Baseball: The World's Game (OOTP 22 Fictional World)

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

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The European Baseball Federation added two into its Hall of Fame in 2003, although they entered with very different paths. RF Sean Houston was an absolute slam dunk with 99.3% and a first ballot nod. He was joined by SP Cornelius Danner, who finally crossed the 66% requirement with 68.2% on his tenth and final chance. Danner was the first-ever EBF inductee to make it on the final try.

Two others were just above 50% with LF Josip Stojanovic at 53.4% on his third ballot and LF Husnija Kojic at 52.4% on his seventh go. No players were dropped after ten failed attempts.



Sean Houston – Right Field – Birmingham Bees – 99.3% First Ballot

Sean Houston was a 5’10’’, 185 pound switch-hitting right fielder from Kirkcaldy, a town of 49,000 on Scotland’s east coast. Houston was THE slugger of the Northern Conference in the 1980s and 1990s, hitting 50+ home runs eight times in his career. He was an excellent contact hitter as well with great gap power, averaging 30 doubles and 13 triples per 162 game average. Houston also had an above average strikeout rate, although he drew far fewer walks than you’d expect with his power profile.

Despite his power, Houston had average to sometimes above average speed and could leg out extra bags. His only major flaw was defense. Houston played pretty much exclusively in right field and was an abysmal defender. Regardless, his bat was tremendous and he was an ironman, playing 149+ games in all but his rookie season. Houston was also a team captain and an excellent leader, becoming one of the most adored baseball figures of the United Kingdom.

Houston’s potential was spotted even out of high school in Scotland. You didn’t too often have high school draft picks in the EBF Draft, but Birmingham felt Houston was worth bucking that trend. With the 25^th pick in the 1978 EBF Draft, the Bees brought him in. It would be one of their finest-ever decisions, as he’d give them 17 excellent years. Houston trained in the academy in 1979 and 1980, officially debuting in 1981 at age 22.

Houston was primarily a pinch hitter in his rookie season, then was a full-time starter from year two onward. In his sophomore campaign, Houston posted 7.6 WAR, earning his first of 11 consecutive Silver Sluggers. As of 2037, he’s one of only four outfielders with 11 or more Sluggers and is the only one to win his consecutively. In his third season, Houston was third in MVP voting.

Houston went on an epic tear from 1984-87 with four straight Northern Conference MVPs, posting 8+ WAR in each season. In 1984, he crushed 72 home runs with 167 RBI and 144 runs scored, setting EBF records for each stat. He’d lose both the HR and RBI records to Mattias Stole in 1994 and lose the runs record by one in 2019 to Jean-Paul Lafontaine. However, his 522 total bases in 1984 is still EBF’s top mark as of 2037. Houston is one of only seven EBF sluggers with a 70+ dinger season and his 167 RBI in 1984 is still second all-time behind Stole’s 183.

Wisely after the remarkable 1984, Birmingham extended Houston for eight years and $6,530,000, During this four year stretch, Houston led in RBI, total bases, slugging, OPS, and wRC+ each season. He also led in homers thrice, hits twice, runs twice, WAR once, and batting average once. The Bees would win five British Isles Division titles from 1983-88, but they would go one-and-done four times. In 1985, they lost to Copenhagen in the conference final.

Houston was beloved at this point in Birmingham and back home in Scotland. He played in the World Baseball Championship for the Scottish team from 1982-94, playing 112 games with 109 starts. He posted 130 hits, 65 runs, 23 doubles, 32 home runs, 70 RBI, a .296/.342/.572 slash, 161 wRC+, and 5.2 WAR.

Houston had merely a good season in 1988, then got back into the MVP picture. He won the top honor in 1989, 90, and 91, becoming EBF’s first-ever seven time winner. Houston would be the only one until the eventual GOAT Harvey Coyle won nine in the 2010s and 2020s. Houston led in slugging, total bases, and home runs in all three MVP seasons, while also leading in RBI once, OPS twice, wRC+ once, and WAR once.

Birmingham fell towards the mid-tier in 1989 and 1990, but Houston brought them back to prominence in 1991. That started a stretch of seven straight playoff berths with six division titles. The Bees won their first-ever European Championship in 1991, defeating Munich in the final. Houston was finals MVP with 29 hits, 19 runs, 5 doubles, 3 triples, 9 home runs, 23 RBI, a .475/.529/1.098 slash, 342 wRC+, and 2.1 WAR in the playoff run. As of 2037, he still holds the playoff records for total bases (67), and RBI (23).

Before the 1992 season, the Bees gave Houston another five years and $7,400,000. Houston led in homes and RBI once more in 1992, taking second in MVP voting. It was his last time as a league leader, but he had a remarkable seven times leading in homers, six in RBI, eight in total bases, seven in slugging, six in OPS, and five in wRC+.

Into his mid 30s, Houston was still great even if his power started to fade some. Birmingham won the conference title in 1993, losing the EBF final to Zurich. In 1994, the Bees won it all over Barcelona with a franchise-best 110-52 season. Houston had another mammoth postseason with 34 hits, 13 runs, 6 gome runs, 12 RBI, and a .466/.387/.808 slash, winning conference finals and European Championship MVP. His 34 hits were a playoff record that held until 2015.

Birmingham lost in the 1995 conference final, but won a fourth pennant in six years in 1996. They lost the European Championship in a rematch with Barcelona, marking the end of an impressive dynasty run. Houston’s leadership and incredible bat were critical to this success, as he went down as one of the all-time clutch performers.

In 109 playoff games, Houston had 163 hits, 85 runs, 14 doubles, 14 triples, 43 home runs, 97 RBI, a .384/.419/.788 slash, 235 wRC+, and 8.9 WAR. As of 2037, he’s the EBF career postseason leader in homers and total bases (334). Houston retired as the leader in hits, runs, and RBI. As of 2037, he’s still third, fourth, and second in those stats. The rate stats show that Houston managed to get even better in the playoffs despite already having a very high bar for regular season performance.

In 1996, Houston became the fifth to reach 700 career home runs and the fifth to 3000 hits. 1997 would be the last year of his deal as his power had declined. Houston hit 30 home runs and 86 RBI, the lowest since his first full season. It ended a streak of 14 consecutive seasons with 100 RBI. Houston ended the season at 1991 RBI, falling just short of joining Jacob Ronnberg and Jack Kennedy in the 2000 club. The Bees had the last playoff berth of their streak, a wild card and a one-and-done.

Houston’s contract expired and he became a free agent for the first time at age 39. He wanted to still play somewhere, but couldn’t find a home in 1998, eventually retiring that winter. Birmingham immediately retired his #16 uniform and he would remain a beloved franchise icon for decades to come.

Houston finished with 3269 hits, 1760 runs, 500 doubles, 208 triples, 752 home runs, 1991 RBI, 374 stolen bases, a .328/.361/.646 slash, 181 wRC+, and 114.4 WAR. At induction, Houston was third all-time in hits, fourth in runs, third in doubles, fourth in home runs, third in RBI, and eighth in offensive WAR.

As of 2037, he’s still 11^th in hits, 13^th in runs, 8^th in doubles, 7^th in homers, 7^th in RBI, and 20^th in WAR. Houston’s atrocious defense hurts him compared to his contemporaries like Ronnberg and Kennedy, but he’s easily one of the finest pure hitters in EBF history. Houston has a case as the most clutch playoff hitter of all-time and led Birmingham in their 1990s dynasty run. Houston was a surefire lock at 99.3% and an impressive headliner for the 2003 EBF Hall of Fame class.



Cornelius Danner – Starting Pitcher – Athens Anchors – 68.2% Tenth Ballot

Cornelius Danner was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Klosterneuburg, a town of 27,500 people in northeastern Austria. Danner was a fireballer in his prime with excellent stuff and a fastball that peaked in the 99-101 mph range. He also had a terrific forkball, plus a good splitter, okay slider, and rarely seen changeup. Danner had average to above average control and movement. Prior to his later injury issues, Danner also was known for great stamina and the ability to go deep in games.

Danner was spotted as a teenage amateur by a scout from Athens, who brought him to Greece in the summer of 1968. He spent four years and change in their academy, debuting at age 20 in 1973. Danner definitely wasn’t ready though, posting a 5.09 ERA and conference-worst 20 losses. He bounced back with a very solid sophomore campaign with 2.47 ERA, 298 strikeouts, and 5.6 WAR.

1975 was decent, but saw a lost six weeks to a biceps strain. Danner bounced back for a very good 1976, but he looked pedestrian in early 1977. His first major injury occurred in late June with a torn labrum knocking him out five months. Danner bounced back impressively in 1978, winning his lone Pitcher of the Year. He led in wins at 23-9 and had a career best 2.13 ERA.

Athens made the playoffs for the second straight year in 1978 and won the Southern Conference Championship, dropping the European Championship to Brussels. Danner had mixed results in the playoff run with a 3.23 ERA over 30.2 innings and 106 ERA+. The Anchors were still somewhat worried about injuries, so when Danner was extended, it was only for three years at $1,668,000.

His 1979 was arguably better with career highs in WAR (9.6) and strikeouts (396), although Danner was third in voting. He followed it up with a good 1980 with career highs in innings (289) and complete games (24). The Anchors won division titles both years, but both times went one-and-done. Danner wasn’t to blame with two quality starts in those efforts, finishing with a 2.47 ERA in 47.1 playoff innings for Athens.

1981 was a contact year and Danner had a great first month. Disaster struck again though on May 11 with another torn labrum, this time putting him on the shelf for 11 months. It was too much of a liability for Athens, who didn’t re-sign him. For his nine seasons with the Anchors, Danner had a 123-90 record, 2.92 ERA, 2050 innings, 2409 strikeouts, 528 walks, 117 ERA+, 79 FIP-, and 47.8 WAR. The franchise would opt to retire his #6 uniform later as well.

Although he had been in Greece for a decade, Danner still had love for his native Austria. He pitched for his country in the World Baseball Championship from 1974-88, posting a 4.18 ERA over 153 innings, 214 strikeouts, 90 ERA+, and 2.2 WAR. When he became a free agent at age 29, Danner really hoped he’d have a chance to come home. Fortunately for him, Vienna was also interested in giving him a look.

Danner signed a seven-year, $4,420,000 deal with the Vultures. He was never the same after the second labrum tear though with below average results. In his fourth season, Danner had an abysmal 5.59 ERA in 83.2 innings and was flat out benched. Vienna was still on the hook though for three more seasons.

He seemed to refine things in 1986 and looked solid again for a bit, but he partially tore his labrum again. Danner was back to mediocrity in 1987 and Vienna bought out the final year of his contract. They would bring him back in 1988 anyway with lousy results yet again. For his Vienna tenure, Danner had a 60-63 record, 4.31 ERA, 1083.2 innings, 1064 strikeouts, 435 walks, 87 ERA+, and 6.5 WAR. It went down as one of the worst free agent deals of that era. Danner wanted to still play somewhere in 1989, but went unsigned and had to retire at age 37.

Danner’s career stats had a 183-153 record, 3.40 ERA, 3133.2 innings, 3473 strikeouts, 963 walks, 231/393 quality starts, 135 complete games, 104 ERA+, 91 FIP-, and 54.4 WAR. The Vienna run got him to less borderline accumulations, but it absolutely tanked his rare stats. When inducted, he had the worst ERA of any inductee. Even his tallies though weren’t eye-popping, leading many to assume Danner was a mere Hall of Pretty Good guy.

Danner debuted at 49.0% and hovered roughly around there in his first five ballots. He jumped to a high of 60.9% in 1999, then a low of 28.2%. Danner was back to 50.9% in 2001, but plummeted to 26.4% in his ninth ballot. Most assumed that was it for him, but Danner had one of the most remarkable ballot comebacks. There were those sympathetic to injuries derailing his back end of his career. Danner managed to win just enough over in his final try to get across the line at 68.2%. He’s definitely among the weakest entries, but Danner has the ring regardless.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

Two players received a first ballot addition with the Eurasian Professional Baseball Hall of Fame in 2003. SP Haxhi Maho was a no-doubter at 99.3%, while 1B Aleksei Sakalauskas was less of a lock. Still, he managed 75.9% to earn his spot alongside Maho. The best returner was SP Petr Bidzinashvili, missing the 66% requirement at 59.3% in his sixth try. Two other debuting players were above 50% with pitchers Dana Bancu at 57.0% and Giorgi Mikadze at 54.1%.



Closer Pavel Artamov was dropped after ten ballots. He had ten seasons with Omsk and seven years in MLB. With the Otters, Artamov had one Reliever of the Year, 301 saves, 2.05 ERA, 784.2 innings, 1087 strikeouts, 142 ERA+, and 29.6 WAR. He wasn’t quite as dominant as the other relievers that had gotten into EPB’s Hall and he lost some counting stat chances by leaving for MLB. Artamov peaked at 36.2% on his second try and ended at 11.5%.

SP Anatolie Burlacu also fell off the ballot after ten tries, debuting at 32.5% but ending at 7.0%. He had a 13-year career between Kazan, Kharkiv, and Almaty and posted a 167-173 record, 2.69 ERA, 3100.1 innings, 3329 strikeouts, 108 ERA+, and 47.9 WAR. Burlacu had one outstanding effort in 1984, leading in strikeouts (377) and posting a 1.60 ERA and 10.0 WAR for second in Pitcher of the Year voting. Outside of that though, he was considered firmly a “Hall of Pretty Good” level guy.



Haxhi Maho – Starting Pitcher – Bucharest Broncos – 99.3% First Ballot

Haxhi Maho was a 6’3’’, 200 pound left-handed pitcher from Durres, Albania’s second largest city with around 175,000 along the Adriatic Sea. Maho was best known for having outstanding movement on his pitches, solid stamina, and terrific durability. His control and stuff only graded out as average to above average, but Maho made it work. A 96-98 mph cutter was his primary out pitch and was mixed with a slider, screwball, and changeup. Maho was a fan favorite known for his loyalty and longevity, becoming one of the most popular players of his era.

Maho was picked seventh overall by Bucharest in the 1979 EPB Draft. He was a full-time starter immediately and tossed 245+ innings every year for the next 17 years for the Broncos. He was solid from the beginning, taking second in Rookie of the Year voting in 1980. One year later, he was Pitcher of the Year, leading the European League in wins at 23-4 and ERA at 1.72. This was his first of ten seasons worth 8+ WAR and 15 seasons worth 6+ WAR.

That also marked the start of regular contention for Bucharest, who hadn’t made the playoffs in two decades. They would have regular wars in the South Division with Kyiv and Kharkiv for the top spot over the next decade. From 1981-91, the Broncos earned nine playoff berths, seven division titles., and six seasons with triple-digit wins. Maho was the reliable ace for this impressive run.

Bucharest would see some disappointment in their postseason efforts, going one-and-done in seven of their nine berths. In 1984, the Broncos broke through to win the EPB title over Bishkek. Bucharest made the ELCS in 1990, but fell to Minsk. Although the team’s playoff stats were underwhelming, you couldn’t blame Maho for their failings. In 122.1 playoff innings, he had a 7-3 record, 1.84 ERA, 133 strikeouts, 156 ERA+, and 2.9 WAR.

Maho posted a league and career-best 11.3 WAR in 1984, but only took third in Pitcher of the Year voting in a loaded field. He never led the league in strikeouts, but had a career-best 336 this season. Maho would fan 250+ batters though each year of his career except for his first and last. He would take Pitcher of for the second time in 1985 with a league-best 24-8 record, 1.68 ERA, and 10.7 WAR. Not only that, but Maho won EL MVP as Bucharest had the EPB’s best record at 110-52.

In May 1986, Maho signed a five-year, $3,470,000 contract extension with Bucharest. He wasn’t an awards finalist for a few seasons, but still led in WAR again in 1988. In 1990, Maho won his third Pitcher of the Year and his second MVP. He set the EPB record for wins at 29-3, a mark that still hasn’t been topped. It was also one win shy of the world record of 30 set in OBA. Maho also had a career-best 1.46 ERA.

Maho was second in POTY voting in 1991, his final time as a finalist. He continued his same steady production for his final five years with Bucharest posting 6+ WAR each time. He also managed a third ERA title in 1995 at age 37. The Broncos still won 90+ games each year from 1992-95, but couldn’t crack the postseason lineup. In 1996, they fell just below .500 and fell towards mediocrity for their final seasons in EPB.

Maho reached notable milestones in these final years. In 1992, he became EPB’s fourth pitcher to 250 wins. In 1995, he was the second to 300 wins and the 11^th to 4500 career strikeouts. With his contract up after the 1996 season and Bucharest no longer a contender, both sides knew the run had ended. Maho still remained beloved by Broncos fans and his #13 uniform would be shortly retired.

Maho still wanted to pitch and thought he might have a shot at catching Alvi Tahiri’s wins record of 349. His velocity had dipped notably though, limiting the interested teams. Just before the start of the season, St. Petersburg gave Maho a one-year deal. He was now only hitting the 88-90 mph range for max velocity and posted firmly below average numbers for the Polar Bears, although he did eat innings. Maho decided to retire after this effort at age 40.

The final stats for Maho was a 335-188 record, 2.17 ERA, 4915 innings, 4968 strikeouts, 926 walks, 460/589 quality starts, 230 complete games, 75 shutdowns, 133 ERA+, 68 FIP-, and 142.0 WAR. At induction, he was second all-time in wins, third in pitching WAR, fifth in strikeouts, third in innings, and tied for first in shutouts.

As of 2037, he’s still second in wins, second in shutouts, third in innings, seventh in strikeouts, and fourth in WAR. Most all-time pitcher lists for EPB have Maho in the top five for good reason. He was well deserving of the headline honor atop the 2003 EPB Hall of Fame class at 99.3%.



Aleksei Sakalauskas – First Base – Yekaterinburg Yaks – 75.9% First Ballot

Aleksei Sakalauskas was a 6’1’’, 200 pound right-handed first baseman from Novokuznetsk, Russia; a city of more than 500,000 people in southwestern Siberia. Sakalauskas was known for having an outstanding eye for drawing walks and very solid home run power. He was a good contact hitter also, but his strikeout rate was below average. Sakalauskas was great at finding the gap, averaging around 30 doubles per year. He was a fairly intelligent baserunner, but only had below average speed.

Sakalauskas played almost exclusively at first base, although he did have a couple weak starts at third. He graded out as a strong defender at first, winning four Gold Gloves. Sakalauskas was an iron man, playing in 150+ games every year from 1983-2001. He was scrappy and worked hard, making him one of Russia’s most beloved baseball figures of the era.

Sakalauskas’s skillset was undeniable even as a teenager with Russian teams salivating at him as a prospect. With the #1 overall pick in the 1978 EPB Draft, Sakalauskas was picked by Yekaterinburg. His entire EPB career came with the Yaks, although he wasn’t immediately used. Sakalauskas stayed in developmental in 1979, then saw 20 games and one start between 1980 and 1981. He was a part-timer in 1982, then a full-time from 1983 onward.

Once in the lineup for good, Sakalauskas excelled with his first Silver Slugger in 1983; his only one as a third baseman. He led the Asian League with a career best (42) in doubles that year and posted his first of 11 seasons worth 6+ WAR. In 1985, Sakalauskas had a banner year with league bests in runs (103), homers (54), RBI (116), total bases (362), OBP (.374), slugging (.623), OPS (.997), wRC+ (223), and WAR (10.8). He earned his second Silver Slugger and lone MVP. This year had career bests in runs, hits, homers, total bases, average (.305), slugging, OPS, wRC+, and WAR.

This season snapped a 12-year playoff drought for Yekaterinburg, although they went one-and-done. Still, Sakalauskas had brought them back to respectability and the Yaks were delighted to lock him up with an eight-year, $4,604,000 extension after the 1985 season. They would earn five playoff berths from 1985-90 and make it to the ALCS thrice. In 1989 as a wild card, Yekaterinburg went on a surprise playoff run, defeating Minsk in the EPB Championship.

In the playoffs for Yekaterinburg, Sakalauskas had 46 starts, 43 hits, 29 runs, 5 doubles, 16 home runs, 29 RBI, a .249/.311/.566 slash, 161 wRC+, and 2.4 WAR. He was also a regular for Russia in the World Baseball Championship. From 1983-2000, Sakalauskas played 178 games and started 170, posting 142 hits, 123 runs, 20 doubles, 63 home runs, 132 RBI, 120 walks, a .242/.382/.601 slash, 181 wRC+, and 10.2 WAR.

As of 2037, he has the 34^th most WAR of any position player in the WBC. He’s also Russia’s all-time leader in WAR, runs, home runs, RBI, and walks drawn. Sakalauskas also went on a tear in the 1990 WBC, which saw the Russians fall in the championship to Brazil. In 26 games, he had 23 hits, 25 runs, 13 home runs, 29 RBI, and 22 walks for 2.3 WAR. This kept Sakalauskas as a beloved national figure even after he later left for MLB.

With Yekaterinburg, Sakalauskas won additional Silver Sluggers in 1986, 89, 91, and 92; giving him six total. He won three Gold Gloves in EPB (1988-90). Sakalauskas was second in MVP voting in 1987 and 1989, plus third in 1991. Sakalauskas had three seasons with double-digit WAR and was the AL’s WARlord four times. After his 1985 MVP, Sakalauskas led in RBI once more, total bases twice, OBP thrice, slugging four times, OPS thrice, and wRC+ thrice.

The Yaks narrowly missed the playoffs in 1991 and 1992. The team would ultimately go for a full rebuild after that, in part due to Sakalauskas declining the final year option in his contract. He was a free agent for the first time heading into his age 34 season. Sakalauskas would have worldwide offers and ended up leaving EPB much to the chagrin of Russian officials. The timing worked out for him, as the Soviet Union had only recently collapsed.

For his Yekaterinburg and EPB run, Sakalauskas had 1672 hits, 906 runs, 303 doubles, 389 home runs, 1004 RBI, 732 walks, a .285/.367/.543 slash, 182 wRC+, and 87.1 WAR. The franchise retired his #5 uniform and he’d be a celebrated Yak for many years.

Because he left, Sakalauskas’s accumulations weren’t at the top of the leaderboard, but as of 2037 he does notably have the third best OPS, seventh best slugging percentage among EPB Hall of Famers and the fourth best OBP. Sakalauskas was the OBP leader at induction as well. Still, there were voters that held his departure against him, but enough recognized his greatness to give Sakalauskas the first ballot induction at 75.9%.

Even though he came to MLB at age 34, Sakalauskas still had another decade of play in front of him. He signed a five-year, $11,600,000 deal with Calgary, who were fresh off a World Series defeat to Hartford. Sakalauskas helped them get back in 1993, winning the title against Toronto. He won American Association Championship Series MVP and had 22 hits, 15 runs, 8 home runs, and 17 RBI over 15 playoff starts.

Sakalauskas didn’t lead the AA or win awards with the Cheetahs, but he gave them five seasons of 4.9+ WAR or better. Calgary won 106 games in 1994, but suffered a disappointing second round exit. They fell into the mid-tier for the rest of his run. Sakalauskas posted 871 hits, 533 runs, 153 doubles, 165 home runs, 535 RBI, a .288/.373/.515 slash, 138 wRC+, and 27.0 WAR.

He was 39 years old and a free agent again entering the 1998 season. Having shown no signs of decline to that point, Ottawa gave Sakalauskas a three-year, $13,200,000 deal. His debut season with the Elks was his best MLB year with 7.0 WAR, earning a Silver Slugger. Sakalauskas gave Ottawa two more good seasons after that, getting 446 hits, 262 runs, 101 home runs, 281 RBI, a .255/.344/.485 slash, 154 wRC+, and 15.8 WAR.

At 42 years old, Sakalauskas was still looking great and New Orleans inked him at three years at $14,960,000. Age finally caught up to him as he posted very average hitting numbers in 2001. Sakalauskas struggled in limited use in 2002, getting cut in the summer by the Mudcats. After finishing the year unsigned, Sakalauskas retired at age 44. He had 0.5 WAR and a 93 wRC+ with New Orleans.

For his MLB tenure, Sakalauskas had 1454 hits, 870 runs, 256 doubles, 291 home runs, 887 RBI, 697 walks, a .270/.356/.489 slash, 138 wRC+, and 43.4 WAR. Those are remarkable stats having played only a decade and starting at age 34.

For his entire pro career, Sakalauskas had 3126 hits, 1776 runs, 559 doubles, 680 home runs, 1891 RBI, 1429 walks, a .278/.362/.517 slash, 161 wRC+, and 130.5 WAR. The combined numbers certainly put Sakalauskas in the conversation among the best-ever Russian-born sluggers.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

Pitcher Jonah Lois made history as the first (and as of 2037, only) unanimous inductee into the Oceania Baseball Association Hall of Fame. He joined SAB’s Zainal bin Aziz and BSA’s Luca Alvares as the only unanimous selections in any league to that point. Two came close to joining Lois in the 2003 class, but fell just short of the 66% requirement. RF Eric Williams had a debut at 63.9%, while RF Ryan Whatley earned 61.2% in his seventh try.



Wayne Sledge was the only player to fall off the ballot after ten tries. An American who came to OBA and pitched 11 years between Fiji and Christchurch, Sledge had a 138-110 record, 2.95 ERA, 2289.1 innings, 2533 strikeouts, 109 ERA+, and 35.8 WAR. Firmly a “Hall of Pretty Good” guy, he managed to stay on the ballot despite peaking at 20.7% and only finishing in the double-digits four times.



Jonah “Boss” Lois – Pitcher – Christchurch Chinooks – 100% First Ballot

Jonah Lois was a 5’11’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Waitakere, New Zealand; located within greater Auckland. Lois was a hard thrower with outstanding movement, very good control, and solid stuff. He had a 98-100 mph cutter mixed with a devastating curveball and rarely seen changeup. Lois had strong stamina for much of his run and great durability. He was weak defensively and struggled holding runners. Lois worked very hard and earned the nickname “Boss” for his work ethic and longevity.

Because the vast majority of his career was with Christchurch, many fans don’t realize Lois started with Honolulu. A scout from Hawaii signed him as a teenager amateur in May 1975. He made his official debut with 18 relief appearances in 1980 at age 21. He saw a bit more use in 1981, still putting up unremarkable results in relief despite getting second in Rookie of the Year voting. Lois was viewed as only a two-pitch guy since his third pitch (the changeup) was so poor, meaning many dismissed him to the bullpen. In total with Honolulu, he had a 3.28 ERA over 57.2 innings.

The Honu weren’t high on him and threw him in a deal with two other prospects and a draft pick to Christchurch in the 1981 offseason in exchange for CF Dan Oleson. The Chinooks also used Lois as a reliever in his first two seasons back in his home country, although he looked solid in the role. Lois took third in Reliever of the Year voting in 1982, then won the award in 1983. He had 65 saves and 6.7 WAR in these two seasons as the closer.

Christchurch was an Australasia League contender, winning the 1983 pennant where they lost to the now established Honolulu dynasty. The Chinooks split Lois between relief and starting in 1984, then turned him into a full-time starter after that. He emerged as a true ace and led the AL in wins four times, ERA once, innings thrice, WHIP twice, complete games thrice, and WAR twice. From 1984-96, he added 5+ WAR each season. Lois was third in 1988 POTY voting, second in 1989, second in 1993, and second in 1994.

Christchurch gave Lois a six-year, $3,060,000 contract extension just before the 1986 season. The Chinooks won additional pennants in 1985, 88, 92, and 95; although they could never get over the hump in the OBA Championship. Lois had mixed results in the playoffs with a 3.21 ERA over 73 innings, 54 strikeouts, 101 ERA+, and 1.7 WAR.

Lois was also a regular for New Zealand in the World Baseball Championship from 1981-97 with 46 games and 25 starts. He tossed 211.2 innings with an 11-4 record, 12 saves, 2.85 ERA, 253 strikeouts, 126 ERA+, and 7.4 WAR. As of 2037, he leads all Kiwis in the WBC in pitching WAR and is tied for first in wins, second in innings pitched, and third in strikeouts.

Christchurch gave Lois another two years and $1,380,000 in mid 1992, then a three-year, $3,780,000 extension in September 1994. Lois’s game aged well, evidenced by his best season coming in 1995 at age 36. He led with a career-best 2.11 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, and 9.6 WAR, becoming one of the oldest-ever first-time winners of a major award. That was one of his better postseasons with a 1.93 ERA in 14 innings, although the Chinooks again fell short.

Lois had a good 1996 and led in wins with 5.9 WAR. However, his once upper 90s velocity had dipped into the mid 90s. By 1997, Lois had trouble hitting 90+ mph regularly. He posted very middling numbers in his final season in 1997 and retired that winter at age 39. Christchurch immediately retired his #1 uniform.

For his career, Lois had a 277-219 record, 2.88 ERA, 4466.1 innings, 3958 strikeouts, 641 walks, 360/515 quality starts, 207 complete games, 114 ERA+, 81 FIP-, and 98.6 WAR. As of 2037, Lois is eighth in pitching WAR, fifth in wins, 16^th in strikeouts, and first in losses. Certainly a Hall of Fame worthy career, although historians would be baffled why Lois of all people was unanimous. He certainly doesn’t come up in GOAT conversations and few would put him in OBA’s top five all-time pitchers. Regardless, Lois managed to earn a unique distinction as OBA’s lone 2003 inductee.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

Austronesia Professional Baseball had a two-player Hall of Fame class for 2003. Both were first ballot starting pitchers, although they got in with very different margins. Yao-Tsung Chang was a firm addition at 90.2%, while Chandra Igbonefo only barely crossed the 66% requirement at 68.4%. Closer Hong Quinonez barely missed joining them with 65.8% on his seventh try.



Dropped after ten ballots was reliever Ervin Tat, whose APB career was only eight years between Pekanbaru and Quezon. He had an unremarkable MLB tenure after that. Tat had 129 saves and 179 shutdowns, a 1.59 ERA, 842.2 innings, 1220 strikeouts, 151 ERA+, and 32.5 WAR, plus one Reliever of the Year. Tat had a lot of WAR for a short time, but lacked the important counting stats voters wanted. He still managed 33.1% as a ballot peak in 1995 before ending with 15.8%.



Yao-Tsung Chang – Starting Pitcher – Taipei Tigercats – 90.2% First Ballot

Yao-Tsung Chang was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Yungkang, Taiwan; a district of roughly 230,000 within Tainan. Chang had great movement on his pitches with good stuff, but below average control. His best pitch was a 94-96 mph cutter which he mixed with a strong curveball, nice sinker, and decent changeup. Chang had respectable stamina and was great at holding runners. He showed very sturdy durability and could be relied upon for a full slate of starts each year.

Chang was signed in April 1979 as a teenage amateur by Taipei. He’d spend nearly his entire career in the capital city. Chang officially debuted with one appearance in 1983 at age 21. 1984 was his first year as a full-time starter, a role he’d keep for the Tigercats for 13 years. In his earliest seasons, Chang was consistently good, but not viewed as the best of the best.

After around 15 years of mostly mediocrity, Taipei found success in the late 1980s. They won five Taiwan League titles from 1988-93 and took the Taiwan-Philippine Association title in 1988, 89, and 93. In 1988, The Tigercats were Austronesia Championships, winning the final against Semarang. In his playoff career for Taipei, Chang had a 10-3 record over 115.1 innings, 2.42 ERA, 96 strikeouts, 116 ERA+, and 2.2 WAR. Chang made history in the 1993 APB Championship. Although Taipei lost the series to Jakarta, Chang tossed a no-hitter in the finals, striking out five with one walk.

1990 would be his first time as a Pitcher of the Year finalist, taking third. Chang was third again in 1992 and 1993, but never got closer. He would lead the TPA in wins three times and quality starts once, although he otherwise didn’t have any black ink. His best season by WAR was 7.0 in 1991. Steady and reliable was the trick for Chang. Taipei was pleased with that, giving him a six-year, $6,360,000 extension in early 1991.

Chang regressed in his final two seasons with Taipei with a sub-100 ERA+. The Tigercats had fallen towards the middle of the standings by this point and were looking to rebuild. Just before the start of the 1997 season, Chang was moved to Manila for three prospects. He maintained a good relationship with Taipei officials and his #10 uniform would get retired shortly after.

Chang had a good season in Manila with 5.8 WAR, his best effort in a few years. The Manatees had the best record in the TPA, but lost the Association Championship to Taoyuan. Chang gave up three runs (two earned) over eight innings in his one playoff start. It seemed like Chang still had enough in the tank to keep going, but he was content to call it a career there at age 36.

Chang had a 228-143 record, 2.43 ERA, 3583.1 innings, 3510 strikeouts, 835 walks, 356/457 quality starts, 111 complete games, 114 ERA+, 88 FIP-, and 66.0 WAR. Slow and steady won the race for Chang, whose totals aren’t eye-popping much like his yearly results. But he was consistently quite solid for 14 years and helped Taipei earn three pennants. Chang received 90.2% to headline APB’s 2003 Hall of Fame class.



Chandra Igbonefo - Starting Pitcher – Depok Demons – 68.4% First Ballot

Chandra Igbonefo was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Tarub, Indonesia, a city of 75,000 people in the Central Java province. Igbonefo was a fireballer known for his overpowering stuff, which made up for his subpar movement and control. He had a 99-101 mph fastball and was excellent at confusing hitters with a good changeup and solid splitter. Igbonefo had excellent stamina and was great at holding the runners he did allow on base. He also had a reputation in the clubhouse as a prankster.

Despite being from relatively humble origins in Indonesia, Igbonefo was spotted by a Taiwanese scout in June 1977. He signed a deal with Taoyuan, although he never played an inning for the Tsunami. In the 1982 offseason, the 22-year old Igbonefo was traded to Depok straight up for catcher Prince Hunoz. The Demons gave Igbonefo a split load between starting and relief in 1983 with respectable results. He became a full-time starter after that.

Depok was a terrible team in this era with Igbonefo’s tenure in the middle of a nearly 20 year playoff drought. He pitched solidly, but didn’t get awards attention. Igbonefo had a career best 389 strikeouts and 7.6 WAR in 1987, posting 8 shutouts. Even in his best seasons though, Igbonefo wasn’t a league leader.

Disaster would strike in August 1990 with a torn rotator cuff, knocking Igbonefo out 15-16 months. Even with the injury, the Demons gave him a two-year, $1,660,000 extension in late 1990 with the hopes that he’d bounce back. Igbonefo did return in late 1991 and looked good in seven starts. In total with Depok,Igbonefo had a 97-121 record, 2.45 ERA, 2022 innings, 2582 strikeouts, 495 walks, 99 ERA+, 91 FIP-, and 34.4 WAR. The Demons would later retire his #4 uniform for his contributions.

However, Depok did buy out the final year of his deal, making Igbonefo a free agent for the 1992 season at age 31. Medan inked him to a two-year, $1,700,000 deal. Igbonefo had a quite solid first year with the Marlins, but was more average into 1993. Near the deadline, he was shipped to Jakarta for three prospects. With Medan, he had a 22-24 record, 2.46 ERA, 562 strikeouts, 9.0 WAR, and 101 ERA+.

Igbonefo was merely average with the Jaguars, but he helped them win the APB Championship. He allowed 3 earned runs in 8.2 innings in his one playoff start, a victory. A free agent again at age 33, Batam gave him a four-year, $6,400,000 contract. Igbonefo lived up to the deal with initially with a second place in Pitcher of the Year voting in 1994, his only time as a finalist. Igbonefo had a career-best 1.67 ERA that year with 32 quality starts, 371 strikeouts, and 7.4 WAR.

Igbonefo was respectable in the next two years for Batam, who earned playoff berths in 1994, 95, and 97. Igbonefo had a 2.16 ERA in his four playoff starts as a Blue Raider with 37 strikeouts. He had 18 innings with a 1.00 ERA in 1997 as Batam won the Sundaland Association pennant, although they dropped the APB final to Taoyuan.

Despite his playoff success in 1997, Igbonefo had regressed in that final season of his deal. An elbow strain cost him seven weeks and his velocity dropped towards the mid 90s after previously being triple-digits. Igbonefo was the eighth APB pitcher to 4000 strikeouts though while with Batam. In total there, he had a 58-34 record, 2.21 ERA, 866 innings, 1073 strikeouts, 14.0 WAR, and 114 ERA+. Igbonefo went unsigned in 1998 and retired that winter at age 38.

For his career, Igbonefo finished with a 181-186 record, 2.41 ERA, 3433.1 innings, 4353 strikeouts, 770 walks, 326/427 quality starts, 168 complete game, 102 ERA+, 91 FIP-, and 58.9 WAR. He was ninth all-time in strikeouts at induction and still sits 15^th as of 2037. However, Igbonefo wasn’t a league leader or Pitcher of the Year type. Traditionalist voters also didn’t want to induct a guy with a losing record. The advanced stats were mixed with the ERA+ suggesting slightly above average and FIP- saying he was a victim of poor support at points.

Many voters like strikeouts though, which helped Igbonefo’s case that was otherwise borderline. When looking back with later inductees, Igbonefo stands out as one of the weaker additions from the mound. However, he managed to get 68.4% on his debut, forever earning a first ballot spot with the 2003 class.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

Chinese League Baseball inducted two players for the 2003 Hall of Fame voting. The headliner was two-way star Wei Qin with a first ballot spot at 93.8%. Right fielder Shichao Zhang got a bump on his fourth try, joining Qin at 75.0%.



Four others were above 50%, but short of the needed 66%. RF Zhengyu Peng was the closest at 60.2% for his seventh try. Closer Junwei Zhu had 60.2% on his sixth ballot. SP Pengju Xue received 54.7% in his seventh go and SP Baoxian He had 51.2% on his sixth shot.

2B/SS Weiping Gao was dropped after ten ballots. He had a decorated career with 14 seasons between Kunming and Foshan, earning two MVPs, three Gold Gloves, and five Silver Sluggers. Gao had 1576 hits, 799 runs, 206 doubles, 101 triples, 343 home runs, 880 RBI, a .239/.276/.458 slash, 146 wRC+, and 82.1 WAR. He also won two titles with the Muscle and one with Honolulu as he left for OBA late in his career.

Despite that resume, the notoriously tough on hitters CLB voters never gave Gao much of a look. He debuted at 35.7%, which would be his peak. Gao finished at a mere 10.2%. He’s 50^th in WAR by a
positional player as of 2037.



Wei Qin – First Base/Pitcher – Macau Magicians – 93.8% First Ballot

Wei Qin was a 6’3’’, 205 pound right-handed pitcher and first baseman from China’s most populous city, Shanghai. As a batter, Qin had strong home run power with respectable contact skills. He was quite good at drawing walks, but had a poor strikeout rate. Qin’s gap power was decent and he was a very intelligent and crafty baserunner, although his speed was below average.

On the mound, Qin had above average stuff, movement, and control. He had an impressive mid 90s cutter in his pitching prime, mixed with a good changeup and forkball, plus a weak slider. Qin had nice stamina and was a good defensive pitcher. He’d start at first base when playing the field and was a firmly above average to good defender there as well. Qin managed to put together a lengthy career despite the physical wear-and-tear and injuries that typically came with two-way efforts.

In the 1984 CLB Draft, Qin was picked 5^th overall by Macau. His entire 13-year career in the Chinese League came with the Magicians, who intended to make him a full-time starter immediately. Qin’s first year was trying though with back spasms costing him two months, followed by a stretched elbow ligament in July. That would cost him the rest of 1985 and the first chunk of 1986, needing 11 months total to recover. There was some worry that this injury could limit his pitching usefulness, but Qin would overcome that.

In his initial years, Qin was a great batter and merely good pitcher. He would win 12 Silver Sluggers in his career, but impressively, not all were against the weak competition of normal pitchers. In 1988, he won two SSs, one as a pitcher and one as a first baseman. Qin did the same in 1991. His pitcher-only Silver Sluggers came in 1987, 89, 90, 92, 93, 94, 95, and 97. He didn’t play enough games in the field to lead the league offensively, but he had five seasons with 5+ WAR offensively and hit 20+ home runs seven times.

The combined efforts earned Qin MVP consideration for the first time in 1987, taking third. He won MVP four times (1988, 90, 92, 93) and took third in 1991, second in 1994, and third in 1995. Qin’s pitching skills improved as he’d lead in wins in both 1990-91, then in ERA in 1993 and 1994. Qin also won 1993 Pitcher of the Year honors and took second in 1990. He had three seasons of 6+ WAR on the mound.

By WAR, Qin’s best combined number was 1992 with 6.7 offensively and 7.1 pitching, a total of 13.8. He also breached double-digits in 1988 (10.9), 1990 (12.1), and 1993 (11.2). Qin was a superstar for Macau, who gave him an eight-year, $9,750,000 extension after the 1989 season. He was a big reason the Magicians became a playoff contender, making five berths from 1988-94.

Despite his efforts, Macau only once made it beyond the semifinal, dropping the 1989 China Series to Dalian. Qin’s playoff numbers at the plate were decent with 36 games and 31 starts, 24 hits, 10 runs, 5 doubles, 5 home runs, 10 RBI, a .214/.273/.411 slash, 146 wRC+, and 1.0 WAR. On the mound though, he had a 76 ERA+ with a 3.22 ERA in 67 innings, 64 strikeouts, and only 0.5 WAR.

Qin also made a few two-way appearances for China in the World Baseball Championship. He played in six WBCs from 1989-96 and at the plate was strong in 73 games and 59 starts. Qin had 57 hits, 35 runs, 8 doubles, 22 home runs, 47 RBI, a .249/.341/.581 slash, 163 wRC+, and 3.0 WAR. On the mound, he had a mere 4.75 ERA over 30.1 innings for a 77 ERA+. He would earn a world title ring with the 1993 squad.

The demands of the job started to catch up to Qin. He reputed a tendon in a finger to miss the end of 1993, then lost two months of 1994 to back troubles. 1996 had a forearm strain that cost about three months. Towards the end of the Macau run, his pitching stats began to look subpar. However, his offense numbers still held up quite well. The Magicians had fallen off with 1996 being their first losing season in a decade.

Macau opted not to re-sign Qin after the 1997 season, making him a 36-year old free agent. The franchise would later retire his #23 uniform. Qin earned attention worldwide and ended up moving to Canada and MLB, signing a two-year, $8,320,000 deal with Calgary. Qin struggled as a pitcher for the Cheetahs and gave them average offensive numbers in one season, missing some time to a sprained ankle. He didn’t meet the vesting criteria for the second year of the deal, becoming a free agent again for 1999. He stayed in MLB on a one year, $3,040,000 contract with Dallas.

The Dalmatians gave him another year after that and used him mostly as a hitter in 2000. He was merely okay as a hitter for Dallas with similar marks a pitcher. Still wanting to play in 2001 somewhere, the now 39-year old Qin ended up in Saudi Arabia with Jeddah. Qin had okay batting numbers for the Jackals and only saw one relief appearance on the mound. He made it back to MLB just as a batter in 2002 with Minneapolis, but had poor results. Qin finally retired that winter at age 41. Between MLB and ALB he had 2.1 WAR offensively and 1.3 WAR pitching.

For his CLB and Macau run as a hitter, Qin had 1005 hits, 585 runs, 141 doubles, 249 home runs, 604 RBI, 464 walks, a .239/.324/.460 slash, 168 wRC+, and 54.7 WAR. As a pitcher, Qin had a 169-88 record, 2.17 ERA, 2520 innings, 2502 strikeouts, 493 walks, 262/343 quality starts, 111 ERA+, and 45.1 WAR. Either by themselves probably weren’t HOF worthy, but a combined 99.8 WAR with four MVPs is hard to deny.

Counting his MLB/ALB stats, Qin had a career WAR of 103.2. When compared to other two-way guys as of 2037, that is 16^th best. He’s among the higher ones in batting WAR, as most of the other elites in history tended to be stellar pitchers and good batters. Qin had bursts as a great pitcher, but was more consistently good as a hitter. Qin earned 93.8% for a first ballot induction to headline the 2003 CLB class.



Shichao Zhang – Right Field/First Base – Chongqing Cavaliers – 75.0% Fourth Ballot

Shichao Zhang was a 6’0’’, 205 pound switch-hitting right fielder from Tanggu, a former district within Tianjin in Northern China. Zhang was an excellent home run hitter that could also quite effectively hit for contact. He was above average at drawing walks with an average strikeout rate. Zhang also had very good gap power, averaging 29 doubles and 38 home runs per 162 game average.

He was a decent baserunner, but could only do so much to makeup for mediocre speed. Zhang made around 3/4s of his starts in right field with the rest at first base. He was an absolutely abysmal defender in both spots, really stinking up the outfield with his awful range. Some criticized him for poor leadership and intelligent. However, strong man smacking dingers always finds a home somewhere. Zhang was a popular player and boasted very good durability.

His power potential was noted by Chongqing, who selected Zhang second overall in the 1979 CLB Draft. He wasn’t ready yet for the big time, making only five at bats in 1980. He saw some pinch hit spots in 1981 and a few starts in 1982. Zhang earned a full-time job in 1983 and held it for the next decade with the Cavaliers. He would hit 30+ homers in every season as a full-time starter for Chongqing.

Zhang had a remarkable streak of six straight seasons leading in wRC+ from 1984-89. He led in OPS and slugging five times in that stretch while leading in OBP thrice, batting average twice, total bases thrice, home runs thrice, doubles once, and RBI once.

1984 saw CLB’s first-ever offensive Triple Crown with 47 home runs, 101 RBI, and a .301 average, all career bests while in CLB. He also had 9.5 WAR that year, but managed to take second in MVP voting. Zhang never won the top honor, but also took second in 1985, 86, 88, and 92. He won eight Silver Sluggers with seven straight in RF from 1983-89, then one at 1B in 1992.

Chongqing had three straight playoff berths from 1983-85, earning China Series appearances in 1983 and 1985. They lost the former year to Tianjin and the latter to Beijing. In 25 playoff starts, Zhang had 29 hits, 11 runs, 5 doubles, 6 home runs, 16 RBI, a .284/.324/.510 slash, 179 wRC+, and 1.6 WAR. The Cavaliers committed to Zhang after the 1984 campaign on an eight-year, $3,502,000 extension. They wouldn’t make the playoffs after 1985 while Zhang was there, generally hovering just below .500.

Zhang’s stats fell off a bit in 1990 and 1991, but he bounced back with a strong 1992, leading in homers, RBI, total bases, OBP, slugging, OPS, and wRC+. It was also his fourth season worth 8+ WAR. He performed well in a contract year, earning the soon-to-be 33 year old attention as he entered free agency for 1993.

This marked the end of his time in the Chinese League. He would return home for the World Baseball Championship from 1993-97, posting 83 hits in 110 games with 81 runs, 19 doubles, 44 home runs, 91 RBI, a .213/.335/.607 slash, 169 wRC+, and 5.9 WAR.

China won the world title in 1993 against India and in 1994 against the United States. 1995 was a defeat to Canada in a seven-game thriller with game seven going 11 innings with a 1-0 final. Although they lost, Zhang was the 1995 WBC MVP, starting 27 games with 26 hits, 26 runs, 17 home runs, 37 RBI, 18 walks, a .283/.416/.870 slash, 259 wRC+, and 2.7 WAR. At the time, 37 RBI was the second-most in a single WBC. He has the fifth most homers of any Chinese player in the WBC despite only playing in five editions.

During those WBCs, Zhang made his money in America in Major League Baseball. For 1993, he signed a four-year, $9,280,000 deal with Cleveland. He had four strong seasons hitting for the Cobras, smacking 40+ homers and 100+ RBI thrice each. 1996 saw career bests with 49 homers and 129 RBI, along with an impressive 6.9 WAR at age 36.

Cleveland won their division from 1993-95 and in 1994, earned a trip to the World Series where they were defeated by San Francisco. In 19 playoff starts for the Cobras, Zhang had 20 hit, 11 runs, 6 home runs, 15 RBI, a .303/.418/.606 slash, 210 wRC+, and 1.2 WAR. In total for Cleveland, Zhang had 580 hits, 368 runs, 82 doubles, 164 home runs, 415 RBI, a .272/.348/.549 slash, 169 wRC+, and 20.2 WAR. He certainly showed that he could adjust well to MLB hitters.

Now 37 and a free agent again, Zhang signed for two years and $7,680,000 with Tampa. He looked merely average in a 1997 that was plagued by various injuries. Zhang was moved to a part-time role after terrible results in 1998 with negative WAR. He had zero WAR total and an 89 wRC+ with the Thunderbirds. Philadelphia gave Zhang a look in 1999, but he stunk in his 49 at-bats. He retired that winter at age 39.

For his entire pro career, Zhang had 2408 hits, 1265 runs, 413 doubles, 579 home runs, 1409 RBI, a .275/.343/.531 slash, 184 wRC+, and 94.5 WAR. The great years in Cleveland helped pad out his accumulations. In just CLB with Chongqing, Zhang had 1638 hits, 805 runs, 292 doubles, 387 home runs, 887 RBI, a .283/.357/.547 slash, 204 wRC+, and 74.8 WAR. The Cavaliers also retired his #45 uniform.

The accumulations aren’t super high, largely due to the very low offense environment of CLB. The notoriously harsh CLB voters kept him out for three years because of the accumulations and his truly abysmal defense. His rate stats are outstanding though. As of 2037 among CLB HOFers, he’s fourth in OBP, seventh in slugging, and fifth in OPS. Zhang got 61.0%, 65.9%, and 61.8% in his first three times on the ballot. Finally in 2003 on his fourth try, he got the bump to 75.0% to earn his spot in the Hall of Fame.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

For back-to-back years, West African Baseball didn’t elect a single player into the Hall of Fame. SP Elodie Belem came painfully close to the 66% requirement in 2003, receiving 65.8% on his sixth ballot. The top debut was 1B Daouda Kadri at 54.9%. No one else was above 50% with only two other players above the 1/3 mark. No players were dropped following ten ballots.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

On his fifth ballot, catcher Krish Balvinder earned his spot in the South Asia Baseball Hall of Fame. He was the lone inductee for the 2003 class, making a big jump up to 84.5%. Two others were above 60%, but short of the needed 66%. LF Indirjeet Dayada had 61.5% on his third ballot and RP Harini Shreenath got 60.8% for his second try.



RF Najib Kumaili fell off the ballot after ten votes. He was hurt by starting his official career at age 27 with only nine years’ worth of stats between Dhaka and Hyderabad. Kumaili still managed six Silver Sluggers, 1315 hits, 800 runs, 221 doubles, 395 home runs, 922 RBI, a .265/.346/.557 slash, 157 wRC+, and 55.7 WAR. He was twice an LCS MVP and helped the Hippos to the inaugural SAB title in 1980. The lack of longevity sank him though, peaking at 38.8% in 2000 and ending in 17.2%. Had Kumaili had the luxury of his early 20s, he probably would’ve gotten the tallies needed to earn a spot.



Krish Balvinder – Catcher – Ahmedabad Animals – 84.5% Fifth Ballot

Krish Balvinder was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed catcher from Khargone, India; a city of 106,000 in Madhya Pradesh (central province). Balvinder was an excellent contact hitter, especially for a catcher. He was great at avoiding strikeouts, but didn’t get many walks. Balvinder had strong gap power and averaged 34 doubles per 162 game average. He wasn’t a big bopper though with a career high of 11 home runs in a season.

Balvinder was a fairly crafty baseunner, but like most catchers, he was really slow. He spent his whole career behind the plate and was rated as firmly above average to good defensively. Balvinder became a popular player with many fans, but he didn’t endear himself with teammates or coaches. Balvinder was described by some as disloyal, lazy, greedy, and dumb. However, a durable catcher with a great bat and solid defense were almost like unicorns.

In the 1982 SAB Draft, Balvinder went third overall to Hyderabad. He was a full-time starter as a rookie for the Hippos and a solid one, taking third in Rookie of the Year voting with 2.9 WAR. That would be his only season with Hyderabad though. In the offseason, Balvinder and fellow catcher Austin Leiker were traded for three players to Ho Chi Minh City. Balvinder was the starting catcher for five seasons with the Hedgehogs, although he missed the final half of his first season there to a severely strained hip muscle.

The next four seasons for HCMC saw four straight Silver Sluggers and batting titles in 1986 (.351) and 1987 (.356). Balvinder also had 6+ WAR in both of those seasons. The great Ho Chi Minh City dynasty began with Southeast Asia League titles in both 1987 and 1989. Both seasons, they fell to the Ahmedabad dynasty in the SAB Championship. In 31 playoff starts for the Hedgehogs, Balvinder had 32 hits, 7 runs, 9 doubles, 15 RBI, a .278/.298/.400 slash, 92 wRC+, and 0.3 WAR.

Although playing in Vietnam, Balvinder did return home to India for the World Baseball Championship from 1986-94. He wasn’t a full-time starter though with only 23 games and 16 starts in that stretch, posting 17 hits, 8 runs, and 0.4 WAR. When HCMC’s team control ended after the 1988 season, the soon-to-be 28-year old Balvinder wanted to return home to India.

He would jump to the other side of the epic playoff rivalry, signing a four-year, $2,628,000 deal with Ahmedabad. Balvinder won a Silver Slugger in 1991 and helped the Animals win four straight SAB titles from 1989-92. Three of those wins came at the expense of his former squad HCMC. Balvinder stepped up in the playoffs with Ahmedabad with 71 starts, 81 hits, 21 runs, 13 doubles, 2 home runs, 27 RBI, a .308/.339/.388 slash, 120 wRC+, and 1.9 WAR.

Balvinder’s contract expired after the 1992 season and Ahmedabad brought him back on a one-year deal for 1993. He posted a very solid 5.5 WAR season, finishing his Animals run with 735 hits, 245 runs, 121 doubles, 49 home runs, 277 RBI, a .313/.339/.433 slash, 139 wRC+, and 25.6 WAR.

Even with his talent, Balvinder’s poor attitude and perceived laziness soured his reputation from many in the game. Although he still seemingly could go at a high level, Balvinder was unsigned in both 1994 and 1995. It wasn’t until the winter of 1995 that he formally retired at age 35.

Balvinder’s career stats saw 1623 hits, 551 runs, 306 doubles, 91 home runs, 606 RBI, a .312/.339/.431 slash, 128 wRC+, and 49.8 WAR. He had a lot working against him with many voters, led by his personality. Balvinder’s accumulations weren’t tremendous in part due to being a catcher and in part due to leaving the game young. He also didn’t have big power numbers and as of 2037, would only be tenth all-time in WAR amongst catchers.

Considering how hard it is for catchers to make it into any Hall of Fame generally, it’s almost a minor miracle Balvinder made the cut. Most agreed that he was the top catcher for the first decade-ish of SAB and an important part of both of the historic dynasty runs of the era. Balvinder debuted at 51.8%, then got to 64.2% in 2001. He dropped back to 59.5% in 2002, but earned a stronger look with no standouts on the 2003 ballot. Balvinder won over a large chunk of doubters to get 84.5% for a fifth ballot induction as the lone addition from the 2003 SAB class.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

The Asian Baseball Federation added its first two Hall of Famers with the 2003 voting. Uniquely enough, both additions were catchers, led by Erhan Buyukdemir with 90.9% in his debut. Razak Mohiyoudeen joined him at 79.8% on his third ballot. Only one other was above 50% with 1B Hazan Sheikh getting 50.2% for his second try. RF Hakim Baig was close behind with 49.4% for his second try.



SP Abbas Nadim became the first player to last ten ballots without an induction for ABF. He only pitched four official seasons but had ten years major service from his previous semi-pro stints. He won Pitcher of the Year and MVP for Izmir in 1985 and had a 76-45 record, 2.43 ERA, 1101.2 innings, 1443 strikeouts, and 33.7 WAR. It is a remarkable four year stretch, but four years simply isn’t enough to get in. He surprised many by retiring at only age 31 while being healthy. Nadim was never below 20% but peaked with 30.4% in 2001.



Erhan Buyukdemir – Catcher – Adana Axemen – 90.9% First Ballot

Erhan Buyukdemir was a 5’11’’, 200 pound left-handed hitting catcher from Istanbul, Turkey’s largest city. Buyukdemir was an excellent contact hitter with a good eye and solid knack for avoiding strikeouts. He wasn’t a big home run guy, peaking with 16 in a season. However, Buyukdemir had excellent gap power, averaging 42 doubles per his 162 game average. The doubles were extra impressive considering his speed and baserunning were both mediocre.

Buyukdemir was a career catcher that was pretty good at calling games, but around average in terms of his blocking and arm. He was considered quite durable in his prime years and became a popular figure in the early days of Turkish baseball.

The timing worked out for Buyukdemir that he was in ABF’s inaugural first-year player draft in 1985. He would be the ninth overall pick to Adana, where he’d spend his entire ABF career. Buyukdemir was used as a backup and pinch hitter in his rookie year, but firmly held the starting gig for the next decade. Buyukdemir had an impressive 55 doubles in his first full season in a designated hitter role.

He took over the catcher job after that and won eight straight Silver Sluggers in the West Asia Association from 1988-95. Buyukdemir led the WAA in both batting average and OBP in 1988, 1990, and 1991. 1990 also had the WAA lead in hits (188) with a tremendous 11.2 WAR. Buyukdemir was second in MVP voting, losing out to a 67 home run effort by Tabriz’s Vahid Hadadi. The Axemen certainly were happy with their investment, having given Buyukdemir an eight-year, $5,332,000 extension after the 1989 season.

Adana was usually above .500 in the 1980s, but just short of the playoffs. They won their first Turkish League title in 1992, but lost to Mashhad in the association final. The Axemen would then won the WAA in 1995 and 1996, beating Karachi in both years’ ABF Championship for a mini dynasty run. Buyukdemir’s playoff stats were lousy though with a .189/.281/.292 slash, 74 wRC+, and -0.2 WAR. Still, he was a big reason they got that far in the first place.

Buyukdemir’s stats weren’t better in the World Baseball Championship, playing from 1987-2001 for Turkey. In 103 games and 97 starts, he had 74 hits, 36 runs, 18 doubles, 3 home runs, 25 RBI, a .217/.319/.296 slash, 75 wRC+, and 0.1 WAR.

He was still hitting for a high average for the entirety of the Adana run. In his last year under contract in 1997, a strained groin muscle cost him three months. Adana didn’t re-up Buyukdemir, ending his ABF career. He would remain very popular though among Axemen and Turkish fans with the franchise retiring his #24 uniform eventually.

Now 33-years old heading into 1998, Buyukdemir found a hefty five-year, $20,600,000 MLB deal with Las Vegas. It was snake-bitten from the start as a broken bone in his elbow cost him almost the entire 1998 campaign. Buyukdemir was used in a platoon role the next three years as he still hit decently against righties but poorly against lefties.

For his Las Vegas tenure, Buyukdemir had 224 games and 190 starts with a .276/.328/.367 slash, 96 wRC+, 3.5 WAR, 194 hits, and 73 runs. He saw very little action in 2001 and in spring training 2002 was cut in the last year of his deal. Buyukdemir was unsigned in 2002 and retired that winter at age 37.

For his ABF/Adana tenure, Buyukdemir had 1697 hits, 692 runs, 441 doubles, 115 home runs, 715 RBI, a .323/.402/.482 slash, 158 wRC+, and 75.9 WAR. As of 2037, he still has the most WAR at catcher in ABF history. It is hard to judge totals for a new Hall of Fame, but as of 2037, he still has the fourth best batting average among inductees. His popularity and winning two titles with Adana certainly helped, making Buyukdemir a first-ballot nod at 90.9%. He was the first-ever first ballot inductee and headliner for the 2003 ABF class.



Razak “Jet” Mohiyoudeen – Catcher – Gujranwala Grasshoppers – 79.8% Third Ballot

Razak Mohiyoudeen was a 6’3’’, 205 pound right-handed catcher from Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city. Mohiyoudeen was known for being a solid contract hitter with an above average eye for walks and average strikeout rate. Especially for a catcher, he had nice home run power and could get you 25-35 home runs in good years. Mohiyoudeen also had sturdy gap power and averaged around 25-35 doubles per year as well.

He occasionally could leg out an extra base, but his speed was firmly mediocre. The nickname “Jet” was one used ironically regarding his quickness. Mohiyoudeen was a career catcher and considered very good defensively. He would pick up four Gold Gloves in his career (1988, 90, 92, 93). Mohiyoudeen also showed good durability in his 20s and could reliably handle the workload. Thus, he became one of Pakistan’s first popular baseball stars.

In the 1986 ABF Draft, the second such draft, Mohiyoudeen was viewed by some as the top prospect coming out of Pakistan. As noted earlier, catchers that could both hit well and defend well were hard to find. Mohiyoudeen was picked second overall by Gujranwala, who made him a full-time starter immediately. He held that role for all seven seasons with the Grasshoppers, taking third in Rookie of the Year voting in 1987.

After missing it as a rookie, Mohiyoudeen won six consecutive Silver Sluggers for Gujranwala along with four Gold Gloves. In his fourth season of 1990, Mohiyoudeen had an all-time great season, leading the Pakistan League in batting average (.376), on-base percentage (.457), wRC+ (231), and WAR (13.0). He also had 32 home runs, 111 RBI, and a 1.111 OPS; unheard of numbers for a catcher. This earned Mohiyoudeen Pakistan League MVP.

It also put him in the historic territory. As of 2037 is it still the 13^th most WAR in a season for an ABF position player. On top of that, no catcher in any pro league ever has put up a higher WAR season. Mohiyoudeen followed that up with 10.6 WAR, 8.0 WAR, and 9.8 WAR seasons. He led with 220 wRC+ in 1993, earning a second in MVP voting.

Gujranwala stunk in its first few years, but earned three straight playoff appearances from 1989-91. Although second in the 1991 standings, they knocked off Peshawar in the PLCS and topped Izmir in the ABF Championship. As of 2037, this is still the only ABF title for the Grasshoppers. In 25 playoff starts, Mohiyoudeen had 26 hits, 14 runs, 4 doubles, 5 home runs, 16 RBI, a .286/.362/.495 slash, 172 wRC+, and 1.3 WAR.

His role in the title made Mohiyoudeen very popular in Gujranwala. He also gained national notice for Pakistan in the World Baseball Championship from 1988-98. His WBC numbers were less amazing with 105 games, 84 hits, 44 runs, 16 doubles, 12 home runs, 29 RBI, a .220/.281/.361 slash, 89 wRC+, and 0.8 WAR. Mohiyoudeen did still come home for the WBC, although his time in the Pakistan League only lasted seven years.

Free agency arrived after the 1993 season and the Grasshoppers had regressed, falling to 66-96 that year. Coming up on 29 years old, Mohiyoudeen went to free agency. He had earned international attention and the still new ABF definitely couldn’t compete with MLB money. Mohiyoudeen ended up signing with defending World Series champ Calgary on a seven-year, $22,400,000 dea.

Mohiyoudeen played great with 6.0 WAR and 6.6 WAR in his first two seasons with the Cheetahs, earning two Silver Sluggers. That gave him eight for his whole career. Calgary won 106 games in 1994, but suffered a one-and-done in the playoffs. They fell to the mid-tier after that, while Mohiyoudeen’s bat declined as well. In his third season, his average dipped to .249 with an 89 wRC+, although his defense still gave him positive value. That would be his last year as a full-time starter.

Mohiyoudeen did well in a part-time role in 1997, but struggled in 1998 and 1999 as his time got reduced more. With another year left on his contract, Calgary cut Mohiyoudeen on August 1, 1999. Baltimore signed him to finish the year, although he only played four games.

In his MLB run, Mohiyoudeen had 642 hits, 335 runs, 132 doubles, 87 home runs, 324 RBI, a .277/.330/.458 slash, 116 wRC+, and 18.4 WAR. He had hoped to still play in 2000, but couldn’t find a suitor. That winter, Mohiyoudeen retired at age 36. For his combined pro career, Mohiyoudeen had 1653 hits, 829 runs, 326 doubles, 260 home runs, 884 RBI, a .288/.358/.490 slash, 156 wRC+, and 78.5 WAR.

In ABF with Gujranwala, Mohiyoudeen had 1011 hits, 494 runs, 194 doubles, 173 home runs, 560 RBI, a .295/.375/.512 slash, 182 wRC+, and 60.1 WAR. It would be hard for a catcher to have a better seven years, but many voters felt seven years couldn’t be enough. His accumulations are certainly on the bottom of later leaderboards as a result, but his peak was historically good.

Mohiyoudeen came closer than anyone to being the first ABF Hall of Famer with a 63.2% debut and 59.9% second ballot. Erhan Buyukdemir coming on the ballot made voters re-evaluate Mohiyoudeen. Most figured Buyukdemir was a slam dunk and only longevity hurt Mohiyoudeen, who some argued was a better player. He got the bump up to 79.8% to join his fellow catcher as ABF’s first Hall of Famers in 2003.