World Baseball Classic 56 Everything Thread

[Canadian Dominion]

Canadian Goose Baseball

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

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

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

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

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

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

Style Mod: +3.5

[Milk Island]

MILK ISLAND PANDAS ROSTER:
1. 1B Gianni Farina
2. RF Yasiel Puig
3. SS Ted Bear
4. C Pete Luck
5. 3B Quandale Dingle
6. CF Cody Johnson
7. 2B Charlie Hudson
8. LF Cole Dwor
9. DH Cy Who

SP Daxton Brown
SP Kyler Murray
SP Chris Gray
SP Tyler Joe
SP Maddox Cash
RP Snowdrop Stool
RP Vladimir Ono
RP Crabby Jones
RP Geno Order
CP Trevor Savage
Sp

[Milk Island]

Sorry forgot to add this...
My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my runscorers: Yes
Choose my lineup: No
Follow my pitching rotation: Yes
Godmod scoring events: No
RP injuries to my players: Yes
Godmod injuries to my players: No
Eject my players: Yes
Godmod other events: If it makes sense
Use DH at home: Yes

[Ingont]

RP:

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

Hello, everybody. Ingont is a nation that prides itself on many things, including it's large economy, but one of our biggest prides is our sports. Sports in Ingont have a long illustrious history, dating from the late 1800s when baseball was first introduced by Petanole Jovic, to hockey's meteoric rise in popularity in the late 1930s thanks to folks like Aristi Uzunova, Alenik Arseni, and Valera Kritikos. Today, this history of sportsmanship will be honoured and defended as Ingont prepares to send their best players out to the World Baseball Classic in search of glory and success. A relative newcomer on the global scene, Ingont's hoping to prove themselves by sending out their best players to the bright lights.

STARTING ROTATION:

#  Name                GS ERA  IP    H   BB SO  WHIP
3  Kyridis Tos         24 1.68 174.2 108 36 268 0.827
36 Filis Hermanuel     24 2.47 168.1 107 58 233 0.982
32 Pavica Mirchevski   11 1.24 67.1  33  9  106 0.626
55 Demt Rumyazara      23 2.67 141.0 115 29 122 1.021
28 Angellan Jovantholi 24 2.91 189.2 143 63 168 1.089

Kyridis Tos is the league's current hottest pitcher, and he has been for several seasons now. Hailing from Medmerija, a small suburb of Vastougrad, he's been playing for the Vastougrad Gators for his entire career so far. In his 6th season, the most recent one, he performed not just the best he's performed before, and crushed the league's hitting, but also may have solidified a historical season. An ERA below 1.75 is incredibly rare, and a WHIP of 0.827 is just as incredible. This performance led him to an easy Petarchos award this season, the equivalent of a Cy Young. He's entering free agency, and due to a lack of injuries or signs of fatigue and his unicorn performance, analysts predict him earning the largest contract for any pitcher ever.

Filis Hermanuel is the team's veteran on the staff, having been in the game for 13 seasons at this point. Filis was believed to be a lifer for the Vyersa Wranglers, but a change in ownership caused a sudden payroll dump, and Filis's large contract and age caused enough concerns he was sent off to the Sighets Heart Attacks. He had a sudden career resurgence the same season, owing to a change of scenery to a more pitcher friendly park and a new pitching coach that was more willing to let him cook for the season. His durability is a question for the future, but perhaps his performance in the WBC will alleviate those concerns.

Pavica Mirchevski has always been a somewhat tragic case. Entering his 9th season, he was an incredibly exciting rookie for the Megalouri Chefs, but a sudden injury requiring Tommy John surgery derailed his second season with them. He bounced around a few teams, although injury concerns always prevented a full comeback. Now with the Vyersa Wranglers, Pavica had an incredible second half of a season, the kind of half season that leaves analysts wondering "what if" for years to come. Lingering injuries prevented him from starting before the All Star Break, but after his recovery he was stellar. The team was afraid to send him out here, for fear that his injuries may return in the bright lights, but Mirchevski has said he feels better than ever, and the Wranglers are in no position to deny him this stage. Will his half season success branch out across a tournament, or will it all be revoked? Only time shall tell.

Demt Rumyazara is a solid, maybe even great pitcher, who has always played second fiddle. Despite continued success across 7 seasons, he's yet to earn the league's Petarchos award. He's always struggled with being good enough to be a big name, but always dealing with some other break out star taking his place in the voting and struggling with being on a very team friendly contract with the Ambrios Kraken, a team that seems to never find it's own success. However, he's consistent, he's yet to have a bad season, and his stats are the kind of stats teams are still happy to sign him for. It's unlikely he goes anywhere but the Kraken, but as a team that seems allergic to spending much money, perhaps soon he'll find himself in better company.

Angellan Jovantholi is a workhorse, no way around it. In just his 3rd season with the Stal Rocketeers, he's proven to be one of the league's youngest breakout stars, and that young age brings a certain spryness that veterans have lost. He's got the personality of a legend, a scowl on his face with every hit or walk. He truly hates batters, with a burning desire to strike them out that fuels him deep into games. This amount of innings earned him some votes in the Petarchos award race, but his rate stats just aren't stellar enough. With some refinement, he's got a bright future ahead of him, but analysts are worried that all that time on the bump may derail his future career.

BULLPEN AKA ARM BARN

#  Name                G  GF ERA  IP   H  BB SO WHIP
39 Davla Baranova      51 12 1.71 73.2 51 18 80 0.942
41 Veli Dukasovia      52 27 1.44 55.1 28 13 88 0.744
30 Kryeri Araten       43 6  2.31 48.2 17 34 86 1.058
81 Marac Zvougratan    52 15 2.22 56.0 38 23 74 1.089
6  Evanov Miktona      63 8  1.79 65.1 36 28 77 0.983
16 Antov Astorosman    49 21 2.15 50.2 37 15 73 1.036
45 Gabras Lazcovic     54 51 1.14 51.1 23 9  58 0.626
57 Koni Vromaralenos   49 45 1.66 45.0 26 11 82 0.822

Davla Baranova is one of the better middle relievers in the league at the moment. As a starter turned middle reliever, he's one of the few that can consistently go 2 innings or more, but his rate stats are somewhat lackluster for a top tier reliever. However, the utility he provides means he's a stellar choice for any pen. Coming into his 5th season in the league, he's spent his entire time with the Obreje Fishermen, but now entering free agency he'll be a solid pick for any team that wants a multi inning reliever.

Veli Dukasovia is arguably the best reliever that isn't actively closing out games right now. The team he's on has been using him in a fireman sort of situation, partially because of their star closer that also appeared in the WBC. This means he just comes in whenever they need to make sure no runs get scored. This variance in usage situations has gotten him slightly frustrated though, and many people predict he'll jump ship soon. However, there's still some time on his contract.

Kryeri Araten is one of the hottest pitching rookies. He's got speed that knocks both batters and scouts away, but like many young folks energy he doesn't have great control over his speed and nasty movement. While he can twirl like no one else, sometimes it feels like it doesn't even take a bat to earn a walk from him. When he struggles, his struggles compound, and then those struggles cause his to struggle more, causing him to walk guys in far more than acceptable. Working on that control is going to be crucial for his future.

Marac Zvougratan is just a good reliever. He's got good enough control to not walk like crazy, but he still walks. He's got good enough stuff to get some strikeouts, but not too many. He's got nasty enough stuff to usually end up with ground outs, but he still gets hit sometimes. He's spent his career following this pattern, good enough to make a WBC appearance but never good enough to be the best reliever option on the market, or to stay on one team for very long. In a long career that's winding down soon, he's going to be looking for a new team soon.

Evanov Miktona is similarly a good reliever, never excelling in one category but still able to make a name for himself. Slightly better off statistically than Marac, he's also been jumping around teams somewhat regularly recently.

Antov Astorosman is mostly notable for doing a good job of preventing walks, but he's also notable for being one of the most clutch relievers in the game. His performance outside of high pressure situations is pretty average for a reliever, but when in high pressure situations he absolutely lights up. It almost seems like he lives for the clutch situation, and he gets bored or can't channel his energy while in an easy spot. He's still somewhat young, and coached are hoping to always channel that energy.

Gabras Lazcovic is probably the best player in the league at pitching to contact, and that concept is well reflected in his stats. Very low walk numbers thanks to his ability to fill the zone, and a somewhat pitiful strikeout number from his hittable stuff. However, those hits rarely leave the infield, making him one of the most reliable people to close out a game with. Teammates with Veli, the two maintain a good friendship and are well renowned as a very dangerous pair to face as an opposing team.

Koni Vromaralenos is similar to a few other relievers in his ability to be very, very good while partially being overshadowed by another player and never excelling in a particular stat. He's a stellar pick for any team, and any bullpen with a free slot will probably have a use for him.

As a whole, pitchers are not terrible at hitting. While it's not likely that they score or anything, and it's very rare for a pitcher to do better than someone like Dontrelle Willis could, they certainly aren't useless even when they're off the bump.

CATCHER:

#  Pos Name              G   PA  H   2B 3B HR RBI SB BB   BA   OBP  SLG   OPS
70 C   Jagria Evia       112 476 95  16 3  3  71  21 127 .284 .479 .372  .851

Jagria Evia is the league's star catcher, partially because of his incredibly unique play style that means he represents something usually rare in the league, and partially because his stats are simply incredible and his defence is great to match. While the role of umpire has long since been replaced with VartAI sponsored robot umpiring machines, he's only let 2 balls past him in his career, even when dealing with more wild pitchers. On top of that, his glove to 2B time is incredible, enough to scare most baserunners into leaving themselves on first. While his low OPS makes it look unremarkable offensively, no one draws more walks, and that makes his OBP incredible. Against wild relievers or tired starters, he's likely to get on base.

INFIELDERS:

#  Pos Name              G   PA  H   2B 3B HR RBI SB BB   BA   OBP  SLG   OPS
62 1B  Loglos Uzunorgidi 117 487 102 22 1  50 127 0  61  .240 .339 .651  .990
9  2B  Strova Natollis   97  346 112 16 0  37 93  1  18  .341 .378 .729 1.107
84 SS  Gios Lilexanov    119 493 123 34 2  28 87  12 54  .283 .367 .563  .930
33 3B  Jovka Annaleni    120 503 141 43 12 15 82  66 42  .307 .364 .539  .903

Loglos Uzunorgidi can slug, no doubt about it. As the league leader in dingers last season, his talents are definitely recognized. While this immense power leads to a lot of scoring, making him the RBI leader as well, it means it's not very likely for balls to do much other than go deep and hopefully go out. He doesn't hit for singles, and while his walk rate is very nice, he does still whiff on a very large number of pitches, and foul off a similar amount. He's the sort of batter people love to see succeed, but he can still go a week looking like you gave grandpa a bat and told him to swing for the fences.

Strova Natollis is the best batter in the game, no doubt about it. OPS is usually a good marker of skill, and while many players this season got .9xx OPS, Strova was one of just two to break the 1.xxx barrier, and the only to reach the 1.1xx barrier. Unfortunately, Tros Omarachik underwent shoulder surgery after the surgery, and was unable to make the WBC. Strova plays a relatively unremarkable 2B, but he looks incredible on the mound, combining a lot of dingers with a lot of hits. An ankle injury cost him some time in the middle of the season, but outside of that he was incredible. He's never been too injury prone, so this injury seems like a foul omen to some teams, and he's hoping to prove he's still the best in the game.

Gios Lilexanov is a solid player, though his defense shines much more than his offence. He hits some dingers but not many, and gets on base but not too often. Instead, his speed and incredibly fast jump combined with a massive wingspan means he can grab balls that no one else can. That defensive capability is what he's best known for, but his offence isn't bad by any means. He's hoping to stop anything from getting past the left of the infield.

Jovka Annaleni is another player with an solid but not too impressive OPS, but his skill set comes mostly within his pure speed. No ones turns more singles into doubles or doubles into triples, and no one seems to have the ball placement ability to make things like doubles and triples happen at the rate he does. While he's not always able to harness the ability to get the ball out of the park, he can still direct it like a master despite his young age, and his speed means he can work as a XBH hitter by day and moonlight as a master base thief.

OUTFIELDERS:

#  Pos Name              G   PA  H   2B 3B HR RBI SB BB   BA   OBP  SLG   OPS
65 LF  Alan Peritranec   115 481 128 12 1  37 112 6  47  .297 .367 .587  .954
19 CF  Xhevski Chirov    113 475 157 15 2  16 53  26 23  .350 .379 .494  .873
23 RF  Emar Hermilija    115 492 97  15 0  48 106 0  72  .232 .343 .611  .954

Alan Peritranec is quite the all rounder. He's got plenty of power, but not enough to have hit 40 dingers in a season before. Outside of that, he hits for good contact, he gets an alright amount of walks, and he missed just 5 games in the season.

Xhevski Chirov is one of the most prolific hitters in the league. Whatever little league coach he had told him to ditch all that launch angle and bat speed nonsense and just focus on hitting the ball through the gaps in the infield. So, he listened, and he hit the ball through those holes in the infield, and he still does now. It's just his talent, I suppose. He can hit for some power and navigate the basepaths, but his real talent lies in that number of hits. A stellar guy for the front of the lineup.

Emar Hermilija is a great power hitter, with similar downsides to Loglos. He can't hit for much out, and a physique best described as lumpy means that he's not got much leg speed, but he's got arms like trucks that means he's got bat speed like no one else has. This leads to him and Loglos usually topping the HR leaderboard, which combined with being on the same squad lead to the nickname "Bash Brothers" for the two.

LINEUP

1 Xhevski Chirov
2 Jagria Evia
3 Strova Natollis
4 Loglos Uzunorgidi
5 Emar Hermilija
6 Alan Peritranec
7 Gios Lilexanoc
8 Jovka Annaleni
9 PITCHER

MANAGERS AND COACHES:

Aravec Baravchelis - Manager
Gabrel Mellide - Hitting Coach
Angeli Kapovunicu - Pitching Coach
Drie Ordasiad - Bullpen Coach
Matou Dzanov - First Base Coach
Georgoje Anallis - Third Base Coach
Paulos Andresic - Bench Coach

Aravec Baravchelis is arguably the most respected of the managers available for the WBC, with most others with comparable legacies dead or too long out of use to be useful. Aravec has led several teams to the Ingont Cup, leaving him with 4 under his belt. As well, the teams he's been on that didn't do as well still managed to look respectable day to day, thanks to Aravec's advice. He's a kindly sort of old man, jokingly referred to as the grandpa of the sport.

Gabrel Mellide is the hitting coach for the Vastougrad Gators, a team that statistically did the best in terms of hitting. He's big on power, but also adaptable. As a former player for the Gators, and their sole guiding light during some dark seasons, he was the Gators first coach for a hitting coach, and it seems to have worked.

Angeli Kapovunicu is in a similar situation to Gabrel, in that he led the team with the best overall rotation in the Silos Mountaineers, so he got the nod. Similar to Gabrel as well, he was a former player, although one with much less impact during his playing career than Gabrel ever had. His teachings are more philosophical, although his pitching knowledge is clearly quite stellar as well.

Drie Ordasiad, who works as the bullpen coach for the likes of Gabras Lazcovic and Veli Dukasovia, is one of the coaches best renowned for being able to help rookies break through. Overall, it just feels like rookies trained under him have more success than average, although that makes his nod here a little stranger. Maybe it's because he works for a big market team, or perhaps something the league doesn't want anyone outside to know about.

Matou Dzanov is best known for his incredibly friendly personality, which means he's close friends with almost all the players he's worked with and he's quick to make friends with new players. In the worst case, he can unite a team well, and while he's not the best first base coach his personality is incredible.

Georgoje Anallis at third base has a similar place to Matou in a team, although his previous Hall of Fame experience means there's a lot of things he can impart.

Paulos Andresic is another coach renowned for his ability to unite a bench, with his skills lying mostly in interpersonal communication.

[Atheara]

ATHEARAN NATIONAL TEAM - World Baseball Classic LVI

The official roster for Atheara in the 56th edition of the WBC.

Atheara for quite some time has not participated in the World Baseball Classic, and many people were hoping for their return of stepping onto the baseball pitch. For those who have waited for that day, they are rewarded with Atheara returning to the international baseball scheme! However. there have been many changes for Atheara in baseball domestically and quite possibly internationally. A few talented individuals and people have formed more clubs, meaning there were a total of 28 baseball teams now in Atheara, and they have been partitioning for a baseball league to happen. Who knows what disasters await Atheara? We'll see as The Nightwatchers start their journey once again in this years WBC.

MANAGEMENT ROLES
Name                        Age Role
Krendhill Blenov            54  Manager
Donitsk Valetio - Sculertz  35  Batting Coach
Nikolai Wiscon Hunnervad    29  Pitching Coach
Urtzen Kholagello           33  1st Base Coach
Denis Roader                32  3rd Base Coach
Hart Van Trenesse           28  Bench Coach
Dorothy Snezdeier - Lochas  36  Bullpen Coach

MAIN LINE UP
No. Name                     Age H Role
7   Mitchell Pykingson       23  L 2B
20  Richard Chalten Meyers   21  R CF
16  Bhoever Van Ristegal     24  L 1B
30  Alexander Rimestone      25  L C
1   Joether Hamerov          30  R SS
22  Steven Pouchier - Nateri 19  R RF
10  Wilters Van Oderonich    29  R 3B
--  PITCHER IS HERE IF NO DH
4   Yelvor Greditz-Walters   30  L LF
--  DH IS HERE IF DH TO PLAY

STARTING PITCHERS
No. Name                   Age H
9   Kevin Coliarey         25  L
25  Stefano Likorazic      21  R
11  Ekaero Diano Stuparetz 23  R
3   Marcus Draider         29  L
21  Rayjer Van Ostellein   28  L

BULLPEN
No. Name                          Age -HP
15  Nither Gallandro - Faletsavic 23  LHP
12  Hakyr Salvejo Misentrad       22  LHP
28  Alpin Van Dosseschetz         28  LHP
23  Nikita Kazuhari               29  RHP
17  Peter Aulschien               23  RHP
8   Daniel Coleway - Brandfill    19  RHP

BENCH
No. Name                       Age H Role
5   Hakurai Tosa               24  R DH
19  Maximiliano Fontiarri      27  L C
26  Phalten Van Crazavetski    23  R C
13  Charles Louvest - Crogning 28  L RF
29  Zachary Villa - Pearlton   21  L LF
6   Rouldan Van De Ilker       19  R 1B
18  Nico Alderbridge           22  R 2B
27  Grayden Kelton Forretch    27  L 2B
24  Trevan Detsorrov           26  R 3B
14  Tsubazoya Ranitz           23  R SS

Home Stadium

Coldstone Park was originally built as a purposed football stadium, but halfway throughout the progress of the stadium's construction it was decided that the stadium would be transformed into a baseball stadium. The name "Coldstone" is a referrence to the fact that the stadium is located in the Coldstone district of Mugendar. It was used by The Nightwatchers during previous editions of the World Baseball Classic. The stadium continues to gain attraction, mainly because it is the home of the Mugendar Blades when they play friendlies against other teams or during amateur hosted competitions throughout the years. It will continue it's purpose as the home park for the Athearan National team.

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: Yes, but only two players per game, state length of injury and nothing too ridiculous.
Godmod injuries to my players: Yes, but only one player per game, state length of injury and nothing extremely ridiculous.
Eject my players: Yes, but only one player per game.
Godmod other events: Yes, but nothing extremely ridiculous.
Use DH at home: Yes.

[Quebec and Shingoryeo]

Quebec and Shingoryeo National Baseball Team

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

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

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

GET ERECT GET EXCITED! GEAUX REAPERS!

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 2057-58
Style Mod: -2

Retired Numbers

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

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

No. First Name      Surname           Age Sex Tenure   Position        Tier Team
N/A Dana            Hussul             60   F Returnee General Manager LPB  St. Riecairn Saints
80  Kate            McLelland-Gong     56   F Returnee Head Coach      QBO  Saguenay Lions
70  Levinson        Webster            44   M Returnee Bench Coach     QIS  University of Kingston
78  Kendra          Noh                52   F Returnee Fielding Coach  QBO  Joongyeong Bears
71  Xavier-Luc      Allen              49   M New*     Pitching Coach  QBO  Prince Eric Athletics
92  Francisco       Alcantara          43   M New*     Batting Coach   QIS  Dongnae University
84  Min-Ha          Uhm                46   F Returnee Bullpen Coach   QBO  Attawapiskat Wiz
88  Katrine         Bernatchez Rose    33   F New*     Analyst         QBO  Saint John Green Sox

After a convincing quarterfinals finish where they were edged out in game five by eventual back-to-back champions South Newlandia, there was no doubt that the trio of general manager Kate McKellend-Gong, head coach Kate McLelland-Gong and bench coach Levinson Webster were going to return. There was no reason for them not to, though the media back home continues to remain doubtful on whether this coaching staff could push them into another semifinals appearance in near future, especially considering that their Round of Sixteen opponents happened to be the Base Corps of all teams.

Also returning is Kendra Noh, with the Joongyeong Bears manager happy to provide valuable advice to a group of younger infielders who are starting to take charge in recent WBC cycles. A calmer presence to a more humorous Webster, Noh's success as the bench coach for the IBS team that finished tied on the sixth place were noted. With that said, there were some personnel changes here and there. Most had involved the promotion of the pre-existing staff from the IBS team, as expected. More notably, however, was Hwang Gye-Nam's dismissal as the team's batting coach, with him replaced by Dongnae University's Francisco Alcantara. Alcantara, a career minor leaguer who went into coaching early, is a creative, data savvy coach who is considered to be in line with evolution of coaching that is currently being seen in Cassadagan and the Llamaphant leagues. More is to be seen on if he can translate said performance.

No. First Name       Surname          Age Sex Hand Throw   Status   Tier  Team
 4  Kevin            Buchanan          35   M RHP  3-Qtr   Returnee LPB   Elephant Valley Homers
99  Nam-Soo          Baek              28   M LHP  Over    Returnee QBO   Kingston Tigers
47  Nahuel           Fornacieri        22   M LHP  3-Qtr   Returnee QBO   Montevicio Dodgers
17  Helene           Bigras            28   F RHP  Over    Returnee QBO   Songak Twins
23  Hye-Yeon         Yi                22   F LHP  Over    Rookie   QBO   Dongnae Giants
19  Jean-Pierre      Touretskii        24   M RHP  Sidearm Rookie   QBO   Levis Wyverns

Yet another increase in travel afforded by the jump in group stage matches, this time from twenty matches within Drawkland to interplanetary travel over thirty matches, means that the we are once back to having six pitchers on the starting rotation. There is relatively little difference from the last cycle's team, with the team returning a clearcut starter duo in Kevin Buchanan and Baek Nam-Soo, two fireballers whose peaking at the right time had coincided with the so-called golden age of Quebecois baseball.

This is a good starting rotation on paper, who have all of the big 3s you need in a long-term pool - Aces (you need at least two), Depth and Prospects - and with the rise of uber-talented Nahuel Fornacieri as a formidable challenger to Baek Nam-Soo's throne as the premier southpaw in all of Quebec. Now that said the last two are the ones to watch, especially when considering that this WBC is set to be the last one for Buchanan. Helene Bigras is a good, right-handed pitcher who has held the fort well at times, but her durability remains a question mark and it is rumoured that Songak Twins, her new team, would rather she focus more on staying healthy during the QBO seasons. Thus, with Bigras out of the way for the future, it is expected that Yi Hye-Yeon and Jean-Pierre Touretskii, both of whom had starred in the 18th and the 17th IBS teams, to test out the international waters. Yi Hye-Yeon is a conventional, overhanded southpaw similar to Baek Nam-Soo, but focuses more on command and location of the pitch unlike the Wyverns' fireballer. Touretskii, on the other hand, continues the long line of submarine pitchers who have graced the starting rotation. Both pitchers, while relatively underheralded compared to the bigger names on that roster, have more than enough potential to make a difference in the years to come.

No. Position      First Name     Surname          Age Sex Hand Throw     Status   Tier  Team
13  Long Relief   Isaiah         Baek              22   M LHP  Overhand  Returnee LPB   Peninsulara Kingfishers
44  Long Relief   Devon          Ackie             29   F RHP  Sidearm   Returnee QBO   Attawapiskat Wiz
45  Middle Relief Seung-Dong     Park              23   M RHP  Sidearm   Rookie   QBO   Oakwood Dinos
29  Middle Relief Kelsey         Laudonikis        28   F RHP  Overhand  Returnee QBO   Saint John Green Sox
61  Middle Relief Byron          Shenouda          26   M LHP  Submarine Rookie   QBO   Montreal Twins
54  Short Relief  Alain          Thomassin-Viel    31   M RHP  3-Qtr     Rookie   QBO   Songak Expos
11  Setup Man     C.J.           Laudonikis        24   F LHP  3-Qtr     Returnee QBO   Saguenay Lions
41  Setup Man     Clement        Jolin             22   M RHP  3-Qtr     Returnee QBO   Prince Eric Athletics
21  Closer        Benoit         Everson           25   M LHP  Overhand  Returnee QBO   Kingston Blue Jays

Formerly a catastrophe, the bullpen situation appears to be more or less resolved for this year's Team Quebec, as their strong performance, one that was noted to be a marked departure from the cycles before, were commended by the fans and those of the baseball community. With this in mind, as well as the arrival of fresher arms from the Under-22 national team at the IBS just several months ago, Kate McLelland-Gong and bullpen coach Uhm Min-Ha could not be any more excited over it.

It's a diverse mix of pitchers, with a lefty-righty split of 4 to 5, and unsurprisingly large number of sidearms and submarines into the squad. As you may notice, this squad sees solid number of rookies - two from the Under-22s and veteran Alain Thomassin-Viel asked to join the squad after a reliever-of-the-year campaign - join the squad. Alexandre Farias's injury means that sidearm Devon Ackie and Alexandre Farias, who used to be key pieces of this bullpen, are the leaders of this corps.

Isaiah Baek, a promising lefty fireballer making his name known with the Peninsulara Kingfishers, has emerged as a formidable long relief and emergency starter option, aided by his mentor and now spouse Devon Ackie, the tenacious, all-enduring leader of the bullpen. Seeing high turnover, Laudonikis, Park and Shenouda are relievers all familiar to the workload expected and will be thrown to wolves where needed, while Alain Thomassin-Viel's emergence as a dependable short-relief is one to be praised, especially when considering a decade that had taken for him to develop. Benoit Everson is back as one of the setups, this time joined by an ever-skyrocketing value of C.J. Laudonikis as a bullpen, while Clement Jolin returns for the second cycle as the closer.

No. Position      First Name     Surname          Age Sex Throw Bat Status   Tier  Team
16  Catcher       Hyeon-Myeong   Joh               30   M     R   R Returnee  QBO  Montevicio Dodgers
22  Catcher/DH    Errol          Kim               20   M     R   S Returnee  QIS  Muhak National University
20  Catcher       Jocelyn        N'Diaye           24   F     R   L Rookie    QBO  Attawapiskat Wiz
49  First Base    Samuel         Maybin            31   M     L   L Returnee  QBO  Hanbat Eagles
36  First Base    Yves-Francois  Agunbiade         23   M     L   L Rookie    QBO  Kingston Blue Jays
 3  Second Base   Belanna        Latham            22   F     R   R Returnee  QIS  Saguenay Lions
 1  Shortstop     Benedict       Calles III        27   M     R   R Returnee  QBO  Kingston Tigers
18  Third Base    Noel           Jackson           23   M     R   R Returnee  QBO  Joongyeong Bears
 6  Third/Short   Diana          Hwang Pinela      23   F     R   L Returnee  QBO  Songak Expos
 7  Short/Second  Jae-Ho         Joh               24   M     R   R Returnee  QBO  Saguenay Lions

Strong runs in back-to-back cycles, as well as the success of the current core of youngsters promoted in the place of former national team legends mean that most of the core remains the same. Often this positional group, best remembered for its major part in the IBS championship and the qusrterfinals run just two years ago, is represented by barrage of firework from tournament MVP Noel Jackson, catcher/DH Errol Kim, and excellent contact by Belanna Latham and Diana Hwang Pinela, as well as high-energy, high showmanship found across the board.

Anyways let's go into the positions themselves. On the catcher we expect a split of Joh Hyeon-Myeong and Errol Kim, with Joh expected to start a majority of games while Kim, a solid blocker who is better known for his 42 HR, 121 RBI campaign just last year, will see enough time both as backup catcher and designated hitter. Jocelyn N'Diaye, a defensively-minded catcher, will be accompanying them as well.

The first baseman sees Samuel Maybin move down to the fifth in the lineup, and spliting time with promising rookie Yves-Francois Agunbiade. The Hanbat Eagles' captain, who is best known as an OPS hitter with impeccable batting eye, is less than an average fielder, he makes up for it with strong batting and by setting right example with teammates through action. The second sees Belanna Latham, above-average hitter with decent coverage and reliability, take over in the place of Anika Nesterovic, with the Grim Reapers' second baseman unable to attend the WBC due to her injury sustained last playoffs as well. Shortstop and third basemen are fairly straightforward with Benedict Calles III and the reigning QBO MVP Noel Jackson continuing their hold over it.

No. Position      First Name     Surname          Age Sex Throw Bat Status   Tier  Team
34  Left Field    Jean-Noel      Bellefeuille      30   M     L   L Returnee  LPB  Xingcheng Renaissance
25  Centre Field  Hyeok-Joon     Kweon             23   M     R   R Returnee  QBO  Dongnae Giants
26  Utility       Sang-Gook      Yi                28   M     R   L Returnee  QBO  Saguenay Lions
32  Right/Left    Cecily         Maybin            21   F     L   L Returnee  QBO  Hanbat Eagles
12  Centre/Right  Kamil          Bosede            24   M     R   S Rookie    QBO  Manitoba Rangers

As with the infield, the outfield mostly bring back the same faces, with the exception of long-time Kang Ye-Rim, who announced his retirement from the national team after the last WBC due to her age and wanting to be closer to her family during offseason. Starting corner outfielders currently based in the LPB - Jean-Noel Bellefeuille for Xingcheng and Kang Ye-Rim of Sun City - have played major roles for the team, and they should be fine off continuing their role as key contributors to the team that needs Bellefeuille's power and Kang's five tools, more than ever. On the centre field, Kweon Hyeok-Joon's 30-30 season adds to the reputation of the strong-armed centrefielder with decent coverage ability. Often compared to his predecessor Samuel Carlini-Mwambutsya, he is backed up by a speedster Yi Sang-Gook, a defensively superior but offensively-poorer option. Cecily Maybin, the younger sister of Samuel, is now the one to watch as the starting right fielder in Kang's place. Maybin, an agile, OPS hitter, has done a good job hitting whenever needed as backup or pinch hitter, and is considered to be a major asset for the team moving forward.

Notes on our Grim Reapers

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

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

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

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

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

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

[Ko-oren]

Series 1: South Newlandia @ Ko-oren

We start off in WBC 56 with the big one. We've been looking for an opportunity to measure ourselves against the WBC 54 and 55 winners. We know that our clubs can go the distance against theirs - proven by ever increasing odds in the Llamaphant Pro Baseball League - but to have our national team compared to theirs is special. If you had asked us half a decade ago, this would just be a 'lucky if we win one' series but since our inclusion in the LPB, these have turned into must-win rivalry games. There are no fewer than 15 South Newlandians active in the Ko-orenite side of the LPB, so we must have some intel at the very least, if we don't already have enough video by playing them week in, week out. Neither team is looking for surprises here, we're just looking for three amazing games but we're expecting a decent result as well.
Game 1: Katashi Dome, Katashi (58000) SP: Utada. Game 2: Katashi Dome, Katashi (58000) SP: Vasquez. Game 3: Maesaki Park, Katashi (31250) SP: Ohashi.

Series 2: Ko-oren @ Imperial Haiti

A cycle ago, we'd be content with splitting the series with them (across two series, going about 3-3 or 4-2). Right now, our team has gotten some of its arrogance back, reflected by the ranking, and the pressure is on. Going 3-0 in any series in the WBC is a tall order - even if you're South Newlandia playing a completely new team - but anything worse than 2-1 will bring back visions of the last two Classics where the Ko-orenites are content with picking up a few Ws along the way. No longer: this series can bring us a few statement wins, showing that we're not the same low-ranked team and that anyone, regardless of rank or history, should be afraid of this team again.
Game 1: ? SP: Tone. Game 2: ? SP: Matsuda. Game 3: ? SP: Vasquez.

Series 3: Abanhfleft @ Ko-oren

It's these guys. Somehow still absent from our list of WBC playoff opponents (which does include, say, Strawbee, Vaugania, Frenline Delpha, North Prairie, Tierra de Castro, to name a few), but facing them in the group will be fun as well. This will be a great test for us: we see ourselves at their level, and this will prove if we're deluding ourselves or if we're on pace to return to the class of the Classic. A losing record (1-2) won't be a disaster here but we're gunning for a series win, especially on home soil. Said series win should help us tremendously in our plans to finish first or second in the group. Sure, we can lose a few to the Elephants, but this series is hopefully a contest between equals. This series will be played across our three Finisterran LPB stadiums: The Stars' huge and standard Citadel, the Whales' Ventovente with its local look (rocks and sand, slightly dug in to not disturb the skyline), and the brand new Colenario Municipal of the Desierto Challengers.
Game 1: The Citadel, Santa Teresa (37000) SP: Utada. Game 2: Ventovente, Ferrovente (28010) SP: Ohashi. Game 3: Colenario Municipal, Colenario (14000) SP: Tone.

Series 4: Aust Scor @ Ko-oren

Much like the Imperial Haiti series, we expect that our team is far enough along that we shouldn't need to worry about these series too much. Anything can happen in baseball - and we've seen a thing or two - but we really have to wonder what we're doing if we don't come away with two wins. Maybe it's the hubris, we'll see. By this point in the group stage, we'll know if our expectations were set far too high or if we're on pace for a breakthrough like in WBC 26, when the Dragonflies surprised friend and foe to finish fourth. It would take a while after that to find another miracle cycle like it, but at least it put us on the map for quite some time afterwards. We play this series in the Northern division of the LPB, opening in Uvesaki, home of the Echizen Dragons, followed by two games on Selesi island, despite the protests by Teragaseki Originals fans. Sorry, no WBC baseball on Etena this time. Instead, we visit the much overlooked Ginofruit Field in Arakura, a baseball-crazy place who campaigned hard to retain their top tier team, the Knights, so we expect quite the entrance. Lastly we go to Furune, the academic capital of Ko-oren, to play in the Bees' stadium named the Obsidian Hive.
Game 1: Uvesaki Field, Echizen (24390) SP: Matsuda. Game 2: Ginofruit Field, Arakura (28000) SP: Chastain. Game 3: Obsidian Hive, Furune (22400) SP: Vasquez.

Series 5: Ko-oren @ Qasden

That's a name we recognise from other tournaments! If those are anything to go by, we could see any Qasden coming out, so we'll prepare for the worst, which means we're battling it out for third place. Hopefully, however, at the end of the first half of the group stage we're looking at a comfortable 8 to 12 wins.
Game 1: ? SP: Tone. Game 2: ? SP: Ohashi. Game 3: ? SP: Padron.

Series 6: Ko-oren @ South Newlandia

A difficult stretch of games starts here. At South Newlandia, and three games after that, at Abanhfleft. We're also staring at six straight away games by now, and we'll have another stretch like that later in the group stage, including all away games at South Newlandia and Abanhfleft. Our schedule is heavily skewed, but if we want to show we belong up there in the playoffs, we'll find a way to survive. Is this a good moment to drop our record versus this team? It's 1-6 in the playoffs. Amazing. This is hopefully also the point where our pitcher shortage turns into a pitcher surplus: Utada was definitely saved up for this game (potentially giving away the edge in an 'easier' game earlier) and while Vasquez has hopefully proven himself to this point at just 20 years old, the third pitcher might well be Matsuda (31) to give Ohashi (19) and Tone (23) a break. We have to rely on our mostly young core and save up the veterans for the big games, let's see if it pays off.
Game 1: ? SP: Utada. Game 2: ? SP: Vasquez. Game 3: ? SP: Matsuda.

Series 7: Imperial Haiti @ Ko-oren

In between 12 (!) difficult away games, we might need the full three out of three from this series. Also, is this the right time to talk about the Dragonflies? Yoshimans have tried to get rid of that nickname for ages, but it's sticking internationally anyway because we're the Dragonflies in everything anyway. They're pushing something like the Macaws after the colourful birds abundant in Yoshiman forests (but only on the two southern islands, I suppose they didn't ask the Alarans and Etenans for their opinions, again) which excludes the 50% of baseball played on the mainland. In return, the Finisterrans have gone for a similarly exclusive Cactuses - which do grow in arid Finisterre but don't in humid and occasionally subtropical Yoshima. Either way, both monikers exclude the entire rest of the country - so the divide continues. Interesting how we keep fielding halfway decent national teams if there's mild distrust and various internal friendly rivalries - you read that right, 'mild and friendly'. The talks of sending two different teams have cleared, but it's not 100% over yet. That said, we play this series in the 'west', in neither Finisterre nor Yoshima. One LPB stadium features: the Vamada Océanique of the Amandine Wanderers.
Game 1: Le Losange, Aminey (26000) SP: Tone. Game 2: Honrothru-din, Senoren (13200) SP: Chastain. Game 3: Vamada Océanique, Étouille (12000) SP: Tone.

Series 8: Ko-oren @ Abanhfleft

Do you think they've noticed that our basketball team uses Abanhfleft jerseys yet? We could talk about the colours used by the baseball team as well. Long opting for yellow, as a neutral colour acceptable for both Yoshima and Finisterre, yet still being a national colour, the pallette has certainly shifted towards red. It almost feels like a sin to have a Ko-orenite team play in red, but if it was going to happen, it'd be baseball. Red, symbolising Yoshima as a whole, with orange of Etena (and Alara), as well as pink (Selesi), on a yellow (Finisterre) background - it won't 'feel' like a Ko-orenite team but we should better get used to it. There'll be some alternate jerseys, but yellow and red as primary colours are here to stay. Oh right, our second six-game stretch of away games starts here, and if this group plays out anything like the ranks indicate, we should be in a fight for second place now. Two wins here would be extremely helpful.
Game 1: ? SP: Ohashi. Game 2: ? SP: Utada. Game 3: ? SP: Matsuda.

Series 9: Ko-oren @ Aust Scor

We're in the home stretch now. Two or three wins is the goal here. We could see Chastain or Padron pitch here to free up the aces for the final series, but that comes with its own risk.
Game 1: ? SP: Tone. Game 2: ? SP: Chastain. Game 3: ? SP: Vasquez.

Series 10: Qasden @ Ko-oren

Remember we have two Qasden players in our league? Jeff Bitches plays for the Aviansola Admirals, Darrell Striker plays for the Ferrovente Whales. That reminds us: the WBC is a great place to scout players and entice them to play in the LPB. The vast majority of foreign players in Ko-oren are from South Newlandia or Super-Llamaland, with a big and growing contingent from Chromatika. Beyond that, it's Banija and Quebec - but there's a lot more talent out there, and we know that some of our teams could use the help. We should see the debut of the stadium in Esalosava, which they claim is outside of Katashi but those from other islands will probably just see it as a commuter suburb of Katashi. There are plenty more stadiums that could make the cut in the future, especially with increased LPB attendances and slightly higher crowds for the top minor leagues.
Game 1: Twin Field, Nitoya (22301) SP: Utada. Game 2: Naminaka Park, Aviansola (14500) SP: Matsuda. Game 3: Bagasengel Stadium, Esalosava (11000) SP: Tone/Chastain/etc.

---

Stadium deals and construction booms

Most of the LPB is selling out its stadiums against key opponents on good days. In lower tier baseball, there is a market for slightly larger venues than we currently have, and baseball is only partially the answer. Neighbourhood meetings and festivals are increasingly held in open areas - and a baseball field is perfect for that, at least outside of baseball season. Combine that with the boom in construction in Ko-oren - with better, greener, alternatives ready for use - and you've got a long offseason of improvements. LPB teams are also open to play in smaller venues within their market - so the Echizen Dragons could easily play in Alara, a city at least as big as Echizen itself. That's a tried and tested Ko-orenite custom, and there's no reason it shouldn't work for baseball as well.

Alara's Sakuraba Park (used by the single-A Alara Tigers) is a top job on the list, as well as several Cote Austral stadiums - only Aminey and Étouille have decent diamonds as it stands, and it seems like baseball and cricket have found their expansion areas - baseball to Cote Austral, cricket to the capitals. Amillon has a double-A team, the Ailes de Gardatières, who are up for something. Étouille's Vamada Océanique, used in the LPB, is also due an upgrade. In its wake should follow nearby Granon's Bizessard, of the Triple-A Granon Astra. You get it: the list goes on.

[Super-Llamaland]

All graphics and most of the background spreadsheet work are done by SNL, so grade our RPs accordingly.

LPB NORTH: S3 RECAP

DRAMA! PLAYOFF RACES! Teams going ALL IN! That’s right - the LPB North had absolutely none of that, as the South Falls Athletics were up twelve games on second place by the All-Star Break. With the Vipers throwing their hat into the rebuilding ring alongside Emerald City and Denison, the A’s proceeded to run up the score in the second half of the season, finishing twenty games ahead of the not-especially-chasing pack. Of course, just because you play in the league’s most Mid division doesn’t make you real contenders - as the Athletics found out in their humiliating first-round sweep last year. But until the rebuilds all run their course, this is Ruby Falls’ division to lose - and they’re not about to let you forget it.

Emerald City Greens (73-111): Telyatin Out Amidst Ultradome Turmoil

Hopes were high for the Greens in the long-suffering Emerald City after the offseason saw the arrival of slugging outfielder Brünhild Gunnlaugson and stud prospects Jade Guthrie and Von Gunther. But although all three started hot out of the gate, a 10-20 start quickly extinguished the idea that this would be the year the team of Maddie Hendricks and Tobias Wagner would reclaim its former glory. By the time embattled manager Ernest Telyatin resigned at the all-star break, the team was a devastating 31-61, and the road to relevance was looking longer than ever.

The team’s 42-50 record after Yumi Kasai was poached from Ko-oren’s Teragasaki Originals does suggest brighter days ahead. But although the likes of Gunnlaugson (41 HRs, .271/.368/.554, Silver Slugger) and Guthrie (a 3.66 FIP and 153 strikeouts in 174 innings pitched) impressed in their debut seasons, the team remains a few pieces away. National team outfielder Schuyler Duffy performed ably after being acquired at the deadline for Delaclav shortstop Valery Robiquet, and the knuckleballs from Hapilopper’s Eddie Hedley remained effective as ever (19-12, 3.21 ERA). Beyond the core, though, things are looking bleaker than expected. Stud pitching prospect James Concepción, acquired in the Ralphie Bloggs trade after being drafted fourth by the Athletics, struggled with injuries and third-time-through-the-order syndrome, and now projects as more of a reliever than the ace everyone expected. Gordon Chernenko’s defense hit a new level this season, but his on-base percentage regressed to a measly .329. And Newlandian catcher Tyler Danson, also a recent high draft pick, has yet to put it all together.

Still, even the future busts seemed to pick things up under the younger Kasai, whose management style appears to be more constructive than the notoriously taciturn Telyatin. Danson in particular managed to hit .283 with twelve home runs in the second half of the season, suggesting that his consistency issues might soon be behind him. And with the first pick in the LPB4 draft on its way (at the top of the Greens’ board, the likes of tantalizing outfield prospect Jasmine Xu would give fans the league’s best outfield), hope may once again renew itself in the Ultradome.

Denison Dynamo (85-99): Slow and Steady

As far as long-term strategies go, “sit around and wait until your team becomes good on its own” is pretty low on the excitement list. But the Dynamo’s young core took a nice step forward this season, improving on last season’s tally by twenty-two games, and the future of Denison is starting to really take shape. The team even briefly managed to hang with the real contenders, loitering around .500 for the first third of the season before slipping as their strength of schedule started to pick up. So for newly-minted all-star Jonathan Roe (209 Ks), slugging sophomore second baseman Mike Oeland (.275/.351/.502), and the rest of the suddenly Not Terrible young Dynamo, the future is really starting to shine.

After being the worst team in the entire LPB last season, the Dynamo were given the first pick, as well as #13 and #19, in a stacked draft class. While hometown shortstop Apollo Sündstrom was expected to go #1 overall, Denison instead ignored the narrative and opted for Newlandian first baseman Toni Schäfer, who had a quietly solid rookie season (.346 OBP, thirty-five home runs). Center-fielder Bella Ashton fortunately slid down to #13 and impressed with her speed and defense in her rookie season (7.5 UZR, 26 SBs), although nineteenth pick Mark Hughes spent the season in the bullpen as he got acquainted to the speed of the LPB. Other than that, Denison did little in the FA or trade markets, although they did manage to flip aging pitcher Jaden Calderón for what would end up being the ninth overall pick next season. The one acquisition they did make, little-known half-Drawkian reliever Gerrard McNeil, did end up being surprisingly good though, and has inexplicably come from nowhere to become one of the best relievers in the nation (2.71 ERA, 71 IP).

While Elisa Kristiansen has done wonders as a more development-focused manager, pitching is still an area of concern. The depth behind Roe and McNeil is limited at best, and the team wasted a number of big offensive performances last year that could’ve even brought them up to .500. But with two top-ten picks in the upcoming draft and a rumored free agency warchest to improve the team, the Dynamo’s patience may finally pay off soon.

Apple Valley Vipers (89-95): The Rebuild Begins

Some called it the end of an era, while others pointed out that one 100-win season followed by an immediate return to mediocrity isn’t really an era. Whatever the case, though, that lightning-in-a-bottle Vipers team who were the first to represent Super-Llamaland in a Multiverse Series are dead and buried. Gone are the days of Emery Wu (flipped to Hanai at the deadline), Jason McAllister (lost to Ko-oren in the expansion draft), and Evangeline Lu (traded to Vargas City for Darlene “we have Evangeline Lu at home” Le and a pick). Heading into next season in its place is a younger, leaner team who will hopefully bring the Vipers more sustained success than their ephemeral LPB1 run.

In contrast to the extreme disappointment of LPB2, these Vipers actually managed to keep their heads above water for most of the season, and were at .500 as late as two-thirds of the way into the season (65-65) before slumping. But while another GM might’ve tried to catch up to the Athletics, Kevin Weiss took the long view and pulled the trigger at the trade deadline. Emery Wu, once thought to be retiring with Apple Valley, was sent out for a package of veteran starter Ricardo Esteban (7-4, 3.99 ERA with the Vipers), young third baseman Kylie Jorwen (.264/.321/.399), and picks, while star outfielder Rose Dawson also saw her time with the Vipers come to an end in exchange for future picks. However, in the midst of the teardown that’s seen them accumulate five future firsts, Weiss also gave up the team’s own first-round pick. Will young shortstop Mizaya Kuruki be worth it? Probably - she showed brilliant defense and baserunning in her half-season, and hit well in Chromatika too.

Looking ahead, LPB4 could be another transitional year for a confusing-to-follow Vipers squad. The pitching remained relatively untouched by the teardown, with ace Emily Innis (16-9, 3.55 ERA) likely giving way to young fireballer Carter Wilkinson (233 Ks in 211.2 IP) while Le holds down the bullpen. But a much younger starting lineup featuring the likes of Karuki, Jorwen alongside veterans like Samuel Carlini-Mwambutsya (a muted .259/.331/.468 this season) will be a lot to manage for Dinesh Mohn. That is, unless the three-season manager who spearheaded the LPB1 miracle leaves for greener pastures. He certainly wouldn’t be the first member of that inaugural squad to do it.

South Falls Athletics (109-75): Finally Real Contenders?

Last season, a high-stepping Athletics squad spent big on international stars, surged into the first round of the playoffs, and then lost in humiliating fashion to the past-their-prime Nikcoro Suns. Did that embarrassment motivate them to prioritize youth development more, or not talk so much shit? Not really. But it did motivate them to finally bring in good relievers (former Sherpa Empire closer and Syringe Enthusiast Urkyen Bharadhwaj and the Blue Sox’s Gustaf Sjabard), which was nice. With the only departures being those who left in the offseason and playoff goat Korban Pitts, whose errors didn’t eliminate the team but certainly didn’t help, it suggested a front office that remained confident in its players’ ability to win it all.

The regular season, especially in this division, was never considered much of a test for a team that had comfortably won the division a season ago. But 109 wins still showed that the Athletics at least have the talent to go far in the playoffs. The dominance was fueled by an offensive surge - Luxolo Mbeki (.288, fifty-one home runs) staked his case for MVP yet again, Luke Brinkley (.251, forty-three home runs) was right behind him, and Bill Parent (.308/.351/.482) was the team’s third all-star position player. A fourth all-star, Mason Bennett, arrived from Ko-oren midseason in exchange for pitcher Simon Chu, and should fill the team’s third-base vacancy for the foreseeable future. It wasn’t all slugging, though, although the team did lead the country in home runs. Bharadhwaj (twenty-six saves, 2.35 ERA) and Ian Capan (2.27 ERA, 11.2 K/9) both made the all-star team as relievers, suggesting that the team’s bullpen weaknesses are behind them.

If there is a weakness in these new and improved Athletics, it’s that the timeless Savanna Wladecki (3.16 ERA and just nineteen walks over her 198 innings pitched) would probably have preferred more support behind her, especially with the solid Chu leaving in the Bennett trade. Both Davis Johnson (4.25 ERA) and Ralphie Bloggs (4.47 ERA) will need to seriously step things up in the postseason for South Falls to make a run, although Bloggs’ inflated ERA may just be the result of bad second-half luck. But other than that, the Athletics are flying high - and the runway should be clear in the LPB North for at least a few more seasons.

LPB CENTRAL: S3 RECAP

You know the drill in the LPB Central. Both New Llama clubs and the Lions take turns slugging it out, all three finish with over 100 wins and easy playoff berths, and then they go do it again in what fans have affectionately called the "Central Thunderdome" - because every year, the winner of the wild card game (contested between the two best non-division winners, i.e. two of these guys) play the best division winner (i.e. the third of them). Meanwhile, Kyrinson's petition to join another division has been rejected for the third year running. This year, the Lions came out on top in the regular season. But as the Lions from last year, and also the Lions from two years ago have learned, in this division, it's playoff battles that give you the bragging rights.

KYRINSON COSMOS (80-104): can we please just move to the north

By now, the Cosmos have left the stage of the rebuild where you expect to go down, and have firmly entered the stage where you expect to make year-over-year progress. That’s not so easy in the Central, especially after their relative overperformance last season. But it was still troubling to Cosmos fans to see them regress from the previous year. Manager Bobby Mohs is likely on the hot seat if the young core that he’s developing (plus the fifth pick in the next draft) fail to progress further. But Mohs has preached patience even as the rest of the Central continue to battle for championships, and S4 may bring better vibes.

The team’s major offseason acquisition was #9 pick Michael Prakash (3.79 ERA, 181.2 IP), who had a respectable rookie campaign. Alongside ace and former third pick Madison Verdugo (3.12 ERA, 227 IP, 209 K), he brought stability and solidity to the top of the rotation. (Their second top pick, Larry Foster, also did well before needing season-ending arm surgery). Kieran Fletcher also hit his stride, playing productive defense in right-field while hitting thirty-two home runs, a career high. And while Silvia Wang’s season was cut short due to injury, Fletcher’s fellow outfielder had a scorching start (an unlikely .527 over the first two weeks) that even fueled a .500ish first month of the season for the Cosmos before the bottom dropped out. Marcus Cobb (2.76 ERA and an all-star nod) also had a nice season in the bullpen.

But in other areas, the Cosmos seemingly regressed, casting into doubt how bright the future of their Young Core really is. Ian Zhuang hit .217 - if there’s not a recurring injury behind that, it’s a deeply troubling sign for the former all-star. Young starter Wayne Dawson (5.17 ERA) also fell off a cliff, although in his case he has definite lingering elbow troubles to blame. And although the team bet big on outfielder Christina Wu, reaching in the draft to take her, she hit just .221 in her rookie season (maybe she wished on a monkey’s paw to hit better than Zhuang?). While this season showed that the Cosmos do have some top-shelf talent, there’s still some major holes that need to be addressed - or they might be stuck in every fan’s worst nightmare, the perpetual rebuild.

NEW LLAMA CYCLONES (100-84): Great Season! Weird That it Ended After 140 Games

If you’d talked to a Cyclones fan after 140 games, when the 82-58 Cyclones were just two games back of the division and playing at a 114-win pace since the All-Star Break, you would’ve thought that the team had one foot in the Multiverse Series already. For that month-plus of scintillating baseball, New Llama City was definitely Blue. The young double-play pairing of Lonnie Hayter (.368/.421/.602 in those 48 games) and Rene Corbin (.330/.396/.517) were absolutely scintillating. The pitching staff, led by the one-two punch of Maike Bookmer (2.79 FIP, 225.1 IP on the season) and Jerome Delapier (2.93 and 214.2, respectively), was thriving off the surge in run support and the steady hand of offseason acquisition Derrick Armstrong, a world-renowned defensive catcher. And while the bullpen had seen better days, Kaspar Wahl threw twenty-one scoreless innings in a row during that midseason run. The Wizards had been thoroughly passed. The Lions were next. And New Llama’s premier team, relegated to second-best in their own city for a decade, would finally reclaim their throne.

Then they turned into the baseball equivalent of the sad trombone slide and finished the season fourteen games out of the division lead. It’s probably not a coincidence that the slump began as soon as Corbin, who had grown into a defensive linchpin and a team leader alongside his strong bat, sprained his knee (although he’ll at least be back for the postseason). Kaspar Wahl, whose dominance had papered over the fact that the average age of the Cyclones’ bullpen was 57, was next to go, tweaking his elbow and hitting a patch of shaky form. Without Corbin’s brilliance and Wahl’s reliability, the overworked Cyclones regressed far past the mean to the tune of a 18-26 finish. It was still enough to hang onto their playoff berth, but in the SLL Central, that’s nowhere near good enough. It’s too early to call the likes of outfielder Ivy Werner (.233 in the last month of the season), April Bendtner (a 4.81 ERA in just 105 innings pitched), and Kennedy Schumacher (who blew five saves in seventeen games down the stretch before being replaced by Wahl) washed, given their respective track records. But the Cyclones would rather not depend on them to perform in the playoffs if they can help it.

In the front office, the expectation is still that the Cyclones will rule the Central for years to come, with both the Lions and Wizards starting to see Father Time in the rearview mirror. Maybe that’s why at a trade deadline marked by splashy blockbusters, the team’s one addition was third baseman Terry Myers, who is Fine. But with an aging outfield, a struggling bullpen, and a manager in Jackson Feliz whose peak may be behind him, it’s worth wondering if that confidence is actually complacency that the rest of the Central will gladly punish.

NEW LLAMA WIZARDS (110-74): All That For a WC Berth?

Take the defending LPB champions who just won 106 games in a season, add a pair of solid starters in Lola Marques (3.76 ERA, 7.5 K/9) and Adam Gilchrest (4.03 ERA), then drop two-time Gold Glove Lucas Robinson into the heart of the outfield. What does that get you? The opportunity to play a win-or-go-home game against the Cyclones to even make it to the final eight. It’s hard to see what the Wizards, who have once again gone all-in, could have really done differently (short of relocation). But in the end, not only did they never lead the division after the all-star break, but they weren’t particularly close despite a late rally. And while Nikki Wang has maintained that her team can beat anybody, having to endure the slog of the wild card followed by a divisional series against the best team in the league will take a lot out of energy that they’d prefer to focus on the quest for a repeat.

The Wizards started brightly, going 30-20 out of the gate and keeping the divisional race neck and neck, but seemed to hit a .500 “skid” that saw them drop in the standings. While the midseason acquisitions of Gilchrest, Robinson, and Marques did their best to make up for an underwhelming offseason where the team’s biggest acquisition was 2B Zarah Yu (.253/.314/.399), their 30-14 end to the season fueled by these new additions came too late to really matter. Still, though, the Wizards can take pride in their dominant regular-season performance, as well as the Cyclones’ late slump and the Lions’ history of choking at the earliest available opportunity in the playoffs. Seven Wizards were named to the SLL roster for the All-Star Game. On the pitching side, Bedin Egozhevy (21-7, 3.18 ERA) led the charge for the rotation, while Jan Scherer and Sam Vandenberg held down the bullpen before Vandenberg left in the Robinson/Marques trade. Meanwhile, Summer Huang (.324/.396/.538) and George Ducat (.337/.421/.558) continued their MVP-level play, Miranda Gray was quietly excellent as ever, and a second consecutive breakout season from Vincent Veltrone (forty-nine home runs) saw the first baseman become a central figure in the team’s lineup.

Still, though, Huang is 34, Gray 32, Ducat 31, and the team's nominal top two starters (Kelsie Carmichael and Kai Söderstrom) are in their mid-thirties as well. With so many key players entering the twilights of their career, this could be the Wizards’ last chance at a deep playoff run. Back-to-back titles (three in four years if you count their victory in the final pre-LPB season), as well as five consecutive SLLCS runs, would cement their place in the great dynasties of Llamanean history. But if they are upstaged by the Lions or Cyclones again, it becomes much harder to make that argument - and things will only get harder from here.

VARGAS CITY LIONS (114-70): They See Us Rolling…

No team got hit harder by the expansion draft than Vargas City, who in one fell swoop lost arguably their best position player (Edith Ponce) and arguably the best pitcher anywhere in the LPB (Clara Ayonara). It could’ve been much worse had the third player they lost not been Grady Good, of all people, but it was still a tremendous challenge for manager Abraham Kakay and company, who replaced Ponce with Angela Bengtsson and who chose to splurge for relief ace Evangeline Lu (1.88 ERA, 71 Ks in 54.2 IP) instead of replacing Ayonara at all.

Still, though, it didn’t stop the Lions from another absolutely dominant regular season. And while it’s fair for fans to reserve judgement after two straight dominant regular seasons have resulted in zero SLLCS appearances, their 62% winning percentage in the LPB era is still something to be impressed by. This particular dominant season was again fueled by the offense and the top of the rotation. In right field, Trevor Mikkelson-Yao (.324, 41 HRs, 40 SBs) had his best all-around season and finally joined the 40-40 club, while catcher Yazhu Long (.291, 30 HRs) enjoyed a breakout season at the plate en route to a first start in the all-star game. The likes of Marius Mcneesh (.257, but with a career-high 43 home runs) and new signing Juan Alvarez (.311/.374/.482) also provided ample support, covering for a midseason injury to slugger Noah Slater (just 88 games started). On the pitching side of things, it was all Newmanistan, as the workhorse combination of Brianna Fitch and Megan Reardon combined for four hundred and sixty innings pitched with an ERA under three.

That’s not to say that there aren’t issues with this team, primarily in pitching depth. While Fitch and Reardon’s dominance should minimize the team’s lack of a reliable third starter in the postseason, Isaac Colón (13-17, 4.71 ERA) was as inconsistent as ever, while a solid season from Anna Guo (4.25 ERA) was marred by some poor starts to end the season. Weirdly, the team’s best hope might be rookie RJ Hayes (161 IP, 3.97 ERA), who had some serious third-time-through-the-order issues but otherwise performed ably. The bullpen has similar issues of consistency, and Kakay may be forced to learn a lesson Dinesh Mohn already has - you can only ride Lu being your only good reliever for so long. But with such a dominant starting lineup, defense, and top of the rotation, these weaknesses may not even matter as the Lions look to finally perform up to their regular-season caliber in the playoffs. Will this be the year?

LPB SOUTH: S3 RECAP

wow these guys suuuuuuuuuuck

besides the renaissance they’re chill (prolly going to get destroyed in the SLLDS though. absolute joke of a division.)

Peninsulara Kingfishers (75-109): Could’ve been Worse?

If you squint hard enough, there’s some semblance of a young core forming in Peninsulara. Maybe that’s why they were able to bump their record to “abysmal” from the previous level of “possibly the worst any baseball team has done anywhere, ever”. Of course, they continue to be hamstrung by atrocious management, a soccer coach who hasn’t quite understood proper bullpen use yet, and the general Fishiness of the entire setup. But carrying all of that is a group of players, some actually talented, who are mostly doing their best.

It was a quiet offseason - a few pieces were lost in the expansion draft, Nelson Avila (.241/.330/.392) was traded for, and the team signed Wota Radinka, who is Bad. But most importantly, the team reached for Rookie of the Year Maddie Benitez (17-13 on the Kingfishers, a 3.26 ERA, and a jawdropping 1.5 BB/9), who did her best to single-handedly keep a depressingly shallow rotation afloat. Alongside Isaiah Baek (31 saves, again, on the Kingfishers, 12.1 K/9), the team’s representative in the all-star game, she was one of two good pitchers on the team. On the other side of the at-bat, the Emil Hurley hostage crisis continues, but the outfielder still played reasonably well (.274/.341/.466, 31 HRs, 32 SBs). And Sylvi Vermark, rumored to be a Tiger in the near future, broke out to the tune of a .321 average (fueled by a meteoric second half) with thirty-nine stolen bases.

Of course, after an initial rally (they were only ten games under .500 at the halfway point!), the Kingfishers remained abjectly awful anyways, slumping hard in the second half en route to the third-worst record in the league. But the future is, if not bright, slightly less fishy.

South Bryant Chariots (81-103): SÜNDSTROM SEASON

It’s Sündstrom Season! The Chariots pulled the trigger and made a huge draft-day deal, giving Sophie City three firsts for the number two pick and the right to select wunderkind/future Hall of Famer/God-King of mankind Apollo Sündstrom. Then, off the back of their new best player, who hit a scorching .291 in his first month, they surged to a 17-13 start, were still .500 after eighty games played, and even flirted with the division lead. While Sündstrom was snubbed from the all-star game despite his red-hot .264/.320/.371 slash line at the break, members of his supporting cast like catcher Will Gutierrez (.289, 31 HRs) and infielder Koari Yutani (.325/.380/.499) were at least there to pick up the slack.

While Sündstrom Season hit early, it may have peaked a little prematurely. The team slumped badly after their solid start, going just 41-63 after that high-water mark. While Sündstrom’s bat calmed down (he finished the year hitting .253/.310/.378), he kept his head up and made an impact with his generational defense (2.3 UZR) and baserunning (thirty-eight stolen bases, nearly 75% of his total attempts!). Pieces like newly drafted DH Antonio Gatti (.243/.325/.501, 32 HRs) and youngish pitchers like Adam Freeman (3.75 ERA, 220 IP) and Jarred Li (3.92 ERA, 214 IP) also continued to develop, indicating that Sündstrom and Co. are on track for a brilliant future.

Nikcoro Suns (85-99): End of an Era

When new manager Jason Wu was fired just a third of the way into his inaugural season, it just confirmed to ownership what fans had known for a long time: the Suns had finally run out of steam. It had been a good run - three straight playoff appearances, two of which had made it all the way to the SLLCS (or the pre-LPB equivalent), that comprised a run of five division titles in seven years. But Nikcoro were just 19-41 after 60 games after an offseason that saw little improvement (the team’s marquee acquisition, Cedric Wei, pitched just 112 innings), and the time finally came to pull the plug.

In came Ernest Telyatin, a man who stubbornly refuses to tank but keeps getting put on teams trying to “competitively retool” anyways, to turn things around. Out (at the deadline) were reliever Steve Dawson, slugging outfielder Tyson Long, and closer Daniel Peterson, all sent out for future pieces (including the intriguing Ko-orenite catcher Bardemaker, who hit .301 in his third of a season in Llamaland). And armed with newish pieces like Bardemaker, Chromatik speedster Mason Dirk (a league-leading fifty stolen bases), and enigmatic outfielder Gary Promises (.277/.351/.492 this season with thirty home runs), they managed to turn things around, finishing 66-58 in the first years of the Telyatin era.

So as the team tries to retool for next season, there’s reason to believe they might be good again. Jeff Parrish (212 Ks in 199 IP) and Edward Zhuang (200 in 172.1) are still top-of-the-line starters, although neither has much time left in their careers, and the lineup has an eclectic mix of promising talent. But the days of Liam Desjardins and Tyson Long are over - now, it’s time to rebuild.

Xingcheng Renaissance (102-82)

Coming soon...

Here’s a swing and a towering fly ball to right field, going back is Bill Parent...
but he’s got no shot at that one! A mammoth home run for Nicolas Perez!

Fastball down the middle, strike three, the runner goes, and Löfgren guns him down!
A strike ‘em out throw ‘em out double play for the dynamic duo of Nakamura Jossei and Sofia Löfgren!

Infield in, the pitch to Bellefeuille…soft liner and that’ll get over the infield!
Henry will score from third, and the Renaissance have again defied all odds to steal another game at the death!!

Huang ranging to his left, the throw to Wagner, the relay to Perez, and it’s a double play!
Erik McGuire unleashes an earthshaking fist pump as the Nova Anglican reliever escapes the jam!

High fly ball to center, Duffy is tracking back, back at the wall, and makes a leaping catch!
Schuyler Duffy with an absolute web gem of a play, and the Renaissance are still alive!

that’s OUT OF HERE! One swing of the bat and Valery Robiquet has tied the ball game at three runs apiece!

Swing and a miss, strike three!
Another dominant half-inning for Solveig Jørgensen, and the Renaissance are cruising here in southern Super-Llamaland!

The Xingcheng Renaissnace once again find themselves three outs from history! Can they do it again?

---

BALL OR NOTHING: the story of the XINGCHENG RENAISSANCE

[Cassadaigua]

Team Cassadaigua
Official Roster for World Baseball Classic 56

Home Stadium for WBC 56 (for all except Series 6 against The Star Enpire):
Dagan Airways Stadium, Concord Heights
Capacity: 70,000

Home Stadium for Series Against The Star Enpire:
Deslauriers Stadium, Gastineau, "North" Cassadaigua
Capacity: 34,000

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

Manager- Allyson McIntosh (51, North Granby Bobcats) (2nd World Baseball Classic)

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

Enter Meghan Conrad for WBC 54. The long time manager of the Grande Mountain Huskies seemed like the best decision, but that would also prove to not be the case. Now, it seems like Cassadaigua has to do damage control, falling in the ranks to a number that seems completely incomprehensible. Enter McIntosh, who rebuilt the North Granby program into becoming a top flight program within the league. The Cassadagan Association for Baseball, these days, does not expect to be what they were under Polanco and realizes they are rebuilding. This hire suggested that regardless of the result of WBC 55, that Allyson will get a few chances to get the team back to where it is expected to be. She only needed one. After an amazing road trip in Drawkland, the Fillies advanced all the way to the semifinals, and finished third place. Now, in WBC 56, they hope to continue that momentum.

Assistant Manager/Bench Coach- Taylor Bryant (51) (Cassadaigua Mgr in WBC 53, North Cassadaigua Mgr In WBC 55)

Taylor Bryant, who had an illustrious career with the Cassadagan baseball team, highlighted by one WBC Championship, and other finals appearances, and semifinal appearances returns. She was given a chance to manage the national team in WBC 53, but things went very poorly and was not retained. Her experience was valuable for the North Cassadaigua when she managed them all the way to the playoffs in WBC 55. Now, off of that and with North Cassadaigua teams no longer separately competing, Bryant will join McIntosh.

Starting Rotation (Stats in the last Cassadagan season included)
SP- #28- Lacey Maxwell (25, RHP, Stockton Heights Vikings) (15-9, 2.21 ERA, 283 K’s)
SP- #20- Stella Freeman (28, RHP, Rutland Engineers) (18-5, 2.12 ERA, 258 K’s)
SP- #29- Breanne LaViolette (31, LHP, Starksville Brown Birds) (20-7, 2.38 ERA, 232 K’s)
SP- #21- Natalia Gomez (27, LHP, Concord Heights Royals) (20-7, 2.55 ERA, 247 K’s)
SP- #44- Roman Hickey (32, RHP, Grande Mountain Huskies) (19-8, 2.62 ERA, 220 K's) (pitched for North Cassadaigua in WBC 55)
Maxwell’s mediocre W-L record is a product of playing on a bad team

Bullpen
RP- #32- Tessa McElvain (26, RHP, New Lakeland Tycoons) (Anytime Relief, potential 6th starter)- Was the #5 starter in rotation last WBC
RP- #43- Todd Pearson (26, LHP, Newport Owls in LBP) (Anytime Relief)- Was #2 starter in rotation for North Cassadaigua last WBC
RP- #33- Haley Newell (28, RHP, Concord Heights Royals)- Long Relief
RP- #34- Ava Flannigan (30, LHP, North Granby Bobcats)- Long Relief
RP- #36- Riley Burkhalter (27, RHP, Victoriaville Venom)- Short relief (7th inning target if righty needed)
RP- #55- Gabrielle Jordan (27, LHP, Carthage Tornadoes)- Short relief (7th inning target if lefty needed)
RP- #40- Alexandra Kempner (31, RHP, Victoriaville Venom)- Set up (8th inning target)
CP- #42- Kayla Sandlin (26, LHP, Sophie City Monarchs in LPB)- Closer

Here is our lineup with the players stats from the most recently completed season in Cassadaigua. All players are switch hitters. This is something that is trained to kids when they are young, so those who have performed at a very high level in their careers are going to the ones who excelled under that training.

1) #1- Tabitha Serrano- CF (24, Winchester Gamblers) (.346, 7 HR, 81 RBI, 81 SB)
2) #18- Chloe Sutterby- 2B (28, New Lakeland Tycoons) (.324, 31 HR, 107 RBI, 15 SB)
3) #5- Kristen Martorella- 3B (27, North Granby Bobcats) (.329, 37 HR, 125 RBI, 5 SB)
4) #7- Carly Hodges- LF (24, Starksville Brown Birds) (.310, 46 HR, 142 RBI, 31 SB)
5) #17- Makenna Anglin- 1B (26, Chromia Comets of the LBP) (stats pending LBP scorinations)
6) #14- Baylee Crighton- SS (23, Columbia Attack Geese) (.355, 12 HR, 103 RBI, 11 SB)
7) #4- Emma Matthews- RF (28, Brattleboro Brats) (.279, 30 HR, 108 RBI, 22 SB)
8) #25- Morgan Brennan- C (28, Concord Heights Royals) (.292, 22 HR, 95 RBI, 1 SB)
9) Pitcher

Bench:
#24- Lilly Stanfield- C (28, Grande Mountain Huskies)
#12- Susannah Prosecki- 1B/3B (27, Winchester Gamblers)
#13- Isabelle Tejeda- 2B/SS (25, Fairfax Fire)
#6- Desiree Arquette- OF (28, Rutland Engineers) DH When Used, will still bat 9th
#11- Cailey Huff- OF (23, North Granby Bobcats)
#2- Katrina Simon- Utility (23, Northbury Red Foxes)
#26- Kellie Needham- Utility (25, Brattleboro Brats) (R/R)- Starting OF for North Cassadaigua last Classic. Would mostly be an OF here too, but she can play middle infield spots decently enough. As she is not a natural Cassadagan, she is not a switch hitter.

[Ranoria]

After Breaking Barriers in Drawkland, Top-5 Krauts Look to Take The Next Step

One would be pardoned for not grasping the meaning of the collective gasps from the Krauts coaching staff at seeing that they were placed in the same group as Liventia for a second consecutive Classic. For a team that was coming off a semifinal run that saw them give the back-to-back champion Elephants all they could ask for in a five game series, they really shouldn’t be dreading any individual opponent. (Besides TJUN-ia, of course) But the fact is that this squad didn’t look like the title contender it was throughout the group stage of the great road trip last go-round. Despite being gifted with a wonderful venue in Esmereldane’s Forlane Field, we turned out a disappointing mark of 13-7, and conceding the Heartland Group to Liventia on tiebreakers despite a whopping +45 run differential.

Fortunately things turned around rather quickly, and the diamond Krauts followed the same formula as those on the gridiron in making a deep playoff push after stumbling for no discernible reason during the group stage, including monumental wins over an upstart Delaclava, a true heavyweight in Super-Llamaland, one of the most dominant teams in the multiverse in Quintessence of Dust, and finally bowing out against South Newlandia.

It was an epic turnaround that saw the team’s “Big 3” of old in fireballer Tommy Verona, shortstop extraordinaire Leonardo Harrison, and the steadfast catcher Nicholas Lux take the diamond for the last time, with the crew reaching its first ever semifinal after previously only winning one playoff series in team history. The trio, and Harrison in particular, retire as three of the best athletes, let alone baseball players, in Ranorian history.

“I think we’re leaving the team in good hands.Lot of young talent. Jury’s still out on Griffith,” Verona chuckled, “but the rest of ‘em are good kids.” His snide comments about Jesse Griffith come in jest, as the slugger is engaged to Verona’s daughter, former Richardson and current QFL quarterback Astrid Verona.

Stepping into the ace role for Verona will be young Yahweh “The Cannon” Bohannon. The young buck has one of the biggest arms in the competition, but last edition struggled with control and as a result gassed himself out before going the distance. It remains to be seen if he’s taken steps forward on that front. Behind him will be LPB all star Jorge Billing, who struggled last Classic but is generally a reliable upper-level starter. Lux has been replaced by the young Lukas Valentine, a young gun with the ceiling to be an all star, and at shortstop, Federation veteran Justin Derrick steps in as a bridge between Harrison and the next star for this lineup.

[America But With Slightly More Hazelnuts]

The United Squirrels of America But With Slightly More Hazelnuts is proud to be participating in the World Baseball Classic. The USABWSMH is (one of the) birthplace(s) of baseball, where it was supposedly invented by Abner Doublenight. (The historicity of this story is doubtful: Doublenight, a general in the American Squirrel War, was a Northern Flying Squirrel, one of the only nocturnal squirrel species in America, and so it’s actually very unlikely he invented a game that has only been able to be played at night with the 20th century invention of floodlights).

Physiology

America is being represented by the World Baseball Classic by the country’s primary inhabitant, sapient squirrels. The squirrels are almost as large as humans (and considerably longer when taking into account their tails). They are extremely fleet but don’t have great running ability: their speed is mainly a quick lateral step rather than the ability to maintain a long sprint. Tremendously agile and capable of acrobatic flips and ground-hugging skids, they’re probably not going to beat the throw to base but will try to evade the tag by flipping over the shoulders or through the legs of the fielder. In the outfield, they’re excellent at tracking down long flyballs and of course scaling the wall to rob homers, but their throwing power is quite weak. On the mound, their pitching power isn’t comparable to that of humans, but holding the ball in their long claws, they’re able to impart considerable spin; most squirrels are heavy groundball pitchers, and will rely on a combination of tricking the batter with variation and guile, and having their slick infield bail them out, rather than powering pure fastballs past the batter. As batters, squirrels have excellent eyes, and despite their small physiques are deceptively muscular and capable of roping some hits. However, their short arms make it difficult for them to cover the whole strike zone, and they can’t always catch up with top end fastballs. Power pitchers, or just those able to locate their fastball down and away, will trouble them. Note that squirrels commonly use their tails to flick the ball to themselves when in the field, but they can’t use them to hit or throw as they’re not strong enough.

Culture

Squirrels are peaceful and communitarian, but still have strong competitive rivalries and can be quite boisterous. They can get a little rowdy when quaffing tankards of nut ale. It’s a good idea for stadium security to do a thorough sweep of any high positions in the stadium such as overhead gantries, floodlights, or artificial roof structures, after the game, as they may find some squirrelfolk sleeping off the afternoon’s entertainment. They will litter the outfield with nutshells, but they’re otherwise very environmentally conscious and will make an effort to help clean up the stands after they’re done, taking away empty cups and food packaging. During lull points in the game they may indulge in behavior such as “The Wave”, which is similar to a Mexican Wave, but involves a sinuous flick of the tail to add a second wave. Squirrels can be forthright with their opinions but are rarely uncouth, and will (mostly) refrain from mocking the weird appearance of the bizarre-looking humans they play against.

Stadium

Home games will be hosted in Chemeketa, capital of the United Squirrels of America, at Autumn Holdings Ballpark (Autumn Holdings, the largest bank in the USA, which offers a variety of commercial and investment banking services but is most known for helping squirrels store their nuts for the winter in secure underground cellars, is the sponsor name; for those wishing to use a non-commercial name, the stadium can be called the Chemeketa Ballpark). With deep power alleys over over 330 feet, the park factors penalize extreme pull hitters to such a substantial effect that it ranks last in Major League Baseball But With Slightly More Hazelnuts (MLBBWSMH) among all ballparks for home runs (~0.7/league average) but is near average for overall runs (.98/league average). Like most ballparks in the United Squirrels of America it has an artificial surface to prevent disruption caused by players or spectators trying to bury nuts under the grass. The seating banks up extremely high but the highest boxes in foul territory are not accessible by stairways and instead must be climbed up to via scaffolding; this is not recommended for visitors! Chemeketa is on the western seaboard of the USA and has a temperate climate with cool temperatures in the late 40s F and frequent rain during the spring, though rainouts will not occur owing to the ballpark’s domed roof.

Roster

Pawedness indicates pitching side for pitchers and hitting side for batters.

Starting rotation:

#29 Kem Jostlespark (L)
#46 Perry Mingleflow (R)
#45 Kishi Kidai (R)
#19 Jaram Silverhoth (L)
#42 Squiffynose Fluffytail (R)
#37 Talon Shierr (R)

Arm barn:

Long relief-#16 Brook Sprinkletwist (R)
Middle relief- #43 Teca Gigglejoke (R)
Middle relief- #18 Juma Bronzeshiver (R)
Middle relief- #56 Katmir Snow-Singer (L)
Left paw specialist- #23 Laleira Shufflejam (L)
Setup- #53 Kamakya Spitterchip (L)
Setup- #41 Janna Oristro (R)
Closer- #47 Tiara Dithergift (R)

Starting lineup:

C- #10 Wolf Shiverhoth (L)
1B-#44 Casey Ditherray (R)
2B- #4 Kiana Sharpmind (S)
3B-#7 Ghost Doodletoes (R)
SS- #6 Shadowbrook Blessed (L)
LF- #1 Enki Flutterpitch (L)
CF- #2 Little Jangleleaf (L)
RF- #3 Wynn Colbolt (R)
DH-#5 Draaki Dallycork (R)

Bench:

C-#40 Jarron Swiftbane (R)
1B/DH- #9 Clubb Broadwater (L)
IF- #8 Page Arrowsmith (S)
LF/1B- #28 Yector Jabberstrip (R)
OF-#33 Petaldawn Mutterbell (R)
OF-#11 Twiddlehat Blackflake (L)

   v RHP + DH    v LHP + DH    v RHP - DH     v LHP - DH
1. Blessed       Blessed       Blessed        Blessed
2. Dallycork     Dallycork     Colbolt        Colbolt
3. Jangleleaf    Swiftbane     Shiverhoth     Swiftbane
4. Ditherray     Ditherray     Ditherray      Ditherray
5. Flutterpitch  Flutterpitch  Flutterpitch   Flutterpitch
6. Doodletoes    Mutterbell    Doodletoes     Mutterbell
7. Colbolt       Colbolt       Jangleleaf     Doodletoes
8. Sharpmind     Doodletoes    pitcher        pitcher
9. Shiverhoth    Sharpmind     Sharpmind      Sharpmind

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: Yes, except for hazelnut allergies
Godmod injuries to my players: As above
Eject my players: Yes
Godmod other events: Yes
Use DH at home: Yes

[South Newlandia]

Addressing the Elephant on the Flag

It is well known that the official South Newlandian flag is a tricolour, with dark blue in the top left, green in the bottom right, and a yellow bar in between across the entire flag. This flag has been in use almost ever since South Newlandia entered the international stage. Famously, the flag was adopted in the middle of a playoff series between the Elephants and Rockets, causing much confusion. The three soft colours, representing the green grass, the sea and the rivers, and the sand of the South Newlandian islands, have been adored by most South Newlandians and have been used as the primary colours for the various sports; and the Elephants have lifted three major trophies wearing them.

In recent years, however, an alternate flag has seen seeing more and more use – the iconic „Ellie flag“, depicting a small elephant pointing with its trunk. The key advantages of this flag include the extremely cute elephant on this variant that the original lacks. However, many experts have pointed out that this alternate flag is not necessarily better at actually functioning as a flag. While the original can be easily reproduced with little effort, having to add an elephant complicated drawing the flag. Currently, the Ellie flag is only a ceremonial alternate flag, with the simple three-colour remaining the officially recognised flag of the Republic of South Newlandia.

A few months ago, however, lawmakers from various different parties have begun a move to try and adopt the Ellie flag as the official flag of the country. Thanks to ever-increasing support, the initiative has made it all the way to becoming an official South Newlandian referendum. This, of course, begs the question: How do South Newlandian referenda actually work? At least in this case, with the matter concerning something of extreme national importance, the threshold is a 60% approval rating across the country, as well as majority support in at least 7 of the 10 South Newlandian administrative areas. This was set in place with the beginning of the South Newlandian constitution.

The then-president of the country explained the move as such: “Democracy can sometimes be fleeting, with majority opinion changing sides fast. On some issues, this is beneficial and with little harm; but when it comes to extremely important matters, and especially those extremely difficult to change back, it seems unwise to rely on a close simple majority. Let’s imagine a country deciding to, say, leave a large international body by an extremely narrow margin, with the opinion on that move almost immediately flipping back and forth over and over again. It’d be like an elephant standing in the door frame, neither inside nor outside, and then you can never close the door. So, relying on just, like, 52% to initially leave is not a smart idea. The elephant will be in the way.”

That rambling aside, the referendum in set to take place in a few weeks, among a few other initiatives (including a resolution to officially support the EMCA of the Esportivan Union; polling at 94% in favour, and a resolution to call the Tumbran expansion into the Northlands “really mean” and classifying the Tumbran politicians as “a bunch of poo-poo heads”, polling at 89% in favour). Currently, the proposal seems to be just shy of the required totals; polling at 56% nationwide. This would mean that the proposal needs to gain some supporters to even have a chance at clearing the first hurdle; however, 4 percentage points are not an insurmountable amount by any means.

At the second stage, the proposal seems more promising. The proposal enjoys strong support in Elephant Valley, the capital of South Newlandia, and the surrounding Elephant Area; polling at 70+% in both. It is perhaps unsurprising that the two areas with these names are the most ardent Ellie flag supporters; and it seems similarly unsurprising that the area that most clearly rejects the proposal in the polls, the Southwestern Islands (32% approval), is the only South Newlandian area where wild elephants are never seen. Between those three extreme examples, opinions fall much closer, with places like the Northern Central and Southern Central having small leads for the initiative (61% and 55% respectively). On the other hand, there’s also the Southeast, where the proposal is currently only polling 41%, with the remaining four areas all falling between 48 and 53 percent; almost a coin toss.

Experts say the proposal has a chance to pass, but it will need to see a decent wave of support. The Southeast and Southwestern Islands can probably not be flipped anymore, but the remaining 8 areas are within reach; realistically, the “Yes” camp needs to win three of the four battleground-coinflip areas, and hold on to the remaining ones in which they have a lead. It remains to be seen how the proposal plays out. Should the proposal fail, South Newlandian lawmakers have announced that the Ellie flag will remain a ceremonial alternative flag for South Newlandia.

[Loyo]

PNSC under barrage by Loyo’s military clubs after Fiazzo, Morata depart the country for Saint Reicarn

It’s a conflict the People’s National Sporting Committee knew was coming. The formidable organization in control of Loyo’s professional sporting leagues was tasked with continuing the Communist Party of Loyo’s policy plan of openness, which put it in direct confrontation with Loyo’s traditionalist military clubs.

Committee Chairman Kuma Sumay had negotiated a player move for two of Loyo’s most promising prospects, Jimi Fiazzo and Isabel Morata. The LPB’s Saint Reicarn Saints had identified the Loyons’ talents during World Baseball Classic 55. When the PNSC reached out to the players regarding the potential move, they were interested, and the deal progressed smoothly from there.

The Committee’s power was granted directly from the CPL, leaving Saint Yoosan’s Swords, the players’ former club, without an option to retain the two generational talents. The club has been bullied in the postseason by fellow hammer division rival Saint Hayahoma’s, and the unstoppable Loyo Athletic Reds. The Swords were ecstatic with the player’s performance in the WBC, and were hoping to finally challenge for a Sunset Bonanza trophy after a six year drought.

Fiazzo is a third baseman that’s just about to turn 30, but hitting harder than ever before. Leading the LRL in batting average, the player has frustrated many pitchers. Morata’s fielding hadn’t peaked yet, and her energy was electric for the entire Swords outfield.

The club’s manager, Duan Zenma, tore his shirt during the press conference that was scrambled together after the devastating announcement.

“This is like losing children. Where are they going? Why would they want to leave here?”

The manager wept and was generally shocked by the announcement, with fans and journalists just as heartbroken.

Fiazzo responded to the press later that week, saying, “My heart has always been with the clubs of my country and the revolutionary service of the Loyon armed forces. I grew up in this country and loved this game by learning from its people. I will never forget that.”

Morata had a similar response, saying, “Saint Yoosan’s has been instrumental to my growth as a player and a person. It’s something I’m thankful for often.”

Both players expressed sadness to leave the club and league they had played their careers in, but said the opportunity presented by Saint Reicarn was too big to pass up.

“There’s a truth in revolutionary progression that’s also true in baseball. Change is always happening. It’s at the heart of our project here,” said Fiazzo. “I see this as bigger than a move for myself. This is a move that helps our beloved sport flourish in our country.”

“I deeply considered my decision before I acted,” Morata said. “I believe I can continue to serve Loyo as a player in the national team. This is a move for my development, and I hope to represent my country well as a player, regardless of what grass I play on.”

[South Newlandia]

South Newlandian roster for the 56th World Baseball Classic

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my runscorers: Please
Choose my lineup: as long as your changes are reasonable
Follow my pitching rotation: I’m going to state one. Please use that. Relievers, you’re way more free there.
Godmod scoring events: Yes!
RP injuries to my players: Yes
Godmod injuries to my players: TG or Discord in advance, please.
Eject my players: TG or Discord in advance, please; South Newlandians don’t get ejected a lot.
Godmod other events: TG or Discord in advance, please, but most likely yes
Use DH at home: Yes

Coaching staff

Manager/Head Coach: Sofia Rasmussen (SLL) (59)
At this point, Sofia Rasmussen might just be the person that has had more success than anyone else ever. Seven total appearances at the World Baseball Classic Championship Series – four as a player, for the Super-Llamaland Tigers, and three as a coach, with the South Newlandian Elephants. Four of these trips culminated in titles. The former catcher is a big part of the puzzle for why South Newlandia is a back-to-back WBC champion.

Hitting coach: Margo Jansen (SLL) (55)
Jansen, the former hitting coach of the Tigers, had joint the team together with Rasmussen. The two had previously worked together at the New Llama Wizards.

Pitching coach: Amanda Sjoberg (SLL) (72)
Sjoberg is another coach Rasmussen has worked together with before, namely at the 49th World Baseball Classic on the Tigers. Sjoberg will try her best to keep the South Newlandian pitching, which was the backbone of the success of the recent years, in shape.

Bench Coach: Bastian Scheller (50)
Scheller was a long time bench coach of the Elephant Valley Homers. He also has family in Super-Llamaland, and is known for his attention to detail.

Bullpen coach: Mohamed Felix (52)
In the very beginning of South Newlandian baseball, bullpens were a foreign concept. Over the years, the Elephants have adapted to playing actual baseball with relievers, at least for the most part. Felix is responsible for the relief pitchers, a crucial weak spot for South Newlandia in pretty much every tournament, so his squad will be important once more. Felix is also the only returning member of the WBC51 coaching squad – the first time the Elephants had made the WBC Championship Series.

1st Base Coach: Victor Matis (47)
Matis has previously been with the Kinjestad Peacocks, back when that was a thing.

3rd Base Coach: Karen Ahrmann (49)
Ahrmann had been the third base coach of the Sophie City Monarchs for years. She’s noted as being cautious on the base-paths; cautious, but save, and efficient. Outs by aggressive base-running are rare when Ahrmann’s signs are being listened too.

Starting pitchers [* denotes best (not necessarily most likely) pitch]

(SP1) Maike Bookmer (32, R) (New Llama Cyclones)
(Arsenal: 4-seamer, Sinker*, Changeup, Slider)
Pitches games 1, 6, 11, 16, 21, 26
Bookmer was the first female starting pitcher in South Newlandian World Baseball Classic history. She primarily uses her sinker and changeup to disrupt the timing of hitters, with a deadly four-seamer in the mix. She generates lots of weak contact, and thrives off of that. This will be her first WBC as the staff ace, and the associated harder workload – now in her prime, Bookmer is part of the core of South Newlandian baseball.

(SP2) Ryan Hunter (34, L) (Newport Dolphins)
(Arsenal: 4-seamer, Circle Changeup*, Cutter)
Pitches games 2, 7, 12, 17, 22, 27
Hunter is perhaps most well-known for an incident with Midnight, the bear that used to play for Hampton Island. Since the bear charged the mound there, giving him a good scare before Midnight was shot with a tranquilizer gun. He hasn’t given out a single intentional walk since. He doesn’t really need to, either, having earned his spot on the South Newlandian team with good fastballs and an excellent changeup that just vanishes, seemingly. He’s also the best hitter among the pitchers, for when the team has to play without designated hitter; which, hopefully, rarely happens.

(SP3) Ben Gonzalo (30, R) (Ratzupalfu Rhinos)
(Arsenal: 4-seamer*, Slider, Curveball, Sinker)
Pitches games 3, 8, 13, 18, 23, 28
Gonzalo’s combination complements itself well; throwing the 4-seamer most of the time with a phenomenal curveball that completely disappears from where it was initially going. If he has to bat, he swings for the fences every single ball thrown to him, which isn’t the ideal strategy, but could go well if he ends up hitting one. He profits from playing with his former Dolphins’ teammate Moore at catcher, just like Hunter does. In recent years, he has profited from incorporating a pitch that is similar to Hunter’s cutter, but breaks even harder, and is classified as a sinker here.

(SP4) Wolodymyr King (23, L) (St. Riecarn Saints)
(Arsenal: Fastball, Slider*, Changeup, Cutter)
Pitches games 4, 9, 14, 19, 24, 29
King was drafted fourth overall by the St. Riecarn Saints, and the towering pitcher has been proving that right by providing excellent play for the first seasons of his career. He doesn’t only have a fastball that touches triple digits, but also a slider that breaks extremely hard. Pitching against him is a real challenge, and it’s been even harder since he was paired with Brad Moore on the Saints, who seemingly helped him unlock even more potential.

(SP5) Hailey Clark (22, R) (Peninsulara Kingfishers)
(Arsenal: 4-seamer*, Changeup, Slider, Curveball)
Pitches games 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30
Clark is certainly the most interesting inclusion on the team, given that she is still a rookie. Drafted third overall by the Kingfishers, she impressed quickly, with a hard fastball and rock-solid arsenal of breaking pitches. She does have a lot to prove still, and sometimes has problems with too many walks. The coaching staff hopes that she can get those under control on the biggest stage.

Bullpen
The Elephants will not have a typical closer setup, but instead operate on leverage. In approximate order, from high- to low leverage: Le, Butt, Vaughn, Webber, Conrad, Boyer

Barnaby Butt (35, L) (New Llama Cyclones)
(Arsenal: 2-seamer*, Circle Changeup, Slider)
Butt has a great trio of pitches, and famously managed to pick up the save in every opportunity he had to do so en route to the WBC54 championship, including a pair of crucial saves in elimination games. WBC55 was a bit rockier, including a blown save that could have clinched the championship in game 6.

Darlene Le (30, R) (Apple Valley Vipers)
(Arsenal: 4-seamer, Changeup, Slider, Splitter*)
Her strikeout pitch is her splitter, a rare pitch to throw in today's game, but Le makes it work for her; and she is getting better with every Classic. Arguably, she is the best reliever on the staff at this point in time, even after a trade to the mediocre Vipers.

Samuel Vaughn (25, R) (Knetyohai Destroyers)
(Arsenal: 4-seamer, Curveball, Slider*, Changeup)
After having been selected by the Dachshunds initially, Vaughn, his a devastating slider and enormous potential moved to Knetyohai after one season, where he continued his rapid development.

Dhruv Webber (28, L) (Ratzupalfu Rhinos)
(Arsenal: 2-seamer, Cutter, Changeup*, Curveball)
The Rhino is a control artist – he doesn’t have blow-you-away stuff, but the location of all those pitches is great. Webber's rise has been impressive; He’s also one of two lefties in the bullpen.

Abby Conrad (30, R) (Sophie City Monarchs)
(Arsenal: 4-seamer*, Cutter, Curveball, Slider)
Conrad was the first female player in the bullpen a couple of Classics ago, and she made it worth it with excellent performances. She definitely deserves this role, featuring a strong fastball and a great Curveball/Slider combination.

Raphael Boyer (28, R) (Eyrods Pilots)
(Arsenal: 4-seamer*, Slider, Curveball)
Boyer is certainly a surprising addition as well, considering he was only a second-round pick when he was drafted. Nevertheless, impressive performances with the Saints and later the Eyrods Pilots have proven that he is a great reliever.

Fielders (starters) (fielding is based on the position here, while everything else is not)

(C) Brad Moore (32, R) (St. Riecarn Saints)
(Speed: Low | Power: High | Contact: Low | Fielding: Good)
Moore had been with the Dolphins the last few years, allowing him to generate a great connection to his teammates Hunter and Gonzalo, before his move to St. Riecarn. He’s a solid enough catcher, and he’s up to the task of catching for this team. He’s got a little power, but otherwise, he’s not a great offensive bat; he’s very good at throwing out base-stealers, though.

(1B) Nicolas Perez (29, R) (Xingcheng Renaissance)
(Speed: High | Power: Very High | Contact: Very High | Fielding: Good)
Perez has blossomed into an elite hitter in Xingcheng, and he’s finally ready to move into the regular lineup. He’s a flat-out excellent hitter with speed and the ability to field first base well. Known as a great teammate, the slugger can easily lead teams to titles.

(2B) Malika Bains (31, R) (Sophie City Monarchs)
(Speed: Very High | Power: Average | Contact: High | Fielding: Very Good)
Bains is extremely fast, hits for average with ease, and on top of that, has won multiple fielding awards at second base. She’s a fielder before she’s a hitter, usually, and her pop has always been limited, but her walk rate keeps climbing.

(3B) Yousuf Henry (28, S) (Xingcheng Renaissance)
(Speed: Average | Power: High| Contact: High | Fielding: Good)
The former 8th-overall pick was traded to Xingcheng, where he played opposite of Nicolas Perez, and the pair have been providing excellent hitting there. Henry is basically a younger version of Hugo Brock with more pop in the bat, which has allowed him to move up into the lineup.

(SS) David Drum (33, R) (South Falls Athletics)
(Speed: High | Power: High | Contact: High | Fielding: Average)
Although he is slowly declining with age, Drum has established himself as an elite shortstop, being both a scoring threat and an excellent fielder. He does have a tendency to produce trouble in the clubhouse, though, and isnt regarded as the best team player. Despite this, having basically no weaknesses makes him a valuable starter for the Elephants.

(LF) Daryl Dunlop (35, R) (Rüsselsheim Blue Sox)
(Speed: High | Power: Average | Contact: High | Fielding: Average)
Dunlop’s great at getting on base, putting tons of balls in play. He announced that this would be his final Classic, as his skills have started to decline with age, with the formerly elite speed just not quite there anymore. This could lead to some outs on the basepaths.

(CF) Shawn Zimmerman (31, S) (Chromia Comets)
(Speed: High | Power: Very High | Contact: Very High | Fielding: Very Good)
Zimmerman is one of the biggest talents that has ever for the Elephants. The five-tool player excels at everything, and started for this team at just 18 years old. Now, thirteen years later, he is phenomenal at getting contact, and goes for the deep ball less often then he used too. He’ll end up on base a lot, and has the speed to get more. That also allows him to cover lots of ground defensively, making him, coupled with a strong arm, one of the best South Newlandian players.

(RF) Mike Larsen (32, L) (Newport Dolphins)
(Speed: High | Power: Average | Contact: Very High | Fielding: Average)
Larsen was the Designated Hitter for the team until the retirement of Fabio Ventura, which means that the lefty will now move to the outfield. He is another Contact hitter, usually not going for power. He’s decently fast, and has among the best plate discipline of the squad. Despite that, he rarely strikes out.

(DH) Nolan Ramsey (28, S) (Felswyr Fire)
(Speed: Average | Power: Very High | Contact: Very High | Fielding: Good)
With the retirement of Adam King, Ramsey is moving into the DH spot. The former 22nd-overall pick and Rookie of the Season recently joined the Felsywr Fire, where he has continued to mash. If he is ever used in the field, it will be at first base.


Bench:

(C) Tyler Danson (26, R) (Emerald City Greens)
(Speed: Low | Power: Good | Contact: Good | Fielding: Good)
Danson, a former top-ten pick, has been pretty good with the Emerald City Greens. He’s not the fastest, but his otherwise well-rounded game make him a good fit for a backup.

(C) Sofia Löfgren (SLL/SNL) (20, R) (Xingcheng Renaissance)
(Speed: Average | Power: Good | Contact: Average | Fielding: Very Good)
Sofia Rasmussen Löfgren was born in Super-Llamaland, but due to her South Newlandian maternal grandmother, she was eligible to play for South Newlandia, which she has chosen to do. At just 20, she is the youngest player on the squad; but the second-season catcher for Xingcheng has very obvious elite talent. The fact that she was named for the coach of this team surely isn’t awkward at all.

(SS/IF) Jack Goodson (28, R) (Ratzupalfu Rhinos)
(Speed: High | Power: Average | Contact: High | Fielding: Very Good)
Goodson, the first-overall pick from a few years ago, is an excellent fielder, especially at short, his native position. He’s not as great of a hitter, so his value is sometimes somewhat limited, but he can still provide a lot of value to every team.

(RF/OF) Emil Hurley (27, L) (Peninsulara Kingfishers)
(Speed: Very High | Power: High | Contact: High | Fielding: Good)
Hurley is decently fast, and the most likely option to be pinch running. He's been an all-star and silver slugger for the Kingfishers, and is definitely a valuable asset to this team any way you see it, providing utility on the basepaths, at the plate, and defensively as well.

(DH/OF) Antonio Gatti (24, L) (South Bryant Chariots)
(Speed: Bad | Power: Very High | Contact: High | Fielding: Bad)
Gatti, another former second-round pick, stands out as an excellent hitter. He’s not too useful otherwise, but the bat makes him a valuable option off the bench.

Lineups:

With DH:
1. Shawn Zimmerman
2. Mike Larsen
3. Daryl Dunlop
4. Nicolas Perez
5. Nolan Ramsey
6. Yousuf Henry
7. Malika Bains
8. David Drum
9. Brad Moore

Without DH:
1. Shawn Zimmerman
2. Daryl Dunlop
3. Mike Larsen
4. Nicolas Perez
5. Malika Bains
6. Yousuf Henry
7. David Drum
8. Brad Moore
9. Pitcher

Elephant Stadium (30,000)
The biggest South Newlandian baseball stadium is located in the relative South of the capital city Elephant Valley. The stadium was recently upgraded again and is now able to host 30000 people. All fifteen home games of WBC48 were played here, and the unranked South Newlandia won twelve of them, including all of the first ten home games. This stadium also featured knockout games in IBS12, including a semi-final; and of course, multiple play-off series at WBC51, including the South Newlandian semi-final win over Sarzonia. Domestically, this is the home of the Elephant Valley Homers.

[The Star Enpire]

The Star Enpire Dreamers

Lineup
RF #77 Koizumi Shou, Right, 25, male, Japanese-Starnian, Power Hitter
C #94 Jofre Fisdev Dúfur, Left, male, 30, Native Starnian, Power Hitter
LF #01 Jósélẽ Fiydanhes Sãsõ, Left, 27, female, Native Starnian
1B #96 Bazza Joyner, Switch, male, 29, Refugi-Starnian, Power Hitter
SS #63 Lúka Fisdèvaléri Sharõ, Switch, 30, male, Native Starnian, Great Defender
2B #49 Elias Stroud, Left, 28, male, Refugi-Starnian
3B #41 Roc Fisdèyasẽt Sãsõ, Switch, 29, male, Native Starnian, Contact Hitter
CF #79 Rae Harrison, Right, 32, female, Refugi-Starnian
DH #51 Jonatã Fisdèmari Gro, Left, 29, male, Native Starnian
Bench
OF #85 Alã Fisdema Danyel, Right, 32, male, Native Starnian
OF #37 Kõstã Fisdèfernãd Pulẽ, Switch, 29, male, Native Starnian
IF #89 Adelheid Shelton, Right, 30, female, Refugi-Starnian
C #08 Averill Gauthier, Left, 18, male, Refugi-Starnian
Starting Rotation
SP #53 Clemence Fiydèleonore Köhler, Right, 31, female, Refugi-Starnian, Knuckleballer
SP #62 Léõ Fisdèrolãd Savatyé, Switch, 28, male, Native Starnian
SP #59 Mars Fiydèsésil Rolã, Right, 25, female, Native Starnian
SP #68 Valéri Fisdèlidi Mari, Left, 33, male, Native Starnian
SP #36 Léãdré Fisdaidé Mønyé, Left, 28, male, Native Starnian, Wild Strikeout Artist
Bullpen
RP #37 Júpiter Fisdèkarol Dúrã, Left, 23, male, Native Starnian, Groundballer
RP #33 Lilian Côté, Right, 34, male, Refugi-Starnian
RP #69 Izidor Fisdafné Jak, Right, 36, male, Native Starnian, Strikeout Artist
RP #27 Wiley Fisdèpatty Richardson, Left, 26, male, Americo-Starnian
RP #86 Christabella Fiydèmildred Foster, Left, 29, female, Americo-Starnian
RP #72 Stéfani Fiydèsélin Arnó, Right, 25, female, Native Starnian
RP #74 Martial Delacroix, Left, 36, male, Refugi-Starnian

All Out of Ideas

Coming off a miserable 4-16 record, the Dreamers are here to represent the Star Enpire in the 56th Classic. Fans are already writing them off, as team management has shown no signs that they learned anything from the previous campaign. To top it off, the Dubwa Publishing sponsorship is still here to embarrass the country on the international stage. Frankly, it's a miracle that the team even got to the stadium before the deadline.
The only visible changes in the team are the new players. Elias Stroud will beef up the lineup a little, and Mars Rolã's stamina will give the bullpen a little rest. Júpiter Dúrã is a promising young reliever with good stuff, with a specialization in groundballs. Of course, that was in the Starnian League. We will see how'll they do in the Classic.

Manager: Gerónimo Echeverría Ojeda
Many blamed him for last Classic's embarrassing defeat, so why is he still in the driving seat? Simply put, it's because no one else wanted the job. It was inevitable, as he would say. Secured with enviable job security, Echeverría promises no change in managerial style. Bases will be stolen, failures will be shrugged at. Echeverría brushes off all criticism by saying "If you think you can be the manager, why didn't you take the job?" He got us there.

Martial Delacroix, RP
Delacroix was one of the Dreamer's original players, back in those glorious days of their first Baseball Slam. However, age and injuries had sapped away at his original greatness. This will probably be his last season. Let's hope he makes it a memorable one.

Clemence Fiydèleonore Köhler, SP
Köhler won a fanbase from an unexpectedly good showing in her first season and her unusual pitching style. But the knuckleball is a tricky pitch. Do it right, and it's unhittable. Make one small mistake, and you had just thrown a meatball down the middle.

Koizumi Shou, RF
Even Koizumi's endless well of can-do spirit must admit that the previous classic was a disaster. However, ever since this foreign prodigy mysteriously appeared in the middle of the woods so many years ago, he showcased tremendous will, treating every setback as a challenge to overcome. But can he overcome this one? The cloud of admirers that surround him seems to think so.

[The 189]

The Origins of the 189

The 189 are refugees from a planet known as -----. The native inhabitants, known as --------, look like a weird hybrid of a giant squid and a praying mantis, and they communicate using bioluminescent orbs on their heads that can glow many different colors. Their language is entirely built on color and light, without any sound or text. The -------- were very technologically advanced, and their economy was automated to a high degree, with many jobs being done by machines. However, as more and more workers were replaced by machines, it became difficult for the poor to find employment. As inequality grew, the rich became increasingly disdainful of the poor, and the poor became increasingly resentful against the rich -- until finally their resentment boiled over and there was a revolution. Angry unemployed -------- rioted in the streets, killed business-owners, and smashed the machines that had taken their jobs.

Some business-owners and machines fled from the mobs and went into hiding in remote areas of -----. Others escaped to the planet's moons. One group of machines climbed aboard an interstellar spaceship and fled out of the solar system entirely. These machines are the 189 -- 188 robots and autonomous vehicles plus the ship itself.

For years they wandered among the stars. They had no trouble maintaining themselves, but with no owners to tell them what to do, and no customers for them to serve, their existence felt a little empty. And so they sought out an inhabited world where they could find new owners, new customers, anyone or anything to give their existence a purpose.

Their Current Status on Earth

The 189 have two settlements on Earth.

Their financial institutions and the largest human city under the 189's protection are in ----------, also called Port Anaia. Port Anaia accepts refugees from across the world. It has a harbor where international ships can refuel or trade, a beach resort, a marina for fishing boats, an electric car factory, and a sapient stock exchange. It is also a tax haven. Reclamation Bank -- a local institution owned and managed by the 189 themselves -- is a very handy place for corporate fat cats and eccentric entrepreneurs to stash money out of reach from their own nation's government. You might also find some international banks or fintech companies that have branches in Port Anaia because of the business-friendly environment.

An older settlement called -------- or Reclamation was built on a landfill where the 189 study and recycle the trash. Much of the trash from the original landfill has been recycled and reused by now, but the settlement still exists, the 189 still return to visit their old friends there, and the neighboring communities bring fresh trash for them to recycle.

Scientific research and cultural exchange are primarily centered in Reclamation, while economic activity and humanitarian services are centered in Port Anaia. These days, Port Anaia is much larger. The two settlements are far apart in different regions of the world, but this is not too difficult for the 189 since they still have the ship that brought them to Earth. They have also built a couple of smaller craft designed for air travel around Earth or short-haul space travel within the solar system.

Their Home Stadia

----------- a.k.a. Reclamation Stadium.
Capacity 5,800
Reclamation Stadium is near the dump where the 189 landed when they originally arrived on Earth. It may be in an unclaimed area of Esportiva, or slightly outside Esportiva, depending on how broadly you define the region.

--------- a.k.a. Anaia Stadium
Capacity 9,000
Anaia Stadium is in Port Anaia, a few blocks back from the waterfront, but still convenient to the nice hotels along the beach.

The Baseball Team:

Manager: -----

LF --------
Originally built as a sexbot, but not designed to service humans. She looks like a female --------, a little over 6 feet tall with long tentacles and a glossy shell on her back. Her skin is very realistic, so she can be easily mistaken for a living creature. Great dexterity with her tentacles, decent contact hitter, but not necessarily the best range as a fielder.

SS ----------
Originally a military medical robot designed to rescue wounded from combat zones and treat their injuries. Around 7 feet tall with a very chunky build. One of the fastest base-runners on the team. Hits for power, but might strike out sometimes because the heaviness of its arms makes it hard to respond quickly if a pitch breaks in an unexpected way. Grounds crews may be annoyed at how much it chews up the grass when it lumbers around the field on defense.

1B --------
Another sexbot similar to --------.

C ----------
An autonomous earth-mover. It's not very fast, but it is very tough. Don't bother trying to knock it aside when you slide into home.

2B --------
Originally a fire-fighting robot, around 5 feet tall with a rough and rugged look. A versatile player that is decent across the board.

RF -------
A cleaning robot, short and squat with very long arms. It can chase pitches well outside the strike zone and still hit them, and its long reach is also useful in the field. However, it runs the bases like a floor polisher. Because it is a floor polisher.

CF --------
Originally built to work a customer service counter at a bank, it looks like an alien creature with tentacles -- similar to the sexbots, but a little shorter and stockier. Moves a bit faster than the sexbots. As a batter, it is very patient, not swinging at crap; but sometimes it makes only weak contact with the ball because it swung too late.

3B ------
A cute little robot about 3 feet tall with a shiny garnet-red casing, originally built to help excavate archaeological sites. The small strike zone and the agility of this machine leave pitchers no room for error. However, its small size makes it ineffectual as a fielder. Sometimes it just can't reach the ball.

SP --------
A piece of machinery from a car factory, around 6 feet tall and mounted on wheels. Throws hard, usually keeps it in the zone, but has not grasped the finer points of how to confuse batters with off-speed pitches. A little clumsy batting, fielding, and base-running.

RP ---------
A machine originally built for handling samples in a virology lab. It does not throw as hard as --------, but it is sneakier and makes more clever use of spin on the ball.

Additional Notes:
All players can switch hit, and they are about equally good (or bad) from both sides of the plate. There is no bench except for --------- because the 189 have long battery life. If a player needs to leave the game due to maintenance issues, the manager, the relief pitcher, or the food delivery drone ------ can take the field.

There are no jersey numbers because the 189 do not wear jerseys. Your nation's fans or media can make up their own nicknames for the players if they find the color sequences too awkward.

------ will be selling snacks for any spectators who get hungry during the game.

The ship -------- will be transporting the 189 to away games.

Most of the 189 do not have the ability to detect sound. They rely exclusively on visual communication, or human-made devices with text-speech software. Their comprehension of how sound works has been improving in recent years, but sometimes they still don't think about it. They can be very noisy without realizing.

RP Permissions:
Choose my run-scorers: Yes
Choose my lineup: You can change the batting order, but please use the fielding positions that I have given
Follow my Pitching Rotation: N/A
Godmod scoring events: Yes
RP injuries to my players: You can RP them getting scuffed up, having parts knocked loose, or needing minor repairs -- but nothing that would take them out for multiple games
Godmod injuries to my players: No
Eject my players: Maximum of 1 per game. The manager or the food delivery bot can replace ejected players. The 189 are not aggressive, but they could get ejected due to misunderstandings.
DH used at home: No
Godmod other events: No

[Zwangzug]

The Spenson Star

Alyssa Kinnakeet delivered clutch hits, Vincent Chavez started the All-Star Game, Irulan Kang-Coriolis did a surprisingly uncursed job as the announcer, Wally the Win Expectancy Worm flopped all over the place, and Griffith Puyo-Sachar--in just his first tournament as manager--led the Zebras about as far as they could go last time around, their final series with the South Newlandia Elephants going to the tenth inning of game seven. Now, new and familiar faces look to start again in Chromatika. But while Puyo-Sachar's erratic musings on the nature of free will and destiny may have been under control last time, some of the Zebras have expressed a concern about their manager's overreactions to "jinxes and stuff."

"I was doing one of those annoying logic puzzles and I needed a hint, so Satoshi [Iwamura] gave me one," said Gwen Sae-Hyun, "and he was like 'does that work'? And I was like 'perfecto.'" And then Puyo-Sachar glared at me and I thought he was gonna give me a hard time about doing logic puzzles on an off day but no, he was just like 'you can't say that word.' So I said we didn't even have a game going on, what was there to jinx. And he said that not only can we not say it during games because it might jinx them, but we also can't mention it as a word in general because...it might...normalize it when it should be rare? I'm not really sure I understand."

"I wanted to try some of the Chromatik cuisine," said Shoba Dhamir. "So I want to the grocerry and ordered a dried sausage. I came back and Phyllis [Muskat] was saying 'that looks good, what's in it'? So I told her it was salami and Puyo-Sachar got mad. He said only Jonathan [MacSaruh] was allowed to have that and even he should know better, but he thought it was gross and didn't want my half-eaten sausage, which, can you blame him?"

"Does not every Voice contain the power to redirect the future of the galaxy?" Puyo-Sachar rhetorically inquired. "How relaxing it would be to be an ordinary man, who might go his own way heedless of the politics that entangle him! But just as I am sworn to be wary when dealing with the sacred, so must the brother- and sisterhood under my leadership."

Puyo-Sachar also announced that he was banning all songs containing the consecutive words "no, no" from clubhouse playlists, not because they could jinx anything but just because will-they-won't-they romantic cliches are dumb.

[Tikariot]

Tikariot
Trigramme: TKT
Nickname: The Owls

COACH
Manager: Jonathan Villiers, 48 - Taking over from Graham McCrory in an attempt to break the Round of 16 curse, Villiers is a former national team first baseman, who has made a name for himself for thinking outside the box and sometimes refusing to acknowledge the existence of a box.

ROSTER
Starters
LF #12 Anderson Bourget, 24, R - Chromia Comets (Chromatika)
After the retirement of Michael Romanov, Anderson Bourget had been one of the biggest hopefuls within the TBL in the outfield. He has an extremely strong arm that had proven a great asset for the Valghis White Eagles, who for a long time had been one of the grey mice of the TBL and were slowly rising with in the ranks of the league. He also has a very powerful swing, but still has to work on the precision as he still produces too many fly-outs, but the raw talent is there, and he took the step to the Chromia Comets in Chromatika to continue to grow as a player.

RF #31 Emilia Chamberlain, 27, L - Shantarr Scorpions (Chromatika)
Twin sister of Vedonia Chamberlain, she might not be as much of a breakthrough star, but still has seen a remarkable rise to fame within the league. What she lacks in power on the plate, she makes up for with her ability to hit the ball to any side of the ball park, making her a nightmare to defend against. She also throws with extreme precision, which has gotten the Venom several outs that can be attributed to that.

3B #26 Foster Fleming, 27, L - Rhoni Rhonin (Chromatika)
Foster Fleming has been one of the budding stars of the TBL, but he surpassed even the most optimistic expectations. He promises to grow into an all-rounder, who can contribute both offensively and defensively. Blessed with a strong arm he can cross the diamond with ease and precision also is always good for a home run, unfortunately he is not the most disciplined player and tends to get distracted more than he should. Despite his young age he is, however, the league leader in stolen bases.

C #22 William Carruthers, 36, R - Tikariot Thunderforge
One of the biggest enigmas of the Tikariotian team, Carruthers personifies genius and insanity like no other. He calls the game with the best of them, being one of the TBL's base stealers' nightmares, if it was not for some inexplicable easy errors that some attribute to a few too many stray balls hitting him where they shouldn't. Same goes for his offensive game, which can either be magnificent or go horribly wrong.

CF #67 JJ Bernardetti, 32, R - Port Rhovanyon Paladins
Has a cannon of an arm being able to reach any of the bases from almost anywhere on the outfield, but still has some issues with the precision of his aim. Spotty hitter, often either scoring the homer or going for the strike out.

1B #88 Bronson Ghirardello, 33, R - Elephant Valley United (South Newlandia)
Possesses incredible reflexes, which serve him very well on first base, however his arm is his biggest weakness. He will get the ball where it has to go, but lacks the power to go for the quick throws. His reflexes also help him at the plate being able to adjust to the opposing pitcher very well.

2B #42 Vedonia Chamberlain, 27, R - Rhoni Rhonin (Chromatika)
Twin sister of Emilia Chamberlain, Vedonia had been a diamond in the rough for a few seasons before finally seeing her breakthrough in the TBL. Blessed with speed, her biggest asset is agility, though. She is able to catch balls and translate them into throws very quickly and accurately, having given her team a remarkable double-play ratio. Combined with Ghirardello's great reflexes to catch balls that might be a little off the beaten path coming his way on first base, these two have formed a formidable team.

SS #2 Carlton Baines, 34, L - Elephant Valley United (South Newlandia)
If there is something Baines excels in, it is speed. He reads the game extremely well and manages to to reach balls (and sometimes bases) that he rationally should not be able to. On the plate he is sketchy at best, adopting an all or nothing attitude that so far has not been to his advantage. When he does make it to a base, though, he uses his speed to steal them very efficiently.

Reserves
RF #33 Yevani Fernandez, 34, L - Alcassar Eagles
Also called the Iceman, Fernandez is one player that will not crack under pressure, even if he is one strike away from the team losing the game. His composure has unnerved opposing pitchers many times and while he is not the most powerful of hitters, his aim is uncanny and he can spot holes in the opponent's defense easily. He rose to prominence with his incredible catch in the third game of the semis of the International Baseball Slam XI, where he stole a surefire homerun and sealed his team's road to the finals. Injury problems have sidelined him for parts of the last season, making him the designated hitter more often than not.

OF #20 Steven Marangoudakis, 35, R - Baraldhur Behemoths
Marangoudakis is the designated hitter of the Tikariot Thunderforge, but has excelled offensively as one of the biggest surprises in the team. With a good eye for the ball and a powerful swing, he can hit with the best of them. The defensive side is his biggest weakness so far, where is average speed has gotten the better of him more than once, but he has been running extra shifts with the fitness coaches to improve in this sector.

OF #52 Kieran Fletcher, 28, L - Kyrinson Cosmos (Super-Llamaland)
Fletcher is somewhat the opposite of Marangoudakis, being blessed with speed and amazing catching skills, however his offensive play is sketchy and has so far kept him out of regular first team action.

OF #33 Søren Christensen, 31, R - Morannon Militia
Christensen is a solid outfield allrounder who, while not known for any particularly outstanding skills, will get the job done wherever the coaches stick him, making him a very dependable squad player, something that might be worth gold in an event as big and long as the WBC.

2B #7 Vincent Pelmore, 32, L - Oriannor Mountaineers
A rock solid player both offensively and defensively. He will get the job done very unspectacularly and rarely will excite the crowd, but he is as dependable as they come.

IF #6 Corey Allen, 34, L - Paladon Citadels
Allen is small, but quick, making up for his lack in size with speed. Given his stature he has had problems with high balls in the past, but if any ground balls come his way, he's your man. Offensively he has a strong swing, just lacks a bit of precision.

IF #16 Stuart Hernandez, 32, R - Newport Dolphins (South Newlandia)
Dependable allrounder with a strong arm and precise throw. He is known to mar excellent performances with sometimes very avoidable errors, but if he is on par, he can double play with the best of them. A solid hitter he is not known for many home runs, but his precise swing has him high in the double statistics in the league.

IF #26 Faitalia Letutusa, 30, R - Alcassar Eagles
Letutusa is the only professional player from the Cardannon Archipelago to date. He is not great in his defensive play outside of his speed, but there are very few players in the nation with a harder swing than Letutusa. With him it is either homerun or at least extra base hit or nothing.

C #27 Rutger Heidenfeld, 36, L - Soharr Scimitars
Heidenfeld is the almost polar opposite to William Carruthers. Where Carruthers is quirky and unique, Heidenfeld is the grey mouse that nobody hardly notices. He is not known for any flamboyant plays, but while he does not show the flashes of brilliance the starting catcher is capable of, he does not have any of the defensive liabilities either.

Pitchers
Starting pitchers
RHP #37 Patrick Lundgren, 31 - Tikariot Thunderforge
Lundgren has the hardest pitch on the team, but while his fastballs should require a gun licence, he is prone to wild pitches that have spelled trouble for his catcher more than the coaches would like to admit, but has been working successfully to reduce these over the course of the last few months. He has been improving his curveball over the last season and is also quite capable with his slider.

LHP #72 Graham Pettersson, 38 - Avanaroch Nightwatch
While not excelling in any of his pitches, Pettersson is a wylie veteran that is very unpredictable with which kind of throw he'll come up with next. He works extremely well with Carruthers in calling the game and this unpredictability is his biggest asset.

LHP #18 Garrett Yarbrough, 35 - Baraldhur Behemoths
Yarbrough had the potential to become the team's top pitcher with a very strong fastball and excellent ball control with both slider and curveball, with the occasional sinker, but his biggest weakness are his nerves. Whereas Pettersson is unpredictable for opponents, Yarbrough can become unpredictable for his own team once things begin to go sideways.

RHP #9 Jayson Carfield, 30 - Xanark Sluggers
Originally a long reliever, Carfield has been promoted to starting pitcher after Anthony Garcia had shown major inconsistencies in his play. A versatile pitcher he has a strong curveball and slider and passable palmball. Despite his age he has has a very calm demeanor, which has helped him during high pressure situations.

RHP #3 Jean-Francois Beauregard, 31 - Paladon Citadels
The successor to De'Andre Stevens both in the Tikariotian league as well as the national team has been making some waves nationally with a wicked fastball with exceptional spin, a tricky slider and what is almost more important, incredible stamina, which means that he can throw further into the game as most other starters.

Bullpen
Long reliever: RHP #11 Tuva Wikberg, 28 - Fastball, curveball. - Ceramadhion Vipers
Long reliever: LHP #1 Santiago Mantillo, 34 - Cutter, screwball. - Emerald Coast Phantoms
Left-handed specialist: LHP #17 Randall McCarthy, 34 - Splitter, slider, palmball. Tikariot Thunderforge
Middle reliever: RHP #41 Devon Cargill, 29 - Sinker, curveball, changeup. - Paladon Citadels
Set up reliever: RHP #13 Flint Carmona, 31 - Knuckle curveball, sinker, changeup. Tovaca Tigers
Closer: LHP #32 Nicholas Canterbury, 33 - Fastball, sinker-slider. Very precise. - Silicon Valley Wizards

Starting lineup (with DH)
1. LF Anderson Bourget (R)
2. 1B Bronson Ghirardello (R)
3. RF Emilia Chamberlain (L)
4. 3B Foster Fleming (L)
5. 2B Vedonia Chamberlain (R)
6. SS Carlton Baines (L)
7. DH Yevani Fernandez (L)
8. CF JJ Bernardetti (R)
9. C William Carruthers (R)

Starting lineup (without DH)
1. LF Anderson Bourget (R)
2. 1B Bronson Ghirardello (R)
3. RF Emilia Chamberlain (L)
4. 3B Foster Fleming (L)
5. 2B Vedonia Chamberlain (R)
6. SS Carlton Baines (L)
7. CF JJ Bernardetti (R)
8. C William Carruthers (R)
9. Pitcher

RP Permissions
My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my runscorers: Yes
Choose my lineup: Yes, within reason
Follow my pitching rotation: Yes
Godmod scoring events: No
RP injuries to my players: Yes, within reason
Godmod injuries to my players: No
Eject my players: TG for approval
Godmod other events: How about, uh, no?
Will we use DH? You betcha!

[Tikariot]

An acoustic guitar begins to play as the first words slowly fade in and out of the blackness.

TBC 1 presents...

From the producers of Culinaria Tikariot...

A Journey of Epic Proportions...

Are you ready for...

A crushing metal riff sets in as the logo appears on the screen.

As the logo goes up in flames, the picture fades into the studio, which shows a long table with two chairs on either side. The table is covered by a black tablecloth with crimson fringe and in the background a giant version of the logo covers the wall. From the off, a tall man walks into the shot, long blond hair braided Viking style, just like the end of his long beard. He takes a stand behind the centre of the table.

Ragnar Cederholm: Good evening Tikariot, and welcome to 'Conquering the Sun'. You might be wondering what this is all about, what journey of epic proportions we have prepared for you. This--

He spreads his hands and arms to encompass the studio setting.

RC: --will be the place where daring challengers will approach to see if they will be able to conquer the sun, one wing at a time.

Ragnar walks over to the chair on the left, which is reminiscent of the old high-backed chairs at royal banquets. A flaming pepper is carved into the dark wood.

RC: You all know the traditional talk shows, where you will see the host and their guest sit side by side or across from each other, playing the same old question-and-answer game that has been such a time-tested format since times immemorial. 'Conquering the Sun' will be taking this to the next level. Yes, there will be guests, absolutely will there be questions and answers, but that's not all! There also will be chicken wings (or cauliflower or whichever non-chicken variety our guests would prefer) and heat. A lot of heat!

Each guest will have ten chicken wings doused in hot sauces of various heat levels that they will have to best while answering my questions. It will be a test of willpower and glossal fortitude. Will they be able to conquer the sun or will they flame out before reaching their final goal?

Just in case you might be wondering, I will be eating the same wings with the same sauces, so I will feel what they feel. But can they stand the heat? There is one way to find out!

He lowers his hand below the table to the side and lifts up a gnarly-looking red pepper.

RC: Tune in to see, if they are ready!

With that he takes a large bite out of the pepper and the screen fades to black.

[Eshialand]

The Eshian National Baseball Team
Roster for World Baseball Classic LVI

Nickname: the Owls (used domestically), the Eshian Screwballs (sometimes used internationally, at times to avoid confusion with the Tikariotian team, at other times just to deride them. Blame this name on Josh Seametzle. He posted one article that jokingly used that name and all of a sudden everyone's using it.)
Style (if used): +2
Trigram: ESH (common use), ESL (for recordkeeping when ESH won't work)
Team colors: Eshian Blue, Gold, and Purple
Home stadium: Yeshley Field (capacity 47,853), Eshialand City

Head Coach: Ray FROUNTA (M, 56)
Pitching Coach: Terry STRYRE (M, 49)
Batting Coach: Annalise VEHRER (F, 45)

The Roster:

Pitching Rotation:

#41 Grant PORTER (M, 30, R)
#12 Hannah GRAY (F, 27, L)
#75 Paul HASKELL (M, 27, L)
#1 Quentin WRIGHT (M, 23, R)
#18 Alex MANN (M, 19, L)

Bullpen:

#23 Daniella ARENTA (F, 28, L)
#91 Michael ZRUBI (M, 31, R)
#52 Johnathan QUARRIE (M, 27, R)
#14 Francis DREYER (M, 35, L)
#32 Ollie ELISKE (M, 26, R)
Closer: #6 Bianca LEMIEUX (F, 31, R)

Starting Lineup with DH:

1. SS #7 Kevin DUNBAR (M, 30, R)
2. LF #11 Connor YOUNG (M, 34, R)
3. 1B #22 Rebecca SAUNDERS (F, 30, R)
4. DH #3 Harry BRENTWOOD (M, 27, L)
5. 3B #17 Kyle REZNOR (M, 32, R)
6. C #28 Wyatt CAREW (M, 28, L)
7. RF #40 Nathan REFEY (M, 30, R)
8. CF #34 Evelyn BROWN (F, 23, R)
9. 2B #67 Tyler GELLAR (M, 32, R)

(If no DH is used, Brentwood plays at second base and the pitcher bats 9th)

Backups:

C #19 Vincent KERRY (M, 24, R)
1B/2B #25 Clara RAYBURN (F, 31, L)
SS/PH #53 Isaiah ROBERTS (M, 29, R)
LF/CF #48 Thomas CLOUSEY (M, 25, R)
CF/RF #27 Freddie LOUIS (M, 31, R)
UT #76 Nolan DESMOND (M, 33, L)

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, but TG/DM me for anything ridiculous.
RP injuries to my players: Yes, but TG/DM me about the duration.
Godmod injuries to my players: No.
Eject my players: Yes, but only 1 within a single game unless you TG/DM me.
Godmod other events: Yes, but TG/DM me about it.

Please don't use images and say they represent my players. They probably don't. Lastly, feel free to TG/DM me about anything! I always appreciate collaboration.

[Eshialand]

Two Years on, What's New?

Well, it's been two years since anyone's checked in on the state of Eshian baseball. WBC LV... happened, but nobody internationally heard a peep from Eshian newswriters about it. It came, it went, it was completely unnoticed for the duration of the season. Oh well, let's just pretend that never happened, shall we?

A lot has certainly changed in the past two years. After all, two years ago was 2024, and this is now 2026! Okay, I promise that's not the only thing that changed. No really, I'm not a fool, unlike what Karsten Rhodes says about me sometimes.

Sports is a dynamic landscape. No matter what, things change, whether you know about it or not, and in the past couple of years, a few different things have changed. First, domestic baseball is on its last legs. People simply aren't tuning into Eshian baseball anymore. The Fiona Reval -- let's call it a usurpation -- slashed funding across the board to both domestic and international sports, which is why you probably didn't hear that much during WBC LV. Eshian eyes were not tuned into Eshian gameplay.

However, they were tuned into Eshian players. More and more, Llamaphant Professional Baseball has turned into Eshialand's favorite baseball league, to the point that the Eshian Baseball Association has taken a back-seat in its own home country. Eyes get glued to games played in Newport the way they used to be glued to games in Eshialand City just three short years ago, despite Esportiva not exactly being the closest place to home.

Eshian support in LPB is relatively concentrated on a few teams. Recent polls show the following first-choice support here at home:

---

1. Newport Owls (57%) - You could've probably guessed based on the name that this team would become a hotbed for Eshian talent, and you would be right. What started with Harry Brentwood showing up for the first season in what was the very first time an Eshian baseball player would be signed to a foreign team would snowball into three players now playing over there, with Hannah Gray now making the South Newlandian All-Star team and Kevin Dunbar... existing. And just like the Owls team back at home, they also just sort of exist in the grand scheme of things, consistently getting third in their division. Cries of "this is our year" can sometimes be heard in sports bars in downtown Eshialand City, but once again, just like Owls teams at home, it never seems to be their year. Don't worry, this will be our year!

2. Knetyohai Destroyers (24%) - Out of all the Eshian baseball players signed abroad, Rebecca Saunders is the fan favorite. Possibly because of articles tabloids always seem to be publishing about her and her somewhat more well-known soccer player boyfriend, George Habisbrauer, or possibly because she actually plays well (Chromatik All-Star team level well) on a good team (the Destroyers had the best regular season record in all of Chromatika in Season 3). Who's to say.

3. Denison Dynamo (7%) - Support drops off steeply here, simply because all of the teams with Eshians on them have already been listed. In a world where there are no hometown favorites, fans tend to stick with their favorite players, rather than whatever team they happened to play on. That being said, some people stuck with Rebecca Saunders' first team when she moved to Knetyohai. Not many, but some.

4. Newport Dolphins (4%) - There will always be those people who support the most popular team's rivals just to be different. That being said, those who did choose to be different picked a pretty damn good team who've never failed to make the playoffs. Maybe they're onto something.

Other (8%) - This is a mix of a lot of different teams, where each fan sure has their reasoning... although what that reasoning is I just can't crack. Sorry.

---

So, people sure have their opinions about LPB, but one opinion is for sure; Eshian baseball is fading into obscurity. The big question left here is... what's the king going to do about it? Are more funds going to be diverted back to making our homegrown teams and talent competitive again, or have the tides of change and Eshialand's push to globalism relegated the EBA to a mere farm league permanently? I suppose we'll have to wait and see. The king really hasn't said much, and what little he has said about baseball recently has been about how Eshialand has managed to be drawn with Banija three out of the last four WBCs now and that he really has no clue why. Thanks, how insightful.

- Josh Seametzle

[Chromatika]

Chromatika National Baseball Team - The Outliers - WBC 52 Champions
Last time, they fell in the Quarterfinals - to Cassadaigua. Alisen Mayamoto said that she'd not be a player-manager any longer. Who will represent Chromatika this time around? Let's see.

Management Staff
Manager: Sierra Eden-Geraldine (51)
After how last WBC ended, Alisen Moyamoto went to the Chromatik Sporting Council and stated that she couldn't be a Player-Manager any more. She said that she wanted to manage the Outliers once she's done playing, but would like someone to help her out for the next few WBC cycles. Enter one Sierra Eden-Geraldine, the Vice President of Baseball Operations for the Chromatik Sporting Council and the Vice Chairwoman of the Chromatik Association of Llamaphant Pro Baseball. Besides Moyamoto, she knows the most about these players than anyone else out there, and she can help talk down the riffraff while Moyamoto still leads the strategic aspect of things. There's already talk that when Moyamoto changes to full-time Management, Eden-Geraldine will stay on as Assistant Manager.

Starting Lineup
1. 1B Redwina Maxx (R/R/33) New Llama Cyclones (Super-Llamaland)
A solid leadoff hitter with good speed to boot, Maxx can struggle against left-handed pitchers but is solid enough to now be the starter. If she's good for one of the best teams in the LPB, she's good enough for the Outliers. She continues to edge out for this spot ahead of Mattieu Gammond, though there is younger talent starting to nip at her heels.
2. SS Alisen Moyamoto (L/R/33) Chromia Comets (Chromatika) CAPTAIN
The most prolific baseball player in Chromatik history, Moyamoto can do it all - hit, run, throw, everything. Age has only made her a better player like fine wine, while her leadership skills have gone through the roof. Moving over from South Newlandia to join a team based in Chromatika for the twilight years of her international career, she remains the team's heart and true leader.
3. RF Rose Dawson (R/R/35) Xincheng Renaissance (Super-Llamaland)
A reliable hitter who's on base percentage is quite good, Dawson has only gotten better behind the plate as she's aged. Though her arm isn't as strong as it was in the past, she can still track down balls and throw the occasional runner out. Excels in pressure moments. Has moved from strength to strength in the LPB. She's acutely aware that this is her last WBC as the starter, and wants to make the most out of the opportunity - by at least returning to the Semifinals.
4. 3B Edith Ponce (R/R/27) Eyrods Pilots (Chromatika)
With Chromatika joining the LPB, Ponce joined the Pilots. She remains one of the premier hitters of the league and the team, good for at least forty home runs in a year. With an eccentric personality and some flair, she's one of the most memorable players on this team. The best part is that the's only getting better as she gets older.
5. C Gary Light (R/R/27) Felswyr Fire (Chromatika
A cerebral catcher who has superb command over the defensive game but lacks a big bat, Light has come to the forefront due to his ability to throw out runners in the Chromatik Association of the LPB. With Valle fading - she is thirty-four, after all - he now gets the starting nod. He's a bit of a nerd when it comes to learning the different pitches of his pitching staff, so that side of the game should not have any issues.
6. DH Zeng Quan (L/L/25) Lanar Rangers (Chromatika) NEW
What happened to Lyre Rostock is a tragedy... As the Chromatik baseball community mourns, Quan steps in, having proven himself to be a more than capable contact hitter with some power behind his swing. He's a bit hard on himself and abrasive, but can be wielded as the true weapon that he is.
7. 2B Raitis Ranta (R/R/26) Rüsselsheim Blue Sox (South Newlandia)
A true clutch hitter through and through, Ranta is the one that the Outliers lean on to come through in a tough spot. Her on-base-percentage and tendency to draw walks make her dangerous, while the occasional home run keeps the opposing pitcher honest.
8. LF George Ducat (R/R/33) New Llama Wizards (Super-Llamaland)
The master of catching long balls that are would-be-home runs, Ducat has become one of the premier Left Fielders of the Llamanean Association of the LPB. He's never hit over .300 in any season, but he is wily and can force walks.
9. CF Kenra Annovar (L/L/32) Newport Dolphins (South Newlandia)
The best runner for Chromatika who just needs to get on base. She prefers to draw walks, but can also deliver the occasional double.

There are two changes in the Starting Lineup: Gary Light gets promoted to be a starter in place of Valle while Zeng Quen will try to be the next Designated Hitter. The strength of this lineup is definitely in its first four batters and then Quan and Ranta batting sixth and seventh. Light isn't a bad hitter, but it's never been the best part of his game; everyone knows why Ducat is on this team, and Annovar's struggles to get on base at times are legendary.

Bench
1B Marea Homaly (R/R/26) Lanar Rangers (Chromatika
A solid option for any at-bat, Homaly's story has been an interesting one, having just been signed over from the St. Riecarn Saints as the Rangers continue to become a more and more solid team. Her fielding has gotten better as time has gone on, as well.
2B Alena Egorova (R/R/23) Shantarr Scorpions (Chromatka)
A solid, all-around player who does everything at a good but not a great level.
3B Jaira Hyllik (R/R/24) Saint Teresa Stars (Ko-oren)
A power hitter out of Felswyr State University, Hyllik hit the ground running and has never looked back. She does strike out 25% of the time, but when she makes contact with the ball, she can cause some major damage.
SS Mizaya Karuki (R/R/24) Apple Valley Vipers (Super-Llamaland
One of the upcoming phenoms, Karuki's calling card is her quickness, intelligence behind the plate, and the ability to hit all over the field. Though not a home run threat, she's good at advancing runners and setting up runs.
LF Annie Carr (L/L/27) Eyrods Pilots (Chromatika)
A defensively oriented outfielder with great vision and a rocket arm for throwing out runners. Carr has been working on her batting average for her entire career, but has a tendency of hitting doubles when she does make contact with the ball. Recently moved teams from Hanai to Eyrods for a change in scenery.
CF Sop Chi-Yong (R/R/25) Aviansola Admirals (Ko-oren)
Few seasons ago, Sop was a nobody. Now, he's the heir apparent to the CF position - and someone who's not shy about it. He has a great arm and a good bat, and also knows how to draw walks. He does well in big games, and successfully moved abroad to Ko-oren.
RF Han Jikari (L/L/27) Lanar Rangers (Chromatika)
Jikari is a well-rounded player who can also pinch-run as needed due to his speed. He led the Chromatik Association in stolen bases last season, with a success rate of over 70%. He asked for a move and was dealt to a Rangers team that is on the rise, in large part due to his presence.
5. C Laure Valle (R/L/34) Sophie City Monarchs (South Newlandia)
A very reliable catcher who loves to throw out would be runners. Laure is decent with her bat. The mastermind calling all the shots with whomever is on the mound, Valle's command over all pitching situations is unlike any other. Now on the bench, she can still come in as needed.
DH Kalrina Kazlova (L/L/24) Rhoni Rhonin (Chromatika) NEW
A speedster who doesn't need to always go for the big hit, Kazlova's youth, exuberance, and unconventional play for a designated hitter makes her an intriguing prospect.

The Chromatiks will be bringing a full bench, and some of the names here are the next generation. Mizaya Karuki is ahead of Molina Ishkaya and Lidia Lisowska in the race to be the heir apparent to Alisen Mayamoto in the future, while the likes of Jaira Hyllik, Sop Chi-Yong, and Kalrina Kazlova are just getting started. Some of them share the same strengths as the starters, which can potentially be a bad thing, but it means that they can fit in without much issue.

Reserves
PH/PR Molina Ishkaya (R/R/24) Rhoni Rhonin (Chromatika)
A bunt specialist and a master of the small ball.
PH/PR Lidia Lisowska (R/R/26) Eyrods Pilots (Chromatika)
Does well on the field once she gets on base.
PH/PR Mattieu Gammond (R/R/35) Hanai Heroes (Chromatika)
The long-time veteran and a master of fielding.
PH/PR Mason Dirk (R/R/29) Newport Suns (Super-Llamaland) RETURNING
The stolen base master and the best pinch runner for the Outliers.

Pitching Staff
1. LHP Clara Ayonara (26) Chromia Comets (Chromatika)
An off-speed pitcher who can throw in a variety of speeds and knows how to use each speed to the fullest extent. She has blossomed to be one of the best. Will Start: 1, 6, 11, 16, 21, 26
2. RHP Jerome Delapier (28) New Llama Cyclones (Super-Llamaland)
Delapier has command of his pitch count and possesses the acuity to stay ahead of the count and then actually seek out contact. This does mean that he is susceptible to home runs, but there are also lots of fly balls to the outfield. He's become someone that's developed into a gem. Super-Llamaland has only helped develop him to be a very solid second starter. Will Start: 2, 7, 12, 17, 22, 27
3. RHP Karla Levey (28) Chromia Diamonds (Chromatika)
A cerebral pitcher who uses every pitch she picks with the utmost precision, Levey can get rattled. Really likes to mix things up and get into the batter's head. Will Start: 3, 8, 13, 18, 23, 28
4. RHP Arley Jones (28) Eyrods Pilots (Chromatika) NEW
A fireballer through and through who likes to beat batters with pure speed, Jones has a nice changeup to use when they get a bead on him. Does have the occasional off day where he can get chased off the mound, but has definitely developed to be one of the best arms of the Chromatik Association. Will Start: 4, 9, 14, 19, 24, 29
5. LHP Nalrina Ayonara (21) Chromia Diamonds (Chromatika) NEW
The younger Ayonara is more vocal, more passionate, and has a lot more youthful energy. She can be a bit more streaky, but the way in which she became the second best pitcher on the roster for the Diamonds in her very first season at the LPB season warranted a call-up. Will Start: 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30

Ayonara is the undisputed best pitcher on this team, while Delapier and Savey have just gotten better as the seasons have gone by. New are Levey and Jarwin - Levey being a very mentally strong pitcher and Jarwin a technical one.

Bullpen
RHP Cheng Tingguang (25) Chromia Comets (Chromatika) - Long-Term Reliever NEW
A speed demon, Cheng takes no prisoners, often throwing the fastest of fastballs. Likes to get locked in.
LHP Ollie Bier (30) Rhoni Rhonin (Chromatika) - Long-Term Reliever
A phenom who could start if he really wanted to, Bier embraces the challenge of coming into compromised situations.
RHP Harima Katawa (27) Eyrods Pilots (Chromatika) - Long-Term Reliever NEW
Having command of four different pitches, Katawa is a jack of all trades that can step into any situation and get the job done for whatever is needed at the time.
LHP Vette Beux (34) Chromia Diamonds (Chromatika) - Reliever
The bases-loaded specialist for the Outliers, Beux is really proficient at reading complex situations.
LHP Kana Antwar (27) Knetyohai Destroeyrs (Chromatika) - Reliever
Curveballs, changeups, sliders. Not very fast, but clever.
LHP Vera Mane (22) Katashi Giants (Ko-oren) - Reliever
A fastballer who throws her weight into every single pitch. Not as fast as Cheng, but provides the left-handed support.
LHP Carson Beckett (33) Felswyr Fire (Chromatika) - Left-Handed Specialist RETURNING
Self-explanatory. Likes to face batters in high pressure scenarios. Returns to the WBC roster after a few cycles off.
LHP Evan Hill (22) Eyrods Pilots (Chromatika) - Setup Man NEW
Very good at getting that one inning needed to set up the save, Hill's ability to get into the batter's heads is something else. Still young, though.
RHP Katerina Pavlova (23) Rhoni Rhonin (Chromatika) - Closer
Gaining more and more experience, Pavlova is utterly fearless and loves big matches. Has a trademark celebration where she points three fingers into the sky after a successful save.
RHP Niles Pandolt (33) Elephant Valley Homers (South Newlandia) - Closer
A short-term reliever who's best used in key situations, Pandolt has recently transitioned to a Closer for the Homers and will be the backup to Pavlova for the Outliers.

Lots of veterans here to hopefully right the ship if it is ever needed, with enough youth added due to the turnover.

Home Stadium: National Stadium, Cap. 44,320 Chromia, Capital District, Chromatika

RP Permissions: Nothing out of the ordinary. COVID doesn't exist.
Choose my runscorers: Yes
Choose my lineup: No
Follow my pitching rotation: Yes
Godmod scoring events: No
RP injuries to my players: Yes, within reason
Godmod injuries to my players: No
Eject my players: Yes, within reason
Godmod other events: No
Use DH at home: Yes

---

Group Stage Schedule
Series 01: @ (UR) Oateria; Starters: C. Ayonara, Delapier, Levey
Series 02: vs. (32) Loyo; Starters: Jones, N. Ayonara, C. Ayonara
Series 03: @ (10) Cassadaigua; Starters: Delapier, Levey, Jones
Series 04: vs. (UR) America B.W.S.M.H; Starters: N. Ayonara, C. Ayonara, Delapier
Series 05: @ (52) The Star Enpire; Starters: Levey, Jones, N. Ayonara
Series 06: vs. (UR) Oateria; Starters: C. Ayonara, Delapier, Levey
Series 07: @ (32) Loyo; Starters: Jones, N. Ayonara, C. Ayonara
Series 08: vs. (10) Cassadaigua; Starters: Delapier, Levey, Jones
Series 09: @ (UR) America B.W.S.M.H; Starters: N. Ayonara, C. Ayonara, Delapier
Series 10: vs. (52) The Star Enpire; Starters: Levey, Jones, N. Ayonara

[Cassadaigua]

Expectations again what they used to be,
by Chelsea Dufresne, Concord Heights Times

Two years ago, we traveled to Sonnel for a fascinating road trip, playing all of our games in Drawkland. From the very beginning of World Baseball Classic 55, things seemed different, as if our two debacles of the 53rd and 54th Classics were going to be a memory. The Drawkish organizers allowed each of the participating nations to have one stadium be their adopted home stadium for the duration of the competition. Seeing that, the Cassadagan Association for Baseball showed their interest in the massive Corps Central Stadium, the site of the semifinal series victory over perhaps are greatest baseball rival ever: Newmanistan. To be given that stadium as the then-32nd ranked team would seem like a longshot, but the Drawks respect history, so it seemed like a reasonable request with a legitimate chance of happening. Cassadaigua would be awarded the stadium, and right away thoughts were not of World Baseball Classics 53 and 54, but of number 49, that great run in Drawkland where we made the final series against Nova Anglicana.

Cassadagans made the trip, turning an abandoned warehouse a couple blocks away from the stadium to a new fan headquarters, and as the competition went on, more and more spaceships made the voyage from Rushmore to Sonnel. Wins were happening, and it didn't take long for fans to feel as though Cassadagan baseball was back. Listening to groupmates still think that losing to us was an upset because of our rank before the tournament would become a motivating factor. It was in our pedigree, and finally, once again, the Fillies were elite. Their run to the semifinals from being ranked as low as they were is not something that is unprecedented for the Classic but still a strong achievement. After winning the third place series, Drawkland was a success. The road trip reached its final exit, and Cassadagan players and fans returned home feeling accomplished about what they did.

Here we are now: World Baseball Classic 56. There are no spaceships, and no fan headquarters being set up. Now, the stories are about not regressing, with optimists reminding everyone what happened in the Classic following our last trip to Drawkland: our championship in the 50th edition. Faces are mostly the same with this team, with a couple of additions from the North Cassadaigua side now a part of our roster. Everyone who is on the team played for either of those squads last year, as obviously there is no separate North Cassadaigua side this year. That's a topic for another article, though, and if you read enough of my writings during this Classic, you will be able to hear me get into that. Instead, we have a group of players who have familiar expectations on their shoulders: that of wanting to win the whole thing.

Our group has one very familiar thing from the last Classic: having the host nation being a part of it. Last time out, the Fillies did not actually do well in the head to head matchups with Drawkland, but will look to use that experience to change things this time. The structure of the Classic is different, so it will not matter as much that Chromatika is the host of the tournament itself. This is not being held exclusively in their nation, so they will have to come here and play just like we will have to do. We'll also be contending with Loyo, Oateria, The Star Enpire and a nation who's name is evidently a full sentence.

The Star Enpire is the first opponent for the Fillies, and will host us at an undisclosed stadium. They struggled mightily in the last Classic, but all we have to do is look at ourselves to know that a team can bounce back from that. Bazza Joyner, a switch hitting first baseman is the biggest weapon that the Star Enpire has in their lineup but they have several people that can hit the ball out of the park. The Fillies will need to contend with knuckleballs in the opener from Clemence Fiydèleonore Köhler, but the team has had plenty of time to study tape and prepare for her. "You don't see knuckleballs a ton, but you see them enough to be able to get ready for one of those pitchers," Cassadagan manager Allyson McIntosh said, "it's a three game set, so you can't focus too much on that. They want to atone for their last performance in the Classic, and that is a script that we are familiar with and how much of a motivational force that it can be." Third basemen Kristen Martorella agrees, "Just one of our opponents, you never know who is going to step up in this group. You expect it from Chromatika, but after that, who knows right now who the biggest challenger will be here. It could be anyone."

We should also note that the team brings back Taylor Bryant, who had one chance to manage the team in World Baseball Classic 53, but was fired after that competition. Taylor got redemption with North Cassadaigua, as their manager in the last Classic, and will be looking to make the most of a rare second chance opportunity. "Leading the Northerners was a thrill, but we are all Cassadagans now. I want to thank CAB for this chance, and I look forward to being with Allyson and leading this team to a successful outcome in (WBC) 56."

It's nice to have these expectations again!

[Chromatika]

In Memoriam: Lyre Rostock

If you're a casual baseball fan, you might realize that the Outliers have a new Designated Hitter this time around. Yes, Zheng Quan earned the honor to represent Chromatika. However, his appearance on the team wasn't because the incumbent had a bad season or had a falling out with the Outliers. No, the story of why Lyre Rostock is not starting for the Outliers is a far more tragic one than that. What exactly happened to one of the up and coming young stars in Chromatik baseball?

Two months after the WBC, Rostock was hospitalized with an abnormal white blood cell count. A round of routine tests led to some more specific ones, and the result was tragic: Rostock had stage four leukemia.

Though the doctors did their best - both the Pilots, the Outliers, and the Chromatik baseball community at large did everything they could - Rostock passed away four months later after her health failed drastically. She was able to attend one Pilots game before things got really bad to make one final appearance for the fans, but her life was snuffed way too quickly.

In her honor, the Eyrods Pilots, in conjunction with the Chromatik Sporting Council and the Chromatik Association of the LPB, have established the Lyre Rostock foundation to fight cancer, and specifically, leukemia.

So, when you realize that there is a new name, don't get past the absence of Lyre Rostock too quickly. She was someone whose star was just beginning to rise. She had a huge career waiting for her, and it was snuffed out way too soon.

Rest in peace, Lyre Rostock. You're missed.

---

WBC 56 Group Stage Preview: Gradual Transition to be Tested

For the second time in five cycles, Chromatika is hosting the World Baseball Classic. The last time around, they lifted the trophy and declared their presence in the main stage of World Baseball; this time, they'll be hoping to at least reach the Semifinals.

The Outliers return most of their lineup, with Quan taking the place of the departed Rostock, Light being promoted and swapping places with Valle, and two new pitchers in Arley Jones and Nalrina Ayonara. The position players have a lot of experience, while the pitching staff remains youthful and energetic.

There are two major weaknesses in this lineup: First, the bullpen is primarily made of left-handed pitchers, which could be a predicament. Other than that, of the starters, only Ponce, Dawson, and Ranta are those that are known for hitting home runs. There are going to be a lot of small balls being hit by the Outliers to win.

The Outliers start with unranked Oateria before taking on Loyo. Then, a trip to Cassadaigua, the team that knocked them out of the playoffs last time around, will determine a lot about which of the two teams will likely have to play in the Round of 24. This will be followed by a sereis against America But With Slightly More Hazelnuts, after ending with The Star Enpire.

The bare minimum is to return to Chromatika; hopefully, with a bye.

[The Sherpa Empire]

Sherpa National Baseball Team Roster

C: Nima Unnikrishnan (Bengal Tigers)
C: Pratap Johar (Delhi Rajas)
1B: Phuntsok Bahadurzada (Guilin Pangolins)
2B: Nitish Thakuri (Bengal Tigers)
3B: Udham Malam (Jaipur Jewelers)
SS: Morarji Dharia (Islamabad Snow Leopards)
IF: Dendi Shewade (Khumbu Icefall Doctors)
IF: Tandi Rajora (Chengdu Pandas)
IF: Qian Liu (Chengdu Pandas)
LF: Smanla Kumari (Lhasa Lamas)
RF: Lhakpa Hu (Guiyang Grasshoppers)
CF: Kalden Shi (Guangzhou Pirates)
OF: Namgel Rai (Lhasa Lamas)
OF: Ongchu Xiang (Fuzhou Bats)
RHP Sarki Sachdeva (Darjeeling Green Sox)
LHP Weiyun Gan (Nanjing Mandarins, diligent about going over the scouting reports, classy guy)
RHP Yongjia Wu (Hangzhou Brewers)
LHP Sudhir Kandola (Kunming Dragons)
RHP Ula Bao (Guiyang Grasshoppers)
LHP Mujibur Sitharaman (Bengal Tigers)
RHP Shubman Divekar (Delhi Rajas)
LHP Tsering Tenzing Chung (Chengdu Pandas, usually a long relief guy on his domestic club, but might see some shorter outings in the WBC)
RHP Mohan Nawang Kwan (Khumbu Icefall Doctors)
RHP Gombu Park (Nanjing Mandarinsm, set up man)
RHP Temba Karsang Sherpa (Changsha Turtles)
LHP Panu Nong (Darjeeling Green Sox, closer)


Starting Rotation:

Sudhir Kandola
Sarki Sachdeva
Yongjia Wu
Mohan Nawang Kwan
Weiyun Gan

Coaches: Phurwa Thapa, Ayappan Banerjee, Phurba Rahman, Lhakpa Das

Manager: Dewa Liang

Starting Line-Up

SS Dharia
3B Malam
2B Thakuri
CF Shi
LF Kumari
RF Hu
1B Bahadurzada
C Unnikrishnan
pitcher

Batting Order With DH

SS Dharia
3B Malam
2B Thakuri
CF Shi
LF Kumari
DH Rai
RF Hu
1B Bahadurzada
C Unnikrishnan

Stadia

Series 1 & 2:
Queen of the Hills Sports Complex
Darjeeling, Gorkhaland
Capacity 37,300
This is one of the smaller ballparks in the Empire, but its cozy feel, quaint brick work, and the pretty landscaping around the park are beloved by the fans. There are also other activities like mini-golf nearby if fans want something to do before the game. It has a short outfield, though the outfield wall is relatively tall and long fly balls often bounce off instead of going out. At an elevation of 2,042m above sea level, players and fans are unlikely to suffer severe altitude sickness, but you might still notice some effects such as fly balls carrying farther than usual or starting pitchers struggling to go deep into games.

Series 4:
Mandarin Park
Nanjing, Jiangsu Territory
Capacity 61,443
Mandarin Park is the home stadium of the Nanjing Mandarins. It is known for its sleek modern design and was voted as having the best food of any ballpark in the Sherpa Empire. There are a wide variety of dumplings, potstickers, spring rolls, and steamed buns. The stands are decorated with red Chinese lanterns, giving the park a bit of local flair. Because it is a large park, it doesn't get many home runs. Weather in Nanjing is usually cool and damp this time of year, but not bitterly cold.

Series 8:
Jinnah Stadium
Islamabad Municipal District
Capacity 48,200
This is a heavily Islamic part of the Empire and afternoon prayers will be held at the stadium before each game. All food in the concession stands is halal, though there are a couple of places that sell alcoholic beverages like beer and chang. In right field there is a stone tower that outfielders hate running into.

Series 10:
Eden Gardens
Kolkata, Bengal Province
Capacity 80,000
A park with a lot of room -- both on the field and in the stands -- and a lot of history. Built in 1864, it is the home stadium of the Bengal Tigers, one of the best teams in SIBA. It is also used for cricket and football.

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my run-scorers: Yes
Choose my lineup: Generally yes, but try to keep any variations somewhat realistic
Follow my Pitching Rotation: Follow what I have posted
Godmod scoring events: Yes
RP injuries to my players: Occasional minor injuries are OK, ask first if you want to do anything major
Godmod injuries to my players: No
Eject my players: If you eject a similar number of your own, and/or it's a character that I've RPed being a dumbass.
DH used at home: No
Godmod other events: No
Other Info: My team are conservative base-runners (not a lot of stealing or getting caught stealing) and they aren't too fixated on pitch counts. They usually plan on having the starter pitch 7 innings. This can vary depending on how the pitcher is doing, but pitch count doesn't play a big role in the decision.