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

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

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



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

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



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

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



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

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



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

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



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

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



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

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



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

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

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

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

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

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

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



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



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

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

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

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

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



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

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

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



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



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

[MrNFL_FanIQ]

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

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

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



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

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

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



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



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

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