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FuzzyRussianHat · 05-27-2023, 07:08 AM

The 1957 East Asian Baseball Hall of Fame class had three first ballot inductees. Starting pitcher Taiji Makino was the star of the group at 94.3%, followed by RF Ha-Jun Cho at 86.2%. Just crossing the 66% threshold as well was catcher Sang-Sik Bom at 69.25. No one else was above 50% in the group.

One player was dropped after a 10^th ballot in SP Hyeong-Jun Sim. In 19 years with nine teams, he had a 239-233 record, 3.68 ERA, 4037 strikeouts, and 53.7 WAR. He was only the third EAB pitcher to 4000 Ks, but that was more a function of longevity than dominance. He had 44.1% on his first ballot but was down to the teens by the end.

Two other pitchers, Cheol-Jung Park and Mun Soo, were dropped on their ninth ballot after falling below 5%. Park had brief brilliance but had to retire early after destroying his elbow. He was the 1938 Pitcher of the Year and led in strikeouts from 1938-40, ending with a 138-88 record, 3.19 ERA, 2311 Ks, and 46.7 WAR. His career was effectively about eight years long though due to the injuries, peaking at 34.9% on his ballot debut. Soo was a two time Reliever of the Year winner with 257 saves and a 2.24 ERA, but didn’t have the accumulated numbers to draw attention after peaking at 42.7% on his second ballot.

Taiji Makino – Starting Pitcher – Fukuoka Frogs – 94.3% First Ballot

Taiji Makino was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Tokorozawa, a city in Japan’s Saitama Prefecture. Makino was known as a consistent and reliable pitcher that was primarily a starter and occasionally a reliever. He wasn’t dominant or outstanding, but generally well-rounded. Makino had 95-97 mph velocity and had a four-pitch arsenal of a fastball, curveball, changeup, and splitter; each of which were equally potent. His durability was a key to his longevity, as he tossed 200+ innings in all 16 of his professional seasons.

Makino attended Rikkio University and was highly touted after much success in the college ranks. Fukuoka would draft Makino second overall in the 1935 EAB Draft and he would spend his entire pro career with the Frogs. He immediately lived up to the high selection, earning the 1936 Japan League Rookie of the Year, leading the league in wins with 20. He led in wins three times in his career, impressive considering the Frogs were a bottom-tier franchise in his whole run. Makino never had a chance to play in the postseason and Fukuoka had only five winning seasons in his 16-year tenure.

Still, he reliably showed up each and every day for the franchise. 14 of his 16 seasons were 5+ WAR, although he never was the leader in ERA or strikeouts. He was often thought of as a top 10 pitcher, but not often viewed at the highest echelon. In 1941, he was third in Pitcher of the Year voting. In 1946 at age 32, he won It for the only time. That year, he had a career-best 2.03 ERA over 217.2 innings for 5.6 WAR. He had higher WAR seasons with 8.9 in both 1939 and 1940.

As time went on, he gathered up some statistical accolades. He was the 11^th EAB pitcher to 200 career wins and the sixth to 4000 strikeouts, despite not generally being though of as a dominant Ks guy. At retirement, his 3996 innings pitched was the most of any EAB player and he was fourth in career WAR for a pitcher at 98.4 Makino was also a veteran presence on the first five national teams for Japan in the World Baseball Championship. In 104 tournament innings, he had a solid 2.77 ERA, 111 strikeouts, and 2.3 WAR. In 1951 at age 37, his production dropped a bit, although he was still statistically good enough for a spot in the rotation. Having met the vesting criteria in his contract, Makino opted to retire after the 1951 season.

His final stats: 233-189, 95 saves and 115 shutdowns, a 2.83 ERA, 3996 innings, 4009 strikeouts, 736 walks, 336/505 quality starts, a FIP- of 75 and 98.0 WAR. His #14 uniform was the second retired by Fukuoka and he is remembered fondly by Frogs fans as a reliably positive player in a weak time for the franchise. Had he been flashier and on more dominant teams, Makino would be perhaps more remembered among the truly top tier of EAB pitchers. Still, his 16 consistent years of strong production earned him a first ballot spot in the East Asia Baseball Hall of Fame.

Ha-Jun Cho – Right Fielder – Changwon Crabs – 86.2% First Ballot

Ha-Jun Cho was a 5’9’’ 200 pound left-handed right fielder from Ulsan, South Korea. Cho was known as a well-rounded and very durable hitter in his career. He was an above average to good contact and power hitter with a solid eye and ability to draw walks. He was a below average baserunner and a career right fielder, generally viewed as a below average to weak defender. However, Cho was a fan favorite known for a tireless work ethic and loyalty, along with excellent durability and reliability.

Cho was signed as an amateur as a teenager by Changwon in 1928 and spent nearly his entire professional baseball career with the Crabs. He made his debut in 1932 and saw limited action in his first two seasons. In 1934, he became the full-time starter in right and would start 144+ games every year for 17 straight seasons. He would post 11 consecutive 5.5 WAR seasons to open his career as a starter. Cho won his first Silver Slugger in 1936 and won eight total, also winning in 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 44, and 46.

Changwon throughout the 1930s and 40s were generally above .500, but wouldn’t make the playoffs in Cho’s tenure until the 1945 season. That year, they came away with the EAB Championship, despite that year being a down one for Cho. He bounced back in 1946 at age 34, leading Korea in RBI (106) and posting a career high .399 OBP, getting him second place in MVP voting. This would be his final great season, although he had four more seasons as a starter with the Crabs. He played for South Korea in the first World Baseball Championship in 1947.

After the 1950 season, Changwon traded Cho to Nagoya for catcher Susumu Iwasa. Cho spent one season primarily as a bench player for the Nightowls, but while there he crossed 1500 RBI and 1500 run scored for his career. He was the second EAB player to cross both marks, joining the legendary Byung-Oh Tan. After the 1951 season, Cho retired at age 39. His #14 would be retired the next season by the Crabs.

The final stats for Cho, 2764 hits, 1505 runs, 466 doubles, 527 home runs, 1504 RBI, 1054 walks, 1855 strikeouts, a .289/.360/.516 slash and 89.9 WAR. In the 1930s and 40s, he was someone you could count on starting a full season and giving you reliable strong production. Like his HOF classmate Taiji Makino, he maybe is forgotten for not having record-setting single seasons. But few were as consistent with the bat in the 1930s and 1940s in Korea than Cho, making him deserving of the first ballot selection.

Sang-Sik Bom – Catcher – Nagoya Nightowls – 69.2% First Ballot

Sang-Sik Bom was a 6’3’’, 195 pound right-handed catcher from Daegu, South Korea. He was the first catcher inducted into the EAB Hall of Fame and as of 2037, the only catcher inducted with the position so undervalued among voters. He was an excellent hitter and not just as a catcher, boasting solid power and contact ability at his peak. He was decent at drawing walks and did strike out more than you’d like and was a slow baserunner. Defensively, he was average to below average behind the plate, but he had a far better bat than his contemporaries and was durable.

Bom was signed as an amateur free agent by Nagoya and spent his prime EAB seasons with the Nightowls. He debuted in 1929 at age 19 and made six starts. He became a part-time starter in 1930 and full starter when healthy in the rest of his 12 seasons with Nagoya. Bom won his first Silver Slugger at age 22 in 1932 and won nine in the Japan League, also taking it in 1933, 34, 35, 37, 38, 39, 40, and 41. He led Japan in WAR in 1935 with 8.2 and had a career high 10.4 in 1934; the single-season record for an EAB catcher. Bom was second in MVP voting in 1933, 34, and 35, third in 1937 and 1941.
Nagoya was a regular contender in the 1930s and Bom earned four Japan League titles and three EAB titles in his time with Nagoya. In 52 playoff starts, he had 52 hits, 26 runs, 12 doubles, 8 home runs, 31 RBI, and 1.5 WAR. With the Nightowls, Bom finished with 1658 hits, 833 runs, 252 doubles, 321 home runs, 912 RBI, a .286/.340/.503 slash, and 80.7 WAR.

At the end of the 1941 season, the 32-year old Bom defected to the United States and signed a five-year deal with the Denver Dragons. He was successful in MLB as well, winning Silver Sluggers for Denver in 1943 and 44. He had 491 hits, 278 runs, 109 home runs, 326 RBI, and 18.0 WAR in four seasons with the Dragons.

In 1946, Bom signed with Montreal and played his final three MLB seasons as a respectable starter with the Maples. Bom also returned to his native South Korea post-war and played with the national team in the World Baseball Championship from 1947-50. He went back to East Asia Baseball in 1949, playing his final three pro seasons with Daegu. This allowed him to be the first EAB catcher to reach 1000 career RBI. At age 43, he retired and his #24 uniform was retired as well by Nagoya.

For his entire pro career, Bom had 2673 hits, 1394 runs, 424 doubles, 532 home runs, 1554 RBI, and 113.7; among the most impressive of any catcher in pro baseball history. In EAB alone, he had 1898 hits, 970 runs, 368 home runs, 1058 RBI, a .278/.334/.489 slash and 89.2 WAR. He remains the catcher leader in EAB in career total bases, runs, home runs, RBI, and WAR. Still, the bias against catchers against HOF voting and the fact that he left mid-career for the US hurt Bom in the eyes of many Hall of Fame voters. The grand totals are low relative to other players due to his position and his split career, but his accolades were undeniable, getting Bom a HOF induction on the first ballot at just above the 66% threshold with 69.2%.

05-27-2023, 07:08 AM	#294
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 3,257	1957 EAB Hall of Fame The 1957 East Asian Baseball Hall of Fame class had three first ballot inductees. Starting pitcher Taiji Makino was the star of the group at 94.3%, followed by RF Ha-Jun Cho at 86.2%. Just crossing the 66% threshold as well was catcher Sang-Sik Bom at 69.25. No one else was above 50% in the group. One player was dropped after a 10^th ballot in SP Hyeong-Jun Sim. In 19 years with nine teams, he had a 239-233 record, 3.68 ERA, 4037 strikeouts, and 53.7 WAR. He was only the third EAB pitcher to 4000 Ks, but that was more a function of longevity than dominance. He had 44.1% on his first ballot but was down to the teens by the end. Two other pitchers, Cheol-Jung Park and Mun Soo, were dropped on their ninth ballot after falling below 5%. Park had brief brilliance but had to retire early after destroying his elbow. He was the 1938 Pitcher of the Year and led in strikeouts from 1938-40, ending with a 138-88 record, 3.19 ERA, 2311 Ks, and 46.7 WAR. His career was effectively about eight years long though due to the injuries, peaking at 34.9% on his ballot debut. Soo was a two time Reliever of the Year winner with 257 saves and a 2.24 ERA, but didn’t have the accumulated numbers to draw attention after peaking at 42.7% on his second ballot. Taiji Makino – Starting Pitcher – Fukuoka Frogs – 94.3% First Ballot Taiji Makino was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Tokorozawa, a city in Japan’s Saitama Prefecture. Makino was known as a consistent and reliable pitcher that was primarily a starter and occasionally a reliever. He wasn’t dominant or outstanding, but generally well-rounded. Makino had 95-97 mph velocity and had a four-pitch arsenal of a fastball, curveball, changeup, and splitter; each of which were equally potent. His durability was a key to his longevity, as he tossed 200+ innings in all 16 of his professional seasons. Makino attended Rikkio University and was highly touted after much success in the college ranks. Fukuoka would draft Makino second overall in the 1935 EAB Draft and he would spend his entire pro career with the Frogs. He immediately lived up to the high selection, earning the 1936 Japan League Rookie of the Year, leading the league in wins with 20. He led in wins three times in his career, impressive considering the Frogs were a bottom-tier franchise in his whole run. Makino never had a chance to play in the postseason and Fukuoka had only five winning seasons in his 16-year tenure. Still, he reliably showed up each and every day for the franchise. 14 of his 16 seasons were 5+ WAR, although he never was the leader in ERA or strikeouts. He was often thought of as a top 10 pitcher, but not often viewed at the highest echelon. In 1941, he was third in Pitcher of the Year voting. In 1946 at age 32, he won It for the only time. That year, he had a career-best 2.03 ERA over 217.2 innings for 5.6 WAR. He had higher WAR seasons with 8.9 in both 1939 and 1940. As time went on, he gathered up some statistical accolades. He was the 11^th EAB pitcher to 200 career wins and the sixth to 4000 strikeouts, despite not generally being though of as a dominant Ks guy. At retirement, his 3996 innings pitched was the most of any EAB player and he was fourth in career WAR for a pitcher at 98.4 Makino was also a veteran presence on the first five national teams for Japan in the World Baseball Championship. In 104 tournament innings, he had a solid 2.77 ERA, 111 strikeouts, and 2.3 WAR. In 1951 at age 37, his production dropped a bit, although he was still statistically good enough for a spot in the rotation. Having met the vesting criteria in his contract, Makino opted to retire after the 1951 season. His final stats: 233-189, 95 saves and 115 shutdowns, a 2.83 ERA, 3996 innings, 4009 strikeouts, 736 walks, 336/505 quality starts, a FIP- of 75 and 98.0 WAR. His #14 uniform was the second retired by Fukuoka and he is remembered fondly by Frogs fans as a reliably positive player in a weak time for the franchise. Had he been flashier and on more dominant teams, Makino would be perhaps more remembered among the truly top tier of EAB pitchers. Still, his 16 consistent years of strong production earned him a first ballot spot in the East Asia Baseball Hall of Fame. Ha-Jun Cho – Right Fielder – Changwon Crabs – 86.2% First Ballot Ha-Jun Cho was a 5’9’’ 200 pound left-handed right fielder from Ulsan, South Korea. Cho was known as a well-rounded and very durable hitter in his career. He was an above average to good contact and power hitter with a solid eye and ability to draw walks. He was a below average baserunner and a career right fielder, generally viewed as a below average to weak defender. However, Cho was a fan favorite known for a tireless work ethic and loyalty, along with excellent durability and reliability. Cho was signed as an amateur as a teenager by Changwon in 1928 and spent nearly his entire professional baseball career with the Crabs. He made his debut in 1932 and saw limited action in his first two seasons. In 1934, he became the full-time starter in right and would start 144+ games every year for 17 straight seasons. He would post 11 consecutive 5.5 WAR seasons to open his career as a starter. Cho won his first Silver Slugger in 1936 and won eight total, also winning in 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 44, and 46. Changwon throughout the 1930s and 40s were generally above .500, but wouldn’t make the playoffs in Cho’s tenure until the 1945 season. That year, they came away with the EAB Championship, despite that year being a down one for Cho. He bounced back in 1946 at age 34, leading Korea in RBI (106) and posting a career high .399 OBP, getting him second place in MVP voting. This would be his final great season, although he had four more seasons as a starter with the Crabs. He played for South Korea in the first World Baseball Championship in 1947. After the 1950 season, Changwon traded Cho to Nagoya for catcher Susumu Iwasa. Cho spent one season primarily as a bench player for the Nightowls, but while there he crossed 1500 RBI and 1500 run scored for his career. He was the second EAB player to cross both marks, joining the legendary Byung-Oh Tan. After the 1951 season, Cho retired at age 39. His #14 would be retired the next season by the Crabs. The final stats for Cho, 2764 hits, 1505 runs, 466 doubles, 527 home runs, 1504 RBI, 1054 walks, 1855 strikeouts, a .289/.360/.516 slash and 89.9 WAR. In the 1930s and 40s, he was someone you could count on starting a full season and giving you reliable strong production. Like his HOF classmate Taiji Makino, he maybe is forgotten for not having record-setting single seasons. But few were as consistent with the bat in the 1930s and 1940s in Korea than Cho, making him deserving of the first ballot selection. Sang-Sik Bom – Catcher – Nagoya Nightowls – 69.2% First Ballot Sang-Sik Bom was a 6’3’’, 195 pound right-handed catcher from Daegu, South Korea. He was the first catcher inducted into the EAB Hall of Fame and as of 2037, the only catcher inducted with the position so undervalued among voters. He was an excellent hitter and not just as a catcher, boasting solid power and contact ability at his peak. He was decent at drawing walks and did strike out more than you’d like and was a slow baserunner. Defensively, he was average to below average behind the plate, but he had a far better bat than his contemporaries and was durable. Bom was signed as an amateur free agent by Nagoya and spent his prime EAB seasons with the Nightowls. He debuted in 1929 at age 19 and made six starts. He became a part-time starter in 1930 and full starter when healthy in the rest of his 12 seasons with Nagoya. Bom won his first Silver Slugger at age 22 in 1932 and won nine in the Japan League, also taking it in 1933, 34, 35, 37, 38, 39, 40, and 41. He led Japan in WAR in 1935 with 8.2 and had a career high 10.4 in 1934; the single-season record for an EAB catcher. Bom was second in MVP voting in 1933, 34, and 35, third in 1937 and 1941. Nagoya was a regular contender in the 1930s and Bom earned four Japan League titles and three EAB titles in his time with Nagoya. In 52 playoff starts, he had 52 hits, 26 runs, 12 doubles, 8 home runs, 31 RBI, and 1.5 WAR. With the Nightowls, Bom finished with 1658 hits, 833 runs, 252 doubles, 321 home runs, 912 RBI, a .286/.340/.503 slash, and 80.7 WAR. At the end of the 1941 season, the 32-year old Bom defected to the United States and signed a five-year deal with the Denver Dragons. He was successful in MLB as well, winning Silver Sluggers for Denver in 1943 and 44. He had 491 hits, 278 runs, 109 home runs, 326 RBI, and 18.0 WAR in four seasons with the Dragons. In 1946, Bom signed with Montreal and played his final three MLB seasons as a respectable starter with the Maples. Bom also returned to his native South Korea post-war and played with the national team in the World Baseball Championship from 1947-50. He went back to East Asia Baseball in 1949, playing his final three pro seasons with Daegu. This allowed him to be the first EAB catcher to reach 1000 career RBI. At age 43, he retired and his #24 uniform was retired as well by Nagoya. For his entire pro career, Bom had 2673 hits, 1394 runs, 424 doubles, 532 home runs, 1554 RBI, and 113.7; among the most impressive of any catcher in pro baseball history. In EAB alone, he had 1898 hits, 970 runs, 368 home runs, 1058 RBI, a .278/.334/.489 slash and 89.2 WAR. He remains the catcher leader in EAB in career total bases, runs, home runs, RBI, and WAR. Still, the bias against catchers against HOF voting and the fact that he left mid-career for the US hurt Bom in the eyes of many Hall of Fame voters. The grand totals are low relative to other players due to his position and his split career, but his accolades were undeniable, getting Bom a HOF induction on the first ballot at just above the 66% threshold with 69.2%. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports The Level Playing Field: Alternate MLB History From 1884-Onward Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)