Baseball: The World's Game

[FuzzyRussianHat]

Eurasian Professional Baseball had an impressive four-player Hall of Fame class for 2001 with each player earning a first ballot induction. All four guys were starting pitchers as well. Jaylan Harrell led the way at 98.2%, closely trailed by Pavel Bely at 94.3%. Nikolai Nikiforovich had a solid 81.0%, while Vasif Agharahimov narrowly crossed the 66% requirement at 68.2%. The only other player above 50% was another pitcher in Maxim Aivazyan, who got 59.2% on his sixth try. No players fell off the ballot after ten tries in 2001.



Jaylan Harrell – Starting Pitcher – Minsk Miners – 98.2% First Ballot

Jaylan Harrell was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Harrell was a fireballer with a fastball that regularly hit the 100+ mph mark. He had great stuff and developed excellent control with good movement. Harrell had a fastball, slider, changeup arsenal. His stamina was decent, but his great durability meant he regularly got you plenty of innings. Harrell was also a solid defensive pitcher. He was a fan favorite with a strong work ethic, ultimately becoming a beloved part of Minsk’s 1980s and early 1990s success.

Harrell took a strange career path to end up a star in Belarus. He grew up in Philadelphia and played college baseball at the University of Michigan. Harrell was unremarkable with a 4.75 ERA over 134.2 innings with a 2-12 record, 112 strikeouts, 84 walks, and a 75 ERA+. His velocity was good, but his control was terrible at this point, leading most scouts to dismiss him as a prospect. After his senior year with the Wolverines, Harrell was picked late in the 7^th round of the MLB Draft by Tampa; the 329^th overall pick.

Harrell was unimpressive in spring training and the Thunderbirds cut him. It looked like the dream may be over before it even got started. Harrell spammed his information to any and every pro baseball team he could find, hoping someone would give him a chance. A scout from Minsk managed to notice Harrell’s velocity and thought that if they could fix his control, that he could excel. The logistics of an American going to the Soviet Union were complicated, but Harrell defected to chase his baseball dream, joining Minsk on a one-year deal in May 1979.

He spent that year in development and debuted in 1980. His control was still poor, but his stuff was still good enough to show flashes as a part-time starter. That winter, Harrell finally put it all together and fixed his mechanical issues. He went from a guy graded 3/10 in control to one that was an 8/10. The better control meant better, faster stuff too. All of a sudden, Harrell had blossomed into a stud.

In his second season with Minsk, he led the European League in strikeouts, wins, and WAR; taking second in Pitcher of the Year voting. The Miners bounced back from a rare playoff miss the prior year, winning the EL pennant and falling in the championship to Dushanbe. Harrell posted a 2.18 ERA over 41.1 playoff innings with 44 strikeouts. He would get plenty of chances to prove himself in the postseason, as Minsk began would ultimately would be a 24-season playoff streak.

Harrell was second in Pitcher of the Year voting in 1982, then won it for the first time in 1983. He was also third in MVP voting in 1983, posting only the fourth Triple Crown season by an EPB pitcher with a 25-6 record, 1.44 ERA, and 354 strikeouts with 11.5 WAR. From 1981-84, he led the EL in wins thrice, strikeouts twice, WHIP thrice, and WAR twice. Minsk signed him to a six-year, $1,906,000 deal after the 1983 campaign.

The Miners won the EPB Championship in 1985, then started a new dynasty with four EL pennants in a row from 1988-91. Minsk took it all in 1988, 1990, and 1991. For his playoff career, Harrell had a 19-11 record, 2.33 ERA, 298 innings, 355 strikeouts, 32/37 quality starts, a 125 ERA+, and 8.4 WAR. As of 2037, he’s still the EPB all-time playoff leader in innings, shutouts (50), and strikeouts (335). Harrell also retired as the playoff pitching WARlord, although Matvey Ivanov would eventually catch him.

Harrell was second in Pitcher of the Year voting in 1987, leading in wins that year. He signed a five-year, $4,150,000 extension before the 1989 season. In 1990, Harrell had an all-time great season with career bests in ERA (1.35), strikeouts (383), WHIP (0.63), quality starts (31), shutouts (10), and WAR (11.8). This year also featured an incredible 46 consecutive scoreless innings in the early summer. Amazingly, he didn’t win Pitcher of the Year with this effort, taking second in both POTY and MVP voting.

Harrell’s 1991 was weaker, but still statistically very excellent with a 1.80 ERA, 0.77 WHIP, 365 strikeouts, and 9.0 WAR. He tossed a no-hitter on September 26 in the playoffs against Warsaw with 14 strikeouts and 1 walk. Minsk won the title and Harrell earned his second Pitcher of the Year. That was his last award winning campaign ultimately. Harrell was on his way with an excellent 1992, but he missed the final two months and the playoffs due to a fractured elbow.

Harrell’s velocity dropped significantly after this injury, going from triple digits to mid 90s. He looked very average in 1993, which was ultimately his final year with Minsk. Harrell became a free agent for the first time at age 37. He would remain a very popular figure in Belarus and his #9 uniform would get retired. Harrell would return to the United States for the first time in 15 years, signing a two-year, $5,920,000 deal with MLB’s Brooklyn.

Harrell’s one year with the Dodgers was unremarkable, split between starting and the bullpen. He posted a 4.10 ERA and ended up cut in spring training 1995. EPB teams were willing to give him another shot based on his prior success and he went to Russia with Irkutsk. He saw very limited use with only 35.1 total innings. Harrell wasn’t used in the postseason, but did earn his fifth EPB Championship ring as the Ice Cats won it all. He retired that winter at age 39.

Harrell’s EPB statistics saw a 253-124 record, 2.02 ERA, 3714 innings, 4422 strikeouts, 499 walks, 369/443 quality starts, 154 complete games, 144 ERA+, 65 FIP- and 114.5 WAR. As of 2037, he’s ninth in pitching WAR, 19^th in strikeouts, and 12^th in wins. Harrell’s ERA is among the lowest of any starting pitcher in the EPB Hall. Becoming a legend in Belarus isn’t what he would’ve expected when he was struggling in his 20s at the University of Michigan, but Harrell posted an all-time EPB career. He was the first member of the impressive 2001 Hall of Fame class with 98.2%.



Pavel Bely – Starting Pitcher – Minsk Miners – 94.3% First Ballot

Pavel Bely was a 5’11’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from the capital of Belarus, Minsk. Bely had great stuff with 98-100 mph peak velocity with a cutter, slider, changeup arsenal. He had good movement and developed strong control especially later in his career. Bely had decent stamina and was a good defensive pitcher, although he was weak at holding runners. He was hard working and adaptable while also boasting terrific durability.

Bely stood out as an amateur in Belarus and his hometown team Minsk selected him 28^th overall in the 1979 EPB Draft. He was called up part-way through the 1980 season and was iffy in his rookie campaign. Bely was a full-time starter for the next 14 years and looked great from year two onward, beginning a streak of ten years of 6+ WAR seasons. With Minsk, he was third in Pitcher of the Year voting in 1982 and second in 1983. in 1982, Bely tossed a 10 strikeout, two walk no-hitter against Riga.

Bely was also a regular for Belarus in the World Baseball Championship, splitting time between starting and relief. He tossed 135.2 innings from 1981-95 with a 3.58 ERA, 194 strikeouts, 102 ERA+, and 3.5 WAR. Bely made history in the 1984 WBC, tossing the second-ever WBC Perfect Game with 16 strikeouts against Honduras.

With Minsk, Bely was part of their 1981 and 1985 European League pennants with the EPB title in 1985. In the playoffs with the Miners, he had an 8-3 record, 2.11 ERA, 111 innings, 116 strikeouts, and 139 ERA+. He ultimately played six seasons with his hometown squad with a 2.44 ERA in 1521.1 innings, 91-58 record, 1753 strikeouts, 121 ERA+, and 44.1 WAR.

The Minsk run came to a surprising end as just before the 1986 season started, Bely was traded. The Miners sent him to Krasnoyarsk for first baseman Igor Portnyagin and 2B Denys Bakay. Bely had three seasons with the Cossacks, taking second in 1988 Pitcher of the Year voting. 1988 saw career bests in wins (26-6), WAR (10.5), and strikeouts (368).

Krasnoyarsk made the playoffs in 1987 and 1988, falling in the Asian League final to Omsk in 1987. Bely had a 0.87 ERA in 31 playoff innings with the Cossacks. For his Krasnoyarsk run, he had a 66-23 record, 2.34 ERA, 825.1 innings, 1048 strikeouts, 130 ERA+, and 25.0 WAR. He left for free agency after his outstanding 1988 season, becoming a hot commodity at age 31. Bely signed a six-year, $6,960,000 deal with Yekaterinburg.

Bely continued to pitch at a high level for the Yaks, helping them win the EPB Championship in 1989. In the playoff run, he was 3-1 in 40 innings with a 2.02 ERA and 46 strikeouts. Bely also took second in 1990’s Pitcher of the Year voting. He ended up pitching five years in Yekaterinburg with an 84-47 record, 2.30 ERA, 1378 innings, 1672 strikeouts, 128 ERA+, and 35.5 WAR. The Yaks would buy out the final year of his deal after the 1993 season, making Bely a free agent again at age 36.

Bely signed a three-year, $4,400,000 contract for Irkutsk. While there, he crossed the 250 win and 4500 career strikeout milestones. Bely won his third EPB Championship ring as the Ice Cats won the 1995 title. For his playoff career, Bely had a 15-5 record, 1.97 ERA, 219.1 innings, 250 strikeouts, 23/27 quality starts, a 151 ERA+, and 6.5 WAR.

In two seasons with Irkutsk, Bely had a 28-17 record, 2.74 ERA, 407.1 innings, 435 strikeouts, and 8.2 WAR. He had a good first year with the Ice Cats with 6.5 WAR, but was below average in 1995. Bely was moved out of the full-time rotation towards the end of the season and made only three relief appearances in the playoff run. Bely retired after the season ended at age 38.

Bely retired with a 269-145 record, 2.40 ERA, 4132 innings, 4908 strikeouts, 703 walks, 391/515 quality starts, 141 complete games, 123 ERA+, and 112.8 WAR. He was perhaps overshadowed by the many great contemporaries and because he bounced around between teams. Still, Bely as of 2037 is still tenth all-time in EPB pitching WAR, tenth in wins, and ninth in strikeouts. He’s also sixth in WAR and seventh in strikeouts in the postseason. Bely was an easy choice even with many other great pitchers on the ballot, joining the 2001 class at 94.3%.

[FuzzyRussianHat]

Nikolai Nikiforovich – Starting Pitcher – Novosibirsk Nitros – 81.0% First Ballot

Nikolai Nikiforovich was a 6’1’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Novoblagodarnoye, a small village of around 3,000 people in Russia’s Stavropol Krai in the North Caucasus region. Nikiforovich was best known for having pinpoint control, allowing him to succeed despite having average to above average stuff and movement. His fastball only hit the 93-95 mph range, but he countered it well with a great curveball, good slider, and occasional changeup. Nikiforovich had respectable stamina and was great at holding runners. He was also viewed as pretty durability for most of his run.

Nikiforovich earned attention in his amateur career as one of the more promising Russian prospects. In the 1981 EPB Draft, Nikiforovich was picked seventh overall by Novosibirsk. He pitched 37.2 innings in 1982 with iffy results, but looked great when becoming a full-time starter the next year. Nikiforovich had 5.6 WAR to earn the 1983 Rookie of the Year. He helped the Ntiros end a 25-year postseason drought, falling to Bishkek in the ALCS.

1984 didn’t see a full load because of personal issues, but Nikiforovich looked like a beast in 26 appearances. He led the Asian League with a career-best 1.30 ERA and posted seven shutouts. Nikiforovich took second in Pitcher of the Year voting. 1985 would see a career-best 9.2 WAR.

Novosibirsk would win their first-ever Asian League pennant in 1988. Nikiforovich posted a 1.54 ERA over 35 playoff innings with 34 strikeouts. The Nitros signed Nikiforovich to a three-year, $2,890,000 extension in spring 1989. A month later, Nikiforovich tossed a no-hitter striking out eight with two walks against Tashkent on June 29. In 1989, Nikiforovich led in wins at 24-4 with a 1.86 ERA and 8.0 WAR. This gave him another second in Pitcher of the Year voting.

Novosibirsk would start making the playoffs more regularly with six berths from 1988-94. Apart from their 1988 AL pennant, the Nitros usually went one-and-done with an ALCS loss in 1991. Nikiforovich had mixed playoff numbers in 13 starts and 105.1 innings. He had a 3-9 record, but 2.56 ERA, 106 strikeouts, and 113 ERA+. Nikiforovich continued solid numbers into the early 1990s, inking a two-year extension $2,320,000 in April 1992.

In June 1994, Nikiforovich suffered a torn meniscus in his left knee. That ended his run with Novosibirsk, who didn’t re-sign him at the end of the season. The Nitros would retire his #1 uniform once his playing career was over. Before the injury, Nikiforovich still looked pretty good at age 35. Almaty gave him a four-year, $5,120,000 contract. He only played one season with Assassins, posting average results. Nikiforovich opted to retire that winter at age 35.

Nikiforovich had a 198-125 record, 2.31 ERA, 3118.2 innings, 3183 strikeouts, 474 walks, 286/380 quality starts, 157 complete games, 126 ERA+, 81 FIP-, and 69.1 WAR. His stats weren’t as dominant of his 2001 Hall of Fame classmates Harrell and Bely, but still had rate stats that looked worth. Nikiforovich wasn’t appreciated perhaps in his time, but he had a fine career and helped Novosibirsk become a regular contender for the first time. Nikiforovich received a first-ballot induction at 81.0% as the third of four pitchers in the 2001 class.



Vasif Agharahimov – Starting Pitcher – Bishkek Black Sox – 68.2% First Ballot

Vasif Agharahimov was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Ryskulov, Kazakhstan; a village of around 3,000 people in the Almaty region. Agharahimov was known for excellent movement on his pitches with solid stuff and above average control. His fastball peaked at 95-97 mph and was mixed with a great slider, good curveball and knuckle curve, and okay changeup. Agharahimov’s stamina was considered weak compared to most EPB starters, but strong durability meant he still gave you plenty of innings. He was very outspoken, making Agharahimov a polarizing figure in the clubhouse.

Agharahimov managed to draw attention to himself as an amateur despite growing up in obscurity. At age 19, he was picked 18^th overall by Bishkek in the 1979 EPB Draft. The Black Sox kept him in developmental for 1980 and 1981, calling him up in 1982 at age 22. Agharahimov had a nice rookie campaign with 3.9 WAR in only 22 starts. He also tossed 8 shutout innings in the playoffs, although the Black Sox fell in the Asian League Championship Series. He would be a regular starter for the next 12 seasons for Bishkek.

Agharahimov’s second season was arguably his best with career highs in ERA (1.65), WAR (8.5), and FIP- (54). 1983 also featured a 38 inning scoreless streak in the spring. He finished second in Pitcher of the Year voting; the only time he was a finalist. Agharahimov would be steady with 10 straight seasons worth 6+ WAR. He also pitched for Kazakhstan from 1983-97 in the World Baseball Championship, although his stats weren’t great with a 4.51 ERA, 149.2 innings, 178 strikeouts, and 81 ERA+

However, Agharahimov ended up being a terrific postseason pitcher for Bishkek. The Black Sox made the playoffs nine times from 1980-90 with eight ALCS appearances. Bishkek never won the EPB Championship, but they won Asian League pennants in 1980, 83, 84, 86, and 90. Agharahimov had a 10-8 record over 196 playoff innings with a 2.39 ERA, 217 strikeouts, 122 ERA+, and 5.1 WAR. He earned ALCS MVP honors in 1994.

Agharahimov tossed a no-hitter on May 13 against Almaty with nine strikeouts and one walk. He signed a four-year, $3,010,000 extension in the summer of 1988. After more sustained success, Agharahimov inked another four years at $3,700,000 in September 1992. 1993 would see the first major setback of his career with severe shoulder inflammation, putting him out for six months.

Agharahimov bouced back for two more seasons with Bishkek, although he wasn’t quite as strong as his prime years. The Black Sox voided the team option year in his contract, making Agharahimov a free agent for the first time at age 36. Although he clashed with team officials at points with his outspoken nature, Bishkek would later retire his #27 uniform.

That would end his EPB career, as he ended up leaving for Venezuela. Agharahimov signed a three-year, $4,720,000 deal with Caracas. He had a very good debut year, leading the Bolivar League in FIP- (62) and posting 6.2 WAR. His velocity dropped a little bit for 1997 and he offended the wrong person, getting benched despite being healthy. He only had one weak relief appearance for all of 1997, retiring that winter at age 37.

Agharahimov’s EPB and Bishkek stats were a 206-129 record, 2.24 ERA, 3083.2 innings, 3494 strikeouts, 576 walks, 326/419 quality starts, 54 complete games, 129 ERA+, 70 FIP-, and 85.8 WAR. He quietly put up great numbers that were overshadowed by people like his 2001 Hall of Fame classmates. His lengthy tenure with Bishkek and playoff success was plusses, but some voters shunned him for being a loudmouth jerk. Agharahimov barely became a first ballot guy, but pulled in 68.2% to round out the four-pitcher 2001 class.

[FuzzyRussianHat]

With no new standouts on the ballot, closer Lorenzo Amaru was the lone inductee into the Oceania Baseball Association Hall of Fame in 2001. On his sixth try, Amaru got the notable bump to 78.5%. RF Dede Hayati came close on his tenth and final try, but fell short at 61.1%. The only other player above 50% was RF Ryan Whatley at 56.3% in his fifth try. The top debut was 1B Netani Mohammed at only 29.3%.



For Dede Hayati, 61.1% on his final ballot was the highest number he got. He usually hovered somewhere between 45-60% in his tries. He had a 19 year career mostly with Auckland, winning five Silver Sluggers with 2885 hits, 1370 runs, 454 doubles, 368 triples, 216 home runs, 952 RBI, 1083 stolen bases, a .281/.327/.459 slash, 139 wRC+, and 76.3 WAR. Hayati retired as the all-time triples leader in OBA, only getting passed once. He also won a title with Auckland in 1981. As of 2037, he’s also seventh in stolen bases. However, Hayati’s lack of home run power and porous defense sunk him with enough voters to banish him to the Hall of Pretty Good despite a solid resume.



Lorenzo Amaru – Closer – Sydney Snakes – 78.5% Sixth Ballot

Lorenzo Amaru was a 6’0’’, 200 pound left-handed relief pitcher from Faaa, a commune of around 30,000 people on the island of Tahiti. He became the first and as of 2037 only Tahitian member of the OBA Hall of Fame. Amaru had a legendary 99-101 mph cutter and a great curveball as a counter pitch. His stuff graded as outstanding with very good movement and control.

Amaru was noticed at a camp as a 16-year old in fall 1974 a scout from Sydney. They brought him to Australia on a developmental contract, keeping him in system until 1979 at age 21. He debuted largely in middle relief in 1979, but looked promising. He was third in both Reliever of the Year and Rookie of the Year voting. Amaru became the full-time closer for the next six years for the Snakes.

Sydney had some of the best years yet in Amaru’s run, but still couldn’t earn that first-ever pennant. He was widely viewed as the best reliever in OBA in this time, leading in saves thrice and games twice. Amaru won Reliever of the Year in 1980, 83, and 85. He was third in 1981, second in 1982, and second in 1984. Amaru was also third in 1983’s Pitcher of the Year voting and third in 1985. He had a streak of 40 successful save opportunities from May 4, 1983 to April 30, 1984. That stretch also had a 28-inning scoreless streak and a 23-inning streak mixed in.

After this run, Amaru decided to leave Australia and enter free agency at age 28. Multiple teams worldwide were interested and MLB’s Kansas City Cougars won the bidding war with a three-year, $2,740,000 deal. Amaru had a good 1986, then a stellar 1987 with a career best 0.95 ERA and 5.5 WAR. This earned him the fourth Reliever of the Year of his career. He also had two saves in the playoffs, although the Cougars lost in the second round.

Amaru also was a stellar pitcher in the World Baseball Championship from 1980-94. Tahiti is a part of French Polynesia, making Amaru a French citizen. He mostly pitched in relief, but he occasional started, including a 22 strikeout game in 1987 against the Czech Republic. Amaru also was the 1986 Best Pitcher, tossing 18 scoreless innings with 33 strikeouts. Over 139 WBC innings, Amaru had a 11-3 record, 22 saves, 1.55 ERA, 269 strikeouts, 19 walks, a 233 ERA+, 18 FIP-, and 8.8 WAR.

Kansas City regressed in 1988 and traded Amaru at the deadline to Baltimore for four prospects. After finishing the year with the Orioles, Amaru signed a two-year, $3,320,000 deal with Oakland. He wouldn’t be a full-time closer for the rest of his career. Amaru had only 32.1 innings with the Owls, declining his contract option after one year. He then signed a three-year, $5,520,000 deal with Philadelphia.

Amaru did middle relief in 1990, then got the closer job back in 1991. Unfortunately, he suffered a torn UCL in July 1991, costing him the rest of that season and part of 1992. In total over three seasons, Amaru had 2.12 ERA and 21 saves in 118.2 innings. He had looked solid in his limited innings, which led to New York singing him for the 1993 season on a one-year deal at age 35.

Amaru was decent in 46.2 innings with the Yankees. He signed with Toronto in 1994 with 47.2 innings with poor results. Montreal picked Amaru up for 1995, but he looked no better, getting cut in August. Toronto signed him back for a minor league deal to finish out the season. Amaru would retire that winter at age 38. For his MLB stints, he had 126 saves and 200 shutdowns, a 2.47 ERA, 520.2 innings, 550 strikeouts, a 143 ERA+, 61 FIP-, and 17.2 WAR.

For his entire pro career, Amaru had 362 saves and 468 shutdowns, 2.07 ERA, 1100 innings, 1500 strikeouts, 172 walks, 164 ERA+, 52 FIP-, and 43.2 WAR. That line would get him into just about any Hall of Fame, but his OBA tenure was only seven seasons with Sydney. As a Snake, he had 236 saves, 1.71 ERA, 579.1 innings 950 strikeouts, 95 walks, a 189 ERA+, 43 FIP-, and 26.1 WAR.

It was very impressive over a short burst, but the accumulations were quite low with the other Hall of Famers having 400+ saves apiece in OBA. The rate stats were outstanding and as of 2037, he’d have the third best ERA of any Hall of Famer. He just wasn’t around long enough for many voters, leaving Amaru in the 40-50% range his first few ballots. He got a big jump to 64.3% in 1999, but fell back to 52.6%. In 2001, no one stood out on the ballot and some voters reconsidered Amaru. Enough gave him credit for his WBC dominance and decade in the MLB, bumping him up to 78.5% for a sixth ballot induction.

[FuzzyRussianHat]

Three pitchers picked up additions for the 2001 Austronesia Professional Baseball Hall of Fame. The standout was starter Samuel Dau at 83.5% in his debut. The other two spots went to relievers who just barely crossed the 66% threshold after multiple tries. Stallion Ricciardi earned 69.5% on his fourth ballot and Afriza Bachdim had 66.9% for his fifth go. Two other relievers were above 50% on their fifth tries with Hong Quinonez at 59.4% and Ting-Wei Ping at 57.9%.



Dropped after ten ballots was starter Mahdi Rohmah, who won three Gold Gloves in a 12 year career between Davao and Semarang. He had a 156-148 record, 2.92 ERA, 2773.2 innings, 3094 strikeouts, a 97 ERA+, 92 FIP-, and 47.3 WAR. A torn labrum ended his career after his age 33 season, but he still posted respectable tallies. However, he was merely consistently average, not elite. He debuted at 30.0% on the 1992 ballot and ended at 7.9%, but does get credit for making it ten years.



Samuel Dau – Starting Pitcher – Quezon Zombies – 83.5% First Ballot

Samuel Dau was a 5’11’’, 190 pound left-handed pitcher from Semarang, Indonesia; the capital of the Central Java province. Dau wasn’t amazing at anything, but was above average to good in terms of stuff, movement, and control. He wasn’t a hard thrower with only 92-94 mph on his fastball, but he was effective at switching between the fastball, forkball, and changeup. Dau had outstanding stamina and was quite good at holding runners.

Dau was signed as a teenage amateur in fall 1975 by Quezon. He was a late bloomer, staying in the Zombies’ developmental system until 1981. Dau officially debuted with a few relief appearances in 1981 at age 24. He would see one start in 1982 and nine starts in 1983. In 1984 at age 27, Dau was moved to the rotation full-time for the first time.

He had an impactful debut as a full-timer, leading the Taiwan-Philippine Association in wins at 20-10. Dau had a tremendous postseason with a 0.36 ERA in three starts, going 3-0 in 25.1 innings with 25 strikeouts. Dau was MVP of the TPA Championship and helped Quezon win their first-ever Austronesia Championship over Medan. Dau also had two solid starts in the 1987 playoffs for the Zombies, although they lost to Taichung in the TPA Championship.

Dau led the TPA in innings pitched in 1987 and took third in Pitcher of the Year voting. Quezon gave him a four-year, $1,604,000 extension that fall. 1988 saw an 8.5 WAR effort by Dau, his best during his Zombies tenure. He took third in Pitcher of the Year voting. Dau looked solid the next two years, but Quezon began to struggle, falling to 74-88 in 1990. With that, the Zombies decided to be sellers and traded Dau in early July to Semarang for RF Mahisa Anam and CF Galih Rahayu.

For his time with Quezon, Dau had a 114-80 record, 2.55 ERA, 1911 innings 1883 strikeouts, a 111 ERA+, and 40.4 WAR. His part in their title in 1984 left a big impact though and Dau’s #5 uniform would eventually get retired. He would leave a playoff impact for his new squad Semarang as well. Dau had a great second half and finished the season with a career-best 8.9 WAR between both stops. The Sliders would claim the Austronesia Championship over Cebu, giving Dau his second ring. He posted a 1.57 ERA in 23 playoff innings with 23 strikeouts.

Semarang was more middling for the rest of Dau’s run. They would commit to him though with a five-year, $6,000,000 extension just before the 1991 season. Dau had respectable 1991 and 1992 efforts, although he struggled in 1993 and led the Sundaland Association in losses. Dau would bounce back with a solid 1994, but he suffered a torn labrum in September to end the season.

Dau was determined to come back from the injury and made it back for a full 1993 campaign at age 38. However, his production was below average. He also suffered biceps tendinitis to cost him the final few weeks of the season. Dau decided retire with that, having posted a 76-68 record, 2.19 ERA, 1406.2 innings, 1381 strikeouts, and 20.0 WAR with Semarang.

Dau’s career stats saw a 190-148 record, 2.40 ERA, 3317.2 innings, 3264 strikeouts, 514 walks, 302/399 quality starts, 195 complete games, 111 ERA+, 89 FIP-, and 60.4 WAR. On the surface, his stats were borderline compared to other eventual APB Hall of Famers. He didn’t win Pitcher of the Year or generally post big stats. However, Dau’s role in titles for two franchises and great playoff success went a long way. He had a 1.10 ERA over 65.2 playoff innings with 69 strikeouts, 235 ERA+, and 2.1 WAR. The big game performances, plus a fairly unremarkable batch of newcomers on the 2001 ballot, helped push Dau to the first ballot selection with 83.5%.

[FuzzyRussianHat]

Stallion Ricciardi – Closer – Quezon Zombies – 69.5% Fourth Ballot

Stallion Ricciardi was a 6’1’’, 200 pound right-handed from Parts Unknown. Little is known about Ricciardi’s early life, other than that he was an American. He also was very guarded about his past with many assuming he was living under a fake name. But to be fair, “Stallion Ricciardi” does sound pretty cool, right?

As a pitcher, Ricciardi had incredible stuff that graded out as 11/10 with a terrific 98-100 mph fastball and a strong slider. He had good movement and control as well along with solid defense. Ricciardi was also generally liked among teammates, making the questions about his background more baffling. What is known is that he ended up in the Philippines in his 20s playing independent baseball. His velocity was impossible to miss even playing in obscurity. A scout from Quezon ended up signing him at age 25 to join the team for the 1982 season.

Ricciardi had an impressive debut for the Zombies, taking second in Rookie of the Year voting and third in Reliever of the Year voting. He was second in Reliever of the Year the next season, posting a career-best 0.95 ERA. In 1984, he joined his Hall of Fame classmate Samuel Dau in helping Quezon win the Austronesia Championship. Ricciardi was second in Reliever of the Year and stepped up in the playoffs, getting six saves with a 0.79 ERA and 19 strikeouts over 11.1 innings.

Ricciardi continued to pitch at a high level for Quezon, although he never could win the top honor. He was second in 1985, second in 1986, and third in 1987. In total with the Zombies, Ricciardi had 266 saves and 320 shutdowns, 1.37 ERA, 635.1 innings, 1209 strikeouts, a 205 ERA+, 18 FIP-, and 42.4 WAR. Ricciardi’s #8 uniform would eventually be retired as well for his role in Quezon’s first title.

Ricciardi did get a two-year extension in May 1990 with Quezon, but he was gone a month later. Like Dau, Ricciardi was part of the Zombies’ fire sale in 1990 as they looked to rebuild. He was traded in late June to Depok for three prospects. In 1991 with the Demons, Ricciardi finally earned Reliever of the Year at 34. He would look pedestrian the next season though and was not re-signed.

In his two and a half seasons with Depok, Ricciardi had 72 saves, a 1.99 ERA, 185 innings, 300 strikeouts, 123 ERA+, and 8.0 WAR. He did return home to the United States, signing a two-year, $4,080,000 deal with Chicago. After a poor spring training, Ricciardi was cut before the 1993 season started. St. Louis picked him up, but he struggled in his 19 innings with the Cardinals. Ricciardi started 1994 in the minors for Kansas City, but was released in April. Miami grabbed him and he spent the season in minor league Fort Myers. Ricciardi retired in the winter at age 38.

For his APB tenure, Ricciardi had 338 saves and 410 shutdowns, a 1.51 ERA, 820.1 innings, 1509 strikeouts, 171 walks, a 179 ERA+, 23 FIP-, and 50.4 WAR. At induction, he was the only APB reliever with 50+ WAR and third in saves. The later relievers to pass 50+ would do so in upwards of 1000 innings, while Ricciardi got there with 820.1. His rate stats were certainly impressive, but he also was on the ballot with multiple relievers each cannibalizing each other’s votes. Ricciardi debuted at 57.3%, then had 63.9% and 59.5% the next two ballots. He just got the bump to 69.5% on his fourth try, making his way in with the 2001 Hall of Fame class.



Afriza “Cranky” Bachdim – Closer – Surabaya Sunbirds – 66.9% Fifth Ballot

Arfiza Bachdim was a 6’3’’, 200 pound right-handed closer from the capital of Indonesia, Jakarta. He was nicknamed “Cranky” for his occasional saltiness towards umpires when he didn’t get calls. Bachdim had great movement with a one-two punch of curveball and sinker. The sinker hit the 97-99 mph range, but his stuff was graded out as average with above average control. For a reliever, he was considered to have good stamina and durability.

Bachdim was picked 40^th overall by Surabaya in the second round of the 1974 APB Draft. He didn’t get used in 1975 and made his debut at age 21 in 1976. He saw limited use that season, but posted a 0.92 ERA, earning the closer job the next year. Bachdim had an impressive postseason in 1977 as the Sunbirds won the Sundaland Association pennant, falling to the Kaohsiung dynasty in the Austronesia Championship. In six appearances, he tossed 11.2 scoreless innings with five saves and eight strikeouts.

Bachdim was back to middle relief in 1978, but reclaimed the closer role after that for the rest of his time with Surabaya. He struggled in the 1979 playoffs, but still played a role in the Sunbirds winning it all. 1980 would be his finest season by ERA at 0.85 and by strikeouts at 101. Bachdim took second in Reliever of the Year voting, his only time as a finalist. Surabaya would retreat into the middle tier for the remainder of his run.

With the Sunbirds, Bachdim had 189 saves and 254 shutdowns, a 1.68 ERA, 577.2 innings, 555 strikeouts, 140 walks, a 146 ERA+, and 10.4 WAR. They would eventually retire his #21 uniform as well. However, his tenure ended with a four-player trade in July 1983 to Manila. Bachdim would be tenured with the Manatees, holding the closer role through the 1987 season. He led the Taiwan-Philippine Association in saves in both 1985 and 1986.

Manila won the TPA pennant in both 1985 and 1986, taking the APB title in the later year over Jakarta. With the Jaguars, Bachdim had a 1.80 ERA over 20 playoff innings with 8 saves and 21 strikeouts. For his playoff career, he had 16 saves, a 1.88 ERA, 38.1 innings, 34 strikeouts, and 1.3 WAR. His 16 saves are second-most in APB playoff history behind Abdul Rizki’s 17.

The Manatees gave Bachdim a three-year, $948,000 extension starting with the 1984 season. He became the third to reach 300 career saves, then became the first to reach 350 for a career. Manila extended Bachdim for three-years and $1,522,000 in spring 1987, but would be phased out of the closer role in his later years. Bachdim had a ruptured finger tendon cost him the end of the 1988 season.

With Manila, he had 173 saves and 211 shutdowns, a 2.34 ERA, 557 innings, 493 strikeouts, 121 ERA+, and 9.0 WAR. A free agent for the first time at age 36, he inked a one-year deal with his hometown team Jakarta. Bachdim stunk in 22 innings with the Jaguars and retired that winter.

Bachdim’s final stats included a 2.05 ERA, 365 saves and 470 shutdowns, 1156.2 innings, 1060 strikeouts, 294 walks, a 130 ERA+, 83 FIP-, and 19.4 WAR. He was the APB saves leader at retirement and held that distinction until the late 2010s, still placed seventh as of 2037. The advanced stats are not kind to him as most elite relievers had very high strikeout rate by comparison. His 19.4 WAR is the worst of anyone in the APB Hall with all of the later reliever entries at least above 30.

The lack of relative dominance and a glut of relievers on the ballot at the same time forced Bachdim to wait. He debuted at 55.1%, then dropped to 43.9%, up to 53.3%, and down to 48.9%. Being the saves leader helped win over more traditionalist voters, while sabremetric guys weren’t impressed. Bachdim’s playoff successes helped him get enough look, making the cut on his fifth ballot just barely at 66.9% to join the 2001 APB Hall of Fame class.

[FuzzyRussianHat]

Chinese League Baseball very nearly had a blank 2001 Hall of Fame ballot. One pitcher sneaked in just beyond the 66% requirement with Xiabin Chen at 66.2% on his fifth ballot. RF Shichao Zhang missed by the thinnest margin at 65.9% for his second attempt. Closer Junwei Zhu had 60.3% for his fourth ballot. Three others were above 50% with RF Zhengyu Peng at 57.9% on his fifth try, SP Pengju Zue at 54.6% for his fifth ballot, and SP Baozian He at 52.3% on his fourth attempt. The best debut was closer Ryan Tarancon at 48.0%.



Two players fell off the ballot after ten failed tries. SP Bin Zhu had a 15 year career split between CLB and CABA. In China, he had a 151-106 record, 2.00 ERA, 2359.1 innings, 2562 strikeouts, 132 ERA+, and 51.4 WAR. A solid effort, but he lacked big awards and playoff stats and didn’t quite have the accumulations to overcome that. He debuted at a peak of 21.9% and ended at 11.6%.

Fellow SP Shaolei Li fell off having debuted at 38.6% but ended at 10.9%. His entire CLB run was with Foshan, followed by OBA and CABA efforts. With the Flyers though, he had a 165-138 record, 2.18 ERA, 2934.1 innings, 2805 strikeouts, 124 ERA+, 71 FIP-, and 76.1 WAR. His rate stats were more impressive, but he also lacked accolades and had no black ink. Li ended up condemned to the Hall of Pretty Good, despite having a better WAR total than the lone 2001 inductee Chen.



Xiabin Chen – Starting pitcher – Wuhan Wolverines – 66.2% Fifth Ballot

Xiabin Chen was a 6’0’’, 195 pound right-handed pitcher from Meizhou, a prefecture-level city in south China’s Guangdong province with just under four million people. Chen had solid stuff, great control, and above average movement in his career. He had an excellent 97-99 mph fastball mixed with a good forkball, sturdy change up, and decent slider. Chen had strong stamina and durability for much of his career. He was also viewed as a very intelligent pitcher that knew how to pick his spots.

Chen was a highly touted prospect entering the 1980 CLB Draft, picked third overall by Wuhan. His entire Chinese career was with the Wolverines, who used him as a reliever in his first two seasons. Chen was split between relief and starting in 1983, then finally was moved full-time in the rotation in 1984. That was his first of three seasons leading the Southern League in most innings pitched.

Wuhan was up-and-down during Chen’s tenure, although he never had a chance to pitch in the postseason for the Wolverines. He would take third in Pitcher of the Year voting in 1986. 1988 would be Chen’s finest season, taking the top honor with league and career bests in wins (21-10), ERA (1.39), WHIP (0.73), quality starts (32), shutouts (9), and WAR (8.7). He also had a career-high 307 strikeouts, falling only nine Ks short of a Triple Crown season.

Chen had a great 1989 as well, which was his final season in China. At age 31, he entered free agency and had international attention. Chen would be remembered fondly by Wolverines fans, as they would eventually retire his #7 uniform in 1996. Chen would begin his MLB career with a five-year, $8,000,000 deal with Las Vegas.

He didn’t live up to the billing with the Vipers, struggling with a 4.80 ERA in two seasons in Sin City. Las Vegas cut their losses, cutting Chen in spring training 1992. He would sign a one year deal at age 33 with St. Louis and regained some of his form with a 4.3 WAR season. The Cardinals gave Chen a two-year extension and he had similar results in 1993, although they eventually took him out of the rotation full-time. Chen had a 3.27 ERA, 107 ERA+, and 6.2 WAR in two seasons with the Cardinals.

A free agent again at age 35 after being let go by St. Louis, Chen pitched for Boston in 1994. He was delightfully average with the Red Sox, but did well enough for Las Vegas to try again with him. The Vipers signed Chen to a three-year, $7,640,000 deal, but he again struggled in the desert. Chen had a poor 1995, then was cut after one relief appearance in 1996. Between the two runs with Las Vegas, he had a 4.80 ERA over 699.1 innings, 84 ERA+, and 3.9 WAR.

Denver picked him up and he spent the year as a back-end starter for the Dragons. Chen opted to retire after the season at age 38. For his MLB tenure, he had an 81-87 record, 4.17 ERA, 1480 innings, 91 strikeouts, 92 ERA+, 109 FIP-, and 13.0 WAR.

For his Wuhan and CLB career, Chen had a 119-86 record, 1.98 ERA, 1980.1 innings, 1994 strikeouts, 328 walks, 180/214 quality starts, 109 complete games, 129 ERA+, 78 FIP-, and 44.4 WAR. His rate stats in CLB were very good, but he was very low on accumulations since he left for MLB. The fact that Chen was lackluster in MLB didn’t help his cause, but some voters gave him credit assuming he would’ve looked good had he stayed in China.

Chen debuted at 52.1%, then bounced around with a high of 61.5% in 1999 and low of 43.4% in 2000. The 2001 ballot was wide open with no standouts. Enough voters reexamined Chen and thought his brief dominance was worthy. He barely passed the 66% requirement, but 66.2% got him in on the fifth ballot as the lone addition to CLB’s Hall of Fame in 2001.

[FuzzyRussianHat]

Two starting pitchers secured first ballot inductions for the 2001 West Africa Baseball Hall of Fame. Both made it easily as well with Paul Akpan at 92.3% and Bijou Kalumbu at 91.3%. 2B Endurance Jacob came close to the 66% requirement, but fell short on his tenth and final try at 60.1%. The other player above 50% was Elodie Belem at 57.0% on his fourth try.



For Jacob, his last try was his best effort after usually hovering in the 30-50% range. He was hurt by officially debuting at age 27, limiting his accumulations. In only five years, he won two Silver Sluggers and had 1249 hits, 880 runs, 229 doubles, 111 triples, 403 home runs, 978 RBI, a .219/.297/.509 slash, 127 wRC+, and 33.2 WAR. Jacob was the third guy to reach 400 career home runs, but he also struck out a ton and was a terrible defender. He was part of three championship teams with Lagos and had 18 home runs in 65 playoff starts, making him worth a look.

LF Arafat Soumah also fell off the ballot after ten tries, although he never got higher than 15.1%. He had an 11 year career, winning seven Gold Gloves and one Silver Slugger with 1707 hits, 748 runs, 295 doubles, 127 home runs, 696 RBI, a .311/.361/.468 slash, 137 wRC+, and 51.8 WAR. Soumah was a great defender and good leadoff man, but lacked the power numbers and longevity needed to get more attention. He did also win two titles with Lagos.



Paul Akpan – Starting Pitcher – Lagos Lizards – 92.3% First Ballot

Paul Akpan was a 6’2’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Konduga, a small town of around 13,400 in northeastern Nigeria. Akpan was a fireballer with 99-101 mph velocity on a stellar fastball. He had great stuff generally as he also boasted a good changeup and okay curveball. Akpan had solid control, but his movement was below average. His stamina was quite solid with good durability and defense. Akpan was also praised for a strong work ethic.

He threw hard even from a young age, drawing attention from Nigerian scouts as a teenager. In December 1980, Kano ended up inking him to a developmental deal. Many fans don’t realize he started with the Condors organization, since he never threw a pitch for them. After spending time in their academy, he was part of a four player trade in November 1985 to Lagos.

Akpan was called up by the Lizards in 1986 with nine relief appearances at age 21. He was used as a reliever in 1987 and struck out 100 in 77 innings, earning Reliever of the Year honors. Lagos moved Akpan to the rotation the next season, where he remained for the rest of his African run. He ended up being a critical piece of the Lizards’ sustained success. Akpan also pitched well for Nigeria in the World Baseball Championship from 1988-98, tossing 92.2 innings with a 2.72 ERA, 137 strikeouts, 130 ERA+, and 3.0 WAR.

Lagos would be the West African Champion in 1988, 1991, and 1992. Akpan was a tremendous playoff pitcher with 82 innings, a 7-3 record, 1.87 ERA, 109 strikeouts, 199 ERA+, and 1.8 WAR. The Lizards extended him after the 1989 season for five years and $3,576,000. From 1989-94, he had six straight seasons with 300+ strikeouts; not an easy feat in WAB.

Akpan’s best year would come in 1991 with a Triple Crown season with a 23-8 record, 1.64 ERA, and 346 strikeouts. He also led in WHIP, complete games, and WAR. Not only did Akpan win his lone Pitcher of the Year, but he secured Eastern League MVP as well. He is believed to be the only player in baseball history to have won an MVP, Pitcher of the Year, and a Reliever of the Year in a career.

Akpan was second in Pitcher of the Year voting in 1992 and third in 1993. He fell off a bit in 1994, but was still a solid starter. That wrapped up his WAB career, as Akpan opted to test out free agency at age 30. He had international suitors and ended up heading to Major League Baseball with a hefty four-year, $13,080,000 deal with Houston.

Akpan looked good with Houston, posting a 17-2 record and 3.02 ERA over 21 starts. However in a stunning move, the Hornets cut him in the summer of 1995. Many observers wondered what the true behind-the-scenes motivation for this move was, as it certainly wasn’t a performance issue. Akpan was also a well-liked guy generally and not one you’d think would be fired as a malcontent. Either way, he was picked up in mid August and finished the season with Calgary.

A free agent again at age 31, Akpan signed a two-year, $7,360,000 deal with Philadelphia. He ate innings for the Phillies, but was only marginally above average there. For his MLB tenure, Akpan had a 46-30 record, 3.29 ERA, 731 innings, 572 strikeouts, 111 ERA+, and 8.8 WAR. After the 1997 season, he was 33 years old and looking for his next home. Akpan didn’t return home to Africa, instead ending up the European Baseball Federation. He signed a four-year, $13,000,000 contract with Vienna.

He looked good in his first season with the Vultures, but ended up having elbow troubles. In mid July, he was diagnosed with a stretched elbow ligament, costing him 11 months. Akpan wasn’t the same pitcher when he returned with a notable drop in velocity. He was below average in 1999, then had a rotator cuff strain in 2000. Akpan was only used in two relief appearances, retiring after the season at age 36. While in Austria, he had a 16-13 record, 3.52 ERA, 271 innings, 242 strikeouts, 110 ERA+, and 5.5 WAR.

For his entire pro career, Akpan had a 204-110 record, 2.80 ERA, 2816.1 innings, 3229 strikeouts, 133 ERA+, and 60.8 WAR. For his WAB run with Lagos, he had a 142-67 record and 47 saves, 2.49 ERA, 1814.1 innings, 2415 strikeouts, 162/212 quality starts, 63 complete games, 149 ERA+, 74 FIP-, and 46.6 WAR. It was impressive dominance, although he’s not high on the leaderboards since he only had seven seasons as a starter for the Lizards. Akpan was dominant in that stretch and a beast in the postseason, which led to Lagos retiring his #4 uniform. The voters were won over easily, putting Akpan in at 92.3% as a first ballot Hall of Famer in 2001.



Bijou Kalumbu – Starting Pitcher – Kumasi Monkeys – 91.3% First Ballot

Bijou Kalumbu was a 6’2’’, 195 pound right-handed pitcher from Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Kalumbu had excellent control with very good movement and solid stuff. He had a terrific 97-99 mph fastball, a great curveball, and an okay slider. Kalumbu had respectable stamina, but his defense and ability to hold runners were lackluster. He was very well liked in the clubhouse, considered to be loyal, intelligent, and a hard worker.

The DR Congo didn’t have a developed baseball scene at that point, not getting major teams until the African Association of Baseball started in 1995. Growing up in the capital though, Kalumbu was still able to get some attention from crafty WAB scouts. At age 16, Kalumbu signed a developmental deal with Kumasi, bringing him up to Ghana.

He’d spend nearly his entire WAB career in Ghana, making his official debut in 1980 at age 19. He only made two relief appearances that year and one the next. Kalumbu became a full-time starter from 1982 onward and was viewed as the Monkeys’ ace for a decade. He came up during the middle of what was a record 14-year playoff streak for Kumasi.

Kalumbu had a stellar 1984, posting career bests in ERA (1.89), FIP (43), and 10.9 WAR. He was second in Pitcher of the Year voting, but earned a five-year, $1,492,000 contract extension. Kalumbu led in ERA the next year, suffered a ruptured finger tendon that cost him the second half of the season. He also missed the postseason run as Kumasi won the Western League pennant, falling in the WAB Championship to Lagos.

Kumasi ultimately never won it all during their playoff streak. They did make it to the WAB Championship thrice (1985, 1987, 1991) and twice more got to the WLCS. Kalumbu was respectable in his playoff appearances with a 3.38 ERA in 98.2 innings, a 6-3 record, 113 strikeouts, only 9 walks, a 106 ERA+, and 3.1 WAR. A fractured shoulder blade cost him much of the early part of 1986, but Kalumbu stayed healthy for the following three seasons.

In 1988, he led the WL in innings and posted a career-best 346 strikeouts and 28 quality starts, along with 8.9 WAR. This earned Kalumbu his lone Pitcher of the Year. In June 1989, Kumasi committed to a six-year, $5,280,000 extension. He lost a chunk of 1990 to a strained hamstring, but was steady and solid generally throughout that extension. In 1993, he became WAB’s seventh pitcher to reach 3000 career strikeouts,

Kumasi’s playoff streak ended with a 79-83 record in 1992 and by 1994, they bottomed out at 67-95. The Monkeys were sellers and looked to get trade value from Kalumbu in the final year of his deal. He was sent to Ibadan for three prospects in July 1995. Kalumbu reached 3500 strikeouts in his brief stay with the Iguanas, the fourth pitcher to hit the mark. He kept good relations with Kumasi officials and his #8 uniform would get retired.

Ibadan was the two-time reigning Eastern League champ, but fell in the first round in 1995. Kalumbu was middling in his brief stay there and struggled in his one playoff start. The Iguanas didn’t re-sign him and he was a free agent for the first time at age 35. He also pitched for the first time in 1995 in the World Baseball Championship as the DR Congo finally qualified. Kalumbu pitched for them from 1995-97, but struggled with a 5.84 ERA in six starts.

Kalumbu made an unexpected move to New Zealand, signing a three-year deal starting in 1996 with OBA’s Christchurch worth $4,460,000. He gave them very average results in 1996. Then in 1997, Kalumbu struggled before suffering a torn UCL. That effectively ended his career, retiring that winter at age 37.

In WAB, Kalumbu had a 191-128 record, 2.86 ERA, 2960 innings, 3514 strikeouts, 437 walks, 267/423 quality starts, 45 complete games, 128 ERA+, 69 FIP-, and 85.6 WAR. He retired only 0.3 behind Power Bonou for the pitching WARlord in WAB history and still sits second as of 2037. Kalumbu is also ninth in strikeouts and 16^th in wins as of 2037. Advanced stats show that Kalumbu was perhaps underappreciated in his time. The Hall of Fame voters though acknowledged him without much prodding, giving him 91.3% and a first ballot induction in 2001.

[FuzzyRussianHat]

For the first time in its brief history, South Asia Baseball had a Hall of Fame class with multiple players in 2001. The Hall grew to eight total with the first ballot nods of RF Johar Rai (91.3%) and 1B Andee Siddharth (83.2%). Catcher Krish Balvinder barely missed out with 64.2% in his third attempt. Closer Jason Mayekar fell short in his tenth and final try with 58.1%. Also above 50% was LF Indirjeet Dayada at 51.9%.



For Mayekar, he peaked at 59.6% in 2000 and hovered around 40-50% most of the time. He was hurt by starting his career officially at age 28 and stepping away at age 34. Mayekar had only seven actual seasons, but led in saves five times and won Reliever of the Year once. He had 254 saves, a 1.72 ERA, 574.2 innings, 1038 strikeouts, 197 ERA+, and 29.3 WAR. With a longer tenure, his dominance likely gets him in.

Also dropped after ten ballots was Amardita Nidheesh, who only had seven official seasons as well. He peaked with his debut at 24.9% and ended at 10.6%. Nidheesh had 178 saves, a 1.52 ERA, 438 innings, 708 strikeouts, a 232 ERA+, and 23.9 WAR. Very impressive dominance but again over too small a sample size.



Johar “Pop” Rai – Right/Left Field – Ahmedabad Animals – 91.3% First Ballot

Johar Rai was a 6’3’’, 195 pound right-handed corner outfielder from Baripada, a city of 116,000 people in eastern India’s Mayurbhanj district. Rai was a very good home run hitter and a solid contract hitter. He had an above average eye for drawing walks, but a below average strikeout rate. Rai had a strong pop in his bat, averaging 41 home runs and 28 doubles per 162 games. As a baserunner, he was slow and uncoordinated.

Defensively, Rai made about 3/4s of his starts in right field with the rest in left. He was a below average defender due to poor range, but had a decent enough arm to not be a liability with his glove. Rai was incredibly durable, playing 138+ games in all but his final season. He was adaptable and worked hard, becoming an extremely popular early figure of Indian baseball.

Rai was a part of the very first rookie draft for South Asia Baseball and was one of the most coveted prospects. He was picked ninth overall by Mumbai, who made him a full-time starter right away. Rai didn’t have his full power in his first two seasons, although he was still a respectable slugger. He emerged as a true slugger in his fourth season with his first of five 50+ dinger efforts and his first of nine 100+ RBI seasons.

With the Meteors, Rai won Silver Sluggers in 1984, 1985, 1986, and 1987. He was third in 1984’s MVP voting, second in 1986, and third in 1987. Rai was the leader in home runs in both 1985 and 1986, posting a career best 58 in 1985. Rai had a career and league best 135 RBI in 1985. It would be 1987 that was his best season by WAR (9.4) and his only full season with a batting average above .300.

Despite his best efforts, Mumbai didn’t make the playoffs in his run. They did improve to post winning records by the end of his tenure. Rai also played for India in the World Baseball Championship from 1984-93 with 66 games and 43 starts. In the WBC, he had 39 hits, 24 runs, 9 home runs, 23 RBI, a .234/.348/.431 slash, and 1.4 WAR.

For his seven seasons with Mumbai, Rai had 1117 hits, 557 runs, 178 doubles, 287 home runs, 712 RBI, a .282/.349/.554 slash, 172 wRC+, and 45.7 WAR. By WAR, it was his most productive spot of his career, but Rai would be far more known and recognized for his second run. That began when he left for free agency after the 1987 at age 30. Rai moved across the division and inked a seven-year, $2,076,000 deal with Ahmedabad.

The Animals were coming off back-to-back SAB Championships, but their dynasty was only getting started. Rai played a big role in that, as they won 107+ games in each of his eight seasons in Ahmedabad. The Animals got to the ILCS each time and won additional SAB titles in 1989, 90, 91, 92, 94, and 95. Rai won Silver Sluggers in 1988, 89, 90, 92, and 94; giving him nine for his career.

His lone MVP came in the 1992 season at age 34. It was the only time he smacked 50+ homers with Ahmedabad, leading the Indian League with 53. Rai also had a career-best 110 runs and added 116 RBI and 8.7 WAR. The next year, Rai became the first player in SAB history to have 500 career home runs. He’d be joined three months later by teammate VJ Williams and the next year by teammate and Hall of Fame classmate Andee Siddharth.

Rai was a key playoff performer for those stacked Animals squads. In total, he played 104 games with 102 hits, 52 runs, 25 doubles, 18 home runs, 62 RBI, a .272/.329/.515 slash, 154 wRC+, and 4.1 WAR. His role on the dynasty made him an extremely popular player and associated him strongly with Ahmedabad, even if his most impressive statistical seasons came with Mumbai. Rai’s #3 uniform would eventually be retired by the Animals as well.

Rai’s contract expired after the 1994 season and Ahmedabad brought him back on a one year deal. He had still looked good in the prior years, but was moved to a bench and pinch hitting role. The 1995 squad won the title with a all-time best 124-38 record, beating 124-win Ho Chi Minh City in the final. Rai saw little use on the stacked roster, but still had a .308 average and 7 home runs in 52 at bats. He wanted to still play in 1996, but no teams were interested at his asking price. Rai retired that winter at age 38.

For his career, Rai had 2201 hits, 1159 runs, 386 doubles, 567 home runs, 1458 RBI, a .281/.345/.558 slash, 176 wRC+, and 89.7 WAR. At retirement, he was second all-time in home runs and RBI behind VJ Williams. Rai’s accumulations would slide down the leaderboards as SAB became a high offense environment in later years, but he was one of the first great sluggers and one of the many key pieces in the Ahmedabad dynasty, picking up six rings. Rai was an easy first ballot choice, getting 91.3% with the 2001 class.



Andee “Rattler” Siddharth – First Base – Ahmedabad Animals – 83.2% First Ballot

Andee Siddharth was a 6’2’’, 195 pound left-handed first baseman from Malaj Khand, a town with about 32,000 people in central India known for having Asia’s biggest open copper mines. Siddharth had prolific home run power that was graded as a 10/10 at his peak. He was merely an okay contact hitter and struggled with strikeouts, but his power profile allowed him to draw plenty of walks. Siddharth also got you around 30 doubles per year, but he wasn’t going to stretch out extra bases with his legs. He was an incredibly slow and lousy baserunner.

Siddharth was exclusively a first baseman, making every single start of his career there. He was a very good defender at the spot as well, winning three Gold Gloves in his career. Siddharth was very durable, playing 150+ games each year from 1985-94.

In the first SAB rookie draft in 1980, Siddharth was picked 11^th overall by Ahmedabad. While many greats of the era eventually joined the Animals during their dynasty, Siddharth was there from the start. He was picked as a 19-year old and wasn’t immediately thrown into the fire. Siddharth debuted with three pinch hit appearances in 1982 at age 20. He played 67 games in 1983, then was a full-time starter from 1984 onward.

By 1985, Siddharth’s home run power was apparent. He had six seasons with 50+ home runs, leading the Indian League four times. Siddharth also led in runs scored twice, RBI four times, and total bases twice. He won Silver Sluggers from 1987-90 and won Gold Gloves in 1985, 86, and 91. Siddharth also played sporadically for India in the World Baseball Championship from 1985-93, playing 39 games with 17 starts

In 1987, Siddharth became the new SAB single season home run king with 67 and the first to pass 150+ RBI with 153. He got 153 RBI again two years later and 66 home runs that year. Siddharth’s home run mark held until 1998 as the single-season best. 1989 also saw 131 runs scored and 9.9 WAR, earning Siddharth his only MVP. He was third in MVP voting in 1986, second in 1987, third in 1988, and second in 1994.

Ahmedabad’s dynasty kicked off officially in 1986 and Siddharth was a massive part of it. He won eight championship rings (1986-87, 89-92, 94-95). After the second title in 1987, Siddharth re-signed on a massive eight-year, $7,090,000 deal. He made history by winning SAB Championship MVP three times (1987, 89, 94). In 133 playoff games and 121 starts, Siddharth had 115 hits, 69 runs, 32 doubles, 38 home runs, 90 RBI, a .260/.335/.595 slash, 188 wRC+, and 6.5 WAR. As of 2037, Siddharth is still fifth all-time in playoff homers and sixth in RBI.

Siddharth became the third SAB batter to 500 career home runs, leading with 57 dingers and 113 in RBI. However, he declined significantly the next year, getting benched early in the season. Siddharth had a .168 batting average and was mostly a pinch hitter on Ahmedabad’s 124-win 1995 team. This was Siddharth’s eighth and final ring.

The Animals let him go after the 1995 season, making Siddharth a free agent for the first time at age 34. He wanted to still play and was extremely popular, but no team wanted to or could afford to commit to the big money he wanted. Siddharth went unsigned in both 1996 and 1997, but wasn’t officially retired until winter 1997. Ahmedabad would bring him back to retire his #13 uniform once he announced he was done.

Siddharth’s career stats saw 1613 hits, 1114 runs, 350 doubles, 561 home runs, 1302 RBI, .254/.333/.584 slash, 179 wRC+, and 75.1 WAR. Like Johar Rai, Siddharth was one of the first big boppers in South Asia Baseball. He was especially impressive in the playoffs and a key part in establishing the great Ahmedabad dynasty. Siddharth received 83.2% of the vote to earn a first ballot spot in the 2001 Hall of Fame class.

[FuzzyRussianHat]

Catcher Razak Mohiyoudeen became the first player to receive more than 50% in Hall of Fame voting for the Asian Baseball Federation. He still was just short of the 66% requirement with 63.2%, leaving ABF still without its first inductee. Only one other player was above 1/3s with SP Rais Khawaja’s 36.8% second ballot effort.



Arab League Baseball still wasn’t particularly close to their first inductee. On his second try, closer Paul Arfaoui was again narrowly above the 1/3s mark with 34.6%. No one else was above single-digits.

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The 55^th World Baseball Championship was the first hosted in South America since 1989, this time centered around Maracaibo, Venezuela. Division 1 was one of the most competitive ever with Honduras narrowly taking it at 6-3. Seven other teams were one game back at 5-4. The Hondurans advanced to the elite eight for the third time-ever (1947, 1984). D2 was also super tight with the reigning world champion United States first at 7-2. The Philippines, Poland, and Ukraine were each one back at 6-3 with two others two back. The Americans moved to the elite eight for the 46^th time.

Division 3 had Canada first at 7-2, edging 6-3 efforts by China and the DR Congo. The Canadians repeated as division champs, advancing for the 34^th time. In D4, there was a three-way tie for first between Russia, Puerto Rico, and Japan. The tiebreakers went to the Russians, advancing for the 14^th time and the first time since 1996. In Division 5, Venezuela (7-2) topped Algeria and Australia by a game. This was the fifth time to the elite eight for the Venezuelans and first since 1989. Argentina was one of only two 8-1 teams in the 2001 WBC, taking Division 6 by a game over Cuba and two games over Brazil and South Korea. The Argentinians became 11-time division champs, but they hadn’t gotten that far since 1989.

The other 8-1 team was Mexico atop Division 7, two ahead of Italy and Nigeria. The Mexicans won their fourth division title in five years and advanced for the 24^th time. Division 8 saw a stunning win for Myanmar at 7-2. Last year’s runner-up and 1999 champ Indonesia was second at 6-3 along with Pakistan. The Burmese became the 70^th unique nation to make it to the elite eight at least once.

Round Robin Group A was a true tie as Honduras, Canada, Mexico, and Myanmar all went 3-3. After sorting through a mess of tiebreakers, the Mexicans and Burmese advanced to the semifinal. It was the 14^th time going to the semifinal for Mexico and the fourth time in five years. Group B had the United States and Russia both advancing at 4-2, while Argentina was 3-3 and Venezuela was 1-5. The Americans earned a 40^th semifinal appearance, while the Russian got their ninth and first since the 1990 runner-up effort.

The US cruised to a semifinal sweep of Myanmar, sending the Americans to the championship for the fifth time in six years. On the other side, Russia ousted Mexico 3-1. It was the fifth time Russia earned a finals berth. The Mexicans repeated as the third place team, while the Burmese earned fourth place in their first-ever semifinal appearance.



The 55^th World Championship was the third time that the United States and Russia met in the final. The Americans won their 1955 encounter, followed by the lone Russian title the next year with a rally from down 3-0. The US continued their dominance by rolling 4-1, winning a fifth title in six years. The Americans are now 32-4 all-time in the championship, while the Russians are 1-4.



Tournament MVP was American catcher Luca Adams, a 12-year veteran with San Francisco. In 20 starts, Adams had 23 hits, 11 runs, 3 doubles, 6 home runs, 15 RBI, and 12 walks. The US also had the best pitcher Jeremy Dau, a third-year closer with Memphis. He set a still-standing WBC record with a 0.05 WHIP, allowing only one hit (a homer) in 18.1 innings. Dau had six saves in 11 appearances with a 0.49 ERA, 46 strikeouts, and no walks.

Other notes: Bolivia’s Uriel Navas tossed a no-hitter with 10 strikeouts and four walks versus Vietnam. Below are the updated all-time tournament stats.

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Three-time defending Southern Conference champion Johannesburg had the top record yet again, rolling to a third straight first place at 108-54. The Jackalopes had a .369 team OBP, which holds as the third best in conference history as of 2037. Dar es Salaam repeated as the wild card with a 98-64 mark. The only squad remotely in striking distance was Antananarivo at 90-72. Also notable was Cape Town bottoming out at 54-108. It was only two years prior that the Cowboys had a four-year playoff streak.

Lilongwe finished seventh, but they had the Southern Conference MVP in RF Felix Chaula. The 25-year old Tanzanian righty led in home runs (63), RBI (122), total bases (401), slugging (.726), OPS (1.130), wRC+ (203), and WAR (9.5). His .310 batting average was also third in the SC. Pitcher of the Year was Dar es Salaam’s Mobutu Kandol. The 26-year old Congolese righty led in wins (25-7), ERA (2.57), innings (287.2), quality starts (26), FIP- (61), and WAR (10.2). His 292 strikeouts left him 12 short of a Triple Crown. Sadly, his career plummeted after this due to a torn flexor tendon. Kandol would pitch for another decade, but was resigned to being a subpar reliever.



The positions were switched in the Central Conference standings. After taking second for the first time last year, Lubumbashi earned the top spot at 105-57. Four-time defending AAB champ Kinshasa took second at 100-62, keeping the Sun Cats as the only team to make the playoffs in all seven seasons of AAB so far. Mogadishu was a distant third at 92-70.

Lubumbashi 1B Abede Chekol repeated as Central Conference MVP. The 25-year old Ethiopian lefty led in runs (117), total bases (376), average (.326), slugging (.656), OPS (1.066), and wRC+ (179). Chekol added 46 home runs and 116 RBI. His Loggerheads teammate and Ethiopian countryman Alemayehu Legesse won Pitcher of the Year. The 28-year old righty led in wins (19-8), and WAR (8.0). Legesse added a 2.85 ERA over 252.2 innings with 236 strikeouts and had a no-hitter against Bujumbura. After the season, Lubumbashi gave him a three-year, $4,780,000 extension.

The Southern Conference Championship rematch saw Johannesburg prevail yet again, rolling Dar es Salaam 4-1. The Jackalopes earned a fourth consecutive pennant and their fifth in seven years. Kinshasa’s five-peat goals were thwarted with Lubumbashi sweeping them in the Central Conference Championship.



Johannesburg hoped that with Kinshasa out of the way, they could reclaim the throne. However, the seventh Africa Series went to Lubumbashi 5-3, making the Jackalopes runners up for the fourth year in a row. Conference MVP Abebe Chekol led the Loggerheads to their first-ever title, earning finals MVP as well. In 11 playoff starts, Chekol had 11 hits, 9 runs, 2 doubles, 3 home runs, and 5 RBI.



Other notes: Laurent Kouakou became the first player to 300 career home runs. Seven others would join him later in 2001. SS Ian Dube won his sixth Gold Glove. CF Bawaka Ngoie and C Denis Rakotoson won their sixth Silver Slugger.

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The battle for the top seed in the Western Conference was centered in the Mediterranean Division. Casablanca managed to earn a fourth straight division title at 99-63. They held off 98-64 Algiers, who had to stay home with only divisional champs advancing to the playoffs in ALB. That was a franchise best for the Arsenal, who is one of five teams without a playoff berth yet. Jerusalem repeated as Levant Division champ at 97-65, also fending off a strong foe in 93-69 Amman. Defending conference champ Cairo repeated in the Nile Division at 92-70, topping Alexandria by six games.

Giza was one of the worst teams in the Arab League at 58-104, but their two-way star Arabi al-Raddi couldn’t be denied Western Conference MVP. In only 94 games at the plate playing left field, the 29-year old Sudanese lefty hit 27 home runs with a .358 average, 1.150 OPS, 214 wRC+, and 5.7 WAR. On the mound, he had 5.2 WAR with a 2.83 ERA over 190.2 innings, 11-11 record, and 227 strikeouts. Injuries would limit al-Raddi’s potential, suffering a torn UCL early in 2002. Pitcher of the Year was Casablanca’s Mohamed Abdou in only his second season. The Egyptian left led in strikeouts (340), innings (286), quality starts (27), complete games (13), and WAR (7.9). Abdou added a 2.86 ERA and 17-11 record.

Cairo swept Jerusalem 2-0 in the first round, sending the Pharaohs to repeat Western Conference finals. Despite their five division titles in six years, this was Casablanca’s first WCF since their 1993-95 three-peat. The Bruins earned their fourth pennant, taking the final over Cairo 3-2.



Coming off their 121-win season and disappointing Eastern Conference Final defeat, Mosul again had the top record in the conference. The Muskies were 101-61, earning a seventh consecutive Iraq Division title. Jeddah won the Saudi Division at 96-66, topping reigning division winner Riyadh by three games. This gave the Jackals their third division title in four years. Dubai took the Gulf Division at 91-71, edging Doha by two games. This was the Diamonds’ second division win in three years. Kuwait, who shockingly won it all last year despite being 83-79, regressed to a mere 73-89 in 2001.

Basra was 89-73, still stuck by Mosul. It was Bulldogs LF Nordine Soule taking his second Eastern Conference MVP, leading in home runs (60), slugging (.727), OPS (1.130), and wRC+ (215). The 26-year old lefty from Comoros also had 123 RBI, a .334 average, and 10.2 WAR. Mosul’s Rashid Tariq won a historic sixth Pitcher of the Year; a mark only one ALB pitcher would match in the next 35 years. The 32-year old Iraqi righty led in wins (23-8), ERA (2.44), innings (284), and WAR (9.1). He added 282 strikeouts and a 1.01 WHIP.

Jeddah edged Dubai 2-1 in the first round of the playoffs, sending the Jackals to their second Eastern Conference Final in three years. For Mosul, it was their seventh straight season in the ECF, looking for their fourth pennant. The Muskies still had the bitter taste of last year’s stunning defeat to Kuwait and weren’t about to let that happen again. Mosul dropped Jeddah 3-1 to earn their third pennant in four years.



In the 12^th Arab League Championship, Mosul re-established the dynasty with a five game victory over Casablanca. The Muskies became the first team with three ALB titles and as of 2037, they’re the only ALB franchise to win three titles in a four year stretch. Finals MVP was 2B Said Choucair, a 27-year old Lebanese switch hitter. In 9 playoff starts, he had 11 hits, 5 runs, 3 doubles, 4 home runs, and 9 RBI.



This capped off an impressive dynasty run for Mosul, although they would never live down the stunning ECF defeat in 2000. Still, these would be remembered as the glory years for the Muskies, as they’d be without a pennant for the next 35 seasons and only make the conference finals twice in that stretch.

Other notes: Bilal Hamdan became the first ALB slugger to 500 career home runs. Hamdan also won his eighth Gold Glove at first base. Assad Fouad became the first pitcher to 3000 career strikeouts. Rashid Tariq and Mohamed Wael would also reach that mark in 2001. SS Mohammed Mohamed won his seventh Gold Glove and his eighth Silver Slugger.

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Three of the newcomers to the ABF repeated as playoff teams in 2000. Dushanbe and Bishkek tied for the top spot at 97-65 with first place officially going to the Dynamo. It was Dushanbe’s first time taking first since 1982. For the remaining two playoff spots, defending ABF champ Tashkent and Multan took them at 89-73. The Mighty Cocks had the tiebreaker to take third, while the Tomcats were eighth. Tashkent extended their playoff streak counting the EPB days to seven seasons. Rawalpindi and Peshawar both were one game short of the postseason at 88-74. Hyderabad’s seven-year postseason streak came to an end as they were seventh at 79-83.

East League MVP went to Rawalpindi first baseman Altaf Aslam. The 28-year old Pakistani lefty led in runs (104), home runs (69), RBI (127), total bases (380), slugging (.687), OPS (1.041), and wRC+ (214). Aslam’s 69 homers was tied for the second-most in ABF history. He also had 9.0 WAR in a contract year and would leave for MLB and Quebec City in the offseason on a four-year, $32,300,000 deal.

Pitcher of the Year was Bishkek veteran Procopie Lungu. The 36-year old Moldovan was in his third year with the Black Sox, after playing the prior 12 years with Almaty. It was Lungu’s second Pitcher of the Year, as he won all the way back in 1992 with the Assassins. He led in ERA (1.64), K/BB (9.6), quality starts (32), FIP- (61), and WAR (8.9). Lungu also had 345 strikeouts and an 18-9 record over 264 innings.

The favorites prevailed in the first round of the playoffs with Dushanbe sweeping Tashkent and Bishkek sweeping Multan. That ended the Tomcats’ hope for a fourth straight pennant. The Black Sox earned repeat East League Championship Series appearances, while the Dynamo hadn’t gotten this far since their 1981 EPB pennant. Dushanbe would claim the title 4-1 over Bishkek for their fourth-ever pennant (1958, 60, 81, 01).



The West League had the same four playoff teams as the prior year, albeit in different spots. Ankara was the top squad at 106-56, setting a franchise record. Reigning WL champ Isfahan finished second at 99-63, extending their playoff streak to seven years. The Imperials had 1924 strikeouts and an 11.77 K/9, both of which remain West League records as of 2037. Bursa took third at 96-66 to grow their own streak to five years, while Adana grabbed fourth at 88-74. Istanbul was the first team out in fifth at a distant 81-81.

For the third time in four years, MVP went to Adana’s Humayun Kahil. The 24-year old Pakistani left fielder was the WARlord (10.4) despite playing only 127 games. He also led in RBI (115), average (.346), slugging (.677), OPS (1.093), and wRC+ (225). Kahil had 44 home runs, falling one short of a Triple Crown.

Isfahan’s Yazeed Anwari won a historic sixth West League Pitcher of the Year. As of 2037, he’s one of only three ABF pitchers to win the award six times or more. The 28-year old Pakistani righty also prevailed despite injury, losing the final two months to elbow inflammation. Anwari led in ERA (1.76), K/BB (15.6), and FIP- (46). He added 7.9 WAR, 266 strikeouts, and an 18-4 record over 189.1 innings.

In the first round, #4 seed Adana stunned top seed Ankara 3-1, while #3 seed Bursa upset #2 Isfahan with a sweep. The Axemen earned their first WLCS since 1996, while the Blue Claws earned a third straight berth. Bursa battered Adana with a sweep to take their second West League pennant in three years.



In the 17^th Asian Baseball Federation Championship, Dushanbe beat Bursa 4-2, sending the ABF title to Tajikistan for the first time. It is the third ring overall for the Dynamo, who won the EPB title in both 1960 and 1981. In his Dushanbe debut, 1B Maksim Ignashevich won finals MVP. The 32-year old Russian signed a five-year, $18,400,000 deal after previously playing for Baku. In the playoffs, Ignashevich had 14 starts, 20 hits, 8 runs, 11 doubles, 4 home runs, and 8 RBI.



Other notes: Hasan Afshin became the first ABF pitcher to 3500 strikeouts.

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Ahmedabad’s Indian League again continued as the seven-time defending league champs broke their own wins record. The Animals finished 125-37 in 2001, topping their own 124-38 mark from 1995. That is one win shy of the SAB and world record of 126-36 by Ho Chi Minh City in 1993. Ahmedabad also extended its playoff streak to 17 seasons and its West Division title streak to 15.

Second in the division was 90-72 Mumbai, which earned them the wild card and their first-ever playoff berth. The Meteors entered the season as the only team in South Asia Baseball without at least one playoff appearance through SAB’s first 21 years. Jaipur cruised to the Central Division title at 97-65, getting their fifth playoff berth in six years. Kolkata, who won 95 games last year, fell off to 78-84. In a weak West Division, Visakhapatnam took it at 83-79, edging Chennai by one game. The Volts secured a fourth consecutive division title.

Indian League MVP was Jaipur 2B David Rusli in a record-setting campaign. The 28-year old became the second-ever SAB hitter to bat above .400 with his .4055 falling barely behind Arnav Sumedh’s .4057 from 1996. Rusli also stole 143 bases, which remains SAB’s all-time record as of 2037. At the time, it was the second most in any world league only behind Beisbol Sudamerica’s Pascal Garcia getting 152 in 1996. The 28-year old Thai switch hitter was only caught stealing 28 times, making for an truly all-time baserunning effort. On top of all that, he led the IL in runs (135), hits (234), OBP (.463), OPS (1.042), wRC+ (239), and WAR (13.3). Rusli’s effort was the fifth-most WAR by a SAB position player to that pint, especially remarkable with only 10 home runs (but 52 doubles).

Ahmedabad’s Gandhalata Green won Pitcher of the Year. The 30-year old got it despite only throwing 195 innings, winning amidst a quiet field. He did post a league-best 1.75 ERA and 0.86 WHIP to his credit. Green had a 16-3 record, 166 strikeouts, and 3.2 WAR. Green also tossed SAB’s sixth-ever perfect game on May 21, striking out eight against Hyderabad. Also of note, his Animals teammate Saroth Bora won his third Reliever of the Year. The 29-year old Cambodian tied SAB’s single-season saves record with 52, adding a 1.94 ERA over 97.2 innings, 178 strikeouts, and 3.8 WAR.

Mumbai took their divisional foe Ahmedabad to the brink in the first round of the playoffs, but the Animals escaped in five games. This meant for the 16^th consecutive season, Ahmedabad would play in the Indian League Championship Series. For the fourth time in six years, they would be facing Jaipur in the ILCS, as the Jokers edged Visakhapatnam 3-2. Ahmedabad won the ILCS 4-2 for an eighth consecutive pennant. They became the first team in any world league to win eight subleague titles in a row. The Animals became only the second team in world history to win 125+ games and also get to their championship, joining WAB’s Kano from the prior year. The other two teams to win that many lost in the first round (Ho Chi Minh City in 1993 & EBF’s Madrid in 1951).



Speaking of the Hedgehogs, the reigning SAB champs and winners of four straight Southeast Asia League titles continued their usual dominance. Ho Chi Minh City had SEAL’s best record at 115-47, rolling to a 13^th consecutive South Division title and 15^th straight playoff berth.

In the North Division, Yangon was first at 103-59, extending their own nice playoff streak to seven years. Hanoi was second at 92-70, easily getting the first wild card. The Hounds advanced for the sixth time in nine years. The second wild card spot was a mess that saw Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, and Kathmandu all tied at 82-80. SAB doesn’t use tiebreaking games and the formula favored the Bobcats. Bangkok got its fifth wild card in eight years.

Southeast Asia League MVP was Hanoi DH Htay Lay. The 25-year old Burmese lefty led in hits (187), RBI (141), total bases (407), slugging (.652), and wRC+ (179). Lay added 8.0 WAR, 58 home runs, and a .300 average. Although Vientiane had the worst record in the league, their ace Van Minh An won Pitcher of the Year. The 26-year old Vietnamese lefty was the WARlord (8.6) and leader in FIP- (59). An added a 15-11 record over 243.1 innings, 2.44 ERA, and 302 strikeouts.

The wild cards were quickly dispatched in the first round with Ho Chi Minh City sweeping Bangkok and Yangon sweeping Hanoi. This was the eighth successive Southeast Asia League Championship Series for the Hedgehogs. The Green Dragons hadn’t been that far since 1996 despite their playoff streak. Yangon pulled off the upset and denied the HCMC five-peat, winning the series 4-2. This was the fifth pennant for the Green Dragons (1980, 82, 83, 96, 01).



In the 22^nd South Asia Championship, all seven games were needed for the first time since 1995. Ahmedabad was denied becoming the first-ever champ in any world league with 125 wins or more, as Yangon pulled off the upset for its first-ever SAB title. The Animals were runner-up in back-to-back seasons. Leading Yangon was LF J.V. Munshi, who won finals MVP. The 27-year old had 27 hits, 16 runs, 7 doubles, 3 triples, 8 RBI, and 14 stolen bases in 16 playoff starts.



Other notes: Reliever of the Year Saroth Bora had an all-time great postseason in defeat for Ahmedabad, posting 19.2 scoreless innings with six saves and 37 strikeouts. Van Loi Phung became the sixth to reach 500 career home runs and won his ninth Silver Slugger in center field. 3B Manju Abbas won his 12^th Gold Glove and won his eighth Silver Slugger. 2B Tirtha Upadhyaya won his seventh Silver Slugger.

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Defending West African Baseball champ Abidjan again finished with the top record in the Western League, going 100-62. The Athletes extended their playoff streak to four years and earned their ninth berth in a decade. Accra was second at 91-71 to earn repeat wild cards. Freetown’s playoff streak grew to six years, taking the third place slot at 88-74. The Foresters took the final wild card by only one game over Nouakchott, two over Cape Verde, and five over both Conakry and Kumasi.

Western League MVP went to Kumasi designated hitter Mo Reda in his second season as a full-time starter. The Egyptian lefty led in runs (118), home runs (48), RBI (156), total bases (412), slugging (.661), OPS (1.057), wRC+ (189), and WAR (8.7). Reda’s 156 RBI was a new single-season WAB record, which he himself would top two years later. Abidjan’s Antonio Akinyemi repeated as Pitcher of the Year, winning his third. The 32-year old Nigerian lefty led in ERA (2.50), posting a 14-3 record over 197.2 innings with 233 strikeouts and 5.0 WAR.

Freetown upset Accra 2-0 in the wild card round, sending the Foresters to their sixth straight Western League Championship Series appearance. Unfortunately for Freetown, they also lost in the WLCS for the sixth straight year. Abidjan won the rematch 3-1 for a third straight pennant and their seventh in a decade. The Athletes now have 11 WL titles in WAB’s 27 year history.



Last year, Kano had a record-setting 125-37 season, but lost in the WAB Championship. The four-time defending Eastern League champs yet again took first in the standings with the Condors at 105-57. Kano’s postseason streak grew to seven years. Cotonou was second at 95-67 for their second-ever playoff appearance (1987). Ibadan narrowly extended its 12-year playoff streak, the longest active one in WAB. The Iguanas took third at 90-72, edging Lome by one game and Niamey by seven.

Kano’s Darwin Morris won a historic seventh Eastern League MVP. He broke his own runs scored record of 146 from 1997, scoring 152 times for a new world record. This held as the top mark in WAB until 2024 and still sits second in WAB history. The 29-year old Liberian shortstop also led in total bases (417), triple slash (.365/.454/.739), OPS (1.193), wRC+ (215), and WAR (14.5). He added 47 home runs and 134 RBI and posted his fourth season worth 14+ WAR. As of 2037, Morris is the only position player in baseball history with four seasons worth 14+ WAR.

Kano also had the Pitcher of the Year Kennedy Chisanga. He joined the Condors in a trade with Lome in January. The 26-year old Zambian led in wins (20-7), ERA (2.77), and WHIP (1.01). Chisanga added 218 strikeouts over 227 innings with 5.0 WAR. He would cash in with a six-year, $14,780,000 free agent deal in the offseason with Cotonou.

Ibadan earned the road win 2-1 over Cotonou in the wild card round, giving the Iguanas their fourth consecutive appearance in the Eastern League Championship Series. They were again no match for Kano, as the Condors swept them in the ELCS to earn a fifth straight pennant. Kano has won the Eastern League crown nine times now.



For the third straight year, the West African Championship pitted Kano against Abidjan. The Condors won in 1999 to three-peat, then the Athletes stunned the 125-win Kano squad in 2000. In six games, the Condors defeated Abidjan for their fourth WAB title in five years. Kano now has seven WAB titles, second only to Lagos’ eight. 3B Arnaud Aho was finals MVP with the 33-year old Beninois getting 9 hits, 7 runs, 5 home runs, and 11 RBI in 9 starts.



Other notes: Douala’s Kely Ballard had a 35-game hit streak, setting a new WAB record that held until 2013. Jack Kidaii also had a 34-game hit streak in 2001, both passing the previous record of 33. 2B Fausto Pyagbara won his seventh Gold Glove. Finals MVP Arnaud Aho won his ninth Silver Slugger at 3B and Darwin Morris won his eighth at SS. 2B Hamza Seidu won his seventh Silver Slugger.

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The Chinese Northern League had a three-way tie for first at 92-70 between Tianjin, Beijing, and Harbin. No tiebreaker games were used as all three teams got playoff spots. The formula gave the Jackrabbits first place and the bye, while the Hellcats took second and the Bears third. Tianjin ended a playoff drought dating back to 1988. Beijing was back after missing the prior year, while Harbin returned to the playoffs after a two-year layoff. The last time each of those teams made the playoffs, they won it all. Jinan narrowly missed out, taking fourth at 90-72. Hangzhou was fifth at 85-77 and Shenyang was sixth at 84-78.

Shenyang CF Xirong Wang won his second Northern League MVP, leading in WAR at 10.7. The 28-year old added 185 wRC+ and 32 home runs. Pitcher of the Year was Beijing’s Rajit Khatiwada. The 26-year old Nepali lefty led in ERA (1.02), WHIP (0.67), K/BB (11.4), shutouts (7), FIP- (43), and WAR (10.9). Khatiwada also had 342 strikeouts and an 18-8 record over 265 innings. Also of note, Xi’an’s Chaing-Ho Yang won his third Reliever of the Year.



Wuhan was first in the Southern League at 95-67, earning their first playoff berth since 1993. Dongguan took second at 93-69 to end a two-year playoff drought. Defending CLB champ Guangzhou was the only playoff team from last year to make it back to the playoffs. The Gamecocks narrowly took third at 90-72, topping Foshan by one game and Kunming by three.

Dongguan 2B Chenglin Huang won his second Southern League MVP. In his final season in CLB, the 32-year old led in hits (183) and average (.310), while adding 7.5 WAR and 30 home runs. Huang would leave for MLB in the offseason on a five-year, $42,500,000 deal with Phoenix.

Foshan’s Jinlong Han became the first-ever five-time Pitcher of the Year winner in CLB. The 31-year old righty led in strikeouts (378), K/BB (13.5), FIP- (34), and WAR (12.3). Han also had a 17-10 record over 266.1 innings and 1.69 ERA. Han also cashed in with MLB money in the offseason, joining St. Louis on a six-year, $50,100,000 deal. As of 2037, he’s one of only three pitchers in Chinese League Baseball history to win POTY five times.

In the first round crossover games, both Northern League teams beat their Southern team counterparts. Both were sweeps with Beijing over Dongguan and Harbin over the reigning champ Guangzhou. SL top seed Wuhan downed Harbin 4-2 in their semifinal. Earning their second-ever trip to the China Series (1993). The other semi re-established the great postseason rivalry of the mid 1980s between the Bears and Tianjin. Beijing upset the Jackrabbits 4-2, sending them to the final for the second time in three years.



In the 32^nd China Series, Wuhan became a first-time champion, besting Beijing 4-1. The Wolverines became the 14^th different CLB franchise to win it all. Third-year 2B Zifeng Zhou was finals MVP, getting 8 hits, 7 runs, 2 doubles, 1 triple, 2 home runs, and 6 RBI in 11 playoff starts.



Other notes; Xiamen was last in the Southern League at 61-101 and set an all-time CLB worst with only 326 runs scored. Qingdao’s Bryan Morris tossed CLB’s 30^th Perfect Game, striking out eight against Tianjin. Tao Yang became the fourth CLB slugger to 400 home runs. Yang also won his seventh Silver Slugger. Jinlong Han became the sixth to 3500 strikeouts. SS Chengxi Erpan won his eighth Gold Glove. 2B Chenglin Huang won his eighth Silver Slugger.

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Defending Austronesia Champion Kaohsiung took the Taiwan League for the third consecutive season. The Steelheads won it at 100-62, holding off respectable efforts by Tainan (91-71) and Taichung (90-72). Zamboanga repeated in a weak Philippine League field. 84-78 was enough for the Zebras to take first, edging Quezon by two games and Manila by six.

Repeating as Taiwan-Philippine Association MVP was Zamboanga CF Paolo Baptista. In only his third season, he led in WAR (10.8), wRC+ (193), total bases (300), slugging (.591), OPS (.921), and wRC+ (193). Baptista pulled it off despite missing three weeks to a fractured foot. The Zebras didn’t mess around with their young budding superstar, signing him to an eight-year, $31,340,000 extension in October.

Cebu’s Ninoy Lumar won his third consecutive Pitcher of the Year, leading in wins (18-11), innings (304.1), strikeouts (415), WHIP (0.73), K/BB (9.9), quality starts (28), complete games (10), shutouts (10), FIP- (51), and WAR (11.6). The 30-year old righty also had a 1.60 ERA, tying his career best. Lumar would have two more good years, but two torn rotator cuffs would end his career after his age 33 season. Also notable was Kaohsiung’s Bo-Kai Yen winning his third Reliever of the Year in only his fourth season. He led in saves at 43 and posted a career best 0.98 ERA over 100.2 innings with 179 strikeouts and 5.5 WAR.



Reigning Sundaland Association champ Medan repeated in the Malacca League at 99-63, taking the top spot by 11 games over Singapore. The Java League had a shakeup with Semarang first at 96-66. The Sliders hadn’t won the JL since their 1990 APB title season. Bandung was a close second at 93-69 with Surabaya at 87-75. Last year’s Java League winner Depok dropped to fourth at 83-79.

Sundaland Association MVP went to Surabaya 3B Gede Mamuaya. It was the second MVP for the 36-year old lefty, who had done it a decade earlier. He found the fountain of youth with a career season, leading the SA with career bests in runs (101), home runs (55), RBI (108), total bases (340), slugging (.622), OPS (.967), wRC+ (225), and WAR (12.2). Mamuaya also became a ten-time Silver Slugger winner.

Afiq Parker won his fourth consecutive Pitcher of the Year with another historic season. The 27-year old lefty for Medan led for the third straight year in ERA (1.10), strikeouts (431), FIP- (13), and WAR (16.0). He hit a career-best in ERA and WHIP and posted only the fifth-ever 16+ WAR season for an APB pitcher. In four seasons, Parker had posted a bonkers 60.9 WAR. He pitched 261.1 innings with a 22-5 record; two wins short of a third straight Triple Crown. Parker had a no-hitter (the third of his career) against Batam on May 23 with 18 strikeouts and one walk, as well as a 20 strikeout game in August versus Palembang. The Singaporean would see adversity shortly, suffering a torn rotator cuff in spring training 2002 that would knock him out 13 months.

In a Taiwan-Philippine Association Championship rematch, Zamboanga got revenge and upset Kaohsiung in six games. The Zebras entered the year as the only TPA team without at least one pennant, finally ending that unfortunate distinction. The Sundaland Association Championship was a seven game battle with Semarang ousting reigning champ Medan. It was the fifth pennant for the Sliders (1975, 80, 88, 90, 01).



The 37^th Austronesia Championship would be the first since 1986 to end in a sweep, as Semarang smacked Zamboanga. The Sliders became three-time APB champs with the win, having also won it all in 1975 and 1990. Backup 1B Ronald Yang was finals MVP. He only had two playoff starts and seven games, but he posted eight hits, 5 runs, 1 double, 1 home run, and 5 RBI.



Other notes: Batam’s Wisnu Mahmudiana had the 25^th APB perfect game on September 23, striking out 18 against Depok. He joined very elite company in baseball history as it was his second perfect game (1994). It was also Mahmudiana’s fourth no-hitter, becoming the third APB hitter with four or more no-nos. Mahmudiana also became the 12^th pitcher to 4000 career strikeouts in APB and the 12^th to 200 wins.

Bandung had 248 doubles as a team, setting a new Sundaland Association record that still holds as of 2037. Eli Cheng won his seventh Silver Slugger and his first as a DH. His previous wins were split between the corner outfield and first base. Cheng did it at age 39 in his return to APB after playing the prior eight years in MLB.

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For the third time in six years, Adelaide claimed the Australasia League pennant. The Aardvarks bounced back from only 82 wins in 2000 and 72 in 1999, rolling to the AL title at 100-62. They were 18 games better than their closest competitors in Gold Coast and Christchurch. Last year’s winner Auckland fell to 80-82, fifth behind 81-81 Melbourne. Adelaide outperformed their Pythagorean expectation by a large margin, winning 11 more games than the math would suggest.

Melbourne’s Tyler Straw repeated as Australasia League MVP. The third-year shortstop was the WARlord (11.1) and leader in slugging (.659), and OPS (1.025). Straw added 105 runs, 39 home runs, 108 RBI, and a .303 average. Pitcher of the Year was Adelaide’s Peter Regan, who led in wins at 23-12. The 27-year old righty had a 3.21 ERA over 289 innings, 275 strikeouts, and 6.4 WAR. This would be the peak of an otherwise unremarkable career for Regan, who suffered a torn labrum the next summer.



Two-time defending Oceania Champion Guam held its hold on the Pacific League crown. The Golden Eagles won their fifth consecutive pennant, taking first at 99-63. It was also Guam’s eighth title in 11 years and their 13^th overall, tying them with Honolulu for the most. Port Moresby was their only real competitor, a distant nine games back at 90-72. Guadalcanal was third at 85-79.

Tahiti struggled to seventh place, but they found a rising star in Arjita Gabeja, the Pacific League MVP. It was the first full season for the 22-year old Fijian lefty, who shined as a designated hitter. He led in home runs (51), RBI (115), runs (97), total bases (364), slugging (.589), and OPS (.928). Gabeja added 6.1 WAR and a .288 average. Guam’s Timothy Manglona won his fourth Pitcher of the Year in five seasons. The 27-year old Northern Marianan was the WARlord (9.5) and leader in wins (23-10), WHIP (0.71), K/BB (19.2), quality starts (28), complete games (25), shutouts (8), and FIP- (67). Manglona added 384 strikeouts and a 2.28 ERA in 307.2 innings.



Guam entered the 42^nd Oceania Championship looking for the third-ever three-peat. Adelaide denied them that honor, taking the series in six games. In his OBA debut, DH Kiryl Savchuk picked up finals MVP. The 29-year old Belarusian had played in Poland for Warsaw before signing a seven-year, $19,560,000 deal with the Aardvarks. In the series, he had 9 hits, 7 runs, 4 home runs, and 6 RBI.



It was the Aardvarks’ third title in six years and their eighth overall, sitting an impressive 8-1 all-time in the championship. The win also ties Adelaide with Honolulu for the most OBA titles. This would mark the end of the Aardvarks status as a regular contender, as they wouldn’t be back to the final in the next 35 years.

Other notes: Ricardo Antonio became the 10^th pitcher to 3500 strikeouts and the 12^th to 200 career wins. 3B Errol Herne won his 10^th Gold Glove and SS Thom Serra won his eighth. CF Damien Patton won his seventh Silver Slugger.

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Defending Eurasian Professional Baseball champ Minsk took top honors in the European League again, finishing 99-63. This grew the Miners’ playoff streak to 21 seasons, tying EBF’s Zurich for the longest streak in any pro league. Moscow ended a 13-year playoff drought, taking the wild card at 88-74. Kazan fell two games short of the Mules with St. Petersburg six back. The Crusaders had their four-year playoff streak snapped.

European League MVP went to Kazan veteran SS Gleb Khassanov. The 31-year old had Gold Glove winning defense, helping him to lead in WAR at 11.3. Khassanov also led in runs (89), and doubles (37), while adding 25 home runs and 172 wRC+.

Minsk’s Markiyan Konoplya repeated as Pitcher of the Year and repeated as a Triple Crown winner. The 27-year old Ukrainian righty posted only the sixth Triple Crown by an EPB pitcher and became the first to do it twice, posting a 22-6 record, 1.72 ERA, and 342 strikeouts over 277.2 innings. Konoplya also led in WHIP (0.83), quality starts (31), shutouts (6), FIP- (51), and WAR (10.7). In addition, Konoplya won a Gold Glove.



Defending Asian League champ Yekaterinburg finished atop the standings again, this time going 103-59. The Yaks earned a third consecutive playoff berth. Krasnoyarsk got second at 97-65, ending a playoff drought dating back to 1988. Last year’s wild card Omsk finished third, five back on the Cossacks at 92-70.

Yekaterinburg ace Matvey Ivanov won his third straight Asian League Pitcher of the Year and also earned league MVP. The 26-year old Russian lefty led in ERA (1.85), strikeouts (363), WHIP (0.81), quality starts (27), FIP- (49), and WAR (11.2). He added a 21-10 record over 278 innings.

In the European League Championship Series, Minsk downed Moscow 4-2 to repeat as champs. The Miners now have 15 pennants to their name. The Asian League Championship Series had Krasnoyarsk upset Yekaterinburg in six games. It was the fourth pennant for the Cossacks, who hadn’t taken the AL since their lone EPB championship ring in 1982.



In the 47^th EPB Championship, Minsk repeated as champion, although they had to work for it as Krasnoyarsk forced all seven games. The Miners became 11-time champs (1956, 62, 66, 69, 85, 88, 90, 91, 96, 2000, 01). Finals MVP was LF Ryuunosuke Sugawara, a Japanese veteran who joined Minsk in 1999 after starting in East Asia Baseball. In 13 playoff starts, Sugawara had 18 hits, 7 runs, 2 doubles, 4 home runs, and 11 RBI.



Other notes: EL MVP Gleb Khassanov won his eighth Silver Slugger. RF Sapar Durdyek won his seventh.

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Glasgow took the top seed in the EBF Northern Conference with a franchise record 110-52 season. The Highlanders won a fifth consecutive British Isles Division title and extended their playoff streak to six years. Copenhagen fell just short of the top seed, but earned a bye as well at 109-53. This was also a franchise record for the Corsairs, who repeated as Northeast Division champs. Defending EBF champion Kharkiv won a competitive North Central Division at 102-60. Counting their EPB days, the Killer Bees’ playoff streak grew to seven seasons. Hamburg was close behind at 99-63, earning the first wild card for a third straight playoff berth.

In a weak Northwest Division, Amsterdam (87-75) edged out Paris (84-78). This ended a four-year playoff drought for the Anacondas. In the race for the second wild card spot, Oslo (94-68) topped Warsaw (92-70), and Birmingham (91-71). The Octopi hadn’t earned a playoff spot since 1980. Notably, Berlin’s five-year playoff streak ended as the Barons dropped to 76-86.

Copenhagen LF Villum Kleist used epic power to win his second Northern Conference MVP. The 32-year old Dane smacked 71 home runs, becoming the sixth player in EBF history to hit 70+. He also led in RBI (143), total bases (422), slugging (.733), OPS (1.096), and wRC+ (201). Kliest had a .297 average and 8.0 WAR.

Kharkiv’s Igor Kuchkowski repeated as Pitcher of the Year, winning the award for the fourth time counting his two from EPB. The 34-year old Polish lefty led in wins (23-4), ERA (1.82), innings (272.1), and quality starts (30). He added 302 strikeouts and 9.1 WAR. Kuchkowski would look great again in 2002, but his velocity would fall off a cliff after that, ending his run after the 2003 season.

Hamburg beat Amsterdam 2-1 and Kharkiv topped Oslo 2-1 in the first round of the playoffs. Both top seeds prevailed in round two with Glasgow taking it 3-1 over the Hammers and Copenhagen surviving in five against the reigning champion Killer Bees. Glasgow advanced to the Northern Conference Championship for the fourth time in five years, but they hadn’t claimed the pennant since 1976. This was the Corsairs’ first NCC since their 1984 title. Glasgow would ultimately sweep Copenhagen, sending the pennant to Scotland for the fourth time (1965, 66, 76, 2001).



Munich ended up with the top record in the Southern Conference at 100-62, taking the South Central Division champ. The Mavericks ended a five-year playoff drought, fending off a solid 92-70 Rome squad. The Red Wolves fell four games short of the second wild card. The two wild cards and the #2 seed all came out of a tight Southwest Division. Seville and Madrid tied for first at 99-63, while Milan was 96-66. The tiebreaker game gave the division to the Stingrays, ending a nine-year playoff drought for them. The two-time defending conference champ Conquistadors got the first wild card, while the Maulers got the second spot and repeated as a playoff team.

Budapest grabbed a tight East Central Division at 89-73; their first playoff appearance since 1978. The Bombers dethroned Athens by one game, ending a four-year division title streak by the Anchors. The Southeast Division went to Sofia at 87-75. Last year’s division winner Tirana plummeted to 63-99. For the Spikes, it is their first-ever division title in franchise history. Their lone playoff appearance from their prior EPB stint came in 1977.

Southern Conference MVP was Milan 1B Joseph Doran. The third-year Irishman led in runs (123), total bases (427), and slugging (.695). Doran added 51 home runs, 126 RBI, a .344 average, and 8.3 WAR. Pitcher of the Year was Naples’ righty Ivo Jericek. The 28-year old Croatian led in wins (18-10), innings (270.2), quality starts (25), and complete games (19). Jericek added a 2.59 ERA, 217 strikeouts, and 7.1 WAR.

Madrid swept Sofia and Milan edged Budapest 2-1 in the first round of the playoffs. Munich survived 3-2 to oust the defending champ Conquistadors, while the Maulers stunned Seville with a road sweep. Milan hadn’t played in the Southern Conference Championship since 1958, while the Mavericks were making their first appearance since 1992. Munich took the series 4-2 over Milan to win a sixth pennant (1951, 52, 71, 88, 91, 2001).



The 52^nd European Championship went to Glasgow in five games over Munich, making the Highlanders three-time EBF champs (1966, 1976). They’re the first champ out of the United Kingdom since Birmingham in 1994. Backup OF Louis Spinner won finals MVP, having to take a starting role in 13 playoff games. The Swiss 27-year old had 17 hits, 7 runs, 5 doubles, and 18 RBI. Glasgow notably was the tenth different European Champion in ten years.



Other notes: Birmingham’s Lindsey Brampton twice had 21 strikeout games in 2001, including a no-hitter with 21 strikeouts and four walks against London on August 14. He’s thrown five 21K games and has three with 22 K. Only Ugo Musacci also has an EBF game with 21 Ks. Brampton’s eight games of 21 or more strikeouts is the most in world history, topping Beisbol Sudamerica legend Mohamed Ramos’ seven. His 21 K no-no is also the EBF record for strikeouts in a no-hitter. Brampton also joined Jean-Luc Roch as the only pitchers with 5500 strikeouts. He would play two more years, hampered by a torn UCL in 2002. Still, Brampton would pass Roch’s 5757, retiring EBF’s strikeout king at 5955.

Helsinki’s Valery Yevseyev had a 39-game hitting streak, the fifth longest in EBF history. Robin Morrison, Peter Brinkmann, and Villum Kleist each joined the 500 home run club, making 20 members. Rodrigo Vilanova became the 21^st to 1500 runs scored.