal with Los Angeles for the 2010 season; possibly the first nine-figure deal in baseball history.

Pitcher of the Year was San Diego’s Vic Ryan in his eighth year with the Seals. The 28-year old righty from Los Gatos, California was the WARlord at 9.9 and led with 21 complete games, 6 shutouts, and a 63 FIP-. Ryan added a 2.40 ERA over 288.2 innings, 21-9 record, and 273 strikeouts with a 159 ERA+.

Also notable was Rookie of the Year Isaac Cox, the sixth overall pick in 2007 by Denver. He led in OPS (1.043) and wRC+ (179) as a rookie, adding 47 home runs and 7.4 WAR. The Dragons realized they struck gold, but they not have realized that Cox would eventually become MLB’s all-time home run king.

San Diego swept Portland and Houston edged Nashville 2-1 in the first round of the playoffs. Both wild cards prevailed in round two with the Seals topping Austin 2-1 and the Hornets stunning Albuquerque 3-1. Houston earned its second American Association Championship Series in three years, although they hadn’t won the pennant since 1952. San Diego would extend that drought for the Hornets, winning the AACS 4-2 to repeat as champs. It was the Seals’ eighth AA crown.



The 108^th World Series had San Diego looking to repeat and extend the American Association’s title streak to five years. Cincinnati thwarted those plans in their second-ever appearance, winning 4-1. Pitcher Danny Bates was World Series MVP, having joined the Reds in a July trade with Montreal. The 28-year old was 4-0 in six playoff starts with a 2.03 ERA, 44.1 innings, and 32 strikeouts.



Cincinnati had an 89-year gap between MLB titles with their other win back in 1919. This was surprisingly only the second-longest gap behind Milwaukee’s 98 years between their 1904 win and 2002 title. It was the fourth title for an Ohio team, as Cleveland had won in 1927 and 2000. The longest active gap between titles belongs to Tampa, who hasn’t been back to the World Series since winning the very first one in 1901.

Other notes: Pittsburgh at 58-104 had a historically inept offense. The Pirates set all-time MLB lows in runs (437), triple slash (.197/.257/.301), and hits (1070). The triple slash and hit marks remain all-time worsts as of 2037, while the runs mark remains second worst. They are the only MLB offense in 136 seasons to hit below the Mendoza Line as a team. Pittsburgh’s pitching was actually respectable finishing 10^th in runs allowed, keeping them from having a worse record.

Philadelphia’s Robert Tau threw MLB’s 22^nd perfect game on September 4 against the hapless Pirates, striking out seven. Montreal’s Bryce West also threw a no-hitter against Pittsburgh in August. Oddly enough despite having only 22 perfectos in 108 years, it was the fourth year in a row to have one.

Austin’s Udugama Bandara became the 41^st pitcher to reach 250 career wins. Hartford’s Josh Duffy had a 34-game hit streak. LF Tito Infante won his eighth straight Gold Glove. P Theron Summers and CF Damien Yang became seven-time Gold Glove winners. 3B Daniel Hecker and CF Morgan Short became seven-time Silver Slugger winners.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2009 MLB Hall of Fame (Part 1)

Major League Baseball had three players added into the Hall of Fame in the 2009 class. Each earned a first ballot spot with SP Francis Saidi the headliner at 98.7%. Joining him was catcher Hui-Yan Han at 79.8% and pitcher Samuel Raimundes at 70.2%.



Eight other players were above 50%, but short of 60%. SP Chris Doyle led that group with 59.9% in his second try. RF Brian Ostrovskaya picked up 56.1% with his fifth ballot. Closer Brendan Gordon had 55.4% for his fourth go. Three players had 52.9% with CF Will Kemme (5^th), 2B Chaz Cimarron (2^nd), and SP Dirk Hughes (1^st). C Elliott McKay earned 52.6% in his second go and RF Mike Castaneda was at 50.3% on his eighth attempt.

RF Baptiste Viens fell off after ten failed ballots. The French lefty had a 19-year career with four teams and posted one Silver Slugger, 2454 hits, 1279 runs, 429 doubles, 479 home runs, 1513 RBI, a .295/.353/.524 slash, 138 wRC+, and 67.4 WAR.

Viens won two NCAA MVPs with Boston College and was the 1979 MVP of the World Baseball Championship. However, he lacked league leading stats or MLB awards, falling into the Hall of Pretty Good space. Viens peaked at 37.0% on his fourth ballot and ended at 23.1%.

Two others made it ten ballots, but fell below 5% at the end. SP Ben Piccininni had a 14-year career mostly with Phoenix and won 1988 Pitcher of the Year. He had a 163-86 record, 2452.1 innings, 2158 strikeouts, 127 ERA+, and 60.9 WAR. Piccininni seemed to be on pace for induction, but a catastrophic torn flexor tendon in 1990 at age 30 effectively ended his career. He missed all of 1991 and 1992, then struggled with a brief comeback attempt after. He peaked with 24.2% on his second ballot.

SP Rogelio Robles had a 15-year run mostly with New York, posting a 159-145 record, 2.87 ERA, 2877.1 innings, 2608 strikeouts, 848 walks, 125 ERA+, and 73.2 WAR. Robles also seemed to have a shot with a strong 20s, but back injuries rendered him ineffective in his 30s. He got to 28.3% on his second ballot and ended at 3.5%.



Francis Saidi – Starting Pitcher – Indianapolis Racers – 98.7% First Ballot

Francis Saidi was a 6’7’’, 205 pound left-handed pitcher from Kansas City, Missouri. Saidi would become best known as a true ironman pitcher that never got hurt and had excellent stamina. He tossed 230+ innings in all but one of his 21 seasons and had 280+ in 13 seasons. Saidi was very much “ol reliable” with 495 of his 729 starts being quality starts and 314 being complete games.

Saidi’s stuff was merely above average with only 92-94 mph on his fastball. His movement and control were both consistently quite good though and he was great at coaxing groundballs. His other pitches were a slider and curveball. Saidi was also very good at holding runners and was solid defensively. His legendary durability and work ethic made him a fan favorite in each stop during his lengthy tenure.

In college, Saidi was a Kentucky Wildcat, posting a 22-16 record, 295 innings, 2.56 ERA, 245 strikeouts, 68 walks, 137 ERA+, and 7.5 WAR over three seasons. That reliability and being a tall lefty earned him plenty of first round attention ahead of the 1982 MLB Draft. Saidi was picked 26^th overall by Indianapolis. He would spend the first decade of his career in the Circle City.

Saidi did spend some time in his first two seasons in minor league Fort Wayne, but still posted 234.1 innings and 173.2 innings for the big league club with promising results. Saidi placed third in 1983 Rookie of the Year voting. He had a full-time rotation slot in 1985 and made 33 or more starts every year for the next 19 years. He led the National Association in 1987 in innings, quality starts, and complete games.

He also led in quality starts in 1988 with a career best 32 and posted career highs in ERA (1.97), and strikeouts (207). Saidi was second in Pitcher of the Year voting, the only time he was a finalist in the front end of his career. He was reliably good, but lacked the strikeout dominance to really get noticed outside of Indianapolis.

The Racers were terminally mid during Saidi’s tenure, averaging 81.1 wins per season. 1988 was their only playoff berth in his time with a first round playoff exit. Still, Saidi was very popular with Racers fans and his #2 uniform would later be retired by the club. In April 1990, Indianapolis gave Saidi a three-year, $7,180,000 extension.

In total with Indy, Saidi had a 151-126 record, 2.82 ERA, 2594.2 innings, 1802 strikeouts, 531 walks, 240/331 quality starts, 129 complete games, 126 ERA+, 90 FIP-, and 46.8 WAR. After the 1992 season, the soon to be 31-year old Saidi was traded to Dallas for five prospects. The Dalmatians were interested in a long-term deal for Saidi and before spring training, gave him a six-year, $17,160,000 extension.

Saidi ended up playing four years for Dallas with the same reliable production and innings. The Dalmatians were also generally middling at that point with only a second round playoff appearance in 1996 during Saidi’s tenure. He finished with a 69-53 record, 3.43 ERA, 1161 innings, 644 strikeouts, 264 walks, 84/144 quality starts, 72 complete games, 117 ERA+, and 25.3 WAR.

After the 1996 season, Saidi opted out of the remaining portion of his contract, becoming a free agent for the first time heading into his age 36 season. Edmonton, who had just won the World Series, signed Saidi to a four-year, $15,360,000 deal. He hoped this could give himself a chance to play for a real contender before his career was done.

Saidi was his usual self to begin the deal, although the Eels were merely just above .500 in 1997 and 1998. In 1999, they posted a franchise record 108-54 and defeated Saidi’s old squad Indianapolis in the World Series. He had a very strong playoff run, going 4-0 in five starts with a 2.18 ERA over 41.1 innings, 22 strikeout, 5 walks, and 1.2 WAR. All five starts were quality starts and three were complete games, including a five-hit World Series shutout against the Racers.

2000 would be Saidi’s finest individual efforts, as he led the American Association for the only time in ERA (2.27), wins (23-8), and complete games (24). Those were career bests, as was his 8.0 WAR. It was remarkable doing this at age 38, but Saidi would finish second in Pitcher of the Year voting. Edmonton would finish 91-71, falling two games short of the last wild card.

With the Eels, Saidi had his most dominant tenure with a 75-49 record, 2.82 ERA, 1164 innings, 708 strikeouts, 215 walks, 98/142 quality starts, 79 complete games, 138 ERA+, and 28.0 WAR. His deal expired after the 2000 season and he had plenty of suitors still even at his age. Saidi inked a two-year, $15,800,000 with New York.

Saidi led in innings and quality starts in 2001 for the Yankees, becoming the ninth MLB member of the 300 win club and the 10^th MLB pitcher with more than 5000 innings pitched. For New York, he had a 35-23 record, 2.94 ERA, 554 innings, 389 strikeouts, 116 ERA+, and 9.7 WAR. For 2003, Saidi signed a two-year, $16,600,000 deal with Charlotte.

His velocity dropped in the 2003 season to a mere 86-88 mph peak for a 103 ERA+, but Saidi still ate up 283.1 innings. This allowed him to pass Parker Harpaz’s 5606 innings to become MLB’s all-time career leader. Saidi also had more innings in one league than any other player in pro baseball history, passing the 5699 innings by EPB’s Alvi Tahiri.

Saidi still was second in world history behind the legendary Ulices Montero, who tossed 5953.2 innings between CABA and MLB. He was also 20 wins short of Harpaz’s MLB record, but he decided not to try to chase it. Saidi retired after the 2003 season at age 41.

The career stats for Saidi: 341-264 record, 3.01 ERA, 729 games, 725 starts, 5757 innings, 3674 strikeouts, 1172 walks, 495/725 quality starts, 314 complete games, 51 shutouts, 124 ERA+, 87 FIP-, and 114.2 WAR. As of 2037, Saidi is third in wins, sixth in losses, first in starts, third in complete games 11^th in pitching WAR, 22^nd in strikeouts, and 2^nd in hits allowed. Saidi’s starts are second in world history behind Montero’s 738.

Saidi was never the most dominant pitcher in the game, but his longevity was legendary. Those who might have dismissed him as a “compiler” quickly changed their minds with his late career effort and World Series run with Edmonton. Saidi was a first ballot lock at 98.7%, headlining MLB’s 2009 class.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2009 MLB Hall of Fame (Part 2)

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Hui-Yun Han – Catcher – Atlanta Aces – 79.8% First Ballot

Hui-Yun Han was a 6’4’’, 195 pound switch-hitting catcher from Jinju, South Korea; a city of 345,000 people in the South Gyeongsang Province. Han was a very good contact hitter for a catcher, especially against right-handed pitching. He was outstanding at avoiding strikeouts and respectable at drawing walks. Against righties, Han had a career .861 OPS and 134 wRC+. He was a far less impressive 85 wRC+ and .670 OPS against lefties.

Han had very good gap power in his prime, averaging 35 doubles per his 162 game average. He wasn’t a prolific slugger, but he also got you around 15-25 home runs most seasons. As you’d expect from a catcher, Han was painfully slow and sluggish as a baserunner. All but one of his 2122 career starts came behind the dish.

Defensively, Han graded out as delightfully average. He did call games pretty well with his pitchers posting a 3.70 ERA, besting the league average. Han was also an ironman who started 130+ games each year from 1988-2001; a very difficult task as a catcher. He was very well respected as a strong leader and as one of the hardest working guys in the game.

Han was one of the very first notable amateur free agent discoveries by an MLB team. MLB had only recently even allowed the practice, as previously international-born talent had to come up through the college ranks and get drafted. The only other way for non-American/Canadian talent to come to MLB was once they had played the prerequisite years in their native pro league to qualify for free agency. In the 1980s, MLB scouts began traveling worldwide to try to secure top teenage prospects.

A scout from Atlanta noticed Han while visiting South Korea in March 1981 and brought him to America at age 17. After three seasons in the Aces’ international complex, he officially debuted in 1984 at age 20. Han only played 11 games and spent most of 1984 and all of 1985 in minor league Birmingham. He split in 1986 with 61 MLB games and 27 in the minors.

Han was on the big league roster full-time in a platoon role with 97 games and 90 starts. He earned the full-time gig in 1988 and started 130+ games each year from then through 1999 for the Aces. Atlanta started their Southeast Division title streak in 1987, taking first place eight years in a row. Han certainly was a key part of that success.

Han’s first Silver Slugger came in 1989 with a 6.4 WAR effort. The next year, he led the American Association in doubles with 46 and posted 28 home runs, 120 RBI, a 1.012 OPS, and 8.5 WAR. The 120 RBI is still MLB’s single-season record by a catcher as of 2037. Han picked up his second Slugger and took third in MVP voting. He would earn his third Slugger in a historic 1991 season.

In 1991, Han became one of the few catchers in any world league to earn MVP honors. He led AA with 55 doubles, falling one short of Isaiah Gilbert’s MLB record of 56 from 1973. Han also led in average (.374), slugging (.646), OPS (1.063), wRC+ (185), and WAR (11.0). The WAR, slugging, OPS, and his 212 hits and 366 total bases are all still MLB single-season records for a catcher as of 2037. This effort earned Han an eight-year, $21,560,000 extension in the offseason from Atlanta.

The Aces could never get over the hump in the postseason. During the eight-year streak, they made it to the AACS five times, but were defeated each time. They narrowly missed the playoffs in 1995, 1996, and 1998; but won division titles again in 1997 and 1999. In those years, Atlanta couldn’t get beyond the second round.

Han did his best and was well respected by Atlanta fans for his efforts in the playoffs. Over 77 starts, he had 89 hits, 38 runs, 18 doubles, 9 home runs, 37 RBI, 19 walks, a .299/.335/.470 slash, 118 wRC+, and 2.0 WAR. Han would accept blame as a leader, but most Aces supporters weren’t going to point the finger at him for their playoff woes.

Han’s fourth Silver Slugger came in 1993. He never again put up the MVP numbers, but settled in as a reliably solid starter that would give you 3-4 WAR each year. In total with Atlanta, Han had 2074 hits, 991 runs, 445 doubles, 242 home runs, 1097 RBI, a .303/.349/.490 slash, 125 wRC+, and 66.5 WAR. Han’s #23 would be one of only two jersey numbers retired in Atlanta as of 2037.

After the 1999 season, the now 36-year old Han was a free agent for the first time. He signed a three-year, $17,200,000 deal with Detroit and had a solid start with the Tigers, posting 4.0 and 5.6 WAR in his first two seasons. Han’s bat dropped off in the third year with 1.1 WAR and a 71 wRC+.

With Detroit, Han had 391 hits, 157 runs, 57 doubles, 42 home runs, 191 RBI, a .266/.313/.395 slash, 109 wRC+, and 10.7 WAR. Han joined Hartford in 2003, but only saw 45 games and 26 starts with a 0.3 WAR and 99 wRC+. He retired that winter at age 40.

Han finished with 2486 hits, 1156 runs, 503 doubles, 284 home runs, 1290 RBI, 626 walks, a .295/.343/.471 slash, 122 wRC+, and 77.5 WAR. He’s the all-time leader among catchers in doubles and ranks 36^th among all MLB players as of 2037. Among catchers, he’s ninth in WAR, third in RBI, sixth in hits, and fifth in runs.

It is often difficult for catchers to get Hall of Fame votes with the general accumulations looking comparatively low from the rigors of the position. Han’s resume was hard to argue with and he was one of the most respected guys of his era. He earned the first ballot selection at 79.8% within the 2009 MLB class. Han was the first Korean born player to earn MLB enshrinement.



Samuel Raimundes – Starting Pitcher – Boston Red Sox – 70.2% First Ballot

Samuel Raimundes was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Belmont, Massachusetts, a western suburb of Boston with around 27,000 people. Raimundes was a fireballer with incredible stuff that at his peak was graded by many as 10/10. His sinker reached the 99-101 mph mark and was bolstered by a great forkball, good curveball, and rare changeup. Raimundes had more than just dominant stuff, as his movement and control were both quite solid.

Early in his career, he had fantastic stamina, leading the National Association thrice in innings pitched and twice in complete games. Durability would become an issue in his later seasons, specifically shoulder and hamstring woes. Raimundes was a hard worker and became a popular local favorite during his run in Boston.

Raimundes did leave Massachusetts for Wichita State University. In three college seasons, he had 315.1 innings, a 20-14 record, 2.51 ERA, 344 strikeouts, 72 walks, a 140 ERA+, and 11.3 WAR. Just about everyone was interested entering the 1988 MLB Draft. Raimundes was delighted though to return back home to his favorite childhood team, as Boston selected him with the eighth overall pick.

1989 saw a split season between starting and relief for Raimundes with respectable results. Boston made him a full-time starter from then onward, although a hamstring strain cost him half of 1990. Raimundes stayed healthy for the next nine seasons and pitched at a high level, posting eight seasons worth 6+ WAR. The Red Sox gave him a six-year, $21,120,000 extensiona fter the 1994 campaign.

Raimundes was second in Pitcher of the Year voting in 1993, leading in wins (22-10) innings (287.2), and strikeouts (282). 1994 saw career bests in ERA (2.30) and Ks (294) as well as both career and NA bests in quality starts (30), complete games (18), shutouts (7), FIP- (57), and WAR (10.6). Raimundes won his lone Pitcher of the Year with this 1994 effort. He also won a Silver Slugger in 1994 with a .284/.299/.347 slash. For his career, Raimundes hit .207/.219/.241; a respectable mark for a pitcher.

His ERA was never quite as strong, although he was third in POTY voting in 1995. Raimundes led in 1995 and 1996 in wins, as well as in 1999 in strikeouts. Boston had some success in this era with playoff appearances in 1992, 1995, 1996, and 1997. The Red Sox lost in the 1992 NACS to Hartford, but won their third pennant in 1995. Boston lost in the 1996 NACS and fell in the second round of 1997.

Raimundes played a big role in getting Boston to the 1995 World Series, where they fell to Denver. In 43 innings, he had a 2.72 ERA and 41 strikeouts. He had a 0.67 ERA over 27 innings in the 1996 effort. For his playoff career, Raimundes had a 6-5 record, 2.69 ERA, 107 innings, 87 strikeouts, 22 walks, 10/14 quality starts, 6 complete games, a 130 ERA+, and 2.3 WAR.

The world stage was a strong one for Raimundes, who pitched in the World Baseball Championship from 1994-2001 for the United States. He was the tournament leader in strikeouts, innings, wins, and quality starts in four different editions. Raimundes had a remarkable 27-3 record over 282.1 innings with a 2.74 ERA, 424 strikeouts, 81 walks, 129 ERA+, and 6.2 WAR.

As of 2037, Raimundes is 21^st all-time in WBC strikeouts. Everyone else who had more Ks pitched in 10 or more WBCs, while Raimundes only pitched in eight. He had plenty of innings though as the Americans dominated during his tenure. Raimundes earned world title rings with the 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, and 2001 squads.

Raimundes opted out of his contract after the 1997 season in order to sign a new, larger deal. Boston gave him seven years and $31,880,000 with plans on making the local favorite a lifer. By 2000, injuries started to become an issue. Raimundes missed nearly two months to shoulder issues in 2000. In 2001, a bone spur in his elbow and a strained oblique knocked him out most of the second half.

To the surprise of many, Raimundes opted out of his deal after the 2001 season. With Boston, he had a 205-127 record, 3.02 ERA, 3099 innings, 2971 strikeouts, 677 walks, 270/408 quality starts, 138 complete games, 116 ERA+, and 80.5 WAR. He sacrificed the stability of the Red Sox deal in the hopes of a larger paycheck elsewhere at age 34. He found it as Atlanta signed him at four years and $24,800,000.

Raimundes struggled with a 4.69 ERA over 24 starts with Atlanta. Disappointed in their investment, the Aces traded him at the deadline to Charlotte. He looked okay with the Canaries in only seven starts in 2002. However, Raimundes’ velocity was starting to plummet.

By 2003, he maxed out at 92-94 mph and couldn’t overpower hitters anymore. Raimundes was abysmal with a 6.28 ERA, 64 ERA+, and -1.9 WAR over 173.1 innings for Charlotte. Clearly cooked, he retired that winter at age 35. Although his Boston run had an awkward end, Raimundes was still popular with the Red Sox faithful and his #30 uniform would quickly be retired.

Raimundes had a 220-156 record, 3.27 ERA, 3485.2 innings, 3185 strikeouts, 789 walks, 291/465 quality starts, 149 complete games, 109 ERA+, 81 FIP-, and 80.3 WAR. His sudden decline hurt him with many voters and limited his final accumulations. As of 2037, Raimundes ranks 96^th in pitching WAR and was viewed by some as being borderline.

That said, Raimundes had an impressive peak, good playoff numbers, and great WBC stats. Those factors swayed enough voters for the first ballot nod, albeit narrowly above the 66% requirement at 70.2%. Raimundes rounded out an impressive 2009 MLB Hall of Fame class.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2009 CABA Hall of Fame

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Two players earned induction in 2009 for the Central American Baseball Association’s Hall of Fame in their ballot debuts. RF Velasquez Saavedra was nearly unanimous at 99.6%, while SP Hector Lopez inched across the 66% requirement with 72.1%. SP Benito Bertran didn’t miss by much with a debut at 63.0%. RF Dion Juarez was the only returner above 50%, getting 56.9% in his third go. No players were dropped after ten failed tries in 2009.



Velasquez Saavedra – Right Field – Ecatepec Explosion – 99.6% First Ballot

Velasquez Saavedra was a 6’3’’, 200 pound right-handed right fielder from Zaragoza, Guatemala, a town of around 11,000 inhabitants. Saavedra’s most renowned skills were his ability to draw walks and his baserunning. He led his league ten times in walks and was an absolute pest for pitchers once he was on base. Saavedra had great speed and successfully stole on about 2/3s of his attempts. Few guys in his era were as dangerous from first base.

That said, Saavedra was an average to below average contact hitter and despite his ability to work counts, he had a lousy strikeout rate. He hit the ball very hard though when he connected, averaging 21 doubles, 18 triples, and 34 home runs per his 162 game average. Saavedra’s speed also meant that nearly half of his career hits went for extra bases.

Saavedra was an ironman, making 145+ starts in all but his final full season. He was a career right fielder and an excellent defender, boasting great range with a cannon arm. Saavedra is one of 13 right fielders in CABA history to accumulate a zone rating of 100+. He worked hard and had a unique and exciting play style, becoming of the most popular players in the world of his era.

Despite humble beginnings, Saavedra’s unique profile drew the attention of Central American squads as he declared for the 1988 CABA Draft at age 29. He was picked 30^th overall late in the first round by Honduras. The Horsemen kept him on the reserve roster from 1989-90, although he officially debuted in 1990 with six at-bats. Saavedra earned a starting gig in 1991 and was a starter somewhere for 17 straight seasons.

Four of Saavedra’s five seasons with Honduras saw him lead the Caribbean League in walks. He led from 1993-95 in WAR with 9.7, 8.7, and 9.7. Saavedra also led in runs scored in 1993 with 128 and 1995 with 120. He was second in 1991 Rookie of the Year voting, then won a Silver Slugger in 1992 and 1995. Saavedra was third in 1993 MVP voting, third in 1994, and second in 1995. He also won his first Gold Glove in 1995.

Honduras became a regular contender at this point, winning Caribbean League titles in 1991 and 1993 with a CABA Championship ring in 1993. Saavedra was weak in the 1991 run, but solid in 1993. Over 37 playoff starts, he had 38 hits, 18 runs, 5 doubles, 2 triples, 5 homers, 14 RBI, 14 walks, 10 stolen bases, a .290/.367/.473 slash, 136 wRC+, and 0.9 WAR.

In each of his pro stops, Saavedra still had love for his home country Guatemala. He played for them from 1991-2007 in the World Baseball Championship with 157 starts, 102 hits, 82 runs, 23 doubles, 8 triples, 32 home runs, 70 RBI, 92 walks, 70 stolen bases, a .179/.305/.415 slash, 110 wRC+, and 4.1 WAR. This helped keep Saavedra beloved throughout all of Central America, even as he later left for Mexico and the United States.

After the 1995 season, Saavedra left Honduras for free agency at only age 26. With the Horsemen, he had 772 hits, 538 runs, 82 doubles, 92 triples, 191 home runs, 478 RBI, 399 walks, 247 stolen bases, a .279/.372/.583 slash, 155 wRC+, and 33.7 WAR. Saavedra was a very hot commodity and would begin his signature run by signing an eight-year, $21,180,000 deal with Ecatepec.

The Explosion had won the 1994 Mexican League title, but struggled to 71-91 in 1995. Saavedra helped them begin a ten-year South Division title streak which saw nine appearances in the MLCS. Ecatepec won six straight ML pennants from 1999-04 and won the CABA title in 1999, 2000, and 2004.

Saavedra immediately lived up to the hype with his lone MVP win in 1996, posting league bests in runs (130), triples (25), walks (92), total bases (405), OBP (.433), slugging (.732), OPS (1.166), wRC+ (220, and WAR (12.2). The total bases, OBP, slugging, OPS, wRC+, and WAR would all be career bests, as was his .335 batting average, 185 hits, and 122 RBI. Saavedra also smacked 47 home runs, one shy of his career-best 48 in 1993. He was a rare player to earn MVP, Gold Glove, and Silver Slugger all in the same year.

Saavedra was very good, but not MVP level in the next three seasons. He won a Gold Glove in 1997 and posted 6+ WAR in each of those years. Saavedra was back to outstanding soon after with three straight 10+ WAR seasons from 2000-2002. He led the Mexican League each of these years in stolen bases with 96, 98, and 98. 2000 also had a career-best 132 runs and league best 10.4 WAR, taking second in MVP voting.

2001 also saw a league lead in runs, while he led in triples and walks in 2003. Saavedra won his fourth Silver Slugger in 2002 and took third in MVP voting. He was strong in the playoffs, winning 1999 MLCS MVP. Over 89 playoff starts with Ecatepec, Saavedra had 89 hits, 52 runs, 9 doubles, 11 triples, 20 home runs, 58 RBI, 47 stolen bases, a .262/.332/.529 slash, 142 wRC+, and 4.1 WAR.

For his CABA career, Saavedra ended up the all-time playoff leader in walks (72) and steals (57) and still holds both marks as of 2037. Between Ecatepec and Honduras, he had 126 playoff starts, 127 hits, 70 runs, 14 doubles, 13 triples, 25 home runs, 72 RBI, a .270/.342/.514 slash, 141 wRC+, and 5.0 WAR. Saavedra’s role in Ecatepec’s dynasty led to his #26 uniform eventually being retired.

For Ecatepec, Saavedra had 1268 hits, 935 runs, 186 doubles, 177 triples, 266 home runs, 808 RBI, 646 walks, 670 stolen bases, a .284/.377/.584 slash, 171 wRC+, and 69.7 WAR. His stock was very high as his Explosion deal expired after the 2003 campaign. Saavedra received international offers and opted to leave for the United States at age 34. He signed a four-year, $37,600,000 deal with San Diego.

Saavedra’s contact hitting was far too poor for MLB, hitting an abysmal .159 with the Seals and leading the American Association twice in strikeouts. He still provided positive WAR for three seasons by leading twice in walks and by winning Gold Gloves in 2005 and 2006. Saavedra also was the second round MVP in the 2007 playoffs as San Diego went onto win the World Series. This made Saavedra a rare player with a CABA Championship ring (3) and World Series ring (1).

With San Diego, Saavedra had 350 hits, 335 runs, 44 doubles, 24 triples, 91 home runs, 212 RBI, 347 walks, 121 stolen bases, a .159/.281/.324 slash, 76 wRC+, and 6.2 WAR. His deal concluded with the World Series win and Saavedra decided that was a good time to leave the game, retiring at age 38.

For his entire pro career, Saavedra had 2390 hits, 1808 runs, 312 doubles, 293 triples, 548 home runs, 1498 RBI, 1392 walks, 1038 stolen bases, a .253/.353/.523 slash, 143 wRC+, and 112.9 WAR. Just in CABA, Saavedra had 2040 hits, 1473 runs, 268 doubles, 269 triples, 457 home runs, 1286 RBI, 1045 walks, 917 stolen bases, a .282/.375/.584 slash, 165 wRC+, and 106.7 WAR.

Leaving for MLB in his final few years lowered the final accumulations a bit, but he still as of 2037 in CABA is 11^th in walks, 25^th in steals, and 27^th in WAR among position players. Saavedra’s specific skillset wasn’t common, but it made him a very successful and beloved player in his time. He was nearly unanimously inducted into CABA’s Hall of Fame in 2009, headlining the group at 99.6%.



Hector “Turkey” Lopez – Starting Pitcher – Leon Lions - 72.1% First Ballot

Hector Lopez was a 6’4’’, 195 pound left-handed pitcher from Morelia, the capital of central Mexico’s Michoacan state with a metropolitan population of around one million. Lopez was steadfast in eating turkey sandwiches before and after starts, earning the moniker “Turkey” as a nickname. He was a well-balanced pitcher with good to great stuff, movement, and control.

Lopez had 96-98 mph peak velocity on a cut fastball and mixed it with a curveball, slider, and changeup. All four pitches were equally potent, frustrating hitters. His stamina was merely average compared to most CABA aces of the time. He was durable early in his career and was quite adaptable.

Lopez drew attention from Mexican scouts and was a prized prospect out of high school in the 1986 CABA Draft. He was picked 9^th overall by Tijuana, but instead opted to attend junior college, spurning the Toros. Lopez’s stock only improved as he came up again in the 1989 CABA Draft. Leon picked him #2 overall and he spent his entire pro career with the Lions.

He was a full-time starter immediately for Leon, although he lost six weeks in 1990 to an oblique strain. Lopez stayed healthy the next few seasons and helped the Lions to playoff berths in 1991 and 1992. They would be stuck just outside of the playoffs for the rest of the decade, unable to end Ecatepec’s reign atop the South Division. Lopez wouldn’t see the playoffs again apart from those early years.

Lopez did pitch on the world stage though from 1991-2001 with Mexico in the World Baseball Championship. He struggled though with a 4.58 ERA over 108 innings, 5-7 record, 118 strikeouts, 32 walks, 78 ERA+, and 1.3 WAR. Still, Lopez became a well-known figure in Mexican baseball.

In 1993, Lopez led the ML in WAR (7.4) and FIP- (64). He signed a two-year, $4,080,000 extension in June 1994, then a big seven-year, $18,200,000 deal in September 1996. He would post seven straight seasons worth 6+ WAR from 1993-1999.

Lopez entered the awards conversation in 1996 as he led in ERA (2.40) and WHIP (0.96), taking third in Pitcher of the Year voting. He lowered both marks in 1997 (2.21, 0.92) and won his first POTY in 1997. Lopez was a repeat winner in 1998 with league and career bests in ERA (1.84) and WHIP (0.86).

His ERA grew in 1999, but Lopez tossed a career high 289 strikeouts with six shutouts. Leon had won 80+ games for the entire 1990s, but fell into mediocrity to start the 2000s. Losing Lopez played a big role, as he suffered a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament in his second start of the 2000 season.

Lopez attempted comebacks with little success. In 2001, an arthritic elbow knocked him out four months. He tore his flexor tendon in 2002, then dealt with more arthritis in 2003. Lopez ultimately retired after the 2003 season at age 36. Leon honored him by retiring his #35 uniform that winter.

Over 14 years, Lopez had a 155-101 record, 2.62 ERA, 2398.1 innings, 2608 strikeouts, 400 walks, 222/307 quality starts, 71 complete games, 135 ERA+, 74 FIP-, and 61.6 WAR. The rate stats were excellent and certainly worthy for most voters.

The injuries meant his accumulations were very much on the low end with not many Hall of Fame guys being shy of 160 wins or 3000 strikeouts. Some felt held the lack of team success against him too. The resume was enough for a majority of voters, giving Lopez a first ballot nod at 72.1%. He didn’t cross the 66% threshold by much, but he was in either way with CABA’s 2009 Hall of Fame class.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2009 EAB Hall of Fame (Part 1)

Three players grabbed spots into the East Asia Baseball Hall of Fame in 2009. 1B Byung-Tak Wie and SP Junzo Yamanoue were both no-doubters, earning first ballot nods at 97.6% and 97.3%, respectively. DH Jun-Hui Lim joined them on the first ballot, but squeaked by the 66% requirement at 62.9%. RF Makhmud Hakim narrowly missed at 62.9% on his second try. Also above the midway mark was 3B Shigefumi Tsukehara with a 52.4% second ballot.



Closer Seo-Jun Kang was dropped after ten ballots, losing accumulations with a five-year MLB gap in the middle of his 15 year run. He was 1980 Rookie of the Year and 1982 Reliever of the Year with Hamhung, posting 324 EAB saves, 2.76 ERA, 932 innings, 1200 strikeouts, 133 ERA+, and 32.6 WAR.

Counting MLB, Kang had 405 saves. But being just above 300 wasn’t a lock for EAB’s voters and his rate stats had him as far less dominant or tenured than some of the other inductees. Kang debuted at 42.7% in 2000, but slowly dropped down to 12.9% by the end.

Another reliever, Tae-Yeon Lim, had a similar deal with a split career between EAB, MLB, EPB, and BSA. He had no awards though and finished in EAB with 334 saves, 2.72 ERA, 892.1 innings, 998 strikeouts, 128 ERA+, and 19.2 WAR. He had a bit more longevity than Kang, but was even less dominant. Lim peaked at 25.2% in 2001 and ended at 4.8%, but lasted ten years.



Byung-Tak “Penguin” Wie – First Base – Ulsan Swallows – 97.6% First Ballot

Byung-Tak Wie was a 6’1’’, 200 pound left-handed hitting first baseman from Gwangju, South Korea. Wie was both an excellent contact hitter and power hitter. He was also good at avoiding strikeouts and drawing walks. Wie’s strong bat gave him 46 home runs, 33 doubles, and 119 RBI per his 162 game average. He was comically slow and sluggish as a baserunner, with his perceived waddling earning the nickname “Penguin.”

Although he wasn’t going to win any races, Wie did grade out as a reliably steady defender at first base, generating positive value for his career. His durability was solid most of his career, starting 135+ games in all but one of his 13 seasons with Ulsan. Wie was a respected leader and became extremely popular as one of Korea’s finest sluggers.

Wie attended Kyungham University in Changwon and very quickly became the top hitting prospect entering the 1990 EAB Draft. Ulsan picked him with the #1 overall pick and made him a starter immediately. Wie debuted with a 4.0 WAR season, earning Rookie of the Year honors. He found his power stroke the next season, hitting 35+ dingers in 12 straight years for the Swallows and topping 40+ in ten of those seasons.

In his second season, Wie made EAB history. Over the summer, he had a 46-game hitting streak, passing Sang-Hyun Kang’s EAB record of 42 from 1921. No one else in EAB has topped 40+ since and he also had a 56 game on-base streak during that stretch. Wie led the Korea League in OBP and OPS for the first time in 1992.

He had four straight seasons (1992-95) leading in OPS and also led in 1998. Ulsan quickly locked him up with an eight-year, $14,440,000 extension after the 1993 season. Wie led in runs scored twice, home runs three times, RBI once, total bases twice, OBP twice, slugging twice, wRC+ thrice, and WAR once. 1993-98 had six straight seasons worth 7+ WAR with a career and league best 9.5 in 1998.

Those efforts put Wie regularly in the MVP conversation. He won it in 1994, 1995, and 1998; while taking second in 1993 and third in 1997. Wie earned seven Silver Sluggers (1992-95, 98, 2000, 2001). With his power, Ulsan became a regular contender. The Swallows made the playoffs four straight years from 1994-97 and won the EAB Championship in 1996.

Wie was the finals MVP in 1996 and had 16 playoff starts, 20 hits, 9 runs, 4 home runs, and 15 RBI. They missed the playoffs in 1998-99, but had a five year streak from 2000-04. 1997 was their only title in the run, suffering KLCS losses in 1994, 2000, and 2001; and first round exits the other seasons. Wie was still beloved for getting them their second-ever ring in 1996.

For his playoff career, Wie had 64 starts, 71 hits, 35 runs, 13 doubles, 13 homers, 45 RBI, a .297/.388/.531 slash, 149 wRC+, and 2.8 WAR. He also played from 1993-95 and 2001-05 for South Korea in the World Baseball Championship. In 75 games and 51 starts, Wie had 55 hits, 45 runs, 12 doubles, 22 home runs, 46 RBI, a .262/.362/.643 slash, 179 wRC+, and 3.4 WAR.

Ulsan signed Wie to another four years and $24,000,000 in May 2001. He remained remarkably consistent in his early 30s, but disappointed Swallows fans by opting out of his deal after the 2003 season. The allure of MLB money was tough to pass up. Wie still remained a beloved favorite of Ulsan fans and his #9 uniform would later be retired.

Wie signed at age 34 to a four-year, $37,400,000 deal with Atlanta. He had a respectable debut season with 3.3 WAR and 127 wRC+, although it was far from award winning. That was sadly the peak of his MLB tenure. In May, a ruptured disc in his back knocked him out for 10 months. Wie was never the same after that and limped to a .171/.189/.257 slash in 26 games in 2006.

Wie didn’t meet the criteria for his fourth year with Atlanta and retired that winter at age 37. For his brief MLB tenure, he had 211 hits, 127 runs, 30 doubles, 47 home runs, 137 RBI, a .272/.335/.505 slash, 128 wRC+, and 4.5 WAR.

For his whole pro career, Wie had 2597 hits, 1479 runs, 443 doubles, 611 home runs, 1592 RBI, 807 walks, a .322/.387/.616 slash, 166 wRC+, and 100.0 WAR. With just Ulsan, Wie had 2386 hits, 1352 runs, 413 doubles, 564 home runs, 1455 RBI, 740 walks, a .327/.393/.628 slash, 170 wRC+, and 95.6 WAR.

Wie didn’t have the longevity to soar up the leaderboards, but he still ranks 40^th as of 2037 in WAR for position players. Among all players with 3000 plate appearances, Wie is still fifth in OPS and eighth in slugging, showing how impressive his hitting was. Plus three MVPs and the longest hitting streak in EAB history made Wie an absolute lock, earning the first ballot induction in 2009 at 97.6%.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2009 EAB Hall of Fame (Part 2)

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Junzo Yamanoue – Starting Pitcher – Kitakyushu Kodiaks – 97.3% First Ballot

Junzo Yamanoue was a 6’0’’, 205 pound right-handed pitcher from Sendai, Japan. Yamanoue had very good stuff and movement, although his control was often subpar. He had an electric 98-100 mph fastball that ranked among the absolute best of the era. Yamanoue also had a solid splitter, forkball, and curveball along with a rarely seen changeup.

Yamanoue had some of the best stamina in EAB, leading the Japan League thrice in complete games. He was a good defender, but his windup style meant he really struggled with holding runners. Yamanoue had good durability early in his career, but recurring back troubles chipped away at his effectiveness in his 30s.

After an impressive stint at Osaka Shogyo University, Yamanoue was highly touted ahead of the 1987 EAB Draft. Kitakyushu grabbed him with the #4 overall pick, although his control issues limited him initially. Yamanoue only pitched 18 innings in 1988 and was fully in the bullpen in 1989.

Yamanoue earned the full-time rotation spot in 1990 and took third in Pitcher of the Year voting, leading in complete games (21) and shutouts (6). He was inconsistent in 1991 and was only used as a part-time starter. Yamanoue made it back full-time in 1992 and held the ace role for the rest of his time with the Kodiaks.

1992 was a banner season, winning Pitcher of the Year with league and career bests in ERA (1.52), FIP- (49), and WAR (9.7). To that point, his ERA total was the 18^th lowest in EAB history by a starter. This effort also helped start a dynasty run for Kitakyushu. The Kodiaks had won division titles in 1990 and 1991, but suffered Japan League Championship Series defeats.

Although only 85-77, Kitakyushu went on a tear in the playoffs and won their first EAB Championship. The next two seasons, the Kodiaks won 102 and 103 games en route to a three-peat. This was only the second-ever EAB finals three-peat in history, joining Pyongyang’s four-peat from 1969-68. There wouldn’t be another EAB three-peat until 2034-36.

Yamanoue won Pitcher of the Year again in 1993, leading in strikeouts (313), wins (20-8), quality starts (26), complete games (18), and WAR (9.1). He led in wins and WAR again in 1994, but took second in POTY voting and grabbed third in 1995. In March 1996, Kitakyushu gave Yamanoue a seven-year, $27,000,000 contract extension.

The Kodiaks won 101 and 98 games in 1995 and 1996, but just lost out on the division title both years to Hiroshima. Kitakyushu made it back to the JLCS in 1997 at 109-53, suffering an upset loss to Sapporo. That year, Yamanoue won his third Pitcher of the Year with his second ERA title (1.82). He also had a league and career best 320 strikeouts, 27 quality starts, and 276.1 innings.

For his playoff career, Yamanoue had a strong 2.41 ERA over 145.2 innings, 10-5 record, 156 strikeouts, 31 walks, 135 ERA+, and 3.7 WAR. He also pitched for Japan in the World Baseball Championship from 1991-2000. He had 109.1 WBC innings, a 5-4 record, 3.13 ERA, 136 strikeouts, 40 walks, 115 ERA+, and 3.5 WAR.

1997 was the last gasp for Kitakyushu, who shortly fell towards the bottom of the league. They wouldn’t make the playoffs in the 2000s. It was also the end of Yamanoue’s time as elite, although he was still respectable when healthy. A herniated disc cost him the second half of 1999 with another knocking him out two months in 2000.

Lingering back woes limited his effectiveness and a rebuilding Kitakyushu was ready to move on. After the 2002 season, the 36-year old Yamanoue was traded for two prospects. For his role in the great dynasty run, the Kodiaks would shortly retire Yamanoue’s #24 uniform. In one season with Nagoya, Yamanoue had a mediocre 4.35 ERA over 151 innings with 79 ERA+ and 1.2 WAR. He retired after the 2003 campaign at age 37.

Yamanoue finished with a 215-139 record, 2.66 ERA, 3290.2 innings, 3485 strikeouts, 766 walks, 273/385 quality starts, 179 complete games, 125 ERA+, 80 FIP-, and 75.3 WAR. He’s 63^rd in WAR among pitchers as of 2037 and his stats rank towards the middle or bottom compared to others in the Hall of Fame.

Yamanoue didn’t quite have longevity or sustained success to really rank among the absolute top tier. Regardless, he won three Pitcher of the Year awards and was a critical part of Kitakyushu’s great dynasty. That made Yamanoue a no-brainer for the 2009 EAB Hall of Fame class, earning 97.3%.



Jun-Hui Lim – Designated Hitter – Bucheon Bolts – 67.7% First Ballot

Jun-Hui Lim was a 6’5’’, 195 pound right-handed hitter from Yongin, South Korea. Lim was an impressive power hitter in his prime while still hitting for contact pretty well. He was above average to good at drawing walks , although his strikeout rate was average. Lim’s power was focused on homers with 34 per his 162 game average, although he still averaged 24 doubles and 7 triples. Lim had okay speed, but was a mediocre baserunner.

Lim had excellent durability and never missed significant time to injury. He was greatly limited by being a career designated hitter, making only about ¼ of his career starts in the field. Lim played third base defensively and had a good arm, but terrible glove work and range. That quickly hurt his usefulness once his batting ability declined significantly in his 30s.

A big guy with a big bat certainly stands out in high school. Despite his youth, Lim was picked 4^th overall by Bucheon in the 1985 EAB Draft. He generally spent his first three years on the developmental roster, making a few pinch hit appearances in 1987 and 1988. Lim was a part-time starter in 1989, then earned a full-time role from 1989-95 for the Bolts.

In his first full season, Lim led the Korea League in home runs (43) and RBI (129). He bested both numbers in 1991 with career highs with 54 dingers and 147 RBI. Lim also led in total bases and slugging, taking his first Silver Slugger and a second place in MVP voting. He was again second in MVP voting and won a Slugger in 1992, that year leading the KL with 211 hits.

Lim won additional Silver Sluggers in 1993 and 1995, taking third in 1995 MVP voting. He had five straight seasons with 6+ WAR for Bucheon and hit 51 homers in 1995 with a career best 7.9 WAR. The Bolts gave Lim a five-year, $11,560,000 extension after the 1994 season.

Bucheon had playoff berths in 1990, 1991, and 1993. They advanced to the Korea League Championship Series for the first times in 1990 and 1993, but fell both times. Lim was 1993 KLCS MVP in defeat and in 25 playoff starts had 34 hits, 14 runs, 4 doubles, 3 triples, 7 home runs, 23 RBI, a .351/.379/.670 slash, 172 wRC+, and 1.4 WAR.

Lim also played for South Korea in the World Baseball Championship from 1990-97. He had 53 games and 33 starts, posting 33 hits, 18 runs, 6 doubles, 8 home runs, 23 RBI, a .221/.272/.436 slash, 98 wRC+, and 0.7 WAR.

Bucheon regressed hard after the 1993 season and had four straight losing seasons. Disappointed by the team’s struggles, Lim opted out of his contract after the 1995 season, becoming a free agent heading towards his age 29 campaign. The Bolts still appreciated him and retired his #60 uniform later on. With Bucheon, Lim had 1234 hits, 669 runs, 175 doubles, 278 home runs, 816 RBI, a .307/.358/.583 slash, 156 wRC+, and 41.9 WAR.

Lim’s power impressed Seoul, signing him for eight years and $26,680,000. The Seahawks sat in the mid-tier for his run, which started with a 7.0 WAR, .982 OPS effort in 1996. Lim suddenly regressed hard, posting an .879 OPS and 3.6 WAR in 1997, then a .774 OPS and 1.5 WAR in 1998. He was still a starter in 1999, but posted -0.9 WAR and a .650 OPS with an 85 wRC+.

The deal was an albatross for Lim, who continued to get paid big-time money for little results. He was relegated to an occasion pinch hit appearance from 2000-03, only making 24 starts and playing 149 games. Experts were baffled as to how and why Lim went from an elite Silver Slugger to a barely bench-level bat.

Once his big deal ran out after the 2003 season, Lim retired at age 36. With Seoul, he had 701 hits, 318 runs, 103 doubles, 116 home runs, 425 RBI, a .279/.339/.486 slash, 124 wRC+, and 11.9 WAR. The signing went down as one of the big free agent busts of the era and also scared many general managers off paying big money for a designated hitter.

Lim finished with 1935 hits, 987 runs, 278 doubles, 394 home runs, 1241 RBI, 556 walks, a .296/.350/.546 slash, 144 wRC+, and 53.8 WAR. Even with the bad Seoul years, the rate stats still looked pretty good. But Lim’s accumulations were firmly borderline and being a DH didn’t help his cause. At that point, only two position players had made the Hall of Fame with a lower WAR. As of 2037, he ranks fifth lowest.

The strong run with Bucheon seemed to resonate with enough voters. Lim got 67.7% to just cross the 66% line as a first ballot inductee in 2009. Some scholars point at Lim as one of EAB’s weakest inclusions, but he is there regardless. Lim was the first player to get put in wearing the Bucheon purple and gold.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2009 BSA Hall of Fame

Only pitcher Andres Ramirez earned induction with Beisbol Sudamerica’s 2009 Hall of Fame voting. He was a slam dunk choice, nearly making it unanimously with 99.0%. 2B Leonardo Salvador was the next closest to the 66% requirement, getting 61.0% on his fifth try. SP Orlando Salas had 56.1% on his second ballot and C Moises Avalos debuted at 55.1%. No one else was above 50%.



1B/DH Arnau Aceves was dropped after ten years on the ballot. His BSA run lasted 14 years before he left for MLB for four seasons. Aceves helped Cali win two Copa Sudamerica rings and was a big part of the playoff run, winning BLCS MVP in 1986 and 1988 and finals MVP in 1988. Aceves had two Silver Sluggers and the 1985 Bolivar League MVP.

With Cali, Aceves had 1843 hits, 1037 runs, 280 doubles, 489 home runs, 1163 RBI, a .286/.349/.567 slash, 151 wRC+, and 56.5 WAR. Adding his MLB numbers, he got to 610 homers, 1501 RBI, and 62.3 WAR. Just in BSA though, the accumulations were low enough to scare off some voters. Aceves peaked at 45.3% in 2003 with a low at 14.4% in 2008 before ending at 39.7%. Thus, a banishment to the Hall of Good, although he did get his #25 uniform retired by the Cyclones.

Also dropped was 1B Cabo Rossi, who had 16 years between three teams. He had one Silver Slugger and won the Cup with Barquisimeto in 1982. Rossi had 2689 hits, 1225 runs, 426 doubles, 458 home runs, 1385 RBI, a .307/.340/.528 slash, 148 wRC+, and 78.7 WAR.

The totals are pretty good, but voters often expect more gaudy power stats from a first baseman. He also lacked major awards and black ink. Rossi got as high as 35.3% in 2003 and as low as 8.5% in 2008, but survived for ten ballots.



Andres Ramirez – Starting Pitcher – Sao Paulo Padres – 99.0% First Ballot

Andres Ramirez was a 6’0’’, 190 pound right-handed pitcher from La Paz, Bolivia. Ramirez had strong stuff with great movement and above average control. His fastball regularly hit 97-99 mph and was bolstered by a great splitter, strong changeup, and decent curveball. Ramirez’s stamina was good, but he’d give you plenty of innings as an ironman. He had 235+ innings in all but his rookie season in a 19-year career.

Ramirez was excellent at holding runners and earned a Gold Glove in 1988. He was a very popular player with an even-keeled and steady personality. You knew you were going to get consistent positive production and he never really had a bad year.

In June 1981, a visiting scout from Sao Paulo noticed Ramirez among the top prospects at a Bolivian camp. They signed him and had him in the developmental system for three-and-a-half years. Ramirez debuted as a part-time starter in 1985 at age 21 with very respectable results. He was a full-time starter for the next 18 years after that and helped the Padres become a regular contender for the next decade.

Sao Paulo from 1986-96 had nine playoff appearances and seven division titles. The Padres won the Southern Cone League title in 1986, 1990, and 1993. In 1990 and 1993, Sao Paulo picked up Copa Sudamerica wins. They also had an LCS defeat in 1996. Ramirez was excellent in the playoffs with a 2.61 ERA over 148.1 innings, 9-5 record, 177 strikeouts, 34 walks, 126 ERA+, and 4.0 WAR.

By his fourth season in 1988, Ramirez had arrived as a top ace. That season had career and league bests in ERA (1.76), WHIP (0.74), shutouts (4), and WAR (11.0), earning Pitcher of the Year. With that effort, Sao Paulo locked him in to a six-year, $5,800,000 extension. In 1989, he led in wins (22-9), ERA (2.12), and WAR (8.6) to repeat as Pitcher of the Year.

Ramirez led in strikeouts for the first time in 1990 at 298, which was lower than his previous two years. He had a 2.00 ERA and 7.6 WAR, taking a third straight Pitcher of the Year. Ramirez also had an impressive 1.41 ERA over 38.1 playoff innings with 56 strikeouts as Sao Paulo beat Lima in Copa Sudamerica. The 56 Ks was the second-most in BSA history behind Mohamed Ramos’ 63 in 1935. His 2.09 WAR set a BSA playoff record that still holds in 2037.

That incredible playoff run helped cement Ramirez as a legend already. He was very popular both with Sao Paulo and back home in Bolivia, as he pitched for the national team from 1986-03 in the World Baseball Championship. Ramirez had a 14-14 record in 221.1 WBC innings, a 2.81 ERA, 275 strikeouts, 81 walks, 128 ERA+, and 5.9 WAR. He was third in WBC Best Pitcher voting in 1988.

After respectable 1991 and 1992 efforts, Ramirez took second in 1993 POTY voting, leading in wins at 21-3 with a 1.97 ERA and 8.7 WAR. This season also saw a no-hitter on April 7, 1993 with 12 strikeouts and two walks against Brasilia. His postseason was less remarkable with a 4.39 ERA in 26.2 innings, but Sao Paulo again beat Lima for Copa Sudamerica.

In March 1994, the Padres gave Ramirez a six-year, $13,720,000 extension. He earned his third ERA title in 1994 with a 1.97 ERA and was the WARlord at 7.4, taking his fourth POTY. Ramirez became the eighth pitcher in BSA history to win POTY four or more times. He finished third in voting in 1995, 1996, 1997, and 1999. Ramirez led in Ks and WAR in 1995, wins and innings in 1996, and WAR in 1999.

With Sao Paulo, Ramirez had a 270-128 record, 2.37 ERA, 3940 innings, 4551 strikeouts, 767 walks, 380/486 quality starts, 137 complete games, 139 ERA+, and 105.7 WAR. He was a beloved part of their 1980s and 1990s success and his #22 uniform would later be retired.

Ramirez’s Padres run ended after the 1999 season. That year was Sao Paulo’s first losing season since 1973 and they looked into a rebuild. Now 36-years old, the Padres bought out the remaining part of Ramirez’s contract. A free agent for the first time, Ramirez signed a three-year, $10,680,000 deal with Caracas.

He wasn’t a POTY candidate with the Colts, but Ramirez put up three respectable years in their rotation. Caracas made the playoffs in 2000 and 2002, but suffered a first round loss and a Bolivar League Championship Series loss. Ramirez had a 2.83 ERA over 35 playoff innings for the Colts.

While there, Ramirez became the fourth BSA pitcher to reach 300 wins and the sixth to reach 5000 strikeouts. In total for Caracas, Ramirez had a 49-34 record, 3.50 ERA, 757.2 innings, 669 strikeouts, 135 walks, 115 ERA+, and 14.9 WAR. A free agent again at age 39, he signed for 2003 with Cali on a three-year, $10,560,000 deal.

With the Cyclones, Ramirez had a 22-7 record, 3.42 ERA, 186 strikeouts, and 4.4 WAR in 2003. He struggled in two playoff starts as Cali suffered a first round exit, allowing 11 runs in six innings. Ramirez had been respectable in the regular season though and most figured he wasn’t going to end with that.

At 341 wins, Ramirez was only six behind Mohamed Ramos’ all-time mark of 347 and one behind Laurenco Cedillo at 342. Ramos was a revered figure in his native Bolivia and Ramirez told friends that he didn’t feel right trying to take that record from the GOAT. Thus, he retired after the 2003 season at age 40.

Ramirez ended with a 341-169 record, 2.59 ERA, 4934.1 innings, 5406 strikeouts, 937 walks, 462/616 quality starts, 166 complete games, 52 shutouts, 134 ERA+, 76 FIP-, and 125.0 WAR. As of 2037, Ramirez sits third in wins, third in innings pitched, fifth in strikeouts, and eighth in pitching WAR.

He didn’t have the raw untouchable dominance of some of the other all-timers, but Ramirez was remarkably consistent for a long time. He was a critical piece of Sao Paulo’s decade of success and a no-doubt Hall of Famer. Ramirez headlined the 2009 BSA class alone with 99.0%, joining his hero and idol Mohamed Ramos among the Bolivian baseball legends.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2009 EBF Hall of Fame (Part 1)

The 2009 Hall of Fame class for the European Baseball Federation was a hefty one with four inductees. Three of them would be the headliner in almost any year with CF Willy Fierro (99.3%), SP Lindsey Brampton (99.0%), and LF Rodrigo Vilanova (97.6%). They were joined by CF Luca Wouterson, who finally made it in on his tenth and final chance with 70.1%.



RF Bernard Martin was quite close to the 66% requirement, but missed at 63.5% in his fifth ballot. 1B Luigi Cuttone was also a fifth ballot near miss at 60.4%. Also above 50% was LF Henrique Agnelo with a 59.0% debut, SP Viktor Fredsgaard at 55.9% on his third ballot, and SP Reggie Hobart with 54.5% for his sixth go.

Dropped after ten ballots was 1B Oliver Michaelsen, known for his great defense with ten Gold Gloves. In 14 years between Hamburg and Munich, he won one Silver Slugger and had 2492 hits, 1071 runs, 431 doubles, 386 home runs, 1274 RBI, a .300/.334/.502 slash, 135 wRC+, and 65.1 WAR. Voters often wanted big power stats at first base and weren’t sold by great defense and merely solid hitting. Michaelsen peaked at 23.6% in 2001 and ended at 9.4%.



Willy Fierro – Center Field – Lisbon Clippers – 99.3% First Ballot

Willy Fierro was a 6’0’’, 200 pound left-handed center fielder from Alhama de Murcia, Spain; a small town of 21,000 inhabitants in the country’s southeast. Fierro was the type of guy that did everything good to great as a rare five-tool player. He was an excellent contact hitter with a strong eye of drawing walks and a respectable strikeout rate. Fierro was dangerous for lefties (143 wRC+) and righties (163 wRC+).

Fierro never led the conference in homers, but he had reliably good power and averaged 35 per his 162 game average. He also found the gap well with 26 doubles and 13 triples per 162 games. Fierro was a brilliant baserunner and base stealer with impressive speed. He regularly could leg out extra bases and challenge even the strongest outfield arms.

Defensively, Fierro made around ¾ of his starts in center field and a ¼ in left. Although he never won a Gold Glove, Fierro graded out as a reliably positive defender in center and a great one in left. He managed a 22 year career, but Fierro did run into injury troubles, especially in his later years.

As remarkably talented and seemingly flawless Fierro’s profile looked, he wasn’t well-liked by other players. Many felt he was a selfish loner that cared about himself before the team. Others argued that he sometimes coasted by on his natural talent. Regardless, that talent was immense, helping Fierro to a successful career as an all-time great.

Fierro was the rare five-star rated prospect and was ranked as the #1 prospect by most observers entering the 1986 EBF Draft. Lisbon had the #1 pick and grabbed Fierro, who would play his entire European career with the Clippers. He was a full-time starter immediately and an instant success, posting 7.5 WAR to win 1987 Rookie of the Year and a Silver Slugger.

Lisbon soon went from a 61-win team in 1986 to a playoff regular with Fierro in the lineup. He won his second Silver Slugger in 1988, then posted an impressive 11.6 WAR in 1989. That earned Fierro his third Slugger and his first MVP. This would be his first of seven seasons worth 10+ WAR. All but one of his 14 years in Lisbon were worth 6.5+ WAR.

The Clippers earned a wild card in 1989 and rode it to a Southern Conference pennant, falling in the European Championship to Amsterdam. Fierro was named conference championship MVP. Lisbon missed the playoffs narrowly in 1990, but then earned nine straight berths from 1991-99 with six division titles and six conference finals appearances.

Lisbon picked up conference pennants in 1992, 1995, and 1997. They won their second European Championship in 1995, defeating Dublin. Fierro was finals MVP that year and was a big time playoff performer. In 74 starts for the Clippers, he had 94 hits, 58 runs, 13 doubles, 7 triples, 20 home runs, 64 RBI, 43 stolen bases, a .328/.375/.631 slash, and 4.4 WAR.

Fierro won a second MVP in 1994 and a third in 1997, winning additional Silver Sluggers in 1993, 94, 95, 97, and 2000. From 1992-1996, he led in WAR five times and posted 12+ in 1992, 1993, and 1994. He led in runs thrice (1991, 94, 95) and walks thrice (1990, 1991, 1995). Fierro led in the triple slash in 1994 and also led in OBP in 1993, and both slugging and OPS in 1997.

In April 1994, Fierro signed a seven-year, $22,120,000 extension to stay with Lisbon for the long haul. He also was a regular for Spain in the World Baseball Championship with 181 games and 179 starts from 1988-2006. Fierro had 151 hits, 109 runs, 28 doubles, 36 home runs, 91 RBI, 96 walks, 85 stolen bases, a .227/.333/.447 slash, 123 wRC+, and 5.5 WAR in the WBC.

Injuries began to plague Fierro in the late 1990s. A knee sprain and elbow sprain cost him about two months in 1996 with another knee sprain in 1997 costing two months. A strained groin muscle and elbow inflammation cost about three months, including the postseason in 1998. In 1999, it was a broken collar bone and torn hamstring that denied him about nine weeks and another playoff run.

2000 was his last year in Lisbon and saw a full load. Even with the injuries, Fierro was a valuable commodity and felt he could still command big money. He declined his contract option, becoming a free agent at age 36. This marked the end of his time with Lisbon and in the European Baseball Federation.

With the Clippers, Fierro had 2352 hits, 1501 runs, 356 doubles, 194 triples, 461 home runs, 1354 RBI, 844 walks, 1071 stolen bases, a .323/.394/.616 slash, 173 wRC+, and 132.6 WAR. As of 2037, Fierro is eighth among EBF position players in WAR. As of 2037, he’s 15^th in OPS among EBF hitters with 3000 plate appearances. He left too early for more prominent leaderboard spots for the other counting stats.

Still, his Hall of Fame resume was obvious and most Spanish baseball fans have him as a top five player in the nation’s history. Lisbon retired his #15 uniform once he was done. Fierro got 99.3%, the highest mark in the impressive four-player 2009 Hall of Fame class for EBF.

Fierro had another eight seasons of baseball left post-EBF. MLB’s Philadelphia gave him a three-year, $25,800,000 deal for 2001. He had a great full 2001 and helped the Phillies win the National Association pennant., although they lost to Nashville in the World Series. In 19 playoff starts, Fierro had 21 hits, 11 runs, 2 homers, 8 RBI, 8 steals, 134 wRC+, and 0.6 WAR.

Fierro missed the first half of 2002 between a strained groin muscle and elbow inflammation. He bounced back with a great second half with 5.7 WAR and 202 wRC+ in 82 games. In two seasons for Philadelphia, Fierro had 225 hits, 145 runs, 51 home runs, 143 RBI, a .280/.365/.523 slash, 163 wRC+, and 11.9 WAR. He didn’t meet the vesting criteria for the third year of the deal, entering free agency for 2003 at age 38.

Charlotte gave Fierro three years and $27,000,000. He lost the second half of 2004 to a broken kneecap and was never the same player after that. He was mostly healthy in 2004 for 3.7 WAR, but struggled at the plate for a .217 average and 93 wRC+. For the Canaries, Fierro had 7.2 WAR, a .244/.324/.433 slash, 104 wRC+, 213 hits, 126 runs, and 37 homers.

In February 2005, Fierro was part of a six-player trade that sent him from Charlotte to Albuquerque. A pinched nerve and strained ACL cost him half of the season with the Isotopes. He had a 93 wRC+ and 1.8 WAR and still provided positive value with his defense and speed, despite seeing his bat fall to subpar levels.

Now age 41, Winnipeg gave Fierro three years and $23,700,000. The Wolves won the National Association pennant in 2006, losing to Nashville in the World Series. Bone chips in his elbow ended Fierro’s postseason early, while other injuries cost him much of the regular season. The Wolves again lost in the 2007 World Series, but Fierro wasn’t available due to a fractured finger.

With Winnipeg, Fierro had 176 games and still managed 3.9 WAR, 118 wRC+, 136 hits, 82 runs, and a .240/.316/.423 slash. He failed to meet the vesting criteria again and was a broken down free agent. Fierro was unsigned until late June 2008 with Jacksonville giving him a chance. He stunk in 65 games for the Gators with -0.4 WAR and a 73 wRC+. Fierro retired that winter as one of the few pros to get to age 44.

In his MLB tenure, Fierro still posted a very respectable 24.4 WAR in 799 games and 738 starts with 704 hits, 423 runs, 91 doubles, 130 home runs, 420 RBI, 186 stolen bases, a .251/.330/.443 slash, and 120 wRC+. For his entire career, Fierro had 3056 hits, 1924 runs, 447 doubles, 223 triples, 591 home runs, 1774 RBI, 1156 walks, 1257 stolen bases, a .303/.376/.568 slash, 158 wRC+, and 157.0 WAR.

Hitting 150+ WAR, 3000+ hits, nearly 2000 runs, 500+ homers, 1500+ RBI, 1000+ walks, and 1000+ stolen bases is an incredible set of milestones. Few, if any, pros can say they did each of those. Fierro was one of the finest outfielders of his era and arguably the best in the world during his 1990s peak.



Lindsey “Clang” Brampton – Starting Pitcher – Birmingham Bees – 99.0% First Ballot

Lindsey Brampton was a 6’1’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from London, England with duel English and Northern Irish heritage. Few pitchers in baseball history were better strikeout pitchers than Brampton. His stuff was legendary and on the 1/10 scale, graded as a 13 in his best seasons. Brampton also had reliably solid control with respectable movement.

His fastball was hard enough for most hitters, regularly hitting 97-99 mph. Brampton’s changeup was the one though that got a remarkable amount of whiffs. You could argue he had the best changeup of all-time and was an absolute master at changing speeds. Even worse for batters, Brampton also had an excellent curveball he could get you with. He absolutely re-wrote the EBF strikeout record book with that trio of pitches.

Brampton also had excellent stamina and was considered quite durable for most his career, tossing 235+ innings each year from 1990-2001. Runners weren’t often going to steal on his and he played respectable defense. Brampton also wasn’t a bad batter for a pitcher with a .219 average, winning a Silver Slugger in 1992.

It is no wonder that Brampton became one of the most beloved baseball figures not only in the United Kingdom, but worldwide. He was also a hard worker, dedicated, and selfless. Hitters hated facing him, but perhaps no European pitcher elicited more respect, and fear, then Lindsey Brampton.

Despite all that, Brampton wasn’t a mega hyped prospect coming out of the University of Oxford. Birmingham picked him in the second round of the 1987 EBF Draft with the 45^th overall pick. Brampton was mostly a full-timer right way for the Bees, posting 204.2 innings in 1989 with decent results. He found his strikeout form in 1990 and was a superstar soon after.

From 1990-2001, Brampton led the Northern Conference each season in strikeouts. From 1991-01, he had 11 straight seasons with 400+ strikeouts. Prior to that, there had only been 12 seasons total by other pitchers in EBF with 400+. All but two of those were by Jean-Luc Roch or Alejandro Canas, who won ten Pitcher of the Year awards between them.

The only player in world history with more 400+ strikeout seasons was world strikeout king Mohamed Ramos of Beisbol Sudamerica, who had 13 total and 12 consecutive. The Oceania Baseball Association’s Akira Brady would reach 12 seasons of 400 Ks over the 2010s-2020s.

Prior to Brampton, EBF’s single-season record was 454 in 1978 by Canas. Brampton broke that five times, starting with 465 in 1993. He posted 474 Ks in 1995, then peaked with 489 in 1996. At the time, that ranked 6^th best in world history. As of 2037, Brampton holds the top five EBF seasons and has 11 spots in the top 20.

Prior to Brampton, only Ugo Musacci had reached 21 Ks in a game in EBF, doing it in 1970. Brampton thrice had 22 K games, including one in only 8.1 innings in 1996 against Glasgow. He hit 21 Ks five times and 20 Ks five times. One of those 21 K games was his lone no-hitter, coming against his hometown London on August 14, 2001 with four walks.

It wasn’t just strikeouts though for Brampton. He led the conference in ERA from 1991-93, then again from 1995-96. Brampton led in WHIP nine times, wins five times, innings once, K/BB twice, quality starts thrice, complete games twice, FIP- seven times, and WAR six times. 1993-97 had five straight seasons worth 10+ WAR.

Brampton was third in Pitcher of the Year voting in 1990, then won it seven straight years from 1991-97. He’s the only EBF pitcher with seven consecutive and only Roch has more with eight. In 1993, Brampton took the MVP as well with career bests in ERA (1.66), and WAR (12.9). Brampton had Triple Crowns in 1995 and 1996. He also took second in 1999 and 2001 POTY voting. The Bees locked him up long-term after the 1994 season for seven years and $18,300,000.

With Brampton’s pitching and Sean Houston’s homers and multiple MVPs, Birmingham became a regular contender. The Bees had seven straight playoff berths from 1991-97 with five conference finals appearances. Birmingham took the pennant in 1991, 93, 94, and 96. In 1991 and 1994, the Bees earned the European Championship.

Brampton’s playoff numbers weren’t as dominant as his regular season bests, but still plenty good. He had a 3.20 ERA over 166 innings, 9-9 record, 270 strikeouts, 35 walks, 116 ERA+, and 4.8 WAR. As of 2037, Brampton is third all-time in playoff strikeouts and ninth in WAR among pitchers.

1998 marked the end of Birmingham’s streak, as they’d be just above .500 for the next four years. It ended Brampton’s POTY streak with a surprisingly weak 3.45 ERA, leading the conference in home runs allowed. He bounced back with three strong seasons after that and led in WAR again in 2001 with 9.8. In 2000, Brampton joined Roch and Canas in the 5K strikeout club and seemed more than poised to catch Roch’s 5757 record.

Birmingham gave Brampton a five-year, $26,500,000 extension in April 2001. He was 33 at the time of signing that and hadn’t showed any real sign of slowing down. Things very quickly changed though on June 10, 2002. On that day, Brampton suffered a torn ulnar collateral ligament. He had been unremarkable earlier in the season and now, his career seemed to be in doubt.

Brampton rehabbed back for a return in 2003. His stuff was still strong, but the injury greatly diminished his control. He walked 93, way more then his career worst of 65 in 1990. Brampton had a mere 3.85 ERA, 1.9 WAR, 250 strikeouts, and 96 ERA+ over 224.1 innings.

This season did allow him to pass Roch as EBF’s strikeout king, but he fell just short of 6000. Only four pitchers in world history had made it to 6k and Brampton ranks sixth in the world as of 2037. Many thought he might be able to chase the all-time mark, but the injury and his diminished production put that in doubt.

Additionally, Birmingham had entered a rebuild after a putrid 68-win 2002, their worst since 1973. Brampton opted to retire after the 2003 campaign at only age 35. Birmingham immediately retired his #11 uniform and he remains one of the most beloved sportsmen in the UK.

Brampton finished with a 268-118 record, 2.58 ERA, 3713.1 innings, 5955 strikeouts, 780 walks, 328/444 quality starts, 185 complete games, 52 shutouts, 143 ERA+, 63 FIP-, and 123.4 WAR. As of 2037, Brampton is still the EBF strikeout king and the leader in K/9 at 14.43. He also ranks sixth in wins, fifth in complete games, and seventh in pitching WAR.

In his prime, Brampton’s dominance was something to behold. Guys like Roch and Canas may have been more efficient, but Brampton’s raw strikeout ability was remarkable and exciting. He was certainly a no-doubt Hall of Famer in 2009 at 99.0% and is quickly mentioned in any conversation about the best strikeout pitchers in pro baseball history.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2009 EBF Hall of Fame (Part 2)

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Rodrigo Vilanova – Left Field – Madrid Conquistadors – 97.6% First Ballot

Rodrigo Vilanova was a 6’0’’, 200 pound left-handed left fielder from Esmoriz, Portugal; a city of only 11,400 on the northwestern coast. Vilanova was an excellent contact hitter who was great at avoiding strikeouts and respectable at drawing walks. He also hit the ball quite hard with consistency. Vilanova had ten seasons with 30+ home runs and two with 40+. He also got you 25 doubles and 15 triples per his 162 game average.

Vilanova had good to great speed and outstanding baserunning instincts. He successfully stole on around 70% of his attempts. Vilanova was a career left fielder and was known for having a very strong arm. He graded out as just below average for his career defensively, but he was by no means a liability. Vilanova also had excellent durability for most of his run, starting 140+ games each year from 1988-2000.

In the 1984 EBF Draft, Vilanova was picked 32^nd overall by Madrid, where he’d spend his entire career. The Conquistadors left him on the reserve roster for all of 1985, debuting him in 1986 at age 21 with 72 games and 4 starts. Madrid was a strong roster and a tough one to make at this point. In 1987, he didn’t play for the entire regular season. Vilanova did have one postseason at-bat, which earned him a ring as the Conquistadors won the European Championship over Amsterdam.

Vilanova earned a starting spot in 1988 and held it for the next 13 seasons. He led the Southern Conference in doubles with a career best 45 in 1988. He posted six straight seasons worth 7+ WAR. Vilanova led in total bases and wRC+ in 1990. That year, he smacked 45 home runs with 128 RBI, a 1.058 OPS, and 10.5 WAR. He earned his lone MVP and his first Silver Slugger.

Madrid had missed the playoffs in 1988 and 1989, but Vilanova’s MVP helped them back to the mountaintop. The Conquistadors won the 1990 European Championship against Hamburg. In that run, Vilanova had 26 hits, 17 runs, 3 homers, 8 RBI, and 13 stolen bases. Madrid’s run ended here as they missed the playoffs from 1991-98. They weren’t bad in that stretch, just mid with an average win total at 83.6.

Vilanova won his second Silver Slugger in 1991 with a 9.6 WAR effort and was signed to an eight-year, $14,460,000 extension that winter. 1992 was his finest season with conference and career bests in runs (136), hits (233), RBI (134), total bases (426), average (.388), OBP (.418), and OPS (1.127). He also matched his homers best of 45 and set new bests in wRC+ (206) and WAR (11.3). He won a Silver Slugger, but took second in MVP voting to two-way star and Pitcher of the Year Edgar Miranda.

In 1993, Vilanova led again in hits (225), and batting average (.358). That would be his last time atop a leaderboard. He would win two more Silver Sluggers (1994, 1998) to have six total. Vilanova was down from his peak, but still reliably earned around 4-6 WAR each season. Madrid was happy with the result and gave him a four-year, $12,640,000 extension after the 1998 season at age 34.

Vilanova had also been a regular for his native Portugal in the World Baseball Classic, playing 154 games with 136 starts from 1986-2003. Vilanova had 145 hits, 82 runs, 28 doubles, 32 home runs, 84 RBI, 42 stolen bases, a .267/.326/.506 slash, 137 wRC+, and 4.9 WAR.

Madrid finally reemerged as a major contender and began a dynasty run. They won the European Championship in 1999 against Hamburg. This started a seven-year playoff streak that also saw conference titles in 2000, 2002, and 2004. Each of those years, the Conquistadors were denied in the final.

Vilanova was a key starter in 1999 and 2000, but saw his role reduced after that. For his playoff career, he had 80 games and 60 starts with 73 hits, 46 runs, 10 doubles, 11 home runs, 36 RBI, 22 stolen bases, a .283/.316/.481 slash, 118 wRC+, and 2.0 WAR.

In his final three seasons, Vilanova was used primarily in a platoon role against right-handed pitching. He still provided positive value and played 323 games in this stretch, but he only started 85 games. Vilanova was purely a pinch hitter in 2003 and opted to retire after that campaign at age 38. Madrid immediately honored him by retiring his #34 uniform.

Vilanova finished with 2791 hits, 1583 runs, 384 doubles, 225 triples, 455 home runs, 1533 RBI, 980 stolen bases, a .329/.371/.589 slash, 159 wRC+, and 100.6 WAR. He ranks 29^th among position players in WAR and almost quietly put together a very impressive career. Vilanova isn’t at the top of any leaderboards, but he certainly doesn’t look out of place.

He helped usher in two distinct title runs for Madrid and was a huge piece especially in the 1990 championship. In any other year, Vilanova might be a strong headliner. He had the third highest percentage in the loaded 2009 EBF Hall of Fame class, but was still a no-doubter at 97.6%.



Luca Wouterson – Center Field – Rotterdam Ravens – 70.1% Tenth Ballot

Luca Wouterson was a 6’2’’, 205 pound right-handed center fielder from Duiven, a town of 25,000 people in the eastern Netherlands. Wouterson was a very solid contact hitter in his prime who was good at putting the ball in play. He had a low strikeout rate and decent knack for drawing walks. Wouterson wasn’t a prolific slugger by any means, but still got you around 20 home runs per season. Gap power was Wouterson’s best attribute as a hitter, averaging 37 doubles and 14 triples per his 162 game average.

He had pretty good speed and was an excellent base runner. Wouterson was a career center fielder and was considered reliably above average to good defensively. Wouterson’s durability was okay, although sporadic injuries did cost him a month or two some years. He was a nice guy that was easy to get along with.

Wouterson was one of the highly touted Dutch prospects ahead of the 1982 EBF Draft, which drew special attention from Rotterdam. The Ravens grabbed him with the seventh overall pick and he’d spend his entire EBF career there. Wouterson was popular with both Rotterdam fans and Dutch baseball fans generally.

From 1984-96, Wouterson was a regular starter for the Netherlands in the World Baseball Championship. He had 125 games and 124 starts with 112 hits, 56 runs, 19 doubles, 18 home runs, 41 RBI, 38 stolen bases, a .235/.291/.401 slash, 100 wRC+, and 1.6 WAR.

Wouterson was a full-time starter right away for Rotterdam, although a rotator cuff strain cost him a month of his rookie season. Still, his debut effort saw 4.3 WAR, which was good for the 1983 Rookie of the Year. The next two seasons, Wouterson led the Northern Conference in doubles, peaking with a career best 49 in 1984. From 1984-90, he had six seasons worth 7+ WAR.

1985 was his top season by WAR with 9.7, earning a Silver Slugger. In April 1987, Rotterdam gave him an eight-year, $10,180,000 extension. Wouterson won batting titles in both 1987 and 1988 with a career-best .359 average in 1987. He took Silver Sluggers both seasons and was second in MVP voting in 1987. That was the only time he was an MVP finalist. Wouterson won a fourth EBF Silver Slugger in 1991.

Rotterdam was a playoff regular during his tenure, earning eight berths from 1985-93. The Ravens got the reputation as playoff chokers, as they suffered first round exits in seven of those eight. Wouterson was generally good over his 43 playoff games with 60 hits, 27 runs, 13 doubles, 5 triples, 3 homers, 18 RBI, a .349/.370/.535 slash, 154 wRC+, and 2.3 WAR.

In 1992, Rotterdam finally got over the hump. They won the European Championship that season over Lisbon. In that playoff run, Wouterson had 19 this, 9 runs, 5 doubles, 8 stolen bases, and a .328 average. His role in getting them back to the top played a big part in Wouterson’s #46 uniform later being retired by the Ravens.

Wouterson was still playing at a strong level into his early 30s, but suffered a major setback in early 1994. In early spring training, he suffered a torn calf muscle that had setback and required surgery. This put him out 7-8 months and he only made it back for the final week of the season. He struggled in his limited appearances and became a free agent heading into his age 34 season.

No EBF teams wanted to give him big free agent money off that injury with fears that he was cooked. Wouterson had to go to Africa to find a gig, signing a five-year, $8,100,000 deal with Dar es Salaam of the African Association of Baseball. He played four seasons with the Sabercats and was a respectable starter when healthy.

The unfortunate reality is that he was rarely healthy, peaking with 103 games in 1995. A whole host of maladies limited him, although he still earned a Silver Slugger in 1996 with 4.2 WAR over 95 games. The run ended with a broken bone in his elbow in August 1998, costing him six months.

With Dar es Salaam, Wouterson had 8.6 WAR in 321 games, 300 hits, 183 runs, 64 doubles, 50 home runs, 144 RBI, a .262/.350/.457 slash, and 126 wRC+. He hoped to still play in 1999, but went unsigned, retiring that winter at age 38. For his entire pro career, Wouterson had 2243 hits, 1171 runs, 435 doubles, 169 triples, 254 home runs, 998 RBI, 683 stolen bases, a .312/.358/.526 slash, 146 wRC+, and 82.7 WAR.

Just in EBF with Rotterdam, Wouterson had 1943 hits, 988 runs, 371 doubles, 164 triples, 204 home runs, 854 RBI, 614 stolen bases, a .322/.359/.539 slash, 151 wRC+, and 74.1 WAR. The rate stats were nice, but his accumulations were very borderline. Most of the other guys with similar low totals had more impressive peaks often before leaving for MLB. Wouterson had an uphill climb to earn induction.

He debuted at only 32.5% and hovered around there for his first few years on the ballot. Wouterson jumped to 52.4% in 2005, but fell right back down to 23.5%. The roller coaster continued with a new best in 2007 at 56.6%, followed by a new low at 21.7% in 2008. With that, most people, Wouterson included, assumed he was destined for the Hall of Pretty Good.

It was especially surprising that Wouterson gained ground in 2009 with two better outfielders (Fierro and Vilanova) in the group in front of him. Supporters pushed hard to get Wouterson recognized, arguing the low totals were due to injury and not talent.

With that, Wouterson crossed the 66% requirement with 70.1% to round off the impressive four-player 2009 EBF Hall of Fame class. He was the second EBF inductee making it on his tenth and final chance, joining SP Cornelius Danner from 2003.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2009 EPB Hall of Fame

For the second time in three years, Eurasian Professional Baseball didn’t add anyone into its Hall of Fame. Four players were very close in 2009 with more than 60%, but not the 66% required. 3B Igor Urban was less than a percentage point short with 65.4% on his second try. Similarly close was SP Temuujin Munkhuu at 65.0% for his second attempt.



The best debut was SP Wojciech Grzybek at 64.3%, while SP Mikhail Kripak had 62.7% in his fourth attempt. SP Dmitry Popov was also above the 50% mark with 52.1% for his fourth attempt. No one was dropped after ten ballots.