Posted:
Fri Jan 25, 2019 8:24 pm
by Free Republics
OOC: This WBC takes place ICly a year after WBC 43 and 44. Stats are from the previous year's season and have not been updated as the current season of domestic Republican baseball has not yet been completed. The Republican calendar is based around the World Cup and as the WBC has been run more frequently than the World Cup of late, WBCs end up happening at irregular times in Republican time. Players have been aged and stadiums have been updated but I have not updated the notes to reflect the events of last WBC due to Olympic-related time constraints. Most of these players also played at the Olympics but they have since left the Republican teams and re-joined the WBC team.Free Republics National Baseball Team
Manager - Kyle Thomas
Assistant Manager - Fitz Dupont
Bench Coach - Joseph Martensson
Batting Coach - Geoffrey Amato
Pitching Coach - Aimone Cremonesi
1st Base Coach - Blaze Kaminski
3rd Base Coach - Salomon Castro
Bullpen Coach - Yuusuke Heida
Colors: Blue and White
Demonym: Republican
Trigram: FFR
RosterLeague KeyABF - Acedonian Baseball Federation (Acedonia)
ENBL -
Newmanistan Baseball League (Newmanistan)IBL - Iodara Baseball League (Free Republics)
JBL - Jolarus Baseball League (Free Republics)
RABL - Republic of Amolotopia Baseball League (Free Republics)
RCAA - Republican Collegiate Athletic Association (Free Republics)
SPBAA - Shostistan Professional Baseball Players Association (Free Republics)
TPB - Taiyou Pro Baseball (Noburu Taiyou)
XBL -
X Baseball League (Free Republics)YBL - Yorkoba Baseball League (Free Republics)
RotationSlot # Name Bats Throws Age Club Team (League) Selected Stats
1 23 Namo Busque R L 32 New City Time Bombs (XBL) 20-8, 2.53 ERA, 237 K
2 88 "Wild" Ralph Fiedler R R 21 South Charlotte Condors (ENBL) 16-9, 211 K, 88 BB*
3 42 Gioacchino Arcuri R L 25 Mortonsville Monsters (XBL) 21-5, 1.96 ERA, 287 K, 37 BB
4 19 Zac Gatehouse R R 28 New City Time Bombs (XBL) 17-10, 2.44 ERA, 155 K, 23 BB
5 72 Taryn Russell R R 24 Oldston Arsonists (XBL) 18-9, 2.28 ERA, 194 K, 17 BB
*Most recent season (that I'm aware of)
BullpenRole # Name Bats Throws Age Club Team (League) Selected Stats
CL 28 Mario Rothschild R R 34 Albertope Forsakers (XBL) 43 SV, 1.28 ERA, 65 K, 47.2 IP
SU 91 Kiyosumi Takeuchi L L 24 Tohoko Giants (TPB) 7-2, 47 SV, 1.99 ERA, 82 K, 74.1 IP
SU 11 Luana Cremonesi R R 19 Nejax Horns (RCAA) 3-0, 17 SV, 0.21 ERA
MR 21 Kacie Munro L L 26 Republica Vipers (XBL) 8-2, 2.66 ERA, 110 K, 87.2 IP
MR 34 Avdei Kazantsev R R 31 Latroit Ligers (YBL) 2-4, 2.07 ERA, 23 K, 51 IP
MR 74 Ecio Saucedo R R 27 Borotia Riflemen (IBL) 11-1, 0.97 ERA, 61 SV, 79 K, 70 IP
LR 16 Rhys McIntyre R R 21 Republica Patriots (RCAA) 9-1, 1.17 ERA, 113 K, 7 BB, 94.1 IP
LR 31 Sheamus O'Connor R R 30 Reco Purple Sox (JBL) 22-7, 2.24 ERA, 265 K
MOP 47 Ming Hsing R R 22 Plymouth Republic Drillers (RCAA) 10-1, 1.71 ERA, 54 K, 7 BB, 117 IP
Starting Lineup (listed in order)
POS # Name Bats Throws Age Club Team (League) Selected Stats
CF 89 Ferrau Bergeron R R 26 Baseton Bullies (XBL) .309 AVG, 11 HR, 76 SB, .421 OBP
2B 43 Ethan Joyner S R 25 Mortonsville Monsters (XBL) .287 AVG, 17 HR, 33 SB
SS 20 Honomi Kamei R R 24 Republica Vipers (XBL) .413 AVG, 23 HR, 52 SB, 51 2B, 21 3B, .428 OBP, 9 K
1B 33 Oskar Bjorgum L L 25 Petrograd Greed (XBL) .357 AVG, 39 HR, 8 SB, 130 K, 403 AB
3B 7 Hollie Rogers S R 20 Barkersville Titans (RABL) .381 AVG, 44 HR, 49 SB, 58 K
DH 4 Nicholas Fisher S R 35 New City Time Bombs (XBL) .274 AVG, 31 HR, 1 SB, .397 OBP
C 40 Teresa Mrazova R R 23 New City Time Bombs (XBL) .261 AVG, 31 HR, 16 SB, 39.6% caught stealing percentage
LF 90 Randy Baran L L 32 Toakameau Degenerates (XBL) .318 AVG, 27 HR, 19 SB, 27 assists
RF 1 Philipp Schmitz R R 21 Shottsburg Sharpshooters (SPBAA) .394 AVG, 5 HR, 117 SB, 55 2B, 27 3B
BenchPOS # Name Bats Throws Age Club Team (League) Selected Stats
C 13 Brock Shield S R 28 Republica Vipers (XBL) .248 AVG, 27 HR, .352 OBP, 38.6% caught stealing percentage, 209 K
C 12 Jayden Riley S R 32 Oldston Arsonists (XBL) .261 AVG, 2 HR, 1 SB, 42.3% caught stealing percentage
CRN 24 Alexander Capon L R 28 Bees (ABF) .317 AVG, 48 HR, 9 SB, 142 K
MID 27 Harald Amundsen R R 20 Nejax Republic Cowboys (RCAA) .466 AVG, 18 HR, 17 SB
OF 3 Evelin Norberg L L 26 Petrograd Greed (XBL) .262 AVG, 19 HR, 14 SB
OF 78 J.L. Longoria S L 30 Tohoko Giants (TPB) .327 AVG, 24 HR, 34 2B, 14 3B, 79 SB, .440 OBP
UT 64 Julie Brodeur S R 26 Petrograd Greed (XBL) .294 AVG, 18 HR, 39 SB, 21 2B, 7 positions played
Joining team for Game 3 of QuarterfinalsPinch Runner: Rene Jager (Games of the XIII Olympiad: Men's 100 m Dash Gold Medalist)*
*Jager is a pinch running specialist who will pinch run in critical moments. He will never take the field or bat.
StadiumsMD2 vs CosumarStadium: Family Farmers Field
Stadium Location: Mortonsville, Exastrium
Stadium Capacity: 37,809
Distance to Walls: 313 to left, 289 to right, 413 to center
Stadium Surface: Grass
MD5 vs CameloneStadium: National Organization for Men Stadium
Stadium Location: Estonopolis, Keronoma
Stadium Capacity: 58,534
Distance to Walls: 335 to left and right, 408 to center
Stadium Surface: Artificial Turf
MD6 vs LycrabonStadium: Conway Park
Stadium Location: Lambridge, Taxachusetts Charter Society
Stadium Capacity: 37,499
Distance to Walls: 310 to left (Brick Monster: 40 feet high), 379 to deep-left center, 390 to center, 420 to deep-right center, 390 to right center, 302 to right
Stadium Surface: Grass
MD9 vs LibonesiaStadium: Nicholls Air Park
Stadium Location: Baseton, Amolotopia
Stadium Capacity: 47,321
Distance to Walls: 329 to left, 298 to right, 404 to center
Stadium Surface: Grass
MD12 vs CosumarStadium: RepublicSoft Stadium
Stadium Location: New City, Orlandiana
Stadium Capacity: 42,282
Distance to Walls: 341 to left and right, 421 to center
Stadium Surface: Grass
MD15 vs CameloneStadium: Miktondo Flip Park
Stadium Location: Borotia, Iodara
Stadium Capacity: 53,886
Distance to Walls: 283 to left, 324 to right, 462 to center
Stadium Surface: Grass
MD16 vs LycrabonStadium: MingleDome
Stadium Location: Latroit, Yorkoba
Stadium Capacity: 73,203
Distance to Walls: 330 to left and right, 400 to center
Stadium Surface: RepuliTurf
MD19 vs LibonesiaStadium: Island Park
Stadium Location: Toakameau, Falatulu
Stadium Capacity: 51,882
Distance to Walls: 321 to left, 323 to right, 393 to center
Stadium Surface: Grass
MD22 vs CosumarStadium: Federation Post Park
Stadium Location: Shottsburg, Shostistan
Stadium Capacity: 53,201
Distance to Walls: 308 to left, 312 to right, 388 to center
Stadium Surface: Grass
MD 25 vs CameloneStadium: Horn Field
Stadium Location: Goldberg, Nejax
Stadium Capacity: 84,201
Distance to Walls: 346 feet to left and right, 419 to left-center and right-center, 444 to center
Stadium Surface: Grass
MD26 vs LycrabonStadium: BearOil Park
Stadium Location: Petrograd, Plymouth
Stadium Capacity: 48,505
Distance to Walls: 299 to left and right, 399 to center
Stadium Surface: BearGrass
MD29 vs LibonesiaStadium: Johnston Marijuana Park
Stadium Location: Riverton, South Lakota
Stadium Capacity: 47,321
Distance to Walls: 324 feet to left, 396 feet to center, 319 feet to right
Stadium Surface: Grass
Notes (Unchanged since WBC 44)
After an embarrassing failure to even make the playoffs on home soil at WBC 42, the Republican National Baseball Team was completely revamped going into WBC 43. Republican National Baseball, LLC fired the entire coaching staff and carried on an extensive search to find a new manager. Eventually, they settled upon Kyle Thomas as the new manager. Thomas hired a completely new coaching staff, including former national team pitcher Aimone Cremonesi as the new pitching coach. The new coaching staff carried out an extensive scouting expedition to build a new team, eventually settling on a roster of 30, which was significantly smaller than previous Republican National Team rosters.
For the first time, the Free Republics sent a mixed-gender team to this WBC and the new women players made significant contributions to the team. The first woman selected to the team was Luana Cremonesi, the niece of the pitching coach. As a freshman, she won the closer job for the Nejax Horns, one of the elite college teams in the Free Republics and helped lead the team to a national championship by being virtually unhittable all season long. Honomi Kamei and Hollie Rogers started at shortstop and 3rd base, respectively. Kamei was the sole bright spot on a terrible Republica Vipers team, putting up numbers that would have likely won the MVP award on a better team. Hollie Rogers was the reigning RABL MVP after leading the Barkersville Titans to a surprise pennant (she has since won a second consecutive RABL MVP and led the Titans to another pennant). Teresa Mrazova's handling of the New City Time Bombs pitching staff was a major reason why the Time Bombs had won the XBL pennant, which won her a 3rd place finish in XBL Rookie of the Year voting. She served as Zac Gatehouse's personal catcher but otherwise backed up Brock Shield. Evelin Norberg and Julie Brodeur played key roles on a Petrograd Greed team that led the XBL in scoring but failed to repeat due to the implosion of their starting pitchers. Brodeur could fill in at any position in the event that a player is hurt or needs rest.
Kamei emerged as arguably the best player in the world with a dominant performance last WBC and could another giant leap forward during the XBL season that saw her voted the unanimous MVP as she led a much better Republica Vipers team, including new signing Brock Shield, to a respectable 4th place finish. Kyle Thomas named Teresa Mrazova as the starting catcher for this WBC after she took the next step as a hitter during the XBL season, keeping the Time Bombs afloat in spite of Nicholas Fisher's down season. Taryn Russell takes Sheamus O'Connor's spot in the rotation while O'Connor remains on the roster as a long reliever in Leon Eichel's old spot. Eichel had an extremely bad season for the Oldston Arsonists at 39 and was dropped from the national team. Russell broke out for the Arsonists this year, emerging as the team's new ace. On the 5th matchday of this WBC's group stage, she will become the first female starting pitcher for the Republican National Team. The Republican rotation has been shuffled based on the results of last WBC and the recent domestic season. Namo Busque, who signed with the New City Time Bombs during the WBC, will now be the Republican National Team's ace while Gioacchino Arcuri, who was awarded the Platinum Arm award for best pitcher in the XBL, will start third because Kyle Thomas didn't want to start two lefties back-to-back. The fact that the two pitchers widely regarded as the best in the XBL would start against Liventia and Maklohi Vai, respectively, was surely just a coincidence.
The Republican players are all listed as the same age as they were in WBC 43 because this WBC is ICly taking place in the same calendar year as WBC 43, under the Republican timeline, except that WBC 43 occurred before the domestic baseball season and WBC 44 is occurring shortly after its conclusion. OOCly, this is due to this WBC's group stage taking place during the World Cup finals.
While the designated hitter Nicholas Fisher is a great hitter, he is absolutely awful in the field and thus will only be used as a pinch hitter in games where the designated hitter is not being used.
All of the players on the bench are likely to see playing time over the course of the WBC and Kyle Thomas will not hesitate to pull a pitcher who is obviously tired. Strategic substitutions and defensive shifts should be expected at appropriate times.
The various leagues in which these players compete domesticaly vary greatly in terms of caliber of play. The ENBL in Newmanistan is obviously vastly superior to any of the domestic leagues in the FFR but among those domestic leagues the XBL and the TPB are the best leagues with the RABL and SPBAA on a slightly lower tier. The RCAA is college baseball and therefore plays only a 60 game regular season with a much lower level of play.
RP PermissionsMy opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my runscorers: Yes (but don't do anything that would be impossible under the rules of the sport)
Choose my lineup: Yes (please read the notes section first)
Follow my pitching rotation: Yes
Godmod scoring events: Yes
RP injuries to my players: Yes
Godmod injuries to my players: Yes
Eject my players: Yes (unlimited)
Godmod other events: Yes
Use DH at home: Yes
Posted:
Sat Jan 26, 2019 5:00 am
by Liventia
The Baseball Federation of Liventia announces its 25-man roster for the 45th World Baseball Classic, as Liventia attempts to continue its playoff streak since the country returned to international play.
Liventia opened WBC45 with a secondary roster made up of players not at the Olympic Games. After seven games played, the team, also called the 'Red-and-Gold', called up a number of Olympians, who are listed in the roster below. The players released back to their clubs are also listed, but struck out and in grey.
The Liventian Baseball Championship is currently made up of 24 teams in six divisions of four, with 12 in each conference (the National Baseball League and Challenge Baseball League). Teams are not 'franchises' and are based permanently in cities and towns.
The NBL does not use the designated hitter, while the CBL does. Sixteen teams qualify for the playoffs (three division winners plus next five best teams by record per conference) after a 104–game season. Note that therefore, the statistics provided below for each player are for a 104–game season, not 162, except for hitters' major league career averages.
Permissions:
Choose my run-scorers: Yes
Choose my lineup: *Please follow my line-ups below unless one of my players has been RPed as injured, in which case you may select a replacement player if I have not already designated one.
Follow my Pitching Rotation: Yes
Godmod scoring events: Yes
RP injuries to my players: Yes – please, no season- or career-ending injuries.
Godmod injuries to my players: Yes
Eject my players: Yes – but only if you eject one or more from your own team.
DH used at home: YES
Godmod other events: Yes
Other info: The team will rely on sabermetric splits and substitutions, especially in innings 7 to 9 (or if behind early).
Home ground:
Liventia will use only one home ground this season, the quirky Port Cartfort Park.
Port Cartfort Park, capacity 24,100; DH used
Home ground of The Saboteurs Baseball Club Port Cartfort (CBL), average home attendance 22,100
Dimensions:
Left foul pole 317 ft; left field 349 ft; left-centre 397 ft; centre field 429 ft; right-centre 402 ft; right field 366 ft; right foul pole 322 ft; wall height 7 ft in left/left-centre; 13 ft in centre; 15 ft in right/right-centre
Right-handed hitters have far more joy at PCP than left-handed hitters. There are also a high number of triples and thanks to the dimensions, inside-the-park home runs are not uncommon at PCP.
Transport: National rail from Orean or City Centre; then local bus routes.
Style modifier: +3
Starting Rotation
1. Oscar Bastable (#76), age 31, throws right, bats switch. Club: Olympton Rapiers
This season: 13–3, 2.13 ERA, 112 K, 25 BB, 1.03 WHIP, .225 OAVG
Last season: 12–7, 2.99 ERA, 134 K, 32 BB, 1.09 WHIP, .232 OAVG
One of just seven men to have thrown a no-hitter in the revived league. Hits 92–94 mph, with a four-seamer, slider, forkball and changeup.
2. Tony Metson (#22), age 34, throws right, bats right. Club: Orean Outer Oysters
This season: 9–5, 2.13 ERA, 119 K, 22 BB, 0.87 WHIP, .190 OAVG
Last season: 8–6, 2.31 ERA, 124 K, 26 BB, 0.84 WHIP, .187 OAVG
Ages like a fine wine, Metson continues to bamboozle opposing hitters at the plate. One of just two men to have thrown a perfect game in the league. 93–96 mph. Pitches: Changeup, cutter, four-seamer, two-seamer
3. Fraser Mansell (#27), age 22, throws right, bats left. Club: Colver Steamrollers
This season: 12–6, 2.25 ERA, 157 K, 20 BB, 0.83 WHIP, .190 OAVG
Last season: 12–2, 2.28 ERA, 124 K, 29 BB, 1.00 WHIP, .208 OAVG
Continued to dominate on the mound this season and then some. Led all pitchers in wins above replacement. A popular guy. Throws 92–94 mph. Pitches: Changeup, four-seamer, slider
2 4. Wayne Vann (#34), age 30, throws right, bats right. Club: Batogo Forest Raiders
This season: 6–4, 2.26 ERA, 111 K, 21 BB, 0.99 WHIP, .218 OAVG
Last season: 11–7, 3.19 ERA, 128 K, 33 BB, 1.13 WHIP, .237 OAVG
Don't look at Vann's win/loss record, for he received no run support this season for the 46–58 Raiders. Throws 94–96 mph, with an incredible six-pitch repertoire: forkball, four-seamer, splitter, cutter, slider and changeup.
3 5. Jonathan Twain (#20), age 22, throws right, bats right. Club: Port Cartfort Saboteurs
This season: 15–1, 2.64 ERA, 155 K, 33 BB, 1.20 WHIP, .250 OAVG
Last season: 8–5, 3.68 ERA, 130 K, 30 BB, 1.25 WHIP, .245 OAVG
This guy's got stuff and heat. Sure, he gets hit a bit more, but despite playing in Port Cartfort Park somehow only gave up six home runs this season. Led the league in wins. Registers 99–101 mph on the speed gun. Throws a deadly four-seamer, which he complements with a changeup, curveball, and circle change.
Henry Bates (#27), age 22, throws right, bats right. Club: Talbott South Hilltops
This season: 9–7, 2.28 ERA, 107 K, 41 BB, 1.12 WHIP, .224 OAVG
Last season: 8–10, 4.04 ERA, 124 K, 50 BB, 1.27 WHIP, .241 OAVG
Another starter on a below-par team, Bates has had a career year by posting his first winning, sub-four ERA season since he hit the big leagues. One of the quicker starters in the league at 95–97 mph. Throws a cutter, four-seamer, forkball, and changeup.
Brenden Scott (#13), age 29, throws left, bats left. Club: Dover Outer North Buzzards
This season: 10–2, 2.56 ERA, 71 K, 33 BB, 1.10 WHIP, .217 OAVG
Last season: 6–7, 5.40 ERA, 66 K, 43 BB, 1.60 WHIP, .287 OAVG
Not a big strikeout guy, but finally got his command under control this season to record a sub-three ERA. Throws 93–95 mph, with a four-seamer, slider, and changeup.
Bullpen
Frank Kenley (long relief #19), age 21, throws left, bats left. Club: Talbott South Hilltops
LBC: 6–1 2 SV, 1.53 ERA, 90 K, 16 BB, 1.05 WHIP, .217 OAVG; throws 92–94 mph, pitches: four-seamer, two-seamer, splitter
Arthur Laidler (long relief #12), age 27, throws right, bats left. Club: Leigham Timberjacks (AAA; Jesner)
AAA: 11–1, 2.52 ERA, 82 K, 13 BB, 0.92 WHIP, .217 OAVG. Throws 95–97 mph. Pitches: Cutter, four-seamer, changeup
Robin Holyday (long/middle relief #32), age 21, throws right, bats left. Club: Dover Outer South Bills
LBC: 0–1, 3.45 ERA, 18 K, 9 BB, 1.34 WHIP, .200 OAVG
AAA: 14–3 1 SV, 3.21 ERA, 152 K, 38 BB, 1.31 WHIP, .265 OAVG. Throws 99–101 mph. Pitches: Four-seamer, curveball, changeup
Zach Quested (middle relief #41), age 22, throws right, bats right. Club: Brister Cruisers (AAA; Talbott South)
AAA: 1–0 1 SV, 1.98 ERA, 65 K, 22 BB, 1.22 WHIP, .231 OAVG. Throws 96–98 mph; four-seamer, splitter, slurve
Gary Hale (long/middle relief #35), age 34, throws right, bats right. Club: Neverend Gunslingers
LBC: 4–2 1 SV, 2.64 ERA, 95 K, 2 BB, 0.88 WHIP, .228 OAVG. A frankly silly 47.5 K/BB ratio this season justifies Hale's place in the side, despite his past struggles at WBC level. 96–98 mph. Throws: Four-seamer, two-seamer, splitter
Gabriel Mumford (middle relief #31), age 20, throws left, bats left. Club: City Centre Keys
LBC: 5–2 1 SV, 2.60 ERA, 97 K, 23 BB, 1.20 WHIP, .228 OAVG. A bit wild with his control but boy can he make batters look silly. Throws 98–100 mph. Pitches: Sinker, changeup, two-seamer.
Mark Staite (middle relief/set-up #33), age 21, throws right, bats right. Club: Neverend Gunslingers
LBC: 3–2 27 SV, 1.56 ERA, 56 K, 13 BB, 1.21 WHIP, .234 OAVG; throws 98–100 mph; pitches: four-seamer, sinker, curveball.
Aiden Horne (closer #77), age 27, throws right, bats right.
Plays in the Newmanistan Baseball League. Throws four-seamer, cutter, changeup.
Position players
C Finley Grainger (#83), age 33, throws right, bats right. Club: Orean Capital Tiger-Cats
This season (94 games): .378, 16 HR, 70 RBI, 75 BB, 55 K, 14 SB
Career avg (162 games): .344, 18 HR, 97 RBI, 81 BB, 90 K, 22 SB
Led the league in batting average and batting WAR. Has decent speed for a catcher and knows how to steal a bag or two.
1B Edward Mull (#17), age 21, throws left, bats left. Club: Talbott South Hilltops
This season (101 games): .309, 22 HR, 55 RBI, 30 BB, 81 K
Career avg (162 games): .304, 28 HR, 71 RBI, 35 BB, 99 K
Can't run. Has a bit of pop. Has a long career ahead of him at the top level.
2B Eddie Denve (#7), age 32, throws right, bats left. Club: Jesner Spin Doctors
This season (100 games): .328, 25 HR, 79 RBI, 44 BB, 72 K
Career avg (162 games): .313, 39 HR, 121 RBI, 66 BB, 91 K
Can also play first base, third base, and shortstop. A great defensive infielder who's got an eye for making contact and the power to boot. Could work more on avoiding striking out.
3B David Stelfox (#25), age 26, throws right, bats right. Club: Olympton Rapiers
This season (100 games): .335, 12 HR, 56 RBI, 35 BB, 83 K, 24 SB
Career avg (162 games): .291, 12 HR, 74 RBI, 42 BB, 163 K, 32 SB
Returns to the national team, having been on the WBC43 roster. Can also play first base and shortstop. Loves a steal. Strikes out a bit too often.
SS Kian Sergeant (#18), age 31, throws right, bats right; also plays 1B, 2B, 3B. Club: Colver Steamrollers
This season (83 games): .357, 2 HR, 35 RBI, 65 BB, 37 K, 14 SB
Career (162-game avg): .317, 3 HR, 56 RBI, 84 BB, 47 K, 23 SB
Can run. Great fielder. No pop in his bat. Second in the big leagues in batting average this season, only behind Grainger.
LF Ryan Farquharson (#30), age 37, throws right, bats right; can also play RF. Club: Lantgoma Snipers
This season (102 games): .335, 21 HR, 97 RBI, 60 BB, 106 K
Career (162-game avg): .326, 41 HR, 145 RBI, 90 BB, 167 K
He's not getting much younger but continues to tear the league apart and earn his spot on the national roster. Gap hitter, loves an extra base hit. Led the league, obviously, in XBH, doubles, and total bases.
SS Wayne Poll (#16), age 33, throws right, bats right. Club: Bosting Blue Birds
This season (100 games): .298, 5 HR, 38 RBI, 66 BB, 64 K
Career avg (162 games): .303, 7 HR, 74 RBI, 86 BB, 88 K
Another former WBC player making a return to the Red-and-Gold. Don't expect him to run or go deep.
LF George York (#25), age 35, throws left, bats left. Club: Bede Swordfish
This season (97 games): .305, 17 HR, 59 RBI, 42 BB, 83 K, 13 SB
Career avg (162 games): .325, 28 HR, 97 RBI, 78 BB, 130 K, 24 SB
Can play across the outfield, although best in left or centre. Great range, but only an average arm, so chance your luck if you're on third. Doesn't mind the odd steal.
CF Kane Roskilly (#37), age 22, throws right, bats right. Club: City Centre Keys
This season (97 games): .284, 18 HR, 57 RBI, 34 BB, 90 K, 30 SB
Career avg (162 games): .249, 17 HR, 65 RBI, 55 BB, 164 K, 53 SB
Another returnee to the national team, having been a bench pinch-runner on the WBC43 squad. Still has that speed and will to run, and has improved his batting and power somewhat. Has a better arm than York.
RF Andrew MacGeechan (#93), age 33, throws right, bats right. Club: Pardbo Bisons
This season (100 games): .308, 21 HR, 95 RBI, 41 BB, 68 K
Career avg (162 games): .290, 24 HR, 104 RBI, 75 BB, 109 K
Great arm from right field, and can play in left too. Loves finding the gap.
C Nicky Minty (#8), age 22, throws right, bats right. Club: Orean Inner Hawkeyes
This season (LBC, 35 games): .256, 3 HR, 12 RBI, 7 BB, 23 K
This season (AAA, 74 games): .412, 63 HR, 148 RBI, 31 BB, 77 K
Career avg (LBC, 162 games): .247, 32 HR, 105 RBI, 17 BB, 178 K
Decent power. Can't run. Backup catcher.
C Oscar Gauntlett (#12), age 29, throws right, bats left. Club: Olympton Rapiers
This season (91 games): .320, 18 HR, 88 RBI, 19 BB, 50 K
Career (162-game avg): .293, 20 HR, 88 RBI, 48 BB, 53 K
Good catcher with above-average power, but will have to serve as backup for a change after Grainger's storming season.
SS/3B Samuel Oram (#45), age 22, throws right, bats left. Club: Orean Capital Tiger-Cats
This season (100 games): .353, 1 HR, 48 RBI, 36 BB, 24 K, 23 SB
Career avg (162 games): .329, 4 HR, 69 RBI, 36 BB, 49 K, 21 SB
No power. Good contact hitter, having put together two straight years hitting above .350. Can run.
OF Maurice Hagger (#1), age 20, throws left, bats left. Club: Port Cartfort Saboteurs
This season (LBC, 54 games): .256, 7 HR, 32 RBI, 8 BB, 34 K
This season (AAA, 75 games): .361, 40 HR, 91 RBI, 35 BB, 33 K, 15 SB
Career avg (combined, 162 games): .303, 45 HR, 148 RBI, 40 BB, 102 K, 27 SB
Has a bit of speed. Good range in the outfield but needs more experience and will commit the odd error. Has the potential to become a great HR hitter, especially at Port Cartfort.
DH/OF Billy Savory (#19), age 34, throws right, bats left. Club: Wakeford Capitols
This season (100 games): .299, 32 HR, 84 RBI, 53 BB, 102 K
Career avg (162 games): .258, 43 HR, 118 RBI, 93 BB, 158 K
The DH. Average outfielder defensively and will sit in non-DH games. A pinch-hitter off the bench, but not much more than that.
DH/OF Dermot Rowntree (#57), age 21, throws right, bats right; plays CF if needed. Club: Port Cartfort Saboteurs
This season (97 games): .268, 39 HR, 105 RBI, 42 BB, 115 K, 16 SB
Career (162-game avg): .248, 57 HR, 154 RBI, 45 BB, 189 K, 29 SB
Still only 21. Plus-plus power and speed. Resumes DH duties. Will play CF where the DH is not used.
Starting lineup with DH
1. CF Kane Roskilly
2. 3B David Stelfox
3. LF Ryan Farquharson
4. DH Dermot Rowntree
5. C Finley Grainger
6. 2B Eddie Denve
7. RF Andrew MacGeechan
8. 1B Edward Mull
9. SS Kian Sergeant
Starting lineup without DH
1. 3B David Stelfox
2. C Finley Grainger
3. LF Ryan Farquharson
4. 2B Eddie Denve
5. CF Dermot Rowntree
6. 1B Edward Mull
7. RF Andrew MacGeechan
8. SS Kian Sergeant
9. Pitcher's spot
Posted:
Mon Jan 28, 2019 8:05 am
by Vangaziland
Royals Start Warm
The VannBank FieldHutt was alive once again with the sounds of baseball. The amusement park outside of the domed stadium was packed as Vangaziland welcomed Holy Marsh to North Emeros. The stadium was in the middle of a tightly packed grid of skyscrapers. The timing worked out so that many fans met the tail end of rush hour. Brightly colored Vannish cars lined up to crawl past the stadium.
Royals' baseball has been known for aggressive hitting and a lineup of pitchers capable of stepping up. The FieldHutt was sold out. Bleachers were tightly packed and the 'standing room only' tickets were gone. Holy Marsh was unranked. Baseball fans still wanted to see the new Vannish team. The roster saw quite a few changes during the offseason.
One of them most notably came in the pitching rotation. Nate Henli put up an ERA of 4.50 against Equestrian States in WBC 44. The Royals tied that series 3-3. Henli even helped Vangaziland win two games with a score of 4-3. This was a decent performance in some ways. "We simply chose to go a different route", Coach Don Haverly said about the roster move. "This season's four pitcher rotation will give us a great chance to develop Miss Sawa with international hitters." There is a chance the Tainese-Vangazi might appear in early long relief situations as well.
Rich Kendrix was starting on the mound. Ths would be the second season in a row he would face an unranked team. Kendrix had a 4-2 record last season. It was a winning record, though Jamaal Edlund did better at 5-1 against an unranked team. "After seeing Henli leave, I know my job is on the line", Kendrix said before his game.
Rich showed up strong. He made it 7 innings until he ran into trouble. There were Holy Marsh runners on first and second. The Esportivan pitching coach, Juan M. Sanchez sprinted out of the dugout after seeing signs of anxiety in Kendrix. A big hit was seemingly imminent. The Royals fought a close game to the late 3-0 lead. Juan Secada subbed in from the bullpen to pitch the rest of the 7th and 8th. His change-up helped get the Royals out of trouble in a long 7th inning.
Manny Mathissen pitched the 9th to close. A few early hits gave Vangaziland the 3-0 win. Late in the 1st inning, new 1B Frank Gunnarson was on second. He attempted to lead slightly, though he couldn't time a full attempt at a stolen base. Veteran Chuck Endo was at bat. His first pitch sailed backwards and up into the net for a foul ball. The next pitch was a ball which sailed fairly wide. A challenge of a pitch was sent into Endo's zone.
The Vannish shortstop connected to send the ball over the familar right field wall of the FieldHutt. The Vangazi cheered for the early strike.
Vangaziland's final score of the game came in the 3rd inning. Catcher Dave Trancer was up to bat. He has shadowed the Royals as a reserve player, only having three international games to his career. The 29 year old likely only has a few seasons to make his international mark. He chewed bright neon yellow bubble gum at bat, popping a bubble each time the catcher caught a pitch.
With 2 strikes and a ball, Trancer connected with a low pitch. The next time he popped a bubble of Tubular gum, he was on second base. Runners Lindahl and Garon advanced. Garon moved from 1st to 3rd as the ball bounced off the left field wall. One sentence cannot express how hard Garon ran to make it to third. The catcher brought Dave Lindahl home with the RBI double.
Pitching would tighten up to close down the Royals for the rest of the game. There were several close situations. The Vangazi just couldn't capitalize. Royal pitching pulled off a shutout to give the Vangazi the 3-0 win. The Vangazi had a BYE on matchday 2. They next played at Xanneria on Matchday 3.
Vannish batters would set the tone of the game with an early run once again. Dave Lindahl found himself with the bases loaded in the 1st. Kelderssen and Edlund were the two outs. Lindahl managed a line drive single, which skipped past the second baseman. Garon struck out on the next play with a winding swing.
The 2nd inning was even better for the Royals. Once again, steady hitting saw the bases loaded. The Vangazi were making things rough for Xanneria's starting pitcher. Frank Gunnarson and Leo Rehnquist hit RBI singles back to back. Things could have spiraled out of control. Luckily, the pitcher was up again. Edlund connected with the ball only to send a bouncing ground ball to the third baseman.
Vangaziland's offense continued into the 3rd inning. Dave Trancer hit a double to send Lindahl to 3rd. Trancer popped bright neon yellow bubbles as he watched from second. The only veteran left on the outfield roster, Mack Akoye, connected with a pitch to hop it just between the zones of the infield and outfield. The ball wasn't quite a line drive or fly ball. Instead it maintained a short arc.
Lindahl had to really run to beat the throw. A comparison of past rosters would show the Vangaziland Royals are leaner than ever before. The team stepped up conditioning requirements over the offseason. Vangaziland's two heaviest sluggers were recently replaced. Lindahl and Rehnquist bring plenty of strength. They are much faster players, which should help on both sides of the diamond.
Jamaal Edlund faired better on the mound than he did at bat. The dark skinned Vangazi gave up 1 run in the 4th inning. He stepped up to pitch himself out of a situation with runners on first and third base to finish the 4th inning. Edlund's best pitch is his curveball. He managed to catch the Maroons off guard just enough to close out each inning. Xanneria gave the Royals several challenging situations. Things looked rough in the 7th for Vangaziland's opponent.
A short skip of a ball reached Chuck Endo's outstretched glove. He zipped a throw to Kelderssen at second base. Pete caught the ball while sprinting and had to jump into a spin to turn around. Using the momentum, he threw the ball hard to Gunnarson at first. Pitching coach Sanchez let Edlund finish out the 7th. After several tense at-bats, Gunnarson got the third out
Manny Mathissen was called in for the bottom of the 8th. The closer stared down the first batter of the inning, eyes locked onto his. Trancer flashed signals while chewing on his favorite gum. The closer's fastball beat the batter for a nasty strikeout. It included a foul ball and one terrible ball Manny pitched. The ball seemed to get away from him as Trancer stood to make the catch.
Manny's next throw sped threw the middle, the fastest of the night. The Maroons fought hard to pull off a late rally. Vangaziland's infield was full of energy after a game which went relatively quickly. Mathissen also pitched a strong game in the 9th to end the game.
The Royals had what it took to snatch a 4-1 victory. Vangaziland is now 2-0 with a +6 run differential. It's a great start for a team looking to break onto the next level. Del Bjornberg takes the mound when the Royals face their toughest group opponent in the Capital. The FieldHutt will be packed when Ethane comes to town.
Vangaziland's best pitcher managed a 3.69 ERA against Cassadaigua last season. It wasn't neccesarily the lowest on the team, but it was a good average considerin he faced the tough Dagan team. He will hope to show improvement against another tough series. "My head is in the game", said Del. "This is going to be a good season. Ethane will be a challenge. We can fight. I can pitch."
Pitching Coach Juan Manuel Sanchez also spoke on Del. "We won't let him try to pitch himself out of trouble as much this season", said the coach. "This will mean a tougher workload for the relievers."
The Royals look to continue their current form. "I think we can still get more from our bats", said Pete Kelderssen. Although he made several key defensive plays, Pete only hit 1-4 tonight. "When other players cool down at bat, we still have people that can step up. I can basically only improve."
Kelderssen's slump has several analysts worried. Others argue that this is 'just baseball'. The Empire is tuned into one of the fastest growing sports in domestic interest.
Posted:
Mon Jan 28, 2019 11:43 am
by Nova Anglicana
Nova Anglicana WBC 45 RosterNickname: Lions
Acronym: NOV
StadiumStadium: Archbishop Stadium
Stadium Location: Londinium (capital), Newfoundland and Labrador
Stadium Capacity: 35,000
Distance to Walls: 315 to right with a high wall, 421 to right-center, 408 to straightaway center, 385 to left-center, 336 to left
Stadium Surface: Natural grass
Park Factor: 82, Archbishop Stadium is quite the pitcher's park
Archbishop Stadium is the home stadium of the Londinium Capitols as well as the Nova Anglican national team. It is big and it plays big, with a serious nighttime marine layer, an enormous right-center gap known as "Triples Alley" and an imposing right field wall. It's not as hard on right-handed hitters, but is a fly ball pitcher's paradise. Many people are seen in the bay outside of the stadium attempting to catch home runs hit into the water or simply cruising the bay while enjoying the sound of the game on the radio.
Starting Rotation (order as given)
RHP #44 Damon Singleton, 34 - fastball at 92-96, peaks at 98; very good slider out-pitch; change-up is okay, good control
LHP #20 Darren Lawson, 33 - primary pitch is a cutter at 92-93, also has a big curve, a sweet changeup, and a decent slider; good control and strikeout numbers
RHP #36 Ben Clayton, 31 - combines 96 MPH fastball with 81 MPH hammer curveball, developed a decent change and slider, strikes out a ton and walks a ton
LHP #19 Nate McLaughlin, 31- fastball 90-92, with sharp curve and sweeping slider, tricky changeup as well
RHP #56 Damian Ryan, 31 - plus fastball at 93-95 with a good curveball, decent changeup and fringy slider; definite punch-out ability, but needs to get motion and walks under control; tall, slim frame
Bullpen
LHP #57 Thomas Wagner, 34 - tall and solidly built at 6'5, 220 pounds; 91 MPH fastball is only average, but has a good curveball and screwball, changeup and cutter are league average as well
LHP #48 Clay Wilkerson, 26 - three-pitch guy, 93-95 MPH fastball, 86 MPH changeup, 80 MPH 12-6 curve
LHP #46 Ricky Bass, 27 - lefty specialist with a submarine release, sweeping slurve is his best pitch
RHP #38 Charlie Bowers, 26 - fastball/curveball guy, can really pump it in there, averages 98 and can reach back for 101
RHP #16 Wyatt Templeton, 26 - starter will be unleashed in short stints for the NT, Murray wants to use him as an Andrew Miller/Josh Hader type, 97 with run on the fastball as a reliever, changeup and curveball with slider as the kill pitch
RHP #11 Matthew Drake, 33 - combines 95 MPH fastball with 80 MPH changeup, decent curve,
RHP #30 Lee Bradley, 33 - fastball 87-88 with a good amount of run, sharp slurve at 82 plus a decent changeup; submarine arm angle gets him a lot of outs, but stuff is legit
RHP #43 Casey Burke, 34 - former 9th round draft pick has burst on to the scene for Newfield, 150/48 K/BB ratio in 118 innings over past two years, fastball at 94-96, great changeup at 82, pretty decent hook as well
RHP #23 Nick Christensen, 32 - failed starter, but posted otherworldly 1.13 ERA last year as a reliever, combines 98 MPH fastball with 88 MPH slider
C #51 Max Pope, 30, (S/R) - whiz defensively behind the plate, upped his power in the past couple of seasons and has a great eye
C #18 Chris Floyd, 33, (R/R), - great bat for a catcher but still struggles with taking walks and avoiding strikeouts; good arm behind the plate but not very mobile, game-calling skills better now
C #60 Trevor Goodwin, 24, (L/R) - strong arm and mobile behind the plate, could be a 15/15 guy and hit .280
1B #21 Jake Bryan, 28, (L/L) - Bryan is a polished player who consistently challenges for MVP, great eye, superb defender, natural hitter with good power, speed and arm are below-average
3B #26 Marc Dufors, 24, (L/R) - can really pick it at the hot corner with a strong arm, streaky hitter whose in-game power has grown
SS #11 Luke Mills, 21, (S/R) - former #1 overall pick out of high school made his major league debut this year, outstanding fielder, but his hit tool has really taken off, good power for a SS, a national team fixture for years to come, coaches hope
2B #6 Tommy Moran, 25, (R/R), - slick fielder who can handle any infield position besides 1B, hits for average, takes walks, and steals bases, not much power to speak of, but a valuable player
CI #50 Cal Stephens, 26, (S/R) - switch-hitter hits well enough with gap-to-gap power, but his calling card is his defense, plays a mean 3B, but can definitely handle first as well
IF #25 Casey Wheeler, 27, (R/R) - late bloomer makes his first NT, has broken out last two seasons, 10/30 guy with amazing defensive versatility (including OF)
OF #27 Ryan Glover, 32, (R/R) - 6-4, 225 pound frame, collects doubles in bunches with decent homers; strikeouts and walks galore; excellent defender and great arm
OF #35 Matthew Gilbert, 23, (S/L) - combines blazing speed with good range, a power bat, and a strong arm, still needs to boost his average and take a few more walks
OF #29 Moses Deng, 32, (S/R) - speed is 80 on the 20-80 scale, arm is above-average, hit tool is average, fielding is above-average, power is below average
OF #24 Cliff Garner, 22, (L/L) - Garner is all about the three true outcomes (homers, walks, and strikeouts), poor range but good arm, not an awful LF, but he's here for his hit tool, mostly
OF #40 Ricard Lavoie, 29, (S/L) - Lavoie is a speedster who stole 65 bases to lead the league, excellent defender and can hit .300, though without a good OBP, will be pinch-runner, defensive replacement, and can step in if there is an injury
Orlando Murray #55 (Manager)
Aubrey Bell #1 (Hitting Coach)
Greg Richardson #47 (Pitching Coach)
Dale Garner #9 (1st Base Coach)
Casey Cain #8 (3rd Base Coach)
Marcellus Maloney #15 (Bench Coach)
Rhett Upshaw #52 (Bullpen Coach)
Starting Lineup w/o DH
CF Moses Deng
LF Matthew Gilbert
RF Ryan Glover
1B Jake Bryan
SS Luke Mills
3B Marc Dufors
2B Tommy Moran
C Max Pope
P Pitcher's Spot
Starting Lineup w/DH vs. RHP
CF Moses Deng
LF Matthew Gilbert
RF Ryan Glover
1B Jake Bryan
SS Luke Mills
DH Cliff Garner
3B Marc Dufors
2B Tommy Moran
C Max Pope
Starting Lineup w/DH vs. LHP
CF Moses Deng
LF Matthew Gilbert
RF Ryan Glover
1B Jake Bryan
SS Luke Mills
3B Marc Dufors
DH Chris Floyd
2B Tommy Moran
C Max Pope
My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my runscorers: Yes
Choose my lineup: No
Follow my pitching rotation: Yes
Godmod scoring events: No
RP injuries to my players: Yes, but not serious ones. Back stiffness, jammed fingers, bruises, etc. Nothing that would keep them out of the lineup for more than 1 game. Reciprocity is expected.
Godmod injuries to my players: No
Eject my players: No, but manager is fair game
Godmod other events: No
Use DH at home: No
Style Modifier: +1