World Baseball Classic 54 (IC thread)

by **South Newlandia** » Tue Apr 19, 2022 3:37 pm

Elephants take 2-0 lead on Jags thanks to big comeback

South Newlandia versus TJUN-ia, the Elephants versus the Jaguars, is one of the budding frivalries of both countries. Whether it is Robin Dragonovic, born in South Newlandia, but TJUN-ian by choice, racing with Maddy in NSSCRA, or Trent State curb-stomping Elephant Valley every season in NSCF, or TJUN-ia finding (only for some) unexpected success in South Newlandia in the Elephant Chess Cup, or the Jaguars falling short after an undefeated 18-0 group stage in the IBC in South Newlandia, or the two teams fighting entertaining battles in World Cup Qualifying, these two nations meeting will almost always feature interesting stories. This time is no different. TJUN-ia and South Newlandia are, in many ways, reflections of the same baseball team. Both debuting in WBC48, they have climbed their ways to the very top of baseball. However, since those very early days, both squads have aged, with many South Newlandian and all TJUN-ian key contributors on the wrong side of 30 now. For the TJUN-ian team, this might very well be the last shot they get in this loadout, possibly one of the best in the Classic right now. Last Classic, they had the breaks thrown on them in the Quarterfinals by another emerging team, including a record-setting 20-2 blowout in game one. Now, the Jags and Elephants meet again, with the Jaguars looking for revenge, and the Elephants looking for a Quarterfinal matchup with either Zwangzug or Super-Llamaland, two of the historic greats of the sports.

Game one was a pitcher’s duel, with Ryan Hunter delivering seven innings of shutout, four-hit, two-walk baseball. Chris Harris played well, too, but after a sac fly Malika Bains scored a run in the bottom of the first, TJUN-ia never managed to pull even again, and a two-run homer down the first-base line of Aganath Stadium, off of the bat of Mike Larsen, made it 3-0 Elephants in the 8th. Barnaby Butt locked down his fourth save of the playoffs with a nice 1-2-3 inning.

Game two was a shootout. In the top of the first, Ben Gonzalo went through the TJUN-ian lineup, resulting in three walks, three hits, and an error on an errand throw by Hugo Brock that allowed Angel Enrique to reach safely on. With six runs on the board and two out in the first, Gonzalo was pulled from the game. Chasing the starter in the first is obviously good news for the Jags, but the Elephants were only down, not done. A two-run shot by Adam King brought the difference down to four in the bottom of the same inning. Sofia Rasmussen had decided to give the ball to Maike Bookmer, nominally a starting pitcher, in relief; but as Bookmer had not yet pitched a start in the playoffs, and despite also being a right-handed pitcher, she features a very different pitch mix. TJUN-ia only has two left-handed starting players anyway, so it’s not like a lefty would’ve been of much use, even if the Elephants had had one available. Anyhow, Bookmer slowed the Jags’ bats down, but the Elephants didn’t manage to do much either. In the top of the fifth, an RBI double by Pedro Moires brought in a run, making it a 5-run game, but the Elephants struck back with a bases-clearing triple hit by Malika Bains, bringing the game within two entering the sixth. Once again, TJUN-ia scored in the top of that inning, with a two-run home run chasing the second Elephants’ starter from the game, but the Elephants were only getting started. They bat around in the bottom of the sixth inning, producing sixth runs to take an 11-9 lead, and with the bullpen holding that lead tight, Zimmerman was able to make it a four-run game in the bottom of the eighth. TJUN-ia was not giving up yet, however. Against Abby Conrad, they managed to load the bases with just one out; with the tying run now at the plate, Rasmussen went to Barnaby Butt again, who coxed out a deep fly ball and a groundout to end the game, as well as record his fifth save of these playoffs.

We’re now heading into games three and four, to be played without a DH, which means that Larsen will be relegated to pinch-hitter for these. The Elephants will had the ball to Jay Kramer in game three again, before Jacob Conroy will take on a potential game four.

by **Zwangzug** » Tue Apr 19, 2022 6:02 pm

The round of 16 continues!

United Adaikes          0 0 4 0 0 0 1 1 0  6
Milchama                0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0  1

United Adaikes          1 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0  4
Milchama                0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0

United Adaikes wins series, 3-1

Quebec and Shingoryeo   1 0 0 0 5 0 0 4 3 13
Ethane                  0 5 0 0 3 0 1 0 0  9

Quebec and Shingoryeo   0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  3
Ethane                  4 0 0 2 4 0 1 2 X 13

Series tied, 2-2

Banija                  0 0 0 0 4 3 2 0 2 11
Kohnhead                1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0  2

Banija wins series, 3-0

Quintessence of Dust    0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1  1
Liventia                0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 X  2

Quintessence of Dust    0 2 2 0 0 2 0 1 0  7
Liventia                0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 1  3

Quintessence of Dust wins series, 3-1

South Newlandia         0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0  1
TJUN-ia                 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0

South Newlandia wins series, 3-0

Ranoria                 0 1 0 0 0 4 0 1 0  6
The Sherpa Empire       0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0  2

Ranoria wins series, 3-0

Kriegiersien            0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  2
Chromatika              0 0 3 0 0 0 1 0 X  4

Kriegiersien            0 0 2 3 0 0 0 1 0  6
Chromatika              0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0  1

Series tied, 2-2

Scorinated by Tikariot:

Super-Llamaland        0 0 3 0 1 0 0 0 1  5
Zwangzug               0 0 2 0 0 0 0 1 0  3

Super-Llamaland        0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0  2
Zwangzug               3 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 X  4

Zwangzug win series, 3-1

Quarterfinal series:
Quebec and Shingoryeo / Ethane winner @ United Adaikes: X Park, 102d
Quintessence of Dust @ Banija: Swainyo Stadium, Zwischen
Zwangzug @ South Newlandia: Worm Hole, Zwischen
Chromatika / Kriegiersien winner @ Ranoria: Delacruz Field, Bassabook

by **Chromatika** » Tue Apr 19, 2022 9:47 pm

Game 3
Kriegiersien            0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  2
Chromatika              0 0 3 0 0 0 1 0 X  4

Hilary Angelou shined, pitching a complete game as the Outliers took the 2-1 lead, helped along with a three-hit performance by George Ducat, including a two-run double at the bottom of the third. The Chromatik Ace really shined in the home outing, conceding two runs on seven hits, never letting a runner past second base after the two runs conceded at the top of the second inning. When looking at whether Clara Ayonara or Hilary Angelou have been more of the ace, the discussion remains as lively as ever.

Alisen Mayamoto also shined, turning two double plays and having a sliding catch on a bouncer; Chromatika fielded well, hit when they needed to, and held on for the victory - earning a chance to get that opportunity to finish the series at home.

Game 4
Kriegiersien            0 0 2 3 0 0 0 1 0  6
Chromatika              0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0  1

And then Oscar de Witt blew it. Chased off of the mound by the fourth inning, he had his worst outing in a long while, and the Outliers' bats were not able to recover, only scoring one run as James Schroeder held down the Outliers.

Chromatik baseball stands at a crossroads. Win tomorrow, and the team heads to the Quarterfinals to face Ranoria, a rising baseball power. Lose, and crash out of the Round of Sixteen for the second season in a row, making the World Baseball Classic 52 win seem like an afterthought.

Jerome Delapier takes the mound for the pivotal match, the New Llama Cyclones pitcher making the most important start of his international career.

by **TJUN-ia** » Wed Apr 20, 2022 3:03 am

It took only 1 run to end it all...one run.
That run came from Adam King and well...they deserved it.
South Newlandia deserved to win this series, to sweep this series.
We love that team...and we wish them good luck against Zwangzug.

As for us?
Well, it's finally time to...say goodbye.
Goodbye to a generation that put TJUN-ian baseball on the map and got us to as high as WBC Semifinal.
Not all will go...must a lot will, with the next generation already coming to fruition behind them.
Their sacrifices will never be forgotten at all...by any of us.

GO JAGS!

Round of 16 vs South Newlandia (1/#2/9-1/1st in G1) @Aganath Stadium, Belpub, Zwangzug
G1: L 0-3 (0-1)
G2: L 10-13 (0-1)
G3: L 0-1 (0-3)
G4:
G5:

by **Banija** » Wed Apr 20, 2022 12:24 pm

"Here Come the Champs"- Banija emphatically clinches sweep with 11-2 win over Kohnhead; to face the Quintessence of Dust in a Quarterfinal rematch from WBC 53

Banijan clubhouse gets the party started celebrating their WBC Playoff Series sweep over Kohnhead

ZWISCHEN, ZWANGZUG- Xolile Gola's last start, in game 3 of the first round, was disastrous. She didn't even log two full innings, as the bullpen had to back her up all game long and put us in position to get a comeback win. But when Isaac Oladipo placed his faith in her again ahead of game 3, she talked about how important that was from him. "Look- I'm not into those statistician numbers and analytics they use like crazy in Super-Llamaland or something." She told reporters before her start. "But I know what happened. I had an awful start last week, and lived to fight another day. This is a team sport- my teammates, both from the 'pen and with their bats, picked me up, and I have a chance to redeem myself. I need to come out here and show the world, and the country, that I still got it, that they do not need to be worried when I take the mound.

So the ball was placed in her hands- and she rewarded us with closing out the series in an emphatic and dominant way, to put Banija in our 8th WBC Quarterfinal in our last 9 WBC appearances.

The Decisive Game 3

Things didn't necessarily start kindly for her. Kohnhead's leadoff hitter, on her very first pitch, went yard. Lucca Hahn celebrated going around the bases, giving the Pandas an early 1-0 lead and giving Gola nearly immediate difficulties. But to her credit, she kept her head in the game. She didn't let things go off track, like she did a week ago. She calmed herself, and started pitching in the way she felt she was- truly like an ace. Remember, despite the final score, for much of the game, it was close. She was going pitch for pitch with Kohnhead's starter, the hard-throwing Allan Fox. Despite that leadoff home run, it looked as if we were in for a pitcher's duel. Through four innings, that was the only run scored on either side, and we trailed 1-0 entering the fifth.

But then, things went sideways for Kohnhead. A short hopper to the pitcher's right, and Allan Fox turned to his right to field the baseball. It was actually an excellent piece of baseball, as he picked it up on the short hop and then threw the runner out at first with authority. One away, but he came up limping. It was what would eventually be diagnosed as a strained hamstring, which was a cruel way to go out. An elimination game for your team, and you had only allowed one single and one walk through 4.1 innings shutout innings, striking out 5 batters when it came to that point. He limped down to the bench, unable to generate any power from his legs for pitching when he had a pulled hamstring.

And then, that's when things started to unravel for the Pandas. We couldn't get to their starter- and having to pull from their bullpen early was a disaster for them. There's no need to go through the entire thing. All you need to know, is that we scored 4 runs in that fifth inning before they recorded another out(an inning-ending double play when the bases were loaded). We then scored 3 more in the sixth, and two more in the seventh, as we drained them of their fight and put a hard lock on the series. We scored 2 more in the 9th, for good measure, as we completely drained them of their bullpen, and our bats turned the game from a pitcher's duel straight into a blowout.

But that's when we go back to pitching. Oladipo, sensing the game was basically over after the Banijans had taken a 7-1 lead after 6, got in some pitchers who had been struggling for a few games. First, Xolile Gola lasted 6 innings exactly, of one run ball. In the seventh, Oladipo brought on Ava Odoyo to pitch the seventh and 8th innings. Despite allowing back to back doubles in the 7th, allowing one earned run over two innings was an importance appearance for her, according to Oladipo. "Look, we're going to need Odoyo deeper and deeper into this postseason." Said the Banijan manager, Isaac Oladipo. "I didn't want her to waste away on the bench for another week. Gola could've easily gone into the seventh, and maybe the distance- but we had bigger things to worry about than a complete game." And then, our struggling closer, Yoro Coulibaly, took the mound in the 9th, up 9 runs. He allowed a leadoff triple, but then struck out the side to end the inning.

"I'm ecstatic with how this game went, pitching wise." Oladipo told reporters. "Coulibaly had a rough outing, Odoyo had a rough outing, so did Gola- and all three pitchers took the opportunity to redeem themselves. Re-earn and re-gain their confidence before the quarterfinals, as we will surely need all hands on deck to beat the champs."

Here comes the Champs

Banija is not playing just anybody in the Quarterfinals this time. Who did we draw? The Quintessence of Dust. The team that, in a do-or-die game 5, hit a two out, walkoff, 3 run bomb in the bottom of the 9th to beat us on home soil. Despite being the underdogs, we played them close, fueled by the home crowd energy. It was the tightest series of the entire tournament on home soil. QoD won Game 2 in 16 innings, we were on the brink of elimination in Game 4, and yet we pulled one off in Game 4 by walking it off. And then, in Game 5, yet another game that came down to the very last play.

That suggests that the teams are very much even. "I remember what happened last time Banija played QoD- there is no need to forget." Oladipo said. "The Quintessence of Dust were fighters, brawlers, bruisers. In a good way. They went all the way down to their very last out of the series, and they did not move. They did not flinch. Rémy Weber let it fly off his baseball bat, in one of the loudest baseball environments I've ever seen on television. We have not forgotten. We were so close to beating them. So all respect. SO we know, and they know. It is going to be one hell of a series. The rematch means we're familiar with each other. And the stakes- a berth in the semifinal? Anything can happen."

But this is more than a re-match. QoD used that to vault themselves forward. They did not simply sit there and congratulate themselves. They took that victory and cruised all the way to a victory, in the Kingdom, on our home soil. They lifted the sport's greatest trophy in Istria for the first time, and now are looking to repeat. Nobody has repeated in this sport since WBC 36 & 37, when Schlitzberg went back to back. It is an incredibly difficult feat, and it is a testament to them that they are able to maintain this kind of consistency over multiple tournaments. But despite them establishing themselves as the best team in all of baseball, Banija will play with no fear.

"They are the champs, yes." Ramata Kabba, the team's ace, told reporters. "They are the best team in the world right now, and we have to respect that. But we fear nobody." She said that with a quiet confidence. "If we want to be the best, we have to beat the best, and that means winning series like this. I am not scared to play the QoD- on the other hand, I am excited. What a brilliant measuring stick, to see how far we've come. This is a nation that, in baseball, wants to be talked about as among the world's best. We want to be seen as a blue blood- mentioned among nations like Nova Anglicana and Cassadaigua and Schlitzberg, who the very mention of their names commands respect in this sport. And that's an incredibly high bar to reach. And if we want to do that- well, winning a series such as this one is paramount towards achieving our goals."

by **Ranoria** » Wed Apr 20, 2022 1:47 pm

@VickHamiltonReporter @NicholasLux promised us a show during the playoffs, and this team has not disappointed! The Krauts have only let their playoff opponents get closer than a four run margin once during this warpath of a playoff run. #GoKrauts #Playoffs #DarkHorse

@KrautsBaseball And just like that, the Krauts are onto the quarterfinals! Stay tuned, because we're not done yet! #Krauts #Playoffs #WBC54

Ranoria Showing No Signs Of Slowing Down Despite Entering Unknown Territory With First Quarterfinal Berth

Leo was all smiles as the team rounded up their tenth straight win overall - the best such streak in team history

That's now two more sweeps in one tournament than than the Krauts have earned in team history. Well, unless you want to count the thrashing we got when Newmanistan sent us packing in the WBC 50 Round of 16. Ranoria's outscored its opponents by a whopping margin of 51-19. A good deal of that came from an 11-0 win in our first match against Gortolekua, as the Sherpa Empire always managed to keep it within six, but outside of our first game against the Sherpas (a 6-4 victory), Ranorian bats have kept the margin of victory wide enough that no one dared be concerned.

Knocking off the 7^th best team in the world is no trivial feat, just ask Leonardo Harrison.

I'm honestly shocked that we pulled off a sweep on a team that good. The margin of victory doesn't do justice to how competitive those games were, we came in knowing we had to play our best baseball every step of the way. I firmly believe if we had let our focus slip at any time, they would have closed the gap in a heartbeat.

With no looming juggernaut in Newmanistan hanging over our heads in the next round, it'll be either Chromatika or Kriegiersien, both strong teams, who will take us on in the quarterfinals. With the two heavyweight squads locking horns to this point going into game 5 of their series, Ranoria will get the benefit of added rest due to their sweeping of the Sherpa Empire, something that one could also factor into their victory in that series.

"Getting these series done in a hurry is awesome," said veteran pitcher Tommy Verona, "I'm getting older, gives my arm more of a chance to rest."

Ranoria doesn't have the kind of history in this sport that some of our peers in the quarterfinals do. Banija has two championships in their crowded trophy room. South Newlandia is the top ranked team in the tournament, top seed in these playoffs, and one of the host nations of one of the premier domestic baseball league in the world in the LPB. Kriegiersien and Chromatika, our potential opponents in the next round, are both capable. The Chromatik Outliers came into the tournament the 5^th ranked team in baseball and have done little to slow down to this point, although their fate hangs in the balance as a win-or-go-home game five with Kriegiersien looms.

We came into this tournament ranked 20^th, perhaps generous given that our Krauts had one playoff appearance and two winning campaigns in six tries prior to this Classic. Our national team's "history" is essentially limited to finishing strong, a win over the Sherpa Empire in the playoffs in WBC 50, and failing to live up to lofty expectations since.

"Everything from here on out is going in the history books," said young star Jesse Griffith with a smile, "It's really exciting to help pave the way for this kind of deal - whether it's Chromatika or Kriegiersien, we'll be ready."

by **Kriegiersien** » Wed Apr 20, 2022 3:54 pm

The meat lover
Your magazine for good cuisine

Final game between Kriegiersien and Chromatika in the WBC 54 coming. And there is only one question left:

What dish will the Kriegiersien team have at the evening before?

Sadly the first idea, Squirrel with Peanut Sauce, was averted by the rival.

by **South Newlandia** » Wed Apr 20, 2022 4:15 pm

by **Zwangzug** » Wed Apr 20, 2022 6:45 pm

Cutoff for the remaining Ro16!

Chromatika              0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0  2
Kriegiersien            1 0 0 0 1 3 1 1 X  7

Ethane                  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6  6
Quebec and Shingoryeo   1 0 0 0 0 4 2 0 X  7

by **Ranoria** » Wed Apr 20, 2022 7:54 pm

And the best posts we found from around twi.ttur!

@22sBiggestFan
It's been a nice run so far for our crew and Kriegiersien, both ranked 20 or lower, but guys...
#WeArentWinningItAllThisYearGuysChill #FunWhileItLasts

@SportsCritical Great, now we have some more baseball success and I have to fork over more tax dollars to these cities so they can mortgage our souls to build more eyesore stadiums that will be defunct in a year anyway and empty when we have a losing record in WBC55. #GladiatorsAreTheOnlyRealAthletes #OutlawSports

@HalfDeadbeatMom I watch every game, every Classic. Promised hubby we wouldn't make playoffs, so now he's threatening to divorce me and take the kids if I watch another game. Can anyone recommend a good lawyer? #GoKrauts #AintTrippin

by **Banija** » Thu Apr 21, 2022 8:17 am

"Everything's Changed, Everything's The Same"- Previewing Banija's rematch against the WBC defending champions, the Quintessence of Dust

Banijan fans cheering here in Zwangzug

ZWISCHEN, ZWANGZUG- We all remember what happened in the WBC 53 Quarterfinals, played on home soil in Banija. It was probably the tightest series, of anybody, of the entire World Baseball Classic. Game 2 going 16 innings(won by QoD), Game 4 going 17 innings(won by Banija), and the do-or-die Game 5 won by the Quintessence of Dust launching a 2 out, 3 run, walkoff home run to eliminate Banija from the Classic and officially put Ousman Kakay's career in retirement. Storybook endings do not happen in sports- except for Gitonga Kahara, of course. Neither team went to Game 4. Both teams have been on the warpath, as well, to get here. Both teams are 6-1 in the knockout stages, neither having reached a Game 5, and each having gotten a sweep. QoD got the first round sweep over Tikariot, and put away QoD by 3 games to 1. Banija beat Murderbum in a tightly contested first round series 3-1, and then took out the brooms to sweep Kohnhead in Round 2.

Since we played them last year, in this preview, we'll talk about how this series compares with last year's. What's changed? What's the same?

What's Changed

Let's go with what's different, right? What is different about this year's quarterfinal series against QoD's, as opposed to last WBC's quarterfinal against QoD three years ago?

First, let's start the obvious. We're going to go with the venue. Not a hugely important thing normally, but let's take a walk back to WBC 53 to really think about this, shall we? Last time around, we went north to Mynda, and played them at Warrior Field. While, of course, the technical home team changed throughout the series- we had home field advantage for all 5 games. A hugely partisan crowd. Home field advantage matters less in baseball than any other sport probably, but it is still a thing. And all the other intangible advantages that come with it. Eating local food, fan support wherever you go, for all 5 games. "Remember, we had all these built in advantages last time of being home field, and we still lost the series. It came down, literally, to the final out- and we did not get the final out. "It's not a huge deal, but that's an advantage for QoD this time around." Said one TV analyst. "Things change, venues stay the same."

What else has changed? Banija's manager. Ousman Kakay was a legend. 8 Classics in charge, 7 quarterfinal appearances, including a third place finish and two world titles. Those are big shoes to fill- But Isaac Oladipo is doing his best to fill those. "I learned so much from him when I was an assistant on this staff, and he helped shape my career." Isaac Oladipo said. Oladipo also had his own forming. Taking over the managerial job for a baseball blue blood, Super-Llamaland. Famously, of course, there were fights about his own managerial methods- the traditional Banijan baseball way of rejecting sabermetrics and analytics, against the full-throated embrace of them in Super-Llamaland. Oladipo, although following in Kakay's footsteps, is very much his own man. And he's got that sabermetric knowledge from his time in Super-Llamaland. What's the difference a brand new manager can make, eh?

What's the Same

Everything changes; Everything stays the same. What's the same here?

First of all, the stage. It is the exact same stage as last time- the WBC Quarterfinals. Venue change obviously, but still, this is an important stage. It is the difference between "a nice run" and a truly memorable run. IT is the difference between "a nice run" and "title contention". There is no bigger gap in a tournament than the gap between the quarterfinals and semifinals. That is the gap between good and great, between solid and elite. That is the hardest gap to bridge in all of sports. All sorts of teams can make a run to the Quarterfinals, but only the truly elite squads, the ones in legitimate contention for winning the title, are going to win their Quarterfinal series and reach the semifinals. The challenge in front of Banija cannot be understated- we believe we belong in that elite category. We've got two titles in recent years. But downing the defending champs, who beat us last time, to reach the semifinals? This is the matchup we wanted, for that reason. Be careful what you wish for, of course- mighty is the team that wears the crown. But what a series win would mean for Banija here cannot be understated.

What else is the same? The Banijan pitching rotation. Of course, the group stage rotations were different, but Banija has always dropped from five to four pitchers during the playoffs. With this year's short group stage, Banija didn't even bother enlisting five starters, going four starters for the duration of the tournament. And our starting rotation is the exact same as our playoff rotation last time out. The only difference, of course, is the order. While the rotation order is the same, since we had a Game 5 in the WBC 53 Ro16, Ramata Kabba could only pitch once against QoD. This time? Our ace, who is now 36, will be able to pitch twice. "Getting to order our rotation better... Definitely an advantage compared to last time." One Banijan reporter said. "But they faced all of these guys three years ago, and it's the same faces and same pitches, just in a different order. Will it matter?" In contrast, of course, QoD's pitching rotation has changed drastically. They've replaced 3/5 pitchers in their rotation after winning the whole thing, with those pitchers going out world champions. That might give the Banijan rotation an advantage, since ours is veteran heavy. Will that starting pitching experience advantage matter on the diamond?

What else is the same? Unfortunately, the Riot Squad. No offense- but the lamest dance troupe you've ever seen. Impeccably boring. They are a dance troupe, but they are too scared to dance. They dance just as much as a group of white people at a dry wedding reception. But no matter. Banijan fans should do what any good Banijan would do if they had the misfortune of being invited to a dry wedding reception. Somebody bring the pocket shots, and give each of them a shot after each inning. By about the fourth inning, they'll start moving around and dancing for real, and you can have the rest of the shots for yourself.

by **Quintessence of Dust** » Thu Apr 21, 2022 10:21 am

TalkBaseball.qd

Your stats hub for Quodite baseball!

Point/Counterpoint: the top ten strategies that will decide the QF series
Posted by sox2BU2

You want to beat him, and that’s a problem for me, because I want to win.

Winning strategies for the Banijans

1. When our star slugger is up with 2 on, 2 outs, series on the line, don't intentionally walk him or anything, throw him one in the strike zone. Solid choice.

2. Keep starting pitchers in the length of the game as their arms tire and our batters get a better handle on their pitches. Don't bring in your relievers or anything, that would spoil the purity of the game.

3. Continue to call our team "the Quintessence of Dust" and hope all our players rage stroke out. (Editor's note: this one may legitimately work.)

4. Put both of your left handed power hitters together in the lineup. An impeccable strategy with no obvious counter whatsoever.

5. Insult our national culture. Definitely won't motivate our players at all.

Winning strategies for the Quodites

1. Be snarky, rude, and insulting about opponent strategies. Absolutely no chances of that coming back to bite us in the arse.

2. Complain that three-game series make it too demanding to make box scores, then stop making box scores during the one tournament that uses single-game format. (Editor's note: not actually remotely clear how this helps us.)

3. Take your star shortshop who was hitting like Babe Ruth sat down for a well rounded breakfast with Barry Bonds out of his favoured lineup position. Certainly won't disrupt his rhythm.

4. Pull your starters who've been rock solid all tournament in favor of the left-handed reliever specialist. Maybe this'll be the game he doesn't immediately load the bases? Maybe the next one will be?

5. Idk, it always works out in the end for Sorkin's characters.

by **Kriegiersien** » Thu Apr 21, 2022 4:26 pm

The meat lover
Your magazine for good cuisine

Kriegiersien wins against former WBC Champion Chromatika and reaches the final of the Southeast Division against Ranoria.

Chromatika              0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0  2
Kriegiersien            1 0 0 0 1 3 1 1 X  7

The party goes on. With a simple desert and glögg the win was celebrated.

The biggest problem before the match against Ranoria was how to cook a wolfhound. After some consideration a combination of dark horse in Sauerkraut was preferred as aperitive.

by **Quebec and Shingoryeo** » Thu Apr 21, 2022 5:57 pm

Ethane                  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6  6
Quebec and Shingoryeo   1 0 0 0 0 4 2 0 X  7

Top of the 9th Inning, Game 5, Quebec-Ethane Round of Sixteen Series

Theo-Alexandre Pinson, the Grim Reapers' designated hitter for this match, was back in the dugout. He could feel each and every second of this minute pass as if they were the eternity, as the game's delicate balance was now left in the hands of Benoit Everson, the team's young, left-handed fireballer, as he stood before a loaded base with just one out.

This game five match that pitted the relatively-overperforming Ethanians and around-the-clock Quebecois was anything but what the 34-year old veteran had expected. The Game 5 had started fairly smoothly, first with a Samuel Carlini-Mwambutsya homer that had given the Quebecois an early lead at the bottom of the first inning. This, one of four homers hit by the Quebecois this match, had defined most of the match where the team's ace, left-handed Baek Nam-Soo of New Lakeland Tycoons, also struck out 11, allowed three hits and overall a stellar performance after throwing 106 pitches in 8 innings. The Quebecois seemed ready to make their first quarterfinals appearance in history.

But it wasn't going to be easy. With a 7-0 lead and only three outs to go, Choe Bong-Hak had decided to go for what appeared to be a routine bullpen change by letting Baek, who had an awful Game 1 performance earlier, head to the dugout and rest earlier. This had immediately turned into a disaster as Krista Gallant-Jamison, Arabella Sen-Gong, and Clement Jolin had turned into Quebecois versions of Franklin Bell, allowing 3 4-balls, 4 hits, 2 home runs and 2 hit-by-pitches...and 6 runs. 'Goddamnit!' said Pinson two minutes ago, as he shouted on the locker room, quickly grabbing a hit of cigarette before heading back to the dugout.

'Don't do this to us guys...' Theo felt the desperation slip into his mind, as he felt the chills. It was just two years ago when the Quebecois had pushed the Banijans, two-time world champions, to the brink of elimination on this round. But for whatever the reason nothing seemed to work on that Game 5, where the Banijans took off to an early lead and never looked back, and what came after it all was a blowout loss. Now, with all that momentum built for an impressive series victory gone, Theo was worried that they were out for a historic victory.

'Just two outs guys, just two outs,' said he, looking at the infielders. It was clear from their expressions that the players out on the field didn't expect this either. Please do not freeze when the groundball hits.

Fortunately it didn't take Theo very long. With a strike count of 2-2, it was the Ethanian batter to take a chance on Benoit's fastball pitch to the very middle of the strike zone. Unfortunately, the batter didn't have the best of contact on the ninety-nine mile pitch, and it quickly rolled to young Benedict Calles III. Calles made sure to toss the pitch sideways to Anika Nesterovic on the second and that's where the difference was made as Nesterovic, right after stepping the second base, threw on the run as if she were mad, and the throw safely landed to Samuel Maybin, Theo's long-awaited successor, on the first.

Double Play completed. Series won. History made.

Then it was like that everything had run in panoramas once again. As the Grim Reapers' players threw their gloves into the air and poured into the infield to celebrate the first ever qualification into the WBC quarterfinals stage by a Quebecois side, Theo started crying as him and Kate McLelland-Gong, the Grim Reapers' bench coach, immediately came to an embrace.

'We did it! We did it! We did it!' Theo shouted, his arms in the air, as he left the dugout and got into the huddle himself. It was a weird feeling being part of it all, from the very beginning, and now that his friend Myeong-Shin, the other half of the HP-dynamite had decided to retire, they were able to break past the longstanding barriers of Round of Sixteen that had long limited this team.

It was almost as if Theo's turn to retire as well. His five-year marriage to actress Natalie Gregoris has not been at the easiest of states with him living in Cassadaigua half the year as a Brattleboro Brats' team captain, and with their daughter Odette getting older, it was clear from their interactions that maybe it's prudent for him to be home more often as well. Well this is my turn to go as well, Theo thought to himself, as Samuel and Jean-Noel Bellefeuille dropped a gatorade shower on him and Myeong-Shin, two veterans of the team who were now running on burrowed time.

by **South Newlandia** » Thu Apr 21, 2022 6:00 pm

Disclaimers:
* this project would not be possible without the efforts from Super-Llamaland. The words and pictures on screen right now were made by me, but would not be possible without extensive background work from both of us. Please do grade accordingly.
* this RP series may, on occasion, mention numbers about your players. Hot damn, does this one mention numbers. Feel free to ignore them if you don’t like them; but keep in mind that scoring rates are lower in the LPB, with roughly 10% fewer runs than in the MLB. The average most commonly used position player in the South Newlandian league slashed .253/.314/.406 and hit 15 home runs.
* The Evan Masorka award is our version of the Cy Young award.
* If you read this disclaimer, please let me know if you have any feedback for the Recaps/Previews!
* if you’re interested in seeing all the 1920 LPB game results, or a specific subsection of them, feel free to dm me about it!
* The players shown on the batting line-ups are “The average most commonly used position player”, at their most common position, at the most common spot in the line-up, excluding players that were traded mid-season.
* This is the last disclaimer here, now there’s 7 of them. Good job reading them all!

South Newlandian League

SNL South Recap (preview for reference: viewtopic.php?p=39504857#p39504857 (includes team charts))

P                           Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD    Win % 
 1 Sun City Flames          160   94  66   729  642  +87    0.588 
 2 Walstreim Stingrays      160   76  84   682  674   +8    0.475
 3 Malidridad Mariners      160   70  90   608  722 −114    0.438
 4 St. Riecarn Saints       160   63  97   606  742 −136    0.394

Sun City Flames

Last seasons:

Season 2: 36-36, 2nd in SW, lost in divisional round (1-3 Rhinos)
Season 3: 36-36, 2nd in SW, lost in SNBL Final Series (3-5 United)
Season 4: 32-40, 3rd in SW, missed playoffs
Season 5: 29-43, 4th in SW, missed playoffs
LPB Season 1: 75-85, 2nd in SNL South, missed playoffs

Expectations
After a relatively good start as an expansion franchise, the Flames slowly seemed to burn out. They had fired up the Jets for a final run in just their second year of existence, but since then, they had produced mediocre baseball under Al Krauss. Then again, they had made some interesting off-season moves. Before everything else, they signed the man, the myth, the legend, infamous Drawkian closer Franklin Bell. They also had a bunch of picks slowly panning out, a young core with just the right amount of foreign excellence sprinkled in. No one would’ve seriously bet on a deep Flames run, but then again, no team is as unpredictable as this one.
Recap: Overview
The Flames caught on fire early in the season, sprinting out to a 6-1 record in the first seven games. They had a truly marvellous season that really went in unpredictable directions. However, despite that, the Flames kept winning more games than they lost. Never before had they finished a season with more wins than defeats, but those Flames were consistently above .500. They were able to consistently win close games, as evidenced by a strong record in 1-run ballgames and in extra innings, and were simply a well-functioning baseball team that avoided disaster. They had a 10-game lead on the rest of the division, managed to clinch it well before any other team in the LPB, and finished 18 games ahead of the Stingrays in the final standings. A crucial piece of the puzzle were the direct games between the two teams. Heading into the final series of the season, the Flames had a 10-4 record over the Rays, before those Stingrays obliterated the Flames in a combined 18-1 sweep. It was all the revenge they were going to get this season. The Flames simply refused to lose.
Recap: Pitchers

The Flames had, surprisingly, one of the better LPB pitching staffs. Allowing 642 runs, they clocked in at the 4th-best mark in the SNL. Farabeh Conateh had a career year with an ERA of 2.74, Karla Levey proved to be an excellent draft day addition, pitching to an ERA of 3.02, while second-season starters Dean and McBride were massively improved from the previous season. Even spot starter Talvin Mankira finished above replacement value. However, the piece de resistance for the Flames was their closer, Franklin Bell. He rocked an ERA of 1.77, along with finishing with the most saves in the South Newlandian League. Until the Flames mercifully got him some help, he carried this bullpen on his back. Help eventually arrived in the form of Sally Rivera, who was a good contributor to this team, but Bell takes the Lions’ share of credit for the Flames finishing four wins higher than expected by run differential, the highest mark in the South Newlandian League.
Recap: Fielders
The Flames put up 729 runs, tied for 4th-best in the South Newlandian League. It was a cumulative effort; the Flames were one of just two SNL teams with two players reaching 30 dingers (the other being literally called the ‘Homers’). In her second season, Tiffany Grey made a major step up, finishing with the 5th-best slugging in the entire league, while proving strong defense at first base; while rookie Ava Llorente caught on fire down the stretch, finishing with 33 home runs, the 6th-best mark in the entire SNL – as a rookie, taken #24 overall! With the corners of the infield taken care of, we move inwards, where Mesuli Calata had a typically great season, finishing as the third Flame with an OPS north of .800. The other, next to Grey, was traded Left Fielder Killian O'Mally. The Flames shelled out for him, and he rewarded them with an OPS of almost 1.000 in the games he played for them. Opposite of the TJUN-ian, they had Francisco Adam, who finished top 20 in batting average, and Wesley Reid, who mostly played DH. The former 4th-overall pick in the SNBL is finally appreciating, getting close to a league-average bat. All in all, this team had strengths; and more importantly, they kept momentum going.
Awards
The Flames had only Bell on the All-Star team, as they were victims of quite egregious snubs and the general assumption that they were just going to blow it again in typical Flames fashion. This was rectified somewhat, as Conateh ended up in the top 10 of Evan Masorka voting, and Franklin Bell won the Reliever of the Year award. O’Mally was also rewarded for a great season he played for two teams. SNL Voters are typically open to giving rewards to players that were traded mid-season, and thanks to an especially hot late stretch, the TJUN-ian ended up the only SNL player to take home a Golden Glove and a Silver Slugger. On top of that, coach Al Krauss managed to win the Coach of the Year award.
The future
The Flames are back in the playoffs, where they will battle the Elephant Valley Homers in the SNLDS. As always, there’s no telling where this team might go next; but in the mid-season trades, they lost almost all of their draft capital. This is the Flames’ chance to make an impact.

Walstreim Stingrays

Last seasons:

Season 2: 44-28, 1st in SE; lost in Conference round (2-4 Rhinos)
Season 3: 44-28; 1st in SE; lost in Conference round (3-4 Flames)
Season 4: 41-31, 1st in SE; lost in divisional round (1-3 Saints)
Season 5: 37-35, 2nd in SE, lost in divisional round (1-3 Mariners)
LPB Season 1: 93-67, 1st in SNL South, lost in SNLCS (3-4 Dolphins)

Expectations
The Rays had made the playoffs every time in the modern era, including four division titles. With them retaining their core, everyone expected the Stingrays to handily win the South again, and make another deep run in the postseason.
Recap: Overview
They did not. The Rays weren’t above .500 at any point in the season, following a game one home loss to those pesky Flames we’d already mentioned. They just were not the same team they’d been; and while everyone else in the league improved, the Stingrays were floating dead in the water. They were pretty much out of contention by the All-Star break, but they never even made an attempt to fight, not even for the still-in-reach second wild card spot. It’s hard to pinpoint where the Rays went wrong; they were simply busted.
Recap: Pitchers

674 runs surrendered isn’t such a big difference to last season, with Kyle McNash and Nolan Jefferson each finishing with ERAs around 3, while second-season starter Felix Correa started to improve and finished with an ERA of 3.87. Crissey Battey also had a very good game. Not necessarily season, though.
The bullpen is the place where the Rays had issues. Hine Salle was very un-Salle-like this; proving that she could, in fact, be shaken sometimes; her ERA of 3.78 was more than a half run worse than her FIP, but it was still a bad season by her standards. Draft addition Hona Gugor struggled; first with command, later with shoulder issues that sent her to the DL for about half the season.
Recap: Fielders
682 runs were too few for the aspirations of the Rays. The 8th-best mark in the South Newlandian League, far from playoff calibre. They simply lacked any particularly strong bats. By OPS, their best hitter was Aiden Beasley, who finished 32nd in the SNL in that metric. Despite Ford and Kagawa also cracking the top 40, that’s simply not enough to do much of anything. Mattieu Gammond was never known for his hitting, but league average should be possible for him; Grady Elliott wasn’t terrible, but also league average at best, while everyone else except for Kagawa, Ford and Beasley was simply not good compared to their positions. Despite having a better batting average of the Flames, the Rays had the worst walk rate in the SNL, and only hit 116 home runs between their 9 main starters. That just isn’t going to cut it.
Awards
The Rays featured four All-Stars; Jefferson, Halle (who had been better in the first half), Kagawa and Elliott. In the end, the only one who actually won anything was Gammond, who won the Golden Glove at first base, while Jefferson finished in the top 10 of Evan Masorka voting.
The future
It’s difficult to judge where the Stingrays go from this disaster of a season. Following their first missed playoffs in ages, they are now without coach or identity, and with the LPB expansion, the future of basically their entire cast of good players is uncertain.

Malidridad Mariners

Last seasons:

(as Southwestern Baselanders)
Season 2: 30-42, 4th in SW, missed playoffs
Season 3: 14-58, 4th in SW, missed playoffs
(as Malidridad Mariners)
Season 4: 30-42, 4th in SW, missed playoffs
Season 5: 32-40, 1st in SW, lost in conference round (1-4 Monarchs)
LPB Season 1: 67-93, 3rd in SNL South, missed playoffs

Expectations
The Mariners are clearly rebuilding. Just two members of the team are over 27; the Mariners are working on the future. They have prospects all over, and will be looking to add more before truly becoming a contender in roughly 2-5 seasons. The seasons up to then will be filled with testing and experimentation to see what works.
Recap: Overview
And that’s what it was. They had an 0-13 streak early in the season, that’s all you need to know.
Recap: Pitchers

The M’s surrendered 722 runs over the season. That’s quite surprising considering they don’t really have great pitchers, but Kristen Osborn, former third-overall SNBL pick, made strides for an ERA of 3.14, while Michaelson and Fletcher also pitched good seasons by their standards. The M’s also had a good bullpen, led by Webber with an ERA of 2.56.
Recap: Fielders
608 runs aren’t amazing, but there’s good news for a couple of Mariners. Rookie Nolan Ramsey proved he’s a good player with a top-25 batting average in the SNL, Jason Valbuena had a good defensive season, Hugo Brock was solid at the plate and at third, while Goodson continued being a top-tier defender at short and an embarrassment at the plate. There were also good news for Kurt Sweet, who got a one-way ticket out of town and plays for the Owls now. The Mariners had an elite infield, which likely helped them get their very low BABIP that really helped out their pitching staff, but the upside just wasn’t there.
Awards
While Dhruv Webber made the All-Star team (as every team had to have one), the Mariners failed to win a single award at seasons’ end.
The future
The rebuild continues. At some point, the Mariners will have a dangerously good team, surely, but now is not that time. Whether that time ever comes in Malidridad is unclear, as the M’s are, much like the Dragons, in a stadium dispute that might see them leave the extremely small market for greener pastures.

St. Riecarn Saints

Last seasons:

Season 2: 35-37, 3rd in SE, lost in divisional round (0-3 Stingrays)
Season 3: 37-35, 2nd in SE, lost in divisional round (2-3 Stingrays)
Season 4: 38-34, 3rd in SE, lost in conference round (3-4 Sox)
Season 5: 33-39, 3rd in SE, lost in divisional round (0-3 Monarchs)
LPB Season 1: 66-94, 4th in SNL South, missed playoffs

Expectations
With their new Quebecois coach Dana Hussel, the Saints were going to try and establish a good culture in St. Riecarn, with little on-field contention expected.
Recap: Overview
It did not go well for the Saints. They won just 63 games, which at least got them the 3rd-overall pick in the next draft. A 9-35 stretch midway through ensured they would be nowhere near contention.
Recap: Pitchers

742 runs allowed was an improvement compared to last season, with Angela Wu notably pitching a very good rookie season. The bullpen was garbage.
Recap: Fielders
606 runs were also a slight improvement compared to last season. Much of that was thanks to the emergence of Josh Malouf. The shortstop from Brookstation, after finally getting the chances he deserved under Hussel, had an OPS of .777, along defending pretty well. Among shortstops, that’s fourth in the league, and the three ahead of him are all experienced national team players as well. Marea Homaly was the only other Saint that was decent with the bat and the glove.
Awards
Malouf was the lone Saints’ all-star. No awards here, either.
The future
Hussel is slowly trying to build this team into one that can contend, but right now, that seems like a very hard task.

SNL Wildcard hunt:
(showing all teams either currently in a wildcard spot, or no more than 5 games behind. Excludes division-leading teams unless that lead is tied)

Playoffs:

SNL Wildcard Game: Masmow Dragons (82-78) @ Newport Dolphins (92-68)

SNLDS: [Wildcard winner] – Rüsselsheim Blue Sox (97-63) Best of 5
Sun City Flames (94-66) – Elephant Valley Homers (96-64) Best of 5

SNLCS: [SNLDS Winners] Best of 7

Multiverse Series: [SNLCS Champion] – [SLLCS Champion]

by **Zwangzug** » Thu Apr 21, 2022 6:09 pm

RP cutoff for the quarterfinals!

United Adaikes          3 0 3 0 0 0 0 1 1 0  8
Quebec and Shingoryeo   0 1 0 1 2 0 4 0 0 4 12

United Adaikes          0 0 0 2 3 0 0 0 3  8
Quebec and Shingoryeo   2 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0  4

Series tied, 1-1

*game one originally scorinated as 13-8 with 5 runs in the ninth

Banija                  0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0  2
Quintessence of Dust    1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1  3

Banija                  0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1  3
Quintessence of Dust    0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0  2

Series tied, 1-1

Ranoria                 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0  1
Kriegiersien            0 1 0 0 0 0 1 2 X  4

Ranoria                 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  1
Kriegiersien            0 1 2 0 0 0 4 0 X  7

Kriegiersien leads series, 2-0

Scorinated by Tikariot:

Zwangzug               0 3 0 0 0 0 2 2 0  7
South Newlandia        0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0  2

Zwangzug               0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0  2
South Newlandia        0 0 2 0 0 0 0 1 X  3

Series tied, 1-1

Cutoff tomorrow might be on the late side.

by **Ranoria** » Thu Apr 21, 2022 8:51 pm

@KrautsBaseball Krauts Slip to 2 game deficit against Kriegiersien - is there hope for a revival? #Krauts #Playoffs #WBC54

@HalfDeadbeatMom Guys please I am not being served divorce papers to get swept by Kriegiersien. #GoKrauts #PleaseMakeThisWorthIt

Ranorian Bats Sleep In Their Caves As Kriegiersien Smashes Ranorian Hopes By 11-2 Total

Nicholas Lux and the Krauts had swept every one of their playoff opponents so far...Kriegiersien just might undo all of it

First, it was a bullpen collapse. The Kriegiersien lineup - which just pulled a huge upset in knocking off Chromatika - drew plenty of pitches, leading to Tommy Verona being pulled after the 6th inning. He'd allowed just one run through that point, but our bullpen collapsed. Be it Thomas Barnet allowed a run within three batters before being pulled for Corey Nielman, and he allowed two more runs in the eighth to make it a gap that we had no chance to bridge.

The second game was worse. For a team that had been getting buzz as a dark horse to win the whole thing, Ranoria collapsed, putting up just one run while Jorge Billing faltered hard in the early going to make it a 3-1 deficit, and once again, the bullpen collapsed. This time it would be a conglomeration of Alabater Cappa and Miellen Walker who threw any chance we had at a comeback away from the mound.

The Krauts aren't dead to rights yet by any stretch - they've clearly demonstrated the capability to win three straight playoff games in this Classic. But regardless of the result of this series, it's been an incredible season for our motley crew, who have finally cashed in on the potential they flashed eight years ago now in WBC 50.

Things are looking up for the Krauts - a quarterfinal berth is no trivial matter, but our fingers are crossed for a miracle.

by **Kriegiersien** » Fri Apr 22, 2022 4:40 am

The meat lover
Your magazine for good cuisine

WBC 54.

Ranoria                 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0  1
Kriegiersien            0 1 0 0 0 0 1 2 X  4


Ranoria                 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  1
Kriegiersien            0 1 2 0 0 0 4 0 X  7

Kriegiersien leads series, 2-0

It was a shock. Kriegiersien won the first two games against Ranoria and when the team, lead by great Pitcher Sarah Strongarm sat down at the table for the victory meal, the kitchen presented ‘Vegan Wolfhound in soy sauce’.
Everyone poked at the thing on their plates confused.

“It is a crime to butcher a cute and majestic animal like a Wolfhound for a meal, so I gave an alternative”, apologized the cook while kicking a rat out of the kitchen.

“I think the travesty is what he did with the food”, said one of the players, who wanted to remain anonymous.

by **Quintessence of Dust** » Fri Apr 22, 2022 11:17 am

Wally the Win Expectancy Worm Tells the Story of What Will Clearly Be The Most Exciting and Nerve-Wracking Playoff Game of the Series
Posted by sox2BU2

“Look a glass is half full or half, you know, the other thing, can we at least agree it’s not full yet?” -- Toby Ziegler

Prelude

will

B1.0 Jack Theriault singles (56D), Tom Brøndum to 3rd base

+8.21%

T4.1 Luxolo Mbeki doubles (89D), Malik Soley to 3rd

-10.15%

T4.1 Nyaniso Hani singles (56D), Malik Soley scores, Luxolo Mbeki out at home (6–2)

+0.09%

+8%

B4.1 Kaori Yutani singles (89S), Kutoshi Kawasuda scores, Natalí Ágústsdóttir to 2nd

+14.33%

T6.2 Luxolo Mbeki doubles (8LXD), Malik Soley to scores

-17.72%

after

by **Banija** » Fri Apr 22, 2022 2:41 pm

Banijans tie series up at one game a piece with 12 inning win over the Quintessence of Dust

Akachi jogs around the bases for his two run home run in the second inning of Game 2

ZWISCHEN, ZWANGZUG- Yet another dastardly close series, am I right? After losing in 11 in Game 1, we threw Faraba Conateh on the mound to try and tie this series at one game a piece. He told reporters that he was excited for the challenge. "QoD have an excellent, obviously we know that as they just won a world title. But it was evident even yesterday. To beat this team three times, we really have to be on top of our game. No silly mistakes, the margins will be close, we have to be aggressive and composed at the same time. It's going to take the very highest standard to beat them- but we believe that we can reach that standard." And with other players showing that confidence despite QoD walking it off after 11 just the night before, Banija was going to get right back into this series.

Game 2

First, let's put the focus on the second inning. The top of the 2nd. Both starters went 1-2-3 in the first inning, and when Luxolo Mbexi came up to start the 2nd inning, not much was expected of him. But when our designated hitter singled to right field to lead off the inning, well- things changed. First baserunner of the game in the 2nd inning? Not that surprising. But that's when Banija really got most of what little offense we had all day long. Unfortunately for us, our #5 hitter, Nyaniso Hani, struck out. But that led the free swinging, power mashing teenager, Ugonna Akachi, to the plate with just one out in the second. And what did he do? Smashed the ball 440 feet into left center fielder, hitting the ball almost into the second deck in left-center. Just like that, via the long ball, the Banijans were up 2-0 on their opponents.

Banija's offense was tamed after that- after that homer, QoD's starting pitcher proceeded to get 16 consecutive outs, not allowing another baserunner until a 2 out double by Nyaniso Hani broke up one of the most dominant pitching performances we've seen in this entire tournament. But what was Faraba Conateh doing with his early 2-0 lead, and the blazing Quodite pitcher on the other side? Well, he was keeping Banija in this game. He wasn't quite as dominant as his counterpart- but Faraba Conateh was feisty. There's an art to pitching yourself in and out of jams, and on this day, Conateh mastered it. Runnres on 2nd and third with 1 out in the bottom of the third? Strike out and then a lazy fly to get out of the inning. Bases loaded, 2 outs in the fourth? Force a pop up.

Of course, allowing all those baserunners means that your pitch count is going to run up, and Conateh's did. That meant Oladipo could not turn to his preferred strategy- ride his starter like a workhorse. But Conateh stayed in the game long enough to get the win. It's incredibly fortunate to allow just 1 run when you throw 101 pitches to get through 5 innings. Not even Oladipo could've kept him in after that tiring of an outing. But a RBI double is the only run he allowed, and when he left the game after the fifth inning, he was in line for the win. But trusting the bullpen to get 12 outs in a one run game? That's a tough ask. And in the sixth inning, Ismaela Ndour recorded a blown save by throwing a meatball over the plate for Maas Pheng Yang, who pulled the ball down the left field line, enough of a pull to smash the ball straight into the foul pole. Of course, that's always a home run, and that meant the game was tied.

It would be up to Banija's bullpen. In a 2-2 game after six innings, what do you do as a manager? Throw on the long reliever, or trust your middle bullpen? Especially if you're trying to avoid going down 0-2. It's a tough decision. But Oladipo went to his long reliever. The 25 year old Duka Kondana was handed the baseball, and went three strong innings. Allowing just a 2 out 7th inning walk, and a leadoff single in the 8th(after which she immediately got a 4-6-3 double play), Kondana's performance was excellent. Despite his youth, being just 25, the moment was not too big for him. After the 7th inning, when Haakon Kalberg had been pulled after allowing the two out double, it was an battle of the bullpens.

After three innings from our long reliever, Oladipo started trotting out various middle and back end relievers. Oladipo brought on the setup man, Oyella Lagum, to pitch the bottom of the 10th. Of course, it's so tense to pitch those bottom halves in a tie game- but Lagum is built for these moments. A closer in the WBBL, he wasn't fazed. He did, unfortunately, allow a leadoff double to start the bottom of the 10th inning. But he was ready for the turmoil. First batter of the bottom of the 10th? Strikeout. The second batter? A long flyout to right field. IT was probably 6 or so feet away from being the game-winning, walkoff home run. But still, the runner tagged up from second base to third base. The winning run on third, with two outs. What happens? Borgþórsson, who is up to bat, is intentionally walked, and Maas Pheng Yang is given a chance to win it. But with forces at both first and second, Lagum is able to force a bouncing ground ball up the middle from Yang. Cedron Aloo made a diving play at second to get the ball, and flipped it to Calata at short to end the inning.

Arad Akech pitched a 1-2-3 11th inning, and then we went to the 12th inning. When our catcher, Anathi Zimema, had a leadoff walk to start the 12th, Oladipo decided he was going to go for the win. Ipe Chafukwa came into the game to pinch run for the catcher. And Sarjo Corr came off the bench to pinch hit. Unfortunately, that pinch hit ended up being a poor one, as Corr struck out on 3 pitches. But the first one? Well, our leadoff hitter, Mesuli Calata, was first pitch swinging off of Hjálmgeir Reidarsson. When Reidarsson hung a breaking ball, Calata lined one straight into the gap in right center. Chafukwa got a great jump on it, and the two middle infielders were flying around the basepaths. Too much speed on the base paths, as Chafukwa scored standing up. The relay man at second base, Kaori Yutani, didn't even throw home- he threw to third. But Calata, who is fast in his own right, just barely beat the tag with his slide, and our squad was up 3-2, with a man on third and one out. Unfortunately, Benoît Beaufils came in after that and struck out both Oneko and Solely, but the damage was done. Banija's first run in 10 innings. Would it be enough?

Yoro Coulibaly has certainly had a shaky World Baseball Classic, especially in the knockout stages. Uncharacteristically blowing a few saves. But in the biggest spots, Oladipo has continued to trust his veteran closer- and put the ball into his hands for the 12th. Of course, who else could've gotten the ball? The 37 year old reliever immediately allowed a base hit up the middle. Banijan fans really were on the edge of their seat. But Coulibaly, after a mound visit, calmed down and validated his manager's trust in him. A center field flyout to Sarjo Carr for out #1. A foul out for out #2. And then, on a full count, striking out the batter looking to end game 2. Oladipo has said. "We can't win without our closer, so I'm putting our faith in him. He's done it all and seen it all, and is a world champion. My faith? Rock solid."

Looking Ahead

In game 2, the bullpen logged, as a combined unit, 7 innings of one run baseball. Duka Kondana, Ismaela Ndour, Arad Akech, Oyella Lagum, and Yoro Coulibaly(not in that order) all threw at least an inning, and Kondana threw three. It was a hell of a performance. But Oladipo, as he always does, said that he'd put his faith in Xolile Gola for game 3 and Odoyo for Game 4. "Look, this series is now a best of 3. We've got to lean into what we do best, and do it the right way- starting pitching. I hated, absolutely hated, taking out our starter today after just 1 earned run across five innings. But 101 pitches through 5... That's simply too much. We're going to look for a big night from Xolile Gola, and we think she can deliver that to us."

Of course, Banija will be the designated home team for games 3 and 4. Not that it matters much, since the DH rule will be in place for all 5 games of this series. Will this series continue to be incredibly tight, forcing yet another do-or-die game 5? Or can Banija or QoD establish enough of an advantage to book their tickets to the WBC Semifinals?

by **South Newlandia** » Fri Apr 22, 2022 4:27 pm

OOC Note: This RP was collaboratively written by TJUN-ia and South Newlandia, and should be graded as such. It follows the story of TJUN-ian Maddison "Maddy" Riley-Jones and her boyfriend, born South Newlandian, TJUN-ian by choice, Robin Dragonovic, both NSSCRA drivers. TJUN-ia will also post the same RP in the NSSCRA Thread later.

She certainly needed this…some time to get the pressure out of her thoughts. Maddison Riley-Jones didn’t particularly enjoy her time in the Super Skychief 500, qualifying in 14th before an issue for the fuel pump in her Dart caused her to DNF from proceedings and tumble away from Chase contention. She now knows she will be in the same boat as Michael Stefan by the time next week runs around, having to win in Jalton in order to make the cut at all…and she could already feel the stress begin to build.

But fortunately for her, she had an extra day in Hapilopper to unwind before all of Jaguar Racing departs for Saint Kanye and so, she decided to use the extra time to her advantage with the best way she knew to enjoy herself - in the company of one Robin Dragonovic. Robby still hadn’t made the T2 Chase himself as of yet but found himself in a stronger position to make it in. But no matter the situation, Maddy knew she could rely on Robin to be her anchor in her time of need…and then came the baseball game.

*TV is turned on. Top 5th, TJU 6 SNL 2*
MRJ: …and, well, I’m starting to feel a bit…stressed, you know?
RD: “Yeah, I get that. You know, it doesn’t matter that much. It’s not your fault, after all.”
MRJ: Yeah, I know that but…I’ve come so far and I feel like that…the pressure is on both me and Micky to win and get in, you know?
RD: “Sure, the Chase is the goal of course; but you still had a great season, and sometimes things are just not in your control. I know, it’s hard, I struggle with it too.”
MRJ: Yeah…I get that. I guess Alfonso winning his first race made me put pressure on myself to do the same, you know? Not his fault, of course, and he certainly deserved it, but…when one person does it, others want to follow in their stead.
RD: “Sure. I know you’ve got the skills to do it, too, and I can certainly see you still pulling it off.”
MRJ: I knew you’d say that…it’s like we’ve swapped places.
RD: “The more things change, the more they stay the same.”

TV Broadcast: “Deep drive into right-center by Pedro Moires, that will score a run, Ventura goes to fetch it, Moires thinks about three, but has to hold up at second. Two-out RBI double for the TJUN-ian, that’ll make it 7-2!”

MRJ: Huh? 7-2…in the top of the 5th? What happened?
RD: “Yeah, that is Maike Bookmer on the mound there, she wasn’t supposed to start today? What’s going on here?”
MRJ: I’ll check the box score…OK yeah, that explains it. It was 6-2 after the 1st, so they must’ve called the bullpen very early.
RD: “Disaster for Gonzalo, he’d been pitching well. Oh well, this was never going to be a second consecutive sweep for the Elephants.”
MRJ: Yeah, I get that. The Battin’ Jags are battling for pride before most of them retire at the end of this WBC - so they’ve got nothing to lose. Very dangerous. I can’t believe I’m getting this engrossed in a baseball game.
RD: “Baseball’s fun, and this is TJUN-ia against South Newlandia, what more could you need (smiling), that’s always fun to watch!”
MRJ: Yeah…certainly (smiles back)...plus as well, I’m watching it with you, so that multiplies the fun factor by at least 5. ;)
RD: “I love you, too”

TV Broadcast: “Daryl Dunlop will lead off for the Elephants in the fifth. He’s gonna attack the first pitch, and that one’s lined into Right Field for a base hit!”

RD: “Did I ever tell you that Dunlop grew up in my neighbourhood? He lives in Masmow now, but he went to high school in Trunkst. I know his family.”
MRJ: Wow. That is neat! Is it cool to see him on the TV?
RD: “Honestly, I know a lot of famous South Newlandian people. It’s a small country, and my father has all kinds of connections everywhere. You don’t become minister of the interior by just sitting on your couch, and he brought me along all the time when I was younger.”
MRJ: Wow…that must’ve been so cool! I wasn’t as lucky, the closest I could think of is when I was racing Alfonso and AJ and even LCC before they became NSSCRA drivers…but that about it.
RD: “Yeah, I’m lucky to have had that opportunity. But I tell you, having to tag along as a teen to all kinds of boring adult events was fairly boring most of the time, at least it was for me at the time.”

TV Broadcast: “2-2 count, Bains has the bases loaded with just one out. Here’s the pitch by Davis Johnson, swung on, and just out of reach of Steven Fulmer! Runs will score! Bains is wheeling around the bases, one run scores, two runs score, Drum is coming home! Throw to the plate, he’s safe! Bains ends up with a bases-clearing three-bagger, and this is a two-run ballgame!”

MRJ: Welp…that is baseball. The game can change dramatically with a single swing. Just like motorsports and…most other sports, actually.
RD: “That’s true.”
MRJ: To be honest, I’m starting to get a little bit nervous that Lam could end up winning a race before me…but I’m worried in a good way. They’ve been on fire recently, you know? And they’re only 18 and all!
RD: “Talent is timeless, yeah. It’s always great when you can watch a future star blossom, you don’t get the opportunity all that often.”
MRJ: Yeah…I guess Gao coming here and Lam going to HM was the best thing that could’ve happen to both of them.
RD: “Yup.”
MRJ: And of course, both pale in comparison to the best thing of all: this guy! (points at Robin)
RD: “(laughing) Stop it, I’m getting red again already!”
MRJ: Mate, I’m your girlfriend - that’s kinda in the job description. The same works both ways.
RD: “Still feels surreal to me, but you’re the best thing that could’ve happened to me.”
MRJ: Feeling’s mutual. :D

TV Broadcast: “Top of the sixth, one out, man on second. Jags still lead by two. Killian O'Mally is at the plate, with Maike Bookmer still pitching. 1-2 count, fouled back. We’re gonna see another 1-2, and that slider is crushed, that one is way gone, second deck, see you later! 9-5 Jags!”

RD: “Wow, that one was way gone.”
MRJ: Yep, that’s the Battin’ Jags for you - they aim for the wall most of the time. It’s kinda the TJUN-ian Baseball way, even down in the Cubs.
RD: “It’s fun when the balls get hit that far. That looked like it might’ve been 450 feet. Probably not quite. Did I ever tell you the story of me playing little league as a young boy?”
MRJ: Uh…no, I don’t think you have. Were you alright at it?
RD: “Not really. It was never a sport for me - way too slow. But you know who was good on my little league team? A boy named Leif. He used to be teammates with Dunlop in Masmow.”
MRJ: Huh…it seems that talent is obvious even at that young of an age.
RD: “It wasn’t really obvious then. There were a couple of decent pitchers around, I couldn’t have predicted which of them would make it and which one’s wouldn’t. Did you ever play other sports when you were younger?”
MRJ: Well, I used to love to play cricket when I was younger…it was one of the favourites down in PE. I grew out of the sport when i dedicatced myself to racing, but it still holds a soft spot in my heart…right next to you, of course.

RD: “Aww, that’s sweet. TJUN-ia really has a big variety of sports, don’t they? Far less limited than South Newlandia.”
MRJ: Yeah, but that’s more a symptom of the whole “International Community” thing. When you have so many different cultures and peoples under that same flag, you get so many different sports where you can find people who play it.
RD: “True! And TJUN-ia also has way more people, so you can probably find someone for every sport. Also, hold on, since when are the Elephants up 11-9? You don’t pay attention for half a minute and they bat around, typical.”
MRJ: Wait, what? What the hell?!
RD: “Crazy, right. Wouldn’t have seen that coming.”
MRJ: Neither I…but that’s baseball for you, I guess. But hey…that’s actually given me something, you know?
RD: “What?”
MRJ: Well…it made me remember the beauty of sport, you know? Football teams can come back from 3-0 down, Basketball teams can come back from 26 down and race car drivers can come back from a lap down if things go their way. Nothing is for certain until the very end and I…lost sight of that for a little while. I can still do this…I can’t give up at all, that wouldn’t feel right at all. I know the Battin’ Jags are losing….but SNL was 7-2 down and now, look where they are. I can do that if I truly believe in myself.
RD: “I know you’ll give it your all in Saint Kanye, and I know you’re good enough to pull it off if the stars align for you to get a chance to prove it.”
MRJ: I know Robby…I know. Thank you for being my light once more. I don’t know where I’d be without you, you know?
RD: Well, I know where I’d be without you, and it’s nowhere near a racetrack. Your talent was always going to make you one of the best of the multiverse.”
MRJ: Yeah…I know…but it was you who made me fully realise that. And I will always be grateful for that.

by **Zwangzug** » Fri Apr 22, 2022 8:11 pm

Thank you for your patience, more QFs coming soon!

Quebec and Shingoryeo   2 1 0 0 0 3 0 0 0  6
United Adaikes          0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1  1

Quebec and Shingoryeo   0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 1  3
United Adaikes          2 0 1 1 2 0 2 0 X  8

Series tied, 2-2

Quintessence of Dust    0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0  2
Banija                  0 1 0 0 0 0 4 0 X  5

Quintessence of Dust    0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0  1
Banija                  0 0 0 2 2 0 1 0 X  5

Banija wins series, 3-1

Kriegiersien            0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0  2
Ranoria                 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 X  3

Kriegiersien            0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0  2
Ranoria                 0 1 0 5 1 0 0 0 X  7

Series tied, 2-2

Scorinated by Banija:

South Newlandia        0 2 0 1 2 2 1 0 0  8
Zwangzug               1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  1

South Newlandia        0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0  1
Zwangzug               0 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 X  3

Series tied, 2-2

by **Kriegiersien** » Sat Apr 23, 2022 7:25 am

The meat lover
Your magazine for good cuisine

WBC 54

Kriegiersien            0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0  2
Ranoria                 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 X  3


Kriegiersien            0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0  2
Ranoria                 0 1 0 5 1 0 0 0 X  7

Series tied, 2-2

Raniora doesn’t give up and doesn’t want to be swallowed so easily. The whole Kriegiersien team felt sick.
Seems the last meal wasn’t as digestible as hoped.

For now, there will be a diet until the next match.

by **Ranoria** » Sat Apr 23, 2022 11:44 am

Delacruz Field, Bassabook
Prior to the opening pitch of Kriegiersien vs Ranoria, Game 3

Leonardo Harrison was an exception among the best baseball players in the country. With the Federation of Ranorian Baseball being a smaller, less lucrative league, most of the nation's top players went to play abroad in search of capitalizing on their skill. One could look at recent examples such as Vincent Veltrone and budding star Julian Breit, who took their talents to Llamaphant Pro Baseball. Superstar Nicholas Lux signed with Quebec's Montreal Expos, and recently won an MVP in Ranoria's mother country. He joined Tim von Kuhn - who spent most of his career with the QBO's Moncton Dinos before retiring from domestic play a year ago. Hell, Jesse Griffith has made it clear he intends to go play in the QBO after winning an MVP and putting in 7 seasons for the Cincinnatti Warbirds of the Federation.

Even the pitchers are mostly imported from other leagues. Tommy Verona, our ace, takes the mound for the QBO's California City Dodgers when he isn't showcasing his gas for the Krauts, while both Parker Majors and Erik Schmidt play domestically in Banija.

It's a smart move for those players - in more seen, more lucrative environments, they can cash in on their talent for both capital and status more than they could here at home. But Harrison has never wavered. Despite plenty of offers from around the world, he's firmly planted his feet with his Nashville Maestros. Harrison is the highest paid Federation player in history by a mile, but his compensation still doesn't compare to that of those playing abroad. So why does he stay?

Leo's goal is - and always has been - to spearhead the ascension of Ranorian baseball. He understands that if all of our top talent leaves the country, that's impossible. So the man who's arguably the best on this team stays at home and sacrifices the lifestyle going foreign could afford him. It's also helped him to avoid nicknames such as "Mercenary" which Nicholas Lux earned after defecting.

But there's another component to domestic baseball's success. The people of Ranoria and around the world have to believe that Ranorian talent is world class, and that means success in the World Baseball Classic. So while this 54th edition has been a boon, seeing the defeated looks in the locker room going into game 3, he had to step in.

"So that's it?" Leo slung his favorite bat over his shoulder, blocking the exit leading to diamond. Most of his teammates looked disintered at first. "All your work, all that sacrifice, and you're ready to call it a season that quickly? You've missed out on time with your families and children, pushed your bodies to the point of breaking, trained your mind to play this sport for hours on end, and at the first sign of adversity, you'll hand it in?"

Lux and Griffith in particular nodded along - they were champions. Elite talents. They knew the team likely needed to hear this, that if they were going to have their chance, this was it.

"Throw down the gauntlet! Don't throw all of that blood and sweat away, because we may never get this opportunity again. Tim! This is it for you! At least go down swinging that big bat of yours! This dream of ours isn't dead, so please, one final effort. That's all I'm asking for."

The veteran stood for a moment and sighed, looking across the club. Some eyes had hardened with resolve. Others looked like they wanted to go home.

He spun on his heel and braced the bat against both shoulders - it would have to be enough.

by **South Newlandia** » Sat Apr 23, 2022 5:51 pm

What’s the best place to be a worm? I mean, it’s a question that hardly needs to be answered at all. It’s the Worm Hole in Zwischen. Let’s see what our favourite worm, Wally, thinks about the series between South Newlandia and Zwangzug there!

Game 1:
After Elephants’ starter Ryan Hunter had given up three early runs to the hosting Zebras, South Newlandians struggled to break through against Rudolph Vocar-Dijo, game one starter for Zwangzug. By the way, fun fact; Hunter and Vocar-Dijo had been matched up thrice in the LPB Season. Over those three games, both had kept their ERAs under one, with them each grabbing a win, a no-decision, and a loss. Anyhow, Vocar-Dijo had the Elephants under control until the sixth, when Daryl Dunlop got a chance with the bases loaded and two out. He managed to slap one through between Tallis and Boole, bringing home Fabio Ventura and Hugo Brock, the latter scoring on a bang-bang play that just beat the throw by Augustus-Vonn. What does Wally think about this for the Elephants? (WP 20% -> 42.98%, +22.98%)! It’s almost a new ballgame altogether! Sadly, Zimmerman popped out (-12.52%) to leave runners on the corners, and a two-run shot by Alyssa Kinnakeet (-19.33%) all but put the game away for the Zebras, who ended up winning 7-2.

Game 2:
Ben Gonzalo was duelling Marcia Swirsky, following up the game one lefty battle with one of two right-handed pitchers. A two-run double by Mike Larsen put the Elephants up early (75.37% -> 85.56%, +10.19%) with the base hit by Brad Moore that put runners on the corners actually more impactful for the WP (+12.21%). However, the Zebras were far from done – consecutive RBI singles in the 6th brought the game back to just a 55.08% win probability for the Elephants, tying the game at two each. It was Adam King who decided this game in the eighth with his one-out solo shot (58.81% -> 88.05%, +29.24%!), the most impactful play in the series so far going by WP. Barnaby Butt went to get his seventh save of these playoffs, and he did, successfully shutting down the Zebras without allowing a baserunner.

Game 3:
With Jay Kramer up to battle Istvan Arhain-Tam, we once again saw right-handers duke it out. After an early RBI-double by Kelly Tallis put the Zebras ahead, (-9.93%), the Elephants responded with an onslaught of hits to take the series lead with a convincing 8-1 victory. Wally has already checked out far before we reach the later innings. (98.95% for the Elephants midway through the seventh)

Game 4:
Just like in game three, game four was played without a DH in place. Due to this, Rasmussen gave Conroy the starting nod over Maike Bookmer, and Conroy fought a good duel with Julian Mecc-Sanders in yet another duel of righty starters. While he struck out in both of his at-bats, he also surrendered three runs in five innings of work. Enrico Nieves-Gau brought a run home on a fielding error by Hugo Brock that would’ve otherwise ended the inning (-10.26%), but the Elephants got that run back when Daryl Dunlop led off the fourth with a crushing solo shot to right (+15.58%), but a two-RBI single in the fourth gave the lead back to the Zebras (31.18% -> 14.73%), a crushing blow to the Elephants. They did not manage to score another run, and like Butt in game two, Emily Schern-Montgomery came up clutch, striking out two Elephants on route to a 1-2-3 inning.

This brings up a game 5 duel between Ryan Hunter, who had to take a loss in game one, and whoever the Zebras will give the ball to. Where will Wally decide to go next?

World Baseball Classic 54 (IC thread)

Batter Up!: We Did It Our Way

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