World Baseball Classic 50- Everything (IC)

by **Hapilopper** » Tue Nov 24, 2020 5:25 pm

Ferguson Stadium, Rutland, Cassadaigua
The World Baseball Classic 50 Playoffs: Hapilopper vs. Northwest Kalactin – Game Five
Dale Moss couldn’t stay mad at Lucky Spalding for long. Yeah, he was incensed at the starting pitcher for seemingly taking the assignment of a crucial game five so lightly, but the fact was, Lucky was just as relaxed as the rest of the team was tense. He got out there, had a huge smile on his face, and threw five strikeouts in the first three innings of the game. There was a brief moment of worry, as a Kalactin hitter blasted a sudden home run to right field to give their team a 1-0 lead, but the rest of the team had taken a cue from their starting pitcher. If he was as relaxed as he was, the rest of the team figured he saw something in that team they didn’t.

And they came back, scoring six runs in the next three innings and putting the game out of reach for the Kalactanians. It started with a blistering ground ball from Grant Bonney that turned things around in the fourth, followed up by a Levi Berry deep fly ball that dropped back to the right field corner. Grant ran like hell, as did Levi. But Levi stopped at second base for a stand-up double while Grant blew past the stop sign at third base.

Hapilopper’s third base coach looked at Grant flying past, shrugged and watched as the second baseman roared like hell, then seemingly eliminated Northwest Kalactin’s catcher, who was blocking the plate. The Haps had scored, and Grant shouted like a madman back to the Hapiloppian dugout, shouting at his teammates that “THAT’S THE WAY WE’RE SUPPOSED TO PLAY!”

And they did. They played like their lives depended on it. Leroy Hunnisett surprised everyone by bunting on the first pitch of the bottom of the fifth, then rushing for first base. He had his sights set on second base when Mo Beverly took the plate, and looked back at Kalactin’s pitcher, wondering when the time was right for him to break for second. The pitcher entered into his stretch and started to pitch when Leroy bolted for second base. By the time the second baseman could catch the throw from the Kalactanian catcher, Leroy was safe, having stolen the base.

And that set the tone for four runs that inning. That inning, as well as the next, where another run came in, helped seal the deal for the Hap Thrashers to move on to the next round, and probably saved Lucky Spalding and Leroy Hunnisett from getting ripped a new one at the hands of their manager.

Dale had been fuming with Leroy since the start of the series, when he interrupted a pitcher’s only meeting to ask Hot Sauce Gibbs about how he had gotten his nickname. When he struck out three times in the first game of the series, a one-hit shutout loss, Dale wanted to rip Leroy a new one, and that much could be seen in the clubhouse after the game. But Leroy realized that he needed to change his attitude and take everyone seriously, not just the big guns.

Maybe he was looking too far ahead to teams such as the Sherpa Empire, Newmanistan, Nova Anglicana, Zwangzug and Cassadaigua. But Leroy had to be reminded that any team, regardless of who they were, had to be taken seriously. That included Northwest Kalactin, who came so close to taking the Hap Thrashers out of the playoffs just like Ranoria had done to the Sherpa Empire, an elimination that shocked everyone in the clubhouse.

And Dale had also been incensed with Lucky Spalding for practically the same reason. Before the game, Lucky had snuck out of the clubhouse and rushed up to a concession stand at Ferguson Stadium, where he ordered a large cold beer. Then, he found a woman about his age, who had flown to Cassadaigua from Hapilopper for the series, and decided to get a little bit friendly with her. Never mind the fact he had never met her in his life, he figured he’d maybe get to know her, and if he did well, he’d maybe be able to go a little further with her. So when Dale saw Lucky drinking a cold beer and snuggling with this random woman, he about wanted to have his starting pitcher shot.

But with this two-run, 13-strikeout, complete game performance, Lucky turned the situation around and helped the Hap Thrashers move on to the next round, where they would be playing an old rival, the Golden Bears from Hampton Island.

Cocoa-Bo Stadium, Starksville, Cassadaigua
Leading up to the start of the quarterfinals: Hapilopper v. Hampton Island
Unlike the last round of the playoffs, every player on the team started off by taking the assignment seriously. The position players were reviewing film of Hampton Island Golden Bear pitchers, and looked for pitches they could take advantage of. Pitchers, meanwhile, were watching film of Golden Bear hitters, to find ways they could make them look like fools as they whiffed at the plate.

And as the team learned, there was good news and there was bad news. The good news was that Midnight was no longer playing. This was a huge relief to Levi Berry, who occasionally woke up in a cold sweat with a recurring dream of Midnight rushing towards him at all due speed. It was met with some relief to the pitchers, who had, in Classics past, taken the policy of intentionally walking Midnight each and every time he came up to bat, something that the bear was none too fond of.

The bad news? They replaced one bear with three. Three three-year old bears had replaced their father – right-fielder Thunder, designated hitter Shadow and center-fielder Nimble. That was news that scared the Hap Thrashers a bit, and it scared Levi to no small level.

“If we piss off one bear, will all three go after us?” Levi asked. “I hope we’re not planning anything stupid with them!”

At that very moment, Vic Foster, speaking up in the pitcher’s only meeting, had a bright idea. And when we say “bright,” we mean “terminally stupid.”

“Let’s bean all three of them the first time they come up,” Vic said confidently.

Each of the Hapiloppian pitchers, as well as pitching coach Curtis Skinner, looked at Vic like he had suddenly grown three heads and a prehensile tail out of his ass.

“Foster, are you out of your MIND?” Curtis asked. “You can do it all you want, but I don’t know how these bears react.¹ I don’t know how they’re going to react if one or all of them takes 98 to the face. And I DON’T want to see what happens either!”

Still, Vic was undeterred.

“Wanna try it, Hot Sauce?” Vic asked his fellow starting pitcher, Hot Sauce Gibbs, who was slated to start game one.

Hot Sauce looked at Vic and shook his head. He thought about saying something, and just as the first syllable came out of his mouth, he stopped, almost like this idea was too ridiculous to even entertain.

“Guys, I’m just going to pitch them normally,” Hot Sauce said instead. “Hampton Island is probably expecting something. We do stupid shit with their bears every single time we play them, and they’re probably expecting that we’re going to intentionally walk three bears every single time. Or you know what? Maybe they might be expecting a beanball or two. Let’s pitch to them like they’re a human that hits .250 or something.”

“Fine by me,” Curtis responded. “And Vic, if you as much as throw to bean one of the bears, I’m taking your ass out of the game and putting you on the first plane back to Hapilopper. I don’t know how these bears would react, and I don’t want any of my players getting killed.”

Vic realized he was wrong and the rest of the team was right. So he nodded his head, understanding he needed to treat these bears like the rest of the team. It was going to be a very interesting series, to say the least.

OOC Notes
¹ - At this point, the Hapiloppians are completely and totally unaware of the Hampton Island bears' behavior. They don't know how aggressive or otherwise the bears are, so they're just speculating at this point.

by **The Royal Kingdom of Quebec** » Tue Nov 24, 2020 6:28 pm

OOC : First half of a fragment. Rest will be added later. Probably tomorrow.

In Memoriam

Kim Sang-Doh
Professor of History and Modern Languages
Distinguished Fellow, St. Alban's College

When Kim Sang-Doh died of cancer at the age of 57, the St. Croix faculties of History and Modern Languages and Literatures lost its highly-celebrated teacher, a strong ally to its causes, and the distinguished fellow of St. Alban’s College.

Prof. Kim was born on February 11, 1965, in Northcote, Acadiana, as a son of Quebecois parents in a middle-class family, and grew up in Ginnidera, where he attended public school before a scholarship into Ginnidera Grammar. In 1984, he entered Farrer University like many Commonwealth graduates - then or now- did. In the middle of a country that had hit its economic low just two years earlier, but was seeing rapid economic recovery, he had originally intended to study economics. Of course that’s not how fate had intended things to turn out, as change of course sections had led him to eventually end up majoring in History and Political Sciences. It was around his time that he started showing his gift for languages, with his study of French, Russian and Czech in rigorous study that often involved being at various social circles abundant in the Metropolis.

After his graduation in 1987, Kim continued his postgraduate studies at Mount Ester University, where he began focusing his education as a historian at more serious level, and served as an independent researcher at St. Alban’s College, Universite St. Croix. His coursework and researcher position interrupted midway due to the Plague of 1988 that had ultimately spurred greater political and social change, he placed much of his time isolated in Quebec City, where he wrote his first novel, The Agrippa’s Table (released in 1991 as Lee Arbor, re-released in 1996 as Kim Sang-Doh). The uncertainties over his future and the isolation from his loved ones, far and abundant, enabled him to write faithful dialogues with his internal thoughts. It was then that Dr. Kim, as he later recalled, had really found his voice as a writer of ‘solitude souls’, both vendable and sellable but whose wills cannot be bent.

Following the end of the Plague, and his graduation in 1988, Dr. Kim unexpectedly went abroad and pursued his postgraduate degree at Stelburg University, Siovanija and Teusland, where he worked on the concept of comparative fin-de-siecle and the nostalgic peoples. While not much had been said or written by him about his time in the Southern Atlantian Oceania, needless to say that he cherished his time there, and viewed his time away from home as necessary to gather his personal self after the turbulent period both in Bathurst and Quebec City. It was within those five years that he had further established himself with his literary edge, and kept with it to his last day.

During this time, Sang-Doh finished his dissertation, completed his Viva in 1992, and soon accepted a tenure-track appointment at Grande Mountain University after a postdoctoral fellowship in Attawapiskat, at Northwestern University. Sang-Doh kept himself reserved and arduous in his duties and assignments, pioneering a lecture course on ‘Themes of War and Historical Narrative in Comparative Literature’ and seminar courses on the Southern Rushmori Realms of the Commonwealth and its relation with the Multiverse. The greater liberties provided by the job, of course, had meant that he was going to take literary ventures further with it.

Having already made his name known (though not to public knowledge) as the writer of Agrippa’s Table, Sang-Doh spent his term leave in 1996 as an opportunity to work on his novels. It was his first official leave as professor, and he made most of it, completing his second novel, Agape, Salome and Rodon on a hut in West Aotearoa, on the region of Tyran. While he kept himself mostly confined to the hut, his curiosities had meant that he had also chosen the opportunity to travel widely and visit many countries, Schottia being his favourite among them, before his return to Grande Mountain.

Back in Grande Mountain, Sang-Doh finished the manuscript of A,S&R into a novel, as well as his doctoral dissertation into the renowned book on Novopetrogradian Empire’s cultural interactions with Teus Empire. It was as if the term leave had helped adding the sparkles to the work. With both works receiving commercial and critical success, he was quickly put into Quebecois public in the middle of ‘The Third Wave Age’ under Marian Lecavalier government, and quietly accepted a tenured professorship at the Universite St. Croix in 1998.

While he was first unsure on returning to what he had felt as ‘true homeland’, after a decade of self-questioning and self-imposed exile, Dr. Kim concluded that the choice ultimately worked out for the best, with the faculty now featuring significant number of those who had grown up in the 80s. Sang-Doh and his mentor, now-emeritus Pierre Gonneau, worked together a legendary junior seminar on Intellectual History of the 19th-century Commonwealth, and the Comparative Fin-de-Siecle (in which literature term was taken up by him, and history term Pierre). Sang-Doh was also able to bring back his connections with old Quebecois, eventually marrying (he already had one child, a daughter, from an engagement that later was broken off) Leanne Pineau in 2000...

by **Cassadaigua** » Tue Nov 24, 2020 6:32 pm

(1) Newmanistan vs (16) Ranoria @ Qusmair Stadium, New Lakeland

Game 1:

Ranoria                      0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0  2
Newmanistan                  0 0 4 0 1 0 1 1 X  7

Game 2:

Ranoria                      1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  1
Newmanistan                  0 2 3 0 1 1 0 0 X  7

Newmanistan leads series, 2-0

(8) Hampton Island vs (9) Hapilopper @ Cocoa-bo Stadium, Starksville

Game 1:

Hapilopper                   0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0  2
Hampton Island               0 4 0 6 0 1 1 0 X 12

Game 2:

Hapilopper                   0 2 0 0 2 0 1 0 0  5
Hampton Island               0 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 0  3

series tied, 1-1

(5) Sarzonia vs (12) Drawkland @ Ferguson Stadium, Rutland

Game 1:

Drawkland                    0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2  3
Sarzonia                     0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1  2

Game 2:

Drawkland                    0 0 0 0 5 0 0 1 0  6
Sarzonia                     1 1 3 0 0 2 0 0 X  7

series tied, 1-1

(4) Cassadaigua vs (13) Quintessence of Dust @ Dagan Airways Stadium, Concord Heights (scorinated by Chromatika)

Game 1:

Quintessence of Dust      0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1  1
Cassadaigua               0 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 X  4

Game 2:

Quintessence of Dust      0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 3 0 0 1  6
Cassadaigua               3 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 2  7

Cassadaigua leads series, 2-0

(6) Banija vs (22) Royal Kingdom of Quebec @ Cassgo Stadium, Victoriaville

Game 1:

Royal Kingdom of Quebec      0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0  2
Banija                       0 0 1 2 0 0 0 1 X  4

Game 2:

Royal Kingdom of Quebec      0 0 3 0 2 0 0 2 0  7
Banija                       0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0  1

series tied, 1-1

(3) Nova Anglicana vs (14) South Newlandia @ Peak'N'Break Stadium, Grande Mountain

Game 1:

South Newlandia              0 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 2  6
Nova Anglicana               0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 0  4

Game 2:

South Newlandia              0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0  2
Nova Anglicana               1 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 X  4

series tied, 1-1

(7) Ko-oren vs (10) TJUN-ia @ Winchester City Lottery Stadium, Winchester

Game 1:

TJUN-ia                      0 1 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 2  6
Ko-oren                      4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  4

Game 2:

TJUN-ia                      0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1  3
Ko-oren                      1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  1

TJUN-ia leads series, 2-0

(2) Zwangzug vs (18) Tikariot @ Five Star Mobile Stadium, Brattleboro

Game 1:

Tikariot                     0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0  2
Zwangzug                     0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0  1

Game 2:

Tikariot                     0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0  1
Zwangzug                     0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1  2

series tied, 1-1

by **Nova Anglicana** » Wed Nov 25, 2020 7:51 am

He clicked on the television. He hadn't been able to see either of the WBC Round of 16 games against South Newlandia, but if he clicked over to StateSports1, they'd surely be running the highlights. Of course. The first thing you always saw in a hotel was the TV Guide. Now what channel was StateSports1 here?

He scrolled through the channels until something caught his eye. SNTV? He clicked on the channel descriptor.

NovaCast is proud to bring you, for this WBC only, the South Newlandia Television Network! Enjoy popular shows from the Lions' WBC opponent at no extra cost to you.

No extra cost, eh? Better see what they had. Hmm...first up was something called The Left Ear. He clicked on the descriptor.

In South Newlandia, the seat of government, the Ivory House, is shaped like an elephant's head. The left ear contains the governmental offices. This political drama follows a group of high-level staffer elephants as they aid the head of government, debate political issues, and pursue romance all while solving the world's problems with a suitable rousing speech accompanied by soaring music. Warning: may not be representative of actual South Newlandian politics due to characters' faith in government.

Nah, he wasn't much for political dramas, but what was on after that? National Parks & Order?

In the national park system, the elephants are represented by three separate yet equally important groups: the rangers who fight off poachers, the prosecutors who lock up successful poachers, and the government bureaucrats who keep the parks looking nice. These are their stories. Note: the show has been criticized for hopping between police procedural and comedy, but both parts are equally well-regarded for their acting and storylines.

You know, he liked shows with simple storylines and premises. That seemed a little complex for him. But The Masked Trumpeter could be interesting.

In this reality show, famous South Newlandian celebrities dress up in costumes and wear specially designed masks to cover their face and enormous ears so nobody can tell who they are. Using their trunk, they trumpet well-known pop songs and a panel of judges and the audience at home use their trumpeting and special clues to determine their identity. Previous winners include Trunk-Pain as Brick Wall, Wayne Bradears as Biodome, and Kandi Burrtusk as Bullet Train. Note: This is the South Newlandian version of a similar show in a nation populated entirely by Asian elephants.

Now that could be fun! But then again, how could he tell between elephants? He didn't know any South Newlandian celebrities. Still, maybe. Time to check out one more show before he moved on to the game highlights. What was this? SNL Live? The thumbnail showed a logo of an elephant holding a camera (OOC: something like this, except with a camera instead of a baseball. Could be interesting.

SNL Live is a long-running sketch comedy series performed live before a studio and television audience.

Season 56, Episode 8, airdate *corrupted*

Sketches:
Ivory House, guest starring Elephant Baldwin as President Donald Trunk, and guest starring Hyrax Jones as his wig
Celebrity Jeopardy: in this parody of the popular reality/game show where elephants attempt to avoid being taken down by crocodiles, packs of hyenas and other animals, the game is rigged for the celebrity elephants, but they just can't seem to avoid the snapping jaws of predators, except for Sean Conearsy, who always seems to get host Alex Trunkbek eaten instead of him.
Daily Affirmations: Self-help show Stuart Smalltusk, known for his mantra, "I'm good enough, I'm smarter than most animals, and doggone it, my tusks are big enough!" helps successful basketball player Michears Jordan with emotional support despite the fact Jordan doesn't need any.
Watering Hole Arugula: An elephant's fellow diners are shocked when he orders the upscale vegetable arugula (rocket) at a simple watering hole. The staff joins the condemned arugula in a musical number.
And many more!

Starring: Kenan Trunkson, Will Fortusk, Andy Pachydermberg, Amy Proboscis, Fred Earmisen, Tuska Fey

Host: Timothy Elephant

Musical guest: The White Tusks

Intriguing, but you know what, SET (Salacious Entertainment Television) was running another episode of Drunk People at the Local Tavern. He loved that show. He'd come back around to the highlights and the foreign TV. Just one episode, he promised himself. Just one episode...

OOC: Please note that all television shows are made up and this is a parody made with the permission of South Newlandia.

by **Sarzonia** » Wed Nov 25, 2020 8:33 am

For all of Jeff Parrish's tossing and turning the night before the Sarzonian national baseball team was about to face No. 12 seeds Drawkland in the best-of-five Round of 16 series in the golden edition of the World Baseball Classic, Parrish certainly stepped up his game.

The bleary-eyed lefty mowed down Drawkish hitters for the first seven innings of Sarzonia's eventual 3-2 defeat to Drawkland in 15 innings in Game 1 before the Stars bullpen bailed out an ineffective Mark Conroy in Game 2 en route to Sarzonia's 7-6 victory to even the series at one win apiece.

Stars manager Geoff Yancey turned the ball over to setup man Scott Lassiter to start the eighth and immediately regretted it after Lassiter coughed up a leadoff homer to rightfielder Taylor Smart on the first pitch to draw the match level. That happened after designated hitter Luke Brinkley had given the Stars a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the seventh with a tape measure shot well over the 330-foot sign in deep left field at Ferguson Stadium. The match would remain scoreless after that as Lassiter, then Dima Ostrelov kept the Base Corps off the scoreboard for a combined five innings.

Yancey then turned the ball over to Alfred Wagner to start the 15th, but he gave up a hit batsman, a walk, then a two-run double to Smart. In came Carnie Weston, who closed the door, and she actually executed a perfect suicide squeeze in the bottom of the 15th to give Sarzonia a run and put catcher Matt Lopez 90 feet away from drawing the match level yet again. However, second baseman Ian Danielson popped out to the third baseman to end the inning.

Conroy cruised through the first four innings before he coughed up the entire five-run lead Sarzonia built in the first four innings. That forced Yancey to send out Wagner after he'd pitched ineffectively the night before. However, this time, he shut the door for two innings until Lassiter came on for the eighth. After he gave up a home run in the top of the frame, Yancey brought in Tyrell Douglass to get a four-out save. He did his part to ensure that Sarzonia's backs weren't to the wall.

"We needed that win," Yancey said of his decision to bring on Douglass despite having to throw 27 pitches through 1 1/3 innings. Yancey said Douglass would be available in a save situation if needed.

"It's all hands on deck in the postseason," he said, adding that Alton Long would be the next option for long relief. Long wasn't available after his Game 3 stint against Terre Sepentrionale, but will be available for Game 3 in long relief if Jamie Pearson is ineffective. Ostrelov will not be available until Game 4 after he worked five innings in relief in Game 1.

If the Stars are trailing the series, Yancey said Jeff Parrish would pitch Game 4 on short rest, but Brian Lynch will start if Sarzonia lead the series 2-1.

by **TJUN-ia** » Wed Nov 25, 2020 8:39 am

Round of 16 vs Ko-oren (6) @Winchester City Lottery Stadium, Winchester, Cassadiagua

Game 1 - TJUN-ia (22) 6-4 Ko-oren (6) (F/10) (TJU lead series 1-0)
In another time, many people would come to Winchester to let it all blow over, but here at Winchester City Lottery Stadium, history was already in motion. The Battin' Jags of TJUN-ia had already made history by beating West Phoenicia by 3 games to 1 in New Lakeland, and the only real aim that was left on the list was just an idea: go as far as you can. But Phillip Hellas-Verona, the manager of this team, wanted to go as far as possible and that was the mood Chris Harris started in for Game 1 here. Our opponents (who would "host" the first two games) were 7th seeds Ko-oren, the 6th best team in baseball in the rankings and a team who also won their group with a 21-9 record. The Jaguars and the Dragonflies (who are actually a collision of Catusus from Finisterre and Islanders from Yoshima) were equals in many ways but if you looked at both ranking and seeding, then the Jags entered this one as the underdogs.

It certainly looked like it in the first inning, as Ano Makkinga open up the game with a Grand Slam. 4-0 in a flash and the Jags were in a hole after only an inning. The next at-bat, the top of the 2nd, would see Bryce Calhoun kick off TJUN-ia's response with a solo bomb to get the Jags on the board. The game turned into a crawl after that, as both Harris and his opposite number in Gus Gavreau retired most bats they saw for most of this game. It was hard and for most of this game, the Dragonflies held onto to that 3-1 lead. All looked lost...until the 8th. Matoko Kagawa stepped up with 2 on base and he sent another ball out of the park to tie this game up at 4 apiece. The pitching recovered in the 9th to make this reality possible: for the first time in TJUN-ia's baseball history, they were going to extra innings in a playoff game.

Off came Harris and Gavreau and on came Shin Suzuki and Distehonan Lambirthingun, fresh arms for however long this game would turn out be. AS it would turn out, it was to be a long one as the 10th, 11th and 12th innings all produced nothing to add to the scoreboard. As the 13th rolled around, you could cut the tension with a knife with TJUN-ian, Ko-orenite and Dagan alike watched with fear and anticipation of who would win this first duel. With two outs already and Calhoun at first, Angel Enrique stepped up to the plate once again. The moments he shared with Pedro Moires during and after Game 4 of the last series was still fresh in the minds of many across the baseball world and the cameras here tried their best to feature the two of them talking in the dugout or on the field as much as they could during the broadcast. Enrique didn't mind all the attention, he did what he did and that was that, but he would make TJUN-ia happy once again as he took a ball out of the park to give the Jags the lead. Everyone wondered what Moires would do when Erique celebrated with the bench and the answer was simple: a bear hug. Cute! Suzuki finished the game off and the longest playoff game in TJUN-ian history ended with Jags victorious, 6-4 after 13 innings of tight play. It seemed fitting that after Moires had the final say a few days ago, it was Enrique who did the same here...

Game 2 - TJUN-ia (22) 3-1 Ko-oren (6) (TJU lead series 2-0)
After the marathon that was Game 1, Davis Johnson would start Game 2 in Winchester with the Jags looking to go 2-0 for the 2nd series in a row. Like Game 1, however, Ko-oren struck first as great team play allowed Addison Paterson to run in the first run of this game. TJUN-ia would, once again, respond with a homer in the top of 2nd, this time a 2-run bomb by that man again - Angel Enrique. After that, the game once again turned into a pitching duel but unlike Game 1, Johnson was defending a 1-run lead and Suno Matsuda was trying to keep the Battin' Jags where they were. The duel was still tight, of course, and no one could get anything on the board which, in this instance, was actually good for TJUN-ia as they still held the lead all the way to the 9th. Johnson himself would get the final say in this one, a solo bomb at the top of the inning and another great pitching performance in the bottom to take TJUN-ia's 3rd playoff win in a row by himself.

After 2 games against West Phoenicia, the Jags were 2-0. Now against Ko-oren, the Jags were 2-0 once more. Do-or-die baseball awaited them from here on out, no matter how many games it took to decide a winner, but the magazine staff were confident that their boys could get it done. TJUN-ia were one game away from a WBC Quarterfinal. Who'd thought you'd say that this time around?!

Round of 16 Series: vs Ko-oren (6/21-9 in Group 1) (@Winchester City Lottery Stadium, Winchester)
Game 1: W 6-4 (F/13) (1-0)
Game 2: W 3-1 (2-0)
Game 3:
Game 4:
Game 5:

Starting Pitchers: Gene Almac (Game 3), Jose Almas (Game 4 if required)

by **Quintessence of Dust** » Wed Nov 25, 2020 8:40 am

(Provisional) box scores as posted on the TalkBaseball.qd website.

                      AB   R   H  RBI BB   K  LOB  AVG  HR  RBI
K. Andreeva CF         4   0   1   0   0   1   2  .283   5  21
N. Hisakawa SS         4   0   1   0   0   0   0  .338  10  31
K. Symonds LF          4   0   1   0   0   0   3  .284   1   3
R. Tanaka RF           4   0   1   0   0   1   1  .310   5  12
L. Phelps C            3   1   0   0   1   0   3  .355   4  17
T. Kaufer 1B           3   0   0   0   0   3   1  .278   2   7
  b–J. Jiang PH        1   0   1   0   0   0   0  .333   2  13
  c–A. Lacroix PR      0   0   0   0   0   0   0  .250   0   1
K. Ljung 3B            4   0   1   1   0   2   1  .263   3  19
M. Kawakami P          2   0   0   0   0   0   0  .400   0   1
  J. Béranger P        0   0   0   0   0   0   0  .000   0   0
  J. Isaacson P        0   0   0   0   0   0   0  .000   0   0
  a–K. Lång PH         1   0   0   0   0   0   1  .000   0   0
  H. Yeung P           0   0   0   0   0   0   0  .000   0   0
  d–J. Steinnsson PH   1   0   0   0   0   0   1  .298   1   7
K. Tamura 2B           2   0   1   0   0   0   0  .242   1  13

a–K. Lång pinch-hit for J. Isaacson in the 8th
b–J. Jiang pinch-hit for T. Kaufer in the 9th
c–A. Lacroix pinch-ran for J. Jiang in the 9th
d–J. Steinnsson pinch-hit for H. Yeung in the 9th

Doubles: K. Andreeva (7, 1st inning, 0 on, 0 outs), K. Tamura (5, 3rd inning, 0 on, 0 outs), K. Symonds (2, 4th inning, 0 on, 0 outs), J. Jiang (5, 9th inning, 1 on, 1 out)
Total bases: K. Andreeva 2, K. Tamura 2, K. Symonds 2, J. Jiang 2, N. Hisakawa, R. Tanaka, K. Ljung
Runners left in scoring position, 2 outs: K. Symonds 2, L. Phelps, T. Kaufer, J. Steinnsson
Hit by pitch: K. Tamura
Team LOB: 7

FIELDING
Errors: J. Béranger (1)
Double plays: 1 (Kawakami – Hisakawa – Kaufer)

                        IP  H   R  ER  BB   K  HR  PI  PS  ERA
M. Kawakami L (3 – 2)  5.0  3   1   1   1   1   0  76  47  1.80
J. Béranger            0.0  1   3   2   0   0   1  13  10   –
J. Isaacson            2.0  0   0   0   0   1   0  22  14  0.00
H. Yeung               1.0  0   0   0   0   0   0   6   4  0.00

Game score: M. Kawakami 57
Batters faced: M. Kawakami 18, J. Béranger 3, J. Isaacson 6, H. Yeung 3
Ground outs – fly outs: M. Kawakami 7 – 5, J. Béranger 0 – 0, J. Isaacson 3 – 2, H. Yeung 1 – 2
Inherited runners – scored: J. Béranger 1 – 1
Hit batswomen: J. Béranger

                     AB   R   H  RBI BB   K  LOB  AVG  HR  RBI
K. Andreeva CF        7   0   0   0   0   3   7  .270   5  21
N. Hisakawa SS        5   2   2   1   2   3   1  .340  11  32
K. Symonds LF         5   0   3   1   2   0   2  .304   1   4
J. Steinnsson RF      3   0   2   1   0   0   1  .310   1   8
  b–R. Tanaka PH, RF  3   0   0   0   1   1   5  .299   5  12
L. Phelps C           6   0   1   0   0   3   7  .343   4  17
H. Matsuoka 1B        3   0   1   0   0   1   3  .269   1   8
  c–K. Lång PH        1   0   0   0   0   0   0  .000   0   0
  T. Kaufer 1B        2   1   1   3   0   1   1  .284   3  10
K. Ljung 3B           6   1   3   0   0   1   1  .274   3  19
J. Martin P           1   0   0   0   1   0   0  .429   0   2
  J. Reenberg P       0   0   0   0   0   0   0  .000   0   0
  a–J. Hoggard PH     1   0   0   0   0   1   1  .154   0   1
  S. Jökullsson P     0   0   0   0   0   0   0  .333   0   1
  d–A. Lacroix PH     0   0   0   0   1   0   0  .222   0   1
  M. Nakamura P       0   0   0   0   0   0   0  .000   0   0
  J. Fujioka P        0   0   0   0   0   0   0  .667   0   0
  H. Yeung P          0   0   0   0   0   0   0  .000   0   0
  e–J. Jiang PH       1   0   0   0   0   1   0  .329   2  13
  Z. Tang P           1   0   1   0   0   0   0 1.000   0   0
K. Tamura 2B          6   0   2   0   0   2   8  .246   1  13

a–J. Hoggard pinch-hit for J. Reenberg in the 6th
b–R. Tanaka pinch-hit for J. Steinnsson in the 7th
c–K. Lång pinch-hit for H. Matsuoka in the 8th
d–A. Lacroix pinch-hit for S. Jökullsson in the 8th
e–J. Jiang pinch-hit for H. Yeung in the 10th

Doubles: K. Symonds (3, 1st inning, 0 on, 2 outs), H. Matsuoka (4, 2nd inning, 0 on, 0 outs), N. Hisakawa (6, 3rd inning, 0 on, 0 outs), L. Phelps (8, 5th inning, 1 on, 2 outs)
Home runs: N. Hisakawa (11, 5th inning, 0 on, 1 out), T. Kaufer (3, 9th inning, 2 on, 2 outs)
Total bases: N. Hisakawa 6, K. Symonds 4, T. Kaufer 4, K. Ljung 3, J. Steinnsson 2, H. Matsuoka 2, L. Phelps 2, K. Tamura 2, Z. Tang
2-out RBI: T. Kaufer 3
Runners left in scoring position, 2 outs: K. Andreeva 3, H. Matsuoka 2, R. Tanaka 2, L. Phelps, N. Hisakawa
Team LOB: 15

                    IP  H   R  ER  BB   K  HR  PI  PS  ERA
J. Martin          3.2  7   4   4   2   3   1  76  45  9.82
J. Reenberg        1.1  0   0   0   0   1   0  14  12  0.00
S. Jökullsson      2.0  1   0   0   0   2   0  22  14  0.00
M. Nakamura        0.2  2   1   1   0   1   0  12   8 13.50
J. Fujioka         0.1  0   0   0   0   1   0   5   3  0.00
H. Yeung           1.0  0   0   0   0   1   0   7   8  0.00
Z. Tang L (1 – 2)  2.2  2   2   2   1   4   0  34  21  0.00

Game score: J. Martin 32
Batters faced: J. Martin 20, J. Reenberg 4, S. Jökullsson 7, M. Nakamura 4, J. Fujioka 1, H. Yeung 3, Z. Tang 11
Ground outs – fly outs: J. Martin 2 – 6, J. Reenberg 3 – 0, S. Jökullsson 1 – 3, M. Nakamura 1 – 1, J. Fujioka 0 – 0, H. Yeung 2 – 0, Z. Tang 1 – 1
Inherited runners – scored: J. Reenberg 1 – 0, J. Fujioka 1 – 0
WP: J. Martin

Game awards as voted for by readers of the TalkBaseball.qd website.

MD35 v Cassadaigua (L 1 – 4)

Player of the Game:

Nearly Play of the Game:

Wasted Effort of the Game:

Participation Trophy of the Game:

MD36 v Cassadaigua (L 6 – 7 [12 inn.])

Player of the Game:

Big Call of the Game:

Blue Balls Moment of the Game:

Defensive SNAFU of the Game:

by **Hampton Island** » Wed Nov 25, 2020 11:57 am

Setting: Bottom of the 4th, Game 1

CEO: They told me this guy, Hot Sauce as he likes to be called, is good. Not seeing it.

Assistant: I am glad that he has decided to pitch to the bears, but they have not been fooled.

CEO: Three home runs surrendered to bears thus far. 6-0 lead, looks good tonight for us. That reliever is probably coming in for the next batter.

Assistant: There was no way they could walk them again, not with three of them in the lineup, and the way that we have arranged them in the batting order, it is just not a feasible strategy anymore.

CEO: Anyway, we look pretty good. Some of the best I have seen from them this year, I guess they are seeing that fastball really well.

Assistant: Seems like it. (next batter hits single).

CEO: Yep, there he goes, bye Milford. You weren’t Hot Sauce tonight.

Assistant: Good showing, during the pitching change, I have to wonder if you checked out what is going on in Tundra Falls? What were the terms of the Charged Up offer to get more money from them?

CEO: It’s a conditional heavy offer. They want to see results, as if I don’t want to have better results on the track, either. Charged Up and Shellshock just have this complex where they think I am not spending enough money on the team. I am spending a ton of money on it, and in fact, more money than I am spending on the baseball team. Our drivers are just not as good as the ones from countries, and they are just going to have to accept that fact.

Assistant: Either that, or the people working on the cars have got to go.

CEO: I don’t really want to do that. I don’t think that is the answer, we’d be replacing one group of people with another and they would be doing the same thing. It’s not like we can go hiring people from Saint Kanye.

Assistant: Or maybe Hapilopper. Look, we are better than they are in soccer, and even at best with them in baseball. If they are so much better than we are in stock car racing, then they have to have smarter people than we do.

CEO: It’s just their forte. (reliever comes in, and gives up an RBI double on his first pitch).

Assistant: Nice! 7-0!

CEO: Save the runs, guys. Save the runs.

Assistant: Yes, but it is still nice.

CEO: We don’t need them all in one game.

Assistant: True enough.

by **Zwangzug** » Wed Nov 25, 2020 12:26 pm

The Kerlagrad Courier

In what has been billed (mostly by us, just now) as "a daring and innovative" strategy to prevent late-inning collapses, Tikariot and Zwangzug's pitchers have decided to just not allow the other team to score a lot of runs. "One advantage of a five-person rotation is that after a long five-game series, you can go back to the top of the list," said Naomi Elsen, who started game one against the veteran De'Andre Stevens. "Admittedly, that relies on the scheduling format, but it seems to have worked for both our teams so far."

Elsen coasted through the Owls' lineup the first time through, but in the top of the fourth, Yosvani Fernandez waited for a low changeup and smacked it to left-center for a double. The streaky William Carruthers was on form, with a single pushing in Fernandez. "Two true outcomes" guy JJ Bernardetti struck out, but a Vincent Ghirardello hit pushed in Carruthers to make it 2-0. Armed with the lead, Stevens did not choke under pressure nor add on himself (Zwangzug were the "home" side in Brattleboro, so no DH was used), but rather continued to pitch masterfully, inducing harmless foulouts and high infield flies.

In the sixth inning, Oliver Crant-Bridge tripled off the high center-field wall. A throwing error by the raw Foster Fleming saw Stevens surrender an unearned run, but he limited the damage and held the Zebras to one run. In the seventh, eighth, and ninth innings, rather than engage in balks, passed balls, stalling visits to the mound, tactical pinch-running substitutions, or anything else leading to fluky blown leads, both teams did nothing.

The second game would see the Zebras take the lead in the second inning. The erratic Patrick Lundgren walked Dmitri Schrieber on four pitches, and Veronica Adler made him pay with a resounding double. But Vincent Pelmore speared a sharp Greg Callan-Milton liner to end the threat. Bernardetti tied it up for the Owls in the fourth, with a solo homer to right off Alexandre Picpus.

Both team's meager offense meant that there was no save situation, and thus no need for the managers to make suboptimal decisions as a consequence. However, the game entered the bottom of the ninth still tied, which meant that the Zebras either needed to win via walkoff or send the game into extra innings, producing even more dramatic tension and stressful relief situations. They chose to take the direct route, with Eduardo Kansone-Westing drawing a walk off Randall McCarthy, Frances Wake's long single moving him to third, and Small pushing him in on a sacrifice fly.

With the series tied at one game apiece, there will surely be more opportunities for mediocre pitching to arise, but for now both teams' staffs can boast of a job well done. We shouldn't push this too far, however: Picpus dismissed the suggestion that he should just not allow any hits next time as being "absurd in the extreme."

by **Cassadaigua** » Wed Nov 25, 2020 12:45 pm

Prosser leaves Things pressed,
By Chelsea Dufresne, Concord Heights Times

35-year old Jordyn Prosser has played enough baseball to know that some statistics can sneak up on you. When a reporter told her that she had picked up 10 of Cassadaigua’s 11 RBI’s through the first two games, she smiled, and asked, “Really? Are you sure?” After being told that it was, Prosser was quick to brush it off acknowledging that her teammates have been a part in whatever statistic she accumulated. Her exact quote, “RBI’s are a team statistic, you can’t get them if the people in front of you aren’t getting hits or on base. If they keep doing that, then you are going to have chances to pick them up in chunks at a time. For me, it shows that you are coming up to the plate and getting the job done in a key situation, but they really are a statistic that sneaks up on you as a player.” Prosser did indeed pick up her RBI’s in chunks, with 40% of them coming on one-swing of the bat, a grand slam by Prosser that was a real presser for reliever Jules Béranger, who did not get the job done that he was called up to do, “They brought in the reliever, maybe a little unexpectedly, and we got baserunners on against him,” Prosser began, “then, like you saw, I got a good swing on a pitch and sent it far. There is still so much more work for us to do, though.” The grand slam certainly figures to leave manager Bennett Arrighi pressed for answers as to why he took out Mayumi Kawakami.

That pitching change opened up the proverbial can of worms amongst Dagan media as well as to whether or not sabermetrics is going too far. It is applicable because then Cassadagan manager Maddie Polanco was brought here from Super-Llamaland beginning in World Baseball Classic 41 with the belief that Maddie was going to bring in a heavy dose of sabermetrics to Cassadaigua’s approach. And she has. We would see infield shifts at a level that our fans had never experienced, and for the most part, they worked. The defensive positioning was strong, but the one thing Maddie has never done, and has been adamant against, is the use of openers in the World Baseball Classic. Maddie said a while ago that, “The opener strategy makes sense on a domestic club team. In the World Baseball Classic, you have the best five starting pitchers on your rotation in the country. You should not need to use an opener if you set up your rotation correctly.” This is not to say, whatsoever, that Kawakami is an opener, but when you look at the plans of the Things, with a shortened move to a four pitcher rotation for the playoffs. This may have gone a long way in the decision of Arrighi to take out Kawakami after just 76 pitches. That makes more sense than the conspiracy theories of some Cassadagan fans that, “If Kawakami were a man, they’d let her pitch longer.” Brianne Shirley was tossing a gem, and that would stand up. Her gem sees eight innings pitched.

Game two was tighter, but at least here it the hook on Jack Martin made a little more sense. After twelve innings, the Fillies played to a thrilling 7-6 victory to take a 2-0 advantage in the series. An RBI single from Jordyn Prosser was the play of the game, but the lasting moment of the game will be the error by Katie Stephens. At first, it seemed like Stephens did not want to talk about it and became aggravated by the questions. Then, she smiled and said, “Make the memes good, at least.” The play can be joked about as she proved to be perfectly fine.

by **Banija** » Wed Nov 25, 2020 1:55 pm

Dominant performances by starters highlight Banija's WBC 50 series as Quebec and Banija split first opening games

Duta Conde throws a pitch in Game 1 against the Royal Kingdom of Quebec

VICTORIAVILLE, CASSADAIGUA- The potential was always there for this Banija v. Quebec to be an epic showdown. One of the Kingdom's specialties in this sport has always been the ability to fight. They fight and claw for every run. Even in defeat, they ensure that their opponents are forced to earn every single victory. And this matchup has all the makings to be an all-time great one. Two evenly matched teams, in terms of talent level. Similar styles of play, both more old school. And similar veteran managers.

No stage is too big for either. And this stage, with Banijan fans and Quebecois fans packing into Cassgo Stadium in Victoriaville, was a perfect one for this pair of Commonwealth rivals to meet. Duta Condé took the mound for Banija, ace against ace. And Condé had... Let's say a shaky start to the game. It would be a fair description. He had allowed a leadoff single in the first, although he got each of the next two batters to fly out. But he walked the cleanup hitter, putting men on first and second before finally slamming the door on the inning with a key strikeout. But the second inning was more of the same. Allowed the first person to reach base again, with a base hit. While he got the next guy to strike out, Levinson Webster hit a sharp single to left. While the runner from first couldn't advance to third, still the second runner in scoring position in as many innings. Fortunately, Condé was able to get G.S. Hwang to ground out into an inning ending 6-4-3 double play.

While it was 0-0 after the first two innings, those were not innings that would give Banijan fans confidence. Especially considering how the Banijans looked in the bottom halves of the first two innings- 6 up and 6 down. Carlini-Mwambutsya led off the top of the third with a base hit to center field, Condé's fourth hit allowed of the game. It was not something you wanted to see- you keep allowing the first batter to reach base, and eventually they will score. But Condé seemed as if he could lock. He got Reynolds-Walusimbi to strike out. But then the first baseman came to the plate, Y.R. Kang. The Grim Reapers would look to force the issue. Carlini-Mwambutsya ran on the first pitch, which was an inside off-speed pitch. The Kingston Blue Jays center fielder beat the throw, stealing a base. Now, with a runner on second and a 1-0 count, Y.R. Kang had the advantage. Kang then lined one down the right field line, into the corner.

The first extra base hit of the night. The double got him to second base sliding in, and saw Carlini-Mwambutsya score standing up. 1-0 in favor of the Quebecois. But that's when the pitching coach came to the mound to visit Duta Condé. Get his ace to calm down, to slow things down, stop rushing things, and get under control. Condé would proceed to strike out the next two Quebecois batters, and then get on a roll. He went 1-2-3 in the 4th, 5th, and 6th- combining for 8 consecutive batters that he got out. It took him a little bit to settle in, but once he settled in, he was absolutely dealing against this Grim Reapers lineup.

We did talk about how the southpaw Jo Seung-Geon was dominant in the first two innings. But while we couldn't reach base, we were able to extend his pitch count. Foul pitches off, and good plate discipline. It's the type of thing that would pay off at the beginning of the third inning. The rarely talked about Chiki Uche, who rarely hits for power, had a struggle with Jo Seung-Geon. A ridiculous 11 pitch at-bat. And the 11th pitch, after fouling off four straight fastballs, was a breaking ball that caught just a little too much of the plate. Uche's eyes got wide, and he got an excellent swing on it. It went down the left field, and went straight into the foul pole- home run. Banija was on the board, and just like that, they were back in the game.

Their tendency for long at-bats would continue, as they got guys on base throughout this inning. Back to back one out singles by Bailo Suso and Obasey Mazzi nearly turned into a rally, but Seung-Geon was able to get the inning ending double play. With the heart of the order up in the fourth inning however, Banijan players were licking their chops. They'd have a chance to get after Seung-Geon. After a 7 pitch at-bat to start off the bottom of the fourth, Cyper Kandeh was able to single off of the left hander. Yakuba Kah, unfortunately, struck out on four pitches. A nasty slider on a 1-2 pitch from Seung-Geon got Yakuba Kah to go fishing, and come up empty. But man on first, one out, and the young Malik Solely at the plate.

This could be his opportunity. It was hard to string together hits against a guy who pitches like Seung-Geon, but this Banijan team wouldn't need to do a ton of that. A 2-0 fastball once again got a little too much of the plate, and Malik Solely sent the ball flying. Instead of barely being a home run, he crushed this to left center field, hitting the ball an estimated 425 feet. Well out of the park, the Banijans led, 3-1. All three runs via the longball so far. And with Duta Condé dealing, the Banijans were in a decent position.

The next real moment of intrigue came in the top of the sixth. Condé has retired 8 batters in a row. Y.R. Kang, who had a RBI already, would start another rally for the Quebecois. A leadoff single, just past the arms of a diving Malik Solely. It was never easy to go up against the heart of the order. And it was the sixth, so the bullpen started to warm up. M.S. Heo struck out. T-A Pinson hit a single himself, and Kang, with smart baserunning, got to third base. First and third, 3-1 game, one out. The pitching coach came out. Langford, the Designated Hitter, Hit a fly ball to deep left field. Cyper Kandeh caught it, and Kang tagged up. Kandeh looked to gun him down, but Kang beat the throw by just a hair. The score was 3-2 with 2 outs now.

The nerves increased. Choo would single, putting runners at first and third with two out. Ousman Kakay would come out to visit the mound. He spoke with his starter, and went back to his seat. A high leverage situation, but they'd allow Condé to try and get the final out. And getting to a 2-2 count, Condé painted the outside corner with a curveball. Strike three looking. A frustrated Webster looked up as Condé pumped his fist and screamed. Condé, recovering from that inning, would go on to pitch a 1-2-3 7th and get the first two outs in the 8th. But once he allowed T-A Pinson to get on base with a one out double in the top of the 8th, that was it. Kakay went straight to his closer. Sama Kinte immediately got a strikeout. The Banijans tacked on an insurance run via a bases loaded walk in the 8th, and Sama Kinte had a 1-2-3 9th to slam the door.

The Banijans won, 4-2, and led 1-0 in the series, on the back of a brilliant 7 and 2/3s innings from Condé. But it would be the second game in the series where things would really go haywire. Nadine Seo, the sidearmer, would go on the mound for the Quebecois. And she would absolutely dominate. She was simply unhittable. Ousman Kakay talked about it after the game. "She kept our hitters off balance the entire command. She had command of her fastball, and she was absolutely hitting her today- our hitters had no answer. You'd think she is bringing heat, she'd come with a breaking ball and you'd freeze. You'd think she's coming with a breaking ball, She brings heat and you are way behind with your swing. Hell of a game."

Her final line- complete game, 1 earned run on 4 scattered hits, and a walk. That's it- just five baserunners the entire game for Banija, and only one reaching scoring position(although we got that runner to score). She improved throughout the game as well, absolutely dominating in the late stages, retiring the last 8 consecutive batters that she faced. It was a throwback kind of game- 121 pitch complete game. It was a beautiful pitching performance, full credit to her. And Quebec's bats woke up. Y.R. Kang, who had a strong Game 1, came out with a three run home run in the third inning of Game 2, which set the tone. Suntukung Kandeh could not match the line being laid down by his opponent, as he had a final line of 4.1 innings and 5 earned runs in the seven run loss. Four pitchers pitched in relief in Game 2 for the Banijans.

Series split 1-1. Everything left to play for- it's functionally a best of 3. A nice thing remaining is that Quebec uses the DH, so nobody's lineups will change. "This is what happens when two heavyweights go at it- there will be ups and downs, highs and lows throughout the series." Ousman Kakay said. "They've got a great team. Ensa Suso is a big game pitcher, and we believe that he'll be able to go pitch for pitch with Kevin Buchanan, who's had a fantastic Classic so far."

We'll see what will happen in Games 3 and 4. As always, go Banija!

by **South Newlandia** » Wed Nov 25, 2020 3:15 pm

The series against the Lions would also feature a new situation for the South Newlandian pitchers; they’d have to also bat. The Nova Anglican team does not use the Designated Hitter rule at home, and as such, the South Newlandian team will have to leave Mike Larsen, the Designated Hitter, on the bench in games 1, 2 and 5. This proved to not work to the advantage of the Elephants. Their pitchers failed to get on base even once in 19 innings.

Game one saw the Ryan Hunter, the South Newlandian left-handed pitcher, and Erik Russell got the start for the Lions, also a left hander. Hunter was able to get a bunch of men out early on, and the Elephants kept increasing their lead. In the third inning, Fabio Ventura scored after King hit a bomb into Left Field, getting the Elephants an early 1-0 lead. A sacrifice bunt got Igor White through in the 4th to make it 2-0, and Shawn Zimmerman scored from an error after a wild pitch from Erik Russell to Trevor Goodwin in the 6th. In the 7th, David Drum managed to get the first home run of the series to the right corner to make it 4-0. Clearly, Hunter was feeling good about himself not having a bear to worry about in the Ro16 of the WBC, as he went into the seventh having not yet conceded any runs, and only three hits and as many walks. The Lions were, however, not going to give this up. Hunter gave up two runs in the seventh and was pulled at this point, clearly tired from the pitching with the hitting in between, something he was not used to.
Marcel Adams took over, but he conceded a critical home run to tie the game at four. Herbert Hoosier was coming in, and he was able to end the inning. The ninth came and went without a score, and the game went to extras. The top of the tenth saw the Elephants start at the top of their rotation, and Ventura started the team off with a nice base hit up the middle. Drum got himself a walk, and Adam King was hit by a pitch to load the bases. The hit by pitch clearly was an accident, and to some, it even looked like King was trying to get hit there a little bit. With the bases loaded and no one out, Zimmerman came to the plate. He hit a beautiful double up the middle, putting runners on second and third and claiming two runs to take a 6-4 lead. Gregor Garner was struck out, and Igor White got a chance at the plate. On a 2-1 count, he hit a weak groundball into the pitchers glove. Trevor Goodwin caught the ball to get King out, and his throw to Erik Austin was just in time to get the double play on White, too, to end the inning. Hoosier only had three outs to get now, and he did so, without many problems. The Elephants had taken the series lead once again, and Bolton and Sansara decided to indeed give Kramer the ball in game two.

After an early run to the Lions in the bottom of the first, Kramer was indeed going very steady. The South Newlandian pitching has been on point for the entirety of the playoffs so far, if we ignore the first inning of game two against the Tigers. The Elephants equalized right away thanks to Zimmerman scooping up another run, and Ventura got the team a lead in the third. The following pitcher’s duel between Kramer and Cory Sharpe saw neither man backing down, and the game went into the bottom of the seventh without any additional runs. There, Kramer surrendered a home run to Jerome Duplantier to tie the game at two. He was replaced by Barnaby Butt, who blew the save in the eighth when he gave up two runs.

With the series tied at one, South Newlandia is still very much in this. Larry Cain, who didn’t give up a run to the Tigers, will go for game three, and the fourth will see Jacob Conroy on the mound; the South Newlandian pitching ace. At least that’s what the rumour said; another one claimed that Conroy was struggling with some knee problems again. No one really knows anything, to be honest. There will probably be a pitcher.

by **Hapilopper** » Wed Nov 25, 2020 3:38 pm

Cocoa-Bo Stadium, Starksville, Cassadaigua
The quarterfinals: Hapilopper v. Hampton Island – Game Two
Vic Foster looked over at Hot Sauce Gibbs, then at his ingredients for the game, and thought about what to do for the second game of the quarterfinals of the World Baseball Classic. Gibbs had been run out of the game by the three bears, each of whom hit home runs in Hampton Island’s 12-2 drubbing of the Hap Thrashers. Hot Sauce was still fuming over the beatdown, as were the rest of the team. And the fact that Hot Sauce was pissed off, that meant Vic was pissed too.

“Gonna teach those fuckers a lesson,” Vic said quietly to himself.

He brought out his ingredients, took to the mound, and waited for his moment. As baseballs coated in honey and pig fat whizzed past in the first inning, some on the Hapiloppian dugout wondered if Vic was planning anything when one of the bears came up. He intentionally walked Thunder, then forced Phillip Greene to hit into a double play to end the bottom of the first, so no incident came about that inning.

In the bottom of the 2nd, the first batter was Shadow. Vic looked with pure disdain at the bear. For a minute, he thought about throwing a fastball at its head, then looked over at first base to find Levi Berry looking somewhat pensive towards him. He could almost see the first baseman shaking his head to say “No, Vic, don’t you do it.”

So Vic threw the first pitch. It was a fastball, clocked at 97, high and inside. Way high and inside, coming perilously close to hitting Shadow right in the face. But the pitch didn’t make contact and Mo Beverly had to reach high up to catch it. Vic watched as Shadow reacted to the pitch, growling angrily at the Hapiloppian pitcher. Vic, meanwhile, could be seen mouthing obscenities towards the bear. Realizing a situation could be developing, Mo called time and rushed towards the mound.

“Foster, are you out of your fucking mind?” Mo asked his pitcher. “You piss that bear off, and it’s liable to come over here and maul you to death!”

“But it’s got to learn some respect,” Vic shot back. “You come in here and disrespect my teammates, I’m gonna bite back.”

“Just, don’t go there,” Mo replied. “For the sake of yourself and everyone around you, don’t.”

And he didn’t for the rest of the game. Vic pitched 7 innings of ball as the Haps took down the Golden Bears, 5-3. But after the game, Manager Dale Moss was incensed.

“I thought I told you not to throw at any of the bears!” Dale said.

“Did it make contact? No,” Vic shot back.

“But I still told you not to throw at those bears. You did it anyway. Evidently I wasn’t clear enough with my directive,” Dale seethed. “I’m not going to tolerate this kind of insolence.”

“Well, screw you,” Vic replied. “I did that for Hot Sauce and for the rest of the team. I didn’t do it for me. I did this to support our team and show them that, yeah, we got off on the wrong foot this series, but I’m going to right this wrong. I’m going to correct what went wrong in game one and god damn it skip, I did just that!”

“Well, I get it, but I don’t want you getting killed,” Dale replied. “I don’t want any of you getting killed.” ¹

OOC Notes:
1 - Nobody's getting killed. Just wanted to throw that out. But that doesn't mean Dale's not going to worry about it.

by **Newmanistan** » Wed Nov 25, 2020 5:15 pm

THE ROCKET REPORT

LITTLE TROUBLE TO START

By Taylor Larson,

After two games in New Lakeland against the Krauts, the Rockets are looking very good, outscoring Ranoria by a combined score of 14-3. For the football loving nation, that score might be pretty common, but it is not what you want to see in baseball. The sky blue put up seven runs in each game, and got dominant pitching by both Julia Donaldson and Kelsie Carmichael. Each went eight innings in their wins.

The most loyal of Kelsie Carmichael fans out there were a bit critical of my saying that she does not intimidate anyone at this level. That was seen as a slight to her, and it was not really the way it was intended. You have to bring context to it, and realize that I was comparing her to the great of Newmanistanian Classic history, such as Stacey Keisler and Courtney Duvall. Kelsie has been very good, I get that, and the confidence that Jessica Hedstrom has in her is very apparent and completely warranted. Perhaps it was the style of Keisler and Duvall, or even Jessica Brasfield or Hannah Lee. They racked up strikeouts in the bunches, consistently getting double digit figures in that regard. Carmichael has not put up the kind of strikeout numbers that they did, though she still gets the outs. You can be a very good pitcher but not necessarily be intimidating, and that is where I believe that Kelsie is right now. She is still only 27 years of age, and is having a nearly flawless Classic right now. It is the kind of Classic that could begin to write the chapter of intimidation, but we are not there yet.

With a 2-0 lead in the series, the Rockets will look to get out the brooms and will have Paige Norwood on the mound. It has been good to see her be more consistent this Classic, but even here, we will want to see that continue. If the series is extended by the Krauts, we will see the rookies Megan Reardon and possibly Brianna Fitch on the hill, but we would rather see them against a nation that begins with the letters “Ha”.

That’s all for now, due to time constraints, I could not really get out the Memory Lane: World Baseball Classic 11 article. Game time is coming, perhaps, plus, they are wanting me to look at some stock car racing information, too. Tomorrow, no matter what, I will be enjoying a nice turkey dinner.

by **Tikariot** » Wed Nov 25, 2020 5:17 pm

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Part 8
Part 9
Part 10

AAAAAAAH!

Who is talking? There is no human around?

What? Someone understands me, too? Am I completely losing it?

That was a rhetorical question! I can't see anything, so identify yourself!

Baseball, baseball, softball, baseball, golfball? So let me get this straight, I am surrounded by balls and you understand me and I understand you?

Awesome! This feels like home already?

What do you mean this is hell? You have someone to talk to!

Oh, I see. You can't really roll away from them, ok, gotta grant you that. So for how long have you been here?

Three years??? Isn't a pawn shop supposed to be a place where people come and actually buy stuff?

Ah, I see. They buy stuff, but not balls. That sucks balls. How can you suck us? I'm telling you, humans do - not - make - sense.

Who I am? OK, I am an Olympic softball--

No, I'm not bragging!

Why I am telling you that? BECAUSE YOU ASKED! OK, I see now what the not being able to roll away thing means. Anyways. I was in an Olympic softball game, was hit over the fence and gone I was. Since then things have been hell.

That was in Banija, why? Where are we here? Zwangzug? That sounds odd.

Oh, they are into chess and that's why us balls don't sell? That sucks! So what now, we're going to be stuck here forever?

Ah good, we're going to break out. Wait, we're going to break out? How? We are balls, we can't move ourselves!

We can? Huh, would you look at that. Sorry! Didn't mean to bump you! Can't see, remember? So how are we supposed to break out?

OK, will you stop it already? No, I haven't been planted by the owner to find out about your plan. We can't talk to humans, remember? And no, I'm not wearing a wire either. Good Cork, that is my stitching! It's part of me! OK, whoever the head ball here is, who is this, this, aargh, I'm not even sure what to call him!

The golfball? No wonder he has no idea about stitching. I vote that when we break out, we're leaving him here! Who's with me?

Alright, alright, we're in this together. *sigh* OK, so how will it work?

[minutes later]

So am I getting this right, we're supposed to roll around so much that we either break the glass door or make the whole thing fall over? And then we roll out the backdoor? Ever thought about the human locking the backdoor? Or any door for that matter? Remember, we - are - short.

Breaking the glass? How? Baseball bats? They are in on this, too? I thought they were evil because they hurt you guys.

Oh, they don't want to, but it's the humans? That explains a LOT of things here! So when is it going to happen?

Tomorrow? Exciting! Ehm, one sec here, let me get one thing straight here. You've been here for three years and only now you're thinking about breaking out?

You have tried every day to break out of this? For three years? How far did you get so far?

You have not made it out of this glass case? Oh my Cork, we are doomed...

Alright, now who really thinks this will work? Show of hands? Nevermind the hands, speak up.

One. One heck of a vote of confidence, isn't it? Alright, here is a new plan. Since we apparently are able to move, we keep an eye out for any people that could be interested in balls like us, ok? Then we start rolling and make some noise to get their attention. Once we have their attention, they are likely to buy us and hopefully not use us as dog toys or bury us or throw us into the garbage or make us watch how humans are manufactured or--

No, you really do NOT want to know! Trust me, you do NOT! Anyways, so who's with me?

Yes, you try to break out tonight, you be quiet over there, the rest, let's get some rest, ok?

[the next morning]

Good morning all, finally I can see you. What's wrong? What do you mean he is gone? No... he DID break out? I'll be damned...

[to be continued]

by **Ranoria** » Wed Nov 25, 2020 5:59 pm

With Backs Against The Wall,
Krauts Hope For Miraculous Rally

Leonardo Harrison after dropping a second straight game to Newmanistan

We're out of our league, apparently. That's all there is to it. The Krauts got put down by a score that would look like a blowout in gridiron, much less in the diamond. Tristen Feng would testify, after going 1/6 total through both of the first pair of games against Newmanistan, that he felt he had played some of the better baseball of his career, and that it just hadn't mattered. "They're just on a different level," he noted, shaking his head, "Look what they did to Tommy [Verona], we never had a shot."

Yeah, well, we couldn't pull aside the aforementioned pitcher or our two stars in Leonardo Harrison and Philip Lux for comment. Hell, the only time Philip Lux opened his mouth after the second game was when the woman who serves as flight attendant for the Krauts' private plane said something to him. Harrison? He had apparently gone mute as well.

Now, there's two possibilities: Either those two have resigned themselves to their fate like everyone else, or they're in their hotel, watching game film, giving this thing one last shot to try and figure out what went wrong and how to fix it. That's what we'd put our money on. Newmanistan may be better than us across the board, but those two can play for any team in the world, and they surely intend to show it in what could be the last game of what's been a wild ride for the Ranorian fanbase.

After an 0-2 start, this series may be out of reach, and it's been an incredible season regardless. But don't count out our Krauts yet!

These guys have delivered us, hands down, the most exciting baseball in our young nation's history. If they lose in a sweep, there is no shame, they proved they can play with the best. Usurping the defending champions and a 10-1 final stretch of games will certainly be highlights to a flashy underdog story of a campaign. It's an excellent set up for next year, and already you can see follower counts increasing for our stars, kids wearing jerseys with Harrison and Lux's names across their backs. Well, Lux was already a social media star, but you might have known that. This season's single-handedly given the future of Ranorian baseball a bright future. Some of those kids who would have gone and played gridiron might instead decide they want to compete on the diamond.

Look, the point is, this has been one hell of a story. And hey, if that ends against Newmanistan, then David lost to Goliath, and that's okay. The up and comer can't always hit the giant in the eye. But if we were to find that chance in hell we referenced before these games started...

My god, that would be a sight.

So, perhaps for the last time during out participation in this legendary fiftieth edition of the World Baseball Classic, Go Krauts!

by **Cassadaigua** » Wed Nov 25, 2020 6:02 pm

(1) Newmanistan vs (16) Ranoria @ Qusmair Stadium, New Lakeland

Game 3:

Newmanistan                  0 1 0 0 0 0 2 1 0  4
Ranoria                      0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0

Newmanistan wins series, 3-0

(8) Hampton Island vs (9) Hapilopper @ Cocoa-bo Stadium, Starksville

Game 3:

Hampton Island               1 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 2  6
Hapilopper                   0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  4

Game 4:

Hampton Island               2 0 0 1 0 0 2 0 1  6
Hapilopper                   0 0 0 2 3 0 1 1 X  7

series tied, 2-2

(5) Sarzonia vs (12) Drawkland @ Ferguson Stadium, Rutland

Game 3:

Sarzonia                     0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1  2
Drawkland                    0 0 3 0 2 0 0 0 X  5

Game 4:

Sarzonia                     0 3 0 0 1 0 1 0 0  5
Drawkland                    1 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0  3

series tied, 2-2

(4) Cassadaigua vs (13) Quintessence of Dust @ Dagan Airways Stadium, Concord Heights (scorinated by Chromatika)

Game 3:

Cassadaigua               1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1  3
Quintessence of Dust      0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2  2

Cassadaigua wins series, 3-0

(6) Banija vs (22) Royal Kingdom of Quebec @ Cassgo Stadium, Victoriaville

Game 3:

Banija                       1 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 2  5
Royal Kingdom of Quebec      1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0  2

Game 4:

Banija                       1 0 0 1 0 1 6 0 0  9
Royal Kingdom of Quebec      1 0 0 2 2 0 0 0 0  5

Banija wins series, 3-1

(3) Nova Anglicana vs (14) South Newlandia @ Peak'N'Break Stadium, Grande Mountain

Game 3:

Nova Anglicana               0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0  3
South Newlandia              0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0  2

Game 4:

Nova Anglicana               0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0  4
South Newlandia              0 1 1 1 1 0 1 0 X  5

series tied, 2-2

(7) Ko-oren vs (10) TJUN-ia @ Winchester City Lottery Stadium, Winchester

Game 3:

Ko-oren                      0 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0  3
TJUN-ia                      1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  1

Game 4:

Ko-oren                      0 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 0  3
TJUN-ia                      0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0  2

series tied, 2-2

(2) Zwangzug vs (18) Tikariot @ Five Star Mobile Stadium, Brattleboro

Game 3:

Zwangzug                     0 0 0 3 0 0 2 0 0  5
Tikariot                     0 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 0  3

Game 4:

Zwangzug                     0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1  1
Tikariot                     0 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 X  3

series tied, 2-2

Reminder: No games on Thursday.

by **Quintessence of Dust** » Wed Nov 25, 2020 8:40 pm

(Provisional) box score as posted on the TalkBaseball.qd website.

                      AB   R   H  RBI BB   K  LOB  AVG  HR  RBI
K. Andreeva CF         4   0   4   0   1   0   0  .288   5  21
N. Hisakawa SS         5   0   0   0   0   1   6  .329  11  32
K. Symonds LF          5   0   2   0   0   1   1  .310   1   4
R. Tanaka RF           5   1   2   1   0   1   5  .304   6  13
L. Phelps C            5   0   0   0   0   3   2  .327   4  17
T. Kaufer 1B           3   0   1   0   1   0   0  .286   3  10
  c–K. Lång PH         1   0   1   1   0   0   0  .167   1   1
K. Ljung 3B            4   0   2   0   1   0   0  .281   3  19
H. Fujimori P          3   0   1   0   0   0   1  .400   0   2
  a–J. Jiang PH        1   0   0   0   0   0   3  .324   2  13
  J. Reenberg P        0   0   0   0   0   0   0  .000   0   0
  M. Nakamura P        0   0   0   0   0   0   0  .000   0   0
  H. Yeung P           0   0   0   0   0   0   0  .000   0   0
  d–A. Lacroix PH      1   0   0   0   0   0   0  .200   0   1
K. Tamura 2B           3   0   0   0   0   1   4  .241   1  13
  b–J. Hoggard 2B      1   0   0   0   0   1   0  .148   0   1

a–J. Jiang pinch-hit for H. Fujimori in the 7th
b–J. Hoggard substituted for K. Tamura in the 8th
d–K. Lång pinch-hit for T. Kaufer in the 9th
d–A. Lacroix pinch-hit for H. Yeung in the 9th

Doubles: K. Andreeva 2 (9, 5th inning, 0 on, 0 outs; 8th inning, 0 on, 1 out), H. Fujimori (2, 6th inning, 1 on, 1 out)
Home runs: R. Tanaka (6, 9th inning, 0 on, 0 outs), K. Lång (1, 9th inning, 0 on, 1 out)
Total bases: K. Andreeva 6, R. Tanaka 5, K. Lång 4, K. Symonds 2, K. Ljung 2, H. Fujimori 2, T. Kaufer
Runners left in scoring position, 2 outs: N. Hisakawa 2, J. Jiang 2, R. Tanaka, K. Tamura, L. Phelps, K. Symonds
Team LOB: 14

FIELDING
Double plays: 2 (Hisakawa – Tamura – Kaufer, Hisakawa – Tamura – Kaufer)

                        IP  H   R  ER  BB   K  HR  PI  PS  ERA
H. Fujimori L (3 – 1)  7.0  8   2   2   0   2   1  81  54  2.57
J. Reenberg            0.2  1   0   0   1   1   0  15   8  0.00
M. Nakamura            1.0  2   1   1   0   1   0  15  12  9.00
H. Yeung               0.1  0   0   0   0   0   0   5   3  0.00

Game score: H. Fujimori 55
Batters faced: H. Fujimori 28, J. Reenberg 4, M. Nakamura 5, H. Yeung 1
Ground outs – fly outs: H. Fujimori 10 – 7, J. Reenberg 0 – 1, M. Nakamura 2 – 0, H. Yeung 0 – 1
Inherited runners – scored: M. Nakamura 2 – 0, H. Yeung 1 – 0

Emily had fallen asleep midway through the fifth inning. Sakiko pulled the blanket on her a little higher, but though it was a chilly evening, the packed body heat from around them had raised the ambient temperature considerably. It hardly seemed fit to call a ‘Frosty Dome’ with this many people crowded into the bleachers, following every pitch, every swing, every miss. At the start of the tournament a few old friends had gathered to watch the games on the big screen. Now – at what, Sakiko knew, was the end of the tournament – it was a sell-out crowd. The crowd cheered (a little unkindly) Rachel Kessler fluffing a groundball to put a runner on, but Kosuke lined the next pitch into Jordyn Prosser’s glove to end the inning and leave the score a duck. The mood slumped down again around them and Emily muttered something in her slumbers, shifting under the blanket. Sakiko frowned and rearranged the blanket until her friend lapsed into comfy silence, while the crowd found their voice again as Prosser, agent of so many miseries over the previous nights, struck out again.

An hour later, the hover-limo dropped Natalia off at the corner. As she approached the stadium, she was pleased to see a steady stream of fans filing past her. It looked as though a healthy crowd had stayed right until the end. It meant they would have had some excitement – right there at the end, Wally the Win Expectancy Worm had been turning cartwheels. Rokuro Tanaka with yet more 9th inning heroics. The feelgood story of Kaspar Lång finishing his miserable assignment with a slightly less miserable enormous home run, lost (at least to the holo-screen pictures) in the Concord Heights sky. And after that, Fischer restoring order with a strikeout, a groundout, a flyout. But they’d stayed to the end all the same, and Natalia appreciated that. It was respectful of their opponents; in their day the Dagans had always been popular in Quintessence of Dust and she suspected many would now cheer on the Fillies as favoured neutrals.

The dark seemed absolute in the blackness that followed the big screens turning off, winking out the last images of Things lining up to shake hands and pat shoulders with the victors. But she could have navigated blind to the section where her friends were sitting. It had been their little assigned area for going on eighty years now. There were a few more vacant seats than there had been eighty years ago. Barry and Herbie, Mazio and Django, Kelly and Georgia, Huan and, just this last year, Jun. For a wonderful moment Natalia supposed she might find them all sitting there, chatting about the game, backseat-coaching the decisions, laughing and joking. But she knew there was only empty darkness waiting in those seats: Sakiko and Emily sat alone. Tal had enjoyed the first game but coming had taken a lot out of him; he’d watched the remainder from his bedroom in the retirement home. Emily was asleep. Natalia sat down beside her. They sat for a little bit in silence.

The voices in the street grew quiet. The echoes of the last footsteps slipped off to hide among the deepening shadows. A cool breeze shivered through the trees that banked the Arbour Stand and sent a couple of discarded cups rattling down the concrete steps. (Quodites remained astonishingly diligent when it came to anti-littering, but perfection could not be demanded of a crowd such as this). The vast of night was upon them. From the south, a flash. Sakiko’s old silver head followed Natalia’s around, slowly. The rocket was small, probably just an unstaffed resupply drone ferrying freight. There were a dozen flights a day, routine, banal. It was the ones at night that were worth watching. They traced it up into the cloudless sky until it was small as one of the thousands of stars blinking in wait. Natalia realized she had not drawn breath in near two minutes. The air was cold and stung her chest as she gulped a lungful down. The rocket continued tracing its steady path. Their eyes gave up picking it out from amidst the stars. Settled on its eventual, unmoving destination instead. To the Moon.

We, capricious, brought hither we know not whence, spread out before you,
You up there walking or sitting,
Whoever you are, we too lie in drifts at your feet.
– “As I Ebb’d with the Ocean of Life” by Walt Whitman

by **Banija** » Thu Nov 26, 2020 10:20 am

Banija win two in a row against the Quebecois to down them 3 games to 1 and advance to the WBC Quarterfinals

Banijans celebrate getting final out against the Royal Kingdom of Quebec to clinch a spot in their fifth straight WBC Quarterfinal

VICTORIAVILLE, CASSADAIGUA- Consistent excellence. This is what Ousman Kakay seeked to build when he took the reigns of Banija's national baseball team going into WBC 46. Ethanian manager Raymond Cloutier had brought Banijan baseball out of the gutter, and into the middle of the road team. Would mostly hold their own against other middle of the road teams or worse, and could upset a bigger team once in a while, but never championship contenders. After a disastrous WBC 45 where we went backwards, the Olympic Committee decided to reset and reload, firing Cloutier and hiring Ousman Kakay to run the team.

And he's certainly had success. With their wins in Games 3 and 4, Banija's national baseball team has advanced to their fifth consecutive quarterfinal in this competition, a record to be held. There are only two teams that have appeared in the quarterfinals of the last five World Baseball Classics- Banija, and the mighty powerhouse of Cassadaigua. That's it. The list is just two nations. A bronze medal, a gold medal, and two Game 5 losses against dominant Sherpa Empire squads. An excellent run of success for Kakay. Of course, our run doesn't even compare to Cassadaigua's current run. They've finished top 3 in 4 of the last five completed tournaments, only failing to place in WBC 45 in that timeframe. And this is far more than their fifth consecutive quarterfinal- this is their twelfth consecutive WBC Quarterfinal. An insane run. Casssadaigua is a baseball nation, through and through.

Is that kind of sustained, multi-generational success possible for us? Probably not. All credit to the ladies in pink. However, it doesn't minimize Ousman Kakay's accomplishment. We asked him about it after Game 4. "Well, it's not something I've thought about, to be honest." He said. "When I'm retired- a long time from now, mind you- I'm sure I'll have ample time to think about it. But our goal here is as the same as it has always been- chase the trophy, chase the title. I know our series is done. I'm gonna make sure everybody, especially our arms, get the necessary rest they need so that they are ready for whoever wins Game 5 in the Nova Anglicana v. South Newlandia series. As for me- I'll fly up to Grande Mountain with a couple of the scouts to scout both teams out myself."

Both Games 3 and 4 were entertaining games. Game 3 saw Ensa Suso take the mound for the Banijan side. It was a tight, low scoring game throughout. While both teams batted in a run in the first inning, Ensa Suso would stay strong for a while. But it would be a minor injury- rather than performance related, that would knock him out. In the fifth inning, he had allowed the game tying run to cross when he allowed Levinson Webster to go yard. But later in the inning, Carlini-Mwambutsya hit a rocket right at Suso's ankle. Hobbling, Suso came out of the game. Kakay confirmed after the game that there was 'no serious damage' and that SUso would be ready to go for Game 4.

But still- dipping into his bullpen in a tie game in the fifth inning. Not what he wanted to do. But the bullpen came in and slammed the door. Mamadi Corr got the last out of the fifth, and got three outs in the sixth. With the Banijans taking the lead in the top of the 7th, that put Corr in line for the win. But Kakay did not want to take any risks. He brought his setup man, Bouba Kujabi, in the 7th inning, and while he eventually loaded the bases, Kakay showed trust him in to get out of the jam, and he did so with no runs allowed. Sama Kinte came onto the mound to start the 8th, and that was Banija's last pitching change of the night. 6 up, 6 down, for the six out save by Sama Kinte and a Game 3 victory.

A 5-2 win for the Banijans, which gave them an elimination game for Game 4. We struggled in this one. Ramata Kabba was taken out of the game after getting just one out in the fifth inning, as she had allowed five earned runs at that point. Once again, asking a lot of the bullpen, but this time while Banija was trailing. Down 5-2 after the fifth, we scored once in the sixth to make it 5-3, and then we scored a stunning six times in the 7th to make the score 9-5. It would be our middle relievers who would carry us over the line. 1.2 innings from Alifa Kakay to get to the seventh, which gave him the win. Badara Ogunsola pitched the seventh, Yoro Coulibaly pitched the 8th, and Bouba Kujabi pitched the 9th in the non-save situation.

Clutch bullpen showings two nights in a row- there's no wonder Kakay wants his arms resting up. It's a Godsend to the Banijans to have the few extra days thanks to Nova Anglicana's and South Newlandia's Game 5. We'll see who is on offer soon in the Quarterfinals, for a spot in the semifinals. Both would be epic matchups. Nova Anglicana or South Newlandia. But Banija's rotation will both be set and ready, for whoever wins Game 5 of that epic series.

by **Sarzonia** » Fri Nov 27, 2020 8:22 am

With the Sarzonian national baseball team facing elimination in Game 4 of their best of five series against Drawkland, their best pitcher was nowhere to be found.

Jeff Parrish didn't take the mound on extremely short rest but manager Geoff Yancey soon learned why. Parrish's mother Norma Wayans had been found unconscious in her Saugerties apartment. She was airlifted to Woodstock General Hospital and Parrish was there with her overnight.

Wayans suffered a mild heart attack and was released from hospital after being kept under observation.

Fourth starter Brian Lynch was thus forced to start a game that would have sent the Stars home if they lost. Lynch tossed six innings and allowed three runs on seven hits. He was the beneficiary of a Christine Andersen three-run home run in the top of the third as the Stars defeated Drawkland 5-3 to draw the series level at two games apiece.

"I just decided that I needed to pitch my game, not try to do too much," Lynch said of his season-saving effort. "I, we all wish Jeff's mum well and hope for a full recovery."

Yancey said he spoke with Parrish and told him that he could stay with Wayans if he felt she needed him, but Parrish said he wanted the ball for Game 5. Mark Conroy worked the eighth inning after regular setup man Scott Lassiter pitched the seventh. With the Stars not playing last night because of the Thanksgiving holiday, Conroy would be available if necessary.

As for Game 3, Jamie Pearson ran into trouble in the bottom of the third and allowed a three-run bomb to centrefielder Lane Kavana and didn't make it past the fifth after allowing a two-run double to second baseman Abram Kavana with two out in the bottom of the fifth. Alton Long kept the Base Corps off the scoreboard the rest of the way.

Now, Parrish starts a Game 5 with everything at stake, just as the Stars did against Delaclava with Conroy. Sarzonia won that decisive Game 5 in all but walkoff fashion thanks to a pinch hit three-run shot by Cody Frazier.

The Stars lost their previous Game 5 against Hampton Islands after taking a 2-0 series lead.

All the pressure will likely be on Yancey if the Stars lose in the Round of 16 as the 10th ranked and fifth seeded team face a Drawkland side that has struggled to get past the Round of 16. For all his success during the group stage with a 61-29 career record, his teams are 11-11 during the knockout rounds.

"We've faced some strong teams in the knockout rounds," Yancey said. "You don't make it through 30 group stage matches if you're not a good side." Privately, Yancey said he was concerned about the team's mentality with their backs to the wall against a motivated Base Corps side that is trying to advance to the quarterfinals for the first time in their history.

"We haven't faced a win-or-go-home scenario very often," he admitted in a conversation with bench coach Brad Howland. "And this team have only advanced past the Round of 16 once."

Yancey may have been part of a World Baseball Classic-winning team, but he was the bench coach for Khalil Dennis then. This would be all new territory.

by **Nova Anglicana** » Fri Nov 27, 2020 9:52 am

Lions' quarterfinal streak on the line

This Round of 16 series against South Newlandia has been no joke. The Elephants are ranked 12th in the world after just two Classics and have given the Lions everything they could handle. After rallying from 2-1 down to defeat South Newlandia in game 3, the Lions blew a 4-1 lead in game 4, losing 5-4 and missing out on a chance to close out the determined Elephants. Instead, the series now goes to a pivotal game 5, with Erik Russell taking the mound for his second start this series. How Russell pitches will likely determine whether the Lions maintain their streak of three straight quarterfinals appearances, or are sent home early for the first time since WBC 46, when the West Phoenician Confederates swept them in three games. But what is on the line for the Lions and how often have they made the quarterfinals?

The Nova Anglicana Lions have now participated in twenty-four World Baseball Classics. They have appeared in the quarterfinals or better in sixteen of those Classics, and hope to make it seventeen quarterfinals appearances by defeating South Newlandia tonight. Their current streak of three straight quarterfinals was built by defeating The Sherpa Empire 3-1 in WBC 47, The Greater Nordics 3-1 in WBC 48 (when of course they won it all), and Tikariot 3-1 in WBC 49 (when they finished in fourth place). So the Elephants have already broken a streak of sorts by forcing a game 5. Let's hope that the Lions are up to the task and can finish the job even when their opponent is showing more resistance than they'd like.

The Lions' longest previous quarterfinals streak actually began in their very first WBC, the 27th edition. In WBC 27, the Lions squeaked into the playoffs at 4-4, defeated fellow newcomer New Wolfopolis (this began a rivalry for some years) 2-1 in the Round of 24, routed another unranked team in North Franklin two games to none (by an 18-3 aggregate), and then fell in two games in the quarterfinals to Maklohi Vai, giants of the game. This began a streak of six straight quarterfinals appearances. The Lions defeated Thatius 2-1 in WBC 28 (finished 3rd), beat Alitaba in two games in WBC 29 (finished 4th), rallied to defeat Patistan 2-1 in WBC 30 (lost in quarterfinals), dispatched the Fair Republic in two games in WBC 31 (hosted and lost in quarterfinals to Super-Llamaland buzzsaw), and defeated New Matawan 2-0 in WBC 32 (finished 3rd in a convoluted format). That string of early success was the foundation of the Lions' continued existence in the top echelons of the multiversal game.

The Lions would either miss the playoffs or go out before the quarterfinals in the next three WBCs before returning to the quarterfinals in WBC 36 by defeating Saintland 3-2 (finished 3rd). This kicked off a streak of four consecutive quarterfinals appearances. In WBC 37, the Lions advanced past the Fair Republic Toucans 3-1 (lost in quarterfinals), defeated United States of Devonta 2-0 in WBC 38 (4th place), and downed Abanhfleft 3-1 in WBC 39 (and lost ignominiously in the finals to Ethane).

This second run of success would give way to sparse results in the WBC 40s. The Lions missed the quarterfinals in WBCs 40 and 42, while defeating Darmen 3-1 in WBC 41 (lost in quarterfinals) and defeating Xelsis 3-2 in WBC 43 (lost in quarterfinals). In WBC 44, they defeated Liventia 3-2 before losing, again in uncompetitive fashion, to West Phoenicia in their second-ever finals appearance. So therefore, the Lions' most impressive run was their first, WBC 27-32, where they not only made six straight quarterfinals, but finished 3rd or 4th in three of those six appearances. Their other sustained runs have been 36-39 (3rd, 4th, and 2nd) and this current streak of 47-49 (1st, 4th), with a few stray appearances mixed in in the early 40s. The Lions have won their fair share of Round of 16 games, but it's not like they've been quarterfinals locks or even sustained a streak of double-digit quarterfinals appearances, as some teams have.

Like the Lions and the Elephants, most of the Round of 16 matchups are still going. Two top-10 teams in Hampton Island and Hapilopper will play a game 5, #13 Drawkland will attempt to advance to the quarterfinals for the first time ever by defeating #10 Sarzonia, #6 Ko-oren will attempt to complete their rally from 2-0 down against #22 TJUN-ia, and #2 seed Zwangzug and #18 seed Tikariot have been battling it out, with great performances from the pitchers on both sides. This WBC is simply a gauntlet, a grueling path to victory that befits the 50th anniversary edition.

Russell will need to give it all he's got; his previous outings in the playoffs have not been that successful, even after an outstanding group stage. Manager Mark Singleton has expressed confidence in Russell, but Rex Boyd, Rocky Gantt, and even Aaron Spencer are waiting in the wings to provide multi-inning relief should things start to go south. Don't be surprised if Singleton has a quick hook and relies on his stable of bullpen arms to try to shut down the Elephants. Will the Lions make their fourth straight quarterfinal, or will South Newlandia make the quarterfinals for the first time in their history? Either way, the winner will get Banija, a formidable foe.

by **TJUN-ia** » Fri Nov 27, 2020 11:14 am

Game 3 - Ko-oren (6) 3-1 TJUN-ia (22) (TJU lead series 2-1)
After tight wins in the first two games of this series, Gene Almac would start Game 3 against the Dragonflies of Ko-oren in Winchester. The last time he started a game, TJUN-ia were two games up on West Phoenicia only to drop Game 3 and face a Game 4 the Battin' Jags would eventually win. Everyone knew that do-or-die games were a mystical thing and that it would be a difficult time ahead. but everyone also had the slight feeling in their heads that if Phillip Hellas-Verona's Jaguars could win a playoff series, why couldn't they do it again?

This game would be decided in only a few innings, showcasing how good both Almac and Kasper Brands were in this contest. All three would be homers, the first coming from Pedro Moires in the 1st. It was looking good for the Battin' Jags here, but Ko-oren would get a 2-run bomb in the 3rd through Katatake Gotou to take the lead in this one. The game would be tight from here on out, as both teams tried to get more runs on the board but to no avail...until the 7th. That was when the 3rd and final homer was scored, by Dragonflies right fielder Kiro Ogasawara. For the 2nd series in a row, TJUN-ia was prevented from completing a sweep. We would be heading to Game 4.

Game 4 - Ko-oren (6) 3-2 TJUN-ia (22) (Series tied 2-2)
Jose Almas would take on Xerman Figueredo in Game 4, where everyone knew the stakes. TJUN-ia wanted to avoid a Game 5, but Ko-oren needed to go to Game 5 in order to...actually survive in the WBC. All eyes were in Winchester once again as this one was going to be big.

Like Game 3, this one would be decided in 3 moments - 3 through 5 to be exact. Both teams got a run in the 3rd and then Ko-oren unleashed a 2-run bomb in the 4th, Ano Makkinga doing it again for the Dragonflies here. TJUN-ia would respond with a bomb in the 5th, a solo one by Rafael Llorente as he once again proved how clutch he was, but that was she wrote for this one. Both Almas and Figueredo would not allow anyone else to score and, as the final ball was pitched, TJUN-ia's worst nightmare had come true. After leading this series 2-0, Ko-oren had rallied to tie this series 2-all and that only meant one thing. For the first time ever, TJUN-ia would be in a playoff deciding Game 5. Oh no, here we go.

The most stressful and the most important game in TJUN-ian baseball history is upon us. If we lose this one this WBC will still be considered a success. We won a playoff game and a playoff series, showing improvement over being swept last time out. But it will also mean that Ko-oren complete the reverse-sweep, and that is something no one should have to experience. If we were to win, however, and somehow survive in this final showdown between Jaguars and Dragonflies, then this road will continue into the Quarterfinals. Either Zwangzug or our old friends in Tikariot await the victors of this one and here, in Winchester, the fates of two teams with the same group record will come down to two starters: Kyle McNash for us, Tojoaki Jabe for them. No matter what happens from here, this will be a stressful night for all of TJUN-ia...

Round of 16 Series: vs Ko-oren (6/21-9 in Group 1) (@Winchester City Lottery Stadium, Winchester)
Game 1: W 6-4 (F/13) (1-0)
Game 2: W 3-1 (2-0)
Game 3: L 1-3 (2-1)
Game 4: L 2-3 (2-2)
Game 5:

Starting Pitchers: Kyle McNash (Game 5)

by **Zwangzug** » Fri Nov 27, 2020 3:43 pm

"With this round of sixteen series tied at two games apiece, Brattleboro is set for a decisive game five, with Carol Snedar-Berg facing off against Jayson Carfield. The latter was until recently a long reliever, so it's possible that he might not have the endurance to pitch into the late innings--but the way both teams have been hitting so far, he could cruise. And he's the kind of player who won't be intimidated by the intensity of the occasion, he knows how to bear down and play his game."

"The winner of this series will advance to the quarterfinals, where they will take on either the TJUN-ia Jaguars or the Ko-oren Dragonflies. Those two teams will play their fifth game in Winchester tonight as well; after a grueling thirteen-inning game 1 that ended in a win for Ko-oren, both of those pitching staffs have been strong as well."

"Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves, Tiffany."

"Well, I think it's worth noting that while many spectators have predicted a chalky tournament--"

"Chalky? Like the pitchers are going to get their rosin bags anywhere? Why would anyone predict that?"

"No, no, like, the seedings after the group stage may be a good indicator of bracket performance."

"That's not necessarily the case, though; despite the country's history, these current Zwangzug side doesn't have the experience of Ko-oren or TJUN-ia or, heck, even Tikariot. So I don't think we should worry about the quarterfinals until we know what happens tonight."

"That's a bit rich coming from you, Padma, you couldn't even be bothered to make your own predictions."

"Couldn't even be--listen, I'm trying to remain neutral and objective here!"

"Yeah, and I picked Tikariot to win this round! So if the Owls do win, then my job here is done, and instead of rooting interests I can concentrate on rooting for bracket success and interesting upsets. If not, though, then I'll still be supporting a Zebras run. So I should hope that the Ko-oren predictions outdo those from TJUN-ia. However, both of those teams picked themselves to advance to the quarterfinals, although Ko-oren's prediction that the Sherpa Empire would defend their title has already been--"

"None of this has anything to do with the game at hand, Tiffany, and you know it."

"I just thought it would be a fun little human-interest--"

"I'll give you human interest, here. Blair Consigliere, an Owls backup outfielder, occasionally struggles with use of the dangerous drug alcohol. Faitalia Letutusa is the first professional player from the Cardannon Archipelago, and personifies the 'you don't walk off the island' stereotype. Rutger Heidenfeld is a grey mouse."

"Really? That seems challenging."

"No, Tiffany, it's a metaphor. Uh, on the Zebras' side--where are my notes. Evan Singer-Lun didn't get off to a great start with Wenjie Liu in the domestic league because he was believed to be throwing at Secret Squirrels' heads during a Millers game, but he eventually won her over with his diligence and physical fitness."

"I don't think that even happened, we haven't had a domestic season in some time, or at least not an internationally-publicized one."

"Then nobody's gonna contradict me, innit? Uh, Aaron Grant-Mond is from Logrove, and his mom used to work for a French-language newspaper before it went out of business."

"This isn't interesting."

"It might be in Ko-oren, the Dragonflies of course representing a famously polyglot nation--"

"Oh now who's looking ahead of this game?"

"Right. Stay with us, please, we'll be back soon for the first pitch."

by **South Newlandia** » Fri Nov 27, 2020 4:04 pm

Ryan! Ryan! RYAN! Where the ---- are you?? Ryan!
What? Whats going on? Why are you yelling, Fabio?
What is going on? Are you asking me what’s going on? Are you ------- kidding me? We are playing Nova Anglicana, and you are supposed to be pitching, you clown!
Oh. I remember something like that. When should I have been at the stadium again?
Almost an hour ago!
Oh.
What even happened? Why were you still in your hotel room, what were you doing?
(they hop into a car that Fabio drives. It remains unclear where they got it)
Uhm, yeah, so, I… forgot?
YOU FORGOT? ARE YOU – You can’t be serious. You forgot. This is serious business! You are pitching, for South Newlandia, in game five of the god------ WBC Round of Sixteen! You forgot; what? WHAT?
Well, uh, so, I was playing Boxjack, you know, that fun internet game? With some lads?
Ah well, of course, an internet game is obviously much more important THAN GAME 5 AGAINST THE LIONS! Are you serious? Are you ------- serious? How could you lose track of time that badly?
Well, it was pretty funny, someone did a brilliant joke about bear attack therapy, and someone made the best joke about Damukuni you ever heard! Want to hear it?
(Fabio is driving a noticeable amount over the speed limit, trying to get to his destination as fast as possible)
NO I DO ------- NOT! THERE ARE MORE IMPORTANT THINGS RIGHT NOW! Can you please get a grip, like, really fast?
Yeah. So, uh, Nova Anglicana. Yes. I’m focusing. I’ve never been this focused in my entire life. The only things more focused than me are Xannerian…
SHUT UP!
…
I can’t believe you were ------- missing! Do you have any idea how ------- mad the coach was?
No, no. Bad?
Bad.
So, only in case I would have not been paying attention, which of course, I do have; but let’s say, just for the thought, someone didn’t know what was going on in games three and four. Could you give me; I mean, that person, a brief rundown?
(Fabio sighs. The GPS claims they are slowly reaching their destination)
Alright, alright. Game three, we had Cain playing, and he did fairly well, but the bullpen ended up losing it late really close game, we lost 2-3 in the end. Game four we had Conroy out there, he did well except for when he gave up four in the third. Bolton left him in because he knows Jacob is a mad-man, and he delivered. We ended up winning 5-4 to tie the series, I hit the game-winning homer in the 7th.
Great!
No, not great. That means we go into a crucial fifth match now, and you are the starting pitcher! There is no room for error here, you need to deliver! And to do that, you need to be focused! I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU WOULD WASTE ALL YOUR TIME PLAYING ------- BOXJACK!
Whoa, whoa. I’m here now, we are doing this, right? Let’s go and get to the, what was it?
Quarterfinals. We are playing for a spot in the Quarterfinals, against Banija.
Oh, yeah.
(They pull into a parking lot with the tires screeching and hop out of the car)
Alright, now go get those warmup pitches in. I’m sure you can save your sorry --- from the coach if you do well, so you better do. Alright, here we go. Good Luck, Ryan. You got this. Calm down. Stay calm, and remember what we talked about. We discussed all of this in detail. The entire team trusts you to do this, because we know you have this in the bag. C’mon, go out there, and show them!

by **Hapilopper** » Fri Nov 27, 2020 4:09 pm

Cocoa-Bo Stadium, Starksville, Cassadaigua
The quarterfinals: Hapilopper v. Hampton Island – Game Five
And yet again, the Hap Thrashers were finding themselves in the midst of a must-win situation. Game Five between them and a team quickly becoming a rival, the Hampton Island Golden Bears. In fact, they probably already were a rival to the Haps. There had been more than a few incidents between the two teams up to this point, not to mention a very high standard of play whenever the two teams went up against one another.

But yet again, the mood in the clubhouse was tense as could be. The Haps knew they could not afford to make a single mistake in this game. They were up against a team as good as, if not better than them, and they knew that there was no alternative. They had to win the game. They had to score more runs in this game than the Golden Bears. Period. There was no excuse for anything at this point – it was time to go for broke. The starting position players looked at each other nervously and said nothing. They had been in this position way too many times over the last two Classics, and frankly, they were getting tired of it.

Back home, the Hapiloppian sports media had taken to calling the Hapilopper National Baseball Team “The Cardiac Haps” for getting involved in these close series and taking them all the way to the wire. And the “Cardiac Haps” were living up to their name. Fans gathered to watch the playoff games were typically seen praying, glued to the television as nervous as anyone. Sometimes, the Haps would pull through. Other times, such as in game three of the series, the Haps collapsed.

Relief pitchers Travis Reid and Dwayne Pocock sat at their lockers, staring at each of their teammates. Reid and Pocock had been blamed for costing the Haps the win in game three, as both of them delivered poor performances in the 8th and 9th innings of that game. The Hap Thrashers led 4-3 going into the top of the 8th, when Travis Reid came in to set up for Dwayne Pocock, who would hopefully get the save. But the Treeman Experience wound up being a terrifying ride. First he couldn’t find the plate. Then, when he did, he had misplaced his pitches giving the Golden Bears what they wanted, which allowed them to plate two runs in the 8th. When Pocock was brought in to clean up the mess, he gave up a run as well, and few players said anything to Reid and Pocock after the game, or at all in game four.

Obviously, they feared what would happen if they had another performance like that in game five. Travis looked over at manager Dale Moss, who looked on edge. Dale was pacing like mad in the clubhouse, not saying anything. It wasn’t anything any of the players had done, and it wasn’t any antics that Lucky Spalding, the starting pitcher for game five, was up to at this very moment. It wasn’t the poor performance from Reid and Pocock. It wasn’t anything the hitters were doing, and it wasn’t anything any of the pitchers were doing. Dale had been on edge the entire playoffs because of the expectations that had been placed on the Haps – the “we must win and we must win now” belief.

Some of the players looked at Dale and wondered if he was going to do anything. Maybe rush out and give some static to the umpires. Get himself ejected. If it meant firing the Haps up, by all means he was going to do it. Dale had thought about sacrificing himself if it meant getting the HNBT into the right frame of mind to beat the Golden Bears. Maybe on a close ball-strike call. Maybe on a foul call. Maybe a close play at first base. The players figured Dale was going to go out, get in an umpire’s face, get himself ejected and raise hell in the process. For some Hapiloppians, the concept of the strategic ejection was just another tool to use to beat an opponent.

But if anyone wasn’t thinking about it, it was Lucky Spalding, the starting pitcher. Lucky had hooked up again with that one woman he met before game five of the Northwest Kalactin series, and the two were having way too much fun with each other in the stands not far from the Hapiloppian dugout. And yes, Lucky was downing a large cold one as he got ready for the game. Once again, he had prepared before the game, and felt he was ready enough to get the job done. He had spent the entire morning reviewing game film and seeing how he could get Golden Bear hitters out, making them chase pitches they shouldn’t be chasing.

And there was another goal to what he was doing. He wanted the Hampton Island team to see him relaxing in the stands, making out with this mystery woman and having a beer. He wanted the Hampton Island team to either think he wasn’t taking the assignment seriously, and thus would try to take advantage of someone they didn’t know were playing possum. Or, maybe he could potentially psych them out by seeing the starting pitcher so relaxed, so ready to go that here he was drinking a beer and playing “tonsil hockey” with this lady.

And after the last series, the rest of the Hap Thrashers didn’t mind it. If it meant Lucky was relaxed and ready to raise hell on the mound, that’s all they cared about.

World Baseball Classic 50- Everything (IC)

Batter Up!: Short Summaries (RO16 Games 1+2)

Batter Up!: Short Summaries (RO16 Games 3+4)

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