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

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After inducting its first two Hall of Famers in 1984 and 1985, Chinese League Baseball put in two more in 1986. One was relief pitcher Encai Xing at 91.8% and the other starter Luke Ren at 78.2%; both getting the first ballot nod. Closer Yi Li came close to joining them on his second attempt but was just short at 61.5%. No players were cut after ten ballots.



Encai Xing – Closer – Wuhan Wolverines – 91.8% First Ballot

Encai Xing was a 6’0’’, 200 pound left-handed relief pitcher from Jiupu, a city with around 120,000 people in the northeastern coastal province of Liaoning. Although his velocity peaked at 94-96 mph, Xing had excellent stuff with his fastball-curveball combo. Both pitches had very good movement and he had respectable command. Xing was durable and was a team captain, known for great leadership and work ethic. When Chinese League Baseball was formed for the 1970 season, he had already been established as a great semi-pro arm. At age 26, Xing’s first CLB contract came with Wuhan.

Xing spent five seasons with the Wolverines and won Reliever of the Year in both 1971 and 1974, while taking second in 1970 and 1972 and third in 1973. He had 7.9 WAR over 100.1 innings with 206 strikeouts and a 0.54 ERA in 1971; unheard of dominance even in the very low offense CLB. In 1974, he set the still-standing CLB record with 57 saves, tying the then-world record as well. As of 2037, 57 saves has only been topped once in any world league.

Xing also threw seven scoreless playoff innings in his time with Wuhan, although they never got beyond the semifinal round. In total with the Wolverines, he had 208 saves and 263 shutdowns, a 0.76 ERA, 461.1 innings, 841 strikeouts, an FIP- of 4 (yes, FOUR); and 33.4 WAR. He also began pitching for the Chinese national team in the 1970s editions of the World Baseball Championship. Xing had 63 appearances with 18 starts, posting a 2.43 ERA, 18-12 record, 18 saves, 192.1 innings, 307 strikeouts, and 7.5 WAR. He helped China win world titles in 1970 and 1979.

Xing became a free agent at age 31 for 1975 and signed with Hong Kong. He did fine there, but the Champions struggled and decided to trade him to Macau at the deadline. Between the two, Xing won his third Reliever of the Year. He signed with Xiamen in 1976 but again was a deadline trade, moved to Xi’an. Xing was an important acquisition, getting five saves with a 0.69 ERA over 13 innings in the playoffs, helping the Attack win the China Series.

He’d stay with Xi’an and lead the league in saves the next three seasons, winning Reliever of the Year again in 1977 and 1978 and taking second in 1979. The Attack made the playoffs each of those years, but couldn’t advance beyond the semifinal. Xing pitched great though and finished his playoff career with a 0.76 ERA and 11 saves over 47.1 innings with 83 strikeouts. His stuff fell off hard in 1980 and he retired after the season at age 37. For his run with Xi’an, Xing had 165 saves and 196 shutdowns, a 1.50 ERA, 420.1 innings, 603 strikeouts, and 19.4 WAR.

For his full career, Xing had 426 saves and 529 shutdowns, a 1.14 ERA, 1015.2 innings, 1666 strikeouts to only 187 walks, a FIP- of 21, and 61.3 WAR. He finished just behind Yongjie Xie’s 437 saves for the top mark in CLB history; they remain #1 and #2 as of 2037. Xing does boast the lowest ERA of anyone in CLB’s Hall of Fame as of 2037. Even the most closer-skeptic voter couldn’t deny Xing’s value, getting the first ballot induction at 91.8%.



Luke Ren – Starting Pitcher – Tianjin Jackrabbits – 78.2% First Ballot

Luke Ren was a 5’7’’, 195 pound left-handed pitcher from Xi’an, a city of nearly 13 million and the capital of Shaanxi Province. The stocky Ren was known for having solid control, making up for having average at best stuff and movement. His velocity peaked at 92-94 mph, but he had four pitches he could equally beat you with; fastball, slider, splitter, and knuckle curve. Ren had solid stamina and durability, making him a reliable arm in his run. He was also a team captain that was renowned for his great leadership and work ethic.

Ren was 25-years old when CLB was formed and signed his first deal in 1970 with Tianjin. He spent six seasons with the Jackrabbits, leading in wins twice. Tianjin would make it to the 1971 and 1972 China Series, winning it all in 1972. Ren in the playoffs there had a 2.08 ERA over 56.1 innings with a 5-2 record and 36 strikeouts. Although not dominant or high up leaderboards generally, his 8.3 WAR effort in 1971 earned a Pitcher of the Year. He’d also finish third in 1975 voting and win a Gold Glove in 1972.

In total with Tianjin, Ren had a 116-48 record, 2.41 ERA, 1666.1 innings, 1410 strikeouts, and 33.0 WAR. He became a free agent at age 31 before the 1976 season and signed a six-year, $1,822,000 deal with Kunming. He had five solid seasons with the Muscle, who put together their own dynasty run. They finished first in the Southern League standings from 1976-79, made it to the championship thrice and won it all in 1977 and 78. In the playoffs, Ren had a 3-4 record, 2.16 ERA, 75 innings, 69 strikeouts, and 2.2 WAR. In total with Kunming, he had a 66-58 record, 2.44 ERA, 1281.1 innings, 1008 strikeouts, and 18.3 WAR. His production dipped a bit in 1980 and instead of hanging around and risking overstaying his welcome, Ren retired at age 36.

Ren’s final stats: 182-106 record, 2.42 ERA, 2947.2 innings, 2418 strikeouts to 508 walks, 270/358 quality starts, 128 complete games, 90 FIP-, and 51.3 WAR. When looking back at his stats against other Hall of Famers in 2037, Ren’s totals are a bit underwhelming. But he was a leader and captain for three championship teams, and a very likeable guy. That went a long way for voters looking to start filling voids in a still pretty new CLB Hall of Fame. Ren received first ballot induction at 78.2%.

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The 1986 World Baseball Championship was the 40^th edition of the event and was the first to be held in Pakistan with Karachi as the primary host city. Division 1 had Colombia on top at 8-1, two ahead of both Denmark and North Korea. It is their first division win since 1982 and the 11^th elite eight appearance in total for the Colombians. In D2, Taiwan was the upset winner at 8-1, ousting the perennial power United States at 7-2 with Guatemala and Pakistan both 6-3. It is only the second division title for the Taiwanese, who were the 1980 runner-up. For the Americans, this marks only the fifth time in 40 WBCs that they weren’t among the final eight teams. The last time that happened with 1980.

In Division 3, France finished first at 8-1, one ahead of China and two better than both Belgium and Haiti. It is back-to-back division titles and the sixth total for the French. It is the first time since the late 1960s that the Chinese missed the elite eight in back-to-back WBCs. Turkey, who was the runner-up last year, finished 5-4. Japan topped Division 4 at 8-1 with three teams below them at 6-3. The Japanese now have 14 division titles to their name. In D5, South Korea advanced at 7-2, besting Bangladesh by one. The Koreans also have 14 division titles. They and Japan have the most of any Eastern Hemisphere nation.

Italy won a competitive Division 6 at 7-2, edging Honduras and Sweden by a game each. It is the ninth division win for the Italians. Indonesia dominated D7 at 8-1 with Brazil the closest competitor at 6-3. The Indonesians earned back-to-back division titles and their seventh total. Canada claimed Division 8 at 8-1, besting Spain (7-2) and India (6-3). The Canadians get back-to-back berths and their 25^th overall, second only to the United States.

Indonesia crushed the competition in Round Robin Group A, going unbeaten at 6-0. France advanced as well at 3-3, while Italy (2-4) and Colombia (1-5) were eliminated. The Indonesians earned back-to-back semifinal berths and their sixth in total, while the French secured their fourth semifinal appearance. Group B had Canada on top at 4-2. Taiwan and South Korea tied at 3-3 and Japan was 2-4 with the tiebreaker moving the Taiwanese forward. It is the 19^th semifinal for the Canadians, although the first since 1972. It is Taiwan’s second semi.

Indonesia defeated Taiwan 3-1 and Canada swept France 3-0 in the semifinal round. The Taiwanese were officially third place and France finished fourth for back-to-back WBCs. The Indonesians earned their first-ever finals appearance, while Canada got its 11^th and first since 1972.



The Canadians would claim the 40^th World Championship 4-2. It was Canada’s third-ever world title, joining their 1954 and 1959 triumphs. The Canadian team had 52 doubles, setting a WBC record that held until 2026. Tournament MVP went to Indonesia’s Tunggul Widhyasari. The three-time Sundaland Association MVP with Medan made 25 starts with 32 hits, 22 runs, 8 doubles, 14 home runs, and 27 RBI with 2.7 WAR. Best Pitcher went to France’s Lorenzo Amaru; a Tahitian with three Reliever of the Year awards with OBA’s Sydney. Amaru tossed 18 scoreless innings with 4 saves and two wins, striking out 33 with five hits and one walk allowed.



Other notes: The third perfect game in WBC history came from Pakistan’s Jamal Saifullah, who fanned nine against El Salvador. Ireland’s Shane Collins also had a no-hitter, striking out eight against Australia.

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The second season for the Pakistan League saw a big shake up from the first season. Hyderabad went from a last place 66-96 to a first place 92-70. Lahore, winners of 79 games in the first season, narrowly took second at 91-71 to get the second playoff spot. Faisalabad (89-73) and Multan (87-75) were both right in the mix but just short. Last year’s PL winner Karachi fell to sixth at 82-80, while Peshawar went from second place to seventh at 69-93.

The Pakistan League’s second MVP went to Lahore’s Masood bin Sharif. A 31-year old right fielder from Pakistan, he led with 56 home runs, 94 runs, a .621 slugging, .966 OPS, and 204 wRC+. Bin Sharif’s 56 home runs would be the single-season home run mark for a few years, not getting topped until 1990. He added 8.9 WAR and 112 RBI. Karachi’s Ziad Khan was the Pitcher of the Year with the first Triple Crown season in Asian Baseball Federation history. The 34-year old lefty had a 21-4 record, 1.79 ERA, and 361 strikeouts over 251.2 innings with a FIP- of 38 and 11.7 WAR. He would be the only ABF pitcher with a Triple Crown until 2019.



Defending ABF champ Istanbul remained the top team in the Turkish League, finishing at 101-61. Adana gave them a run for the top spot, but finished five back at 96-66. In the Persian League, Isfahan claimed first at 94-68 with a seven game lead over Mashhad and eight over Tehran. Last year’s TL champ Tabriz dropped to 70-92. Meanwhile, Shiraz was an abysmal 38-124, which remains the ABF’s all-time worst record as of 2037.

The Ironmen swept the West Asia Association’s top awards with both MVP and Pitcher of the Year going to Akif Erdem. The 29-year old Turk led in ERA at 1.68. He also had 10.8 WAR over 268.1 innings with 333 strikeout s and a 20-6 record. Izmir’s Abbad Nadim had a very good case that his season was better with a 1.92 ERA, 24-8 record, 389 strikeouts, and 11.7 WAR. Erdem being on the top team compared to the .500 Ice Caps put him over the top.

The Pakistan League Championship Series ended up going to Hyderabad 4-1 over Lahore. Meanwhile, Istanbul’s repeat bid was foiled in the West Asia Association Championship as not only did Isfahan beat then, but they swept them.



The Imperials seemed poised to do the same to Hyderabad in the second Asian Baseball Federation Championship. Isfahan took a 3-0 series lead, but the Horned Frogs had an incredible rally to win the series in seven games. Leading the comeback was RF Abolhassan Moghadam, who won finals MVP. In 12 playoff starts, he had 14 hits, 8 runs, 5 home runs, and 13 RBI.



Other notes: Tehran’s Ali Dahir struck out 22 against Bursa on September 20. This would stay the ABF’s single-game strikeout record until passed in 1999. Peshawar’s Ali Karaduman had the first six-hit game, going 6-7 against Lahore on 6/13. Istanbul’s Alaeddin Simsek had a 37-game hitting streak, which as of 2037 remains the ABF all-time mark, only getting matched once in 2028.

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Visakhapatnam had an impressive turnaround from 73 wins in 1985 to the most wins in the Indian League in 1986 at 103-59 This won them the South Division over defending South Asian Champion Bengaluru, although the Blazers easily took the wild card at 96-66. Bengaluru has made the playoffs in each of SAB’s first seven seasons. Pune and Jaipur’s chance to match that failed as both were below .500 in 1986. Ahmedabad won the West Division at 98-64 for their fifth playoff berth. Meanwhile in the Central Division, Kolkata earn it’s first-ever berth. The Cosmos finished 89-73, edging out Delhi by two games.

Drillers 2B V.J. Williams won his third straight Indian League MVP. The 26-year old lefty led in runs (127), hits (212), RBI (127), total bases (425), triple slash (.358/.428/.717), OPS (1.145), wRC+ (253), and 13.0 WAR. His 54 home runs left him four short of the Triple Crown as both Andee Siddharth and Johar Rai smacked 58. Volts rookie righty Saddam Khan won Pitcher of the Year and somehow was second in Rookie of the Year voting. The eighth overall pick in the 1985 draft by Visakhapatnam, Khan was the ERA leader with 1.44. He had a 17-5 record and 15 saves over 212 innings with 211 strikeouts and 5.0 WAR. It was Kanpur RF Kyu-Jin Jeong who beat out Khan for the top rookie spot as Jeong had 7.0 WAR as a hitter and led the league with 19 triples.

The division rivals Visakhapatnam and Bengaluru had a fierce battle in the first round of the playoffs with the Blazers upsetting the Volts 3-2. The adjacent series was less interesting with Ahmedabad sweeping Kolkata. The Indian League Championship Series ended up a seven game classic with the Animals denying Bengaluru’s repeat bid. It is the first IL title for Ahmedabad, who would go onto be the perennial league powerhouse for the rest of the 21^st Century.



The Southeast Asia League had very competitive races for the division titles and wild cards. The best overall record went to Bangkok at 90-72 atop the South Division, giving the Bobcats their first division title since the inaugural SAB season. Vientiane finished one back at 89-73, getting them the first wild card and their first-ever playoff berth. In the North Division, Kathmandu’s 89-73 claimed first place to give them their third playoff berth in franchise history and first division title. Yangon was second in the division at 86-76 and tied with Kuala Lumpur for the second wild card, while close behind were Chittagong at 83-79, Ho Chi Minh City at 82-80, and defending SEAL champ Hanoi at 81-81. There is no tiebreaker game in SAB and the Leopards had the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Green Dragons. This gave Kuala Lumpur its second-ever playoff appearance.

Chittagong 3B Thang Huynh won the Southeast Asia League MVP. The second-year Vietnamese switch hitter led in hits (206), total bases (402), OPS (1.070), and wRC+ (192). He added 9.8 WAR, 46 home runs, and 115 RBI. Vientiane’s Zainal bin Aziz was the Pitcher of the Year. The 26-year old Malaysian lefty led in ERA (2.37), strikeouts (330), WHIP (0.92), K/BB (.66), FIP- (60), and WAR (8.0). He had a 17-10 record over 231.1 innings.

Both first round series went the distance with Kuala Lumpur upsetting Bangkok and Kathmandu surviving Vientiane. This guaranteed a first-time league champ with both squads earning their first appearance into the Southeast Asia League Championship Series. The Chaparrals took the title with a 4-2 victory over the Leopards.



In the seventh South Asia Baseball Championship, Ahmedabad downed Kathmandu 4-1 to keep the title in India for the fifth straight season. LF K.C. Choudhury was the finals MVP, posting 16 hits, 9 runs, 3 doubles, 3 triples, 2 home runs, and 8 RBI in 15 playoff starts. It was the first SAB title for the Animals, who would soon begin an unparalleled stretch of dominance over the next two decades or so.



Other notes: Phnom Penh’s Alberto de Sa had 22 losses on the mound, setting the SAB single-season mark that still stands as of 2037. Bangkok’s Joe Pomphan had a 30-game hit streak, setting the new SAB record. This would hold until 1995. Sankar Sundaram became the first pitcher to 2000 strikeouts and Najib Kumaili joined Al-Amin Kundu as the only SAB hitters with 300 homers. Kundu (shortstop) is the only player to have a Silver Slugger in all seven SAB seasons to date, although Kumaili (right field) is close with six.

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For the second time in franchise history, Kumasi claimed first place in the WAB Western League standings. The defending WLCS champion Monkeys finished 104-58 to extended their record postseason streak to nine seasons. Conakry finished second at 99-63 to give the Coyotes their first-ever playoff berth. Bamako took third for the final playoff spot at 93-69, extending their postseason streak to four years. Nouakchott, WAB champs two seasons earlier, missed out by two games at 91-71. Abidjan went from 100 wins in 1985 to a fifth place 84-78 in 1986.

Night Riders 3B Epule Fongang won his third Western League MVP in four years. The 26-year old Cameroonian led in hits (207), runs (107), doubles (49), triples (23), total bases (368), triple slash (.344/.392/.612), OPS (1.004), wRC+ (195), and WAR (11.3). This allowed him to beat teammate Blaise Diawara for the top award despite Diawara’s league-best 53 home runs and 152 RBI. Kumasi’s Anthony Moses won the Pitcher of the Year with the 23-year old Nigerian posting a 24-3 record with a WL best 1.73 ERA, 271 innings, 27 quality starts, 64 FIP-, and 8.6 WAR. Moses also had 317 strikeouts.

In the wild card round, Bamako upset Conakry on the road 2-0. In the Western League Championship Series, the Bullfrogs carried their momentum into a 3-1 upset over the defending champion Kumasi. Bamako now has three WL pennants, having also won in 1976 and 1983.



Defending West African Champion Lagos had the top spot in the Eastern League at 93-69. The Lizards have made the playoffs ten times in WAB’s first 12 years and they’ve finished first in the standings four times. Kano took second at 90-72 for their fourth straight playoff berth and ninth in total. Niamey was third at 89-73 to earn a third straight postseason appearance. Close behind were Lome (85-77), and Cotonou (84-78), but they fell short of the second wild card.

Cotonou’s Bello Stephen had one of the most impressive debuts in professional baseball history. The first overall pick in the 1985 draft, Stephen won Eastern League MVP, Pitcher of the Year, and Rookie of the Year all in one. The righty from Kano, Nigeria led in ERA (1.54) WHIP (0.72), complete games (14), and FIP- (60), posting 6.4 WAR and 260 strikeouts over 192.2 innings. His ERA mark was just behind Albert Kamara’s 1.49 in 1980 as the WAB single-season mark and it still sits third best all time as of 2037. Stephen’s success came despite missing about six weeks to injury.

Kano outlasted Niamey 2-1 in the wild card round and like Bamako in the Western League, carried that momentum through the Eastern League Championship Series. The Condors upset Lagos 3-1 to deny the Lizard repeat bid and give Kano its second EL pennant in three years. The Condors are now four time Eastern League champs.



The 12^th West African Championship saw Kano defeat Bamako 4-2. The Condors now have three WAB titles to their name, having also won the first two seasons of WAB of 1970 and 1971. Closer Uche Olajide won the finals MVP as the 27-year old Reliever of the Year winner had five saves over eight postseason appearances with 14.2 innings, 20 strikeouts, and one walk.



Other notes: Bamako’s Addise Assefa had a great postseason with a 1.11 ERA over four starts with 51 strikeouts over 32.1 innings. His 51 strikeouts and 1.43 WAR remain WAB postseason records as of 2037. Nouakchott’s Blaise Diawara had 152 RBI, only the second 150+ RBI season in WAB to date. Endurance Jacob became the third to reach 400 career home runs. Power Bonou became the first pitcher with 3500 career strikeouts. He’d retire after 1987 with 3639 and wouldn’t stay the all-time leader long because of Assefa. Still, Bonou is seventh on the WAB leaderboard as of 2037.

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Tianjin and Beijing again were the class of the Chinese Northern League. The Jackrabbits earned a fourth consecutive playoff berth and took first in the standings at 110-52. The two-time defending CLB champion Bears took second at 103-59. Beijing allowed only 347 runs, which is the second fewest in NL history still as of 2037 behind only their 337 the prior season. The Bears also set a new record for strikeouts by a pitching staff with 1808. Tianjin’s pitching was strong too, setting a record for fewest walks allowed at 205. The only other remotely competitive NL team was Nanjing at 92-70, still a distant 11 games behind Beijing for the second playoff spot.

Northern League MVP went to Tianjin’s Mingqi Dai, his second time earning the honor. The 28-year old right fielder led the league in runs (92), RBI (93), total bases (323), OBP (.358), slugging (.574), OPS (.932), and wRC+ (215). He added 11.0 WAR and 32 home runs. Beijing’s Youpeng “Cash” Yin was Pitcher of the Year. The right-handed 24-year old was the WARlord (9.9) and leader in wins (19-10) and quality starts (31). Yin added a 1.57 ERA and 315 strikeouts over 253 innings.



The Southern League had a bit of a shakeup with Dongguan going from 84 wins in 1985 to a first place 98-64 in 1986. This snapped a 12-year playoff drought for the Donkeys. Taking second was Guangzhou at 95-67, ending a four-year playoff skid for them. The Gamecocks were three games ahead of both Chengdu and defending SL champ Chongqing. Hong Kong, winners of 102 games the prior season, fell to a seventh place 78-84.

Although Macau was below .500, they boasted the Southern League’s MVP in leadoff CF Sijing Wang. Nicknamed “Iceman,” the 26-year old posted an impressive 12.5 WAR season, also leading in hits (194), triples (30), stolen bases (81), average (.337), OBP (.384), and stolen bases (81). “Pooky” Ping Nong of Kunming was the Pitcher of the Year in his fourth season. Nong led in WHIP (0.82), and K/BB (9.6), adding a 17-11 record and 11 saves over 238.1 innings. Nong had a 1.85 ERA, 316 strikeouts and 6.9 WAR.

The powerhouses in the Northern League prevailed over their Southern League counterparts in the playoff semifinals. Tianjin rolled to a 4-1 win over Guangzhou, while Beijing survived in a seven game classic over Dongguan. This set up a 1984 China Series rematch between the NL rivals.



The 17^th China Series was the fourth finals berth for Beijing, who was trying to be the first team to three-peat. For Tianjin, it was their fifth finals appearance and third in four years. The Jackrabbits prevailed in the rematch 4-2 to earn their third Chinese League Baseball title, joining the 1983 and 1972 campaigns. NL MVP Mingqi Dai was also the star of the playoffs for Tianjin, winning finals and semifinal MVP honors. Dai had 14 hits, 12 runs, 5 home runs, and 12 RBI over 11 playoff starts. The Jackrabbits and Bears are tied with three CLB rings apiece, the most of any franchise thus far.



Other notes: CLB’s 17^th perfect game was thrown on August 24 by Xiamen’s Yan Tan, striking out 10 against Guangzhou. Zhiyuan Lai became the second CLB pitcher to 4000 career strikeouts. He would pass Zhijan Dong and retired after the 1987 season with 4367 Ks, which remains the CLB all-time mark as of 2037. Yin Yang and Libo Li both reached 1000 runs scored. 3B Chantha Thepsenavong became the first 11-time Gold Glove winner. C Yuanyi Sun won his 10^th Gold Glove and CF Faqing He won his eighth Gold Glove. 3B Liang Yehya and SS Junjie Hsiung became nine time Silver Slugger winners.

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In the Taiwan-Philippine Association, Manila and Taichung were on top again. The defending TPA champion Manatees earned a third Philippine League title in four years with their 93-69 finish, besting Quezon by four games and Davao by seven. The Toucans earned a third straight Taiwan League title, but needed a tiebreaker game with Tainan to do so. Taichung ended up at 87-76 with the win, while the Titans were 86-77.

Taipei was 78-84, but they had the TPA MVP in Eli Cheng. The 24-year old RF had the sixth APB Triple Crown season for a hitter with 44 home runs, 102 RBI, and a TPA-best triple slash of .305/.404/.602. Cheng also led in runs (95), walks (91), total bases (337), OPS (1.005), wRC+ (198), and WAR (8.8). Pitcher of the Year was Taichung’s Abu Hamid, who led in wins at 18-13 and quality starts with 29. The 27-year old lefty had 308 strikeouts over 294 innings with a 2.33 ERA and 6.9 WAR.



Defending Austronesia Champion Jakarta earned the Java League crown for the fourth time in five years. The Jaguars were 92-70, seven games ahead of Semarang. Malacca League champ Pekanbaru had the best record in the Sundaland Association at 96-66. For the Palms, it is only their second-ever playoff berth with the other way back in the inaugural 1965 APB season. Medan finished second at 92-70, while last year’s Malacca League winner Batam fell to only 75 wins.

Semarang pitcher Kuo-Long Tsai was awarded Sundaland Association MVP and Pitcher of the Year. He led in innings (291) with 27 complete games and 8 shutouts. Tsai posted a 17-12 record, 1.27 ERA, 331 strikeouts, and 7.1 WAR; a fine season, but honestly not as dominant as you’d expect in winning both big awards. Jakarta’s Hadi Ningsih was the overall WARlord with 10.1, a 1.47 ERA, and 379 strikeouts.

The Taiwan-Philippine Association Championship went to Manila 4-2 over Taichung, giving the Manatees back-to-back pennants and their fourth in franchise history. Jakarta also made it back-to-back, claiming the Sundaland Association Championship 4-2 over Pekanbaru. The Jaguars now have six SA pennants to their name, the most of any franchise.



The 22^nd Austronesia Championship was a rematch and the third finals meeting between Manila and Jakarta. After going 0-3 in their previous appearances, the Manatees earned their first overall title and denied the Jaguar repeat with a sweep. The postseason leader was 31-year old 3B Sylvester Moira, who returned to his original squad after four years with Davao. Moira won finals and TPAC MVP, posting 14 hits, 5 runs, 4 triples, 2 home runs, 11 RBI, and 6 stolen bases in 10 playoff starts.



Other notes: D.J Licerio became the seventh to 1000 runs scored. Afriza Bachdim was the third to earn 300 career saves. CF Ying-Cheih Tsai won his ninth and final Gold Glove. Chung-Chia Lan won his ninth and final Silver Slugger. It was his second since moving to first base with the other seven in right field.

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The 1986 Australasia League race was incredibly tight with six of the eight teams having a real shot at the crown in the final weeks. Perth prevailed in the end at 87-75, their first AL pennant since 1979. Brisbane and Melbourne were both only one game back. Defending champ Christchurch was four behind with Adelaide five back and Sydney six back.

Gold Coast LF Neville Ryan became a three time Australasia League MVP, even though his Kangaroos finished seventh. The 30-year old Australian did his best though, leading in triples (24), home runs (49), RBI (117), total bases (381), slugging (.651), OPS (.988), wRC+ (181), and WAR (9.3). Adelaide’s Tarzan Rao became the first six-time winner of the Pitcher of the Year and earned his third Triple Crown with a 22-14 record, 1.97 ERA, and 464 strikeouts. The 33-year old from Vanuatu was the WARlord (14.4) for the ninth straight season and strikeout leader (464) for the seventh. He also led in innings (337.2), K/BB (16.0), quality starts (35), complete games (26), and FIP- (48).



After taking second place last year, Honolulu found itself on top of the Pacific League for the fifth time in six years. The Honu finished 95-67, edging defending OBA champ Port Moresby by one (94-68) and Guam by two (93-69). Honolulu needed historic pitching to prevail, as their 2.12 team ERA and 352 earned runs allowed were both the second-best seasons in PL history behind only Tahiti’s 1974 effort.

Leading the Honu pitching staff was Pitcher of the Year Randol Smith. The 29-year old Solomon Islander was the WARlord (9.2), posting a 1.97 ERA and 21-12 record over 301.2 innings with 334 strikeouts. Smith also won his fourth Gold Glove and threw a 14-strikeout, one walk no hitter against Guam on April 26. Also playing a big role for Honolulu was second year 1B Vavao Brighouse, who had a breakout season to win Pacific League MVP. The 6’8’’, 23-year old Samoan lefty became the new OBA single-season home run king with 60 dingers, breaking Sione Hala’s record of 59 from 1968. Brighouse also led in RBI (116), total bases (351), slugging (.635), OPS (.949), and wRC+ (218); the first great season in what would become an impressive slugging career.

Brighouse carried his power into the 27^th Oceania Championship as Honolulu reestablished their dynasty and defeated Perth 4-2. As finals MVP, Brighouse had 7 home runs, 9 hits, 8 runs, and 9 RBI over 6 starts. Four of those home runs came in one game, making him second-ever OBA player with a 4 HR game and the only one as of 2037 to do it in the postseason. The 7 homers, 1.409 slugging and 1.825 OPS are still OBA postseason records as of 2037. The Honu became the first team in OBA history to win four rings in five years.





Other notes: Nigel Chalmers became the first OBA pitcher to 300 career wins. He would pitch one more season and retire with 313. He’d lose the #1 spot by the end of the 1980s to Tarzan Rao, but still sits third best as of 2037. Rao became the fourth pitcher to 4500 career strikeouts. SP Durant Lindly won his ninth Gold Glove, a record for the position. 3B Jarrod Stacy won his eighth.