[FuzzyRussianHat]

West African Baseball added three players into the Hall of Fame in 2010 with each sitting in the 70-75% range. Pitcher Rick Agyemang had the top mark with a debut at 75.2%. Center fielder Aijboye Okemmiri was close behind with a 74.0% debut. First baseman Daouda Kadri was third with 72.1%, finally crossing the 66% requirement on his eighth ballot. Pitcher Angelo Costa barely missed the cut at 65.5% for his second ballot. 2B Hamza Seidu was also above 50% on his second try at 57.7%. No players were dropped after ten failed ballots in 2010.



Rick Agyemang – Starting Pitcher – Abidjan Athletes – 75.2% First Ballot

Rick Agyemang was a 5’10’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Tema, Ghana; a city of roughly 160,000 within the Greater Accra area. Agyemang had respectable stuff with above average control, although his control was often subpar. His fastball hit 95-97 mph regularly and was mixed in with a slider and changeup. Agyemang had pretty good stamina relative to other WAB aces and had excellent durability in his younger years.

Agyemang’s professional career began in Mali when he was signed in August 1984 as a teenage amateur by Bamako. He spent five full seasons in the Bullfrogs academy before debuting in 1990 at age 22. Agyemang was a full-time starter immediately, although control issues plagued him early on. He led the league with 99 walks in his debut season and didn’t post strong value until his third season.

Although he didn’t play in his native Ghana, Agyemang represented his native country from 1991-2004 in the World Baseball Championship. He tossed 112.1 innings with a 4.09 ERA, 114 strikeouts, 48 walks, 88 ERA+, and 0.8 WAR.

Bamako’s only playoff appearance during Agyemang’s tenure was a wild card round loss in 1992, which saw him get rocked in his one start. He had a respectable 1992 and 1993 campaign, then started to look like a proper ace in 1994. A 5.6 WAR season earned him a second place in Pitcher of the Year voting.

1995 was Agyemang’s last season under contract with Bamako, who didn’t have the desire to give him a big contract. He was traded in early June to Lagos with OF Alebiosu Alfa for C Teva Ioane and P Houssein Saores. With the Bullfrogs, Agyemang had a 67-60 record, 3.40 ERA, 1225.2 innings, 1302 strikeouts, 412 walks, 112 ERA+, and 16.2 WAR.

Agyemang struggled in his few months with the Lizards, posting a lousy 4.72 ERA. Lagos’ just missed the playoffs and Agyemang entered free agency at age 28. His weak season had lowered his stock some, but Abidjan still saw plenty of potential. They signed Agyemang to a six-year, $8,840,000 deal to begin what would be his signature run. He was going to a contender, as the Athletes had just won their fourth straight Western League pennant.

1996 was a respectable debut for Agyemang, although Abidjan lost in the wild card round and he got roughed up in his lone playoff start. 1997 was stronger with a new career best 6.5 WAR, but Abidjan’s playoff streak was snapped as they fell one game short at 95-67. The Athletes made it back with four straight berths from 1998-2001.

In 1998, Agyemang led in wins with a career best 21-5 and had career highs in strikeouts (288), innings (267.1), and WAR (7.0). He took third in Pitcher of the Year voting, but wasn’t used in the playoffs as Abidjan lost in the wild card round. Agyemang had a decent 1999, but finally stepped up in the postseason. In four playoff starts, he had a 3-1 record over 27.1 innings, 29 strikeouts, and a 1.32 ERA. Abidjan won the WL pennant, but lost the WAB Championship against Kano’s dynasty.

The Athletes upset 125-win Kano in the 2000 WAB Championship, then lost in a rematch with the Condors in 2001. Agyemang was unremarkable in those playoff runs, finishing his postseason career with a 3.82 ERA over 61.1 innings. In 2001, Agyemang was third in POTY voting. He finished his Abidjan tenure with a 99-56 record, 3.21 ERA, 1418 innings, 1544 strikeouts, 361 walks, 120 ERA+, and 31.4 WAR.

Agyemang was a free agent again at age 34 and signed a four-year, $11,200,000 deal with Cotonou. The Copperheads had just snapped a 13-year playoff drought and hoped that Agyemang could help them contend more. Sadly, it didn’t pay off as they were merely above average in his first two seasons and then back to the bottom after that.

The deal was snake-bitten though due to Agyemang suffering a torn labrum in late January during the World Baseball Championship. He missed most of the 2002 season and looked middling in his limited action. Agyemang would surprise many with a stellar bounce-back season in 2003. He won his lone ERA title at 2.48 and led in WHIP at 1.00. That effort gave Agyemang his only Pitcher of the Year win at age 35. The season also saw a no-hitter with 11 strikeouts and 4 walks against Ibadan in May.

Agyemang’s success was short lived, as he got wrecked to start 2004. Cotonou eventually had to bench him, finishing with a 5.38 ERA and -1.7 WAR over 88.2 innings. He retired from the game that winter at age 37. With the Copperheads, Agyemang h ad a 26-18 record, 3.45 ERA, 412.2 innings, 429 strikeouts, 113 ERA+, and 4.6 WAR.

The final stats for Agyemang: 197-143 record, 3.37 ERA, 3188 innings, 3435 strikeouts, 919 walks, 250/416 quality starts, 114 ERA+, 92 FIP-, and 52.8 WAR. It was an interesting career as he generally didn’t lead any leaderboards. Almost quietly, Agyemang ended up 13^th in strikeouts and 12^th in wins still as of 2037. He ranks 47^th in pitching WAR though and advanced stats suggest a more above average final grade.

Still, tenure has value. Agyemang also was visible in the back-end of Abidjan’s title runs of the era and did have both a POTY and no-hitter to his name. On his Hall of Fame ballot debut, Agyemang received 75.2%, earning the lead spot for the three-player 2010 class.