Baseball: The World's Game

[FuzzyRussianHat]

The 36^th World Baseball Championship was the second to be hosted by an African nation with Accra, Ghana serving as the primary city. In Division 1, Colombia took first at 7-2, edging out 6-3 efforts by Paraguay and Belarus. It is the 10^th time advancing to the elite eight for the Colombians, snapping a drought back to 1973. The defending champion United States picked up Division 2 at 8-1, topping 6-3 runs from New Zealand and Nicaragua. The Americans have now been a quarterfinalist 32 times. In D3, Nigeria and Sweden tied for first at 7-2, while China, France, and Ghana were each 6-3. The tiebreaker went to the Nigerians for their second division title. The result also snapped China’s title streak at five years.

Division 4 was an absolute mess with seven nations finishing at 5-4; Denmark, Ecuador, Germany, Hungary, Japan, Niger, and Norway. After a very complex tiebreaker, the unexpected winner was Niger, earning it’s first-ever division title. This also marks the first time that two African nations have made it to the quarterfinal. D5 saw a three-way tie at the top with Australia, South Korea, and Ukraine all at 7-2. The Australians moved forward on the tiebreaker for only their third division title, joining their 1978 and 1962 efforts.

Defending runner-up Mexico cruised to the Division 6 title at 9-0, the only nation to go undefeated in the group stage. It is the 17^th time the Mexicans have been in the elite eight. In Division 7, three nations were 6-3 with Indonesia, Northern Ireland, and the Philippines. The Indonesians moved forward on the tiebreaker for their fifth division title. Lastly in Division 8, Brazil prevailed at 8-1, topping a solid 7-2 Singapore. The Brazilians have 18 elite eight appearances, third most of any country behind only the US and Canada.

In Round Robin Group A, Colombia, Mexico, and Australia were all 4-2 while Niger was 0-6. Again, tiebreakers were needed to decide who advances and it was ultimately Australia and Colombia pushed through, while Mexico was denied. This gave the Colombians their seventh semifinal berth and the Australians their first. In Group B, the United States and Indonesia advanced each finishing 4-2, while Brazil was 3-3 and Nigeria was 1-5. The Americans earned a 30^th semifinal appearance and the Indonesians earned their fourth.

In the semifinals, the US held off a feisty challenge from Colombia 3-2, giving the Americans their 26^th championship appearance. Australia defeated Indonesia 3-1 to send the Aussies to their first finals berth. Colombia officially was third; their fifth time finishing there; while Indonesia was fourth for the second time.



The Australians were the 16^th unique country to earn a spot in the World Championship. However, the United States continued its dominance, taking the 36^th World Championship 4-2. The Americans now have 23 world titles to their names. Australia LF Neville Ryan was the Tournament MVP. The 26-year old defending Australasia League MVP with Gold Coast played 25 games with 35 hits, 26 runs, 19 home runs, 36 RBI, a .376/.454/1.011 slash, and 2.8 WAR. Ryan fell one short of Connor Neumeyer’s 1972 homer record. Best Pitcher went to Niger’s Salifou Souley, a third-year pitcher with Dakar who ultimately had a journeyman career. He had a great tournament though with 15.2 scoreless innings with 12 strikeouts four walks, and seven hits.



Other notes: Niger became the 55^th different country to advance to the elite eight. Canada’s Jojo Quevillon had a 22 strikeout performance in only eight innings against Croatia. It is the ninth time in WBC history that a pitcher had 22+ Ks in a game. American Cade Parker became only the second player to hit for the cycle in the WBC, doing it in the semifinal against Colombia.

[ayaghmour2]

Finally thought the US' run was over, but just like that back-to-back winners again. It's interesting that even though they qualify for the finals most seasons, they almost never lose. 18 straight finals appearances where they won, and two of the three they lost they were up 3-0

[FuzzyRussianHat]

Originally Posted by ayaghmour2

Finally thought the US' run was over, but just like that back-to-back winners again. It's interesting that even though they qualify for the finals most seasons, they almost never lose. 18 straight finals appearances where they won, and two of the three they lost they were up 3-0

There will be a few stretches where the American team isn't so dominant. There's even a fun stretch in the 2020s with ten different champions in ten years, but there's also a few more US repeats in there too and they're usually in the elite eight. As I introduce a few more leagues and expand the existing ones, it creates a lot more players for some of the smaller and more mid-sized countries. A lot of the regular contenders have the benefit of just having more players available to choose from to make a roster.



The Indian League in its third season saw the exact same playoff teams from the second season. Defending league champ Pune picked up the West Division title at 102-60, while Ahmedabad at 92-70 was once again the wild card. Their closest wild card competitor was Visakhapatnam at 89-73. The Volts finished well behind 102-60 Bengaluru for the South Division title. In the Central Division, Jaipur prevailed at 85-77, six ahead of second best Delhi. The Blazers, Jokers, and Purple Knights have made the playoffs in each of the first three seasons of South Asia Baseball.

Pune had the MVP and Pitcher of the Year as Al-Amin Kundu and Sankar Sundaram both repeated as the award winners. For Kundu, he’s been the IL MVP in all three seasons so far. The Bangladeshi shortstop was the leader in home runs (54), RBI (126), slugging (.658), OPS (1.029), wRC+ (201), and WAR (12.2). For Sundaram, the 28-year old Indian was the strikeout leader (366) with the best WHIP (0.85), FIP- (53), and WAR (9.0). He added a 2.34 ERA over 238 innings with a 17-9 record. Also of note, Pedro Heredia won his third Reliever of the Year with his third team since joining SAB. The 32-year old Argentine has won the award an unprecedented nine times when adding his six trophies in Beisbol Sudamerica.

Both first round series went all five games with Pune edging division foe Ahmedabad and Bengaluru surviving against Jaipur. The Blazers pummeled the Purple Knights in the Indian League Championship Series with a sweep, giving Bengaluru its first IL title.



The top three records in the Southeast Asia League were in the North Division. Yangon won the division at 100-62 and is the only SEAL team to make the playoffs each of the first three years. Defending SAB champ Dhaka took the first wild card at 97-65, while Kathmandu earned their first playoff berth with a 89-73 record for the second spot. Kuala Lumpur won the South Division at 88-74, three ahead of Ho Chi Minh City. For the Leopards, it is their first playoff berth.

Dhaka CF Rolando Nitikarn was the Southeast Asia League MVP. The 31-year old Thai lefty led in WAR (8.0) and won his second Gold Glove. He also led in stolen bases with 84 and added 38 home runs and 93 runs scored. Kuala Lumpur’s Anukarsa Mahajan was the Pitcher of the Year. The 30 year old Indian righty led in ERA at 2.14, adding a 16-12 record over 257 innings, 278 strikeouts, and 6.6 WAR.

Yangon survived in five games over Kathmandu in the first round, while Dhaka dominated Kuala Lumpur in a sweep. The Green Dragons downed the Dobermans 4-1 in the Southeast Asia League Championship Series, becoming two time league champs.



However, Yangon would still have to wait for their first overall SAB ring. Bengaluru bounced the Green Dragons 4-1 to take the third South Asia Championship. 1B Arseni Logofet was an unlikely finals MVP. He was a 26-year old Russian who joined the Blazers in 1980 after washing out of Eurasian Professional Baseball and had been primarily a backup. He made 14 playoff starts though and picked up 16 hits, 6 runs, 5 home runs, and 12 RBI.



Other notes: Kuala Lumpur’s Raul Abeyta pitched 21 complete games, which still stands as the SAB season record as of 2037. Hanoi’s Kelsey Vo struck out 19 against Johor Bahru, setting the record thus far in SAB.

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Defending Western League champ Abidjan had the top record in the WL for the fifth time and earned their eighth playoff berth in West Africa Baseball’s first eight seasons. The Athletes dropped from their 112 win seasons in the prior two years, but still had the top spot firmly at 103-59. Kumasi and Monrovia again were the wild cards with the Monkeys getting their fifth straight playoff berth and the Diplomats their fourth. Kumasi finished second at 96-66, while Monrovia was 90-72. The Diplomats narrowly took the final playoff spot with Nouakchott one game behind and Bamako five back.

Western League MVP was third year Kumasi RF Austin Massaquoi. The 23-year old Sierra Leonean had 7.2 WAR, a .291/.390/.536 slash, 36 home runs, and 101 RBI. Pitcher of the Year went to Abidjan’s Albert Kamara for the second time in three years. The 25-year old righty also from Sierra Leone was the leader in wins (24-8), ERA (2.09), WHIP (0.81), K/BB (11.4), quality starts (28), FIP- (65), and WAR (8.5). He pitched 267 innings and was second in strikeouts at 320.

In the wild card round, Monrovia upset Kumasi in three games, sending the Diplomats to the Western League Championship Series for the third time in four years. Abidjan would defeat Monrovia 3-1 to give the Athletes back-to-back WL titles. They’ve also won four of the first eight WLCS.



Benin City earned a third straight playoff berth and their fifth overall, but 1982 saw their first time atop the Eastern League standings. The Blue Devils were 98-64, allowing the fewest runs in the EL at 570. 1980 champ Port Harcourt, who dropped to below .500 in 1981, earned the second place spot at 94-68. Ouagadougou finished third at 91-71 in an impressive turnaround for a franchise that had been cartoonishly bad and hadn’t won more than 69 games in a season prior. Lagos, who had won the EL four of the last five seasons, missed the playoffs for the first time at 80-82. With the Lizards’ down year, Abidjan is the only WAB team left to have made the playoffs in each season.

Helping Ouagadougou’s turnaround was second year LF Oparaku Stone, who won Eastern League MVP and became WAB’s first Triple Crown winning batter. The 24-year old Nigerian had a .330/.389/.688 slash with 59 home runs, 147 RBI, 123 runs, 426 total bases, a 1.077 OPS, 197 wRC+, and 9.5 WAR. Stone had a strange career as he’d post 21.9 WAR in his first three seasons, then only 8.1 total for the next decade. Pitcher of the Year was Port Harcourt’s Marcus Nyathi, winning it for the third time in his career. It was a great comeback season for the 30-year old Motswana after a torn UCL ended his 1981 after two starts. In his return, Nyathi was the ERA leader at 2.78 and leader in WHIP (0.98) and FIP- (64). He added 7.3 WAR, 230 innings, 279 strikeouts, and a 17-4 record.

Port Harcourt swept Ouagadougou in the wild card round. In the Eastern League Championship Series, the Hillcats would upset Benin City 3-2, giving Port Harcourt its second title in three years. PH couldn’t hang with Abidjan though in the eighth West African Championship. The Athletes took the finale 4-1 to take their first overall ring after failing in their three prior finals appearances. SS Amin Elamin was the finals MVP with the 35-year old Sudanese righty had six hits, four runs, and one home run in nine playoff starts.





Other notes: Kumasi’s ninth Perfect Game was thrown by Kumasi’s Issaka Camara on April 8 with 11 strikeouts against Freetown. Power Bonou became the first pitcher to 2500 career strikeouts. LF Arafat Soumah won his seventh Gold Glove.

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Qingdao finished first in the Chinese Northern League in 1982 to earn their first-ever playoff berth. The Devils finished at 100-62 and had the most runs scored in the NL at 615. Nanjing at 95-67 took the second place spot, snapping an eight-year playoff drought. Defending Chinese League Baseball champion Harbin fell short of the Nuggets by one game at 94-68. There was a nine game drop to fourth place Jinan and Tianjin. With Qingdao’s playoff berth, that leaves Shenyang as the only CLB team without at least one playoff appearance through CLB’s first 13 seasons.

Northern League MVP went to Jinan 2B Charlie Zhang. The 27-year old lefty was the WARlord at 11.7 and led with 93 runs scored, adding 37 home runs and a 192 wRC+. Xi’an’s Guodong Lin won his third straight Pitcher of the Year, leading in strikeouts (331), WHIP (0.78), quality starts (30), and innings (287). Lin had a 1.91 ERA, 17-11 record, and 7.0 WAR.



Chengdu took their second playoff berth in three years and for the first time had the top mark in the Southern League, finishing 101-61. After just missing the postseason field the last three years, Hong Kong took the second place at 95-67. The Champions were four games ahead of Foshan and Wuhan to earn the slot. Last year’s CLB runner-up Xiamen dropped to sixth at 83-79.

Chengdu RF Haojian Yu won the Southern League MVP. The 27-year old righty was the leader in WAR (9.7), slugging (.562), OPS (.928), wRC+ (217), total bases (314), runs (86), and RBI (104). Yu added 35 home runs and a .297 average. Shenzhen’s Xinyu Dai secured Pitcher of the Year, falling four strikeouts short of a Triple Crown season. The 26-year old ace had a 19-12 record, 1.32 ERA, and 318 strikeouts in 260 innings. Dai was the league leader in WHIP (0.74), complete games (18), FIP- (51), and WAR (9.5).

The semifinals had upsets as both second place teams knocked out their first place counterpart from the other league. Hong Kong handled Qingdao 4-1, while Nanjing edged Chengdu in a seven game thriller. Both teams earned their second China Series appearance with the Champions being the 1978 runner-up and the Nuggets the inaugural runner-up in 1970.



The 13^th China Series was won 4-2 by Hong Kong, led by Mongolian LF Dolgoon Bolorsukh. The 39-year old was unsigned in 1981, then started 1982 with Xiamen before being traded to the Champions. Bolorsukh was the postseason hero, also winning semifinal MVP with 14 hits, 9 runs, 8 home runs, and 12 RBI in 11 playoff games. It was a remarkable way to close the veteran’s career. No CLB player would have 8 HRs in a playoff run again until 2003.



Other notes: Bolorsukh and Xinze Yan became the first CLB batters to 1000 career RBI. Yan also became the first to 1000 runs scored. Zhijian Dong was the first pitcher to 200 career wins. Zhiyuan Lai became the second to 3000 strikeouts. 1B Shenchao An won his record 12^th Gold Glove. Two-way player Nick Wei won his 10^th Silver Slugger as a pitcher.

[FuzzyRussianHat]

Taoyuan had an impressive bounce back season to take the Taiwan League title in 1982. After a surprisingly bad 70-92 mark the prior year, the Tsunami took the top spot at 94-68. Defending Austronesian champion Taichung was close behind, but fell short by two games at 92-70. The top record in the Taiwan-Philippine Association would go to Quezon with a 104-58 mark atop the Philippine League. Entering the season, the Zombies were the only TPA team that hadn’t made the playoffs at least once in the prior 17 seasons of Austronesia Professional Baseball. Defending PL champ Zamboanga was a distant second at 87-75.

Leading Quezon’s efforts was TPA MVP Indra Gunalan. A third-year first baseman from Jakarta, Gunalan was the leader in WAR (8.2), RBI (105), total bases (357), slugging (.617), OPS (.963), wRC+ (199), and WAR (8.2). He added a .313 average and 39 home runs. Pitcher of the Year was Zamboanga’s Dave Hermillo. A 27-year old Filipino righty nicknamed “Shoebox,” Hermillo led in WAR (10.7), wins (22-11), ERA (1.44), and innings (299.1). He added 339 strikeouts and 20 complete games with eight shutouts. Also of note, Taoyuan’s Ting-Wei Ping won his fourth Reliever of the Year, posting an impressive 0.88 ERA and 40 saves over 81.2 innings with 154 strikeouts.



The only Sundaland Association team entering the season without a single playoff berth was Singapore. The Sharks reversed their fortunes and took a competitive Malacca League at 92-70. They ended off Batam at 87-75, Pekanbaru at 86-76, and defending Association champ Medan at 84-78. In the Java League, Jakarta took first at 86-76, seven games ahead of Surabaya. For the Jaguars, this ended an 11-year playoff drought dating back to their 1968-70 dynasty. Last year’s Java League winner Bandung finished third at 76-86.

Although they missed the playoffs, Pekanbaru’s Ahmad Syahmi Rusli came away with both Sundaland Association MVP and Pitcher of the Year. He had an incredible 0.89 ERA, which set a single-season APB record for qualifying pitchers and was the second lowest ever in any pro league behind CLB’s Zhiyuan Lai’s 0.70 in 1975. Rusli’s mark would remain the APB record until 2014. The 25-year old Singaporean nicknamed “Oz,” also led in strikeouts (363), WAR (13.1), and had a bonkers FIP- of 7. Rusli had a 15-7 record over 222.1 innings. Sadly, injuries would derail his career and he’d never again throw 200+ innings in a season.

Taoyuan downed Quezon 4-1 in the Taiwan-Philippine Association Championship, giving the Tsunami their third TPA title (1971, 1978). Jakarta would cruise to a sweep over Singapore in the Sundaland Association final, making the Jaguars a four-time champion (1968-70). In the 18^th Austronesia Championship, Taoyuan toppled Jakarta in five games to earn their second APB ring (1978). Finals MVP went to CF Ying-Chieh Tsai, who would go onto win 15 Gold Gloves in his career. In the 1982 playoffs, Tsai made 10 starts with 9 hits, 5 runs, 2 home runs, 2 triples, and 6 RBI.





Other notes: Batam’s Ed Arua had the ninth APB Perfect Game on September 4 against Surabaya. Arua’s was especially notable as the game went extras, striking out 14 batters over 10 innings. Romeo Arguello became the sixth APB batter to 2000 career hits. Po-Yu Shao became the third to 1000 runs scored and Chun-Chia Lan became the seventh to 1000 RBI. Lee Tira became the first reliever to 300 career saves. 1B Kent Wang won his 13^th Gold Glove. CF DJ Licerio won his ninth Silver Slugger.

[FuzzyRussianHat]

Defending Oceania Champion Auckland successfully defended the Australasia League title in 1982. The Avengers improved upon their 97 wins from the prior year, taking the top spot at 102-60. They were 11 games ahead of second place Sydney. The Snakes and Brisbane both have yet to make the playoffs through OBA’s first 23 seasons. For Auckland, this was their third title (1965, 1981).

Gold Coast’s Neville Ryan won back-to-back AL MVPs. The 26-year old left fielder was the leader in triples (27), RBI (119), total bases (369), slugging (.652), OPS (1.009), wRC+ (189), and WAR (8.5), adding 43 home runs and a .297 average. Auckland’s Nigel Chambers won his second Pitcher of the Year. The 32-year old Englishman was the ERA leader (1.84) and WHIP leader (0.75) with 35 quality starts, 10.2 WAR, 354 strikeouts, and a 24-9 record over 323.1 innings. This beat out an excellent season from Adelaide’s Tarzan Rao, who had a 2.20 ERA over 348.1 innings with 484 strikeouts and 13.0 WAR. His K total was the third most in a season to that point in OBA history.



Over in the Pacific League, Honolulu defended its title successfully as well. The Honu set a franchise record with a 107-55 season, 14 games better than the prior year’s effort. Guam had a solid second place season at 93-69, but was still a distant second. Honolulu led in runs scored (641) and runs allowed (482). It was their fourth PL title (1962, 63, 81).

Pushing the Honu to their title was Pacific League MVP Evan Serafina, who surprised many with his effort at age 40. The American second baseman had a 16 year MLB career before coming to OBA and bouncing around between teams since 1980. Serafina signed with Honolulu for 1982 and delivered a banner year, leading in RBI (99), WAR (9.4), slugging (.584), OPS (.928), and wRC+ (201). He added 42 home runs and a .287 average. Pitcher of the Year was Jinhai Mo, winning it for the third time. The 27-year old Australian had won it previously in 1977 and 1978 with Perth. The Penguins traded him to Guadalcanal for a prospect haul prior to 1982. In his one season in the Solomons, Mo led in WRA (1.60), WHIP (0.80), K/BB (8.8), FIP- (53), and WAR (10.6), adding 361 strikeouts and a 23-10 record in 286 innings. This would be Mo’s final OBA season, as he’d move to Chicago and begin a decade-long MLB tenure.

The 23^rd Oceania Championship was a rematch from the prior year between Auckland and Honolulu. The Honu would deny the Avengers their repeat, winning the series in five games and sending the cup to Hawaii for the first time. 2B Ruben Tracy was the finals MVP, a 35-year old American in his fourth season with the Honu following a nine year MLB career. Tracy had 8 hits, 3 runs, 2 home runs, and 4 RBI in the series.





Other notes: Honolulu’s Clint Keeling was the Reliever of the Year and tied OBA’s single-season saves record with 53. As of 2037, he and Pakelike Moote still share the record. Guam’s Abraham Tristan became the first OBA player to have a four home run game, doing it against Guadalcanal on September 10 with a 4-5 effort. Gold Coast’s Mateo Garcia tied the single-game strikeout record, fanning 20 against Melbourne on April 21. Nigel Chalmers became the fifth OBA pitcher to 3500 career strikeouts. Ross Deacon became the fourth batter to 400 home runs. SS Adam McMahon won his ninth and final Gold Glove.

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Defending European League champion Minsk won the North Division at 93-69, edging out St. Petersburg by five games and Warsaw by seven. The Miners would ultimately be the only playoff team from the North. Bucharest won the South Division at 97-65, followed by Kharkiv at 95-67 and Kyiv at 90-72. This gave the Broncos back-to-back division titles and extended the Kings’ playoff steak to five seasons. It was a return for the 1980 Soviet Series champ Killer Bees, who barely missed the postseason field in 1981. Also notably, Moscow fell hard, going from 92 wins and a wild card the prior year to the EL’s worst record at 64-98.

St. Petersburg LF Darian Tasos won his second European League MVP, having also taken it back in 1977. Now 31-years old, “Horseface” posted a career and league best 10.8 WAR in 1982. The right-handed Albanian also led the league in runs (104), slugging (.675), OPS (1.046), and wRC+ (233), adding an impressive 55 home runs and .309 average. Only Ilkin Hasanov beat him in home runs, as Hasanov hit 60, the third EPB batter to do so. Minsk’s Elfar Freyr Finsen was the Pitcher of the Year. The 32-year old Icelandic lefty had won the award in EBF with Glasgow, but defected to EPB and signed with the Miners for 1982. Finsen led in wins (21-9) and innings (303), adding a 1.93 ERA, 319 strikeouts, and 10.3 WAR.

Kyiv edged Bucharest 3-2 in the first round, while Kharkiv upset Minsk 3-1. This set up an all-Ukraine European League Championship Series for the second time, as they met in the 1958 final. It is also the fifth straight season that one of those two teams were in the ELCS. The 1982 edition was a seven-game classic with the Kings prevailing over the Killer Bees. For Kyiv, it is their seventh EL title (1958, 59, 63, 65, 78, 79).



Krasnoyarsk had the top record in the Asian League, winning back-to-back North Division titles at 100-62. Defending EPB champion Dushanbe won the South Division at 95-67, giving the Dynamo their fourth playoff berth in five years. 1980 AL winner Bishkek was second at 90-72, taking the first wild card spot. For the second wild card, Ulaanbaatar narrowly took it at 86-76. They were one ahead of Tashkent, two better than Ufa, and three ahead of Irkutsk, Novosibirsk, and Baku. This snapped a five-year playoff drought for the Boars. Asgabat, who won 100+ in the prior three seasons, was a Dnon-factor at 73-89. The Alphas wouldn’t have a winning season again until 1997.

Dushanbe’s Ivan Valev became a four-time MVP winner, having won it in 1973 with Bucharest, 1976 with Budapest, and 1978 with Krasnoyarsk. The Cossacks traded him to the Dynamo before the 1982 season and “Socks” showed he still had it at age 33. The Bulgarian designated hitter led in the triple slash (.307/.360/.588), OPS (.948), wRC+ (195), WAR (8.6), home runs (45), total bases (377), and hits (197). Valev was one RBI short of a Triple Crown. Pitcher of the Year was Ulaanbaatar’s Azer Sattarli. The 28-year old Russian was the strikeout leader with 376, taking the award despite his 14-16 record. Sattarli had a 1.95 ERA over 290.2 innings and 9.1 WAR.

Krasnoyarsk took care of division foe Ulaanbaatar 3-1 in the first round of the playoffs, while Bishkek upset Dushanbe with a sweep. In the Asian League Championship Series, the Cossacks defeated the Black Sox 4-2 for their third AL title, joining the 1974 and 1959 campaigns.



The 28^th Soviet Series was a rematch of the 1959 finale, which the Kings won in five. 1982 saw a first-time champ with Krasnoyarsk clobbering Kyiv 4-1 for their first title. LF Igor Abdyldaev was the star of the playoffs with the 25-year old winning both Soviet Series and ALCS MVP. In 15 playoff games, he had 21 hits, 9 runs, 6 home runs, and 12 RBI.



Other notes: SS Nazar Gogunov won his 12^th and final Gold Glove. He is the all-time record holder for the position still as of 2037 in EPB. LF Artyom Kahn won his tenth.

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Leading the EBF Northern Conference in 1982 was Amsterdam, who snapped a 22-year postseason drought. The Anacondas also impressively rebounded from only 64 wins the prior season, winning the Northwest Division at 100-62. It was their first division title since 1955. Defending conference champ Luxembourg was 94-68, while gave them the wild card over division foe Brussels by three games. Dublin ended a seven-year playoff drought by winning the British Isles Division at 89-73. Glasgow’s six-year title streak ended with an unremarkable 77-85 season. In a weak North Central Division, Stockholm finished first at 83-79, beating Hamburg by one and defending winner Copenhagen by three. The Swordsmen have eight playoff berths in the last nine seasons.

Dublin 3B Ben Kelly won his second Northern Conference MVP and became the third hitter in EBF history with a Triple Crown season. The 25-year old Englishman had 63 home runs, 156 RBI, and a .343 average. The RBI mark was a new single-season record, passing Gabriel Staudt’s 151 in 1951. Kelly also led in runs (118), total bases (446), slugging (.750), OPS (1.136), and wRC+ (223). His 12.2 WAR was actually second to the 12.4 by Belfast’s Bernd Sprenger, who combined solid batting with Gold Glove defense at shortstop. Hamburg’s Charlie Desprez won his second Pitcher of the Year. It’d be the final EBF season for the 27-year old Frenchman, who would leave for MLB in the offseason. He led the NC in strikeouts (344), WHIP (0.77), K/BB (12.3), FIP- (54), and WAR (10.0), adding a 1.89 ERA over 266.1 innings and 19-7 record.

Stockholm defeated Amsterdam 3-1 in the first round and Luxembourg upset Dublin with a road sweep. This sent the Lancers back to the Northern Conference final for back-to-back seasons and for the third time overall, while the Swordsmen earned their second tripe in three years and seventh overall appearance. The series was a seven game classic that saw Stockholm prevail for only their third-ever NC title (1957, 1959).



Vienna had the Southern Conference’s best record at 97-65, ending an eight-year playoff drought for the Vultures and winning them the Southeast Division title. Belgrade was second at 92-70 for back-to-back wild cards. They edged out division foes Athens and Munich by three games as Barcelona by four. Zurich won a record tenth consecutive South Central Division title, going 96-66. The Mountaineers set a still-standing SC record for fewest hits allowed in a season (1102) and had the second-best mark by ERA at 2.44. Defending European Champion Marseille took the Southwest Division for the third straight season. The Musketeers were 95-67, seven ahead of the Bengals.

Marseille RF Jacob “Rowdy” Ronnberg won back-to-back Southern Conference MVPs and was five points from a Triple Crown. The 26-year old Swede led with 122 runs, 49 home runs, 118 RBI, 400 total bases, a .404 OBP, .685 slugging, 1.089 OPS, 215 wRC+, and 11.9 WAR, along with a .336 average. Zurich’s Jean-Luc Roch won his record-setting seventh Pitcher of the Year. He tossed EBF’s eighth pitching Triple Crown season and became the first player to do it twice, having also earned the distinction in 1975. The 31-year old Frenchman had a 24-7 record, 1.68 ERA, and 434 strikeouts over 280.2 innings. He also was the SC leader in WHIP (0.70), K/BB (15.0), quality starts (30), shutouts (8), FIP- (44), and WAR (12.7).

Belgrade upset their division foe Vienna with a road sweep in the first round, while Zurich ousted defending champ Marseille 3-1. This gave the Mountaineers their sixth Southern Conference Championship appearance in their division title streak and gave the Bruisers their fourth berth of the decade. Zurich topped Belgrade 4-2 to give the Mountaineers their fifth conference title (1958, 65, 78, 80, 82).



In the 33^rd European Championship, Stockholm was dominant, dropping Zurich 4-1. This sent the title to Sweden for the second time, with the Swordsmen winning back in 1957. Catcher Georg Drost was the finals MVP with the Danish switch hitter getting 14 hits, 6 runs, 3 doubles, and 4 RBI over 16 playoff starts. The Mountaineers are now 1-4 all-time in the finale with their only win back in 1965.



Other notes: Malta was historically terrible at 42-120, the worst record in EBF history. They also had all-time Southern Conference worsts in batting the triple slash (.196/.239/.288), runs (394), hits (1035), and strikeouts (1757). Jean-Luc Roch became the second pitcher to 4500 career strikeouts. Nikolai Yevsikov became the fourth batter to 1500 RBI. RF Sumer Cetin won his eighth Gold Glove. 2B Richard Rautenstrauch won his eighth Silver Slugger.

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After a second place finish last year, Barquisimeto took the Bolivar League North Division title for the third time in four years. The Black Cats had the league’s best record at 98-64, fending off a strong division with the five best records in the league. Medellin and Valencia were both six back at 92-70 with last year’s division winner Bogota at 91-71 and Maracaibo at 88-74. In a weaker South Division, La Paz took the top spot at 85-77, three ahead of Cali. Defending BL champ Quito dropped to a lackluster 70-92. For the Pump Jacks, it is their fifth division title in seven years.

Bogota DH Bastian Martin won his third straight Bolivar League MVP. This would be his final season with the Bats, as the 29-year old Uruguayan slugger would leave for MLB’s Hartford in the offseason. Martin was the leader in WAR (8.5), OBP (.431), and wRC+ (183), adding a .347 average, 40 home runs, and 102 RBI. Ciudad Guayana’s Francisco Almanza won the Pitcher of the Year as the 26-year old lefty led in wins (24-9), ERA (2.20), inning (294.2), and complete games (24). He added 344 strikeouts and 9.8 WAR, allowing him to be perennial award winner Lazaro Rodriguez despite Rodriguez’ 10.8 WAR and 429 strikeouts. Also of note, Barquisimeto’s Gilberto Sanchez won his third Reliever of the Year.



Recife became the first of the 1974 expansion teams to earn a playoff spot. The Retrievers won the Brazil Division at 101-61, beating defending Copa Sudamerica champion Salvador (99-63) by two games. No one stood out in the South Division with Buenos Aires getting their seventh playoff berth in eight years. The Atlantics tied with Santiago at 83-79, but BA won the one-game playoff to advance. Montevideo (82-80) and Concepcion (80-82) were both right in the hunt as well.

Belo Horizonte was a non-factor at .500, but their ace Benjamim Alegre won both the Southern Cone League MVP and Pitcher of the Year. It was the second PotY for the 26-year old Brazilian, who became the eighth Beisbol Sudamerica pitcher to earn the Triple Crown and the first since 1975. Alegre had a 24-4 record, 1.62 ERA, and 382 strikeouts. He pitched 272 innings and led in WHIP (0.81), shutouts (10), FIP- (46), and WAR (11.5), while also batting .293 in the nine hole. Alegre had his second career no-hitter in 1982, fanning 15 on July 14 against Rosario.

The Bolivar League Championship Series saw a Barquisimeto sweep of La Paz, giving the Black Cats their second title in three years. It is only their third BL pennant, having also won in 1958. The Southern Cone Championship went all seven games with Buenos Aires upsetting Recife, also giving the Atlantics their second title in three years. It is the ninth pennant for Buenos Aires.



In the 52^nd Copa Sudamerica, it was a rematch of two years earlier when Buenos Aires bested Barquisimeto in six. The series again went six, but the roles were reversed as the Black Cats won the cup for the first time in franchise history. SS Enrique Tafoya was the finals MVP with the 32-year old Venezuelan getting 19 hits, 8 runs, and 8 RBI in 10 playoff starts.



Other notes: Celso Galo became the fourth BSA batter to 3000 career hits. He’d play two more seasons and end with 3182, retiring third all-time. Alfonso Revela became the seventh to 600 home runs. Lazaro Rodriguez became the 12^th to 4500 strikeouts. He also had two standout games with a 21-strikeout effort in April against Caracas and a no-hitter with 17 strikeouts against Lima in June. 3B Leonardo Valdez won his 10^th Gold Glove and 1B Vicente Anaya won his eighth. Finals MVP Enrique Tafoya won his eighth Silver Slugger, although this was his first at shortstop and not second base.

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The 1982 Japan League standings had the same four teams at the top as the prior season. Defending East Asian Champion Sapporo had the top record at 104-58, winning the North Division for the fourth straight season with their fourth straight 100+ win season. Sendai was a distant second at 90-72. Kitakyushu won the West Division at 98-64, fending off Fukuoka by five games. The Kodiaks got their fourth playoff berth in five years. Kawasaki claimed the Capital Division at 93-69 with an eight game gap over Tokyo and Yokohama. This gave the Killer Whales a third division win in four seasons. Lastly, Kobe claimed a third straight Central Division with their 89-73 finish.

Sendai center fielder Ryota Shintani became a three-time Japan League MVP award winner. The 31-year old Osaka native was the WARlord (11.6) and leader in runs (126), total bases (387), slugging (.680), OPS (1.055), and wRC+ (208). Shintani added 55 home runs and 116 RBI. Fourth year lefty Aiya Kodama won Pitcher of the Year for Hiroshima and posted the ninth EAB Triple Crown season for a pitcher. Kodama had a 24-3 record, 1.68 ERA, and 374 strikeouts over 278 innings. He also was the leader in quality starts (30), complete games (21), shutouts (6), FIP- (48), and WAR (11.8).

Sapporo survived a strong challenge from Kobe in the first round of the playoffs in five games, while Kawasaki topped Kitakyushu in four. This sent the Swordfish to their third straight Japan League Championship Series, while it was the first since 1971 for the Killer Whales. Kawasaki ousted the defending champ Sapporo 4-2 for their first JL pennant since 1967. It is the fourth league title for the Killer Whales, who also won in 1938 and 1941.



For the second straight season, Daejeon had the best record in the Korea League. The Ducks dropped slightly from their 105-win 1981 campaign, but still took the South Division firmly at 100-62. Busan was second at 91-71, earning the first wild card and a third consecutive playoff appearance. Seongnam snapped a decade-long drought and earned only their second division title in 30 years by taking the North crown at 95-67. In a tight race for the final wild card, Yongin and Gwangju finished tied at 88-74 with Hamhung only one behind and both Seoul and Changwon at two back. The season tiebreaker gave the Gold Sox the spot for their second berth in three years. Defending KL champ Suwon fell to just below .500 at 79-83.

Korea League MVP went to Seongnam first baseman Byung-Il Jun. The 25-year old was the leader in WAR (8.5), hits (202), OBP (.421), and wRC+ (181), adding 44 home runs, 100 RBI, and a .358 average. Changwon’s Seung-Yu Woo won his third straight Pitcher of the Year. His 302.2 innings pitched was only the fifth time an EAB pitcher tossed 300+. Woo led in strikeouts (343), WHIP (0.91), K/BB (8.8), quality starts (30), and WAR (10.3). He added a 2.35 ERA and 17-12 record.

Despite having the best record, Daejeon again was bounced in the first round, falling 3-1 to Yongin. This gave the Gold Sox their first Korea League Championship Series appearance since 1972. Seongnam meanwhile swept Busan for their first KLCS since 1971. The final had two teams that historically hadn’t gotten over the hump with the only title for the Gold Sox in 1970 and no rings for Seongnam. For the first time in franchise history, the Spiders won the Korea League title, dropping Yongin 4-2. This leaves the Ducks as the only non-expansion KL team without a league title.



In the 62^nd East Asian Championship, Kawasaki would be crowned champion by defeating Seongnam in six games. This is the second overall ring for the Killer Whales, whose only other overall title was back in 1941. 3B Seizo Shinad was the playoff star, winning both finals and JLCS MVP. The 27-year old led the JL with 56 home runs in the regular season and belted five more in 16 playoff starts. Shinad also had 22 hits, 12 runs, and 13 RBI in the postseason.



Other notes: There weren’t any no-hitters in EAB in 1980 or 1981, but 1982 would see two Perfect Games. The first was May 30 from Suwon’s Jin-U Shin against Pyongyang, while the second was July 20 by Kitakyushu’s Hisataka Otsuka against Nagoya. Both had 10 strikeouts, bringing the total of EAB perfectos to 28.

Hyeog-Jun Wi became the third EAB batter to 2000 career RBI, finishing the season with 2012. He’d play one more season and finish with 2097, passing Lei Meng’s all-time mark of 2089. Wi would also finish with 873 home runs, retiring second to Meng’s 897. Wi also became the ninth batter to 3000 career hits. Makata Araki became the 18^th EAB slugger to 600 career home runs. Yeong-Il Weon crossed both 1500 RBI and 500 home runs. LF Ki-Chun Park won his 12^th Gold Glove.

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Puebla snapped a 14-year playoff drought in 1982, finishing with the Mexican League’s record at 95-67 atop the South Division. Merida and Guadalajara were both 91-71 behind the, tying for the lone wild card spot. The Mean Green won the tiebreaker game to end a three-year playoff skid. Last year’s division champ Mexico City was a non-factor at 74 wins. Meanwhile, defending CABA champion Juarez and Hermosillo tied for the North Division at 89-73. The jesters prevailed in the tiebreaker game to keep their repeat hopes intact.

Merida’s Kenedy Ortiz became a four-time Mexican League MVP. The Gold Glove third baseman from Columbia was the elader in WAR (12.0), slugging (.606, OPS (1.006), wRC+ (219), runs (101), and RBI (116). Ortiz added 39 home runs and a .330 average. Puebla’s Junior Vergara won his fourth straight Pitcher of the Year. He led in strikeouts (365) and WAR (9.4) both for the fifth straight year. Vergara also had the best WHIP (0.73), K/BB (14.0), and FIP- (54), adding a 1.94 ERA and 17-9 record in 255.2 innings.

Juarez cruised to a first round sweep over Merida to earn back-to-back Mexican League Championship Series appearances, while Puebla hadn’t been there since 1953. The Pumas seemed primed to upend the defending champs by taking the first three games, but the Jesters rallied from down 3-0 to win the series in seven games. This gives Juarez its fifth ML pennant in nine years and their seventh league title overall.



Defending Caribbean League champion Santo Domingo improved upon their 1981 record, again taking the Island Division with a 102-60 record. Jamaica also improved their record, allowing them a third straight playoff berth with the wild card spot at 96-66. Over in the Continental Division, Guatemala earned a third consecutive division title. The Ghosts dropped from 106 wins to 90-72, but that was still enough to top Salvador by two games and both Honduras and Costa Rica by five.

Honduras DH Gabriel Pompa was the Caribbean League MVP and joined the legendary Kiko Velazquez as the only to win MVP and Rookie of the Year. Pompa was a late bloomer with his rookie year at age 26, but the right-handed Honduran led the league in home runs (56), RBI (127), total bases (395), slugging (.644), OPS (.988), and wRC+ (172). Guatemala’s Franklyn Maldonado won Pitcher of the Year with the 26-year old Honduran lefty leading in ERA (2.01), quality starts (30), FIP- (53), and WAR (10.9). He added 330 strikeouts and a 21-9 record in 272.2 innings.

Jamaica and Guatemala went the distance in the wild card round with the Jazz earning the road series win for their second Caribbean League Championship Series appearance in three years. Their division foe Santo Domingo would prove too tough as the Dolphins claimed it 4-2 for back-to-back titles. Santo Domingo now has 10 Caribbean League pennants, putting them second to Honduras’ 12.



The 72^nd Central American Baseball Association Championship was a rematch of the prior season and their third meeting in the finale. Santo Domingo swept Juarez in 1962, but the Jesters took the 1981 encounter 4-2. The 1982 edition also went six games, but this time ended with a Dolphins ring. LF Jop de Kok led the way for Santo Domingo, winning finals MVP and CLCS MVP. The 28-year old Aruban had 17 hits, 15 runs, 5 doubles, 7 home runs, and 13 RBI in 12 playoff starts. It is the fifth overall championship for the Dominican capital (1917, 1927, 1960, 1962, 1982).



Other notes: Santo Domingo’s Solomon Aragon became the sixth CABA batter to 3000 career hits. Alvaro Quintana became the 24^th to 500 home runs. 1B Rafioby Barajas won his 13^th Gold Glove.

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Major League Baseball had been a tremendous success since its founding in 1901 and baseball had expanded to become the preeminent sport in the world. The four league setup of MLB (Eastern, Midwest, Southern, Western) between the National Association and American Association had been a commercial and cultural success. The sport thrived throughout all 48 major league markets and its minor league affiliates despite many of the cities being considered too small by other professional sporting outlets. After World War II, both the United States and Canada grew quickly and even more potential major league capable cities emerged. By the 1970s, the idea of expansion became an increasingly discussed possibility.

Naturally, the debate about MLB’s future was an intense one. The loudest voices for expansion were the business and political leaders of the emerging markets who wanted their city to be part of the big time. While some in minor league cities were content with their status, others were restless and adamant about their addition. Some of the bolder folks even floated leaving the minors and making an independent league, although that never got too much traction. There were those in existing markets that also felt more markets would mean more fans and therefore more money. The talent pool in the US and Canada was already terrific and with the worldwide expansion of the game, very few were worried about there not being enough quality players for more teams.

However, many traditionalists were against changing up a formula that had worked for more than 70 years. Some owners were worried that an additional team located nearby could eat into their market share, although others were cautiously optimistic of maybe having another regional rival. How many teams and how to format their addition was another legitimately big obstacle. Adding one team to each league (four new teams total) didn’t seem to fit with the awkwardness of then having 13-team leagues. Adding eight teams (four to each Association) seemed to fit logistically better with any more than that causing an odd setup or possibly running out of deserving cities.

Eventually in the late 1970s, most had settled on expansion being in the cards and adding eight teams total, making it 56 teams, 28 per association. There were two competing schools of thought to how to add them. The simplest was to add two to each league, making each 14 teams. That was the idea favored by the traditional fan, as breaking up the longstanding leagues was considered sacrilege by some. However, a convincing argument existed for splitting the leagues up and making each association be four divisions with seven teams apiece. This idea would keep many of the regional rivalries in place and potentially strengthen them. Leaders eventually looked into this option to see how you would break up the existing leagues and which markets could fit into new slots.

One last concern was how it would impact the playoff formatting. Getting the league title had meant a first round bye ever since the 1953 postseason expansion, adding value to that regular season league title. Some posited adding more teams into the field, although ultimately it was decided to remain at six playoff teams per association. The general format would remain the same with the top two division winners earning the byes. The other two division winners would then each play host to one of the two wild card teams in the first round. With much of those details sorted, it then became courting the potential new cities and making sure they had the infrastructure in place to be a successful major league market. It was eventually announced that the expansion would be in place for the 1982 MLB season.

In the National Association, the old Eastern League was split into the East Division and the Northeast Division. The East Division would have New York, Brooklyn, Philadelphia, Pittsburg, Washington, and Baltimore. Joining them from the mid-Atlantic region would be the Virginia Beach Vikings with the multi-city Hampton Roads area quietly boasting a large metropolitan area. Meanwhile, the Northeast Division would have Ottawa, Hartford, Toronto, Montreal, Buffalo, and Boston. Joining them would be Quebec City Nordiques. Borrowing the name from the hockey team, the successes of Montreal and Ottawa showed that French Canada’s second largest city could support a team.

The Midwest League was split into the Upper Midwest Division and Lower Midwest Division. The Upper Midwest had Chicago, Minneapolis, Omaha, Detroit, Milwaukee, and Cleveland. The newcomer was the Winnipeg Wolves, the capital of Manitoba. With a solid drive to the nearest major city, many felt Winnipeg was an untapped baseball market. The Lower Midwest Division boasted St. Louis, Kansas City, Columbus, Louisville, Indianapolis, and Cincinnati. Joining that group was the Wichita Wasps with the hope that the largest city in Kansas would hold its own.

Over in the American Association, the Southern League was split into the Southeast Division and South Central Division. The Southeast’s existing teams would be Tampa, Nashville, Atlanta, Jacksonville, Miami, and Charlotte. The addition was the Orlando Orcas with the area growing considerably from tourism and trying to boast a unique identity from its Floridian neighbors. The South Central Division had Dallas, Houston, New Orleans, San Antonio, Memphis, and Oklahoma City. Joining them would by the Austin Amigos, as Texas’ capital had also grown and established a unique identity from its neighboring metros.

The Western League would be split into a Southwest and Northwest Division. Unlike the other splits, both of the new teams would be in the same division. The Southwest Division would have eight existing franchises; Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland, San Diego, Albuquerque, Las Vegas, and Phoenix. The Northwest Division would get Seattle, Calgary, Vancouver, Denver, and Portland, along with the newcomers the Edmonton Eels and Salt Lake City Loons. Some were concerned that Edmonton was too far north and cold or too close to Calgary, but it was actually the largest city by population to get a team. SLC was the smallest, but it was the most geographically isolated (apart from Winnipeg) with the chance to grow the game with potentially unaffiliated fans.

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1982 was the first year post expansion with many wondering how the additional teams and expansion draft would affect everything. In the National Association, Ottawa had a remarkable turnaround from only 76 wins the prior season to 115-47 atop the new Northeast Division. This set the record for most wins for the NA and is tied for the second-best in MLB history with 1916 Denver. The all-time mark remains Phoenix’s 120-42 in 1907. Elsewhere in the division, Hartford was 100-62 to get the first wild card.

Last year’s World Series champ Montreal fell to 83-79. The other NA team to crack triple-digit wins was Minneapolis, winning the Upper Midwest Division at 100-62. This gave the Moose back-to-back playoff berths. The only team with a winning record in the East Division was Baltimore at 98-64, getting their first playoff berth in six years. Washington, the NACS runner-up last year, was an abysmal 69-93. The Lower Midwest Division went to Louisville at 97-65, giving the Lynx their sixth playoff berth in eight years. St. Louis was second at 94-68, which was good enough for the second wild card to end a four-year playoff drought. Falling short of the wild card was Chicago at 92-70 and Toronto at 90-72.

Although the Cubs missed the playoffs, CF Janus Garcia won his third National Association MVP in four years. Still in only his fifth season, the 25-yeaer old from Lee’s Summit, Missouri was the leader in runs (122), hits (216), average (.384), and WAR (11.3), adding 26 home runs and a 1.030 OPS. Ottawa’s Innocenzo Chinaglia won the Pitcher of the Year. The 31-year old Italian was in his second season with the Elks after starting his career in Europe with Malta and Zurich. Chinaglia won in a weak field with 5.5 WAR, a 2.41 ERA over 264.2 innings, 203 strikeouts, and a 19-7 record.

In the first round, Hartford earned the road sweep over Louisville and St. Louis edged Baltimore, sending both wild card teams forward. The Cardinals shocked Ottawa by knocking out the record-setting Elks 3-1. This gave St. Louis its first seventh National Association Championship Series berth and first since winning the 1963 World Series. Minneapolis downed Hartford 3-1 to give the Moose their seventh NACS berth and first since 1971. The Cardinals crushed Minneapolis with a sweep and continued on their Cinderella run as the last team in. It was the fifth pennant for St. Louis who had their 1908-10 dynasty along with the 1963 title.



The only team with double-digit wins in the American Association was Phoenix at 106-56, using their high-powered offense to take the Southwest Division. This gave the Firebirds back-to-back playoff berths. The Southwest was the strongest division with both wild cards coming out of there. Las Vegas, winners of 110 games the prior year, finished 94-68 for their sixth playoff appearance in seven years. Albuquerque at 92-70 picked up their second berth in three seasons. San Francisco at 89-73 was in the wild card conversation as well as Seattle (90-72) and Calgary (88-74). The latter two finished behind 93-69 Vancouver in the Northwest Division. This ended a 12-year playoff drought for the Volcanoes, who had won only 75 games the prior year.

In the South Central Division, Oklahoma City was first at 92-70, besting Dallas by seven games. The Outlaws secured a third playoff berth in four years. While none of the expansion eight debuted with a winning record, Austin was the closest with an 80-82 opening salvo. In the Southeast Division, Tampa took the top spot in a weak field at 86-76 to snap a four-year playoff drought. Nashville was the closest competitor at 83-79. Defending American Association champ Atlanta fell from 103 wins in 1981 to a middling 77-83.

Houston SS Jimmy Caliw won American Association MVP for the second time. When combined with his Oceania Baseball Association MVPs, it was the 11^th MVP for the 36-year old Filipino lefty, making him the first player in world baseball history to win 11 MVPs in a career. The only other player with ten was Mexican League legend Kiko Velazquez. Caliw led the AA with 9.8 WAR and won his 14^th Gold Glove, adding 45 home runs, 120 RBI, and a .299/.360/.572 slash. Las Vegas ace Jonah Mors won his fourth Pitcher of the Year in five seasons. The 28-year old righty led in WHIP (1.01), shutouts (8), FIP- (68), and WAR (8.6). Mors had a 2.93 ERA and 20-11 record with 230 strikeouts in 273.1 innings.

In the wild card round, Las Vegas got the road sweep over Tampa and Oklahoma City swept Albuquerque. Phoenix defeated their division rival Vipers 3-1 in round two, while Vancouver survived in five games against the Outlaws. This sent the Firebirds to their first American Association Championship Series since 1977 and the Volcanoes to their first since 1957. The 1982 AACS was a seven game classic that came down to the wire. In game seven in the desert, Firebirds slugger P.J. Avio smacked a two-run walk off home run to give Phoenix a 5-3 win and their first AA pennant since 1964. It was the eighth American Association title for the Firebirds. (1907, 30, 33, 51, 53, 60, 64, 82)



In the 82^nd World Series, It was underdog wild card St. Louis coming off their surprising NACS swept against the high-powered Phoenix squad fresh from a walkoff game seven win. The Fall Classic ultimately lacked drama as the Cardinals claimed the title in five games, earning their third ring (1909, 1963). A key player in the run was pitcher Travis West, who went 4-0 in four starts with a 0.84 ERA over 32.1 innings and 25 strikeouts. Another leader was NACS MVP 3B Ethan Martinez, a 40-year old veteran who won three rings with the 1970s New Orleans dynasty. In 14 starts, Martinez had 22 hits, 9 runs 4 doubles, 3 home runs, and 15 RBI.



Other notes: 3B Christopher Sollinger won his ninth Gold Glove. Two-way player Khaled Scott won his ninth Silver Slugger as a pitcher.

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Major League Baseball inducted four players into the Hall of Fame with the 1983 voting. Two were absolute no-doubt first ballot guys with RF R.J. Clinton at 99.3% and pitcher Maiseli Lafaiali’I at 98.6%. Closer Tony McClain also was a first ballot selection, although he barely earned the distinction with 67.5%. One other player crossed the 66% threshold with SP Richard Thieman on his tenth and final chance getting 66.4%. Five other players were above 50% with two above 60%. RF Bo Salinas was just short at 62.5% on his third ballot and 3B Benton Gibney getting 60.3% for his fourth attempt. 3B Jim Booth got 55.2% in his debut, 1B Braylen Nelson was at 55.2% on his sixth ballot, and C Gavin Geogham at 51.3% on his debut. There were no players on the 1983 ballot that were cut after ten failed ballots.



R.J. Clinton – Right Field – Indianapolis Racers – 99.3% First Ballot

R.J. Clinton was a 6’1’’, 195 pound left-handed right fielder from Hudson, Wisconsin; a town of around 15,000 people located in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area. Clinton was an outstanding contact hitter who still provided great home run power, hitting 40+ dingers in eight different seasons. He was around average at drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts. Clinton had respectable speed and also got you around 30 doubles/triples per season. Defensively, he played almost exclusively in right field and was considered a delightfully average defender. Clinton was sometimes criticized for a lack of hustle, but he still emerged as an all-time great hitter.

Clinton went west to Washington State and was a star for the Cougars, winning a Silver Slugger as a junior and finishing second in NCAA MVP voting. In 114 college games, Clinton had 155 hits, 96 runs, 44 home runs, 122 RBI, and 9.7 WAR. This made him a very highly prized prospect and he’d be taken sixth overall by Indianapolis in the 1956 MLB Draft. Clinton ultimately played his entire pro career with the Racers, becoming a full-time starter immediately. He was always a starter in his career, only missing time to injuries. Clinton was an immediate success with 38 home runs and 7.2 WAR in his rookie season, winning Rookie of the Year. He also got his first Silver Slugger and took third in MVP voting.

Clinton won seven Silver Sluggers in total with additional wins in 1958, 61, 62, 63, 64, and 65. He would lead the National Association in home runs four times, runs twice, RBI five times, and WAR twice. Clinton led in slugging nine times, including eight straight seasons from 1958-65. In that stretch, he was also the leader in OPS four times and wRC+ four times. In his 20s, Clinton was arguably the most dangerous hitter in baseball. He had eight straight 7+ WAR seasons to open his career.

His second season saw a second place finish in MVP voting. Clinton won the award for the first time in 1959, then took third in 1960 and second in 1961. He then won the award for the second time in 1962 and third time in 1963. Clinton would also take third in 1964. He also established a national profile with his appearances in the World Baseball Championship for the American team. He played 212 games and made 191 starts with 217 hits, 152 runs, 73 home runs, 202 RBI, a .289/.365/.656 slash, and 12.2 WAR. The Americans won 10 world titles with Clinton on the squad and he was the second player to win tournament MVP twice, taking the honor in 1961 and 1965. At retirement, he had the fourth most WAR and home runs and second most RBI in WBC history.

Clinton helped turn Indianapolis around as his rookie year saw the Racers go from a 64-win team to the National Association champion. The Racers won the NA title in 1957 and 1959, but fell in the World Series both seasons. Despite his efforts, Indy went on a 14-year playoff drought from 1960-73. They’d win the NA title in 1974 and 1977, but again fall short in the World Series. By that point, Clinton was an elder statesman and no longer the elite force he had been in his 20s, but he was still beloved by Indianapolis fans and would see his #40 uniform retired. In 65 playoff games, he had 70 hits, 42 runs, 16 home runs, and 45 RBI.

Clinton was still a very solid starter into his 30s, but injuries started to cost him time. 1966 saw a strained abdominal cost him 10 weeks and he lost almost all of 1968 to a ruptured Achilles. Additional abdominal issues popped up over the years, especially in his final seasons. There was a time that Clinton had a shot to go for the all-time home run record, but he couldn’t stay in the lineup in the final years. He was the fourth to 700 career home runs and 41^st to 3000 hits and fell just short of being the fifth to 2000 RBI. Clinton was let go after the 1977 and wanted to play still, but he’d never see another MLB game. He made 11 starts in minor league Austin in 1978 in the late fall, but ultimately had to retire after the season at age 42.

Clinton’s final stats: 3108 hits, 1742 runs, 440 doubles, 119 triples, 712 home runs, 1976 RBI, a .305/.364/.582 slash, 173 wRC+, and 116.7 WAR. At retirement, he was tied for third in home runs, was fifth in RBI, and was seventh in WAR for hitters. Clinton also had the third best slugging of any Hall of Famer at induction. One of the premiere sluggers of his generation and an easy Hall of Fame choice with 99.3% of the vote.



Maiseli Lafaiali’I – Starting Pitcher – Phoenix Firebirds – 98.6% First Ballot

Maiseli Lafaiali’I was a 6’2’’, 185 pound left-handed pitcher from Loving, New Mexico, a village of 1,400 people in the southeast part of the state. Lafaiali’I was known for having terrific stuff with 99-101 mph peak velocity. His movement was merely above average, but he had solid control early on and had excellent control late in his career, allowing him to hang around even when his stuff declined. Lafaiali’I’s arsenal was fastball, slider, curveball, and changeup with his change considered especially dangerous. He also had excellent stamina and durability throughout his tenured career.

Lafaiali’I attended Texas Christian University and as a Horned Frog, he made 40 starts with a 21-12 record, 2.05 ERA, 324.2 innings, and 302 strikeouts. In the 1955 MLB Draft, he was picked 19^th overall by Phoenix. Lafaiali’I debuted in 1956, but only saw limited action in his first two seasons. He became a full-time starter in 1958 and had six straight seasons worth 5+ WAR for the Firebirds. Lafaiali’I led the American Association in ERA in 1960, although shoulder bursitis cost him six weeks to injury. He led in both strikeouts and WAR in 1963. He finished second in 1959’s Pitcher of the Year voting and third in 1963, ultimately not winning the top award with Phoenix.

The Firebirds became a contender with playoff berths from 1959-61, including winning the World Series in 1960. Lafaiali’I was okay in the playoffs with a 3.80 ERA over 12 starts, but he was an important part of their run and would later have his #24 retired by Phoenix despite only playing there for eight seasons. Lafaiali’I also became popular nationwide with his success for the United States in the World Baseball Championship. Over eight tournaments, he had a 17-2 record and 2.59 ERA over 160 innings with 203 strikeouts, winning five world titles for the American team.

For his Phoenix run, Lafaiali’I had an 89-86 record, 3.38 ERA, 1581.1 innings, 1387 strikeouts, and 43.1 WAR. He became a free agent at age 28 and for the 1964 season signed a seven-year, $1,574,000 deal with San Francisco. He ultimately had five solid seasons with the Gold Rush, including his lone Pitcher of the Year award in 1965 with an AA-best 2.13 ERA, 25-6 record, and 9.9 WAR. Each of those were career bests. Lafaiali’I also took third in 1966’s Pitcher of the Year voting.

San Francisco made the playoffs in each of Lafaiali’I’s five seasons there, although he missed the 1966 run to injury. The Gold Rush couldn’t get over the hump with Lafaiali’I’s playoff stats being a 3.94 ERA in eight starts and 61.2 innings. In total with SF, he had a 97-54 record, 3.14 ERA, 1398 innings, 1196 strikeouts, and 34.6 WAR. After the 1968 season, Lafaiali’I opted out of his contract and became a free agent again at age 33. He inked a five-year, $1,230,000 deal with Ottawa starting with the 1969 season.

The Elks wouldn’t see Lafaiali’I until 1970 though, as a torn PCL in 1969 spring training cost him the entire season. Lafaiali’I battled back with a solid 1970 season, but missed half of 1971 to a torn back muscle. After an okay 1972 season, Ottawa traded him to New Orleans for three players. Lafaiali’I’s Elks tenure saw a 2.95 ERA and 11.9 WAR over 76 starts. He spent only one season with New Orleans, who were coming off their dynasty World Series three-peat. They fell in the AACS in 1973 with Lafaiali’I giving them respectable production, although he again missed about 1/3 of the year to injury.

Now 38-years old, Lafaiali’I was a free agent again and signed a three-year, $1,224,000 deal with Washington. He gave the Admirals two nearly full seasons, although he had regressed to closer to league average by this point. In late April 1976, a torn labrum ended his Washington tenure with a 3.41 ERA and 5.5 WAR in 73 starts. Lafaiali’I didn’t want to retire on the injury and signed a three-year deal with Nashville starting in 1977. He stunk in his one year with the Knights with a 5.08 ERA and opted to retire after the season at age 42.

Lafaiali’I’s final stats: 277-214 record, 3.33 ERA, 4424.2 innings, 3566 strikeouts to 897 walks, 344/575 quality starts, 257 complete games, 83 FIP-, and 101.0 WAR. At induction, he was the 13^th Hall of Fame pitcher with 100+ career WAR. Lafaiali’I didn’t have quite the dominance of some others, but he was consistently one of the best in the game for a long time. This earned him a well-deserved first ballot selection with 98.6%.

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Tony “Drummer” McClain – Relief Pitcher – Los Angeles Angels – 67.5% First Ballot

Tony McClain was a 6’0’’, 190 pound left-handed relief pitcher from Quincy, Massachusetts, a southern Boston suburb with 100,000 people. McClain had electric stuff with 98-100 mph velocity along with above average control and movement. He had a one-two punch of cutter and knuckle curve that made him difficult to solve. McClain also had good stamina and was considered a very hard working and popular clubhouse presence.

McClain was a successful reliever in college with Purdue, taking second in NCAA Reliever of the Year voting in 1956 and first in 1957. Over four seasons, he had a 1.38 ERA over 182.2 innings with 295 strikeouts and 12.5 WAR. After his junior year, Jacksonville selected him in the fourth round of the MLB Draft, 161^st overall. McClain didn’t sign and returned for his senior year and his stock shot up. His hometown team Boston picked him 50^th overall in the 1957 MLB Draft, but McClain couldn’t come to terms with the Red Sox either and never signed with them. In spring training 1958, he eventually signed a free agent contract with Los Angeles.

McClain was thrown into the closer role as a rookie for the Angels and had his strongest tenure there. In his sophomore season, he won the Reliever of the Year, then took third the following year. McClain spent only five and a half years in Los Angeles, ultimately his longest tenure. In that time though, he picked up 152 saves with a 2.24 ERA over 353.2 innings, 515 strikeouts, and 16.4 WAR. McClain struggled to start the 1963 season and Angels traded him that summer to Denver. He finished solid with the Dragons though and entered free agency at age 28.

McClain would be the ultimate journeyman with his use fluctuating over the next decade plus. He started 1964 with Albuquerque, but was traded in June to Oklahoma City. He stayed with the Outlaws in 1965, then spent 1966-67 with San Francisco, briefly taking the closer rule. McClain went to the other side of the Bay in 1968 with Oakland, then joined New Orleans in 1969. He had a career revival with the Mudcats, winning Reliever of the Year with an impressive 0.78 ERA and 5.1 WAR season; both career bests. New Orleans sold high and traded him to San Antonio, but injuries meant he missed almost all of the 1970 season with the Oilers.

McClain returned as a free agent to New Orleans in 1971 in a limited role, but he earned a World Series ring in the second season of their dynasty. 1972 had him back with Oakland, then he earned the closer role in 1973 for Albuquerque. 1974 had a limited role with Portland, then he emerged as a closer in a 1975 Denver return. This 3.9 WAR season at age 39 earned McClain a second place finish in Reliever of the Year voting. He went back to Oakland with limited use in 1976, then finished with decent innings in 1977 for Dallas. The Dalmatians won the World Series that year and McClain retired with a second ring at age 41.

McClain’s final stats: 287 saves and 359 shutdowns, 2.24 ERA, 892 innings, 1243 strikeouts to 251 walks, a FIP- of 50 and 41.4 WAR. No other reliever had gotten into the MLB Hall of Fame with fewer than 300 saves, but his WAR and strikeout totals were comparable to others that had earned the honor. He was an odd case without a real signature run, but McClain was well known and popular. Perhaps surprisingly, he got a first ballot induction, although he barely crossed the 66% threshold with 67.5%.



Richard Thieman – Starting Pitcher – Pittsburgh Pirates – 66.4% Tenth Ballot

Richard Thieman was a 6’0’’, 205 pound right-handed starting pitcher from Rochester, New York; a city of around 200,000 people in the northwest of the state about 75 miles east of Buffalo. Thieman had fantastic stuff and movement at his peak along with above average to good control. His velocity peaked at 98-100 mph with five pitches; fastball, slider, forkball, changeup, and slider. His slider and cutter were considered especially unhittable in his prime. Thieman had decent stamina in his early career, but later injuries cut into that in his latter seasons.

Thieman attended Mississippi State and in three college seasons made 30 starts with a 2.04 ERA, 190 innings, and 199 strikeouts with 7.3 WAR. Possible injury concerns popped up as a freshman with a torn labrum that March. However, he seemed to recover well and was a hot commodity in the 1953 MLB Draft. Pittsburgh picked Thieman ninth overall and he spent nearly his entire pro career with the Pirates. He was a back-end starter in his first two seasons, making 24 starts in both years. He became a full-time member of the rotation after, although it wasn’t until his fourth year that he was considered an ace.

Thieman had steady production with seven straight seasons worth 5+ WAR from 1957-63. He led in wins in 1958 as Pittsburgh got to the National Association Championship Series. 1959 saw his lone no-hitter, a 12-strikeout two-walk effort against Washington. Pittsburgh made two NACS appearances and six playoff berths in his tenure, but the Pirates never got to the World Series. Despite his popularity, Thieman would be criticized by some Pittsburgh fans for being a playoff choker. In 9 starts, he had a 6.06 ERA over 49 innings. Many feel that is why his #15 uniform was never retired despite his tenure.

Thieman’s best years were 1961 and 1962. He was second in Pitcher of the Year voting in 1961 with an NA best 2.26 ERA, then he won the award and was second in MVP voting in 1962 with career bests in ERA (1.86), strikeouts (244), and WAR (8.7). Pittsburgh rewarded him with a six-year, $988,000 contract extension after the 1961 run, but injuries would leave him sidelined much of that deal. The first big setback was a stretched elbow ligament in August 1963, costing him the rest of that year and most of 1964 with an 11 month recovery time.

In 1965, a torn meniscus cost Thieman the second half. He managed a pretty strong 1966 and looked solid in 1967, but a torn rotator cuff ended that season and ultimately his effectiveness. Thieman struggled in his 1968 return bid and Pittsburgh would trade him in the summer to Los Angeles. Thieman earned a World Series ring with the Angels, although he got rocked in his two playoff starts. He decided to retire there at age 36.

Thieman’s final stats: 189-127 record, 2.96 ERA, 3049.1 innings, 2518 strikeouts to 803 walks, 282/411 quality starts, 79 FIP-, and 73.8 WAR. His rate stats were good and not many MLB Hall of Famers managed a sub-three ERA, but his short peak and low accumulations put Thieman on the outside for nine ballots. He was never below 50%, but he typically hovered in that range on the ballots. He got very close with 63.7% in 1979 and 65.1% in 1981, but many thought he was a “Hall of Very Good” guy. Only 1B Tiger Novak of the 1973 class had gotten in on the tenth and final ballot prior to the 1983 voting, but Thieman managed to join him. On the last chance, he crossed the 66% threshold narrowly at 66.4%, forever adding his name among the all-timers in Cooperstown.

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The 1983 class for the Central American Baseball Association Hall of Fame inducted three players on the first ballot. Shortstop Aaron Valencia was nearly unanimous with 98.8% while center fielder Amazado Matos was next with a strong 90.4%. The third member was first baseman Edgardo Franco at a respectable 79.6%; plenty strong enough to cross the 66% threshold. Only one other player was above 50% with 1B Carlos De La Fuente getting 53.1% for his debut ballot.



One player was dropped after ten failed ballots in LF Michael Parrish. He ended at 34.6% after peaking at 51.0% on his ninth ballot. Parrish was an American who left for CABA in his mid 20s after flaming out of MLB. With Salvador and Mexicali, he had two Gold Gloves, 2513 hits, 1242 runs, 177 home runs, 943 RBI, 942 stolen bases, a .311/.348/.468 slash and 67.1 WAR. At retirement, he was eighth all-time in steals, but he lacked the major accolades or power numbers to get the attention over the sluggers who occupy the corner outfield spots typically.



Aaron Valencia – Shortstop/Third Base – Mexico City Aztecs – 98.8% First Ballot

Aaron Valencia was a 6’0’’, 190 pound right-handed shortstop from Lares, Puerto Rico; a town of around 28,000 in the central-western area of the island. Valencia was an excellent contact hitter who was adept at avoiding strikeouts, although he rarely drew walks. He had terrific gap power and very good speed, enabling him to average around 30 doubles and 15 triples per season. Valencia wasn’t a prolific home run hitter, but still got you around 20-30 dingers per year. He was primarily a shortstop, although he did make about 1/5 of his starts at third base and a few at second base. Valencia was viewed as a very solid defensive player in his prime and twice won the Gold Glove.

Valencia was discovered as a teenage amateur by scouts from Mexico City, who signed him to a developmental deal in late 1955. He made his debut with a few appearances in 1960 at age 21, but he wouldn’t become a full-timer until 1962. From there, Valencia started 140+ games in 13 consecutive seasons, showing impressive durability. Valencia would go down as one of the true ironmen in CABA history. He’d have 10 straight seasons with a batting average above .300 from 1965-74. Valencia led the Mexican League in hits twice, average twice, runs once, total bases twice, and WAR four times.

Mexico City’s dynasty run began in the mid 1960s with nine straight playoff appearances from 1966-74. They won seven straight Mexican League titles from 1967-73 and won the CABA crown in each of those years sans 1968. Valencia was a critical part of that run, winning Silver Sluggers in 1963 and then from 1965-74. He won Gold Gloves in 1963 and 1964, both at third base, before moving to short during the prime run of the Aztecs. In the playoffs, Valencia made 86 starts and had 97 hits, 50 runs, 12 doubles, 12 home runs, 49 RBI, and 1.6 WAR. He excelled in both 1967 and 1969’s playoff runs, winning finals MVP and MLCS MVP in both seasons.

Valencia would also win the Mexican League MVP three times; in 1967, 1971, and 1972. He’d take third in MVP voting in 1963, 1966, 1970, and 1973. 1971 would his most impressive season with 12.8 WAR, a .3.74 average, 1.038 OPS, and wRC+ of 204. The 1967 season had career bests in hits (221), runs (120), and doubles (42). Valencia posted 11 seasons worth 6+ WAR. As a Puerto Rican, he was also an American citizen and bounced between the United States and Puerto Rican teams in the World Baseball Championship. In eight tournaments and 83 games, he had 80 hits, 39 runs, 16 home runs, 46 RBI, and 2.5 WAR.

In 1975 at age 36, Valencia saw a sudden drop in productivity despite still being healthy. He was eventually relegated to a bench role and stayed a backup primarily for his final three seasons. Valencia remained a leader in the clubhouse, but Mexico City’s dynasty had ended at this point and they began to rebuild. He would retire after the 1977 season at age 38 and would see his #34 uniform immediately retired.

Valencia’s final stats: 2673 hits, 1307 runs, 460 doubles, 208 triples, 329 home runs, 1234 RBI, 794 stolen bases, a .319/.345/.541 slash, 160 wRC+, and 105.8 WAR. At induction, he was one of 13 CABA batters with more than 100+ career WAR. Valencia was a crucial piece in one of the greatest dynasty runs in any league’s history and an easy first round selection at 98.8%.



Amazado “Hot Stuff” Matos – Center Field – Tijuana Toros – 90.4% First Ballot

Amazado Matos was a 5’11’’, 200 pound left-handed hitting center fielder from Maimon, a town of around 18,000 people in the central Dominican Republic. Nicknamed “Hot Stuff,” Matos was an outstanding contact hitter with impressive bat speed and terrific home run power. Despite hitting for a high average and high home run totals, Matos was a free swinger who didn’t walk often and struck out more than you’d like. His gap power was respectable and earlier in his career he also had decent baserunning speed, Matos was a career center fielder who was above average early in his career, but struggled later as he dealt with numerous injuries. He was very outspoken about staying in center and wasn’t shy about sharing his opinion generally, making him a “love or hate him” type guy for both teammates and fans.

1962 saw the introduction of the first expansion teams in CABA, one of which was the Bahamas Buccaneers. They had the #1 overall pick in the 1963 CABA Draft and used it on Matos, hoping he could become the star of the franchise. He was immediately a starter and a stud when healthy, although his injury woes began with the Buccaneers. Matos won the 1964 Rookie of the Year in only 108 games with a 5.8 War, 35 home run season. His second season in the Bahamas was one of only three he’d have in his entire career where he’d start 140+ games. That year though, he led the Caribbean League with 45 home runs and won his first of five Silver Sluggers, along with a second place finish in MVP voting. Matos also won the award in 1966, 68, 72, and 74.

In 1966, he was on pace for one of the all-time great seasons despite missing six weeks to a strained ACL. In only 112 games, Matos posted 10.1 WAR, 47 home runs, and 109 RBI along with a .400 average, although he didn’t have enough bats to officially qualify as the leader. He was still third in MVP voting. Matos missed about half of 1967, and missed some starts in 1968, although he would get 144 games played. This was his finest season and first MVP, officially earning the second-ever CABA season with a batting average above .400. His mark of .402 was second to Prometheo Garcia’s .406 in 1949 and as of 2037, is one of only three CABA seasons above .400. His 1.229 OPS was a single-season record that stood until 2019 as he added 48 home runs, 129 RBI, a 234 wRC+, and 11.1 WAR.

Matos became a very popular player back home in the Dominican Republic as a regular for the World Baseball Championship team. He played in 114 games in 17 tournaments with 103 hits, 68 runs, 44 home runs, 84 RBI, and 5.3 WAR. After his 1968 MVP season, the outspoken Matos made it clear that he wasn’t happy playing for Bahamas, who had remained a bottom rung franchise in its first years of existence. He was due free agency after the 1969 season and made it clear that he wasn’t staying with the Buccaneers. Matos’ final stats there saw 816 hits, 426 runs, 197 home runs, 503 RBI, a .360/.399/.716 slash and 41.1 WAR.

Just before spring training 1969, the 28-year old Matos was traded to Tijuana for three players. Soon after, he signed an eight-year, $2,000,000 deal with the Toros. Matos had a full season in his Tijuana debut and led in total bases (399) with 48 home runs and 9.7 WAR, finishing third in MVP voting. He also got his only playoff experience as the Toros fell in the MLCS. Tijuana made the playoffs once more in his tenure, but he was hurt for that run, ultimately making 1969 his only postseason appearance for his full career.

Matos played nine seasons with Tijuana but 1969 and 1974 were the only seasons he was healthy enough to play a full slate. 1974 saw a second MVP win with a career-best 57 home runs and league-leading 10.0 WAR and 1.076 OPS. He’d start just over 100 games in 1971 and 1972, while missing half or more of his other Tijuana seasons. ACL issues and elbow issues were the recurring culprits putting Matos often on the shelf. He still performed when healthy, smacking 35+ home runs three times in shortened seasons. In total with Tijuana, he had 972 hits, 521 runs, 277 home runs, 582 RBI, .317/.353/.654 slash, 197 wRC+, and 46.6 WAR. Despite his injuries, he was still popular enough with Toros fans to see his #8 uniform retired at the end of his career.

Matos’ Tijuana and CABA run ended after the 1977 season. At age 37, he still wanted to play and found a buyer in MLB’s Tampa Thunderbirds. Injuries again kept him from playing more than a 1/3 of games in two seasons there. The Thunderbirds traded him before the 1980 season to Montreal, who released him in the summer. Matos signed with Boston and finished the season there. He wasn’t ready to quit, although he wouldn’t get signed until September 1981 with a minor league deal in Sacramento. He made three starts before getting hurt again and retiring at age 40. His MLB tenure saw 204 games and 194 starts with 1.2 WAR, 181 hits, 80 runs, 25 home runs, and 94 RBI.

For his CABA career, Matos had 1788 hits, 947 runs, 207 doubles, 105 triples, 474 home runs, 1085 RBI, a .335/.373/.680 slash, 197 wRC+, and 87.6 WAR. As of 2037, he has the highest slugging percentage of any player in CABA history. At retirement, he had the second best OPS of any player behind only Kiko Velazquez. Matos is a big “what if?” player who if he had stayed healthy may have dominated the leaderboards. His actual totals are on the low end, but his rate stats are fantastic and certainly indicate a Hall of Fame talent. The voters were easily swayed for 90.4% and a first ballot nod even without the accumulations or playoff success.



Edgardo “Weasel” Franco - First Baseman – Hermosillo Hyenas – 79.6% First Ballot

Edgardo Franco was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed first baseman from Colonia Pineda Uno, a small 1,500 person municipality in Honduras located just southeast of San Pedro Sula. Franco was a great contact hitter with a solid eye for drawing walks, although he was average at best at avoiding strikeouts. He had a solid pop in his bat and averaged around 25-30 doubles, 15-25 triples, and 15-25 home runs per year. Franco had excellent baserunning speed and ability as well; a bit unusual for someone who was a career first baseman and occasional designated hitter. His speed and cunning led to his nickname of “Weasel,” often used derisively by annoyed pitchers who just had a base stolen against them. Defensively, Franco was a bit below average, but by no means a liability with his glove. He was also considered quite durable for the majority of his run.

Franco was spotted as a teenager by a scout from Hermosillo, who signed him in 1956. He made his debut as a partial starter in 1960 at age 20 with a few more starts the next year. Franco would take the role full time then for his remaining six seasons with the Hyenas. He won Silver Sluggers in 1965 and 1966, leading in runs scored twice, triples twice, hits once, total bases twice, stolen bases thrice, and WAR once. Franco was second in 1965 MVP voting, then won the award in 1966. That year, he led the Mexican League in the triple slash (.363/.429/.600) with a 1.029 OPS and 9.1 WAR.

From 1962-77. Franco was a regular starter for the Honduras National Team in the World Baseball Championship. In 112 games, he had 102 hits, 58 runs, 18 doubles, 17 home runs, 42 RBI, and 3.5 WAR. With Hermosillo, he’d only see two playoff games in 1963, as the Hyenas were a middling team then. In total there, Franco had 1418 hits, 782 runs, 210 doubles, 185 triples, 144 home runs, 634 RBI, a .330/.386/.566 slash and 50.3 WAR. He was well liked enough that despite only playing there eight seasons, his #73 uniform would be retired at the end of his career.

Franco would enter free agency after the 1967 season at age 28 and he had many suitors internationally. He signed a big deal to join Major League Baseball with Montreal for eight years and $1,914,000 total. Franco was a very solid starter for two and a half seasons with the Maples, posting 13.8 WAR over 405 games with 449 hits, 235 runs, and a .304/.368/.490 slash. However, they opted to trade Franco at the deadline to Miami for RP Caleb Byrd and LF Eli Ward. He spent two and a half years with the Mallard with respectable but diminished numbers, posting 7.3 WAR in 332 games with 381 hits, 193 runs, and a .290/.344/.465 slash.

After the 1972 season, Franco opted out of his contract and wanted to return home. The 33-year old signed with his home country club and had a terrific return to CABA as a DH. Franco won Silver Sluggers in 1973 and 1974 with Honduras and was third in 1973’s MVP voting, leading the Caribbean League in hits that year. The Horsemen made the playoffs twice in his tenure, although Franco never got to play in a championship. He played five seasons with Honduras, posting 844 hits, 443 runs, 109 home runs, 369 RBI, a .295/.344/.490 slash and 18.6 WAR. His production fell off noticeably in his final two seasons and he retired after the 1977 season at age 37.

Franco’s final CABA stats: 2262 hits, 1225 runs, 316 doubles, 248 triples, 253 home runs, 999 RBI, 801 stolen bases, a .316/.370/.535 slash and 68.9 WAR. For his entire pro career he had 3092 hits, 1653 runs, and 90.0 WAR with 913 stolen bases. His full career totals certainly look belonging, although the MLB excursion meant some voters were less impressed with his CABA totals. Franco also didn’t have a signature playoff run, but he was a very popular and well liked player with a respectable resume. Enough voters were sold and put him in on the first ballot with 79.6%.

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Two players were inducted into the East Asia Baseball Hall of Fame with the 1983 class. On his third ballot, pitcher Tokutomi Ohashi earned the nod with 78.8%. Joining him was first baseman/designated hitter Min-Su Namkoong, who crossed the 66% requirement on his second attempt with 70.0%. Two others were above 50% with 2B Su-Yeon Park at 56.5% in his seventh ballot and C Jung-Soo Chen at 53.0% for his fourth.



Three players were dropped after ten ballots with the most notable being 2B Jung-Min Yi. He had a 20-year career with Hamhung, helping their dynasty with 2515 hits, 1577 runs, 404 doubles, 327 triples, 320 home runs, 1232 RBI, a .268/.341/.484 slash and 88.4 WAR. He only won Silver Slugger and Gold Glove once each though, but Yi got as high as 60.9% on his third ballot. The lack of accolades ultimately kept him out.

Another 2B dropped was San Chai, who had an 18-year career with four teams. He won six Silver Sluggers and one MVP, posting 2223 hits, 1220 runs, 356 doubles, 432 home runs, 1235 RBI, a .269/.330/.492 slash and 72.1 WAR. Chai was hurt by never being on a playoff team. He debuted at 43.3%, but ended at a paltry 9.5%. Also dropped was 1B Toyo Ishigura, who played 16 years with three teams and posted 2251 hits, 1202 runs, 421 doubles, 508 home runs, 1313 RBI, a .278/.327/.529 slash, and 70.9 WAR. He won two Silver Slugger and came close to an MVP in 1957, but also lacked the playoff accolades. Ishigura debuted at 48.4% and ended at 7.8%.



Tokutomi “Banshee” Ohashi – Starting Pitcher – Chiba Comets – 78.8% Third Ballot

Tokutomi Ohashi was a 6’0’’, 185 pound right-handed pitcher from Kawaguchi, a city of around 600,000 people in Japan’s Saitama Prefecture. Ohashi was a hard thrower with 98-100 mph peak velocity and solid stuff mixed with average to above average movement and control. He had four pitches; fastball, curveball, forkball, and changeup. Ohashi had solid durability much of his career, but was sometimes criticized for a perceived poor work ethic. He was also a decent hitter for a pitcher with a career .242 average, winning a Silver Slugger in 1961.

Ohashi attended Hosei University to play in the Tokyo Big6 Baseball League. His two strong college seasons stood out to Chiba, who picked Ohashi first overall in the 1959 East Asia Baseball Draft. He made nine weak relief appearances in 1960, then became a full-time starter from 1961 onward. Ohashi was a big part of the 1960s turnaround for the Comets, who had won only 63 games in the year he was draft. Ohashi had a 2.70 ERA in his rookie season over 256.2 innings, earning the 1961 Rookie of the Year.

Chiba would make four straight playoff appearances from 1961-64 and win the Japan League title in 61, 62, and 63. Ohashi’s postseason results were mixed with an unremarkable 4.23 ERA over 78.2 innings. He had a solid 1963 run with a 2.67 ERA over 30.1 innings. The Comets were unable to claim the EAB Championship, but it was the first sustained success for a historically inept franchise. They’d have some good seasons later in the 1960s, but couldn’t get back into the playoffs. They ultimately fell back into mediocrity by the start of the 1970s.

Ohashi remained steady throughout it all. He led the JL in strikeouts in 1967 and 1968 and posted seven seasons with 5+ WAR, although he otherwise wasn’t a league leader often. Ohashi never won Pitcher of the Year, but did take third in 1962, second in 1963, and third in 1965. He also pitched for Japan in the World Baseball Championship from 1963-73, primarily as a reliever. In 68.1 innings, he had a 3.56 ERA with 94 strikeouts.

Ohashi started to see fewer innings and less success entering the 1970s and his 30s. He earned his 200^th career win with Chiba in 1974, but was washed by this point with the Comets buying out the rest of his contract after the season. Still, the franchise would honor him by retiring his #2 uniform. Ohashi at age 36 signed in 1975 with Yokohama, but struggled in his 31.1 innings with the Yellow Jackets. He suffered a partially torn labrum in June that ended his season. Yokohama let him go and no one signed Ohashi in 1976, making him retire at age 38.

Ohashi’s final stats: 209-175 record, 3.48 ERA, 3505 innings, 3512 strikeouts to 755 walks, 270/458 quality starts, FIP- of 88, and 66.1 WAR. A nice run, but the advanced stats are underwhelming compared to other Hall of Famers. His ERA was the second worst of the inducted pitchers and his 103 ERA+ suggests someone only slightly above average. Still, his accumulations and long run with one franchise resonated with many voters. Ohashi just missed the 66% cut on his first two ballots at 63.4% and 64.6%. On the third ballot with a weaker field, Ohashi got the bump up to 78.8% and secured his spot in the Hall of Fame.



Min-Su Namkoong – First Base/Designated Hitter – Gwangju Grays – 70.0% Second Ballot

Min-Su Namkoong was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed first baseman from Gimhae, a city or around 550,000 in southeastern South Korea. He was a very steady and reliable hitter that was very durable and consistent. Namkoong was an above average contact hitter with good power, hitting 30+ home runs in 13 different seasons. He also averaged around 25 doubles per year but rarely tripled with poor baserunning speed. Namkoong was above average at drawing walks, but a bit below average at avoiding strikeouts. He exclusively played defensively at first base and was lousy with the glove. He made about 2/3s of his starts in the field and the rest as a designated hitter. Namkoong was well liked in the clubhouse as a solid leader.

Namkoong was spotted as a teenager amateur by Gwangju and signed a developmental deal in 1952. He made his debut at age 20 in 1956, although he’d see limited action in his first two seasons. Namkoong became the full-time starter in 1958 and remain a regular starter for almost 20 years. Despite this, he almost never was a league leader and didn’t get much attention with so many great sluggers at 1B and DH. His only Silver Slugger came in 1962. Namkoong also didn’t get noticed as much due to playing on generally poor teams, never making the playoffs once in his career. His national team play was limited too, although he did make five World Baseball Championship appearance for South Korea with 40 games, 34 hits, 21 runs, 10 home runs, and 22 RBI.

1964 saw Namkoong’s one major injury with a torn PCL putting him out 9-10 months. He bounced back with his best season in 1965 with his only MVP finalist bid, taking third in the voting. Namkoong exploded with 56 home runs, 133 RBI, 207 hits, 102 runs, a .329 average, 1.003 OPS, and 7.5 WAR; all career highs. Although he had steady power, this was his only year topping 40 home runs in a season. It was a contract year for Namkoong, who entered free agency at age 30. He left Gwangju and signed a seven-year, $1,106,000 contract with Changwon.

Namkoong ended up playing four years of the Crabs deal and never had a season on par with his 20s. He had 5+ WAR seasons five times in his first Grays run, but only got above 4+ once for the rest of his career. His fourth year with Changwon in 1969 was his best, earning his 400^th home run and 2000^th hit. Namkoong decided to opt out of his deal though and went back to Gwangju on a five-year, $1,080,000 deal.

Despite his tenure with the Grays, Namkoong wouldn’t have his jersey number retired. In total between the two runs, he had 2180 hits, 1016 runs, 335 doubles, 418 home runs, 1247 RBI, a .292/.346/.514 slash and 50.2 WAR. After the 1974 season, Namkoong became a free agent again and played one more year with Changwon. Between the two Crabs runs, he had 753 hits, 384 runs, 166 home runs, 411 RBI, a .265/.320/.486 slash and 14.0 WAR. Namkoong’s last year was 1976 at age 40, starting the season with Goyang and getting traded at the deadline to Sapporo. He became the 15^th EAB player to 600 career home runs and the seventh to 3000 hits while with the Green Sox. Namkoong was unsigned in 1977 and retired at age 41.

Namkoong’s final stats: 3059 hits, 1453 runs, 455 doubles, 604 home runs, 1734 RBI, a .284/.337/.503 slash, 133 wRC+ and 65.2 WAR. Despite never being dominant, his steady production put him in solid spots on many leaderboards. At induction, Namkoong was eighth in hits, ninth in RBI, and 18^th in home runs. Still, he was overlooked by many for his lack of accolades. Namkoong missed the cut on his debut ballot at 62.5%, but crossed the line on his second attempt at 70.0% and grabbed his seat among the greats.

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Pitcher Leonardo Souza was the lone inductee in the Beisbol Sudamerica Hall of Fame’s 1983 voting. Souza received first ballot honors with 91.5%. Only pitcher Manuel Gonzalez also crossed 50%, getting 52.7 % for his third ballot.



Dropped after ten ballots was closer Alfredo Mejia, who peaked at 59.5% on his second ballot and was as low as 19.0% before finishing at 48.3%. He won Reliever of the Year four times, but his BSA run was only nine years as he left for a few unremarkable seasons in MLB. With Cali and Buenos Aires, he had a 1.46 ERA, 264 saves, 606 innings, 983 strikeouts, and 36.7 WAR. Dominant and worth a look, but the voters felt he didn’t stay long enough to deserve the spot.

Two others fell off after ten ballots. SP Hugo Sanz had a 14-year career with Quito with a 170-142 record, 2.78 ERA, 3017 innings, 2802 strikeouts, and 76.4 WAR. He helped the Thunderbolts win Copa Sudamerica, but didn’t win Pitcher of the Year and wasn’t dominant enough to wow the voters. Sanz peaked at 33.7% and ended at 9.2%. Also cut was reliever Primitivo Haro, who had a 17-year career between BSA, MLB, and CABA. He had one Reliever of the Year with a 247 saves, a 2.00 ERA, 778 strikeouts, and 19.7 WAR in BSA. Haro peaked at 33.0% and ended at 6.1%.



Leonardo Souza – Starting Pitcher – Callao Cats – 91.5% First Ballot

Leonardo Souza was a 6’1’’, 190 pound right-handed pitcher from Sao Bento do Sul, a Brazilian city with around 85,000 people in the southern state of Santa Catarina. Souza had incredible overpowering stuff, which allowed him to overcome having weak movement and middling control. He had 99-101 mph peak velocity with a stellar fastball that he mixed with a slider, forkball, and changeup. Although he’d give up more home runs and walks than most great pitchers, his power and ability to change speeds made him an elite strikeout pitcher. Souza also had solid stamina and durability for much of his run.

Souza was spotted by a scout from Callao as a teenager and signed a developmental deal with the Cats in 1958. He made one appearance in 1962, then became a full-time starter at age 21 in 1963. Souza walked more batters than anyone in the Bolivar League as a rookie, but emerged as the top strikeout pitcher by the next year. He would be a league leader seven times in strikeouts and post six seasons worth 6+ WAR. Despite that, Souza never won the Pitcher of the Year and wasn’t a finalist during his seven seasons with the Cats.

Callao made the playoffs twice in his run, but couldn’t get beyond the LCS. His strikeout prowess resonated with Cats fans though and his #38 uniform would later get retired despite a short tenure. Shoulder inflammation put him out half of 1965, but he bounced back without issue. In 1969 against Cali, Souza became one of a select few to strike out 21 batters in a single game. In total with Callao, Souza had a 98-70 record, 2.78 ERA, 1603.1 innings, 2186 strikeouts, and 39.0 WAR.

The Cats started to struggle and rebuild late in the 1960s and traded Souza at the 1969 deadline to Barquisimeto. He became a free agent and at age 28 signed a five-year, $944,000 deal with Brasilia. Souza’s only times as a Pitcher of the Year finalist came with the Bearcats, taking second in both 1970 and 1971. Brasilia won the division in 1971, but fell in the playoffs to Santiago with Souza suffering a torn flexor tendon in his elbow during the postseason. He was never the same pitcher after that and missed most of 1972 recovering.

Souza still had a few more seasons and provided value, but he wasn’t elite anymore. Brasilia traded him to Quito for the 1974 season and he struck out 352, his seventh and final season with 350 Ks. Souza signed as a free agent with the expansion Recife squad for 1975 and 1976, suffering shoulder inflammation in 1976. The Retrievers traded Souza to Buenos Aires with one final season for him in 1977. He retired at only age 35.

Souza’s final stats: 196-164 record, 2.92 ERA, 3466 innings, 4483 strikeouts, 863 walks, 276/430 quality starts, 165 complete games, 85 FIP-, and 70.3 WAR. He was the 18^th BSA pitcher to 4000 career strikeouts and his power stood out despite giving up more runs and getting fewer wins than many others in the Hall. The voters were firmly sold on him and gave Souza the first ballot induction with a very strong 91.5%.

[FuzzyRussianHat]

For the first time since 1977, the European Baseball Federation didn’t induct anyone into the Hall of Fame with the 1983 voting. Only two were even above 50% with SP Pedro Varela at 60.6% on his tenth and final try and rF Paul Schlachler at 52.1% in his sixth go. The top newcomer was 1B Isak Steffensen with only 37.7%.

For Varela, his final ballot was his best performance, generally hovering around the 30-50% range. In 15 years between Madrid and Seville, he had a 222-157 record, 3.30 ERA, 2880 strikeouts over 3497.1 innings, FIP- of 89, and 6.3 WAR. He won the 1955 EBF title with the Conquistadors, but never won Pitcher of the Year and rarely led the league, keeping him on the outside.

Also dropped after 10 ballots was another pitcher in Hans Georg Hauck, who pitched 14 seasons with Brussels. He had a 192-115 record, 2.78 ERA, 2229 strikeouts in 2944.1 innings, 86 FIP-, and 58.4 WAR. He also didn’t have major awards and wasn’t a league leader, getting even less traction. Hauck peaked at 23.6% on his second ballot and ended at 10.2%.