1B Ze Vargas to enter the Rio de Janeiro Hall of Fame

[Echo127]

After 7 years with the organization (since the WBA's inaugural season) 1B Ze Vargas is set to be the first player to enter the Rio de Janeiro Hall of Fame. He's not retired *yet*, but I don't think it's likely he'll ever play again in the WBA (unless someone wants to gamble on his all-or-nothing HR-swing as a pinch hitter), so I'm gonna go ahead and let him in the hall now .

In the first two years of the ABL, Vargas was arguably the most dangerous hitter in the league, winning the home run title and Silver Slugger Award both seasons and winning the ABL MVP award in the second. That year (2101) he also set a mark of 48 home runs--the current ABL record (but he's got nothing on Mr. Darchiev over in Mumbai ). Over the next two seasons, Vargas regressed a bit from his MVP form, but continued be one of the league's premier offensive talents, hitting 31 home runs in 2102 and 32 in 2103.

In 2103, on the last year of his contract, Vargas was traded to Mexico City at the trade deadline in what turned out to be a very profitable move for Rio. That offseason, Vargas entered free agency for the first time, but was quickly reunited with his old club on a a 3-year deal. His first season back with the club (2104) was more of the same for Vargas, performance-wise, but he only managed a home run total of 26 that year due to some injuries that kept him out of action for 2 months--the first serious injury of his career.

In 2105 his hitting ability versus lefties had begun to seriously erode and his defense began to be a liability.  That season he was reduced to a platoon role but remained a very dangerous batter against righties, hitting 31 home runs and earning 4.4 WAR in only 103 games started as he lead the team to Rio's Cinderella-story 2105 WBA Championship appearance.

In the 2106 season Vargas was given a chance to reprise his role as a platoon player vs. righties, but it soon became apparent that the decline that first began to show in 2105 had only sped up. At 34 years of age I would've expected him to have another season or two in the tank...but time takes us all and he was soon reduced to a pinch hitting role where he struggled to bat over 0.200. For the last weak of the 2106 season, with Rio having nothing left to play for, Vargas was allowed to resume his spot in the starting lineup--a mini farewell tour.  That week he showed some flashes of his old self, batting .321 with 2 doubles and a home run, raising his season average from a dismal 0.188 to a still-dismal-but-maybe-a-little-bit-less-embarassing 0.205.

Vargas finishes his career (probably) with 577 runs, 863 hits, 221 home runs, 619 RBI's, a .269 batting average, and 28.6 WAR (most of which were earned at Rio). He currently holds the Rio de Janeiro career and single-season records for nearly every major batting statistic.

Having been born and raised in Brazil (didn't realize that until I started writing this up. Neat!) and having spent his entire career in Rio (barring the short stint with Mexico City) I think it's fitting that he becomes the first member of the Rio de Janeiro Hall of Fame.

Congratulations, Ze Vargas!