Baseball: The World's Game

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Defending Austronesia Championship Kaohsiung won a fifth straight Taiwan League title in 1977. The Steelheads finished 100-62, holding off a solid 94-68 Taoyuan. Davao won the Philippine League for the second time in three years. The Devil Rays were 92-70, five games ahead of last year’s winner Cebu.

Kaohsiung RF Chun-Chia Lan won his fourth consecutive Taiwan-Philippine Association MVP, the first four-time winner in TPA history. The 26-year old from Taipei led in runs (91), total bases (335), slugging (.569), and wRC+ (187), adding 8.4 WAR, 48 home runs, and 91 RBI. Taoyuan’s Ardan Agung won the Pitcher of the Year. The 25-year old Indonesian was the ERA leader (1.65) with 30 quality starts, adding 8.6 WAR, 343 strikeouts in 268 innings, and a 16-7 record.



Surabaya had the best record in the Sundaland Association at 102-60. This gave the Sunbirds their first Java League title since 1973, while last year’s winner Depok fell to third at 83-79. Defending Association champ Palembang won the Malacca League for the third time in four years. The Panthers were 89-73, seven games ahead of Batam.

Sundaland Association MVP went to 3B Kim Shin Pan for the third time. The 31-year old Singaporean was the WARlord (10.5) and leader in home runs (42) and OBP (.356), adding 99 RBI and a .290 average. Semarang ace Sahid Fakhruddin won his fifth straight Pitcher of the Year. He led in strikeouts (421) for the sixth straight year, also leading in WAR (11.2), quality starts (30), shutouts (8), and wins (23-10). He added a 1.78 ERA in 283.1 innings.

In the Taiwan-Philippine Association Championship, Kaohsiung downed Davao 4-2, giving the Steelheads their fourth title in five years. The Sundaland Association Championship saw a Surabaya sweep of Palembang. This gave the Sunbirds their second Association title (1971).



In the 13^th Austronesia Championship, Kaohsiung edged Surabaya in a seven game classic to cap off the dynasty. LF R.J. Leung won finals MVP, posting 13 hits, 5 runs, 2 doubles, and a homer in 13 playoff games. For Kaohsiung, it was their fourth APB title in five years, a feat that as of 2037 hasn’t been matched in APB. This would be their last finals appearance until 2000, but this Steelheads run is often cited as the greatest dynasty in APB history.



Other notes: Po-Yu Shao became the first APB hitter to 400 career home runs. Brandon Wright became the first batter to 1000 career RBI. 1B Kent Wang won his eighth Gold Glove, while LF Rafid Thiam won his eighth. SS Hadi Yahya won his tenth and final Silver Slugger, the first APB batter to win double digits. MVP Kim Shin Pan won his eighth Silver Slugger at 3B.

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Defending OBA champ Adelaide had a fierce challenge in the Australasia League from both Perth and Brisbane. The final standings had the Aardvarks and Penguins tied for first at 97-65 with the Black Bears two back at 95-67. Adelaide won the one-game playoff to take their third league title in four years.

Aardvarks SS Jimmy Caliw won his record ninth League MVP, ultimately his final OBA MVP. The 31-year old Filipino led in WAR (12.1) for the ninth straight season and also led in runs (96), and home runs (37), while adding his 10^th Gold Glove. He also won his 10^th Silver Slugger. Caliw would play two more years with Adelaide before leaving for Major League Baseball and winning MVPs there in his mid 30s. Pitcher of the Year went to Perth second-year lefty Jinhai Mo. The 22-year old Australian was the WARlord (10.2) and leader in wins (26-4), ERA (1.39), WIHP (0.83), and quality starts (39), adding 337 strikeouts in 324 innings.



Three time defending Pacific League champ Tahiti fell to fourth place at 84-78. The Tropics had a unique season where they allowed the second fewest hits in league history (1018), while offensively setting records for the fewest hits (1033) and worst batting average (.193) in PL history. It was Guadalcanal who won the league at 91-71, beating Fiji by three games and Samoa by five. For the Green Jackets, this was their fifth league title, but first since 1968.

Guam DH Sione Hala won his eighth MVP and posted his third batting Triple Crown and only the fourth by any OBA player. The 34-year old Tongan had a .314 average, 49 home runs, and 129 RBI, also leading the league in hits (192), total bases (377), slugging (.617), OPS (.967), wRC+ (234), and WAR (9.9). Guadalcanal’s Ramgopal Singh won the Pitcher of the Year in his rookie season. He shockingly lost Rookie of the Year to 1B Paul Gipson of Samoa,, who at least had 46 home runs to his credit. For Singh, the 23-year old Fijian righty led in WAR (9.4), FIP- (59), and wins (24-7), adding a 2.11 ERA over 281 innings with 364 strikeouts.



In the 18^th Oceania Championship, Adelaide continued their dynasty by defeating Guadalcanal 4-2. American veteran 1B Lester Jenkins won finals MVP with the 37-year old journeyman posting 11 hits, 6 runs, 3 home runs, and 6 RBI. The Aardvarks became the first OBA team to win three titles in four years and the first to win five titles. This would ultimately mark the end of the dynasty, as they wouldn’t be back in the final again until 1996.



Other notes: William Joma of New Caledonia had the fifth OBA perfect game and the first since 1971. On July 14, he struck out 10 against Guadalcanal. Hugo Georgakopoulou became the first pitcher to reach 200 career wins. Nathaniel Doloran became the third to 3500 career strikeouts. Alapati Tatupu and Martin Topio became the second and third hitters to 1000 runs scored, while Lenny Pendragon and Ieremia Tenakanai became the second and third to 1000 RBI. Topio also won his record 12^th Gold Glove at LF. Tenakenai joined MVPs Hala and Caliw in becoming a ten-time Silver Slugger winner.

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Defending European League champ St. Petersburg improved on their record for a franchise-best 108-54 mark atop the North Division. In the South Division, Prague earned only their second-ever playoff berth (1972), winning the division title for the first time at 101-61. Sofia was second at 95-67 and earned the first wild card. For the Spikes, they earned their first playoff berth and posted only their third winning season in the 23 years of Eurasia Professional Baseball. Minsk dropped from 116 wins to 92, but that was enough to get the second wild card for their tenth straight playoff berth. The Miners beat out Moscow (89-73) and Kyiv (88-74) for the final spot. Warsaw, a finalist last year, dropped to 80-82.

European League MVP went to St. Petersburg LF Darian Tasos. The 26-year old Albanian was the league leader in WAR (8.9), runs (98), RBI (104), total bases (353), OBP (.376), slugging (.623), OPS (.998), and wRC+ (196), adding 42 home runs and a .316 average. Pitcher of the Year was Prague’s Bahlul Sharifov. The 28-year old Kazakh lefty posted a 1.94 ERA and 22-5 record over 273.1 innings with 300 strikeouts and 7.3 WAR. Notably, Budapest’s Svetoslav Angelov won his third Reliever of the Year, posting a 0.65 ERA and 25 saves over 82.2 innings with 151 strikeouts and 5.6 WAR.

St. Petersburg survived in five games against Minsk in the first round of the playoffs, while Prague swept Sofia. This sent to the Pilots to their first-ever European League Championship Series appearance. They’d fall in six game to the Polar Bears, giving St. Petersburg back-to-back league titles and their third in franchise history.



In a competitive Asian League, Yerevan posted the best record for their first-ever playoff berth. The Valiants finished 97-65 to win the South Division. Irkutsk at 95-67 won the North Division, getting their third straight playoff berth. In the wild card race, Tashkent (94-68) took the first spot, snapping a four-year drought. For the second spot, Almaty and defending Soviet Series champ Ulaanbaatar tied at 91-71, while Asgabat was one behind. The one-game tiebreaker went to the Assassins, giving them their seventh straight playoff berth. The Boars fall short despite setting AL records in WHIP (0.856), and runs allowed (391) that still stand as of 2037.

Asagabat 1B Bartlomiej Tarka won the Asian League MVP. The 24-year old Polish lefty nicknamed “Dragon” was the WARlord (10.4) and leader in hits (219), triples (31), total bases (338), stolen bases (106), OBP (.398), slugging (.562), OPS (.960), and wRC+ (200). Pitcher of the Year was Ulaanbaatar’s Sergei Zhukov. The 27-year old Russian was the leader in strikeouts (391), innings (293.1), WHIP (0.75), K/BB (11.5), quality starts (30), and WAR (11.4), adding a 1.69 ERA and 19-10 record.

Yerevan survived a challenge from Almaty in the first round 3-2, while Irkutsk swept Tashkent. The Ice Cats carried their momentum into the Asian League Championship Series, dropping the Valiants 4-1. It is the second league title in three years for Irkutsk and their fourth AL win overall.



The 23^rd Soviet Series ended up being a sweep for the third time in history and the first since 1966. After falling the prior year, St. Petersburg rolled Irkutsk, giving the Polar Bears their second EPB title (1971). League MVP Darian Tasos was finals MVP, posting 21 hits, 11 games, 7 home runs, and 15 RBI in 15 playoff games. The Ice Cats are now 0-4 all-time in finals appearances



Other notes: 1977 saw the 16^th and 17^th EPB Perfect Games. On April 21, St. Petersburg’s Carymyrat Kurbanow struck out 12 against Kyiv. Then on June 29, Prague’s Bahlul Sharifov fanned 16 also against the Kings. The 16 strikeouts was a EPB record for most Ks in a perfecto. Seitzhan Svechnikov became the tenth pitcher to 4000 strikeouts.

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The top record in the European Baseball Federation’s Northern Conference in 1977 went to Stockholm. The Swordsmen earned a fifth straight playoff berth, winning the North Central Division title at 98-64. Defending European Champion Glasgow took the British Isles Division at 96-66, beating Birmingham by five games. In the Northwest Division, Brussels and Rotterdam tied for first at 94-68, while Paris was 92-70. The Beavers won the one-game playoff to take the division title, although the Ravens still advanced as the wild card. Brussels snapped an 11-year playoff draught, while Rotterdam earned their ninth berth in the same stretch.

Glasgow had both the conference MVP and Pitcher of the Year. RF Mason Gough won back-to-back MVP with the 25-year old Englishman leading the NC in runs (114), home runs (54), RBI (125), total bases (405), slugging (.663), OPS (1.027), wRC+ (214), and WAR (10.4). Elfar Freyr Finsen was the Pitcher of the Year with the 27-year old lefty from Iceland posting a 24-6 record, 2.43 ERA over 288.1 innings with 271 strikeouts and 7.9 WAR.

In the first round, Rotterdam upset Stockholm with a sweep and Brussels swept defending EBF champ Glasgow. The Northern Conference final was the eighth appearance for the Ravens and the sixth for the Beavers. Rotterdam prevailed 4-2, winning the NCC for the third time (1969, 1972).



In the Southern Conference, Seville had the best record at 104-58 for their second Southwest Division title in three years. Last year’s division winner Lisbon was 97-65, firmly taking the wild card spot. Defending SC champ Zurich won their fifth straight South Central Division, this time going 101-61. Athens claimed the Southeast Division at 89-73 for their first playoff berth since 1969. The Anchors outlasted Zagreb by two games.

MVP went to Seville 1B Sammy Gonzalez. The 24-year old Spaniard was the home run leader (52) and wRC+ leader at 203, adding a .317 average, 9.1 WAR, 104 runs, and 95 RBI. Zurich’s Jean-Luc Roch won his fourth Pitcher of the Year. The 26-year old Frenchman set the single-season strikeout record with 443 and led the conference for the sixth straight year. Roch also led in innings (290), wins (26-6), WHIP (0.76), K/BB (14.8), quality starts (31), and WAR (11.4), adding a 1.92 ERA. Roch broke Ugo Musacci’s strikeout record of 407, as did Barcelona’s Alejandro Canas who struck out 439 in 1977.

Seville won their first round series in five games over Athens, while Lisbon upset Zurich in four games. This sent the Stingrays to only their second Southern Conference Championship, while the Clippers earned their fourth. Seville would cruise 4-1 over Lisbon to give the Stingrays their first-ever conference crown.



In the 28^th European Championship, Rotterdam’s playoff experience prevailed over finals newcomer Seville. The Ravens took the series in five games, making them 3-0 in the championship having won it all in 1969 and 1972. Finals MVP was CF Kyano Bakker with the 26-year old Dutchman posting 17 hits, 13 runs, 4 doubles, 5 triples, and 9 RBI in 14 playoff games.



Other notes: Woody Renner had EBF’s 14^th perfect game and the first since 1968. The London pitcher struck out eight against Belfast on July 13. Seville’s Jose Calderon set single-season records that still stand in 2037 with 4.84 hits allowed per nine innings and an opponent batting average of .157. Alejandro Canas became the sixth EBF pitcher to 3500 strikeouts.

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Three-time defending Bolivar League champion Valencia again had the league’s best record, winning a fourth straight North Division at 108-54. The high-powered Velocity offense had some strong challenges with Barquisimeto at 102-60 and Maracaibo at 101-61. Meanwhile, La Paz cruised to back-to-back South Division titles. The Pump Jacks were 97-65 and the only team in the division above .500.

Valencia CF Pasquale Martin won his third MVP in four seasons and had perhaps his best year yet. He led the league in runs (140), home runs (56), walks (89), total bases (438), triple slash (.367/.452/.759), OPS (1.211), wRC+ (218), and WAR (12.9). The 140 runs were second-most ever in a BSA season behind only Jasper Saucedo’s 141 the prior year. The WAR total was also the seventh best season for a BSA hitter to date. The Velocity also had Lazaro Rodriguez win his third Pitcher of the Year in four years. He was the WARlord (12.4) and leader in strikeouts (477), innings (285.2), K/BB (14.0), complete games (24), and FIP- (48), adding a 2.65 ERA and 21-12 record. The 477 strikeouts was the most-ever by a BSA pitcher not named Mohamed Ramos, who topped that mark seven times.



Buenos Aires led the Southern Cone League with a 106-56 record atop the South Division. This gave the Atlantics a third straight division title. Defending Copa Sudamerica champ Sao Paulo won a very tight Brazil Division. The Padres and Fortaleza tied for first at 93-69, while Salvador was just behind at 92-70. Sao Paulo took the one-game playoff over the Foxes to keep their repeat bid intact.

Salvador slugger Valor Melo won his third MVP and broke his own single-season home run record. The 28-year old 1B smacked 76 dingers, beating the 74 he hit the prior season. As of 2037, no one in Beisbol Sudamerica has passed 76 home runs. Melo also led in runs (130), RBI (133), total bases (452), slugging (.748), OPS (1.133), wRC+ (233), and WAR (11.2). Sao Paulo’s Domingas Ribeiro became the third in BSA history to win Pitcher of the Year six times. In his penultimate season, the 35-year old Brazilian led in wins (23-5), innings (275.2), and quality starts (30), adding a 1.96 ERA, 245 strikeouts, and 7.9 WAR.

Valencia won their fourth consecutive Bolivar League Championship Series, defeating La Paz 4-2. In a Southern Cone Championship rematch, Sao Paulo again defeated Buenos Aires, this time in six games. The Padres now have nine league titles, passing Santiago outright for the most Southern Cone titles.



The 47^th Copa Sudamerica was a rematch of the prior season between Sao Paulo and Valencia. After going 0-3 in the final in the last three seasons, the Velocity earned their first Cup by downing the Padres 4-1. Valencia is the first Venezuelan team to win Copa Sudamerica since Caracas back in 1962.



Other notes: Matias Gigante had a 33-game hit streak, the second longest to that point in BSA history behind Remberto Borja’s 43 in 1955. Cy Cavazos and Luca Alvares became the fourth and fifth BSA hitters to 600 home runs. Javier Herrera became the eighth to 1500 career RBI. Niculao Semide won his ninth Silver Slugger at 2B. For the next season, Beisbol Sudamerica changed its minimum service years required for free agency from seven years to eight years. This puts them align with EPB and CLB as the most restrictive of the GBA leagues

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For the third straight season, Tokyo and Kyoto ended up as division champions in the Japan League. This time, both finished with a 98-64 record. The defending EAB champ Kamikaze earned a fifth straight South Division title and blew away the field. The Tides grabbed their fourth division crown in five years, finishing six games ahead of Saitama.

Japan League MVP went to Sendai’s Ryota Shintani. The 26-year old center fielder was the leader in home runs (59), total bases (373), slugging (.682), OPS (1.062), wRC+ (207), and WAR (10.5), also adding a Gold Glove defensively. Pitcher of the Year went to Tokyo’s Sohichiro Nakano. The 27-year old had a banner year in his second season with the Tides, having been traded there from Chiba two years prior. Nakano led in wins (26-4), ERA (1.42), WHIP (0.81), FIP- (47), and WAR (9.9), adding 294 strikeouts in 240.1 innings.



Four time defending Korea League champion Daegu won a fifth straight South Division title with the Diamondbacks finishing at 97-65. In a competitive North Division, Pyongyang narrowly edged the field at 94-68. Last year’s division winner Hamhung was one back at 93-69 with both Goyang and Seoul at 92-70, plus Incheon at 90-72. It was an impressive bounce back for the Pythons, who stunningly won only 62 games the prior year. It was Pyongyang’s first playoff berth since their 1972 league title.

Korea League MVP went to veteran Seoul LF Yu-Chan Jang. Although he won his tenth Silver Slugger, he had never won the big award and few expected his resurgence at age 41. Jang led in WAR (8.1), wRC+ (180), and slugging (.652), adding a career best 45 home runs with a .308 average and 106 runs. Hamhung’s Jae-Min Lee won his third Pitcher of the Year and posted the eighth pitching Triple Crown in East Asia Baseball history. Lee had a 23-5 record, 2.01 ERA, and 348 strikeouts, while also leading the league in WHIP (0.92), quality starts (27), FIP- (61), and WAR (9.0).

The Japan League Championship Series was the fourth in five years featuring Tokyo versus Kyoto. The Tides won in 1973 and 1975, while the Kamikaze had won in 1976 and topped Sapporo in 1974. In ultimately their final encounter of the series, Kyoto prevailed in six games for their third league title in four years. In the Korea League Championship Series, Daegu seemed primed for a fifth straight title after winning the first three games. But Pyongyang rallied and took the series in seven. The Pythons are now 13-time Korea League champs.



In the 57^th East Asian Championship, Pyongyang defeated Kyoto 4-2 for the Pythons’ record ninth overall title. RF Sang-Hyeon Goh was the finals MVP, posting 17 hits, 6 runs, 2 home runs, 3 triples, and 2 doubles in 13 playoff games.



Other notes: Yokohama’s Kenko Kizaki threw EAB’s 25^th perfect game on August 18, striking out seven against Fukuoka. Jae-Hoon Seon became the third pitcher to 4500 strikeouts and the second to 300 career wins. He’d retire after the 1978 season with 318 wins and 4766 Ks, both second all-time behind Sang-Hun Joon at retirement. Hyeog-Jun Wi and Yu-Chan Jang became the 15^th and 16^th batters to 600 career home runs. Wi also won his 13^th Gold Glove at RF, the most for any player thus far in EAB. Jang won his 10^th Silver Slugger at LF. 1977 would also be the final season under EAB’s original format, as both leagues would add two teams and an additional playoff round starting in 1978.

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Juarez had Mexico’s best record in 99-63, earning their fourth North Division title in five years. Monterrey was second at 92-70, ultimately two games short of the wild card. Last year’s division champ Torreon fell to third at 85-77. Merida won the South Division at 98-64 for the first playoff berth by the Mean Green in 31 years. Leon at 94-68 was the wild card for the fourth time in five years. Defending CABA champion Guadalajara dropped to sixth in the strong division at 82-80. Ecatepec (90-72) and Queretaro (89-73) had nice seasons, but fall short of the playoffs.

Juarez LF Caetano Penuelas won his second MVP with the 25-year old Costa Rican posting a league-best 124 runs, 229 hits, 32 triples, 418 total bases, .391/.440/.715 triple slash, 1.154 OPS, and 232 wRC+. Penuelas also had a 33-game hit streak, the third longest in CABA history to that point. His 11.6 WAR was a career best, but was still second to the 12.1 by Merida 3B Kenedy Ortiz.

The Jesters also had Pitcher of the Year in 25-year old Haitian Elie Antenor, who led in strikeouts (324) with 238 2innings, a 24-5 record, 2.53 ERA, and 5.8 WAR. He managed to beat Leon’s Nikolaos Georgopoulou, a 35-year old Greek lefty in his fifth season in CABA. Georgopoulou set a CABA record with 27 wins and led with 2.15 ERA, but his lack of strikeouts meant he only compiled 3.3 WAR even with 280.1 innings.

Merida swept Leon in the wild card round, giving the Mean Green a chance to get to the CABA final for only the second time (they were the first CABA champ in 1911). They were denied 4-1 by Juarez in the Mexican League Championship Series, giving the Jesters their second league title in four years. Juarez are now four time Mexican League champs (1912, 1962, 1974, 1977).



In the Caribbean League, Costa Rica had their winningest season in franchise history. The Rays won the Continental Division at 104-58, holding off a strong Nicaragua team at 99-63. Both earned back-to-back playoff berths. Havana won the Island Division for the second time in three years, finishing at 97-65. Jamaica was second at 89-73, while last year’s CL champ Santo Domingo was a distant third at 82-80.

Caribbean League MVP went to Nicaragua’s Alejandro Valadez. The third year first baseman from Guatemala led in home runs (49), RBI (115) and total bases (384), adding a .322 average and 7.9 WAR. Pitcher of the Year went to Guatemala’s Ivan Beltran. The 27-year old Salvadoran nicknamed “Reptile” had the most strikeouts (305), innings (269), and quality starts (26). He added 7.5 WAR with a 2.41 ERA and 19-13 record.

Nicaragua went the distance to upset Havana in the wild card round to send the Navigators to back-to-back Caribbean League Championship Series berths. They’d be the runner-up again as Costa Rica defeated them in six games, It is the fifth league title for the Rays and first in 29 years (1932, 1935, 1936, 1948, 1977).



In the 67^th CABA Championship, Juarez prevailed 4-2 over Costa Rica. This gave the Jesters their first-ever overall ring, as they were 0-3 in the prior CABA finals appearances. RF Linus Soto was the finals MVP with 10 hits, 6 runs, 3 home runs, and 10 RBI in 11 playoff games.



Other notes: Haiti’s Ismael Alonso seven hits in nine at-bats against Havana on April 4. This was the second-ever seven-hit game in CABA history, joining Tomas Beltran’s effort back in 1922. Monterrey’s Storm Holberg threw CABA’s 23^rd perfect game, striking out 12 against Mexico City on July 30. Rafioby Barajas won his eighth Gold Glove at 1B.

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Indianapolis had the top mark in the National Association in 1977, getting back to the playoffs for the first time since their 1974 NA title. The Racers finished 101-61 atop a very strong Midwest League. Louisville was second at 95-67, earning their third straight wild card. St. Louis at 94-68 picked up the second wild card and snapped a three-year playoff skid. Columbus at 91-71 took the third wild card spot for their first berth since 1971.

In the Eastern League, Buffalo was first at 91-71 for their second EL title in four years. Boston was the closest competitor at 89-73, ultimately tying with the ML’s Cincinnati for the final wild card spot. The tiebreaker game went to the Reds to earn them back-to-back playoff berths. Last year’s National Association champ Kansas City just missed the field at 87-75, snapping a four-year playoff streak.

NA MVP went to Louisville shortstop Alberto Rivera, who led in runs (110) and WAR (9.8). The 27-year old Puerto Rican also won his third Gold Glove. Kansas City’s Mike Lee won his third Pitcher of the Year. It was a remarkable comeback for the 29-year old righty, who blew out his elbow and missed almost all of the 1976 season. In his return, he led the National Association in strikeouts (310), innings (281), wins (21-10), quality starts (28), and shutouts (8). He added a 2.37 ERA and 8.5 WAR.

The wild card round saw St. Louis sweep Columbus and Louisville sweep Cincinnati. Both league champs prevailed in round two as Indianapolis dropped the Cardinals 3-1, while Buffalo survived in five against the Lynx. The National Association Championship Series ended being a Racers sweep over the Blue Sox. Indy now has seven National Association titles (1931, 1936, 1952, 1957, 1959, 1974, 1977).



Defending World Series champ Las Vegas improved their record to 109-53 for the best mark in the American Association and the Western League. Oakland was second at 96-66 to firmly take the first wild card and get their fourth playoff berth in five years. Tampa dominated the Southern League at 101-61 for back-to-back playoff appearances. It was their first SL title in a decade.

The battle for the remaining three wild cards was very tight. Charlotte took the second spot at 87-75 to snap a 15-year playoff drought. At 86-76, Dallas took the third spot for their third straight playoff berth. The final spot saw Phoenix and Memphis tied at 85-77, both finishing one game ahead of Los Angeles, Portland, and San Diego. The Firebirds beat the Mountain Cats in the one-game playoff to advance. Houston, who had the AA’s best record last year with 109 wins, dropped to 78-84. With that, the longest playoff streak in Major League Baseball is only three years (OAK, DAL, LOU).

Oakland DH Aiden Hertlein won his second MVP award with the 27-year old lefty leading in hits (229), runs (117), doubles (51), RBI (142), total bases (400), OPS (1.042), wRC+ (177), and WAR (8.9). He also had 38 home runs and a .358 average. Tampa’s Samuel Dao won Pitcher of the Year with the fifth-year lefty leading in strikeouts with 284. He added a 2.71 ERA, 19-7 record, and 6.6 WAR over 272 innings.

Dallas downed Charlotte 2-0 and Phoenix upset Oakland 2-1 in the first round. Both wild cards stunned the league champs in round two with the Firebirds edging Las Vegas 3-2 and the Dalmatians dropping Tampa 3-1. This earned Dallas its first American Association Championship Series appearance since the early 1940s, while Phoenix saw their first since 1969. The Dalmatians dominated the series 4-1, giving Dallas its fifth AA title (1918, 1919, 1942, 1943).



The 77^th World Series was guaranteed to have a first-time MLB champion as both Indianapolis and Dallas had been snake bitten in their prior appearances. The Racers entered the series 0-6 all-time in the Fall Classic, while the Dalmatians were 0-4. The series was a seven game classic with game seven going to Dallas by a 1-0 final. Pitcher Landon Padilla was the World Series MVP with the 28-year old Puerto Rican posting an incredible playoff run. He was 5-0 in five starts with a 0.63 ERA over 43 innings and 25 strikeouts. The result gave the American Association a tenth straight World Series win over the National Association. Indianapolis now sits 0-7 in the World Series.



Other notes: Indy’s R.J. Clinton became the fourth MLB batter to 700 career home runs, a mark that wouldn’t be reached again until 2019. This would be his final season, retiring tied for third with Sebastian Lunde on the all-time list at 712. Elijah Cashman (750) and Kaby Silva (731) are above them. Carson Hanford became the first (and as of 2037, the only) MLB reliever to 500 career saves. He’d pitch one more season and retire the all-time leader at 536. Maiseli Lafaiali’I became the 17^th MLB pitcher to 3500 career strikeouts. 3B B.J. Orwig won his 11^th Gold Glove.

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The 1978 Major League Baseball Hall of Fame ballot saw three players earn induction. Two of them were no-doubt first ballot selections with SP Parker Harpaz at 99.3% and 1B Herve Bouchard at 98.7%. Joining them in the class was 1B Ric Campbell, who gained enough on his third ballot to get to 73.2% and cross the 66% threshold. Seven other players were above 50%, but still below 60%.



Among the players dropped after ten failed attempts on the ballot were closer Cameron Gatley. In 17 years mostly with Boston, he had 351 saves, 2.76 ERA, 1106 strikeouts, 1057 innings, and 24.6 WAR with one Reliever of the Year. The save number has gotten others into MLB’s Hall, but Gatley’s lack of relative dominance meant he peaked at 29.6% on his second ballot before ending at 9.1%.

Catcher Robin Peyerk also was dropped, ending at 9.1% after peaking at 40.5% on his second try. In 18 years mostly with New York and Calgary, he won two Silver Sluggers and had 1821 hits, 938 runs, 244 home runs, 932 RIB, a .272/.347/.436 slash and 57.0 WAR. A solid run, but the bar is so tough for catchers with even stronger resumes getting ignored, so Peyerk didn’t have a chance. Elliot Manning also fell off ending at 3% after peaking at 22.4%. He had a 22 year career with 18 years in MLB, posting 2198 hits, 1480 runs, 536 home runs, 1455 RBI, a .261/.356/.499 slash and 77.3 WAR. He ended up with nice totals, but he was an accumulator with only one Silver Slugger.



Parker Harpaz – Starting Pitcher – Miami Mallards- 99.3% First Ballot

Parker Harpaz was a 5’10’’, 200 pound left-handed starting pitcher from White Hall, Arkansas, a small town of around 5,000 people in the southeast of the state. Harpaz was a flamethrower who also had excellent control with decent movement. He only had three pitches, but a 99-101 mph cutter, curveball, and changeup was more than enough for him to dominate. Harpaz was also an ironman who almost never missed a start in his 20 year career, starting in 32+ games in all but one season. Not only did Harpaz rarely miss starts, he also regularly went deep into games and averaged around 15-20 complete games each season.

Harpaz went to Northwestern University for his college career and as a junior, won NCAA Pitcher of the Year with a 1.21 ERA and 7.0 WAR over 112 innings with 148 strikeouts. He posted a 2.03 ERA over 318.2 innings with 353 strikeouts and 15.0 WAR in his college career. This made Harpaz a prized prospect in the 1952 Major League Baseball Draft and Miami selected him first overall. He became a full time starter immediately with 263 innings and 6.8 WAR in his debut season, taking third in Rookie of the Year voting.

The Mallards were a bottom tier franchise throughout most of the 1950s, never sniffing the postseason. Harpaz was steady, leading the American Association in strikeouts twice, innings pitched twice, complete games twice, and WAR twice. Despite a career best 10.0 WAR and 301 strikeout season in 1957, he wasn’t a Pitcher of the Year finalist. He’d finally get noticed and win the award in 1960, leading the AA with 8.0 WAR and seven shutouts.

This came in the final season of his first tenure in Miami, as Harpaz opted out of his contract and entered free agency at age 29. He cashed in with Calgary on a seven-year, $1,070,000 deal. The Cheetahs were a contender in the early 1960s and Harpaz was an ace for them, winning Pitcher of the Year for the second time in 1963 and finishing second in 1962’s voting. However, Calgary had early exits each year and Harpaz stunk in the playoffs, posting an 8.61 ERA in 23 innings. In four regular seasons though, he had an 84-34 record, 3.20 ERA, 1164 innings, 991 strikeouts, and 32.2 WAR.

Harpaz’ playoff struggles were a bit of a surprise considering he had been a very successful pitcher for the United States in the World Baseball Championship. He was a part of ten championship teams from 1954-68 and posted a 42-9 record and 3.04 ERA over 470.2 innings with 670 strikeouts and 12.4 WAR. As of 2037, he’s the tournament’s all-time leader in wins, starts, and innings pitched. This run in particular made Harpaz very well known, even if had somewhat been overlooked during his years on bad Miami teams early on.

After four seasons with Calgary, he opted out of the contract and became a free agent for the 1965 season. Now 33-years old, Harpaz signed a five-year, $1,030,000 deal with Las Vegas. He ultimately played four years with the Vipers and helped them to the playoffs twice, although they also had early exits and his postseason numbers were unremarkable. He led the American Association in WAR in 1966, but wasn’t an awards finalist in the run. Harpaz posted a 70-53 record, 3.44 ERA, 1135.2 innings, 906 strikeouts, and 28.1 WAR. While there, he became MLB’s sixth pitcher to reach 300 career wins.

His last season with Las Vegas saw fairly middling stats and the Vipers traded him for the 1969 to San Diego. Harpaz spent one okay season with the Seals, even getting relegated out of the main rotation. A free agent again at age 38, he signed back with Miami for the 1970 season. That first year back with the Mallards saw a resurgence with his first sub-three ERA season in almost a decade. This earned him second place voting in Pitcher of the Year voting and Miami made the playoffs, although he struggled in one start. His final playoff numbers saw a lousy 6.84 ERA in 50 innings.

Still, his steady innings had allowed him to compile impressive numbers in his run with 15 seasons worth 6+ WAR and all but one season with 250+ innings. Harpaz’s Miami return lasted three solid seasons and allowed him to pass Ned Giles’ mark of 356 for the most wins by a MLB pitcher and to make him the world leader. His final tally of 361 remains MLB’s all-time mark as of 2037 and only would finally get passed for a combined pro career in 2025.

Having crossed the major milestone, Harpaz retired after the 1972 season at age 40. He had considered coming back to chase the strikeout record of Newton Persaud (4655), but opted to end second at 4586. Miami decided to retire his #35 uniform soon after with his combined Mallards run seeing a 195-151 record, 3.41 ERA, 3103 innings, 2547 strikeouts and 77.6 WAR.

Harpaz’s final overall stats: 361-247 record, 3.38 ERA, 688 games and 686 starts, 5606 innings, 4586 strikeouts to 1053 walks, 410 quality starts, 355 complete games, 58 shutouts, a FIP- of 78, and 141.8 WAR. He also retired and remains MLB’s leader in complete games. He was first in innings pitched at retirement and second as of 2037. As of 2037, Harpaz is fourth in pitching WAR and fifth in strikeouts. The longevity also means he allowed more hits (5465) than any other professional pitcher, but he managed to retire outside of the MLB top ten in losses. Harpaz isn’t considered by many as MLB’s most dominant pitcher ever, but his tenure makes him an all-time great and an easy first ballot pick at 99.3%.



Herve Bouchard – First Base – Ottawa Elks – 98.7% First Ballot

Herve Bouchard was a 6’6’’, 205 pound left-handed first baseman from Richmond Hill, Ontario; a city of around 200,000 people within the greater Toronto area. At his peak, he was one of the most complete hitters ever with great contact skills, solid power, and an elite eye. Bouchard was an all-timer at drawing walks and working counts in his favor. He had consistent home run power, averaging around 35-45 dingers when healthy. Bouchard also got you around 20-30 doubles per year, although he didn’t have much speed to leg out additional bases. He spent his entire career at first base and was viewed as a fairly average defender. Bouchard was considered a hard working spark plug, making him a very popular player in his tenure.

Bouchard came to America and played college baseball for Washington. He had an amazing debut for the Huskies, winning the NCAA MVP award. He took third in 1951 and won Silver Sluggers both seasons. In 149 games for Washington, he had 175 hits, 111 runs, 59 home runs, 128 RBI, a .340/.461/.733 slash and 13.1 WAR. In the 1951 Major League Baseball Draft, Bouchard was selected 35^th overall by Ottawa. He’d ultimately spend his entire professional career with the Elks.

Ottawa knew they made a great choice immediately, as Bouchard posted 5.6 WAR in only 110 starts as a rookie, winning National Association Rookie of the Year. In his third season, he led the NA in runs (123), home runs (47), and RBI (120), earning his first Silver Slugger and a third place finish in MVP voting. He’d win additional Sluggers in 1956, 58, 62, 66, and 68. Bouchard led in runs scored four times, home runs thrice, and walks drawn four times. 1956 was his banner season as the WARlord (9.7) and leader in the triple slash (.343/.443/.620). This earned him the MVP, ultimately his only time winning the big ward. He’d take third in 1966, but would be just outside the race the rest of his run.

The Elks became a regular contender soon after Bouchard’s arrival, making the playoffs seven times between 1954-61. Ottawa would be plagued by early exits most of the years, but in 1956, they made it all the way to the World Series before falling to the San Diego dynasty. They missed the field from 1962-64, but got back in four more times between 1965-70. In 1965, Ottawa won it all by beating Memphis in the Fall Classic. This gave Bouchard his lone World Series ring. In 64 playoff starts in his career, he had 62 hits, 35 runs, 18 home runs, 41 RBI, a .265/.365/.526 slash and 2.6 WAR.

Bouchard also became a popular figure in Canadian baseball due to his 292 games and 252 starts in the World Baseball Championship from 1952-71. He was a MVP finalist three times (1954, 59, 67) and won tournament MVP in 1959 with 15 home runs, 32 hits, and 23 runs in 26 games. Canada won three world titles with Bouchard, who posted 271 hits, 198 runs, 40 doubles, 98 home runs, 203 RBI, 174 walks, a .297/.411/.668 slash and 17.2 WAR in the tournament. At retirement, he was the WBC home run career leader and is still third as of 2037. Bouchard remains fifth in hits, runs, and WAR; plus fourth in walks. Unsurprisingly, he’s Canada’s all-time leader in each of those stats.

Bouchard was fairly durable in the front half of his career, but had some major injuries slow him down at points. Hand breaks kept him out half of 1961 and a fractured knee knocked him out much of 1964. He bounced back in the late 1960s, including a 48 home run, 120 RBI, 117 run season with a career best 112 walks in 1968 at age 36. This was his last great year as he declined a bit in 1969, then couldn’t stay healthy in the three remaining years. 1971 saw a ruptured MCL derail him most of the season. He attempted a comeback in 1972 but only made 15 plate appearances before being released by Ottawa that summer. Bouchard would go unsigned the rest of the season, retiring that winter at age 41. There was no hard feelings though with the franchise with the Elks immediately retiring his #13 uniform.

The final stats for Bouchard: 2614 hits, 1560 runs, 416 doubles, 583 home runs, 1632 RBI, 1470 walks, a .298/.398/.551 slash, wRC+ of 177 and 107.0 WAR. At retirement, he was one of 21 MLB hitters with 100+ career WAR and sits 35^th on the leaderboard as of 2037. He’s not at the tip top of the statistical leaders, but has very solid numbers across the board. Most notably, his .398 career OBP was third best among MLB Hall of Famers at retirement and is still top ten years later. Bouchard was certainly an obvious Hall of Fame pick, getting the induction with 98.7% of the vote.



Ric Campbell – First Baseman – Montreal Maples – 73.2% Third Ballot

Ric Campbell was a 6’6’’, 200 pound left-handed first baseman from Norman, Oklahoma; a city of around 128,000 best known as the home of the University of Oklahoma. Campbell was known as a great contact hitter who was solid at avoiding strikeouts and decent at drawing walks. He had consistent reliable power for around 35 home runs and 25-30 doubles in his full seasons. Campbell was a slow baserunner and a career first baseman with poor defense. He was a team captain though, known for great leadership skills and work ethic, making him a very popular player in his signature run.

Campbell was viewed as having excellent upside out of Heritage Hall High School in Oklahoma City and received attention by scouts. Some thought the Norman-native might play for the Sooners in college, but he was selected out of high school ninth overall by Kansas City in the 1949 MLB Draft. Campbell was a rare teenager in the minor leagues and struggled in his first year for the Topeka affiliate, but he showed his potential in the next two seasons and got called up at age 20 in 1952. Campbell’s first five years with the Cougars was in a reserve and pinch hitting role primarily.

Campbell finally became a full-time starter in 1957 at age 25 and posted a career-best 41 home runs. He started one more year with Kansas City, finishing his time there with 622 hits, 339 runs, 115 home runs, 331 RBI, a .317/.393/.543 slash and 19.3 WAR. He was now up for free agency and signed an eight-year, $1,019,000 deal with Montreal. His time with the Maples would be his signature run.

With Montreal, he was a steady starter for eight seasons, starting 148+ games each year with 5+ WAR and 30+ home runs every season. His best year saw 7.8 WAR and a National Association best 120 RBI in 1961. Campbell was never an MVP finalist though and rarely a league leader. He did win three Silver Sluggers (1960, 61, 63), not an easy task at a position like first base with competition from fellow Hall of Fame classmate Herve Bouchard and others.

The Maples made the playoffs thrice in his tenure, but never made a deep run. In total with Montreal, Campbell had 1434 hits, 778 runs, 228 home runs, a .307/.377/.548 slash and 49.0 WAR. He was well liked enough that this eight year tenure led to his #23 uniform being retired by the Maples. When his contract came up in 1967, the now 35-year old Campbell signed a three-year deal with Omaha.

His power dropped a bit with the Hawks, but he was still a respectable starter there with 438 hits, 245 runs, 70 home runs, 200 RBI, a .285/.360/.475 slash and 12.3 WAR. He also got to play the only time in his career in the NACS in 1967. At age 38, Campbell signed with Las Vegas for the 1970 season. He was still decent when healthy, but missed half the season to various injuries. The Vipers let him go just before the start of the 1971 season and Campbell retired that winter after going unsigned at age 40.

Campbell’s final stats: 2583 hits, 1401 runs, 396 doubles, 486 home runs, 1405 RBI, a .305/.377/.532 slash, wRC+ of 163, and 82.1 WAR. Very solid, but not eye-popping. Similar stats hadn’t been a guarantee of induction in the past, especially at first base where big batting numbers especially are expected. Campbell also lacked big awards or a signature playoff run. This hurt him in his first two ballots, although he still received respectable tallies of 62.85% and 63.5%. In his third go, he got the bump above the 66% threshold, earning his spot among MLB’s greats at 73.2%.

[FuzzyRussianHat]

Two players earned induction with the 1978 Hall of Fame voting for the Central American Baseball Association. They took very different paths to earn their spot with LF Vincente Gutierrez being a slam dunk first ballot guy at 99.3%. SP/DH Yennier Rey meanwhile just barely got across the 66% threshold on his fourth attempt, earning the nod at 66.4%. Also above 50% were RF Juan Jose at 59.2% on his fourth attempt, 3B Diego Sierra at 56.4% in his ninth, and CF Santiago Perez at 54.0% in his debut. There were no players dropped after ten ballots in the 1978 CABA group.



Vincente Gutierrez – Left Field – Tijuana Toros – 99.3% First Ballot

Vincente Gutierrez was a 5’10’’, 195 pound left-handed left fielder from Ixtaczoquitlan, a municipality of around 74,000 people located about four hours east of Mexico City. He was one of Mexico’s most feared power hitters, averaging more than 40+ home runs per year and hitting 50+ seven times. Gutierrez had solid contact and was also excellent at both drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts, making him one of the most efficient hitters of the era. He was a slow baserunner though and didn’t get many doubles despite his notable power. Gutierrez was a career left fielder and was a below average defender, although not atrocious. He was also considered a prankster and a great leader, making him beloved by teammates and fans alike.

Gutierrez was a rare CABA high school draft pick, selected 25^th overall in the 1951 CABA Draft by Mexicali. Most don’t realize he actually was employed by two franchise before his signature run in Tijuana. He spent a half-year on the Maroons’ reserve roster before being traded in the summer of 1952 to Juarez. Then in the summer of 1953, the Jesters traded him to Tijuana, the squad he’d play every pro game of his career with. Gutierrez finally debuted at age 21 with limited action in 1954.

He struggled with strikeouts in his first two full seasons, but still provided seasons of 4.8 and 4.9 WAR. He showed improvement in 1957 despite missing a month with back spasms. It was 1958 that Gutierrez became a star, smacking 53 home runs and 129 RBI with a 1.094 OPS and 9.8 WAR. This got him his first of ten Silver Sluggers and a third place finish in MVP voting. The Toros were quick to lock him up, signing Gutierrez to an eight-year, $565,400 contract extension that summer.

Gutierrez won additional Silver Sluggers in 1959, then 1962 through 1969. He led the Mexican League in runs scored thrice, home runs seven times, RBI five times, walks 12 times, OBP six times, slugging six times, OPS six times, wRC+ six times, and WAR twice. He’d really find his rhythm in his 30s, winning his first MVP at age 30 in 1963. Gutierrez won the MVP again in 1964, 65, 68, and 69. He’d take second in 1959 and 1962. On top of being a feared hitter in the Mexican League, Gutierrez played for Mexico in the World Baseball Championship and helped win a title in 1963. From 1956-72, he had 129 games and 109 starts, 93 hits, 82 runs, 43 home runs, 96 RBI, and 5.6 WAR.

Despite his efforts, Tijuana was typically a middle-tier team in his run, often just above .500. They made the playoffs four times in his tenure (1959, 1964, 1969, 1971) although the Toros never took a league title. In 25 playoff games, Gutierrez had 29 hits, 13 runs, 3 home runs, and 9 RBI. He had nine seasons worth 8+ WAR and four worth 10+ WAR, including back-to-back 10+ WAR seasons from 1968-69 in his mid 30s.

The fans kept coming to see Gutierrez and his #21 uniform would quickly get retired. In his final seasons, the focus was chasing milestones. He was the second CABA batter to 700 career home runs and had a chance to catch Prometheo Garcia’s CABA career mark of 753. Gutierrez dropped off a bit in his last year and ended up at 734. He was moved to a backup role near the end of the season and decided to retire after the 1972 campaign at age 40. At retirement, he was second in CABA HRs, fourth in runs scored, sixth in hits, third in RBI, second in walks drawn, and sixth in batting WAR.

Gutierrez’s final stats: 2726 hits, 1606 runs, 301 doubles, 734 home runs, 1754 RBI, 1286 walks to only 815 strikeouts, a .309/.396/.600 slash, wRC+ of 193, and 129.0 WAR. He was the sixth player in CABA history to win five or more MVP awards. Gutierrez was one of the most dangerous hitters of the 1950s-60s and an easy first ballot addition to the CABA Hall of Fame, getting 99.3%.



Yennier “Mr. Reliable” Rey – Starting Pitcher/Designated Hitter – Nicaragua Navigators – 66.4% Fourth Ballot

Yennier Rey was a 5’10’’, 185 pound right-handed pitcher from Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras. On the mound, Rey wasn’t considered to be outstanding at anything, but consistently above average across the board. He had 94-96 mph peak velocity with a splitter, cutter, circle change, and knuckle curve arsenal. What made him unique was that he was also a very good and well-rounded hitter. Rey never started a single game in the field, but was a regular designated hitter when he wasn’t pitching. Although best known as a pitcher, Rey was probably a more efficient hitter in the grand scheme with a career wRC+ of 147 compared to only a career ERA+ of 109. He was an incredibly hard worker and intelligent player, leading to a very unique career. Rey was also incredible durable, avoiding the injuries that often plagued other notable two-way guys.

Rey was picked 21^st overall in the 1955 CABA Draft by Nicaragua. He was only a part time member of the rotation in his first two years, but became a full-time member after. He had 100+ games in all but his first year with the Navigators as well. They were a bottom-tier team and Rey never got to see the postseason, but he put up very solid combined totals. In seven years as a pitcher for Nicaragua, he had a 3.51 ERA and 86-83 record, 1537.1 innings, 1194 strikeouts, and 23.2 WAR. At the plate, he had 852 hits, 411 runs, 164 home runs, 480 RBI, a .316/.349/.572 slash and 25.6 WAR. His 1962 season had an impressive offensive pace in 100 games with a .386/.409/.684 slash, 6.0 WAR, 25 home runs, and 78 RBI.

The combined efforts earned him some MVP attention, finishing second in 1958, third in 1960, third in 1962, and second in 1964. His pitching stats were never more than above average though so he never had Pitcher of the Year considerations. At the plate, he never had a full enough stat-line to get a Silver Slugger at DH, as the award wasn’t available to pitchers in the DH’d Caribbean League. His lone Silver Slugger came at pitcher in 1963 with Tijuana, where he only saw at-bats as a pinch hitter since the DH wasn’t an option in the Mexican League.

He spent one year with the Toros as Nicaragua traded him there before the 1963 season. Rey then signed for the 1964 season to a five-year, $650,000 contract with Puerto Rico. He spent four years as a Pelican, posting a 67-43 record as a pitcher, 3.29 ERA, 1090.1 innings, 932 strikeouts and 17.9 WAR. As a hitter, Rey had 357 hits, 190 runs, 66 home runs, 204 RBI, a .292/.333/.506 slash and 8.1 WAR. Rey also played for his native Honduras in the World Baseball Championship from 1958-68, pretty much exclusively as a pitcher. He posted a 3.29 ERA in 17 starts with 115 innings, 126 strikeouts, and 2.0 WAR.

Rey’s last year with Puerto Rico saw his most innings on the mound with 18 complete games, but his offensive numbers and use had started to wane. The Pelicans traded him just before the 1968 season to Mexico City, who were just starting their dynasty run. He saw very limited use as he couldn’t crack the loaded starting lineup. The Aztecs won the Mexican League that year, but Rey wasn’t used in the postseason and ultimately never pitched a playoff game in his career. His only playoff experience was four games hitting for Puerto Rico in 1964. Rey struggled on the mound the next year in limited action with Queretaro and opted to retire after the 1969 season at age 37.

Rey’s final pitching stats: 176-144 record, 3.44 ERA, 3006.2 innings, 2377 strikeouts to 604 walks, 240 quality starts, a FIP- of 96, and 44.8 WAR. On just pitching stats, he’s definitely a “Hall of Above Average” type guy. As a batter, he added 1272 hits, 630 runs, 246 home runs, 718 RBI, a .308/.344/.552 slash, wRC+ of 147 and 35.7 WAR. Even together, an 80.5 WAR wasn’t a lock and Rey also spent his career stuck on forgettable teams. Had he focused exclusively on hitting and learned a position, Rey may have pulled off a HOF-level batting career. He presented a very unique case to the voters and Rey’s first three ballots kept him right around 57-58%. On his fourth try, enough swung towards him to barely pass the 66% threshold at 66.4%.

[FuzzyRussianHat]

Three first ballot selections were made in 1978 for East Asia Baseball’s Hall of Fame. Two of them were very obvious picks with 1B Man-Hee Cho at 99.2% and SP Ju-Hwan Park at 96.5%. SP Heui-Seong Kwan joined them narrowly by receiving 68.3%. Only one other player was above 50% with 2B Su-Yeon Park at 57.9% for his second attempt.



One player was dropped after ten failed tries on the ballot. CF Jong Lee had a 20-year career, although five years were in MLB. His EAB run had 2450 hits, 1184 runs, 381 doubles, 376 triples, 39 home runs, 779 RBI, a .323/.355/.488 slash, and 66.2 WAR. He won four Silver Sluggers, but it is never easy for guys with no home run power to get noticed. Lee peaked at 45.7% on his fifth ballot and ended at 12.7%.



Man-Hee Cho – First Baseman – Kobe Blaze – 99.2% First Ballot

Man-Hee Cho was a 6’3’’, 200 pound right-handed first baseman from Sapporo, the capital of Japan’s northern Hokkaido island. Cho was a very well balanced batter who had solid contract skills and very good home run power. He averaged around 35 homers per year, although he topped 50+ twice. Cho had great gap power, leading the Japan League in doubles five times despite being a very poor baserunner. He was solid at drawing walks and middling at avoiding strikeouts. Cho made every start of his career at first base and was viewed as an above average defender. He was an ironman who started 149+ games in all but his rookie season and was considered a scrappy, hardworking sparkplug type player.

Cho went to Yokohama to play college baseball for Koku Gakuin University. After an impressive amateur run, he was picked second overall by Kobe in the 1953 EAB Draft. He was only a part-time starter as a rookie, but became a full-time starter from 1955 through 1972. Cho led the Japan League in runs twice, hits once, doubles five times, walks once, total bases once, average once, OBP twice, slugging twice, OPS three times, and WAR once. Despite that, he somehow never won a single Silver Slugger in his career thanks to the crowded nature of first base.

Despite no Silver Sluggers, Cho did win league MVP in 1961 with a league best 1.040 OPS along with a career-best 9.8 WAR, 50 home runs, and 130 RBI. He had six seasons of 40+ HRs and 11 worth 6+ WAR. He’d finish third in 1956’s MVP voting and third again in 1957, 1959, 1960, and 1963. Cho’s efforts made him extremely popular throughout all of Japan. He also played on the national team in the World Baseball Championship with 67 games and 41 starts from 1956-70, posting 34 hits, 29 runs, 10 home runs, and 18 RBI.

Kobe had 10 straight winning seasons from 1956-65 with five playoff berths in that stretch. They won the Japan League title in 1957 and 1960; taking home the overall EAB title in 1960 by beating Hamhung. Cho won the JLCS MVP in both 1957 and 1960 and in 40 playoff starts had 44 hits, 14 runs, 9 doubles, 5 home runs, 27 RBI, and 1.0 WAR.

The Blaze began to rebuild as the 1960s ended, although Cho was still putting up solid numbers into his late 30s. Near the 1970 trade deadline, Kobe sent him to Kitakyushu for IF Toyo Nagashima and 2B Nakamaro Miyagawa. He hit his 600^th career home run with the Kodiaks. Cho was a free agent entering 1971 and would re-sign for two more seasons with Kobe. Although his numbers fell off a bit, he was able to cross the 3000 career hit and 1500 runs scored milestones with the Blaze. Cho retired after the 1972 season at age 40 and immediately had his #6 uniform retired as a beloved Kobe legend.

Cho’s final stats: 3232 hits, 1618 runs, 581 doubles, 643 home runs, 1833 RBI, a .298/.355/.541 slash, wRC+ of 165 and 117.0 WAR. At retirement, he was third all-time in hits for EAB, fourth in runs, second in doubles, 11^th in home runs, fourth in RBI, and seventh in hitting WAR. As of 2037, he’s 16^th all-time in EAB WAR for a hitter. Cho was an elite batter of his era and a slam dunk first ballot selection at 99.2%.



Ju-Hwan Park – Starting Pitcher – Hamhung Heat – 96.5% First Ballot

Ju-Hwan Park was a 6’1’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Osan, a city of around 200,000 people located 35 miles south of Seoul and nine miles south of Suwon. Park was a hard thrower with 99-101 mph peak velocity. While he had great stuff, he also had excellent control with solid movement. Park’s arsenal was fastball, slider, forkball, and changeup. He was also considered a great defensive pitcher, winning five straight Gold Gloves from 1962-66. Park was incredibly durable and rarely injured, making him one of the most reliable pitchers of his time.

Park was signed at age 16 as an amateur free agent by Hamhung, where he’d ultimately spend his entire EAB run. He actually had his first playoff appearance before his first regular season one, recording two outs as a reliever in 1957 at age 20. This was Hamhung’s second EAB title in three years, giving Park his first ring. He was a more regular reliever in 1958, but would make four starts that postseason with a 2.31 ERA, helping the Heat to another EAB ring. They moved him to the starting rotation full-time the following season.

Park’s first year as a full-time start was lackluster, but he found his footing in 1960. He led the Korea League in ERA and WHIP in both 1960 and 1961, winning Pitcher of the Year both seasons. The Heat won another Korea League title in 1960, although they lost to Kobe in the EAB final. While they remained competitive, they wouldn’t make the playoffs again until 1970 due to Pyongyang’s dynasty run.

Park continued to excel though, leading Korea in WAR four times for the Heat from 1961-66. Each of those seasons saw 8+ WAR and 300+ strikeouts. Park took third in 1962’s Pitcher of the Year voting, third in 1964, second in 1965, and third in 1966. In only eight full seasons with Hamhung, Park had put together a resume worth a look for the Hall of Fame. Ultimately, that would be it for his East Asia Baseball stats. Park became a free agent after the 1966 season and the 30-year old had attention from all around the world. He ultimately came to America, signing a six-year, $1,068,000 deal with MLB’s Minneapolis Moose.

He lived up to the billing immediately, leading the National Association in WAR at 8.7. This earned Park his third Pitcher of the Year award, joining a very select group to have won the award in multiple leagues. He was never that dominant again, but was still a solid starter in five seasons with Minneapolis. He posted a 75-60 record, 2.88 ERA, 1148 strikeouts in 1289 innings, and 30.6 WAR. The Moose made the playoffs thrice in his tenure and made it to the World Series in 1971, falling in the Fall Classic to New Orleans. He had a 2.77 ERA in 68.1 playoff innings with Minneapolis.

Although he was now in America, Park continued to play for his native South Korea in the World Baseball Championship. From 1959-75, he had 360.2 innings over 58 games with a 29-12 record, 3.64 ERA, 465 strikeouts, and 7.9 WAR. Park also earned a world title ring from their 1969 season.

Minneapolis voided the team option year of his contract, making Park a free agent for 1972 at age 35. He signed with Baltimore and had a solid first year and average second. The Orioles traded him for 1974 to Memphis, where he was still respectable, but missed five weeks to an undisclosed injury. Park pitched 1975 with Louisville and struggled, then joined Las Vegas in 1976. That run was brief with a torn flexor tendon ending his year. Cincinnati gave him a tryout in 1977, but his comeback bid failed as he was cut at the end of spring training. Park would retire in the winter of 1977 at age 41.

For his entire pro career, Park had a 295-172 record, 2.96 ERA, 4256 innings, 4182 strikeouts to 773 walks, 365/548 quality starts, 174 complete games, a FIP- of 74, and 114.3 WAR. That line would make him a lock in any league, but keep in mind it was split with 44.6 WAR, 131-101 record, and 3.17 ERA in MLB. For just his EAB/Hamhung run, he had a 164-71 record, 2.76 ERA, 2087 innings, 2472 strikeouts, 184/259 quality starts, FIP- of 63, and 69.7 WAR. It was a remarkable run in only eight full seasons and even with the small time frame, EAB’s Hall of Fame voters didn’t hesitate and inducted Park on the first ballot at 96.5%.



Heui-Seong Kwan – Starting Pitcher – Seoul Seahawks – 68.3% First Ballot

Heui-Seong Kwan was a 5’9’’, 175 pound left-handed pitcher from the capital of South Korea, Seoul. Kwan had incredible stuff with a legendary fastball that regularly was in the 99-101 mph range. He mixed it with a stellar slider and good curveball. Although his stuff was terrific, his movement and control were generally thought of as average at best. He was solid at holding runners and considered a good defensive pitcher, winning a Gold Glove in 1970. With how much he put into the velocity with his smaller frame, Kwan wasn’t one to go deep into games compared to most of his contemporaries. Still, he was considered a very hard worker that made his innings count.

Kwan attended Woosung High School and his velocity was already into the 90s by the time he graduated. Locally, Seoul was solid and picked him fifth overall in the 1956 East Asia Baseball Draft. They hoped the local kid could turn around their fortunes, as the Seahawks had stunk since their late 1940s title runs. They wouldn’t make the playoffs during Kwan’s career, but he certainly couldn’t be blamed for the franchise’s failings.

Seoul developed Kwan on the reserve roster, debuting him at age 21 in 1959 with only 15 innings. He was a full-time starter in 1960 but was iffy, leading to the Seahawks keeping him as a reserve almost exclusively in 1961. Kwan was a full-time starter then in 1962 and remained in the rotation when healthy for the rest of his career. At this point, he’d also pitch for South Korea in the World Baseball Championship. From 1962-69, he had a 3.18 ERA over 82 innings with 121 strikeouts. In 1969, he was part of the world champion Korean squad.

1969 was his year generally, as Kwan was third in Pitcher of the Year voting. This was his only season as a finalist, although he had seven straight seasons worth 5+ WAR. He led Korea in ERA in 1968 and strikeouts in both 1966 and 1969, posting a career best 351 Ks and 8.3 WAR in 1966.

At age 32, Kwan’s production notably slipped with his ERA+ going from 155 to 107. He had a setback late in the 1970 season with a partially torn labrum. Kwan bounced back with a respectable full 1971campaign. He struggled though in 1972 and that July, suffered a partially torn UCL that officially ended his career at only age 34. The Seahawks would decide to honor him by retiring his #10 uniform that winter.

Kwan’s final stats: 169-102 record, 2.97 ERA, 2552 innings, 3165 strikeouts to 528 walks, 242/354 quality starts, FIP- of 77, and 64.3 WAR. Very good numbers for a short career, but he lacked longevity, big accolades, or any playoff stats. Many analysts surmised that his tenure wasn’t going to be long enough to get the nod. However, on his first ballot, Kwan received 68.3% of the vote, putting him in as a first ballot selection despite the holes in his resume.

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Beisbol Sudamerica’s 1978 Hall of Fame voting led to two first ballot selections. RF Aleix Espinoza was the star of the pair with 96.9% of the vote. SP Roldan De La Herran joined him with a solid 81.5%. Two others were above 50% with closer Jaguare Maia at 53.7% on his fourth try and SP Jon Mancilla at 50.2% in his penultimate opportunity.



Two-way player Jay Carrizales was dropped after ten ballots despite debuting at 65.3%, missing first ballot induction by less than a percentage point. He ended up falling to 18.8% at the end despite hovering generally in the upper 40% range. His career was only 12 years and the last three were in MLB. Injuries made him largely irrelevant by the time his turned 30. Still, Carrizales was a star with Santiago, winning two MVPs, seven Silver Sluggers, and six Gold Gloves. As a pitcher in BSA, he had a 141-76 record, 2.53 ERA, 2044.2 innings, 1998 strikeouts, and 43.5 WAR. At the plate as an outfielder, he had 728 hits, 343 runs, 129 home runs, 344 RBI, a .271/.318/.482 slash and 28.1 WAR. His career was certainly memorable and worth spotlighting, but the longevity and totals were just low enough to leave him out of the Hall.

Also worth noting was Carino Colon, who fell below 5% on his ninth try. In 15 years mostly with Guayaquil, the 1B had 2362 hits, 1094 runs, 383 home runs, 1174 RBI, a .305/.345/.517 slash and 61.1 WAR. This was only enough to get him a peak of 16.4%.



Aleix Espinoza – Outfielder – Lima Lobos – 96.9% First Ballot

Aleix Espinoza was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed outfielder from Huancayo, a city of around 450,000 people in Peru’s central highlands. He was a jack-of-all-trades type hitter who wasn’t stellar at anything, but was consistently solid getting contact, drawing walks, avoiding strikeouts, and providing power. He wasn’t a prolific home run guy, but still got you around 20-30 per year while adding 30-40 doubles/triples. Espinoza did have very good speed and baserunning ability as well, making him a threat anytime on base. He was primarily a right fielder, although he did have starts in left and rarely in center and was a reliably average defender. Espinoza also had great durability and was viewed as a leader in the clubhouse, making him very popular in his career.

Espinoza emerged as one of Peru’s most promising prospects and was picked third overall by Lima in the 1953 Beisbol Sudamerica Draft. He started most of his rookie season and as a full-time starter for the rest of his Lobos tenure. Espinoza led the Bolivar League thrice in OPS and wRC+; twice in runs, total bases, and slugging; and once in hits, doubles, average, and WAR. He posted six straight 8+ WAR seasons from 1957-62, winning five over his seven BSA Silver Sluggers in that stretch.

He was third in MVP voting in 1957, second in 1960, and second in 1961 for his Lima run. Espinoza won the award in 1959 with 116 RBI and 1.027 and a career best 9.8 WAR. Notably in 1960, he won a batting title with a .387 average and 225 hits. Espinoza also began playing for Peru in the World Baseball Championship, making 135 appearances from 1955-73. He had 118 hits, 74 runs, 26 home runs, 69 RBI, and 4.3 WAR in the WBC.

Despite his efforts, Lima never made the playoffs in his tenure. The Lobos were consistently above .500, but in that era couldn’t get by nearby rival Callao. With Lima, Espionza had 1825 hits, 896 runs, 298 doubles, 139 triples, 234 home runs, 920 RBI, a .324/.371/.550 slash, and 68.4 WAR. Once his career was done, the franchise would retire his #13 uniform and he’d remain a popular figure with Lobos fans.

Espinoza’s final season with Lima ended with a broken bone in his elbow in August. He became a free agent at age 33 and got worldwide offers, ultimately signing with MLB’s Minneapolis to a five-year, $810,000 deal. Espinoza didn’t win awards with the Moose, but was a solid reliable starter posting 720 hits, 399 runs, 128 home runs, 383 RBI, a .259/.323/.454 slash, wRC+ of 129, and 18.2 WAR. His only playoff experiences came in 1967 and 1968, including a NACS berth in 1968.

His deal ran out and he was a free agent again at age 38 for the 1969 season. Espinoza decided to return home to Peru, but with Callao instead of Lima. He had a career renaissance with Silver Slugger seasons in 1969 and 1970 and a second place in 1970 MVP voting at age 39. Espinoza fell off a bit in 1971 for the then-rebuilding Cats, but still ended up with 18.3 WAR in three years. Callao traded him to Medellin for the 1972, where he played ultimately his final season. Espinoza hoped to find a home in 1973, but went unsigned, retiring that winter at age 42.

For his entire pro career, Espinoza had 3129 hits, 1606 runs, 502 doubles, 451 home runs, 1576 RBI, 839 stolen bases, a .300/.354/.515 slash and 106.5 WAR. For just Beisbol Sudamerica, he had 2409 hits, 1207 runs, 389 doubles, 171 triples, 323 home runs, 1193 RBI, 724 steals, a .315/.365/.537 slash, 153 wRC+, and 88.3 WAR. That career earned him a first ballot selection with 96.9% into BSA’s Hall of Fame.



Roldan De La Herran – Starting Pitcher – Cali Cyclones – 81.5% First Ballot

Roldan De La Herran was a 6’2’’, 195 pound right-handed pitcher from Medellin, Colombia’s second largest city. De La Herran was best known for having excellent control and stamina. His stuff and movement was only viewed as above average at best, but he mixed up five pitches and placed them very well. The arsenal saw 96-98 mph peak velocity with a slider, curveball, forkball, changeup, and splitter on offer. He was also a team captain with excellent leadership and work ethic, allowing him to find great success even without blistering stuff.

De La Herran was picked sixth overall in the 1957 Beisbol Sudamerica by Cali and immediately a full time starter, although he was iffy as a rookie. He’d pitch 240+ innings in all of his full seasons with the Cyclones, although he wasn’t looked at as an ace level pitcher initially. Cali stunk throughout the 1960s, but De La Herran finally was noticed with a third place finish in Pitcher of the Year voting in 1964, posting what was a career-best 7.8 WAR and 2.16 ERA to that point. De La Herran was 30 years old for the 1965 season and was traded by Cali in the summer to Medellin for two prospects.

This trade sent De La Herran back to his hometown with Medellin getting set to begin their late 1960s dynasty run. He finished third in Pitcher of the Year voting in 1965, then won the award for the only time in 1966 with career highs in WAR (8.8), innings (308.2), strikeouts (314), wins (25-7), and ERA (2.10). 1966 marked the first of five Bolivar League titles for the Mutiny between 1966-71, although they only won Copa Sudamerica in 1969. He played a huge role in the 1969 title, posting a 3-0 record and 1.12 ERA over 24 playoff innings. In 12 total playoff starts, De La Herran had a 4.24 ERA over 87 innings with a 6-5 record with 57 strikeouts.

1967 saw a major setback for De La Herran with a torn rotator cuff on May 2, putting him out nine months. Bone chips in his elbow put him out a chunk of 1968, but he bounced back with similar production to his past years for the rest of his Medellin run. With the Mutiny, he had an 81-43 record, 2.51 ERA, 1275.2 innings, 1249 strikeouts, and 31.8 WAR. He also pitched for Colombia in the World Baseball Championship from 1961-72 with a 3.75 ERA over 175 innings with 177 strikeouts.

Now 36-years old, De La Herran became a free agent and returned to Cali for his final two seasons. He fell off noticeably in his final two seasons and had more bone chips in his elbow in 1972 that ended his season early. De La Herran retired after the season at age 38 and finished between his two Cali runs with a 3.11 ERA, 123-128 record, 2448.2 innings, 2107 strikeouts, and 43.4 WAR. The Cyclones would retire his #12 uniform that winter.

De La Herran’s final stats: 204-171 record, 2.91 ERA, 3724.1 innings, 3356 strikeouts to 494 walks, 300/445 quality starts, 211 complete games, a FIP- of 86, and 75.2 WAR. His stats are more near the middle compared to other Beisbol Sudamerica Hall of Famers, but not out of place. Aided also by his role in Medellin’s playoff success, De La Herran grabbed the first ballot induction at 81.5%.

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Two first ballot inductions came with the 1978 Hall of Fame voting for the European Baseball Federation. SP Hermann Hoffman was almost unanimous with 99.7% and was joined by SS Paolo Gigliotti at 79.1%. The only other player above 50% was SP Karlo Godina with 56.3% on his seventh go. No players were dropped after ten attempts in the 1978 voting.



Hermann Hoffmann – Starting Pitcher – Hamburg Hammers – 99.7% First Ballot

Hermann Hoffman was a 5’11’’, 195 pound right-handed pitcher from the capital of Austria, Vienna. Hoffmann was best known for excellent control along with solid stuff and movement. He had 97-99 mph peak velocity with an arsenal of fastball, curveball, forkball, and changeup. Hoffman had tremendous stamina and great stamina early in his career. He was also considered a strong defensive pitcher and a solid batter for a pitcher. Hoffman made eight starts in the field, but wasn’t a true two-way guy. Still, he also provided positive value in the nine-hole and as a pinch hitter, adding to his overall value.

Hoffmann left for England’s University of Cambridge to play collegiate baseball. He’d get picked 25^th overall in the 1957 EBF Draft by Hamburg and he’d spend his whole pro career with the Hammers. Hoffman pitched 200 innings with decent success as a rookie, taking third in Rookie of the Year voting. He then became a full-time starter for the next decade. He led the Northern Conference four times in innings pitched and complete games. In his second season, Hoffmann threw a no-hitter on August 18, 1959 with nine strikeouts and three walks against Amsterdam.

Hoffman had eight seasons with 6+ WAR and had a career and conference high 9.6 in 1960. However, he wasn’t a Pitcher of the Year finalist that year. Hoffman finally got recognition and won the award in both 1962 and 1963; along with a second place finish in both 1964 and 1965. He’d also win three Silver Sluggers (1967, 68, 70) and a Gold Glove in 1967. In 1965, he set a still-standing EBF record with 26 complete games.

Hamburg was a playoff contender for most of Hoffman’s run with eight playoff berths in his career. The Hammers fell short most of the time, but did finally win the Northern Conference in 1964, falling to Barcelona in the European Championship. In 21 playoff appearances and 19 starts, Hoffmann was 5-6 with a 3.13 ERA over 126.2 innings with 120 strikeouts and 2.9 WAR. Hoffman also pitched for Austria’s World Baseball Championship team from 1958-72, posting a 2.44 ERA with a 12-9 record in 217.1 innings with 233 strikeouts and 6.2 WAR. He also had a WBC no-hitter with nine strikeouts and one walk against New Zealand in 1971.

After a solid decade of production, some injuries started to pop up for Hoffman in his 30s. Herniated discs in his back cost him a few months in 1967 and 1968. Then in April 1969, Hoffman suffered a partially torn UCL to end his season. He bounced back with a solid 1970, but shoulder inflammation cost him much of 1971. More back trouble plagued him in 1972 and he was relegated to mop up duty when healthy. Hoffman retired after the season at age 36 and immediately saw his #37 uniform retired.

Hoffmann’s final stats: 220-122 record, 2.52 ERA, 3327.2 innings, 3137 strikeouts to 498 walks, 277/402 quality starts, 206 complete games, 74 FIP- and 88.1 WAR. As of 2037, he’s still the EBF career leader in complete games, especially impressive since his production was so limited in his 30s relative to most Hall of Famers. Hoffmann was an easy choice for first ballot induction and was nearly unanimous with 99.7%.



Paolo “Echo” Gigliotti – Shortstop – Rome Red Wolves – 79.1% First Ballot

Paolo Gigliotti was a 5’10’’, 195 pound right-handed shortstop from Procida, a commune of 10,000 people within the Naples metropolitan city. Gigliotti was a great contact hitter and excellent baserunner with very good speed. He had strong gap power, averaging around 35-45 doubles and triples per season while also getting you around 20 home runs each year. Gigliotti was average generally at avoiding strikeouts and drawing walks. He was a career shortstop, although he made a few starts at first base in his later years. Gigliotti was considered consistently average with his glove. He was also incredibly durable at a demanding position, starting 135+ games in for the first 14 seasons of his career.

After a great college baseball career at the University of Cambridge, Gigliotti went back home to Italy as he was picked third overall in EBF’s first rookie draft in 1950 by Rome. He was a starter immediately and won the 1951 Southern Conference Rookie of the Year. Gigliotti wasn’t often a conference leader, but he was consistently a top batter at the position. He led in doubles twice, hits once, and OBP twice. Gigliotti won eight Silver Sluggers in the EBF (1953, 56, 57, 58, 60, 61, 62, 63).

Gigliotti had ten seasons worth 6+ WAR and eight seasons worth 8+ WAR. He twice had 10+ WAR seasons with 10.2 in 1953 and 10.1 in 1957. Despite these numbers, he was never a MVP finalist in his career. The Red Wolves were unremarkable in the 1950s, but became a contender in the 1960s. In 1962 and 1963, Rome won the Southern Conference Championship and took the EBF ring against Paris in 1963. Gigliotti was also a fixture for Italy in the World Baseball Championship, playing 183 games from 1952-71. In that stretch, he had 166 hits, 105 runs, 26 doubles, 36 home runs, and 85 RBI.

After winning the EBF title in 1963 with Rome, Gigliotti became a free agent at age 35. MLB came calling and he signed with Charlotte to a four-year, $800,000. He was an okay starter for three seasons with the Canaries, posting5.7 WAR. Charlotte let him go after the 1967 season and Gigliotti joined with Ottawa. At age 39, he had a solid year even despite missing a month to a fractured wrist, earning a MLB Silver Slugger. Gigliotti went to Houston for 1969, but missed almost the entire season with a broken kneecap. For his MLB career, Gigliotti had 662 hits, 357 runs, 102 doubles, 68 home runs, 290 RBI, a .281/.334/.430 slash and 10.0 WAR.

At age 41, Gigliotti returned to Italy and signed again with Rome. He stunned many with an awesome 7.6 WAR return season in 1971 for the Red Wolves. He was decent in 1971, ultimately his final year with Rome, who would retire his #24 uniform soon after. Gigliotti went to his hometown team Naples in 1972 at age 43, but a partially torn labrum put him out much of the year. He became a free agent and went unsigned in 1973, retiring at age 44.

Gigliotti’s final full pro numbers saw 3445 hits, 1771 runs, 535 doubles, 219 triples, 346 home runs, 1432 RBI, a .300/.354/.475 slash, 976 stolen bases, wRC+ of 137, and 116.5 WAR. Specifically in EBF (almost all with Rome), he had 2783 hits, 1414 runs, 433 doubles, 197 triples, 278 home runs, 1142 RBI, 895 stolen bases, a .305/.360/.487 slash, wRC+ of 144, and 106.5 WAR. At retirement, he was one of only six EBF batters with 100+ career WAR and he was very briefly the all-time hits leader. Certainly Gigliotti had a first ballot Hall of Fame resume and it is actually a bit surprising he only received 79.1% to get his induction.

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For the first time since 1970, Eurasian Professional Baseball didn’t induct anyone into the Hall of Fame with the 1978 voting. Many players were very close to the 66% threshold, most notably SP Skerdi Hoxha with 65.4% on his eighth try. Closer Vyacheslav Leskov in his debut had 64.1%, while fellow relievers Hryhoriy Boychuk (63.8%, second try) and Mikhail Marakhovsky (60.3%, first) were also above 50%. Four others were above the 50% mark. No players were dropped after ten attempts in 1978.

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Starting pitcher Flynn Rodden became the Oceania Baseball Association’s first Hall of Famer in 1978. In his ballot debut, Rodden crossed the 66% threshold with 70.8%. Closer Neemia Taa’apitaga had 49.7% on his sixth try and SP Te Paoro Rangi had 48.3% in his debut.





Flynn Rodden – Starting Pitcher – Adelaide Aardvarks – 70.8% First Ballot

Flynn Rodden was a 6’2’’, 200 pound left-handed starting pitcher from Perth, the capital of Western Australia. Rodden was a well-rounded pitcher with solid stuff, control, and movement. His velocity only peaked at 94-96 mph but he was a master at changing speeds, especially using a legendary changeup. He mixed it with a fastball, slider, and curveball. Rodden had an extreme groundball tendency and was viewed as a very intelligent pitcher. He was also considered good at holding runners and defense.

OBA’s second-ever rookie draft came in 1961 and Rodden was the crown jewel, picked first overall by Adelaide. He immediately became the Aardvarks ace, winning 1962 Rookie of the Year and taking third in Pitcher of the Year voting. Rodden helped lead Adelaide to their first Oceania Championship against Honolulu, posting a 3.86 ERA over 23.1 playoff innings with 15 strikeouts. In his second year, he took second in Pitcher of the Year voting.

In 1964, Rodden seemed on his way to a Pitcher of the Year and still led the league with a 1.67 ERA, but he suffered a torn back muscle in June to end his season. Adelaide went onto win another OBA title and Rodden received a ring, although he missed the playoff run. He bounced back in 1965 to win his first Pitcher of the Year, although he’d suffer elbow inflammation late in the year. This earned him the first OBA Triple Crown with a 21-10 record, 173 ERA, and 358 strikeouts. Rodden also led in WHIP, FIP-, and WAR with 11.9.

Rodden was on pace to be even better in 1966, but a torn rotator cuff in late May ended his season and kept him from Adelaide’s finals appearance that year. Rodden still earned third in Pitcher of the Year. He bounced back again in 1967 to lead the Australasia League in ERA and WHIP for the third time, posting 10.3 WAR despite still a few weeks to injury biceps. This gave him his second Pitcher of the Year. A strained biceps put him out six weeks in 1968 and his production dropped some in what would be his last great season.

Despite his injuries, Rodden also made 14 starts for Australia in the World Baseball Championship from 1964-60. In this stretch, he had a 2.58 ERA in 97.2 innings with 110 strikeouts. In 1969 at only age 29, elbow inflammation and a rotator cuff strain knocked him out another good chunk of the season. He pitched the 1970 WBC, but suffered a ruptured finger tendon in spring training that cost him the entire season. This was ultimately the end of his Adelaide run, although the team would later retire his #11 uniform for his role in their 1960s title runs.

Rodden was still only 31-years old and teams were hopeful that he could still be valuable if he could stay healthy. MLB’s Phoenix signed him to a four-year, $1,080,000 deal, but Rodden ultimately never threw a pitch in MLB. Bone chips in his elbow, then a forearm strain kept him out almost all year. His only action was seven relief appearances in minor league Tucson. Rodden was cut in January 1972 by the Firebirds and signed for spring training with San Antonio, but was cut before the regular season. He returned to OBA in the summer with Guam and made eight relief appearances. Rodden would choose to retire after the 1972 season at age 33.

Rodden’s final stats: 119-54 record, 1.79 ERA, 1717 innings, 1744 strikeouts to 300 walks, 168/217 quality starts, 84 complete games, a FIP- of 62, and 55.8 WAR. When healthy, he was unquestionably a beast and he’s the only OBA Hall of Famer with a sub-two ERA as of 2037. Many thought he could’ve been inner circle if he could stay healthy, but injuries were a continuous issue. Because of that, he only had around seven years’ worth of true production and many voters felt that wasn’t enough to justify the vote. Enough were sold though on his dominance and the “what if?” to make Rodden OBA’s first Hall of Famer at 70.8%.

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The first Austronesia Professional Baseball Hall of Famer wouldn’t come in 1978. Closer Abdul Rizki was the only one who was somewhat close, getting 56.6% in his second ballot. Another reliever, Hartirono Siagian, was the only other one above the 1/3 mark with 39.2% in his fourth ballot.

[FuzzyRussianHat]

The 1978 World Baseball Championship was the 32^nd edition of the event and was hosted in New Orleans. This was the first time it was hosted in the continental United States since 1960. Looking for an eighth straight World Title, the Americans won Division 1 at 8-1, two games ahead of Nigeria, Tajikistan, and the Netherlands. This gives the US 29 elite eight berths. In D2, China was unbeaten at 9-0 with France the closest competitor at 7-2. It is the ninth division title for the Chinese. Japan was atop Division 3 at 8-1, beating Chile and Denmark each by two. This was the 12^th division title for the Japanese, snapping a drought back to 1972. South Korea snapped a drought dating to 1973 as they took Division 4 at 8-1, beating Austria, North Korea, and Scotland each by two. South Korea now has 11 division wins to their name.

Mexico dominated Division 5 at 8-1, three games ahead of the closest competitors. This gave the Mexicans their 15^th division title. In Division 6, Australia prevailed at 8-1, beating Ecuador by one game. It is only the second division title for the Aussies, who did it back in 1962. Canada claimed Division 7 at 8-1, two ahead of last year’s runner-up Philippines and Spain. The Canadians have now moved to the elite eight 23 times. And in Division 8, Brazil narrowly took first at 7-2, topping Russia and Papua New Guinea each at 6-3. The Brazilians have advanced 17 times now.

In Round Robin Group A, China (5-1) and Mexico (4-2) moved forward, while Brazil (2-4) and Canada (1-5) were ousted. This sends the Chinese to the semifinal for the seventh time and the Mexicans for the ninth time. The United States and South Korea advanced out of Group B with both at 4-2, while Japan and Australia were both 2-4. The Americans have made it to the final four 28 times, while the Koreans have eight times.

In the best-of-five semifinal, South Korea knocked out neighboring China 3-1. This sends the Koreans to their sixth World Championship and first since 1973. Meanwhile, Mexico stunned the United States with a sweep. This gives the Mexicans their seventh finals appearance, but first since 1967. It snaps the Americans’ seven-year title streak, as they officially finish fourth and China takes third.



The 32^nd World Championship was the second time Mexico and South Korea had played in the finale, with the Mexicans sweeping the Koreans in 1949. Mexico would take the 1978 edition in five games for their fourth world title (1949, 1950, 1963, 1978). South Korea is now 1-5 all-time in the championship.



Although they fell in the semifinal, China had the tournament MVP in CF/P Nick Wei. The two-time defending Northern League MVP with Hangzhou had 18 hits, 14 runs, 8 home runs, and 11 RBI in 15 games. Wei also had two wins on the mound, going 15 innings with a 1.20 ERA and 18 strikeouts. Bulgaria’s Svetoslav Angelov was named Best Pitcher. A three-time Reliever of the Year winner with Budapest, the 31-year old lefty pitched 16.2 scoreless innings with 30 strikeouts and only two hits allowed.

Other notes: Honduras’ Chavez Hinojosa had the lone no-hitter of the tournament, striking out nine against Bulgaria. Below are the updated event stats.

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Abidjan set the West Africa Baseball record for wins in a season in 1978, finishing atop the Western League standings at 118-44. The Athletes have earned a playoff spot so far in each of WAB’s four seasons to date. Defending WAB champ Freetown was second at 102-60 to earn the first wild card. Kumasi at 98-64 earned their first-ever playoff berth, beating out both Monrovia and Accra by four games. Bamako, who had made the playoffs in their first three years, fell to sixth at 89-73.

Abidjan had the league MVP and Pitcher of the Year with the former going to LF George Nandjou. The 30-year old Cameroonian left fielder had signed a seven-year free agent deal in the offseason with the Athletes. He was the WL leader in runs (122), home runs (57), RBI (138), walks (99), total bases (369), slugging (.635), OPS (1.014), and wRC+ (192). Meanwhile, Kouadio Diao won back-to-back Pitcher of the Year. The second-year righty from the Ivory Coast was one win short of a Triple Crown with a 22-5 record, 1.83 ERA, and 383 strikeouts in 265.1 innings. He also led the Western League in WHIP (0.69), quality starts (28), FIP- (47), and WAR (11.5). Diao also set multiple single-season records that still stand as of 2037, such as 5.05 hits/9 innings, 0.69 WHIP, .1599 opponents average, .1909 opponents OBP, and .4624 opponents OPS.

Kumasi would upset Freetown 2-0 in the wild card round, but wouldn’t hold up against powerhouse Abidjan. The Athletes took the Western League Championship Series 3-1 to earn their second trip to the finals, having done it in the inaugural 1975 season.



In the Eastern League, last year’s second place squad Port Harcourt took first at 115-47. Defending EL champ Lagos was second at 109-53, joining Abidjan as the teams to make the playoffs in each of the first four seasons. Benin City, who had finished fourth the prior two years, this time took third at 107-55 for the final wild card. Kano missed the playoffs for the first time by placing fifth at 93-69.

Douala’s Joseph Ambane won the EL MVP. The 31-year old Cameroonian shortstop had two miserable overworked seasons previously with the abysmal Ouagadougou squad, but had finally found relief and help by signing with the Dingos. In his one year with Douaga, he was the WARlord (12.3) and leader in OPS (1.077), and slugging (.665), adding 48 home runs and 115 RBI. Lagos’ righty Power Bonou won his second Pitcher of the Year. The 28-year old Beninois was the leader in WAR (10.4), wins (27-4), innings (284.1), quality starts (29), and complete games (12), adding 357 strikeouts and a 2.06 ERA. The 27 wins remains a WAB single-season record as of 2037.

Lagos swept Benin City in the wild card round, then upset Port Harcourt in a five-game classic for the Eastern League Championship Series. This sent the Lizards to back-to-back WAB finals.



After falling in seven to Freetown the prior season, Lagos prevailed in 1978 for their first West African Championship. The Lizards defeated Abidjan in five games with rookie catcher Bruno Alaba winning finals MVP. The 25-year old Nigerian had 15 hits, 3 runs, 8 doubles, and 6 RBI in 12 playoff games. Three of the first four champions in WAB history would be based in Nigeria.



Other notes: At 1-161, Ouagadougou set a world record as the worst team in professional baseball history. Conakry at 14-148 in the other league wasn’t much better. The leagues would help resolve their issues in the offseason and they end up with conventionally bad records as opposed to comically bad ones moving forward.* With the Ospreys’ and Coyotes’ awfulness especially, a number of players had historical games beating up on them. Four pitchers tied the single-game record of 21 strikeouts and five no-hitters were thrown.

There ended up being four perfect games in WAB in 1978. Port Hartcourt’s Adebayo Chukwu on June 14 had 16 strikeouts against Ouagadougou. On July 23, Edwin Ibe of Lagos had 12 Ks versus the Osprey. On Spetember 19, Kumasi’s Ayi Usman fanned 16 against Conakry. The most impressive perfecto was by Lome’s Nathanie Schwarzman, since he did it against a good Kano squad with nine strikeouts. In team records: Abidjan had a 2.55 team ERA, 0.902 WHIP and 1092 hits allowed, still the top marks all-time in the WL as of 2037.

*as mentioned in another post, there was an issue with roster limits that I missed initially that caused these teams to accidentally play shorthanded, leading to the atrocious records. I found the issue and fixed it after the 1978 season, so such records wouldn’t occur again.

[FuzzyRussianHat]

Xi’an had the best record in the Chinese Northern League for the third straight season and earned a fourth playoff berth in five years. The Attack finished at 100-62. Hangzhou and Zhengzhou tied for the second place spot at 96-66 with Shenyang four games back. The Hens beat the Zips in a one-game playoff to earn the wild card spot; their first-ever playoff berth.

Hangzhou’s Nick Wei won his third straight Northern League MVP, CLB’s first three-time winner. The 26-year old CF/P had 8.6 WAR, a .317/.376/.508 slash, wRC+ of 194, and 19 home runs offensively. On the mound he had a 1.90 ERA with a 19-9 record over 269.1 innings with 285 strikeouts, 7.7 WAR, and 28 quality starts. Wei won Silver Sluggers at both CF and P. The Hens also had Pitcher of the Year with third-year righty Mingyue Lin. He was the WARlord (9.4) and leader in quality starts (28) and shutouts (6). He added a 2.04 ERA and 15-11 record in 282.2 innings with 288 strikeouts.



Defending Chinese League Baseball champ Kunming took first in the Southern League for the third straight year. The Muscle were 102-60 in 1978 and led the SL in both runs scored (628) and runs allowed (458). Hong Kong earned their first playoff berth by firmly taking second at 94-68. Shenzhen was the closest competitor at 88-74. Last year’s CLB runner-up Changsha fell to a fifth place 79-83.

Kunming 2B Weiping Gao won back-to-back SL MVPs. The 25-year old was the WARlord at 10.0, adding 38 home runs and 103 RBI with a .170 wRC+. Hong Kong’s Zhijan Dong won his second Pitcher of the Year. The 27-year old righty had a 27-3 record, setting the single-season wins record that still stands as of 2037. He also led the league in strikeouts (362), WHIP (0.78), K/BB (12.9), and quality starts (30), adding 10.6 WAR and a 1.66 ERA in 287.2 innings. He was 12 ERA points away from a Triple Crown.

Both Southern League teams prevailed over their Northern League counterparts in the semifinals. Hong Kong upset Xi’An in six games for their first finals berth, while Kunming clobbered Hangzhou 4-1. The Muscle became the first repeat CLB champion by edging the Champions in seven games in the China Series. 27-year old LF Yongjian Jiang was the finals MVP, posting 15 hits, 6 runs, 3 doubles, 4 home runs, and 11 RBI in 12 playoff games.





Other notes: The eighth CLB Perfect Game was thrown on May 6 by Dalian’s Bin Zhan, who struck out seven against Nanjing. 1B Shenchao An won his ninth straight Gold Glove.

[FuzzyRussianHat]

The Taiwan League was a tight battle in 1978 with the Kaohsiung dynasty and Taoyuan tying for first at 91-71 and Taipei one back at 90-72. In a one game tiebreaker, the Tsunami beat the Steelheads to take the title and deny Kaohsiung’s six-peat bid. For Taoyuan, it is their second Taiwan League title (1971). In the Philippine League, Davao earned a third title in four years. The Devil Rays were first at 84-78, three games ahead of Cebu.

Davao’s Francis Pung won the Taiwan-Philippine Association MVP. The 30-year old Filipino 1B led the TPA in hits (206), doubles (36), average (.337), OBP (.384), and OPS (.922), adding 6.9 WAR. Pitcher of the Year went to Taoyuan’s Hok Hoei Wahyu. It was a big comeback for the 25-year old lefty, who missed almost all of the prior year with a torn rotator cuff. In his return, he led in ERA (1.66), posting a 17-8 record over 255 innings with 297 strikeouts and 8.2 WAR.



Depok won the Sundaland Association’s Java League for the second time in three years. The Demons finished first at 99-63, well ahead of 88-74 Bandung. Defending SA champ Surabaya fell to third at 83-79. In the Malacca League, Palembang took first for the fourth time in five years. The Panthers were 96-66, 12 games ahead of Medan.

Bandung CF Fajar Lastori at age 22 won the Sundaland Association MVP. He had a reserve role in the prior four years, but exploded in his first full year as a starter, falling eight average points short of a triple crown. Lastori led in runs (103), home runs (51), RBI (108), total bases (374), OBP (.387), slugging (.664), OPS (1.051), wRC+ (259), and WAR (12.8). This was APB’s single-season WAR record for a hitter and remained the top mark until 1996. Pitcher of the Year went to Depok’s Norman Archuleta, who posted a 17-7 record and 1.92 ERA over 253.2 innings with 292 strikeouts and 6.3 WAR.

In the Taiwan-Philippine Association Championship, Taoyuan cruised to a sweep over Davao to earn their second-ever finals berth (1971). The Sundaland Association final was a seven game classic. Game seven went 10 innings with Palembang taking it 4-1 over Depok. This earned the Panthers their third Association title in five years.



The 14^th Austronesia Championship also was a seven game battle between two teams hoping for their first-ever overall title. Taoyuan ultimately edged Palembang 4-3, giving the title to a Taiwanese team for the fifth time in six years. LF James Chang was finals MVP with 13 hits, 8 runs, 2 doubles, 3 home runs, and 13 RBI in 10 playoff starts. The Panthers are now 0-3 in their finals appearances. Notably, Palembang’s Nazarul Sasongko set a still standing postseason record with 14 RBI. He also had 20 hits, which stood as an APB playoff record until 2032.



Other notes: Manila’s Lin Zulkifli had 39 triples, a single-season record that still stands in APB as of 2037. The sixth APB Perfect Game came on April 22 from Quezon’s Joss Bonotan, striking out 1- against Cebu. It was the first perfecto in APB since 1974. Abracham Gumelar and Brandon Wright became the second and third APB batters to 400 career home runs. Gumelar and Kim Shin Pan joined Wright as the only batters with 1000 RBI to this point. Gumelar also became APB’s third eight-time Silver Slugger winner. 1B Kent Wang won his ninth straight Gold Glove, while 2B Dario Albores became an eight time winner. LF Rafid Thiam won his ninth GG and SS Antonio Yanto his eighth.