World Baseball Classic 40- IC Thread (Finals G6 Posted)

[Schiltzberg]

SCHILTZBERG'S ABILITY TO ADAPT KEY TO THEIR SUCCESS IN CONCORD HEIGHTS

So far in these playoffs for WBC 40, Schiltzberg's team has been doing great, winning the round of sixteen over Free Republics three games to one and now leading three-time champion Cassadaigua two games to none on its home turf, putting the Schiltzbergers just one game away from clinching their sixth consecutive appearance in the semifinals, something that would guarantee Schiltzberg at least one more point in the WBC Hall of Fame (in the case of a fourth place finish) and as many as six points (in the case of a championship win). Schiltzberg is already guaranteed at least two more points at the end of the season, assuming that they complete their term as WBC president without being impeached, as their term will be completed in just a short number of weeks. Schiltzberg has had a great amount of success this playoffs, and the key to their success has been their ability to adapt. Many would say that Schiltzberg is just a dominant team and that they do not really have to try when they play their opponents, that they just win, but this is entirely incorrect. While it is true that Schiltzberg is a very skilled team, their success is based on strategy as much as it is on skill. This season has been a prime example of that.

An interesting thing for the fans (and a hard thing for the players) about the WBC is that you never know what to expect. In the round of sixteen, Schiltzberg got thrown into Brattleboro, where the stadium was incredibly small. With a centerfield wall standing just 369 feet from home plate, this stadium would not be considered fit to play in by Schiltzbergian standards, which require that the centerfield wall be between 390 feet and 410 feet. The stadium offers a sixteen foot wall to try to compensate this difference, but this requires a massive adjustment for Schiltzberg's outfielders playing in a much smaller outfield and having to deal with fielding balls that bounce of the wall an could be misdirected any which way. In this very hitter friendly ballpark, Schiltzberg's pitchers, who are known for being the most dominant rotation in the WBC, also had to adjust, as more runs were scoring than usual, but they could not let this get in their heads, knowing that it was just because of the ballpark and not because of them. The batters also had to adjust, as they realized how hitter-friendly the park was, and they became much more aggressive, making up for the extra runs let in by the usually unstoppable rotation. Schiltzberg's ability to adapt to these oddities allowed them to overcome Free Republics, taking the series in four games. After adapting to the unconventional stadium, Schiltzberg would have to adjust again to the vastly different stadium in the capital city of Concord Heights, against the hometown team, Cassadaigua, the three-time champions. No pressure.

Schiltzberg rose to the occasion well though, winning games one and two in the much larger stadium in Concord Heights. The stadium is much more pitcher-friendly, the centerfield wall back 405 feet from home plate, a full 34 feet deeper than the stadium in Brattleboro. Schiltzberg's pitching was still a little bit shaky though, as they gave up four runs in the first game and five in game two, but Schiltzberg's hitting bailed them out, as they scored critical runs, including a game-tying run in the bottom of the ninth in game two, followed by a walk off home run in the bottom of the tenth. The Schiltzbergers have done a great job of containing the powerhouse Cassadaigan team in the first two games, and now they just have to win one more of the remaining three games in order to defeat the Cassadaigans again. It has been a good series and a good season so far for the Schiltzbergers, and if try want to continue this success, they will have to keep adapting to situations and strategically using their skill as a team to outplay their opponents. Hopefully our next issue will be announcing Schiltzberg's clinching of this series, but we'll see.

This Is Your New Schiltzbierg Times Sports News!

[Saintland]

Feministvs Sanctvsterra Wins Larger Majority in Parliamentary Election

(SP) Feministvs Sanctvsterra won an additional 30 seats in today's Parliamentary Elections, extending its majority from 301 to 331 seats in the 501 seat chamber. This result is a crushing defeat for Feministvs Invicte leader Iulietta Volusenus, whose party was reduced from 170 seats to just 103. However, they can take solace in the fact that they remain His Majesty's Loyal Opposition even as Futurum made large gains which are believed to be a result of Volusenus's extreme anti-male rhetoric and support for terrorist organizations such as Meghan's Mission. Veritas will also be disappointed today after failing to win a seat despite receiving 26.43% of the popular vote, which was actually more than Futurum received. "I am honored to have the privilege of serving another term as the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saintland. I look forward to continuing my party's work to further implement the principles of Feminist Democracy in our Kingdom. Today, the people of Saintland have spoken and they have spoken in favor of progress toward a bright future of prosperity. I want to thank each and everybody that voted for me and to those who didn't vote for me, I promise to do everything within my power to earn your vote at the next election. Thank you and May the Goddess Shine Her Light Upon Our Kingdom!" - Sara Poenius

This was an unusual election campaign that was initially focused around economic issues but which quickly became a referendum on groups like Meghan's Mission that seek to advance the feminist cause through terror. Feministvs Sanctvsterra ran an explicitly pro-feminist campaign that nonetheless condemned the actions of Meghan's Mission while Feministvs Invicte openly endorsed Meghan's Mission and glorified the terrorist group as heroes who were putting Male Equality Now and other "men's rights" groups back in their place. The rise in support for non-feminist Futurum and anti-feminist Veritas is believed to be a consequence of a backlash amongst men caused by Feministvs Invicte but both feminist parties dismissed the reduction in the feminist vote as nothing to worry about, especially since the feminist parties still control 434 out of 501 seats.

Meghan's Mission burst onto the scene a few weeks back by massacring several peaceful Male Equality Now protesters in Grande Mountain, Cassadaigua. The organization is a terrorist group that has been disavowed by mainstream feminists such as Prime Minister Sara Poenius and the Queen of Cassadaigua. Several of its members were recently arrested when Cassadagan police foiled a plot to assassinate Republican fans at a World Baseball Classic game.

In addition to the seats won by the political parties, several independents were elected including Princess Amanda, the final captain of the (former) National Soccer Team, who was unanimously elected to represent the Royal Palace district and several members of law enforcement who were elected as representatives of the various prison districts. As the portion of the nation in rebellion against the King were unable to vote, representatives were elected for those districts by Prime Minister Poenius, in accordance with the Continuation of Government Act. Had Feministvs Invicte, which broke away from Feministvs Sanctvsterra nearly a year ago, won a majority of seats that were actually able to conduct elections, Iulietta Volusenus would have been able to elect the representatives for the 209 seats in areas controlled by the rebellion.

[Super-Llamaland]

LESSONS LEARNED: WHY NITTLEDEEN'S TIGERS COULDN'T GET PAST THE QUARTERS, AND HOW MÅRTENSSON CAN AVOID THAT FATE

Douglas Stone, LBC Sports

Laurent Mårtensson may be able to talk the talk, and the Tigers have certainly looked good so far at the fortieth World Baseball Classic, winning twenty-eight games and losing just seven. But he's not the first Llamanean manager to get off to a great start. Chris Evans, Alex Cameron, and Colin Nittledeen all impressed at their first Classics - but none of them exactly covered themselves in glory afterwards. The most blatant offender? Colin Nittledeen, who inherited a team poised to make another deep playoff run and proceeded to...get knocked out in the quarterfinals for the rest of his tenure. Whatever the reason is behind the Tigers' constant playoff underperformance, it's something that new manager Laurent Mårtensson will need to solve quickly. Because if the Llamaneans are knocked out in the quarterfinals again...let's just say Mårtensson's four-year deal might be ending three years early.

So what happened to Colin Nittledeen's Tigers? Why did one of the world's most talented baseball teams, led by a manager who'd just taken Schiltzberg to six games in his first Classic, crash out in the quarterfinals so often? And can Laurent Mårtensson avoid falling into the same traps as Nittledeen (who is, as of right now, still unemployed) before it's too late? If there's anyone who can avoid the pitfalls that always seem to sink this modern version of the Tigers early in the playoffs, it's Mårtensson. But that doesn't mean he's immune to an early exit.

And for those of you who are saying that the Tigers don't have a track record of playoff failure after winning three Classics in eight years, well, you'd be right. Roughly two decades ago. Because the fact is that the Tigers haven't won a WBC in eighteen years. In fact, their last championship, WBC31, was closer to the formation of the Llamanean national baseball team than today. The Tigers haven't been a team to beat for over half of the Super-Llamaland Tigers' storied history (WBC32 to today). Laurent Mårtensson has expressed a desire to change that, but he'll need to avoid the same pitfalls that took Colin Nittledeen down. What are these Nittledeenesque traits to avoid, though?

1. Underestimating your Opposition

Anyone would do a better job at this than Colin Nittledeen, famous for saying “who the f*** are they?” in response to learning that West Phoenicia, not Saintland, would be the Tigers’ opponents in the quarterfinals at WBC39. On the other hand, you could argue that Laurent Mårtensson isn’t exactly one to play down his team, either. What other manager would say before even taking the job that winning the Classic was an expectation, not a goal?

But there’s a difference between just saying your team’s too good for your opponents and managing like your team’s too good for your opponents. Laurent Mårtensson may have declared that Abanhfleft wouldn’t be a problem, but he still did his due diligence and made sure the team was ready to play that way. During Nittledeen’s tenure, it was reported that opposition scouting was kept to the bare minimum and Nittledeen himself barely looked at reports - obviously something Mårtensson won’t do. Still, Laurent has to make sure he even gets into the semifinals before he focuses on it - even if that means starting Justin Zheng in game five instead of game one.

2. Losing Patience

The Tigers may have had talent while Colin Nittledeen was the manager, but did they have the mental makeup and team culture of a championship-winning team? Considering how badly they collapsed at WBC38 and WBC39 to strong but still less talented teams, I’ll confidently answer “no” to that. Were the players partially to blame in Newmanistan and Frenline Delpha? Absolutely, but a weak team culture can start from the top. So can frustration and impatience, as was made clear in game five against West Phoenicia last Classic, when the Llamaneans collapsed to the tune of five game-deciding runs allowed in the eighth inning.

Was it poor execution that led to the start of that devastating rally? Of course. But when you’re managing a team that’s going down like the Tigers were that fateful night, you can’t respond like Colin Nittledeen did - reportedly throwing office supplies at his wall and sulking out of the dugout when the team still had a chance to come back and advance to the semifinals. Laurent Mårtensson certainly has instilled a fighting spirit in this iteration of the Llamanean baseball team. But how will he react when the team starts veering from his immense expectations?

3. Bullpen Mismanagement and Under-Management

The bullpen has never been a strength of the Super-Llamaland Tigers. Although it’s had its moments, Llamanean relief pitching is often the weakest part of a Tigers team. A good manager would make the best of this situation by managing the bullpen carefully and playing to the strengths of his relievers. Unfortunately, as we’re finding out, Colin Nittledeen was not the greatest of appointments for this national team.

The WBC39 bullpen was even weaker than usual, but it still had its strengths. Troy Vasquez was aging but still usable in short stints, "closer" Jason Van Dijk was mediocre against righties but invulnerable against lefties, and the middle relief staff were all serviceable. Unfortunately, Nittledeen seemed to irrationally rely on Vasquez and Van Dijk, far more than he needed to. Pitching two vulnerable relievers for such a long time was bound to backfire eventually, and it just happened to backfire during the eighth inning of an elimination game.

But even after they coughed up the lead, things were still salvageable. Until Nittledeen continued to use Jason Van Dijk, who left the game with twenty-nine pitches thrown and who gave up another run, putting the Confederates up by two. There’s a reason ordinary relievers don’t throw thirty-pitch outings often - it tends not to work. But Nittledeen’s stubborn, outdated way of managing his bullpen cost the Tigers big.

Once again, this is another issue that Laurent Mårtensson seems to have gotten around - I have no complaints about how he’s managed his bullpen so far, and he seems to get the finer points of pitching management that Nittledeen didn’t.
***
In fact, overall, Laurent Mårtensson seems to have the mindset and the abilities needed to finally get out of the quarterfinals. Whereas Nittledeen was overconfident, impatient, and poor strategically down the stretch for the Tigers, the LBA appear to have found the fired manager’s exact opposite. He may be intense, but Mårtensson seems to be the right man to take the Tigers back to the promised land.

Let’s hope the results match up. Game three is tonight at 7 PM, as Maddie Wagner makes the start for the Tigers. Don’t miss it!

[Cassadaigua]

Series: (1) Schiltzberg vs (9) Cassadaigua
Game 3:

Schiltzberg            0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0  2
Cassadaigua            0 0 0 2 0 0 1 0 X  3

Game 4:

Schiltzberg            1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 1  4
Cassadaigua            0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0  1

Schiltzberg wins series, 3 games to 1


Series: (2) Newmanistan vs (10) Tenburg
Game 3:

Newmanistan            2 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0  4
Tenburg                0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0

Newmanistan wins series, 3 games to 0

Series: (3) Super-Llamaland vs (11) Scootalove City
Game 3:

Super-Llamaland        1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0  2
Scootalove City        0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0

Game 4:

Super-Llamaland        0 0 1 2 0 2 0 0 2  7
Scootalove City        1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0  3

Super-Llamaland wins series, 3 games to 1

Series: (4) West Phoenica vs (12) West Saintland
Game 3:

West Phoenica          0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0  2
West Saintland         5 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 X  6

Game 4:

West Phoenica          0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3  4
West Saintland         0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0  1

series tied, 2-2

[Tenburg]

Always Fighting
Metros Eliminated from Classic, but Still Make Country Proud

It’s been a long, magical road from the beginning of the 40th World Baseball Classic to this point in the quarterfinal for Tenburg, in what is their first international sporting competition. After spending 37 games defying odds over and over again, the clock has finally struck midnight for the Metros, as they were simply overpowered by Newmanistan.

Their last hoorah was not without drama, however, as pitcher Breanne Burks lost control of a fastball in the bottom of the first, and it went on to hit right fielder Jack Lynch in the head. While it was, by all accounts, completely accidental, it was estimated that Lynch took the hit at upwards of 80 miles an hour.

What was most remarkable about the incident was how Lynch, a tough coal miner’s son from Crosskeys, responded: He rose to his feet and stumbled towards the mound, whipping the Cassadaiguan crowd into a frenzy. Fortunately, he was intercepted by catcher Hannah Kent and third basewoman Brittany Morgan, who were able to gently talk him down in time for the Tennish medical staff to escort him from the field. He would collapse upon entering the dugout, and was sent immediately to Brattleboro General Hospital to recover.

Meanwhile, at second base, shortstop Dermot Canavan was sharing a teary-eyed moment with Michelle Covington. As he explained after, “There was no hard feelin’s between anybody, y’know, and as I explained to her, that’s just who Jack is; he’s a rebel and a fire-breather, and I think the girls did a great job in cooling him down. We were all scared to death when he collapsed in the dugout, and I think we should thank the folks of the Cassadaiguan emergency services for jumping to the rescue for us.”

Manager K.C O’Brien agreed: “Jack’s started fights in the NBL for much less than that. He’s always played for more than himself, even with the RiverSharks; he’s playing for the community. In this case, he’s playing for his country, and when there’s something like national pride at stake he’s gonna be a little quicker tempered. I think in doing that he personified his people—no matter what happens, the Tennish will always keep fighting.”

“I don’t remember any of that,” Lynch said when asked about what happened. “I stepped to the plate, took a strike, raised my bat for the next pitch… next thing I know I’m in a bed, looking up at my wife and wondering how the [expletive] I got there.”

The Metros would lose the game by a score of 4-0

The incident has sparked protests by men’s rights activists across Cassadaigua, who say that it was no accident at all. Many of them argue that Burks hit Lynch in the head on purpose as revenge for his controversial bat flip in Game 1, because, as they claim, she knew she could get away with it in Cassadaigua because the Tennish team is comprised entirely of men. Both clubs involved flatly deny this, of course.

When asked if he had any hard feelings towards Burks or her team, Lynch replied, “[expletive] no. Life’s too short fer that… but they’d better watch their pretty little backs because we won’t be so gentle on them when next we meet.”

As the team came home last night, a massive crowd gathered at Tallow International Airport to meet them, and followed the busses all the way to their destination at XEnergy Stadium for an impromptu celebration of their accomplishments which will likely last all week, shedding light on the fact that, regardless of how it ended, the Metros’ debut on the world stage would be an event to remember, and only amplifies excitement for the future of sports in Tenburg.

In related news…

“That’s Where the Party Is”
Multiple Internationals Coming to Play Baseball in Tenburg

With their stunning success in their WBC debut, Tenburg has garnered plenty of international attention. In fact, many players from around the world have declared their intention to play baseball in Tenburg, and some even wish to become citizens in hopes of making the national team.

The most notable of these are pitcher Leo Kaiser of Schiltzberg, and second basewoman Diane Fiore of Newmanistan. Both are skilled at their trades, and yet both just missed making their own national teams, which is less indictment on either of them and more a testament to the quality of the players in their countries.

When asked why he wanted to come to Tenburg, Kaiser said, “It’s a burgeoning game there, where plenty of players have a chance to make a mark. And of course, as we’ve seen, that’s where the party is! Never have I witnessed anyone have so much fun playing or watching baseball. Crowds in Schiltzberg can get rowdy, but not like Tenburg—not like that.”

Fiore had a similar take on it: “When you get the chance to play for crowds like these, you simply must take it; this sort of passion for sport is rare in most places, and while Newmanistan certainly isn’t one, seeing the world from a different pair of eyes is good for the soul.” When asked what her goal was, she said: “The final goal is to play for the national team, so in addition to residing in the country for a year, I’ll also be volunteering with the Tennish Navy Reserve to help speed up the process.”

It is worth noting that, upon declaring their intentions, both of these players’ agents were flooded with phone calls from around the NBL, with multiple clubs looking to land each.

And finally…

Just Getting Started
Tenburg Qualifies for World Bowl XXXIII

If their unprecedented success in the Classic wasn’t enough for the sports-loving people of Tenburg, their gridiron football players have given them a reason to keep smiling, as the national team has officially qualified for their first World Bowl appearance. They’ve just barely missed the boat on being the first Tennish team to see international competition, and frankly, considering the Metros’ accomplishments, they have big shoes to fill. But the Volunteers have an advantage, as gridiron was immensely more popular than baseball in Tenburg before the Classic. Many experts believe that nearly the whole country will be tuning in to the World Bowl to watch the Volunteers play.

There could be a snag or two along the way, however, as the domestic Tennish league, known as the SPNI, is considerably more lenient with its assessment of penalties than an international body would presumably be; as a result, Tennish gridiron football has garnered a reputation, even among other nations who play the sport at a high level, as being one of the most violent iterations of the game in the world. Will this be a massive hindrance, as they incur an endless number of penalties? Or will the same fire and focus that took hold of the Metros, help to discipline the Vols for their own international debut? Only time will tell.

[Newmanistan]

Rockets Move On,

Breanne Burks had probably been Newmanistan’s most inconsistent starter during the qualifying campaign, but she had the privilege of pitching the clinching game of the quarterfinals, sending Newmanistan to a 4-0 victory. The victory earns the Rockets a semifinal series with Super-Llamaland that should be a complete thriller. The Rocket Report will provide a far more comprehensive analysis of the upcoming games against the Tigers.

For now, the scene was pretty special following the Rockets win. There was a not a jubilant celebration on the field. Coach Ashley Stevens immediately sought out K.C. O’Brien and congratulated him on the win. Rockets players applauded the Metros as they walked into the clubhouse from the dugout, with some long time Rockets fans in the stands doing the game.

Microphones were able to pick up Stevens’ comments to O’Brien, “Congratulations guys! You did amazing and you’ll only be better from here on out. You got one hell of a team!” Job well done to the Metros indeed, we’ll see you next time, and don’t take it out on us in the World Bowl, because we always, always, always, underachieve there.

[West Phoencia]

Early History of West Phoenicia

The Confederate Kingdom of West Phoenicia has a rich and vibrant history. From there initial struggles to becoming a new nation. West Phoenicians pride themselves on their history.

It is a history filled with wars and civil wars involving throne disputes as siblings often married to each other, fought for the privilege to wear the crown of West Phoenicia.

It is a history of love and honour weaved together with betrayel, deceit and envy.

Ancient Times

Prior to 1586 The Confederate Kingdom of West Phoenicia and the surrounding Kingdoms, Republics and Islands were all under the control of the Greater Phoenicia Empire.
The Royal family of Greater Phoenicia claimed direct decendancy from the kings of the ancient land of Phoenicia which date back to 1500 b.c.

Historically the Greater Phoenicia Empire was founded in 1130AD.

From the beginning it strove to be a powerhouse in areas of agriculture, medicine, defence, philosophy and the arts. It was the envy of surrounding nations.

Benevolent Greater Phoenicia leaders moved the nation in a positive direction. But years of intermarrying to keep the royal bloodline pure created further generations of royals who were decadent, corrupt and immoral treating the population harshly and cruelly.
After exploiting the resources of many of the nations and islands, and the privileged minority living off the sweat of the majority many provinces and islands decided it was time to rebel.

Civil War within Greater Phoenicia (1570 to 1580)

By 1565 the tide was starting to turn against the Greater Phoenicia Empire and its tyrannical reign. In 1565 Queen Arsinoe I Virtus, ''( she who has virtue)'' of Greater Phoenicia murdered her husband King Darius II with the intent of passing the throne to her son but in reality she wanted to rule as sole ruler.
The king was well loved by the population, a backlash rippled from many provinces and their citizens.

The Queen, her children and the Royal Guard were forced to barricade themselves in the palace as the citizens had the intention of dragging out the queen into the streets and murdering her. The rioting lasted for 7 days, until diplomats were able to calm the crowds with free grain, beer and a week of entertainment.

Queen Arsinoe I Virtus, to appease the crowds proclaimed Prince Darius III as co-ruler with the agreement she would hand over full reign to him within 6 months .
Within a week, advisers to Prince Darius III convinced him that having the Queen around was a liability,that the monarchy could crumble and she would never hand full control over to him.
Darius III quickly had her poisoned and proclaimed himself sole ruler.

The Prince was crowned King Darius III, he was not as caring towards the citizens as his father. He drove the farmers to breaking point with his greed, taking 3/4 of their crops while the lower classes starved, the aristocratic classes had an over abundance of food. He drove the nation into debt by his outlandish lifestyle and his policy of raising taxes the average citizen could not afford.

During the winters of 1568 and 1569 thousands of citizens died of starvation and a number of diseases plagued the land. During 1569 crops failed but still farmers were to give 3/4 of their crops to the capital, they were also taxed heavier to pay for the import of food for people in the cities.

Rebellions sprouted up as provinces erupted with violence against the military who had been sent out by the King to quash them. Rich churches with greedy clergy were ransacked and even members of the aristocracy protested against the reign of King Darius III.

The more King Darius and his royalist allies sent out military to intervene, the more the citizens fought back, adding more people and provinces to their cause which had now become more organised under the leadership of local leaders, military members who had defected, sympathetic clergy and members of the aristocracy.

Villages, towns and cities loyal to the rebels were burnt and ransacked. And the same occurred in cities and towns loyal to Darius III. The nation was in chaos as the rebels fought for more recognition, more rights and a decrease to the high taxes. To add to the flames enemies of Greater Phoenicia took advantage of the situation by attacking provinces or assisting provinces in attacking government forces and cities.

After 10 years, diplomats from both sides reached an cease-fire agreement. Those nations who no longer wanted to be part of Greater Phoenicia were free to seceded but in doing so were no longer under the protection of Greater Phoenicia.

West Phoenicia Born (1586)

The nation of West Phoenicia has a rich and colourful history.

In 1580 after 10 years of a bloody civil war. 50 provinces slowly seceded from the motherland known as Greater Phoenicia.

Initially each nation set up their own state and government. Some nations were peaceful, while others were hostile and wanted to expand their own lands into those of their neighbours. Numerous wars and battles arose as a number of the city states vied for supremacy.

Over the next 5 years a number of conferences known as the Dove of Peace Conferences were held to discuss talks of unity and mutual assistance.

By 1586 ten states had agreed to form what would be called the Nation of West Phoenicia. The city of Melbourne Haven in the city-state of Jackson was designated as the nations capital and the wealthy Dorcas family were decreed the first royal family of the Kingdom of West Phoenicia in 1586.

During this time the nation begun a huge building campaign, and worked on building up their economy based around agriculture.

The nation's independence day is Jan 1st 1586.

By 1591 an additional 5 city-states petitoned West Phoenicia to join the nation, all 5 were accepted.

The actions of these 5 city-states sparked the War of Greater Phoenicia aggression (1592 to 1596) due to Greater Phoenicia now seeing West Phoenicia as a threat to their control of the region.

The War of Greater Phoenicia Aggression (1592 to 1596)

The War of Greater Phoenicia Aggression, was even more deadly than the previous war.

Greater Phoenicia quickly sent troops into 5 city states which were still independent but spies had reported to King Darius III that they aligned or were planning to unite with West Phoenicia.

Two of those city-states The Kingdom of Debney Bay and The Theoraracy of Ardon both fell within 4 months and were drawn back into Greater Phoenicia.
The Kingdom of South Phoenicia held out against the blockades of Greater Phoenicia which destroyed their port cities, before assistance could arrive to help the city-state's main cities had been razed to the ground, South Phoenicia surrendered.

The Kingdom of West Phoenicia and other city- states that had seceded intervened as best they could. Sending ambassadors on a diplomatic mission that were murdered before reaching the royal court of King Darius. They also sent troops, food and supplies to The Republic of Imperial Eurasia and The Kingdom of Great Phillistia which were being besiged.

During the War of Aggression a further 5 city-states allied and united with West Phoenicia to protect themselves against invasion. While another 2 nations allied with Greater Phoenicia in exchange for semi autonomy.

Countless lives were lost on both sides, diplomats agreed to an uneasy ceasefire urging for peace.
Greater Phoenicia reluctantly declared West Phoenicia and the remaining independent city-states to be separate nations after the death of King Darius III who was replaced by his son Prince Khufu who sought more peaceful means to end the conflict.

Reconstruction

Cities had been reduced to rubble, economies were a mess it took a number of years and alot of expense to rebuild.

During the first 6 years of reconstruction a further 10 independent city-states that had originally seceded,merged with West Phoenicia seeing it as a great opportunity to work together in unity, peace, prosperity and for protection against Greater Phoenicia which still had designs to unify the region.

The remaining 12 independent city-states from the original split in 1580 continued to survive independently.

During reconstruction an influx of rich and wealthy citizens, merchants and citizens migrated to West Phoenicia boosting the economy with their business and taxes.

The wealthy Bush family who were of the nobility class in Greater Phoenicia but who had been exiled due to their support of the kingdom of West Phoenicia quickly deposed the Dorcas Royal Family in 1616 who they accused of being secret puppets for Greater Phoenicia.

The Bush Family were instrumental in boosting the economy, lowering taxes, and boosting morale in West Phoenicia. With the blessing of the State church and the aristocratic class and a large portion of the population the Bush family were elevated as the new royal family.

[Saintland]

Another Game 5 Awaits National Baseball Team in Cassadaigua

(SP) After a heartbreaking game 4 loss in the 10th inning just minute after Rhea Hispalus's bottom of the ninth home run off of West Phoenician closer Roberto Debb tied the game at 1 apiece and sent it into extra innings, the Saintland National Baseball Team faces one last battle against West Phoenicia in the series that has been dubbed the "Battle of the Sexes" by the respected Sporting World Magazine of the Free Republics. The heated rhetoric hides the fact that this has been one of the most competitive series of baseball that the WBC has seen in quite some time. "I am honored to have the opportunity to represent my father's Kingdom as the starting pitcher in game 5 of the WBC Quarterfinals against a team that reached the semifinals last time around, in part at our expense. While I struggled against this team in game 2, I believe that game 5 will be different. What makes this series particularly intriguing is the fact that both sides have been here before. We beat Ethane in a game 5 to get here. They beat Maklohi Vai. No matter what happens, we've already done better than last time by making it this far in the WBC and by taking this team to a game 5 instead of losing the series in game 4. Now that we have 1 more opportunity to clinch this series and advance to the semis, I'm going to give everything I've got on that field for the Glory of the Goddess and the feminist cause!" - Princess Gloria

With Schiltzberg, Newmanistan and Super-Llamaland all punching their tickets to the semifinals already, the eyes of the baseball world will be fixed on this game in Rutland. This is especially ironic since Rutland is usually not a city that people pay much attention to, even within Cassadaigua. The Cassadagan press has even speculated that they may not be permitted to host international competition again in the future. Indeed, Rutland has been a boring city for journalists, who would prefer to have fun when we're not doing our job, but its probably perfect for baseball players as there are few distractions, which allow them to focus on what's truly important: winning baseball games.

New Republican Wrestling Conglomerate Announces Plans to Tour Saintland

(SP) Today, Abelino Milanese Sagese, Chairman of the Board of the internationally-renowned New Republican Wrestling Conglomerate (NRWC), announced the organization's plans to launch a historic tour of the Kingdom of Saintland. The tour will take place in a couple weeks and will culminate in a spectacular show at Royal Square Garden where the Ladies World Title and the Ladies Tag Team Titles will be on the line. "I am honored to have the opportunity to visit the Kingdom of Saintland and introduce a new audience to our great sport. Professional wrestling is the greatest sport in the multiverse. I may be biased but I truly believe that no other sport can compare to this great sport of professional wrestling and I am honored to have the opportunity to defend the Ladies World Title at the legendary Royal Square Garden against whoever wins the upcoming tournament. I may not be the biggest lady in the NRWC and I may not have the technical prowess of some of the other girls but nobody can question my heart and my desire to be the best in the multiverse." - Sandy Burger

Sandy Burger will defend her Ladies World Title against the winner of an 8 woman tournament to determine the number one contender, which will be held at the first show of the tour in St. Paulus at the Apostolic Arena. She has been the champion for 6 months and won the title from Jenny Jones. The other title match will feature the Angels of Death defending their Ladies Tag Team Titles against the team of Peace Sanchez and Love Malikhova, also known as Peace & Love. Tickets for the show are now available and the NRWC will be holding an open tryout for anybody who wishes to break into the sport of professional wrestling.

There are rumors floating around that professional wrestling matches are routinely rigged, but the SP has checked with Mr. Sagese. As it turns out, matches are not rigged. That is just a misconception spread by certain media outlets that wish to diminish and belittle this exciting sport. The reporter writing this article was placed into a wrestling hold called a sleeper hold after asking this question of one of the wrestlers, so he can confirm first hand that competition in professional wrestling is real and all rumors to the contrary are false.

[West Phoencia]

Madame Andromeda En-Dor is a famed prophetess of the city state of Bast County; West Phoenicia. Madame Andromeda En-Dor who works out of the biggest temple of Bast in Bast County and is called upon by celebrities and the average pagan worshipping citizen to assist with tarot readings, spiritual headings , Palm reading and communicating with the dead was called upon to predict the current outcome of West Phoenicia vs West Saintland.

While the spirit world was exceptional quiet, Madam En-Dor did mention a grave warning using numerology. West Saintland has won every odd game and West Phoenicia has won every even game.
Being game 5 there is a strong message that the gods, goddesses and animal deities will bless West Saintland with the win.

While large number of West Phoenicians are superstitious, they feel The Confederates have had just a better season than West Saintland and are most likely pull off a win for game 5.

[The Derpy Democratic Republic Of Herp]

TDDROH Sports chat

Scootalove City Unicorns comes home after Super-Llamaland Tigers wins series 3-1

Series: (3) Super-Llamaland vs (11) Scootalove City
Game 3:

Super-Llamaland        1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0  2
Scootalove City        0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0

Game 4:

Super-Llamaland        0 0 1 2 0 2 0 0 2  7
Scootalove City        1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0  3

Super-Llamaland wins series, 3 games to 1


Well, that was a great season.

We got to the Quarterfinals of the postseason, won a game against Super-Llamaland, and beat the second best team in WBC.

I'd say, that is a good season.

Scootalove City Unicorns and the office ladder plus Scootaloo, The Minister Of Defence, Colonel Star Butterfly and, her troops on vacation headed back from Cassadaigua today.

The Unicorns will go back to training for WBC 41 and a long break.

[Schiltzberg]

SCHILTZBERG-NEWMANISTAN FINAL A POSSIBILITY?

After forty seasons, only two nations have ever become four-time champions. Newmanistan became four-time champions in WBC 17 by coming back from a three games to none deficit held to them by the former nation Tarrentum. They reigned as the lone four-time champions until Schiltzberg, the young phenom team came out of nowhere and won four of its first five seasons, including three in a row from WBC 35 to WBC 37. Their four games to two victory over Super-Llamaland in the WBC 37 finals propelled them as well into the small party of four-time champions. Surprisingly, these two teams, the teams with the most championships in WBC history, have not played in the finals since they have become four-time champions. That seems like it is about to change, as we are down to the final four in WBC 40, and both of the four-time champions are still in the competition. This brings up the even more legendary possibility of a Schiltzberg-Newmanistan finals match up. With five teams left in play (one of which will be eliminated tonight) we will analyze all of the possible match ups for this finals round. We will rank them in order of likeliness that the match up would happen.

1. Schiltzberg vs. Super-Llamaland
Prediction: Schiltzberg
This would be an epic rematch of the legendary WBC 37 finals, which were possibly the greatest finals in history. This time, if we have the same result as last time, Schiltzberg will be the first five-time champion ever, making them the most winning team in WBC history. If it goes the other way, Super-Llamaland will join the club as the third team ever to win four titles. These two teams have a long history with one another, and this series would likely settle the score. Super-Llamaland has the distinction of being the only team ever to sweep Schiltzberg in a playoff series, and they were the only team to ever defeat Schiltzberg at all until Ethane did in the WBC 38 semifinals. This is something that Schiltzberg would very much like to forget, and if defeating them in the finals in WBC 37 wasn't enough, they would love to display their dominance once more this season. Super-Llamaland wants it badly too, as they haven't won a title since WBC 31. WBC 37 would have been their fourth title, but Schiltzberg took it from them and stole all the attention, so this would be an opportunity to settle the score for them.

2. Schiltzberg vs. Newmanistan
Prediction: Schiltzberg
This is the match up that we already discussed. This would have so much historical significance, since Newmanistan hasn't made it to the finals since WBC 17, and now they are back against their fellow WBC four-time champions. This would without a doubt be the greatest finals match up in WBC history, as legends from two different eras go at it for the title. Chances are, no matter who wins this series, both of these teams will likely be back for more in future seasons, so we could see both of these teams eventually winning a fifth title and maybe even more after that.

3. West Saintland/West Phoencia vs. Super-Llamaland
Prediction: Super-Llamaland
We grouped West Saintland and West Phoencia together because they are fighting for that last spot in the semifinals, and plus, in this situation, we would predict Super-Llamaland winning against either one of them. For one of the western teams to make it this far would be an upset in itself, having to overthrow Schiltzberg in the process, and odds of one of these teams overthrowing Schiltzberg and Super-Llamaland just seems slim *cough*Ethane*cough*.

4. West Saintland/West Phoencia vs. Newmanistan
Prediction: Newmanistan
Again, the odds of one of the wests knocking off two giants in a row are slim. This match up would be a big disappointment, as Newmanistan would make it to the finals in the third year of their return, only for Schiltzberg, their ultimate challenger, to go out one round early. We'll just have to wait and see how everything turns out.

This Is Your New Schiltzbierg Times Sports News!

[Super-Llamaland]

BREAKING: KÄSTNER BECOMES FIRST PICK OF LBL DRAFT

Douglas Stone, LBC Sports

NEW LLAMA CITY, SUPER-LLAMALAND - High school shortstop Dominik Kästner has become the youngest player ever to be taken first overall in the Llamanean Baseball League's annual draft. Formerly of renowned baseball program Central Sherbrooke High School, Kästner will be reporting to his new home, a minor league team of the Derrierton Surge, by the end of the month.

It takes a special kind of talent to make history in the way he is doing, but Dominik Kästner is absolutely a special talent. A legitimate five-tool player who also starred in center-field and as a pitcher for Central Sherbrooke's undefeated high school baseball team, the eighteen-year-old batted well over .500 last season and flashed all five of his tools en route to unanimously being named the best high school player in the nation. Although he's coming out of high school, Kästner is also very well-polished after picking up the game at age four and playing in some of the nation's best youth programs - in fact, Derrierton GM Jonathan Walden told reporters that he "expect[s] Dominik to be playing for the major-league team within two years, if not earlier."

Despite Kästner's talent, the road to becoming number-one draft pick was not an easy one. Rules prohibiting high school players from going straight to professional baseball were only recently relaxed, and Kästner will still have to juggle minor-league baseball with mandatory programs that are required for high school players attempting to make the jump. And because of a stigma against high-schoolers as unpolished, long-term projects, Kästner was widely expected to go beneath top collegiate talents such as Genevieve Strauss or Evan Zhao, the second and third picks of the draft.

Still, overcoming those obstacles and becoming first overall is only a testament to Kästner's fantastic talent and attitude. Good luck, Dominik. We'll see you on the Tigers in a few years.

[Cassadaigua]

Series: (4) West Phoenica vs (12) West Saintland

Game 5:

West Saintland         0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0  1
West Phoenica          0 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 X  3

West Phoenica wins series, 3 games to 2


Semifinals:
(1) Schiltzberg vs (4) West Phoenica @ New Lakeland
(2) Newmanistan vs (3) Super-Llamaland @ Concord Heights

[West Phoencia]

Celebrations dominated West Phoenicia as Confederate fans across the nation celebrated the much deserve win in game 5 against West Saintland.
The Quarter-finals came down to the wire as each team were equally as good in pushing forward with a win, only to lose the next game. By game 5 each was determined to play their hearts out as each wanting to progress to the Semi-Finals.

The West Phoenician Confederates prevailed moving them forward to the Semi-Finals where just like in the World Baseball Classic #39 they go up against Schiltzberg.

With the horrible defeat at the World Baseball Classic #39, the Confederates will be changing their tactics to ensure World Baseball Classic #40 does not end in a similar manner. The Confederates are hungry for a bigger win, and nothing but winning the overall classic will satisfy them.

The same line up is in place as the Classic #39 , but the Confederates return with more experience and determination. The pitchers have come up against Schiltzberg before, their batting style firmly imprinted on their brains and coach Mary Zomdonia has arranged special training sessions which will be tailored to Schiltzberg style play allowing the Confederates to study and find ways to shatter the Schiltzberg dream of a World Baseball Classic #40 final.

[Schiltzberg]

WBC 40 PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS UPDATE

As another round of the playoffs is finished and another is about to begin, let's just take a moment to commemorate that uh... your New Schiltzbierg Times Sports News correctly predicted the final four from the get go. Let's look ahead to the upcoming series and hope that our perfect bracket remains intact.

Semifinals

#1 Schiltzberg (1) vs. #4 West Phoencia (8)
Prediction: Schiltzberg
This should hopefully be a pretty easy match up for the Schiltzbergers, who hope not to suffer the same fate as they did the past two seasons, going out in the semifinals. With three of the final four being WBC legends, West Phoencia is the obvious odd one out, but Schiltzberg must not let up their guard, or else they may suffer another upset defeat.

#2 Newmanistan (10) vs. #3 Super-Llamaland (4)
Wow, we never dreamed that this match up would actually happen when we originally predicted it. This will be one hell of a series. Considering that Newmanistan is only in the third year of its return and that Super-Llamaland has been a WBC threat for over ten seasons now, we will have to give this match up to them, since they are more proven.

Third Place Series

#2 Newmanistan (10) vs. #4 West Phoencia (8)
Prediction: Newmanistan
Again, three of the four teams left are juggernauts, the other is not. Good luck to them, but the odds will be against them.

Finals

#1 Schiltzberg (1) vs. #3 Super-Llamaland (4)
Prediction: Schiltzberg
Wow, what a match up. This would be one for the ages, as would be a Newmanistan-Schiltzberg match up. Schiltzberg won last time though, and we see no reasons why they wouldn't do it again, seeing they are still higher ranked and higher seeds. We'll see how the season plays out.

This Is Your New Schiltzbierg Times Sports News!

[Newmanistan]

THE ROCKET REPORT

SUPER-LLAMALAND DOING EVERYTHING RIGHT

by Brianne Henry,

Here we are, back in the semifinals. It’s been a long time since we got this far, and after last year’s disappointment, this team needed to do something particularly special to make up for it. The goal has been to win the championship from the start, and that is not something that is changing now. However, there will be other results that are not what we want, that we’ll look back at think, “I guess that was okay.” I’m not sure if a semifinal appearance alone would accomplish that, especially given that the Rockets haven’t really had a juggernaut in their way yet. In qualifying, they had a nation fresh off a World Bowl championship that may have left their baseball team intimidated, and a legendary nation in a predicament that we were in when we returned. The legendary nation, Zwangzug of course, prevailed, and also ended up being our first round opponent. This allowed the Rockets to be the much better ranked team going in, and they were able to show why and won the series. Next up would be the nation who won World Baseball Classic 38 on our home turf, who had a better ranking then us. Wait, nevermind, no it’s not! Frenline Delpha gets upset by Tenburg, so again the Rockets have a series against a nation they were ranked significantly better then. So, while many are thinking that the Rockets have risen quickly, they’ve really simply been fortuitous in the way things lined up for them in order to get here.

Being ranked 10th in the world will get you respect as a good team. However, usually number ten does not make it this far, and if they did, you just figure they got some bounces along the way, or they picked up an upset along the way. So, it’s a little surprising, maybe, to think that Newmanistan has not played any other nation that had a better rank then them yet other then Union of Socialist Alpine Republics, a nation we were very close to in ranking, and the more important ranking points, and more then likely after a few days, we had more ranking points then them, too. Courtney Duvall completely dominated them, as we know. That’s all going to change now against Super-Llamaland. Now, we have to play that beast. More on them in a bit.

I want to first touch on some of the silliness that has come out of the Tenburg press that Breanne Burks threw at Jack Lynch. First, when you crowd the plate as Lynch was doing, you can expect a little brush back, and we all know Breanne will do that. Secondly, Lynch could have made a better effort to get out of the way. It’s a shame that he was hit, and that he was hurt, but we cannot focus on that when there are some Tennish sources thinking we were throwing at him. For what exactly? A meaningless solo HR in the top of the 9th to turn out 5-0 win into a 5-1 win? We’ve seen bat flips and slow trots before, and pitcher Courtney Duvall actually complimented him post game about it, and did not say anything negative. About the play, Burks told us, “I’m sorry that it happened, but look, get off the plate dude. It was meant to be a brush back, he’s the only hitter that did a little something against us in the first two games, and yeah, I wanted to come inside. The pitch was meant to be off the plate a bit, I won’t deny that, but the man needs to get off the plate. He was crowding it against Jennifer in the other game when he had that home run, too. Pitchers at this level are not going to let you continue to do that. Hitting him was accidental, but he did not make much of an effort to move, either. I can say these things because I know he is fine. I was the first one to call the hospital after the game.” Speaking of Tenburg, it was also noted that ex-Springfield 2B Diane Fiore signed a contract to play out there. She was having difficult contract negotiations with the Thoroughbreds, and the career .282 hitter will take her skills elsewhere. The Thoroughbreds have some depth in the system, so they should be fine.

With Tenburg behind us, Newmanistan can now focus on Super-Llamaland. We played them in World Baseball Classic 38 qualifying. Three of the four semifinalist remaining were in one single qualifying group just two classics ago, as West Phoenica was also a part of it. The group was named after the great Stacey Keisler, proving that was a good omen for everyone involved. The Confederates were not as strong during that Classic, and certainly did not seem like a team during that classic that was about to be a semifinalist in the next two classics. They are in the other semifinal pairing against Schiltzberg. This of course has many people hoping for the Newmanistan-Schiltzberg final, and if the Rockets lose, hopefully Schiltzberg does too, and perhaps for once the 3rd place series would be more interesting then the final if that happened. It’s bad karma to think about the 3rd place series at this point, and the Rockets clearly are focused on Super-Llamaland, who has an answer for everything that we can give them.

Courtney Duvall, and her 8-0, 72 innings pitched in 8 games record and 1.00 ERA, goes up against a pitcher with almost as dominant numbers. Justin Zheng, at last report, has a 5-0 record with a 1.37 ERA, and tossed a no-hitter on opening day of qualifying against Lisander. This will be the first time that Duvall really goes up against a pitcher also putting up monster numbers during this classic, and it certainly has the world excited for the pitching duel. This will be Courtney’s most difficult starting assignment since her Loudon Leopards went up against the Jessicaville Millionaires, and she went against Jennifer Hughes. I asked Duvall a couple questions, the first being about her opinion of this series, and Zheng, “We’ve played them before, and they’ve beaten us. I don’t think we were as good then as we are right now, so I am definitely excited to get another chance at them. Numbers don’t lie, and the videos don’t lie, those guys can hit the ball hard, and are well schooled at this level. Zheng is a great pitcher, and games like this will be about who doesn’t make that dumb mistake.” The second question was whether or not she thinks about who the opposing starting pitcher is, “There are some pitchers out there who say they don’t think about it, and I will tell you right now that’s just them being politically correct. You definitely think about who the other pitcher is. You know that they are going to be good, so therefore you cannot make a mistake. It does put more pressure on you, but I live for that pressure. It’s fun, I would not have it any other way.” With a Duvall start not as automatic of a “W” as it was in prior starts, there is a little more pressure on the other starters, such as Jennifer Hughes and Breanne Burks. Fortunately, Hughes, while not quite Duvallian, has been hot in last few starts, and Burks is coming off the shutout against Tenburg. Newmanistan is hitting the ball well, but so is Super-Llamaland.

This is going to be a great series, any way you slice it. The Tigers are hungry, this is a team with a glorious history themselves, having won three championships, but have not done so since (WBC) 31. That’s a drought, and while not as long as ours, means that they have an equivalent desire to kick our ass and win another one as we do with them. They would certainly also love the opportunity to take on Schiltzberg and get a little revenge for the (WBC) 37 finals. The Tigers brought in Laurent Mårtensson to lead the team, replacing Colin Nittledeen who paid the price for the underachievement. Under Mårtensson, the team has delivered so far, but they will not want to go out at this stage.

I’m excited. The action is in Concord Heights this round.

[Super-Llamaland]

FIVE BATTLES TO WATCH IN THE SEMIFINALS

Alyssa Zhao, LSN Baseball

The Super-Llamaland Tigers are three-time World Baseball Classic champions. The Newmanistan Rockets, four-time champions. The two teams have been in scintillating form for the entirety of WBC40, flaunting identical 30-7 records and steamrolling through decent playoff opposition. But only one of them will be able to advance to the final and compete for the chance to either tie or break the all-time record for most Classics won. Which one of these WBC legends will it be in the finals? Let’s take a look at some of the keys to each team’s success.

1. Justin Zheng v. Courtney Duvall

Justin Zheng has been nothing short of unstoppable. Over fifty-three innings pitched in seven starts, he’s allowed just eight runs to cross the plate for a stunning 1.36 ERA. In his appearances, he’s already racked up seventy-two strikeouts (to a mere ten walks), thrown three complete games, and pitched a no-hitter against Lisander. Yet the majority of neutrals would call him the worse pitcher in game one. Why? Two words - Courtney Duvall. In eight starts, Duvall has been invinceable, with the lowest ERA of any starting pitcher at the WBC (1.00 even). What’s more, while Zheng has faced a number of teams, Duvall made all six group stage starts against world number-six Union of Socialist Alpine Republics. But don’t count Zheng out. Not only is Zheng a lot fresher than, well, somebody who’s gone the distance every five days for the entire Classic, but he’s possibly even more talented with his injury concerns now behind him. Either team’s offense would be lucky to muster more than one run in Game One.

2. Matthias Gilson-Engen v. Matthias Gilson-Engen

But the fact of the matter is that it’s very likely that, led by Justin Zheng, the Tigers take Games One and Four but lose the series. Why? Newmanistan has the deepest starting rotation in the world right now. Courtney Duvall may be lighting things up this Classic, but Jennifer Hughes and Breanne Burks are nearly as good at her side. Meanwhile, although they got off to a very strong start, the middle of the rotation for Super-Llamaland hasn’t been as good. And Laurent Mårtensson’s prime culprit is the mercurial Matthias Gilson-Engen. The fact of the matter is that Gilson-Engen, whose ERA in his last four starts is 5.82, hasn’t been up to the challenge of playoff baseball. Mårtensson has stuck with his man, insisting that he’ll start Game Two over Natalie Wu and Maddie Wagner. But will that prove fatal?

If Gilson-Engen wants to get back into the form that made him one of Super-Llamaland’s best young pitchers, he needs to get back on track quickly. And so far, the young phenom’s biggest enemy has been himself. Under pressure, he’s been very poor, often choking and making a bad situation a lot worse. Can Matthias Gilson-Engen recover his flow and find his form? If not, he’ll struggle to go up against Hughes and keep his team in the game.

3. Laurent Mårtensson v. Ashley Stevens

These two superstar managers have never faced each other - when the Rockets and Tigers met in the WBC38 group stage, Super-Llamaland was managed by Colin Nittledeen. Only the second manager in Newmanistan’s storied history of international baseball (for reference, Mårtensson is the sixth manager of the much-younger Tigers), Stevens is a brilliant strategic mind. But is she ready to match up against the Tigers’ analytic prowess in the dugout? Laurent Mårtensson has shown that he can quickly instill a winning culture in the Tigers’ dugout, erasing all traces of the Colin Nittledeen era. But how will he match up against one of the best teams in the world? Sabermetricians may indicate that they don’t do a ton over the long run, but managers can have a huge impact on playoff series. With both teams executing as well as they can, the result of these semifinals may come down to whose strategy is better.

4. Hannah Bates & Lexi Alcorn v. Sofia Rasmussen

Newmanistan loves to run. Year after year, their aggressive base-stealing makes them one of the best-running teams in the World. And it all starts at the top of the lineup, where speedsters Hannah Bates and Lexi Alcorn have been terrorizing opposing batteries for three Classics. It takes talent combined with perfect execution to even have a chance at stopping Bates and Alcorn from stealing bases at will, and most teams choose to just try to keep them off the basepaths entirely. But the Tigers have something other teams don’t. They have Sofia Rasmussen, one of the best catchers in the world. If Bates and Alcorn are allowed to freely take extra bases, the Tigers will surely lose. It’ll be up to Rasmussen - who has some experience gunning down Newmanistanians from WBC38 - to do what no other team has been able to do consistently and tame the Rockets’ running game.

5. The Llamanean Bullpen v. The Newmanistanian Lineup

The Tigers’ bullpen doesn’t have a great history of success. The majority of fans blame them for the team’s early exits in both WBC38 and WBC39. But things are different now, with aging, ineffective relievers like Troy Vasquez getting the boot under Laurent Mårtensson’s leadership. Although it’s still relatively unproven, the Tigers’ new bullpen seems to be running more smoothly than the WBC38 and WBC39 iterations. Still, the Tigers haven’t exactly faced a top-tier team like Newmanistan this Classic, and Jason Van Dijk and the bullpen will be thrown into the fire, especially if the starting pitchers struggle against the Rockets’ offense.

And what an offense they’ll have to face. The Rockets have an all-star lineup to complement their pitching staff, and the bullpen will have to work very hard to keep runs off the board. If previously-reliable relievers like Van Dijk or James Brenneman can’t step up, Newmanistan will have an easy path to advancement.

Game one of the semifinals is tonight at 7 PM on LSN. Make sure to watch what could be one of the greatest pitching duels the Classic has ever seen, with a finals berth on the line!

[Super-Llamaland]

OOC: this isn’t real (the Cyclones would probably take Quinlan if it were possible, but it’s nowhere near close to happening and very unlikely - for now, at least.)

BREAKING: Quinlan to Cyclones “Definite Possibility”

Bryant Kennedy - Llama Sports Today!

Rory Quinlan. A star pitcher for one of international baseball’s greatest rising stars, the Tenburg Metros. A man who’s already thrown a no-hitter despite this being his debut Classic! And, if preliminary reports from the most reliable of sources is to be believed, Rory Quinlan could be the latest star addition to the New Llama Cyclones.

Before the Classic, nobody could have envisioned such a move from the right-handed pitcher (although the Cyclones, and other interested Llamanean teams, would’ve been wise to snap him up earlier!) - but now, with the capital club willing to splash the cash to bolster their weakened starting rotation, and with Quinlan already proving himself a winner on the greatest of stages, the first Tenburg pitcher playing for a Llamanean club may be a lot sooner than you think!

Cyclones General Manager David Windhorst did express his desire to upgrade his rotation this year, but will the upgrades be more drastic than you thought? If these reliable sources from Tallow, Tenburg and New Llama City are to be believed, it’ll absolutely be a huge change, with ace pitcher Natalie Wu potentially becoming the team’s second starter as Rory Quinlan takes her position! And indeed, Windhorst just admitted that his team looking into new markets to replace their aging starters was a “definite possibility”...so maybe we should’ve seen this coming?

The move would be huge for a Cyclones team trying to defend their title. And, although potential juggernauts like the Apple Valley Vipers and South Falls Athletic may have offered just as much money for the Metro, Quinlan would be delusional to go to any other team but the most successful team in Llamanean history. Everything seems to be falling in place for Rory Quinlan to head to the Llamanean capital, and further updates should be on the horizon!

[Cassadaigua]

Series: (1) Schiltzberg vs (4) West Phoenica
Game 1:

West Phoenica          0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0  2
Schiltzberg            1 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 X  4

Game 2:

West Phoenica          0 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 0  3
Schiltzberg            3 1 0 0 0 0 5 1 X 10

Schiltzberg leads series, 2 games to 0

Series: (2) Newmanistan vs (3) Super-Llamaland
Game 1:

Super-Llamaland        0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1  2
Newmanistan            0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  1

Game 2:

Super-Llamaland        0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0  1
Newmanistan            3 1 0 1 0 4 0 0 X  9

series tied, 1-1

[Schiltzberg]

I've Got You

I ain't heard the voice of Jesus calling down to me.
I ain't raised my hands and parted no Red Sea.
I ain't got nobody dropping palms before my mule.
There're lots of people who'd probably say I'm a fool.
Ain't got a son for every drop of ocean blue,
But I've got you.

I've got you for all the times I'm happy.
I've got you for all the times I cry.
I've got you for when I need a missus,
For when I'm lonely and I don't know why.
I've got you for when I need you, and when you need me too,
But the most important thing is that I've got you.

I ain't got shiny jewelry or fancy cars.
I ain't got rings of silver or any golden bars.
I don't go to pricy parties in decked out high top boots.
I ain't got gaudy glasses or any racks of suits.
I ain't got buildings piercing the skies of blue,
But I've got you.

I've got you for when I'm down and dreary,
Nothing but gray skies above.
I've got you for when I'm worn and weary,
For when I need someone to love.
I've got you to make the prophesies come true,
But the most important thing is that I've got you.

I ain't got records making one million sales.
I ain't got lyrics or words of wisdom making heads or tails.
I ain't got strangers asking me to sign my name.
I ain't got a spot in no hall of fame.
I ain't reminding people of things that they never knew,
But I've got you.

I've got you for all the days we just sit and wait.
I've got you for all the nights we stay up much too late.
I've got you for in my dreams when it's always the same.
I've got you for all the mornings I wake up saying your name.
Without you, darling, I don't know what I'd do,
But the most important thing is that I've got you.

[West Phoencia]

The Musical group Bubblegum formed when four college friends from The University of Nova Texas in West Phoenicia won a local Glee competition. A scout was in the audience and he signed them up to Lunar Music Label.

The World Hit Festival in Vodiznad, Izmedu was their first major performance. Molly Deywood has made headlines recently began dating Team Manager Trevor Rushworth, a man 40 years her senior which has tongues wagging in West Phoenicia.

The group consists of Molly Deywood ( Lead Vocals) Meghan Duncan ( Supporting Vocals) and sisters Tia and LaTeesha Montgomery ( Supporting Vocals)

To cheer up The Confederates after their 2 game loss against Schiltzberg, Trevor Rushworth called in his girlfriend and after members of Bubblegum to cheer up the team. They sang an array of covers and their own original song Bubblegum Kisses.

Bubble-gum kisses are the sweetest
I lay awake on a surrealistic pillow
I fly naked through a majestic magical willow
I am the multi-coloured raven who sings to you
I believe in you
I dream of you
I kiss you

I saw you swinging on your fancy love seat
Flowers singing happily beneath your feet
Back and forwards we go-go
All I think about is your love, psychedelic yo-yo
The flowers kiss your feet
I lay awake in a dream

Bubble-gum kisses are the sweetest
Can you believe us?
We are a bubble of love that will never pop
Grow and grow, never stop
Smoke crumbles to dust


Living in the age of Aquarius
The yellow brick road is hard and long
In your arms I belong
My eternal love song
You will never be alone

Bubble-gum kisses are the sweetest
Can you believe us?
We are a bubble of love that will never pop
Grow and grow, never stop


The coyotes will groan and grumble
When our bones melt and crumble
Our spirits will become one with the void
We will be born again in words
We will be back again one day on your porch
On that fancy love seat where we belong

Bubble-gum kisses are the sweetest
Can you believe us?
We are a bubble of love that will never pop
Grow and grow, never stop


Bubble-gum kisses are the sweetest
Can you believe us?
We are a bubble of love that will never pop
Grow and grow, never stop
Never stop, grow, grow, grow

Tip-toe back to my surreal pillow

[Super-Llamaland]

Concord Heights, Cassadaigua
An hour before Game One of the Super-Llamaland - Newmanistan Semifinals

"Alright, guys, one last question and we're done here," Justin said into the microphone. Like most players, he wasn't a huge fan of press conferences, but he tolerated them. And with his first start in a week against one of the world's best offenses, any distraction was a good one. He'd been preparing for this start ever since Laurent Mårtensson told him he wouldn't pitch in the quarterfinals. He knew he was ready. Now he just needed to get into the zone.

"Chris Long, Nikcoro Herald. Justin, how do you think a win against the Rockets would impact your legacy as one of the best Tigers pitchers in history?"

He automatically started talking before realizing he had no idea.

"Great question, thanks for that. I'd say that if we pull this off...uh, it'd definitely...have some sort of impact, but I haven't thought much about it."

"Thanks, Justin. Good luck tonight."
***
Justin knew he shouldn't dwell on it. But he couldn't stop thinking about the question.

The fact was that he'd never considered himself one of the greats, on the same plane as Evan Masorka or AJ Rondout. He’d vaguely known, deep down, that his numbers were better than any Llamanean to ever pitch for the Tigers. But growing up, all of his legends had been...winning, both internationally and in the LBL. He hadn’t been able to control that - whether it was injuries or an inadequate supporting cast, Zheng had been able to drag neither Super-Llamaland nor his Nandaozhou Sharks to a championship. And with maybe just one Classic left, he’d have to start soon. He had no regrets about his career. But he didn’t want to leave the Tigers the way he found them.

He didn’t do much preparation before the game. He didn’t have to. Just a quick warmup before he took the mound in the bottom of the first inning would be enough. And then he’d be ready to change his legacy.
***
Hannah Bates was not fun to pitch against. It didn’t matter how hard you jammed her or how deceptive you’d pitched - if she made contact, there was a very real chance she’d end up on first no matter where the ball went. And she was very good at making contact. Justin Zheng looked to the catcher Rasmussen, who signalled fastball. He went low and inside, the ball sailing out of his hand at ninety-six. Any other hitter would whiff at it. Bates was better than that, but even she could only roll the ball down the left-field line. Rasmussen pounced on it and made the play. Things were looking up.
***
Over Justin’s first three innings of work, he’d struck out four and still hadn’t let anyone on base. Against any other team, he could have a 5-0 lead at this point. But Courtney Duvall was right next to him, starting the game off with four perfect innings. Every time he put a zero up, he walked back to the dugout and realized that he’d only gotten level with the Rockets’ ace.

But, Justin mused to himself, he’d managed to stay in the zone. Under such pressure, it was practically required, but shutting down one of the world’s best offenses felt really good. Maybe he really was cementing that legacy.

Things had fallen apart after that. He’d done all he could, but Newmanistan was just too good for him, and a few small mistakes - as well as one huge mistake, walking Hannah Bates after working her to a 1-2 count - had snowballed quickly. Before he knew it, Hannah Bates had crossed home plate with a grin, and just like that - the Rockets were ahead.
***
He’d calmed down immediately after the home run put Newmanistan ahead 1-0. He had to, with the likes of Mallory Harris and Kayla Carey ready to take a second crack at him. Now that the inning was over and he was back in the dugout, though, he was fuming. Against any other team he could slip up like that. Against the Rockets, or even Schiltzberg in the finals? The Tigers wouldn’t stand a chance. Especially with the way Courtney Duvall had been shutting down the best Super-Llamaland had to offer.

Sofia Rasmussen walked up to him, knowing that she wouldn’t hit that inning. “Justin.”

“Yeah?”

“Calm down. It’s literally one run. You gave up a single run. We’re still in-”

Both of them turned around instantly as Lucien Russo sent a hanging slider down the right-field line and over the fence. The Llamanean fans erupted while Russo flipped his bat and began to round the bases. It was a tie game.

The catcher turned back to him. “Uhhh yeah,” she said, trying and failing to remain nonchalant. “Just...pretend it’s still 0-0, I guess?”
***
It was the sixth inning now, and things had mostly calmed down. Courtney Duvall had given up another hit, but Justin had remained perfect. After five and a half, the Tigers and Rockets - two of the best five offenses in the world - had combined for two solo home runs, a single, and sixteen strikeouts. What had been hyped up as one of the best pitching duels of all time had absolutely delivered.

If the top of the order hadn’t posed a threat to Justin Zheng, the bottom hadn’t even come close. Both pitchers had been sweeping aside the 7-8-9 hitters with contemptuous ease, and when Hannah Bates walked up for the third time, she did so with two outs and the bases completely empty.

Maybe a Matthias Gilson-Engen would’ve lost the plot here, losing his concentration and allowing the center-fielder to get on base. But Zheng was better than that. His execution had been flawless the entire game (minus...one incident), but he knew he’d have to keep his edge before it became 2-1.

Against Newmanistan, though, superior execution wasn’t enough. He’d thrown the perfect shuuto, cutting and diving into Bates’ hands. The Putnam Lake star had barely made contact, rolling it down the left-field line. But it’d rolled where nobody else was, and by the time Emery Novak managed to barehand it and throw to first, Bates was safe.

If watching a free groundout slip out of his fingers was irritating, watching it happen twice was even more so. But that was exactly what happened - the second hitter, Alcorn had managed to take an outside fastball and float it a few inches out of Nicolas Rousseau’s reach. Worse, Ashley Stevens had set up a hit-and-run, and Bates was easily able to take third on what was basically a groundout.

Sofia Rasmussen walked up to the mound.

“How should we attack Morgan?” Justin asked her.

“Don’t worry about Morgan. I got this,” she said and made the walk back behind home plate. She signalled for a fastball, sending the glove a little too outside. Justin shook it off. Rasmussen ignored her.

He checked the runner, wound up, and fired, hitting Rasmussen’s target. Before the umpire even called it, the catcher stood up, threw a strike to Nicolas Rousseau, and turned around and walked back to the dugout as Alcorn was picked off.
***
Bottom of the tenth. He’d never done this before - complete games for him were always just nine innings. But with the Tigers’ season on the line, nobody had even questioned it. He’d been fairly efficient so far, requiring just 112 pitches to get through the first nine. But he’d have to step it up and find a new gear now that they were in extra innings. It was what Courtney Duvall had done in the top of the tenth, shutting the Tigers down - and to be the best pitcher in the world...you needed to beat the best.

It wouldn’t even be a problem. Zheng’s fastballs had already dropped down to 94 mph, but he managed to dial the heat back up to ninety-six. The middle of the order - some of the world’s greatest hitters - went down as Zheng kept cruising along. Before he knew it - the inning was over. He’d thrown ten innings, given up four hits, struck out thirteen, and walked just one. One of the highest-leverage games of the season, and he’d been nearly perfect.

How was that for a legacy?

[Newmanistan]

Prior to Game 1,

It was gametime! Courtney Duvall had gone over all of the scouting reports that she had available for the first game of the series. She looked at Justin Zheng’s stuff, as after all, she would have to take some turns at bat as well. The Tigers of Super-Llamaland were different. Courtney knew she was in the heads of USAR during the qualifying rounds. The Bison would grab their bats extra tight, choke up, and not have any success. Neither did Zwangzug in the first round, or Tenburg in the second. In fact when a Tenburg slugger hit a meaningless home run off of her in the top of the 9th, he wanted to celebrate like his team had just won the world series. That’s how dominant she had been.

World Baseball Classic 38 was not like that, but she was pretty damn good there as well. Super-Llamaland was in our qualifying group, and the atmosphere was completely different. We were new, yet hosting the competition. It was only in qualifying that we would play them, and as everyone knows, when you are new at this, it will take some time before you start seeing the results that you would want. The Rockets made it into the second place position in qualifying, thanks in large part to Duvall’s good pitching, even if it was not at the level it currently is. The last Classic, even though her individual numbers were still good was forgettable for the nation, which led to this year. Somehow, Duvall’s numbers are the best that they have ever been at this level. However, Courtney is a modest type, unlike Stacey Keisler, who would let you know how dominant she was. Keisler trash talked with the best of them, and so did Jessica Brasfield, the next Newmanistanian superstar pitcher. “Brash”field was at a whole new level. Courtney Duvall, though, has remained very modest about everything. As she pitches in the ENBL (Empire of Newmanistan Baseball League), Duvall is also never one to showboat. Be methodical, be professional, and get the results. She is also extremely competitive, this sporting drive of hers has been with her ever since she was a little girl.

Courtney has never had things handed to her in life. She grew up as one of two children in a small town about 50 miles east of Putnam Lake, in the southwestern part of the Empire, and the exact opposite corner of Newmanistan then Loudon, where she currently plays. Her father, Brett. was a welder, working on the docks at the Port of South Thumbria. Brett made a decent living, as he was a union man, but it also meant that he would work 50-60 hours per week sometimes. He did his best to support his two daughters Courtney and her younger sibling Shelby. Brett played baseball in high school and in college, though he was not a pitcher, believe it or not. He actually played first base, and was a decent hitter at those levels, but never able to take his career further then that. Courtney’s mother, Elizabeth, was a secretary in a doctor’s office. It was a good enough job, but she needed to be home to take care of Shelby.

Shelby Duvall, two years younger then Courtney, never had a chance to follow the lead of her older sister. Unfortunately, Shelby has epilepsy, and well her seizures are able to be controlled now, she had one early in her life that caused some brain damage. Other then the epilepsy, Shelby is otherwise healthy, but it is enough to keep her from living a normal life. Once Courtney was able to make it into the bigtime, Elizabeth Duvall was able to quit her job, and take care of Shelby full time. They have relocated to Loudon, and Brett also now has taken his trade to the Loudon area as well. Shelby is the one who keeps Courtney modest, and why she will never be a Keisler or a Brasfield in regards to attitude. In an interview with a Loudon Sports Network, Courtney was quoted as saying, “I know that Shelby is watching me in the stands every day. People ask me sometimes who my hero in life is. Shelby is my hero. Every morning, she gets up, and who knows if she might have a seizure that day. If she does, we can take confidence in knowing that they are generally contained, but she has to live her life knowing that she will never know if a day will be a good day or a bad day. Despite that, she smiles, every day. I have always wanted to be like that. Before any start, I don’t know if it will be good or bad. If it’s a bad day, it will sting, but at the end, I still remember how blessed I am to play baseball for a living, and to be pretty good at it.”

Courtney told another story in that interview, one of when she was 14 years old, and in high school, “It was my first year of high school, and a Friday. It was during the baseball season, and I had pitched a few games, and I would talk to Shelby about how I was going to pitch each time. That day I didn’t. There was a school dance that next day, and I was really crushing on this one boy pretty hard, and it was all I was talking about. Right before the game, Shelby saw me texting on my phone, and asked me why I didn’t care about the game. I told her I cared, but obviously I was only being half-assed when I said that, because all I was really thinking about was this boy. Shelby called me out on it and said I was going to have a bad game. Being 14, and thinking I was invincible, I just kinda laughed it off. My first pitch of that game was hit out of the stadium. I gave up six runs in the first inning and when I walked back to our dugout after that inning, I looked up and Shelby was crying. It was touching, and my coach was trying to cheer me up, but all I saw was her. I asked the coach if I could talk to her for a second. My coach said yes, and I told her it would be ok. She said back to me that she knew this would happen because we didn’t talk about the game, and she felt it was all her fault. That moment put everything in perspective. I told her it was my fault and that I would not let her down again. When I went back to the dugout, I asked my coach if I could continue to pitch. Obviously, since I pitched poorly, he was going to go to the bullpen, but I told him I would not let him down. He was hesitant but he said he would. I did not allow another baserunner for the rest of the game, and we came back to win 7-6. Shelby is my only hero. We will still talk about every game, even now.”

The Duvall’s sat a few rows behind the dugout for game 1 of the series against Super-Llamaland. Shelby talked to Courtney again, and she was ready to go for this game against the Tigers. Once again, Courtney was in command and able to shut down the opposition for the majority of the game. In the fourth, the Rockets used the speed of Hannah Bates to score a run, but half an inning later, the Tigers got it right back. Duvall’s slider got away, and Lucien Russo knew what to do with it. It was somewhat like the mistake she made against Tenburg, but this time the home run was far more meaningful, and Russo, like a player that has been there before, professionally and respectfully rounded the bases. Duvall looked in the stands, and saw Shelby give her a thumbs-up. She knew what that meant, it wasn’t that she was cheering for Russo, but it was the sign that everything will be just fine. Courtney nodded, pumped herself up, and went back to business. Her and Justin Zheng delivered exactly what the fans came to see. It would be a classic pitching duel, and after nine, we were still tied at one. Once again, Duvall had gone all nine, but there was still more baseball to be played. Ashley Stevens, who also coaches Courtney in Loudon has had her pitch ten before, so this was not a completely new concept. The Rockets were hoping that Super-Llamaland would go to their pen, but after Courtney shut down the Tigers in top of the tenth, there was Justin Zheng going right back to the mound himself. Stevens could only shake her head, as like Duvall, Zheng was able to pitch a dominant inning and the game would go on. Stevens could not let Duvall continue, as there may be more baseball to be played. Ultimately, it would be Super-Llamaland winning the game 2-1 in the 12th.

Zheng’s team won the game, but Duvall and Zheng had shown the world why they are the two greatest pitchers in the world today. Sometimes in games like this when you expect a pitching duel, it does not always work out that way, but in this game the fans got exactly what they paid for, and what they expected to see. Following the match and after her ten inning performance, Courtney told reporters, “First off, it’s disappointing that we did not win the game. That’s what we are here for. For me, I am just doing what I needed to do. Going ten innings is not easy, but it is what we needed to do, and I still felt really good. Even if part of me wanted to pitch the 11th, it’s important to remember that this is a series. Each of us have another game, at least, to pitch, whether its in the final or in the 3rd place series. They got the win, but our bats are too good to be silenced like that in game two again.” About what she thought when Zheng stayed out there for the tenth as well, “I wasn’t surprised. Him and I are both cut from the same cloth. You want to win a game like this. You want to beat the other person.”

[Super-Llamaland]

BREAKING: WINDHORST IN TALLOW, QUINLAN DEAL IMMINENT

Bryant Kennedy - Llama Sports Today!

Did you think that the Rory Quinlan rumors were just rumors? Well, prepare to have your mind blown, because we just spotted New Llama Cyclones General Manager David Windhorst flying to Tallow, whose home team, the RiverSharks, contains - you guessed it - Tenburg star pitcher Rory Quinlan! That's right - it's happening! The interest people thought was just "made up"? It's real! Rory Quinlan is going to be a Cyclone. The right-handed pitcher will be taking his no-hitter-throwing talents to the capital of Super-Llamaland - what a steal for Windhorst, no matter what the price is!

It's definitely the Cyclones who have beaten other LBL contenders to the chase here, because we haven't seen Emma LeRoux on a plane anywhere near the nation of Tenburg! Definitely a huge move for Windhorst here. And he's really willing to throw as much money as Quinlan desires after his contract runs out to get him in New Llama City fast! Reporters with very reliable sources have indicated that the contract may be worth as much as seventy million over an indefinite period of time - that's a lot of money, and we're not even including performance bonuses!!

And unlike past rumors published by Llama Sports Today! writers that no longer work at this fine establishment, like the "Justin Zheng to the Cyclones" or "Sofia Rasmussen to New Wolfopolis" rumors that disgraced this paper's name last year, this is one hundred percent factual! There's no way the guy on that plane could have been anyone but David Windhorst, heading to Tallow, Tenburg with a layover in Los-Juantos!

That's right - we're about to see record contracts being signed, because David Windhorst is ready to wheel and deal for one of the best foreign pitchers in the world today! Get all the latest updates here - Llama Sports Today! - as we watch a landmark deal for the LBL get negotiated!

[Newmanistan]

THE ROCKET REPORT

JUSTIN ZHENG TO LOUDON TO JOIN DUVALL?

By Brianne Henry,

Ok, I apologize for the clickbait title.

Following the Rockets blowout 9-1 victory over Super-Llamaland in the second game of the series, many across the Empire were celebrating the big win, and it may have hoped to erase the disappointment of the first loss. Apparently, Cassadaigua hosted a soccer game on this very field between the first two games, which seemed a little odd. They have returned to the World Cup, something we considered ourselves prior to World Cup 77, before opting out of it. In the game Jennifer Hughes was dominant, and Mallory Harris went 5-for-5 in the victory, after being held in check by Justin Zheng in the first game of the series. Harris told the Rocket Report that, “The first game was terrible for us in that we could not back up Courtney’s effort. We all wanted to make up for that. Then they had a soccer game here, which was weird. I guess you have to do what you have to do though.”

Back to my clickbait title, it does bring back an interesting point. Why does Newmanistan never pursue foreign players? I asked Ashley Stevens that, since she was really the only person nearby that I could ask, and she probably wanted to hear me ask her something else other then how the Rockets will try to go about winning game 3 (which they will do by sending Breanne Burks to the mound). Ashley, who is the Loudon coach, “A lot of coaches, including myself, just are not sure if players are really interested in making the jump to play professionally in Newmanistan. Our domestic leagues, while strong, and loaded with talent, have never gotten the international appeal that we have seen from others. I’m not sure how many offers are really made, and I know that with Loudon, we don’t spend much, if anything, in scouting internationally. I think that holds true for most teams.” I joked with Ashley about my clickbait title plans, and she replied, “Go for it! That would cost us way too much money!”

Breanne Burks starts game 3, and Jessica Gray goes in Game 4. Burks had been a little inconsistent during the group stage, but is coming off a shutout of Tenburg. Gray put up good numbers in the group stage, but pitched exclusively against bottom-feeder Gim. She did start the series clinching win against Zwanzug, however.