World Baseball Classic 49- Everything Thread (IC)

by **Megistos** » Tue Jul 14, 2020 7:07 am

by **Hapilopper** » Tue Jul 14, 2020 7:23 pm

THE HAPILOPPER NATIONAL BASEBALL TEAM

Full Nation Name: The Dominion of Hapilopper
Short Nation Name: Hapilopper
Trigramme: HAP
Demonym: Hapiloppian
Team Nickname: The Thrashers
Manager: Dale Moss

Choose my runscorers: Yes
Choose my lineup: Use my lineup as a guide, but I've included a depth chart for each position for if you want to swap players out.
Follow my pitching rotation: Yes. I will indicate if the emergency starter is needed.
Godmod scoring events: Yes, but my rule concerning godmodding is if it happened in real life, I don't consider it godmodding. For example, my OOC favorite team had two pitchers hit grand slams in a one-week span two years ago IRL, and thus the concept of pitchers hitting grand slams is not godmodding in my book.
RP injuries to my players: Yes, but please don't kill my players. I'll do that if necessary
Godmod injuries to my players: TG me beforehand or talk to me on the NS Sports Discord.
Eject my players: TG me beforehand or talk to me on the NS Sports Discord. Let's have fun with it.
Godmod other events: TG me beforehand or talk to me on the NS Sports Discord.
RP coronavirus-related events: Hell no. Do what you like but don't involve me. The pandemic does not exist in Hapilopper.
Style Mod: 2.75
Use DH at home: No. We play real baseball in Hapilopper.

Introduction:
Welcome to the wonderful world of Hapiloppian baseball. In the Dominion of Hapilopper, baseball is a fast-paced game featuring wild baserunning, athletic fielders and moody pitchers who will just as soon throw at your head as they will strike you out. Hapiloppian baseball features their fair share of power hitters who will send the ball into the second deck of their local stadium and through the windshields of cars in the parking lot, but also feature hitters who will present their own creative interpretations of what is a base hit. More than a few players will bunt for a base hit and run like hell for first base. In fact, several years ago, the National League of Hapilopper's championship was decided by a walk-off suicide squeeze, one of the most exciting plays in the history of Hapiloppian sport. Players will try to exploit a hole in the other team's strategy. Fielders shifted towards right field? Expect a bunt to third base. Infielders are out? Look for a light chop over the pitcher's head. Hapiloppian baseball is a multi-layered game that is, to say the least, fun to watch.

The Hapilopper National Baseball Team, now in its fourth World Baseball Classic, has high expectations for the WBC. Featuring many of the same core players that have competed in each of Hapilopper's WBC efforts, the Haps hope for nothing less than glory. The time is now for the Haps to pick up the trophy.

TEAM FULL ROSTER:
STARTING POSITION PLAYERS:

#1 | LEVI BERRY | First Baseman | Age: 27 | Throws: Right | Bats: Right | twii.tur: @levib12
Levi Berry has been the staple at first base for the Hapilopper National Baseball Team since the very begininning. He's known for being one of the most patient players at the plate, drawing all kinds of walks as he waits for the pitch that's right for him. Hit .298 last year with 38 home runs, but questions continue to linger about a left foot injury he sustained over a year ago in an NLH match against Emporia. Away from the field, Levi has gained a reputation for his outspoken rants over social media.

#2 | CAMPBELL BRAXTON | Second Baseman | Age: 31 | Throws: Right | Bats: Right | twii.tur: @campbell_braxton
Campbell Braxton, once again, has been picked to be the starting second baseman not necessarily for his offensive prowess, but rather for his ability to get the play done at second base. Campbell, a longtime member of the Sherman-Braxton-Hammond double play trio, is one of the most efficient second basemen in Hapiloppian baseball, registering just three errors last season. Braxton is not known for his hitting ability, and will likely bunt most of the time.

#3 | LEROY HUNNISETT | Third Baseman | Age: 29 | Throws: Left | Bats: Switch | twii.tur: @hotcornerhunni
Leroy Hunnisett, who now plays in Banija, is one of the most prolific Hapiloppian third basemen. A former centerpiece of the Hapilopper City Nationals team, Hunnisett left the team in anger following an incident involving his brother Murray, who also plays his sport - football - in Banija. Leroy is expected to be one of the HNBT's most prolific hitters for the World Baseball Classic, and is a career .300 hitter.

#4 | JEROME HAYDEN | Shortstop | Age: 24 | Throws: Right | Bats: Right | twii.tur: @hayden24
You want your home runs? You like the long ball? Jerome Hayden is your guy. A career player for the Washington Metropolitans, Jerome hit 54 home runs last year, and set new standards in the realm of pissing off opposing team pitchers. It is possible that the entire HNBT pitching staff has a strong dislike for Jerome due to his showboating, which included bat flip after glorious bat flip, a stylish jig around the bases (which led to Emporia Reds pitcher Curtis Skinner throwing 95 at his head the very next at-bat) and even blowing a kiss at Surrey Wolves pitcher Travis Reid (which led to a bench-clearing brawl). Hayden has been asked to tone down the theatrics, but will he? The jury is out.

#5 | DAYTON ROWE | Left Field | Age: 22 | Throws: Left | Bats: Left | twii.tur: @roweman99
Nathan Ellis's favorite baseball player (yeah right), Dayton Rowe is known for his tendency to produce a higher-than-normal amount of extra base hits, including a league-leading 17 triples last year. Dayton has a pair of legs on him and can run out a base hit for more bases than anyone expect. Away from the field, Dayton is known for his very popular "Let's Play" series on Veedeo, Hapilopper's most popular video sharing site. Right now, Rowe has taken up sim racing on the eRacing online racing platform, and recently released a high-profile video where he and fellow sim racer Ellis took each other out and then engaged in a very entertaining screaming match.

#6 | TERRY BLANCHARD | Center Field | Age: 26 | Throws: Left | Bats: Left | twii.tur: (None)
Now here's a scrapper. Terry Blanchard, center-fielder for the HC Nationals, is known for being one of the hardest workers, if not the single hardest worker, in all of Hapiloppian baseball. Terry is known for his tendency to do anything, and we do mean ANYTHING, to get the job done on the field. Through grit and hard work, Blanchard has developed into one of the best players in Hapiloppian baseball, with one hell of an arm. One of the most popular web gems from three years ago involved Blanchard throwing out Ethan Abbey at home from deep center field at Capital Stadium without the help of a relay man. That means Blanchard fired the ball from over 400 feet away to home plate, robbing Abbey of a run scored.

#7 | MARION POUND | Right Field | Age: 23 | Throws: Left | Bats: Left | twii.tur: @pounder80
The son of the legendary knuckleballer Richard Pound, outfielder Marion Pound is making his debut as a regular starter for the HNBT's WBC 49 squad. Pound was a pitcher at the start of his career, but infamously blew out his arm in a game against the HC Nationals in his second career start at 18 years old. Since then, Pound has reinvented himself as one of the most acrobatic outfielders in the game, and Garvinson fans are consistently in awe of his diving, leaping and high-climbing catches, including three years ago in Capital Stadium where it seemed Pound climbed a 15-foot wall to rob Levi Berry of a home run. Even the notoriously-rowdy Hapilopper City fans had to applaud that feat of athleticism.

#8 | MO BEVERLY | Catcher | Age: 26 | Throws: Right | Bats: Switch | twii.tur: @morris_beverly
The spiritual leader of the Hapilopper National Baseball Team, Mo Beverly shows maturity far beyond his 26 years, being called on more than one occasion to settle down some bad feelings between players. Unfortunately, it's likely Mo will have to either change positions soon or face an early retirement. He's been playing for eight years now and has felt the strain on his knees more and more as the days progress. Last year, when the West Hampton Royals played a 23-inning marathon with the Peoria Warriors, Mo caught all 23 innings and was in pain for weeks, significantly impacting his output. But he insisted on staying in there. Away from the game, Mo is known for his hilarious commercials for Sharpe's Coffee with NSSCRA driver Taylor Henderson.

STARTING PITCHERS:

#30 | CHARLTON FOREST | Starting Pitcher | Age: 29 | Throws: Left | Bats: Left | twii.tur: @fastballbrews
The ace of the Hapilopper National staff, Charlton Forest throws a fastball that tops out at 99 and makes a fantastic pilsner that is the talk of town. Last year, Charlton opened up "Fastball Brews," a microbrewery in the Kingsland area, that produces "Ninety-Nine Pilsner," "Beachside Pale Ale" and "Beanball Black," a porter that he jokingly dedicated to Jerome Hayden "for acting like a juvenile assclown every chance he gets." The microbrewery is among the hottest spots in Kingsland and has reportedly cut a deal to sell their beers in Capital Stadium for WBC home games. His beermaking hobby seems to have mellowed him out a bit, and where he was once a moody jerk, he has now become one of the nicer people on the team.

#31 | CURTIS SKINNER | Starting Pitcher | Age: 56 | Throws: Right | Bats: Right | twii.tur: (None)
That age number is not a misprint. The oldest player in NLH history, Curtis Skinner, just keeps on plugging with the Emporia Reds in a career that goes back to the early 1980s. In what is widely expected to be his final season as a player, Curtis has been named to the Hapilopper National Baseball Team after a magical season that saw him register a 2.15 ERA and a 26-3 record in his best season since 1994. Curtis attributes his longevity to his knuckleball pitch as well as his clean lifestyle. Not a fan of Jerome Hayden (but then again, who is?) and infamously threw a 95-mph fastball at Jerome's head just one at-bat after Jerome did a little dance, made a little love and got down tonight as he rounded the bases after hitting a home run.

#32 | MILFORD "HOT SAUCE" GIBBS | Starting Pitcher | Age: 29 | Throws: Right | Bats: Left | twii.tur: @HapHotSauce
First off, don't call him "Milford." Hot Sauce Gibbs has climbed up to the number three slot in the pitching rotation for the Hapilopper National Baseball Team. The only player in Hapiloppian baseball to take advantage of a new rule allowing players to use their nickname on the back of jerseys, Gibbs earned the nickname "Hot Sauce" after an unspecified incident two years ago involving a bottle of hot sauce in a Garvinson team shower. His pitches include a 99 mph fastball, a cutter, a straight changeup and a slurve. His endurance after 95 pitches remains a question though, and the HNBT has a rule shutting him down at that pitch count, regardless of what inning it is and how well, or how badly, he's doing.

#33 | VICTOR FOSTER | Starting Pitcher | Age: 31 | Throws: Left | Bats: Left | twii.tur: @victor_onthe_hill
Perhaps the greatest beneficiary of the NLH's controversial rule change effectively allowing spitballers, Victor Foster openly, freely and proudly uses a variety of foreign substances to alter the trajectory of his pitches, and as a result, Victor had his best season last year, registering a 2.35 ERA and a 26-6 record. Despite the rule change, the use of one substance - solid waste from a bull - led to the benches clearing in an HC Nationals game with the Buckridge Blues last year. That incident may be known more for the way it was defused. When Blues center fielder Brandt Williamson asked Victor just what the substance was, Victor gleefully told everyone "It's bullshit!" And just for the record, a bullshit pitch like that can really sink and make a batter look foolish. And that's no bullshit.

#34 | COLE WINTHROP | Starting Pitcher | Age: 24 | Throws: Right | Bats: Badly | twii.tur: @c-winthrop
It's a good thing Cole Winthrop took up pitching because, as a coach told him in high school, "you hit like shit." Cole took the number five spot in the starting rotation for his breakout season last year with the West Hampton Royals, where he registered a 2.99 ERA and a 19-4 record. Cole also threw the league's first perfect game in 16 years when he blanked the North Hampton Generals in a game that saw 14 strikeouts and Cole not even reaching a three-ball count. Unfortunately, all people talk about with Cole is his hitting prowess, which included, in one infamous incident, him accidentally losing his grip on the bat during one at-bat. The bat went sailing into the crowd and beaned a high school music teacher looking at her phone. She would have been alright had her boyfriend not ducked and, I don't know, tried to protect her? Needless to say, those two aren't together anymore.

RELIEF PITCHERS:

#35 | JORDAN MEADOWS | Relief Pitcher | Age: 27 | Throws: Left | Bats: Left | twii.tur: @jordan10meadows (and @rodneyderude)
Jordan Meadows, the popular relief pitcher, has been used as the Hapilopper team's resident LOOGY (left-handed one out guy) for a number of years, but is more known for his alter-ego Rodney DeRude, a mulleted redneck-looking throwback to the 90s that has made fans of the Garvinson Trojans double over with laughter, most notably one incident before a game against the Buckridge Blues where Jordan, in full Rodney DeRude getup, sauntered over in the pre-game meeting to give the lineup card to the umpire. Unfortunately, he said something to Buckridge manager Todd Hickman that enraged him, something that reportedly had something to do with Hickman's daughter Laura. Ever hear of a bench-clearing brawl during a pre-game meeting? Well, now you have.

#36 | MARTIN MEADOWS | Relief Pitcher | Age: 27 | Throws: Left | Bats: Left | twii.tur: @martinmeadowspitcher
Martin Meadows, Jordan Meadows' twin brother, is a fireballer known for his 103 mph fastball which, unfortunately, lacks control at times. On more than one occasion, his fastball has wound up anywhere but over the plate. These locations include "through the net behind the backstop," "the H-Sports/Garvinson announce booth," "a concession stand" and "right into that beer guy's tray in section 135 of the ballpark." When his control is on, though, hitters can hardly stand to face him. They could send one out of the ballpark - or they could just as easily look like an idiot as they swing at something too late.

#37 | TREVOR ASHLEY | Relief Pitcher | Age: 32 | Throws: Right | Bats: Right | twii.tur: (None)
As unfortunate proof that Hapiloppian baseball teams don't mind the occasional reprobate from time to time, Trevor Ashley has made the Hapilopper National Baseball Team. His attitude and behavior has led some to wonder if he'll just as soon knock someone over with a pitch as he'll throw it over the plate. Missed most of last year after serving six months in a Hapilopper City jail for an incident on the Trans-Hapilopper Highway, where he rear-ended a slow-moving vehicle in the left hand lane, then beat the hell out of the driver. Police dashcam video showed two officers leading Ashley away while he shouted obscene phrases at the driver. As a result, H-Sports referred to him as "the biggest ray of sunshine this side of Nate Ellis."

#38 | AARON ARMSTRONG | Relief Pitcher/Designated Hitter | Age: 23 | Throws: Right | Bats: Right | twii.tur: @aarmstrong21
Welcome to the gun show. Aaron Armstrong, one of the most intriguing players in Hapiloppian baseball, is known for his 101-mph fastball, his 22-inch biceps and his ability to hit monstrous home runs. Four years ago in a game against the HC Nationals, Armstrong blasted a tape measure home run that both exited BankTrust Park in Surrey AND ended up smashing a windshield of a car behind the stadium. Armstrong has received permission from the Hapilopper National Team and from the Surrey Wolves to cut the sleeves off of his jersey, allowing players and fans alike to marvel at his 22-inch guns. The Hapilopper National Baseball Team has also named Armstrong the starting designated hitter when applicable, which means that, regardless of the DH situation, a pitcher will hit at all times. The way it should be.

#39 | TRAVIS REID | Relief Pitcher | Age: 28 | Throws: Left | Bats: Left | twii.tur: @treeman59
Travis Reid, another of the first-time players for the national team, has been picked up by the Hapilopper National Baseball Team to serve as the team's set-up man for closer Dwayne Pocock. Reid scored 55 saves in his own right last season, and has a fastball that tops out around 98, as well as a sinking slider that drops so much, you'd think it was some of Vic Foster's bullshit. Away from the field, Reid is one of the biggest ice cream enthusiasts in Hapilopper and is working with local ice cream maufacturer Dominion Dairy Farmers to produce a special cookie-dough flavor ice cream, "Cookie Closer." According to insiders, it is laced with bits of chocolate chunk and caramel and it sounds very tasty, at least from our perspective.

#40 | DWAYNE POCOCK | Closer | Age: 26 | Throws: Right | Bats: Right | twii.tur: @dwaynepocock
Dwayne Pocock replaces Darren Goodwin as the closer for the Hapilopper team following an unfortunate moment in the 9th inning of a Peoria/North Hampton game last year. It was a moment that, unfortunately, resonated in the minds of those who saw and heard it, as Goodwin's arm snapped as he was throwing a pitch. Pocock, who had an era of 1.93 last year, was called in to replace Goodwin on the Hapiloppian team. His repertoire includes a knuckle-curve and a fastball at 100. Away from the field, Pocock is an excellent poker player, and won around $15,000 in last year's Hapiloppian Poker Championship. His poker face can be seen pretty well on the mound, and Pocock is widely considered one of the calmest players in Hapiloppian baseball.

BENCH POSITION PLAYERS:

#11 | BEN HAMMOND | First Baseman | Age: 28 | Throws: Right | Bats: Right | twii.tur: @ben_hammond16
He got his job back! Ben Hammond won the bench first baseman spot back from Carl Constable after a stellar season that saw him hit .290 and hit 33 home runs. Hammond's hitting has improved substantially over the last few years, and in fact, the NLH named him "Most improved player" last season. It's possible that losing the spot a year before was a moment that clicked in his head to improve. Hammond is still known for his pranks, including one last season that saw the toilets explode in the Garvinson Trojans clubhouse in the middle of batting practice. When the Trojans came back, the clubhouse was flooded, but at least none of their stuff got damaged. When they found that Peoria's Hammond was involved, they retaliated, with the assistance of Hammond's family, by putting some rather embarassing photos of Hammond at the park in Peoria. As to the content of these photos? Well, it's the reason H-Sports/Garvinson had to cut away from that game very early.

#12 | GRANT BONNEY | Second Baseman | Age: 19 | Throws: Right | Bats: Right | twii.tur: @blue_bonney
Grant Bonney was a surprise for the bench second baseman position, taking the spot from Ernest Brand, who was just simply outplayed by the 19-year old rookie who plays for the Emporia Reds. Bonney hit .307 last year en route to being named NLH Position Rookie of the Year. Away from the field, Bonney has reportedly angerered hotel operators all around Hapilopper for his tendency to practice the double play pivot in his hotel room, at times throwing a baseball at hotel room walls and annoying the people in the next room over. Either way, Bonney has come from one of the poor parts of Emporia and scrapped all the way up to his spot on the Reds team, and to this spot as the second-string second baseman. In fact, it's even rumored that Bonney could be platooned with Campbell Braxton.

#13 | TYSON CRUMPLER | Third Baseman | Age: 32 | Throws: Right | Bats: Right | twii.tur: @crumpler
Tyson Crumpler is one of the quickest men in baseball, if not the single fastest, if he could just get on base. Last year, he stole 53 bases, but experts believe that number would have been higher if his average - an unfortunate .233 - was a little bit higher. According to reports from the HNBT, Crumpler has been brought on mostly to serve as a designated runner for the team in the event he is needed. Reportedly ran a 4.53-second 40-yard dash during spring training for the Buckridge Blues. Away from the field, Crumpler owns three dogs - Alge, Warrick and Brooking, who strangely look like they could raise hell on a gridiron football field.

#14 | DALTON SADLER | Shortstop | Age: 21 | Throws: Right | Bats: Right | twii.tur: (none)
Dalton Sadler is still trying to recover from an unfortunate case of the "Yips" which he suffered last year and as a result lost the second-string spot to Alvin Bannerman, who did jack and diddly poo with the backup role, except piss off manager Dale Moss after he demonstrated a lack of hustle on a couple of occasions. Dalton is the son of former HASCAR Challenge Cup champion Will Sadler, but has shown little - if any - interest in racing himself, except competing on occasion on the eRacing online racing platform. There is also rumors of Sadler participating in roleplays on a nation-building website as well, but Sadler denies this.

#15 | RANDALL PEMBERTON | Outfield | Age: 26 | Throws: Right | Bats: Left | twii.tur: (none, for legal reasons)
One of the three Pemberton brothers, Randall Pemberton is one of the most interesting members of the Hapilopper National Baseball Team. Off the field, he reads comic books, drinks frozen sodas and prank calls local bars. On the field, he's one of the most dynamic outfielders in baseball, making leaping catches, robbing players of certain base hits and home runs. At the plate, he's no slouch batting, hitting .325 and 38 home runs. But there remains some question about his maturity level, and one clubhouse took issue with him watching Saturday morning cartoons before gametime.

#16 | MELVIN PEMBERTON | Outfield | Age: 22 | Throws: Right | Bats: Right | twii.tur: @super_melvin
The second of the three Pemberton brothers, Mel Pemberton is unfortunately known for an incident during a game with the Washington Metropolitans where Melvin, chasing after a high fly ball, ran face-first into the wall at the park in Washington as the ball nailed him on the top of the head. The ball bounced off his head, went over the right-field wall and was counted as a home run. Pemberton took a lot of laughs from that, but has recovered to be a dynamic outfielder for the Metropolitans. Like his two brothers, who also troll the outfield for the Metropolitans, Mel Pemberton is known for his athletic patrolling of the outfield, robbing opposing hitters of certain base hits.

#17 | SCOTTY PEMBERTON | Outfield | Age: 24 | Throws: Left | Bats: Left | twii.tur: @spemberton
Scott Pemberton, the third of the three Pemberton brothers, is perhaps the most normal of the three Pemberton brothers, but his long shoulder-length hair and thick wayfarer glasses is among the most recognizable look in all of Hapiloppian baseball. Last year, he hit .286 with 15 home runs, stole 35 bases and broke five pairs of glasses along the way. Multiple eyeglass manufacturers in Hapilopper are trying to sign Pemberton to a contract involving their athletic lens goggles, very similar to Spuds Thomas, that famous player for the Hapilopper City Nationals from the early 1990s, who famously bellowed "WE GOT THE RINGS, WE GOT THE MONEY, WE GOT EVERYTHING!" after the HC Nationals won the NLH Championship in a four-game sweep in 1990. Pemberton has yet to sign a deal, but one is expected by the time the WBC gets started.

#18 | GRADY ELLIOTT | Catcher | Age: 22 | Throws: Right | Bats: Left | twii.tur: @grady_elliott
22-year old Grady Elliott is a Washington lifer, and last year, he hit .285 with five home runs. Grady is not expected to see much playing time, unless Mo Beverly gets hurt. Elliott is a good player for the Washington Metropolitans, but not a great one, and not much is known about him. It is said he blends in with the crowd, does his job and goes home.

TYPICAL BATTING ORDER, PITCHING ROTATION, DEPTH CHARTS
BATTING ORDER, NO DH:
1: #2 - Braxton
2: #1 - Berry
3: #5 - Rowe
4: #4 - Hayden
5: #3 - Hunnisett
6: #8 - Beverly
7: #7 - Pound
8: #6 - Blanchard
9: (Pitcher)

BATTING ORDER, DH:
1: #2 - Braxton
2: #1 - Berry
3: #5 - Rowe
4: #4 - Hayden
5: #38 - Armstrong (DH)
6: #3 - Hunnisett
7: #8 - Beverly
8: #7 - Pound
9: #6 - Blanchard

PITCHING ROTATION:
1: #30 - Forest
2: #31 - Skinner
3: #32 - Gibbs
4: #33 - Foster
5: #34 - Winthrop
E: #36 - M. Meadows (Emergency starter)

RELIEF:
1: #36 - M. Meadows (Middle reliever)
2: #38 - Armstrong (Middle reliever - Unless serving as DH)
3: #35 - J. Meadows (Left-Handed One-Out Guy)
4: #37 - Ashley (Late inning setup man)
5: #39 - Reid (Mop-up man)

CLOSER:
1: #40 - Pocock
2: #39 - Reid (If Pocock is tired or just blew a save)

STADIUM:
Capital Stadium, Hapilopper City, Hapilopper
Built: 1970 | Seating Capacity: 63,535 | Open-Air | Artificial Turf
Dimensions: 330 ft. Left Field, 375 ft. Left Center, 404 ft. Center, 375 ft. Right Center, 330 ft. Right

--
Capital Stadium, the home of the HC Nationals, is Hapilopper's largest baseball stadium, seating over 63,000 for baseball and 66,000 for gridiron football. The stadium, the last of Hapilopper's classic cookie-cutter venues, is located just off the West River and right in the heart of towntown Hapilopper City. As is custom with cookie-cutter stadiums, the park is completely symmetrical and is surrounded by multiple decks of stands, typically filled with screaming fans when the HC Nationals are doing well. Back in the 1970s, the HC Nationals, and their vaunted "National Machine" dominated Hapiloppian baseball, and brought over four million fans through the turnstiles on six occasions. Hapiloppian fans have vowed to come to Capital Stadium in force for HNBT games.

Capital Stadium is considered a "neutral" park and does not favor hitters or pitchers per se, but the artificial turf, known as "HCNTurf", is seen as the HC Nationals' secret weapon. Balls bounce and fly like crazy off the turf, and the HC Nationals have commonly selected players that have been able to use that turf - and its unusual properties - to good use.

by **The Greater Nordics** » Wed Jul 15, 2020 12:37 pm

Starting Lineup
Position Name Age Bats/Throws

LF Soren Vang 31 L/L
1B Ludde Knutsen 32Switch/R
CF Caroline MacWilliam 25 Switch/L
2B Oscar Christiansen 30 L/L
SS Ester Isaksson 29 Switch/L
RF Torsten Eriksson 25 L/L
3B Mats Patriksson 28 L/L
C Sam Nilsson 32 R/R
Pitcher's Spot
The DH if used is Josefine Kron

Bench
SP Saara Omdahl 27R/R
SP Erna Wolff 27 L/L
SP Kai Nieminen 28 L/R
SP Carl Karstensen 24L/L
SP Kenneth Samuelsson 26 R/R
RP Katharina Dahl 23 R/R
RP Karolina Strand 27 L/L
RP Sari Albinsson 25 R/R
Closer Amanda Engberg 28 L/L
IF Josefine Kron 27Switch/R
IF Emelie Bergman 24R/R
IF Johanna Forsberg 23 L/L
C Sonja Jakobsson 25 R/R
C Loke Irving 22 Switch/L
OF Laila Albinsson 27 R/R
OF Andrea Smit 24 L/L
OF Freyr Hagen 23Switch/R

Manager: Leif Holt
Pitching Coach: Jon Isaksson
Hitting Coach: Oskar Toivonen
1B Coach: Rudolf Sörensson
3B Coach: Adrian Craig
Bench Coach: Magnus Sander
Team Doctor: Dr. Elisabet Bager
Other information
The home stadium of the Greater Nordics is King Lauritz I Stadium . It is a classic style ballpark outside of Copenhagen. It seats 40,000.

My players are aggressive at the plate and on the basepaths. They may be caught stealing because of it but they also steal a lot of bases. They like to swing for the fences on every pitch so they strike out more than most teams but they can also score a lot of runs off of homers. For the first time in a while the lineup remains the same as the last WBC. The manager, Leif Holt is under some pressure to preform well at this WBC or be replaced but he is taking it in stride and is seemingly not feeling it.
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: Yes
RP injuries to my players: Yes- as long as it is not too serious. If it is anything for a long time TG me.
Godmod injuries to my players: No
Eject my players: Yes
Godmod other events: Yes
Use DH at home: No
Style Modifier:3
Park Factor: 120

by **Ihilthracna** » Wed Jul 15, 2020 4:01 pm

Nation: The Democratic Republic of Ihilthracnan
Nation Acronym: LDSDRI
National Team Name: Ihilthracnelik Ohorslens
Shortened to: Ohorslens

Ihilthracnan Itinerary:
7/17-Nova Anglicans (3)
7/18-Happier (15)
7/19-Zwangzug
7/20-Equestrian States(25)
7/21-Jeckland

Percentage of winning each game

7/17-42%
7/18-26%
7/19-50%
7/20-20%
7/21-50%

Chance of Winning:
1+ win(s):81%
2+ wins:78%
3+ wins:37%
4+ wins:8%
5 wins:1%

Stadium: Oktonor Stadium
89 Mernket Road, Harman cyam
Capacity:9,850

Coach: Lou McCallizter
Assistant Coach: Anglea Zeller
Pitching Coach: Kristofer Thomson

Ihilthracnan National Team

Sign-up

Choose my run-scorers: No
Choose my lineup: Yes
Follow my Pitching Rotation: No
Godmod scoring events: Yes
RP injuries to my players: Yes
Godmod injuries to my players: Yes
Eject my players: Yes
DH used at home: No
Godmod other events: Yes

Current Score-18

by **Cassadaigua** » Wed Jul 15, 2020 7:02 pm

Team Cassadaigua
Official Roster for World Baseball Classic 49
#winonemoregame

Home Stadium is the 70,000+ seat Dagan Airways Stadium in Concord Heights

DH: No
Choose my runscorers: Yes
Choose my lineup: It is posted here.
Follow my Pitching Rotation: It is posted here.
Godmod scoring events: Yes
RP injuries to my players: No
Godmod injuries to my players: No
Eject my players: Yes only if you make it exciting!
Godmod other events: Yes as long as no one dies or is seriously hurt.

Coach- Maddie Polanco- 9th Classic with Cassadaigua, Bench Coach of Super-Llamaland's WBC 40 Championship squad among other accolades with Super-Llamaland, and led Cassadaigua to the semis in each of WBC 41 and 42, plus runner up performances in WBC 46 & 48, and consistent performances, overall.

Starting Rotation (Stats in the last Cassadagan season included)
SP- #23- Kayla Mason, 30, RHP (22-5, 2.09 ERA, 231 K’s)
SP- #32- Samantha Owens, 32, RHP (21-5, 2.26 ERA, 268 K’s)
SP- #27- Desiree Plummer, 27, LHP (15-8, 2.21 ERA, 244 K’s) Her club team is not as good, so the win/loss record reflects that
SP- #33- Brianna Shirley, 24, LHP (19-5, 2.35 ERA, 220 K’s)*
SP- #35- Jessica Ashfield, 25, RHP (20-7, 2.50 ERA, 248 K’s)*

Bullpen
RP- #39- Meghan Townsend, 33, RHP, Anytime Relief
RP- #26- Sierra Ogletree, 29, LHP, Anytime Relief
RP- #37- Sandra Quinones, 33, LHP, Long Relief
RP- #44- Crystal Walsh, 26, RHP, Long Relief
RP- #45- Sophie Calhoun, 25, RHP, Short Relief
RP- #43- Becca Fischer, 26, LHP, Short Relief
RP- #34- Tara McGuinness, 31, LHP, Set-Up Reliever
CP- #41- Roxanne Gomez, 32, LHP, Closer

Here is our lineup with the players stats from the most recently completed season in Cassadaigua. All players are switch hitters, you don’t get to this level in Cassadaigua without having that ability.

1) #8- Katelyn Martini- CF, 28 (.307, 7 HR, 59 RBI, 110 SB)
2) #3- Rachel Kessler- SS, 25 (.345, 18 HR, 90 RBI, 54 SB)
3) #29- Macy Hamel- 3B, 28 (.279, 51 HR, 142 RBI, 1 SB)
4) #17- Cassie Daniels- 2B, 34 (.332, 43 HR, 141 RBI, 28 SB)
5) #28- Taylor Bryant- LF, 35 (.351, 41 HR, 138 RBI, 30 SB)
6) #21- Jordyn Prosser- 1B, 33 (.325, 36 HR, 122 RBI, 8 SB)
7) #24- Danielle Trufant- C, 34 (.278, 26 HR, 79 RBI, 1 SB)
8) #4- Tori Coufal- RF, 24 (.332, 15 HR, 68 RBI, 34 SB)
9) Pitcher

Bench:
#31- Eliza McReynolds- C, 32
#20- Natalie Shattuck- 1B/3B, 33
#2- Brianne Salvador- 2B/SS, 31
#9- Katrina Pavlovsky- OF, 31
#10- Avery Kallner- OF, 29
#16- Chelsea Barrett- Any but C, 32

* = WBC Rookie

by **Cassadaigua** » Wed Jul 15, 2020 7:22 pm

It’s The Last Chance for Many,
by Chelsea Dufresne, Concord Heights Times

The ending of World Baseball Classic 48 is still on our minds. There is really no other way about it, as the Fillies played such a great game in the decisive Game 7 against Nova Anglicana, only to fall short. With the team leading three games to two after five games, there were two chances for the team to win, but did not do so. As such, they had to watch Nova Anglicana take that title. The Lions played well, and for a nation has been a part of this competition for such a long time, we would have felt great for them and for their fans about them getting that first championship, at last. Now, maybe it is our drought that is the most notable. We have many good runs, and have been to the championship series now in two of the last three Classics. Continual returns to the semifinals, at least, show that we are getting it done and it is why we are the top ranked team in the competition. This drought, it’s really beginning to wear on us. We have not won this title since returning, and the last time that did win it? World Baseball Classic 19. That was title number three, a number that we are stuck on. What is done, is done. The Lions won the title, and now the Fillies hope for number four one more time.

For many on this team, this is the last chance. Looking at the batting lineup, Cassie Daniels is 34. Taylor Bryant, 35. Jordyn Prosser is 33 and Danielle Trufant 34. Former ace of the pitching staff, now dropped to #2, Samantha Owens, is 32. Perhaps would be back again, but the reality is, these players who have done so much for this team and have had so much success are probably not going to be back as they cannot slow down mother time. Manager Maddie Polanco has done everything but win a title, but now even she is in her 9th World Baseball Classic as our coach. She has complete job security, you would think, but how many more close calls can she take, how many more can we tolerate before we have to tear this apart and really make dramatic changes. Other teams might have already done that, but this group, with just a little more fortune, could be claiming that they have two of the last three championships. With just a little more luck, you know, we could be talking about tying Newmanistan right now with six titles. But we have not that luck. We’re still stuck on three, and it is getting very agonizing.

The rites of the beginning period of the Classic have begun, with the group draw completed, and the schedule having been declared. We know where we are going, and when that will be. Hotel reservations are being made as we speak. Many nations are excited now as the Classic kicks off. For us, yeah, there is some excitement, we just want to fast forward to the playoffs. We really need that. Maddie Polanco will do a good job making sure the team keeps their focus for the group stage, to ensure that we get to the playoffs. With such a veteran roster, there is little that she has to do there anyway. She is probably excited that Super-Llamaland is back, and we will talk to her about that at some point once the games get started. For now, we look at the group, and see that Drawkland, Ethane, Northwest Kalactin, Lovisa, and The Fair Republic are going to be the ones we get used to talking about a lot in the near future. The journey begins at home for three games against Northwest Kalactin. Getting off to a quick start is the best way to go about things. Remember, this team was very good in the group stages as well last time out.

One more game then we did last year. That’s all we want to win.

by **Delaclava** » Wed Jul 15, 2020 10:12 pm

Delaclava national baseball team

Olympic champions at IV Olympiad in Aeropag. A whole lot of group stage eliminations in WBC and a handful of R16 finishes.

While Delaclava does not have a formidable competitive baseball legacy, the nation certainly benefited from an athletically inclined populace. It formerly boasted a program that flirted with the top 10, took home the title at the demonstration event in Aeropag, Paripana, and is the homeland of Khalil Dennis, a talented former manager and player who led the Sarzonia Stars to the championship at WBC 18. While baseball, and the old-school baseball culture of Delaclava, remained alive and well during the isolation era, a national baseball team was not a priority for the Delaclav Olympic Committee when it came time to formally enter this edition of the Classic. The professional players weren't invested enough to even bat an eye, so a group of amateur players from the small town of Dillobourne, on the medium-sized island of Hess, approached the DOC about allowing them to represent Delaclava as the Phoenixes. The DOC ran the numbers and were looking at a pretty reasonable bill, so they agreed. This Dillobourne-based squad is a collection of semipro players, former professionals, and various commmunity and adult softball players. They come into this competition inexperienced and naive, but fearless and skilled nonetheless. If they put in a poor performance, they likely won't be convincing the DOC to send another team. If the DOC is sufficiently impressed, the next team that goes to WBC 50 will likely be all-professional. This is arguably the one chance each of these men have, and they're intent to enjoy it while it lasts.

Home Venues
Series 2 - vs. Free Republics - Dennis Stadium (97,000), NAC, Catherina
Series 5 - vs. Nagore - Finnegan Field (15,000), Balrick (Firinsymnia)
Series 6 - vs. Abanhfleft - Navy Stadium (13,000), Fort Tannenberg (Agrivova)
Series 8 - vs. Ranoria - Banks Community Center Grandstand (10,000), Dillobourne (Hess)
Series 9 - vs. HUElavia - Denton Wolfe Field (34,000), Químero

Coaching Staff
Manager - #1 Grady Collins, 73
Assistant Manager - #2 Luke Kemp, 31
Pitching Coach - #3 Brian Roddick, 42
Infield Coach - #4 Artur Arrieta, 57
Outfield Coach - #29 Jos Vedders, 61
Hitting Coach - #30 Sancho Novotny, 92
Bullpen Coach - #31 David Connelly, 42
Strength/Conditioning - #32 Dan Wallace, 34
Technical/GM - #00 Dominic Koppel, 14

Roster

STARTERS
Pos	#	Name	Age	Throws	Bats
1B	24	Isaac Gilmore	36	L	L
2B	5	Josh Smith	31	R	R
3B	7	Yames Rivas	35	R	R
SS	35	Josip Oller	24	R	L
LF	12	Owen Clark	23	R	R
CF	33	Sam Stapleton	39	R	B
RF	8	Pavel Malek	27	L	L
C	20	Edy Franco	25	R	B
BENCH
C	13	Joey Grimes	19	R	R
C/1B	25	Shane Healy	28	R	R
IF	19	Aktar Kharimov	32	R	B
IF	6	Jack Russo	21	L	B
OF	52	Nollum Elur	17	L	L
OF	26	Galén Roig	41	R	B
OF	14	Mike Bell	40	L	L
PITCHING
Ace	34	Ryan Dausch	32	R	R
2nd Starter	40	Bill Timmons	46	L	L
3rd Starter	23	Rhys Hackett	22	R	B
Middle/Long/4th	18	Bedin Egozhevy	20	L	L
Middle/Long	9	Blake Dorsey	27	R	R
Middle/Long	10	Nehhton Banks	19	R	R
Short/Opener	70	Cam McGrath	22	L	L
Short	66	Darik Prosser	53	R	R
Short	50	Valero Roldan	42	L	L
Short/Closer	28	Sean Magary	23	R	R

Batting Order, with DH: Malek, Stapleton, Rivas, Smith, DH, Clark, Franco, Gilmore, Oller
Batting Order, no DH: Malek, Stapleton, Rivas, Smith, Franco, Clark, (pitcher), Gilmore, Oller

RP Permissions and Info
Choose my runscorers: Yes
Choose my lineup: Not really - you can deviate slightly from the above. Feel free to make any substitutions
Follow my pitching rotation: Mostly - Dausch should absolutely be used as an ace, but feel free to decide besides that. Middle and short relievers are listed in their most common scenario, but all can be used in appropriate situations (opener, holder, setup, or closer for short; long reliever, opener, or even starter for middle/long.)
Godmod scoring events: Yes
RP injuries to my players: Yes
Godmod injuries to my players: Yes
Eject my players: Yes
Godmod other events: Yes
Use DH at home: No. On the road, Roig is the most likely DH, followed by Elur, Bell, or even Novotny if you're feeling crazy.
Other Info: Heavy emphasis on "small ball", contact over power, aggressive baserunning, willingness to squeeze, or to sacrifice an out to get the base or running. Despite the well-rounded pitching rotation, starters do not have pitch restrictions, and can and will go nine innings or longer if things are going well.

by **South Newlandia** » Wed Jul 15, 2020 11:46 pm

ELEPHANT VALLEY MAIL
Sports -> Baseball
South Newlandia to participate in 49th World Baseball Classic!

South Newlandia, still a new nation to international sports, is looking to return to the World Baseball Classic. Two years ago, they managed to get into the Round of 16 on their first attempt, and the South Newlandian U22-team, of which you will see a few players in the senior team, finished in 4th in the eleventh International Baseball Slam a year ago. Partly because of Baseball being the one sport where South Newlandia enjoyed international success so far, the sport has been expanded in recent years, with more young people joining Baseball than ever before. This allowed for the creation of the SNBL, and it allows for a much bigger roster than the last one. The team hopes to repeat the success of reaching the knockouts, but that will be very hard in a tightly contested WBC with many strong teams, and many teams that once were strong returning.

Complete Roster:

Coaching staff

Manager/Head Coach: Tobias Sansara (33)
He brought the Elephants into the Round of 16 in Drawkland, and he will try to repeat this success. He managed to get the government to pay for more staff, and everyone from the coaching staff from WBC48 will be returning.

Hitting coach: Anthony Smith-Miller (33)
ASM is back, and he will assume his old role as the batting coach again. He and Sansara are not only the same age, but they are also good friends, and you can see them working together very well.

Pitching coach: Damian Bolton (37)
Damian Bolton also returns to his old spot, he brought all four of his pitchers along with him as well. Pitching was the big strength that got South Newlandia into the knockouts last time, and it will be crucial again.

Bench Coach: Gabriel Brown (41)
Brown also returns, but not to his old job. He functioned as Sansara’s right hand in the last World Baseball Classic, while he will only be responsible for the Bench this time. Seeing that the Bench has been not really relevant in the past for South Newlandia, this might bring conflict potential.

Bullpen coach: Mohamed Felix (38)
Two years ago, South Newlandia didn’t even have a bullpen, but this time, Felix will assist Bolton being responsible for the relief pitchers. Since that was a crucial weak spot for South Newlandia in the IBS, his role might become an important one.

1st Base Coach: Jakub Mayo (53)
Mayo will be the oldest coach in this year’s staff, and he will be responsible for the 1st base, specifically trying to teach Adam King some better fielding. We strongly advise against making condiment-based jokes in his presence.

3rd Base Coach: Diego Kirk (42)
Two years ago, Kirk was responsible for both bases, but he can focus on third base this time. His job will be taking Ian Pearce under his wing, but he is respected for his baseball experience and valuable for the entire team.

Starting pitchers

(SP1) Jacob Conroy (23, pitches with his right hand)
Conroy was the most successful pitcher during the 48th WBC; and his efforts were a big part of the South Newlandian success. He is expected to take a leading role again, but the pressure might start to get to him.

(SP2) Ryan Hunter (21, L)
Ryan Hunter was the only South Newlandian pitcher present both in the WBC48 and IBS12, and he did a great job especially in the Slam. Important about Hunter might be that he lost both of the very important games he pitched so far, the deciders in the knockouts of the IBS, and he might crumble under pressure again.

(SP3) Blake Robbins (25, R)
Robbins was part of the squad for the 48th WBC, and he did a solid enough job. Like everyone else in the team, he allowed very few runs despite having no real relievers behind him. At 25, he is actually the oldest starting pitcher.

(SP4) Larry Cain (24, R)
Larry Cain is the only all-new starting pitcher. He is considered a decent player, but having not seen much from him, no one can really be sure how well he will do.

(SP5) Jay Kramer (19, R)
Jay Kramer was the most surprising young player in the IBS, allowing the fewest runs per inning and showing that he can compete with the bigger players. The youngest starting pitcher may struggle against the more intimidating sides; he still has a lot to learn.

Relief pitchers

(CL1) Barnaby Butt (22, L)
Last WBC, South Newlandia competed without a bullpen, but they brought one for this edition. Butt was in the squad for the International Baseball Slam, and he did well there, even though he gave up runs often in critical moments.

(CL2) Fabio Paul (26, R)
Fabio Paul, another player we haven’t really seen before, is the closer that experts consider to be the best among the three South Newlandia will be using. Like with Cain and many other players, we can’t really know for sure how good they are.

(CL3) Marcel Adams (25, R)
We haven’t seen Adams yet either, but we do know that for each series, each of the three closers will play in one game, but not necessarily in that order.

(MR) Dennis Miles (25, R)
South Newlandia rarely used their Middle and Long Relievers in the IBS, but Miles, who we haven’t seen before either, would come in for about 2 or 3 innings, while Miller could be there if things go very wrong.

(LR) Jack Miller (28, R)
Jack Miller was one of the starting pitchers for WBC48, but he has since lost that spot. He will be there if things go horribly wrong, and he can assist the team with general advice.

Starters, in batting order

(RF) Fabio Ventura (24, bats with his left hand)
Fabio Ventura was the most important fielder in the squad for WBC48. He scored 25 runs, including three home runs. He will be the first one to bat in every game again, and being left handed has helped him, too. He is also decent at catching and throwing balls, if he needs to.

(SS) David Drum (20, R)
David Drum was only a substitute in the 48th WBC, scoring four runs including a home run in a few games, but he was able to prove himself in the IBS, scoring the most runs of the team, including quite a few home runs. He is playing very well in synergy with Igor White, getting a ball in between them is a difficult task.

(1B) Adam King (22, R)
Adam King was at the IBS too, at one point scoring 11 runs over six games, and he was a starter for the team during WBC48 was well. He scored 19 runs, including five home runs; the most of the team. He could still improve his fielding, but he has time do that.

(CF) Shawn Zimmerman (18, S)
Zimmerman was also among the surprisingly strong players in the IBS. After a rocky start, he improved fast, and managed to clinch the starting role in the WBC at only 18 years old, maybe because Jake Davidson decided against playing again.

(C) Gregor Garner (24, L)
Gregor Garner is returning after being on the WBC48 squad as well. He did well there, with 15 runs and three home runs. He is a decent, catcher, too, and made few errors in the WBC.

(2B) Igor White (26, R)
Igor White is returning as well, as he was playing in the WBC48 squad too. He scored 16 runs including two home runs, and he is combining well with David Drum. A knee injury gave him trouble before the tournament, but he seems to be fine now.

(LF) Daryl Dunlop (22, R)
Daryl Dunlop wasn’t part of the squad for WBC48, but he pushed George Webber out after a strong performance in the IBS. Similar to Zimmerman, he improved along the way, and he might be an important talent for upcoming classics as well.

(3B) Ian Pearce (25, R)
Ian Pearce is also returning from the squad of the 48th WBC. He hit 2 home runs and scored seven runs in total, but he made up for it with decent fielding. He might end up being one of the weaker players for South Newlandia.

(DH) Mike Larsen (19, S)
In the last attempt, South Newlandia played without a designated hitter, but since the team in the IBS and the SNBL use them, Mike Larsen, who played DH in the IBS, will do that for the senior team as well. South Newlandian batters in general are often contact hitters, with home runs being rarer at about one for five-seven runs.

Bench

(C) Fred Burn (18, R)
Fred Burn did well in the IBS, but he isn’t ready for the big stage yet.

(1B) Korban Pitts (23, R)
Pitts is another all new-player, we don’t really know much about him.

(2B) Sophia Smiths (20, L) F
Smiths did very well in the IBS, and she is one of two female players in the squad. Behind Igor White, there was simply no room for her.

(SS) Steve Ruiz (22, L)
Ruiz was a starter in the WBC48, scoring nine runs including 1 homer, but he lost his place to Drum surprisingly.

(3B) Viktor Kay (27, S)
Kay is new as well, but switch hitters are rare in the team, and he might get a chance at some point.

(LF) George Webber (27, R)
Webber was a fielder during WBC48, but only four runs weren’t near enough to keep his place against Dunlop.

(CF) Sophie Lawrence (24, R) F
Lawrence is the other female player in the team, and she was expected to be a starter too, but Zimmerman got the spot instead.

(RF) Mike Larsen (19, S)
If he needs to, the DH is able to play as a Right Fielder as well. In general, South Newlandian baseball teams don’t rotate nearly as much as South Newlandian soccer teams do, and you can expect the regular starting players to play most of the games if everything goes well.

Stadiums

This year, the government requested that the games should be split between five stadiums in different parts of the country. Every stadium will see one series of three home games played there.

Elephant Stadium (15000)
The biggest South Newlandian baseball stadium is located in the relative South of the capital city Elephant Valley. The stadium was upgraded after the 48th WBC, and is now able to host 15000 people. All fifteen home games of WBC48 were played here, and the unranked South Newlandia won twelve of them, including all of the first ten home games. The upgraded stadium also featured one match series in the IBS11. Domestically, this is the home of the Elephant Valley Homers. The series against Hampton Island (MD8) will be held here.

Dolphin Stadium (12500)
The Dolphin Stadium, located in Newport on the East Coast, is an all-new stadium as well. As the stadium is close to the port, it will be easy to reach. It’s also the home of the Newport Dolphins, and featured one match series in the IBS11. The series against The Greater Nordics (MD10) will be played here.

Southern Valley Arena (11000)
The SVA, just outside of the capital city on the West Coast, is going to be hosting their first match series during this WBC. Elephant Valley United plays their home games here, and the series against Drunk People at the Local Tavern (MD6) will be played here.

Ratzupalfu Arena (10000)
Home of the Ratzupalfu Rhinos, the Ratzupalfu Arena is one of the most storied stadiums in South Newlandia. It is pretty much right into the woods, and some call it the “Jungle Stadium”. Playing here is a special feeling, and the stadium, located in the central part of South Newlandia, has also been upgraded recently. The stadium also hosted a series in the IBS11, and will host the series against Quebecois Acadiana (MD2).

Dragon Island Arena (4500)
If you thought Ratzupalfu was weird, Masmow might be the weirdest place in South Newlandia. Located on an island a bit away from South Newlandia, it feels different than the rest of the country, and some people claim to recall supernatural activity here. The stadium, also home to the Masmow Dragons, is the smallest among the venues, but it feels like the opposite when you are playing here. The series against Torisakia (MD4) will be played here.

Complete schedule

July 17th: @Drunk People at the Local Tavern (Cassie’s backyard, 25)
July 18th: vs. Quebecois Acadiana (Ratzupalfu Arena, 10000)
July 19th: @Hampton Island (TBD)
July 20th: vs. Torisakia (Dragon Island Arena, 4500)
July 21st: @The Greater Nordics (King Lauritz I Stadium, 40000)
July 23rd: vs. Drunk People at the Local Tavern (Southern Valley Arena, 11000)
July 24th: @Quebecois Acadiana (TBD)
July 25th: vs. Hampton Island (Elephant Stadium, 15000)
July 26th: @Torisakia (TBD)
July 27th: vs. The Greater Nordics (Dolphin Stadium, 12500)

by **TJUN-ia** » Thu Jul 16, 2020 5:30 am

Full Name: TJUN-ia
Organisation Name: TJUN-ia Baseball
Trigram: TJU
Nicknames: Jaguars (Formal)/Battin' Jags (Informal/Sport Specific)
Home Colours: Blue Unis With Orange Trim/Blue and Orange Hat
Away Colours: Orange Unis with Blue Trim/Blue and Orange Hat
Alternate Colours: Black Unis with Dark Orange Trim/Black and Dark Orange Hat

The great Pastime that TJUN-ia fell in love with my years ago is back for more as WBC49 means the diamonds are once again in use. After a spirited performance at the last WBC, we enter as the 43rd team in the multiverse and safely in Pot 4. With a new coaching staff looking to make some statement in the sport, TJUN-ia Baseball will be hoping that this team can get as close to Newmanistan as they can (not including our series we have to play there).

THE TEAM
(Number: Name (Age, Batting/Pitching arm))

COACHING STAFF
Manager: Phillip Hellas-Verona (41)
Assistant Manager: Pedro Volcoron (32)
Pitching Coach: Jack Helstrom-Satanique (33)
Batting Coach: Enrique Lopez (34)
1st Base Coach: Shigeru Moyatawa (37)
3rd Base Coach: Pierre Greziére (36)

That's a lot of new coaches, I hear you say. Well, Baseball is a complicated game and requires a lot of pieces in order to work. Phillip Hellas-Verona has been given the duties as Manager and it will be his job to coordinate all the other coaches and the players themselves. Pedro Volcoron is the Assistant, acting as both understudy and the 1st replacement if TB doesn't like what Hellas-Verona is doing. The devilishly-named Jack Helstrom-Satanique deals with the starters and the bullpen while Enrique Lopez tries to get the most out of batting. Shigeru Moyatawa and Pierre Greziére will be the ones to talk to any players on 1st or 3rd respectively, talking strategy when it comes to trying to score runs. TB hopes that all 6 men can perform their duties well, as they did unofficially at the last WBC.

POSITION STARTERS
1B: #95 Steven Fulmer (23, R)
2B: #78 Matoko Kagawa (22, R)
3B: #19 Bryce Calhoun (22, R)
SS: #17 Ki Yung-son (23, R)
RF: #14 Pedro Moires (25, L)
LF: #46 Angel Enrique (23, R)
CF: #23 Rafael Llorente (24, L)
C: #67 Joe Gregory (20, R)

STARTING PITCHERS
P: #1 Chris Harris (23, R)
P: #2 Davis Johnson (24, R)
P: #3 Gene Almac (22, L)
P: #4 Jose Almas (25, L)
P: #5 Kyle McNash (24, R)

BULLPEN
RP: #6 Shin Suzuki (23, R)
RP: #7 Harrison Kyle (22, L)
RP: #8 F. G. Greenwood (25, R)
RP: #9 Kim Tsu-Ka (21, L)
RP: #10 Liam "LCL" Christoper-Lee (24, L)
CP: #11 Carlos Buena (23, R)

BACKUPS
C: #97 Leonidas Hall (19, L)
1B/PH: #69 Metsu Hoshikawa (26, L [both batting and pitching])
3B/2B: #68 Hunter Jakes (23, R)
RF/CF: #65 Kupe Lamale (25, R)
LF/DH: #44 Killian O'Mally (22, L [both batting and pitching])

STARTING LINEUPS
Without DH
1. Moires
2. Ki
3. Fulmer
4. Calhoun
5. Enrique
6. Llorente
7. Kagawa
8. Gregory
9. Pitcher Spot

With DH
1. Moires
2. Ki
3. Fulmer
4. Calhoun
5. O'Mally (DH)
6. Enrique
7. Llorente
8. Kagawa
9. Gregory

BALLPARKS
Rounders Field, Portside, JB TJUN-ia (40,000)

Named after an English (U1) game similar to Baseball, Rounders Field was the host of all 5 of TJUN-ia's home series at the last WBC. It has a retractable roof if the threat of rain is present, while also containing modern amenities. Don't worry about the "artwork" near centre field - that is a tribute to the varied wildlife of both Portside and TJUN-ia. The away changing rooms will still be looked at by a jaguar with the following message:

YOU ARE ENTERING THE JUNGLE
FAIR PLAY SHALL BE OBSERVED HERE AT ALL TIMES
IF NOT, THE CROWD SHALL EAT YOU ALIVE

The crowd here are known for not taking foul play lightly, and this message gives warning of that to any opposition. TJUN-ia wants to play fairly and the message hopes that the opponent plays fairly too. This ground will host 3 of TJUN-ia's home series at this tournament

The Diamond in The Gardens, New Washington, NAU Zone (42,000)

New for this tournament, The Diamond in The Gardens in located in "The Gardens" - a major sporting complex in the NAU Zone capital of New Washington. Just down the road from Gridiron Football's Field of Dreams, it has the traditional ivy as part of the entire back wall - a sign that you are in The Gardens. Built based on classic ballparks in U1 and U2, modern amenities are present within this old-style park. It has 2 modern scoreboards and 1 manual one, which will be used to display the scores across the tournament. Unlike their counterparts in Portside, fans here don't really care about "fairness" and "sporting equality" - they just want to watch some baseball. These confines are certainly friendly and the fans are known for enjoying the game no matter if the home team is winning or not. The Diamond will host 2 series in this WBC.

SCHEDULE (Group 1)
S1 (G1/G2/G3): @Se Vende Skooma (UR) - SublimeBurger Park, Somewhere???
S2 (G4/G5/G6): vs South Covello (22) - Rounders Field, Portside
S3 (G7/G8/G9): @Chromatika (26)
S4 (G10/G11/G12): @Newmanistan (5)
S5 (G13/G14/G15): vs Marigred (UR) - The Diamond in The Gardens, New Washington
---------------------------MIDWAY BREAK---------------------------
S6 (G16/G17/G18): vs Se Vende Skooma (UR) - Rounders Field, Portside
S7 (G19/G20/G21):@South Covello (22)
S8 (G22/G23/G24): vs Chromatika (26) - The Diamond in The Gardens, New Washington
S9 (G25/G26/G27): vs Newmanistan (5) - Rounders Field, Portside
S10 (G28/G29/G30): @Marigred (UR)

PERMISSIONS
My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my runscorers: Yes
Choose my lineup: Yes
Follow my pitching rotation: Yes
Godmod scoring events: No
RP injuries to my players: Yes
Godmod injuries to my players: No
Eject my players: Yes
Godmod other events: No
Use DH at home: No
Style Modifier: +0.5

by **Hapilopper** » Thu Jul 16, 2020 9:58 am

Capital Stadium, Hapilopper City
Just before traveling to Jeckland for the first series
It was that time of year again – time for the Hapilopper National Baseball Team to prepare for another World Baseball Classic. New faces, like Cole Winthrop and Grant Bonney, were preparing for their first tournament, while others, like the Meadows twins, Charlton Forest, Levi Berry, Campbell Braxton, Leroy Hunnisett and Jerome Hayden were about to take part in their fourth WBC. They had been there when the Haps roared onto the international sporting scene with a playoff appearance in the nation’s first international tournament of any kind. And then, just like other Hapiloppian teams, they just kind of fizzled out.

But there had been so much hope at first. Great runs by Hapiloppian baseball and soccer teams, as well as Drake Stevenson in the World Grand Prix Championship and Team Blue in the NSSCRA led some to wonder if there was a Golden Age of Hapiloppian Sport starting. While the Haps didn’t go far in the playoffs of the 46th World Baseball Classic, the fact they were even there in the first place spoke volumes. Around that time, the Hapilopper National Football Team made its debut on the international stage, and didn’t just win the 70th Baptism of Fire, they laid waste to the competition. Meanwhile, Drake Stevenson was laying the foundation for a championship run in the World Grand Prix Championship and Team Blue was impressing everyone in the NSSCRA with great runs, and eventually, race wins.

But rather than sizzling, the Haps fizzled. The 47th and 48th WBCs proved to be massively frustrating for the Haps. Instead of making the playoffs or even being in contention, the Haps were out at the end of the group stage both times. The Hapilopper National Football Team failed to qualify for World Cups 83 and 84 – the latter by a single point – and some sort of shenanigans led to them completely collapsing in World Cup 85, a collapse that was so brutal, the Hapilopper Football Association opted not to send a team to the following Cup of Harmony.

Meanwhile, Drake Stevenson’s ill-advised run in the World Grand Prix 2 Championship disillusioned him from competing in open-wheel cars, and Team Blue’s run in the NSSCRA was impacted by internal infighting and sophomoric stupidity that effectively kneecapped whatever title hopes they had.

So while the HNBT was ranked 15th in the world, and a pot two team, the Haps had low expectations on themselves as they worked out for this last practice before traveling to Jeckland for a three-game series. In fact, the Hapiloppian public and the National League of Hapilopper had similarly low expectations. There had been some media coverage for the team’s WBC 49 campaign, but that media coverage was nowhere near it had been in years past. In fact, some pundits wondered why Hapilopper was sending a team to the World Baseball Classic at all, when they felt the NLH could be better suited getting their players ready for the upcoming season.

Fan interest wasn’t there, either. In years past, the first Hapiloppian home game – or home series – would have already been sold out by now. But there were thousands of seats still available. Fan interest just wasn’t there for the time being. But some wondered how that would change depending on Hapilopper’s upcoming series with Jeckland.

It had been a beautiful, and somewhat chilly, morning at Capital Stadium, the old concrete donut of a stadium off the West River in downtown Hapilopper City. Jerome Hayden, the resident showboat of the national squad, was taking batting practice while other members of the team watched and waited for their turn. Jerome liked taking longer batting practices than other players, so they could see who could hit the long bombs. Other players watched from just outside the dugout as ball after ball ended up in the first and second decks of the stadium. Some of the pitching staff, meanwhile, looked with contempt as one of their least favorite people appeared to be reveling in the attention.

Over in the foul ground on the first base side, several Hapiloppian pitchers were warming up, including Charlton Forest and Mill Gibbs. Both pitchers were trying to block out Jerome’s home run hitting, but it was getting hard to do. Interestingly, the two appeared to be having a conversation as they were pitching.

“Maybe we could get him to settle down,” Charlton said.

“How so?” Mill replied.

“Might see if Vic Foster might let us borrow some of his goodies,” Charlton replied. “You seen some of the shit in his locker? I mean, I swear. If the WBC officials let him use that stuff, he might be unstoppable.”

Jerome didn’t hear the conversation, but after hitting yet another ball into the second deck in left field, he stepped out of the batter’s box and pointed to the pitchers practicing.

“HEY GUYS!” Jerome shouted. “THIS ONE’S FOR YOU!”

He then stepped back into the box and hit one that unfortunately went foul, straight at the pitchers.

“HEADS UP!” one of the pitchers shouted as the line drive came right at them. Charlton and Mill hit the deck about as quickly as possible as the ball nailed an empty seat in the front row and went straight into the air.

“That son of a bitch…” Charlton grumbled as he got up. He briefly considered charging Jerome before relief pitcher Aaron Armstrong rushed in front of him.

“I don’t think he meant it, Forest,” Aaron said. “Just settle down. We’re not going to do anything good if we fight each other, you know?”

But it wasn’t over. On the flight to Jeckland the next day, Charlton confronted Jerome about the hit.

“Charlton, that was an accident,” Jerome said, with a rare bit of seriousness in his voice. “I was out there trying to show you guys that I’m here to provide the run support. I wasn’t trying to show anyone up or send any kind of negative message to you. Christ, I’m on your side, man. We’re on one side.”

“Fine, Jerome, but you know your track record,” Charlton said. “You do all this dumb shit to piss people off. You flip bats. You stand there in the box watching balls fly to the seats. You did that dumbass jig last year when you were supposed to run the bases. We’re tired of the showboating.”

“But I wasn’t showboating,” Jerome said. “Not this time, at least. We’ve got to be one team, man. I’ll do that shit to you if we’re on a different team. But god damn it, Charlton, I want to win this fucking thing and I’m going to do all I can to do it. Are you?”

Charlton was kind of taken aback by Jerome’s response. He hadn’t anticipated Jerome being as passionate for the team and for the concept of a Hapiloppian victory. But Jerome wasn’t done.

“I get what you’re saying, Charlton, I really do. I hit a ball, watch it fly and I flip the bat,” he said. “I get that pisses you guys off. But I’m not going to do anything to show the rest of you up when we’re going against a team like Jeckland or Equestria or Nova Anglicana. I want to beat them, and I want to show THEM up, not you. I’ve been on the team since the start, man. I was there when that fan ran out onto the field in Trastamar waving our flag, and I was there when Mo Beverly and Leroy Hunnisett were digging holes in that one strange ballfield looking for some dude named Paul, and I was there when we MISSED THE GOD DAMNED PLAYOFFS TIME AND TIME AGAIN.”

Mo and Leroy, sitting not far away, looked over, having heard their names mentioned. They realized that Jerome was pissed off at this feeling he was putting himself over the team.

Charlton took a step back, realizing Jerome had been wound up.

“You think I want to miss the playoffs again?” Jerome snapped. “You think I want to see Newmanistan or Banija or the Fuckin’ Free Republics or Cassadaigua or that damned bear from Hampton Island or Ko-Oren or Nova Anglicana winning the series while we’re just watching on TV? When I go out there hitting bombs in practice, I’m doing that so I can help you. Run support, man. I bet it’s easier pitching with a five run lead than if the game’s tied, right?”

Charlton nodded his head and went back to his seat.

“We win together and we lose together, Charlton,” Jerome said as Charlton was walking off. “I do what I do to win these ballgames. I sure hope you’re going to do the same thing, man.”

Charlton turned around, nodded again and walked back.

“We’ve got to,” Charlton said.

by **Sarzonia** » Thu Jul 16, 2020 1:39 pm

As Geoff Yancey sat with the rest of his coaches and discussed the results of the group draw that placed the Sarzonian national baseball team in Group 2, he couldn't help but feel as though the Stars were in a group of death.

The Stars were opening the 49th World Baseball Classic playing away to Banija, the number 2 team in the multiverse. After a brief trip home to Fleetwood Park in Woodstock to play unranked Kohnhead, the Stars would then face a six-game away trip leading off with 10th ranked Liventia. They follow that away to No. 42 Daskel before they finally return home for unranked The Jovannic.

After the midway break, the Stars continue on a stretch of 12 home matches out of 15 with only their away series to Kohnhead breaking up the homestand.

Most of the opposition are relative newcomers to Sarzonia in sporting competitions, but Banija are a familiar opponent in several sports. The lacrosse Stars can count Banija as their fiercest rivals in the current lacrosse era, as now-former Stars manager Carter Whitlock could tell you following Sarzonia's 13-12 defeat in the quarterfinals of the World Lacrosse Championships.

Liventia and Sarzonia aren't exactly strangers either, as the football Stars lost the World Cup 24 final against them many cycles ago. However, the field hockey team are far more familiar with Liventia and can count them as their fiercest rivals in that sport.

"We're fortunate that Banija use the designated hitter," Yancey said after he was asked by the media to react to the group draw. "We haven't had a chance to evaluate a scouting report from Liventia so we're not sure if they use the DH or not. As for the other teams, we know what we're going to have to do against all of them."

Yancey said he wasn't informed if the Incorporated Baseball Federation had requested a tune up series against Delaclava, but said he'd be open to a trip to Catherina, especially to visit former Stars manager Khalil Dennis and his husband Calen McSuthern.

Yancey admitted another reason for wanting to visit Dennis and McSuthern that had nothing to do with baseball. He wanted to take his grandson K.C. to visit the two men his grandson was named after.

"K.C. has been looking forward to visiting them since he could talk," Yancey said with a wide smile. The smile melted from his face when he was asked if K.C. visited Yancey's ex-wife Karen.

"You'd have to ask my son about that," he said.

by **Super-Llamaland** » Thu Jul 16, 2020 1:49 pm

I. The Stadium

June 11, 2038
Tyler Rocke Stadium
New Llama City, Super-Llamaland

“Throwing out the first pitch before today’s game, ex-New Llama Wizards shortstop, second baseman, President’s Cup Champion and MVP, and Baseball Hall of Fame member...Alex Kirk!”

Alexander Everett Kirk was fifty-one years old, but you would never guess that by looking at him. With his trim beard, (allegedly dyed) thick blonde hair, and fit figure, he looked like he could still play ball. And he’d brought sunglasses, a Wizards snapback, and his old jersey to fully lean into that perception. The look was clearly working for the forty-thousand fans around him, who are all on their feet and roaring, and even the Wizards players, three of which have approached him for his autograph. It reminded him of his playing days, and he absolutely loved it.

Alex walked up to the pitcher’s mound as some anonymous player pressed the ball into his glove. As he stepped onto the mound, he took in the adulation of the fans, the warm summer sun on his face, and the smell of fresh grass beneath him. It was almost cliche-like in how much he loves it, and as he gripped the ball and wound up, he wished he could be playing again. After basking in the beauty of it all, he turned, wound up, and whipped a fastball at the backup catcher.

As he did so, he could feel the air flicker and shift around him, then a sudden rush of wind. Around him, Tyler Rocke Stadium flickered and faded - for a brief instant, Alex felt that he was frozen in time, watching the stadium collapse before him. As soon as he snapped back into reality, he watched the ball sail over where home plate would be and directly into where the catcher’s glove just was, before bouncing aimlessly on the dirt. Stunned, he turned to ask the batboy who, just moments before, had pressed a ball into his hand. Only to find that the stadium was empty.

Not only was nobody in Tyler Rocke at the moment, but it looked like nobody’d been to Tyler Rocke in a hundred years. The stadium was nearly unrecognizable - not just because it has clearly long since been abandoned, but also because it is larger than any stadium Alex has ever played in. At some point in the past, someone turned Tyler Rocke into a million-seat leviathan of endless grandstands upon grandstands, stretching far into the sky. And at some point in the past, they left it desolate and overgrown, the white bases and clean chalk lines long since surrendered to dust and weeds. The netting behind home plate is torn at best and gone at worst. One dugout ceiling has collapsed in, either from disuse or from destruction. Increasingly worried, Alex spun toward the outfield. At first, he couldn’t comprehend what he was seeing - just a few tattered remnants of the outfield wall, covered with faded, worn-out banners.

Then, he read the banners.

NEW LLAMA WIZARDS - 1966 PRESIDENT’S CUP CHAMPIONS
NEW LLAMA WIZARDS - 1972 PRESIDENT’S CUP RUNNERS-UP
NEW LLAMA WIZARDS - 1975 PRESIDENT’S CUP RUNNERS-UP
NEW LLAMA WIZARDS - 1982 PRESIDENT’S CUP CHAMPIONS
NEW LLAMA WIZARDS - 1991 PRESIDENT’S CUP RUNNERS-UP
NEW LLAMA WIZARDS - 1999 PRESIDENT’S CUP CHAMPIONS
NEW LLAMA WIZARDS - 2007 PRESIDENT’S CUP CHAMPIONS
NEW LLAMA WIZARDS - 2012 PRESIDENT’S CUP CHAMPIONS
NEW LLAMA WIZARDS - 2014 PRESIDENT’S CUP CHAMPIONS
NEW LLAMA WIZARDS - 2023 PRESIDENT’S CUP RUNNERS-UP
NEW LLAMA WIZARDS - 2031 PRESIDENT’S CUP CHAMPIONS
NEW LLAMA WIZARDS - 2135 PRESIDENT’S CUP RUNNERS-UP
NEW LLAMA WIZARDS - 2360 PRESIDENT’S CUP RUNNERS-UP
NEW LLAMA WIZARDS - 2717 PRESIDENT’S CUP RUNNERS-UP

Where the fuck was he?

??? ??, ????
Tyler Rocke Stadium?
New Llama City?, Super-Llamaland?

It’d felt like half an hour since everyone had disappeared, but considering what he’d seen, Alex didn’t think he had the firmest grasp on how time worked anymore. He’d, of course, tried to call someone as soon as he settled down, but as expected, his phone wasn’t compatible with twenty-eighth(?) century network technology.

After a few minutes spent aimlessly wandering the field and the stands, he decided he had to do something. The stadium may have been deserted, but hopefully, he could find food or supplies somewhere in its underbelly. Portions of the stairs had completely collapsed, and even those that hadn’t were wobbly at best, but he managed to navigate through the rubble toward what would have been various food stands a millennium ago. Yet now, it was clearly useless. The area had clearly been emptied out by looters whenever what had happened to Tyler Rocke had happened. The lights were shattered or missing entirely, piles of debris dotted the places where stands had been like broken headstones, and pools of what Alex hoped was water had collected on the concrete floor.

He’d climbed over the counters for the first few stands, but his efforts had been fruitless. The only thing he had to show for his efforts was a scrap of newspaper that read CLONES WIN FOURTEENTH STR, but it lacked a date (or indeed, any other information). It was increasingly looking like Alex would have to leave the stadium entirely. The prospect of having to do so filled him with fear - clearly, something bad had happened to Tyler Rocke for it to be in this state, and such an Event was unlikely to confine itself to baseball stadiums. He was trying his hardest not to think about what happened, but he knew that walking into a potential warzone without any supplies or ways to defend himself could be dangerous.

After a few laps around the stadium, though, he had accepted that it was necessary. He could still come back to the stadium to sleep, and the fact that he hadn’t been jumped yet could indicate that he would at least be safe outside (although that wouldn’t help with his lack of food or water). Alex resolved to take one final lap around the stadium, and then brave the great unknown outside.

Halfway into his lap, he noticed something peculiar: a light in the window of what he’d assumed had been the gift shop. “Hello?” he called out, to no response. He moved closer toward the door, peering in through the window, but couldn’t see anyone inside. His heart pounding, he moved to open the door. It probably wasn’t the greatest idea to walk in - if someone really was inside, then they probably wouldn’t take too kindly to the only other person in Tyler Rocke barging in. On the other hand, Alex had no idea what was happening, his mind was taking the opportunity to come up with increasingly worse scenarios for what had happened, and he was feeling more than a little lonely.

Alex walked in, and his eyes were immediately drawn to the banner over the door. THE NEW LLAMA WIZARDS HISTORY MUSEUM. The next thing he saw, on the ground, was what appeared to be a cardboard cutout of Alex Kirk.

Before he could react, he felt the cool steel of a knife press against his neck.

by **Daskel** » Thu Jul 16, 2020 2:45 pm

Daito Metropolis, Daito Kyūjō

"Hey guys, the WBC released the groups!"

Shintaro was having a good day. Rookie pitcher Kanao was helping him at his batting practice, and homeruns were flying. Of course, the young pitcher wasn't letting his arm go to waste before the tournament, but he gave him a couple of serious threat-of-a-curveball to adjuste him on battle mode. It was fun! The 18 year old right handed was seriously ace material. REI Kuji must miss him badly.

The voice of a excited Kojima made him lost the sight of the last ball, the sound of the ball against the wall confirming the loss. Wait, Kojima said...

"... Give me that paper!" Quickly he recovered, almost taking the list by force. Kojima laughed, and went to inform everyone to meet beside the batting cages.

"Well..." Now almost everyone was there in front of Shintaro, who was accompanied by An, their new head coach.

"Guys, we're in group 2 for the upcoming WBC. I hope you're ready to hear our next contendors!"
"A moment please! Is next game here, or abroad?" asked Rokutani
"Abroad" Was the sharp answer. No more, no less. Rokutani sighted
"Now, onto the vital information, if you please" Interrupted An
"Thank you" Shintaro tipped his helmet "I will read the names, followed by rankings. Everyone hear carefully"

The catcher started to go through the list, name by name. Sometimes his teammates looked confused, sometimes concerned. None of them were relaxed upon hearing the nations.

"And last... Banija"

All the team reacted like they were just hit by a train. Banija was the champion of WBC 47, right? right?

"No matter how difficult this test is!" An told everyone with martial air "We should play as we know we play, Ok? Daskelian baseball is exciting, don't forget that. We don't play for money, or for recognition, or for whatever superflous reason. We play because one, we love this, and two, because if we do something, it's our duty to do our very best. Is that clear?"

The team's short "Yes!" echoed on the empty field.

"Three laps and we end practice. Be early tomorrow at the stadium's front gate. Now start!"

by **Falisiand** » Thu Jul 16, 2020 2:50 pm

The WBC Groups have been revealed and The Falisiand Bison look to have a tough schedule. They first play the number 4 team of the Baseball Rankings , the Ko-oren Dragonflies while at home, but with cultural conflicts in the team and country, it could give them the chance to upset the team. The second series would be against te 24th ranked The Sarian while at home who look tough in this hard division, can Falisiand beat them? Then the third and is against the Mathuvan Union while on the road, the team that won 2nd place in the same group as Falisiand, The Falisiand U22s won 4 out of the 6 games against them in IBS XI and the hitting coach, Hayden Manuel, was the head coach of the Falisiand U22s, so can the Falisiand win against the Mathuvan Union again, that is the real question. The fourth series is against the 32nd ranked Royal Kingdom of Quebec while at home, the Royal Kingdom of Quebec had the same record as the Falsiand U22s , but got swept by Super-Llamaland, but the ranking's don't lie, so will Falisiand beat the Royal Kingdom of Quebec. Then the fifth series is against Tikariot on the road against them, Tikariot won IBS XI which was no easy task, will Falisiand be able to beat the team, that beat the team that beat them (tongue twister). The 6th series is against Ko-oren on the road. The 7th series is against The Sarian on the road. The 8th series is against the Mathuvan Union at home. The 9th series is against the Royal Kingdom of Quebec on the road. Then the final series is against Tikariot at home. This schedule only raises questions like, can Falisiand do well in WBC? The games will only decide.

7/17: Falisiand vs Ko-oren
7/18: Falisiand vs The Sarian
7/19: Falisiand @ The Mathuvan Union
7/20: Falisiand vs The Royal Kingdom of Quebec
7/21: Falisiand @ Tikariot
7/23: Falisiand @ Ko-oren
7/24: Falisiand @ The Sarian
7/25: Falisiand vs The Mathuvan Union
7/26: Falisiand @ The Royal Kingdom of Quebec
7/27: Falisiand vs Tikariot

by **Tikariot** » Thu Jul 16, 2020 8:07 pm

The picture fades into the studios of TSG TV, more precisely into the custom-built set for the World Baseball Classic 49. Images of past editions line the walls and the desk in between the pundits is diamond shaped, with the corners fashioned into bases and the logo of Tikariot Baseball League in its centre.

Two men flank a woman, instead of the usual attire, though, the men are wearing jerseys of the Tikariot Thunderforge, black with the logo across the front in dark purple.

The lady in the centre, though, is wearing a black t-shirt with the Devil's Rejects logo and the words "IBS XI CHAMPIONS" on it.

Angelo Mori: Good evening, ladies and gentlemen and welcome to our coverage of the World Baseball Classic 49 in Newmanistan.

Kenneth Burgess: Hot on the heels of the International Baseball Slam XI we are now moving into the even bigger event of the World Baseball Classic and to be honest, the IBS could not have been a better warmup tournament for this young team.

Sarah Ladle: After the Devil's Rejects surprised everybody, including probably themselves, by winning the International Baseball Slam against Terre Septentrionale, they are almost seamlessly moving into the Classic and by now nobody knows what to expect.

Burgess: Some experts say that going into this tournament right after the last one could be a serious detriment, as the players have not had a lot of time to recuperate, but others see it as an advantage, as the team can carry over its momentum, what is your take on this?

Mori: Obviously it could go either way, but I think that with the momentum the team has managed to build up during the Slam they have a good chance of carrying it over, especially as the team itself still is the same, just with a few additional players, so there is no getting used to phase. A couple of the other teams also had been at the Slam, but then again, some of them fielded youth teams, so trying to compare that is a bit of a limp.

Ladle: I agree, the buzz is still there and I believe that the adrenaline has a chance to keep them afloat and moving forward. Now let's have a look at the group mates in the first stage of the Classic.

As they mention the different teams, the logos and some brief clips of the respective nations and teams appear on the huge screen behind the trio.

Mori: We will be facing three ranked and two unranked nations, coincidentally the unranked teams had also been participants in the IBS XI. So our first series is going to be away against the Mathuvian Union, who had made it into the quarter finals at the Slam, where they were defeated by Cassadaigua. They also were in the same group as Falisiand. Obviously the unranked teams are a little hard to gauge, but by advancing from the group stage they have shown that they are a force to be reckoned with.

Burgess: Then comes our first homestand against the Royal Kingdom of Quebec and while they had not been part of the Slam, they are ranked at number 32, so they definitely have proven themselves. I'm still confident, though, that our momentum and the fact that we will be playing in Port Rhovanyon should give us enough of an edge to get past them.

Ladle: Which brings us to The Sarian, who are 24th in the world rankings, so a step up from The Royal Kingdom - isn't that kind of redundant? Isn't a kingdom royal by definition?

Burgess: I guess so, but I don't think it'll make it harder on the team to play pondering about that. Given that we're facing them abroad first this might be the hardest series so far, but then again we've proved that we can rock with the best of them, seeing that South Newlandia are ranked 31st, Terre Septentrionale 19th and Newmanistan even 5th, but in their case it was a youth team, so can't really put that down like that.

Ladle: Well, technically South Newlandia was a youth team, too, but still you have to beat them to begin with.

Mori: True that. Then we stay on the road and hit Ko'oren and I think we can all agree that the Dragonflies are THE team to beat in this group, ranked fourth in the rankings, right?

Ladle: Definitely. I mean, we might still have a chance, especially if they might underestimate us, but let's be honest, this might be the one real downside of us winning the Slam, people won't underestimate us anymore. I guess we'll have to see how we'll be doing at that point in time, plus like you mentioned, we'll play in Ko'oren, so the pressure probably is not as high in this one.

Burgess: Which brings us to our final series of the first half, at home againt Falisiand and the Bisons also were at the IBS XI, like you had mentioned earlier, Angelo, but their final chapter was written in the group stage. Doable?

Mori: I think so, but I'm very aware of other teams maybe managing what we've done at the Slam, so, I'm trying not to be too positive.

Ladle (laughs): I agree. So how do we look overall? The victory at the International Baseball Slam has worked wonders for the public perception of sports fans in Tikariot. Obviously football is, and likely will remain, the number one sport, but baseball has managed to jump into second place and I firmly believe that this will help us immensely in our home series, because I expect Oceanview Park to be packed to the rafters for each game.

Burgess: This is a good point actually, Sarah, I have read that the League is putting up additional temporary stands to accommodate more fans, as the demand for tickets has skyrocketed, so I think that we'll have some real intense atmosphere.

Mori: Especially if the fans continue the tradition from the Slam and bring the football stadium like chants into the ballpark which a lot of other teams are definitely not used to. So where does that leave us for now?

Burgess: Well, the series against the Mathuvian Union is going to happen tomorrow and all three of us, plus our infield reporter Sean Callahan, will be traveling with the team, so you'll be stuck with us for the duration of the World Baseball Classic and hopefully you'll have to put up with us for a long time.

Ladle (laughs): Oh you have such an almost poetic way of putting things, Kenneth.

Burgess: What can I say, I'm a natural.

Ladle: Whatever you think about Kenneth here I hope that we can welcome you again tomorrow from the Mathuvian Union for our coverage of the first series, until then -

All three: Up the irons!

by **The Sherpa Empire** » Fri Jul 17, 2020 3:01 am

Sherpa National Baseball Team Roster

C: Pei Tan (Fuzhou Bats)
C: Rita Katiyar (Lhasa Lamas)
1B: Jayant Zia (Guiyang Grasshoppers)
2B: Yawei Qu (Hangzhou Brewers)
3B: Tandi Ojha (Islamabad Snow Leopards)
SS: Kencha Qureshi (Islamabad Snow Leopards)
IF: Xiao Wen (Chengdu Pandas)
IF: Yu Qiong (Kunming Dragons)
IF: Yangzhi Yi (Nanjing Mandarins)
LF: Wangchu Namkha Qiang (Darjeeling Green Sox)
RF: Geli Ananthan (Bengal Tigers)
CF: Tianling Qiao (Guilin Pangolins)
OF: Zhiku Tsongba Sherpa (Jaipur Jewelers)
OF: Changmin Le (Changsha Turtles)

Starting Rotation:

Luochong Zhuang (Guangzhou Pirates)
Wangdi Ai (Hangzhou Brewers)
Weiyun Gan (Nanjing Mandarins)
Tsheri Pham (Guangzhou Pirates)
Kami Akunjee (Khumbu Icefall Doctors)

Bullpen:

Karan Sangakkar (Darjeeling Green Sox)
Sanjay Murthy (Bengal Tigers)
Daki Chuan (Suzhou Plum Blossoms, knuckleballer)
Rajinder Pilgaonkar (Khumbu Icefall Doctors, long relief)
Urkyen Bharadhwaj (Delhi Rajas)
Jamil Roshan (Jaipur Jewelers, closer)

Coaches: Phurwa Thapa, Apa Shah, Ayappan Banerjee, Finjhok Chang

Manager: Chongba Lee

Daki Chuan is a woman, all other players are male.

The teams listed after each player's name are where they play during the regular season. The "Bats" in "Fuzhou Bats" refers to the winged animal, not a baseball bat. The meaning of the name is clearer in the local languages. The Khumbu Icefall Doctors are named after the people who prepare the path for mountain climbers up the Khumbu Icefall every year at the start of climbing season, and the team's logo is a pair of picks for rock-climbing -- but the name is often shortened to "Doctors" or "Docs" and there are some pun-loving fans that wear lab coats and stethoscopes to show their support. These people are most commonly found at Syangboche, but some of them may travel elsewhere.

It's also common to find fans using prayer wheels to cheer on the team. Some people find the practice tacky and disrespectful toward religion, but people still do it. There are even special prayer wheels made for this purpose, which are about as classy as those foam hands with the pointy fingers that you sometimes see sports fans waving around. The Sherpa Empire uses dark blue uniforms for many sports teams that represent the Empire in international competition, including the WBC teams. If you see a Sherpa sports fan wandering around with dyed blue hair, that's a clue that they're going to be really noisy and patriotic to the point where it gets annoying. Brightly-colored hair dye is not popular as an everyday fashion statement, so blue hair is probably a patriotic thing to support the team.

In domestic sports coverage -- SISN talk shows, etc. -- there has been a lot of hype about the new pitchers on this year's team. Daki Chuan is the first female player to represent the Sherpa Empire in the WBC, and that has gotten mixed reactions. Some have praised the move as a much-needed step toward gender equality. Others have criticized it as pandering. It remains to be seen whether it will pan out or not.

Wangdi Ai is a young up and coming power pitcher, and there has been intense debate among fans and commentators about who really belongs at the top the rotation -- him or Zhuang. They both throw really hard. Zhuang has experience. Ai has an attention span longer than thirty seconds before he stops listening and goes off on a tangent about virology. (Zhuang has always been a bit of a biology nerd, but last year's SARS-2 outbreak really sparked his interest in viruses.) Ai has the fastest fastball in the starting rotation, but Zhuang's control is a little more reliable.

The Sherpa Empire's style of baseball tends to be conservative on the base paths, so not a ton of stolen bases, but there usually aren't a lot of people getting caught stealing or picked off.

Normal Batting Order

1. Qureshi
2. Ojha
3. Qu
4. Qiao
5. Qiang
6. Ananthan
7. Zia
8. Tan
9. pitcher

Due to the high altitude at Syangboche, Zhiku Tsongba Sherpa will replace Tianling Qiao in center field for that entire series, and this batting order will be used:

1. Qureshi
2. Ojha
3. Zia
4. Qiang
5. Sherpa
6. Ananthan
7. Qu
8. Tan
9. pitcher

Batting Order With DH

1. Qureshi
2. Ojha
3. Qu
4. Qiao
5. Qiang
6. Le
7. Ananthan
8. Zia
9. Tan

Stadia

Series 2 vs. Terre Septentrionale: Eden Gardens
Kolkata, Bengal Province
Capacity 80,000
A park with a lot of room -- both on the field and in the stands -- and a lot of history. Built in 1864, it is the home stadium of the Bengal Tigers and it is also used for cricket and football. It's not as picturesque as Chokpori or Queen of the Hills, but it gets to host some big games because of its size.

Series 5 vs. Devonta: Mandarin Park
Nanjing, Jiangsu Territory
Capacity 61,443
This park has a large outfield and does not get many home runs. It is known for having some of the best food of any ballpark in the Empire, with a mix of typical ballpark fare like burgers and hotdogs, national specialties like kebabs, and regional specialties like Chinese dumplings.

Series 6 vs. Megistos: Chengdu Sports Centre
Chengdu, Sichuan Territory
Capacity 42,000
This sleek and modern multi-purpose stadium is known for the colorful Chinese opera skits during the 7th inning stretch, the spicy hot pot and chili at the concessions, and the goofy dancing panda mascot.

Series 8 vs. Pripet Socialist Republic: Jinnah Stadium
Islamabad Municipal District
Capacity 48,200
This is a heavily Islamic part of the Empire, and as such day games will include a break for afternoon prayers. All food in the concession stands is halal, though there are a couple of places that sell alcoholic beverages like beer and chang.

Series 9 vs. Super-Llamaland: Syangboche Athletic Complex
Namche, Khumbu Capital District
Capacity 43,800
Built on a mountaintop overlooking the national capital at an elevation of 3780m (12,402ft), this is one of the most extreme hitter's parks in the world because of the high altitude and the short left field. In addition to the altitude, cold weather and high winds are also common. Building a ballpark here was pure idiocy, but SIBA and the Ministry of Culture continue to use it anyway because it's the national capital. It is common for government officials or members of the royal family to attend games.

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following::
Choose my runscorers: Yes
Choose my lineup: Yes, but don't get too whacky.
Follow my pitching rotation: Stick to what I posted
Godmod scoring events: Yes
RP injuries to my players: Minor injuries OK
Godmod injuries to my players: No
Eject my players: If you eject a similar number of your own
Godmod other events: TG for permission
Use DH at home: No

by **Hampton Island** » Fri Jul 17, 2020 6:57 am

Hampton Island Golden Bears

In regards to Midnight, who is an actual black bear: he is ok with being referenced as a Golden Bear for the competition. No one knows how he became so good at baseball. Will get along with teammates and opponents as long as he is well fed before the game. The team was looking to liven things up after making the playoffs for the first time in World Baseball Classic 43, before losing in the first round. He performed well during WBC 44, and the upswing has continued He should not be considered sentient (he can’t talk). This will be his last Classic. If you recall, there has been an effort to see if we can train more bears to play baseball by breeding Midnight, but those cubs are still too young now to play in this Classic, if it happens at all.

Manager: John Morton, 70 (7th year)

Lineup:
1) Denny Ramirez- 26- CF (Speedy player and consistent contact hitter)
2) Victor McClelland- 25- SS (Excellent range, good average hitter, not much power)
3) Phillip Greene- 1B- 24 (Highly arrogant and money obsessed, but also an all-around threat. First time starting)
4) Midnight, age unknown- LF (Actual black bear. Explosive power when he makes contact. Hates being intentionally walked)
5) Mario Cortez, 27- RF (All-around player, excellent with runners in scoring position. Able to make you pay if you walk Midnight)
6) Danny Hackerbee, 28- C (Great overall contact hitter, works long pitch counts)
7) Dave Shanahan, 25- 3B (DH in last Classic, now plays natural position. Great defensively)
8) Kylie Billings, 22- 2B (First female to ever play for us. Not a publicity stunt though, she's highly skilled)
9) Bryce Mueller, 35- DH (Has started in past. Still has explosive power but also strikes out a lot.)

Bench:
1) David Carson, 35- C
2) Kyle Hennessey, 24- 31, 1B, 3B
3) Michael Stefano, 25- 1B, 3B, OF
4) Shane Carinci, 24- OF
5) Jerome Jurdeen- 30, 2B, SS
6) Scott Van Allen- 32, 2B, SS

Rotation:
1) Dean Douglas, 32 (RHP)- Good fastball but nasty breaking pitches
2) Cory Clover, 29 (LHP)- Up and coming phenom, nasty curveball. Doesn’t get along with Sanfredi
3) Curtis Sanfredi, 28 (RHP)- Young, very arrogant, and a wicked curveball. Doesn’t get along with Clover.
4) Justin Mohlander, 25 (LHP)- Hard thrower, the southpaw version of Tyson but not quite as consistent yet.
5) Felipe Aguilera, 22 (RHP)- Works pitch speed very well, and has a good slider.

Bullpen:
1) Shawn Levinson, 28 (RHP)- Middle/Long Relief
2) Gabriel Wright, 29 (LHP)- Middle/Long relief
3) Byron Shannon, 27 (LHP)- Middle relief
4) Bryan Prater, 32 (RHP)- Short relief
5) Aaron Mayfield, 35 (LHP)- Short relief
6) Chad Whitlock, 34 (LHP)- Set-up
7) Martin Reynolds, 36 (RHP)- Closer

Stadium- National Stadium (Capacity- 68,217) in Stafford City

Choose my runscorers: Yes
Choose my lineup: No
Follow my pitching rotation: Yes
Godmod scoring events: Yes
RP injuries to my players: Yes
Godmod injuries to my players: No
Eject my players: Yes
Godmod other events: Only if centered around Midnight, our actual outfield playing bear, but no killing or injuring him, or having him kill anyone.
Use DH at home: Yes

by **Nova Anglicana** » Fri Jul 17, 2020 7:07 am

Nova Anglicana WBC 49 Roster

Nickname: Lions
Acronym: NOV

Stadium

Stadium: 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 #36 Cory Sharpe, 29 - Sharpe leaned on his 90 MPH slider and 97 MPH fastball to get here, the consummate power/strikeout pitcher, steady diet of high fastballs and just-out-of-reach sliders on 2-strike counts, uses a cutter or change against tough lefties, will flash a curve
RHP #44 Wyatt Templeton, 32 - 97 with run on the fastball, changeup and curveball with slider as the kill pitch
LHP #19 Dan Cunningham, 29 - knee-buckling curve is his best pitch, and he uses it often, cutter bores in on righties' hands at about 92, throws a slider and change to keep people off balance, impeccable control,
LHP #20 Erik Russell, 28 - big high leg kick messes with hitters, 90 MPH fastball is underwhelming, but he can cut, sink, and run it, along with a circle and a Vulcan change, knuckle curve and passable slider, you just never know what's coming
RHP #56 Hank Jackson, 27 - sits 93-95 with the fastball, but can amp it up to 97, sharp 12-6 curveball, mixes in the changeup and slider occasionally, hates walks, can swing the bat a little too

Bullpen
LHP #57 Aaron Spencer, 29 - long guy out of the bullpen, stands 6'4, so his pedestrian 91 MPH fastball looks faster, sweeping slider, decent curve, will mix in a change every now and then as well
LHP #48 Dallas Hawkins, 25 - lefty has developed into a strong closer, features a 96 MPH fastball with a biting slider and tricky curve
LHP #46 Grant Graham, 24 - former starter now a lefty specialist, throws his dangerous curve close to 50% of the time, most of the rest is a fairly hard fastball with a change and slider just to give hitters an occasional change of pace
RHP #38 Cody Brock, 26 - sits 100, throws a changeup at 87 that is tough to handle, and his slider is 91 as well, not much control right now
RHP #16 Rex Boyd, 27 - usual starter will slot in as a dynamic reliever, sits 95 as a starter, but can reach 100 as a reliever, throws a slider and a changeup as well
RHP #11 Vic Fleming, 29 - forkball is his main pitch, does a lot of changing the batters eye level with 93 up top and then the forkball down low, has a curve if need be
RHP #30 Jon Klein, 28 - bowling ball of a fastball at 94, but throws a good curve and change as well, reliable strike-thrower
RHP #43 Charlie Bowers, 32 - fastball/curveball guy, can really pump it in there, averages 98 and can reach back for 101
RHP #23 Zach Kelley, 30 - low 3/4 arm slot, lots of hard two-seamers and sliders, really a two-pitch guy, but very effective

C #60 Trevor Goodwin, 30, (L/R) - strong arm and mobile behind the plate, moderate power and good batting average is positive for a catcher
C #18 Curtis Hughes, 25, (R/R) - still needs to work on the catching side of things, but he has power for days and his club thinks he could be a future MVP
C #51 Derek Ross, 29, (R/R) - defense-first guy who is recognized as the premier pitch-framer in the NABL, won't see many starts, but could be a solid defensive replacement

1B #21 Jake Bryan, 34, (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, 30, (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, 27, (S/R) - former #1 overall pick out of high school, 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, 31, (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 Erik Austin, 25, (S/R) - up-and-coming young player, bat speed is incredible and he has .300/.400 potential, still working on unlocking power, but an above-average defender at both third and first
IF #27 Kelvin Hill, 28, (R/R) - Hill's best defensive position is 3rd, but he can play second well, and plays short well enough, but he's mostly on the team for his hit tool, he's .280-290 hitter with 20 HR power

OF #25 Joey Keller, 24, (R/R) - features a solid arm and good range in left, athletic power bat who still needs to work on taking walks, potential 30/15 guy
OF #35 Matthew Gilbert, 29, (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 Jerome Duplantier, 28, (L/R) - strong right arm in right means runners don't challenge him, a launch angle revolutionized swing means he has 30 HR power, not super mobile and won't hit for much average
OF #24 Cliff Garner, 28, (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
UTIL #40 Dusty Davidson, 27, (S/R) - Davidson is a super-utility guy, tall enough to play corner infield, quick enough to play middle infield, and fast w/a good enough arm to play any outfield position, will steal bases, draw walks, and play good defense, not much power, middling average

Mark Singleton #55 (Manager)

Jay Garrett #1 (Hitting Coach)

Nick Berry #47 (Pitching Coach)

Dale Garner #9 (1st Base Coach)

Eli Nelson #8 (3rd Base Coach)

Casey Cain #15 (Bench Coach)

Toby Meyer #52 (Bullpen Coach)

Starting Lineup w/o DH (/9 is an estimation of about how many games each player would play in a situation using this lineup)
2B Tommy Moran/Hill/Davidson (Moran 6/9 games, Hill 1/9, Davidson 2/9)
SS Luke Mills (Mills 8/9 games, Davidson 1/9)
LF Joey Keller/Garner/Davidson (Keller 7/9 games, Garner 1/9, Davidson 1/9)
1B Jake Bryan/Austin (Bryan 6/9 games, Austin 3/9)
CF Matthew Gilbert/Davidson (Gilbert 8/9 games, Davidson 1/9)
RF Jerome Duplantier/Davidson (Duplantier 8/9 games, Davidson 1/9)
3B Marc Dufors/Austin/Hill (Dufors 7/9 games, Austin 1/9, Hill 1/9)
C Trevor Goodwin/Hughes (Goodwin 7/9 games, Hughes 2/9)
P Pitcher's Spot

Starting Lineup w/DH vs. RHP
2B Tommy Moran/Hill/Davidson (Moran 6/9 games, Hill 1/9, Davidson 2/9)
SS Luke Mills (Mills 8/9 games, Davidson 1/9)
LF Joey Keller/Davidson (Keller 8/9 games, Davidson 1/9)
1B Jake Bryan/Austin (Bryan 7/9 games, Austin 2/9)
CF Matthew Gilbert/Davidson (Gilbert 8/9 games, Davidson 1/9)
DH Cliff Garner
RF Jerome Duplantier/Davidson (Duplantier 8/9 games, Wheeler 1/9)
3B Marc Dufors/Austin/Hill (Dufors 7/9 games, Austin 1/9, Hill 1/9)
C Trevor Goodwin/Hughes (Goodwin 7/9 games, Hughes 2/9)

Starting Lineup w/DH vs. LHP
2B Tommy Moran/Hill/Davidson (Moran 6/9 games, Hill 1/9, Davidson 2/9)
SS Luke Mills (Mills 8/9 games, Davidson 1/9)
LF Joey Keller/Davidson (Keller 8/9 games, Davidson 1/9)
1B Jake Bryan/Austin (Bryan 5/9 games, Austin 4/9)
CF Matthew Gilbert/Davidson (Gilbert 8/9 games, Davidson 1/9)
RF Jerome Duplantier/Davidson (Duplantier 8/9 games, Wheeler 1/9)
3B Marc Dufors/Hill (Dufors 7/9 games, Hill 2/9)
DH Curtis Hughes
C Trevor Goodwin/Ross (Goodwin 6/9 games, Ross 3/9)

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

by **Hampton Island** » Fri Jul 17, 2020 7:23 am

(Scenario: Conversation between Stadium CEO and Assistant)

CEO: Schedule for World Baseball Classic 49 is out. I want to do some great things in this competition.

Assistant: Yeah, I just noticed that the schedule was out. Maybe we can have some momentum here after the World Cup run.

CEO: That’s the hope. We’re in the top ten again and are becoming a better team, but it is beginning to be that time where aspirations increase. This would be a great time to do it.

Assistant: What’s this Drunk People At The Local Tavern?

CEO: I have no idea if it’s a country or just a block of houses and a bar, but whatever it is, it kept Newmanistan from qualifying for the World Cup last time. It’s also a good little gimmick that keeps me from having to run gimmicks.

Assistant: So it really is true that they play on some small field.

CEO: I wonder if they have ever had a bear on it.

Assistant: Interesting. So, the visitors locker room is someone’s house, so I hope it is bear proof.

CEO: Got some games before that one. The Greater Nordics, shouldn’t we recognize them more? They are ranked eleven and all.

Assistant: I bet people say that about us. I am sure people wanted us to be their pot one team.

CEO: We’re a pretty consistent group, so, that would be a dangerous hope. We know how to get to the playoffs. The Nordics, we will see how great they are.

Assistant: Still, there is a perception about us. We never get picked to win much, we always get pointed to be that team loses in the first round as the better seed. Heck, people kept thinking Abanhfleft was the pot one team in our group last time.

CEO: It's interesting, because we should have proven ourselves at this point, but it never fails, no respect for us. I bet people are ready to pick South Newlandia to win the group. Or us to fail, again. We will just have to keep proving people wrong, because it never ends. This team is legit, and we're going to win this damn group and not lose in the first round. South Newlandia can be second, that's fine.

Assistant: Yeah, didn’t they beat Valanora in the World Cup?

CEO: Did they? Maybe. Anyway, they are a pesky looking group, so The Greater Nordics better watch out for them. These other teams, we shall see.

Assistant: At the Nordics to start. Good test.

CEO: Yeah, they better be ready for us to spoil their opening series.

by **The Greater Nordics** » Fri Jul 17, 2020 7:39 am

The Nordic coaching staff is looking over the schedule and the group for the WBC. Manager Leif Holt is reading out the names of the other teams in the group. "Drunk People at the Local tavern? What kind of team is that?" Hitting coach Oskar Toivonen says. "It looks like they are what they name suggests, a bunch of drunks. The field they play at is literally in someones backyard so that should be interesting." Holt says. "We also have Hampton Island in our group and they are the ones that have the bear. They are our first series so it should be a good opening series for us.." He looks at pitching coach Jon Isaksson."I hope you have a plan to deal with midnight." Isaksson nods. "I plan to tell the guys to intentionally walk him every time he comes up." Holt continues reading the group out. "We have a good chance to advance if we preform like we are supposed to, South Newlandia could trip us up but we should win against the two unranked teams."

by **Nova Anglicana** » Fri Jul 17, 2020 10:09 am

Nova Anglicana WBC 49 Preview

The Team

The Lions are the defending world champions! But they're not looking to rest on their laurels. The Lions return most of the same players from WBC 48, but have added two new lefties in the bullpen, an aspiring successor to Jake Bryan, and a left fielder that has everyone buzzing. The starting rotation remains the same strong group of five guys in their primes who led the team to a championship last time out. As the two new primary lefties, Dallas Hawkins and Grant Graham will have to prove themselves in high-leverage situations, but have the tools to do so. In the starting lineup, the infield is noticeably older, with three out of four players at least age 30, with 34 year-old Jake Bryan the oldest. This is Bryan's last classic as a starter for certain, and likely as a player. He will see more rest in this Classic than usual, as will many of the starters. Dusty Davidson, Kelvin Hill, and Erik Austin will be part-time starters and play a big role on this team. The other new player addition is left fielder Joey Keller. Keller is an all-around athlete with power and some speed, as well as being a good defender. The thought is that he will be part of the new generation of Nova Anglican stars. He's still got some time to go, though.

There is also an almost brand-new coaching staff. Dale Garner stays on as 1st base coach, while Casey Cain moves from third base to bench coach, but everyone else is new. They are led by 40 year-old Mark Singleton, stats-inclined manager of the Vinovium Gunners. Under his leadership, the Gunners advanced to the Nova Anglican Series. He is considered a savvy interpreter of sabermetrics, able to integrate them into his gameplan while still preserving more traditional elements of the game. As such, concepts like launch angle, tunneling, exploiting your best pitch, spin rate, and the third time through the order penalty are going to be emphasized. Singleton also isn't afraid to mix and match with the bullpen, pull starters a little early if necessary, pinch-hit, and play the platoon advantage. It will be a different style, but the players are still the best Nova Anglicana has to offer.

The Opponents

Ihilthracna

Ihilthracna is a new team to the WBC with a difficult name. Despite their inexperience, the Ohorslens appear to be confident coming into the opening series. They have predicted a 42% chance of winning this series, much higher than the 26% or 20% chance their media gives them of winning the Hapilopper or Equestrian States series (two teams ranked significantly lower than the Lions). One has to commend their confidence, but it's unlikely. It is also not clear what positions their players play, as the media guide (perhaps incomplete) only lists 18 players, none of which have any information beyond their name. Lions players and fans would dearly love to spank them and send them on their way home in the first series, but in WBC 48, the Lions were swept by Kriegiersien in the first series. Now, Ihilthracna is no Kriegiersien, but you never know what will happen. 6-0 should be the goal, and pray for no shocking results out of either series.

Equestrian States

The Esquestrian States have a long history of participation in the WBC, but come in ranked 25th after a disastrous 10-20 performance in WBC 48. Either the ponies will be an extremely dangerous opponent, motivated to climb back up the rankings and redeem themselves, or they will be demotivated pushovers. Without too much information on them, it's difficult to speculate. 4-2 would be good, though 5-1 isn't out of the question. But if Equestrian States come out firing on all cylinders, the Lions could get bushwhacked early. This is an early benchmark of how the team is doing.

Hapilopper

Hapilopper is ranked 15th in the world, and the prime threat to the Lions. They're not quite as challenging as the Lions' groupmate last time, West Phoenicia, but news reports from the nation indicate that their side is fired up and raring to win some games and make a deep run into the playoffs. Hapilopper has risen rapidly in WBC play, and they will not be easy to beat, especially with their in-game awareness and ability to exploit opposing defenses. Mark Singleton will have to be on his toes to devise a sound strategy for these series. 4-2 is the ideal, 3-3 is somewhat realistic, 2-4 is a distinct possibility. Keep an eye on this series.

Jeckland

The mighty Jecks will make their first WBC appearance in quite some time. Back when the Lions were a young team on the multiversal baseball scene, Jeckland was also getting its start, and few will remember that they've advanced to two finals. But nobody in Nova Anglicana will forget being knocked out of WBC 35, which the Lions were hosting, by a Jeckish side that barely scraped into the playoffs. That was a long time ago, but old Lions die-hards will take special pleasure in seeing Jeckland defeated this time around. 5-1 is a minimum for a successful group stage.

Zwangzug

The Zebras are returning to the WBC after a long time away. Back in the day, they were an incredibly formidable team, ranking in the top 10 before fading into the sunset. They have two championships in six tries, and rank first in third-place finishes with 7. They've appeared in the semifinals 14 times, more than just about any other team besides Newmanistan. So they have a history. They know how to play baseball. But this is an unproven team. It won't be easy, but the Lions need to win the vast majority of their games against the defensive-minded Zebras.

The Prediction

The Lions should finish in first place in this group; anything else will be an embarrassment. They're the reigning champs. A six-game sweep of Ihilthracna is essential, while the pedigrees of Zwangzug and Jeckland shouldn't prevent the Lions from going 5-1 against each of them. It may, but it shouldn't. A 4-2 finish against the higher-ranked squads of Equestrian States and Hapilopper would be a good performance. At that pace, the Lions would finish 24-6, certainly first in their group and challenging for the top spot overall. Regardless, they need to hit twenty wins to have a chance of winning their group. Between 20-24 are the lower and upper bounds for this team. Any result below that will either disgrace the Lions, or seriously jeopardize their ability to advance deep into the competition.

by **Newmanistan** » Fri Jul 17, 2020 11:01 am

NEWMANISTAN ROCKETS

“Home of the Six-Time Champions!”

Let’s start with the technicalities:
My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my runscorers: Yes
Choose my lineup: No, my lineup is listed here. Use that!
Follow my pitching rotation: Yes. I will normally include upcoming pitchers in my prior RP.
Godmod scoring events: Yes
RP injuries to my players: Yes, but only say they are hurt. I will determine the severity.
Godmod injuries to my players: No
Eject my players: Yes, on a basis of no more then one more then you eject from your own team.
Godmod other events: No
Use DH at home: Another “Hell no!” here

Additional Information that is very important to me: Newmanistan does not prescribe to the modern day concept of pitch counts determining how long a starting pitcher is kept in for. In fact, pitch counts are not even kept track of outside of curiosity sake. Such count is not displayed on the scoreboard, so if you want to track it for your pitcher, you must do it manually.

– If Newmanistan has given up 2 runs or less and WON, then the starting pitcher has gone all nine innings. No ifs, ands, or buts. This is true even if it would have been a save situation.

– Another Newmanistan trait is aggressive base stealing. Think back to the days of Vince Coleman and Ricky Henderson in their primes.

Head Coach: Jessica Hedstrom, 58, Southport Tigers
– Successfully led the Rockets to the final in her first year as coach of the Rockets. Do recall that she replaced the legendary Ashley Stevens prior to WBC 45, as Stevens retired. The entire coaching staff was turned over then, so they were brought back for WBC 46. Then the embarrassment happened. Due to the format of WBC 47, that Classic was considered a “throw out”, a decision that was justified with the Rockets strong performance in WBC 48, leading to a third place finish.

Hitting Coach:Emily Martin, 60, Southport Tigers
– Her third tour of duty in this role for WBC 48.

Pitching Coach:Rachel Cerullo, 63, Dover City Mountaineers
– Also in her third Classic.

STARTING ROTATION:
1A) Kelsie Carmichael, 25, RHP, Pocono City Capitals (#29)
– Drafted by Brighton out of college, the Capitals paid a huge price in terms of draft picks to acquire her. She did not immediately flourish prior to the trade, but did in her first year with Pocono City, impressing many. Made her debut in WBC 48 and was very impressive. Since then, her career has only continued to be on the upswing. A tremendous vote of confidence with her shows as she moved up from “1E” to “1A”. Hannah Lee, now 37, is not able to return.

1B) Madison Sullivan, 33, LHP, South Tier Seagulls (#40)
– Was part of the WBC 44 roster out of the bullpen as a long reliever, but was seen as someone who would be strongly considered for a starting position. The hard thrower first appeared as a starter for WBC 46, and is liked a lot. Consistent at home, not going to the lead the nation in complete game shutouts, but never really gets lit up, either. Moves up from 1C to 1B due to an excellent season at home.

1C) Cassie Burke, 32, RHP, Dover City Mountaineers (#37)
– At just 19 years of age, Cassie made quite an impression with the small market Seminole Bay Gators, and made her debut on the national team at a very young age. She continues to thrive at home, and that leads to her to continue to be part of the team. Unlike Courtney Duvall or others before her, or Hannah Lee since, she has not been able to find consistency in the WBC. Her good moments keep bringing her back, but she will frustrate at times, too. Drops from 1B to 1C.

1D) Paige Norwood, 28, LHP, North Charlotte Wildcats (#46)
– Had a strong rookie year with the Wildcats, impressing the coaching staff so much that she was made a part of this rotation. The timing was right for a player of her age to get this opportunity, and Paige was on the money in seizing the chance. She’s been good so far, and WBC 49 will be her third Classic.

1E) Kellie Coleman, 24, RHP, Centralia Firebirds (#44) (WBC Rookie)
– With the departure of Hannah Lee from the team, a spot was available in the rotation, and Hedstrom has gone with Kellie Coleman, a hard throwing right hander to fill the void. She was a sixth-round draft pick of the Firebirds, but has continued to blossom in a way that the scouts did not think possible. Now, she is ready to make her name on this team.

Bullpen:
Closer- Brittany Overton, 32, LHP, South Charlotte Condors (#30)
– Overton stepped in to the closer role with Condors, and was impressive thanks in part of her fastball and splitter combination. Up until now on the national team, she had been the set-up reliever. Things change, and now Brittany gets a chance to be that closer. Katrina Payne is now 39, so that’s the main reason she is not back, not because of Cassadaigua in the semifinals.

Set Up- Tori Fuller, 26, LHP, South Tier Seagulls (#36)
– Fuller made her debut as a short reliever in WBC for the national team, and now the closer for the Seagulls moves up the ladder in terms of the type of situation she will deal with here. Typically, set up relievers on this team are closers at home, so this is nothing unusual.

Kristen Phillips, 29, LHP, North Charlotte Wildcats (#31)
– The lone member of the entire of pitching staff that made her debut in WBC 46. The southpaw will be used in middle innings, but could be called upon first to join the rotation in the event of injuries to it.

Alyssa Wolcott, 35, RHP, Tundra Falls Mariners (#48)
– A middle reliever for the team that is a bit unusual for the roster because typically Stevens just uses transformed starters in these spots. Wolcott, however, is a middle reliever at home as well, and through an incredible work ethic, has been impressive to the point of inclusion on the roster.

Kathryn Riggins, 24, RHP, Tundra Falls Mariners (#32) (WBC Rookie)
– Expect her to mainly be used as a middle reliever, and potentially the one who eats up “garbage innings”, if we are involved in them.

Amanda Stinnett, 23, LHP, Springfield Thoroughbreds (#38) (WBC Rookie)
– Capable of pitching several innings if need be, but the preference will likely be to use her in short relief where a righty is useful. Has an excellent sinker-slider combination.

Crystal Madden, 22, LHP, Loudon Leopards (#28) (WBC Rookie)
– Short-to-middle reliever that can be used in many different situations. Hedstrom may be looking to give her more looks as the campaign goes on if she puts up good numbers early as she is still a prospect in terms of this team.

STARTING LINEUP (Throws/Bats)
1) Brooke Sauter- CF, 24 (R/S), Centralia Firebirds (#1)
– After an impressive debut with the team in WBC 48, there is a lot of excitement to see her and Schuster back at it. Highly effective with getting on base, and then stealing at will. This means she will be just as willing to steal third as she is to steal second. Walking her can often become a three base walk.

2) Jenna Schuster- LF, 25 (R/S), Tundra Falls Mariners (#11)
– Just like Schuster will be what you have come to expect from the top spot, Schuster is our typical #2 hitter: a clone of our typical #1 hitter. If you’re unfamiliar with Newmanistan lineups, this is something that we are known for; two absolute speedsters being willing to run at will at the top of our lineup.

3) Mikayla Larson- SS (R/R), 30, Loudon Leopards (#4)
– The team is used to having great shortstops. Kayla Carey for so many years nailed down this position, and last year Kenzie Magee made the most of her one chance, now she too has moved on from international play. Larson appears in her second Classic as a starter, but moves up in the lineup as her BA has steadily improved as she has aged.

4) Lexi Burrows- 3B (R/S), 23, South Tier Seagulls (#14)
– A 21 year old batting in the clean up spot? This could be considered a reach if you compared it to other lineups, but after an amazing first two years with the Seagulls, slamming 53 and 51 HR’s in each season, she is getting this chance very quickly. Her BA’s of .315, then .321, show that she can do more then hit the long ball, too.

5) Nicole Larkin- RF (L/S), 27, Putnam Lake Eagles (#7)
– Larkin made her debut on the roster in WBC 46, and has been part of the bench for the first two Classics. Now, in a year with significant changeover in the batting lineup, she looks to impress in this role. She is most known for her BA, as her .356 clip was the highest in the entire ENBL. That was enough to get her into this spot, but she has pop in her bat as well and should a welcome addition for Classics to come.

6) Sierra McKinley- 2B (R/R), 25, Jessicaville Millionaires (#26)
– McKinley is another who joins the roster for the first time after an impressive season in the ENBL saw her increase her BA from .294 as a rookie to .330 as a sophomore. She can hit the long ball to the tune of about 30 HR’s in a 162-game season, but also will steal bases. Not as aggressively as Sauter and Schuster, but don’t forget about her on the bases if you’re an opposing pitcher.

7) Chelsea Harlow- 1B (R/S), 23, Olympia Gladiators (#33)
– Another young rookie in the lineup, Chelsea was a third round steal in the ENBL draft, impressing in her first season with Olympia, hitting .333 with 33 HR’s. RBI’s were five short as she only had 128, but is why she chose to wear #33 here. While her talent is undisputable, her maturity is questioned a little bit. That doesn’t mean work ethic, that’s great, but she’s been guilty of staring at HR’s far too long or some “arrogant” bat flips.

8) Nicole Hoskins- C (R/R), 29, Loudon Leopards (#45)
– Hoskins made her debut on the team in WBC 46, and like her fellow Nicole, spent the first two Classics as a backup before now finally getting a chance a start. She can hit the long ball, averaging 31 HR’s per season, and is great behind the plate. The knock on her is she can have extended hot/cold stretches, so if she starts cold instead of hot, a change could be made.

9) Pitcher

Bench: (Newmanistan has more bench players then most because our bullpen is smaller then average).
Samantha Murphy- C, 24 (#34)
Michelle Fraser- CI, 33 (#18)
Shelby Pritchett- CI, 28 (#19) - Will be the DH and hit ninth when needed.
Sierra Davis- CI, 36 (#13)
Taylor Rethke- MI, 29 (#3)
Kelsey Hawke- MI, 31 (#8)
Stephanie Callahan- OF, 34 (#10)
Amy Coyle- OF, 25 (#12)
Ashley Sorenson- OF, 29 (#2) (Started in leadoff spot in WBC 46 and 47). Still a speedster.
Brianne McDowell- Utility, 24 (#21)

(OOC) Why The Rockets are All-Female: From time to time, I get asked this. When we signed up for our first Classic, WBC 7, we anticipated that we would not be good right away. Therefore, for that Classic, I used a team of all women to provide an IC reason for why we might not have been as good. Then, we made it all the way to the championship series. Based on that, I just figured I would stick with it. As it continued to work, why mess with it?

Home Stadiums Used:
vs Se Vende Skooma @ Tundra Falls Proving Grounds, Tundra Falls
vs TJUN-ia @ The Jungle, Loudon
vs Marigred @ Emperor Michael I Stadium, Pocono City
vs South Covello @ Keisler Stadium, Southport
vs Chromatika @ Empress Jessica I Stadium, Jessicaville

by **Newmanistan** » Fri Jul 17, 2020 11:19 am

THE ROCKET REPORT

SET FOR BASEBALL

by Brianne Henry,

The semifinal loss to Cassadaigua is still on the minds of many in Newmanistan. It was a fantastic series, the type that will always be referred to now whenever the two sides meet on the diamond. Over the years, Newmanistan and Cassadaigua have been able to build up a good and competitive rivalry with one another, and have even played one another for a championship in the past. However, on Sonnel, it was not meant to be for the Rockets, and later, it would be the same for Cassadaigua as Nova Anglicana would become the champions. For the Lions, it ended a long period of frustration at being unable to grab the title especially since they had been so good for so long. I thought they would do well, and if you remember my predictions from the start of the playoffs last time out, I called Nova Anglicana and Cassadaigua to meet in the final, with the Fillies eliminating us. I wasn’t happy to be right on that, but at least I can boast about it now. I did have Cassadaigua winning that, and I was close to being right. Congratulations to Nova Anglicana on that title.

Now, the Lions look to do something that we have never done, and something that has not been done since Schiltzberg, which is to win two titles in a row. That is a competition that will be held in Newmanistan once again. It will be the eighth time that we have hosted the World Baseball Classic, and that in itself is quite an honor. The World Baseball Classic Council has appreciated our efforts in the past and keeps giving us the opportunity. We were the only nation to submit a bid, though there was some talk that Drawkland might try to host it again. Instead, they opted to not do so, and have recently joined forces with us in a World Cup hosting bid. The last time, and only time, that Newmanistan hosted the World Cup was #49, so the number 49 seems to have earned a place in Newmanistanian lore. Perhaps that is the edition of the World Bowl that we will finally win, but we have to get there first.

An exciting Classic is expected with a class of first time nations appearing very promising right now. Then we have returnees like Delaclava appearing as a first timer, and nations like South Newlandia, making their second appearance after looking sharp as a first-timer. Of course, there is one unranked nation that is on everyone’s minds, and of course that is Super-Llamaland. The five-time champions are back in the Classic and we will hear more as time goes on about what had happened in the country. For groupmates, Newmanistan cannot seem to get away from South Covello and Chromatika, both of whom were in our group during the last Classic. Newmanistan will also see TJUN-ia, who could end as our biggest threat. Unrankeds in the group are Marigred and Se Vende Skooma. The latter there is very interesting, as evidently in that country baseball games have 40 inning games as regulation games, and even higher then that with 120-inning, 5-day sessions.

Altogether, there are 48 teams with eight groups of six. The top two teams per group make the playoffs, so expect a lot of intensity. The Rockets are obviously expected to advance, but they will not be taking anything for granted in the process.

by **Torisakia** » Fri Jul 17, 2020 11:28 am

By Jed Merrill

Torisakia returns to World Baseball Classic after lengthy absence

1st August 2020

Torisakia will be participating in the 49th edition of the World Baseball Classic after almost a 25 year absence, the Torisakia Association of Baseball (TAB) confirmed today. TAB previously announced on July 8th that Torisakia would be seeking entry into the competition, given that everything went well domestically in terms of funding and player contracts. TAB President Red Rye announced earlier this morning that Torisakia would be fully participating in the event and that preparations have already been made to host matches in the country. This marks Torisakia's first appearance in the World Baseball Classic since the 24th edition, almost 25 years ago, where they finished with a 4-6 record, barely missing out on the playoffs. Due to the TMLB lockout at the time, the national team roster was made up of college and minor league players, which most attributed to Torisakia's lackluster performance. This time around, the national team is made up of some of the best players and staff in the TMLB and TMiLB, most notably Head Coach Kermit Woods of the reigning TMLB champion Willis Valkyries and pitcher Colt Castilla from Douglas-La Pryor.

The national team roster is not only limited to players from the top TMLB teams. TAB President Red Rye stressed in his announcement earlier this morning that they "went to extra lengths to ensure that the roster was fairly and fully rounded out, without giving special consideration to players and staff from particular teams". Of the 30 players and 7 staff members, there are 28 different teams from which they hail from. Three players are from universities in the TCAA, and two others play in the Liga de Béisbol Profesional González Isla (Gonzalez Isle Professional Baseball League) (LBP-GZI or LBP). Rye stated that having players and staff from a multitude of different teams made sure that the team "wasn't overloaded in a certain scheme or philosophy" and "to create better chemistry between the players". Despite this, the national team seems to be focused a lot on the methodology of the Willis Valkyries, given that Kermit Woods was appointed head coach and CF Lionel Machado is featured as the first batter up on the rotation. Willis' style of play revolves around an aggressive offense, particularly in base stealing. Willis has led the TMLB the past three seasons in Stolen Base Percentage. Outside of base stealing, Willis attempts to get as many runners on base in as short a time as possible in order to score quickly and efficiently. This is a newer scheme that was added by Woods in the past season, which led to Willis leading the league in On Base Percentage. Defensively, Willis would look to play closer to the infield and throw less aggressive pitches in order to keep the play inside and get quick outs. We can assume that this will be the same strategy that Woods brings to the Torisakia national team in World Baseball Classic 49.

Torisakia was drawn into Group 3, along with Hampton Island, South Newlandia, Drunk People at the Local Tavern, Quebecois Acadiana, and The Greater Nordics. Hampton Island and The Greater Nordics are the highest ranked opponents, being #8 and #11 respectively. All matches will be played as a three game series all played either at home or away. Torisakia will utilize five ballparks for their five home series for the tournament: Tokai Met, Steven Douglas Park, Audipop Stadium, Mustang Park, and Parque Nacional. The Ice Birds open up the event by playing a series away at Quebecois Acadiana, and then get Hampton Island at home at the Tokai Met. Following that, Torisakia will play back-to-back away series' with The Greater Nordics and South Newlandia, and then finish the first leg of the event with a home series against Drunk People at the Local Tavern at Steven Douglas Park. The second leg will consist of the same schedule but flipped, meaning that the Ice Birds will start with a home series against Quebecois Acadiana at Audipop Stadium, then an away series with Hampton Island, then back-to-back home series' with The Greater Nordics and South Newlandia at Mustang Park and Parque Nacional respectively, and finally finish the group stage of the event with an away series at Drunk People at the Local Tavern. Each stadium has seen recent renovations and are deemed to have enough capacity to accommodate the event. All matches will be broadcast on GBN Torisakia, as well as available for streaming at GBNTorisakia.tor and on TMLB radio affiliate 102.2 The RUSH. The event begins August 4th with Torisakia taking on Quebecois Acadiana in game one of the three game series at 7:05pm TST.

by **Jeckland** » Fri Jul 17, 2020 2:38 pm

JECKLAND WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC 49 ROSTER

THE STARTERS - BATTING LINEUP

3B: Collin Allison (29)
1B: London Jeffery (24)
SS: Lorne Bernard (27)
C: Gabe Jewell (22)
2B: Braxton Hilliam (20)
RF: Beau Nigel (24)
LF: Quinton Oliverson (22)
CF: Sylvan Corwin (28)
Pitcher

THE RESERVES

1B: Mathew Dorsey (25)
2B: Des Nicholson (26)
3B: Egbert Penn (23)
SS: Morris Eccleston (31)
C: Lucius Ewart (30)
RF: Stace Hayward (33)
CF: Geoffrey Fuller (25)
LF: Kaleb Jennings (22)

THE PITCHERS

Each of these will be used in rotation. It is unclear at this stage what their roles will be.

Trueman John (29)
Ernie Hammond (32)
Cal Bonner (25)
Selwyn Wheelock (19)
Carrol Irvin (31)
Julyan Gabriels (27)
Earnest Keen (20)

THE BALLPARK

Rack City Ballpark has seen its fair share of memorable matches in the past, including numerous games in World Baseball Classic 32. Located to the south of Jeckish capital Rack City, there is sure to be a party atmosphere and raucous home support.

RP PERMISSIONS

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my runscorers: Yes
Choose my lineup: Yes
Follow my pitching rotation: Yes
Godmod scoring events: TG if you're planning anything really crazy
RP injuries to my players: Yes, if they are not severe
Godmod injuries to my players: TG if you're planning anything really crazy
Eject my players: Yes
Godmod other events: TG if you're... you get it
Use DH at home: No

World Baseball Classic 49- Everything Thread (IC)

Batter Up!: The Battin' Jags Return To The Plate!

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