Hall of Fame

Well hello everyone, we’re back with another presentation of the Hall of Fame!

MADE IT
Ross Funk, SS
Career Stats (90-106): 1093-3404 (.321), 198 2B, 51 3B, 234 HR, 654 RBI, 222 SB, .615 SLG
Teams: San Jose Panthers (90-94), Yonkers Renegades (95-105)

After a rocky 2 seasons to start his career, Funk hit .314 in 92, and enjoyed 2 excellent seasons in 93 and 94. 95-97 were good but not great, however, Funk got hot from 98-100 before cooling down for the last time, however, he did just enough for the committee to grant him safe passage to the Hall.

Enrique Cromwell, RF
Career Stats (85-104): 1227-4141 (.296), 188 2B, 48 3B, 305 HR, 745 RBI, 16 SB, .586 SLG
Teams: New York Nitro (85), Cleveland Crushers (86-89), Cambridge Longballs (90-91), St. Johns Deadly Sins (92-93), Milwaukee Lightning Badger (94-104)

Cromwell spent a season in the minors of dead team Ntiro before the Crushers (then the WolfPack) discovered him. An excellent first 2 seasons were followed by 2 average ones, at which point the Longballs gave him a chance. Though he was solid in his 2 seasons with Cambridge, and showed flashes of promise in his stint with the Deadly Sins, it was with the Lightning Badger where he achieved success. He hit 101 homers in the next 5 seasons and never slugged below .605. After that, he was done with doing well, but his longevity and his knack got homers had already secured him a place among the game’s legends.

Gerald Aragon, SP
Career Stats (90-105): 102-23, 1 SV, 1032 IP, 374 ER, 934 K, 165 BB, 3.26 ERA, 0.969 WHIP
Teams: Spokane Warriors (90-103), Carolina PRpride (104-105)

Whereas the first two nominees were late bloomers who enjoyed short peaks, Aragon shined even at a young age and had a much longer period of dominance. Aragon debuted in Season 90 with a 11-0 record and a 2.81 ERA, and posted only 1 season with an ERA above 4 during the 90s (and even that was a 4.07 ERA. And he went 10-4, so it didn’t matter that much). The dawn of a new century did not treat him well, as he struggled at starting (he was 8-3, but had a 4.70 ERA), and was relegating to relieving for his final 5 seasons (he was very effective, but saw limited action), during which he pitched only 71 innings, compared to 90 in S100 alone. Although his wins total was just barely above 100, his exceptional ERA (3.26), WHIP (0.969), and winning percentage (.816) allowed to committee to look past his low number of wins and induct him.

Geoffery Lilly, Year 3
Career Stats (84-103): 103-37, 4 SV, 1318 IP, 500 ER, 1068 K, 95 BB, 3.41 ERA, 0.945 WHIP
Career Hitting Stats: 9-39 (.231), 1 2B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, .333 SLG
Teams: Boston gashouse gang (84), Kure Shimakaze Kai Ni (85-87,
San Diego Giants (88), Oakland ObZen (89-96), Milwaukee Lightning Badger (97-99), Chicago WINNERS (100-103)

Lilly’s career began with the humble Boston gashouse gang, where he starred and led the team to a league title in their only season. He led the team in wins, ERA, strikeouts, and was their best hitting pitcher! Sadly, they folded, so Lilly went to Shima, where he had 2 excellent seasons before having 2 OK seasons, one with Shima and 1 with Giants. It was with the ObZen where he found his groove. No matter whether he was starting or relieving, he was a rock in the rotation and did awesome. He had 4 more excellent seasons between the Badger and WINNERS near the end of his career, and his dominance was too much for the voters to resist.

Note: His K/BB ratio is freaking insane. 11.24 strikeouts per walk, and less than 100 walks in 1300+ IP? What a guy, y’all.

Ahmed Banner, P, Year 3
Career Pitching Stats (85-103): 119-54, 20 SV, 1564 IP, 621 ER, 1328 K, 131 BB, 3.57 ERA, 0.981 WHIP
Career Hitting Stats: 2-14 (.143), .143 SLG
Teams: San Jose Panthers (85-87), Honolulu Shimakaze (88-95), San Diego Giants (96), Chicago WINNERS (97), Daly City Admirals (98-99), Austin Hookey FB (100), Cambridge Longballs (101-103)
Accolades: All-Star (102)

Banner, like Lilly, has a crazy high K/BB ratio (10.14) and is also crazy good in general. Banner got his start with the Panthers, just as fellow inductee Ross Funk did (although the latter was just 15 when the former was signed). After not appearing in 85, Ahmed had an excellent Season 86 and 87, so Shima bought him. With Honolulu, Banner was awesome, recording 10+ wins 3 times, however, his stint there ended with a release after a disappointing Season 95. With the Giants and WINNERS, however, he got his stuff back and had 2 good years before he moved on to the Daly City Admirals, where he struggled for 2 seasons before being released again. The turn of the century treated him well, though, as the Austin Hookey FB got another good year out of him before Banner moved to the Longballs. After flopping as a starter in 101, Banner switched to reliever in 102, and made the All-Star team. His final year was good but not great, and he retired after 103. Even though the odds of making it in your 3rd year on the ballot are unlikely, Banner did it, and certainly deserved it.

GET ANOTHER TRY
Rafael Overstreet
Teodoro Lozada
Reynaldo Castanellos, Year 2
Roland Moyer
Ginessa Negron

YEETED OFF THE BALLOT
Santos Soule, Year 2
Rashad Mays
Elian Chamberlin, Year 2
Jason Sikes, Year 3
Chaz Ellis, Year 3
Kylan Soriano, Year 2