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FuzzyRussianHat · 06-25-2024, 04:41 PM

Ji-Hu Kim – Designated Hitter/Second Base – Goyang Green Sox – 81.0% First Ballot

Ji-Hu Kim was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed hitter from Seoul, South Korea. Kim was a strong contact hitter with outstanding gap power, regularly getting 40-50 doubles/triples per season. He wasn’t a prolific home run guy, but he still was reliable for 15-25 most seasons. Kim was solid at avoiding strikeouts and average at drawing walks. Although he regularly got extra bases, his speed was average at best and his baserunning ability was abysmal.

Kim was a career designated hitter, making more than half of his starts there. About 1/3s of his starts were at second base, where he graded out as being atrocious. He did see a few starts at first base and was passable there. Kim was a hard working guy though and rarely missed starts to injuries, giving him plenty of value over a 21 year career.

Kim was the 7^th overall pick by Jeonju in the 1980 EAB Draft. The Jethawks only used him in 87 games with 27 starts in 1981, but gave him a full-time starting gig from 1982 to 1988. Kim led in triples in both 1982 and 1987, including a record-setting 40 triples in 1987. This still is EAB’s all-time record as of 2037. Kim had four straight seasons worth 5+ WAR to end his Jeonju run and won Silver Sluggers in 1986 and 1987, both at second base. 1986 also saw a third place in MVP voting.|

Jeonju was an expansion team in 1978 and Kim helped them to their first success. The Jethawks earned four straight playoff appearances from 1985-88. In both 1986 and 1988, Jeonju won the EAB Championship. Kim was the 1988 KLCS MVP and in 38 playoff starts with the Jethawks posted 51 hits, 18 runs, 8 doubles, 6 triples, 6 home runs, 25 RBI, a .333/.368/.582 slash, 160 wRC+, and 1.9 WAR.

It wasn’t his longest tenure or the hat he’d wear at induction, but Jeonju and Kim would hold a longtime bond for his role in their titles. With the Jethawks, he had 1362 hits, 631 runs, 183 doubles, 168 triples, 139 home runs, 653 RBI, a .311/.353/.525 slash, 139 wRC+, and 30.3 WAR. After the 1988 title though, the soon to be 30-year old decided to give free agency a look. Kim ended up inking a five-year, $6,100,000 deal with Goyang. He ultimately played nine years with the Green Sox, adding another five years and $8,140,000 in the spring of 1993.

Kim won a Silver Slugger in 1989 as a DH and finished third in MVP voting in 1990. Goyang earned playoff berths from 1991-93 and took the Korea League title in 1991, although they fell to Niigata in the EAB Championship. Still, this was their first-ever pennant and Kim was an important piece. In 18 playoff games for the Green Sox, he had 26 hits, 8 runs, 9 extra base hits, a .426/.444/.705 slash, and 218 wRC+.

A major setback happened in the 1993 playoffs as Kim suffered a broken kneecap. It was a nine month recovery, costing him much of 1994. He had a good 1995, but looked pedestrian the next two years as the Green Sox faded into mediocrity. For his tenure, Kim had 1583 hits, 741 runs, 206 doubles, 169 triples, 204 home runs, 752 RBI, a .310/.354/.537 slash, 145 wRC+, and 36.0 WAR. Goyang would later retire his #11 uniform.

The Green Sox run ended as the 39-year old Kim was traded in the last year of his deal to Tokyo for the 1998 campaign. He was a pinch hitter in the capital and while there became the 18^th EAB member of the 3000 hit club. Still hoping to start somewhere, Kim ended up leaving Japan and signing with OBA’s Christchurch for 1999.

In his one season in New Zealand, Kim picked up a Silver Slugger at second base. He came back to EAB in 2000 with Yongin and was respectable with 2.8 WAR despite missing some time to injury. Kim played 2001 with Busan and again still provided a starting quality bat. These final two seasons allowed him to breach the 1500 runs and 1500 RBI milestones. As just a DH, it was tough to find work at his age. Kim wanted to play in 2002, but couldn’t find a home. He finally retired that winter at age 43.

In EAB, Kim had 3295 hits, 1530 runs, 447 doubles, 359 triples, 377 home runs, 1584 RBI, a .310/.353/.527 slash, 141 wRC+, and 73.1 WAR. As of 2037, he’s 11^th all-time in hits, 4^th in triples, and 20^th in games played at 2903. As of 2037, he’s also one of only two Hall of Famers with 400+ doubles, 300+ triples, and 300+ home runs in a career.

There were some voters that disliked giving career DHs the nod. But Kim had great longevity and helped two franchise earn their first-ever Korea League pennants. Kim picked up 81.0% for a first ballot induction, the fourth highest percentage in the five-player 2007 EAB class.

Liang Ran – Starting Pitcher – Kobe Blaze – 69.8% First Ballot

Liang Ran was a 6’0’’, 195 pound left-handed pitcher from Shanghai, China; the third largest city in the world. Ran was a fireballer with terrific stuff and 99-101 mph peak velocity. His control was merely average though and his movement was often below average. Ran had a fastball, slider, changeup, and circle change arsenal. He was considered very good at holding runners that got on.

Ran’s stamina was unremarkable compared to the typical top tier aces. However, his durability was quite good in his 20s, allowing for plenty of innings each year. Ran was complimented for his leadership and work ethic, but some thought he was a bit of a dummy. His strategy was often just “throw ball hard,” but that can still get you a lot of outs with the right stuff.

It was very rare for a Chinese amateur to defect due to political difficulties. Plus, most didn’t want to leave even if presented the option. Scouts from Korea and Japan didn’t often search China for prospects, but Ran stood out in the big city scene of Shanghai. A Bucheon scout thought he was worth the work and inked him in February 1982 as a teenage amateur. Despite starting with the Bolts, Ran ultimately spent little game time there.

Ran debuted at age 21 in 1987 as a part-time starter, looking delightfully average. He was a full-timer the next year and looked about the same. In July, Bucheon sent Ran and four other prospects to Kobe for veteran 2B Isamu Nakamura and perhaps most importantly, for $18,860,000. Ran had 2.9 WAR over 293.1 innings with a 3.96 ERA with the Bolts. He continued to look average to finish the year in the Blaze’s rotation.

In 1989 though, Ran emerged as a strong starter for Kobe and posted six straight seasons with an ERA below three. In 1991, he led the Japan League in strikeouts (321), WHIP (0.81), and WAR (6.5); all career bests. Ran was second in Pitcher of the Year voting, the only time he was a finalist. Kobe also ended a six-year playoff drought, but lost in the first round of the playoffs.

The Blaze gave Ran a four-year, $8,640,000 extension in the summer of 1994. He had five seasons worth 6+ WAR for Kobe and led twice more in strikeouts and once more in WHIP. The Blaze won four more division titles during Ran’s run, but only once got out of the first round (a JLCS loss in 1994). Ran had a 3.26 ERA, 49.2 innings, 45 strikeouts, 100 ERA+, and 0.7 WAR in his playoff career.

1997 was a rollercoaster year for Ran. On April 22, he tossed a no-hitter with 15 strikeouts and 4 walks against Tokyo. A month later, he suffered a torn triceps that knocked him out four months. Ran made it back for the playoffs, but got rocked in his one start. Still, Kobe signed him for another four years and $10,080,000 in August 1998.

Ran looked respectable in 1999 and 2000 and had a strong start to 2001. Unfortunately on May 26, 2001; Ran suffered a partially torn UCL with an 11 month recovery time. Kobe bought out the last year of his deal and Ran decided to retire with that injury at age 35. The Blaze would immediately retire his #35 uniform for his lengthy service.

Ran had a 180-153 record, 2.82 ERA, 3113.1 innings, 3539 strikeouts, 590 walks, 276/411 quality starts, 119 ERA+, 82 FIP-, and 67.1 WAR. The injury cost him a few more years to make his accumulations more impressive. When looking at the leaderboards, Ran’s resume is very much right on the borderline. Not having a Pitcher of the Year also hurt him with many of the stingier voters.

However, Ran was one of the better strikeout pitchers of his era. Many voters also appreciate someone who had a long run with one team. It was hard to get noticed in a loaded field, but Ran still managed to get 69.8% on his debut. That got him across the line as the fifth and final member of EAB’s impressive 2007 Hall of Fame class.

06-25-2024, 04:41 PM	#1370
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,729	2007 EAB Hall of Fame (Part 3) Ji-Hu Kim – Designated Hitter/Second Base – Goyang Green Sox – 81.0% First Ballot Ji-Hu Kim was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed hitter from Seoul, South Korea. Kim was a strong contact hitter with outstanding gap power, regularly getting 40-50 doubles/triples per season. He wasn’t a prolific home run guy, but he still was reliable for 15-25 most seasons. Kim was solid at avoiding strikeouts and average at drawing walks. Although he regularly got extra bases, his speed was average at best and his baserunning ability was abysmal. Kim was a career designated hitter, making more than half of his starts there. About 1/3s of his starts were at second base, where he graded out as being atrocious. He did see a few starts at first base and was passable there. Kim was a hard working guy though and rarely missed starts to injuries, giving him plenty of value over a 21 year career. Kim was the 7^th overall pick by Jeonju in the 1980 EAB Draft. The Jethawks only used him in 87 games with 27 starts in 1981, but gave him a full-time starting gig from 1982 to 1988. Kim led in triples in both 1982 and 1987, including a record-setting 40 triples in 1987. This still is EAB’s all-time record as of 2037. Kim had four straight seasons worth 5+ WAR to end his Jeonju run and won Silver Sluggers in 1986 and 1987, both at second base. 1986 also saw a third place in MVP voting.\| Jeonju was an expansion team in 1978 and Kim helped them to their first success. The Jethawks earned four straight playoff appearances from 1985-88. In both 1986 and 1988, Jeonju won the EAB Championship. Kim was the 1988 KLCS MVP and in 38 playoff starts with the Jethawks posted 51 hits, 18 runs, 8 doubles, 6 triples, 6 home runs, 25 RBI, a .333/.368/.582 slash, 160 wRC+, and 1.9 WAR. It wasn’t his longest tenure or the hat he’d wear at induction, but Jeonju and Kim would hold a longtime bond for his role in their titles. With the Jethawks, he had 1362 hits, 631 runs, 183 doubles, 168 triples, 139 home runs, 653 RBI, a .311/.353/.525 slash, 139 wRC+, and 30.3 WAR. After the 1988 title though, the soon to be 30-year old decided to give free agency a look. Kim ended up inking a five-year, $6,100,000 deal with Goyang. He ultimately played nine years with the Green Sox, adding another five years and $8,140,000 in the spring of 1993. Kim won a Silver Slugger in 1989 as a DH and finished third in MVP voting in 1990. Goyang earned playoff berths from 1991-93 and took the Korea League title in 1991, although they fell to Niigata in the EAB Championship. Still, this was their first-ever pennant and Kim was an important piece. In 18 playoff games for the Green Sox, he had 26 hits, 8 runs, 9 extra base hits, a .426/.444/.705 slash, and 218 wRC+. A major setback happened in the 1993 playoffs as Kim suffered a broken kneecap. It was a nine month recovery, costing him much of 1994. He had a good 1995, but looked pedestrian the next two years as the Green Sox faded into mediocrity. For his tenure, Kim had 1583 hits, 741 runs, 206 doubles, 169 triples, 204 home runs, 752 RBI, a .310/.354/.537 slash, 145 wRC+, and 36.0 WAR. Goyang would later retire his #11 uniform. The Green Sox run ended as the 39-year old Kim was traded in the last year of his deal to Tokyo for the 1998 campaign. He was a pinch hitter in the capital and while there became the 18^th EAB member of the 3000 hit club. Still hoping to start somewhere, Kim ended up leaving Japan and signing with OBA’s Christchurch for 1999. In his one season in New Zealand, Kim picked up a Silver Slugger at second base. He came back to EAB in 2000 with Yongin and was respectable with 2.8 WAR despite missing some time to injury. Kim played 2001 with Busan and again still provided a starting quality bat. These final two seasons allowed him to breach the 1500 runs and 1500 RBI milestones. As just a DH, it was tough to find work at his age. Kim wanted to play in 2002, but couldn’t find a home. He finally retired that winter at age 43. In EAB, Kim had 3295 hits, 1530 runs, 447 doubles, 359 triples, 377 home runs, 1584 RBI, a .310/.353/.527 slash, 141 wRC+, and 73.1 WAR. As of 2037, he’s 11^th all-time in hits, 4^th in triples, and 20^th in games played at 2903. As of 2037, he’s also one of only two Hall of Famers with 400+ doubles, 300+ triples, and 300+ home runs in a career. There were some voters that disliked giving career DHs the nod. But Kim had great longevity and helped two franchise earn their first-ever Korea League pennants. Kim picked up 81.0% for a first ballot induction, the fourth highest percentage in the five-player 2007 EAB class. Liang Ran – Starting Pitcher – Kobe Blaze – 69.8% First Ballot Liang Ran was a 6’0’’, 195 pound left-handed pitcher from Shanghai, China; the third largest city in the world. Ran was a fireballer with terrific stuff and 99-101 mph peak velocity. His control was merely average though and his movement was often below average. Ran had a fastball, slider, changeup, and circle change arsenal. He was considered very good at holding runners that got on. Ran’s stamina was unremarkable compared to the typical top tier aces. However, his durability was quite good in his 20s, allowing for plenty of innings each year. Ran was complimented for his leadership and work ethic, but some thought he was a bit of a dummy. His strategy was often just “throw ball hard,” but that can still get you a lot of outs with the right stuff. It was very rare for a Chinese amateur to defect due to political difficulties. Plus, most didn’t want to leave even if presented the option. Scouts from Korea and Japan didn’t often search China for prospects, but Ran stood out in the big city scene of Shanghai. A Bucheon scout thought he was worth the work and inked him in February 1982 as a teenage amateur. Despite starting with the Bolts, Ran ultimately spent little game time there. Ran debuted at age 21 in 1987 as a part-time starter, looking delightfully average. He was a full-timer the next year and looked about the same. In July, Bucheon sent Ran and four other prospects to Kobe for veteran 2B Isamu Nakamura and perhaps most importantly, for $18,860,000. Ran had 2.9 WAR over 293.1 innings with a 3.96 ERA with the Bolts. He continued to look average to finish the year in the Blaze’s rotation. In 1989 though, Ran emerged as a strong starter for Kobe and posted six straight seasons with an ERA below three. In 1991, he led the Japan League in strikeouts (321), WHIP (0.81), and WAR (6.5); all career bests. Ran was second in Pitcher of the Year voting, the only time he was a finalist. Kobe also ended a six-year playoff drought, but lost in the first round of the playoffs. The Blaze gave Ran a four-year, $8,640,000 extension in the summer of 1994. He had five seasons worth 6+ WAR for Kobe and led twice more in strikeouts and once more in WHIP. The Blaze won four more division titles during Ran’s run, but only once got out of the first round (a JLCS loss in 1994). Ran had a 3.26 ERA, 49.2 innings, 45 strikeouts, 100 ERA+, and 0.7 WAR in his playoff career. 1997 was a rollercoaster year for Ran. On April 22, he tossed a no-hitter with 15 strikeouts and 4 walks against Tokyo. A month later, he suffered a torn triceps that knocked him out four months. Ran made it back for the playoffs, but got rocked in his one start. Still, Kobe signed him for another four years and $10,080,000 in August 1998. Ran looked respectable in 1999 and 2000 and had a strong start to 2001. Unfortunately on May 26, 2001; Ran suffered a partially torn UCL with an 11 month recovery time. Kobe bought out the last year of his deal and Ran decided to retire with that injury at age 35. The Blaze would immediately retire his #35 uniform for his lengthy service. Ran had a 180-153 record, 2.82 ERA, 3113.1 innings, 3539 strikeouts, 590 walks, 276/411 quality starts, 119 ERA+, 82 FIP-, and 67.1 WAR. The injury cost him a few more years to make his accumulations more impressive. When looking at the leaderboards, Ran’s resume is very much right on the borderline. Not having a Pitcher of the Year also hurt him with many of the stingier voters. However, Ran was one of the better strikeout pitchers of his era. Many voters also appreciate someone who had a long run with one team. It was hard to get noticed in a loaded field, but Ran still managed to get 69.8% on his debut. That got him across the line as the fifth and final member of EAB’s impressive 2007 Hall of Fame class. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)