World Baseball Classic 58 - Everything Thread

[Gunnison and Telluride]

Already brewing up a storm?

QUEBEC AND SHENGORYEO - The Bears of Gunnison and Telluride have been in only two games of qualification and they've already sent shockwaves through the rest of the baseball world. A mere two games into the qualifiers and Bob Huttle has already been ejected. Given the timing of this game as the opening games of the second matchday was Dod Rava and G&T, this is likely the first and if we're lucky the only, brawl of this WBC qualifying session. The kerfuffle on the diamond came after a pitch from Henryk Kabat came way to close to the head of Dave Forrester.

Back in the fourth inning Forrester had trucked catcher Hugo Szałwia rather hard and deliberately knocking the ball out of his glove and allowing the ex-basketball star to score the teams second run. Forrester has this account of the ordeal in the 7th.

They didn't like the idea of me running over their catcher, so they sent me a lil gift yanno, so I said you don't like me, then come face me one on one and he made mistake of saying "sure". He charged and I took a swing at him. I knew I could take on this dude, it's not first fight. Not the first time I took matters into my own hands and that was that.

Forrester will be suspended for the next game, Buddy Trammel will take over for the next game. On the Dod Rava side Leszek Kois will also miss the next game. Gunnison and Telluride won the game 3-2 after a Sherman Truedeau RBI Single drew in the game winning run in the 6th.

Gunnison and Telluride (UR)  - 3                 
Dod Rava (22)                - 2

[Ko-oren]

OOC: If you want to pull any players from the post-LPB Ko-orenite league, let me know. If you don't agree with the star rating, let me know too.

---

What a brief three-year spell can't do. The Llamaphant Pro Baseball era is over, short-lived, but has caused a complete paradigm shift in Ko-orenite baseball. Where it was described as 'moribund' a decade before, some revitalisation efforts and a lot of grassroots play later, we had twelve solid clubs that were accepted in - dare we say - the best baseball league in the multiverse. Initially commissioner Bérangère Landy asked to become a 'sort of Triple-A situation' to the clubs in South Newlandia and Super-Llamaland, but to her - and anyone's - surprise, the league had apparently been playing with the idea of expansion and the random e-mail that found its way to their inbox on an idle Tuesday morning did the trick.

Overnight, Ko-oren went from twelve 'solid' clubs to twelve near-powerhouses, some becoming household names with fans across the multiverse. The clubs that were good at the right time - the Stars, Dragons, Whales, Admirals - immediately garnered an international following. Traditionally big clubs - the Generals, Giants first and foremost - didn't receive this boost though would grow stronger over time, attracting allegations of rigging: the Ko-orenite baseball officials would love for the two biggest clubs to be successful in the global era. The fact that the Stars, easily the third club in fanbase and finances, were already good, was glossed over. Big clubs just don't stay bad for very long - there are just too many good youngsters in their fanbase that want to be the person who gets their team back on track. For other clubs - the Knights, Silvers, Originals - the LPB era was mostly a continuation of before, but now with a lot more money in the bank that they couldn't do much with as their much bigger rivals all had equal or larger bank accounts as well. Either way, these three prodded along but certainly didn't get worse.

To finalise the roundup, the Wanderers, Challengers, and Bees were all products of the LPB: they wouldn't exist if it weren't for that delicious foreign TV contract money coming in. All three existed on the outskirts of the previous iteration of professional baseball on the archipelago, but were moved, merged, and formed in the juiciest markets just before our LPB debut. The Bees moved into the student city of Furune and overnight became one of the best supported clubs - taking second place in the Northern division behind the Dragons. The Wanderers and Challengers capitalised on existing yet underrepresented fanbases out in the Western division.

To look back on three years of LPB baseball: the rich got richer... the poor also got richer, but not by as much. The Stars and Dragons ran away with the Ko-orenite conference title - in fact, the Dragons made all three conference finals, losing the first to the Santa Teresa team. The Generals' on field product might have sucked but they still gained more than they lost. Remember that the last seven Ko-orenite titles went to one of these three teams - while five different teams not among the trio were losing finalists in that span. It's been competitive, there's been parity, but when push came to shove, it's the big old teams that took home trophies. Still, without the LPB, there might not have been the Silvers, Knights, Originals, and definitely no Wanderers or Challengers. The future will be exciting for these teams - will they get a cheeky championship (as the Knights were so close just last season, losing the conference final) or will they fold anyway without foreign funds flowing in?

For season 29 of professional baseball, clubs are allowed to sign three Prospects - young players, 21 or under, locally recruited. The original plan was for the twelve clubs to get some better ties with their local area, looking at the influx of foreign players, but it may just be the case that the foreign influx completely halts - when given the choice to play in the LPB or the Ko-orenite Castaway Competition, surely the glory of the LPB will pull in a player nine out of ten times. Maybe the plan for our league - still looking for a new name for this era - is to recruit the up-and-coming players from smaller or newer baseball nations? We could turn into a de facto LPB Triple-A league yet.

The pitcher shortage remains and it's unlikely to get resolved any time soon without a way to sneakily contract foreign pitchers, so it's a golden age for anyone under the age of 30 with an intact arm. In fact, the Prospects are generally fielders/batters, with the bullpen already home to many young players that could develop into starters given some time. Let's see how that crisis gets resolved: it's not so much the lack of aces, it's the lack of depth beyond your third starter or fifth reliever... or the complete absence of a cold-blooded closer. The league might be decided by hitting for a few years until the balance is restored.

Without further ado: this is what the field looks like ahead of season 29. Starting with the contender(s).

The Contenders

Ferrovente Whales @ Ventovente (28010), Erpubehte (Ferrovente), Gahrugkothis (Finisterre)
The Whales are a proud team from Ferrovente, a colourful city in the southeast. The stands, surrounding the entirety of the field, are one big party where you'll find the rowdiest fans of the Ko-orenite divisions. Their biggest rivalry is with the Stars, and beating them is as important as making the playoffs.
This is your club if you want to see all the tricks, bat flips, and other things that the old guard don't like.
Prediction: Overall: 1 // Pitching: 1 / Fielding&Batting: 1 // Infield: 9 / Outfield: 1 / Starting pitchers: 9 / Bullpen: 2
Fielding: C: Fred Burn (28y)★★★✩ - Infield: Anselmo Troche (24y)★★, Leonardo Jefferson (27y)★★✩, Ian Pearce (33y)★★★★, André Barreira (24y)★★ - Outfield: Darrell Striker (32y)★★★✩, Nikko Norsholm (35y)★★★✩, Sev Ballak (26y)★★★ / DH: Yorick Diamond (27y)★★★★
Pitching: Starters: Takenao Tone (26y)★★★✩, Josephine Arreaux (28y)★★★, Ju-Han Park (23y)★★★, Domingos Noia (22y)★★✩, Antoíño Rodas (24y)★★✩ - Relievers: Branford Bass (34y)★★★✩, Bento Chan (25y)★★★✩, Bruno Davila (23y)★★✩, Bert Hoosier (33y)★★, Bernabe Reza (30y)★★★ - Closer: Pascoal Barreira (23y)★★
Prospects: Camilo Vasquez (20y)★★✩, Aleixo Padron (21y)★★★, Ngwaufai Bjeathen (17y)★★★
Miles ahead of the rest, the Whales dominate the preseason rankings. They do this mostly through eliminating gaps from the roster, but even they cannot escape the fate of having a few players that are a below league average. Designated hitter Yorick Diamond, as the Whales discovered early on the DH position would revolutionalise Ko-orenite baseball, could be key. Bass and Chan are a rare duo in the bullpen, there are serviceable and better players in the rotation, and as far as hitting goes, catcher Burn, third baseman Pearce, and left fielder Striker can do damage. Again, the strength of this roster isn't the few stars - it's the many contributors. Ferrovente is starved for success, having to watch their biggest rivals from Thelesra (Santa Teresa) go to several finals and deep playoff runs... while the Erpubehte squad always have good teams and success, just not enough. They could do some real damage here, and if the preseason is anything to go by - this is theirs to lose. Don't overlook Tone of the national team as well, by the way.

There's a bit of everything as far as personalities go, but every single player is extremely aware of their role and position on the batting order - is it their time and place to risk an out for a moon shot, or better to grind down the pitcher and hopefully draw a walk? Diamond and Pearce can clean up anyway. If foreigners start dropping the Ko-orenite clubs, though, the Whales are immediate danger - only Chan and Tone are Ko-orenites, their other major players are foreign.

[Drawkland]

"Top Jimmy"

The Starkomac Shrooms are a rather backwater team in the PBL. After several failed attempts at building a championship contender, management finally decided to blow up the team entirely. Their decent remaining players were flipped for prospects, the farm systems were loaded with young talent, and the Shrooms management prayed that they could reap the results before they lost their jobs. There seemed to be some magic brewing in the Shrooms minor league system, though ... could good times be on the horizon?

Some friends of mine, just the other night,
Went to see this kid go pro

Finally, the season came where many of the Shrooms prospects were ready to make the jump to the PBL level. Among them was a young catcher/first base rookie named Jimmy Todd, a bat-first guy with great power and what some believed to be franchise face potential. His debut came about a month into the season, and it nearly packed out the Starkodome which rarely had a full house under normal circumstances.

They say he hit so good that the roof fell in
And he didn't even stop the show

Jimmy did not disappoint. In his first at-bat in the Starkodome, he turned on an inside fastball so hard that the ball shot into the air and knocked off one of the decorative ceiling tiles in the low dome. The ball was called foul, but fortunately nobody was hurt by the slice of tile that fell to the ground in shallow left field. Jimmy wasn't done though, he put the ball in play in all his at-bats and came up to bat in the ninth with a 2-for-4 line and the game tied. After a three-pitch AB, Jimmy sent a hanging slider to deep left field for a game-winning walkoff, instantly cementing himself in Shrooms fan lore.

They don't remember the place, but they remember the face,
And now everybody wanna go!

Among the venues in the PBL, the Starkodome is perhaps one of the more forgettable. It's an interesting design, featuring a low offset dome that was "designed for" baseball, despite the fact that its support system and ceiling tiles often interfere with tall pop-ups and fly balls. Despite the unique design, it's widely regarded as unremarkable and soon to be replaced. Jimmy Todd, meanwhile, has a captivating smile and handsome face that is almost more impressive than his excellent performances at the plate. Since his debut, the Shrooms have seen a noticeable uptick in ticket sales!

Top Jimmy cooks, Top Jimmy swings,
He's got the look, woo!
Top Jimmy, he's the king.

Though the Shrooms didn't make the playoffs in Jimmy's debut season, the crop of Starkomac rookies did finish above .500 for the first time in three years and were only a half dozen games away from a playoff spot. Jimmy finished second in ROTY voting, thanks to his clutch hitting and undeniable aura.

Jimmy on the television, famous people on there with him
Jimmy on the news at five

PBL and the Shrooms were quick to take advantage of this new sensation. Jimmy Todd made the rounds on sports talk shows in the offseason, building hype for the coming Shrooms season. If he wasn't so damn handsome, the citizens of the greater Starkomac area would probably grow sick of seeing him on the evening news sports segment almost every night!

Jimmy on the radio and even on the video
The baddest guy alive!

The next season came, and Jimmy continued with the form he showed in his rookie year, smashing extra-base hits with swagger. Even with a solid group of rookie and sophomore players around him, Jimmy was the face of the franchise and the focus of Shrooms broadcasts, and he was hitting so well to back it up.

Driving all the women crazy, all they want is Jimmy baby
Love it when he rolls his eyes...

Jimmy Todd's skill on the field wasn't the only thing bring people to the ballpark. His attitude and suave moves were another reason he got so much attention, attracting both men and women for his multitude of reasons. Oldheads may scoff and groan at his antics, but you can't deny he has a certain allure.

Top Jimmy cooks, Top Jimmy swings
He's got the look
Top Jimmy, woo (shake it, baby)

He's an icon, simply put. This guitar solo is where you'd see a compilation of Jimmy Todd absolutely pulverizing baseballs, and even throwing a couple would-be basestealers out at second.

Oh, Shroom joint Jimmy is the latest thing
He's got the swing that everybody digs

There's something to be said about a pretty swing. There are many great players in baseball history, but some stand apart just for the aesthetic beauty in the way they swing the bat. Jimmy's fluid motion and slick follow-through can be considered a work of art. Pictures just don't do it justice. You have to be there.

Yeah, the joint be jumpin' when the squad be pumpin'
And you know they play a crazy gig

By the All-Star break of Jimmy's second season (where he earned his first All-Star selection at catcher), the atmosphere at Shrooms home games have been completely turned around. A stadium that was desolate for any game that wasn't a giveaway day two seasons ago is now well above 75% capacity even for midweek games, even netting a few sellouts on the weekend. The energy and talent on this young squad translates to the crowd, and it's an entirely new vibe.

Well, you ain't been living 'til you've seen the living end
Top Jimmy and the Starko Kids!

This team is something that can be special, and with Jimmy Todd leading the way, there's no telling where this journey will end up. The Shrooms made the playoffs in their second season, and even won the Wild Card series, though they fell to the Pittsennat Cadets in the divisional round. The future, for once, is bright.

Top Jimmy cooks, top Jimmy swings
He's got the look
Top Jimmy, oh, Jimmy
Top Jimmy, go Jimmy
Top Jimmy
Oh, he's the king!

With all this in mind, Jimmy Todd earned an invitation to the Base Corps roster ahead of his third major league season. Cooper Calebs may be the main man behind the dish for the Corps, but Jimmy is coming for that spot. If he shows out this cycle, he may be the de facto starter in WBC 59 as Calebs is only getting order. Jimmy is the king, after all. Soon he will ascend to his rightful place on the throne behind the plate.

Obviously these lyrics are taken from the Van Halen song "Top Jimmy," from their album 1984. The inspiration came when I was playing MLB The Show a couple months ago while listening to some of my records in the background. In one game, I was listening to 1984, and Jimmie Foxx came up to bat right as the opening to Top Jimmy was playing. He ended up demolishing a walk-off homer right as the first chorus kicked in. "Holy shit, Jimmie really does swing. He really is cooking," I said to myself (like a complete dork). I decided to dedicate a NSS character to this moment, so here it is. Let's see if Top Jimmy really is the king in the next few cycles, eh?

Also, fuck it, AI flavor image

[Delaclava]

OOC: Inspired by this story, and thanks to Queb for his contributions to the idea.

Stealing First

Jolbonopolis Rangers ask Delaclav furry fans to chill out about Tony the Tiger - but we won't!

I can't believe I'm saying this, but the Delaclava Phoenixes are looking pretty good at this WBC.

I know, early returns and all that. It's only two games into the tournament. But we won both! (I didn't check, but that might be a Phoenixes first.) In the first game, a 6-1 victory over a very tough newcomer Ubernordwinds, Omer Ben-Haim was a linchpin for the offense, but there were contributions up and down the roster - from Teuvo Kujala, from Martin Adamcek, even from Steven Grace, to name a few. Andrew Barbosa was magnificent in his debut. In Game 2, a narrow 3-2 win against Canning, we'd have hoped for maybe a more emphatic beatdown of a weak team, but this is baseball. If you're not ready to grit out a few wins, you're not cut out for a deep run. The Phoenixes stayed the course and finally broke through with a two-run homer in the eighth inning from, of all people, Sam fucking Maximov. DH's are bullshit, guys. And pitchers who hit are sexy. Especially in the new pinstriped purple pants!

Anyway, I'm not here to talk about that. I'm here to talk about Tony the Tiger.

Who? What? Why? Well, if you're been paying attention—you haven't, so let me explain: instead of the preliminary stage of the World Baseball Classic being a true home-and-away, leading to a lot of unnecessary travel, the Quebecois Baseball and Softball Federation has assigned each team a "home venue" somewhere within Quebec and Shingoryeo. It's genius, really. Each teams get a designated spot where they play half their games, a place to call home and an opportunity to gain new adoring fans, but it's logistically so much easier and more sensible. Our team's been blessed with Alvarez Ravine, home of the Montevicio Dodgers. Alvarez Ravine is so beautiful and scenic, and Montevicio...guys, you've gotta try it. I've seen so many celebrities and I've never been more sunburned in my life.

But we play Drawkland next. Drawkland's home venue is Salamantel Park, home to the Jolbonopolis Rangers. The Rangers are okay-not-great as a team, they haven't won a league title in three decades, but that's not the important part. Their team mascot is an absolutely dreamboat dream team of Ray the Ranger and Tony the Tiger. Ray the Ranger, I'm told, is currently portrayed by JC Grand-Pierre, a 23-year-old, five-foot-ten, with bulging biceps and tight abs that glisten with sweat after a few innings of revving up the fans. And Tony is lithe, strong, agile, and plays hard to get, and Ray the Ranger has a lot of work to do to get a handle on Tony the Tiger.

Ever since Quebec was selected as the hosts of the tournament and announced this format, there has been increased Delaclav attention on the QBO as a whole, and on the Dodgers and the Rangers. And although (or perhaps because) the Rangers' play doesn't give a lot to celebrate, Delaclavs have fallen in love with Ray and Tony. Naturally, most of the adoration has been for Ray, which makes sense because he's, well, human. But Tony has his own smaller yet arguably more fervent following. Ray-Tony fanfiction has flooded the popular online community Hornbooks, anthropomorphic (furry) images have flooded RogueArt as well as Chirpr and BingBong. The culture magazine EsporTrash recently put out a list of "Top 10 Sex Icons in Foreign Sports." Ray the Ranger was ranked #7. Tony the Tiger? #2.

This newfound attention hasn't gone unnoticed by the Rangers—nor has it been entirely appreciated. The Tony the Tiger social media accounts (presumably operated by Rangers personnel) have pleaded with fans to stop with the particularly lewd graphics and stories, writing, "I’m all for showing your stripes, feathers, etc. But let’s keep things gr-r-reat – & family-friendly if you could. Cubs could be watching!".

My response? Hell no.

Okay, I won't tag you in anything (they're not interested, people, be cool about it). But my BingBong account is my business, my own source of expression! Look, I run a blog about Delaclav baseball. I clearly don't have a lot going on. Drawing pictures of Tony getting spit-roasted while wearing a schoolgirl outfit is my artistic outlet. Let me be!

Also, um, marketing. Seriously, you have a bunch of new fans for your team, for your league. Don't alienate them by blocking furries en masse when most of them are focused on generic phoenix imagery or smutty roleplays of elephants getting "hunted" by smurfs. Otherwise, I hear the Saugenay Lion or the Oakwood Dino might be a lot more welcoming... If you're not gonna engage with us, just log on, take the five seconds to tweet your little marketing message, then log off and get moving because I'm sure your boss is waiting for his cappuccino. Tony the Tiger belongs to us all!

Anyway... the Phoenixes play Drawkland next. I'm sure it'll be a great game, but many of us will be distracted by something else. In fact, I might need to have my "assistant" (my little sister) write the match report. Stay tuned!

[Kanmer]

BASEBALL IN KANMER

On Ahranom vs. Alwar-2016 game.



The game of Spartak Awenir.

As it was earlier mentioned, even despite baseball is an exotic sport to Kanmer, the Empire still has a baseball league, although it's amateur. But it is not the only Kanmerin baseball competition. There is also a cup, which is very similar to a football cup. It is a knockout competition, where only one match is played on every stage, and there is a chance for less poweful teams to succeed. Let's have a look on the last season of Kanmerin baseball.

KANMER BASEBALL LEAGUE


MATCHDAY 25:

Dinamo-Amatar          0 0 1 0 4 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 10
Ahranom                1 2 1 0 1 1 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  8

Sawit-Satem            0 0 2 1 0 0 0 3 1  7
BSK Hisen              0 0 0 2 0 0 3 0 0  5

Spartak Awenir         0 2 1 0 0 0 3 0 0  6
Alwar-2016             1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0  2
 
                        Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   
1 Spartak Awenir         25   18   7   110   84  +26    CHAMPIONS 
2 Dinamo-Amatar          25   14  11   129   96  +33    
3 Ahranom                25   14  11   110  115   -5    
4 Sawit-Satem            25   12  13   108  105   +3    
5 BSK Hisen              25    9  16   104  124  -20    
6 Alwar-2016             25    8  17    89  126  -37

KANMER BASEBALL CUP


QUARTERFINALS:
4 worst-placed teams of the previous season

Sawit-Satem 8-3 Alwar-2016
Dinamo-Amatar 10-0 Ahranom

SEMIFINALS:
2 quarterfinal winners + 2 best teams of previous season

Dinamo-Amatar 9-3 Sawit-Satem
BSK Hisen 1-0 Spartak Awenir

FINAL:
Played on Kanpalik Stadium, Awenir. Attendance: 378.

BSK Hisen 1-2 Dinamo-Amatar

WINNERS:

Kanmer League: Spartak Awenir
Kanmer Cup: Dinamo-Amatar

BUT HOW IS THE NATIONAL TEAM GOING?

Bad. Dead last in a group. With the worst run difference among all 42 nations. Right as expected.

RESULTS:

MD1: vs. Ko-oren #12 (a) |  KOR 4-3 KAN | 4th
MD2: vs. Oscioru #26 (h) |  KAN 0-9 OSC | 6th ↓

[Valanora]

After eight editions away from the WBC, having participated in the 50th edition as part of a greater celebration of the tournament than a decision made for competition, the VSC decided it was time to begin to take baseball a bit more seriously. However the issue is that there is currently no professional or even semi-professional league for the sport within the Empire, with the only way the game is found is at the university level and as co-ed spring amateur leagues, usually located in the Empire's larger metro areas. This meant that when the VSC appointed a coach to lead this bit of a crazy endeavor into the new tournament, they were faced with a very limited amount of players to try and choose from, all of whom play the sport as a hobby rather than in any sort of professional matter. The side was going to take a lot of lumps in the tournament and were probably only playing for pride and to get the rest of the nation more motivated for the next tournament in a few years time, perhaps even get at least a semi-professional league started up in the Empire once more, or even better a proper professional league like there had been nearly a century ago.

The roster drafted up for the tournament by the quickly assembled staff was largely the same one that had taken part in the 50th edition, back when they were kids who were mostly still at university or had just recently graduated. The staff thought since that they already had had experience playing in the tournament and most of them were still playing at the highest level of the amateur leagues, that they were the perfect choices for the team. The team itself was under no illusion that they would be able to turn up to the tournament after eight editions away and be able to compete, even though they had surprised quite a few with their rather respectable performance back in WBC 50, but that was years ago and with a lot of luck involved. Still, they had tasted something resembling success while representing the Empire and were the best hope that those in charge of the team had at looking to succeed at their very modest goals for the upcoming tournament and be the spark to hopefully ignite the passion and intrigue around the sport that had died out in over the last several decades.

Any semblance of hope at actually getting success on the diamond were completely dashed out when the draw for the groups was concluded and the team was put into the same group with the current number one team in South Newlandia and regional powerhouse in the sport in the form of Milchama, in addition to two strong Rushmori sides in the form of Tikariot and Srednjaci. Valanora was going to be one of two unranked teams in the group and with such a top heavy stacked group, having three teams inside the top seventeen of the rankings, the already dim outlook on what sort of results could be earned were sent into the void. It reminded many a sportsfan of the sort of awful draw that the Sabres had in the World Bowl when the VSC decided to send a team to that competition and they were drawn into a group with the current holders and a traditional powerhouse, the Sabres only showing signs of life against a lowly ranked team. If the team is going to record any wins in this tournament, it likely will only be coming against fellow unranked side Vonum, which in of itself looks unlikely after the team was defeated by Srednjaci after getting thumped by South Newlandia to open up the group. It's not ideal but every journey of success has to start at the bottom and this is only just the beginning of this team's journey, there is nowhere to go but up.

[Eshialand]

Hit and Miss

While winning 4-3 against the team from Canning was a good start to WBC 58 for the Eshian squad, the 10-2 loss to Drawkland... was a tough pill to swallow. Drawkland definitely had a great team, of course, but nobody could've predicted an 8 run loss. There needed to be a new strategy heading into their next couple of games against Tri Ann and Delaclava. While 5 of the runs could be attributed to Hannah Gray having a bad start, which wouldn't really factor into these games, Johnathan Quarrie allowing 4 runs in relief... that was an issue. Ray Frounta and Terry Stryre knew that he'd have to sit the next game out to prevent another implosion like that, but what about the future? Indeed, it would seem quite uncertain.

Overall, however, as long as you ignored the scorelines, the first couple of games had gone... just fine. International competition was going to be tougher than the domestic competition they'd had to settle with for the past couple years -- especially for the team members playing in a gutted Eshian Association -- and there would definitely be an adjustment period for the team. All they could really hope for was that the adjustment period would remain relatively short.

---

"Mr. Beaujoleil, I think there's a problem with the plans for Union Stadium..."
"What is it?"
"Well, how can I put this... there's no way in hell this thing's gonna float."
"What do you mean..."
"This would work fine as a ship, it would work fine as a stadium, but if you put that stadium on top of that ship, it's going to sink. It's way too much weight."

Tony stopped to think for a moment before responding. "Randy?"
"Mhm?"
"I knew there was a reason why I prefer my architects. You're fired."

You would think that someone who owns five private yachts would have a better idea of what makes ships float and why this one absolutely wouldn't, but alas, with him firing his chief engineer like this, it once again seemed like another one of his insane projects that would go nowhere.

"Wait, Mr. Beaujoleil!!"
"Mhm?"
"There's this new material I've heard about through some friends at the university that might make this work out... but I have no clue whether it will or not, and I'll need time for testing."
"How expensive will it be?"
"Very, but I fear it's the only solution."

Again, Tony needed a moment to think. "Fine, take all the time you need. I don't need my gift to the nation killing 60,000 fans and the national football team going down with them."
"Thank you so much sir!" Randy exclaimed, before muttering under his breath, "I bet your precious architects couldn't come up with THAT solution..."
"Hm?"
"Nothing, sir..."

[Tikariot]

Tikariot Roster
Trigramme: TKT
Nickname: The Owls

COACH
Manager: Anderson McVeigh, 57

ROSTER
Starters
LF #12 Raymond J O'Neill, 24, R - Meriador Mudhens

RF #31 Emily van Oorderen, 23, L - Toroyra Titans

3B #26 Fransesco Aravetti, 21, R - Dhun Lagarr Bulls

C #22 Gerrard Thatcher, 20, L - Avanaroch Nightwatch

CF #67 Kristina Fagerström, 22, R - Fort Viljan Northmen

1B #88 Vatharra Carson, 25, R - Soharr Highlanders

2B #42 Morven Garrity, 21, R - Emerald Coast Phantoms

SS #2 Warren Sheridan, 19, L - Alcassar Eagles

Reserves
RF #33 Rab Carver, 23, L - Silicon Triangle Wizards

OF #20 Duncan Stringer, 19, R - Pyathora Sailors

OF #52 Bernadette Bedingfield, 20, L - Samakar Sabreheads

OF #33 Darrel Hawkes, 21, R - Morannon Militia

2B #7 Liza Atkinson, 23, L - Tikariot Thunderforge

IF #6 Magdalena Daniels, 20, L - Xanark Sluggers

IF #16 Claudette Woodley, 22, R - Thorncliff Venom

IF #26 Padraig Solomon, 20, R - Fort Cafragilis Warriors

C #27 Nicholas Copping, 25, L - Soharr Scimitars

Starting pitchers
RHP #37 Leonidas Coates, 22 - Tikariot Thunderforge

LHP #72 Ingalill Åhlén, 21 - Avanaroch Nightwatch

LHP #18 Gösta Törnkvist, 24 - Baraldhur Behemoths

RHP #9 Shonagh Clarke, 20 - Xanark Sluggers

RHP #3 Alison Whitaker, 23 - Paladon Citadels

Bullpen
Long reliever: RHP #11 Grant Nichols, 23 - Ceramadhion Vipers
Long reliever: LHP #1 Theodore Hayden, 21 - Emerald Coast Phantoms
Left-handed specialist: LHP #17 Nathalie Curran, 22 - Tikariot Thunderforge
Middle reliever: RHP #41 Karen Whitehead, 23 - Paladon Citadels
Set up reliever: RHP #13 Johnson Bunning, 20 - Tovaca Tigers
Closer: LHP #32 Royston Hodgson, 24 - Silicon Valley Wizards

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?

[South Newlandia]

Disclaimers:
* this project would not be possible without the efforts from Super-Llamaland. The words and pictures on screen right now were made by me, but would not be possible without extensive background work from both of us. Please do grade accordingly.
* this RP series may, on occasion, mention numbers about your players. Feel free to ignore them if you don’t like them.

South Newlandian League

Previews – Part 1 (Ratzupalfu and Walstreim)

Ratzupalfu Rhinos

Departures
Following consecutive South Newlandian championships, the Rhinos will have a somewhat more difficult time in this upcoming season, with several top-tier talents departing. Long-time Banijan ace Xolile Gola is retiring after a pair of championships with the Rhinos, and will be sorely missed in the rotation as a mentor figure to the rest of the team. The rotation will also be without Jason Fletcher, who played five good seasons for the Rhinos, and will be retiring as well. On the other side of the ball, recent SNLCS MVP Lewis Hunter left in free agency, signing with Kyrinson. Fringe Elephant third baseman Hugo Brock also took a free agency deal in Super-Llamaland, joining the re-tooling Suns. The team also traded reliever Matthew Harvey alongside infield prospect Teo Santiago to Emerald City for a future pick and some depth pieces, highlighted by 3B Kelvin Hill.

Additions

Elephant Valley Sports Mail
Looking at the most impactful Free Agency Addition for each SNL team
Ratzupalfu Rhinos: RHSP Odongo Lutaakome (BNJ) (International Free Agency)

Usually, teams that win back-to-back SNL championships end up strained for cash, and find themselves unable to make big additions. The Rhinos are an exception to this rule, in large part because they had many front-loaded contracts back when they played in Malidridad. Now in Ratzupalfu, that is starting to pay off, and the Rhinos were able to make one of the biggest international free agency signings of the offseason. Banijan Lion Odongo Lutaakome, who appeared in the most recent WBC Finals, was given a big contract to join the team of Addo Jassey, as the Rhinos are hoping for another championship push. They will also be hoping to offset the loss of Elephant Melissa Silvestri, who tore her ACL in the leadup to the season. She is projected to miss half of more of the upcoming season. When she returns, the Rhino pitching staff certainly has the depth to win another championship, including Lutaakome, who stood out for Banija with a four-seam fastball in the upper 90s, with a strong selection of secondary pitches to keep hitters off-balance. He became widely known in South Newlandia when his excellent effort led Banija to a win over the Ellies in game 3 of the semifinals of the last World Baseball Classic, a key game in a series the Lions would ultimately win. In the final, he was less lucky, including allowing a huge Jesse Griffith homer, as the Lions failed to capture a fourth world title. The Bunyoro A&M alum should be a cornerstone for a rotation with the depth to lead the Rhinos to a third consecutive South Newlandian title.

Next to their addition of new ace Lutaakome, who will hopefully step into the hole left by Xolile Gola, the big addition for the Rhinos was Shawn Zimmerman. The Center Fielder returned from Chromatik baseball, having spent the previous season with the Comets. A five-tool player in his prime, the Elephant will be moving to Left Field to accommodate Joanna Adoyo, who is the better fit in Center at this point in their careers. Nevertheless, one of the biggest stars in South Newlandian baseball history should be a fine upgrade to an already strong lineup, and should make the loss of Hunter go down just a bit easier.

Besides that, however, the Rhinos remained mostly passive in Free Agency, cautious not to break the bank, or the players they targeted chose different teams with more available funds. Rumoured to be in the mix for players like Lucien Ramirez and James Concepción, the Rhinos instead filled out their roster with a few waiver additions. Tom Abbott, the Sanford-based journeyman, was cut by the division rival Saints, and pitcher Carlota Miller will have a chance to re-establish herself after being cut by the Dolphins. The team also added Kelvin Hill, who is slotted in as the starter at third base, and shortstop Charlotte Valdes in a trade with the Greens. Valdes, who was initially drafted by the A’s, probably has more upside, but is a weaker fit to play third base.
The last spot on the 26-man roster went to right-hander Zeno Beyer, who was just drafted out of Ratzupalfu University. The Rhinos were clearly enamoured with the breaking pitches of the local Egret, and have chosen to elevate their 20th-overall pick right away, giving him a chance to impress at the big league level.

Outlook:

It’s hard to bet against the back-to-back defending champions, and the team of Addo Jassey still looks like a top competitor in the SNL South and beyond. The rotation is anchored by a trio of international aces in Banijan Lutaakome and Elephants Gonzalo and Silvestri. Behind them, the team has a pair of fine starters in Lio Günther and Nic Huang, although neither of them has managed to really hit the upside they had as former first-round selections. Huang, who is heading into just his second season, certainly has plenty of time, and so has rookie Zeno Beyer, who clearly impressed the Rhinos since he arrived at the organization. The bullpen is top-heavy, with Elephant Dhruv Webber and Fleftic reliever Mladen Manevski likely to handle the high-leverage innings. Liam Scott also has a chance to build on his strong rookie campaign, but behind them, none of Chavez, Thakur, and Miller are likely to be particularly impactful. Still, this should be a fairly well-balanced pitching staff, in contention to be one of the best in the South Newlandian league.
The lineup also looks quite interesting, although there are certainly weaknesses. The lineup has five players that could realistically be All-Stars this season, starting with recent MVP Joanna Adoyo in Center Field, still in the final season of her prime. She is paired with her younger Banijan teammates Rehana and Gadifele, who will contribute to a very strong top of the lineup. The Banijan trio is joined by new addition Zimmerman and Fleftic second baseman Cedric Colon, who also has a few good years left in him.
The final four spots of the lineup pack less of a punch, with Filip O’Doral likely having the biggest upside in Right Field. Wilson Moore and Kelvin Hill have proven to be serviceable journeymen starters, but aren’t likely to provide a lot of elevation to the team. The same is true for Kilian Hansen, who continues to be a one-trick pony with a lot of power from the DH-spot while offering little else. The bench is surprisingly good, starring first baseman Tom Abbott, who has had impact plate appearances for a variety of playoff teams, and will be a seeing a fair amount of at-bats, most likely as DH. Defensively, the trio of Barnes, Valdes and Lewis can stack up well with any SNL defensive alternates. They won’t set the world on fire, but they all fill a good role on the team, and should be providing value to the team in their own ways.
The team of Jassey seems a lock to head back to the postseason. While there are weak spots, that was true of the past squads as well, and in terms of star power, the team mostly just replaced Gola and Hunter with Lutaakome and Zimmerman. That should not be a downgrade, so the Rhinos are likely to win upwards of 90 games even in the shortened 160-game schedule, with potential to make yet another deep playoff run.

Minor League Notes

Elephant Valley Sports Mail
Which team has the best farm system right now? Ranking AAA-teams heading into the season
4th: Malidridad Fishermen (Ratzupalfu Rhinos affiliate)
Most promising player: CoOF Veer Murphy (SNL, 22)
You would not expect the back-to-back champions to have a top-4 AAA team in South Newlandia, but ever since the major league franchise moved from Malidridad to Ratzupalfu, leaving the former city with the AAA Fishermen, the Rhinos haven’t been very interested in being what people expect them to be. Somehow equipped with a pair of first-round picks, the Rhinos picked back-to-back local talents to bolster their squads. While one of the two Egrets, right-hander Zeno Bayer, was ushered to the major league roster, corner outfielder Veer Murphy will start in Malidridad. Murphy hit for excellent averages in college, and is more pro-ready than most at 22. However, a lack of speed limits his defensive upside. He could still make a quick impact, with his positions currently occupied by veteran Shawn Zimmerman and a struggling Filip O’Doral. With the second-round pick, the Rhinos went back for seconds in the corner outfield, adding Llamanean Reagan Rasmussen. Rasmussen can also play first, and this will be the position he will occupy for the Fishermen. At 21, he is probably still a season away from having a chance to make an impact, but with a strong power tool, he has a high ceiling. That’s also true of teenager Arthur Rodriguez, another outfielder added by the Rhinos in the most recent draft. The young Llamanean has some advanced hitting skills for his age, but this is a pick that will only pay dividends far down the line. The Fishermen also have an interesting supporting cast, featuring former Elephant Valley Homer Fatima da Silva, as well as recent third-round picks CF Lucia Lopez and DH Ângelo Borges. While they aren’t likely to ever set the world on fire, they are better injury replacements than most teams will have.

---

Walstreim Stingrays
Departures

The Stingrays were already in poor shape after a terrible end to last season, where they finished with the just kept sputtering out worse and worse. Entering this season, besides letting go of TJUN-ian manager Pedro Volcoron, they also lost some of their few key contributors to last season. These were mostly older players, as the Stingrays are currently pursuing a rebuild and have little interest in competing at the moment. Miles Savey, long-time starter for the Rays, is one of two Chromatiks to retire after last season; the other being long-time reliever Hine Salle, one of the last remaining links to the Stingrays teams that made two South Newlandian championships just a few seasons ago. They also lost a large chunk of the lineup, mainly veteran leadership, including Grady Elliott, their long-time catcher from Hapilopper, and Josh Malouf, their Brookstation-based shortstop who made multiple all-star teams in his LPB career. The Stingrays also lost players in free agency, with DH Anna Builler stinging the most; the TJUN-ian Jaguar chose to sign with the Dachshunds. Former first-round selection 1B Levin Griffiths is also heading to Ruditown after his rookie contract expired. Lastly, outfielder Erin Guthrie chose to sign with the Dolphins, with the Llamanean leaving a leadership vacuum in the outfield.

Additions

Elephant Valley Sports Mail
Looking at the most impactful Free Agency Addition for each SNL team
Walstreim Stingrays: CoOF Miles Feliciano (SLL) (Waiver Free Agency (Cut), Ruditown Dachshunds)
The Stingrays are, to say it gently, allowing nature to take its course. Having already finished with the second-worst record in all of LPB last season, the Rays did not fill any of the glaring holes all over the roster, with the exception of Jay Kramer returning from Echizen. Instead, they lost major pieces that kept them at least relatively competitive, including Anna Builler and other key contributors. The Rays were not particularly interested in paying serious money to any free agents, and instead just took the cheapest option in many cases. Clearly, the goal for Walstreim is to land a top amateur draft pick, which could be Banda Kujabi or another star, while saving money for a future playoff push. All of these factors make it hard to actually say any addition was impactful (beside new coach Jack Helstrom-Satanique), but Super-Llamanean Miles Feliciano at least has the upside to contribute in the future. Having been drafted 22nd overall by the Ruditown Dachshunds, he struggled to establish himself, especially due to being a liability defensively. He will get another chance to start in Walstreim.

With many spots to address, the Stingrays started by getting a new manager in TJUN-ian Jack Helstrom-Satanique, who has experience working on the national team of TJUN-ia. He’s going to take over the rebuilding organisation, and will have to try to shape a quite poor team into a team that doesn’t play horrific baseball.
He will have some help thanks to the biggest offseason addition the team made; that being starting pitcher Jay Kramer, who is returning from his tenure with Echizen. A former Elephant, his career took a turn for the worse in Ko-oren, and he’s looking to re-establish himself on a rebuilding team where he can be one of the main starters. Besides him, the Stingrays did not spend any money on big contracts, and will instead pick up some players cut by other teams. Reliever Manuel Gatti, 1B Nathan Barker, 1B Levi David and C Vihaan Naik are all young players who struggled to establish themselves with the teams that drafted them; with the Stingrays willing to give them more opportunities at the big-league level. Two players that arrived via this path stand out a bit more: One is the aforementioned Feliciano, and the other is Kurt Sweet. He is a journeyman first baseman and DH who will play for his sixth LPB team; a record. While he doesn’t have any real upside as a player, he is going to provide some leadership for this organisation. The last spot on the 26-man roster went to a rookie, Bryan-David Knight. BDK was selected in the third round out of NCfIR, where he put up fairly decent numbers in the outfield. He’s likely going to be a backup at best, as his ceiling isn’t terribly high, but he isn’t much worse than the other players Walstreim plans on playing.

Outlook:

The Stingrays are a very bad baseball team, and they will be competing for the first overall pick; for real, this time, as they didn’t trade it for any mediocre starters. Speaking of Edward Zhuang, he is part of the only thing the Stingrays have going for them. That would be their starting rotation, which is led by Kramer and their ace, Jason McRae, the last TJUN-ian Jaguar remaining on this team. The rest of the rotation includes Udo Mori from Benjium, as well as Crissey Battey and Quentin Burke, both from Sanford. One thing that sticks out about this group is that they’re all 31 or older, suggesting the Rays still have a long way to go in their rebuild. For now, at least, this group should be somewhat competitive. The bullpen is also fairly solid, able compete with what some other teams have going for them. Chromatik veteran and former WBC player Beatrice Castreaux is the closer, a role she inherited from her teammate Hine Salle, with Isabella Romero and Michael Otto both heading into their third season with the Stingrays. In retrospect, the decision to draft multiple relievers in that first round can certainly be questioned. The lone interesting remaining member of the bullpen is Barak Barakat, who played very well for Benjium, but hasn’t quite unlocked his potential for the Stingrays.
The lineup for this team is quite the mess. Catcher Marcus Nox, part of the Benjium trio on this team, should be mostly fine, and the same is true of most of the infield. In the middle, Masayoshi Kuramochi and Abeer Mahto are both talented, but will need some more time to develop, while Hapiloppian 3B Aiden Beasley will likely play his final season for the team. He still has some pop remaining even in the twilight of his career, and should at least not be a weakness. The outfield features some players with potential with Miles Feliciano and Samuel Parra. Both were drafted in the first round, but struggled initially. They will have a chance to prove they can be an asset to an LPB team as a starter, with the Stingrays likely to give both of them extended playing time. Alejandro Rivera in right has played some good seasons for the team, but his upside is still quite limited.
That leaves 1B and DH, where the Stingrays will use some combination of new additions Barker, David, Sweet and Andrea Montanari, although the latter may also see some games in the outfield. None of these players are any good, but it seems likely that the team will give Barker and David extended opportunities, as they’re at least still young and might improve.
This team is very bad, and will spend most of the season looking forward to the draft, and maybe hoping Masterson puts together a good season in Ineton. All they can hope to do is avoid making history by being the worst team in the LPB history, and to avoid getting any surprising rule changes dropped into their lap that make their draft pick worse. Foreshadowing is a literary device

Minor League Notes

Elephant Valley Sports Mail
Which team has the best farm system right now? Ranking AAA-teams heading into the season
9th: Ineton Waterfrogs (Walstreim Stingrays affiliate)
Most promising player: 3B Trevor Masterson (SLL, 21)
You would expect the farm system of a team that just finished with the very worst record in the SNL to be in better shape. However, the Waterfrogs are still fairly light on the ground, largely because the Stingrays did not actually have a first-round selection in the most recent draft. Instead, the most promising Waterfrog is second-round pick Trevor Masterson, a power-hitting Llamanean third baseman. Masterson has a clear path to eventually succeed Aiden Beasley at the hot corner for the Stingrays, hopefully during a time when the Stingrays are slightly more competitive. Other Waterfrogs include recent and less-recent third-round selections, the former being Newlandian catcher Mateo Marchand, who may see some looks this season, and the latter being left-hander Karen Ellis, who was drafted as a teenager last season. Despite some development with her secondaries in Ineton, she’s still a long way from contributing at the major league level.

[Tikariot]

Soft thunder can be heard over a black screen. Then, footsteps crunching and the creaking of a door. Slowly the logo fades in as the scene illuminates slightly, showing an old, broken down house and an open door, light falling in as a rectangle, showing dust and cobwebs and movement in the shadows just beyond the light.

As the logo fades away, the picture shows a man in a long trenchcoat and hat standing on a rocky path, rough waters of the sea to his left and a hill further ahead to the right, but barely visible in the darkening twilight, strangely obscured by a faint shroud of mist.

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to Mythical Tikariot, a new show on TikFlix, looking at the mythical and maybe even supernatural side of Tikariot. My name is Erasmus Wheeler and I will be leading you through some of the most mysterious places and instances our country has to offer.

Tikariot is a nation with a deep and long history, reaching back hundreds, if not thousands of years. From the jungles of the Cardannon Archipelago and tropical Acrassia to the arid plains of Taeria, the majestic mountains of Khazagh and the forests of Viljamark, it is steeped with stories, myths and legends that teeter on the edge of truth and fantasy. We have taken it upon us to explore some of the most famous legends and myths that permeate Tikariot.

Today I am here near the village of Esmora Bay in southwestern Rhovannyr, the site of one of the spookiest myths or legends the province has to offer. Esmora Bay is a village of just a few hundred people and lies just a two kilometres down the coast from what you see behind me.

He points behind him toward the hill. The camera zooms in on it.

This is Calebargh Hill, which is where this myth has originated, a pretty barren hill with only some gnarled ancient trees around it and only some rough grass growing in its vicinity. Right off the bat, in case you're wondering why we're so far away, if you try to approach it any closer, any electronics will stop working, regardless if camera, phone, any device will go dead as if the battery went dead.

So, what is legend of Calebargh Hill, you may ask? Well, here with me is Duncan McCay, who has been living in a cottage near Esmora Bay for the last few decades.

The camera moves slightly to the side, where an old man who looks positively ancient is standing, a rich head of snow white hair and more wrinkles than a crumpled up piece of paper.

Duncan, you've been living here for how long?

Duncan: Naente-echt yeers.

Ninety-eight years? Wow, how old are you, if I may ask?

Duncan: A hunner.

So, what is the deal with Calebargh Hill?

Duncan: Aye, th' hill is haunted. Na animals wull gang near.

None at all?

Duncan: None. Thay ken better.

So, what is the history behind it?

Duncan: Echtee years ago, thare wis a muckle mansion up thare. Th' property o' a jimmy cried Elias Blackwood. Elias wis a recluse 'n' fowk wur talking that he wis intae th' occult. Thare hae bin rumours he wis daein' forbidden rituals, trying tae fin' supernatural powers.

What kind of powers?

Duncan: A dinnae ken. Bit Elias became obsessed wi' some artifact he believed cuid unlock they powers. In his pursuit, he did a mirk ritual that gaed awry, unleashing forces beyond his control. Ye cuid cop th' tremours a' th' wey tae Esmora Bay 'n' th' mansion crumbled under th' strain o' th' arcane energies, goin awa behind ainlie th' ruins.

And he was never seen again?

Duncan: Na, ne'er. Fowk didnae gang keek either.

So, what has happened since then?

Duncan: Hee haw. Fowk bade awa'. Bit a'body thinks th' hill is haunted. At nicht ye kin hear some streenge howls, lik' tortured spirits that ur stuck. Ye see th' drow? it ne'er goes awa'. Tis a sign tae bade awa'.

Has anybody tried to investigate?

Duncan: Aye. Thare hae bin groups wanting tae investigate. Ghost hunters 'n' ither idiots hae gaen thare. Cam running back saying thay saw some apparitions 'n' hearing streenge whispers 'n' chilling cries. Some claim tae hae seen Elias, wi' glowing een. Na wildlife wull gang claise, if ye gang up thare, ye hear na soonds o' nature. Th' twisted, gnarly trees aroond th' ruins ur believed tae hae absorbed some o' th' otherworldly energies, adding tae th' mirk atmosphere.

Thank you, Duncan.

The old man nods and wordlessly turns and walks away. The camera returns to Erasmus.

We have talked to other locals and they say that they stay away and also advise everybody else to avoid the hill, especially after nightfall. They say that the occult still lingers on. We did try to go up to the ruins, but as said before, all recording equipment and phones turned off and the closer we got, the denser the mist became. It was almost as if it was trying to envelope us and hold us back. We didn't see any apparitions or hear strange noises, but the closer you get, the more you get this very strange feeling that there is something that doesn't want you to be there. It's like a shadow falling over your mind and soul and you feel the chill creep into your bones.

As so often, it is impossible to really discern how much truth is to the stories, but I can confirm from my own experience that something feels very weird, eerie and wrong on Calebargh Hill.

The camera zooms past Erasmus, trying to show the ruins on top of the hill, but the closer it zooms in, the denser the mist becomes as if trying to conceal what lays there.

[Quebec and Shingoryeo]

OOC-2: Primary reference material: Memoires d'Athletes - Do Or Die, the 2038 story of Quebecois HS Baseball's Greatest Match
Other reference materials: RPs from WBC 53 (Theo and Myeong-Shin's story with Haley's song, a Grim Reapers' anthem), TWGS Season Two 'Auld Lang Syne' (involves the story of the narrator)

Parts 1-6
Parts 7-10
Part 11 - The Decision

Part 12 - Tigers: The Hec of Defence, and Baseball

Narrator: By early July, the Kingston Tigers are comfortably atop the QBO season with a 60-24 record, one that would see them go on a 18-3 run entering into the all-star break. The Tigers, who are led by Baek Nam-Soo's 12 wins and 118 strikeouts, while Benedict Calles III goes on a 15-game hitting streak of own, are on a roll, and are seven games ahead of their hated rivals, Saguenay Lions.

The team, who are just short of the 1977 Saguenay Lions' .734% winning percentage, continues to receive great attention as they would be swarmed by media and public, both at home and away. While most of it is over the success of the squad that simply has not found a way to lose once the weather got hot, but also over the continuing questions to their team captain after the 2057 season:

# Imperial League            Pld     W    L     RF    RA    RD    Win % 
1 Hanbat Eagles               84    50   34    442   349   +93    0.595
2 Montreal Twins              84    50   34    399   364   +35    0.595
3 Montevicio Dodgers          84    48   36    459   360   +99    0.571
4 Saint John Green Sox        84    43   41    387   401   −14    0.512
5 Levis Wyverns               84    43   41    397   354   +43    0.512
6 Kingston Blue Jays          84    41   43    353   412   −59    0.488
7 Attawapiskat Wiz            84    32   52    327   393   −66    0.381
8 Anju Avros                  84    29   55    329   460  −131    0.345
 
# Royal League               Pld     W    L     RF    RA    RD    Win % 
1 Kingston Tigers             84    60   24    459   328  +131    0.714
2 Saguenay Lions              84    53   31    389   335   +54    0.631
3 Joongyeong Bears            84    46   38    407   378   +29    0.548
4 Prince Eric Athletics       84    43   41    388   376   +12    0.512
5 Dongnae Giants              84    41   43    408   375   +33    0.488
6 Oakwood Dinos               84    40   44    384   396   −12    0.476
7 Songak Expos                84    32   52    350   422   −72    0.381
8 Jolbonopolis Rangers        84    21   63    268   443  −175    0.250

The camera heads sometime into the 70th-game mark, where the rookie batsman, Kieran Horsham, a silent treatment in the match against Songak Expos. The bald first-baseman, who is at 23 much better defensively and by contact than his power, has a lucky one that goes over the right fence into the water. He enters the dugout and double-taps the first three he sees back there. He gets nothing, but then would be met by starters Kim Gi-Joong and Devon Ackie from behind as they blast the coke bottle on his face. His teammates would join into the celebration as they tap him on shoulder and head.

The next scene sees pitcher Baek Nam-Soo, third baseman Kamila Estrada and batting coach Noel Gustavsson smoking a cigarette back in the old locker room of Mudeung Field, right as Heo joins in. This section of the locker room is little bit thick on air with smoke fume when Heo enters. He gives all five a tug and embrace, though does not join the smoking - he was never really a smoker. 'Ain't nobody here talkin' about whether Heo Myeong-Shin's gonna retire, or coming back next here,' Myeong-Shin gives a light smile, having changed from his jersey into a black, three-piece suit. 'Let's win and think about it.'
---
The camera now shifts into the aerial shot of the Universite du Saguenay campus. It is, for most part, a mix of architectural styles with the traditional-styled pillars carved into stone-clad, mostly gothic buildings, and the campus that has carefully-placed lawns. The camera quickly goes around the Pierre J. Belmondo Field, named after a famous alumnus who had made his name known in the semi-professional days of 1940s and 1950s, before going straight into the Stade Schwartz.

Then-head coach of the Fighting Irish football team, Baek Sang-Joon, walks out of the tunnel after tapping the famous 'Play Like A Champion' sign. He, who would go onto coach the Fighting Irish for just over fifteen years, has fond memories of Myeong-Shin and Broncos' quarterback, Ian Lautner.

'Saguenay football program's profile as a national program is a renowned one, one that is built upon early success, but one that would be backed up by innovation and being ahead of the curve,' answers Baek, as historic clips of the 1930s-1950s and 1970s-1980s championship-winning squads. 'It was one that would come in waves, yes, and it's not always been successful like last twenty-thirty years. But even in the struggling years, the program's allure as a nationwide program, that meaning its independent status (note that its affiliation with the B1G conference, mostly of Anglophone schools in the middle-half of the region, is a semi-binding one requiring six games a year, not eight or nine), playing far and in all corners of the country, and its breakthrough status in Songgyeong or Joongyeong, was never in doubt.'

It would be slowly followed by the era of resurgence in the 2010s and the 2020s, before closing with the montage of Sir. Dexter Ahn, three-time Hector Kweon winner who would throw a 27-yard overtime winner in the Tiger Bowl final at his junior year. 'But there was a bit of that question over the program's identity, the character issues we held for one another and whatnot, that was being put into question by the 2030s.' He would add, before the scene where he is appointed Head Coach. 'It was a great program, the students would do well in classes, but yes, there were some issues I clearly remember then.' It would be followed by a series of charges that would occur periodically for the program, most notably with three multi-game suspensions by edge rusher Vontaze Ahn, and a half-season suspension for Simon Gacek for what people outside would know to be drug abuse issues.

'We will start the program from clean slate, we will compete clean, and we will win it clean. And I am ready for the Irish nation, and the Northeast, to join with me,' says Baek at the start of press conference, as he shakes hands with then-athletic director Sir. Robert Ahern Pelaez.

'Myeong-Shin was the best prospect in the country for 2038 class, who wanted to play both baseball and football, and we all knew how close he was with Ian (Lautner), who was the best prospect for the one after,' he says. 'But there were some doubts as to whether we could net either, because the Erskine pipeline to Queen's College on one hand, and the Pater-Dei pipeline to USM.'

The camera would then shift to Myeong-Shin, who is now sitting at the Stade Commonwealth. Annually Saguenay plays the Golden Bell Showdown with Queen's College in Songak, where the crowds usually split even - Queen's College is only an hour away by drive, but traditionally Saguenay has had strong representation, both athletically and in fanbase here. 'Did I watch the Golden Bell every year? Absolutely, me and my family all donned the tricolour, sung the chants and all that,' Myeong-Shin answers, before lifting a picture of the family of four standing in front of the stands when him and Myeong-Yoon were 12 and 10. 'And yes, at one point it did seem like all three of Theo, Ian and I were gonna be there.'

The interviewer asks Myeong-Shin what made Myeong-Shin and Ian ultimately change their mind, to which he takes a moment to think. 'Let's just say that being the only Myeong-Shin, at a school that wanted to usher in a new era, was a great promise, and the team had a clear vision,' he answers. 'And it also involved the two ends to face off, not as friends laughing on the court, but actually squaring off against one another. I am not a Christian myself, don't get me wrong, but if there's really a god's plan, it would have been for me to go to Saguenay.'

Narrator: In what would be the greatest recruiting scoop of the century, Myeong-Shin would come to Saguenay campus on the summer semester of 2038, where he would find himself entering a huge culture shock away from warmer flatlands of Mahan.

Myeong-Shin recalls the first months of the school without the fairytale-like notion. 'Oh it was bad. It's northeastern cold, it's hilly at around 1000m high, and you knew there were a lot of rules and codes to follow,' says he, now joined by his wife Naomi, in Kingston. 'Coming from a traditional, Buddhist family with my dad and grandma devout practitioners, I was in some ways used to this...atmosphere, but this peculiar environment felt differently than at home.'

'It was a difficult moment for him,' nods Naomi, a straw-haired volleyball coach one year older wearing the RQVF tracksuit. 'I remember being on the phone with him every day, that was his freshman year, and having to talk through things out with him. Everybody knew about those early struggles - there were lots going on for him, after losing Maureen earlier in the year and having to handle what's really the weight of the world. One year he was the submarine sensation, the next he is that, top safety-turned linebacker prospect, vying to play against the USMs, the St-GRs, the Queen's's.'

The very next scene would go into the alternating highlights of Myeong-Shin's tenure as the Fighting Irish, mostly in the manners similar to the relatively short, one-minute-esque montages of his time with high school baseball earlier. Multiple sacks and interceptions would be followed, with the sound of Here Comes the Irish (anthem) played alongside the commentators talking about his versatility as a hybrid linebacker, intelligence reading the plays and the passion that would alternate with celebrations.

Narrator: In four seasons with the Fighting Irish, Heo Myeong-Shin would be remembered as one of the best players in the QIS football history, recording 40 sacks and 28 interceptions in his four years with the Fighting Irish. A three-time all-Quebecois, his crowning achievement would be on his junior season when Myeong-Shin, off a 12-sack, 10-interception season as inside linebacker, would win the first Hector Kweon trophy in 32 years as a defensive player.

The camera would go back to the footage of 2041 Hector Kweon trophy ceremony, also happens to be situated at the Adelphi Hotel in Songak. The ceremony itself is straightforward with Heo, who is wearing the similarly-styled three-piece suit with a green and gold tie, shakes the hands of that year's presenter, none other than Dexter Ahn himself. They whisper few words while on handshake, before he goes to the podium.

While the camera looks at others, including his family and friends, and then the coaching staff, quick narration continues on the background. This happens to be from Melanie Gissing, the local reporter who had covered Irish football for years. 'There aren't that many achievements greater than winning a Hec as a defensive player, on the same year you win a Tiger Bowl with your best friend. As a junior, you would think of heading into the QFL, the earlier the better. So when things didn't go that way, then what is next?'

Now we head back into the end of the speech, where he is set to announce that he's going to return for his senior season. 'I am proud to announce that I will be returning to South Bend for my senior season in football and baseball,' he says, with the round of applause to follow.

[Quebec and Shingoryeo]

Cutoff no. 2 (MD3-4) - Rail travel map, for your travel sake!

Group A:

MD3

Loyo (16)                                     0 0 0 0 1 3 0 1 0 0 3  8
WE-ARE-DICE-land (UR)                         0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 2 0 0  5

The Star Enpire (25)                          0 0 0 2 0 0 0 2 0  4
Quebec and Shingoryeo (06)                    1 0 2 1 3 0 1 0 X  8

Cardenao (32)                                 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 0  3
The Miscere Empire (UR)                       6 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 X  7

# Group A                                      Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD 
1 Quebec and Shingoryeo                          3    3   0    24   10  +14
2 Loyo                                           3    2   1    17   14   +3
3 Cardenao                                       3    2   1    12   12    0
4 The Star Enpire                                3    1   2     9   15   −6
5 The Miscere Empire                             3    1   2    11   12   −1
6 WE-ARE-DICE-land                               3    0   3    11   21  −10

MD4

WE-ARE-DICE-land (UR)                         0 0 3 0 0 1 0 0 0  4
The Miscere Empire (UR)                       0 0 0 5 0 0 2 0 X  7

Quebec and Shingoryeo (06)                    0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 1 2  6
Cardenao (32)                                 1 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 1  5

Loyo (16)                                     0 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 0  3
The Star Enpire (25)                          2 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 X  5

# Group A                                      Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD 
1 Quebec and Shingoryeo                          4    4   0    30   15  +15
2 The Star Enpire                                4    2   2    14   18   −4
3 Loyo                                           4    2   2    20   19   +1
4 The Miscere Empire                             4    2   2    18   16   +2
5 Cardenao                                       4    2   2    17   18   −1
6 WE-ARE-DICE-land                               4    0   4    15   28  −13

Group B:

MD3

Abanhfleft (14)                               0 0 3 0 0 2 0 0 0  5
Vilwandia (UR)                                1 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 1  6

Barnettsville (20)                            0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  1
Banija (03)                                   0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1  2

Sea Dome (81)                                 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 1  3
Jabberwocky (UR)                              1 0 0 0 0 2 0 3 X  6

# Group B                                      Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD 
1 Banija                                         3    3   0    16   10   +6
2 Barnettsville                                  3    2   1    10    9   +1
3 Jabberwocky                                    3    2   1    19   14   +5
4 Sea Dome                                       3    1   2    14   12   +2
5 Vilwandia                                      3    1   2    10   17   −7
6 Abanhfleft                                     3    0   3    18   25   −7

MD4

Vilwandia (UR)                                0 1 0 0 3 0 2 0 0  6
Jabberwocky (UR)                              0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0  4

Banija (03)                                   1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0  2
Sea Dome (81)                                 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  1

Abanhfleft (14)                               2 0 0 0 0 3 0 3 1  9
Barnettsville (20)                            1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0  2

# Group B                                      Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD 
1 Banija                                         4    4   0    18   11   +7
2 Vilwandia                                      4    2   2    16   21   −5
3 Barnettsville                                  4    2   2    12   18   −6
4 Jabberwocky                                    4    2   2    23   20   +3
5 Sea Dome                                       4    1   3    15   14   +1
6 Abanhfleft                                     4    1   3    27   27    0

Group C:

MD3

Ko-oren (12)                                  1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1  2
Al-Kharid (UR)                                0 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 X  3

Oscioru (26)                                  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0
Zwangzug (05)                                 1 0 0 3 0 0 2 0 X  6

Ochre Islands (30)                            0 0 0 3 1 0 3 1 0  8
Kanmer (UR)                                   0 3 1 2 0 0 0 4 X 10

# Group C                                      Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD 
1 Zwangzug                                       3    2   1    11    3   +8
2 Ko-oren                                        3    2   1     8    7   +1
3 Al-Kharid                                      3    2   1     8    9   −1
4 Oscioru                                        3    1   2    10   10    0
5 Ochre Islands                                  3    1   2    15   15    0
6 Kanmer                                         3    1   2    13   21   −8

MD4

Al-Kharid (UR)                                0 0 0 2 0 4 0 2 1  9
Kanmer (UR)                                   1 0 0 0 1 3 0 0 2  7

Zwangzug (05)                                 1 1 2 0 0 0 0 1 0  5
Ochre Islands (30)                            0 0 0 1 0 2 0 0 0  3

Ko-oren (12)                                  12 1 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 15
Oscioru (26)                                   0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 0  4

# Group C                                      Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD 
1 Zwangzug                                       4    3   1    16    6  +10
2 Ko-oren                                        4    3   1    23   11  +12
3 Al-Kharid                                      4    3   1    17   16   +1
4 Oscioru                                        4    1   3    14   25  −11
5 Ochre Islands                                  4    1   3    18   20   −2
6 Kanmer                                         4    1   3    20   30  −10

Group D:

MD3

Eshialand (15)                                0 0 0 3 0 7 2 4 0 16
Tri Ann (UR)                                  0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0  2

Delaclava (23)                                1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0  3
Drawkland (09)                                0 0 2 1 0 0 0 2 X  5

Ubernordwinds (UR)                            0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0  1
Canning (UR)                                  0 0 4 1 0 3 2 0 X 10

# Group D                                      Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD 
1 Drawkland                                      3    3   0    22    5  +17
2 Eshialand                                      3    2   1    22   15   +7
3 Delaclava                                      3    2   1    12    8   +4
4 Canning                                        3    1   2    15    8   +7
5 Ubernordwinds                                  3    1   2     8   21  −13
6 Tri Ann                                        3    0   3     7   29  −22

MD4

Tri Ann (UR)                                  0 2 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 1  6
Canning (UR)                                  1 1 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 0  5

Drawkland (09)                                0 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 3  6
Ubernordwinds (UR)                            1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0  2

Eshialand (15)                                1 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 0  4
Delaclava (23)                                0 0 2 0 1 0 0 2 X  5

# Group D                                      Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD 
1 Drawkland                                      4    4   0    28    7  +21
2 Delaclava                                      4    3   1    17   12   +5
3 Eshialand                                      4    2   2    26   20   +6
4 Canning                                        4    1   3    20   14   +6
5 Tri Ann                                        4    1   3    13   34  −21
6 Ubernordwinds                                  4    1   3    10   27  −17

Group E:

MD3

Milchama (10)                                 0 0 0 0 2 0 3 1 0  6
Valanora (UR)                                 1 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 0  4

Tikariot (17)                                 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1  1
South Newlandia (01)                          0 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 X  3

Srednjaci (50)                                0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 2  4
Vonum (UR)                                    0 0 0 1 0 0 0 3 1  5

# Group E                                      Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD 
1 South Newlandia                                3    3   0    17    4  +13
2 Tikariot                                       3    2   1    13    7   +6
3 Milchama                                       3    2   1    17   13   +4
4 Vonum                                          3    1   2    10   16   −6
5 Srednjaci                                      3    1   2    12   18   −6
6 Valanora                                       3    0   3     9   20  −11

MD4

Valanora (UR)                                 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 1  5
Vonum (UR)                                    0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0  2

South Newlandia (01)                          0 0 0 0 4 3 0 0 1  8
Srednjaci (50)                                0 2 0 0 0 5 0 0 0  7

Milchama (10)                                 1 0 1 0 0 3 0 0 0  5
Tikariot (17)                                 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0  1

# Group E                                      Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD 
1 South Newlandia                                4    4   0    25   11  +14
2 Milchama                                       4    3   1    22   14   +8
3 Tikariot                                       4    2   2    14   12   +2
4 Valanora                                       4    1   3    14   22   −8
5 Srednjaci                                      4    1   3    19   26   −7
6 Vonum                                          4    1   3    12   21   −9

Group F:

MD3

TJUN-ia (13)                                  0 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 1  4
New Kiwi Repupirikana (UR)                    0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  3

Dod Rava (22)                                 0 1 0 3 0 0 0 3 0  7
Super-Llamaland (07)                          3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  3

The Kytler Peninsulae (UR)                    0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0  2
Gunnison and Telluride (UR)                   0 0 0 0 5 1 1 0 X  7

# Group F                                      Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD 
1 TJUN-ia                                        3    2   1    11   17   −6
2 New Kiwi Repupirikana                          3    2   1    14    8   +6
3 Gunnison and Telluride                         3    2   1    11   10   +1
4 The Kytler Peninsulae                          3    1   2     6   16  −10
5 Dod Rava                                       3    1   2    10    8   +2
6 Super-Llamaland                                3    1   2    18   11   +7

MD4

New Kiwi Repupirikana (UR)                    2 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1  4
Gunnison and Telluride (UR)                   4 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 X  5

Super-Llamaland (07)                          6 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 0  9
The Kytler Peninsulae (UR)                    1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  4

TJUN-ia (13)                                  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0  3
Dod Rava (22)                                 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 2 X  5

# Group F                                      Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD 
1 Gunnison and Telluride                         4    3   1    16   14   +2
2 Dod Rava                                       4    2   2    15   11   +4
3 Super-Llamaland                                4    2   2    27   15  +12
4 New Kiwi Repupirikana                          4    2   2    18   13   +5
5 TJUN-ia                                        4    2   2    14   22   −8
6 The Kytler Peninsulae                          4    1   3    10   25  −15

Group G:

MD3

Cassadaigua (11)                              0 5 0 0 0 0 1 4 0 10
Qamare (UR)                                   0 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 0  3

Liventia (18)                                 2 1 1 0 1 2 0 2 1 10
Nova Anglicana (08)                           0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 0  3

Saint-Jean-Jacques et Burnham-on-Stove (28)   0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0  2
Equestria (UR)                                0 3 0 0 2 0 1 0 X  6

# Group G                                      Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD 
1 Cassadaigua                                    3    3   0    34   17  +17
2 Equestria                                      3    2   1    22   21   +1
3 Saint-Jean-Jacques et Burnham-on-Stove         3    1   2    15   16   −1
4 Liventia                                       3    1   2    17   19   −2
5 Qamare                                         3    1   2    10   19   −9
6 Nova Anglicana                                 3    1   2    13   19   −6

MD4

Qamare (UR)                                   0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0
Equestria (UR)                                0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 X  1

Nova Anglicana (08)                           0 0 0 1 2 1 1 0 0  5
Saint-Jean-Jacques et Burnham-on-Stove (28)   0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  3

Cassadaigua (11)                              1 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 1  4
Liventia (18)                                 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  2

# Group G                                      Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD 
1 Cassadaigua                                    4    4   0    38   19  +19
2 Equestria                                      4    3   1    23   21   +2
3 Nova Anglicana                                 4    2   2    18   22   −4
4 Qamare                                         4    1   3    10   20  −10
5 Saint-Jean-Jacques et Burnham-on-Stove         4    1   3    18   21   −3
6 Liventia                                       4    1   3    19   23   −4

[Ubernordwinds]

BNN: Between themselves and Tyler Silvanus, hard to pick Acorns' worst enemy

The curse of the TOOTBLAN (Thrown Out On The Bases Like A Nincompoop) struck not once but twice; the free-swinging bat of two-way superstar Tyler Silvanus went deep not once but twice; and the Acorns sank to miserable defeats not once but twice. The defeat to Drawkland wasn't as one-sided and humiliating as the 10-1 pasting at the hands of Tri Ann, but was all the more painful for actually being a winnable game for the Acorns against the Group D top seeds. They held prohibitive favorites Drawkland tied through 7 innings but just couldn't put together a rally, and in the 8th inning Silvanus made their wastefulness on the basepaths pay as he swiped his second homer of the game 366 feet to right field. Richelle Shard's 3-run blast in the 9th sealed the Acorns' fate.

The defeat to Drawkland followed a limp showing against Tri Ann. After Mikael Oskarsson's leadoff double, the team collectively managed to put up just 5 scattered singles and 2 walks to 11 strikeouts; they scored their only run of the game on a wild pitch as Gjur Mikkelsen legged in from 3rd. After that they failed to score, while Jep Sulzer melted down in a miserable third inning that yielded 4 hits including a home run, 2 walks, a hit by pitch and a wild pitch, all to the tune of 4 runs. The runs kept flowing through the game as Tri Ann bats smoked whomever was brought in as relief, and more and more the weakness of this Acorns pitching staff at the international level has been exposed.

That made the showing against Drawkland somehow more infuriating. A perfect storm of awful as Martin Israel actually had a decent day on the mound, until he left after throwing just 60 pitches. Diagnosed with an abdominal injury, he's considered day-to-day and a decision on whether he keeps his place in the rotation will be made later. His start had seen him give up just 2 runs, walking none and striking out 3; both runs came from the bat of the incomparable Silvanus, one a 357 foot oppo homer, the other a classic small RBI single after Louie Wade drew a walk, swiped second, and scored from second on the base hit. Drawkland's two-way phenom finished 3-4 with 3 RBI.

After some relief from Paul Becker, Huxley Mikaelsson, normally a closer for Sürstadt, was brought in as Liam Christians's bullpen has been stretched thin by the poor starts of his starters. Mikaelsson pitched a good first inning, but leaving him in for a second proved a mistake as Silvanus lined him up again. And Tomas Martin then gave up a flurry of hits in the 9th, starting with a leadoff double by pinch-hitter Jackie Santos, and culminating in Shard's high flyball that just crept over the fence. Unlike against Tri Ann, the Acorns bats were making contact: with 12 hits to 10, they actually outhit Drawkland, and there were 4 doubles, including a second game in a row leading off the 1st by Mikael Oskarsson. 5 of the hits came from new starters: with Jake Moser hitting 0.71, Lothar Braun was brought in at 2nd base and went 3-4 with a double, while Hermann Bergvold was given a game DHing thanks to Oskarsson's move to centerfield in place of the hitless through three games Sveinn Herjolfsson; Bergvold was 2-3 with 2 walks.

But the basepaths were a horror show. Bergvold and Johan Jensen were both TOOTBLAN'd trying to score from 2nd, as whatever chemistry Gernot Beck has with Christians at Innszis, it doesn't appear to have translated to a good working relationship with the Acorns. All told Ubernordwinds left 17 runners on base, including 8 by Immanuel Amann who after his hot start has now gone 0-9 with 3 strikeouts over the last 2 games: twice against Drawkland he struck out with the bases loaded. On a bit of an off day for veteran Leo Roy, this was a chance for the Acorns to make a big statement win. Instead, the statement they made was: "Even when we get on base, we can't score." Patrik Osterqvist having a chance to stop the 9th inning rally, only to drop a foul ball and then watch Shard go yard off the very next pitch, just about summed up the incompetence of the day for a side severely under the pump now.

Braun had to leave the game in the 9th with a sore back and will miss the next game, meaning a reprieve for Moser (who did admittedly manage a single in his lone at bat).

[Super-Llamaland]

The LPB (Llamaphant Pro Baseball) is a multiassociational baseball league by Super-Llamaland and South Newlandia (and formerly Chromatika and Ko-oren), now in its sixth season. A mostly-complete archive of RPs for past LPB seasons can be found here. South Newlandia does all of the scorination and a lot of the background spreadsheeting supporting RPs like these; please grade accordingly.

LPB6: SLL CENTRAL PREVIEWS

KYRINSON COSMOS

Coach: Bobby Mohs (Hannasea, sixth season)
Home: Earnest Field (Kyrinson, SLL; cap. 40,000)
Most Recent Seasons:
LPB5, 102-82, lost Wild Card
LPB4: 83-101, fourth in division
LPB3: 80-104, fourth in division
Batting Style: A mix of speed and power, but where everyone has strong plate discipline
Pitching Style: Mastery over the strike zone, with simple-but-nasty pitch mixes
Best Player: SP Madison Verdugo, consistently one of the league’s best pitchers
Support If You Like: Highlight-reel defense, frisbee sliders, long at-bats
In: CF Melissa Wright (draft, #17), Sophia Nascimento (draft, #41),
2B Andrea Pellegrino (FA), OF Lewis Hunter (FA),
RP Mia Nicholson (FA), SS Kayla Wang (FA)
Out: 1B Chelsea Harlow (retired), CF Silvia Wang (FA), 2B Teijo Watanbe (FA),
RP Max Bridges (waived), IF Wota Radinka (waived)
Opening Day Starting Lineup:
Pellegrino 4 • Hunter 7 • Gunther 3
Fletcher 9 • Valentine 2 • Price 1
Edwards 6 • Zhuang 5 • Wright 8
Fan Expectations: Playoffs
TenNinetyThree Projection: 86-74

SP1     Madison Verdugo      31 Super-Llamaland
SP2     Michael Prakash      26 South Newlandia
SP3     Rowan Gardner        26 Super-Llamaland
SP4     Wayne Dawson         30 South Newlandia
SP5     Larry Foster         27 South Newlandia
RP1     Mia Nicholson        24 Super-Llamaland
RP2     Marcus Cobb          30 South Newlandia
RP3     Sophia Nascimento    23 Super-Llamaland
RP4     Axel Sorensen (LSP)  20 Super-Llamaland
RP5     Rishik Prakash (SP)  27 South Newlandia
RP6     Ilyes Lucas          26 South Newlandia
C       Lukas Valentine      24 Ranoria
1B      Ron Gunther (C/1B)   21 Super-Llamaland
2B      Andrea Pellegrino    28 South Newlandia
SS      Barron Edwards       29 Drawkland
3B      Ian Zhuang           30 Super-Llamaland
LF      Lewis Hunter         30 Super-Llamaland
CF      Melissa Wright       19 South Newlandia
RF      Kieran Fletcher      33 Tikariot
DH      David Price          25 South Newlandia
backup  Christina Wu (CF)    27 Super-Llamaland
backup  Kayla Wang (SS/2B)   19 Super-Llamaland
backup  Tyson Long (LF/DH)   37 Super-Llamaland

Last season was a good start. But was it a fluke, or are the Cosmos here to stay? Bobby Mohs is one of two managers to spend five consecutive LPB seasons with one team, and the organization’s faith in the Hannasean was finally rewarded in a 100-win campaign last season. Sure, they couldn’t get past the Lions in the Wild Card, but after four straight seasons in the LPB Central cellar, it was more than enough. Now, the question is how they can best build upon that success. Despite the loss of their best player in offseason, Cosmos fans are confident that this is the team that can bring them back to the glory days of Jake Earnest, back when they were still the Twin Pines. But contention windows never last long in the LPB, doubly so in the hypercompetitive Central. If this is really a contending core, we’ll know soon enough.

The loss of star center-fielder Silvia Wang was more or less a fait accompli, despite Mohs’ (correct, in hindsight) stubborn refusal to trade his best player at the deadline last year. But Wang signing with the Vargas City Lions, the enemy of all teams, had to have stung for the front office. SNLCS MVP Lewis Hunter, picked up from Ratzupalfu in the offseason, will do his best to approximate Wang’s offense, while rookie Melissa Wright can do a convincing Wang impression in center field. But it’s still the kind of free agency loss that stifles would-be dynasties in the cradle. Teijo Watanabe is another big piece of that wild card team who walks in free agency, but the younger Andrea Pellegrino, rescued from the Homers, might even be a slight upgrade. Still, it’s an underwhelming free agency for a team hoping to bring in some big stars, and the further development of the (increasingly aged) core will be critical if they want to build on their success.

Not that it’s all doom and gloom. Verdugo, Prakash, and Gardner quietly form one of the best homegrown playoff rotations in the league, while new signing Mia Nicholson anchors a bullpen that isn’t good, but is stacked with passable innings-eaters. And even if the bullpen struggles, they’ll at least get to pitch in front of one of the best defenses in the league, with Valentine, Edwards, Wright, and Hunter all plus-plus defenders. So the verdict is still very much out on whether these Cosmos can ever contend for a championship: after a decade of suffering, they’ll take it.

NEW LLAMA CYCLONES

Coach: Jackson Feliz (Super-Llamaland; sixth season)
Home: Cyclone Park (New Llama City, SLL; cap. 43,500)
Most Recent Seasons:
LPB5: 113-71, champions
LPB4: 122-62, lost SLLDS
LPB3: 100-84, lost SLLCS
Batting Style: Dangerous hitters at every lineup spot, with a mix of patience and power
Pitching Style: The smartest, most experienced pitching staff in the nation
Best Player: LF Sadiiq Xoosh, the best player in the world.
Support If You Like: Genius starting pitchers, international stars, the New York Yankees
In: C Jackson Kästner (draft, #22), LF Sadiiq Xoosh (FA),
C Tyler Danson (FA), SP Savanna Wladecki (FA)
Out: CF Lily Scutaro (retired), 1B Redwina Maxx (retired), SP Emily Rosen (FA),
RP Jordan Frazier (FA), RF Taketa Seison (FA)
Opening Day Starting Lineup:
Corbin 6 • Xoosh 7 • Oeland 4
Tennons 9 • Danson 2 • Campazzo 3
Vulcae 1 • Myers 5 • Dâ Môn 8
Fan Expectations: Back-to-back championships
TenNinetyThree Projection: 93-67

SP1     Maike Bookmer              35 South Newlandia
SP2     Jerome Delapier            32 Chromatika
SP3     Etienne Woad-Kalin          Zwangzug
SP4     Malinda Drake              28 South Newlandia
SP5     Savanna Wladecki           38 Super-Llamaland
RP1     Evangeline Lu              36 Super-Llamaland
RP2     Kaspar Wahl                 QoD
RP3     Barnaby Butt               38 South Newlandia
RP4     Sophie Palmer              25 South Newlandia                               
C       Tyler Danson               30 South Newlandia
1B      Celina Campazzo            29 Super-Llamaland
2B      Mike Oeland                29 South Newlandia
SS      René Corbin                32 Super-Llamaland
3B      Terry Myers                34 South Newlandia
LF      Sadiiq Xoosh               27 Banija
CF      Rámôn Dâ Môn               23 Farfadillis*
RF      Maia Tennons                Milchama
DH      Nika Vulcae                31 Loyo
backup  Anathi Zimema (C)          37 Banija
backup  Jonathan Amundsen (2B/3B)  21 Super-Llamaland
backup  Jackson Kästner (C)        22 Super-Llamaland

The Cyclones finally won it all. Can they do it again? Before last season, the winningest team in Llamanean history had a monumental monkey on their back: during the LPB era, they just couldn’t get it done when it mattered the most, the nadir being a near record-breaking 122-win season ending in the first round of the playoffs. But down 3-0, the Cyclones finally came alive, rattling off four straight to reverse-sweep the Renaissance and kickstart what would become the team’s first LPB championship. They lost a few players in the offseason, but gained far more in return: now that the playoff demons have been exorcised, another Cyclones dynasty could be on its way.

With Rámôn Dâ Môn and Celina Campazzo expected to seamlessly slot in for retiring heroes Lily Scutaro and Redwina Maxx, the offseason presented GM Natalie Windhorst with the question: what to get the team that already has it all? The answer, it turns out, was “the best player in the world”. Superstar Banijan outfielder Sadiiq Xoosh was looking to stay in the LPB post-contraction, and the Cyclones handily outbid the rest of the league. It brought to mind the team’s signing of Schiltzberg outfielder Jeff Fitzhugh a generation ago, a free-agency move that brought the Cyclones three titles in five years. Also coming in the offseason were two separate moves that, in a normal market, would’ve been the team’s biggest move of the window: legendary - albeit aging - relief ace Evangeline Lu, and South Newlandian NT catcher Tyler Danson, with the rights to former NT ace Savanna Wladecki’s final LPB season the cherry on top.

The likes of Danson, Rene Corbin, Xoosh, and Maia Tennons should be able to rake for years to come, but if there is one cause for concern, it’s the age of the pitching staff. Maike Bookmer is 35, Evangeline Lu 36, and Wladecki 38. Add in Kaspar Wahl and Barnaby Butt from the bullpen, and this team could be seeing last hurrahs from five key members of its staff. The loss of young starter Emily Rosen in free agency, for this reason, was a surprisingly impactful loss. It makes the selection of Jackson Kästner, a catcher, with the team’s only draft pick all the more confounding, especially with Kästner slated to back up Danson until the latter retires. But back-to-back titles will certainly make that pitching staff easier to rebuild. And if they do things right, it could be another Age of the Cyclones.

NEW LLAMA WIZARDS

Coach: Fu Webb (South Newlandia; second season)
Home: Tyler Rocke Memorial Stadium (New Llama City, SLL; cap. 43,000)
Most Recent Seasons:
LPB5: 98-86, fourth in division
LPB4: 105-79, lost SLLCS
LPB3: 110-74, lost WC
Batting Style: A weird mix of young stars, aging veterans, and scrubs
Pitching Style: A weird mix of young stars, aging veterans, and scrubs
Best Player: 1B Vincent Veltrone, an unbelievably loyal home run king
Support If You Like: Speedrunning rebuilds, undrafted free agents, Vincent Veltrone
In: SP Alma-Isabell Hermann (draft, #35), DH Tod Pittman (FA), SP Jules Antony (FA),
RP Takavila Joda (FA), SP Felix Zhuang (FA), C Tyler Wade-Bennett (FA),
DH Israel Harper (trade, CIC), RF Celina Lang (trade, AVV)
Out: RF/DH Rémy Weber (retired), C Joe Gregory (retired), LF George Ducat (retired),
RP Martín Zuñiga (retired), SP Bedin Egozhevy (FA), LF Nelson Avila (FA),
SP Brady Behringer (trade, AVV), RP Jan Scherer (trade, AVV)
Opening Day Starting Lineup:
Singh 4 • Veltrone 3 • Lang 9
Pittman 1 • Ayoyara 6 • Salvatore 5
Seison 7 • Robinson 8 • Wade-Bennett 2
Fan Expectations: playoff contention…next year
TenNinetyThree Projection: 66-94

SP1     Jules Antony          23 Super-Llamaland
SP2     William White (L)     24 South Newlandia
SP3     Wesley Reid           35 Super-Llamaland
SP4     Alma-Isabell Hermann  22 South Newlandia
SP5     Felix Zhuang          23 Super-Llamaland
RP1     Detger Slotiep        25 Ko-oren
RP2     Jaden Calderón        34 Super-Llamaland
RP3     Carlos Majerle        27 Super-Llamaland
RP4     Takavila Joda         22 Ko-oren                      
C       Tyler Wade-Bennett    19 Super-Llamaland
1B      Vincent Veltrone      30 Ranoria
2B      Samuel Singh          24 South Newlandia
SS      Bo Ayoyara            33 Loyo
3B      Chrissy Salvatore     34 Loyo
LF      Taketa Seison         32 South Newlandia
CF      Lucas Robinson        34 Ethane
RF      Celina Lang           31 South Newlandia
DH      Tod Pittman           31 South Newlandia
backup  Alexandra Argo (MIF)  24 Super-Llamaland
backup  Zarah Yu (2B)         35 South Newlandia
backup  Isreal Harper (DH)    32 South Newlandia

The Wizards have finally ran out of magic: how long will the rebuild last? Eight years ago, the Wizards climbed to the mountaintop. But Summer Huang, the league MVP that season, is gone. Chromatik all-star George Ducat is gone. Aces Kelsie Carmichael, Bedin Egozhevy, and Kai Söderstrom are gone. Even key relievers Vette Beux, Jan Scherer, and Sam Vandenberg are gone. And the laundry list of aging stars they brought in to desperately keep their championship window alive, like Rémy Weber and Brady Behringer, have now departed as well.

A who’s who of big names retired in the offseason, most notably Weber and LPB2 Multiverse Series MVP George Ducat, while star pitchers Behringer, Scherer, and Bedin Egozhevy all changed uniforms over the offseason. But the Wizards also leveraged what they still had - namely, an immense amount of money - to pick up some players that might not help them tank this year, but will help them win games the year after. Jules Antony returns from a promising start to his career in Knetyohai - he’s not ace material just yet, but he’s been thrown there for lack of a better option. Takavila Joda doubles the team’s “decent Ko-orenite reliever” count, joining Detger Slotiep, who similarly to Antony has been pressed into service as one of the best remaining pitchers. Most intriguingly, DH Tod Pittman has been given a big bag to play out the rest of his career with the Wizards. As for the rest of the gaping holes that time has punched into this roster, a variety of journeymen and lottery tickets will plug the gaps until it’s time to win again.

The most notable thing the Wizards did this offseason, though, was keep star first baseman Vincent Veltrone despite significant trade interest in the Ranorian slugger. The decision was reportedly reached after a mutual agreement between GM Eli Wallace, who is trying to limit the team’s rebuild to one season, and Veltrone, known for being one of the most loyal players in the league. Veltrone does at least have a few teammates. In addition to the free agency pickups, Samuel Singh looks like a solid young second baseman, the Loyoan internationals have acquitted themselves well enough despite this absolutely not being what they signed up for (both could be flipped at the deadline), and, uh, Celina Lang is fine? Yeah, this could be a long season if Veltrone doesn’t go for any home run records. But the hope is that it’ll just be one year of rebuilding.

VARGAS CITY LIONS

Coach: Tanya Ericsson (Super-Llamaland; second season)
Home: Ouranos Pavillion (Vargas, SLL; cap. 45,500)
Most Recent Seasons:
LPB5: 106-78, lost SLLDS
LPB4: 99-85, lost WC
LPB3: 114-70, lost SLLDS
Batting Style: Nine athletic specimens, either with the bat and/or on the basepaths
Pitching Style: Power pitchers at a variety of arm angles
Best Player: 3B Jeff Huang, the reigning MVP and an all-time great
Support If You Like: bandwagoning, cartoon billionaires, playoff collapses
In: SP Valentina Rodon (draft, #13), IF Joan Allen (draft, #45), CF Silvia Wang (FA),
3B Jeff Huang (FA), RP Isaiah Baek (FA), RP Mike McQuimberton (FA)
Out: SP Jeff Parrish (retired), RP Markus Ibsen (retired), RP Evangeline Lu (FA),
3B Angela Bengtsson (FA), CF Annalise Bright (trade, CIC)
Opening Day Starting Lineup:
Wang 8 • Huang 5 • Soin-Gardel 7
Mcneesh 3 • Mikkelson-Yao 9 • Hernandez 1
Long 2 • Estrada 6 • Hayter 4
Fan Expectations: Title or bust
TenNinetyThree Projection: 99-61

SP1     Eric HaAdomim                Milchama
SP2     Jarred Li                   32 Super-Llamaland
SP3     Anna Guo                    30 Super-Llamaland
SP4     Valentina Rodon             21 Super-Llamaland
SP5     Phil Dunn                   32 South Newlandia
RP1     Isaiah Baek                 26 Quebec
RP2     Dion McDaniel (L)           34 Drawkland
RP3     Misha Moon                  33 Loyo
RP4     Mike McQuimberton           33 Super-Llamaland                               
C       Yazhu Long                   QoD
1B      Marius Mcneesh              31 Milchama
2B      Lonnie Hayter               32 Hapilopper
SS      Rachel Estrada              33 Super-Llamaland
3B      Jeff Huang                  30 Super-Llamaland
LF      Minna Soin-Gardel            Zwangzug
CF      Silvia Wang                 28 Super-Llamaland
RF      Trevor Mikkelson-Yao        34 Super-Llamaland
DH      Stuart Hernandez (2B)       35 Tikariot
backup  Kelly Griffiths-Mason (RF)  22 South Newlandia
backup  Joan Allen (MIF)            22 South Newlandia

The Lions have spent big again in pursuit of a championship - after five straight playoff disappointments, will it be sixth time lucky? The history of the Vargas City Lions in the LPB Era is simple: they’ve by far outspent everyone else in the league en route to a 517-355 regular season record in the five seasons of the LPB - a ninety-five win pace. In that same time, they have never made it out of the Divisional Series. Last year, they finally bit the bullet and fired Abraham Kakay, replacing him with former Athletics star Tanya Ericsson. They proceeded to win a hundred and six games and then lose in the first round again.

This season, OuranosTech CEO and Team Owner Mark Donovan has presented GM Jason Arguiz with an ultimatum: win the league, or resign. With his back against the wall, Arguiz swung big in free agency and hit three home runs, landing NT outfielder Silvia Wang, Quebecois closer Isaiah Baek, and league MVP third baseman Jeff Huang. In the process, they seriously weakened two other contenders in the Renaissance and Cosmos, as well as whatever word you’d use to refer to the Kingfishers. In addition, they were low-key draft winners, trading up to land talented pitcher Valentina Rodon and pro-ready infielder Joan Allen. Even for a team with a history of trotting out star-studded lineups, this is almost certainly the best lineup they’ve ever had. Huang and Wang join the likes of speedster Minna Soin-Gardel, slugger Marius Mcneesh, and five-tool outfielder Trevor Mikkelson-Yao, the last of which will be keen to shed his reputation as a playoff choker.

If this team of all-stars has a weakness, it’s the rotation - Eric The Red remains one of the best in the business, but Jarred Li, Anna Guo, Rodon, and Phil Dunn are not striking fear in any playoff team’s hearts. Li’s good surface-level stats masked some poor peripherals last season, while Rodon is unpolished and Guo and Dunn middling. The bullpen is better, especially at the top, where Baek was one of the league’s best relievers last season, but lacks depth, which could be an issue if Baek, McDaniel, or Moon go down. Expect this team to make another swing for a top-tier starter to join HaAdomim at the deadline, as well as whatever bullpen depth they can scrounge up. But with the Renaissance flagging and the Wizards out of the picture, this could be one of Vargas’ better chances in years to make a playoff run. If they fail again, something bigger than just firing the GM will have to happen - heads will roll. But on paper, this team are favorites for the pennant.

[Cassadaigua]

Player Blog: Brittany Clements- SS

Hello fans! It is a pleasure to be reported to you from the Twin Cities here in Quebec, and I come to you after we just picked up a pair of road wins! For now, we are off to a good start, with wins in each of our first four games, but we know how the cliches go and we need to keep the pedal to the metal for sure. We are looking forward to having three of our next four games here at Ellington Park, and both of our next games will be here. A lot of you came out here early, with is a credit to how awesome you truly are since we did only have one home game up to this point, so a bunch of us decided to make a surprise visit to “Mini Cassadaigua” to meet many of you there. The only downside of this was that it happened at night, so we didn’t get a chance to meet the kids, but sometimes it is nice to sit down and chat with the adults, as after all you are the ones paying for the trip.

The most common question that I got was not much of a shocker, but it is whether or not I really believe that we can win this championship. Are we the favorites? Obviously not, but there should not be any athlete out there who goes into a competition and thinks that they cannot win. Sure, you can look at the likes of Qamare or We Are Diceland (I guess certain things should be capitalized there, so I’ll make a deal with anyone who cares about them, that if a list of your players is ever provided, that I will do all the capitalizations properly). As I was saying, you look at those two nations and those players are probably not thinking title and that is fair, but if you have any sort of pedigree in this competition, you are thinking about winning it. The next most common question that I got is whether or not I wish there were home and away games that involved traveling to the countries instead of having all of the games here. It is indeed cool to play in front of your home fans and to see other places, and there is a time and place for that. This is my first World Baseball Classic, and I do hope to one day have that opportunity, but I also really like this set up.

When I was eighteen years old, World Baseball Classic 55 was taking place, which is the one that was exclusively conducted within the nation of Drawkland. I had just graduated from high school and in the CBL entry draft with no intention of going to college and looking to go right to the professional level. This is the more common course of action for successful baseball players in the Matriarchy, and if you look up and down our roster, you will notice that with only a couple of exceptions, that we all went right to the pros after high school. I didn’t know where I would be going, but I knew that I would be making a bunch of money very soon and probably playing for a team choosing early in the first round which is an honor even though that likely means you are playing for a losing team. Since I expected to be making millions very soon, my family and I made the trip to Drawk City and Corps Central Park. We were kind of like of those fans that we went and visited here in Twin Cities when it came to being their at the old warehouse and interacting with droves of fans.

Of course, it was not exactly the same, since at that point almost everyone there knew who I was. If I was a still in high school, I probably could have blended in with everyone easily, but the conversations were still a lot different. We were focused on watching our team in that Classic, and hoping that the Fillies could again be seen as a title contender after having fallen on hard times in the post-Maddie Polanco era. That would happen, and I remember watching all of it and enjoying not only that we were playing well but seeing the players on the field enjoying the moment, knowing that Cassadagan baseball was returning to prominence. I watched it differently, because I knew that I had a reasonable shot at being one of them, and in seeing that it only motivated me to continue to doing what I was doing to be the best possible player. I was always motivated, but you know what I mean.

After two years playing for Fairfax and trying to make the most of it there, I did what I felt that I needed to do and to request a trade on out of there. I got a lot of flack for that, but I had to do what was right for me because I did not want to spend an eternity playing for a team that does not spend money. I could have taken a different approach and not signed with them entirely, but I did, gave them two years, and that allowed them to get a package of players from Concord Heights. I could not be any happier playing for the Royals even though I did grow up rooting for the Brats (Brattleboro). It is here where I got to take my career to the next level, and if it were not for that, there is no way that I am the starting shortstop for the Fillies at 24 years of age.

That’s a lot of words to say why I feel this format is perfect for me. It makes me remember what it was like right before I got drafted, when my family spent a lot of money to go to Sonnel for weeks, and we stayed there for the duration. The money was there, because what bank is not going to give a loan to a potential first round pick in the CBL, but it was an investment regardless. Now, my family is here with me again, playing at this nice traditional field. The large left field well is unique and I am hoping to hit one over it by the end of the Classic during a game. I have in batting practice, so don’t worry. Most importantly, I hope that we can continue our winning ways, as there is still 80% of the group stage still to play.

[Drawkland]

CORPSGUY725'S BLOG

WBC 58 Group Stage Beginning
wait, is the Base Corps a good baseball team?

It's a bizarre feeling. I woke up on the first morning of the World Baseball Classic, and I felt ... hope. I am being completely honest, I can't remember the last time I experienced actual hope at the beginning of a WBC cycle. The early editions, when I was still a young lad, would've featured blind optimism, if I hadn't contracted chronic pessimism the moment I gained sentience. Once the whole 10-3 thing happened, I knew this Corps would never amount to anything, and I was right. Every cycle was painful in its own right, not the same kind of pain each time, but enough to extinguish any foolish ideals of hope by the time the next tournament rolled around.

Then, WBC 57 happened. The curse, the glass ceiling, was finally broken. I can tell you that not a single Drawkian fan cared about being dumped out by South Newlandia in the quarterfinals, simply because that was a factual sentence we could say out loud. "The Base Corps, Drawkland's national baseball team, won a game in the WBC quarterfinals. They were in that round of the tournament. They were a couple clutch hits away from being semifinal contenders!"

It would be foolish to say that the Base Corps now holds title aspirations. I would say it's foolish to even think they'd return to the quarterfinals this soon, because again, I'm a raging pessimist. All the same, I woke up the morning of MD1 at my hotel in Bonneville, Quebec, feeling hope. I proceeded to break out in hives once I realized what was happening.

Just kidding. But seriously, it's hard to deny that this Corps might have something brewing. The Corps veteran standouts having been playing well the last couple domestic seasons. The key new pieces from last cycle's Corps team have stuck around. There's new blood in the mix, most of which have experienced international baseball play and executed well beyond expectations. Drawkland is somehow top ten in the WBC rankings, and a pot one team in WBC 58. Now that final tidbit is thanks to both Ranoria and Chromatika dropping from this edition, but it puts Drawkland in a good group scenario regardless.

Now skip to present day. Drawkland sits 4-0 in Group D, with somewhat convincing wins against the two main competitors in the group, Eshialand and Delaclava. The hitting has been pretty good, and the pitching has somehow been even better. Allow me to "quickly" recap each of the first 20% of this group stage.

"@" Tri Ann

The quotes around the @ symbol are there to signify that it was an "away" game for the Base Corps. For those unaware, the hosting nation Quebec decided to take a play out of our own playbook, taking inspiration from Drawkland's WBC 55 "Road Trip" concept. Thus, this game was held in Tri Ann's "home stadium" of Meridian Field in Bonneville. As far as a debut game for the tournament goes, you can't ask for much more. The pressure of performing at "home" isn't there, you're going against an unranked team projected to be a group bottom feeder, so you have a little room to make mistakes as you knock off the rust.

It seems the Corps didn't have much rust to knock off. Basepath demon Louie Wade started the game with a steely 5-pitch walk and a stolen base two pitches later, as he often does. One pitch later, Lane Kavana served a ball straight down the first base line, resulting in a base hit and giving Wade plenty of time to round third and score the first run of the campaign. It felt like the Corps was about to explode for a big debut, but the Tri Ann starter got back on track and got out of the inning without any more action.

On the bottom side of the inning, Tyler Silvanus made his first WBC Opening Day start in just his second cycle, finally usurping Leo Roy's streak of I-don't-care-enough-to-check-how-many consecutive opening day starts for the Base Corps. With Roy in his supposed swansong cycle and Silvanus one of the hottest pitchers in Drawkland, it simply made sense. Silvanus made the Tri Ann lineup look foolish, expertly spotting his fastball and demolishing hitters with his slider. Tri Ann's lineup got a few on base in the early going, especially thanks to a couple walks allowed by Silvanus, but nobody made it to scoring position. Silvanus left the mound at the end of the sixth, having struck out nine, allowed zero runs, and earning the quality start.

Tri Ann's starter had a similarly solid performance after the early run allowed, perhaps thanks to an overly aggressive Corps lineup hungry to make some magic happen. Slowly but surely, the Corps lineup started adding to the lead. Aaron Frost got a knock in the fifth and came around to score from another Lane Kavana RBI base hit. Tyler Silvanus led off the top of the sixth with a solo homer, which chased the starter and got Drawkland on top 3-0. The middle of the order (Calebs-Gates-Honeycutt) was quiet all game, with all three hitters netting a single walk among them in 13 plate appearances.

The top of the seventh is where the game was won. Richelle Shard led off with a base knock, then the Tri Ann reliever issued back-to-back walks to Frost and Wade. The bases were quickly loaded, and Lane Kavana was at the dish. With great hitters behind him and no open bases, Tri Ann were forced to pitch to him. They got away with only allowing a sac fly, Kavana's third RBI of the game, but it did make the game 4-0. Abram Kavana came to the plate with runners on the corners, and spanked a ball to the left-center wall. Frost scored easily, but the ball was hit so hard that Wade had to hold up at third and the younger Kavana slide into second with just the one RBI from his first hit of the game. Then came Silvanus, hungry to break the game open now that he didn't have to worry about coming back to the mound that night. He ambushed the Tri Ann pitcher, sending the first pitch screaming down the line for a two-RBI double.

There was no more offensive action on either side. Drawkland now held a 7-0 lead, swing pitcher Sara Barton came on to eat a couple innings. She kept Tri Ann quiet, and Drawkland went into the ninth inning still holding that seven-run lead. With that in mind, Glenn Sutton called for Franklin Bell's nephew, Trevor Bell, to make his first WBC appearance. Young Bell came in and delivered three easy outs, two by strikeout, to put the game away. How's that, uncle?

"@" Eshialand

After a good offensive performance and shutout by the pitching staff, it was time for a much tougher challenge. #15 Eshialand, the pot two team in the group, were up next. In the hitter-friendly confines of Avro Field, it was expected to be more of an offensive shootout. Silvanus, getting his day off after pitching the prior game, would not be in at DH. In a slight change to the normal DHvsLHP platoon, Corps rookie Jimmy Todd was moved to the cleanup spot, playing first base while his fellow catcher Cooper Calebs stayed at 5th in the lineup. Sadeg State alum Elizabeth Houston would get her first Corps action at DH in the 6-hole, batting ahead of her fellow alums Zac MacBay and Alex Gates (the latter of which had the uninspiring 0-for-4 line game one).

Well, it was an exciting offensive performance, but only for one of the teams. The Eshian southpaw Hannah Gray was on the mound to begin the game, and she sat down the top of the Drawkian lineup allowing no hits and just one walk. The Drawkian lefty Andrew Boone returned the favor with three straight weak grounders to start the first, and suddenly it was time for the offenses to come alive.

Elizabeth Houston came up in the second for her first WBC AB, and worked Hannah Gray to a 2-2 count on multiple foul balls before blooping a ball over Kyle Reznor's head at third base for a base hit. The former Skyhawks were known for having elite chemistry in college, and the Corps management wanted to make it work in Drawkland's favor. Zac MacBay came up next, and he perfectly executed a hit-and-run play with Houston on the bases. Houston took off early, and MacBay bounced an outside pitch down the first base line. It was close enough for Rebecca Saunders to field, but Houston went aggressive and took third as Saunders beat MacBay to the bag at first. Alex Gates came up in the righty batter's box and slapped a ball up the middle to score Houston, which served as the first Base Corps hit and RBI for Gates. Still, Hannah Gray got out of the inning with just the one run scored.

The second inning was rocky for Andrew Boone on the mound as well. Harry Brentwood clipped a sinker for an infield single that squibbed up the line, essentially a bunt where he beat the throw. Kyle Reznor followed that by waiting back on a hanging Boone sweeper, clocking it over the wall in left for a go-ahead 2-run homer. Boone quickly locked down and put down the rest of the side in order, but now the Corps had more work to do at the plate.

The additional run support came in the 4th inning. Houston led off the inning with a walk, and MacBay got his first knock of the campaign to put two runners on with no outs. Gates struck out on a nasty offspeed pitch from Gray, but Shard knocked a liner to shallow center to score Houston and tie the game at two. Frost kept the rally going with a knock of his own to score MacBay and put Drawkland ahead 3-2. Lane Kavana lined out to shortstop Kevin Dunbar, but Abram picked up the slack with a similar liner that managed to escape the reach of Dunbar, scoring Shard and putting Drawkland up by two.

Meanwhile, Andrew Boone had locked down and kept the Eshian lineup in check. Hannah Gray was not having the same success, allowing multiple baserunners for four straight innings. Cooper Calebs finally got his first base hit of the campaign, a double to the left-center gap, and MacBay traded places to increase the lead. That double by MacBay was enough to chase Gray in the fifth inning, with Drawkland now starting to get momentum on their side.

5-2 may be a solid lead, but it's not an impossible deficit. Thankfully for the Drawkian faithful, the Corps put the game away in the seventh. Johnathan Quarrie came on to pitch for Eshialand, and he simply didn't have his stuff going. Calebs flied out to the deepest part of the yard, but Houston followed that up with a 5-pitch walk. MacBay was called out on strikes with a borderline 3-2 pitch, much to his chagrin, but Gates swung the momentum back with a blooper over the head of Saunders at first. Shard worked a walk herself, loading the bases for Aaron Frost as the lineup turned over. Now here's the thing: Aaron Frost is often derided for his "warning track power," usually being unable to get the ball over the fence unless the stars align, so he opts for solid base hits using the big part of the field instead. However, the right-handed Frost shows most of his pop when extending his arms on outside pitches, driving the ball to the opposite field ... and Avro Field is known for its extremely short porch in right field, a mere 300 down the line. Either Quarrie didn't read his scouting report, or his command just wasn't on. Regardless, Quarrie tried a fastball outside on the second pitch of the AB, and that's what Frost was looking for. The ball zipped down the right field line and slotted just over the wall in fair territory. Was it grand? Debatable, but it was a slam. Frost rounded the bases with a grin a foot wide, and the Drawkian supporters in the crowd were thrilled. More importantly, the Corps were now up 9-2 on Eshialand, and with only nine outs left for the Owls, victory seemed imminent.

Boone, still on a low pitch count thanks to his style of pitching, finished a clean seventh with the win and quality start well in hand. Elly Jacobs, the long reliever, came on to record the final six outs, and she did just that, allowing just one baserunner. Zac MacBay went yard in the ninth with an inconsequential insurance run, which led to the final tally of 10-2 once Jacobs recorded the final out of the ninth.

vs Delaclava

With Silvanus back from his day of rest, the standard left-handed DH platoon was in for the next important match of the campaign. Drawkland's new-ish Sonnelian neighbors in Delaclava were next, and this would also serve as the "home" opener for the Base Corps at Salamantal Park in Jolbonopolis. This would be the first tightly-contested matchup of the group stage for the Corps, but somehow they pulled out a solid performance in the later innings. Trust me, I'm just as shocked as you are.

A five-man rotation in a six-team group quadruple round robin means the same pitcher will face the same team four times. Of course, the Corps may throw in a spot start somewhere to shake up the rotation midway through the campaign, but this does play in Drawkian favor one way. Claire Kirkland, the third pitcher in the rotation, is set to face against Delaclava, the only team in the group to not employ the DH at home (or away, if they can get away with it). Kirkland is probably the best hitting pitcher not named Tyler Silvanus. Though she isn't leading any league categories, she has won the silver slugger at pitcher every year since she made it to the majors (being in the half of the PBL which does not use the DH at home). Anyway, this is irrelevant in this game since it was at "home" for the Corps and thus had the DH, but it could prove clutch later down the line.

So Kirkland was on the bump, and things were going great as she set the first two hitters of the game down in four pitches. Then Cody Brewer sat fastball and destroyed a solo shot to put Delaclava up early. Kirkland got out of the inning with the next batter, of course, but it was proof that Delaclava weren't going to lay down. The lefty Bedin Egozhevy took the mound for Delaclava, and for the first time through the order, he was operating pretty well. The second time through the order was a different story.

In the third inning, Aaron Frost got a lucky call on a 3-2 count to get on base with a walk. Lane Kavana grounded out, but it was a deep enough hit down the third base line that the double play was not in order. Frost made it to second on the play to get himself into scoring position, which Abram Kavana took advantage of with a nice RBI single down the line to tie the game. Tyler Silvanus came up next, and even though he had to deal with the lefty-left matchup against Egozhevy, he managed to line a ball just over the head of Brewer in right, deep enough to get Abram Kavana home to take the lead.

More action came in the fourth, with the Phoenixes making Kirkland pay for surrendering a walk to lead off the inning. Omer Ben-Haim got the game-tying RBI base hit, but Kirkland got the third out before Ben-Haim could come around himself. The game wouldn't be tied for long. Leading off the bottom of the fourth, Jimmy Todd was there ready to wow the crowd. On the first pitch of the AB, he ambushed Egozhevy, turning on an inside fastball and sending it to deep left field to retake the lead for Drawkland.

This 2-3 lead for Drawkland would hold until the top of the seventh. Claire Kirkland was kept out for the seventh, for some reason. I didn't get this move by Sutton, perhaps he was trying to save the high leverage arms for one more inning? Regardless, Kirkland gave up a game-tying solo shot off the bat of George Torresino. She was yanked immediately after, and Corps rookie Brett Sadler came on to finish the inning. Thankfully he kept it clean, though Drawkland did not have the go-ahead response in the bottom inning like they did in the 4th. After Robert Butcher pitched a clean two-K top of the eighth, the Corps lineup finally put something together again.

Lane Kavana hasn't been doing incredible in these first few games, but he did double in the bottom of the eighth. His little brother walked to first to get two men on for Tyler Silvanus, and the crowd in Jolbonopolis was starting to feel some energy. Frankie Young was the reliever on the mound for Delaclava, and this was the first time all game that Silvanus got to face a righty. He made good on his opportunity, sending a sizzling line drive into the gap to score both the Kavana bros and take a two-run lead for the Corps.

The Corps was unable to add any more on, but it wasn't a big deal. Lorraine Lockwood came on in her first appearance as the main closer for the Base Corps, and she was as lights-out as she has been in the setup role in previous cycles. She put down the Phoenixes in order in the top of the ninth, earning the first pitching save and third team win of the campaign for Drawkland.

"@" Ubernordwinds

On to the next. The Corps went back on the road, this time to the city of Prince Eric to face Ubernordwinds. Though their record doesn't show it thus far, I can say that the Acorns have the most impressive roster of the three unranked teams in Group D. I was prepared to watch a tough matchup, and that's exactly what we got. Leo Roy finally got his first action of the campaign, and he looked the most rusty of any Corps player thus far.

You could look at the linescore and say "Yeah, that tracks for Roy. Six innings, quality start, two ER, I imagine he let up a solo shot or two and that was that." Instead, Roy was flying by the seat of his pants for the entirety of the game, though he did somehow only allow the two runs. His command was uncharacteristically off, giving plenty of opportunities to the Acorn lineup via walks and pitches over the heart of the plate. The very first AB of the game featured just that, as Acorn leadoff man Mikael Oskarsson shot a double to begin the game, coming around to score soon after.

Drawkland responded in kind the very next inning, as Tyler Silvanus recorded his second homer of the campaign on an opposite-field shot to lead off the second. The Corps lineup was struggling against the Ubernordwinds starter Martin Israel, everyone except Silvanus that is. Louie Wade finally served for Drawkland's first non-roundtrip baserunner, drawing a walk to lead off the 4th inning. Some classic smallball saw Wade steal second, and Silvanus knocked him in with an easy single to shallow right.

Of course, Leo Roy would give that lead up in the bottom of the frame. He allowed a walk to Hermann Bergvold, and a small rally of singles and another walk would see Bergvold score and the bases load up for first baseman Immanuel Amann. In a testy 6-pitch matchup, Roy finally got Amann to swing and miss at a risky curve in the dirt, and thankfully Calebs was there to scoop it up and secure the inning-ending strikeout. It could've been worse, I guess! It's hard to evaluate a start where a pitcher leaves a dozen men stranded on base. On one hand, he tightened up when it mattered and kept them from scoring several times. On the other hand, for fuck's sake, can you pitch an inning that won't double my blood pressure? If this is how Roy will pitch all cycle, Sutton should consider keeping him out of the playoff rotation. Holy shit, am I actually thinking about the logistics of a Base Corps rotation in the WBC playoffs? God might be real after all.

Martin Israel had to depart after the 5th inning due to injury, but the Corps continued to flail offensively. Paul Becker and Huxley Mikaelsson pitched the 6th and 7th clean for the Acorns, and with a depleted bullpen, Mikaelsson was brought back out for the 8th. Mikaelsson handled the first two batters of the inning with relative ease, just one out away from a clean six outs to get Ubernordwinds one frame and some clutch hitting away from stealing a win against the group leaders. All he had to do is deal with Tyler Silvanus. Some fans would've called for an intentional walk against the only Drawkian with any RBIs in this game, but Mikaelsson decided to pitch to Silvanus, and he paid the price 366 feet later on a misplaced fastball. Silvanus had a multi-homer game under his belt just three games into the WBC campaign (for him), and Drawkland had the lead.

Now hanging onto a one-run lead, Sutton sent out Dion McDaniel to face a lefty corridor in the top of the Acorn lineup. He handled the first two batters fine, then gave up a hit and a walk before striking out lefty Patrik Osterqvist to end the inning. With all the traffic the Corps pitching staff was allowing in this game, some additional insurance runs were needed desperately.

Thankfully, the Corps had something cooking in the ninth. With the catcher Cooper Calebs set to lead off the ninth, Sutton called for a pinch hitter. Calebs has batted .125 through the first four games, with only 2 hits and 1 walk in 17 PAs. With the righty Tomas Martin on the bump, left-handed outfielder Jackie Santos got her first at-bat in a Corps uniform, and she delivered quickly with a leadoff double. Ted Honeycutt, another lefty, got his second hit of the campaign on a hard single to right, too hard for Santos to score. It didn't end up mattering, however. Richelle Shard had a fierce AB against Martin, even against the righty-righty matchup. Shard was almost sent packing on a weak popup to foul ground in shallow right, but Osterqvist dropped the can of corn and gave her new life at the plate. On the very next pitch, Shard smacked the ball to deep left field, and perhaps with a little help from the swirling Prince Eric winds, the ball landed just beyond the 340ish wall in left. It was a three-run homer, and it boosted the lead for the Corps. Clay Myer got his first action of the campaign and pitched an easy ninth to secure the win, though with the four run lead, he did not record a save.

Thoughts

Ultimately, the Corps is taking care of business. It's still early, but we've seen the lineup and pitching staff perform both dominantly in blowout fashion and gutsily in the clutch. This is the makings of a team that could make a real splash, but stop me if you've heard that before. There's a lot of baseball left to play, but allow me to share this factoid: Drawkland's pitching staff has allowed 7 runs through 4 games. The only other team with a single-digit RA total is Zwangzug with sixth. That's truly elite company, especially for a pitching staff that has been famously, uh, shit.

Right now the best players offensively are Tyler Silvanus and Aaron Frost. Silvanus, in three games, has hit three homers and batted in NINE runs. He's batting .538, smaller sample size of course, but you can't deny that he's picked up right where he left off from last Classic (and the last two seasons of domestic play). Frost had a hot start but cooled off a bit in the last game and a half. Still, he's batting .375 with a .444 OBP and 5 RBIs. If Louie Wade continues to slump, I'd almost consider putting Frost in the top of the lineup even against right handed pitching. I'm not a manager, though, so what do I know?

What I do know is that Jimmy Todd needs more starts. Cooper Calebs has been sucking to start the campaign, and maybe he just needs some time to acclimate. It is spring, after all. I'm very interested to see how Jimmy Todd would perform with a larger sample size, though. He went 3-for-9 with a solo homer in his two starts, which is way better than Calebs wasting a roster spot at this moment in time.

Pitching-wise, zero complaints. Leo Roy's start was rocky, but we got through it. Again, this is a unit which has allowed only 7 runs in 36 innings. That's a collective ERA of 1.75 for those counting at home. All four starters earned a quality start, and the bullpen has allowed zero runs. Every pitcher besides newcomer Darnell Rivers has gotten some work, too. The high leverage pitchers have gotten the job done when called upon, and the lower leverage guys and girls got outs and avoided drama. Literally, what more can you ask for from your pitching staff? I look forward to seeing which one suffers a horrific implosion when the stakes get higher in a couple weeks.

I've used the money earned from my internet shitposting to travel to Quebec and Shingoryeo for this tournament, and I'm enjoying it so far. I know what you're saying, "haha corpsguy725, you only enjoy Quebec because they sell great weed fucking everywhere." Uh yeah, so what? You're just mad I'm getting the good stuff without worrying about shipping upcharge and tariffs. I'll continue to cover these games, and hopefully get to see some magic in person again. Until next time, peeps.

corpsguy725 out

[Abanhfleft]

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

WHEN YOU’VE BEEN CRYING SO MUCH FOR SO LONG THE ONLY THING LEFT TO DO IS LAUGH
By Ibrahim Ahmadinejad

WRITING FROM MYEONGJU, QUEBEC AND SHINGORYEO – I think we can all agree that Abanhfleft kind of sucks when it comes to playing sports on an international level. It’s like a universal truth that can be proven and does get proven time and again in all sorts of conditions. I think that’s what the more scientifically minded among us call “falsifiability.” Sometimes though, it has been proven that Abanhfleft doesn’t always suck, but because it so rarely happens, the times that we don’t suck become much more memorable as a result. On the other hand, though we’ve failed as a nation to claim silverware on the sporting stage so many times before, there are still some specific tournaments which one can remember because of the pain of the heartbreak that it caused. And then there are the tournaments which are like, “We were shit from day one so it’s no surprise we lost/crashed out/bottled it/insert favorite sporting term for not meeting expectations here.” And I am afraid that unless things start turning around for the Revolution, we might be looking at one such tournament right now.

Things really should have been off to a hot start for this new-look Abanhfleft Revolution. They have new everything! New pitchers, new catchers, new fielders, new basemen, the works. The coaching staff is still the same though, but I try really hard not to think about that. In all honesty though, it has honestly been shocking that the SBA [Samahang Beisbol ng Abanhfleft] have stuck with Rehoboam Zimmerman and company for so long even though the only thing they’ve delivered to the Democratic Republic has been one International Baseball Slam and a massive heap of disappointment and pain. However, word on the street (or more accurately the halls of the SBA) is that nobody really wants to take over the reins from Mr. Zimmerman because everyone knows that managing the Abanhfleft Revolution is a thankless job, and no matter who comes in and takes over, if they’re not delivering trophies right from the get-go then they’ve already failed. It’s harsh, but I would say that there is definitely at least a kernel of truth in all of that. We the people of Abanhfleft thought that our country was good at playing sports, but ever since we’ve introduced ourselves to the rest of the multiverse, we have been constantly humbled and told to get better. The pain was understandable and bearable at the start, but I think it’s now gotten to the point where other countries that came in later but have also improved themselves at a faster rate than us, and that’s where the fans have decided to draw the line.

The Revolution’s campaign in the 58th World Baseball Classic was already off to a bad start in which the national baseball team snatched defeat from the jaws of victory in two consecutive games. Against Banija, that was a bit understandable. They’re the third best baseball team in the multiverse, after all. But it was the first game against Jabberwocky which really set the mood for what the rest of this campaign could possibly feel like. Like, where have you seen a baseball team slowly but steadily build up a five-run lead in the first three innings of a game only to give up a godforsaken grand slam in the fourth inning?! But I’ve already talked (more like ranted) at length about the game against Jabberwocky in my previous post so I won’t bore you all with that again. Instead, I am going to bore you all to death with a (potential) rant about Abanhfleft’s game against Vilwandia.

I’ll admit it, I wasn’t even that surprised anymore when Vilwandia scored the very first run of the game at the bottom of the very first inning. If we’re going to compare a person’s fandom to the five stages of death theory then I would probably say that I’m hovering in between the depression and acceptance stages of my fandom. Like, as soon as Vilwandia scored their first run, my first thoughts were, “Not again!” and “Because of course we would give up the first run in a game in which we needed to win.” Now, was this game against Vilwandia actually a must-win for the Revolution? Probably, probably not. Baseball, unlike most other sports out there, has this reputation in which form and momentum are virtually nonexistent. Any team can lose to any other team, although for many Abanhfleft fans, they would say that we’re the only team out there who has consistent form and momentum. Consistently losing in both form and momentum, that is. Our nation, our people has been called salty and whiny because of this, but I truly believe that we’ve gone past the point of whining and we’re all just stating facts at this point.

The thing about the Revolution though isn’t that they just lose games. It isn’t just that they lose games because they play poorly, can’t hit the broad side of a barn to save their lives, and can’t tell the difference between a baseball and a flying insect. The Abanhfleft Revolution both gains and loses momentum in between innings, meaning that any good inning could be nullified by a couple of bad innings or even just one other bad one, but the Revolution more often has more bad innings than good ones. I would love to be proven wrong this time around, but I’m not holding my breath. But to get back to what I was trying to say, the Revolution could do well for a handful of innings and give everyone hope that they would actually win a game, only for the next innings to expose how much of a shitshow that team actually is and hand themselves and the fans another big fat L. And that was exactly what happened against Vilwandia. They scored first, and then Fleftic fans wondered when or if a comeback was going to materialize. Said comeback actually did materialize, specifically at the top of the third inning thanks to new boys Javion Maddox and Warren Hardy, helped along by the veteran Cedric Colon. Then a double from Don Edwards and Archer Olson looked like they had allowed the Revolution to wrap up the victory, only for Vilwandia to respond with two doubles of their own at the bottom of the sixth. Sometimes I think Dexter Johnston allowed Vilwandia to score a walk-off home run on him because his team’s performance in the last three innings of the game sickened him so much. Would I have done the same thing in his shoes? I invoke my right against self-incrimination.

It won’t get any better for the Revolution as they would have to go on the road to face Barnettsville, aka the country that’s focused solely on baseball and nothing else. We’ve come across our fair share of such countries throughout our time in both the World Baseball Classic and the International Baseball Slam, but as far as I’m aware, Barnettsville have done it the best out of all of those places. Or maybe that “honor” should go to Loyo. I don’t know, but how about you, dear readers? Leave your answers and thoughts in the comments section below. Anyway, getting back on topic again, with Abanhfleft on a three-game losing streak and Barnettsville looking to all like they’re on top of the world, anyone with half a brain cell would have put their money on Abanhfleft continuing to be their loser selves and keep up the losing streak against the third-best (according to the rankings) team in Group B because that’s just the kind of thing that we do. And maybe, for the first three or five innings of this game, that could have been the case. And then for some reason the boys decided that today was going to be the day that they were going to show up. One could even say that the Abanhfleft Revolution that had played the previous three and a half games were all doppelgangers who didn’t know the difference between baseball and stock car racing, and the real players only showed up at the top of the sixth inning of the Barnettsville away match. Of course, that’s most probably not what happened, but there are a number of fans out there crazy and/or desperate enough to believe this.

After four games played in the Royal Kingdom of Quebec, the Abanhfleft Revolution are, surprise surprise, bottom of Group B with only one victory and three defeats to their name. If only the lads hadn’t thrown away those games against Jabberwocky and Vilwandia, we could be looking at a different, much better situation for the team. Instead, the Revolution are rock bottom of their group with one-fifth of the entire group stage of the 58th World Baseball Classic now in the books. It’s not the end of the world just yet, so he says. He being me, of course. It’s easy to say that there’s still more than enough time for the Revolution to turn things around and actually give themselves a ghost of a chance to make it into the next round, and at least it isn’t a thing that requires an actual miracle to work. All this team needs is to get some more consistency under their belt as the newcomers gel more and more with the old hands, and we’ll all be golden. However, now that I’ve said all of that, maybe it is going to take a miracle and a half to get the Abanhfleft Revolution back into playoff contention. And that’s another thing that has put the fans of the Fleftic national baseball team on edge. Our lads make these tasks more impossible than they really should be, and if they could stop doing that more than just once in a while, that would be absolutely fantastic. This is the Armored Dinner Jacket saying ciao, peace. Catch you in my next post.

[TJUN-ia]

After winning big and then losing even bigger, the Battin' Jaguars of TJUN-ia don't know what to think of themselves at the moment and it's not hard to understand why. Winning 6-1 and then losing 1-13 was certainly a pair of results on opposite sides of the same coin, and not even Phillip Hellas-Verona could understand what was going on. Are we good or not? Are we unlucky or just plain stupid? No one knew for certain... and only playing more games could answer this mystery.

Shin-Cauchon Field in Val-Argent would host our 1st encounter with shock 2-0 debutants New Kiwi Repupirikana, with Maddison "Missy" Jembembe starting on the mound. Things didn't start well at all as NKR got 3 runs in the 2nd and many were in belief that a pitching change was needed...but PHV stook with Missy and that turned out to be the right call as she wouldn't concede another run for the rest of the game. That gave plenty of time for us to work our magic with Holly Davids (solo bomb) in the 3rd and Anastasia Mykvinich (2-run bomb) in the 4th tieing things up. Things would be tense after that all the way until the 9th, when a solo bomb by Santino Fenatti finally gave us a lead we wouldn't give up. A comeback that was certainly needed.

Then it was off to Daedong Field in Anju to face #22 Dod Rava, with Yolande Sirapui stepping up to face Włodzimierz Biały. Matias "Maciuś" Martín struck first in the 2nd with 2 runs and when Biały himself added the 3rd in the 6th, things were not looking good and Cub Daisy Goldstein had to come out to see what she could do with the situation. She did manage to steady the ship enough for Li Chen Sho to level things up in the 8th, but Henryk Hudak responded with two of his own and that would seal a 5-3 win for Dod Rava...and a 2-2 record for ourselves.

What is going on, huh? The Kytler Peninsulae and Gunnison and Telluride go to Jeongju next...where we hope for better. GO BATTIN' JAGS!

---

SCHEDULE (Group F - Northwest Quebec and Shingoryeo)
MD1: @Gunnison and Telluride (UR) - Jean-Claude Jarnefelt Stadium, Attawapiskat W 6-1 (1st)
MD2: vs Super-Llamaland (7) - Jeongju Veterans' Memorial Coliseum, Jeongju L 1-13 (3rd)
---
MD3: @New Kiwi Repupirikana (UR) - Shin-Cauchon Field, Val-Argent W 4-3 (1st)
MD4: @Dod Rava (22) - Daedong Field, Anju L 3-5 (5th)
---
MD5: vs The Kytler Peninsulae (UR) - Jeongju Veterans' Memorial Coliseum, Jeongju
MD6: vs Gunnison and Telluride (UR) - Jeongju Veterans' Memorial Coliseum, Jeongju
---
MD7: @Super-Llamaland (7) - Broad Street Junction, Hanbat
MD8: vs New Kiwi Repupirikana (UR) - Jeongju Veterans' Memorial Coliseum, Jeongju
---
MD9: vs Dod Rava (22) - Jeongju Veterans' Memorial Coliseum, Jeongju
MD10: @The Kytler Peninsulae (UR) - Bocola Field, Attawapiskat
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MD11: @Gunnison and Telluride (UR) - Jean-Claude Jarnefelt Stadium, Attawapiskat
MD12: vs Super-Llamaland (7) - Jeongju Veterans' Memorial Coliseum, Jeongju
---
MD13: @New Kiwi Repupirikana (UR) - Shin-Cauchon Field, Val-Argent
MD14: @Dod Rava (22) - Daedong Field, Anju
---
MD15: vs The Kytler Peninsulae (UR) - Jeongju Veterans' Memorial Coliseum, Jeongju
MD16: vs nation]Gunnison and Telluride[/nation] (UR) - Jeongju Veterans' Memorial Coliseum, Jeongju
---
MD17: @Super-Llamaland (7) - Broad Street Junction, Hanbat
MD18: vs New Kiwi Repupirikana (UR) - Jeongju Veterans' Memorial Coliseum, Jeongju
---
MD19: vs Dod Rava (22) - Jeongju Veterans' Memorial Coliseum, Jeongju
MD20: @The Kytler Peninsulae (UR) - Bocola Field, Attawapiskat

[Milchama]

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

Sports Section

A History of Milchama Against South Newlandia in Baseball

We know that none of you come to read Milchamian newspapers for the history. With a newspaper industry that has proudly hired and continues to hire Dancougarian interns long after that joke passed from relevance, fad, or even Dancougar's existence we are not the most accurate sort of paper. That said, sometimes, it's important to understand your history so we will be clear and talk about two very important historical baseball teams the Milchama Warriors and the South Newlandia Elephants. Both teams have storied histories in the WBC, with South Newlandia's coming a little more recently than Milchama where, besides one semi final run, has not been as great post-Isolation as pre-Isolation. However, we do know that the Warriors have been involved in many important games since WBC 52 when we returned from exile and South Newlandia have obviously been involved a lot since then as well.

Not only that but the Milchama Baseball Association has been jealous of the South Newlandian baseball federation and their multinational LPB league so much that the MBA combined with Banija for the MBL to become a competitor to the LPB for the hearts and minds of international basebal fans. This long relationship on and off the field will clearly show up in how the Milchamians and the South Newlandians play each other in baseball.

We played them once and lost. It was the first MD this tournament, you can go read our match report on it. That's right it was a long build up to nothing, you should've guessed.

[Valanora]

Getting to Know the Squad
Nora Lundström

Nora is among only a handful of the players who are on the team who are not over thirty and yet still a starter in her position, being the starting center fielder for the team in the tournament. Standing at five foot eight inches tall, she is slightly on the shorter side for Vanorians but near about the average, although she thinks her slightly smaller frame gives her an advantage at the plate. It seems to be true as Nora has yet to been on the end of a strikeout thus far in this World Baseball Classic, one of the bright spots in the start of the tournament for the squad, having earned a few walks as well as having three singles and a double through the four games games so far. It has been rough going out there for the team, as it was expected to be after the results of the group draw, but there have been a few bright spots that the team has been able to build off of and Nora's performance at the plate has been one of those, being a big catalyst in the side's victory over fellow unranked side Vonum in their last game.

Hailing from Mar Sara, Nora is like a lot of the team who were born in and around the breadbasket area of the Empire, the region located around Mar Sara to Raynor City. With it's many luscious fields, it makes sense that a lot of players would come from this part of the Empire, as there are more places and opportunities for the players to actually play the game compared to other parts of the nation. Getting players from Longview for instance will be likely quite rare considering it is located at the edge of the Spine of Arrosia mountain range that divides most of the mainland of Valanora between the east coast of the Arrosia continent with the central and western parts. Nora's parents thought that she might become a veterinarian when she was growing up, due to her fondness for animals and a seemingly caring nature, but instead she became a physical therapist and personal trainer, getting others back into physical shape after injuries while maintaining her own physique to be able to continue to play baseball at the highest levels currently available to her in the Empire.

[Ko-oren]

The Hopefuls

Desierto Challengers @ Colenario Municipal (14000), Kolunedin (Colenario), Gahrugkothis (Finisterre)
A new team to unify the towns around the edge of the Finisterran desert, continuing the Challengers name from Aonishi, will have some of the strangest home conditions. Small stadiums and small field dimensions and the heat will make for a great combo. Expect a lot of local flavours.
This is your club if you want the best food and vibes in and around the stadium. Probably the only tailgate-like opportunity in the Ko-orenite divisions. Mind the alcohol ban, though...
Prediction: Overall: 2 // Pitching: 9 / Fielding&Batting: 2 // Infield: 1 / Outfield: 8 / Starting pitchers: 5 / Bullpen: 12
Fielding: C: Daniel Fermin (22y)★★ - Infield: Assefa Mulugeta (30y)★★★✩, Holly Davids (25y)★★★, Suke Enya (31y)★★★, Letha Newich (21y)★★★★✩ - Outfield: Lylah Cheltens (24y)★★★, Dillon CarMichael (26y)★★★, Basilio Miramontes (21y)★★✩ / DH: Emily Crater (30y)★★✩
Pitching: Starters: Bieito Vasquez (23y)★★★★★, Xesus Basquez (24y)★★★, Stéphane Benne (23y)★★✩, Boniface Longtin (23y)★★✩, Zantu Aozesranen (23y)★★✩ - Relievers: Marika Hiraga (22y)★★, Bernal Troche (24y)★★, Desembee Titambee (21y)★★✩, Stéphane Monat (22y)★★✩, Ange Léger (31y)★★✩ - Closer: Virovaru Janagimoto (33y)★✩
Prospects: Husiina Tausezhun (17y)★★★, Théo Orleans (20y)★★★✩, Bento Vaithuikun (19y)★★★

Hang on, what? Desierto wasn't supposed to be good. They were supposed to unify rural Finisterre - that's Gahrugkothis in Gehrennan now - its towns lining its northern and southern coast, its villages out in the arid centre, and a handful of settlements scattered around but not quite in Ferrovente, and give them a team to support in the Western division as putting teams in larger cities further west was clearly not going to work. In fact, the franchise in Schemerdrecht backfired so hard that a team moved back into the southern division, serving a population that's maybe one sixth of Schemerdrecht's, and it's in a far better financial position. The Challengers - once also a team on those eastern islands - have since organised, scouted talent, and formed a squad that's not just capable of knocking down Santa Teresa and Ferrovente a peg every once in a while, but a squad that can go toe to toe with them. It's that the Whales are so far ahead in the preseason rankings, otherwise the Challengers could have been somewhat favourite for the division title.

A region revitalised by Ochre aloe vera plants (a long story), they've not only cultivated the one plant that grows in its poor soil, they've also cultivated an elite lineup of batters and the scariest infield of the league: Mulugeta, Davids, Enya, and Newich. Especially Newich is a unique character. And not only that, they've also enlisted the services of Vasquez, the best pitcher in Ko-oren, and they've formed the rest of their squad around their talents. Not as deep a squad as some would like, maybe, but definitely one that can keep up on the merits of their few stars. The bullpen can use work (in fact, it's rated 12th out of 12) but that doesn't stop us from listing them second overall in our preseason rankings.

A pretty cerebral team that's able to quickly assess what the other team throws at it and respond with a strategy and execute it, it's Cheltens and Newich who observe and Orleans, Mulugeta, and Davids who drop the hammer.

Santa Teresa Stars @ The Citadel (37000), Thelesra (Santa Teresa), Gahrugkothis (Finisterre)
The Stars are the biggest team of the mainland and while their biggest rivalry is with the Whales, they've long looked eastward at the dynasties in Katashi for a challenge. Somewhat arrogant and entitled, the Stars aren't successful by default, though.
This is your club if you are secretly a little smug, or you like shiny new modern stadiums.
Prediction: Overall: 3 // Pitching: 3 / Fielding&Batting: 10 // Infield: 7 / Outfield: 10 / Starting pitchers: 2 / Bullpen: 5
Fielding: C: Juan Berganza (37y)★★★✩ - Infield: Kingsley Rust (22y)★★✩, Arpit Seth (31y)★★★, Jaira Hyllik (26y)★★★✩, Jean-Guy Rosier (23y)★★✩ - Outfield: Benvito Parga (23y)★★★, Xacinto Leyton (35y)★★✩, Liam Desjardins (38y)★★✩ / DH: Manfred Jager (24y)★★★
Pitching: Starters: Noah Harris (36y)★★★✩, Kristen Osborn (34y)★★★✩, Ensa Suso (30y)★★★, Fernan Mazon (31y)★★, Goio Padron (23y)★★★ - Relievers: Avi Allens (29y)★★✩, Arximiro Saravia (34y)★★★, Kōlō Kamada (22y)★★, Atanasio Cervantes (28y)★★★, Winfield Basshale (25y)★★✩ - Closer: Montaro Wakajoshi (30y)★★✩
Prospects: Xela Nuinanun (18y)★★✩, Hiroyoshi Nagatomi (24y)★★✩, Febel Soishetin (19y)★★★

And our third team... the Stars. Yes, three out of four Western division teams are in the top three of the preseason rankings. For the Stars, it's their destiny - it's their goddamn birthright to tear up lesser teams en route to another division title - which shouldn't even be celebrated, it's just common sense: you are Santa Teresa, you win division titles - and then see how far you come versus the teams from the eastern islands in various postseason series. And yet, this year might be different: the Whales have proven tenacious foes for years now, and the Challengers have also gotten their metaphorical shit together.

In no way have the Stars slacked in their roster construction - the other two teams have simply played it very smart. The Stars employ some of the best players in the archipelago and it's just a coincidence that equal (or slightly better) players are having a great time elsewhere on the arid peninsula of Finisterra (Gahrugkothis). Where the other two have signed excellent hitters, this club has gone the other route and signed a scary good group of pitchers. Harris, Osborn, and Suso are a trio that can take on any lineup, and with series being three games, waiting until the right moment allows them to unleash the three at the perfect time. And Padron is not exactly a downgrade either. As for the bullpen, they're pretty good, varied, decently young, and one of the like 4 good closers is on this roster as well.

Anyway, this division will be bruising. By far the hardest to win, and might well supply three out of five playoff teams. They might well struggle to get balls in play - not exactly the problem of Hullik, Berganza, or even Parga, but the rest might have some issues getting runs on the board. Keep an eye on Soishetin - he might just pop up later in the season.

Katashi Giants @ Maesaki Park (31250), Katahshi (Katashi), Katahshi (Katashi)
The Katashi Giants - from 'capital' Katashi on Royal Island Leleia - are a huge team that just can't get a win when it matters, and they're forever the smaller version of the Generals for it.
This is your club if you want a likeable team from a big city, with lots of fans, that will still win plenty, but never wins quite enough.
Prediction: Overall: 4 // Pitching: 6 / Fielding&Batting: 8 // Infield: 10 / Outfield: 9 / Starting pitchers: 4 / Bullpen: 8
Fielding: C: Mutebi Nvunyi (18y)★★★✩ - Infield: Madongo Kiribata (27y)★★★✩, Clément Dubos (31y)★★, Manoel Candia (32y)★★✩, Anselmo Lugo (21y)★★ - Outfield: Takaharu Suzuoki (21y)★★✩, Suemoto Ishimaki (35y)★★, Sanae Natsuka (24y)★★★✩ / DH: Takuzō Tanonaka (22y)★★★
Pitching: Starters: Yatarō Namioka (21y)★★★✩, Suta Akija (35y)★★★, Rudolph Vocar-Dijo (33y)★★✩, Neta Rothsenns (27y)★★★✩, Fumi Koumaru (22y)★★✩ - Relievers: Ernesto Vara (33y)★★✩, Sadaie Nawa (31y)★★, Vera Mane (24y)★★★✩, Kyōji Iio (24y)★★✩, Jocelyne Jacquet (23y)★★✩ - Closer: Fabio Paul (36y)★★
Prospects: Shōichi Kumeta (18y)★★★✩, Muneo Nasukawa (18y)★★✩, Kurenai Masutomi (19y)★★★✩

On to different divisions, then. The South, in this case. The Giants have lived in the shadow of Katashi rivals, the Generals, for all of the LPB era and then some. Sure, they have some championships in the past, but losing the battle to their city rivals, let alone the rabble in the tiny villages west (Silvers) and east (Admirals), has been wearing the fanbase down. Starved for success, and unable to find the right people to get the job done, they've looked towards Banija for salvation - who granted them Nvunyi and Kiribata, two of the brighter spots on the roster, while the front office looked onward to some moneyball moves to fill out the rest of the roster, preferably with cheaper talent. And it might finally be time - could the South be theirs? Could they, god forbid, get a winning season this century?

The squad so far says yes. A confidence unlike what we've seen in the last decade, players not weighed down by ten years of failed expectations, and a front office that has been very frank and forward about their ambitions - it's a new era in the yellow half of Katahshi. Where the lineup excels - well, that's easily the fact that there are so few gaps there. There's young and old, leftie and rightie, and there are some lowlights - are Dubos and Lugo the right people for the job, are Nawa and Paul right for this squad, and will Paul - the closer - actually lose them games?

The rest of this roster is simply solid. There's batting, there's pitching, Namioka is a great ace, Rothsenns is not much behind her, Vera Mane is a human highlight reel, there's talent waiting in the wings in the form of Kumeta and Masutomi specifically. If anything: who's bringing the clean-up hitting? Kiribata could well do that, Akija can do that, but they hardly have a reputation for it. Maesaki is definitely a place for small ball, but on the road they might be in trouble.

Katashi Generals @ Katashi Dome (58000), Katahshi (Katashi), Katahshi (Katashi)
The Katashi Generals - from 'capital' Katashi on Royal Island Leleia - are the perennial team to beat. They have more titles, they're older than almost every team, they have the biggest stadium, they've got it all.
This is your club if you just want to see a lot of wins, bandwagoning be damned.
Prediction: Overall: 5 // Pitching: 7 / Fielding&Batting: 5 // Infield: 6 / Outfield: 4 / Starting pitchers: 6 / Bullpen: 6
Fielding: C: Shukishi Kashiwa (37y)★★★ - Infield: Fred Hodgson (34y)★★, Joëlle Grayson (29y)★★★, Gregory Simons (37y)★★★★, Daishin Kulino (21y)★★ - Outfield: Azusa Ekuni (22y)★★★✩, Jasuviro Esumi (37y)★★★✩, Hannah Choe (32y)★★ / DH: Nobuvilo Voligome (22y)★★★
Pitching: Starters: Dae-Wook Kim (26y)★★★★, Katsumi Kawai (35y)★★, Tovi Niva (31y)★★★, Jason McRae (29y)★★★✩, Michael Reischauer (26y)★★ - Relievers: Carla McInnis (37y)★★✩, Naoyuki Takewaki (23y)★★★, Atsuki Kotera (24y)★★✩, Sanemitsu Murata (33y)★★, Rui Cervino (23y)★★ - Closer: Teluvide Kamei (34y)★★✩
Prospects: Yoshitsugu Yoshida (20y)★★★, Matsuki Kanemitsu (25y)★★★, Lyōvei Nusazen (17y)★★★★✩

For the first time in years: the Generals ranked below the Giants. The Katahshi battle is back and better than ever - the Generals started the LPB era down in the dumps but gradually built their squad, through near endless funds as far as Ko-orenite clubs go, up to the level of a Conference Champion. A title they never held in the end - the Stars and Dragons superseded them every single time. The South just didn't deliver as a whole, and the Admirals took a division title at some point, but usually the Generals have been up there as division contenders. They've set their sights higher. They have to - if there's any team, fanbase, or staff more blatantly and obnoxiously ambitions than Santa Teresa it's the Generals. Where the Stars think the southern division belongs to them, the Generals think all of Ko-orenite baseball is theirs.

The purple swagger has been quieted a tiny bit, but as they firmly had control over the division, they kept on banging their own drum. And now, the reason for their newfound optimism? One, it's the fact that after the Whales, there are a lot of similar teams with differing skillsets but a similar perceived ceiling. Two, the signing of a generational talent in Nusazen, who grew up right there in Katahshi, and will probably be the high point of their roster for years. There's the Chromatik duo Kim and Simons, too. For now, however, the most important point is that like the Giants there are just not that many holes: average batting, average pitching, with a few individuals capable of deciding a few games here and there - and that's how you get over .500. It's a slightly old roster at this point, so no clue what the front office will do in a year or two - so for a 'window is closing, let's push' year they're still kind of light, nowhere near guaranteed to win their own division even.

There is a mix of styles and strengths, between the friendly yet daring Ekuni and the wise Esumi, or reliever Takewaki who's a much more technical, restrained type.

Echizen Dragons @ Uvesaki Field (24390), Ethizehn (Echizen), Alahrenna (Alara)
Alara, the Garden Island, sees baseball as an important pastime (that maybe takes up a bit too much green space). Small field dimensions (and sea-level conditions) give a small advantage to batters. Beyond the fence, it's all picnic places. Along the foul lines and behind the plate, it's all stands.
This is your club if you like to see a team do a lot with a small budget in beautiful surroundings.
Prediction: Overall: 6 // Pitching: 2 / Fielding&Batting: 11 // Infield: 3 / Outfield: 12 / Starting pitchers: 1 / Bullpen: 10
Fielding: C: Keisuke Idoki (22y)★★✩ - Infield: Kurenai Komamura (22y)★★★, Len Pijpenbroek (31y)★★★★✩, Leo Jimenez (25y)★★★✩, Masayoshi Sadatomi (21y)★★ - Outfield: Yoshihito Oshita (32y)★★★, Teruyoshi Hosokawa (24y)★★✩, Pierre-Marie Desnoyers (21y)★★ / DH: Hildegrim de Waard (22y)★
Pitching: Starters: Grady Good (27y)★★★★, Molovisa Gotou (34y)★★★✩, Mochiyoshi Doi (34y)★★, Jay Kramer (32y)★★★, Maddison "Missy"
Jembembe (25y)★★★★ - Relievers: Daki Chuan (32y)★★✩, Hidemichi Makino (30y)★★✩, Yuriko Hinouchi (25y)★★, Kazushi Watase (31y)★★★, Nolisuke Minagawa (34y)★✩ - Closer: Benoit Everson (32y)★★✩
Prospects: Honou Reimeden (20y)★★★✩, Armel Hotard (22y)★★★, Jirokichi Nagasato (22y)★★✩

Ah, finally, our first team from the Northern division. The team that's had such a stranglehold over the conference in the LPB era, winning one overall LPB title. At the time it was viewed as a one-time opportunity. Now, after the LPB era has concluded - yes, it was definitely a one-time opportunity. That can never be taken away from them. They built their squad for the bigger audiences in a more glamorous league, came out with hundreds of wins in three seasons, and now the window's pretty much closed (is it, though?) as the league is back to its national roots. Is the window closed? Well, there are a lot of teams fairly close together and we're still in the 'Hopefuls' category - the Dragons might surprise us again.

In fact, they still have some upsides. The pitching is still amazing. They've simply spent more resources on it, and Good, Gotou, Jembembe, and Kramer are four of the better starters in the league. The bullpen takes some of that praise away, sure. And yes, the hitting isn't what it used to be. As with many teams in the league, focus has been on developing defensively solid infielders and fast outfielders, rather than excellent hitters, and the Dragons fit that mold to a T. There's Pijpenbroek, another generational player, now 31 years old, with Jimenez and Oshita - completely disregarding the DH position with De Waard too.

It helps that the fans, even in the best years, weren't that obnoxious. Yes, they always had some faithfuls in the stands, even in the away games, who loved to remind the hosts of the Dragons' recent exploits, but on the whole, they never reached the toxicity of the Generals, Stars - always keeping that small town likeability that fits the smaller South division teams (Silvers, Admirals) and most North teams (Originals, Bees, Knights). They kept their rivalry with Teragaseki in place, even if the two teams were occasionally fifty wins apart. The small, simple things always mattered to Echizen, and that's what carried them that far. Now they have a team who know what it's like to win, how to break losing streaks, and keep their mentality up for a full year even with the odd hurdle in their way. The division is not exactly theirs but they're still the favourites - giving them a clear playoff path if they want it.

[South Newlandia]

Disclaimers:
* this project would not be possible without the efforts from Super-Llamaland. The words and pictures on screen right now were made by me, but would not be possible without extensive background work from both of us. Please do grade accordingly.
* this RP series may, on occasion, mention numbers about your players. Feel free to ignore them if you don’t like them.

South Newlandian League

Previews – Part 2 (St. Riecarn and Sun City)

St. Riecarn Saints

Departures
The Saints managed to keep most of the team together after finally notching their first playoff appearance in LPB History. With a team built on a mostly solid, young core, the Saints managed to re-sign all the critical pieces, including a contract extension for Apollo Sündstrom, who is quickly ascending to being one of their core players.
There were still a few players that the Saints parted ways with, including retiring role players Stef Svojarnsson and 1B Bucky Jimenez. They were also able to turn some of their fringe players into valuable assets, flipping their just-drafted catcher Eva Mercier to the Dolphins, and dealing left-hander Nico Harmon in a three-way deal. With five strong starters on the roster, the lefty would have been stuck on bullpen duty just ahead of entering free agency. In order to reduce their roster to the 26-man maximum, the team also parted ways with two veterans that had just arrived; catcher Hugh Marquez signed here after a few seasons with the Chromia Diamonds. With Moore and Wren, the team wasn’t willing to pay for another catcher. Likewise, Sanford’s 1B Tom Abbott was cut. His journey will continue in Ratzupalfu, while Marquez signed with the Snow Bears.

Additions

Elephant Valley Sports Mail
Looking at the most impactful Free Agency Addition for each SNL team
After finally marking their first playoff appearance in the LPB era, topped off by a wildcard win over the Monarchs (only the second time the Saints made it to the SNLDS (or equivalent) in the modern era), the Saints seem to be trying to play it slow and not overextend their small-market resources. To add to their core of young players mostly from the core LPB nations, they elevated some players from AAA Stuska, and made a few pointed investments into Free Agents. Their only move for an established star was signing Ryan Hunter to a short-term deal. A long-time Elephant, Hunter is now well past his prime, for the former Flame and Dolphin should be an excellent asset for their young pitching rotation to learn from, while providing some solid starts for a surprisingly shallow rotation.

Besides Hunter, the Saints only made one real addition in the off-season, that being 1B Corey Zang, who arrived here in the Nico Harmon trade, a rare three-way deal with the Vipers and Fishers. The former first-round selection struggled to establish himself in Apple Valley, and will have a new chance here, inheriting the starting spot from Jimenez. The other two movements to the roster were both internal promotions. Owen Xavier and Victoria Greene were selected with consecutive picks in the third round, and both of them played pretty well for the AAA Stuska Okapis. They are quite similar players, both Llamanean, and both mainly using their off-speed stuff to get soft contact. Neither of them are likely to end up as a starter, but they should do a decent job providing innings in mop-up duty in the bullpen, allowing players like Gilson III and Harvey to focus on the important innings.
All in all, it was an offseason where the Saints focused on not rocking the boat, and improving the areas where they struggled last season; while also re-pairing Ryan Hunter with his long-time Elephants- and Newport Dolphins battery mate. The Saints are hoping the 38-year-old to turn back time in what is likely his final chance at an LPB championship, having won one with the Dolphins previously – with Brad Moore as the catcher.

Outlook:

The Saints just had their best season of the LPB era with a very young team that should only be getting better. Their pitching rotation is quickly growing into a formidable unit, headed by two Elephants in Wolodymyr King and Ryan Hunter, with Llamanean Lucy Walker-Diaz also continuing on her excellent trajectory into season three. Ashleigh Witters of Chromatika, also heading into season three, rounds out the excellent four-player punch that will make things very difficult for any opponent in a playoff series. Even the depth, featuring Pat Jensen and Rishi Mondal, are going to provide some good results around the league average mark.
The bullpen might be a problem spot for the team in the postseason. Andrew Gilson III, who has quickly become a Llamanean Tiger, is a solid closer, but behind him, the Saints lack name-brand pitching. Lorenzo Harbey is a former first-round selection that didn’t get very far, and Lester Plattsburgh of Qasden is at least pretty experienced, but that’s just about all the Saints have to offer here. Ideally, the pitching rotation is going to make sure the bullpen isn’t needed as much, but this could still emerge as a real weak spot.
In the lineup, the Saints have two experienced veterans and WBC champions leading the way in catcher Brad Moore, who has announced that this will be his final season, and Chromatik outfielder Kendra Annovar. Around them, the Saints have assembled a great roster on defense and offense, starting with the middle infield made of Kevin Barros, the reigning rookie of the season; and Apollo Sündstrom, who became an All-Star last season, finally realising his draft hype. While he’s not going to rapidly become the MVP just because of being on a new team, this pair of players has the potential to become the backbone to the Saints for years to come. They are supported by great players at the corners, too, with Corey Zang and Jimi Fiazzo, who is a force for the Sunshine Tigers and the Saints. The outfield is the big strength of the Saints, with Annovar supported by another Loyoan in Isabel Morata, also an excellent player and recent All-Star, and Evander Stone, the previous rookie of the season before Barros did it. While it seems unlikely that the Saints pull it off for a fourth consecutive time, drafting three consecutive rookies of the season is very impressive. The rest of the team also includes current and future impact players in DH Ripeppi, with the Brook power bat having found a comfortable niche, while Loyoan catcher Markus Wren continues to learn behind veteran Brad Moore. Players like Anthony Hancock and Sasha Belova add additional veteran presence to the young squad.
One final strength of this team is their manager, Loyoan Velma Soosang, who has expertly moulded these players into a team that is going to fight for one another in every single game. Rosterbuilding a young team like this isn’t easy, and Soosang has quickly turned them into a contender in the SNL. Having just comfortably made the playoffs, this young team is a season older, and more experienced accordingly, while they haven’t really lost any key contributors. A playoff appearance seems very likely again, and they may even be able to challenge the Rhinos for the SNL South title; and from there, this team could definitely compete in the postseason.

Minor League Notes

Elephant Valley Sports Mail
Which team has the best farm system right now? Ranking AAA-teams heading into the season
12th: Stuska Okapis (St. Riecarn Saints affiliate)
Most promising player: Miranda Gooden (SLL, 20)
The Okapis have had their team depleted in recent years, with the Saints trading their first-rounder to the Chariots, trading their second-rounder to the Dolphins, and calling up both Victoria Greene and Owen Xavier for this season. Because of that, their only real notable player in Stuska is Miranda Gooden, their third-round pick this season. The Llamanean outfielder has some upside, especially defensively, but is still a long way away from contributing for the Saints.

---

Sun City Flames
Departures

The Flames managed to keep most of their good players, something aided by just not having many of those in the first place. They will have to enter the next season without long-time Quebecois LPB star Kang Ye-Rim, who is now retired. Similarly, two long-time contributors from Drawkland also hung up their cleats, with C Bradley Jenkins and RP Grady Reuters now finding better things to do with their time. The team also traded one of their better relievers, Amano Sachi, to the Jaffro Drawks, packaged together with a pick. Sachi was a former first-round selection, but could never quite establish himself in Sun City; with the Flames now moving on to their new closer they selected early. Come roster-cuts, the team also made space by cutting Vega Chevalier. The shortstop and utility infielder has surprisingly stuck around quite a bit after being drafted late, but struggled last season with the Flames. Like Sachi, he is Jaffro-bound; he previously played for the organization before being traded here.

Additions

Elephant Valley Sports Mail
Looking at the most impactful Free Agency Addition for each SNL team
Ever since their surprising SNL South win in the second season of the LPB era, the Flames have failed to ever make the playoffs again. Their squad seems to exist in an odd sort of purgatory, where they are generally solid, but lack the kind of star power needed to elevate a team to the playoffs. They didn’t really do much to fix that fact, either. The best player they signed in free agency this offseason was right-hander Dario Bernardi, who had most recently played for the Rüsselsheim Blue Sox. After struggling in the previous season, the Sox cut the 24-year-old. The Flames seem to believe there is plenty left in the tank in the former high-velo prospect, and hope to be able to turn him into a viable starter. For now, he is filling out a bullpen that looks very shallow behind Trunkman.

After declining to make any big-name additions, which is probably reasonable, the Flames had to decide which players they could get for cheap. One of those was catcher Alice Wheeler, who will be returning from a stint in Knetyohai. The ex-Monarch brings some experience to the team at a critical position, but also has very little offensive upside. The rest of the additions were mostly waiver wire pickups, with the Flames being the new home for a variety of castaways; including RP Marta Bengtsson, previously an unproductive bullpen arm in Walstreim and Jaffro. They also gave a contract to veteran reliever Mario Small for reasons beyond human comprehension.
More notable are two players they acquired in the trade with the Jaffro Drawks. In return for Sachi and a future second-rounder, the Flames received 2B Mary Russell-Munda, who put together a productive rookie campaign in Jaffro, but was made redundant for the Drawkian franchise after some additions. The other player added was Lee Joo-Yeong, a Chromatik third baseman who struggled last season, but played some strong seasons for the Rhoni. He is looking to find his strong form again, and being only 30, there is a reasonable chance that happens.
The most interesting new player on the roster is corner outfielder Teresa Mills. After three years with the Foxes, she was widely mocked as a first-round prospect, but fell to the Flames all the way down at #31. She impressed at WBU with her ability to make contact while playing solid defense. Her being brought directly to the major league roster without any time spent in Sandiold, despite the Flames still being in rebuilding mode, suggests the franchise can see her as a future impact player, and given her competition, she may see some playing time early on.

Outlook:

The Flames are not really looking to compete this season, but are rather positioning themselves for a run in the future. Their AAA team holds some solid prospects, and they’re a very young team overall, with eight players on the 26-man roster drafted in the last three seasons; including five first-rounders. The thing that is holding this team back is a lack of any kind of star power; besides young reliever John Trunkman, none of these players are contributors for WBC teams. That used to be relatively normal just a decade or two ago, but with the LPB increasingly soaking up international talent, it is not enough anymore.
Having said that, the team still has some decent pieces. The starting rotation has a pair of potential future aces between Chromatik control artist Ling Xe and young flamethrower Charles Morgan, and they have a fun mix of veterans to round out the rotation. Nicușor Muggia from Oscioru is the youngest of these four, and while Dean, Lloyd, and Cagliari are unlikely to provide major upside at this point in their careers, they should at least be good enough to keep the Flames in some games.
The bullpen is a pretty glaring weakness on the Flames. John Trunkman, who looks to become an excellent closer long-term, has absolutely no help here. The best players besides him on the bullpen are Acadianan Catherine Uwandhaang and Nakajima Ryoi, a long-time contributor for Kaedeki, and that’s just no way for a franchise to operate.
The lineup is back to having some fun pieces to build around, at least, even if there’s no real headlining future star. The best player on the field may be fan favourite Evie Johnstone, with the young first baseman from Sylestone proving that she can contribute for this team in recent years. The rest of the infield also has additional fun players in Russell-Munda, Vincenzo Beard, and Maria Ellis. This trio played well for their teams in the previous season, but still haven’t quite hit their potential yet. Especially Ellis, a former #6 overall pick, has been disappointing for the Flames. They also have Emmy St. Clair as a backup, who continues gritting her way to an LPB career despite her small frame and lack of power. She will likely get some work at second base, sharing time with Russll-Munda.
At catcher, the team is platooning Alice Wheeler and Kike-Lothar Gibbemeyer, which is a pretty bad situation to be in, and the outfield is also in rough shape, with Samiele Bandini from Oscioru the only contributor to really trust in. They have some fun backups in rookie Teresa Mills and swiss army knife Trey Milson-McMillan, another Acadianan.
This is not a competitive roster, and the Flames are clearly looking to continue rebuilding. Al Krauss is a good manager, but its hard to see him working enough magic to get the Flames anywhere near the postseason.

Minor League Notes

Elephant Valley Sports Mail
Which team has the best farm system right now? Ranking AAA-teams heading into the season
1st: Sandiold Echidnas (Sun City Flames affiliate)
Most promising player: LHSP Eric Harvey (SNL, 22)
After some years of being largely uncompetitive, the Flames have the best AAA team in the SNL, with the Echidnas’ stand-out player being left-hander Eric Harvey. The pitcher was a key piece for the Pelicans on their way to a national title, making him the 7th-overall pick in the draft. With a deep pitching selection at age 22, he is a sign that the Flames hope to return to competitive baseball sooner rather than later. Next, Rose Garcia-Cox is hopefully going to be the answer at catcher for the Flames long-term, drafted out of a small Malidridad college where she impressed behind the dish. She’s definitely still a raw talent, and doesn’t hit for much power yet, but there’s good tools there. It’s a similar story for left-hander Jocelyn Vázquez. The Llamanean has a strong fastball with good mechanics, and at the same age as Harvey, the two may develop alongside one another nicely. However, with movement that will need work and a so-far thin collection of secondary pitches, there’s very real reliever risk attached. In the third round, the Flames took a dart throw at Llamanean teenager Anna Marinier. The corner infielder has some good play instincts and a solid bat, but lacks speed typically associated with young talents. She’ll start out at first for the Echidnas, next to Alex Navarro, recent second-round pick. The Kinjestad Medical School Otter remains in Sandiold, rounding out the best AAA team in the SNL.

[Tikariot]

Soft thunder can be heard over a black screen. Then, footsteps crunching and the creaking of a door. Slowly the logo fades in as the scene illuminates slightly, showing an old, broken down house and an open door, light falling in as a rectangle, showing dust and cobwebs and movement in the shadows just beyond the light.

As the logo fades away, the picture shows a man in a long trenchcoat and hat standing on the edge of a lake, an old, broken causeway leading toward a dark island behind him

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to Mythical Tikariot, a new show on TikFlix, looking at the mythical and maybe even supernatural side of Tikariot. My name is Erasmus Wheeler and I will be leading you through some of the most mysterious places and instances our country has to offer.

He turns partially, point toward the island across the broken causeway.

Tonight we are on the shores of Lake Viljan, about 40 kilometres northeast of Istafyr. Behind me, is the Norra Strandön Sanatorium, which translates from Viljan to North Beach Island Sanatorium, and as you can see, it's not in too good of a condition. Let's dive into the history a bit at first. The sanatorium was originally built with noble intentions, as a refuge for tuberculosis patients to recover in a pristine and beautiful setting. It was said that the clear air and remote location would be a perfect environment for the patients to be able to heal without being a risk to others and without any major interventions.

For the first few years, things seemed to be progressing well, with a steady stream of patients arriving at the sanatorium and many stories being published about the astonishing success rate of healed patients. However, as time progressed, it was noted that a lot more patients entered the sanatorium than leaving and local residents did the math and came to the chilling conclusion that even with a lot of goodwill, the sanatorium complex could not house this many patients at a time. So, needless to say, rumours began to circulate that something rather fishy was going on on the island.

Despite continued reassurances that everything happening in the sanatorium was strictly following medical guidelines, the rumours began to spread and newspapers began to try to investigate, but were refused entrance to the sanatorium, officially to protect the patients and also reporters from getting infected with tuberculosis. So they began to investigate the doctors and found that the head of the sanatorium, a Doctor Hans Drakenberg, had been practicing for many years prior, but never had anything to do with tuberculosis, but was said to be involved with "experimental medicine", which many claimed was unethical in the first place. How he was able to get into the position at the sanitarium, nobody ever was able to conclusively find out.

Finally bowing to public pressure, authorities finally began an official investigation, which they kept very secretive, officially not to jeopardize the investigation itself. But soon allegations appeared in some newspapers, claiming that Dr Drakenberg was exploring uncharted territories and pushing the boundaries of medical ethics and human decency and that patients who had arrived seeking sanctuary from tuberculosis would unknowingly become human guinea pigs in macabre trials. Citing an unnamed source from within the sanatorium, newspaper Istafyrs Dagbladet published a story about untested drugs, experimental surgeries and psychological manipulations that left lasting scars on both body and mind. Around this time, the new nickname Insanitorium was coined.

It told stories about a secret underground laboratory hidden beneath the sanatorium. It is said that within those dimly lit chambers, unspeakable acts were committed in the name of progress. Patients were subjected to mind-altering substances, electroshock therapies, and surgical procedures that defied all ethical boundaries. Local residents reported about a boat that would leave the sanitorium's dock in the middle of the night, to return before morning broke. With more and more details emerging, the authorities finally released the findings of their investigation, which kept most of the details sealed, but admitted that unethical medicine was practiced within the sanatorium and that it had been closed down and condemned with immediate effect.

The fate of Dr Drakenberg was never officially confirmed, but according to, once again, unnamed sources, he committed suicide by decapitation the night before authorities moved in to close the facility. Participants in the investigation were sworn to secrecy, but there have been several accounts that the horrors they saw in the laboratory that occupied two full stories underneath the sanatorium were too gruesome to put into words. Several groups conducted extensive search missions in Lake Viljan after rumours appeared that the nightly boat was dumping the bodies of patients into the lake to avoid detection and after several months, hundreds of bodies, all weighed down to ensure they would sink to the bottom of the lake were discovered.

Since the shutdown, the whole island has been declared off-limits to the public and has fallen into severe disrepair. As you can imagine, many adventurers and investigative journalist have attempted to reach the facility and some have managed, reporting hearing distant cries, phantom footsteps, and chilling whispers that seem to resonate from the very walls themselves.

Locals speak of the ominous shadows that dance upon the causeway at night, and many dare not venture close to the decaying planks after sunset. As the sun sets and casts long shadows over the desolate island, tales of ghostly apparitions and anguished whispers take centre stage are said to be visible and audible even from across the causeway, joined by the maniacal and anguished laughter of once hopeful patients that instead became tormented souls who endured unspeakable suffering within the walls.

Despite the passage of time, the island remains shrouded in an unsettling silence. The causeway, now a bridge between the living and the spectral echoes of the past, stands as a sombre reminder of the sanatorium's ominous legacy. The local community, torn between curiosity and fear, continues to avoid the haunted waters, leaving the abandoned complex to decay in isolation—a silent witness to the secrets it holds.

[Eshialand]

Top Secret

"William?"
"Michael... what is it this time?"
"Lemme guess, bummed out about baseball scores again?"
"Not really... just could be a bit better I guess."
"Well, I have some news that might interest you..."
"Hm?"

"Apparently Tony Beaujoleil got his hands on Project Upsilon... whatever that means? Not too sure about it if I'm being honest."

"Upsilon?!?!"
"I'm guessing you do..."

"What is it with secret government projects leaking out to people who don't understand what they're supposed to do with them??"

"Uhhhhh... okay???"

---

ring! ring!
"Hello?"
"What do you know about Project Upsilon?"
"Ey, William! Sorry, but, uh... what do you mean--"
"Experimental tech leaked from the university last week... I was told you'd know something about it?"
"No, I'm sorry..."

"Whatcha talking about?" Tony's chief engineer asked, as he showed up to give him another status update on Union Stadium.
"Something about a Project Upsilon..."
"...okay, maybe now's a bad time to give updates... I'll be back later, when I can legally disclose what's going on..."
"WHAT?!?!" the king shouted, hearing this over the phone.
"Sorry gotta go bye!" the engineer said as he ran off.

[The Kytler Peninsulae]

After the defeat to New Kiwi Repupirikana, the talking point was how the bullpen got blitzed after the starter ended his outing on 69 pitches. Well, the next games provided some interesting context.

Gunnison and Telluride were the opponents, the location was back at sea level, and it was a classic pitchers' duel with both teams combining for just three baserunners (two Kytlerian) in the first four innings, none of whom so much as got into scoring position. After another 1-2-3 inning in the top of the fifth, the Kytlerian starter Frepresis Whaariny faced five-hole hitter Craig Carter, a classic three-true-outcomes corner outfielder who was one homer short of leading his domestic league in all three of those outcomes. First time through the order, the outcome was a strikeout; this time round, the outcome was an eight-pitch walk, bumping Whaariny's total to 63. When lefty third baseman Willy Fontineau also drew an eight-pitch walk, Kevin Anderson had seen enough and called for Lawrence Daniels, the groundball machine, to try and tidy this situation up. The only problem was that lefty catcher Sherman Trudeau knew that Daniels would go all-in on drawing a grounder and potential double play, and set himself up to swing the bat like a golf club. On a 2-1 count, he got a sinker at the bottom of the zone, and promptly golfed it into the right-field bleachers to do the exact thing Daniels was bought in to prevent. Two earned runs went against Whaariny of course, but the "extend your starters" narrative was sure to prevail. Daniels saw off the bottom of the order, but leadoff man Robert Ball drew a four-pitch walk, Daniels was sacrificed for Shrifflu Whootung, and Diego Alfonse duly yeeted a first-pitch fastball into almost the same spot as Trudeau's bomb. Just like that, G&T were 5-0 up and cruising, and the Kytlerian Phoenix were 1-2 with their two toughest opponents of the group still to play.

Their return to altitude against Super-Llamaland did not lead to elevated expectations. In fact, this time the brutal crooked number came immediately, courtesy of a six-run first inning that "ace" D.L. Miller didn't even manage to complete, with no fewer than three Tigers going yard against him in that fatal first frame. Here, the bullpen actually did a decent job - only allowing three runs throughout - and the Phoenix even had their own crooked number on their side of the scoreboard, with a three-run second inning making the score 7-4. That would, however, be the end of the Phoenix scoring as the flamethrowing Tigers starter Carter Wilkinson settled down and mixed in more of his offspeed pitches, which frequently drew embarrassing whiffs from Phoenix batters cheating on the heat. Two solo homers - one in the fourth, one in the eighth, both from Jasmine Xu - provided insurance the Tigers didn't need, and the Phoenix fell 9-4 and were plumb bottom of the group.

The hope is that things will get better as the group progresses; not only are this team learning on the job, but they'll typically face the same starting pitchers each time they face an opponent again, and said opponent won't get that luxury thanks to the Kytlerian three-man rotation. The problem, though, is going to be the bullpen - in confidence if they keep leaking runs, and in freshness if the starters get slammed again. This team isn't necessarily doing too much wrong, but they're looking awfully vulnerable to the killer crooked number right now, and with half their games at altitude that's a particularly concerning vulnerability.