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

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The Mexican League North Division was a tight battle for both the title and ultimately the wild card spot. Mexicali narrowly took first at 93-69, earning their first playoff berth since their 1954 championship and the 50s dynasty. Tijuana finished one back at 92-70 and defending league champ Monterrey was at 89-73. The Toros earned the wild card spot, snapping a four-year playoff drought. In the South Division, Leon was on top for the sixth time in seven years. The Lions took it at 92-70, beating Ecatepec by four games.

Tijuana LF won the league MVP for back-to-back seasons. The 31-year old won despite missing six weeks due to back troubles. In only 121 games, he still smacked 53 home runs with 109 RBI and 8.5 WAR, leading the league in slugging (.720), OPS (1.124), and wRC+ (232). The “what if?” gave him the edge over Victor Larrazabal of Merida, who crushed 58 hom eruns with 124 RBI over a full season. Hermosillo’s Santiago Edquivel won his third Pitcher of the Year. In only his fifth season, the 26-year old righty became the ninth CABA pitcher to earn a Triple Crown and only one of two to do it since 1930. Edquivel had an 18-10 record, 1.65 ERA, and 320 strikeouts, also leading in WAR (8.8) and complete games (16). He was the Mexican League strikeout leader for the fourth straight season.



The Caribbean League was top-heavy in 1064. Defending CABA champ Honduras and Salvador again battled for the Continental Division title with the Horsemen winning it at 102-60, extending their division title streak to seven seasons. Salvador was second at 100-62, which was good enough for a second straight wild card. In the Island Division, Puerto Rico pulled it off at 100-62, three games ahead of Jamaica at 97-65. The Pelicans also earn back-to-back division titles, sending the same teams to the postseason as the prior season. The Jazz ultimately were three games out of both the division and the wild card.

CF Emmanuel Lopez won his sixth MVP and back-to-back for Honduras. The 35-year old was the league WARlord at 8.5, adding a .319 average, 29 home runs, and 109 RBI. Lopez also picked up his 11^th and final Silver Slugger. The Horsemen also saw Diego Morales make it a Pitcher of the Year three-peat. The 31-year old lefty was the WARlord at 8.3 and had the best K/BB at 10.4. He added a 2.27 ERA and 259 strikeouts in 257.1 innings in his penultimate season with Honduras.

Both wild card round series went all four games. Leon survived the challenge from Tijuana in the Mexican League, while Salvador upset Puerto Rico in the Caribbean League. In the Mexican League Championship Series, the Lions cruised to a 4-1 win over Mexicali, giving the Lions their third title in seven years and seventh overall. The Caribbean League Championship Series was a rematch and like the prior year, it went all seven games. Salvador reversed the result, beating Honduras for the Stallions third league title and first since 1931.



The CABA Championship ended up being no contest as Salvador swept Leon. It is the second-ever CABA crown for the Stallions, whose other title was all the way back in 1915. Kiwi Tato was ultimately the playoff hero, having joined Salvador in free agency from Leon in the offseason. Tato won the CLCS MFP and in 15 playoff games had 20 hits, 7 runs, 4 doubles, and 7 RBI.



Other notes: Carlos Daniel Uribe of Leon threw the 19^th CABA perfect game and the first since 1958. It happened on September 12 against Monterrey with eight strikeouts. Mexicali’s Michael Parrish had a 35 game hitting streak, the second longest to date in CABA history behind the 38 by Ivan Iniguez in the 1911 season. In their third season since expansion, Bahamas set a negative record. The Buccaneers pitchers struck out only 874 batters all season, an all-time CABA low. This held as the bottom mark until 869.

Julio Hinojosa became the third CABA player to earn 1500 runs scored and also the third member of the 3000 hit club. Kendri Quinones won his ninth Gold Glove at shortstop. Luis Miranda won his 11^th and final Silver Slugger at second base.

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The Chicago Cubs had the big turnaround in the National Association for the 1964 season. It wasn’t as dramatic a shift as St. Louis’s from the prior year, but still impressive as Chicago went from 73 wins in 1963 to 107-55 in 1964. This gave the Cubs the best record in MLB and their first Midwest League title and playoff berth in a decade. The defending World Series champ Cardinals were second at 97-65, followed by Kansas City at 96-66. Both earned wild cards, which put the 1961-62 NA champ Cougars back into the playoffs after missing in 1963.

Hartford picked up the Eastern League title at 97-65, giving the Huskies eight playoff berths over eleven seasons. Notably, Hartford has had a winning record every season since 1940. Earning repeat wild card berths for the third straight year were both Montreal and Boston. The Maples finished 92-70, while Boston was 87-75. The Red Sox were one ahead of New York, two ahead of Pittsburgh and Toronto, and four ahead of Detroit for the last spot.

St. Louis’s Jerry Addison won both MVP and Pitcher of the Year in the National Association. It was back-to-back PotY in only his second season in the league and he was only the third pure pitcher to win a MVP in MLB. He was the leader in wins (22-10), ERA (1.56), innings (282), WHIP (0.86), quality starts (31), shutouts (8), FIP- (63), and WAR (9.4). His 260 strikeouts were third in the NA, 27 away from having a Triple Crown season.

In the first round of the National Association playoffs, Kansas City topped Montreal in two games and Boston knocked out St. Louis in three. Chicago easily swept the Red Sox in round two, while Hartford outlasted the Cougars in a five-game classic. This set up Chicago’s first-ever NACS berth against Hartford, who last got there in 1957 and had gotten that far nine other times. The Cubs were the only MLB team left to not reach their Association Championship round at least once in the prior 63 years. The series went the distance with the Cubs edging the Huskies 4-3, sending Chicago to the World Series for the first time.



The best record in the American Association belonged to San Francisco at 102-60, giving them back-to-back playoff berths and their first Western League title since 1955. The Gold Rush pitchers struck out 1406 batters over the season, setting a new MLB single-season record. The next best records in the AA were Phoenix at 100-62 and Denver at 97-65, both getting wild cards out of the WL. The Firebirds snapped a two-year playoff skid, while the Dragons earned a fourth straight appearance, which would become the longest active streak.

That’s because Oklahoma City’s streak of five was snapped, as the Outlaws dropped to 83-79. Memphis won the Southern League at 96-66, ending MLB’s longest active playoff drought at 29 seasons. In addition to it being the first playoff spot for the Mountain Cats since 1934, it was only their third league title with the other two all the way back in 1915 and 1916. Houston was second at 92-70, ending their own 11-year playoff drought with a wild card. San Diego also finished 92-70 to earn a wild card, putting them back in the postseason for the first time since the 1958 World Series win. Calgary’s playoff streak ended at three with the Cheetahs at 90-72. Last year’s top record holder Seattle also had their streak ended at three with the Grizzlies going 88-74.

American Association MVP went to Denver RF Bo Salinas. The 29-year old Filipino lefty had joined the Dragons in free agency in 1964 after playing his first seven seasons in Cincinnati. Salinas led the AA in RIB (122), walks (88), OBP (.435), slugging (.603), OPS (1.038), wRC+ (173), and WAR (8.1), adding a .347 average and 42 home runs. Memphis lefty Emilio Nash earned Pitcher of the Year. The 27-year old was the ERA leader (2.26) and WARlord (8.6), adding a league-best 27 quality starts and 69 FIP-. He struck out 255 batters in 282.2 innings for a 21-9 record.

In the wild card round, Denver dropped Houston and Phoenix stopped San Diego, both 2-0. The Dragons stunned San Francisco with not only an upset, but a road sweep in round two. Phoenix also upset Memphis on the road, although they required all five games to do so. In the American Association Championship Series, the Firebirds outlasted the Dragons in a seven-game classic. This gave Phoenix their seventh AA title and first since 1960.



In the 1964 World Series, Chicago became a first-time MLB champion. The Cubs topped Phoenix in six games, led by World Series MVP Artur Cruz. The 28-year old Spanish SS made his MLB debut with the Cubs that year after playing prior for EBF’s Barcelona. In the 1964 postseason, Cruz had 23 hits, 9 runs, 5 home runs, 19 RBI, and 1.2 WAR in 16 starts. The Firebirds are now 3-4 in their World Series appearances.



Other notes: Los Angeles pitcher Carny Valvo set a single-game MLB record of 22 strikeouts, pulled off over 11 innings against New Orleans on July 30. The prior record was 21 by Eusebio Ramos over 12.2 innings in 1938. The nine-inning record in MLB remained 19, set by multiple pitchers. Ron Koehler led the AA with 51 home runs, giving him five 50+ dinger seasons. The only players with more at that point were Elijah Cashman and Kaby Silva with six apiece.

Martin Medina became the 34^th MLB hitter to reach 3000 career hits and the 14^th to smack 600 career home runs. Spencer Emond became the fifth pitcher to 300 career wins. He came back for one okay season at age 39 after missing all of the prior season from a torn UCL. Emond ended with 304 wins and fell just short of 4000 strikeouts with 3985. His 139.0 WAR would be third best all-time among MLB pitchers at retirement, behind only Ned Giles and Newton Persaud. In award notables, Nathaniel Maxwell won his 11^th and final Gold Glove at first base. He’s behind Blake Wynn (12) and tied with Elijah Cashman (11) for the most at the position all-time.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

Baseball continued to grow worldwide post-World War II and in particular around Southeast Asia. Earlier Japanese influence in the area had introduced the game to Taiwan, which had seen great growth in the sport in the 1950s and 60s. The nearby Philippines had the game introduced by American influences and had seen similar growth. Amateur and semi-professional teams had started to pop up and both countries had leaders wanting to make the jump to a true major league that could add its membership to the Global Baseball Alliance. There had been some preliminary talks with officials in both countries and with those from what would become the Oceania Baseball Federation, but logistical and cultural differences made that plan fall through. China would soon introduce its big league In 1970, but their conflict in Taiwan made that a non-starter. The other Southeastern Asian countries were dealing with wars and conflicts that would keep them from investing more in the game until the 1980s.

Taiwanese and Filipino officials had come to a solid understanding, but neither area had enough large markets to support a league large enough to compete with the other existing ones. To take that next step, they started talking to leaders in nearby Indonesia. The game hadn’t had nearly as strong of an introduction there, but Indonesia had a large population base and many big cities that leaders felt would take to the game and be effective markets. Eventually, along with representatives from neighboring Singapore, agreements were made to form what would become known as Austronesia Professional Baseball. The name comes from the fact that Austronesian peoples and cultures had lived and in many cases continued to live in the four countries involved in the league.

APB was split up into two leagues of ten teams each with no interleague play. The Taiwan-Philippine Association was, as the name suggests, split into two divisions from those countries. The Taiwan League had teams from Taipei, Tainan, Taichung, Kaohsiung, and Taoyuan. The Philippine League had teams from Manila, Quezon, Davao, Cebu, and Zamboanga. The Sundaland Association (the name referring to the biogeographical region including much of Indonesia and the Malay Peninsula) was also split into two five-team divisions. The Java League had Jakarta, Bandung, Semarang, Surabaya, and Depok. The Malacca League featured Singapore, Pekanbaru, Medan, Batam, and Palembang. The division winners in both associations would meet for a best-of-seven Association Championship, followed by the winners in a best-of-seven Austronesia Championship.

The Taiwan-Philippine Association would use the Designated Hitter, while the Sundaland Association would not. In time, APB would be known as the most low-scoring and pitching heavy of the GBA leagues. While many of their contemporaries would look to boost offensive numbers in later years maintained its unique style. The league average ERA would consistently be below 3.00 with the batting average below .230. Only the Chinese League would see similar low tallies. This contrasted strongly to the later leagues in Africa and western Asia, that boasted a much higher scoring and high octane game. APB officially kicked off with the 1965 season.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

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After no inductees in 1964, Major League Baseball added four players to its Hall of Fame for the 1965 class. CF Jess Lewis was easily the marquee star of the group, getting in on the first ballot at 88.7%. The other three were below the 80% mark, but still deserving. SP Alec Ebner got in at 75.5% on his third try, getting across the line after missing the 66% mark threshold last season by 0.1%. 2B Bob Puyol and CL Nick Hedrick were the others added with the former at 71.9% and the latter at 68.4%. Four others were above the 50% mark. No players were dropped following ten years on the ballot.



Jess Lewis – Center Fielder – Hartford Huskies – 88.7% First Ballot

Jess Lewis was a 5’11’’, 200 pound right-handed outfielder from Whitman, Massachusetts, a small town about 20 miles south of Boston. The town is best known as the birthplace of the chocolate chip cookie. Lewis was an excellent contact hitter with great speed and solid pop in his bat. He wasn’t a prolific power hitter, but would get you a good 20-25 homers per year with a nice amount of doubles and triples as well. At retirement, he was MLB’s career leader in triples. Lewis was great at avoiding strikeouts, but only okay at drawing walks. He was very durable, starting 130+ games in all but two of his 21 professional seasons. Lewis was primarily a center fielder, although he did make occasional starts in the corners in his later years. He was considered an above average to good defender, earning three Gold Gloves (two in RF, one in LF). A team captain, Lewis was one of the most tenured and respected players of the 1940s and 1950s in MLB.

Lewis went west for college, playing at UCLA. He won the NCAA Silver Slugger in his sophomore year, making him one of the highest touted prospects. Lewis was picked second overall in the 1938 MLB Draft by Hartford and would spend his entire career with the Huskies. He was an immediate success, posting 5.1 WAR in his rookie season, finishing third in National Association Rookie of the Year voting. He’d go on to have 11 seasons of 6+ WAR and 17 seasons of a .300+ batting average.

Lewis was rarely a league leader, but incredibly reliable year in and out. He was the leader in runs in 1949 (114) and triples in 1940 (21). He won four Silver Sluggers (1942, 43, 48, 49) and three Gold Gloves (1954, 55, 56). Lewis was the NA MVP at age 30 in 1949 with 114 runs, 199 hits, a .343 average, 27 home runs, 117 RBI, and 8.4 WAR. He was third in MVP voting in 1948.

Lewis was the face of the Hartford squad in an era where they were consistently solid. His second year was the only time in his Huskies tenure that they finished below .500. Hartford made the playoffs ten times in his run, winning the World Series in 1948 and taking runner-up in 1950, while making it to the NACS in 1943, 44, 47, and 57. In 94 playoff games, Lewis had 107 hits, 59 runs, 12 doubles, 16 triples, 16 home runs, 62 RBI, and 2.7 WAR. He also played in nine editions of the World Baseball Championship for the United States team, posting 3.3 WAR, 98 hits, 64 runs, 19 home runs, and 49 RBI over 106 games. He earned five championship rings with the American team.

Lewis stayed loyal to Hartford for his entire run as a full-time starter. The only seasons he missed part of were 1953 and 1955, due to shoulder inflammation and a fractured finger. In 1954, he earned his 1500^th career run. 1955 saw Lewis’s 1500^th RBI and 3000^th hit. In 1958, he became only the sixth player to 3500 career hits. His consistent production finally dropped in his last year at age 40 in 1959, opting to retire at season’s end. Lewis finished with 3714 hits, second only to Stan Provost’s 4133. At retirement, Lewis retired first in triples at 274 and was also fourth in runs scored all time and top ten in stolen bases. His #18 uniform was retired as a Hartford Huskies legend.

The final stats for Lewis: 3714 hits, 1918 runs, 494 doubles, 274 triples, 404 home runs, 1809 RBI, 800 walks, 963 strikeouts, 796 stolen bases, .311/.355/.499 slash, and 124.7 WAR. At retirement, he was fourth all-time in WAR among MLB batters. With these totals, it’s a bit of a travesty that Lewis ONLY got 88.7% of the vote. Either way, he’s a very well deserved first ballot selection.



Alec “Lucky” Ebner – Starting Pitcher – San Antonio Oilers – 75.5% Third Ballot

Alec Ebner was a 5’10’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Plainview, Texas; a small town of around 20,000 people in the northern part of the state. Ebner was known for having outstanding stuff, led by a 99-101 mph cutter. He added a great curveball, along with a decent forkball, slider, and changeup. Ebner was thought to have good movement and average to above average control. He was also viewed as a strong defensive pitcher, winning four Gold Gloves in his career. Ebner was also a team captain and strong leader, which made him an important clubhouse presence.

Ebner played college baseball for the Florida Gators and was picked 17^th overall in the 1940 MLB Draft by San Antonio. He bounced between the rotation and relief in his rookie year, posting an excellent 5.2 WAR and winning his first of four straight Gold Gloves. He became a full-time starter from there onward with alright results in his first our seasons. Ebner didn’t get much help initially, as San Antonio had been a bottom rung franchise for roughly their first 40 or so seasons.

In his fifth season in 1945, Ebner suffered a torn UCL, putting him on the shelf for a year. He bounced back in 1946 for his best season to date with career bests in ERA, strikeouts, and WAR; finishing second in Pitcher of the Year voting. In 1947, he was the American Association leader in strikeouts (285) and WAR (8.5), both career bests. He again was second in Pitcher of the Year and took third in 1950, but ultimately never took the top prize. Ebner’s best production came post-injury though with eight 6+ WAR seasons in nine years.

San Antonio saw its first sustained success during this time frame as well. The Oilers made the playoffs six times from 1946-54 and made it to the AACS thrice, although they never got over the hump to get to the World Series. In 11 playoff starts, Ebner had a 5-5 record, 3.21 ERA, 71 strikeouts in 84 innings, and 2.3 WAR. He also pitched in the first three World Baseball Championships for the United States team, posting a 3.86 ERA over 28 innings with 47 strikeouts. He earned two world championship rings with the American team in 1947 and 1948.

Ebner remained loyal to San Antonio, ultimately playing 16 of his 17 professional seasons with the Oilers. In 1955 at age 35, he missed the second half of the season due to an arthritic elbow. The next summer, a torn labrum knocked him out. San Antonio let him go and he attempted a comeback at age 37 with Las Vegas in 1957. He pitched a full season for the Vipers, but with only league-average production. He did cross 3500 strikeouts with Las Vegas, becoming the 10^th MLB pitcher to do so. Ebner opted to retire at the end of the year at age 37.

His final stats: 221-204 record, 3.52 ERA, 3873.2 innings, 3602 strikeouts, 282/494 quality starts, 224 complete games, FIP- of 81, and 90.9 WAR. A nice, steady career, but not the eye popping numbers or accolades of some of the other pitchers in the MLB Hall of Fame. As a result, he missed the cut on his first two attempts, albeit barely short of the 66% threshold (63.2, then 65.9%). On Ebner’s third try, he got the boost up to 75.5% to earn his spot among the hallowed greats.



Bob Puyol – Second Base – Detroit Tigers – 71.9% First Ballot

Bob Puyol was a 5’10’’, 200 pound right-handed second baseman from Brooklyn, New York. Puyol was a terrific contact hitter with solid speed, making him a solid leadoff hitter. He was a master at putting the ball in play, very rarely striking out but also rarely drawing walks. Puyol’s home run power was very limited, but he had respectable gap power for getting doubles and triples. He played almost exclusively at second base and was considered an above average to good defender, once winning a Gold Glove.

Puyol attended Utah for college and returned to his home state of New York when picked by Buffalo eighth overall in the 1944 MLB Draft. His first pro season was spent in minor league Rochester, followed by his rookie year as a part-time starter in 1946. Puyol became the everyday starter at second base for the rest of his six year tenure with the Blue Sox.

Buffalo was a bottom tier team in his tenure with no playoff berths, but Puyol emerged as a star in his fourth MLB season. In 1949, he led the National Association in WAR (9.0) and hits (221), earning him second in MVP voting and his first of six Silver Sluggers. The next season, he won another Silver Slugger and his lone Gold Glove, adding a batting title (.369) and 8.1 WAR. He did this despite missing about a month to a hamstring injury. 1951 had another 8+ WAR seasons, earning third in MVP voting and his third Silver Slugger. In total with Buffalo, Puyol had 1102 hits, 463 runs, a .339 average, and 36.1 WAR. He also played in the World Baseball Championship for the American team from 1950-56, adding 97 hits and 54 runs in 103 games. Puyol earned world champ rings with the US team in 1951, 52, and 55.

With 1952 being a contract year, the Blue Sox figured they wouldn’t be able to keep the 28-year old Puyol, so they traded him to Detroit prior to the season for two prospects. He won his fourth Silver Slugger in his Tigers debut and Detroit opted to give him a big deal; eight years, $736,000. It paid off in the short term, as the Tigers snapped a playoff drought of 20 years in 1953. Detroit made it to the postseason in 1953, 54, and 55; winning the National Association title in 1953. In 23 playoff games, Puyol had 29 hits, 14 runs, and 0.6 WAR.

In his second season with the Tigers in 1954, Puyol won the NA MVP as the WARlord (9.5), along with the batting title at .367 and a career-best 232 hits. This was his sixth and final Silver Slugger season. It was also his last great season as injuries would derail later efforts. He had a recurring issue with his thumbs, suffering a torn thumb ligament thrice in his career. MCL and hamstring issues also put him out for major stretches in his 30s. Although still good when healthy, the contract became a bit of an albatross for Detroit in the later years. By his last year at age 35 in 1959, he had been relegated to a bench role and struggled, choosing to retire at year’s end. His Tigers tenure had 1262 hits, 598 runs, a .323 average, and 36.4 WAR. Puyol remained a popular player though and saw his #26 uniform retired by the Tigers.

The final stats for Puyol, 2364 hits, 1061 runs, 373 doubles, 124 triples, 127 home runs, 772 RBI, 389 stolen bases, a .330/.364/.470 slash, and 72.5 WAR. His tallies actually are lower than you’d expect and at a hard to get noticed position at second base. Still, at retirement his .330 career average was behind only John Roberts’ .342 among MLB Hall of Famers and most would agree that in his era, Puyol was the top second baseman. With that, he received the first ballot nod at 71.9%.



Nick Hedrick – Closer – Cleveland Cobras – 68.4% First Ballot

Nick Hedrick was a 5’11’’, 190 pound right-handed pitcher from Rogersville, Missouri; a tiny town of less than 4,000 people in the southwest part of the state. The town was once referred to as the “Raccoon Capital of the World.” Hedrick had two stellar pitches, a 98-100 mph fastball and a wicked curveball with outstanding movement. He had solid control and excellent stamina, but because he only had two pitches, his pro career was spent as a reliever. However, he was used many times as a starter in the World Baseball Championship with excellent results. Hedrick was a team captain, making him a favorite in the clubhouse and over his various MLB stops.

Hedrick was a stellar starting pitcher at the University of Tennessee, winning NCAA Pitcher of the Year as a junior and taking third for the award as a freshman. This got the attention of Cleveland, who selected Hedrick third overall in the 1944 MLB Draft. He was immediately thrown into the closer role for the Cobras, winning Reliever of the Year in 1947 and taking second in 1946. In five seasons, he had 151 saves, 1.95 ERA over 355.2 innings, 534 strikeouts, and 17.6 WAR. It is the stop Hedrick had the most saves and the team he was inducted with, although he posted the most WAR over his next stop in Jacksonville.

The struggling Cleveland franchise traded Hedrick for three players before the 1950 season to the Gators. He spent four and a half seasons with Jacksonville, winning his second Reliever of the Year award in 1950 and taking third in 1953 and 1954. While there, he posted 140 saves, a 1.92 ERA over 323.1 innings, 522 strikeouts, and 19.2 WAR. Midway through the 1954 season, the 29-year old Hedrick was traded to Oakland.

Hedrick entered free agency and signed in 1955 with Las Vegas, although he was traded in the summer and finished the year with Detroit. In 1956, he signed back with Oakland and spent his final four MLB seasons with the Owls. He had 75 saves, 2.07 ERA over 169.1 innings with 253 strikeouts and was third in Reliever of the Year voting in 1956. His use and production waned with only 25 innings in his last two seasons with Oakland. Hedrick was let go after the 1959 season and spent his final big league season at age 35 in the newly formed Oceania Baseball Association. He signed with Christchurch and posted 39 saves. He attempted an MLB comeback in 1961 but only had one minor league inning in Fort Myers, retiring at age 37.

Hedrick’s most notable moments come in the World Baseball Championship, where he was a force for the United States team from 1947-59. He made 67 appearances with 35 starts, striking out a ridiculous 685 batters over 325.2 innings with a 1.85 ERA, 26-5 record, 12 saves, and 20.3 WAR. As off 2037, the 20.3 WAR and 685 strikeouts are career bests for the WBC all-time. His 109 strikeouts in the 1957 tournament remain a record as well, which included a record 25 strikeout game against Norway. He was named the Best Pitcher that season with a 0.65 ERA over 55.1 innings and earned seven world title rings with the Americans.

Counting the OBA season, Hedrick had a career of 428 saves, 54.8 WAR, 1.88 ERA, and 1518 strikeouts. In the MLB alone, he had 389 saves and 414 shutdowns, 1.86 ERA, 930.2 innings, 1434 strikeouts, and 52.8 WAR. The WAR tally was the most among relievers at retirement and would only get passed by Carson Hanford in later years. His save tally was fourth all-time at retirement. Despite this, MLB Hall of Fame voters are tough to sway when it comes to relievers. Hedrick only got in barely at 68.4%, but still got to say he was a first ballot selection.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

One player was inducted by the Central American Baseball Association with the 1965 Hall of Fame Class. Closer Yimi Armenta got the nod as a first ballot choice at 85.3%. SP Martin Duenas was next at 60.6%, falling short and getting dropped after his tenth attempt. Two others, SP Sheldon Malcolm (59.3%, 6^th ballot) and 1B Alejandro Encinas (54.7%, 2^nd ballot) were above the 50% mark.



For Duenas, 60.6% was as close he got, usually hovering in the 40% range during his 10 attempts. The 1939 Mexican League Pitcher of the Year, in 15 seasons primarily with Leon he had a 191-154 record, 3.07 ERA, 3233 innings, 2867 strikeouts, FIP- of 100, and 41.9 WAR. A nice run, but fairly firmly a “Hall of Very Good” guy. He was the only player dropped after ten attempts on the ballot. Notably dropped after eight was fellow SP Ponto Silva, a four time Gold Glove winner. He peaked at 19.3%, posting a 163-122 record, 3.07 ERA, 2075 strikeouts, and 46.0 WAR over 15 seasons.




Yimi Armenta – Closer – Jamaica Jazz – 85.3% First Ballot

Yimi Armenta was a 6’2’, 185 pound right-handed relief pitcher from Mayari, a municipality of around 100,000 people in eastern Cuba. Unlike a lot of other closers to get Hall of Fame nods, Armenta didn’t have overpowering stuff. However, his stuff, movement, and control were all considered solid to good. His best pitch was a 93-95 mph sinker that he mixed with a slider; allowing him to coax groundballs with great success. Armenta was also known to be incredibly durable and a great leader who was always willing and able to come into the game at a moment’s notice.

Every inning of his professional career was with Jamaica, but the Jazz were actually his third CABA team. Armenta was picked 39^th overall in the second round of the 1939 CABA Draft by Santo Domingo. After one season on the developmental roster, he was traded to Honduras. Armenta spent two seasons on their reserve roster, then was traded before the 1943 season to Jamaica. He made his debut at age 23 in 143 with the Jazz, but wouldn’t take over the closer role until his third year.

Armenta would be the Jazz closer for most of his tenure from there on, although he was occasionally moved to a lesser hole. He was a three-time Reliever of the Year winner (1949, 52, 54). He took second for the award in 1948 and third in 1953. Jamaica made the playoffs in 1948 and 1950 during Armenta’s tenure and claimed the CABA Championship in 1950. He also played for his native Cuba in the World Baseball Championship from 1951-59 where he was more commonly used as a starting pitcher. In 114 tournament innings, Armenta had a 3.71 ERA and 139 strikeouts worth 1.8 WAR. He hung around through the 1959 season, retiring at age 40.

The final stats for Armenta: 399 saves and 486 shutdowns, a 2.55 ERA, 1167.1 innings, 1144 strikeouts, 323 walks, FIP- of 78, and 25.3 WAR. At retirement, he was the all-time saves leader for CABA. His lack of strikeouts relative to other Hall of Fame relievers rates him low when it comes to advanced stats, but saves are the sexy stat to the voters, getting Armenta in on the first ballot at 85.3%.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

Two no-doubt Hall of Fame selections were inducted for the 1965 East Asia Baseball class as RF Takashi Ishihara had 98.9% and 1B Seong-Jun Han got 95.3%. Only two others were at or above 50% with SP Min-Chin Park at a respectable 60.2% on his third attempt and CF Ha-Min Park right at 50% even on his sixth try.



Two players were dropped from the ballot after ten unsuccessful bids. LF Bum-Young Ahn peaked at 55.0% on his debut and ended at 46.0%, roughly hovering around that range. He was a major playoff performer in Busan’s dynasty era. Over 21 years counting three MLB seasons, he had 2874 hits, 1495 runs, 543 home runs, 1565 RBI, and 64.3 WAR. In just EAB, he had 2532 hits, 1308 runs, 474 home runs, 1360 RBI, a .296/.344/.522 slash, and 64.1 WAR. Pretty good, but no MVPs or Silver Sluggers, plus atrocious defense, kept Ahn out despite being a big playoff piece for the Blue Jays dynasty.

Also dropped was two time Reliever of the Year Sang-Hun Yun, who started at 49.4% but was at 9.5% by the end. Also a part of Busan’s run, he had 216 saves, 2.35 ERA, 1465 strikeouts over 1147.1 innings, and 41 WAR. The strikeout and WAR numbers are better than a lot of other relievers that would get in, but the lack of save numbers hurt him with the voters.



Takashi Ishihara – Outfielder – Fukuoka Frogs – 98.9% First Ballot

Takashi Ishihara was a 5’10’’, 185 pound left-handed outfielder from Kashima, Japan; a town of about 30,000 people on the southwestern island of Kyushu. Ishihara was a prolific power hitter who would go onto lead the Japan League in home runs in seven different seasons and RBI in six seasons. He was an above average contact hitter with solid speed and great baserunning instincts. Despite his power, Ishihara rarely drew walks and struck out more than average. Ishihara made about 60% of his career starts in right field and was considered an above average defender there. He also made about 30% of starts in center field with the rest in left and was viewed as below average in those spots.

Ishihara attended Koku Gakuin University in Yokahama and was picked fifth overall in the 1942 East Asia Baseball Draft by Fukuoka. He spent his entire career with the Frogs and was an immediate success, posting 5.6 WAR as a rookie and winning Japan League Rookie of the Year. His second season saw his first of nine Silver Sluggers with additional awards in 1945, 47, 48, 49, 50, 52, 54, and 56. In 1945, he won his first of five MVPs, posting league bests in home runs (52), runs (113), RBI (120), and WAR (10.8). Ishihara won additional MVPs in 1947, 48, 52, and 54; and was second in MVP voting in 1949. He was the first five-time MVP in Japan League history and joined Korea’s Byung-Oh Tan as the only ones to date in EAB.

Ishihara four times was the Japan League WARlord with 10+ seasons. He had 8+ WAR in eight seasons, 50+ home runs in four seasons, 100+ runs in five seasons, 11 seasons of 100+ RBI. His 1948 season was arguably the greatest hitting season in EAB history. He put up 14.3 WAR, which was the single-season hitting record until 2028. Ishihara smacked 64 home runs, tying the then single-season record. He added 125 runs, 144 RBI, 192 hits, 1.093 OPS, and wRC+ of 260.

Despite his amazing production, Ishihara was an example of how baseball requires a full team effort to succeed. Fukuoka never made the playoffs in his 17 year tenure with the Frogs and only twice did they win 90+ games. Still, he remained loyal to the team and was renowned throughout all of Japan for his excellence. Ishihara played for the Japanese national team in the World Baseball Championship from 1949-58, posting 26 home runs in 293 plate appearances with 70 hits, 51 runs, 61 RBI, and 2.7 WAR. He did earn a world title ring as Japan earned the 1953 title.

Ishihara remained stellar at the plate through his age 37 season of 1957. He had been incredibly durable to that point with his only significant missed time coming because of a strained groin in 1951. In 1958, bone chips in his elbow caused him to miss about six weeks. That season, he became the ninth EAB batter to 2500 career hits and only the third to 1500 runs scored. Ishihara was the third to 1500 RBI the prior season and in 1956, the third to 600 career home runs.

His final season was 1959, which saw a noticeable drop in production. He was able to cross the milestone of 700 home runs, the second to do so. At retirement, his 703 was second only to Byung-Oh Tan’s 718. A strained groin muscle put him out two months, then Ishihara suffered a broken kneecap in late September. A setback meant the injury put him out a total of 17 months. He officially retired from the game in late 1961 at age 41.

The final stats for Ishihara, 2641 hits, 1556 runs, 436 doubles, 172 triples, 703 home runs, 1691 RBI, 672 stolen bases, a .277/.318/.580 OBP, 180 wRC+ and 133.8 WAR. He was second all-time at retirement in hitting WAR, just above Byung-Oh Tan (131.1) and only below Si-U Gim (138.8). He was the premiere slugger of his generation and still holds up among the all-time best ever in EAB with the lone blemish of being stuck on a lousy Fukuoka franchise. Still, he was beloved there (with his #5 uniform retired) and beloved throughout Japanese baseball full stop, earning a no-doubt induction at 98.9%.



Seong-Jun Han “Sugar Bear” – First Base/Designated Hitter - Pyongyang Pythons – 95.3% First Ballot

Seong-Jun Han was a 5’11’’, 200 pound left-handed hitter from the North Korean capital Pyongyang. Affectionately known as “Sugar Bear,” Han was a great contact hitter with an excellent eye for drawing walks and avoiding strikeouts. He had stellar gap power and with his excellent speed was able to turn a lot of doubles into triples, hitting nearly the same amount of both in his career. Han wasn’t a prolific home run slugger, but gave you around 15-20 per season. Despite being very quick on the basepaths, Han didn’t translate that speed into the field. He was a career designed hitter with about 2/3 of his starts there and the rest at first base, where he was viewed as a poor defender. Helped by being a DH, Han was very durable, starting 132+ games in all but the first two seasons of a 22-year pro career.

Han went to Japan to play college baseball at Doshisha University in Kyoto. He returned home to Pyongyang as the Pythons picked him 12^th overall in the 1942 East Asia Baseball Draft. Han was mostly a pinch hitter in his rookie season and a part time starter in year two. He became a full-time starter in his third season and remained a full-time starter for the rest of his career.

Han won his first Silver Slugger in 1945 and won it again in 1946, 48, and 50. In 1946, Han won the Korea League MVP. He was the WARlord with a career high at 8.1, led with 113 runs, and set a single-season EAB record with 38 triples. That held as the triples mark until 1987. Han took second in MVP voting in 1948 and 1950, winning batting titles in both seasons. Pyongyang made the playoffs twice during his tenure with Han getting 14 hits in 12 games. He also played for the North Korean team in the World Baseball Championship from 1947-61, picking up 93 hits, 63 runs, and 3.2 WAR over 127 games and 95 starts.

In 1957, Han became the seventh EAB hitter to reach 2500 career hits. In 1958, he was the fourth to 1500 runs scored. In 1959, after 17 seasons with Pyongyang, Han was traded to Yokohama, where he finished out the year. His #1 uniform would ultimately be retired by the Pythons. Still putting up solid numbers the prior seasons, the now 39-year old Han decided to give Major League Baseball a shot, signing with Tampa.

Unfortunately, he struggled in 1960 with the Thunderbirds. Han was traded to San Diego for the 1961 season and did better, but was still middling at best. Han left for the newly formed Oceania Baseball Association and played his final two seasons there, spending 1962 with New Caledonia and 1963 with Melbourne. For his entire pro career, Han had 3515 hits, 1840 runs, 419 doubles, 402 triples, 322 home runs, 1486 RBI, 1175 stolen bases, a .308/.373/.499 slash, and 89.1 WAR.

Just within EAB, Han had 2968 hits, 1565 runs, 360 doubles, 354 triples, 293 home runs, 1302 RBI, 1057 stolen bases, a .322/.385/.533 slash, and 86.3 WAR. At retirement, his batting average was the highest of any EAB player and he had the most triples. His hit total was second only to Byung-Oh Tan’s 3871 and he was fifth all time in stolen bases and one of two Hall of Famers with 1000+ steals. Han was one of the best pure hitters of the era and deserving of first ballot induction, getting in at 95.3%.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

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Beisbol Sudamerica had three first-ballot inductees for the 1965 Hall o fFame Class. Shortstop Diego Pena had the top mark at 97.5% with a close second at 93.0% from third baseman Angel Gabriel Cornejo. The third inductee was starting pitcher Teo Menicagli at a solid 80.0%. Two others were above 50% but short of the 66% threshold with closer Adrian Amaro (60.0%, 4^th ballot) and LF Martyn Jarava (56.1%, 2^nd ballot). There were no players dropped after a tenth ballot in the 1965 group.



Diego Pena – Shortstop – Belo Horizonte Hogs – 97.5% First Ballot

Diego Pena was a 6’2’’, 200 pound right-handed shortstop from Foz do Iguacu, a city of around 250,000 people in the southern Brazilian state of Parana. Pena was a great home run hitter and an iron man known for tremendous longevity. He was a below average contract hitter who struck out often, retiring with more whiffs than any other Beisbol Sudamerica hitter. Still, he was good at drawing walks. Pena had above average to good speed and was able to turn many of his double opportunities into triples. He played exclusively at shortstop and played 3302 games there, more games than any player in pro baseball history at the position as of 2037. Pena was an above average to good defense throughout his career with one Gold Glove to his name. Pena was an extremely hard working and loyal player, making him a beloved figure in South American baseball circles.

Pena was one of the rare players picked out of high school in the BSA Draft, selected fourth overall by Belo Horizonte in the 1932 Draft. He made a few sporadic at bats in 1933 and 1934 and didn’t see the field in 1935. In 1936 at age 21, Pena became the full-time starter for the Hogs at shortstop and would start 149+ games for the next 14 consecutive seasons. He struggled a bit at the plate in his first full season, but had turned it around the following year for his first of a record 15 Silver Sluggers. Pena won the award in 1937, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, and 53.

He never won league MVP, but finished third in voting in 1948. He hit 30+ home runs in 15 seasons with a career high of 45 in 1950. He led the Southern Cone League in WAR twice with 9.2 in 1942 and 8.5 in 1945. Despite his success, he rarely was a league leader, but quickly compiled great totals. Because of his strong defense, he posted 19 seasons worth 6+ WAR.

Pena made a Copa Sudamerica appearance in 1939 with Belo Horizonte taking runner-up despite his 14 hits, 6 home runs, and 11 RBI. The Hogs wouldn’t make the playoffs again until 1946, but they’d go on a run from 1946 to 1953 with five playoff berths and three Copa Sudamerica titles. Belo Horizonte won it all in 1948, 1950, and 1952. In his playoff career over 62 starts, Pena had 53 hits, 26 runs, 1 5 home runs, 39 RBI, and 1.6 WAR. He also played from 1947-58 with the Brazilian team in the World Baseball Championship. In 153 games, he had 113 hits, 96 runs, 63 home runs, 108 RBI, and 4.5 WAR.

Pena became the first BSA batter to 600 career home runs and 1500 career RBI in 1954 and the fifth to 2500 hits in 1956. His streak of 6+ WAR seasons went from 1939 through 1956, including a 6.1 WAR 1955 at age 40 despite missing half the season to a PCL injury. In 1957, his production finally fell noticeably. That year, he became the second Beisbol Sudamerica player to 1500 career runs scored. At age 43, he was traded for five prospects to Caracas for the 1958 season. His productivity was still weak, but he became the first BSA hitter to 700 home runs. Pena signed with Brasilia in 1959 and struggled when he saw the field. He was forced to retire in August after suffering a fractured skull; ending his illustrious career at age 44. His #25 uniform would retired immediately by the Hogs.

The final stats for Pena: 2775 hits, 1596 runs, 286 doubles, 257 triples, 725 home runs, 1754 RBI, 1168 walks, 3773 strikeouts, 664 stolen bases, a .224/.291/.465 slash and 153.6 WAR. At retirement, Pena was BSA’s all-time hitting WARlord, home run leader, RBI leader, runs leader, and fourth in hits despite the lousy batting average and striking out more than any other player. It’s amazing that a guy with 150+ career WAR never won MVP, but his longevity at a very difficult defensive position along with consistent power made him a legendary force. Pena was picked to the first ballot at 97.5%.



Angel Gabriel Cornejo – Third Base – Cordoba Chanticleers – 93.0% First Ballot

Angel Gabriel Cornejo was a 6’2’’, 205 pound right-handed third baseman from Tucuman, a province of around in northern Argentina. Like Pena, Cornejo was renowned for his longevity, durability, and consistency. Cornejo was a good to sometimes great contact hitter with respectable home run power that averaged around 25-30 dingers per year. He was above average at drawing walks and around average at avoiding strikeouts. Cornejo had average speed and played the vast majority of his starts at third base with occasional starts at second. He was considered delightfully average on defense. Cornejo was also very opinionated and outspoken, which made him very popular to those who agreed with him and obnoxious to those who didn’t.

Cornejo was picked ninth overall by Cordoba in the 1935 Beisbol Sudamerica Draft and would spend his entire 24 year career with the Chanticleers. After being a part-time starter as a rookie, Cornejo became a full timer and started 132+ games each year from 1937 to 1957, except for parts of 1948-49 due to a ruptured MCL. Cornejo’s first of seven Silver Sluggers came in 1939 at second base. The rest of them came at third, earned in 1940, 44, 45, 46, 47, and 50.

Cornejo never won league MVP as despite his talent, he rarely led the league in major stats. In 1944, he had his best season by far with the most WAR (11.2) and the OPS leader (.921), plus 35 home runs. Despite that, he finished third in MVP voting. He was second in 1940 and 1947. He had 12 seasons of 6+ WAR with a career high of 43 home runs and 103 RBI in 1950.

Cornejo had two playoff appearances early on with Cordoba, followed by a down period in the 1940s. The Chanticleers became a contender in the 1950s, making the playoffs six times from 1950 to 1956. They won four Southern Cone League titles and would claim Copa Sudamerica rings in 1951, 53, and 56. Cornejo was the 1956 SCLC MVP and in 64 playoff starts, had 53 hits, 30 runs, 6 home runs, and 25 RBI. He also appeared in 10 of the first 11 World Baseball Championships for Argentina, picking up 33 hits, 22 runs, 11 home runs, and 27 RBI in 190 plate appearances.

A ruptured MCL in late 1948 put him out for the end of that season and a chunk of 1949. Apart from that, Cornejo was as durable and reliable as could be, still posting full solid seasons into his 40s. He racked up the milestones with his durability, becoming the third BSA hitter to 2500 hits in 1953, the fifth to 500 home runs in 1955, the third to 1500 RBI in 1957 and the second to 1500 runs scored in 1959. In 1957, Cornejo became the very first South American hitter to 3000 career hits. At age 42 in 1956, Cornejo had a 7.2 WAR season. His production dropped a bit in 1957, followed by an injury filled 1958. Cornejo had a backup role in 1959, then retired after the season; one of the longest tenured pros ever at age 46. His #8 uniform would be immediately retired by Cordoba.

The final stats for Cornejo, 3253 hits, 1507 runs, 426 doubles, 555 home runs, 1570 RBI, 940 walks, 2300 strikeouts, a .272/.327/.456 slash, 155 wRC+, and 139.0 WAR. He retired the all-time hit king, although he’d lose that title in the 1970s. As of 2037, he’s ninth all-time in hits. He retired third in runs scored and third in RBI; as well as second in hitting WAR. Like his Hall of Fame classmate Pena, it’s amazing he put up such longevity and impressive tallies without winning a league MVP. But he was the best third baseman of his era and clearly an all-time great, earning the first ballot look at 93.0%.



Teo Menicagli – Pitcher – Cordoba Chanticleers – 80.0% First Ballot

Teo Menicagli was a 5’8’’, 180 pound right-handed pitcher from Buenos Aires, Argentina. Menicagli was a hard thrower with 99-101 mph velocity and solid control. His fastball was dominant along with a great forkball, and a passable slider and changeup. His movement was considered below average though, which led to Menicagli allowing home runs on bad days. For a pitcher, he was a serviceable hitter as well, winning two Silver Sluggers with 199 career hits, 10 home runs, 66 RBI, and a .202 average. Menicagli was a loyal player, but wasn’t the brightest.

Menicagli was picked 10^th overall in the Beisbol Sudamerica Draft in 1945 by Cordoba. Like his HOF classmate Cornejo, Menicagli spent his entire career with the Chanticleers. He was a weak reliever as a rookie, then had a great season as a closer in 1947, finishing second in Reliever of the Year voting. Menicagli became a full-time starter for the rest of his career. He wasn’t dominant, but ate up a lot of innings. His production was spotty at times, but he put in six seasons of 6+ WAR.

Menicagli never won Pitcher of the Year, but came closest in 1956, taking third. As mentioned earlier, Cordoba put together a 1950s dynasty and Menicagli played a strong role in helping them win Copa Sudamerica three times. In 12 starts and three relief appearances, he had 82.2 playoff innings, 2.29 ERA, a 7-3 record, 79 strikeouts, and 2.0 WAR. Menicagli also was on the Argentina World Baseball Championshipsquad from 1947-59, posting a 4.04 ERA over 151.2 innings with 175 strikeouts. He tossed 12.2 scoreless innings in the 1953 tournament, taking second in Best Pitcher voting.

Menicagli was a very durable pitcher, not suffering a major injury until bone chips in his elbow in 1958. The next year at age 35, he posted a negative WAR season and decided to retire at age 35. For his role in the dynasty, Cordoba retired his #7 uniform.

The final stats for Menicagli: 186-151 record, 60 saves, 2.58 ERA, 3252 innings, 3387 strikeouts, 488 walks, 290/384 quality starts, 90 FIP-, and 57.8 WAR. Among the Hall of Fame leaderboard, Menicagli has one of the less impressive resumes. But he had big moments in the playoffs and played a key role in a three-time Copa Sudamerica title run for Cordoba, getting Menicagli the push for a first ballot induction at 80.0%.

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

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The European Baseball Federation inducted the first members of its Hall of Fame in 1965. Both additions were pitchers with Sem Outjes at 97.3% and Elih Cruz at 86.2%. Three other players were above 50%, but short of the 66% threshold. Closer Ken Jacob had 58.1%, CF Joe Ramet at 54.0%, and closer Promoz Kucinic at 53.4%.



Sem “Ping” Outjes – Starting Pitcher – Vienna Vultures – 97.3% First Ballot

Sem Outjes was a 6’0’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Eindhoven, the fifth largest city in the Netherlands. He was a well-rounded pitcher with good to great stuff, movement, and control. His velocity topped out at 96-98 mph and his arsenal was a forkball, sinker, splitter, and changeup. Post-war, he emerged as arguably the best pitcher in the Netherlands. Outjes would join the European Baseball Federation in its second season in 1951, signing with Vienna at age 28.

Outjes was the conference leader in FIP- in six straight seasons to start his EBF career, getting 9.8+ WAR in all six years. He was the ERA leader in 1951, 1953, and 55; and the strikeout leader in 1954 (335) and 1955 (305). Despite these great numbers, Vienna was a lower-end team and he only earned Pitcher of the Year once; coming in 1955. He did take second three times; in 1954, 56, and 58. On April 25, 1954, Outjes threw a perfect game against Munich with 11 strikeouts. Outjes also pitched in the World Baseball Championship 11 times for the Dutch team, posting a 2.53 ERA over 139 innings with 168 strikeouts.

In 1957, the 34-year old Outjes suffered a torn labrum, ending his season. Vienna let him go, but he returned to his home nation and signed with Amsterdam. He bounced back with a great 1958 and was on his way in 1959 until forearm tendinitis took him out at the end of the season. Outjes entered free agency and stayed in the Netherlands, signing with Rotterdam. Sadly, he never pitched an inning for the Ravens. In spring training of 1960, Outjes suffered his second torn labrum, this time ending his career at age 37.

The final stats for Outjes: 147-72 record, 1.91 ERA, 1977.1 innings, 2486 strikeouts, 286 walks, 208/253 quality starts, 47 FIP-, and 82.8 WAR. For pitching only eight full seasons, Outjes’s stats are incredibly impressive. The WAR tally still looks solid on the later Hall of Fame leaderboards, although the other numbers are less impressive with the lack of longevity. Outjes was an impressive pitcher in the first decade of the EBF, deserving of the first ballot Hall of Fame induction at 97.3%.



Elih Cruz – Starting Pitcher – Amsterdam Anacondas – 86.2% First Ballot

Elih Cruz was a 5’11’’, 200 pound right-handed pitcher from Donostia, a city in the northeastern Basque Country of Spain. Like HOF classmate Sem Outjes, Cruz was considered good to sometimes great with stuff, movement, and control. His velocity was 96-98 mph with a fastball, slider, and changeup. Cruz was a decent batter for a pitcher as well, winning a Silver Slugger and posting 152 hits, 68 runs, 57 RBI, and a .200 average. Bruz was also a great leader and hard worker.

He also joined the European Baseball Federation in its second season after putting up solid semi-pro and amateur numbers in his 20s in Spain. He was signed to a seven-year, $214,200 deal with Amsterdam at age 29 for the 1951 season. The Anacondas were the second European Champion with Cruz posting a 2.08 ERA in 26 innings and 31 strikeouts. Five of his first six EBF seasons were worth 10+ WAR with the lead in ERA in 1953 (1.88), and strikeouts in 1954 (372). Cruz won Pitcher of the Year in 1953 in the Northern Conference, taking second in 1951 and third in both 1955 and 1956.

Amsterdam was a regular playoff contender in the 1950s and Cruz posted a 3.11 ERA in 92.2 playoff innings with 105 strikeouts. Cruz earned European Championship rings in 1951 and 1954. He also pitched for Spain in the World Baseball Championship from 1950-59. In 24 starts, he had 168.1 innings, 4.17 ERA, and 218 strikeouts.

Late in 1957, Cruz suffered a torn rotator cuff. Amsterdam let him go after seven seasons and the 36-year old signed with Madrid in 1958. Cruz had a respectable debut with the Conquistadors, then saw his production wane in his second year. Cruz opted to retire after the 1959 campaign at age 37.

The final stats: 163-78 record, 2.55 ERA, 2325.2 innings, 2555 strikeouts, 328 walks, 211/290 quality starts, a 58 FIP-, and 82.9 WAR. Like Outjees, Cruz put up impressive WAR totals despite only nine EBF seasons. If both had their full 20s with EBF stats, they might both be near the top of the Hall of Fame leaderboards. Regardless, Cruz’s 1950s dominance made him deserving of induction on his first ballot at 86.2% as part of the first inducted class.