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Blaise Combes – Right Field – Rome Red Wolves – 82.4% First Ballot

Blaise Combes was a 5’10’’, 195 pound right-handed right fielder from Domarin, a tiny commune of one thousand in southeastern France. Combes was an excellent contact hitter and an expert at avoiding strikeouts, although he very rarely walked. He didn’t have much home run power, but he was a master at finding the gaps and baserunning. Combes actually had more triples in his career than doubles, averaging around 30 of each per season. He was lighting fast and a very intelligent base stealer. Combes was a career right fielder and considered above average defensively.

Combes went to Paris’s Lycee des Francs Bourgeois for high school and got noticed by the hometown Poodles. Paris would pick him out of high school 38^th overall in the 1955 European Baseball Federation Draft. His Poodles tenure was brief, making a few pinch hit appearances in 1957 and 1958. In the summer of 1958, Combes was traded to Rome, where he’d spend the rest of his pro baseball career. He was largely a reserve initially with the Red Wolves, but worked his way into a full-time starter role by 1961, still only 23 years old.

With Rome, Combes led the Southern Conference in hits four times, triples four times, runs scored once, and batting average three straight seasons from 1964-66. The triples meant he still had solid slugging stats even without the home run power, but he was only once a MVP finalist, taking second in 1964. That year and 1962 were his only Silver Slugger winners with many more powerful bats competing at the position. In 1962, he posted an incredible 45 triples, which is not only the EBF single season record, but the record for any professional season as of 2037.

Combes played a big role in Rome being a regular contender with seven straight playoff berths from 1962-68. The Red Wolves won Southern Conference titles in 1962, 63, and 68; and won the European Championship in 63 and 68. In 61 playoff games, Combes had 74 hits, 36 runs, 19 extra base hits, 31 RBI, 28 stolen bases, and a .310/.348/.452 slash. Combes kept chugging along into his 30s, collecting his 2500^th hit in 1973, the fifth to reach the mark. However, that April, he suffered a torn meniscus to end his season. Rome didn’t re-sign him and no one take a chance on him in 1974, forcing Combes’ retirement at age 37. There would be no hard feelings with the Red Wolves, who retired his #15 uniform that year.

Combes final stats: 2518 hits, 1154 runs, 356 doubles, 379 triples, 116 home runs, 936 RBI, 837 stolen bases, a .321/.346/.507 slash, 147 wRC, and 82.4 WAR. At retirement, he was EBF’s all-time leader in triples and fourth in stolen bases. He had one of the more unique hitting profiles in baseball history, one worthy of honoring. That, plus his role in Rome’s title success in the 1960s earned Combes a first ballot selection with 82.4%.



Gabriel “Buddha” Emiliani – Starting Pitcher – Marseille Musketeers – 68.4% First Ballot

Gabriel Emiliani was a 6’5’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Monte Carlo in the microstate of Monaco. He was known for having great stuff with 96-98 mph peak velocity and overpowered hitters with it, making up for average movement and often lousy control. Emiliani’s fastball was legendary, mixed with an excellent changeup, strong splitter, and okay slider. He could be wild though and has more walks than any EBF Hall of Famer. Emiliani was a hard worker with excellent durability, although he wasn’t one to go super deep in games compared to some other all-timers.

He left Monaco to play college baseball at England’s Birmingham City University. Emiliani was picked 14^th overall in the 1960 European Baseball Federation Draft by Naples, although his time with the Nobles was brief. He pitched 120 innings in his rookie year with okay results, but Naples would trade him that summer in a five-player deal to Madrid.

Emiliani became a full-time starter from 1962-67 with the Conquistadors, posting four seasons of 5+ WAR and three with 300+ strikeouts. However, he had four seasons with 100+ walks, twice leading the conference. Notably, he tossed a no-hitter in1 963 against Barcelona with 11 strikeouts and four walks. In total with Madrid, he had an 83-81 record, 3.23 ERA, 1500 innings, 1686 strikeouts, 613 walks, and 28.5 WAR. In his final year in Spain in 1967, Emiliani struggled to a 4.54 ERA.

It seemed like he might be cooked at only age 29. Madrid let him go and he wasn’t signed until April 1968 by Marseille, but he surprised many with a career-best 1.99 ERA and third place finish in Pitcher of the Year voting. Emiliani put up seven solid seasons with the Musketeers and was third again in Pitcher of the Year in 1971 with a conference-best 23 wins.

Marseille made the conference finals thrice in his tenure, although they couldn’t get over the hump. Still, Emiliani had a solid 2.39 ERA in 64 playoff innings. In total with the Musketeers, Emiliani had a 106-61 record, 2.54 ERA, 1535.1 innings, 1724 strikeouts to 479 walks, and 33.7 WAR. His final season was a solid 1973 and despite still having seemingly plenty in the tank, Emiliani decided to retire at only age 35.

Emiliani’s final stats: 196-147 record, 2.90 ERA, 3155.1 innings, 3499 strikeouts to 1139 walks, 294/413 quality starts, FIP- of 86 and 62.8 WAR. His career was a mixed bag with no major awards and totals that are on the low end of the EBF Hall of Fame leaderboard. Some might think of him as a “Hall of Very Good” type and observers were curious how he’d fare on the ballot. Emiliani ultimately was given the first ballot nod, albeit barely at 68.4%.