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

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The debut season of Eurasian Professional Baseball in 1955 saw Warsaw dominate in the European League with a 122-40 mark. They cruised to the North Division title while Riga at 100-62 was second and grabbed a wild card. Bucharest took the South Division at 96-66, two games better than Kyiv. The Kings and Minsk both finished 94-68 and needed a one-game playoff for the final wild card spot with the Miners winning and advancing to the first postseason.

The first European League MVP went to Warsaw RF Samir Annekov. A 24-year old left-handed Ukrainian, he had the league lead in hits (203), average (.334), slugging (.625), and OPS (.982) while adding 7.1 WAR, 39 home runs, and 126 RBI. Pitcher of the Year went to Bogdan Chirita of Bucharest. A right-handed 28-year old Romanian, Chirita led the league in ERA (1.65) WAR (9.9) and FIP- (55) with 307 strikeouts in 262 innings.



The top mark in the Asian League went to Yekaterinburg, taking the North Division at 104-58. Krasnoyarsk took second at 100-62 and picked up the first wild card. The South Division crown went to Almaty at 97-65. Behind them were Dushanbe at 95-67 and Baku at 93-69 with the Dynamo earning the second wild card spot.

The Asian League MVP was Yaks RF Igor Tcaci. The 28-year old Moldovan led the league in home runs (46), RBI (118), slugging (.600), OPS (.934), and WAR (6.6). The Pitcher of the Year was Dushanbe’s Sergei Filatov. The 26-year old Russian lefty led in wins (22) and complete games (26), posting 9.2 WAR, a 2.63 ERA, and 307 strikeouts in 281 innings.

Despite the record-setting 122 win season, Warsaw was ousted in the first round of the playoffs 3-1 by Minsk. Bucharest swept Riga 3-0, followed by a Miners victory in six games in the ELCS. Yekaterinburg survived Dushanbe in five and Almaty topped Krasnoyarsk in four in the first round in the Asian League, followed by a sweep by the Yaks in the ALCS. The first ever Soviet Series saw Yekaterinburg defeat Minsk 4-2 to make the Yaks the first-ever EPB champion.





Other notes: The first EPB perfect game was April 19 as Almaty’s Maksim Trafimov struck out six against Omsk. Ulaanbaatar’s Max Sarinyan hit 57 doubles, a single-season record that still stands decades later. A bad single-season record also set in the debut year went to Bratislava’s Antoine Marin, striking out 311 times.

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Defending European Champion Amsterdam made it six straight playoff appearances to start the European Baseball Federation as the Anacondas had the best record in the Northern Conference at 111-51. Berlin won a second straight North Central Division title with a 104-58, finishing five games better than Stockholm. London took the British Isles Division at 86-76 for their third playoff berth thus far, beating Dublin by five games. Stockholm at 99-63 earned the wild card spot, outracing Paris by three games. The Swordsmen make it five straight playoff berths.

Northern Conference MVP went to rookie LF Blake Turland for London, who also won the Rookie of the Year. The 23-year old Englishman led the NC in WAR (9.4), slugging (.635), OPS (1.036), and wRC+ (206), adding 37 home runs, 85 RBI, and a .314 average. Stockholm’s Pietro Ribsi won his second Pitcher of the Year Award. The 30-year old Italian was the leader in ERA (1.59), innings (282.1), and quality starts (29), adding 303 strikeouts and 11.1 WAR.



The best mark in the Southern Conference went to two-time defending conference champ Madrid. The Conquistadors joined Amsterdam as the only teams to make the playoffs in each year of the EBF thus far, rolling to the Southwest Division at 107-55. Zurich took back-to-back South Central Division titles with a 95-67 finish, seven games better than Milan. In the Southeast Division, Belgrade and Munich tied for first at 93-69. The Bruisers won the one-game tiebreaker to earn their first playoff berth. The Mavericks still advanced to the playoffs as the wild card, their fifth consecutive appearance. The ended up a few games ahead of Lisbon, Milan, and Seville.

Leading Belgrade was SC MVP Kazzimierz Franiak. The 30-year old from Poland in his fifth season with the team was the leader in homers (62), RBI (144), slugging (.672), OPS (1.060), and wRC+ (202) with 9.3 WAR. Strangely enough, Franiak would take the next five years off from professional baseball, although he’d still play for the Polish team in the World Baseball Championship. He re-emerged in 1960 in MLB with Cleveland.

Pitcher of the Year ended up being a split between two players. Vienna’s Sem Outjes had the second-ever Triple Crown for an EBF pitcher. The 32-year old Dutchman did it with a 21-10 record, 1.81 ERA, 305 strikeouts, and 11.7 WAR. Nino Kristo of Zagreb meanwhile was in what would be the final season for the 35-year old lefty from Croatia. Kristo led the conference in wins (21), innings (287), quality starts (28), complete games (18), and shutouts (8). He had a 1.98 ERA, 257 strikeouts, and 8.5 WAR.

In the first round of the playoffs in the Northern Conference, Amsterdam topped Stockholm in four games and Berlin swept London. The Anacondas bid for a championship repeat was quickly thwarted as the Barons swept them in the conference championship, sending them to their first finale. In the Southern Conference, Madrid survived in the first round in a five game battle with Munich, while Zurich topped Belgrade in four games. The Conquistadors edged the Mountaineers 4-3 in the SCC, giving Madrid a third straight Southern Conference title. The Conquistadors finally picked up their first European Championship, defeating Berlin in six games. It is the first title for a Spanish team.





Other notes: Centerfielder Mercury Hand and third baseman Adrian Liechti became the first five-time Gold Glove winners. 3B Orion McIntyre became the first five-time Silver Slugger winner.

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Entering 1955, Guayaquil was one of two (Quito) Bolivar League teams without a single playoff appearance thus far in Beisbol Sudamerica. They changed that in 1955, winning the South Division at 96-66. They finished three games better than Cali and seven ahead of defending Copa Sudamerica champ Callao. In the North Division, Bogota finished first at 96-66, three better than Barquisimeto and nine over Maracaibo. Last year’s division champ Medellin fell off to finish with 70 wins. For the Bats, they snap a three-year playoff drought and bounce back from a losing season the prior year.

Bolivar League MVP went to Barquisimeto 2B Remberto Borja. The 25-year old Venezuelan was the league leader in hits (219), runs (113), triples (24), stolen bases (81), average (.373), OPS (.423), and WAR (10.3). Borja also set a BSA record with a 43-game hitting streak, shattering the previous mark of 30 games. This holds as the all-time mark in Beisbol Sudamerica with only one other player even reaching 40 come 2015. Bogota’s Fernando Guitard won Pitcher of the Year. The 30-year old Colombian only led the league in complete games with 23, but added a 20-12 record, 2.24 ERA, 263 strikeouts, and 8.7 WAR. Sadly for him, a steady career would end two seasons later due to a torn rotator cuff.



The top mark in the Southern Cone League and all of BSA belonged to Cordoba at 107-55. It was a franchise record for the Chanticleers, who earned their fifth South Division title in six seasons. Sao Paulo won a third straight Brazil Division title to set up another rematch in for the league title with the Padres finishing 98-64.

Salvador CF Rodrigo Leite picked up MVP in his third season for the Storm. The left-handed leadoff man led the league in hits (193), runs (96), average (.348), OPS (1.000), and WAR (11.7). Sao Paulo’s Argel Souza won the first of what would be five Pitcher of the Year awards. The 25-year old righty led in wins (28), strikeouts (346), quality starts (31), complete games (17), shutouts (6), and WAR (9.5). His 2.03 ERA has five points off the lead to deny a Triple Crown.

The Bolivar League Championship Series saw Guayaquil succeed in their finals debut, besting Bogota in six games for the title. Meanwhile, round three between Cordoba and Sao Paulo for the Southern Cone crown went to the Chanticleers 4-1. With that, Cordoba wins its third title in five seasons. They hoped to match that mark in Copa Sudamerica, but the Golds won it in a seven-game classic for Guayaquil’s first overall title. It was the first seven-game Copa Sudamerica since 1947 and the first time an Ecuadoran team won the top prize. This leaves Paraguay and Uruguay as the represented countries in Beisbol Sudamerica without a title and it wouldn’t be until the 21^st Century that changed.





Other notes: Sao Paulo’s Alonzo Guzman won his 250^th game, the fifth player to do so. Barry Hernandez and Alexandre Bentivogilo became the sixth and seventh pitchers to cross 4500 strikeouts. Angel Gabriel Cornejo and Placido Guerrero became the fifth and sixth BSA hitters to 500 home runs. Matias Amaro became the second to cross 1500 RBI. In award notables, Loury Nova won his 10^th Gold Glove at CF, only the third BSA player to win the award 10+ times.

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Defending Japan League champ Kitakyushu won the South Division for the third straight year with a 98-64 record in 1955, finishing 11 games ahead of Fukuoka. Sapporo returned to first in the North Division after just missing out the prior three seasons. The Swordfish finished 95-67, seven games ahead of last year’s winner Sendai.

The league MVP went to second-year 1B Kenzan Manabe of Osaka. Manabe was the league leader in runs (94), RBI (118), slugging (.587), OPS (.955), wRC+ (198), and WAR (8.0). He also posted 41 home runs and a .306 average. Kobe’s Seung-Bin Jeong won Pitcher of the Year, a second-time winner with a seven-year gap from the previous award. Jeong led in quality starts (25), posting a 2.24 ERA with a 15-7 record over 236.2 innings with 276 strikeouts and 5.7 WAR.



Korea’s best record went to Hamhung at 98-64, snapping a seven-year playoff drought with the North Division title. Defending East Asia Baseball champ Incheon and Goyang tied for second behind the Heat at 93-69. Only 89-73 was enough for Gwangju to win the South Division, five games better than defending champ Daegu and Changwon. For the Grays, they earn their first playoff berth since the 1930 championship season, a 25-year gap.

League MVP went to Hamhung’s Young-Hwan Sha, his third time winning the award in the last four seasons. The 27-year old RF was the league leader in runs (132), home runs (54), OBP (.414), slugging (.702), OPS (1.116), and wRC+ (194). Incheon’s Jae-Ha Pak was Pitcher of the Year for the second time in three seasons. The 27-year old lefty in his eighth year with the Inferno had a league best 2.33 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, 25 quality starts, 57 FIP-, and 9.9 WAR.

In the Japan League Championship Series, Kitakyushu topped Sapporo in six games to give the Kodiaks back-to-back league titles. In the Korea League Championship Series, Hamhung beat Gwangju in six for the Heat’s first title since 1947 and fifth Korean title in franchise history. Hamhung added a fourth East Asian Championship to the mantle as they swept Kitakyushu. It was the first EAB Final sweep since 1949 and the third straight season with a Korean team prevailing for the crown.





Other notes: Seok-Hwa Hu of the Kitakyushu was notable. Hu was on first a lot with a .3797 average, the EAB single-season record and 51 points ahead of second place in Japan. Daegu’s Young-Gwon Shin had only the third EAB game with 21 or more strikeouts. He’s the only one to do it in extras, needing 10.2 IP against Seongnam

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Mexicali’s reign atop the Mexican League ended in 1955 as they fell to 84 wins, second in the North Division. Monterrey cruised to the division title at 104-58 for their first playoff berth since 1942. Guadalajara ended a four-year drought to win the South Division, also at 104-58. Leon was a distanta second at 88 wins. Last year’s division winner Mexico City fell to fourth at 80-82.

Hellhounds 1B Prometheo Garcia became a five-time league MVP in 1955. He had yet another dominant season, this time leading the league in hits (230), runs (115), home runs (54), RBI (122), triple slash .370/.425/.684, OPS (1.110), wRC+ (235), and WAR (11.5). He won his fourth Triple Crown, tying Hall of Famer Kiko Velazquez for the most by a single player in any professional league. The Pitcher of the Year was Matadors righty Wily Orantes. The 29-year old led the league in ERA (1.56) and WHIP (0.80) with 7.3 WAR and 201 strikeouts and a 21-5 record. He also won his fourth Gold Glove.



Defending Caribbean League champ Santiago earned a fourth playoff berth in five seasons by taking the Island Division at 98-64, eight games better than Puerto Rico and nine ahead of Santo Domingo. The best overall record went to Continental Division champ Honduras at 104-58, who were 10 games better than second place Nicaragua. The Horsemen earn a third straight division title.

Santo Domingo’s Grant Duncan was MVP for the second straight season. The 27-year old Jamaican outfielder led the league in runs (108), homers (45), OBP (.393), slugging (.667), OPS (1.060), wRC+ (204), and WAR (11.7). Honduras pitcher Tirso Sepulveda won his second Pitcher of the Year in three seasons. He led in wins (22), quality starts (28), and shutouts (4). Sepulveda added a 2.44 ERA, 288 strikeouts in 273 innings, and 6.9 WAR.

The Mexican League Championship Series was a sweep for the first time since 1940 as Monterrey handled Guadalajara. For the Matadors, it is their fourth league title and first since their late 1930s dynasty. Meanwhile, Santiago remained in control in the Caribbean League, winning the CLCS over Honduras in five games. The Sailfish take their fourth title in five seasons and eighth overall, tying Puerto Rico for the most titles. In the CABA Championship, Monterrey prevailed4-2 over Santiago for the Matadors’ second-ever overall title (1937).





Other notes: Nicaragua’s Ricardo De Jesus had a 30-game hitting streak, only the second time a CABA hitter had 30+. The record remains 38 from Ivan Iniguez in the debut 1911 season. 1B Salvador Islas won his 11^th Gold Glove.

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The National Association in 1955 didn’t have any major standouts as the best overall record was 96-66. That went to Boston as the Red Sox won the Eastern League title for their third straight playoff berth. All four wild cards came out of the EL with Ottawa (93-69), Baltimore (92-70), defending NA champ Toronto (92-70), and Hartford (90-72). The Elks, Timberwolves, and Huskies are all in the playoffs for back-to-back seasons, while it is the third appearance in four years for the Orioles. In the Midwest League, Detroit at 92-70 won the title for back-to-back years and made their third straight playoff berth. Falling just short of both the Tigers and the wild card spots were Indianapolis and Minneapolis (both 89-73) and Kansas City (87-75).

Baltimore’s Adam Lewis won his second MVP with an all-time great season. The 30-year old CF became the first MLB hitter to bat above .400 in a season, posting a .402 average. His 241 hits were one off of Sebastian Lunde’s single-season record. At 12.26 WAR, he posted the best-ever season by WAR for an MLB player, barely beating Elijah Cashman’s 12.25 from 1923. Even more impressive to post that type of WAR with only 27 home runs. He also led the NA in triples (13), OBP (.456), slugging (.646), OPS (1.102), and wRC+ (222). Pitcher of the Year went to Louisville’s Trevor Brown. The 31-year old lefty had been acquired in a trade last summer by the Lynx. In his first full year with the team, he had a 22-9 record, 2.28 ERA, and 6.62 WAR.

In the first round of the National Association playoffs, Baltimore beat Toronto and Hartford topped Ottawa, both 2-1. The league champs prevailed in round two as Boston swept the Huskies and Detroit topped the Orioles in four. In the NACS, the Red Sox defeated the Tigers in six games, sending Boston to the World Series for the first time in the franchise’s 55 year history.



Defending World Series champ Nashville had the best record in MLB with a franchise-record 105-57 mark for back-to-back Southern League titles. A distant second place was Oklahoma City at 92-70, but it was enough for the Outlaws to earn their first-ever playoff berth in 55 seasons. OKC was the only franchise left in MLB that hadn’t made the postseason at least once.

The Western League had a three-team race at the top with San Francisco narrowly taking the crown at 93-69, one ahead of both Calgary and San Diego. The Gold Rush get their third playoff berth in six years. The Seals have been on a rollercoaster, winning 108 in 1953, only 68 in 1954, and now 92 for a wild card in 1955. The Cheetahs wild card gets them their first berth since 1948. The fourth and final wild card went to Vancouver at 86-76, as the Volcanoes were one game better than Los Angeles and Houston and two ahead of both Denver and Oakland. It snaps an 11-year playoff drought for Vancouver. The longest active playoff streak ends at five as Las Vegas, who won 100+ the prior five seasons, fell to 71 wins. Only Nashville returns to the playoffs from the prior year in the American Association field.

Despite having the word record in the AA at 70-92, Memphis boasted the MVP in Brendan Emmanuelli. The 24-year old LF’s season was a bit overshadowed by Adam Lewis’ s marks in the NA, but Emmanuelli had an impressive .387 average, 234 hits, and 9.4 WAR. He also added 35 home runs and 112 RBI. San Diego ace Spenser Emond won his fourth Pitcher of the Year in his age 30 season. Emond only led the AA in WHIP (1.03), but had a 21-10 record, 2.92 ERA, 260 strikeouts, 293 innings, and 9.6 WAR.

The first round of the American Association playoffs had Oklahoma City sweep Calgary and San Diego sweep Vancouver. In round two, the defending champ Nashville swept Oklahoma City, while the Seals upset San Francisco 3-1. The Knights were denied the repeat as San Diego took the AACS in five games, giving the Seals their second AA title (1936). San Diego picked up a second World Series title as well as they bested Boston 4-1 in the World Series.





Other notes: Milwaukee finished an abysmal 42-120 in 1955, tying the 1952 Miami Mallards for the worst record in MLB history. Jess Lewis and Sebastian Lunde both crossed 1500 RBI, while Lewis also joined the 3000 hit club.

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For the 1956 Major League Baseball Hall of Fame class, three players earned induction. Pitcher Angelo Leblanc led the class at 89.4% with a first ballot pick. The other two were both fifth ballot players who finally got over the 66% threshold. Catcher Hernan Ortega made it at 71.6% and CF Luke Murray barely crossed the line at 66.9%. 1B Eliot Cote, SP Jacob Gosselin, SP Roy Cole, and SP Patrick Iannazzo each were above 59% with solid but just short efforts.



Getting dropped after his 10^th attempt was catcher Elijah Weston. In 17 years primarily with Jacksonville or San Diego, he had five Silver Sluggers, 2133 hits, 945 runs, 282 home runs, 1151 RBI, a .304 average, and 58.4 WAR. But with the general anti-catcher bias the HOF voting tends to have due to lower accumulations by default, he was left out despite never finishing lower than 46%. Weston peaked at 54.0% on his fourth ballot. Also dropped after a 10^th try was pitcher Kadoor Saleem. A 18-year veteran from Pakistan, he played with Louisville, Montreal, and Cleveland and won 1929 Pitcher of the Year. Saleem had 211-194 record, 3.38 ERA, 3043 strikeouts in 3889.2 innings, and 81.7 WAR. Unfortunately for him, he was thought of as a “Hall of Very Good” type, peaking at 27.7% on his debut ballot.



Angelo “Cannon” Leblanc – Starting Pitcher – Vancouver Volcanoes -89.4% First Ballot

Angelo Leblanc was a 5’11’’, 200 pound right-handed starting pitcher from Surrey, British Columbia; part of metro Vancouver. Known for his incredible durability, Leblanc had 96-98 mph velocity and very good movement split between his five pitches; a fastball, slider, curveball, changeup, and splitter. Although never dominant, he was as reliable as they come, making 19 straight seasons with 33+ starts.

After heading to Auburn to play college baseball, he returned home when picked 43^rd overall by Vancouver in the 1929 MLB Draft. For 12 seasons, Leblanc was a fixture in the Volcanoes rotation, posting a 187-173 record for the mid-tier franchise with a 3.69 ERA, 3256.2 innings, 2179 strikeouts, and 54.2 War. After a 26-year playoff drought, Vancouver broke through in 1939 to win the American Association title; the only playoff action Leblanc saw with the team. Still, his longevity meant his #42 uniform would be retired when he career ended. He was the first person to have his jersey retired by the team and would be one of only two as of 2037.

The run ended for the hometown kid as Vancouver traded Leblanc for the 1942 season to Omaha. He remained steady in six years with the Hawks in his mid 30s with a 74-95 record, but 3.66 ERA, 1130 strikeouts, and 32.6 WAR. At age 39, he signed with Albuquerque for the 1948 season and had a bit of a career resurgence. That year, he finished third in Pitcher of the Year voting; the only time in his career he made the top three. The Isotopes won the AA title that year and made it to the AACS in 1949. Leblanc seemed primed to keep going, but in his first start of 1950, he suffered a torn rotator cuff to end his career. He also got to pitch in the first three editions of the World Baseball Championship for Team Canada.

The final line for Leblanc: 301-291, 3.66 ERA, 687 starts, 5316.2 innings, 3669 strikeouts, 382 quality starts, 277 complete games, and 98.2 WAR. His longevity helped make him the third MLB pitcher to 300 wins, but also made him the all-time loser at 291, a record that holds into present day. 687 starts were the most anyone had made and would only get passed once in the coming years. Some were down on his as a compiler who was never more than good, but 20 seasons of reliability is worth something for sure. Thus, Leblanc not only was inducted, but made it on the first ballot at 89.4%.



Hernan Ortega – Catcher – Ottawa Elks – 71.6% Fifth Ballot

Hernan Ortega was a 5’7’’, 180 pound right-handed catcher from the Puerto Rican capital San Juan. Ortega was an excellent contact hitter, especially for a catcher. He was good at avoiding strikeouts and decent at drawing walks. His power was below average at best and he was a slow baserunner. He was considered a great leader behind home plate and spent his entire career as a catcher. Defensively, Ortega was thought of as reliable and solid. He was also very durable at a demanding position.

Ortega came stateside and played college baseball at Ole Miss. He wasn’t eligible in the first three rounds of the 1928 MLB Draft due to the regional requirements, but was the first pick of the fourth round by Dallas when he was available. Ortega had an excellent debut, winning his first of four Silver Sluggers as a rookie and finishing second in Rookie of the Year voting. He earned the batting title with a .347 average in 1931. He won two more Silver Sluggers in 1933 and 1934 with the Dalmatians. In six seasons in Dallas, he had 909 hits, 366 runs, a .314 average, and 25.8 WAR.

Before the 1935 season, the 26-year old Ortega was traded to Ottawa to begin his signature run. He added his fourth Silver Slugger in 1938 with the Elks and spent the final 12 years of his career in Canada’s capital. In total, he had 1233 starts, 1534 hits, 560 runs, 103 home runs, a .298 average, and 37.8 WAR with the Elks.


He was the man behind the plate in the final seven years of Ottawa’s 10-year postseason streak. After early exits initially, the Elks finally broke through with National Association titles in 1938 and 1940, plus the World Series ring in 1940. Ortega made 60 starts with Ottawa in the postseason and posted 62 hits, 25 runs, 21 RBI, and .286 batting average. In the 1940 championship season, he had 21 hits and 15 runs with a 368 average in 16 games. For his role in their run, Ortega’s #19 uniform was retired at the end of his career. After a solid decade as a starter, he began to wind down and retired after the 1946 season at age 38.

The final stats for Ortega: 2443 hits, 926 runs, 433 doubles, 175 home runs, 1084 RBI, .304/.356/.428 slash and 63.6 WAR. Among catchers, he retired second all-time in WAR and hits behind Gary Nodine. Unfortunately, the Hall of Fame voters tend to be very biased against catchers as the demands of the position mean the overall hitting numbers aren’t as impressive as other sluggers. It took Ortega five tries to get in even with his resume, crossing the line on his fifth try at 71.6%. This makes him the second catcher in the MLB HOF and the first Puerto Rican to get in.



Luke Murray – Centerfielder – Kansas City Cougars – 66.9% Fifth Ballot

Luke Murray was a 5’11’’, 200 pound left-handed center fielder from Canton, South Dakota; a small town 20 minutes south of Sioux Falls. He played his entire career in center and was known as an excellent defender and a team captain. He was an average to above average contact and power hitter with solid speed. Murray was adept at drawing walks, but did strike out more than the average hitter. With his leadership skills and personality, Murray was an extremely popular player of the 1930s and 40s.

He played college baseball at LSU and helped the Tigers to the 1928 National Championship. Murray won the College World Series MVP and was a Silver Slugger winner in center. With those accolades, he earned the seventh overall draft pick by Kansas City in the 1929 MLB Draft. Murray was an immediate success as the 1930 Rookie of the Year and getting his first of eight Silver Sluggers. He spent 11 seasons with the Cougars, winning four of his five Gold Gloves and seven of his eight Silver Sluggers. He finished third in MVP voting in 1935, 1937, and 1939. He had reliable production, but apart from leading with 9.5 WAR in his second year, he never was a league leader in any stats.

Unfortunately for Murray, the Cougars were generally a bottom-tier team in his run. They made the playoffs once, breaking through as a wild card in 1937 that won the National Association title. Murray had a solid run in 14 games, hitting five home runs with 11 RBI, 18 hits, 13 runs, and 0.9 WAR. Other than his final season with Milwaukee, this would be his only playoff appearance. In total with Kansas City, Murray had 1686 hits, 1027 runs, 276 hom eruns, 912 RBI, a .294 average, and 85.8 WAR.

Murray left for free agency and signed with Houston in 1941 at age 31. He won his final Silver Slugger and Gold Glove in his Hornets debut. He wasn’t elite after that, but was still a solid starter from 1942-1944. He regressed hard offensively in 1945. Houston let him go and Murray played one more season in 1946 with Milwaukee, retiring at the age of 37.

The final stats: 2497 hits, 1548 runs, 411 doubles, 125 triples, 394 home runs, 1307 RBI, 1146 walks, 570 stolen bases, .276/.358/.480 slash, and 106.4 WAR. He has the most WAR accumulated of any player at CF at retirement and at retirement, was one of only 13 hitters with 100+ career WAR. Despite this resume, he wasn’t given much love by the Hall of Fame voters as great defense and drawing walks wasn’t exciting. His first four times on the ballot, he finished around the 60% mark. Finally on his fifth try, he got enough to get in barely at 66.9%.

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The 1956 Central American Baseball Association Hall of Fame class inducted one player as pitcher Felix Hernandez was a first ballot pick at 96.8%. Only one other, 2B Ray Reyes, was above 50% with a 57.0% mark on his fourth attempt. No players were dropped after a 10^th ballot in the 1956 class.



Felix Hernandez – Starting Pitcher – Puebla Pumas – 96.8% First Ballot

Felix Hernandez was a 5’6’’, 160 pound right-handed pitcher from Juticalpa, Honduras, a small town in the central part of the country. Despite his tiny frame, Hernandez threw hard with 99-101 mph velocity with an excellent fastball and curveball, a good forkball, and a weak occasional changeup. His movement was unremarkable, but his stuff and control were excellent. He was also incredibly durable and reliable, posting 199+ innings in all 16 of his professional seasons.

Hernandez was discovered as a teenage amateur by scouts from Puebla, signing with the team in 1929. He made his CABA debut in 1935 and was third in Rookie of the Year voting in his debut. The Pumas never made the playoffs in his decade with the squad, but he was a reliable arm with three seasons of 7+ WAR and three seasons leading in FIP-. In 1942, he won his lone Pitcher of the Year, leaving Mexico in ERA (1.73) and WHIP (0.74). He finished third in 1939. In total with Puebla, he had a 123-97 record, 77 saves, 2.70 ERA, 2226.2 innings, 2656 strikeouts, 211 quality starts, and 54.3 WAR.

Hernandez entered free agency at age 32 and signed with Puerto Rico for the 1945 season. He had immediate success with the Pelicans, taking second in Pitcher of the Year in 1945 and 1947. He helped in the back half of their 1940s dynasty as Puerto Rico won the Caribbean League title in 1945 and were a playoff team in 1946. In the 1945 run, he had 31.2 innings in four starts with 1.99 ERA and 34 strikeouts. In five seasons with the Pelicans, Hernandez had an 88-59 record, 3.11 ERA, 1424 strikeouts, 1368 innings, and 28.5 WAR.

He became the fifth CABA pitcher to pass 4000 strikeouts in his last year with Puerto Rico. Before the 1950 season, Hernandez was traded at age 37 to Leon. He spent one year with the Lions and posted 4.7 WAR, opting to retire at the end of the year at age 38. He also played in his final four seasons for his native Honduras in the World Baseball Championship with varied results.

The final stats for Hernandez saw a 224-172 record,2.92 ERA, 3844.1 innings, 4316 strikeouts, 551 walks, 0.97 WHIP, 330/488 quality starts, and 87.5 WAR. With that, he was an easy first ballot choice, especially in a weak 1956 class. Hernandez made it in with an impressive 96.8% of the vote.