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Topics - Dembe Kihiga

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WBA Times / Storylines from a Long-Awaited Victory

« on: May 27, 2023, 09:14:12 AM »

The Melbourne faithful have had it tough for the past several decades. Following a championship in 2108, the team went on a run of depressingly bad form, making the playoffs 0 times (!!!) in the 16-year period from 2110 to 2125. Following the team's first playoff appearance in well over a decade in 2126, their luck turned, and they became what they're known as now: perpetually mediocre, good enough to challenge for a playoff spot but not a true contender. Between 2126 and 2138, the Meteors made the playoffs a respectable 8 times, but won over 90 games just once (in 2133, where they won 95 games and then were swept in the first round of the playoffs).

But they say that good things come to those who wait, and baseball is no exception. A Meteors squad seemingly like any other - a scrappy underdog, who won 86 games and didn't clinch a playoff spot until the final week of the season - managed to pull off a feat that some fans thought would never happen, winning the team's first WBA title since 2108. Since then, I've spent some time talking with Meteors fans as the league's labor strike drags into its fourth month. Here are some fun storylines about the series they've mentioned:

Running the Gauntlet
This win, surprising in its own right - how many people expected the second wild-card team to make a run? - is made even more impressive by the opponents the Meteors had to get through. Melbourne defeated the teams with the best (Beijing, 94 wins), second-best (Havana, 93) and fourth-best (Oslo, 90) records in the league, and had to make up a 3-1 series deficit to even get out of the first round.

The Missing Piece
What makes this year's squad different from all the others? Many fans said the answer was simple: Herbert Jebens. Acquired in a massive blockbuster almost exactly a year ago in exchange for five prospects and a full draft, Jebens had an immediate impact, hitting .298 with 27 HRs and a wRC+ of 168. He continued to dominate in the playoffs, hitting .316 with 12 RBIs, and was named MVP of the WBACS. Perhaps it's no coincidence that Melbourne managed to win a title the first year Jebens arrived.

Thank You, Daegu
The Meteors got some important contributions from the Daegu Monks in pursuit of their championship. First baseman Madidu Nathari, who hit .283 with 3 home runs and 11 RBIs in the playoffs, and starting pitcher Tim Aldridge, who made 6 playoff starts, going 5-1 with a 3.18 ERA, were both acquired by trade from Daegu, although Nathari was acquired as a prospect, never playing a major-league game for the Monks. And of course, Daegu also sent over Jebens. Granted, these players weren't free, and Daegu has a very well-stocked farm from the Jebens and Aldridge trades, so perhaps they'll be writing the inverse of this article in a few years.

The Old...
José López is one of the greatest pitchers of all time. He has racked up 81.7 career WAR, with a career ERA of 3.16. He has an incredible 3600 career strikeouts and has led the league in strikeouts seven times. But at the age of 37, he had never won a championship, until this year. Given his disappointing regular season, his bullpen role in the playoffs, and the rumors that Melbourne doesn't plan to extend his contract, it's fair to guess he may never win another, and it's nice to know that one of the all-time greats won't retire with zero rings.

Myung-chor Lim may not have as storied a career as López, but he has a special place in the hearts of Meteors fans. Drafted in 2125, Lim's career began just as the Meteors' resurgence did, and he spent many loyal years in Melbourne, playing consistently well for a lot of mediocre teams. Eventually, he decided to pursue a championship elsewhere, and played for some very strong Karachi, Rio, and Rome teams, but never managed to win a title. At the age of 37, he was traded back to Melbourne - more as a curtain call than anything else - but, to the surprise of many, he re-found his game, earning a contract extension in 2140 and posting a 3.84 ERA this season as a starter. He won't have his number retired, and he certainly won't make the Hall of Fame, but many fans have told me it's great to see him win a ring.

... and the New
The Meteors made a particularly unusual decision between the IBLCS and WBACS. All fans know that the trade deadline is several months before the playoffs start, and most think that means that the only way to get new players added to the playoff roster is to call them up from the minors. But GM Bob Weinberg proved that there was another, seldom-used option, claiming 1B Kanakarasa Muthukaruppan off of waivers from Chicago during the IBLCS, then deciding to put him on the playoff squad for the championship series. Muthukaruppan made his Meteors debut in game 2 to a crowd of fans who had mostly never heard of him. It's difficult to say that this bold move paid off, as he went just 1 for 5 during the series, but the fans I spoke to appreciated the unorthodox attempt, especially given that the Meteors had been totally unable to find anyone else to play the first base platoon role.

A Bittersweet Note
The Meteors' outfield was led by Jebens, and featured draft picks Gideon Socha, Juan León, and Ion Pop. It sadly did not feature Dhuninatha Ravandur, the greatest player in Melbourne history, a surefire Hall of Famer with over 74 career WAR. Ravandur is still with the organization, but at the age of 40, has been in AAA for three seasons now, putting up increasingly bad numbers. Weinberg has signaled a total willingness to keep Ravandur around as long as he wants, even paying him close to $1 million per year, but has not promoted him back to the majors, meaning that Ravandur will eventually retire without a championship. There is a fan-made petition to give him an honorary ring, and it remains to be seen where that will go, but the fact remains that he never won a title with Melbourne, missing by just a few years.

The Phone Never Stops Ringing
Weinberg has often had a reputation as a massive trader, with players rarely staying for more than a few seasons before being traded. While that has been less true recently, it is striking how much of the championship roster was acquired by trade. We've already mentioned Jebens, Aldridge, and Nathari, but how about the entire starting infield - Nathari (Daegu), 2B Ya'qub bin Esam (Puerto Rico), SS Efren Vergara (Paris), 3B Bhusakra Venkatraman (Karachi), and C Donkal Vibha (Puerto Rico).

What's interesting about that is how much Melbourne prioritizes trading over free agency. Of the 25 players on the championship series roster, one was acquired by free agent signing - backup shortstop Khalil Qizilbash, who had eight postseason plate appearances and also doesn't count, as he was a former Meteors draft pick who has never played for any other organization. The free agent signings are even outnumbered by waiver claims (two - Muthukaruppan and RP Dharmendra Sarmad).

Building a Bullpen
The Meteors mainly build their team by trades, but the exception to that is the bullpen. Weinberg has consistently prioritized drafting relievers, often in the second round - and sometimes even in the first - and it remains the only part of the team that's almost entirely homegrown. Of the seven relievers who pitched in the playoffs (not counting López and Lim, who were mostly used as starters during the regular season), five of them were Meteors draft picks, including three from the first three rounds. Weinberg's strategy of using draft capital on relievers and filling other positions mostly through trades has been criticized throughout the years, but he has stuck to his guns.

Run It Back
To a fan, almost nothing is more frustrating than a GM coming off a mediocre season, declaring that he believes in his team, and making minimal changes. Fans have often levied that accusation at Weinberg, who is famously not afraid to swing for the fences - the José López and Herbert Jebens trades were among the biggest trades of the past decade - but mainly prefers to tinker around the edges, making several small trades, not chasing any big free agents, and coming into a season with largely the same roster as the previous season. This offseason, it's hard to imagine the plan being much different - but something tells me the fans will be more willing to believe in the team than in the past.

Dembe Kihiga is a long-suffering beat writer who is very excited to not have to write a "What Went Wrong?" piece this season.

WBA Times / Edilberto Umipeg announces retirement

« on: February 14, 2023, 09:28:30 AM »

CANBERRA, Australia: Starting pitcher Edilberto Umipeg, who played 12 seasons for the Meteors, today announced his retirement at the age of 40.

Drafted in the 11th round of the 2124 draft, Umipeg worked his way into the majors, eventually becoming a mainstay of the rotation. He pitched the majority of his starts at home, becoming a fan favorite among the Meteors faithful.

The term "Meteors legend" gets thrown around a lot, usually as a joke, but Umipeg is the rare player for whom the term truly applies. He is the Meteors' all time leader in pitching wins, strikeouts, and pitching WAR, and second in WHIP. On league leaderboards, he is ninth all-time in career FIP, only behind four other starting pitchers (José López, Mathias Klug, Alfredo Cavazos, and Balayogi Parthiban), seventh in WHIP, and fifth in walk percentage. He owns two of the ten best single-season WHIPs of all time (0.955 and 0.969).

Umipeg finished his major league career with a 3.44 ERA and 3.33 FIP. He spent his entire career with Melbourne, then played three seasons in Melbourne's minor league system, teaching the next generation of Meteors legends. His number is expected to be retired in a few years.

WBA Times / New-Look Meteors Aiming High in 2132

« on: July 08, 2021, 12:57:57 PM »

MELBOURNE, Australia: It's Opening Night in the WBA, and the Melbourne Meteors look a lot different than they did last season. Of course, 2131 was not a successful year for Melbourne. They finished below .500 for the first time in six seasons, and missed the playoffs for only the second time in that span. But a busy offseason has them refreshed and ready to play.

Meteors GM Bob Weinberg, known for his high frequency of trades, had been relatively quiet for the past few seasons, but jumped right back to his old habits, trading SP Tetsuya Kudo to the Beijing Emperors for 2B Mitch McCauley. Anyone who follows the WBA rumor mill knows that Melbourne has been trying unsuccessfully to trade Kudo for years, and was also reportedly very close to trading for McCauley back in 2127.

The McCauley trade is the centerpiece of Melbourne's complete overhaul of their infield. First baseman Tom Farmer has been demoted to AAA, and second baseman Kenny Merrill will reportedly be playing first base to make room for McCauley.
Shortstop Kozue Tsuji was not offered a contract extension, and became a free agent this offseason (he eventually signed with Los Angeles). Tsuji, who until 2131 had not missed a single game since being traded to Melbourne, will be replaced by Miguel González, a former 2nd-round pick who hit .305 in a platoon role last season. Only one position in Melbourne's infield remains constant - third base, which will be occupied by Loan Ngo, who, at age 33, hit .353 and accumulated 5.0 WAR last season (his best total WAR since 2125).

Melbourne's outfield looks much more familiar. Superstars Dhuninatha Ravandur and Juan Mesa are still there, of course. The only major change made was the demotion to AAA of Jonathan Mills, who was disappointing last year. Mills will be replaced by Ramón Gonzáles, a 25-year-old who the Meteors have traded for twice. Melbourne also traded away Gonzáles once, getting in return Quincy Breen. - who will be making his major league debut this season for the same team Gonzáles now plays for.

As always, Melbourne's bullpen is an ever-rotating cast of good players who underperform, mediocre players who overperform, and the very rare player who actually lives up to the hype. They hope that last year's trade deadline acquisitions, Fytor Hollanda and Aidan Fearon, can continue to perform for a full season. Like Ramón Gonzáles, Hollanda holds the rare (although perhaps not as rare on Melbourne as on other teams) distinction of having been acquired by trade twice by the same team.

Finally, the pitching rotation looks to be about the same as last year, with the obvious exception of Kudo. His spot will be replaced by Myung-chor Lim, who had three moderately successful seasons as a starter before being sent to the bullpen last season, where he excelled, putting up an ERA of 1.36. Lim is currently on the injured list but is expected to return within two weeks.

Of course, even the returning players will be looking different this year, as Melbourne has officially changed their oft-maligned jerseys. The news was greeted with jubilation from fashion designers, fans, and essentially everyone who possessed the full use of their eyes - although the release of the new jerseys was met with mostly neutral reactions. GM Bob Weinberg was less than thrilled, saying "Well, we had to. It was getting to a point where people would refuse to buy the jerseys just because they looked gross. Which is dumb, they really weren't that bad. Orange and brown is a great color scheme and people who didn't like them are just stupid. Wait, I shouldn't call my fans stupid... uhh, everyone is entitled to their own opinions and I of course respect everyone's right to dislike our former jerseys." He left the room after this, but was heard muttering "tasteless morons" under his breath as he walked away. Only time will tell if Melbourne's new blue logo and Australia-themed jerseys will bring success on the field.

Dembe Kihiga is the Meteors' beat writer for the WBA Times. She has returned from her five-year vacation feeling refreshed and ready to write about the team.

WBA Times / IBL Playoff Race Living Up To Hype

« on: January 07, 2021, 11:57:03 PM »

Before the 2128 WBA season started, it was apparent there were seven legitimately good teams in the IBL. Now, over halfway through the season, that's proven true, as seven teams sit at or above .500 and have a chance at a playoff spot. What's gone right - and wrong - for these seven, and who can we expect in the playoffs in a few months? I'll look at the most successful and least successful aspects of each team - which could be a single player, but are more likely to be a broader category - and the most surprising success and failure, which will be a player. I'll also list one thing for fans of each team to monitor during the coming weeks.

Ljubljana Dragons
The Dragons are here to stay. Led by a core of young, talented stars, they will be a force in the IBL for years to come. But their success this year - currently leading the entire IBL by a game - might be surprising to those used to seeing Mumbai and Cairo dominate.
Most Successful Aspect: Youth
Ljubljana is led by young stars. RF Will Wilson (24 years old) has 3.3 WAR in 88 games, LF Misao Kokura (26) has 3.3 in 84, and 3B Jack Rushton (25) has 3.1 in 90, while starting pitchers Norbert Torrigiani (25) and Bachir Cadet (26) have combined for 5.4 WAR and 19 wins.
Least Successful Aspect: Bullpen
This will seem a bit nitpicky, which is natural - a team with a .644 winning percentage in a tough division won't have many huge weaknesses. But the Dragons' bullpen hasn't been perfect so far. Setup reliever Gilberto Arenos, acquired via trade after a good season in Phoenix, has an ERA of 4.55 and FIP of 4.53 in 31.2 innings, while long reliever Kashyap Subas has an ERA of 6.97 and FIP of 4.97 in 20.2 innings. It's a small detail but one that might be worth addressing as the trade deadline approaches.
Most Surprising Success: CL Kusumojvala Krishnamma
Three disappointing seasons in a row gave Krishnamma a career ERA of 4.24, and it seemed his career as a starting pitcher was doomed. But this year's move to the bullpen has proven to be a difference-maker, as he boasts an ERA of 3.21 and FIP of 2.23, as well as 54 strikeouts in just 42 innings. Every true contender needs an elite closer, and Krishnamma is proving to be just that for Ljubljana.
Most Surprising Failure: 2B Ângelo Braz
Acquired via trade, Braz was coming off of a 4.0 WAR season in Melbourne in just 129 games. But so far this year, he's not living up to the hype. Braz is hitting .287 but has a wRC+ of just 87 and has put up less than one WAR in 82 games. Not worth the hefty contract of $7.85 million, which Ljubljana is stuck with through 2130.
What to Watch: CF Bertrand Thorington
Before this week, I was prepared to call Thorington a disappointment, as his batting stats were not good. Yet after a .429 week, he's currently hitting .248 with a wRC+ of 113, and has put up 1.9 WAR in 64 games partially thanks to his plus defense (+1.5 ZR in center field this year). Thorington, a former 1st overall pick, has the potential to be a perennial MVP contender, and if his bat is heating up, he could be a big difference-maker to the Dragons as they fight to hold on to the division.

Cairo Pharaohs
After an IBL pennant, Cairo didn't need to change much. But a busy offseason saw them make significant upgrades, mostly at 2B. They're certainly a threat to defend their pennant.
Most Successful Aspect: Offense
The Pharaohs have three hitters with wRC+ of over 140: 2B Mitchell McCauley, RF Srikant Hattangady, and 3B Ruy Avelar, who are all hitting above .300 and have over 10 home runs. Six of their starting eight hitters have wRC+ over 120. Offensive production at that level turns a team into immediate contenders, which the Pharaohs are.
Least Successful Aspect: Starting Pitching
Judging by rating, Cairo's rotation should be top-of-the-line, and indeed ace Mathias Klug is having a great season. But their #2 and #3 starters - Balayogi Parthiban and Alfredo Cavazos - have been disappointing. Parthiban's ERA, just 2.49 last season, is 4.01 this year, and his WHIP is 1.32, both well above his career averages. Cavazos's ERA also ballooned to 4.26, while his WHIP is 1.40 and his FIP is 4.00. Of course, two mediocre pitchers can be overcome by a good offense, but Cairo could be even more of a powerhouse if those two lived up to their potential. The WBA Times can report that Cairo is considering moving Cavazos to the bullpen, which could help solve this issue.
Most Surprising Success: 3B Ruy Avelar
Avelar was acquired via trade last season, and was disappointing, hitting just .230 in 54 games with Cairo. This year, he's been on a tear, hitting .324 with 16 home runs and a wRC+ of 148. That, plus above-average fielding, have given Avelar 4.1 WAR in just 90 games. It was obvious he'd bounce back, but not obvious he'd be a frontrunner for MVP.
Most Surprising Disappointment: SS Hwen-Thiang Guo
Take this with a grain of salt, as Guo remains a very good player. But after putting up 6.3 and 5.9 WAR, respectively, in the past two seasons, this year is a bit of a down year, as he's on pace for just 4.7 - which still makes him a top player, but not quite as elite as fans may have expected.
What to Watch: Starting Pitching
Parthiban and Cavazos should be better than they are. It's very possible that they'll heat up and turn into aces again, which would make Cairo truly formidable for the playoffs. It's also possible that one of them - most likely Cavazos - is traded.

Mumbai Cobras
Isn't it strange that Mumbai isn't leading the IBL? Having announced a plan to move to Texas, the Cobras are hoping for one last division title (and pennant), but despite several improvements, are no longer the runaway favorites.
Most Successful Aspect: Offseason Moves
Mumbai's splashiest offseason move was acquiring CF Stu Jensen from Santo Domingo, who's been excellent so far, hitting .306 with 18 home runs and 4.1 WAR in 90 games. The Cobras also shipped out fan favorite Isko Fflunker, who will be a unanimous Hall of Famer in a Cobras uniform someday, but was reaching the end of his superstar-level career - and indeed, this year, he put up negative WAR in Phoenix before being waived and traded.
Least Successful Aspect: Ilari Belmon's Position Change
It's really hard to find anything wrong with Mumbai. I settled on this because, honestly, I don't have much else. They tried an experiment, moving all-star 1B Ilari Belmon to left field, and it didn't work - he's on pace for just 4.2 WAR, after putting up over 8 three seasons in a row. Sometimes things don't work out, and Mumbai can hardly be faulted for trying something new, but on a team with no major flaws, this was the least successful thing I could find.
Most Surprising Success: CF Stu Jensen
It's not really all that surprising that Jensen, when moving from Santo Domingo to Mumbai, would turn into an even better hitter. But he's on pace for over 7 WAR, a mark he's never reached. Not really surprising, but nobody on Mumbai is particularly surprising, so we're going with Jensen.
Most Surprising Failure: C Shahnawaz Hussain
Hussain is on pace to finish very similarly to his career averages in most statistical categories, so it shouldn't be that surprising. But he's a 7/9/7/6/7 hitter vs LHP and RHP, and it continues to surprise me that he's just hitting .222 with a wRC+ of 89. He should be a really good hitter, and I don't know why he's not.
What to Watch: Starting Pitching
Some of Mumbai's starters - Tat Ling, Jabber Khan, and Dylan Ainslie - have very good ERAs but mediocre-to-bad FIPs. This could be a potential warning sign that they might regress later this year. Keep an eye out on the Mumbai rotation for signs of weakness.

Manila Folders
In their last season in the IBL, the Folders are trying to make a final playoff push before a likely rebuild. They're currently in playoff position, although just barely.
Most Successful Aspect: Starting Pitching
Just like every year, Manila's pitching is carrying the team. The trio of Emmanuel Debussy, Wen-zhong Cheng, and Gilles Flores have combined for 25 wins and 9.8 WAR so far, and all three have FIPs lower than their ERAs, indicating they could get even better in the future.
Least Successful Aspect: Everything Else
Also just like every other year, Manila's stud pitchers are let down by a weak offense. Only three batters have a wRC+ over 120, and four of their starting eight hitters are below 110 (including 2 below 100). It's not that Manila hasn't tried, just that several newly acquired bats have been disappointing (more on that later). Their bullpen is also pretty bad, as three relievers (including closer Tomomi Aoki) have ERAs over 4. Any team with three aces is a threat, but it really makes you wonder just how good Gilles Flores's career will be when he's traded, or when post-rebuild Manila gets a real team to play behind him.
Most Surprising Success: LF Mao-you Liao
After a truly terrible 2127, with 0.1 WAR in 90 games, Liao looks like a player reborn. He's hitting .335 with 2.6 WAR in 74 games, and has already surpassed his career high in WAR. Out of nowhere, Liao is finally living up to his ratings.
Most Surprising Failure: RF Elliot Skinner
A down year in 2127 might have been an indication that Skinner was beginnign to decline, but nobody expected him, a career .300 hitter, to be hitting .241 with only 1.4 WAR. Skinner's almost $10 million contract is looking like a mistake so far. If he could turn it around, expect Manila's offense to be jump-started.
What to Watch: Trades
It seems like Manila is so close to being truly elite, and if GM Mark Waller feels the same way, don't be shocked to see a few trades coming soon, perhaps for an elite reliever. At the same time, Manila might enter a rebuild soon, so Waller might feel uneasy about trading futures for current players.

Melbourne Meteors
Led by a typically trigger-happy GM, the Meteors have made fewer major trades than usual this year. Sitting one game outside of playoff contention, some moves might be in order soon.
Most Successful Aspect: Outfield
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Melbourne starting outfield has been excellent this year. CF Dhuninatha Ravandur, the 2126 IBL Rookie of the Year, is hitting .372 with 3.9 WAR, while rookie RF Juan Mesa has put up 2.6 WAR, on pace for over 5. It shows just how strong this outfield is when Nelson Ackland is an afterthought - on pace for 3.5 WAR, Ackland is clearly the third-best Melbourne outfielder.
Least Successful Aspect: Starting Pitching
Melbourne's top three pitchers - Hung-K'uei He, Anupradana Koushika, and Tetsuya Kudo - all have ERAs over 3.90 and FIPs over 4.00. The back of the rotation has been better, but those three need to step it up immediately for Melbourne to have a chance at the playoffs.
Most Surprising Success: C Gu Jong
Jong spent his whole career in Rio before a midseason trade last year sent him to Melbourne, where he hit .269 in 84 games. This year, in only 70, Jong is hitting .364 and has 2.6 WAR, and is on pace for 4.3. Being part of a platoon helps, but these are still career numbers for Jong.
Most Surprising Failure: SP Hung-K'uei He
He, the 2127 IBL Pitcher of the Year, is having a bad season. There's no way to sugarcoat that. His ERA is 4.85, his WHIP is 1.57, and his FIP is 4.72, all career lows (highs, technically, but in a bad way). This is nothing less than shocking. If He can turn it around, it'll be a huge boost to the Meteors.
What to Watch: Starting Pitching
Not to sound like a broken record, but pitching is the key to Melbourne's success or failure. If He, Koushika, and Kudo can turn it around, Melbourne is as good as anyone in the IBL, but if not, they may miss the playoffs entirely.

Rome Generals
After a heartbreaking play-in loss to miss the 2127 playoffs, Rome is back and ready to compete again. They're just two games outside the wild card after a six-game losing streak.
Most Successful Aspect: 3B Salvador Ruíz
Ruíz, a rookie third baseman, has been incredible since his callup, hitting .276 with 10 HRs and 2.6 WAR in just 60 games (a 6.8 WAR pace over a full season). Ruíz is a surprise contender for Rookie of the Year, and looks set to be Rome's third baseman for many years to come.
Least Successful Aspect: Starting Pitching
Four of Rome's five starters have ERAs over 4, and all five have FIPs over 4. That is not good. I could say more, but I'm not going to.
Most Surprising Success: SS Tome Cisneiros
This is not meant as a disrespect to Cisneiros, who is a very good player. But typically, moving from the Santo Domingo ballpark to the Rome ballpark wouldn't be great for a hitter. Cisneiros is bucking that expectation, as he's on track to reach a career high in batting average (as well as WAR).
Most Surprising Failure: RF Shenouda Rehani
It was obvious that, given his age and declining fielding ratings, Rehani would probably not be putting up 6 WAR seasons anymore. But nobody expected him to put up 0. Yet, through 90 games, Rehani's WAR is -0.1, despite a wRC+ of 117. He's under contract for over $9 million for two years after this. Not ideal.
What to Watch: Trades
Rome feels like a team that's close to being really good. The acquisition of Cisneiros has proven successful, and a trade for a starting pitcher or right fielder could get the Generals into a playoff spot. We'll see what they decide to do.

Karachi Falcons
A team that's perpetually worse than they really should be, Karachi has made some acquisitions, and now looks to make the playoffs in the best division in the league.
Most Successful Aspect: Free Agency
This is really just a roundabout way of praising 3B Paco Prado, who's having a truly ridiculous year. Prado is hitting .346 and has already put up 4.1 WAR in 88 games. It's anyone's guess whether he can sustain that pace, of course, but right now, for less than $5 million, this looks like one of the greatest free agent signings in recent memory.
Least Successful Aspect: Bullpen
Four of Karachi's relievers have ERAs over 4.50, which isn't good. On the other hand, look for this to improve, as none of them have FIPs over 4.50, which suggests they're getting unlucky. For now, though, the bullpen has definitely been a weak spot.
Most Surprising Success: SP/RF Damiano Zoffoli
For years, GMs have been trying to make a two-way player work, and have had some measure of success. But Zoffoli looks to become the best one ever, by a lot. He's currently boasting a 3.93 ERA and 3.70 FIP, good for 3.0 pitching WAR, but he's also hitting .375 with a wRC+ of 161, good for 2.5 batting WAR. For those keeping track, that means he's on pace for 9.53 total WAR. Zoffoli might be the most valuable player in the entire league right now.
Most Surprising Failure: SP Dan Greene
Recently acquired via trade from Puerto Rico, Greene had a 3.04 ERA and 3.07 FIP last season. This year, those numbers are 4.65 and 3.95, respectively. He did move from a pitchers' park to a hitters' park, but still, that's unexpectedly bad.
What to Watch: Reversion to the Mean
Greene and the bullpen have been much worse than they should. They could turn it around and make Karachi a real playoff contender. On the other hand, players having career years like Prado and CF Cristo Álvarez could regress back towards their career averages. Karachi feels like a team that could get much better, or much worse, without making any moves.

Who will make the playoffs? At this point, it's way too close to predict. But what kind of an article would this be if I didn't make any predictions?
1. Cairo Pharaohs
2. Mumbai Cobras
3. Ljubljana Dragons
4. Melbourne Meteors

5. Karachi Falcons
6. Manila Folders
7. Rome Generals

WBA Times / What's going on in Melbourne?

« on: November 02, 2020, 12:27:25 PM »

TOKYO, Japan: The current mood in the Melbourne clubhouse can only be described as despondent. Following a 3-2 loss to the Tokyo Samurai (who were supposed to be the worst team in the IBL), I spoke to Meteors GM Bob Weinberg about what was going wrong.

DK: Bob, thanks for talking to me.
BW: right. sure. whatever.
DK: So, elephant in the room. The Meteors are 1-11 and have lost series to Paris and Tokyo. What's going on?
BW: I dunno.
DK: I'll give some suggestions. Is it the pitching, the hitting, the morale?
BW: Oh, no, morale is great! Who wouldn't be thrilled with a 1-11 start?
DK: I'm serious.
BW: Fine. Pitching isn't our biggest problem. Pedro is Pedro but the starters are all doing perfectly fine.
DK: On that topic, closer Pedro Vargas has pitched 5 innings and has an ERA of 12.60. Is that a problem?
BW: Is that a problem?? Yeah, I don't think your closer is supposed to have an ERA over 10. He has slow starts a lot, but man this is another level.
DK: Could a demotion from the closer role be on the table?
BW: From the closer role? A demotion to AAA could be on the table. He's got talent but he better pull it together really quickly.
DK: Okay, moving on to the hitters.
BW: Thanks for your time, Dembe, I'll see you later.
DK: Wait, I'm serious, the readers deserve to know what's up with the hitters.
BW: Fine, you want to know what's up with the hitters? They forgot how to hit!
DK: Four of your starting hitters are hitting below .200. You made a trade this offseason to bring in Nelson Ackland, who's hitting .206. What-
BW: I don't know. They forgot how to hit. I don't get it.
DK: Do you trust them to snap out of it?
BW: Sure, whatever. You're supposed to say positive things to encourage the players, right? Uh... yeah they'll snap out of it. Sure.
DK: How encouraging.
BW: Oh, come on, what am I supposed to say? They're all good players, good stats last year, they should be doing better than they are. Maybe they'll get better, I don't know. I sure hope so.
DK: I do need to ask about your new ballpark.
BW: You don't have to...
DK: Fine, I'm going to ask about your new ballpark. This offseason, Meteor Crater underwent some massive renovations, turning it from a fairly balanced stadium into an extreme pitchers' park. Has this backfired?
BW: It's too early to say it has, but the early signs aren't great. I was absolutely expecting the hitters to take a slight step back, but this is way worse than it was supposed to be.
DK: I spoke to a player who says that your constant trades are ruining clubhouse morale. Any truth to that?
BW: Who said that?
DK: Why, are you going to trade him?
BW: I might... really, who said that?
DK: I obviously can't say. But you can't deny that you make way more trades than anyone else. Could that be affecting the team?
BW: I don't even think I've been that bad. Of the 25 players on our major league roster, only two of them weren't here last year.
DK: Okay, but you also traded for a lot of AAA pitchers who could conceivably come up this year. Isn't it possible the players are getting scared of being moved at any point?
BW: Sure, if they're wimps.
DK: ... alright, we'll move on. I just have to ask, when do you hit the panic button?
BW: What do you mean?
DK: Well, the Meteors are 1-11. You think they'll bounce back, and that's fine, but what if they don't? At what point do changes need to be made?
BW: (phone rings) One second, I have to take this. (on the phone) Hello? ... yes, I was interested... Oh, come on, I can't do that... no... yes... I don't have any first this year... no, I don't really need him... okay, how about just a fourth straight-up... okay... alright, think it over, we'll talk later.
DK: Trade negotiations?
BW: Yes. To answer your question, I'm always interested in making changes. This is a fairly minor move, but there could be more to come. If we still suck in a week or two, some guys could be benched, some could be demoted, some could be traded. Who knows?
DK: I gotta ask, who were you on the phone with?
BW: You of all people should understand that I can't reveal that until it's finalized.
DK: Fair enough. Thanks for your time, Bob. And good luck.
BW: Thanks.

WBA Times / 2126-27 WBA Offseason Grades

« on: October 25, 2020, 09:26:19 PM »

MELBOURNE, Australia: With Spring Training beginning tonight, the long offseason is officially over. We've decided to take a look at each IBL team's most significant moves, whether positive or negative. The grades attached are, of course, the opinion of this reporter, and shouldn't be taken too seriously. They tried to take into account a team's direction (a rebuilding team would get a better grade for trading a player for futures, while that might hurt the grade of a team trying to compete this season). In alphabetical order:

The Black Forest Foxes didn't do much this offseason. They lost pitcher Oliviero Gómez, who compiled a 2.08 ERA in 86.1 innings, to free agency, as well as some mostly irrelevant minor league pieces. Their only addition was 2B/SS Christopher Grotefend, who will likely platoon at shortstop and could also play backup at 2B. Grotefend hit .339 in a brief stint with Cairo last season, and at just $850,000 for one season, is a low risk, high reward signing. This is a "wait and see" season for the Foxes, who won the WBA Championship Series in 2125 and then failed to make the playoffs in 2126 with essentially the same roster. They didn't need to make many changes, and it's hard to criticize the Grotefend signing. Overall grade: B

The Cairo Pharaohs, defending Afro-European Division champions, had a rather confusing offseason. They're clearly trying to compete this year, but traded 3B Bill Brown (who had a .341 average in a platoon role last year), SP Adelmo Wagner (who was 16-7 with a 3.21 ERA), and last year's Pitcher of the Year, Shigenaga Matsuo (18-5, 2.53 ERA) for picks and prospects. The return wasn't bad - Cairo got a lot of picks, including a 1st and 2nd rounder - and they did find a solid free agent, SP Lloyd Young, who had a 4.23 ERA but accumulated 2.3 WAR in Mumbai's notorious hitters park. But any team who's still trying to win shouldn't be trading the defending Pitcher of the Year. Overall grade: D

The Karachi Falcons had a productive offseason. They only lost one important player - RP Bartolomeo Nieto, who put up an 0.93 ERA in 19.1 pro innings last year - and made some valuable acquisitions through trade and free agency. The Falcons signed OF Arturo Bramante, who hit .263 but slugged .442 last year with Northwest, and traded for SP Alfonso Vásquez, who was 8-12 with a 3.52 ERA in Melbourne. Giving up a 2nd rounder for Vásquez is a reasonable price, and the Falcons look set to be better this year than they were last year. Overall grade: B+

The Ljubljana Dragons didn't do a whole lot. Their only major loss was 1B Pepe Alonso, who signed as a free agent in... Ljubljana. But the Dragons didn't really add anyone significant either, unless you count OF José Perea, who plays plus defense in the corners but hit just .240 last year. But in fairness, Ljubljana has a lot of young, talented prospects who could make the jump to the majors this year, and they weren't all that far from the playoffs - they didn't really need to do much. Overall grade: B-

The Manila Folders had several important pieces leave. Most prominent were 3B Dustin Russell, who slugged .373 and put up 3.3 WAR, and 2B Jacques Segura, who hit .295 and had 3.2 WAR in 125 games. Replacing them will be free agent pickups John Butler at 3B, who had 3.3 WAR in Puerto Rico last season, and Marco Stinzi, who hit .280 and slugged .412 in Rio. These replacements seem more than adequate, but Manila didn't really improve by much this offseason - and led by a tandem of aging pitchers, it might not be enough. Overall grade: C+

The Melbourne Meteors, unsurprisingly, had by far the busiest offseason. They traded OF Mitch Qiao, SPs Alfonso Vásquez and Diego Rangel, and RP Gary Chalcott, and paid a draft pick to lose Guda Baloch's salary. But they added OF Nelson Ackland, SP Boboy Espina, and RP Jilenko Belgica, and gained a lot of picks and seven pretty good prospects - all via trade. For a team trying to win now, it wasn't the greatest series of moves, but Ackland will certainly provide a nice improvement, and they have plenty of pitching depth. Overall grade: B-

The Mumbai Cobras didn't have the money to make a move, and, predictably, didn't make a move. Lloyd Young left for free agency, and nobody else of relevance joined or departed the team. The Cobras are the defending IBL champs, of course, and are seemingly not finding a need to make changes (justifiably). Overall grade: C+

The Paris Fleur-de-Lis are in the middle of a long rebuild. They lost 2B Du Chin, who hit .281 and put up 3.3 WAR. But on a team trying to tank for draft picks, losing Chin isn't really a negative. The Fleur-de-Lis also obtained several decent draft picks in exchange for taking on the contracts of Guda Baloch and Claude Barbier. For a rebuilding team, this offseason went perfectly according to plan. Overall grade: B+

The Rome Generals lost nobody of any significance, and added a group of pitchers relatively cheaply. SP Ronman Sanahon (12-5 with a 3.89 ERA for Northwest) and Juan Valadez (13-13 with a 4.12 ERA for Santo Domingo) joined the Generals as free agents, while they traded for SP Tusya Alabyan, who was 9-12 with a 3.94 ERA but had 2.9 WAR in Santo Domingo last year. Rome also had the most significant free agent signing in the IBL this offseason, acquiring C Du-sung Lee, who hit .313, led the ABL in doubles, and posted 4.6 WAR for Mexico City last season. Of course, the payroll went up correspondingly, but the Generals improved a lot without giving up too many assets. Overall grade: A

The Tokyo Shogun did almost nothing. They lost OF Tony Haward (hit .273 and had 2.2 WAR) to free agency, and acquired nobody. As a rebuilding team, they didn't need to do anything, but Paris showed that there were plenty of opportunities for a rebuilding team to acquire futures, and it's hard to believe Tokyo couldn't have done the same. Overall grade: C-

Best acquisition (free agency): Du-sung Lee, Rome Generals
Best acquisition (trade): Nelson Ackland, Melbourne Meteors
Biggest loss (free agency): Jacques Segura, Manila Folders
Biggest loss (trade): Shigenaga Matsuo, Cairo Pharaohs

WBA Times / Melbourne fires pitching coach after leaked argument

« on: July 10, 2020, 08:24:41 PM »

MELBOURNE, Australia - Earlier today, my colleague Dan Farnell reported on an argument between the Melbourne Meteors' pitching coach and manager over who would be pitching. The argument, which stemmed from a misunderstanding about the name of pitcher Hung-K'uei He, reportedly nearly came to blows, with both men insulting each other's intelligence and sanity.

Today, I visited Meteors GM Bob Weinberg to interview him about this altercation, but in the middle of our interview, a rather unexpected interruption occurred, giving me far more information than my interviews with Weinberg (who has been compared unfavorably to a large boulder in terms of distribution of information) usually yield. Below is the transcript of our interview, beginning just before the interruption:

Dembe Kihiga: Bob, come on, you've gotta give me something. Has the manager been fired?

Bob Weinberg: No comment.

DK: Are the pitching coach and the manager on speaking terms?

BW: No comment.

DK: I've heard rumors that players in the clubhouse are taking sides. Is that true?

BW: No comment.

DK: Is it true that -

Harold Threlfall, Meteors starting pitcher, bursting through door unannounced: WHAT IS GOING ON?

BW: Harold, not now.

HT: Not now? You fire the pitching coach without consulting the pitchers and then have the nerve to tell me not now?

DK: Wait, Bob, did you fire the pitching coach?

BW: Harold, I have a reporter here, can we please do this later?

HT: A reporter? Perfect. Listen, reporter, here's what's up. Our idiot manager couldn't figure out who He is - I mean we literally have 5 pitchers in the rotation, it's not hard to figure out who he meant! But no, somehow this becomes the pitching coach's fault.

DK: Was the pitching coach fired because of this incident?

HT: No, Bob has had it in for our pitching coach for years now. This is just an excuse.

BW: Listen, Dembe, I thought you were interviewing me.

DK: Bob, was the pitching coach fired?

BW: No comment.

HT: Yes, he was! And the worst part is that nobody asked the pitchers for our opinion!

BW: Okay! Fine! He was fired! And do you know why?? BECAUSE HE SUCKED! Like, look at our pitching staff over the last two years. Cheng is terrible now. Park's career is probably ruined, I'm just glad we were able to move him. Threlfall is so bad we've had to demote him!

HT: What?

BW: Wait, I wasn't supposed to say that. Uhh. Well.

HT: You're demoting me because I stood up for our pitching coach?

BW: No, we're demoting you because your ERA is over 8 this year!! And it was over 5 last year! You've been terrible for like 18 months!

HT: I want a trade. Get me out of this place.

BW: Who's gonna want you? ERA of 8. Give me a break. Get out of my office.

DK: Bob, is it true you've demoted Harold Threlfall to the minors?

BW: No comment.

Dembe Kihiga is the beat writer for the Melbourne Meteors. She is deeply grateful to Harold Threlfall for volunteering information, and is getting increasingly annoyed with the GM for never saying anything.

WBA Times / Melbourne 2124 Year In Review

« on: June 27, 2020, 05:55:25 PM »

The year 2124 was one filled with high points and low points for the Melbourne Meteors, a team seemingly struggling to find a direction. At times acting like a title contender (without the record to back it up), and at times acting like a team preparing to enter a full rebuild, the Meteors season wound up turning out fairly well for a team in their position: young, moderately talented, and prepared to become a contender within a few years.

Trades for roster players: Any discussion of the Meteors' season must begin with their many trades. Only 3 players in the Meteors' Opening Day lineup had been with the team the year before (and one of those, Bill Hurley, only joined the team at the 2123 trade deadline). It would be impossible to describe every trade, and many of the most significant ones occurred in the waning days of 2123, so they cannot truly be part of this post. I will, however, highlight a few key trades for roster players that impacted Melbourne this season, both good and bad.

July 3rd with Buenos Aires - This trade saw Melbourne send 3B Ricardo Peralta to Buenos Aires for a 4th round pick. This trade was a clear win for Melbourne, as Peralta hit just .179 with Buenos Aires before retiring.

July 3rd with Cairo - The Meteors traded outfield prospect Sean Bethune and $750,000 to Cairo for SS Roberto Reyes. Reyes was disappointing in his time with Melbourne, but is young and should improve. Bethune, though, performed well at Cairo's A-level minor league team, and shows signs of developing into an above-average major leaguer. It is too early to declare this trade a loss for Melbourne, but it's not looking great so far.

July 31st with Black Forest - Melbourne's Nabibukhsh Sadozai was traded to Black Forest for a 4th round pick. Sadozai was very vocal about his distaste for Melbourne, telling the Times "I hate this place. Everything is poisonous and our GM keeps trading everyone on the team. Get me out of here!" He got his wish and immediately signed a 2-year contract extension with Black Forest. This appears to be a steal for the Foxes, as he posted a 2.45 ERA and 0.73 WHIP after the trade. But of course, the Meteors were able to get value out of a player who would have otherwise left for free agency, which is always good.

July 31st with Rome - The Pedro Vargas saga saw an unusually restrained end to a ridiculous sequence. Rumors that Meteors GM Bob Weinberg sent team representatives to break into the offices of other GMs and praise Vargas loudly are as of yet unconfirmed, but it's certain that Vargas was very much on the block. A reliever who at times put up brilliant numbers, and at times left us all wondering how he even played in the major leagues, Vargas was eventually dealt to Rome for a 4th-round pick and SP prospect He-ping Ting. Vargas is reportedly in contract talks with both the Meteors and Generals.

July 31st with Paris - Trading Sadozai and Vargas might trick the intelligent baseball fan into thinking the Meteors were in a rebuild. GM Bob Weinberg, though, never does the intelligent thing, and after decimating his bullpen for 4th round picks, he traded one of those 4ths, plus a 5th rounder, to the Paris Fleur-de-Lis for 3B Guda Baloch. Baloch hit .295 with 7 home runs in his 54 games with Melbourne. Though his contract is large ($9.8 million this year), it decreases every year until 2127, and the Meteors are in decent financial shape regardless.

July 31st with Ottawa - Continuing the "Are they rebuilding or not?" confusion, Melbourne sent young CF Toru Yamaguchi and a 3rd and 5th round pick to Ottawa for star outfielderMitch Qiao. A bat-first, defense-sometimes right fielder, Qiao hit .342 with 13 home runs in 53 games with Melbourne this year. Just last week, Qiao signed a 3-year extension at $5.5 million per season. This seems to be a pretty cheap price for a star outfielder.

November 27th with Manila - In a "good for both teams" deal, Melbourne dealt backup LF Mark Hughes to Manila for backup LF Javier Quezada and SS Christopher Grotefend. Quezada's salary is much higher than it should be, but Hughes's is also fairly high, and Grotefend is likely to slot in as Melbourne's new starting shortstop after hitting .272 with Manila last year.

Player development: There were positives and negatives to this aspect of the Meteors' season. Prospects such as OF Srikant Hattangady and SP Hung-K'uei He are, according to the team's management, probably going to be ready for the majors this season, while other, younger prospects, such as RF Daimano Ghislieri and SP Ramón Ayala, continued to develop nicely. Another positive sign was SP Jorge Pérez, who had put up mediocre stats in the minors and one brief major-league stint in 2123, but this year burst onto the scene with a 3.27 ERA and a 15-6 record.

Of course, the development world was not all good news for the Meteors organization. Several major-league pitchers took significant steps back, most notably former ace Harold Threlfall, who posted a 3.33 ERA in 2123 and a 5.11 in 2124. Meteors GM Bob Weinberg, when asked about Threlfall's disappointing year, said "I don't get it. He was 28 years old, no big injury or anything, I really don't get it. Maybe he's on drugs. Not the good ones, either. Wait, are performance-diminishing drugs a thing? Is he on those?" Threlfall's agent declined to comment on allegations that he is using PDDs.

Outlook for 2125: The Meteors are a team with a fairly bright future. Led by Qiao, Baloch, C Brandon Crabb, veteran 3B/LF Guillermo Carvajal, and hometown favorite 1B Tristan Vantassell, their lineup is strong with no obvious holes. The pitching staff is a bit more problematic - Jorge Perez and Jian-zhang Cheng are poised to lead the rotation, but spots 3-5 remain a problem spot. A lot depends on whether Hung-K'uei He is able to take a step up and begin to fulfill his potential. Melbourne's bullpen will be suffering a little bit due to the loss of Vargas and Sadozai, but GM Weinberg has reportedly been in talks with several high-profile free agent relievers. This team will not be a title contender in 2125, but should be able to reach a .500 record and potentially challenge for a wild card spot. That is, unless they make some ridiculous trades. It's been known to happen.

Dembe Kihiga is the beat writer for the Melbourne Meteors. She is very grateful to be living in Australia at the moment, mostly because it's not Argentina.

WBA Times / Meteors Legend Sifiye Retires

« on: June 12, 2020, 10:42:51 PM »

MANILA, Philippines: After 20 years and 2,291 WBA games, Melbourne Meteors legend Tamirat Sifiye has officially retired from pro baseball.

Sifiye, of course, planned to retire several weeks ago at the conclusion of the minor league season, but was persuaded by Meteors GM Bob Weinberg to come back to the pros for the final week of the regular season.

On September 28th, his last home game (which the team declared Tamirat Sifiye Day), Sifiye went 0 for 3, but had an RBI and stole a base after a walk, as the Meteors downed the Karachi Falcons 4-1. Just before the first pitch of this game, the team played a 10-minute montage of Sifiye's career highlights.

His last-ever pro game, October 1st in Manila, Sifiye was 0 for 2, and was taken out in the bottom of the 8th inning for Tristan Vantassell. Weinberg later told me "It was a really emotional moment. We were defending in the bottom of the 8th, and I decided to make the substitution to give Sif a curtain call. He knew what was happening, of course. The whole team took the field before him, and he walked out to first base after everyone else. They announced he was being taken out and everyone started cheering. The players in particular, even the ones on the field, just standing there applauding, and then the fans! Of course, we bought 25,000 tickets to the game and resold them at half price, so the stadium was more than halfway filled with Meteors jerseys (most of them were Sif jerseys, of course). But the Manila fans too, they were a class act. Not a single boo, and plenty of them were standing and cheering too. Shaaban Shamsher, who was batting first that inning, was clapping just as much as any of our guys. A real classy organization. So yeah, Sifiye is out on first and everyone's just applauding, a real standing ovation, and he takes off his cap and waves, and honestly I think he was crying a little. And he comes back to the dugout and waits at the top, and Vantassell comes up - he was replacing Sif at first - and they just hugged, and Vanty gestured for Sif to take a bow. And then Sif walked into the dugout. And just like that, the story was over."

After the game, Sifiye had a brief postgame press conference in which he officially announced his retirement. He is expected to make his next public appearance at his jersey retirement ceremony, which has not officially been announced yet, but team insiders tell me should be sometime within the next year.

Weinberg told me "Let's save the sappy stuff for the retirement ceremony... Sif is an all-time great. He got his standing ovation. He got his hero sendoff, and deservedly so. I want to give him some time to himself. But any time you need a quote about how great he is, and how much he's meant to this organization, you just give me a call. Me, or anyone else in the city of Melbourne."

Dembe Kihiga is the beat writer for the Melbourne Meteors. She is definitely not crying while writing this article.

WBA Times / With Meteors Eliminated from Playoffs, Legend Returns for Final Send-Off

« on: June 11, 2020, 11:54:26 PM »

MELBOURNE, Australia: Last Saturday, the Melbourne Meteors defeated the China Groove 8-7, but the mood around the clubhouse wasn't exactly jubilant. That's because on the same day, the Rome Generals defeated the Ljubljana Dragons to mathematically eliminate Melbourne from the playoffs. This, of course, was not unexpected, as the Meteors were projected to finish with a 67-89 record by the Huckleberry 3000™. I sat down with GM Bob Weinberg to discuss the season. He called the elimination "disappointing, but not surprising" but added that he was happy with the season: "We weren't supposed to be good, this was one of those 'wait and see what you have' years. Some of our young guys took major steps forward, which should start to pay off soon. I'm especially excited that Jorge Pérez has turned into a reliable starter, and Hung-K'uei He had a solid season in Adelaide and will get a start in the last game of the season."

Weinberg made a lot of trades at the deadline, which we'll examine in detail in an article after the season is over. One of these, though, sent $3 to the Santo Domingo Palmchats in exchange for Tamirat Sifiye. Any Meteors fan, or indeed just WBA fan, should instantly recognize the name. Drafted 11th overall in 2103 by the Tokyo Samurai (who later became the Meteors), Sifiye played for the Meteors until 2110, winning the 2106 and 2108 IBL titles and the 2108 WBA championship. He won both the hitter of the year and defender of the year awards at shortstop in 2107, as well as finishing 2nd in position player of the year voting. The following year, he won that award (as well as hitter of the year at SS). He was also named 2108 IBL Championship Series MVP, as the Meteors went on to win the WBA title. In 2110, the Meteors traded him to Buenos Aires for legendary pitcher Fudd Mitchell, in a deal that both managers later expressed regretting. "I never should have traded Sif", Weinberg told me. "I felt like he would regress, but still, he was the face of the franchise. That's one I'd like to undo if I could." Weinberg was correct that Sifiye would regress - after hitting .346 and .336 in 2108 and 2109, he never reached .300 in his 5 seasons in Buenos Aires - but the regret was too much to handle, and Weinberg re-acquired Sifiye in 2115 for second baseman Atílio Sobreiro. Once regarded as a very skilled prospect, Sobreiro's development never quite took off, and at this point he seems likely to be a career minor leaguer. Sifiye, though, declined his contract option in 2116, opting for free agency. He played several seasons in Rome, Black Forest, and Karachi, eventually ending up as a minor leaguer in the Rio system, where he was traded to Santo Domingo and then Melbourne.

Sifiye, now 40 years old, appears to be a sure first-ballot hall of famer. Currently 7th all-time in WAR by hitters, he sits 6th all-time in hits, with 2,486, and 5th all-time in hits, with 1,446. He's also third all-time in steals, with 610. Having amassed 40.95 of his career 80.69 WAR in Melbourne (and Tokyo and Brisbane, where the Melbourne franchise was previously located), Sifiye will go into the Hal of Fame wearing a Meteors cap, the first Meteor in the Hall.

Sifiye announced his retirement from pro baseball when the minor league season wrapped up, but told me he was convinced to come out of retirement for one last game in the big leagues. He told me "Bob called me personally on the phone. Told me 'Sif, listen, we want to give you a hero's farewell, send you off in style. Come out of retirement, we'll start you in the last 6 games of the season.' How could I say no?"

Despite being a shortstop and second baseman for most of his career, Sifiye will be starting at first base for the next six games. This is because he hasn't played short in the pros since 2120, but it's also a symbolic move: Sifiye will be starting in place of Tristan Vantassell, Melbourne's 27-year-old hometown hero who, if he stays in Melbourne, looks almost guaranteed to break just about every Meteors batting record, possibly including Sifiye's batting average of .315 with Melbourne. Asked about being benched in favor of a 40-year-old Sifiye, Vantassell said "No, it's not like that at all! Bob has assured me I'm starting next year, and pretty much into the future. This is a 6-game stretch to give a veteran player his final bow. And come on, it's Tamirat Sifiye! I grew up in Victoria, I was 8 years old when Sifiye led the Meteors to a WBA Championship! I'm more than happy to sit for 6 games and let Sif get his well-deserved hero's farewell." Weinberg concurred, saying "Oh, this isn't at all about Tristan - in fact, we have no plans to move him or let him go in free agency. He is our first baseman of the future."

Weinberg added that September 28th, Melbourne's last home game of the season, will be Tamirat Sifiye Day - all fans in attendance will be given a free Sifiye bobblehead and t-shirt, and a montage of his best plays with Melbourne will be shown before the game. His last game will take place on October 1st in Manila, but it's expected to be almost a home game - Manila has been eliminated from playoff contention, and the Melbourne front office bought 25,000 tickets to the game and is planning to resell them to Meteors fans at half price, plus pay for airfare. Sifiye can expect a warm sendoff after his final game.

Asked if Sifiye's number would be retired by the Melbourne organization, Weinberg said "It's our policy to never discuss number retirements for active players. But, come on. He's Tamirat Sifiye." Sources in the Melbourne front office tell me that planning for the retirement ceremony is already underway.

I asked Sifiye what his plans were after his retirement. He told me "I've always been interested in ownership, actually. I'll probably take a year or two off just to enjoy myself, but after that, I dunno, maybe I'll buy a minority stake in the Meteors. Could be fun!"

More emotional words about Sifiye's impact on the game will surely be spoken when his jersey is retired. For now, it's enough to leave you with the words of GM Bob Weinberg: "I'm just so glad we can give him the send-off he deserves. He's a true Meteors legend."

Dembe Kihiga is the beat writer for the Melbourne Meteors, and the author of the book Growing Up With Sports: My Life as the Great-Great-Great-Granddaughter of a Meteors Legend.