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2014 finally saw the African Association of Baseball’s first Hall of Famer in Bawaka Ngoie on his fifth ballot. That broke the seal just enough for reliever Jaures Ibara to cross the 66% requirement in 2015 with 72.5% for his fifth ballot. AAB also had its first-ever first ballot inductee in 2015 as SP Henry Kibirige received 71.5%.



Four other players were above 50%, led by 1B Abebe Chekol with a 58.1% third ballot. SP Joel Mwasesa debuted at 56.4%, SP Hendrik Jongman had 54.0% for his eighth go, and 1B Boubacar Mavinga saw 50.2% for his fourth ballot. No players were dropped after ten failed ballots in 2015.



Jaures Ibara – Closer – Johannesburg Jackalopes – 72.5% Fifth Ballot

Jaures Ibara was a 6’5’’, 200 pound right-handed relief pitcher from Nioki, a town of 62,000 in the western Democratic Republic of the Congo. Ibara had incredible stuff with jaw-dropping movement, although his control was merely average. He had a 99-101 mph fastball and an equally fast splitter that looked the same out of his hand. This one-two punch led to many strikeouts and harmless ground balls.

Ibara’s stamina was solid for a reliever and he had good durability early in his career. He was a very intelligent pitcher, but he rubbed a lot of people the wrong way. Ibara was considered very greedy and selfish who often only tried hard if it benefited him. His raw talent though was undeniable though, but it meant he never stuck around any one place very long.

When the African Association of Baseball formed in 1995, Ibara already had a few years on the semipro ranks and was 26-years old. He joined the new league on a two-year deal with Johannesburg, although he spent three years total in this first run with the Jackalopes. Ibara was a dominant closer, leading the Southern Conference three straight years in saves. He won Reliever of the Year in 1996 and took second in 1997, along with a third place in 1997 for Pitcher of the Year voting.

Johannesburg won the first Africa Series in 1995 against Kinshasa with Ibara giving up three runs over 8.1 playoff innings. He posted 17.1 WAR, 122 saves, and a 1.72 ERA in his first three seasons with the Jackalopes. They just missed the playoffs in 1996 and 1997. Ibara left after that as a free agent heading towards his age 29 season.

He spent the next two years with Kinshasa, returning to his home country. Ibara did pitch regularly for the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the World Baseball Championship even as he bounced around. From 1995-2006, he tossed 105.1 as he also started 14 games, posting a 2.31 ERA, 5-5 record, 3 saves, 158 strikeouts, 33 walks, 153 ERA+, and 4.3 WAR.

Kinshasa was AAB’s first dynasty and they continued with Ibara, winning the Africa Series in 1998 and 1999, the middle seasons of a four-peat. Ibara led in saves in 1998 and had career bests in ERA (1.06), innings (93.2), strikeouts (161), ERA+ (374), and WAR (6.9). Yet, he took second in Reliever of the Year voting and third in Pitcher of the Year voting. Ibara would take his second ROTY in 1999. He also had a 47 save streak from May 1998 to May 1999 with Kinshasa.

Ibara was a beast in Kinshasa’s 1998 title run, tossing 9.2 scoreless and no-hit innings with 18 strikeouts and just a walk allowed. He earned four saves and two wins over seven games. Ibara allowed five runs in 15 innings the next year with 3 saves. With Kinshasa, Ibara had a 1.54 ERA, 78 saves, 181 innings, 299 strikeouts, 258 ERA+, and 12.3 WAR.

Both finals wins had come against Johannesburg, who Ibara returned to in 2000. He won his third Reliever of the Year and was second in POTY voting. Ibara was a playoff beast again with seven saves over 13 innings with a 0.69 ERA and 15 strikeouts. However, Johannesburg fell to Kinshasa in the Africa Series for the third straight year.

Ibara left for Lubumbashi in 2001 at age, which had a career-altering moment. A partially torn labrum cost him much of the season and greatly diminished his control and output in later years. Ibara missed the playoff run, but did earn his third AAB ring as the Loggerheads beat Johannesburg for the title.

Johannesburg brought him back in 2002 and he took second in ROTY voting, but he had a full-season career low with 104 strikeouts and 2.8 WAR. He wasn’t used in the playoffs as the Jackalopes’ conference title streak was snapped by Antananarivo. This would be his last season as a full-time closer.

Ibara went to Luanda in 2003 and only tossed 33.1 innings. He had a fourth stint with Johannesburg in 2004, but struggled and was traded back to the Landsharks. In total between stints for the Jackalopes, Ibara had 200 saves, a 1.96 ERA, 463 innings, 685 strikeouts, 191 walks, 206 ERA+, and 26.5 WAR. Between his Luanda stints he had a 2.55 ERA, 12 saves, -0.2 WAR, and 55 strikeouts in 53.

Lubumbashi brought him back in 2005, but only used him for 10.2 innings. This was during the brief era when AAB and EBF teams had a trading agreement. The Loggerheads sent Ibara to Germany in a deadline trade, finishing out the season with 12 innings for Munich. He would remain in Europe for his final two seasons.

Ibara was a part-time closer in 2006 for Krakow with 20 saves and a 3.07 ERA in 73.1 innings. He went to Glasgow in 2007 and made two starts even, but struggled to a 5.51 ERA over 16.1 innings. Ibara retired from the game that winter at age 38. In Europe, he had a 3.45 ERA over 101.2 innings, 71 strikeouts, and 0.1 WAR.

For his AAB career, Ibara had 297 saves and 330 shutdowns, 51-48 record, 1.89 ERA, 743.2 innings, 1099 strikeouts, 305 walks, 214 ERA+, and 40.0 WAR. Perhaps most impressive were his playoff starts with a 1.65 ERA in 49 innings, 18 saves, 71 strikeouts, 246 ERA+, and 2.5 WAR. One of the biggest parts of his candidacy was dominance in playoff runs for both Kinshasa and Johannesburg.

With AAB being new, there weren’t many other guys to compare Ibara to. As of 2037, he has the best ERA of any Hall of Famer and even as a reliever, he ranks 62^nd in pitching WAR. Ibara is ninth in saves, but supporters note that he lost a few years of production in his 20s. However, his lousy personality and mercenary attitude didn’t earn him many friends. A lot of voters didn’t want Ibara to be AAB’s first-ever Hall of Famer.

Ibara debuted at 56.1% in 2011, then dropped to 50.9% in 2012. He just barely missed the 66% cut the next two years at 65.6% and 63.3%. With 2014 finally getting an inductee, that softened up enough voters to push Ibara across the line. He received 72.5% in 2015 for the fifth ballot induction and the first reliever into AAB’s Hall of Fame.



Henry Kibirige – Starting Pitcher – Bujumbura Bighorns – 71.5% First Ballot

Henry Kibirige was a 6’1’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Jinja, a city of 300,000 in Uganda’s Eastern Region on the shore of Lake Victoria. Kibirige was known for having excellent control of his arsenal, although his stuff and movement were both only above average. His velocity peaked in the 93-95 mph range with a slider, changeup, cutter arsenal.

Kibirige’s changeup was his most dangerous pitch and his combination of control and changing speeds allowed him to excel without raw power. Kibirige had strong stamina and led the league thrice in innings pitched. He also had fantastic durability and very rarely missed a start. Kibirige’s loyalty also garnered a lot of respect as he spent his entire pro career with Bujumbura.

The 1995 AAB Draft was the inaugural rookie draft and featured a 21-year old Kibirige, who was picked 14^th overall by the Bighorns. They used him mostly in relief with average results in his rookie season. Kibirige became a full-time starter from 1997 onward and made an immediate impact. That year had career and Central Conference bests in WAR (10.0), WHIP (0.97), and wins (23-6).

1997 was also Kibirige’s first ERA title at 2.60, earning Pitcher of the Year. Bujumbura took first in the conference standings, but fell to Kinshasa in the conference final. The Sun Cats dynasty dominated for the next decade and the Bighorns were usually stuck in the middle of the standings. They averaged 85.4 wins per season in Kibirige’s career. Bujumbura had wild cards in 1999 and 2007, but fell both years. For his part, he had a 2.42 ERA over 26 career playoff innings.

Kibirige made history in 1999 as AAB’s first-ever Triple Crown pitcher with a 22-10 record, 2.38 ERA, and 261 strikeouts. These were career highs in ERA and Ks, earning his second Pitcher of the Year. Kibirige led in WAR as well and led twice more in 2000 and 2002. He picked up a second ERA title in 2002. Kibirige was second in POTY voting in 2000 and 2002 with a third place in 2001. He had six straight seasons with 6+ WAR and topped 9+ twice.

After the 2002 season, Bujumbura gave Kibirige a six-year, $14,400,00 extension. As the talent improved in Africa, Kibirige would look more like an average pitcher in these later years. He didn’t top 5+ WAR again, but did lead in wins and WHIP in 2007. In 2009, Kibirige would become the first AAB pitcher to reach 200 career wins. When his contract expired after the 2009 season, Kibirige retired at age 35. His #28 uniform would be the first retired by the Bighorns.

Kibirige had a 203-143 record, 3.38 ERA, 3254.2 innings, 2719 strikeouts, 777 walks, 121 ERA+, 90 complete games, and 68.0 WAR. He stayed the wins leader until the early 2020s and still ranks 4^th as of 2037. Kibirige also ranks eighth in pitching WAR, 18^th in strikeouts, and 4^th in innings pitched. Kibirige’s 26^th shutouts also remain the most in AAB history, although he never managed to toss a no-hitter.

For rate stats among all pitchers with 1000+ innings, Kibirige’s ERA is 33^rd and his .691 opponents’ OPS is 63^rd. There would be later pitchers with more raw dominance, but Kibirige was rock solid for a long time and a legit force in his prime. It was surprising to many in hindsight that he only received 71.5% for induction. However, that was enough to the first-ever first ballot inductee as part of AAB’s 2015 Hall of Fame class.