OOTP Developments Forums - View Single Post

FuzzyRussianHat · 12-29-2023, 06:33 PM

East Asia Baseball had three first-ballot Hall of Famers in the 1988 class, although none of them were slam dunks. 2B Dong-Hyuk Lee was the most impressive of the group with a solid 80.8%. Meanwhile, pitchers Je-Myung Choi and Tae-Hong Kim both got in with 67.0%; only one percent above the 66% requirement. Closer Kyeong Pyo became very close to making it a four-player class, but missed the cut with 64.2% on his third ballot.

One player was dropped after ten ballots in pitcher Tsugunosuke Okabe, who pitched 16 years with Kawasaki. He had a 215-129 record, 2.96 ERA, 3187.1 innings, 2719 strikeouts, and 66.1 WAR. A nice career, but no major awards or league leading seasons sunk him. Okabe peaked at 48.5% on his second ballot and ended at 43.0%. The Killer Whales did retire his #9 uniform, so Okabe does at least remain fondly remembered by Kawasaki’s fan base.

Dong-Hyuk Lee – Second Base – Hamhung Heat – 80.8% First Ballot

Dong-Hyuk Lee was a 6’0’’, 205 pound right-handed second baseman from Sungho, a North Korean county of around 80,000 people located a half hour east of Pyongyang. Lee was an excellent contact hitter that won three batting titles in his career. He also was very good at drawing walks and better than most at avoiding strikeouts. Lee had a good pop on his bat and averaged around 25-30 doubles, 15-20 triples, and 25-35 home runs per year. He was also one of the quicker baserunners of that era of Korean baseball. Lee was a career second baseman and firmly below average defensively, but his bat was unmatched for the position.

Lee was considered one of the better North Korean amateurs and as such was selected by Hamhung with the 24^th pick of the 1972 EAB Draft. He was a full-time starter immediately and won the 1973 Rookie of the Year with 3.8 WAR. His third season began a streak of six straight Silver Sluggers., with a seventh in 1982. Lee never won MVP, but came close with a second place in 1976, third in 1980, and third in 1982. He also became extremely popular nationally as part of the DPRK’s World Baseball Championship team. Lee played 122 games for North Korea between 1974-87 and posted 98 hits, 61 runs, 30 home runs, 66 RBI, and 2.9 WAR.

Hamhung generally had winning seasons during Lee’s tenure, but they only would make the playoffs twice while he was there without a series win. Lee remained a popular player and would see his #25 uniform retired later on. When his deal with the Heat expired after the 1982 season, he became a rare North Korean defector to the United States. MLB’s Cleveland wanted to make him a millionaire and signed Lee to a five year, $5,340,000 deal.

After being typically pretty durable, Lee’s Cobras debut was plagued with various injuries. He fared better in 1984, but again had injury issues in 1985. 1986 saw Lee reach his potential with a Silver Slugger at age 35, posting 6.1 WAR and 31 home runs. Cleveland was hopeful that his final year of the contract would see similar marks, but tragedy struck in spring training. Lee suffered a broken kneecap that forced his retirement that summer at age 36. With the Cobras, he had 467 hits, 279 runs, 80 home runs, 239 RBI, and 15.5 WAR.

For his EAB and Hamhung run, Lee had 1710 hits, 890 runs, 262 doubles, 184 triples, 255 home runs, 944 RBI, a .334/.394/.606 slash, and 64.6 WAR. The totals were low and there had been very few guys to make the Hall of Fame without getting to 2000 hits. Second base had also been a tough position to get a look in at, but his seven EAB Silver Sluggers and popularity went a long way even if the tallies are borderline. Lee not only got in, but do so on the first ballot with 80.8%.

Je-Myung Choi – Starting Pitcher – Busan Blue Jays – 67.0% First Ballot

Je-Myung Choi was a 6’1’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Seoul, South Korea. Choi was known for having excellent control with very good movement, allowing him to thrive despite merely above average stuff. He briefly had 96-98 mph velocity, but sat in the 94-96 mph range most of his career. Choi had a filthy slider that he mixed with a sinker and curveball. He had respectable stamina and was known as a leader and hard worker.

Choi’s potential was noticed even coming out of Woosung High School and there were teams wanting him to skip college. Daegu was so enamored that they picked him with the #1 overall pick in the 1965 EAB Draft. Choi didn’t spend a second with the Diamondbacks though, declining to sign with them and opting for Sungkyunkwan University in Seoul. He dominated the college ranks with 372.2 innings over three years with a 1.76 ERA, 34-7 record, 487 strikeouts, and 17.4 WAR. Choi was next eligible in the 1968 EAB Draft and was even more highly prized. He again was picked #1 overall, but this time by Changwon.

Choi signed with the Crabs and began his pro career in 1969, becoming a full-time starter immediately and posting 6.1 WAR as a rookie. He’d have eight straight seasons with 5+ WAR to start his career and gradually improved, although Choi rarely was a league leader. In 1971 and 1973, he finished third in Pitcher of the Year voting. Choi also pitched for South Korea in the World Baseball Championship in his early years. From 1969-75, he had 129.1 WBC innings with a 2.85 ERA, 109 strikeouts, and 3.1 WAR. He also earned a World Championship ring in 1969.

In total with Changwon, Choi had a 79-63 record, 2.83 ERA, 1295.2 innings, 1114 strikeouts, and 31.2 WAR. Statistically, it was his most impressive run, but the Crabs were consistently crap. Choi was due free agency after the 1974 season and Changwon figured they wouldn’t be able to keep him, so he was traded before the season for three prospects to Sapporo. Choi’s lone season with the Swordfish was perhaps his finest, leading the Japan League in WAR (8.0) and wins at 22-6. He was second in Pitcher of the Year voting and posted a 0.57 ERA in 15.2 playoff innings, although Sapporo would fall in the JLCS to Kyoto.

Now 27 years old, Choi entered free agency and signed a seven-year, $2,344,000 contract with Busan. This was his longest run and the team he entered the Hall of Fame with, although Choi was never a Pitcher of the Year finalist with the Blue Jays. 1978 was on pace for a shot at the award as he won the ERA title at 2.56 and led in WHIP, but a torn back muscle cost Choi the final two months of the season. After that, his production started to fall towards more middling results.

Busan would win the Korea League title in 1980, but this was Choi’s worst year and he was relegated to only two relief appearances in the playoffs. In total with Busan, he had a 110-74 record, 3.25 ERA, 1681.2 innings, 1324 strikeouts, and 24.5 WAR. He would earn his 200^th win with the Blue Jays, becoming the 32^nd pitcher to reach the mark. Choi signed for 1982 with Bucheon as a back-end starter, but was traded near the deadline to Kitakyushu for two catchers. After finishing out the season with the Kodiaks, Choi retired at only age 35.

Choi’s final stats: 221-154 record, 3.07 ERA, 3423 innings, 2851 strikeouts, 583 walks, 291/432 quality starts, 87 FIP-, and 66.7 WAR. The tallies were respectable for someone out of the game in his mid 30s, but still definitely on the lower end compared to others in the EAB Hall of Fame. Choi didn’t have the big awards, league leading totals, or playoff stats, making him appear on the surface as a very borderline case. Still, in his debut he managed to make it in as a first ballot selection, albeit barely with 67.0%.

Tae-Hong “Boomer” Kim – Starting Pitcher – Yongin Gold Sox – 67.0% First Ballot

Tae-Hong Kim was a 6’0’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Seoul, South Korea. He was a hard thrower with 98-100 mph peak velocity and strong stuff, although his control was also solid with decent movement. Kim mixed four pitches in his arsenal; fastball, curveball, changeup, and splitter; each with respectable potency. He had excellent stamina and durability for much of his career and was pretty good at holding runners. Kim was very well respected as a great leader, hard worker, and was considered a very knowledgeable pitcher.

Kim was signed as a teenager amateur free agent by Yongin in 1960 and spent the next four years in their developmental academy. He made his debut in 1964 at age 21 and was primed to be a full-time starter, although he missed half the season to a herniated disc. Still, his debut was impressive enough in a half season to take second in Rookie of the Year voting. Kim was a solid starter for the next three years, then emerged as a genuine ace in his fourth year. The Gold Sox began finding success as well, winning five straight Korea League South Division titles. Pyongyang’s dynasty got in the way of deeper runs in those first four years.

Kim won Pitcher of the Year three straight years from 1968-70. He led the Korea League in FIP- each of those years and led in WAR twice. Kim would take third in 1972 Pitcher of the Year voting as well. With Pyongyang out of the way in 1970, Yongin finally broke through to win the KL pennant, although they were defeated in the EAB Championship by Hiroshima. Kim’s postseason numbers were unremarkable with a 3.74 ERA in 12 starts with 84.1 innings, 3-5 record, 81 strikeouts, and 1.1 WAR. He was a big reason they got into the field though with five seasons worth 7.5+ WAR.

The Gold Sox retreated to the middle of the pack into the early 1970s and Kim’s run there would end after the 1973 season. Yongin retired his #17 uniform and he’d remain a well-known franchise figure. It was going to be difficult to match the money Kim was going to draw and ultimately no EAB team could beat MLB’s money. The 31-year old Kim went to Texas and signed a six-year, $2,128,000 deal with Dallas. He struggled a bit adjusting in his first year with the Dalmatians, then had a pretty solid second year that was capped by a no-hitter on August 31 against San Antonio.

Shoulder inflammation cost Kim much of 1976, but he bounced back with a very solid 1977. Dallas emerged as a contender by this point and he had a very good postseason with a 2.13 ERA over five starts and 38 innings. Kim’s efforts helped the Dalmatians win their first World Series. Injuries would plague him the next few years, but he was very effective when healthy, even leading the American Association in ERA and WHIP in 1979. However, 1977 was Kim’s final full season of production. He’d miss the 1980 postseason run, but would receive his second ring as Dallas again won the World Series.

Kim sporadically pitched in the World Baseball Championship in these later years for South Korea after pitching in 1966 and 1967. He added starts from 1977-80 and in total had a 3.45 ERA with 78.1 innings, and 96 strikeouts. In the playoffs with Dallas, he had a 3.41 ERA in nine starters with 66 innings and 36 strikeouts. With the Dalmatians in total, he had an 88-63 record, 3.25 ERA, 1438.1 innings, 1046 strikeouts, and 30.1 WAR.

A torn back muscle, a torn labrum, and shoulder inflammation were among the injuries in the final years with Dallas. His tenure ended officially when the Dalmatians declined to protect him in the 1981 MLB Expansion Draft. Kim was picked in the fourth round by Virginia Beach, but the Vikings would cut him at the end of spring training. He signed with Miami, but only had three appearances with the Mallards and two starts in minor league Fort Myers. Kim was cut again and returned home to South Korea, finishing 1982 with 9.1 innings for Changwon. He retired after the season at age 40.

For his entire pro career, Kim had a 253-152 record, 3.01 ERA, 3889.2 innings, 3705 strikeouts, and 93.5 WAR; which would be a rock solid Hall of Fame case. But he was to be judged on his East Asia Baseball stats, which was basically just his Yongin run. That was 164-89, 2.87 ERA, 2438 innings, 2655 strikeouts, 202/303 quality starts, 113 complete games, 75 FIP-, and 63.6 WAR. Certainly an impressive decade, but smaller accumulations since he left for Dallas. This hurt him with the voters who dislike guys that leave, but he was still a well-liked player generally and one of a select few to win three Pitcher of the Year awards. Kim barely received the first ballot nod with 67.0%, but earned his spot regardless among EAB’s greats.

12-29-2023, 06:33 PM	#832
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 3,342	1988 EAB Hall of Fame East Asia Baseball had three first-ballot Hall of Famers in the 1988 class, although none of them were slam dunks. 2B Dong-Hyuk Lee was the most impressive of the group with a solid 80.8%. Meanwhile, pitchers Je-Myung Choi and Tae-Hong Kim both got in with 67.0%; only one percent above the 66% requirement. Closer Kyeong Pyo became very close to making it a four-player class, but missed the cut with 64.2% on his third ballot. One player was dropped after ten ballots in pitcher Tsugunosuke Okabe, who pitched 16 years with Kawasaki. He had a 215-129 record, 2.96 ERA, 3187.1 innings, 2719 strikeouts, and 66.1 WAR. A nice career, but no major awards or league leading seasons sunk him. Okabe peaked at 48.5% on his second ballot and ended at 43.0%. The Killer Whales did retire his #9 uniform, so Okabe does at least remain fondly remembered by Kawasaki’s fan base. Dong-Hyuk Lee – Second Base – Hamhung Heat – 80.8% First Ballot Dong-Hyuk Lee was a 6’0’’, 205 pound right-handed second baseman from Sungho, a North Korean county of around 80,000 people located a half hour east of Pyongyang. Lee was an excellent contact hitter that won three batting titles in his career. He also was very good at drawing walks and better than most at avoiding strikeouts. Lee had a good pop on his bat and averaged around 25-30 doubles, 15-20 triples, and 25-35 home runs per year. He was also one of the quicker baserunners of that era of Korean baseball. Lee was a career second baseman and firmly below average defensively, but his bat was unmatched for the position. Lee was considered one of the better North Korean amateurs and as such was selected by Hamhung with the 24^th pick of the 1972 EAB Draft. He was a full-time starter immediately and won the 1973 Rookie of the Year with 3.8 WAR. His third season began a streak of six straight Silver Sluggers., with a seventh in 1982. Lee never won MVP, but came close with a second place in 1976, third in 1980, and third in 1982. He also became extremely popular nationally as part of the DPRK’s World Baseball Championship team. Lee played 122 games for North Korea between 1974-87 and posted 98 hits, 61 runs, 30 home runs, 66 RBI, and 2.9 WAR. Hamhung generally had winning seasons during Lee’s tenure, but they only would make the playoffs twice while he was there without a series win. Lee remained a popular player and would see his #25 uniform retired later on. When his deal with the Heat expired after the 1982 season, he became a rare North Korean defector to the United States. MLB’s Cleveland wanted to make him a millionaire and signed Lee to a five year, $5,340,000 deal. After being typically pretty durable, Lee’s Cobras debut was plagued with various injuries. He fared better in 1984, but again had injury issues in 1985. 1986 saw Lee reach his potential with a Silver Slugger at age 35, posting 6.1 WAR and 31 home runs. Cleveland was hopeful that his final year of the contract would see similar marks, but tragedy struck in spring training. Lee suffered a broken kneecap that forced his retirement that summer at age 36. With the Cobras, he had 467 hits, 279 runs, 80 home runs, 239 RBI, and 15.5 WAR. For his EAB and Hamhung run, Lee had 1710 hits, 890 runs, 262 doubles, 184 triples, 255 home runs, 944 RBI, a .334/.394/.606 slash, and 64.6 WAR. The totals were low and there had been very few guys to make the Hall of Fame without getting to 2000 hits. Second base had also been a tough position to get a look in at, but his seven EAB Silver Sluggers and popularity went a long way even if the tallies are borderline. Lee not only got in, but do so on the first ballot with 80.8%. Je-Myung Choi – Starting Pitcher – Busan Blue Jays – 67.0% First Ballot Je-Myung Choi was a 6’1’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Seoul, South Korea. Choi was known for having excellent control with very good movement, allowing him to thrive despite merely above average stuff. He briefly had 96-98 mph velocity, but sat in the 94-96 mph range most of his career. Choi had a filthy slider that he mixed with a sinker and curveball. He had respectable stamina and was known as a leader and hard worker. Choi’s potential was noticed even coming out of Woosung High School and there were teams wanting him to skip college. Daegu was so enamored that they picked him with the #1 overall pick in the 1965 EAB Draft. Choi didn’t spend a second with the Diamondbacks though, declining to sign with them and opting for Sungkyunkwan University in Seoul. He dominated the college ranks with 372.2 innings over three years with a 1.76 ERA, 34-7 record, 487 strikeouts, and 17.4 WAR. Choi was next eligible in the 1968 EAB Draft and was even more highly prized. He again was picked #1 overall, but this time by Changwon. Choi signed with the Crabs and began his pro career in 1969, becoming a full-time starter immediately and posting 6.1 WAR as a rookie. He’d have eight straight seasons with 5+ WAR to start his career and gradually improved, although Choi rarely was a league leader. In 1971 and 1973, he finished third in Pitcher of the Year voting. Choi also pitched for South Korea in the World Baseball Championship in his early years. From 1969-75, he had 129.1 WBC innings with a 2.85 ERA, 109 strikeouts, and 3.1 WAR. He also earned a World Championship ring in 1969. In total with Changwon, Choi had a 79-63 record, 2.83 ERA, 1295.2 innings, 1114 strikeouts, and 31.2 WAR. Statistically, it was his most impressive run, but the Crabs were consistently crap. Choi was due free agency after the 1974 season and Changwon figured they wouldn’t be able to keep him, so he was traded before the season for three prospects to Sapporo. Choi’s lone season with the Swordfish was perhaps his finest, leading the Japan League in WAR (8.0) and wins at 22-6. He was second in Pitcher of the Year voting and posted a 0.57 ERA in 15.2 playoff innings, although Sapporo would fall in the JLCS to Kyoto. Now 27 years old, Choi entered free agency and signed a seven-year, $2,344,000 contract with Busan. This was his longest run and the team he entered the Hall of Fame with, although Choi was never a Pitcher of the Year finalist with the Blue Jays. 1978 was on pace for a shot at the award as he won the ERA title at 2.56 and led in WHIP, but a torn back muscle cost Choi the final two months of the season. After that, his production started to fall towards more middling results. Busan would win the Korea League title in 1980, but this was Choi’s worst year and he was relegated to only two relief appearances in the playoffs. In total with Busan, he had a 110-74 record, 3.25 ERA, 1681.2 innings, 1324 strikeouts, and 24.5 WAR. He would earn his 200^th win with the Blue Jays, becoming the 32^nd pitcher to reach the mark. Choi signed for 1982 with Bucheon as a back-end starter, but was traded near the deadline to Kitakyushu for two catchers. After finishing out the season with the Kodiaks, Choi retired at only age 35. Choi’s final stats: 221-154 record, 3.07 ERA, 3423 innings, 2851 strikeouts, 583 walks, 291/432 quality starts, 87 FIP-, and 66.7 WAR. The tallies were respectable for someone out of the game in his mid 30s, but still definitely on the lower end compared to others in the EAB Hall of Fame. Choi didn’t have the big awards, league leading totals, or playoff stats, making him appear on the surface as a very borderline case. Still, in his debut he managed to make it in as a first ballot selection, albeit barely with 67.0%. Tae-Hong “Boomer” Kim – Starting Pitcher – Yongin Gold Sox – 67.0% First Ballot Tae-Hong Kim was a 6’0’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Seoul, South Korea. He was a hard thrower with 98-100 mph peak velocity and strong stuff, although his control was also solid with decent movement. Kim mixed four pitches in his arsenal; fastball, curveball, changeup, and splitter; each with respectable potency. He had excellent stamina and durability for much of his career and was pretty good at holding runners. Kim was very well respected as a great leader, hard worker, and was considered a very knowledgeable pitcher. Kim was signed as a teenager amateur free agent by Yongin in 1960 and spent the next four years in their developmental academy. He made his debut in 1964 at age 21 and was primed to be a full-time starter, although he missed half the season to a herniated disc. Still, his debut was impressive enough in a half season to take second in Rookie of the Year voting. Kim was a solid starter for the next three years, then emerged as a genuine ace in his fourth year. The Gold Sox began finding success as well, winning five straight Korea League South Division titles. Pyongyang’s dynasty got in the way of deeper runs in those first four years. Kim won Pitcher of the Year three straight years from 1968-70. He led the Korea League in FIP- each of those years and led in WAR twice. Kim would take third in 1972 Pitcher of the Year voting as well. With Pyongyang out of the way in 1970, Yongin finally broke through to win the KL pennant, although they were defeated in the EAB Championship by Hiroshima. Kim’s postseason numbers were unremarkable with a 3.74 ERA in 12 starts with 84.1 innings, 3-5 record, 81 strikeouts, and 1.1 WAR. He was a big reason they got into the field though with five seasons worth 7.5+ WAR. The Gold Sox retreated to the middle of the pack into the early 1970s and Kim’s run there would end after the 1973 season. Yongin retired his #17 uniform and he’d remain a well-known franchise figure. It was going to be difficult to match the money Kim was going to draw and ultimately no EAB team could beat MLB’s money. The 31-year old Kim went to Texas and signed a six-year, $2,128,000 deal with Dallas. He struggled a bit adjusting in his first year with the Dalmatians, then had a pretty solid second year that was capped by a no-hitter on August 31 against San Antonio. Shoulder inflammation cost Kim much of 1976, but he bounced back with a very solid 1977. Dallas emerged as a contender by this point and he had a very good postseason with a 2.13 ERA over five starts and 38 innings. Kim’s efforts helped the Dalmatians win their first World Series. Injuries would plague him the next few years, but he was very effective when healthy, even leading the American Association in ERA and WHIP in 1979. However, 1977 was Kim’s final full season of production. He’d miss the 1980 postseason run, but would receive his second ring as Dallas again won the World Series. Kim sporadically pitched in the World Baseball Championship in these later years for South Korea after pitching in 1966 and 1967. He added starts from 1977-80 and in total had a 3.45 ERA with 78.1 innings, and 96 strikeouts. In the playoffs with Dallas, he had a 3.41 ERA in nine starters with 66 innings and 36 strikeouts. With the Dalmatians in total, he had an 88-63 record, 3.25 ERA, 1438.1 innings, 1046 strikeouts, and 30.1 WAR. A torn back muscle, a torn labrum, and shoulder inflammation were among the injuries in the final years with Dallas. His tenure ended officially when the Dalmatians declined to protect him in the 1981 MLB Expansion Draft. Kim was picked in the fourth round by Virginia Beach, but the Vikings would cut him at the end of spring training. He signed with Miami, but only had three appearances with the Mallards and two starts in minor league Fort Myers. Kim was cut again and returned home to South Korea, finishing 1982 with 9.1 innings for Changwon. He retired after the season at age 40. For his entire pro career, Kim had a 253-152 record, 3.01 ERA, 3889.2 innings, 3705 strikeouts, and 93.5 WAR; which would be a rock solid Hall of Fame case. But he was to be judged on his East Asia Baseball stats, which was basically just his Yongin run. That was 164-89, 2.87 ERA, 2438 innings, 2655 strikeouts, 202/303 quality starts, 113 complete games, 75 FIP-, and 63.6 WAR. Certainly an impressive decade, but smaller accumulations since he left for Dallas. This hurt him with the voters who dislike guys that leave, but he was still a well-liked player generally and one of a select few to win three Pitcher of the Year awards. Kim barely received the first ballot nod with 67.0%, but earned his spot regardless among EAB’s greats. __________________ 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)