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FuzzyRussianHat · 02-07-2025, 06:57 PM

Two players were slam dunk Hall of Fame inductees for West African Baseball in 2025 with SP Arthur Boateng at 94.4% and 1B Mohamed Elsheikh at 93.7%. CL Christopher James barely missed the 66% requirement to join them, receiving 65.8% in his second ballot. Fellow CL Francis Koomson was next with 59.5% on his fifth ballot. Also above 50% was SP Isaac Appiah debuting at 56.1%, RP Emma Markson with 52.8% in his eighth go, and 1B Ikechukwu Onyia with 51.8% for his fifth ballot.

C Roy Clark fell off the ballot after ten failed tries, peaking at 22.7% in his debut and ending at 6.6%. He won four Silver Sluggers and one Gold Glove over 17 years with five teams with 1939 hits, 700 runs, 394 doubles, 197 home runs, 827 RBI, .281/.305/.428 slash, 105 wRC+, and 44.5 WAR. Catchers have trouble with the low tallies that come with the position, but even accounting for that, Clark’s hitting was only slightly above average.

Also dropped was SP Kennedy Chisanga, who peaked at 18.5% in 2017 and fell to 4% on his tenth try. He had a 20-year career with 16 seasons in WAB, winning Pitcher of the Year in 2001. Chisanga won two titles with Kano and finished with a 185-137 record, 3.49 ERA, 2815 innings, 2539 strikeouts, 611 walks, 112 ERA+, and 44.8 WAR. Apart from the POTY season, Chisanga lacked dominance and his tallies weren’t quite high enough to make up for that.

Arthur Boateng – Starting Pitcher – Abidjan Athletes – 94.4% First Ballot

Arthur Boateng was a 6’3’’, 195 pound left-handed pitcher from the capital of Ghana, Accra. Boateng had strong stuff and good movement, although his control was average at best and did give him problems at points. His fastball peaked in the 97-99 mph range and was easily his strongest pitch. Boateng also had a nice slider and changeup along with an okay curveball.

He had an extreme groundball tendency, but also was one of the strongest strikeout pitchers of his era in WAB. Boateng had strong stamina relative to most WAB aces and his durability was generally rock solid. He had an excellent pickoff move and was a good defensive pitcher. The main critique of Boateng was of his personality, as he was considered by many teammates to be a bit selfish and lazy.

Boateng’s potential was known quickly by many scouts and Abidjan in particular took an interest in him. In May 2000, the Athletes inked him to a developmental deal and he made the move to the Ivory Coast. Boateng debuted officially in 2004 at age 20, struggling in 23.2 innings total. He was a full-time reliever in 2005 with 29 saves and a 2.64 ERA in 75 innings. Boateng struggled in his two relief appearances as Abidjan had a first round playoff exit. That ended a three-year postseason drought though with the Athletes having posted a dynasty run from 1992-2001.

Abidjan started an eight-year playoff streak in 2005, but they initially couldn’t make any ground against a dynasty run by Monrovia. Boateng was split between starting and relief in 2006, then earned a full-time starting job from 2007 onward. He struggled in 2007, but emerged as a top ace in 2008. That year, Boateng started a five-year streak leading the Western League in strikeouts. During that run, he also led in WAR thrice, innings pitched thrice, and wins four times.

Boateng was Pitcher of the Year in 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011. He’s one of seven WAB pitchers as of 2037 to have won the award four times and was the first to do it consecutively. Boateng also had a second place finish in 2012’s voting and was third in MVP voting for 2010. In May 2008, Abidjan gave Boateng a four-year, $12,240,000 extension.

2009 saw his first ERA title for the seventh pitching Triple Crown in WAB history with a 21-10 record, 2.41 ERA, and 305 strikeouts. He repeated with the Triple Crown in 2010 with what was widely viewed as the best effort of his career. In 2010, Boateng had a 1.61 ERA, which stands as the fourth-best qualifying season in WAB history. He had an 18-7 record and posted career highs in strikeouts (326), ERA+ (229), FIP- (71), WHIP (0.87), and WAR (7.0).

Boateng struggled in his initial playoff appearances. Abidjan in 2008 lost in the WLCS to Monrovia despite having the top seed at 106-56 with Boateng allowing nine runs in eight innings. He fared better in 2009 with a 3.03 ERA over 29.2 innings with 33 strikeouts. The Athletes returned to the top spot, upsetting the top-seeded Diplomats in the WLCS and beating Ibadan in the West African Championship.

In 2010, Boateng was dominant with a 1.09 ERA over 24.2 innings and 27 strikeouts. Abidjan repeated as Western League champs, but lost the WAB title to Cotonou. The Athletes had WLCS exits despite the top seed in 2011 and 2012. They missed the playoffs in 2013, then saw second round exits in 2014 and 2015. On the whole, Boateng’s postseason stats for Abidjan were underwhelming with a 3.94 ERA over 93.2 innings, 5-6 record, 107 strikeouts, 21 walks, 99 ERA+, and 1.6 WAR. His World Baseball Championship stats for his native Ghana were similarly unremarkable. From 2006-18, he pitched 75.2 innings with a 2-5 record, 5.11 ERA, 95 strikeouts, and 1.1 WAR.

Abidjan was still quite satisfied by Boateng and gave him a seven-year, $41,640,000 extension in March 2012. However, he struggled in 2013 to a 5.03 ERA. Boateng rebounded to a merely okay 3.82 ERA in 2014; far from his POTY peaks. He had been taken out of the full-time rotation 2015 with a 4.53 ERA and 1.3 WAR over 153 innings. Detractors argued that Boateng stopped trying once he had secured the bag.

Frustrated by the lack of production and effort, Abidjan traded Boateng after the 2015 season with a prospect to Dakar for 1B Javier Gutierrez. For the Athletes, Boateng had a 160-99 record, 3.18 ERA, 2361 innings, 2576 strikeouts, 600 walks, 131 ERA+, and 46.9 WAR. Although the run ended poorly, Boateng’s peak dominance was important enough to get his #20 uniform eventually retired for his efforts.

While still far from his peak dominance, Boateng had a solid 2016 despite missing six weeks to a strained shoulder. The Dukes had the best record at 112-50 and won it all, defeating Libreville for the WAB title. Boateng did struggle though with a 7.94 ERA in his 11.1 playoff innings. He fared better with a 3.46 ERA over 26 innings in the Baseball Grand Championship. Dakar would finish last in the BGC at 4-15.

Boateng led the league in wins in 2017 and took second in Pitcher of the Year voting. He allowed three runs over 5.2 innings in the playoffs as Dakar had a second round exit. For his whole playoff career, Boateng had a 4.33 ERA in 112.1 innings, 6-7 record, 132 strikeouts, 32 walks, 93 ERA+, and 2.2 WAR. The Dukes narrowly missed the playoffs in 2018 with Boateng missing more than half of the season from an arthritic elbow.

With Dakar, Boateng had a 42-12 record, 3.23 ERA, 491 innings, 553 strikeouts, 135 walks, 143 ERA+, and 11.5 WAR. He declined the final option year of his contract, becoming a free agent for the first time at age 35. Ouagadougou felt he still had plenty to offer, signing Boateng to a four-year, $35,100,000 deal. Boateng only pitched in 2019 for the Osprey with a 4.44 ERA over 219 innings and 3.2 WAR. He decided to retire after that shortly after his 36^th birthday.

Boateng finished with a 214-122 record, 3.27 ERA, 56 saves, 3071 innings, 3303 strikeouts, 788 walks, 236/382 quality starts, 88 complete games, 20 shutouts, 130 ERA+, and 61.6 WAR. As of 2037, Boateng ranks 4^th in wins, 20^th in strikeouts, 11^th in innings, 6^th in complete games, 8^th in shutouts, and 22^nd in pitching WAR. Among pitchers with 1000+ innings, Boateng’s ERA ranks 75^th.

Between his final tallies and iffy playoff stats, Boateng probably falls just outside of the “inner circle” level of Hall of Famers despite his two Triple Crowns and four Pitcher of the Year wins. Those accomplishments are clinchers on their own generally for induction. Boateng received 94.4% for the first ballot selection in West African Baseball’s 2025 class.

Mohamed “Flash” Elsheikh – First Base – Cotonou Copperheads – 93.7% First Ballot

Mohamed Elsheikh was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed first baseman from the capital of Sudan, Khartoum. Elsheikh was a very good contact hitter with reliably steady all around power. While he wasn’t a league leader, his 162 game average got you an impressive 35 home runs, 33 doubles, and 16 triples. Elsheikh graded as average to below average at drawing walks, avoiding strikeouts, and baserunning.

Elsheikh was a second baseman as a rookie, but was historically putrid in that role. He was moved to first base exclusively after that and was merely lousy there. About 20% of his career starts were as a designated hitter. Elsheikh’s stellar durability made him valuable in spite of his flaws, playing 150+ games in all but the last year of his 15 season career. Elsheikh was also one of the smartest and hardest working guys in the game, which endeared him to teammates, fans, and foes alike.

Nicknamed “Flash,” Elsheikh was a highly touted prospect even out of high school. He was picked fifth overall by Douala in the 2001 WAB Draft, but declined to sign and entered the college ranks. Elsheikh was next eligible in the 2004 draft and was again picked by the Dingos, this time going fourth overall. He signed and was a full-time starter immediately, winning 2005 Rookie of the Year honors. Elsheikh led the league in hits (207) and doubles (47, a career high) as rookie. He also won a Silver Slugger, his lone as a second baseman.

In year two, Elsheikh won a Slugger at first base and was second in MVP voting, leading in hits (204) and total bases (378). He maintained a solid pace, but nothing could get Douala out of the cellar. The Dingos had been generally WAB’s worst team historically and were especially bad in the 1990s and 2000s. During Elsheikh’s short run, they averaged an abysmal 58.25 wins per season.

In July 2008, Douala opted to trade Elsheikh to Lagos for three prospects. For the Dingos, he had 559 games, 737 hits, 33 1 runs, 144 doubles, 62 triples, 97 home runs, 354 RBI, .333/.371/.585 slash, 161 wRC+, and 18.1 WAR. Elsheikh helped the Lizards make a playoff push, winning the Eastern League pennant but falling to Monrovia for the West African Championship. He won ELCS MVP and in 14 playoff starts had 19 hits, 11 runs, 4 doubles, 5 homers, 15 RBI, 7 walks, 1.219 OPS, and 1.4 WAR.

Elsheikh remained solid for the Lizards, but Lagos collapsed for a 65-97 finish and was only marginally better at 75-87 in 2010. With the Lizards, Elsheikh had 390 games, 489 hits, 243 runs, 70 doubles, 38 triples, 92 home runs, 279 RBI, .318/.360/.592 slash, 158 wRC+, and 14.3 WAR. Now 29-years old, Elsheikh opted to test out free agency instead of staying with Lagos for a rebuild. He signed with the reigning WAB champion Cotonou for $19,200,000, beginning what would become his signature run.

In his 2011 debut, Elsheikh had his finest season with career and league bests in hits (220), RBI (155), total bases (440), slugging (.698), OPS (1.080), and WAR (8.8). He also had his personal highs for homers (48), and wRC+ (190), winning his lone MVP and third Silver Slugger. Elsheikh fell only six points and four dingers shy of a Triple Crown season.

Cotonou had an impressive 114-48 season and repeated as WAB champ, defeating Freetown in the final, although Elsheikh’s playoff run was unremarkable with .776 OPS, 113 wRC+, and 0.2 WAR. He also was surprisingly iffy in the Baseball Grand Championship with 19 games, .592 OPS, 62 wRC+, and -0.1 WAR. The Copperheads would finish in the middle of the standings at 10-9.

Elsheikh never replicated the MVP level season, but he settled back into his reliably solid production that he posted before arriving in Benin. He had an OPS above one thrice more and won additional Silver Sluggers in 2014 and 2017. Elsheikh also snagged third in 2013’s MVP voting.

The Copperheads were ousted in the second round of the 2012 playoffs, but won their third title in four years in 2013. Elsheikh was the star of that postseason run, taking MVP in the ELCS win over Ibadan and in the West African Championship win over Dakar. In nine starts, Elsheikh had 15 hits, 9 runs, 5 doubles, 2 triples, 3 homers, 12 RBI, 1.430 OPS, 267 wRC+, and 0.9 WAR. He maintained his success through the BGC with 18 starts, 24 hits, 13 runs, 3 doubles, 7 homers, 15 RBI, 1.065 OPS, 202 wRC+, and 1.2 WAR. Cotonou finished sixth with an 11-8 record.

The Copperheads gave Elsheikh a four-year, $44,400,000 extension in May 2014. Cotonou made five more playoff appearances, but their deepest runs would be ELCS defeats in 2014 and 2017. For his playoff career, Elsheikh had 60 games, 81 hits, 35 runs, 12 doubles, 8 triples, 15 home runs, 55 RBI, 14 walks, .358/.390/.681 slash, 1.072 OPS, 180 wRC+, and 3.3 WAR. As of 2037, Elsheikh ranks 8^th in playoff RBI, 18^th in homers, 9^th in hits, and 27^th in runs.

Elsheikh did also return home to Sudan for the World Baseball Championship, although his stats in that event were merely decent. In 102 games, he had 92 hits, 40 runs, 14 doubles, 21 homers, 60 RBI, .244/.278/.464 slash, and 2.1 WAR. Sudan would earn their first-ever division title in 2017 with Elsheikh posting 1.418 OPS in a part-timer role.

After the 2017 season, Cotonou gave Elsheikh another three years and $18,900,000. His power and production started to wane into his mid 30s, although he was still playable until 2019. Elsheikh was benched in that final year with onlt 105 wRC+ and 0 WAR over 75 games. He was released and went unsigned in 2020, retiring that winter at age 38. With Cotonou, Elsheikh had 1323 games, 1707 hits, 838 runs, 248 doubles, 128 triples, 302 home runs, 1052 RBI, .326/.360/.595 slash, 144 wRC+, and 37.1 WAR. For his role in the dynasty, the Copperheads retired his #17 uniform.

Elsheikh finished with 2272 games, 2933 hits, 1412 runs, 462 doubles, 228 triples, 491 home runs, 1685 RBI, 552 walks, 1940 strikeouts, 205 stolen bases, .326/.363/.592 slash, .955 OPS, 150 wRC+, and 69.4 WAR. As of 2037. Elsheikh ranks 14^th in hits, 32^nd in runs, 65^th in doubles, 14^th in triples, 34^th in homers, 16^th in total bases (5324), 17^th in RBI, and 26^th in WAR among position players. Among batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Elsheikh’s OPS ranks 45^th with his average 64^th and slugging 43^rd.

He isn’t quite at the inner circle level, but Elsheikh was one of the most reliably solid batters of his era. He also was a clutch playoff performer with three EL pennants and two WAB titles between Cotonou and Lagos. Elsheikh easily earned first ballot induction honors at 93.7% with West African Baseball’s 2025 Hall of Fame class.

02-07-2025, 06:57 PM	#2048
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,906	2025 WAB Hall of Fame Two players were slam dunk Hall of Fame inductees for West African Baseball in 2025 with SP Arthur Boateng at 94.4% and 1B Mohamed Elsheikh at 93.7%. CL Christopher James barely missed the 66% requirement to join them, receiving 65.8% in his second ballot. Fellow CL Francis Koomson was next with 59.5% on his fifth ballot. Also above 50% was SP Isaac Appiah debuting at 56.1%, RP Emma Markson with 52.8% in his eighth go, and 1B Ikechukwu Onyia with 51.8% for his fifth ballot. C Roy Clark fell off the ballot after ten failed tries, peaking at 22.7% in his debut and ending at 6.6%. He won four Silver Sluggers and one Gold Glove over 17 years with five teams with 1939 hits, 700 runs, 394 doubles, 197 home runs, 827 RBI, .281/.305/.428 slash, 105 wRC+, and 44.5 WAR. Catchers have trouble with the low tallies that come with the position, but even accounting for that, Clark’s hitting was only slightly above average. Also dropped was SP Kennedy Chisanga, who peaked at 18.5% in 2017 and fell to 4% on his tenth try. He had a 20-year career with 16 seasons in WAB, winning Pitcher of the Year in 2001. Chisanga won two titles with Kano and finished with a 185-137 record, 3.49 ERA, 2815 innings, 2539 strikeouts, 611 walks, 112 ERA+, and 44.8 WAR. Apart from the POTY season, Chisanga lacked dominance and his tallies weren’t quite high enough to make up for that. Arthur Boateng – Starting Pitcher – Abidjan Athletes – 94.4% First Ballot Arthur Boateng was a 6’3’’, 195 pound left-handed pitcher from the capital of Ghana, Accra. Boateng had strong stuff and good movement, although his control was average at best and did give him problems at points. His fastball peaked in the 97-99 mph range and was easily his strongest pitch. Boateng also had a nice slider and changeup along with an okay curveball. He had an extreme groundball tendency, but also was one of the strongest strikeout pitchers of his era in WAB. Boateng had strong stamina relative to most WAB aces and his durability was generally rock solid. He had an excellent pickoff move and was a good defensive pitcher. The main critique of Boateng was of his personality, as he was considered by many teammates to be a bit selfish and lazy. Boateng’s potential was known quickly by many scouts and Abidjan in particular took an interest in him. In May 2000, the Athletes inked him to a developmental deal and he made the move to the Ivory Coast. Boateng debuted officially in 2004 at age 20, struggling in 23.2 innings total. He was a full-time reliever in 2005 with 29 saves and a 2.64 ERA in 75 innings. Boateng struggled in his two relief appearances as Abidjan had a first round playoff exit. That ended a three-year postseason drought though with the Athletes having posted a dynasty run from 1992-2001. Abidjan started an eight-year playoff streak in 2005, but they initially couldn’t make any ground against a dynasty run by Monrovia. Boateng was split between starting and relief in 2006, then earned a full-time starting job from 2007 onward. He struggled in 2007, but emerged as a top ace in 2008. That year, Boateng started a five-year streak leading the Western League in strikeouts. During that run, he also led in WAR thrice, innings pitched thrice, and wins four times. Boateng was Pitcher of the Year in 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011. He’s one of seven WAB pitchers as of 2037 to have won the award four times and was the first to do it consecutively. Boateng also had a second place finish in 2012’s voting and was third in MVP voting for 2010. In May 2008, Abidjan gave Boateng a four-year, $12,240,000 extension. 2009 saw his first ERA title for the seventh pitching Triple Crown in WAB history with a 21-10 record, 2.41 ERA, and 305 strikeouts. He repeated with the Triple Crown in 2010 with what was widely viewed as the best effort of his career. In 2010, Boateng had a 1.61 ERA, which stands as the fourth-best qualifying season in WAB history. He had an 18-7 record and posted career highs in strikeouts (326), ERA+ (229), FIP- (71), WHIP (0.87), and WAR (7.0). Boateng struggled in his initial playoff appearances. Abidjan in 2008 lost in the WLCS to Monrovia despite having the top seed at 106-56 with Boateng allowing nine runs in eight innings. He fared better in 2009 with a 3.03 ERA over 29.2 innings with 33 strikeouts. The Athletes returned to the top spot, upsetting the top-seeded Diplomats in the WLCS and beating Ibadan in the West African Championship. In 2010, Boateng was dominant with a 1.09 ERA over 24.2 innings and 27 strikeouts. Abidjan repeated as Western League champs, but lost the WAB title to Cotonou. The Athletes had WLCS exits despite the top seed in 2011 and 2012. They missed the playoffs in 2013, then saw second round exits in 2014 and 2015. On the whole, Boateng’s postseason stats for Abidjan were underwhelming with a 3.94 ERA over 93.2 innings, 5-6 record, 107 strikeouts, 21 walks, 99 ERA+, and 1.6 WAR. His World Baseball Championship stats for his native Ghana were similarly unremarkable. From 2006-18, he pitched 75.2 innings with a 2-5 record, 5.11 ERA, 95 strikeouts, and 1.1 WAR. Abidjan was still quite satisfied by Boateng and gave him a seven-year, $41,640,000 extension in March 2012. However, he struggled in 2013 to a 5.03 ERA. Boateng rebounded to a merely okay 3.82 ERA in 2014; far from his POTY peaks. He had been taken out of the full-time rotation 2015 with a 4.53 ERA and 1.3 WAR over 153 innings. Detractors argued that Boateng stopped trying once he had secured the bag. Frustrated by the lack of production and effort, Abidjan traded Boateng after the 2015 season with a prospect to Dakar for 1B Javier Gutierrez. For the Athletes, Boateng had a 160-99 record, 3.18 ERA, 2361 innings, 2576 strikeouts, 600 walks, 131 ERA+, and 46.9 WAR. Although the run ended poorly, Boateng’s peak dominance was important enough to get his #20 uniform eventually retired for his efforts. While still far from his peak dominance, Boateng had a solid 2016 despite missing six weeks to a strained shoulder. The Dukes had the best record at 112-50 and won it all, defeating Libreville for the WAB title. Boateng did struggle though with a 7.94 ERA in his 11.1 playoff innings. He fared better with a 3.46 ERA over 26 innings in the Baseball Grand Championship. Dakar would finish last in the BGC at 4-15. Boateng led the league in wins in 2017 and took second in Pitcher of the Year voting. He allowed three runs over 5.2 innings in the playoffs as Dakar had a second round exit. For his whole playoff career, Boateng had a 4.33 ERA in 112.1 innings, 6-7 record, 132 strikeouts, 32 walks, 93 ERA+, and 2.2 WAR. The Dukes narrowly missed the playoffs in 2018 with Boateng missing more than half of the season from an arthritic elbow. With Dakar, Boateng had a 42-12 record, 3.23 ERA, 491 innings, 553 strikeouts, 135 walks, 143 ERA+, and 11.5 WAR. He declined the final option year of his contract, becoming a free agent for the first time at age 35. Ouagadougou felt he still had plenty to offer, signing Boateng to a four-year, $35,100,000 deal. Boateng only pitched in 2019 for the Osprey with a 4.44 ERA over 219 innings and 3.2 WAR. He decided to retire after that shortly after his 36^th birthday. Boateng finished with a 214-122 record, 3.27 ERA, 56 saves, 3071 innings, 3303 strikeouts, 788 walks, 236/382 quality starts, 88 complete games, 20 shutouts, 130 ERA+, and 61.6 WAR. As of 2037, Boateng ranks 4^th in wins, 20^th in strikeouts, 11^th in innings, 6^th in complete games, 8^th in shutouts, and 22^nd in pitching WAR. Among pitchers with 1000+ innings, Boateng’s ERA ranks 75^th. Between his final tallies and iffy playoff stats, Boateng probably falls just outside of the “inner circle” level of Hall of Famers despite his two Triple Crowns and four Pitcher of the Year wins. Those accomplishments are clinchers on their own generally for induction. Boateng received 94.4% for the first ballot selection in West African Baseball’s 2025 class. Mohamed “Flash” Elsheikh – First Base – Cotonou Copperheads – 93.7% First Ballot Mohamed Elsheikh was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed first baseman from the capital of Sudan, Khartoum. Elsheikh was a very good contact hitter with reliably steady all around power. While he wasn’t a league leader, his 162 game average got you an impressive 35 home runs, 33 doubles, and 16 triples. Elsheikh graded as average to below average at drawing walks, avoiding strikeouts, and baserunning. Elsheikh was a second baseman as a rookie, but was historically putrid in that role. He was moved to first base exclusively after that and was merely lousy there. About 20% of his career starts were as a designated hitter. Elsheikh’s stellar durability made him valuable in spite of his flaws, playing 150+ games in all but the last year of his 15 season career. Elsheikh was also one of the smartest and hardest working guys in the game, which endeared him to teammates, fans, and foes alike. Nicknamed “Flash,” Elsheikh was a highly touted prospect even out of high school. He was picked fifth overall by Douala in the 2001 WAB Draft, but declined to sign and entered the college ranks. Elsheikh was next eligible in the 2004 draft and was again picked by the Dingos, this time going fourth overall. He signed and was a full-time starter immediately, winning 2005 Rookie of the Year honors. Elsheikh led the league in hits (207) and doubles (47, a career high) as rookie. He also won a Silver Slugger, his lone as a second baseman. In year two, Elsheikh won a Slugger at first base and was second in MVP voting, leading in hits (204) and total bases (378). He maintained a solid pace, but nothing could get Douala out of the cellar. The Dingos had been generally WAB’s worst team historically and were especially bad in the 1990s and 2000s. During Elsheikh’s short run, they averaged an abysmal 58.25 wins per season. In July 2008, Douala opted to trade Elsheikh to Lagos for three prospects. For the Dingos, he had 559 games, 737 hits, 33 1 runs, 144 doubles, 62 triples, 97 home runs, 354 RBI, .333/.371/.585 slash, 161 wRC+, and 18.1 WAR. Elsheikh helped the Lizards make a playoff push, winning the Eastern League pennant but falling to Monrovia for the West African Championship. He won ELCS MVP and in 14 playoff starts had 19 hits, 11 runs, 4 doubles, 5 homers, 15 RBI, 7 walks, 1.219 OPS, and 1.4 WAR. Elsheikh remained solid for the Lizards, but Lagos collapsed for a 65-97 finish and was only marginally better at 75-87 in 2010. With the Lizards, Elsheikh had 390 games, 489 hits, 243 runs, 70 doubles, 38 triples, 92 home runs, 279 RBI, .318/.360/.592 slash, 158 wRC+, and 14.3 WAR. Now 29-years old, Elsheikh opted to test out free agency instead of staying with Lagos for a rebuild. He signed with the reigning WAB champion Cotonou for $19,200,000, beginning what would become his signature run. In his 2011 debut, Elsheikh had his finest season with career and league bests in hits (220), RBI (155), total bases (440), slugging (.698), OPS (1.080), and WAR (8.8). He also had his personal highs for homers (48), and wRC+ (190), winning his lone MVP and third Silver Slugger. Elsheikh fell only six points and four dingers shy of a Triple Crown season. Cotonou had an impressive 114-48 season and repeated as WAB champ, defeating Freetown in the final, although Elsheikh’s playoff run was unremarkable with .776 OPS, 113 wRC+, and 0.2 WAR. He also was surprisingly iffy in the Baseball Grand Championship with 19 games, .592 OPS, 62 wRC+, and -0.1 WAR. The Copperheads would finish in the middle of the standings at 10-9. Elsheikh never replicated the MVP level season, but he settled back into his reliably solid production that he posted before arriving in Benin. He had an OPS above one thrice more and won additional Silver Sluggers in 2014 and 2017. Elsheikh also snagged third in 2013’s MVP voting. The Copperheads were ousted in the second round of the 2012 playoffs, but won their third title in four years in 2013. Elsheikh was the star of that postseason run, taking MVP in the ELCS win over Ibadan and in the West African Championship win over Dakar. In nine starts, Elsheikh had 15 hits, 9 runs, 5 doubles, 2 triples, 3 homers, 12 RBI, 1.430 OPS, 267 wRC+, and 0.9 WAR. He maintained his success through the BGC with 18 starts, 24 hits, 13 runs, 3 doubles, 7 homers, 15 RBI, 1.065 OPS, 202 wRC+, and 1.2 WAR. Cotonou finished sixth with an 11-8 record. The Copperheads gave Elsheikh a four-year, $44,400,000 extension in May 2014. Cotonou made five more playoff appearances, but their deepest runs would be ELCS defeats in 2014 and 2017. For his playoff career, Elsheikh had 60 games, 81 hits, 35 runs, 12 doubles, 8 triples, 15 home runs, 55 RBI, 14 walks, .358/.390/.681 slash, 1.072 OPS, 180 wRC+, and 3.3 WAR. As of 2037, Elsheikh ranks 8^th in playoff RBI, 18^th in homers, 9^th in hits, and 27^th in runs. Elsheikh did also return home to Sudan for the World Baseball Championship, although his stats in that event were merely decent. In 102 games, he had 92 hits, 40 runs, 14 doubles, 21 homers, 60 RBI, .244/.278/.464 slash, and 2.1 WAR. Sudan would earn their first-ever division title in 2017 with Elsheikh posting 1.418 OPS in a part-timer role. After the 2017 season, Cotonou gave Elsheikh another three years and $18,900,000. His power and production started to wane into his mid 30s, although he was still playable until 2019. Elsheikh was benched in that final year with onlt 105 wRC+ and 0 WAR over 75 games. He was released and went unsigned in 2020, retiring that winter at age 38. With Cotonou, Elsheikh had 1323 games, 1707 hits, 838 runs, 248 doubles, 128 triples, 302 home runs, 1052 RBI, .326/.360/.595 slash, 144 wRC+, and 37.1 WAR. For his role in the dynasty, the Copperheads retired his #17 uniform. Elsheikh finished with 2272 games, 2933 hits, 1412 runs, 462 doubles, 228 triples, 491 home runs, 1685 RBI, 552 walks, 1940 strikeouts, 205 stolen bases, .326/.363/.592 slash, .955 OPS, 150 wRC+, and 69.4 WAR. As of 2037. Elsheikh ranks 14^th in hits, 32^nd in runs, 65^th in doubles, 14^th in triples, 34^th in homers, 16^th in total bases (5324), 17^th in RBI, and 26^th in WAR among position players. Among batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Elsheikh’s OPS ranks 45^th with his average 64^th and slugging 43^rd. He isn’t quite at the inner circle level, but Elsheikh was one of the most reliably solid batters of his era. He also was a clutch playoff performer with three EL pennants and two WAB titles between Cotonou and Lagos. Elsheikh easily earned first ballot induction honors at 93.7% with West African Baseball’s 2025 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)