SIMBL HALL OF FAME

JAKE BOLES, BROCK VINCI, SANTIAGO RIVERA, EDDIE MEAS INDUCTED INTO SIMBL HALL OF FAME AS CLASS OF 2050

Controversial Carl Chaulk & His 3190 Hits, 577 Home Runs & 1901 RBI Omitted From Hall For Sixth Consecutive Year, Three Votes Shy (54.5%) Of Enshrinement

OF Jake Boles
2029-2049
Drafted In 2028 SIMBL Draft Round 1 Pick 3 By Tampa Bay Silverbacks
Tampa Bay Silverbacks 2029-2033
Chicago Hitmen 2034-2041
Hawaii Pineapples 2042-2044
Chicago Hitmen 2045-2046
Hawaii Pineapples 2047
River City Rascals 2048
AC Kansas City 2049

2806 G 3042 H
.283 AVG 617 HR 1850 RBI
.846 OPS 57.6 WAR
3-Time SL Slugger Of The Year MVP (2029, 2033, 2034)
10-Time All-Star
2029 SL Rookie Of The Year

Jake Boles, a standout right fielder throughout his SIM Baseball League career, has been inducted into the Hall of Fame in his first attempt.

During the induction ceremony, he credited the coaches who taught him to play the game and the teammates who taught him to be a professional.

However, the most important influence, Boles said, was his father. "Pops never gave up on me," he said, "no matter how often I felt like giving up on myself.

In his 2806-game career, Boles hit .283 with 3042 hits, 617 home runs, 1584 runs scored and 1850 RBIs.

One of the more consistent players of his era and in SIMBL history, Boles also places in the top ten in most major career offensive statistics in the SIMBL New File Era (2019-current).

Boles hit .300 or better in six seasons, .290 or better seven times, .280 or better in eleven seasons.  

He posted 44 or more home runs four times and 40+ home runs in five of his first six seasons.  He hit 30+ home runs in twelve seasons, 25 or more home runs in 15 seasons and 20 or more homers in 16 of his 21-season career.

He also posted eight 100 RBI seasons with five 120 RBI seasons, four 130 RBI seasons and two 140 RBI seasons in his prime when there wasn't a more power production player to be found in the SIMBL than Boles at the time.

Boles was the first true rookie in SIMBL history in the league's previous 25-season history at the time to win the Daryl Ryles Slugger Of The Year MVP Award as a rookie when he hit .314 with a still-standing rookie record of 46 home runs and 144 RBI with a blistering .611 slugging percentage and .961 OPS in 2029 in what is considered one of the best rookie seasons in the SIMBL's long 46-season history.

Besides being known for his historic rookie season which continued throughout most of his career, Boles may most be remembered for leading his Chicago Hitmen team, for which he played ten seasons with in his 21-year career, to three consecutive SIMBL Coveted Cup Championship Series from 2034-2036 and being heartbroken losing each three to a different UL champion in each three attempts at a SIMBL championship as one of the best players in league history never got to be fitted for a SIMBL championship ring.

Those formidable 2034-2036 Hitmen teams also featured future and now fellow SIMBL Hall Of Famers DH Matt Kramer, 1B Peter Turner and perhaps the finest trio of starting pitchers ever assembled onto one team in SIMBL history with SIMBL Hall Of Famers Jimmy Wagner, Alan Alexander Anderson and Joe Tarnowsky along with Boles to equate for six future SIMBL Hall Of Famers on one team for three straight trips to the SIMBL CS yet failed to bring home the elusive SIMBL Coveted Cup while the charter SIMBL franchise is in its 46th season and still seeking the first SIMBL title in the franchise's long history.

He wrapped up his career at the age of 42 and retired, hanging up his cleats in 2049 being one of only seven players to hit 600 career home runs, one of only nine players to collect 3000 career hits, one of only 13 players to have scored 1500 runs and one of only seven players to have driven in 1800 runs in his SIMBL career among other top accolades throughout the SIMBL career leaderboard lists.

More exclusively, Boles is one of only four players (joining fellow SIMBL Hall Of Famers Deryk Ryles, Julian Winfield and Carlos Molina) to have 3000 career hits, 600 home runs and to have 1800 career RBI in their SIMBL careers.

SP Brock Vinci
2027-2045
Drafted In 2023 SIMBL Draft Round 1 Pick 9 By Astoria Wolverines
Seattle Seawolves 2027-2039
Las Vegas Hustlers 2040
Calgary Clippers 2041
Bristol Owls 2042-2043
Las Vegas Hustlers 2044-2045

255-221 3.94 ERA 1.27 WHIP
4359.1 IP 3809 K 84.6 WAR
2-Time UL Hurler Of The Year (2031, 2033)
7-Time All-Star
1-Time Richard P. DeMarco Gold Glove Defense Award
1-Time SIMBL Champion (2041 Calgary Clippers)

During his fantastic pitching career Brock Vinci was hard-nosed competitor. Prior to an important game, he once told reporters, "If we lose today, it will be over my dead body. They'll have to leave me face down on the mound."

It was this attitude that helped to inspire Vinci to such an outstanding career. Today he was rewarded with his admission into the SIM Baseball League Hall of Fame.

Vinci retired from baseball at age 40 and fashioned a 255-221 won-lost record in his career with a 3.94 ERA. The gifted hurler appeared in 640 games, fanned 3809 hitters and piled up 4359.1 innings pitched.

Vinci retired as one of only eight pitchers in SIMBL history with 250 or more wins which is a gold standard at this point in the league's history.  A multiple Hurler Of The Year winner and seven-time All-Star, Vinci was one of the top pitchers of his era.  His 3809 career strikeouts were second on the all-time list when he retired and he currently sits in third-place on that list still only one of three pitchers in SIMBL history with 3800 career strikeouts.

Vinci also stands in the top five and top ten in most major pitching career record categories in the SIMBL history books reflective of him being one of the best pitchers of his era and in terms of production in SIMBL history.

A model of consistency, he won 13+ games thirteen times, 14+ games in nine seasons, 15+ games in seven seasons, 16+ games six times, 17+ games four times, 18+ games three seasons, 19+ games in two seasons and had one 20-win season in his consistent if not illustrious SIMBL career in which he spent his first 13 seasons with the Seattle Seawolves (now Ann Arbor Wolverines).

One of his managers at the induction ceremony observed, "Brock was a bulldog on the mound. If a man put a gun to my head and said I'm going to pull the trigger, if you lose this game, I'd want him to pitch that game."

CL Santiago Rivera
2030-2044
Drafted In 2030 SIMBL Draft Round 1 Pick 9 By Cleveland Brownies
Cleveland Brownies 2030-2044

813 G 913.0 IP 2.31 ERA 1.10 WHIP
421 SV 90.0 Career SV%
4-Time UL Fireman Of The Year
6-Time All-Star

TOP CAREER SAVE PERCENTAGES
300 CAREER SAVES MINIMUM
AS OF THE 5/16/2050 LEAGUE DATE:

*-Indicates Inducted Into SIMBL Hall Of Fame

92.0 Andrew Steele *
91.1 Andrew Stephens *
90.8 Juan Rivera
90.4 Barrett Jenkins *
90.0 Santiago Rivera *
89.4 Luis Castro
89.1 Willie Roger DeMarco *
89.0 Cedric Issacson *
89.0 Dez Jordan *
87.8 Juan Carlos Bermudez
87.5 Steven Pfleuger
87.1 John Raynor
87.0 Todd Newell
86.8 Dontrelle Jackson
85.6 Kerry Powell
85.0 Jim Bentley
84.8 Daniel Chase
84.6 Otto Orf
83.3 Chris Ross *
83.3 Hank Savage
84.3 John Coburn
81.8 Scott Williams
81.2 Miguel Hernandez

SIM Baseball League's most exclusive club has a new member -- reliever Santiago Rivera is now in the Hall of Fame. The famed bullpen specialist earned his induction with 421 saves, 813 game appearances and a 2.31 ERA in his brilliant career. Rivera also compiled a 65-45 record and struck out 1012 batters in 913 innings.

Rivera's career 2.31 ERA is the second-lowest out of any qualified pitcher in the SIMBL New File Era (2019-current). Rivera was the most dominating closer of his era and won four UL Fireman Of The Year awards in the 2033, 2034, 2035 and 2037 seasons. Rivera's four awards tied fellow SIMBL Hall Of Famers Cedric Issacson, Barrett Jenkins and the SIMBL First File Era's (2005-2018) Bill Hyer for the most awards for a season's best closer in the SIMBL's 46-season history.

"Slam" was the 9th overall pick of the 2030 SIMBL Draft by the Cleveland Brownies and played his entire 15-season career from 2030-2044 with the Brownies and currently sits 14th on the SIMBL all-time saves and 11th on the SIMBL New File Era lists with 421 career saves and is one of only 14 pitchers in the SIMBL First File and SIMBL New File eras to have 400 or more career saves.

Rivera is one of only five closers with 300 career saves and a 90.0% career save percentage.  Four of the five have been inducted into the SIMBL Hall Of Fame: (longtime New York fireman Andrew Steele, longtime Oregon closer Andrew Stephens, longtime Calgary fireman Barrett Jenkins and now longtime Cleveland closer Rivera himself) as the best closers thus far the league has ever seen in 46 seasons and certainly in the current 32-season SIMBL New File Era (2019-current). The longtime Cleveland closer's 90.0% career save percentage currently stands as the fifth-best in the SIMBL New File Era (2019-current) as well easily placing him among the very best handful of closers in SIMBL history and more than worthy of enshrinement as being recognized as being one of the best of the best in league history.

He retired from baseball when he was 39 after the 2044 season.  Rivera's sensational career was cut short by injuries as he sustained seven different injuries and setbacks after the 2040 season which affected his performance and cut short his career considerably.

It is a rarity for a reliever to be inducted. The voters seem to favor starting pitchers over relief specialists, but not this year.

Rivera expressed his opinion in his induction speech. "We can't compete with their statistics, their innings and their strikeouts. It's like comparing a shortstop's numbers against a first baseman or an outfielder. We're just playing a different position. But I think without relievers, it's tough to win."

OF Eddie Meas
2005-2014 (SIMBL First File Era)
Drafted In Round 2 Pick 2 26th Overall By Jacksonville Prophets In 2005 SIMBL First File Era Inaugural Draft
Jacksonville Prophets 2005-2007
Chicago Hitmen 2008-2014

.267 AVG 319 HR 1023 RBI 1080 R 366 SB
.903 OPS
2 40-HR Seasons
7 30-HR Seasons
9 25-HR Seasons
8 100 BB Seasons
6-Time Runner Up In SL MVP Voting (All 2nd To Daryl Ryles)
1st 40 HR 40 SB Season In SIMBL History (2005)
8-Time All-Star In 10 SIMBL Seasons

Eddie Meas was one of the most dominating and also most consistent players in the SIMBL's infancy and the SIMBL First File Era (2005-2014).

At the age of 29, Meas was the 26th overall pick of the Jacksonville Prophets of the 2005 SIMBL First File Inaugural Draft and immediately posted the first of only still a handful of 40 HR 40 SB seasons in SIMBL history in that inaugural 2005 season which occurred over some 13 real-life years ago.

Meas starred for Prophets for the first three seasons of league play posting .305 AVG 45 HR 147 RBI in 2005, .283 AVG 47 HR 118 RBI in 2006 and .288 AVG 31 HR and 117 RBI in 2007.

After his first three superb seasons in Jacksonville and at the age of 32, he was dealt in one of the first shocking and major trades in SIMBL history to Chicago prior to the 2008 season after he was also one of the first early SIMBL superstars to be put on the league's then-fledgling trading block.  After several weeks of speculation, former longtime Jacksonville and SIMBL GM Brandon Clifton boldly confirmed that his superstar face of the franchise was indeed on the block.

He continued to be one of the SIMBL's top production players after the big trade posting his fourth and fifth consecutive 30 HR 100 RBI seasons through the 2009 season.  Shortly after the trade it was somewhat regretted by Clifton as Meas' expected decline didn't immediately surface as expected as he again thrived in his new Hitmen uniform for the next several seasons throughout the end of his career.

Meas would've easily won six SL Slugger Of The Year MVP awards if not for playing in the shadow of one of the most dominating players to ever put on a SIMBL uniform in longtime San Diego slugger and now fellow SIMBL Hall Of Famer Daryl Ryles whose intense rivalry with Meas developed into one of the best story lines in early SIMBL history.

Ryles won eight SL MVP awards which still stand as a SIMBL record. In six of those votes, Meas came in second to Ryles all six times in the annual MVP voting by league members each season.

Due to his age at the time of the league's inaugural draft, Meas played only ten SIMBL seasons and finished his career playing with Chicago the final seven seasons of his career.  He posted nine 25+ HR seasons, seven 30+ HR seasons and two 40+ HR seasons in a splendid career.

Added to his consistent power, he drove in 100+ runs in six of those ten seasons, 90 RBI in eight of those seasons and 80 RBI in nine of his ten SIMBL seasons.  He produced four 30 HR 30 SB seasons and one 40 HR 40 SB season and averaged 36 stolen bases  a season in his career when high stolen bases seasons were scarce in the league.

Even after he aged into his mid-30's when most SIMBL players would fall off the map, Meas produced and was instrumental in helping the Hitmen be a perennial contender for most of the SIMBL First File Era until his retirement after the 2014 season.  Even after his mid-30's dropoff, Meas still averaged 31 HR and 102 RBI with 36 SB a season throughout a Hall Of Fame worthy career and was recognized as an All-Star in eight of his ten seasons.

Meas' .903 OPS still stands as the sixth-best in SIMBL history when both file eras are combined and ironically is tied with his rival Ryles' son, the SIMBL New File Era's Deryk Ryles, who also has been inducted into the SIMBL Hall Of Fame one season ago.

While most of Meas' top placings in the SIMBL combined career leader board lists when both era's history have been officially combined after the now much-longer SIMBL New File Era was needed and started with the 2019 season, Meas' many placings in career top five lists in all major offensive categories in the 14-season SIMBL First File Era still stand.

Meas and Ryles had an intense and sometimes unclassy rivalry through the SIMBL media since the 2005 season when Ryles beat out Meas for the SL MVP in a controversial vote that led the two to have it out through the SIMBL media throughout both of the SIMBL Hall Of Famer's careers.  

After Meas became the first player in SIMBL history to hit 100 career home runs, the rivalry heated when Ryles overtook Meas as the early SIMBL's all-time home run king during the 2007 season in the league's third season of existence.  While the mild-mannered Meas usually took the high road with Ryles instigating tactics, Ryles took it to the next level when he held a lavish party in Hollywood, California after he overtook Meas with his 112th SIMBL career home run and celebrated with a well-publicized party with several Hollywood celebrities at the time.  Trying to instigate Meas even more, Ryles extended a public invitation to Meas to the party which Meas obviously declined.

In the short-lived 14-season SIMBL First File Era, Meas was one of only five players with 300 career home runs and 1000 career RBI. Furthermore, he was one of six players with 300 HR 1000 RBI and 1000 career runs scored.  More exclusively, he only one of three players to have 300 HR 1000 RBI 1000 R and 1000 career BB in the SIMBL First File Era.

When contacted by SIMBL press that he had finally been inducted into the SIMBL Hall Of Fame included in the 2050 class, the now 74 year-old former SIMBL superstar simply stated, "It's a disgrace and an utter embarrassment to the once-fine league that I devoted my life to, to have waited this long to have recognized my efforts and achievements all of these years later.  I suffered several serious health issues in recent years that I specifically didn't want publicized or any attention given to.  What could've happened if this wasn't righted and I wasn't here when this acknowledgement was finally and rightfully earned?  While Mr. Ryles and the Ryles family including his son have contributed highly to the league's success these past 46 years and certainly have more than the attention deserved for it, I'm severely disappointed in SIMBL leadership, the SIMBL League Office and the league members for not recognizing my achievements much earlier in my life for myself and my family, children, grandchildren and recently now even my great-grandchildren to enjoy."

Meas concluded, "While my heart lies heavy and I'm not in the best of health, I take pride in knowing that when in my prime and even after, I played every game of baseball of my career in the SIMBL with the same passion and as hard as I could for my team and the fans as if it were my very last game in the league each and every night."

While seemingly giving a long-awaited jab to his old rival Ryles, he concluded before he hung up on the phone call, "Some players can't claim that in any honesty if they ever did the same..."