Baseball: The World's Game - Page 25

FuzzyRussianHat · 08-06-2023, 02:49 PM

Mexico City’s run atop the Mexican League continued in 1970 with a franchise record 112-50 season. The three-time defending league champ earned their fifth straight South Division title with their dominance. Second in the division was Guadalajara, who took the wild card at 94-68, four games ahead of Queretaro. This earned back-to-back wild cards for the Hellhounds. Mexicali finished atop the North Division at 93-69, their first division win since 1964. Last year’s winner Tijuana was second at eight games back.

Puebla was fourth in the South Division at 85-77, but had both the league MVP and Pitcher of the Year. RF Adrian Hernandez won MVP in his fifth season with the Pumas as the 26-year old led the league in runs at 112, adding 205 hits, 28 home runs, a .932 OPS, and 8.3 WAR. Pitcher of the Year was fifth year righty Ricky Casarez, leading in WAR (8.1), wins (21-6), WHIP (0.74) and quality starts (31) with a 1.99 ERA and 315 strikeouts in 248.1 innings. Also of note, Emanuel Saucedo became a three-time Reliever of the Year, joining Mexicali for 1970 after being with Jamaica previously. In his final season before leaving for MLB, he had 45 saves, a 1.03 ERA, 168 strikeouts, and 5.1 WAR.

Defending Caribbean League champ Guatemala dropped from their wild 118 win 1969, but still had the best record in the league with a 100-62 mark atop the Continental Division. This gave the Ghosts four straight playoff berths and five in six years. The Island Division was incredibly tight for both first place and the wild card. Seven teams had a realistic shot much of the season with it ultimately coming down to Santiago and Havana tied at 91-71. Both move to the playoffs, but the Sailfish won the one-game tiebreaker for the division crown (although they’ll just meet again in the playoffs). It is back-to-back berths for the Hurricanes and the second in three years for Santiago, although it is their first division title since 1955. The other teams in the mix were Jamaica and Santo Domingo at 89-73, and Puerto Rico and Trinidad both at 86-76.

It was the fifth MVP for Guatemala CF Wesley Dubar and maybe his best season yet. At 13.73 WAR, he tied Jhyoce Hidrovo’s 1916 for the third-best season for a CABA hitter and narrowly beat his own 13.64 from the prior year. Dubar also led the league in runs (138, a career best), home runs (55), RBI (145), total bases (409), OBP (.410), slugging (.730), OPS (1.140), and wRC+ (195), and won a Gold Glove with a 12.4 ZR in center. Pitcher of the Year was Santiago’s Barnabe Sanchez, who also won it in 1968. The 27-year old Cuban was the ERA (2.18), and WHIP (0.87) leader, adding 6.6 WAR, a 21-7 record, and 312 strikeouts in 273 innings.

In the wild card round, Guadalajara upset Mexicali and Santiago held off Havana with both series going the distance. The top seeds dominated in the LCS ultimately. Mexico City beat the Hellhounds 4-1 to take their fourth straight Mexican League title and eighth overall. The Aztecs are the fourth Mexican League team to four-peat, joining Monterrey (1955-58), Mexicali (1950-54), and Tijuana (1916-19). Guatemala repeated and won their third Caribbean League in four years, besting Santiago in five.

The 60^th Central American Baseball Association Championship was a rematch of the 59^th and 57^th. Just like those two, Mexico City defeated Guatemala, this time in six games. Finals MVP was 1B Solomon Aragon, who posted 11 hits, 6 runs, 4 home runs, and 8 RBI in 11 playoff games. It is back-to-back CABA crowns and the third in four years for the Aztecs, who have seven overall rings. They join 1929-32 Ecatepec as the only CABA teams to win three overall titles in a four year stretch.

Other notes: Mario Benitez of Guadalajara had a 20 strikeout no-hitter on April 1 against Chihuahua, walking three. This still stands as the most strikeouts in a CABA no-hitter and tied the world record. He’s the 11^th player to have a 20+ K game in CABA as well. Chihuahua’s pitching staff had 571 walks, which would be the all-time worst single-season mark until 2020. Aaron Galaviz won his ninth Gold Glove in RF.

FuzzyRussianHat · 08-06-2023, 06:35 PM

The 1970 National Association was a very competitive group, especially in the Eastern League. Buffalo ended up on top at 96-66 with only their second-ever first place finish (1922). It was a solid bounce back for the Blue Sox, who were a wild card in 1968 but fell to 73 wins in 1969. Three teams were behind them at 93-69 and each got a wild card; Ottawa, Philadelphia, and Toronto. This gave the Elks their second playoff spot in three years, back-to-back for the Timberwolves, and the first in four years for the Phillies.

St. Louis earned its seventh playoff berth in the last nine years by winning the Midwest League at 90-72. Omaha was next at 87-75, but ultimately were four games from the final wild card. Defending NA champ Columbus dropped to a fourth place 81-81. Baltimore picked up the last playoff spot at 91-71, two better than Pittsburgh and four ahead of Montreal, New York, Washington, and Omaha. This gave the Orioles their first playoff berth since a 1955 wild card. The biggest swing of any team was one downward for Brooklyn, going from 81 wins in 1969 to a putrid 57-105 in 1970.

National Association MVP was Gavin Geoghan, a 28-year old catcher. He became the first catcher to win the award, leading in the triple slash (.353/.424/.612), OPS (1.036), and wRC+ (198), adding 8.6 WAR, 31 home runs, 109 RBI, and 108 runs scored. Pitcher of the Year went to Dallas Levy, a third-year player for a lackluster Cleveland squad. He didn’t lead in any stats, but got by on a 2.07 ERA over 234.1 innings, 183 strikeouts, 6.4 WAR, and a 12-10 record.

In the first round of the playoffs, Toronto edged Ottawa and Philadelphia bested Baltimore, both 201. The Phillies upset EL champ Buffalo in five games and the Timberwolves stunned ML champ St. Louis in five, setting up an all-wild card National Association Championship Series. Toronto topped Philadelphia in six in the NACS, making the Timberwolves a four-time NA champ (1970, 1954, 1926, 1903). They’re the first Canadian team in the World Series since Ottawa won it in 1965.

1968 World Series champion Los Angeles had the best record in the American Association at 102-60, winning the Western League and earning a third straight playoff berth. This became the longest active streak with San Diego’s six-year run snapped with a plunge from 103 wins to 74 for the Seals. The Southern League had a new face on top with New Orleans at 96-66, earning their first playoff berth since 1949 and first league title since 1940. Defending World Series champ Atlanta was one behind at 95-67 with San Antonio at 94-68. They were the first two wild cards with back-to-back playoff spots for both.

The remaining two wild card spots came down to tiebreaker games with Seattle, Portland, and Oakland each finishing at 92-70. Vancouver, Dallas, and Tampa were each only three games out and Denver was four back. The Grizzlies defeated the Pacifics, then Portland topped Oakland to set the field. This snapped a six-year playoff drought for Seattle and a seven-year one for the Pacifics. The longest active playoff drought is now 25 years for both Dallas and Cincinnati. The Dalmatians made a big step though, improving to 89 wins in 1970 after an MLB-worst 51 wins the prior year.

The Angels had the MVP and Pitcher of the Year in 1970 25-year old 1B Edward Torres was MVP with an American Association best 52 home runs, 154 RBI, and .639 slugging, adding a .320 average and 7.1 WAR. It was only the 16^th MLB season to have 150+ RBI. 29-year old Carny Valvo earned his second Pitcher of the Year. The Eureka, California native had the best ERA at 2.58, the most wins with a 22-9 mark, and was the WARlord at 8.1. He added 239 strikeouts in 279.1 innings. Sadly, Valvo suffered a partially torn labrum in September, putting him out for the playoff run. He’d have three more solid seasons, but later injuries knocked him out of the game effectively at age 33 and ended a potential Hall of Fame career.

In the first round, San Antonio swept Seattle and Portland ousted defending World Series champ Atlanta 2-1. The league champs prevailed in round two as New Orleans swept the Oilers and Los Angeles topped the Pacifics in four. The Mudcats ultimately mauled the Angels in a surprising AACS swept, the first sweep since 1944. This was only the second-ever American Association Championship Series appearance for New Orleans, who were 1935 World Series champs.

The Mudcats continued to roll into the 70^th World Series and claimed their second ring, defeating Toronto in five games. 3B Ethan Martinez was the World Series MVP with the 28-year old posting 18 hits, 11 runs, 3 home runs, and 10 RBI in 12 playoff games. This marked the beginning of what would become an early 1970s dynasty for the previously downtrodden Mudcats franchise.

Other notes: American Association Pitcher of the Year Carny Valvo threw MLB’s 12^th Perfect Game on August 20, striking out eight against Las Vegas. The day was notable as well as the second time in MLB history that two hitters occurred on the same day, as Columbus’ Arturo Bridges had eight Ks and 1 walk against St. Louis.

Tyler Whisnant became the eighth hitter to 3500 career hits, ending his final season with 3582. At retirement, he was sixth all-time. Benton Gibney and Braylen Nelson both reached 3000 hits, bringing the total to 38 MLB hitters in the 3K club.

FuzzyRussianHat · 08-07-2023, 05:47 AM

After having five first-ballot guys inducted in the 1970 Major League Baseball Hall of Fame class, the 1971 group saw three players inducted who had been on multiple ballots. The biggest jump went to 3B Beckham Hudson on his third attempt, finishing with 78.1%. SS Chance Warren got in with 74.5% on his fourth go. RF Gene Jobgen on his seventh attempt barely crossed the 66% required threshold with 67.0% even. Three others came very close to joining them with closer Vicente Guerrero at 62.5% on his third try, 1B Tiger Novak on his eighth at 62.2%, and RF Estefan Salinas at 61.9% on his seventh. Catcher Gray Caraway was also above 50% with 56.2% in his debut.

Notably dropped after ten attempts was three-time MVP Jared Lee. He was a noted two-way star over a 17 year career, posting a 3.49 ERA, 112-85 record, 1589 strikeouts, and 38.7 WAR as a pitcher. As an outfielder and first baseman, he had 923 hits, 529 runs, 196 home runs, a .307/.385/.559 slash and 31.8 WAR. A number of major injuries derailed him from being elite after having his three MVPs by age 26 with Minneapolis. The combined WAR was worth a look, but he didn’t sustain his success in either discipline long enough to get the nod despite a remarkable peak. He had 30.6% on his first ballot and continued downward, ending at 9.9%.

Also dropped after ten failed ballots was SP George Friend, Over a 21 year run, he had a 243-235 record, 3.35 ERA, 2925 strikeouts in 4443.2 innings, and 84.0 WAR. Nice sustained career, but was never dominant or in the awards conversation, leaving him defined as a compiler. He peaked at 29.0% on his debut and ended at 6.6%.

Beckham Hudson – Third Baseman – Montreal Maples – 78.1% Third Ballot

Beckham Hudson was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed third baseman from Waterloo, Ontario, a city of about 120,000 people located about 60 miles west of Toronto. Hudson was a very good contact hitter with a respectable pop in his bat that typically got you around 20 home runs and 30 doubles per year. Earlier in his career, he was very good at avoiding strikeouts and respectable at drawing walks. Hudson had below average speed, but was considered a very good consistent defender at third base. He spent basically his full career at third and is fifth all-time in zone rating at 121.6 for the position as of 2037. Hudson only got one Gold Glove, but that was because he played at the same time as eventual ten-time winner Colton Flack (who is second in ZR). He was very humble about his accomplishments though in a fine 21 year pro career.

Hudson left for Texas A&M in college and in three years as an Aggie, had 182 hits, 92 runs, 36 home runs, and 113 RBI in 144 games. In the 1944 Major League Baseball Draft, Montreal picked Hudson 30^th overall. He played 75 games in 1945, although he was in the minors for half the season. He became the full-time starter in year two and remained a starter anytime he was healthy into his late 30s.

Hudson spent eight seasons with the Maples, winning two Silver Sluggers (1948, 51) and a Gold Glove (1952). His lone MVP season came in 1951 as he led the National Association in WAR (9.4) and total bases (49), adding a career-best 36 home runs, 199 hits, and 103 runs. He wasn’t a top three MVP finalist in any other season, but Hudson’s production was very steady with nine 6+ WAR seasons and 4+ WAR from 1946-1959.

Hudson played a role in Montreal winning two World Series rings in 1949 and 1951. In 44 playoff games with the Maples, he had 55 hits, 32 runs, 7 home runs, 18 RBI, and 1.7 WAR. This helped earn his #6 uniform retired after his career was done, despite the relatively short tenure. In total with Montreal, Hudson had 1316 hits, 632 runs, 219 doubles, 164 home runs, 601 RBI, a .308/.358/.484 slash and 49.6 WAR.

He also became a regular for the Canadian National Team, holding the record for most games played for the nation as of 2037 at 304. That also stands as third most of any player from any nation as of 2037 and he’d be the record holder until 2022. From 1947-63, he had 296 hits, 177 runs, 82 home runs, 187 RBI, a .271/.350/.538 slash and 12.3 WAR. At retirement he was first in WBC hits and remains third as of 2037. Hudson helped Canada win the 1954 and 1959 World Championships. In 1959, he also was the first player in tournament history to hit for the cycle, doing it against South Korea.

At age 29, Hudson entered free agency and secured the bag with a seven-year, $612,000 contract with Hartford; more than doubling his salary of his best Montreal year. He won his third and fourth Silver Sluggers in 1953 and 1957 and put up the same reliable production. He had his first notable injuries cost him half of 1956, but he bounced right back. The Huskies made the playoffs five times in his run, although only once made it as far as the NACS. Hudson wasn’t to blame, posting 42 hits, 15 runs, and a .321 average in 33 playoff games. In total with Hartford, Hudson had 1122 hits, 544 runs, 137 home runs, 606 RBI, a .303/.364/.474 slash and 44.3 WAR.

Hudson entered free agency again and signed at age 36 to Toronto for the 1960 season. His batting numbers fell off noticeably from his normal peaks with far more strikeouts, but he still was a good enough defender to provide some positive value despite an average-at-best bat in the run. He only started half the games in his final MLB season, finishing in Toronto with 506 hits, 245 runs, a .249 average, and 11.8 WAR. At age 40, his MLB career was done, but he had two more professional seasons in the Oceania Baseball Association with New Caledonia. He had a solid 1964 and actually won a Silver Slugger, but fell off a cliff hard in 1965. After going unsigned in 1966, he retired at age 43.

Hudson’s final MLB stats: 2944 hits, 1421 runs, 484 doubles, 370 home runs, 1474 RBI, a .294/.350/.461 slash and 105.7 WAR. Very solid numbers, but his general lack of league-leading elite seasons meant some voters were dismissive of Hudson as a compiler. His first two times on the ballot, he fell just short with 63.5% and 59.5%. With a wide open 1971 field, Hudson finally got the boost up to 78.1% to give him his deserved spot among the MLB Hall of Fame elite.

Chance Warren – Shortstop – Detroit Tigers – 74.5% Fourth Ballot

Chance Warren was a 5’9’’, 185 pound right-handed shortstop from Toronto, Ontario. Warren was a terrific contact hitter with a knack for putting the ball in play in almost every at-bat. Warren very rarely struck out with a 7.0% rate in his career, but he also even more rarely drew walks. He wasn’t at all a home run hitter, but he was good for about 30-40 doubles/triples in his best years, adding above average to good baserunning speed. Warren was a career shortstop and a consistently good one, although he only once won the Gold Glove in 1948. He was a hard worker and was able to stick around as a positive contributor into his 40s.

For his college career, Warren sought out MACtion, playing for the Miami Redhawks. In three seasons though, he was unremarkable with 159 hits, 67 runs, a .265 average, and 1.9 WAR. He wasn’t a top draft pick, but was grabbed by his hometown Toronto in the third round with the 118^th overall pick of the 1939 MLB Draft. He started half of his rookie season and spent the other half in the minors, which included a 34-game hit streak with Kingston. Warren took over the full-time starting role for the next six seasons with the Timberwolves.

Warren was iffy in his first two full seasons, but started putting up solid, but not award winning, numbers. Toronto only made the playoffs once in his tenure in 1946, but he missed the run with a hamstring injury. In total for the Timberwolves, he had 1176 hits, 477 runs, a .303/.322/.383 slash and 22.7 WAR. Warren entered free agency at age 28 and inked a long-term contract beginning in 1947 with Detroit of eight years, $283,600. It wasn’t a massive money deal, but gave him long-term stability.

Warren became best known and most popular as a Tiger. He won his three Silver Sluggers (1949, 50, 53) and his Gold Glove (1948) in Detroit. Each of his seasons were worth 4+ WAR with a career-best 7.4 WAR in 1949. He also got to play in the 1953 World Series and posted 29 hits and 8 runs in 17 postseason games that year; the Tigers ultimately fell to Phoenix. In total with Detroit, Warren had 1415 hits, 611 runs, a .324/.354/.419 slash and 42.5 WAR. Back troubles caused him to miss some time in his final two Tiger seasons and the team opted not to re-sign him when his eight-year deal ended after the 1954 season.

Now age 36, Warren signed with New Orleans and had a respectable 1955, but missed most of 1956 with a severe concussion suffered in September 1955. For the next five years, his offensive value was below average to average at best, but he was still a good enough defender to earn spots and have value. Warren spent 1957 with Minneapolis, 1958-59 with Nashville, 1960 with Kansas City, and 1961 with Ottawa. With the Elks, he earned his 3500^th hit and 1500^th run. The wheels finally fell off with a terrible 1962 with San Francisco where he struck out 149 times and hit .171 for an abysmal -5.6 WAR. Warren retired after that season at age 43.

His final stats: 3600 hits, 1574 runs, 510 doubles, 162 triples, 67 home runs, 1110 RBI, a .303/.333/.390 slash, 410 stolen bases, and 80.8 WAR. With his wRC+ only 104 though, many voters were skeptical and viewed Warren as just an average hitter that stuck around forever. It is often tough for guys without power numbers to get traction too, despite Warren retiring fifth all-time in hits and sitting eighth as of 2037. He was at 53.1% on his debut ballot, jumped to 62.7% on try two, but fell to 54.0% on his third try. The fourth try with a quieter field was enough for Warren to get the boost up to 74.5% and earn his spot.

Gene Jobgen – Right Field – Pittsburgh Pirates – 67.0% Seventh Ballot

Gene Jobgen was a 6’0’’, 200 pound left-handed right fielder from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was an excellent contact hitter with sometimes sneaky power, averaging around 25-30 home runs and 25-35 doubles per season. Jobgen was better than most at avoiding strikeouts, but a bit below average at drawing walks. He was a very slow baserunner and a career right fielder, although he was typically considered to be delightfully average on defense. The biggest knock on Jobgen is that he was perceived to be greedy and disloyal, viewed a bit as a mercenary who bounced around throughout his career.

Jobgen went to college at Central Florida and in three seasons had 169 hits, 72 runs, 19 home runs, 62 RBI, a .313 average, and 6.1 WAR. This caught the attention of Pittsburgh, who picked Jobgen 27^th overall in the 1943 MLB Draft. He made 66 at-bats in 1944, spending most of the season with minor league Morgantown, where he won a Silver Slugger. Jobgen started half of the 1945 season, missing time due to injury. Still, in 81 starts, he earned second place in Rookie of the Year voting. He was the full-time starter in right for the remainder of his Pirates run.

In 1946, he broke out by leading the National Association in hits with 217, posting an impressive 9.2 WAR and 1.025 OPS. This earned his first Silver Slugger and a third place in MVP voting. His production was a bit weaker in 1947, but still very strong, this time getting the MVP along with a second Silver Slugger. Jobgen dropped a bit in 1948 and missed half of 1949 with a severely strained hip muscle. In total with Pittsburgh, he had 873 hits, 417 runs, 118 home runs, 420 RBI, a .346/.391/.559 slash and 32.2 WAR. This six year run would ultimately be his longest tenured one.

Just before opening day 1950, Pittsburgh traded Jobgen to Nashville for four prospects. He had a solid age 27 season with the Knights worth 6.9 WAR, then entered free agency. He signed a big eight-year, $522,000 deal with Minneapolis. Jobgen had a solid 1951, but a weak 1952 with his first season batting below .300. He bounced back big-time in 1953 with his third Silver Slugger and a second place finish in MVP voting. After only 12 home runs the prior year and a career best of 35, Jobgen smacked a National Association best 45 and led with 345 total bases. The Moose made a surprise run to the NACS, but were denied there despite Jobgen getting 15 hits and 7 RBI in 12 postseason games.

His Minneapolis run had 535 hits, 266 runs, 83 home runs, 244 RBI, a .304/.360/.500 slash and 16.5 WAR. Fresh off the big season, Jobgen opted out in the fourth year of his eight year contract with the Moose. He found the bag and a buyer in San Antonio with a seven-year, $712,000 deal. Jobgen had a nice first year, okay second year, and respectable third year with the Oilers, although he wasn’t any longer in any awards conversations. He had 518 hits, 257 runs, 86 home runs, 292 RBI, and 11.6 WAR in three years with a .317/.361/.520 slash line. He opted out again of another long-term deal, although ended up with less money with a three-year, $484,000 deal with New Orleans. He was subar in three seasons with the Mudcats and retired after the 1959 season at age 36.

Jobgen’s final stats: 2529 hits, 1212 runs, 402 doubles, 365 home runs, 1232 RBI, a .313/.362/.507 slash, wRC+ of 145, and 68.1 WAR. Not bad, but the type of numbers that typically banish one to the Hall of Very Good, especially without a signature run and limited accolades. He debuted at a respectable 53.4%, fell to 44.0%, jumped to 56.0%, fell to 39.9%, and jumped to 59.4% in his first five Hall of Fame ballots. The sixth try saw a steep fall to 32.8%, leading many to figure Jobgen’s hopes were over. But in a 1971 group with no major standouts, Jobgen received a remarkable swing, going from 32.8% to 67.0%. This just got him across the 66% line and into the Hall on his seventh try, although experts still cite him typically as one of the weaker members.

FuzzyRussianHat · 08-07-2023, 11:26 AM

Two players made it into the Central American Baseball Association Hall of Fame in 1971. The star of the class was outfielder Grant Duncan, a no-doubt first ballot pick at 98.3%. Joining him was pitcher Tirso Sepulveda, who barely made it on his fifth attempt. Sepulveda finished at 66.2%, just enough to pass the 66.0% threshold needed for induction. Two others were above 50% with 1B Salvador Islas at 55.9% on his seventh ballot and SP Mario Guerrero at 55.5% on his fifth attempt.

Dropped after ten attempts was pitcher Manolas Tellez, who had a 16-year career almost entirely with Costa Rica. He had a 193-215 record, 3.52 ERA, 30005 strikeouts, and 56.9 WAR. A respectable career, but sustained average-ness. He got as high as 48.6% on his seventh ballot but finished at 14.5%. Also worth noting was Renato Ortivez, who was dropped after falling below 5% on his eighth try. In nine CABA seasons, he had two MVPs, 1556 hits, 782 runs, 294 home runs, 862 RBI, and 42.2 WAR. Ortivez also had a Triple Crown season at age 25 with Havana. He spent almost his entire 30s and early 40s in either MLB or OBA, preventing him from getting the stats that might have gotten him across the line for a CABA nod.

Grant “Decoy” Duncan – Left Field – Santo Domingo Dolphins – 98.3% First Ballot

Grant Duncan was a 6’2’’, 200 pound left-handed left fielder from the Jamaican capital Kingston. Duncan had great power and contact ability with good speed and baserunning ability. He averaged around 40 home runs per seron, while also adding around 40 doubles/triples each year as well. Duncan was respectable at drawing walks and decent at avoiding strikeouts. He was a career left fielder and a very solid defender that won three Gold Gloves. Duncan also had a strong work ethic and good durability for most of his career, making him one of the most popular players in the Caribbean during the 1950s and 60s.

Duncan emerged as a stellar prospect in his amateur days in Jamaica, making him highly touted when he became eligible in the 1949 CABA Draft. Santo Domingo drafted him second overall and he’d spend his entire CABA run with the Dolphins. Duncan was immediately the full time starter and held that role whenever he was healthy. He had a decent rookie season and solid second season, eventually emerging as an elite player by year #3.

In 1952, Duncan won his first Silver Slugger and took third in MVP voting. In 1953, he was the All-Star game MVP, a Silver Slugger winner, and second in MVP voting despite missing six weeks with a fractured finger. 1954 saw his third Silver Slugger and first MVP, leading the Caribbean league with 121 runs, 51 home runs, 118 RBI, 1.070 OPS, and 10.7 WAR. Duncan had an even better WAR at 11.7 in 1955 with his second Gold Glove, fourth Silver Slugger, and first Gold Glove. He didn’t win awards in 1956 but still had a strong year, earning a seven-year, $690,000 contract extension with the Dolphins.

After being a mid-tier team early in his run, Santo Domingo became a Caribbean League power in the late 1950s and early 1960s. The Dolphins made five playoffs appearances from 1957-62, winning the league title four times (57, 60, 61, 62) and the CABA title twice (1960, 62). Duncan’s third MVP came in 1957 with career bests in home runs (57) and RBI (128), getting his fifth and final Silver Slugger, as well as the CLCS MVP. This was his final MVP, although he’d finish second in 1962 and won a Gold Glove that year and in 1963.

Duncan’s regular season numbers were good but not amazing in this run, but he was a big time playoff performer. In 42 playoff games, he had 51 hits, 34 runs, 13 home runs, 32 RBI, and 2.6 WAR. Duncan was the 1960 CABA Championship MVP and had two CABA rings to his name. In 1960, he hit for the cycle and had a four home run game, while also passing the 1000 RBI, 1000 run, and 400 home run thresholds. Duncan also was a consistent player for his home country Jamaica in the World Baseball Championship, making 135 starts between 1950-68. He had 121 hits, 76 runs, 41 home runs, 77 RBI, and 4.8 WAR in his tournament career.

Duncan saw a bit of a statistical resurgence in his mid 30s, but missed half of 1964 and 1/3 of 1965 to injury. At age 38, he became a free agent for the first time and saw his CABA run end, although he remained beloved by Santo Domingo fans and saw his #24 uniform soon retired. He left for MLB and signed with San Antonio for the 1966 season, still putting up solid power especially at his age. Duncan went to Oakland for 1967, but he struggled in his lone season with the Owls. He was unsigned much of 1968 and had a brief minor league stint in Rochester, opting to retire at age 41 after the season.

Duncan’s final CABA stats: 2422 hits, 1428 runs, 415 doubles, 168 triples, 578 home runs, 1469 RBI, a .297/.354/.602 slash, wRC+ of 162, and 107.9 WAR. He was ninth in WAR among all CABA hitters at retirement. A stellar career and a key part of Santo Domingo’s dynasty run in the late 50s and early 60s. Duncan was an obvious first ballot choice, getting 98.3%.

Tirso Sepulveda – Starting Pitcher – Honduras Horsemen – 66.2% Fifth Ballot

Tirso Sepulveda was a 5’11’’, 190 pound left-handed pitcher from the capital of Nicaragua, Managua. Sepulveda had a five pitch arsenal with 97-99 mph velocity led by a terrific cutter. He had a good fastball, along with a decent curveball, forkball, and changeup. His stuff, movement, and control were rated as above average to good for his career. Sepulveda had strong stamina and durability in his 20s, emerging as one of the top pitchers in CABA.

Sepulveda was an excellent amateur, earning the fifth overall pick by Honduras in the 1948 CABA Draft. He only had 19.1 innings in his first season, then was a part-time starter in 1950. Sepulveda was a full-time starter afterward and in 1951, finished second in Pitcher of the Year voting, He was second again in 1952 with a league-best and career best 9.0 WAR.

In 1953, Honduras started a stretch of regular dominance in the Continental Division. They were Caribbean League champ in 1953 with Sepulveda winning Pitcher of the Year. He was second in 1954, then won it for the second time in 1955. He had a 4.07 ERA in 55.1 playoff innings from 1953-55. Sepulveda was still good, but his production dropped a bit in 1956 and 1957 as the Horsemen missed the playoffs both years. His final stats in Honduras was 141-67, 2.59 ERA, 1990 strikeouts in 1966.1 innings, and 50.3 WAR. Sepulveda also was a regular for his native Nicaragua in the World Baseball Championship from 1950-61, posting a 3.50 ERA over 144 innings with 197 strikeouts and 5.3 WAR.

The now 31-year old Sepulveda became a free agent in 1958, although he still had a solid relationship with Honduras, as the Horsemen would retire his #27 uniform. Sepulveda signed a six-year, $484,000 deal with Haiti. In July, disaster struck with a torn flexor tendon, putting him out for 13 months in total. He returned in late 1959, but was merely an average-at-best pitcher from here on out. Other injuries cost him parts of 1960 and 1961 and after a middling 1961, Sepulveda opted to retire at age 35. With the Herons, he had a 33-30 record, 3.66 ERA, 461 strikeouts, and 9.9 WAR.

The final stats for Sepulveda: 174-97, 2.82 ERA, 2516.2 innings, 2451 strikeouts, 239/325 quality starts, a FIP- of 79, and 60.2 WAR. His overall accumulations are low due to a much shorter career than most Hall of Famers, but was a consistent Pitcher of the Year contender throughout his 20s. Sepulveda was in the 50-60% range on his first three ballots and fell just short on his fourth go at 65.4%. He got the extra percent he needed in 1971 to just get over the line at 66.2%, forever having a spot among CABA’s greats.

FuzzyRussianHat · 08-07-2023, 05:59 PM

Two-way star Tadasumi Tanabe was the lone player inducted into East Asia Baseball’s Hall of Fame in 1971, getting 90.9% on his debut. SP Young-Gwon Shin barely missed the 66% threshold at 65.2% on his third go. Slugger Ju-An Pak was also close, but short at 62.9% on his third ballot.

One other player was above 50% in closer Kantaro Kobayashi, who was dropped after ten attempts on the ballot. He had a 19 year career with eight teams and won Reliever of the Year once, posting 344 saves and 527 shutdowns, 1338 strikeouts in 1337 innings, and 30.3 WAR. A respectable career, but lacked the dominance needed to get him across the line. He was never below 44%, but never got to 60%.

Tadasumi Tanabe – Pitcher/Left Field – Saitama Sting – 90.9% First Ballot

Tadasumi Tanabe was a 5’11’’, 185 pound right-handed pitcher and outfielder from Akita, a city of around 300,000 people in the northern part of the main Japanese island Honshu. Tanabe was a two-way player that was known for having great control as a pitcher. His stuff and movement was above average with 93-95 mph peak velocity with a forkball, curveball, cutter, and changeup. As a pitcher, he wasn’t overpowering, but used the great control to coax ground balls. Tanabe also had excellent stamina as a pitcher when healthy. As a hitter, he was very well rounded, considered not outstanding at anything, but good to very good at everything. Tanabe played left field exclusively when not pitching and was considered a consistently average defender with low speed, but a good arm.

Tanabe attended Waseda University in Tokyo and was exclusively a pitcher, posting a 30-12 record, 2.65 ERA, and 11.7 WAR in 56 college starts. His hitting potential was also known, but his pitching profile on its own made him a top prospect. Tanabe was picked second overall by Saitama in the 1951 EAB Draft. He was a full-time starter on the mound as a rookie and also started half the season in the field, earning Rookie of the Year and his first of eight Silver Sluggers as a pitcher. He also won Silver Slugger in 1953, 54, 56, 57, 58, 59, and 62. Tanabe also pitched two no-hitters in his career, striking out seven against Hiroshima in 1955 and striking out 14 against Sendai in 1957.

Injuries caused him to miss about two months in 1954, 55, and 56; but his combined stats still made him an MVP candidate for the mid-tier Sting. In 1954, he finished second in MVP voting with 6.1 WAR on the mound and 4.2 WAR as a hitter. In 1956, he won MVP for the first time with a decent 4.5 WAR as a pitcher and a 7.1 WAR, 29 home run season offensively in 115 games.

1957-59 saw Tanabe at 100% full strength and he unleashed his maximum potential. In all three seasons, he won both the Pitcher of the Year award and Japan League MVP. In this stretch as a pitcher, he had a 61-19 record with 799 innings, 2.28 ERA, 805 strikeouts, and 23.8 WAR. As a hitter, he had 447 hits, 232 runs, 93 home runs, 237 RBI, a .341 batting average, and 22.2 WAR. This gave him 46.0 WAR in three years. Tanabe had a career-best 41 home runs in 1958 with a .353 average and 8.2 WAR. In 1957, he had a career-best 9.5 WAR pitching with 289 strikeouts in 278 innings. 1957 and 1958 both had 16+ combined WAR, which remained EAB single-season records until the 2020s.

This workload proved unsustainable, as in September 1959, Tanabe suffered a damaged elbow ligament, knocking him out for 10 months. Saitama made the playoffs in 1958-60, but the Sting couldn’t get beyond the JLCS. Tanabe was still good when healthy in 1960 and 1961, but missed big chunks of both seasons. Around this time, he started playing for Japan in the World Baseball Championship, joining the team in ten seasons between 1958-69. Tanabe was primarily a pitcher with a 3.57 ERA, 10-6 record, 138.2 innings, 142 strikeouts, and 2.1 WAR. As a hitter in 99 plate appearances, he had 18 hits, 17 runs, 4 home runs, and 8 RBI.

In 1962, he had his last full season with above average production on both ends. Tanabe missed chunks of 1963 and 1964, his final two seasons with Saitama who had fallen back into mediocrity. The Sting would retire his #18 uniform later, but they opted to trade the now 34-year old for the 1965 season to Kyoto for pitcher Tokuzo Saito and 2B Takeye Ono. His time with the Kamikaze was short-lived with a torn labrum in late May, ultimately ending his East Asia Baseball tenure.

Tanabe seemed to still be a solid player when healthy, but he couldn’t stay on the field. MLB’s Memphis gave him a chance with a three-year, $552,000 deal in hopes he could resurrect the magic. A herniated disc, then another torn labrum ended his 1966 with the Mountain Cats. He missed all of 1967 and was cut by Memphis, getting signed for 1968 by Buffalo. Tanabe was still able to gave some positive value when healthy with the Blue Sox. He was signed for 1969 with Oakland and saw the season end with yet another torn labrum. He returned to Japan and signed with Kobe in 1970, but a fourth torn labrum in spring training ended his career at age 40.

Tanabe’s final EAB pitching stats: 161-105, 2.68 ERA, 2669 innings, 2571 strikeouts to 356 walks, 130 complete games, and 62.4 WAR. With three Pitcher of the Year awards as well, he’d be worth consideration purely as a pitcher. As a hitter, he had 1283 hits, 557 runs, 203 doubles, 201 home runs, 601 RBI, a .317/.368/.525 slash and 47.4 WAR. When healthy, Tanabe was one of the most electric and awesome players in professional baseball history. Even with all of the injuries, he still posted enough numbers for a worthy first ballot Hall of Fame career at 90.9%.

FuzzyRussianHat · 08-08-2023, 05:26 AM

Beisbol Sudamerica inducted two players into the Hall of Fame with the 1971 class, both on the first ballot. The star was starting pitcher Argel Souza with 99.4% of the vote. Meanwhile, LF Ynilo Zapata barely got in with 66.3%, just beyond the 66.0% mark. SP Sousa Marques had a solid debut ballot as well, but was short at 60.1%. Two others were above 50% with SP Jon Mancilla at 52.9% on his second try and SP Jay Carrizales at 51.1% on his third go.

LF Placido Guerrero fell off the ballot after ten failed attempts, ending at 34.1% after peaking at 51.2% on his seventh attempt. In 14 years with Cordoba, he had 1974 hits, 1108 runs, 540 home runs, 1170 RBI, a .277/.337/.550 slash, 81.4 WAR, plus the 1951 MVP and two Silver Sluggers. His last four years were in MLB, perhaps costing him a chance of getting slightly more accumulations to cross the line. Also dropped was 3B Martin Fontura, a five-time Silver Slugger winner between Belo Horizonte and Sao Paulo. He never got above 32.5% from his first year, despite having 2200 hits, 912 runs, 348 doubles, 198 home runs, 822 RBI, a .304/.345/.456 slash and 86.3 WAR. Both Fontura and Guerrero had solid careers that wouldn’t look out of place in the Hall of Fame, but neither swayed the voters in ten ballots.

Argel Souza – Starting Pitcher – Sao Paulo Padres – 99.4% First Ballot

Argel Souza was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed starting pitcher from Pouso Alegre, a city of 150,000 people in the southeastern Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. Souza had excellent stuff with above average to good movement and control. He had 97-99 mph max velocity with a three pitch arsenal of a fastball, slider, and changeup. Souza mixed the three expertly to become one of South America’s best pitchers. He was known also for very good stamina and respectable defense. Souza was a fan favorite with a great work ethic and loyalty, making him a standout throughout his run.

Souza emerged as a top prospect after his amateur career and was picked ninth overall by Sao Paulo in the 1952 Beisbol Sudamerica Draft. He was a full-time starter as a rookie and finished third in Rookie of the Year voting with a respectable debut. By his second year, he was already viewed as elite, taking third in Pitcher of the Year voting. That year, he had a no hitter with 13 strikeouts and three walks against Montevideo.

Souza was a critical piece in Sao Paulo becoming the dominant force of the Brazil Division. They won the division title nine straight seasons from 1953-61, won the Southern Cone League in 1954, 57, 58, 59, and 60; and took the Copa Sudamerica crown in 1958. Souza was the ace of this run, leading the league in strikeouts and wins thrice, quality starts five times, shutouts thrice, and WAR thrice. In 1957, he had his second no-hitter, getting 14 strikeouts with no walks against Brasilia, but just missing out on the perfect game.

Souza won his first Pitcher of the Year in 1955, his second in 1957, third in 1958, and fourth in 1960. He took second in 1956 as well. 1957 was the crown jewel that also earned him a league MVP. Souza had only the third Pitching Triple Crown in BSA history to that point with a 27-4 record, 1.14 ERA, and 350 strikeouts in 291.2 innings with 11.2 WAR. The ERA mark was the third lowest total in BSA history. He had six seasons with an ERA below two for the Padres, posting a 194-75 record, 2.01 ERA, 2756.1 innings, 3198 strikeouts, and 77.3 WAR.

He was a huge part in getting Sao Paulo to the playoffs regularly for a decade, although his postseason numbers were surprisingly pedestrian with a 2.64 ERA and 5-11 record over 22 appearances. He had a 1.9 WAR over 146.1 innings with 140 strikeouts. He also was a regular for Brazil in the World Baseball Championship and was good, but not incredible. From 1954-64, he had 173 innings with a 3.02 ERA, 12-9 record, 189 strikeouts, and 3.7 WAR. He did toss 17 innings with only one unearned run against him in 1959.

Sao Paulo dropped off and started to rebuild with the 1962 season. Souza was still having good seasons, but his 1961 and 1962 campaigns weren’t award winning. The Padres traded him for three prospects before the 1963 season to Salvador. The 33-year old Souza showed he could still go, winning his fifth Pitcher of the Year in 1963 for the Storm, becoming the first five-time winner in the Southern Cone League. Souza fell off hard, going from an 8.1 WAR season to 0.4 WAR in 1964, in part hampered by an elbow strain. He stunk in limited action in 1965 for the Storm and opted to retire after the season at age 36. With Salvador, he had a 40-23 record, 3.19 ERA, 512 strikeouts, and 6.5 WAR total.

The final stats for Souza: 234-98, 2.22 ERA, 3348.2 innings, 3710 strikeouts, 336/410 quality starts, 119 complete games, FIP- of 76, and 83.8 WAR. At retirement, he had the best winning percentage of any BSA Hall of Famer and is still #2 as of 2037. He didn’t play long enough to raise to the top of all of the leaderboards, but his prime was among the best in the history of South American baseball. Sao Paulo retired his #32 uniform as a key part of their memorable 1950s success. With five Pitcher of the Year awards, an MVP, and a Triple Crown, Souza was a no-doubter at 99.4%.

Ynilo Zapata – Left Field – Callao Cats – 66.3% First Ballot

Ynilo Zapata was a 6’2’’, 200 pound left-handed left fielder from Lima, Peru. Zapata had prolific home run power, leading the Bolivar League in home runs six times in his first seven seasons. He was a good to occasionally great contact hitter who was better than many sluggers at avoiding strikeouts, although generally around average at drawing walks. Zapata was a slow baserunner and viewed as a below average to bad defender who played basically exclusively in left field. But the man hit dingers and that him a hot commodity.

He became well known in Peru as an amateur as the next possible great slugger. Zapata was picked 14^th overall by his hometown Lima in the 1950 Beisbol Sudamerica Draft, but couldn’t come to terms with the Lobos. While still an amateur, he played for the Peruvian team in the World Baseball Championship in 1951. From 1951-64, he played 115 WBC games with 89 hits, 71 runs, 40 home runs, 83 RBI, and 4.0 WAR. In the 1951 BSA Draft, Callao selected him fifth overall and he joined the Cats, where he spent the vast majority of his pro career.

Zapata was thrown into the starting lineup immediately and became the first-ever player to win MVP and Rookie of the Year in the same season. He led the Bolivar League with 53 home runs and had career highs in OPS at 1.077, wRC+ at 211, and WAR at 8.6. He led the league in home runs six times from 1952-58 and hit 50+ twice more with 53 in 1955 and 51 in 1957. He also had three 125+ RBI seasons with a peak of 133 in 1955. Zapata was second in MVP voting in 1955, third in 1956, and second again in 1957; but his rookie year was his lone MVP ultimately. He won six Silver Sluggers (52, 53, 54, 55, 57, 62).

Zapata’s power pushed Callao to relevance for the first time in the franchise’s history. The Cats won the South Division five times from 1954-60 and took the Copa Sudamerica crown in 1954 and 1957. In 34 playoff games, Zapata had 31 hits, 16 runs, 8 home runs, 19 RBI, and 1.2 WAR. His production began to fade a bit into his 30s with a broken hand putting him out 3-4 months in 1960.

Callao remained competitive after 1960, but wouldn’t make the playoffs in the next five years. Zapata still got 35+ homers in 1961 and 1962, but he was no longer an MVP candidate. In 1963, he missed two months with a strained MCL. Zapata was moved to a bench role in 1964 and at age 36, was traded in the summer to Fortaleza along with a prospect to get pitcher Leo Andrade. He spent the rest of 1964 and 1965 as a bench player for the Foxes, opting to retire after the 1965 season at age37. Callao still remembered him fondly though and would retire his #13 uniform.

Zapata’s final stats: 1860 hits, 1061 runs, 487 home runs, 1155 RBI, a .292/.350/.578 slash, 161 wRC+ and 69.6 WAR. His MVP rookie season made many think he was the next big thing, but his totals are actually lower than you’d expect considering his peak. Only one other player (Martyn Jarava) had gotten into the Hall as a hitter with under 2000 career hits. Many thought Zapata didn’t have the accumulations needed to deserve a spot, but other voters love dingers and pointed out he had a big role in two Cup wins for Callao. He ended up being a first ballot choice just barely at 66.3%; but barely or not, Zapata is in.

FuzzyRussianHat · 08-08-2023, 11:44 AM

For the first time since 1964, the European Baseball Federation didn’t induct any players into the Hall of Fame with 1971’s voting. Three returners were close yet again above 60%, but below the required 66%. Closer Richard Hackl led this group at 63.8% on his sixth ballot, followed by 3B Orion McIntyre at 62.5% on his sixth and CF Joe Ramet at 60.8% on his ninth. Ramet would become the first player in EBF’s history to make it to ten ballots. Two others were above 50% with closer Ken Jacob at 57.0% on his seventh attempt and 1B Fabian Wittkowski at 55.6% in his debut.

FuzzyRussianHat · 08-08-2023, 04:46 PM

1971 saw Eurasian Professional Baseball finally add someone to the Hall of Fame to join inaugural member Bogdon Chirita from the 1968 vote. Two players got the nod in 1971, led by pitcher Alexandru Spinu as a first ballot choice at 84.0%. On his third attempt, closer Khalid Azad got the bump across the line as well with 71.2%. Two others were above 50% on their debuts with SP Skerdi Hoxha at 58.4% and SP Andrei Doman at 54.5%.

Alexandru “Hacksaw” Spinu - Starting Pitcher – Warsaw Wildcats – 84.0% First Ballot

Alexandru Spinu was a 6’5’’, 210 pound left-handed pitcher from Chisinau, the capital of Moldova. Spinu had good control and an electric fastball that peaked at 95-97 mph velocity. He mixed this with a good slider and okay changeup with his movement rated as average at best. Spinu had terrific stamina, leading the league in innings pitched four times. He was also great at holding runners and was considered an excellent defensive pitcher, winning a Gold Glove in 1960.

Like many of his era, he didn’t pick up baseball until after World War II in his late teens. Moldova at the time was one of the states within the Soviet Union and he bounced around the Soviet amateur and semi-pro circuits in his early 20s. Eurasian Professional Baseball officially formed for the 1955 season and the 26-year old was a top candidate for many teams. Spinu ended up going to Poland, signing a six-year, $242,400 deal with Warsaw.

Spinu was second in Pitcher of the Year voting in 1955, leading the league in strikeouts and posting a no-hitter with 13 strikeouts and one walk against Minsk. The Wildcats had an impressive 122-win debut, but lost ultimately in the first round of the playoffs despite Spinu’s efforts. He was good, but a bit weaker in 1956. Then in 1957, he won Pitcher of the Year, leading the European League with 11.4 WAR and 342 strikeouts. Spinu struggled in his only playoff appearance and suffered a rotator cuff strain, putting him out as the Wildcats fell in the ELCS.

Spinu was second in Pitcher of the Year voting in 1958 despite career bests in WAR (12.1) and strikeouts (365). His 1959 was ended in July by ulnar nerve entrapment. Fearing his usefulness would be ended by the injury, Warsaw traded the 31-year old Spinu for the 1960 season to Kharkiv in exchange for four prospects. In total with the Wildcats, Spinu had an 88-45 record, 2.70 ERA, 1529 strikeouts in 1275.2 innings, and 43.1 WAR.

His one season with the Killer Bees saw an impressive bounce back with 10.7 WAR and his fourth season atop the strikeout charts, this time at 348. Spinu took third in Pitcher of the Year voting and won a Gold Glove, entering free agency as a hot commodity in 1961. He stayed in Ukraine on a five-year, $445,000 deal with Kyiv.

A good debut with the Kings was cut short in July with a torn labrum. He again bounced back though, leading in strikeouts for the fifth time in 1962, Kyiv got to the ELCS, but Spinu struggled in his three postseason starts. The Kings won the 1963 Soviet Series and Spinu got a ring, but he pitched 0.2 innings all season thanks to a torn labrum in his first start. Spinu had more injuries woes in 1964, but was still effective when he was healthy, posting 4.8 WAR in only 19 starts. With Kyiv, he had a 2.68 ERA over 289 innings, 348 strikeouts, and 10.6 WAR.

Spinu became a free agent at age 36 for the 1965 season and signed with Almaty. He was okay in Kazakhstan, but more injuries put him out two months. The Assassins traded him in July back to Warsaw, but he was only healthy enough to make three starts in his Wildcats return. Spinu decided to retire at age 37.

Spinu’s final stats: 154-84 record, 2.70 ERA, 2210.2 innings, 2586 strikeouts to 358 walks, 179/276 quality starts, FIP- of 66 and 70.5 WAR. Injuries and a late start to his official career put his final tallies at the bottom of the Hall of Fame leaderboards, but he was undoubtedly dominant when healthy. With the voters understanding the first inducted players might not have the big stats of later guys, enough viewed Spinu’s resume as worthy. Thus, he was a first ballot nod at 84.0%.

Khalid Azad – Closer – Minsk Miners – 71.2% Third Ballot

Khalid Azad was a 5’11’’, 200 pound right-handed reliever from Yeni Suraxani, a small municipality within Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. Azad had a two-pitch combo of a curveball and sinker with excellent movement and 96-98 mph peak velocity on the sinker. His stuff was graded as terrific with his control viewed as above average. The main knock on him was a perceived greediness and lack of loyalty.

Azad picked up baseball in his 20s in Azerbaijan and was 27-years old when EPB was started up in 1955. He ultimately was signed by Minsk to a two-year deal and immediately emerged as the closer for the Miners. Azad was runner-up for Reliever of the Year in 1956 and won the award in 1957. Minsk was a powerhouse franchise, getting to the playoffs in all six of Azad’s seasons there. They won the Soviet Series in 1956 and got to the final in 1955. Azad was a strong playoff performer, posting 13 saves and 16 shutdowns over 42.1 innings with a 1.70 ERA and 53 strikeouts. He also pitched for Azerbaijan in the World Baseball Championship from 1958-63, although he was used as a starter most often. He posted a 3.01 ERA in 83.2 innings with 123 strikeouts and 2.7 WAR.

Azad was demoted out of the closer role in 1960, but still saw regular use in his final season with Minsk. In his time in Belarus, he had 175 saves, a 1.56 ERA, 200 shutdowns, 658 strikeouts in 474.1 innings and 24.5 WAR. At age 33, Azad became a free agent and signed with Yekaterinburg for 1961. He led the league in saves for the first time in 1961 and took third in Reliever of the Year voting. Although not a finalist in 1962, he posted career bests in strikeouts (139) and WAR (6.0). Azad was off to a strong start for 1963, but the typically durable reliever suffered a torn elbow ligament that ended his career at age 36. In total with the Yaks he had 89 saves, 1.87 ERA, 300 strikeouts, and 11.2 WAR.

Azad’s final stats saw 264 saves and 307 shutdowns, 1.65 ERA, 691 innings, 958 strikeouts, FIP- of 39 and 35.7 WAR. His save total is low for what usually gets relievers into Halls of Fame, but it was a small sample size from a late start and early exit. Azad was very dominant when he was on and after three attempts on early ballots, voters felt he was worthy of being the first reliever into the EPB Hall of Fame. He received 71.2% on his third attempt.

FuzzyRussianHat · 08-09-2023, 05:21 AM

The 25^th World Baseball Championship was held in Hong Kong. After missing the elite eight in consecutive seasons for the first time, the United States came up with its 22th divisional win. The Americans finished 6-1 in a tough Division 1, edging 5-2 runs from Austria, Haiti, and Italy. Division 2 had South Korea and Chile tie for first at 5-2, both one game ahead of Cuba and Scotland. The tiebreaker favored the Koreans, sending them to the Round Robin for the ninth time. Defending World Champion China claimed Division 3 at 6-1, one ahead of Bulgaria. Meanwhile, Division 4 was a mess with six teams (Japan, Bolivia, Ireland, Singapore, France, and Spain) all at 4-3. After a whole host of tiebreakers, Japan moved forward for the tenth time.

Canada went a perfect 7-0 in Division 5, two ahead of the Dominican Republic. Mexico had similar success at 7-0 in Division 6 with Australia their closest foe. The Canadians have advanced 18 times and the Mexicans 11 times. The Philippines earned its third-ever Round Robin berth by winning Division 7 at 6-1, edging Brazil by a game. And in Division 8, Puerto Rico became a three-time division winner. PR finished 6-1, holding off defending runner-up Russia and Indonesia both at 5-2.

Round Robin Group A had China first at 4-2. The USA and Japan both were 3-3 with Mexico at 2-4. The tiebreaker sent the Americans to their 21^st Final Four, while the Chinese made it for the third time. In Group B, South Korea and Canada were the top dogs at 4-2, while the Philippines and Puerto Rico were both 2-4. This gave the Canadians their 17^th semifinal berth and the Koreans their sixth. China advanced to the championship by beating Canada 4-2 in their semifinal series, while the Americans swept South Korea 4-0. Canada officially was third place for the sixth time, while SK was fourth.

The 25^th World Championship was the 18^th finals appearance for the perennial power United States, meanwhile China wanted to join the US and Mexico as the only nations to win back-to-back titles. The Americans ultimately returned to their perch at the top, taking the series in five games. The US has 15 World Titles, while everyone else has combined for 10.

Although the runner-up, China had the tournament MVP in Jun Zong. A 28-year old left fielder for Hong Kong, he smacked 10 home runs with 16 RBI, 17 hits, and 14 runs in 20 tournament games. Top pitcher went to American closer Thurman Lofink, a 27-year old with New Orleans. He had nine relief appearances and two starts in the tournament, posting five saves and a 3-0 record with a 0.29 ERA over 30.2 innings. He struck out 72 and had a 2.1 WAR.

Other notes; Venezuela’s Cesar Valladares had 20 strikeouts and two walks in a no-hitter against Romania. This is tied for third most strikeouts in a WBC no-hitter with the record at 22.

Below are the updated all-time tournament stats. Through 25 events, there have been seven different champions, 11 nations to make the final, 28 that have gotten to the semifinal, and 48 to make it to the elite eight.

FuzzyRussianHat · 08-09-2023, 12:09 PM

The second season for Chinese League Baseball saw a record-setting 123-39 season for Tianjin. This still stands as the all-time winningest season in CLB history as of 2037 and at this point in history, was tied for third most wins in a season in any pro league. Shanghai was a strong second place at 107-55, earning the other spot from the Northern League. Last year’s top two were third and fourth with Nanjing at 97-65 and defending CLB champ Beijing at 93-69.

The Jackrabbits had the league MVP and Pitcher of the Year along with their historic record. MVP was 26-year old RF Xinze Yan, who led in OPS (1.053), slugging (.641), and total bases (365), adding 10.9 WAR, a .336 average, 44 home runs, and 110 RBI. 26-year old Luke Ren was Pitcher of the Year with the lefty leading in wins off a 25-4 record. He had a 1.75 ERA over 282.2 innings with 240 strikeouts and 8.3 WAR.

The Southern League also had two different playoff teams from the inaugural season. After taking a close third last year, Guangzhou was in first at 101-61. Foshan took second place at 95-67, finishing one better than Chengdu for the final spot. Last year’s playoff teams Wuhan and Chongqing finished sixth and fifth, respectively.

Although Hong Kong was 73-89, they head the Southern League MVP in Jun Zong. The 28-year old LF was the World Baseball Championship’s MVP and carried that into a 56 home run, 97 RBI season. He also led with 95 runs, 346 total bases, a .609 slugging, .942 OPS, and wRC+ of 227 while adding 9.6 WAR. 56 home runs beat Dolgoon Bolorsukh by one for the most in a CLB season, although he’d remain the single-season leader for only three years. Foshan’s Encai Li won Pitcher of the Year at age 38. The righty was the WARlord at 10.7 and led in complete games (15) and shutouts (8), adding 278 strikeouts in 255.1 innings with a 1.20 ERA and 18-8 record.

Both league champions won in the semifinal as Guangzhou survived Shanghai in seven games and Tianjin topped Foshan in six. The Jackrabbits had the chance to be the winningest champion in pro baseball history, as 123-win Minsk in 1957 was a one-and-done, 124-win Madrid in 1953 fell in the EBF championship and 125-win Madrid in 1951 was one and done. The Gamecocks denied them that honor in a seven game classic. Despite being runner-up, Tianjin RF Boyang Zhang was the finals MVP, posting 5 home runs, 16 hits, 8 runs, and 12 RBI in 13 playoff games.

Other notes: Chongqing’s Jaiqi Zhang had the first four home run game in CLB History. The next one wouldn’t happen until 1989. Shanghai’s Yingfu Yang had the first six hit game.

FuzzyRussianHat · 08-09-2023, 05:30 PM

The Taiwan-Philippine Association had new teams atop its leagues for the 1971 season. In the Taiwan League, Taoyuan took the top spot at 85-77, edging out defending champ Taipei and Kaohsiung both at 82-80. In the Philippine League, Manila’s six-year streak was ended as the Manatees were a last place 70-92. Zamboanga was first at 89-73, edging out Cebu by two games and Davao by four.

Kaohsiung’s Yao-Hsun Ching won MVP with the 23-year old in his fourth full season already. He was the leaer in runs scored (90), total bases (306), slugging (.534), OPS (.850), and wRC+ (173), adding 8.8 WAR and 36 home runs. Tianan’s Kun-Sheng Lin won a third straight Pitcher of the Year with another incredible season. He broke his own single-season strikeout record with 476, also leading with 15.7 WAR, 0.70 WHIP, a 13.2 K/BB, 29 complete games, and 297.2 innings, posting a 1.90 ERA and 19-13 record. In his first four seasons, Lin has an absurd 55.0 WAR with 1672 strikeouts.

The best overall record in Austronesia Professional Baseball came in the Sundaland Association as Batam won back-to-back Malacca League titles. The second best record was in the same league as Medan and the Blue Raiders both were 100-62 to close the regular season. Batam won the tiebreaker game to take the crown. The Java League had a first time winner in Surabaya at 87-75. The Sunbirds beat defending APB champ Jakarta by one game and Semarang by two games to take the title.

Although Singapore stunk with only 66 wins, they had the MVP in RF Dedi Nugroho. He only started 122 games, but the second-year lefty was the home run leader with 51 and also led in slugging (.667), OPS (1.037) and wRC+ (246) with 8.9 WAR. Pitcher of the Year was Batam’s Ahmad Nasir Suryadi. The 27-year old righty in his fifth season as a Blue Raider had the most wins with a 21-9 record, posting a 1.73 ERA in 281.1 innings with 299 strikeouts and 7.0 WAR.

The Taiwan-Philippine Association Championship went to Taoyuan in five games over Zamboanga. Meanwhile Surabaya upset Batam in the Sundaland Association final, easily dispatching them with a sweep. The Sunbirds continued their momentum into the seventh Austronesia Championship, topping the Tsunami 4-1 for their first title. 3B Kim Shin Pan was the MVP of the association final and the APB final, posting 15 hits, 5 home runs, 10 RBI, and 9 runs in 9 playoff games.

Other notes: The fourth APB perfect game came on June 22 from Jakarta’s Sen-Lung Shu, who struck out 13 against Semarang. Muljadi Suwandi became the first APB pitcher to reach 2000 career strikeouts. Depok’s Alex Yustinus had a 25-game hit streak, setting a new APB record. Pekanbaru had a steep fall from being the first Sundaland Champion to only 57 wins in 1971. They scored only 353 runs and had 956 hits, both of which were all time worsts until 2024. CF Ruben Yu and 3B Stanley Susilowati both won their seventh Gold Gloves, remaining the two players to have taken the award in all seven APB seasons thus far.

FuzzyRussianHat · 08-10-2023, 05:17 AM

Gold Coast became a first time Australasia League champion in 1971 with a 101-61 record. Melbourne’s dynasty came to an end after four straight league titles. The Mets were second place at 95-67 with Adelaide third at 91-71.

Aardvarks 2B/SS Jimmy Caliw won his third straight MVP award, breaking his own single-season OBA record with 13.3 WAR. The 25-year old Filipino won his fourth Gold Glove and led in hits (174), total bases (324), average (.299), OBP (.359), OPS (.917), and wRC+ (187), adding 55 home runs and 97 RBI. Pitcher of the Year was Brisbane’s Nathaniel Doloran. After an excellent Rookie of the Year campaign in 1970, the 24-year old lefty led in strikeouts for the second straight season with 436, setting a new OBA single-season record. Doloran added 9.7 WAR over 305.1 innings with a 1.80 ERA and 18-12 record.

Tahiti rolled to the Pacific League title at 107-55, setting a new PL record and tying the OBA mark set last year by Melbourne. It is the second title for the Tropics, who won It all in 1965. Honolulu (99-63) and Samoa (98-64) both had great seasons, but couldn’t keep up with Tahiti. It was the best ever season for the Sun Sox, who only won 69 games the prior year and had never finished better than .500. Last year’s Oceania champ New Caledonia dropped from 100 wins in 1970 to a fifth place 75-87.

The Pacific League MVP and Pitcher of the Year both came from the Tropics. MVP was 27-year old 3B Ieremia Tenakanai, a Papuan in his fourth full season. He led the league in hits (205), total bases (357), triple slash (.319/.354/.556), OPS (.910) and wRC+ (194), adding 7.3 WAR. Pitcher of the Year was Dwight Castillo, a 26-year old lefty from Palau. He led in ERA at 1.41 and wins at 26-8, adding 35 quality starts over 319.1 innings with 353 strikeouts and 8.3 WAR.

The 12^th Oceania Championship saw Gold Coast win its first title, defeating Tahiti in six games. League MVP Ieremia Tenakanai was also the finals MVP, smacking four home runs with nine hits, three doubles, six runs, and nine RBI.

Other notes: Zachary Nelson became the third OBA pitcher to 2500 strikeouts. Catcher Graham Parker won his eighth Gold Glove, the first OBA player to get to eight.

FuzzyRussianHat · 08-10-2023, 12:11 PM

Minsk had the best record in Eurasian Professional Baseball in 1971 as the Miners earned a fourth straight playoff berth and their 16^th in EPB’s first 17 years. The Miners won the North Division at 115-47 with Moscow taking second at 105-57 for back-to-back playoff berths. St. Petersburg was 95-67 to get the second wild card, their first playoff berth since 1964. The South Division saw a tie between Kharkiv and Kyiv at 88-74 with the Killer Bees advancing on a one-game tiebreaker for back-to-back playoff berths. Defending European League champ Tirana dropped to 84-78, ending their four-year playoff streak.

League MVP went to Minsk’s Zina Gigolashvili. The 35-year old Georgian first baseman in his third year with the Miners set the new EPB single-season home run record with 65, defeating his own record of 56 from 1961. This would remain the record until 1986. Gigolashvili also had 139 RBI, one short of the single-season record set by Pavlo Kolesnik in 1955. He also led the league in the triple slash (.309/.383/.706), OPS (1.089), wRC+ (221) and WAR (11.1). This earned him the fourth Triple Crown by an EPB hitter. His OPS mark was also a single-season record that would hold until 1984. Gigolashvili also became the third EPB hitter to 500 career home runs and crossed 1000 RBI.

Pitcher of the Year went to 25-year old Kazakh Anatoli Agakerimzade. After being drafted by Bishkek, he was traded for 1970 to St. Petersburg. In his second season with the Polar Bears, he led the league in ERA (1.81), quality starts (30) and wins (21-7), adding 263.1 innings, 217 strikeouts, and 6.1 WAR.

Omsk had the best record in the Asian League at 100-62 atop the North Division, earning a fourth straight playoff berth. Defending Soviet Series champ Yekaterinburg took second at 98-64 and got the first wild card, extending their postseason streak to eight, the longest active one in EPB. In the South Division, Almaty took first at 96-66 for their first playoff berth since their 1963 AL title. Dushanbe narrowly took second at 92-70, finishing one ahead of Tashkent, three ahead of Ulaanbaatar, and four over Krasnoyarsk for the final wild card. The Dynamo earned back-to-back playoff berths.

MVP went to Dushanbe shortstop Daurenbek Zeynalov. The 29-year old Tajik was the league leader in WAR (8.6), total bases (326) and triples (35). This was a EPB record for triples as Zeynalov led for the seventh time in his eight year career. Pitcher of the Year was Yekaterinburg’s Vladimir Hora. The 32-year old Czech righty was the WARlord at 12.1, leading in FIP- (47), wins (22-7), and shutouts (8), adding a 1.90 ERA over 293.1 innings with 358 strikeouts.

In the first round of the European League playoffs, St. Petersburg stunned Minsk with an upset 3-1, while Moscow downed Kharkiv 3-1. In the Asian League, Dushanbe upset Omsk in four and Almaty swept Yekaterinburg. In their first-ever European League Championship Series appearance, the Polar Bears took the league title, downing the Mules in six games. The Asian League Championship Series saw the Assassins sweep the Dynamo. Almaty becomes a three-time Asian League champ, having also won in 1957 and 1963.

The 17^th Soviet Series was the second ever to go all seven games. St. Petersburg won the first three games, but Almaty rallied back by winning the next three. The Polar Bears avoided the full collapse and won game seven for their first-ever EPB title. The Assassins are now 0-3 in Soviet Series appearances. Although they lost, Almaty’s Azamat Boboev was the finals MVP. The 28-year old CF also was the ALCS MVP, posting 21 hits, 10 runs,4 home runs, and 14 RBI in 16 playoff games.

Other notes: Baku’s Yunis Atamuradov threw EPB’s 13^th Perfect Game, striking out seven against Yerevan on September 5. Sergei Filatov became the first pitcher to 4500 career strikeouts. A few months later, Alvi Tahiri became the second. RF German Daugelo won his 11^th straight Gold Glove. OF Amam Charyyew won his eighth Silver Slugger.

FuzzyRussianHat · 08-10-2023, 04:22 PM

The EBF Northern Conference saw a new face with the best record as Luxembourg went 102-60 atop the Northwest Division. It is only the second-ever playoff berth for the Lancers, who won the division back in 1958. Rotterdam earned the wild card again with a 92-70 record, extending their playoff streak to five years. Defending European Champion Paris finished 89-73, falling short of the postseason. In the British Isles Division, Dublin went 91-71 for back-to-back division crowns and four in five years. Birmingham finished seven back and London was eight back. In the North Central Division, Berlin and Copenhagen tied for the top spot at 83-79. The Barons won a one-game playoff to get their third playoff berth in four years. Last year’s division champ Oslo dropped to 79-83.

Leading Luxembourg’s effort was second-year left fielder Wesley Visscher. The 25-year old Dutchman was the leader in hits (213) and average (.336), adding 7.0 WAR. Birmingham fourth year righty Joseph Wilson won the Pitcher of the Year, leading the conference in ERA (1.97), strikeouts (344), WHIP (0.78), shutouts (8), and WAR (8.6), adding an 18-11 record in 278.2 innings.

Munich had the best overall record in the European Baseball Federation again at 106-56 for back-to-back Southern Conference Southeast Division titles. Naples won the South Central Division for a third straight season with a franchise-record 102-60 mark. In the Southwest Division, Madrid snapped a nine season playoff drought at 96-66. Marseille was only one back at 95-67 and ended up two behind Vienna for the wild card. The defending conference champion Vultures finished 97-65, giving them seven straight playoff berths.

Milan was 78-84, but had an MVP season from 1B Jared Psaila. The 25-year old Maltese was the leader in hits (217), average (.358), OBP (.421), OPS (1.023), wRC+ (191), and WAR (10.1), adding 36 home runs and 113 RBI. Pitcher of the Year was Munich’s Kurt Ryborsch. The 27-year old German had a 2.27 ERA and 21-7 record over 285.1 innings with 241 strikeouts, 27 quality starts, and 5.1 WAR.

All of the first round playoff series were 3-0 sweeps. In the Northern Conference, Luxembourg handled Berlin and Rotterdam dusted Dublin. In the Southern Conference, Munich mauled Madrid and Vienna dropped Naples. In their first-ever Northern Conference final, the Lancers took the title in six games over the Ravens, leaving Rotterdam as runner-up in back-to-back years. The Mavericks denied the Vultures a three-peat with Munich winning the Southern Conference final in five. It is the third conference title for the Mavericks, who also won it back in 1951 and 1952.

In the 22^nd European Championship, Luxembourg became a first-time EBF champion. The Lancers beat Munich 4-2 with 1B Alex Zonneveld earning finals MVP. In his eighth season with the Lancers, the 30-year old Dutch lefty had 18 hits, 7 runs, 7 extra base hits, and 15 RBI in 15 playoff games. For the third straight season, the champion came out of the Northwest Division.

Other notes: Seville’s Joseph Lander had a 34-game hitting streak, the fifth-longest in EBF history. Hermann Hoffmann became the eighth pitcher to 3000 career strikeouts.

FuzzyRussianHat · 08-11-2023, 06:32 AM

Defending Bolivar League champ Medellin won the North Division for the seventh straight season in 1971, easily taking the top spot at 95-67. The Mutiny were ten games ahead of second place Bogota. Meanwhile, Guayaquil narrowly took the South Division at 89-73. The Golds beat Cali by one game, Quito by five, and defending division winner Lima by seven. For Guayaquil, it is their second playoff berth in three years.

1B Jorge Masana led the Golds with an MVP in his fifth season for Guayaquil. The left-handed Ecuadoran was the WARlord at 10.3 and league leader in hits (212), RBI (122), total bases (376), OPS (1.020), and wRC+ (191), adding 109 runs and 39 home runs. Medellin’s Ivo Ferreira won back-to-back Pitcher of the Year awards. The 29-year old Brazilian lefty was WARlord (9.5) and strikeout leader (340) for the second straight year, also leading in wins at 20-12 and FIP- at 58. He posted a 2.05 ERA over 267.1 innings.

Brasilia had the top mark in the Southern Cone League, winning the Brazil Division title for the first time since 1963. After coming close the last few years, the Bearcats finally got the top spot at 104-58, their first 100+ win season since the 1930s dynasty. Sao Paulo was a distant second at 93-69 while defending Copa Sudamerica champ Rio de Janeiro dropped to 80-82. Santiago cruised to the South Division crown for an eighth straight season, winning it at 96-66.

Rosario CF Celso Galo won his second league MVP in three years. The 28-year old lefty won his third batting title at .351 and also led the league in slugging (.649), OPS (1.061), total bases (374) and wRC+ (229). He had 10.6 WAR, 43 home runs, 97 RBI, and 202 hits. Sao Paulo’s Domingas Ribeiro became the first Beisbol Sudamerica pitcher to win Pitcher of the Year in four consecutive seasons. He led in ERA for the sixth straight year (1.49) and WAR (10.8) for the sixth straight year. Ribeiro also led in WHIP (0.74) and K/BB (18.5) with a remarkable 351 strikeouts to only 19 walks. He tossed 260.1 innings with a 16-6 record and eight saves.

Nothing was going to stop the Medellin train as the Mutiny swept Guayaquil in the Bolivar League Championship Series. Medellin now has won three straight and five of the last six titles. Their ten league titles are also the top mark in BSA. The Southern Cone Championship delivered a great series however with Santiago edging Brasilia in seven games. This gives the Saints five league titles since 1961 and eight overall.

The 41^st Copa Sudamerica was not the first time the two storied franchises had met in the final with Medellin winning the 1934 title over Santiago, the Saints taking it in 1936, and Santiago winning in 1966. The fourth meeting between the two went to the Saints 4-2, sending the Cup to Chile for the first time since their 1966 battle. LF Rosario Cristoval was the playoff leader for Santiago, winning LCS MVP. In 13 playoff games, he had 19 hits, 12 runs, 8 doubles, 3 triples, and 2 home runs. Santiago is tied with Medellin for the most Cup wins at five with their titles in 1936, 1961, 1964, 1966, and 1971. This also ultimately marked the end of the Mutiny’s dominance in the Bolivar League, as they wouldn’t make the playoffs again until 1986.

Other notes: Laurenco Cedillo became the 11^th BSA pitcher to 4500 strikeouts. Javier Herrera became the 18^th batter to reach 2500 career hits and also crossed 1000 RBI. SS Alexander Rolon won his eighth consecutive Gold Glove in the Bolivar Leauge, while Kaique Salvao won his eighth at SS in the Southern Cone.

FuzzyRussianHat · 08-11-2023, 11:37 AM

Hiroshima’s dynasty in the Japan League was disrupted in 1971 as the three-time defending league champs dropped to 81-81, fifth in the South Division. With their absence, Kitakyushu took first place at 100-62, beating Nagoya by six games. For the Kodiaks, this is their first playoff berth since 1955. Meanwhile in the North Division, Kawasaki cruised to the crown at 104-58, back in the postseason after missing the prior two years. Defending division champ Sendai was a distant second at 93-69.

Sapporo was third at 89-73, but they had the Japan League MVP and Pitcher of the Year. Sosuke Hoshizawa won back-to-back MVPs and was the WARlord at 10.8. The 22-year old centerfielder had a 1.022 OPS and .320 average, 45 home runs, 116 RBI, and 100 runs. Pitcher of the Year was 27-year old Eikichi Utsubo in his sixth and final season of his first run with the Swordfish. He was the leader in ERA (2.10) and wins (20-8), and second in strikeouts at 312. He had a 0.86 WHIP and 7.8 WAR over 270.1 innings. Utsubo would leave for MLB and Montreal in 1972.

The Korea League had two division winners that snapped lengthy playoff droughts. Busan won the South Division at 96-66, ending Yongin’s five-year run on top. The defending league champ Gold Sox and Daegu tied for second at 88-74. Seongnam won the North Division at 95-67, two games ahead of Pyongyang and seven better than last year’s division winner Hamhung. For the Blue Jays, it is their first playoff berth since winning the EAB title in 1944, and it is the first berth for the Spiders since 1952.

Suwon has the longest playoff drought in Korea going back to 1935 and stunk at 70-92 in 1971, but the Snappers had the league MVP in Si-Heon Kang. The 27-year old lefty was a two-way player, getting 4.7 WAR, 199 strikeouts, and a 2.63 ERA over 256.1 innings on the mound. In right field over 100 games, he had 4.8 WAR, a .924 OPS, 28 home runs, and 65 RBI. Busan’s Cheng Yang was the Pitcher of the Year. The third-year Chinese lefty led in wins at 22-6, strikeouts at 307, and WAR at 7.8. Yang added a 2.68 ERA in 272.1 innings.

In the 1971 Japan League Championship Series, Kitakyushu downed Kawasaki in six games. It is the third title for the Kodiaks, who also won it in 1954 and 1955. The Korea League Championship Series had a Busan sweep of Seongnam. It is the ninth league title for the Blue Jays and the first since their 1930s and early 1940s dynasty run.

In the 51^st East Asia Championship, Busan bested Kitakyushu 4-1. The Blue Jays are now five team EAB champs (1933, 1938, 1942, 1944, 1971). Finals MVP was RF Seung-Hyeok Jang, who had signed with Busan in the offseason after nine seasons with Sendai. In nine playoff games, Jang had 11 hits, 6 runs, 3 home runs, and 8 RBI.

Other notes: Dong-Ju Hahn became the second EAB batter to 3500 career hits. In his final season, Hahn finished with 3585 hits, second to Byung-Oh Tan’s 3871. Man-Hee Cho became the fifth EAB hitter to 3000 career hits and the ninth to 1500 runs scored. Yoriyuki Kono and Masaru Oya both crossed 600 home runs, bringing it to 11 players in the club in EAB. Kono and three others crossed 1500 RBI, making it 15 batters to have done son.

Sang-Hun Joon became the second EAB pitcher to 4500 strikeouts. He finished the year at 4502 and would pass Michiro Yabuta’s all-time mark of 4608 the next year. Two-way player Totaro Uchiyama won his eighth Silver Slugger as a pitcher. 2B Min-Hyeok Shin won his 12^th Silver Slugger, SS Kyung-Hwan Choi won his tenth, and C Jung-Soo Chen won his ninth.

FuzzyRussianHat · 08-11-2023, 05:44 PM

Mexico City continued its dominance in the Mexico League, finishing 109-53 and leading in both runs scored (739) and runs allowed (483). The four-time defending league champion Aztecs won their fifth straight division title and earned a sixth straight playoff berth. Tijuana won the North Division at 98-64 for their second title in three years. The wild card race was incredibly tough between four teams with Guadalajara ultimately taking the wild card for the third straight year. The Hellhounds took it at 93-69, one game ahead of both Merida and Mexicali and two better than Hermosillo.

Mexico City shortstop Aaron Valencia won his second MVP, posting an impressive 12.8 WAR, ranking 10^th best ever by a CABA hitter to that point. The 32-year old Puerto Rican led the league in hits (220), runs (110), total bases (377), batting average (.374), slugging (.641), OPS (1.038), and wRC+ (204). Valencia also posted 16.7 ZR defensively at short. Guadalajara’s Mario Benitez won his second Pitcher of the Year in three years. The 29-year old righty led in WHIP at 0.85, adding a 2.23 ERA over 234.1 innings with 278 strikeouts, 5.9 WAR, a 17-13 record, and 10 saves. For a pitcher, he also had a respectable .268 batting average.

Two-time defending Caribbean League champ Guatemala (107-55) took the Continental Division for the fifth straight year and for the third straight season, had the best record in the league. Trinidad won the Island Division for the first time in franchise history at 95-67, earning their second playoff appearance in three years. In the wild card race, Costa Rica took the spot at 91-71, topping Haiti by two games. It is the first playoff berth for the Rays since 1957.

Guatemala CF Wesley Dubar won his sixth Caribbean League MVP. The 28-year old Panamanian tied his and Timmy Ramirez’ own single-season RBI record of 154. Dubar also led in runs (131), triples (24), walks (74), total bases (425), OBP (.410), slugging (.730), OPS (1.151), wRC+ (199), and WAR (12.7), adding 53 home runs. He set personal bests in total bases, slugging, and OPS. Costa Rica third-year lefty Manuel Valdovinos won the Pitcher of the Year. The 24-year old Guatemalan was the ERA leader at 2.37, posting a 19-7 record, 254.1 innings, 288 strikeouts, 26 quality starts, and 6.3 WAR.

Tijuana swept Guadalajara in the wild card round, while Costa Rica upset Trinidad 3-1. In a rematch of the 1969 Mexican League Championship Series, Mexico City defeated the Toros in six games. The Aztecs won their fifth straight ML title, joining 1950-54 Mexicali as the only teams to five-peat. This also gave Mexico City a record ten league titles. The Caribbean League Championship Series was a Guatemala sweep of Costa Rica, giving the Ghosts a three-peat and four titles in five years.

For the fourth time in five years, the CABA Championship saw Mexico City against Guatemala. The Aztecs continued their dynasty and made it 4-0 over the Ghosts, sweeping them in the 1971 final. Veteran American CF Ewing Shearer was Finals MVP, who at age 39 had 11 hits, 5 runs, 2 home runs, and 8 RBI in 10 playoff games. Mexico City becomes the first team to three-peat as overall CABA champ. The Aztecs have four titles in five years and eight titles in franchise history.

Other notes: Vicente Gutierrez became the second hitter in CABA to 700 career home runs. He’d play one more season and finish with 734, 19 short of Prometheo Garcia’s all-time mark. Gutierrez also became the 22^nd hitter to reach 2500 hits and the fifth to 1500 runs scored. 3B Juan Pena won a ninth Gold Glove and SS Ivan Marrero won his eighth.

FuzzyRussianHat · 08-12-2023, 04:43 AM

The best record in the National Association belonged to St. Louis in 1971, extending their postseason streak to three years and giving the Cardinals seven playoff berths in nine years. St. Louis went 101-61 for their fourth Midwest League crown in that stretch. Columbus was second at 93-69, but the Chargers firmly got the first wild card. The 1969 NA champs are back in the postseason field after going .500 in 1970. Philadelphia won the Eastern League at 96-66 for back-to-back playoff berths. It is their first league title since 1959. Pittsburgh was second at 90-72 and got the second wild card, ending a three-year playoff skid for them.

A huge group of teams were in the mix for the remaining two wild cards. Those spots ultimately went to Montreal and Minneapolis, both at 86-76. The Maples end a six-year playoff drought and the Moose end a two-year one. Right behind them were New York and Washington at 85-77, Louisville at 84-78, Brooklyn at 83-79, Ottawa at 82-80, and Buffalo at 81-81. Last year’s National Association champion Toronto was 78-84.

Pittsburgh’s Connor Neumeyer picked up the MVP award. Picked 36^th by the Pirates in the 1969 MLB Draft, 1971 was Neumeyer’s first full season as a starter and the left-handed left fielder delivered. The Erie, PA native led the National Association in hits (219), total bases (383), batting average (.366), slugging (.640), OPS (1.060), wRC+ (212), and WAR (9.7), adding 37 home runs, 108 RBI, and 107 runs scored.

In his MLB debut, 27-year old Italian star Ugo Musacci won the Pitcher of the Year with Hartford. Musacci had won four straight Pitcher of the Year awards with Malta of the European Baseball Federation and seamlessly carried his dominance to the Huskies on a seven-year, $2,104,000 contract. He led the National Association in WAR (10.6), strikeouts (315), innings pitched (280.2), quality starts (29), and K/BB (6.8), adding a 2.37 ERA and 17-9 record.

The first round of the playoffs had Minneapolis defeat Pittsburgh in two games and Columbus top Montreal in three. The Moose upset St. Louis 3-1 in the second round, continuing the streak of early exits recently for the Cardinals. Philadelphia rolled to a sweep of the Chargers, earning their first National Association Championship Series appearance since 1960. Minneapolis had gotten there five times before, most recently in 1968, but their only title came all the way back in 1907. The Moose ended that 63 year drought, defeating the Phillies 4-2.

Defending World Series champion New Orleans won the Southern League in back-to-back seasons, but had to fend off tough competition to do so. The Mudcats had a franchise-record 101-61 mark, holding off surges from Jacksonville and Atlanta. The Gators were one behind at 100-62, a strong improvement from the 77-win 1970 season, and ended a three-year playoff drought. The Aces were 97-65 and got the second wild card, giving the 1969 World Series champs a third consecutive playoff berth. After a surprising 74-88 mark in 1970, San Diego bounced back to take the Western League at 101-61. This gave the Seals seven playoff appearances over the last eight years.

The remaining two wild cards came from the Western League with Oakland at 91-71 and Los Angeles at 90-72. Falling just short were Memphis (89-73), Albuquerque (88-74), Houston (87-75), and Phoenix (86-76). The Owls are back after a two-year layoff, while the Angels have the longest active playoff streak in MLB at four seasons. The most notable swing was San Antonio, who went from a 94-win wild card team in 1970 to a lousy 64-98 in 1971.

Los Angeles 1B Edward Torres won back-to-back American Association MVPs. The 26-year old was the home run (56), RBI (147), and total bases (390) leader, adding 7.6 WAR and a 1.049 OPS. Veteran pitcher Julius Jordan won his first Pitcher of the Year. The 33-year old righty was in his fourth season with Houston, leading in strikeouts (294), innings pitched (292.2), K/BB (6.0), quality starts (26), complete games (24), FIP- (69), and WAR (9.0). He added a 2.61 ERA and 18-12 record. For Jordan, it is the fourth time in his career as the strikeout leader.

The wild card round had Atlanta defeat Oakland 2-0 and Jacksonville drop Los Angeles 2-0. The league champs prevailed in round two as New Orleans swept the Gators and San Diego folded the Aces in four. The Mudcats were able to continue their fledgling dynasty, winning the American Association Championship Series in six games. They’re the first AACS back-to-back winner since the Seals did it in 1966-67.

The 71^st World Series saw New Orleans earn back-to-back rings and their third in franchise history, having also won it all in 1935. The Mudcats downed Minneapolis 4-2, becoming the first back-to-back World Series winner since San Diego in 1955-56. CF Amro Adda was the World Series MVP, a 31-year old Egyptian who had played in EBF’s Rome in the prior decade. Historically a great fielder but iffy batter, Adda had 17 hits, 6 runs, 3 home runs, and 12 RBI in 15 playoff games for New Orleans.

Other notes: Houston’s James Eisenhuth had the 13^th MLB Perfect Game on September 16, striking out six against Memphis. After seeing four thrown between 1965-71, it wouldn’t be until 1981 that we’d have another MLB perfecto. Catcher Gait Datsko won his eighth Silver Slugger.

FuzzyRussianHat · 08-12-2023, 11:44 AM

Three first ballot selections were made for Major League Baseball’s 1972 Hall of Fame Class. The star was first baseman Martin Medina at 98.4%, followed by pitchers John Delaney and E.J. Perron at 82.6% and 78.8%, respectively. Two returners were above 60%, but short of the required 66% with RF Estefan Salinas at 62.0% on his eighth attempt and 1B Tiger Novak at 61.7% on his ninth. Three others were above 50% with closer Vicente Guerrero (57.6%, 4^th), catcher Gray Caraway (55.8%, 2^nd), and SP Abraham Reiner (55.1%, 5^th).

Three players fell off the ballot after ten failed attempts. Closer Hunter Walsh peaked at 50.4% on his second attempt and ended at 39.3%. In 19 years with nine teams, he had 339 saves and 400 shutdowns, 2.70 ERA, 970 strikeouts, and 33.5 WAR. Solid, but no major accolades or dominance. 2B

Matthew Verdey was dropped at a low of 21.2% after hovering generally in the 40-50% range. In 18 years with Hartford, Nashville, and Houston, the 2B had 2629 hits, 1593 runs, 468 doubles, 126 triples, 189 home runs, 974 RBI, 1005 walks, a .784 OPS, and 79.0 WAR. He had four Silver Sluggers, but also lacked the big accolades or the power numbers the voters like.

Catcher Eric Barker peaked at 43.3%, but was down at 11.5% by the end. He had three Silver Sluggers and a 19-year career with four teams, posting 2088 hits, 1016 runs, 295 home runs, 1132 RBI, a .767 OPS, and 54.5 WAR. The general anti-catcher bias in the voting meant he never had a real chance without more awards. Also worth noting was SP Eduardo Muniz, who dropped below 5% on his eighth attempt. He had a 258-199 record, 3.63 ERA, 4232 innings, 2515 strikeouts, 224 complete games, and 63.0 WAR. Well tenured, but viewed as a compiler with little dominance and no accolades as well.

Martin Medina – First Baseman – Tampa Thunderbirds – 98.4% First Ballot

Martin Medina was a 6’3’’, 195 pound left-handed hitting first baseman from Panama City. He is the third Panamanian MLB Hall of Famer and has the very unique dual-nationality with Tokelau, a tiny obscure Pacific island nation of around only 1,500 people. With the bat, Medina was considered good to great at all phases of the game. He was an excellent contact hitter with very strong power, he was very solid at drawing walks and great at avoiding strikeouts. Medina’s one offensive flaw was a lack of baserunning speed, although he was still a smart enough player to make the most of what he had. Medina was a career first baseman and generally viewed as an average to slightly below average defender. He was incredibly durable and viewed as an ironman, playing 140+ games in all 18 years of his pro career.

Medina left Panama as a teenager and came to America, playing college baseball at Clemson. As a foreign born player, he wasn’t eligible until the fourth round of the MLB Draft due to regional restrictions, but teams took notice of his potential. In the 1947 Draft, he was picked 11^th in the fourth round, 162^nd overall, by Buffalo. Medina ultimately didn’t sign with the Blue Sox and played his senior year with the Tigers. In 198 college games, he had 252 hits, 117 runs, 50 home runs, 164 RBI, and 11.6 WAR. His name came up again in the 1948 MLB Draft and he went to Tampa, grabbed with the 159^th overall selection.

Medina immediately slotted into the starting lineup, finishing second in Rookie of the Year voting. Medina was good in his first two years, but then became great in year three with his first Silver Slugger and a second place MVP finish. Moved to designated hitter in 1952 and 1953, he won MVP and Silver Sluggers in both seasons, posting a career-best 54 home runs and 123 runs in 1952, and a career-best 1.069 OPS and 223 hits in 1953. Medina would win his third MVP in 1957 and fourth in 1958, while taking third in 1954. He won nine consecutive Silver Sluggers from 1951-59, an incredibly difficult task considering the quality of bat found at 1B and DH.

Medina also stayed true to his Panamanian roots, playing for Panama in the World Baseball Championship from 1950-67. In 143 games, he had 165 hits, 105 runs, 61 home runs, 126 RBI, a .327/.431/.715 slash and 10.2 WAR. He was third in WBC MVP voting in 1953 with a 1.708 OPS in 11 games.

With Tampa, Medina led the National Association in total bases four times, homers and RBI twice, OBP five times, slugging three times, OPS four times, wRC+ three times, and WAR twice. The Thunderbirds were a bottom-rung franchise for most of his run, although they did finally make playoff appearances in 1957 and 1958, falling in the 1957 AACS to Vancouver. Medina arguably had Hall of Fame numbers just in his 11 years in Tampa, posting 2162 hits, 1150 runs, 318 doubles, 449 home runs, 1302 RBI, a .334/.407/.599 slash and 76.1 WAR. His #3 uniform would be retired by the Thunderbirds and he’d remain an incredible popular player with fans of the franchise.

Medina was very popular throughout the league and decided to try free agency for the 1960 season at age 33. Oakland was the buyer with a five-year, $640,000 contract. Medina didn’t win any awards with the Owls and saw his power numbers decline a bit, but he still was a very solid starter for five years, putting up 855 hits, 158 home runs, 489 RBI, 508 runs, and 23.2 WAR. Oakland made the playoffs twice but had early playoff exits both years, keeping Medina from ever getting to the World Series. With the Owls, Medina crossed 3000 career hits and 600 home runs His contract came up for 1966 and he signed at age 38 with Jacksonville. He had a great 1965 and a bit of a resurgence, but dropped off with a career-worst 1966. Medina wanted to stick around if nothing else than to get to 2000 career RBI, but no one signed him in 1967 and he retired at age 40.

Medina’s final stats: 3339 hits, 1850 runs, 486 doubles, 660 home runs, 1972 RBI, 1301 walks, a .319/.395/.565 slash, wRC+ of 155 and 107.1 WAR. At retirement, he was fifth all-time in both home runs and RBI, 12^th in hits, and seventh in runs scored. Medina was also 11^th in hitting WAR and as of 2037 is 34^th all-time. He was undoubtedly one of the premiere sluggers of his era and an obvious slam dunk first ballot choice at 98.4%.

John Delaney – Starting Pitcher – Brooklyn Dodgers – 82.6% First Ballot

John Delaney was a 5’7’’, 160 pound right-handed pitcher from Elkton, Maryland; a town of around 15,000 people in the Delaware Valley. He was known for having remarkable movement on his pitches, ranked 10/10 for most of his career. Delaney’s velocity peaked at 97-99 mph with a three pitch arsenal of a curveball, changeup, and sinker. He had an extreme groundball tendency with solid stuff and average to above average control. Delaney was viewed as fairly durable with solid stamina in his earlier years.

Delaney attended Miami University in Ohio for college and had a no-hitter his freshman year against Louisville. In three college seasons, he had a 1.92 ERA in 38 starts with a 21-9 record, 290 innings, 301 strikeouts, and 11.5 WAR. Naturally, this made him a highly sought after prospect and he ended up picked sixth overall by Brooklyn in the 1951 MLB Draft. Delaney ultimately spent his entire professional career as a Dodger. In his rookie season, he was split between starting and the bullpen. He became a full-time starter when healthy from year two onward.

After a very solid second season, Delaney emerged as a true ace in his third and fourth seasons, leading the National Association in WAR for both with 9.3 and 9.7. In part hurt by the Dodgers being below average, he finished third and fourth in Pitcher of the Year voting these seasons. Delaney also made appearances in the 1953, 54, and 55 World Baseball Championships for the United States. Primarily as a reliever, he had a 1.19 ERA in 22.2 innings with 39 strikeouts. He earned a world championship ring with the 1955 squad.

In 1957, he won Pitcher of the Year by leading in ERA at 2.21 and wins at 21-7. Delaney improved his ERA to a career-best 1.90 in 1958, winning another Pitcher of the Year and taking third in MVP voting. In 1959, he made it three straight with the individual highlight being a no-hitter on September 15 against Baltimore with 10 strikeouts and two walks. He led the National Association in quality starts five times in this stretch. Brooklyn put together some playoff success with four straight berths from 1958-61. In 1958, they made it to the World Series and got to the NACS in 1961. In 10 playoff starts, Delaney had a 1.92 ERA, 5-2 record, 75 innings, 48 strikeouts, and 1.3 WAR. Delaney got a huge seven-year, $1,036,00 starting with the 1960 season.

The Dodgers dropped into mediocrity after the 1961 season. Delaney’s first notable setback with elbow tendinitis putting him out five weeks, although his 1962 was still solid. His production dropped off noticeably after that with only slightly above average numbers, plus a few missed starts from injury. In September 1964, he required radial nerve decompression surgery in his elbow. This put him out part of 1965 and he struggled in his return. Delaney bounced back with a respectable league-average 1966, but he decided it was time to call it, retiring at age 35. Brooklyn would retire his #1 jersey that winter.

Delaney’s final stats: 215-162 record, 2.79 ERA, 3499.1 innings, 2604 strikeouts to 970 walks, 330/461 quality starts, FIP- of 76 and 90.1 WAR. Despite winning three Pitcher of the Year awards, he had a somewhat quiet career being on a weaker Dodger squad and being a much lower strikeout guy than the average Hall of Famer. His credentials were still plenty impressive to get a first ballot nod at 82.6%.

E.J. Perron – Starting Pitcher – Calgary Cheetahs – 78.8% First Ballot

E.J. Perron was a 5’9’’, 175 pound left-handed starting pitcher from North Vancouver, British Columbia. Despite his smaller frame, Perron was a fireballer with peak velocity at 99-101 mph and filthy stuff. His main pitch was an incredible cutter, balanced with a solid curveball and changeup. Perron’s movement was generally rated as above average with his control being considered middling, but his stuff was generally strong enough to overcome that weakness. Perron also had very solid stamina and defensive skills and was considered reliable and durable in his 20s.

Perron went to the University of Iowa for college and in three years as a Hawkeye, had a 2.74 ERA over 289 innings with 295 strikeouts, a 19-13 record, and 10.1 WAR. He was picked 13^th overall by Calgary in the 1951 MLB Draft and spent nearly his full pro career with the Cheeaths. He was split between the rotation and bullpen as a rookie, then was a full-time starter starting his second year.

Year two was arguably the best of his career, as at age 21, he led the American Association in ERA at 2.49, posting 8.9 WAR and 10 shutouts. This earned him second place in Pitcher of the Year voting and he took third the following year when he led the AA in wins at 25-7. He was still very good, but not in the award conversations or at the top of the leaderboards the next few years, perhaps also overlooked with Calgary struggling in the 1950s. Perron did become a popular player within all of Canada though with a stellar run in the 1954 World Baseball Championship, helping them to the title with a 1.98 ERA and 2.1 WAR in 36.1 innings. He played for the Canadian team from 1954-61 and posted a 13-2 record with a 2.34 ERA over 138.1 innings, 218 strikeouts, and 6.0 WAR.

In 1961, a 29-year old Perron picked up his lone Pitcher of the Year award, leading in wins at 24-6 and complete games with 20. The Cheetahs made the playoffs from 1961-63, but never made it out of the second round. Perron had a 2.01 ERA in 40.1 playoff innings for Calgary. 1963 saw his first major injury setback with elbow inflammation putting him out seven weeks. Perron wasn’t the same after that, struggling mightily in 1964.

The 33-year old Perron was healthy in 1965, but was a spot starter that even saw time in the minors. The Cheetahs opted to cut him that August, although they’d still honor him soon after by retiring his #24 uniform. Perron signed with San Diego in 1966 but was only used 14.2 innings, notably including one complete shutout. He pitched 0.2 innings in the postseason in relief and earned a World Series ring with the Seals. No longer able to hang as a full-time pro, Perron retired at age 35.

Perron’s final stats: 219-138 record, 3.43 ERA, 3303 innings, 3049 strikeouts, 1182 walks, 245/413 quality starts, 197 complete games, and 79.2 WAR. Considering how quickly he fell off after his age 31 season, it’s impressive he accumulated the totals he did, even if they’re lower than a lot of other MLB Hall of Famers. The voters felt his resume was worthy and surprised some doubters by giving Perron the first ballot nod at 78.8%.

FuzzyRussianHat · 08-12-2023, 04:55 PM

The 1972 ballot for the Central American Baseball Association Hall of Fame was an uncharacteristically small group with only five first-time players eligible and only one of those getting above 3%. This left an opening for those returning to the ballot to maybe get a bump in aided by weaker competition. That worked ultimately for two players who both barely crossed the 66% mark to earn induction. 1B Salvador Islas on his eighth ballot got 67.6% and SP Mario Guerrero on his sixth go had 66.7%. Two players finished with 53.6%, 3B Diego Sierra on his third ballot and SP Danny Ledo on his eighth. No players were on their tenth ballot in the 1972 group.

Salvador Islas – First Baseman – Hermosillo Hyenas – 67.6% Eighth Ballot

Salvador Islas was a 6’0’’, 200 pound left-handed hitting first baseman from Huejutla, a city of around 115,000 in the central-eastern Mexican state of Hidalgo. At as batter, Islas was known for having a terrific eye, leading the league in walks seven times in his career. He was respectable at avoiding strikeouts, but was an average to below average contact hitter. When Islas made contract, he had a solid pop in his bat, averaging around 25-30 home runs and around 30-40 doubles/triples per season. He had average speed and was a career first baseman. Islas was considered the premiere defender at the position in his career, winning a then position-record 11 Gold Gloves. He was well known, but polarizing for being a very outspoken player.

Islas was a top prospect coming out of the amateur ranks and was picked fifth overall in the 1942 CABA Draft by Merida. He was a bench player in his first two seasons and a part-time starter in year three, finally earning the full-time gig in 1946. That season was his most impressive offensively from a power standpoint with career highs in home runs (44) and RBI (100), earning him a third place finish in MVP voting. It would be his only time as a finalist and he’d never win a Silver Slugger. As mentioned, he was an elite defender, winning Gold Gloves from 1945-55 and in 1958. Islas also played 71 games for Mexico in the World Baseball Championship from 1947-58, although he made only 18 starts. He posted 21 hits, 23 runs, 16 home runs, and 27 RBI.

His only opportunity in the playoffs for his whole career was 1946 with the Mean Green, who fell in the Mexican League Championship Series to Chihuahua. Islas played five years with Merida, posting 433 hits, 246 runs, 111 home runs, 259 RBI, and 19.4 WAR. The Mean Green traded the now 28-year old Islas before the 1948 season to Hermosillo for Hall of Fame pitcher Miguel Martinez and outfielder Manuel Figueroa. This began his longest tenured and most memorable run.

The Hyenas won the 1947 CABA Championship, but never made the playoffs in Islas’ tenure, being generally competitive but just shy of the division crown. He ultimately played seven years in Hermosillo with solid production throughout, posting three 7+ WAR seasons. He led the league in runs with 116 in 1948 and led in walks drawn six times. In total, Islas had 1001 hits, 625 runs, 153 doubles, 112 triples, 206 home runs, 552 RBI, a .263/.360/.524 slash line and 43.3 WAR.

Islas opted for free agency at age 35 and signed a four-year, $214,800 deal with Havana for the 1955 season. The Hurricanes were competitive, but again not quite good enough to make the playoffs in his run. After a strong debut, aging and injuries saw his production decline. In four years, he had 498 hits, 317 runs, 91 home runs, and 15.1 WAR. Islas became a free agent again at age 39 and signed back with Hermosillo as a bench player for his final season of 1959.

Islas’ final stats: 1932 hits, 1188 runs, 294 doubles, 226 triples, 408 home runs, 1114 RBI, 1090 walks, a .259/.353/.523 slash, 158 wRC+ and 77.8 WAR. Some of the advanced stats were favorable, but he was low on some of the sexier stats, like being short of 2000 hits. Walking a lot and great defense don’t tend to get you much attention and as such, Islas seemed like a long shot for the Hall of Fame. He debuted at only 40.7% and was as low as 34.8%, but he bumped up into the 50-55% range on ballots four through seven. With a very small group and voters loath to leave their ballot blank, Islas got enough of a boost on the eighth try to just cross the line at 67.6%.

Mario Guerrero – Starting Pitcher – Honduras Horsemen – 66.7% Sixth Ballot

Mario Guerrero was a 5’10’’, 180 pound right-handed pitcher from Barillas, a small Guatemalan town of around 17,000 people. Guerrero had solid stuff and movement with a peak velocity of 95-97 mph, boasting a three-pitch arsenal of a slider, changeup, and cutter. His control was considered below average and he could get into trouble with walks. Guerrero had solid stamina and was generally viewed as quite durable and reliable. He was also a team captain and considered a great clubhouse leader.

Guerrero emerged a promising prospect in continental Central America and was picked fourth overall by Honduras in the 1947 CABA Draft. His entire pro career was with the Horsemen, although he’d make 32 appearances for his native Guatemala in the World Baseball Championship. From 1948-60 in the tournament, he had a 3.65 ERA over 150.1 innings with 165 strikeouts and 2.6 WAR.

He was a full-time starter immediately for the then-struggling Honduras franchise, but he was considered average at best in his first three seasons. Still, he was third in Rookie of the Year voting purely on innings. 1951 was his first notable year, leading the league in innings pitched, quality starts, and complete games, earning a third place in Pitcher of the Year voting. Guerrero was third again in 1953, leading again in innings and this time in wins.

Honduras had emerged as a contender by 1953 and would make the playoffs in seven of Guerrero’s nine remaining seasons. They were the Caribbean League champion in 1953, 1958, and 1959; and took the overall CABA title in 1958. In 15 playoff starts, Guerrero had a 7-5 record, 2.87 ERA, 113 innings, 107 strikeouts, and 1.9 WAR. 1954 would be his finest season with his lone Pitcher of the Year, leading in ERA (1.86) and wins (26-3) and adding a career-best 6.1 WAR. The season featured a no-hitter with five strikeouts and four walks against Panama on August 13. He even finished third that year in MVP voting.

This would be Guerrero’s last time in any sort of award or league-leading conversations. He had okay 1955 and 1956 seasons, then struggled in parts of 1957, getting demoted for a time to the bullpen. He was back in the rotation the next two years and provided innings, but with middling production. After great durability, Guerrero suffered a torn rotator cuff late in the 1960 season, putting him out almost a full calendar year. He made four starts in late 1961 in a return attempt, but opted to retire after that season at age 36.

Guerrero’s final stats: 193-161, 3.39 ERA, 3389.1 innings, 2805 strikeouts to 975 walks, 262/429 quality starts, 129 complete games, an FIP- of 98 and 47.0 WAR. Honduras retired his #28 uniform as well. Advanced stats placed him as only slightly above average for his career and among CABA starters, his totals are well near or at the bottom of the leaderboards. He started at 34.1% on his first ballot, but slowly climbed up to 55.5% by his fifth try. Guerrero was a benefactor of the weak and small 1972 group, getting just across the line on his sixth attempt at 66.7%. He’s not the first pitcher anyone thinks of in the Hall, but staying one a single team and helping in their 1950s playoff success was enough to get Guerrero in.

08-06-2023, 02:49 PM	#481
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,889	1970 in CABA Mexico City’s run atop the Mexican League continued in 1970 with a franchise record 112-50 season. The three-time defending league champ earned their fifth straight South Division title with their dominance. Second in the division was Guadalajara, who took the wild card at 94-68, four games ahead of Queretaro. This earned back-to-back wild cards for the Hellhounds. Mexicali finished atop the North Division at 93-69, their first division win since 1964. Last year’s winner Tijuana was second at eight games back. Puebla was fourth in the South Division at 85-77, but had both the league MVP and Pitcher of the Year. RF Adrian Hernandez won MVP in his fifth season with the Pumas as the 26-year old led the league in runs at 112, adding 205 hits, 28 home runs, a .932 OPS, and 8.3 WAR. Pitcher of the Year was fifth year righty Ricky Casarez, leading in WAR (8.1), wins (21-6), WHIP (0.74) and quality starts (31) with a 1.99 ERA and 315 strikeouts in 248.1 innings. Also of note, Emanuel Saucedo became a three-time Reliever of the Year, joining Mexicali for 1970 after being with Jamaica previously. In his final season before leaving for MLB, he had 45 saves, a 1.03 ERA, 168 strikeouts, and 5.1 WAR. Defending Caribbean League champ Guatemala dropped from their wild 118 win 1969, but still had the best record in the league with a 100-62 mark atop the Continental Division. This gave the Ghosts four straight playoff berths and five in six years. The Island Division was incredibly tight for both first place and the wild card. Seven teams had a realistic shot much of the season with it ultimately coming down to Santiago and Havana tied at 91-71. Both move to the playoffs, but the Sailfish won the one-game tiebreaker for the division crown (although they’ll just meet again in the playoffs). It is back-to-back berths for the Hurricanes and the second in three years for Santiago, although it is their first division title since 1955. The other teams in the mix were Jamaica and Santo Domingo at 89-73, and Puerto Rico and Trinidad both at 86-76. It was the fifth MVP for Guatemala CF Wesley Dubar and maybe his best season yet. At 13.73 WAR, he tied Jhyoce Hidrovo’s 1916 for the third-best season for a CABA hitter and narrowly beat his own 13.64 from the prior year. Dubar also led the league in runs (138, a career best), home runs (55), RBI (145), total bases (409), OBP (.410), slugging (.730), OPS (1.140), and wRC+ (195), and won a Gold Glove with a 12.4 ZR in center. Pitcher of the Year was Santiago’s Barnabe Sanchez, who also won it in 1968. The 27-year old Cuban was the ERA (2.18), and WHIP (0.87) leader, adding 6.6 WAR, a 21-7 record, and 312 strikeouts in 273 innings. In the wild card round, Guadalajara upset Mexicali and Santiago held off Havana with both series going the distance. The top seeds dominated in the LCS ultimately. Mexico City beat the Hellhounds 4-1 to take their fourth straight Mexican League title and eighth overall. The Aztecs are the fourth Mexican League team to four-peat, joining Monterrey (1955-58), Mexicali (1950-54), and Tijuana (1916-19). Guatemala repeated and won their third Caribbean League in four years, besting Santiago in five. The 60^th Central American Baseball Association Championship was a rematch of the 59^th and 57^th. Just like those two, Mexico City defeated Guatemala, this time in six games. Finals MVP was 1B Solomon Aragon, who posted 11 hits, 6 runs, 4 home runs, and 8 RBI in 11 playoff games. It is back-to-back CABA crowns and the third in four years for the Aztecs, who have seven overall rings. They join 1929-32 Ecatepec as the only CABA teams to win three overall titles in a four year stretch. Other notes: Mario Benitez of Guadalajara had a 20 strikeout no-hitter on April 1 against Chihuahua, walking three. This still stands as the most strikeouts in a CABA no-hitter and tied the world record. He’s the 11^th player to have a 20+ K game in CABA as well. Chihuahua’s pitching staff had 571 walks, which would be the all-time worst single-season mark until 2020. Aaron Galaviz won his ninth Gold Glove in RF. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

08-06-2023, 06:35 PM	#482
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,889	1970 in MLB The 1970 National Association was a very competitive group, especially in the Eastern League. Buffalo ended up on top at 96-66 with only their second-ever first place finish (1922). It was a solid bounce back for the Blue Sox, who were a wild card in 1968 but fell to 73 wins in 1969. Three teams were behind them at 93-69 and each got a wild card; Ottawa, Philadelphia, and Toronto. This gave the Elks their second playoff spot in three years, back-to-back for the Timberwolves, and the first in four years for the Phillies. St. Louis earned its seventh playoff berth in the last nine years by winning the Midwest League at 90-72. Omaha was next at 87-75, but ultimately were four games from the final wild card. Defending NA champ Columbus dropped to a fourth place 81-81. Baltimore picked up the last playoff spot at 91-71, two better than Pittsburgh and four ahead of Montreal, New York, Washington, and Omaha. This gave the Orioles their first playoff berth since a 1955 wild card. The biggest swing of any team was one downward for Brooklyn, going from 81 wins in 1969 to a putrid 57-105 in 1970. National Association MVP was Gavin Geoghan, a 28-year old catcher. He became the first catcher to win the award, leading in the triple slash (.353/.424/.612), OPS (1.036), and wRC+ (198), adding 8.6 WAR, 31 home runs, 109 RBI, and 108 runs scored. Pitcher of the Year went to Dallas Levy, a third-year player for a lackluster Cleveland squad. He didn’t lead in any stats, but got by on a 2.07 ERA over 234.1 innings, 183 strikeouts, 6.4 WAR, and a 12-10 record. In the first round of the playoffs, Toronto edged Ottawa and Philadelphia bested Baltimore, both 201. The Phillies upset EL champ Buffalo in five games and the Timberwolves stunned ML champ St. Louis in five, setting up an all-wild card National Association Championship Series. Toronto topped Philadelphia in six in the NACS, making the Timberwolves a four-time NA champ (1970, 1954, 1926, 1903). They’re the first Canadian team in the World Series since Ottawa won it in 1965. 1968 World Series champion Los Angeles had the best record in the American Association at 102-60, winning the Western League and earning a third straight playoff berth. This became the longest active streak with San Diego’s six-year run snapped with a plunge from 103 wins to 74 for the Seals. The Southern League had a new face on top with New Orleans at 96-66, earning their first playoff berth since 1949 and first league title since 1940. Defending World Series champ Atlanta was one behind at 95-67 with San Antonio at 94-68. They were the first two wild cards with back-to-back playoff spots for both. The remaining two wild card spots came down to tiebreaker games with Seattle, Portland, and Oakland each finishing at 92-70. Vancouver, Dallas, and Tampa were each only three games out and Denver was four back. The Grizzlies defeated the Pacifics, then Portland topped Oakland to set the field. This snapped a six-year playoff drought for Seattle and a seven-year one for the Pacifics. The longest active playoff drought is now 25 years for both Dallas and Cincinnati. The Dalmatians made a big step though, improving to 89 wins in 1970 after an MLB-worst 51 wins the prior year. The Angels had the MVP and Pitcher of the Year in 1970 25-year old 1B Edward Torres was MVP with an American Association best 52 home runs, 154 RBI, and .639 slugging, adding a .320 average and 7.1 WAR. It was only the 16^th MLB season to have 150+ RBI. 29-year old Carny Valvo earned his second Pitcher of the Year. The Eureka, California native had the best ERA at 2.58, the most wins with a 22-9 mark, and was the WARlord at 8.1. He added 239 strikeouts in 279.1 innings. Sadly, Valvo suffered a partially torn labrum in September, putting him out for the playoff run. He’d have three more solid seasons, but later injuries knocked him out of the game effectively at age 33 and ended a potential Hall of Fame career. In the first round, San Antonio swept Seattle and Portland ousted defending World Series champ Atlanta 2-1. The league champs prevailed in round two as New Orleans swept the Oilers and Los Angeles topped the Pacifics in four. The Mudcats ultimately mauled the Angels in a surprising AACS swept, the first sweep since 1944. This was only the second-ever American Association Championship Series appearance for New Orleans, who were 1935 World Series champs. The Mudcats continued to roll into the 70^th World Series and claimed their second ring, defeating Toronto in five games. 3B Ethan Martinez was the World Series MVP with the 28-year old posting 18 hits, 11 runs, 3 home runs, and 10 RBI in 12 playoff games. This marked the beginning of what would become an early 1970s dynasty for the previously downtrodden Mudcats franchise. Other notes: American Association Pitcher of the Year Carny Valvo threw MLB’s 12^th Perfect Game on August 20, striking out eight against Las Vegas. The day was notable as well as the second time in MLB history that two hitters occurred on the same day, as Columbus’ Arturo Bridges had eight Ks and 1 walk against St. Louis. Tyler Whisnant became the eighth hitter to 3500 career hits, ending his final season with 3582. At retirement, he was sixth all-time. Benton Gibney and Braylen Nelson both reached 3000 hits, bringing the total to 38 MLB hitters in the 3K club. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

08-07-2023, 05:47 AM	#483
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,889	1971 MLB Hall of Fame After having five first-ballot guys inducted in the 1970 Major League Baseball Hall of Fame class, the 1971 group saw three players inducted who had been on multiple ballots. The biggest jump went to 3B Beckham Hudson on his third attempt, finishing with 78.1%. SS Chance Warren got in with 74.5% on his fourth go. RF Gene Jobgen on his seventh attempt barely crossed the 66% required threshold with 67.0% even. Three others came very close to joining them with closer Vicente Guerrero at 62.5% on his third try, 1B Tiger Novak on his eighth at 62.2%, and RF Estefan Salinas at 61.9% on his seventh. Catcher Gray Caraway was also above 50% with 56.2% in his debut. Notably dropped after ten attempts was three-time MVP Jared Lee. He was a noted two-way star over a 17 year career, posting a 3.49 ERA, 112-85 record, 1589 strikeouts, and 38.7 WAR as a pitcher. As an outfielder and first baseman, he had 923 hits, 529 runs, 196 home runs, a .307/.385/.559 slash and 31.8 WAR. A number of major injuries derailed him from being elite after having his three MVPs by age 26 with Minneapolis. The combined WAR was worth a look, but he didn’t sustain his success in either discipline long enough to get the nod despite a remarkable peak. He had 30.6% on his first ballot and continued downward, ending at 9.9%. Also dropped after ten failed ballots was SP George Friend, Over a 21 year run, he had a 243-235 record, 3.35 ERA, 2925 strikeouts in 4443.2 innings, and 84.0 WAR. Nice sustained career, but was never dominant or in the awards conversation, leaving him defined as a compiler. He peaked at 29.0% on his debut and ended at 6.6%. Beckham Hudson – Third Baseman – Montreal Maples – 78.1% Third Ballot Beckham Hudson was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed third baseman from Waterloo, Ontario, a city of about 120,000 people located about 60 miles west of Toronto. Hudson was a very good contact hitter with a respectable pop in his bat that typically got you around 20 home runs and 30 doubles per year. Earlier in his career, he was very good at avoiding strikeouts and respectable at drawing walks. Hudson had below average speed, but was considered a very good consistent defender at third base. He spent basically his full career at third and is fifth all-time in zone rating at 121.6 for the position as of 2037. Hudson only got one Gold Glove, but that was because he played at the same time as eventual ten-time winner Colton Flack (who is second in ZR). He was very humble about his accomplishments though in a fine 21 year pro career. Hudson left for Texas A&M in college and in three years as an Aggie, had 182 hits, 92 runs, 36 home runs, and 113 RBI in 144 games. In the 1944 Major League Baseball Draft, Montreal picked Hudson 30^th overall. He played 75 games in 1945, although he was in the minors for half the season. He became the full-time starter in year two and remained a starter anytime he was healthy into his late 30s. Hudson spent eight seasons with the Maples, winning two Silver Sluggers (1948, 51) and a Gold Glove (1952). His lone MVP season came in 1951 as he led the National Association in WAR (9.4) and total bases (49), adding a career-best 36 home runs, 199 hits, and 103 runs. He wasn’t a top three MVP finalist in any other season, but Hudson’s production was very steady with nine 6+ WAR seasons and 4+ WAR from 1946-1959. Hudson played a role in Montreal winning two World Series rings in 1949 and 1951. In 44 playoff games with the Maples, he had 55 hits, 32 runs, 7 home runs, 18 RBI, and 1.7 WAR. This helped earn his #6 uniform retired after his career was done, despite the relatively short tenure. In total with Montreal, Hudson had 1316 hits, 632 runs, 219 doubles, 164 home runs, 601 RBI, a .308/.358/.484 slash and 49.6 WAR. He also became a regular for the Canadian National Team, holding the record for most games played for the nation as of 2037 at 304. That also stands as third most of any player from any nation as of 2037 and he’d be the record holder until 2022. From 1947-63, he had 296 hits, 177 runs, 82 home runs, 187 RBI, a .271/.350/.538 slash and 12.3 WAR. At retirement he was first in WBC hits and remains third as of 2037. Hudson helped Canada win the 1954 and 1959 World Championships. In 1959, he also was the first player in tournament history to hit for the cycle, doing it against South Korea. At age 29, Hudson entered free agency and secured the bag with a seven-year, $612,000 contract with Hartford; more than doubling his salary of his best Montreal year. He won his third and fourth Silver Sluggers in 1953 and 1957 and put up the same reliable production. He had his first notable injuries cost him half of 1956, but he bounced right back. The Huskies made the playoffs five times in his run, although only once made it as far as the NACS. Hudson wasn’t to blame, posting 42 hits, 15 runs, and a .321 average in 33 playoff games. In total with Hartford, Hudson had 1122 hits, 544 runs, 137 home runs, 606 RBI, a .303/.364/.474 slash and 44.3 WAR. Hudson entered free agency again and signed at age 36 to Toronto for the 1960 season. His batting numbers fell off noticeably from his normal peaks with far more strikeouts, but he still was a good enough defender to provide some positive value despite an average-at-best bat in the run. He only started half the games in his final MLB season, finishing in Toronto with 506 hits, 245 runs, a .249 average, and 11.8 WAR. At age 40, his MLB career was done, but he had two more professional seasons in the Oceania Baseball Association with New Caledonia. He had a solid 1964 and actually won a Silver Slugger, but fell off a cliff hard in 1965. After going unsigned in 1966, he retired at age 43. Hudson’s final MLB stats: 2944 hits, 1421 runs, 484 doubles, 370 home runs, 1474 RBI, a .294/.350/.461 slash and 105.7 WAR. Very solid numbers, but his general lack of league-leading elite seasons meant some voters were dismissive of Hudson as a compiler. His first two times on the ballot, he fell just short with 63.5% and 59.5%. With a wide open 1971 field, Hudson finally got the boost up to 78.1% to give him his deserved spot among the MLB Hall of Fame elite. Chance Warren – Shortstop – Detroit Tigers – 74.5% Fourth Ballot Chance Warren was a 5’9’’, 185 pound right-handed shortstop from Toronto, Ontario. Warren was a terrific contact hitter with a knack for putting the ball in play in almost every at-bat. Warren very rarely struck out with a 7.0% rate in his career, but he also even more rarely drew walks. He wasn’t at all a home run hitter, but he was good for about 30-40 doubles/triples in his best years, adding above average to good baserunning speed. Warren was a career shortstop and a consistently good one, although he only once won the Gold Glove in 1948. He was a hard worker and was able to stick around as a positive contributor into his 40s. For his college career, Warren sought out MACtion, playing for the Miami Redhawks. In three seasons though, he was unremarkable with 159 hits, 67 runs, a .265 average, and 1.9 WAR. He wasn’t a top draft pick, but was grabbed by his hometown Toronto in the third round with the 118^th overall pick of the 1939 MLB Draft. He started half of his rookie season and spent the other half in the minors, which included a 34-game hit streak with Kingston. Warren took over the full-time starting role for the next six seasons with the Timberwolves. Warren was iffy in his first two full seasons, but started putting up solid, but not award winning, numbers. Toronto only made the playoffs once in his tenure in 1946, but he missed the run with a hamstring injury. In total for the Timberwolves, he had 1176 hits, 477 runs, a .303/.322/.383 slash and 22.7 WAR. Warren entered free agency at age 28 and inked a long-term contract beginning in 1947 with Detroit of eight years, $283,600. It wasn’t a massive money deal, but gave him long-term stability. Warren became best known and most popular as a Tiger. He won his three Silver Sluggers (1949, 50, 53) and his Gold Glove (1948) in Detroit. Each of his seasons were worth 4+ WAR with a career-best 7.4 WAR in 1949. He also got to play in the 1953 World Series and posted 29 hits and 8 runs in 17 postseason games that year; the Tigers ultimately fell to Phoenix. In total with Detroit, Warren had 1415 hits, 611 runs, a .324/.354/.419 slash and 42.5 WAR. Back troubles caused him to miss some time in his final two Tiger seasons and the team opted not to re-sign him when his eight-year deal ended after the 1954 season. Now age 36, Warren signed with New Orleans and had a respectable 1955, but missed most of 1956 with a severe concussion suffered in September 1955. For the next five years, his offensive value was below average to average at best, but he was still a good enough defender to earn spots and have value. Warren spent 1957 with Minneapolis, 1958-59 with Nashville, 1960 with Kansas City, and 1961 with Ottawa. With the Elks, he earned his 3500^th hit and 1500^th run. The wheels finally fell off with a terrible 1962 with San Francisco where he struck out 149 times and hit .171 for an abysmal -5.6 WAR. Warren retired after that season at age 43. His final stats: 3600 hits, 1574 runs, 510 doubles, 162 triples, 67 home runs, 1110 RBI, a .303/.333/.390 slash, 410 stolen bases, and 80.8 WAR. With his wRC+ only 104 though, many voters were skeptical and viewed Warren as just an average hitter that stuck around forever. It is often tough for guys without power numbers to get traction too, despite Warren retiring fifth all-time in hits and sitting eighth as of 2037. He was at 53.1% on his debut ballot, jumped to 62.7% on try two, but fell to 54.0% on his third try. The fourth try with a quieter field was enough for Warren to get the boost up to 74.5% and earn his spot. Gene Jobgen – Right Field – Pittsburgh Pirates – 67.0% Seventh Ballot Gene Jobgen was a 6’0’’, 200 pound left-handed right fielder from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was an excellent contact hitter with sometimes sneaky power, averaging around 25-30 home runs and 25-35 doubles per season. Jobgen was better than most at avoiding strikeouts, but a bit below average at drawing walks. He was a very slow baserunner and a career right fielder, although he was typically considered to be delightfully average on defense. The biggest knock on Jobgen is that he was perceived to be greedy and disloyal, viewed a bit as a mercenary who bounced around throughout his career. Jobgen went to college at Central Florida and in three seasons had 169 hits, 72 runs, 19 home runs, 62 RBI, a .313 average, and 6.1 WAR. This caught the attention of Pittsburgh, who picked Jobgen 27^th overall in the 1943 MLB Draft. He made 66 at-bats in 1944, spending most of the season with minor league Morgantown, where he won a Silver Slugger. Jobgen started half of the 1945 season, missing time due to injury. Still, in 81 starts, he earned second place in Rookie of the Year voting. He was the full-time starter in right for the remainder of his Pirates run. In 1946, he broke out by leading the National Association in hits with 217, posting an impressive 9.2 WAR and 1.025 OPS. This earned his first Silver Slugger and a third place in MVP voting. His production was a bit weaker in 1947, but still very strong, this time getting the MVP along with a second Silver Slugger. Jobgen dropped a bit in 1948 and missed half of 1949 with a severely strained hip muscle. In total with Pittsburgh, he had 873 hits, 417 runs, 118 home runs, 420 RBI, a .346/.391/.559 slash and 32.2 WAR. This six year run would ultimately be his longest tenured one. Just before opening day 1950, Pittsburgh traded Jobgen to Nashville for four prospects. He had a solid age 27 season with the Knights worth 6.9 WAR, then entered free agency. He signed a big eight-year, $522,000 deal with Minneapolis. Jobgen had a solid 1951, but a weak 1952 with his first season batting below .300. He bounced back big-time in 1953 with his third Silver Slugger and a second place finish in MVP voting. After only 12 home runs the prior year and a career best of 35, Jobgen smacked a National Association best 45 and led with 345 total bases. The Moose made a surprise run to the NACS, but were denied there despite Jobgen getting 15 hits and 7 RBI in 12 postseason games. His Minneapolis run had 535 hits, 266 runs, 83 home runs, 244 RBI, a .304/.360/.500 slash and 16.5 WAR. Fresh off the big season, Jobgen opted out in the fourth year of his eight year contract with the Moose. He found the bag and a buyer in San Antonio with a seven-year, $712,000 deal. Jobgen had a nice first year, okay second year, and respectable third year with the Oilers, although he wasn’t any longer in any awards conversations. He had 518 hits, 257 runs, 86 home runs, 292 RBI, and 11.6 WAR in three years with a .317/.361/.520 slash line. He opted out again of another long-term deal, although ended up with less money with a three-year, $484,000 deal with New Orleans. He was subar in three seasons with the Mudcats and retired after the 1959 season at age 36. Jobgen’s final stats: 2529 hits, 1212 runs, 402 doubles, 365 home runs, 1232 RBI, a .313/.362/.507 slash, wRC+ of 145, and 68.1 WAR. Not bad, but the type of numbers that typically banish one to the Hall of Very Good, especially without a signature run and limited accolades. He debuted at a respectable 53.4%, fell to 44.0%, jumped to 56.0%, fell to 39.9%, and jumped to 59.4% in his first five Hall of Fame ballots. The sixth try saw a steep fall to 32.8%, leading many to figure Jobgen’s hopes were over. But in a 1971 group with no major standouts, Jobgen received a remarkable swing, going from 32.8% to 67.0%. This just got him across the 66% line and into the Hall on his seventh try, although experts still cite him typically as one of the weaker members. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

08-07-2023, 11:26 AM	#484
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,889	1971 CABA Hall of Fame Two players made it into the Central American Baseball Association Hall of Fame in 1971. The star of the class was outfielder Grant Duncan, a no-doubt first ballot pick at 98.3%. Joining him was pitcher Tirso Sepulveda, who barely made it on his fifth attempt. Sepulveda finished at 66.2%, just enough to pass the 66.0% threshold needed for induction. Two others were above 50% with 1B Salvador Islas at 55.9% on his seventh ballot and SP Mario Guerrero at 55.5% on his fifth attempt. Dropped after ten attempts was pitcher Manolas Tellez, who had a 16-year career almost entirely with Costa Rica. He had a 193-215 record, 3.52 ERA, 30005 strikeouts, and 56.9 WAR. A respectable career, but sustained average-ness. He got as high as 48.6% on his seventh ballot but finished at 14.5%. Also worth noting was Renato Ortivez, who was dropped after falling below 5% on his eighth try. In nine CABA seasons, he had two MVPs, 1556 hits, 782 runs, 294 home runs, 862 RBI, and 42.2 WAR. Ortivez also had a Triple Crown season at age 25 with Havana. He spent almost his entire 30s and early 40s in either MLB or OBA, preventing him from getting the stats that might have gotten him across the line for a CABA nod. Grant “Decoy” Duncan – Left Field – Santo Domingo Dolphins – 98.3% First Ballot Grant Duncan was a 6’2’’, 200 pound left-handed left fielder from the Jamaican capital Kingston. Duncan had great power and contact ability with good speed and baserunning ability. He averaged around 40 home runs per seron, while also adding around 40 doubles/triples each year as well. Duncan was respectable at drawing walks and decent at avoiding strikeouts. He was a career left fielder and a very solid defender that won three Gold Gloves. Duncan also had a strong work ethic and good durability for most of his career, making him one of the most popular players in the Caribbean during the 1950s and 60s. Duncan emerged as a stellar prospect in his amateur days in Jamaica, making him highly touted when he became eligible in the 1949 CABA Draft. Santo Domingo drafted him second overall and he’d spend his entire CABA run with the Dolphins. Duncan was immediately the full time starter and held that role whenever he was healthy. He had a decent rookie season and solid second season, eventually emerging as an elite player by year #3. In 1952, Duncan won his first Silver Slugger and took third in MVP voting. In 1953, he was the All-Star game MVP, a Silver Slugger winner, and second in MVP voting despite missing six weeks with a fractured finger. 1954 saw his third Silver Slugger and first MVP, leading the Caribbean league with 121 runs, 51 home runs, 118 RBI, 1.070 OPS, and 10.7 WAR. Duncan had an even better WAR at 11.7 in 1955 with his second Gold Glove, fourth Silver Slugger, and first Gold Glove. He didn’t win awards in 1956 but still had a strong year, earning a seven-year, $690,000 contract extension with the Dolphins. After being a mid-tier team early in his run, Santo Domingo became a Caribbean League power in the late 1950s and early 1960s. The Dolphins made five playoffs appearances from 1957-62, winning the league title four times (57, 60, 61, 62) and the CABA title twice (1960, 62). Duncan’s third MVP came in 1957 with career bests in home runs (57) and RBI (128), getting his fifth and final Silver Slugger, as well as the CLCS MVP. This was his final MVP, although he’d finish second in 1962 and won a Gold Glove that year and in 1963. Duncan’s regular season numbers were good but not amazing in this run, but he was a big time playoff performer. In 42 playoff games, he had 51 hits, 34 runs, 13 home runs, 32 RBI, and 2.6 WAR. Duncan was the 1960 CABA Championship MVP and had two CABA rings to his name. In 1960, he hit for the cycle and had a four home run game, while also passing the 1000 RBI, 1000 run, and 400 home run thresholds. Duncan also was a consistent player for his home country Jamaica in the World Baseball Championship, making 135 starts between 1950-68. He had 121 hits, 76 runs, 41 home runs, 77 RBI, and 4.8 WAR in his tournament career. Duncan saw a bit of a statistical resurgence in his mid 30s, but missed half of 1964 and 1/3 of 1965 to injury. At age 38, he became a free agent for the first time and saw his CABA run end, although he remained beloved by Santo Domingo fans and saw his #24 uniform soon retired. He left for MLB and signed with San Antonio for the 1966 season, still putting up solid power especially at his age. Duncan went to Oakland for 1967, but he struggled in his lone season with the Owls. He was unsigned much of 1968 and had a brief minor league stint in Rochester, opting to retire at age 41 after the season. Duncan’s final CABA stats: 2422 hits, 1428 runs, 415 doubles, 168 triples, 578 home runs, 1469 RBI, a .297/.354/.602 slash, wRC+ of 162, and 107.9 WAR. He was ninth in WAR among all CABA hitters at retirement. A stellar career and a key part of Santo Domingo’s dynasty run in the late 50s and early 60s. Duncan was an obvious first ballot choice, getting 98.3%. Tirso Sepulveda – Starting Pitcher – Honduras Horsemen – 66.2% Fifth Ballot Tirso Sepulveda was a 5’11’’, 190 pound left-handed pitcher from the capital of Nicaragua, Managua. Sepulveda had a five pitch arsenal with 97-99 mph velocity led by a terrific cutter. He had a good fastball, along with a decent curveball, forkball, and changeup. His stuff, movement, and control were rated as above average to good for his career. Sepulveda had strong stamina and durability in his 20s, emerging as one of the top pitchers in CABA. Sepulveda was an excellent amateur, earning the fifth overall pick by Honduras in the 1948 CABA Draft. He only had 19.1 innings in his first season, then was a part-time starter in 1950. Sepulveda was a full-time starter afterward and in 1951, finished second in Pitcher of the Year voting, He was second again in 1952 with a league-best and career best 9.0 WAR. In 1953, Honduras started a stretch of regular dominance in the Continental Division. They were Caribbean League champ in 1953 with Sepulveda winning Pitcher of the Year. He was second in 1954, then won it for the second time in 1955. He had a 4.07 ERA in 55.1 playoff innings from 1953-55. Sepulveda was still good, but his production dropped a bit in 1956 and 1957 as the Horsemen missed the playoffs both years. His final stats in Honduras was 141-67, 2.59 ERA, 1990 strikeouts in 1966.1 innings, and 50.3 WAR. Sepulveda also was a regular for his native Nicaragua in the World Baseball Championship from 1950-61, posting a 3.50 ERA over 144 innings with 197 strikeouts and 5.3 WAR. The now 31-year old Sepulveda became a free agent in 1958, although he still had a solid relationship with Honduras, as the Horsemen would retire his #27 uniform. Sepulveda signed a six-year, $484,000 deal with Haiti. In July, disaster struck with a torn flexor tendon, putting him out for 13 months in total. He returned in late 1959, but was merely an average-at-best pitcher from here on out. Other injuries cost him parts of 1960 and 1961 and after a middling 1961, Sepulveda opted to retire at age 35. With the Herons, he had a 33-30 record, 3.66 ERA, 461 strikeouts, and 9.9 WAR. The final stats for Sepulveda: 174-97, 2.82 ERA, 2516.2 innings, 2451 strikeouts, 239/325 quality starts, a FIP- of 79, and 60.2 WAR. His overall accumulations are low due to a much shorter career than most Hall of Famers, but was a consistent Pitcher of the Year contender throughout his 20s. Sepulveda was in the 50-60% range on his first three ballots and fell just short on his fourth go at 65.4%. He got the extra percent he needed in 1971 to just get over the line at 66.2%, forever having a spot among CABA’s greats. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

08-07-2023, 05:59 PM	#485
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,889	1971 EAB Hall of Fame Two-way star Tadasumi Tanabe was the lone player inducted into East Asia Baseball’s Hall of Fame in 1971, getting 90.9% on his debut. SP Young-Gwon Shin barely missed the 66% threshold at 65.2% on his third go. Slugger Ju-An Pak was also close, but short at 62.9% on his third ballot. One other player was above 50% in closer Kantaro Kobayashi, who was dropped after ten attempts on the ballot. He had a 19 year career with eight teams and won Reliever of the Year once, posting 344 saves and 527 shutdowns, 1338 strikeouts in 1337 innings, and 30.3 WAR. A respectable career, but lacked the dominance needed to get him across the line. He was never below 44%, but never got to 60%. Tadasumi Tanabe – Pitcher/Left Field – Saitama Sting – 90.9% First Ballot Tadasumi Tanabe was a 5’11’’, 185 pound right-handed pitcher and outfielder from Akita, a city of around 300,000 people in the northern part of the main Japanese island Honshu. Tanabe was a two-way player that was known for having great control as a pitcher. His stuff and movement was above average with 93-95 mph peak velocity with a forkball, curveball, cutter, and changeup. As a pitcher, he wasn’t overpowering, but used the great control to coax ground balls. Tanabe also had excellent stamina as a pitcher when healthy. As a hitter, he was very well rounded, considered not outstanding at anything, but good to very good at everything. Tanabe played left field exclusively when not pitching and was considered a consistently average defender with low speed, but a good arm. Tanabe attended Waseda University in Tokyo and was exclusively a pitcher, posting a 30-12 record, 2.65 ERA, and 11.7 WAR in 56 college starts. His hitting potential was also known, but his pitching profile on its own made him a top prospect. Tanabe was picked second overall by Saitama in the 1951 EAB Draft. He was a full-time starter on the mound as a rookie and also started half the season in the field, earning Rookie of the Year and his first of eight Silver Sluggers as a pitcher. He also won Silver Slugger in 1953, 54, 56, 57, 58, 59, and 62. Tanabe also pitched two no-hitters in his career, striking out seven against Hiroshima in 1955 and striking out 14 against Sendai in 1957. Injuries caused him to miss about two months in 1954, 55, and 56; but his combined stats still made him an MVP candidate for the mid-tier Sting. In 1954, he finished second in MVP voting with 6.1 WAR on the mound and 4.2 WAR as a hitter. In 1956, he won MVP for the first time with a decent 4.5 WAR as a pitcher and a 7.1 WAR, 29 home run season offensively in 115 games. 1957-59 saw Tanabe at 100% full strength and he unleashed his maximum potential. In all three seasons, he won both the Pitcher of the Year award and Japan League MVP. In this stretch as a pitcher, he had a 61-19 record with 799 innings, 2.28 ERA, 805 strikeouts, and 23.8 WAR. As a hitter, he had 447 hits, 232 runs, 93 home runs, 237 RBI, a .341 batting average, and 22.2 WAR. This gave him 46.0 WAR in three years. Tanabe had a career-best 41 home runs in 1958 with a .353 average and 8.2 WAR. In 1957, he had a career-best 9.5 WAR pitching with 289 strikeouts in 278 innings. 1957 and 1958 both had 16+ combined WAR, which remained EAB single-season records until the 2020s. This workload proved unsustainable, as in September 1959, Tanabe suffered a damaged elbow ligament, knocking him out for 10 months. Saitama made the playoffs in 1958-60, but the Sting couldn’t get beyond the JLCS. Tanabe was still good when healthy in 1960 and 1961, but missed big chunks of both seasons. Around this time, he started playing for Japan in the World Baseball Championship, joining the team in ten seasons between 1958-69. Tanabe was primarily a pitcher with a 3.57 ERA, 10-6 record, 138.2 innings, 142 strikeouts, and 2.1 WAR. As a hitter in 99 plate appearances, he had 18 hits, 17 runs, 4 home runs, and 8 RBI. In 1962, he had his last full season with above average production on both ends. Tanabe missed chunks of 1963 and 1964, his final two seasons with Saitama who had fallen back into mediocrity. The Sting would retire his #18 uniform later, but they opted to trade the now 34-year old for the 1965 season to Kyoto for pitcher Tokuzo Saito and 2B Takeye Ono. His time with the Kamikaze was short-lived with a torn labrum in late May, ultimately ending his East Asia Baseball tenure. Tanabe seemed to still be a solid player when healthy, but he couldn’t stay on the field. MLB’s Memphis gave him a chance with a three-year, $552,000 deal in hopes he could resurrect the magic. A herniated disc, then another torn labrum ended his 1966 with the Mountain Cats. He missed all of 1967 and was cut by Memphis, getting signed for 1968 by Buffalo. Tanabe was still able to gave some positive value when healthy with the Blue Sox. He was signed for 1969 with Oakland and saw the season end with yet another torn labrum. He returned to Japan and signed with Kobe in 1970, but a fourth torn labrum in spring training ended his career at age 40. Tanabe’s final EAB pitching stats: 161-105, 2.68 ERA, 2669 innings, 2571 strikeouts to 356 walks, 130 complete games, and 62.4 WAR. With three Pitcher of the Year awards as well, he’d be worth consideration purely as a pitcher. As a hitter, he had 1283 hits, 557 runs, 203 doubles, 201 home runs, 601 RBI, a .317/.368/.525 slash and 47.4 WAR. When healthy, Tanabe was one of the most electric and awesome players in professional baseball history. Even with all of the injuries, he still posted enough numbers for a worthy first ballot Hall of Fame career at 90.9%. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

08-08-2023, 05:26 AM	#486
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,889	1971 BSA Hall of Fame Beisbol Sudamerica inducted two players into the Hall of Fame with the 1971 class, both on the first ballot. The star was starting pitcher Argel Souza with 99.4% of the vote. Meanwhile, LF Ynilo Zapata barely got in with 66.3%, just beyond the 66.0% mark. SP Sousa Marques had a solid debut ballot as well, but was short at 60.1%. Two others were above 50% with SP Jon Mancilla at 52.9% on his second try and SP Jay Carrizales at 51.1% on his third go. LF Placido Guerrero fell off the ballot after ten failed attempts, ending at 34.1% after peaking at 51.2% on his seventh attempt. In 14 years with Cordoba, he had 1974 hits, 1108 runs, 540 home runs, 1170 RBI, a .277/.337/.550 slash, 81.4 WAR, plus the 1951 MVP and two Silver Sluggers. His last four years were in MLB, perhaps costing him a chance of getting slightly more accumulations to cross the line. Also dropped was 3B Martin Fontura, a five-time Silver Slugger winner between Belo Horizonte and Sao Paulo. He never got above 32.5% from his first year, despite having 2200 hits, 912 runs, 348 doubles, 198 home runs, 822 RBI, a .304/.345/.456 slash and 86.3 WAR. Both Fontura and Guerrero had solid careers that wouldn’t look out of place in the Hall of Fame, but neither swayed the voters in ten ballots. Argel Souza – Starting Pitcher – Sao Paulo Padres – 99.4% First Ballot Argel Souza was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed starting pitcher from Pouso Alegre, a city of 150,000 people in the southeastern Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. Souza had excellent stuff with above average to good movement and control. He had 97-99 mph max velocity with a three pitch arsenal of a fastball, slider, and changeup. Souza mixed the three expertly to become one of South America’s best pitchers. He was known also for very good stamina and respectable defense. Souza was a fan favorite with a great work ethic and loyalty, making him a standout throughout his run. Souza emerged as a top prospect after his amateur career and was picked ninth overall by Sao Paulo in the 1952 Beisbol Sudamerica Draft. He was a full-time starter as a rookie and finished third in Rookie of the Year voting with a respectable debut. By his second year, he was already viewed as elite, taking third in Pitcher of the Year voting. That year, he had a no hitter with 13 strikeouts and three walks against Montevideo. Souza was a critical piece in Sao Paulo becoming the dominant force of the Brazil Division. They won the division title nine straight seasons from 1953-61, won the Southern Cone League in 1954, 57, 58, 59, and 60; and took the Copa Sudamerica crown in 1958. Souza was the ace of this run, leading the league in strikeouts and wins thrice, quality starts five times, shutouts thrice, and WAR thrice. In 1957, he had his second no-hitter, getting 14 strikeouts with no walks against Brasilia, but just missing out on the perfect game. Souza won his first Pitcher of the Year in 1955, his second in 1957, third in 1958, and fourth in 1960. He took second in 1956 as well. 1957 was the crown jewel that also earned him a league MVP. Souza had only the third Pitching Triple Crown in BSA history to that point with a 27-4 record, 1.14 ERA, and 350 strikeouts in 291.2 innings with 11.2 WAR. The ERA mark was the third lowest total in BSA history. He had six seasons with an ERA below two for the Padres, posting a 194-75 record, 2.01 ERA, 2756.1 innings, 3198 strikeouts, and 77.3 WAR. He was a huge part in getting Sao Paulo to the playoffs regularly for a decade, although his postseason numbers were surprisingly pedestrian with a 2.64 ERA and 5-11 record over 22 appearances. He had a 1.9 WAR over 146.1 innings with 140 strikeouts. He also was a regular for Brazil in the World Baseball Championship and was good, but not incredible. From 1954-64, he had 173 innings with a 3.02 ERA, 12-9 record, 189 strikeouts, and 3.7 WAR. He did toss 17 innings with only one unearned run against him in 1959. Sao Paulo dropped off and started to rebuild with the 1962 season. Souza was still having good seasons, but his 1961 and 1962 campaigns weren’t award winning. The Padres traded him for three prospects before the 1963 season to Salvador. The 33-year old Souza showed he could still go, winning his fifth Pitcher of the Year in 1963 for the Storm, becoming the first five-time winner in the Southern Cone League. Souza fell off hard, going from an 8.1 WAR season to 0.4 WAR in 1964, in part hampered by an elbow strain. He stunk in limited action in 1965 for the Storm and opted to retire after the season at age 36. With Salvador, he had a 40-23 record, 3.19 ERA, 512 strikeouts, and 6.5 WAR total. The final stats for Souza: 234-98, 2.22 ERA, 3348.2 innings, 3710 strikeouts, 336/410 quality starts, 119 complete games, FIP- of 76, and 83.8 WAR. At retirement, he had the best winning percentage of any BSA Hall of Famer and is still #2 as of 2037. He didn’t play long enough to raise to the top of all of the leaderboards, but his prime was among the best in the history of South American baseball. Sao Paulo retired his #32 uniform as a key part of their memorable 1950s success. With five Pitcher of the Year awards, an MVP, and a Triple Crown, Souza was a no-doubter at 99.4%. Ynilo Zapata – Left Field – Callao Cats – 66.3% First Ballot Ynilo Zapata was a 6’2’’, 200 pound left-handed left fielder from Lima, Peru. Zapata had prolific home run power, leading the Bolivar League in home runs six times in his first seven seasons. He was a good to occasionally great contact hitter who was better than many sluggers at avoiding strikeouts, although generally around average at drawing walks. Zapata was a slow baserunner and viewed as a below average to bad defender who played basically exclusively in left field. But the man hit dingers and that him a hot commodity. He became well known in Peru as an amateur as the next possible great slugger. Zapata was picked 14^th overall by his hometown Lima in the 1950 Beisbol Sudamerica Draft, but couldn’t come to terms with the Lobos. While still an amateur, he played for the Peruvian team in the World Baseball Championship in 1951. From 1951-64, he played 115 WBC games with 89 hits, 71 runs, 40 home runs, 83 RBI, and 4.0 WAR. In the 1951 BSA Draft, Callao selected him fifth overall and he joined the Cats, where he spent the vast majority of his pro career. Zapata was thrown into the starting lineup immediately and became the first-ever player to win MVP and Rookie of the Year in the same season. He led the Bolivar League with 53 home runs and had career highs in OPS at 1.077, wRC+ at 211, and WAR at 8.6. He led the league in home runs six times from 1952-58 and hit 50+ twice more with 53 in 1955 and 51 in 1957. He also had three 125+ RBI seasons with a peak of 133 in 1955. Zapata was second in MVP voting in 1955, third in 1956, and second again in 1957; but his rookie year was his lone MVP ultimately. He won six Silver Sluggers (52, 53, 54, 55, 57, 62). Zapata’s power pushed Callao to relevance for the first time in the franchise’s history. The Cats won the South Division five times from 1954-60 and took the Copa Sudamerica crown in 1954 and 1957. In 34 playoff games, Zapata had 31 hits, 16 runs, 8 home runs, 19 RBI, and 1.2 WAR. His production began to fade a bit into his 30s with a broken hand putting him out 3-4 months in 1960. Callao remained competitive after 1960, but wouldn’t make the playoffs in the next five years. Zapata still got 35+ homers in 1961 and 1962, but he was no longer an MVP candidate. In 1963, he missed two months with a strained MCL. Zapata was moved to a bench role in 1964 and at age 36, was traded in the summer to Fortaleza along with a prospect to get pitcher Leo Andrade. He spent the rest of 1964 and 1965 as a bench player for the Foxes, opting to retire after the 1965 season at age37. Callao still remembered him fondly though and would retire his #13 uniform. Zapata’s final stats: 1860 hits, 1061 runs, 487 home runs, 1155 RBI, a .292/.350/.578 slash, 161 wRC+ and 69.6 WAR. His MVP rookie season made many think he was the next big thing, but his totals are actually lower than you’d expect considering his peak. Only one other player (Martyn Jarava) had gotten into the Hall as a hitter with under 2000 career hits. Many thought Zapata didn’t have the accumulations needed to deserve a spot, but other voters love dingers and pointed out he had a big role in two Cup wins for Callao. He ended up being a first ballot choice just barely at 66.3%; but barely or not, Zapata is in. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

08-08-2023, 11:44 AM	#487
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,889	1971 EBF Hall of Fame For the first time since 1964, the European Baseball Federation didn’t induct any players into the Hall of Fame with 1971’s voting. Three returners were close yet again above 60%, but below the required 66%. Closer Richard Hackl led this group at 63.8% on his sixth ballot, followed by 3B Orion McIntyre at 62.5% on his sixth and CF Joe Ramet at 60.8% on his ninth. Ramet would become the first player in EBF’s history to make it to ten ballots. Two others were above 50% with closer Ken Jacob at 57.0% on his seventh attempt and 1B Fabian Wittkowski at 55.6% in his debut. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

08-08-2023, 04:46 PM	#488
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,889	1971 EPB Hall of Fame 1971 saw Eurasian Professional Baseball finally add someone to the Hall of Fame to join inaugural member Bogdon Chirita from the 1968 vote. Two players got the nod in 1971, led by pitcher Alexandru Spinu as a first ballot choice at 84.0%. On his third attempt, closer Khalid Azad got the bump across the line as well with 71.2%. Two others were above 50% on their debuts with SP Skerdi Hoxha at 58.4% and SP Andrei Doman at 54.5%. Alexandru “Hacksaw” Spinu - Starting Pitcher – Warsaw Wildcats – 84.0% First Ballot Alexandru Spinu was a 6’5’’, 210 pound left-handed pitcher from Chisinau, the capital of Moldova. Spinu had good control and an electric fastball that peaked at 95-97 mph velocity. He mixed this with a good slider and okay changeup with his movement rated as average at best. Spinu had terrific stamina, leading the league in innings pitched four times. He was also great at holding runners and was considered an excellent defensive pitcher, winning a Gold Glove in 1960. Like many of his era, he didn’t pick up baseball until after World War II in his late teens. Moldova at the time was one of the states within the Soviet Union and he bounced around the Soviet amateur and semi-pro circuits in his early 20s. Eurasian Professional Baseball officially formed for the 1955 season and the 26-year old was a top candidate for many teams. Spinu ended up going to Poland, signing a six-year, $242,400 deal with Warsaw. Spinu was second in Pitcher of the Year voting in 1955, leading the league in strikeouts and posting a no-hitter with 13 strikeouts and one walk against Minsk. The Wildcats had an impressive 122-win debut, but lost ultimately in the first round of the playoffs despite Spinu’s efforts. He was good, but a bit weaker in 1956. Then in 1957, he won Pitcher of the Year, leading the European League with 11.4 WAR and 342 strikeouts. Spinu struggled in his only playoff appearance and suffered a rotator cuff strain, putting him out as the Wildcats fell in the ELCS. Spinu was second in Pitcher of the Year voting in 1958 despite career bests in WAR (12.1) and strikeouts (365). His 1959 was ended in July by ulnar nerve entrapment. Fearing his usefulness would be ended by the injury, Warsaw traded the 31-year old Spinu for the 1960 season to Kharkiv in exchange for four prospects. In total with the Wildcats, Spinu had an 88-45 record, 2.70 ERA, 1529 strikeouts in 1275.2 innings, and 43.1 WAR. His one season with the Killer Bees saw an impressive bounce back with 10.7 WAR and his fourth season atop the strikeout charts, this time at 348. Spinu took third in Pitcher of the Year voting and won a Gold Glove, entering free agency as a hot commodity in 1961. He stayed in Ukraine on a five-year, $445,000 deal with Kyiv. A good debut with the Kings was cut short in July with a torn labrum. He again bounced back though, leading in strikeouts for the fifth time in 1962, Kyiv got to the ELCS, but Spinu struggled in his three postseason starts. The Kings won the 1963 Soviet Series and Spinu got a ring, but he pitched 0.2 innings all season thanks to a torn labrum in his first start. Spinu had more injuries woes in 1964, but was still effective when he was healthy, posting 4.8 WAR in only 19 starts. With Kyiv, he had a 2.68 ERA over 289 innings, 348 strikeouts, and 10.6 WAR. Spinu became a free agent at age 36 for the 1965 season and signed with Almaty. He was okay in Kazakhstan, but more injuries put him out two months. The Assassins traded him in July back to Warsaw, but he was only healthy enough to make three starts in his Wildcats return. Spinu decided to retire at age 37. Spinu’s final stats: 154-84 record, 2.70 ERA, 2210.2 innings, 2586 strikeouts to 358 walks, 179/276 quality starts, FIP- of 66 and 70.5 WAR. Injuries and a late start to his official career put his final tallies at the bottom of the Hall of Fame leaderboards, but he was undoubtedly dominant when healthy. With the voters understanding the first inducted players might not have the big stats of later guys, enough viewed Spinu’s resume as worthy. Thus, he was a first ballot nod at 84.0%. Khalid Azad – Closer – Minsk Miners – 71.2% Third Ballot Khalid Azad was a 5’11’’, 200 pound right-handed reliever from Yeni Suraxani, a small municipality within Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. Azad had a two-pitch combo of a curveball and sinker with excellent movement and 96-98 mph peak velocity on the sinker. His stuff was graded as terrific with his control viewed as above average. The main knock on him was a perceived greediness and lack of loyalty. Azad picked up baseball in his 20s in Azerbaijan and was 27-years old when EPB was started up in 1955. He ultimately was signed by Minsk to a two-year deal and immediately emerged as the closer for the Miners. Azad was runner-up for Reliever of the Year in 1956 and won the award in 1957. Minsk was a powerhouse franchise, getting to the playoffs in all six of Azad’s seasons there. They won the Soviet Series in 1956 and got to the final in 1955. Azad was a strong playoff performer, posting 13 saves and 16 shutdowns over 42.1 innings with a 1.70 ERA and 53 strikeouts. He also pitched for Azerbaijan in the World Baseball Championship from 1958-63, although he was used as a starter most often. He posted a 3.01 ERA in 83.2 innings with 123 strikeouts and 2.7 WAR. Azad was demoted out of the closer role in 1960, but still saw regular use in his final season with Minsk. In his time in Belarus, he had 175 saves, a 1.56 ERA, 200 shutdowns, 658 strikeouts in 474.1 innings and 24.5 WAR. At age 33, Azad became a free agent and signed with Yekaterinburg for 1961. He led the league in saves for the first time in 1961 and took third in Reliever of the Year voting. Although not a finalist in 1962, he posted career bests in strikeouts (139) and WAR (6.0). Azad was off to a strong start for 1963, but the typically durable reliever suffered a torn elbow ligament that ended his career at age 36. In total with the Yaks he had 89 saves, 1.87 ERA, 300 strikeouts, and 11.2 WAR. Azad’s final stats saw 264 saves and 307 shutdowns, 1.65 ERA, 691 innings, 958 strikeouts, FIP- of 39 and 35.7 WAR. His save total is low for what usually gets relievers into Halls of Fame, but it was a small sample size from a late start and early exit. Azad was very dominant when he was on and after three attempts on early ballots, voters felt he was worthy of being the first reliever into the EPB Hall of Fame. He received 71.2% on his third attempt. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder) Last edited by FuzzyRussianHat; 08-09-2023 at 05:18 PM.

08-09-2023, 05:21 AM	#489
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,889	1971 World Baseball Championship The 25^th World Baseball Championship was held in Hong Kong. After missing the elite eight in consecutive seasons for the first time, the United States came up with its 22th divisional win. The Americans finished 6-1 in a tough Division 1, edging 5-2 runs from Austria, Haiti, and Italy. Division 2 had South Korea and Chile tie for first at 5-2, both one game ahead of Cuba and Scotland. The tiebreaker favored the Koreans, sending them to the Round Robin for the ninth time. Defending World Champion China claimed Division 3 at 6-1, one ahead of Bulgaria. Meanwhile, Division 4 was a mess with six teams (Japan, Bolivia, Ireland, Singapore, France, and Spain) all at 4-3. After a whole host of tiebreakers, Japan moved forward for the tenth time. Canada went a perfect 7-0 in Division 5, two ahead of the Dominican Republic. Mexico had similar success at 7-0 in Division 6 with Australia their closest foe. The Canadians have advanced 18 times and the Mexicans 11 times. The Philippines earned its third-ever Round Robin berth by winning Division 7 at 6-1, edging Brazil by a game. And in Division 8, Puerto Rico became a three-time division winner. PR finished 6-1, holding off defending runner-up Russia and Indonesia both at 5-2. Round Robin Group A had China first at 4-2. The USA and Japan both were 3-3 with Mexico at 2-4. The tiebreaker sent the Americans to their 21^st Final Four, while the Chinese made it for the third time. In Group B, South Korea and Canada were the top dogs at 4-2, while the Philippines and Puerto Rico were both 2-4. This gave the Canadians their 17^th semifinal berth and the Koreans their sixth. China advanced to the championship by beating Canada 4-2 in their semifinal series, while the Americans swept South Korea 4-0. Canada officially was third place for the sixth time, while SK was fourth. The 25^th World Championship was the 18^th finals appearance for the perennial power United States, meanwhile China wanted to join the US and Mexico as the only nations to win back-to-back titles. The Americans ultimately returned to their perch at the top, taking the series in five games. The US has 15 World Titles, while everyone else has combined for 10. Although the runner-up, China had the tournament MVP in Jun Zong. A 28-year old left fielder for Hong Kong, he smacked 10 home runs with 16 RBI, 17 hits, and 14 runs in 20 tournament games. Top pitcher went to American closer Thurman Lofink, a 27-year old with New Orleans. He had nine relief appearances and two starts in the tournament, posting five saves and a 3-0 record with a 0.29 ERA over 30.2 innings. He struck out 72 and had a 2.1 WAR. Other notes; Venezuela’s Cesar Valladares had 20 strikeouts and two walks in a no-hitter against Romania. This is tied for third most strikeouts in a WBC no-hitter with the record at 22. Below are the updated all-time tournament stats. Through 25 events, there have been seven different champions, 11 nations to make the final, 28 that have gotten to the semifinal, and 48 to make it to the elite eight. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

08-09-2023, 12:09 PM	#490
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,889	1971 in CLB The second season for Chinese League Baseball saw a record-setting 123-39 season for Tianjin. This still stands as the all-time winningest season in CLB history as of 2037 and at this point in history, was tied for third most wins in a season in any pro league. Shanghai was a strong second place at 107-55, earning the other spot from the Northern League. Last year’s top two were third and fourth with Nanjing at 97-65 and defending CLB champ Beijing at 93-69. The Jackrabbits had the league MVP and Pitcher of the Year along with their historic record. MVP was 26-year old RF Xinze Yan, who led in OPS (1.053), slugging (.641), and total bases (365), adding 10.9 WAR, a .336 average, 44 home runs, and 110 RBI. 26-year old Luke Ren was Pitcher of the Year with the lefty leading in wins off a 25-4 record. He had a 1.75 ERA over 282.2 innings with 240 strikeouts and 8.3 WAR. The Southern League also had two different playoff teams from the inaugural season. After taking a close third last year, Guangzhou was in first at 101-61. Foshan took second place at 95-67, finishing one better than Chengdu for the final spot. Last year’s playoff teams Wuhan and Chongqing finished sixth and fifth, respectively. Although Hong Kong was 73-89, they head the Southern League MVP in Jun Zong. The 28-year old LF was the World Baseball Championship’s MVP and carried that into a 56 home run, 97 RBI season. He also led with 95 runs, 346 total bases, a .609 slugging, .942 OPS, and wRC+ of 227 while adding 9.6 WAR. 56 home runs beat Dolgoon Bolorsukh by one for the most in a CLB season, although he’d remain the single-season leader for only three years. Foshan’s Encai Li won Pitcher of the Year at age 38. The righty was the WARlord at 10.7 and led in complete games (15) and shutouts (8), adding 278 strikeouts in 255.1 innings with a 1.20 ERA and 18-8 record. Both league champions won in the semifinal as Guangzhou survived Shanghai in seven games and Tianjin topped Foshan in six. The Jackrabbits had the chance to be the winningest champion in pro baseball history, as 123-win Minsk in 1957 was a one-and-done, 124-win Madrid in 1953 fell in the EBF championship and 125-win Madrid in 1951 was one and done. The Gamecocks denied them that honor in a seven game classic. Despite being runner-up, Tianjin RF Boyang Zhang was the finals MVP, posting 5 home runs, 16 hits, 8 runs, and 12 RBI in 13 playoff games. Other notes: Chongqing’s Jaiqi Zhang had the first four home run game in CLB History. The next one wouldn’t happen until 1989. Shanghai’s Yingfu Yang had the first six hit game. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

08-09-2023, 05:30 PM	#491
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,889	1971 in APB The Taiwan-Philippine Association had new teams atop its leagues for the 1971 season. In the Taiwan League, Taoyuan took the top spot at 85-77, edging out defending champ Taipei and Kaohsiung both at 82-80. In the Philippine League, Manila’s six-year streak was ended as the Manatees were a last place 70-92. Zamboanga was first at 89-73, edging out Cebu by two games and Davao by four. Kaohsiung’s Yao-Hsun Ching won MVP with the 23-year old in his fourth full season already. He was the leaer in runs scored (90), total bases (306), slugging (.534), OPS (.850), and wRC+ (173), adding 8.8 WAR and 36 home runs. Tianan’s Kun-Sheng Lin won a third straight Pitcher of the Year with another incredible season. He broke his own single-season strikeout record with 476, also leading with 15.7 WAR, 0.70 WHIP, a 13.2 K/BB, 29 complete games, and 297.2 innings, posting a 1.90 ERA and 19-13 record. In his first four seasons, Lin has an absurd 55.0 WAR with 1672 strikeouts. The best overall record in Austronesia Professional Baseball came in the Sundaland Association as Batam won back-to-back Malacca League titles. The second best record was in the same league as Medan and the Blue Raiders both were 100-62 to close the regular season. Batam won the tiebreaker game to take the crown. The Java League had a first time winner in Surabaya at 87-75. The Sunbirds beat defending APB champ Jakarta by one game and Semarang by two games to take the title. Although Singapore stunk with only 66 wins, they had the MVP in RF Dedi Nugroho. He only started 122 games, but the second-year lefty was the home run leader with 51 and also led in slugging (.667), OPS (1.037) and wRC+ (246) with 8.9 WAR. Pitcher of the Year was Batam’s Ahmad Nasir Suryadi. The 27-year old righty in his fifth season as a Blue Raider had the most wins with a 21-9 record, posting a 1.73 ERA in 281.1 innings with 299 strikeouts and 7.0 WAR. The Taiwan-Philippine Association Championship went to Taoyuan in five games over Zamboanga. Meanwhile Surabaya upset Batam in the Sundaland Association final, easily dispatching them with a sweep. The Sunbirds continued their momentum into the seventh Austronesia Championship, topping the Tsunami 4-1 for their first title. 3B Kim Shin Pan was the MVP of the association final and the APB final, posting 15 hits, 5 home runs, 10 RBI, and 9 runs in 9 playoff games. Other notes: The fourth APB perfect game came on June 22 from Jakarta’s Sen-Lung Shu, who struck out 13 against Semarang. Muljadi Suwandi became the first APB pitcher to reach 2000 career strikeouts. Depok’s Alex Yustinus had a 25-game hit streak, setting a new APB record. Pekanbaru had a steep fall from being the first Sundaland Champion to only 57 wins in 1971. They scored only 353 runs and had 956 hits, both of which were all time worsts until 2024. CF Ruben Yu and 3B Stanley Susilowati both won their seventh Gold Gloves, remaining the two players to have taken the award in all seven APB seasons thus far. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

08-10-2023, 05:17 AM	#492
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,889	1971 in OBA Gold Coast became a first time Australasia League champion in 1971 with a 101-61 record. Melbourne’s dynasty came to an end after four straight league titles. The Mets were second place at 95-67 with Adelaide third at 91-71. Aardvarks 2B/SS Jimmy Caliw won his third straight MVP award, breaking his own single-season OBA record with 13.3 WAR. The 25-year old Filipino won his fourth Gold Glove and led in hits (174), total bases (324), average (.299), OBP (.359), OPS (.917), and wRC+ (187), adding 55 home runs and 97 RBI. Pitcher of the Year was Brisbane’s Nathaniel Doloran. After an excellent Rookie of the Year campaign in 1970, the 24-year old lefty led in strikeouts for the second straight season with 436, setting a new OBA single-season record. Doloran added 9.7 WAR over 305.1 innings with a 1.80 ERA and 18-12 record. Tahiti rolled to the Pacific League title at 107-55, setting a new PL record and tying the OBA mark set last year by Melbourne. It is the second title for the Tropics, who won It all in 1965. Honolulu (99-63) and Samoa (98-64) both had great seasons, but couldn’t keep up with Tahiti. It was the best ever season for the Sun Sox, who only won 69 games the prior year and had never finished better than .500. Last year’s Oceania champ New Caledonia dropped from 100 wins in 1970 to a fifth place 75-87. The Pacific League MVP and Pitcher of the Year both came from the Tropics. MVP was 27-year old 3B Ieremia Tenakanai, a Papuan in his fourth full season. He led the league in hits (205), total bases (357), triple slash (.319/.354/.556), OPS (.910) and wRC+ (194), adding 7.3 WAR. Pitcher of the Year was Dwight Castillo, a 26-year old lefty from Palau. He led in ERA at 1.41 and wins at 26-8, adding 35 quality starts over 319.1 innings with 353 strikeouts and 8.3 WAR. The 12^th Oceania Championship saw Gold Coast win its first title, defeating Tahiti in six games. League MVP Ieremia Tenakanai was also the finals MVP, smacking four home runs with nine hits, three doubles, six runs, and nine RBI. Other notes: Zachary Nelson became the third OBA pitcher to 2500 strikeouts. Catcher Graham Parker won his eighth Gold Glove, the first OBA player to get to eight. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

08-10-2023, 12:11 PM	#493
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,889	1971 in EPB Minsk had the best record in Eurasian Professional Baseball in 1971 as the Miners earned a fourth straight playoff berth and their 16^th in EPB’s first 17 years. The Miners won the North Division at 115-47 with Moscow taking second at 105-57 for back-to-back playoff berths. St. Petersburg was 95-67 to get the second wild card, their first playoff berth since 1964. The South Division saw a tie between Kharkiv and Kyiv at 88-74 with the Killer Bees advancing on a one-game tiebreaker for back-to-back playoff berths. Defending European League champ Tirana dropped to 84-78, ending their four-year playoff streak. League MVP went to Minsk’s Zina Gigolashvili. The 35-year old Georgian first baseman in his third year with the Miners set the new EPB single-season home run record with 65, defeating his own record of 56 from 1961. This would remain the record until 1986. Gigolashvili also had 139 RBI, one short of the single-season record set by Pavlo Kolesnik in 1955. He also led the league in the triple slash (.309/.383/.706), OPS (1.089), wRC+ (221) and WAR (11.1). This earned him the fourth Triple Crown by an EPB hitter. His OPS mark was also a single-season record that would hold until 1984. Gigolashvili also became the third EPB hitter to 500 career home runs and crossed 1000 RBI. Pitcher of the Year went to 25-year old Kazakh Anatoli Agakerimzade. After being drafted by Bishkek, he was traded for 1970 to St. Petersburg. In his second season with the Polar Bears, he led the league in ERA (1.81), quality starts (30) and wins (21-7), adding 263.1 innings, 217 strikeouts, and 6.1 WAR. Omsk had the best record in the Asian League at 100-62 atop the North Division, earning a fourth straight playoff berth. Defending Soviet Series champ Yekaterinburg took second at 98-64 and got the first wild card, extending their postseason streak to eight, the longest active one in EPB. In the South Division, Almaty took first at 96-66 for their first playoff berth since their 1963 AL title. Dushanbe narrowly took second at 92-70, finishing one ahead of Tashkent, three ahead of Ulaanbaatar, and four over Krasnoyarsk for the final wild card. The Dynamo earned back-to-back playoff berths. MVP went to Dushanbe shortstop Daurenbek Zeynalov. The 29-year old Tajik was the league leader in WAR (8.6), total bases (326) and triples (35). This was a EPB record for triples as Zeynalov led for the seventh time in his eight year career. Pitcher of the Year was Yekaterinburg’s Vladimir Hora. The 32-year old Czech righty was the WARlord at 12.1, leading in FIP- (47), wins (22-7), and shutouts (8), adding a 1.90 ERA over 293.1 innings with 358 strikeouts. In the first round of the European League playoffs, St. Petersburg stunned Minsk with an upset 3-1, while Moscow downed Kharkiv 3-1. In the Asian League, Dushanbe upset Omsk in four and Almaty swept Yekaterinburg. In their first-ever European League Championship Series appearance, the Polar Bears took the league title, downing the Mules in six games. The Asian League Championship Series saw the Assassins sweep the Dynamo. Almaty becomes a three-time Asian League champ, having also won in 1957 and 1963. The 17^th Soviet Series was the second ever to go all seven games. St. Petersburg won the first three games, but Almaty rallied back by winning the next three. The Polar Bears avoided the full collapse and won game seven for their first-ever EPB title. The Assassins are now 0-3 in Soviet Series appearances. Although they lost, Almaty’s Azamat Boboev was the finals MVP. The 28-year old CF also was the ALCS MVP, posting 21 hits, 10 runs,4 home runs, and 14 RBI in 16 playoff games. Other notes: Baku’s Yunis Atamuradov threw EPB’s 13^th Perfect Game, striking out seven against Yerevan on September 5. Sergei Filatov became the first pitcher to 4500 career strikeouts. A few months later, Alvi Tahiri became the second. RF German Daugelo won his 11^th straight Gold Glove. OF Amam Charyyew won his eighth Silver Slugger. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

08-10-2023, 04:22 PM	#494
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,889	1971 in EBF The EBF Northern Conference saw a new face with the best record as Luxembourg went 102-60 atop the Northwest Division. It is only the second-ever playoff berth for the Lancers, who won the division back in 1958. Rotterdam earned the wild card again with a 92-70 record, extending their playoff streak to five years. Defending European Champion Paris finished 89-73, falling short of the postseason. In the British Isles Division, Dublin went 91-71 for back-to-back division crowns and four in five years. Birmingham finished seven back and London was eight back. In the North Central Division, Berlin and Copenhagen tied for the top spot at 83-79. The Barons won a one-game playoff to get their third playoff berth in four years. Last year’s division champ Oslo dropped to 79-83. Leading Luxembourg’s effort was second-year left fielder Wesley Visscher. The 25-year old Dutchman was the leader in hits (213) and average (.336), adding 7.0 WAR. Birmingham fourth year righty Joseph Wilson won the Pitcher of the Year, leading the conference in ERA (1.97), strikeouts (344), WHIP (0.78), shutouts (8), and WAR (8.6), adding an 18-11 record in 278.2 innings. Munich had the best overall record in the European Baseball Federation again at 106-56 for back-to-back Southern Conference Southeast Division titles. Naples won the South Central Division for a third straight season with a franchise-record 102-60 mark. In the Southwest Division, Madrid snapped a nine season playoff drought at 96-66. Marseille was only one back at 95-67 and ended up two behind Vienna for the wild card. The defending conference champion Vultures finished 97-65, giving them seven straight playoff berths. Milan was 78-84, but had an MVP season from 1B Jared Psaila. The 25-year old Maltese was the leader in hits (217), average (.358), OBP (.421), OPS (1.023), wRC+ (191), and WAR (10.1), adding 36 home runs and 113 RBI. Pitcher of the Year was Munich’s Kurt Ryborsch. The 27-year old German had a 2.27 ERA and 21-7 record over 285.1 innings with 241 strikeouts, 27 quality starts, and 5.1 WAR. All of the first round playoff series were 3-0 sweeps. In the Northern Conference, Luxembourg handled Berlin and Rotterdam dusted Dublin. In the Southern Conference, Munich mauled Madrid and Vienna dropped Naples. In their first-ever Northern Conference final, the Lancers took the title in six games over the Ravens, leaving Rotterdam as runner-up in back-to-back years. The Mavericks denied the Vultures a three-peat with Munich winning the Southern Conference final in five. It is the third conference title for the Mavericks, who also won it back in 1951 and 1952. In the 22^nd European Championship, Luxembourg became a first-time EBF champion. The Lancers beat Munich 4-2 with 1B Alex Zonneveld earning finals MVP. In his eighth season with the Lancers, the 30-year old Dutch lefty had 18 hits, 7 runs, 7 extra base hits, and 15 RBI in 15 playoff games. For the third straight season, the champion came out of the Northwest Division. Other notes: Seville’s Joseph Lander had a 34-game hitting streak, the fifth-longest in EBF history. Hermann Hoffmann became the eighth pitcher to 3000 career strikeouts. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

08-11-2023, 06:32 AM	#495
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,889	1971 in BSA Defending Bolivar League champ Medellin won the North Division for the seventh straight season in 1971, easily taking the top spot at 95-67. The Mutiny were ten games ahead of second place Bogota. Meanwhile, Guayaquil narrowly took the South Division at 89-73. The Golds beat Cali by one game, Quito by five, and defending division winner Lima by seven. For Guayaquil, it is their second playoff berth in three years. 1B Jorge Masana led the Golds with an MVP in his fifth season for Guayaquil. The left-handed Ecuadoran was the WARlord at 10.3 and league leader in hits (212), RBI (122), total bases (376), OPS (1.020), and wRC+ (191), adding 109 runs and 39 home runs. Medellin’s Ivo Ferreira won back-to-back Pitcher of the Year awards. The 29-year old Brazilian lefty was WARlord (9.5) and strikeout leader (340) for the second straight year, also leading in wins at 20-12 and FIP- at 58. He posted a 2.05 ERA over 267.1 innings. Brasilia had the top mark in the Southern Cone League, winning the Brazil Division title for the first time since 1963. After coming close the last few years, the Bearcats finally got the top spot at 104-58, their first 100+ win season since the 1930s dynasty. Sao Paulo was a distant second at 93-69 while defending Copa Sudamerica champ Rio de Janeiro dropped to 80-82. Santiago cruised to the South Division crown for an eighth straight season, winning it at 96-66. Rosario CF Celso Galo won his second league MVP in three years. The 28-year old lefty won his third batting title at .351 and also led the league in slugging (.649), OPS (1.061), total bases (374) and wRC+ (229). He had 10.6 WAR, 43 home runs, 97 RBI, and 202 hits. Sao Paulo’s Domingas Ribeiro became the first Beisbol Sudamerica pitcher to win Pitcher of the Year in four consecutive seasons. He led in ERA for the sixth straight year (1.49) and WAR (10.8) for the sixth straight year. Ribeiro also led in WHIP (0.74) and K/BB (18.5) with a remarkable 351 strikeouts to only 19 walks. He tossed 260.1 innings with a 16-6 record and eight saves. Nothing was going to stop the Medellin train as the Mutiny swept Guayaquil in the Bolivar League Championship Series. Medellin now has won three straight and five of the last six titles. Their ten league titles are also the top mark in BSA. The Southern Cone Championship delivered a great series however with Santiago edging Brasilia in seven games. This gives the Saints five league titles since 1961 and eight overall. The 41^st Copa Sudamerica was not the first time the two storied franchises had met in the final with Medellin winning the 1934 title over Santiago, the Saints taking it in 1936, and Santiago winning in 1966. The fourth meeting between the two went to the Saints 4-2, sending the Cup to Chile for the first time since their 1966 battle. LF Rosario Cristoval was the playoff leader for Santiago, winning LCS MVP. In 13 playoff games, he had 19 hits, 12 runs, 8 doubles, 3 triples, and 2 home runs. Santiago is tied with Medellin for the most Cup wins at five with their titles in 1936, 1961, 1964, 1966, and 1971. This also ultimately marked the end of the Mutiny’s dominance in the Bolivar League, as they wouldn’t make the playoffs again until 1986. Other notes: Laurenco Cedillo became the 11^th BSA pitcher to 4500 strikeouts. Javier Herrera became the 18^th batter to reach 2500 career hits and also crossed 1000 RBI. SS Alexander Rolon won his eighth consecutive Gold Glove in the Bolivar Leauge, while Kaique Salvao won his eighth at SS in the Southern Cone. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

08-11-2023, 11:37 AM	#496
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,889	1971 in EAB Hiroshima’s dynasty in the Japan League was disrupted in 1971 as the three-time defending league champs dropped to 81-81, fifth in the South Division. With their absence, Kitakyushu took first place at 100-62, beating Nagoya by six games. For the Kodiaks, this is their first playoff berth since 1955. Meanwhile in the North Division, Kawasaki cruised to the crown at 104-58, back in the postseason after missing the prior two years. Defending division champ Sendai was a distant second at 93-69. Sapporo was third at 89-73, but they had the Japan League MVP and Pitcher of the Year. Sosuke Hoshizawa won back-to-back MVPs and was the WARlord at 10.8. The 22-year old centerfielder had a 1.022 OPS and .320 average, 45 home runs, 116 RBI, and 100 runs. Pitcher of the Year was 27-year old Eikichi Utsubo in his sixth and final season of his first run with the Swordfish. He was the leader in ERA (2.10) and wins (20-8), and second in strikeouts at 312. He had a 0.86 WHIP and 7.8 WAR over 270.1 innings. Utsubo would leave for MLB and Montreal in 1972. The Korea League had two division winners that snapped lengthy playoff droughts. Busan won the South Division at 96-66, ending Yongin’s five-year run on top. The defending league champ Gold Sox and Daegu tied for second at 88-74. Seongnam won the North Division at 95-67, two games ahead of Pyongyang and seven better than last year’s division winner Hamhung. For the Blue Jays, it is their first playoff berth since winning the EAB title in 1944, and it is the first berth for the Spiders since 1952. Suwon has the longest playoff drought in Korea going back to 1935 and stunk at 70-92 in 1971, but the Snappers had the league MVP in Si-Heon Kang. The 27-year old lefty was a two-way player, getting 4.7 WAR, 199 strikeouts, and a 2.63 ERA over 256.1 innings on the mound. In right field over 100 games, he had 4.8 WAR, a .924 OPS, 28 home runs, and 65 RBI. Busan’s Cheng Yang was the Pitcher of the Year. The third-year Chinese lefty led in wins at 22-6, strikeouts at 307, and WAR at 7.8. Yang added a 2.68 ERA in 272.1 innings. In the 1971 Japan League Championship Series, Kitakyushu downed Kawasaki in six games. It is the third title for the Kodiaks, who also won it in 1954 and 1955. The Korea League Championship Series had a Busan sweep of Seongnam. It is the ninth league title for the Blue Jays and the first since their 1930s and early 1940s dynasty run. In the 51^st East Asia Championship, Busan bested Kitakyushu 4-1. The Blue Jays are now five team EAB champs (1933, 1938, 1942, 1944, 1971). Finals MVP was RF Seung-Hyeok Jang, who had signed with Busan in the offseason after nine seasons with Sendai. In nine playoff games, Jang had 11 hits, 6 runs, 3 home runs, and 8 RBI. Other notes: Dong-Ju Hahn became the second EAB batter to 3500 career hits. In his final season, Hahn finished with 3585 hits, second to Byung-Oh Tan’s 3871. Man-Hee Cho became the fifth EAB hitter to 3000 career hits and the ninth to 1500 runs scored. Yoriyuki Kono and Masaru Oya both crossed 600 home runs, bringing it to 11 players in the club in EAB. Kono and three others crossed 1500 RBI, making it 15 batters to have done son. Sang-Hun Joon became the second EAB pitcher to 4500 strikeouts. He finished the year at 4502 and would pass Michiro Yabuta’s all-time mark of 4608 the next year. Two-way player Totaro Uchiyama won his eighth Silver Slugger as a pitcher. 2B Min-Hyeok Shin won his 12^th Silver Slugger, SS Kyung-Hwan Choi won his tenth, and C Jung-Soo Chen won his ninth. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

08-11-2023, 05:44 PM	#497
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,889	1971 in CABA Mexico City continued its dominance in the Mexico League, finishing 109-53 and leading in both runs scored (739) and runs allowed (483). The four-time defending league champion Aztecs won their fifth straight division title and earned a sixth straight playoff berth. Tijuana won the North Division at 98-64 for their second title in three years. The wild card race was incredibly tough between four teams with Guadalajara ultimately taking the wild card for the third straight year. The Hellhounds took it at 93-69, one game ahead of both Merida and Mexicali and two better than Hermosillo. Mexico City shortstop Aaron Valencia won his second MVP, posting an impressive 12.8 WAR, ranking 10^th best ever by a CABA hitter to that point. The 32-year old Puerto Rican led the league in hits (220), runs (110), total bases (377), batting average (.374), slugging (.641), OPS (1.038), and wRC+ (204). Valencia also posted 16.7 ZR defensively at short. Guadalajara’s Mario Benitez won his second Pitcher of the Year in three years. The 29-year old righty led in WHIP at 0.85, adding a 2.23 ERA over 234.1 innings with 278 strikeouts, 5.9 WAR, a 17-13 record, and 10 saves. For a pitcher, he also had a respectable .268 batting average. Two-time defending Caribbean League champ Guatemala (107-55) took the Continental Division for the fifth straight year and for the third straight season, had the best record in the league. Trinidad won the Island Division for the first time in franchise history at 95-67, earning their second playoff appearance in three years. In the wild card race, Costa Rica took the spot at 91-71, topping Haiti by two games. It is the first playoff berth for the Rays since 1957. Guatemala CF Wesley Dubar won his sixth Caribbean League MVP. The 28-year old Panamanian tied his and Timmy Ramirez’ own single-season RBI record of 154. Dubar also led in runs (131), triples (24), walks (74), total bases (425), OBP (.410), slugging (.730), OPS (1.151), wRC+ (199), and WAR (12.7), adding 53 home runs. He set personal bests in total bases, slugging, and OPS. Costa Rica third-year lefty Manuel Valdovinos won the Pitcher of the Year. The 24-year old Guatemalan was the ERA leader at 2.37, posting a 19-7 record, 254.1 innings, 288 strikeouts, 26 quality starts, and 6.3 WAR. Tijuana swept Guadalajara in the wild card round, while Costa Rica upset Trinidad 3-1. In a rematch of the 1969 Mexican League Championship Series, Mexico City defeated the Toros in six games. The Aztecs won their fifth straight ML title, joining 1950-54 Mexicali as the only teams to five-peat. This also gave Mexico City a record ten league titles. The Caribbean League Championship Series was a Guatemala sweep of Costa Rica, giving the Ghosts a three-peat and four titles in five years. For the fourth time in five years, the CABA Championship saw Mexico City against Guatemala. The Aztecs continued their dynasty and made it 4-0 over the Ghosts, sweeping them in the 1971 final. Veteran American CF Ewing Shearer was Finals MVP, who at age 39 had 11 hits, 5 runs, 2 home runs, and 8 RBI in 10 playoff games. Mexico City becomes the first team to three-peat as overall CABA champ. The Aztecs have four titles in five years and eight titles in franchise history. Other notes: Vicente Gutierrez became the second hitter in CABA to 700 career home runs. He’d play one more season and finish with 734, 19 short of Prometheo Garcia’s all-time mark. Gutierrez also became the 22^nd hitter to reach 2500 hits and the fifth to 1500 runs scored. 3B Juan Pena won a ninth Gold Glove and SS Ivan Marrero won his eighth. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

08-12-2023, 04:43 AM	#498
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,889	1971 in MLB The best record in the National Association belonged to St. Louis in 1971, extending their postseason streak to three years and giving the Cardinals seven playoff berths in nine years. St. Louis went 101-61 for their fourth Midwest League crown in that stretch. Columbus was second at 93-69, but the Chargers firmly got the first wild card. The 1969 NA champs are back in the postseason field after going .500 in 1970. Philadelphia won the Eastern League at 96-66 for back-to-back playoff berths. It is their first league title since 1959. Pittsburgh was second at 90-72 and got the second wild card, ending a three-year playoff skid for them. A huge group of teams were in the mix for the remaining two wild cards. Those spots ultimately went to Montreal and Minneapolis, both at 86-76. The Maples end a six-year playoff drought and the Moose end a two-year one. Right behind them were New York and Washington at 85-77, Louisville at 84-78, Brooklyn at 83-79, Ottawa at 82-80, and Buffalo at 81-81. Last year’s National Association champion Toronto was 78-84. Pittsburgh’s Connor Neumeyer picked up the MVP award. Picked 36^th by the Pirates in the 1969 MLB Draft, 1971 was Neumeyer’s first full season as a starter and the left-handed left fielder delivered. The Erie, PA native led the National Association in hits (219), total bases (383), batting average (.366), slugging (.640), OPS (1.060), wRC+ (212), and WAR (9.7), adding 37 home runs, 108 RBI, and 107 runs scored. In his MLB debut, 27-year old Italian star Ugo Musacci won the Pitcher of the Year with Hartford. Musacci had won four straight Pitcher of the Year awards with Malta of the European Baseball Federation and seamlessly carried his dominance to the Huskies on a seven-year, $2,104,000 contract. He led the National Association in WAR (10.6), strikeouts (315), innings pitched (280.2), quality starts (29), and K/BB (6.8), adding a 2.37 ERA and 17-9 record. The first round of the playoffs had Minneapolis defeat Pittsburgh in two games and Columbus top Montreal in three. The Moose upset St. Louis 3-1 in the second round, continuing the streak of early exits recently for the Cardinals. Philadelphia rolled to a sweep of the Chargers, earning their first National Association Championship Series appearance since 1960. Minneapolis had gotten there five times before, most recently in 1968, but their only title came all the way back in 1907. The Moose ended that 63 year drought, defeating the Phillies 4-2. Defending World Series champion New Orleans won the Southern League in back-to-back seasons, but had to fend off tough competition to do so. The Mudcats had a franchise-record 101-61 mark, holding off surges from Jacksonville and Atlanta. The Gators were one behind at 100-62, a strong improvement from the 77-win 1970 season, and ended a three-year playoff drought. The Aces were 97-65 and got the second wild card, giving the 1969 World Series champs a third consecutive playoff berth. After a surprising 74-88 mark in 1970, San Diego bounced back to take the Western League at 101-61. This gave the Seals seven playoff appearances over the last eight years. The remaining two wild cards came from the Western League with Oakland at 91-71 and Los Angeles at 90-72. Falling just short were Memphis (89-73), Albuquerque (88-74), Houston (87-75), and Phoenix (86-76). The Owls are back after a two-year layoff, while the Angels have the longest active playoff streak in MLB at four seasons. The most notable swing was San Antonio, who went from a 94-win wild card team in 1970 to a lousy 64-98 in 1971. Los Angeles 1B Edward Torres won back-to-back American Association MVPs. The 26-year old was the home run (56), RBI (147), and total bases (390) leader, adding 7.6 WAR and a 1.049 OPS. Veteran pitcher Julius Jordan won his first Pitcher of the Year. The 33-year old righty was in his fourth season with Houston, leading in strikeouts (294), innings pitched (292.2), K/BB (6.0), quality starts (26), complete games (24), FIP- (69), and WAR (9.0). He added a 2.61 ERA and 18-12 record. For Jordan, it is the fourth time in his career as the strikeout leader. The wild card round had Atlanta defeat Oakland 2-0 and Jacksonville drop Los Angeles 2-0. The league champs prevailed in round two as New Orleans swept the Gators and San Diego folded the Aces in four. The Mudcats were able to continue their fledgling dynasty, winning the American Association Championship Series in six games. They’re the first AACS back-to-back winner since the Seals did it in 1966-67. The 71^st World Series saw New Orleans earn back-to-back rings and their third in franchise history, having also won it all in 1935. The Mudcats downed Minneapolis 4-2, becoming the first back-to-back World Series winner since San Diego in 1955-56. CF Amro Adda was the World Series MVP, a 31-year old Egyptian who had played in EBF’s Rome in the prior decade. Historically a great fielder but iffy batter, Adda had 17 hits, 6 runs, 3 home runs, and 12 RBI in 15 playoff games for New Orleans. Other notes: Houston’s James Eisenhuth had the 13^th MLB Perfect Game on September 16, striking out six against Memphis. After seeing four thrown between 1965-71, it wouldn’t be until 1981 that we’d have another MLB perfecto. Catcher Gait Datsko won his eighth Silver Slugger. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

08-12-2023, 11:44 AM	#499
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,889	1972 MLB Hall of Fame Three first ballot selections were made for Major League Baseball’s 1972 Hall of Fame Class. The star was first baseman Martin Medina at 98.4%, followed by pitchers John Delaney and E.J. Perron at 82.6% and 78.8%, respectively. Two returners were above 60%, but short of the required 66% with RF Estefan Salinas at 62.0% on his eighth attempt and 1B Tiger Novak at 61.7% on his ninth. Three others were above 50% with closer Vicente Guerrero (57.6%, 4^th), catcher Gray Caraway (55.8%, 2^nd), and SP Abraham Reiner (55.1%, 5^th). Three players fell off the ballot after ten failed attempts. Closer Hunter Walsh peaked at 50.4% on his second attempt and ended at 39.3%. In 19 years with nine teams, he had 339 saves and 400 shutdowns, 2.70 ERA, 970 strikeouts, and 33.5 WAR. Solid, but no major accolades or dominance. 2B Matthew Verdey was dropped at a low of 21.2% after hovering generally in the 40-50% range. In 18 years with Hartford, Nashville, and Houston, the 2B had 2629 hits, 1593 runs, 468 doubles, 126 triples, 189 home runs, 974 RBI, 1005 walks, a .784 OPS, and 79.0 WAR. He had four Silver Sluggers, but also lacked the big accolades or the power numbers the voters like. Catcher Eric Barker peaked at 43.3%, but was down at 11.5% by the end. He had three Silver Sluggers and a 19-year career with four teams, posting 2088 hits, 1016 runs, 295 home runs, 1132 RBI, a .767 OPS, and 54.5 WAR. The general anti-catcher bias in the voting meant he never had a real chance without more awards. Also worth noting was SP Eduardo Muniz, who dropped below 5% on his eighth attempt. He had a 258-199 record, 3.63 ERA, 4232 innings, 2515 strikeouts, 224 complete games, and 63.0 WAR. Well tenured, but viewed as a compiler with little dominance and no accolades as well. Martin Medina – First Baseman – Tampa Thunderbirds – 98.4% First Ballot Martin Medina was a 6’3’’, 195 pound left-handed hitting first baseman from Panama City. He is the third Panamanian MLB Hall of Famer and has the very unique dual-nationality with Tokelau, a tiny obscure Pacific island nation of around only 1,500 people. With the bat, Medina was considered good to great at all phases of the game. He was an excellent contact hitter with very strong power, he was very solid at drawing walks and great at avoiding strikeouts. Medina’s one offensive flaw was a lack of baserunning speed, although he was still a smart enough player to make the most of what he had. Medina was a career first baseman and generally viewed as an average to slightly below average defender. He was incredibly durable and viewed as an ironman, playing 140+ games in all 18 years of his pro career. Medina left Panama as a teenager and came to America, playing college baseball at Clemson. As a foreign born player, he wasn’t eligible until the fourth round of the MLB Draft due to regional restrictions, but teams took notice of his potential. In the 1947 Draft, he was picked 11^th in the fourth round, 162^nd overall, by Buffalo. Medina ultimately didn’t sign with the Blue Sox and played his senior year with the Tigers. In 198 college games, he had 252 hits, 117 runs, 50 home runs, 164 RBI, and 11.6 WAR. His name came up again in the 1948 MLB Draft and he went to Tampa, grabbed with the 159^th overall selection. Medina immediately slotted into the starting lineup, finishing second in Rookie of the Year voting. Medina was good in his first two years, but then became great in year three with his first Silver Slugger and a second place MVP finish. Moved to designated hitter in 1952 and 1953, he won MVP and Silver Sluggers in both seasons, posting a career-best 54 home runs and 123 runs in 1952, and a career-best 1.069 OPS and 223 hits in 1953. Medina would win his third MVP in 1957 and fourth in 1958, while taking third in 1954. He won nine consecutive Silver Sluggers from 1951-59, an incredibly difficult task considering the quality of bat found at 1B and DH. Medina also stayed true to his Panamanian roots, playing for Panama in the World Baseball Championship from 1950-67. In 143 games, he had 165 hits, 105 runs, 61 home runs, 126 RBI, a .327/.431/.715 slash and 10.2 WAR. He was third in WBC MVP voting in 1953 with a 1.708 OPS in 11 games. With Tampa, Medina led the National Association in total bases four times, homers and RBI twice, OBP five times, slugging three times, OPS four times, wRC+ three times, and WAR twice. The Thunderbirds were a bottom-rung franchise for most of his run, although they did finally make playoff appearances in 1957 and 1958, falling in the 1957 AACS to Vancouver. Medina arguably had Hall of Fame numbers just in his 11 years in Tampa, posting 2162 hits, 1150 runs, 318 doubles, 449 home runs, 1302 RBI, a .334/.407/.599 slash and 76.1 WAR. His #3 uniform would be retired by the Thunderbirds and he’d remain an incredible popular player with fans of the franchise. Medina was very popular throughout the league and decided to try free agency for the 1960 season at age 33. Oakland was the buyer with a five-year, $640,000 contract. Medina didn’t win any awards with the Owls and saw his power numbers decline a bit, but he still was a very solid starter for five years, putting up 855 hits, 158 home runs, 489 RBI, 508 runs, and 23.2 WAR. Oakland made the playoffs twice but had early playoff exits both years, keeping Medina from ever getting to the World Series. With the Owls, Medina crossed 3000 career hits and 600 home runs His contract came up for 1966 and he signed at age 38 with Jacksonville. He had a great 1965 and a bit of a resurgence, but dropped off with a career-worst 1966. Medina wanted to stick around if nothing else than to get to 2000 career RBI, but no one signed him in 1967 and he retired at age 40. Medina’s final stats: 3339 hits, 1850 runs, 486 doubles, 660 home runs, 1972 RBI, 1301 walks, a .319/.395/.565 slash, wRC+ of 155 and 107.1 WAR. At retirement, he was fifth all-time in both home runs and RBI, 12^th in hits, and seventh in runs scored. Medina was also 11^th in hitting WAR and as of 2037 is 34^th all-time. He was undoubtedly one of the premiere sluggers of his era and an obvious slam dunk first ballot choice at 98.4%. John Delaney – Starting Pitcher – Brooklyn Dodgers – 82.6% First Ballot John Delaney was a 5’7’’, 160 pound right-handed pitcher from Elkton, Maryland; a town of around 15,000 people in the Delaware Valley. He was known for having remarkable movement on his pitches, ranked 10/10 for most of his career. Delaney’s velocity peaked at 97-99 mph with a three pitch arsenal of a curveball, changeup, and sinker. He had an extreme groundball tendency with solid stuff and average to above average control. Delaney was viewed as fairly durable with solid stamina in his earlier years. Delaney attended Miami University in Ohio for college and had a no-hitter his freshman year against Louisville. In three college seasons, he had a 1.92 ERA in 38 starts with a 21-9 record, 290 innings, 301 strikeouts, and 11.5 WAR. Naturally, this made him a highly sought after prospect and he ended up picked sixth overall by Brooklyn in the 1951 MLB Draft. Delaney ultimately spent his entire professional career as a Dodger. In his rookie season, he was split between starting and the bullpen. He became a full-time starter when healthy from year two onward. After a very solid second season, Delaney emerged as a true ace in his third and fourth seasons, leading the National Association in WAR for both with 9.3 and 9.7. In part hurt by the Dodgers being below average, he finished third and fourth in Pitcher of the Year voting these seasons. Delaney also made appearances in the 1953, 54, and 55 World Baseball Championships for the United States. Primarily as a reliever, he had a 1.19 ERA in 22.2 innings with 39 strikeouts. He earned a world championship ring with the 1955 squad. In 1957, he won Pitcher of the Year by leading in ERA at 2.21 and wins at 21-7. Delaney improved his ERA to a career-best 1.90 in 1958, winning another Pitcher of the Year and taking third in MVP voting. In 1959, he made it three straight with the individual highlight being a no-hitter on September 15 against Baltimore with 10 strikeouts and two walks. He led the National Association in quality starts five times in this stretch. Brooklyn put together some playoff success with four straight berths from 1958-61. In 1958, they made it to the World Series and got to the NACS in 1961. In 10 playoff starts, Delaney had a 1.92 ERA, 5-2 record, 75 innings, 48 strikeouts, and 1.3 WAR. Delaney got a huge seven-year, $1,036,00 starting with the 1960 season. The Dodgers dropped into mediocrity after the 1961 season. Delaney’s first notable setback with elbow tendinitis putting him out five weeks, although his 1962 was still solid. His production dropped off noticeably after that with only slightly above average numbers, plus a few missed starts from injury. In September 1964, he required radial nerve decompression surgery in his elbow. This put him out part of 1965 and he struggled in his return. Delaney bounced back with a respectable league-average 1966, but he decided it was time to call it, retiring at age 35. Brooklyn would retire his #1 jersey that winter. Delaney’s final stats: 215-162 record, 2.79 ERA, 3499.1 innings, 2604 strikeouts to 970 walks, 330/461 quality starts, FIP- of 76 and 90.1 WAR. Despite winning three Pitcher of the Year awards, he had a somewhat quiet career being on a weaker Dodger squad and being a much lower strikeout guy than the average Hall of Famer. His credentials were still plenty impressive to get a first ballot nod at 82.6%. E.J. Perron – Starting Pitcher – Calgary Cheetahs – 78.8% First Ballot E.J. Perron was a 5’9’’, 175 pound left-handed starting pitcher from North Vancouver, British Columbia. Despite his smaller frame, Perron was a fireballer with peak velocity at 99-101 mph and filthy stuff. His main pitch was an incredible cutter, balanced with a solid curveball and changeup. Perron’s movement was generally rated as above average with his control being considered middling, but his stuff was generally strong enough to overcome that weakness. Perron also had very solid stamina and defensive skills and was considered reliable and durable in his 20s. Perron went to the University of Iowa for college and in three years as a Hawkeye, had a 2.74 ERA over 289 innings with 295 strikeouts, a 19-13 record, and 10.1 WAR. He was picked 13^th overall by Calgary in the 1951 MLB Draft and spent nearly his full pro career with the Cheeaths. He was split between the rotation and bullpen as a rookie, then was a full-time starter starting his second year. Year two was arguably the best of his career, as at age 21, he led the American Association in ERA at 2.49, posting 8.9 WAR and 10 shutouts. This earned him second place in Pitcher of the Year voting and he took third the following year when he led the AA in wins at 25-7. He was still very good, but not in the award conversations or at the top of the leaderboards the next few years, perhaps also overlooked with Calgary struggling in the 1950s. Perron did become a popular player within all of Canada though with a stellar run in the 1954 World Baseball Championship, helping them to the title with a 1.98 ERA and 2.1 WAR in 36.1 innings. He played for the Canadian team from 1954-61 and posted a 13-2 record with a 2.34 ERA over 138.1 innings, 218 strikeouts, and 6.0 WAR. In 1961, a 29-year old Perron picked up his lone Pitcher of the Year award, leading in wins at 24-6 and complete games with 20. The Cheetahs made the playoffs from 1961-63, but never made it out of the second round. Perron had a 2.01 ERA in 40.1 playoff innings for Calgary. 1963 saw his first major injury setback with elbow inflammation putting him out seven weeks. Perron wasn’t the same after that, struggling mightily in 1964. The 33-year old Perron was healthy in 1965, but was a spot starter that even saw time in the minors. The Cheetahs opted to cut him that August, although they’d still honor him soon after by retiring his #24 uniform. Perron signed with San Diego in 1966 but was only used 14.2 innings, notably including one complete shutout. He pitched 0.2 innings in the postseason in relief and earned a World Series ring with the Seals. No longer able to hang as a full-time pro, Perron retired at age 35. Perron’s final stats: 219-138 record, 3.43 ERA, 3303 innings, 3049 strikeouts, 1182 walks, 245/413 quality starts, 197 complete games, and 79.2 WAR. Considering how quickly he fell off after his age 31 season, it’s impressive he accumulated the totals he did, even if they’re lower than a lot of other MLB Hall of Famers. The voters felt his resume was worthy and surprised some doubters by giving Perron the first ballot nod at 78.8%. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)

08-12-2023, 04:55 PM	#500
FuzzyRussianHat Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2020 Posts: 2,889	1972 CABA Hall of Fame The 1972 ballot for the Central American Baseball Association Hall of Fame was an uncharacteristically small group with only five first-time players eligible and only one of those getting above 3%. This left an opening for those returning to the ballot to maybe get a bump in aided by weaker competition. That worked ultimately for two players who both barely crossed the 66% mark to earn induction. 1B Salvador Islas on his eighth ballot got 67.6% and SP Mario Guerrero on his sixth go had 66.7%. Two players finished with 53.6%, 3B Diego Sierra on his third ballot and SP Danny Ledo on his eighth. No players were on their tenth ballot in the 1972 group. Salvador Islas – First Baseman – Hermosillo Hyenas – 67.6% Eighth Ballot Salvador Islas was a 6’0’’, 200 pound left-handed hitting first baseman from Huejutla, a city of around 115,000 in the central-eastern Mexican state of Hidalgo. At as batter, Islas was known for having a terrific eye, leading the league in walks seven times in his career. He was respectable at avoiding strikeouts, but was an average to below average contact hitter. When Islas made contract, he had a solid pop in his bat, averaging around 25-30 home runs and around 30-40 doubles/triples per season. He had average speed and was a career first baseman. Islas was considered the premiere defender at the position in his career, winning a then position-record 11 Gold Gloves. He was well known, but polarizing for being a very outspoken player. Islas was a top prospect coming out of the amateur ranks and was picked fifth overall in the 1942 CABA Draft by Merida. He was a bench player in his first two seasons and a part-time starter in year three, finally earning the full-time gig in 1946. That season was his most impressive offensively from a power standpoint with career highs in home runs (44) and RBI (100), earning him a third place finish in MVP voting. It would be his only time as a finalist and he’d never win a Silver Slugger. As mentioned, he was an elite defender, winning Gold Gloves from 1945-55 and in 1958. Islas also played 71 games for Mexico in the World Baseball Championship from 1947-58, although he made only 18 starts. He posted 21 hits, 23 runs, 16 home runs, and 27 RBI. His only opportunity in the playoffs for his whole career was 1946 with the Mean Green, who fell in the Mexican League Championship Series to Chihuahua. Islas played five years with Merida, posting 433 hits, 246 runs, 111 home runs, 259 RBI, and 19.4 WAR. The Mean Green traded the now 28-year old Islas before the 1948 season to Hermosillo for Hall of Fame pitcher Miguel Martinez and outfielder Manuel Figueroa. This began his longest tenured and most memorable run. The Hyenas won the 1947 CABA Championship, but never made the playoffs in Islas’ tenure, being generally competitive but just shy of the division crown. He ultimately played seven years in Hermosillo with solid production throughout, posting three 7+ WAR seasons. He led the league in runs with 116 in 1948 and led in walks drawn six times. In total, Islas had 1001 hits, 625 runs, 153 doubles, 112 triples, 206 home runs, 552 RBI, a .263/.360/.524 slash line and 43.3 WAR. Islas opted for free agency at age 35 and signed a four-year, $214,800 deal with Havana for the 1955 season. The Hurricanes were competitive, but again not quite good enough to make the playoffs in his run. After a strong debut, aging and injuries saw his production decline. In four years, he had 498 hits, 317 runs, 91 home runs, and 15.1 WAR. Islas became a free agent again at age 39 and signed back with Hermosillo as a bench player for his final season of 1959. Islas’ final stats: 1932 hits, 1188 runs, 294 doubles, 226 triples, 408 home runs, 1114 RBI, 1090 walks, a .259/.353/.523 slash, 158 wRC+ and 77.8 WAR. Some of the advanced stats were favorable, but he was low on some of the sexier stats, like being short of 2000 hits. Walking a lot and great defense don’t tend to get you much attention and as such, Islas seemed like a long shot for the Hall of Fame. He debuted at only 40.7% and was as low as 34.8%, but he bumped up into the 50-55% range on ballots four through seven. With a very small group and voters loath to leave their ballot blank, Islas got enough of a boost on the eighth try to just cross the line at 67.6%. Mario Guerrero – Starting Pitcher – Honduras Horsemen – 66.7% Sixth Ballot Mario Guerrero was a 5’10’’, 180 pound right-handed pitcher from Barillas, a small Guatemalan town of around 17,000 people. Guerrero had solid stuff and movement with a peak velocity of 95-97 mph, boasting a three-pitch arsenal of a slider, changeup, and cutter. His control was considered below average and he could get into trouble with walks. Guerrero had solid stamina and was generally viewed as quite durable and reliable. He was also a team captain and considered a great clubhouse leader. Guerrero emerged a promising prospect in continental Central America and was picked fourth overall by Honduras in the 1947 CABA Draft. His entire pro career was with the Horsemen, although he’d make 32 appearances for his native Guatemala in the World Baseball Championship. From 1948-60 in the tournament, he had a 3.65 ERA over 150.1 innings with 165 strikeouts and 2.6 WAR. He was a full-time starter immediately for the then-struggling Honduras franchise, but he was considered average at best in his first three seasons. Still, he was third in Rookie of the Year voting purely on innings. 1951 was his first notable year, leading the league in innings pitched, quality starts, and complete games, earning a third place in Pitcher of the Year voting. Guerrero was third again in 1953, leading again in innings and this time in wins. Honduras had emerged as a contender by 1953 and would make the playoffs in seven of Guerrero’s nine remaining seasons. They were the Caribbean League champion in 1953, 1958, and 1959; and took the overall CABA title in 1958. In 15 playoff starts, Guerrero had a 7-5 record, 2.87 ERA, 113 innings, 107 strikeouts, and 1.9 WAR. 1954 would be his finest season with his lone Pitcher of the Year, leading in ERA (1.86) and wins (26-3) and adding a career-best 6.1 WAR. The season featured a no-hitter with five strikeouts and four walks against Panama on August 13. He even finished third that year in MVP voting. This would be Guerrero’s last time in any sort of award or league-leading conversations. He had okay 1955 and 1956 seasons, then struggled in parts of 1957, getting demoted for a time to the bullpen. He was back in the rotation the next two years and provided innings, but with middling production. After great durability, Guerrero suffered a torn rotator cuff late in the 1960 season, putting him out almost a full calendar year. He made four starts in late 1961 in a return attempt, but opted to retire after that season at age 36. Guerrero’s final stats: 193-161, 3.39 ERA, 3389.1 innings, 2805 strikeouts to 975 walks, 262/429 quality starts, 129 complete games, an FIP- of 98 and 47.0 WAR. Honduras retired his #28 uniform as well. Advanced stats placed him as only slightly above average for his career and among CABA starters, his totals are well near or at the bottom of the leaderboards. He started at 34.1% on his first ballot, but slowly climbed up to 55.5% by his fifth try. Guerrero was a benefactor of the weak and small 1972 group, getting just across the line on his sixth attempt at 66.7%. He’s not the first pitcher anyone thinks of in the Hall, but staying one a single team and helping in their 1950s playoff success was enough to get Guerrero in. __________________ Baseball: The World's Game fictional world reports Continental Baseball Federation world reports (8-tier promotion/relegation sim and college feeder)