International Baseball Slam (IBS XVIII) - Everything Thread

[Quebec and Shingoryeo]

International Baseball Slam XVIII
Are You In For The Kill?

Signups - Discussion Thread - Host Bid - International Baseball Slam 17 - Guide to Sports Roleplaying

Welcome to the 18th International Baseball Slam! 25 teams will be looking to play for the one single title that unites all.

This thread is for IC purposes, meaning that they are reserved for rosters and roleplays. For any OOC comments, please redirect them to either the IBC OOC/Signup thread, the WBC Discussion thread or the Signup-OOC thread. If you have more direct enquiries, please contact me directly on discord or via TGs.

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Tournament Format

With a 25-nation field, this IBS tournament will consist of a three-stage setup loosely based on a past RL precedence established by the 2019 WBSC Premier12:

• Opening Round (OR - 25 teams): Single Round Robin all held in 5 venues across Quebec & Shingoryeo. 5 Groups of 5 teams. Top 2 of each group progress to the Super Round. The tentative schedule will see 5 single-scorination windows with 24-hour windows scorination between them.
• Super Round (SR - 10 teams): Single Round Robin all held in Quebec & Shingoryeo. 2 groups of 5 teams. Top 2 from each group will progress to the semifinals.
  The tentative schedule will see one single-scorination and two double-scorination windows with 48 hours between them: MD1-2 - MD3-4 - MD5.
• Knockout Round (4 teams): Single-elimination bracket with 3PPO. There will be 2 single-scorination windows with 48-hour intervals between them. Third place match will be played.

The tiebreakers used will be: Wins, H2H results, H2H run differential, overall run differential, RP Bonus (IC coin flip), OOC coin flip.

Please check the schedule section on the OP for the tournament schedule.

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Groups

Group A
Hopal Suns (Hopal)
Quebec and Shingoryeo Under-22's (Quebec and Shingoryeo)
Rawa Marineros (Dod Rava)
Wolfstrup Sportliches Kompanie (Wolfstruppen)
Falcon Baseball Club (Damukuni)

Group B
Los Mineros de Montesina (Montesina)
Abanhfleft Revolution All-Stars (Abanhfleft)
Goosebay Geese (Canadian Dominion)
All-Hawaii NUB Tropicals (Oahu-Hawaii)
Nueva Orinoquia national team (Nueva Orinoquia)

Group C
Junior Sunshine Tigers (U18, Loyo)
San Isidro Labrador Jornaleros (San Isidro Labrador)
Bedston Cows (New Treyland)
Nova Anglicana Lions (Nova Anglicana)
Ōsai Jr. Fighters (Kikunomi)

Group D
The Nightingales of Kyelleven (Kyelleven)
Kalush Nightingales (Kalush)
University of Loyola Tetra-Campus Athletics (Banija)
TJUN-ia U21 Battin' Cubs (TJUN-ia)
Burikinia Dragons (Burikinia)

Group E
Floridian Hurricanes (Floridalandia)
Chromatik Collegiate Baseball Association (CCBA) All-Stars "The Amateurs" (Chromatika)
Zug um Zug Railbirds (Zug Um Zug)
SBL Futures (Delaclava)
Newport Wands (The Star Enpire)

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Tournament Schedule

Scorination window, while not finalised, is expected to be at 3:00-4:00+1 UTC (22h-23h EST). Barring sudden delays beyond my control, I intend to give OOC host notice 24 hours in advance.

Everything Thread Open and Group Draw: 19th of November (Midnight)
IC Info: Weekend of November 19th-20th
~~
First Group Stage - Matchday 1: November 25th (2v5, 3v4, 1 BYE)
First Group Stage - Matchdays 2: November 26th (5v3, 1v2, 4 BYE)
First Group Stage - Matchday 3: November 27th (3v1, 4v5, 2 BYE)
First Group Stage - Matchday 4: November 28th (1v4, 2v3, 5 BYE)
First Group Stage - Matchday 5: November 29th (4v2, 5v1, 3 BYE)
Day Off: November 30th
Second Group Stage - Matchday 1-2: December 5th
Second Group Stage - Matchday 3-4: December 7th
Second Group Stage - Matchday 5: December 9th
Days Off: December 10th-11th
Semifinals: December 12th
IBS 18 Final and Third-Place Match: December 14th

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Roleplay Permissions

Please include one of the following RP Permissions boxes in your roster post. Style modifiers are optional and are useful for playing style purposes, as the basketball function of Xkoranate does not take it into consideration. Please note that the SARS-CoV-2 virus does not exist in Quebec and that roleplaying said virus causing problems in Quebec will lead into the zeroing of their roster and RP bonus:

Code: Select all

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

The tournament is now officially underway! You may begin posting rosters and initial RPs.

If you have questions please contact me via TG or Discord.

[Quebec and Shingoryeo]

Quebec & Shingoryeo Information

Quebec & Shingoryeo is a gigantic nation of 84 million people located in the Calania continent of northwestern Anaia, consisting of 12 provinces.

That said, due to its geographical location, as well as the complexities of the territorial planes over the Quebecois Realms, it identifies itself as a nation of both Calania and northwestern AO, and handles its border/territorial situations accordingly. Quebecois Realms and the N.A.F.T.A. Zone of five nations that are, for some complicated reasons soon to be RP'd in the last quarter of the OOC calendar year 2022, located in Anaia and Atlantian Oceania. For official administrative purposes, it is recognised to be within an Anaian location.

In Anaia, it borders former Semarland and New Gesem to the southeast and Huayramarca to southwest. In Atlantian Oceania, it borders Lacfroid to southeast and Whitecroft to southwest. South Detroit Free State, as a former Quebecois territory, is considered a dual-region state and qualifies under same regulations as the Quebecois Mainland in terms of border control. In terms of water, it faces Salamantic Sea and the Northandryun Strait to the West, Xile Sea to the East. North of the Quebecois borders stand Blood Sea, the maganimous ocean that stands between Anaia and Atlantian Oceania to Rushmore.

The land that is now known to be part of Quebecois Realms, which share boundaries with aforementioned nations of the N.A.F.T.A. Zone, is inhabited for millennia by the indigenous people present in the region. In the year 1404, the fleet of Joseonite exiles from the would sail into the so-called RL-verse move into areas that nowadays constitute the Acadie province and the capitol of Joongyeong, where the kingdom was founded in the same year by Henri I, who negotiated treaty of coexistence among all peoples of the nation, whether indigenous or Koreanophone.

Over the subsequent centuries, the nation would grow in size and technology. With the quiet incorporation of the neighbouring peoples, the expansion of maritime trade between Atlantian Oceania and Rushmore (and to some degree Tyran and Esportiva), subsequent industrialisation of the country's industries, and inconsistent operations of the interrealm portal, the Quebecois Empire would grow to incorporate territories across many regions.

The Empire, while formed by military warfare and supported by its allied nations (see: Gatchingerrak Union's constituent nations), was an odd one of own. It did not suppress the peoples or the cultures, but focused on the equal standings between the locals (this being mostly the ruling elites of the territories) who would fall under the mostly similar administrative and economic frameworks (citation needed for latter btw). Thus, the Empire was stood to be a short-term option with nations fostered to develop their own, nationalistic path over time. With the growing inequalities faced domestically at home, and the overseas territories becoming increasingly unmanageable in economic terms by the early-1900s, decolonisation and the further bloc-ification of the Quebecois Empire and its allies were inevitable and encouraged.

Eventually, the Empire would turn into that of the Quebecois Commonwealth, a loose political and economic union of two-dozen nations, with the process finished by year 1949. The nation, now without a glitter (and grime) of an empire, had to embark on their own path to redefine themselves. Continued encouragement of immigration from both Commonwealth and non-Commonwealth nations, which had coincided the postwar decades' excitement and calls for cultural liberalisation, would further diversify the nation. At the same time the resilient strength of the nation's economy, even after all the booms-and-busts of economic cycles, nationalisation and privatisation and re-nationalisation policies, would too ensure that Quebec and Shingoryeo, just over a century after the nation-defining Southern Rushmori War and the de-markation of the Quebecois Empire, and just under a decade after historical Foxchester Declaration, is still a darn good place to live, if slightly expensive.

Quebec and Shingoryeo is a federal parliamentary democracy and semi-constitutional monarchy, currently led by Christine II as the head of state. There are three official languages - English, French and Korean - with local indigenous languages spoken in regional capacity. Quebec and Shingoryeo has one of the largest economies in both regions, which is built upon its strengths in heavy industry, finance and agriculture.

As the seat of the former Quebecois Empire and the current Quebecois Commonwealth, Quebec & Shingoryeo has stood as a major power in Anaia and Atlantian Oceania. It has also maintained its historical status as one of major international powers in culture, science and philosophy - a feat achieved partly through the existence of Quebecois Commonwealth and its geopolitical location between Anaia, Atlantian Oceania and Rushmore, but also through long history of social and cultural homogeneity that originated from the nation's founding day. That said the nation, once an active participant in international wars, has stayed peaceful and relatively conflict-less, and is expected to uphold the past forty years of peacetime.

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Travelling to Quebec and Shingoryeo is a fun, multi-planar experience (lol) of own. It can feel daunting and all that - I totally understand it!

So, with this in mind, here are some travel tips you could use for next the month of fun on the Quebecois west coast:

1. Laws, laws and laws.

Quebec and Shingoryeo is known to be a fairly liberal country in terms of certain laws, and it's partly true. That is probably why you are smelling a bit of marijuana and may be drinking too much on an outdoor patio of a local delicatessen while walking down the street.

The minimum age to purchase and consume substances vary in what substance - 14 for alcohol, 16 for marijuana, and 21 for tobacco. Possession and consumption of said substances (which also include a narrow list of recreational drugs) on outdoors are predictably legal as well, though some boomers and fitness maniacs may openly judge you if you do them on a park or somewhere that public.

There is a total ban on indoor public smoking, however, and this extends to sporting events in general. Drinking on indoor venues, while not prohibited, will be frowned upon. Besides, why would you drink indoors when there is just a pub down the road with way cheaper and better quality Anju?

Drugs trade, unless they are from a legal vendor and for legal substance, is banned. So if you are a local or a tourist who roll up the J or pop molly on after hours on a park after watching an amazing day of Greco-Roman wrestling (men's 130kg weight class), you are more than welcome to go to a state-owned Cannabiscorp or a co-op store and buy stuff instead.

What is no different than other past hosting nations are firearms. Firearm ownership, let alone use, is heavily restricted in Quebec and Shingoryeo with exceptions only given to those whose work requires for it (e.g. shooters, pentathletes, some members of the police and the military), or those who have likely survived months and several dozen pages of application process for a hunting rifle. For this Olympics, since the shooting and modern pentathlon events are played in Prescott and not Twin Cities, let's just assume that it's probably not a good idea to not bring your favourite Glock or Colt .45 to Quebecois soil.

2. Quebecois Pound (Q£) is the national currency. The exchange rate is roughly Q£1 = NSD 2.00. Foreign credit cards will be accepted into most bank ATMs.

3. As have seen above, Quebec and Shingoryeo has three official languages - English, French and Korean - with local indigenous language(s) also used on a regional capacity. While all three languages will be used on an official capacity, the language dynamic there is a bit more complicated - the best way to describe this is by using a quote from Sylvain IV 'The Thinker', the great-grandfather of current Christine II - 'I speak English to a Banker, French to a Dancer, Korean to a Thinker, and the Original Tongue to a God.' In the Northwestern part of Quebec, English and Korean are primarily spoken.

4. Quebecois people are usually known to be talkative, celebratory and most importantly blunt, and they will rarely apologise or remain polite unless on close capacity. While those in need of help or directions will always be helped, and you will be set for a long time after that, it is expected that the help be asked first by those whom this may concern. That said, once the help is sought out and all goes well, you will be set for the rest of your time here, and may have found yourself a lifelong mate to come stay over or drink with.

5. The rights of freedom of speech and assembly are guaranteed. The people of Twin Cities, after all, are particularly known for their display of love for their city. The locals' hooliganing tendencies, especially on the games of their beloved Saint John Green Sox of QBO or Steelers of QFL, are well known across Quebec.

That said, this does not mean freedom from consequences.

In adherence to the security protocol established back in the hosting of the Games of the 16th Olympiad, there will be strict security checks when entering the venues and team hotels, with additional personnel placed across the city. Unlike with the Olympics, however, there will be more lax security regulations -- flares, obscenely large banners and limited display of hooliganism will be tolerated. Displays of hate speech will not be tolerated, howeever.

6. The question of religion is a complicated one, perhaps even more so than languages. Traditionally, Roman Catholicism, Mahayana Buddhism, Anglicanism, and Indigenous religions are considered as four religious pillars of state, and are viewed with particular interest by the state and people. All four pillars, as well as other minor religions, incorporate various elements of native shamanism and folk traditions and do not always follow the rules from Vatican or Canterbury, something that have complicated the authority-to-authority relations over the Interrealm portal.

The rights of religion are unquestioned here, and this will remain the same throughout the course of the Olympic Games. People tend to be careful being aware of other person's religions though, and their way to addressing it is usually not asking about them. At least not on the first impression/moment, else they are viewed as rude.

7. If you need police, fire or most importantly medical help, please call 777. (Yeah, it's literally 777).

Visitors and athletes of delegations will be able to receive excellent and prompt care from the city's hospitals and walk-in clinics under the People's Healthcare Services (PHS). Specialists may take a little bit longer time to reach, but for the most part will be there for you in time. Those interested in consulting services re: traditional medicine will be given referrals, but those likely require a friend or two, or a local jack, who knows one.

8. Food and alcohol here should be fine, if slightly spicy. Influenced by the indigenous fare and the influences of haute cuisine coming from the Joseonian settlers of old, the Quebecois cuisine is largely based upon rice, and other diverse kinds of grains, vegetables, and meats. In this part of Calania, moose, lamb and caribou are known to be particularly popular, which have long survived the wave of delicacies that are no longer eaten.

They are also known for intensive use of spices, sauces and pastes. Seafood is extremely popular across the country, though their affordability remains up in the air unless you reside on West or East Coast - more inland parts usually consume freshwater fare instead. Quebecois do not have a particularly picky taste of alcohol in general, though what alcohols you drink usually depends on your cultural background and socioeconomic demographics. Smoking culture is massive here, and while cigarette smoking is very slowly declining over the years, marijuana's prominence in society is not something that's being challenged anytime soon.

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Ballpark Guide

Please note that the IBS is played at the start of the winter, which would mean November to December in Quebec and Shingoryeo. This would mean that you would see the temperature regularly hitting negative's in celsius, and regular snow clearance required.

That said, with the scorinator not allowing park factors, do consider the park information to be IC in nature and thus not reflect the results.

Parc de Joongyeong, Joongyeong (cap. 42,000) - Group A + Super Round Group A

Located by the Fleuve-Saint-Henri on the nation’s capital, the most historic baseball stadium in Quebec and Shingoryeo has seen constant upgrades and renovations over 170 years of its history, but continues to be in great shape. While no longer the home of the Quebecois baseball national team, the stadium, which is famous for its high walls and dark soil on the infield, is considered the home of Quebecois amateur baseball. Not only it hosts two of the five national high school championships and the QIS College Series every year, a great variety of baseball competitions, from peewee competitions to charity matches, take place here on a year-round basis, continuing to make the Parc the home of Quebecois baseball. Joongyeong is the second-largest city, and cultural capital (in a traditional sense) of Quebec. With the seat of government and the royalty here, the 'City of Eternal Lights' is a traveller's paradise with hundreds of museums and monuments forming the city.

Commonwealth Park, Songak (cap. 60,000) - Group B + Super Round Group B

Built fifty years ago in the ‘stadium-boom era of 1990s and 2000s’, the Commonwealth Park is the largest stadium in Quebec and Shingoryeo since its opening in 2006. It is a modern, pitcher-friendly park with a long, stretched outfield and brick walls that blend well into the surrounding Commonwealth Park and working-class neighbourhoods surrounding the Park on eastern Songak. It is home to both the Songak Twins (QBO) and two of the national high school championships, as well as every other year when most WBC home games would take place for the national team. Songak is also the largest city and economic capital of Quebec and Shingoryeo, with strong financial and media sectors, a musical theatre scene and contemporary arts being its noticeable features.

Daedong Field, Anju (cap. 28,000) - Group C & D

Built on the banks of the Daedong River that surrounds the island of Anju, Daedong Field is a new stadium that was built about a decade ago as part of Anju’s failed bid to secure a possible QBO expansion franchise, but has since seen plenty of use by the local and university communities, as well as the fifth of the national high school baseball championships. Being a new stadium, it more or less contains the latest amenities possible, the most notable one being a retractable roof that works well for audience - which comes handy when considering that the IBS is played in November. Anju, a city of 1.85 million, is a historic city located inland in middle of the massive Lake Abitibi, the Daedong River that flows into it, and surrounding valleys. Its early-history significance as a land route hub to the country’s northwest has more or less diminished with the arrival of the railways in the 1800s, but the area’s diversified economy, headed by the city’s long history in commerce and technology, means that it continues to serve as a major regional centre with high livability index.

Field of Lifetimes (12,000), Oceanopolis County - Group E + Knockout Round

Field of Lifetimes, as suggested by the very name of the stadium, has taken a man’s lifetime to be (re-)built. About 80 years ago the Paranormal Pictures had built a baseball stadium to reenact a dreampop-filled, ghost-bringing original motion film ‘Field of a Lifetime’. With the recent successes of the Quebecois national teams on both the IBS and the WBC, the QBO Office made a bold decision to purchase the site and rebuild the venue at a slightly larger scale. Located about half an hour away from the nearest city of Oceanopolis, it is a hitter-friendly park that is known to be tricky due to lots of crosswind and a very low outfield wall that is made out of, you know it, corn. Due to the distance between the Field and Oceanopolis, travelling teams and the fans are advised to travel at earlier times and take account into possible travel time between the two locations.

[Loyo]

The National U-18 Baseball Team of Loyo
Junior Sunshine Tigers

Since WBC 55, baseball’s fervor has only grown inside Loyo’s shores. For far too long, the traditions of old have dominated the sport, stifling new ideas and innovations. Upon seeing the multiverse’s best teams compete, Loyons have taken some foreign concepts and applied them to their own domestic leagues. A focus on competition has helped to break down the strict barriers of the divisions, and now teams will play other division's teams during the regular season. The Loyo Revolution League has doubled in size, from eight teams in two divisions to sixteen teams spread across four divisions. An emphasis in league development has led to greater investment in youth leagues across the country, not only in the minor league system, but also with schools and sports clubs.

In the realm of economics, the Communist Party of Loyo has opened up foreign investment zones where special rules allow for market forces to work within the country, while remaining under the control of the Party. Turorian company CoCoCo has already made inroads in both the port city of Mitsuda, and the city of three rivers, Sayosona. Loyon officials have also taken interest in learning from the Vilitan Cove’s Arcticala Electrical company in modernizing urban power grids and extending new powerlines into the countryside. Arnaud, a Lacfroidois heavy manufacturing conglomerate, has also expressed interest in the ongoing development of Loyo’s special economic zones.

More control has been delegated to local worker’s councils. Workers are experiencing a rising wave of prosperity. Observing that, the rural areas still lack health care coverage and the transportation revolution that has put the largest cities in the country on the road to modernization has left some in the villages by the wayside.

Baseball has served as a means by which the Party can extend goodwill towards these communities, as over 75 baseball fields have been constructed, or are currently under construction around the country. In addition to this, dozens of new schools and hospitals have been erected with the taxable income generated by foreign investment.

Many of the young baseball players playing for the Junior Sunshine Tigers have been chosen from rural areas, and all of them have been playing in the minor leagues, playing with other young Loyons and developing their talents with the help of experienced coaches.

The goal for the tournament, according to Manager and former National Team Bench Coach Velma Soosang, is more focused around talent development than winning silverware.

“The People’s National Sporting Committee has a long-term focus when it comes to the multiversal game. Baseball is not only about winning, it is about inspiring every Loyon to be fit and active. A strong national baseball team will help in that regard, but it must be reiterated that these young players are much more than future baseball stars. They are the sons of farmers, miners, loggers, and factory workers,” Soosang said. “Regardless of our success, my goal is to be a solid leader in this capacity, and I thank the PNSC for this opportunity.”

Little tigers bask,
The sun brings life and power
Tiny claws grow strong

Information Box

Most Represented Club(s): St. Hayahoma’s, Loyo Athletic Reds (3)
Least Represented Club(s): Kamisusunai Steel, National Pantheon (1)
Oldest Player: 1B Tea Huishan, 17 years, 9 months
Youngest Player: RP Dustin Tiratti, 14 years, 4 months
Best BA: 1B Tea Huishan (.369, 11 HR)
HR Leader: 3B Nga Halos (.323, 17 HR)
Strikeout Leader: SP Rei Uno (113 K, 2.80 ERA)

Management

Manager: Velma Soosang, 49
Bench Coach: Calum Gellman, 43
1st Base Coach: Markus Olli, 41
3rd Base Coach: Chaim Gaedernalik, 39
Hitting Coach: Ryley Seipp, 34
Pitching Coach: Mumam Kenda, 39
Bullpen Coach: Orion Stocke, 37

Starting Lineup (Please Check RPs for Updates)

1. SS: #7 Rosa Stadler, L, 17 (Loyo Athletic Reds)
2. 2B: #9 Jason Varatharajullu, R, 15 (Red Cloud)
3. 1B: #2 Tea Huishan, R, 17 (United Sugar)
4. 3B: #4 Nga Halos, R, 16 (St. Hayahoma’s)
5. DH: #1 Ryley Manago, R, 17 (Loyo United Church)
6. CF: #3 Noémie Louis, R, 14 (Kwanya Stallions)
7. RF: #11 Korey Vito, R, 15 (Odonhai Bulls)
8. LF: #17 Valentinia Sauzi, R, 16 (St. Yoosan’s)
9. C: #12 Markus Wren, 17 (United Sugar)

Starting Pitchers

P: #5 Rei Uno, R, 17 (Sayosona Cockerel)
P: #6 Neha Bail, L, 15 (St. Mianho’s)
P: #13 Jordan Zent, R, 15 (Loyo Athletic Reds)
P: #16 Emre Conversos, R, 16 (United Sugar)
P: #18 Aastha Vyas, L, 14 (Narangara Motors)

Bullpen

RP: #14 Reagan Ahadi, L, 15 (Sayosona Cockerel)
RP: #15 Muhammet Songbai, L, 16 (Red Cloud)
RP: #19 Dustin Tiratti, R, 14 (Kamisusunai Steel)
RP: #20 Ziya Mallow, R, 15 (Baek-Hyeonic Church)
CP: #23 Dao Nahass, R, 17 (St. Donghai’s)
CP: #24 Cristofer Tague, L, 16 (National Pantheon)
CP: #25 Dewayne Kenny, L, 16 (Kwanya Stallions)
CP: #29 Hope Danjii, R, 15 (St. Mianho’s)

Bench Players

DH: #21 Cain Jose, R, 16 (Odonhai Bulls)
C: #33 Jackson Free, R, 15 (Narangara Motors)
C: #31 Tiff Vandusen, R, 15 (Marraya Lions)
1B: #19 Drake Jiménez, R, 14 (Loyo United Church)
1B: #44 Rocky Troyani, R, 15 (Baek-Hyeonic Church)
2B/3B: #21 Aden Colosi, R, 15 (Marraya Lions)
3B: #32 Anthony Sollomi, L, 14 (St. Yoosan’s)
SS: #30 Amias Gartner, L, 14 (St. Hayahoma’s)
LF: #35 Giancarlo Marrasi, R, 15 (St. Hayahoma’s)
CF: #37 Mo'ne Mari, L, 14 (Loyo Athletic Reds)
RF: #40 Tae Sang-Won, L, 16 (St. Donghai’s)

RP Permissions

DH: Yes
Choose my runscorers: Yes
Choose my lineup: Yes, check if I’ve posted one in the RP I posted for the previous cutoff. If I fail to include one in my RP, or do not RP, use the lineup provided here, and start Rei Uno at pitcher. If Uno started the last game, start Neha Bail. Feel free to select relievers and closers as needed.
Follow my Pitching Rotation: See above.
Godmod scoring events: Yes, keep it fairly reasonable, but have fun with it!
RP injuries to my players: No.
Godmod injuries to my players: No.
Eject my players: Message me and get my approval.
Godmod other events: Yes as long as no one dies/children are seriously injured.

Loyo Revolution League Primer

L. R. L.

IT’S SERIOUS BASEBALL

[Banija]

University of Loyola Tetra-Campus Athletics

The University of Loyola is a major private university system, operated directly by the Banijan Mormon Church(officially called the Puritan Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints). Main campus, of course, is famously known as Loyola-Istria. Loyola-Istria athletics have long been known across the multiverse. Not only has a soccer alum, Idai Uster, scored in a World Cup Final, but they have world titles in both the NSCF(3) and the NSCAAs(1). It is one of Banija's largest universities, and obviously the flag ship of the entire system. Everything rises and falls with Loyola-Istria.

Loyola-Jinja is a secondary campus, located in Banija's third largest city, Loyola-Jinja. This is mostly a commuter campus- but still with a relatively large student population, around 20,000. They are, obviously, a little brother to Loyola-Istria. The two are considered rivals, although it is much more heated up the chain- Loyola-Jinja feel much more comtempt for ULI than the other way around.

Third, we have Loyola-Busukuma. By far the smallest, it is located in the heart of our nation's capitol. It is known for being a special school- primarily a major seminary, that develops clergy and others in religious life within the Church, it is also where the Banijan Foreign Ministry sends future diplomats to train.

And lastly, we have Loyola-West Bay. By far the newest, this is located in Youngston, Damukuni- the heart of the Banijan Mormon community in Damukuni. Also a relatively small school, they compete athletically in Damukuni. For obvious reasons, there is no sporting rivalry between them and the three Banijan campuses of the University.

Presidential leadership wanted to try and help bring the four campuses together. Therefore, they put together this team, as as special one-off, to help get the campuses supporting one another. Time will tell if this idea can actually take off, or if it will simply succumb to infighting, especially as the team fights off accusations that they are 'dominated' by main campus(Istria).

Coaching Staff
Baluta Colley will be the manager for this special edition team. He is 70 years old. Like the players, he is leading a coaching staff that is drawn from all four coaching staffs. He has absolutely nothing to do with any of the four schools. However, he was the manager of the IBS XIII team, which was a combination of the four military academies. He was the hitting coach for the Banijan national team from WBC 46-50, and he was the bench coach for WBC 51.

Manager- Baluta Colley. 70 years old. Member of the Banijan national team coaching staff.
Bench Coach- Dominick Kunawo. 44 years old. Manager at Loyola-Istria.
Hitting Coach- Lang Ciju. 37 years old. Hitting Coach at Loyola-Istria.
Pitching Coach- Saderr Sanjeso. 50 years old. Pitching Coach at Loyola-Istria.
1st base Coach- Mustapha Teh. 61 years old. 1st Base Coach at Loyola-Jinja.
3rd base Coach- Sana Barubiya. 67 years old. 3rd base coach at Loyola-West Bay.

Batting Order with Designated Hitter
1 2B Kalilu Kang. #35. 23 years old. Right-handed. Redshirt Senior at Loyola-West Bay. Speedy, aggressive on the basepaths.
2 SS William Cuih. 20 years old. Right-handed. Junior at Loyola-Istria. Aggressive on the basepaths, hits for average but very little power. Utility player- can play 3B, 1B, and 2B as well.
3 DH Jabel Dafi. #19. 19 years old. Right-handed. Sophomore at Loyola-Jinja. Hits for both power and average, the team's best hitter.
4 1B Banja Bayo. #5. 18 years old. Left-handed. Freshman at Loyola-Istria. Hits for power. Runs the base-paths poorly. He plays both right field and first base by trade.
5 LF Manlafy Menie. #30. 17 years old. Right-handed switch hitter. HS Commit to Loyola-Istria. Future superstar, currently a senior at Cass Tech High School in Busukuma. Better hitting from the right.
6 3B Abdoulie Fara. #17. 22 years old. Right-handed. Senior at Loyola-Istria. Hits for power, takes huge swings, but has a poor average.
7 RF Maka Komma. #4. 19 years old. Right-handed. Redshirt Freshman at Loyola-Istria. Has a cannon for an arm, and overconfident- he will often try to throw past the cutoff man and straight to the base, and often thrown out trying to take the extra base.
8 CF Bunama Duroyl. #16. 20 years old. Junior at Loyola-Busukuma. Great defensive player, great range and arm, needs to improve hitting. He comes off the bench when there is no DH.
9 C Bailo Jasli. #9. 21 years old. Right-handed. Senior at Loyola-Jinja. Defensive specialist, terrible hitter.

Batting Order without Designated Hitter
1 2B Kalilu Kang. #35. 23 years old. Right-handed. Redshirt Senior at Loyola-West Bay. Speedy, aggressive on the basepaths.
2 SS William Cuih. 20 years old. Right-handed. Junior at Loyola-Istria. Aggressive on the basepaths, hits for average but very little power. Utility player- can play 3B, 1B, and 2B as well.
3 RF Jabel Dafi. #19. 19 years old. Right-handed. Sophomore at Loyola-Jinja. Hits for both power and average, the team's best hitter.
4 1B Banja Bayo. #5. 18 years old. Left-handed. Freshman at Loyola-Istria. Hits for power. Runs the base-paths poorly. He plays both right field and first base by trade.
5 LF Manlafy Menie. #30. 17 years old. Right-handed switch hitter. HS Commit to Loyola-Istria. Future superstar, currently a senior at Cass Tech High School in Busukuma. Better hitting from the right.
6 3B Abdoulie Fara. #17. 22 years old. Right-handed. Senior at Loyola-Istria. Hits for power, takes huge swings, but has a poor average.
7 CF Maka Komma. #4. 19 years old. Right-handed. Redshirt Freshman at Loyola-Istria. Has a cannon for an arm, and overconfident- he will often try to throw past the cutoff man and straight to the base, and often thrown out trying to take the extra base.
8 C Bailo Jasli. #9. 21 years old. Right-handed. Senior at Loyola-Jinja. Defensive specialist, terrible hitter.

Bench
OF Bunama Duroyl. #16. 20 years old. Junior at Loyola-Busukuma. Great defensive player, great range and arm, needs to improve hitting. He comes off the bench when there is no DH. When there is a DH, he starts in Center.
IF Momat Satong. #22. 19 years old. Right-handed. Sophomore at Loyola-Jinja.
1B/C Muna Jabayo. #25. 18 years old. Switch-hitter(right-handed). Freshman at Loyola-West Bay.
2B/SS Janjanbureh Basie. #2. 18 years old. Freshman at Loyola-Busukuma.
OF Ngoja Bafawali. #16. 19 years old. Redshirt Freshman at Loyola-Istria.
IF Banda Dummeyeh. #15. 22 years old. Senior at Loyola-Jinja.

Starting Pitcher Rotation
All of our starters are tall pitchers who like to throw the ball hard. We will run a 4 man rotation for this tournament.
1 Luzige Yambuka. #35. 21 years old. Right-handed. Senior at Loyola-Istria. Teams best pitcher- throws a four seam fastball(up to 96), a two seam fastball(up to 89), and a slider.
2 Kigongo Namatiwa. #24. 18 years old. Left-handed. Freshman at Loyola-Istria. Throws a 4-seam fastball(up to 92), power curveball, cutter, 2-Seam fastball(up to 84), and a circle changeup.
3 Musisi Ntumwa. #33. 20 years old. Right-handed. Junior at Loyola-Istria. He is an adherent to the lost art of the knuckler. Throws a mid-60s knuckler, a mid-50s knuckler, an upper 70s fastball, and a lower 70s slow curve.
4 Sarah Namagoye. #35. 20 years old. Left-handed. Female. Sophomore at Loyola-Istria. She is the only woman on the team. She throws a 4-seam fastball(up to 90), power curveball, cutter, and a circle changeup.

Bullpen

LRP Engemu Mayembé. #44. 21 years old. Right-Handed. Senior at Loyola-Jinja. Throws a four seam fastball(up to 90), a sinker, a slider, and a cutter(up to 85).
LRP Nkunda Kiyiiti. #74. 20 years old. Right-Handed. Junior at Loyola-Jinja. Throws a two seam fastball(up to 90), a sinker, a curveball, and a changeup.
MRP Mwesige Bbuzimulu. #17. 22 years old. Left-Handed. Senior at Loyola-West Bay. Throws a two seam cutting fastball(up to 91), a sinker, and a curveball.
MRP Kamya Ssemulangwa. #45. 22 years old. Right-Handed. Senior at Loyola-West Bay. Throws a four seam fastball(up to 95) and a curveball.
MRP Musoke Kyeranyi. #41. 19 years old. Right-Handed. Sophomore at Loyola-West Bay. Throws a two seam cutting fastball(up to 92), a changeup, and a slider.
SU Mwaka Mugalula. #13. 21 years old. Right-handed. Senior at Loyola-Jinja. Throws a four seam fastball(up to 94), a curveball, and a slider.
CL Bishop Sabiti Ssebalu. #48. 28 years old. Right-Handed. Senior at Loyola-Busukuma. Throws a four seam fastball(up to 98) and a curveball. He was a missionary in Chromatika, and is already ordained, but is currently doing graduate studies at the school. Only played 3 years during undergrad, so he has his last year of eligibility remaining.

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my runscorers: Yes
Choose my lineup: No (My lineup is here for all to see, so please use it. Of course, you can do substitutions for pitchers and players as you see fit, throughout the course of the game. But the starting lineup should remain the same)
Follow my pitching rotation: Yes (My pitching schedule is laid out to a T, matchday by matchday, so please follow that. It's not just a straight rotation, as I look to get extra starts for my top two starters. All laid out below, for each individual matchday. Thanks!)
Godmod scoring events: Yes
RP injuries to my players: Yes (That's fine, but please say what the injury is, and please specify how many games the player will miss. No deaths please).
Godmod injuries to my players: Yes (That's fine, but please say what the injury is, and please specify how many games the player will miss. No deaths please).
Eject my players/coaches: Yes
Godmod other events: Yes (As long as you don't kill anyone, go ahead)
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.

Starting Pitching Schedule
Group D Pitching Schedule
Matchday 1: University of Loyola Tetra-Campus Athletics v. TJUN-ia U21 Battin' Cubs. Starting Pitcher- Luzige Yambuka.
Matchday 2: Burikinia Dragons v. University of Loyola Tetra-Campus Athletics. Starting Pitcher- Kigongo Namatiwa.
Matchday 3: University of Loyola Tetra-Campus Athletics v. The Nightingales of Kyelleven. Starting Pitcher- Musisi Ntumwa.
Matchday 4: Kalush Nightingales v. University of Loyola Tetra-Campus Athletics. Starting Pitcher- Sarah Namagoye.
Matchday 5: BYE

[Oahu-Hawaii]

All-Hawaii N.U.B. Lineup

EVERY YOUNG Hawaiian boy dreams of joining the National Team — only the best athletes in the nation, sure to bring fame and celebrity and a life of superstardom to those lucky and talented enough to be a part. the "Taros", as they're called for their solid purple uniforms, are the best of the best baseball players in Hawaii, an island where baseball is their lifeblood and their claim to glory. Played all year round in the temperate weather, and a symbol of Hawaii's past struggles; brought over by the Americans during the plantation era, and left behind when they were kicked out. Images of children in Hawaii playing baseball among the ruins of their homes and villages in the aftermath of World War are ubiquitous features in history books; a black and white photo of G.I.s and little Hawaiian kids playing together during the Occupation as Hawaii rebuilt hangs in the East Wing of Iolani Palace. The Greats of Hawaiian baseball — Samson Pupuna, Rod Vano, Speedy Hale — are immortalized into the history of this nation, and every kid in the country is competing to fill the next spot.

But for this team now, that's a long way away. The All-Hawaii National University Baseball team, a frequent presence in junior baseball competitions across the world, is made up of the top baseball players from colleges and universities across the country. Those on this team are likely to go into Hawaii's domestic leagues — they are, after all, the best university players in the archipelago — and maybe some of them will even don the purple uniforms a few years from now.

STARTING LINEUP

SS: #14, Hugo POGA, L, So. (RKU Maui)
2B: #9 Jessie DOLE, R, Jr. (RKU Honolulu)
1B: #2 Peleke LUAHOOMAE, R, Sr. (St. Paul of Maui)
3B: #11 Bennie NGUYEN, L, Fr. (RKU Honolulu)
DH: #1 Titus VAHAFOLA, R, Sr. (RKU Kona)
CF: #3 William Kahana SEWBY, Sr., 14 (Wilcox)
RF: #19 MOOBON In-Ho, R, Jr. (St. Damien's)
LF: #21 Vincent JUDGE, R, Sr. (RKU Hilo)
C: #0 Nahum PAKOLEIKA, R, So. (RKU Maui)

PITCHERS

SP: #5 Yoshi NAMAMURA, L, Jr. (RKU Honolulu)
SP: #6 A'ipeki BALL, R, So. (RKU Hilo)
SP: #13 Russ ZEMAMENTE, R, Sr. (St. Paul of Maui)
SP: #16 Emil UAPO'OKO, R, Fr. (Honolulu Polytechnical)
SP: #18 Leonard MENDELBAUM, L, Jr. (Consolidated Yeshiva Honolulu)
RP: #23 Curly RODGERS JR., R, Sr. (RKU North Oahu)
RP: #4 Moses KELEKOLIO, L, So. (RKU Lana'i)
RP: #12 William MOSESE, R, Sr. (St. Damien's)
RP: #17 Juan CORREA, R, Sr. (Dole College)
CP: #7 Mohammed ABEI, R, Sr. (RKU Kona)
CP: #20 MO Honghui, R, Jr. (Hawai'i International)
CP: #10 O-Chan NARKBUNNUM, L, Sr. (RKU Honolulu)
CP: #15 Henry WONG, R, Jr. (Lewis and Sanford)

DUGOUT

1B/2B/3B: #53 Michael WALLIS, R, Jr. (RKU Honolulu)
1B/2B/3B: #51 Santosh JADHAV, L, Jr. (Honolulu City College)
2B: #55 SOMA Masami, R, So. (St. Damien's)
SS: #59 Valdo POMEROY, R, So. (RKU Kona)
CF: #48 Avi LITZBLAK, R, Sr. (Consolidated Yeshiva Honolulu)
RF: #61 Jaazaniah SPRINGER, R, Jr. (RKU Maui)
LF: #54 Brady MCLAUGHLIN, L, Sr. (Lewis and Sanford)
CF/RF/LF: #52 Peni KAMAKEOINA, R, Jr. (Oahu Provincial)
C: #68 Noah POOKALANI, R, So. (Honolulu City College)
DH: #56 Apisaloma FAIIVAE, L, Jr. (RKU Lana'i)

COACHING STAFF

Manager: Ira J. Kane, 61 Team Manager at RKU Honolulu. A veteran of the All-Hawaii N.U.B. team, and four-time winner of the College Crown, the RKU-wide championship trophy.
First Base Coach: Abel Chang, 34 Star university shortstop from RKU Kona and player of the year in his junior and senior year. His professional career was cut short by a debilitating shoulder injury; Chang is now manager of the Mauna Kea Stars.
Third Base Coach: Anuenue Inoke, 41 All-Hawaii N.U.B. third base coach for four years now. Amateur league player until his thirties, graduate of St. Paul of Maui.
Batting Coach: Horace Ling, 52 Batting coach at last year's College Crown winners RKU Honolulu.
Pitching Coach: Louise Lea'ai, 49 Pitching coach at nationally ranked all-female Queen's College. Softball is rarely played in Hawaii, and some top-ranked women's teams are even better than top-ranked men's ones.
Bench Coach: Pilipo Kanoa, 45 One-time center-fielder for the Waikiki Sharks. Left baseball in his early 30s to pursue an acting career. Spokesman for a popular brand of fruit-flavored hard seltzer, took a break from acting to coach the N.U.B. team in the IBS.

---

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my runscorers: Yes
Choose my lineup: Yes...but unless a member of the starting lineup is injured/suspended or I make a note specifically, use the starting lineup
Follow my pitching rotation: Yes. Yoshi Namamura is the star pitcher.
Godmod scoring events: Yes.
RP injuries to my players: Yes.
Godmod injuries to my players: Yes, but please be reasonable!
Eject my players: Yes, but DM/TG me first please. I'll almost certainly say yes.
Godmod other events: Yes, but again please be reasonable.
Use DH at home: Yes.

[The Star Enpire]

The Newport Wands

Lineup
RF #59 Koizumi Shou, Right, 26, male, Japanese-Starnian, Power Hitter
1B #53 Bazza Joyner, Switch, male, 30, Refugi-Starnian, Power Hitter
3B #83 Roc Fisdèyasẽt Sãsõ, Switch, 29, male, Native Starnian, Contact Hitter
DH #51 Edgar Lukeson, Switch, male, 20, male, Refugi-Starnian, Power Hitter
CF #68 Driscoll Blackburn, Right, 22, male, Refugi-Starnian
LF #32 Floryã Fisdèvirjini Mari, Left, 24, male, Native Starnian, Great Defender
C #23 Dylan Fisdemanwhel Sharpãtyé, Right, 24, male, Native Starnian
SS #65 Alã Fisdema Danyel, Right, 33, male, Native Starnian
2B #74 Klóé Fiydèveronik Plurd, Right, female, Native Starnian

Lineup (without DH)
RF #59 Koizumi Shou, Right, 26, male, Japanese-Starnian, Power Hitter
1B #53 Bazza Joyner, Switch, male, 30, Refugi-Starnian, Power Hitter
3B #83 Roc Fisdèyasẽt Sãsõ, Switch, 29, male, Native Starnian, Contact Hitter
2B #51 Edgar Lukeson, Switch, male, 20, male, Refugi-Starnian, Power Hitter
CF #68 Driscoll Blackburn, Right, 22, male, Refugi-Starnian
LF #32 Floryã Fisdèvirjini Mari, Left, 24, male, Native Starnian, Great Defender
C #23 Dylan Fisdemanwhel Sharpãtyé, Right, 24, male, Native Starnian
SS #65 Alã Fisdema Danyel, Right, 33, male, Native Starnian
Pitcher

Bench
C #81 Júlyẽ Fisdèsélin Paj, Left, 28, male, Native Starnian, Weak Hitter
IF #10 Romẽ Fisdelfin Lèrwa, Right, 25, male, Native Starnian, Weak Defender and Free Swinger
IF #96 Aléksi Fisdèsésil Rober, Right, 25, male, Native Starnian, Power Hitter
OF #33 Kõstã Fisdèfernãd Pulẽ, Switch, 30, male, Native Starnian
OF #06 Soley Fiydèkarin Pèlé, Right, 25, female, Native Starnian
UT #70 Matild Fiydèbéatris Rishèlyø, Left, 22, female, Native Starnian, Slow Runner

Starting Rotation
P #73 Evelina Whitaker, Right, 26, female, Refugi-Starnian
P #49 Maksim Fisdèkatèrin Fore, Right, 22, male, Native Starnian
P #35 Shi Lei, Left, 20, female, Refugi-Starnian

Bullpen
P #13 Júli Fiydãryet Brodoer, Right, 23, female, Native Starnian
P #14 Polin Fiydènatali Dúrã, Right, 21, female, Native Starnian

Manager: Gael Ruud, 41, male, Refugi-Starnian

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

The Story So Far...
Despite many barriers and setbacks, the National Baseball Committee was able to outfit an international baseball team semi-regularly. Why, the Star Enpire was ranked 75 globally! Out of 88 total nations, but still. This however lead to a problem with the International Baseball Slam, as ranked teams aren't encouraged to play in it. As the NBC didn't want to scout and conduct tryouts for a new team, they announced that they will send the winner of the Starnian Baseball League to the IBSXVIII instead. The reward of good work is more work as they say. This year, that team was the Newport Wands.

Newport and its Wands
Newport is a sleepy little tourist town with a rich history and a vague and undefined connection to the Dreamlands. The people there are not nearly as baseball mad as their rivals in shiny Redmont, so it infuriates fans of the Redmont Coins that the Wands manage to win 2 league pennants in a row, while the Coins remained dead last. The Starnian baseball world felt somehow that the Newportians didn't deserve it, as if teams won championships by the raw passion of their fandom.
The team already included many veterans in international baseball, like Koizumi, Joyner, Sãsõ, Danyel, and Pulẽ. It also includes many more new faces; it remains to be seen if they can handle the pressure of the international stage.

Batting Strategy
The manager is a big believer in three-outcome baseball, but the true strength of the team is just good hitting. The bread and butter of the Wands is hitting the ball, and hitting it hard. Smallball strategies like base-stealing and bunting tend to be neglected.
The lineup is all roughly on the same level, but the power hitters tend to get more spotlight because of their ability to consistently score home runs.

Pitching Strategy
The general pitching strategy in the SBL is simple: keep the starting pitcher in for as long as possible, only relieving them when they get tired or shelled. They aren't afraid to throw a starter on relief duty either. The Wands thus gambled on cutting their bullpen to the bone so that they have more slots in the bench for developing prospects. This will almost definitely backfire on them in the IBS.
Evelina Whitaker is the ace of the squad, with the rest being merely competent.

This Informational Packet was brought to you by the Starnian Tourist Board. We look forward to Starnia being in your future dreams.

[Nova Anglicana]

Nova Anglicana International Baseball Slam XVIII Roster

Nickname: Lions
Acronym: NOV

Starting Rotation (order as given)
RHP #36 Dave Caldwell, 26
LHP #44 Alan Strickland, 25
RHP #19 Luke Glover, 27
LHP #20 Xavier Beaulieu, 26
RHP #39 Matt Fuller, 25

Bullpen
LHP #57 Scott Black, 27 - long reliever,
LHP #46 Guillaume Saint-Cyr, 28 - lefty specialist,
LHP #48 Darren Powell, 27 - middle reliever,
RHP #56 Mark Quinn, 27 - middle reliever,
RHP #16 Evan McCormick, 27 - middle reliever,
RHP #11 Theo Dumond, 26 - middle reliever,
RHP #30 Brandon Smart, 29 - middle reliever
RHP #43 Colin McGregor, 26 - setup
RHP #23 Conrad Coleman, 26 - closer

Catchers (Bats/Throws)
C #60 Teddy Rideout, 27, (R/R)
C #18 Antoine Allard, 25, (S/R)
C #51 Jamie Roberts, 26, (L/R)

Infielders (Bats/Throws)
1B #21 Casey Flynn, 26, (L/L)
3B #26 Mitch Baird, 25, (R/R)
SS #11 Christopher Larsen, 26, (S/R)
2B #6 Simon Cauchon, 28, (S/R)
3B/1B #50 Edouard Martel, 27, (R/R)
SS/2B #27 Cliff Mackey, 27, (S/R)

Oufielders (Bats/Throws)
RF #25 Alex Kaplan, 27, (R/R)
CF #35 Nick Sheridan, 26, (R/R)
LF #29 Robbie Overton, 28, (L/L)
OF #38 Brant Finley, 28, (R/R)
OF #24 Henri Verrett, 26, (S/R)

Rick McDonald #55 (Manager)

Lou Sharp #1 (Hitting Coach)

Willy O'Neill #47 (Pitching Coach)

Rod Lacey #9 (1st Base Coach, Fielding Instructor)

Stan Mesa #8 (3rd Base Coach, Outfield/Baserunning Instructor)

Ned Francois #15 (Bench Coach)

Les Sheehan #52 (Bullpen Coach)

Starting Lineup w/DH
SS Christopher Larsen
3B Mitch Baird
RF Alex Kaplan
1B Casey Flynn
DH Robbie Overton
C Teddy Rideout
CF Nick Sheridan
LF Brant Finley
2B Simon Cauchon

Starting Lineup w/o DH
SS Christopher Larsen
3B Mitch Baird
RF Alex Kaplan
1B Casey Flynn
LF Robbie Overton
C Teddy Rideout
CF Nick Sheridan
2B Simon Cauchon
Pitcher's spot

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my runscorers: Yes
Choose my lineup: No
Follow my pitching rotation: Yes
Use DH at home: No
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

[Zug um Zug]

Zug um Zug is a recognized puppet state of Zwangzug, founded when the latter nation became "old enough to have its own account," whatever that means. It is unclear if they represent a serious geopolitical entity, a computer simulation run by bored teenagers posting train memes, or something in between. The team is all-female.

Starting rotation:
Muriel Elugia (L'Enfant Sharks)
Carole Humphrey (Snelling Saints)
Lexie Villanova (Anacostia Parliamentarians)
Noor Kaur (Avalon Rebels)
Erin Davies (Addison Whales)

Bullpen:
Triss Genebra (Cluny Scourges)
Carly Fleet (Wabash Cannonballs)
Jeanne Michel (Montparnasse Dawn)
Adrienne Wedershein (Davis Violets)
Natalie Poissoul (Duluth Coureurs)
Yulin Marshall (Westwood Rovers)
Deborah Lawrence (Gallaudet Buffalo)

Starting lineup:
2B - Tiffany Jokana (Avalon Rebels)
RF - Olivia Fernandez (Wabash Cannonballs)
1B - Karen Morris (Westwood Rovers)
CF - Anita Berger (Snelling Saints)
LF - Brenda Miller (Addison Whales)
C - Leticia Bannock (Gallaudet Buffalo)
SS - Sadako Fujiwara (L'Enfant Sharks)
3B - Bethany Gleason (Cluny Scourges)

Bench:
OF - Megan Sandburg (Anacostia Parliamentarians) (DH if needed, bats fifth)
C - Genevieve Imbadu (Montparnasse Dawn)
IF - Kelsey Mulvaney (Duluth Coureurs)
IF - Dana Spivak (Davis Violets)

If you RP first--anything goes, though I'd rather you not cause lasting harm to my players/in my country without running it by me first. But this is a silly puppet, so feel free to be absurd.

[Canadian Dominion]

Goosebay 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: +3.5

[TJUN-ia]

Full Name: TJUN-ia U21
Organisation Name: TJUN-ia Baseball
Trigram: TJU
Nicknames: Battin' Cubs
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

TJUN-ian Baseball can never cease to amaze...and that magic starts with the Battin' Cubs. Two years ago, the TJUN-ia U21 Baseball Team, known to everyone as the Battin' Cubs, managed a magical run in South Newlandia and Super Llamaland on route to losing in the final, while three players from that team would join the Battin' Jags as they made the Quarterfinals in their 1st WBC of the New Age. Now, the IBS is back and it will be hosted by the defending champs, the U22 Grim Reapers of Quebec and Shingoryeo. Vojtěch Heyrovský still has most of the core from two years ago to enjoy with some new faces as well, with Japanese twins Masayoshi and Sayaka Kuramochi added to the outfield and batting order while the pitching lineup increases to 4 with the additions of Peter Glendinning and Khamis Ali Makame to the rotation. This team certainly has talent but after the magic of last time, how will the double group stage format be dealt with by this team?

---

THE TEAM
(Number: Name (Age, Batting/Pitching arm))
Manager: Vojtěch Heyrovský (29)
Assistant Manager: Josef Heyrovský (25)

POSITION STARTERS
1B: #5 Luke Jaxon (17, R)
2B: #6 Masayoshi Kuramochi (15, L)
3B: #7 Seo Ji-kyo (17, R)
SS: #8 Fernando Rodrigo Viera (17, L)
RF: #9 Khin Marlar Tun (19, R)
LF: #10 Palila Kalawai’a (21, R, Gender-fluid)
CF: #11 Sayaka Kuramochi (15, L)
C: #12 Julian Mertz (17, R)
DH: #13 Zingisa Mtyanda (19, L)

STARTING PITCHERS
P: #1 Yolande Sirapui (19, L)
P: #2 Joseph "JoJo" McAlbo (17, R)
P: #3 Peter Glendinning (15, L)
P: #4 Khamis Ali Makame (15, R)

STARTING LINEUPS
Without DH
1. Kalawai'a
2. Seo
3. K.M.T.
4. M. Kuramochi
5. F.R.V.
6. S. Kuramochi
7. Jaxon
8. Mertz
9. Pitcher

With DH
1. Kalawai'a
2. Seo
3. K.M.T.
4. M. Kuramochi
5. F.R.V.
6. Mtyanda (DH)
7. S. Kuramochi
8. Jaxon
9. Mertz

---

PERMISSIONS

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my lineup: Yes
Choose my pitcher: No, follow rotation
Choose my runscorers: Yes
Chose other statistics: Yes
Use DH: If you want to, then I will. If you don't, then I won't
RP injuries to my players: Yes
Godmod events: No
Eject my players: Yes

[Chromatika]

Choose my lineup N, please use my roster.
Choose my pitcher N, please use my roster.
Choose my runscorers Y
Choose other statistics Y
Use DH N
RP injuries to my players Y, but I can determine severity.
RP ejections to my players Y, but only if you do too.
Godmod Events N

Chromatik Collegiate Baseball Association (CCBA) All-Stars
The Amateurs

COACHING STAFF
Head Coach: AHN Yang-Shik (49)
Pitching Coach: Marilynn JOUST (36)
Fielding Coach: Ian AVANO (41)
Baserunning Coach: Sando ULRICHSON (39)

PITCHERS
Starters
#No. - Firstname LASTNAME - Sex - Age - Pos - Bats/Throws - College
#07 - Nalrina AYONARA - F - 21 - RHP (Starter) - R/R - Chromia Central College University
#11 - Eddard FRIEND - M - 21 - LHP (Starter) - L/L - Z'ai'ai Institute of Technology
#10 - Ashleigh WITTERS - F - 21 - RHP (Starter) - R/L - Chromia Central College University

Bullpen
#20 - KI In-Beom - M - 20 - RHP (Long-Term Reliever) - R/R - University of Myana
#22 - Michelle PELL - F - 20 - RHP (Reliever) - R/R - Felswyr State University
#24 - LEE Jung-Dan - M - 20 - LHP (Left-Handed Specialist) - L/L - Chromia Central College University
#29 - LING Xe - M - 22 - RHP (Setup Man) - R/R - Pùr State University
#34 - Kasey JACKSON - F - 21 (Closer) - L/L - Eyrods Tech

POSITION PLAYERS
Starters
#03 - Anya HASHATAKI - F - 21 - 2B (Starter) - R/R - Z'ai'ai Institute of Technology
#06 - Frank KRISTIEN - M - 20 - SS (Starter) - L/R - Chromia Central College University
#13 - GO Ah-Rhee - F - 21 - C (Starter) - R/R - Chromia Central College University
#19 - Pierre HARLET - M - 22 - LF (Starter) - L/L - Chromatik State University
#28 - KIM Jung-Hee - F - 20 - 1B (Starter) - R/R - Chromia Central College University
#51 - Zoe CIELE - F - 19 - CF (Starter) - R/R - University of Myana
#71 - Ito ARUHAI - M - 20 - 3B (Starter) - R/R - Z'ai'ai Institute of Technology
#92 - Patricia LOTT - F - 20 - RF (Starter) - R/R - Eyrods Tech
Bench
#27 - Thayer JONES - M - 19 - C (Bench) - R/R - Pria Technical College
#36 - Jacqueline DUPONT - F - 19 - SS (Bench) - R/R - Pùr State University
#57 - Odwin RHELL - M - 22 - IF - R/R - University of Myana
#81 - Francine ST. GEORGE - F - 21 - IF - R/L - Eyrods Tech
#89 - LENG Xian - M - 22 - OF - R/R - Eyrods Tech
#99 - PARK In-Yeong - F - 21 - OF - L/L = Z'ai'ai Institute of Technology

BATTING ORDER
1. Lott
2. Cielle
3. Go
4. Aruhai
5. Harlet
6. Kristien
7. Pitcher
8. Kim
9. Hashataki

[Dod Rava]

RAWA MARINEROS BASEBALL TEAM

Head Coach: Budzisław Stróżyk • Trigramme: RAM • Style: +1

Assistant Coach: Florian Szulc • Pitching coach: Elias Peralta

Starting line up without DH:
SP: #1 Ernest Gronek R 30
C: #5 Hugo Szałwia R 24
1B: #22 Ricardo Albacete R 22
2B: #12 Waldemar Styś L 31
3B: #8 Jagoda Puza R 25
SS: #9 Feliks Korab L 20
RF: #72 Matias Martín R 27
CF: #99 Jose Angel Gómez 32
LF: #31 Filip Więcław R 21

Starting line up with DH:
DH: #42 Marek Kubera R 30
C: #5 Hugo Szałwia R 24
1B: #22 Ricardo Albacete R 22
2B: #12 Waldemar Styś L 31
3B: #8 Jagoda Puza R 25
SS: #9 Feliks Korab L 20
RF: #72 Matias Martín R 27
CF: #99 Jose Angel Gómez 32
LF: #31 Filip Więcław R 21

Pitchers:
SP: #68 Adrian Wnuk R 26
SP: #70 Borja Díez R 21
SP: #69 Włodzimierz Biały R/L 34

Bullpen:
RP: #19 Rosa Sánchez R 18
RP: #98 Martin Rivera L 28

Bench:
3B: #5 Arnau González R 19
1B: #6 Jose Manuel Cubero 22
2B: #52 Julian Wiater L 22
RF: #64 Edgar Páez R 24
LF: #20 Piotr Molek R 26
CF: #79 Adrian Monte R 28
SS: #13 Jorge Arroyo R 31
1B: #29 Gerard Pena R 21
C: #12 Piotr Molek R 22

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my runscorers: Yes
Choose my lineup: Yes If you really want to
Follow my pitching rotation: No
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: It's up to you

[Abanhfleft]

ABANHFLEFT REVOLUTION
Abanhfleft men's national baseball team

They got lucky three Slams ago. They didn't get lucky in the last two Slams. Can they regain their luck for the 18th Slam or is that one title really going to have to be enough for the Samahang Beisbol ng Abanhfleft?

BASIC INFORMATION
Name of nation: Democratic Republic of Abanhfleft
Demonym: Fleftic
Team name: Abanhfleft Revolution All-Stars
Nickname: Revolutionaries (common), Revolters (derogatory)
Official history: This will be Abanhfleft's eleventh time participating in the International Baseball Slam. Yes, the IBS is back. Shocker, right? And not only that, but we're also aiming for a second title! Truly crazy times. Might even be the end times at that.
Team colors: Blue, orange, and green
Style modifier: +2. Abanhfleft is experimenting with new styles to try and win the IBS again.
Park factor: 90

PITCHERS
Key: (Shirt number, pitches/bats, age)

1 - Francis Ness (#84, L/L, 46)
2 - Fredrick Rowe (#26, R/S, 41)
3 - Gareth Solomon (#83, L/S, 45)
4 - George Dey (#18, S/L, 49)
5 - Kurtis Gatten (#54, L/L, 44)

Long Reliever - Lewis Brodie (#82, L/L, 44)
Middle Reliever - Charles Smeets (#40, R/R, 41)
Middle Reliever - Roberto Vicario (#6, S/L, 42)
Setup - Olivier Savanier (#39, L/L, 39)
Closer - Peter Langford (#90, R/R, 38)

INFIELD
Catcher - Brad Sargent (#25, L/L, 46, Starter)
Catcher - Alfredo Lopez (#59, R/R, 41)
First Base - Chiemeka Watkins (#4, L/L, 43, Starter)
First Base - Kristian Ravensborg (#64, R/S, 48)
Second Base - Patrick Dobryk (#22, S/R, 45, Starter)
Second Base - Sonny Shepherd (#15, L/S, 41)
Third Base - Doug Farthing (#14, S/L, 45, Starter)
Third Base - David Gaspariño (#76, R/R, 47)
Short Stop - Brooks Kogut (#12, R/R, 48, Starter)
Short Stop - Oscar Jansson (#35, L/L, 43)

OUTFIELD
Left Fielder - Gabriel Linwood (#95, R/R, 42, Starter)
Left Fielder - Vilhelm Andreassen (#11, R/S, 43)
Center Fielder - Steffan Pumphrey (#89, R/R, 40, Starter)
Center Fielder - Sergey Borysov (#61, L/L, 45)
Right Fielder - Ibrahim Ahmadinejad (#67, S/R, 49, Starter)
Right Fielder - Lawrence Fleck (#8, L/L, 50)

BATTING ORDER
1 - B. KOGUT (SS, R)
2 - P. DOBRYK (2B, R)
3 - I. AHMADINEJAD (RF, S)
4 - C. WATKINS (1B, L)
5 - S. PUMPHREY (CF, L)
6 - D. FARTHING (3B, S)
7 - G. LINWOOD (LF, R)
8 - B. SARGENT (C, L)
DH - P. LANGFORD (P, R)

In the event that a DH is not allowed, the starting pitcher according to the schedule takes the DH's place.

STAFF
Why get an all-new staff for what is most probably a one-off event? Yes, the IBS has a long and quaint history behind it, but the fact remains that it's only been resurrected now. And the old-timers have been told that they're doing this for fun, so why worry about getting more coaches than the Samahang Beisbol ng Abanhfleft can afford?

MANAGER - KURTIS LINGENFELTER

ASSISTANT MANAGER/BENCH COACH - JAIME GROVER

FIRST BASE COACH - STEFAN MCKENNY

THIRD BASE COACH - IVAN BRETT

BATTING COACH - JOHN JOHNSON

PITCHING COACH - TERENCE ROCKITANSKI

STADIA
The Samahang Beisbol ng Abanhfleft (Abanhfleft Baseball Federation) has announced that it will be using two baseball stadia as venues for the Abanhfleft Revolution's home matches.

PRIMARY STADIUM (Majority of games will be held here)
Official name: Cooper Drumheller Memorial Park
Location: Paulsen, Dorfdifving Province
Capacity: est. 19,000
Operators: Paulsen Minutemen

SECONDARY STADIUM (Games against "big" or "famous" teams will be played here as decided by the Samahang Beisbol ng Abanhfleft)
Official name: National Baseball Stadium
Location: Effelenendro, Effelenendro Island
Capacity: est. 60,000
Operators: Abanhfleft Baseball Federation, Effelenendro Islanders

RP PERMISSIONS
My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my runscorers: Yes, within reason
Choose my lineup: No, please stick to the starters as much as possible
Follow my pitching rotation: Yes, you must follow it to the letter
Godmod scoring events: No
RP injuries to my players: Yes, but TG me first
Godmod injuries to my players: No
Eject my players: No
Godmod other events: Yes, except killing my players or coaching staff, and please TG me before doing this
Use DH at home: If I can use a DH at your place then you can use a DH in mine. If not then no.

[Quebec and Shingoryeo]

Quebec and Shingoryeo Under-22 National Baseball Team

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 2056-57
Style Mod: -2

Retired Numbers

• #10 - HEO Myeong-Shin: 2043-54 (WBC 49-51, 53-54)
• #52 - Theo-Alexandre PINSON - 2043-54 (WBC 49-54)

Three cycles we saw summer 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.

Coaching Staff
Head Coach: #70 - Levinson Webster, 42 - M - University of Kingston (QIS)
Bench Coach: #78 - Kendra Noh, 52 - F - Joongyeong Bears
Pitching Coach: #71 - Xavier-Luc Allen, 49 - M - Prince Eric Athletics
Fielding Coach: #40 - Heo Myeong-Shin, 37 - M - Kingston Tigers* (Still active as player)
Hitting Coach: #89 - Hwang Gye-Nam, 35 - M - Kingston Blue Jays (QIS)
Battery Coach: #84 - Uhm Min-Ha, 46 - F - Attawapiskat Wiz
Bullpen Coach: #88 - Katrine Bernatchez-Rhodes, 33 - Saint John Green Sox

Levinson Webster, a former Grim Reapers' infielder who has won the IBS title and helped the Grim Reapers to an Olympics quarterfinals finish, returns as the Under-23s manager and the senior team bench coach. Fortunately for him, he will be backed up by a solid cadre of fellow collegiate and professional coaches, most notably in Kendra Noh, the Joongyeong Bears' fielding coach who has helped up stabilising the young guns' fielding while at the previous IBS and the Olympics. He is also joined by the Grim Reapers' legend, Heo Myeong-Shin, as the greatest fielder in current era of Quebecois baseball starts preparing for the final season of his highly-celebrated career.

Pitching rotation (4)
#23 - FIRST - LHP - Yi Hye-Yeon, 22 - F - Dongnae Giants
#19 - SECOND - RHP - Nathan Francis, 20 - M - Saint John Green Sox
#13 - THIRD - LHP - Hong Hye-Jeong, 21 - F - Kingston Tigers
#55 - FOURTH - RHP - Castor-Luc Brackenbury, 18 - University of Southern Manitoba (Quebecois Intercollegiate Sports)

Bullpen (7)
Long Relief : #29 - LHP - Ludovic Duguet, 21 - Joongyeong Bears
Middle Relief : #41 - RHP - Laurent Fortier-Yi, 18 - M - Attawapiskat Wiz
Middle Relief : #51 - LHP - Eliane Kramer-Hardy, 20 - F - Saguenay Tech University (Quebecois Intercollegiate Sports)
Short Relief/One Point Pitcher : #45 - RHP (SIDEARM) - Park Seung-Dong, 21 - M - Oakwood Dinos
Setup Man : #28 - RHP - Annabelle Duguet, 19 - F - Saguenay Lions
Setup Man : #18 - LHP - Park Seung-Seok, 20 - M - Mount Ester University (Quebecois Intercollegiate Sports)
Closer : #1 - RHP - Clement Jolin, 22 - M - Anju Athletics

Catchers (3) - Throws/Bats
#20 - R/R - Cassandra Littlechild, 18 - F - Keewatinook University (Quebecois Intercollegiate Sports)
#22 - R/S - Errol Kim, 20 - M - Muhak National University (Quebecois Intercollegiate Sports)
#40 - R/L - Lionel Zagodorniy, 21 - M - Dongnae Giants

Infielders (6) - Throws/Bats
#3 - R/R - 2B - Belanna Latham, 22 - F - Saguenay Lions
#4 - R/L - 3B/1B - Michelle-Lin Cournoyer, 19 - F - Universite du Saguenay (Quebecois Intercollegiate Sports)
#6 - R/S - SS - Alanis Hong-Katsouranis, 20 - California University (Quebecois Intercollegiate Sports)
#7 - R/R - SS/2B - Goh Sook-Seon, 18 - F - Farrer University (Quebecois Intercollegiate Sports)
#17 - L/L - 1B/3B - Yves-Francois Agunbiade, 21 - M - Kingston Blue Jays
#14 - R/R - 1B/DH - Seon Jong-Min, 19 - M - Songak Expos

Outfielders (4) - Throws/Bats
#16 - L/L - RF/LF - Cecily Maybin, 21 - F - Hanbat Eagles
#34 - L/L - LF/DH - Joh Se-Ho, 22 - M - Songak Twins
#36 - R/S - CF/RF - Elaine Courtenall, 21 - F - Kingston Tigers
#50 - L/S - UTILITY - Emerson Brubaker IV, 19 - M - Hanbat National University (Quebecois Intercollegiate Sports)

Notes on our Under-22 Grim Reapers

Traditionally, the Grim Reapers have taken the pitcher use with great dose of liberalism. Traditionally the senior team has let the starter to go well into seventh or even eighth inning. For this team, as an Under-22 side, there will be an absolute pitch count of 100 pitches, with preferable range of 75-85 pitches to save the pitchers' arms. 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.

The Grim Reapers, as with their equivalents in other sports, are very aggressive- it's in their playing colours and will stay like that forever. While they do lack fast players, most of the outfielders and some infielders do have very good sense in stealing bases or making right decisions when taking risks, so while an occasional whoopsie-daisie with early outs do happen, it's not be all end all. Of course, we also have to remember that this is counted into the selection criteria, which means that both the infielders and outfielders are expected to be proficient in defence and even prepare for multiple positions. This is more the case with infielders than outfielders, but both have seen flexible use of such players before anyway.

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 is somewhat divide between those of Central Quebec (Songak Twins vs. Jongyeong Bears), Southwest (Kingston Tigers vs. Kingston Blue Jays), Manitoba (California City Dodgers), Southeast (Dongnae Giants), Northwest (Attawapiskat Wiz) and Northeast (Hanbat Eagles). 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 mixed-raced. 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.

Usual, DH'd up Starting Lineup (Position, Bats)
1: Belanna Latham (2B, R)
2: Elaine Courtnall (CF, S)
3: Cecily Maybin (RF, L)
4: Joh Se-Ho (LF, L)
5: Seon Jeong-Min (DH, R)
6: Errol Kim (C, S)
7: Yves-Francois Agunbiade (1B, L)
8: Michelle-Lin Cournoyer (3B, L)
9: Hong-Katsouranis (SS, S)

Unusual, DH-less Starting Lineup (Position, Bats)
1: Belanna Latham (2B, R)
2: Elaine Courtnall (CF, S)
3: Cecily Maybin (RF, L)
4: Seon Jeong-Min (1B, R)
5: Joh Se-Ho (LF, L)
6: Errol Kim (C, S)
7: Yves-Francois Agunbiade (3B, L)
8: Hong-Katsouranis (SS, S)
9: PITCHER

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!

[Quebec and Shingoryeo]

First Stage - MD1 Cutoff

---

Tables to be posted starting MD2.

Group A

Quebec and Shingoryeo Under-22's                 1 7 0 0 0 2 2 0 1 13
Falcon Baseball Club                             0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1  1

Rawa Marineros                                   4 0 0 1 0 2 0 0 1  8
Wolfstrup Sportliches Kompanie                   0 2 0 1 2 0 0 0 0  5

Group B

Abanhfleft Revolution All-Stars                  0 1 3 0 0 1 0 0 0  5
Nueva Orinoquia National Team                    0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0  1

Goosebay Geese                                   0 0 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0  3
All-Hawaii NUB Tropicals                         0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 1  4

Group C

San Isidro Labrador Jornaleros                   0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0  1
Ōsai Jr. Fighters                                0 1 2 0 2 0 0 0 X  5

Bedston Cows                                     0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  1
Nova Anglicana Lions                             0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0

Group D

Kalush Nightingales                              0 0 0 1 0 0 0 4 0  5
Burikinia Dragons                                0 0 1 0 0 3 0 0 0  4

University of Loyola Tetra-Campus Athletics      0 0 2 0 1 0 2 1 0  6
TJUN-ia U21 Battin' Cubs                         0 1 0 3 2 1 1 0 X  8

Group E

Chromatik Collegiate Baseball Association        0 0 0 0 3 1 0 0 0  4
Newport Wands                                    0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0  2

Zug um Zug Railbirds                             0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 4  6
SBL Futures                                      0 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 0  4

[Abanhfleft]

MUSINGS OF AN ARMORED DINNER JACKET
Official blog of Ibrahim Ahmadinejad, former Right Fielder of the Verbergerkinnh Cubs and the Abanhfleft Revolution

TIME TO BASH OUR HEADS AGAINST THE WALL YET AGAIN

WRITING FROM SONGAK, QUEBEC AND SHINGORYEO - The last International Baseball Slam that the Revolution All-Stars took part in was a bit of a forgettable one. I’m not denying that. The part where we lost twice against a bunch of pirates was really the nadir of that entire campaign, and we really should have done better after that. But once again, it’s time for the old farts of the Abanhfleft Revolution to reclaim their honor and see if it is indeed possible for their country to win more than just one title in any sport. Well, any sport that isn’t lacrosse, at least, and even then we’ve been struggling to get back to our best form in that sport as well. Crazy how the world works sometimes, huh? But in any case, this blog of mine is not dedicated to lacrosse; it’s dedicated to baseball. And that’s what we’re going to cover right now. I mean, I have to, considering that I’m back out there in the ballpark once again even though my bones and my joints probably wish that I wasn’t anymore. 50 year olds really shouldn’t be playing baseball anymore, not even in just a recreational capacity, let alone an actual professional one. And why is the SBA even bothering with sending out retired players to represent us in the Slam? Why can’t they just do what everyone else does and send out younger players, like the under-21 or even under-18 teams? I mean, we already completed our original objective of winning a Slam with the old guys. What even is the point anymore? But then again, ours not to reason why and all that…

But there’s little time, if any at all, to think about the reasons why the SBA keep sending Abanhfleft’s older baseball players to represent it in the International Baseball Slam, because it’s time for those aforementioned older players to actually play ball. The All-Stars’ first opponents are the team from Nueva Orinoquia. Safe to say that I have no idea who these guys are, even if they’ve actually been in a handful of World Baseball Classics. It’s probably because this is actually the first time that we’re facing them that I’ve come to realize that I have literally no idea who they are, but this is as good a time as any for me to learn, right? Well, I would if I could, but the Nueva Orinoquia baseball organization or federation or union or whatever it’s called has either forgotten to release details about their team or they’re outright refusing to let anyone else gather some intel on their team. I mean, if their team turns out to be actually one of the best in the multiverse and they want to keep hold of their advantage for as long as possible then I couldn’t even blame them. But Nueva Orinoquia have barely even made an impact in the one and only WBC that they’ve participated in so far, and they got beaten by Barnettsville for one of the final qualifying spots for WBC 55, so it’s clear that they’re not the best baseball team the multiverse has ever seen. So it might be closer to the truth that their federation just can’t be bothered with releasing details of their national team even for more informal tournaments like the International Baseball Slam. I mean, if they can’t even be bothered to release info for the WBC, what chance do we have that they’ll do it for the IBS?

We have a couple of new guys in the starting lineup now after the SBA finally decided to let some of the older guys in the team (those pushing 50 and above) get their well-deserved rest and retirement from professional baseball for a second time. Say goodbye to Brendan Judge, Terence Ebert, Jarvis Galvez, Alexis Socia, Fidel Fray, and Mikhail Karapetrov; and say hello to Fredrick Rowe, Brad Sargeant, Steffan Pumphrey, Gabriel Linwood, Roberto Vicario, and Oscar Jansson. Now those are probably a lot of names for you to keep track of back at home so I’ll try not to overload your brains with too much information. But our pitcher for our first game is still Francis Ness, so that means that Abanhfleft still starts off with a left-handed pitcher. If only we knew if Nueva Orinoquia’s batters are left or right-handed then we would probably know if we had something good in our hands or not. Whichever side they bat on though, they ended up not getting anything against good old Francis, so we got that going for us. But we also didn’t score against them in the first inning, and one third of the blame lies on yours truly, seeing as I am now third in the batting order due to the order itself getting shuffled by the aforementioned second retirements. But we would get the first score of the game, and it all started with Steffan Pumphrey finally getting the Revolution’s first hit, and not only was it our first hit of both the game and the 18th IBS, it also resulted in a double for Pumps. Of course, someone else had to bring him back home, and the responsibility fell on the shoulders of Doug Farthing. Now surely everyone remembers the role that Dougie Farthing played in getting us our first IBS title, and it looks like he's trying to replicate all that for IBS 18. And I can't say that I blame him. He told me before the game that he was really feeling up to the challenge of this particular Slam despite his own joints protesting against his every move, and he wants to have one last hurrah before bowing out of the diamond once again. As for what Dougie actually did in this game, he simply got another double after Pumps Pumphrey, allowing the guy to score Abanhfleft's first run in IBS 18. Doug didn't get the chance to add to the lead however as the guy after him in the order struck out in three pitches. Ah, the ups and downs of modern baseball.

Now, because we didn’t have any info at all on Nueva Orinoquia’s team, we didn’t know about their designated hitter policy at home. But rather than wander around in indecision, the team decided that we were going to field a DH anyway. Now, many people might wonder why Abanhfleft has elected to put the designated hitter all the way down at the bottom of the order if we’re going to make use of one anyway. And my answer to that is that Kurtis Lingenfelter and company are old-fashioned guys. They’re not used to playing with a DH because the rule didn’t exist in Abanhfleft until recently (I think it was maybe around the time that Abanhfleft actually joined the multiversal stage, so maybe around 2014 or 2015 for those curious) so they don’t know what to do with one now that they’ve had the opportunity to use it. That’s why Abanhfleft’s DH (at least here in the IBS; I’m pretty sure we’ve actually made good use of a DH in the World Baseball Classic itself) is right at the bottom of the batting order, but that doesn’t mean that our DH is crap. Far from it, actually. Sure, he may be a pitcher in his day job, but Peter Langford could also hit a mean swing with his bat, and I think he’s in the top 10, maybe even the top 5 pitchers with most hits in the FMLB (Fleftic Major League of Baseball). So Pete Langford has his uses, even if he is the last batter in the Revolution’s order, and in the third inning against Nueva Orinoquia, he showed us all just why he is the All-Stars’ DH when he absolutely smacked that two-seamer from the NOR pitcher into the stands on the right-hand side of the diamond. And, considering that that came after Brad Sargeant’s strikeout to open the inning, it was definitely another morale booster for the All-Stars.

Now that we were properly motivated, our batters started getting hot, and soon both Brooks Kogut and Patrick Dobryk found themselves getting on base. Most definitely it was to make amends for both of them striking out in the first inning, and they were in a good position to turn those hits into actual runs. At least Brooks was by virtue of his place in the batting order, while Patrick was still a bit touch and go. Whether Dobryk scored a run or not depended on the guy after him in the order, and that person was none other than yours truly. Now, if you’ve been paying attention to this blog post, you would see that the theme of the third inning is redemption for past failures, specifically the failures to get even a single hit in the first inning. Brooks and Patrick had already done their part, and now it was my turn. You would expect that this is the part of the story where yours truly finally finds his rhythm and scores a well-timed three-run home run that would put the Revolution All-Stars four runs up against their opponents. Well, let’s just say that the second part of that sentence did indeed happen, but it wasn’t because of me. You see, unfortunately yours truly struck out once again just as I was on the verge of making up for striking out in the first inning. Looks like I just wasn’t going to have any luck in this particular game, and I was just going to have to accept that. Fortunately for us, I was only the second out of the third inning for the Revolution, and Chiemeka Watkins spared us all some blushes by hitting a double and letting both Brooks and Patrick to come back home and actually score, turning their two potential runs into actual runs on the board.

Nueva Orinoquia never really looked like they were going to be able to threaten our lead, but seeing as we’re Abanhfleft, the whole team wanted to score a few more runs just to be really and absolutely sure that we were going to be able to walk away from this contest with a big fat W to our name. But after that little run in the third inning where it seemed like our batters were always able to make substantial contact with the ball, we went cold for the next two innings, and when Doug Farthing struck out to open the top of the sixth inning, it looked the story was going to be repeated yet again. Enter Gabe Linwood. As a replacement for Jarvis Galvez in left field, Gabe’s done all right for the team so far. But as a batter, he hasn’t really done anything of note for the Revolution. At least not yet so far. But that was all about to change as he managed to hit a double off of the Nueva Orinoquia pitcher, setting in motion another sequence of events in which Fleftic batters would finally get some hits. That being said, Brad Sargeant didn’t get a hit when it was his turn to bat; instead, he ended up getting walked by the pitcher, which was the signal for Nueva Orinoquia to swap out said pitcher for a new reliever. Said reliever didn’t fare any better against Pete Langford, who managed to get Gabe Linwood to run back home despite getting only a single from his hit. But that would be all that she wrote at the end of the day, and neither Brooks Kogut nor Patrick Dobryk could get the other two Revolution All-Stars on base to come back to home plate as well. Nueva Orinoquia did score a run to make sure that they got themselves on the board as well, but it was too little too late. That tends to happen when you score your first run in a game of baseball in the eighth inning.

Up next, we will be up against Los Mineros de Montesina. I believe that means “The Montesina Miners” in English, although feel free to correct me if I’ve got it all wrong. Los Mineros had the first bye day of the tournament in Group B, meaning that they’ll have had an extra day to both train and prepare for their game against us and to just sit back and relax and not worry about the aforementioned game until it actually happens. But then again, we might have an advantage of our own, seeing as we’re already warmed up and ready to go thanks to us having already seen some action on the first matchday. And we’ll be more used to playing in the current conditions in Quebec. But at the end of the day, all of this is a moot point. The only thing that matters is what actually happens out there in the ballpark tomorrow. Only one team can claim the win, and I sure do hope that it’s going to be us. This is the Armored Dinner Jacket saying ciao, peace. Catch you in my next post.

[TJUN-ia]

Time to defend a silver medal...and maybe aim for more. Hello and welcome to the 18th International Baseball Slam, coming to you from Quebec and Shingoryeo - the home of the U22 Grim Reapers, the defending champions of this competition. We were the team they beat in that final and now, the TJUN-ia U21 Battin' Cubs are back once more looking to try and go one better in their quest to develop the next stars of TJUN-ian Baseball. This tournament is always fun as no matter the result, it is generally considered to be a less serious affair than the WBC and Vojtěch Heyrovský was certainly ready to do whatever it took to keep the good times rolling.

Our first opponent would be the University of Loyola Tetra-Campus Athletics from Banija, a coalition of players and staff from the 4 Loyola campuses (UL-Istria, UL-Jinja, UL-Busukuma and UL-West Bay in Damukuni). Heyrovský would be facing Baluta Colley as Yolande Sirapui started against Luzige Yambuka in a game where the DH was in play. This baseball game would be the equivalent of two big men punching each other in the head - so much so, a table does this game best:

Game Summary (Loyola Tetra @ TJUN-ia U21)
Bottom 2nd: Masayoshi Kuramochi Solo HR (ULT 0-1 TJU)
Top 3rd: Bunama Duroyl 2-run HR (ULT 2-1 TJU)
Bottom 4th: Masayoshi Kuramochi 3-run HR (ULT 2-4 TJU)
Top 5th: Abdoulie Fara Run via Maka Komma Double (ULT 3-4 TJU)
Bottom 5th: Julian Mertz 2-run HR (ULT 3-6 TJU)
Bottom 6th: Masayoshi Kuramochi Run via Fernando Rodrigo Viera Double (ULT 3-7 TJU)
Top 7th: Abdoulie Fara 2-run HR (ULT 5-7 TJU)
Bottom 7th: Julian Mertz run via Palila Kalawai’a Double (ULT 5-8 TJU)
Top 8th: Kalilu Kang Solo HR (ULT 6-8 TJU)

So yeah...what a game. Masayoshi Kuramochi is one of 4 new players in this team, starting at 2nd Base in front of twin-sister Sayaka, and the 15-year-old turned out to be the revelation of this game with 4 Runs via his own bat and another one via an FRV double. He could be a huge talent for the future and his runs helped inspire this 8-6 win.

So it was a good start...but work still needs to be done. We're going on a bye for MD2 before we come back to face the Dragons from Burikinia. GO CUBS GO!

---

SCHEDULE (Group D, all games @Daedong Field, Anju, Quebec and Shingoryeo)
MD1: vs University of Loyola Tetra-Campus Athletics (Banija) W 8-6
MD2: BYE
MD3: vs Burikinia Dragons
MD4: vs The Nightingales of Kyelleven
MD5: vs Kalush Nightingales

[Chromatika]

"You what?"

"I told you, Clara. Pitched a complete game, gave up one home run in the bottom of the eight, talked the Coach into letting me finish the game instead of putting in the Closer. Nothing new for you, right?"

"Ah. A bit egotistical, isn't it?"

"As if you haven't ever asked to pitch the completion of a game. I know you can't do that at the pro level, but at this level, it's fine, right?"

"I needn't remind you what's at stake. You do well enough there, and you might get a callup to the Outliers, you know that, right?"

"Yeah, right, when there are so many Chromatik pitchers in the LPB. No, I'm happy playing my collegiate career before joining you. You were the wonderkid anyway, right?"

"Nobody could ever sway your mind, Nalrina."

"Nope."

"Hey, have you called home lately? Mom and Dad asked about you, I said you were fine, it's only Quebec."

"I haven't, no. I should do that. How's Dad doing with his pain levels?"

"Pretty well, I think. I didn't hear him complain, so that's got to be manageable, right?"

"It's a shame he won't be honest with us sometimes, you know?"

"We're his kids. He doesn't want to make us worry. I get it. We do the same when we're ill, you know."

"Yeah. Well, thanks for the call, and for watching the game. Here's to hoping I get to pitch in a few more."

"You're welcome. Have fun out there, kid sis."

"I will."

[Oahu-Hawaii]

R.K.U.H. Daily Pearl — .50£H | Campus Life • Sports • Current Affairs • Ask Cornelius • Opinion • Lifestyle • Photo Essays • Editorial Board

---

HAWAII'S JUNIOR BASEBALL TEAM STARTS STRONG

By Jenny Taft
SONGAK — The Hawaiian team was racing against time. After a last minute double-RBI by Center Fielder William Sewby tied up the match in the ninth inning, we would see the game drag on for two more — deep into the freezing Quebecois winter night. The opponents, from the equally frigid land of Canada, were not at all bothered by the cold as our poor tropical boys huddled together for warmth in their short sleeve jerseys in the dugout. They couldn't last much longer on defense, so it would all come down to this inning; catcher Nahum Pakoleika from R.K.U. Maui (boo!) at bat, and our own first baseman Bennie Nguyen on third. But we didn't start here.

For those of you that live under a rock and don't read my column, the All-Hawaii National University Baseball team is made up of the best collegiate baseball players in universities across the country. Yesterday marked the first matchday of the 18th International Baseball Slam, which saw the number one player in the country and Kirkling Award frontrunner, (our) pitcher Yoshi Namamura starting — you may remember his perfect game against Maui State — and he certainly did not disappoint on the mound, with only one unfortunate inning until he was pulled out in the fifth. Yamamura intentionally walked Goosebay's dangerous infielder Milo Ward in the third, which proved to be costly when outfielder Aarav Lewis unexpectedly nailed a slider into deep left field, too fast for Tropicals outfielder Vincent Judge. Our only run, also in the third inning, was a drive from Titus Vahafola that left shortstop Hugo Poga plenty of time to slide into home.

Namamura was relieved by "Curly" Rodgers Jr. (who I dated as a freshman, very sweet guy) from the Marine Bio extension of this school on the North Shore, until a curveball gone awry nailed the batter with two outs, walking in a man on third. Star closer Mohammed Abei, was, surprisingly, passed over in favor of foreign student Mo Hongui in the eighth; Hongui immediately faced off against loaded bases and one out, but the situation was defused by a spectacular double play from Second Baseman Jessie Dole. After a series of frustrating opportunities that petered out in the late innings, the hopes of the N.U.B. Tropicals were saved by Will Sewby at bat, after a fielding error in the backfield gave him and Benny Nguyen (on third) the opportunity to slide safely into home. A newly energized Tropicals defense shut down Goosebay in the extra innings; Mo Hongui, visibly tired by the tenth, was replaced by Henry Wong in the last minutes of the eleventh and Vincent Judge was hit by a pitch twice.

Luckily for the sake of this column, your correspondent is currently in an exchange program with a small liberal arts college located in the "countryside" (read: middle of nowhere) of Quebec & Shingoryeo, so she was able to attend the match in person. As a native of Hawaii, she will attest to how unbelievably cold the weather was by the end of the extra innings. And she, swaddled in a parka while tightly gripping handwarmers, greatly sympathized with poor Nahum Pakoleika, shivering in a "breathable" jersey at the batter's box. But somehow, the 5'7 Maui sophomore rocketed a changeup into the night sky. The ball would land in the nearly desolate stands, sealing the game at the last possible moment.

This was only the exciting opening number of what will turn out to be a trying cup. These former rivals have come together as one force; huddling together, celebrating together, trying out poutine and bating their breath together — and as this very first match hinted: they might just go home with a cup together. ■

[Quebec and Shingoryeo]

Matchday Two Cutoff

Group A

Falcon Baseball Club                             1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  1
Rawa Marineros                                   1 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 X  3

Hopal Suns                                       0 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 0  3
Quebec and Shingoryeo Under-22's                 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 X  5

# Group A                                        Pld   W  L   RF  RA  RD 
1 Quebec and Shingoryeo Under-22's                 2   2  0   18   4 +14
2 Rawa Marineros                                   2   2  0   11   6  +5
3 Hopal Suns                                       1   0  1    3   5  −2
4 Wolfstrup Sportliches Kompanie                   1   0  1    5   8  −3
5 Falcon Baseball Club                             2   0  2    2  16 −14

Group B

Nueva Orinoquia National Team                    0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0  1
Goosebay Geese                                   0 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 X  3

Los Mineros de Montesina                         0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0
Abanhfleft Revolution All-Stars                  0 0 0 0 3 0 0 1 X  4

# Group B                                        Pld   W  L   RF  RA  RD 
1 Abanhfleft Revolution All-Stars                  2   2  0    9   1  +8
2 All-Hawaii NUB Tropicals                         1   1  0    4   3  +1
3 Goosebay Geese                                   2   1  1    6   5  +1
4 Los Mineros de Montesina                         1   0  1    0   4  −4
5 Nueva Orinoquia National Team                    2   0  2    2   8  −6

Group C

Ōsai Jr. Fighters                                1 2 3 0 1 0 0 0 0  7
Bedston Cows                                     2 1 0 2 1 1 0 2 X  9

Junior Sunshine Tigers of Loyo                   0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 1  3
San Isidro Labrador Jornaleros                   0 0 0 0 2 2 2 0 X  6

# Group C                                        Pld   W  L   RF  RA  RD 
1 Bedston Cows                                     2   2  0   10   7  +3
2 Ōsai Jr. Fighters                                2   1  1   12  10  +2
3 San Isidro Labrador Jornaleros                   2   1  1    7   8  −1
4 Nova Anglicana Lions                             1   0  1    0   1  −1
5 Junior Sunshine Tigers of Loyo                   1   0  1    3   6  −3

Group D

Burikinia Dragons                                0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0  2
University of Loyola Tetra-Campus Athletics      0 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 X  3

The Nightingales of Kyelleven                    0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 1  4
Kalush Nightingales                              1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  1

# Group D                                        Pld   W  L   RF  RA  RD 
1 The Nightingales of Kyelleven                    1   1  0    4   1  +3
2 TJUN-ia U21 Battin' Cubs                         1   1  0    8   6  +2
3 University of Loyola Tetra-Campus Athletics      2   1  1    9  10  −1
4 Kalush Nightingales                              2   1  1    6   8  −2
5 Burikinia Dragons                                2   0  2    6   8  −2

Group E

Newport Wands                                    3 0 0 0 0 3 0 4 0 10
Zug um Zug Railbirds                             0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0  3

Floridan Hurricanes                              0 1 0 0 0 0 0 3 0  4
Chromatik Collegiate Baseball Association        0 0 0 2 0 1 1 0 1  5

# Group E                                        Pld   W  L   RF  RA  RD 
1 Chromatik Collegiate Baseball Association        2   2  0    9   6  +3
2 Newport Wands                                    2   1  1   12   7  +5
3 Zug um Zug Railbirds                             2   1  1    9  14  −5
4 Floridan Hurricanes                              1   0  1    4   5  −1
5 SBL Futures                                      1   0  1    4   6  −2

[Zug um Zug]

ZENIT ZEITUNG

Zeitung exclusive: We can report that Sadako Fujiwara has developed a dangerous martyr complex after recording two "sacrifice flies" that would have been routine outs in other circumstances. In game one against the SBL futures, she flew out to right field with one away in the fifth inning, bringing in Brenda Miller for the Railbirds' first run of the game. "I totally could have hit it on the ground if I wanted to," bragged the insufferable shortstop, "my bat control is great, but they wanted me to get under it...it's fine, fine." In the second game, she likewise got a rally of sorts going in the fifth; there were no outs when she flew to center, scoring Leticia Bannock. Tiffany Jokana would later hit a two-run homer to briefly tie the game at three, before the Newport Wands zoomed ahead to win by seven. "If I help the team, that's all that matters," claimed Fujiwara dubiously, while reinhaling a remarkable quantity of snot up her nose. "It's not like they're going to track my batting average, anyway. Or anybody else's stats, really." Why the Railbirds would have deliberately espoused such a conservative strategy in that situation remains an open question to many reporters, but not to the woeful Shark, who resourcefully ensures that no opportunity to turn a mediocre performance into a narrative of her own persecution and noble stoicism shall be wasted.

[Loyo]

BASEBALL! BASEBALL! BASEBALL!
BASEBALL! BASEBALL! BASEBALL!
BASEBALL! BASEBALL! BASEBALL!

WOOOOOOOOOW!!!

So now Loyo Revolution League is back, with more double the teams and double the rick-roaring rowdy revolutionary flavor that makes baseball in this country so great?

That’s absolutely right, voice inside my head! We’ve expanded since our debut to the multiverse back in WBC 55 (https://tinyurl.com/yd2hfn2x). Those military clubs you grew to love during that competition have been put in— let’s just say they’re not in the best of financial situations. Negotiations regarding the future of the league allowed expansion from 2 divisions of 4 teams each to 4 divisions of 4 teams each.

So who are the new clubs? C’mon. Spit it out!

So the new teams are separated into two divisions. The two older divisions will remain the same, but they’ll play each other in the regular season now. First, there’s the alms division, which is the place for religious superclubs from around the nation. Again, this is religion in Loyo, so it’s a bit wacky. These clubs were merged with the communist party of Loyo back when the revolution happened. Let’s look at our first club for an example.

Baek-Hyonic Church

The cult of the late, great Sim Baek-Hyeon is always filled with congregants eager to have their sins cleansed. Their baseball club worked alongside St. Donghai’s for years as the club developed as a club for the Revolutionary Police. Recently, the two split under the observation of the People’s National Sporting Committee. Fans to Penance Park in the plateau city of Hanseong partake in indulgence to charities local, regional, and multiversal during the 7th inning stretch. A chaotic scene, those caught trying to flee the persistent mendicants are chastised for their lack of revolutionary fervor. BHC supports expanding clean water projects, electricity safety within the country through its philanthropy.

National Pantheon

Now, National Pantheon rests around one idea. And it’s not necessarily good baseball. You see, the entire organization wholeheartedly works only to make its home stadium, Grand Central Cathedral in Baisu City, as big and glorious and possible. Imagine a baseball version of St. Peter's Basilica. So screw everything else. Screw player development and good baseball tactics. Is the building improving? Ask the builders and the answer is always: “After this next renovation it will be PERFECT!” The amount of architects that have been killed by the structure is slightly concerning, but the risk is worth seeing the beauty the monument has to offer. Beauties unforeseen by the human eyes!

Red Cloud Mutual

Red Cloud showcases a perfect fit that the expansion to the LRL covers. See, most military clubs in Loyo don’t have the funding that other clubs do. They receive a stipend from the league structure’s revenue sharing, but it’s not really their priority to make the fan experience top-notch. Now, after the expansion the fans in the port city of Mitsuda will have a second club to root for on game days! Red Cloud Mutual, the organization, helps to fund socialist projects all across the multiverse. Donations taken from congregants are allocated to various different ventures. The club itself has drawn criticism from those that state that the organization has funded violent revolutionary groups with its funds. Despite this, many of those that live in Mitsuda welcome the team with a favorable view, as Red Cloud Mutual also helps allocate resources to immigrant populations upon arriving in Loyo.

Loyo United Church

Between the frenetic energy of a BHC game, to the worrying machinations of National Pantheon and the controversies of Red Cloud, there’s a lot going on in the Alms Division. And if this is all just a little TOO crazy for you, LUC is your team. It’s right there in the name: luck! This church worries a whole lot less about on field success just like other clubs in this division, but offer a much more calm and laid-back approach to Loyon baseball. Arayoro is great this time of year, you know? You should really go. I hear the National General Committee is opening up some travel visas, and— You’re not from AO? What do you mean you’re not from AO? Oh well now I’ll never get to show you my beachside apartment with views of the sunset from my porch. I got off base. My bad. I was so shocked when you said that. It’s a little… gross frankly. That you’d be so brazen saying that to me.

I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to change the mood.

No, it’s good. You’re good.

So…

So, I’m not sold on what team to support. What does the other division have to offer, then?

The second expansion division is the Star division, which is the easiest of all divisions to track by location. All the clubs here have their city’s name in them, except for Odonhai Bulls, who play in Kanai with St. Mianho’s. Other than that, these cities are in medium-markets not covered by other teams. Sayosona Cockerel joined St. Hayahoma’s Coins and Red Cloud Mutual and became among the first clubs inside Loyo’s special economic zones. Those regions have been plentiful in providing for nearby smaller cities and towns.

Odonhai Bulls

Odonhai is clearly just trying to stand out. With red, orange, and blue rainbow uniforms, the Bulls are sure to make a statement. Odonhai has expressed an emphasis on power hitting, unheard of in Loyo to a large extent. Starting JST right fielder Korey Vito has grown up into this system and would be someone to watch once he makes his way up to the pros. Playing in Kanai alongside St. Mianho’s will provide for a fun derby, as Ross Chariot will be the player/manager to beat for Bulls fans for years to come.

Marraya Lions

Marraya is a lumber town. Wood furniture and tourism have turned the community into a hub for the surrounding areas. The Lions should feel right at home here. Marraya has been a city on the come-up for quite a while, and will be hoping that their ball club can maintain that same energy.

Kwanya Stallions

Kwanya, an old military outpost on the middle island of Loyo, is the new home for the Stallions. The Star Division teams are the only teams in LRL that have immediately apparent nicknames. The Stallions get their name from Kwanya’s historical role in horsemanship. Horses are not indigenous to the island, but have become part of Loyon culture in the brush.

Sayosona Cockerel

Sayosona is the new manufacturing capital of Loyo, and the Cockerel are a tough urban club. While the fan base might be of a similar demographic to a club in the Sickle Division, life in Sayosona is cramped, and industrious round-the-clock. When the players score a run, fire and smoke rise from the giant maw of Redwell Park’s famous metal chicken: Big Bao.

Loyo! Revolution! League!

L. R. L.

IT’S SERIOUS BASEBALL

[Abanhfleft]

MUSINGS OF AN ARMORED DINNER JACKET
Official blog of Ibrahim Ahmadinejad, former Right Fielder of the Verbergerkinnh Cubs and the Abanhfleft Revolution

MINING FOR POINTS IN THIS ONE-WAY STREET

WRITING FROM SONGAK, QUEBEC AND SHINGORYEO - Well, so much for having the upper hand and all that jazz. Sure, we might have had the advantage in terms of having already played a game in the International Baseball Slam, but Los Mineros de Montesina had their own advantage, which was another day’s rest while everyone else in Group B already stuck themselves into the meat grinder on matchday one. For all that talk of me saying that we might have the advantage in the end over Los Mineros, it almost didn’t work out. I mean, of course it worked out in the end, but while we were playing the game, it didn’t look that way. Four scoreless innings tends to do such things to the minds of the players. But it wasn’t like we weren’t getting any hits against Los Mineros at all; we were. We weren’t just able to turn those hits into runs, at least not until the fifth inning. But, let me just make it clear for the record, everyone in the order was getting hits but couldn’t turn them into runs, yours truly included. Just so we’re clear, okay?

I hope you don’t mind me starting the actual story about the game against Los Mineros in the fifth inning. Part of me would like to say that this is because I got the ball rolling with regards to the scoring, but no. I’ll keep my aggrandizement of myself to, well, myself. No, the main reason why I decided to start the narrative in the fifth inning is because this was literally the first inning in so many in which there was actually any action of note that happened. It’s just an added bonus that we, meaning the Revolution All-Stars, were the one doing the action this time around. Also, I finally managed to make up for not being able to do much in our first game against Nueva Orinoquia by getting the first hit of the fifth inning too. And to think that I was also the first batter to step up to the plate that time, meaning that the opposing pitcher was still relatively fresh because he himself was just taking to the mound after Fredrick Rowe. In any case, it only took me two pitches, a strike and a bat, before I finally saw a good opportunity to make a swing for it, and boy did it work out for me. Then again, I really thought that I had just scored a home run. That ball really looked like it had enough air time to just go over the wall in center field, but I guess looks could be deceiving. It was still enough to net me a double though, as well as register my first ever hit in IBS 18. It was also a massive improvement over my first outing here in Songak so I’ve got that going for me as well, at least.

Chi Watkins was next up on the plate, and thankfully he didn’t leave me hanging and alone out there in the diamond. He also got a hit in the fifth inning, but only after somehow managing to get a full count out of the Montesina pitcher, but hey, if it works, it works. Chi only got a single, but it was enough to get me to third, thus putting runners on the corners and putting the impetus on the next batter for the Revolution. Enter Steffan Pumphrey. He never got to see action for the actual Abanhfleft Revolution because the SBA likes bringing the same players to different tournaments over and over again, but now that he’s formally retired from the professional game (at least until he was called up for the All-Stars), he’s finally getting to show his stuff before both a national and international audience. FMLB fans will recognize Pumps for his ten seasons with the Mydeuzey Sand Lizards, as well as six non-consecutive seasons with the Porcusces Battleships. He’s not the greatest batter in the country, let alone the world, by any means, but he’s perfectly decent and good enough for the purposes of the All-Stars. And he’s taking full advantage of what might be his one and only chance to shine for the team that he couldn’t play for in his prime, even though back then there were arguments to be made for his inclusion into the Revolution. But enough waffling about Pumps’ past; we’re talking about his present. And Pumps presently just hit a three-run home run that quickly and suddenly swung the momentum of the whole game into the All-Stars’ favor. Like I said, Steffan “Pumps” Pumphrey might not be the best baseball player in the world but in moments like these, he’s good enough for the Abanhfleft Revolution All-Stars.

But unfortunately for all of us, that would be pretty much all of the action that happened in the game between Abanhfleft and Montesina. After that one inning in which our batters looked like they were finally hitting a rhythm and getting into a groove, it all fell apart for the Revolution once again. Nobody could get beyond first base, except for that one time Doug Farthing hit a double in the seventh inning, only to be left stranded by those who came after him. The eighth inning looked like it was about to follow a similar pattern, with Brooks Kogut striking out to start off the inning before Patrick Dobryk managed to get another double for Abanhfleft in the game. So now it was my turn not to leave him hanging, and though I’m not really sure how I did it, I actually managed to do it. I mean, of course I know the science and physics and rules of how I actually did it, but I’m still a bit surprised that it was actually me who did it. You get what I mean? Anyway, my point is that I also hit a double in the eighth inning, and that was the key to Pat Dobryk being able to come home and score Abanhfleft’s fourth (and as it turned out, final) run of the game. Pete Langford came in to finish the job against Los Mineros, and he did it in just ten pitches. It would have been amazing if he did it in just nine, but even Petey boy isn’t that superhuman. Plus, even though he’s been Abanhfleft’s closer for Allah knows how long, he’s still a bloody pitcher, for crying out loud. He doesn’t throw a lot, but all the little things still have to add up, especially given how long his career has been.

Apologies if this post is a bit shorter than usual for me, but that’s just the nature of the game. Sometimes there are games where there’s a lot of action that’s happened and I have to relay all of it back to my faithful readers and followers, and sometimes there are games like this where most of the action is concentrated in a few spots and it’s much easier to focus on those. In any case, this might be my last post for a few days, seeing as Abanhfleft have got a bye day before we finally take on the Goosebay Geese from the Canadian Dominion. While I will be the first to say that I haven’t heard much from the aforementioned dominion, something tells me that it’s just typically Canadian of them to name one of their cities after the goose, and then name the team based in that city after the goose as well. Ah, what could the world possibly look like if we didn’t have Canadian geese? I had heard some rumor or joke that the Canada geese are where the Canadian people put their anger and other such negative emotions which is how they are apparently able to maintain their polite and apologetic attitude even through the most difficult of situations. But, getting back to the matter at hand, the Goosebay Geese are currently third in Group B with a .500 record, one win and one loss to their name. They were beaten by the All-Hawaii NUB Tropicals in their opening game of the Slam, but only after extra innings, and then they picked up their first win over Nueva Orinoquia today.

Frankly, I don’t really know how to call this game. The Geese don’t look like they’re a bad team at all. It took the Tropicals a bunch of extra innings to beat them, but on the other hand they couldn’t put too much daylight between themselves and Nueva Orinoquia. It might not mean anything at all or it might mean the difference between winning and losing. But what I can guarantee is that Coach Kurtis is going to use our bye day as an opportunity to get some extra scouting done on the Geese so that we have a slightly better idea of what we’re going to deal with on matchday four. But beyond that, it’s going to be up to us, the players, to see the plan through and secure our place into the second round of the 18th International Baseball Slam. That second IBS title is looking very shiny to my eyes, I’m not gonna lie, and I would like to add it to my collection of silverware. Not that there’s a whole lot of it, but every single little bit counts all the same. This is the Armored Dinner Jacket saying ciao, peace. Catch you in my next post.

[Quebec and Shingoryeo]

Cutoff, Matchday 3

Group A

Rawa Marineros                                   0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1  3
Hopal Suns                                       0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0  2

Wolfstrup Sportliches Kompanie                   1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1  2
Falcon Baseball Club                             0 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 X  3

# Group A                                        Pld   W  L   RF  RA  RD 
1 Rawa Marineros                                   3   3  0   14   8  +6
2 Quebec and Shingoryeo Under-22's                 2   2  0   18   4 +14
3 Falcon Baseball Club                             3   1  2    5  18 −13
4 Hopal Suns                                       2   0  2    5   8  −3
5 Wolfstrup Sportliches Kompanie                   2   0  2    7  11  −4

Group B

Goosebay Geese                                   0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  1
Los Mineros de Montesina                         0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 X  2

All-Hawaii NUB Tropicals                         0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 3  4
Nueva Orinoquia National Team                    0 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 X  5

# Group B                                        Pld   W  L   RF  RA  RD 
1 Abanhfleft Revolution All-Stars                  2   2  0    9   1  +8
2 Los Mineros de Montesina                         2   1  1    2   5  −3
3 All-Hawaii NUB Tropicals                         2   1  1    8   8   0
4 Goosebay Geese                                   3   1  2    7   7   0
5 Nueva Orinoquia National Team                    3   1  2    7  12  −5

Group C

Bedston Cows                                     0 1 0 0 0 2 2 0 0  5
Junior Sunshine Tigers of Loyo                   1 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 X  6

Nova Anglicana Lions                             0 0 1 1 0 0 6 0 0  8
Ōsai Jr. Fighters                                1 0 1 1 0 1 0 2 0  6

# Group C                                        Pld   W  L   RF  RA  RD 
1 Bedston Cows                                     3   2  1   15  13  +2
2 Nova Anglicana Lions                             2   1  1    8   7  +1
3 Ōsai Jr. Fighters                                3   1  2   18  18   0
4 San Isidro Labrador Jornaleros                   2   1  1    7   8  −1
5 Junior Sunshine Tigers of Loyo                   2   1  1    9  11  −2

Group D

University of Loyola Tetra-Campus Athletics      0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2  3
The Nightingales of Kyelleven                    2 2 1 0 0 0 2 0 X  7

TJUN-ia U21 Battin' Cubs                         0 1 0 0 2 0 1 0 0  4
Burikinia Dragons                                0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0  1

# Group D                                        Pld   W  L   RF  RA  RD 
1 The Nightingales of Kyelleven                    2   2  0   11   4  +7
2 TJUN-ia U21 Battin' Cubs                         2   2  0   12   7  +5
3 Kalush Nightingales                              2   1  1    6   8  −2
4 University of Loyola Tetra-Campus Athletics      3   1  2   12  17  −5
5 Burikinia Dragons                                3   0  3    7  12  −5

Group E

Zug um Zug Railbirds                             1 0 0 0 2 1 1 0 1  6
Floridan Hurricanes                              0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2  3

SBL Futures                                      2 1 5 0 0 0 0 1 1 10
Newport Wands                                    2 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0  4

Group E                                        Pld   W  L   RF  RA  RD 
1 Chromatik Collegiate Baseball Association        2   2  0    9   6  +3
2 Zug um Zug Railbirds                             3   2  1   15  17  −2
3 SBL Futures                                      2   1  1   14  10  +4
4 Newport Wands                                    3   1  2   16  17  −1
5 Floridan Hurricanes                              2   0  2    7  11  −4

[TJUN-ia]

After starting off with a barn burner against the Loyola Tetra-Campus team, the Battin' Cubs of TJUN-ia returned after their bye week still feeling high after that 8-6 win. That game was a very good showing with the bat, but some issues with run defence were also highlighted and taken note of by Vojtěch and Josef Heyrovský. They did manage some good stuff but also showed stuff that may need some improvements for the next game - the perfect set-up you need entering the bye. Now, they were going to try and take those lessons learned and put them into action back at Daedong Field in Anju.

Our opponents today would be the Burikinia Dragons, Joseph "JoJo" McAlbo starting on the mound this time. This game certainly wouldn't be as explosive as the contest against Loyola but it still had some moments we could talk about in our first non-DH game of the season. Masayoshi Kuramochi continued to shine like the diamond he was, scoring a go-ahead solo bomb in the Top of the 2nd that would be added to by a 2-run bomb from Khin Marlar Tun in the 4th. The Dragons would get a run back in the bottom of that inning, much to the chagrin of McAlbo, but a solo bomb from the only 21-year-old on this team, Palila Kalawai’a, would make sure this game was heading our way. McAlbo and the infield played well, the runs were just spectacular and we won by 4-1 in the end. What's not to love?

Next up will see one of our rookie pitchers make their debut in the form of Peter Glendinning - but the game they have been given is certainly a stern test. This group features two teams nicknamed the Nightingales and up first will be a 2-0 showdown with The Nightingales of Kyelleven. This might be our biggest test of the group stage so far, so hold onto your hats for a big baseball game. GO CUBS GO!

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SCHEDULE (Group D, all games @Daedong Field, Anju, Quebec and Shingoryeo)
MD1: vs University of Loyola Tetra-Campus Athletics (Banija) W 8-6
MD2: BYE (2nd)
MD3: vs Burikinia Dragons W 4-1 (2nd)
MD4: vs The Nightingales of Kyelleven
MD5: vs Kalush Nightingales