[MrNFL_FanIQ]

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The ABF’s East League had the same four playoff teams as the prior year, although positions were switched around. Bishkek took the top spot at 105-57 led by great pitching. They allowed the third fewest runs (387) and earned runs (358) in EL/Pakistan League history with the third-best ERA (2.13) and second-best WHIP. The Black Sox extended their playoff streak tot here seasons.

Multan took second place at 95-67 to repeat as a playoff team, while defending ABF champion Dushanbe was third at 91-71. The Dynamo secured a third consecutive playoff berth. Tashkent took the fourth and final playoff spot at 87-75, besting Hyderabad by four games and Peshawar by five. Including their Eurasian Professional Baseball days, the Tomcats have an eight-year playoff streak.

East League MVP was Multan RF Oudeh Ashraf. The 27-year old led in runs (102), home runs (52), RBI (116), total bases (349), slugging (.599), OPS (.939), and wRC+ (216), while adding 8.1 WAR. It would be his penultimate season with the Mighty Cocks, as he’d leave for MLB and Kansas City in 2004. Bishkek’s Nadir Kaliev was Pitcher of the Year in his second season as a full-time starter. The 27-year old Uzbek lefty led in wins (21-8), and complete games (17). Kaliev had a 2.24 ERA over 269.2 innings with 274 strikeouts and 7.7 WAR.

The #3 and #4 seeds earned upset wins in the first round of the playoffs. Tashkent topped top ranked Bishkek 3-1 and Dushanbe edged Multan 3-2. This put the 2001 ABF champ Dynamo against the 2000 champ Tomcats in the East League Championship Series. Tashkent clobbered Dushanbe with a sweep, earning their second EL pennant in three years. Counting the EBF Asian League, the Tomcats have earned four pennants in the last five years.



The West League had Isfahan and Ankara tied for the top spot at 96-66. The tiebreaker went to the Imperials, who extended their ABF-record playoff streak to eight years. The Alouettes picked up a third consecutive playoff appearance. Defending WL champ Bursa extended their own postseason streak to six seasons, placing third at 93-69. The fourth and final spot went to 88-74 Izmir, who hadn’t made the playoffs in a decade.

Adana, last year’s WCLS runner-up, dropped to seventh at 77-85. Still, their star LF Humayun Kahil won his fourth MVP in five years. The 25-year old Pakistani lefty became the first four-time MVP in ABF history and earned his second Triple Crown. It was the fourth Triple Crown season for an ABF hitter. Kahil led in home runs (60), RBI (139), total bases (406), stolen bases (74), average (.330), slugging (.701), OPS (1.102), wRC+ (210), and WAR (12.4).

Isfahan’s Yazeed Anwari won a historic seventh Pitcher of the Year. He was the first and as of 2037, one of two pitchers to reach that distinction. The 29-year old Pakistani righty led in wins (24-7), innings (290.1), strikeouts (416), WHIP (0.82), K/BB (14.9), quality starts (30), and WAR (11.5). Anwari had a 1.80 ERA, falling just short of a Triple Crown behind Bedirhan Uzun’s 1.66. Anwari also had a 21 strikeout game in May against Gujranwala.

Isfahan swept Izmir in the first round of the playoffs, while Bursa upset Adana 3-2. This set up another West League Championship Series between the Imperials and Blue Claws, who met each year in the final from 1997-00. Isfahan beat up Bursa 4-1 to win their fourth pennant in six years. The Imperials now have six pennants total (1986, 87, 97, 98, 00, 02).



The 18^th Asian Baseball Federation was a rematch of the 2000 finale while saw Tashkent top Isfahan. The Tomcats prevailed again, topping the Imperials 4-1. Tashkent now has two titles after three seasons in the ABF. Along with Dushanbe’s 2001 win, each title has gone to a former EPB team since those squads joined the ABF for the 2000 season. 3B Oleg Slutsky was finals MVP, as the 29-year old Russian in 13 playoff starts had 18 hits, 10 runs, 4 doubles, and 4 RBI. It was Sltusky’s final season with Tashkent, as he’d move back to Russia and sign with EPB’s Omsk in the offseason.



Other notes: Isfahan’s Frantisek Kasa pitched the ninth Perfect Game in ABF history, striking out 15 against Baku on June 30. Vahid Hadadi became the first ABF slugger to 600 home runs, retiring with 603. He’d hold the top spot until 2010. Hasan Afshin became the first to 4000 strikeouts. CF Shahruz Rowhani won his seventh Gold Glove.