Baseball: The World's Game

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The Oceania Baseball Association was still a good distance from adding its first Hall of Fame members. Multiple-time Gold Glove shortstop Fineasi Hausia debuted with 33.9%, the highest percentage so far. Reliever Neemia Tala-apitaga was at 33.1% in his second go, but still a long way from the 66% requirement.

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The 28^th World Baseball Championship was the second one to be held in the Brazil with Rio de Janeiro playing host. The prior Brazilian WBC was hosted by Sao Paulo back in 1949. The defending champ United States cruised to 7-0 in Division 1, sending them to the elite eight for the 25^th time. China extended its division title streak to five years by taking D2 at 6-1, one ahead of both Haiti and Venezuela. That’s the longest such streak by any team other than the Americans all-time. A tight Division 3 saw France and South Korea both at 5-2 with Bolivia and Poland at 4-3. The French advanced on the tiebreaker over the defending runner-up. It was only France’s third division win and first since 1967. In D4, the Czech Republic was first at 6-1, one ahead of Greece. It is the second-ever division title for the Czechs, who finished fourth overall in 1960.

Canada crushed the competition in Division 5 at 7-0, moving them forward for the 20^th time. Division 6 had Mexico and the Dominican Republic tied for first at 5-2, while Australia and Ireland were 4-3. The DR got the tiebreaker for their second-ever elite eight berth, joining 1948’s fourth place finish. D7 had a three-way tie for first between Guatemala, Honduras, and the Philippines at 5-2, while both Indonesia and Portugal were 4-3. The Filipinos got the tiebreaker for back-to-back division wins and their fifth in total. D8 was also tight with Brazil and Puerto Rico tying at 5-2, while North Korea, Panama, and Russia were each 4-3. The Brazilians got the tiebreaker to move forward for the 14^th time, third most behind only the US and Canada.

The Americans dominated Round Robin Group A at 6-0, while France advanced at 4-2 with both Brazil and Czechia at 1-5. The US moves to the final four for the 24^th time, while France only did it once before in 1963. In Group B, China took first at 5-1, advancing with the 3-3 Philippines. Canada and the Dominican Republic were both 2-4. It is the fifth semifinal berth for the Chinese and fourth in five years, while it is the third for the Filipinos with back-to-back berths. In the best-of-seven semifinals, the United States clobbered the Philippines with a sweep, while China rolled France 4-1. France officially was third, their best-ever finish, while the Filipinos were fourth for back-to-back years, matching their best.



The 28^th World Championship was a rematch of the 1971 final which the Americans took in five games over China. The US made it four straight titles by sweeping the Chinese, giving the Americans 18 world titles. China is now 1-2 in their finals appearances. Despite their dominance, this is the US’s first four-peat.



1B Edward Torres won back-to-back Tournament MVPs, joining Adam Lewis as the only two-time winners. The 29-year old slugger for Los Angeles had 25 hits, 23 runs, 9 home runs, and 17 RBI with a .342 average. China’s Yi Li earned Best Pitcher. A 36-year old closer that has bounced around in his CLB career, he tossed 11 scoreless innings with 15 strikeouts.

Below are the updated tournament stats. With their 1970s success, China has now jumped into seventh in total points, passing Colombia.

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The Chinese Northern League saw two first-time playoff teams in the 1974 campaign. Dalian took the first place spot with an impressive jump from 64 wins only two years prior as the Golden Dragons finished at 97-65. Xi’An finished second at 95-67, taking the second playoff spot by one game over Jinan, two over Tianjin, and by five over last year’s first place squad Nanjing. It was tough for the Jumbos, who finished third for back-to-back years. CLB runner-up Harbin dropped to 81-81, placing seventh.

Leading Dalian’s charge was league MVP Hao Lan. The third-year left fielder exploded with the league lead in WAR (12.3), home runs (51), RBI (124), runs scored (114), total bases (381), slugging (.670), OPS (1.053), and wRC+ (229). He became the first CLB hitter to have a 12+ WAR season. 114 runs tied the current CLB single-season record and 124 RBI was one short of the top mark.

Xi’An’s’ Guichao Li won back-to-back Pitcher of the Year awards. The 25-year old lefty had a league best 1.05 ERA and 0.66 WHIP over 188 innings with 250 strikeouts and 9.2 WAR. This also set a single-season ERA record, although it would get topped next year. Li’s lower inning count was due to shoulder inflammation knocking him out all of August and much of September, although critically he was back for the playoffs.



Incredible pitching pushed Wuhan to the Southern League crown easily at 111-51, their second title joining the inaugural 1970 season. On top of setting a SL wins record, they allowed only 926 hits with a 0.779 WHIP for the season, both marks still standing as all-time CLB bests as of 2037. Guangzhou was able to extend their postseason streak to four years by taking second at 97-65. Defending Chinese champ Dongguan missed out with a third place 91-71 finish.

Shenzhen RF Nyo Sar Htet had a record-setting debut season, signing at age 28 out of an independent league in the offseason. He took Southern League MVP and Rookie of the Year with a record 59 home run season. This would stand as the top mark in Chinese League Baseball until 2011. There wouldn’t be another 50+ season in China until 1995. He also had a league-best 124 RBI, 109 runs, 383 total bases, .352 OBP, .673 slugging, 1.025 OPS, and 245 wRC+, adding 9.6 WAR.

Leading the pitching effort for Wuhan was 29-year old Lian Chen, winner of Pitcher of the Year. The 29-year old righty was the ERA leader (1.38) and wins leader (22-5) with 8.3 WAR, 247.2 innings, and 231 strikeouts. He managed to finish ahead of Shenzhen’s Zhiyuan Lai, who had a blistering 13.0 WAR season with a league-best 366 strikeouts; a then league record. Also of note was Wolverine closer Encai Xing winning his second Reliever of the Year with 57 saves, 0.82 ERA, 181 strikeouts in 98.1 innings, and 7.5 WAR. 57 saves remains the CLB single-season record as of 2037 and would be tied for the world record in any league until 2010.

Despite Wuhan’s record-setting season, they’d be upset in the semifinal series 4-2 by Xi’An. Guangzhou would upset Dalian as well 4-1, sending both second place finishers to the China Series. It was the first berth for the Attack and the second for the Gamecocks, who won it all in 1971.



The China Series was incredibly dramatic, needing all seven games to decide it. Game seven was a 13-inning battle ultimately won by Xi’An over Guangzhou. Leading the Attack to their first title was CF Zhichao Liu, who had 15 hits, 10 runs, 3 doubles, 5 home runs, and 11 RBI in 13 playoff starts.



Other notes: Tianjin as a team hit 249 doubles, which would stand as the Northern League record until 2034. Guangzhou’s Su-Bin Mar threw China’s fourth Perfect Game on July 9, striking out six against Shenzhen. 1B Shenchao An and RF Ruilong Yuan are the only players to win Gold Gloves in each of CLB’s first five seasons. Ling Zheng is the only five-time Silver Slugger winner, winning his first four at shortstop by taking it in 1974 at third base.

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Defending Austronesia Champion Kaohsiung won the Taiwan League for back-to-back seasons, easily taking the title and the best record in APB at 102-60. In the Philippine League, Zamboanga edged Davao in a tight battle with the Zebras at 95-67 and the Devil Rays at 94-68. This gives Zamboanga their second league title (1971). Last year’s winner Cebu was third place at 89-73.

Steelheads RF Chun-Chia Lan won his first Taiwan-Philippine Association at only age 23. Lan was the TPA leader in runs (97), total bses (344), slugging (.585), OPS (.923), and wRC+ (194), adding 8.6 WAR and 38 home runs.

Meanwhile, Kun-Sheng Lin won his historic sixth straight Pitcher of the Year. The 28-year old started the season with Tainan, but was traded straight up in June to Manila for 1973 second overall draft pick 2B Max Diama. In total between the two teams, Lin had a league-best 406 strikeouts, 12.7 WAR, 291.1 innings, and FIP- of 42. It would ultimately be his final APB season with Lin leaving for Major League Baseball and Phoenix in 1975, a stint ultimately limited by injuries. Lin put himself into the conversation as possibly APB’s pitching GOAT in just seven incredible seasons with 102.1 WAR, 1.63 ERA, 2033 innings and 3073 strikeouts. As of 2037, he has five of the top eight APB pitching WAR seasons.



For the first time since taking APB champ honors in 1967, Bandung was atop the Sundaland Association’s Java League. The Blackhawks were 92-70, four better than Jakarta and five ahead of defending champ Surabaya. In the Malacca League, Palembang earned its first-ever playoff berth at 85-77. Two-time defending association champ Batam fell to a fourth place 71-91. With the Panthers’ playoff berth, that leaves only Singapore and Quezon without a single APB playoff appearance through the first decade.

Palembang’s Abracham Gumelar became the Sundaland Association’s first three-time MVP, having also won in 1970 and 1969. The 27-year old LF led in runs (81), home runs (39), RBI (95), total bases (306), slugging (.559), OPS (.923), wRC+ (217), and WAR (8.7). Semarang’s Sahid Fakhruddin won back-to-back Pitcher of the Year honors with the 24-year old left leading in strikeouts (377), and WHIP (0.76). He had a 1.56 ERA, 19-7 record, and 9.3 WAR over 259.2 innings.

In the Taiwan-Philippine Association Championship, Kaohsiung earned back-to-back titles by besting Zamboanga in six games. The Steelheads become the second TPA team to win back-to-back titles, joining 1965-66 Taichung. Palembang upset Bandung 4-2 in the Sundaland Association final to give the Panthers their first title.



Palembang wouldn’t hold up against Kaohsiung, who claimed the Austronesia Championship in five games. 1B Po-Yu Shao won finals MVP with the 28-year old lefty posting 9 hits, 7 runs, 4 home runs, and 8 RBI in 11 playoff games. The Steelheads are back-to-back APB champs, joining 1969-70 Jakarta as the only repeat champs in APB’s first decade.



Other notes: Taipei hit rock bottom at 43-119 despite being APB champ only seven years earlier. The 43-119 mark holds as APB’s worst season as of 2037. Kaohsiung’s Chun-Kai Fan threw APB’s fifth Perfect Game, striking out 11 on May 26 against Taipei. Pitchers Hendrick John and Lutfi Irianto became the second and third to 2500 career strikeouts. SS Hadi Yahya won his seventh Silver Slugger.

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For the first time since 1966, Adelaide finished first in the OBA Australasia League. It is the fourth title for the Aardvarks, who took the top spot at 96-66, five games better than Brisbane. Gold Coast, who took the title the prior three seasons, finished third at 89-73 and ultimately saw the end of their dynasty run with no additional playoff berths in the 1970s.

Adelaide’s Jimmy Caliw won his sixth consecutive MVP with another remarkable season. The 28-year old second baseman was the WARlord at 11.6 and led in runs (90) and RBI (85). He added his seventh Gold Glove in seven full seasons.

Pitcher of the Year went to Brisbane’s Nathaniel Doloran for the third time. The 27-year old lefty posted the fourth OBA Triple Crown season for a pitcher and set a world record with 30 wins, going 30-6. This would still be tied for the top mark worldwide as of 2037 with two other OBA pitchers (also aided by the league’s four-man rotation reaching the mark.) Doloran also led in strikeouts for the fifth straight year and set the new single-season record of 486, also leading with 1.55 ERA, 337 innings, 31 quality starts, 23 complete games, and 13.8 WAR.



Tahiti earned its third Pacific League title, having also taken it in 1965 and 1971. The Tropics finished 100-62, eight games ahead of defending Oceania Champion Samoa. Tahiti’s pitching staff had a historic season with a 1.95 ERA and 333 earned runs allowed; both of which remain OBA all-time records as of 2037. The Sun Sox notably had 1796 strikeouts as a pitching staff, which also stands as a top mark all-time. Tahiti allowed 395 total runs, which would only get topped twice.

The Tropics also had offensive firepower with 3B Ieremia Tenakanai winning his second league MVP. The 30-year old Papuan righty had the third OBA hitting Triple Crown with 44 home runs, 125 RBI, and a .299/.343/.573 slash line. He also led in WAR (8.2), total bases (345), OPS (.916), and wRC+ (197). Tahiti’s Dean Kysel was Pitcher of the Year in his sixth season with the New Zealander leading in innings (34), quality starts (35), complete games (20) and wins (21-13), adding a 2.06 ERA, 351 strikeouts, and 6.9 WAR.

The Tropics also saw the first three-time Reliever of the Year winner in Hakki Polat, who did it with three different OBA teams and led in saves each year. The Turkish closer opted to retire after this season at only age 36 with one of the most unusual careers in baseball history. Polat won Reliever of the Year four times in the EBF, three times in MLB, and three times in OBA, making him a contender for the all-time greatest reliever as no one else comes close to 10 top awards. He wasn’t anywhere long enough to get Hall of Fame traction, but Polat’s career is certainly one worthy of acknowledgement. His 98-100 mph slider/cutter combo was untouchable in his peak.



The 15^th Oceania Championship was highly anticipated and ultimately lived up to the hype with the series going seven games for back-to-back editions. Adelaide edged Tahiti for the title, giving the Aardvarks three rings (1962, 1964, 1974). Only Guadalcanal also has three rings thus far. 1B Geoff Rourke was finals MVP with 8 hits, 3 runs, 3 home runs, and 5 RBI in the series.





Other notes: Sakeo Rasalato reached 3500 career strikeouts, the first to do so in OBA. Hugo Georgakopoulou became the second to 3000K. Sione Hala became the first batter to 1000 career RBI. LF Martin Topio became the first OBA player to win 10 Gold Gloves. DH Alapati Tatupu won his eighth Silver Slugger, his prior seven were in left field.

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Defending EPB European League champ Kharkiv had the best record in the league and cruised to the South Division title at 105-57. This was a franchise-best record for the Killer Bees, who earned a fourth playoff berth in five years. The North Division was far more competitive with both wild cards coming out of there. Minsk took first for the fifth straight season and earned a seventh consecutive playoff berth at 98-64. Moscow was one back at 97-65 to get their fourth playoff spot in five years. The last spot went to St. Petersburg at 94-68, who were three better than Kazan and six ahead of Warsaw and Budapest. The Polar Bears are back in the playoff field for the first time since their 1971 Soviet Series win.

Helsinki was an unremarkable team in 1974, but their RF Rainers Kirss won the European League MVP. Last year’s Rookie of the Year winner, the left-handed Latvian was the WARlord at 10.4 and led in OBP (.380), slugging (.603), OPS (.982), and wRC+ (197). This would be his only MVP and he’d get shockingly low Hall of Fame traction despite eventually putting up 83.1 WAR. St. Petersburg lefty Georgi Egorov earned the Pitcher of the Year. The 29-year old lefty didn’t lead in any stats, but had a solid 7.5 WAR season with 296 innings, 324 strikeouts, a 2.01 ERA, and 18-14 record.

Kharkiv topped St. Petersburg in four games while Moscow upset Minsk with a road sweep in the first round of the playoffs. The European League Championship Series saw the fourth appearance for the Mules and the third for the Killer Bees, who were looking for back-to-back titles. The series went all seven games with the road team winning each game. This favored Moscow, earning their second-ever league title (1967).



The EPB Asian League’s best record was Krasnoyarsk at 100-62, winning the North Division for their first playoff berth since 1959. Three-time defending league champ and two-time defending Soviet Series champ Almaty was on top of the South Division at 92-70. Tbilisi was second at 88-74 and got the first wild card for their third straight playoff berth. The remaining wild card had a very tight race with Yerevan, Ulaanbaatar, and Irkutsk each at 87-75m while both Chelyabinsk and Tashkent were 85-77. Two tiebreaker games were needed to decide the wild card. The Ice Cats won the first game over the Valiants, but were defeated by the Boars to send Ulaanbaatar forward. This gave the Boars their fourth playoff berth and first since 1970.

Leading Krasnoyarsk to the best record in the Asian League was MVP RF Aleksei Winchi. The 29-year old St. Petersburg native was the leader in RBI (115), average (.321), and slugging (.569), adding 8.3 WAR and 35 home runs. After a decade with the Cossacks, he’d leave for free agency and sign a big seven-year, $2,458,000 deal with Bishkek on the offseason. Yerevan’s Seitzhan Svechnikov won Pitcher of the Year. The 29-year old Uzbek lefty had the sixth best season in EPB by pitching WAR to date with 12.9, also leading with 414 strikeouts and 44 FIP-. He had a 2.12 ERA and 19-12 record in 296.2 innings.

Krasnoyarsk downed Ulaanbaatar 3-1 in the first round, while Almaty survived a five game battle with Tbilisi. The Asian League Championship Series saw the Assassins going for the four-peat, while the Cossacks had only been their once prior, winning in 1959. The series went the distance with Krasnoyarsk taking the crown in seven games.



The 20^th Soviet Series had two teams that had been in the final once before, but neither had taken the overall crown. It was only the third time the final featured two Russian teams (Kazan vs Irkutsk in 1961, Kazan vs Yekaterinburg in 1968). This time, Russia’s capital claimed Eurasian Professional Baseball champion honors as Moscow won the series in five games over Krasnoyarsk. Two-way star Havlik Hloznik was both finals MVP and ELCS MVP with the 33-year old Slovak having joined the Mules in 1972. On the mound in the postseason, he had an excellent 1.23 ERA and 4-1 record over 36.2 innings with 51 strikeouts. At the plate, he added 10 hits, 4 runs, and 0.5 WAR.



Other notes: The 15^th EPB Perfect Game came on May 16 courtesy of Kharkiv’s Wlodzimierz Brozek. He struck out 14 in a perfect effort against Vilnius, which set a record for most Ks in an EPB perfecto. Kazan pitcher Roman Shuranov was a statistical oddity with the 24-year old righty posting a wild 20.6 K/BB on 268 strikeouts and only 13 walks. A torn labrum the next season sadly ended his career at age 25. Kharkiv’s Leonid Kharin had a 30-game hit streak, tying the EPB record set in 1958 by Sergei Mammedov. This remained the top EPB hit streak until 1980.

Alvi Tahiri got to 5500 career strikeouts, a mark only one other player would later reach. Bataar Baatarkhuu and Nikita Titov both got to 4000, making it eight players to have reached the mark. RF German Daugelo got his 14^th and final Gold Glove. He remained the only player with that many in EPB until 2024. Cather Samir Allahverdiyev won his tenth Silver Slugger, more than any other player at any position to date in EPB.

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Rotterdam rolled to the best record in the entire European Baseball Federation in 1974 at 106-56. The Ravens won the Northwest Division and earned an eighth consecutive playoff berth. Paris (89-73) and Luxembourg (86-76) were distant concerns and both ultimately shy in the wild card hunt. After missing the field the last two years, Dublin narrowly won the British Isles Division at 93-69. Birmingham was one back at 92-70 and took the wild card in an impressive turnaround from an abysmal 67 wins the prior year. Defending European Champion London was a non-factor at 75-87. The North Central Division needed a tiebreaker game with Stockholm and Oslo both 87-94, two better than Hamburg. The Swordsmen prevailed in the playoff game to snap a nine-year playoff drought and deny the Octopi back-to-back berths.

Northern Conference MVP went to 1B Alex Zonneveld, who had signed that offseason with Rotterdam after a decade with Luxembourg. The 33-year old Dutch left was the leader in runs (110), triples (26), total bases (358), slugging (.597), OPS (.973), and wRC+ (192), adding 8.5 WAR and 29 home runs. Third year lefty Eloi Bousquet of Hamburg won the Pitcher of the Year. He led in wins at 24-9, innings pitched at 288.2, and complete games with 15, adding 6.8 WAR, 254 strikeouts, and a 2.00 ERA.

In the first round of the playoffs, Rotterdam defeated Stockholm 3-1 and Birmingham upset Dublin in four. This set up a rematch of the 1972 Northern Conference Championship. The series went all seven games with the underdog Bees upsetting the Ravens, giving Birmingham its first-ever conference title.



The Southern Conference had two teams with triple-digit wins, both in the Southeast Division. Belgrade ended a nine-year playoff drought by finishing 102-60, while last year’s division champ and conference runner-up Zagreb finished 100-62 for the wild card. Vienna, who had a record nine-year playoff streak with five conference titles in that stretch, faded into irrelevancy at 73-89. Madrid and Barcelona battled for the Southwest Division crown with the Conquistadors narrowly taking it at 92-70, one ahead of the Bengals. This gives Madrid a third playoff berth in four years. Zurich claimed back-to-back South Central Division titles at 87-75, six games ahead of second place Milan.

Belgrade shortstop Chrstophoros Zarkadis won the MVP in his fourth season. Nicknamed “Iron Horse,” the 25-year old Greek was the WARlord at 12.1 and leader in RBI (141) and wRC+ (216), adding a .330 average and 50 home runs. Barcelona’s Alejandro Canas won his second Pitcher of the Year in three years. The 27-year old Spaniard was the WARlord (12.7) and led in wins (21-7), ERA (1.69), WHIP (0.71), K/BB (11.5), and FIP- (29). He had 390 strikeouts in 239.2, falling just shy of the Triple Crown thanks to Jean-Luc Roch’s 398 strikeouts. Canas also notably had an opponent’s OPS of .448 against him, which stands as the EBF’s best-ever single season as of 2037. Canas also had a 18-strikeout no hitter against London on August 14 with only a hit-by-pitch denying him a perfect game. This was second most for Ks in an EBF no-hitter behind Trent Addams’ 19K effort in 1956. Also of note, Belgrade’s Enzo Jojic won his second Reliever of the Year on a 56 save season, only one off the EBF and world record.

Both first round series were five game battles with Belgrade surviving Zurich’s challenge and Madrid outlasting Zagreb. It was only the second-ever Southern Conference Championship appearance for Belgrade, who won it in 1961. For Madrid, it was their first time since the 1953-55 three-peat. In a seven-game classic, the Bruisers beat the Conquistadors.



The 25^th European Championship saw two teams going for their first-ever overall title with Belgrade falling in 1961 to Brussels and Birmingham making their first appearance. After two stellar seven-game conference finals, the grand finale saw the Bruisers sweep the Bees. Conference MVP Christophoros Zarkadis won both finals MVP and SCC MVP. In 16 playoff games, he had 26 hits, 13 runs, 7 home runs, and 18 RBI for 2.2 WAR. It was the second time a Yugoslav team won it all, joining Zagreb’s 1960 ring.



Other notes: Copenhagen finished 48-114, which was an all-time Northern Conference worse to that point. They hit only 62 home runs as a team with a .317 slugging percentage, which stand as all-time conference low marks as of 2037. SS Tore Andre Olsen won his ninth Gold Glove.

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Beisbol Sudamerica had proven a great success on the continent in the first three decades of competition. Both the Bolivar League and Southern Cone League had 12 total teams with two six-team divisions, but officials felt they could easily expand. They decided to add one to each division, which would put the league in line size-wise with both CABA and EAB. The question was where to put the new squads?

There were a number of cites that pleaded their case. In the Bolivar League North Division, Guayana City was ultimately chosen as a fifth team from Venezuela. The game had proven especially popular in the nation and the newly christened Giants would open a potential market in the eastern part of the country, while the other teams were more north central or northwestern based. The South Division saw the addition of the Santa Cruz Crawfish in Bolivia’s Santa Crus de la Sierra. The game had proven very popular in the capital La Paz and with a metro of more than two million people and a 864 kilometer drive between the cities, there was more than enough of a market to share the country’s fanbase.

For the Southern Cone League, the Brazil Division had a lot of options with the many large cities in the country. The more northeasterly market had Fortaleza and Salvador, but there was a big 1200 kilometer gap between them in the massive nation. In between there was Recife and its urban area of four million, which received the new Recife Retrievers. In the South Division, Santiago had been a tremendous success as Chile’s lone team, but it is a long country with a big distance for many to the capital. Five hours south was Concepcion, who would get the Concepcion Chiefs to service the more southern fanbase of Chile.



All four teams began play in 1974 and with the first playoff berths from the group coming in the early 1980s. Beisbol Sudamerica was the second league to expand and would continue to grow with the continent with two more teams in 1987, six added in 2009, and another six in 2029.

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The Bolivar League North Division had its fourth champion in four years as Valencia finished on top at 102-60, snapping a 25-year playoff drought with only their second-ever playoff berth. Caracas was second at 95-67, while defending league champ Bogota fell to fifth place at 81-81. Quito claimed the South Division at 94-68 for their first division title since taking Copa Sudamerica in 1965. The Thunderbolts were three ahead of Cali and seven better than both Guayaquil and La Paz.

The MVP and Pitcher of the Year went to up-and-coming Velocity stars. Second-year CF Pasquale Martin won MVP with the league lead in WAR (8.7) and walks (90), adding a .961 OPS and 28 home runs. Fourth-year righty Lazaro Rodriguez was Pitcher of the Year was the lead in strikeouts (411), WHIP (0.79), complete games (16), and WAR (9.6), adding a 2.27 ERA over 246 innings with a 18-9 record and 11 saves. He had only the fourth BSA season of 400+ strikeouts by a pitcher not named Mohamed Ramos (who did it 13 times by himself). Both would go onto be multiple time big award winners for Valencia en route to inner-circle Hall of Fame careers.



The Southern Cone League was top heavy in 1974, led by Cordoba at 112-50 atop the South Division. The Chanticleers got their first playoff berth since 1962 and snapped Santiago’s record ten-year division title streak. The Saints were still plenty good, but 101-61 put them 11 games behind. Buenos Aires notably was 96-66 as well, which usually doesn’t put you third. In the Brazil Division, defending Copa Sudamerica champ Salvador was on top again, this time at 108-54. Belo Horizonte was a distant second at 92-70.

Cordoba RF Jasper Saucedo had a breakout sophomore season, winning league MVP. The Argentine lefty was the WARlord at 12.1 and led in total bases (387), slugging (.675), and wRC+ (236), adding a 1.080 OPS, 46 home runs, and 112 RBI.

Salvador’s Luis Tavares won Pitcher of the Year. The 25-year old was the prior season’s Reliever of the Year and excelled in a move to the rotation in 1974 with a league-best 1.67 ERA and 33 quality starts. He added 7.0 WAR with 294 strikeouts over 269 innings and an 18-3 record. Tavares’ move was precipitated in part because the Storm signed veteran Gustavo Telhados in the offseason, who had won Reliever of the Year four times with Salvador before leaving for MLB. He won his fifth award in his BSA return at age 36 with a 1.67 ERA in 102.1 innings and 41 saves. Tellhados joins Chano Angel as the only five-time winners in BSA history (Angel won six).

Entering 1974, Valencia was the only original Bolivar League team without a single league title. The Velocity changed that by taking the BLCS in six games over Quito, ultimately kicking off a dynasty run over the next five years. In the Southern Cone Championship, Cordoba denied the Salvador repeat, taking it 4-2. It is the fifth title for the Chanticleers with the other wins all coming in the 1950s.



In the 44^th Copa Sudamerica, Cordoba downed Valencia 4-1, preventing the Velocity from becoming a first-time overall champ. Catcher Amerigo Flores was the finals MVP, posting 8 hits, 6 runs, 3 home runs, and 8 RBI in 11 playoff games. It is the fourth cup for the Chanticleers, who won it all previously in 1951, 53, and 56. They’re also the first Argentinian champ since Buenos Aires in 1963. Also of note, the Southern Cone has taken five straight over the Bolivar League.



Other notes: 1974 had a historic three perfect games thrown, bringing BSA’s total to 30 in its history. The first was by Pitcher of the Year Luis Tavares of Salvador, who fanned nine on June 27 against Rosario. On August 9, Brasilia’s Cristo Manso had 12 Ks against Fortaleza. The third was September 20 from Santiago Moreno of Santiago, who struck out eight versus Buenos Aires. La Paz’ Bernardo Pinheiro struck out 21 against Lima on July 28. This was the 10^th game in BSA history to have 21+ Ks and the third by someone other than Mohamed Ramos. Rookie Ernesto Barrera of the expansion Concepcion squad set a bad record that still stands as of 2037 with 25 losses. He was 5-25 with 0.3 WAR and a 3.44 so, so more dinged by being on a bad new team than being historically bad.

Javier Herrera became the third batter to 3000 career hits. He finished the season at 3083, passing Felipe Delgado (3047) for second but still behind Angel Gabriel Cornejo’s 3253. Herrera would eventually surpass Cornejo as South America’s hit king in 1976. He also won his eighth Silver Slugger in 1974, as did RF Luca Alvares and 2B Niculao Semide. 3B Emaxwell Navas grabbed his ninth Slugger. SS Brendon Pereira became an eight-time Gold Glove winner.

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The best record in East Asia Baseball for the 1974 season was Sapporo atop the Japan League North Division at 107-55. It was the second playoff berth in three years for the Swordfish, who scored the third-most runs in a Japan League season at 819. Their .478 team slugging was also third best all-time for the league. Last year’s Japanese champ Tokyo was a distant second at 82-80. Kyoto won back-to-back South Division titles with their own excellent 103-59 season, the same record from the prior year. Kobe was second at 94-68.

Sapporo CF Sosuke Hoshizawa won his fourth MVP at only age 25. He won his first Gold Glove, helping him to a wild 12.6 WAR despite only leading in stolen bases (81). He added 47 home runs, 129 RBI, and 1.054 OPS. Just like in in 1972, Hoshizawa beat teammate Carl Valdes for the award despite prolific power from Valdes. Valdes crushed 70 home runs, one behind his world record-setting 1972 season, and topped his own personal RBI high by two with 147. Pitcher of the Year was Kobe’s So-Woong Hong. The fourth-year righty led in quality starts (26) and innings (272.1), adding a 2.51 ERA, 21-9 record, 248 strikeouts, and 7.0 WAR.



Defending East Asian Champion Daegu won the Korea League South Division title again, running away with it at 102-60. The best record in Korea came from a very tough North Division with Goyang at 105-57. The Green Sox were four ahead of 101-61 Pyongyang with Hamhung at 95-67 and last year’s division winner Incheon at 91-71. For Goyang, this snapped a 30 year playoff drought as they hadn’t finished first since the early 1940s.

The Green Sox turnaround saw them get the league MVP and Pitcher of the Year. In his second year with the team, DH Jung-Koo Jang was MVP. It was his lone season of note with the 30-year old exploding for the league lead in OPS (1.020), slugging (.603), and OBP (.417), adding career bests in home runs (37), RBI (114), WAR (7.0). and batting average (.343). Pitcher of the Year was Santiago Reynoza, a Filipino righty in his 11^th year with the Green Sox. In his lone standout season as well, he was the WARlord (8.1) and led in wins (23-9) and quality starts (25), adding a 2.91 ERA over 260 innings with 274 strikeouts.

In the Japan League Championship Series, you had the last two runners-up with Kyoto the prior year and Sapporo in 1972. The Kamikaze would defeat the Swordfish in five games for their first-ever league title. Kyoto had been 0-4 in their prior appearances and they were the last Japanese team without at least one title. Goyang was looking for their first Korea League title, but were denied by Daegu 4-1 in the KLCS. The Diamondbacks win back-to-back titles and their seventh overall.



In the 54^th East Asia Championship, the series was a seven game thriller. Kyoto came out on top for their first-ever championship, denying Daegu’s repeat bid. 3B Min-Hwi Eun was finals MVP with the 28-year old posting 13 hits, 5 runs, 4 doubles, 3 home runs, and 6 RBI in 12 postseason games.



Other notes: Yu-Chan Jang and Kakuzo Yokoyama both crossed 1500 runs scored, bringing it to 12 EAB hitters to do so. Yokoyama also became the 28^th to 2500 hits. Jae-Hoon Seon became the 10^th pitcher to 4000 career strikeouts. RF Hyeog-Jun Wi won his 10^th Gold Glove. Two-way player Totaro Uchiyama won his 10^th Silver Slugger as a pitcher. SS Kyung-Hwan Choi won his 12^th Silver Slugger.

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After winning their fifth straight CABA Championship and seventh straight Mexican League title, Mexico City was nearly dethroned as South Division champ. The Aztecs took it at 100-62, but 99-63 Leon was hot on their tail. This gave Mexico City a CABA record ninth straight playoff berth, which would ultimately be the final one of the run. The Lions were easily the wild card for back-to-back seasons. In a weak North Division, Juarez was first at 87-75 for their own back-to-back playoff berth. Chihuahua was their closest competitor at 81-81.

Despite being last in their division, Tijuana had the league MVP in Amazado Matos. It was the second MVP for the 33-year old Dominican CF, who took the Caribbean League’s top honor with Bahamas in 1968. Matos smacked 57 home runs and also led in total bases (415), slugging (.697), OPS (1.076), wRC+ (216), and WAR (10.0). Mexico City’s Flor Perez won his second Pitcher of the Year in three years. The 30-year old righty from Venezuela led the league in wins at 20-7, WHIP (0.90), and quality starts (25), adding 5.4 WAR and a 2.21 ERA in 244.2 innings with 312 strikeouts. Perez also had the season’s only no-hitter, striking out 12 with one walk against Tijuana on July 4.

Despite Leon having 12 more wins in the regular season, Juarez swept them in the first round, sending the Jesters to the Mexican League Championship Series for the first time since winning the league title in 1962. Juarez then continued to roll and stunned Mexico City in six games, ending the Aztecs’ league title streak at seven. It is the third title for the Jesters, who also won way back in 1912. For Mexico City, they’d have to wait until the 2020s to see the final again, but the dynasty won’t be soon forgotten.



Guatemala had the Caribbean League’s best record at 106-56 atop the Continental Division, giving them eight playoff berths over the last ten years. Honduras was a distant second at 91-71, but grabbed the wild card, besting Costa Rica by two games and Panama by four. It is the third straight playoff berth for the Horsemen. In the Island Division, Puerto Rico picked up its first title since 1964. The Pelicans were 93-69, seven better than second place Trinidad. Haiti, the Caribbean League champ last year, dropped to a lousy 73-89.

Ghosts CF Wesley Dubar won his ninth MVP, a Caribbean League record and second only in CABA to Kiko Velazquez’s ten. The 31-year old Panamanian led in runs scored for the ninth straight season, this time with 112. He also led the league in WAR (10.3), total bases (388), OBP (.403), slugging (.661), OPS (1.064), and wRC+ (190), adding 42 home runs and 124 RBI. This would ultimately be his last MVP, although he’d continue playing for another decade. Pitcher of the Year went to Costa Rica’s Manuel Valdovinos, who also won it in 1971. He was the WARlord (9.9) and strikeout leader (321) with a 2.05 ERA over 268.1 innings.

Puerto Rico and Honduras went the distance in the wild card round with the Pelicans prevailing. Guatemala would take the Caribbean League Championship Series 4-2 for their fifth title since 1967. They’re 5-5 all-time in the CLCS.



With Mexico City out of the way, that opened up the door for Guatemala in the 64^th Central American Baseball Association Championship. The Ghosts defeated Juarez 4-1 to finally secure their first overall ring after taking runner-up four times to the Aztecs. The top playoff performer for Guatemala was SS Armando Mayan, who won CLCS MVP. In 11 playoff games, he had 15 hits, 11 runs, 5 home runs, and 9 RBI.



Other notes: Johan Balli became the seventh CABA pitcher to 4000 career strikeouts. SS Aaron Valencia won his 11^th and final Silver Slugger.

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The National Association’s best record went to Omaha at 98-64, who won back-to-back Midwest League titles. The Hawks had to survive fierce challenges from Indianapolis (97-65) and Kansas City (96-66), who ended up with the first two wild cards. It was the first playoff berth for the Racers since winning the NA title in 1959, meanwhile the Cougars earned back-to-back wild cards.

After missing the playoffs the prior three years, Buffalo won the Eastern League at 97-65. Taking second and earning back-to-back wild cards was Ottawa at 94-68. Two-time defending National Association champ Montreal ended up with the final wild card at 90-72. The Maples finished two ahead of Chicago, three better than Pittsburgh, and four over Boston. Montreal now has the longest active playoff streak at four years, as St. Louis couldn’t extend their run to six, finishing 81-81.

Pittsburgh LF Connor Neumeyer won his third MVP in his fourth full season. The 24-year old lefty led in the triple slash (.382/.438/.684), OPS (1.122), wRC+ (225), and WAR (9.5), adding 35 home runs. Surprisingly, this would be his final MVP, although he’d finish with a 21 year career and slam dunk Hall of Fame credentials. Kansas City’s Mike Lee won Pitcher of the Year, leading in WAR (8.7), WHIP (0.91), innings (285.2), quality starts (28), and complete games (17). The 26-year old righty had a 2.27 ERA and 269 strikeouts with a 21-8 record.

In the first round of the playoffs, Ottawa ousted Kansas City 2-1 and Indianapolis eliminated Montreal 2-1, ending the Maples’ hopes at a three-peat. The Racers stunned Buffalo in five games in round two, while Omaha downed Ottawa in four. It was only the third National Association Championship Series berth for the Hawks, who lost in 1956 and 1967. Despite Omaha’s home field advantage, Indianapolis rolled to the first NACS sweep since 1958. It is the sixth NA title for the Racers (1931, 36, 52, 57, 59, 74).



Major League Baseball’s top overall record came in the American Association Southern League. Memphis finished 103-59 for back-to-back league titles, setting a franchise record for wins as well. Houston was second at 94-68 and earned the third wild card, snapping an uncharacteristically long seven-year playoff drought for the Hornets. Seattle won back-to-back in the Western League finishing at 101-61.

Los Angeles and Phoenix tied for second in the Western League at 95-67 and both earned wild cards. For the defending World Series champ Angels, it is their sixth playoff berth in seven years, while the Firebirds ended a five-year skid. In a tight battle for the final spot, Denver (91-71) edged out New Orleans (90-72), Tampa (90-72), and Oakland (89-73). This was the first playoff berth for the Dragons since 1964. It also officially marks the end of the Mudcats run, as they wouldn’t return to the playoffs until 1993.

American Association MVP went to third-year Tampa RF Will Brenneisen. He led in runs (120), total bases (373), slugging (.639), OPS (1.047), and wRC+ (177), adding 8.3 WAR, a .348 average, 44 home runs, and 130 RBI. Pitcher of the Year was Phoenix’s Edward Delesdernier, who posted MLB’s fifth pitching Triple Crown. The last pitcher to do it was Andy Upshaw in 1954. In his second season with the Firebirds, the 30-year old righty had a 26-8 record, 2.16 ERA, and 313 strikeouts, also leading in WAR (10.2), WHIP (0.97), innings (299.2), quality starts (28), complete games (24), and FIP- (64).

The wild card round had Los Angeles sweep Denver and Phoenix top Houston 2-1. Seattle rolled to a sweep of the Firebirds, while the Angels pulled off the upset 3-2 at Memphis. This pitted the defending champion Los Angeles in the American Association Championship Series against the Grizzlies, whose only prior AACS berth was a 1940 defeat. Seattle’s first title would have to come another day as the Angels won the series in six. This gave LA back-to-back wins and seven in franchise history.



In the 74^th World Series, Los Angeles was looking to repeat as champ, while Indianapolis was hoping their sixth Fall Classic would nab them the elusive ring. The series went seven games for the first time since 1962 with the Angels taking the crown. World Series and AACS MVP went to 1B Edward Torres, who had 29 hits, 17 runs, 9 home runs, and 21 RBI in 20 playoff games. This gives LA the repeat and five MLB titles (1945, 46, 68, 73, 74). They also join Philadelphia as the only franchises to repeat in two separate decades.



The Racers have the most appearances without a win at 0-6. Notably, former NA MVP R.J Clinton won NACS MVP and set a postseason record with 25 RBI, which still stands as of 2037 even with the expanded postseason. He had 21 hits, 15 runs, and 9 homers in 19 playoff games.

Other notes: Only two no-hitters were thrown in 1974, both by San Diego’s Leo Elliott. Both were against Oklahoma City as well with eight strikeouts and two walks on 5/29, then 11 Ks and one walk on 8/16. He became the first MLB player to throw two no-hitters in the same season. Nashvile’s Simao Ojeda had a 36-game hitting streak, tying him for the sixth longest in MLB history.

Benton Gibney became the ninth batter to reach 3500 hits, finishing with 3565. This placed him seventh all-time at retirement. Julius Jordan became the fifth pitcher to 4000 career strikeouts. Carson Hanford became the fourth reliever to 400 career saves. He finished the season with 417, third behind Rodrick Wisdom’s 441 and Rovaldis Arvelo’s 438. Hanford would pass them both next season and go onto put the mark out of reach with another four seasons. 3B B.J. Orwig won his eighth Gold Glove.

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Entering the 1970s, Africa was the last populated continent without having a major baseball league within the Global Baseball Alliance. The game had been introduced in various degrees on the continent and like the rest of the world, Africans loved baseball too. But the infrastructure required for any sort of organized leagues would take time to build up. In the immediate years post World War II, the first priority for African peoples was to achieve independence from the colonial powers that had dominated the continent for decades.

Most of the modern nations and borders came into existence in the 30 years following the war, although many of these new countries would be plagued by civil wars and internal strife for many years after. Still, Africa’s independent infrastructure would continue to strengthen and baseball became more and more prominent with organized amateur and semi-pro teams popping up. With Pan-Africanism becoming a more prominent school of thought, some hoped to create a unified baseball structure for the entire continent, similar to Beisbol Sudamerica. However, the logistical and cultural challenges proved to be way too much for that to be feasible. Eventually, Africa would have three different GBA leagues within the continent. With Arab nationalism on the rise, northern African nations would eventually form Arab League Baseball along with western Asian nations. The southern and central parts of Africa would end up in the African Association of Baseball in the 1990s.

Meanwhile, leaders in western Africa began strongly investigating their own potential pro circuit within their part of the continent. Although there is a rich diversity of cultures in the area, there’s more similarity within this region compared to other parts of Africa. Efforts were being made as well for shared financial and political efforts within the region, such as the Economic Community of West African States formed in 1975. Those working to bring big time baseball to the continent focused their efforts and eventually developed what would become West African Baseball. Much of this was spearheaded by MLB Hall of Famer Kaby Silva, a Cape Verde native who wished to spread his love of the game back home.

In its initial alignment, WAB had 20 total teams split between two 10-team leagues. There would not be any divisions within the leagues and no interleague play. The Western League’s teams would be based in Abidjan (Cote d’Ivoire), Accra (Ghana), Bamako (Mali), Cape Verde, Conakry (Guinea), Dakar (Senegal), Freetown (Sierra Leone), Kumasi (Ghana), Monrovia (Liberia), and Nouakchott (Mauritania). The Eastern League had five teams in Nigeria (Benin City, Ibadan, Kano, Lagos, and Port Harcourt), plus Cotonou (Benin), Douala (Cameroon), Lome (Togo), Niamey (Niger), and Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso).



In the original playoff structure, the first place team earns a bye to the League Championship Series, while the second and third place finishers play a best-of-three hosted by the second place team. Unlike other leagues, the LCS is a best-of-five and the first place team hosts throughout. The two league champs advance to the best-of-seven West African Championship. WAB uses a universal designated hitter and in the earliest years would be viewed as around average for offensive numbers. However, into the 21^st Century, WAB would emerge as the highest offense environment of all the GBA leagues. The first official season would be in 1975.

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For the first time since 1964, Major League Baseball didn’t induct a single player into the Hall of Fame with the 1975 voting. Coming closest to the 66% threshold were SP Jeremiah Rutledge at 61.3% on his fourth attempt and catcher Gray Caraway at 60.6% in his fifth go. Also above 50% were SP Richard Theiman at 55.0% on his second ballot, LF CJ West at 53.9% on his third go, and closer Wes Kihn at 51.4% for his debut. No players were dropped from the MLB ballot after ten failed attempts in 1975.

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The Central American Baseball Association had three additions to the Hall of Fame from the 1975 voting. The ballot was highlighted by first-time candidates with six newcomers getting above 57%. LF Lorenzo Rodriguez (99.0%) and LF Julio Hinojosa (97.8%) were slam dunks, while closer Mario Villegas also got in with 73.4%. SP Micah Singh barely missed the 66% threshold with 65.7%. SP Felix Belizaire and SP Yennier Rey were the other notables with solid showings but not quite enough with 59.0% and 57.7%, respectively. There were no players on the CABA ballot dropped after ten attempts in 1975.



Lorenzo Rodriguez – Left Field – Santiago Sailfish – 99.0% First Ballot

Lorenzo Rodriguez was a 6’2’’, 200 pound left-handed left fielder from Guantanamo, a city of around 200,000 in southeast Cuba. Yes, it is THAT Guantanamo; fortunately, Rodriguez stayed far away from the dodgy US detention center. He was a tremendous contact hitter who led the Caribbean League in batting average six different times. Rodriguez had reliable power production as well, usually giving you around 30 home runs and around 35-45 doubles/triples per season. He had decent baserunning speed and was solid at avoiding strikeouts, although below average at drawing walks. Rodriguez was a career left fielder and generally viewed as a pretty average defender. He was intelligent, very durable, and loyal, making him an extremely popular player in his career.

Rodriguez was picked 13^th overall in the 1949 CABA Draft by Santiago and spent the majority of his career with the Sailfish. He saw limited pinch hit action in his first two seasons, but got a taste of the big time as Santiago won the 1951 CABA Championship. They had a dynasty run in the 1950s with Caribbean League titles in 1951, 52, 54, and 55; winning the overall CABA title in the first two years. It was 1952 where Rodriguez found his way into the lineup full-time as a designated hitter. He had a monster season, leading the league in runs (112), hits (200), doubles (36), RBI (115), total bases (374), average (.328), and OPS (.973). This earned league MVP and a Silver Slugger. He added 15 hits, 9 runs, 4 home runs, and 8 RBI in the postseason as the Sailfish brought home a ring.

That was Rodriguez’ only Silver Slugger as a DH; he’d win six more in left (1953, 56, 58, 60, 61, 63). He won his second MVP in 1953 with a Triple Crown season (37 home runs, 107 RBI, .346 average) while also leading in OPS (1.037) and WAR (7.9). Rodriguez only won the two MVPs, but finished second in 1954 and 1956, third in 1958, second again in 1960 and 1961. He led the Caribbean League in hits five times, OBP three times, OPS twice, wRC+ four times, and WAR twice. In Santiago’s playoff run, he had 45 hits, 18 runs, 11 doubles, 8 home runs, and 16 RBI in 38 playoff games. He was also a regular for Cuba in the World Baseball Championship from 1951-69. In 129 games and 114 starts, he had 105 hits, 60 runs, 18 doubles, 23 home runs, and 44 RBI.

Santiago was never a bad team in his run, but their time at the top ended with the 1955 season. They wouldn’t make the playoffs in the rest of Rodriguez’ run, although they were still above .500 more often than not. Rodriguez stayed there through his age 35 season of 1964, posting 2569 hits, 1234 runs, 434 doubles, 402 home runs, 1272 RBI, a .335/.369/.589 slash and 84.5 WAR. The team would eventually retire his #31 uniform and he’d remain a very popular legend for the franchise. Now a free agent for 1965, Rodriguez gave MLB a try and got a two-year, $328,000 contract with Hartford.

He had two very solid seasons with the Huskies, posting 10.8 WAR, 351 hits, 154 runs, 49 home runs, and 208 RBI. They won the Eastern League title in both seasons, but went one-and-done both seasons. A free agent again at age 38, Rodriguez signed for 1967 with Albuquerque. A fractured finger put him out six weeks and he was only slightly above average when healthy. Rodriguez would return to CABA for 1968-69 as a bench piece for Honduras, retiring after the 1969 season at age 41.

The final stats for his CABA career: 2644 hits, 1280 runs, 450 doubles, 161 triples, 414 home runs, 1324 RBI, a .332/.366/.582 slash, 164 wRC+ and 85.6 WAR. At retirement, the only CABA Hall of Famers with a better career batting average were GOAT candidates Prometheo Garcia and Kiko Velazquez. Rodriguez was as steady as you can be and a big part of Santiago’s early 1950s dynasty run, making him an obvious first ballot Hall of Fame choice at 99.0%.



Julio Hinojosa – Left/Center Field – Mexicali Maroons – 97.8% First Ballot

Julio Hinojosa was a 5’11’’, 195 pound right-handed outfielder from Tehuixtitlan, a community with around 7,000 people located just over an hour southeast of greater Mexico City. Hinojosa was a very well rounded batter who wasn’t amazing at any one thing, but above average to good at most things. He regularly batted above .300 with pretty good speed and pop in his bat. He was sometimes criticized as unmotivated, but Hinojosa was incredibly durable and could give you reliable production. He made around 60% of his starts in left field with the rest in center; playing CF in his early 20s before moving to LF. Defensively, Hinojosa was considered slightly above average in left and slightly below average in center.

Hinojosa was picked third overall by Mexicali in the 1945 CABA Draft and was only 19 years old when he debuted in 1946. He was mostly a bench piece as a rookie and part-time starter in year two, taking over the full-time gig thereafter, winning 1947 Rookie of the Year in his first full-time year. Hinojosa would put up 5+ WAR in 12 straight seasons from 1948-59. He never won MVP, but was third in 1950 and 1951, and second in 1953, 1954, and 1956. Hinojosa won eight Silver Sluggers (1948, 49, 50, 51, 53, 54, 56, 57) and a Gold Glove in 1954. He didn’t typically lead the Mexican League, but he was the runs leader in 1953-54 and was the triple slash leader (.358/.417/.652) and OPS (1.069) and wRC+ (209) leader in 1956.

Hinojosa helped usher in a dynasty run for Mexicali, which had largely been a weak franchise prior. They made the playoffs six straight years from 1949-54, winning the Mexican League five straight years from 1950-54. The Maroons were overall CABA champ in 1953 and 1954 and Hinojosa was the MLCS MVP in 1950. In 75 playoff games, he had 78 hits, 35 runs, 13 home runs, 43 RBI, and 2.4 WAR. Mexicali started to rebuild as Hinojosa entered his 30s and the 1950s came to an end. 1960 saw his first real major injuries a broken bone in the elbow knocking him out 8-9 months.

Hinojosa’s final stats with Mexicali: 2542 hits, 1256 runs, 426 doubles, 179 triples, 349 home runs, 1255 RBI, 658 stolen bases, a .315/.357/.542 slash and 95.7 WAR. His #14 uniform would be retired and he’d remain extremely popular with the Maroons fans and across Mexico. He had a solid bounce-back 1961, but the team opted to let him go into free agency at age 35. Hinojosa would sign a three-year, $324,000 deal with Puerto Rico.

His days winning awards had ended, but he was still a respectable starter with the Pelicans, posting 470 hits, 246 runs, 71 home runs, 229 RBI, and 9.5 WAR. Hinojosa at age 38 signed with Havana in 1965 and spent two yearsr with the Hurricanes posting 5.9 WAR. He missed six weeks in 1966 with a fractured rib. The Hurricanes let him go and he played his final three years with Chihuahua, posting 7.6 WAR total. Hinojosa was pushed to a more reserve role by the end with the Warriors, retiring after the 1969 season at age 43. He was able to cross 3500 hits in 1968, becoming the second CABA player to reach the mark.

Hinojosa’s final stats: 3564 hits, 1791 runs, 585 doubles, 233 triples, 513 home runs, 1762 RBI, 838 stolen bases, a .304/.347/.524 slash, 156 wRC+ and 118.7 WAR. At retirement, he was second only to Prometheo Garcia in CABA hits, runs, and RBI. Hinojosa had played more games than any CABA player at 3178 and is fourth as of 2037. He’d get passed in the 21^st Century, but he retired the CABA leader in doubles with 585. At retirement, Hinojosa was seventh in hitting WAR. An obvious Hall of Fame choice on the first ballot, getting 97.8%.



Mario Villegas – Closer – Guadalajara Hellhounds – 73.4% First Ballot

Mario Villegas was a 6’5’’, 205 pound right-handed relief pitcher from Coamo, a town of around 30,000 people in south central Puerto Rico. He had two pitches; a fastball and curveball, but his stuff was considered excellent despite merely above average control and movement. Villegas’ velocity peaked out in the 94-96 mph range, but he knew how to pick his spots. He was considered a durable reliever and a team captain with strong leadership skills and a great work ethic.

Villegas was signed as an amateur free agent with Guadalajara at age 16 and made his debut in 1955 at age 21 with the Hellhounds in a middle relief role. He became a full-time closer in his third year and generally was the closer for the rest of his stops. Guadalajara was his longest tenure with a seven year stint, although he wasn’t an awards finalist in this run. He led the Mexican League in saves once, posting a 2.55 ERA with 176 saves, 545 strikeouts in 462.2 innings, and 9.8 WAR. Villegas also sporadically pitched for the Puerto Rican national team in the World Baseball Championship, appearing in 23 games with 86 innings pitched, a 2.93 ERA, and 119 strikeouts.

Just before the 1962 season, Guadalajara traded the now 28-year old Villegas to Juarez for three players. He spent one season with the Jesters, then signed a three-year deal with Leon. Villegas was second in Reliever of the Year voting in 1964, then won the award in 1965 with a career best 1.17 ERA over 80 appearances. He also got to pitch in the CABA Championship as Leon won the 1964 Mexican League title, posting a 1.80 ERA over 20 playoff innings that year. He had 135 saves, a 1.92 ERA, and 6.9 WAR in his Lions tenure.

From there, Villegas left for MLB and signed with Jacksonville for 1966-67. He struggled in his first year, but regained form in 1967 and led the American Association in saves, helping the Gators to an AACS berth. Now 34-years old, Villegas returned to CABA with Bahamas in 1968. He was traded to Ecatepec in 1969 and finished third in Reliever of the Year voting. This was his final CABA season, as he’d spend 1970 and 1971 with OBA’s Melbourne, taking second in Reliever of the Year voting in 1970. In 1971, a rotator cuff strain put him out most of the season, leading to retirement after the season at age 37.

For his entire pro career, Villegas had a 2.44 ERA, 509 saves and 575 shutdowns, 1208.2 innings, and 29.9 WAR. For just CABA, he had 410 saves and 463 shutdowns, 2.41 ERA over 840 games and 969 innings with 1181 strikeouts and 24.4 WAR. He was the second CABA closer to 400 saves behind Feliz Fuentes’ all-time mark of 430 and is one of a select few to have 500+ over his entire career. Advanced stats show him as being less dominant than many other relievers who would later get Hall of Fame nods, but his tenure was enough to get the first ballot CABA look at 73.4%.

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East Asia Baseball’s 1975 Hall of Fame class was an impressive one with three first ballot selections above 93%. RF Young-Hwan Sha (98.8%), SP Yeo Jeun (96.0%), and 3B Hyun-Ook Jo (93.8%) each earned the inductions. The only other player above 50% was 2B Yoshio Hagesawa at 55.9% on his second attempt. No players were dropped after ten ballots in this group. Notably falling below 5% after eight tries was catcher Tae-Hyun Jun, who won four Silver Sluggers and had 52.2 WAR over 16 years. An impressive catcher, but Hall of Fame voters hate catchers and their lack of accumulated stats, so he peaked at 29.3%.



Young-Hwan Sha – Right Field – Hamhung Heat – 98.8% First Ballot

Young-Hwan Sha was a 6’3’’, 190 pound left-handed right fielder from Chigyong, a town of around 30,000 people in the northeastern part of North Korea just outside of Hamhung. Sha was known for having prolific power and an incredible penchant for drawing walks. He would lead Korea in walks drawn six times, OBP eight times, and home runs thrice in his career. Sha was also a great contact hitter and a very smart baserunner, making the most of only average-at-best speed. He was rated as a five-star player at his peak despite being an atrocious defender, spending almost his entire run in right field. Sha’s bat was legendary though and this made him one of the most feared hitters of the 1950s and 1960s.

He left North Korea for high school in Japan at Aichi Shogyo HS in Nagoya and was an excellent prospect even then. Hamhung, the city close to his home, picked him out of high school 22^nd overall in the 1946 EAB Draft. Sha declined their offer and instead went to Osaka’s Kansai University. When he was up for the 1949 EAB Draft, Hamhung again came calling, this time with the sixth overall pick. Sha would sign with the Heat here and ultimately play his entire professional career with Hamhung.

Sha was immediately a full-time starter and won 1950 Rookie of the Year as well as his first of 15 Silver Sluggers. This was his only Slugger as a DH, as he spent the rest of his career in RF despite his abysmal defense. Sha won additional Sluggers in 1951, 52, 53, 54, 55, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 63, 64, 65, and 66. As of 2037, he’s the only EAB player to win the award 15 times in a career. Sha led the Korea League in runs scored four times, RBI twice, slugging five times, OPS six times, wRC+ six times, and WAR four times.

Sha won the MVP four times in his career; 1952, 53, 55, and 60. He also finished third in 1957 and second in 1958. His 1960 campaign was an all-timer as the fourth Triple Crown hitting season in EAB with a .383 average, 65 home runs, and 137 RBI. He also scored a staggering 147 runs, which remains the EAB single-season best as of 2037. His 1.258 OPS would remain a single-season record until 2028 and he put up 12.7 WAR.

Unsurprisingly, Hamhung became a dynasty during Sha’s peak years. They made six straight playoff appearances from 1955-60, winning the Korea League title four times and the overall EAB title three times (55, 57, 58). In 57 playoff starts, Sha had 61 hits, 40 runs, 13 home runs, 40 RBI, a .303/.407/.552 slash and 2.7 WAR. He also earned KLCS MVP honors in 1958. Sha was also beloved generally in North Korea for his work with the national team in the World Baseball Championship from 1951-68, posting 137 hits, 123 runs, 54 home runs, 115 RBI, and 131 walks over 158 games with 10.2 WAR.

Various injuries knocked him out a chunk of both 1961 and 1962. He remained a strong bat into his 30s, but Sha was no longer MVP caliber. The Heat were still a good team, but unable to best Pyongyang’s dynasty for the 1960s. Sha started to wind down somewhat, but he still delighted fans and was chasing milestones. He finally fell off hard at age 41 in the 1969 season, retiring after that year. Sha became the fourth batter to 700 home runs, the third to 3000 hits, the sixth to 1500 RBI, and the fifth to 1500 runs scored.

Sha’s final stats: 1950 runs scored, 3055 hits, 532 doubles, 760 home runs, 1863 RBI, 1357 walks drawn, a .312/.401/.611 slash, 1.012 OPS, wRC+ of 169, and 122.7 WAR. At retirement, he was second all-time in runs scored, tied for second in home runs, fourth in RBI, first in walks drawn, and fourth in hitting WAR. He was also the first Hall of Famer to retire with a career OPS above one. Sha’s #15 uniform was retired by Hamhung and he remains beloved there and throughout North Korea. He was a no-doubt first ballot guy at 98.8%.



Yeo Jeun – Starting Pitcher – Suwon Snappers – 96.0% First Ballot

Yeo Jeun was a 6’0’’, 200 pound starting pitcher from Ansan, a city of more than 600,000 that’s part of South Korea’s Seoul National Capital Area. Great control and solid movement were Jeun’s top assets, making up for average-at-best stuff. His velocity peaked at 93-95 mph, but Jeun had a five-pitch arsenal of a fastball slider, forkball, changeup, and cutter. He was a hard worker with excellent durability, making 30+ starts every year consistently until his 40s.

Jeun went to Toyo University in Japan and excelled in college with a 2.31 ERA over 396.2 college innings with 458 strikeouts and 13.8 WAR. He was a top prospect and was the first overall pick by Suwon in the 1947 East Asia Baseball Draft. Jeun was an okay reliever as a rookie, then became a full-time starter from thereafter. His fourth year saw his first of nine seasons with 6+ WAR. Jeun generally wasn’t a league leader and never finished in the top three for Pitcher of the Year voting.

His steady success wasn’t always noticed either as Suwon was consistently a bottom-tier Korea League team. They never made the playoffs in his nearly 20 year run with the Snappers. He would see some big time action in the World Baseball Championship with Jeun pitching for South Korea from 1951-62. He had a 2.58 ERA over 132.2 innings with 125 strikeouts and 4.3 WAR. Despite Suwon’s mediocrity, Jeun stayed loyal and would see his #7 uniform retired; although he’d also wear #4 while there.

At age 37 in the 1963 season, he finally left Suwon when he was traded to Nagoya. But after finishing the year with the Nightowls, he re-signed with the Snappers for another four seasons. His style allowed him to continue to be effective into his 40s and he posted a career-best 2.14 ERA in 1966 at age 40, his only time leading the league in a major category. This was an impressive comeback season as he had missed much of 1965 with a fractured elbow.

Jeun’s Suwon tenure officially ended in the summer of 1967 as he was traded at the deadline to Kawasaki. He got his only playoff experience this year as the Killer Whales were Japan League champ. Jeun left for free agency and signed at age 42 with Busan. His second season with the Blue Jays was derailed with a ruptured UCL. He would attempt a comeback in 1970 with OBA’s New Caledonia, but he pitched all of one inning. Jeun would get a ring as the Colonels were Oceania Champions and he’d retire at age 45 after the 1970 season.

Jeun’s final stats: 295-254 record, 3.48 ERA, 5049.2 innings, 4059 strikeouts, 763 walks, 390/664 quality starts, 149 complete games, a FIP- of 83 and 110.0 WAR. He very quietly moved up the leaderboards with his longevity, retiring as the EAB wins leader. He stands sixth all-time as of 2037. Jeun also remains the all-time losses leader with more starts and more hits allowed than any other EAB pitcher. He is one of two pitchers with 5000+ innings, ninth in pitching WAR, and was the eighth pitcher to reach 4000 strikeouts. Although Jeun won’t be remembered as an all-time dominant arm, his tenure and tallies couldn’t be ignored and the voters gave him 96.0% on the first ballot.



Hyun-Ook “Onion” Jo – Third Base – Changwon Crabs – 93.8% First Ballot

Hyun-Ook Jo was a 6’0’’, 190 pound left-handed hitting third baseman from the South Korean capital Seoul. Jo was a great power hitter who posted seven different 40+ home run seasons in his career. He was a solid contact hitter with an above average eye, decent gap power, and around average strikeout rate. His speed was below average, but he had a strong arm and was considered a very good defender at third base, winning four Gold Gloves in his career.

Jo left Korea for Senshu University in the greater Tokyo area and posted 52 home runs and 162 RBI over 161 college games with 9.6 WAR. This made him the top prospect for the 1953 East Asia Baseball Draft, picked first overall by Changwon. His entire EAB career would come with the Crabs and he was an immediate starter, winning 1954 Rookie of the Year with a 5.4 WAR, 38 home run debut season. In year two, he won his first of eight Silver Sluggers, leading Korea with 10.7 WAR. He’d take second in MVP voting.

Jo’s other Silver Sluggers would come in 1956, 57, 58, 59, 60, 62, and 64 with his Gold Gloves in 56, 57, 58, and 60. In 1957, Jo won MVP with a phenomenal 12.0 WAR, 59 home runs, 132 RBI, 1.068 OPS, and 126 runs. His second MVP would come in 1962 with a league-best 54 home runs. He was third in 1960 MVP voting as well. Jo posted seven seasons worth 8+ WAR and helped turn the Crabs into a contender in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

Changwon would make the playoffs seven times from 1957-65. They won the 1959 Korea League title with Jo taking KLCS MVP. The Crabs would win the Korea League again in 1963 and 1964 and took the overall EAB crown in 1963. Jo was KLCS MVP again in 1963 and in 61 playoff starts, had 65 hits, 33 runs, 16 home runs, and 37 RBI. Jo also played for the South Korea World Baseball Championship team from 1955-68, playing 161 games with 130 hits, 103 runs, 55 home runs, and 109 RBI. In 1959, he became the second player in WBC history to have a four home run game, smacking four with eight RBI in a game against Ireland.

A strained MCL put Jo out much of 1966 with back trouble putting him out a chunk of 1967. Changwon opted to let the 36-year old go into free agency despite still having solid numbers when healthy. Jo signed for 1968 with MLB’s Boston, but had iffy production in his limited stint. After one MLB season, he returned to Changwon for one final season in 1969, retiring after the season at age 38. The franchise would immediately retire his #18 uniform as one of the Crabs’ great heroes.

Jo’s final EAB stats: 2290 hits, 1353 runs, 359 doubles, 585 home runs, 1405 RBI, a .299/.361/,585 slash, 158 wRC+, and 111.7 WAR. At retirement, he was eighth in EAB history in hitting WAR, racking up the advanced stats despite his accumulations not being at the tip-top with a slightly shorter run than other Hall of Famers. Regardless, few would argue against Jo being EAB’s best third baseman of the 1950s-60s and he was very popular for helping Changwon to their first sustained success. Jo earned the first ballot nod at 93.8%.

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Beisbol Sudamerica did not induct anyone into the Hall of Fame with the 1975 voting, which is the first time they had no inductees since 1945, the year prior to the first-ever inductees. Closer Jaguare Maia got very close on his debut ballot at 64.5%, but just missed the 66% threshold. Another reliever, Alfredo Mejia, got 59.5% in his second ballot. SP Jon Mancilla received 56.6% in his sixth attempt and 1B Valeriano Torrez had 50.9% in his penultimate try.

Dropped after ten ballots was SP Marcos Oyenede, who had a 16-year career with a 187-142 record, 2.66 ERA, 2879 strikeouts in 3107.1 innings, and 48.2 WAR. A nice run, but firmly a Hall of Very good type. Another pitcher dropped was Silvestre Azambuja, who won four championship rings and one Pitcher of the Year. In 15 years, he had a 168-104 record, 2.64 ERA, 2508 strikeouts in 2572.1 innings, and 47.1 WAR. Again, not quite enough tallies. Both guys peaked in the upper 20%-low 30% range. Also notable was 3B Evelio Castillo dropped after eight tries and falling below 5%. He had a 14-year career with Callao with one MVP and six Silver Sluggers, 1903 hits, 1001 runs, 245 home runs, and 57.8 WAR. His highest ballot was 16.8%.

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Three players earned first ballot additions into the European Baseball Federation Hall of Fame with the 1975 ballot. SP Aaron Grunauer led the charge at 90.7%, joined by RF Davey Miquel at 81.4% and SP Peter Plattner at 73.9%. Uniquely enough, all three go in as well wearing the Hamburg Hammers hat.



One other player was above 50% with 3B Orion McIntyre dropped after ten failed tries. He hit 68 home runs with 140 RBI in the 1951 season, which held as the single-season EBF homer record until 1984. Despite his official career starting at age 35, the Northern Irishman won two MVPs and had 72.2 WAR, 1421 hits, 879 runs, 463 home runs, and 1099 RBI. “Mr. Reliable” seemed like a slam dunk early era guy, but he peaked at 62.5% in 1971 and never dropped below 50%. No doubt with a full career of stats he would’ve been a lock and McIntyre is still cited with his numbers as-is as an all-time great snub.

Two other players were dropped after ten ballots. LF Wolfgang Heinzmann’s official career started at age 29, but he posted 1347 hits, 871 runs, 405 home runs, 994 RBI, and 52.7 WAR with an MVP. Another guy that needed a full career to get the accumulations the voters wanted; he peaked at 39.8%. Meanwhile, SP Sergio Flores started at age 28 and in a decade had a 153-96 record, 2.58 ERA, 2025 strikeouts, and 62.4 WAR with the 1953 Pitcher of the Year. Same issue for him, although he was as high at 47.3% on his second ballot. This group pretty much ends the candidacy from guys who began EBF careers late with future options having a truly full run to judge.



Aaron Grunauer – Starting Pitcher – Hamburg Hammers – 90.7% First Ballot

Aaron Grunauer was a 5’10’’, 200 pound right-handed starting pitcher from Graz, Austria’s second largest city with just under 300,00 people. He had excellent control of his pitches, making up for having merely above average stuff and movement. Grunauer’s velocity peaked at 93-95 mph with a mix of fastball, slider, changeup, and curveball. He was incredibly durable with 30+ starts in all but his first and final seasons. Grunauer had solid stamina and was appreciated for being a very loyal soldier.

Grunauer attended the University of Cambridge in England and wasn’t a prized prospect, getting picked in the fourth round of the European Baseball Federation Draft in 1953 by Hamburg, 114^th overall. He made only seven appearances in his rookie year, but would become a full-time starter after that. Granauer was middling in his first two full seasons as a starter, but would find his rhythm entering the 1960s.

1960 was the breakout season for Grunauer, who won his lone Pitcher of the Year award with a league-best 1.41 ERA, 24-3 record, 0.78 WHIP, and 9.3 WAR. The 1.41 ERA set a single-season EBF record which was held until 1980; it still remains the second-best season for a starter as of 2037. This also earned him a third place finish in MVP voting. Grunauer’s also was second in 1961’s Pitcher of the Year voting, his only other time as a finalist. Still, he posted eight seasons worth 5+ WAR with Hamburg.

The Hammers were a regular contender during Grunauer’s run with seven playoff appearances and five Northern Conference finals berths. Their lone conference title was 1964 with a defeat to Barcelona in the European Championship. Grunauer’s playoff numbers were unimpressive with a 4.45 ERA in 16 starts, 111.1 innings, a 3-9 record, 82 strikeouts, and 1.5 WAR. He also played for his native Austria in the World Baseball Championship from 1957-69 with 24 games, a 3.83 ERA over 152.2 innings, 181 strikeouts, and 2.6 WAR.

Grunauer remained steady into his 30s, although he was rarely dominant or in the league leading spots. Hamburg entered a rebuilding phase in the late 1960s and traded Grunauer before the 1969 season to Marseille. He had one unremarkable season with the Musketeers as only a part-time starter, opting to retire after the season at age 37.

Grunauer’s final stats: a 225-151 record, 2.88 ERA, 3668 innings, 3217 strikeouts to 622 walks, 327/458 quality starts, a FIP- of 86, and 73.7 WAR. He was only considered elite for a brief stretch, but Grunauer compiled respectable numbers over his run that certainly don’t look out of place among those who would get in to the EBF Hall of Fame. His #24 was retired by the Hammers and he’d get 90.7% of the vote on his first ballot; the highest of the three Hamburg players in the 1975 class.



Davey Miquel – Right Field/First Base – Hamburg Hammers – 81.4% First Ballot

Davey Miquel was a 5’10’’, 195 pound left-handed hitter from Moirans-en-Montagne, a small commune of 2,000 people in eastern France near the Swiss border. Miguel had terrific home run power and a legendary eye for drawing walks. His contact skills were merely average and despite his eye, he did strike out more than you’d like. His power was very all-or-nothing, as he had a surprisingly low number of doubles despite regularly hitting 40+ dingers at his peak. Miquel had decent speed in his younger years, but was quite lousy defensively. He spent the most time in right field with some stints at first base and left field, as well as some designed hitter starts in his MLB run.

Miquel was spotted by Hamburg scouts and signed as a teenage amateur at age 17 in 1953. He’d make a few pinch hit appearances in 1957 and 1958, finally becoming a full-time starter in 1959. He was very durable in his peak with 142+ games played from 1959 to 1973. Miquel’s ability to draw walks was immediately noticed as he’d lead the league in 11 different seasons. He set the EBF single-season record with 129 walks in 1960 and has the top-three all-time EBF seasons (129, 128, 123). Despite only hitting above a .300 average once, the walks allowed him to lead in OBP five times and OPS four times..

Boosting that OPS was the dingers with five seasons leading the league and six straight years with 50+, peaking with 55 twice. He also led in runs scored thrice and RBI twice, although he was never the WAR leader in part hurt by his bad defense. He would post eight straight seasons of 6+ WAR. This earned Miquel Silver Sluggers in 1960, 61, 62, and 65. He won Northern Conference MVP in 1961 and 1962 and took third in 1963, second in 1965, and second again in 1966.

In Hamburg’s postseason runs, Miquel played 60 games with 47 hits, 31 runs, 18 home runs, 34 RBI, and 2.7 WAR. He also went home to France for the World Baseball Championship with 120 games and 106 starts from 1959-74. There, he had 80 hits, 85 runs, 48 home runs, 81 RBI, and 6.4 WAR. Miquel was second in WBC MVP voting in 1965 with a staggering 2.500 OPS in seven games with 8 home runs; setting tournament records for OBP, slugging, and OPS.

Miquel’s dominance came in his late 20s and early 30s. By the late 1960s as Hamburg started to rebuild, Miquel’s strikeout rate and contact got worse and his power numbers fell, although he still reliably got 30+ per year. Hamburg would let him go into free agency, although they’d retire his #31 uniform and he’d remain a fan favorite for the Hammers. At age 35, Miquel tried his hand in Major League Baseball by signing for the 1970 and 1971 seasons with Memphis. He still provided some power and walks, even leading the American Association in walks in 1971, but Miquel wasn’t going to win any awards at this point.

Before the 1972 season, the 37-year old was traded by Memphis to Buffalo. Miquel would struggle in his one year with the Blue Sox and eventually get benched. He signed with Columbus in 1973 and saw a bit of a power resurgence as a starter again, but struck out more than anyone in the National Association. In 1974, Miquel played 23 games between three teams (Kansas City, Dallas, Atlanta) and couldn’t provide a reason to be kept around, leading to his retirement after the year at age 39.

For his entire pro career, Miquel had 2025 hits, 1444 runs, 642 home runs, 1461 RBI, 1563 walks, a .253/.378/.530 slash, wRC+ of 166 and 78.2. WAR. Just in the EBF with Hamburg, he had 1561 hits, 1106 runs, 513 homers, 1139 RBI, 1210 walks, a .265/.392/.567 slash, wRC+ of 182 and 72.0 WAR. As of 2037, his career OBP is still top 15 among EBF Hall of Famers, which is incredibly impressive considering all of those around his mark had .300+ batting averages compared to his bottom-tier .265. His hit total is very low, but he’s seventh in walks drawn as of 2037. Miquel was one of the most feared power bats in his time and that got him the first ballot selection at 81.4%.



Peter “Smiley” Plattner – Starting Pitcher – Hamburg Hammers – 73.9% First Ballot

Peter Plattner was a 5’9’’, 185 pound right-handed pitcher from Altach, a small town of around 6,000 people in Austria near the western border. Nicknamed “Smiley,” Platter had incredible stuff with solid movement and peak velocity of 96-98 mph. His control was well below average, but his three-pitch arsenal of curveball, changeup, and cutter still got a ton of whiffs even when he was wild. Plattner’s changeup was especially feared and considered one of the best ever and he was excellent at adjusting speeds. He was a hard worker with excellent stamina in his prime, but a couple big injuries would limit his statistical potential.

Plattner went to England’s University of Oxford for college initially and was quickly a top prospect. Hamburg picked him 11^th overall in the 1954 EBF Draft, but Plattner didn’t sign and switched to the University of Liverpool. The next year, the Hammers grabbed him again with the 12^th pick and Plattner agreed. He would spend all but his final season in Hamburg and was always a full-time starter when healthy with the Hammers, taking second in 1956 Rookie of the Year honors.

Plattner’s best year arguably was his second season in 1957 with conference bests in WAR (12.9), strikeouts (392), complete games (20), and shutouts (10). The 10 shutouts remains a EBF single-season record and the 392 Ks was the top mark at the time. He had a 17-strikeout no-hitter against Oslo as well, yet only finished third in Pitcher of the Year voting. Plattner’s future would be in doubt though after a torn labrum in late April 1958 knocked him out for 14 months.

Plattner returned to form with 9.5 WAR and another 392 strikeout season in 1960, taking second in Pitcher of the Year voting. He’d finally win the award in 1961 and take second in MVP voting on a Triple Crown season of a 1.72 ERA, 23-9 record, and 379 strikeouts with 9.9 WAR. He capped off this incredible year with a perfect game on September 18 against Berlin, striking out 16; this is tied in EBF history for second most strikeouts in a perfect game.

He would never be as dominant again, although he still had solid 1962 and 1963 campaigns. In his playoff career with Hamburg, he had a 2.52 ERA over 60.2 innings with 66 strikeouts. In 16 games for Austria’s team in the World Baseball Championship, he’d post a 2.16 ERA with 165 strikeouts over 112.1 innings. Late in 1963, Plattner suffered a torn flexor tendon and never returned to form after, seeing his strikeout numbers diminish while still having trouble with walks.

Smaller injuries also limited his innings a bit in the later years. By 1968, Hamburg was ready to rebuild and despite being only 34 years old, Plattner’s value was dropping. The team would later retire his #23 uniform, but they let him go for the 1969 season. He spent one final season back home in Austria with Vienna, but was only a part-time starter and occasional bullpen piece. Plattner retired after the 1969 season at age 35.

His final stats: 170-133 record, 2.68 ERA, 2927 innings, 3431 strikeouts but 1006 walks, 257/368 quality starts, a FIP- of 83, and 64.4 WAR. Plattner was a top-tier strikeout pitcher in his brief prime, still managing a solid amount despite being lower than most EBF Hall of Famers in innings and longevity. The rate stats still look solid, even if he’s one of only three Hall of Famers with 1000+ walks allowed as of 2037. Plattner’s peak dominance was enough to get him the first ballot nod at 73.9% to complete the Hamburg trifecta in the 1975 Hall of Fame class.

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Eurasian Professional Baseball had inducted eight players into its Hall of Fame prior to the 1975 ballot. They expanded big time in 1975 with five guys earning the 66% required for induction. There wouldn’t be another EPB class this big until 2005’s unprecedented seven-man group. All five selected would be first ballot as well with 3B Pavlo Kolesnik leading the way at 92.8%. The others didn’t get massive numbers, but enough with SP David Constantin at 75.9%, SP Askar Asanov at 72.6%, 2B Anton Kirilenko at 70.7%, and SP Ilya Pominov at 68.7%. No players were dumped after ten failed attempts in the 1975 voting.



Pavlo Kolesnik – Third Base/Designated Hitter – Minsk Miners – 92.8% First Ballot

Pavlo Kolesnik was a 5’10’’, 200 pound switch hitter from from Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest city located in the northeast. Kolesnik would be beloved as an ironman who played 146+ games in all of his EPB seasons, providing a very well-rounded bat. He was a solid contact hitter with very good home run and gap power, while also providing a solid eye and respectable ability to avoid strikeouts. Kolesnik was a slow baserunner and split his career between third base and designated hitter. He wasn’t an atrocious defender, but was definitely subpar and often best left out of the field.

When Eurasian Professional Baseball was officially formed, Kolesnik was already 28-years old and was known as a top flight batter in Ukraine. He would join the new league and go to Belarus, signing with Minsk. He spent his first five seasons with the Miners and helped establish them as a perennial power. Kolesnik led in home runs (43) and RBI (140) with the RBI mark holding as the EPB single-season record until 1988. He won Silver Slugger in each of his first five years with Minsk and was third in MVP voting in 1955 and 1956; and second in both 1957 and 1959.

In the first five years, Minsk made the playoffs each time and won the European League title in 1955 and 56, taking the Soviet Series in 56. Kolesnik took 1955 ELCS MVP honors and 1956 Soviet Series MVP, posting 47 hits over 30 starts in the two seasons. He became beloved in Belarus, but was also beloved back home in Ukraine as part of the World Baseball Championship team. From 1955-69, he made 111 starts in 121 games with 109 hits, 70 runs, 37 home runs, 66 RBI, and 5.5 WAR.

Entering 1960, the now 33-year old Kolesnik was a top free agent and signed a five-year, $460,000 deal with Novosibirsk. He won a batting title and Silver Slugger in 1960 and took third in MVP voting that year. The Nitros were a bottom tier team despite Kolesnik’s efforts and they traded him after the third year of his deal to Bucharest for prospects. He had 14.4 WAR, 502 hits, 244 runs, 76 home runs, and 233 RBI with Novosibirsk.

Kolesnik emerged as a star again with the Broncos with his arguably best season, leading the European League in the Triple Slash (.335/.407/.608) with a 1.016 OPS and 9.0 WAR. This got his seventh Silver Slugger, but he was second in MVP voting, ultimately never snagging the top award. Kolesnik won another Slugger in 1964 with 14.8 WAR, 356 hits, 172 runs, 55 home runs, and 179 RBI in just two seasons with Bucharest. His deal expired after the 1964 season and the 38-year old Kolesnik wanted to be on a playoff contender again. Thus, he re-signed with Minsk, whom had remained a dominant force since his departure.

He spent three more years with the Miners and was still a solid starter, although he’d only win one more Silver Slugger with his ninth in 1967. Kolesnik earned his second ring with Minsk taking the 1966 Soviet Series. In his eight total years there, he had 1351 hits, 713 runs, 240 home runs, 821 RBI, and 41.8 WAR. His jersey #1 would also be retired by Minsk as he’d remain an extremely popular face of franchise for years after. He became a free agent again at age 41 and spent his final two seasons with Bishkek, retiring after the 1969 season.

Kolesnik’s final stats: 2485 hits, 1234 runs, 487 doubles, 403 home runs, 1363 RBI, a .286/.352/.491 slash, 145 wRC+, and 75.5 WAR. His stats didn’t end up at the top of the leaderboards as the years went on, but they’re impressive considering his debut season was at age 28. With five more prime years, he could’ve ended up in the 3000 hit, 100 WAR, 600 home run range. Still, Kolesnik’s accomplishments were more than enough to get the first ballot nod at 92.8% as the first Ukrainian member of the EPB Hall.



David Constantin – Starting Pitcher – Baku Blackbirds – 75.9% First Ballot

David Constantin was a 6’4’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Tarnova, a commune of around 6,000 people in western Romania. He had 96-98 mph peak velocity with good stuff and movement and okay control. Constantin could beat you with one of five pitches; fastball, slider, curveball, changeup, and splitter. He was incredibly durable and almost never missed a scheduled start and in his prime was good at going deep in games. Constantin was also a strong defensive pitcher. However, he was a complete jerk that was disliked in any clubhouse he went to.

Despite being unlikeable, Constantin had plenty of promise out of college and was picked 26^th overall by Budapest in the 1956 EPB Draft. He was a part-time starter in only two seasons with the Broncos and struggled to a 4.65 ERA over 257.1 innings. His home country team was unimpressed by both his play and attitude, although he would still later return home in the World Baseball Championship from 1959-68 with a 3.34 ERA over 86.2 innings. Constantin’s pro time in Romania would end before the 1959 season as he was traded to Baku.

He’d find his groove with the Blackbirds and have nine straight 5+ WAR seasons with Baku, later earning his #8 jersey’s retirement. He’d never get to play in the playoffs though with the Blackbirds perennially at the bottom. Constantin had highlights, including a no-hitter with 14 strikeouts and two walks against Ufa in 1959. On May 4, 1961; he’d toss a perfect game with 12 strikeouts against Dushanbe.

1962 was the crowning achievement season for Constantin as he won his lone Pitcher of the Year and also Asian League MVP. It would be his only time as a PotY finalist, but It was well deserved with a league-best 1.64 ERA and 10.6 WAR with 30 complete games, 8 shutouts, and 340 strikeouts. In total with Baku, Constantin had a 161-104 record, 2.45 ERA, 2592 strikeouts in 2433 innings, and 58.0 WAR. The Blackbirds would also later retire his #8 uniform, although their relationship with him over the later years would fluctuate.

He had solid production throughout and Warsaw hoped he’d carry that over, signing Constantin at age 33 to a four-year, $548,000 deal starting in 1967. Both his production and motivation fell off hard with the Wildcats, posting -0.2 WAR over 361.1 innings with a 3.41 ERA. He’d be in-and-out of the rotation and ultimately benched full-time; not pitching a single inning in 1970 despite being under contract the whole year. Constantin retired after the season at age 35.

Constantin’s final stats: 198-135 record, 2.75 ERA, 3051.2 innings, 3000 strikeouts, 252/358 quality starts, a FIP- of 87 and 59.1 WAR. Pretty much his entire production was the Bau run, but it was a very impressive nine year run. Respectable stats, but not amazing, which made some wonder if he’d have a real shot at the Hall of Fame considering he was also stuck on bad teams and was a jerk. The tallies were enough for 75.9% of the voters to not only put him in, but with a first ballot distinction.

[FuzzyRussianHat]

Askar Asanov – Starting Pitcher – Dushanbe Dynamo – 72.6% First Ballot

Askar Asanov was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Hisor, a city with a metro of around 300,000 people in western Tajikistan. He was never viewed as great at any one thing, but consistently above average at most things. Asanov had 95-97 mph peak velocity with a great fastball, mixed with a slider, changeup, and knuckle curve. He was very outspoken in the clubhouse and known for having many hot takes, many of which were naturally flagrantly wrong. Despite the bluster, he could give you a lot of quality innings.

Asanov was 26-years old already when Eurasian Professional Baseball was formed in 1955 and signed his first deal with Tashkent. He lone season as a Tomcat was iffy and he’d be traded to his home country team Dushanbe before the 1956 season. He’d spent the next decade with the Dynamo and see his #17 uniform retired at the end of the run. Asanov had five seasons with 8+ WAR with Dushanbe, but still wasn’t a league-leader except for when he struck out 333 in 1960. He never won Pitcher of the Year, although he was third in both 1956 and 1959. In 56, he saw a career-best 10.6 WAR season.

Dushanbe was an early Asian League contender with playoff berths from 1956-60. The Dynamo won the league title in 1958 and the Soviet Series crown in 1960. Asanov’s playoff numbers weren’t great with a 4.95 ERA over 67.1 innings. A torn back muscle in August 1958 kept him out of that run, but he still got his ring and played a big role getting them to that point. Asanov also played for the Tajik team in the World Baseball Championship with a 3.61 ERA over 139.2 innings, 155 strikeouts, and 2.5 WAR from 1957-67.

Asanov was less dominant as he entered his mid 30s, but still had solid numbers as Dushanbe entered a rebuilding phase. 1963 saw a partially torn labrum, but he managed to return decently to form for two more years with the Dynamo. In total there, he had a 151-107 record, 2.64 ERA, 2376.1 innings, 2456 strikeouts, and 72.7 WAR.

At age 37, Asanov became a free agent and signed for the 1966 season with St. Petersburg. He had one decent season as a Polar Bear, then was traded to Ulaanbaatar. Asanov had two respectable seasons with the Boars, then suffered a torn rotator cuff in his second start of 1969. He hoped to comeback from the injury, but a setback put him out 19 total months and he’d never pitch again, retiring officially after the 1970 season at age 41.

Asanov’s final stats: 220-149 record, 2.75 ERA, 3366 innings, 3392 strikeouts, 690 walks, 278/417 quality starts, FIP- of 76, and 87.6 WAR. He was a guy who wasn’t always noticed in his time, but quietly put up a pretty solid resume when looking at the final numbers. This got him the first ballot nod at 72.6% as the first Tajik-born Hall of Famer.



Anton “Flea” Kirilenko – Second Base – Moscow Mules – 70.7% First Ballot

Anton Kirilenko was a 5’10’’, 200 pound left-handed hitting second baseman from Lesnoy, a town within the Minsk region of Belarus. He was best known for a great eye for drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts. Kirilenko was a well-rounded bat though with solid contact and power production in his run, although he was slower than you’d expect for a middle infielder. He was a career second baseman with not only a far stronger bat than you’d usually see there, but very solid defense as well. Kirilenko was a hard worker and very durable, playing 130+ games in all of his EPB seasons.

Kirilenko was already 27 years old when EPB formed and was viewed by many as the best second baseman in Europe. He signed with Moscow in 1955 and spent all but his final season in Russia’s capital. He’d post a 8.1 WAR debut season and have eight seasons worth 7+ WAR. Kirilenko led the European League in walks four times, OBP thrice, WAR twice, and doubles once. He’d get eight Silver Sluggers at second base (1955, 56, 57, 60, 61, 62, 63, 66) and win Gold Glove in 1957.

Kirilenko became an extremely popular player and twice won All-Star Game MVP. He took European League MVP twice in 1962 and 1963, posting a career-best 10.3 WAR and 43 home runs in 63. Kirilenko was second in MVP voting in 1961 and third in 1965. He also went home to Belarus for the World Baseball Championship from 1956-69, playing 98 games with 78 hits, 61 runs, 31 home runs, and 58 RBI.

Moscow made the playoffs eight times from 1959-67, although they consistently suffered early playoff exits. Kirilenko was 39 years old in 1967 when the Mules finally broke through and won their European League title, falling in the Soviet Series to Bishkek. He had 37 hits, 18 runs, and 1.2 WAR in 35 playoff games for his career. The next season finally saw a noticeable decline and Moscow traded him before the 1969 campaign to Prague. There would be no hard feelings and his #30 uniform would be retired the next year. He stunk in his one year with the Pilots, retiring after the season at age 42.

Kirilenko’s final stats: 2179 hits, 1232 runs, 355 doubles, 410 home runs, 1203 RBI, a .275/.358/.486 slash, wRC+ of 148 and 93.7 WAR. He would the first Belrusian Hall of Famer, although his voting percentage of 70.7% is lower than you might expect looking at the stats. As of 2037, he is easily EPB’s WARlord among second basemen and many view Kirilenko as the league’s best-ever at the under-appreciated position.



Ilya Pominov – Starting Pitcher – Ufa Fiends – 68.7% First Ballot

Ilya Pominov was a 5’11’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Gubkin, a town of around 85,000 people in western Russia located around three hours from the border with Ukraine. He got by on power with 99-101 mph peak velocity on his fastball. Pominov’s movement and control were considered respectable also and he had a five pitch arsenal, also mixing in a slider, curveball, changeup, and splitter. He was excellent at holding runners and in his 20s was viewed as having excellent stamina, leading the league thrice in complete games.

Pominov was a prized prospect in EPB’s first-ever amateur draft in 1955. Ufa would select him fourth overall and he’d immediately slot into their rotation, taking second in Rookie of the Year honors. Year three was his breakout with an Asian League best 10.5 WAR, although this didn’t earn much awards attention. He was the strikeout leader with 333 in 1960. He’d win his lone Pitcher of the Year in 1961 with a career best 10.8 WAR with a 24-9 record, 2.04 ERA, and 0.82 WHIP. He’d lead in ERA (1.73) and complete games (28) with 10.5 WAR in 1963, earning second in PotY voting and third in MVP voting.

Pominov started pitching for the Russian national team in the World Baseball Championship, posting a 2.92 ERA in 14 games and 92.1 innings from 1957-65. With Ufa, he had a 143-102 record, 2.53 ERA, 2262.1 innings, 2480 strikeouts, and 69.3 WAR. The team would also retire his #19 uniform. Ufa finally made the playoffs for the first time in 1963 and were Asian League finalists in both 1963 and 1964. Pominov had a partially torn labrum though in August 1964 and missed the latter playoff run.

Despite that injury, he was only 31 years old and was a very in-demand free agent, signing a six-year, $696,000 deal with Moscow starting in 1965. His Mules run would be plagued by injuries, starting with another partially torn labrum in the summer of 1965. In April 1966, a torn rotator cuff put him out after his third start. He blew out his elbow in his first inning of 1967 and required major surgery, putting him out 14 months. He was able to see some innings in 1968 and 1969 with okay numbers, but gone were the days of any dominance. Pominov opted to retire after the 1969 season at age 35.

Pominov’s final stats: 170-117 record, 2.53 ERA, 2661.1 innings, 2889 strikeouts to 594 walks, 226/328 quality starts, 180 complete games, a FIP- of 68, and 79.9 WAR. Without the injuries, he might have really cemented himself as a true EPB legend. Still, he managed a solid resume basically exclusively in his 20s and had enough to barely get the first ballot nod at 68.7%.