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

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2009 in WAB

2009 was a year of expansion for multiple leagues, among them West African Baseball. WAB hadn’t changed from its 20-team structure since the inaugural 1975 season. With the game and region growing significantly since, WAB officials decided 2009 was a prime time to expand. Both leagues would add two teams, making WAB a 24-team endeavor. WAB maintained a division-free structure for the two 12-team leagues.



Joining the Western League were the Banjul Bucks and the Bouake Blood Hawks. Bouake became the second Ivory Coast team, joining Abidjan, while Banjul was the first pro team from Gambia. In the Eastern League, the Libreville Lakers and Yaounde Yellow Birds were introduced. Libreville brought Gabon its first big-league squad, while Yaounde joined Douala as the second from Cameroon.



One other notable change was a new playoff structure, which grew the qualifiers from three to four from each league. WAB did also become the first league to introduce a stepladder format for the playoffs. It would begin with the #3 and #4 finishers meeting in a best-of-three hosted by the #3 team. The winner advanced to the second round where the #2 seed hosted a best-of-three. That winner then faced the top seed in a 2-2-1 best-of-five league championship series. The WAB Championship remained a best-of-seven.



Defending WAB champ and four-time defending Western League winner Monrovia took the top spot in the WL standings at 103-59. It was the fourth time in five years that the Diplomats finished first place. Abidjan, who took first the prior year, was second in 2009 at 101-61. The Athletes also grew their playoff streak to five seasons.

The third place spot went to Freetown at 94-68, while the fourth and final playoff spot was Bamako at 91-71. Accra (86-76) was the only other team in striking distance. The Foresters ended a seven-year stretch of losing seasons, while the Bullfrogs ended a four-year skid. Nouakchott, who had back-to-back berths, dropped to eighth at 79-83.

Western League MVP was Bamako’s Min-Seong Ryu. The 39-year old third baseman had joined WAB in 2009 after spending the prior four seasons in MLB and the 13 before that in his native South Korea. He become one of the oldest ever MVPs, leading the WL in OBP (.414) and wRC+ (180). Ryu added 7.7 WAR, 201 hits, and a .375 batting average. It was his lone season with the Bullfrogs, although he stayed another five years in WAB with Ibadan.

Abidjan’s Arthur Boateng repeated as Pitcher of the Year and posted WAB’s seventh-ever Triple Crown pitching season. The 25-year old Ghanaian had a 21-10 record, 2.41 ERA, and 305 strikeouts. Boateng also led in WAR (5.9), innings (264.2), and quality starts (25) while posting a 156 ERA+.

#4 seed Bamako upset #3 seed Freetown 2-1 in the first round of the playoffs. The Bullfrogs gave #2 seed Abidjan a challenge, but the Athletes survived round two 2-1 to set up a Western League Championship Series rematch with Monrovia. The Diplomats were shooting for a fifth consecutive pennant, but they were denied 3-2 by Abidjan. The Athletes earned a WL-record 12^th pennant, although it was their first since 2001.



Ouagadougou dominated the Eastern League with a franchise-record 111-51 mark. The Osprey earned their fourth playoff berth in five years, although it was only the second time (1983) that they had ever finished first. Ouagadougou won a ton of close games, setting a WAB record with 65 team saves.

2007 WAB champ Niamey bounced back from their 2008 playoff miss, taking second at 92-70. The Atomics had their third playoff berth in four years. It was a very tight battle for the remaining two spots with third place separated by only five games from eighth place. Benin City took third at 85-77, ending a 26-year playoff drought for the Blue Devils.

The fourth spot had a tie at 83-79 between Ibadan and Kano. The Iguanas won the tiebreaker game to earn their second berth in three years. The Condors missed for only the second time since 1995. Close behind was Cotonou (82-80), Lome (80-82), and expansion Yaounde (80-82). Meanwhile, reigning EL champ Lagos completely imploded, going from 97-65 to a last place 65-97.

Benin City’s Abdel Rahmane Padacke won Eastern League MVP. The 28-year old Chadian led in home runs (61), RBI (178), total bases (437), and slugging (.690). The RBI mark remains the second-most in WAB history behind Mo Reda’s 186 from 2003. Padacke also had 205 hits, 113 runs, a .324 average, and 7.5 WAR. In the late spring, the Blue Devils gave him a four-year, $16,360,000 extension.

Ouagadougou’s Zeb Onyedika won Pitcher of the Year. The 24-yaer old Nigerian led in WAR (6.5), FIP- (61), and K/BB (9.2). Onyedika had a 3.16 ERA over 199.1 innings, 15-6 record, 267 strikeouts, and 128 ERA+.

#4 seed Ibadan edged Benin City 2-1 in the first round, then upset #2 seed Niamey 2-1 in round two. The Iguanas earned a second Eastern League Championship Series in three years and were a major underdog as they tried to end a six-game ELCS losing streak. For Ouagadougou, their only other ELCS was a defeat in 1983. Ibadan’s Cinderella run continued, upsetting the Osprey 3-1. The Iguanas became four-time EL winners, having won thrice in the 1990s.



Ibadan’s magic would ultimately run out in the 35^th West African Championship, meeting their old foe Abidjan. They had split in their 1993 and 1994 finals encounters. The Athletes took the 2009 edition 4-2, becoming four-time WAB champs (1982, 1994, 2000, 2009). LF Kely Ballard was finals MVP and WLCS MVP, setting a still-standing WAB playoff record with 26 hits. In 14 playoff starts, the 34-year old Nigerian also had 12 runs, 6 doubles, 8 RBI, and 6 stolen bases.



Other notes: Freetown’s Didi Kpozo threw WAB’s 16^th perfect game and the first since the 2000 season. Kpozo struck out 10 on May 28 against Freetown. Ibadan closer Brendan Roper set a playoff record with seven saves, doing it despite posting a terrible 5.74 ERA in 15.2 playoff innings. Lawrence Nassif had a 33-game hitting streak, two short of WAB’s record at that point.

Darwin Morris became the first to reach 700 career home runs. His streak of Silver Sluggers would end in 2009 though at 15. C Okoro Otene won his seventh Gold Glove and 2B Sambegou Toure won his seventh.

WAB’s offensive environment remained about the same in the 2000s as it did in the 1990s. The league batting average was around .258 with an ERA around 3.97, which led to above average offense relative to the historic scale. Rule changes in the 2010s would lead to a massive spike, making WAB the highest-scoring league ever to that point.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2009 in CLB

Chinese League Baseball also joined the expansion craze of 2009, making their first changes since the inaugural 1970. CLB added three teams to each league, making it two 15-team leagues and 30 total teams. CLB maintained a division-free format and adjusted the interleague schedule to account for such a unique structure.



Joining the Northern League were the Shiijazhuang Serpents, Changchun Camels, and Urumqi Unicorns. Added to the Southern League were the Wenzhou Wild, Nanning Nuts, and Shantou Scorpions. To avoid too many players being poached with six new teams, the expansion draft was relatively restrictive, thus leading to a tough climb for the new squads.



CLB also changed the playoff format so that each league had four playoff squads instead of the previous three. But they also made a setup unique to any pro league by instituting a Double Round Robin opening round. CLB also maintained its unique interleague playoff setup.

In one Round Robin group, it would be the NL’s #1 and #3 seeds against the SL’s #2 and #4. The other group was the inverse and each team got one home and one road game against the other three squads. The top two placers advanced to a best-of-seven semifinal. The winners then played in the best-of-seven China Series.



Defending CLB champ Shanghai finished first in the Northern League at 102-60, taking Zhengzhou by only one game at 101-61. Both earned repeat playoff berths. The Zips had their first-ever 100+ win season, while it was the second for the Seawolves.

Third was Beijing at 98-64 for their second appearance in three years. Tianjin grabbed the fourth and final spot at 92-70 to end a three-year drought. Qingdao, who was the China Series runner-up the last year, was the first team out of the playoffs at 88-74. They and Jinan were four back on the final wild card, while Shenyang was five behind at 87-75.

Zhengzhou’s Liang Xu won Northern League MVP and posted only the second-ever Triple Crown hitting season in CLB history, joining Shichao Zhang’s 1984 effort. The 30-year old left fielder had 42 home runs, 101 RBI, and a .343 average. Xu also led in runs (93), OBP (.392), slugging (.633), OPS (1.025), wRC+ (242), and WAR (11.5). Xu played only one more season with the Zips, then left for Brazil and a six-year, $54,000,000 with the Salvador Storm.

Pitcher of the Year also came from Zhengzhou with Yuandong Wang in only his second season. The 22-year old lefty led in wins at 21-6 and posted a 1.52 ERA over 260 innings, 285 strikeouts, 6.7 WAR, and a 163 ERA+. Wang had been the fifth overall draft pick by the Zips in 2007.



Macau had CLB’s best overall record again, although their 103-59 was less eye-popping than the 118-44 from 2008. Dongguan was 98-64 in second place, continuing their roller coaster ride. The Donkeys were a 2007 playoff team, but had collapsed with an atrocious 56-win 2008.

Chengdu repeated as a wild card, finishing third at 94-68. Xiamen and Changsha tied for fourth at 92-70, besting Foshan by one game. The Mutts won the tiebreaker game for their second berth in four years. Hong Kong’s bid for a third straight playoff appearance was thwarted with a tenth place 78-84.

Xiamen LF Shou Chen won Southern League MVP. The 29-year old righty led in total bases with 320, posting 39 home runs, 87 RBI, a .270 average, 205 wRC+, and 10.0 WAR. Chen played one more season for the Mutts before leaving CLB for MLB. Nashville gave him a mammoth five-year, $79,000,000 to defect to the United States.


Changsha’s Lei Li made history as the first five-time Pitcher of the Year winner in CLB. As of 2037, he’s one of only two. Li led in ERA (1.20), FIP- (27), and WAR (10.7). The 29-year old righty added a 16-4 record and 16 saves over 217.1 innings with 318 strikeouts and a 205 ERA+. Li helped the Cannons to 1820 strikeouts as a team, which still stands in 2037 as the Southern League record. It is second-best for all of CLB behind Xi’an’s 1835 Ks in 1994.

In Round Robin Group A, the Southern League’s #2 Dongguan and #4 Xiamen both advanced at 4-2, while the Northern League’s #1 Shanghai and #3 Beijing were both 2-4. Group B had the NL #2 Zhengzhou first at 5-1, advancing along with SL #3 Chengdu at 3-3. The SL’s #1 seed Macau and NL’s #4 Tianjin both were 2-4.

For the Clowns, this was their first semifinal since 1998, but they lost 4-1 to Xiamen. The Mutts went from needing a play-in game to their third China Series berth, joining the 1981 and 2006 campaigns. Zhengzhou was making their third semifinal berth in four years, while Dongguan hadn’t done it since 1986. After falling in 2006 and 2008, the Zips finally advanced with a 4-2 win over the Donkeys. Zhengzhou earned its second finals appearance, joining the 1995 campaign.



Xiamen’s improbable run as the #4 seed culminated with a 4-3 victory over Zhengzhou in the 40^th China Series. The Mutts won their second title, having also taken it in 2006. 2B Guochen Wang won finals MVP in his ninth and final season with Xiamen. In 18 playoff starts, he had 24 hits, 9 runs, 6 doubles, and 5 RBI.



Other notes: Guangzhou’s Xiaoguang Yang threw CLB’s 40^th Perfect Game on May 1, striking out 13 against Foshan. Hong Kong’s Xue Lian struck out 21 in a 12 inning marathon session against Wenzhou. This was one short of the CLB single-game record set by Martin Cui in 1996.

Cheng Song became the seventh pitcher to 3500 career strikeouts, a mark no one has reached since. He finished with 3656 Ks, ranking sixth as of 2037. 3B Gongsun Yang won his seventh Silver Slugger. Expansion Changchun set an all-time worst record in the Northern League at 50-112.

CLB remained the lowest scoring league in pro baseball in the 2020s, posting a league average 2.48 ERA and .211 batting average. Both grade as extremely low on the historic scale. The Southern League in 1996 had a 2.28 ERA, which was the lowest mark in any subleague ever. CLB remained an extremely low offense environment in the 2010s, but would bump to merely “very low” in the 2020s.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2009 in APB

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Davao remained the dominant Taiwan-Philippine Association squad in the regular season, taking the top record for the fifth consecutive year. The Devil Rays won the Philippine League at 109-53, their best record in franchise history. In the Taiwan League, Taipei earned its first title since 1998. The Tigercats finished 99-63, edging out reigning Austronesian Champion Taoyuan (96-66) and Taichung (94-70).

Although Zamboanga struggled to 70 wins, star outfielder Paolo Baptista won Taiwan-Philippine Association MVP. It was his fifth with the most recent in 2004, making him the third APB player to win five or more MVPs. The 32-year old Filipino led in home runs (42), slugging (.602), OPS (.960), wRC+ (198), and WAR (9.5). Baptista also had a .292 average and 92 RBI, winning his ninth Silver Slugger. He would have one more great season, but lose a lot of his spark due to multiple Achilles ruptures in his later seasons.

Manila’s Dedi Dewi won his second Pitcher of the Year award, coming more than a decade since his 1998 win. The 34-year old Indonesian righty led in WAR (10.7) and FIP- (40). Dewi added a 16-10 record over 238.1 innings, 1.66 ERA, 352 strikeouts, and 167 ERA+.



Defending Sundaland Association champion Singapore dominated the Malacca League at 107-55, taking the title by 27 games. Surabaya was similarly dominant in the Java Sea League at 102-60, although Palembang (91-71) and Depok (90-72) at least gave them some competition. The Sunbirds earned a fourth straight playoff berth. The Sharks set an SA record with 431 stolen bases which held until 2029.

Singapore CF Edmund Quan won Sundaland Association MVP. The 25-year old Filipino switch hitter led in hits (207), doubles (46), stolen bases (106), batting average (.344), and WAR (12.5). Quan also had a 220 wRC+ and .927 OPS. The Sharks locked him up the prior winter with an eight-year, $49,620,000 extension.

Pitcher of the Year also came from Singapore with Dwi Kurnia. The 26-year old fourth-year righty led in wins at 26-4, falling one win shy of the single-season record. Kurnia added a 1.72 ERA over 267.1 innings, 309 strikeouts, 147 ERA+, and 6.7 WAR.

Davao won the Taiwan-Philippine Association Championship 4-2 over Taipei, giving the Devil Rays their third pennant in five years and their sixth overall. Singapore won again in a Sundaland Association rematch with Surabaya. The 4-2 Sharks victory gave them their third pennant, having also won in 1996.



Singapore wouldn’t earn their first-ever Austronesia Championship. Davao downed them in a seven-game classic for their third title in five years, having also won in 2005 and 2006. At 109-53, the Devil Rays set an APB record for the best record by a team that won it all, putting them into the all-time team conversations with their dynasty run.

Leading the playoff effort was CF Alvin Sumantri, who won finals MVP. The 26-year old in 13 playoff starts had 14 hits, 6 runs, 2 doubles, 3 home runs, 8 RBI, and 3 stolen bases.



Other notes: 2009 saw APB’s 31^st and 32^nd perfect games. On April 5, I Komang Ainaga of Semarang struck out 12 against Bandung. Then on September 9, his Sliders teammate Fatchul Makrufan did it with 13 Ks over Kuala Lumpur. It is believed this is the first time in world history that two different players on the same team had a perfect game in the same campaign.

SS Chi-Chao Shih won his eighth Silver Slugger. Hsinchu scored only 362 runs, setting a TPA all-time worst that still holds as of 2037. Kuala Lumpur’s offense struck out 1811 times, which still stands as the most whiffs of any APB team in a season.

In the 2000s, the Sundaland Association had extremely low offensive numbers with a .217 batting average and 2.57 ERA. With the DH, the Taiwan-Philippine Association were merely at very low levels with a 2.80 ERA and .225 batting average. These were the lowest in the world thanks to Chinese League Baseball, but were close to it. The numbers were remarkably similar to prior decades for APB and it would remain consistent into the 2010s and 2020s.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2009 in OBA

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Melbourne’s Australasia League dynasty rolled on with a record seventh straight title in 2009. The Mets were 107-55, beating their closest foe Auckland by 11 games. They joined rare world company with seven subleague pennants in a row, joining MLB’s Philadelphia (1941-47), CABA’s Mexico City (1967-73), WAB’s Kano (1997-2005), and SAB’s Ahmedabad (1994-02).

Although only 73-89 in their fourth season, Canberra had reason for optimism with Australasia League MVP Merlin Megson. The 23-year old English right fielder led in runs (109), home runs (54), RBI (122), total bases (.398), slugging (.677), and wRC+ (189). Megson added a .315 batting average and 7.0 WAR.

Melbourne’s Danny Morris won Pitcher of the Year in only his second season with the Mets. The 32-year old American from Arizona had washed out after a mediocre MLB career, joining Melbourne as an unremarkable reliever in 2008. He came out of nowhere in 2009 to win a Gold Glove and lead in wins (22-5), ERA (2.27), and WHIP (0.89). Morris had 286 strikeouts in 262 innings for a 159 ERA+ and 7.1 WAR.



The Pacific League was very competitive with Guam earning its first title since 2001. The Golden Eagles finished 103-59, outlasting strong efforts from Samoa (99-63), Tahiti (98-64), and Honolulu (92-70). For the defending Oceania Champion Tropics, this was only the second time in seven years that they didn’t finish atop the PL. Guam earned its 14^th pennant, more than any other OBA franchise.

Tahiti’s Arjita Gabeja won his fifth Pacific League MVP, becoming the fourth OBA player to win five or more MVPs. The 30-year old Fijian moved to designated hitter in 2009 and led in runs (108), home runs (51), total bases (364), slugging (.623), and OPS (.976). Gabeja added 6.3 WAR, 117 RBI, and a .286 average. He also earned an eighth Silver Slugger.

Samoa’s Austin Jong won a third straight Pitcher of the Year with a fourth consecutive 400+ K effort. The 24-year old Papuan led with 463 strikeouts, 53 FIP-, and 12.7 WAR. Jong added a 2.31 ERA over 319.1. innings, 21-12 record, and 162 ERA+. He would tear his rotator cuff the next season wouldn’t be a dominant force after that, although he still pitched another seven seasons.



The 50^th Oceania Championship was the third finals meeting between Melbourne and Guam, with the Mets having won in their 1967 and 1969 encounters. Melbourne did it again in 2009, taking a seven-game classic for their fifth OBA ring in six years. The Mets became seven-time OBA champs (1967, 69, 04, 05, 06, 07, 09). 1B Isaac Endo was finals MVP in his first season as a full-time starter. The 24-year old Guamanian went 11-27 with 6 runs, 1 double, 2 homers, and 2 RBI.



Melbourne became the first-ever OBA team to win five titles in six years, as even Honolulu’s great dynasty had just enough gaps to spoil that. The only other franchises in any world league to do it was CABA’s Mexico City (1967-72), CLB’s Dalian (1989-94), WAB’s Kano (1997-02), SAB’s Ahmedabad (1986-91, 94-99), and AAB’s Kinshasa (1997-02).

Other notes: OBA’s 12^th perfect game came on May 22 by Fiji’s Akira Brady with eight strikeouts against Tahiti. This was Brady’s second season, but it introduced him to superstardom. By the end of his OBA run in 2024, most would peg him as OBA’s GOAT pitcher. Timothy Manglona became the fifth to reach 5000 strikeouts.

Elliot McFall and Junia Lava both crossed 500 home runs, making it a nine-man club. Guadalcanal’s Aston Abavu had 36 triples, falling two short of Seymour Lennox’s record of 38. CF Ashton Hughes won his seventh Gold Glove. Tyler Straw won his seventh Silver Slugger, although it was his first at second base. The previous wins were all at shortstop. Timor had a 4.60 team ERA, a new PL all-time worst that held until 2034.

The Australasia League for the 2000s had a .259 batting average and 3.88 ERA, which graded out as above average on the historical scale. The Pacific League had a .251 average and 3.65, which were more average. The AL actually had a 4.20 ERA in 2004, which is an all-time high as of 2037.

Both were well higher than the previous years for OBA, which had been a below average to low scoring league prior. They were roughly in line with the most prominent leagues of the 2000s. OBA maintained this current pace for the next two decades.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2009 in EPB

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Minsk and Moscow again earned playoff spots out of the European League, although they switched spots from the 2008 season. The Miners took first at 106-56, while the Mules were second at 92-70. Moscow extended their playoff streak to five seasons, although it didn’t come easy. The Mules finished three games ahead of St. Petersburg and five better than Kazan.

Volgograd was fifth at 84-78 and had the European League MVP Elemer Papp. The 29-year old Hungarian designated hitter led in runs (110), home runs (51), RBI (119), and total bases (352). Papp added a .289 average, 171 wRC+, and 6.3 WAR. It was a big bounce-back for Papp, who missed half of 2008 to a torn hamstring.

Pitcher of the Year was Minsk’s Serghei Perenyi. The 30-year old Romanian joined the Miners in an offseason trade after seven solid seasons for Samara. Nicknamed “the Tornado,” Perenyi led in ERA (1.98), WHIP (0.89), and K/BB (12.3). He added a 16-2 record in 214 innings, 247 strikeouts, 168 ERA+, and 6.9 WAR. The Miners gave him a four-year, $22,940,000 extension in the spring.



The Asian League was intense in 2009 with four teams within two games of first place. Krasnoyarsk narrowly took first at 93-69, ending a three-year playoff drought. Two-time defending EPB champ Yekaterinburg managed to take the wild card at 92-70, extending their playoff streak to seven years. The Yaks earned their tenth playoff berth in eleven years.

Both Novosibirsk and Omsk finished at 91-71, only one behind Yekaterinburg for the wild card and two behind the Cossacks for the title. Last year’s ALCS runner-up Irkutsk was in the mix for a while, but finished fifth at 84-78.

The top awards went to Yekaterinburg players with LF Aram Sargsyan getting MVP. The 30-year old Armenian switch hitter joined the Yaks in a 2008 trade with Irkutsk, quickly signing a seven-year, $47,500,000 extension. In 2009, he led in walks (104), OBP (.426), OPS (.985), and wRC+ (175). Sargsyan also had 7.4 WAR, a .312 average, 104 runs, 26 home runs, and won his fifth Gold Glove.

Dorian Bejan won Pitcher of the Year, having also recently joined Yekaterinburg as a free agent. The 30-year old Moldovan had played with ABF’s Dushanbe the prior seven seasons. In his Yaks debut, he led in complete games (21) and shutouts (5). Bejan added 7.0 WAR, a 148 ERA+, 253.2 innings, 214 strikeouts, a 2.27 ERA, and 14-10 record.

Moscow got revenge on Minsk in the European League Championship Series for the 2008 defeat, winning 4-1. This gave the Mules their fourth pennant in five years, a feat only achieved by the Miners, Irkutsk, and Yekaterinburg previously. This was also Moscow’s seventh EL pennant.

In the Asian League Championship Series, the Yaks were looking to win their seventh pennant of the 2000s. The only team to beat them all decade was Krasnoyarsk, who knocked them off in 2001 and 2005. The Cossacks yet again were the kryptonite, upsetting Yekaterinburg 4-2 for their fifth AL pennant.



The 55^th Eurasian Professional Baseball Championship was the third finas meeting between Moscow and Krasnoyarsk. The Mules won in 1974 with the Cossacks getting revenge in 2005. In 2009, Moscow prevailed 4-2 for their second title in four years. It was the Mules’ 4^th ring (1974, 1975, 2006, 2009). RF Viorel Rata was finals MVP as the 29-year old Romanian had 17 hits, 4 runs, and 6 RBI in 11 playoff starts.



Other notes: Markiyan Konoplya became the 12^th to reach 4500 career strikeouts. Shanin Lebedev became the third reliever to reach 400 career saves. It would be Lebedev’s last year, finishing third on the all-time list at 426. LF Wendelin Piotkowski won his seventh Gold Glove.

3B Boxuan Long won his 11^th Silver Slugger, a position record. Long is the fourth player at any position in EPB to win the award 11 times. 2B Ilya Agzamov and OF Jov Sakharov both became eight-time Silver Slugger winners.

In the 2000s, EPB had a league batting average around .234 and ERA around 2.99 with more offense coming from the Asian League. This graded out as low offense on the historical scale, but in line with what EPB usually was. It was among the lower scoring leagues, but still higher than APB or CLB. EPB would see a bump up in the 2010s, but still stayed below average relative to other leagues.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2009 in EBF

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Dublin had the top record among the European Baseball Federation Elite at 111-51, taking the Northern Conference’s top seed. The Dinos won their fourth British Isles Division title in five years. Luxembourg took the other bye atop the Northwest Division at 100-62. The Lancers ended a two-year playoff drought.

In the Baltic Sea Division, Oslo (92-70) edged Vilnius (91-71) for the title. The Octopi ended a three-year playoff drought, but it was their first division title since 1975. The Victory earned the first wild card, earning their first-ever playoff berth in the franchise’s 55 year history. Defending European Champion Kyiv won the North Central Division at 87-75, beating Warsaw by six games. The three-time defending conference champs grew their playoff streak to six.

The second wild card was an intense battle with Brussels, Cologne, and Manchester all tying at 89-73. Amsterdam was one back at 88-74, Paris was 87-75, and both Hamburg and Stockholm finished 86-76. The first tiebreaker game saw the Copperheads oust the Beavers, followed by a Crushers win over Cologne. Manchester earned their second playoff berth in three years.

Helsinki had the worst record at 56-106 to suffer relegation. Prague was also relegated due to losing triple-digits at 61-101. Berlin barely escaped their own demotion at 63-99.

Northern Conference MVP went to Oslo SS Harvey Coyle. The 22-year old Englishman already in his fourth season led in home runs (61), RBI (129), total bases (413), and WAR (13.7). Coyle also had 194 hits, 119 runs, a 1.073 OPS, and 195 wRC+. He also won his second Gold Glove with an outstanding 32.9 zone rating and 1.145 EFF.

Pitcher of the Year was Luxembourg’s Aleksandr Velikevich. The 28-year old Belarusian righty led in ERA (2.09), and quality starts (24). Velikevich had a 16-7 record over 236.2 innings, 228 strikeouts, 7.1 WAR, and a 178 ERA+. He also had a no-hitter on August 13 with nine strikeouts and one walk versus Oslo. This was his peak season, as his career would be derailed in spring training 2011 with a torn rotator cuff.

Kyiv swept Vilnius 2-0 and Manchester edged Oslo 2-1 in the first round of the playoffs. The defending champ Kings upset top seed Dublin 3-1 in round two, while Luxembourg outlasted the Crushers 3-2. Kyiv earned a fifth straight Northern Conference Championship berth with a shot at four straight pennants. It was the Lancers’ first final since 1982. In a seven-game classic, Luxembourg dethroned the Kings for their third pennant (1971, 1981).



Five games separated the top division winner from the fourth seed in the Southern Conference. Athens earned the #1 seed with a 99-63 mark atop the East Central Division. The Anchors repeated as a playoff team, winning their first division title since 2002. The other bye went to Marseille at 97-65 atop the Southwest Division. The Musketeers hadn’t earned a playoff berth in 19 seasons since their 1980s dominance.

Munich won the South Central Division and Bucharest claimed the Southeast Division, both at 94-68. The Mavericks extended the longest active EBF playoff streak to nine seasons, while the reigning conference champ Broncos earned repeat berths.

The wild card race was a tight one with the first spot to Seville at 91-71. It was an impressive rebound for the Stingrays, who had gotten relegated after the 2005 season, but earned promotion back the next year. For the second spot, there was a three-way tie between Vienna, Barcelona, and Bratislava. Each were only one back of Seville at 90-72.

The Vultures won tiebreaker games over both the Bengals and the Blue Falcons. Vienna is back in the playoffs after seeing their streak snapped in 2008 at five. Last year’s conference finalist Madrid fell five games short at 85-77.

Three teams lost 100+ games and thus suffered relegation. Valencia (61-101) was the first Second League champ, but only lasted four years with the EBF Elite. Rome (62-100) had gotten demoted in 2007 and won the 2008 E2L title, but fell right back down. Tbilisi (62-100) had won four division titles earlier in the decade with two conference finals berths, but a 2009 collapse derailed the Trains.

Vienna’s Ben Springer won his fourth Southern Conference MVP, adding to his 2002, 2003, and 2005 trophies. The 31-year old Austrian third baseman led in hits (222), and WAR (9.9). Springer had 109 runs, 41 homers, 121 RBI, and a .355/.393/.637 slash.

Munich’s Lucio de Jesus won Pitcher of the Year in his fourth season with the Mavericks. The 34-year old Mexican lefty had come to Germany after five years in CABA and four seasons in MLB. In 2009, de Jesus won the ERA title at 1.93 while posting a 17-6 record in 214.2 innings, 216 strikeouts, a 204 ERA+, and 6.3 WAR.

Vienna swept Munich and Seville edged Bucharest 2-1 in the first round. Top seed Athens swept the Stingrays, while Marseille ousted the Vultures 3-1. The Anchors hadn’t been in the Southern Conference Championship since 1998, while the Musketeers last made it in 1986. Marseille took the series 4-2 to earn their fifth pennant (1966, 81, 85, 86, 2009).



The 60^th European Championship was actually a rematch, as Marseille’s first-ever title came over Luxembourg in 1981. The Musketeers won a seven-game classic over the Lancers to earn their fourth EBF title, joining their 1981, 85, and 86 titles. Marseille is the first French champ since Paris’s 1997 title.

Finals MVP was 2B Ethan Ngoy, a Congolese player who came to Marseille in 2008 after six seasons for AAB’s Brazzaville. In 17 playoff starts, Ngoy had 27 hits, 13 runs, 6 extra base hits, 7 RBI, and 7 stolen bases.



Other notes: Marseille’s pitching staff allowed 231 walks for a 1.42 BB/9, which were both conference records that held until 2032. Richmond Diagne and Romano Piredda both joined the 500 home run club, giving it 24 members. SS Erik Weber won his seventh Gold Glove. Two-way player Atanas Kalkanov won his tenth Silver Slugger and his ninth as a pitcher.

The EBF Elite in the 2000s had a league ERA around 3.84 and batting average around .263. Both graded as just above average offensively on the historical scale and among other leagues in the decade. EBF would maintain similar stats into the 2010s and 2020s.

Promotion/Relegation: There was a massive shift as five teams lost 100+ games to suffer relegation (Valencia, Rome, Tbilisi, Helsinki, Prague). Valencia, Prague, and Rome were moved to the E2L’s Western Conference while Tbilisi and Helsinki ended up in the Eastern Conference.

With that, earning promotion from the Second League were conference champs Leipzig and Edinburgh and conference finalists Lyon and Skopje. The fifth spot went to London, who also went 3-3 in the Round Robin and 96-66 along with Lviv. A better run differential for the season gave the Monarchs the tiebreaker over the Lunkers.

London logically returned to the British Isles Division. Rotterdam, who had been moved to that division for balance’s sake, returned to their normal home in the Northwest Division. However, Edinburgh’s promotion meant there were seven British Isles teams and only six spots. The Enforcers due to lack of tenure were put into the Northwest.

That meant two Northwest teams needed to be moved elsewhere for balance. Cologne was shifted to the North Central to plug Prague’s spot and Berlin was sent to the Baltic Sea Division in Helsinki’s former spot. In the Southwest Division, Lyon swapped into Valencia’s former spot. Leipzig took Rome’s South Central Division spot with no other shifts required in the Southern Conference.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2009 in BSA

Beisbol Sudamerica joined the expansion craze of 2009 and opted for a massive expansion as the game’s popularity had continued to climb on the continent. BSA opted to add a team to each of the six divisions, making a 36-team, 6x6 setup. They hoped the growth would allow BSA to compete more strongly with the likes of MLB and EBF.



The Bolivar League added the Maturin Makos into the Venezuela Division. The Barranquilla Blues joined the Colombia-Ecuador Division and the Trujillo Thoroughbreds entered the Peru-Bolivia Division. Two Brazilian teams joined the Southern Cone League with the Manaus Magpies in the North Division and Porto Alegre Armadillos into the Southeast Division. The Argentinian Salta Silver Hawks entered the South Central Division.



Previously, BSA had four playoff teams per league. They added one to each league, but interestingly didn’t delineate a separate “wild card round.” The three division champs and two wild cards advanced, but all five would be seeded based on record with no consideration on if they won the division. In theory, two division champs could meet in the first round if both wild cards had better records.

The first round would be a best-of-three hosted by the #4 seed over the #5 with the winner facing the top seed. The Division Series remained best-of-five, followed by a best-of-seven League Championship Series and best-of-seven Copa Sudamerica.

Players were excited to have more teams and thus more jobs, but they did lose labor ground. BSA also changed the service time required for free agency starting in 2009, becoming the most restrictive in the world at ten years. Officials hoped it would keep the top South American teams on the continent and build more roster continuity.



Only five wins separated the #1 seed from the #5 seed in the Bolivar League. The top seed went to Guayaquil at 101-61 atop the Colombia-Ecuador Division, repeating as the #1 seed. The Golds pitching staff allowed only 183 walks with a 1.14 BB/9, which both stand as BL all-time bests as of 2037.

In the Peru-Bolivia Division, defending Copa Sudamerica champ Santa Cruz was first at 98-64. The Crawfish earned a fourth consecutive playoff berth. Callao was two back at 96-66, earning a wild card. Arequipa was 91-71 and Lima was 88-74 with both missing the playoffs.

Valencia and Barquisimeto tied for the Venezuela Division at 97-65. The Velocity won the tiebreaker game for the division title, while the Black Cats got the first wild card. It was the second berth in three years for Valencia, while Barquisimeto earned repeat berths. All four playoff teams from 2008 in the Bolivar League made it back in 2009.

Guayaquil 1B Rodrigo Aguilar won Bolivar League MVP. The 24-year old Ecuadoran lefty led in runs (129), home runs (71), RBI (170), total bases (463), slugging (.726), OPS (1.111), wRC+ (190), and WAR (9.8). He set a new single-season RBI record and as of 2037 is the only BSA slugger with 170+ RBI in a season. The previous record was 151 by both A.J. Nunez and Valor Melo.

Aguilar was the second player in BSA history to hit 70+ homers in a season, joining Valor Melo (who did it thrice with 76, 76, and 74 in the 1970s). Aguilar’s .356 batting average was six points short of a Triple Crown.

Barquisimeto’s Sebastian Marquez won Pitcher of the Year in his second full season. The 23-year old Venezuelan righty led in ERA (2.60), FIP- (65), and WAR (7.8). Marquez added a 19-7 record in 239 innings with 2339 strikeouts and a 154 ERA+.

The Black Cats beat Callao 2-0 in the new first round of the playoffs, then fell 3-1 in the Divisional Series to top-ranked Guayaquil. The Golds earned their first Bolivar League Championship Series since 2002. Reigning champ Santa Cruz downed Valencia 3-1 on the other side. The Crawfish earned repeat pennants as they handled Guayaquil 4-1.



The Southern Cone League’s North Division was loaded with the top two squads and the second wild card team. Fortaleza repeated as the #1 seed at 110-52, scoring 845 runs. That was the second-most in LCS history behind their own 858 from the prior season.

Salvador was a strong second at 102-60, earning the first wild card and a fourth consecutive playoff berth. The Storm have made it to the postseason seven times in the 2000s. Recife was third at 93-69, which still netted the second wild card by a six game margin over Buenos Aires and Montevideo. The Retrievers ended an eight-year playoff drought.

Defending Southern Cone champ Rio de Janeiro won the Southeast Division at 94-68, topping the Atlantics and Venom both by seven. The Redbirds broke their own league record of 266 home runs from the prior year, socking 279 dingers. That remains the all-time mark in the league as of 2037. Rio has the longest active playoff streak in BSA at seven seasons.

Asuncion’s playoff streak grew to four-in-a-row atop the Southern Central Division at 92-70. Cordoba at 85-77 was their closest foe. The Archers earned their ninth playoff berth of the 2000s and 11^th since 1997. It was a remarkable run considering they were abysmal with only one berth in their first 66 years as a franchise.

Southern Cone MVP was Fortaleza 2B Antonio Arceo in his third full season. The 24-year old Bolivian switch hitter was the first Triple Crown hitter in BSA since 1976, posting the 11^th such season. Arceo had 54 home runs, 148 RBI, and a .361 average while also leading in total bases (407) and WAR (10.4). He had a 195 wRC+, 1.064 OPS, and 113 runs scored.

Buenos Aires veteran Fernan Murillo won Pitcher of the Year. The 31-year old Colombian lefty was in his 11^th season with the Atlantics and led in strikeouts (304), K/BB (15.2), FIP- (59), and WAR (8.5). Murilllo added a 2.50 ERA over 238 innings, 12-10 record, and 148 ERA+. It was his fourth time leading in strikeouts. He would cross 200 career wins and 3500 strikeouts this season.

Recife rolled Asuncion 2-0 in the first round, then pulled off a shocking 3-1 Divisional Series upset of #1 seed Fortaleza. This earned the Retrievers their first Southern Cone League Championship appearance since 1998. Salvador dethroned defending champ Rio de Janeiro 3-2, giving the Storm their third consecutive finals berth. Salvador won their third pennant in six years, cruising to a 4-1 victory over Recife. It was the eighth pennant for the Storm (1948, 62, 73, 79, 81, 04, 07, 09).



Salvador denied Santa Cruz’s repeat bid and won their second Copa Sudamerica in three years. The Storm took the 79^th finale 4-2 to improve to an impressive 6-2 all-time in the finals. This tied them with Buenos Aires and Sao Paulo for the most Cup wins.

LF Henrique Valada had a big postseason, winning finals MVP and LCS MVP. In 16 playoff starts, the 35-year old lefty had 27 hits, 14 runs, 3 doubles, 3 triples, 4 home runs, and 16 RBI. Valada continued to be a big-time playoff performer, as he also won Copa Sudamerica MVP in 2007 and LCS MVP in both 2007 and 2004.



Other notes: Santa Cruz’s Adrian Sanchez set single-season records for singles (188) and at-bats (685). Barquisimeto’s Augusto Mejia set playoff records for batting average, OBP (both .696) and OPS (1.870), albeit over only a six-game sample size. He went 16-23 with 3 doubles and 4 triples.

It was a rough debut for expansion franchise Salta at 44-118; the all-time worst record in BSA history. They would hold the worst mark until Barquisimeto’s abysmal 33-127 in 2022.

Emiliano Pina became the 10^th to reach 1500 runs scored and the 20^th to 1500 RBI. D.J. Del Valle also got to 1500 RBI later in the season. Del Valle won a historic 16^th Gold Glove at first base. He is the only 16-time winner at any position in BSA history. To this point, the only player with more in world history was OBA/MLB legend Jimmy Caliw with 17 between SS and 2B. 2B Jose Antonio Sanez won his eighth Gold Glove.

Beisbol Sudamerica’s had easily its highest-ever offensive stats in the 2000s. The DH-less Southern Cone League had a .263 batting average and 3.65 ERA, which graded at just above average historically. The 1990s had seen a 3.26 ERA and .248 batting average by comparison.

The Bolivar League had a .275 batting average and 4.05 ERA. The batting average mark was the highest any league had seen ever to that point. The ERA mark was above average historically, but among the highest of any league in the 2000s. The BL had seen a .255 average and 3.55 ERA in the 1990s.

BSA would maintain similar numbers in the next two decades, which would rank as above average to high. It would get overshadowed by the big offensive numbers that would come out of WAB and AAB specifically in the coming seasons.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2009 in EAB

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Nagoya had a historic 117-45 season, dominating the Japan League in 2009 and repeating as Central Division champs. This was the third-most wins in JL history behind only Sapporo’s 121-41 in 1950 and Yokohama’s 118-44 in 1924.

Fukuoka won the #2 seed at 96-66, tying their own single-season team record from 1997 with 287 doubles. Last year’s top seed Hiroshima fell off hard from 106 wins to a mere 79-83. This was the first time the Hammerheads had posting a losing record since 1993. The Frogs earned their second division title in three years.

Tokyo took a fourth consecutive Capital Division with their best record since 1994 at 93-69. Chiba gave them a run, but fell short at 90-72. This time, the terrible division was the North. Defending East Asia Baseball champ Niigata struggled to 78-84, but that was enough to win the division still by two games over Sendai. The Green Dragons won a fourth consecutive division title and their eighth of the decade.

Despite a weaker season for Hiroshima, their star LF Hitoshi Kubota won his third straight Japan League MVP. The 26-year old switch hitter led in home runs (54), slugging (.669), OPS (1.056), wRC+ (207), and WAR (8.1). Kubota added 115 RBI and a .326 batting average.

Kitakyushu’s Sekien Ida repeated as Pitcher of the Year. It was his third, having also won in 2004. The 31-year old Ida led in ERA (2.07), and WHIP (0.78), adding an 11-10 record over 204.1 innings, 268 strikeouts, a 163 ERA+, and 6.6 WAR. It was Ida’s fourth ERA title. The Kodiaks locked up their ace to another six years and $47,400,000 before the season started.

Also notable was Fukuoka’s Heihachiro Okasawa winning a fourth straight Reliever of the Year, posting 6.7 WAR, a 414 ERA+, 0.84 ERA, 33 saves, and 170 strikeouts in 86 innings. The effort also earned him a second place in Pitcher of the Year voting and a second in WAR.

Despite a 39-win difference between the two, Nagoya had to work hard to eliminate defending champ Niigata 3-2 in the first round. The Nightowls earned their first Japan League Championship Series appearance since 2000. Fukuoka topped Tokyo 3-1 on the other side, giving the Frogs their first JCLS since their 1980 pennant. The winner was guaranteed to end a long drought, since Nagoya’s last pennant was 1979. The Nightowls prevailed 4-2 over Fukuoka to become eight-time league champs.



The Korea League had a shakeup with only one playoff team back from the prior year. Busan took the top seed at 106-56 atop the South Division for their second berth in three years. The Blue Jays hadn’t seen a division title since 1996. Gwangju was second in the division at 98-64, repeating as a wild card.

Suwon claimed the North Division at 100-62, ending an eight-year playoff and division title streak. For the second wild card, Daegu (91-71) edged Seongnam (89-73) and defending KL champ Goyang (87-75). The Diamondbacks snapped a five-year postseason drought. Yongin finished 85-77, ending their four-year streak.

Goyang 1B Seung-U Lee picked up Korea League MVP. The 30-year old lefty led in hits (226), RBI (124), and batting average (.367). Lee added 37 home runs, a 1.017 OPS, 176 wRC+, and 7.6 WAR.

Pitcher of the Year was Dong-Hyun Jung, who signed a six-year, $53,400,000 free agent deal with Busan for 2009. He had previously been with Seongnam, winning POTY there in 2004. Jung led in wins (20-3), ERA (1.84), WHIP (0.82), K/BB (9.7), quality starts (27), FIP- (49), and WAR (10.9). Jung had a 204 ERA+ and 330 strikeouts in 253.2 innings, falling 14 Ks short of a Triple Crown. He also had a no-hitter in April with eight strikeouts and three walks versus Gwangju.

Busan swept Daegu in the first round and Suwon survived in five over Gwangju. It was first Korea League Championship Series since 1996 for the Blue Jays and the first since 1997 for the Snappers. Busan bested Suwon 4-2 in the KLCS to end a 29-year title drought. It was the 11^th ring overall for the Blue Jays.



The 89^th East Asian Championship renewed an ancient finals rivalry. Nagoya beat Busan in both the 1934 and 1940 finales. Both had multiple titles from long ago, but neither had won it all in more than 35 years. The Nightowls again proved to be the Blue Jays’ kryptonite, taking the series 4-2. It was their fifth EAB title, joining the two prior wins over Busan, plus titles in 1931 and most recently in 1964.



This Nagoya group made history as the winningest Japanese team to win it all at 117-45. The only teams to win more games in EAB and claim the championship were 1928 Hamhung at 119-43 and 1921 Pyongyang at 118-44. Doing it in a modern context was especially impressive, as there hadn’t been an EAB team with 115+ wins since 1969.

Other notes: Koji Iwasaki became the 27^th member of the 600 home run club. RF Soo-Geun Yim won his eighth Silver Slugger and 2B Yoo Sen won his seventh.

Offensive numbers in EAB stayed remarkably consistent in the 2000s compared to recent decades. The Japan League had a .247 batting average and 3.41 ERA, which both grade out as below average on the historical scale. With the DH, the Korea League was a higher 3.84 ERA and .261 average; both of which grade as above average. Both remained steady in the coming years.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2009 in CABA

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Ecatepec had the top record in the Mexican League with a 102-60 mark. The Explosion won the South Division for the third straight year and for the 13^th time in 14 years. Ecatepec set a CABA record with a .299 team batting average and had the second-most hits in ML history at 1696, just behind Juarez’s 1701 from 2006.

After missing the playoffs in three straight years, Monterrey was back with a 90-72 record atop the North Division. They finished four games ahead of both reigning CABA champion Hermosillo and Mexicali at 86-76. Those two squads took the wild cards in an absolutely intense race. Leon and Mexico City were both 85-77 while Tijuana, Torreon, and Guadalajara were each 84-78. The Hyenas earned a fourth straight playoff berth and the Maroons got their third in four years.

Ecatepec’s Casimiro Salceda won Mexican League MVP. The 33-year old first baseman signed a five-year, $43,500,000 deal with the Explosion in the offseason after a decade with Hermosillo. Salceda had an all-timer season, becoming the tenth CABA hitter to earn a Triple Crown. He had 57 home runs, 158 RBI, and a .381 batting average.

Salceda also led in runs (126), walks (69), total bases (436), OBP (.430), slugging (.715), OPS (1.145), wRC+ (223), and WAR (11.0). He had won a Silver Slugger in 2007 with Hermosillo and had some strong seasons, but few though Salceda had that kind of year in him.

His Ecatepec teammate Madinson Chavarria won Pitcher of the Year. He had signed a one-year deal with the Explosion for 2009 after eight largely mediocre seasons for Nicaragua. The 30-year Salvadoran righty ledin wins at 23-5 and posted a 2.64 ERA over 235.2 innings, 238 strikeouts, a 144 ERA+, and 5.6 WAR. Chavarria had posted only 10.8 career WAR in his prior eight years.

The division champs won the first round matchups with Ecatepec sweeping Mexicali and Monterrey over Hermosillo 3-1. This re-established the great Mexican League Championship Series rivalry of the 1990s. The Matadors hadn’t been back since 1999, while the Explosion were in their tenth MLCS in 11 years. Ecatepec’s bad luck continued, as they lost their fourth straight MLCS. Monterrey pulled off an easy upset 4-1 for their first title since 1997 and their 18^th overall.



Nicaragua won the Caribbean League title in 2008 as the second wild card. In 2009, the Navigators had the #1 overall seed and their first-ever 100+ win season at 105-57. It was Nicaragua’s first Continental Division title since 1989. They rolled the field with a 22-game gap to second place Panama. At 82-80, Salvador was third and had their playoff streak end at six seasons. It was only the second time since 1994 that the Stallions missed the postseason.

Havana ended a three-year playoff drought and won the Island Division at 103-59. Santo Domingo (94-68) and Haiti (91-71) were the wild cards with a significant gap to the next closest competitor. The Dolphins earned a second wild card in four years. SD did it with historic offense, as their 931 runs scored set a CABA single-season record. This would remain the top mark until 2028. The Herons’ playoff streak grew to an impressive 13 seasons.

Caribbean League MVP to Suriname 3B Juliano Dotello. The 27-year old Dominican led in runs (126), walks (108), OBP (.437), OPS (1.124), wRC+ (181), and WAR (10.2). Dotello added 56 home runs, 130 RBI, and a .333 average. His 108 walks fell one short of the CABA single-season record. The Silverbacks would try to lock Dotello up, but he ultimately left after the 2011 season for MLB and Philadelphia.

Pitcher of the Year was Nicaragua’s Secretario Sanz. Nicknamed “Bad News,” the 33-year old Costa Rican was in his 11^th season with the Navigators. He led in ERA (2.39), WHIP (0.95), and quality starts (22). Sanz added a 19-6 record over 233.1 innings, 222 strikeouts, 174 ERA+, and 6.4 WAR.

Nicaragua beat Haiti 3-1 and Havana survived 3-2 against Santo Domingo in the first round of the playoffs. The Hurricanes earned their first Caribbean League Championship Series appearance since 2004. In a seven-game classic, Havana dethroned the defending champion Navigators. It was the sixth pennant for the Hurricanes, who hadn’t won the Caribbean crown since their 1975 CABA title.



Havana continued to roll, defeating Monterrey 4-1 in the 99^th Central American Baseball Association Championship. The Hurricanes became four-time CABA champs (1912, 1949, 1975, 2009). RF Einar Rodriguez was finals MVP in his 11^th season with Havana. The 33-year old Cuban brought his home country team the title, picking up 23 hits, 12 runs, 5 doubles, 5 home runs, and 15 RBI in 16 playoff starts.



Other notes: Luis Fernandez became the seventh member of the 700 home run club. He played two more years and finished with 762, which was third at retirement. Fernandez picked up his ninth Silver Slugger and first as a DH. Fernandez and Ryan Crowe both breached 1500 runs scored in 2009, making 15 CABA batters to reach that mark. Crowe also became the 24^th to reach 1500 RBI.

LF Ozzie Collard won his seventh Gold Glove. Donald Gonazlez won his eighth straight Silver Slugger. It was his fourth in a row as a third baseman with the prior four at first base. Dario Becker became the 25^th pitcher to cross 3500 career strikeouts.

CABA’s offensive statistics in the 2000s stayed roughly even with the 1990s. In the Mexican League, the batting average was .259 and the ERA was 3.65. This graded as around average on the historical scale. The Caribbean League was higher with the DH at a 4.05 ERA and .267 average. That was above average on the full scale and among the top-end compared to other leagues in the 2000s. CABA stayed mostly consistent in the following two decades.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2009 in MLB

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Boston posted Major League Baseball’s top record in 2009 atop the National Association at 107-55. The Red Sox won the Northeast Division for the fourth consecutive season and the fifth time in six years. They were one of four NA teams with 100+ wins, making it a tough fight to earn the bye.

The #2 seed went to Washington at 105-57 in the East Division. The Admirals only won their division by three games over 102-60 Philadelphia. Both squads earned a third straight playoff berth with the Phillies posting a third straight 100+ win season. Philadelphia also earned its seventh playoff berth of the decade, the most of any NA team in the 2000s.

Defending World Series champ Cincinnati narrowly missed out on the bye. The Reds ended up the #3 seed, winning the Lower Midwest Division at 103-59. Cincy picked up a third consecutive division title. They had to hold off Columbus, who took second at 95-67. The Chargers picked up the second wild card, ending a seven-year playoff drought. They fended off Toronto (93-69), Detroit (91-72), Cleveland (90-72), Louisville (88-74), and Hartford (88-74) for the final spot.

The weakest playoff team by record was the Upper Midwest Division champ. Milwaukee and Detroit tied for first at 91-71 with Cleveland one back. The Mustangs won the tiebreaker game to end a four-year drought, bouncing back from a horrendous 57-win 2008. The Tigers’ hope for a third straight division title was thwarted. Impressively, Milwaukee made the playoffs despite having the lowest payroll in all of MLB at $110.5 million. Winnipeg’s collapse was also notable in the division, considering the Wolves had won pennants in 2004, 2006, and 2007. In 2009, Winnipeg was a lousy 66-96.

Omaha was an awful 64-98 despite having the National Association MVP Killian Fruechte. In his fourth season for the Hawks, the left fielder from California led in runs (125), hits (213), home runs (53), total bases (400), triple slash (.356/.430/.668), OPS (1.098), wRC+ (227), and WAR (10.7). His 111 RBI fell six short of earning a Triple Crown. Omaha would give Fruechte an eight-year, $121,400,000 extension after the 2010 season.

Pitcher of the Year was Columbus righty Trevor Ford in his fifth season. The 25-year old from Orland Park, Illinois led in WAR (9.0), FIP- (61), quality starts (27), and shutouts (7). Ford had a 19-6 record over 262.1 innings, 2.33 ERA, 266 strikeouts, and 151 ERA+. He signed a six-year, $56,200,000 extension with the Chargers before the 2009 season and went on to have a tenured career with largely average stats beyond this 2009 peak.

Milwaukee edged Philadelphia and Cincinnati topped Columbus in the first round, both by 2-1 margins. Both upset the top seeds 3-2 in round two with the Reds over Washington and the Mustangs over Boston. It was Milwaukee’s first National Association Championship Series appearance since their 2002 World Series win. The defending champion Reds proved too much for the Mustangs with Cincinnati winning the NACS 4-2. It was only the third pennant for Cincy, who also won it all in 1919.



The American Association’s top seed was Nashville at 98-64 atop the Southeast Division. The Knights earned a fourth straight playoff berth and their seventh of the 2000s. Las Vegas was one back and took the #2 seed at 97-65 in the Southwest Division. That ended an eight-year postseason drought for the Vipers. Both LV and Nashville had tough competition who jockeyed for the two wild cards.

In the Southeast, Jacksonville was 92-70 with Tampa at 91-71 and Atlanta at 86-76. In the Southwest, it was Albuquerque at 91-71 and two-time defending AA champ San Diego at 87-75. The Gators got the first wild card, ending a three year drought. Meanwhile, the Isotopes won a tiebreaker game over the Thunderbirds to take the second spot. Albuquerque earned its eighth playoff berth of the 2000s, the most of any MLB team. The result also guaranteed a new AA champ with the Seals’ playoff streak ending at three.

Oklahoma City won a very competitive South Central Division at 90-72, outlasting Dallas (89-73), Houston (85-77), and New Orleans (84-78). The Outlaws hadn’t been a playoff team since 1983. Last year’s division winner Austin placed fifth at 81-81. It was only the second miss in eight years for the Hornets.

The Northwest Division was also tight with Salt Lake City claiming the crown at 87-75. The Loons survived 86-76 Seattle, 82-80 Calgary, 81-81 Portland, and 80-82 Denver and Vancouver. This ended a two-year drought for SLC, who earned six playoff appearances in the decade.

Las Vegas’s big acquisition in the offseason was former Omaha 3B/1B Graham Gregor, giving him a massive eight-year, $144,800,000 deal. He lived up to the rich deal, winning American Association MVP. The 30-year old North Dakotan led in hits (219), total bases (429), triple slash (.361/.416/.707), OPS (1.123), wRC+ (204), and WAR (10.2). Gregor also had 50 home runs, 128 RBI, and 119 runs.

Oklahoma City’s Mike Harris won Pitcher of the Year in his fifth season. The 25-year old righty from Waco, Texas led in complete games (25) and shutouts (7). Harris had a 2.50 ERA over 284 innings, 242 strikeouts, a 19-12 record, 150 ERA+, and 6.8 WAR. Prior to the season, the Outlaws gave him a six-year, $55,500,000 extension to remain their ace.

Jacksonville topped Salt Lake City and Albuquerque ousted Oklahoma City in the first round, both 2-1. The Gators kept rolling, upsetting Las Vegas 3-1 in round two. Jacksonville hadn’t been to the American Association Championship Series since way back in 1967. Top seed Nashville fended off the Isotopes 3-2 on the other side. The Knights earned their third pennant of the decade (2001, 2006, 2009) with a swept of the divisional rival Gators. Nashville won its sixth AA pennant.



In the 109^th World Series, Nashville denied Cincinnati’s repeat bid, winning the title 4-2. SS Mohammed Mohamed dominated the playoffs, winning MVP of the second round, AACS, and World Series. The 35-year old Saudi in 15 playoff starts had 26 hits, 15 runs, 4 doubles, 5 home runs, and 20 RBI.

Mohamed continued to be an all-timer in the playoffs, having also won World Series MVP in 2006 and the Arab League Championship MVP in 1998 and 1999. He also was conference finals MVP in ALB in 1995 and 1996, making Mohamed arguably the most decorated playoff performer ever.



This was Nashville’s fourth MLB title, joining the 1954, 2001, 2006, and 2009 rings. The last MLB team to win three World Series rings over a nine-year stretch was Calgary from 1986-93. No team had won three in the same decade since New Orleans’ 1970-72 three-peat. While not quite a true dynasty with how spaced out their wins were, it was an impressive run in the modern MLB.

Other notes: Portland’s Roosevelt Caulfield had a 42-game hitting streak in the late spring. This was the third-longest in MLB history behind Jayden Gagnon’s 49 in 1930 and Jon George’s 45 in 1961. Cincinnati’s Danny Bates learned how cruel the baseball gods could be. The pitcher had won World Series MVP in 2008, but set a 2009 playoff worst with 5 losses. In 30.1 innings, Bates was 1-5 with a 7.71 ERA.

Wichita’s pitching staff allowed 1109 hits, setting a new all-time MLB low. It still ranks third lowest as of 2037. Despite that, the Wasps’ offense was total booty for a 512-553 run differential and 63-99 record. They didn’t have the worst offense in MLB though, as that distinction belonged to San Antonio.

The Oilers made history, setting all-time American Association worsts in runs scored (509), slugging (.331), and OBP (.278). The runs and slugging are still the AA’s worst in 2037, although two teams would post worse OBPs in future seasons. San Antonio had the fewest runs in all of MLB in 2009 despite having the DH unlike the National Association’s losers.

Clement Garcia became the 21^st member of the 600 home run club. He finished with 656, which ranks 31^st as of 2037. SP Theron Summers and CF Damien Yang both became eight-time Gold Glove winners. CF Morgan Short won his eighth straight Silver Slugger.

In the 2000s, the National Association had a .243 batting average and 3.40 ERA, both of which grade out as below average on the historical scale. The American Association had a .254 average and 3.90 ERA, which are above average all-time. MLB was largely in the middle ground statistically compared to the other world leagues in the 2000s.

Both were down in scoring slightly from the previous years and did mark all-time lows for MLB. MLB’s lows were still well above the all-time lows of the other long tenured leagues. The 2010s would dip slightly before rule changes pumped the numbers up in the 2020s.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2010 MLB Hall of Fame

Major League Baseball inducted three players into the Hall of Fame in 2010, although none of them got massive numbers. The headliner was first baseman Salvador Villasenor with a first ballot induction at 75.6%. The other two only barely crossed the 66% requirement. Pitcher Chris Doyle had 66.6% in his third ballot and SS Tom Burstein debuted at 66.2%.



2B Chaz Cimarron and RF Xavier Chojnacki both narrowly missed the cut. Cimmaron had 61.0% on his third ballot and Chojnacki picked up 60.6% in his seventh attempt. Six other players were above 50% with CF Will Kemme at 58.2% on his sixth go, CL Brendan Gordon at 56.4% for his fifth ballot, RF Mike Castaneda at 53.3% in his ninth go, RF Brian Ostrovskaya with 52.6% for his sixth ballot, SP Dirk Hughes at 52.3% in his second try and C Elliott McKay with 51.9% for his third go. No players were dropped from the ballot after ten failed tries.



Salvador Villasenor – First Base – Indianapolis Racers – 75.6% First Ballot

Salvador Villasenor was a 6’0’’, 200 pound left-handed first baseman from Almeria, Spain; a city of just under 200,000 people on the southeastern Mediterranean coast. Villasenor became the second MLB Hall of Famer born in Spain, joining Class of 2004 Rodrigo Badillo. Villasenor was a great contact hitter with a very strong bat, hitting 40+ home runs in five different seasons. He had nice gap power as well, getting around 29 doubles per his 162 game average.

Villasenor was excellent at avoiding strikeouts and decent at drawing walks. He was much stronger against right-handed pitchers (.935 OPS, 180 wRC+) compared to against lefties (.735 OPS, 120 wRC+). Villasenor was cartoonishly slow and uncoordinated on the basepaths. He exclusively played at first base defensively and was firmly below average, but not awful. Villasenor had good durability and was a respected team captain. His work ethic, loyalty, and leadership made him a very popular figure with fans and in the clubhouse.

Villasenor came to the United States to play college baseball at Kansas State. He had a strong college career, taking second in 1985 NCAA MVP voting. He also won a Silver Slugger that year and a Gold Glove as a freshman. In three seasons with the Wildcats, Villasenor played 144 games with 181 hits, 96 runs, 23 doubles, 53 home runs, 131 RBI, a .313/.359/.631 slash, 191 wRC+, and 9.1 WAR.

Because of the regional restrictions still in effect for the first three rounds of the draft, the Spaniard wasn’t eligible until the fourth round. In the 1986 MLB Draft, he was picked with the 14^th pick of the round (186^th overall) by Indianapolis. Villasenor had come to the US at a very young age and was still only 20 when he was picked. The Racers would keep him in the minor leagues for 1987 and 1988 in Fort Wayne. Villasenor dominated the minors, earning MVP honors in both seasons.

He officially debuted in 1989 at age 22, but only saw part-time action with 89 games and 69 starts. Still, Villasenor hit 24 home runs in that small smaple size. Despite that, he was back in the minors most of 1990, only playing 25 games. Villasenor won his third minor league MVP and is one of only two guys to earn that distinction. He finally earned the full-time gig in 1991 and held it for the next eight straight years.

Villasenor’s first full season saw 42 home runs and a National Association best in slugging, OPS, and wRC+. He was slightly weaker in 1992, but won his first Silver Slugger that year. After a respectable 1993, Villasenor led in total bases in 1994 with 372, adding 43 home runs, a .932 OPS, and 6.9 WAR. He earned his second Silver Slugger and took second in MVP voting. That also ended a playoff drought for Indianapolis, although they lost in the second round.

Villasenor won his third Silver Slugger in 1995, leading for the first time in RBI, and that spring inked an eight-year, $24,000,000 extension with the Racers. He quickly lived up to the deal in 1996, leading and posting career bests in hits (221), RBI (138), total bases (402), batting average (.373), slugging (.678), OPS (1.101), wRC+ (228), and WAR (10.4). Villasenor’s 46 home runs were also four short of earning a Triple Crown. He earned MVP honors and a fourth Silver Slugger.

This also started a playoff run for Indianapolis, who won the National Association pennant against Boston. The Racers would fall to Edmonton in the World Series despite Villasenor getting 21 hits, 9 runs, 2 homers, 10 RBI, and a 151 wRC+ in his 16 playoff starts. He repeated as MVP in 1997 with a fifth Slugger, leading in hits, RBI, total bases, slugging, OPS, and wRC+.

Indy made the playoffs from 1996-2000 and again in 2002. They won another pennant in 1999, but lost in a World Series rematch with Edmonton. The other berths all saw first or second round exits. In his playoff career, Villasenor had 54 games, 55 hits, 23 runs, 7 doubles, 10 home runs, 30 RBI, 19 walks, a .299/.357/.511 slash, 152 wRC+, and 1.6 WAR. Although he couldn’t get the Racers their first MLB title, Villasenor led them to their most sustained playoff run to date.

Despite playing in the US, Villasenor also would return home to Spain for the World Baseball Championship, appearing in 20 editions of the event. He had 141 games and 100 starts from 1987-2006, getting 118 hits, 61 runs, 21 doubles, 31 home runs, 65 RBI, a .295/.362/.580 slash, 165 wRC+, and 5.5 WAR.

Villasenor’s power dipped noticeably in 1999 and he was a platoon starter with 94 starts in 129 games. He earned the full-time job back the next three seasons and still provided positive value, but his award winning days were done. Villasenor was in a bench role in 2003, but signed for one more year on a qualifying offer in 2004. He was a part-time starter with middling results in his final season with Indianapolis.

The time had come for the beloved captain, who was a free agent for the first time at age 38. Indy would soon after retire his #32 uniform and he’d remain very popular. Villasenor did play two more years in the newly formed European Second League with Wroclaw. He had a great 2005 for the Wolf Pack, but struggled in 2006.

That year, back spasms and a partially torn labrum combined for mediocre play. Villasenor hoped to still play somewhere in 2007 and signed a minor league deal in September with Birmingham; Atlanta’s affiliate. He played 11 games there, then opted to retire that winter at age 41.

For his MLB career, Villasenor had 2312 hits, 1170 runs, 369 doubles, 485 home runs, 1391 RBI, a .306/.346/.555 slash, 169 wRC+, and 76.8 WAR. His stats certainly weren’t out of place when looking at other Hall of Famers, but they weren’t jaw-dropping either. His prime was excellent and he won two pennants and two MVPs, but he didn’t reach either the 500 homer or 1500 RBI marks often expected out of first basemen.

Helping Villasenor was a 2010 MLB ballot without any can’t miss debuts, making his resume pop a bit more by comparison. He received 75.6% for a first ballot induction as the headline of the three-player 2010 group.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2010 MLB Hall of Fame (Part 2)

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Chris Doyle – Starting Pitcher – Charlotte Canaries – 66.6% Third Ballot

Chris Doyle was a 6’1’’, 190 pound right-handed pitcher from Riviera Beach, Florida; a city of 37,000 people within Miami’s metropolitan area. At his peak, Doyle had outstanding stuff, terrific movement, and strong control. His velocity peaked in the 96-98 mph range for his fastball, but it was his curveball which was an all-timer. Doyle also had a solid sinker and a rarely used changeup, owing to an extreme groundball tendency.

Doyle also had excellent stamina, leading the American Association three times in innings pitched. He had a tireless work ethic, which allowed him to succeed even when others had given up on him early in his career. Doyle ended up becoming one of the most popular pitchers of his era.

Doyle was a rare case of being an American pitcher selected straight out of high school. He attended Palm Beach Gardens High School and earned attention throughout the Florida baseball scene. In the 1984 MLB Draft, Doyle was picked late in the first round, 39^th overall, by Jacksonville. He ultimately never played in the majors with the Gators.

He was used initially as a reliever in minor league Tallahassee and struggled in 1985 and 1986. In July 1987, Jacksonville sent him and another pitcher to Charlotte for veteran 3B Ivan Lanz. Doyle debuted for the Canaries in 1988 at age 22, but they didn’t expect much out of him. From 1988-91, he tossed a mere 67.2 innings in relief with unremarkable results.

Doyle kept plugging along and finally earned a full-time rotation spot in 1992 at age 26. He showed that he was worthy in that role and would toss 289+ innings each year for the next decade. Each of his seasons starting for Charlotte earned 8+ WAR, becoming one of the most reliable arms of his time. Doyle led in ERA in 1996 with a career best 2.56, taking second in Pitcher of the Year voting.

From 1995-98, Doyle led four straight seasons in WAR. He peaked with a career best 10.3 in 1998, earning his lone Pitcher of the Year award. It wasn’t the easiest to get noticed with Charlotte, who never made the playoffs in his tenure. The Canaries were consistently just above average though with 85.7 wins per season during Doyle’s efforts.

Charlotte gave Doyle a six-year, $20,680,000 extension in May 1994. He declined his contract option after the 1999 season, becoming a free agent for the first time at age 34. The Canaries would eventually retire his #25 uniform for his service, which saw a 165-109 record, 3.04 ERA, 2459.1 innings, 1925 strikeouts, 619 walks, 132 ERA+, 71 FIP-, and 71.2 WAR.

Doyle got a big money five-year deal for $41,000,000 with Houston. He led in WAR for the fifth time in his debut season and posted 7.7 WAR his second year despite some bad luck with an above average Hornets squad. His velocity dropped significantly in 2002, struggling to reliably hit beyond the low 90s.

His last year saw a career-worst 4.15 ERA over 208 innings and 91 strikeouts, as his role was reduced later on. Houston made it to the wild card round, but Doyle wasn’t used, ultimately never tossing a playoff innings. With the Hornets in three years, he had a 46-46 record, 3.94 ERA, 799.1 innings, 487 strikeouts, 208 walks, 100 ERA+, 80 FIP-, and 19.6 WAR. Doyle retired after the 2002 campaign at age 36.

Doyle retired with a 211-155 record, 3.26 ERA, 3258.2 innings, 2412 strikeouts, 827 walks, 247/389 quality starts, 214 complete games, 122 ERA+, 73 FIP-, and 90.8 WAR. The advanced stats are quite favorable for Doyle, although he was only briefly considered a Pitcher of the Year candidate. As of 2037, he ranks 58^th in WAR among MLB pitchers. Most, but not all 90+ WAR pitchers made the Hall of Fame eventually in MLB.

However, Doyle was viewed as a borderline case for his law of raw dominance or major accolades. He missed the cut with 60.6% and 59.9% on his first two tries. With a quieter 2010 group, Doyle barely crossed the 66% requirement. At 66.6%, he earned a third ballot induction within MLB’s 2010 Hall of Fame class.



Tom “Little Rat” Burstein – Shortstop – Los Angeles Angels – 66.2% First Ballot

Tom Burstein was a 6’3’’, 200 pound left-handed hitting shortstop from Carlsbad, California; a city with 114,000 inhabitants in San Diego County. Nicknamed “Little Rat”, Burstein was a solid contact hitter with a great eye and an incredible knack at avoiding strikeouts. He wasn’t a powerful batter, but he could find the gap decently with 26 doubles and 7 triples per his 162 game average. Burstein’s home run power was limited to around 10 per season.

Burstein was a very intelligent and crafty baserunner, finding success with steals despite having good-but-not-great speed. He was a career shortstop and was an excellent defender. As of 2037, Burstein ranks third all-time in MLB in zone rating at the position. He was reliably good defensively and not flashy, thus only winning two Gold Gloves despite excellent defensive production.

Perhaps the biggest key was his ironman durability, starting 149+ games in 16 consecutive seasons. Burstein holds the fourth-most starts at shortstop in MLB history. He was a hard worker and reliable, becoming a fan favorite throughout his 17-year MLB career in Los Angeles as the leadoff man.

Burstein left California to play collegiately at Virginia. As a Cavalier, he won NCAA Gold Gloves as a sophomore and junior. In 144 college games, Burstein had 160 hits, 91 runs, 28 doubles, 13 home runs, 51 RBI, a .287/.372/.421 slash, 134 wRC+, and 5.4 WAR. A great defensive shortstop with a good bat drew attention for the 1987 MLB Draft. Burstein was picked 25^th overall by Los Angeles, where he’d spend his entire pro career.

The Angels made him a full-time starter immediately and Burstein picked up the 1988 Rookie of the Year. His reliable production helped make LA a consistent contender into the 1990s. Burstein posted 11 seasons worth 6+ WAR, boosted by his defense. He wouldn’t be an offensive league leader with the exception of 1994, leading the American Association with 9.9 WAR.

Burstein won three Silver Sluggers (1994, 1995, 2001) and two Gold Gloves (1998, 1999). He was never a MLB MVP finalist, but did take second in MVP voting for the 2001 World Baseball Championship. Burstein was part of six world champion American teams in his eight WBC appearances. In 174 starts for the United States, he had 210 hits, 128 runs, 41 doubles, 6 triples, 12 home runs, 79 RBI, 98 stolen bases, a .306/.385/.437 slash, 139 wRC+, and 6.5 WAR.

Burstein’s WBC appearances came in the back-end of his career. In the front end, he was determined to win it all with the Angels. From 1989-98, Los Angeles earned seven playoff berths and three division titles. The Angels won the AACS in 1990, but lost the World Series to Virginia Beach. LA kept Burstein long-term with an eight-year, $20,280,000 extension after the 1992 season.

Apart from 1990, Los Angeles couldn’t seem to get over the playoff hump. That changed with a World Series victory in 1997 over Minneapolis. The Angels got back to the AACS in 1998, but fell to eventual champion Vancouver. LA would fall into the lower middle-tier for the remainder of Burstein’s run.

In the playoffs, his results were mixed. Burstein overall had positive value because of his defense, but his offense stats were mid. In 63 starts, Burstein had 75 hits, 34 runs, 11 doubles, 2 home runs, 26 RBI, 16 stolen bases, a .286/.346/.366 slash, 99 wRC+, and 0.8 WAR. Still, he was very popular with Angels fans for his role in their 1990s competitiveness.

Burstein earned a five-year, $45,900,000 extension after the 1999 season at age 33. He struggled with his worst season to date by far, striking out about as many times in 2000 as the prior four seasons combined. Burstein bounced back in 2001 with an excellent 8.6 WAR effort. He had good efforts in 2002 and 2003, but saw notable setbacks in 2004.

That year, he had his first significant injury with a torn ligament in his thumb, missing around two months. Burstein had middling batting stats that year as well with 96 wRC+ and only 0.9 WAR all season. He didn’t meet the vesting criteria in his contract and became a free agent for the first time at age 38.

Burstein ended up moving to France to the newly formed European Second League in 2005, signing with Nantes for three years and $12,960,000. His bat was mediocre, but he still had enough defensive value to be playable. In 2006, a broken hand cost him the final half of the second. Burstein went unsigned in 2007 and retired that winter at age 41. Los Angeles quickly brought him home to retire his #14 uniform

The final MLB stats for Burstein: 2964 hits, 1578 runs, 423 doubles, 118 triples, 160 home runs, 947 RBI, 1155 walks, 673 stolen bases, a .292/.367/.405 slash, 113 wRC+, and 112.2 WAR. As of 2037, he’s 24^th in WAR among position players. However, the 113 wRC+ for his career highlights how much of Burstein’s value was defense.

There were voters who felt his bat and offensive accumulations weren’t Hall worthy. Only three inductees got in with a lower career slugging percentage. Leadoff guys without homers and RBI always have an uphill climb with some voters as well. But Burstein was likeable, sturdy, and was a fan favorite who helped the Angels to two World Series appearances and one ring. He only got 66.2% in his debut, but that was enough to squeak across the line as a first ballot inductee in the 2010 MLB Hall of Fame class.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2010 CABA Hall of Fame (Part 1)

The 2010 Central American Baseball Association’s Hall of Fame class was a historic one with a record five players inducted. All five additions were first ballot guys with the headliners being third basemen Adrian Tovar at 99.3% and Jacky Castillo at 98.7%. CF Leonardo Andrade was next at a solid 86.3%. SP Emmanuel Bernabe received 79.5% and CF Sanson Delgado earned 72.6%. Only one other was above 50% with SP Benito Bertran getting 54.4% on his second try.




Pitcher Victor Alvares was the only player dropped after ten failed ballots. He had a 15-year career with Honduras and won Pitcher of the Year in 1988. Alvarez finished with a 169-128 record, 3.23 ERA, 2743.2 innings, 2802 strikeouts, 342 walks, 112 ERA+, 85 FIP-, and 55.5 WAR. He wasn’t a league leader generally, thus most voters put him as a “Hall of Pretty Good” type. Alvares peaked with his debut at 25.9% and ended at 8.5%.



Adrian Tovar – Third Base – Trinidad Trail Blazers – 99.3% First Ballot

Adrian Tovar was a 6’3’’, 200 pound right-handed third baseman from Primero de Enero, a town of around 22,000 people in central Cuba. Tovar was renowned as one of baseball’s great ironmen, starting 144+ games every season from 1984-2004. He was a full-time starter through his age 44 season. Tovar did it as a career third baseman and was known for a cannon arm. He graded as average to above average defensively and was a reliably steady presence there.

At the plate, Tovar was fairly well rounded as a solid contact hitter with reliably good power. He was roughly average at drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts. Tovar never led in home runs, but he had 15 seasons with 30+ dingers and topped 40+ thrice. Tovar also was excellent at finding the gap, leading the league thrice in doubles. He averaged 33 doubles and 4 triples per his 162 game average. Tovar was a fairly intelligent baserunner, but his speed was firmly below average.

With his longevity, reliability, work ethic, loyalty, and durability; Tovar became one of the most beloved Caribbean players of all time. He was a team captain for Trinidad for two decades and few garnered more respect among players and fans alike.

Tovar quickly emerged as Cuba’s top prospect entering the 1981 CABA Draft. Trinidad selected him with the #2 overall pick and he played his entire 23 year career with the Trail Blazers. Tovar did still return home to Cuba in the front end of his career, playing for the national team from 1983-1991 in the World Baseball Championship. In 84 WBC games, Tovar had 87 hits, 49 runs, 17 doubles, 26 home runs, 59 RBI, a .297/.372/.628 slash, 181 wRC+, and 4.7 WAR.

Tovar was used as a part-time starter with iffy results in his first two seasons with only 1.0 WAR over 121 starts. He earned a full-time starting role in 1984 and held that role firmly for 21 years. In 1985 and 1987, he led the Caribbean League in doubles. From 1985-89, Tovar won five straight Silver Sluggers.

In 1987, Tovar led the CL in WAR (9.7) and wRC+ (193) while posting a .355/.400/.620 slash. This earned second place in MVP voting and convinced Trinidad to give him an eight-year, $8,960,000 extension the following summer. Despite his efforts, the Trail Blazers were still awful in his first few seasons. However, Tovar led the way for an amazing 1988 run.

Trinidad went from 64 wins in 1987 to 94-68 in 1988, winning their first-ever CABA Championship against Juarez. Tovar was second in league MVP voting and took CABA finals MVP. He established himself as a hero there, getting 20 hits, 10 runs, 4 home runs, and 11 RBI over 17 playoff starts. The Trail Blazers spent the next three years in the middle of the standings while Tovar won Silver Sluggers again in 1989 and 1991. He led in WAR in 1991 and took third in MVP voting.

Tovar had 18 straight seasons worth 5+ WAR and posted 7+ each year from 1985-1993. In 1992, Trinidad made it back to the playoffs and won another Caribbean League pennant. Tovar was CLCS MVP and had 18 hits, 10 runs, 3 homers, and 11 RBI over 14 playoff starts. Trinidad would fall to the Monterrey dynasty in the CABA Championship.

The Trail Blazers had a franchise-record 106-56 season in 1993, but were upset in the CLCS by Honduras. That would be Tovar’s final playoff appearance, as Trinidad would be stuck around .500 for the rest of his run. In 37 career playoff starts, Tovar had 46 hits, 23 runs, 3 doubles, 2 triples, 8 home runs, 25 RBI, a .322/.364/.538 slash, 159 wRC+, and 1.5 WAR.

1993 saw Tovar’s lone batting title with a .347 average, along with a league-best 205 hits and 42 RBI with 9.7 WAR. He took second in MVP voting and won his sixth Silver Slugger. Tovar won four more Sluggers (1997, 1998, 2000, 2001). He signed a two-year, $5,200,000 extension in May 1996.

At age 37, Tovar had his most powerful season with career bests in home runs (54), RBI (128), runs (118), OPS (1.040), and WAR (9.8). He finally won Caribbean League MVP and perhaps was the oldest-ever player to win their first MVP. Trinidad gave their beloved star another two years and $4,800,000 after that, then another two years and $6,000,000 after the 1999 season.

Tovar won Silver Sluggers even as late as age 41. 2000 saw multiple major milestones reached, breaching 3000 hits, 1500 runs, and 600 home runs. He was the eighth to 3K hits, the tenth to 1500 runs, and the 11^th to 600 homers. Tovar seemed ageless and some thought he’d have a chance to chase the all-time marks.

2002 was still a good season, but the weakest full-time year of his career with 4.2 WAR and 116 wRC+. Tovar fell to a league average hitter in 2003, but became the fourth to 3500 hits that year, the fifth to 700 homers, and the first to reach 600 career doubles. In 2004, he was firmly a below average hitter, but became the fourth to reach 2000 career RBI.

After 2004, Tovar was only 148 hits short of Prometheo Garcia’s all-time mark, although the other top marks were further away. He was still physically in good health, but wasn’t sure he was good enough to keep starting. Tovar opted to retire that winter at age 44 and saw his #28 uniform immediately retired by Trindad.

Tovar finished with 3338 games and 3221 starts, 3723 hits, 1871 runs, 675 doubles, 90 triples, 718 home runs, 2024 RBI, 720 walks, 6732 total bases, a .293/.336/.530 slash, 143 wRC+, and 140.8 WAR. At retirement, no CABA player had played more games and he would only get passed once in the preceding years. At retirement, Tovar was second in hits, second in runs, first in doubles, second in total bases, fifth in home runs, fourth in RBI, and fourth in WAR by a position player.

As of 2037, Tovar still is CABA’s all-time doubles leader. He’s also fourth in WAR still, eighth in homers, sixth in RBI, third in total bases, third in hits, and fourth in runs. He’s also the all-time third base leader in assists, putouts, total chances, double players, errors, and innings. In world baseball history, only South Asia Baseball’s Manju Abbas has more games played at third base.

Tovar was a remarkable ironman and a Caribbean League staple of the 1980s, 1990s, and early 2000s. He was an obvious no-doubt Hall of Famer at 99.3% to headline the huge five-player 2010 CABA class. When discussing the all-time best third basemen in all of baseball history, Tovar deserves a strong look.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2010 CABA Hall of Fame (Part 2)

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Jacky Castillo – Third Base – Tijuana Toros – 98.7% First Ballot

Jacky Castillo was a 6’1’’, 200 pound left-handed hitting third baseman from Huajuapan, Mexico; a city with around 78,000 people in the southern Oaxaca state. Castillo was one of the strongest batters of the era and regularly went yard, topping 50+ home runs in eight different seasons. He was also a good contact hitter with a solid eye for walks, although his strikeout rate was average.

Castillo’s power was concentrated on homers, although he still got you around 20-30 doubles most seasons. He mashed against right-handed pitching with a 1.057 OPS and 205 wRC+, while he was merely good with a 129 wRC+ and .789 OPS versus lefties. You couldn’t expect him to leg out extra bases often, as he was a very sluggish and slow baserunner. Castillo had a very strong arm, but was quite lacking in the range department defensively.

The arm made him play at third base, where he made about 3/4s of his starts and graded as delightfully average. Castillo also had notable stints at second base and shortstop, but was abysmal defensively in both spots. His durability was pretty good with 145+ games in all but one season from 1991-2003. Castillo worked hard and socked dingers, making him a very popular Mexican baseball figure in the 1990s.

The 1980s were a rough time for Tijuana, who ended up with the #1 overall pick for 1988 CABA Draft. The Toros selected Castillo with the hopes that he would turn things around with his power potential. He was used only as an occasional starter in his first two seasons, then earned the full-time gig in 1991. Castillo would be a fixture in the lineup through 2002 for Tijuana, only missing a month in 1995 to an ankle injury.

His first full season as a starter saw 41 home runs, 8.8 WAR, and 113 RBI. For the rest of his Tijuana run, he hit 40+ homers in all but one season, 100+ RBI in all but two, and 7+ WAR in all but two seasons. Castillo led the Mexican League in runs scored thrice, hits once, homers, six times, RBI twice, total bases thrice, WAR four times, OPS thrice, slugging twice, wRC+ twice, and both batting average and OBP once. Castillo won ten consecutive Silver Sluggers from 1991-2000 and won an 11^th in 2002.

1992 was a major breakout year, taking second in MVP voting with 53 home runs. He’d then win the award back-to-back in 1993 and 1994. In 1993, Castillo had career bests in homers (64), RBI (152), and runs (131) while adding a 1.106 OPS, 226 wRC+, and 11.9 WAR. He was only the third CABA hitter at that point to breach 150+ career RBI, falling short by two of the all-time record. Castillo hit 61 homers in 1994, becoming the third CABA hitter to hit 60+ multiple times. He also led in WAR with 9.7.

This helped Tijuana become a regular playoff team in the 1990s, making seven appearances from 1992-99. Unfortunately for the Toros, they shared a division with Monterrey’s dynasty and were the wild card in each of those berths. Tijuana lost in the 1992 Mexican League Championship Series and fell five times in the wild card round.

In the summer of 1994, Castillo inked an eight-year, $21,560,000 extension. He took second in 1996 MVP voting, then won the award for the third time in 1997 and the fourth time in 1998. 1997 saw his lone batting title at .368 and had career bests in WAR (12.1), wRC+ (230), hits (214), OBP (.423), and total bases (416). Castillo breached 10+ WAR for the fifth time in 1998 and also led in homers and RBI again. It was his fourth time smacking 60+ bombs.

1998 saw Tijuana finally oust the Matadors, winning the MLCS over Monterrey. The Toros would fall in the CABA Championship to Salvador, in the midst of their own Caribbean League dynasty. For his playoff career with Tijuana, Castillo had 38 starts, 38 hits, 22 runs, 4 doubles, 12 home runs, 30 RBI, a .268/.293/.549 slash, 150 wRC+, and 1.4 WAR.

Castillo was also a popular national star as he played for Mexico from 1991-2003 in the World Baseball Championship. He had 157 games and 144 starts with 134 hits, 95 runs, 24 doubles, 50 home runs, 102 RBI, a .252/.336/.584 slash, 162 wRC+, and 7.0 WAR.

He hit 50+ homers again in both 1999 and 2000, but saw a full-season career low of 36 in 2001. Tijuana’s playoff success ended at this point, although Castillo bounced back with 7.5 WAR and 43 homers in 2002. That would mark the end of an outstanding run with the Toros, who would later retire his #14 uniform.

With Tijuana, Castillo had 2235 hits, 1323 runs, 325 doubles, 659 home runs, 1481 RBI, a .313/.370/.643 slash, 195 wRC+, and 113.5 WAR. Castillo could still command a hefty deal after a great 2002 and the Toros opted to rebuild. At 36 years old, Castillo signed a three-year, $15,600,000 deal with Honduras. The Horsemen had been a playoff regular, but had been stymied in the playoffs by Salvador and Haiti in recent years.

Honduras did get over the hump in 2003, winning the CABA Championship over Ecatepec with a 110-52 season. Castillo earned a ring, but he was subpar with a 103 wRC+, 1.0 WAR, and 32 home runs over the season. Castillo did do nicely in his 10 playoff starts with 9 hits, 6 runs, 4 homers, and 11 RBI.

By 2004, Castillo was relegated to a part-time role and struggled to 81 wRC+,-0.3 WAR, and 12 home runs in 95 games. He would join the 700 home run club, becoming the sixth member. Castillo retired that winter at age 38, finishing the Honduras run with 197 hits, 122 runs, 30 doubles, 44 home runs, 114 RBI, a .227/.301/.421 slash, 95 wRC+, and 0.7 WAR.

Castillo’s career stats saw 2432 hits, 1445 runs, 355 doubles, 703 home runs, 1595 RBI, a .304/.362/.619 slash, 184 wRC+, and 114.3 WAR. As of 2037, he’s still ninth in home runs and 20^th in WAR by position players, although he didn’t quite have the longevity to feature prominently on the other accumulation lists. His OPS does rank 31^st and his slugging 23^rd among all CABA hitters with 3000 plate appearances, even as the league’s power numbers grew in the later years.

Debating between him and Adrian Tovar was a common thing for fans of the era. Tovar’s longevity and steadiness often won out, but Castillo’s raw power was unmatched in CABA during his peak. Both had just over 700 home runs, but Castillo did it over 1026 fewer games.

Castillo would be THE headliner in most Hall of Fame classes, although he was slightly overshadowed by Tovar with the 2010 group. He was a no-doubter regardless, earning the honor at 98.7% among the impressive five-player crew.



Leonardo Andrade – Center Field – Guadalajara Hellhounds - 86.3% First Ballot

Leonardo Andrade was a 6’4’’, 205 pound right-handed center fielder from Marfil, Mexico; a suburb of Guanajuato in the central part of the country. Andrade was an excellent contact hitter with outstanding gap power and nice home run power. He had 34 doubles, 13 triples, and 30 home runs per his 162 game average. Andrade was okay at drawing walks and above average at avoiding strikeouts.

Andrade was excellent at stretching out singles into doubles and doubles into triples. He wasn’t a prolific base stealer, but he was always a threat with good to great speed. Andrade had very good range, serving him well as a career center fielder. He graded out as quite solid defensively for his career, winning a Gold Glove in 1997.

Many scouts looked at Andrade as a five-tool type guy. His home run power and arm strength weren’t elite, but were plenty good to make him a star. Andrade also had pretty good durability for most of his career, allowing him to be a great success.

Andrade was picked second overall by Puebla in the 1990 CABA Draft and was a full-time starter immediately. He won Rookie of the Year in 1991 and posted 8+ WAR thrice in his six seasons with the Pumas. Andrade was a Silver Slugger winner in each year with Puebla and finished second in 1995 MVP voting and third in 1996. 1996 saw a career-best 10.0 WAR effort. Andrade would have five straight 9+ WAR seasons from 1996-99 using his all-around skill set.

Puebla still largely struggled despite Andrade’s efforts. They would win a weak South Division in 1995 and earn a Mexican League Championship Series berth, but were summarily dispatched by Monterrey’s dynasty. The Pumas were back to .500 the next year and couldn’t convince Andrade to stick around. The squad would fall to the bottom of the standings for the next few years post- Andrade.

With the Pumas, Andrade had 1070 hits, 559 runs, 180 doubles, 140 home runs, 505 RBI, 278 stolen bases, a .310/.354/.528 slash, 152 wRC+, and 42.4 WAR. He was a very hot free agent entering his age 29 season. He stayed in the South Division and Guadalajara hoped he’d help them compete with Ecatepec’s dominance in the division. The Hellhounds signed Andrade to an eight-year, $24,640,000 deal.

Andrade won Silver Sluggers in his first two seasons with Guadalajara and his lone Gold Glove in 1997. He was third in MVP voting in both 1997 and 1998, but ultimately never won the top award. Andrade led the league with 209 hits in 1998, which was his only time leading the league in a major stat. He remained quite good in the next couple years, but not as elite as his Puebla prime. Injures also cost him about a month in both 2000 and 2001.

Andrade didn’t turn around things for Guadalajara, who largely stunk in his tenure. The run ended with a thud as he suffered a partially torn UCL in May 2003, costing him most of the season. With the Hellhounds, Andrade ended up with 1144 hits, 58- runs, 177 doubles, 195 home runs, 626 RBI, a .327/.360/.585 slash, 176 wRC+, and 49.3 WAR.

With one year left in his deal, Andrade was traded across the division to Ecatepec for 2004 for three prospects. A herniated disc cost him a month, but the 36-year old Andrade had an excellent bounce-back season worth 7.6 WAR. He posted a career best .363 batting average and 1.043 OPS during the run.

The Explosion won their sixth consecutive Mexican League title in 2004 and took the CABA Championship over Honduras. Andrade had a big postseason and earned finals MVP, making 15 playoff starts, 19 hits, 13 runs, 6 doubles, 2 homers, 9 RBI, and a .317/.359/.517 slash. Ecatepec had lost the prior three years in the CABA final and many fans hold Andrade in high regard for helping snap that streak in his one year there.

His original Guadalajara deal expired and Andrade was a free agent at age 37. Coming off a strong year, he earned international attention and ultimately left both Mexico and CABA. Andrade ended up in MLB and America on a two-year, $18,400,000 deal with Milwaukee. A herniated disc plagued him most of 2005 and his bat was unremarkable with 1.7 WAR and 106 wRC+.

Andrade didn’t meet the vesting criteria for the second season, entering free agency in 2006. Montreal still thought he had something to offer and gave him three years and $27,400,000. Andrade lost some time to shoulder tendinitis, but posted a very nice 4.8 WAR effort in 113 games in 2006. 2007 had a respectable start, but ended in August with a torn PCL.

The Maples let him go and Andrade was unsigned for 2008. He ultimately retired that winter at age 40. For his three MLB seasons, Andrade had 307 hits, 142 runs, 46 doubles, 15 triples, 47 home runs, 148 RBI, a .255/.296/.436 slash, 123 wRC+, and 8.8 WAR.

In CABA, Andrade had 2376 hits, 1225 runs, 399 doubles, 158 triples, 354 home runs, 1220 RBI, 586 stolen bases, a .321/.360/.562 slash, 166 wRC+, and 99.4 WAR. As of 2037, he’s 34^th in WAR among position players. Andrade wasn’t amazing enough at any one thing to dominate leaderboards, but he posted a very solid career.

Perhaps Andrade was overlooked at times since he was largely on bad teams in his career. The playoff run in his one Ecatepec season helped solidify the resume for most doubters. Andrade earned 86.3% for an easy first ballot nod as the third of five members in the 2010 CABA Hall of Fame class.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

2010 CABA Hall of Fame (Part 3)

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Emmanuel Bernabe – Starting Pitcher – Salvador Stallions – 79.5% First Ballot

Emmanuel Bernabe was a 5’10’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Las Tunas, Cuba; a city of around 214,000. Bernabe wasn’t dominant at any one phase, but he was good to occasionally great with his stuff, movement, and control. His 95-97 mph cutter was his strongest pitch and was mixed with a good forkball, plus a decent curveball and changeup. Bernabe was excellent at holding runners and had pretty good stamina. He also had reliable durability for the first decade of his career, tossing 250+ innings from 1993-2001.

Bernabe was picked 16^th overall in the 1990 CABA Draft by Jamaica. The Jazz kept him on the reserve roster for all of 1991, but brought him up as a starter in 1992. Bernabe was third in 1992 Rookie of the Year voting and had three decent seasons for Jamaica. He led in innings pitched and complete games in 1994, although he was also first in losses. The Jazz at this point were firmly a bottom-rung franchise.

With Jamaica, Bernabe had three seasons, a 46-41 record, 3.58 ERA, 745 innings, 625 strikeouts, 141 walks, 106 ERA+, and 12.3 WAR. The 27-year old Bernabe was traded before the 1995 season to Salvador straight up for another young pitcher Adonis Garcia. This began what would be Bernabe’s signature run. The Stallions thought he’d be a long-term investment, giving him a four-year $11,480,000 extension only a few weeks into his run. Salvador had won the CABA Championship in 1994 and hoped to start a dynasty.

In his Salvador debut, Bernabe led the Caribbean League in wins at 26-5 and quality starts at 24, earning Pitcher of the Year honors. He took second in 1996’s and 1997 POTY voting as well. This helped begin a dynasty run for the Stallions, who earned eight straight playoff berths from 1994-2001. They lost in the 1995 Caribbean League Championship Series to Santiago, but won four straight pennants from 1996-1999.

Salvador won it all in 1997 and 1998, giving Bernabe two CABA rings. He didn’t get a ton of run support in his playoff career with a 5-8 record, but still posted a solid 3.28 ERA and 124 ERA+ over 137.1 playoff innings with 134 strikeouts, 25 walks, and 3.2 WAR. His role in the great dynasty helped see his #2 uniform eventually retired. The Stallions were a wild card in 2000 and 2001, then missed the playoffs in 2002. Bernabe saw one last CLCS appearance in 2003.

Bernabe also pitched four editions late in his career of the World Baseball Championship for Cuba, posting a 6-1 record in 60.1 innings, 3.43 ERA, 53 strikeouts, 103 ERA+, and 1.0 WAR. Bernabe would stay long-term in El Salvador, signing a six-year, $19,760,000 contract extension after the 1998 season.

1999 and 2000 saw his top two seasons by WAR with 9.0 and 8.7, although he wasn’t a Pitcher of the Year finalist either season. Bernabe generally wasn’t a league leader despite his regularly strong production, largely due to not being a dominant strikeout guy. He kept chugging along until a major set-back in June 2002. Post-concussion syndrome would force Bernabe to the shelf for 10 months.

He bounced back with a very good 2003. Bernabe’s velocity dropped noticeably in 2004 and although he had an excellent 17-3 record, his 4.55 ERA was mediocre and by far a career worst. Bernabe retired that winter at age 36. His Salvador stats saw a 175-88 record, 3.04 ERA, 2421.1 innings, 2267 strikeouts, 371 walks, 190/290 quality starts, 118 complete games, 132 ERA+, 75 FIP-, and 63.2 WAR.

Bernabe ended with a 221-129 record, 3.16 ERA, 3166.1 innings, 2892 strikeouts, 512 walks, 247/383 quality starts, 125 ERA+, 79 FIP-, and 75.6 WAR. As of 2037, he’s 46^th in WAR among CABA pitchers. Bernabe never had the raw dominance or longevity to earn a lot of attention, but he quietly built up a very sturdy resume.

Being reliably good and a key part of a dynasty run was enough for most voters. Bernabe received 79.5%, which was fourth-best among the five 2010 CABA Hall of Fame inductees. Regardless, he earned his spot on the first ballot among an impressive group.



Sanson Delgado – Center Field – Haiti Herons – 72.4% First Ballot

Sanson Delgado was a 6’3’’, 185 pound left-handed hitting center fielder from Pinar del Rio, Cuba; a city of 191,000 in the nation’s west. Delgado had above average contact skills and a respectable eye for the ball, especially against righties. He had a fairly extreme split with a strong .919 OPS and 146 wRC+ versus righties and a subpar .704 OPS and 96 wRC+ against lefties for his career.

Delgado wasn’t a prolific power hitter, but he had plenty of pop in his bat. He had 32 home runs, 27 doubles, and 9 triples per his 162 game average. His speed was merely above average despite playing center field and his baserunning skills were lacking. Delgado had some lingering small injuries, but was durable enough to play 135+ games in 19 of his 22 pro seasons.

Defensively, Delgado played almost exclusively in center field. Although he didn’t have amazing top speed, he had solid range and glove work. Delgado graded out as firmly above average to good in center. He wasn’t outstanding at any one thing, but Delgado was average to good pretty much across the board, leading to a lengthy and successful career.

Delgado was picked 18^th overall by Haiti in the 1984 CABA Draft and would play his entire CABA career with the Herons. He only played 21 games in 1985, but took over the starting job in 1986 and held it through 2004. In his first full season, Delgado led the Caribbean League in WAR, slugging, OPS, and wRC+. That was his official rookie season, earning Rookie of the Year honors. Delgado was also second in MVP voting and won a Silver Slugger.

Delgado wouldn’t win another Silver Slugger until 1998, although that was more a function of sharing a position and league with eventual home run king Hugh Boerboom. Delgado would post nine seasons worth 6+ WAR, although he wouldn’t be a league leader again except for in 1994, when he posted the best OPS and OBP. Delgado was steady for Haiti, who was stuck in the middle tier in the 1980s and early 1990s.

After the 1990 season, the Herons gave Delgado a five-year, $8,800,000 extension. Haiti made the playoffs in 1991, but Delgado missed the postseason to elbow tendinitis and they lost in the wild card round. The Herons wouldn’t make the playoffs again until 1997, although that would mark the beginning of a dynasty run and decade-plus streak. Delgado kept chugging along as a popular player into his 30s. Now 32, he signed a five-year, $10,000,000 extension after the 1994 season.

In these later years, Delgado did play for his native Cuba in the World Baseball Championship. He saw 68 games and 47 starts from 1995-2004, posting 45 hits, 23 runs, 13 doubles, 15 home runs, 32 RBI, a .265/.360/.606 slash, 163 wRC+, and 2.3 WAR.

Delgado didn’t see any notable decline in his game through his 30s, putting up the same reliable stats year in and year out. He finally got to see Haiti with success, beginning their playoff streak in 1997. The Herons lost in the Caribbean League Championship Series in 1997 and 1998, and then lost in the first round of 1999. Salvador’s dynasty proved to be a barrier at the start of their streak. Haiti was plenty happy with Delgado, giving him another two years and $6,000,000 in May 2000.

The Herons won three straight Caribbean League titles from 2000-02. They lost the 2000 CABA Championship in Ecatepec, but won it all in the 2001 and 2002 rematches with the Explosion. Delgado finally got to see rings after two decades with Haiti and his long service would lead to his #7 uniform eventually being retired.

One criticism is that Delgado’s playoff stats weren’t anything special. In 46 playoff starts, he had 41 hits, 23 runs, 7 doubles, 8 home runs, 18 RBI, a .243/.301/.426 slash, 93 wRC+, and 0.6 WAR. Injuries cost him about half of 2002, but he was on a great pace and earned another two years at $7,600,000. In 2003, a 40-year old Delgado was still good for 7.6 WAR, although the Herons lost in the first round of the playoffs.

In 2004, Delgado posted his first truly lousy season with 0.1 WAR and 89 wRC+ over 155 games. He did cross 1500 career runs in this final season, but fell just short of the 3000 hit and 600 home run milestones. No CABA teams gave Delgado a look for 2005, although his baseball career did continue in the newly formed European Second League.

Delgado ended up an outsider in Moldova on a two-year, $6,880,000 deal with Chisinau. He was still a respectable starter in 2005, even if his bat had declined to a .202 average. Delgado posted negative value in 2006 and retired after that season at age 44. For his entire pro career, he had 3075 games, 3064 hits, 1614 runs, 518 doubles, 166 triples, 606 home runs, 1813 RBI, a .280/.337/.523 slash, 133 wRC+, and 108.3 WAR.

With Haiti, Delgado had 2918 hits, 1542 runs, 491 doubles, 164 triples, 580 home runs, 1719 RBI, 218 stolen bases, a .288/.343/.540 slash, 137 wRC+, and 106.4 WAR. As of 2037, he’s 28^th all-time in WAR among position players. He’s also still 16^th in RBI, 25^th in both runs and hits, 15^th in doubles and 34^th in home runs. Delgado is also 13^th in games played and some voters dismissed him as a compiler.

Even then, the accumulations on paper seem like a pretty easy choice. With such a loaded 2010 group as well, Delgado looked less impressive for some voters. He only got 72.6%, but that was enough to cross the 66% line for a first ballot induction. Delgado was a fine player to round-off a historic five-player group.