Baseball: The World's Game

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The wait for the first Oceania Baseball Association Hall of Famer continues with all six newcomers to the ballot getting dropped with less than 5% of the vote. The returners didn’t see any noticeable movement with SS Fineasi Hausia again leading, although his 30.7% is still far away from the 66% requirement.



The first eligible players for Austronesia Professional Baseball’s Hall of Fame came up in 1975 with no inductees. The highest tally went to closer Hartriono Siagian at 38.7%.

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1975 marked the 29^th World Baseball Championship, held for the first time in Taiwan with Taipei serving as the host city. Division one as usual had the defending world champion United States on top with the 7-0 Americans earning their 26^th elite eight berth. Defending runner-up China got its seventh overall and sixth consecutive division title. The Chinese won D2 at 6-1, having to hold off spirited 5-2 efforts by Poland and Bolivia. Division 3 had Argentina and South Korea tie for first at 5-2, while four teams were 4-3. The tiebreaker moved the Argentinians forward for the eighth time. In D4, North Korea claimed first at 6-1, one better than Spain. This gave the PRK its sixth division title.

Canada claimed a 21^st elite eight appearance by taking Division 5 at 6-1, finishing one ahead of the host Taiwan. England and Mexico tied for first at 5-2 in D6 with three teams close behind at 4-3. The tiebreaker sent the English forward for only the third time and first time since 1963. Puerto Rico and the Philippines tied for first in Division 7 at 5-2 with four close back at 4-3. The tiebreaker gave the Boricuas their fourth division title and first since 1971. And in Division 8, Brazil and Nigeria tied for top honors at 6-1 with Romania at 5-2. The tiebreaker denied the Nigerians from being the first African team to advance, while the Brazilians made it for the fourth straight season and the 15^th time overall, third behind the US and Canada.

The Americans rolled through Round Robin Group A at 6-0 to earn a 25^th semifinal berth. England and North Korea were both 3-3 and Canada was 0-6. The tiebreaker gave the English the nod for their second-ever semifinal berth, having taken third in 1963. Group B had China first at 4-2 for their fifth semifinal appearance of the decade. Brazil and Argentina tied at 3-3- and Puerto Rico was 2-4. The tiebreaker moved Brazil forward for the seventh time, having last made the semis with their 1969 finalist effort.

In the best-of-seven semifinals, the United States beat Brazil in six, sending the Americans to a fifth straight championship and their 22^nd finals appearance. China downed England 4-1 to give the Chinese their fourth finals berth in six years. Brazil officially was third place for the fifth time and England was fourth.



The 1975 World Championship was a rematch of 1971 and 1974. The Chinese got the closest they had come against the US by taking the series all seven games, but the Americans ultimately prevailed for a fifth straight world title and 19^th overall. LF Connor Neumeyer became the first player to win WBC MVP three times and as of 2037, is the only player with three or more. The 25-year old Pittsburgh Pirate had 36 hits, 23 runs, 14 home runs, 28 RBI, and 3.0 WAR. Pitcher of the Year was veteran Oakland closer Carson Hanford. He made two starts and four relief appearances in the tournament with a 0.83 ERA over 21.2 innings with 36 strikeouts and four walks.



Other notes: Australia’s Yul Saitz had a four home run game against Costa Rica. Below are the updated all-time tournament stats. With their third place in 1975, Brazil now has the fourth most points, getting ahead of South Korea. With their incredible run in the 1970s so far, China has climbed up to sixth most despite largely being a non-factor in the tournament’s first two decades.

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West Africa Baseball officially debuted in 1975 with the first Western League champion being Abidjan. The capital of the Ivory Coast finished at 100-62 and was the only team in WAB to allow fewer than 500 runs (499). Taking the two wild card spots were Bamkao at 94-68 and Dakar at 93-69.

The first Western League MVP was 32-year old Freetown left fielder V.J. Balogun. Nicknamed “Puke,” the right-handed Nigerian led in WAR (10.4) and triple slash (.349/.424/.674), OPS (1.098), wRC+ (229), runs (125), and total bases (384), also adding 48 home runs and 105 RBI. Pitcher of the Year was Abidjan’s Blaise Ouattara. Nicknamed “Blue,” the 29-year old righty from Ghana led in WHIP (0.83), quality starts (24), and K/BB (9.2), adding 8.4 WAR over 253 innings with 267 strikeouts, and 2.31 ERA, and 17-7 record.

In the wild card round, Bamako bested Dakar in three games. The first Western League Championship Series went the distance, which is only five games in West Africa Baseball. The league champ Abidjan outlasted the Bullfrogs to take the first Western League title.



The Eastern League would see all three playoff spots go to Nigerian teams in the debut season. Kano was on top at 102-60, followed by Benin City at 97-65 and Lagos at 90-72. Douala was next closest at 85-77. The Condors allowed the fewest runs at 504, while the Blue Devils had the most runs scored of any WAB team in 1975 with 782.

Leading that offensive effort for Benin City was Eastern League MVP Jamil Boadi. The 30-year old right fielder from Ghana was the home run (53) and RBI (154) leader, as well as the leader in runs (116), total bases (365), slugging (.602), OPS (.954), and wRC+ (169), adding 8.4 WAR. The 154 RBI would stand as WAB’s single-season record until 2001. Ibadan’s Cheikh Sow was the Pitcher of the Year. The 28-year old Mauritanian lefty was the leader in ERA (1.95), wins (19-7), WHIP (0.76), K/BB (7.6), quality starts (25), FIP- (67) and WAR (6.9). He had 231 innings and was second in strikeouts at 282.

Lagos upset Benin City 2-1 in the wild card round and would take Kano the distance in the Eastern League Championship Series. However, the Condors would survive in five games to become the first EL champ.



In the first-ever West African Championship, Kano downed Abidjan in six games to send the first cup to Nigeria. The first finals MVP was 3B Siphelele Mannathoko, who would play only two seasons in WAB. The 34-year old from Botswana had 14 hits, 4 runs, 2 doubles, and one home run in 11 playoff games. For Kano, this started them on the path that would make them arguably WAB’s best franchise throughout its first decades.



Other notes: West Africa Baseball’s first Perfect Game came from Freetown’s Hamza Opoku, striking out 12 against Monrovia on June 19. Lagos’ ace Power Bonou struck out 21 on September 21 against Niamey. This mark would be the most in a game until passed in 1984.

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Dalian was first in the Chinese Northern League for back-to-back seasons, this time posting a franchise-best 106-56 record. After only 75 wins last year, Shanghai earned the second place spot at 96-66 for their second playoff appearance in CLB’s first six seasons. Jinan was third yet again at 89-73, while defending China Series champ Xi’An was fifth at 87-75.

Hao Lan won back-to-back MVPs for the Golden Dragons. The 25-year old LF was the WARlord (12.4) and leader in runs (111), home runs (42), total bases (353), slugging (.612), OPS (.982), and wRC+ (217). Pitcher of the Year was Shanghai’s Lixuan Xiao. The 26-year old lefty led in ERA (1.42) and quality starts (33), adding 9.5 WAR over 286 innings with 276 strikeouts and a 14-8 record.



The Southern League had an incredible tight battle with Macau and Wuhan tying for first at 93-69. The tiebreaker gave the league title to the Magicians in their first playoff berth, while the Wolverines earned back-to-back playoff berths. Changsha was one behind at 92-70 and defending SL champ Guangzhou was three away at 90-72.

Southern League MVP went to Macao 3B Wei Gao. The 26-year old righty was the leader in hits (186), total bases (313), and batting average (.314) with a 11.1 WAR and 202 wRC+ campaign. Pitcher of the Year was Shenzhen’s Zhiyuan Lai, CLB’s first Triple Crown winner. The 24-year old righty had a staggering 0.71 ERA with a 17-4 record with 331 strikeouts over 229 innings, adding a FIP- of 17 and 13.4 WAR. The 0.71 ERA set a world record for the best single-season ever by a starting pitcher in any league. As of 2037, only the bonkers 0.64 from EAB’s Toshikuni Naikai in 2020 would be better. Also worth a mention was closer Encai Xing becoming the first the first three-time Reliever of the Year winner. He had 36 saves and a 1.19 ERA split between Hong Kong and Macau.

Both first place teams would win the semifinal series as Dalian downed Wuhan 4-1 and Macau topped Shanghai 4-2. Both teams were first time finalists and their China Series matchup would go all seven games. The Golden Dragons edged the Magicians to take the title with league MVP Hao Lan also taking finals MVP. In 12 playoff games, Lan had 16 hits, 6 runs, 1 home run, 9 RBI, and 8 stolen bases.





Other notes: Macau’s Enhua Zhou set a still-standing postseason record with a perfect zero ERA over 21 playoff innings, also holding the postseason record with a .0882 slugging against him. Zhou pitched 21 innings with six hits and one unearned run allowed, striking out 30 with five walks. He was named semifinals MVP for his effort. 1B Shenchao An, LF Ruilong Yuan, and RF Chenggong Ou Yang each won their sixth Gold Gloves, giving them the award in each CLB season so far. RF Xinze Yan became a six-time Silver Slugger winner.

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Two-time defending Austronesia Champion Kaohsiung improved to a 113-49 mark atop the Taiwan League, the most wins in a season for a Taiwanese team. The Steelheads won their third straight league title and smacked 240 home runs as a team, which remains the Taiwan-Philippine Association single-season record as of 2037. The Philippine League was very competitive with Davao (88-74) edging out Cebu (86-76), Manila (83-79), and Quezon (82-80). Last year’s winner Zamboanga was last but still decent ag 78-84. For the Devil Rays, they won their second league title, having also taken first in 1972.

The Steelheads had both the association MVP and Pitcher of the Year. RF Chun-Chia Lan won back-to-back MVPs, leading in RBI (102) and adding 52 home runs, a .937 OPS, and 7.9 WAR. Pitcher of the Year was Aminuddin Wahi with the 27-year old Malaysian leading in complete games (18), and shutouts (8)), adding 6.2 WAR and a 1.89 ERA with a 21-7 record. Many felt Manila’s Wisnu Dharmayuman got robbed of the award by being on a weaker team. He had a 1.57 ERA, 406 strikeouts, and 10.9 WAR; but the 16-10 record sunk him with some traditionalists.



The Sundaland Association’s Java League required a tiebreaker game for the title after Semarang and Surabaya tied at 100-62. The Sliders won the tiebreaker for their first league title, leaving Singapore as the only team in the association without a playoff berth. After a weak 71-win season in 1974, Batam bounced back to take the Malacca League at 92-70; their fifth playoff berth in six years. Defending association champ Palembang was second at 87-75.

Panthers LF Abracham Gumelar won his fourth MVP award with the 28-year old lefty getting the first ever APB Triple Crown for a hitter. He had a .297 average, 46 home runs, and 104 RBI. He also led in runs (90), total bases (327), OBP (.362), slugging (.599), OPS (.961), and wRC+ (253), with 10.0 WAR. Meanwhile, Semarang’s Sahid Fakhruddin won his third straight Pitcher of the Year. He also had a Triple Crown season, becoming the second APB pitcher to do so (Kun-Sheng Lin did it four times). Fakhruddin had a 23-5 record, 1.06 ERA, and 388 strikeouts over 272.1 innings with a 0.74 WHIP and 9.6 WAR.

Kaohsiung was the heavy favorite for the Taiwan-Philippine Association Championship, but they were stunned with the 113-win Steelheads getting swept by the 88-win Devil Rays. The Sundaland Association Championship had excitement by going seven games. Semarang defeated Batam in the end for their first title.



The 11^th Austronesia Championship had two first-time finals participants. Semarang defeated Davao 4-2 with finals MVP going to pitcher Alfin Surdani. He pitched 8.2 scoreless innings with 13 strikeouts in a key start and also had an eight-inning relief appearance in the postseason. He had a 0.00 ERA with just an unearned run against him and 22 strikeouts for the playoff run.



Other notes: Wisnu Dharmayuman tied the single-game strikeout record with 21 Ks in ten innings against Taichung on May 30. Batam’s Gita Hermawan had a 28-game hit streak to set a new APB record. SS Hadi Yahya won his eighth Silver Slugger, the most for any APB player to date. MVP Abracham Gumelar won his seventh in LF.

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Auckland dominated the Australasia League in 1975, getting their second ever first place finish (1965) by finishing at 108-54. Defending Oceania Champion Adelaide was second at 95-67, a distant 13 games away. For the Avengers, that is the second-most wins in a season to date by an Australasia League team, one behind Gold Coast’s 109-53 campaign in 1972.

Winning league MVP for the seventh consecutive season was Adelaide SS Jimmy Caliw. The 29-year old Filipino led the league in runs (98), hits (169), home runs (35), RBI (99), total bases (318), OBP (.350), slugging (.538), OPS (.888), wRC+ (175) and WAR (12.6). Caliw got his seventh straight 10+ WAR season and his ninth Gold Glove. Meanwhile, Brisbane’s Nathaniel Doloran won his fifth Pitcher of the Year and earned back-to-back Triple Crowns. The 28-year old Australian lefty had a 28-7 record, 1.79 ERA, and broke his own single-season strikeout record with 497. He also led with 341 innings, 0.83 WHIP, 35 quality starts, 19 complete games, 49 FIP-, and 13.9 WAR.



The Pacific League had five teams within four games of the top spot. Defending champ Tahiti finished on top for the fourth time in franchise history with the Tropics at 89-73. Port Moresby was two games behind at 87-75 with Guam three back and both Fiji and Samoa at four back.

Guam DH Sione Hala won his seventh league MVP with the 32-year old Tongan leading in runs (107), home runs (51), RBI (114), total bases (349), slugging (.605), OPS (.942), wRC+ (200), and WAR (7.9). Samoa’s Brad Nelson became a three time Pitcher of the Year winner. The 28-year old lefty from Vanuatu led in strikeouts (423) and also walks (108) over 330 innings with 34 quality starts, 8.9 WAR, a 2.05 ERA, and 20-14 record.

The 16^th Oceania Championship was a rematch of the 1965 final. Just like that one, Tahiti defeated Auckland, this time in six games; giving the Tropics their second OBA ring. 1B Kereama Ruka was the finals MVP with the 26-year old from Kiribati making the most of only one start and three games as a pinch hitter. In 8 plate appearances, he had 4 hits, 2 walks, 2 runs, and one home run.





Other notes: Alapati Tatupu and Sione Hala became the second and third OBA batters to reach 2000 career hits. Hala won his ninth Silver Slugger as well. LF Martin Topio won his record 11^th Gold Glove. 3B Ieremia Tenakanai won his eight Silver Slugger and C Mark O’Grady and 1B Seymour Lennox became seven time Silver Slugger winners.

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Minsk won a sixth straight European League North Division title and earned a 20^th playoff berth in the first 21 years of Eurasian Professional Baseball. At 108-54, the Miners had the best record in all of EPB. St. Petersburg and defending Soviet Series champ Moscow were both wild card teams again with the Polar Bears at 102-60 and the Mules at 94-68. For Moscow, it is their fifth playoff berth in six years. Kyiv won the South Division at 95-67 for their second division title in three years. Last year’s winner Kharkiv missed the field with a second place 89-73.

Moscow DH Emin Ismayilov won the European League MVP, having signed with the Mules as a free agent in the offseason after eight years with Kyiv. He was only two points short of a Triple Crown as he had a .307 average and led in runs (113), hits (181), home runs (62), RBI (117), walks (74), total bases (398), OBP (.384), slugging (.676), OPS (1.059), wRC+ (213), and WAR (10.3). It was only the second 60+ HR season in EPB history behind Zina Gigolashvili’s 65 in 1971.

Kyiv’s Ihor Povaliy became the first pitcher in EPB history to win both Pitcher of the Year and Rookie of the Year in the same season. The 24-year old Belarusian lefty was the WARlord (10.5) and leader in K/BB (11.1), shutouts (8), and FIP- (50), adding 332 strikeouts over 268.1 innings with a 1.74 ERA and 21-6 record. Also of note, Jas Starsky became EPB’s second four-time Reliever of the Year winner. The 35-year old spent 1975 with Minsk and posted a 1.12 ERA over 96.2 innings with 164 strikeouts and 6.8 WAR.

In the first round of the playoffs, Moscow upset Minsk in four games and Kyiv edged St. Petersburg in five games. The European League Championship Series saw the Mules sweep the Kings, giving Moscow back-to-back league titles as a wild card. It is their third EL crown (1975, 74, 67).



The top mark in the Asian League went to Ulaanbaatar atop the North Division at 106-56; their first division title and back-to-back playoff berths. The Boars allowed only 393 runs, setting an AL record. Tbilisi won the South Division at 104-58 for their first-ever division crown and fourth straight playoff appearance. Almaty (97-65) and Irkutsk (92-70) earned the wild card spots. The Assassins earned a fifth straight playoff berth and the Ice Cats snapped a drought dating back to 1962. Last year’s Asian League champ Krasnoyarsk collapsed spectacularly. After winning 100 games in 1974, the Cossacks dropped to a last place 60-102 in 1975.

Asian League MVP went to Ulaanbaatar’s Zdeno Macala. The 25-year old Slovak DH had a banner year with the lead in runs (103), home runs (44), RBI (115), total bases (363), slugging (.600), and 92 WAR. Baku’s Vladimir Nadiryan won the Pitcher of the Year. The 28-year old Armenian righty was the WARlord (10.1) and led in quality starts (29), and FIP- (58). He added 366 strikeouts over 289.2 innings with a 1.80 ERA and 17-12 record.

Both first round series in the Asian League went all five games with the wild card teams stunning the division champs; Irkutsk topped Ulaanbaatar and Almaty bested Tbilisi. This sent Almaty to their fifth straight ALCS and Irkutsk to their first in 15 years. In the ALCS, the Ice Cats downed the Assassins in five games, giving Irkutsk its third league title (1975, 1961, 1956).



The 21^st Soviet Series featured the second wild card from both leagues. It also saw back-to-back years with two Russian teams in the finale. The series went all seven games with Moscow edging Irkutsk, giving the Mules back-to-back titles. League MVP Emin Ismayilov also won finals MVP, posting 18 hits, 11 runs, 4 doubles, 6 home runs, and 15 RBI in 15 playoff games. Moscow becomes the third franchise to win back-to-back EPB rings, joining 1972-73 Almaty and 1958-59 Kyiv. Irkutsk meanwhile moves to 0-3 in Soviet Series appearances.



Other notes: Zina Gigolashvili became the first batter in EPB to reach 700 career home runs and the first to 1500 RBI. He’d play one more season and retire as the leader in both stats with 720 home runs and 1559 RBI, plus 1398 runs scored. Zaur Kadirov became the sixth batter to 500 home runs. Demis Mankovsky became the first reliever to 400 career saves in EPB. Havlik Hloznik became the ninth pitcher to 4000 strikeouts and the 22^nd to 200 wins. Catcher Samir Allahverdiyev won his 11^th and final Silver Slugger, becoming the first hitter to win 11 at any position.

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After missing the playoffs three times since their 1971 European Championship, Luxembourg had the best record in the EBF Northern Conference in 1975. The Lancers finished 103-59 for their third Northwest Division title in franchise history. Rotterdam’s playoff streak was ended at eight seasons, fourth in the solid division at 82-80. The wild card came out of the North Central Division ultimately. Oslo won the division at 91-71 with Stockholm one behind at 90-72 to take the wild card. In the British Isles Division, 1973 EBF champ London ended up back on top after missing the field in 1974, finishing at 97-65. Glasgow at 88-74 was two games off the wild card. Defending NC champ Birmingham fell hard, dropping from 92 wins to 68 wins.

Prior to 1975, there had been five pitching Triple Crowns in European Baseball Federation, the last of which came in 1961. Both Pitcher of the Year winners in 1975 earned the Triple Crown with the Northern Conference honor to Luxembourg’s Greg Saint-Pierre. The 25-year old Frenchman also won the conference MVP honor with a 26-3 record, 1.45 ERA, and 361 strikeouts. He also led in 10.7 WAR, 0.79 WHIP, 11.3 K/BB, and 30 quality starts over 272.2 innings.

In the first round of the playoffs, Stockholm stunned Luxembourg in an upset 3-1 while Oslo knocked off London in four. In the Northern Conference Championship, the Octopi defeated the Swordsmen in six games. This gave Oslo its first-ever conference title.



Zurich (102-60) had the top record in the Southern Conference, winning the South Central Division for the third straight year. Zagreb and defending European champion Belgrade tied for the Southeast Division title at 96-66. The one-game tiebreaker gave the Gulls the division title and the Bruisers the wild card. Meanwhile in a down Southwest Division, Seville took first at 85-77, defeating Barcelona, Madrid, and Lisbon all by four games. For the Stingrays, this was only their third playoff berth and their first since the 1962-63 division wins.

Southern Conference MVP went to Zagreb’s Richard Rautenstrauch at only age 23. The German had a hitting Triple Crown, which had only previously been done in EBF by Danijel Cindric in 1953. He boasted an incredible 62 home runs, 133 RBI, 443 total bases, a .385/.440/.874 slash, 1.314 OPS, wRC+ of 270, and 14.7 WAR. He set single season records to that point in average, slugging and OPS. Rauternstrauch’s totals remain the single-season slugging and OPS seasons as of 2037. 14.7 WAR was the second-best season to that point and is still fourth best for an EBF hitter as of 2037. He also won his second Gold Glove.

Zurich’s Jean-Luc Roch won his second Pitcher of the Year in three years and had a Triple Crown season of his own. The 24-year old French lefty had a 23-2 record, 1.83 ERA, and 399 strikeouts, adding 12.9 WAR, a FIP- of 37, 12.1 K/BB, and 0.73 WHIP. Roch also threw two no-hitters with 12 strikeouts and one walk against Naples on August 23, then had nine Ks and three walks on September 27 in the playoffs against Seville. He joined Harald Solbach (1952) as the only EBF players to this point with two no-hitters in a season.

In the first round of the playoffs, Zurich swept Seville and Zagreb outlasted Belgrade in a five game classic. The Southern Conference Championship ended in a sweep for the first time in a decade with the Gulls flattening the Mountaineers. This was Zagreb’s second conference title, as they also won it in 1960.



The 26^th European Championship was a seven game thriller, the first to go all seven since 1970. Zagreb claimed their second EBF ring by edging Oslo, keeping the title in Yugoslavia. 1B Petros Kalogiannis was the finals MVP with the 28-year old Greek righty posting 18 hits, 12 runs, 3 triples, 6 home runs, and 15 RBI over 16 playoff games.



Other notes: Sauncho Fiero became EBF’s first batter to 3000 career hits. He’d finish after the 1978 season with 3321 and would be EBF’s hit king until the mid 1990s. Joachim Muller became the fifth EBF pitcher to 3500 strikeouts.

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Before the 1975 season, Beisbol Sudamerica made rule changes with the intent of raising offensive numbers. BSA had below average to low offensive numbers historically, although they were no longer the lowest scoring major league with many of the newer leagues being even lower. Still, leaders wanted to see their numbers come more in line with that of MLB or CABA. The home run chase of 1973 with Valor Melo and Julio Batista convinced many within South America that more power and scoring meant more ticket sales.

The changes saw the Bolivar League average ERA go from 3.24 in 1974 to 3.80 in 1975, while the Southern Cone’s went from 3.14 to 3.41. The Bolivar League’s batting average went from .243 to .265, while the Southern Cone went from .235 to .246. The Bolivar League would be viewed historically as having average offensive numbers onward into the 1980s and 1990s, while the Southern Cone while bumped up was still below average.



Defending Bolivar League champion Valencia won the North Division again and set a franchise record with a 114-48 record. The Velocity clobbered 283 home runs as a team, tying the all-time single-season mark set by Caracas in 1932. Their 900 runs scored was a new record and was well above the next best of 731. In the South Division, Cali won their first division title since 1953 with a 95-67 record. Last year’s division winner Quito was a distant second at 86-76.

Valencia had the MVP and the Pitcher of the Year in 1975. Second-year DH A.J. Nunez posted an impressive MVP season with the 22-year old Colombian leading the league with 136 runs, 58 home runs, 151 RBI, 445 total bases, .758 slugging, 1.146 OPS, and 193 wRC+. Nunez set the single season record for RBI, runs scored, and OPS. Lazaro Rodriguez had the seventh Triple Crown season for a BSA pitcher, the first since 1963. It was back-to-back Pitcher of the Year awards for the 24-year old Paraguayan with a 25-7 record, 2.29 ERA, and 442 strikeouts. He also led in WAR (10.5), innings (275.2), WHIP (0.82), K/BB (16.4), complete games (18), and FIP- (55).



In the Southern Cone League, Buenos Aires had the best record and earned their first South Division title since 1963. The Atlantics tied their franchise record at 111-51 and had a historic pitching season despite the offensive rule changes. They had 1831 strikeouts as a team, which still stands as the league record as of 2037. Last year’s Copa Sudamerica champ Cordoba was third in the division at 94-68 with Santiago at 98-64.

The Brazil Division was stacked at the top and ultimately saw a tie for first at 100-62 between Rio de Janeiro and defending champ Salvador. Sao Paulo was only two back at 98-64 with Brasilia a solid 92-70. In a one-game tiebreaker for the title, the Redbirds prevailed. It was Rio’s first division title since the 1970 cup win.

Santiago’s Afonso Revela became the new South American home run king, beating Valor Melo’s 66 from two years prior. Revela smacked a nice 69, but would only be the home run king for one season. This wasn’t enough to win MVP either, as that went to Sao Paulo’s Eugenio Montes. The 26-year old Argentine had his own 60 home run season and led the league in runs (120), RBI (123), total bases (405), wRC+ (220), and WAR (10.5). Buenos Aires had the Pitcher of the Year with Raphael Grieco with the 29-year old leading in ERA (1.85), WHIP (0.77), complete games (14), FIP- (45), and WAR (10.9). He had 361 strikeouts in 247.2 innings with a 21-9 record.

In the Bolivar League Championship Series, Valencia earned back-to-back titles. They edged Cali in seven games with each game going to the home team. The Southern Cone Championship also went all seven with Buenos Aires defeating Rio de Janeiro with a 3-1 walkoff home run in game seven by RF Marti Salazar. This was the seventh title for the Atlantics and first since 1963.



In the 45^th Copa Sudamerica, Valencia ended up the runner-up for back-to-back seasons Buenos Aires’ pitching prowess dominated the Velocity’s power with the Atlantics winning the series 4-1. RF Juan Arcos was finals MVP with the 25-year old in 12 playoff games getting 14 hits, 9 runs, 5 home runs, and 12 RBI. Buenos Aires joined Santiago and Medellin for most cup wins with five apiece. The Atlantics also won it all in 1941, 42, 45, and 63.



Other notes: On May 27, Salvador’s Matthew Ventura had the 31^st BSA Perfect Game, striking out 11 against Asuncion. On September 21, Buenos Aires’ Thiago Granja had a 20 strikeout, one walk no-hitter. This tied Luisao Capucho’s 1945 effort for most Ks in a BSA no-no. Pitcher of the Year Lazardo Rodriguez twice had 21 strikeout games in 1975, joining Mohamed Ramos as both the only pitcher to do it twice in a career or in a single season. Leonardo Souza became the 18^th pitcher to 4000 career strikeouts. Luca Alvares became the 13^th batter to 500 home runs. 3B Emaxwell Navas won his 10^th Silver Slugger.

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The defending East Asian Champion Kyoto had the best record in the Japan League with a 105-57 record atop the South Division. This gave the Kamikaze their third straight division title. Kobe had the second best record in the league, but at 96-66, were still nine games away from the division crown. In the North Division, Tokyo took first at 92-70 for their second division title in three years. Sapporo, who had 107 wins last year, finished second at 88-74.

Japan League MVP went to Kyoto’s Min-Hwi Eun. The 29-year old third baseman was the league leader in hits (216), total bases (402), average (.362), OBP (.402), OPS (1.075), wRC+ (214), and WAR (11.8), adding 47 home runs and 112 RBI. Pitcher of the Year went to fifth-year Tokyo arm Katsuo Nakayama. The 27-year old righty has a 2.38 ERA over 212 innings with 230 strikeouts and 5.8 WAR.



The Korea League ended up very unbalanced with the top six teams all in the North Division. Defending division champ Goyang and Incheon tied for the top spot at 96-66, while Seoul was 94-68 and Hamhung was 90-72. In the one-game playoff tiebreaker, the Green Sox defeated the Inferno to advance. Meanwhile, the South Division had no teams with a winning record. Two-time defending league champ Daegu took first at 81-81, beating Ulsan by three games and Gwangju by five.

League MVP went to Seongnam’s Seo-Yun Lee. The 23-year old RF nicknamed “Mongo” was the league leader in hits (210), stolen bases (106), batting average (.363), and OBP (.408), adding 6.9 WAR. Seoul’s Jae-Hoon Seon won Pitcher of the Year, his second having also taken the award way back in 1967. The 36-year old lefty had a 2.59 ERA and 21-6 record over 271 innings with 238 strikeouts and 6.5 WAR. Seon crossed 250 career wins, the seventh to do so.

The 1975 Japan League Championship Series was a rematch of the 1973 edition. Just like that edition, Tokyo prevailed over Kyoto, this time in a seven-game thriller. This gives the Tides their fourth league title (1975, 73, 36, 21). The Korea League Championship Series was a rematch and despite their 81-81 record, Daegu downed Goyang in six games. This gave the Diamondbacks a three-peat and their eighth league title.



The 55^th East Asian Championship was a rematch of 1973 between Tokyo and Daegu. Just like two years prior, the finale went all seven games, the fourth straight season the EAB final went the distance. The Diamondbacks upset the Tides for their second title in three years. CF I-Deun Mok won finals MVP with 19 hits, 7 runs, 3 home runs, and 10 RBI in 13 playoff games. Daegu now has four overall titles (1975, 73, 56, 53). The 81-81 record is the worst record by an EAB champion to date.



Other notes: Chiba’s Seung-Yu Moon had a 33-game hitting streak, tied for the third longest EAB streak to date. Strikeout king Sang-Hun Joon crossed 5500 career Ks. He’d finish his career after the 1976 season with 5694 and remains EAB’s strikeout leader as of 2037. RF Hyeog-Jun Wi won his 11^th Gold Glove. Two-way pitcher Totaro Uchiyama won his 11^th Silver Slugger.

[FuzzyRussianHat]

1975 officially marked the end of Mexico City’s dominance, even though they had fallen in the MLCS the prior season. The Aztecs’ nine-year postseason streak ended as they were a non-factor at 72-90. The Mexican League was fairly wide open with the best record going to Ecatepec at 94-68. The Explosion won the South Division and had their first playoff berth since 1968. Queretaro was second at 91-71 and took the wild card for their second-ever playoff berth, finishing two games better than Guadalajara. Defending league champ Juarez won the North Division at 90-72, topping Tijuana by three games. The Jesters grabbed their third consecutive playoff berth.

MVP went to Juarez LF Caetano Penuelas. The 23-year old Costa Rican led in the Triple Slash (.391/.447/.658) with a 1.105 OPS, 222 wRC+, and 208 hits. He also added 8.7 WAR. His batting average was the fourth best season in CABA history and his .583 average in the playoffs would set a postseason record that still stands as of 2037. Guadalajara’s Mario Benitez won his fourth Pitcher of the Year. He was the leader in wins at 20-7, strikeouts (312), complete games (16), and WAR (7.4), adding a 2.47 ERA in 258.1 innings. Benitez led in strikeouts for the fifth time in six years.

Juarez swept Queretaro in the wild card round to return to the Mexican League Championship Series. Ecatepec would crush the Jesters with a sweep, the first MLCS sweep since 1959. It is the sixth league title for the Explosion, but the first since 1944. Their other wins were 1943, 1932, 1931, and 1929.



Defending CABA Champion Guatemala had the Caribbean League’s best record in 1975 at 99-63, giving the Ghosts their eight playoff berth in nine years. Nicaragua and Panama were next in the Continental Division at 91-71 and both ultimately were one game short of a wild card. Havana won the Island Division at 93-69 to end a two-year playoff drought. Santo Domingo was one back at 92-70, but narrowly secured the wild card. This was the Dolphins’ first playoff berth since their 1962 CABA crown.

Honduras RF Ishmael Mendizabal won his first Caribbean League MVP. The 27-year old Salvadoran led in runs (118), RBI (139), total bases (373), and WAR (9.7), adding 42 home runs, a .331 average, and a Gold Glove. 29-year old Cuban lefty Deinis Alonso won his second Pitcher of the Year, having won his first two years prior with Santo Domingo. Now in his second year with Guatemala, Alonson had the best ERA at 1.94 and best WHIP at 0.93, adding 207 strikeouts in 195.1 innings, a 16-4 record, and 5.3 WAR. He managed to take the award despite missing seven weeks to injuries.

Havana downed their division rival Santo Domingo 3-1 in the wild card round. The Hurricanes carried the momentum into the Caribbean League Championship Series, defeating defending champ Guatemala in six games. This is Havana’s first title since 1949 and fifth overall.



In the 65^th Central American Baseball Association Championship, Havana downed Ecatepec 4-2. The Hurricanes are now three-time overall champs, also winning in 1949 and 1912. Second-year CF Marcos Guerrero was finals MVP, posting 21 hits, 6 runs, 2 doubles, 4 triples, 2 home runs, and 7 stolen bases over 15 playoff games.



Other notes: Multiple time MVP Wesley Dubar crossed 500 home runs, 1500 runs scored, and 1500 RBI in the 1975 season. He was the 11^th to the RBI mark, 6^th to the runs mark, and 21^st to the dingers mark.

[FuzzyRussianHat]

The National Association had most of its best records in 1975 coming from the Midwest League. Detroit and Kansas City tied for first at 98-64, while Chicago was two back at 96-66 with Louisville at 94-68. The Tigers won the tiebreaker game over the Cougars to give Detroit its first ML title and playoff berth since 1955. KC extended its postseason streak to three years. The Cubs snapped a five-year playoff skid with the second wild card and the Lynx ended a 17-year drought by taking the third spot.

Ottawa would earn a third straight playoff berth and claim the Eastern League at 97-65. Although the Elks have a number of playoff berths in recent memory, this was their first EL title since 1956. Brooklyn was second at 90-72 and narrowly took the final wild card over defending National Association champ Indianapolis, who finished 89-73. The Dodgers ended a two-year playoff drought. Buffalo, who won the EL last year, dropped to tenth place at 72-90.

Taking National Association MVP was third-year two way player Khaled Scott for Kansas City. On the mound, he had a 22-9 record, 2.81 ERA over 278.1 innings with 205 strikeouts and 6.7 WAR. In the outfield, the 23-year old Scott had 122 hits, 71 runs, and 3.3 WAR. His Cougars teammate Mike Lee won his second Pitcher of the Year and was one win shy of a Triple Crown. The 27-year old righty had a 21-11 record, 2.21 ERA, and 329 strikeouts over 285.1 innings with 9.8 WAR and 31 quality starts.

In the first round of the playoffs, Chicago swept Louisville 2-0 and Kansas City topped Brooklyn 2-1. The Cubs upset Detroit 3-1 in round two, while Ottawa cruised to a sweep of the Cougars. This set up a rematch of the 1965 National Association Championship Series. The Elks defeated the Cubs in six games for their first title since that 1965 win. Ottawa now has eight NA crowns (1975, 65, 56, 40, 38, 29, 25, 24).



The American Association had an incredibly competitive field in the 1975 season. Dallas won the Southern League at 98-64 for their second playoff berth in four years and first league title since 1945. The Western League saw Oakland and Seattle tied for first at 97-65 with five other teams within five games of the top spot. The Owls won the one-game playoff to take their first WL title since 1962. The Grizzlies earned a third straight playoff berth as the first wild card. 96-66 Albuquerque got the second wild card for their second playoff spot in four years.

For the remaining two wild card spots; Houston, Calgary, and Las Vegas each tied at 95-67. Two-time defending World Series champ Los Angeles at 94-68 barely missed out, as did 92-70 Denver and 91-71 Nashville. The Hornets beat the Vipers in the first tiebreaker game to advance, then the Cheetahs topped Las Vegas to grab the other spot. This gave Houston back-to-back playoff berths and Calgary its second in three years. The most notable drop was San Diego, who fell from 80 wins to 56.

Winning American Association MVP was Oakland LF Aiden Hertlein. The 25-year old lefty led the AA in slugging (.638), OPS (1.041), and wRC+ (183), adding 7.3 WAR, 38 home runs, 115 RBI, and a .351 average. In his MLB debut, Cajetano Ortega won Pitcher of the Year for Seattle. The 34-year old Mexican came over to MLB after winning two Pitcher of the Year awards in CABA between Merida and Havana. Ortega was the WARlord (9.6) with a FIP- of 59, a 2.56 ERA and 19-10 record with 208 strikeouts over 259.2 innings.

The first round saw Albuquerque beat Calgary and Seattle top Houston, both 2-0. In round two, the Isotopes upset Dallas with a sweep, while the Grizzlies upset Oakland 3-2. In the American Association Championship Series, Albuquerque outlasted Seattle in seven games. This gave the Isotopes their fourth AA title (1926, 34, 48, 75), while the Grizzlies are the runner-up in back-to-back years.



The 75^th World Series would be a seven game thriller between Albuquerque and Ottawa. The Isotopes edged the Elks in the end, giving the American Association eight straight titles. This is Albuquerque’s third overall ring, joining the 2926 and 1934 titles. SS Henry Dellinger had a tremendous postseason, winning MVP in the World Series, AACS, and second round. In 19 games, he had 36 hits, 13 runs, 5 doubles, 2 home runs, and 10 RBI. The 36 hits was a single postseason MLB record and would only get passed once (37 in 1992). Ottawa is now 4-4 in the World Series.


Other notes: Seattle’s Fritz Jackson had a 38-game hitting streak, which is the fourth longest in MLB history. Julius Jordan became the fourth MLB pitcher to 4500 career strikeouts. He and Maiseli Lafaiali’I both crossed 250 wins, making 31 pitchers to have done so. Bobby Davis became the 39^th batter to 3000 hits. 3B B.J. Orwig won his ninth Gold Glove.

[FuzzyRussianHat]

One player was added to the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame with the 1976 voting. LF/DH Tyler Whisnant was a no doubt first ballot selection getting 98.0% of the vote. 1B Ric Campbell in his debut narrowly missed the 66% cut with 62.8%. Catcher Gray Caraway on his sixth attempt was at 60.1%. Also above 50% were LF CJ West (56.5%, 4^th), SP Richard Thieman (56.5%, 3^rd), SP Jeremiah Rutledge (56.1%, 5^th), and closer Wes Kihn (50.2%, 2^nd).



Getting dumped after ten failed attempts on the ballot included 1B/DH Gil Zabala, who posted 2267 hits, 1366 runs, 409 doubles, 507 home runs, 1471 RBI, a .285/.366/.537 slash and 59.2 WAR. Solid power stats, but he was stuck on a weak Seattle team for almost his whole career and only once won a Silver Slugger. A local favorite, but Hall of Very Good type who peaked at 37.8% on his debut. Also dropped was pitcher Phil Savard who in a 19-year journeyman career had a 232-203 record, 3.94 ERA, 3980.1 innings, 3353 strikeouts, and 58.5 WAR. Nice longevity and he won 1947 Pitcher of the Year, but Savard was mostly a tenured average arm. He peaked at 23.8% on his debut ballot.



Tyler Whisnant – Left Field/Designated Hitter – Miami Mallards – 98.0% First Ballot

Tyler Whisnant was a 5’10’’, 200 pound left-handed hitter from Elizabethton, Tennessee, a small town of around 14,000 people in the far northeastern part of the state. Whisnant was an all-time great contact hitter, graded in his peak as an 11/10 at contact. He was also incredible at avoiding strikeouts and putting the ball in play in general, although he was decent at drawing walks too. Whisnant wasn’t a singles slap hitter though, as he was reliable for around 25-35 home runs and 25-35 doubles per year. He was a below average baserunner and a fairly lousy defender. Whisnant made about 60% of his starts in right field with about 30% as a designated hitter and occasional games at first base. He was also typically pretty durable throughout his 20 year career.

Whisnant went to the University of Kentucky for college and was second in NCAA MVP voting in his sophomore season. In 147 college starts, he had 178 hits, 92 runs, 35 doubles, 43 home runs, 127 RBI, and a .313/.382/.609 slash. This made Whisnant a top prospect for the 1950 Major League Baseball Draft and he was picked second overall by Miami. He was immediately inserted into the starting lineup and was only out of the lineup in his decade with the Mallards with various minor injuries. He took second in 1951 Rookie of the Year voting.

His second season saw his first of five Silver Sluggers, also winning the award in 1954, 56, 59, and 64. In 1954, he led the National Association with 7.8 WAR and 223 hits. He’d lead the AA in hits twice more with Miami and earned his first batting title in 1959 with a career-best .371 average. His 1.020 OPS was also enough to earn his lone MVP award. Whisnant also took third in 1956. He was one of the few redeeming things for Miami in the 1950s, as they were consistently a bottom-level team. They’d never make the playoffs in his tenure, but he’d be very popular and see his #2 uniform retired later on. With the Mallards, Whisnant had 1893 hits, 936 runs, 275 doubles, 254 home runs, 860 RBI, a .337/.388/.532 slash and 48.7 WAR.

At age 31, Whisnant entered free agency and signed a six year, $886,000 contract with Oklahoma City beginning in 1961. He’d take third in MVP voting in his Outlaws debut and finish second in 1962, winning his second batting title in 1962 and leading in hits both years. His 238 hits in 1961 was the fifth-most in an MLB season to that point. Whisnant’s signing helped put OKC over the top as they’d get to the American Association Championship Series from 1961-63 and win the title in 1961 and 63. In 1961, the Outlaws won their first World Series ring and Whisnant was the AACS MVP. In 39 playoff games, he had 53 hits, 21 runs, 7 doubles, 7 home runs, and 21 RBI.

Oklahoma City began to rebuild as Whisnant entered his mid 30s and his sixth season there saw his only season to that point with a sub .300 batting average. He finished with 1229 hits, 603 runs, 187 doubles, 174 home runs, 628 RBI, a .333/.382/.532 slash and 31.4 WAR in his Outlaws tenure. At age 37, he became a free agent again and signed for the 1967 season with Portland.

Whisnant had a bit of a resurgence in his two seasons with the Pacifics, posting 8.2 WAR with 359 hits, 155 runs, and a .324 average. They would trade him though to Cincinnati before the 1969 season and he’d miss two months of his Reds season with a sprained knee. At age 40, he went back to where it started on a three-year deal with Miami. Whisnant became the eighth MLB hitter to reach 3500 hits, but ultimately struggled in his return to the Mallards. Miami cut him in early August and Whisnant opted to retire that winter at age 41.

Whisnant’s final stats: 3582 hits, 1743 runs, 530 doubles, 496 home runs, 1727 RBI, a .334/.384/.530 slash, 146 wRC+ and 91.0 WAR. At retirement, his batting average was second best among all Hall of Famers behind only John Roberts’ .342. He was seventh in hits at retirement and in the top 20 in runs scored and doubles. The resume and role in Oklahoma City’s World Series title made Whisnant a lock and easy choice with 98.0% on the first ballot.

[FuzzyRussianHat]

The 1976 Central American Baseball Association Hall of Fame class had three players inducted, although none of them got in with massive numbers. The highest percentage was SP Micah Singh at 72.1% on his second ballot. SP Marc Cedillo was the lone first ballot nod at 70.3%. Another pitcher, Felix Belizaire, just crossed the 66% threshold on his second attempt at 67.9%. Two others were above 50% on their second ballot but just short with SP/DH Yennier Rey at 57.6% and RF Juan Jose at 51.8%.



One player made it to ten ballots but was removed after 1976’s voting. SP Jesus Montiel was the 1957 Pitcher of the Year and had a 13 year career with Monterrey, posting a 139-109 record, 2.73 ERA, 2279.1 innings, 2315 strikeouts, and 52.3 WAR. He needed either more dominance to get in with a short run or a longer tenure to get a stronger look, peaking at 22.9% on his second ballot.



Micah Singh – Starting Pitcher – Puerto Rico Pelicans – 72.1% Second Ballot

Micah Singh was a 5’10’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Tunapuna, a town of around 25,000 people in northern Trinidad. He was a well-rounded pitcher who wasn’t outstanding at anything, but considered above average to good in stuff, movement, and control. Singh’s velocity peaked in the 95-97 mph range with a fastball, slider, curveball, changeup arsenal. He was solid at holding runners and was viewed as very durable in the front end of his career.

Singh was picked 22^nd overall by Puerto Rico in the 1952 CABA Draft. He made only four relief appearances in his first season, then was a part-time starter in year two. Singh became a full time starter in 1955 and held that role for the rest of his Pelicans tenure. 1956 was his first breakout season, finishing second in Pitcher of the Year voting by leading in ERA (2.44). He would take third in 1957, but ultimately never win the top award.

Puerto Rico was usually a winning team, but just short of the playoffs throughout Singh’s tenure. In 1956, they broke through and won both the Caribbean League and the CABA Championship with Singh posting a 3.09 ERA in 23.1 playoff innings. In total with the Pelicans, he had a 131-76 record, 3.09 ERA, 1939 innings, 1696 strikeouts, and 39.9 WAR. The team opted to retire his #3 uniform once his career was done. Singh would leave PR for free agency in 1962 and at age 32, signed a five-year, $540,000 deal with Haiti.

Singh was second in Pitcher of the Year voting in his debut season with the Herons, leading in ERA for the second time in his career with a career best 2.16. He had a strong second season as well, but saw disaster early in 1964 with a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament. All things considered, he had a respectable bounce back year in 1965, but the Herons voided the team option year and let him go. Singh had a 50-25 record, 2.67 ERA, 761.1 innings, 708 strikeouts, and 20.7 WAR in his Haiti tenure.

At age 36, he received some MLB attention and went to Florida, spending 1966 and 1967 with Jacksonville. He put up respectable stats with 8.8 WAR and a 3.47 ERA with the Gators, but suffered a partially torn labrum in late 1967. Jacksonville let him go and he’d spent 1968 with Hartford with still playable production. Singh returned to CABA and signed with Tijuana in 1969 as a reliever, retiring after the season at age 39.

For his entire pro career, Singh had a 214-140 record, 3.14 ERA, 3432.1 innings, 2837 strikeouts, and 72.5 WAR. For just CABA, he had a 185-103 record, 3.01 ERA, 2784.1 innings, 2453 strikeouts, 243/348 quality starts, and 60.1 WAR. Solid, but not particularly dominant or overwhelming compared to others who got in. On his debut ballot, he fell barely short at 65.7%. Singh’s second try got him the bump across the line, joining the greats with 72.1%.



Marc Cedillo – Starting Pitcher – Costa Rica Rays – 70.3% First Ballot

Marc Cedillo was a 5’10’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from the Colombian capital Bogota. He threw hard with 97-99 mph velocity with his stuff and movement graded as good and his control as above average. Cedillo had a four pitch arsenal of fastball, curveball, changeup, and slider; and was very good at changing speeds. He was a hard worker that was known for very good stamina and durability for most of his career.

Cedillo was a rare South American player to play his amateur and college ball in Central America. The CABA Draft had regional restrictions in the first three rounds, meaning Cedillo wasn’t an option until the fourth round. Costa Rica had the first pick of the fourth round, 79^th overall, and selected him in the 1953 Draft. He was immediately in the rotation and was a full-time starter in all five of his seasons with the Rays. In his second season, he tossed a no-hitter with 11 strikeouts against Nicaragua.

In 1957, Cedillo won his lone Pitcher of the Year awrd with a 2.82 ERA over 271 innings, 244 strikeouts, and 7.2 WAR. He’d take second in 1958 and regularly put up solid numbers, although he’d very rarely lead the league in any statistical categories. Costa Rica would make the playoffs in 1956 and 1957, although Cedillo wasn’t great in his postseason exploits. Still, the franchise would later retire his #10 uniform. With the Rays, Cedillo had a 143-114 record, 3.28 ERA, 2341.1 innings, 2063 strikeouts, and 48.9 WAR. He’d also regularly pitch for Colombia in the World Baseball Championship, making 37 appearances from 1954-68. He posted a 3.80 ERA over 217.2 WBC innings with 235 strikeouts and 4.4 WAR.

Costa Rica traded the 31-year old Cedillo to Ecatepec for the 1963 season and he’d sign an extension that kept him there for five seasons. Although never an awards finalist, he posted a 62-42 record, 3.45 ERA, 941.2 innings, 845 strikeouts, and 20.5 WAR with the Explosion. Cedillo would struggle in his last year with Ecatepec, eventually missing five months to a sore shoulder.

Cedillo signed with Leon in 1968 at age 36 and struggled in a half season with the Lions, getting traded to Jamaica. Although he wasn’t anything great with the Jazz, Cedillo would earn a CABA Championship ring with Jamaica. He joined Puerto Rico in 1969 and had a solid bounce back season, then went to Guadalajara in 1970 for an okay year there. Cedillo opted to retire after the 1970 season at age 39.

Cedillo’s final stats: 237-187 record, 3.38 ERA, 3805 innings, 3301 strikeouts to 874 walks, 296/491 quality starts, FIP- of 87, and 74.9 WAR. Like the other guys in his 1976 Hall of Fame class, he had solid numbers that were still a bit borderline compared to some of the others that got in. Enough voters were swayed to put Cedillo in on the first ballot with 70.3%.



Felix Belizaire – Starting Pitcher – Santiago Sailfish – 67.9% Second Ballot

Felix Belizaire was a 6’2’’, 195 pound left-handed pitcher from Castries, the capital of the island nation St. Lucia. Belizaire is the first Hall of Famer from the small island nation of around 170,000 people, located in the southeastern part of the Caribbean. Belizaire had very good control with solid stuff and average movement. His fastball had a 98-100 mph peak velocity and he had an excellent curveball, along with a decent changeup and cutter. Belizaire had very good stamina, leading the Caribbean League in complete games four times. He was a good leader and was considered very durable and reliable for the majority of his run.

Despite being on a lesser known Caribbean island, Belizaire was impressive enough in his amateur career to still garner attention. He would be picked 21^st overall by Santiago in the 1953 CABA Draft and would spend his entire career in the Dominican. Belizaire didn’t play in 1954 and only saw two appearances in 1955; seasons that the Sailfish won the Caribbean League title. He became a part time starter in 1956, then earned a full-time role in the rotation from then on.

Santiago would usually have a winning record, but they wouldn’t make the playoffs at any point in Belizaire’s prime years. He’d be a reason to go to the ballpark, finishing second in Pitcher of the Year voting in 1959, 1960, and 1966. He never won the big award, but did lead the league in WAR in each of his finalist years. He led in K/BB thrice and had seven seasons worth 6+ WAR.

Belizaire’s production remained fairly steady through his 20s and into his early 30s. Disaster would strike though in summer 1967 with a torn flexor tendon in his elbow, knocking him out 14 months. Belizaire still seemed solid when he returned in 1968, but he only got six starts in before a partially torn UCL ended that season. Santiago finally made the playoffs again this season, but he would miss the run to the injury He attempted a comeback in 1969, but was well below average and would retire after the season at age 36.

Belizaire’s final stats: 189-148 record, 3.16 ERA, 3135 innings, 3001 strikeouts to only 426 walks for a 7.0 K/BB, 239/375 quality starts, 173 complete games, a FIP- of 79, and 74.7 WAR. Like the other gentlemen in his 1976 Hall of Fame class, Belizaire’s stats are a bit of a borderline case. The lack of the big award or playoff numbers hurt him with some voters, but he was well known and Santiago did retire his #10 uniform. After missing on his first ballot at 59%, Belizaire just got the boost above the 66% mark with 67.9% to earn a second ballot induction.

[FuzzyRussianHat]

Two players were inducted with East Asia Baseball’s 1976 Hall of Fame voting. The star was pitcher Su-Yeong Myung on the first ballot with 95.7%. Joining him was second baseman Yoshio Hagesawa, who earned the big bump up to 81.0% on his second attempt. Only two others were above 50% with 2B Jung-Min Yi at 60.9# on his third try and 1B Kenzan Manabe at 56.1% in his debut.



No players were dropped after ten ballots in the 1976 voting. Notably falling below 5% on his eighth go was CF Hidemi Ishihara. In 20 years, he had four Silver Sluggers and four Gold Gloves with 2551 hits, 1302 runs, 334 doubles, 306 triples, 287 home runs, 1017 RBI, a .264/.303/.451 slash and 91.4 WAR. By WAR, he’s one of the all-time biggest snubs, but his lack of power stats and postseason notables meant he peaked at 25.3%.



Su-Yeong Myung – Pitcher – Kyoto Kamikaze – 95.7% First Ballot

Su-Yeong Myung was a 6’2’’, 190 pound right-handed pitcher from Seongnam, South Korea. In his prime, Myung overpowered hitters with excellent stuff, making up for merely average at best movement and control. He had 97-99 mph peak velocity and expertly mixed around a four pitch arsenal of fastball, curveball, splitter, and cutter. He also won a Silver Slugger in 1963 and was an alright hitter for a pitcher with a career .225 average, 212 hits, 64 runs, 7 home runs, and 79 RBI. Myung was durable and rarely had significant injuries, although his stamina was unremarkable and he had fewer complete games than most other aces.

Myung was signed as an amateur teenage free agent at age 16 with Kyoto and would spend his entire pro career with the Kamikaze. He made his debut at age 21 with 7.2 innings in 1955, Myung was a part-time starter in 1956, then a full member of the rotation afterward. In 1957, he led the Japan League with a 2.0 ERA and 28 quality starts, earning third in Pitcher of the Year voting.

It would be some time before he was considered for the top award again, but he put up good (but not amazing) production in his 20s for a then bottom rung Kyoto squad. In 1964 at age 30, he led in strikeouts for the first time in his career (304) and WAR (8.4), earning second in Pitcher of the Year voting. In 1967, he’d finally win the award with a career-best 1.85 ERA and 0.81 WHIP. Myung led in WAR again in 1968 and took second in voting.

Kyoto only made the playoffs twice in his tenure and fell in the JLCS in both seasons (1962, 1966). Myung’s postseason stats were unimpressive with a 4.91 ERA in 18.1 innings. He also pitched for South Korea in the World Baseball Championship from 1962-69, putting up better numbers with a 3.18 ERA in 99 innings, 139 strikeouts, and 2.9 WAR. A few smaller injuries hut him a bit in 1969 for his worst full-time year to that point. In 1970, Myung would be relegated to the bullpen with subpar stats, leading him to retire after the season at age 36. Kyoto still respected his service and retired his #25 uniform soon after.

Myung’s final stats: 211-128 record, 2.89 ERA, 3143 innings, 3599 strikeouts to 694 walks, 280/417 quality starts, FIP- of 79, and 72.3 WAR. He almost had a quietly good career, although the advanced stats put him more toward the middle or bottom of the Hall of Fame leaderboard. Still, the voters were plenty impressed with Myung’s resume and gave him a first ballot induction at 95.7%.



Yoshio “Ratbreath” Hagesawa – Infielder – Fukuoka Frogs – 81.0% Third Ballot

Yoshio Hagesawa was a 6’0’’, 185 pound right-handed infielder from Kanazawa, a city of around 460,000 people and the capital of Japan’s Ishikawa Prefecture. Nicknamed “Ratbreath,” Hagesawa was a very solid contact hitter who still had a good pop in his bat, averaging around 25-30 home runs and 35-45 doubles/triples per year. His ability to draw walks and avoid strikeouts was merely average. Hagesawa was a pretty good baserunner and became a very popular player in his time. The majority of his starts were at second base, although he did have significant time at both first base and shortstop. Hagesawa was considered around average defensive at second, poor at shortstop, and above average at first. The versatility gave him extra value though.

Hagesawa attended Senshu University in metro Tokyo for his college career. He was a top prospect and was picked first overall in the 1951 East Asia Baseball Draft by Fukuoka. He was unable to come to terms with the Frogs and played one more year in college. Fukuoka came calling again with the second overall pick in 1952 and Hagesawa joined them, becoming a part time starter in 1953 that finished second in Rookie of the Year voting. A ruptured finger tendon kept him out half of 1954, but he’d make 144+ starts every year for the rest of his Frogs tenure.

Hagesawa led the Japan League in both hits (198) and runs (94) in 1955, earning second in MVP voting. That would be his only time as a MVP finalist. Hagesawa won four Silver Sluggers (1958, 59, 61, 63). In 1958, he led the league in hits (200) and WAR (9.6) and was the WARlord again in 1959 at 9.1. He had 11 seasons worth 5+ WAR in his career.

Hagesawa played for Japan in the World Baseball Championship from 1955-68, posting 120 games and 98 starts, 93 hits, 61 runs, 15 doubles, 28 home runs, 57 RBI, and 4.3 WAR. This would be his only postseason experience for much of his career, as Fukuoka generally stunk during his tenure. With the Frogs, he had 1504 hits, 698 runs, 243 doubles, 106 triples, 195 home runs, 701 RBI, a .317/.360/.536 slash and 58.4 WAR. The team would also eventually retire his #31 uniform.

Before the 1962 season, the 31-year old Hagesawa was traded to Kawasaki for three prospects. He spent the rest of his career with Kawasaki and still put up solid production when healthy. Injuries caught up to him in his 30s, including a torn meniscus that put him out five months in 1965. Hagesawa finally got to see playoff action in 1967 as the Killer Whales won the Japan League title. The next year, the 37-year old was relegated to a bench role for his final season. Hagesawa would go unsigned in 1969 and retire after that season at age 39. For his Kawasaki run, he had 844 hits, 451 runs, 130 doubles, 44 triples, 156 home runs, 453 RBI, a .293/.342/.532 slash and 31.5 WAR.

Hagesawa’s final stats: 2348 hits, 1149 runs, 373 doubles, 150 triples, 351 home runs, 1154 RBI, a .308/.353/.535 slash, wRC+ 169, and 89.9 WAR. A very solid resume, but the lack of major awards or playoff accolades hurt him with many voters. His first two ballots he fell short with 63.9% and 55.9%. Then in try #3 for 1976, enough voters saw the light to give Hagesawa the big boost up to 81.0%, putting him among the hallowed greats.

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There were two first ballot editions to the Beisbol Sudamerica Hall of Fame in 1976. Both were starting pitchers with Oliverio Collazo at 92.2% and Roberto Gonzalez at 86.2%. The only other player above 50% was closer Jaguare Maia at 60.4% in his second attempt.



One player fell off the ballot after ten failed attempts. Valeriano Torrez was a first baseman who had 16 years with Bogota, winning three Silver Sluggers and two Gold Gloves with 2709 hits, 1109 runs, 420 doubles, 382 home runs, 1267 RBI, a .297/.335/.478 slash and 70.8 WAR. A solid resume, but he didn’t have the power numbers that voters want out of a first baseman. He peaked at 53.8% on his third ballot and ended at a low mark of 35.3%, banished forever to the Hall of Very Good.



Oliverio Collazo – Starting Pitcher – La Paz Pump Jacks – 92.2% First Ballot

Oliverio Collazo was a 6’0’’, 185 pound right-handed pitcher from Medellin, Colombia. Collazo wasn’t considered stellar at any one phase of the game, but was viewed as above average generally all around. His velocity peaked at 95-97 mph and he had five different pitches he could beat you with; a curveball, changeup, sinker, splitter, and cutter. This gave him an extreme groundball tendency. Collazo had excellent stamina and durability and regularly provided innings with 12 seasons of 265+ innings pitched.

Collazo was actually a draft pick out of high school with a third round, 78^th overall pick by Bogota in the 1951 Beisbol Sudamerica Draft. He wouldn’t stick around with the Bats, sent to La Paz in a summer 1952 trade. Collazo debuted in 1955 at age 22, but he’d only see off and on starts for his first four years. 1959 saw Collazo become a full time starter and he’d hold that role the rest of his career.

Collazo wasn’t generally dominant, but he led the Bolivar League in innings pitched three times. 1960 saw a second place in Pitcher of the Year voting with 7.1 WAR, a 2.23 ERA, and 23-9 record. It was his only time as a finalist. He’d also lead in strikeouts with 328 in 1965 with 328 and had a career best 8.3 WAR and in 1967 at age 34. That season was highlighted by a no-hitter against Valencia on August 17. The Pump jacks were lousy though in this tenure and never made the playoffs in his tenure.

Collazo would post a 203-144 record, 2.77 ERA, 3263 innings, 3285 strikeouts, and 64.1 WAR in his La Paz tenure and the team would retire his #16 uniform. He also pitched for Colombia in the World Baseball Championship from 1959-70, posting a 3.56 ERA over 146.2 innings with 143 strikeouts. Collazo became a free agent at age 36 and signed back with his original team Bogota. He spent 1969-70 with the Bats and still provided innings, although his strikeouts and general production was noticeably lower. Collazo retired after the 1970 season at age 38.

Collazo’s final stats: 236-171 record, 2.80 ERA, 3809 innings, 3708 strikeouts to 646 walks, 332/472 quality starts, 190 complete games, a FIP- of 90, and 68.9 WAR. His tenure and durability allowed him to build up solid accumulations despite not being dominant or with standout teams. The Beisbol Sudamerica voters love pitchers and Collazo’s numbers swayed them for a first ballot nod at 92.2%.



Roberto Gonzalez – Starting Pitcher – Lima Lobos – 86.2% First Ballot

Roberto Gonzalez was a 6’3’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Andahuaylas, a city of around 40,000 people in southern Peru. He had great stuff, very good control, and above average movement with 94-96 mph peak velocity. He had a three-pitch arsenal with a fastball, curveball, and sinker with each equally effective. Gonzalez was a fan favorite who was adored for his smarts, work ethic, and loyalty.

Gonzalez was picked in the 1955 Beisbol Sudamerica Draft out of high school by Lima, 12^th overall. He’d make his debut at age 22 in 1958, although he’d see limited action with unremarkable production in his first three seasons. It was year four that he emerged as the ace for the Lobos, taking over the role after the team’s championship in the mid 1950s. In 1963, he won his lone Pitcher of the Year and took second in MVP voting. Gonzalez posted the sixth Triple Crown season for a BSA pitcher with a 25-5 record, 1.37 ERA, 324 strikeouts, and 12.1 WAR.

He fell back to earth with a merely good season the next year, then missed a chunk of 1965 with a partially torn labrum. Gonzalez bounced back impressively, leading the Bolivar League in ERA and WHIP in both 1966 and 1967. In 1967, he finished second in Pitcher of the Year voting, his only other year as a finalist. Still, he’d have six seasons worth 7+ WAR in his career. Gonzalez also pitched for Peru in the World Baseball Championship from 1960-69, posting a 3.34 ERA over 110.1 innings with 140 strikeouts.

Gonzalez finally had a chance at the postseason in 1968 as Lima won Copa Sudamerica. He was a big part of the run, posting a 1.21 ERA in three playoff starts with 18 strikeouts over 22.1 innings. He had a solid 1969, but 1970 saw a noticeable decline in production and was eventually demoted to the bullpen. Gonzalez opted to retire after the 1970 season at age 35 and would see his #79 uniform retired by Lima.

Gonzalez’ final stats: 174-93 record, 2.51 ERA, 2652.1 innings, 2926 strikeouts to 404 walks, 254/338 quality starts, a FIP- of 74 and 70.8 WAR. It was a relatively short career and fewer innings compared to most Hall of Famers, but the rate stats certainly fit in. Being well liked, the Triple Crown year, and an important role in a championship series all helped make Gonzalez a first ballot selection with 86.2% of the vote.

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The European Baseball Federation had three first ballot Hall of Fame selections in 1976 with each getting above 90%. Pitcher Armando Rojas and 1B Rudjer Bosnjak were both close to unanimous with 99.4% and 98.8%, respectively. Another pitcher, Mijusko Popovic, also had an impressive 91.1%. The only other player above 50% was pitcher Karlo Godina at 54.8% on his fifth ballot.



Dropped after ten ballots was Francesco Pizzi. A pitcher whose EBF career started at age 28, he had a 162-102 record, 2.64 ERA, 2558 strikeouts, and 67.1 WAR. Had he started his career in his early 20s, he probably would’ve gotten the accumulations to get across the line. With the lack of a major award, he peaked at 34.8% on his debut before finishing at 10.8%.



Armando Rojas – Starting Pitcher – Seville Stingrays – 99.4% First Ballot

Armando Rojas was a 6’4’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Velilla de San Antonio, a small municipality of around 12,000 people in the Madrid metropolitan area in central Spain. Rojas had excellent stuff, great movement, and good control with 97-99 mph peak velocity. He did this with only three pitches; a fastball, curveball, and changeup; but he was a master at changing speeds and coaxing ground balls and whiffs. Rojas was also a good defender who was great at holding runners. He had great stamina and durability in his peak, making him one of the most dominant pitchers in European baseball history.

Rojas attended England’s Newcastle University for college and returned home to Spain with the 1953 EBF Draft, picked 12^th overall by Seville. He had an incredible rookie season with a Southern Conference best 1.62 ERA plus an 8.7 WAR, winning the Rookie of the Year. Rojas was so dominant that he won the Rookie of the Month award in six different months.

With the Stingrays, Rojas led the conference in ERA four times, WAR thrice, quality starts thrice, WHIP thrice, and strikeouts twice. His first no-hitter came in 1956 with 11 strikeouts and one walk against Munich. Rojas won Pitcher of the Year in 1956, 57, and 58; and took second in 1959 and third in 1955. In only six seasons with Seville, Rojas posted a 117-43 record, 1.96 ERA, 1626 innings, 1860 strikeouts, and 60.5 WAR. He also started pitching for Spain in the World Baseball Championship. From 1954-69, Rojas had a 2.62 ERA over 192.1 innings with 225 strikeouts and 5.2 WAR.

Despite his efforts, Seville remained a lower-rung team in Rojas’ tenure. He’d leave for free agency and head closer to home with a seven-year, $648,000 deal with Madrid. The Conquistadors had been a top competitor in the 50s, although they’d only make the playoffs in 1961 with Rojas there. He was still a beast in his tenure, leading in WAR four times, strikeouts thrice, and WHIP thrice. Rojas won his fourth and final Pitcher of the Year in 1961 and took second in both 1962 and 1966.

1961 was the crown jewel season that saw a Triple Crown with a 25-6 record, 1.61 ERA over 296 innings, and 370 strikeouts. He also posted 13.6 WAR, 11.9 K/BB, 29 quality starts, and 21 complete games. The 13.6 WAR remains the third-best EBF pitching season as of 2037. Rojas also had his second no-hitter in 1961, fanning 11 against London with only a hit-by-pitch preventing a perfect game. In total with Madrid, Rojas had a 102-60 record, 2.13 ERA, 1569.1 innings, 1996 strikeouts, and 62.1 WAR.

In April 1966, the 34-year old Rojas’ tenure with Madrid ended on a trade for two prospects to Rome. The Red Wolves hoped Rojas could put them over the top as they were a contender at this point. He had a good year, but struggled in two postseason starts as Rome was ousted in the first round. During the 1967 World Baseball Championship, Rojas suffered a torn UCL and would miss the entire season with his future in jeopardy.

He came back in 1968 at age 36 and while he wasn’t as dominant or able to pitch as deep, Rojas was still a solid starter. This time, he had a solid postseason with a 2.66 ERA over 23.2 innings as he and Rome won the 1968 European Championship. In 1969, he threw a no-hitter in the WBC against New Zealand with six strikeouts and two walks. A torn flexor tendon in his elbow in May would end his Madrid tenure with a 32-18 record, 2.55 ERA, 494 innings, 504 strikeouts, and 18.0 WAR. Rojas attempted a comeback with Barcelona in 1970 and was merely okay, retiring after the season at age 39.

Rojas’ final stats: 259-127 record, 2.17 ERA, 3871.1 innings, 4432 strikeouts to 624 walks, 371/476 quality starts, a FIP- of 57, and 141.7 WAR. He was EBF’s pitching WARlord at retirement and is still second place as of 2037. Rojas was the first EBF pitcher to 4000 strikeouts and the second EBF pitcher to 250 career wins. Even as of 2037, he’s eighth all-time in wins, fourth in ERA, and fifth in strikeouts. Rojas is clearly an inner-circle Hall of Fame pitcher, getting the induction at 99.4%.



Rudjer Bosnjak – First Baseman – Athens Anchors – 98.8% First Ballot

Rudjer Bosnjak was a 6’0’’, 200 pound left-handed hitting first baseman from Sremska Mitrovica, a city of around 40,000 in northwestern Serbia. Bosnjak was an excellent contact and power hitter who regularly hit above .300 and smacked 40+ home runs. Bosnjak also had a solid eye and great ability to draw walks while also being respectable at avoiding strikeouts. He also averaged around 30 doubles per year, although he was a poor and slow baserunner. Bosnjak was an ironman who started 148+ games in every season but his rookie year. He was a career first baseman and was below average defensively. Incredibly humble, Bosnjak became a beloved baseball figure in southeastern Europe.

He played college baseball with England’s University of Cambridge and was the top prospect coming into the 1955 European Baseball Federation Draft. Athens had the first overall pick and selected Bosnjak, who’d spend his entire EBF career with the Anchors. After limited starts in his rookie season, he became a full-time start from 1957 onward, making 2227 starts with Athens. Bosnjak He had 12 straight seasons with 6+ WAR and had 9+ WAR in six different seasons.

Bosnjak would led the Southern Conference in home runs four times, peaking with 56 in 1960. He led in RBI four times, WAR twice, OBP six times, and OPS four times. Bosnjak won Silver Sluggers in 1957, 59, 60, 61, 63, 64, 65, 67, and 69. He’d win MVP three times (1960, 61, 65), while taking second in 1957 and 1963, and third in 1959 and 1966.

Bosnjak’s best season was 1960 when he led in runs (127), hits (216), home runs (56), total bases (423), triple slash (.368/.456/.721), OPS (1.176), wRC+ (225), and 12.6 WAR. He also had a career-best 142 RBI, although he finished second to miss out on a Triple Crown. Athens made the playoffs five times in his run, although they only made the conference final once. Bosnjak was also a regular for Serbia in the World Baseball Championship from 1956-72, posting 134 starts, 121 hits, 80 runs, 44 home runs, 93 RBI, and 6.2 WAR.

Bosnjak continued to be a great hitter into his 30s, but his power started to dwindle a bit in his later years. After the 1970 season at age 36, Athens let him go. His #1 uniform would be retired a few years later and he stayed a franchise icon for years after. This ended his EBF career, although he’d head to the Oceania Baseball Association for two additional seasons with New Caledonia. He’d retire after the 1972 season at age 38.

Bosnjak’s final EBF and Athens stats: 2646 hits, 1419 runs, 427 doubles, 594 home runs, 1669 RBI, 1111 walks, a .320/.403/.599 slash and 117.0 WAR. At retirement, he was second all-time in WAR for batters, third in home runs, second in hits, second in RBI, and second in runs. Later surges in offense lowered him on the leaderboards, but he’s still 16^th in hitting WAR as of 2037. Bosnjak was one of the most feared and consistent batters in the 1950s and 1960s and was an obvious first ballot pick at 98.8%.



Mijusko Popovic – Starting Pitcher – Athens Anchors – 91.1% First Ballot

Mijusko Popovic was a 6’4’’, 195 pound right-handed pitcher from Kikinda, a city of around 49,000 people in northeast Serbia. He was a hard thrower with 98-100 mph peak velocity, overpowering hitters with a great fastball, along with a changeup and splitter. His movement and control were both merely average, but his power and ability to go deep in games made Popovic very valuable. He was generally a very durable pitcher and was also considered a solid defensive pitcher.

Popovic attended the University of Oxford for college and was picked third overall in the 1955 European Baseball Federation Draft by Athens. He was a full-time starter immediately, although he struggled at points in his first few seasons mainly due to control and walks issues. His fourth year was his first as an ace level pitcher and he’d go onto have nine seasons with 5+ WAR. Popovic threw two no-hitters with Athens, striking out 10 with two walks in 1959 against Vienna and with eight Ks and two walks in 1961 versus Zagreb.

In 1959, Popovic won his lone Pitcher of the Year with the conference lead in wins, innings pitched, and quality starts. He’d take third in voting in 1963, his only other time as a finalist. In eight years and change with the Anchors, Popovic had a 145-107 record, 3.05 ERA, 2361.1 innings, 2234 strikeouts, and 39.1 WAR. Athens liked him enough to later retire his #18 uniform. Popovic also pitched for Serbia in the World Baseball Championship from 1957-70, posting a 3.43 ERA over 204.2 innings with 237 strikeouts and 2.0 WAR.

At the 1964 trade deadline, Popovic was traded for three prospects to Stockholm. The Swordsmen got to the playoffs, but were one-and-done. The 30-year old would sign an extension and spend five more years in Sweden and in 1965 had a conference-best 347 strikeouts, 301.1 innings, and 10.1 WAR. Popovic remained solid early on, but saw his production wane a bit by the end of his Stockholm run. The Swordsmen bought out the last year of his contract and the 35-year old would sign with Belgrade. He was subpar in his season with the Bruisers and retired after the 1970 season.

Popovic’s final stats: 226-189 record, 3.08 ERA, 3907.1 innings, 3829 strikeouts, 1119 walks, 327/481 quality starts, a FIP- of 88, and 73.8 WAR. He was the sixth pitcher to 200 wins and the fourth to 3500 strikeouts in EBF history. His advanced stats put him more towards the middle or bottom among the later inducted EBF pitchers, but Popovic’s resume was more than strong enough to get the first ballot pick at 91.1%.

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Three first ballot selections were made for the Eurasian Professional Baseball Hall of Fame in 1976. All three additions were pitchers with Arutyun Lezjov at 98.8%, Andriy Kovalenko at 93.4%, and Maxim Alakbarov at 86.1%. Three others were above 50% with pitcher Skerdi Hoxha just shy of the 66% threshold again with 63.4% in his sixth attempt. Pitcher Inal Brezhnev was at 55.6% on his fourth ballot and LF Eldar Vdovichenko had 50.5% in his third. No players were dropped after ten seasons with the 1976 EPB ballot.



Arutyun Lezjov – Starting Pitcher – Omsk Otters – 98.8% First Ballot

Arutyun Lezjov was a 5’11’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Ulan-Ude, a city of around 400,000 people in eastern Russia located three hours north of Mongolia. He was considered to be a well-balanced pitcher with solid stuff, movement, and control. Lezjov’s velocity peaked at 93-95 mph with a fastball, changeup, curveball arsenal. He had terrific stamina and was very durable in the front end of his career. Lezjov was known as a sparkplug who provided great leadership and work ethic.

Lezjov was picked in the second round, 47^th overall, in the 1956 Eurasian Professional Baseball Draft by Omsk. He spent his entire pro career with the Otters and was immediately a full-time starter, finishing second in 1957 Rookie of the Year voting. He had trouble with walks in his earliest seasons, but would emerge as a genuine ace by his fourth year. He’d post seven seasons worth 6+ WAR and four worth triple digits. Lezjov led the Asian League in innings pitched twice, wins four times, complete games three times, and both WAR and ERA once.

Lezjov earned attention in 1962 when he set a single-game strikeout record with 22 Ks in 11.1 innings versus Baku. 1963, he won his first Pitcher of the Year and finished second in MVP voting posting a 28-4 record, 1.81 ERA, and 11.6 WAR. The 28 wins tied the EPB single season record as Omsk earned their first-ever playoff berth, although they were one-and-done. In 1964, Lezjov tossed a no-hitter with 12 strikeouts against Novosibirsk with only a hit-by-pitch preventing perfection.

1965 was the first major setback for the now 31-year old Lezjov, who missed four months with a torn back muscle. But he bounced back impressively with his second Pitcher of the Year and a league MVP in 1966 with career bests in ERA (1.48), WIHP (0.73), quality starts (28), FIP- (40), and WAR (13.1). Omsk had a historic 120-42 season and won the Asian League title, although they fell to Minsk in the Soviet Series. Ultimately in eight playoff appearances, Lezjov had a 3.31 ERA over 51.2 innings with 50 strikeouts. He also pitched for Russia in the World Baseball Championship with 161 innings, a 13-2 record, 3.24 ERA, and 184 strikeouts from 1959-70.

1967 saw another torn back muscle in his second start of the year, putting Lezjov out the whole season. He bounced back again impressively with his third and final Pitcher of the year in 1968 with a 1.79 ERA. That season saw his second no-hitter with 11 strikeouts and one walk versus Asgabat. Smaller injuries cost him some time and production in his final two years, although he was still starter quality. In August 1970, he’d suffer a torn rotator cuff which ultimately ended his season at age 36. Lezjov’s #4 uniform would be immediately retired as he remained a favorite among Omsk fans.

Lezjov’s final stats: 222-137 record, 2.74 ERA, 3191.2 innings, 3350 strikeouts, 254/379 quality starts, 248 complete games, a FIP- of 73 and 87.9 WAR. He didn’t quite have the tenure or big strikeout numbers of some other EPB Hall of Famers, but everyone acknowledges that Lezjov was one of the most dangerous pitchers of the 1960s. This earned him the no-doubt first ballot induction at 98.8%.



Andriy “Little Rat” Kovalenko – Starting Pitcher – Moscow Mules – 93.4% First Ballot

Andriy Kovalenko was a 6’2’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Kremenchuk, a city of around 200,000 people in central Ukraine on the Dnieper River. Nicknamed “Little Rat,” Kovalenko was known for solid stuff with above average movement and sometimes dodgy control. His velocity peaked at 95-97 mph with a great fastball, curveball, and splitter, along with a rarely used changeup. He was an intelligent pitcher who knew how to change speeds to be effective.

Kovalenko was 25-years old when Eurasian Professional Baseball was formed and was known already amongst the Soviet Union as a promising pitcher. Yekaterinburg gave him his first EBP contract on a five-year deal and he took second in Pitcher of the Year voting in his Yaks debut. Kovalenko had a no-hitter with 16 strikeouts against Ufa and had an excellent postseason going 4-0 over 34.1 innings with a 1.57 ERA and 32 strikeouts. This helped Yekaterinburg win the very first Soviet Series in 1955. He led the Asian League in WHIP this year at 0.88.

Despite his successes, he wasn’t a league-leader often, leading in strikeouts once in 1958 and wins in 1963. The 1955 campaign would be Kovalenko’s only time as a Pitcher of the Year finalist. He’d throw a second no-hitter with the Yaks in 1957, fanning 10 with five walks against Ulaanbaatar. Kovalenko also started pitching for Ukraine in the World Baseball Championship, posting a 3.37 ERA in 20 starts from 1955-62 with 170 strikeouts over 136.1 innings. In total with Yekaterinburg, he posted an 88-47 record, 2.61 ERA, 1310 innings, 1492 strikeouts and 33.7 WAR. Now a free agent at age 30, he signed for the 1960 season on a six-year, $450,000 deal with Moscow.

Kovalenko became best known for his time with the Mules, seeing his #5 uniform retired after nine years of service in the Russian capital. A bone spur in his elbow put him out much of 1962 and smaller injuries cost him some time in his later years, but Kovalenko gave the Mules consistent production. Moscow regularly made the playoffs in the 1960s, although suffered some early exits. In 1967, they finally broke through for their first European League title, later falling to Bishkek in the Soviet Series. In his playoff games with the Mules, Kovalenko had a 2.13 ERA in seven starts with 42.1 innings and 39 strikeouts.

Kovalenko saw some declines as he entered his late 30s and in August 1968, suffered a torn UCL. He’d return to action in the summer of 1969, but would be traded to Tashkent. For his Moscow run, Kovalenko had a 135-67 record, 2.55 ERA, 1871 innings, 1992 strikeouts, and 40.0 WAR. He finished 1969 and spent 1970 with the Tomcats, retiring after the 1970 campaign at age 41.

Kovalenko’s final stats: 233-125 record, 2.61 ERA, 3350.2 innings, 3640 strikeouts, 295/432 quality starts, FIP- of 81, and 76.0 WAR. Despite rarely being viewed as a top five pitcher in EPB, he quietly put together a very impressive resume. The voters certainly were sold, putting Kovalenko into the Hall of Fame on his first ballot at 93.4%.



Maxim Alakbarov – Starting Pitcher – Asgabat Alphas – 86.1% First Ballot

Maxim Alakbarov was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Turtkul, a city of around 50,000 people in northwestern Uzbekistan. He was known for having very good control and movement along with above average stuff. Alakbarov’s velocity peaked around 96-98 mph with an arsenal of a slider, curveball, changeup, and sinker. The sinker was his best pitch, leading to an extreme groundball tendency. He was also known as a solid defensive pitcher, although Alakbarov would get criticized for being unmotivated at times.

In the 1957 EPB Draft, Alakbarov was picked sixth overall by Asgabat, In his rookie season, he led the Asian League in innings pitched and won the 1958 Rookie of the Year. Alakbarov led the league in ERA in 1959 at 2.16, although his best seasons by WAR would be 10.5 in 1961 and 9.4 the following year. He never won Pitcher of the Year, but was third in voting in both 1960 and 61, then second in 1962. He also was third in 1962’s MVP voting. 1962 saw a no-hitter against Irkutsk with 11 strikeouts and two walks.

The Alphas would make it to the ALCS in 1960, but that would be their only playoff berth until the late 1970s. While in Turkmenistan, Alakbarov had a 126-75 record, 2.32 ERA, 1882.2 innings, 1828 strikeouts, and 51.1 WAR. He also regularly returned home to Uzbekistan, playing with the national team from 1957-69 in the World Baseball Championship. In tournament play, he had a 2.88 ERA over 168.2 innings with 165 strikeouts and 3.6 WAR. At the 1964 trade deadline, his time with Asgabat ended as he was traded to St. Petersburg.

Alakbarov spent the remainder of his pro career with the Polar Bears, who made the playoffs in his first season there. He’d retire just before their 1971 Soviet Series win. Alakbarov was steady with St. Petersburg, although he started to decline in his mid 30s. He fell below league-average in 1969 and missed the end of 1970 with a torn meniscus. Alakbarov opted to retire after the season at age 35. With the Polar Bears, he had a 87-62 record, 2.66 ERA, 1227 strikeouts in 1474.2 innings, and 22.1 WAR.

Alakbarov’s final stats: 213-137 record, 2.47 ERA, 3357.1 innings, 3055 strikeouts, 302/407 quality starts, 208 complete games, FIP- of 84, and 73.1 WAR. He was another guy rarely viewed as dominant, but he regularly went deep into games and gave you quality innings. Alakbarov was another whose resume may have surprised some with how solid it was. The voters decided he’d join the other two pitchers in the 1976 class on the first ballot with 86.1%.

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The Oceania Baseball Association would still be waiting for its first Hall of Famer after the 1976 ballot. Neemia Tala’apitaga on his fourth attempt posted the highest percentage of anyone yet with 42.7%, still well shy of the required 66%. SS Fineasi Hausia was at 35.6% on his third try. For Austronesia Professional Baseball, closer Hartriono Siagian was again the top vote getter, but his 36.2% for his second try was also well short of making him APB’s first inductee.

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The 30^th World Baseball Championship would be the first tournament to be held in Africa with the Nigerian capital Lagos serving as the primary city. The five-time defending world champion United States took Division 1 per usual, their 27^th time advancing to the Elite Eight. The Americans at 6-1 were challenged though by both Kazakhstan and Northern Ireland at 5-2. In D2, France earned its fourth-ever division win at 6-1. China fell short at 5-2, ending their streak of six straight division crowns. Argentina claimed Division 3 at 6-1, edging both South Korea and the Netherlands by one. This gave Argentina its ninth division title and back-to-back. Meanwhile in D4, Italy advanced at 5-2 with four nations (Colombia, El Salvador, Japan, North Korea) at 4-3. It is the fifth time advancing for the Italians and first since 1968.

Division 5 had Mexico and the Dominican Republic tied at 5-2, both one better than Guatemala and Nicaragua. The tiebreaker send the Mexicans ahead for the 13^th time, although their first since 1972. Spain won its second-ever division title, joining their 1953 effort. The Spaniards won Division 6 at 5-2, one ahead of Australia, Canada, Denmark, and Ireland. For the fourth time in six years, the Philippines won their division. They took D7 at 6-1, one better than England and Papua New Guinea. And in Division 8, Brazil was best at 6-1, two games ahead of Nigeria and Greece. The Brazilians have won six division titles in the 1970s so far and 16 total, the most behind only the US and Canada.

In Round Robin Group A, the Americans were the top dogs at 5-1. Brazil and France both finished 3-3, while Mexico was 1-5. The tiebreaker advanced Brazil for their eighth semifinal appearance and back-to-back semifinals. Spain surprised the field in Group B at 5-1 for their first-ever semifinal berth. The Philippines moved on as well as 4-2 with Italy (3-3) and Argentina (0-6) ousted.

The United States cruised to a 4-0 semifinal sweep of the Filipinos, sending the defending champs to their 23^rd World Championship. The Philippines has now finished fourth place four times. The other semi was a seven game classic with Brazil besting Spain in the end. This sent the Brazilians to their third championship (1966, 1969) and gave the Spaniards their first-ever medal.



For the second straight year, the World Championship series went all seven games. The United States prevailed yet again for the first-ever six-peat and their 20^th World Title. Brazil is now 0-3 in their finals appearances. Connor Neumeyer became the first-ever three time WBC MVP, winning back-to-back. The 26-year old LF for Pittsburgh was the leader in runs (24), hits (33), RBI (25), walks (14), stolen bases (18), and WAR (2.3), adding a .398 average and 10 home runs in 24 games. Best Pitcher was given to Junior Lumbang of the Philippines. A 26-year old journeyman reliever with Davao, he pitched 11 scoreless innings with four hits allowed and 13 strikeouts.



Other notes: American Mike Lee pitched 61 innings, setting a single-tournament record that still stands as of 2037. American Joseph Ashcraft struck out 20 with three walks over 8.2 innings against Northern Ireland. It was the third straight year that there wasn’t a single no-hitter in the tournament. Tracking the all-time tournament stats, Brazil’s run has gotten them close to passing Mexico for the third highest score.