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FuzzyRussianHat · 03-03-2024, 07:26 PM

The EPB European League was quite top heavy in 1995 with all four playoff teams finishing with 100+ wins. After missing the playoffs the prior season, Kharkiv set a franchise-best at 116-46, earning the South Division and the top seed. Defending EPB champ Warsaw earned the North Division at 110-52. This was the third straight division title for the Wildcats, whose playoff streak extended to eight seasons. Wild cards Kyiv (104-58) and Minsk (102-60) both added to their own impressive postseason streaks. The Kings made it four-in-a-row and their ninth in ten years. The Miners added to their record streak with a 15^th consecutive playoff berth. Remarkably, Minsk has been in the playoffs in all but three of EPB’s 38 seasons to date.

European League MVP went to RF Gleb Lapchenko. After nearly a decade playing in Prague, the 29-year old Ukrainian was traded to Minsk for the 1995 season. He excelled in his one year with the Miners, leading in home runs (58), RBI (121), total bases (380), slugging (.646), OPS (.983), wRC+ (213), and WAR (8.9). Lapchenko’s .303 average was five points shy of a Triple Crown. He would leave for MLB and Philadelphia in the offseason on a mammoth seven-year, $25,480,000 deal. Pitcher of the Year was fourth-year Kharkiv ace Petro Mihalko. The 26-year old Ukrainian righty led in wins (24-6), and WHIP (0.76). Mihalko added a 1.65 ERA and 323 strikeouts over 289.2 innings with 10.7 WAR.

Kharkiv downed Minsk 3-1 and Warsaw ousted Kyiv 3-1 in the first round of the playoffs. The Wildcats earned a fourth consecutive European League Championship Series appearance, while it was the first since 1984 for the Killer Bees. Warsaw extended its EL dynasty by besting Kharkiv 4-2 to secure three pennants in a row. It was Warsaw’s fourth overall, as they also won in 1960.

Last year, Irkutsk set a franchise record with 109 wins, although their three-peat bid in the Asian League was thwarted by Bishkek. The Ice Cats were even better in 1995 at 115-47, winning the North Division and extending its playoff streak to six seasons. In the South Division, Tashkent ended a 14-year playoff drought with a 103-59 mark. This was the first division title for the Tomcats since 1978. In a tight wild card race, Almaty (96-66) and Novosibirsk (94-68) both extended their respective playoff streaks to five straight seasons. Defending AL champ Bishkek fell one game short at 93-69.

Asian League MVP was Irkutsk 3B David Kolesnikov. In his ninth season starting for the Ice Cats, the 30-year old Moscow native led in WAR (9.5), and OPS (.906). He added 39 home runs and a .281 average. His Ice Cats teammate Levka Khagba won Pitcher of the Year. It was his second, having also taken it in 1991. The 29-year old Russian led in wins at 23-3, ERA (1.59), and quality starts (30). Khagba added 252 strikeouts over 255.1 innings and 8.0 WAR.

The division winners both picked up first round playoff sweeps with Irkutsk over Novosibirsk and Tashkent over Almaty. The Ice Cats earned a fourth consecutive Asian League Championship Series appearance, while Tashkent hadn’t done it since 1972. Irkutsk refused to suffer a disappointment like the prior year, taking the ALCS 4-1 against the Tomcats. The Ice Cats earned a third pennant in four years, as well as their seventh overall (1956, 61, 75, 77, 92, 93, 95).

The 41^st Eurasian Professional Baseball Championship was a rematch of two years prior, which saw Irkutsk win in five against Warsaw. The Wildcats were the defending champ, having bounced back in 1994 over Bishkek. The 1995 finale was a seven game thriller which came down to the final inning. Warsaw led 5-1 entering the bottom of the ninth inning, but Irkutsk rallied from behind to win 6-5. Veteran RF Geza Aranyi had the clincher with a walk off two RBI single. 1B Khalid Meredov, the 1993 finals MVP, earned the honor again in 1995. The 28-year old Turkmen had 17 hits, 6 runs, 3 home runs, and 7 RBI in 15 playoff starts.

Irkutsk’s title was notable not only for being their second in three years. Although other teams had posted better win-loss records, the Ice Cats at 115-47 set the new EPB record for best record by a team that ultimately won it all. 1959 Kyiv at 113-49 had the previous top mark. Irkutsk held this distinction in EPB until passed in 2004 by a 116-win Yekaterinburg squad. Regardless, the 1995 Ice Cats remain the peak of their 1990s dynasty run and have a spot at the table when discussing EPB’s all-time best champions.

Other notes: Igor Bury and Fredi Tamasi became the third and fourth EPB pitchers to 5000 career strikeouts. Haxhi Maho joined both in the 4500K club and became the second to reach 300 wins. Maho would pitch two more seasons and finish with 335 wins, 14 short of Alvi Tahiri’s 349. Both Tamasi and Bury would fall short of Tahiri’s 6909 strikeouts, although they both still sit in the top five as of 2037. Dushanbe’s Carlton Eckel struck out 20 on May 23 against Ufa.

03-03-2024, 07:26 PM	#1028
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 3,277	1995 in EPB The EPB European League was quite top heavy in 1995 with all four playoff teams finishing with 100+ wins. After missing the playoffs the prior season, Kharkiv set a franchise-best at 116-46, earning the South Division and the top seed. Defending EPB champ Warsaw earned the North Division at 110-52. This was the third straight division title for the Wildcats, whose playoff streak extended to eight seasons. Wild cards Kyiv (104-58) and Minsk (102-60) both added to their own impressive postseason streaks. The Kings made it four-in-a-row and their ninth in ten years. The Miners added to their record streak with a 15^th consecutive playoff berth. Remarkably, Minsk has been in the playoffs in all but three of EPB’s 38 seasons to date. European League MVP went to RF Gleb Lapchenko. After nearly a decade playing in Prague, the 29-year old Ukrainian was traded to Minsk for the 1995 season. He excelled in his one year with the Miners, leading in home runs (58), RBI (121), total bases (380), slugging (.646), OPS (.983), wRC+ (213), and WAR (8.9). Lapchenko’s .303 average was five points shy of a Triple Crown. He would leave for MLB and Philadelphia in the offseason on a mammoth seven-year, $25,480,000 deal. Pitcher of the Year was fourth-year Kharkiv ace Petro Mihalko. The 26-year old Ukrainian righty led in wins (24-6), and WHIP (0.76). Mihalko added a 1.65 ERA and 323 strikeouts over 289.2 innings with 10.7 WAR. Kharkiv downed Minsk 3-1 and Warsaw ousted Kyiv 3-1 in the first round of the playoffs. The Wildcats earned a fourth consecutive European League Championship Series appearance, while it was the first since 1984 for the Killer Bees. Warsaw extended its EL dynasty by besting Kharkiv 4-2 to secure three pennants in a row. It was Warsaw’s fourth overall, as they also won in 1960. Last year, Irkutsk set a franchise record with 109 wins, although their three-peat bid in the Asian League was thwarted by Bishkek. The Ice Cats were even better in 1995 at 115-47, winning the North Division and extending its playoff streak to six seasons. In the South Division, Tashkent ended a 14-year playoff drought with a 103-59 mark. This was the first division title for the Tomcats since 1978. In a tight wild card race, Almaty (96-66) and Novosibirsk (94-68) both extended their respective playoff streaks to five straight seasons. Defending AL champ Bishkek fell one game short at 93-69. Asian League MVP was Irkutsk 3B David Kolesnikov. In his ninth season starting for the Ice Cats, the 30-year old Moscow native led in WAR (9.5), and OPS (.906). He added 39 home runs and a .281 average. His Ice Cats teammate Levka Khagba won Pitcher of the Year. It was his second, having also taken it in 1991. The 29-year old Russian led in wins at 23-3, ERA (1.59), and quality starts (30). Khagba added 252 strikeouts over 255.1 innings and 8.0 WAR. The division winners both picked up first round playoff sweeps with Irkutsk over Novosibirsk and Tashkent over Almaty. The Ice Cats earned a fourth consecutive Asian League Championship Series appearance, while Tashkent hadn’t done it since 1972. Irkutsk refused to suffer a disappointment like the prior year, taking the ALCS 4-1 against the Tomcats. The Ice Cats earned a third pennant in four years, as well as their seventh overall (1956, 61, 75, 77, 92, 93, 95). The 41^st Eurasian Professional Baseball Championship was a rematch of two years prior, which saw Irkutsk win in five against Warsaw. The Wildcats were the defending champ, having bounced back in 1994 over Bishkek. The 1995 finale was a seven game thriller which came down to the final inning. Warsaw led 5-1 entering the bottom of the ninth inning, but Irkutsk rallied from behind to win 6-5. Veteran RF Geza Aranyi had the clincher with a walk off two RBI single. 1B Khalid Meredov, the 1993 finals MVP, earned the honor again in 1995. The 28-year old Turkmen had 17 hits, 6 runs, 3 home runs, and 7 RBI in 15 playoff starts. Irkutsk’s title was notable not only for being their second in three years. Although other teams had posted better win-loss records, the Ice Cats at 115-47 set the new EPB record for best record by a team that ultimately won it all. 1959 Kyiv at 113-49 had the previous top mark. Irkutsk held this distinction in EPB until passed in 2004 by a 116-win Yekaterinburg squad. Regardless, the 1995 Ice Cats remain the peak of their 1990s dynasty run and have a spot at the table when discussing EPB’s all-time best champions. Other notes: Igor Bury and Fredi Tamasi became the third and fourth EPB pitchers to 5000 career strikeouts. Haxhi Maho joined both in the 4500K club and became the second to reach 300 wins. Maho would pitch two more seasons and finish with 335 wins, 14 short of Alvi Tahiri’s 349. Both Tamasi and Bury would fall short of Tahiri’s 6909 strikeouts, although they both still sit in the top five as of 2037. Dushanbe’s Carlton Eckel struck out 20 on May 23 against Ufa. __________________ 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)