World Baseball Classic 45- Everything (Final G7 Posted)

[Ko-oren]

Magic

Magic needs to be surprising. Something that makes you forget where you are and what you're looking at. It also needs to be so well-prepared that it looks effortless. It needs to look implausible, but plausible enough that you accept it as truth. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you:

Ko-oren                4 4 0 0 2 1 5 0 0 16
Nova Anglicana         0 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 0  3

It was everything. Surprising, prepared, effortless, implausible, but here we are. The Greenblues have secured a lead in the Nova Anglicana series, a team ranked fourth in the world. Ko-oren at first looked beaten before the first pitch was thrown just looking at the immense gap between Nova Anglicana's perceived power and our own. It's already been a great tournament, between a nine-game winning streak, beating Hampton for first place, fight off a possible three-way tie... all for it to seemingly end when the dust settled and the group standings were finalised. As the 10th best group winner, we're up against the 7th best seeded team - Nova Anglicana. This was supposed to be a tournament they could win. We were just happy to make the second round. But now that we're there, and we've literally ventured into the Lions' den, why not aim even higher?

The hitting has been going up for a while, and even then Ko-oren finished the group stage as one of the lower scoring teams. Preventing runs was something we could do, between pitching, relieving and improving infield play. The infield was named as a potential weakness, but the team gradually improved and now find Sivurila at first base effortlessly. If an opposing batter even gets to run in the first place.

Both teams rested for a few days before taking off for Cassadaigua, and both teams could start their number one pitchers. For the Lions, this was Lawson. For the Dragonflies, Brands started. An arsenal of different pitches like Lawson's isn't something you'll see in Ko-oren. Here, pitchers tend to have 2-3 preferred styles, and once the magic wears off, they walk back to the bullpen.

In Victoriaville, the evening started and floodlights lit the diamond as Lawson wound up for the first time. Durand raised his bat - knowing whatever Lawson pitches, it'll either be straight or turning away from him - and swung. It looked to be at good height, didn't deviate from what Durand could see in the split second before the ball would hit the catcher's glove. It was a cutter, but it didn't matter: Durand hit it in fair territory, between the first and second baseman. It didn't come straight at him, else he'd hit it directly towards shortstop. Durand's speed came in handy as he got to first base before Glover could return it to Bryan. One pitch, one hit, and that was that. It takes more than that to rattle someone like Lawson, though.

Ritsushima stepped up, adjusted to the light out here in the middle of the floodlights, raised his bat, and tried to get some anchor points to focus on while Lawson looked straight through him for his catcher's signal. A slider, but Ritsushima saw it coming, hit it downwards into the field, and it rolled-bounced on beyond the infield. Durand found second base, Ritsushima made it to first - two pitches, two hits.

It can't always stay like that, and Lawson struck out next one in line. Tasu Shiro then came up, hit a double well over the heads of Moran and later Deng. Ko-oren was now up 1-0 and it would all get better from here. Umemura went to first but didn't advance his teammates, Kagulazaka brought in Ritsushima and Shiro. Kagulazaka attempted a steal, but it was a foolish attempt and picked off by Lawson. Viera earned a walk, then Sivurila brought home Umemura but was out himself. 4-0, first inning. What a start.

Only for the same thing to happen next inning. Lawson was taken off after the third inning, but it didn't stop there. Bowers came in, stopped the onslaught but gave away 2, 1 and then 5 runs. It looked like the Ko-orenites saw through every single signal, every pitch, and placed their bats perfectly while doing so. In the end, there were 16 runs scored by the Greenblues. That's one sixth of the entire Ko-orenite production in 24 group stage games. That's one sixth of the entire Ko-orenite production in 24 group stage games.

Brands pitched lights-out, as did his relievers. The closing, one of several Achilles' heels of this team, didn't let us down - with a 13 run cushion.

The second game featured Kumagaya for us, and Singleton for Nova Anglicana.

Ko-oren                0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 1  3
Nova Anglicana         0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0  2

And this one turned into a marathon. Both teams were cautious of the endless stream of runs presented on the previous day, and shifting infields, timeouts, and endless back-and-forths between pitcher and catcher followed. This resulted in a 0-0 score on the board after seven innings, when the Lions finally opened the score in the bottom of the eighth - with a single run. In the crucial top of the ninth, Ko-oren finally got one player back to base, and the score was 1-1 after nine - you can't imagine a bigger opposite to the proceedings of 24 hours before that. The tenth started off decently for both teams, the closers aren't used to pitching this much (at least, our closers aren't, games may end in ties in the domestic leagues) and it was 2-2 after the inning. More tactical play followed, and we were in the 13th inning when there was another base hit. Shiro hit a double, Umemura got him to third, and Kagulazaka managed a perfectly placed hit to bring him in - 3-2. Nova Anglicana were struck out efficiently on the final three outs, and Ko-oren are leading 2-0 in a series that we predicted would go completely the other way.

Melle will start game three, as normal. Things will have to change for the Lions and they aren't the experienced team they are without knowing how to switch things up. We're curious to see if the Greenblues can clean this up in game three or game four - or if the Lions can match their status and take this to game 5.

[The Sherpa Empire]

--‭֎‬-- Starksville, Cassadaigua --‭֎‬--

Debashish Morrison wasn't sure he believed Princess Yahia when she said she was going to meet up with him after the game. Obviously, there was teleportation involved, but who had agreed to bring her to Starksville? He didn't think Yahia herself or the Duke of Guilin were magically adept enough to teleport, never mind doing it across such a long distance without impaling themselves on a lamppost. There were plenty of people around the Imperial Palace that wielded real magical power, but he didn't know how she persuaded any of them to bring her to Cassadaigua when she was supposed to be dating the Duke of Guilin.

Of course, there were probably some people who knew she and the duke really were nothing more than friends. Lakpa Fang had assured Debashish that he could trust the duke not to steal Yahia for himself because the duke was gay -- and if Fang knew, then there were probably gossip-mongers among the nobility who knew as well.

And Debashish and Yahia both knew two people outside the Palace that had the power to teleport: Jamling Ihawa and his daughter Changjun.

He called Ihawa and asked if he had talked to Princess Yahia recently. Ihawa laughed. "What are you asking me for? You're the one she likes."

"I'll take that as a no."

"No, I haven't talked to her lately," said Ihawa. "Why? Is she not talking to you?"

"No, she's still talking to me," said Morrison. "It's a long story. I'll tell you later."

He didn't feel comfortable prying into Changjun's social life, but he doubted that Yahia would have talked to her much without also talking to Jamling. He couldn't think of any other obvious possibilities, and he knew he shouldn't wrack his brains too hard because that would distract him from the day's game. He shrugged it off and headed to the ballpark.

Mingma Al Ali was his usual reliable self, giving up only a two-run homer in the 3rd inning. The game wasn't a huge slugfest on either side, but Ali still got enough run support to pick up the win.

--‭֎‬-- Lukla --‭֎‬--

Sarki and Yahia were stopped by the Palace Guard on their way out of the Imperial Palace. "We are going out for a walk," Sarki told the gatekeepers. "Her highness wants to talk privately, woman to woman, without all the prying ears around the Palace."

"The streets of Lukla are no place for a princess to go walking in the middle of the night!" said one of the gatekeepers.

"I am one of the most powerful magicians in the Empire and a national security expert," Sarki countered. "I personally guarantee that I will bring her back safe and sound before morning."

"Before midnight," said the guard.

"Before morning," Sarki insisted. "I will try to bring her back before midnight, but I only give my word when I know for a fact I will be able to keep it."

The guard swung his gun around so the barrel of it was blocking their path. "Where exactly are you going?"

"That is none of your business," said Sarki. "I outrank you and so does she. We are going for a walk to see the city lights and enjoy the fresh air." She lifted the gun barrel out of the way and brushed past the guards.

"It's okay; we really are just going for a walk," Yahia tried to reassure them.

"Sarki, what are you doing?" she asked in a sharp whisper when they were out of earshot of the guards.

"Getting you out of the Palace."

"You don't think that's going to make them suspicious?"

"I don't care if they are suspicious. What are they going to do?"

"Tell my parents!"

"Tell them what? That we went for a walk? You can say you wanted advice about your relationship with the Duke of Guilin."

"But..."

For a moment Yahia found herself wishing she could be like Sarki, impossible to argue with, but then she stopped herself. No, Sarki was terrifying, and she didn't want to be like that. She would rather be loved than feared.

It was cold and there was ice in the gutters, but it was an elegant neighborhood. Pretty wrought iron street lamps shed their warm light on government offices, boutiques, shrines, velvet-curtained concert halls, and candlelit restaurants. "Where are we going?" Yahia asked.

"My apartment."

The apartment was small, but very tastefully furnished, immaculately clean, and awash in magical power. Yahia wasn't as sensitive to magic as some people, but she could still feel it here. She wondered if Sarki actually lived here or if it was just a space she kept for work-related reasons. Sarki threw open the closet doors and explained, "We need to change into clothes that won't stand out in Cassadaigua. I'm afraid there isn't a lot to choose from. I'm a little ostentatious about the whole shaman thing."

Yahia laughed. "Only a little?" She flipped through the hangers in the closet, looking at the garments. Most of them were distinctively Sherpa, way too formal, or both -- but eventually they found a couple of dresses that wouldn't stick out too badly. Yahia studied her reflection in the mirror. "I look so different with all my frou-frou... I feel almost naked without it."

"Don't get used to it," said Sarki. "That's actually something I wanted to talk to you about..."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean even if you bring your relationship with Debashish out in the open, you will still have to deal with your family and the public's expectations. And he'll have to deal with it too. Does he understand what that means?"

"I know," said Yahia. "I might have to give up my place in the succession to get them out of our hair."

"That might not be enough," said Sarki. "But come on, let's not keep Debashish waiting." She took Yahia's hand and they were gone in a flash of blue.

--‭֎‬-- At a Beachside Bar in Starksville --‭֎‬--

Debashish Morrison looked at Sarki Ihawa like he knew her from somewhere and couldn't place where. "Okay, I know you're one of Jamling Ihawa's sisters, but I can't remember which one. Yankila?"

"You don't remember me because we haven't met. I'm going to let you two have some time alone, but there are a couple of things I want to point out before I go. Even if you bring your relationship out in the open, you will still have all the expectations and responsibilities and the lack of privacy that come with being royalty. And that's something you would have to deal with too, Debashish. You'd probably be expected to play for Khumbu instead of Darjeeling."

"How would that work?" said Debashish. "They can't just trade me for Tong. It's not a fair trade."

"I work in counter-terrorism, not baseball," said Sarki. "The other thing I want to mention before I go is that if you get the princess pregnant out of wedlock, I will kill you, and that's not a figure of speech."

"Excuse me?"

"I'm suggesting that you keep it in your pants."

"It sounded like more than just a suggestion!"

[Union of Socialist Alpine Republics]

Series with Tierra de Castro is tied at 1-1

Winchester, Cassadaigua - (NAP) The Alpine Union, as the 9th seed, had to play the 2nd round against Tierra de Castro (9th seed). Starting pitchers were Tyler Floyd and ‘El Zorro’ Hector Chicote. Wilton Jimenez is batting first in the top 1st inning and on the first throw, he hits a line drive that hits ‘El Zorro’ on the nose. ‘El Zorro’ is bleeding a lot and he leaves the game with a nose injury. Jimenez is safe at the 1st base. Yoel ‘Snoopy’ Martinez comes to the mound to replace ‘El Zorro’. Stijn Bolsenbroek is batting and Jimenez steals the 2nd base. Bolsenbroek is flied out, Jimenez stays at 2nd base. Kevin McNeill walked, Jimenez is still at 2nd base. Gustavo Mendoza hits a 3 runs homerun and the Alpine Union is leading 3-0. In the top 4th inning, Esmeralda Sanchez is batting first and she hits a single. Zlatan Belec follows with a double, Sanchez advances to 3rd base. Krunoslav Bogdanovic also hits a double, Sanchez and Belec scores. ‘El Profesor’ Edgar Abasto decides he has enough with ‘Snoopy’ and Alberto Céspedes comes pitching. Madison O'Keefe hits a single, Bogdanovic goes to the 3rd base. Wilton Jimenez is safe on fielder's choice (O'Keefe is out at 2nd base) and Bogdanovic scores. Stijn Bolsenbroek is at bat and Jimenez steals the 2nd base. Bolsenbroek hits a sacrifice fly, Jimenez advances to 3rd base. Kevin McNeill hits a double, Jimenez scores and the score is 7-0 Bisons. Tierra de Castro scored a run in the 7th inning and two more runs in the 8th innings and the final score was 7-3 Alpine Union.

For the 2nd game, starting pitchers were Rusty Castillo and Alfredo Tejedor. This game is pretty much boring so let's skip it. the only highlight for the Alpine Union is when Madison O'Keefe scored in the 6th inning on a single by Stijn Bolsenbroek. Tierra de Castro won 3-1 and the series is tied at 1-1. Starting pitchers for game 3 will be Alejandro Gonzalez and Orlando Tenorio. ‘El Zorro’ Hector Chicote's nose injury isn't serious and he won't miss a start if Tierra de Castro advances to the next round or if ‘El Profesor’ decides to use him in game 5 if there's a game 5.

Jennifer MacMullan, National Alpine Press

[Tierra de Castro]

Hector Chicote walked into Edgar Abasto’s temporary office, the room he had made his own whilst the team were in Cassadaigua. Chicote’s nose was obscured by a mishmash of bandage and plasters, the ball had struck him and there had been some worry that the nose was broken at first but it was simply badly bruised. Chicote had a sheaf of papers held in his hand and he dropped them onto the desk in front of El Profesor.

“Look at this Boss.” Hector said. Abasto looked up at him and immediately allowed a smirk to creep across his face.

“How’s your nose?” Abasto chuckled, he had been trying to avoid doing so, but the combination of the seriousness with which Hector had walked into the room and the mess of bandage and plasters had become all too much. He couldn’t avoid it.

“It is fine,” Hector said, face still like stone. “Seriously Boss, look at these.”

“You’ve not seen it from where I’m sitting quite clearly,” El Profesor said, picking up the first sheet of paper and scanning it, a quizzical look passing across his face. “Since when were you able to speak English?”

“I’m not speaking it am I?” Hector said. “I can read a bit, enough to understand what that says, anyway.”

“Yeah, I’m glad to hear it, the Party would want me to report you if I discovered you were learning to speak English. Sure sign of a would-be defector, apparently.”

“You’d never do that to me Boss,” Hector finally allowed himself a chuckle, then urgently asked: “But what do you make of it?”

Abasto put the paper down, it was a newspaper report, ostensibly a newspaper called Gazeta Pomorska from the Alpine Union. It featured a game report for the opening game of the series, an allusion to the second game and a look towards Game 3. It named Orlando Tenorio as the starting pitcher for the third game. There was a bit about Chicote being able to return if there were to be a Game 5.

“Did you bring it me because of your ego?” El Profesor asked, laughing as Hector began to protest. Abasto stopped him by raising his hand. “I’m joking Hector, I assume you’re making a point about the fact they reckon Orlando will be starting pitcher for Game 3, right?”

“Yeah exactly, have you said that Orlando will be starting Game 3?”

“I haven’t, no.”

“Well, is this not an opportunity to try and pull a fast one?” Hector said, “We’ve got to try and do something with this, surely?”

“It does seem a good opportunity. We do have the slight issue that both Cheesy and Zoido haven’t been in the best form so far this season though.”

“They’ve got to turn the corner sometime, right?”

“I agree.” Abasto said. “If I’m honest, I’d been considering something even more left-field than that. I hadn’t actually seen that newspaper report though, so thanks for finding it.”

“No problem Boss.”

“How did you find it?” Abasto asked. The Party had minders watching everyone on the team, particularly whilst they were in Cassadaigua, a nation known for being almost a prototype capitalist nation. They wouldn’t want any of the team getting any ideas. Hector had seemingly found a way to get his hands on a foreign news article, which would be one of the main things the minders were trying to prevent.

“I have my methods, it’s probably best we don’t talk about it too much though Boss. I wouldn’t want you going down with me if the suits decide to take me to one of the secret prisons when we get back home.” Hector laughed. It was slightly hollow.

“In all seriousness I’d advise you to destroy that as soon as you can, when I had a meeting with them before this Classic they said they would be conducting searches for ‘contraband’, but they made a serious point of highlighting that anyone with foreign literature would be in serious trouble.”

“Sure, I’ll do that Boss.” Hector said. El Profesor didn’t know whether to believe him or not. “What was your original left-field plan?”

“It’s too left-field, I think. I’m not going to do it.”

“Right, well at least provide me with some light entertainment by telling me what it was.”

“I was thinking about naming César de la Cavallería as a starter at some point.” Abasto said, entirely serious. Hector immediately let out a loud laugh before stopping when he realised his Coach was one-hundred percent not sharing a joke with him.

“César? As in little César? The 18 year old who has barely pitched for the Estibadores never mind for the national team?

“The very same.”

“Well, I mean, he’s good Boss but this is too big a stage for him, isn’t it? The pressure would be too much.”

“I don’t know.” El Profesor replied. “I’m not going to do it anyway. Not yet.”

“Not yet?”

“Yep, not yet. I’ll save it for later in the tournament, I think. He has all the attributes to cause problems for hitters and he’s the ace we could need up our sleeve if we can progress.”

“Yeah, there’s no guarantee on that, which is probably a good thing, to be honest.” Hector said, a disbelieving look passing across his features, not disguised by the bandages or plasters.

“When have you ever doubted by methods before Hector?”

“Good point Boss.” Hector said, glad his Coach hadn’t taken it the wrong way, but surely it was too big a stage for the kid. Hector couldn’t see it any other way. He wasn’t going to get bogged down in a discussion about it though. He wanted to continue playing in this Classic. An argument with El Profesor wasn’t exactly the best way to go about doing that. “What do you reckon though: will you stick with Tenorio, or are you going to switch to someone else?”

“I’m not sure. We could really catch them off-guard here though, so I appreciate you drawing my attention to this.”

“Hey, you were the one that said you could see me being a coach in the future Boss. I’m just proving you right!”

“And surprising yourself in the process?” Abasto smiled. “Who do you reckon I should start for Game 3 against Alpine Union?”

“Well I think the element of surprise could help us here, but Orlando has pitched the best of the three in this tournament. Honestly it’s just a shame neither Alfredo nor myself can pitch.”

“Modest as always.”

“You know me Boss.”

“I think I’ll stick with Orlando. The element of surprise is useful, but we need to win the game and I think going with the form is the more intuitive option here Hector. Keep trying to find stuff like this though, who knows when it may come in useful?”

“Yeah, that’s fair Coach. I’ll keep looking.” Hector said, turning to leave the room.

“Have a word with those lads out there practicing their fielding, we’ve worked on this stuff with them since they were kids and we’ve been making some uncharacteristic errors lately.”

“Will do Prof.”

[Cassadaigua]

(1) Newmanistan vs (17) Beepee @ Brattleboro Stadium, Brattleboro
Game 3:

Newmanistan            2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  2
Beepee                 2 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 X  5

Game 4:

Newmanistan            1 0 2 1 0 0 0 1 0  5
Beepee                 0 2 0 1 1 0 0 0 0  4

series tied, 2-2

(8) Tierra de Castro vs (9) Alpine Union @ Winchester Stadium, Winchester
Game 3:

Tierra de Castro       0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2  3
Alpine Union           0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0  2

Game 4:

Tierra de Castro       0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0  1
Alpine Union           0 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 X  3

series tied, 2-2

(5) West Phoenicia vs (12) Liventia @ Rutland Stadium, Rutland
Game 3:

West Phoenicia         0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0
Liventia               0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 X  2

Game 4:

West Phoenicia         0 3 0 1 2 1 0 0 0  7
Liventia               1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0  2

West Phoenicia wins series, 3-1

(4) Free Republics vs (13) Vangaziland @ Grande Mountain Stadium, Grande Mountain
Game 3:

Free Republics         0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1  2
Vangaziland            4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 X  4

Game 4:

Free Republics         2 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 1  6
Vangaziland            1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0  2

Free Republics wins series, 3-1

(6) Ethane vs (11) The Sherpa Empire @ Starksville Stadium, Starksville

Ethane                 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0  1
The Sherpa Empire      0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3  3

The Sherpa Empire wins series, 3-0

(3) Schiltzberg vs (19) Lycrabon @ New Lakeland Stadium, New Lakeland
Game 3:

Schiltzberg            0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 0  3
Lycrabon               0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 2  5

Game 4:

Schiltzberg            0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0  1
Lycrabon               1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 X  2

Lycrabon wins series, 3-1

(7) Nova Anglicana vs (10) Ko-oren @ Victoriaville Stadium, Victoriaville
Game 3:

Nova Anglicana         1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0  2
Ko-oren                0 0 0 0 0 3 0 4 X  7

Ko-oren wins series, 3-0

(2) Cassadaigua vs (15) Hampton Island @ Concord Heights Stadium, Concord Heights
Game 3:

Cassadaigua            0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0  2
Hampton Island         1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1  3

Game 4:

Cassadaigua            0 4 1 0 2 0 0 0 0  7
Hampton Island         0 1 0 0 0 3 2 0 0  6

series tied, 2-2

[Lycrabon]

Barnett with another no-decision, but Jays advance

CASSADAIGUA -- Garry Barnett Jr. has now pitched in three starts and a relief appearance. His record? 2-0 with 2 ND. Game three was his second ND, but this time he collapsed in the seventh and eighth to make a 3-0 lead a 3-3 tie. His teammates picked him up via an eleventh inning 2-run bomb and a 5-3 win. They followed that up with a gutsy 2-1 series-clinching win, sending them on to face The Sherpa Empire in the quarterfinals.

"The standard is the standard on this team," said Barnett post-game. "We expect to make the playoffs. We expect to get where we are now. We expect to win the whole damn thing, even though we haven't fared so well previously. As consistent as this group looks, we just might get over the hump. I'm proud to be a part of this group."

The rotation for the series against the Sherpas was still being set as of early press time.


from LSPN.com -- Sherpa rotation announced

vs. Sherpa Empire
Game 1: Willie Curtis
Game 2: Fred Dickerson
Game 3: Ralph Hill
Game 4 * : Garry Barnett, Jr.
Game 5 * : Brant Powers

[The Sherpa Empire]

--‭֎‬-- Starksville, Cassadaigua --‭֎‬--

The last three days had been an emotional roller coaster for Debashish Morrison. What happened on the field was joyous. The Sherpas swept Ethane in 3 games. The last one ended with Kusang Banerjee hitting a dramatic walk-off 3-run home-run.

What happened off the field was more complicated. When he was with Princess Yahia, it didn't take long for them to fall into relaxed conversation like old friends, or even family. When they had privacy, it didn't take long for conversation to turn into kissing and cuddling. But when they were apart, everything felt like such a mess.

Yahia had explained how the Duke of Guilin proposed to her, and it was tempting to tell her to go ahead and marry him. Then she and Debashish would not have to justify their relationship to the Imperial family and deal with so much public scrutiny. But it would still hurt seeing her married to someone else, even if it was just for show. Maybe the duke had resigned himself to treating love and marriage as two separate things, but Debashish hadn't, and neither had Yahia.

Sarki Ihawa scared the crap out of them both. Debashish was disappointed when she said she couldn't keep bringing Yahia to see him -- she had work to do, and people at the Imperial Palace were starting to ask questions -- but he was also kind of relieved because it meant he wouldn't have to see Sarki anymore.

"We still have to figure out what we're going to tell her," said Yahia. "She agreed to bring me here because I said I needed to talk to you so we could make up our minds what we're going to do."

"Tell her you're going to marry me, but I won't have time to go to the capital and introduce myself properly until after the World Baseball Classic," said Debashish.

--‭֎‬--֎--‭֎‬--

The Sherpa pitching for the next round of the playoffs will start from the top of the rotation with Al Ali in game 1, Pham in game 2, etc.

[Beepee]

Part 12

The public defendants office court appointed solicitor Mr Christopher Claus sat opposite the prosecution lawyer, Mr Ryan Hauden.

'Mr Ryan,' Claus said, 'what are the charges again Mr Unn and Mr Labare'

'Prosecution claims Murder'

'For both men?'

'Yes, Mr Labare's DNA samples were taken from the Ms Rhodes, but we have a detailed account of motive and opportunity for Mr Unn.

'But you have no witness. No proof this was undertaken by them. "

'The DNA.... the confession' stammered Mr Hauden.

'Neither of them worth a damn. Mr Labare admits to being romantic with Me Rhodes before her death that explains the DNA. Mr. Unn has already said he was being blackmailled, there's significant doubt he could have done it. No, you can't pot these two men on the stand with this. You'll be laughed out of court".

Just as Mr Claus was getting into the swing of things, his mobile phone rang.

'I have to take this.'... he listened carefully only occassionally making soft agreement noises. Hanging up, Christopher Claus smiled a wide smile... 'This meeting is over.'

[Cassadaigua]

Who Are Cassadagans Rooting For (other then Cassadaigua)?
By Chelsea Dufresne, Concord Heights Times

The playoffs have begun, and we have already seen the preliminary round take place. The round of sixteen will come to an end today. Five teams have moved on to the quarterfinals, while three, including a couple of juggernauts need to pick up a win in order to avoid being eliminated at this stage. So, who is the common Cassadagan rooting for? Well, it was easier to get people to say who they weren’t rooting for.

Shelby, from Northbury: “Anybody but Newmanistan. I am rooting for whoever is playing them. I am tired of seeing them win. They already won it here the last time.”

Daniel, from South Granby: “I would like to see a first time winner. Someone like, I don’t know, Alpine Union? Ko-oren? There are some good countries who have done so well for so long, but have not won the title. So I am rooting for them, the ones that have had many missed chances before.”

Trent, from South Granby: “Hampton Island if they beat us. I love that bear, even if it got suspended.”

Rachel, from Victoriaville: “Just not West Phoenicia. They are so arrogant. Even Newmanistan isn’t that bad.”

Hannah, from Starksville: “I don’t know, maybe West Phoenicia or Free Republics. They did good in the Olympics, just like us.”

Chuck, from Rutland: “As long as someone beats Newmanistan, I will be happy. Schiltzberg has already been taken care of.”

Marcella, from Grande Mountain: “I haven’t really paid any attention to it, so how about Super-Llamaland!” (I didn’t tell her that they weren’t in the tournament).

Jessica, from Concord Heights: “Whoever has the most women on the team that doesn’t wear sky blue.”

Steve, gas station owner from Concord Heights: “Beepee! Definitely!”

Mendok, from New Lakeland: “The Sherpa Empire! Very exciting team with very exciting players. Time for a new champion to be crowned!”

Ashley, from Brattleboro: “Everyone hates Newmanistan. So, I am gonna root for them just to piss people off.”

Tiffany, from Brattleboro: “Who’s ever playing West Phoenicia.”

[Newmanistan]

THE ROCKET REPORT

MUST WIN TONIGHT

by Brianne Henry,

Have the new faces met expectations? Up until this point it might seem so, but with the current playoff series being all square at two against Beepee, we will have a definite answer to that question if Newmanistan loses. If they win, expectations still might not be fully met. This is the number one ranked team in the world, and they managed to have a productive group stage. That did not impress anyone, as the group played out to be pretty simple, with the only competition being Drawkland, and this isn’t basketball or football. The opponent, Beepee, pretended to be a challenger to the host, Cassadaigua, in the group for a little while before the eventually settled into second. That experience that they were able to gain against the Dagans has certainly prepared them well for Newmanistan. Now, it is winner take all with Paige Norwood being skipped over in the rotation, and going to the top for “Nobody Does It Like” Hannah Lee. Lee is someone who has two Classic titles, and the type of pitcher you want going to the mound in a game like this. I spoke with manager Jessica Hedstrom about the big contest.

Henry: Jessica, thank you for your time. I know this is a big game for the team, and for you, personally.

Hedstrom: It’s critical for us to win this game. No one in the Empire wants to see us going out in the Round of 16, it’s just not what we do. The overwhelming majority of times we have been to the quarterfinals, at least.

Henry: Would you personally see the failing to make the quarterfinals as being a personal failure?

Hedstrom: Absolutely. You can count on one hand the amount Classics Newmanistan has been in and did not make the quarters, at least. It is an expectation with this team.

Henry: You were down 2-1 in this series, and got a decent outing out of Shannon Kelly, but a big home run from Sydney Hassler in the top of the eighth broke the 4-4 tie and allowed you to win and to stay alive.

Hedstrom: Shannon pitched fine. The problem has been the offense, and we are giving up more runs then would be expected of a Newmanistan team. Games 2 and 3 were disappointing, but maybe we can work up some momentum now. We haven’t been ourselves in this series.

Henry: You are going with Hannah Lee again. She wasn’t her best, either, in Game 1, though the Rockets rallied to win. As she only went six innings in the last start, I am sure that you aren’t worried about the rest issue.

Hedstrom: Lee can be better then she was in the first game. She has proven herself to be a clutch pitcher, so I am confident that she is going to rebound pretty well. We have to play a complete game, Beepee is a tough team. They played Cassadaigua in the group stage six times, and become a better team for the playoffs because of it.

Henry: Many Newmanistanians have made the trip, but it seems the Cassadagan fan is leaning towards Beepee. Seems like a road game.

Hedstrom: The Cassaadagan fans will root against us, that’s expected. They saw us win here two Classics ago, and we’ve always been a rival of theirs. They don’t want us to win it again, that’s fair, but I want to show them they are not going to have a choice either.

Henry: Well, we have reached our time limit. Thanks, Coach.

Hedstrom: My pleasure.

[Tierra de Castro]

“Fuck, not this again.” Juan Esteban Capmany complained to Adan Carita as the pair sat in the locker room following Game 4 of their series with the Alpine Union. The second pair of games had been closer than the first two, a 3-2 win which featured two Castrollano runs (the leveller and the go-ahead), in the top of the ninth inning and a brilliant close-out by César de la Cavallería in the bottom of the ninth which ensured that Tierra de Castro would go 2-1 up in the series. César was hailed as ‘El Niño de Oro’ following that performance: ‘the Golden Boy’.

Now, Carita and Capmany – the best of friends – were sat in the locker room, glum in defeat, with the series level at 2-2. Game 4 had been a tight affair, but they had lost 3-1, with a potential rally in the eighth inning expertly putdown. They were in the same position as they had been in the previous Classic, heading into a one-game showdown for a place in the next round. Last time out, it had been at an earlier stage in the tournament – the play-in round to the actual play-offs, rather than the first round of the play-offs – but Ko-oren had won the one-game shootout and progressed.

Capmany was nervous about the prospect of history repeating itself. For all his bravado and confidence when out in public or on the diamond, he was never sure of himself. He and Carita – considering they were best friends – couldn’t be more different in that respect. Carita was quiet and conscientious, a family man away from baseball, but when he was competing he was a completely different animal. He had short-fuse, one second from going ballistic at all-times. He was also confident in his abilities, not arrogant, but he knew that he could go out there and perform.

Capmany was flamboyant and led – to the extent that you could in Tierra de Castro – a playboy lifestyle, he’d drive around town in a flashy car and would have a new woman alongside him every other week. He’d go into the bars and restaurants and eat the best food. Then, on the diamond, whilst still brash and loud, he often doubted his abilities. Particularly in moments like this, in the locker room or whilst sat in the dugout. He wouldn’t allow opponents to see it, but his team mates saw it and listened to it almost every game. Adan Carita had had to convince him on many occasion that he deserved to be out on the field, just like every other player in the Castrollano team.

“What will be, will be Juan Esteban.” Adan sighed. “We’ll play Game 5 and we’ll know come the end of it whether we’ll be in the next round, or whether we’ll be going back home. We’ve just got to try our best in the meantime to try and stay here in Cassadaigua a little bit longer.”

“I just can’t help but think about last time though.” Juan Esteban said. “Ko-oren managed to do it and what if the Alpine Union do the same thing?”

“Well, if they do, we’ve already made it one step further than last time haven’t we?” Adan pointed out, Juan Esteban shaking his head, doubt clouding his every thought. Their conversation was interrupted as El Profesor walked into the room, every voice fell silent immediately.

“Okay.” El Profesor said curtly. “Unlucky tonight lads. We played hard, but they were just that bit better than us on this occasion. We need to forget about this now, move on quickly and we need to comeback for Game 5 with clear minds. I want you lads to enjoy being here, playing in this great stadium, in Winchester – who had ever heard of Winchester before coming to Cassadaigua?!” Abasto asked rhetorically, though a few shook their heads earnestly in response.

“Yeah, for sure not me Boss.” Hector Chicote piped up with a smirk.

“Exactly Hector, smartass.” Abasto smiled. “But we need to remember why we play this game, remember when you were a kid and you went to little league and first threw and hit a ball, you played this sport because you loved to play it. We need to get back to doing that again, we had the opportunity to win an important game tonight and we froze up – we let the pressure get to us – we shouldn’t be letting that happen, because at the end of the day you’re all out there playing baseball for Tierra de Castro. Not many people can say something like that, can they?”

There were a few muttered “no Boss”’s and “not at all”’s from the group, sat around in the locker room.

“You boys need to sound like it then,” Hector said, with a smattering of laughter echoing around as a result.

“Hector gets it. Game 5, bring it on lads, we can set the record straight from last time, too.” Abasto said, turning to head out of the room before calling. “Chicote, come out here a minute.”

The pair walked out of the locker room as the volume within it gradually ramped up again, with various groups chattering about different things: Carita trying to convince Capmany out his capabilities, the pitchers talking about tactics for Game 5, Facundo Mina getting his shoes thrown around the room. Quite the scene.

“What’s up Prof?”

“Will you be able to pitch in Game 5?”

“Of course I will, my nose is fine again now.”

“Glad to hear it.” Abasto said. “We’ll need a good performance there, man.”

“I know, it must be difficult trying to motivate some of the lads. Poor Juan Esteban is bricking it in there.”

“For all his bravado, as well?” Abasto asked, raising an eyebrow. “Figures. I’ll have a word with him at some point. He’s a fine player – I’ve had to have this chat with him before.”

“You and me both. At first I was wondering if it was for attention you know.”

“Always a cynic.” Abasto smiled, starting to turn away, stopping halfway through. “You know, didn’t get the chance to say anything after last time but young César, eh?”

“You were right Boss, as always.” Hector replied with his trademark smirk. “Sometimes I reckon you do these things just to hear me say that sentence.”

“You know, you could be onto something there.” Abasto chuckled. “If you’d said you weren’t ready to play I’d have started him in Game 5.” He added quickly.

“You what?!” Hector spluttered.

“Hahaha, I’m kidding.” Abasto said, walking off. Hector shook his head. “At least, I think I am!” El Profesor let out a laugh.

[Cassadaigua]

(1) Newmanistan vs (17) Beepee @ Brattleboro Stadium, Brattleboro

Beepee                 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0
Newmanistan            0 0 1 0 1 1 5 0 X  8

Newmanistan wins series, 3-2

(8) Tierra de Castro vs (9) Alpine Union @ Winchester Stadium, Winchester

Alpine Union           0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0  2
Tierra de Castro       0 1 0 0 5 2 1 0 X  9

Tierra de Castro wins series, 3-2

(2) Cassadaigua vs (15) Hampton Island @ Concord Heights Stadium, Concord Heights

Hampton Island         0 0 0 1 0 2 0 0 0  3
Cassadaigua            0 2 0 0 2 0 0 2 X  6

Cassadaigua wins series, 3-2

Quarterfinals:
(1) Newmanistan vs (8) Tierra de Castro @ New Lakeland Stadium, New Lakeland
(4) Free Republics vs (5) West Phoenicia @ Brattleboro Stadium, Brattleboro
(11) The Sherpa Empire vs (19) Lycrabon @ Grande Mountain Stadium, Grande Mountain
(2) Cassadaigua vs (10) Ko-oren @ Concord Heights Stadium, Concord Heights

[Lycrabon]

Underdog Mountain

GRANDE MOUNTAIN -- It's the battle of the underdogs, with the winner to possibly have a monumental challenge in the semifinals. 19th-seeded Lycrabon faces 11th-seeded Sherpa Empire here, and the survivor faces either Ko-oren, the only other team with a seed not in the single digits, or host Cassadaigua. If the Dagans and Jays meet, things will get dicey, especially for the "old man".

"I kind of want to face them. To be the best, you have to beat the best. And how much better is it that we're in their back yard?"

[West Phoenicia]

West Phoenicia Confederates slid into Quarter-finals where they will now take on Free Republics at the Brattleboro Stadium after defeating Liventia 3 games to 1.

“Free Republics are a very formidable foe,” Team Coach Julian Pancretè said during an interview with WP Sports 1. “This won't be some cake walk. They have come off a very successful Olympic Games that saw them dominate the competition. They are still on a winning high and are going to play hard to progress to the semi finals. We beat them before and they have beat us before. These games will definitely have fans on the edge of their seats. We also have Goddess Fortuna on our side, she has blessed us in the previous World Baseball Classic, and as long law we will respect and honour her, she will continue to bless us. We also have a solid team, a mix of new and old players that are working great together. We had some sloppiness towards the end of qualifiers, but we shook off the bad luck and soldiered on, because that is what we do.

In the audience a number of the VIP fans cheering for West Phoenicia, will be the Miss Confederate Empire of West Phoenicia contestants. As Miss Confederate Empire of West Phoenicia gets under way the ladies took the opportunity to travel to cheer on the Confederates, showing judges back home just what big fans and patriots they are.
While there is strictly no fraternization, Juno Monroe; the current Miss Herodian Valley was snapped by the media, signing baseball's for Confederate players Glen Melbourne and Ryan Lunger as well as giving both players a good luck kiss.

While Peyton Luner, Miss Titania whose talent is fortune telling, revealed the semi final teams will be Tierra de Castro, The Sherpa Empire, Cassadaigua and West Phoenicia. While she did use a magic 8 ball, her skills are well known across the city-state of Titania.

The stadium is expected to be full of fans, cheering on the Confederates run for a back to back title for baseball, especially after it's poor performance at the Summer Olympics in Republica.

These are must watch games and games the Confederates need to win to process to the Semi-finals.

[Ko-oren]

Quarterfinals, have you missed us?

The Greenblues have made the Quarterfinals of the World Baseball Classic! It's not the first time we've been here, but we have to go back a long way to find the last stretch of competitive Ko-orenite baseball. Nothing against the teams that have represented us in between - they have held up, but it has taken a long time before we've had a quarterfinal-quality team.


WBC44: ranked 13th, lost 3-0 to West Phoenicia in the Round of 16
We can pretend like the Greenblues are back from a very long hiatus, but we've been ranked 13th in the world as recently as WBC44. No matter what happens, we're never quite in the cellar of international play - but then again, 13th means you're not a lock for a round that features just eight teams. Also, the group stage is where we tend to play pretty badly, and it led to an 18th seed - which is why we run into a team like West Phoenicia as early as the Round of 16.

WBC43: ranked 26th, lost 3-2 to the Free Republics in the Round of 16
Again, so close, yet so far. We never stop running into top 4-ish teams as soon as we hit the knockouts - and it's always because we get a terrible seed from barely scraping by in the group stage. This WBC still featured Sivurila at 4th in the batting order. He's 8th now - but maybe it's time for a comeback. He's hit some deciding balls to keep us in games, or even win them.

WBC42: ranked 45th, lost 3-1 to Lycrabon in the Round of 16
Ok, when I say we've never been bottom tier, this is the closest we've been to it. But even then we've had a pretty quick ascent back into the sub-top. This WBC marked the start of a new generation of players, some of which still are on the team. This was a well-prepared, well-guided group of professionals, and it showed. They upset many opponents to get to the knockouts, coming from a group with Cassadaigua, Lisander, the Equestrian States and Kita-Hinode, finishing 20-10, the exact same winning percentage as our current team has over Hampton, Oscioru, Bulgar Rouge and Carpia! Talented, motivated squad might be an understatement here!

WBC41: -
We weren't in this one. At least not competing saves us from another Round of 16 loss.

WBC40: ranked 26th, missed the knockouts at 14-16 in the group
This was the final WBC featuring a rag-tag group of has-beens and never-will-bes. Players weren't released by their clubs to play on the world's stage, so this is what happens.

WBC39: ranked 28th, missed the knockouts at 15-15 in the group
Uhh, so 'we're never quite in the cellar of international play' refers to the early-to-mid 30s as far as WBCs go.

WBC38: -

WBC37: ranked 12th, lost 3-0 to Super-Llamaland in the Quarterfinal
This was a short Classic, and also the last one where Ko-oren has had such a good side. After this, it was obscurity and just-not-good-enough, a curse that we finally seem to have broken. Sadly, the previous occasion there was a really good Greenblues team, it was during a dominant spell from the likes of Super-Llamaland and Schiltzberg, who have won 7 WBCs between the 28th edition and the 37th. The three WBCs not won by this duo? The Royal Barangay, Patistan and Gregoryisgodistan. One of these certainly is not like the others.

WBC 36, 35, 34: ranked 14th
There's the competitive team we reminisce about! 14th for three straight Classics. If we were so good back then, how come we never did anything beyond the Round of 16-Quarterfinal yo-yo?

...

WBC26: ranked 17th, finished 4th
Did that happen that long ago?

---

Of course we aren't the only team in the Quarterfinal. Here are the other matchups:

(1) Newmanistan vs (8) Tierra de Castro. Newmanistan is the Schiltzberg/Super-Llamaland-combination all in one in the modern era of baseball, and Tierra de Castro is that loveable team from last Classic. Both needed five games last round, after decisive group-stage efforts.

(4) Free Republics vs (5) West Phoenicia. These are both of our last two executioners in the Round of 16, so we want both of them to lose. Both won their groups with relative ease and have had a day off since the first knockout round.

(11) The Sherpa Empire vs (19) Lycrabon. Two relative upsets in this one, and one of them is going to the semifinal. They're the worst seeded teams left, so whatever comes from this one, we nominate it for the Cinderella-moment of the Classic. Only Lycrabon had to play in the Round of 20, though. The Sherpa Empire wasn't that bad in the group stage at all (they had a better record than us) but were unfortunate that West Phoenicia was in their group. Can't we send the Free Republics and West Phoenicia home and advance both of these teams?

(2) Cassadaigua vs (10) Ko-oren. Out of the frying pan, into the fire. Nova Anglicana is no joke, but now we get the hosts, who went 20-4? Anything can happen, but this is a must-win for Cassadaigua - and looking at the above teams, there's no excuse if the Dagans don't make the final.

[Tierra de Castro]

For the first time, Adan Carita was able to empathise with his best friend. He hadn’t felt nerves like this, perhaps ever, but here they were on the verge of playing Newmanistan in a World Baseball Classic quarter final series. It wasn’t particularly the fact that it was a quarter final that was getting to him, but the fact that it was Newmanistan. Castrollano people, for the most part, didn’t know too much about the outside world. The Party kept tight control of the state media and what was allowed to be broadcast on radio and had only made baby steps into televisual broadcasting in the last twenty-five years or so. One thing Castrollano people did know, was baseball, as a result almost everyone in Tierra de Castro had heard of Newmanistan.

Six-time World Baseball Classic champions. A resume that no other nation could match on the international stage. Carita didn’t know too many of the players on the current roster, indeed, Castrollano state media hadn’t made a habit of naming their players when broadcasting their Classic wins – for fear of creating heroes out of foreign, capitalist citizens – but the name Newmanistan was one steeped in baseball history. The nerves were as a direct result of that.

Adan had been as important as ever in the Round of 16 series, particularly in the final game. Alpine Union were tough competitors and there was a sense of deep respect between both sets of players. They had both played hard and in an ideal world the two would have met later in the tournament so that the game held a degree more importance. As it was, one team had to be eliminated and thankfully for Tierra de Castro, it was the Alpine Union.

The Castrollano team had risen, almost from nothing, to be a World Baseball Classic quarter finalist at the nation’s second attempt in the tournament. It wasn’t quite Newmanistan going to the final in their debut, but any decent Castrollano would argue that the nation’s achievement was just as good given the modern standard of competition and the way in which the sport – at an international level – was set-up in favour of the imperialistic capitalist pigdogs.

Game 5 had started as a tense affair, broken by a Castrollano run in the bottom of the 2nd inning. Hector Chicote pitched the opening three innings flawlessly, with nine batters up and nine back down. Then the 4th inning came. Stijn Bolsenbroek hit a nice lead-off double, breaking his neck to try and make it round and doing so. Kevin McNeill was up and down again but then Gustavo Mendoza hit a mammoth home run. Hector hadn’t been on the end of too much power hitting this Classic, he had been the main man in the Castrollano pitching rotation, there had even be concern about what they would do once he was gone – such was his importance.

Chicote had immediately looked around at the rest of the team out on the diamond, clapping his hands and shouting that ‘nothing changes from here, we go again’. And so he did, Carita caught his next six pitches as he got two more important K’s to end the inning.

Then the emphasis was back onto those hitting to get the job done and it took them another inning to actually make that crucial difference. Bottom of the 5th, they got it done and changed the entire course of the game and effectively won the series. 5 runs on the board, Carita had a big part in it with a homer of his own (he’d later add a second run too), the stuffing was knocked out of the Alpine Union team and the Castrollanos didn’t look back.

Chicote had been correct, they certainly did go again and Carita knew that those people who wondered what the Castrollano team would do once he did finally retire – likely as soon as they were knocked out of this Classic – were right in their concerns. Tierra de Castro had a man who could do it all, he was a motivator as well as a contributor on the field and that made him almost irreplaceable. His experience was second-to-none among the Castrollano players, perhaps only second to El Profesor in the whole of Castrollano baseball.

How did you even go about replacing El Zorro? Was it even possible? The way in which he had looked around after conceding two runs and a rare home run and made sure his team stayed in the game, playing at a level which could ensure they still had a chance of progressing despite being down in the game, few others could have done it. The two strikeouts from that position, six flawless pitches in a row, created the platform for the team to go on and win the game and the series.

He really was one-of-a-kind.

Now they were up against Newmanistan and this was the sort of game that every player had dreamed of as a child. Perhaps not quite at this level, given the very thought of playing in the World Baseball Classic was pretty much unthinkable right up until they actually played the very first game in their debut Classic four years prior. Even then, many thought it was a stunt by the Party and that they would be pulled out during the tournament. For many, just playing in the Castrollano national series was enough, they had dreamed of that as a kid. Now they were playing against some of the finest teams in baseball.

“This is what we came here to do,” El Profesor broke through Carita’s internal monologue with much the same message. “We wanted to get to Cassadaigua to have the chance of playing in the play-offs of this Classic, we beat Alpine Union and now – we all know who Newmanistan are – we have a serious job to do. Forget their reputation, forget their history, we all deserve to be here and we can put fear into them early on by winning this first game. You all have the quality to do it, so go out there and show everybody.”

[Newmanistan]

THE ROCKET REPORT

LEE OVER BEEPEE

by Brianne Henry,

Resiliency has long been a trademark of our Rockets. The team did not get to where they are today without it, and last night’s 8-0 win over Beepee in the fifth and deciding game is a great example of it. Hannah Lee, pitching on short rest after a Game 1 performance that was satisfactory, but below average in Newmanistanian standards. She got a no-decision, and the Rockets did win the game. Hannah didn’t need to be brilliant, as in the end, the team would score runs as well, but she looked like the pitcher who grew up in stardom of the Classic.

Hannah Lee tossed all nine innings, and did not allow a hit until the fifth inning. In the end, she tossed a three-hitter, fanning ten in the complete game shut out. Stephanie Reynolds and Kenzie Magee each had a home run and three RBI’s on the day to lead the offense. So now this Newmanistan team, which was in jeopardy of being eliminated when falling 2-1 in this series, has risen up and will meet Tierra de Castro in the next round. The Castrollanos defeated Alpine Union in five games to get to this series as they continue to establish themselves as a successful baseball playing nation. Had Alpine Union won, it would have set up the series that seems to be all too common in the playoffs, with the Rockets seemingly always able to defeat them, but this time they will have to face one of the upstarts. Courtney Duvall, now giving her opinions as an analyst, said of Tierra de Castro, “It’s a team with great chemistry. I like what they have going on in their club house, and the man they call El Profesor is someone I hold a lot of respect for. He’s a great leader, he’s smart, but he’s also played the game and knows what it takes. His players have bought in to it, and it makes them a great team. Can they knock us off? I think they can. Remember we have a lot of new faces on our team for this Classic like we keep saying. But as we saw with Hannah getting the big start, and then the offense provided by Stephanie Reynolds, there is enough of a veteran influence on the team still, to guide them on through. I do think Newmanistan will win, but it will be a tough series. We can be in for another five gamer.” That would require Newmanistan to show their resiliency, and that has hardly ever been a problem for the team.

Here was Courtney Duvall’s take on the other three matchups

Free Republics vs West Phoenicia: “Heavyweight vs heavyweight. Obviously a series that could go either way. Both were finalists within the last two Classics. Watch and enjoy, and both us and the Castrollanos will hope they beat other up and wear one another out so much that they won’t have anything left for the semifinal.”

The Sherpa Empire vs Lyrcabon: “The seeds make this look like a lesser matchup, but the teams involved can’t be overlooked. The Sherpa Empire is establishing themselves nicely in sports, and Lycrabon has a lot of history with less distractions.”

Cassadaigua vs Ko-oren: “The Dagans have to overcome that host hex. Let’s face it, hosts have underachieved time and time again. Ko-oren’s biggest problem in their ascent was taking Classics off. It hurt their ranking. Cassadaigua is the favorite, but I have a hunch that Ko-oren wins.”

[The Sherpa Empire]

--‭֎‬-- Lukla --‭֎‬--

There were some people who once you told them you were going to do something, you couldn't back out. Sarki Ihawa was one of those people. Princess Yahia had told her she was going to marry Debashish Morrison and they were going to announce it when he got home from Cassadaigua. Telling Sarki hadn't been that hard. Sure, she had the power to blast them to into the next life, but she wasn't personally opposed to their relationship. The hard part was telling everyone else.

The Duke of Guilin was disappointed, but he said he understood. "I hope you'll still come to visit me, just as a friend," he said. "You can bring Debashish."

"Of course," said Yahia. "I told you before, I like you as a friend."

That just left the really hard part: telling Yahia's parents. When she got off the phone with the Duke of Guilin -- the phone he had given her, not the one the Palace staff monitored -- she told herself she would tell her parents first thing the next morning. But then morning came and she found herself lying in bed late into the day so she could put off that conversation a little longer. Eventually it got late enough that she really couldn't justify doing anything without having lunch first. It was mid-afternoon by the time she finished eating and made herself look presentable, and her parents would be busy that time of day. It was late in the evening, well after dinner, when Yahia finally managed to work up the nerve and find the time to talk to her parents. She found them in a cozy old room that still was furnished more or less the same way it had been when it was built 300 years ago. It was heated by charcoal braziers and there were thick rugs, tapestries, and blankets all over the room. Her nervousness made her freeze up and stumble over her words, but she finally managed to tell them the truth about what had been going on the last several months. She left out the part about the Duke of Guilin being gay, but she told them pretty much everything else. Her parents were absolutely livid.

"Yahia, you are absolutely not going to marry Debashish Morrison," the Emperor said when he had calmed down enough to say anything coherent. "Whoever you marry is next in line for the throne, and I am not going to leave the empire to someone that isn't even a Sherpa! Kipa Sherpa and Sarki Ihawa have some serious explaining to do!"

"You can leave the throne to Prince Wangdi," Yahia said.

"No, Yahia, I'm not going to let you do this," her mother said. "You're going to marry the Duke of Guilin."

"But I'm not in love with him!" Yahia protested.

"Nonsense! You two have been practically inseparable," her mother insisted. "You spend way more time together than you need just to pass notes."

"But I'm not in love with him!" Yahia said again. "I'm in love with Debashish! And it's not just some stupid whim... It's been 3 years. I've done everything I could to get to know him and not just rush in, and I'm sure, this is what I want to do."

Her mother's eyes were still flaring with anger. "I won't allow it!"

Her father seemed more conflicted. "Are you really willing to give up your place in the succession?" he asked.

"Yes, I care about Debashish more than I care about the succession," Yahia answered hopefully. Her mother was still furious, but maybe she was getting somewhere with her father...

"That's ridiculous!" her mother cut in.

Her father sighed. "I wish you would fall in love with someone else, but 3 years is a long time."

Her mother scowled at him. "Karsang, you're not actually considering letting her do this, are you?"

The Emperor beckoned for Yahia to come closer. "Come sit with me," he said. They sat together and he put his arm around her affectionately. "Why do you have to be so stubborn?"

"Because I love him, daddy!"

"You can't let her do this!" the Empress insisted, still outraged.

"I don't want to," said the Emperor. "I would rather you married the Duke of Guilin," he told Yahia. "But I don't want to have a battle of wills either because I know you are stubborn as an ox. Tell you what, if we win the World Baseball Classic, I'll invite the national baseball team to the Palace for a celebration. Debashish Morrison can propose to you properly then."

Yahia laughed. "That would be the best day ever if we won the Classic and I get to be with Debashish!"

"Karsang, you can't use our daughter as a prize for some stupid baseball game!" the Empress protested.

The Emperor waved her protest away. "I'm not giving her away to anyone that wins, only if it's someone she likes anyway. And it'll be good motivation for the baseball team. Let them have some fun with it."

"But what if they win?"

"Then maybe it's meant be. The oddsmakers in Macau say we're not expected to win. If it happens against the odds, that is fate. But I'm still not going to leave the throne to someone who isn't Sherpa, Sarki Ihawa still needs to retire, and Kipa Sherpa still has some serious explaining to do."

[Cassadaigua]

(1) Newmanistan vs (8) Tierra de Castro @ New Lakeland Stadium, New Lakeland
Game 1:

Tierra de Castro       0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 0  3
Newmanistan            0 4 0 0 0 1 0 0 X  5

Game 2:

Tierra de Castro       0 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0  3
Newmanistan            1 1 2 0 1 0 3 0 X  8

Newmanistan leads series, 2-0

(4) Free Republics vs (5) West Phoenicia @ Brattleboro Stadium, Brattleboro
Game 1:

West Phoenicia         0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0  3
Free Republics         4 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 X  7

Game 2:

West Phoenicia         1 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0  3
Free Republics         0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1  1

series tied, 1-1

(11) The Sherpa Empire vs (19) Lycrabon @ Grande Mountain Stadium, Grande Mountain
Game 1:

Lycrabon               3 0 1 0 4 0 0 0 1  9
The Sherpa Empire      0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2  3

Game 2:

Lycrabon               0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1  3
The Sherpa Empire      0 0 1 0 0 3 0 0 X  4

series tied, 1-1

(2) Cassadaigua vs (10) Ko-oren @ Concord Heights Stadium, Concord Heights (scorinated by Newmanistan)
Game 1:

Ko-oren                4 0 0 2 0 1 1 2 0 10
Cassadaigua            0 0 1 3 0 2 0 0 0  6

Game 2:

Ko-oren                0 0 0 0 0 1 1 7 0  9
Cassadaigua            0 0 0 0 0 4 1 0 0  5

Ko-oren leads series, 2-0

[Lycrabon]

Curtis wins, Dickerson loses

GRANDE MOUNTAIN -- Lycrabon split the first two games of their quarterfinal series, winning game one 9-3 and losing game two 4-3. Next up pitching-wise is Hill and Barnett, the latter a potential series-clinching game four.

[The Sherpa Empire]

--‭֎‬-- Nanjing, Jiangsu Territory --‭֎‬--

For the 3rd year in a row, Tao Xi was watching the World Baseball Classic from home because he had narrowly missed making the roster for the national team. He was not happy with this and neither was his wife. When the team was winning, Xi would say wistfully, "I wish I was there." When they were losing, he would gripe that he could do better if he was there. Today he had plenty to grumble about. Al Ali's fastball wasn't quite as fast as usual, his curveball wasn't curving quite right, and the fielding behind him was just plain awful. Banerjee started off the fumble-fest by bobbling what should have been an easy catch to end the top of the first. After the error, Al Ali gave up a couple of hits, and 3 runs scored before he managed to get out of the inning. "I could have caught that!" Tao Xi groaned.

"They only put Banerjee on the team because his dad has connections," his wife, Huihui Lin, added. "Anyone with eyes can see you're a better right fielder than him!"

The game went on in the same vein. Al Ali was not quite as good as usual, and clumsy fielding exacerbated it, allowing Lycrabon to score on practically every hiccup. Al Ali was pulled after giving up 8 runs in 5 and 1/3 innings. He left a runner on first for Khalil Tsui. Tsui managed to stop the bleeding, no thanks to Kusang Banerjee or Phurba Desai, who both continued to be uncharacteristically clumsy with their gloves. Eventually, Banerjee got pulled too and Singh replaced him. Sunil Das came in to pitch the 9th and could not find the strike zone for anything. Lycrabon put a 9th run on the board. In the bottom of the 9th, with Seojun Sherpa on first, Singh came up to bat. He was talking to himself as he stepped up to the plate and Xi could see him mouthing the words, "Wake up, bat. I need your help now." It took 3 pitches before he got one he liked, but he sent that one flying into the outfield stands, where some girls went chasing it across the aisle. Sedhai hit another long fly ball, but unfortunately this one stayed in the park, allowing the Lycrabonians to get him out and end the game.

"That was pathetic!" Tao Xi groaned.

He was still sulking about it when he got an unexpected call from the Duke of Nanjing. The duke said he had bought tickets for a trip to Grande Mountain, where he was planning to take his wife to game 3 of the series between Lycrabon and the Sherpa Empire as well as meeting with some prospective business partners, but he had to cancel the trip at the last minute because his wife had fallen ill. "It seems like a shame to let the tickets go to waste," he said. "I thought you might like to be there, even if they won't let you play."

"You wouldn't rather try to get a refund?"

"Nah, it's hardly worth it with all the fees and things," said the duke. "If you want to go, I'd rather let you go and enjoy yourself. Maybe Huihui can cook something up to give the team a taste of home... You know how rough it is being away from home when you're playing on the road. It must be tough in a place like Cassadaigua where nobody speaks your language, the women are so stuck up, and the food is all weird and foreign. Nothing like a home-cooked meal to boost morale!"

(OOC: In WBC 42, it was a running joke that Huihui Lin's cooking is inedible, and everyone who eats it gets food poisoning.)

[Free Republics]

Sporting World

Olympic Men's 100 m Dash Medalist Rene Jager Signs With Free Republics National Baseball Team, Will Join Team for Game 3
by: Clarice Cormier

Republican National Baseball Team manager Kyle Thomas announced today that Rene Jager, the reigning fastest man in the multiverse, will be signing with the National Baseball Team for the remainder of the World Baseball Classic, effective immediately. Jager, who won the Olympic Gold Medal in Republica by running 100 meters in just 9.8 seconds, has not played baseball since Kiddy League (OOC: the Republican equivalent of Little League). Sporting World has learned that Jager will be utilized solely as a pinch runner and will not be expected to swing a bat or play the field.

This stunning news broke just minutes after the conclusion of the Olympic Closing Ceremony as slow baserunning by Nicholas Fisher in the bottom of the 9th inning of Game 2 of the Quarterfinals against West Phoenicia resulted in a game-ending out that killed a Republican rally and allowed West Phoenicia to tie the series at 1 game apiece. When I asked Thomas whether the move was a reaction to Fisher's poor baserunning with the game on the line, he told me, "We've been talking with Rene ever since he won the Olympic gold medal. He's truly the best in the multiverse at what he does so I'm honored that he has agreed to join us in Cassadaigua. While I regret my decision not to pinch run for Nicholas in that situation, this is not a reaction to any single result. We are making this move because we believe that having the fastest man in the multiverse on our roster as a pinch running specialist gives us the best chance to win baseball games. Besides, a pinch running specialist isn't really that crazy, is it, when teams already keep pitchers on their roster to throw to just 1 batter?"

With the conclusion of the Olympics, all eyes now turn to Cassadaigua where the World Baseball Classic is in progress. The National Baseball Team went 19-5 during the group stage dominating a group consisting of several mediocre teams. They also defeated Vangaziland in the Round of 16 by a 3 games to 1 margin. Gioacchino Arcuri, who gave up 4 runs in the first inning to Vangaziland in his last start, a loss, after going 4-0 in his 5 group stage starts, including a 3-hitter against Libonesia in his last pre-playoff start, will start for the Free Republics in game 3.

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!

[West Phoenicia]

West Phoenicia cries foul!

Jacob Prosper, Manager of the West Phoenician Confederates has slammed a move by Free Republics Manager Kyle Thomas with the inclusion of Rene Jager, a 100m runner who made a name for themselves at the last Olympics in Free Republics. Jacob was quick to rally the West Phoenician media to his press conference to slam the decision.

“While West Phoenicia has a pinch runner for extreme cases of illness or injury, we would never think about replacing a perfectly healthy player who may be a little slower with a pinch runner. We would simply allocate more time to train them to be quick or cut them from the team.
I am appalled at this move by our competitors. Free Republics cites critical moments? A total replacement is not a critical moment. He will be paraded out like a show pony to run when asked of him, and for the rest of the game do nothing but scratch himself in the bullpen.

I pity both Nicholas Fisher and Rene Hager who are being used and exploited to advance a baseball game. It smacks of unfairness half way through the season and half way through the quarter finals. He was not even included on the original roster submitted to the World Baseball Classic, a roster that should have been confirmed as needing to be updated going into the quarterfinals, and solely due to injury or illness, not just because they found a better option to try and take us down.
I have lodged a complaint with the West Phoenician Baseball Federation who will lodge it with the World Baseball Classic Committee to halt Rene Hager from appearing as a pinch runner until the new season.

The Confederate players have rallied by their manager, voicing their support for his critical outspokenness. While they will not boycott the match, a more aggressive approach towards their competitors will be included, and fans are sure to kick up enough noise from the stands to throw off any rival batter.

[Newmanistan]

THE ROCKET REPORT

ROCKETS TAKE TWO AND JAGER OPINIONS

by Brianne Henry,

Happy Creation Day! Before I start talking about the first two games of the quarterfinals involving Newmanistan, I want to touch upon the decision of the Free Republics to add Rene Jager to their baseball squad. Who the heck is this, you may ask? I know not many Newmanistanians were following the Olympics (or so some will claim, I am sure many were watching anyway), because we were boycotting them, so Jager is an unknown to many of us. Newmanistan, of course, continually boycotts the Olympics due to not making baseball a medal event. This was changed recently, but then a gender division was created, and despite teams of all-women winning the World Baseball Classic six times with Newmanistan, and adding in the three titles of Cassadaigua, while not overlooking that five-time champion Super-Llamaland had pretty close to a 50-50 split with their own roster, the gender division would be that men would play for medals and women would have to only play as a demonstration sport, equivalent to the level that playing video games would be contested. Therefore, Emperor Michael V announced that Newmanistan will continue to boycott the Olympics. This was not due to a lack of confidence with the Free Republics. By all accounts, they did a fantastic job with hosting the events, and I am one to agree. The decision to not make women’s baseball a medal event was not their unilateral decision. It is instead the decision of the official Olympic Committee, involving many nations.

Let’s talk about Rene Jager. He was the one who won the men’s 100m dash, clocking in at 9.8 seconds. Reports have it that a bird won the women’s division of that event. Jager is fast, that is not to be denied, and the Free Republics have done their homework in watching Newmanistanian baseball over the years to know the importance of speed and stealing bases in this competition. Of course, they would have known of its general importance, but the methodology has been such an integral part of Newmanistanian baseball that we have earned the right to pat ourselves in the back in regards to that. Jager has not played baseball since he was a kid, and the Sporting World, the Free Republics’ leading international sports source, tells us Jager will not play the field or swing a bat. He will exclusively be a pinch runner. This is a gamble, because baserunning is about so much more then pure speed. If you want to be good at stealing bases, you have to be able to read a pitcher, get a good lead, know when the time is right to go, and get a good jump. This doesn’t happen overnight. West Phoenicia, the opponent of Free Republics, voice their disapproval of the roster addition, though such additions are not unprecedented. My advice to the Confederates would be to not worry about it, and pick him off first. He’s inexperienced, and while the coaching staff of the Free Republics will do whatever they can to teach the fundamentals of stealing a base, and general baserunning. It will take a while for him to fully know the pick off moves of the West Phoenician pitchers, or to effectively slide into a base. In a 100-meter dash, he is used to being able to go full speed to the finish. In baseball, he has to know when to stop, and effectively slide into the base. You can’t go into second or third standing up, because you can’t just stop on a dime in doing this. It is very possible that Newmanistan and Free Republics could meet in the next round, and if they do, do not expect us to be worried about Jager. His speed will be most beneficial, in my opinion, not in stealing bases, but in taking the extra base.

If I would do this differently, I would say let him pinch hit, too. Let him learn quickly how to drag a bunt down the baseline and beat it out. That’s where his 100-meter dash ability would really be showcased to the world. It could work, but there’s a reason track stars do not commonly become pinch runners in baseball.

Newmanistan is one win away from advancing to the semifinals, but still needs to pick up that win. Tierra de Castro is good enough to win three in a row, but you have to like how the Rockets played in the opening two games, winning 5-3, and then 8-3. Each of the starting pitchers, Cassie Burke and Madison Sullivan got the victories in their respective start, with Sullivan showing good resilience despite surrendering three runs in the first three innings. Her teammates were able to put four on the board over that time, and with the 4-3 lead, Sullivan shut the door, and did not allow a baserunner for the rest of her game, which would last through the seventh inning. Burke also went seven in her win. Coach Hedstrom will pitch Shannon Kelly, as scheduled in Game 3, and will not skip over Paige Norwood for a possible game 4. If Newmanistan were to sweep the series, it stands to reason that Hannah Lee would pitch the first game of that series.

#chasingseven

[Ko-oren]

Fighting for Screentime

Between the World Cup of (Ice) Hockey, the Rugby League World Cup, and GCF Test Cricket, there's too much sports on tv to choose from, and that is with most of our domestic leagues on break. And then we haven't mentioned the tournament that our Dragonflies are currently furthest in: the World Baseball Classic. The status of our national team is very different in all four tournaments. In ice hockey, we're just happy to have made the second round, which was enough of a surprise. In the RLWC, it's champions or bust. In test cricket, the environment is a huge influence and there are massive differences per match, so a win is always on the cards. Despite the match length, the difference between a win, a loss, or a draw, is minimal.

It's funny how the fanbase for baseball and cricket are completely different, even though you'd have to admit that there are some similarities between the sports. They're bat-and-ball games, the defence is in possession 90+% of the time, and both are very traditional at their core. The difference is that cricket has different formats for length, varying from 5 days, to 1 day, to 3 hours. So why has nobody in the baseball world thought of anything in that regard?

In fact, somebody has. In order to loosen up the 'rivalries' between different, but related sports, there are casual games organised on the borders between the sports' respective regions. The region named the 'Amandine', on the border between Finisterre on the east, and Cote Austral and Surbourneshire on the west, is home to multiple exhibition events during the WBC, GCF season, RLWC and RUWC. Baseball is organised as such:
- two teams of nine players
- played on a regular baseball diamond
- played with regular baseball rules
- an innings consists of nine outs per team; in other words, every player gets an at-bat every innings
- a game consists of a varying amount of innings. The captains decide on a number, usually between 3 and 6.

Anyhow, there are four sports fighting for screentime right now. Baseball is played every day, depending on a series' length, and thus has a daily timeslot. No problems for us, and over 4 million people have seen at least part of a Ko-oren v Cassadaigua game! The heartland of baseball, Yoshima and Finisterre, have a population of 3.5 million people combined, so at least half a million people have responded to the hype in the rest of the nation. And again, what a couple games they've seen! The Dragonflies are up 2-0 over the hosts, Cassadaigua, in the hunt for their first semifinal berth since WBC 26. Currently, the Greenblues are on their best run since WBC37 - so it's been a while since the hype had grown to this size.

Cassadaigua are a tough team, with clear home advantage, so a 2-0 lead in a best-of-5 is far from a 100% lock. Anything can happen, and the battle for a third win in this series will be a fiercely fought one.

A final strange stat to leave you with: in the group stage, Ko-oren averaged 3.875 runs per game. In five knockout games, Ko-oren has averaged 9 runs per game. Small sample size, but still.