World Baseball Classic 16: Everything Thread (FINALS)

[Quintessence of Dust]

Teams in New Cleethorpes yellow have clinched their series 2-0 and may treat tomorrow as an off day. The other series are tied 1-1.

Newmanistan           012 200 001 - 6
Grantanata            021 000 100 - 4

Western cuba          100 602 100 - 10
Yafor 2               101 120 000 - 5

Sarzonia              200 101 043 - 11
Tarrentum             400 020 020 - 8

Tocrowkia             111 210 000 - 6
Qaxox                 001 100 021 - 5

Cassadaigua           000 011 322 - 9
Mossulia              000 000 000 - 0

Secristan             000 201 032 - 8
Milchama              000 540 02X - 11

Zwangzug              000 000 001 - 1
Lycrabon              010 100 00X - 2

Quintessence of Dust  000 000 000 - 0
Peace Republic        001 104 00X - 6

[Lycrabon]

CAPITAL CITY GAZETTE

Here we go again

ST. CATHERINE - It's starting to become a Blue Jay tradition, forcing deciding games. Secristan in WBC 12, Newmanistan in WBC 13, and now, WBC 16. Facing a do-or-die situation, Lycrabon gutted out a 2-1 victory over the Zebras. "We have great respect for them," commented the manager. "They battled all game, and we expect the same in game three." The cardiac Jays made it interesting, allowing a ninth-inning run to close the gap to 2-1 before the Jays' closer ended it with a strikeout. Game three is tnight in Zwangzug.

[Qazox]

QOXSports.com/WBC 16 Coverage

Tocrowkia 111 210 000 - 6
Qaxox     001 100 021 - 5

Ok, we'll admit it. The Nordics have our number. Eight times in a row the team for Tocrowkia has found some way to beat Qazox. Last night it was the double-play, and tonight, it was doubles.

In the first, Kitten Dyfuse and Adam Marksworth hit back-to-back doubles to take a 1-0 lead. In the 3nd, a double by Michael Hammer knocked in Jill Haviland to make it 2-0. In the 3rd, guess what? A double by Johnny Stryker lead to an RBI double from Kevin Monroe.

At least Qazox cut into the lead in the bottom of the 3rd with a pair of doubles by Victoria Wright and Adele Grahame broke up Tommy Thunder's no-hit bid. But in the 4th, 3 doubles put 2 more runs on the board for the Nordics, and chased Eric Shoppach from the game trailing 5-1. A sac fly by George Rabbinski made it 5-2, but the writing was on the wall that Qazox would be eliminated early in the playoffs, yet again.

In the 6th, Adam Marksworth hit a rare home run making it 6-2. Qazox scored twice in the 8th on Thunder due to a rare error by Jill Haviland, making it 6-4. Jamie Von Tipker came in to close out the game. Chad Savoy singled to center and came home to score on a double by Victoria Wright. But Von Tipker managed to knuckledown and get the next three batters to fly out to center, sending Tocrowkia to the quarterfinals.

While once again Qazox has bottomed out early in the WBC, perhaps the light at the end of tunnel is near, as a few young players are expected to make their debut at WBC17. Among them is quite possibly the best 1st baseman Qazox has seen since Douglas Ellenburg.

[Sarzonia]

Much like the second match of the group stage, Sarzonia's No. 2 starting pitcher couldn't get out of the first inning in Game 2 of the best-of-three opening knockout round series against Tarrentum.

Just like the infamous beanball match against Secristan, Sarzonia rallied to win a match that most pitchers would like to forget 11-8, finishing a two-match sweep of Tarrentum.

While John Morgan was ejected from Sarzonia's 9-8 victory over the Millionaires in Amherst and eventually ejected from the Stars, lefthander Chris Carlton was knocked out by Falcons bats as Tarrentum batted around, sending 11 men to the plate in the bottom of the first.

Manager Khalil Dennis sent in switch-pitcher Alan Tisdale to face the majority righthanded lineup of the Falcons. With his ability to throw using either arm, he could neutralise the possibility of pinch hitters or switch hitters by using the arm that favours him the most.

That worked until the fifth inning, when Tisdale began to tire. Centrefielder Gina Torretta sliced a one-out double down the left field line, then advanced to third when second baseman Dewey Griffin booted Antoni Favella's routine grounder.

Dessea Vallena-Favella sent a drive toward Tyrell Gordon in left. He camped under the ball, trying to make sure he had enough momentum to try nailing Torretta at the plate. However, his flip sunglasses snapped and the ball hit him squarely on the head, knocking him out. Centrefielder Drew Bradley had to chase the ball down while Gordon writhed on the ground in pain. By the time he fired the ball into the infield, Vallena-Favella stood on second and the Falcons catcher raced home.

Dennis ran out with the team's trainer and they tested Gordon. After looking at him for a few moments, Dennis motioned for reserve outfielder Micah West to take Gordon's place.

"Skip, I can go," Gordon protested.

"No," Dennis said. "I'd rather be safe than sorry." To the trainer, he said, "make sure he goes to the hospital."

"You got it, skip."

With the second base umpire standing there, Dennis said, "can I make a double-switch?"

"All right, who you got?"

"I want West batting in the nine spot and have the next pitcher hitting in the seven hole."

"Let me run it by the home plate umpire." He ran in for a moment, then ran out.

"Fine with us," he said.

The umpire then ran in and told the official scorer.

"Your attention please, now playing left field and batting ninth, number 11, Micah West. Now pitching and batting seventh, number 36, Calen George," the public address announcer intoned.

Fortunately for Dennis, Gordon made the last out in the previous inning. Little did he know George would be given a chance to put his own stamp on the match with the bat. With his arm, he shut down the Falcons going into the top of the eighth. With runners at the corners, he came up to bat.

"And Dennis is letting Calen George hit for himself here," said Steven Smith, the play-by-play announcer for the Stars radio network as he relayed the events to the listening audience.

"Very unorthodox decision here by the skip," said Mike Miller, the colour analyst. "Usually you'd get a pinch hitter like, say, Russ Fraley hitting for George."

"I'd suspect what Khalil's trying to do is leave George in the game if Sarzonia doesn't score here," Smith said.

"That would allow him to save the bullpen if the Stars can force extras," Miller said.

"Right. George steps in, batting .000 on the season, no hits in three at bats during the regular season and no hits in four at bats during the Cyanea Series. He had one plate appearance in the group stage and had a sacrifice during the match in Amherst."

"Hmm, I don't see Wavi coming to get Sutton right now. Luis Mata is ready in the Falcons bullpen," Smith said.

"He probably figures George is oh fer the season and is probably not a threat with his bat," Miller said.

"The first pitch to George, fastball in at the letters for a called strike. George shakes his head a little bit, but the Yaforite umpire's been calling that all match.

"Yeah, his strike zone has been a consistent rulebook strike zone throughout. You have to know what Calen's thinking, 'make sure I get that in the bottom of this inning'."

"Right. The next pitch and LOOK OUT! George has to jackknife to get out of the way of that pitch. Count's even at 1-1. The total so far, six runs, 10 hits, no errors for Tarrentum, four runs, seven hits, one error for Sarzonia. They scored that one play that took Gordon out of the game a base hit."

"I don't know about that decision. Seems to me Gordon should have made that play."

"The official scorer might change that one later. Who knows? George digs in. The runners lead from third and first. The 1-1 pitch, swing and a line drive, FAIR BALL down the right field line! It's going to score Spontanelli easily. Menifee's waving Schmidt around! She's gunning for the plate. Here comes the throw, she slides, SAFE! This match is tied at 6!"

The stunned crowd was silent. The only cheering could be heard from a small section of Stars supporters.

"Calen George notches his first hit of the season and it draws this match level at 6!"

"He sure picked a great time to get his first base hit of the season, let alone the first two RBI of his career as a big leaguer."

"And now here comes Wavi, and he's signaled to the bullpen. That's gonna do it for Tim Sutton. He allows two runs on two hits and the runner George is his responsibility. Here comes Luis Mata, and we'll tell you more about him after this."

When Mata took to the mound, he faced Fraley, whom Dennis sent up to pinch hit for catcher Fred Carlton. Fraley tagged his second pinch-hit home run of the World Baseball Classic, and once again spelt doom for the Falcons.

Even though the bullpen coughed up the lead in the bottom of the eighth, courtesy of lefty closer Alvin Dryden, the Stars brought their bats out once again in the top of the ninth, getting three runs. This time, righty closer Kerry Clark notched the save.

"That was too close for comfort," Dennis said after the match. However, he'd take the result, a second consecutive knockout series win over Tarrentum, this time giving his beleaguered bullpen the night off.

Brian Edwards would start the opener of the next knockout series with veteran lefty Charlie Palmer working the second match. Brad Baxter would start Game 3 if necessary.

But for one night, a pitcher who wasn't involved in the decision as far as the official scorer's log was concerned was clearly the toast of the Stars clubhouse.

[Zwangzug]

The weather gets worse. You lose two people's umbrellas (though one of them turns up) and brood to yourself that you can't be trusted with other people's things, you'll only worry about your own. That day is a windy day and the Zebras hat you've had for years blows away without you noticing. In the night you wonder about whether to ask someone how cold it will be the next day, do you want to wear long pants. You decide against it. A minute later they bring it up out of the blue.

But in New Cleethorpes, the skies are clear. It's the Blue Jays who take off, though, getting on the board in the second. Price gets a single to lead off the inning, and although Loomis gets Maynard to ground out, Mayo strokes an extra-base hit into right field. They get him trying for three, but Price has already come in.

And Price singles to lead off the fourth, same thing! No, not quite, Maynard gets a hit this time, Mayo pops up and a cruising Carillo strikes out. Thompson in the bottom of the order gets the hit to drive in what nobody knows will be the winning run.

The game moves quickly through the next few innings; Carillo is not overpowering, but effective, and Loomis seems focused if frustrated. And they're still only down by two. The nice thing about rooting for the Zebras--rooting for any good team in a World Baseball Classic, really--is that the tournament isn't that long.

No not like that! No, no, you want lots of baseball, want to keep going. Don't want not baseball, no, stupid, that's jinxed, no, you want them to do well. No, it's that...in a long season, with a professional team, once they're slumping, once they really fall behind, there are no wild cards to go for. Just months remaining with hope mathematical (of course) but expectations dim.

Here, the Zebras are good, and they have enough time to get back into stuff. The tournament's not really long enough for games that don't seem to mean much, is all.

And in the top of the ninth, Pratt gets things started. Finally. A leadoff hit, Craga walks. Keigenbey swings early and pops it up to Price, but Throop comes up with a big hit to bring in Pratt. They have to hold a nervous Craga at third, though. Turner grounds to Maynard unassisted, and Blitch strikes out looking.

Well? You wanted more baseball (that was a second-level thing, to clear up, you hadn't meant...you want long but...) and you got it. Bleepit. This has got to stop. Because next time, it might be someone who knows you back.

[Tarrentum]

Tarrentum Falcons Sporting News
Falcons Lose to Stars - Out of WBC

Krozuy, Krozile, Tarrentum - It was a good game but in the end the Sarzonians simply outlasted and outplayed the hometown Falcons. With late game heroics by Pitcher Calen George at the plate, the Stars were able to overcome their lost lead and finally pull ahead of the Falcons in the top of the ninth.

Liona Marrada was electric in her start, giving up four runs in six innings. She left with the Falcons in a somewhat comfortable 6 - 4 lead but once again Tim Sutton's consistent poor performance in International play was the cause of the Falcons downfall. The bullpen had been an issue all tournament but the Falcons had always managed to overcome, whether with their bats or in the next game. Except there was no "next game" this time.

The new lineup seemed to work for the national team where they brought 8 runs over the plate. The power hitting up front certainly helped in their 8 hit first inning. Unfortunately, the Stars got some lucky breaks and, as mentioned, outlasted the Falcons in this one. The beloved Juliana Italiana, in her eighth relief appearance of the tournament, gave up the last three runs of the night to the Stars in the top of ninth. Her poor performance saddled her with her first loss of the tournament, but one that will not be easily overlooked. The Stars Kerry Clark got the win in the ninth inning.

On the offensive side, Dessea Vallena-Favella hit .750 with 3 RBIs and 1 home run. The Stars played the power hitter safe and Intentionally Walked Vallena-Favella her last two plate appearances, canceling out and potentional run scoring events. Norian Ionian and Tristan Dolami also got into the game as pinch hitters (for Mata and Italiana) with Ionian providing some spark offense once again. The old outfielder got a base hit and was brought home on Vallena-Favella's 9th home run of the tournament. This also brought the second basewoman's total RBIs for the tournament to 31 - the probable leader not just on the Falcons but throughout the whole tournament (statistics pending).

So once again we have to prematurely say "So Long, Farewell" to the Tarrentum Falcons National Baseball Team. However baseball fans, you shouldn't tune out the great game in Tarrentum until the next WBC - the International Baseball League will start their Regular Season soon (at the conclusion of the World Baseball Classic) and the Keisler Cup will soon be underway where the little U13s are ready to play with the U21s and U16s. Hopefully the U16 team will be able to take home another 1st Place Trophy.
-Michealan Gardini

[Quintessence of Dust]

Final RP cutoff for the Round of 16.

[Quintessence of Dust]

Yafor 2               021 101 000 - 5
Western Cuba          000 000 020 - 2

Milchama              020 000 011 - 4
Secristan             040 110 00X - 6

Lycrabon              000 001 020 - 3
Zwangzug              504 111 00X - 12

Peace republic        400 000 040 - 8
Quintessence of Dust  100 700 10X - 9

Quarterfinals
(First listed teams are "home" for Games 1 and 3.)

Newmanistan v Yafor 2
Tocrowkia v Sarzonia
Cassadaigua v Secristan
Quintessence of Dust v Zwangzug

[Tocrowkia]

NordicNation.net

World Baseball Classic 16 coverage

Code: Select all

TEAMS        1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9   R H E
TOC          1 1 1 2 1 0 0 0 0   6 8 1
QAZ          0 0 1 1 0 0 0 2 1   5 7 0


WIN:
Tommy Thunder (3-1)
Save
Jamie Von Tipker (3)
HRs:
Adam Marksworth 1 (1)

There was a time many, many years ago where the Nordics couldn't touch the Phoenix. But now it's the other way around, as the Nordics have won their eighth straight decision over the Phoenix, the longest such streak over one opponent in Nordics history, and probably one of if not THE most longest in WBC history as well. The Nordics did what they do best, and that's pound out extra base hits as several doubles and a rare homerun by Adam Marksworth won the game for the Nordics.

Kitten Dyfuse, Adam Marksworth, Michael Hammer, Johnny Stryker and Kevin Monroe all notched a double in the game. Just goes to show the team doesn't always have to blast them out of the yard to win games. Despite another "passable" performance on the pitching side too, the Nordics were able to slam the door on their opponent, despite the normally solid Jamie Von Tipker giving up a run. The Nordics now face the Stars from Sarzonia, whom they met in the last WBC in the third place series.

[Tarrentum]

Round of Eight Participants
Host Post

Higher Seed listed first and HOME for Games 1 and 3
Newmanistan vs. Yafor 2 (Tarrentum Quarterfinal Series 1) MegOil Imperium Stadium, Napoliroma, Tarrentum, Tarrentum

Capacity: 53,325
Altitude: 320 ft (98 m)
Dimensions LF Line-LF-CF-RF-RF Line (ft): 312-417-460-335-315

Tocrowkia vs. Sarzonia (Tarrentum Quarterfinal Series 2) Krozile State Ballpark, Krozuy, Krozile, Tarrentum

Capacity: 35,000
Altitude: 5,280 ft (1,609 m)
Dimensions LF Line-LF-CF-RF-RF Line (ft): 330-356-410-356-330

Cassadaigua vs. Secristan (Quodite Quarterfinal Series 1) Dodger (Not That One) Stadium, New Cleethorpes, Quintessence of Dust

Quintessence of Dust vs. Zwangzug (Quodite Quarterfinal Series 2) Raptor Park, Nowy Opington, Quintessence of Dust

[Zwangzug]

The Zebras are facing elimination. So are the Blue Jays. But it is the former who strike first, in another one of those big innings. Aleplow and Pratt get singles, Craga swats a double and Keigenbey fouls a couple off before unleashing a hanging curve into the seats. Throop flies out, but Turner walks and Blitch singles. Meg Hietala comes up with a hit to drive in Turner, but they throw out Blitch at the plate.

And Cordemoy is in his groove, working fast and taking care of business. He's got a big lead, so it feels a little surprising when...the Zebras strike again! Keigenbey gets a bloopy hit to start out, Throop walks. Turner pops out, but Blitch rips this double, you can see the bat move around so fast. Not the kind of thing you expect out of a normal number eight...but this isn't normal, this is international, and he's a number seven this series. You try to ignore that part.

Mitchell Johnston is in now; the Blue Jays have a tiny bullpen, but they can't keep going like this. Doesn't seem to help. Hietala walks. Cordemoy strikes out, but Aleplow pokes a hit to the opposite field. Pratt's long double brings her in, and only then does Craga foul out to Tyson in left field.

Cordemoy works for a while, surrendering Gene Welch's RBI single to drive in Short in the sixth, and eventually is taken out for Deborah Helmsley. Who gives up some runs--Throop can't come up with Price's big hit, and Kramer's checked swing just leaves him free to get all of the next one--but they don't really register with you, not that way.

Maybe it's a problem, maybe it's not, but whatever, they hold on and win by nine, which is good.

You've never listened to a Gina Croes press conference all the way through and today is no exception. It's a little hard to criticize the lineup when you score twelve, but then again they'd lost the other game. Anyway she says the starting lineup works, and they'll stay where they are at least for game one. But Mercer will be on the bench, ready to play.

[Tarrentum]

KrozileBaseballUnderground.ast

Once again the Falcons made it to the WBC Playoffs, but once again they failed to overcome the Sarzonian Stars in the First Round. This time, there was no exciting game 3 for all of the marbles, merely a whimper of a game 2 where Tim Sutton blew a late lead (his fifth time doing such this tournament). Many wonder what Tiberius Wavi was thinking bringing him in with the game on the line - yet we can't change the past. All we can do, is learn from the past and become better. I think that Tarrentum is heading in that direction.

Currently the Falcons are ranked 22nd in the world but with their second straight Round of 16 appearance (ranked number 12 in the playoff standings) they should move up after this tournament to within sight of the top 15. Well, we can hope at least. Sometimes the coefficent calculations get a little messed up depending on who's doing the calculating. But what we can control, which no one can change, are the player's stats. I know you were all waiting for the End-of-Tournament statistics and here they are. I'm reminded of something that Harry Reasoner said:

Statistics are to baseball what a flaky crust is to Mom's apple pie.

Too true Mr. Reasoner, too true. This Tarrentian has thought a lot about why statistics favor themselves to baseball so well. What about soccer (or football)? What about gridiron football? What about ice hockey or any other team sport? I think the factor lies in the one-on-one situations in baseball. There is only one person to swing the bat at a time. That one person can only be directly affected by one other person - the pitcher. So it can easily be determined ("easy" being subjective) how someone will fair based on their past statistics. Then, taken together, you can extrapolate how a team should do, always being aware of the random flukes of any game.

Numbers also lend themselves to lore. 56? DiMaggio's hit streak. 2,632? Ripken's Consecutive Appearances. 65? Home runs by Hank Aaron in a single season. (And according to this blogger the real record). And who could forget .406? Ted Williams Single-Season Average! Ahh, but who am I kidding? You want the real stuff.

Batting Statistics

Pos	Name	AB	H	R	BB	AVG	IBB	HBP	SB	CS	HR	RBI	1B	2B	3B	SF	SH	OBP	wOBA	SLG	OPS	ISO	SecA	PA/G
SS	Ferdini Zappataro	75	35	13	3	.467	0	0	14	0	2	8	23	5	5	0	0	.487	.523	.747	1.234	.213	.507	4.9
CF	Gina Torretta	72	20	11	6	.278	0	0	1	0	2	3	15	3	0	0	0	.333	.326	.403	.736	.125	.222	4.9
1B	Erni Washini	72	26	11	1	.361	0	1	4	1	1	8	20	5	0	0	1	.378	.373	.472	.851	.111	.167	4.7
C	Antoni Favella	73	21	10	0	.288	0	1	0	0	2	9	14	5	0	0	0	.297	.321	.438	.736	.151	.151	4.6
2B	Dessea Vallena-Favella	66	38	15	4	.576	4	0	11	0	9	31	13	14	3	0	0	.600	.821	1.903	2.724	.667	.955	4.6
RF	Joe Thomas	65	22	4	5	.338	0	0	0	0	1	10	19	3	0	1	0	.380	.371	.446	.826	.092	.185	4.4
3B	Xavier Gradoni	64	17	5	6	.266	0	0	1	0	1	3	12	4	0	0	0	.329	.315	.375	.704	.109	.219	4.4
LF	Rich Rasmussen	41	17	9	3	.415	0	0	1	1	5	11	7	5	0	0	0	.455	.555	.902	1.357	.488	.561	2.8
LF	Woodrio Tucia	22	7	4	2	.318	0	0	0	0	0	0	6	1	0	0	0	.375	.337	.364	.739	.045	.136	1.5
OF	Norian Ionian	6	3	2	0	.500	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	0	0	0	0	.500	.450	.500	1.000	.000	.000	0.4
IF	Trego Saronna	5	1	0	0	.200	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	0	0	0	.200	.248	.400	.600	.200	.200	0.3
C	Valerio Utteroni	8	4	0	0	.500	0	0	0	0	0	1	4	0	0	0	0	.500	.450	.500	1.000	.000	.000	0.5
IF	Tristan Dolami	3	1	1	0	.333	0	0	0	0	1	2	0	0	0	0	0	.333	.650	1.33	1.667	1.000	1.000	0.2
**	TOTALS	615	222	88	31	.361	4	2	32	2	25	88	145	46	8	2	2	.392	.422	.587	.979	.210	.325	**

Batting Stats Breakdown

Group	AB	H	R	BB	AVG	IBB	HBP	SB	CS	HR	RBI	1B	2B	3B	SF	SH	OBP	wOBA	SLG	OPS	ISO	SecA
Outfielders	206	69	30	16	.335	0	0	2	1	8	24	50	12	0	1	0	.381	.390	.515	.896	.175	.262
Infielders	285	118	45	14	.414	4	1	30	1	14	53	68	29	8	0	1	.443	.499	.723	1.166	.277	.460
Cleanup Spot	74	21	11	0	.284	0	0	0	0	2	10	14	5	0	1	0	.280	.303	.432	.712	.149	.149
Pinch Hitters	24	10	3	0	.417	0	0	0	0	1	4	8	1	0	0	0	.417	.433	.583	1.000	.167	.167
Right-Handed Batters	326	136	59	17	.417	4	1	31	2	19	61	78	32	8	0	1	.448	.507	.742	1.190	.298	.466
Left-Handed Batters	165	51	18	7	.309	0	1	0	0	3	20	39	10	0	1	0	.339	.342	.430	.769	.115	.164
Switch Hitters	75	22	6	6	.293	0	0	1	0	2	6	16	4	0	0	0	.346	.340	.427	.772	.133	.227

Pitching Statistics

Name (Role)	IP	W	L	SV	ERA	ER	UER	H	BB	K	HRA	1BA	2BA	3BA	SFA	ABF	WHIP	BAbip	BIP	XBH%	X/H%	HR/9	H/9	BB/9	SO/9	SO/BB
Johnny Burtoni (SP)	21.2	1	1	0	5.09	12	4	30	10	26	4	18	8	0	1	103	1.89	.351	96%	11.65%	40.00%	12.7	1.7	4.2	11.0	2.60
Liona Marrada (SP)	26	2	0	0	4.50	13	1	30	11	28	2	18	8	2	1	116	1.58	.322	98%	10.34%	40.00%	10.4	0.7	3.8	9.7	2.55
Pollani Dazzera (SP)	18.3	1	1	0	3.44	7	2	20	4	16	2	15	2	1	1	78	1.31	.295	97%	6.41%	25.00%	9.8	1.0	2.0	7.9	4.00
Fironte Sareb (SP)	21.6	2	0	0	1.67	4	1	20	8	34	2	15	4	0	1	91	1.30	.321	98%	6.59%	30.00%	8.3	0.8	3.3	14.2	4.25
Alberto Lugo (SP)	14	1	1	0	3.21	5	1	7	4	11	2	4	1	0	0	52	0.79	.128	96%	5.77%	42.86%	4.5	1.3	2.6	7.1	2.75
Brodi Jacobo (LR)	1.9	0	0	0	9.47	2	1	5	1	3	1	3	1	0	0	13	3.16	.444	92%	15.38%	40.00%	23.7	4.7	4.7	14.2	3.00
Romeo Vasparian (LR)	5	1	0	0	1.80	1	1	8	1	4	0	7	1	0	1	24	1.80	.381	100%	4.17%	12.50%	14.4	0.0	1.8	7.2	4.00
Juliana Italiana (MR)	6.8	0	1	0	7.94	6	2	9	2	10	2	3	4	0	1	32	1.62	.333	94%	18.75%	66.67%	11.9	2.6	2.6	13.2	5.00
Tim Sutton (MR)	9.5	0	3	0	7.58	8	2	20	5	2	2	14	4	0	0	50	2.63	.391	96%	12.00%	30.00%	18.9	1.9	4.7	1.9	0.40
Luis Mata (SU)	7.5	1	0	0	6.00	5	1	10	2	8	4	4	1	0	0	34	1.60	.273	88%	14.71%	50.00%	12.0	4.8	2.4	9.6	4.00
Ederi Sallamo (CL)	6.9	0	0	5	1.30	1	2	5	1	7	0	4	1	0	0	26	0.87	.263	100%	3.85%	20.00%	6.5	0.0	1.3	9.1	7.00
TOTALS	138.7	9	7	5	4.15	64	18	164	49	149	21	105	35	3	6	613	1.54	.318	97%	9.62%	35.98%	10.6	1.4	3.2	9.7	3.04

Pitching Stats Breakdown

Group	IP	W	L	SV	ERA	ER	UER	H	BB	K	HRA	1BA	2BA	3BA	SFA	ABF	WHIP	BAbip	BIP	XBH%	X/H%	HR/9	H/9	BB/9	SO/9	SO/BB
Starters	101.1	7	3	0	3.65	41	9	107	37	115	12	70	23	3	4	440	1.42	3.00	97%	8.64%	35.51%	9.5	1.1	3.3	10.2	3.11
Bullpen	37.6	2	4	5	5.51	23	9	57	12	34	9	35	12	0	2	179	1.84	.348	95%	11.73%	36.84%	13.6	2.2	2.9	8.1	2.83
LHP	78.2	6	1	0	4.14	36	8	95	32	99	13	58	22	2	3	357	1.62	.331	96%	10.36%	38.95%	10.9	1.5	3.7	11.4	3.09
RHP	60.5	3	6	5	4.17	28	10	69	17	50	8	47	13	1	3	262	1.42	.295	97%	8.40%	31.88%	10.3	1.2	2.5	7.4	2.94

Miscellaneous Stats
Total Games: 16
Total Errors: 1
Defensive Efficiency: .643
Runs Scored / Game: 5.50
Runs Against / Game: 5.13
Differential / Game: 0.38

I have to apologize to my readers for not elaborating on these statistics but it seems I would need a book to do so. Well, probably just another hour, which I unfortunately do not have. I would like to point out that Dessea Vallena-Favella should definately be playing next year as she looks like a woman on a mission. Though she hasn't been able to single-handedly push the Falcons through the playoffs, she has done her best in trying to do so. I think that the Pitching Stats speak volumes about the overall poor quality of the hurlers this year. Tough games followed tough games and Wavi wasn't getting any help from the Bullpen. We should expect to see Marrada, Sallamo, Lugo, Burtoni and Dazzera back - the rest of the staff can go pound sand.

Well, the Judge wants to wish the rest of the competitors good luck in the tournament! We're all behind Newmanistan for making their reappearance and hoping they have a "Cinderella" moment and win their Record-Setting Fourth WBC Title.
-Judge-n-Jurri

[Tarrentum]

Cut-off for Quarterfinal Series

[Tarrentum]

WBC Quarterfinal Playoff Games (Round of 8 - Best of 3)

Tarrentum Quarterfinal Series 1, MegOil Imperium Stadium
Yafor 2               100 100 000 - 2
Newmanistan           100 121 02X - 7
Newmanistan leads Series 1-0

Tarrentum Quarterfinal Series 2, Krozile State Ballpark
Sarzonia              000 000 000 - 0
Tocrowkia             010 200 00X - 3
Tocrowkia leads Series 1-0

Quodite Quarterfinal Series 1, Dodger (Not That One) Stadium
Secristan             001 000 000 - 1
Cassadaigua           200 000 00X - 2
Cassadaigua leads Series 1-0

Quodite Quarterfinal Series 2, Raptor Park
Zwangzug              020 010 054 - 12
Quintessence of Dust  000 010 031 - 5
Zwangzug leads Series 1-0

[Tocrowkia]

NordicNation.net

World Baseball Classic 16 coverage

Code: Select all

TEAMS        1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9   R H E
SAR          0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0   0 3 0
TOC          0 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 0   3 5 0


WIN:
Alexandria Dassow (4-0)

The opening match between the Nordics and the Stars featured one of the more exciting pitcher duels in the 16th World Baseball Classic between Alexandria Dassow, the heir-apparent to Tommy Thunder whom pitched a perfect game last year, and Brian Edwards. And once again, the Nordics starting rotation showed a glimmer of it's former self as Dassow was essentially lights out. Dassow allowed three hits, three singles scattered through out the game, hit one batter and struck out five. Her opposite number was good, but not as good.

The game got off to a rather unusual start for the Nordics, as they did not score, or even get a hit in the first inning. But for that matter, neither did the Stars. In the second, Kevin Monroe hit a double to right center, and Jill Haviland smacked an offering from Edwards between second and short for an RBI single, though that was it for the rest of the inning. In the top top of the fourth, Dassow ran a slider inside to Schmidt whom had collected a hit in an earlier plate appearance. And because to that point, Schmidt had been one of few Stars to even make solid contact, Nordics fans cheered and took it as an intentional beaning. Dassow looked Schmidt straight in the face, shrugged and induced a ground ball from Gordon to end the inning.

In the bottom half, with one out Edwards plunked Stryker in the ribs with a sinker. The Nordic Captain smiled, apparently bemused as he tossed his bat toward his dugout and undid his ankle guard. "You're a smart kid." Stryker was heard saying as he began to stride toward first. "You know I'd put it in another zip code if you put it anywhere near me." and the Captain didn't waste any time in making his impact on the basepaths felt as he stole second in the first pitch. An RBI double from Dmitri Rykov, and then Michael Hammer put the Nordics in front 3-0, which is all the runs they'd ever need as Dassow allowed one more hit all game long, and went all nine innings.

[Zwangzug]

Excerpts from fangaffes.zz open chat, Zwangzug vs. Quintessence of Dust

bethedge: forgive me for not being completely woewd by the prospect of Cieger v. Morioka.
BearBooty: Actually, you have a point. At this point we really don't need to face the SLORCball.
*
syncmeister: Blitch singles, Throop comes in! Turner will hold up at second.
shakir2: yess go Zebras, thank you Ada, way t oget hte momentum. she is so clutch
BearBooty: Hi, shakir2, welcome to fangaffes, don't think I've seen you around before. Just a word of advice for your own sake, you might not want to bring up "clutch" to some of these guys.
vanehawk: More importantly, what is a shakir, and why on earth would one of them not be enough?
*
kzone: Okay, /this/ should score Turner, nicely done Janet.
*
syncmeister: Insurance run, Craga drives in Pratt.
kzone: Wow. Craga /has/ stepped up.
bethedge: ...literally?
vanehawk: no, he had stepped up to the plate. He has since run to first base, and is currently taking a lead of a few steps off it.
bethedge: Wow, the insight here. You guys are better than the TV.
kzone: I don't think any of our portrayals can do justice to the giant orange, but I'm flattered.
*
syncmeister: The Things have remembered how to hit Cieger, Radosav driving in Natalia with another double.
vanehawk: I like how you're on a first-name basis with the Quodite team.
syncmeister: I don't like trying to find their last names to copy and paste, so, we're even.
shakir2: the things?
vanehawk: yes.
bethedge: It's short for the Thingymabobbers. Watch Koumura advocate for Jorvelki like independence or something any day now.
BearBooty: This is not, in fact, true.
syncmeister: Sacrifice fly moves Radosav to third.
shakir2: it's not a sacrifice fly if they don't score
vanehawk: is too.
BearBooty: Play nicely, children.
bethedge: sorry but how old are /you/?
vanehawk: he(?) probably ages with the team
BearBooty: I'm obsessed, but not /that/ obsessed. I think.
*
syncmeister: Turner rips this one into left. Throop will come in.
BearBooty: I believe that Ada Throop has just scored the 1093rd run in Zebras WBC history, congratulations
vanehawk: first, how the bleep do you know, second, why the bleep do you care
*
syncmeister: Pinch-hitter now. Trevor Pisciott?
kzone: Yep.
syncmeister: Broken-bat single, Turner scores. That'll be all for Morioka too.
*
syncmeister: Keigenbey singles. Throw back to Li will hold Aleplow but that's five runs. Throop stepping up to bat for the second time this inning.
BearBooty: You know, sometimes I really do love this team. Talk about the bullpens, five in the eighth is really nice when /we're/ scoring it.
*
BearBooty: Sad news, guys, win expectancy calculator is broken. Good news is I found another one, not really as sure how to work it but I think ours has jumped by .17?
*
shakir2: gah,sanderson
vanehawk: Ok, settles it, we have no monopoly on bad bullpens but that doesn't mean we're safe.
*
syncmeister: Norona gets Ana to strike out.
shakir2: you just said she got a single
kzone: She did. Shallow left, so they could hold Sanderson, but I'm confused...
syncmeister: Ana with one n. The pinch-hitter.
kzone: ...the Things are strange
syncmeister: Grounder to Blitch, he'll go to first to get Noodles, but Emily scores.
BearBooty: Never fun to give up a run, but at least I got to see Noodles get an RBI.
*
syncmeister: A walk for Blitch...that's all for Stephen Williams, I think.
kzone: They're bringing in Mizokuchi!
BearBooty: I'll say this for the Quintessentials, they're not hamstrung by save situations.
kzone: Honestly I'm not that crushed that Croes sort of is...I don't need to see Gordon Chane all the time.
vanehawk: what, is theer a reliever on thi team you particularly like?
*
syncmeister: Okay, I'm not saying anything, just watch the replay for Aleplow.
shakir2: ...:D:D
kzone: wow
vanehawk: who else has /hit/ a grand slam for the Zebras?
BearBooty: Murray Quashnock...there've been others. I think.
shakir2: lol Quashnock
kzone: what? he was cool
syncmeister: Klaus Rifkin.
shakir2: that was 3 runs
syncmeister: different game
*
kzone: Okay, two outs, let's do this!
syncmeister: Hmm, nope, not quite. Single from Sakiko.
vanehawk: Why is Norona still pitching?
BearBooty: Found another grand slam, by the way. Thomas Grush.
shakir2: who is Thomas Grush?
BearBooty: Part of the first Zebras team.
syncmeister: Oh, here's something different. Wild pitch, Sakiko to second.
vanehawk: Why is Norona still pitching?
kzone: Because it's not a save situation?
vanehawk: put in a long reliever. two days in a row. That's why they're long relievers.
syncmeister: And a double from Sam to bring in Sakiko.
vanehawk: ...
*
BearBooty: Talk about bullpen fail. Nice game, night all.
postmodernismftmeh: hey now. gender-non-specific-bovine-pen fail. please.

[Sarzonia]

Before anyone could question Sarzonian national baseball team manager Khalil Dennis's decisions in Sarzonia's 3-0 loss to Tocrowkia in Game 1 of their best-of-three quarterfinal series, the team challenged the Nordics.

Sarzonia may have lost Game 1 to Tocrowkia after notching only three hits, but the Stars to a player are incensed over Alexandria Dassow's hitting third baseman Kate Schmidt with a beaning that Nordic media suggested was intentional. Even though Brian Edwards retaliated with a fastball in the ribs of Johnny Stryker, the Stars were still fuming.

"I can't believe that chicken shit umpire wouldn't toss that bitch Dassow," first baseman Skip Hale said. "It was fucking blatant what he was doing."

Dennis shook his head when asked if he were surprised that the Qazoxian umpire didn't warn both benches after Edwards plunked Stryker.

"I'm not at liberty to comment on umpiring decisions," he said.

Perhaps he wasn't, but bench coach Geoff Yancey certainly did.

"I've seen little league umpires handle games better than those chumps," Yancey said. "Where do they get their umpiring certifications, Disney World?"

As for Schmidt, her boyfriend, Sarzonian ice hockey goalie had a specific warning for the Nordics.

"If any of you punks hit my girlfriend again, you'd better hope I don't meet you in a back alley."

As for the match itself, the debate that raged on Sarzonian sport talk shows centred on Dennis's insistence on staying with his qualification stage starting rotation in the knockout rounds.

"He had plenty of opportunity to set up the rotation the way he wanted," one caller said. "Why the fuck did he let that kid pitch Game 2 and Edwards pitch Game 3?"

Dennis defended his decision, saying the pitchers who worked in their respective spots earned their way there. He pointed out that starting "that kid", better known as Chris Carlton after ace Brad Baxter introduced a hard-throwing lefty to follow the right-handed Baxter, thus not letting teams get into a rhythm with their starting lineups. Dennis added that he would stay with the rotation and start Charlie Palmer in Game 2.

"Now isn't the time to panic," Dennis said. "If I started Brad now, you'd think I were panicking."

Perhaps not, but some critics of the Delaclav-born manager are arguing that in a do-or-die match such as Game 2 following a Game 1 loss, the best available starter needs to pitch, and Baxter would work on three-days rest.

"If we lose, we're going to get several months of rest," the caller continued. "We need Baxter out there against the Nordics."

When asked which starter would work Game 3 if the Stars get that far, Dennis said such talk was premature, but "you know who it's going to be."

If it gets that far, Baxter will be ready. If it gets that far.

[Quintessence of Dust]

RP cutoff.

[Quintessence of Dust]

Newmanistan           100 120 100 - 5
Yafor 2               000 011 112 - 6

Tocrowkia             100 051 310 - 11
Sarzonia              100 000 500 - 6

Cassadaigua           200 000 000 - 2
Secristan             010 000 000 - 1

The result of the Quintessence of Dust-Zwangzug game will be posted a bit later, because the 15 innings tie thing has reared its head.

[Quintessence of Dust]

The official result of the QOD-ZWZ game was

Quintessence of Dust  000 010 002 000 000 - 3
Zwangzug              020 000 100 000 000 - 3

With Zwangzug's consent, I resimmed the game until a result in extra innings was generated, and tagged those on (in this case, an 11 innings win for QOD). The final result is thus 4-3 in 17 innings.

Quintessence of Dust  000 010 002 000 000 01 - 4
Zwangzug              020 000 100 000 000 00 - 3

[Zwangzug]

It's not what you'd call an offensive battle. The Zebras scored two early, with Turner's loud single driving in Keigenbey and Blitch's sacrifice fly scoring Throop.

And still, you don't really appreciate at the time how well Lutrick is throwing. The Things do get on the board in the fifth; Li strokes a single past Aleplow and Ptarmigan tears in. But other than that, Lutrick is sailing smoothly, and so is whoever's pitching for Quintessence of Dust (it's Maija Peltosaari's turn, but starting her after that inflammation might be rash).

The Zebras add an insurance run in the seventh; Hietala reaches on a walk, and singles from Aleplow and Pratt bring her in.

Top of the ninth, they put in Chane.

Spade gets a hit and steals second while Ptarmigan is busy striking out. Grubenšek thwaps a double deep into right. Bleepit. Ben Zimmerman is pinch-hitting, he strikes out looking. Li gets a single, it...no, no, it was just past Hietala, Grubenšek has to stop at third.

But still, it's then you appreciate how well Lutrick had been pitching. Something else you took for granted. And you realize how silly it is, what's going on. How were you to know you'd feel this way? You had a lead, you still do! How were you to know you should have appreciated Mercer, it wasn't like Byron Wabble had the reputation of being wild. You tell yourself it's over, that you're free.

Natalia Kivistö gets a hit and that scores Grubenšek. With two Zebras warming, Chane gets Alaja to fly out, but Zwangzug goes one-two-three in the ninth.

Elisa Carrano comes in and gives up a two-out walk, but that's it for the tenth. The Things try Olof Bergman for the bottom half; Stark, Williams, and Mizokuchi pitched last night, but they still have several more middle relievers. The Zebras, on the other hand (who go down in order again), don't have as many, and fewer still you trust. At least Carrano and Nelson should be good for a few innings each.

So the game goes on, and it isn't like there aren't opportunities. Jurkaš has a big lead off first in the twelfth when Sanderson belts one to the track, but Pratt comes up with it and Jurkaš is eventually stranded. In the fourteenth, the Zebras get two on and nobody out, but Keegan Oates grounds into a double play and Aleplow fouls out.

It's a small consolation, but Carrano and Nelson are good for five innings between them. The Things make a few more pitching changes, the Zebras a few more batting changes. Pisciott is first, then Derly, Oates. They keep cutting to the rosters with all the crossouts and scribbles. Croes' is barely legible, of course.

If the game was on WTB you'd be in bed by now listening to it on a sleep timer.

Beaudoin and O'Neal beat you in ten innings, but this is longer than that. Have the Zebras ever lost a game that's gone...the Rockets beat you in eleven...but twelve, that was Orsulak's homer, and thirteen? You thought about researching the extra-inning games, but you can't think about the computer now. Gotta watch the game. It's still tied after fifteen...

Books. Computers. Real things that have dreams inside of them, dreams that need your mind to become real. How many more lines, binding you to things beyond your control? Lines that will hurt you if snapped, hurt even if they fade away on the other end? How few could notice if you just stopped caring? But you can't stop caring. That's the thing. So it doesn't matter. No matter how many times you try and tell yourself you won't get burned again. It's too late. The fire has already started.

Trains. Being lost.

The sound of whooshing. Unsure where you are, what is real. Like you're on vacation and not used to your bed. Only it's not a vacation. You're supposed to be settled in somewhere. And you call yourself a fan of the national team.

The sound of...

those are bikes. There's a bike race on TV. This is not your bed.

The Zebras.

It's early but not that early. You turn off the TV, you've been wasting electricity, and get the paper. It tells you that the Zebras had a two-run lead in the top of the ninth but Gordon Chane blew the save. Of course.

You didn't turn your computer off last night. It's been wasting energy too.

It ended 4-3.

The first few paragraphs are all blah-dee-blah it's probably like a record or something, who better to set it than these two, they've met at stuff before (you know this already), they make drama of their own, as teams. Finally it gets to how Croes used her entire bench, how Zhou wore out the bullpen, and then, the seventeenth. Kilbourne was in, and it wasn't like giving up a double to Lü could really force him out of the game. And, really, Ptarmigan's hit couldn't force him either; the run had scored, that was that, they'd get their chance to tie it up. Might as well let him see if he can get out of it, they'd most likely need a starter the next day. And he did, and Tal Isaachar finished it off (Mizokuchi having been exhausted in the thirteenth.)

Later that day, you're doing something else, and all of a sudden you realize that "entire" means entire.

[Yafor 2]

[OOC: I've been out of the country and away from baseball for a while, so no stats or anything really good here. Sorry bout that.]

You're listening to a fairly low-level sports station. It doesn't really matter to you, but the commentators aren't anyone you've ever heard of before and they're not particularly good at sybrmetrics or anything. Pity. One would think that a more representative sample of Yaforite live radio commentary would have a blogger of some kind as the colour commentator. As it is, the colour commentator is a former Yaforite-league player, who belabors all the prejudices of his generation and such. To the ninth, then!

"Moving into the bottom of the ninth, now; Erica Barrett in to finish things off for the Rockets. She's got a tough task ahead of her: Go-Go Gomez, Jacquemin, Barragan, and if anyone gets on, Slavoj Marin. Top of the order for the Firebugs, and they're going to see if they can get anything going against the twenty-one year-old Newmanistani closer, who'll bring heat, along with a variety of off-speed stuff and even a knuckleball that she throws for good measure. The Rocket pitching staff, along with most foreign pitching staffs, are known for their outstanding variation in pitches; most normal relievers throw two or three pitches well, but these Rockets throw three or four!"

"Shouldn't be a problem for the Firebugs, Daraan. Yafor 2 has scored in the last four innings only, facing that Newmanistani bullpen, and the top of the order has been the catalyst. Just need one run to tie and I think I can see this game going to extras. Barrett's finished up her warm-up tosses and the customary throw to second base signals the beginning of the inning. Lefty on lefty to set it off first and Barrett's especially tough against left-handers, so Gomez has to be extra patient here. Can't go swinging at anything low or away; he needs to get on base to get the inning moving."

"Gomez one of the few starters from the top-line Firebugs side we normally see at the World Baseball Classic. With LAZY league training camps in full swing, most of the stars refused to join with the national team; the Uharan Otters, in particular, refused to let anyone go. So no Jarridan, no Aladan, no Makuur, as Gomez takes low and away, ball one. It's been a hotly contested decision in the public sphere - what do you think about that move by most Yaforite star players, Jyolt?"

"Well, it hasn't been as bad a loss as one would have expected. We've still reached the quarterfinals as the lowest advancing seed and we've got a shot at overcoming the tournament favorites, Newmanistan, and - woah! Gomez really spanked that ball there! Muscled that one over second!"

"Lined shot by Go-Go Gomez into the gap, wrestling Barrett's fastball, in on his hands, over Cuyler into the gap. Quick thinking by Courtney Weinman in right to cut that ball off as fast as she does; Gomez has the speed to take that simple single and extend it. So Go-Go Gomez does his job by getting on and Silvain Jacquemin, the right fielder, will take his position batting second, the place on the national team ordinarily reserved for the captain Arrin Jarridan. With Jarridan's absence, rookie catcher Salvador Barragan has the distinction, and Jacquemin, another rookie, the second position in the lineup."

"Been impressed by Jacquemin, who takes that ball high, so far today, Daraan. Line-drive shot in the seventh to the deep seats in left-center off the tough Cosgrove. Just drove that ball out of here in a hurry; not ordinarily known for that pop, but if he keeps developing it, he'll be a threat."

"One and one now on Jacquemin as he swings over the top of Erica Barrett's splitter. Jacquemin's about as aggressive as every other Yaforite player, but they really seem to be going after Barrett early in the count here. What do you read into that, Jyolt?"

"Well I imagine there's something in the scouting report about Erica Barrett having more trouble early in the count. Woah! Can't believe I just saw that play! Clever small ball from Go-Go Gomez - he just SWIPED that bag! Ball low and in to Jacquemin, but Sorenson and the middle infielders just didn't see that one coming! Playing Newmanistan's game against them - brilliant, brilliant, brilliant!"

"Smart play by Go-Go Gomez there and Newmanistan didn't have a chance against his speed. Sorenson does throw, but she's Gomez clearly beats the tag. So Barrett comes back with the 2-1 pitch. Fastball and it's bunted by Silvain Jacquemin! Newmanistani infield playing back - who expects the bunt from a Yaforite national team? Butler grabs the ball and acrobatically hurls it to first base, but Jacquemin, hustling down the line, makes it safely. This brings up Salvador Barragan, the star of the side, with two men on and no one out here in the ninth. The Firebugs are just out-maneuvering the Rockets, eh Jyolt? Can Yafor 2 actually pull off a victory here?"

"This is incredible, brilliant coaching from the Firebug bench. Newmanistan, particularly Stacie Meadows, have been outspoken about their opinion of the stolen base and bunting and having repeatedly attempted to utilize both against this Yaforite side. A clever little response here by the Yaforite coaching staff as they surprise the Rockets in successive plays."

"Barragan rips the first pitch from Barrett up the middle but it's Kristen Wheeler with a tremendous diving stop! Stands up, looks Go-Go Gomez back to third base, and then the flip to second to get Jacquemin! Can't turn the double-play here; Barragan's not exactly slow, despite being a catcher, and the time spent keeping Gomez away from home allows Barragan to keep it a fielder's choice. Runners on first and third with one away for the third baseman, Slavoj Marin, a player who has peaked late, but peaked hard. So what do you think about that play by Wheeler, Jyolt?"

"Terrific, terrific fielding by Wheeler. Watch her anticipation in this replay - she knows where the ball is going the minute it hits off the bat and she just about gets there. That was another fastball by Barrett, by the way, Daraan. She's really struggling to locate that pitch and when she does, it's getting spanked all over the field. Looks like she realizes it too; there's a cutter to start off the sequence against Marin."

"That's right; strike one on the big left-hander. Marin really has to deliver here with only one away - the Firebugs have struggled to get men in scoring position the whole game and having a runner on third with less than two outs really should be a run. Marin's one for three in this game thusfar, having hit one of the Firebugs' three home runs in the fifth, off of Brasfield. He takes strike two as Javier Lorenzo takes his position in the on-deck circle. Lorenzo's a right-hander with massive platoon splits, so we might expect a more patient approach from Marin with a player closer to a sure bet on the on-deck circle, right Jyolt?"

"Uh, I'd be careful saying that anything is a sure bet here and, Enalla's eyes, didn't expect that one! Ball one on Marin, but it's the catcher Barragan who takes second on that play, and by a long stretch; Sorenson doesn't even attempt the throw! Newmanistan weren't even holding Barragan on, that's how unlikely this stolen base was!"

"That's sybrmetric anathema right there*, but Newmanistan were just asleep there! No throw, just confused looks around the diamond as the Firebugs abandon all their principles and shock the Rockets. Runners on second and third with one away as Marin rips that one foul down the left-field line. I know I'm surprised and you are too, Jyolt, but that's just a stunner here, and Erica Barrett looks rattled on the mound. Ball two to Marin; Jyolt, can a surprising play have an effect on a player like that? In your day, if a team pulled something like this, would it have hurt you?"

"Well, I think "hurt" is the wrong word. I remember one game in the 1987 season, where the Flame stole home against us. Really threw us off and we committed a few errors in the field. The next day we went out there and destroyed them, because we wanted revenge for that little move, so I guess it works both ways. Ball three to Marin and he's being a little more patient. But anyway, it can have both effects and really depends on the teams involved, but I guess here, it's a deliberate slight to the Rockets, who pride themselves on stealing bases."

"That's fair enough. Barrett back for the full count pitch and Marin just fouls it away. The Rockets are known for playing with their emotions on the field, so I guess they might take this whole sequence badly and, if it comes to a decisive game three, they'll throw everything out on the field. Meadows in center looks furious. So here's Barrett back again. The pitch and Marin drives it! This is into the right-field gap - it'll go all the way to the wall! Go-Go Gomez is in! Salvador Barragan is in! The Yaforites win 6-5 on a thunderous shot by Slavoj Marin off of Erica Barrett! Firebugs win in dramatic fashion! Firebugs win! Firebugs win!"

"You just knew it was coming. Barrett's struggled with the fastball all day and the Yaforites scored all their runs late. But what a piece of hitting by Slavoj Marin, taking Barrett's fastball, out and over the plate, and just smashing it into the gap. You knew once he hit that ball that the game was over. Thunderous play by Marin and the Firebugs with their late heroics!"

Well, it ended up being only the second-most dramatic game of the day, but it was still a pretty exciting one, no?

* - ed, it's actually not, but Daraan doesn't know that.

[Newmanistan]

THE ROCKET REPORT

PRESSURE’S ON BRASFIELD. SUPPOSEDLY.

MegOil Imperial Stadium, Tarrentum- If the Rockets are going to advance to yet another semifinal in the World Baseball Classic, the team will need a big effort out of starting pitcher Jessica Brasfield in Tarrentum. And that’s something that sits just fine with the young trash talker, showing the chemistry that exists within this team, especially with the way that the team faltered in the second game of the series. “Erica (Barrett) deserves better. I will not allow her to become a scapegoat here. I will not allow her to be associated with why we went home early, because we’re not going home early. I got a big game coming, and everyone here knows it. There's no pressure. This is an opportunity, and a wonderful one at that. It's also not about me, this is about picking up our bullpen, because they have saved our ass on many occasions.”

There aren’t too many players on the Rockets who would have experienced firsthand how the bullpen has picked up the starting pitchers like Brasfield, if we go off of what happened during World Baseball Classic 15. It was there that the entire Newmanistan piching staff began to suffer through the phenomena of more runs being scored per game, which many Newmanistanians still believe is a result of umpires shortening up the strike zone. It affected all of the starters, but Jessica was particularly snake bitten during that classic, but she never lost a game. The reason? The wonderful play of the Rockets bullpen. Coach Christina Sanders knows this, too, “Jessica is really excited about her opportunity tomorrow. I think you would normally see a lot of pitchers be nervous when in the situation that she is in, but it is the opposite here. She knows how bad the bullpen feels, mainly Erica Barrett, but the entire unit feels the sting of the way we lost the last game. Jessica wants to return the favor right now, she is really excited about it, and I would not doubt her for a second. The hunger in her eyes right now, the determination, is incredible. The only way we lose game three will be if Yafor 2 also gets one hell of a start from their pitcher and they match up inning for inning.” Also excited is young Brittany Castelli, who remembers the tough outing she had against Tocrowkia and bounced back the next day out of the bullpen when the game went to extended extra innings. If there is one thing we know, it is that this Rockets team always seems to rise up to the occasion, and the level of confidence that they display is sky high.

The team has asked for no further discussion of the way the team collapsed in Game 2, so we will not provide a recap of that. That game is now a distant memory, and the team is now ready to take their next place, which is opposite Tocrowkia once again.

[Tocrowkia]

NordicNation.net

World Baseball Classic 16 coverage

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WIN:
Matthew Shaporio (3-0)
HRs:
Kitten Dyfuse 1 (1), Jill Haviland 1 (2), Kevin Monroe 1 (4)

The Nordics once again eclipsed the Stars, and stamped out two tickets tonight. One being their own for a trip to the semi-finals once more, the other a return to sender as they send the Stars home to contemplate what went wrong this time. Team captain Johnny Stryker had some parting comments: "I respect pretty much everyone that is able to perform at this level. That doesn't mean I have to like them, and I don't like the Stars. Not the baseball Stars, or the football Stars, or any of them.I don't like Sarzonians. I think they're loud-mouthed obnoxious punks, and I'm glad I got the chance to send them home personally. Hopefully Schmidt will be over her menopause next time 'round. She could do without the idiot boyfriend, too. Anyway, tootles Schmidt. Have a nice trip, see you next fall."

The good Captain went 3-for-4 in the game with two doubles, two RBI and a base on balls. The game got off to a rather ominous start for the Stars when Kitten Dyfuse lined the second pitch of the first at bat over the wall for a solo shot. Though the Stars would respond with a run of their own in the bottom half, the writing was on the wall as far as the Nordics were concerned. In the fifth inning, the Nordics hung five on their opponents in an inning that featured one of the mentioned Johnny Stryker RBI doubles and a two run blast by Jill Haviland. The next inning, Kathrin Jordan had an RBI single, and the next?! Kevin Monroe with a three run bomb.

The Nordics bullpen, which had seen it's most exposure ever in the classic, did cough up five runs in the seventh, but it turned out to be immaterial as the Nordics snuffed out any hope of a rally using Amber Tavern and Jamie Von Tipker in non-save roles. The Nordics now await the winner of the Firebugs-Rockets series. We all know who it's most likely going to be. And if it is them, we'll be ready. They may have a slim lead in the all time H2H series, but they also know we won't back down from anyone. Especially not them.

[Quintessence of Dust]

RP cutoff.