World Baseball Classic 41 - Everything Thread

[Super-Llamaland]

LISANDER DRAW THROWBACK FOR TIGERS FANS
Alyssa Zhao - LSN Baseball

Just one year and a few days ago, the Tigers were ready to make a run for the title. The Llamanean national baseball team had heavily underperformed in consecutive classics, being upset in the quarterfinals at both WBC38 and WBC39, but there was hope that a few new players and new manager Laurent Mårtensson would be able to take them a little further.

After an opening-day victory, Mårtensson decided to send a questionably-fit Justin Zheng to pitch against Lisander. Zheng's elbow problems had had him scratched from the opening-day start, but some persuasion from the then-Nandaozhou ace was enough to convince the new manager to send him out. At first, it looked like a mistake - as Zheng walked the leadoff man and gave up a towering fly ball to the second batter that barely stayed in the field. But the ace recovered quickly. Every Llamanean fan knows what happened for the rest of the game. Zheng no-hit Lisander over nine stunning innings, coming away with a six-zero win. Lisander would prove to be a fairly easy target for the Tigers, as the team went 5-1 en route to a 23-7 qualifying campaign.

Of course, the fact that there was a "1" might be concerning to some. And indeed, after the 4-2 extra-innings home loss that took the Tigers from 17-4 to 17-5, the players were concerned too. But even this upset helped the Tigers out. "We were starting to get complacent at 17-4, with one of the top records in the world," de facto team captain Sofia Rasmussen, "but Lisander helped us get back into focus. We definitely needed it."

And from there, the Tigers just kept on winning. A few weeks later, they had won the entire thing, tying the record of four championships.

That a Lisander team that went 12-18 and finished five of six teams in the qualification group is now in the playoffs might be a bit surprising to some. But it's worth mentioning that they only went 15-15, the worst record out of all the qualified teams. Not only did they go 15-15, but they didn't even appear to deserve that record. In fact, their -30 run differential indicates a team that got lucky to have the record they did, and combined with a pedestrian win-loss record puts them behind the likes of Quebec, Somersville, Northwest Kalactin, Hicaña, Roborian, Gregoryisgodistan, and Abanhfleft.

Still, Laurent Mårtensson and the Super-Llamaland Tigers cannot afford to slack off or underestimate one of the top sixteen teams in the world. And with Justin Zheng, Maddie Wagner, Natalie Wu, and August Bendtner starting, it's clear that that's exactly what they seek to avoid.

[Schiltzberg]

Anxiety

So many words! What do they mean?
I'm loaded by unending tasks,
While breaks are short and far between.
"But why go on?" the sparrow asks.

Every time I see a fire alarm,
I'm urged to pull it and let it shriek.
You tell me now! Don't pull my arm;
Do you think these things, or am I unique?

What happens when gravitation stops?
Will we survive when the pressure drops?
What happens if evaporation prevails?
Where will we put the homeless whales?

What happens if the girls and boys
At school don't fall in love anymore?
What happens if all the world's noise
Get turned into dust brushed across the floor?

[Cassadaigua]

Playoff Time Is Here,
by Maddie Polanco

I want to thank all of the Cassadagan fans who have supported me during the first Classic of tenure as your manager. It was a intense campaign, we started well and finished well. It was not fluid dominance, but we did not succumb to our slump, and were able to rebound to get back into being the third seed for the playoffs. The losing stretch is something that I hope to learn from, but over a course of a 30-game qualifying period, there will always be tough losses here and there. We accomplished an incredible feat in defeating Schiltzberg in this group.

We wanted that badly. Our head to head record against Schiltzberg was amazing, in sweeping them! Six-for-six. We outscored them impressively, 28-13, in the first five games, before the prevailing in the 13-10 wild one in the final meeting! We have seen examples in the past of how a 6-0 campaign against a rival can completely alter the group standings. Schiltzberg was 20-4 against everyone else. We were 17-7, so I think that is more of testament to them, really, as a warning to anyone who thinks that they have not been good this Classic. For our fans, it was special and important, since they had knocked us out the last two years. Now, they are in the position that Cassadaigua had been in the last two. In a series that people will expect you to win due to your rank, but looking at a potentially tough second round series against Super-Llamaland. I am still proud of my Tigers. Congrats guys! I’m glad to know that the only way we would meet in this playoff season, would be in the finals.

Our focus now, is on Tenburg, and this is going to be a tough series. Last year, the Metros made their first ever attempt to qualify, and they made an impression right away on Cassadagan sources, as they took note at the gritty character of their team, and their overall fan support, right from the first day. They used that to qualify for the playoffs in Cassadaigua and advanced to the quarterfinals before they were rocketed out of the playoffs. This year they learned that things will be just as challenging the second go-around, and the free agency distractions surrounding powerful slugger Jack Lynch may have been a burden to the overall team. Once Jack announced that he would be playing in Newmanistan, and with South Charlotte, he certainly felt very relieved, and definitely wants to go out strong in this Classic.

We hold a lot of respect for them. Their time will come, but first one must have patience. It’s not their time yet, or at least we’re not going to let it be that way without a fight. We’ve worked hard to get here, but we never lay back on past successes. This is a battle, and it’s why I was brought here from Super-Llamaland.

[Tenburg]

BREAKING

THE STARTING ROTATION vs CASSADAIGUA HAS BEEN RELEASED AS FOLLOWS:

RORY QUINLAN
LEO KAISER
MICK KELLY
JAMES CULLEN
FINBAR FALLON

[-Anthor-]

Do you believe in destiny?
That you were born for a certain need
A certain path you are told to follow
Which you've no choice but to heed

Anthoran Training Facility
Near Sky-High Coliseum, Cloudsdale, EQS
Rielat 29, 602AE

Konnor looked out from the dugout, the mid-afternoon sun was in it's highest position in the sky, it's yellow fire blazing down on the green turf and the red clay, and the players who were practicing below; though, not many recognized the heat, nor minded it. Most were from the kingdom's central and southern provinces which were more then often warm. But it wasn't just that it may have felt like home, but rather the possible uncomfortable weather was being blocked out by another, over-riding emotion, one some had never experienced, and all were enjoying; the emotion of making it to a playoff, and for the first time too.

This would be Konnor's first playoff game ever, Northhall despite his and a few of his team-members' best efforts was one of the bottom teams in the league and he had privately committed to just playing as best as he could manage to try and attract a trade or free agent offer once his contract ran out after next season, for he assuredly wasn't going to be staying with the Hustlers. He re-adjusted his left hand inside his worn black glove, the webbing was mis-shaped from being held under or against his arm or clenched around a ball. He tapped his cleats on the concrete ground once more before he climbed up the stairs and moved slowly towards the mound, where the pitching coach, Jeremy, was standing with the messy brown-haired Bradley Greer, the two of them idly chatting and both moving to look at Konnor as he walked over, Brad calling out first "Hey man, nice to finally see you at one of these full things again. You had a great game those Cats, pretty solid stuff."

Konnor shrugged as he climbed the mound to join the duo "Thanks Brad, still didn't perform like I wanted to; that was three runs I didn't need to give up, hoping to try and iron that out because I refuse to be the reason for a loss this far into the WBC."

Jeremy nodded and took a baseball out from under his armpit where he had been holding it and handed it to Konnor, who took it with his free hand and carefully then placed it into his glove, holding it on his hip as Jeremy talked to him "That's great, because that's what we're going to work on tonight. Your fastball was on point, but that's usual and expected, but especially late on your breaking balls were suffering to stay where we needed them to, so this afternoon I want to work on your slider a little bit, and your changeup. I want to see you using your breaking balls to get you started out for the initial strikes and then punch them out with the gas, or breaking ball. But changeup, fastball, slider could be a deadly combo for you, let's see you try it here."

Konnor nodded "Alright, let's do it. Very different from how they usually want me pitching at Northhall, pretty traditional style with gas then the mix up, but I'm all about adapting for the better."

Jeremy smiled and clapped Konnor on the back as he began walking away "Good man, let's see an away and down changeup for the first one,
then let's go back inside for a down and in curve. Then take it high and quick with the gas for the final punch."

The pitching coach walked away and Bradley dawned his protective mask and jogged over to behind the plate, taking up his stance, while Jeremy picked up his clipboard and held it on his hip, waiting for Konnor to begin pitching so he could observe, analyse and give feedback on how Konnor could improve.

Konnor took a long look at Bradley, counted to himself in his head for three seconds as was his usual go and then began the entrance into his stretch, raising his glove all the way up to his head, his right leg slowly being hiked up before Konnor broke out into the full stretch out, and the baseball was flung down to Bradley's awaiting glove, the seventy file mile per hour changeup snapping into the leather glove just a bit inside the strike zone, above the intended corner. Jeremy shouted out "Alright, let's work on your release and timing, gotta get this all set before your start in Game 2.."

[Equestrian States]

World Baseball Classic 41
Round of 16 - Games 1 & 2 Results

#1 Super-Llamaland vs. #16 Lisander

Game 1

Lisander               2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0  3
Super-Llamaland        0 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 X  4
Super-Llamaland leads 1-0

Game 2

Lisander               0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0
Super-Llamaland        0 0 1 0 4 1 0 0 X  6
Super-Llamaland leads 2-0

---

#2 Newmanistan vs. #15 Alpine Union

Game 1

Alpine Union           0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0  1
Newmanistan            0 0 1 0 0 0 0 4 X  5
Newmanistan leads 1-0

Game 2

Alpine Union           0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0  2
Newmanistan            0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1  3
Newmanistan leads 2-0

---

#3 Cassadaigua vs. #14 Tenburg

Game 1

Tenburg                2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 3  7
Cassadaigua            0 0 2 0 0 3 0 0 0  5
Tenburg leads 1-0

Game 2

Tenburg                0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0  2
Cassadaigua            1 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 X  3
Series tied 1-1

---

#4 Scootalove City vs. #13 Drawkland

Game 1

Drawkland              0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0  3
Scootalove City        1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 1  4
Scootalove City leads 1-0

Game 2

Drawkland              0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0  1
Scootalove City        0 0 2 0 0 0 0 1 X  3
Scootalove City leads 2-0

---

#5 Frenline Delpha vs. #12 Anthor

Game 1

Anthor                 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0  1
Frenline Delpha        0 3 0 0 3 1 1 1 X  9
Frenline Delpha leads 1-0

Game 2

Anthor                 0 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 1  6
Frenline Delpha        0 0 0 4 0 0 1 0 0  5
Series tied 1-1

---

#6 Nova Anglicana vs. #11 Darmen

Game 1

Darmen                 1 0 1 0 1 1 4 0 0  8
Nova Anglicana         1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2  5
Darmen leads 1-0

Game 2

Darmen                 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0  2
Nova Anglicana         0 2 0 2 0 1 4 0 X  9
Series tied 1-1

---

#7 West Phoenicia vs. #10 Equestrian States

Game 1

Equestrian States      0 0 1 0 0 1 1 2 1  6
West Phoenicia         1 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 0  4
Equestrian States leads 1-0

Game 2

Equestrian States      0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0
West Phoenicia         0 2 0 1 1 1 1 0 X  6
Series tied 1-1

---

#8 Ethane vs. #9 Schiltzberg

Game 1

Schiltzberg            0 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 1  6
Ethane                 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0  1
Schiltzberg leads 1-0

Game 2

Schiltzberg            0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1  1
Ethane                 2 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 X  4
Series tied 1-1

---

Host Note: A reminder that venue assignments for the Ro16 can be found in the last MD's results post. Third-party scorination for West Phoenicia-Equestrian States games provided by Qasden.

[The Derpy Democratic Republic Of Herp]

TDDROH Sports chat

Round of 16 going well for Unicorns.

World Baseball Classic 41
Round of 16 - Games 1 & 2 Results

#4 Scootalove City vs. #13 Drawkland

Game 1

Drawkland              0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0  3
Scootalove City        1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 1  4
Scootalove City leads 1-0

Game 2

Drawkland              0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0  1
Scootalove City        0 0 2 0 0 0 0 1 X  3
Scootalove City leads 2-0

---

Yesterday was mostly day of relaxing for the Unicorns. They did thirty minutes of practice in the morning, and spent the rest of the day resting up from the trip to Canterlot.

The team arrived at Canterlot's Harmony International Airport some time in the early afternoon, spent the rest of the day napping.

After the team had arrived, the 2,000+ Derpian Friends soon arrived after, all here for baseball. However, Leader Gordon Freeman did take in a tour of Harmony Castle. The Co-Director of the Treasury Department Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo her sister, where at a Songbird Serenade concert last night, they both got her autograph that night.


But, onto the baseball.

All the rest the Unicorns did payed off when the first game they played was 12 innings long. Everything was going well for the Unicorns for mostly the entire game. Alex Hammer got a two run homer in the seventh, Steve 'The bat' Gat for the first four innings locked down the power of the Drawklands bats only giving them three singles for those four innings and, John Johnson was going for four innings streate without them getting a single hit.


Then on the ninth inning, they figured out John Johnsons pitching and were able to get a two run RBI, followed by a solo homer. This caused a three inning tense period with everyone on the edge of there seats. Amalthea Beagle was immediately called up to defend against the Drawkland bats.
This was a very great success for the unicorns, the Drawkland offence couldn't handle her fastball.

Then like from a rerun of the now famous Game 5 from the WBC 40 round of 16, Rick 'The House/God of Thunder' King hit a solo homer in the bottom of the 12th, winning the first game in the postseason for the Unicorns.

The second game went much more smoothly, Bastion Rogers was able for the four innings he started into slow down the Drawkland offense to only get in 2 hits in the first four innings. Alex Tremblay, despite letting one of the Base Corps get a solo homer in the seventh from a wild pitch, still did well and, Paul Mins pitched in the ninth and ended the game without any drama.

Pat Zater batted in two runs in the bottom of the third.

The rest did our Unicorns great, Drawkland is down by two games but don't let your guard down.

[Super-Llamaland]

WAGNER INJURED, BUT BULLPEN THROWS GEM
Douglas Stone, LBC Sports

In a disappointing turn of events, starting pitcher Maddie Wagner exited game two of the team's first-round playoff series against Lisander after just one inning. Luckily for Laurent Mårtensson, the Tigers' bullpen picked up the slack easily, and Tigers pitchers combined to throw a one-hit shutout with sixteen strikeouts to take a 2-0 series lead over Lisander.

In the second inning of last night's game, the Emerald City ace appeared to be cruising towards another dominant start. But her Classic came to an abrupt end when, with one out, Lisander's fifth hitter lined a fastball off of Wagner's right hand. Although the southpaw tried to stay on the mound, a testament to this team's resilience, she was immediately taken off for Matthias Gilson-Engen. Although Wagner's injury had silenced the dugout, the Tigers' fifth starter picked up right where Wagner left off, striking out the next two batters to strand the runner on first. Still, morale remained low in the Llamanean clubhouse, with Wagner by now being sent to a hospital.

But it would turn out not to matter. Markus Wright led off the third inning with a solo shot to right-center, holding Wagner's number up with his fingers as he rounded the bases. By the fifth inning, they had added four more. And Matthias Gilson-Engen had been absolutely dominant, retiring the side in three straight innings while punching out five Lisander hitters.

But in the top of the sixth, Gilson-Engen began to struggle, walking two batters and wild-pitching them to second and third with nobody out. Even though it was the sixth inning of a 5-0 game, Mårtensson brought in his young closer, Anthony Beauregard, and the Northern Emerald reliever delivered, striking out the side to end the threat. For the seventh inning, he went back to long relief, putting on Aurelio Gomes. On any other team, long relief might be a weak point of the bullpen, a soft spot that could only be trusted in blowouts. But Gomes was up to the challenge of postseason baseball - in fact, his five consecutive strikeouts that took him through the seventh and eighth innings set a national record in WBC play.

For the ninth inning, with the Tigers now up 6-0, Mårtensson brought on Cameron Bourne. Although nominally a lefty specialist, Bourne wasn't about to give up Lisander's first run of the night, ripping through three consecutive righties to end one of the best bullpen performances in the national team's history. It's clear that this is not your usual fragile Super-Llamaland bullpen - this is a balanced, dangerous relief corps from top to bottom.

But, even though the relievers' performance was promising, Maddie Wagner's loss is a critical blow to this team. It's unlikely that the second starter will be able to pitch for the rest of the Classic, and somebody will need to seriously step up.

[Newmanistan]

THE ROCKET REPORT

ALTERNATIVE HISTORY, PART IV

By Taylor Larson,


Good morning, all my loyal readers. I want to thank everyone who has taken the time to visit my RocketGram page and liked my new photos from my recent at Penthoria Beach. We had a great time, and I will be able to go again once I am done helping Brianne with the coverage of the World Baseball Classic. As much as I love to be relaxin’ in the sun, sippin’ martinis, and other enjoyable adult past times, it is an honor to be able to cover the Classic, especially when it comes to Courtney Duvall against the Alpine Union.

Really, Courtney? Why doesn’t the Alpine Union just make you their honorary Empress since you seem to own that country. Courtney is now 7-0 lifetime against Alpine Union, and her 1.00 ERA stands. She has thrown a complete game in every matchup between them. Somewhere, there are aspiring children in the Alpine Union who want to play baseball that are having nightmares about Courtney. Forget the boogeyman, they fear that Courtney Duvall is going to start their next little league game and strike them out. The latest bout of dominance saw her go another nine innings, concede a run in the sixth that did tie the game. For just a little while, Bison fans were thinking maybe they could get this to bullpen tied up. Yeah, not so fast. Hannah Bates and Lexi Alcorn led off the eighth inning with singles, and each scored when Mallory Harris deposited a hanging curveball that went into the upper levels of Ponyville Park. Their dreams were dashed, and again, Duvall was their ruler. Game 2 was a little tighter, and Alpine Union fans were getting excited after the top of 8th when their team took the 2-1 lead. Not so fast, again. This time, it was a simple RBI single from Hannah Kent that tied the game, and in the ninth, Brittany Morgan sent everybody home, thank you very much, with a walk off home run into the right field seats. With the victory, the Rockets have jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series, and will look to not choke that away like indians.

That was fun. Actually, it freakin’ rocked. Especially after Game 1. It’s not every day that us in Pocono City enjoy Courtney Duvall like this, so we have to worship her here in the The Rocket Report until we get Zhengified this upcoming season. What is also fun is my alternative history series, taking a look at what would have happened if the Rockets never stopped playing the World Baseball Classic. They’re up to five titles, is number six on the horizon?

WBC 31: This competition takes us to Nova Anglicana, and the Tigers of Super-Llamaland are looking to defend their title after beating the Rockets in the finals of WBC 30. This was the first time that we saw the extended qualifying sessions. It did seem weird talking about such short qualifying campaigns in previous summaries. The belief is that the longer a qualifying session is, the more likely the creme rises to the top, and fluke results are less of an influencing factor. We would have more parity, and the days of the undefeated qualifying sessions would be done. Or, maybe not. Super-Llamaland went 30-0 in qualifying. Thirty and freakin’ oh. They allowed 26 runs. Twenty six. Honestly, that final standings table seems a little too good to be true, but I am not going to go back and see what kind of discussions were taking place. Super-Llamaland was in beast mode. So, what about the Rockets? They lost a couple times, but managed to go 28-2, and prepared for the showdown against the Tigers. As the number 3 seed, they swept up Gregoryisgodistan and Saintland suffered the same fate. Sadly, they fell to Jeckland in the semis. Look, I have to say that, ok. Because, I can’t say we lost to Super-Llamaland twice in a row but can't say we beat them, because they would unleash real ferocious tigers on me if I said anything that took away from their magical season. I don’t want Justin Zheng to dislike me, either.

WBC 32: There were three co-hosts in this tournament. Odd, but anyway so be it. Could the Rockets pick up number six this time. And just how did the Tigers really follow up that legendary season, anyway? Actually, I was a little more intrigued by that second question first. By losing to Teague (who?) on MD 1. In this Classic, the Rockets were motivated by the domination of the Tigers and destroyed their Group B competition, going 9-1. That included two wins over Southern Democratic States in qualifiyng, now known as the Alpine Union, that saw Rockets pitchers pitch complete games and only allow just one run in each of them, because that’s just what we do. Newmanistan would pick up title number six, at long last, by winning the WBC 32 title, beating Patistan for the title. Oh lord, was that a difficult classic to read through and get information about. No more three co-host classics, please.

WBC 33: With six titles now in the bag, Newmanistan looks for number seven in this tournament hosted by Gregoryisgodistan. This is a memorable tournament, as it features the debut of Schiltzberg. They would do everything that we did in our first tournament, in making it to the final. However unlike us, they actually won it, but they didn’t have to contend with Zwangzug like we did. The Rockets end up in Group H, and again do not have a terribly difficult time with their qualifying opposition, going 8-2, and ending up as the #3 seed. They play the nation of Frenline Delpha, who were also making their debut in this classic. Good rookie class, and an infusion that was certainly needed for the future of this competition. Like Tenburg was in World Baseball Classic 40, Frenline Delpha is too green to handle the Rockets at this point. In the second round, they face Gregoryisgodistan, and bad, bad things happen. Stunningly, the Rockets are knocked out. Schiltzberg gets the title.

We’ll continue with more later. Questions to be answered in the next edition: Does Schiltzberg get more titles? What happens with the legend of The Great Pond?

Stay tuned!

[Schiltzberg]

I've been a bad and rotten boy.
A naughty thing I did employ
To someone who I love a lot
Who can't afford to lose me not.

I've said a thing then wished to change
These words that slipped my mouth so strange.
What have I done? What to do next?
Ah ha! I'd fix it with a text.

I only typed a little bit.
It read, "I'm sorry." That was it.
In these two words, my world would mend,
And then the text failed to send.

"Failed to send," I read these words,
And then my heart split into thirds,
Which, one by one, lodged in my throat,
Skipping a beat: a quarter note.

A desperate sharpness in my eye,
I quickly pressed the word "Retry,"
But once again, in seconds few,
It repeatedly did not go through.

I hoped she'd not change her perception
Of me due to my poor reception.
I tried again, but (uh oh!) trouble!
The message changed to a green bubble!

My text a useless pile of wreckage,
Not even "Sent as a text message."
The day the next, her eyes were starry.
She said, "We're done. You didn't say sorry."

Excuses fell like drops of rain,
But some things are hard to explain.
She dubbed me merely vermin fodder
And stormed off in that coat I bought her.

It seems that my apology
Was betrayed by technology,
And now I sit here all alone,
A broken heart, a broken phone.

[Tenburg]

Celebrating a Legend: Michael McGuire

By Jack Lynch

It's rare during events like these that an athlete like myself has the opportunity to take a breather and reflect. But honestly, when you're reflecting on the career as someone like Michael McGuire, you bloody well make time. And I'd like to thank TSN for giving me this forum.

I've been fortunate enough to know Mike on a level most don't. He's not a loud man, but he's witty, and he always has something to say that'll put a smile on your face.

Mike was born a farmer's boy in the middle of nowhere, Colme Province, raising cattle with his father and finishing his chores early so he could go swing baseballs after supper. He came into the NBL in 1994, a draftee of the now-defunct Harbington Banshees. Even then, he was quiet. But he was not shy, as many thought; he just preferred to let his play do the talking for him. He made a statement to this effect with his first pro at-bat, a two run homer deep into the parking lot of Municipal Park. he hit it with so much power that it shattered a car window and still had enough momentum to bounce off the back seat and put a dent in the ceiling. He also donated his game check to the poor girl who owned the car so she could fix it.

That's how I'll see him most; as a generous person. A decent human being. He'll give you the shirt off his back, and in one case, the shoes off his feet. I should explain; after we won the title against the Raiders in 2011, we went to Parakos as a team for a vacation. He and I were looking for a bar we'd read about, and it was in a bit of a slum, and we ran into this kid whose feet were so mangled thanks to years of never having them on the rocky, debris-filled streets that Mike literally took his 800-credit boat shoes off and gave them to her. She had tears in her eyes.

For my part, I bought him his beers when we found the place.

Ask any of his current and formers teammates and you'll hear a thousand stories like that.

Anyway, he spent the 1990s getting better and better at hitting things further and further. In 2001, when the Banshees finally went under for good (they'd done the same in 1997 but were able to sell stuff until they could play again), and the team's rights were sold off, the Tallow RiverSharks, with their green-and-purple kits and scratch-shaped names and numbers (we don't talk about those uniforms much), put the winning bid in for the rights to McGuire's contract. Mike was 25 and didn't have the money to move to Tallow, so the team pitched in together and got him an apartment and a train ticket. We all had to do that kind of stuff, and a lot of us still do.

Tallow is a city whose people are quietly confident. Mike fit right in from the moment he set foot there, and the people fell in love with him all over again. He continued lighting up the scoreboards. When I came around in 2009, he was already the legend he's known as today; I was intimidated by his presence to start with. After the first month of the season or so, he invited me out for a beer.

That one turned into about twelve apiece, and we became fast friends laughing the next day about how fucking hungover we were.

Of course, we went on our runs after that. 2011, 12, 14 and 16 were special years for all of us. But what stays with me most about that time is what happened when we were in slumps, when we weren't playing well. There was no fiery speeches, no brimstone from Mike. No, he did the same as he always did: he dug in, put his head down and kept grinding. He led by example. He was always the one to lead us out of bad stretches. He is the reason I am the way I am on the field and in the locker room--just that I'm a lot louder.

Mike, thanks for the memories. Thanks for taking me under your wing and teaching me how to excel in every aspect of my life. Thanks for saving my ass at Parkinson's. Thank you for being my friend.

Enjoy the beach.

[Ethane]

The War

Calm and peaceful,
Quiet and nice,
Free of war and
Free of mice.

One day things changed,
Some tanks drove by,
They ordered all the boys
To stop cleaning the pigsty.

The soldiers stood them at attention,
They picked out the fittest ones,
The tall and the lean ones,
Not the ones that weighed tonnes.

They marched out to war,
To have a big fight,
It would be deadly,
And their formation was tight.

The news came home
Of their doom.
That sent a lot of bad feelings,
And a lot of gloom.

So the once cosy village
Ran out of luck,
The now war-poisoned village,
No longer had any ducks?

One lucky lad came back,
Thin and almost dead.
Ringing in his ears,
Feeling heavy like lead.

But when he got back,
The village had been destroyed.
The nice cosy home of his
Destroyed by the Nazis that had been employed.

His family dead.

His life not worth living a bit.

He carried on walking, took his life by jumping down a mine pit.

The calm and peaceful village,
The quiet and tranquil place,
Now free of war.

So when you see the remains of this village on a nice peaceful day
You will see shadows of people smiling their life away.

Full of souls and spirits,
Full of forgotten grief,
Full of gloom and sorrow
and hope -

Hope for the war to end.
Hope for peace stretching all over the globe.
Hope for the endless killing of innocent young boys.
Hope for families to be reunited.
Hope that no one has to go through what they went through.
Hope for a better future.

[Equestrian States]

World Baseball Classic 41
Round of 16 - Games 3 & 4 Results

#1 Super-Llamaland vs. #16 Lisander

Game 3

Super-Llamaland        1 0 0 0 1 2 1 3 0  8
Lisander               0 0 0 0 1 1 1 2 0  5
Super-Llamaland wins 3-0

---

#2 Newmanistan vs. #15 Alpine Union

Game 3

Newmanistan            0 0 1 1 0 3 0 1 0  6
Alpine Union           0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0
Newmanistan wins 3-0

---

#3 Cassadaigua vs. #14 Tenburg

Game 3

Cassadaigua            1 0 1 0 0 3 1 2 0  8
Tenburg                2 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 1  5
Cassadaigua leads 2-1

Game 4

Cassadaigua            0 1 0 0 1 0 3 2 0  7
Tenburg                2 0 0 0 1 0 3 0 0  6
Cassadaigua wins 3-1

---

#4 Scootalove City vs. #13 Drawkland

Game 3

Scootalove City        1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  1
Drawkland              0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3  4
Scootalove City leads 2-1

Game 4

Scootalove City        0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0  3
Drawkland              1 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 1  4
Series tied 2-2

---

#5 Frenline Delpha vs. #12 Anthor

Game 3

Frenline Delpha        1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  1
Anthor                 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 X  3
Anthor leads 2-1

Game 4

Frenline Delpha        1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  1
Anthor                 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0
Series tied 2-2

---

#6 Nova Anglicana vs. #11 Darmen

Game 3

Nova Anglicana         0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1  2
Darmen                 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0  1
Nova Anglicana leads 2-1

Game 4

Nova Anglicana         1 1 0 2 1 0 0 1 0  6
Darmen                 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 2 0  5
Nova Anglicana wins 3-1

---

#7 West Phoenicia vs. #10 Equestrian States

Game 3

West Phoenicia         0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0  1
Equestrian States      0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2  2
Equestrian States leads 2-1

Game 4

West Phoenicia         0 2 0 1 4 0 0 0 0  7
Equestrian States      0 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 0  3
Series tied 2-2

---

#8 Ethane vs. #9 Schiltzberg

Game 3

Ethane                 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0  4
Schiltzberg            1 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 4  8
Schiltzberg leads 2-1

Game 4

Ethane                 0 3 0 0 0 1 0 1 0  5
Schiltzberg            0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0  1
Series tied 2-2

---

Host Note: Third-party scorination for West Phoenicia-Equestrian States games provided by Qasden.

[West Phoenicia]

Battle heats up at Round of 16 series tied 2-2 as West Phoenicia and the Equestrian States.
With both teams equally matched both the Confederates and the Equestrian States come down to the wire where game 5 will determine which of these teams will progress to the Quarter-finals.

West Phoenicia fans celebrated in the streets after game 4 when West Phoenicia who was trailing 1 game to 2, batted there hearts out to pull a 7-3 victory and bringing the Confederates back into the game. West Phoenicia is hungry for a grand final win and to do that they need to beat Equestrian States in the next game to move forward instead of going home.

World Baseball Classic slipped in the news stories today after the West Phoenician Congress with the full support of the Gryphon-Bush royal family officially declared war on the Kingdom of Rhodes.

Since World War II when the Kingdom of Rhodes sided with Nazi Germany and supported a bombing campaign that claimed the lives of thousands including the reigning king of West Phoenicia Jarius Bush; the two nations have had a hate relationship between them that every few years tumbles into a state of war.

Because of the state of emergency Regining king Glenton Gryphon-Bush II Philometar Soter has been unable to send a member of the royal family to support the Confederates in there road to glory, but wishes them a swift victory against their opponents just like West Phoenicia was to ensure a swift victory against its enemies.

[The Derpy Democratic Republic Of Herp]

TDDROH Sports chat

The series is tied

World Baseball Classic 41
Round of 16 - Games 3 & 4 Results

#4 Scootalove City vs. #13 Drawkland

Game 3

Scootalove City        1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  1
Drawkland              0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3  4
Scootalove City leads 2-1

Game 4

Scootalove City        0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0  3
Drawkland              1 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 1  4
Series tied 2-2

Disappointingly, the Unicorns lost two games in a row. I don't think that happened at all in the season proper, but It happened here.


That's really it, just disappointing.

Sam Lam did a good job starting the third game from the first to the fourth, Paul Mins did a good job from the fifth to the seventh, but John Johnson kinda slipped up from the 8th to the ninth. While Sam Lam and Paul Mins only allowed three hits in there innings, John Johnson kinda slipped up with.

I like John Johnson, he is a good pitcher and a good team, but he dropped the ball here.
At least Muffinus Cute got a solo homer in first. That was good.

The pitching was not the best or the worst in the fourth game, it was ok. However, Drawkland bats where keeping up a good offence that our defence couldn't match consistently that day.



Alex Hammers three run homer in the 8th was nice to see, but again, the game overall was just disappointing.

I can only hope that the Unicorns will improve there performance and move on from the round of 16.

[Super-Llamaland]

BREAKING: WAGNER OUT FOR CLASSIC
Alyssa Zhao, LSN Baseball

After the success of a surgery to fix several fractures in the bones of Maddie Wagner's hand, the LFA confirmed that the Emerald City star would no longer pitch in the World Baseball Classic. Wagner, whose hand was struck by a line drive in game two of the Tigers' octofinal series against Lisander, had been one of the Tigers' best performers during qualifiers, but her Classic will unfortunately have to come to an end.

To replace the injured pitcher, Laurent Mårtensson has opted to call Axel Florentssen back up to the national team. The 26-year-old New Llama Wizards righty is best known for being part of the Classic-winning WBC40 team, but the ascendancy of August Bendtner led to his being left off the national team roster. It is still unknown which one of Bendtner, Florentssen, Matthias Gilson-Engen, and Natalie Wu will be demoted to long relief and which three will back up Justin Zheng in the starting rotation.

"I'm incredibly crushed for Maddie," Mårtensson said in a press conference, "and although I have the utmost confidence that Axel Florentssen and the rest of our pitching staff will be more than able to step up, it's undoubtedly a massive blow. But I'm confident that we'll be able to overcome this setback and continue on our journey for a fifth Classic." Wagner, still recovering from the surgery, was not available for comment.

The Tigers will play either Schiltzberg or Ethane in the next round of the playoffs. Justin Zheng will kick things off for the Tigers Saturday, and no matter who he's going up against, it'll be a great game to watch.

[Schiltzberg]

SLUGGISH SCHILTZBERG LOOKING TO ADVANCE IN ROUND OF SIXTEEN

After a crushing defeat in the finals of WBC 40 at the hands of Super-Llamaland, Schiltzberg has returned to the WBC this season only to put up extremely mediocre results, given their history in the tournament, finishing the preliminary round with a mere 20-10 record, which got them a #9 seed, after having settled for one of the top four seeds every season, except in their inaugural season, WBC 33, when they finished for the ninth seed as well. This is particularly surprising, since Schiltzberg made it to the finals last year, they have been the number one rank in the world since the end of the WBC 35 season, and they have finished with the #1 seed in back to back seasons preceding this one.

There are several theories as to why Schiltzberg has been slumping this season. Here are a few:

1. A lack of motivation.
Schiltzberg has been a contender for, well, its entire existence as a WBC competitor, starting with its inaugural season in WBC 33, which they were the champions of. After that season, they finished for a round of sixteen finish in WBC 34, before winning three seasons in a row to become the second team in history to be four-time champions. Every season since then, Schiltzberg has made it close to the finals, and they have been very close to winning a record fifth championship, but they have fallen short three seasons in a row now, finishing third place in WBCs 38 and 39, and finishing as runners up in WBC 40. These defeats have been hard on the fans and on the team, who do not like to be defeated. After these crushing defeats for three seasons in a row, Schiltzberg's humanity has shown, and the players are less motivated and seem to be less willing to give all that they have got to win another championship.

2. Players are getting old *ahem* Price.
Schiltzberg has had mostly the same roster and starting lineups and rotation since they first came to the WBC, but that was nine seasons ago, and a lot of the players are starting to get past their prime, especially in the pitching department. The biggest flop for Schiltzberg this season was Henry Price, 38, who had an extremely poor season, going 0-6 with a 6.25 ERA. This was an embarrassment for Price, who was at one time a key part of the Schiltzbergian rotation. He had the best season of his career by far last season, putting up unbelievable numbers as a part of Schiltzberg's unbelievable season that year. Believe it or not, in WBC 40, Henry Price went 6-0 in the regular season with 6 complete games and a 1.67 ERA in the preliminary round. To cap this off, in the playoffs, he went 3-0 with a 3.18 ERA, including one complete game win, which was the clinching game four of the quarterfinals against Cassadaigua. Now, an important thing to consider is that in WBC 40, Price had a very easy preliminary rounds match-up, playing 78th ranked Cheongji in all six games, while he played eleventh ranked (#3 seeded) Cassadaigua in all of his games this year, making for a very difficult year. Still, his age has been attributed to his sudden decline, and he has announced his retirement from the WBC following this season, and he has been pulled out of the rotation for the postseason, though it is unclear whether he will continue playing in Schiltzberg's domestic league or not. Interestingly, if you take Price's games out of the equation, Schiltzberg would have finished the season 20-4. It's something to think about.

3. Stale management.
Schiltzberg has had the same coaching staff since the beginning, and though they have obviously been successful under this management, after a certain number of years, it is probably a good thing to switch it up a bit, just to turn over a new leaf so to speak. Schiltzberg has been hesitant to change their manager, simply because up until now they have had such success under him, but it will be likely that Schiltzberg will be on the lookout for a new manager following this season, especially if their postseason ends soon.

For all of these reasons, Schiltzberg has been struggling thus far in the season. Don't count them out though, because they are a proven threat, and they should never be underestimated. It is interesting though to see Schiltzberg in an underdog position, because this team has been the WBC's powerhouse for a very long time now, but things have changed. Schiltzberg is tied with rival Ethane in the round of sixteen at two games apiece with game five tonight. Even if they win, they will be up against Super-Llamaland, who defeated them last season and is even better this year. It will be an uphill battle for Schiltzberg, but they are four-time champions, so you never know what could happen.

This Is Your New Schiltzbierg Times Sports News!

Jesus died up on a mountain on a thorny, withered tree,
And you were born on one bright morning just a couple miles from me.
For years, we lived indifferently until the day we went
Upon each other, heavens parting, on us God's blessing beget.

I was born so weak and humble by a candlelit day's end,
And I grew up without a mother or a father or a friend,
Without an ally or a dollar or someone to give me love,
Without a home, without a purpose, without a blessing from above.

And my early days were many and my early days were hard;
The times were tough, and I was beaten; mind and body both were scarred,
But I came over the hardships, and I overcame them all.
If gods can make me, odds can't shake me very much at all.

One day some bum came up to me, but I hadn't time to talk,
Because I'd seen you amongst the crowd weaving through the tight boardwalk.
I reached to catch you and you looked at me, an answer to my prayer,
A seeping slowness in the silence, a feel of fortune in the air.

[Ethane]

Series tied 2-2

There was a lot of pressure on the Red Kites. It was the fourth game of the best of 5 series. Against the best in the world - Schiltzberg. No easy challenge. They were in exactly the same position as after the first game of the series. Behind. Needing to win the game to level the series again. Fighting from behind again. Schiltzberg pressing for that win; the win that guarantees them a game against Super-Llamaland.

Stepping onto that field. The crowd roaring and cheering. Cheering the names of the teams; the names of the players. Chanting. The loud atmosphere clearly hyping the game up further. Pressure. More pressure. The fans all around, waving banners. Waving flags. Waving Ethane's flag. Waving Schiltzberg's flag. Waving Equestrian State's flag. The Red Kites weren't just expected to perform today, they had to perform today. And they knew it.

Stepping up to the plate. Staring down the bowler. Mind games; a battle between the two players. The name of the game is intimidation; to make your opponent frightened. It worked. Pressure. More pressure. Crushing pressure. They had to perform. This wasn't a case of 'will they perform well today or not?', it was a case of 'if they lose this they are out of the World Baseball Classic.'

Running. Air blowing against the face as the batters run. Round first base. Round second base. Stop. No further. The ball is returned to the bowler. Almost out, but not quite. Slipped back into second base before out. Needing more runs. The pressure building.

An early flurry of runs. 2 in the first inning, 1 in the second. A fragile lead. A lead which Schiltzberg could overcome at any moment. A decent inning away from the lead. But the Red Kites hung on tight. Cherished their lead. Knowing deep down they had to. They had to win this game. They had to drag it to the fifth and final game of the series.

Another run in the sixth. Coming towards the end of the game. Dominant. Holding a 4-run lead. Comfortable, but not confidently comfortable. Easily overcomeable with a good inning. Schiltzberg pushing. Ethane fighting. Ethane refusing to let Schiltzberg score. Knowing that they had to win. And the pressure. Continually building. More and more as they realised how close they were getting to forcing a 5th game. Closer and closer. Tenser and tenser. Could they do it?

Strike out in the final inning. Schiltzberg needing 4 to take it to extra innings. Seems impossible, but higher has been done before. Pressure. Tension. This is the moment of truth. Schiltzberg gets 1 home run. Not a good start. Their first score on the scoreboard. The Comeback. Pressure. More pressure. Can Ethane hold on?

And out. Schiltzberg is all out. Ethane 4 runs; Schiltzberg 1 run. The series goes to a fifth game. Celebration. Success. Realisation they are still in this. And then focus. Focus on what is in hand. Focus on the preparation for the next game against Schiltzberg. And preparation for what comes next. After Schiltzberg. If Ethane win. Super-Llamaland. An even greater challenge awakes. One that the Red Kites would need to fight hard for. But we'll tackle that when/if it comes to it.

---

The Ice Cube

Shining in the sun,
What a beautiful sight.
The ice cube stood still - there -
All day and all night.

But hark, it melts.
The sun is scorching it.
It will become water.
You will have a fit.

It melts away like the sand of a beach is washed away by the sea.
It's really not good.
Even though, it does not teach,
It is like a teacher stood.

So beware - it is melting.
It is coming to an end.
The sun rays does it's smelting but
Another ice cube I could lend?

[Newmanistan]

THE ROCKET REPORT

ROCKETS SWEEP ALPINE UNION

by Brianne Henry,

After a very successful qualifying campaign, the Rockets continued to be in top form during the first round of the playoffs, as they dismissed the Alpine Union in three quick games. It extends Newmanistan’s winning streak over the Alpine Union to 11 games. (Final two games of World Baseball Classic 38 Playoffs, all six games of World Baseball Classic 40 qualifying, and the sweep in these playoffs). That’s pretty impressive when you consider that the Bisons are a top-ten ranked team. Last night, it was not Courtney Duvall doing the dirty work, it was Breanne Burks, as she tossed a complete game shutout, allowing just two hits, and fanning 14. I sat down to interview my fellow Breanne, though spelled differently. Here is the transcript!

Henry: Good evening, Brianne, nice to have you with us today.

Burks: I appreciate you having me.

Henry: First off, I want to congratulate you on your dominant win over the Alpine Union last night. It gets the Rockets to the quarterfinals against an opponent not yet known.

Burks: Thank you.

Henry: What is it about the Alpine Union that just brings out the best in the Rockets, do you think? Eleven in a row against a very good team is stunning.

Burks: I think a lot of it has to do with Courtney Duvall, she had seven wins in a row against them. I have some catching up to do, I am just 2-0 against them. But the streak started with me, remember that! (Laughs). Alpine Union is a good team, but you see it all the time in sports, when one team gets on a roll against another, it can start to play mind games on the one that gets the short end of the stick a lot.

Henry: Do you feel that Duvall gets a little too much attention? After all, the rest of the staff has been impressive as well?

Burks: Courtney’s numbers are fantastic. I don’t really worry about comparing the attention that I get versus her, or anyone else here. You look at what she has done, and why wouldn’t people talk about her. There’s good, and then there’s dominant. That’s where she is.

Henry: What is it like being teammates in the same rotation with those you go up against us in key games all throughout the ENBL season?

Burks: It’s fun. You realize how much alike you really are. You don’t see that during the season when you pitch against them, and while you can talk about it; a tournament like this really allows you to see how much you have in common with them. I really enjoy that. Also, to be a part of one team, aiming for a common goal, it is truly a blessing to be here.

Henry: What is your take on Justin Zheng coming over?

Burks: I wish Justin good luck, except for when we play each other. He is a great pitcher, and he has done something no one actively playing for Newmanistan has done, right now, and won a World Baseball Classic title. He will bring a jolt of energy to the Capitals, and the league will be better for it.

Henry: How about Jack Lynch?

Burks: I look forward to seeing what he can do. No doubt he will make South Charlotte better. I am a little surprised he went there over other options, but sometimes it is just about what you feel is a good fit for yourself.

Henry: That’s it so far. Rumors are hot that Cassadaigua’s Jenna Bailey is coming over. Would you like to see more players decide to play here? How much of an international influence would you like to see?

Burks: We have a great league that should excite people to play in. Look at Zheng and Lynch, two great players, coming over to play here. It is exciting. I think it is great for the fans to see any of these players come over. At some point, if there was ever a lot, then maybe restrictions or rules can be put in place, but right now it’s best for everyone.

Henry: Back to this classic. The next series will be either Equestrian States or West Phoenicia. Tough either way. Any preference?

Burks: No, because like you said, its tough either way. Equestrian States on their home field is tough, and it would be different then in the group stage. But the Confederates, they just quietly go about their business, and are a championship caliber team.

Henry: Alright, that should do it for now. Any parting thoughts?

Burks: Thank you to the all the fans for your support. We love seeing the sea of sky blue in the stands. Thank you.

Henry: And on that note, thanks for your time. Byebye!

[-Anthor-]

Studio Room #3, 5th floor, Tharsius Herald Building
City of Tharsius, Telvar Province, Southern Anthor
Rielat 35, 602AE

"We're going live Grier, get set."

The smooth voice of his assistant Elliott reached into Grier's ears as he tore his eyes away from a highlight video he had been watching on his smartphone, and he turned the phone screen off and put the device into the inside pocket on his navy blue blazer, and then straightened his charcoal colored tie before he sat himself up straight, and stared into the camera, waiting for the off-screen red light that was behind the cameras to go off, indicating the broadcast was live. Within a few seconds, that light tripped and came to life, and as it did, so did Grier whose trademark small smile was the view that greeted thousands as they tuned into the show "Gooood evening my fellow Anthorans and otherwise enthusiastic sports fans, welcome to this evenings coverage of the latest news, across the Anthoran sports scene."

"Of course, the most contentious topic is that the Anthoran Thunderheads, our national baseball team, are currently locked in a bitter and rough first round playoff battle with the fifth ranked team in the world, Frenline Delpha who were the champions of the 38th WBC and are looking to make their first second round playoff appearance since then, and the Thunderheads have been fighting them for every inch and yard that they could possibly get, having split the last two dual game series, with the series tied at 2-2 currently.

Konnor Valentine, who last made an appearance in the 6-5 Game 2 victory in which he gave up 4 earned runs, but struck out 10 and walked none for a great first postseason international start, will get the start here for Game 5, hoping that he gets some much needed run support from the likes of Albert Hough, Sean McPherson and Tony Russell who are the power hitters on the team and have struggled in this playoff series, very small scores that have been decided by great contact hitting, namely Bradley Greer who is currently in the running for the series MVP if the Thunderheads can advance and win these next games.

[Drawkland]

IS THE BASE CORPS CLUTCH?
Written By: Jake Ryan and Jerry Schwartz

---

Round of 16

Drawkland              0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0  3
Scootalove City        1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 1  4
Scootalove City leads 1-0

Drawkland              0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0  1
Scootalove City        0 0 2 0 0 0 0 1 X  3
Scootalove City leads 2-0

Scootalove City        1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  1
Drawkland              0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3  4
Scootalove City leads 2-1

Scootalove City        0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0  3
Drawkland              1 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 1  4
Series tied 2-2

It's been a long time since we've done prime coverage of Drawkland's national baseball team, to say the least. I mean, why would you cover them? They're really an even-year odd-year team, except in 2 year intervals rather than one, and instead of being either highly successful or mediocre, they instead seesaw between at-least-not-embarrassing and complete garbage. One of the goals of the NT Corps is to pull off what's only been done once, and that is to win every major international tournament. The only other nation to ever pull it off was Cassadaigua, who recently seemed to revive from the "dead" to return to the international spotlight. They've been doing quite well in their return.

The thing is, we've already gotten a World Bowl title. While our IBC team consistently fails to make it past the Round of 16 every year, at least they're always making the playoffs and always on the bubble for something great (ignore the fact that they'd have to have faced Saint Kanye in the Quarterfinals 2 straight editions and would've lost there). While we're still disappointed we couldn't pull off a Baptism of Fire win (therefore eliminating the possibility of a WCC Grand Slam), we are currently 2/2 in World Cup qualifications, never having to deal with zero postseason or merely a Cup of Harmony appearance. Even our handball team has a decent shot at a title (if Red Blackiland or Costa de Ouro ever decide to stop being juggernauts). The point is, while we may not be the best in every sport, we've at least always had a chance. Except in baseball.

I don't really know what it is, really. Like, come on! Our league has talent. We have great players. We have the best facilities athletes could possibly ask for. Hell, we even have some of the greatest all around fanbases one could ask for. There's no reason the Base Corps should be this bad. Except, well, here we are.

You could tell Margaret was just feeling like kicking us in the nuts from day 1 when fellow unranked nation in our first-ever WBC group, The Great Pond, infamously slid all the way to the final and almost straight up beat Schiltzberg to win the title. Nobody in the history of ever can claim such a feat of complete and utter insanity. We were unranked too! How did that luck not happen to us?? Whatever, though. We've never managed to get anything off the ground anyway. In our 7th WBC, this is the 3rd time we've made the playoffs. I guess it follows our even/odd success progression, but still. Let's face it. The Elite Eleven stint was pretty damn stupid any way you spin it. Regardless of how big of jokers they are or how little they care, the fact remains that they're still top-notch athletes who could've pulled off some wins. I suppose this year is maybe the new PBL all-stars trying to make a splash, or the older ones trying to prove how they still can hold their keep on this high level, but I don't really know.

Either way, here we are. Facing the Scootalove City Unicorns in the Round of 16. What? The Base Corps made the playoffs? Weird, right. Weirder still is the fact that not only did they not get swept, not only have they won 2 games, but they've won 2 consecutive elimination games to stay in it. Ya boys forced a Game 5. Really cool and all, but we all know that now they've got our hopes up, and you know exactly what happens now. Utter disappointment. But that's not why my boss made me write this article! Let's check out what happened in these 4 games, after we look at how we got here.

Basically we got of to a garbage start in group play, before finally sort of equalizing ourselves to get to mid-table. We had to deal with the defending champions in Super-Llamaland, but we also had to deal with new-old-ish-comers New Sangti, who were essentially the greatest threats to qualify behind the Tigers (why aren't they the Llamas, again?). It came down to the wire, really, only a couple games ahead of New Sangti, where a loss to Super-Llamaland and a Sangti win would put them only a game behind with 4 games to go. Somehow, we beat the defending champs while the Indios fell in extra innings. With the Tigers beating the Indios the very next game, and Drawkland holding serve, all the Corps had to do was win one game, or lose all 3 but not lose by 9 runs to New Sangti in the final game if they won all their games. They needed to win out and beat us by 9, and we had to lose out to miss the playoffs. Luckily, despite the Base Corps probably trying to lose, we managed to pull it out the very next game with a 13-inning win at home against New Sportland (thanks to a Wes Navis 3-run walkoff homer). Finishing off with a brutal 0-8 win against New Sangti on the last matchday, Drawkland was seeded 13th and paired to play #4 seed Scootalove City in the playoffs.

The venue for this series is the Royal Canterlot Stadium, which if I do say so myself is a really nice place to play ball. I've enjoyed the scenery of being there (yes I've been in Equestrian States for the whole classic, no I didn't really feel like reporting on mediocrity). The first two games were designated as Scootalove City "home" games, thus they batted second and the Base Corps wore their white jerseys for the matchups.

It was clear in the first game that the Base Corps was undecided on what to do in the playoffs. Like, they haven't been to the playoffs since WBC 38. Some of the players haven't played since then, and others hadn't ever played in the WBC to begin with. More importantly, I don't think they had decided whether or not they wanted to actually be good or not. This was clear as Scootalove's starting pitcher, Steve Gat (they call him "The Bat" around those parts) allowed only 3 hits in the first 4 innings. Glenna Powers, the Drawkian starting pitcher, allowed an RBI in the first inning after giving up a double earlier in the inning. She did marginally well, but eventually gave way to Jack Forrest to relief pitch in the 6th inning. He did well in that inning but gave up a two-run homer to Scootalove's Alex Hammer. By then the score was 0-3, and the Corps was still not faring well, even after the Unicorns put in relief pitcher John Johnson. Jack Forrest did at least manage to keep the Unicorns scoreless for a few more innings, and then came the 9th inning. With time really being up for the Corps, they managed to get Arthur Ware and Roger Madison in scoring position. It was clear John Johnson was fatigued, and Rae Albon took advantage of that by slamming a line drive down the first base line. Ware and Madison scored, but Albon got out sliding into third. As Wes Navis had struck out earlier in the inning, Sean Navis was now up to bat with 2 outs and a run down. After getting the count to 1-2, he timed a Johnson slider perfectly to send the ball to the wall. His solo home run tied the game, and Corps closer Jasmine Jane kept the Unicorns down to force extra innings. Drawkland's best tried their best, but Amalthea Beagle's fastball killed the tired Corps and Jasmine Jane's own ball finally met the bat of Rick King ("The House" or "God of Thunder" depending on which nickname you like better), who had a walkoff to mark down Scootalove City's first W of the postseason.

Despite all the action, I don't think anybody was really surprised that Drawkland lost that matchup. The next game looked much more futile, a lot more like you'd expect the Base Corps to be playing like in the playoffs. A simple 1-3 loss where the bats couldn't get going under the great Unicorn bullpen and where the Corps bullpen ultimately suffered. Mark Meadows gave up 2 runs on a base hit by Pat Zater in the third inning and Eddie Anastasia gave up another RBI in the 8th by Zeek Donald. Luckily, Arthur Ware nailed a solo home run in the 7th to at least prevent total embarrassment.

But then came the next two legs, where Drawkland was the "home" team and played in their darker, sexier black and red unis. Everyone was expecting the Unicorns to just come in, take the win, and move on. I'm pretty sure that Robin Anker, the new manager, already had the tickets back to Drawkland booked by then. Landon Freek gave up a solo home run in the first inning, on the very first at-bat, actually, by Muffinus Cute. It seems everyone in the stadium felt a dogpile coming on. But it never came. Sam Lam and Paul Min of the Unicorns were on absolute fire, while Freek, despite the slip up on the first play, managed to keep the entire rest of the game under check. It could really be chalked up to nerves, that first at-bat, as Freek is only in his second year as a professional and of course his first on the Base Corps. He's known for being a pitcher with high endurance, though, thus why he managed to keep the game going for all 9 innings. He didn't give up any more runs. Scootalove City, however, moved back to John Johnson for the 8th and 9th innings, which proved to be their downfall. If you remember from earlier, John Johnson was the same player who gave up 3 runs in Game 1 to keep the Corps still in the game. Perhaps the Unicorns should keep him out of the bullpen for Game 5. In the 8th inning, Trinity Michaels popped a high ball to left field which went to the large wall of the Pony Metal Supply Co building but ultimately wasn't caught. The game was tied at that point. Later, in the 9th, with Rachel Altink and Wes Navis on the corners, Roger Madison just annihilated Johnson's poor pitch over the deep center field wall for a walk-off home run to extend the series. This might be one of the best moments I've seen in recent (well, in any) Base Corps games. They were gonna force a Game 4.

And in that Game 4, they came with even more fire than they previously had. Trevor Murphy was the starter for Scootalove City, and he was honestly taken advantage of. He gave up 2 runs, 1 in the first and 1 in the fourth, before the Unicorns called on Roger Brown to relieve him. Brown gave up a run in the 6th for the score to become 0-3 for the Corps. Bailey Nicoterra was doing really well all game, nearly pitching a shutout. However, Nicoterra isn't known to pitch long games, and she gave up a huge 3-run home run to Alex Hammers in the 8th, which highly complicated matters. The game could be going to extra innings or even end in a crushing defeat. However, Nicoterra managed to end the inning, and after a scoreless 8th for Drawkland's bats, Franklin Bell came in and closed the game, holding Scootalove City scoreless. This just set up Serena Hearns to smack one to right field, reaching all the way to the second level grandstand. She flipped her bat and made her way around the bases for the walk off home run to bring the series to a Game 5.

So in said Game 5, Scootalove City will be playing at "home" and the Base Corps will be wearing white. They lost both games under these circumstances, albeit one of them in extra innings after a clutch ninth inning comeback. What can happen? Nobody really knows. The Unicorns are the much better team (ranked 9) while Drawkland is pretty much mediocre in all available metrics (ranked 18th, although 2 of the accounted for cycles were from the Elite Eleven so not the most accurate representation). And judging by the Base Corps' way of crushing your hopes and dreams as well as never advancing past the first round of the playoffs, well ...

Let's just say that if you're putting money on it, don't bet on Drawkland. Let's just hope it's a hell of a game. On Corps.

[Equestrian States]

World Baseball Classic 41
Round of 16 - Game 5 Results

#4 Scootalove City vs. #13 Drawkland

Game 5

Drawkland              0 2 0 3 1 3 1 0 0 10
Scootalove City        0 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 9 12
Scootalove City wins 3-2

---

#5 Frenline Delpha vs. #12 Anthor

Game 5

Anthor                 3 0 1 0 0 0 1 2 2  9
Frenline Delpha        0 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0  3
Anthor wins 3-2

---

#7 West Phoenicia vs. #10 Equestrian States

Game 5

Equestrian States      0 0 1 0 0 0 3 1 2  7
West Phoenicia         1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  4
Equestrian States wins 3-2

---

#8 Ethane vs. #9 Schiltzberg

Game 5

Schiltzberg            2 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0  3
Ethane                 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 2  4
Ethane wins 3-2

---

Quarterfinals Matchups

#1 Super-Llamaland vs. #8 Ethane
at Royal Canterlot Stadium (cap. 55,000) in Canterlot

#2 Newmanistan vs. #10 Equestrian States
at Ponyville Park (cap. 32,000) in Ponyville

#3 Cassadaigua vs. #6 Nova Anglicana
at Foragers Field (cap. 28,000) in Whitetail

#4 Scootalove City vs. #12 Anthor
at Sky-High Coliseum (cap. 45,000) in Cloudsdale

---

Host Note: Congratulations to those advancing to the Quarterfinals and commiserations to those who have been eliminated. Also, a friendly reminder that information on venues and the Equestrian States can be found here. Third-party scorination for the West Phoenicia-Equestrian States game provided by Vilita.

[The Derpy Democratic Republic Of Herp]

TDDROH Sports chat

The Scootalove City Unicorns make WBC history, biggest 9th inning comeback ever.

World Baseball Classic 41
Round of 16 - Game 5 Results

#4 Scootalove City vs. #13 Drawkland

Game 5

Drawkland              0 2 0 3 1 3 1 0 0 10
Scootalove City        0 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 9 12
Scootalove City wins 3-2

Quarterfinals Matchups

#1 Super-Llamaland vs. #8 Ethane
at Royal Canterlot Stadium (cap. 55,000) in Canterlot

#2 Newmanistan vs. #10 Equestrian States
at Ponyville Park (cap. 32,000) in Ponyville

#3 Cassadaigua vs. #6 Nova Anglicana
at Foragers Field (cap. 28,000) in Whitetail

#4 Scootalove City vs. #12 Anthor
at Sky-High Coliseum (cap. 45,000) in Cloudsdale

No one expected this, not Scootaloo, not Drawkland, not me, not anyone.

Power grids fluctuate, news channels switched from there normal feed to watch the comeback live, internet TSP wide was nearly down from stress as the streams from internet that where live streaming this game reached 1.1 petabyte(s) a second, an Equestrian States parliament session was put on recess to watch the spectacular comeback. The viewers from TDDROH went from under a million in the 8th , to 3.5 billion in the 9th.

The massive celebration in the streets was the biggest in recent TDDROH history.

Our Unicorns managed not only turn a 100% certain lost game into a massive victory, but break the record that Maklohi Vai for years, back when Maklohi Vai got 7 runs in the 9th inning against St. Saratoga.

They have also done something spectacular every time for the past two WBC's in a tie breaker 5th game during the round of 16.

On to the game, Drawklands offence made a great fight, they kept up the pressure and kept down our defence.

The vast majority of the game was them about to win, with only high point pre 9th inning was the two run homer from Dave Candy in the 5th.

But then, the 9th inning happened. The the top half of the nith started when Amalthea " The last Unicorn" Beagle took the mound relieving Alex Tremblay from the mound.

She made sure Drawkland never got a hit in for that last inning. Then at the start of the bottom of the 9th, Dave Candy, Dave 'The King' Haggard got singles that Zeek Donald batted in. Pat Zater then got on first and moved Zeek Donald went to second. Dan Herpus then got a three run Homer.

Alex Ponches, Rick 'The House/God of Thunder' King, and John Avidan then loaded the bases. With no strikeouts so far Stuart Nova took the bat and then batted his into the history books with a grand slam. Earning him the nickname Stuart 'Super' Nova. The crowd went insane, social media sites nearly went totally offline as massive amounts of posts came up saying that the Unicorns have won.

Stuart 'Super' Nova got a congratulated by the Leader, Gordon Freeman. Then Stuart 'Super' Nova got pied in the face by Scootaloo in a surprise "attack". Amalthea Beagle fell on the ground giggling.


The post season isn't over yet, they will be going to Sky-High Coliseum, Cloudsdale to for the Quarterfinal game against Anthor.

Goodluck Unicorns, let's keep up the momentum all the way past this team and into the finals.

[Ethane]

My Brother Is An Alien

My brother is an alien,
Because the way he acts,
His ship must have crashed,
And smashed upon impact.

He talks and talks and talks
All day and all night.
If I were a bird I
Would fly away in fright.

He is always on the PlayStation,
Or the Nintendo DS,
Or on the computer,
But never anywhere else.

So when you see him,
Run away in fright,
He's a horrid, creepy alien,
And he'll grow to a monstrous height.

[Equestrian States]

World Baseball Classic 41
Quarterfinals - Games 1 & 2 Results

#1 Super-Llamaland vs. #8 Ethane

Game 1

Ethane                 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 1  3
Super-Llamaland        0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 4  6
Super-Llamaland leads 1-0

Game 2

Ethane                 0 0 6 1 2 0 0 0 1 10
Super-Llamaland        1 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0  3
Series tied 1-1

---

#2 Newmanistan vs. #10 Equestrian States

Game 1

Equestrian States      1 0 2 0 0 0 1 1 0  5
Newmanistan            2 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0  4
Equestrian States leads 1-0

Game 2

Equestrian States      0 1 1 0 4 0 0 0 1  7
Newmanistan            0 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 0  3
Equestrian States leads 2-0

---

#3 Cassadaigua vs. #6 Nova Anglicana

Game 1

Nova Anglicana         0 0 0 1 0 2 0 0 0  3
Cassadaigua            0 2 1 0 2 1 0 0 X  6
Cassadaigua leads 1-0

Game 2

Nova Anglicana         0 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0  4
Cassadaigua            2 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2  6
Cassadaigua leads 2-0

---

#4 Scootalove City vs. #12 Anthor

Game 1

Anthor                 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1  2
Scootalove City        0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 X  3
Scootalove City leads 1-0

Game 2

Anthor                 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  4
Scootalove City        0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 3  5
Scootalove City leads 2-0

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Host Note: At Newmanistan's request, I will be scorinating the Newmanistan-Equestrian States series instead of a third-party scorinator.