World Baseball Classic 42 Everything Thread

[West Phoenicia]

West Phoenician Assistant Baseball Coach Normie Broad has been sacked by the West Phoenician Baseball Federation after triple header led to a 2 losses to 1 win against Lycrabon.

The Confederates who currently rank 6th in the World Baseball Classic were stunned with the 2 losses against the team ranked 40th and for dismal results against Vangaziland who is ranked 20th.

So early in the series and the fire seems diminished in the Confederate camp. They came up against Lycrabon on their opponents home soil which is always a struggle when home team fans out number the away team.But with little media attention from Lycrabon the West Phoenicians were unsure of Lycrabon tactics and the skills and abilities of their players.

West Phoenicians were caught off guard by the tight knit pitching rotation of Lycrabon and the West Phoenician batting rotation was sluggish for all 3 games.

Game 3 where West Phoenicia won 2-1 thanks to the batting of Jack Navy and Kevin Dances was the only saving grace that starved off a 3 game clean sweep against the visitors.

West Phoenicia will next take on Tierra Fuego, an unranked team hovering 2nd last on the groupings. The Confederates have promised to bounce back to save them from spot 3 in the grouping and boost them back into the top 2 if they want to progress to the top 16 round.

[Vangaziland]

The Vangaziland Royals went back home to 'The Crown' to face the United States of Devonta. Both teams were tied with records of 4-2. Also in the race at 4-2 were Lycrabon and West Phoenicia. The Royals would hope to keep things closer than they did against the Confederates. Devonta entered ranking 20th. The Royals are the 30th side. Along with the Phoenician series, this 6 game stretch makes up one of the toughest runs of the series. It was a back to back run of the two toughest teams in the Group.

Game 10

The Royals came out motivated after sneaking a win away from the group's top team at home. Jamaal Edlund would start the game off on the mound for the Royals. He started with his fastball, getting his arm warmed up and testing Devonta's batters. Edlund gave up a run in the top of the 2nd, but it was late in the order. Defense closed out the inning with a simple fielding play and the Royals were up.

The Royals scored twice in the 2nd, making for a long half inning in the process. Both runs were scored on RBI singles. Simple hitting seemed to be the order of the day, as an RBI double scored again in the third. Meanwhile Edlund clamped down until giving up a homerun in the 5th. He was seen motioning to the bullpen that he was okay. Once again he clamped down.

Edlund would pitch through the top of the 7th. He, nor Nick Goodsen who pitched until the last inning, would allow another run. Mack Akoye hit a 2 run homer in the 8th. The Royals would win 5-2.

Game 11

Del Bjornberg entered the game with a 2-0 record, bringing the top of the pitching order back to the forefront. He hoped for another good game, this one being a midday weekend match. It was one of those lazy days at the ballpark that could be absolutely hypnotizing for the fans. VannBank FieldHutt aka 'The Crown' is a dome stadium of 50.2K spectators. Fans flying in from Devonta would find Vannish fans welcoming and curious in their homeland.

Devonta scored 1 early. The Royals went 0 for 3 for the first two innings before Kelderssen hit an RBI double in the 3rd inning. The Royals would score again in the 6th and 7th innings.

Bjornberg would take the Royals into the 7th until he gave up a 2nd run. Daniel Cortez subbed in as RP, but gave up 2 runs in the 8th. This caused him to be swapped for closer Manny Mathissen.

"I didn't want to take any chances", said Coach Haverly. "We pulled away with the win, partially because of the change. Devonta was hitting off Cortez. It happens. We'll get Cortez another shot."

Vangaziland would win 5-2 going 2-0 in the series.

Game 12

Kelderssen did well to get himself to first. He's been a hitting consistently at .294. He appeared to be leading off as the next batter was up. Sure enough, Pete took off on the 2nd pitch. The catcher stepped up to make the throw, Pete slid and *SAFE*! The steal would be big, as he was later scored on a single which may have only taken him to third without the steal.

Rich Kendrix was back up in the pitching rotation. He would give up one run in both in the 3rd and 6th, before being replaced in the 7th inning. He had a decent day at bat, going 2 for 4.

Relievier Khris Olaf gave up one in the 8th, but took the game to completion.

The Royals played a tight game, only breaking away from a 1 run lead after a big 7th inning. It would be the longest inning the the Royals have played this season. They scored 4 here, including a 2 run homer by CF Jake Sren. It was the cap on a tough fight, Vangaziland finally able to let its shoulders down.

The Royals closed out the tough 6 game stretch at 4-2 against the two teams which outrank them. Sweeping Devonta magnified the win against West Phoenicia. Vangaziland and Lycrabon both have the slightest one win lead over the Confederates; an order which is sure to swap a few times before the season's conclusion.

[The Sherpa Empire]

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

A Tibetan woman walked into the front courtyard of the National People's Temple. The temple was on a steep mountainside looking down across a valley over Namche. It was far removed from the congestion and smog of downtown Lukla, and the noisy clatter of street vendors, foreign backpackers, and local herdsmen that crowded the streets of Namche. Lately, with the national baseball team playing a home stand and it being the offseason for hikers, Namche held as many baseball fans as backpackers -- but that was unusual. Namche was prettier from a distance, where you could see the cozy architecture and the colorful flags waving over the city, but not the trash in the gutters or the filthy children who begged in the streets.

Inside the temple, the woman was greeted by a monk with shaved head and yellow robes. She returned the greeting, then got down to the business of why she was there. "I'm an activist for Free Tibet. I need help with a political problem," she said. "Who can I talk to?"

The monk led her through a narrow corridor into a smaller courtyard and handed her off to another monk, who he said would listen to her problems. She exchanged greetings with the second monk and they sat down on a little bench beside a well in the smaller courtyard.

"Do you know about the Free Tibet protester who got shot a few days ago?" the woman asked.

"In Kathmandu?"

"No, in Namche."

The monk shook his head, and the woman explained what had happened outside Syangboche on the day of the first game between the Sherpa Empire and St. Saratoga. "They didn't say anything about it on the news," she added. "I think it's because we made a deal with the Sherpas that they would put us on INN if we stopped protesting at World Baseball Classic games. They think if they don't talk about what happened, if they don't give us publicity, it's punishing the people who broke the deal."

The monk nodded. "I don't think you can make them talk about it if they already decided they don't want to give you publicity. Have they returned the body to his family so you can give him a proper funeral?"

"Yeah, they released it yesterday. It's not about that," said the woman. "We're having a funeral service tomorrow, and I know it's pointless to argue with the Sherpas after we broke the deal with them. It's about St. Saratoga's news coverage. They called the game a 'shoot-out,' and someone -- someone with real authority -- needs to tell them how offensive that is. The Sherpa authorities won't do it because they're not talking about the shooting, but the National Temple could say something about it -- as a moral issue, not a political issue."

The monk thought it over. He seemed conflicted. He could see that the choice of words was genuinely offensive, but he wasn't sure how to call out St. Saratoga's reporters without stepping on the toes of the secular authorities in Lukla-Namche. Then a thought occurred to him. "Have you tried talking to baseball people? You know, SIBA, players on the national team, Icefall Doctors management. They were at Syangboche when the shooting happened, so they probably know about it, even if it wasn't on the news."

"Hmm..." said the woman. "I guess it doesn't hurt to try. I'd rather have someone with moral authority, but SIBA would be better than nothing."

"The people who ran the report in St. Saratoga are baseball people. They'll listen."

---

* SIBA is the Sherpa Empire's domestic league, Sherpa Imperial Baseball Association

---

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

---

Dewa Liang was looking forward to playing against Melbergia -- finally a series they had a good chance of winning! Better yet, he didn't see any Tibetan flags or picket signs.

He passed Kami Ihawa and Aicha Fang gossiping about their husbands. Kami did an amusing impression of Jamling's snoring and the pitchers' wives giggled like schoolgirls. Dewa said, "Hi, ladies," and they waved to him.

A little way ahead, he passed Jamling Ihawa and Lakpa Fang speculating about what else Nawang Gurung might have in his luggage besides the Chinese opera costumes and the industrial-size bottle of demon repellent. Dewa said hi to them too.

Then a woman approached him. At first, he thought she was a fan looking for an autograph or just wanting to talk to him about baseball. Then she started asking him if he knew about a Tibetan protester who was shot at the beginning of the series against St. Saratoga. "I didn't know that, but it serves him right," said Dewa. He brushed past her and went on into the park.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her stopping Jamling Ihawa and Lakpa Fang to bother them with her politics.

---

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

---

"You didn't tell me someone got shot," Lakpa Fang said. He was sitting on the bench in the bullpen, not paying much attention to the game, since the Sherpa Empire had already scored 16 runs and they were not likely to need a closer.

"I didn't want to Tsheri to get distracted thinking about it," Ihawa said, "and I figured you'd hear about it in the news anyway."

"It wasn't on the news," said Fang.

"I know," said Ihawa, "but I thought it would be."

"It's not right," said Fang. "One of us should write to that newspaper in St. Saratoga."

"You could write something and then ask the other players to sign it. You can get Debashish to translate it for you."

---

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

---

Lakpa Fang's letter to the editor

In your report on series three of the World Baseball Classic, you referred to the first game between St. Saratoga and the Sherpa Empire as a "shootout." On the day of that game, a man was shot by Lukla-Namche city police outside the Syangboche Athletic Complex. We feel that your choice of words was inappropriate and we would appreciate if you would issue an apology.

Sincerely,
Lakpa Fang
Jamling Ihawa
Tsheri Pham
Finjhok Chang
Dinesh Mohn
José Sherpa
Mingma Al Ali
Pasang Sherpa-Zhou
Debashish Morrison
Hanyi Yang
Seojun Sherpa
Dachchiri Chao
Apa Shah
Jangbu Hareq
Usha Chawa
Yuri Tsang
Mohammed Sherpa-Lu

---

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

---

It was chaos in the clubhouse after the 3rd game against Melbergia. Dachchiri Chao was carousing around pouring drink after drink, making toasts to whoever was nearby, calling out cheerfully, "Gan bei! Gan bei!" Usha Chawa was mocking Jianhou Qiu with an imitation of his dancing and Chinese opera singing. Hanyi Yang was splashing beer on Tsheri Pham, and Jangbu Hareq was playfully chasing Tao Xi with a broom.

"Hey, Chao, don't so drunk you can't play when we get to Schiltzberg," Mohn said. Then he grabbed a beer and joined in the drinking. After getting off to a rough start with several losses and the fuss about the Tibetan protesters, they finally had something to celebrate.

The only one who didn't seem to be enjoying the festive mood was Dewa Liang. He was still sulking about the fact that his teammates had written a letter sympathizing with the Tibetan protesters, and the fact that Mohn had benched him for being too grumpy during warm ups.

---

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

[DEAT by Chocolate]

[REPORT]Spamming in Game 2 of DEAT By Chocolate vs. Humaliwo

A large red echidna was deleted for spamming after he climbed onto the grass at Nestle Field and began heckling Humaliwo right fielder George Ray with useless questions such as, "Do you know de wae?" and, "Are traps gay?" The echidna was also found to be carrying several Tide pods, which he intended to use as currency, a violation of DEAT By Chocolate's Terms of Residency, which forbid the use of racist, sexist, obscene, offensive, or inedible currencies.

DEAT By Chocolate team sponsor Chocobeer was deleted for advertising during the 7th inning stretch, but the deletion was reversed on appeal after a Chocobeer spokesperson explained to a moderator that the advertising was an in-character part of the their role as a sponsor of the World Baseball Classic.

[Hampton Island]

Hampton Island Sports Brief
Wins Come At A Cost

Again things came in threes for the Golden Bears, but this time it happened the way we want it to happen, with victories. The efforts were impressive, as the team swept the nation of Hicana, who had been 7-2 prior to the games. Following wins of 3-2, 12-10, and 11-7, Hampton Island is now 6-6, while dropping Hicana to 7-5. It gives the team a better outlook that it previously had. However, it did seem to come at a cost, as reliever Aaron Mayfield, who posted on social media his disapproval of Matthew Davis, was used for the first time in four games in the 12-10 win over Hicana. With the Golden Bears up 10-4 heading into the seventh, Mayfield was brought in with the bases loaded and no one out. Hicana’s Diego Velazquez hit a slow roller back towards the pitching mound, and seeing there would be no play at the plate, Mayfield threw to second to get the out there, and then a double play at first. Matthew Davis came out to talk to the pitcher, and while conventional thinking would be what to do with the next batter, Davis and Mayfield were seen arguing with one another. The home plate umpire was confused when it came time to break up the meeting at the mound since the manager and the pitcher were having a shouting match between them. Since the umpire was ignored, he opted to eject both people from the game.

It was announced after the game that Aaron Mayfield had been kicked off the team due to “conduct detrimental to the team.” Mayfield posted on social media again, expressing how the nation needed to fire Matthew Davis immediately. In the third game of the series, the 11-7 win, players were seen in the dugout hardly looking at or acknowledging Davis. As of right now, no additional action has been taken towards the controversial manager. President Rose Zylstra of North Prarie has become outspoken towards Davis, and recently the Stafford City Resort and Casino announced it would work together with the Phoenix Luxury Hotels to air the message of equality. Davis has not said anything controversial in the last few days, though many are angered by the releasing of Aaron Mayfield.

[Abanhfleft]

MUSINGS OF AN ARMORED DINNER JACKET
Official blog of Ibrahim Ahmadinejad, Right Fielder of the Verbergerkinnh Cubs and the Abanhfleft Revolution

ARE WE REALLY WINNING NOW OR ARE WE JUST NOT LOSING?


Olivier Savanier of the Abanhfleft Revolution pitches against New Sangti in Game 3 of the series between New Sangti and the Abanhfleft Revolution. The Revolution won two out of three games against the Sangtis, one of them in extra innings, to give Abanhfleft a slightly better record in the 42nd World Baseball Classic. (Courtesy of Crescent News Network Sports Channel/Umkhonto Thabowane)

LIVE FROM CUIDAD NUEVO SANGTI, NEW SANGTI - I've never really liked caves or the underground. I'm a bit of a closet claustrophobe. I've also never really liked red-eye flights. You wake up at ungodly hours to get to the airport, suffer through the numerous inevitable delays from ticketing to loading your luggage to actually getting on the plane and your assigned seat, and then there's not enough time to get back all the sleep you need during the flight so when you land at the destination, you're too tired to do anything else. But that's what we all had to do when we went to the underground realm that is New Sangti to face them for the 42nd World Baseball Classic.

Well, I certainly was tired when we landed at New Sangti, but the rest of the team seemed chipper than I was. They were all certainly very chipper when we played Game 1 versus the Indios. It was a slow start, sure, before Carlos the Jackal scored the first run of the game by slowly advancing through the bases while the other batters worked on keeping the Indios defense occupied. They tied things up in the bottom of the third inning with a single home run from Mike Jordan James Samaniego. Ollie McKrinter, Burt Hokabo, and Olivier Savanier then threw shutouts before Julie He scored a two-run home run with Carlos the Jackal being the other runner at the top of the eighth before Dima Aksyonov made sure of the result with a run of his own at the top of the ninth. Surely this must pave the way to a sweep of our opposition, yes?

Well, not quite. New Sangti rebounded almost immediately in Game 2 by scoring a two-run home run courtesy of Remy Magtalas and Michelle Marie Dolores. Dale Decolongon III and and Richie Joy Taripan doubled the Indios' advantage in the third inning. Yours truly began the process of chipping away at that lead in the fifth inning, and Carlos the Jackal and Jiangming Heng scored two separate runs in the seventh inning to put us just one run away from tying the game. And then of course that was the moment when Ydrazil Lugo chose to have the pitching game of his life. His pitches were unhittable, whether they were fly balls or sliders or, most especially, curve balls. The Revolution couldn't score at all in the ninth inning, meaning that we didn't even have to play the bottom of the inning and the win went to New Sangti.

So that was a downer for the Revolution, and we didn't know how we were going to respond for Game 3. Were we going to dig into our own reserves of willpower or we will bottle and choke it all once again? Well, it turns out, it was a bit of both. We scored first in Game 3 with three runs from a three-run homer from Julie He which allowed Carlos the Jackal and Jiang Heng to run to home plate. Then New Sangti did the same courtesy of Enoch Rivera, doing the same favor to Cindy Acasia and Nivram Baradies. Things then turned into a pitching contest with no pitchers getting runs scored on them. This resulted in extra innings, and what should the Jackal do but score a home run on the very first pitch of the top of the tenth inning and immediately put all the pressure on the Indios? And it worked like a charm, never mind that the rest of the team couldn't score another run just to make that gap a little bit wider. The Indios could barely even get close to the ball even though Peter Langford is not the best closer out there. The main thing is that he was good enough when it mattered, and Abanhfleft went away from the underground realm of New Sangti with two very valuable wins.

Aside from that, though, nothing much else to report. The FMLB (Fleftic Major League of Baseball) is going through the preseason motions but all of us on the national team have been given special dispensations to remain with the national team and defer team training with our clubs. But that's all that I have for all of you at the moment. This is the Armored Dinner Jacket saying ciao, peace. Catch you in my next post.

[Sangti]

Important OOC Note: Since Game 2 of the AFL-TRB series is the eleventh game overall for the Indios, Cyvil Sumaoang should have been listed as the starting pitcher for that game and Ydrazil Lugo should have started the Game 1 of this series (Which is Game 10 overall).

Thus, I'm invoking my right to not follow through with Fleft's RP and list Lugo and Sumaoang as have started Games 1 and 2, as I stated in my roster permissions that:

"Choose my lineup: No
Follow my pitching rotation: Yes"

Other than that, I'm fine with the other details and followed through.

NEW SANGTI INQUIRER
only 12 Sangs!

SPORTS NEWS
WBC 42: Indios remain atop Group 3 despite 10-inning loss to Revolution
by Rafael Sigua Jr

NUEVO SANGTI, NEW SANGTI - Yes, you hear that right.

Despite losing their last game against Abanhfleft Revolution in ten innings and losing the home series 2-1, the New Sangti Indios have still something to smile about.

The loss brought the Indios to 8-4 win-loss record after a two series victories hosting New Doltania after a 3-0 sweep, and an impressive 2-1 win over Darmen in their own field to lead Group 3 after 12 games. This is a far cry from what they experienced last classic having already doubled their win tally from last season. They lead an impressive Azadeshia who stymied the Darmenis in their opening 2 matches of the fourth series, and gave them a scare in the last game.

Ydrazil Lugo had actually a good time in the mound if you can see the line score, only allowing a single run in six innings. However he had a hard time limiting his pitch count as he allowed base hit after base hit, especially in the second inning where the so-called 'Carlos the Jackal' scored a run enabled by the Fleftic's next at-bats. It was not so long until our very own MJ Samaniego scored a home run. A long relief was subbed in at the seventh inning, Tina Damian, who looked like she could close the game by keeping the Fleftic batters at bay. However, it was not to be as Julie He scored a home run that gave the Revolution a 3-1 lead. Baba was subbed in at the final inning, but he too allowed a single run that extended the lead to 4-1. The batting lineup at the ninth inning did their best, but it was all for naught as the Indios were stymied by the Revolution.

The next game showed a different story for the Indios. At the very first pitch, he was able to get a base hit, and at Mich Dolores' first at-bat, she swung hard, and scored a home run to give the lead to the Sangtians. Cyvil Sumaoang, who played well at the last game they had vs New Doltania, allowed only one run until the top of the seventh when he allowed two runs at the top of the inning. He was relieved after that and was replaced by Marcus Enabia, their setup closer. His performance was enough to keep the Indios at the lead until the top of the ninth where Baba finished off the game with a save. 4-3, and it was series tied.

Francesca Lumahan had a horrible time at the third inning of the last game as she allowed three runs, but the batters brought the Indios back to the game with a three-run inning of their own at the bottom of the fourth. The pitchers shut out each team's basepeople by the end of nine innings, but it was Carlos the Jackal who put an end to the game as he put a homer at the very first pitch at the first extra inning, and the Fleftic closer, Peter Langford, secured the deal as he did not allow a single base hit by the Indios, as they get out of the underground, series winners.

The Indios visit Vakolicci Haven and Celeria next, currently join bottom with a 4-8 win-loss record.

[Ethane]

Are you in love, my friend?

The smile on his face when he looks,
He stares at her like a book,
Just wants to sit there; is he hooked?
Are you in love, my friend?

He just wants her to be there,
By his side; no other cares,
Just talking, being together.
Are you in love, my friend?

He hates fashion but listens
To every word, not missing
Anything. Showing uninterrupted interest.
Are you in love, my friend?

The message in the morning,
Another later at night.
He sits and waits for her replies.
Are you in love, my friend?

Her picture sits on his wall,
And his picture sits on hers,
The first thought in the morning and the
last thought at night are of each other.

Are you in love, my friend?
Are you in love?

---

Oblivious Love

That laugh.
You recognise it from the other side of the room.
Angelic. Comforting.
Yet it makes you nervous, giddy with joy.

You know who it is. The name is
etched on to your brain like an indelible tattoo.
Memories come back to you,
Wistful memories of that weekend away.
The time you first got to know them.

Talking into the early hours of the morning
About your past, your life, your future.
Sharing childhood stories you wouldn't tell anyone else.
You'd be willing to share anything with them.

That meal at the restaurant the other day,
with a group of your friends.
You were too distracted though, remember?
Your focus was on one thing only.
Her smile. Her features. Her laugh.
You missed nothing out.
She was a bookworm, and you were reading her like a book.
For you, she was the main show of the conversation;
The starter, the main course, and the dessert.

You look over to the other side of the room.
She's not there.

PING! Another message on your phone.
You grab it as if the message is time-sensitive.
'Hey, how are you! '
Your heart beats rapidly. You type a response.

Another day. Another long list of messages.
Surely...

there's more to friendship than this.

[Tenburg]

Playoffs may be in Jeopardy for Mets

Sometimes, you have a game, a series, a month, or even season where nothing goes your way-- in Tenburg, they're called "clunkers". WBC 42 may prove to be Tenburg's first clunker since making its debut on the international stage.

Sitting fourth in its group, this has become almost as much of a surprise as when the club made its quarterfinal run in its debut Classic, number 40, which feels like a century ago now.

"Can't explain it," says right-fielder Jack Lynch. "I mean we've come to miss Mike [McGuire], certainly, but one player isn't a whole team. We've scheduled a players-only meeting to try and straighten things out, see if we can't put a run together."

[Free Republics]

World Baseball Classic 42: Free Republics

This is your Fifth Series Cutoff presented by Trudeau Firearms Company! Trudeau: The Gun You Can Trust to Keep You Safe!

---

Results

Group 1:

Team Name       1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
Juvencus        0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0   0
Nova Anglicana  0  0  1  1  1  0  0  0  X   3

Team Name       1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
Juvencus        0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0   0
Nova Anglicana  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  2  X   2

Team Name       1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
Juvencus        0  0  1  0  0  0  1  0  0   2
Nova Anglicana  0  0  1  0  1  1  3  0  X   6

Team Name   1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
Gratissima  1  0  0  3  3  1  0  0  0   8
Drawkland   0  1  1  0  1  0  0  1  0   4

Team Name   1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
Gratissima  0  0  0  1  0  1  0  0  0   2
Drawkland   1  1  0  0  0  0  1  1  X   4

Team Name   1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
Gratissima  1  0  3  0  0  2  0  1  0   7
Drawkland   0  0  1  3  2  0  0  2  X   8

Team Name  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
Cosumar    2  1  0  1  3  2  0  1  1   11
Fungsland  2  2  0  1  2  1  2  0  0   10

Team Name  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
Cosumar    0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0   0
Fungsland  0  0  0  0  0  0  1  0  X   1

Team Name  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
Cosumar    0  1  0  1  0  0  0  0  1   3
Fungsland  0  1  0  0  0  0  2  1  X   4

                  G  W  L RF RA  RD Win Pct.
1        Cosumar 15 11  4 80 62 +18 0.733
2 Nova Anglicana 15 10  5 61 55  +6 0.667
3      Fungsland 15  7  8 61 65  -4 0.467
4      Drawkland 15  6  9 82 90  -8 0.400
5     Gratissima 15  6  9 74 72  +2 0.400
6       Juvencus 15  5 10 66 80 -14 0.333

Group 2:

Team Name            1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
Ferret Civilization  0  1  0  0  0  0  0  0  0   1
Ethane               0  0  0  0  3  0  0  0  X   3

Team Name            1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
Ferret Civilization  2  0  0  0  0  0  0  1  0   3
Ethane               0  0  0  0  0  1  0  1  0   2

Team Name            1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 10 11 Total
Ferret Civilization  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0   0
Ethane               0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  2   2

Team Name     1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
New Jarwel    0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0   0
Alpine Union  0  0  2  0  1  0  0  3  X   6

Team Name     1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
New Jarwel    0  0  0  0  0  1  0  0  0   1
Alpine Union  1  0  0  0  1  0  1  0  X   3

Team Name     1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
New Jarwel    1  1  1  1  0  1  7  1  0   13
Alpine Union  1  0  0  0  2  1  2  0  0   6

Team Name                  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
Royal Kingdom of Quebec    5  1  0  0  1  1  1  0  0   9
Pripet Socialist Republic  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0   0

Team Name                  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
Royal Kingdom of Quebec    0  1  2  1  0  0  0  0  0   4
Pripet Socialist Republic  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0   0

Team Name                  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
Royal Kingdom of Quebec    1  0  2  0  0  0  0  0  0   3
Pripet Socialist Republic  1  0  0  0  0  0  0  3  X   4

                             G W L RF RA  RD Win Pct.
1                    Ethane 15 9 6 69 40 +29 0.600
2              Alpine Union 15 8 7 70 69  +1 0.533
3                New Jarwel 15 8 7 75 74  +1 0.533
4   Royal Kingdom of Quebec 15 7 8 75 68  +7 0.467
5 Pripet Socialist Republic 15 7 8 56 80 -24 0.467
6       Ferret Civilization 15 6 9 60 74 -14 0.400

Group 3:

Team Name     1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
New Doltania  1  0  0  0  2  0  0  0  0   3
Darmen        1  2  1  1  0  1  1  1  X   8

Team Name     1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
New Doltania  0  0  0  0  0  1  0  0  0   1
Darmen        1  0  0  0  2  0  1  0  X   4

Team Name     1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
New Doltania  0  0  0  0  0  0  3  1  1   5
Darmen        0  1  0  0  0  0  0  0  0   1

Team Name   1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
Azadeshia   2  0  1  1  0  0  1  0  1   6
Abanhfleft  0  0  0  5  3  0  0  1  X   9

Team Name   1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
Azadeshia   1  0  0  2  1  1  0  0  0   5
Abanhfleft  1  1  0  0  2  0  0  2  X   6

Team Name   1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 10 11 12 Total
Azadeshia   0  1  0  2  2  1  0  0  1  0  1  3   11
Abanhfleft  0  1  3  0  2  0  1  0  0  0  1  1   9

Team Name                    1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 10 11 12 Total
New Sangti                   0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  1   1
Vakolicci Haven and Celeria  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0   0

Team Name                    1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
New Sangti                   0  0  0  0  0  4  0  0  1   5
Vakolicci Haven and Celeria  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0   0

Team Name                    1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
New Sangti                   0  3  0  0  6  0  0  0  1   10
Vakolicci Haven and Celeria  0  0  0  0  1  1  0  0  0   2

                               G  W  L RF RA  RD Win Pct.
1                  New Sangti 15 11  4 67 44 +23 0.733
2                   Azadeshia 15  9  6 86 68 +18 0.600
3                      Darmen 15  9  6 84 67 +17 0.600
4                  Abanhfleft 15  7  8 92 80 +12 0.467
5                New Doltania 15  5 10 47 87 -40 0.333
6 Vakolicci Haven and Celeria 15  4 11 50 80 -30 0.267

Group 4:

Team Name    1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
Yoannes      1  0  1  0  1  1  0  0  0   4
Newmanistan  1  0  1  1  1  0  0  0  3   7

Team Name    1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
Yoannes      2  1  0  0  0  0  1  2  2   8
Newmanistan  0  0  1  0  1  0  1  2  0   5

Team Name    1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
Yoannes      1  0  1  1  0  0  0  0  0   3
Newmanistan  1  0  0  1  0  0  0  0  0   2

Team Name         1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
Carstantinopipal  0  0  0  1  0  0  0  0  0   1
South Covello     6  2  0  3  0  3  1  0  X   15

Team Name         1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
Carstantinopipal  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0   0
South Covello     0  0  0  0  1  1  0  2  X   4

Team Name         1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
Carstantinopipal  2  0  0  1  0  1  0  1  0   5
South Covello     0  0  0  2  1  0  1  0  2   6

Team Name       1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
Free Republics  1  0  1  0  1  2  2  2  1   10
Krossa          1  0  0  0  1  0  1  0  0   3

Team Name       1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
Free Republics  0  0  0  1  3  0  1  0  3   8
Krossa          0  0  0  0  0  2  0  0  1   3

Team Name       1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
Free Republics  1  5  2  1  0  1  7  1  4   22
Krossa          0  0  0  0  1  0  1  2  0   4

                    G  W  L RF RA  RD Win Pct.
1      Newmanistan 15 11  4 61 49 +12 0.733
2   Free Republics 15 10  5 97 55 +42 0.667
3    South Covello 15  9  6 78 52 +26 0.600
4           Krossa 15  7  8 72 98 -26 0.467
5 Carstantinopipal 15  4 11 62 97 -35 0.267
6          Yoannes 15  4 11 67 86 -19 0.267

Group 5:

Team Name        1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
Sorrentopia      0  0  0  0  0  0  1  0  0   1
Super-Llamaland  0  0  1  0  0  2  0  0  X   3

Team Name        1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
Sorrentopia      0  0  2  0  1  0  0  0  0   3
Super-Llamaland  1  1  1  1  1  0  0  1  X   6

Team Name        1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
Sorrentopia      1  0  0  0  1  3  0  2  2   9
Super-Llamaland  2  0  1  0  1  1  0  0  0   5

Team Name    1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
Siroy        0  0  1  1  2  0  0  1  0   5
Maklohi Vai  0  0  1  2  0  1  2  2  X   8

Team Name    1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
Siroy        0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0   0
Maklohi Vai  2  0  0  0  1  1  1  1  X   6

Team Name    1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
Siroy        3  2  0  1  1  0  0  0  0   7
Maklohi Vai  2  0  1  1  0  0  0  0  0   4

Team Name     1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
Sandberg      0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0   0
North Prarie  0  0  2  0  0  0  0  0  X   2

Team Name     1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
Sandberg      0  1  1  0  0  1  0  0  1   4
North Prarie  0  0  0  2  3  0  0  0  X   5

Team Name     1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
Sandberg      1  6  2  2  0  0  0  2  0   13
North Prarie  0  1  0  2  0  1  0  0  0   4

                   G  W  L RF RA  RD Win Pct.
1 Super-Llamaland 15 12  3 71 37 +34 0.800
2     Maklohi Vai 15  8  7 67 64  +3 0.533
3           Siroy 15  8  7 57 60  -3 0.533
4    North Prarie 15  8  7 49 55  -6 0.533
5        Sandberg 15  6  9 67 70  -3 0.400
6     Sorrentopia 15  3 12 57 82 -25 0.200

Group 6:

Team Name          1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
DEAT By Chocolate  2  0  0  0  0  0  1  0  1   4
Scootalove City    1  0  2  1  1  1  0  0  X   6

Team Name          1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
DEAT By Chocolate  0  0  0  0  0  1  0  0  0   1
Scootalove City    0  0  0  0  2  0  0  0  X   2

Team Name          1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
DEAT By Chocolate  1  0  0  0  0  1  0  0  2   4
Scootalove City    1  1  0  0  0  0  0  0  0   2

Team Name  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
Banija     0  0  1  2  0  2  1  0  1   7
Hicana     1  2  0  0  0  0  1  1  6   11

Team Name  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
Banija     1  2  1  1  3  1  1  0  1   11
Hicana     0  3  1  1  1  1  1  3  1   12

Team Name  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
Banija     0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0   0
Hicana     0  0  1  0  0  2  1  1  X   5

Team Name       1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
Hampton Island  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0   0
Humaliwo        0  1  0  0  0  0  1  0  X   2

Team Name       1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
Hampton Island  2  1  0  0  0  0  0  0  1   4
Humaliwo        0  0  0  2  1  2  0  0  X   5

Team Name       1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
Hampton Island  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0   0
Humaliwo        1  1  0  3  0  2  1  0  X   8

                     G  W  L  RF  RA  RD Win Pct.
1   Scootalove City 15 11  4 104  84 +20 0.733
2            Hicana 15 10  5 135 115 +20 0.667
3            Banija 15  8  7  87  86  +1 0.533
4          Humaliwo 15  6  9  85  80  +5 0.400
5    Hampton Island 15  6  9  72  79  -7 0.400
6 DEAT By Chocolate 15  4 11  56  95 -39 0.267

Group 7:

Team Name          1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
The Sherpa Empire  0  2  0  1  0  0  0  0  0   3
Schiltzberg        1  1  0  0  0  2  1  0  X   5

Team Name          1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
The Sherpa Empire  0  3  0  0  0  1  0  1  2   7
Schiltzberg        0  0  0  0  1  1  1  1  0   4

Team Name          1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
The Sherpa Empire  3  0  0  0  0  1  0  0  0   4
Schiltzberg        0  2  0  1  1  0  1  0  X   5

Team Name    1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
St Saratoga  0  0  1  2  1  1  0  0  0   5
Tenburg      0  1  1  0  1  0  1  0  0   4

Team Name    1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
St Saratoga  0  0  0  1  0  2  2  4  0   9
Tenburg      2  1  0  0  1  0  0  0  3   7

Team Name    1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
St Saratoga  0  0  1  0  0  0  0  0  0   1
Tenburg      0  0  2  0  0  0  1  0  X   3

Team Name           1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
Northwest Kalactin  0  2  0  0  0  0  0  1  0   3
Melbergia           0  0  0  0  0  2  0  0  0   2

Team Name           1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
Northwest Kalactin  0  1  0  0  1  0  0  0  0   2
Melbergia           0  0  0  0  1  0  2  0  X   3

Team Name           1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
Northwest Kalactin  1  0  0  1  0  0  1  1  1   5
Melbergia           0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0   0

                      G  W  L RF  RA  RD Win Pct.
1        Schiltzberg 15 11  4 85  60 +25 0.733
2 Northwest Kalactin 15 10  5 83  59 +24 0.667
3        St Saratoga 15  9  6 88  82  +6 0.600
4            Tenburg 15  7  8 74  65  +9 0.467
5  The Sherpa Empire 15  6  9 98 106  -8 0.400
6          Melbergia 15  2 13 51 107 -56 0.133

Group 8:

Team Name    1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
Ngongo       0  1  1  0  0  0  0  0  0   2
Cassadaigua  1  1  1  0  1  1  0  1  X   6

Team Name    1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
Ngongo       0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0   0
Cassadaigua  1  0  0  0  0  0  0  1  X   2

Team Name    1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
Ngongo       0  0  0  1  0  3  1  1  0   6
Cassadaigua  2  0  0  1  1  4  0  0  X   8

Team Name          1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
Ko-oren            2  0  1  0  0  0  3  0  1   7
Equestrian States  0  0  0  1  1  0  0  0  0   2

Team Name          1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
Ko-oren            0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0   0
Equestrian States  1  0  0  0  1  0  0  2  X   4

Team Name          1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
Ko-oren            0  1  0  0  0  0  2  2  0   5
Equestrian States  0  0  0  0  2  2  0  1  1   6

Team Name    1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
Lisander     5  0  1  1  0  2  0  1  2   12
Kita-Hinode  0  0  1  0  1  0  0  0  0   2

Team Name    1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
Lisander     1  0  5  1  1  0  1  1  0   10
Kita-Hinode  0  0  2  0  0  1  0  0  2   5

Team Name    1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
Lisander     0  1  1  0  0  2  0  2  0   6
Kita-Hinode  0  0  0  2  1  0  1  1  0   5

                     G  W  L  RF  RA  RD Win Pct.
1           Ko-oren 15 12  3 100  60 +40 0.800
2       Cassadaigua 15 11  4  93  72 +21 0.733
3 Equestrian States 15 10  5  73  68  +5 0.667
4          Lisander 15  6  9 103  99  +4 0.400
5            Ngongo 15  4 11  62  86 -24 0.267
6       Kita-Hinode 15  2 13  63 109 -46 0.133

Group 9:

Team Name       1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
Tierra Fuego    0  1  0  0  0  1  0  0  1   3
West Phoenicia  0  0  1  0  7  1  1  1  X   11

Team Name       1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
Tierra Fuego    0  0  0  1  1  0  0  0  0   2
West Phoenicia  2  1  0  2  0  0  2  0  X   7

Team Name       1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
Tierra Fuego    0  0  0  0  0  0  2  0  0   2
West Phoenicia  2  0  1  1  1  0  0  1  X   6

Team Name                 1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
Lycrabon                  0  1  0  0  1  0  0  0  0   2
United States of Devonta  0  0  0  0  0  0  2  5  X   7

Team Name                 1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
Lycrabon                  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0   0
United States of Devonta  0  1  1  2  1  1  2  0  X   8

Team Name                 1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 10 11 12 13 Total
Lycrabon                  1  0  0  0  1  1  2  0  0  0  0  0  4   9
United States of Devonta  0  0  0  4  0  1  0  0  0  0  0  0  0   5

Team Name        1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
Vangaziland      0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0   0
Philamer Island  0  0  0  0  0  0  1  1  X   2

Team Name        1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
Vangaziland      1  0  1  0  1  2  0  3  0   8
Philamer Island  0  1  0  0  0  1  0  0  0   2

Team Name        1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
Vangaziland      0  0  0  2  0  0  0  1  3   6
Philamer Island  0  0  0  0  1  0  0  0  0   1

                            G  W  L RF RA  RD Win Pct.
1           West Phoenicia 15 10  5 80 44 +36 0.667
2              Vangaziland 15 10  5 74 52 +22 0.667
3                 Lycrabon 15  9  6 81 76  +5 0.600
4 United States of Devonta 15  8  7 83 70 +13 0.533
5          Philamer Island 15  4 11 56 93 -37 0.267
6             Tierra Fuego 15  4 11 51 90 -39 0.267

[Ko-oren]

Second stop: Etena

Having conquered Alara, I moved on to Etena island, further east from Alara and again a little warmer than my first destination. I came to Teragaseki, the only large city on the island, on the back of two incredible victories over Cassadaigua. The Dragonflies had their work cut out for them: I arrived in Teragaseki with three games against an equally good team in the Equestrian States. Ko-oren was leading the group... but these are some incredible opponents and it's an amazing experience to watch some baseball against these huge nations while travelling the heartland of Ko-orenite baseball.

From red Echizen, to orange Teragaseki. As the only city, Teragaseki has a local pride: the Teragaseki Dynamo. Or Dynamo for short, it feels weird with the article there. They play in orange, with white vertical lines on the jersey, and blue lettering. For this island, I would be doing something else. Every single destination from now on would feature more and more cities, and only Etena island is sparsely populated. I'd watch my first game in the only city on the island, and I'm doing a small loop on days two and three by train, stopping in small villages and towns to watch the other two games. Or at least, that was my intention. My romantic self had it all figured out: take an all-station train north across the island, watch a game, sleep, go east, watch my third game, then back south to arrive in Teragaseki again, be on time for my ferry to Furune on Selesi island, and move on.

Only, Etena had different ideas.

The first part of my idea went great. I headed into the upper parts of Teragaseki, which lies like an amphitheatre around a bay. The hills start right where the sea ends. It looks like a theatre, arriving on the beach, you're immediately looking at the entire town. The entire town looks down on you too. On top of the town, way up top, you can faintly see the baseball stadium, like an emperor on the highest seat, right in the middle. Crossing the road that circles the beach, you first step into the warmest part of town. Restaurants, ateliers, bars, and it looks like I've stumbled on my place to watch the game later today.

One big advantage of this town is that you can plan your visit straight from where you get dropped off. The station is halfway up the hills on the left. The stadium is all the way up the hill down the middle. The touristy parts are right in front of you on ground level.

I head over to my hotel for the day to drop off my things, and head back down to stake out the sports bars. There's two, apparently, but they're also busy putting up massive screens on the beach for all to watch the action later. An hour before the first pitch, people start coming in. Mostly locals, but I can see some lost mainlanders like me as well. The game starts off so well, up 3-0 after three innings, and giving back some to the States later for a 3-2 lead. Then the seventh inning starts with Sivurila stepping up. He wastes no time, hits the ball along the ground through the gap between first and second base, and he's on. Normally, heading down the batting order, you don't always expect a lot of stuff to happen, but I was wrong. Nick Rondhuis got a walk. Kimura gave himself up easily, swinging on his first three pitches. Adrien Silvestre took the bat, swung, and sent the ball over the fence: three runs and Ko-oren had a comfortable lead of 6-2. Later there would be a seventh run and another victory for the now 12-1 Dragonflies. Who would have thought that at the start of this. Baseball is a game of small sample sizes and huge swings in chance, but it seemed to good to be true, defying probability like this. Similarly, my trip went all right so far, with no problems just yet.

The next morning, I hop on my train north. It starts to rain. No big deal. It starts to pour. That's fine, I'm still on this train for another hour anyway. The train stops at the next station, and won't go any further. After us, no other train has gone up north because of the weather: mud streams made parts of the track impossible to traverse. Nothing too outlandish to handle for the Etenans, but a tall order to get it fixed before the end of the day. In the end, I'm stranded. My hotel further up north already knows, and I manage to find a bed in this town, Iketa. Iketa is friendly to me, and I find a tiny tv in a diner to watch this game on. Meanwhile, the Dragonflies are also having trouble and all the smooth sailing of my trip and the Dragonflies' play seems gone. Zero runs for us and while Equestrian States have the greatest difficulty with the stingy defence, they manage four runs in the end (two coming in the 8th) and dispatch us 4-0.

My third day on Etena, trains start moving again. I'm way off schedule and only make it to my next hotel in eastern Etena (Morisava) by the time the third inning starts. Luckily I haven't missed much and I decide to watch my game in the hotel and after check in and dropping my stuff, I see Ko-oren's 1-0 lead turned into a 2-1 deficit. Before I get the chance to get myself seated and comfortable, the deficit grew from 2-1 to 4-1. Morisava took special interest in this game, and only know I realise: Mochitada Niiro is a Dynamo... and I realise as he's thrown his last pitch and Sueuchi Kaneko comes on. He was the only Dynamo, and with him off and Ko-oren down 4-1, interest in the game dwindles. Amazing batting effort across two innings turns 4-1 into a 5-4 lead (<3 you, Ishimaki and Gotou) but the Equestrian States are too much once again, equalising in the bottom of the 8th and overtaking in the bottom of the 9th. No heroics like a walk-off homerun or anything... but a terrible error setting up a full third base, and an easy bat in to win the game.

[The Sherpa Empire]

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

On their first day in Schiltzberg, several players' wives and children, as well as Jamling Ihawa and Tsheri Pham, who weren't scheduled to pitch on this road trip, went out to see the sights of New Schiltzbierg. The architecture and the people had a different look from what they were used to back home. Communicating with the locals was a challenge because of the language barrier, but it was interesting to watch them and try the local food. Tsheri Pham found that the few words of French he knew were useful. The others spoke a variety of languages, but only Asian ones. When they split up and went to do different things, the ones who weren't with Pham usually had to resort to communicating by hand gestures.

Huihui Lin was not interested in the daily life of Schiltzberg, or any of the historic places in the area. As was her custom, she went to the ballpark with her husband and she brought home-cooked food. Dinesh Mohn and a couple of the players attempted to politely turn her away by saying they weren't hungry and they were planning to go out for Schiltzberger food later because they wanted to try the local cuisine -- but Lin wasn't having it. "You just don't appreciate my cooking!" she said. "If you won't eat it, then I'll just take it over to the other side of the stadium and give it to the Schitzbergers and maybe THEY'LL appreciate it!"

She stormed off before they could stop her.

---

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

[The Derpy Democratic Republic Of Herp]

TDDROH Sports chat

Unicorns pick up a few new wins.


Results

Group 6:

Team Name          1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
DEAT By Chocolate  2  0  0  0  0  0  1  0  1   4
Scootalove City    1  0  2  1  1  1  0  0  X   6

Team Name          1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
DEAT By Chocolate  0  0  0  0  0  1  0  0  0   1
Scootalove City    0  0  0  0  2  0  0  0  X   2

Team Name          1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
DEAT By Chocolate  1  0  0  0  0  1  0  0  2   4
Scootalove City    1  1  0  0  0  0  0  0  0   2

                     G  W  L  RF  RA  RD Win Pct.
1   Scootalove City 15 11  4 104  84 +20 0.733
2            Hicana 15 10  5 135 115 +20 0.667
3            Banija 15  8  7  87  86  +1 0.533
4          Humaliwo 15  6  9  85  80  +5 0.400
5    Hampton Island 15  6  9  72  79  -7 0.400
6 DEAT By Chocolate 15  4 11  56  95 -39 0.267

You know what I said last time?

Forget it, with the latest games scores now in. Two wins, one loss against DEAT By Chocolate.



Game one, nothing really happened. Amalthea 'The Last Unicorn' Beagle closed the innings 4 to 6. Second game was more of the same. Only with Paul Mins as RP. Zoey Derpus got the only score for the Uincorns, a two run homer in fifth. Last game was alright. Not a lot happened. We lost, but the team from DEAT By Chocolate isn't bad. There rather cool guys.

Tomorrow is an off day so our Unicorns will be taking a break.

[Northwest Kalactin]

Team Name           1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
Northwest Kalactin  0  2  0  0  0  0  0  1  0   3
Melbergia           0  0  0  0  0  2  0  0  0   2

Team Name           1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
Northwest Kalactin  0  1  0  0  1  0  0  0  0   2
Melbergia           0  0  0  0  1  0  2  0  X   3

Team Name           1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
Northwest Kalactin  1  0  0  1  0  0  1  1  1   5
Melbergia           0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0   0

Game 1
Hahaha melbergia do you mind your park that your team plays at is lettirly meant for pitchers so yes we’d like it if our teams great hitting could get some help with the current stadium we are playing at so yay overall it was a good game

Game 2
Grrrrrrrr we actually lost to the team with no skill I mean like come on guys we can beat them at their feild (except we didn’t)

Game 3
Ahhhhh They was fun hear that melbergia we shut you out 5-0 so honostly work on your hitting right zero runs

[Schiltzberg]

THE WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC'S FAMOUS RANK DYNASTYS

Part One: Nova Anglicana, the Silent Dynasty

Across the history of the World Baseball Classic, teams have risen and fallen, taking titles and making history, but only a select few teams have maintained a solid team for a long period of time. Though the team often gets overlooked because it has never won a WBC title, overall, the only active team that could be said to have been truly dominant for a very long stretch of time is Nova Anglicana. The team has been notoriously unlucky in the semifinals and beyond, but this does not overcome the fact that they are a truly good team. Nova Anglicana has been ranked in the top 10 in the world for 14 seasons straight, which ranks them second place all-time for that record. Now, we will look at the list of other teams that have experienced similar stretches in WBC history where they have been ranked in the top 10 in the world.

#1 Zwangzug, 19 straight seasons (6-24)
Over a long stretch that spans nearly one half of the World Baseball Classic's history, Zwangzug stood in the top ten ranking in the world. They rose up to the top ten after finishing as runners up (to Milchama) in WBC 5. Once rising to this level, they remained dominant, finishing as champions twice (7, 21), runners up twice (12, 15), third place five times (6, 11, 16, 19, 20), and fourth place once (10) over the course of nineteen seasons. Though the team "only" has two WBC titles, they still have won plenty of hardware, and their dominance during this stretch makes them the team with the most semifinals appearances in WBC history. This stretch of being in the top ten was snapped following the WBC 24 season, when Zwangzug dropped to the #15 rank after putting up a sub-par performance.

#2 Nova Anglicana, 14 straight seasons (29-present)
As we previously mentioned, Nova Anglicana is one of the WBC's most underrated teams. They rose to the top ten after winning the third place title in WBC 28, and they have not let go of this yet, making them the only active team to have been in the top ten ranks in the world for ten seasons or more. Over the past 14 seasons, they have been dominant even without any championship titles, finishing as runners up once (39), third place twice (32, 36), fourth place twice (29, 38), and hosts twice (31, 35). Nova Anglicana is bound to win a title before too long, since they are overdue, and if they do so, they will likely remain in the top ten for at least three more seasons. If the team is able to stay in the top ten until WBC 48, they will pass Zwangzug and have the record for the longest streak of holding this achievement.

#3 Qazox, 13 straight seasons (2-14)
Qazox was one of the first juggernauts in the history of the WBC. After being unranked in the first season, all it took was an above-.500 performance to get them into the top ten (since there were hardly any teams at the time), but the thing was that they just held onto this once they had it. Over 13 seasons where Qazox was ranked among the top ten, they finished as champions three times (6, 8, 9), runners up once (3), third place once (7), fourth place once (11), and hosts four times (4, 5, 10, 13). Qazox's dynasty started to wean off into a trickle after they just barely won their third title in WBC 9, and by WBC 15, they dropped out of the top ten ranks, falling to number 12 in the world, after putting up a couple mediocre seasons.

#4 Cassadaigua, 12 straight seasons (12-23)
Cassadaigua is a three-time champion that was a true superpower during the "Age of the Dynasties," which was the WBC teens. The team played its first season in WBC 9, and after making the playoffs in some of its first seasons, the team was escalated to the top ten in the world by WBC 12. The team was just beginning though, as they went on to finish as champions three times (14, 16, 19), runners up once (13), third place twice (18, 22), and host once (18) over the next twelve seasons. The team likely would have gone on to continue its success, but they suddenly withdrew from the tournament and did not participate in WBCs 24 and 25, and this caused them to drop out of the top ten ranks, although they did regain it again later. This team has always been great, but these were the best seasons of its history.

#5 Milchama, 11 straight seasons (2-12)
Milchama is another all-time great and three-time champion. Especially early on, they were a real force to be reckoned with. Though they continued to dominate later on in their existence, their longest stretch of being in the top ten ranks was eleven seasons, WBCs 2-12. Over these seasons, the team finished as champions twice (4, 5), runners up twice (2, 8 ), third place once (3), and fourth place once (6). This team holds the record for the most seasons played with a whopping 33, and through the majority of these seasons, the team was in the top ten ranks in the world. The team truly stood the test of time, possibly more so than any other team could say, but this was the best stretch of their history.

#6 Western Cuba, 10 straight seasons (18-27)
Though the WBC 20s were probably the most hectic and unusual years of the tournament's history, Western Cuba rose up as probably the only true dynasty of the decade (until Super-Llamaland rose up in the late-20s and order was restored). In its early years, similar to Cassadaigua, Western Cuba did not do anything that extraordinary, such as making the semifinals, but they just consistently put up good teams for several years, which led to them being ranked in the top ten. The team quickly reached a new level of dominance, making it to the finals in four of five seasons, starting in WBC 20. The team had the best stretch of any team that decade, finishing as champions twice (22, 24), and runners up twice (20, 23). The team had great potential to become one of the all-time greats, but then they dropped out of the tournament after WBC 27, and their rank had been greatly diminished by the time they returned in WBC 30. They were a great team, but it is hard not to consider what could have been if they had stayed around.

Part Two: The Tenured Number Ones

Ever since the beginning, it seems that other than the coveted WBC title itself, the best way to show dominance was to win the number one rank in the world. Over the past 42 seasons, sixteen teams have held the number one rank in the world, and they have tended to be the greatest teams ever. Here we will discuss some of the teams that held this title for an extended amount of time.

#1 Schiltzberg, six seasons straight (36-41)
Starting in WBC 33, Schiltzberg became the first team in history to win its first season. This coasted them into the top five ranks in the world, which was dropped slightly after their second season, where they finished in the round of sixteen. The team went on to win its next season, WBC 35, and this made them the top rank in the world starting in WBC 36. The team stayed incredibly dominant, putting up perhaps the most powerful dynasty in the tournament's history, winning four championships (33, 35, 36, 37), which included three in a row from WBC 35-37. During this stretch, the team also finished as runners up once (40), and third place twice (38, 39). The team finally dropped out of the number one spot after six seasons of holding that spot, when they had a disappointing round of sixteen exit in WBC 41.

#2 Newmanistan, three straight seasons and four straight seasons (11-13, 15-18)
If Schiltzberg's dynasty is not the strongest ever, then Newmanistan's is. From WBC 11-WBC 18, they held the number one rank with the exception of WBC 14, when it was held by defending champions Taeshan. Newmanistan finished as runners up in their first season ever, WBC 7, and then they continued to dominate, until they won their first of five titles in WBC 10, which brought them up to the number one rank in the world. Over the course of their first dynasty, they won four titles (10, 12, 15, 17), four runners up (7, 9, 11, 14), one third place (8), and one fourth place (16), also hosting four times (8, 11, 14, 19). This made them by far the greatest team in history at that time, and they retired from the tournament content with their achievements after the WBC 19 season. They would later return to the tournament in WBC 38, and over the course of several seasons, they would make it back to be WBC champions, but this stretch is still hard to live up to, and it is doubtful that they will duplicate their initial success, even as amazing as their return has been.

#3 Az-cz, three straight seasons (2-4)
Though their team was short-lived, Az-cz's team was almost unbeatable in the first three WBC seasons. In fact, they were unbeatable in WBC 2, going 17-0! This team won the first three Classics, and they also hosted WBC 2, which made them one of the WBC's early legends. They did not do much after they fell from dominance in WBC 4, and they left the tournament after WBC 6, but their team will always be remembered for their three-championship streak to start out the tournament's history.

This Is Your New Schiltzbierg Times Sports News!

[West Phoenicia]

Confederates strike back

The Confederates struck back winning 3 straight games against bottom of the grouping Tierra Fuego.

After some lackluster performances against Vangaziland and Lycrabon and the sacking of an assistant coach, the Confederates knew they had to pull out all stops when they came up against Tierra Fuego.

"There was no way we were going to lose against a team at the bottom of our grouping. West Phoenicia is better than that. We worked long and hard to get where we are, there were signs of slipping and I hope they have been caught in time. The Confederates have their eye on the prize and that is going all the way," Coach Jacob Prosper said during a post game interview with the media.

"We wont roll over and let you knock us out," he said towards the other teams in their grouping. We may let you win a game or two but we will be progressing right to the finals!"

The strong words were met with the Thunder of applause from the Confederate fans.

West Phoenicia had a brilliant first game against Tierra Fuego, the bottom of the 5th saw 7 runs gained that had Tierra Fuego scrambling to replace pitchers to put a halt to the onslaught.

Game 2 had the Confederates continue their wins with a result of 7-2. Not as many runs as the previous game but Jimmy Geelong came through scoring 2 of those runs, he scored a home run hit in the bottom of the 2nd, and a second home run at the bottom of the 8th.


Game 3 had the Confederates beaming with confidence as they took the 3rd game 6-2. In a less thrilling game. Both sides worn out from the excitement of the previous 2 games, The Confederates kept a tight fielding line up to stop any stray balls that would give Tierra Fuegoan edge to possibly jump ahead.

With a rest day coming up West Phoenicia is looking to take advantage of the day off to fit in an extra training session. Jacob Prosper has some new plays and tactics he is wanting to work out moving forward that he hopes will give the Confederates a more aggressive game plan to sllwly start to dominate the World Baseball Classic.

[Vangaziland]

Haverly Scoffs At Prosper

Coach Don Haverly was shown footage from West Phoenician coach Jacob Prosper. Prosper gave his best rendition of tough talk, calling out other teams in the conference. Haverly seemed calm through much of the announcement, not seeing what the drama was about. One particular statement made the greying manager crack a smile and polite, restrained laughter.

When asked for opinion, Coach Haverly said, "We took their home opener. Shut them out. Lycrabon took two wins from them. It's clear Jake is feeling defensive. There is no way they 'let us' shut them out. Especially with the fanfare and how soon the run came. They also certainly did not let 40th ranked Lycrabon beat them twice. It just happened."

The Royals were also taken out 2-1 by the fiery team from Lycrabon.

"Lycrabon played well and beat both of us. I'm sure the Confederates will also be looking to stop that from repeating." Haverly chuckled. "But it's not a matter about who lets who do what."

At the mid-season break, the Royals and the Confederates are tied at 10 - 5. This means both teams averaged one loss per series, although both teams had series with both sweeping victories and 1-2 flops.

Rotation Report

1. Del Bjornberg
Del is the team's most efficient pitcher. He is 3-0 for the season. He pitched the shutout against Tierra Fuego, where Vangaziland won 9-0. He also helped his team sneak by close wins against Devonta and Lycrabon, where his team would win by one run twice. Every strikeout helps in such a contested match. Of course, these scores consider the team effort of the bullpen. The relievers are a major part of the team's game plan.

2. Rich Kendrix
Second in the rotation is Rich with a 2-1 record. His loss came during game 2 against the mighty Lycrabon. Kendrix became a viral star when he shut out West Phoenicia in their stadium. The crowd had built to a fan fare environment only to be disappointed by a slow 1-0 Vannish win. Kendrix also pulled a big win against Devonta, a team which is 10 spots above Vangaziland at 20th in ranking. It further magnifies Lycrabon's win against the tough pitcher.

3. Aron Mathissen
In the middle of the rotation is Aron, younger brother to the team's reliable closer Manny M. At 20, Aron still has time to develop. He is a leftie, but his pitches have been readable. His curveball could stand to break more and his fastball is not as consistently fast as it should be. Aron is 0 for 3, losing to Lycrabon, West Phoenicia and Philamer Island.

4. Nate Henli
Nate has a 2-1 record on the mound. His defeat fell to the hands of West Phoenicia. He helped his team earn two much needed victories against the Group's unranked teams. Henli is hoping to show he can win against tough teams as well when his second match against the Confederates takes place in North Emeros.

5. Jamaal Edlund
Edlund is also 3-0 in the opening half of the season. He beat Tierra Fuego, Devonta, and Philamer Island. Devonta was his biggest win, with the 30th ranked Vangazi trailing them in rankings. Jamaal has a nice mix of pitches including a slider and breaking ball. If Del Bjornberg has the fastest pitch, Jamaal has the trickiest arsenal.

One can almost see the strategic order pitching coach Juan Manuel Sanchez has set. The lineup wasn't set for particular opponents, but for the general spot in the rotation. This means the arguably weakest pitcher, Aron Mathissen, faced the toughest team. With the way the chips fell, this seems to have been negated. The order also chose Kendrix, who stole the victory in front of the Phoenicians home.

Commenting on the line up, Juan Manuel said, "No pitcher has a challenge they can't handle this season. Some pitchers have major challenges. That's to help them develop. I see great things down the line for our program."

The Royals have been based around hitting, though they've shown to have decent starters and a solid bullpen. The Vannish national team is still young and developing. Baseball is growing in popularity throughout the Empire. Future teams will only get stronger.

[Newmanistan]

THE ROCKET REPORT

BREAKING DOWN THE TEAM

by Brianne Henry,

The Rockets are in first place in the group, but things are pretty tight, and after a couple losses to Yoannes and a run differential of +12 that ranks third overall in the group, some are beginning to wonder about this team. They seem vulnerable, not invincible, and after the title run of the last Classic, you wonder if they are just saving their best for the playoffs, or if they just lack that drive. Maybe it’s also because we have that target on our back again as the team everyone wants to beat. When you’re doing the chasing, you don’t have that. When you’re on top, they all want to knock you down. So, let’s take a look at this team and try to figure them out, because they are confusing.

Pitching:
The biggest question is the pitching rotation at this point. Courtney Duvall has been fine despite tossing a no decision in the opener, and giving up five runs (two earned) over five innings. It was an eerie way for things to being in qualifying, but she recovered nicely with two complete games since then, one a 6-2 win over South Covello, and the other a 4-1 win over Carstintopipal. A nation we may have swept, but did not look impressive overall. So, that does hint at Courtney’s numbers being off the pace, but there is nothing wrong with them and something that everyone would take. Jennifer Hughes was dominant in her first game, tossing a complete game shutout, then picked up a no-decision in Free Republics after giving up three runs in seven innings. She then tossed a complete game in a 2-1 win over Carstantinopipal. Our top two pitchers, therefore, are not really doing anything wrong. We are 5-1 with them on the hill.

Hannah Lee was given the opportunity to be a regular starter this classic after being so dominant in spot starts in WBC 41, then continuing to dominate in the ENBL. She began by tossing a complete game victory over Krossa, then tossed seven strong innings, allowing two runs and getting the win over Free Republics, 7-3. Against Yoannes, she surrendered four runs over seven innings, and picked up a no-decision in Newmanistan’s 7-4 victory. Therefore, we are 3-0 on Hannah Lee starts, and 8-1 in starts by our top three. Hannah’s numbers are fine, not elite, but numbers pretty much everyone would take out of a starting pitcher, especially your #3.

The number four, of 1D pitcher, Jessica Gray has been inconsistent in the World Baseball Classic. That’s something that was established well before this year, but she’s a star in the ENBL, and when she is on during the Classic, she’s as good as those ahead of her. Her first start was a no-decision in a 12-inning 6-5 win over South Covello. Jessica tossed eight innings, and gave up only two runs. Good Jessica was seen, and with a little more run support early, this would have been a win for anyone. Not as good Jessica was seen in her next start, allowing four runs in seven innings to the Free Republics, a game lost by the Rockets, 6-1. Her last start saw another four runs allowed in seven innings, and the bullpen made it a little worse. The Rockets tried to battle back, but lost 8-5. Therefore, Newmanistan is 1-2 in Jessica Gray starts, and she’s going to need to be a little better.

At number five, 24-year old Andrea Courville is making her debut in the starting rotation. She was dominate in her first start with a complete game shutout over South Covello. That’s about as good as you could get as a start! She picked up a no-decision in her second start because the bullpen failed her, and her only allowing two runs over eight innings. Newmanistan prevailed in the game, and again Andrea looked sharp. Her third start saw an effort where she gave up three runs over seven innings, but got no run support in a 3-2 loss. Summary, Andrea actually is doing quite well, others have been letting her down.

So, the issue is not the starting rotation. They are not the same amazing numbers, but they are numbers that everyone would love to have. The bullpen has actually been pretty good. Newmanistan has done well in extra inning games too, showing that not to be an issue. In fifteen games of World Baseball Classic 42, they have allowed 49 runs. After fifteen games of World Baseball Classic 41, they allowed 48.

Hitting:

As for the offense, well we’ll start with the same set of numbers we ended our pitching comparison with. After fifteen games of World Baseball Classic 41, they had scored 90 runs. So far in this one, they have scored 61. That’s two less runs per game on average, and that’s a pretty significant deduction. So, what’s going on here?

There’s one very noticeable thing in the Rockets linescores. Big innings. They are just aren’t getting them like they should. Most of their scoring innings are one or two run innings, with big innings not happening. We took Brittany Morgan out of the lineup, and she was part of the middle of the order last time, but no one thought that she would be that big of a loss. We still had the thoroughbreds at the top of the order, with Mallory Harris and Rachel Carey ready to drive them home. Bottom of the lineup is the same consistent collection of hitters, in theory. At 37, Brittany retired from international play, but is the average age of the lineup, in general, starting to get a bit too high?

Newmanistan is leaving runners on base. In the series against Yoannes, the sky blue hit .167 with runners in scoring position, and an even worse .125 with runners in scoring position with two outs. Twice in each of the losses, Newmanistan had runners on at least second and third and nobody out and each time only scored a single run. That is how big innings start, but they cannot generate them. Perhaps a change in the batting order is in store, maybe Stephanie Reynolds should not be hitting third, and Rachel Carey should be put ahead of her. Though even Rachel was off in the last couple games, and that might be the reason why coach Ashley Stevens is hesitant to make the move. Ashley also needs to remember that the team is still 11-4, so you do not want to go overboard with any adjustments out there. Somewhere, though, the offense needs a jolt. By the way, another issue is that in Hannah Bates and Lexi Alcorn were not on base at the same time in the same inning in any of the last five games. That is another way the Rockets generate big innings, and with it not happening, the runs become more scattered.

It’s best to be struggling now as opposed to later. And yes, this 11-4 team is struggling.

[Ethane]

(sorry, I'm actually quite busy irl atm so poems is all I have time for. I promise to write some other stuff later in the tournament when I have more time hopefully)

An orphan child with no home,
He goes wandering through the streets alone,
He has no-one, no possessions to his name,
No home to go to, and he's not to blame.

Abandoned at the age of eight,
His family full of anger, full of hate,
He eats food straight out the bin,
No other choice; hoping to find a supermarket tin.

He has no prospects, no education,
Only his bed; a hole in the wall by the station.
He gets ignored by everyone every day,
All he can do to pass the time is hope and pray.

One day, he trusts he can achieve something,
He has a hidden talent; he can sing.
He remains undiscovered, but still uses his voice to praise,
Still holding on to hope that things will get better, will change.

[Cassadaigua]

Reactions to Queen’s Decree
by Maddie Polanco, Manager

Queen Cassie II announced that our national baseball team is to become all-inclusive and that I am to include three men on the team. It is something that sounds wonderful, but I am not really a fan for the timing of it. We have played fifteen games of qualifying, and have been doing relatively well, and now instead of preparing for our next opponent, I have to do a crash study on male baseball players in Cassadaigua. I’m not against the idea, I am disappointed with the timing of it. This means not only will we have to introduce these players midway through qualifying, but they will be taking playing time away from our established roster. That is not a way to maintain a high level of chemistry within the team. The announcement needed to happen at before we even played a game. While I believe that men should have the same opportunities, it has to be done the right way as well. Having said that, I am honored that the Queen allows me to manage her team, and I have sought to honor her request.

Over the last couple days, I have instructed my scouts to get all the information possibly could on male players throughout the nation, and then to analyze where they could best benefit our team. This is a bit of a process, so we have asked the Queen, through CAB, to have a couple more days to make this decision, since we do not rush it. The Queen did allow us three days, so basically they have to be in the lineup before the 19th game of qualifying. In retrospect, I do think she realized that she put us in a bind a little bit by needing to make this decision on a rather sudden announcement, and that we wanted to do it right. After all, if we are going to do this, we don’t want to go halfway. We don’t just want to add three men with the best stats and then find out that they are not fit with our current roster, and will get limited playing time. It is likely that we will go with two relievers and one position player.

As far as the team is concerned, they are still surprised by the announcement. I am not going to throw anyone under the bus and discuss things that may have been said, or who thinks what about it. After our talk, we all came to the conclusion that if we are going to do this, we are going to do it right. In the end, maybe it will be special. World Baseball Classic 42 can be the Classic that becomes in known in Cassadaigua for being the Classic of civil rights equality for all.

[Schiltzberg]

Demographics

Schiltzberg has an estimated population of 191,958,270, as of 2084. This makes Schiltzberg the most populous nation in Europe, after Russia. Even though a fairly large nation, its high population gives it one of the highest population densities in the world with 186 people per km². This gives Schiltzberg the ninth-most dense population in Europe, and the second-most dense population in Europe for a nation with over 1,000 km², after Great Britain.

The nation spans several cultural lines, and it is made up of several ethnic groups. People in the north-central and eastern regions of the country tend to be ethnically German or Dutch, while people in the western region tend to be ethnically French, and people in the southern region tend to be ethnically Italian. Spread throughout are minority groups, such as people who are African, Arab, Turkish, Middle Eastern, or Asian, and collectively, these minorities make up about 9% of the population. People who are ethnically African are the highest percentage of this, making up 5% of the population.

Largest Cities

Rank	City	Population	Province
1	New Schiltzbierg	4,128,000	Schiltzberg
2	Berlin	3,671,000	Germany
3	Rome	2,879,038	New Italy
4	Paris	2,241,346	New France
5	Vienna	1,877,836	Austria
6	Hamburg	1,758,041	Germany
7	Munich	1,521,678	Germany
8	Milan	1,362,695	New Italy
9	Brussels	1,171,828	Belgium
10	Cologne	1,039,488	Germany

Language

Since Schiltzberg is made up of a lot of different cultural groups, it has recognized several different languages across the country. The national language is English, and that is the language that is spoken in government. Across Schiltzberg, most people know how to speak English, but many also speak other languages as well. In the Census of 2080, 42% of Schiltzbergers identified themselves as being fluent in more than one language.

According to Schiltzbergian law, any language that is spoken by 5% or more of Schiltzberg's population is considered an "official" language. These languages are: English (92%), German (23%), French (12%), Italian (12%), Dutch (8%), and Luxembourgish (6%). As the years go on, Schiltzberg is becoming less bilingual, as the nation becomes more centralized on its English-speaking culture.

Religion

Schiltzberg grants its citizens the freedom of religion, which gives citizens equal opportunity to worship as they please without the fear of discrimination.

Schiltzberg's national religion Roman Catholicism, which is practiced by the majority of the population. Christianity is by far the most practiced religion in Schiltzberg, with 84% of the population identifying as Christian. From this Christian demographic, 77% of the population identifies as Catholic, 5% as Protestant, and 2% as "Other Christian." Schiltzberg is majority Catholic in most regions, except for some Protestant-leaning regions of Germany. Many regions have an overwhelming demographic of Catholics, including the provinces of Schiltzberg, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, and New Italy, where over 90% of their population is Catholic.

Aside from Christianity, some other religions are represented by Schiltzberg's population. 3% of Schiltzbergers identified as Muslims, most of which are from the province of Austria. 2% of Schiltzbergers identified as Jews, and 1% identified as "Other Religion." There was also 10% of Schiltzbergers who identified as non-religious/chose not to respond.

While there is freedom of religion, Schiltzberg's government has been criticized for leaning heavily in favor of Roman Catholics over the centuries. All of the Grand Dukes have been Catholic, as well as the overwhelming majority of government officials, disproportionate to the averaged percentages nationwide. The Grand Duke has traditionally held a spiritual adviser, which is criticized by many who believe that religion should not be incorporated in government procedures.

[Fungsland]

A Series Lost, But Hopes Still High Featured Article 2 of The Fungsland Sports Enquirer

The series against Juvencus showed that the FIBT (Fungsland International Baseball Team) has returned to mediocrity after its stunning upset prior. The FIBT were able to avoid getting sweeped in their last game however, thanks to them being able to outscore Juvencus 3-0 after the top of the 8th finished. Head Coach Ivan Greene stated that the team "played a great game," and "they shouldn't be discouraged just because we lost a series."

Following these games, the record of the FIBT is now an average 5-7 on the season. This puts them in a tie for 3rd with two other teams, but the FIBT ended up placing 5th. Playoff hopes are still very much alive, as the team in 2nd is only two wins ahead of the FIBT.

Team Name 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Total
Juvencus 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 4
Fungsland 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2

Team Name 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Total
Juvencus 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 3
Fungsland 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Team Name 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Total
Juvencus 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 5
Fungsland 1 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 1 2 7

G W L RF RA RD Win Pct.
1 Cosumar 12 10 2 66 47 +19 0.833
2 Nova Anglicana 12 7 5 50 53 -3 0.583
3 Gratissima 12 5 7 57 56 +1 0.417
4 Juvencus 12 5 7 64 69 -5 0.417
5 Fungsland 12 5 7 46 51 -5 0.417
6 Drawkland 12 4 8 66 73 -7 0.333

Things Are Looking Up For The Future Of FIBT Featured Article 3 of The Fungsland Sports Enquirer

The FIBT (Fungsland International Baseball Team) are starting to look like a possible playoff team all of a sudden. Thanks to them upsetting Cosumar in two of their three games, they are starting to get taken more seriously compared to when they were 1-5. All of the games in the series went down to the wire with scores of 10-11, 1-0, and 4-3, providing an entertaining game no matter which one you attended.

Fungsland has been far from consistent when it comes to how well they perform on an international level. They have been swept, swept other teams, and everything in between. Head Coach Ivan Greene put out this statement following the series. "Early in the season we weren't playing as good as we could've been. Whether if it's due to poor management, lack of experience, or whatever the case may be, I believe we have overcome that obstacle. I can tell that our players have developed due to the exposure of international sports. They are more comfortable in the environment now compared to our first six games. Comfortable players equal better performances from the players resulting in more wins. The season is far from over, so we will have even more time to improve our play."

The FIBT are now 3rd place in their Group and are only three games behind the team in 2nd place. However, it will be extra challenging for Fungsland to catch up in wins, because the team in 2nd place is the same team that swept them in the first series. Making the playoffs will be challenging, but the citizens of Fungsland are more confident than ever that the FIBT will get it done.

Team Name 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Total
Cosumar 2 1 0 1 3 2 0 1 1 11
Fungsland 2 2 0 1 2 1 2 0 0 10

Team Name 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Total
Cosumar 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Fungsland 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 X 1

Team Name 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Total
Cosumar 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 3
Fungsland 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 1 X 4

G W L RF RA RD Win Pct.
1 Cosumar 15 11 4 80 62 +18 0.733
2 Nova Anglicana 15 10 5 61 55 +6 0.667
3 Fungsland 15 7 8 61 65 -4 0.467
4 Drawkland 15 6 9 82 90 -8 0.400
5 Gratissima 15 6 9 74 72 +2 0.400
6 Juvencus 15 5 10 66 80 -14 0.333

[Abanhfleft]

Part One Part Two

Baseball Is Dead, Long Live Baseball (Part Three)

Detective Evan Martin of the Riuwiee Police Department of the Fleftic National Police, scanned the scene before him. He had been trained to deal with the aftermath of a terrorist attack but this, well, this whole just didn't make any sense.

For one thing, while people had been saying that it was very much a terrorist attack, whatever happened in the Riuwiee National Stadium looked anything but. The attackers seemed focused on killing the national baseball team and no one else. The security personnel who had tried to stop the attack had said that the shooters didn't try to kill them, instead shooting them in the arm or the leg to disable them during the attack. The shooters kept firing at the baseball team and nobody else. It seemed as if they were the specific target of the attackers and no one else.

Two burnt patches of sand and grass marked the places where the two suicide bombers who had initiated the attack had blown themselves up. The two shooters who came after the bombers had their bodies carted away by the coroner's office for autopsy. The weapons that they had been carrying were now marked on the ground and left in place as evidence in a criminal investigation. But it was the home dugout that drew Evan's attention the most. Evan had seen his fair share of the bloody aftermath of various crimes and killings and such, and the home dugout looked like it had been the site of a massacre, which it was. Blood had been spattered all over the dugout and there were bullet impact marks all over the place as well.

Evan ran a trained eye over what we was already beginning to think of as the crime scene, trying to find answers to the questions that were sure to be asked of him and the investigating team by the inevitable media firestorm that was to come. He then turned around and watched as a woman wearing a police jacket over what appeared to be a very nice and expensive white dress walked over to him. "What happened, Vickers, did they drag you away from your date for this?" he asked her.

"Very funny, Martin," Detective Claire Vickers of the Riuwiee Police Department replied to Evan's friendly jibe. Despite the twenty-year age gap between them, the two of them were actually good friends. "Well, Detective Martin, you're right," Claire replied in an overly serious tone, "I was indeed called away from my intimate dinner with my romantic partner to stand around the middle of a baseball park. Although I have to say that you're not looking too shabby yourself, Evan. I've never seen you all dressed up and in a bow tie before."

Evan touched the black bow tie around the collar of his suit. "Oh, this little thing?" he asked. "As it turns out, Detective Vickers, I was having dinner with Congressman Greene at the Club America before I was summoned to look at this abattoir that suddenly appeared here in Riuwiee Stadium. Heck, Claire, this isn't even a real bow tie; it's just a clip-on. I can't tie one of these things to save my life." He unclipped the bow tie and let the loose ends dangle around his neck.

"So, what do you think, Claire?" Evan asked after a moment. "Is this a terrorist attack or what?"

"The MO fits the profile of a classic attack but the targets don't," Claire replied almost immediately.

"So it's not just me who thinks there's something fishy about this."

"The objective of any terror attack is to spread fear and kill as many people as possible," Claire said. "But based on what the survivors have been telling me, the bombers went for the Revolution's coaching staff--shit, one of them even bear-hugged Quentin Keppler before he detonated his bomb, and then the shooters jumped out and began firing at the team. Just the Revolution, though, not the ferrets or the security or even the spectators. I'll say it again; this whole thing doesn't make any sense. And the attack was localized right here inside the stadium. No other attacks anywhere else in Riuwiee or the whole country while these guys were shooting up the Revolution. That means that most probably, these guys' targets were the Revolution. But why them? What has the Revolution done to make themselves the target of a terrorist group?"

"I don't know, Claire," Evan admitted. "Maybe because the Revolution has been underachieving ever since we came in second place against the Bat Slaves in the Sixth Baseball Slam. Three straight Slams in which we got beat by teams we shouldn't have any business losing to in the semifinals and then having to settle for third place. It's enough to give you a case of chronic disappointment. I guess some people just couldn't take the strain anymore and they did what they've probably always wanted to do to the Revolution."

"Ugh, men and sports," Claire snorted. "I mean, I'm a Pilken girl through and through, and I support the Blue Sox with all my heart, but I wouldn't think about going to Fenrir Park and gunning down the players just because they've been underperforming in the league recently. But my dad, my brothers, my uncles, my grandfathers; heck, all of my male relatives will probably want to go to the team headquarters and demand that the Blue Sox trade off the deadwood at gunpoint or something like it. Do anything to get us away from the bottom of the division. You really think that a group of very, very angry fans could have done this?"

"That's what we're here to find out, Claire." Evan then waved to another officer wearing a neatly cut suit that strained to rein in his bulging muscles and called him over to them. "Hey, Felix!" he shouted. "What's the final count?"

Felix Peterson, a big hulk of a man who was easily the biggest and tallest member of the Riuwiee PD, walked over to Martin and Vickers, carrying a notebook that looked absurdly tiny in his huge hand. He was the on-duty inspector of the local precinct in which the Riuwiee National Stadium was located and therefore within his jurisdiction, and Peterson had been one of the first responders to arrive at the scene in the aftermath of the attacks. "The final count is at seven dead, sir," Peterson replied to Martin's question. "Not including the terrorists, that is. Two staffers of the national baseball team were killed, along with five players. At least ten other players are injured with two of them touch and go according to the paramedics. Everyone in the stadium security staff was injured, most of them in the shootout that occurred after the initial bombings. Other than that, sir, there's nothing much more that I can tell you," Peterson finished.

"Would you mind walking us through what we do know, Felix?" Evan Martin asked.

"Yes, sir, of course, sir," Peterson replied. "Follow me, sir." Evan and Claire followed his lead. "Everyone agrees that the attack started here, right in front of the home dugout," Peterson said, pointing at the first patch of burnt grass and sand. "According to witnesses, two fans jumped over the advertising boards and ran for the dugout. One of those fans went and grabbed the manager, Quentin Keppler, and quote-unquote 'bear-hugged' him. That was when that fan blew up, literally. The other fan that ran out to the field with him then turned around and also blew himself up in front of the pursuing security. After that, our two shooters came in. Eyewitness accounts vary on when the shooters entered the stadium, however. Some say that they went in immediately after the second bomber blew himself up, while others say that it took some time before the shooters went in. The shooters then opened fire on the rest of the stadium security that were still standing after the bombings. After they had dealt with the security, the shooters then opened fire on the home dugout.

"Now here is where things get interesting, sir," Peterson continued. "Remember when I told you about most of the security staff getting injured during the shootings? That's because the shooters actually targeted them all. But either they were very poor shots or very good ones because almost none of the security people were hit in areas that would have been fatal."

"Now that is very interesting," Martin said. "Continue."

"Of course, sir," Peterson nodded. "So after the shooters took care of the security, they opened fire on the home dugout. A lot of the Revolution's players got hit during that part of the attack, and most of them who died, died there as well. And then one of the Revolution players, Ibrahim Ahmadinejad--would you believe it, sir? Ahmadinejad went up to one of the shooters and clobbers him in the back of the head with his baseball bat. The other shooter notices this and tries to shoot Ahmadinejad, but the shooter runs out of ammo before he could hit Ahmadinejad more than once. The remaining shooter tried to reload his weapon but then got taken out by someone else."

"Who's this Good Samaritan who saved the life of the Armored Dinner Jacket and finished off the last shooter?" Claire Vickers asked Peterson. "Did you manage to get a name or even just a face?"

"Oh, just some off-duty cop from across the strait in Releinthi named, er," Peterson mumbled as he searched through his notepad for the correct name. "Yeah, there he is. His name is Zachary Tyler."

"Wait a minute, Felix, did you just say Zachary Tyler?" Evan Martin asked. "From Releinthi?"

"Yes, sir," Peterson replied. "You know him, sir?"

"Only all too well," Martin replied. "Where did you say he was right now?"

"Over there with the paramedics, I believe." Peterson pointed at the row of ambulances waiting just inside the diamond of Riuwiee Stadium.

"Okay, I'll go talk to him, see if he can tell us anything more about this attack," Martin said. "Claire, go and help out Felix with whatever else that needs to be done."

"Got that, chief," Vickers said as Martin walked away from them and towards the paramedics.

[Nova Anglicana]

Nova Anglicana First Half Review and Second Half Preview

Clayton Cole, Londinium Courier

Series 1: Fungsland

The Lions kicked off their WBC with a sweep of unranked Fungsland. Unsurprising though this was, the scrappy underdogs put up a fight in games 2 and 3. After the Lions put a hurt on Geoffrey Merrill in game 1, scoring 9 runs through 4 innings en route to a 10-4 win, they jumped out to a 5-0 lead through 4 innings in game 2. But then the bats went cold and Darren Lawson ran into some trouble in the 8th, He walked the DH Kelly Lyons and allowed a sharp single to pinch-hitter Justin Graves. On came Chris Yates to face Edward Saunders; Saunders bunted the runners over to third and second. Raymond Watkins singled back up the middle to score Lyons and Graves and make it 5-3. Yates struck out Everett, but Roger McGuire tripled in Watkins and Orlando Murray made the move for Casey Burke, who got Jesse Davidson to ground out to second. Nick Christensen struck out the side in the 9th for the save. In game 3, the Lions rallied from a 2-1 deficit by scoring three runs in the last three innings to win 4-2.

Prediction: The Lions should sweep again, or at least take 2 of 3. More importantly, they need a sweep to really start battling for first place.

Series 2: Drawkland

After the bullpen allowed Drawkland to win late in game 1 (5-3), the Lions bounced back and got two-run hits from both Jake Bryan and Seth Armstrong that contributed to their 5-3 win in game 2. But game 3 saw the Lions rally to take the lead in the 8th, only to have Nick Christensen surrender a walk-off grand slam. Drawkland is a good team, ranked 14th in the world, but the Lions probably should have won that series. If the bullpen hadn't struggled so mightily, then the Lions might be looking at 2-1 or 3-0 in that series. It's especially galling given Drawkland's 6-9 overall record and the fact that they spent some time at the bottom of the group.

Prediction: If the Lions want to stay in it, they have to win 2 of 3. And that's what they're going to do. More importantly, they have to show that they can win against stronger teams if they want to make a deep run in the playoffs.

Series 3: Cosumar

Cosumar are the group leaders by one game (11-4 to the Lions' 10-5), and this series is the difference. The Dragons are a formidable and veteran team, but they aren't on the same level as Nova Anglicana. But they looked clearly like the better team in game 1, as they battered Darren Lawson for five runs in five innings and shutout the Lions 7-0. Ben Clayton restored order to the series and allowed just one run across seven innings. The Lions only scored three runs in the game, but jumping on Ingo Bischopps for two runs early made the difference and they won 3-1. In game 3, Ezra McElgland simply outdueled Nate McLaughlin, allowing one run in eight innings to McLaughlin's two in seven innings. It was the bats that failed in this series, scoring just four runs in the three games. They'll have to wake up to win.

Prediction: The Lions get the Dragons at home, and they seem to have come back to earth a little after their 10-2 start. The consistency of the Lions will show up and they'll take 2 of 3.

Series 4: Gratissima

Damian Ryan pitched a serviceable 6 innings and allowed 3 runs in game 1, but it was solo homers from Michael Holt and pinch-hitter Karl Austin that gave the Lions the 4-3 come from behind win. In game 2, Damon Singleton got battered around, walking three and allowing eight hits in a 5 inning, 7 run performance. To add insult to injury, Matthew Drake gave up a two-run homer in the 6th to put the Lions behind 9-1, and they eventually lost 10-1 in a disgraceful performance. But Darren Lawson would gut out 8 innings and 4 runs while the offense scored 1 in the 1st, 2 in the 2nd, and 3 in the 3rd, jumping out to a 6-2 lead, which ended in a 7-4 win for the Lions. Their second series won put them at 7-5, but still with a lot of kinks to iron out.

Prediction: The Lions usually stumble somewhere, so even though they should sweep this team, they'll only take 2 of 3.

Series 5: Juvencus

Juvencus has only two starters, both teenagers, so many were expecting an easy sweep for the Lions. And the Lions did sweep, but it wasn't easy. In game 1, Ben Clayton tossed a complete-game shutout, striking out eight and walking four to go with three hits. But Felice Amantea, despite pitching his 7th game out of 13, only allowed three runs in seven innings and the Lions came away with a 3-0 win. In game 2, Nate McLaughlin pitched six shutout innings with seven strikeouts before being lifted for a pinch-hitter, and Matthew Drake, Will Thornton, and Nick Christensen finished out the shutout. But despite the Juvencus bats being silent, Ulderico Gallo pitched seven and a third shutout innings, only faltering when Seth Armstrong blasted a two-run homer in the 8th for the game's only scoring. In game 3, Damian Ryan yielded two runs in seven innings for the win, but Amantea, pitching for the second time in three days, managed to deliver a quality start of six innings and three runs. The Lions broke it open in the 7th against Celeste Marchand, but the 6-2 win was no easy feat. Juvencus played well, but came up empty, and that's just what the Lions needed.

Prediction: Series sweep, as the Juvencus arms will be too tired at the end of a long campaign. And really, the Lions need to sweep and finish strong. This series will be important for playoff position.

Second-half Prediction: 12-3, for an overall 22-8 record. That should hopefully get them first place and a decent seed.

[Sangti]

NEW SANGTI INQUIRER
only 12 Sangs!

SPORTS NEWS
WBC 42: 'We should not be complacent' - Deligero
by Rafael Sigua Jr

CIUDAD NUEVO SANGTI - The Indios may have the lead after fifteen games, but Monica Deligero aren't taking any chances yet.

The Sangtian manager has reminded her players to focus on the games for the second half of the group stage and not on the playoff matches that the horizon may bring. The Indios currently lead Group 3 with a 11-4 record, two games ahead of their next opponent, and second placed Azadeshia, who will they play next. Losing 0-3 in this 3-game series may put the group very wide open, with Darmen waiting for any spoils the Indios may have after the game.

"Of course, we cannot underestimate any of these teams." Deligero said while speaking to the local and international press after their marvelous performance against Vakolicci Haven and Celeria, where they only allowed a total of two runs from their opponents in three games, and score two shutouts. However, the thirteenth game of the series could have been anybody's game, and a perfectly executed run to the home plate by MJ Samaniego after a sacrifice fly by Cindy Acasia with just one out at the top of the 12th inning.

The Sangtians though had to wait until the start of the sixth inning to log a score in the second game. The floodgates were opened when Richie Joy Taripan scored a two run homer, followed by consecutive home runs by Acasia and Nivram Baradies. The scored another home run by Remy Magtalas as they complete a 5-0 shutout. New Sangti completed the rout on their third game, scoring freely starting on the second inning with three runs, followed by a 6-run fifth inning that completely silenced the home crowd.

Assuming no injuries would happen, New Sangti will have the same pitching rotation and order for the second half of the group stage.