WBC 55 - Drawkland Road Trip

by **Drawkland** » Mon Aug 01, 2022 7:31 pm

WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC 55 - DRAWKLAND

I Can't Drive 55
Signup Thread • Host Bid
Ranks • Discussion Thread • WBC 54
Guide to Sports RP • Wikipedia Baseball Page • NSS Wiki WBC Page • IBS 17

Are you ready for one of the most legendary road trips of all time?

For World Baseball Classic 55, Drawkland invites 48 nations to travel to Drawkland and play to crown the next champion of top-level international baseball! The Drawkian International Sporting Council (DISC) considered our last baseball hosting venture, WBC 48, to be a great success. We feel that WBC 55 will be just as fun and engaging as the last!

FORMAT

Every nation has been assigned a specific venue within Drawkland to serve as their home ground for the majority of the tournament. Nations were drawn into eight groups of six for the group stage, with each group's assigned venues being geographically close to one another within Drawkland. A quadruple round robin will be played, resulting in a total of 20 games in the group stage.

At the end of the group stage, there will be a Round of 24. The top nation in each group will receive a bye to the Round of 16, while the 2nd and 3rd placed teams in each group will compete in the first round. Seeding will be based on placement first, then by record and the other tiebreakers. The playoffs will progress in series format, with each series being Best 3 of 5. The only exception is the championship series, which will be Best 4 of 7. A third-place series will be held as well.

The group stage and playoff seeding tiebreakers in order: Group Placement (playoff seeding only), Wins, H2H Wins, Overall Run Differential, H2H Run Differential, "Coin Flip" (single game scorinated using only RP bonus as skill).

There will also be an All-Star Game held between the conclusion of the group stage and the beginning of the playoffs, weather permitting. Exceptional players from roleplaying teams may be selected for an All-Star roster. If I can get a scorinator working by the time the day comes, there will also be a Home Run Derby held. More information on these events will come later.

PARTICIPANTS

There are 48 nations competing in this Classic. Signups were closed when the group draw is held, which was on Wednesday, August 3rd. Check the spoilers for the participant list and pot listed. Below that is our official group draw! Listed are the nations, their rank, and the stadium where their home games will be played. Look below to the Stadium Information post to read more about your assigned venue!

Metro District (A)
Drawkland (28) - Hydrogen Cyanide Field (75,000), Drawk City
Furilisca (UR) - Civic Athletic Field (22,045), Rovoss
Kriegiersien (8) - Capital Park (85,000), Metropolon
South Americanastan (17) - Corps University Ballpark (20,000), Drawk City
Pizorty (UR) - Paganues Field (15,200), Drawk City
Cassadaigua (32) - Corps Central Park (89,000), Drawk City

Northwest (B)
Rouyoute (UR) - Korman & Black Stadium (20,177), Cavsar
TJUN-ia (10) - Sixth Drawkionel Park (76,001), Hessport
Godchouzetsu (UR) - Hellenmack Pitch (39,699), Hellenmack
Brookstation (24) - Krakon Athletic Coliseum (66,160), Krakon
Chromatika (6) - Craggold Field (77,749), Sadeg
Anthor (UR) - Skyhawk Diamond Park (21,120), Sadeg

Northeast (C)
Venmere (68) - Warren Stadium (33,875), Jaffro
South Newlandia (1) - Riverfront Field @ Festival Park (78,100), Pittsennat
Catholic America (UR) - Southwest Campus Field (17,000), Lexego
The Orion Islands (UR) - Dockaide Park (24,925), Parthon
Eshialand (18) - The Starfield (54,600), Chelstio
The Greater Nordics (31) - North Frost Stadium (70,500), Cove Port

Kayo's Eastlands (D)
Loyo (UR) - Wizard Field (27,850), Quinnaber
The Star Enpire (75) - Queen's Jewelbox (44,640), Kayo
Bohr (UR) - Federation Field (21,436), Clerandon
Super-Llamaland (11) - Ken Thomas Field (65,040), Brammel
Quebec and Shingoryeo (5) - Broadway Ninth Corner Park (69,408), Gelia
Delaclava (26) - Jones Mineral "2i" Stadium (51,019), Whisrold

West Coast (E)
Zwangzug (4) - Jets Revival Stadium (80,500), Waxton
Milchama (9) - Bellator Batting Grounds (88,513), Bellator
Elmyia (UR) - Commurph Stadium (36,984), Shawnia
StrayaRoos (36) - Williams Ballpark (20,400), Dellaburg
Barnettsville (27) - Barlagos Bank Stadium (68,625), Ifferdam Station
North Cassadaigua (UR) - University Pier Park (21,375), Akkor Beach

Heartland (F)
Tikariot (21) - Valsum Hills Ballpark (80,100), Raikennax
Ranoria (7) - Forlane Field (74,470), Esmereldane
Liventia (14) - Racer Ballpark (42,203), Owabrok
Sea Dome (UR) - The Starkodome (61,708), Starkomac
Canadian Dominion (UR) - Gordon Glass Company Field (18,250), Elmanden
StrayaRoos Barrier Islands (78) - Barry Bledsoe Stadium (17,343), Raikennax

South Cliffs (G)
Ko-oren (42) - Sector 17 Stadium (64,256), Corinth City
Banija (2) - Seaside Ballpark (72,750), Archifel Capital
Oscioru (UR) - Guild Park (41,400), Masteser
New Eestiball (UR) - Lake Malzi Stadium (25,070), Intersak
The 189 (29) - PyroSoft Park (71,250), Cemmendy
The Sherpa Empire (12) - Ferris-Deltore Stadium (59,350), Waylook

Ellzidan's Southeast (H)
Nova Anglicana (15) - ORTC Park (70,326), Shire-Port
Abanhfleft (20) - Ducentu Municipal Stadium (81,000), Ducentu
Princess Rainbow Sparkles (UR) - Blade Ballpark (12,490), Cemmendy
Quintessence of Dust (3) - Two Rivers Ballpark (16,620), Ducentu
HUElavia (35) - The Root Diamond (55,144), Elstrund
Azevedocity (UR) - Bunsen Inc. Ballpark (11,550), Corinth City

SCHEDULE

CUTOFF TIME: 11pm-1am Eastern Daylight Time, aka 3am-5am UTC of the next day
My cutoff is likely going to be on the later end of this window, but do not count on this. I will usually give updates on the Discord server as to when I expect the cutoff to happen.

With a 20 game group stage, I will be posting two game results every 24 hours, for a total of a 10 day group stage. IC'ly, of course, there's one game per day. The "All-Star Game" will be considered a break day in the schedule, and a break of about three days IC.

WBC 55 Schedule
Wednesday, August 3rd:   Group Draw

Sunday, August 7th:      Matchdays 1 & 2
Monday, August 8th:      Matchdays 3 & 4
Tuesday, August 9th:     Matchdays 5 & 6
Wednesday, August 10th:  Matchdays 7 & 8
Thursday, August 11th:   Matchdays 9 & 10
Friday, August 12th:     Matchdays 11 & 12
Saturday, August 13th:   Matchdays 13 & 14
Sunday, August 14th:     Matchdays 15 & 16
Monday, August 15th:     Matchdays 17 & 18
Tuesday, August 16th:    Matchdays 19 & 20
Wednesday, August 17th:  All-Star Break
Thursday, August 18th:   Round of 24, Games 1 & 2
Friday, August 19th:     Round of 24, Games 3 & 4
Saturday, August 20th:   Round of 24, Game 5 (if necessary)
Sunday, August 21st:     Round of 16, Games 1 & 2
Monday, August 22nd:     Round of 16, Games 3 & 4
Tuesday, August 23rd:    Round of 16, Game 5 (if necessary)
Wednesday, August 24th:  Quarterfinal, Games 1 & 2
Thursday, August 25th:   Quarterfinal, Games 3 & 4
Friday, August 26th:     Quarterfinal, Game 5 (if necessary)
Saturday, August 27th:   Semifinal, Games 1 & 2
Sunday, August 28th:     Semifinal, Games 3 & 4
Monday, August 29th:     Semifinal, Game 5 (if necessary)
Tuesday, August 30th:    Championships, Games 1 & 2
Wednesday, August 31st:  Championships, Games 3 & 4
Thursday, September 1st: Championships, Game 5 (if necessary)
Friday, September 2nd:   Championship, Game 6 (if necessary)
Saturday, September 3rd: Championship, Game 7 (if necessary)

WHAT TO DO NOW?

The first thing you should do in an NS Sports competition is to post your team roster! It can be as detailed or basic as you'd like, but remember that your opponents will be reading your roster as well. If you were going to write an RP and you had to reference somebody else's roster, what sort of information would you want to see on it? Try including that same sort of information in your own roster. You could also take inspiration or "borrow" from other nation's rosters. For some examples, I've linked some rosters from WBC 54.

Basic
Detailed
Very Detailed
Super Detailed

No matter what, your roster should include the RP Permissions Box. This lets your opponents know what they are and aren't allowed to do with your players. In NS Sports, the first/only team to RP about a game is given the right to establish the official events of the game. Because of this, it's in your best interest that your opponent knows how you want your players and characters to be treated. See the spoilers below for more information.

For the above copy/paste code, simply drop this in your roster and decide whether each permission be given a Yes or a No in your preference. Below is an explanation I originally wrote for WBC 48.

Choose Runscorers: This allows your opponent to look at your roster and decide which players scored the runs in the game. Almost everyone grants this because it's hard to RP fully without it.
Choose Lineup: This allows your opponent to choose the order that your players bat in. If you already have a specific lineup specified in your roster, your opponent will probably use that, but it doesn't hurt to specify here.
Follow Pitching Rotation: If you have a pitching rotation on your roster, this allows your opponent to follow the rotation and assume which of your pitchers started in which games. This basically allows your opponent to specify your pitcher without having to ask you first.
Godmod Scoring Events: This allows your opponent to make unrealistic things happen leading to scores. These can range from statistically improbable stuff, like 5 straight batters hitting a homerun, or straight up impossible, like a dragon swooping into the stadium and stealing the ball so the batter can score. If you are strictly realist with your RP, you should say "No" or "Ask Me First" to this permission.
RP Injuries: This lets your opponent RP realistic injuries to your players without having to consult you first. If you don't want that, you could also specify that they can as long as they ask you first.
Godmod Injuries: This is the same as above except the injuries could be more unrealistic, like career ending injuries or deaths.
Eject Players: This allows your opponent to eject your players in their RP if the situation arises.
Godmod Events: Same as the other godmod permissions, except this covers any other events that don't involve scoring or injuries.
Use DH at Home: The Designated Hitter is a unique position in baseball. This permission tells your opponent whether or not your team uses a DH normally (the home team always decides whether or not a designated hitter is used in the game based on their preference).

Any nation on the signup list for WBC 55 may begin posting their rosters and RPs for this competition! Also, as this is prior to the group draw, check out the stadium list below and message me to request a stadium or few that you would like to play at. Remember that only the host may reserve posts. If you need to write part of a post and finish it later, try the forum's handy-dandy "Drafts" feature. Also, if you're new to the WBC or Sports RP, then keep reading.

by **Drawkland** » Mon Aug 01, 2022 7:32 pm

WBC 55 - STADIUMS

For World Baseball Classic 55, all nations will be playing their entire schedule in Drawkland. Rather than traveling across the world for group stage games, national teams will be spending all their time in Drawkland. Rather than being plunked in a city or two and swapping meaningless stadiums every match, national teams have been assigned a single Drawkian stadium to serve as their "home" venue for the entirety of the group stage, and the playoffs until the semifinals. Fans and teams are encouraged to deck out their new home grounds with decorations to support their nation, and hotels across the country are open for long-term stays for fans.

TRAVEL INFORMATION

Drawkland is located on the planet Sonnel. This is a separate world from the one that most NationStates nations inhabit, and thus non-Sonnelian nations can only reach our great world by a couple specific methods. The two main options are by chartered space travel (offered by a couple Drawkian companies), or standard airline flights through the dimensional portal entry in Iarokannet Bay.

Space flight is the more expensive option, but it's more about the experience than the cost. The organizations responsible for the national teams can charter space flights at Drawkland's expense for their national teams and essential team staff. Additional personnel or fans must pay out of pocket or through funding from your department that handles national team costs. The advantage of these charter spaceflights is that they can land anywhere. Major airports, stadium parking lots, stadium fields, even a big empty stretch of grass somewhere, our ships will be able to land there and pick up your squad. Travel will take several days, but in the meantime your travellers can enjoy top-notch amenities and space tourism during the journey.

If that seems a little far-fetched for your people, then simple airline flights are also an option. Several airports in the standard NationStates Sports world feature large interdimensional portals which link to a large hub in Iarokannet Bay, Drawkland. These portals are located in Stratosphere City (The Isles of Avon, Rushmore), Tundra Falls (Newmanistan, Esportiva), and Delaclava (AO). Receiving clearance is easy for major carriers. Your plane would just have to fly to the necessary airport location, dock for a short while, then take a flight through the portal itself. The flight time varies from 1-2 hours depending on dimensional weather conditions (we promise that one 22 year incident won't happen again)! Any plane that can fly at high altitudes normally can take flights through a dimensional portal without additional equipment. Once you touch down in Iarokannet Bay, you can fly anywhere on Sonnel.

Once your team and fans are in Drawkland, you have many travel options available. We recommend that teams travel by bus or train between cities, so that visiting players can appreciate the beautiful scenic and urban views Drawkland has to offer between the stadium areas. However, if your team would prefer to get between cities quicker, airline flights are also an option. Every city hosting games in this tournament has a major airport with plenty of flight options. For fans, rental cars, buses, and trains are great cheaper options to get between games. We recommend that fans travel to at least a couple cities while they're here, so they can appreciate a multitude of Drawkland's unique views, culture, and baseball venues!

STADIUM INFORMATION

Name (Capacity), Description, Feature, City, Tenant(s)

METRO DISTRICT (GROUP A)

Corps Central Park (89,000)
- Fancy futuristic metal park. Large overhang covering all the seats but leaving the field open.
- Part of the Drawk Corps Complex HQ, four similar stadiums surrounding a skyscraper.
- Drawk City. Drawkland’s largest city, former national capital, and cultural capital.
- Drawk Corps’ baseball team. One of the PBL’s stalwart big market teams.

Capital Park (85,000)
- Bright, futuristic dome stadium. Artificial turf surface and perfectly symmetrical dimensions.
- Total turf infield. Dirt only located on the mound and directly surrounding the bases.
- Metropolon. A massive predesigned city with a symmetrical grid, Drawkland’s capital.
- Engineers. A relatively new franchise which generally performs boom or bust.

Hydrogen Cyanide Field (75,000)
- Large, elaborate retro-classic jewelbox stadium. Multiple standing room decks in outfield.
- This is the fourth Scouts stadium. Each third of the outfield wall matches the dimensions of one of the previous three stadiums.
- Drawk City. This park is right at downtown, just outside the huge skyscraper cluster.
- Scouts. An excellent franchise which has also had some hard times, but always bounces back.

Civic Athletic Field (22,045)
- Originally a basic wooden grandstand park. Later rebuilt with the same dimensions in concrete.
- Technically operated as a city park. Grounds are free to use on days with no scheduled events.
- Rovoss. Relatively minor town to the east of the “two capitals.” High elevation.
- Athletics. Minor league team for Drawk City, used to be a pro-level franchise.

Corps University Ballpark (20,000)
- Futuristic metal exterior, like all Corps venues. Nice canopy over the infield grandstands.
- Corps University Hub, the football stadium, is visible right beyond center field. Pretty view.
- Drawk City. This is on the outskirts, where the Drawk Corps owns a lot of property.
- Drawk Corps University. The university component of the club/cult-like Drawk Corps.

Paganues Field (15,200)
- Concrete and brick stadium with a fancy grandstand but no outfield seating at all.
- Located right across from a railyard, trains moving past the stadium often honk in support.
- Drawk City. This is technically in a suburb colloquially called “North Drawk City.”
- Old Mountain University. A laid-back commuter school which has built a sports following recently.

NORTHWEST (GROUP B)

Craggold Field (77,749)
- Historic jewelbox park. Refurbished many times, but original dimensions are still intact.
- Located right next to a bare cliff face, resulting in short dimensions (tall wall) in right field.
- Sadeg. Birthplace of Drawkland’s leader Iarocav, one of the nation’s most famous cities.
- Knights. Historic franchise littered with legends throughout their tenure.

Sixth Drawkionel Park (76,001)
- Retro-classic brick-and-metal park next to a marina. Great views and unpredictable weather.
- Named in honor of Meliauden, Iarocav’s wife, who was born in Hessport and loves the team.
- Hessport. The biggest port city on Drawkland’s northwest coast.
- Blockade. Another historic franchise with a penchant to get hot in the postseason.

Krakon Athletic Coliseum (66,160)
- Historical arch and column architecture. Large colonnades for a striking and unique aesthetic.
- Vintage sports site. Dubbed a historical landmark before it was even used as a baseball venue.
- Krakon. Northern inland mountain town, revered for having hardy warriors in ancient history.
- Generals. Another odd-one-out in a strong division, but they’ve had some great seasons.

Hellenmack Pitch (39,699)
- Unremarkable modern stadium. Dark color palette. Braziers of fire in the outfield to celebrate homers.
- The name is a pun, referring to the tar pits historically found around Hellenmack.
- Hellenmack. Less notable city in Drawkland’s north. Historical rival of Sadeg.
- Screamers. Minor league team of Krakon, named for the sounds of flaming arrows.

Skyhawk Diamond Park (21,120)
- White stone brick and metal stadium. Edge of campus, surrounded by several dorms and classroom buildings.
- Bar and restaurant inside the ballpark draws big crowds even on non-gamedays.
- Sadeg. Northern city that’s mostly located inside a wide but shallow valley.
- Sadeg State University. One of Drawkland’s big name schools in collegiate athletics across the board.

Korman & Black Stadium (20,177)
- Quintessential college baseball stadium. Pretty red brick facade matching the rest of campus.
- Naming rights bought by “K&B,” a local orthodontist firm which seemingly sponsors everything in town.
- Cavsar. A small country college town in Drawkland’s north. Ask Queb about it or something.
- Cavsar University. Infamous school which has skyrocketed in “popularity” lately.

NORTHEAST (GROUP C)

Riverfront Field @ Festival Park (78,100)
- Modern metal beam exterior and look. Directly across the river from downtown Pittsennat.
- Huge festival concert stage making up the batter’s eye in center field.
- Pittsennat. Industrial river town in the middle of the forested northeast.
- Cadets. Decent squad with a smaller but fiercely loyal fanbase.

North Frost Stadium (70,500)
- Modern multi-use dome. Very rounded circular shape in the stands and field walls.
- A wedge shaped (matching baseball diamond) section of roof can be retracted on occasion.
- Cove Port. Northernmost port that won’t freeze over every winter. Biggest city in the far north.
- Tankers. A reference to the ships seen in Cove Port’s harbor, and the sluggers on their lineup.

The Starfield (54,600)
- Stony dome with retro feel but deceptively modern features. Field level is well underground.
- Ceiling lights designed and arranged to resemble constellations and other Sonnelian celestial bodies.
- Chelstio. Small mountain town in the midlands known for astronomy.
- Stars. Lovable small-market historical franchise with occasional success.

Warren Stadium (33,875)
- A smaller stadium with a retractable roof. Enclosed appearance with metal construction.
- Roof folds in and out when necessary to avoid common rain delays.
- Jaffro. A northern city close to the coast known for having bizarre weather.
- Elk. Minor league property of Cove Port. Decent team to justify their smaller fancy stadium.

Dockaide Park (24,925)
- Brick and metal retro-classic look. Despite the name, it’s not actually located on the waterfront.
- Extreme pitcher’s park due to a vicious headwind that blows most days.
- Parthon. Less relevant northern port town, but closest “real” city to the Iarokannet Bay hub.
- North Cadets. Minor league team for Pittsennat, bearing the same name as their owners.

Southwest Campus Field (17,000)
- Rather basic metal bleacher construction, though it’s been improved over time.
- Curious dimensions of 360 feet to all fields. Results in a lot of dead center home runs.
- Lexego. A true college town with not much else besides campus and supporting infrastructure.
- Delledge University. Named for the district Lexego is in. Major university in the area.

KAYO'S EASTLANDS (GROUP D)

Broadway Ninth Corner Park (69,408)
- Classic bowl-like downtown stadium. Built piecemeal over decades and refurbished a bunch.
- Covered grandstand look throughout. Field level is a couple stories below street level.
- Gelia. Port town on Oreme Gulf. More famous for being the home of soccer in Drawkland.
- Blues. Another old team, but they’ve only had limited success despite many franchise legends.

Ken Thomas Field (65,040)
- Retro classic brick-and-metal look. Another good-but-not-great venue compared to its peers.
- Named for legendary Steamers player, coach, and broadcaster. Has a statue at the front gate.
- Brammel. Eastern river town, famous for being the rumored home of historic legendary outlaws.
- Steamers. Usually beats up on middling division, then gets blown out in the playoffs.

Jones Mineral "2i" Stadium (51,019)
- Built in a disused mineral quarry. In-ground, modest dimensions, reasonable amenities.
- Everything except the upper deck is below ground level as it was built on an open-pit quarry.
- Whisrold. A large mining town in the forested mideast, mostly a midpoint between more interesting cities.
- Golds. Small-market team named after the mineral mining of their town. Historically mid.

Queen's Jewelbox (44,640)
- A newer ballpark designed in the old jewelbox style. Very simple and classy design.
- Dozens of murals and art pieces inside and outside the park.
- Kayo. Biggest city in the east, capital of Kanyo’s territory. One of Drawkland’s earliest seats of power.
- Mages. Named for the magic users living in Kayo. Minor league property of Gelia.

Wizard Field (27,850)
- Classy stone construction. Very basic grandstand, famous arches on exterior walls.
- On the edge of town, beautiful forest views beyond the outfield walls.
- Quinnaber. Slightly inland town near the east coast. Birthplace of gridiron football in Drawkland.
- Wizards. Minor league team for Brammel. Rivals to the Kayo Mages.

Federation Field (21,436)
- Unassuming modern metal park. Symmetrical, straight-line dimensions.
- Originally owned by the Drawkian Tennis Federation as a form of horizontal expansion.
- Clerandon. A mideast forest town close to the mountains, home of tennis in Drawkland.
- Baselines. Minor league property of Chelstio, goofy pun name referring to both tennis and baseball.

WEST COAST (GROUP E)

Bellator Batting Grounds (88,513)
- Classy, wooden look. Made of seven separate grandstands which were connected during a refurbishment project.
- Serves as a full-time venue for both baseball and cricket on the exact same pitch. Big dimensions.
- Bellator. One of Drawkland’s oldest and biggest cities. Large, historical western trading post.
- Cavaliers. Have had good success and several dynasties in their long history.

Jets Revival Stadium (80,500)
- Former multi-purpose stadium, concrete and metal. Refurbished to serve baseball better.
- Located right next door to Waxton’s airport. Most games feature a flyover every couple innings.
- Waxton. City on the edge of the central desert. Famously the center of Drawkian aviation.
- Jets. Let’s just say there’s a reason they haven’t gotten a shiny new ballpark.

Barlagos Bank Stadium (68,625)
- Slightly retro-modern metal park. Somewhat unimpressive but inoffensive design.
- Home run train in outfield stands. Ultra-light railcar loops through the stadium concourse.
- Ifferdam Station. A western trading town, one of the first big railway hubs.
- Caravan. Unfortunately the weakest link in a strong division.

Commurph Stadium (36,984)
- Smaller brutalist bowl type stadium. Iconic roundel ramps outside the concourse.
- Hosts both minor league baseball and college football (Shawnia State).
- Shawnia. Laid-back beach town on the edge of Iarocav and Callagard’s territories.
- Sea Lions. Minor League property of Hessport. Named for local beach animal.

University Pier Park (21,375)
- Sandstone and metal construction. Offers great views of the university-owned pier and beach.
- Leans into its “party school” reputation with a huge party deck forming the left field wall.
- Akkor Beach. Most major beach town north of Drawkland’s western tip.
- Coravkey District University - Akkor Beach. Consistently great college baseball school.

Williams Ballpark (20,400)
- Standard concrete and metal design. Symmetrical but fair dimensions, neutral park factor.
- Hosts Drawkland’s Collegiate World Series every other year.
- Dellaburg. A true college town in Drawkland’s midwest plains. Small by Drawkian standards.
- University of Emesamie. Big draw for a largely rural area, big enrollment numbers.

HEARTLAND (GROUP F)

Valsum Hills Ballpark (80,100)
- Stone brick, almost castle-like exterior. Large grandstand and few outfield seats.
- Stylized castle towers located beyond outfield seats. Valsum the mountain visible on horizon.
- Raikennax. Major midland city with lots of history and important trading hub.
- Eruptors. Big market team with reasonable amounts of silverware.

Forlane Field (74,470)
- Classic concrete with symmetrical dimensions and pretty curves. Surrounded by a sea of parking lots.
- Named after Harold Forlane, Hall of Fame manager who led the team to eight championships.
- Esmereldane. Historic western trading post city. One of the biggest in the western territory.
- Rebels. On-and-off success, famous for prioritizing good pitching and smallball.

The Starkodome (61,708)
- A smaller, squat dome. Translucent, off-center, tilted ceiling designed with baseball in mind.
- Roof is decorated with spots on the outside to give the appearance of a quintessential mushroom cap.
- Starkomac. Big city in forested mountain foothills. Notable fungal research facility in town.
- Shrooms. Relatively new franchise commonly used as a punching bag.

Racer Ballpark (42,203)
- Large, metal grandstands mostly filled with bleachers. Simple design.
- Located in downtown Owabrok, rather than the outskirts where the speedway is located.
- Owabrok. Another western trading city. Notable for being the home of race sport in Drawkland.
- Racers. Minor league property of Raikennax, and pretty good for a second tier team.

Gordon Glass Company Field (18,250)
- True to its name, features a glassy exterior not unlike a midcentury office building.
- Actually located off-campus, closer to downtown next to the basketball stadium.
- Elmanden. Part of the “computer trio” cities alongside Cemmendy and Ducentu. Desert mountain town.
- Elmanden District University. Known more for basketball than baseball, but still a solid fanbase.

Barry Bledsoe Stadium (17,343)
- Barebones two-deck stadium with no outfield seating besides a band shell for the pep band.
- Named for Hall of Famer Barry Bledsoe, who graduated from UofR before playing in the PBL.
- Raikennax. On the west side of town, unlike the rest of the stadiums in the east.
- University of Raikennax. Old, influential university that somehow took sports seriously one day.

SOUTH CLIFFS (GROUP G)

Seaside Ballpark (72,750)
- Open air stadium with retractable roof. Beautiful beachside ocean view, shallow seating angle.
- Features a low-key white and pastel exterior to fit in with the swanky beach architecture.
- Archifel Capital. Largest city on the topical Archifel Islands off Drawkland’s south coast.
- Skiffers. Laid-back fanbase and attitude, more about entertainment than true success.

PyroSoft Park (71,250)
- Ultra-modern look with white metal and glass. Shaded glass roof, full 360 degree upper deck.
- The artificial turf surface is colored blue rather than natural green. It’s garish yet iconic!
- Cemmendy. Newer desert town notable for being the home of the computer industry explosion.
- Snakes. Recently nicknamed from the antiquated and not-marketable Pickmen. Decent squad.

Sector 17 Stadium (64,256)
- Hyper-futuristic ballpark. Located within a huge neighborhood-sized complex.
- Originally designed by an AI, and touched up by actual architects to work a little better.
- Corinth City. Major southern city which has been at the forefront of innovation for centuries.
- Blazers. Decently successful squad with a big rivalry against Cemmendy.

Ferris-Deltore Stadium (59,350)
- Post modern metal stadium. Seemingly random dimensions and stand arrangements.
- Hosts a college football bowl game in the offseason. Deep dimensions to RF as a result.
- Waylook. Major southern city, home of big aviation & rocket companies and an air force base.
- Bombers. Finds their way to the bottom of a mediocre division most years.

Guild Park (41,400)
- Clean marble construction. Almost looks like a big bank from the outside.
- Coastal winds cause deep hits to travel unpredictably, making it a challenge for outfielders.
- Masteser. Capital of the southern territory, a coastal city that’s biggest in the southern bay.
- Dolphins. Minor league property of Corinth City, named for the common bay fauna.

Lake Malzi Stadium (25,070)
- Metal stadium matching its dock surroundings. Built on the edges of town on the lakeshore.
- Left field is along the waterfront, featuring a dock for boaters and kayakers to tie up and enter.
- Intersak. Largest port on the west side of Lake Malzi, opposite Yokare.
- Divers. Minor league property of Waylook. Generally an underwhelming squad.

ELLZIDAN'S SOUTHEAST (GROUP H)

Ducentu Municipal Stadium (81,000)
- A modern concrete multi-purpose stadium. Somehow has a good viewing experience for both.
- Last remaining Drawkian outdoor stadium to host both baseball and gridiron at the pro level.
- Ducentu. A port city at the mouth of two rivers in the westernmost point of the Oreme Gulf.
- Brown Sox. Historically bad, with a few shocking championship runs decades apart.

ORTC Park (70,326)
- Retro classic. Harbor-like metal and colonial-style stone brick facade. Great bay views.
- Behind the batter’s eye is a small waterpark inside the stadium, including a lazy river.
- Shire-Port. Large southeastern port, biggest city in Ellzidan’s territory.
- Marauders. Like all Shire-Port teams, named after pirates. Best team in a crapsack division.

The Root Diamond (55,144)
- Grandstands built from the roots of an enormous tree. Similar to The Root Field (soccer).
- Relatively secluded location. Beautiful scenic forest and mountain views from every seat.
- Elstrund. Settlement surrounding the huge tree (same name) in central Ellzidanian wilderness.
- Seeds. Minor league property of Shire-Port, doesn’t receive a lot of attention.

Two Rivers Ballpark (16,620)
- Wide, shallow lower bowl from pole to pole. Center field fence stands almost on the riverbank.
- Built too close to the river’s edge, so sometimes the outfield can flood after major rain.
- Ducentu. The university campus is located near the coastline and stretches between both rivers.
- Ducentu State University. Decently good sports program, but doesn’t get a lot of attention.

Blade Ballpark (12,490)
- Low-profile park made of metal and glass. Built into a hillside, blends with nearby buildings.
- Like the pro park in Cemmendy, it’s named after a tech giant that was founded in town.
- Cemmendy. Super high-tech futurism city with abstract and post-modern architecture.
- Cemmendy Tech. Technical college which invested in sports to draw non-nerd enrollment.

Bunsen Inc. Ballpark (11,550)
- Part of a larger contiguous sports complex. Plunked in the middle of the student activities area.
- Directly adjacent to football and soccer fields. Bleachers of the other fields back onto each other.
- Corinth City. Originally built by alchemists, later conquered by chemists and physicists.
- Corinth City University. High-profile academic university with a couple decent sports.

Capacity, Name, City (University, if applicable)
250,000 - Seven Stars Stadium

89,000 - Corps Central Park, Drawk City
88,513 - Bellator Batting Grounds, Bellator
85,000 - Capital Park, Metropolon
81,000 - Ducentu Municipal Stadium, Ducentu
80,500 - Jets Revival Stadium, Waxton
80,100 - Valsum Hills Ballpark, Raikennax
78,100 - Riverfront Field @ Festival Park, Pittsennat
77,749 - Craggold Field, Sadeg
76,001 - Sixth Drawkionel Park, Hessport
75,000 - Hydrogen Cyanide Field, Drawk City
74,470 - Forlane Field, Esmereldane
72,750 - Seaside Ballpark, Archifel Capital
71,250 - PyroSoft Park, Cemmendy
70,500 - North Frost Stadium, Cove Port
70,326 - ORTC Park, Shire-Port
69,408 - Broadway Ninth Corner Park, Gelia
68,625 - Barlagos Bank Stadium, Ifferdam Station
66,160 - Krakon Athletic Coliseum, Krakon
65,040 - Ken Thomas Field, Brammel
64,256 - Sector 17 Stadium, Corinth City
61,708 - The Starkodome, Starkomac
59,350 - Ferris-Deltore Stadium, Waylook
54,600 - The Starfield, Chelstio
51,019 - Jones Mineral "2i" Stadium, Whisrold

55,144 - The Root Diamond, Elstrund
44,640 - Queen's Jewelbox, Kayo
42,203 - Racer Ballpark, Owabrok
41,400 - Guild Park, Masteser
39,699 - Hellenmack Pitch, Hellenmack
33,875 - Warren Stadium, Jaffro
36,984 - Commurph Stadium, Shawnia
27,850 - Wizard Field, Quinnaber
25,070 - Lake Malzi Stadium, Intersak
24,925 - Dockaide Park, Parthon
22,045 - Civic Athletic Field, Rovoss
21,436 - Federation Field, Clerandon

21,375 - University Pier Park, Akkor Beach (CDUAB)
21,120 - Skyhawk Diamond Park, Sadeg (Sadeg State)
20,400 - Williams Ballpark, Dellaburg (U of Emesamie)
20,177 - Korman & Black Stadium, Cavsar (Cavsar)
20,000 - Corps University Ballpark, Drawk City (Corps U)
18,250 - Gordon Glass Company Field, Elmanden (EDU)
17,343 - Barry Bledsoe Stadium, Raikennax (U of Raikennax)
17,000 - Southwest Campus Field, Lexego (Delledge U)
16,620 - Two Rivers Ballpark, Ducentu (Ducentu State)
15,200 - Paganues Field, Drawk City (Old Mountain)
12,490 - Blade Ballpark, Cemmendy (Cemmendy Tech)
11,550 - Bunsen Inc. Ballpark, Corinth City (CCU)

When the group draw is completed, nations will be assigned their home venues. At that time this post will be modified to add more detail and list stadiums by their groups/tenants.

by **Drawkland** » Mon Aug 01, 2022 7:41 pm

DRAWKLAND NATIONAL BASEBALL TEAM

Name: Base Corps
Demonym: Drawkian
Physiology: Special
21st World Baseball Classic, Rank #28
Stadium: Hydrogen Cyanide Field, Drawk City
Capacity: 75,000
Manager: Blanton Evergreen*

BASE CORPS
STARTING ROSTER
P   ##  PLAYER              BATS   THROWS
C   1   Dan Peters          Right  Right
1B  4   Mark Fields         Right  Right
2B  17  Abram Kavana        Right  Right
3B  15  Sean Kavana*        Right  Right
SS  24  Roger Madison*      Left   Right
LF  10  Chan Ford           Left   Left
CF  7   Lane Kavana         Switch Right
RF  23  Taylor Smart        Left   Left
DH  99  Franky Jones        Right  Right

BASE CORPS
RESERVE ROSTER
P   ##  PLAYER              BATS   THROWS
C   2   Cooper Calebs       Right  Right
IF  9   Christy Rhodes*     Left   Right
OF  11  Annabelle Mack      Left   Left
OF  20  Victoria Irving*    Right  Right
DH  25  Amancio Hayes*      Switch Right

BASE CORPS
PITCHERS
P   ##  PLAYER              THROWS  NOTES
SP  22  Leo Roy             Right   Control pitcher, large arsenal
SP  44  Darien Rodriguez    Right   Brutal breaking pitches
SP  69  Bruce Moore         Right   Knuckleballer
SP  55  Mike Kavana         Left    Submariner with velo
SP  45  Syd Masterson       Left    Sinker/changeup combo

RP  55  Jack West           Right   Primary relief
RP  57  Ralph Harris        Right   Secondary relief
RP  39  Matt Carter         Left    Lefty specialist
RP  66  Casey Redondo       Left    Pitch to contact

CP  60  Lorraine Lockwood   Right   Setup/reserve closer
CP  51  Franklin Bell       Right   haha 10-3

BASE CORPS - STARTING
LINEUP WITH DH
1. MADISON
2. KAVANA (A)
3. KAVANA (L)
4. JONES
5. SMART
6. FORD
7. FIELDS
8. PETERS
9. KAVANA (S)

BASE CORPS - STARTING
LINEUP WITHOUT DH
1. MADISON
2. KAVANA (A)
3. KAVANA (L)
4. SMART
5. FORD
6. FIELDS
7. PETERS
8. KAVANA (S)
9. (pitcher)

Players and manager listed with * indicate that they will be retiring following this Classic.

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my runscorers: Yes.
Choose my lineup: My lineup is as specified above.
Follow my pitching rotation: Please do, same order as listed.
Godmod scoring events: Yes.
RP injuries to my players: Nothing career-ending. TG me if it's more than a couple games.
Godmod injuries to my players: As long as it follows the above rule.
Eject my players: Yes, only one per game and a duration of a game.
Godmod other events: As long as it doesn't destroy my nation or my organization, I'm fine with anything.
Use DH at home: Yes.

Style Mod: +3.5

As far as permissions go, as long as it doesn't totally wreck me, I don't mind. TG me if you do something major, but don't feel the need to alert beforehand.

by **Loyo** » Mon Aug 01, 2022 8:20 pm

The National Baseball Team of Loyo
The Sunshine Tigers

Loyo baseball is entering into a new period. For many years, the multiverse has not been able to peer into the world of the sunshine shores and her baseball talent. The People’s Republic of Loyo is a developing socialist country with a passionate baseball-supporting population. Right now, the country and its baseball is opening up for the world to see as the country fields its first team to the World Baseball Classic.

The Sunshine Tigers are a team known for exceptional fielding. Quick running around the bases and frequent base stealing take the place of power hitting in the team’s arsenal. Their pitching lacks quality depth, but the talents of Seung Hawoo, Lukas Wren, and Misha Moon bring up the team’s average.

Little will be expected from the team’s first outing, but fans’ excitement for the competition is steadily growing day by day. Saying goodbye to their team, thousands of supporters crowded the docks at Mitsuda, cheering and waving to the departing vessel as it left for Drawkland.

Tigers on the march,
What will they bring home to us?
The sun shines above

Information Box

Average Age (Starters): 30.4
Average Age (Team): 29.2
Most Represented Club: Loyo Athletic Reds (6)
Least Represented Club: St. Mianho’s (2)
Best BA: Jimi Fiazzo (.315, 8 HR)
HR Leader: Shiryo Gerras (.276, 24 HR)
Strikeout Leader: Lukas Wren (118 K, 3.88 ERA)

Management

Manager: Chase Min-Son, 52
Bench Coach: Velma Soosang, 48
1st Base Coach: Rodney Lowe, 44
3rd Base Coach: Mike “Mikey” Toussa, 38
Hitting Coach: Lee Sanghyeok, 37
Pitching Coach: Miguel Perras, 44
Bullpen Coach: Jerome Kingman, 41

Starting Lineup

CF: #23 William “Billy” Yank, 32, L (St. Donghai’s)
SS: #18 Bo Ayoyara, 28, R (Narangara Motors)
3B: #13 Jimi Fiazzo, 29, R (St. Yoosan’s)
1B: #17 Shiryo Gerras, 31, R (St. Hayahoma’s)
2B: #28 Maru Deljefe, 34, R (Loyo Athletic Reds)
(DH SPOT for DH games)
LF: #20 Isabel Morata, 28, R (St. Yoosan’s)
RF: #22 Meung Boma, 30, L (United Sugar)
C: #7 Ross Chariot, 31, R (St. Mianho’s)
(PITCHER SPOT for non-DH games)

Starting Pitchers

P: #15 Seung Hawoo, 27, R (St. Yoosan’s)
P: #30 Amy Saunders, 31, L (Loyo Athletic Reds)
P: #33 Lukas Wren, 30, R (United Sugar)
P: #19 Vernon Lee, 32, R (St. Hayahoma’s)
P: #21 Lacy Cross, 29, R (Kamisusunai Steel)

Bullpen

RP: #25 Avery Min, 30, L (St. Yoosan’s)
RP: #32 Misha Moon, 28, R (United Sugar)
RP: #28 Marcos Avantaje, 29, R (St. Hayahoma’s)
RP: #14 Kim Lin, 29, L (Loyo Athletic Reds)
CP: #24 Dongho Son, 30, R (St. Donghai’s)
CP: #10 Ari Mun, 29, R (Loyo Athletic Reds)
CP: #34 Ju Hajoon, 31, L (Kamisusunai Steel)
CP: #25 Beon Soojin, 33, R (Narangara Motors)

Bench Players

DH: #9 Leo Miagara, 28, R (Loyo Athletic Reds)
C: #1 Hyon Shin, 27, R (St. Yoosan’s)
C: #4 Misty Sang-Jun, 28, R (Narangara Motors)
1B: #8 Haru Hayo, 30, R (St. Donghai’s)
1B: #31 Rita Sassulo, 29, R (United Sugar)
2B/3B: #11 Ra Min-Joo, 26, R (St. Mianho’s)
3B: #16 Chrissy Salvatore, 29, R (Loyo Athletic Reds)
SS: #2 Patrick Dore, 27, R (Kamisusunai Steel)
LF/CF: #12 Sonny James, 27, R (United Sugar)
RF/CF: #6 Francis Koo, 29, L (St. Donghai’s)
RF: #5 Germaine DiPiccolo, 26, L (St. Hayahoma’s)

RP Permissions

DH: Yes
Choose my runscorers: Yes
Choose my lineup: Yes, check if I’ve posted one in the RP I post for the previous cutoff. If I fail to include one in my RP, or do not RP, use the Lineup provided here, and start Seung Hawoo at pitcher. If Hawoo started the last game, start Lukas Wren.
Follow my Pitching Rotation: See above.
Godmod scoring events: Yes, keep it reasonable, but have fun plays!
RP injuries to my players: Only if you message me with your idea and I agree.
Godmod injuries to my players: See above.
Eject my players: Yes, make it interesting! Limit of one per game.
Godmod other events: Yes as long as no one dies or is seriously hurt. Not sure if anyone is still doing Covid or pandemic storylines, but I don’t want to be involved in any of that.

by **Barnettsville** » Mon Aug 01, 2022 8:29 pm

What's on first? No, Who's on first. I don't know. THIRD BASE!!

ST CATHERINE - The roster for WBC 55 remains the same as WBC 54, just two years older.

POS	#	Player			Bat/Throw	Age
2B	1	Arthur Rodgers		R/R		27
SS	8	Stefan Huber		R/R		27
CF	44	Zane Franklin		R/R		31
LF	20	Bobby Kramer		L/R		23
1B	3	Bert Powell		R/R		23
C	27	Willis Pittman		R/R		23
3B	10	Feliux Cortes		S/R		25
RF	56	Phillip Vinson		L/L		29
PITCHER SPOT

BENCH
C	72	Tyler-James Gonzales	R/R		22
2B	23	Connor Eastwood		R/R		23
SS	14	Brenden Meyer		R/R		25
1B	41	Scott Luna		L/R		23
IF	33	Dominick Firth		S/R		28
3B	5	Wade Rees		R/R		23
OF	9	Nick Wheeler		L/R		23

PITCHERS
SP	51	Tyler Randall		R/L		24
SP	21	Ian MacGregor		L/L		29
SP	29	Rick Benson		R/R		22
SP	31	Lester Crawford		R/R		27
SP	35	Kirk Quinn		R/R		23

BULLPEN
RP 	47	Yu Bryant		L/L		26
RP 	22	Jon-Paul Graham		R/R		26
RP	16	Melanie Kramer		S/R		25
SU	19	Kane Chandler		L/L		29
CL 	45	Theo Ford		R/R		24

BENCH STAFF			Age
MGR	6	Marcus Drummond	54
BENCH	4	Roscoe Lane	39
1B	26	Woodrow Guzman	39
3B	34	Isaac Pike	48
PITCH	2	Nathan DuPont	46
HIT	11	Vladimir Ryan	44

DH: NO!!!
Choose my runscorers: Yes
Choose my lineup: No
Follow my Pitching Rotation: Yes
Godmod scoring events: Yes, keep it reasonable.
RP injuries to my players: If I've already mentioned.
Godmod injuries to my players: See above.
Eject my players: If it's a brawl, in equal numbers to yours. If not, make it realistic.
Godmod other events: TG me with your idea first.

by **South Americanastan** » Mon Aug 01, 2022 8:52 pm

South Americanastan National Baseball Team
Trigamme: SAS
Nickname: Bears
Home Stadium: NorthGold Kalikadrome(Capacity 56,200)
Colors: Red, Green, and White

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my runscorers: Yes
Choose my lineup: No
Follow my pitching rotation: Yes
Godmod scoring events: No
RP injuries to my players: Yes (No longer than 1 game)
Godmod injuries to my players: No
Eject my players: Yes
Godmod other events: No
Use DH at home: Yes
Do not use RL baseball images to represent my players. I know the jersey similarity to the Washington Nationals makes it tempting, but don't.

The South Americanastan National Baseball Team

With 3 playoff appearances in their 4 years in the WBC, the Bears have begun to settle into the WBC, showing consistency and talent over that span. However, they have failed to ever make it past the second round of the playoffs, and the pressure is mounting for the team to mount a good run. The team is still cocky as ever and have continued showboating and playing with an extreme amount of professionalism, while Micheal Kelly still refuses to get it under control:

"As long as we're winning games, I'm happy. If it ain't broke, I'm not going to fix it"

Luckily for Kelly, the South Americanastanian media and populace have grown to support the team's antics, making them a defining element of the team's personality. Even the team itself have begun leaning into it in marketing material, attempting to portray the team as "bad boys" who forgo traditional etiquette and break the expectations of what an athlete should be, for better or worse.

However, outside of South Americanastan, the team earn a reputation as, to put it nicely, assholes. They thrive off riling up opposing crowds, and sometimes opposing players. Whether this be through the oft-used antic of encouraging a crowd to cheer for the Bears, flipping off an opposing pitcher, or even kicking out the jams to hold an impromptu concert in the middle of a game, the team will find a way to get under the skin of their opponents. To quote hitting coach Ian Kolbe:

"I'm only going to yell at them if they fuck up the chord progression"

Roster

Coach: Micheal Kelly
#1 - Age 38 - Former Infielder
Assistant Coach: Harry Dalton
#2 - Age 27 - Innovative Thinker - Unpopular
Pitching Coach: Nicholas Morrison
#3 - Age 49 - Former Player
Batting Coach: Ivan Kolbe
#4 - Age 40 - Mentor - Former Outfielder

STARTING PITCHERS

Casey Kellahan
#27 - Age 25 - Throws and Bats Left - Overhand Pitcher - Ace

John Mikelanton
#58 - Age 29 - Throws and Bats Right - Overhand Pitcher

Darby Nikolasson
#5 - Age 22 - Throws Right - Bats Left - Sidearm Pitcher

Jerry Cook
#97 Age 27 - Throws and Bats Right - Overhand Pitcher

Ken Barrington
#38 - Age 24 - Switch Pitcher, Prefers Left - Bats Left - Overhand Pitcher

CATCHERS

Jack Manning
#29 - Age 35 - Throws and Bats Right - Starting Catcher - Resurgent Force

Jack Wigginton
#46 - Age 24 - Throws Right - Bats Right - Backup Catcher

BULLPEN

Tom Jackson
#21 - Age 31 - Throws and Bats Right - Long Reliever - Overhand Pitcher

Nick Kelly
#67 - Age 27 - Throws and Bats Right - Long Reliever - Submarine Pitcher

Sam Harrison
#15 - Age 28 - Throws and Bats Left - Mid Reliever - Overhand Pitcher

Wally Quinn
#85 - Age 25 - Throws and Bats Right - Mid Reliever - Overhand Pitcher

Kofi Woods
#34 - Age 22 - Throws Right - Bats Left - Setup Man - Overhand Pitcher

Matt Jackson
#13 - Age 26 - Throws and Bats Right - Closer - Overhand Pitcher

INFIELD

Gareth Sevriens
#69 - Age 32 - Throws Left - Bats Switch - 1B

Patrick Larson
#78 - Age 25 - Throws and Bats Right - 2B

Jacob Monte
#23 - Age 23 - Throws and Bats Right - SS - Rising Star

Frank Malone
#62 - Age 27 - Throws Right - Bats Left - 3B - Reliable Fielder

Tito Lowell
#45 - Age 22 - Throws and Bats Left - Utility Man

Owen Smith
#29 - Age 30 - Throws and Bats Right - Backup/DH

OUTFIELD

Garry O'Hannagan
#99 - Age 26 - Throws and Bats Left - RF

David Timberlake
#7 Age 30 - Throws and Bats Left - CF

Frank Monteforte
#22- Age 20 - Throws and Bats Right - LF - Prodigy

Walter Rowe
#39 - Age 23 - Throws and Bats Right - Backup

Tommy Vincent
#58 - Age 21 - Throws and Bats Right - Backup

Lineup

1. C Jack Manning

2. 1B Gareth Sevriens

3. 3B Frank Malone

4. CF David Timberlake

5. SS Jacob Monte

6. RF Garry O'Hanagan

7. 2B Patrick Larson

8. DH Owen Smith/Pitcher

9. LF Frank Monteforte

by **Ko-oren** » Tue Aug 02, 2022 3:14 am

Ko-orenite National Baseball Team
野球コ・オレン代表 - Jakyuu Ko-oren Daijhou - Selesson Co-orenensa de Beisbol

Coaching Staff/首脳陣/Entrenadores:
Head coach: Kenichi Honda
Hitting coach: Rodolfo Melendrez
Pitching coach: Joshiko Vajabusa (f)
First base coach: Andreia Acevedo (f)
Third base coach: Carlos Aldana
Bullpen coach: Shinzaburo Sakai
Fielding coach: Julie Lefeuvre (f)

Batting order/打順/Orden de Bateadores
SS Dodo Ritsushima (34) Katashi Giants: R/R
LF Hiroharu Akiba (28) Arakura Knights: R/R
3B Mason Bennett (29) South Falls Athletics SLL: R/R
CF Agata (f) Maisorenten (20) Hanai Heroes CMT: R/R
2B Len Pijpenbroek (26) Echizen Dragons: R/R
(DH Nalivalu Amakusa (28) Arakura Knights: R/R - disorganized and bony cleanup hitter)
C Tevi Kagulazaka (33) Echizen Dragons: L/L
RF Denis Caamano (27) Chromia Diamonds CMT: L/L
1B Mateu Aldana (36) Katashi Generals: L/L
(Pitcher)

Infielders/内野手/Interiores:
1B Mateu Aldana (36) Katashi Generals: L/L - impractical and staunch great fielder
1B Ré Fouquet (34) Echizen Dragons: L/L - cynical and fast all-rounder
2B Len Pijpenbroek (26) Echizen Dragons: R/R - dynamic and short strongman
2B Rei Himura (35) Katashi Giants: L/L - gossipy and athletic great catcher
3B Mason Bennett (29) South Falls Athletics SLL: R/R - subservient and toned speed demon
3B Henrique Toca (36) Furune Bees: R/R - undemanding and lanky defender
SS Dodo Ritsushima (34) Katashi Giants: R/R - independent and quick jack of all trades
SS Katatake Gotou (33) Katashi Generals: R/R - dynamic and hard-hitting contact hitter

Outfielders/外野手/Exteriores:
LF Hiroharu Akiba (28) Arakura Knights: R/R - bossy and powerful speed demon
LF Yoshihito Oshita (27) Echizen Dragons: R/R - independent and staunch power hitter
CF Arinobu Shiina (20) Rhoni Rhonin CMT: R/R - smooth and swift speed demon
CF Agata (f) Maisorenten (20) Hanai Heroes CMT: R/R - courteous and ripped all-rounder
RF Denis Caamano (27) Chromia Diamonds CMT: L/L - hypocritical and athletic defender
RF Kiro Ogasawara (32) Katashi Giants: R/R - sincere and quick great hitter

Catchers/捕手/Receptores:
C Tevi Kagulazaka (33) Echizen Dragons: L/L - frugal and well built communicator
C Woutre Bardemaker (23) Newport Dolphins SNL: R/R - careful and pacy communicator

Pitchers/投手/Lanzadores - SP = Starting pitcher / MP = Middle relief pitcher / 8P = Set-up man / CP = Closer
Rotation:
SP Senzo Utada (35) Teragaseki Originals: R/R - disruptive and athletic dynamo
SP Suno Matsuda (29) Furune Bees: L/L - rational and pudgy jack of all trades
SP Tsunehisa Kumagaya (39) Katashi Giants: L/L - charming and skinny all-rounder
SP Nakazo Uranishi (32) Nitoya Silvers: R/R - defensive and instinctive dynamo
SP Jocelyn Chastain (25) Shantarr Scorpions CMT: R/R - childish and swift trickster

Bullpen:
MP Xesus Martis (18) Felswyr Fire CMT: R/R - neat and tall jack of all trades
MP Roman Sotolongo (34) Santa Teresa Stars: R/R - surprising and towering strongman
MP Arximiro Saravia (29) Santa Teresa Stars: R/R - controlling and toned strategist
MP Tacaro Cevocalu (31) Aviansola Admirals: R/R - subservient and ripped controller
MP Eduvixe (f) Pazos (20) Lanar Rangers CMT: R/R - humorless and stocky strongman
MP Norihiko Adachi (19) Eyrods Pilots CMT: R/R - frivolous and stringy jack of all trades
MP Ventura de Castro (24) Nitoya Silvers: L/L - timid and toned controller
MP Tashiro Ishibashi (21) Alnio Redhawks CMT: R/R - joyful and toned trickster
MP Kazushi Watase (26) Echizen Dragons: R/R - plucky and tall controller

8P Martiño Siqueiros (23) Teragaseki Originals: R/R - exuberant and pudgy trickster
8P Bernabe Reza (25) Ferrovente Whales: R/R - rotten and thin strongman

CP Keiko (f) Yamase (18) Shantarr Scorpions CMT: R/R - ambitious and lanky jack of all trades
CP Montaro Wakajoshi (25) Santa Teresa Stars: R/R - introverted and trim trickster

Notes on the team
The Infield has a huge youth problem. Pijpenbroek is the only one there who's selected while before/during his prime, and the rest feel like they're gearing up for retirement. The Outfield are much younger, and centrefield might even have the opposite problem, relying on two young players. They (and all other players) do have the added perk of playing in the LPB, which immediately improved the level of opposition and the level of play of Ko-orenite clubs so much that we're looking at a much better team than two Classics ago. With the extra help and coaching, Shiina and Maisorenten can grow out to much better players than if the Ko-orenite league had stayed independent. Left field is looking a little weak. Catching was always a Kagulazaka/Berganza job, but now it's the impeccable Kagulazaka with a solid backup in Bardemaker.

Starting pitchers vary slightly, with Utada easily the best players in the Ko-orenite side of the LPB, to Kumagaya who is way better than average but not a standout star. You can speak of a pitching crisis, even, because the stats indicate that our infield and outfield are performing to a much, much higher level than the pitchers - though without racking up the score, which we'll contribute to better fielding rather than shutdown pitching. That effect is even stronger in the relief pitching department, which are nearly all right-handed so De Castro will probably get plenty of innings out there. Martis might be a little young to be selected - Ko-orenite baseball likes its experienced and mentally fully developed players - but we expect him to be spearheading this unit. Yamase is just 18, so what can we ask him to do, really, while Wakajoshi doesn't have the same control and accuracy as his younger closing colleague.

The absolute best players, regardless of position, are Utada, Pijpenbroek, De Castro, Shiina, Ishibashi, Matasuda, Ritsushima, and Kagulazaka. Of those, Shiina and Ishibashi will be around for at least a decade or so, while Utada, Ritsushima, and Kagulazaka are closer to the end of their career than to the start of it, and they've been fantastic for the NT over their long career - who can even remember a team without the latter two on it?

On the batting order, the top three will be going for contact and speed (with Akiba and Bennett going for speed and stealing, and Ritsushima mostly going for contact). The next two/three will be trying to bring them in with more powerful hits. Starting with Kagulazaka, the final three/four of the order will try to wear pitchers down, getting full counts, etc - but they are still capable of getting on base, don't you worry.

Home venues
As with most of this sport, there is some competition between Finisterre and Yoshima. This extends to the home venues as well. Series of three matches are usually scheduled per region (ranked by how often they're used):
1) Katashi: the city of Katashi has several ready venues, including the Katashi Dome (the largest venue in Ko-oren) and Maesaki Park (smaller, but often used by domestic teams). Sometimes even the Heisaka Grounds are used (which is one third the size of Katashi Dome, to give you an idea). Katashi is hot and humid, though the sea breeze makes it nicer than it sounds. The Dragonflies are .778 here.
2) Finisterre: the entire region has several big stadiums and they're almost always sold out if the Dragonflies come to visit. The Citadel (Santa Teresa), Ventovente (Ferrovente). Finisterre has a dry heat that persists for most of the year. The Dragonflies are .737 here.
3) Rest of Leleia: the regions west and east of Katashi don't have the same population as city of Katashi itself, but has a lot of scattered towns with a proud baseball tradition. Twin Field (Nitoya), Obsidian Park (Suvira). These share the hot and humid conditions of Katashi but without the relief blowing in from the coast. The Dragonflies are .667 here.
4) Rest of Ko-oren: not everyone plays baseball all the time, yet there are a few diamonds here and there. Le Losange (Aminey), Honrothru-din (Senoren), Vamada Océanique (Étouille), Naminaka Park (Schemerdrecht). The climates here are friendly and mellow year-round. The Dragonflies are .786 here.
5) Alara and Etena islands: the northernmost islands of Yoshima are baseball-crazy as well, fans come from all over the island just to see a match. Uvesaki Field (Echizen), Vidari Stadium (Teragaseki), Vusodalo Stadium (Teraoka). These have all the humidity of Leleia and the friendly temperatures of the mainland. The Dragonflies are .667 here.
6) Selesi island: the second-largest island of Yoshima has only a few venues, being the least densely populated part of Yoshima, but the few places they do have are popular. Ginofruit Field (Arakura). Like Leleia, it's hot and humid, with a decent chance of extreme weather. The Dragonflies are .818 here.

RP Permissions
Choose my runscorers: Yes
Choose my lineup: Yes
Follow my pitching rotation: Not necessarily
Godmod scoring events: No
RP injuries to my players: Yes
Godmod injuries to my players: No
Eject my players: Yes
Godmod other events: No
Use DH at home: No
Style modifier (if used): -3
Trigramme: KOR
Nicknames: Dragonflies (all players), Islanders (Yoshimans), Cactuses (Finisterrans)

by **Delaclava** » Tue Aug 02, 2022 7:17 am

Delaclava national baseball team
World Baseball Classic 55

Manager - #4 Brent Vardon, 74
Assistant Manager - #14 Ben Phillips, 38
Pitching Coach - #35 Kiefer Guthrie, 41
Infield Coach - #44 Freddie Vardon, 40
Outfield Coach - #31 Adam Doyle, 34
Hitting Coach - #55 Mason Mason, 60
Bullpen Coach - #29 Landon Bauer, 32
Strength/Conditioning - #6 Christian Arnett, 30
Technical/GM - #00 Jelle Demuir, 42

STARTERS
(Position: # Name - Team - Age, Height, Weight. Throws, Bats)
1B: #23 Ben Dawson - Victoriana Falcons - 33, 6-4, 260. Throws R, Bats R
2B: #3 Gaetan Mailloux - Victoriana Falcons - 26, 5-8, 150. Throws R, Bats B
3B: #25 Artem Butkovsky - Meredith Mavericks - 31, 6-1, 170. Throws R, Bats R
SS: #19 Valery Robiquet - Xingcheng Renaissance (SLL) - 26, 5-7, 130. Throws R, Bats B
LF: #45 Kaspar Komarov - Triniteras Crossfire - 27, 6-1, 170. Throws L, Bats L
CF: #15 Teuvo Kujala - Breton Valley Bangers - 27, 6-2, 185. Throws R, Bats B
RF: #33 Francisco Adam - Sun City Flames (SNL) - 34, 5-11, 150. Throws L, Bats L
C: #32 Sharip Melnikov - Farland Owls - 30, 5-8, 210. Throws R, Bats B

BENCH
C: #42 Daniel Daughters - Victoriana Falcons - 33, 6-3, 210. Throws L, Bats B
C/1B: #24 Gunnar Hovaness - Breton Valley Bangers - 26, 6-1, 205. Throws R, Bats R
IF: #8 Omer Ben-Haim - Victoriana Falcons - 24, 5-10, 140. Throws R, Bats L
IF: #5 Tan Bredda - Meredith Mavericks - 27, 5-9, 155. Throws R, Bats B
OF: #49 Cody Brewer - Farland Owls - 27, 6-3, 185. Throws R, Bats L
OF: #17 Tyler Yeats - Carnstone Cardinals - 29, 5-10, 175. Throws L, Bats B
OF: #36 Alan Taylor - Bosmond Admirals - 30, 6-2, 160. Throws L, Bats B

PITCHING
Ace: #18 Bedin Egozhevy - New Llama Wizards (SLL) - 30, 6-5, 180. Throws L, Bats L
2nd Starter: #6 Mark Townsend - Meredith Mavericks - 29, 6-2, 185. Throws R, Bats R
3rd Starter: #20 Jack Joseph - Carnstone Cardinals - 27, 6-2, 180. Throws R, Bats R
Middle/Long/4th: #39 Vibrancy Nestor - Mersatha Canaries - 35, 6-4, 215. Throws R, Bats R
Middle/Long: #50 Mark Mitchell - Quinniville Conquistadors - 31, 6-3, 190. Throws R, Bats R
Short/Opener: #27 Freedom Frye - Mersatha Canaries - 28, 5-9, 130. Throws L, Bats L
Short: #80 Wendell Short - Victoriana Falcons - 31, 6-2, 220. Throws R, Bats R
Short/Set-up: #22 Sven Bengtsen - Bosmond Admirals - 32, 5-10, 140. Throws R, Bats B
Short/Closer: #37 Rodrigo Mendelssohn - Mersatha Canaries - 29, 5-9, 145. Throws R, Bats R

Lineup: Robiquet, Kujala, Dawson, Komarov, Butkovsky, Melnikov, Adam, (pitcher), Mailloux
DH Instructions: Adam will become the DH, while Cody Brewer will play right field and bat eighth.
Lineup Notes: Robiquet is an incredibly speedy lead-off hitter, while Kujala has versatility in making contact and either getting on base or advancing Robiquet.
Dawson is the power hitter of the team, but he has very good plate discipline and it is a priority for Vardon to get him to bat in the first inning.
Komarov and Butkovsky are both strong hitters in terms of power and average, but their role is less to “clean up” and more to continue moving runners along and keeping the inning alive. Melnikov has plenty of power but less hitting accuracy and does not move well around the bases. Adam and Mailloux are both skilled contact hitters with decent speed.
Delaclav pitchers always hit in the leagues and are accustomed to, and skilled at doing so. Therefore, a pinch-hit situation is rare except in a close game where someone like Brewer or Ben-Haim could provide an offensive boost.

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my runscorers: Yes
Choose my lineup: No, see above
Follow my pitching rotation: Yes. It should be the main three, but I’ll RP/let you know if Nestor is used either as a substitute or during the playoffs
Godmod scoring events: TG/DM me if it's particularly outlandish. Please be respectful/sportsmanlike
RP injuries to my players: Yes, but not severity
Godmod injuries to my players: Same as "godmod scoring"
Eject my players: No, that is not typical in Delaclav baseball, and managers especially do not believe in the performative ejections that so many MLB managers love.
Godmod other events: Same as "godmod scoring"
Use DH at home: Designated hitters will be sent halfway through the portal between Delaclava and Drawkland and will remain suspended there for all eternity.

by **Nova Anglicana** » Tue Aug 02, 2022 7:33 am

Nova Anglicana Roster: WBC 55

Starting Rotation (order as given)
LHP #20 Joshua Rouillard, 30 - a wizard on the mound, throws just 92-94, but has two-seam, four-seam, and cut varieties of fastball, while curveball, screwball, changeup, and slider give him a lot of different off-speed looks
RHP #44 Caleb Sherman, 30 - has four offerings of at least league-average (fastball, curve, slider, change), 95-97 fastball and 12-6 curve are best pitches
LHP #19 Nate Barrett, 26 - 6'4 lefty has a windup that features a high leg kick and almost turning his back to the batter before unleashing the ball almost sidearm, only 93-95, but biting slider has movement and drop to it, throws a good change and can pull out a screwball on occasion, has a big uppercut swing that can connect for homers if he's lucky
RHP #56 Tommy Logan, 29 - former fireman/multi-inning guy steps into rotation, has a hard cut fastball, a sensational slurve, an average changeup and splitter
RHP #36 Félix Clermont, 25 - never skips leg day, so he drives off the mound into a 94-96 MPH fastball, lots of stamina, good big curveball, change has a good amount of break too

Bullpen
LHP #57 Branford Bass, 30 - big-bodied guy at 6'3, 230, not overwhelming at 93-95, but hits his spots and mixes in a good curve and slider, will work in long relief
LHP #48 Darren Sharp, 26, - only 5'9, but uses thick lower body and big leg lift to generate 97-100 on the fastball, throws the gas 70% of the time, but can pull out slider, curve, or change
LHP #46 Steven Gray, 28 - lefty submariner will work exclusively against lefties, will use a slider as primary pitch, but will work mid-80s fastball in on hands as well
RHP #38 Sean Caldwell, 26 - 2-seamer at 94-95 and changeup at 85-86 both have great lateral break, similar release angle makes it harder for hitters to judge, throws curve and slider as well, all from low three-quarters release, multi-inning/fireman guy
RHP #16 Simon Steele, 28 - primary advantage is 6'9 stature, fastball tops out at 93, but gets on hitters much more quickly, strong 12-6 curveball as well
RHP #11 Jean-Michel Lefebvre, 27 - relies on a cut fastball from a low three-quarter release, putaway pitch is split change, kind of reverse platoon splits
RHP #43 Tom Tyler, 24 - burst onto the scene by throwing 70% sliders, sets up on third-base side of rubber and hides the ball well, very uncomfortable at-bat for righties, shows 93 MPH fastball and solid change against lefties
RHP #30 Adrien Dumas, 23 - has been clocked at 102, 97 more average, vertical break on pitch makes it look like it's "rising", thrives at the top of the zone, sensational knuckle curve changes hitter's eye level, working on a slider
RHP #23 Brandon Norris, 25 - primary pitch is a bowling-ball sinker at 96-98, pairs this with a high-80s changeup and average slider of same velocity, has a little nickel curve for emergencies/surprises

Note: Snyder will use a closer-by-committee approach, with Sharp, Norris, Dumas, and Caldwell being the first four to get chances.

Catchers
C #60 David Conner, 30, (S/R) - a do-it-all guy, framing, arm, blocking, average, and power, speed is below average, but has worked on his patience
C #18 Joey Carlson, 26, (L/R) - big guy has real power, but real swing-and-miss, not much mobility behind the plate or on the basepaths, but framing and arm are solid
C #51 Peter Abbott, 22, (R/R) - sensational young catcher rushed to bigs and to NT, already has great defense (framing/arm/blocking), excellent eye at the plate, will get to his power eventually

Infielders
1B #21 Vincent Saint-Denis, 30, (R/R) - he's here for raw power, lot of swing-and-miss in his game, but crushes the ball when he makes contact, sneakily good on defense
3B #26 Shane Frazier, 23, (L/R) - converted SS very fluid at 3B, great arm, .270 hitter with room to grow, already strong opposite-field power, if he can tap into pull-side power, he'll hit 40 homers
SS #11 Davis Shipley, 31, (R/R) - hit tool is average, presently great at adding value outside of his bat, silky smooth in the infield, makes throws from anywhere, good eye at the plate, more of a smart baserunner than speed demon
2B #6 Patrick "Buddy" Bohannon, 24, (L/R) - there's a popular highlight video of his that shows him spraying line drives all over the field against all sorts of pitches at all sorts of locations, all with the same short, quick swing, also known for acrobatic defensive plays, very difficult to strike out, will bunt for a hit or adjust his swing to beat the defense, arm and power only fair
CI #50 Jake Wright, 30, (S/R) - from the right side, a massive power approach, from the left, more of a line-drive hitter, strong arm, suspect at third, but solid at first
IF #27 Jordan Lacoste, 29, (S/R) - above average power for middle infield, arm a little weak, great speed and range, little impatient

Outfielders
OF #25 Gary McKinney, 28, (S/R) - standout tool is batting average and control, very difficult to strike out and can hit it anywhere, good foot speed and can play any outfield position, arm average, has gotten better on walks, power still below average
OF #35 Hank Oliver, 31, (S/L) - veteran makes highlight-reel plays in center, great jump/first step means he has tremendous range, arm is fair, doesn't hit for a terribly high average or power, but draws a lot of walks and steals/takes the extra base whenever possible
OF #29 Michael O'Connor, 24, (R/R) - speed, power, and arm are some of the best anyone's seen in a long time, hit tool and eye at the plate will get better with time, tremendous competitor
OF #24 Mathieu Tremblay, 23, (S/R) - defensive natural, stolen-base maven, low strikeout rate, average arm, patience average, power still developing, might be average
UTIL #40 Luca Favreau, 31, (S/R) - has enough arm to fake it at short, third, or right, enough speed to fake it in center, plays an excellent second and left, strong situational hitter, can work the walk, not much power, but enough you can't ignore it

Charlie Snyder #55 (Manager)

Porter Rollins #1 (Hitting Coach)

Daniel Egan #47 (Pitching Coach)

Dirk Kendall #9 (1st Base Coach)

Rod Gillette #8 (3rd Base Coach)

Rich Carlisle #15 (Bench Coach)

Bobby McCann #52 (Bullpen Coach)

Starting Lineup w/o DH (starters will play as much as possible, but it's okay to occasionally sub someone into the starting lineup, especially Favreau)
CF Hank Oliver
C David Conner
LF Gary McKinney
1B Vincent Saint-Denis
3B Shane Frazier
RF Michael O'Connor
2B Patrick "Buddy" Bohannon
SS Davis Shipley
P Pitcher's Spot

Starting Lineup w/DH
CF Hank Oliver
C David Conner
LF Gary McKinney
1B Vincent Saint-Denis
3B Shane Frazier
DH Joey Carlson vs RHP/Jake Wright vs LHP
RF Michael O'Connor
2B Patrick "Buddy" Bohannon
SS Davis Shipley

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my runscorers: Yes
Choose my lineup: No
Follow my pitching rotation: Yes
Godmod scoring events: No
RP injuries to my players: Yes, but not serious ones. Back stiffness, jammed fingers, bruises, etc. Nothing that would keep them out of the lineup for more than 1 game. Reciprocity is expected.
Godmod injuries to my players: No
Eject my players: No, but manager is fair game
Godmod other events: No
Use DH at home: No
Style Modifier: +1.5

by **Milchama** » Tue Aug 02, 2022 9:36 am

Karakorum Forum-Democracy-Times-Tribune-Sun-Stars-Gods-Men-Tribute-Fightin'-Picayune-Post-Gazette-Chronicle-Eclipsor-Ellipsor-Report-Spin-Connector-Deflector-News-Today-Yesterday-And-Tomorrow

Sports Section

Milchama Ready to Come Back

The excuses are over, no more "it's our first tournament back" or "we were isolated in the recent past you know." There have been 3 WBCs since Milchama returned from Isolation and now is the time to cash in. After a disappointing WBC last time out where the Warriors lost in octos despite winning the group, Milchama is back and ready to shine. There are no excuses, only wins, and Milchama is ready to provide wins. SO MANY WINS! The other exciting thing for the Warriors is the stadium selection. The MBF has requested 3 venues for the Drawks and are hoping to cash in on home field advantage. MBF president Zachi Based said, "We have an ad budget to get the Drawks to support us and we believe we will become the sentimental favorites of everyone in our new town." Also, the traveling Milchamian contingent is expected to come into the city in droves to help shore up local support. Many fans have been planning a trip to Drawkland since the tournament specs were announced and are just waiting for the host city to book all the necessary rooms. Expect raucous crowds.

Of course the question with all those fans is who is going to be playing? And that's a wonderful question. Manager Tai Clioch avoided the ax for a disappointing WBC 54 but any mess ups this time and there is no doubt he will not be coming back for WBC 55. With that pressure Clioch picked a pretty interesting roster with some new faces but also some old stalwarts. We'll see how it works but no matter what the Warriors will be poised for a comeback.

Lineup:
1. Annette Baker SS RHB
2. Micheal Handston CF LHB
3. Maia Tennons LF RHB
4. Marius McNeesh 1B LHB
5. Dionizas Altani RF LHB
6. Yehudit Yehudon 3B RHB
7. Holot Nervy 2B RHB
8. Shosh Hamat C LHB
9. [Pitcher]

Starters:
SP 1: Ya'acov Masmerim RH
SP 2: Eric HaAdomim RH
SP 3: Neta Rothsenns LH
SP 4: Gal Tover RH

Bullpen:
RP 1: Boom Tekblam RH
RP 2: Annie Haynes LH
RP 3: Hamish Rosenberg RH
RP 4: Jonas Hemekt RH
RP 5: Avi Allens LH
RP 6: Galit Schachar LH
RP 7: Marion Singbladt RH

Bench:
David Gavry C RHB
Amos Piochta OF RHB
Alon Dawn OF LHB
Dani Lamen IF RHB
Gavin Reckpick IF RHB
Tziporah Sephoran PH/OF RHB
Dal Getz IF/OF Switch

RP Permissions:
Do whatever except obviously I do not use the DH at home (or on the road).

A note on Milchamian pitchers:
Since cricket got increasingly popular in Milchama over the Isolation there has been a concurrent belief in increasing the ability of pitchers to hit. Therefore, Milchamian pitchers tend to hit like Greg Maddux or like pitchers in the 1920s. Not actually good hitters but will be able to get on base if you give them an easy pitch.

Relievers note:
Relievers are listed in order of leverage situation. RP 1 = reliever likely to come on during the highest leverage situation, RP 2 in the second most important etc. No traditional closer but you get the idea.

by **Oscioru** » Wed Aug 03, 2022 9:46 am

THE OSCIORU SAINTS

...presented by the Republican Batting Sports Association

Baseball is one of the most popular sports in the Repubblica. It is played in every little corner or small stadium around the country, from it's cosmopolitan cities in the west, to its rough north or the steppes of the south. Baseball remains in the hearts of many and as such, a longing for international play has been put into place yet again. The country has not send a delegation for the World Baseball Championships in 5 editions, but with the 55th version being hosted in fellow Sonnelian state of Drawkland, the Saints would be looking to reintroduce themselves in international baseball once again, this time with long-lasting intentions.

Pitching Rotation:

First: RHP - Gaëtan Cavallo
Second: LHP - Nicușor Muggia
Third: RHP - Octave Pavia
Fourth: LHP - Oddo Abreu

Bullpen:

LR: RHP - Naldo St Pierre
MR: RHP - Poncio Lopez
MR: LHP - Danko Novak
SR: LHP - Claudiu Tanzi
SM: RHP - Alexandre Ragno
SM: RHP - Gigi Fava
CL: LHP - Gustave Bellincioni

Position Starters:

1B: L - Dragutin Biancardi
2B: R - Daniel Lobo
3B: R - Grégory Sarti
SS: R - Tammaro Abategiovanni
RF: L - Claude Núñez
LF: L - Augustin Lambert
CF: R - Odilon Torres
C: R - Samuele Bandini
DH: L - Todor Tahirović

Substitutions:

C: L - Ademar Paternoster
IF: R - Lope Aldebrandi
OF: R - Bojan Kovač
SM: R - Lazăr Fonseca

Coach: Antonije Đorđević-Gasperini

Roster comments: Many of the players represented Juvencus in the Olympics, but do not be fooled, those players are of Osci origin. Baseball is not all that popular in Juvencus and Osci players were asked as filler for the country's national team as filler and to give players real first-hand baseball experience. Osci players are known for their elite fast running ability and their excellent pinpoint accurate throws. Batting is not the team's strongest suit, as most players have average batting.

RP Permissions:
Choose my run-scorers: Yes
Choose my lineup: Yes
Follow my Pitching Rotation: Yes
Godmod scoring events: TG first
RP injuries to my players: Yes, but nothing too serious please
Godmod injuries to my players: No
Eject my players: Yes
DH used at home: Yes
Godmod other events: Depends
Other Info: Super aggressive style. Style +4.

by **Oscioru** » Wed Aug 03, 2022 11:12 am

THE CEMETERY ON THE MOUNTAIN

Chapter 1?: The Introduction

Canzaria, Grand Duchy of Oscioru, April 19th, 1893

It has been a month since I stepped foot in Oscioru, the trek has been long and exhausting. It almost reminds me of when I was fighting back in Juvencus, where I had to traverse large swathes of land before I could even find an enemy to fight. But this time, I would say it has been peaceful at last. Travelling at our brother state in occupation has certainly not been the friendliest visit in the cities, but the countryside sure has been friendly to me.

The goal was to visit the southeast of Oscioru and specifically a place called Canzaria. Now, Canzaria is interesting to me as it is sitting in a spot called "The Frontier of Juvencus" since the middle ages. Indeed it was the southernmost point on which the Pomen Empire's influence remained and its successor states managed to cultivate a culture much like the ones in Poma, Bresca or Sampona in Oscioru. Hell, even similar to those back in Pomena and Serone back at home. It has always served as an important crossroads for visitors from elsewhere in Suntae into the Juven World. Many were traders, willing to exchange goods and then set back to their own homelands. But a lot of the time, Canzaria was a spot that met extreme violence and visits from hostile raiders from the surrounding areas.

Their difference from the rest of us is that these people developed a different borderlands attitude than the rest of us. They did not have petty fights with neighbors of the same kin, but had to protect not just themselves but the rest of us from invaders. Canzaria is elaborately placed atop a hill with the same name. As a matter of fact, the entire area is either hilly or a series of flat savannahs and steppe. It is relatively easy for hostile parties to move around and Canzaria's spot at the top of a tall hill always gave it an advantadgeous spot to defend and not so much to attack. This has contributed to the city remaining clearly Osci and by extension Juven.

Close to the city there is also the only mountain any human can see for a long distance. The mountain is called Tedvesc, named after a Medieval Canzarian warrior who sacrificed his life defending the city of Canzaria. It is estimated to be 1783 meters tall. At the thousand meter mark, there is a small plateau, an area that is fertile and green and cold compared to the rest of its surrounding area, with an abundance of water. On the plateau was a beautiful stone village called Sant Gregori, from which the Qurijan cosmopolitan city got its name from. I was always curious as to why this served as the place's name. It was also a village filled with great warriors that fought for Canzaria or as mercenaries elsewhere in Juvencus and Oscioru as well. The villagers were known for their bravery and strong battle tactics.

The village itself has a cemetery, as is traditional, which also serves as a cemetery for other nearby villages and settlements. An elaborately made necropolis sprawled in front of me, probably bigger than Sant Gregori itself. The graves had all their candles lit, colorful flowers on each gravestone, all of which were seemingly made out of rocks from this very mountain. I decided to bask in the silence and enjoy as the wind swept playfully against my direction. However, this did not last long as I saw an old man, probably a monk in his 80s. He was holding his old wooden cane, staring into the nothingness in the distance. I decided to sit down next to him, he gave me a glance, then kept on looking in the distance. I could see in his eyes that he had seen conflict, after all, the area had only been stable from foreign invasion for about 10 years.

I wanted to talk to him, but I did not want to bother the old man. The feelings of curiosity however crept on. All I wanted to do was ask him a question but that is when he he turned around and gave me a very serious look.

"You are one of those Juven, aren't you?"

I was taken aback, I did not know how to react to this. However I took no time in responding.

"Yes, yes I am."

He sighed in relief, it was as if he was waiting for an attack of sorts. He turned back to looking at the distance with a thousand yard stare, his face was expressionless.

"It is not a lot of times that I see people from the far north coming here in the frontier. However, I am aware that you have come here with a purpose. May the Lord guide you to what you are seeking. I am obliged to ask you however. What is it that you are looking for?"

I was taken by surprise yet again, but that is when I decided to let my guard down and explain.

"I am a former combatant, my name is Leonidas Arrigi and while in conflict I developed a passion for..."

The story continues...

by **The Orion Islands** » Wed Aug 03, 2022 5:29 pm

SP Chad Hooper
SP Jonathan Welch
SP Phillip Liu
SP Matthew Clay
SP Christian Allen
SP Daniel Garcia
RP Tommy Butler
RP John Roberts
RP Gregory Williams
RP John Bailey
RP Brian Smith
CP Kevin Fernandez
C Shawn Jordan
C Christopher Hunt
1B Joseph Short
2B Jared King
3B Martin Mcpherson
3B Christopher Rosales
SS Joseph Gonzalez
SS Louis Ramirez
LF Joseph Campos
LF Adam Gomez
CF Henry Tate
CF John Nichols
RF Bruce Bradford

Starting Rotation
1) Chad Hooper
2) Johnathan Welch
3) Philip Liu
4) Matthew Clay
5) Christian Allen

Starting Lineup
1) Christopher Roseales
2) Henry Tate
3) Bruce Bradford
4) Joseph Campos
5) Jared King
6) Shawn Jordan
7) Joseph Short

Joseph Gonzalez
9) P/DH Martin Mcpherson

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my runscorers: Yes
Choose my lineup: Yes
Follow my pitching rotation: Yes
Godmod scoring events: No
RP injuries to my players: Yes
Godmod injuries to my players: No
Eject my players: Yes
Godmod other events: No

by **The Orion Islands** » Wed Aug 03, 2022 6:28 pm

The history of Orionite Baseball began during World War II. Japanese and American forces both introduced the game to the areas they occupied. The game was widely played during the war with available materials. It served as a means for both American and Japanese forces to endear themselves to the local population. However, in the Japanese occupied portions of Orion, the game came to be widely resented as an imposition by foreign invaders. The resentment came to a head on June 7, 1944. After news of the Normandy landings arrived via VOA and BBC transmissions, protests broke out in Bastille-Ville. The Vichy authorities proved unable to control them. In what came to be known as La révolte du baseball (The Baseball Revolt), Frenchmen began destroying any baseball equipment they could find. This was done to express their anger at the Japanese occupiers. La révolte du baseball became the start of the Révolution contre la tyrannie (Revolution Against Tyranny). This marked the end of the occupation. Meanwhile, in British Orion, the game was viewed positively, as the Americans cultivated a friendly image and contributed greatly to the island by building roads, hospitals, and airports, many of witch remain operational to this day. After the war, the British Orionite Baseball Federation was established to govern the growth of the game. Belangeria and New Hanover became baseball’s strongholds. The Orionite League was founded in 1968. It was recognized as a Double A equivalent league by Major League Baseball in 1980. The game has become the fourth most popular team sport in Orion. The 12 team Orionite League is fairly strong in terms of attendance. French Orion does not have any functional teams at all, as the game was banned by the Prefect of Orion in 1946 as “a symbol of the Vichy-Japanese alliance.” This ban was only lifted in 2007 by the Orionite National Assembly, and even then with almost all Francophone legislators voting to maintain the ban.

by **Canadian Dominion** » Wed Aug 03, 2022 8:14 pm

Canadian Goose Baseball

#	Player			      Bat/Throw
18	Soren Fessenden		        L/L	
66	Dax Cowan			R/R
76	Jeremiah Marks			R/R
35	Kane Snow			R/R
49	Gabriel Barber			L/L

Pitchers
21	Nicolas Marks			L/L
32	Daniel Point			R/R
29	Aarav Lewis			R/R
16	Wesley Doyle			R/R
5	Arthur Reid			R/L
6	Cruz Ewart			R/R
22	Nico Wellington		        L/R

catchers			
1	Henry Mercer			R/L
2	Rhys Russell			L/L

infielders			
12	Elliott Ostell			R/R
17	Patrick Wiseman			R/R
67	Lukas Lehmann			L/L
30	Rhett Clarkson			L/L
8	Milo Ward			R/R
68	Grayson Cooke			R/R

outfielders
11	Jude Hill			R/R
52	Aarav Graham			R/L
43	Max Todd			R/R
14	Kyler Brown			R/R
25	Odin McCrae			R/R

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my runscorers: Yes
Choose my lineup: Yes
Follow my pitching rotation: Yes
Godmod scoring events: Yes
RP injuries to my players: No
Godmod injuries to my players: Yes
Eject my players: No
Godmod other events: No

Style Mod: +2.5

by **TJUN-ia** » Thu Aug 04, 2022 7:43 am

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

So...things have changed haven't they? After falling more respectably to South Newlandia in Zwangzug, a total of 16 players hung up their bats and made their way to the Hall of Legends for all-time. Now, the remnants of that team and some much needed reinforcements from the Cubs head out to Drawkland to try and start off the New Era of TJUN-ian baseball. Out of those left behind, the only starter left (and de-facto captain) is Catcher Joe Gregory while both Hunter Jakes and former DH Killian O'Mally look for one final ride in the outfield. The pitching is also a bit sparse, with only Gene Almac the remaining starter from 2 years ago and only 3 pitchers total in the bullpen. It will be a bit light, this unit, but we hope that they can do us proud in what is effectively a development cycle.

As for Phillip Hellas-Verona, getting to our new temporary home of Sixth Drawkionel Park in Hessport was not without a shock as Pedro Valcoron, his assistant coach, informed PHB that he was taking up the head coaching gig at Walstreim Stingrays of the LPB and, as such, was leaving the setup. Of course, he wished him well in his future endeavours, but that did mean a shakeup of his staff for the very first time. His four remaining coaches were all viable options but in the end, he decided that Pitching Coach Jack Helstrom-Satanique would be best fit for that promotion. 1st Base Coach Shigeru Moyatawa would take Jack's place on Pitching while st Base was then filled up by a new face...Shana-D Mackenzie, the first female to be involved in the main coaching staff in TB history. It certainly has been a cycle of change for the Battin' Jags...let's see how they rebuild.

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

COACHING STAFF
Manager: Phillip Hellas-Verona (53)
Assistant Manager: Jack Helstrom-Satanique (45)
Pitching Coach: Shigeru Moyatawa (49)
Batting Coach: Enrique Lopez (46)
1st Base Coach: Shana-D Mackenzie (35)
3rd Base Coach: Pierre Greziére (48)

POSITION STARTERS
1B: #70 Santino Fenatti (24, R)
2B: #68 Hunter Jakes (35, R)
3B: #50 Anastasia Mykvinich (24, R)
SS: #55 Svetlana Mykvinich (24, R)
RF: #66 Stefan von Shültz (26, L)
LF: #44 Killian O'Mally (34, L)
CF: #60 Martina Andrade de Souza (22, L)
C: #67 Joe Gregory (32, R)

STARTING PITCHERS
P: #1 Gene Almac (34, L)
P: #2 Shin Suzuki (35, R)
P: #3 Harrison Kyle (34, L)
P: #4 Kim Tsu-Ka (33, L)
P: #5 Jason McRae (26, R)

BULLPEN
RP: #6 Kimi Holvanen (24, L)
RP: #7 Maddison "Missy" Jembembe (22, R)
CP: #11 Carlos Buena (35, R)

BACKUPS
C/PH: #97 Leonidas Hall (31, L)
C: #38 Li Chen Sho (24, R)
2B: #25 Holly Davids (22, L)
DH: #45 Anna Builler (26, R)

STARTING LINEUPS
Without DH
1. Fenatti
2. A. Mykvinich
3. S. Mykvinich
4. Jakes
5. O'Mally
6. von Shültz
7. Andrade de Souza
8. Gregory
9. Pitcher Spot

With DH
1. Fenatti
2. A. Mykvinich
3. S. Mykvinich
4. Jakes
5. O'Mally
6. Builler (DH)
7. von Shültz
8. Andrade de Souza
9. Gregory

PERMISSIONS

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

Results: N/A
Standings: 0-0 (N/A)
Next 2 Fixtures: vs Chromatika (6), @Rouyoute (UR)

by **Cassadaigua** » Thu Aug 04, 2022 1:13 pm

Team Cassadaigua
Official Roster for World Baseball Classic 55

Home Stadium for WBC 55:
Corps Central Park, Drawk City, Drawkland
Capacity: 89,000

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

Manager- Allyson McIntosh (49, North Granby Bobcats) (1st World Baseball Classic)

Maddie Polanco did such great things for Cassadagan Baseball between World Baseball Classic 41 and 52, but with the way things have gone for us since then, maybe she was ten times better than we ever imagined. Maddie Polanco retired after WBC 52, and the reins of the team were handed to Taylor Bryant for #53. This seemed to be a good choice, since her beginning was similar to Polanco’s, as a long time player. Taylor had many big hits for the team, and seemed destined for great things as the manager. That never materialized, and after a disastrous tournament, Taylor was let go after just one Classic.

Enter Meghan Conrad for WBC 54. The long time manager of the Grande Mountain Huskies seemed like the best decision, but that would also prove to not be the case. Now, it seems like Cassadaigua has to do damage control, falling in the ranks to a number that seems completely incomprehensible. Enter McIntosh, who rebuilt the North Granby program into becoming a top flight program within the league. The Cassadagan Association for Baseball, these days, does not expect to be what they were under Polanco and realizes they are rebuilding. This hire suggests that regardless of the result of WBC 55, that Allyson will get a few chances to get the team back to where it is expected to be.

As we move on to look at the team, it needs to be pointed out that no one is being brought back. Why should they be?

Starting Rotation (Stats in the last Cassadagan season included)
SP- #20- Stella Freeman (26, RHP, Rutland Engineers) (17-7, 2.15 ERA, 265 K’s)
SP- #29- Breanne LaViolette (29, LHP, Starksville Brown Birds) (21-5, 2.42 ERA, 229 K’s)
SP- #28- Lacey Maxwell (23, RHP, Stockton Heights Vikings) (13-11, 2.29 ERA, 277 K’s)
SP- #21- Natalia Gomez (27, LHP, Concord Heights Royals) (24-5, 2.50 ERA, 242 K’s)
SP- #32- Tessa McElvain (24, RHP, New Lakeland Tycoons) (21-6, 2.44 ERA, 259 K’s)
Maxwell’s mediocre W-L record is a product of playing on a bad team

Bullpen

RP- #44- Jazmyn Mabry (32, RHP, Brattleboro Brats)- Anytime relief, possibly held for extra innings if game trends that way
RP- #45- Leigh Heyman (24, LHP, Grande Mountain Huskies)- Anytime Relief, preferred only one inning
RP- #33- Haley Newell (26, RHP, Concord Heights Royals)- Long Relief
RP- #34- Ava Flannigan (28, LHP, North Granby Bobcats)- Long Relief
RP- #36- Riley Burkhalter (25, RHP, Victoriaville Venom)- Short relief (7th inning target if righty needed)
RP- #55- Gabrielle Jordan (25, LHP, Carthage Tornadoes)- Short relief (7th inning target if lefty needed)
RP- #40- Alexandra Kempner (29, RHP, Victoriaville Venom)- Set up (8th inning target)
CP- #42- Kayla Sandlin (24, LHP, Northbury Red Foxes)- Closer

Here is our lineup with the players stats from the most recently completed season in Cassadaigua. All players are switch hitters, you don’t get to this level in Cassadaigua without having that ability. Therefore, we use the same lineup when facing lefties or righties.

1) #1- Tabitha Serrano- CF (22, Winchester Gamblers) (.342, 6 HR, 75 RBI, 85 SB)
2) #18- Chloe Sutterby- 2B (26, New Lakeland Tycoons) (.320, 26 HR, 103 RBI, 26 SB)
3) #5- Kristen Martorella- 3B (27, North Granby Bobcats) (.332, 38 HR, 132 RBI, 3 SB)
4) #7- Carly Hodges- LF (24, Starksville Brown Birds) (.315, 41 HR, 138 RBI, 28 SB)
5) #17- Makenna Anglin- 1B (26, Cumberland Cappers) (.325, 32 HR, 126 RBI, 4 SB)
6) #14- Baylee Crighton- SS (23, Columbia Attack Geese) (.349, 13 HR, 103 RBI, 14 SB)
7) #4- Emma Matthews- RF (28, Brattleboro Brats) (.285, 33 HR, 119 RBI, 21 SB)
8) #25- Morgan Brennan- C (28, Concord Heights Royals) (.296, 20 HR, 94 RBI, 1 SB)
9) Pitcher

Bench:
#24- Lilly Stanfield- C (26, Grande Mountain Huskies)
#12- Susannah Prosecki- 1B/3B (25, Winchester Gamblers)
#13- Isabelle Tejeda- 2B/SS (23, Fairfax Fire)
#6- Desiree Arquette- OF (26, Rutland Engineers) DH When Used, will still bat 9th
#11- Cailey Huff- OF (21, North Granby Bobcats)
#2- Katrina Simon- Utility (21, Northbury Red Foxes)
#26- Priscilla Forbes- Utility (23, New Lakeland Tycoons)

by **Quebec and Shingoryeo** » Thu Aug 04, 2022 1:24 pm

Quebec and Shingoryeo National Baseball Team

Narrative Overview: After surviving a major existential doubt in middle of the WBC 53, where the nation has nearly reached the point of withdrawal from international baseball, the Grim Reapers have not looked back, pushing the eventual champions Banija to brink on the WBC 53 and then continuing it further with a remarkable, third-place run on the WBC 54.

Now, with most of their three biggest names known as the 'Taewha Three' - third baseman Heo Myeong-Shin, right fielder/first baseman Theo-Alexandre Pinson, and centre fielder Samuel Carlini-Mwambutsya - all retiring, and the bullpen mostly causing trouble for this squad all-cycle long, there is no doubt that a major transitional period coming up for the Grim Reapers. Fortunately, the recent crop of talent seems to bode much-needed optimism, with the Under-22s having a dominant, undefeated run to win the most recent International Baseball Slam held in South Newlandia and Super-Llamaland. Of course, it remains to be seen on how this group of talent transitions - it took some adjustment period midway for the previous crop - can they do it much quicker this time?[/i]

Also accompanying the Grim Reapers, as expected, are 'The Bubonic Plague', the official supporters' group of the Quebecois national teams on every senior level - there is no equivalent of such on junior levels, due to many safety and developmental reasons to be discussed in future time. With a membership that goes into about eight to ten millions (around one-eighth to one-tenth of the population), the ultras are known for their wearing of the Quebecois Tricolour (Red, Black and Yellow), topless selves, and their extremely liberal use of musical instruments and hand-held flares. With this WBC being held entirely in Drawkland, it is safe to assume that tens of thousands will be decking the stadium stands, in-city pubs and hotel rooms of each and every services where their services (so the games) will be needed. GET ERECT GET EXCITED!

Nickname: Grim Reapers
Acronym: QUE
Denonym: Quebecois (Preferred), Quebecer (that's fine)

Home Colours: Blue, White and Yellow
Away Colours:Red, Black and White
Official Supporters Group: The Bubonic Plague
IBS Season: Late autumn/Early winter of 2056
Style Mod: -2

Retired Numbers

The previous year saw the Grim Reapers, just six months after the Grim Reapers' miraculous third-place run on the WBC-54 in Zwangzug, retire their two greatest infielders' numbers to the rafters of the Commonwealth Park, Songak, the longtime home of the Quebecois national baseball team. The numbers coincided with their return from Cassadaigua to their home teams in Kingston Tigers and Saguenay Lions. It was a fitting nod to two legends and lifelong friends who have played on rival schools and clubs all their lives since high school and into Cassadaigua, and who have represented the finest peak of the Quebecois baseball. We will all remember their decadelong heroics, especially the runs they had on the WBC 53 and 54.

#10 - HEO Myeong-Shin: 2043-54 (WBC 49-51, 53-54)
TEAMS: Erskine CI -> Université du Saguenay -> Kingston Tigers -> Concord Heights Royals -> Kingston Tigers
#52 - Theo-Alexandre PINSON - 2043-54 (WBC 49-54)
TEAMS: Sangwon CVI -> Queen's College at Cornwall -> Saguenay Lions -> Brattleboro Brats -> California City Dodgers

Coaching Staff:

Grim Reapers' legend Choe Bong-Hak's done a respectable job in bringing the Grim Reapers back to the point of international relevance, and while the California City Dodgers manager has left the position at a high point, there's no doubt that the coaching cupboard, left by him and also assisted by the general manager Dana Hussul, stable and relatively well-filled. Kate McLelland-Gong, the bench coach of this team, has been promoted after much deliberation on his part, partly due to the controversial free agency signing of club legend Theo-Alexandre Pinson to the California City Dodgers, and the team hopes McLelland-Gong and the bench coach Levinson Webster, a recent Grim Reapers second baseman who has most recently coached the Under-22 team into the IBS title, to continue manning the retooling ship. Aside from that, the team sees some changes in personnel, with several positional coaches from the Under-22 team being promoted to the senior level, though we still don't know why Uhm Min-Ha, who oversaw her bullpen pitchers pull near-Cowbell moments at various points the previous Classic, was retained.

No. First Name      Surname           Age Sex Tenure   Position        Tier Team
N/A Dana            Hussul             58   F Returnee General Manager LPB  St. Riecairn Saints
80  Kate            McLelland-Gong     56   F Promoted Head Coach      QBO  Saguenay Lions
70  Levinson        Webster            42   M Promoted Bench Coach     QIS  University of Kingston
89  Gye-Nam         Hwang              34   M New*     Hitting Coach   QBO  Kingston Blue Jays
78  Kendra          Noh                50   F New*     Fielding Coach  QBO  Joongyeong Bears
84  Min-Ha          Uhm                44   F Returnee Bullpen Coach   QBO  Attawapiskat Wiz
74  Joon-Yeol       Sung               59   M New*     Analyst         QIS  Farrer University

* includes those who have taken appointments in the IBS team, but have otherwise been promoted to senior team or holds dual-appointments.

Starting Pitchers (6)

After a shorter rotation due to fewer number of group stage matches in the previous classic, we see the Grim Reapers' management extending their starting rotation to six pitchers and while it's followed by a half-dozen QBO teams who have depth of arms to do so, it's not the most conventional of practice on the international ball due to a plethora of reasons.

Now, in terms of the actual rotation, it's one that can be viewed with mixed reception. This rotation has all of the big 3s you need in a long-term pool - Aces (you need at least two), Depth and Prospects - and that's a good thing! When you look at it much closer, however, it's a slightly more complicated story. Kevin Buchanan and Baek Nam-Soo are clearcut aces on this squad to the squad and their calibre, whether proven in South Newlandia or Cassadaigua, are undoubtedly elite. And those behind them are solid too. But their respective utility value is a questionable one - Mathieu Berard's become a more of all-arounder but his fastball velocity, which stand in low-140s, are a question mark. Krista Gallant-Jamison, the young-gun who has held her fort well, isn't the most consistent of the pitching options while Helene Bigras, a consistent option, has had injury and stamina concerns in her recent seasons.

Adding to the concern is Nahuel Fronacieri, the ace of the aforementioned Under-22 team that won the Slam. There is no doubt that Nahuel has talent - he's the next person in the lineage to succeed Baek Nam-Soo on the lineage of legendary southpaw fastballers who have graced this land. But the decision to bring this college baller, who has yet to declare for the pros, into second straight international tournament without a bulk-up, isn't the safest of long-term decisions, if I have to be frank.

No. First Name       Surname          Age Sex Hand Throw   Status   Tier  Team
 4  Kevin            Buchanan          33   M RHP  3-Qtr   Returnee LPB   Elephant Valley Homers
99  Nam-Soo          Baek              26   M LHP  Over    Returnee QBO   Levis Wyverns
16  Mathieu          Berard            32   M LHP  Sidearm Joined   QBO   Saguenay Lions
33  Krista           Gallant-Jamison   23   F RHP  3-Qtr   Joined   QBO   California City Dodgers
47  Nahuel           Fornacieri        20   M LHP  3-Qtr   Rookie   QIS   Université d'Abitibi
17  Helene           Bigras            26   F RHP  Over    Joined   QBO   Kingston Tigers

The Bullpen (9)

The previous cycle's catastrophic collapse, where manager Choe and positional coach Uhm had nearly exhausted their options by the Game 5 of their third-place series against Kriegiersien, had meant that there were going to be major changes to this squad. This move, while not the savviest of the moves made by the selection body and manager Kate McLelland-Gong, is considered to be understandable especially with how limited of a shelf-life bullpens can have at times, and the sideeffect of this that people have seen in the intriguing case study of the Drawkian Base Corps.

Anyways, let's check this bullpen corps again. It's a diverse mix of pitchers, with a lefty-righty split of 4 to 5, and unsurprisingly large number of sidearms and submarines into the squad. As you may notice, this squad sees solid number of rookies - four from the Under-22s and Kelsey Laudonikis after a strong, Reliever-of-the-Year nominee campaign - join the squad. Jang Hyo-Seung's retirement means that sidearms Devon Ackie and Alexandre Farias, who used to be key pieces of this bullpen, are the leaders of this corps.

Isaiah Baek, a promising lefty fireballer now with Peninsulara Kingfishers, is an long-relief option, with Ackie expected to mentor Baek. Laudonikis, Farias and Orin are relievers all familiar to the workload expected and will be thrown to wolves where needed, while Akers is back to the familiar position as a short relief. Sophomore Benoit Everson, after blowing possible postseason saves thrice, is relegated into a more comfortable setup position while Clement Jolin, who has performed a decent job just two months ago in Esportiva, takes over as the closer.

No. Position      First Name     Surname          Age Sex Hand Throw     Status   Tier  Team
44  Long Relief   Devon          Ackie             27   F RHP  Sidearm   Joined   QBO   Kingston Tigers
13  Long Relief   Isaiah         Baek              20   M LHP  Overhand  Rookie   LPB   Peninsulara Kingfishers
29  Middle Relief Kelsey         Laudonikis        26   F RHP  Overhand  Rookie   QBO   Saint John Green Sox
18  Middle Relief Alexandre      Farias            32   M RHP  Sidearm   Returnee QBO   Levis Wyverns
28  Middle Relief Wanda          Orin              21   F RHP  Submarine Rookie   QBO   Joongyeong Bears
57  Short Relief  Samuel-Lee     Akers             28   M LHP  3-Qtr     Returnee QBO   Montreal Twins
21  Setup Man     Benoit         Everson           23   M LHP  Overhand  Returnee QBO   Kingston Blue Jays
11  Setup Man     C.J.           Laudonikis        22   F LHP  3-Qtr     Rookie   QBO   Saguenay Lions
41  Closer        Clement        Jolin             20   M RHP  3-Qtr     Rookie   QBO   Prince Eric Athletics

Catchers and Infielders (10)

The magical run in Zwangzug two years ago also came with the retirement of three veterans from the national team - Heo, Pinson and catcher Kelsey Altherr - and the subsequent loss of power hitters that coincided with Horace Choo's aging form, likely means that this infield corps is filled with a good number of question marks on something that the Grim Reapers' have made themselves known for. Fortunately enough, the Juniors' outstanding form, marked by the barrage of firework from tournament MVP Noel Jackson, catcher/DH Errol Kim, and excellent contact by Belanna Latham and Diana Hwang pinela, suggest there is something to help the team transition into the new era.

Anyways let's go into the positions themselves. On the catcher we expect a split of Joh Hyeon-Myeong and Horace Choo, with Joh expected to start a majority of games and Choo, who has almost always formed battery with Kevin Buchanan, to start on games involving Kevin Buchanan, and also to be substituted on late innings. Errol Kim, a solid blocker whose potential as a power hitter is more notable, is expected to see occasional playing time as a third-string catcher, but likelier as a Designated Hitter.

The first baseman sees Samuel Maybin take over on the 4th and the first baseman on full-time basis. While the Hanbat Eagles' captain, who is best known as an OPS hitter with impeccable batting eye, is less than an average fielder, he makes up for it with strong batting and will be expected even more now that the H-P duo retired. Still, there are worries that Maybin, who isn't a naturally charismatic leader his predecessors were, may not perform the best as the fourth hitter on the lineup. Time will tell if this holds true.

The second sees Anika Nesterovic return and is complimented by a promising Belanna Latham - both are above-average hitters with decent coverage and reliability - while the shortstop sees Benedict Calles III, after half-dozen years as an utility guy, locking the starting spot. Funnily enough the third base, the spot where everybody had worried the most, was easily figured out - IBS tournament MVP Noel Jackson enters into the vacant spot with relative ease. The Joongyeong Bear, who has decent range and excellent athleticism, may end up alleviate the pressure off Samuel Maybin and the outfield veterans, and one day lead this team as well.

No. Position      First Name     Surname          Age Sex Throw Bat Status   Tier  Team
16  Catcher       Hyeon-Myeong   Joh               28   M     R   R Returnee  QBO  California City Dodgers
47  Catcher       Horace         Choo              37   M     R   R Returnee  LPB  Elephant Valley Homers
22  Catcher/DH    Errol          Kim               18   M     R   S Rookie    QIS  Muhak National University
49  First Base    Samuel         Maybin            29   M     L   L Returnee  QBO  Hanbat Eagles
14  Second Base   Anika          Nesterovic        28   F     R   S Returnee  QBO  California City Dodgers
 3  Second Base   Belanna        Latham            20   F     R   R Rookie    QIS  Northwestern University
 1  Shortstop     Benedict       Calles III        25   M     R   R Returnee  QBO  Kingston Tigers
18  Third Base    Noel           Jackson           21   M     R   R Rookie    QBO  Joongyeong Bears
 6  Third/Short   Diana          Hwang Pinela      21   F     R   L Returnee  QBO  California University
 7  Short/Second  Jae-Ho         Joh               22   M     R   R Rookie    QBO  Saguenay Lions

Outfielders (5)

The outfield has escaped extensive turnover seen by the infield corps, not because of performance-based reasons but due to age. Starting corner outfielders currently based in the LPB - Jean-Noel Bellefeuille for Xingcheng and Kang Ye-Rim of Sun City - have played major roles for the team, and they should be fine off continuing their role as key contributors to the team that needs Bellefeuille's power and Kang's five tools, more than ever. On the centre field, returnee Kweon Hyeok-Joon continues to add promise as a strong-armed centrefielder with decent coverage ability. He is backed up by a speedster Yi Sang-Gook, a defensively superior but offensively-poorer option. The fifth outfielder, however, may be the one to watch as Cecily Maybin, the younger sister of Samuel, joins the team as a rookie. Maybin, an agile, OPS hitter, has done a good job hitting fourth on the Juniors team, and with godawful outfielding of Bellefeuille, should be getting plenty of playing time.

No. Position      First Name     Surname          Age Sex Throw Bat Status   Tier  Team
34  Left Field    Jean-Noel      Bellefeuille      28   M     L   L Returnee  LPB  Xingcheng Renaissance
25  Centre Field  Hyeok-Joon     Kweon             21   M     R   R Returnee  QBO  Dongnae Giants
26  Centre Field  Sang-Gook      Yi                26   M     R   L Joined    QBO  Saguenay Lions
50  Right Field   Ye-Rim         Kang              32   F     R   L Returnee  LPB  Sun City Flames
32  Right/Left    Cecily         Maybin            19   F     L   L Rookie    QBO  Hanbat Eagles

Notes on our Grim Reapers

Traditionally, the Grim Reapers have taken the pitcher use with great dose of liberalism. Assuming the pitcher has a solid game, the pitching count is loosely observed, and it's absolutely in sight for the starter to go well into seventh or even eighth inning. The disastrous performance of the bullpen two years ago that came close to cost the Grim Reapers' chances on a couple of playoff series, has likely forced the hand on the coaching staff to go for a six-man rotation once again. That said, it is just as likely for the starting pitcher to get yanked within first three innings if one allows too many runs early into the game, which of course have happened before. In those cases, expect at three to five pitchers to be used for remainder of the game. Still, this is a squad that doesn't always use the sabremetric splits and substitutions to great degree, and barring major collapses (again) the aforementioned ordering will be kept.

Stylsitically, the the Grim Reapers continue to be the power-based, offensive and aggressive bunch they have been - it's in their playing colours and will stay like that forever. It is a squad that doesn't exactly steal a lot of bases beyond the usual candidates - see those on the centre line - and while the infielders are known for being defensively stout, you cannot exactly expect them on the outfield. So this likely means that you may see an occasional whoopsie-daisie with early outs do happen, it will be treated less as a 'oepsie woepsie stukkie wukkie'. Still, positional versatility tends to be valued among fielders, especially the infielders, and that does factor into the selection criteria.

Of course, there is a bit of complicated situation with the Quebecois history and geographic realities. Traditionally, baseball has been a fairly racially and regionally ubiquitous sport in Quebec, though there are strong regional and ethnic elements that are noticeable to it. Traditionally, there is strong sense of regional pride that derives from many of the iconic QBO franchises that have defined its history, as six regions traditionally dominate in both high school and pro baseball output, which reflects well into the first round of QBO Drafts.

There are minor stylistic differences between the regions and how their players' play, but those don't factor as much as how they used to be. Ethnically, the sport does have more Korean-Quebecois players in general rule of thumb, though that means little in this day and age where most Quebecois, whether Indigenous, Caucasian, Korean or of other Commonwealth origins, are fairly multiracial. Still, Korean is the lingua franca of the baseball diamond and that continues to be a defining feature of the Quebecois baseball scene as whole.

Starting Lineup (Position, Bats)
1: Nesterovic (2B, S)
2: Y.R. Kang (RF, L)
3: Jackson (3B, R)
4: S. Maybin (1B, L)
5: Bellefeuille (DH, L)
6: H.J. Kweon (CF, R)
7: C. Maybin (LF, L)
8: Joh (C, R)
9: Calles III (SS, R)

Unusual, DH-less Starting Lineup (Position, Bats)
1: Calles III (SS, R)
2: Y.R. Kang (RF, L)
3: Jackson (3B, R)
4: S. Maybin (1B, L)
5: Bellefeuille (LF, L)
6: Joh (C, R)
7: Calles III (SS, R)
8: PITCHER
9: Nesterovic (2B, S)

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my runscorers: Yes
Choose my lineup: Sure
Follow my pitching rotation: Yes
Godmod scoring events: Yes
RP injuries to my players: No
Godmod injuries to my players: No!
Eject my players: Go ahead
Godmod other events: TG me in advance
Use DH at home: Hellyeah!

by **Super-Llamaland** » Thu Aug 04, 2022 1:26 pm

SUPER-LLAMALAND TIGERS: WBC55 ROSTER

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my runscorers: Yes
Choose my lineup: Yes, within reason (justify any discrepancies from the below lineups if possible)
Follow my pitching rotation: Yes
Godmod scoring events: TG for approval
RP injuries to my players: Yes, but I determine the severity
Godmod injuries to my players: TG for approval
Eject my players: TG for approval (Llamaneans really don’t get ejected often)
Godmod other events: TG for approval
Use DH at home: Yes

Hansel ERIKSEN, #47, 24, C, S/R - Elephant Valley United (South Newlandia)
Emery WU, #12, 33, SS-2B-CF, S/S - Hanai Heroes (Chromatika)
Miranda GRAY, #33, 34, 3B-LF-RF, R/R - New Llama Wizards
Summer HUANG, #6, 34, SS-2B-CF, S/S - New Llama Wizards
Gabriel ACOSTA, #10, 33, 1B-RF, L/L - Masmow Dragons (South Newlandia)

Noah SLATER, #16, 36, DH-C-1B, S/L - Vargas City Lions
Will GUTIERREZ, #1, 22, C/1B, R/R - South Bryant Chariots
Rachel ESTRADA, #34, 29, UTIL, S/R - Vargas City Lions
René CORBIN, #18, 26, SS, R/R - New Llama Cyclones
Jeff HUANG, #11, 24, 3B/1B, R/R - Xingcheng Renaissance

Hansel Eriksen won South Newlandia's Rookie of the Year award after being taken first overall, immediately winning the fans over with his cannon arm and sweet stroke. Pitchers and prospective base-stealers should both take caution before testing him, as he's blossomed into a two-way star in the LPB in his sophomore season. Corner infielder (and occasionally outfielder) Gabriel Acosta, expected to start at first, is one of the few traditional sluggers on the team. And while he also struggles with plate discipline, he distinguished himself from other potential starters by his defensive prowess and versatility. Emery Wu is a patient, doubles-hitting middle infielder with a sweet stroke and good range, who's really found some pop over the past few years. Summer Huang covers an incredible amount of ground in the field, whether she’s at shortstop, second base, or center-field. With a bat in her hands, she’s an incredibly effective - if overly aggressive - contact-hitter with doubles power and strong baserunning instincts. The Wizards recently shelled out a record-setting contract to her in free agency, infuriating the small-market South Bryant Chariots - but they got another title out of it, so they won't care. Finally, Miranda Gray at third is one of the most disciplined hitters on the team, and an underrated defender at the hot corner - although her low-key playstyle makes her less of a hot commodity than the other starters.

Off the bench, Noah Slater offers a stronger, more patient bat at the expense of lacking finesse behind the plate - in fact, with Eriksen's and Gutierrez's emergences as strong catchers at this level, he's unlikely to play catcher at all, instead DHing, backing up Acosta, and pinch-hitting. Will Gutierrrez, who shocked everyone by making the all-star team the same season he was taken second in the amateur draft by South Bryant, is a strong defender with some pop in his bat - but who will need to be more disciplined to be a good hitter at this level. Rachel Estrada is a jack-of-all-trades utilityman who, while not the greatest hitter who could’ve filled up the bench, is definitely the most versatile and the best teammate. René Corbin is a flashy defender (although the underlying productivity numbers don't live up to the hype) who likes to swing for the fences and steal bases. Jeff Huang is a young third baseman who has shown almost five-tool talent while locking down the hot corner in Xingcheng. He hit .290 with 20 home runs and tremendous defense in his rookie year, and while it might be a cycle early for him to have an impact, he has shown a lot of promise.

Brünhild GUNNLAUGSON, #52, 30, LF/RF, L/L - City of Dinschria
Schuyler DUFFY, #50, 27, CF, S/R - Emerald City Greens
Trevor MIKKELSON-YAO, #27, 30, RF/CF, L/L - Vargas City Lions

Silvia WANG, #39, 22, CF, R/R - Kyrinson Cosmos
Tyson LONG, #9, 33, LF/RF, S/R - Nikcoro Suns

Brünhild Gunnlaugson can absolutely rake, with absolutely once-in-a-generation power reminiscent of her uncle Isak, a WBC40 champion with the Tigers. She's also incredibly quick on the basepaths and is solid enough in the corners, although her lack of discipline may cost her at this level. She's steadfastly refused to join the LPB for a few teams, instead staying with her hometown team despite their relegation from the top-flight, but has shown she can still rake en route to some video-game numbers in the rump LBL. Of course, her signing with Emerald City this last offseason broke that, but she's still signed for a major underdog. Schuyler Duffy is mostly here for their defense - the third-year player is on track to win a second consecutive Gold Glove at a competitive position - but has also shown strong batting abilities, even if the power and plate discipline aren't there yet. In right field, Trevor Mikkelson-Yao is an elite five-tool talent. In his second LBL season with Vargas City, Mikkelson-Yao became the youngest player to join the 30-30 club (thirty home runs and thirty stolen bases) in the past twenty years. He’s a bit of a free swinger, and his decision-making in right-field betrays his cannon arm and range sometimes, but the athleticism and talent are clearly there on both sides of the ball.

Silvia Wang, a recent third overall pick who is determined to bring Kyrinson back to its former glory, is an archetypal speed-and-defense center-fielder. She legs out a lot of sneaky extra-base hits owing to her speed and surprisingly okay contact abilities but has work to do to round out her game. Tyson Long, a former first overall draft pick, has staked his case to be the Llamanean slugging outfielder of his generation - but that's not really what Llamaneans value anymore, as a bumper crop of corner outfielders has dampened his buzz. His plate discipline, long at-bats, and ability to hit to the opposite field have always defied his young age, but his in-game power has really caught up to his raw power recently in a breakout campaign where slugged forty-one home runs.

by **North Cassadaigua** » Thu Aug 04, 2022 2:32 pm

North Cassadaigua
Official Roster for World Baseball Classic 55

Home Stadium for WBC 55:
University Pier Park, Akkor Beach, Drawkland
Capacity- 21,375

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

Manager- Taylor Bryant (49) (Cassadaigua Mgr in WBC 53)

The North Cassadaigua team was selected in an “all-star by position” method after a series of games were played in a tournament style competition. The players are representing the Northern Territory of Cassadaigua, also referred to as the Cooper River Region. All of these players were people who were willing to become Cassadagan citizens from the start of the annexation, and with the team being funded fully by the Cassadagan Association for Baseball, they will give residents of that area something to root for, that is of their own.

They would need a manager, and the choice was Taylor Bryant, who had an illustrious career with the Cassadagan baseball team, highlighted by one WBC Championship, and other finals appearances, and semifinal appearances. She was given a chance to manage the national team in WBC 53, but things went very poorly and was not retained. Her experience is seen as valuable for the new team, and since they don’t have the same level of expectation, Taylor is given another chance to manage at this level.

Starting Rotation:
SP- #33- Roman Hickey (30) (RHP)
SP- #34- Todd Pearson (24) (LHP)
SP- #38- Brandon Sheppard (31) (RHP)
SP- #36- Martin Bressard (25) (RHP)
SP- #31- Jennifer McCarthy (28) (LHP)

Bullpen:
RP- #37- Caitlyn Leblanc (32) (LHP)- Anytime Relief
RP- #27- Curtis Giroux (30) (RHP)- Anytime Relief
RP- #39- Grant Hellstrom (26) (LHP)- Long Relief
RP- #34- Peter Fulton (24) (RHP)- Long Relief
RP- #24- Chad Flynn (27) (LHP)- Short Relief
RP- #43- Valerie Hunter (34) (RHP)- Short Relief
RP- #44- Boris Kozlov (26) (LHP)- Setup
CP- #30- Jeff Sucharsky (29) (RHP)

Batting Lineup: (Throws/Bats)- Since they are not natural Cassadagans, they don’t have the same switch hitting ability
1) #6- Kellie Needham- CF (23) (R/R)
2) #3- Matthew Braun- RF (26) (R/R)
3) #8- Stefan Carpentier- 1B (29) (L/L)
4) #14- Jarrett Auger- LF (32) (R/R)
5) #12- Simon Crawley- 3B (33) (R/S)
6) #11- Brittney Perreault- SS (25) (L/L)
7) #16- Kirk Boyer- C (28) (R/R)
8) #40- Sylvain Lapierre- 2B (24) (L/L)
9) Pitcher

Bench:
#41- Travis Reid- C (26) (R/R)
#4- Cale Chaput- 1B/3B (31) (L/L)
#1- Hannah Sikorsky- 2B/SS (30) (R/S)- DH When Necessary, will bat 9th
#26- Anthony Kennedy- OF (22) (L/L)
#13- Nikolas Kaminsky- OF (25) (R/R)
#15- Lee Callinan- Utility (32) (R/R)
#17- Marcus Corriveau- Utility (22) (R/R)

by **Venmere** » Thu Aug 04, 2022 4:59 pm

Venmere National Baseball Team

Coaching Staff:
HC: William Holmstead
AC: Archibald Collings, Ryder Lake
Managers: Darold Barnes, Michael Pallis, Oscar Orville

Roster:
SP: Darren Brenville (age 29, been with the team 6 years), Kevin Rice (Age 34, been with the team 12 years), Armani Colver (age 22, been with the team 1 year), Marco Bronti (age 25, been with the team 3 years)

1B: Terrance Grey (age 29, been with the team 1 year), and Isaac Ridger (Age 33, been with the team 3 years)

2B: Janai Alvarez (age 35, been with the team 9 years), and George Vanderkoff (Age 25, been with the team 2 years)

3B: Peter Kollinger (age 31, been with the team 4 years), and Donald Overson (age 26, been with the team 1 year)

C: Gary Frankfort (age 39, been with the team 16 years), and Harrison Brett (age 24, been with the team 1 year)

ST: Oliver Takarowski (age 33, been with the team 3 years), and Oscar Moundy (age 30, been with the team 2 years)

LF: Vance Hall (age 36, been with the team 7 years), and Clarence Hatumbo (age 27, been with the team 2 years)

RF: Harold Bryce (age 33, been with the team 6 years), and Daniel Brooks (age 24, been with the team 2 years)

CF: Jarom Holland (age 30, been with the team 5 years), and Isaac Phillips (age 34, been with the team 8 years)

RP: Michael Hollinger (age 38, been with the team 14 years), and Grayson Wren (age 28, been with the team 4 years)

Batting Order:
1: Jarom Holland
2: Oliver Takarowski
3: Clarence Hatumbo
4: Janai Alvarez
5: Terrance Grey
6: Isaac Ridger
7: Oscar Moundy
8: Daniel Brooks
9: Harrison Brett

Venmere Baseball History:
WBC 52: 13-17, 16th in Group B
IBS XIV: 11-7, 2nd in Group F, Lost Quarterfinals to Maribaya

Total International Record: 24-24

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my runscorers: Yes
Choose my lineup: Yes
Follow my pitching rotation: Yes
Godmod scoring events: Yes
RP injuries to my players: No
Godmod injuries to my players: No
Eject my players: Yes
Godmod other events: No

by **Nova Anglicana** » Fri Aug 05, 2022 6:53 am

Nova Anglicana Preview: WBC 55

This Lions team for WBC 55 differs somewhat in players and substantially in coaching after WBC 53's elimination in the Round of 16 and WBC 54's elimination in the Round of 32 (for the first time ever). This is a key Classic, as the Lions have fallen out of the top 10 and are on the verge of falling out of the top 15 with a poor performance. It'll be up to manager Charlie Snyder and a cast of old and new stars, with 11 new players out of 28, to try to get things back on track.

Starting Rotation
LHP #20 Joshua Rouillard, 30
RHP #44 Caleb Sherman, 30
LHP #19 Nate Barrett, 26
RHP #56 Tommy Logan, 29
RHP #36 Félix Clermont, 25

The Lions are losing their top 3 starters from WBC 54 in Christian Hammond, Rocky Gantt, and Jonathan Drake. They will be hard to replace, but the new cast will try their best. Lefty Joshua Rouillard and his seven different pitches will slide into the #1 spot, hoping to make up for with variety what he lacks in velocity. His first turn will be at home against unranked Azevedocity, who ought to be a soft opponent. Look for Snyder to juggle the rotation after the first time through to get him a more difficult matchup. Caleb Sherman is promoted to the #2 guy after being the #5 guy in the past two Classics. There's not a weakness in his four pitches, even if none of them are outstanding. He'll have to mix his pitches and command them well in his first outing, at home against 20th-ranked Abanhfleft. Still, Snyder thinks he's up to it: "Caleb's rock-solid. That's what you need in international competition, someone you can rely on."

Entering the rotation for the first time is Nate Barrett, the 6'4 lefty. He'll take the ball in the Lions' first road outing, against unranked Princess Rainbow Sparkles. He's got a funky look, with a high leg kick, and he hides the ball well, so there won't be many comfortable PRS hitters, hopefully. His sidearm slot and devastating slider create further problems for hitters, and he's not too bad at the plate himself. After being roughed up in a cup of coffee in his first NABL season, he's whiffed 28% of batters in his last two seasons and has showed the ability to stay healthy after injury concerns early in his career. It will be interesting to see how he adapts to international play. Drawing the short straw and facing Quintessence of Dust in his first matchup is former bullpen weapon Tommy Logan. Logan starts in NABL play, but has been the multi-inning shutdown guy or fireman in the last two Classics. He's been vocal about wanting to start, and now he'll get his chance. He'll fire cutter after cutter, mixed with his strong slurve, at the Things, adding his change and splitter when necessary. He'll need to command and mix all four pitches if he expects to do well. Relieving is different than taking two or three turns through the order, after all. Finally, we'll see the young Quebecois Félix Clermont. The Sept-Iles Blues hurler set a rookie record for innings pitched two years ago with 156, then followed it up with 165. He's a big-bodied kid with a strong fastball, curveball, and changeup. The Blues want him treated with kid gloves, but Clermont's a born competitor, so we'll see how Snyder eventually decides to use him. Branford Bass and Sean Caldwell can both work longer stints in relief if Snyder utilises a piggyback approach.

Bullpen - Lefties
LHP #57 Branford Bass, 30
LHP #48 Darren Sharp, 26
LHP #46 Steven Gray, 28

Of the three lefties, Darren Sharp's the one to watch. The 5'9 hurler may not look impressive, but he's got a thick lower body and a fastball that can hit 100. Despite the fastball being his primary pitch, he's got three others that he can surprise people with. Snyder has already said that Sharp is going to get the first chance at saves for this team, but has left the door open for a closer rotation. Sharp will be trying to slam that door with dominant results in his first couple of appearances. He's going to have to be careful not to get too amped up and overthrow, especially being an emotional and fiery player to begin with. A string of good results can make him unhittable, but a bad outing could cause him to spiral. As for the other two, Branford Bass will pitch in long relief, perhaps with a spot start if someone gets hurt or needs a blow. Steven Gray's a lefty specialist with a submarine release. Look for him in big moments against lefties. These are all veterans.

Bullpen - Righties
RHP #38 Sean Caldwell, 26
RHP #16 Simon Steele, 28
RHP #11 Jean-Michel Lefebvre, 27
RHP #43 Tom Tyler, 24
RHP #30 Adrien Dumas, 23
RHP #23 Brandon Norris, 25

This is a bit of a different group, with the 8th and 9th inning guys Justin Chandler and Ricky Hart departing. They both pumped high-90s gas, threw pitches with a lot of lateral break (slider and slurve, respectively), and were mainstays in the late game. New manager Snyder feels they were used too rigidly, and set about replacing them with young stars who he could use in any situation. Sean Caldwell will come in if Snyder needs 5-8 high-leverage outs, or maybe 2-3 crucial outs. He operates as a starter at home, but will try to get his already-impressive 2-seamer and changeup to play up in short outings. He's got a tricky release and the 2-seamer and change play well off of each other. Also joining the team is Tom Tyler, who's here to chuck sliders that start out at a hitter's back and end up on the outside corner. His unorthodox approach baffled hitters in the minors, to the point where he threw 36 consecutive scoreless innings, scattering only 14 baserunners and striking out 59 over that time. In the majors, he's blown away righties to the tune of a sub-.100 batting average and sub-.250 slugging. Lefties are a bit tougher for him, but Snyder won't hesitate to use him against them if he thinks he's hot.

The youngest pitcher is Acadian Adrien Dumas. Dumas just lets 'er rip, and is known to hit 100 with the fastball if he needs to. Despite the excellent velocity, it's really his ability to change hitter's eye level that makes the difference. Try a 98-MPH fastball that gives the illusion it's rising on for size, and then watch his knuckle curve tumble right through the zone from top to bottom. He might hit a few guys or walk a few, and veteran hitters should be able to figure him out after a little while, but the raw talent's there, and Snyder wants to make full use of it. Finally, Brandon Norris steps onto the stage. He was a starter out of university, got blown up in the Twin Provinces League and converted to a reliever. Here, he set a minor-league record for double plays induced in a season, and in getting to the majors, has figured out how to strike guys out as well. He has a sinker that sinks hard and fast against either righties or lefties, and has a slider and change for one or the other. He's the second choice for saves and has a maturity level that belies his years. He hates to walk people and in pressure situations, will simply grit his teeth and betray no apprehension.

Returning is Simon Steele, who's 6'9 and almost looks like he's handing the ball to the catcher. He'll serve as a suitable 6th or 7th inning guy, with a big curve. And joining him is Jean-Michel Lefebvre, who throws right-handed, but devastates lefties with his cut fastball and split change mix. These two will take lower-leverage innings, but are no slouches themselves, especially when it comes to giving hitters different looks.

Catchers
C #60 David Conner, 30, (S/R)
C #18 Joey Carlson, 26, (L/R)
C #51 Peter Abbott, 22, (R/R)

There are three players who will see time behind the plate this Classic. First off is David Conner, who's a real all-around star at catcher who has been the runaway favorite for All-Star Game starter for the last four years. Not only does he add plenty of value with his glove and arm, but he hits in the high .200s and has swatted at least 20 homers for the last four years. He'll hit second and is the captain of the club. Snyder will be relying on him to pick up his teammates on and off the field and handle the new pitching staff. Joey Carlson is the #2 guy, and he's all about power at the plate. He's lucky if he hits .240, but 30 homers from a catcher is insane. In a backup/DH role, Carlson will be expected to play competent defense and send balls into the stratosphere. Hitting coach Porter Rollins has been working with him on slightly more situational hitting, hoping to cut down on strikeouts in critical situations. And the baby of the team is Peter Abbott. Yes, it's "Peter", not "Pete", and "Petey" only to his parents and older siblings. Drafted two years ago, he actually skipped over Nova Anglican A-ball and was in Nova Anglican AAA by the end of his first year by virtue of his defense. He's very smart behind the plate, is already a whiz at game-calling, and ranked second only to Conner in value added with his glove (largely because Conner played more games). He'll hit eighth or ninth when he gets his two or three starts, but he's more than capable of finding holes in the defense or waiting out a pitcher for a walk. Look for him to give Conner a blow in the late innings of games when the Lions have a comfortable lead.

Infielders
1B #21 Vincent Saint-Denis, 30, (R/R)
3B #26 Shane Frazier, 23, (L/R)
SS #11 Davis Shipley, 31, (R/R)
2B #6 Patrick "Buddy" Bohannon, 24, (L/R)
CI #50 Jake Wright, 30, (S/R)
IF #27 Jordan Lacoste, 29, (S/R)

The returning stars are Vincent Saint-Denis at first and Davis Shipley at shortstop. Saint-Denis recently signed a big contract with South Newlandia's Ruditown of the LPB. While his team struggled their way to a last-place finish, Saint-Denis had himself a strong season. Nonetheless, he'll be eager to win games here, since he didn't advance in his club capacity. His exit velocities are crazy, routinely hitting the ball over 100 MPH. However, he doesn't make as much contact as anyone would like, and the coaching staff is working with him on bases-empty situations, where his massive power isn't as useful. Davis Shipley is the epitome of performance over tools; with the exception of his incredible arm, none of his tools are more than average. But at the plate, he's refined his approach to allow him to serve balls the other way with two strikes, wait out bad pitches, and crush balls when they're in his "happy zone." On the bases, he's practiced so much and seen so much video that he knows exactly when to go first to third, and has pitcher moves and catcher pop times down to a science. He won't beat any sprinters in a footrace, but he gets great jumps. On defense, he's practiced with high-velocity machines that force him to make plays on all sorts of hops, time his leaps perfectly, and run to exactly the right place when chasing after a pop-up. He knows what the pitcher is going to throw and what the hitter likes to do and positions himself perfectly, making otherwise hard plays into routine ones. In fact, he doesn't feature much on defensive highlight reels precisely because he makes every play as easy as he can before it happens. He'd be the vice-captain on the team and encourages people to be video and practice rats, just like him.

New to the team are third baseman Shane Frazier and second sacker Patrick "Buddy" Bohannon. Frazier and Bohannon's defensive tools leap out at you at once. Frazier makes leaping grabs, stops tough hops, and guns the ball across the diamond from his third base position, all while making it look easy, since he's a former shortstop. Bohannon doesn't have the arm to be a shortstop, but he's got speed and range, which let him get to pretty much any ball, even ones it looks like he's got no chance at. They have sensational physical gifts. At the plate, Frazier's power over hit, and Bohannon's the opposite. Frazier's got a big swing that's taking advantage of the launch-angle revolution and is a real power threat. That's not to say he can't drive in the tying run with two outs in the ninth with a nice line drive, but he likes to let out the shaft and just swing from the heels. His tall frame means that middle-away is his sweet spot; leave the ball out over the plate at your own risk, but you can beat him inside (for now). Once he figures out how to really turn on the ball, he'll be incredibly dangerous. Bohannon "could hit a pea with a toothpick", says Snyder. It's true; he rarely strikes out and somehow turns even awkward pitches into line-drive base hits. Power's kind of an afterthought, but it's not as if he's punchless at the plate; it's just that his swing isn't geared for power. Both need to walk more, but are special guys with room to grow.

Staying in backup roles are Jake Wright and Jordan Lacoste. While both are excellent players, they were leapfrogged by Frazier and Bohannon by virtue of youth and potential. In Wright's case, Frazier's a better 3B than he'll ever be, and for Lacoste, Bohannon just "pops" more. They'll both get a couple of starts (in Wright's case, he's the primary DH vs. lefties) and will come in late on defense if necessary, but they're more here to provide difficult looks as pinch-hitters (both switch-hitters) or to be competent if someone gets injured.

Outfielders
OF #25 Gary McKinney, 28, (S/R)
OF #35 Hank Oliver, 31, (S/L)
OF #29 Michael O'Connor, 24, (R/R)
OF #24 Mathieu Tremblay, 23, (S/R)
UTIL #40 Luca Favreau, 31, (S/R)

Finally, meet the outfield. Gary McKinney, Hank Oliver, and positional-flexibility maven Luca Favreau return for another Classic. McKinney will have to step up this time around. He's being promoted from #6 hitter to #3. His line-drive swing and absence of strikeouts will have to translate into more hits, not just tougher at-bats for pitchers. He plays a very good left field, giving the Lions excellent range and plenty of effort. You can run on him if you really need to, though. Hank Oliver continues to man center field. His arm isn't great either, but he gets to almost every ball, short or deep. Plus he's gotten very good at cutting balls off in the outfield to prevent runners from taking another base. There are plenty of doubles off the bat that he's turned into singles. At the plate, he'll sport a .400 OBP while only hitting .250 and isn't afraid to get hit if it means a base. Once on the basepaths, he's got a lethal combination of speed and judgment that mean he's rarely caught stealing, and only right fielders with strong arms playing shallow can stop him from going first-to-third. He won't hit for much power, but hang a curveball and he'll punish you. Luca Favreau comes back as a super-sub. He'll provide cromulent defense at any position except catcher and will wear pitchers out at the plate, even if he's not a huge RBI or power guy.

New to the club are youngsters Michael O'Connor and Mathieu Tremblay. Their presence on the roster means the Lions have five guys who can play center field if needed. O'Connor actually plays center, but shifted to right in deference to Oliver. He's a true physical freak. He's built like a linebacker, but runs a 6.6 60. He's thrown balls from the center field wall to home plate on the fly. In batting practice, someone swears they've seen him hit a ball 500 feet. In reality, he's a great defender who still needs polish (route-running and decision-making), a guy with immense power who doesn't make enough contact yet to unlock it all, and somebody capable of posting .400 OBPs year-in year-out if he would only slow down a little at the plate. The potential is there for him to post a 40/40 season, hit .300, and win a Plus Defender award in the bargain. He's just not there yet. Tremblay isn't a power threat, but he can make plays all over the outfield, steal bases like nobody's business, and foul off five pitches in a row before blooping a pitch that should be unhittable just past the second baseman for a base hit. He'll only start a few games, and nobody's confusing him with an MVP, but he's got real tools that mean you can't overlook him.

Coaching Staff
Charlie Snyder #55 (Manager)

Porter Rollins #1 (Hitting Coach)

Daniel Egan #47 (Pitching Coach)

Dirk Kendall #9 (1st Base Coach)

Rod Gillette #8 (3rd Base Coach)

Rich Carlisle #15 (Bench Coach)

Bobby McCann #52 (Bullpen Coach)

It's an all-new coaching staff. Charlie Snyder is a former player, roving instructor, minor-league manager, chief scout, assistant GM, and most recently, director of talent identification and maximisation at the Nova Anglican Federation of Baseball. One thing he's never been is a major league manager. So why did he get the job? Because his bosses at the NAFB forced him to take it. They were tired of major league managers and wanted somebody different, especially somebody with the wealth of experience he brings to the table. Snyder was a solid outfielder whose career was shortened by injury, but he was soon identified as someone with a future in baseball after his playing career. He was known for making adjustments in-season and for his careful study of opposing pitchers and even hitters so he could give notes to his pitchers. He became a roving instructor tasked with working with top prospects who needed a tweak to make it to the bigs and middling ones who had stalled out and needed to rebuild performance and confidence. That experience with turnaround jobs made him attractive to the NAFB for this position.

He spent three years as a minor-league manager in the low-level Labrador League, working mostly with guys in their first or second year of pro ball. He prides himself not on the win-loss record, but on the number of players he helped progress to the AA Twin Provinces League. He counts five alumni in the majors now. His organisation moved him to chief scout, focusing on underrated players or reclamation jobs, mining for talent in areas other teams were overlooking. After finding success there, he was promoted to AGM with the mandate of overhauling player development, encouraging the buildup of essential skills, finding new ways to utilise data, and combining player self-reflection with opponent study to maximise improvements. From there, he was plucked by the NAFB to basically identify the game's young talent that could be funneled into the pipeline and improved from there; in a lot of ways, he was expected to do the same thing he had as AGM.

Snyder's basic model is "praise + value", which means highlighting what players do well in any individual situation while simultaneously offering ways to improve. He generally tries to approach players calmly, encourage self-reflection, and offer tools for improvement. He handles each player individually: "Some guys just want every scrap of advice and data you can give 'em. Others will take or leave your suggestions on a case-by-case basis. We never force a guy to use data if doesn't want to, but that doesn't mean we don't kick a guy's ass to wake him up a bit." He views the national team as a long-term project. Elimination in the Round of 32 is hopefully not going to happen this time, but what's more important is getting the 11 new players acclimated to international play and developing their skills. They're the future of the team, anyway.

He's assembled a team of people similar to him. Most are hard-bitten veterans with decades of old-school coaching experience, more than capable of using the eye test to find mistakes, but also guys who have embraced technology and data as the next step in the player development continuum. Hitting coach Porter Rollins is a great example. He's spent 28 years as a minor-league hitting coach, minor-league manager, and major-league hitting coach. He's seen trends come and go, but he's bought in to the new way: "It's about blending. Today, we know that with the guys throwing so hard and with such great stuff, it's okay to take a strike or a close ball, even if you think you could get a hit off of it. Wait for a pitch that you can do real damage on and hit the s**t out of it. But at the same time, don't take that same long swing with two strikes or hope that the umpire sees what you see and is going to call that close pitch a ball."

Pitching coach Daniel Egan knows that handling national team starters is different than club starters: "We've got a limited number of games, and I'm not any of these guys' primary pitching coach. We don't need them to experiment and get uncomfortable. What we need to do is use data to identify how these guys can utilise their entire potential in a way that feels natural to them. And if they need to junk a pitch for a start 'cause it's not working today, we tell 'em. They might need that pitch for a 128-game club season, but if they're making half a dozen starts here, they can drop it for one of them and try again later."

1st base coach Dirk Kendall will take responsibility for the outfielders and doubles as the baserunning instructor, where he'll try to get every extra inch out of guys regardless of their speed: "On defense or on the basepaths, it's about reading the pitcher and reading the ball. If you have that extra step or half-step because you're ready and you've read the situation, that makes all the difference." 3rd base coach Rod Gillette will handle the infielders and serve as the assistant hitting coach. He's excited about working with the new guys as well as the old: "Shane Frazier, this is a guy that is already preternaturally talented at third, but I think we can help him make adjustments to be a brick wall there. Davis Shipley has a lot to teach young Bohannon about pre-pitch positioning and the mental side of the game, and I'm here to encourage that. On the hitting side, we're going to challenge these guys. I'm talking 95 from 54 feet rather than 60, and getting machines to make pitches do all sorts of weird things. Hit a ball like that and in-game will be no problem."

Rich Carlisle will be Snyder's lieutenant as the bench coach and the catching coach. He's got a history with Snyder and thinks Peter Abbott could be better than David Conner: "Charlie and I go way back to our playing days and to minor-league coaching. I managed against him for a little while, but we always compared notes. In the Labrador League, it's about development rather than win-loss, so if his players beat mine using something I taught him, that was still a win for me. Abbott's the real deal, man. I know his hitting's not up to snuff yet, but he's like a 10-year veteran behind the plate. Better, 'cause he hasn't settled into any bad habits like older guys can do. Once he figures out how to hit the snot out of the ball, he's going to be like a player-manager. Leadership potential coming out of his ears." And finally, there's bullpen coach Bobby McCann. He'll be tasked with getting the four new pitchers up to speed: "All of these guys we've brought in, they've got the stuff. Adrien Dumas has the best knuckle curve I've seen in years, and Brandon Norris' sinker just drops off the table. Heavy, heavy ball. But multiversal hitters don't give a s**t about your stuff. They've seen it or better. Well, when you get to the playoffs they have. We need to refine these guys' command, their pitch sequencing, and how to adjust to hitters. Your regular pattern's not going to work against everyone. You need a plan for tough outs and the ability to execute that plan."

Group/Stadium

The Lions' home stadium in Drawkland, under this interesting format, will be ORTC Park in Shire-Port, with a capacity of 70,326. The bay views, and mixed brick and steel construction provide a familiar environment much like Archbishop Stadium in Londinium, the national team's traditional home. Of course, the stadium capacity is much larger, but that just means more Nova Anglican fans can squeeze in. The Ministry of Culture is doing a ticket lottery, giving away free tickets to encourage fans to attend (spacefare to Drawkland not included). It's the second-largest stadium in the group, with only Ducentu Municipal Stadium's 81,000 surpassing it (probably accounted for by the fact that it also hosts gridiron matches).

As for the Lions' foes, the name that will jump out at all baseball aficionados is Quintessence of Dust. Not only are they ranked 3rd in the multiverse, but the Lions had real trouble with them in the 4th Londinium Challenge Invitational before being swept (twice!) by the Things in WBC 53. They are a bogey team for sure, but with new players and new coaches, perhaps they'll be better prepared this time around. The Things will occupy Two Rivers Ballpark (cap. 16,620) in Ducentu, home of Ducentu State University. It's a small park with the propensity to flood, so environmental conditions may make a difference. A split with this team (2-2) is a must for the Lions to show they're serious about contending.

Up next is the Abanhfleft Revolution, coming in at 20th in the multiverse. The Revolution have been hard-luck losers recently, finishing 18-12 and 6-4 in WBCs 53-54. That's a decent record, but on both occasions, they finished tied with another team, lost on the tiebreaker, and finished third, out of the playoffs. They will surely be hungry to get back in the playoffs, and their matches with the Lions will be key for both teams. These are two teams who don't want to be left out, especially since QoD will almost certainly take the top spot. The Revolution will occupy concrete monstrosity Ducentu Municipal Stadium (cap. 81,000), so crowd noise could be a factor if there are plenty of Fleftic fans. If the Lions expect to advance, a split is a must and 3-1 would be a good way to hedge a poor performance against the Quodites.

The fourth seed in the group is HUElavia. The romance-language nation has stumbled their way to two consecutive last-place finishes in WBC 53-54: 10-20 and 2-8, respectively, leading to their 35th-place ranking at the moment. In both Classics, HUElavia struggled both to score and defend, allowing an average across both Classics of 4.8/runs a game, while scoring only 3.5. While this team will certainly be looking to rebound after two poor performances, the fact that this may be a team on the downswing means the Lions have an opportunity to pounce. They'll play in Elstrund's The Root Diamond (cap. 55,144), notable for its beautiful forest and mountain views and for being built at the roots of a giant tree. Given that the Lions will be on the road and the desultory performance of HUElavia over the past two classics, it might well under full capacity or else have neutral Drawk fans as a plurality of spectators. The Lions need to go 3-1 or better, and a sweep would really show that the Lions are back for good.

Finally, we come to the two unranked teams in the group: Princess Rainbow Sparkles and Azevedocity, both making their debuts in this edition of the WBC. In the case of PRS, they are to be commended on their masterful diplomatic work in the World Assembly, and in the case of Azevedocity, the enthusiasm of their baseball federation, but neither looks likely to make much noise in the competition, and neither have yet released a roster. The Drawkian hosts seem to have noticed that, assigning them to Blade Ballpark (cap. 12,490, PRS) and Bunsen Inc. Ballpark (cap. 11,550, Azevedocity), respectively. Both are part of university campuses, and figure to draw some Drawkian university students curious about what is going on. Still, the greatest challenge for the Lions might be maintaining the same level of intensity, given the sleepy environment and low level of competition. 7-1 is a must, 8-0 is the goal.

At worst prediction: 10-10
Must-win for playoffs: 14-6
One to dream on: 17-3

by **Banija** » Fri Aug 05, 2022 9:48 am

Banija National Baseball Team

Coaching Staff
The current manager, Isaac Oladipo, is in his second cycle as the manager for the Banijan national team. He was a member of the Banijan coaching staff for WBCs 46-50, which includes the WBC 47 title winning team. For good performances, he was hired as the manager for the Super-Llamaland national team. After clashes involving data-driven analytics v. more traditional uses of player evaluation and strategies coincided with performances below expectations in the baseball blue blood, he was fired after WBC 53. But this coincided perfectly with his former boss's retirement, as Ousman Kakay orchestrated his hiring in Banija.

Like his predecessor, he is an old school manager, less into analytics and more into traditional baseball thinking. He believes in the strength of this team, which are his starting pitchers- he is much more likely to leave a starting pitcher in too long rather than pull them out too quickly. He also strongly rejects the idea of a "bullpen game."

The entire coaching staff is back for a second cycle, after a run to the final in WBC 54.

Manager- Isaac Oladipo. 66 years old.
Bench Coach- Addo Jassey. 47 years old. 2nd year with the national team. Came from the pro ranks.
Hitting Coach- Fanding Soley. 60 years old. 2nd year with the national team. Came from the college ranks.
Pitching Coach- Essa Ngom. 56 years old. 2nd year with the national team. Came from the pro ranks.
1st base Coach- Idirissa Condé. 52 years old. 2nd year with the national team. Came from the pro ranks.
3rd base Coach- Suntukung Savaneh. 67 years old. 2nd year with the national team. Came from the pro ranks.

WBBL = Western Banijan Baseball League, Banija's top-flight professional baseball leauge.
If they have never played in a WBC and this is their first cycle, they are italicized.

Batting Order with DH
1 SS Mesuli Calata. 33 years old. Right-handed. Aggressive on basepaths, extremely fast, decent defensive player. Very aggressive in terms of decisions to steal and what not. Plays for the Sun City Flames in the LPB.
2 3B Moses Oneko. #17. 29 years old. Right-handed. Alumnus of Kizza I College. Makes a lot of contact, does not hit for much power.
3 1B Malik Soley. #30. 36 years old. Switch-hitter. Straight up superstar, face of the team. Can also play right field, and has a big arm, although he does not have much range. Throws with right hand. Hits for both power and average, easily the team's most dangerous hitter. Plays for the Malidridad Mariners in the LPB.
4 RF Ugonna Akachi. 22 years old. Right-Handed. Hits for a lot of power, but very little average. Big arm, but very little, if any, range in the outfield. Plays for Northern Moravica University.
5 DH Luxolo Mbeki. 34 years old. Left-handed. Strong hitter, also plays first base and catcher. Hits for power but a decent average as well. Plays for the South Falls Athletics in the LPB.
6 CF Joanna Adoyo. #22. 25 years old. Female. Right-handed. Known as a speedy, defensive specialist. Plays for the Malidridad Mariners in the LPB. Taken big strides at the plate ever since she got access to LPB level coaching.
7 LF Sadiiq Xoosh. 18 years old. Right-handed. Freshman at Loyola-Istria. Heralded as 'the next big thing' in Banijan baseball.
8 2B Cedron Aloo. #4. 29 years old. Right-handed. Alumnus of Hangaza Tech, WBBL Player.
9 C Anathi Zimema. #57. 30 years old. Right-handed. Plays at Bunyoro A&M.

Bench with a Designated Hitter
OF Joya Komani. 26 years old. Left-Handed. Alumnus of the Kabaka's Military College(Army).
1B/C Efulida Chazaso. 28 years old. Female. Right-Handed. Alumnus of Wild Valley University.
2B/SS Ipe Chafukwa. 24 years old. Female. Right-Handed. Plays at Bunyoro A&M University.
3B/LF Ebrahima Sillah. #88. 30 years old. Right-Handed. Alumnus of the University of Moravica. WBBL Player.
C Ambala Odero. #99. 31 years old. Right-Handed. Female. Alumnus of Bunyoro A&M. WBBL Player.
OF Maxamed Keynaan. #15. 23 years old. Alumnus of the University of Aksum. Left-Handed. WBBL Player.

Batting Order without DH
1 SS Mesuli Calata. 33 years old. Right-handed. Aggressive on basepaths, extremely fast, decent defensive player. Very aggressive in terms of decisions to steal and what not. Plays for the Sun City Flames in the LPB.
2 3B Moses Oneko. #17. 29 years old. Right-handed. Alumnus of Kizza I College. Makes a lot of contact, does not hit for much power.
3 RF Malik Soley. #30. 36 years old. Switch-hitter. Straight up superstar, face of the team. Can also play right field, and has a big arm, although he does not have much range. Throws with right hand. Hits for both power and average, easily the team's most dangerous hitter. Plays for the Malidridad Mariners in the LPB.
4 LF Ugonna Akachi. 22 years old. Right-Handed. Hits for a lot of power, but very little average. Big arm, but very little, if any, range in the outfield. Plays for Northern Moravica University.
5 1B Luxolo Mbeki. 34 years old. Left-handed. Strong hitter, also plays first base and catcher. Hits for power but a decent average as well. Plays for the South Falls Athletics in the LPB.
6 CF Joanna Adoyo. #22. 25 years old. Female. Right-handed. Known as a speedy, defensive specialist. Plays for the Malidridad Mariners in the LPB. Taken big strides at the plate ever since she got access to LPB level coaching.
7 2B Cedron Aloo. #4. 29 years old. Right-handed. Alumnus of Hangaza Tech, WBBL Player.
8 C Anathi Zimema. #57. 30 years old. Right-handed. Plays at Bunyoro A&M.
9 PITCHER

Bench with a Designated Hitter
OF Joya Komani. 26 years old. Left-Handed. Alumnus of the Kabaka's Military College(Army).
1B/C Efulida Chazaso. 28 years old. Female. Right-Handed. Alumnus of Wild Valley University.
2B/SS Ipe Chafukwa. 24 years old. Female. Right-Handed. Plays at Bunyoro A&M University.
3B/LF Ebrahima Sillah. #88. 30 years old. Right-Handed. Alumnus of the University of Moravica. WBBL Player.
C Ambala Odero. #99. 31 years old. Right-Handed. Female. Alumnus of Bunyoro A&M. WBBL Player.
OF Sadiiq Xoosh. 18 years old. Right-handed. Freshman at Loyola-Istria. Heralded as 'the next big thing' in Banijan baseball.
OF Maxamed Keynaan. #15. 23 years old. Alumnus of the University of Aksum. Left-Handed. WBBL Player.

Starting Pitcher Rotation
All of our starters are tall pitchers who like to throw the ball hard. With the short group stage, the team is opting for a four man rotation, in order to ensure that their best pitchers get to pitch three times during the short group stage, as opposed to a worse pitcher pitching twice.
1 Xolile Gola. #77. 32 years old. Left-Handed. Female. Throws a four seam fastball(up to 94), a slider, a sinker, and a curveball. Plays for the Malidridad Mariners in the LPB.
2 Faraba Conateh. #44. 36 years old. Right-Handed. Male. WBBL player, alumnus of Hangaza Tech. Throws a four seam fastball(up to 97), a sinker, a slider, and a cutter(up to 90). #5 starter in WBC 50 & 51, dropped to bullpen for the playoffs of both tournaments. Plays for the Masmow Dragons in the LPB.
3 Kopo Mosego. #35. 26 years old. Left-handed. Male. Alumnus of Igara University. Throws a four seam fastball(up to 96), a curveball, a sinker, and a slider.
4 Zamekile Mbizo. #79. 28 years old. Right-handed. Male. Alumnus of West Bunyoro University. Throws a four seam fastball(up to 96), a curveball, a slider, and a changeup. Long reliever in WBCs 53 and 54.
5 Ava Odoyo. #70. 33 years old. Right-Handed. Female. Alumnus of Thabiso Univeristy. Throws a four seam fastball(up to 97), a sinker, a slider, and a circle-change.

Bullpen
LRP Duka Kondana. #74. 28 years old. Right-Handed. Alumnus of Loyola-Jinja. WBBL Player.
MRP Naiser Ibeamaka. #17. 23 years old. Right-Handed. Plays at Sankt Adelheid University.
MRP Sarah Teko. #45. 28 years old. Female. Left-Handed. Alumnus of Kabonero III University. WBBL Player.
MRP Ismaela Ndour. 31 years old. RIght-Handed. Alumnus of Northern Moravica University.
MRP Arad Akech. 31 years old. Right-Handed. Alumnus of Kabakono University.
MRP Diko Maatle. #29. 19 years old. Left-Handed. Alumnus of Lesedi University. Can hit 101 with his fastball.
SU Sebaga Atla. #41. 24 years old. Right-Handed. Alumnus of Zakuta State University. WBBL Player. Long-time middle reliever, promoted to closer at WBC 53.
CL Oyella Lagum. #13. 27 years old. Right-handed. Alumnus of University of Kitara. Setup man at WBC 54.

Group Stage Pitching and Stadium Schedule
Opening Day: Banija(2) @ The 189(29). Starting Pitcher- Xolile Gola. Stadium: PyroSoft Park(cap. 71,250) in Cemmendy, Drawkland.
Matchday 2: Ko-oren(42) @ Banija(2). Starting Pitcher- Faraba Conateh. Stadium: Seaside Ballpark(cap. 72,750), in Archifel Capital, Drawkland.
Matchday 3: Banija(2) @ The Sherpa Empire(12). Starting Pitcher- Kopo Mosego. Stadium: Ferris-Deltore Stadium(cap. 59,350) in Waylook, Drawkland.
Matchday 4: Banija(2) @ Oscioru(UR). Starting Pitcher- Zamekile Mbizo. Stadium: Guild Park(cap. 41,400) in Masteser, Drawkland
Matchday 5: New Eestiball(UR) @ Banija(2). Starting Pitcher- Xolile Gola. Stadium: Seaside Ballpark(cap. 72,750), in Archifel Capital, Drawkland.
Matchday 6: The 189(29) @ Banija(2). Starting Pitcher- Ava Odoyo. Stadium: Seaside Ballpark(cap. 72,750) in Archifel Capital, Drawkland.
Matchday 7: Banija(2) @ Ko-oren(42). Starting Pitcher- Faraba Conateh. Stadium: Sector 17 Stadium(cap. 64,256) in Corinth City, Drawkland.
Matchday 8: The Sherpa Empire(12) @ Banija(2). Starting Pitcher- Kopo Mosego. Stadium: Seaside Ballpark(cap. 72,750) in Archifel Capital, Drawkland.
Matchday 9: Oscioru(UR) @ Banija(2). Starting Pitcher- Zamekile Mbizo. Stadium: Seaside Ballpark(cap. 72,750) in Archifel Capital, Drawkland.
Matchday 10: Banija(2) @ New Eestiball(UR). Starting Pitcher- Ava Odoyo. Stadium: Lake Malzi Stadium(cap. 25,070) in Intersak, Drawkland.
Matchday 11: Banija(2) @ The 189(29). Starting Pitcher- Xolile Gola. Stadium: PyroSoft Park(cap. 71,250) in Cemmendy, Drawkland.
Matchday 12: Ko-oren(42) @ Banija(2). Starting Pitcher- Faraba Conateh. Stadium: Seaside Ballpark(cap. 72,750), in Archifel Capital, Drawkland.
Matchday 13: Banija(2) @ The Sherpa Empire(12). Starting Pitcher- Zamekile Mbizo. Stadium: Ferris-Deltore Stadium(cap. 59,350) in Waylook, Drawkland.
Matchday 14: Banija(2) @ Oscioru(UR). Starting Pitcher- Kopo Mosego. Stadium: Guild Park(cap. 41,400) in Masteser, Drawkland
Matchday 15: New Eestiball(UR) @ Banija(2). Starting Pitcher- Ava Odoyo. Stadium: Seaside Ballpark(cap. 72,750), in Archifel Capital, Drawkland.
Matchday 16: The 189(29) @ Banija(2). Starting Pitcher- Xolile Gola. Stadium: Seaside Ballpark(cap. 72,750) in Archifel Capital, Drawkland.
Matchday 17: Banija(2) @ Ko-oren(42). Starting Pitcher- Faraba Conateh. Stadium: Sector 17 Stadium(cap. 64,256) in Corinth City, Drawkland.
Matchday 18: The Sherpa Empire(12) @ Banija(2). Starting Pitcher- Kopo Mosego. Stadium: Seaside Ballpark(cap. 72,750) in Archifel Capital, Drawkland.
Matchday 19: Oscioru(UR) @ Banija(2). Starting Pitcher- Zamekile Mbizo. Stadium: Seaside Ballpark(cap. 72,750) in Archifel Capital, Drawkland.
Matchday 20: Banija(2) @ New Eestiball(UR). Starting Pitcher- Xolile Gola. Stadium: Lake Malzi Stadium(cap. 25,070) in Intersak, Drawkland.

All-Time Records(W-L, Win %):
All-Time AO Baseball Series Record: 11-3, 66.67%
All-Time Olympic Record: 10-10, 50.00%
All-Time LCI Record: 9-1, 90.00%
All-Time WBC Group Stage Record: 273-172, 61.35%
All-Time WBC Knockout Stage Record: 84-54, 60.87%
All-Time WBC Record: 357-226, 61.23%
All-Time Record(All competitions): 389-241, 61.75%

Accomplishments
Champions of World Baseball Classic 47
Champions of World Baseball Classic 51
Champions of AO Baseball Series II
Champions of the Inaugural Londinium Challenge Invitational
Champions of the 4th Londinium Challenge Invitational
2nd place at World Baseball Classic 54
2nd place at AO Baseball Series I
3rd place at XI Olympiad in Aeropag, Commerce Heights.
3rd place at 46th World Baseball Classic.

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my runscorers: Yes
Choose my lineup: No(I have it all spelled out for you above! You can make in game substitutions for pinch runners/hitters or defensive subs as you see fit, but please follow the lineup as given above).
Follow my pitching rotation: Yes (I have it labeled game by game to prevent any confusion, so please follow! Make pitching changes of course during games as you please, but please do not have other starters coming into a game in relief)
Eject my players:Yes(My manager is a hothead, you can eject him too)
Godmod scoring events: No
RP injuries to my players: Yes (Please specify both the injury and the # of games that they will miss)
Godmod injuries to my players: Yes (Please specify both the injury and the # of games that they will miss)
Godmod other events: Yes (Whatever's fair game, but don't godmod scoring events, don't kill anyone w/o my permission, and no COVID/pandemics to effect Banija/any Banijans. Otherwise, have at it!)
Use DH at home: Yes
Other: When we are pitching, they induce a lot of ground balls. The strike out rates aren't terribly high for Banijan pitchers, but they play solid, fundamental defense, and they have strong arms all over the diamond. However, while Banija's rotation is one of the strongest in the multiverse, the bullpen leaves much to be desired, especially the middle relievers, who are well known to be the team's weakest link. For the knockout stages, we'll have one starter in the 4 man rotation available every game for an inning or two out of the bullpen. That is listed in the rotation. If those guys are brought in, it is for an absolute maximum of 35 pitches, however many outs that takes.

by **Milchama** » Fri Aug 05, 2022 3:48 pm

Karakorum Forum-Democracy-Times-Tribune-Sun-Stars-Gods-Men-Tribute-Fightin'-Picayune-Post-Gazette-Chronicle-Eclipsor-Ellipsor-Report-Spin-Connector-Deflector-News-Today-Yesterday-And-Tomorrow

Sports Section

Milchama Gets Rotten Luck

The draw came out and the Warriors ended up in one of the toughest groups. Of course that was inevitable because Milchama was the 9 seed, meaning that Milchama is the highest second seed so we were always going to end up in one of the toughest groups, that's how these things work. The rotten luck refers to our ranking and now to the group draw which can be only be described as "manageable" with nobody really scary and two unranked sides. Plus we get to play Zwangzug again and that's always fun! Anyway, here's the draw along with some previews.

West Coast (E)
Zwangzug (4) - Jets Revival Stadium (80,500), Waxton - It's not every classic where we get to go against one of the only nations in the multiverse with as storied a baseball history as Milchama. Therefore, we're kinda excited to play Zwangzug. The only issue, of course, is that they are the first seed in the group while the Warriors are second seeds. Expect these to be hard fought matches. Also, watch out for the Jets Revival Stadium, with many Milchamians flying in, expect the stands to be full of the screaming faithful. Anyway 1-1 split.

Milchama (9) - Bellator Batting Grounds (88,513), Bellator - That's us! We brought back a pretty large amount of the team! However, we have a new bench! And a new front end of the bullpen! Will this help us? Probably, it can't hurt. Really the Warriors are ready to go. Anyway, we got one of the three requested stadiums from Drawkland and the largest stadium in the group. I hear the hotels in Bellator are already packed and people are expecting full homefield advantage for all the Bellator games. Expect good things.

Elmyia (UR) - Commurph Stadium (36,984), Shawnia - Nobody knows much about Elmyia who is brand new to the WBC and still have not released a roster. With this amount of attention from the home team expect the Warriors to go in and CRUSH them. The 2-0 sweep will be most welcome come playoff time.

StrayaRoos (36) - Williams Ballpark (20,400), Dellaburg - Somehow, despite the constant posting, Milchama has never played StrayaRoos in competition yet. That looks likely to change considering we have to play them in this group. I mean it'd be really hard at this point not to play them in the group. In the meantime, the Warriors are definitely better than StrayaRoos so expect a sweep here as well. Also, expect a shockingly loud Williams Ballpark.

Barnettsville (27) - Barlagos Bank Stadium (68,625), Ifferdam Station - Ah the team we beat last time in double octos. Of course we have to play them again. Expect some incredible pitching performances either for or against the Blue Jays as the pitching in Barnettsville tends towards the spectacular. Beyond that, these guys are decent. I would expect to lose a game to them. So expect a split 1-1.

North Cassadaigua (UR) - University Pier Park (21,375), Akkor Beach - Generally the most surprising thing here is that there are men on the team. While Cassadaigua is known as an incredibly sexist society (though the matriarchal aspect of it still confuses many observers), apparently the brethren up north are a lot more egalitarian allowing both women and men to play baseball. Milchama and the other Cassadaigua (South Cassadaigua? Is that offensive? Somebody tell me) had a large rivalry during the 50s World Cups, I don't expect the Warriors and the Coopers to have as many flare ups but you never know. As for the baseball, North Cassadaigua is in the tournament due to geopolitical meddling by the larger Cassadaigua as a fig leaf for an invasion into their territory. I don't know much about the justification for the invasion etc. what I do know is that war torn lands generally made for bad baseball teams so expect Milchama to win both games while attempting to help the North Cassadaiguans with the finer points of the game.

So overall that means the Warriors are in for 2 or 3 losses and 7 or 8 wins. Both of those figures should be good enough to get to outrounds and from there anything can happen. Come on You Warriors! Let's Go Milchama!

by **Ko-oren** » Fri Aug 05, 2022 4:14 pm

And with that, the biggest offseason in Ko-orenite baseball - ever - is about to begin.

How different things were a cycle ago. Squabbles between the Yoshiman and Finisterran baseball presidents in threatening to pull our domestic league apart, which would have left us with two ineffective leagues - one with the Katashi teams, the other with Santa Teresa and Ferrovente. Or the owners of smaller teams (Arakura, Aviansola) saying they'll 'definitely move the team to the mainland' which Aviansola actually did, built a decent team, which then played in an empty stadium some 60-70 times, before moving back after two seasons with a roster in tatters and a fanbase thoroughly pissed off. Waning attendance figures in the northern markets - Echizen, Teragaseki, and Arakura - which are good baseball markets (or at least, they were, once).

And look at it now. Twelve strong teams, in a single league, united by facing bigger and better opponents at least once a week, in South Newlandia, Super-Llamaland, and Chromatika. Better players, including some expansion draft picks. More fans as baseball catapulted itself into the realm of 'a dang good day out' now that there's a good product on the field and the feeling that they're competing for something. United against a bigger foe, so to speak. So when the chairman of the confusingly set up Ko-orenite Baseball Authority rang the LPB offices, nobody dared to think that a few months later, we'd be announced as an expansion conference, and that our twelve clubs would compete against the best of the best not much later.

We're writing this as the regular season is over, and we're waiting for the postseason. Even ignoring the brilliant baseball to be played, there's a lot of work to do this offseason.

1) How good were Ko-orenite teams versus Chromatik clubs? And maybe the ultimate measure for our success, how were our clubs in the cross-conference games versus South Newlandia and Super-Llamaland?
2) Which players were as good as advertised - Ko-orenite or not? And which ones didn't do as well?
3) What was the Minor League situation like?
4) What can we prepare for next season's draft?

Depending on that, we know how much roster building is ahead of us. Also: don't forget, the LPB runs across two full calendar years, with the 184 games and the postseason divided across them. In the off-time, players will train at their clubs or play for Minor League clubs - where the rules allow that. That also means that for every draft, we have two full classes of players enter the league, and every draft, the Minor Leaguers have two full seasons of development behind them.

Before we pull the plug on the regular season: how good has every team been?

Part I: Preseason vs Reality

Before a pitch was thrown, we thought we knew the score. While the Katashi Generals dominated the domestic scene for years (but not always winning trophies), the moves made by the Ferrovente Whales and Santa Teresa Stars would surely land them a spot in the playoffs, with the Echizen Dragons up there as well. Those four teams were ahead of the rest of the pack, with the Stars and Dragons in the lead. The second wildcard spot would go to, say, the Katashi Giants, Furune Bees, or Aviansola Admirals. And the scraps were left for the Teragaseki Originals, Amandine Wanderers, Arakura Knights, Nitoya Silvers, and Desierto Challengers.

The final standings of the Ko-orenite divisions, with the preseason rank in the coloured box before every team name.

The truth was close, but not that close. Yes, the four big ones did lead the conference. But the order is messed up, and the 'bottom eight' are completely different from expected.

Echizen Dragons and Hoarding the Wealth of the North
Yes, the Dragons won the North. They were predicted to win, and they did, so what's there to complain?

Well, did you know how LONG it took them to overtake Teragaseki for first? No? They were effectively tied after 160 games. So the preseason difference of six spots - 2nd vs 8th - translated into a 9-game lead after 184, with most of those accrued in the final 24 games all the way at the end of a gruesome 184-game schedule. The Furune Bees could have popped into second, but the new club (which we'll get into in our 'get to know the teams' series) had more trouble than expected in getting the team to gel and finished third. Arakura was supposed to be bad, and they were. But they only finished three games behind 'much better' Furune. So Ko-orenite title contenders Echizen and 'pretty damn awful' Arakura only finished 18 games apart in the end. Big, but not huge. Not, say, Western division huge.

A Tale of Two Cities: Ferrovente and Santa Teresa. And Oh Yes, There Were Two More Teams In That Division
The Stars were predicted in first, the Whales in third, so we knew that would be a good one. Add to that the fact that there's no stronger rivalry in Ko-orenite baseball than Stars-Whales (after the Katashi derby, Giants-Generals) and you've got yourself a Western division that had no problems marketing itself.

Oh right, 9th-projected Amandine Wanderers and 12th-projected Desierto Challengers were in this one too.

The two big teams made short work of the smaller guys. But when it mattered, the Whales kept winning, to the tune of a 115-win season (!!!) while the Stars folded under the pressure a few times too many (106 wins).

So how far did the other two teams fall?

The Challengers were 32 games behind. Amandine was 34 games behind. This was not a competitive division. Although, the battles between the top two made up for it. The preseason rankings were pretty close, but the Whales did surprise with their first place. The Challengers upstaged the Wanderers, but the gap between the top two and the bottom two was about twice as large as anyone dared dream.

It's a Generals' World, and the South is Just Living in it
Lots of angry purple fans in Katashi when those preseason rankings came out. How DARED anyone put their beloved Generals behind the western rabble? Who questioned the fantastic Generals in their ability that they would even finish below the mediocrity of Echizen? Well, experts did, and they were mostly right. The Generals did end up winning the division, but it was closer than most of their fans hoped. The smile was wiped off their smug faces as soon as three other clubs crossed the 100-win border, knowing they'd be the worst division winner and even worse than a wildcard winner. At least they beat the Giants.

The Katashi Giants were tipped to go a best-of-the-rest 5th, ahead of the nearly completed rebuild in Aviansola, and well ahead of the 'what in the name of Sam Hill is that roster' Nitoya Silvers. And what we got was the Nitoya Silvers showing that the unorthodox approach to finding and developing talent worked, missing out on a wildcard by four games and getting within six games of a division title. They got their record over .500, which can't be said for the other two. For Aviansola, this was a season to forget. Tipped seventh, finished tied for 10th. No, just no.

Part II: Runs vs Wins

And now for the fun part: did every team get their just desserts? Preseason rankings are one thing, and wins are another. But were those wins deserved? Welcome to the Pythagorean Expectation.

The same final standings, but better, as some would like to argue.

The real magic happens in the final column, under Difference. Positive numbers indicate that teams got more wins than they should, negative numbers say that teams got robbed.

So despite the Dragons laying down a hell of a season, the math says they should have won five more games to the tune of 111 - and following them we get wildcard candidtes Teragaseki and Furune around 95 each, with the difference being that the Bees went well under the Expected Wins (-4) while the Originals got a little extra (+2).

The Southern division was exactly the mess it should have been, with a middling Katashi Generals team that would have struggled to make the wildcard, had they been in a different division, getting five more wins than projected, taking them from mediocre to halfway decent, but it doesn't bode well for their postseason chances. The other three teams were very close, with Aviansola not helping themselves to three wins (-3) while Nitoya got lucky on five occasions (+5).

The Western division was exactly what it said on the tin: two great teams (113, 111 expected wins) and two terrible ones (77, 73 expected wins), putting the former up as two of the best three teams by Expectation, and the latter as easily the worst two squads in the conference. And that is with the Challengers getting lucky in 6 games, the Wanderers getting lucky in 8 (!), and the Whales in two. The Stars do have a case when they say they should have met their preseason projection as the best team in Ko-oren, losing five games they might well have won.

WBC 55 - Drawkland Road Trip

WBC 55 - Drawkland Road Trip

Stadium Hosting Information

Base Corps Roster (plus extra space if needed for IC info)

Orion Islands roster

THE NEW ERA STARTS

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