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Three entered the European Baseball Federation Hall of Fame for 2040, captained by world triples leader 1B Aleksandr Parts with a near unanimous 98.9%. Two returners joined him with SP Jack McConnell getting 82.0% on his third ballot and 3B/2B Albert de Jong at 72.0% on his fourth go. LF Micha van Vugt came up painfully short of the 66% threshold with 65.9% for his third attempt. Also above 50% was SP Isak Alsaker at 51.3% in his fifth try.



Among those to fall off the ballot after ten failed tries was LF Danijel Rajovic, who peaked with his 47.9% finish and was as low as 13.4% the prior year. In 13 seasons with Belgrade, Rajovic won two MVPs and four Silver Sluggers with 1920 games, 2126 hits, 1067 runs, 321 doubles, 51 triples, 385 home runs, 1137 RBI, .320/.371/.557 slash, 160 wRC+, and 66.1 WAR. His downfall was a very abrupt decline in his early 30s and he was done as a full-time starter by age 34.

Rajovic did have good playoff stats, getting the Bruisers twice to the conference finals. He needed a few more years of totals to get across the line despite an impressive start with two MVPs in his first four seasons. Rajovic didn’t run into injury issues either, he just fell off faster than you’d expect.

Catcher Gaetano Di Vincenzo also made it ten ballots, ending at 23.4% and peaking with a 39.2% debut. He played 18 years with Milan and won two Silver Sluggers and two Gold Gloves. Di Vincenzo played 2347 games with 2275 hits, 881 runs, 490 doubles, 82 triples, 181 home runs, 1062 RBI, .284/.332/.433 slash, 114 wRC+, and 68.2 WAR. Di Vincenzo is the all-time WARlord for EBF catchers with the lone prior inductee being Ulrich Thomsen. He’s also the leader among catchers for games, hits, total bases, singles, and doubles.

Still, catchers always have a rough time gaining traction with the lower totals that come from the position by its nature. Those biases hurt Di Vencenzo, but even supporters acknowledge he was less an outstanding player and more a guy that was consistently solid for a long while. Being on perpetually mid Maulers teams didn’t get him attention either. Despite being arguably EBF’s best-ever catcher, he misses the cut as with so many other backstops before him.

SP Stefan Romic lasted ten ballots as well, debuting at 26.0% but ending at 8.8%. In 11 seasons, he had a 146-95 record, 3.14 ERA, 2324.2 innings, 2648 strikeouts, 449 walks, 120 ERA+, 73 FIP-, and 62.2 WAR. Romic was a POTY finalist twice, but fell off after bone chips in his elbow at age 33, retiring and declining sharply only two years later. He did notably have a big playoff run with Thessaloniki for their 2017 pennant. Romic’s pace was good, but he needed a few more years of steady totals to have a shot at the Hall.

Lastly, SP Saro Lorikyan ended at 5.4% on his last try and peaked at 32.2% in 2032. In 15 seasons for Warsaw, he had one Gold Glove and a 187-135 record, 3.20 ERA, 2917 innings, 2815 strikeouts, 117 ERA+, 90 FIP-, and 48.2 WAR. Lorikyan was only a POTY finalist once and never a leader in the major stat categories. He had a steady career, but not one impressive enough to warrant induction per the voters.



Aleksandr “Hercules” Parts – First Base – Zagreb Gulls – 98.9% First Ballot

Aleksandr Parts was a 5’9’’, 200 pound right-handed first baseman from Maardu, Estonia; a town of roughly 17,000 within Tallinn’s metropolitan area. He’s the second-ever Estonian Hall of Famer, joining ABF ace Oskar Tamm. Nicknamed "Hercules," Parts had an incredibly unique profile, especially as a career first baseman as that spot expects big, tall power hitters. Despite being 5’9’’, the stocky Parts was a stellar defender at first, winning ten Gold Gloves.

Instead of big home run power, Parts also was known as a tremendous contact hitter who was stellar at finding the gap. His 162 game average got you 28 doubles, 26 triples, and 17 home runs. Parts also had a strong eye for drawing walks and had a low strikeout rate. His batting results were near equal whether against righties or lefties. Parts was also one of the most skilled baserunners and base stealers you’d find and had good-to-great speed for much of his prime.

Parts had some injuries mostly in his later years, but held up remarkably well over a 24-year pro career. That unique skillset made the stout Parts extremely popular throughout Europe despite his humble beginnings. Small Estonia didn’t get a ton of scouting attention, but Parts was noticed by a visitor from Zagreb. He signed a developmental deal with the Gulls as a teenager in December 2010 and soon would become beloved over the next two decades in the Croatian capital.

He spent about four years in their academy, debuting with 40 games in 2014 at age 20. Parts was a full-time starter the next year, but was a subpar hitter as a rookie. He made big gains in 2016, leading the Southern Conference for the first time in triples with 30. By 2018, he had truly arrived as a star, winning his first batting title (.371) and leading in OBP (.450), wRC+ (196), hits (216), and triples (28). Parts picked up his first Silver Slugger and was third in MVP voting.

Zagreb missed the playoffs in 2018, but their 90-72 mark was their best since their last playoff trip way back in 1997. They just missed again the next year finishing 88-74. The Gulls had been mostly mediocre in the 21^st Century to that point, but had been just mid enough to avoid relegation. The franchise had won the European title in 1960 and 1975, but their longest consecutive playoff run was three years. Soon with Parts leading the way, Zagreb was a sustained contender for a full decade.

From 2018-23, Parts won five batting titles and led the conference four times in hits, on-base percentage, wRC+, and WAR. He also led thrice in OPS, twice in slugging, total bases, and stolen bases, and once in runs scored. 2019 was his first Gold Glove and a second place in MVP voting, despite boasting his career bests for WAR (12.0), hits (229), triples (43), and wRC+ (204). He shared a conference that year with Jean-Paul Lafontaine, who had 54 homers and 11.7 WAR. Parts’ 43 triples was the third-best single-season mark in both EBF and world history (the top six single seasons are all EBF guys).

Parts won his first MVP in 2020 and got a Silver Slugger, while also hitting his lone cycle in June against Bratislava. He posted his career bests for doubles (38), homers (24), total bases (393), and steals (117). Most importantly, Zagreb ended their 22-year playoff drought at 102-60, although they were stuck as a wild card finishing four behind top seed Naples in the Central Division.

The Gulls went one-and-done in an upset loss to eventual champ Munich, but this began an eight-year playoff streak for Zagreb. This also began their intense rivalry with the Mavericks, whom they’d run into five times in the Southern Conference Championship over the next decade. Parts was critical of course, inking an eight-year, $119,700,000 extension that winter.

2021 had a slight dip in production with a fractured foot in September, although he did have a 27-game hitting streak. Parts was back for the playoffs and played well as Zagreb had the top seed at 108-54, but they were denied 4-1 by Munich in the conference finals. Parts then earned repeat MVPs and Silver Sluggers in 2022-23, leading in hits, average, OPS, wRC+, and WAR both years. 2023 had his peak triple slash of .388/.451/.673 with a 1.125 OPS. There have been two qualifying seasons in EBF of a .450+ OBP, which Parts did twice. It was also impressive to lead in slugging twice despite never topping 25 homers in a season.

Zagreb was a wild card in 2022 with a second round loss, yet again running into Munich. The Gulls set a franchise record in 113-49 and got to the conference final, but the 94-win Mavericks were the kryptonite again. Zagreb went 104-58 in 2024, but fell two short of a division title because of Munich. The Mavericks were upset in the second round by Chisinau, but Zagreb couldn’t get around the Counts either with a 4-2 conference finals loss.

The Gulls were now getting the label as being unable to win the big one. After a strong 2021 run, Parts notably was middling in the 2022-24 runs and outright awful in 2025. He fared better in the remaining runs, but his career playoff stats weren’t as great as you’d expect given his regular season results. In 90 starts, Parts had 97 hits, 43 runs, 19 doubles, 8 triples, 4 homers, 38 RBI, 36 walks, 42 steals, .286/.358/.425 slash, 117 wRC+, and 3.2 WAR.

Parts was done as an MVP candidate after the 2022-23 repeat, but he was still worth 6+ WAR from 2024-30 each year sans 2028, which featured a concussion that kept him out for a sizeable chunk. He got recognized for his defense at this point, winning Gold Gloves from 2024-31 and in 2033. Along with the 2019 win, that gave Parts ten Gold Gloves, one of seven in EBF history to achieve that feat at any spot. Notably, he’s one of three at first base to do it.

Zagreb continued to come up short in the big one. They had the top seed in 2025 at 108-54, but went down to Zurich in the second round. That winter, Parts opted out of his current contract, but signed a new richer six-year, $158,400,000 extension to remain in Croatia. The Gulls made the conference finals in 2026 but again fell to Munich.

In 2027, they were the last team in the field as a 90-72 wild card. This time, Zagreb finally slayed the Mavericks in a 4-3 conference finals upset. The Gulls would be defeated 4-1 by Rotterdam in the European Championship. Parts did notably put up an excellent run in the 2027 Baseball Grand Championship with a 1.272 OPS, 21 hits, 17 runs, 7 homers, 19 RBI, 254 wRC+, and 1.7 WAR. They tied for seventh in the event at 10-9.

It looked like the run might be done as Zagreb missed the playoffs at 84-78 in 2028. However, they bounced back for one more division title in 2029 at 98-64. The Gulls were the underdog to top seed Munich in the Southern Conference Championship, but Zagreb pulled off a shocking sweep, taking out years of frustration. The Gulls played a classic with Kharkiv, but fell 4-3 in the European Championship. Parts had unremarkable stats in the run and the BGC, which saw a 7-14 finish.

Zagreb had one more playoff trip as a wild card in 2030, but lost in the second round. They would spend the next six years in the 70s win range, officially marking the end of their longest sustained run. Although the Gulls never won the tip top prize, getting two conference titles, six conference finals trips, four division titles, and ten berths over 11 years is a run most franchises would be thrilled with. Parts was there for all of it as a beloved figure, eventually getting his #20 uniform retired.

Parts was in his late 30s as the 2030s dawned and was hitting statistical milestones, including 3000 hits and 400 triples in 2030. At induction, only 12 players in world history have 400+ career triples. The EBF record was Carsten Dal’s 457, which had become the world record in the mid 2010s. Over in West African Baseball, the eventual world hits king Fares Belaid passed that mark, retiring as the leader with 472 after the 2032 season.

After the 2030 season, Parts signed a three-year, $62,200,000 extension with Zagreb. Injuries started to pop up in these later years, including a fractured knee in 2031 and both ACL and oblique strains after that. Parts’ production had dipped in 2031-32, but in 2033 at age 33 he was still good for .911 OPS, 155 wRC+, and 5.1 WAR. He also got 13 triples that year to get to 454 for his career, three short of Dal’s EBF record.

His deal was up that winter, sending him to free agency for the first time heading into his age 40 season. For Zagreb, Parts played 2724 games with 3393 hits, 1801 runs, 470 doubles, 454 triples, 283 home runs, 1555 RBI, 1089 walks, 1265 strikeouts, 1208 stolen bases, .340/.404/.565 slash, 167 wRC+, and 130.0 WAR. He remained beloved in the Croatian capital, but some diehards were briefly annoyed as Parts joined the hated Mavericks for 2034 on a two-year, $24,800,000 deal.

Munich’s own 13-year playoff streak had ended by this point and like Zagreb, they were now firmly in the mid-tier. Parts only played one year in Germany and was plagued by knee issues, playing only 86 games with .714 OPS, 103 wRC+, and 1.4 WAR. He did get seven triples though, passing Dal to become EBF’s all-time leader and #2 on the world list. Parts was also close to 3500 hits and thought he could still get there and maybe get to 2000 career runs. However, European teams thought he was cooked and that marked the end of his EBF career.

Parts was determined to still play somewhere and took a two-year, $9,840,000 with Cotonou of West African Baseball for 2035. Torn ankle ligaments kept him out much of the year with only 63 games, .887 OPS, 137 wRC+, and 1.7 WAR. He didn’t meet the vesting criteria and was a free agent again for 2035. Parts signed a one-year deal with WAB’s Kano, but more torn ankle ligaments limited him to only 43 games, although he did have a .939 OPS, 149 wRC+, and 1.6 WAR in the small sample.

He was now at 469 triples, three away from Belaid’s world pro baseball record of 472. Parts wanted to get it and stayed in WAB for 2037 with Libreville. Smaller injuries limited him early in the season, then he suffered a catastrophic broken kneecap in late July. In 63 games, Parts had .940 OPS, 148 wRC+, and 1.6 WAR; still competent when healthy. He got three triples that year, tying him with Belaid for the world record.

In three WAB seasons, Parts had 169 games, 212 hits, 113 runs, 40 doubles, 11 triples, 19 home runs, 94 RBI, 47 steals, .330/.405/.516 slash, 144 wRC+, and 4.8 WAR. Parts didn’t want the broken kneecap to be his final time on the field and rehabbed hard in hopes of playing in 2038. However, he went unsigned all year and finally retired that winter at age 44.

For his combined pro career, Parts played 2979 games with 3683 hits, 1949 runs, 520 doubles, 472 triples, 307 home runs, 1680 RBI, 1189 walks, 1430 strikeouts, 1277 stolen bases, 548 caught stealing, .337/.402/.556 slash, .958 OPS, 164 wRC+, and 136.2 WAR.

In addition to being tied for the world record in triples, Parts ranks 39^th in the world list for hits and just misses the top 50 for runs and steals. Among world Hall of Famers and retired locks, Parts is 43^rd in batting average and 34^th in OBP. He also just misses the top 100 for WAR among all players ever, sitting 105^th at induction. Just in EBF, Parts had 2810 games, 3471 hits, 1836 runs, 480 doubles, 461 triples, 288 homers, 1586 RBI, 1115 walks, 1303 Ks, 1230 steals, 532 caught stealing, .338/.401/.558 slash, 166 wRC+, and 131.4 WAR.

On the EBF leaderboards, Parts is 10^th in games, 10^th in runs, 5^th in hits, 13^th in total bases (5737), 7^th in singles (2242), 18^th in doubles, 1^st in triples, 29^th in RBI, 6^th in steals, 24^th in caught stealing, 14^th in walks, and 9^th in WAR among position players. Among batters with 3000+ plate appearances, Parts ranks 39^th in batting average, 17^th in on-base percentage, and 75^th in OPS.

Parts is easily an inner-circle Hall of Famer for the European Baseball Federation and one of the game’s immortals. Despite not being a big bopper, he’s also the EBF WAR leader at first base and is considered the positional GOAT by some. Some have Parts as a top ten all-time position players in EBF history and almost all place him in the top 20 rankings somewhere. At 98.9%, he headlined a three-man 2040 class for EBF and proudly represented his native Estonia.