[MrNFL_FanIQ]

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On his fifth try, SP Ramesh Kohinoor made it into the South Asia Baseball Hall of Fame. He was the lone inductee in 1998, seeing a huge bump up to 87.7% with very few options to choose from. The only other player above 50% was closer Jason Mayekar at 51.5% on his seventh try. Only one player debuted on the ballot in 1B Harto Ohorella, getting a paltry 5.6%.



Ramesh Kohinoor – Starting Pitcher – Bengaluru Blazers – 87.7% Fifth Ballot

Ramesh Kohinoor was a 6’4’’, 215 pound right-handed pitcher from Pune, India; the country’s ninth most popular city with more than three million people in the city limits. Kohinoor had respectable stuff, control, and movement. His 98-100 mph fastball was his most impressive pitch, mixed with a splitter and slider. Kohinoor had excellent stamina and was viewed as a good defensive pitcher. He was also considered very durable and didn’t miss a start in his brief SAB run.

Kohinoor was already 28 years old when his “official” career began with the formation of South Asia Baseball in 1980. By that point, he was already known and established within India’s semi-pro circuits. Kohinoor signed a four-year, $890,000 deal with Bengaluru to begin his run. He would lead the Indian League thrice in innings pitched. Kohinoor also was the leader in wins, complete games, and shutouts in 1981. He took third in Pitcher of the Year voting in 1980 and second in 1981; his only times as a finalist.

Bengaluru was an early contender, winning the South Division in its first seven seasons. The Blazers won the 1982 SAB Championship with Kohinoor posting a 2.78 ERA over 22.2 innings with 30 strikeouts. He took the ILCS MVP for his efforts. His other playoff appearances weren’t great, posting a 4.81 ERA over 43 innings in total over the four years. Kohinoor’s most impressive moment with Bengaluru came on June 29, 1982, throwing a no-hitter with 12 strikeouts and two walks against Kanpur.

For his time in Bengaluru, Kohinoor had a 68-39 record, 2.77 ERA, 1061.2 innings, 1104 strikeouts, 122 ERA+, and 17.3 WAR. He was a free agent at age 32 and signed a four-year, $1,512,000 deal with Dhaka. Kohinoor had four respectable seasons as a Doberman, posting a 66-44 record, 3.38 ERA, 1000 innings, 1052 strikeouts, 111 ERA+, and 22.3 WAR. Dhaka won the Southeast Asia League pennant in 1984, falling to Pune in the SAB Championship. Kohinoor had an impressive playoff run, going 4-1 in five starts with a 2.02 ERA in 40 innings with 40 strikeouts

From 1983-87, Kohinoor also pitched for India in the World Baseball Championship. His WBC efforts weren’t good though with a 6.39 ERA over 31 innings and 35 strikeouts. He was a free agent again for 1988 at age 36 and inked a two-year, $552,000 deal with Ahmedabad. The Animals had just started their dynasty run, having won the SAB title in 1986 and 1987. They would get upset in the ILCS by Kanpur in 1988.

Kohinoor led the league in complete games and shutouts in his one season pitching for Ahmedabad. His 2.3 WAR was a career worst though with a middling 102 ERA+. He would toss his second no-hitter, fanning six with one walk against his hometown team Pune on June 11. Kohinoor remained under contract in 1989, but Ahmedabad opted to keep him on the reserve roster all year. He decided to retire that winter at age 37.

The final line for Kohinoor was a 149-97 record, 3.09 ERA, 2303.1 innings, 2310 strikeouts, 554 walks, 193/282 quality starts, 98 complete games, 26 shutouts, a 115 ERA+, 89 FIP-, and 41.8 WAR. His accumulations are on the lower end, but like a lot of early days Hall of Famers, he missed out on some prime seasons based on when he entered. Still, the advanced stats are borderline even when adjusting for that. Although his playoff career was a mixed bag, he did play on notable teams. Kohinoor debuted at 50.3% and dropped to 43.2% the next year. He bounced back with 63.3% and 59.5% in the following years. With no standouts in 1998 and many voters loath to leave ballots blank, Kohinoor earned a massive bump up to 87.7%. This made him a fifth ballot selection and the lone member of SAB’s 1998 class.