World Baseball Classic 44- Everything Thread (IC)

[Vangaziland]

Royals Prepare For Equestrian States

Vangaziland would look to Match Day 9 for inspiration on how to face the Ponies. On that day, Vangaziland won 8-5. Nate Henli has since had trouble with EQS. In the latest match, Equestrian States seemed to have figured out Nate Henli and the Royals. Many wonder how the Royals will prepare for this next match against EQS.

"The Royals can't bring the same old baseball", said Deter J. Piff, co-host of the show 'Last Minute'. "They've got to be dynamic with their hitting, fielding or pitching. Possibly all three."

Co-host Chip Maydress added, "It's all on the line, right here. Right now. We've already seen the Royals blow some big games against teams like Gor Kebab. If they can't beat Equestrian States right now, then they wouldn't even have a chance in the playoffs anyway. They need to step up and show they can beat higher ranked teams. It's more than a qualification thing."

When 'Last Minute' criticizes a Vannish team, the athletes feel the pressure. This is the number one sports talk show in an Empire that stretches from the Far North Atlantic, to Asia, to Africa, to Esportiva and now to Atlantian Oceania. The fanbase is voracious with a healthy appetite for Vannish sports.

The National Baseball Team is also feeling increased pressure because of what's happening in other sports. Both the Vannish and Wrexish national lacrosse teams have won titles, one after the other. Vannish basketball recently won the IBC. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Vannish soccer team has once again folded from competition, not competing in the latest edition of the World Cup. The Vannish gridiron team is considered on thin ice. Baseball is at a place where it can end up on either end of the spectrum based on this season.

Vannish baseball is known for finishing 3rd in a given group. They find themselves sitting in that position with a strong chance to take 2nd. World Baseball Classic 44 has been one of the Royals' most spirited seasons on the baseball diamond. Many analysts believe this may be Vangaziland's best chance to advance in several seasons.

"We've got to take the game one inning at a time", said Coach Don Haverly. "We may try some new things out on the mound. Let's see what happens. The pressure is definitely on." The truth is that Coach Haverly's job may be on the line. If Vangaziland can't get it done when they seem to be playing at their best, they clearly need a change.

Nate Henli has had a rough go against the Ponies this season. "This is a team that really challenges you as a pitcher", Henli said. "You know the Ponies will bring it. My job on the mound is to try to set the tone. If I can establish the feel of the game, we'll be in a good way."

Manny Mathissen, closer for the bullpen, seemed excited for the game. Manny missed 4 games with a thigh injury before returning to the lineup. "I'm feeling good", the pitcher said about his injury. "If things go well, I hope to find myself in a spot to close out the game. My role is unique in that I come in so late, if at all. A lot depends on what happens in the game's first few hours." He spoke of the feeling of being called up. "There's nothing like going into the bullpen and throwing that first pitch. It's electric. Your mind thinks about nothing but that moment when you first step onto the dirt for real.

Pete Kelderssen has been one of the Vannish hitters with a hot bat. "I feel like it's the part of the season where we all hope we haven't used up all the positive at-bats for our averages", said the second baseman through a big smile. News that Pete signed a big contract with his domestic team likely added to his happy demeanor. "We'll see what the pitchers bring us. The way the ball is traveling might determine our hitting strategy."

Chuck Endo spoke of play on the fielding side of things. "We've got to stay alert. We can't afford any errors", said the shortstop. "None. As few gaffs or hiccups as possible. We took a game from Cassadaigua. If we play efficiently, we can win this game. Here's what a lot of people are forgetting though. We need to show up for the other games too. This needs to be a perfect three game stretch."

The Royals will face the Ponies in Vangaziland on Match Day 29.

[Tierra de Castro]

“So what is the situation right now then?” El Presidente enquired eagerly. “What do we need to do to get to the play-offs?”

“Our record is currently 16-11, level with Alpine Union and both with three games to go. As long as we win one more than them in the remaining three games we will qualify.” The Minister for Sport replied, wheezing slightly as he tried to keep pace with El Presidente as they walked along the veranda of the Presidential Palace. He had been scheduled to update him on the progress of the Castrollano boxing program, they had invested significant funding into gyms all over the country and the Minister for Sport had expected El Presidente to ask if the investment was paying off – instead, he was taking an interest in baseball in a way he never had done before.

“And what if the two sides end up on the same record?”

“Well, it will then go down to head-to-head results between the two teams.”

“And where do we stand with that?”

“We have the advantage, we’ve won four out of the six games between the two sides.”

“Intriguing.”

“Very much so El Presidente, I certainly didn’t expect the boys to do quite this well in their first appearance at the tournament.”

“It’s all very good for our public image, Minister. I’m extremely pleased with how it has all gone. The people love baseball and our team doing so well creates a feeling around the country that can’t quite be matched.”

“Yes sir.”

“We can use this, as we discussed in our last meeting. Whatever the result, I feel like I should greet the team in La Habana and congratulate them on their efforts. We have done supremely well and the public would probably like to see the team getting some credit for it.”

“We will organise that sir. What if they qualify to the play-offs? Do you think it would be wise to greet them before a play-off game?”

“No, good point Minister.” El Presidente said, stroking his chin. “We will leave it until the team exit the tournament, that way we can welcome them home like heroes and be done with it, have a little closure for this chapter of the team’s history.”

“Well, hopefully we’ll be greeting them in a few weeks rather than a few days.” The Minister for Sport chuckled.

“Absolutely Minister. Who do we have to play in our final few games?”

“Nova Anglicana and the Royal Kingdom of Quebec on the road and then we finish up with Loshos at the Centro Nacional.”

“Tough games?”

“Yes, well, the first one is the most difficult. Nova Anglicana are one of the top-ranked teams in world baseball, 6th best actually. It took them a while to get going in this Classic but they now look like they will secure the number one spot in our group. They’re three wins ahead of us.”

“So we could catch them?”

“We could in theory, but they would need to lose all three of their games and we would have to win all three of ours.”

“I see. Not impossible then… What about the other two? These Royals,” El Presidente spat the word with hatred that he made no attempt to disguise whatsoever. “What about them?”

“They’re not as highly ranked, 29th in the world and they’ve not had a very successful tournament. They have a 12-15 record and are out of contention for a play-off spot, we’ve been a little inconsistent against them though – although we’ve gotten better as the tournament has gone on, definitely.”

“That’s good. Hopefully we can negotiate that one without too much trouble then. I would love to be able to describe how we crushed them to qualify to the play-offs, demonstrating the superiority of our political system once and for all.”

“Yes sir. I’m hopeful we will do well against them this time. If we beat them and Loshos we should secure the play-off spot, I believe. The Nova Anglicana game is a bit of a free hit for us.”

“I wouldn’t be too blasé about it, Minister, we must go into every game with the attitude that we have to win it. I’ve not always been a fan of baseball, but with both us and the Alpine Union with 16-11 records, we’ve got to really stake a claim for that play-off spot by going out and winning the final three games so we know one-hundred percent we will be there.”

“I understand Presidente.”

“Ensure that you meet the players before each game and assert the importance of each game to our country and to the people. It will be a great story if we can get to the play-offs and we could do with one of those right now.”

“I know sir, has there been any news on the collapsed mine in the west?”

“Not yet. But they believe there’s going to be a high number of deaths. This success could be the difference between the people taking notice or not.”

“I shall do my utmost to make sure the players know sir.”

“Good.” El Presidente replied, pulling out a cigar. “That will be all Minister.”

“Thank-you sir.” The Minister for Sport shook his superior’s hand and turned to walk away, wheezing as he waddled off.

“Oh, sir?” He shouted back down the veranda. “I almost forgot to mention, the investment in boxing looks to be working!”

“I’m glad to hear it Minister,” El Presidente shouted back, puffing on his cigar. “But right now, it’s all about baseball – even for me!”

[Newmanistan]

Matchday 28:

Group 1
Knessniet                0 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 1  5
Notoria                  0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 1  3

Drawkland                0 0 2 0 0 4 0 1 0  7
Scootalove City          0 0 2 0 1 3 0 3 X  9

Hicaña                   0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0
The Greater Nordics      6 2 0 4 2 1 0 1 X 16


  Group 1                 Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Scootalove City          28   20   8   158   90  +68    60
2 Drawkland                28   16  12   131  119  +12    48
3 Knessniet                28   14  14   125  104  +21    42
4 The Greater Nordics      28   12  16   106  121  −15    36
5 Hicaña                   28   12  16   106  149  −43    36
6 Notoria                  28   10  18    91  134  −43    30

Group 2
Melbergia                0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0  2
Vangaziland              1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 X  3

Gor Kebab                1 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0  3
Equestrian States        0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1  2

Cassadaigua              1 3 0 0 2 0 0 0 1  7
Suryak                   2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  2


  Group 2                 Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Cassadaigua              28   23   5   164   87  +77    69
2 Vangaziland              28   17  11   112  104   +8    51
3 Equestrian States        28   16  12   143  125  +18    48
4 Gor Kebab                28   11  17    92  124  −32    33
5 Suryak                   28   10  18   101  132  −31    30
6 Melbergia                28    7  21    98  138  −40    21

Group 3
South Covello            0 0 0 0 2 0 6 2 0 10
Eraman                   1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1  2

The Sherpa Empire        1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0  3
West Phoenicia           1 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 4  7

Shayla                   2 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0  3
Tenburg                  2 0 1 7 0 1 1 0 X 12


  Group 3                 Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 West Phoenicia           28   23   5   193  108  +85    69
2 The Sherpa Empire        28   17  11   132  123   +9    51
3 South Covello            28   15  13   150  138  +12    45
4 Eraman                   28   12  16   123  148  −25    36
5 Tenburg                  28    9  19   148  160  −12    27
6 Shayla                   28    8  20    94  163  −69    24

Group 4
Tjorl                        0 1 0 0 2 0 0 1 0  4
Northwest Kalactin           0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  2

Ethane                       0 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0  4
Newmanistan                  1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  1

Lisander                     0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0  1
Dharoka                      0 1 0 0 0 5 1 0 X  7


  Group 4                     Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Newmanistan                  28   23   5   153   84  +69    69
2 Ethane                       28   22   6   155   90  +65    66
3 Tjorl                        28   12  16   101  121  −20    36
4 Dharoka                      28   11  17   114  147  −33    33
5 Lisander                     28   10  18    91  115  −24    30
6 Northwest Kalactin           28    6  22    93  150  −57    18

Group 5
Royal Kingdom of Quebec      1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1  3
Alpine Union                 0 0 1 0 2 2 0 0 X  5

Loshos                       1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  1
Beepee                       0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 X  2

Tierra de Castro             0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0  1
Nova Anglicana               0 2 1 0 1 3 0 0 X  7


  Group 5                     Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Nova Anglicana               28   20   8   137   99  +38    60
2 Alpine Union                 28   17  11   145  128  +17    51
3 Tierra de Castro             28   16  12   139  106  +33    48
4 Beepee                       28   15  13   122  123   −1    45
5 Royal Kingdom of Quebec      28   12  16   108  132  −24    36
6 Loshos                       28    4  24    79  142  −63    12

Group 6
Titaniumland                 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 2 1  6
Fungsland                    0 0 1 0 2 1 1 2 X  7

Maklohi Vai                  0 0 1 2 5 0 0 0 0 0 0  8
Free Republics               0 0 1 1 3 2 0 0 1 0 1  9

Saint Agnesia                0 0 0 1 3 2 0 1 0  7
Liventia                     0 1 0 3 2 1 0 7 X 14


  Group 6                     Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Free Republics               28   21   7   161   96  +65    63
2 Liventia                     28   18  10   154  113  +41    54
3 Maklohi Vai                  28   14  14   139  136   +3    42
4 Fungsland                    28   11  17   116  142  −26    33
5 Titaniumland                 28   10  18   125  155  −30    30
6 Saint Agnesia                28   10  18   111  164  −53    30

Group 7
Wuriya                      0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1  1
Hampton Island              0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 X  3

New Sportland               0 2 0 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  6
Oscioru                     1 0 0 1 1 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 2  8

Lycrabon                    0 0 0 0 0 2 7 5 0 14
Super-Llamaland             0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0


  Group 7                    Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Hampton Island              28   19   9   130   98  +32    57
2 Lycrabon                    28   18  10   142   99  +43    54
3 Super-Llamaland             28   17  11   124  114  +10    51
4 Wuriya                      28   11  17   116  121   −5    33
5 Oscioru                     28   11  17   108  131  −23    33
6 New Sportland               28    8  20    93  150  −57    24

Group 8
People Who Have Issues      1 5 0 3 0 0 0 0 1 10
Anthor                      0 0 0 4 0 1 1 1 0  7

Ko-oren                     0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0  2
Ranoria                     0 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 X  4

St Saratoga                 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 6  7
Schiltzberg                 0 1 0 2 3 0 0 0 0  6


  Group 8                    Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Schiltzberg                 28   19   9   150  111  +39    57
2 Ko-oren                     28   16  12   112  124  −12    48
3 St Saratoga                 28   15  13   145  128  +17    45
4 Anthor                      28   12  16   129  125   +4    36
5 People Who Have Issues      28   11  17   131  142  −11    33
6 Ranoria                     28   11  17   123  160  −37    33

Group 9
Cosumar                     1 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 3 0  6
Abanhfleft                  0 2 1 0 0 0 2 0 1 1  7

Banija                      0 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 0  4
Filindostan                 1 0 0 0 4 0 1 0 X  6

Saintland                   0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0  1
Aureumterra                 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 X  2


  Group 9                    Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Banija                      28   19   9   143   96  +47    57
2 Abanhfleft                  28   17  11   130   93  +37    51
3 Cosumar                     28   14  14   139  117  +22    42
4 Saintland                   28   13  15   102  116  −14    39
5 Filindostan                 28   11  17   100  136  −36    33
6 Aureumterra                 28   10  18    94  150  −56    30

Matchday 29:

Group 1
Hicaña                   6 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 1 10
Knessniet                0 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0  3

The Greater Nordics      0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3  4
Drawkland                0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1  2

Scootalove City          0 0 0 0 5 0 0 1 0 0 0 0  6
Notoria                  0 3 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 2  8


  Group 1                 Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Scootalove City          29   20   9   164   98  +66    60
2 Drawkland                29   16  13   133  123  +10    48
3 Knessniet                29   14  15   128  114  +14    42
4 The Greater Nordics      29   13  16   110  123  −13    39
5 Hicaña                   29   13  16   116  152  −36    39
6 Notoria                  29   11  18    99  140  −41    33

Group 2
Cassadaigua              3 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2  7
Melbergia                1 1 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0  5

Suryak                   0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0  2
Gor Kebab                0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0

Equestrian States        0 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 0  3
Vangaziland              0 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 1  4


  Group 2                 Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Cassadaigua              29   24   5   171   92  +79    72
2 Vangaziland              29   18  11   116  107   +9    54
3 Equestrian States        29   16  13   146  129  +17    48
4 Suryak                   29   11  18   103  132  −29    33
5 Gor Kebab                29   11  18    92  126  −34    33
6 Melbergia                29    7  22   103  145  −42    21

Group 3
Shayla                   0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0
South Covello            0 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 X  4

Tenburg                  1 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0  3
The Sherpa Empire        0 1 0 0 2 0 0 1 X  4

West Phoenicia           0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0  2
Eraman                   0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0  1


  Group 3                 Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 West Phoenicia           29   24   5   195  109  +86    72
2 The Sherpa Empire        29   18  11   136  126  +10    54
3 South Covello            29   16  13   154  138  +16    48
4 Eraman                   29   12  17   124  150  −26    36
5 Tenburg                  29    9  20   151  164  −13    27
6 Shayla                   29    8  21    94  167  −73    24

Group 4
Lisander                     0 0 3 0 0 0 1 0 0  4
Tjorl                        0 1 0 2 2 0 1 0 X  6

Dharoka                      0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 3  4
Ethane                       0 5 0 0 0 3 1 0 X  9

Newmanistan                  1 0 1 0 2 0 1 0 0  5
Northwest Kalactin           0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 0  3


  Group 4                     Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Newmanistan                  29   24   5   158   87  +71    72
2 Ethane                       29   23   6   164   94  +70    69
3 Tjorl                        29   13  16   107  125  −18    39
4 Dharoka                      29   11  18   118  156  −38    33
5 Lisander                     29   10  19    95  121  −26    30
6 Northwest Kalactin           29    6  23    96  155  −59    18

Group 5
Tierra de Castro             1 0 0 0 0 0 4 1 0  6
Royal Kingdom of Quebec      0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0  1

Nova Anglicana               0 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 1  5
Loshos                       0 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 0  3

Beepee                       0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0  2
Alpine Union                 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0  1


  Group 5                     Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Nova Anglicana               29   21   8   142  102  +40    63
2 Tierra de Castro             29   17  12   145  107  +38    51
3 Alpine Union                 29   17  12   146  130  +16    51
4 Beepee                       29   16  13   124  124    0    48
5 Royal Kingdom of Quebec      29   12  17   109  138  −29    36
6 Loshos                       29    4  25    82  147  −65    12

Group 6
Saint Agnesia                0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0  2
Titaniumland                 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 X  3

Liventia                     1 0 0 3 3 5 2 1 0 15
Maklohi Vai                  0 0 1 0 3 0 0 2 0  6

Free Republics               0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0
Fungsland                    0 0 0 1 0 2 0 0 X  3


  Group 6                     Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Free Republics               29   21   8   161   99  +62    63
2 Liventia                     29   19  10   169  119  +50    57
3 Maklohi Vai                  29   14  15   145  151   −6    42
4 Fungsland                    29   12  17   119  142  −23    36
5 Titaniumland                 29   11  18   128  157  −29    33
6 Saint Agnesia                29   10  19   113  167  −54    30

Group 7
Lycrabon                    0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 2  5
Wuriya                      0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 1  3

Super-Llamaland             0 2 1 3 0 0 0 0 0  6
New Sportland               1 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 0  4

Oscioru                     0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0
Hampton Island              4 0 3 0 1 0 0 0 X  8


  Group 7                    Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Hampton Island              29   20   9   138   98  +40    60
2 Lycrabon                    29   19  10   147  102  +45    57
3 Super-Llamaland             29   18  11   130  118  +12    54
4 Wuriya                      29   11  18   119  126   −7    33
5 Oscioru                     29   11  18   108  139  −31    33
6 New Sportland               29    8  21    97  156  −59    24

Group 8
St Saratoga                 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0  1
People Who Have Issues      0 0 0 0 0 0 4 5 X  9

Schiltzberg                 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 1 0  4
Ko-oren                     0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  1

Ranoria                     0 0 2 0 2 0 1 0 0  5
Anthor                      0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  1


  Group 8                    Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Schiltzberg                 29   20   9   154  112  +42    60
2 Ko-oren                     29   16  13   113  128  −15    48
3 St Saratoga                 29   15  14   146  137   +9    45
4 Anthor                      29   12  17   130  130    0    36
5 People Who Have Issues      29   12  17   140  143   −3    36
6 Ranoria                     29   12  17   128  161  −33    36

Group 9
Saintland                   0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 0  3
Cosumar                     3 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 X  6

Aureumterra                 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0  1
Banija                      0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 X  2

Filindostan                 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0
Abanhfleft                  0 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 X  3


  Group 9                    Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Banija                      29   20   9   145   97  +48    60
2 Abanhfleft                  29   18  11   133   93  +40    54
3 Cosumar                     29   15  14   145  120  +25    45
4 Saintland                   29   13  16   105  122  −17    39
5 Filindostan                 29   11  18   100  139  −39    33
6 Aureumterra                 29   10  19    95  152  −57    30

Matchday 30:

Group 1
Knessniet                0 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0  3
Scootalove City          2 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 X  4

Notoria                  0 0 0 1 0 0 3 0 0  4
The Greater Nordics      0 2 0 4 1 0 0 1 X  8

Drawkland                2 1 0 0 0 0 0 4 0  7
Hicaña                   0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0  1


  Group 1                 Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Scootalove City          30   21   9   168  101  +67    63  Q
2 Drawkland                30   17  13   140  124  +16    51  Q
3 Knessniet                30   14  16   131  118  +13    42
4 The Greater Nordics      30   14  16   118  127   −9    42
5 Hicaña                   30   13  17   117  159  −42    39
6 Notoria                  30   11  19   103  148  −45    33

Group 2
Melbergia                1 1 0 1 3 0 0 0 0  6
Equestrian States        3 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 2  8

Vangaziland              0 0 3 1 0 0 0 0 0  4
Suryak                   0 5 0 0 1 0 0 1 X  7

Gor Kebab                2 0 1 0 0 0 4 0 0  7
Cassadaigua              2 0 0 1 0 0 0 3 0  6


  Group 2                 Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Cassadaigua              30   24   6   177   99  +78    72  Q
2 Vangaziland              30   18  12   120  114   +6    54  Q
3 Equestrian States        30   17  13   154  135  +19    51
4 Suryak                   30   12  18   110  136  −26    36
5 Gor Kebab                30   12  18    99  132  −33    36
6 Melbergia                30    7  23   109  153  −44    21

Group 3
South Covello            0 1 0 0 3 0 3 0 0  7
West Phoenicia           0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1  2

Eraman                   0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0  2
Tenburg                  0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 X  3

The Sherpa Empire        1 1 1 2 0 0 0 0 0  5
Shayla                   1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0  3


  Group 3                 Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 West Phoenicia           30   24   6   197  116  +81    72  Q
2 The Sherpa Empire        30   19  11   141  129  +12    57  Q
3 South Covello            30   17  13   161  140  +21    51
4 Eraman                   30   12  18   126  153  −27    36
5 Tenburg                  30   10  20   154  166  −12    30
6 Shayla                   30    8  22    97  172  −75    24

Group 4
Tjorl                        0 0 2 0 4 0 0 0 0  6
Newmanistan                  2 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 2  8

Northwest Kalactin           1 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 0  4
Dharoka                      0 0 1 0 0 0 1 3 X  5

Ethane                       0 0 4 0 0 0 1 4 0  9
Lisander                     1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0  4


  Group 4                     Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Newmanistan                  30   25   5   166   93  +73    75  Q
2 Ethane                       30   24   6   173   98  +75    72  Q
3 Tjorl                        30   13  17   113  133  −20    39
4 Dharoka                      30   12  18   123  160  −37    36
5 Lisander                     30   10  20    99  130  −31    30
6 Northwest Kalactin           30    6  24   100  160  −60    18

Group 5
Royal Kingdom of Quebec      0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0  2
Beepee                       1 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 X  3

Alpine Union                 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2  3
Nova Anglicana               1 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 X  4

Loshos                       0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1  2
Tierra de Castro             0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2  3


  Group 5                     Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Nova Anglicana               30   22   8   146  105  +41    66  Q
2 Tierra de Castro             30   18  12   148  109  +39    54  Q
3 Alpine Union                 30   17  13   149  134  +15    51
4 Beepee                       30   17  13   127  126   +1    51
5 Royal Kingdom of Quebec      30   12  18   111  141  −30    36
6 Loshos                       30    4  26    84  150  −66    12

Group 6
Titaniumland                 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0
Free Republics               0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 X  3

Fungsland                    0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0  2
Liventia                     0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0

Maklohi Vai                  0 0 0 1 0 0 0 4 0  5
Saint Agnesia                2 0 0 0 0 2 1 1 X  6


  Group 6                     Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Free Republics               30   22   8   164   99  +65    66  Q
2 Liventia                     30   19  11   169  121  +48    57  Q
3 Maklohi Vai                  30   14  16   150  157   −7    42
4 Fungsland                    30   13  17   121  142  −21    39
5 Titaniumland                 30   11  19   128  160  −32    33
6 Saint Agnesia                30   11  19   119  172  −53    33

Group 7
Wuriya                      0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 1  3
Oscioru                     0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1  1

Hampton Island              0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 1  4
Super-Llamaland             0 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0  3

New Sportland               0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0  1
Lycrabon                    5 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 X  8


  Group 7                    Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Hampton Island              30   21   9   142  101  +41    63  Q
2 Lycrabon                    30   20  10   155  103  +52    60  Q
3 Super-Llamaland             30   18  12   133  122  +11    54
4 Wuriya                      30   12  18   122  127   −5    36
5 Oscioru                     30   11  19   109  142  −33    33
6 New Sportland               30    8  22    98  164  −66    24

Group 8
People Who Have Issues      0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0  1
Ranoria                     0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0

Anthor                      0 1 0 1 2 0 3 0 0  7
Schiltzberg                 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1  2

Ko-oren                     1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 1  4
St Saratoga                 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0  3


  Group 8                    Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Schiltzberg                 30   20  10   156  119  +37    60  Q
2 Ko-oren                     30   17  13   117  131  −14    51  Q
3 St Saratoga                 30   15  15   149  141   +8    45
4 Anthor                      30   13  17   137  132   +5    39
5 People Who Have Issues      30   13  17   141  143   −2    39
6 Ranoria                     30   12  18   128  162  −34    36

Group 9
Cosumar                     0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1  3
Filindostan                 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  2

Abanhfleft                  0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 1  4
Aureumterra                 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0  1

Banija                      2 0 0 0 2 1 4 1 1 11
Saintland                   0 0 2 0 1 0 3 0 2  8


  Group 9                    Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Banija                      30   21   9   156  105  +51    63  Q
2 Abanhfleft                  30   19  11   137   94  +43    57  Q
3 Cosumar                     30   16  14   148  122  +26    48
4 Saintland                   30   13  17   113  133  −20    39
5 Filindostan                 30   11  19   102  142  −40    33
6 Aureumterra                 30   10  20    96  156  −60    30

Playoffs:
Format Reminder:Top two teams per group advance to playoffs. All first place teams, and the five best second place teams will have a bye in the first round. The next four second place teams play in the first round series (15 seed vs 18 seed), (16 seed vs 17 seed). First place teams will be seed 1-9 regardless of record.

Wednesday is a scheduled off day, and the first round games (15 vs 18) and (16 vs 17) begin Thursday, and are a best-of-five. If you are a top-14 seed, you are actually off until Sunday, but each cutoff is a fresh chance for you to earn a new matchday's worth of RP bonus during the first round even if you are idle until Sunday.

(1) Newmanistan vs (16/17 Winner)
(8) Hampton Island vs (9) Schiltzberg
(5) Nova Anglicana vs (12) Liventia
(4) Free Republics vs (13) Abanhfleft
(6) Scootalove City vs (11) Lycrabon
(3) Cassadaigua vs (14) The Sherpa Empire
(7) Banija vs (10) Ethane
(2) West Phoenicia vs (15/18 Winner)

(15) Tierra de Castro vs (18) Ko-oren @ Emperor Michael I Stadium, Pocono City
(16) Vangaziland vs (17) Drawkland @ Tundra Falls Proving Grounds, Tundra Falls

[Lycrabon]

Jays sweep final 3, return to playoffs

ST. CATHERINE - Needing at least two wins to secure a playoff spot, the Lycrabon Blue Jays did one better, sweeping the three games to finish 20-10 and a runner-up finish in the group. The clincher was a 14-0 rout of Super-Llamaland, in which every reliever, minus the suspended Garry Barnett IV, saw action.

The Jays now wait for the round of sixteen matchup against Scootalove City. Barnett will be suspended for that series as well, and would return for the series against the Cassadaigua-Sherpa Empire winner. The rotation for the series will be:

Game 1: 32 Josh Blankenshio
Gane 2: 28 Hunter Anderson
Game 3: 55 Wes Jordan
Game 4 (if needed): 2 Phillip Gilbert
Game 5 (if needed): 99 Brant Powers

With the exception of Powers, all starters vs. the Unicorns are normally relievers

[Ko-oren]

Domestic baseball format put to vote

The twelve professional teams hold their own future. Every team is given one vote, and whether that vote is used by the owner, head coach, star player, or even a poll among fans, every team has 1/12th of the final outcome of the vote.

Many call the vote an overreaction to the numbers presented at the end of last season. While baseball overall had the smallest increase (and sometimes slight decrease) in numbers ranging from membership to attendance, most changes can be explained away by looking at teams moving, cricket having a sudden uprising due to excellent results, and bad performances for teams in two key markets.

The teams may choose between three options: leaving everything as it is, dropping the postseason, and splitting the league into two divisions. But what good would these options do for our twelve teams?

Katashi teams
The two largest markets, the Katashi Generals and the Katashi Giants, would be forced into two different divisions under option three. That would not sit well with either team. Getting rid of the postseason would be meaningless to them as well, given that both of them made it this year. That said, only 25% of teams qualify for the postseason at all, so it would only take away big-selling games that might just sell out the 58,000 Katashi Dome, which would be big money to the teams and the league. The Katashi will likely vote option 1, to keep everything as it is.

Finisterre teams
The Finisterre teams would likely be put in the same division, as they are both near one another but far away enough from the rest to allow them to stick together. They wouldn't mind the extra games between each other, and they don't have a lot of beef with the rest of the league. Getting rid of the postseason is a non-issue to them as they finished 11th and 12th - dead last. It's either safe option 1, or maybe option 3 for these two.

Small town Yoshima teams
As there are six teams in this category, they hold 50% of the vote. This is one important group for the future of the league. Knowing that they would be split among divisions - all six cannot possibly be put in the same division - it only matters that the rivalries stay intact (Echizen v Teragaseki, and Aonishi v Arakura). Even if this happens, travel time will likely increase for these teams in a divisional system, because they won't play each other as often, as they are quite close. The teams without a traditional rival, Suvira and Nitoya, don't seem to have a preference one way or another. Then again, should the rivalries stay intact, we should see a North versus South division - which would mean the Katashi teams must split, or Santa Teresa and Ferrovente should split, or we have a division with 5 out of 6 small town Yoshima teams. No matter what, the league won't make that kind of a division - so we'd see divisions based on DH preferences. Anyway, this group will likely have a few voting for 1, very few for 2, and a few 3's.

Rest of the country teams
Both should like options 1 and 2: either leave it as is, or get rid of extra travelling in the postseason. The biggest challenge to these teams is the distance, they are the largest outliers so whatever happens, they'll be travelling anyway. A division system would also make it hard to form a clear rivalry among each other, which is another missed chance for the league. Option 1 and 2 it is.

[The Sherpa Empire]

‭

----o-֎-o----

‭Chaos reigned in Namche after the Sherpa Empire won their game against Tenburg, clinching a place in the WBC playoffs. Namche was a bit chaotic on the best of days because of the steep streets and the crowded markets, but having a sold-out game at Syangboche, the excitement of clinching a play-off berth, and an ample supply of alcoholic beverages made it more chaotic than usual. Crowds poured out in the streets, some still cheering and waving penants, signs, or other items. Their festive mood seemed to be echoed in the crisp clearness of the sky, the warm glow of the sunset, and the bright colors of the prayer flags that fluttered over the city.

‭Princess Yahia and Empress Tahira were at the game, along with a retinue of servants and body-guards, because Yahia had been quite insistent about wanting to go, and Tahira wanted to be there to keep an eye on her and make sure she didn't do anything undignified. Sending underlings to keep an eye on Yahia had proved ineffective in the past, so Tahira thought "if you want something done right you have to do it yourself," and went to the ballpark herself. It was a chilly day, and Yahia had decided to help everyone beat the cold by buying a round of warm chang for everyone that was sitting near the royal family's seats. It was a good way to warm up, but it also meant more alcohol in people's systems and probably added to the rowdiness of the post-game revelry. They stuck around the stadium for a little while after the game to let the crowds dissipate and the excitement settle down, rather than try to fight their way through the chaos with their whole retinue. Yahia introduced Debashish Morrison to the Empress, but she couldn't chat with him the way she wanted. She still was delighted that the team had made it into the playoffs.

‭The last two innings were tense, with Tenburg scoring in the top of the 8th and threatening to send the game into extra innings, but Nawang Gurung scored in the bottom of the inning to put the Sherpas back on top and Lakpa Fang held the lead through the 9th.

‭

----o-֎-o----

‭When the match-ups for the playoffs were announced, Tashi Siedler scoffed. "Cassadaigua? This'll be a walk in the park."

‭"Tashi, they're the 4th ranked team in the world," Mohn told him.

‭"They're a women's team," said Siedler. "We can beat a bunch of women!"

‭"Tashi! You need to take this seriously!" said Mohn. "We can win this, but not if we're doing a half-assed job because, 'Oh, they're just women.' They might be women, but we've never played them before and they have a very good record. They're not just any Dali, Daki, and Doli off the street."

‭"Okay, but there are biological differences between men and women..."

‭"Hey, Tashi," Usha Chawa interrupted him.

‭"What?"

‭"My coach at my high school told me if you're nervous about a game, you should try to imagine the other team in their underwear, and that'll help you get over your nerves."

‭"I'm not nervous!" Siedler said angrily.

‭"Yeah, but try to picture the Cassadagan team in their underwear," Chawa said with a wink.

‭Some of the other players laughed or exchanged mischievous grins, but Siedler just scowled.

‭"Katia Tavarez is hot," Dorjee Sherpa chimed in.

‭"Oh, come on, guys!" said Mohn. "Don't do this when we're playing them!"

‭

----o-֎-o----

‭The Sherpa national team had a few days off while the lower-seeded teams duked it out, and Mohn took the opportunity to reorganize the starting rotation again. He debated putting Pham back at the top of the rotation now that they would not have to face South Covello again, but decided not to bother. Mingma Al Ali had coped with the culture shock better than most of the team when they traveled to Cassadaigua for WBC 43. Maybe that meant he wouldn't get his jimmies rustled pitching against them. There was no reason not to leave him at the top of the rotation. But Mohn did rearrange the bottom of the rotation.

‭The starting pitchers against Cassadaigua will be as follows:

Game 1: Mingma Al Ali
Game 2: Tsheri Pham
Game 3: Kaji Thepgumpanat
Game 4 (if needed): Hanyi Yang
Game 5 (if needed): José Sherpa

[Free Republics]

News Magazine

Googol Announces New Googol Byte 4 with Call Screening Feature
By: Olga Mireles

It was an incredible day in New City as search giant Googol announced their latest and greatest phone, the Googol Byte 4. Last year, Googol followed in the trailblazing footsteps of Citrus Computing by removing that useless headphone jack that allows you to shut yourself off from the outside world like some kind of loser. I mean what kind of anti-social person uses headphones to listen to music instead of sharing it with everybody around them? Well, despite lots of whining from entitled stick-in-the-muds who want to use obsolete technology like headphones with their phone that costs over a thousand thalers, Googol has decided to do the right thing and keep the headphone jack out of the Byte 4. If you want a phone with a headphone jack, you have to stick to an old phone that can't even get new versions of most apps anymore. Or, I guess, you could always pay the Anti-Social Tax and buy yourself a dongle that allows you to connect headphones in the charging port! Hey, if you're charging your phone you shouldn't be listening to music or doing anything whatsoever with your phone until its charged. Well, I guess you could also spend a few hundred dollars on wireless headphones but if you can afford to do that, you're probably not a loser who wears headphones in the first place!

Well, the highlight of Googol's long event revealing the Byte 4 was the announcement that a Googol AI will now screen your calls for you. As you probably know, telemarketing is legal in the Free Republics but Googol is willing to help you block it. Now, you can sic Googol's best artificial intelligence on the sub-human garbage that calls you up out of the blue when you're trying to sleep in after staying up all night having sex. The Googol AI will ask the caller to identify themselves so you can decide if they're a legitimate call or a piece of sub-human scum whom you can report to Googol to allow Googol to block all future calls from them for all Byte 4 owners who opt into Googol's Pre-Emptive Telemarker Blocking Service.

The Byte 4 still contains all of the cool stuff you're used to from Googol's Cyborg operating system such as Googol Secretary, Googol Mail, GoogolTube and all of the other free* Googol services that you've come to know and love. You will be able to send emails, browse the Internet, take photos, text and do everything else that you're used to being able to do on your phone. You can even make video calls to cPhone users who have installed the Googol VideoCall app. Its also loaded with all of the state of the art artificial intelligence software you can imagine.

However, the best part of the Googol Byte is that it's by Googol, the makers of Cyborg, so you actually get a stock version of Cyborg with no bloatware and no restrictions on what you can do with it. You can even get root access to your device and uninstall any apps you don't want. According to my sources in the computer industry, Cyborg is much more popular with developers than cOS because its an open platform where Googol can't prevent anybody from releasing apps. There's no capricious Citrus Computing corporate executives to win over before you can dump your apps on the marketplace. Instead, you have complete freedom on Cyborg. That's what makes it so cool and is also why it has all of the software you want to run on your phone.

*Googol software services are free to use but they are funded by targeted advertising based upon data that you provide to Googol as a condition of using their services. This disclaimer is required by the Truth in Advertising Act of the Republic of Nessex.

Olga Mireles writes about technology for News Magazine. A graduate of Watts University's School of Journalism, Olga's boyfriend works as a computer programmer for a small company that you've probably never heard of. She is a recent hire who was brought in to expand News Magazine's coverage of technology issues.

---

Honomi Kamei threw down the latest issue of News Magazine in disgust. Besides their relentless pro-Trudeau propaganda, they now had a tech journalist who clearly knew absolutely nothing about tech. Those around the Republican National Baseball Team's clubhouse knew that Honomi regularly wore headphones, specifically wireless headphones. She most definitely did not appreciate News Magazine's reporting and began work on a formal complaint to the editor when manager Kyle Thomas showed up to her hotel room...

Kyle Thomas - Honomi, what are you doing? We're supposed to be practicing right now.

Honomi Kamei - Sorry Kyle, I'm just pissed off by News Magazine's lack of regard for journalistic integrity. Why the fuck would they hire this moron Olga Mireles to write about technology?

Kyle Thomas - News Magazine is a propaganda outlet for Trudeau. Nothing more, nothing less. Why do you care what they think?

Honomi Kamei - I've noticed. I thought they were a reputable media outlet.

Kyle Thomas - They were until they got taken over by progressives and run dry. They the previous owners sold the brand to the extreme right. Can you please just focus on baseball right now? We have tp beat Abanhfleft soon.

Honomi Kamei - Well, I'm definitely going to play my best in Newmanistan, coach. I'll see you in a few minutes. We have to beat Abanhfleft just like we beat them in the semis last year!

Kyle Thomas - That's the spirit, Honomi. We play to win the games but we also play to win the championship at the end of the season.

The two of them talked for a bit then Honomi joined the rest of the team at practice...

[West Phoenicia]

West Phoenicia Citizenship Debacle

West Phoenician Minister of Immigration Harry Heniel is under fire from the Opposition parties as well as members in his own Conservative Party and coalition.

Hon. Harry Heniel, a member of the Antebellum Party in West Phoenicia who form a coalition with the Conservative Party and other right leaning parties to form a right wing coalition that controls the government was allocated the Ministry of Immigration portfolio after the last election has come under fire with his introduction of a controversial plan to fast track citizenship for sport stars of other nations.

The plan dubbed "Paving the Road to Glory" will allow active sport stars and athletes to be given automatic citizenship in exchange for them representing West Phoenicia in the Winter and Summer Olympicss as well as other high profile sports like Baseball, Basketball, Tennis and Football.
The goal is to bring in talent and excellence to boost West Phoenicia in sports where they are struggling.

The nominated athletes would need to complete in the next Games or International event and pull in either a win or the top 5 for Olympic Sports or enable a team to reach at least the semi finals in other sporting events.

As well as automatic citizenship granted for the athlete it allows their family to be granted citizenship and pick of location of where they want to live with further financial assistance given for relocation costs as well as waiving the $5000 Citizenship application fees and others associated with it.

The Opposition has slammed the new policy as unfair and discriminating towards people who have done the right thing and waited the five years to become citizens. Five years is a long time to be granted citizenship and people who have been made to jump through hurdles will be left cheated.

The Socialist Party leader Hon. Eddie Rox-Indi labeled the policy "pure elitism" one rule for the rich and successful and one rule for the rest of the population.

Leader of the Nationalist Party Hon Thomas Dunedin denounced the policy. Instead called for an end to Immigration. Such a policy slaps our own athletes in the face. "We have so many talented athletes we need to increase sport funding not fish in another nations pond"

The Communist Party denounced the policy saying it was pure racism and pushed for open borders with no immigration checks. While the Justice Party said it would support the policy as long as immigration laws changed for everyone to make the process easier for all who wanted to move to the best country in the world.

Feminist Party leader Hon.Gabriella Pascoe said she would support the policy if there was a high female athlete quota. And the Rainbow Party said they too would support it if it allowed for gay athletes and their families high priority especially from those who live in countries where homosexuality is a crime.

Members of Harry Heniels Right Wing Coalition were split on the issue. While some supported the measure, there were calls to only find athletes in sports where we are lacking and not to mess with sports where we are well known for. While others said just because someone is an athlete it does not mean they will encompass West Phoenician values, our culture or religion. Allowing the wrong person in can have a negative affect on the nation.

The West Phoenician Minister of Sports said while the proposal was discussed over cocktails and lunch they never gave the policy the green light.

Many voices in Parliament have said this proposal should not be given a green light and that unlike other visas and policies the Ministry of Immigration creates on its own this one should be passed through parliament first.

[Lycrabon]

BREAKING NEWS via LSPN.con

ST. CATHERINE - Sources at the Capital City Gazette in St. Catherine are reporting that notorious instigator Garry Barnett III has stirred the pot once again with Cassadaigua via his Twatter feed (@GB3). The validity of the claims, and what exactly he posted, are still being confirmed. More as this intriguing story develops.

[Vangaziland]

A Tale of Two Pitchers

When comparing Vannish pitchers, opponents had to be considered. Two pitchers faced the clear toughest challenges in the group. Del Bjornberg pitched the group stage against Cassadaigua. Nate Henli fought Equestrian States throughout the regular season. Questions were drawn up about how either pitcher would fair in their assignment.

The numbers are in. Their effort was enough to get Vangaziland into the playoffs. The performance of both pitchers was crucial. It should be noted that a single game separated Vangaziland from Equestrian States at 2nd and 3rd place. So just how did the Vangazi do? Who played a bigger role in helping the Royals advance? Which pitcher was more efficient from the mound?

Del Bjornberg - vs Cassadaigua
ERA - 3.69 (16 runs, 39 innings)
Vangaziland loses 1-0 - Game 1: 8 innings, 0 runs
Vangaziland loses 7-1 Game 6: 6 innings, 3 runs
Vangaziland loses 2-1 Game 11: 8 innings, 1 run
Vangaziland loses 4-2 Game 16: 6 innings, 4 runs
Vangaziland wins 6-4 Game 21: 6 innings, 4 runs
Vangaziland loses 4-3 Game 26: 5 innings, 4 runs

Del Bjornberg is Vangaziland's most intimidating pitcher. He stands at 6'4 and has a fastball to match. The 29 year old right hander faced the toughest test of the Vannish pitching staff with his rotation against the 4th best team in the multiverse. A look at his record of 1-5 appears dismal. A closer look starts to reveal the true tale.

Vangaziland gave up 9th inning runs in games 1 and 11. Khris Olaf and Manny Mathissen were responsible. These were two games which Del took 8 innings. In the second game, Del gave up his lone run early in the game. Neither 9th inning run was a result of anything Del had set up against him. Beyond that, he's been pretty consistent around 6 innings and 4 runs a game. The effort combines for a 3.69 ERA.

His ERA may not be some amazing figure, but it's a great number for a pitcher from 31st ranked Vangaziland against one of the World's Top 5 lineups. We also see the score was kept close in every match. They once lost 7-1, but Del only gave up 3 runs. Some might say the batters could have stepped up. Del spoke on this leading into the post season.

"The batters did fine", said Bjornberg. "Cassadaigua is just a tough team. We did what we had to do to take the one win from them. In the end, we needed that win to advance."

Nate Henli - vs Equestrian States
ERA - 4.50 (20 runs, 40 innings)
Vangaziland loses 2-0 Game 4: 7 innings, 2 runs
Vangaziland wins 8-5 Game 9: 6 innings, 3 runs
Vangaziland loses 4-0 Game 14: 6 innings, 4 runs
Vangaziland wins 4-3 Game 19: 7 innings, 3 runs
Vangaziland loses 9-0 Game 24: 7 innings, 6 runs
Vangaziland wins 4-3 Game 29: 7 innings, 2 runs

Equestrian States would chase the Royals right up to the last game of the season. Their 6 game stretch was a hard fought battle. The victor would likely advance to the post season. It was up to Nate Henli to keep the Ponies at bay. Henli faced tough questions coming into the season, with many wondering if he could handle EQS.

Henli is also a fastball pitcher. He's not quite as fast as Del, but still brings a lot of heat. His record is better than Del's at 3-3. He also managed more innings. The 9-0 loss really hurt his average. His ERA would have been 3.82 if it weren't for Match 24.

"That's bound to happen in such a short, few games", Henli said. "I stand by what I did against a tough team. Without those 3 wins, there's no way we would have made the playoffs." EQS finished with 17 wins to Vangaziland's 18.

His ERA may be getting into the high side, but Nate did what was needed to earn victories. He kept Vannish bats in almost every game. "There's not much more I could ask from either Del or Nate", said Head Coach Don Haverly. "It was a solid regular season. Now we'll see how each pitcher does against the same tough opponent."

Del will start Game 1, while Henli will arrive for Game 4. They will see how they stack up against teammates like the red hot Orlando Encarnación. Orlando went 6-0 in the regular season. He faced Melbergia which was ranked 42nd to Vangaziland's 31st. Orlando's perfect performance also had a major role helping Vangaziland advance. Jamaal Edlund went 5-1 and Rich Kendrix went 4-2 against unranked teams.

"It was a successful regular season from the starters and bullpen", said pitching coach Juan Manuel Sanchez. "We had a few hiccups. This was the kind of season we needed to get to the next level. Every year, we'll know we have to put forth at least this much effort to succeed. This year should help us get better in the near future." Sanchez faced limited criticism for keeping certain pitchers in long enough to give up another run or two. He also subbed out Del Bjornberg in two games where maybe letting him go nine innings could have resulted in a win.

"We trust our closer", Sanchez said on the criticism. "Hindsight is 20-20. If we didn't make it through, I'd see the point. My good choices seem to outweigh the bad. Pro level baseball isn't easy to manage", he said with a laugh.

The Royals will face the team from Drawkland in the first round series. Drawkland is about where Equestrian States is in terms of skill. Once again, Vangaziland will need their pitchers to show up with a strong performance. Each one will be looking to refine their ERA with what they hope to stretch into a playoff run. The odds are against Vangaziland as Drawkland also looks to advance.

[Tierra de Castro]

THWACK!

Diego had hit the ball hard. Very hard. His feet had scrabbled in the dirt as he dropped his bat and he was off running towards first base in a hurry, but in reality, he didn’t need to worry too much about the speed with which he got there. The ball had been hit too true, too hard, for that to be an issue. It cleared the boundary fence and there was a cheer from one side of the bleachers and the small dugout at the side of the diamond and a collective groan from the other side.

He ran around the bases to home plate, grinning at each fielder as he went past. As he got to home plate he was mobbed by his team mates, each of them mirroring what they saw their heroes do in the stadiums around the country each week between spring and autumn, clapping him on the back and slapping him on the back of the head in celebration. Their coach walked out to them and low-fived the boy, offering up a quick ‘well done kid’ and then ushering the others back towards the dugout so they could get on with the game. They still had one out left in the inning.

Up in the bleachers, the children’s family members were chattering away to each other about all sorts of different things. But funnily enough, one topic that came up more often than not when watching the kids play little-league baseball was in fact baseball itself. The majority of them weren’t discussing the little-league game, though, but the national team’s prospects in the World Baseball Classic. The team had really captured the imagination of the Castrollano people, who had loved baseball before what with it being the nation’s major pastime – whether watching, playing or talking about – for around half the year, it was now becoming a national obsession.

“Your kid’s good Elisa!” Came a shout from grizzled old Marcos, the grandfather of one of the boys who played on Elisa’s son’s team. “Maybe one day he’ll play in the World Baseball Classic too!” He laughed.

“Haha, we’ll see Marcos. He’s got a long way to go before that. A couple of days ago I had to tell him that if he didn’t finish his homework he wouldn’t be playing any baseball this week!” She replied, laughing too, then, gesturing at the group of ladies sat around her: “We were just talking about the Classic, they’ve done really well haven’t they?”

“Yeah, never in my life did I think I’d see a team from this island playing in that competition. I’d heard about it of course, but I didn’t think we would ever get the chance to show what Castrollano baseball is about. It’s great though. I always thought that if they got a chance they would give a good account of themselves, we have some excellent players in this country.”

“I know Marcos, who is it that we’re playing next?” Elisa asked, trying to make conversation, it was well-known that poor old Marcos didn’t have too much company following his wife’s untimely death. Taking his grandson to his little-league games allowed him to chat to people and spend some time outside of his house. Elisa always tried to make an effort with him. He had always been a nice man. One time, when it had poured down following a game, he had given her and her son Diego a ride home. He really didn’t have to, he lived in the complete opposite direction, but he was kind and Elisa tried to repay the favour by ensuring she chatted to him when others perhaps wouldn’t.

“We’ve got to play a play-in series against Ko-oren to decide who gets into the business end of the play-offs. It’s all very exciting, I wish I was thirty years younger, what I’d give to have a chance to play like those boys are doing!”

“How do you rate our chances? I’ve been following the games but I don’t know too much about the teams we play against if I’m honest.”

“Well, they’re pretty highly ranked again, 13th best in the world apparently. But then we beat the Alpine Union over the six games we played against them and they’re ranked 10th, so who knows, we might spring another surprise.”

“Here’s hoping, hey?”

“Absolutely. Oh what a catch!” Marco exclaimed, with his grandson’s (and Diego’s team), now fielding. Diego had just taken a spectacular diving catch out in right field. Elisa hadn’t been watching the action whilst talking to old Marcos, but he hadn’t taken his eyes off the game happening in front of them. “Seriously Elisa, Diego is pretty special you know. You should try and get him a trial at the Centro Nacional.”

“Coach has mentioned it to me before Marcos, but we wouldn’t be able to get to La Habana to attend one. We don’t have a car and Javier is always exhausted from working at the steelworks so he can’t borrow his brother’s. We haven’t mentioned it to Diego because we don’t want him to get his hopes up.”

“It’s really up to you here Elisa, but I could drive you down to La Habana if you wanted? It’s completely up to you but it seems a real waste to not find out if Diego could make it. A place on one of the trial days is like gold dust now, especially with all the money they’ve started to pump into baseball with the team doing so well at the Classic.”

“I don’t know, I’d have to speak to Javier… And Diego too.” Elisa replied. “It’s really kind of you Marcos. I’m sure Diego would love to go.”

“He’s really good Elisa, maybe get Javier to come and watch one of his games to see for himself.” Marcos said. “I understand about not wanting to get his hopes up too much, there’s so many kids all chasing the same dream, but I’ve seen a lot of baseball in my life and Diego’s seriously good.”

“Yeah, I’ll speak to Javier. I’d like to at least give Diego the opportunity, I think. Nothing ventured, nothing gained and all that.”

“Exactly Elisa.” Marcos replied. “But I’m sure once those coaches down at the Centro Nacional see him play, they’ll be trying to move you down to La Habana with him, he’s gonna be a star. Mark my words.”

[Newmanistan]

Playoff time! This is the cutoff for Games 1 & 2 of the first round.

(15) Tierra de Castro vs (18) Ko-oren @ Emperor Michael I Stadium, Pocono City
Game 1:

Ko-oren                0 0 2 0 0 2 1 0 0  5
Tierra de Castro       1 1 0 2 0 0 1 1 X  6

Game 2:

Ko-oren                0 0 2 1 1 2 3 1 1 11
Tierra de Castro       0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1  3

Series tied at one

(16) Vangaziland vs (17) Drawkland @ Tundra Falls Proving Grounds, Tundra Falls
Game 1:

Drawkland              0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1  3
Vangaziland            1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  1

Game 2:

Drawkland              0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0  3
Vangaziland            0 6 1 0 2 0 1 0 X 10

Series tied at one

[Lycrabon]

Update on breaking news

ST. CATHERINE - LSPN has confirmed that RP Garry Barnett III has once again caused controversy with social media posts. His post on Twatter earlier today (redacted where necessary):

"Garry Barnett III (@GB3)

I would love to see those **** **** fall flat on their fat ass faces, but it would've sweeter if I helped send them home to their **** homeland. "

Very quickly, Lycrabon consensus from the fans was swiftly against him, especially with old school fans who respect the Dagan-Blue Jay rivalry. We can only imagine the opinion of the Cassadaiguan media has even more vitriol for the youngster.

"Marcus Jacobson (@MJacob)

What the **** is he thinking? They shelled us after he picked a fight last time. WHY would he try it AGAIN??? ******!"

[Tierra de Castro]

Naturally the Diario Granma's IC opinion on the naming of the stadium is purely IC and does not reflect any OOC slight on Newmanistan.

6-5 thriller gives national team lead in first round series!
Spectacular day hitting for Adan Carita as he goes 3/3, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 2 runs in opener versus Ko-oren

Tierra de Castro were good value for their victory in the opening day of the play-offs as an exciting game played out against Ko-oren. It was a really back-and-forth encounter and every credit has to go to the team for gritting their teeth and finding a way to win against an excellent opponent – ranked 13th in the world.

The opening game of the play-offs was held at Emperor Michael I Stadium in Pocono City. The stadium – named after the tyrannical ruler of Newmanistan – is a symbol of monarchist and capitalist oppression of ordinary citizens. It is an attempt to scare workers into submission and we can only hope that the people in Newmanistan can find the strength to organise, agitate and revolt against the ruling class there. Castrollanos, the best thing we can do to help our comrades around the world is to stay educated on the class struggles around the globe and – if possible – to volunteer in support of the global class struggle. Workers of the world, unite!

Tierra de Castro started well in the first inning, Facundo Mina hit a double off the very first pitch of the game and then Adan Carita batted him in with a double of his own. Ko-oren third baseman Placido Taboada stopped Lain’s ground ball and threw to first, where Vianol Sivurila got Lain out and then threw back to Taboada at third to get Carita out and complete an excellent 5-3-5 double-play.

In the second inning, Tierra de Castro added another run on the board with Gonzalez getting in in a similar manner to the first inning. Munoz got the RBI that time. Ko-oren fought back with a two-run homer from Taboada, batting in Viera who made a lovely shot through the infield to get on-base.

The Castrollano team fought back in the fourth with a two-run homer of their own. Carita got on-base as he so often does, showing his quality with a ground ball hit venomously between shortstop and second baseman and then showed good speed to get to first just in time. Eustacio Lain came out and this time he made no mistake, hitting Kasper Brands’ pitch deep out to right field and over the fence to make the score 4-2.

The Ko-orenite team would not lie down, though and fought back once again. In the sixth, Tasu Shiro hit a line drive that took out the infield and accounted for a nice double. The Ko-oren hitters had seemingly found their rhythm as Umemura got on-base with a nice single of his own. Shiro was batted-in by Kagulazaka and then Umemura was batted-in on the very next play by Oscar Viera who was having a fine game. Gustavo Quesada got a crucial pair of strikeouts following this flurry of hits before being taken out of the game – with ’El Ariete’ Gonzalo Tamayo coming in to replace him on the mound.

Ko-oren got a go ahead run in the seventh but Adan Carita would not allow the team to go down without a fight and hit a fabulous home run off Habi Hoga, who had come in as relief for Brands at this point. This home run tied the game up and meant Carita had gone 3/3 on the game, his consistency when hitting is truly something to be admired.

In the eighth, Tierra de Castro got the go-ahead run through Isaias Tejeda who had come in as a pinch hitter. There would be no further action though, with three straight outs following his introduction. This ensured a nervous finish as Ko-oren came up at the top of the ninth, but closer Jorge Santangel put in his best performance of the Classic so far and ensured there would our boys wouldn’t have to come up to the plate. A solid 6-5 victory giving Tierra de Castro the lead in the series.

---

Poor day pitching as Castrollano team fall to 1-1 in first round
An extremely poor day on the mound for the team's pitchers, with El Profesor getting through no less than five against Ko-oren

The less said about Tierra de Castro’s pitching in the second game against Ko-oren, the better. El Profesor described his pitchers’ performances as ‘significantly under-par’ and ‘not what we’ve come to expect from our team’, in a public indictment of their pitching in a game where they allowed 11 runs and 14 hits. Snoopy Martinez – the starting pitcher for the game – was pulled out after five innings, with Coach Abasto clearly not being pleased with his replacement Zoido, who was in turn hauled off for Tamayo after only facing two hitters (both hitting home runs).

Tamayo wasn’t much better though, because although he managed to get three straight outs once he’d replaced Zoido in the sixth inning, he pretty much went to pieces himself in the seventh conceding three runs after allowing Ritsushima and Ogasawara to get on base, with the dangerous Tasu Shiro hitting an enormous home run to make the score 9-1 (Juan Esteban Capmany had hit a home run in the sixth for us, but the resistance came a little too late). El Profesor was furious and immediately called to replace Tamayo, Benji Arboleda came in as the replacement.

Once again, he put in a stable performance to see out the inning and we managed to get another run of our own on the board. This time it was Isaias Tejeda, who is fast becoming a valuable hitter to have off the bench. He will almost definitely have a starting spot for the next World Baseball Classic – Eustacio Lain will be 38 then and may be able to hold down a spot as designated hitter, but he won’t be able to compete as well as Tejeda in the field or when base running. But then, in the next inning, Arboleda allowed a run and Abasto – by this point being almost apoplectic at his pitchers – again called for a replacement, Jorge Santangel coming in and closing the game out, allowing another run as he did so.

We got one more run in the bottom of the ninth, but we weren’t productive enough on either side of the ball. Our pitchers were extremely below-par and our hitting was nowhere near consistent enough to match a Ko-oren team that really hit like they are the 13th best team in world baseball. Their low seeding in the play-offs of this tournament belying the fact they are in fact ranked so highly. Our pitchers will certainly have to do much better if we are to qualify from this series.

It must be said that that is the first time in the whole Classic that we have seen El Profesor break a sweat. He has rarely been angry and has generally been emotionless, trying to stay calm and keep a clear head so that his decision-making stays productive. This reaction was likely borne of frustration, with the team’s pitchers simply not performing up to scratch.

It also reflects a lack of depth with our pitching too. Our starters have been fairly good through the Classic up until this point, but Snoopy Martinez lacks a bit of variety when pitching. It’s notable that we’ve always looked a little more confident when Chicote, Tejedor or Quesada have been on the mound through this tournament.

Our bullpen is where the major problems lie, though, with Juan Zoido perhaps being the only one to have really shown decent performances (his collapse in the sixth versus Ko-oren notwithstanding). Benji Arboleda clearly has good potential too, but we do really require a bit more quality to come on and change the course of games like this one in future Classics. It really is the difference between progressing to the next round and going home, after all.

Gonzalo Tamayo may be a good foil for Chicote domestically, but the hitters at this level are much better and his ‘battering ram’ approach simply does not cut it. Jorge Santangel has been appallingly bad as a closer in this Classic and it would be an enormous surprise if El Profesor selected him for inclusion next time around.

We shall have to hope a new crop of young pitchers starts to come through the ranks to give us better options from the bullpen in the future. For now, the series is level at 1-1 and that means we will see at least Game 4 in this first round series.

[Free Republics]

Sporting World

Free Republics National Baseball Team Casts Ballots Before Leaving For Newmanistan
by: Clarice Cormier

The Free Republics National Baseball Team will be facing Abanhfleft in the Round of 16 of the World Baseball Classic in a rematch of last year's semifinal series. Last year, Kyle Thomas's talented team beat the Fleftics 3 games to 1 to advance to the WBC Finals. This year's series will, once again, be a best of 3. Due to the WBC First Round, 14 out of the 18 remaining nations currently have a bye. The Republicans have elected to take advantage of the bye by playing a 3 game set in Noburu Taiyou against the Taiyouese National Team. (OOC: Which will be covered in my RP tomorrow)

Today, the Republican National Baseball Team's flight left Alex Tomlinson Airport in Republica for Tohoko. The Republican National Baseball Team's private plane is a Nicholls Jet 897 equipped with video players that allow players to watch film while flying to the next game. I have flown with the team before and received their permission to reveal this but I am not permitted to reveal further details at this time. Several Republican players, including Honomi Kamei and Kiyosumi Takeuchi, are of Taiyouese descent and outfielder J.L. Longoria plays for the Tohoko Giants so local fans will recognize some of the players on the Republican team even if they don't follow the WBC.

Before leaving, the entire National Baseball Team visited the Assembly building in Republica to cast their votes in the 3rd round of the Consul election. Sebastian Trudeau and Scarlett Nicholls are locked into a dogfight as the firearms tycoon and the famous pop singer (who is running for her father's seat!) have run a spirited campaign where they have been unafraid to discuss their differences on the issues and to express their intense hatred of one another. While we've had close elections and surprise results before, this election feels different. It really feels like we could be heading for an epic finish with recount after recount until the Supreme Court finally has to decide the election by ruling on partisan lines for their preferred candidate but surely that couldn't actually happen, could it?

Much has been written about our election and our candidates so far and I don't think our candidates need any introduction for anybody in the Free Republics - or even for anybody outside of the Free Republics who has been reading our media outlets for the past couple years. Therefore, I won't bother talking about the candidates. In the Free Republics, ballots are secret and the law states that most voters must cast their ballots on election day but there are exceptions. One of those exceptions is that those whose professional responsibilities takes them outside of their electoral district on election day may vote early by filing paperwork to do so. On behalf of the entire National Baseball Team, Kyle Thomas filed paperwork as soon as the team clinched a playoff berth to permit them to vote before heading to Newmanistan. Today, they exercised their right to vote, becoming among the first to do so in the exciting 3rd and final round of our most important election.

After talking privately with many members of the National Baseball Team, every man and every woman associated with the team told me that they voted for Scarlett Nicholls. Honomi Kamei was willing to go on the record to explain her vote. Kamei had publicly endorsed Scarlett Nicholls for consul prior to the second round. She told me, "Sebastian Trudeau is a sexist pig who wants to destroy all of our efforts to Stand Up to Sexism. That is why we cannot and must not elect him Consul. I'm not thrilled with the way Scarlett Nicholls uses her body but its a free country and she has the right to do whatever she wants." Hard to argue with that. Does this presage a massive swing to Scarlett Nicholls? We will find out next week...

Clarice Cormier is Sporting World's international baseball correspondent and our lead beat writer for the Republica Vipers of the X Baseball League. She is a graduate of the Barteaux University School of Journalism and an alumnus of the Barjavel Academy at Republica. Clarice is a former cheerleader who has always been a huge baseball fan. After graduating college, she decided that she would rather do sportswriting instead of political reporting and, luckily for her, Sporting World has always been happy to hire young journalists straight out of college. She has also appeared in our annual lingerie issue 5 years in a row![/quote]

[Ko-oren]

Greenblue Collapse

A slow start was something we expected of this team. New players to fit in, some turmoil in the domestic league and job insecurity for several players, including some big names. The national team has also not been very active in the WBC recently, so that we were out of touch with the rest of the baseball world wasn't out of the question. And even then we didn't do so poorly: 3-3 after six games. Now that the team was properly warmed up, we looked at the team and we concluded that, honestly, we didn't do so bad. Pitching has always been a strength, or rather, defence as a whole has been our forte and it showed. Starting pitchers lit up most batters from new nations as well as the heavyweights from Schiltzberg. There were some eighth-inning issues and giving up leads to almost losing in the ninth, but these problems righted themselves as the tournament went on. After nine games, the Greenblues were 4-5 and this would be the last time the team would have a losing record.

In the seventh game, Anthor was easily beaten 3-1. The one big question mark with this Greenblues team looked perfectly fine now, hitting was going pretty well and players were getting on base, and this resulted in three runs scored in three different innings. After this, there was a 6-1 loss to Ranoria and a 8-3 loss to Schiltzberg, nothing to be ashamed about, and that's when the team started rolling all of a sudden. 4-5 and looking at early elimination activated something about this team.

From game 10 to game 19, the Greenblues lost a grand total of 1 game. There was a 7-game winning streak from round 13 to 19. This team was not just scary, they looked right up there with contending teams. Maybe not up to Newmanistan's standards, but certainly Abanhfleft, Scootalove City, maybe even Cassadaigua. Quarterfinal material, and a top-4 finish with a bit of luck (to finally rival that one-time 4th place WBC finish that we haven't been able to match in decades). During that streak, we beat Schiltzberg 3-1 and then 4-3. Ok, they were never large wins, out of nine victories, five were by a single run, two were by two runs, and only the 3-0 win over Anthor was a larger margin, as well as being our only shutout. Basically, Brands and Kumagaya took care of the Schiltzberg batters, the bullpen was still suboptimal but not losing us games, and on the attack, Taboada and Ritsushima were getting on base, Shiro and Umemura got doubles here and there, and even the tail-end of the batting order wasn't embarrassing itself. If Viera and Sivurila are your worst batters, your team isn't in trouble at all.

But then there was a small crack in the fabric of this team. 1-4 loss to St Saratoga - when Ko-oren lose, they lose by a lot (see the 8-3 to Schiltzberg). Thankfully, up to this point, Ko-oren haven't lost more than 3 games in the last 12 games - so what if you lose one? So what if that one loss is a big one? Wakuni was the starting pitcher, and there were four pitchers active during that game for Ko-oren, because of minor injuries and discomforts. Such things happen in a long 30-game campaign. And no worries, the team followed it up with a 5-1 win, the largest win so far, against People who have Issues. No big deal.

And then the collapse started. At this point, the team was 14-7 (0.667!!) and really making this a difficult affair for Schiltzberg. They were leading the group, but for how long? On top of that, there was a Schiltzberg versus Ko-oren incoming, and it might very well be the game that saw the Greenblues overtake the 3rd ranked team in the world. But we're getting ahead of ourselves here. Before that, there was an unlucky loss to Anthor (1-2). Unlucky was followed by a high-scoring defeat to Ranoria (7-5). Ok, so they figured out our pitcher and we didn't substitute in time. The high-stakes game (even now the stakes weren't as high anymore) versus Schiltzberg was a 2-5 loss. They're one of the best teams in the Multiverse, it's ok to lose to them. Three completely explainable losses, but instead of that 7-game winning streak, Ko-oren was looking at a 3-game losing streak, and it didn't end there. St Saratoga laid 11 on us to win by four (11-7). That winning streak looked awfully far behind us now.

Two wins halted the demise, versus People who have Issues and Anthor. Then the Greenblues closed out the group with another two losses (Anthor and Schiltzberg) and then a final win versus St Saratoga. Losing that final game would even have dropped us to third - out of the playoffs.

The Greenblues had it all, and nearly snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. That one 4-3 win over St Saratoga meant we'd at least qualify for the playoffs, even if it was as the 18th seed. We had it all. We were 0.667. And then it all went away and even if we win the decider against Tierra de Castro, we'll be facing West Phoenicia.

God, I hate this team sometimes.

[The Sherpa Empire]

‭

----o-֎-o----

‭There wasn't much resistance as the tanks rolled into Kabul. There was some skirmishing, but only the most die-hard Taliban supporters were willing to stand and fight. For the ordinary people of the city, it was not worth it to take up arms. Even some people who had been in the Taliban donned civilian clothes, set their guns aside, and deserted. They were hopelessly outnumbered, and the Sherpa Empire was much too close at their doorstep for guerilla tactics and delaying actions to tire out the Imperial Army before it seized the city. Everyone on both sides knew that Kabul would fall, and most people didn't think it was worth putting themselves in the path of a Sherpa tank just to delay the inevitable. A couple of roadside bombs went off, wounding soldiers, damaging vehicles, and annoying the Sherpa officers.

‭Many buildings had bomb damage. A few had magic damage as well -- smooth-edged breaks in the walls where blood magic or Tao had cut through them laser-like, and the dark residue of demonic curses coating the rubble in patches like a sticky layer of dust.

‭Sarki Ihawa and the Taoist sage Weihua Wang spent more time cleaning up the unholy residue than engaging in combat with the enemy or scouting. As they worked, they grumbled about Thupten Sherpa, who had added to the problem by using demonic magic. The Taliban had contributed too. Despite their claims that they were serving the Islamic God, and despite their claims that sorcery was against His will, they had still used both demonic magic and blood magic. The blood magic was presumably derived from the blood of the magically-gifted people they had kidnapped over the last several months. Using stolen blood to work magic was inefficient, but it was still possible to get some magic out of it.

‭As for Thupten, he thought cleaning up the magical mess was beneath him. It took more finesse and patience than actual power, and Thupten was all about power. If you wanted something blown up or torn apart using magic, he was the best of the best. He thought of himself as one of the great talents of his generation, and when Sarki Ihawa or Weihua Wang criticized him for the crudeness of his technique or the recklessness of his behavior, he was convinced they were just jealous of his superior talent. Wang was old enough to be his father and Sarki was old enough to be his grandmother, yet they were all equal in rank. Who could blame them for being jealous?

‭The fact of the matter was that Sarki and Thupten had a comparable amount of hereditary talent, and Sarki was just more restrained in how she handled her powers. When they studied other types of magic besides their hereditary powers, they had gone in different directions. Thupten had studied the flashy and awesomely powerful, the demonic and the divine. Sarki had studied the quiet but versatile Tao. Weihua Wang had no magic in his blood, but he had worked hard to cultivate his knowledge of the Tao and was by far the most knowledgeable of the three, even if not the most powerful.

There was a disturbance somewhere ahead of them, in the direction of downtown. There were some jumbled sounds of fighting, smoke and dust clouds billowed over the rooftops, and they could sense the chilling aura of dark magic being used. The dusty air split open and darkness spilled out, casting the city in shadow, even where the spell was not directly blocking the sun.

"Oh, shit," said Sarki.

"That's not Thupten..." said Weihua Wang.

Some men in Sherpa Imperial Army uniforms came running toward them yelling that an enemy sorceror was attacking and they had to do something, but Sarki and Wang had already figured that out and sprung into action. Sarki teleported past them in a flash of dazzling blue before she entirely heard what they were saying, and Wang took off running at superhuman speed, the dust cloud stirred up by the pounding of his feet rising almost as high as the one from the fighting.

Thupten beat Sarki to the scene by a fraction of a second, both of them arriving in the same manner, with a loud snap and a blaze of blue light. The enemy sorceror was a tall and sinister figure, shrouded in shadow with red light glowing in his eyes and hellfire crackling around his hands in all its nameless colors. "You are no match for me, djinn," he said.

"We'll see about that," said Thupten. He reached out with his magic... When using telekinesis, people are not limited by things like the shortness of their arms or the thickness of their fingers. They can reach into openings where human hands would not fit, and they can manipulate things with unnatural precision. Thupten reached out telekinetically up the enemy sorceror's nostrils, trying to reach up into the inside of his head, up into his brain...

"Thupten, don't..." Sarki tried to warn him, but too late.

Blue light flickered out of the sorceror's hand and blew Thupten away, tearing straight though all the protective charms he carried.

"He has blood magic," Sarki finished her thought even though it was too late to do any good. Using blood magic to turn back attacks was one of the simplest and most reliable spells known to man. In fact, it's biggest drawback was that it was too reliable. If the spell required more magical power than what you had, it would burn through your body, converting matter to magical energy until it had enough power -- but even if it killed you in the process, the spell would still work.

The enemy sorceror grinned a nasty grin. "Clever of you to notice," he said. "So what are you going to do about it?"

"I thought Muslims didn't use magic, other than what comes from God," said Sarki.

"The good of destroying the Sherpa Empire and freeing the world from your influence is greater than the evil of using magic," the sorceror argued. "So what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to stand here and wait for you to do something stupid," said Sarki. She turned to the nearest batch of Sherpa Imperial Army troops and waved them forward. "Go around us and hold your fire! I'll handle it if he tries to attack you, but it's very important that you don't shoot at him."

The soldiers looked uncertain.

Sarki waved them forward again. "Drive around that way!"

The soldiers clambered into their jeeps and tanks and started driving up the street, past Sarki and the enemy sorceror. Sarki folded her arms and smiled smugly at the sorceror, waiting to see what he would do. He looked absolutely furious, his face all contorted with impotent rage. If she wouldn't attack him, then he couldn't use the self-defense spell. And if he made the first attack, she could use the self-defense spell against him. He could see that he'd been outwitted, but he couldn't let the Imperial Army just drive right by as if he wasn't even there... He had to do SOMETHING! Sarki had magical defenses, but the soldiers didn't. Maybe if he attacked them instead of her...

Weihua Wang arrived on the scene and looked around, taking in the situation. He recoiled at the sight of Thupten's remains. "Whoa, shit..."

He looked around some more, taking in the tanks and jeeps driving around the sorceror, and the weird inaction between the sorceror and Sarki. "What's happening?" he asked.

"Don't attack him," said Sarki. "He has blood magic."

Wang looked at the sorceror again as the reason for the stalemate became clear. "Could you hit him with a stick or something and make him use up his magic defending himself, but it would be something too weak to kill you when he turns it back?"

"I wish you'd thought of that while Thupten was still standing," said Sarki. "It's too physical for me." But then she had another idea: "I wonder if he's ticklish." She took a few steps toward the sorceror. He turned and ran, but in a flash of blue, Sarki was there to block his path. She reached out to tickle him. He threw a punch, but before he could make contact, he was thrown back by her magic. He went sprawling on the dry yellowish ground, scuffed and bruised.

"You bitch!" he seethed. "That's a dirty trick! Only a djinn..."

"I'm not a djinn," Sarki told him. "All is fair in love and war."

The sorceror glared at her, his face filled with hate. "Have it your way then -- all is fair! If I'm going die anyway, at least I can take you with me!"

Hellfire flared around his hands and the air tore open with a sound that was almost a shriek, but not quite like any earthly sound. The darkness poured out, and Sarki had only a moment to react. There was no question that she could block the attack. The only question was whether she could block it without getting blown away by the force of her own spell. She carried talismans that she could use for extra power in situations like this, but this was going to take a lot of power and the talismans only went so far. Best case scenario, she expected to break some of her talismans. Worst case... Well, she wouldn't be around to see what happened in the worst case. But there was no time to do anything about it.

The defensive spell threw back the darkness and rolled it back onto the enemy sorceror, leaving only a puff of soft black dust that stuck to everything it touched. Sarki expected to be doubled over with a splitting headache, a gushing nosebleed, and a bunch of broken talismans after wielding so much power...

But she wasn't. It was as if some benevolent spirit had intervened and lent her the power she needed for her spell. She listened to see if any of the spirits of the buildings or the street wanted to take credit for helping her, but none of them did. She turned her gaze upward, toward the heavens, and waved to the god who lived there. "Thanks."

‭

----o-֎-o----

"Garry Barnett III (@GB3)

I would love to see those **** **** fall flat on their fat ass faces, but it would've sweeter if I helped send them home to their **** homeland. "

Replies from people in the Sherpa Empire:

Brian Jones-Dan (@WWBJDD)

Somebody sign this guy to play in the Sherpa Empire!

Jamling Ihawa (@ThatNameIsNotAvailable)

Compensating much? I'm paralyzed and I still get more action than you.

(He gets his daughter to help him with posting in English for stuff like this.)

NawangGurung (@NawangTheTiger)

Who are you calling fat? Those girls are hot!

Debashish Morrison (@DebaShishKebab)

Insulting people like that just makes you look stupid. Cassadaigua played well in the group stage and I look forward to playing them.

Lakpa Fang (@MyNameLakpa44)

Garry Barnett is my boyfriend. We kiss each other every day. ‭♥♥♥‬

(This is a troll impersonating Lakpa Fang. The real Lakpa Fang doesn't use Twatter. But some people might not know...)

[Vangaziland]

Royals Offer Consistent Pitching Against Drawks

Much noise has been made of Vannish pitching against tough teams in WBC 44. Del Bjornberg and Nate Henli faced two tough tests in Cassadaigua and Equestrian States. Vangaziland faces the opposite of the Pink and Ponies in the gigantic opposing team from Drawkland. When it comes to sports in Drawkland, size apparently matters as Drawks are often over 7 feet tall.

Vangazi have made it a point not to let this get in the way in other sports. The Drawks have a hold on gridiron, but the height of the Drawks hasn't helped Drawkland topple Vangaziland on the basketball court. The hardwood rivalry now has a chance to play out on the diamond. Drawkland is clearly the better baseball team. The Vangazi are bringing a ton of heart this year. Soon the multiverse will find out if the Vangazi have enough spirit to overcome a tough first round opponent.

Del Bjornberg started Game 1 for Vangaziland. He entered after performing well against Cassadaigua, despite a losing record. His pitching has been absolved by the Vannish media as causus belli for the record. His relievers literally tossed away two games in the 9th. Del still pulled a big win which proved instrumental in helping the Royals advance.

Now he faced the mammoth batters of Drawkland. Many wondered how he would react. Would he be intimidated, and therefore all Vannish pitchers by association?

The first pitch was a fastball strike which bit the corner of the plate at 101 mph. Bjornberg was angry. His willingness to challenge the Drawks led to two early runs in the 2nd and 3rd innings. Del found himself in an ugly situation with the bases loaded at the end of the 3rd. The count was 3 and 2, with two balls having been fouled up into the stands. The hitter looked not just burly, but slightly surly.

Del adjusted his hat, wound up, came down with his motion quickly and threw a.... Change up. The hitter bit expecting a fastball. It was one of those rare nasty strikeouts where the batter's waist fully twists and his toes curl while his legs kick out. At a Drawk's height, it was a sight to see.

"Out!"

Vangaziland started hitting well in the 1st inning. Davison scored a double while second up. Sren followed up with a line drive. Endo brought the run home with a lazy hit that bounced off the right field wall. A timely throw kept Sren on second base.

From that point on, Vangaziland challenged to score only a handful of times. Drawkland's pitching won the battle each time. The truth was that Game 1 was a day which evened out the Vangazi's averages. They'd had some big games and it seemed at least one more such match was yet to come, in the next match.

Drawkland scored again in the 9th as Khris Olaf had subbed in during the 8th. Once again, Del put up 2 runs in about 8 innings. The Vannish bats just didn't get it done. "We'll see what the next pitcher brings", said Coach Haverly.

On the side of Vannish pitching, Game 2 looked similar to the first. Rich Kendrix entered the playoffs after going 4-2 against Gor Kebab. His WBC 44 record is considered the least impressive of the Vannish starters, since his opponent was unranked. "I can't help but feel like I have a ton to prove", Kendrix said before the match.

Kendrix gave up an early run in the top of the 2nd before pitching himself out of trouble. He gave up a run in the 7th before being pulled. Juan Cortez and then Manny Mathissen finished out the game. Cortez quickly gave up a run in the 8th before finishing the inning. Manny finished another clean 9th inning.

"I can't afford to give up a bunch of runs like I did on the day I got injured", Mathissen told postgame reporters.

The Vannish bats gave more than enough room for the relievers to work with. This time Vangaziland seemed more comfortable against Drawkland's pitcher. Vangaziland had a monster 2nd inning. It marked the first inning of the Vannish season where they hit two home runs in one inning. Carlos Hernandez and Braden Okogan hit back to back to run home runs. Sren batted in two more RBIs with a double.

Vangaziland's bats were back. This turned out to be of their best offensive games of the season. Chuck Endo continued the punishment with another run in the 3rd inning. Pitcher Rich Kendrix managed an RBI with a runner just happening to be on third base. "It felt great to contribute to the score", said Kendrix excited. It was his first RBI of his international career.

Pat Evenson brought the Esportivan Hernandez home with a slicing hit along the foul line.

Pete Keldersen hit a long solo homer in the bottom of the 7th. At this point, it was really overkill. He trotted around the bases quickly, as his run was really a formality. Vangaziland had managed a statement game which showed their regular season wasn't a fluke.

"Now we have to do this two more times", said 2B Pete Keldersen. "We have it in us. We just have to show up, push and play our way. If we can get past Drawkland, we'll look like more of a threat to top teams now and in the future."

Encarnación Speaks On WBC Playoffs

Orlando Encarnación was interviewed for an article leading into Game 3 of the playoffs. He was set to pitch against Drawkland. Orlando pitched a 6-0 regular season against 42nd ranked Melbergia. He was asked how he felt about those who said Melbergia was too easy to be considered a real test.

"I'd say that's a discredit to Melbergia. They're not exactly unranked. Going 6-0 was no easy task though."

Orlando was asked how confident he feels going into his game. "This may be one of the toughest games I've pitched. The Royals suddenly have playoff expectations. Now that we're in the playoffs, many want to see us get at least one more round.

The reporter then got way off topic. "How do you feel about a reliever from Lycrabon criticizing players from Cassadaigua down to their appearance?"

"Well that's a little off", Orlando said. "It's pretty well known how attractive the players from Cassadaigua are. Their pitchers intimidated our batters with their looks, for goodness sake. I think he was being sarcastic. Still tacky though."

The Vannish starter was asked what his hopes for the postseason were. "We want to earn as many ranking points as we can to keep baseball relevant in the Empire."

[Newmanistan]

(15) Tierra de Castro vs (18) Ko-oren @ Emperor Michael I Stadium, Pocono City
Game 3:

Tierra de Castro       0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 3  4
Ko-oren                0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  2

Game 4:

Tierra de Castro       3 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 1  7
Ko-oren                1 5 2 0 1 0 0 0 X  9

series tied at two


(16) Vangaziland vs (17) Drawkland @ Tundra Falls Proving Grounds, Tundra Falls
Game 3:

Vangaziland            0 3 1 0 2 0 0 0 0  6
Drawkland              0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0  1

Game 4:

Vangaziland            1 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 1 1  6
Drawkland              1 1 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0  5

Vangaziland wins series, 3 games to one

[Lycrabon]

The fallout continues from Garry Barnett III's Twatter account, from Sherpa Empire fans/residents responding to the unsurprising lack of response from Cassadaigua. Even Barnett himself responded to the tweets.

"Garry Barnett III (@GB3)

I would love to see those **** **** fall flat on their fat ass faces, but it would've sweeter if I helped send them home to their **** homeland. "

Replies from people in the Sherpa Empire:

Brian Jones-Dan (@WWBJDD)

Somebody sign this guy to play in the Sherpa Empire!

@GB3

- How much are you paying me?

Jamling Ihawa (@ThatNameIsNotAvailable)

Compensating much? I'm paralyzed and I still get more action than you.

(He gets his daughter to help him with posting in English for stuff like this.)

@GB3

- I call bullshit. The "action" is probably your **** ugly ass daughter.

NawangGurung (@NawangTheTiger)

Who are you calling fat? Those girls are hot!

@GB3

- Hot if you like fat chicks.

Debashish Morrison (@DebaShishKebab)

Insulting people like that just makes you look stupid. Cassadaigua played well in the group stage and I look forward to playing them.

@GB3

- Now I have a target if we play you guys.

Lakpa Fang (@MyNameLakpa44)

Garry Barnett is my boyfriend. We kiss each other every day. ‭♥♥♥‬

(This is a troll impersonating Lakpa Fang. The real Lakpa Fang doesn't use Twatter. But some people might not know...)

@GB3

- Who? I don't date ugly nobodies. I damn sure wouldn't kiss your ****** ugly **** lips. I'd kick you in the face, ****.

[Vangaziland]

'Last Minute' Defends Cassadaigua

In between segments talking about Vangaziland's upset series win over Drawkland, the Vannish cable sports show 'Last Minute' spoke on recent comments made about the national team from Cassadaigua.

"Let me make this clear", said the outspoken co-host Deter J. Piff. Piff had dark brown skin and a mop of curly hair cut short. His eyes were wide and slightly bugged out. "When I think of my sisters from Cassadaigua, I think of Esportiva. They were the Royal's tough rivals in the group. Walloped those boys." Piff was known for his colorful language and descriptions. "But Esportivans stick together and so do the sporting regions. These kinds of comments are not going to fly."

"I think Gary Barnett thought it was cute", said Chip Maydress. Chip had curly blonde hair and sharp Vulcan eyebrows. He kept an equally serious expression, rarely seeming to crack a smile. He was known for being stubborn and controversial. "But it looks like a cry for help. If I was in charge of his domestic league, I would test him for steroids or certain other substances. Something seems off."

"A Vannish athlete could never do something like that", Deter replied. "Can you imagine the loss of sponsorships? Something sexist? You might end up as one of those players talking to the media in the preseason about 'can I get a job?' Cause you daggone sure wouldn't be playing in the pros", said Piff.

"Well a national team's athlete is almost like a diplomat to their country", said Chip. "This is a really ugly day for baseball in Lycrabon. I can't see any international fans in the multiverse supporting their team after this. You'd have to think they'll be booed for the rest of the tournament here."

"It's pretty unfortunate", Deter replied. "This is what we have to talk about. You know... Is this guy", the host had to pick up his notes to remember his name, "Gary Barnett even any good?"

"I'll go one step further", said Chip Maydress. At this point, those who know Chip know he's about to make one of his typically controversial 'predictions'. "I put it to you that Lycrabon never would have gotten out of Group 2. Cassadaigua would have swept them and Vangaziland would have advanced over them easier than they did to the Ponies."

"Lycrabon is a tougher team on paper, but Vangaziland's effort probably could have toppled them. I just wonder what Barnett's goal was. It doesn't look cute. It's a national embarrassment."

The show was glad to finally move on. Vangaziland was advancing. Their Esportivan pitcher Orlando was still undefeated and only gave up 1 run in game 3. It appeared Vangaziland had a new ace. Now Vangaziland was facing Newmanistan in round 2.

"We're just glad to get the points from the series",said Coach Haverly. "We're bringing full force and showing up to compete. They're still the number one ranked team in the world. We'll have to face their pace and fight where we can."

Just as Vangaziland and Drawkland are somewhat basketball rivals, so are the Royals with Newmanistan. The two teams met in the finals of IBC 26. Vangaziland walked away with the Championship. The odds are heavily stacked in favor of Newmanistan on the baseball field. Vangaziland expects to show up in the biggest test they could face.

[The Sherpa Empire]

‭

----o-֎-o----

‭The Sherpa flag flew over the Arg (presidential palace in Kabul), and there had been no further encounters with enemy magicians since the one who killed Thupten Sherpa. There were still occasional disturbances around the city, and there was still a lot of damage to clean up, but things were more or less under control. The ordinary troops and military officers could manage on their own while Sarki Ihawa and Weihua Wang took the day off to attend Thupten's funeral.

‭The funeral was held in Lukla, and Thupten's family had him cremated, as was traditional in the Empire. Sarki and Wang both left as soon as they could do so without being rude. Neither of them had actually liked Thupten that much, and neither of them had much to say to his family.

‭In the afternoon, Sarki went to visit her brother Jamling, who lived just up the road in Namche. She found him sitting in his living room watching baseball with three of his kids -- Rita sitting in his lap, Changjun lounging on the couch munching samosas, and Rinzi sitting on the floor playing with toy soldiers. His wife and the other two children were knocking around in the kitchen. Their youngest daughter, Nima, was chattering excitedly, apparently very eager to help cook, even though she had no idea what she was doing.

‭"How are you?" Sarki asked.

‭"Eh... The new normal, I guess," Jamling answered. "It still feels like someone's been hacking at my back with a pick axe, but that's not anything new."

‭"Any progress on going abroad to get that fixed?"

‭"I want to do that, but I still don't know where I'm going to go," said Jamling. "Most countries don't have the technology, and the ones that do, it tends to be expensive. Especially when you're paying in rupees and the exchange rate is the worst it's ever been. I have the money, but if I am going to spend that much, I want to shop around and make sure I'm getting exactly what I want."

‭"The exchange rate will probably get better now that we've got the Taliban on the run," said Sarki. "And how are you, Rita?"

‭She went on around the house, asking everyone how they were doing. Changjun offered her the plate of samosas and asked if she wanted any. "No, thanks."

‭Sarki was surprised at how much Changyi had changed in just a few months since she had gone to rehab. She was dressed in her usual style -- skin-tight jeans, lots of make-up, and a top that left little to the imagination -- but she had gained about 10 kilos and her whole demeanor had changed to the point that she was barely recognizable.

‭In the game on the TV, Drawkland was leading Vangaziland 5 to 4. Sarki had no idea who any of the players were, why SISN was showing a game between two foreign teams instead of one that had the Sherpa Empire in it, or why Jamling thought it was worth watching. She had never understood why he cared about baseball in the first place. Even when he had been a player himself, she didn't see why he had chosen that career. "It feels weird being here instead of being there in Newmanistan," Jamling mused.

‭Vangaziland scored, tying it up 5-5. Rita cheered and Rinzi groaned. Apparently, they were rooting for opposite teams.

‭As the game went into extra innings, the conversation turned to the war. Jamling asked Sarki about her work. What had she been doing lately? What had happened to Thupten?

‭Sarki explained what had happened to Thupten. Jamling looked incredulous. "How do you not notice that someone has blood magic?"

‭"I think he was distracted by the demonic talismans the guy was carrying around. Thupten wasn't always the brightest bulb on the string..." She went into a rant about Thupten's reckless stupidity. Changjun had been listening to the conversation waiting for an opportunity to steer it toward the recent outbreak of demonic magic, but now it looked like Sarki would get there on her own without any steering.

‭

----o-֎-o----

Brian Jones-Dan (@WWBJDD)

Somebody sign this guy to play in the Sherpa Empire!

@GB3

- How much are you paying me?

Brian Jones-Dan (@WWBJDD)

I don't run a baseball team lol

Jamling Ihawa (@ThatNameIsNotAvailable)

Compensating much? I'm paralyzed and I still get more action than you.

(He gets his daughter to help him with posting in English for stuff like this.)

@GB3

- I call bullshit. The "action" is probably your **** ugly ass daughter.

Changjun Ihawa (@SardarCJ)

EEEEEEE!!!  Get your mind out the gutter!!!

Brian Jones-Dan (@WWBJDD)

Are you gay?  Changyi Ihawa is hot af.

Debashish Morrison (@DebaShishKebab)

Jamling's going to kill me for posting this, but I have to.  https://www.whotube.co.shw//watch?v=zOvsyamoEDg

(ICly the link goes to an interview in which Ihawa's slutty supermodel ex-wife said he was the most fun in bed of all her many ex-husbands and lovers. OOCly, if you change "whotube.co.shw" to "youtube.com," it will take you to a pretty song.)

Lakpa Fang (@MyNameLakpa44)

Garry Barnett is my boyfriend. We kiss each other every day. ‭♥♥♥‬

(This is a troll impersonating Lakpa Fang. The real Lakpa Fang doesn't use Twatter. But some people might not know...)

@GB3

- Who? I don't date ugly nobodies. I damn sure wouldn't kiss your ****** ugly **** lips. I'd kick you in the face, ****.

Lakpa Fang (@MyNameLakpa44)

You know I like it when you play rough. :^)

[Tierra de Castro]

“Well boys, it all comes down to this, really.” El Profesor Edgar Abasto, head coach of the Castrollano national baseball team said as he walked around the locker room. “We’ve done extremely well to get this far and I’m proud of every single one of you, but if we can win this game, we keep the journey alive.”

They were 2-2 in the play-in series against Ko-oren and a win in the fifth game would ensure that they stayed in Newmanistan for a little while longer. The team knew that if they won, West Phoenicia would be waiting for them, but that was a worry that they would have to put out of their minds for now. It didn’t do to dwell on potential future opponents, they all knew that. The job was simple, beat Ko-oren. After that, they could worry about the next opponent and how difficult it would be to beat them.

The third game against Ko-oren had been a bit of a nail biter. The second inning had initially come alive with Tierra de Castro going one run up through Eustacio Lain but then Ko-oren turned the game on its head with two runs of their own. The pitching was fairly solid throughout the game after this though and it looked like Ko-oren may be able to see the game out until the ninth inning when that man Lain hit a home run with Carita on first and Leguizamo on second to put the team 4-2 up. Benji Arboleda closed the game out perfectly with three strikeouts. It gave the Castrollano team the lead for the second time in the series and the knowledge that one more victory would see them through.

The team had been buzzing – perhaps a little too buzzing – with the victory. The next game both teams came out firing, with it being 6-5 to Ko-oren by the time they had reached the top of the third inning. Adan Carita fired a homer in the first with Mina and Leguizamo on-base and Lain was batted-in by Gonzalez’s huge home run too. The Ko-oren hitters were not to be outdone though, with bases loaded in the second when Placido Taboada hit a monstrous home run (his second of the day after he hit one off only the third pitch of the day, a man who was clearly in-form coming into this series), to level the scores. They added another to go ahead in the same inning and then two more in the next to really stretch their lead and the Castrollano team just never really got back into the game.

The series was levelled at 2-2 and as El Profesor said, it was all down to this for the Castrollanos. They had done well, but they wanted to keep it going, for many players this tournament had represented the best days of their lives. They had the opportunity to travel to lots of destinations, play baseball, live like only the top officials of the Party – it was a long way from their ordinary day-to-day lives. They had been treated like kings, ordinary people would stop them in the street at home and wish them good luck. Sometimes it may have been a little overwhelming, but they were playing baseball – it was a sport they loved, it was fun!

The strangest thing was to think that nobody from Tierra de Castro had ever even been to Newmanistan prior to this tournament and yet here they all were. Ordinary men from different parts of the country, some had other jobs that they did alongside playing baseball, farmers, factory workers, blacksmiths, bakers, stevedores. They had all sorts of people on the team and it was astonishing that they were the first representatives of Tierra de Castro to visit this place, the country of the six-time World Champions.

“Yeah, we should really give it our all today boys,” Hector Chicote had stood up. He didn’t often speak in front of the entire team, preferring to give his advice man-to-man instead of the entire group. The fact that he was speaking in front of the whole team made everybody’s ears prick up. “I might not have another chance to play in a World Baseball Classic you know. 35 years of age. A few years ago I never thought I would get this opportunity, so I want to make it last as long as I can. To savour it.”

“Exactly boys,” El Profesor nodded. “We’ve got an opportunity to create even more history here, along with what we have managed so far. But it took our country this long to even enter the tournament so who knows what may happen in the future? Go out there and enjoy it, play your normal game – you’re all fantastic players – but don’t leave anything out on the diamond, don’t let yourselves think what might have been after the game.”

“We can do this boys!” Adan Carita shouted eagerly. He was normally so quiet in the locker room – he only ever really came alive when he was catching or hitting – but the passion in his voice resonated through the players. He led by example with his performances, but this was his way of trying to lead in the locker room too. He was only a young man, but he wanted to continue the journey too, nobody knew if the Party would allow them to continue playing in the Classic once they had been eliminated. Every player in the locker room wanted to continue in the tournament for as long as possible for that very reason – nobody wanted to have it taken away from them.

“Right, get out there lads, let’s give it to them.” El Profesor finished, with a flurry of shouts and yells from various parts of the locker room greeting his final words. They may not win the game, but they were not going to go down without a fight, that was for certain.

Castrollanos could be called out for many things, but a lack of passion certainly could not be one of them.

[Schiltzberg]

Hampton Island Doesn't Have Any Låmps

In an interview with Hampton Island's manager John Morton, New Schiltzbierg Times reporter Joseph Hydar saved the best question for last: "Do you have the låmps, bröther?"

Morton looked down embarrassed before admitting the suspected truth, "I have absolutely no låmps."

This is great news for upcoming opponents, the Grand Duchy of Schiltzberg. The Hampton Island team will be unable to focus on winning the series, because they will be too distracted on their quest to procure some låmps.

"We have no doubt that we will beat these deplorables," said Schiltzbergian Manager Mathew Stuart. "It is despicable that a team with such little appreciation of large låmps has made it this far and that we have to play them. We will be doing the WBC a great service by eliminating them."

Rather than partying and drinking booze, following their clinching of the division victory, Schiltzberg's team lit up a very, very large låmp in their locker room, and the players paraded around it in circles, imitating their bröther moth. Star outfielder Ducky Fitzhugh said, "It was a fine ceremony," and, "It has prepared us for the playoffs."

[West Phoenicia]

Thousands of West Phoenicians decended upon the Pure Green Oval  in the city-state of Jackson in West Phoenicia to watch The West Phoenician Archery Qualifications Tournament. The winners of this tournament will fill the 6 spots needed for the West Phoenician Archery team who will head to the Olympics later in the year.

Two spots had already been reserved before the tournament began. Previous Olympics Archery silver place medalist Pete Long has automatically qualified while Lady Amelia Defence who was unsure if she would appear at the next Olympics has confirmed she will be returning to attempt a back to back gold medal.

As for the other four spots they were fought by 40 players all determined to win a place on the team.

The competition began on a beautiful Friday, sun shinning with a blue sky spptted with just a few puffy white clouds it started with the ranking round.
Each archer shot 72 arrows and were than ranked by score to determine their seeding for the single-elimination bracket where the number 1 spot would play number 40 and so forth. They than moved onto the sets to see who would progress.

Each set comprised both archers shooting three arrows. The archer with the best score in the set received two points; if the set was drawn, each archer received one point. The match would continue until one archer reached six points. If the match was tied after five sets, a single arrow shoot-off was held with the closest arrow to centre winning.

Fans were utterly entertained with the magic of archery as one by one the archers started to drop. Sunday was the D-Day. 10 archery remained and from that the top 4 would go on to join Lady Amelia Defence and Pete Long.

Lady Violet Hungary II was the next female to progress to the Olympic team. She had previously been a part of the West Phoenician Archery team taking part in the international circuit after the departure of Franky England who left the team after the previous Olympics due to internal conflict with Lady Amelia Defence.
24 year old daughter of Violet Hungary, leader of the West Phoenician Greens. Lady Violet Hungary II does not agree with her mothers political stance. At 20 she married Lord Moses Ascott where she was bestowed the title of lady. She keeps her maiden name for international sporting events. Out of the top 4 she placed 4th.

The third female to join the Archery Olympic Team is Senena Tong, 19 year old dental assistant from the West Phoenician City-State of Savanah Grove. A state made famous from its delicious peaches. Serena who has been playing in the junior league stunned fans and judges when she placed first at this tournament. Serena Tong in her spare time loves yoga, meditation and shooting.

Tim Woods and Christian Defence both members of the West Phoenician International Archery team both suffered shocking losses. The losses pushed them out of the opportunity to attend the next Olympics.
2nd place winner Lazarus Doherty. And 3rd place winner Baron Jedidah Gryphon were the two lucky men who will be joining Pete Long.

Lazarus Doherty will be the oldest team team at the age of 40. Hailing from the West Phoenician city-state of Cluella where he worked as a truck driver until he retired. He took up archery as a hobby 3 years ago and he was amazed that in such a short time he has progressed so far.

25 year old Baron Jedidah Gryphon was the last male to qualify for the team. Originally from the Kingdom of Gryphon, Jedidah is cousin to the reining Emperor Glenton Gryphon-Bush II.

Fans reported the event to a success and now were looking forward to supporting the six members as they plan to pull in medals at the next Olympic Games.