Baseball: The World's Game

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Copenhagen had the top mark in the EBF Northern Conference at 103-59, winning the Northeast Division for the fourth straight season. The #2 seed and other bye was North Central Division champ Warsaw at 100-62. The Wildcats ended a three-year playoff drought. Defending European Champion Kharkiv was second in the division at 94-68, which earned them the first wild card. Counting their final years in EPB, the Killer Bees have a nine-year playoff streak.

Glasgow’s own impressive playoff streak grew to eight years with their seventh straight British Isles Division title at 95-67. Rotterdam won the Northwest Division at 94-68 for their first playoff berth in a decade. Oslo (90-72) earned the second wild card, edging out Berlin (89-73), London (89-73), Amsterdam (88-74), Kyiv (87-75), Hamburg (86-76), and Stockholm (85-77). It was an impressive bounce back for the Octopi, who struggled to 66 wins the prior year. It was their second wild card in three years. Notably, the Hammers’ playoff streak ended at four seasons.

Copenhagen 1B Mattias Stole became a three-time Northern Conference MVP. It was a big gap with the prior MVPs in 1994 and 1995. The 33-year old Norwegian led in home runs (52) while adding 133 RBI, a .336/.372/.638 slash, 179 wRC+, and 7.3 WAR. Hamburg’s Viktor Stier repeated as Pitcher of the Year, leading in ERA (1.88), strikeouts (291), K/BB (9.1), FIP- (52), and WAR (9.0). The 28-year old German righty also had a 16-10 record over 235 innings.

Rotterdam edged defending EBF champ Kharkiv 2-1 in the first round, while Glasgow downed Oslo 2-0. The Ravens would shock Copenhagen 3-1 in the second round, while Warsaw outlasted the Highlanders 3-2. This was Rotterdam’s first Northern Conference Championship since their 1992 title. It was the first NCC for the Wildcats since joining the EBF. In a seven-game classic, Warsaw edged Rotterdam to earn their first EBF pennant. Counting their Eurasian Professional Baseball days, this was Warsaw’s fifth pennant (1960, 93, 94, 95, 03).



The best two records in the entire EBF were in the Southern Conference and in the East Central Division. Vienna and Budapest tied for the top spot at 107-55, requiring a one-game playoff. The Vultures prevailed for the #1 seed, while the Bombers were stuck as a wild card. This was Vienna’s first playoff berth since 1982, while it was a third straight wild card for the Bombers. This was also a franchise-record for Budapest, who had never won triple-digits in a season prior. For Vienna, they scored 897 runs with 1708 hits and a .296 batting average; each the third-highest mark in Southern Conference history. Their .345 OBP was the second-best in SC history.

Defending conference champ Madrid took the #2 seed with a 103-59 record atop the Southwest Division. This was the fifth playoff berth in a row for the Conquistadors and their fourth division title in that stretch. Tbilisi repeated in the Southeast Division at 95-67. Munich took the South Central Division for the third straight season at 93-69, besting Naples by five games. The second wild card was also in the East Central Division with 93-59 Bratislava. The Blue Falcons edged Milan by one game, Athens by four games, and Naples by five. This was the first-ever playoff berth for Bratislava in their 49 year history. Speed led the way for the Blue Falcons with 528 stolen bases, which still stands as the EBF team record as of 2037.

Vienna 3B Ben Springer repeated as Southern Conference MVP and posted the fifth Triple Crown season by an EBF hitter. The 25-year old Austrian had a .384 average, 52 home runs, and 143 RBI. Springer also led in OBP (.429), slugging (.755), OPS (1.184), wRC+ (221), and WAR (10.8). Pitcher of the Year was Budapest veteran Norbert Preda. The 31-year old Romanian righty led in wins (24-5) and complete games (17). Preda added a 2.55 ERA over 257.2 innings, 215 strikeouts, and 6.8 WAR.

Munich had homefield over Budapest as a division champ despite the win differential and used it, edging the Bombers 2-1 in the first round of the playoffs. Bratislava swept Tbilisi on the other side of the bracket. The Blue Falcons stunned Madrid 3-1 in the second round to earn their first-ever Southern Conference Championship appearance.

Top seed Vienna was taken to the brink, but survived in five versus Munich. This was the Vultures’ first SCC since 1973. The magic ran out for Bratislava as Vienna swept them for the pennant. This was the sixth pennant for the Vultures with the other five coming between 1967-73.



Despite that run, Vienna had never won the European Championship, going 0-5 in their previous appearances. The Vultures and Warsaw had a seven game classic that came down to the final inning of the final game. Vienna took game seven 4-3 on a walkoff to win their first championship. Finals MVP was CF Helmut Spiering who in 16 playoff starts had 22 hits, 12 runs, 3 doubles, 3 triples, 5 home runs, and 13 RBI. The Vultures are the 24^th EBF franchise to win it all.



Other notes: Berlin’s Sem de Smet tossed EBF’s 28^th perfect game, striking out eight against Warsaw. Peter Brinkmann became the 11^th slugger to 600 career home runs. Anders Maurstad was the 21^st pitcher to 3500 career strikeouts.

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After missing the playoffs by one game the prior year, Bogota had Beisbol Sudamerica’s best record in 2003. The Bats won the Colombia-Ecuador Division at 112-50 for their 11^th playoff berth since 1991. It wasn’t an easy division to win though with Cali close behind at 106-56. The Cyclones easily repeated as the wild card. Guayaquil, who won the division and the Bolivar League title in 2002, struggled to 78-84.

Caracas cruised to a repeat Venezuela Division title at 92-70, earning their eighth division title in nine years. The Peru-Bolivia Division was quite weak with no teams above .500. Arequipa and Lima tied for the title at 80-82, while Santa Cruz was 77-85. The expansion Arrows beat the Lobos in the tiebreaker game, giving Arequipa its first-ever playoff appearance. Oddly enough, the Arrows still haven’t posted a winning record in 17 seasons of existence.

Cali RF Amauris Garcia won Bolivar League MVP with a career year. The 30-year old Colombian smacked a BL-best 68 home runs and 142 RBI, while also leading in total bases (419), slugging (.724), OPS (1.073), wRC+ (182), and WAR (7.9). His 68 homers was the highest by any player in BSA since the 1970s and ranked fifth all-time. Garcia also had 119 runs and a .321 average.

Pitcher of the Year was P.J. Sifuentes, who had signed with Bogota in the offseason on a five-year, $7,480,000 deal. The 33-year old Ecuadoran had pitched a decade with Quito and had won POTY a decade earlier in his sophomore season of 1994. Sifuentes led in wins at 23-3 in 2003, adding a 3.00 ERA over 258.1 innings, 225 strikeouts, and 6.6 WAR.

Because the wild card faces the top division winner in the playoff structure, the top two records in BSA therefore met in the Divisional Series. Top seed Bogota survived a five-game battle with Cali to earn their third Bolivar League Championship Series berth in four years. Caracas picked up a repeat bid as they swept Arequipa. The Bats were too worn from their war with the Cyclones, as the Colts clobbered them for a BLCS sweep. This was the first pennant for Caracas since 1996 and their 12^th overall. The Colts’ 1996 title was also the last time a Venezuelan team took the Bolivar League crown.



The three division winners in the Southern Cone League were within four games of each other, as was the wild card. Defending Copa Sudamerica winner Brasilia took the #1 seed at 101-61 atop the North Division. Buenos Aires extended its playoff streak to five years, taking the Southeast Division at 100-62. Rio de Janeiro was close behind the Atlantics at 97-65, earning the wild card by a healthy margin. The Redbirds ended a three-year playoff drought and three-year stretch of losing seasons. Asuncion (97-65) won the South Central Division for the fourth year in a row.

Brasilia 1B Bernaldo Lagasse won his second Southern Cone League MVP. The 29-year old switch hitter led in runs (122), RBI (129), walks (90), OBP (.429), slugging (.685), OPS (1.114), and WAR (9.4). Lagasse added a 208 wRC+, .342 average, and 56 home runs.

Fourth-year Santiago pitcher Uriel Navas won Pitcher of the Year. The 26-year old Bolivian lefty led in ERA (2.08), WHIP (0.84), quality starts (29), FIP- (56), and WAR (10.6). Navas added 343 strikeouts over 280.2 innings with a 19-12 record. Also of note, Lobo Alvarado became a four time Reliever of the Year winner. He was traded from Mendoza to Belo Horizonte for the 2003 season and posted a 5.6 WAR, 1.92 ERA, 30 saves, 98.2 innings, and 177 strikeouts. Alvarado also became the 23^rd reliever to earn 300 career saves.

Rio de Janeiro upset reigning champ Brasilia 3-1 in the Divisional Series, while Buenos Aires outlasted Asuncion 3-2. The Redbirds grabbed their first Southern Cone League Championship appearance since 1991, while the Atlantics repeated and got their third in four years. Both teams had lengthy pennant droughts with Rio’s dating to 1970 and BA’s back to 1982. The wild card Redbirds battered their divisional foe Buenos Aires with a sweep to give Rio their second-ever pennant.



The 73^rd Copa Sudamerica was an all-timer, needing all seven games and extras in the finale. In the tenth inning, Rio de Janeiro catcher Ze Mario Gil had the walkoff RBI single, giving the Redbirds the 5-4 game seven win over Caracas. Rio became two-time Cup winners with the result (1970). Finals MVP was Rookie of the Year Damiao Cruz, who posted 6.9 WAR and 47 home runs in a remarkable debut. In 12 playoff starts, Cruz had 16 hits, 6 runs, 2 doubles, 2 triples, 3 home runs, and 8 RBI.



Other notes: Damiao Cruz also had a four home run game in June against Rosario, becoming only the seventh BSA player to achieve the feat. The Buenos Aires pitching staff allowed only 168 walks all season with a 1.03 BB/9. This is still the BSA single-season best as of 2037. Rio de Janeiro had 121 triples, setting a Southern Cone record that would only be passed once in 2011.

Milton Becker became the third member of the 700 home run club. He ended his age 33 season with 710, behind Valor Melo (870) and Diego Pena (725) on the leaderboard. Becker also won his eighth Silver Slugger and seventh as a DH. 1B DJ Del Valle won his 10^th Gold Glove

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The Japan League kept the same division winners just as in 2002 and 2001. Defending JL champ Osaka was the #1 overall seed, taking the Central Division at 109-53. Kawasaki at 101-61 earned a sixth consecutive Capital Division title. Hiroshima snagged a fifth straight West Division at 97-65. Niigata, who won 109 the prior year, was the weakest at 85-79 atop the North Division. They were the only champ with a foe remotely in striking distance with Sendai five games back.

Osaka two-way Sachiko Nara won Japan League MVP. A rare catcher/pitcher combo, the 25-year old at the plate had 114 games and 98 starts with 103 hits, 29 home runs, a 1.076 OPS, 220 wRC+, and 7.8 WAR. On the mound, he had a 14-5 record and 2.40 ERA over 169 innings with 146 strikeouts and 3.2 WAR.

The Orange Sox also had Pitcher of the Year Morikazu Ichikawa. The 32-year old righty signed a five-year, $24,200,000 deal with Osaka in the offseason after winning POTY in 1998 and 1999 for Sapporo. Ichikawa led in wins (25-4), and quality starts (27). He added a 2.43 ERA over 281 innings with 303 strikeouts and 5.7 WAR.

Niigata stunned top seed Osaka 3-2 in the first round of the playoffs, while Hiroshima swept Kawasaki. This gave the Green Dragons their second Japan League Championship Series berth in three years, while it was the Hammerheads’ first berth since 1996. Niigata’s surprise run continued as they outlasted Hiroshima 4-3 in a classic. The Green Dragons became three-time league champs, joining their 1990 and 1991 wins.



The Korea League also had the exact same four playoff teams as the prior year. Both division champions were 103-59. South Division champ Daegu officially had the #1 seed for their firth playoff berth in six years. Seongnam repeated in the North Division and earned a third straight playoff appearance. Incheon and Ulsan both were 99-63 in the wild card spots with a tiebreaker game giving the first spot to the Swallows. Ulsan’s playoff streak grew to four years and the defending EAB champ Inferno had theirs grow to three. The closest wild card contenders were both nine games back with Bucheon and Pyongyang at 90-72.

Although Jeonju was just above .500, DH Soo-Geun Yim earned his second Korea League MVP in three years. He led in home runs (62), hits (237), wRC+ (202), and WAR (11.2). Yim added 131 runs, 143 RBI, and a .359/.404/.723 slash.

Seongnam’s Dong-Hyun Jung won Pitcher of the Year in his second season as a full-time starter. He won the ERA title (1.99) and led in WHIP (0.89), K/BB (9.0), FIP- (59), and WAR (8.1). Jung added 262 strikeouts in 231 innings with a 19-8 record. Also of note, Daegu’s Hyeon-U Cho won his third straight Reliever of the Year. The 32-year old lefty had a career-best 1.31 ERA with 41 saves, 137 strikeouts in 89.1 innings and 5.1 WAR.

Wild card Incheon upset Daegu with a first round sweep, sending the defending champs back to the Korea League Championship Series. Seongnam ousted Ulsan 3-1, giving the Spiders their first KLCS appearance since 1998. Seongnam downed the reigning champs Incheon 4-2 to secure their first pennant since 1990. It was their fourth pennant overall, as they also took the crown in 1982 and 1983.



The 83^rd East Asian Championship was the second time Seongnam and Niigata had met in the final. Back in 1990, the Spiders won their second-ever title by winning in six games. 2003 had the same result with Seongnam winning 4-2 over the Green Dragons. Veteran 3B Si-Hun Lee had joined the Spiders on a five-year, $20,000,000 deal in the offseason after a decade with Yongin. Lee was finals MVP as in 16 playoff starts, he had 24 hits, 13 runs, 6 doubles, 1 homer, and 10 RBI.



Other notes: SS Hiroshage Matsunaka won his ninth Gold Glove.

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2003 marked the second league expansion for the Central American Baseball Association, which last added teams in 1962. Two squads were added to the Mexican League with another two to the Caribbean League, giving both leagues two divisions with eight teams apiece. In Mexico, the San Luis Potosi Potros joined the North Division and the Cancun Captains were added to the South Division.

The Caribbean League had been unbalanced since the prior expansion with eight teams in the Island Division and six in the Continental Division. It was harder to find markets that could host teams in the Caribbean, but officials wanted to balance things out. They looked to South America by adding the Guyana Golden Knights and Suriname Silverbacks. Although in SA, the small countries of Guyana and Suriname are considered culturally Caribbean. Beisbol Sudamerica hadn’t shown much interest in expanding to either spot, which prompted CABA to take the opportunity.



The other big change coming with the expansion was an expanded playoff. Previously, the two division winners and one wild card advanced. A second wild card was added, setting up a new first round with best-of-fives hosted by the division champs. The LCS and CABA Championship maintained its format.



Ecatepec, winners of the Mexican League in four straight seasons, had the best record again. The Explosion were 105-57, winning the South Division for the eighth year in a row. Torreon won the North Division for the second time in three years, taking it at 103-59. Both wild cards came out of the North with Monterrey (96-66) and Juarez (92-70). It was a nine game drop from the Jesters to the next closest foe. The Matadors’ CABA record playoff streak grew to 16 seasons, while Juarez earned a third berth in four years.

Mexicali CF Iwan Valen won his second Mexican League MVP in three years. He won his fifth Gold Glove and posted 14.06 WAR, the second-most ever by a CABA position player just behind Prometheo Garcia’s 14.18 in 1949. Valen led in RBI (143), total bases (449), and slugging (.752). The 26-year old Curacaoan also had 210 hits, 121 runs, 57 home runs, a .352 average, 1.148 OPS, and 232 wRC+.

Pitcher of the Year went to Ecatepec veteran Vicente Chung. The 33-year old Brazilian became a two-time winner, having also taken it all the way back in 1996. Chung led in wins (22-5), ERA (2.26), WHIP (0.82), and K/BB (11.8). He had 6.9 WAR over 251.1 innings with 294 strikeouts, falling nine Ks shy of a Triple Crown.

The division champs prevailed in the first round of the playoffs with Ecatepec over Juarez 3-1 and Torreon edging Monterrey 3-2. This set up a rematch of the 2001 Mexican League Championship Series. The Explosion continued their dynasty, earning a fifth straight pennant by topping Torreon 4-2. Ecatepec became the third franchise to five-peat in the ML, joining Mexicali (1950-54) and Mexico City (seven-peat from 1967-73).



The top seed in the Caribbean was Honduras at 110-52 atop the Continental Division. The Horsemen won a third straight division title with their sixth straight playoff berth. After seeing their eight-year streak snapped in 2002, Salvador took the first wild card at 103-59. Two-time defending CABA champ Haiti was 104-58 to win a seventh consecutive Island Division title.

The shocker was expansion Suriname taking the second wild card at 97-65, 11 games better than the next closest. The Silverbacks were the first squad in pro baseball history to earn a playoff spot as an expansion team. Only two others had posted a winning season in their debut (EPB’s Nizhny Novgorod and Volgograd both debuted at 84-78).

Leading Suriname was Caribbean League MVP Corneles Menendez. The 30-year old first baseman signed a three-year, $9,240,000 deal with the Silverbacks after a prior run with Guadalajara. Menendez led in runs (113), home runs (67), RBI (158), total bases (431), and slugging (.700). The 158 RBI was the third-most in a season and the homers were the fourth-best. Menendez also had 7.2 WAR, a .312 average, and 1.054 OPS. Suriname also had Rookie of the Year Sendy Gutierrez with 4.1 WAR.

After a three-year gap between wins, Salvador’s Rafael Perez won his fifth Pitcher of the Year. The 35-year old Dominican led in ERA (2.46) and quality starts (26). He added a 21-8 record, 267 strikeouts over 270.2 innings and 7.6 WAR. Perez became the fourth CABA pitcher to win five or more Pitcher of the Year awards, joining Junior Vergara, Mario Benitez, and Ulices Montero. He also became the 24^th pitcher to 3500 career strikeouts and the 44^th to 200 wins.

Top seed Honduras ended the magic run for Suriname with a first round playoff sweep. Salvador upset Haiti 3-2 to end the Herons’ hopes at a four-peat. The Stallions got their first Caribbean League Championship Series since their 1994-99 streak of appearances, while the Horsemen earned their fourth berth in five years. Honduras prevailed 4-2 over their divisional foe Salvador for their first pennant since 1993. The Horsemen secured their 15^th pennant, the most of any franchise.



Despite the historical successes of Honduras and Ecatepec, they had never met in the Central American Baseball Association Championship. The 93^rd finale saw a sweep for the Horsemen for their seventh title (1926, 40, 42, 58, 63, 93, 03). After winning it all in 1999 and 2000, the Explosion have now been defeated in three straight finals. Veteran SS David Davila was finals MVP with 13 hits, 3 runs, 3 doubles, 1 triple, 2 home runs, and 3 RBI in 12 playoff starts. Honduras’ Fidencio Encinas set a playoff record with nine saves. He had a 0.59 ERA over 15.1 innings with 22 strikeouts



Other notes: Hugh Boerboom became the first-ever member of the 800 home run club in CABA. He would play two more seasons and retire with 866. Boerboom held onto the HR king spot until the late 2020s. Adrian Tovar became the fourth to 3500 hits and the fifth to 700 home runs. He would play one more season and finish with 3723 hits, falling short of Prometheo Garcia’s all-time mark of 3871. Haiti’s Alphanso Keyes had a 33-game hit streak, five short of the CABA record. Jacky Castillo was the 21^st to 1500 career RBI. SS Rafino Piloto won his eighth Gold Glove.

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2001 National Association champ Philadelphia bounced back after just missing the playoffs in 2002. The Phillies had the NA’s best record at 102-60 atop the East Division. The #2 seed was Northeast Division champ Ottawa at 98-64, earning a third straight division title. Hartford was one game back at 97-65, getting repeat wild cards. The second wild card was 96-66 Pittsburgh, who were six games behind the Phillies. The Pirates were tied with Miami with the longest playoff drought in MLB dating back to 1972. It was also Pittsburgh’s first winning season since 1992.

St. Louis and Indianapolis tied for first in the Lower Midwest Division at 88-74, while Cincinnati was two back and Kansas City was five back. The one-game tiebreaker went to the Cardinals for their second division title in three years. The Upper Midwest Division went to 89-73 Cleveland, edging out Winnipeg by three games. The Cobras ended a two-year playoff drought. Defending World Series champion Milwaukee finished five games out in the division at 84-78.

Pitcher Angelo Costa won both National Association MVP and Pitcher of the Year. He was only the third pure pitcher in MLB history to win MVP, joining American Association POTYs from Andy Upshaw in 1954 and Patrick Froemke in 1956. The other pitchers to win MVP were two-way guys. The 30-year old lefty from Cape Verde had won three POTYs in West Africa Baseball.

Costa came to MLB with Montreal in 2001 and 2002. He opted out of his deal early though and signed a mammoth deal for 2003 with Philadelphia worth $80,200,000 over seven years, becoming one of the first pro players making seven digits. He led in wins (22-9), strikeouts (319), K/BB (6.3), FIP- (46), and WAR (11.7). Costa also had a 2.15 ERA (third in the NA) and 267.2 innings. His WAR total was the fifth best in a season by a MLB pitcher to that point. Sadly, shoulder inflammation and a torn rotator cuff in the next two years meant he never played another full season after his 2003 run.

Hartford won at St. Louis 2-1, while Cleveland edged Pittsburgh 2-1 in the first round of the playoffs. Philadelphia swept the Huskies in round two while Ottawa topped the Cobras 3-1. The Elks earned repeat National Association Championship Series berths while the Phillies had their second in three years. Notably, these two teams entered with the most NA pennants of any squads with ten apiece. Ottawa upset Philadelphia 4-1 to earn their first pennant since 1986.



Seattle yet again had the best record in the American Association and set a new franchise-best at 113-49. The Grizzlies won a fourth straight Northwest Division title and extended their playoff streak to six seasons, the longest active one in MLB. Seattle was the first MLB team to win 110+ games in a season since Atlanta in 1988. Their offense was explosive with 935 runs. Only Albuquerque even had over 800 with 824. The #2 seed was Houston at 100-62, repeating as South Central Division champs.

A very tight Southwest Division saw Phoenix first (94-68), followed by San Diego (93-69), and Albuquerque (92-70). The Firebirds grew their playoff streak to four seasons. The other two got the wild card spots, giving the Seals their second berth in three years and a third straight for the reigning AA champ Isotopes. In an also tight Southeast Division, Orlando (89-73) edged out Nashville (88-74), and Tampa (85-77). This was the first-ever playoff berth for the Orcas, who were the only team from the 1982 expansion that still hadn’t qualified at least once.

American Association MVP was Orlando 2B Cole Becenti in his fifth year with the team. The #3 overall pick in the 1998 draft, Becenti led in home runs (50) and WAR (9.7). He added 104 runs, 203 hits, 124 RBI, a .328/.379/.634 slash and 174 wRC+. The Orcas had locked him up long-term before the 2003 season with an eight-year, $61,340,000 extension.

Austin’s Zigmund Spampinato won his third straight Pitcher of the Year. In only his fourth season, the 24-year old lefty led in wins (24-8), ERA (2.11), quality starts (26), shutouts (5), FIP- (51), and WAR (11.6). The WAR tally was the tenth most by an MLB pitcher. Spampinato also had 300 strikeouts over 273.1 innings, falling 16 short of Daniel Grondin for the top spot.

Spampinato seemed well on his way to a Hall of Fame career, but sadly disaster soon struck. He won a fourth straight ERA title the next year, but struggled with injuries. Spampinato made only eight starts after 2004,, suffering two torn UCLs, a torn rotator cuff, two torn labrums, and a torn flexor tendon. He didn’t officially retire until 2011 and had a few brief minor league stints. Spampinato goes down as one of the biggest “what ifs?” in baseball history.



Both first round playoff series were 2-1 with San Diego over Orlando and Phoenix over Albuquerque. The Firebirds rolled to a road sweep of Houston, earning their first American Association Championship Series appearance since their 1985 World Series win. The Seals took Seattle to the limit, but the Grizzlies escaped with the win 3-2 for a third AACS in four years. Phoenix pulled off the big upset in a seven game classic, earning their tenth pennant. This passed Houston and Los Angeles, making the Firebirds stand alone with the most AA titles.



Although Ottawa and Phoenix had both been historically successful, they had never met in the World Series until 2003. The 103^rd Fall Classic went to the Firebirds 4-2, making them four-time MLB champs (1907, 1960, 1985, 2003). The Elks are now 5-6 in their World Series tries. Third-year 1B Kelechi Ekezie had a big postseason, winning AACS MVP and World Series MVP. In 19 playoff starts, Ekezie had 32 hits, 20 runs, 8 doubles, 6 home runs, and 23 RBI. He was one run short of Patrick White’s record from 1959 and two RBI short of R.J. Clinton’s 1974 record.



Other notes: New Orleans had an abysmal 46-116 season. The Mudcats scored 517 runs, a new all-time low for the American Association. Only the 2009 San Antonio squad (509) would do worse in the coming years. There hadn’t been a sub-50 win team in a while, but this still wasn’t the all-time worst record. That belongs to Cincinnati at 41-121 in 1957.

2003 didn’t have a single no-hitter in MLB. The only other times that had happened were 1986, 1961, and 1918. Salt Lake City’s Morgan Short had a 31-game hit streak. James Franco became the 54^th member of the 3000 hit club. SS Tanner Lipp won his eighth Gold Glove. RF Nathaniel D’Attilo won his ninth Silver Slugger and 1B Bryson Wightman won his seventh.

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The 2004 Major League Baseball Hall of Fame class saw two inductees. 1B Noah Karla led the way as a first-ballot pick, although he only got 75.0%. He was joined by 2B Rodrigo Badillo, who reached the 66.0% requirement exactly on his sixth try. 1B Roy Cote fell short with 60.1% on his seventh try. Four others were above 50%. SP Ollie Husband got 59.0% on his sixth attempt. RF Xavier Chojnacki debuted at 58.2%. RP Alex Cantos had 55.2% in his sixth try and RF Mike Castaneda received 53.0% for his third ballot.



The one guy dropped after ten tries in 2004 was reliever Volker Steeger. The German righty had a 17-year MLB career with eight teams, posting 263 saves and 350 shutdowns, 2.34 ERA, 1003.1 innings, 890 strikeouts, 161 ERA+, and 28.5 WAR. Steeger didn’t have the big save numbers the voters liked, didn’t win Reliever of the Year, or have massive strikeout numbers. Still, Steeger managed to get as high as 46.7% in 1998 before ending at 42.9%.

Also worth a mention was 3B Dalton Melson, who dropped below the 5% minimum in his ninth ballot. He had 2363 hits, 1168 runs, 337 doubles, 425 home runs, 1319 RBI, a .292/.347/.506 slash, 144 wRC+, 77.1 WAR, and three Silver Sluggers. It was a steady career, but he lacked any eye-popping stats. Melson debuted at 25.6% and slowly dropped to 4.9% by the end.



Noah Karla – First Base - Ottawa Elks – 75.0% First Ballot

Noah Karla was a 6’2’’, 195 pound switch-hitting first baseman from Montreal, Quebec. Karla was an outstanding contact hitter who graded out as a 10/10 at his peak. He was also great at avoiding strikeouts and solid at drawing walks. Karla wasn’t a big bopper, but has respectable pop in his bat. He’d average 24 doubles, 13 triples, and 20 home runs per his 162 average.

Karla’s speed was above average to good, but he an absolute master at baserunning. He was remarkably effective at picking his spots for steals and extra bases. Despite that profile, Karla was exclusively a first baseman and a firmly mediocre one defensively. He was a team captain and a tremendous leader, becoming very respected by teammates and fans alike. Karla was also remarkably durable, playing 145+ games each season sans his first and last ones.

Karla left Canada as a teenager to play college baseball in the United States for Michigan State. He was a center fielder with the Spartans and won Silver Sluggers in his sophomore and junior seasons. With MSU in 144 games, Karla had 185 hits, 105 runs, 26 doubles, 29 home runs, 89 RBI, a .329/415/.536 slash, 176 wRC+, and 8.7 WAR. In the 1981 MLB Draft, Karla was picked 30^th overall by Ottawa. He would spend nearly his entire 17-year pro career with the Elks.

Ottawa made Karla a starter right away, although they quickly realized he’d need to move to first base and not center field. He had 106 starts and 122 games as a rookie with a .325 average and 2.9 WAR, earning the 1982 Rookie of the Year. He earned the spot on a stellar Elks squad that won 115 games in 1982. Despite this all-time great effort, Ottawa was stunned in the second round of the playoffs by St. Louis.

Karla was the full-time starter each year for the next 15 with the Elks. Ottawa was a regular contender during Karla’s run with nine playoff appearances from 1982-92, five Northeast Division titles, and two National Association pennants. The Elks took the title in 1983 and 1986, winning the 1983 World Series and falling in 1986; both times versus Calgary. Karla was a key contributor in the playoffs, winning 1983 World Series MVP and 1986 NACS MVP. In 66 playoff starts, Karla had 82 hits, 36 runs, 8 doubles, 15 home runs, 44 RBI, a .309/.352/.532 slash, 154 wRC+, and 2.6 WAR.

Karla was steady in the regular season, posting eight seasons worth 5+ WAR from 1983-1991. He led in triples in 1985 with 18, winning his first Silver Slugger. Karla won again in 1987 with a batting title (.342) and lead in OBP (.393), OPS (.920), and wRC+ (164). This was his first time as an MVP finalist, taking second. With that, Ottawa signed Karla to an eight-year, $18,160,000 extension in April 1988.

Karla was third in 1988 MVP voting with back-to-back 7+ WAR seasons. He had a nice 1989, then struggled a bit in 1990. Karla bounced back expertly in 1991, winning his third Silver Slugger and his lone MVP. He led the National Association in runs (109), and total bases (352). Karla also had career highs in WAR (7.8), wRC+ (182), OPS (.943), and home runs (32).

Despite Karla’s individual successes, Ottawa struggled in the postseason after their 1986 pennant. They had four berths between 1988-92, but couldn’t get beyond the second round. The Elks then missed the playoffs from 1993-95. By this point, the now mid 30s Karla was no longer an awards candidate, although he was still a capable starter.

Ottawa got back to the playoffs in 1996, but were one-and-done. His contract was up with the 1996 season, but Karla signed a qualifying offer worth $2,680,000 to stick around one more year. In 1997, he crossed the 1500 runs scored threshold. This was his last notable moment with Ottawa. The team didn’t re-up him after the campaign, but he would remain well liked and popular among the franchise and fans. Ottawa would soon retire Karla’s #4 uniform.

He was a free agent for the first time at age 37 and lacked the power profile most teams wanted out of a first baseman. He was unsigned until Vancouver gave him a minor league deal in late June. Karla had only 21 games and 7 starts with the Volcanoes, preventing him from getting to the 3000 hit threshold he wanted to reach. Karla would earn a World Series ring with the 1998 Vancouver squad, but he wasn’t used in the playoffs. Karla was a free agent again in 1999 and hoped to still play. However, he was unsigned all season and finally retired that winter at age 38.

Karla had 2925 hits, 1571 runs, 373 doubles, 198 triples, 313 home runs, 1262 RBI, 802 walks, 543 stolen bases, a .303/.359/.480 slash, 145 wRC+, and 73.1 WAR. It was a somewhat odd stat line for a first baseman and some voters were turned off by the lack of big power numbers. Karla’s great leadership and playoff successes won over many of the skeptics. Although 75.0% wasn’t a huge number, it got Karla the first ballot inductee and a headline spot for MLB’s 2004 Hall of Fame class.



Rodrigo “Toto” Badillo – Second Base – Atlanta Aces – 66.0% Sixth Ballot

Rodrigo Badillo was a 5’11’’, 190 pound right-handed second baseman from Portugalete, Spain; a town of around 45,700 in the northern Basque region. Badillo would be the first MLB Hall of Fame inductee born in Spain. He was a very good contact hitter that was solid at avoiding strikeouts and respectable at drawing walks. Badillo’s gap power was above average, netting around 28 doubles, 7 triples, and 22 home runs per his 162 average.

Badillo’s speed was good and he was an intelligent and crafty baserunner. Defensively, he played almost exclusively at second base. Badillo was considered a reliably good to sometimes great defender, winning a Gold Glove in 1979. He showed strong durability, playing 140+ game in all but one season from 1977-92. Badillo was smart and loyal, becoming a popular player with fans and teammates.

Badillo left Spain to play college baseball in the United States, ending up at Central Michigan University. In his sophomore season, Badillo helped the Chippewas win the College World Series over Texas A&M, winning MVP of the series. In 147 college games at CMU, Badillo had 168 hits, 105 runs, 23 doubles, 34 home runs, 92 RBI, a .324/.430/.573 slash, 186 wRC+, and 9.0 WAR. Badillo was an impressive prospect, but as a foreign born player, the regional restrictions of the draft meant he couldn’t be picked until the fourth round.

With the seventh pick of the fourth round in the 1976 MLB Draft, the 158^th overall pick, Badillo was selected by Atlanta. He was a full-time starter immediately and arguably had the best year of his career as a rookie with a career-best 7.6 WAR, 205 hits, .353/.392/.568 slash, and 153 wRC+. Badillo was the 1977 Rookie of the Year and won his first of six Silver Sluggers.

He would have seven seasons worth 5+ WAR for the Aces, topping the 7+ mark again in 1979 and 1982. Badillo led the American Association with 200 hits in 1982, but otherwise was never a league leader. He won additional Silver Sluggers with Atlanta in 1979, 80, 82, and 85, Early in his run, Badillo signed an eight-year, $8,500,000 contract extension after the 1980 campaign.

In 1981, the Aces came seemingly out of nowhere to win the American Association pennant, falling to Montreal in the World Series. Badillo was AACS MVP and posted 31 hits, 10 runs, 7 extra base hits, and 9 RBI in 16 starts. At the time, he was only the sixth MLB player to get 31 or more hits in a playoff run. Atlanta would go cold after this, missing the playoffs in the next five seasons.

Badillo continued to chug along. He was also popular back home in Spain as a regular in the World Baseball Championship. From 1977-94, Badillo had 161 games and 148 starts, posting 159 hits, 92 runs, 25 doubles, 30 home runs, 72 RBI, a .267/.329/.466 slash, 125 wRC+, and 3.9 WAR. As of 2037, he is Spain’s all-time WBC leader in hits.

Badillo struggled in 1986 with only 0.9 WAR and a 97 wRC+ despite being a full-time starter. He was relegated to a part-time role in 1987 and wasn’t used in the playoffs despite being healthy. Many figured that would be the end for the soon-to-be 32 year old Badillo with the Aces. However, many were surprised by Atlanta giving him a six-year, $10,800,000 extension after the 1987 season.

Badillo never played an inning of that deal with the Aces. In spring training, he and prospect CF Chase Kapczynski were sent to Austin for veteran pitcher Colton Richardson. Thus ended Badillo’s Atlanta run with 1964 hits, 913 runs, 317 doubles, 191 home runs, 917 RBI, a .315/.359/.482 slash, 127 wRC+, and 57.2 WAR.

In his six seasons with the Amigos, Badillo reclaimed the full-time starter role throughout. He was merely decent in his first three seasons In Austin, but had a late renaissance. Badillo had 4.3 WAR in 1991, his first 4+ WAR season since 1985. Then in 1992, Badillo seemingly discovered a balanced breakfast with career bests in home runs (33) and RBI (116) at age 36. That earned him a second place in MVP voting, his only time as a finalist.

Badillo helped the expansion Austin squad to its first-ever playoff berths in 1988, 89, and 92. The Amigos made the AACS in 1988 and 1989, but fell short both times. Badillo’s playoff stats with Austin were weak with 31 starts, a .207/.258/.284 slash, and -0.1 WAR. He had decent career stats anchored by the great 1981 run with Atlanta, posting a .294/.335/.426 career playoff slash, 110 wRC+, and 1.1 WAR.

Badillo looked subpar in 1993 and missed some time to an intercostal strain. That was his final season with Austin, who didn’t re-sign him. Badillo finished his Amigos run with 855 hits, 438 runs, 123 doubles, 127 home runs, 490 RBI, a .268/.317/.446 slash, 111 wRC+, and 18.6 WAR. Badillo still wanted to play, but 38-year old second basemen weren’t exactly in high demand in MLB. To continue his career, he looked back to Europe. Badillo went to the European Baseball Federation on a three-year, $7,920,000 deal with Belgrade.

Badillo had a solid debut season with the Bruisers, even winning the sixth silver Slugger of his career. However, he stunk in 1995 and quickly was benched, only played 62 games with 19 starts. Badillo had 2.5 WAR in total with Belgrade with all of the positive value in the first year. He decided to retire that winter at age 39.

In his MLB career, Badillo had 2819 hits, 1351 runs, 440 doubles, 108 triples, 318 home runs, 1407 RBI, 375 stolen bases, a .299/.345/.470 slash, 122 wRC+, and 75.8 WAR. Among second basemen, he sits 13^th in WAR and 13^th in hits as of 2037. However, the advanced stats suggested Badillo was fairly borderline. He also lacked black ink or gaudy totals, weakening his case with some voters.

Badillo was never below 50%, debuting at 54.4%. He stayed in the 50s his first four ballots, then hit a high of 61.2% in 2003. With a quieter 2004 group, Badillo got the exact requirement needed of 66.0% to earn a sixth ballot addition into the MLB Hall of Fame.

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1B Francklin Bonhomme was the lone addition into the Central American Baseball Association Hall of Fame in 2004, getting the first ballot nod at 81.2%. It was a weak ballot otherwise with few debuts of note. The only other player above 50% was 3B Bienvenido Ramon at 60.2% on his fourth try. The next best debut was closer Ruy Torres at a paltry 27.8%. No players were dropped following ten failed tries.



Francklin Bonhomme – First Base – Monterrey Matadors – 81.2% First Ballot

Francklin Bonhomme was a 6’3’’, 205 pound left-handed first baseman from the capital of Haiti, Port-au-Prince. Bonhomme was a solid contact hitter known for reliably strong home run power. He had eight straight seasons with 40+ dingers. Bonhomme could also get doubles reliably, averaging 33 per 162 game average. He was only okay at drawing walks, but was better than most at avoiding strikeouts. Bonhomme was laughably slow and lousy as a baserunner.

Bonhomme exclusively played first base and never spent any time elsewhere in the field. Despite his horrendous speed, Bonhomme actually graded out as a consistently good defender. He even won a Gold Glove in 1995. Bonhomme worked hard, but some dismissed him as a big galoot. There were few better sluggers though in his prime, making Bonhomme one of the game’s most popular players of the 1990s.

Bonhomme was spotted by a scout from Monterrey at a teenage camp in Haiti. At only age 16, he signed with the Matadors and came to Mexico in early 1983. Bonhomme officially debuted at age 20 with a few pinch hit spots in 1987 and 1988. 1988 would be the start of Monterrey’s historic dynasty run and CABA-record playoff streak. The next year would mark Bonhomme’s debut as a full-time starter.

Bonhomme emerged as a force in the middle of the lineup, posting 120+ RBI and 40+ home runs in eight straight seasons. He led in RBI four times with a peak of 134 in 1996. Bonhomme led with 53 home runs in 1990 and had a Mexican League-best 218 hits in 1991. He also led in total bases in 344, although he’d reach a career-best 399 in 1991. 1989 marked the start of eight straight years’ worth 5+ WAR with seven of those being 6.9 or better.

Bonhomme won five consecutive Silver Sluggers at the competitive first base slot from 1989-93. 1989 was his official rookie season, taking Rookie of the Year and a third in MVP voting. He took the MVP in 1990 and during that season signed an eight-year, $15,860,000 extension. Bonhomme was second in 1991 MVP voting, third in 1992, second in 1993, and third in 1995.

At this point, Monterrey put together one of CABA’s finest dynasties. From 1990-97, the Matadors won the Mexican League title each year except for 1994. They earned five CABA titles with a three-peat from 1990-92 plus wins in 1995 and 1996. At 116-46 in 1995, Monterrey set a record for most wins by a champion. In that run, Bonhomme was the finals MVP.

For his playoff career, Bonhomme had 96 games and 91 starts with 93 hits, 41 runs, 14 doubles, 19 home runs, 63 RBI, a .256/.289/.463 slash, 114 wRC+, and 1.8 WAR. His playoff stats were below his regular season rates, but he still played a big role in the titles. Bonhomme also played for his native Haiti from 1990-2000 in the World Baseball Championship. He had 80 games and 68 starts with 62 hits, 35 runs, 24 home runs, 47 RBI, a .242/.318/.543 slash, 142 wRC+, 2.5 WAR.

Bonhomme’s first setback game in May 1997 when a broken kneecap knocked him out for five months. He was never the same player after that. Bonhomme came back in 1998 and still had good numbers as a starter, but he hit career lows in homers (30) and RBI (82). Bonhomme really stunk in the postseason going 1-22 as Monterrey was upset by Tijuana in the MLCS. This marked the end of his Matadors run and ultimately his career.

Bonhomme was still relatively young, entering free agency for the first time at age 32. However, teams were leery that he was on the downslide and didn’t want to commit a big money deal to him. Bonhomme played in the 1999 and 2000 WBC, but couldn’t find a pro home either season. He finally decided to retire in the winter of 2000 at only age 34. Still very popular in Monterrey, the Matadors brought him in to retire his #27 uniform for his key role in the great dynasty run.

Bonhomme finished with 1773 hits, 927 runs, 302 doubles, 419 home runs, 1113 RBI, a .313/.353/.599 slash, 180 wRC+, and 68.5 WAR. They’re impressive totals for essentially nine seasons’ worth of play. Some voters were dismissive of the short career and low tallies as very few guys had gotten the nod with fewer than 2000 career hits.

Bonhomme’s power, awards, and role in a dynasty though were all major plusses. Additionally, the 2004 CABA ballot was a remarkably weak one, making Bonhomme’s resume pop all the more compared to his competitors. He received 81.2% and a first ballot induction as the lone 2004 Hall of Fame inductee.

[FuzzyRussianHat]

East Asia Baseball added three first-ballot selections into the Hall of Fame in 2004. SP Woo-Hong Ryu was the headliner at 98.6% and 3B/1B Sukejuro Sakamoto was close behind at 90.2%. LF Kazuharu Yonesaki narrowly made the cut with them at 68.8%. On his penultimate try, 2B Seong-Jae Kang fell painfully short of the 66.0% requirement. Kang had 65.2% in his ninth ballot, the closest he’s come. The other player above 50% was LF Jin-Uk Song at 58.0% on his second ballot.



Dropped after ten ballots was 1B Taek-Hyun Yim. Nicknamed “Big Stud,” he had a 19-year career with five teams and posted 3127 hits, 1615 runs, 412 doubles, 352 triples, 274 home runs, 1296 RBI, 1347 stolen bases, a .297/.333/.482 slash, 123 wRC+, and 64.6 WAR. Yim had one Silver Slugger and still sits third in stolen bases as of 2037 and is one of a select few with 350+ triples.

Yim didn’t have the home run power most voters want from a first baseman, although he got plenty of extra base hits and steals. Past ballots also showed that 3000 hits wasn’t a guarantee in EAB, missing the cut even though he’s 18^th in hits at of 2037. Still, you would’ve thought Yim might have gotten more of a look. He debuted at 36.1% and gradually fell to only 5.1% at the end.



Woo-Hong Ryu – Starting Pitcher – Kawasaki Killer Whales – 98.6% First Ballot

Woo-Hong Ryu was a 6’6’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Namyangju, a South Korean city of around 710,000 people located just northeast of Seoul. Ryu had solid stuff and movement with above average control. His velocity peaked in the 96-98 mph range and had five equally potent pitches with a screwball, changeup, splitter, cutter, and circle change. Ryu’s stamina was middle-tier.

Ryu was considered a respectable defensive pitcher who was great at holding runners. He was an ironman who rarely missed starts. Even with his weaker stamina, he was good for 210+ innings for 20 of his 21 pro seasons. Ryu was well respected, known as a team captain with excellent leadership skills and a sturdy work ethic. These skills allowed Ryu to consistently contribute at a high level for two decades.

Although he grew up in South Korea, Ryu earned attention as a teenager by Japanese scouts as well. At age 16, he was signed by Kawasaki in December 1973 to a developmental deal. Ryu debuted as a part-time starter in 1978 at age 20, looking mediocre at best. He was a full-time starter for every year after and emerged as a true ace quickly. In his early years, Ryu helped Kawasaki to consistent success in the Capital Division.

From 1979-85, the Killer Whales won six division titles in seven years. In 1982, Kawasaki won the East Asian Championship over Seongnam. They made the Japan League Championship Series in 1983, 84, and 85; but were ousted each time. Ryu was excellent in the playoffs for Kawasaki, posting an 8-2 record over 116.1 innings with a 2.32 ERA, 124 strikeouts, 151 ERA+, and 3.0 WAR.

In the 1982 championship run, Ryu was outstanding, forever earning a spot in the hearts of Kawasaki fans. He was 4-0 in five starts with a 0.86 ERA over 41.2 innings, 52 strikeouts, 0.43 WHIP, and 1.5 WAR. The 52 strikeouts set a playoff record at the time and it is still fourth-best as of 2037.

After the 1981 season, Ryu signed a five-year, $2,312,000 extension. He led in wins thrice with Kawasaki. In 1982, he posted a career-best 9.0 WAR, taking second in Pitcher of the Year voting. He had seven seasons worth 6+ WAR for the Killer Whales. Ryu led in ERA in 1985 at 2.29, but again was second in POTY voting. Kawasaki gave him another extension after this worth $5,700,000 over six years. He also won a Silver Slugger in 1985 with a .269/.329/.308 slash. Ryu was a career .190 hitter.

The Killer Whales remained decent for the rest of the 1980s and early 1990s, but they weren’t good enough to make the playoffs from 1986-97. Ryu remained a loyal soldier and won his second ERA title in 1989 with 2.29. He wasn’t a finalist that year, but took third in 1988 with a career-best 2.15 ERA. In this run, Ryu did make a few appearances for South Korea in the World Baseball Championship. From 1988-91, he had a 3.15 ERA over 34.1 innings with 45 strikeouts.

Now 35-years old, Ryu signed another three-year, $4,140,000 extension after the 1992 season. He maintained his steady production and became the ninth EAB pitcher to 250 career wins. Kawasaki would struggle in 1994, ultimately finishing 63-99. They decided to sell at the deadline and that included Ryu. He was moved to Daegu with a prospect for two other prospects.

In total with Kawasaki, Ryu had a 261-147 record, 2.72 ERA, 3833 innings, 3979 strikeouts, 368/517 quality starts, 124 ERA+, 78 FIP-, and 91.9 WAR. He remained a well-known figure for Kawasaki fans and would see his #39 uniform retired at the end of his career.

Ryu finished 1994 with Daegu and had a solid 1995 for the Diamondbacks. While there, he was the 13^th pitcher to 4000 career strikeouts. Daegu was solid, but couldn’t make the playoffs in his brief tenure. In a year-and-a-half, Ryu had a 26-13 record, 2.86 ERA, 368.2 innings, 335 strikeouts, 130 ERA+, and 8.3 WAR. Ryu became a free agent for the first time at age 38 and seemed to still be reliable at a high level. Tw-time defending Korea League champ Yongin snagged him with a three-year, $7,080,000 deal.

In his Gold Sox debut season, Ryu became the third pitcher to 300 wins and the fifth to 4500 strikeouts. Yongin fell in the first round of the playoffs in 1996. In 1997, Ryu had a career and league-best 26 wins with 6.9 WAR. The Gold Sox won the EAB title over Sapporo, giving Ryu his second ring. In five playoff starts for Yongin, Ryu had a 3-0 record over 37.2 innings with a 3.58 ERA, 27 strikeouts, and 108 ERA+.

In 1998, the now 40-year old Ryu’s decreasing velocity finally caught up to him. He peaked at 89-91 mph in this season and struggled to a 4.84 ERA. Ryu retired that winter at age 41. For his Yongin run, he had a 3.89 ERA, 52-32 record, 701.2 innings, 572 strikeouts, 100 ERA+, and 14.0 WAR.

Ryu’s career stats saw a 339-192 record, 2.89 ERA, 4903.1 innings, 4886 strikeouts, 987 walks, 448/658 quality starts, 106 complete games, 120 ERA+, 79 FIP-, and 114.2 WAR. He fell seven wins short of Sang-Hun Joon’s all-time mark of 346 and remains second as of 2037. Ryu was also second to Joon in strikeouts and still sits third as of 2037. His WAR mark is seventh as of 2037. Despite these tallies, he never won Pitcher of the Year. Ryu was rarely the most dominant, but he was reliably strong for 20 years and a no-doubt first-ballot pick at 98.6% in 2004.

[FuzzyRussianHat]

Sukejuro Sakamoto – Third/First Base – Hiroshima Hammerheads – 90.2% First Ballot

Sukejuro Sakamoto was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed corner infielder from Nobeoka, Japan; a city with roughly 110,000 people on the southern island of Kyushu. Sakamoto was a very good contact hitter with a strong pop in his bat, averaging 30 doubles and 27 home runs per his 162 game average. His ability to draw walks was poor, but his strikeout rate was solid. Sakamoto was a very slow baserunner with okay skills.

Defensively, Sakamoto made around 2/3s of his starts at third base and 1/3 at first base. He graded out as firmly mediocre at third, while he was close to average at first. Sakamoto had a very strong arm, but lousy range and glove work. He had reliable durability over a 21-year pro career. Sakamoto was one of the most respected players of his era, known as a team captain with great leadership skills, loyalty, adaptability, and a tireless work ethic.

Sakamoto’s skills were noticed even coming out of Sagakita Senior High School. He was picked second overall in the 1974 EAB Draft by Fukuoka. However, Sakamoto wanted to get his degree and didn’t sign with the Frogs. He went to Nihon University of International Relations and continued to hone his baseball skills. Sakamoto was up again in the 1977 Draft and was picked fifth overall by Hiroshima. The Hammerheads made him a full-time starter immediately and he would play 124+ games in 12 of 13 seasons for them.

Sakamoto had some growing pains in his first two seasons, but still was second in 1978 Rookie of the Year voting. He emerged as a strong starter by his third year, which was one of 10 seasons worth 5.5+ WAR for Hiroshima. In 1981, Sakamoto won the batting title at .364 and won his first Silver Slugger. He won six Sluggers total for the Hammerheads, also taking it in 1984, 86, 87, 89, and 90.

Sakamoto wasn’t generally a league leader and was only once was an MVP finalist, taking third in 1987. That was a career-best 8.2 WAR. He also led in RBI in 1990 and posted seven seasons worth 7+ WAR. After the 1982 season, Hiroshima gave Sakamoto an eight-year, $4,946,000 extension. The Hammerheads had stunk in the late 1970s and early 1980s, but would finally start to contend a bit in the mid 1980s.

From 1985-89, Hiroshima won four West Division titles. The Hammerheads made the Japan League Championship Series in 1986 and 1987, but failed both times. In 26 playoff starts, Sakamoto had 36 hits, 14 runs, 9 doubles, 2 home runs, 16 RBI, a .367/.356/.541 slash, 173 wRC+, and 1.3 WAR. Sakamoto also played from 1981-93 with Japan in the World Baseball Championship. He had 82 games and 70 starts with 67 hits, 41 runs, 14 doubles, 22 home runs, 42 RBI, a .260/.297/.570 slash, 145 wRC+, and 2.6 WAR.

In 1984, Sakamoto suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon in August. In July 1985, he lost three months with ulnar nerve entrapment. Sakamoto bounced back from these with four straight 7+ WAR seasons. 1990 would be his final season with Hiroshima, who missed the playoffs at 76-86. In total as with the Hammerheads, Sakamoto 2228 hits, 965 runs, 370 doubles, 328 home runs, 1153 RBI, a .323/.355/.530 slash, 165 wRC+, and 77.1 WAR.

Hiroshima would later retire his #14 uniform as they parted amicably. Sakamoto still was playing at a high level despite entering his age 35 season in 1991. Yokohama inked him to a four-year, $5,120,000 deal. Sakamoto won his seventh Silver Slugger in his debut season in 1991 and had back-to-back 6+ WAR seasons to start his run with the Yellow Jackets. Yokohama made the playoffs in 1991, but fell in the first round.

In his third year with Yokohama, Sakamoto missed six weeks with a knee strain. He failed to reach the vesting criteria for the fourth year of his contract, becoming a free agent again at age 38. In three seasons, Sakamoto had 465 hits, 190 runs, 77 doubles, 73 home runs, 245 RBI, a .297/.325/.497 slash, 155 wRC+, and 15.2 WAR.

Sakamoto had a respectable 1994 with Kawasaki with 3.5 WAR, but lost a few weeks to injury. For 1995, he signed a three-year, $5,380,000 deal with Sapporo. His first year was plagued with injuries, but he looked good in 1996 and earned an extension into his 40s. Sakamoto’s leadership was still valued, but he was moved to a backup role in 1997 and 1998.

The Swordfish made the JLCS each year Sakamoto was there. They won the JL pennant in 1997 and 1998 , winning it all in 1998. In 32 playoff games and 19 starts, Sakamoto had 27 hits, 11 runs, 3 doubles, 7 home runs, 22 RBI, a .310/.315/.586 slash, 176 wRC+, and 1.0 WAR. In total with Sapporo, he had 269 hits, 129 runs, 53 doubles, 47 home runs, 153 RBI, a .267/.300/.470 slash, 127 wRC+, and 6.1 WAR. Sakamoto retired after the 1998 season at age 42.

Sakamoto finished with 3090 hits, 1333 runs, 521 doubles, 51 triples, 469 home runs, 1636 RBI, a .312/.343/.517 slash, 159 wRC+, and 101.8 WAR. He was the 17^th player to reach 3000 career hits and the 28^th to 1500 RBI. As of 2037, he’s 28^th in WAR among position players and has the 12^th most accumulated at third base. That line and his leadership made Sakamoto a first-ballot Hall of Famer, getting 90.2% in the 2004 class.



Kazuharu “Slaughter” Yonesaki – Left Field – Osaka Orange Sox – 68.8% First Ballot

Kazuharu Yonesaki was a 6’4’’, 200 pound left-handed hitting left fielder from Urayasu, Japan; a city of 170,000 within the Chiba Prefecture. Yonesaki was a great contact hitter that was outstanding at avoiding strikeouts and solid at drawing walks. Despite his size, Yonesaki wasn’t a home run hitter at all, only once getting double-digits. His gap power was sturdy though with 30 doubles and 14 triples per his 162 game average.

Yonesaki had outstanding speed and baserunning skills, leading the Japan League four times in stolen bases. He exclusively played left field defensively and was consistently mediocre. His speed on the basepaths didn’t translate to his defense as you’d expect. Yonesaki was well respected and was known as a hard worker and good leader.

Yonesaki was a rare Japanese player that left for North Korea initially. Hamhung signed Yonesaki as a teenage amateur in September 1977. He spent a few years in their developmental system, but didn’t make it to the show with the Heat. In January 1981, Yonesaki was traded with another prospect to Osaka for two pitchers. Yonesaki debuted at age 19 in 1981 and was an occasional pinch hitter in 1981 and 1982.

Yonesaki saw more time in 1983 with 126 games, but he only had 39 starts. He earned the full-time role in 1984 and held it for the next seven years for Osaka. Yonesaki led in OBP in 1984 for the Orange Sox. He then won batting titles and led in OBP in 1988, 89, and 90. Those three years were all worth 6+ WAR. In 1989, Yonesaki also topped Japan with career bests in hits (204), and doubles (43). He also led in steals twice and walks once. Because he wasn’t a home run hitter, Yonesaki wasn’t an awards finalist, only winning one Silver Slugger in 1989.

Osaka became a regular contender with Yonesaki helping lead the way. They won six straight division titles from 1985-90 and won the East Asian Championship in 1985 and 1989. Yonesaki was finals MVP in 1985 and JLCS MVP in 1989. In his playoff career with the Orange Sox, Yonesaki had 47 starts, 58 hits, 22 runs, 9 doubles, 5 triples, 21 RBI, a .305/.337/.421 slash, 127 wRC+, and 1.3 WAR. Yonesaki also played in six editions of the World Baseball Championship from 1984-93 with Japan with a .257/.430/.357 slash over 37 games and 18 starts.

In late 1985, Osaka gave Yonesaki a five-year, $4,110,000 extension. In the 1985 season, Yonesaki posted an impressive 40-game on-base streak. Even though his Orange Sox run was only seven full seasons, Yonesaki’s role in their titles made him popular. His #18 uniform would eventually be retired in 2000. With Osaka, Yonesaki had 1350 hits, 665 runs, 235 doubles, 104 triples, 51 home runs, 439 RBI, 553 stolen bases, a .333/.401/.479 slash, 165 wRC+, and 42.7 WAR.

Yonesaki’s contract expired after the 1990 season and he became a free agent before his age 29 season. Kawasaki committed to Yonesaki with a seven-year, $8,840,000 deal. His first two years were strong with league-leads in stolen bases both times, 6.5+ WAR both teams, and the lead in OBP in 1991. Yonesaki joined a short list of EAB players to steal 100+ bases in a season with 100 exactly in 1991.

Yonesaki had a major setback in late April 1993 as a stretched elbow ligament knocked him out almost the entire season. He was never quite as good after that, but he still gave Kawasaki two more solid seasons. The Killer Whales were mid-tier at this point in the midst of a decade-long playoff drought. In total for the Killer Whales, Yonesaki had 736 hits, 351 runs, 120 doubles, 65 triples, 25 home runs, 200 RBI, 347 stolen bases, a .324/.386/.467 slash, 163 wRC+, and 24.3 WAR.

With two years left on his deal entering 1996, Kawasaki traded Yonesaki and $32,550,000 to Changwon for a five prospect haul. This ultimately was a massive win for the Killer Whales as they got eventual Hall of Famers RF Hyun-Jun Nahm and SP Soo Moon. Both played a huge role in Kawasaki becoming a dynasty around the turn of the millennium,

The Crabs only got one year out of Yonesaki who was good with 4.6 WAR. He didn’t make that much of a difference as Changwon remained mediocre anyway, ultimately regretting moving two guys that became studs. Yonesaki had one year left in his deal, but declined the contract option and entered free agency for 1997. Heading into his age 35 season, Sapporo signed Yonesaki for three years and $6,840,000.

Injuries cost him much of his debut season with the Spiders, including a torn calf muscle. He missed around two months in 1998, but looked pretty good when he could play. Sapporo won the Japan League title both years and took the EAB title in 1998. Yonesaki had a .300/.432/.467 slash in nine starts in the 1998 run, earning his third ring. He didn’t meet the vesting criteria in his deal, becoming a free agent again.

In two seasons for Sapporo, Yonesaki had 222 hits, 110 runs, 38 doubles, a .330/.384/.418 slash, 147 wRC+, and 6.5 WAR. That marked the end of his EAB career, although he wasn’t ready to give baseball up yet. Yonesaki ended up in New Zealand and OBA on a two-year, $1,180,000 deal with Christchurch. Injuries meant he only played 68 games in 1999. He was let go in 2000 and went unsigned that season. Yonesaki retired that winter at age 39.

In his EAB run, Yonesaki had 2481 hits, 1207 runs, 424 doubles, 194 triples, 83 home runs, 738 RBI, 773 walks, 1046 stolen bases, a .330/.396/.471 slash, 161 wRC+, and 78.0 WAR. At induction, only three EAB Hall of Famers had a .330 or better batting average and only two had a better OBP. As of 2037, he’s still fifth in OBP and ninth in average. He’s also 24^th in stolen bases as of 2037.

Yonesaki was clearly an elite leadoff guy, but many voters are leery of guys without home run power. Only two HOFers had a lower slugging percentage than Yonesaki. However, his playoff success and roles in titles for both Osaka and Sapporo swayed a decent number of doubters. Yonesaki barely was a first ballot pick, but was regardless at 68.8% to round out the 2004 EAB Hall of Fame class.

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Beisbol Sudamerica had three first ballot inductees for the 2004 Hall of Fame class. Pitcher Pepito Cortina was the headliner at 99.3%. OF Romolo Mendez was next with 83.7% and 1B Caco Gallegos was close behind at 78.2%. 3B Nicolas Carnicas was nearly a fourth inductee, but fell just shy of the 66% requirement with a debut at 64.8%. The other player above 50% was C Sancho Sanchez with 53.7% in his sixth ballot.



The lone player dropped from the ballot after ten failed try was Francisco Almanza. The 1982 Pitcher of the Year with Ciudad Guayana, he had a 12 year career with a 162-128 record, 3.15 ERA, 2718 innings, 2859 strikeouts, 117 ERA+, 83 FIP-, and 59.3 WAR. Almanza regressed quickly in his early 30s and didn’t stick around long enough to get the accumulations needed for entry. Almanza was as high as 39.4% in his second ballot before ending at 5.5%.

Also worth noting was 1B Amerigo Orozco, who fell off after his ninth ballot. He ended at 2.6%, but was as high as 40.2% in 1997. Orozco had a 10-year career with 1690 hits, 804 runs, 307 doubles, 280 home runs, 892 RBI, a .332/.386/.567 slash, 173 wRC+, and 53.7 WAR. He was a big playoff performer as well who helped Concepcion to two titles. Orozco retired young after his age 32 season, also following short of the longevity needed to get across the line.



Pepito Cortina – Starting Pitcher – Rosario Robins – 99.3% First Ballot

Pepito Cortina was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Villa Carlos Paz, Argentina; a city with around 56,000 in the Cordoba province. Cortina had incredible stuff that graded as 10/10 at his peak. He also had above average movement with decent control. Cortina’s fastball was only 95-97 mph, but he had a legendary changeup, earning tons of whiffs by changing speeds. Cortina also had a forkball and splitter in his arsenal.

Cortina had very good stamina and good durability in his prime years. He was also a great batter, winning five Silver Sluggers with a career .314/.347/.425 slash, 121 wRC+, and 11.1 WAR. Cortina did have a couple games at first base, but wasn’t ever used as a full-time two-way guy. Still, his bat was strong enough to earn occasional pinch hitting use. He worked hard and had an impressive lengthy career.

Cortina was one of the top pitching prospects entering the 1980 Beisbol Sudamerica Draft. Rosario picked him fourth overall, although he only saw 10 innings in his debut season 1981. Cortina was a full-time starter after for the next 14 years for the Robins. He was solid in his first full season, earning a second place in Rookie of the Year voting. Cortina emerged as an ace for Rosario soon after.

In extra innings in 1983, Cortina had a 21 strikeout game against Rosario, becoming only the fifth pitcher in BSA history to fan 21 or more. That season, he had a 7.4 WAR effort. Cortina won his first Silver Slugger the next year, but missed six weeks to a partially torn labrum. After his 1985 effort, Cortina signed a six-year, $4,640,000 extension to stay with Rosario.

Cortina also was a regular for Argentina in the World Baseball Championship from 1983-2000. He tossed 245.2 WBC innings with an 18-7 record, 3.26 ERA, 376 strikeouts, 81 walks, 113 ERA+, and 6.4 WAR. As of 2037, he has the 34^th most strikeouts of any pitcher in the WBC.

1986 saw Cortina lead in ERA (1.90) and strikeouts (381). It was a career best in ERA and in WAR (9.3), earning Pitcher of the Year honors. This season also saw Cortina toss BSA’s 38^th perfect game, striking out 11 against Sao Paulo on August 5. The Robins were around .500, but still couldn’t quite end a lengthy playoff drought. Cortina won POTY again and a Silver Slugger in 1987, leading in WAR (9.1), wins (22), strikeouts (421), and WHIP (0.85). Rosario earned their first playoff berth since 1935, but went one-and-done in the playoffs.

Cortina led in strikeouts again the next two years with a career-best 431 in 1989. That was the 15^th most in a season in BSA history and the second-best effort by a pitcher not named Mohamed Ramos or Lazaro Rodriguez. He also led in home runs allowed that season and wasn’t a POTY finalist. He took third in voting in 1988. Cortina also won Silver Sluggers in 1988, 89, and 90.

Rosario made it to the Southern Cone Championship in 1988, but fell to Cali. They won 93 games in 1989 and 1990, but just missed the playoffs both times. The Robins were still hopeful that Cortina could lead them to the peak, signing a five-year, $6,300,000 extension after the 1990 campaign. Cortina wasn’t a league leader or awards finalist in his remaining Cordoba years, but he was consistently a solid starter.

Rosario had the best record in the league in 1991, but were upset in the first round by Belo Horizonte. The next year, the Robins narrowly got a wild card. However, they went on a run and claimed the 1992 Copa Sudamerica, which remains Rosario’s lone title as of 2037. Cortina sadly missed that playoff run with shoulder inflammation knocking him out the entire second half. He had four playoff starts in his career for the Robins with a 2.63 ERA over 27.1 innings, 32 strikeouts, and 127 ERA+.

Still, he was considered a big reason the historically mediocre Rosario franchise had a run of success. Cortina would eventually see his #30 uniform retired. He was still good in his final years with the Robins, but the franchise regressed after their championship season with four straight losing seasons. He would reach the 4500 career strikeout and 200 career win thresholds in his last season for Rosario.

In total with the Robins, Cortina had a 200-150 record, 2.59 ERA, 3382 innings, 4524 strikeouts, 785 walks, 293/409 quality starts, 165 complete games, 129 ERA+, and 81.6 WAR. Rosario executed the option for the final year of his contract for 1996, but ultimately traded him just before spring training. The now37-year old Cortina was moved to Recife for five prospects. The Retrievers were the defending Copa Sudamerica champs and looking to add veteran depth.

Cortina had a bit of a comeback season with the Retrievers, leading in strikeouts for the first time in since 1989. He also posted 6.5 WAR, his first 6+ WAR effort since 1990. Recife went 115-47 and repeated as South America’s champion. In 30.1 playoff innings, Cortina had a 3-0 record, 2.67 ERA, 30.1 innings, 41 strikeouts, and 114 ERA+. He ultimately served his role perfectly to help the Retrievers repeat.

However, the franchise viewed Cortina as a rental. He was a free agent now for the first time at age 38. Santiago felt he still had value, giving him a three-year, $5,800,000 deal. Cortina had a good 1997, leading the league in wins with a 5.2 WAR effort. The Saints made the LCS and Cortina had a 1.72 ERA in 15.2 playoff innings, although they couldn’t get to the final.

Cortina’s Santiago run ended in disaster in his second season. On May 7, 1998, he suffered a torn UCL, putting him out for 14 months. He failed to meet the vesting criteria on his deal and any figured his career was over. It was the end of his South American run, although Cortina wasn’t done with baseball quite year. MLB’s Houston Hornets surprised many by not only signing Cortina, but giving him a hefty three-year, $14,160,000 deal.

It was a poor investment for Houston. Cortina made it back for the summer of 1999, but went back on the shelf after two starts with bone chips in his elbow. He pitched the first chunk of 2000 and ate innings, but otherwise was mediocre. Houston traded him in July with a prospect to San Francisco to get veteran and future EBF Hall of Famer 3B Robert Beck. Cortina only made it four starts with SF before shoulder inflammation knocked him out nine months.

Cortina wasn’t done yet as Columbus gave him a chance. He only made two appearances before getting hurt again and eventually cut in the summer of 2001. Charlotte signed him to a minor league contract, but would give him five starts in the majors. Cortina looked mediocre, then got hurt again. He finally called it quits that winter at age 42. In his MLB run, he had a 4.78 ERA over 209 innings, 82 ERA+, and 1.4 WAR.

Cortina’s much more impressive BSA tenure had a 241-168 record, 2.63 ERA, 3933.1 innings, 5246 strikeouts, 343/479 quality starts, 185 complete games, 126 ERA+, 78 FIP-, and 94.5 WAR. He was the fifth pitcher to reach 5000 career strikeouts and sits eighth as of 2037. Cortina is also 28^th in pitching WAR as of 2037. His strong bat only increased his value, making Cortina an easy first-ballot choice. He was near unanimous at 99.3%, leading the three-player 2004 class.

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Romolo Mendez – Right/Center Field – Santa Cruz Crawfish – 83.7% First Ballot

Romolo Mendez was a 5’11’’, 200 pound left-handed outfielder from Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia’s largest city with around 1,780,000 inhabitants. Mendez was a quite good contact hitter that was excellent at working counts and drawing walks. Despite that, his strikeout rate was middling. Mendez was a powerful bat who hit 30+ home runs in 11 different seasons. His gap power was respectable as well with 25 doubles and 9 triples per his 162 game average. Mendez had above average to good speed on the basepaths and was generally a positive contributor with his legs.

Mendez made about 2/3s of his starts in right field and about 1/3 in center field. He graded as a pretty good defender in right, even winning a Gold Glove in 1989. His range was too poor for center, where he generally was considered lousy. Mendez always worked very hard, becoming one of Bolivia’s most popular players. He had excellent durability, allowing Mendez to hold a starting role even well into his 40s.

When he was a kid in Santa Cruz, the city didn’t yet have a Beisbol Sudamerica changed. That changed with the Crawfish debuting with the 1974 season. They struggled initially and held the #1 overall pick for the 1978 BSA Draft. It so happened that a hometown kid with a ton of potential was waiting there for them. Santa Cruz picked Mendez first overall, hoping the local hero could deliver the franchise its first success.

Mendez was a beloved player who did great for the Crawfish, but one man couldn’t make them a contender. The Crawfish remained a bottom rung franchise his whole tenure, not posting their first winning season until after he was gone in 1991. Still, Mendez gave his heart and soul to his hometown as a full-time starter for a decade. He was great from the jump, winning 1979 Rookie of the Year honors.

Mendez would win six straight Silver Sluggers from 1980-85. He was third in 1980 MVP voting, second in 1982, second in 1983, third in 1984, and second in 1985. Being on bad teams likely preventing Mendez from earning the top award. He led the Bolivar League four times in OPS, thrice in slugging twice in total bases, twice in runs, once in both home runs and RBI, and thrice in wRC+. Mendez’s Silver Slugger run also had six consecutive seasons worth 6.8 WAR or better.

Mendez was also a beloved figure for all of Bolivian baseball, making 190 appearances and 188 starts from 1978-2000 in the World Baseball Championship. He posted 169 hits, 116 runs, 34 doubles, 53 home runs, 106 RBI, 115 walks, a .258/.374/.566 slash, 166 wRC+, and 8.8 WAR. As of 2036, he’s Bolivia’s all-time WBC leader in games, runs, hits, doubles, walks, and offensive WAR.

Santa Cruz gave Mendez an eight-year, $4,872,000 contract extension after the 1982 season. While he certainly lived up to his end of the deal, the Crawfish seemed no closer to contention. Mendez had an opt-out option after the 1988 campaign and used it, While the franchise and fans were disappointed, they understood his decision and he remained a beloved figure in the city. His #5 uniform would ultimately be the first retired by the squad.

Coming up on his age 33 season, Mendez had worldwide offers and ended up moving to the United States. MLB’s Atlanta Aces gave him a five-year, $8,900,000 deal. He won a Gold Glove in his first year with Atlanta, but otherwise wasn’t an award winner or league leader. Still, Mendez was quite strong for the Aces, posting 7.0 WAR in 1991. Injuries started to plague him, missing a few weeks each season. Eventually, Mendez missed almost half of 1992 to a herniated disc.

This was in the middle of Atlanta’s eight-year division title streak from 1987-94. The Aces made the American Association Championship Series three straight years from 1990-92, but could never get over the hump. Mendez’s playoff stats were unremarkable with a .227/.306/.371 slash and 77 wRC+. His overall totals in four years for Atlanta were quite solid with 19.9 WAR, 133 wRC+, a .277/.372/.523 slash, 492 hits, 348 runs, 105 home runs, 94 doubles, and 336 RBI.

He didn’t reach the vesting criteria for the fifth year in his Atlanta contract, becoming a free agent for 1993 at age 37. Mendez was an established pro though and got a two-year deal worth $4,480,000 with Nashville, who had seen him up close as a divisional rival of Atlanta. Mendez went to Chicago in 1995 and posted a 4.2 WAR season for the Cubs. After that, he had two seasons with Memphis, but looked merely okay there. He had 0.6 WAR and a 96 wRC+ with the Mountain Cats.

Mendez returned to South America in 1998 with Bogota and had a respectable season as a starter with 2.6 WAR. That earned him one more look in MLB in 1999 as he returned to Nashville. Between his stints with the Knights, Mendez had 378 hits, 223 runs, 76 home runs, 211 RBI, a .261/.346/.471 slash, 119 wRC+, and 6.9 WAR.

He was still playable in 1999 despite being 43 years old. Mendez played in the 2000 WBC for Bolivia, but couldn’t find a suitor for the season. He retired that winter at age 45. For his MLB stints, he had 1211 hits, 783 runs, 194 doubles, 254 home runs, 734 RBI, a .257/.348/.478 slash, 123 wRC+, and 31.6 WAR.

In Beisbol Sudamerica with Santa Cruz and Bogota, Mendez had 1780 hits, 982 runs, 261 doubles, 113 triples, 371 home runs, 1006 RBI, 686 walks, 576 stolen bases, a .317/.393/.603 slash, 169 wRC+, and 66.2 WAR. At that point, only four BSA Hall of Famers had a career OPS better than Mendez’s .996. He still ranks ninth as of 2037 among HOFers. Still, there were a few voters who dinged him for leaving BSA early and never getting a playoff appearance with Santa Cruz.

Mendez’s full pro numbers were 2991 hits, 1765 runs, 455 doubles, 625 home runs, 1740 RBI, 1322 walks, 745 stolen bases, a .290/.372/.546 slash, 148 wRC+, 97.9 WAR. That full tally belongs in any Hall of Fame, plus being the first star for a new franchise was a plus. As of 2037, he’s still the only inductee with Santa Cruz as his primary team. Mendez got 83.7% to earn a first ballot spot in the 2004 Beisbol Sudamerica Hall of Fame class.



Caco “Candy” Gallegos – First Base – Fortaleza Foxes – 78.2% First Ballot

Caco Gallegos was a 6’0’’, 200 pound switch-hitting first baseman from Bosconia, Colombia; a municipality of roughly 43,000 people in the country’s northern Cesar Department. Gallegos was one of the all-time great contact hitters who put the ball into play with remarkable frequency. He was outstanding at avoiding strikeouts, but very rarely drew walks.

Gallegos wasn’t going to get you many home runs, but his gap power was excellent. He regularly averaged around 30-40 doubles and 25-35 triples per season. Gallegos had pretty good speed and was a talented base stealer. That hitting profile doesn’t scream “first baseman,” but that is where Gallegos played pretty much exclusively. He graded out as a reliably good to sometimes great defender. Injury issues did cost him some playing time at points. Gallegos also could be his own worst enemy and wasn’t well liked by many teammates, often called selfish and dumb. Still, he was a remarkably talented pure hitter.

Gallegos was spotted by a Fortaleza scout and signed in January 1981 as a teenage amateur. He officially debuted in 1983 at age 19 with 36 games and 12 starts. The Foxes kept him back in developmental in 1984, but made him a full-time starter in 1985 and 1986. 1985 saw 36 triples, leading the Southern Cone League for the first time.

Fortaleza ended an eight-year playoff drought in 1987, falling in the Southern Cone Championship. However, Gallegos was relegated to a bench role most of the season despite batting .433 in his limited use. He reclaimed the starting job the next season and held it from there, beginning an impressive stretch of league-leading statistics. Fortaleza would give him an eight-year, $13,360,000 extension midway through 1990.

From 1988-95, Gallegos led the league in hits six times, runs once, doubles four times, triples six times, total bases once, stolen bases thrice, batting average six times, OBP thrice, OPS once, and wRC+ once. He also had six seasons with 6+ WAR, winning Silver Sluggers in 1990, 1991, and 1994. It wasn’t easy to win the award at first base with a career high of 10 homers in season. Gallegos also was second in 1989 MVP voting and third in 1991. He would finally win MVP in 1994 at age 30..

Gallegos had a .394 batting average in 1989, which was the second-best single-season mark at that point. He did set the BSA record with 257 hits, which remained the record until 2018. That season still sits third and his 253 hits in 1994 is fifth all-time as of 2037. Gallegos’ 124 stolen bases in 1989 was also a single-season record until 1996 and sits fourth-best as of 2037.

Gallegos had 41 triples in 1990, tying the single-season record. This still holds as the top mark as of 2037 with Gallegos holding five of the top ten triples seasons. His 55 doubles in 1994 was one short of the single-season record and still sits third best as of 2037. In 1993, Gallegos had a .404 average, but didn’t have enough at-bats to qualify as the league leader. He missed the second half of that season to a ruptured Achilles. In 1989, Gallegos had a 35-game hit streak, which was the second-longest to that point.

Fortaleza made the playoffs again but were one-and-done in 1989. After missing the field from 1990-93, the Foxes won the Southern Cone Championship in 1994. Gallegos was the LCS MVP, although they would lose to Quito in Copa Sudamerica. In 29 career playoff games, Gallegos had a .361/.371/.541 slash, 44 hits, 15 runs, 13 extra base hits, and 171 wRC+.

1995 would be Gallegos’s last great season. He missed half of 1996 to a torn meniscus and never returned to form after that. Gallegos remained rostered for the next two years, but was essentially just a pinch hitter with only 20 starts over 191 games. Gallegos decided to retire after the 1998 season at age 35. Fortaleza would immediately retire his #10 uniform.

Gallegos had 2396 hits, 1019 runs, 400 doubles, 340 triples, 61 home runs, 784 RBI, 978 stolen bases, a .363/.384/.554 slash, 175 wRC+, and 75.0 WAR. He didn’t have the longevity to dominate the accumulation leaderboards despite his big seasons. Still, he was third in triples at retirement and still sits fifth as of 2037. Gallegos was also the all-time batting average leader until finally passed in a much higher-offense Beisbol Sudamerica in the 2030s. Among Hall of Famers though as of 2037, he is the batting average leader.

Still, these accolades didn’t make him a true lock for some voters. There were those who poo-poo’d the lack of home run power, especially at first base. Others thought he was a bit of a jerk. Enough recognized his impressive peak though and gave Gallegos the first ballot nod at 78.2%. One of BSA’s finest-ever contact hitters was a solid way to round out an impressive 2004 Hall of Fame class.

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For the first time since 1989, the European Baseball Federation didn’t elect any players into the Hall of Fame. The closest to the 66% mark on the 2004 ballot was LF Josip Stojanovic at 63.4% on his fourth try. SP Angelo Silvestri was close by at 62.8% also on his fourth go. The other players above 50% were LF Kenneth Hammer at 54.1% on his third ballot at 3B Thomas Indiani at 53.4% on his fifth ballot. SP Reggie Hobart was the top debut at 47.8%. No players were dropped after ten failed tries.

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The 2004 Eurasian Professional Baseball Hall of Fame class was a memorable one with three guys added on the first ballot. Two were absolute slam dunks, including EPB’s first-ever unanimous pick in two-way star Igor Bury. SP Artem Makarevich only barely missed out on being unanimous himself at 99.6%. DH Nikolay Denisov was the third inductee with a respectable 75.5%. SP Petr Bidzinashvili had 58.4% on his seventh try, falling just short of the 66% requirement.



SS Maksim Shantanov was dropped after ten ballots, peaking with 40.3% on his debut and ending at 15.6%. Primarily with Asgabat, Shantanov had 2426 hits, 808 runs, 466 doubles, 78 home runs, 712 RBI, a .298/.325/.398 slash, 126 wRC+, 76.5 WAR, and six Silver Sluggers. Shantanov also won a title in 1979 with the Alphas and in 1988 with Minsk, posting a .320/.341/.401 career playoff slash. He lacked dingers as a leadoff guy though, which kept him out of the running for many voters.

Reliever Tomislav Brzezanczyk also fell off the ballot after ten tries, getting as high as 37.1% and ending at 8.6%. He bounced between EPB and MLB, posting 277 saves in his EPB run with a 1.87 ERA over 744.1 innings, 1067 strikeouts, 158 ERA+, and 25.5 WAR. Brzezanczyk didn’t have the counting stats or awards needed to earn much attention as a reliever by the voters.



Igor “Speed Limit” Bury – Starting Pitcher/Left Field – Novosibirsk Nitros – 100% First Ballot

Igor Bury was a 6’0’’, 190 pound right-handed pitcher and left fielder from Goragorskiy, Russia; a small town of just under 5,000 people in Chechnya. The nickname “Speed Limit” came from Bury’s incredibly cautious demeanor when driving. Regardless of that quirk, he became one of the most adored and beloved figures in Russian baseball history. Bury was an incredibly intelligent and hard-working player that some could argue is the greatest two-way player in pro baseball history.

Bury’s pitching was his strongest attribute with outstanding stuff and great movement. His control was sometimes below average, but his overpowering stuff usually bailed him out. Bury had an electric 99-101 mph fastball mixed with a great slider and decent changeup. Bury had incredible durability and made 30+ starts on the mound every year for 16 straight years even with the two-way workload. He was a good defensive pitcher, but struggled with holding runners.

Offensively, Bury wasn’t incredible, but reliable above average to good. He was a respectable contact hitter, but he didn’t draw too many walks and did strike out a lot. Bury had a very strong bat through, often getting around 15-20 doubles and 15-20 home runs in the roughly 80-90 games he’d hit each year. Bury was a smart baserunner, but his speed was mediocre.

When not pitching, Bury was almost always in left field. His arm strength served him well there and he graded out as a pretty good defender in left. He made a few starts in center field as well, but struggled there due to a lack of range. Some called Bury the hardest working man in baseball, which led to a remarkable career.

Bury’s two-way potential was evident even as an amateur prospect. His was eligible in the 1980 EPB Draft and Novosibirsk grabbed him with the #1 overall pick. Bury would play 17 of his 20 pro seasons with the Nitros, becoming a beloved franchise icon. Before he arrived, Novosibirsk had been generally lousy. In the 1960s and 1970s, the Nitros had no playoff berths and only four winning seasons.

Novosibirsk didn’t think Bury was immediately ready, as he only made four relief appearances in his first year under contract in 1981. After that though, he had a full load in the rotation every year for the next 16 seasons. Bury also had an additional 70-85 starts in the field every year in that stretch. His remarkable durability had him not miss more than a week until his 15^th season.

Offensively, Bury was relatively steady in his career. EPB used the designated hitter, so Bury didn’t hit on days he pitched. The demands meant he never played 100+ games in the field in his prime years, but over a 162 game average, he had a .252/.286/.462 slash, 133 wRC+, 4.0 WAR, and 30 home runs.

It was Bury’s pitching that brought him the most acclaim. He was merely okay in his first two seasons, but the two-way effort still got him the 1982 Rookie of the Year. By 1984, he emerged as a legitimate ace. From 1985 through 1993, he was considered by many as the best pitcher in EPB, racking up impressive strikeout tallies.

From 1985-92, Bury led the Asian league eight straight seasons in strikeouts. His 424 strikeouts in 1986 was the third most in a season to that point (and still ranks sixth as of 2037). Bury also racked up big WAR totals, leading the league eight times in nine years from 1985-93. Seven of those seasons saw double-digits with the worst being 8.4. Bury also led in WHIP twice and quality starts thrice.

Despite his impressive talents, Bury only led in ERA once, posting a career-best 1.44 in 1987. He fell three wins short of a Triple Crown and never would lead the league in wins. Bury’s 1986 recorded 13.8 WAR pitching, which was the fourth-best season to that point in EPB (and is still sixth in 1986). When you add his 3.7 WAR offensively that year, you get an all-time EPB single-season record of 17.5. That’s a number at that point that had only been beaten by Beisbol Sudamerica’s GOAT pitcher Mohamed Ramos, who hit 17.9 and 17.6 in the 1930s.

Naturally, Bury was a regular on the awards podium. He was a five-time Pitcher of the Year (1985, 86, 87, 88, 90) and took third in 1989 and second in 1993. Bury also earned MVP honors in 1986, 1987, and 1989. He took second in 1985 MVP voting, second in 1988, and second in 1993. Bury tossed two no-hitters, the first with 16 strikeouts and two walks against Dushanbe on 4/1/88 and the second on 6/8/91 with 9 Ks and 2 BBs versus Yekaterinburg. He’s also one of only seven EPB pitchers to strike out 21 or more in a game, fanning 21 in 10.1 innings on 4/1/92 against Yerevan.

Bury’s talents made him one of the most beloved stars in Eurasian Professional Baseball. He also got plenty of love playing in the World Baseball Championship ten times from 1984-1997 for Russia. Pitching, Bury had 141.2 innings, an 11-4 record, 3.68 ERA, 197 strikeouts, and 2.4 WAR. Batting, he had 48 games and 45 starts, 40 hits, 23 runs, 11 doubles, 11 home runs, 37 RBI, a .270/.329/.568 slash, 151 wRC+, and 1.7 WAR.

Novosibirisk finally began to see steady success with Bury, as every season from 1983 to 1997 saw a winning record. The Nitros broke a 24-year playoff drought in 1983 and made it to the ALCS, but lost to Bishkek. They were one-and-done in 1985 and missed the playoffs in 1984, 86, and 87. Novosibirsk still thought Bury could lead them to the Promised Land, giving him a six-year, $3,464,000 extension in April 1986.

In 1988, Novosibirsk won its first (and as of 2037, only) AL pennant, ousting Bishkek. The Nitros fell in the finale to Minsk. Bury wouldn’t get back to the championship despite his best efforts. Novosibirsk made the playoffs seven times from 1989-96, but was one-and-done each year except for an upset ALCS loss in 1991. Although still beloved, Bury often shouldered the blame for their lack of greater playoff success.

It was a fair critique when looking at his playoff stats. In 17 starts with Novosibirsk pitching, he was 7-7 with a 3.01 ERA over 137.2 innings, 168 strikeouts, and 5.3 WAR. The 96 ERA+ is firmly below average, but his 57 FIP- suggested Bury may have had bad luck. His batting tallies were undoubtedly crappy in the playoffs though. In 45 games, he had a .191/.228/.321 slash, 72 wRC+, and 0.2 WAR. Perhaps the physical demands of two-way service wore him down too much by the end of the season.

In May 1992, Novosibirsk gave Bury another five years and $4,750,000. In his final seasons with the Nitros, he had fallen out of the awards conversation. Bury still was a very solid pitcher, but gone were the 300+ strikeout seasons. He still had positive offensive value until his final season with the Nitros in 1997 with -0.3 WAR. Bury missed the final weeks of the season to a strained triceps and Novosibirsk’s playoff streak ended at six seasons. He was able to join Alvi Tahiri as the only EPB pitchers with 5500+ career strikeouts.

Bury was at a crossroads as he was soon to be 38 years old entering 1998. Novosibirsk opted to begin a full rebuild and didn’t re-sign their superstar. He’d remain immensely popular and kept a good relationship with Nitros management. Once his playing career was over, his #8 uniform was retired. Bury wasn’t ready to retire yet and ended up signing a one-year, $1,300,000 deal with Kyiv.

He looked merely decent with the Kings, who ultimately traded Bury at the deadline to Ufa. The Fiends wanted to push to break a decade-long playoff drought and succeeded in getting a wild card spot, although they were one-and-done. This would be Bury’s final season playing in EPB.

Bury’s velocity had dropped noticeably at this point. He was regularly hitting triple digits in 1995, but had dropped towards the mid 90s. It would drop into the upper 80s in the next few years, effectively ending his time as a pitcher. In his final two seasons, Bury only pitched a total of 33.2 innings. He found a suitor in EBF’s Amsterdam Anacondas, but they wanted to use him primarily as a hitter.

In his one year in the Netherlands, Bury excelled in that role. He played 129 games with 37 home runs, 95 RBI, a .316/.346/.600 slash, 169 wRC+, and 5.7 WAR. It was an impressive season for anyone, but especially a guy at age 39. He was a free agent again for 2000 and MLB’s Charlotte hoped they could catch that same lightning in a bottle. Also hoping to cash in on Bury’s international celebrity, they gave him a three-year, $14,280,000 deal.

It was a terrible deal ultimately for the Canaries. A herniated disc cost Bury the first month of the season. When he came back in May, he looked mediocre at the plate. Although a small sample size, Charlotte decided to eat the rest of his big contract, cutting him on May 28. Three years later, he was back in Europe, signing with Zurich.

Bury rebounded in 76 games for the Mountaineers, posting 110 wRC+ and 1.8 WAR. Zurich made the conference finals, but didn’t go beyond that. This ended Bury’s career in the Northern Hemisphere, but he wasn’t ready to call it quits. He ended up in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, signing with Kinshasa.

Bury struggled in 62 games for the Sun Cats, posting -0.3 WAR and 83 wRC+. It was also the only season in his career without at least one pitching appearance. He wasn’t retained after 2001 and still wanted to play somewhere. Unfortunately, Bury’s goose was cooked. After going un-signed in 2002, he retired at age 42.

For his combined pro career, Bury the pitcher had a 287-190 record, 2.41 ERA, 4595.2 innings, 5771 strikeouts, 1067 walks, 436/574 quality starts, 176 complete games, 121 ERA+, 67 FIP-, and 138.9 WAR. Offensively, he had 1602 hits, 788 runs, 276 doubles, 324 home runs, 855 RBI, a .253/.287/.462 slash, 133 wRC+, and 41.1 WAR.

His combined 180 WAR was a record among any two-way player and would only get topped by China’s Chuchaun Cao’s run from 2012-24. At retirement, the only players in world history with more career WAR was OBA/MLB SS/2B Jimmy Caliw (214.0), BSA pitcher Mohamed Ramos (205.1), CABA/MLB SP Ulices Montero (191.7), and CABA/MLB 1B Prometheo Garcia (189.1), Clearly, Bury was one of the most impactful players in baseball history.

In just EPB as a pitcher, Bury had a 287-187 record, 2.38 ERA, 4562 innings, 5754 strikeouts, 435/569 quality starts, 175 complete games, 122 ERA+, 67 FIP-, and 138.5 WAR. As of 2037, Bury is fifth in pitching WAR, second in strikeouts, and sixth in wins. From just his pitching, a case could be made for Bury as a top five all-time ace in EPB.

At the plate, he had 1320 hits, 638 runs, 227 doubles, 263 home runs, 671 RBI, a .248/.282/.450 slash, 133 wRC+, and 34.0 WAR. The combined 172.5 WAR is the EPB all-time mark with the closest foe being SP Alvi Tahiri at 160.9. The playoff disappointments hurt him in some of the conversations regarding the EPB GOAT. However, no one argues against Bury as a candidate for that spot. If there was ever a guy who deserved a unanimous Hall of Fame induction, he was the guy.

[FuzzyRussianHat]

Artem Makarevich – Starting Pitcher – Kyiv Kings – 99.6% First Ballot

Artem Makarevich was a 6’1’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Borisov, Belarus; a city within the Minsk Region with around 135,000 inhabitants. Makarevich was a hard thrower with 98-100 mph peak velocity. He was known for having great stuff, very good movement, and solid control. Makarevich had four equally potent pitches in his arsenal; fastball, curveball, changeup, and splitter.

His stamina was decent, but he didn’t go as deep in games as many other EPB aces. Makarevich had great durability though and had no problem giving you plenty of starts and innings each year. He was a good defensive pitcher that was great at holding the runners he did surrender. Makarevich was mild mannered, but became popular through his dominance on the mound.

Makarevich had a respectable amateur career, but wasn’t at the tip top of the draft boards. There were control issues in his earliest years which scared off some teams, although he’d correct those issues quickly in the big time. Late in the second round of the 1984 EPB Draft, Makarevich was picked 63^rd overall by Kyiv. His entire EPB career would be with the Kings, who didn’t use him in 1985. Makarevich was a decent part-time starter in 1986, then a full-time for the next decade after with Kyiv.

The Kings won the EPB Championship in Makarevich’s first full season of 1986. They won the title again in 1987 and 1992. Kyiv had 11 playoff appearances during his 12 year run and made the European League Championship Series also in 1991 and 1994. Makarevich quickly became a big reason that the Kings continued to compete at a high level throughout the 1980s and 1990s.

Makarevich’s second season was his first worth 7+ WAR, a mark he’d top in nine of the next ten seasons. Each year from 1988-1994 would see an ERA below two. Makarevich led the EL in ERA in 1989, 1993, and 1994. He was third in Pitcher of the Year voting in 1988 and 1989. The latter saw Makarevich toss a perfect game with 15 strikeouts on June 5 against St. Petersburg.

Despite being healthy in 1990, Kyiv surprisingly used Makarevich in only 23 starts all season. He was back to the full-time spot after that. Makarevich was third again in Pitcher of the Year voting in 1991 and signed a five-year, $6,300,000 contract extension. He was second in 1992 POTY voting and had career bests to that point in strikeouts (350) and WAR (10.3).

He stepped up big in the playoff run in 1992 after previously being hit-or-miss in the postseason. Makarevich was 4-0 in five playoff starts with a blistering 0.21 ERA over 42 innings, 56 strikeouts, and 2.7 WAR. He was EPB finals MVP and this was a playoff record for WAR, only topped once in 1999 by Igor Kuchkowski. The 56 Ks was also a record that wouldn’t be bested until 2023.

Makarevich’s best individual seasons came in the next four years for Kyiv. He won two ERA titles, led in wins twice, WHIP tice, quality starts twice, and was the WARlord at 12.5 in 1994. Makarevich also had a career best 392 strikeouts in 1994, falling 14 short of a Triple Crown. He was Pitcher of the Year in 1993, 94, and 96.

Although Kyiv didn’t have playoff success after the 1992 title, it wasn’t Makarevich’s fault. For his playoff career with the Kings, he had an 11-6 record over 164 innings, 1.54 ERA, 182 strikeouts, 34 walks, 190 ERA+, 71 FIP-, and 5.0 WAR. Makarevich also had success on the world stage with 12 appearances in the World Baseball Championship from 1987-2001 for his home country Belarus. In 32 games and 20 starts, Makarevich had a 2.42 ERA, 8-7 record, 152.2 innings, 203 strikeouts, 149 ERA+, and 5.1 WAR.

In 1996, Makarevich threw his second no-hitter, fanning nine with two walks on May 23 against St. Petersburg. In addition to winning POTY, he was second in MVP voting and earned his 200^th career win. With five straight seasons worth 9.5+ WAR and 350+ strikeouts, plus three straight with 24 wins, Makarevich was riding high. He had just finished his age 33 season and had suitors from across the globe.

Much to Kyiv’s chagrin, Makarevich opted to try free agency. While he remained popular with many Kings fans, this created a rift between him and the franchise. Despite his massive playoff run in the 1992 title season especially, Kyiv would never retire his #39 uniform. This would mark the end of an impressive EPB run, as the final eight seasons of his career would all be in MLB.

With Kyiv, Makarevich had a 202-74 record, 1.83 ERA, 2677.2 innings, 3474 strikeouts, 437 walks, 283/331 quality starts, 90 complete games, 154 ERA+, 56 FIP-, and 95.4 WAR. As of 2037, he’s 27^th in WAR, Obviously he didn’t stay long enough to rise up the leaderboards, but his 1.83 ERA is better than all EPB Hall of Fame starters and his .732% win percentage is second only to Bogdan Chirita. Makarevich might have gotten more prominent recognition if he stayed, but the Kyiv run was still plenty for a near unanimous induction at 99.6% in 2004.

Makarevich’s career continued with a four-year, $13,280,000 deal with Montreal starting in 1997. While the innings were good, the overall production was fairly average and the weakest of his career to date. Makarevich looked much better in the next two seasons and even earned a third place in 1998 Pitcher of the Year voting, leading in quality starts and wins

Montreal had three straight playoff berths, but only once got to the National Association Championship Series, falling in 1997 to Minneapolis. Makarevich’s playoff starts were delightfully average with the Maples with a 3.35 ERA over 37.2 innings, 37 strikeouts, and a 101 ERA+. In total with Montreal, Makarevich had a 52-38 record, 2.96 ERA, 824 innings, 652 strikeouts, 114 ERA+, and 17.2 WAR.

Coming up on age 37, Makarevich declined the final year contract option with Montreal. For 2000, he signed a two-year, $12,600,000 deal with Indianapolis. Makarevich had a respectable stint with the Racers, posting a 3.31 ERA over 508.1 innings, 396 strikeouts, 103 ERA+, and 7.5 WAR. He would be a free agent again at age 39 and still could command a nice payday.

Calgary gave Makarevich a two-year, $11,800,000 deal. He was subpar in 2002 and ended the year with elbow inflammation. That tanked his velocity and he was only used for seven relief appearances in 2003 before being cut in late June. Makarevich finished the season in minor league Wilmington and retired that winter at age 40.

For his MLB tenure, Makarevich had an 89-77 record, 3.27 ERA, 1559.1 innings, 1173 strikeouts, 405 walks, 107 ERA+, 90 FIP-, and 28.0 WAR. That was a fine run for a guy joining MLB at age 34. His entire pro career saw a 291-151 record, 2.36 ERA, 4237 innings, 4647 strikeouts, 842 walks, 417/535 quality starts, 133 ERA+, 69 FIP-, and 123.4 WAR. Makarevich was clearly one of the finest pitchers in the world in his era.



Nikolay “Shoulders” Denisov – Designated Hitter – Chelyabinsk Cadets – 75.5% First Ballot

Nikolay Denisov was a 6’1’’, 200 pound switch hitter from Maloyaroslavets, Russia; a town of around 41,000 located about two hours southwest of Moscow. Denisov’s contact ability was outstanding with some scouts grading him as an 11 on the 1-10 scale. He was excellent at avoiding strikeouts as well, although he was merely average at drawing walks. “Shoulders” wasn’t a home run hitter by any stretch, never getting more than eight in a season.

However, Denisov was very skilled at finding the gap. Over a 162 game average, he’d get you 33 doubles and 25 triples per season. Denisov was lightning quick and was a remarkably efficient base stealer. Although you often think of career designated hitters as big slugging brutes, Denisov was an exception to that rule.

He almost never played the field in his career, making a whopping 63 starts at left field with porous results. Denisov’s range was surprisingly bad for his speed and he had a noodle arm. It was baffling that a guy looked so uncoordinated in the field when he had such a majestic swing. Denisov’s bat certainly played though and he had strong durability. Denisov was a good leader and quite intelligent, earning much respect in the clubhouse.

Denisov was picked seventh overall in the 1984 EPB Draft by Chelyabinsk. The Cadets only used him in sporadically in 1985 as a pinch hitter, then he started most of 1986. He had the full time role after that with 153+ starts each year from 1987-94. Denisov would regularly lead hitting categories with Chelyabinsk, posting the most hits in the Asian League in seven straight seasons from 1987-93.

Denisov also had six straight batting average titles from 1988-93. With the Cadets, he led the league four times in runs, four times in doubles, six times in triples, six times in plate appearances, six times in at-bats, once in total bases, thrice in stolen bases, twice in OBP, once in OBP, once in wRC+, and thrice in WAR. The WAR leads were especially impressive considering the penalty assessed against DHs.

Those three seasons as the WARlord (9.1, 10.7, and 10.3) earned him three straight MVPs from 1990-92. Denisov also won five straight Silver Sluggers from 1988-92. His 223 hits in 1988 set a new single-season EPB record. He’d top that mark four more times, peaking with 239 hits in 1992. That would remain the EPB record until finally getting passed in 2030. As of 2037, that season remains third and Denisov has four of the top ten seasons in hits. His 39 triples in 1991 also set a single-season record that still holds as of 2037. Denisov’s 111 steals in 1992 fell one short of the then record also.

Chelyabinsk was terrible throughout the 1980s, but were hopeful Denisov could turn things around. He signed a five-year, $4,400,000 extension after the 1989 campaign. The Cadets ended an 11-year playoff drought in 1990 and earned three straight berths from 1990-92. In 1991, Chelyabinsk won the AL pennant, falling to Minsk in the EPB Championship. They suffered an ALCS loss in 1992 to Irkutsk. In 30 playoff starts, Denisov had a .319/.344/.437 slash, 144 wRC+, and 1.4 WAR.

After a remarkable run of four straight seasons worth 8+ WAR, Denisov struggled in 1994 with a career worst .277 average. He had never hit below .307 in his career to that point. This wasn’t the best showing in a contract year. Chelyabinsk fell back below .500 and decided it was time to move on. The franchise would later honor Denisov by retiring his #16 uniform.

Heading into his age 30 season, he was a free agent for the first time. Denisov signed a four-year, $6,920,000 deal with Kharkiv. While not hitting his peak numbers, Denisov did have two solid seasons to start with the Killer Bees, leading the European League in hits, triples, and stolen bases both years. He also led in runs and batting average in 1996. That year, he earned ELCS MVP honors, although Kharkiv was upset in the series by Minsk. The Killer Bees also had the most wins in 1995, but lost in the ELCS to Warsaw.

Denisov looked merely okay in 1997 and missed 5-6 weeks to a fractured rib. He was relegated to only a part-time role in 1998, but he did have a nice postseason run and helped Kharkiv win the EPB title against Tashkent. In 40 playoff starts for the Killer Bees, Denisov had 47 hits, 24 runs, 12 extra base hits, 17 RBI, 22 stolen bases, a .288/.320/.429 slash, 127 wRC+, and 2.1 WAR.

In total with Kharkiv, Denisov had 603 hits, 294 runs, 78 doubles, 75 triples, a .291/.329/.431 slash, 133 wRC+, and 15.2 WAR. Now 34-years old, Denisov was a free agent again for 1999. He still had a competent bat, but plenty were better out there to fill open DH slots. Denisov’s speed was still good, but he had also lost a step. He was unsigned in 1999 and ultimately retired that winter at age 35.

Denisov ended with 2519 hits, 1129 runs, 408 doubles, 308 triples, 62 home runs, 741 RBI, 976 stolen bases, a .321/.353/.474 slash, 153 wRC+, and 74.0 WAR. At that point, no other EPB Hall of Famer had a batting average above .300 and only one player from the 20^th Century had him beat (Bartlomiej Tarka at .333). Denisov’s .321 would only get passed once by a later inductee.

He was third in triples at retirement and sits eighth as of 2037. Denisov is also 19^th still in stolen bases and was the 18^th player to reach 2500 hits. Those stats plus three MVPs would seem like it would make you a lock, but there were still voters who shunned his lack of home run power and who thought career DHs didn’t belong. Denisov only got 75.5% on his debut, but that was enough to make the all-time great leadoff man a first-ballot selection to round out the 2004 EBF class.

[FuzzyRussianHat]

The 2004 ballot for the Oceania Baseball Association Hall of Fame very nearly was a blank one, but two guys managed to just barely cross the 66% requirement. On his debut, SP/OF David Rotinsulu made it in with 68.7%. Fellow pitcher Allen Weller joined him at 67.2% on his fifth try. RF Eric Williams fell just short with 64.1% for his second ballot. The other guy above 50% was RF Ryan Whatley at 54.5% on his eighth go. No players fell off the ballot after ten failed tries.



David Rotinsulu – Pitcher/Outfield – Fiji Freedom – 68.7% First Ballot

David Rotinsulu was a 6’1’’, 185 pound right-handed pitcher and outfielder from Diwek, Indonesia; a city of around 41,000 in East Java. Rotinsulu was a two-way guy best known for his pitching talents. He had strong movement, good control, and above average stuff. Rotinsulu’s fastball hit the 97-99 mph range and was mixed with a great slider, good splitter, and okay changeup. He had excellent stamina on the mound, leading the league thrice in complete games.

Offensively, Rotinsulu was a decent contact hitter with a decent eye. He had a good pop in his bat though, averaging in a 162 game average 24 doubles, 11 triples, and 22 home runs per year. Rotinsulu had pretty good speed in his younger days, but his timing and baserunning ability were both lousy.

When playing the field, Rotinsulu mostly split his starts between left and center field, although he also had a few stints at first base. He graded out as decent in left, but firmly mediocre elsewhere. Rotinsulu avoided major injuries in his early years, but would start to break down noticeably in his 30s.

Rotinsulu was a rare Indonesian amateur that opted to play in OBA instead of Austronesia Professional Baseball. With regional restrictions in effect in the OBA Draft, he couldn’t be picked until the fourth round. Fiji snagged him right away in the 1984 OBA Draft with the first pick of the fourth round; the 52^nd pick overall. The Freedom only used him for one game in 1985. In 1986, he started much of the year in center field with middling results, while only making four relief appearances.

1987 marked the beginning of Rotinsulu’s two-way career, leading the Pacific League in wins in 1987 (25-12) and posting 6.9 WAR. That earned him a second in Pitcher of the Year voting. He also had 3.0 WAR over 122 games offensively, which was enough to secure MVP honors and a Silver Slugger. Rotinsulu regressed as a pitcher in 1988, but had a career-best 5.1 WAR and 222 wRC+ offensively. Not only did he win a Silver Slugger as a pitcher, but he also won the one for center fielders. This also led to a second place in MVP voting.

Rotinsulu won four more Silver Sluggers as a pitcher (1989-92) giving him seven total in OBA. 1989 and 1990 both saw 8+ WAR seasons on the mound. He was second in Pitcher of the Year voting in 1989 and third in 1990, while also getting second in MVP voting. Rotinsulu brought some excitement to Fiji, who at that point were the only Pacific League team without a single pennant. They hovered around the mid-tier most of his run, never winning more than 85 games.

Rotinsulu was third in 1991 MVP voting and second in 1992 to round out his first OBA run. He had some frustration with the lack of success for Fiji and decided to leave for free agency at age 29 after the 1992 season. The Freedom would still retire his #25 uniform eventually for his efforts with the squad.

Pitching for Fiji, Rotinsulu had a 123-79 record, 2.56 ERA, 1875.2 innings, 1782 strikeouts, 365 walks, 115 ERA+, 83 FIP-, and 39.7 WAR. Offensively, he had 721 hits, 326 runs, 136 doubles, 63 triples, 110 home runs, 333 RBI, a .275/.324/.500 slash, 170 wRC+, and 24.3 WAR. Rotinsulu would leave for Major League Baseball, inking a six-year, $13,840,000 deal with St. Louis.

On the mound, Rotinsulu was firmly below average during three years for the Cardinals. He didn’t see quite as much time in the field as his OBA days, but he had a decent bat and won a Silver Slugger in 1995 as a pitcher. Rotinsulu posted a 4.05 ERA, 37-40 record, 681.2 innings, 410 strikeouts, 85 ERA+, and 5.6 with St. Louis. Offensively, he had 254 games, 177 hits, 91 runs, a .254/.298/.426 slash, 114 wRC+, and 3.6 WAR.

From 1989-94, Rotinsulu also played for his native Indonesia in the World Baseball Championship. He stunk though with a 5.56 ERA over 100.1 innings, 117 strikeouts, and 66 ERA+ on the mound. Offensively he was 7-40 with a .175/.244/.425 slash and 89 wRC+.

The Cardinals were ultimately underwhelmed with the production given the money paid. At the end of spring training 1996, Rotinsulu was cut. He joined Columbus soon after with a 4.21 ERA in 104.2 innings and 111 wRC+ and 0.4 WAR offensively in 56 games. The Chargers cut him in late July, putting an end to Rotinsulu’s brief MLB experiment.

He came back to the Pacific League to finish 1996 with Honolulu and played decently enough. The Honu won the pennant, but lost to Adelaide in the OBA Championship. This was Rotinsulu’s first postseason and he gave up five runs in eight innings in one start while going 2-15 at the plate. He was a free agent again for 1997 and still only 33 years old, but his stock had been diminished significantly from the MVP days.

In a truly baffling move, MLB’s San Diego Seals apparently thought he was still elite. Rotinsulu earned a four-year, $13,920,000 deal in December 1996, but was released before spring training. He briefly had a minor league deal with Dallas that spring, but was dumped again by late April without playing a single MLB game. Rotinsulu came back to OBA with Christchurch.

He saw limited use in the field but had decent batting stats and average pitching stats. In the winter of 1997, MLB’s Dallas gave him another look with a two-year, $7,520,000 deal. Rotinsulu stunk it up in spring training and was cut in late March. This officially ended his flirtations with MLB.

Rotinsulu played 1998 with Adelaide and missed two months to back spasms. He was merely average at best when he did play, but he did earn a championship ring as Adelaide upset Guam in the final. Rotinsulu made two starts in the series with a lousy 4.85 ERA over 13 innings. He decided to retire that winter at age 34.

As a pitcher in OBA, Rotinsulu had a 147-100 record, 2.68 ERA, 2331 innings, 2153 strikeouts, 450 walks, 206/290 quality starts, 128 complete games, 112 ERA+, 87 FIP-, and 45.2 WAR. At the plate, he had 802 hits, 359 runs, 149 doubles, 69 triples, 131 home runs, 392 RBI, a .270/.320/.499 slash, 165 wRC+, and 26.3 WAR. As just a pitcher or batter alone, Rotinsulu definitely wasn’t Hall of Fame worthy. But his combined WAR of 71.5 put him firmly on the borderline.

Rotinsulu was a really unique case that was hard to figure out. He was hurt by only really having around seven good seasons, owing to low accumulations. He was also stuck on forgettable Fiji teams. However, Rotinsulu in his prime was constantly in the MVP conversation. There weren’t any other strong debuts on the 2004 ballot, which may have helped Rotinsulu’s case. He barely made it across the 66% line, but with 68.7%, Rotinsulu earned a first ballot induction in 2004.



Allen Weller – Starting Pitcher – Port Moresby Mud Hens – 67.2% Fifth Ballot

Allen Weller was a 6’7’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Faleula, Samoa; a tiny village of around 2,500 people located 10 kilometers northwest of the capital Apia. Weller threw hard with his tall frame with 97-99 mph peak velocity. His stuff merely graded as good, but he had good movement and solid control. Weller’s great cutter was his best pitch and mixed with a slider and curveball. He was considered a stellar defensive pitcher, winning six Gold Gloves. Weller’s stamina was decent compared to contemporaries, but not outstanding.

While at a baseball camp in Samoa, a teenaged Weller was spotted by a visiting scout from Port Moresby. He signed an amateur deal and made his way to Papua New Guinea in late 1975. Weller officially debuted with two weak relief appearances in 1981 at age 21. He looked decent as a part-time starter in 1982, earning a full-time rotation spot in the next eight years for the Mud Hens.

Weller was never a Pitcher of the Year finalist, but did post four seasons worth 6+ WAR for Port Moresby. He led the league in wins at 22-6 in 1985 and had the most innings in 1986 at 328. Port Moresby won the Oceania Championship in 1985, giving Weller his lone ring. Sadly, a forearm strain suffered in August meant he missed the postseason and ultimately never had a playoff inning in his career.

In May 1987, Weller signed a four-year, $2,598,000 extension with the Mud Hens. Port Moresby began to struggle as the 1980s ended. Weller chugged along, but did lead the Pacific League twice in losses. He would win four straight Gold Gloves for PM from 1987-90. In total with PM, Weller had a 133-137 record, 2.81 ERA, 2574.1 innings, 2416 strikeouts, 103 ERA+, and 44.4 WAR.

Entering the last year of his deal in 1991, Weller was traded by Port Moresby to Melbourne for three prospects. The Mets were excited by Weller and gave him a six-year, $5,700,000 extension before he hit the field. He looked very good in the first two months of 1991, but the 31-year old Weller would be sidelined for seven months with shoulder inflammation.

Weller had very average results in 1992, but did notably toss a no-hitter on May 15 with 11 strikeouts against Sydney. He would win two more Gold Gloves in 1992 and 1993. The 1992 season ended with a fractured elbow, which knocked off some velocity. 1993 was again merely okay and ended with a forearm strain in August.

In his fourth start of 1994, Weller suffered a torn flexor tendon in his elbow. He tried to rehab it, but a setback cost him 14 months total. Weller was under contract for 1995, but was never able to make it back, retiring that winter at age 36. With Melbourne, Weller had a 40-30 record, 2.96 ERA, 667 innings, 586 strikeouts, 106 ERA+, and 11.1 WAR.

Weller finished with a 173-167 record, 2.84 ERA, 3241.1 innings, 3002 strikeouts, 575 walks, 284/406 quality starts, 120 complete games, 104 ERA+, 91 FIP-, and 55.5 WAR. In the minds of many in later years, this was much more a “Hall of Pretty Good” type career. In hindsight, Weller is one of the weaker pitcher inductions without big dominant numbers or awards. It seemed initially that he’d be left out, debuting at 40.7% in 2000.

Weller slowly climbed to 42.1%, then 54.1% and 49.4%. 2004 was a very wide open field and Weller managed to win over just enough voters to cross the finish line. He received 67.2% to secure a fifth ballot induction and a spot in the 2004 Hall of Fame class.

[FuzzyRussianHat]

Austronesia Professional Baseball added pitcher Hadi Ningsih into the Hall of Fame as the lone 2004 inductee, earning a slam dunk first-ballot nod at 98.5%. Closer Hong Quinonez barely missed the 66% requirement with 64.3% on his eighth try. Another reliever, Wen-Yang Kuo, had 59.5% in his debut. SP Jung-Hua Liu was the only other player above 50%, getting 54.3% on his sixth try. No player was dropped after ten failed ballots.



Hadi Ningsih – Starting Pitcher – Jakarta Jaguars - 98.5% First Ballot

Hadi Ningsih was a 6’4’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Bandung, Indonesia; the country’s second-largest city. In his prime, Ningsih had outstanding pinpoint control, great movement, and strong stuff. He thrived despite having 93-95 mph peak velocity on his fastball. Ningsih was a master at changing speeds and fooling you with his curveball and changeup. He had weak stamina relative to most other elite starters in APB. Ningsih was great at holding runners and between that and his control, he was terrific at stranding baserunners.

Ningsih was considered very durable and managed to go most of his career without significant injury. Even with relatively few complete games compared to other APB aces, he still reliably gave you 200+ innings in all of his full-time seasons as a starter. Ningsih was a hard worker, but some thought he could be thick-headed. He ended up being a beloved franchise icon in Jakarta and one of Indonesia’s favorite baseball sons.

Ningsih signed as a teenage amateur in late 1973 with the Jaguars, where he’d spend his entire professional career. Despite his outstanding final resume, Ningsih wasn’t an overnight success. He didn’t debut until 1979 at age 22 and even then, he was unremarkable. In his earliest days, Ningsih’s control and stuff were considered just okay, although most agreed the potential was there. Between that and his below average stamina, Ningsih would be a bullpen piece for the first five years of his career.

Ningsih saw very little use in 1979 and 1980, but became a more regular part of the middle relief from 1981-83. He looked good in the small sample size, but some thought this would be his peak. Jakarta would start to contend in the early 1980s, winning the Sundaland Association pennant in 1982. They made the playoffs again in 1983, but were ousted in the Association final by Medan.

In 1984, Jakarta finally decided to move the now 27-year old Ningsih into the rotation full-time. He delivered immediately with a 9.1 WAR season, 371 strikeouts, and a SA-best 19 wins. This season also saw a no-hitter on August 12 with 13 strikeouts against Surabaya. The Jaguars narrowly missed the playoffs, but they had an ace on their hands.

From 1985-88, Ningsih led each season in WAR with 10+. He led in ERA twice, strikeouts twice, WHIP twice, K/BB thrice, FIP- four times, and quality starts once. 1987 was a banner year with career bests in wins (24-5), ERA (0.94), strikeouts (408), WHIP (0.61), and WAR (14.1). The ERA mark at that point was the second-lowest in APB history by a qualifying starter and still ranks sixth as of 2037. At the time, it was also the sixth-best WAR every by a pitcher in a season. 1987 also had a perfect game on April 5 with 12 strikeouts against Palembang. That earned Ningsih his first Pitcher of the Year and also MVP honors.

As remarkable as that stretch was, Ningsih was second in POTY voting in 1985, 1986, and wasn’t a finalist in 1988. It helped kick off a mini-dynasty for Jakarta, who had four playoff berths in five years. They won the Austronesia Championship in 1985 and lost the final in 1986, both to Manila. The Jaguars had 100+ wins in 1987 and 1989, but both times were upset by Medan in the SAC.

Jakarta wisely gave Ningsih a five-year, $5,760,000 extension before the 1987 season, then another three-year, $3,900,000 extension after the 1992 campaign. His game aged incredibly well as his control only got better. From age 32 to 39, he led thrice more in ERA, twice in wins, thrice in WHIP, four times in K/BB, four times in FIP, and once in WAR. Ningsih also had seven seasons worth 8+ WAR.

Jakarta missed the playoffs in 1990 and 1991, but won back-to-back APB titles in 1992 and 1993. In his playoff career, Ningsih had a 1.72 ERA over 120.1 innings, 6-5 record, 181 strikeouts, 140 ERA+, 34 FIP-, and 6.2 WAR. His 1992 postseason was especially impressive, allowing one run in 27.2 innings with 45 strikeouts.

Ningsih also started pitching for Indonesia in the World Baseball Championship in 1986, becoming a beloved national star. From 1986-97, he had 234.1 innings with a 20-7 record, 2.77 ERA, 278 strikeouts, 45 walks, 133 ERA+, and 7.4 WAR. As of 2037, he’s tied for the most wins by an Indonesian pitcher in the WBC and sits second in innings pitched, second in WAR, and fourth in strikeouts.

Ningsih won his second Pitcher of the Year in 1989 and his third in 1992. 1992 also saw his lone Silver Slugger with a .300/.300/.329 slash that year. He was second in 1991 voting, second in 1993, third in 1994, and second in 1996. At 39 years old in 1996, Ningsih had an incredible 0.98 ERA and 10.6 WAR. He became the first starting pitcher in any world league to have multiple qualifying seasons with a sub-one ERA. As of 2037, only one other would join him in that club.

Ningsih had signed another two-year extension after the 1995 season worth $4,240,000 and another two years for $5,520,000 after the 1996 campaign. Jakarta had remained above .500 for four seasons after their 1992-93 titles, but finally fell into mediocrity with the 1998 campaign. After his stellar 1996, Ningsih had a merely good 1997. Every year as a starter he had struck out 298 or more batters, but he only got 199 that year.

1998 would be the swan song for Ningsih. He would catch and pass Dave Hermillo’s 269 wins to become the all-time APB leader. Ningsih also became the third member of the 5000 strikeout club. However, he was only a part-time starter in this season as his stuff had diminished notably. Ningsih retired that winter at age 41 and immediately his #36 uniform was retired as a beloved franchise icon.

The career stats for Ningsih: 277-133 record, 1.57 ERA, 3929 innings, 5021 strikeouts, 409 walks, a 12.3 K/BB, 0.77 WHIP, 401/454 quality starts, 160 ERA+, 49 FIP-, and 144.5 WAR. Ningsih had the best ERA of any Hall of Fame starter when inducted and would only get bested once in the next 30 years.

Ningsih was the WARlord (144.5) and wins leader (277) for pitchers at retirement. As of 2037, only Ching-Chen Yao has bested him in WAR and only Gosner Rahmawati beat him for wins. He’s sixth in strikeouts and is the only pitcher in any world league to have 5000+ career strikeouts and also fewer than 450 walks. Ningsih is certainly in the conversation for APB’s pitching Mount Rushmore. He certainly deserved to stand alone in the 2004 Hall of Fame class at 98.5%.

[FuzzyRussianHat]

The 2004 Chinese League Baseball Hall of Fame ballot came very close to being a blank one. The top debut was only at 32.9%, leaving only a few returners with any real chance. Two managed to just cross the 66% requirement to earn induction. Relievers Junwei Zhu on his seventh try received 68.0% and Zhiming Cao got 66.2% in his second try. RF Zhengyu Peng came painfully close at 65.6% on his eighth go, the closest he’s gotten. Also above 50% were SP Baoxian He at 56.7% for his seventh ballot and SP Pengju Xue at 51.3% for his eighth try.



SP Huikang Yue fell off after ten ballots, peaking at 30.1% on his debut and ending at 15.1%. He was hurt by leaving for MLB after only eight years in China with Foshan. Yue was 1982 Rookie of the Year and posted a 118-78 record, 2.03 ERA, 1990 innings, 2235 strikeouts, 126 ERA+, and 49.6 WAR. He simply didn’t have the tenure needed to make it across the line.

Another pitcher, Yang He, was removed after ten ballots. He debuted at 27.6% and ended at 5.9%. The 1985 Pitcher of the Year pitched 11 years, although the final four were in EPB. In China with Chongqing and Shenzhen, He had a 131-92 record, 2.22 ERA, 2006.1 innings, 2380 strikeouts, 116 ERA+, and 49.8 WAR. Another guy with a good short run, but lacked the longevity to earn a spot.



Junwei Zhu – Relief Pitcher – Tianjin Jackrabbits – 68.0% Seventh Ballot

Junwei Zhu was a 6’2’’, 200 pound left-handed reliever from Wuhan, the ninth most populous city in China. Zhu had fantastic stuff with a stellar 97-99 mph fastball and a great screwball. His movement was often lousy though and his control was subpar. However, Zhu’s 10/10 stuff often covered for his flaws with raw power. He had strong stamina and durability for a relief pitcher. Zhu was criticized by some teammates though as a selfish mercenary type and didn’t tend to make many friends.

Zhu was signed as a teenage amateur in September 1977 by Shenzhen. He was never called up to the Spartans squad though, as he was part of a July 1979 trade. Zhu and 2B Dalton Tay were sent to Tianjin for veteran LF Jun Zong on $306,000. The Jackrabbits kept Zhu in the developmental system until officially debuting him at age 23 in 1982. He only saw 5.2 innings that season, albeit scoreless ones.

Zhu made 24 appearances in 1983 and again looked great in his very limited action. In 1984, Tianjin moved him to the close role, which he’d thrive in for six seasons. Zhu won five Reliever of the Year awards (1984, 85, 87, 88, 89) and took second in 1986.

He led each year from 1984-87 in saves and had five straight seasons with 40+ saves. Zhu’s career best in saves was 49 in both 1984 and 1985. 1984 also had a career-best 1.00 ERA. 1987 was his best by WAR (6.1) and 1988 was his finest for strikeouts (189). 1984 also saw a 43 inning, 37 game scoreless streak from June 12 to September 8. Zhu’s best saves streak was 30 from August 30, 1985 to June 28, 1986.

Zhu was Tianjin’s closer during their dynasty run and battles for supremacy against Beijing. The Jackrabbits had six straight playoff berths from 1983-88 and made it to the China Series in 1983, 84, 86, and 88. Tianjin won it all in 1983, 86, and 88, while taking runner-up in 1984. In 30 playoff innings, Zhu had 10 saves, a 2.40 ERA, 45 strikeouts, 9 walks, and a 105 ERA+. His playoff stats were rather pedestrian compared to his regular season success, but he’s got the rings regardless.

Tianjin fell to the mid-tier in 1990 and Zhu’s use dwindled. He was only a part-time closer in 1990 and then middle relief in 1991, looking merely decent. The Jackrabbits opted not to re-sign him, making Zhu a free agent entering the 1992 season at age 33. Tianjin would thank him for his role in the dynasty by later retiring his #22 uniform.

Zhu’s career in China ended as he ended up moving to Ukraine, signing a three-year, $2,680,000 deal with EPB’s Kyiv Kings. He saw only 47 innings over two years there with a mere 3.06 ERA and 92 ERA+. Zhu wasn’t used in the playoffs, but he did earn an EPB Championship ring in 1992 with Kyiv. He was still on roster in 1994 and healthy, but the Kings didn’t use him at all.

A free agent again at age 36, Zhu signed for $830,000 with Russia’s Novosibirsk Nitros. He saw a bit more use with a 1.53 ERA in 58.2 innings, 14 saves, and 2.3 WAR; showing he could still contribute. That was it for his EPB run, but he did well enough to catch the eye of someone in Scotland. Zhu signed a two-year, $3,280,000 deal with EBF’s Glasgow Highlanders.

Zhu struggled in his limited use with a 5.34 ERA over 28.2 innings. An elbow strain in late May cost him three months and he was let go in the offseason. Lisbon gave Zhu a shot in 1997, but he only saw six mediocre innings all season. He retired that winter at age 38.

For his Tianjin and CLB career, Zhu had 295 saves and 374 shutdowns, a 1.52 ERA, 781.1 innings, 1225 strikeouts, 175 walks, 168 ERA+, 48 FIP-, and 30.9 WAR. As of 2037, he’s one of only three pitchers in CLB history to have won Reliever of the Year five times or more. Zhu was THE guy for a good six year stretch that also happened to coincide with Tianjin’s dynasty run.

However, that stretch was all Zhu had. His rate stats fit, but he had the lowest innings and WAR of any CLB Hall of Fame reliever. Zhu had already started to decline towards the end of the Tianjin run and many voters felt he simply didn’t have the tenure to be deserving, even if he briefly burned brightly.

Zhu stayed remarkably static on his first six ballots as each year was between 59.0% to 61.8%. Skeptical voters weren’t budging, but Zhu had an opportunity when there were zero notable debuts in the 2004 class. That weak group earned him just enough extra attention to cross the 66% requirement at 68.0%, receiving a seventh-ballot induction with CLB’s 2004 class.



Zhiming Cao – Relief Pitcher – Hangzhou Hens – 66.2% Third Ballot

Zhiming Cao was a 5’10’’, 180 pound left-handed relief pitcher from Guangzhou in southern China. Cao had a remarkable one-two punch of a 97-99 mph fastball and filthy slider with his stuff grading out as 13/10 in his prime. Cao had solid movement as well, but his crappy control could get him into trouble. He was a smart and adaptable pitcher who knew how to get out of most jams.

Cao was picked in the third round of the 1987 CLB Draft with the 66^th overall pick by Hangzhou. He was immediately thrown into the closer role as a rookie and had a very good debut, taking third in Reliever of the Year voting. His second season did see a setback with a fractured elbow knocking him out four months. Cao bounced back well and held down the closer role for the next six seasons for the Hens.

Cao joined his Hall of Fame classmate Junwei Zhu as one of three CLB pitchers to win Reliever of the Year five times. Cao took it in 1990, 92, 93, 94, and 95, while finishing second in 1991. 1995 also saw a third place finish in Pitcher of the Year voting with an impressive 7.2 WAR and 0.84 ERA. Cao only led in saves once (41 in 1993), but he had five seasons worth 5+ WAR; not an easy feat for a reliever.

Hangzhou was generally stuck in the middle of the standings during Cao’s tenure. However, the Hens surprised many in 1990 when they broke a nine-year playoff drought. They upset 115-win Macau and 106-win Dalian to take the China Series. Cao did his job perfectly with 7.1 scoreless and hitless innings, three saves, and 15 strikeouts. His role there was a big reason his #5 uniform was eventually retired by Hangzhou.

Cao also pitched for China from 1988-99 in the World Baseball Championship. He had 27 appearances and five starts with a 2.28 ERA over 67 innings, 140 strikeouts, 33 walks, 158 ERA+, and 2.6 WAR. Cao earned world title rings with China in 1993 and 1994. In 1995, Cao received WBC Best Pitcher honors with a 0.56 ERA and 34 strikeouts over 16 innings.

Cao looked a bit pedestrian in 1996 for Hangzhou, who would bottom out that year with only 68 wins. They were in selling mode and weren’t planning to keep Cao around anyway as his contract was coming due. The Hens traded Cao and $10,130,000 to get three prospects from Nanjing. The Nuggets were in a playoff push, trying to end a six-year drought.

Cao finished the year very strongly for Nanjing, taking second in Reliever of the Year voting. They earned that playoff spot and ended up winning their first-ever CLB title over Harbin. Cao again was an absolute beast in the postseason, tossing 12 scoreless innings. He struck out 30 with five saves, five hits, and four walks allowed. This put his stock at a high level heading into free agency at age 32.

Cao’s Chinese League career came to close with this as he received international suitors. He ended up in MLB and Canada with a three-year, $8,280,000 deal with Toronto. Cao wasn’t able to overpower the MLB hitters though like he did the CLB ones. He looked very unremarkable in middle relief in 1997. After two poor games to start 1998, the Timberwolves cut Cao. Nine days later, he found a new home in Houston.

Cao wasn’t much better with the Hornets in 15.2 innings. They traded him to New York along with $17,600,000 to get three prospects. The Yankees gave him closing opportunities and he got 16 saves. However, he also had a 4.97 ERA. There were still other MLB teams willing to give him a shot to fill out the back of the bullpen though, as he signed for 1999 with Phoenix.

The Firebirds traded Cao to Seattle in July as he had only 18.2 innings the whole season with a 4.34 ERA. Chicago grabbed Cao in 2000 and he saw some sustained use with decent results, posting a 2.86 ERA in 50.1 innings. Ottawa signed him to a minor league deal in 2001. He got rocked in only two Major League appearances with the Elks, getting cut in early July.

Cincinnati gave Cao a minor league deal two weeks later, but he never made an appearance for the Reds. Shoulder inflammation popped up and required surgery, knocking him out eight months. Cao retired that winter at age 37. His MLB stints saw 20 saves and a 4.08 ERA over 176.2 innings, 209 strikeouts, a 85 ERA+, and 3.1 WAR.

In China though, Cao had 301 saves and 376 shutdowns, a 1.30 ERA, 726.2 innings, 1351 strikeouts, 188 walks, 201 ERA+, 25 FIP-, and 42.0 WAR. The rate stats were excellent and having five ROTYs and two rings with scoreless postseasons all worked in his favor. However, there were still the voters that were generally harsh on relievers and/or wanted far more accumulations and innings to give you the nod.

Because of that, Cao debuted on the 2002 ballot with 52.3%. He dropped slightly in 2003 to 48.8%. 2004 came up and had no strong front runners, which made Cao’s resume pop a bit more. Many of the voters who gave Junwei Zhu the thumbs up realized that Cao was as good or better, and that if one was deserving, both had to be. Cao crossed the line at 66.2% to earn a third ballot addition in the 2004 CLB Hall of Fame class.

[FuzzyRussianHat]

After back-to-back years with no inductees, West Africa Baseball added two into the Hall of Fame in 2004. SP Xavi Leko was a strong first-ballot addition with 92.8%. Fellow pitcher Elodie Belem finally got the call in his seventh try, just barely scraping by at 66.2%. No other players were above 50%.



Dropped after ten ballots was SP Habib Ndiaye. He was hurt by only having an eight-year WAB career with Niamey, having left for MLB after that. With the Atomics, he had a 122-76 record, 2.96 ERA, 1911.1 innings, 2094 strikeouts, 124 ERA+, and 52.6 WAR, along with a championship ring in 1987. Ndiaye led in WAR twice as well, but never won the top award. The lack of longevity and accumulations hurt him most, as he peaked with a debut of 28.4% and fell to 10.6% by the end.

1B/DH Mohamed Sadik David also well off the ballot after ten tries. He won three Silver Sluggers in 12 years in WAB, then left for the Arab League for his final four seasons. In WAB with Accra and Benin City, David had 1393 hits, 788 runs, 288 doubles, 393 home runs, 895 RBI, a .252/.313/.523 slash, 139 wRC+, and 34.7 WAR.

David did lead the league in home runs four times, including 62 in 1980 which remained tied for the single-season record until 2003. A lack of longevity also hurt him, as did the penalty of playing DH for much of his run. David debuted at 25.1%, but ended up dropping to 8.9% by the end.



Xavi Leko – Starting Pitcher – Benin City Blue Devils – 92.8% First Ballot

Xavi Leko was a 5’10’’, 180 pound left-handed pitcher from Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Leko had outstanding stuff with good control. His velocity peaked in the 97-99 mph range with an incredible slider, strong changeup, and good cutter. Despite the terrific stuff, his movement graded poorly and he struggled with allowing home runs. Leko had excellent stamina, leading the league in innings pitched twice and complete games four times.

When Leko was growing up, the baseball scene in his native Kinshasa was very underdeveloped. The only major league in Africa was West Africa Baseball, but there were WAB scouts watching elsewhere in the continent. One of them spotted Leko and brought him to Nigeria, signing him in March 1979 to a deal with Benin City. The Blue Devils had Leko in their developmental system four years, then debuted him in 1983 at age 20 as a part-time starter. With promising results, Leko earned a full-time starting role for the next seven years for Benin City.

Leko’s great stuff led to remarkable strikeout numbers. He led the Eastern League in strikeouts four straight years from 1984-87 and again in 1990. Leko’s 401 Ks in 1990 is one of only six seasons in WAB history of 400+ strikeouts. Leko also led in wins twice, innings once, complete games thrice, and shutouts five times with the Blue Devils.

Despite that, Leko didn’t win Pitcher of the Year, taking second in 1987 and 1990. His troubles with allowing home runs hurt him, as did Benin City’s general lack of success. The Blue Devils never made the playoffs in his run and only once finished with a winning season. The team did give Leko a four-year, $1,596,000 extension in April 1987. Benin City would also eventually retire Leko’s #4 uniform for his contributions.

In eight seasons for the Blue Devils, Leko had a 116-92 record, 2.91 ERA, 1869.1 innings, 2723 strikeouts, 414 walks, 149/240 quality starts, 80 complete games, 125 ERA+, and 47.5 WAR. After a strong 1990 from Leko, Benin City decided to sell high. They traded him and SP Mokili Ako to Lome for 1B Nyaya Issah and SP Junior Ijeh.

Lome had just taken runner-up in the ELCS the prior two years and hoped Leko could help them get over the hump. Before he debuted for Lome, they signed Leko to a seven-year, $7,300,000 contract extension. Despite his efforts, the Lasers would be stuck mostly in the middle of the standings. Sadly, Leko would never pitch in the postseason for his entire career. He would get four berths in the World Baseball Championship for the DR Congo from 1955-98, posting a 4.37 ERA in 45.1 innings with 56 strikeouts.

Leko looked good in his debut with the Lasers, but did miss seven weeks to biceps tendinitis. This would be a recurring injury that also cost him time in 1993 and 1998. Leko’s issues with allowing homers really plagued him with Lome, as he’d allow the most in the league thrice. He still had strikeout success, leading the league in Ks twice more for seven strikeout titles in his career.

In 1995, Leko became the second to 4000 career strikeouts. He would pass Addise Assefa as the all-time leader and become the only WAB pitcher to reach 5000+. His overall success began to wane in the later years and Leko retired after the 1998 campaign at age 35. With Lome, Leko had an 80-96 record, 3.47 ERA, 1726.2 innings, 2309 strikeouts, 339 walks, 109 ERA+, and 20.0 WAR.

Leko finished with a 196-188 record, 3.18 ERA, 3596 innings, 5032 strikeouts, 753 walks, 274/460 quality starts, 144 complete games, 30 shutouts, 117 ERA+, 88 FIP-, and 67.5 WAR. He’s the strikeout king by a large margin and also WAB’s all-time leader in complete games. Leko also had allowed the most home runs of any pitcher, although he would get passed later.

Leko’s ERA and win percentage are weaker than many later WAB Hall of Famers. As of 2037, he’s 13^th in wins and 13^th in WAR. His flaws did keep him from winning Pitcher of the Year, but being the undisputed strikeout king will make you a lock. Leko got 92.8% to headline WAB’s 2004 Hall of Fame class.



Elodie Belem – Starting Pitcher – Cotonou Copperheads – 66.2% Seventh Ballot

Elodie Belem was a 6’2’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso. Belem had excellent control, very good movement, and respectable stuff. His fastball was solid despite only peaking in the 93-95 mph range, expertly mixed with a good curveball and splitter. Belem had excellent stamina among WAB pitchers, leading four times in innings pitched.

He had good defense and was considered good at holding runners as well. Belem had excellent stamina and almost never missed a start prior to his career-ending injury. Belem was a fan favorite who had great adaptability and a strong work ethic. He became one of the most well-known and popular pitchers in the early days of African baseball.

Coming out of high school, Belem was getting attention from scouts. In the 1981 WAB Draft, Belem was picked 13^th overall by Port Harcourt. He decided to begin his amateur career instead and didn’t sign with the Hillcats. Belem’s stock went up in the next two years and he was picked second overall by Cotonou in the 1983 Draft. Belem’s entire WAB career would come with the Copperheads, who made him a full-time starter immediately.

Belem took third in Rookie of the Year voting and led the league in innings as a rookie. He was a reliable arm with eight straight seasons worth 5+ WAR for the Copperheads. Belem wasn’t a league leader though generally outside of eating innings. He did lead in wins at 22-12 in 1989, earning second in Pitcher of the Year voting. That was Belem’s only time as a finalist.

Cotonou earned a playoff spot in 1987, falling in the Eastern League Championship Series to Niamey. Belem had a 2.41 ERA over 18.2 playoff innings with 13 strikeouts. After that effort, Cotonou gave Belem a five-year, $2,764,000 extension. This would be his only time in the playoffs, as the Copperheads were generally just above .500, but not strong enough to advance.

Belem would be popular back home in Burkina Faso as the ace for the country in the World Baseball Championship. From 1982-95, he had a 11-9 record over 211.1 innings, 2.77 ERA, 202 strikeouts, 65 walks, 131 ERA+, and 3.8 WAR. In 1989, Belem was third in Best Pitcher Voting as he tossed 17.2 scoreless innings with 19 strikeouts. In 1995, Belem also tossed a no-hitter with 14 strikeouts and one walk against Egypt.

Belem was coming up on his age 32 season when his Cotonou contract expired after the 1992 season. He decided to leave Benin and Africa altogether as he had big money offers elsewhere. His #1 uniform would be later retired by the Copperheads for his nine-year tenure with the squad. Belem would be MLB bound, inking a six-year, $13,920,000 contract with the Washington Admirals.

Belem ultimately pitched three seasons for Washington. While not elite, he was quite solid and respectable for a then-struggling Admirals squad. Belem had a 40-43 record, 2.99 ERA, 704.2 innings, 396 strikeouts, 122 walks, 115 ERA+, and 14.5 WAR.

Belem’s career met a tragically early end. After having great durability most of his run, he suffered a torn rotator cuff in August 1995. Doctors said he’d miss six months, giving Belem hope that he’d be back in 1996. However, a setback required surgery and added another 15 months to that time. Thus, he retired in winter 1996 at age 36.

With Cotonou and in WAB, Belem had a 149-120 record, 2.98 ERA, 2377.1 innings, 2451 strikeouts, 356 walks, 198/292 quality starts, 112 complete games, 122 ERA+, and 55.4 WAR. That was a good nine-year run and his rate stats weren’t out of place among all-time aces. However, Belem lacked the longevity and accumulations many voters wanted. Plus, he didn’t have a Pitcher of the Year to his name or any sustained playoff success.

As such, Belem was stuck in the “Hall of Pretty Good” mindset with many voters. He debuted in 1998 at 42.7%, but slowly grew into the 50s from 2000-2002. In 2003, Belem was painfully short at 65.8% on his sixth ballot. Some wondered if that would be as close as he’d get. He won over one or two voters in 2004 to cross the 66% line at 66.2%. Belem got a seventh-ballot addition as the second member of the 2004 WAB Hall of Fame Class.

[FuzzyRussianHat]

Two players were added in 2004 to the South Asia Baseball Hall of Fame. On his third try, reliever Harini Shreenath led the way at 79.0%. SP Saddam Khan earned a first-ballot addition, albeit barely at 67.6%. The only other player above 50% was LF Indirjeet Dayada at 55.9% for his fourth try.



Dropped after ten tries was SP Ratanpreet Nagpal, who had a ten-year run with three teams. He had a 136-96 record, 3.42 ERA, 2187 innings, 2139 strikeouts, 107 ERA+, and 31.4 WAR. It was a nice career, but certainly lacking both the longevity and dominance needed to get the nod. Nagpal debuted at 13.3% but only went down from there, ending at 4.9%.



Harini Shreenath – Relief Pitcher – Kolkata Cosmos – 79.0% Third Ballot

Harini Shreenath was a 5’11’’, 195 pound right-handed relief pitcher from Balangir; a district with around 1,700,000 people in southeastern India. Shreenath had incredible movement on his pitches with good stuff and respectable control. He had a 96-98 mph sinker with a remarkable drop that he countered with a knuckle curve.

Shreenath had good stamina and was an excellent defensive pitcher. Shreenath was also unique in being a relief pitcher that was a decent batter. He was never used in a two-way role, but he had a .200/.273/.367 career slash. He was a hard worker, but some thought he was a bit of a doofus.

Shreenath was picked early in the second round of the 1982 SAB Draft, chosen 31^st overall by Kolkata. He debuted in middle relief in 1983, but earned the closer role in his second season. He held that spot for six years with the Cosmos and led the Indian League in saves three times. Shreenath won three Reliever of the Year awards (1985, 88, 89). He also took second in 1986 and third in 1987.

In 1989, Shreenath set the SAB single-season record with 52 saves. This remains the all-time mark and would only get matched once in 2001. Arguably, Shreenath’s best year was the year prior with career highs in ERA (0.84), strikeouts (134), and WAR (4.3). Kolkata made the ILCS in 1989, but fell to the Ahmedabad dynasty. That was Shreenath’s only playoff appearances with the Cosmos, allowing two runs in 7.1 innings.

With Kolkata, Shreenath had 247 saves and 277 shutdowns, a 1.69 ERA, 602 innings, 742 strikeouts, 175 walks, 202 ERA+, and 19.7 WAR. Shreenath also pitched for India in the World Baseball Championship from 1985-97. In 35 innings, he had a 4.37 ERA, 47 strikeouts, 22 walks, 84 ERA+, and 0.5 WAR.

After the 1989 season, Shreenath entered free agency for the first time at age 28. Many of the teams in the early days had financial issues and couldn’t add big free agents like the dynasties of Ahmedabad and Ho Chi Minh City. Thus, Shreenath was unsigned for 1990 and enjoyed a brief sabbatical. He wanted to get back in the game and the Animals added him for one year in 1991.

Shreenath led the Indian League in saves that year and earned a championship ring with the Animals; their third straight. He was a free agent again and didn’t play in 1992, but Ahmedabad brought him back for 1993. Shreenath was third in Reliever of the Year that season, but the Animals five-peat bid was thwarted by Kanpur. He had a 2.41 ERA, 69 saves, and 214 strikeouts in 145.2 innings with the Animals and 5.4 WAR.

Shreenath again sat out for a season, missing the 1994 campaign. Ho Chi Minh City signed him to a two-year, $1,380,000 deal. He saw limited use with the Hedgehogs in those two years with five saves, a 2.00 ERA in 67.2 innings, 77 strikeouts, and 1.0 WAR. Shreenath was a free agent again in 1997 and retired that winter at age 36.

Shreenath ended with 321 saves and 367 shutdowns, a 1.84 ERA, 815.1 innings, 1033 strikeouts, 229 walks, 183 ERA+, 63 FIP-, and 26.1 WAR. His ERA was the best of any SAB Hall of Famer, although his innings, WAR and strikeouts are the lowest. He was the first reliever to 300 career saves. Three Reliever of the Year Awards was an impressive accomplishment as well.

However, the lower accumulations hurt him with some voters. Some felt any reliever to earn the honor needed more innings, Ks, and saves. Shreenath missed the cut in his first two ballots with a debut at 64.1% and second ballot at 60.8%. On his third try, Shreenath received a big boost up to 79.0% to become the first closer added into the South Asia Baseball Hall of Fame.



Saddam Khan – Starting Pitcher – Visakhapatnam Volts – 67.6% First Ballot

Saddam Khan was a 5’11’’, 185 pound right-handed pitcher from Nagaluru, a city of roughly 620,000 on India’s southwestern coast. Khan was known for having great movement on his pitches with solid stuff and average control. Khan had a 96-98 mph fastball along with a great slider, good curveball, good splitter, and rare changeup. His stamina was on the lower end among SAB aces. Khan was incredibly scrappy, known for his sparkplug work ethic and adaptability.

Khan was a highly touted prospect and was picked eighth overall in the 1985 SAB Draft by Visakhapatnam. He was a full-time starter immediately and pulled off the incredibly rare feat of winning Pitcher of the Year as a rookie. He had a remarkable 1.44 ERA, which was the SAB single-season record for a starter until 2009. As of 2037, this is still the second-lowest in SAB history. Despite this effort, he was actually second in 1986 Rookie of the Year voting to Kanpur RF Kyu-Jin Jeong, who did get 7.0 WAR and a 196 wRC+.

Khan never had a year that amazing again and wasn’t ever a POTY finalist again. He would lead in quality starts twice and K/BB once, but otherwise wasn’t a league leader either. All six of his seasons with the Volts were above 5+ WAR.

Visakhapatnam had four division titles in Khan’s run, although the Ahmedabad dynasty was in place by that point to deny that. The Volts made the Indian League Championship Series in both 1990 and 1991, but fell both times to the Animals. Khan had a 2.27 ERA over 47.2 playoff innings with Visakhapatnam, striking out 51 with a 143 ERA+.

Khan entered free agency after the 1991 season. Coming up on his age 29 season, Khan joined up with Ho Chi Minh City on a six-year, $5,520,000 deal. His first season with the Hedgehogs was pretty good, but he was closer to average after that with diminished innings due to his weaker stamina and small injuries. HCMC continued their Southeast Asia League dominance, winning four pennants during Khan’s run. In 1997, after going 0-6 in their previous SAB Championships, the Hedgehogs finally won it all.

By that point, Khan had been moved to a relief role, taken out of the rotation full-time in 1996. His playoff stats were mixed with Ho Chi Minh City, posting a 3.88 ERA over 53.1 innings, 48 strikeouts, and 92 ERA+. With HCMC he had a 67-33 record, 3.19 ERA, 896 innings, 931 strikeouts, 112 ERA+, and 16.0 WAR.

Soon to be 35 years old, Khan was a free agent for the second time. He went to the other side of the dynasty rivalry with Ahmedabad, tossing 70.1 innings with a 2.56 ERA. He tossed 1.2 scoreless playoff innings and earned his second ring as the Animals took the 1998 title against HCMC. Khan retired that winter at age 35.

Khan finished with a 162-88 record, 2.67 ERA, 2312 innings, 2527 strikeouts, 584 walks, 222/297 quality starts, 28 complete games, 127 ERA+, and 50.8 WAR. He had an odd career considering his record-setting rookie year. Khan wasn’t dominant beyond that and had a relatively short prime. He didn’t stick around too long, leading to low accumulations compared to later Hall of Famers.

Khan’s rate stats were good and he was generally a popular player. With SAB’s Hall of Fame still quite young, it was hard to figure out the bar for induction. Khan debuted in 2004 at 67.6%, which just crossed the line for a first ballot induction.

[FuzzyRussianHat]

The Asian Baseball Federation had inducted its first Hall of Famers in 2003. No one joined them in 2004, although LF Hakim Baig came very close to the 66% requirement with 62.5% on his third try. Also above 50% was 1B Hazah Sheikh at 52.1% with his third ballot. The best debut was reliever Nosrat Maghami at a mere 20.8%.

The first player to make ten ballots and miss the cut for ABF was SP Zeyad Noori. He had only five official years with Tehan, but thrived with an 85-65 record, 2.39 ERA, 1411.2 innings, 1594 strikeouts, 132 ERA+, and 47.6 WAR. Noori was Pitcher of the Year in 1989 and if he wasn’t 29 when ABF started, he might have had a chance to get the needed accumulations. Five years wasn’t enough for the majority of voters, although Noori did debut at 26.1%. He ended at 15.4%.



Arab League Baseball’s Hall of Fame still remained empty after 2004 voting. SP Abdullah Al-Muhafazat again was above 50% with 50.5% for his second try. He was slightly down from 52.0% the prior year and is still the only player that has gotten above 50%. Also above 1/3s of the vote was CL Paul Arfaoui (38.4%, 5^th ballot) and CL Ahmed Mohamed Abdallah (33.8%, 2^nd ballot). The best debut was also a reliever with Adlene Sami getting only 20.5%. 2005 would finally see the ALB enshrine its first Hall of Famer.