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

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 09-13-2024, 05:30 AM

2013 in OBA

Melbourne’s historic ten-year reign atop the Australasia League ended in 2013 with an impressive 110-52 effort from Christchurch. The Chinooks set a franchise record, winning their ninth pennant and their first since 1999. Christchurch set a new AL team record in slugging percentage (.495) and had the second-most homers in AL history at 260. The Chinooks also set an AL single-season pitching record with 61 saves.

Sydney was a distant second at 95-67, setting a new franchise-best for the Snakes. Sydney remains the only of OBA’s 16 original teams without a pennant. Melbourne was still strong, but third at 94-68 for their 11^th straight winning season. Canberra placed fourth at 92-70, getting historic power from Merlin Megson.

In an incredibly rare twist, Megson and Roe Kaupa finished tied in Australasia League MVP voting and thus both earned the honor. Megson repeated as MVP and won his fourth MVP in five years. He set new single-season OBA records with a .801 slugging percentage, 1.201 OPS, and 472 total bases. Those broke records he set the prior year with Megson’s 2013 totals still holding as records as of 2037. He also had the eighth Triple Crown hitting season in OBA history and the first since 2005.

The 27-year old Englishman had a .370/.407/.801 slash, 230 wRC+, 11.6 WAR, 63 home runs, 145 RBI, and 218 hits. His 133 runs were also the fourth most in an OBA season, but missed the league lead by one thanks to Kaupa. Megson’s batting average as the second-best single season to that point. He also had 19 doubles, 23 triples, and 41 stolen bases. As of 2037, it is the 12^th-highest WAR from a position player.

Meanwhile for Kaupa, he was a huge reason for Chirstchurch’s success, having joined them in 2013 on an eight-year, $117,400,000 deal. This was the second MVP for the 26-year old Papuan DH, who won with Timor in 2011. Kaupa led in homers (63) and runs (134) while adding 31 doubles, 126 RBI, a .333/.403/.741 slash, 212 wRC+, and 10.0 WAR. His 1.144 OPS ranked as the third-best single-season in OBA history to that point, only behind Megson’s 2013 and 2012.

Pitcher of the Year was Christchurch lefty Nathan Henderson. Nicknamed “The Bird,” the 26-year old Australian led in wins (25-7), quality starts (31), and WAR (9.9). Henderson had a 2.68 ERA over 295.1 innings, 284 strikeouts, and 141 ERA+. The Chinooks gave him a six-year, $65,400,000 extension in the offseason.

Defending Oceania Champion Guadalcanal also had a record-setting season, besting their own 113 wins from 2010. At 115-47, the Green Jackets finished atop the Pacific League for the third time in four years. That was the second winningest season in OBA history, only behind Guam’s 119-43 from 1999.

Offensively, Guadalcanal smacked 279 home runs, tying the OBA team record they set the prior year. The Green Jackets also had a .496 slugging percentage, which ranked third-best in PL history. Guadalcanal’s bullpen recorded 67 saves, which remains the OBA single-season best as of 2037. Their closest foes were Tahiti at 94-70 and Samoa at 91-71. The Tropics notably posted their 11^th straight season with 90+ wins. Honolulu, who was second last year with 96 wins, fell to fifth at 84-78.

Leading Guadalcanal’s offense was Pacific League MVP Bernard Nyikeine. The 28-year old New Caledonian first baseman led in runs (120), hits (198), doubles (35), OBP (.414), OPS (1.010), wRC+ (189), and WAR (9.0). Nikeine added 38 home runs, 110 RBI, and a .338 average. The Green Jackets wouldn’t be able to lock him up, as Nyikeine left in the offseason on a seven-year, $95,200,000 deal with Christchurch.

Fiji’s Akira Brady won his fourth straight Pitcher of the Year with another dominant outing. The 26-year old New Zealander posted his second Triple Crown with a 27-9 record, 2.03 ERA, and 507 strikeouts. The 507 Ks are behind only Tarzan Rao’s 524 from 1983. Brady becomes the fourth pitcher in world history with a 500+ season, joining Rao, BSA’s Mohamed Ramos, and APB’s Kun-Sheng Lin.

Brady also led in WHIP (0.78), innings (349.2), quality starts (33), complete games (29), shutouts (8), and WAR (14.8). The WAR mark ranks third-best by an OBA pitcher behind Rao’s 1984 (16.59) and 1983 (15.51). Brady’s 349 innings were the second most in a season behind Luther Greene’s 352 from 2004. Brady also had 21 strikeouts over 12 innings against Vanuatu in May, which was only the third 21+ K game in OBA history.

The 54^th Oceania Championship was highly hyped considering the historic seasons both Guadalcanal and Christchurch had. It was relatively anti-climactic as the Chinooks downed the defending champ Green Jackets 4-1. Christchurch finally reversed a long trend of losing in the final. The Chinooks’ lone title was back in 1963, having gone 0-7 in their appearances since.

Finals MVP was Adrian Kali, who was part of a five-player offseason trade with Port Moresby. This would be the lone season for Christchurch for the 29-year old Papuan, who went 10-18 with 5 doubles, 2 runs, 1 homer, and 4 RBI. Kali would sign a seven-year, $71,400,000 free agent deal with Gold Coast.

Other notes: Ryder Murray became the seventh pitcher to reach 4000 career strikeouts. Julian Albright was the 18^th pitcher to join the 200 win club. Arjita Gabeja was the seventh to reach 1500 career RBI. Jacob Crotchett became the 11^th member of the 500 home run club.

CF Ashton Hughes won his 11^th Gold Glove, CF Tory Clayton won his tenth, and LF Samson Gould won his ninth. For Hughes, he set a position record and became the fifth guy at any position with 11 GGs in OBA. Tyler Straw won his tenth Silver Slugger and his fourth as a second baseman. Straw’s other six came at shortstop.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 09-13-2024, 11:27 AM

2013 in EPB

Last season from the wild card spot, Rostov became the first of the 2000 expansion teams to win the European League pennant. The Rhinos took first place in the standings in 2013, improving to 103-59. They used impressive offense to do it, setting single-season EL records for hits (1585) and OBP (.333). Those marks held for around two decades. Rostov scored 792 runs in 2013 while no other Eurasian Professional Baseball team topped 700.

Kazan, who was first in 2012, took second in 2013 at 95-67 for their third playoff berth in four years. The Crusaders took the spot by three games over Moscow and seven over Samara. The big surprise was the utter collapse of Minsk down to 67-95, an all-time worst for the usual powerhouse. The Miners had good pitching and even set the all-time EPB record for fewest walks surrendered (190) and best BB/9 (1.18). However, Minsk’s 492 runs scored were the fewest of all the teams.

Leading Rostov’s efforts was European League MVP Igor Gorbatyuk. The 28-year old Russian left fielder led in runs (118), home runs (40), RBI (115), walks (83), total bases (356), OBP (.429), slugging (.645), OPS (1.074), wRC+ (210), and WAR (10.1). Gorbatyuk also had 32 doubles, 68 stolen bases, and a .341 batting average; falling 11 points from a Triple Crown. The Rhinos would gave Gorbatyuk a seven-year, $67,600,000 extension the following April.

Meanwhile, Samara’s Semyon Vankov posted the 11^th Triple Crown pitching season with a 20-6 record, 1.58 ERA, and 295 strikeouts over 234 innings. This earned the fourth-year righty from Belarus the Pitcher of the Year award. Vankov also led in WHIP (0.73), quality starts (25), shutouts (5), FIP- (53), and WAR (9.0).

Ulaanbaatar repeated as the first place finisher in the Asian League, taking the top spot at 101-61. Omsk grabbed the wild card at 96-66 for their third playoff berth in four years. The Otters took it by four games over Ufa. Reigning EPB champ Yekaterinburg was a distant fourth at 84-78, which ended their impressive playoff streak at ten seasons. This was the first time since 1998 that the Yaks didn’t win 90+ games.

Ufa RF Nikolay Kargopolcev won his second Asian League MVP in three years. The 26-year old lefty led in runs (101), homers (46), RBI (99), total bases (371), slugging (.635), OPS (.955), wRC+ (193), and WAR (7.9). Kargopolcev also had 70 stolen bases and a .307 average. It was his fifth time leading the league in homers. In May, the Fiends signed him to a hefty eight-year, $74,700,000 contract extension.

Although Irkutsk was just below .500, they had the Pitcher of the Year Kamil Domanski. The 26-year old Polish righty led in ERA (1.94), strikeouts (342), WHIP (0.80), K/BB (14.2), FIP- (54), and WAR (9.3). Domanski had a 160 ERA+ over 250 innings and a 15-8 record.

The European League Championship Series rematch was a seven game classic, but Rostov repeated as champs over Kazan. On the other side, Ulaanbaatar rolled Omsk 4-1 in the Asian League Championship Series. This was only the second-ever pennant for the Mongolian capital, joining the 1976 campaign.

Ulaanbaatar would be denied its second EPB title. Rostov rolled 4-1 in the 59^th EPB Championship, becoming the 19^th different franchise to win the EPB title and the first non-charter squad to do so. League MVP Igor Gorbatyuk was also finals MVP, posting 11 hits, 10 runs, 3 homers, 6 RBI, 6 walks, and 5 stolen bases in his 12 playoff starts.

Other notes: 11-time Pitcher of the Year winner Matvey Ivanov became the fifth EPB ace to 300 career wins and the sixth to 5000 strikeouts, marks no one else has reached since. It would be his penultimate season with only 60 innings in 2014 before injury. Ivanov would retire fourth in wins at 313 and sixth in Ks at 5040. His 149.8 WAR would rank third best among EPB pitchers. Ivanov had a 1.84 ERA as well as the only EPB pitcher to toss 4000+ innings with a sub-two ERA.

In other milestones, Ivan Mushailov became the 16^th member of the 500 home run club. CF Khuday Kakimow won his seventh Gold Glove.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 09-13-2024, 05:38 PM

2013 in EBF

The EBF Elite Northern Conference was incredibly top heavy with five teams winning 100+ games. Dublin narrowly took the #1 seed at 115-47 for a sixth consecutive British Isles Division title. It was also the sixth straight 100+ win season for the Dinos and broke their franchise wins record of 111 from 2009. Birmingham was still 14 games away in the division, but 101-61 landed a wild card for the Bees, extending their playoff streak to four seasons.

In the Northwest Division, 114-48 Paris fell one game short of the #1 seed. The Poodles got the second bye for repeat playoff berths, although it was their first division title since 2004. They had to fend off a fierce 109-53 Amsterdam squad, who had to settle for a wild card. That ended a five-year playoff drought for the Anacondas. Brussels was third in the division at 98-64, a record that almost always gets you into the playoffs. However, the Beavers were three short of Birmingham for the second wild card. That ended Brussels’ playoff streak at three seasons.

Defending European Champion Cologne matched their 107-55 record from the prior year, but this time it only got them the #3 seed. The Copperheads won their fourth consecutive division title. Antwerp had their own solid showing in the North Central Division at 96-66, but ended up 11 shy of Cologne and five away in the wild card race. Still, that was a franchise record for the Airedales, who won the Second League Championship only two years prior. Antwerp smacked 304 home runs, setting a conference record that still holds as of 2037.

The one division that wasn’t top heavy was the Baltic Sea Division. Oslo claimed it for the fifth straight season with their 89-73 finish. Their closest foes were Stockholm at 81-81 and Copenhagen at 80-82. With the top-heavy nature of the Northern Conference, the bottom was loaded with bad teams as well. Four different squads lost 100+ games, dooming each of them to relegation.

Three teams tied for the worst record at 55-107; Kharkiv, Helsinki, and Gothenburg. The Killer Bees had entered the European Baseball Federation with a dynasty run in 2000, but saw their sixth straight losing season. The Honkers were relegated in 2009, but made it right back after one year. However, the Finnish capital fared little better in their three-year return. The Gales were the 2012 E2L champ, but stunk it up in their debut in the top tier.

London also was relegated with a 59-103 finish. The Monarchs had gotten dropped after the 2007 season, but made it back after only two years. They narrowly escaped demotion again in 2010 and 2012 at 63-99, but couldn’t avoid it in 2013. Belfast (64-98) and Vilnius (66-96) also were in danger, but survived to fight another year.

Oslo shortstop Harvey Coyle won his fifth straight Northern Conference MVP. The 26-year old switch-hitting Englishman led in home runs (61), RBI (138), total bases (420), slugging (.722), OPS (1.099), wRC+ (215), and WAR (13.7). This was his sixth straight season worth 12+ WAR. Coyle also won his sixth Gold Glove, posting a 24.1 zone rating and 1.109 EFF. The Octopi secured their superstar in the offseason with one of Europe’s richest deals to date at eight years and $142,200,000, keeping him in Norway for the long haul.

Oslo also got a Pitcher of the Year season from Lorenzo Rotella. The 27-year old Italian righty led in ERA (1.63), WHIP (0.88), quality starts (25), shutouts (6), FIP- (59), and WAR (8.4). Rotella was the first qualifying starter with an ERA below 1.65 since 1982 and ranks 17^th all-time as of 2037. He also had a 217 ERA+, 272 strikeouts, and 19-9 record over 243.2 innings. The Octopi would also open up the coffers for him with a seven-year, $95,900,000 deal after the 2014 season.

Although Oslo had the weakest record of the playoff teams, those two helped them upset Amsterdam 2-0 in the first round of the playoffs. They finally won a playoff series after going 0-4 in the prior four years, although Dublin would prove too tough with the Dinos escaping 3-2 in the second round.

Birmingham ousted reigning champ Cologne 2-1 in the first round, but got rolled 3-0 in round two by Paris to set up a Northern Conference Championship rematch. For their fifth straight appearance, the Poodles were defeated. Dublin won it 4-2 to continue a dynasty run with their third pennant in four years. They joined Amsterdam, Birmingham, and Kyiv as the only teams to do that in the Northern Conference.

The Southern Conference had far more parity with no teams winning or losing 100+ games. Only four games separated the #1 seed from the second wild card. At 99-63, Southeast Division champ Athens had the top mark barely. The Anchors earned a fifth straight division title and sixth consecutive playoff berth. They fended off a 94-68 Yerevan squad in the division, which was their best record since joining EBF.

The #2 seed was South Central Division champ Prague at 98-64, giving the Pilots three straight playoff berths since winning the 2010 Second League title. Prague was only one game better than last year’s SC runner-up Zurich at 97-65. The Mountaineers earned the first wild card for their third berth in four years.

In the Southwest Division, Zaragoza and Lisbon tied for first place at 94-68 with Marseille one game back at 93-69. The loaded division also had Barcelona and Madrid both at 88-74. That created a tricky tiebreaker scenario since Yerevan was also 94-68 with the second wild card spot up for grab. Regardless, the Musketeers were out by one game, ending their playoff streak at four seasons.

For the division, the Gold Hawks defeated the Clippers in a one-game playoff to become only the second team to begin in the Second League and win a top-tier division title. It was especially impressive since Zaragoza had been the E2L finalist only the prior year after posting seven straight losing seasons to start their existence.

Lisbon still found their way into the playoffs, beating Yerevan in a second play-in game to grab the second wild card. The one division without drama was the East Central, won by defending conference champ Vienna at 87-75. The Vultures were ten games ahead of Budapest, who had been a wild card the prior year.

With no teams losing 100+ games, the only relegated team from the Southern Conference would be the one with the worst record. That distinction went to 63-99 Skopje, who ended up four worse than Sofia and five worse than Seville. The Stags EBF Elite run ended after four seasons, although it was a surprising drop since they had won 85 games the prior year. Skopje’s pitching was historically bad as their 897 runs allowed was an all-time SC worst that held until 2018.

Southern Conference MVP went to third-year Lisbon 1B Sisto Contreras. The 24-year old Spaniard led in home runs (56), runs (123), and total bases (394). Contreras added 114 RBI, 64 stolen bases, a .301/.368/.669 slash, 175 wRC+, and 9.1 WAR.

Marseille righty Mitja Kovacic won his second Pitcher of the Year in three seasons. The 30-year old Slovene righty led in ERA (1.85), wins (20-6), quality starts (24), and WAR (8.1). He had a 208 ERA+, 245 strikeouts, and 239 innings. The Musketeers had given Kovacic a seven-year, $92,400,000 extension after the 2012 season.

Zurich edged Vienna 2-1 in the first round while Zaragoza won 2-0 in a rematch with Lisbon. The top seed Athens outlasted the Mountaineers in a fierce 3-2 second round battle, sending the Anchors to their third Southern Conference Championship in five years. Meanwhile, the Gold Hawks stunned Prague with a road sweep to earn their first conference finals shot.

Zaragoza’s stunning run continued, taking the SCC 4-2 over Athens. Since the Second League debuted in 2005, the Gold Hawks became the first team to start there and earn a top-tier pennant. They were also the first team to appear in the E2L Championship and EBF Elite Championship in consecutive seasons. Meanwhile, bad playoff luck continued for the Anchors. That was the sixth straight Southern Conference Championship appearance to end in defeat for the Greek capital.

The 64^th European Championship was a seven game classic with Zaragoza nearly capping off their historic run on top. However, the Dublin dynasty survived 4-3 for their historic third title in four years. With EBF’s parity, the Dinos became the first-ever team to win three in four, earning a special place in history. They would be the only team with that distinction until Rotterdam’s 2025-27 three-peat.

The Irish capital also earned its fifth European title (1962, 1967, 2010, 2011, 2013). That tied them for the most along with Amsterdam, Barcelona, and Rotterdam. Finals MVP went to LF Murray Neilson, who joined Dublin in a trade after six seasons with Edinburgh. The Dinos signed him to a seven-year, $91,000,000 extension in April and were rewarded in the playoffs. The 29-year old Englishman had 28 hits, 15 runs, 3 doubles, 2 triples, 7 home runs, and 15 RBI over 18 playoff starts.

Manager Marti Salazar became the third EBF manager with three championships and retired with the 2013 win. He posted a 1518-1217 record for his career and led Dublin to their success from 2004-2013. He also had unremarkable runs with Rome (1993-95) and London (1999-01). A Maracaibo, Venezuela native, Salazar as a player was a decent outfielder from 1969-81 with Buenos Aires.

Other notes: EBF’s 33^rd Perfect Game came on June 17 from Prague’s Sam Kuiper, striking out ten against Milan. The atmosphere was electric all season in Paris, who had a season attendance of 2,620,621. This would be the EBF record until topped in 2029 by Hamburg.

Carsten Dal joined Jacob Ronnberg and Jack Kennedy as the only EBF players with 2000 runs scored. He also passed Ronnberg’s 436 for the EBF career record in triples. At 443, Dal is only six short of the world record of 449 set by the Korea League’s Yoon-Soo Hyoun from 1951-68. Dal also made world history as the first player in any league to reach 1900+ career stolen bases.

Francisco Cruz became the 14^th to reach 1500 runs scored. Blazej Swierczewksi became the 19^th to reach 1500 RBI and the 29^th to 2500 hits. LF Alessandro Surina and CF Walter Dumouchel both won their seventh Gold Gloves. MVP Harvey Coyle won his seventh Silver Slugger.

Promotion/Relegation: With five teams up and five teams down, sorting out who goes where was a bit of a mess, especially with the Northern Conference seeing four relegated teams. The five demoted were London, Kharkiv, Gothenburg, Helsinki, and Skopje. The promoted teams from the Second League would be Valencia, Brno, Tirana, Rome, and Tbilisi.

The fact that the top tier uses a North/South split while the Second League uses West/East made it more complicated. Four of the relegated teams were from the Northern Conference, but four of the five promoted made more geographic sense in the Southern Conference. Ultimately, every EBF Elite division had a change. Prague, Leipzig, and Krakow each ended up switching conferences as well. See the photo below for the summary.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 09-14-2024, 07:21 AM

2013 in BSA

The top two squads in the Bolivar League came from the Colombia-Ecuador Division. Medellin at 105-57 took the #1 seed and their third straight division title. The Mutiny offense hit 302 doubles, the second-most in Beisbol Sudamerica history behind only Maracaibo’s 306 from 1977. Medellin’s 880 runs were the most by any BL team in the last decade. Guayaquil was close behind at 103-59 for the first wild card, returning to the playoffs after having their four-year streak snapped in 2012.

In the Venezuela Division, Maracaibo saw a surprise turnaround after winning 66 and 63 in the prior two seasons. At 92-70, the Mariners earned their first playoff spot and division title since 1994. Barquisimeto was close behind at 88-74, which was good for the second wild card. The Black Cats grew their playoff streak to six seasons, finishing three games ahead of Ciudad Guayana. 2011 Copa Sudamerica winner Valencia dropped to 77-85, denying a third consecutive playoff berth.

In the Peru-Bolivia Division, Arequipa ended up on top at 88-74, winning the division for only the second time in franchise history (2003). They were three ahead of reigning Copa Sudamerica winner Callao at 85-77. The Cats were three short of Barquisimeto for the second wild card as well. Santa Cruz dropped to 82-80, which ended their seven-year playoff streak.

Medellin had the top two home run and RBI guys between Homer Torres and Manuel Marquez. Torres won Bolivar League MVP, appropriately leading in homers (53), RBI (149), and total bases (432). The 31-year old Colombian DH had 213 hits, 121 runs, a .326/.377/.661 slash, 168 wRC+, and 7.1 WAR. In his ninth year with the Mutiny, Torres signed a five-year, $63,100,000 extension in July.

For the fourth time in five years, Barquisimeto’s Sebastian Marquez won Pitcher of the Year. The 27-year old Venezuelan righty led in WAR (8.6) and FIP- (64) while posting a 138 ERA+. Marquez tossed 258.2 innings with a 2.89 ERA, 20-10 record, and 295 strikeouts. The Black Cats would ink their ace to a six-year, $68,200,000 extension the following April.

Arequipa edged Barquisimeto 2-1 in the first round playoff season, then promptly got swept by Medellin 3-0. The Mutiny earned back-to-back Bolivar League Championship Series appearances, hoping to finally end their playoff woes as they have lost their last seven BLCS berths. On the other side, Maracaibo outlasted Guayaquil 3-2 in a classic.

For the Mariners, they hadn’t gotten that far since 1990. Maracaibo had also only won the Bolivar League title once way back in 1941. Medellin denied the end to that streak, cruising to a 4-1 victory. Although it was the Mutiny’s 11th pennant, this ended a 41-year drought back to 1971. Only Caracas (13) has won the Bolivar League crown more times.

Recife won the Southern Cone League title in 2010 and 2011, but missed the playoffs by two games in 2012. In 2013, the Retrievers earned the #1 overall seed and the North Division at 101-61, allowing the fewest runs in BSA at 569. Fortaleza was second at 96-66 to repeat as a wild card. Last year’s LCS runner-up Brasilia dropped to 86-76, which kept them four short of the second wild card slot.

Defending league champ Concepcion repeated as South Central Division champs at 97-65. The Chiefs set a league record with 291 doubles and they led the league with 822 runs scored. Santiago was ten back at 87-75 and ultimately three back in the wild card race, ending their hopes for a third straight playoff berth.

Rosario won the Southeast Division at 94-68, which ended a playoff drought back to their 1992 Copa Sudamerica win. That 20-year gap for the Robins was the longest active drought in BSA. The new longest active drought went to Montevideo at 15 seasons. Sao Paulo, who had won the division three straight years, took the second wild card at 90-72. The Padres edged out Santiago by three games and Brasilia by four.

Expansion Manaus was 75-87, a new-best in the franchise’s fifth season. They had reason for optimism with Southern Cone League MVP Daniel Schafer. The Brazilian second baseman was the #2 overall pick in BSA’s 2010 Draft. In 2013, he led in the triple slash (.380/.435/.693), OPS (1.128), wRC+ (222), and WAR (11.7). Schafer added 222 hits, 108 runs, 30 doubles, 18 triples, 39 home runs, and 99 RBI.

Pitcher of the Year was Rosario’s Preston Delgado. The 31-year old Argentinian lefty had a 2.37 ERA over 204.2 innings, 16-6 record, 212 strikeouts, 154 ERA+, and 5.8 WAR. Delgado had signed a four-year, $27,600,000 extension the prior September. This would be the only time in his career in the POTY conversation.

Sao Paulo edged Rosario in the first round of the playoffs 2-1, but the Padres would fall 3-1 to Recife in the Divisional Series. On the other side, Fortaleza outlasted the defending league champ Concepcion 3-2. This set up a rematch of the 2010 Southern Cone League Championship, which the Retrievers won. Recife was making their fourth LCS appearance in five years.

The Foxes would take their revenge against their division rival with a shocking sweep. This was Fortaleza’s ninth pennant, having last done it in 2005. That season started their current nine-year streak of winning seasons, although the Foxes hadn’t seen any playoff success since.

Although Medellin and Fortaleza were both historically successful franchises, it had been a long time since either won Copa Sudamerica. The Foxes’ last Cup came in 1972 and the Mutiny’s last was 1967. In 1969, Fortaleza defeated Medellin 4-2 in their lone prior finals meeting. In the 83^rd Copa Sudamerica, it was the Foxes taking it firmly 4-1 over the Mutiny. This was their fourth title, as they also won back in 1932.

40-year old Hector Correa was the finals MVP in his debut with Fortaleza. He won five Bolivar League MVPs during his 1996-2006 run with Guayaquil, then left for MLB from 2007-2010 with Atlanta. Correa came back to BSA for 2011-12 with Bogota, who traded him to the Foxes in the winter. Correa’s timeless bat paid off over 13 playoff games and 10 starts with 19 hits, 7 runs, 3 homers, 13 RBI, 1 double, and 1 triple.

Other notes: In his return, Correa also crossed 1500 career RBI and 2500 hits. Owen Arcia also reached 1500 RBI in 2013, making 25 batters to do so. More importantly for Arcia, he got his 3500 hit on July 29. Only all-time hit king Javier Herrera had reached the mark previously. The 39-year old Arcia finished the season at 3560, within striking distance of Herrera’s 3597. He also finished the year at 586 doubles, second only to Herrera’s 618.

Fernan Murillo became the 17^th pitcher to reach 4500 strikeouts and would be the last guy to cross that mark until 2033. Samuel Andrade and Luis Bustos made it 28 relievers to reach 300 career saves. Hugo Flores-Garcia set a BSA single-season record with 0.33 walks per nine innings. The 37-year old journeyman with Fortaleza walked only six batters over 165.1 innings. 3B Oliver Mejia won his eighth Gold Glove.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 09-14-2024, 01:12 PM

2013 in EAB

Chiba had the Japan League’s best record by a nine-game margin with their 100-62 finish. This gave the Comets their second Capital Division title in three years. Yokohama (91-71) and Kawasaki (89-73) also had good seasons, but miss out with only division winners advancing in the JL. Notably for the Yellow Jackets, this was their first winning season in 13 years. The Killer Whales dropped from what was a league-best 103 wins the prior year. Defending JL champ Hiroshima repeated in the West Division at 90-72, taking it by 12 games.

90-72 also won the Central Division for Kyoto, who had missed out by one game in 2012. It was the third division title in four years for the Kamikaze, who were the East Asia Baseball champs in 2010 and 2011. Osaka was a close second at 87-75 to end a five-year run of losing seasons. Last year’s division winner Nagoya fell from 96 wins to 79. The North Division had Sendai (86-76) outlast Sapporo (84-78). The Samurai ended a 19-year playoff drought back to 1993 and denied the Swordfish a chance for a third straight JLCS appearance.

Hiroshima LF Hitoshi Kubota joined elite company as the fifth EAB player to win five MVP honors. The 30-year old switch hitter repeated in the Japan League, leading in home runs (51), total bases (358), slugging (.634), OPS (1.025), wRC+ (205), and WAR (8.8). Kubota also had 102 runs, 111 RBI, and a .320 average. He committed to stay with the Hammerheads, signing a six-year, $128,200,000 extension in July. 2013 also saw Kubota’s seventh Silver Slugger.

Pitcher of the Year was Yokohama’s Moromao Sunagawa. The 26-year old righty led in wins at 19-8 and quality starts at 26. Sunagawa had a 2.20 ERA over 250 innings, 24 strikeouts, 151 ERA+, and 6.0 WAR. He would sign a seven-year, $87,000,000 extension the following June, but ultimately was merely above average for the next few years before being essentially out of baseball by age 32.

Chiba beat Sendai 3-1 and Hiroshima swept Kyoto 3-0 in the first round of the playoffs. This gave the Comets their first Japan League Championship Series berth since 1989. Chiba had home field advantage, but the defending champ Hammerheads pulled off the repeat in six games. Hiroshima became nine-time Japanese champs with the victory.

Daegu had EAB’s best overall record atop the Korea League’s South Division at 109-53. It was the Diamondbacks’ first playoff berth since 2009 and their first division title since 2003. They had to fend off a fierce effort by Ulsan, who had EAB’s second-best record at 103-59. This gave the Swallows repeat playoff berths, as they won the division in 2012.

The second wild card also came from the South with Gwangju and Jeonju tying at 91-71. No tiebreaker game is used in EAB and the formula favored the Grays. Gwangju earned its fifth playoff berth in six years. Over in the North, Pyongyang cruised at 96-66 to end a 17-year playoff drought. Reigning Grand Champion Goyang was a distant second at 84-78. Bucheon (83-79) and Incheon (72-90) were also 2012 playoff teams that missed the cut in 2013.

Daegu’s Sang-Jun Gang became a three-time Korea League MVP. The 31-year old left fielder had won it in 2010 and 2011 with Kumamoto. Gang joined the Diamondbacks for 2013 on a five-year, $90,800,000 free agent deal and led in home runs (49), RBI (139), total bases (388), slugging (.670), and OPS (1.057). He also had 7.4 WAR and a 181 wRC+.

Seoul’s Do-Kyun Lee won Pitcher of the Year in only his third season. The 24-year old lefty led in strikeouts (321) and K/BB (10.4). Lee added 7.7 WAR and a 152 ERA+ over 265.2 innings with a 2.47 ERA and 17-8 record.

Daegu downed Gwangju 3-1 and Pyongyang outlasted Ulsan 3-2 in the first round of the playoffs. The Diamondbacks hadn’t been to the Korea League Championship Series since 2002 with their last pennants coming with their 1999-2000 repeat. The Pythons KCLS and title drought stretched all the way back to 1977.

Despite the droughts, these were the two teams with the most Korean titles with both entering with 13 apiece. The KLCS went all seven games for the first time since 2005. Top-seed Daegu survived in a thriller that saw a 14-inning game seven. In a pinch hit spot, 1B Sae-Wan Lee had the walkoff RBI single for a 2-1 victory.

Daegu carried that momentum into the 93^rd East Asian Championship, defeating Hiroshima 4-2. This made the Diamondbacks six-time EAB champs (1953, 1956, 1973, 1975, 1999, 2013). 30-year old RF Dong-Min Sin was finals MVP in the only playoff games of his career. In 17 starts, Sin had 20 hits, 13 runs, 3 doubles, 2 triples, 2 home runs, 9 RBI, and 12 stolen bases. The Hammerheads lost back-to-back EAB finals, extending that title drought to 41 years.

Other notes: Soo-Geun Yim became the 12^th member of the 700 home run club. Yim and Koji Iwasaki both scored their 1500^th run in 2013, making 28 batters to do so. Dong-Uk Choi became the 30^th to 600 homers and the 20^th to 3000 career hits, reaching the marks one day apart.

Niigata had EAB’s worst record at 55-107 and posted a 1.443 team WHIP; the worst in Japan League history. That wouldn’t be topped until 2032. Sekien Ida became the 36^th pitcher to 3500 strikeouts. SS Do-Hyeon Ju won his seventh Gold Glove.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 09-14-2024, 07:42 PM

2013 in CABA

The Mexican League’s South Division saw a major shakeup with Ecatepec NOT winning the division for only the third time in 21 years. The Explosion repeated their 87-75 record from the prior year, but that left them five games short in the wild card race. Ecatepec had been in the Mexican League Championship Series 14 times in the prior 15 years.

Taking over the throne was Leon at 101-61 for their first division title since 1992. It was the second playoff berth in four years for the Lions, who were a wild card in 2010. Leon also notably had the #1 seed, which hadn’t been done by a South Division team other than Ecatepec since Puebla in 1987. This was also the first 100+ win season for the Lions since 1965.

Torreon won a competitive North Division at 95-67. Although it was their third playoff berth in six years, the Tomahawks hadn’t won the division since 2004. They were one ahead of San Luis Potosi at 94-68, earning the first wild card. Not only was this the first playoff berth for the 2003 expansion Potros, but it was their first winning season. SLP’s previous best was 76-86 in 2011.

Monterrey was third in the division at 92-70, taking the second wild card. This was the third year in-a-row as a wild card for the Matadors, who finished five games ahead of both Hermosillo and Ecatepec. Monterrey also increased its impressive streak of winning seasons to 27, a CABA record. Last year’s Mexican League champ Juarez dropped to 80-82. They and Chihuahua both had their bids for a third straight playoff berth thwarted. The Warriors struggled to 74-88, their first losing season since 2007.

Leon right fielder Max Valentin earned Mexican League MVP in his fourth year as a starter. The 29-year old Mexican lefty led in home runs (57), total bases (382), slugging (.728), OPS (1.106), and wRC+ (211). Valentin also had 7.9 WAR, a .335 average, 123 RBI, and 107 runs. He was a late bloomer for the Lions, having been drafted #2 overall in 2006. This MVP effort played a big role in Valentin’s six-year, $79,200,000 extension signed in March 2015.

Hermosillo’s Jamarca Akim repeated as Pitcher of the Year and repeated as the WARlord at 8.4. The 24-year old Jamaican righty also led in wins (22-8), and complete games (21) and was second in ERA at 2.33. Akim had 272 strikeouts and a 161 ERA+ over 239 innings.

Despite the #1 seed, Leon got upset 3-1 by Monterrey in the first round of the playoffs. On the other side, Torreon swept San Luis Potosi. The Matadors earned their first Mexican League Championship Series berth since their 2009 pennant, while the Tomahawks hadn’t gotten that far since 2004. Torreon prevailed 4-2 in the MLCS for their third pennant, joining the 1987 and 1979 banners.

Defending CABA champion Santo Domingo got even better, earning the Caribbean League’s top seed at 105-57. The Dolphins won the Island Division for the third straight year and grew their playoff streak to five. It was also SD’s first 100+ win effort since 1991. The Dolphins scored 863 runs, more than 100 above their closest competitor.

Both wild cards came out of the Island Division as well. Haiti took the first spot easily at 98-64 for repeat wild cards and their 16^th playoff berth in 17 years. The Herons also posted a 20^th consecutive winning season. Puerto Rico took the second wild card at 89-73, beating Nicaragua by two, Guatemala, Jamaica, and Honduras by three, and Costa Rica by four. That ended a five-year playoff drought for the Pelicans.

Panama won the Continental Division for the first time since their 1946 championship. A wild card last year, the Parrots went 92-70 in 2013, which was five better than their closest foe Nicaragua. The Navigators at 87-75 still posted an eight straight winning record. Honduras went from 105 wins in 2012 to only 85-77 in 2013.

Bahamas was a lousy 67-95, but the historically downtrodden franchise seemed to have some hope with LF Clayton Morgan winning Caribbean League MVP. The 26-year old Jamaican lefty led in total bases (429), OBP (.432), wRC+ (209), and WAR (10.0). Morgan added 56 home runs, 108 RBI, 116 runs, a .372 average, and 1.160 OPS. Unfortunately for the Buccaneers, Morgan eventually left for Puebla in free agency.

Morgan managed to just edge out Santo Domingo’s Noah Breton, who at age 23 led in home runs (65), RBI (129), walks (97), slugging (.737), and OPS (1.164). The Puerto Rican first baseman also had a .328 average and 9.9 WAR. He’d ultimately go on a postseason tear for the Dolphins with 21 hits, 13 runs, 8 home runs, and 14 RBI in 15 starts.

Panama’s Adrian Estrella won his second Pitcher of the Year, having previously taken it back in 2008. In 2013, the Salvadoran righty led in wins at 22-7 and had four shutouts. Estralla had a 2.76 ERA over 251.1 innings, 278 strikeouts, 140 ERA+, and 5.4 WAR.

Santo Domingo survived a five-game war with division rival Puerto Rico in the first round. Meanwhile, Panama swept Haiti to give the Parrots their first Caribbean League Championship Series appearance in 66 years. Panama gave a solid effort, but the Dolphins repeated as champs with a 4-2 win. This gave SD 14 Caribbean pennants, second only to Honduras’ 17.

In the 103^rd Central American Baseball Association Championship, Santo Domingo’s repeat bid was denied. Torreon was dominant, winning 4-1 for their first-ever overall title. The Tomahawks are the second of the 1962 expansion teams to win it all, joining Trinidad. They’re also the 25^th CABA franchise to win the CABA title at least once. Nicaragua is the only charter franchise to remain ringless.

Finals MVP was 2B Timmy Asher, who had an odd path to the Mexican League. An English-Irish dual national, he refused to sign with Manchester after being picked by them in EBF’s 2008 and 2009 Drafts. He was granted free agency and joined Torreon in 2010, becoming a full-time starter by 2013. The 25-year old had 13 playoff starts with 17 hits, 7 runs, 4 extra base hits, 7 RBI, and 8 stolen bases.

Other notes: Juan Castro became the 45^th member of the 500 home run club. Casimiro Salceda became the 16^th to reach 1500 runs scored.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 09-15-2024, 07:17 AM

2013 in MLB

The National Association’s four division winners were separated by only four wins in a competitive 2013 season. Montreal narrowly ended up with the #1 seed at 97-65 atop the Northeast Division. It was the second playoff berth in three years for the Maples, but their first division title since 1998. They were 11 games better than last year’s division winner Ottawa.

The #2 seed went to Brooklyn at 96-66, giving the Dodgers their third straight East Division and fourth straight playoff berth. Defending World Series champ Philadelphia again grabbed a wild card with their 91-71 finish. The Phillies have been in the playoffs 11 times in the last 15 years.

Omaha claimed the Upper Midwest Division at 94-66, topping Detroit by eight games. The Hawks ended a 26-year playoff drought, which was tied with Louisville for the longest active drought in the National Association. For the Tigers, their three year division streak ended. Although they only have one NACS appearance to show from it, Detroit posted its 17^th straight season with a winning record, the longest streak running in all of Major League Baseball.

Indianapolis claimed the Lower Midwest for the fourth consecutive season. The Racers were 93-69, besting St. Louis by five games. The Cardinals at 88-74 got the second wild card, ending a seven-year playoff drought. They edged out Washington by one game, Ottawa and Detroit by two, Milwaukee by three, and both Winnipeg and Boston by five.

National Association MVP went to Montreal’s Ezekiel Thomas for the second time. He won in 2011 with Virginia Beach, but signed in 2012 on an eight-year, $177,600,000 deal with the Maples. The 29-year old New Yorker led in hits (202), total bases (357), and batting average (.357). Thomas had 103 runs, 43 home runs, 119 RBI, a 1.059 OPS, 235 wRC+, and 8.7 WAR.

St. Louis’s Vincent Lepp repeated as Pitcher of the Year and fell only two wins short of being MLB’s seventh Triple Crown pitcher. Lepp’s 1.75 ERA was the seventh-lowest ever by a qualifying starter in MLB history. Incidentally, he officially tied for the ERA title with teammate Jedi Armijos. Lepp did slightly edge him at 1.747 compared to 1.749.

Still only 24-years old, Lepp led in strikeouts (293), innings (273), quality starts (28), shutouts (9), FIP- (55), and WAR (10.3). He had a 188 ERA+ and 20-9 record. Lepp became the seventh MLB pitcher to have 9+ shutouts in a season. The Cardinals locked him up long-term that winter with a seven-year, $107,700,000 extension.

Philadelphia got the road upset 2-1 over Indianapolis and Omaha swept St. Louis in the first round. The defending World Series champ Phillies then knocked off top seed Montreal 3-2 in round two, earning their third National Association Championship Series appearance in four years. Omaha kept the momentum rolling as well with the road upset 3-2 over Brooklyn.

For the Hawks, this was their first NACS since their last playoff berth way back in 1986. Omaha was one of the very few charter MLB franchises left without at least one pennant to their name. They had home field advantage, but Philadelphia prevailed 4-2 for their third pennant in four years and fourth in the last decade. The Phillies have 14 pennants, more than any other team in MLB.

Los Angeles made history in the American Association at 119-43, which extended their playoff streak to four and gave them the Southwest Division title. That was the second-most wins ever by any MLB team, behind only Phoenix’s 120-42 from 1906. That Firebirds squad was infamous for getting upset by a 94-win Houston squad, which helped kickoff the Hornets’ early days dynasty run. The atmosphere was electric for the Angels, who had a season attendance of 3,426,361. This set a world record that would finally be topped in 2028.

LA led MLB with 875 runs scored and led the AA with 538 runs allowed. The Angels had a 2.85 team ERA, the second-lowest mark in Association history only behind Albuquerque’s 2.84 from 1972. Meanwhile, their division foe Phoenix had a similarly potent pitching staff, allowing 560 runs for a 106-56 record. The defending AA champs easily took the first wild card, setting an AA record for team WHIP at 1.035. That remains the top mark as of 2037. The Firebirds also had a 7.13 H/9, the second-lowest in AA history.

Denver at 97-65 had a distant record from either LA or Phoenix, but earned the other first round bye regardless. The Dragons won a fourth straight Northwest Division at 97-65. Seattle gave them a good run at 92-70, giving the Grizzlies the second wild card. Their closest foes in the wild card race were San Diego at 88-74 and both Las Vegas and Salt Lake City at 86-76. Seattle ended a five-year playoff drought. Although the Seals missed the playoffs, they posted a 13^th straight winning season.

Tampa earned a fourth straight playoff berth, winning the Southeast Division at 91-71. Nashville and Orlando were both seven games back. Charlotte, winners of 101 in 2012, dropped to .500. Meanwhile, San Antonio ended a lengthy playoff drought at 86-76 atop the South Central Division. The Oilers hadn’t been a playoff team since 1985 and had only posted three winning seasons in that 27-year drought. SA was two ahead of Oklahoma City. Houston, who had been a playoff regular in the 2000s, fell to 71-91. San Antonio’s drought was the second-longest in MLB entering the season with Miami’s awful stretch growing to 41 years.

Denver’s Isaac Cox won his second American Association MVP in three years. The 26-year old left fielder from Idaho led in total bases (388) and slugging (.658). He was third in homers with 55 and had 8.4 WAR, a 1.032 OPS, 121 RBI, 112 runs, and a .312 average. Through six seasons, Cox has six 40+ home run efforts and has scored 100+ runs each year as well.

Los Angeles’ pitching staff had many options for Pitcher of the Year between WAR leader Florian Kiss, strikeout leader Omari Green, and ERA leader Steffen Neumann. It was Neumann who earned his first MLB trophy, but it was his fifth Pitcher of the Year overall. The 34-year old German had won it four times in the European Baseball Federation with Vienna. He came to LA in 2008 on a seven-year, $86,600,000 deal.

Neumann led in ERA (2.18) and wins (25-5) while posting 9.9 WAR, 251 strikeouts, and a 178 ERA+ over 276.1 innings. His teammate Kiss would best him in WAR (10.8) and finish second in strikeouts (281). Green had the most Ks at 289.

Phoenix survived a nice challenge from San Antonio 2-1 and Tampa swept Seattle 2-0. Since division champs are seeded higher, that sent the 106-win Firebirds as a wild card to Los Angeles. It was fitting that the defending champ Phoenix would upset the 119-win Angels 3-1 in the second round.

It was arguably a worse fate for LA than the 1906 Firebirds, as the Phoenix squad at least got to the American Association Championship Series. The Firebirds also would win 114 the next year and the World Series. The 2013 Angels squad goes down as one of the great busts in MLB history. The all-time winningest National Association team had a similar fate with 115-win Ottawa going one-and-done in 1982. New York in 1906 notably also went one-and-done with a 114-48 season.

Denver easily swept Tampa in the second round, giving the Dragons their third AACS in four years. As the division champ, the Dragons had home field advantage even if Phoenix was favored to repeat. Denver would prevail though in six games for their first pennant since 1995 and seventh overall.

The 113rd World Series was the first to need all seven games since 1998. Denver denied Philadelphia’s repeat bid, making the Dragons 6-1 all-time in the World Series with wins in 1925, 1938, 1962, 1989, 1995, and 2013. The Phillies moved to 8-6 all-time in the Fall Classic. CF Isaiah Burke was World Series MVP in his eighth year with Denver, posting 15 hits, 10 runs, 2 doubles, 2 homers, and 8 RBI in 16 playoff starts.

Other notes: Columbus’ Trevor Ford tossed MLB’s 25^th Perfect Game on June 24, striking out 10 against Cleveland. Washington’s pitching staff allowed 1104 hits with a 6.72 H/9, setting MLB single-season records. The H/9 remains the all-time mark, while the hits allowed would be topped once.

Jeanpaul Vick became the 58^th member of the 3000 hit club. Jeremiah Hayes became the 76^th member of the 500 home run club. Abdul Karim Hussein became the 75^th pitcher with 3000 strikeouts. 3B Daniel Hecker won his ninth Silver Slugger, joining Hall of Famer Will Miller as the only players with 9+ at the position.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 09-15-2024, 12:53 PM

2013 Baseball Grand Championship

Mexico City was the host site for the fourth Baseball Grand Championship. The auto-bid teams were MLB’s Denver and Philadelphia, CABA’s Torreon and Santo Domingo, EAB’s Hiroshima and Daegu, BSA’s Fortaleza and Medellin, EBF’s Zaragoza and Dublin, EPB’s Rostov, OBA’s Christchurch, APB’s Zamboanga, CLB’s Chengdu, WAB’s Cotonou, SAB’s Hanoi, ABF’s Hyderabad, ALB’s Jeddah, and AAB’s Addis Ababa.

The wild card team was OBA’s Guadalcanal, who earned the Silver Medal in the 2012 Grand Championship. The Green Jackets, Hiroshima, Santo Domingo, Philadelphia, and Addis Ababa were also returners from the 2012 BGC.

While the 2012 BGC had a five-way tie for first and needed tiebreakers, the 2013 edition had a clear-cut winner with Denver at 15-4. They’re the third MLB team to earn Grand Champion honors and the second World Series champ. The Dragons scored the most runs in the round robin at 104 and had the third fewest runs allowed at 60.

Alone in second place was Zamboanga at 13-6, the highest finish for an Austronesia Professional Baseball squad thus far. Behind them was a three-way tie at 12-7 for the third place spot, requiring tiebreakers to determine who went where. Officially, Torreon earned the bronze medal with Zaragoza fourth and Guadalcanal fifth. This was an impressive run for the Gold Hawks, who were in the European Second League only a year prior. The Tomahawks set a new best finish by a Mexican League team.

Cotonou was sixth at 11-8, followed by Addis Ababa, Daegu, and Hanoi each at 10-9. The Brahmas notably allowed 58 runs, tied for the fewest with Hyderabad. Medellin, Philadelphia, and Santo Domingo were next at 9-10. Finishing 8-11 were Christchurch, Hyderabad, Jeddah, and Rostov. Dublin and Fortaleza were 7-12, while Chengdu and Hiroshima were at the bottom at 6-13.

Although Rostov was towards the bottom, they had the Tournament MVP in Igor Gorbatyuk. It was quite the year for the 28-year old Russian, who also won European League MVP and EPB Championship MVP. Gorbatyuk had 23 hits, 15 runs, 3 doubles, 1 triple, 6 home runs, 13 RBI, 10 walks, a 1.247 OPS, and 1.5 WAR. He was the leader in OBP, second in wRC+ (245), second in batting average (.377), and third in runs.

Zamboanga’s Ching-Chen Yao earned Best Pitcher honors, adding to the trophy case for the 2012 and 2013 Taiwan-Philippine Association Pitcher of the Year. In four starts, Yao tossed 35 innings with a 1.29 ERA, 60 strikeouts, 2-1 record, 6 walks, 292 ERA+, and 2.8 WAR. Amongst his dominance was a 10-inning shutout against Daegu and a 19 strikeout game against Santo Domingo.

Yao was the first to have a 19-strikeout BGC game and as of 2037 is one of 10 pitchers to do it. Yao’s WAR mark would be the tournament high for any player until 2020 and still ranks third as of 2037. The 60 total strikeouts was also a record, although it would fall in 2015.

Other notes: Santo Domingo’s T.J. Torres drew 28 walks, which remains the BGC record as of 2037. He only had 7 hits in the event, posting a weird looking .143/.475/.347 slash.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 09-15-2024, 08:13 PM

2014 MLB Hall of Fame (Part 1)

Three players were inducted into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame in 2014, headlined by first baseman Bryson Wightman at a nearly unanimous 99.7%. Catcher Luca Adams also earned a first ballot nod with 79.2%. CF Will Kemme was the third player, getting in on his tenth and final chance at 72.0%. Kemme became the third player in MLB history to make it in as a tenth ballot guy, joining 1B Tiger Novak and SP Richard Thieman.

Closer Brendan Gordon narrowly missed the 66% requirement with 63.8% on his ninth ballot. CF Tyler Ryabenko was also close with a 60.4% debut. Also topping 50% were C Elliott McKay with 58.5% for his seventh ballot, SP Bob Gallagher at 51.9% on his fourth try, and SP Keifer Bobbins with a 50.9% debut.

Reliever Isaac Porter was dropped after ten failed ballots, debuting at a solid 52.2% but ending at only 19.5.%. He was the ultimate journeyman over a 21 year career, playing with ten MLB franchises, two EBF ones, and one in EPB. Porter’s MLB tenure had 272 saves and 396 shutdowns, a 2.44 ERA, 1014 innings, 1285 strikeouts, 160 ERA+, and 33.6 WAR. He didn’t have the save accumulations or raw dominance usually expected from Hall of Fame relievers. Porter also never won Reliever of the Year, taking third twice. That confined him to the Hall of Pretty Good.

Pitcher Connor Rauer also was dropped after ten ballots, peaking at 30.4% in 2006 and ending at 4.1%. He was a starter for the front end of his career, but moved to the bullpen after injury issues. In 15 years between San Diego and Brooklyn, Rauer had a 123-75 record, 104 saves, 2.79 ERA, 1719.1 innings, 1663 strikeouts, 141 ERA+, and 48.3 WAR. He had good rate stats, but nowhere near the longevity or accolades to have a shot.

Bryson “Seaweed” Wightman – First Baseman – Seattle Grizzlies – 99.7% First Ballot

Bryson Wightman was a 6’3’’, 200 pound right-handed first baseman from Seattle, Washington. He earned the nickname “Seaweed” as a kid for often playing in it around the Puget Sound area. Few guys were as well-rounded of a hitter, as Wightman had very good contact, power, and eye talent. He regularly hit above .300 with a solid helping of walks and a respectable strikeout rate considering his power.

Wightman never was a league leader in home runs, but he topped 30+ in 13 seasons and breached 40 homers five times. He also was good for around 30-40 doubles each year as well. Wightman wasn’t going to leg out extra bases though, as he was a painfully slow and sluggish baserunner. He never started anywhere in the field outside of first base, although he did play designated hitter a bit. Wightman was a bit below average defensively, but not a liability by any stretch.

He was one of the true ironmen of the game, starting 150+ games in all but the rookie season of his 18-year MLB odyssey. Wightman was respected as a team leader and became one of the game’s most beloved players of his era. He was one of the few who got to play his entire MLB run with his hometown, becoming a true Seattle icon and ambassador.

Wightman did leave the Pacific Northwest to play college baseball at Oklahoma State, winning Silver Sluggers as a DH in his freshman and junior seasons. He also took second in college MVP voting his freshman year. With the Cowboys, Wightman had 144 starts, 191 hits, 105 runs, 36 doubles, 57 home runs, 141 RBI, a .325/.395/.677 slash, 210 wRC+, and 11.2 WAR.

His childhood dream came true with the 1990 MLB Draft as his hometown Seattle Grizzlies picked him 12^th overall. Wightman was a part-time starter as a rookie, but still posted an impressive 4.9 WAR and 1.007 OPS over 116 games, taking third in Rookie of the Year voting. He would be a fixture in the Seattle lineup for the next 17 years.

The Grizzlies ended a 16-year playoff drought in 1992 as a wild card, but lost in the second round with Wightman going a lackluster 3-20 in the playoffs. They would be stuck in the middle tier for the next five years. Wightman would lead the American Association in hits (203) and had a career and AA best 42 doubles in 1994.

In 1995, Wightman led in runs (135), hits (206), and RBI (135) while adding 42 doubles, 39 homers, .985 OPS, and 7.5 WAR. His 135 runs is one of only 25 seasons in MLB history with 135+ runs scored. This earned Wightman MVP honors and his first Silver Slugger. It also got him paid, signing an eight-year, $23,240,000 extension that winter.

He bested his homer total (46), WAR (7.9), and OPS (1.005) in 1996, taking second in MVP voting with his second Slugger. Wightman would surprisingly regress in 1997, but bounced back with a nice 1998. That year saw Seattle back in the playoffs, starting a six-year streak. They would be wild cards in 1998 and 1999, falling short of the AACS both seasons. A 29-year old Wightman re-entered the MVP chat in 1999 with an AA-best 209 hits, taking third and winning his third Slugger.

Although Wightman hadn’t had many playoff chances early in his career, he did see the big stage in the World Baseball Championship. From 1992-2007, he had 173 games and 153 starts for the United States team with 158 hits, 97 runs, 32 doubles, 41 home runs, 123 RBI, a .268/.354/.534 slash, 160 wRC+, and 7.0 WAR. Wightman ended up with eight world champion rings during this dynasty run for the Americans (1992, 96, 97, 98, 2000, 01, 03, 07).

Wightman won his second MVP in 2000, leading with a career best 217 hits along with 390 total bases, 40 doubles, 41 homers, 133 RBI, 1.001 OPS, and 8.3 WAR. Seattle earned the top seed and finally won their first American Association pennant in 100 years of trying, although Cleveland upset them in the World Series. Wightman was AACS MVP and had 12 hits, 10 runs, 2 doubles, 2 homers, and 11 RBI in 11 playoff starts.

He repeated as MVP in 2001, leading again in hits and total bases while also leading for the first time in OPS and wRC+. Seattle again had the top seed, but suffered an AACS upset loss to Nashville. The Grizzlies would again have the AA’s best record in 2002 and 2003, but couldn’t cut it in the playoffs. They went one-and-done in 2002 and lost in the 2003 AACS to Phoenix.

Wightman kept rolling on, winning another Silver Slugger in 2002 and 2003 with second place MVP finishes both years. The Grizzlies gave him a five-year, $59,500,000 extension in February 2003 at age 33. He led in RBI again both years and in 2003 had career and AA bests in total bases (395), OPS (1.060), and wRC+ (178). 2003 also had Wightman’s career highs in WAR (9.3), and the triple slash (.350/.420/.640). He had a career-best 49 homers in 2004.

As the leader and star of the team, Wightman got some flack for Seattle’s playoff failures post 2000. Their playoff streak ended in 2004 as they fell two games short of a wild card. The Grizzlies bounced back for their fifth Northwest Division title and #1 seed in six years in 2005. This season would see Wightman’s eighth and final Silver Slugger.

Most importantly, Seattle got over the hump and won their first World Series, defeating Philadelphia in the Fall Classic. The hometown hero Wightman was World Series MVP, finalizing a childhood dream of bringing the trophy to his city. In that playoff run, he had 20 hits, 10 runs, 2 doubles, 1 homer, 9 RBI, and a .323/.400/.403 slash.

Wightman’s playoff career numbers were somewhat underwhelming compared to his regular season stats. In 78 starts, he had 87 hits, 36 runs, 13 doubles, 8 home runs, 42 RBI, 32 walks, a .282/.353/.401 slash, 112 wRC+, and 1.8 WAR. While a few critics point out how Seattle underperformed, Wightman still got them their first AA pennant in 2000 and their first World Series ring in 2005. That would forever make him a hero and icon in their books.

Seattle surprisingly dropped to 82-80 in 2006, but bounced back with another #1 seed in 2007. That was their sixth 100+ win season in an eight year stretch, although they were upset in the AACS by San Diego. Wightman was subpar in the playoff run and 2007 had been his lowest season by WAR to that point, although he was still worth a very solid 4.6.

2007 did allow Wightman to reach two major milestones, crossing 600 home runs and 2000 RBI. He became the 20^th to reach 600 homers and only the fifth to 2000 RBI. Many thought he had a legit shot at Stan Provost’s career RBI record of 2271. But Wightman fell off hard in 2008 at age 38 with a mere 1.1 WAR, .748 OPS, and 111 wRC+ over a full season. Seattle plummeted to 71-91, their first losing season in more than a decade. That signaled the end of their run as a contender and the end of Wightman’s MLB career.

The ironman was still in good health heading towards age 39, but his bat was significantly diminished at this point. Wightman’s defense also regressed with age, meaning his only options were a weak 1B or DH. Thus, he didn’t have a chance to chase any final milestones as MLB teams felt he wasn’t worth the big paycheck. Wightman wasn’t ready to end his career yet and set his sights elsewhere.

2009 saw a six-team expansion in Beisbol Sudamerica, which included the Peru-based Trujillo Thoroughbreds. The ownership thought a famous American star would be a boon, Trujillo gave Wightman a three-year, $19,960,000 deal. Unfortunately, he was cooked in his time there with below average production as a DH in 2009 and 2010. In 2011, he was reduced to a bench role with only 30 games and 10 starts.

With Trujillo, Wightman finished with 305 games, 231 hits, 111 runs, 49 doubles, 45 home runs, 141 RBI, a .239/.287/.433 slash, 93 wRC+, and -0.8 WAR. Wightman retired at age 41 after the 2011 season and immediately had his #38 retired back in Seattle. For his combined pro career, Wightman had 3683 hits, 1936 runs, 657 doubles, 41 triples, 671 home runs, 2308 RBI, 1221 walks, a .310/.375/.542 slash, 149 wRC+ , and 112 WAR.

Just in MLB with Seattle, Wightman ended with 3452 hits, 1825 runs, 608 doubles, 626 home runs, 2167 RBI, 39 triples, 1158 walks, a .317/.382/.552 slash, 154 wRC+, and 112.7 WAR. At retirement, he ranked second all-time in RBI, fourth in doubles, 14^th in runs scored, 12^th in hits, 16^th in home runs, and 11^th in WAR among position players.

Even with later high-offense numbers, Wightman as of 2037 still is 23^rd in WAR, fourth in RBI, fifth in doubles, 18^th in hits, 23^rd in runs scored, and 41^st in homers. His .934 OPS ranks 59^th among all MLB players with 3000+ plate appearances. Wightman’s numbers alone make him a lock, but being a hometown hero who brought Seattle their first-ever title pushed him into the inner-circle. He was nearly unanimous at 99.7% to headline the 2014 MLB Hall of Fame class.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 09-16-2024, 06:28 AM

2014 MLB Hall of Fame (Part 2)

Luca Adams – Catcher – San Francisco Gold Rush – 79.2% First Ballot

Luca Adams was a 6’4’’, 200 pound right-handed catcher from San Leandro, California; a city of 91,000 in the East Bay. Adams was a very good contact hitter with a solid eye for walks and a low strikeout rate. He was an especially well-rounded bat for a catcher. Adams didn’t have prolific power, but he was still good for 28 doubles and 22 home runs per his 162 game average. He was a laughably poor and slow baserunner trying to lug his big frame around the basepaths.

Defensively, Adams was considered average to above average behind the dish. Combining that with his bat made him arguably MLB’s best catcher for much of his career. He had pretty good durability especially considering the demands of the position over a 20 year career. Adams had a stellar work ethic and was very loyal, which made him one of MLB’s most popular players of the 1990s and 2000s.

Adams left the Bay Area to play collegiately at Texas Tech, winning a NCAA Silver Slugger in his junior season. In 132 games and 120 starts for the Red Raiders, Adams had 134 hits, 94 runs, 22 doubles, 22 home runs, 80 RBI, 92 walks, a .287/.412/.484 slash, 171 wRC+, and 7.3 WAR. This made him one of the highest rated catching prospects of recent memory ahead of the 1988 MLB Draft.

Growing up in the East Bay, Adams was an Oakland Owls fan as a child. However, he’d become an icon on the other side of the bridge, picked 20^th overall by San Francisco. He would spend his entire career with the Gold Rush, but would become a beloved superstar throughout the entire region. Adams had an impressive debut with 3.4 WAR over only 89 games and 55 starts as a rookie. He was SF’s starting catcher for the 19 years following except for when out with injury.

Adams’ third season saw statistical bests in WAR (7.4), OPS (.921), and wRC+ (151). He topped 5+ WAR in 12 different seasons, but surprisingly didn’t earn his first Silver Slugger until 1997. Adams won the Slugger six times total, also getting it in 1999, 2001, 2003, 2004, and 2006. In 1997, he had a rare distinction as a catcher with a batting title, posting a .340 batting average.

The Gold Rush gave Adams an eight-year, $22,340,000 extension after the 1993 season. It was 1994 where Adams cemented himself in San Francisco lore, helping a wild card Gold Rush team to World Series win over Cleveland. Adams was World Series MVP and in 18 playoff starts had 27 hits, 12 runs, 6 doubles, 3 home runs, 10 RBI, and a .397/.461/.618 slash. He had a setback in late August 1995 with a broken bone in his elbow, ultimately shelving Adams about 10 months.

Adams played well in the 1993 and 1996 postseasons, but struggled in 1999. San Francisco had four straight playoff berths from 1993-96, but suffered second round defeated in all but their championship season. After missing the field in 1997 and 1998, they lost in the 1999 American Association Championship Series to Edmonton. The Gold Rush then began a decade-plus playoff drought entering the 21^st Century.

While beloved in the Bay Area, Adams earned international stardom through the World Baseball Championship. He won Tournament MVP honors for the United States in 2001 with a 1.5 WAR, 1.117 OPS effort over 20 starts. Adams was a part of eight world champion American teams (1992, 97, 98, 2000, 01, 03, 05, 07). In 229 games and 215 starts, he had 214 hits, 133 runs, 49 doubles, 36 home runs, 134 RBI, 96 walks, a .273/.356/.476 slash, 144 wRC+, and 8.7 WAR.

Adams signed a four-year extension with San Francisco worth $39,000,000 after the 2000 season at age 31. He missed almost all of 2002 to a torn labrum, but otherwise kept playing at a very high level in his 30s even as the Gold Rush struggled. Adams declined his contract option after the 2004 season, but stayed loyal with a new three-year, $35,300,000 deal with SF. He inked another three-year, $36,800,000 extension after the 2006 campaign.

Age finally caught up to Adams in 2007 with merely average batting, plus a knee sprain that cost him six weeks. His 1.9 WAR was his first time with a WAR below three apart from his six-game 2002. Adams was a full-time starter out of deference in 2008, but struggled to -0.6 WAR. He decided to retire that winter at age 40 and immediately San Francisco retired his #20 uniform.

Adams finished with 2684 hits, 1249 runs, 412 doubles, 329 home runs, 1169 RBI, 818 walks, a .303/.366/.469 slash, 132 wRC+, and 96.2 WAR. He’s second in MLB history in WAR among catchers, only behind Mason Wilkinson. As of 2037 among catchers, Adams is fourth in hits, eighth in home runs, fourth in runs, and sixth in RBI. Among all position players, he sits 65^th.

Still, the anti-catcher bias that often plagues Hall of Fame voters loomed. Adams’ contemporary Elliott McKay was only one WAR point lower than him, but hadn’t gotten in by his seventh try in 2014 (and ultimately would get left out). Adams’ immense popularity and role in San Francisco’s 1994 World Series win was enough for most anti-catcher voters that point at the low totals that come with the position. He received 79.2% for a first ballot nod with the 2014 MLB Hall of Fame class.

Will “Blur” Kemme – Center Field – Austin Amigos – 72.0% Tenth Ballot

Will Kemme was a 6’4’’, 200 pound left-handed hitting center fielder from Lamesa, Texas; a small rural town of around 9,000 people located about an hour south of Lubbock. Kemme was a traditional leadoff hitter with tremendous contact ability and an incredible 3.7% strikeout rate for his career. In his prime, scouts gave him a 10/10 for his contact skills. Kemme was also decent at drawing walks.

Kemme had excellent gap power, getting 34 doubles and 11 triples per his 162 game average. He wasn’t going to go deep often, only hitting 10+ home runs once. The nickname “Blur” was appropriate considering Kemme’s blistering speed and stellar baserunning ability. Few MLB players were more frustrating for pitchers to hold.

Defensively, Kemme played almost exclusively in center field and was considered an excellent defender. Sharing the American Association with nine-time Gold Glover Jonathan Valenzuela ultimately kept Kemme from his own Gold Glove, but he provided excellent value there. He had great durability early on with 150+ starts in all but one season from 1988-97. Kemme did receive some criticism for perceived laziness, but his play style and loyalty made him a popular player in his time.

Kemme left for Oregon for college and in 143 games with the Ducks had 150 hits, 77 runs, 31 doubles, 12 home runs, 64 RBI, a .259/.321/.375 slash, 104 wRC+, and 3.1 WAR. He wasn’t quite fully formed as a contact hitter in college, but scouts felt his potential was high. Kemme was picked 28^th overall in the 1985 MLB Draft by Austin. The Amigos were still a new franchise at this point, having come in with the 1982 expansion. Kemme would be a part-time starter in his first two seasons.

After a .366 average in his sophomore season, Kemme would be the full-time starter in center field for the next decade with Austin. In 1989, he led the American Association in doubles (48), stolen bases (61), and WAR (8.8). The WAR and doubles would be career bests, as were his 106 runs, 220 hits, his triple slash (.373/.406/.525) OPS (.931), and wRC+ (150). Kemme was second in MVP voting and won his first Silver Slugger.

Austin won division titles in 1988 and 1989 and made it to the AACS both years, although they were defeated each time. They won another division title in 1992, but had a second round playoff exit. The Amigos would fall towards the bottom of the standings by the end of the 1990s, but Kemme helped them see their first legit contention in franchise history. In 31 playoff starts, he had a mixed bag with 39 hits, 9 runs, 3 doubles, 12 RBI, 13 stolen bases, a .351/.400/.396 slash, 124 wRC+, and 0.5 WAR.

Kemme also played for the United States from 1988-1996 in the World Baseball Championship with 129 games and 125 starts. He posted 157 hits, 73 runs, 30 doubles, 42 RBI, 81 stolen bases, a .310/.346/.400 slash, 115 wRC+, and 3.0 WAR. He earned world champion rings with the 1988, 1992, and 1996 American teams.

In 1992, Kemme took third in MVP voting by winning his lone batting title at .354. He also had an AA-best 74 stolen bases, especially impressive with 70+ seasons far less common in MLB compared to other world leagues. Kemme led in hits in 1991 and 1992 with 217 both years. He also had seven straight 5+ WAR seasons and topped 7+ four times from 1989-92. That stretch earned him his four Silver Sluggers.

Austin gave Kemme an eight-year, $22,760,000 extension in June 1991. He would lead in triples in 1994 and stayed remarkably consistent until a weak 1996 effort with only 1.9 WAR. A fractured hand cost him some time and plagued him. Kemme bounced back in 1997, leading in hits for the third times and posted 5.0 WAR at age 32.

By 1997, Austin had plummeted to 60-102. Kemme still had a few years on his big contract and the Amigos opted to trade him to Edmonton for prospects. He remained very popular with Austin fans and his #8 uniform would get later retired by the franchise. Kemme finished with 2202 hits, 905 runs, 378 doubles, 125 triples, 45 homers, 681 RBI, 525 stolen bases, a .332/.369/.447 slash, 120 wRC+, and 62.0 WAR.

Kemme’s first two months with Edmonton were unremarkable with zero WAR and 84 wRC+ over 54 games. He would suffer a catastrophe with a broken kneecap in early June, knocking him out nine months. This significantly hampered him defensively, limiting Kemme’s utility and speed. He still hit well for contact in a limited role trying to come back in 1999 with a .365 average and 1.3 WAR over 54 games.

Edmonton would win the World Series in 1999, but Kemme only had two playoff games, going 1-7. In 108 games with the Eels, he had 1.2 WAR and a 109 wRC+. His deal expired that year and Kemme was unsigned almost all of 2000. Minor league Tulsa gave him a brief look in September, but Kemme’s major league prospects were cooked. He retired that winter at age 36.

Kemme had 2317 hits, 952 runs, 396 doubles, 130 triples, 47 home runs, 716 RBI, 539 stolen bases, a .331/.368/.445 slash, 119 wRC+, and 63.2 WAR. As of 2037 among all batters with 3000 plate appearances, he has the 19^th best batting average all-time. He ranked ninth best when he retired. However, Kemme’s accumulations were very low compared to other Hall of Famers, hurt by his abrupt exit shortly after the broken kneecap.

He was a popular player and few argued against Kemme as an all-time contact guy. But it wasn’t always easy for tenured leadoff guys to get noticed without the big power numbers. Kemme had the added misfortune of lower accumulations. Still, his 59.0% ballot debut in 2005 made many think he’d get across the line. He slightly bumped up to 61.1% in 2006.

Kemme couldn’t win any voters over, hovering in the 50s for the next five years. He came tantalizingly close in 2012 at 64.1%, just shy of the 66% mark. However, that was a ballot with new debuting players above 25% and after not getting in, he figured that was it. Kemme fell back to 56.6% in 2013, but found some support in his tenth and final chance in 2014. At 72.0%, Kemme’s long wait finally ended with Hall of Fame glory as only the third tenth-ballot pick in MLB’s history.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 09-16-2024, 05:20 PM

2014 CABA Hall of Fame (Part 1)

Pitcher Daniel Fontan was a no-doubt headliner at 99.3% atop a three-player Hall of Fame class in 2014 for the Central American Baseball Association. Shortstop David Davila and OF/1B Alfred Wooster joined him as first ballot inductees at 76.1% and 70.7%, respectively. No one else was above 50% with the top returner being 1B Gonzalo Juarez at 38.8% on his sixth ballot.

Dropped after ten failed tries was SP Bengie Beltran, the 1992 Pitcher of the Year with Torreon. He was hurt by having only a 12-year run, posting a 162-97 record, 3.02 ERA, 2318.2 innings, 2440 strikeouts, 118 ERA+, and 54.2 WAR. Beltran didn’t have the longevity to get the accumulations needed for more attention. He peaked at 29.1% in 2008 and ended with 6.9% in 2014.

Daniel Fontan – Pitcher – Monterrey Matadors – 99.3% First Ballot

Daniel Fontan was a 6’2’’, 190 pound left-handed pitcher from the capital of Honduras, Tegucigalpa. Fontan’s stuff was incredible and some scouts graded it as a 10/10 in his prime. He also had good control and average movement. Fontan’s excellent fastball regularly hit the 99-101 mph range. He had a five pitch arsenal that included a great curveball, slider, splitter, and changeup.

Five great pitches usually made for a strong starter, but Fontan’s stamina was terrible, leading to a split career between the rotation and relief. Although he couldn’t go deep in games, Fontan boasted excellent durability and rarely missed time to injury. He was a strong defensive pitcher and was very good at holding runners. Fontan was a fan favorite known for his intelligence, work ethic, and loyalty.

A visiting Mexican scout from Monterrey spotted Fontan as a teenager at a camp in Tegucigalpa. In January 1987, they signed Fontan to a developmental deal. He spent six years in the Matadors’ academy, debuting with 15 excellent starts in 1993 with a 1.56 ERA over 109.2 innings. This earned him second place in Rookie of the Year voting.

Fontan again was a part-time starter in 1994 and wasn’t as dominant, but was still very good. Monterrey was in the midst of their dynasty run, having won three straight CABA Championships from 1990-92 with a runner-up in 1993. Fontan’s first playoff starts came in 1994 with a lackluster 4.66 ERA over 9.2 innings. The Matadors were defeated by Ecatepec in the Mexican League Championship Series.

1995 saw Fontan with a full season of starts, leading the league in strikeouts (305), WHIP (0.88), quality starts (27), and wins (21-4). He had a 2.44 ERA and 7.2 WAR over 221 innings, winning Pitcher of the Year honors and helping the Matadors to a historic 116-46 record. Fontan stepped up this time in the playoffs with a 1.40 ERA over 19.1 innings, helping Monterrey win the CABA Championship over Santiago.

Monterrey signed Fontan to a five-year, $10,080,000 extension that winter. With a loaded roster and Fontan’s stamina woes, many were shocked that the reigning Pitcher of the Year was moved to the bullpen for 1996. Fontan was a team player and got 33 saves in 1996, but had a pedestrian 3.60 ERA. He would tie the then-CABA playoff record with seven saves over 15.1 postseason innings with 22 strikeouts and a 2.93 ERA. The Matadors dropped down to 87-75 that year, but got hot and repeated as CABA Champions with a victory over Salvador.

Fontan looked more comfortable in relief in 1997, taking second in Reliever of the Year voting with a league-best 44 saves and a 2.02 ERA over 80.1 innings. Fontan surprisingly only saw one batter for the entire postseason despite being healthy. Monterrey’s playoff streak grew to a decade and their won the Mexican League for the seventh time in eight years, although the 113-win Matadors were upset in a CABA Championship rematch with Salvador.

Regardless of his role, Fontan remained a fan favorite both with Monterrey and back home in Honduras. He pitched regularly for his country in the World Baseball Championship from 1993-2008, also splitting between the bullpen and rotation. Fontan had unremarkable results with a 3.83 ERA, 9-11 record, 14 saves, 129.1 innings, 193 strikeouts, 38 walks, 94 ERA+, and 3.3 WAR.

Fontan was demoted from the closer role and only pitched 49 innings with a 3.49 ERA in 1998. He did toss 8.1 scoreless innings in the playoffs as Monterrey lost in the MLCS to Tijuana. The dynasty would be over, although their playoff streak continued through 2005. The Matadors were ousted in the 1999 MLCS by Ecatepec. They would lose in the first round for the next six years.

For his playoff career, Fontan’s numbers were pretty strong in his various roles. In total for Monterrey, he had 29 appearances with eight starts, 85 innings, a 2.33 ERA, 5-4 record, 8 saves, 120 strikeouts, 13 walks, 156 ERA+, and 2.7 WAR. He played a big role in their historic 18-year playoff streak and his #34 uniform would later be retired by the squad.

Fontan was split between starting and relief in 1999 and returned to his previous dominant form, leading the league with a 0.85 WHIP. He posted a 2.34 ERA over 196.1 innings, 303 strikeouts, and 7.6 WAR. Fontan would be moved back to the closer role for the next four seasons, signing a three-year, $7,560,000 extension in June 2000.

He took better to the role this time, winning Reliever of the Year in 2000 and 2002 while finishing second in both 2001 and 2003. Fontan led in saves with 44 in 2003 and had a career-best 1.16 ERA and 0.67 WHIP over 85.2 innings in 2002. His 4.8 WAR would be his best season in relief. Fontan signed another three-year, $8,480,000 extension in March 2003.

Now 33 years old for 2004, Fontan was moved back to the rotation and excelled. He posted a league-best 1.83 ERA, 0.80 WHIP, and 25 quality starts in 2004 over 216.2 innings with 7.1 WAR. Fontan won his second Pitcher of the Year award and is believed to be the only pitcher in any world league with two POTYs as a starter as well as two Reliever of the Year awards.

Fontan wasn’t a finalist in 2005 despite posting a career-best 8.7 WAR and leading in both WHIP and quality starts again. In 2006, Fontan fell off from the elite pace, but still had 4.7 WAR over 184 innings. The Matadors still won 92 games in 2006, but their 18-year playoff streak ended. Monterrey opted not to re-sign him, making Fontan a free agent for the first time at age 36.

With the Matadors, Fontan had a 132-82 record, 226 saves, 2.28 ERA, 1842.1 innings, 2574 strikeouts, 311 walks, 158 ERA+, and 63.7 WAR. He ended up signing with their great playoff rival of the era with a two-year, $5,760,000 deal with Ecatepec. Fontan had an excellent debut with the Explosion, finishing third in POTY voting. He posted 8.0 WAR, his only time leading the league and the second-highest of his career. Fontan also led the ML in WHIP for the fifth time in his career.

Fontan was merely okay over three playoff starts, allowing 8 runs in 18 innings with 22 strikeouts. Ecatepec’s own playoff streak had also ended in 2006, but they lost in the MLCS in 2007 to Mexicali. When he reported for 2008, his velocity had plummeted. After regularly hitting triple-digits his whole career, Fontan was now topping out in the low 90s. He struggled in only 19.2 innings in 2008 and retired that winter at age 38.

The final stats saw a 150-90 record, 226 saves, 2.34 ERA, 2065 innings, 2870 strikeouts, 340 walks, 0.90 WHIP, 155 ERA+, 6 complete games, and 72.2 WAR. His split career means he didn’t tally up big accumulations in terms of wins or strikeouts that voters wanted from starters, or the big save tallies for a reliever. However, Fontan’s trophy case and role in a dynasty spoke for themselves.

In terms of rate stats, among all pitchers with 1000+ career innings as of 2037, Fontan’s ERA ranks 21^st best, his WHIP ranks 11^th, and his opponent’s OPS of .564 ranks 21^st. Of the Hall of Famers with 70+ WAR, Fontan also did it with the fewest innings. The CABA voters felt this made Fontan a headliner for the 2014 class with a near unanimous 99.3%.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 09-16-2024, 08:22 PM

2014 CABA Hall of Fame (Part 2)

David Davila – Shortstop – Honduras Horsemen – 76.1% First Ballot

David Davila was a 6’0’’, 195 pound right-handed shortstop from San Nicolas, a municipality of nearly 15,000 in western Honduras. Davila was a well-rounded hitter with good contact skills as well as a solid knack for drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts. He had a reliable pop in his bat with 33 doubles and 21 home runs per his 162 game average. Davila’s speed was below average, but he was still a crafty baserunner that could pick his spots.

Finding reliable bats that could play shortstop wasn’t the easiest. Davila played almost exclusively at short and graded as reliably average on the whole. He was above average to good in his earlier years with some struggles at the end. Davila was a hard worker and had respectable durability at a demanding position, leading to a 19-year career. He was never considered the best at any one thing, but being above average to good across the board made him an invaluable piece for Honduras for nearly two decades.

Davila’s entire pro career came with his home country team, taken by Honduras seventh overall in the 1989 CABA Draft. He was a full-time starter immediately, but did miss part of his rookie year to injury. Davila quickly became one of the most popular figures in Tegucigalpa and the entire country.

In addition to his run with the Horsemen, Davila played from 1990-2008 reliably in the World Baseball Championship for Honduras’ national team with 161 games and 151 starts. He posted 118 hits, 65 runs, 31 doubles, 21 home runs, 53 RBI, a .226/.327/.413 slash, 117 wRC+, and 3.3 WAR in his WBC career.

The Horsemen would be a playoff regular during Davila’s tenure, making the postseason 16 times with ten Continental Division titles, 11 appearances in the Caribbean League Championship Series, four pennants, and two CABA titles. Honduras won the CLCS in Davila’s second season of 1991, falling in the CABA finale to Monterrey’s dynasty. Their only losing season from 1990-2007 would come in 1992, Davila’s third year.

Although he missed some time to injury, 1993 saw Davila’s career best in home runs (28, and was his first of nine seasons worth 5+ WAR. He won his first Silver Slugger and got his first CABA title with Honduras getting revenge on Monterrey. The Horsemen remained a playoff regular, but would go the next nine seasons without a pennant due to eventual dynasty runs by both Salvador (1996-99) and Haiti (2000-02).

Davila kept on chugging along, leading in doubles in 1994 with 41 for his second Silver Slugger. He signed a two-year, $4,960,000 extension in April 1994, then a five-year, $16,600,000 add-on in May 1996. 1998 would see a career best in WAR (8.9), triple slash (.340/.411/.569), OPS (.980), runs (100), and RBI (93).

Davila would never be an MVP finalist in his career, but did win 11 Silver Sluggers (1993, 94, 96, 97, 98, 99, 2000, 02, 04, 05, 06). As of 2037, he’s one of only three in CABA history with 11+ Sluggers specifically at shortstop. While Honduras had early playoff exits though, Davila’s numbers were relatively underwhelming with only 0.1 WAR over 35 starts from 1994-2002.

Still, Davila was popular and reliable and few pointed the finger at him for the disappointments. After the 2000 campaign, the now 33-year old Davila signed another five years for $19,000,000. 2002 would be one of his finest seasons with a career high 42 doubles along with a .905 OPS and 7.8 WAR.

In 2003, Honduras took the top seed at 110-52 and finally slayed their divisional foe Salvador on the way to a CABA Championship win over Ecatepec. Davila stepped up and earned finals MVP, posting 13 hits, 3 runs, 3 doubles, 2 homers, and 3 RBI over 12 playoff starts. The Horsemen won the Caribbean crown again in 2004, but lost in a CABA finals rematch with the Explosion.

Honduras would lose in the first round in 2005, then had CLCS defeats in 2006 and 2007 to wrap up a ten-year playoff stretch. For his playoff career, Davila had 111 starts, 112 hits, 42 runs, 21 doubles, 14 home runs, 49 RBI, a .286/.334/.457 slash, 115 wRC+, and 2.1 WAR. His reliable presence in the lineup was greatly appreciated by Honduras and their fans, leading to his #29 uniform’s retirement at the end of his career.

Davila signed a three-year, $18,400,000 extension after the 2005 season. He won his final Silver Slugger in 2006, then was shuffled to a platoon role in 2007. Davila was notably stronger in his career against lefties (.953 OPS, 153 wRC+) compared to righties (.815 OPS, 122 wRC+). Age caught up and he was largely a bench piece with middling results in 2008. He also no longer had the athleticism needed to play shortstop defensively. Davila would retire from the game after the 2008 campaign at age 40.

The final stats saw 2737 hits, 1325 runs, 517 doubles, 331 home runs, 1246 RBI, 747 walks, 116 stolen bases, a .306/.365/.486 slash, 130 wRC+, and 89.3 WAR. Despite almost never leading the league in stats, as of 2037 Davila ranks 32^nd in hits, 12^th in doubles, and 54^th in WAR among position players.

Specifically playing shortstop, Davila has the third-most WAR of any CABA player. There were still a few voters that thought he merely sustained above averageness, but you really couldn’t find a better shortstop in CABA in the 1990s or early 2000s than Davila. He was a big piece to Honduras’ consistent contention and earned the first ballot induction into the Hall of Fame in 2014. While the 76.1% may not be the biggest number, it secured Davila’s spot with the greats.

Alfred “Horseface” Wooster – Outfield/First Base – Torreon Tomahawks – 70.7% First Ballot

Alfred Wooster was a 6’2’’, 205 pound switch-hitting outfielder and first baseman from Road Town, the capital and largest city of the British Virgin Islands. With only around 30,000 for the entire island group, Wooster is unsurprisingly the only Hall of Famer from the British Virgin Islands and one of a small few to play pro baseball from there. He was once insulted by a fan as “horseface,” despite being a fairly average looking guy. The absurdity of the insult was hilarious for his teammates and stuck as Wooster’s career moniker.

On the whole, Wooster graded as a pretty good contact hitter with a respectable eye and average strikeout rate. He had great power, topping 30+ home runs in 11 seasons and 40+ in five seasons. Wooster could find the gap decently with a 162 game average of 24 doubles and 9 triples. He had good quickness and was considered a very crafty baserunner. Wooster was much stronger against right-handed pitching (.974 OPS, 167 wRC+) compared to lefties (.775 OPS, 120 wRC+).

Wooster’s great baserunning speed didn’t translate to great defensive range. He played right field the most with around 2/5s of his starts, while also seeing time at first base, left field, and designated hitter. Wooster graded as a mediocre defender in the outfield, but had good stats at first. He had respectable durability and didn’t miss too many starts over an 18-year career.

He thrived in the very limited amateur scene in the British Virgin Islands, eventually playing elsewhere in the Caribbean in college. Wooster’s induction is believed to make BVI the smallest country by population with an inductee in any league. Wooster got attention ahead of the 1990 CABA Draft and ended up in the Dominican Republic, picked 14^th overall by Santiago.

Wooster was mostly a pinch hitter as a rookie and struggled initially. He became a full-time starter with decent results in year two, then figured it out in his third season. A fractured finger cost him a month of 1993, but Wooster still posted a career best 6.6 WAR and led the Caribbean League with a .406 OBP. This would be his only season as a league leader, although he would top 6+ WAR in six different seasons.

Santiago was terrible in the 1980s and into the early 1990s. The Sailfish went 68-94 in 1994, but stunned everyone with a 98-64 mark in 1995. Santiago won the Caribbean League title, falling to Monterrey in the CABA Championship. Wooster had 15 hits, 11 runs, 2 homers, 3 triples, and 8 RBI over the 17 playoff starts.

The Sailfish regressed back to 85-77 in 1996 and a now 28-year old Wooster was headed towards free agency. He couldn’t come to terms with Santiago, who ended up back at the bottom of the standings shortly after. In total for his original squad, Wooster had 884 hits, 442 runs, 112 doubles, 57 triples, 165 home runs, 501 RBI, 212 stolen bases, a .299/.363/.543 slash, 141 wRC+, and 23.5 WAR.

Wooster ended up in Mexico, signing a seven-year, $16,760,000 deal with Torreon. This would become his signature run, becoming very popular with Tomahawks fans and eventually seeing his #35 uniform retired. It wasn’t an immediate success as he only hit 24 home runs in his debut 1997 season. Wooster then missed all of 1998 to a torn ACL suffered in spring training, which made his future prospects murky.

He bounced back impressively and hit 40+ homers and 100+ RBI each year from 1999-2002. 2003 was well on pace for it with 37 homers and a career best 196 wRC+ in 123 games, but shoulder bursitis cost him a month. Torreon would become a contender to start the new Millennium, winning North Division titles in 2001, 2003, and 2004. Each year, they won 100+ games, but each time they lost to Ecatepec in the Mexican League Championship Series.

Wooster held up his end in the postseason for Torreon. In 27 playoff starts, he had 36 hits, 20 runs, 3 doubles, 6 triples, 5 home runs, 17 RBI, 12 walks, a .364/.429/.667 slash, 218 wRC+, and 2.0 WAR. 2003 would be his lone Silver Slugger season in a contract year. The Tomahawks would re-sign a 35-year old Wooster on a three-year, $13,520,000 deal.

In his 30s, Wooster also put up stellar numbers in the World Baseball Championship. With the British Virgin Islands as a territory of the United Kingdom, Wooster was eligible and accepted a spot with England’s team from 2000-2005. Over 60 starts, Wooster had 67 hits, 44 runs, 12 doubles, 20 home runs, 55 RBI, 27 walks, 27 stolen bases, a .338/.450/.722 slash, 235 wRC+, and 5.1 WAR.

A fractured wrist cost Wooster a month in 2004, then a concussion knocked him out most of 2005. When he returned in 2006, Wooster moved him primarily to a platoon starter. He was back in the full-time role in 2007 with solid results at age 38. Torreon would lose in the first round of the 2005 playoffs as a wild card, then just miss the field in 2006 and 2007.

Wooster signed a one-year, $3,920,000 deal for 2007, but Torreon didn’t bring him back after that. Over 11 years, Wooster had 1398 hits, 844 runs, 207 doubles, 62 triples, 329 home runs, 884 RBI, 336 stolen bases, a .299/.357/.581 slash, 164 wRC+, and 47.0 WAR. He stayed a popular figure for Tomahawks fans for years to come, regularly appearing at events for the franchise.

For 2008, Wooster signed a one-year, $4,600,000 deal with Ecatepec, where he became the 40^th member of the 500 home run club. He had a solid 3.0 WAR and .863 OPS over 116 starts and 148 games for the Explosion. Wooster also had 15 hits, 8 runs, and 5 extra base hits with 1.0 WAR and 241 wRC+ in only 9 playoff starts as Ecatepec lost to Hermosillo in the MLCS. Wooster was a free agent again for 2009 and surprisingly was unsigned despite still looking solid in 2008. He retired in the winter of 2009 at age 41.

Wooster finished with 2411 hits, 1355 runs, 346 doubles, 124 triples, 519 home runs, 1457 RBI, 678 walks, 571 stolen bases, a .298/.358/.563 slash, 154 wRC+, and 73.5 WAR. As of 2037, he’s 62^nd in home runs, 54^th in RBI, 57^th in runs scored, 100^th in WAR among position players, and 85^th in hits.

He was steady, but never particularly dominant. Wooster lacked black ink or big awards, which made his resume a bit borderline. He was popular though and had just enough accumulations to win over 70.7% of the voters. Wooster earned the first ballot nod to cap off CABA’s 2014 Hall of Fame class.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 09-17-2024, 06:56 AM

2014 EAB Hall of Fame

Pitcher Soo Moon was East Asia Baseball’s lone Hall of Fame inductee in 2014, earning a nearly unanimous 98.1%. RF Jung-Sang Ryu came very close to the 66% requirement in his debut, but just missed at 63.3%. Three returners cracked 50% with 3B Kazuo Shiraki at 54.4% on his second ballot, SP Nazonokusa Mori at 53.3% for his third ballot, and SP Kachi Ishii at 52.5% on his third ballot.

The one player dropped after ten failed ballots was LF Atsushi Ishida. He was hurt by playing his final six seasons in MLB. Between Sendai and Gwangju, Ishida had three Silver Sluggers, 1998 hits, 972 runs, 405 doubles, 369 home runs, 1157 RBI, a .296/.341/.535 slash, 152 wRC+, and 67.2 WAR. Counting MLB, he had 500 home runs, 2595 hits, 1534 RBI, and 72.7 WAR; totals that might have gotten him across the line. Just in EAB, the accumulations weren’t there, leading to a peak at 27.4% and finish at 9.7% for Ishida.

Soo Moon – Starting Pitcher - Kawasaki Killer Whales – 98.1% First Ballot

Soo Moon was a 6’1’’, 205 pound right-handed pitcher from Suwon, South Korea. Moon had both incredible stuff and tremendous control, both grading at 9/10 from many scouts in his prime. His movement was below average, but he picked his spots and changed speeds expertly. Moon’s fastball regularly hit 99-101 mph and was complimented with a great cutter, strong knuckle curve, and okay regular curveball.

He was especially strong against right-handed bats with a career 140 ERA+ compared to a 116 ERA+ against lefties. Moon had fantastic stamina and led the Japan League six times in complete games. He had good durability early in his career, although a major injury would limit his longevity. Moon was a good teammate and became one of the most popular pitchers of the 2000s in Japan.

Moon attended Woosung High School and was getting some attention even then. Players in EAB usually went to college as opposed to being drafted out of high school, but Changwon took a flier on Moon. Midway through the second round of the 1994 EAB Draft, the Crabs picked Moon with the 47^th overall pick. Many fans don’t realize he began his pro career with Changwon, since he never pitched an inning for them.

He spent 1995 in Changwon’s developmental system, then was part of a big offseason trade. Kawasaki got Moon and four other prospects, including 2019 Hall of Fame inductee RF Hyun-Jun Nahm. In exchange, Changwon got 2004 Hall of Famer LF Kazuharu Yonesaki and $32,550,000. The Killer Whales certainly won the deal with two later HOF prospects. Yonesaki only played for the Crabs in 1996 and while he was fine, Changwon went 73-89. Had they kept their prospects, perhaps the Crabs wouldn’t have had only two winning seasons from 1990 to 2013.

Moon was still a raw prospect and spent three years in development for Kawasaki. He debuted as a full-time starter with respectable results in 1999 at age 22. Moon was second in Rookie of the Year voting and had a solid postseason with a 3.00 ERA and 3-1 record over four starts and 33 innings. The Killer Whales won the Japan League title, falling to Daegu for the EAB title.

Kawasaki started a brief dynasty run here, winning it all in both 2000 and 2001. They lost in the 2002 JLCS to Osaka and had a first round loss in 2003 to Hiroshima. During this stretch, Moon emerged as an ace. His playoff numbers weren’t overly dominant, but he had an 11-5 record over 131.2 innings, 3.49 ERA, 161 strikeouts, 97 ERA+, and 2.6 WAR. In the regular season though, Moon was an absolute boost.

His second season in 2000 saw a Triple Crown with a 23-5 record, 1.74 ERA, and 334 strikeouts for 9.7 WAR. Moon had another Triple Crown in 2001 with a 19-8 record, 2.05 ERA, and 395 strikeouts. He was two Ks short of the then-single season record with his 2001 effort still ranking 11^th as of 2037. 2001 also had career and league-bests in WHIP (0.72), K/BB (24.7), innings (276.1), and WAR (11.2). Naturally, this earned back-to-back Pitcher of the Year awards.

Moon made it three straight by leading again in ERA, WHIP, K/BB, complete games, and WAR in 2002. He had three seasons worth 10+ WAR and nine straight worth 6.9 WAR or better. Moon’s ERA numbers went up after 2002, but he led in strikeouts five times from 2003-2008. Moon led in WAR six times in his career, K/BB seven times, WHIP five times, and strikeouts seven times. In 2002, he joined the shortlist with a 20 strikeout game in a two-hitter against Kyoto.

Kawasaki signed Moon to a seven-year, $64,500,000 extension in May 2005. Despite his efforts, the Killer Whales narrowly missed the playoffs in 2004 and 2005, then posted losing records from 2006-2009. Moon won his fourth Pitcher of the Year in 2006, leading wins for the third time and posted a 2.23 ERA and 10.3 WAR. He placed third in 2007’s POTY voting. Moon was only the third in Japan League history with 4+ POTYs and one of eight in all of EAB history to that point.

With Kawasaki falling to 69-93 in 2008, Moon decided to opt out of the remainder of his contract. While this disappointed Killer Whales fans, he remained a popular figure and his #36 uniform would eventually be retired. Moon was a free agent for the first time at age 32 and his resume garnered worldwide offers. He ended up taking big MLB money on a five-year, $63,000,000 deal with Toronto.

Moon’s time in Canada ended up being a bit disappointing. He had a decent full debut season in 2009, but was merely above average. After a subpar start to 2010, Moon suffered a stretched elbow ligament that put him out 11 months.

He tried a comeback in 2011, but his velocity had plummeted post-injury to the low 90s. Moon was awful in 37 innings with a 8.27 ERA and retired that winter at age 35. In only three seasons for Toronto, Moon mustered a 21-25 record, 3.69 ERA, 390 innings, 382 strikeouts, 92 ERA+, and 4.1 WAR.

With Kawasaki, Moon finished with a 179-99 record, 2.45 ERA, 2465.2 innings, 3377 strikeouts, 230 walks, 207/281 quality starts, 169 complete games, 137 ERA+, and 84.0 WAR. Even with a relatively short tenure, Moon ranks 36^th in pitching WAR as of 2037. Among all pitchers with 1000+ innings, Moon’s ERA is 50^th best. His 0.84 BB/9 is 4^th best and his 12.33 K/9 ranks 10^th. Moon also had an opponent’s OPS of .570, which sits 32^nd.

Certainly he was one of the most dominant pitchers in the game in his prime. While Moon’s accumulations are on the lower end, his rate stats were absolutely elite. He was a no-doubter for the voters with 98.1% to headline and stand alone for EAB’s 2014 Hall of Fame class.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 09-17-2024, 02:04 PM

2014 BSA Hall of Fame (Part 1)

Three first ballot selections earned induction for Beisbol Sudamerica’s 2014 Hall of Fame class. Home run king Milton Becker was nearly unanimous at 99.7% and 3B Luca Ulloa was also a slam dunk at 96.0%. Pitcher Lobo Alvarado’s 71.7% was just enough to cross the 66% mark and join them Catcher Moises Avalos fell just short with 62.6% for his sixth ballot. RF Amauris Garcia also notably debuted at 50.8%. No one else crossed 50% and no players were dropped following ten failed ballots.

Milton Becker – Designated Hitter – Caracas Colts – 99.7% First Ballot

Milton Becker was a 6’1’’, 190 pound left-handed from Maracaibo, Venezuela. Despite not having a massive frame, Becker had incredible home run power. He had 10 seasons with 50+ dingers and 16 of his 19 seasons had 40+. Becker was also an excellent contact hitter with a great eye and above average strikeout rate for the league.

He wasn’t only about dingers and had 25 doubles and 5 triples per his 162 game average. Becker’s speed and baserunning were below average, but not awful like you might expect. He especially mashed against right-handed pitching with a career 1.061 OPS, 179 wRC+, and 731 home runs. Becker was no bum against lefties though with a .961 OPS and 161 wRC+.

Becker’s biggest flaw as a player was abysmal defense, but fortunately for him the Bolivar League had the designated hitter. He made about 60% of his career starts as a DH with the rest split fairly evenly between right field and first base. You could tolerate the terrible defense though for the best bat in the game in his prime. Becker would have some recurring hamstring issues, but still had a full load in the majority of his 19 seasons.

Certainly Becker’s home run heroics made him an absolute superstar, but he was also known as an absolute class act. Becker was a team captain with a tireless work ethic, great leadership, and strong intellect. He would become a worldwide baseball icon and perhaps Venezuela’s most famous citizen overall.

Becker’s power potential quickly drew attention from scouts ahead of the 1989 Beisbol Sudamerica Draft. He went third overall to Caracas and played nearly his entire pro career in the capital. It was also a perfect fit for Becker’s skillset with the Ballpark of Caracas known as a home run favorable park. Lefty power hitters especially thrived with the short porch in right at only 303 feet down the line and 367 to right-center.

Becker had some strikeout issues as a part-time starter in his rookie year, but still smacked 33 homers in only 116 games at age 20. He was a full-time starter from 1991 onward and a regular atop the home run leaderboards. Becker led in strikeouts (203) in 1993 but also led in homers (53), quickly becoming noticed in his home country.

Early in his career, Becker did represent Venezuela in the World Baseball Championship. From 1991-2001, he had 99 games and 91 starts with 99 hits, 70 runs, 13 doubles, 38 home runs, 90 RBI, 63 walks, a .321/.455/.747 slash, 231 wRC+, and 7.8 WAR. This helped make Becker beloved in Venezuela, but also popular worldwide.

Caracas was terrible in the early 1990s, averaging only 69.8 wins per season in Becker’s first five years. But by his third season, he put up many career-bests. Becker led the Bolivar League in home runs (64), OBP (.419), slugging (.742), and OPS (1.161) in 1992. This season also had career highs in slugging, OPS, wRC+ (214), WAR (10.9), and hits (212). Becker was second in MVP voting, missing out on the MVP and a Silver Slugger because of Valencia’s Nyx Navas at 11.7 WAR.

From 1992-1998, Becker was dominant as he led the league each season in OPS. That stretch also saw him lead five times in wRC+, three times in WAR, six times in slugging, four times in OBP, thrice in total bases, four times in homers, and thrice in RBI. Becker won Silver Sluggers in 1993, 94, 95, 96, and 98. A strained hamstring in 1994 and a fractured finger in 1997 was the only thing to slightly slow him down.

1993 was his first MVP, boasting league and career-bests in homers (65), runs scored (134), and total bases (417). That winter, Caracas signed Becker to an eight-year, $15,980,000 extension. Becker was second in 1995’s MVP voting, third in 1996, and second in 1997.

1995 saw the Colts’ snap a seven-year streak of losing seasons and began a run of dominance. From 1995-2006, Caracas had 11 playoff appearances, winning the Venezuela Division each time. They made the Bolivar League Championship Series in 1995, but Becker missed the playoffs to a torn hamstring.

In 1996, Caracas won the BLCS with Becker posting 8 homers, 19 hits, 13 runs, and 18 RBI with a 1.111 OPS in 16 playoff starts. The Colts would lose in Copa Sudamerica to a 115-win Recife squad. Caracas had four straight 100+ win seasons from 1996-99, but suffered first round exits in 1997 and 1998, followed by a BLCS loss in 1999. They lost in the first round of 2000, then missed the playoffs in 2001 at 80-82.

Becker stayed strong, winning his second MVP in 1998 with his lone batting title at .355. From 1995-2007, he hit 40+ home runs each season. Becker had an OPS above one from 1992-2003. He led the league in homers eight times, RBI seven times, total bases four times, OBP four times, and WAR three times. Becker’s third MVP win came in 1999 with 58 homers, 147 RBI, and 9.7 WAR.

He wouldn’t win MVP again, but took second in 2000 and 2002 with a third place in 2003. Becker had 12 Silver Sluggers total with nine as a DH (1993, 95, 98, 99, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07), one in right field (1994), and two at first base (1996, 98). He posted nine games with three home runs as well.

Although Caracas missed the playoffs in 2001, Becker committed to a seven-year, $37,100,000 extension that spring at age 31. Part of the reason they struggled that year is a strained hamstring cost him two months. Still, Becker had 6.3 WAR, 45 home runs, and an 1.152 OPS over 111 games. He would stay healthy for the next six years, which allowed the Colts to re-establish their hold on the division.

Caracas lost in the 2002 BLCS and had first round exits in 2004 and 2005. They would win two more Bolivar League titles in underdog efforts in 2003 and 2006. Both years, they lost in Copa Sudamerica with loss to Rio de Janeiro in 2003 and to Asuncion in 2006. They just missed the playoffs by a game in 2007, then fell to below .500 in 2008.

Becker’s biggest regret was that he never won the Cup, although three pennants and 11 division titles is far more than most players get. Becker’s playoff stats were plenty solid with 73 starts, 88 hits, 45 runs, 19 doubles, 18 home runs, 52 RBI, a .315/.379/.584 slash, 160 wRC+, and 3.6 WAR.

In his later years, it was clear Becker had a shot at Valor Melo’s home run king title of 870. He joined Melo and Diego Pena as the third member of the 700 club in 2003, then got to the 800 club in 2005. That was the number that got the most attention, but Becker was quickly rising up the lists for hits, runs, and RBI.

2006 saw Becker pass Valor Melo’s 1862 to become BSA’s all-time RBI leader. He also became the seventh member of the 3000 hit club. In 2007, Becker became the home run king, hitting 52 at age 37 to finish the season at 906. Becker then passed Melo’s 1708 runs scored to become that stat’s all-time BSA leader.

World history was also in reach as Becker was the second in any world league to cross 900 career homers. The world record was 928 set by Prometheo Garcia between his split CABA and MLB career. Becker had a sluggish start to the season and Caracas was struggling as well. He got to 927, one short while with the Colts. To the shock of many, Becker would end up traded away at the deadline. Caracas’ officials were less interested in the milestone ultimately than the fans were.

Becker was sent across the division along with $2,360,000 to Valencia for three prospects. He did finish strong in his final 41 games, hitting 14 more homers to become the world leader at 941. Becker’s hold on that title would be short-lived with the Arab League’s Nordine Soule passing him in 2011 on his way to becoming the first-ever 1000 home run hitter. Still, Becker is one of a very select few with 900+ homers even as power numbers soared in many leagues in the 21^st Century.

On September 14, Becker’s season ended with a torn labrum. He then became a free agent for the first time heading into his age 39 season. The injury originally had a 4-5 month recovery window with Becker hoping to still play somewhere. He was 211 away from Javier Herrera’s BSA hits record of 3597 and might have had a shot at it.

Unfortunately, Becker suffered a setback in January from the torn labrum that forced his retirement. Despite the awkward end with the trade, Caracas immediately brought him in to retire his #5 uniform. There were no hard feelings and he would remain a franchise icon and ambassador for decades to come.

Becker finished with 3386 hits, 1980 runs, 446 doubles, 91 triples, 941 home runs, 2226 RBI, 1131 walks, 159 stolen bases, a .320/.389/.647 slash, 174 wRC+, and 126.7 WAR. At retirement, he was the leader in homers, RBI, runs, and total bases (6837); second in hits, seventh in WAR among position players, sixth in walks drawn, second in OPS, and second in slugging percentage.

As of 2037, he’s still the home run king of South America, although Niccolo Coelho would usurp him in runs, RBI, and total bases. Becker still ranks second in those stats even against a higher offense era after his retirement. He also ranks fifth in hits and among all batters with 3000+ plate appearances is eighth in OPS and slugging and 24^th in OBP.

Becker is also tenth in WAR, losing notable points from being a DH and having porous defense. That often hurts him in discussions for the overall GOAT position player in BSA history, but he has a healthy case for South America’s greatest pure hitter. It seemed only one anti-DH grump voted against him with 99.7%, making Becker the headliner for the 2014 Hall of Fame class.

**MrNFL_FanIQ** · 09-17-2024, 06:35 PM

2014 BSA Hall of Fame (Part 2)

Luca Ulloa – Third Base – Salvador Storm – 96.0% First Ballot

Luca Ulloa was a 6’0’’, 190 pound right-handed third baseman from Marica, Brazil, a city of around 224,000 people within the Rio de Janeiro metropolitan area. Ulloa was best known for reliably strong home run power and a nice knack for drawing walks. He had 16 seasons with 30+ homers and topped 40+ seven times. Ulloa was merely an average at best contact hitter and struggled with strikeouts.

His gap power was respectable with around 20-25 doubles most years. Ulloa’s baserunning and speed were both abysmal though, so you couldn’t expect many extra bags with his legs. He had an absolute cannon arm and solid glovesmanship at third base, grading as reliably good-to-great defensively.

Ulloa played exclusively at third, making more than 3000 starts at the hot corner. He was fairly durable for a 22-year career, plying 130+ games in all but four of those seasons. Ulloa was one of the hardest working guys in the game. He was a fan favorite known for his great leadership and loyalty. Few Brazilian players of the era were more popular.

By the 1988 BSA Draft, Ulloa was one of the top amateur prospects. Salvador selected him 12^th overall, beginning a 16-year odyssey with the Storm. Ulloa was a full-timer right away, winning 1989 Rookie of the Year honors with a 3.9 WAR debut season. He topped 5+ WAR thrice in his first five seasons as a solid starter, only missing the mark in 1991 to a torn thumb ligament. By the end of the 1993 season, Salvador signed Ulloa to an eight-year, $13,560,000 extension.

Ulloa played for his native Brazil right away in the World Baseball Championship and ended up with 209 games and 204 starts in the WBC from 1990-2009. In total, he had 151 hits, 95 runs, 23 doubles, 49 home runs, 99 RBI, 79 walks, a .216/.303/.460 slash, 119 wRC+, and 4.6 WAR. Ulloa’s debut WBC saw Brazil win the world title in 1990. They would make six more semifinal appearances during his run.

Salvador would earn wild card appearances in 1990 and 1993, but lost in the first round both years. Although Ulloa would reach his prime in the late 1990s, the Storm were stuck in the middle tier with no berths and 83.1 wins per year from 1994-2000. 1994 would be Ulloa’s first of seven seasons worth 7+ WAR from then to 2002. He shared a league with nine-time Silver Slugger winner Dyjan Rondo early on, meaning Ulloa’s first Silver Slugger didn’t come until age 31.

That was his 1998 season, which also saw a second in MVP voting and a career and league best 10.2 WAR. Ulloa led the Southern Cone League with 113 RBI and also added 198 wRC+, 46 home runs, and a .965 OPS. He lost some momentum though with a torn UCL costing him the final two months of 1999.

Ulloa bounced back with a career and league best 62 home runs in 2000 for his second Silver Slugger. Surprisingly, he wasn’t an MVP finalist despite also having 9.7 WAR and 134 RBI. Ulloa also had career bests in 2000 in runs (105), hits (184), triple slash (.316/.351/.678), and OPS (1.029). He grabbed his third Slugger in 2002.

Salvador ended their playoff drought with wild cards in 2001 and 2002, but again were bounced in the first round. Ulloa still showed no signs of slowing down and at age 35 inked another three years and $15,300,000 with the Storm. After being stuck in the mid-tier for so long, Salvador finally broke through with Ulloa in 2004.

2004 saw a 96-66 record and their first North Division title since 1981. Salvador also won their first pennant since 1981, although they lost to Bogota in Copa Sudamerica. Ulloa was subpar in the playoffs with a .220/.278/.380 slash, 88 wRC+, and 0.2 WAR. For his playoff career, he had 36 starts, a .270/.333/.484 slash, 140 wRC+, and 0.9 WAR. Ulloa remained a beloved favorite and wasn’t generally blamed for the lack of playoff success.

Ulloa’s contract was up with the 2004 campaign and Salvador didn’t want to commit big money to a 38-year old, even if he still was playing at a high level. In total for Salvador, Ulloa had 2412 hits, 1192 runs, 351 doubles, 590 home runs, 1544 RBI, a .279/.325/.535 slash, 151 wRC+, and 102.4 WAR. The Storm would later retire his #26 uniform as well and he’d be a regular fixture at Salvador events post retirement.

Teams worldwide were interested in this popular veteran and MLB’s Milwaukee Mustangs gave Ulloa a two-year, $15,000,000 deal. A hamstring strain cost him the first month of the season and he was merely an average starter with 2.6 WAR and a 104 wRC+ for Milwaukee in 2005. He didn’t meet the vesting criteria for the second year of the deal.

Chicago signed Ulloa for 2006, but he was terrible with -0.3 WAR and a .536 OPS over 144 games. That ended his MLB tenure after two years, but the 40-year old Ulloa still wanted to play. He returned to South America on a two-year, $8,160,000 deal with Caracas. In 2007, Ulloa became the 12^th BSA slugger to reach 600 home runs and the 45^th to reach 2500 hits. He also won his fourth Silver Slugger in 2007.

Ulloa was back to being a very solid starter with the Colts. In his two seasons, he had 279 hits, 149 runs, 49 doubles, 69 home runs, 171 RBI, a .269/.317/.529 slash, 124 wRC+, and 8.5 WAR. However, he couldn’t find any takes after that, ending his Beisbol Sudamerica run after the 2008 season at age 41.

He was still in good health and wanting to play somewhere. In 2009, Ulloa signed with Hobart of the Oceania Baseball Association. He still could smack the ball hard, posting 41 homers and 4.7 WAR in 2009 to win a Silver Slugger. Guam signed him in 2010, but a strained groin kept him out two months. He ended up with average production for the Golden Eagles, but still managed 30 home runs in 109 games.

In two OBA seasons, Ulloa had 208 hits, 118 runs, 36 doubles, 71 home runs, 163 RBI, a .221/.263/.492 slash, 110 wRC+, and 7.0 WAR. He still wanted to play, but finally retired at age 45 after going unsigned in 2011. For his combined pro career, Ulloa had 3186 games, 3085 hits, 1545 runs, 463 doubles, 769 home runs, 1982 RBI, a .267/.313/.516 slash, 139 wRC+, and 120.1 WAR.

Just in BSA, Ulloa ended with 2691 hits, 1341 runs, 400 doubles, 50 triples, 659 home runs, 1715 RBI, 649 walks, a .278/.324/.534 slash, 148 wRC+, and 110.8 WAR. As of 2037, Ulloa ranks 20^th in WAR among position players, 15^th in home runs, 12^th in RBI, 50^th in hits, and 60^th in runs.

Specifically at third base, he ranks fourth in WAR. Ulloa never won a Gold Glove, but his reliable defense earned him the seventh-most zone rating at the spot in BSA at 69.8. Ulloa wasn’t one to generally dominate leaderboards, but few would argue against him as his era’s most complete third baseman. Ulloa would be a headliner in almost any other class, receiving 96.0% as the second addition in BSA’s 2014 Hall of Fame group.

Lobo Alvarado – Closer – Mendoza Mutants – 71.7% First Ballot

Lobo Alvarado was a 6’3’’, 200 pound right-handed relief pitcher from Buenos Aires, Argentina. He had incredible stuff in his prime which some scouts graded as a 12 or 13 on a scale from 1/10. Alvarado also had very solid control and above average movement. He had a one-two punch of a 98-100 mph fastball and an almost equally quick and even more dangerous slider.

Especially for a reliever, Alvarado had excellent stamina and ironman durability, meaning he was ready to go as much as needed at almost any time. Alvarado had an impressive work ethic and would become one of the first really popular players for the new Mendoza franchise. The Mutants joined Beisbol Sudamerica in the 1987 expansion, but saw their first winning seasons during Alvarado’s tenure.

Two-pitch guys were pretty much guaranteed to be bullpen pieces and that’s how Alvarado graded out. It was also rare for even great relief prospects to get picked high in the draft due to the comparatively lower value versus a starter or position player. However, Mendoza fell in love with Alvarado’s potential, picking him #2 overall in the 1994 BSA Draft. The Mutants made him their closer immediately, a role he held for eight years.

Alvarado was spotty as a rookie, but quickly found his footing. He won his first Reliever of the Year in his third season of 1997. Alvarado won ROTY three times for Mendoza, also taking it in 1998 and 2002. He took second in 2001’s voting as well.

His best ERA (1.48) and ERA+ (216) came in the 1997 campaign. Alvarado’s career-best for saves was 48 in 1999, his lone time leading the league. His 161 strikeouts in 1998 was his top mark with the Mutants and his 5.1 WAR in 2002 was his Mendoza best.

Mendoza’s first playoff appearance was a division title in 1996, although they were one-and-done in the playoffs. They earned their first Southern Cone Championship appearance in 1999, but lost to eventual Copa Sudamerica champ Brasilia. The Mutants were one-and-done again in 2000, then fell back to the bottom for the standings for the next few years. In his 18.2 playoff innings for Mendoza, Alvarado had an excellent 0.96 ERA, 7 saves, and 31 strikeouts.

Alvarado was especially dominant on the World Baseball Championship stage for Argentina. He had 19 starts and 14 relief appearances from 1996-2007, posting a stellar 1.93 ERA, 16-4 record, 8 saves, 308 strikeouts, 55 walks, 185 ERA+, and 7.8 WAR. Alvarado made history in 2004 with the WBC’s sixth-ever perfect game, striking out 20 against North Korea.

With Mendoza dropping to 67-95 by 2002, the Mutants began a fire sale that included trading Alvarado to Belo Horizonte for prospects. In total with Mendoza, Alvarado had a 2.12 ERA, 663.2 innings, 290 saves, 1016 strikeouts, 154 ERA+, and 29.5 WAR. He made enough of an impression to see his #33 uniform as Mendoza’s first retired number at the end of his career.

Alvarado had a career-best 5.6 WAR in 2003 for Belo Horizonte, winning his fourth Reliever of the Year. At the time, he was the seventh in BSA history to win Reliever of the Year four times. Alvarado finished third in 2004’s voting with the Hogs just above .500 in both seasons. He had 66 saves, a 2.13 ERA, 194.1 innings, 340 strikeouts, and 9.9 WAR.

He became the 10^th to reach 350 career saves in BSA and was a free agent for 2005 at age 32. Some thought he could chase the saves record if he stayed, but Alvarado opted for the MLB payday on a three-year, $16,200,000 deal with Memphis. Alvarado looked good in limited use for the Mountain Cats with a 1.62 ERA over 66.2 innings and 2.0 WAR. He also had 4.1 scoreless innings in the playoffs in 2005.

Memphis never gave him a big role though and ended up trading Alvarado to Austin for three prospects and a draft pick. He never pitched for the Amigos though, who cut him after 2007 spring training. Albuquerque scooped him up quickly where he posted an average 3.72 ERA over 36.1 innings for the Isotopes. In total for MLB, Alvarado had a 2.36 ERA, 103 innings, 10 saves, 134 strikeouts, and 2.8 WAR.

Now 35-years old, Alvarado felt he could still be a closer if he came back to South America. Sao Paulo signed him to a one-year deal in 2008, but his velocity had plummeted to this point, peaking in the 90-92 mph range. The Padres gave him 15 relief appearances and even three starts, but Alvarado posted a lousy 5.32 ERA over 45.2 innings. He retired after the 2008 season at age 35.

Alvarado’s BSA career had 356 saves and 423 shutdowns over 903.2 innings, a 2.28 ERA, 1383 strikeouts, 214 walks, 149 ERA+, and 39.2 WAR. As of 2037, he ranks 20^th in saves. Alvarado didn’t reach the 1000 innings needed to qualify for all-time rate stats, but he’d be around a top ten K/9.

His stats compared favorably to other Hall of Fame relievers in BSA and he had the distinction of four Reliever of the Year awards. Some voters felt Alvarado didn’t quite have the longevity, but his popularity and WBC excellence helped get him across the line. At 71.7%, Alvarado was a first-ballot inductee and the third member of BSA’s 2014 Hall of Fame class.

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

Recommended Videos

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment