OOTP Developments Forums - View Single Post

FuzzyRussianHat · 08-03-2025, 10:28 AM

Four players were first ballot inductees for the European Baseball Federation Hall of Fame in 2023. Co-headlining at 98.8% and 97.3% respectively were OF Jean-Luc Tapie and CF Omer Kadri Nesin. 1B Jean-Paul Lafontaine was next at 81.2% and CL Wilfried Bergmann got 72.3%. 1B Sisto Contreras was the closest returner to the 66% requirement, but missed at 60.9% on his third ballot. Also above 50% was 2B Oliver Bjerkli with 58.2% for his second ballot, LF Emilson Patino with 56.2% on his seventh try, and SS Nicolo Giotto at 50.0% even for his second go.

CF Joris Kostic was dropped after ten failed ballots, getting as close as 59.6% in 2029 before ending at 47.3%. He was never below 40% and was ultimately doomed by injuries, playing only 1735 games in 16 seasons. Two of those seasons (including his best year) also were in the European Second League, not helping his EBF totals. In the top tier, Kostic did win MVP in 2004 along with four Silver Sluggers. His most famous tenure was with Krakow, but he notably won finals MVP as part of Paris’ 2014 championship.

Kostic had 1539 games, 1821 hits, 955 runs, 218 doubles, 113 triples, 324 home runs, 903 RBI, 639 steals, .329/.370/.584 slash, 167 wRC+, and 80.4 WAR. The pace was certainly there and Kostic ranks 84^th in WAR among position players even over the short tenure. However, all of the injury totals greatly limited his accumulations and many voters are hard pressed to add a guy who fell short of 2000 hits, 1000 runs, and 1000 RBI.

Catcher Jonathan Brandt also fell off, although he never got as close with a 35.8% peak in 2027 and finish at 5.9%. He was hurt by both a quick decline and the low totals that come with playing catcher. In 12 years for Cologne, Brandt had 1366 games, 1578 hits, 528 runs, 255 doubles, 38 homers, 560 RBI, .341/.370/.436 slash, 129 wRC+, and 45.6 WAR. He won three Silver Sluggers and was a starter for the Copperheads’ 2012 championship team, but ultimately was a “Hall of Pretty Good” level guy.

Jean-Luc “Sugar Bear” Tapie – Right/Left Field – Marseille Musketeers – 98.8% First Ballot

Jean-Luc Tapie was a 6’2’’, 200 pound left-handed corner outfielder from Saint-Nicolas, France; a commune of just under 5,000 people in the country’s north. His warm personality earned him the nickname “Sugar Bear.” Tapie was one of the most universally beloved players for fans and peers alike. A true fan favorite, he was known for his selflessness, loyalty, work ethic, and adaptability.

At his best, Tapie was one of the best all-around batters in the world with great contact skills, home run power, and a stellar eye. He was especially a menace for right-handed pitching with a career 1.106 OPS and 195 wRC+, but he was plenty good against lefties with a .892 OPS and 144 wRC+. Tapie had an excellent eye for drawing walks, but his strikeout rate was merely average. Tapie had a powerful bat with 44 home runs, 22 doubles, and 9 triples per his 162 game average. He had 12 seasons with 40+ homers and was above 50+ four times.

Tapie was a skilled baserunner, but his speed and stealing ability were both average at best. He was a corner outfield with a close to even split for his career between right and left field. Tapie did spend slightly more time in RF and was better there, but he was a lousy defender on the whole. He had some recurring injuries, mainly with his back and hamstrings. While he did miss some notable chunks, Tapie’s batting prowess and work ethic still propelled him to a 23-year pro career.

Despite coming from a smaller town, word of Tapie’s talent quickly spread throughout the French baseball community. In the 2005 EBF Draft, he’d go late in the first round, 49^th overall, to Marseille. Tapie wasn’t fully formed yet and saw limited action initially. He played only 24 games in 2005 with poor results, but he looked promising over 83 games and 25 starts in 2006. Tapie earned a full-time gig in 2007 and held it for 12 years with the Musketeers, only missing starts to injuries.

Tapie’s first year as a starter was stellar, winning Southern Conference MVP and his first Silver Slugger in LF. He led the conference in homers (54), total bases (404), walks (70), slugging (.711), OPS (1.116), and wRC+ (201). Marseille was still stuck around .500, but had optimism that they’d soon contend. The Musketeers had a playoff drought back to 1990. In 2008, they had their best season of the drought at 90-72, but they were still a win short of the postseason.

2008 had repeat MVPs and a Slugger in RF for Tapie. He was the leader in runs (130), homers (59), walks (97), total bases (407), OBP (.451), slugging (.758), OPS (1.209), wRC+ (215), and WAR (9.8). To that point, it was only the third time in EBF history that a player had an OBP above .450 and only the fifth season ever of an OPS above 1.200. That would be his career best for both stats and his best for runs, walks, and slugging.

Tapie had a seven-year streak as OPS leader from 2007-13 and led in OBP five times, slugging six times, and wRC+ six times during that stretch. 2009 had a similar pace, but he missed six weeks in the spring to a strained MCL. Still, Tapie was third in MVP voting. Most importantly, Marseille ended their playoff drought as a 97-65 division champ.

The Musketeers got hot, defeating Tirana in the Southern Conference Championship and topping Luxembourg for their first European Championship since the 1985-86 repeat. Tapie’s stats were merely decent in the run with 17 hits, 9 runs, 2 doubles, 1 triple, 4 homers, 11 RBI, .885 OPS, and 0.3 WAR. Still, he had helped return Marseille to relevance.

Tapie was also broadly popular across France as a regular from 2007-25 in the World Baseball Championship. He was a stud on the WBC stage with 203 games, 167 hits, 147 runs, 23 doubles, 77 home runs, 150 RBI, 125 walks, .248/.397/.634 slash, 1.031 OPS, and 11.8 WAR. The French had division titles in 2011, 16, 19, and 24.

It was the 2024 run that was most notable, as a 38-year old Tapie helped France to its first world title 4-2 over the United States. In 23 games, Tapie had 18 hits, 16 runs, 6 homers, 11 RBI, .958 OPS, and 1.0 WAR. As of 2037, Tapie is 17^th among position players in WAR in event history, 18^th in homers, 24^th in runs, 28^th in total bases (427), 22^nd in RBI, and 19^th in walks. He’s also one of only 81 guys with an OPS above 1.300 in the WBC and at least 250+ plate appearances.

From 2010-12, Tapie three-peated as MVP and won Sluggers at LF in 2010-11 and RF in 2012. In August 2011, Marseille wisely inked him to an eight-year, $88,300,000 extension. He’s one of only three players with 5+ MVPs in EBF along with Sean Houston and Harvey Coyle. In 2010, Tapie had his career highs for hits (206), batting average (.368), and doubles (33). 2011 was his peak for homers (61), RBI (141), wRC+ (217), and WAR (10.6). Tapie was the homer leader again in 2012 with 53 dingers.

Marseille became a playoff regular with Tapie, but they weren’t able to match the 2009 title run. The Musketeers had second round exits in 2010, 11, and 16; a first round loss in 2012, and playoff misses in 2013 and 15. They did get to the conference finals in 2014, but lost to Valencia. Tapie’s playoff stats were respectable in 46 starts for Marseille with 47 hits, 31 runs, 15 homers, 27 RBI, .276/.369/.571, 150 wRC+, and 1.9 WAR.

Tapie was third in 2013’s MVP voting and won a Silver Slugger in RF for 2015. He was the leader once more in slugging and OPS in 2015, but that was his last time as a conference leader. In 2014, Tapie lost six weeks to a hamstring strain. An even worse hamstring strain knocked him out more than half of the 2016 campaign and a torn thumb ligament cost him six weeks in 2018. Tapie was still a very effective batter when healthy and would be good for around 4-5 WAR a generally in his 30s, but he was out of the MVP conversation

Marseille was 78-84 in 2017, their first losing season since 2005. They then absolutely collapsed in 2018 at 56-106, suffering relegation for the first time to the European Second League. Tapie still had a year left on his contract, but understandably opted out due to the demotion. It would take seven years for the Musketeers to recover and get back to the EBF Elite.

Tapie remained beloved and a symbol of the “good ol’ days” in southern France. For Marseille, he had 1808 games, 1989 hits, 1292 runs, 268 doubles, 113 triples, 558 home runs, 1278 RBI, 933 walks, .325/.418/.680 slash, 194 wRC+, and 95.3 WAR. Sugar Bear’s #33 uniform would be retired at the end of his career, but he’d still have another nine years to go. Heading towards his age 34 season, Tapie went across the border to Spain on a four-year, $59,300,000 deal with Barcelona.

He was steady in three seasons for the Bengals, although a sprained ankle cost him some time in 2019. In 442 games, Tapie had 434 hits, 262 runs, 62 doubles, 27 triples, 97 home runs, 278 RBI, 214 walks, .298/.390/.577 slash, .164 wRC+, and 15.7 WAR. He did also win his seventh and final Silver Slugger in 2020, that one in RF. While in Spain, he crossed the 600 home run, 1500 run, and 1500 RBI milestones.

Barcelona had been historically strong, but they had fallen into the 70s win range in the latter part of the 2010s. The Bengals dropped to 63-99 and suffered their own first relegation, causing Tapie to opt out of his deal. Soon to be 37, Tapie still had suitors and signed at $46 million over three years with Dublin. The Dinos had been a powerhouse in the 21^st Century with EBF titles in 2010, 11, and 13. They had been the runner-up in 2020 and a conference finalist in 2021.

Dublin started a new dynasty run during Tapie’s three-year tenure, winning Northern Conference pennants each season with 116, 114, and 110 wins. The Dinos won the European Championship in 2022 over Naples and repeated in 2023 against Munich. However, the three-peat was denied by Chisinau in 2024. Tapie solidified a reputation as a big game hitter in his late 30s, playing 46 playoff games for Dublin with 45 hits, 30 runs, 8 doubles, 3 triples, 12 home runs, 31 RBI, .283/.384/.597 slash, 166 wRC+, and 2.2 WAR.

In 2022, Dublin finished third in the Baseball Grand Championship at 12-7. They were 13-6 in 2023, one back on Dhaka for the top spot but third via the tiebreaker with Guatemala. Then in 2024, the Dinos finished in a three-way tie for first with Chisinau and Sao Paulo at 13-6. The three teams had a rock-paper-scissors result, but Dublin allowed the fewest runs and therefore earned the tiebreaker and the Grand Champion honors.

In 55 BGC games, Tapie had 41 hits, 25 runs, 6 doubles, 10 homers, 23 RBI, .247/.406/.464 slash, and 2.1 WAR. For his EBF playoff career, he had 94 games, 93 hits, 61 runs, 11 doubles, 4 triples, 27 homers, 58 RBI, 47 walks, .280/.376/.581 slash, 157 wRC+, and 4.0 WAR. Between Dublin and Marseille, Tapie was a three-time European Champion, four-time conference champ, and a Grand Champion. He also would become a World Champion in 2024 with France, crystalizing his spot as one of baseball’s immortals.

Tapie’s stats stayed very steady and strong in three years in Ireland with 412 games, 430 hits, 273 runs, 54 doubles, 119 home runs, 327 RBI, 194 walks, .301/.385/.618 slash, 167 wRC+, and 15.8 WAR. In 2022, Tapie became the ninth member of the 700 home run club. On May 29, 2024, he became one of a select few in EBF with a four home run game against Oslo.

At this point, Tapie seemed to have a strong shot at the 2000 run, 3000 hit, 800 home run, and 2000 RBI milestones. He also left Dublin with 1341 walks, second on the leaderboard at that point with a shot at Nikolai Yevsikov’s 1446. Coming up on age 40, Tapie signed a three-year, $58,400,000 deal with Palermo. The run would be snake-bitten from the start, missing much of that first season between a strained groin and back troubles.

Tapie was generally healthy from 2026-27 but he had declined noticeably and was reduced to a backup role, ultimately falling short of the before-mentioned milestones. For the Priests, he had 266 games total with only 75 starts with 107 hits, 70 runs, 11 doubles, 22 home runs, 50 RBI, .245/.331/.436 slash, 119 wRC+, and 2.3 WAR. He retired after the 2027 season at age 42.

Sugar Bear’s final stats saw 2928 games, 2960 hits, 1897 runs, 395 doubles, 164 triples, 796 home runs, 1933 RBI, 1394 walks, 1772 strikeouts, 288 steals, .314/.405/.644 slash, 182 wRC+, and 129.1 WAR. As of 2037, Tapie is 7^th in games, 9^th in runs, 18^th in hits, 9^th in total bases (6071), 57^th in doubles, 4^th in homers, 10^th in RBI, 2^nd in walks, and 12^th in WAR among position players. He sits 20^th in WAR among all EBF players.

Amongst EBF batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Tapie is 10^th in OBP, 10^th in slugging, and 6^th in OPS. Among the world’s Hall of Famers and retired locks, he’s 26^th in OBP, 18^th in slugging, 13^th in OPS, and just outside the top 50 for wRC+. Tapie goes down as one of the most efficient and effective hitters in the history of the game. Tapie is easily an inner-circle Hall of Famer for the European Baseball Federation and one of the most decorated position players in its history.

Some scholars rank him as high as the top 10 for EBF position players and most have him somewhere in the top 20 at minimum. Tapie is also the WAR leader among French position players and is often cited as the best-ever hitter from France. A few go as far as calling him the best-ever player from France, although pitcher Jean-Luc Roch is typically rated above Tapie. At 98.8%, Tapie co-headlined an excellent four-player HOF class for the EBF.

Omer Kadri “Stumpy” Nesin – Center Field – Hamburg Hammers – 97.3% First Ballot

Omer Kadri Nesin was a 6’3’’, 205 pound right-handed center fielder from Nuremburg, Germany; a city of 529,5000 in the state of Bavaria. Nicknamed “Stumpy,” Nesin was most famous for his excellent speed and stellar baserunning, leading the conference six times in stolen bases. He was also a good contact hitter with a solid eye for drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts. Nesin fared a bit better facing left-handed pitching (.907 OPS, 150 wRC+) compared to righties (.833 OPS, 131 wRC+). He emerged as one of the top leadoff guys of his era.

Nesin wasn’t a powerful slugger as he never hit more than 20 home runs in a season. His gap power and speed though earned a lot of extra base hits with a 162 game average of 24 doubles, 25 triples, and 12 homers. Nesin was one of a select few in baseball history to have more triples than he had doubles or homers. From that, he scored a lot of runs and was a nightmare for pitchers to hold.

Nesin was a career center fielder and on the whole, he graded as a reliably adequate defender. His overall glove work was good, but his range and arm were average at best. Still, Nesin wasn’t a negative value defender except for his final years. He had great durability even with the demands of CF, starting 135+ games in all but two of his 17 seasons. Nesin was a fan favorite and had high character, known for his loyalty, adaptability, work ethic, and intelligence. He wasn’t one to take a leadership role, but he was still universally respected and praised by his peers.

In April 2006, Nesin left Germany as a teenager for Sweden on a developmental deal with Stockholm. He spent most of five years in their academy, debuting with five games in 2010 at age 21. The Swordsmen made Nesin a starter in 2011 and he was third in Rookie of the Year voting. He held that gig firmly eight years for them. The only real interruption was 2017 due to a fractured wrist.

Nesin was a reliably strong starter for Stockholm but he wasn’t an awards finalist or generally a conference leader while there. The Swordsmen were generally stuck in the middle tier with a playoff drought back to the early 1990s. Nesin helped them with some brief life with 87, 85, and 88 wins from 2014-16. After the 2015 season, Stockholm signed Nesin to an eight-year $108,700,000 deal with expectations to soon contend.

In 2018, Nesin hit for the cycle against Hamburg in 2018. It was the lone highlight really that year for Stockholm, who finished at 69-93 and ended up relegated to the European Second League. Nesin used the relegation opt-out, leaving for free agency at age 30. For the Swordsmen, Nesin had 1205 games, 1330 hits, 714 runs, 173 doubles, 178 triples, 80 home runs, 439 RBI, 608 steals, .295/.356/.465 slash, 130 wRC+, and 44.7 WAR.

Nesin signed a five-year, $90,800,000 deal with Hamburg and started his signature run. This marked his full-time return to Germany, although he had been a regular for his country in the World Baseball Championship. From 2013-26, Nesin had 154 games, 147 hits, 105 runs, 19 doubles, 9 triples, 21 homers, 52 RBI, 106 steals, .259/.361/.435 slash, and 6.7 WAR.

In his 30s, Nesin had some notable performances for Germany. In 2020, he had 27 hits, 21 runs, 19 steals, and 1.5 WAR in 22 games as the Germans were runner-up to the United States. They were division champs again in 2021 and took third in 2024. Nesin had 22 steals and 16 walks notably in 2024 with .957 OPS and 1.7 WAR. As of 2037, he’s one of only 26 players with 100+ career WBC steals.

Hamburg had become a regular contender shortly before Nesin’s arrival. They had the #1 seed in 2015, but lost to Antwerp in the Northern Conference Championship. The Hammers just missed the playoffs in 2016, then had division titles and first round exits in 2017-18. Nesin helped Hamburg extend their playoff and division title streak through 2023.

Nesin had led in steals with 92 in his final season with Stockholm. He then led four straight years for Hamburg, three of those with 108+ swipes. He won Silver Sluggers in 2020 and 2022. In 2021, Nesin won the batting title at .353 and led in runs (124), hits (214), and triples (30). In 2022, he had his career bests for runs (129), hits (219), triples (37), average (.354), slugging (.569), OPS (.971), wRC+ (168), and WAR (9.8). Nesin was the WARlord that year, finishing second in MVP voting.

In his 2019 debut, Hamburg finished 99-63 and went all the way to the European Championship, beating Berlin for the conference pennant and Zurich for the overall title. The Hammers were 9-10 in the Baseball Grand Championship. They exploded for a franchise-best 115-47 in 2020, but suffered a second round upset defeat to Amsterdam. Hamburg won 108 in 2021 and 107 in 2022.

The Hammers reclaimed the conference pennant in 2021, but couldn’t deny Munich’s repeat in the European Championship. Hamburg went 11-8 in the BGC, joining the Mavericks and three others in a tie for fourth (officially they were sixth). Hamburg lost in the 2022 conference final to 116-win Dublin, then had a second round exit in 2023.

Nesin’s playoff production was decent over 52 games with 65 hits, 32 runs, 11 doubles, 14 triples, 2 homers, 18 RBI, 26 steals, .293/.317/.495, 121 wRC+, and 1.7 WAR. The BGC stats were more underwhelming with 38 games, 27 hits, 28 runs, 3 doubles, 2 triples, 3 homers, 13 RBI, 12 steals, .203/.340/.323 slash, and 0.3 WAR. Still, he was very popular and considered a key part of Hamburg’s successes of that era.

After the 2022 season, the now 34-year old Nesin signed a four-year, $109,600,000 extension with Hamburg. The playoff streak ended in 2024, although they stayed above .500 through 2026. Hamburg then fell towards the bottom of the standings to close the decade, only narrowly escaping relegation.

Nesin carried on, posting a career and conference best 116 steals in 2025 at age 36. He was one of the few to hit for the cycle twice, doing it in 2018 and 2021. Nesin did finally see a sharp decline in 2027 with career worsts for OPS (.720), wRC+ (97), and WAR (1.4). The season was still notable as he became the 13^th member of the 3000 hit club.

With Hamburg, Nesin played 1373 games with 1700 hits, 1005 runs, 207 doubles, 227 triples, 107 home runs, 551 RBI, 477 walks, 848 steals, .319/.377/.503 slash, 142 wRC+, and 57.7 WAR. Nesin was unsigned for all of 2028 and retired that winter at age 40. The Hammers quickly brought back in to retire his #10 uniform for his nine year run.

Nesin finished with 2578 games, 3030 hits, 1719 runs, 380 doubles, 405 triples, 187 home runs, 990 RBI, 861 walks, 1335 strikeouts, 1456 steals, 659 caught stealing, .308/.367/.486 slash, 136 wRC+, and 102.4 WAR. As of 2037, Nesin ranks 28^th in games, 14^th in runs, 16^th in hits, 39^th in total bases (4781), 11^th in singles (2058), 66^th in doubles, 5^th in triples, 3^rd in steals, 6^th in caught stealing, and 25^th in WAR among position players.

Specifically for games played in center field, Nesin is EBF’s all-time leader in WAR, games, runs, hits, total bases, singles, triples, and steals. On the world list as of 2037, Nesin is 9^th in triples and one of only 11 guys with 400+ for his career. He also ranks 25^th all-time in stolen bases. As far as leadoff guys go in world history, Nesin is on the shortlist.

You could argue Nesin is the top center fielder in European Baseball Federation history, although the EBF hasn’t seen the big stars as the spot as some other leagues. Nesin is the only EBF CF with 100+ WAR at the position despite only winning two Silver Sluggers and no Gold Gloves. As a leadoff guy with little home run power, some are hesitant to label Nesin as an “inner-circle” Hall of Famer. However, his candidacy wasn’t remotely in doubt. At 97.3%, Nesin co-headlined EBF’s four-player 2033 class.

08-03-2025, 10:28 AM	#2362
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,881	2033 EBF Hall of Fame (Part 1) Four players were first ballot inductees for the European Baseball Federation Hall of Fame in 2023. Co-headlining at 98.8% and 97.3% respectively were OF Jean-Luc Tapie and CF Omer Kadri Nesin. 1B Jean-Paul Lafontaine was next at 81.2% and CL Wilfried Bergmann got 72.3%. 1B Sisto Contreras was the closest returner to the 66% requirement, but missed at 60.9% on his third ballot. Also above 50% was 2B Oliver Bjerkli with 58.2% for his second ballot, LF Emilson Patino with 56.2% on his seventh try, and SS Nicolo Giotto at 50.0% even for his second go. CF Joris Kostic was dropped after ten failed ballots, getting as close as 59.6% in 2029 before ending at 47.3%. He was never below 40% and was ultimately doomed by injuries, playing only 1735 games in 16 seasons. Two of those seasons (including his best year) also were in the European Second League, not helping his EBF totals. In the top tier, Kostic did win MVP in 2004 along with four Silver Sluggers. His most famous tenure was with Krakow, but he notably won finals MVP as part of Paris’ 2014 championship. Kostic had 1539 games, 1821 hits, 955 runs, 218 doubles, 113 triples, 324 home runs, 903 RBI, 639 steals, .329/.370/.584 slash, 167 wRC+, and 80.4 WAR. The pace was certainly there and Kostic ranks 84^th in WAR among position players even over the short tenure. However, all of the injury totals greatly limited his accumulations and many voters are hard pressed to add a guy who fell short of 2000 hits, 1000 runs, and 1000 RBI. Catcher Jonathan Brandt also fell off, although he never got as close with a 35.8% peak in 2027 and finish at 5.9%. He was hurt by both a quick decline and the low totals that come with playing catcher. In 12 years for Cologne, Brandt had 1366 games, 1578 hits, 528 runs, 255 doubles, 38 homers, 560 RBI, .341/.370/.436 slash, 129 wRC+, and 45.6 WAR. He won three Silver Sluggers and was a starter for the Copperheads’ 2012 championship team, but ultimately was a “Hall of Pretty Good” level guy. Jean-Luc “Sugar Bear” Tapie – Right/Left Field – Marseille Musketeers – 98.8% First Ballot Jean-Luc Tapie was a 6’2’’, 200 pound left-handed corner outfielder from Saint-Nicolas, France; a commune of just under 5,000 people in the country’s north. His warm personality earned him the nickname “Sugar Bear.” Tapie was one of the most universally beloved players for fans and peers alike. A true fan favorite, he was known for his selflessness, loyalty, work ethic, and adaptability. At his best, Tapie was one of the best all-around batters in the world with great contact skills, home run power, and a stellar eye. He was especially a menace for right-handed pitching with a career 1.106 OPS and 195 wRC+, but he was plenty good against lefties with a .892 OPS and 144 wRC+. Tapie had an excellent eye for drawing walks, but his strikeout rate was merely average. Tapie had a powerful bat with 44 home runs, 22 doubles, and 9 triples per his 162 game average. He had 12 seasons with 40+ homers and was above 50+ four times. Tapie was a skilled baserunner, but his speed and stealing ability were both average at best. He was a corner outfield with a close to even split for his career between right and left field. Tapie did spend slightly more time in RF and was better there, but he was a lousy defender on the whole. He had some recurring injuries, mainly with his back and hamstrings. While he did miss some notable chunks, Tapie’s batting prowess and work ethic still propelled him to a 23-year pro career. Despite coming from a smaller town, word of Tapie’s talent quickly spread throughout the French baseball community. In the 2005 EBF Draft, he’d go late in the first round, 49^th overall, to Marseille. Tapie wasn’t fully formed yet and saw limited action initially. He played only 24 games in 2005 with poor results, but he looked promising over 83 games and 25 starts in 2006. Tapie earned a full-time gig in 2007 and held it for 12 years with the Musketeers, only missing starts to injuries. Tapie’s first year as a starter was stellar, winning Southern Conference MVP and his first Silver Slugger in LF. He led the conference in homers (54), total bases (404), walks (70), slugging (.711), OPS (1.116), and wRC+ (201). Marseille was still stuck around .500, but had optimism that they’d soon contend. The Musketeers had a playoff drought back to 1990. In 2008, they had their best season of the drought at 90-72, but they were still a win short of the postseason. 2008 had repeat MVPs and a Slugger in RF for Tapie. He was the leader in runs (130), homers (59), walks (97), total bases (407), OBP (.451), slugging (.758), OPS (1.209), wRC+ (215), and WAR (9.8). To that point, it was only the third time in EBF history that a player had an OBP above .450 and only the fifth season ever of an OPS above 1.200. That would be his career best for both stats and his best for runs, walks, and slugging. Tapie had a seven-year streak as OPS leader from 2007-13 and led in OBP five times, slugging six times, and wRC+ six times during that stretch. 2009 had a similar pace, but he missed six weeks in the spring to a strained MCL. Still, Tapie was third in MVP voting. Most importantly, Marseille ended their playoff drought as a 97-65 division champ. The Musketeers got hot, defeating Tirana in the Southern Conference Championship and topping Luxembourg for their first European Championship since the 1985-86 repeat. Tapie’s stats were merely decent in the run with 17 hits, 9 runs, 2 doubles, 1 triple, 4 homers, 11 RBI, .885 OPS, and 0.3 WAR. Still, he had helped return Marseille to relevance. Tapie was also broadly popular across France as a regular from 2007-25 in the World Baseball Championship. He was a stud on the WBC stage with 203 games, 167 hits, 147 runs, 23 doubles, 77 home runs, 150 RBI, 125 walks, .248/.397/.634 slash, 1.031 OPS, and 11.8 WAR. The French had division titles in 2011, 16, 19, and 24. It was the 2024 run that was most notable, as a 38-year old Tapie helped France to its first world title 4-2 over the United States. In 23 games, Tapie had 18 hits, 16 runs, 6 homers, 11 RBI, .958 OPS, and 1.0 WAR. As of 2037, Tapie is 17^th among position players in WAR in event history, 18^th in homers, 24^th in runs, 28^th in total bases (427), 22^nd in RBI, and 19^th in walks. He’s also one of only 81 guys with an OPS above 1.300 in the WBC and at least 250+ plate appearances. From 2010-12, Tapie three-peated as MVP and won Sluggers at LF in 2010-11 and RF in 2012. In August 2011, Marseille wisely inked him to an eight-year, $88,300,000 extension. He’s one of only three players with 5+ MVPs in EBF along with Sean Houston and Harvey Coyle. In 2010, Tapie had his career highs for hits (206), batting average (.368), and doubles (33). 2011 was his peak for homers (61), RBI (141), wRC+ (217), and WAR (10.6). Tapie was the homer leader again in 2012 with 53 dingers. Marseille became a playoff regular with Tapie, but they weren’t able to match the 2009 title run. The Musketeers had second round exits in 2010, 11, and 16; a first round loss in 2012, and playoff misses in 2013 and 15. They did get to the conference finals in 2014, but lost to Valencia. Tapie’s playoff stats were respectable in 46 starts for Marseille with 47 hits, 31 runs, 15 homers, 27 RBI, .276/.369/.571, 150 wRC+, and 1.9 WAR. Tapie was third in 2013’s MVP voting and won a Silver Slugger in RF for 2015. He was the leader once more in slugging and OPS in 2015, but that was his last time as a conference leader. In 2014, Tapie lost six weeks to a hamstring strain. An even worse hamstring strain knocked him out more than half of the 2016 campaign and a torn thumb ligament cost him six weeks in 2018. Tapie was still a very effective batter when healthy and would be good for around 4-5 WAR a generally in his 30s, but he was out of the MVP conversation Marseille was 78-84 in 2017, their first losing season since 2005. They then absolutely collapsed in 2018 at 56-106, suffering relegation for the first time to the European Second League. Tapie still had a year left on his contract, but understandably opted out due to the demotion. It would take seven years for the Musketeers to recover and get back to the EBF Elite. Tapie remained beloved and a symbol of the “good ol’ days” in southern France. For Marseille, he had 1808 games, 1989 hits, 1292 runs, 268 doubles, 113 triples, 558 home runs, 1278 RBI, 933 walks, .325/.418/.680 slash, 194 wRC+, and 95.3 WAR. Sugar Bear’s #33 uniform would be retired at the end of his career, but he’d still have another nine years to go. Heading towards his age 34 season, Tapie went across the border to Spain on a four-year, $59,300,000 deal with Barcelona. He was steady in three seasons for the Bengals, although a sprained ankle cost him some time in 2019. In 442 games, Tapie had 434 hits, 262 runs, 62 doubles, 27 triples, 97 home runs, 278 RBI, 214 walks, .298/.390/.577 slash, .164 wRC+, and 15.7 WAR. He did also win his seventh and final Silver Slugger in 2020, that one in RF. While in Spain, he crossed the 600 home run, 1500 run, and 1500 RBI milestones. Barcelona had been historically strong, but they had fallen into the 70s win range in the latter part of the 2010s. The Bengals dropped to 63-99 and suffered their own first relegation, causing Tapie to opt out of his deal. Soon to be 37, Tapie still had suitors and signed at $46 million over three years with Dublin. The Dinos had been a powerhouse in the 21^st Century with EBF titles in 2010, 11, and 13. They had been the runner-up in 2020 and a conference finalist in 2021. Dublin started a new dynasty run during Tapie’s three-year tenure, winning Northern Conference pennants each season with 116, 114, and 110 wins. The Dinos won the European Championship in 2022 over Naples and repeated in 2023 against Munich. However, the three-peat was denied by Chisinau in 2024. Tapie solidified a reputation as a big game hitter in his late 30s, playing 46 playoff games for Dublin with 45 hits, 30 runs, 8 doubles, 3 triples, 12 home runs, 31 RBI, .283/.384/.597 slash, 166 wRC+, and 2.2 WAR. In 2022, Dublin finished third in the Baseball Grand Championship at 12-7. They were 13-6 in 2023, one back on Dhaka for the top spot but third via the tiebreaker with Guatemala. Then in 2024, the Dinos finished in a three-way tie for first with Chisinau and Sao Paulo at 13-6. The three teams had a rock-paper-scissors result, but Dublin allowed the fewest runs and therefore earned the tiebreaker and the Grand Champion honors. In 55 BGC games, Tapie had 41 hits, 25 runs, 6 doubles, 10 homers, 23 RBI, .247/.406/.464 slash, and 2.1 WAR. For his EBF playoff career, he had 94 games, 93 hits, 61 runs, 11 doubles, 4 triples, 27 homers, 58 RBI, 47 walks, .280/.376/.581 slash, 157 wRC+, and 4.0 WAR. Between Dublin and Marseille, Tapie was a three-time European Champion, four-time conference champ, and a Grand Champion. He also would become a World Champion in 2024 with France, crystalizing his spot as one of baseball’s immortals. Tapie’s stats stayed very steady and strong in three years in Ireland with 412 games, 430 hits, 273 runs, 54 doubles, 119 home runs, 327 RBI, 194 walks, .301/.385/.618 slash, 167 wRC+, and 15.8 WAR. In 2022, Tapie became the ninth member of the 700 home run club. On May 29, 2024, he became one of a select few in EBF with a four home run game against Oslo. At this point, Tapie seemed to have a strong shot at the 2000 run, 3000 hit, 800 home run, and 2000 RBI milestones. He also left Dublin with 1341 walks, second on the leaderboard at that point with a shot at Nikolai Yevsikov’s 1446. Coming up on age 40, Tapie signed a three-year, $58,400,000 deal with Palermo. The run would be snake-bitten from the start, missing much of that first season between a strained groin and back troubles. Tapie was generally healthy from 2026-27 but he had declined noticeably and was reduced to a backup role, ultimately falling short of the before-mentioned milestones. For the Priests, he had 266 games total with only 75 starts with 107 hits, 70 runs, 11 doubles, 22 home runs, 50 RBI, .245/.331/.436 slash, 119 wRC+, and 2.3 WAR. He retired after the 2027 season at age 42. Sugar Bear’s final stats saw 2928 games, 2960 hits, 1897 runs, 395 doubles, 164 triples, 796 home runs, 1933 RBI, 1394 walks, 1772 strikeouts, 288 steals, .314/.405/.644 slash, 182 wRC+, and 129.1 WAR. As of 2037, Tapie is 7^th in games, 9^th in runs, 18^th in hits, 9^th in total bases (6071), 57^th in doubles, 4^th in homers, 10^th in RBI, 2^nd in walks, and 12^th in WAR among position players. He sits 20^th in WAR among all EBF players. Amongst EBF batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Tapie is 10^th in OBP, 10^th in slugging, and 6^th in OPS. Among the world’s Hall of Famers and retired locks, he’s 26^th in OBP, 18^th in slugging, 13^th in OPS, and just outside the top 50 for wRC+. Tapie goes down as one of the most efficient and effective hitters in the history of the game. Tapie is easily an inner-circle Hall of Famer for the European Baseball Federation and one of the most decorated position players in its history. Some scholars rank him as high as the top 10 for EBF position players and most have him somewhere in the top 20 at minimum. Tapie is also the WAR leader among French position players and is often cited as the best-ever hitter from France. A few go as far as calling him the best-ever player from France, although pitcher Jean-Luc Roch is typically rated above Tapie. At 98.8%, Tapie co-headlined an excellent four-player HOF class for the EBF. Omer Kadri “Stumpy” Nesin – Center Field – Hamburg Hammers – 97.3% First Ballot Omer Kadri Nesin was a 6’3’’, 205 pound right-handed center fielder from Nuremburg, Germany; a city of 529,5000 in the state of Bavaria. Nicknamed “Stumpy,” Nesin was most famous for his excellent speed and stellar baserunning, leading the conference six times in stolen bases. He was also a good contact hitter with a solid eye for drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts. Nesin fared a bit better facing left-handed pitching (.907 OPS, 150 wRC+) compared to righties (.833 OPS, 131 wRC+). He emerged as one of the top leadoff guys of his era. Nesin wasn’t a powerful slugger as he never hit more than 20 home runs in a season. His gap power and speed though earned a lot of extra base hits with a 162 game average of 24 doubles, 25 triples, and 12 homers. Nesin was one of a select few in baseball history to have more triples than he had doubles or homers. From that, he scored a lot of runs and was a nightmare for pitchers to hold. Nesin was a career center fielder and on the whole, he graded as a reliably adequate defender. His overall glove work was good, but his range and arm were average at best. Still, Nesin wasn’t a negative value defender except for his final years. He had great durability even with the demands of CF, starting 135+ games in all but two of his 17 seasons. Nesin was a fan favorite and had high character, known for his loyalty, adaptability, work ethic, and intelligence. He wasn’t one to take a leadership role, but he was still universally respected and praised by his peers. In April 2006, Nesin left Germany as a teenager for Sweden on a developmental deal with Stockholm. He spent most of five years in their academy, debuting with five games in 2010 at age 21. The Swordsmen made Nesin a starter in 2011 and he was third in Rookie of the Year voting. He held that gig firmly eight years for them. The only real interruption was 2017 due to a fractured wrist. Nesin was a reliably strong starter for Stockholm but he wasn’t an awards finalist or generally a conference leader while there. The Swordsmen were generally stuck in the middle tier with a playoff drought back to the early 1990s. Nesin helped them with some brief life with 87, 85, and 88 wins from 2014-16. After the 2015 season, Stockholm signed Nesin to an eight-year $108,700,000 deal with expectations to soon contend. In 2018, Nesin hit for the cycle against Hamburg in 2018. It was the lone highlight really that year for Stockholm, who finished at 69-93 and ended up relegated to the European Second League. Nesin used the relegation opt-out, leaving for free agency at age 30. For the Swordsmen, Nesin had 1205 games, 1330 hits, 714 runs, 173 doubles, 178 triples, 80 home runs, 439 RBI, 608 steals, .295/.356/.465 slash, 130 wRC+, and 44.7 WAR. Nesin signed a five-year, $90,800,000 deal with Hamburg and started his signature run. This marked his full-time return to Germany, although he had been a regular for his country in the World Baseball Championship. From 2013-26, Nesin had 154 games, 147 hits, 105 runs, 19 doubles, 9 triples, 21 homers, 52 RBI, 106 steals, .259/.361/.435 slash, and 6.7 WAR. In his 30s, Nesin had some notable performances for Germany. In 2020, he had 27 hits, 21 runs, 19 steals, and 1.5 WAR in 22 games as the Germans were runner-up to the United States. They were division champs again in 2021 and took third in 2024. Nesin had 22 steals and 16 walks notably in 2024 with .957 OPS and 1.7 WAR. As of 2037, he’s one of only 26 players with 100+ career WBC steals. Hamburg had become a regular contender shortly before Nesin’s arrival. They had the #1 seed in 2015, but lost to Antwerp in the Northern Conference Championship. The Hammers just missed the playoffs in 2016, then had division titles and first round exits in 2017-18. Nesin helped Hamburg extend their playoff and division title streak through 2023. Nesin had led in steals with 92 in his final season with Stockholm. He then led four straight years for Hamburg, three of those with 108+ swipes. He won Silver Sluggers in 2020 and 2022. In 2021, Nesin won the batting title at .353 and led in runs (124), hits (214), and triples (30). In 2022, he had his career bests for runs (129), hits (219), triples (37), average (.354), slugging (.569), OPS (.971), wRC+ (168), and WAR (9.8). Nesin was the WARlord that year, finishing second in MVP voting. In his 2019 debut, Hamburg finished 99-63 and went all the way to the European Championship, beating Berlin for the conference pennant and Zurich for the overall title. The Hammers were 9-10 in the Baseball Grand Championship. They exploded for a franchise-best 115-47 in 2020, but suffered a second round upset defeat to Amsterdam. Hamburg won 108 in 2021 and 107 in 2022. The Hammers reclaimed the conference pennant in 2021, but couldn’t deny Munich’s repeat in the European Championship. Hamburg went 11-8 in the BGC, joining the Mavericks and three others in a tie for fourth (officially they were sixth). Hamburg lost in the 2022 conference final to 116-win Dublin, then had a second round exit in 2023. Nesin’s playoff production was decent over 52 games with 65 hits, 32 runs, 11 doubles, 14 triples, 2 homers, 18 RBI, 26 steals, .293/.317/.495, 121 wRC+, and 1.7 WAR. The BGC stats were more underwhelming with 38 games, 27 hits, 28 runs, 3 doubles, 2 triples, 3 homers, 13 RBI, 12 steals, .203/.340/.323 slash, and 0.3 WAR. Still, he was very popular and considered a key part of Hamburg’s successes of that era. After the 2022 season, the now 34-year old Nesin signed a four-year, $109,600,000 extension with Hamburg. The playoff streak ended in 2024, although they stayed above .500 through 2026. Hamburg then fell towards the bottom of the standings to close the decade, only narrowly escaping relegation. Nesin carried on, posting a career and conference best 116 steals in 2025 at age 36. He was one of the few to hit for the cycle twice, doing it in 2018 and 2021. Nesin did finally see a sharp decline in 2027 with career worsts for OPS (.720), wRC+ (97), and WAR (1.4). The season was still notable as he became the 13^th member of the 3000 hit club. With Hamburg, Nesin played 1373 games with 1700 hits, 1005 runs, 207 doubles, 227 triples, 107 home runs, 551 RBI, 477 walks, 848 steals, .319/.377/.503 slash, 142 wRC+, and 57.7 WAR. Nesin was unsigned for all of 2028 and retired that winter at age 40. The Hammers quickly brought back in to retire his #10 uniform for his nine year run. Nesin finished with 2578 games, 3030 hits, 1719 runs, 380 doubles, 405 triples, 187 home runs, 990 RBI, 861 walks, 1335 strikeouts, 1456 steals, 659 caught stealing, .308/.367/.486 slash, 136 wRC+, and 102.4 WAR. As of 2037, Nesin ranks 28^th in games, 14^th in runs, 16^th in hits, 39^th in total bases (4781), 11^th in singles (2058), 66^th in doubles, 5^th in triples, 3^rd in steals, 6^th in caught stealing, and 25^th in WAR among position players. Specifically for games played in center field, Nesin is EBF’s all-time leader in WAR, games, runs, hits, total bases, singles, triples, and steals. On the world list as of 2037, Nesin is 9^th in triples and one of only 11 guys with 400+ for his career. He also ranks 25^th all-time in stolen bases. As far as leadoff guys go in world history, Nesin is on the shortlist. You could argue Nesin is the top center fielder in European Baseball Federation history, although the EBF hasn’t seen the big stars as the spot as some other leagues. Nesin is the only EBF CF with 100+ WAR at the position despite only winning two Silver Sluggers and no Gold Gloves. As a leadoff guy with little home run power, some are hesitant to label Nesin as an “inner-circle” Hall of Famer. However, his candidacy wasn’t remotely in doubt. At 97.3%, Nesin co-headlined EBF’s four-player 2033 class. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)