International Baseball Slam XIII: Everything Thread

by **Banija** » Mon Feb 08, 2021 4:12 pm

IBS XIII

The Banijan Service Academies Association(BSAA) and the Banijan Collegiate Sports Group(BCSG) are excited to bring the International Baseball Slam to Banija's shores for the first time. This will be the first major standalone international baseball tournament to take place in Banija, and the first international baseball event in Banija since the XIV Summer Olympiad.

Helpful IBS XII Links
Guide to Sports Roleplaying || General Sports Roleplaying Questions || IBS XII || Signup Thread || Host Bid

Group Stage Format
The entirety of the tournament will take place in Banija. Each military academy will host a group. However, since the service academies could not agree on who would host the Final, that will be the only event of the tournament not hosted on the grounds of a military academy. All groups are single round robin.

With 24 participants, there shall be 4 groups of six. Top four from each group advance to the Round of 16. Each team will play six group stage games. On Matchdays 1-5, they will play each team in their group once, for a total of 5 games in a single round robin. On Matchday 6, there will be an extra game, called " the rivalry showdown." It will count in your own team's group standings no matter what. It will be against a team from another group. The opponent will be selected by you. It can be any opponent in another group, as long as that team agrees and as long as they are in another group. You would have until the cutoff for Matchday 5 to schedule an opponent- any teams without an opponent by then will then be assigned an opponent for Matchday 6.

Group Stage Tiebreakers
1) H-2-H Wins
2) H-2-H Run Differential
3) Record against common opponents
4) Overall Run Differential
5) Overall Runs For
6) Coin Toss

Knockout Stage Format
16 teams will make the knockout stages, no matter how many sign up (unless we stunningly get over 32). Now, we will use a College World Series style, partial double elimination format.

So we will have four regionals- Army, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard. The teams, who will be seeded 1-16, will be drawn into each regional, which is inside a super-regional. The super-regional as a whole is double elimination= so your losses carry over from the regional to the super regional round. The winner of the two super regionals will make the championship series, where records will reset and it will be a straight up best of 3. See the host bid for an example of how this works.

Army Regional
1 v 16
8 v 9

Air Force Regional
4 v 13
5 v 12

The winners of these two regionals, with their potential loss carried over, meet in the Army super regional. With losses carrying over to the super regional, this super regional could last one, two, or three games.

Navy Regional
2 v 15
7 v 10

Coast Guard Regional
3 v 14
6 v 11

The winners of these two regionals, with their potential loss carried over, meet in the Navy super regional. With losses carrying over to the super regional, this super regional could last one, two, or three games.

The winner of each super regional will make the Final, which is played in Istria. Losses reset after the super regional round. The Final is a Best of 3 championship series. There is no third place match/series.

Groups
Group A
Daskel U18 Junior Daskies
Bohemia Buccaneers
Quebec U22s
Osci Talenti
Breton Valley Bangers
Sarzonia U-21 Junior Stars

Group B
Super-Llamaland U13s
Northwest Ballina Redhawks
Neptun Taru U21
Xannerian Junior Maroons
Cassadaigua U18s
Hannasea Independent All-Stars

Group C
Banijan Joint Service Academy All-Stars
Santo Domingo Toros
Silvedania U-21 Sycamores
Nova Anglicana Lions
Sainte-Maire - Les Espadons
Alma-Ata Clerical Institute Holy Warriors

Group D
Kohnhead U-21 Pandas
Isle of Lowe United
Newmanistan U16s
Hebitaka U21 Heroes
South Newlandia U22s
Abanhfleft Revolution All-Stars

Calendar - Cutoff will be between 9:30 PM and 11:30 PM EST.
Group Stages
(Home Team, for DH and administrative purposes, Listed First)
Matchday 1- Friday, February 12th. 1 v 6, 2 v 5, 3 v 4.
Matchday 2- Saturday, February 13th. 6 v 4, 5 v 3, 1 v 2.
Matchday 3- Sunday, February 14th. 2 v 6, 3 v 1, 4 v 5.
Matchday 4- Monday, February 15th. 6 v 5, 1 v 4, 2 v 3.
Matchday 5- Tuesday, February 16th. 3 v 6, 4 v 2, 5 v 1.
Matchday 6- Wednesday, February 17th. Rivalry Showdown! Self-Scheduled.
Knockout Stages
OFF DAY- Thursday, February 18th(Home Run Derby!)
Regionals Round 1- Friday, February 19th
Regionals Round 2- Saturday, February 20th
Regionals Round 3- Sunday, February 21st
Regionals Round 4- Monday, February 22nd
Regionals Round 5(if necessary)- Tuesday, February 23rd
Super Regionals Round 1- Wednesday, February 24th
Super Regionals Round 2(if necessary)- Thursday, February 25th
Championship Series Game 1- Saturday, February 27th
Championship Series Game 2- Sunday, February 28th
Championship Series Game 3(if necessary)- Monday, March 1st

RP Permissions
Please post this either with your roster or your first RP with a yes or a no(with any qualifiers) for each question. These are all permissions to help facilitate an acceptable RP to you if somebody else RPs your match first, and vice versa.

Code: Select all: [u]RP Permissions[/u] [b]Choose my runscorers:[/b] Yes/No [b]Choose my lineup:[/b] Yes/No [b]Follow my pitching rotation:[/b] Yes/No [b]Godmod scoring events:[/b] Yes/No [b]RP injuries to my players:[/b] Yes/No [b]Godmod injuries to my players:[/b] Yes/No [b]Eject my players:[/b] Yes/No [b]Godmod other events:[/b] Yes/No [b]Use DH at home:[/b] Yes/No

Rivalry Showdown
Pursuant to our bid, we are giving each team to schedule one of their own games at the end of the group stages, against an opponent not in your group that will count towards your group standings. You are encouraged to use the IBS Signup thread, or any other means(telegrams and Discord) to communicate with each other to figure out who you will schedule.

Once you figure out who you want to schedule, both nations should either telegram me at this account or Direct message me on Discord their agreed upon opponent, and who will be the home team for DH/administrative purposes.

I will keep a list of confirmed matchups here for convenience purposes, so everybody knows who is taken. Remember, if you do not schedule an opponent by the Matchday 5 cutoff, one random one will be assigned to you.

Rivalry Showdown Schedule (Home team for administrative purposes is listed second. Venue listed is the informal name of the Service academy where the match will take place.)
Quebec U22s v. Banijan Joint Service Academy All-Stars @ Navy
Super-Llamaland U13s v. South Newlandia U22s @ Air Force
Nova Anglicana Lions v. Abanhfleft Revolution All-Stars @ Army
Breton Valley Bangers v. Kohnhead U-21 Pandas @ Navy
Santo Domingo Toros v. Cassadaigua U18s @ Air Force
Northwest Ballina Redhawks v. Newmanistan U16s @ Army
Neptun Taru U21 v. Sarzonia U-21 Junior Stars @ Coast Guard
Sainte-Maire - Les Espadons v. Xannerian Junior Maroons @ Air Force
Alma-Ata Clerical Institute Holy Warriors v. Bohemia Buccaneers @ Navy
Hebitaka U21 Heroes v. Hannasea Independent All-Stars @ Coast Guard
Osci Talenti v. Silvedania U-21 Sycamores @ Army
Isle of Lowe United v. Daskel U18 Junior Daskies @ Coast Guard

Home Run Derby
Hannasea(also known as Graintfjall) has volunteered to run a home run derby for us! If you wish to participate in the home run derby, please clearly indicate in a regular RP or in your roster post exactly one(1) athlete to participate in the home run derby. The home run derby will occur ICly at the Navy baseball Diamond. He is running this as a test run for a scorinator he wrote for the home run debry! Submissions for the home run derby will be due by the Matchday 6 cutoff.

Remember- there is no punishment for not participating in the home run derby, nor is there any reward for submitting an athlete. Of course, RPs for it will count fully for your IBS bonus, but it is simply by choice and for fun.

Please telegram me if you have any questions. Remember- only the host can reserve posts, so please do not reserve any posts. You may now start posting your rosters and RPs! May the odds be ever in your favor.

by **Banija** » Mon Feb 08, 2021 4:13 pm

Banija IBS XIII Hosting Information

The Banijan Service Academies Association, in conjunction with the Banijan Collegiate Sports Group(aka Banija's equivalent of NCAA Division I), also known as the BCSG, are the two bodies who hostly form the organizing committee that will host IBS XIII.

Banijan National Information

The Kingdom of Banija is a country that classifies itself as a semi-constitutional monarchy. A nation that is proudly a member of Atlantian Oceania, it is led by the Kabaka(which translates to King), and the current monarch is Kabaka Mwanga. The Kabaka, alongside with the Waziri(translates to Foreign Minister), whom he picks and dismisses solely at his pleasure, is the Head of State and responsible for the country's foreign affairs. Upon reaching age 25, the Isebantu(Crown Prince), becomes the Waziri by constitutional right. The current Isebantu is Isebantu Mutungi. The full list of members of the Royal Family can be found here.

Kabaka Mwanga ascended into power after the assassination of his father, Kabaka Albert III during World Cup 82 Qualifying. This is, of course, a government with an elected element. The elected unicameral legislature is the Lukiiko(Parliament), and the Lukiiko is responsible for governance of domestic affairs. The Katikkiro(Prime Minister) is elected by the Lukiiko. Currently, there is an elected right-wing coalition that holds a majority in the Lukiiko and rules the country. The present Katikkiro Is Kobe Aziri.

Due to the massive influence of Puritan Mormonism in this nation, they are relatively socially conservative. Abortion in this country is outlawed unless the mother's life is in danger, and polygamy for males is legal. The church's Universal Call to Motherhood, which teaches that the destiny of each and every woman is to give birth to children and raise faithful Puritan Mormons, has heavily shaped the nation's view on the role of women in society, forming the basis for Banija's prior sports gender segregation laws in the first place. Consumption of alcohol and the recreational use of marijuana in Banija is legal. Due to Mormon tradition, however, the purchase/sale of coffee products is illegal within Banija- however, the consumption is not. Fans and teams an ddelegations are allowed to bring in their own coffee products as long as they are declared at customs, where it is then taxed per pound. Any attempt or effort to sell the product, however, can and will result in arrest.

Most people in the country speak both Olusanke, the local dialect, and English. There is a smattering of Korean spoken within the country, thanks to Banija's Quebecois roots. Banija's currency is the shilling. The exchange rate to the NationStates Dollar is 200 shillings to 1 NSD. Conversion kiosks will be available at all hotels and at airports to exchange your money, as well as any banks. However, using the NSDs directly to purchase items is only guaranteed at stadiums and hotels- vendors outside of stadiums or hotels are not required to accept NationStates Dollars. Fans are also advised that street vendors will only take cash, according to Banijan law- as an issue of security to prevent against credit card theft.

Of course, Banija is on its way to developed country status. This is thanks to a recent discovery of large oil deposits in Hangaza, there is movement within the country on building better infrastructure. There has been heavy investment in Istria's public transportation system by the Regional Transit Corporation in the leadup to the games, with better roads and systems being built. One of Banija's unique public transit systems within cities is via the boda boda. The climate of Banija has a lot of natural rainforest and jungle, which means that there is no winter, only wet season and dry season. Temperatures generally range at their coldest around 60 degrees Fahrenheit, and at their hottest around 110 degrees Fahrenheit. For the duration of the Games, average high temperatures will range from 60 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit.

Banijans have a tendency of being relaxed about time. While, of course, things like flights and matches will run on time, this is something that is observed generally, especially at restaurants. It is considered standard to arrive about 15-20 minutes late for a restaurant reservation, which is something Banijan authorities would like to make note of for travelling fans and visitors to the country for this tournament. This is very true for hangouts with Banijans, dates, weddings, etc... Within the country.

In terms of food, Banijans are very heavy meat eaters, and you'll find plenty of chicken, goat meat, beef, pork, and turkey options on your localized menus. In terms of non-meats, popular staple foods are jollof, matoke, Chapati, a rolex, and samosas. Strictly vegan restaurants within the country, outside of Istria and Busukuma, are almost non-existent, though of course you'll find non-meat options everywhere.

Baseball is a sport with growing popularity in the country. Unsurprisingly, the sport reached new heights in the country after Banija's WBC 47 title, which was the first major international sporting championship in national history. In much of the country, it is the fourth most popular sport, behind soccer, gridiron football, and basketball.

Banija's Military Academies

Banija's military academies are the ones putting this tournament on- The Kabaka's Military College(Army), the Banijan Royal Naval Academy(Navy), the Royal Air Force Academy(Air Force), and the Shango-Fogoa Coast Guard Academy(Coast Guard). The games will take place at their four campuses, as they send a joint team. They are running tournament specials for veterans and active duty soldiers of all participating nations. Foreign veterans, active duty soldiers, military spouses, and military widows, and of any participating nation get half-price tickets to any game throughout the duration of the tournament. Furthermore, foreign active-duty soldiers are allowed to receive lodging at any military service academy. The four stadiums on service academy campuses each hold a capacity of 10,000.

Kabaka's Military College

The Kabaka's Military College is the oldest of the four academies, being established as a general officer academy in 1907, just one year after Banija's independence was declared. For many decades, Banijan officers were educated here before moving on to study in the Royal Kingdom of Quebec. However, with the improvement of higher education in Banija over the last 50 or so years, that is now a rare occurence, as officers are mostly trained "in-house."

FIrst being a general officer academy, this is now specifically made for the Army. It is located in the picturesque small city of Dimbogourou, Ankole Region. It is located about an hour northeast of Busukuma, which is Banija's capitol city.

Matches Hosted Here
All Group A games

Banijan Royal Naval Academy

The Banijan Royal Naval Academy is the next oldest academy, being established as an independent academy in 1917. This was, of course, a joint academy for both the Navy and the Coast Guard, while the Coast Guard was still technically under the Navy.

It is a very different setting than the Kabaka's Military College. While Dimbogourou is a military town, the Naval Academy is located at the heart of a much larger city on Banija's southwest coast- Busembe. Just 45 minutes northwest of Busukuma, it is a decent sized city in its own right, with a population hovering right above 300,000. It doesn't dominate the cityscape, but the stadium is snuggled right into the heart of the Downtown stadium district.

Matches Hosted Here
All Group B games

Royal Air Force Academy

The Royal Air Force Academy was established in 1955, when the Royal Air Force was created and separated as a separate military branch from the Banijan Army. Like in most countries, the Air Force is a much younger service branch than the other primary branches.

Much like Army, this is located in a small town- in Okakameb, Hangaza. This being the literal Air Force Academy, it has fantastic flight connections for a town of its size. The town is dominated by the Academy and air base- but it is a tight knit community that is very welcoming to visitors.

Matches Hosted Here
All Group C games

Shango-Fogoa Coast Guard Academy

And now, for the Banijan Coast Guard! Named the Shango-Fogoa Coast Guard Academy, it is a Coast Guard Academy operated strictly by the Banijan Coast Guard. It was opened in 1971, and is located in Herzegovina City, Moravica, a major city with over a million people. Located toward the water in the major city, it is the lowest key academy of the four. As is expected- Coast Guards everywhere do not get the general respect that the rest of the military gets.

They are not members of the BCSG. Top tier athletics are not for them. ANd although they have a full slate of sports teams.. They compete on the second level of the Banijan college sporting atmosphere, with mostly smaller liberal arts colleges and even community college systems. But yet, they've got their moment in the Sun. Herzegovina City is one of Banija's most visited cities every year, and there is a ton to do in the city. It is the capitol of the Moravica Region, the first capitol of Banija, and the headquarters of the Mormon church, the Herzegovina Temple, is in this City.

Matches Hosted Here
All Group D games

Istria Baseball Diamond

The stadium is located in Rukunbi, a working class neighborhood in Banija's largest city that is on the opposite side of town from the beachfront. It has fairly large dimensions, and is consequentially known as a pitcher's ballpark. It is 440 feet to homer to straightaway center field, while it is 350 feet down the left field line, and 370 feet down the right field line. In left center it is 399, and in right center it is 410 feet. However, the spacious ballpark puts pressure on outfielders and advantages speedy baserunners. This is where the national team plays its games during the World Baseball Classic. This ballpark hosted many games during the XIV Summer Olympiad, including all matches from the quarterfinals on in the baseball tournament of the XIV Summer Olympiad.

Matches Hosted Here
The IBS XIII Championship Series

by **Super-Llamaland** » Mon Feb 08, 2021 4:26 pm

"What do you mean they won't play? We finally get all the paperwork in to send our actual national team, and they're not playing?"

"Sorry sir, but the Player's Association just sent out a joint statement with the minor league and college PAs. They mentioned something about protesting against the military-industrial complex that Banija is normalizing and perpetuating with their hosting of IBS XIII."

"Ugh, why do all of our players have to be so woke? Can we get a team of...I don't know, retired players or something?"

"That's been done already, sir. Hampton Island and Abanhfleft, I think."

"What are we going to do, then? All the paperwork's been filed!"

"If I may, sir, Buck Fuchs sent us a message earlier today about this."

"Fine, I'll get a pigeon..."

SUPER-LLAMALAND U13s: IBS XIII ROSTER

Manager: Buck FUCHS, 84
Nickname: The Cubs
Style Mod: -2.5
Home Field: Tyler Rocke Memorial Stadium; New Llama City (cap. 49,000)

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:

STARTING POSITION PLAYERS
#No. - Firstname LASTNAME - Age - Position(s), primary listed first - Hometown, Province - Bats/Throws
#01 - Mason VASQUEZ - 12 - OF - Gordon City, Talahita - S/R
#03 - Liam MORALES - 13 - SS/3B/OF - Kyrinson City, Kyrinson - R/R
#05 - Olivia COURT - 13 - OF - New Llama City - R/R
#06 - London SAMMARTINO - 12 - 2B/SS/CF - Tannersborough, Wheathampton - S/R
#08 - Hayden BRANSON - 13 - C/OF - Santa Catalina, Nikcoro - R/R
#13 - Bradley GUO - 13 - 1B/2B/OF - Xingcheng, Nandaozhou - L/L
#22 - Samantha HALVÖRSSON - 13 - 3B/SS/OF - South Newton, Vargas - R/R
#30 - Elijah TATUM - 12 - RF/CF/2B - Jiazhou, Nikcoro - R/R

STARTING PITCHERS
Note: All pitchers are held to a strict 50-pitch limit during the group stage and 65 pitches during the playoffs. Additionally, the distinctions between starters and relievers are very murky.
#14 - Owen DE VRIES - 13 - P/OF - Svenssonfjord, Dinschria - R/R
#22 - Rowan GARDNER - 12 - P - New Llama City - R/R
#23 - Lucas SAUCEDO - 13 - P/SS - Costa Sur, Peninsulara - L/L
#31 - Emily ZHAO - 13 - P/IF - New Llama City - R/R
#33 - Nicholas DI MARIA - 12 - P/OF - Vargas City, Vargas - L/L
#43 - Mychal SCULLY - 13 - P/OF - Farafelle, Kyrinson - R/R

BENCH
#02 - Grayson SCHMIDT - 12 - P/IF - Ouro, Nikcoro - R/R
#07 - Erick GARCIA - 11 - P/OF - Vargas City, Vargas - L/L
#09 - Fiona WU - 13 - UTIL - Johnsonsville, Wheathampton - S/R
#10 - Melissa JENSEN - 12 - P/SS/OF - New Llama City - S/L
#11 - Anthony BENSON - 13 - P/2B - Kyrinson City, Kyrinson - R/R
#12 - Charlotte GUERRERO - 13 - C/3B - Nikcoro City, Nikcoro - R/R
#15 - Nick SANTANGELO - 12 - SS/CF/P - Schübert, Vargas - L/L
#18 - Yuri MAGNUSSON - 13 - SS/P - New Llama City - R/R
#19 - Mia NICHOLSON - 12 - P/2B/OF - Jefferson, Nikcoro - L/L
#25 - Lincoln JENSEN - 13 - 1B/C - New Llama City - S/R
#49 - Aubrey WRIGHT - 12 - SS/P - Xingcheng, Nandaozhou - R/R

STARTING LINEUP, WITH OR WITHOUT DH
subject to change, since these are the U13s

1. 3B Samantha Halvörsson
2. LF Mason Vasquez
3. RF Elijah Tatum
4. 1B Bradley Guo
5. P Owen de Vries (/other pitcher)
6. C Hayden Branson
7. CF Olivia Court
8. SS Liam Morales
9. 2B London Sammartino

by **Hannasea** » Mon Feb 08, 2021 7:00 pm

Hannasea will be represented by the Hannasean Independent All-Stars.

Baseball is one of the most popular sports in the Guild Federation, but there has been little attempt at joining international play, because the Hannasean Baseball Association does not release major or minor league players. As such, although Hannaseans claim the standard of baseball in their country is very strong, there’s no real way to measure it. Separate to the HBA a number of small independent leagues operate – or have operated; without the television rights that are part of the HBA’s franchise agreement, most such leagues’ existences are nasty, brutish – and short. Players in independent leagues are a mix of undrafted college players and those who washed out of the minors looking to get noticed by the scouts, and more experienced veterans just looking for one last paycheck. Occasionally bona fide HBA stars end their careers in the independent leagues, but this is definitely the exception.

The Hannasean Association of Non-Aligned Baseball Clubs (HANABC) is one such independent league, arguably the strongest. It’s certainly the most successful, although that has as much to do with marketing gimmicks as strength on the field. Its players don’t earn much (many are basically semi-pro, supplementing their income with, at best, coaching jobs, at worst, regular jobs) but it averages only 1.8 teams going bankrupt each year, which is far below the average. Ever with an eye for a headline-grabbing move in a world in which they’re normally relegated to the fine print, the HANABC has convened an all-star team to represent the Hannasean Federation in the IBS, and potentially the WBC, if the experiment works out. The team is not exactly the absolute best team the league has to offer, as some talented young players opted out, fearing participation might lead to HBA blacklisting, and some seasoned veterans said no to potential humiliation. It’s pretty much ‘all-star’ if you define ‘all’ as ‘whatever we’ve got’ and ‘star’ as ‘jobbing semi-pro ballplayer with literally nothing to lose’.

Let’s meet the team…

Does the “C” patch on Barry Brown’s jacket stand for coach, captain, or catcher? The answer is yes. He’ll also drive the team bus; the former HBA veteran might even pitch an inning or two of relief. At 47 he puts the “old” back in “old school”: because of him, the team won’t be engaging in such modern fancies as splits, openers, plate patience, diet and nutrition, or winning. He’s one of the few guys on the team to have actually played more than a cup of coffee, and though of course age has now dulled his abilities, by the standards of this team he’s one of the strongest hitters. Argumentative with umpires and bossy with his players. Twice divorced and currently dating a girl his son’s age. Speaking of which:

Xander Brown (an affectation his father, who named him Alexander, detests, but then there aren’t many of his life choices that don’t inspire such vitriol in his pops) tags along and will probably be forced into a starting role for which his baseball talents make him manifestly unsuited. He doesn’t even particularly like baseball but lacks the spine to stand up to his father, who expected him to follow him into the family business. His real passion is film, but his dad will only pay for his classes if he plays. Usually tries to strike out as quick as he can so he doesn’t have to waste his time on the basepaths getting yelled at by the old man.

Brennan “Big B” Macauley still lists his weight at 235 pounds, a figure he hasn’t seen on the scales since the early 90s (when he was 12). Speaking of figure, his is – vast. He’s a former college star whose weight was already enough of a concern back then to drive down his draft stock, bounced around the minors watching the strikeouts and cheeseburgers pile up, and was eventually banned for taking a banned diuretic. (He’s either innocent, or has a serious case against the makers of the supposed “weight loss” drug.) A popular figure on the indie circuit for his occasional ability to still crank one out of the park every now and then, but offers less than nothing in any other part of the game, with ambulance crews on stand-by every time he runs out a grounder to first.

Finn Smith is a baseball tragic (describing both his love of the game, and his lack of hitting ability). A decent if not spectacular gloveman who couldn’t get a scholarship but played as a walk-on, couldn’t get drafted but managed to get signed, couldn’t stay in the minors but continues to play on. As every scout and coach and teammate has ever said about him, he just can’t hit. And that means his hustle and drive, respect for the game and shrewd tactical knowledge, athleticism and energy, are all pretty much in vain. He continues to play on; maybe no one has the heart to tell him he has no future in the game he loves.

Lijah McYoung is an interesting one, a left-handed infielder. Despite a strong throwing arm he’s resisted conversion to pitcher or outfielder. Something to note here, which will come up again, is that the HBA is, relative to some other world major leagues, fairly conservative. As such there’s simply no place for a left-handed infielder whose bat isn’t strong enough for first. His persisting in the independent leagues is either a case of him being stubborn in proving a point, or just that he doesn’t have anything better to do in his spare time. He makes more money through his construction business (he actually hires a couple other players on during the winters) so it’s probably the former.

Matty Curry is a born-again Christian (a distinct rarity in the Federation, a generally secular culture where Judaism is the second most common religious identification, behind atheism). Just as much as he’s a bit of an outlier in civil society, he’s sticks out here too. On a team of moping deadbeats, his relentlessly cheery hand-clapping and perma-grin make him seem like an alien body-snatcher; amid dad-bods and waistlines unrestrained by the discipline required of major league athletes, his trim figure is testament to extraordinary personal discipline. His uniform and hair is immaculate. He doesn’t swear, drink, smoke, spit, or fight. And yes, of course, of course, he secretly has a creepy sex dungeon.

He sometimes tries to rope Jason Mathis into attending his Sunday prayer meets. From Mathis’s haggard looks, seems like it’d take more than some weak coffee and a Christian Rock CD to get his life back on track. Talentwise, Mathis is in another league to the guys on this roster. He’s an actual all-star, and not an independent league one at that. He has three Platinum Slugger trophies to go along with a host of other awards (or, had; they’ve long been sold off to pay off a lien on the truck he sleeps in or catch up a couple of months of backdated paternity pay). Here’s what his draft report said: “True five-tool player. Power to all fields. Speed and glove to match.” Now here’s what his police report said: “Suspect was pulled over after driving erratically. Class A drugs and paraphernalia found on his person. Became violent on being asked to submit to a breathalyzer and tox screen.” The HBA has a three-strikes rule when it comes to two things: baseball, and drug abuse. And Mathis always was a free swinger.

Cordell Ross also has a sad story, only his is shorter: he sucks at baseball.

Rencqvist “Bud” Terwilliger was moderately highly drafted – as a pitcher. In his breakthrough season he began developing extreme yips, however. Always regarded as a good hitting pitcher, he decided to switch over to hitting, but the value of a league-average hitter who can only really offer sub-average defense in the corner outfield is obviously far less than that of a hitting pitcher. Maybe it all comes together again for him and he finds his way back as a hitter (or he even rediscovers his pitching control) but age really isn’t working in his favour.

Jack Steele has similar control issues, though unlike Terwilliger, he hasn’t packed in the pitching. Perhaps that’s because he was a better pitcher to begin with, regarded as a true power pitcher capable of a fastball in the upper 90s, maybe three figures. So why isn’t he playing in some major league ballpark? Even if he were, it’s doubtful any of his pitches would land in the same major league ballpark. His lack of control isn’t just limited to wild pitches and beanballs, also encompassing alcoholism, drug abuse, fights with teammates, and being thrown out of every clubroom (and every bedroom) he’s ever called home. The team voted him most likely to punch one of the under-13’s.

Also on the roster:

Kayden George
Corey Pearson
Tommy Fox
Luke Parry
Donte Sparks
Mitchell Mann
August Heath
Vincenzo Hurst
Ulises Clarke
Max Gordon
Noah Reid
Luca Willis

Default lineup:

CF - Cordell Ross
C - Barry Brown
LF - Jason Mathis
DH - Brennan MacAuley
RF - Bud Terwilliger
SS - Matty Curry
3B - Lijah McYoung
1B - Xander Brown
2B - Finn Smith

In non-DH lineups, pitcher bats 9th.

Default pitching rotation:
1 - Jack Steele
2 - Kayden George
3 - Corey Pearson
4 - Tommy Fox
5 - Luke Parry

RP Permissions
You can do whatever you like in terms of baseball events. My lineup is posted but feel free to use almost anything. Same for pitchers. Injuries, ejections and godmoding are fine.

We'll use DH if available.

Home run derby nominee: Jason Mathis

by **Banija** » Mon Feb 08, 2021 9:25 pm

Banijan Joint Service Academy All-Stars

The Banijan Joint Service Academy All-Stars are a team composed of the best baseball players at Banija's four military academies- The Kabaka's Military College(Army), the Banijan Royal Naval Academy(Navy), the Royal Air Force Academy(Air Force), and the Shango-Fogoa Coast Guard Academy(Coast Guard). It is put on to honor those who are willing to put themselves on the line to sacrifice for their countries, and to put this on for active-duty soldiers and veterans all over the multiverse. The organizing body for the team is the Banijan Service Academies Association.

Coaching Staff
Baluta Colley will be the manager for this special edition team. He is 55 years old. Like the players, he is leading a coaching staff that is drawn from all four coaching staffs. Ndechi, however, is the only person, player or staff, who has nothing to do with the military academies. He was the hitting coach for the Banijan national team from WBC 46-50, and he will be the bench coach for WBC 51. While he is not a military man, his father and both of his father's brothers were all veterans in the Banijan Navy.

Like many Banijans under Ousman Kakay's tutelage, he's aggressive, but a traditionalist. Disavows openers, not a fan of analytics, although he embraces the DH. Far more likely to ride a starting pitcher for too long rather than pull them too early.

Manager- Baluta Colley. 55 years old. Member of the Banijan national team coaching staff.
Bench Coach- Ijendu Chee. 43 years old. Manager at Army.
Hitting Coach- Chibuike Chydie. 41 years old. Hitting coach at Navy.
Pitching Coach- Jelany Chiemeka. 44 years old. Pitching coach at Air Force.
1st base Coach- Obike Chinasa. 51 years old. 1st base coach at Coast Guard.
3rd base Coach- Afamefula Chika. 49 years old. 3rd base coach at Army.

Batting Order with Designated Hitter
1 SS Jamang Marong. #35. 21 years old. Right-handed. Junior at Army. Speedy, aggressive on the basepaths.
2 RF Boto Jassey. 19 years old. Right-handed. Freshman at Navy. Aggressive on the basepaths, hits for average but very little power. Can play all three outfield positions.
3 LF Musa Mobika. #19. 23 years old. Right-handed. Senior at Navy. Hits for both power and average, the team's best hitter.
4 DH Sulayman Ouattara. #5. 18 years old. Left-handed. Freshman at Air Force. Hits for power. Runs the base-paths poorly. He plays both right field and first base by trade.
5 1B Bassirou Mansaray. #30. 21 years old. Right-handed switch hitter. Junior at Army. Generates more power batting left, but hits better for average batting right.
6 3B Kausu Biri. #17. 20 years old. Right-handed. Sophomore at Navy. Hits for power, takes huge swings, but has a poor average.
7 2B Jato Kaba. #4. 21 years old. Right-handed. Junior at Army. He thinks he's as fast and as quick as Marong, although he isn't. They form an excellent defensive pairing in the middle of the infield, but is often over-aggressive on the basepaths.
8 CF Lallo Jawara. #16. 23 years old. Senior at Air Force. Great defensive player, great range and arm, needs to improve hitting. He comes off the bench when there is no DH.
9 C Fabba Jobateh. #9. 20 years old. Right-handed. Sophomore at Coast Guard. Defensive specialist, terrible hitter.

Batting Order without Designated Hitter
1 SS Jamang Marong. #35. 21 years old. Right-handed. Junior at Army. Speedy, aggressive on the basepaths.
2 CF Boto Jassey. 19 years old. Right-handed. Freshman at Navy. Aggressive on the basepaths, hits for average but very little power. Can play all three outfield positions.
3 LF Musa Mobika. #19. 23 years old. Right-handed. Senior at Navy. Hits for both power and average, the team's best hitter.
4 RF Sulayman Ouattara. #5. 18 years old. Left-handed. Freshman at Air Force. Hits for power. Runs the base-paths poorly. He plays both right field and first base by trade.
5 1B Bassirou Mansaray. #30. 21 years old. Right-handed switch hitter. Junior at Army. Generates more power batting left, but hits better for average batting right.
6 3B Kausu Biri. #17. 20 years old. Right-handed. Sophomore at Navy. Hits for power, takes huge swings, but has a poor average.
7 2B Jato Kaba. #4. 21 years old. Right-handed. Junior at Army. He thinks he's as fast and as quick as Marong, although he isn't. They form an excellent defensive pairing in the middle of the infield, but is often over-aggressive on the basepaths.
8 C Fabba Jobateh. #9. 20 years old. Right-handed. Sophomore at Coast Guard. Defensive specialist, terrible hitter.
9 PITCHER

Bench
1B/3B Izaso Jumbani. 21 years old. Right-handed. Senior at Army.
OF Cyper Ingum. #22. 21 years old. Right-handed. Junior at Navy.
1B/C Yaya Kolley. #25. 18 years old. Switch-hitter(right-handed). Freshman at Navy.
2B/SS Rufaro Kusvika. #2. 22 years old. Senior at Air Force.
*OF Lallo Jawara. #16. 23 years old. Senior at Air Force. Great defensive player, great range and arm, needs to improve hitting. He comes off the bench when there is no DH.
IF Onai Chinusasa. #15. 19 years old. Sophomore at Army.

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

Bullpen
LRP Njah Kono. #44. 21 years old. Right-Handed. Senior at Navy. Throws a four seam fastball(up to 90), a sinker, a slider, and a cutter(up to 85).
LRP Forcolo Ngele. #74. 20 years old. Right-Handed. Junior at Air Force. Throws a two seam fastball(up to 90), a sinker, a curveball, and a changeup.
MRP Kimbu Embiid. #17. 22 years old. Left-Handed. Senior at Navy. Throws a two seam cutting fastball(up to 91), a sinker, and a curveball.
MRP Akem Zipayo. #45. 22 years old. Right-Handed. Senior at Army. Throws a four seam fastball(up to 95) and a curveball.
MRP Thoriso Oupanyana. #41. 19 years old. Right-Handed. Sophomore at Air Force. Throws a two seam cutting fastball(up to 92), a changeup, and a slider.
SU Alban Yahouza. #13. 21 years old. Right-handed. Senior at Army. Throws a four seam fastball(up to 94), a curveball, and a slider.
CL Ouma Obong'o. #48. 23 years old. Right-Handed. Senior at Coast Guard. Throws a four seam fastball(up to 98) and a curveball.

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my runscorers: Yes
Choose my lineup: No (My lineup is here for all to see, so please use it. Of course, you can do substitutions for pitchers and players as you see fit, throughout the course of the game. But the starting lineup should remain the same)
Follow my pitching rotation: Yes (My pitching schedule is laid out to a T, matchday by matchday, so please follow that. It's not just a straight rotation, as I look to get extra starts for my top two starters. All laid out below, for each individual matchday. Thanks!)
Godmod scoring events: Yes
RP injuries to my players: Yes (That's fine, but please say what the injury is, and please specify how many games the player will miss. No deaths please).
Godmod injuries to my players: Yes (That's fine, but please say what the injury is, and please specify how many games the player will miss. No deaths please).
Eject my players/coaches: Yes
Godmod other events: Yes (As long as you don't kill anyone, go ahead)
Use DH at home: Yes
Other: When we are pitching, they induce a lot of ground balls. The strike out rates aren't terribly high for Banijan pitchers, but they play solid, fundamental defense, and they have strong arms all over the diamond. However, while Banija's rotation is one of the strongest in the multiverse, the bullpen leaves much to be desired, especially the middle relievers, who are well known to be the team's weakest link. For the knockout stages, we'll have one starter in the 4 man rotation available every game for an inning or two out of the bullpen. That is listed in the rotation. If those guys are brought in, it is for an absolute maximum of 35 pitches, however many outs that takes.

Starting Pitching Schedule
Group C Pitching Schedule
Matchday 1: Banijan Joint Service Academy All-Stars v. Alma-Ata Clerical Institute. Starting Pitcher- Ateh Dika.
Matchday 2: Banijan Joint Service Academy All-Stars v. Santo Domingo Toros. Starting Pitcher- Rameses Ngolu.
Matchday 3: Silvedania U-21 Sycamores v. Banijan Joint Service Academy All-Stars. Starting Pitcher- Sakeh Ahmadou.
Matchday 4: Banijan Joint Service Academy All-Stars v. Nova Anglicana Lions. Starting Pitcher- Mariam Nzola.
Matchday 5: Sainte-Maire - Les Espadons v. Banijan Joint Service Academy All-Stars. Starting Pitchers- Ateh Dika.
Rivalry Showdown: Banija v. Quebec U22s. Starting Pitcher- Rameses Ngolu.

Knockout Stage Schedule
Regionals Day 1: Starting Pitcher- Ateh Dika.
Regionals Day 2: Starting Pitcher- Rameses Ngolu.
Regionals Day 3: Starting Pitcher- Sakeh Ahmadou.
Regionals Day 4: Starting Pitcher- Mariam Nzola.
Regionals Day 5(if necessary): Starting Pitcher- Ateh Dika.

Home Run Derby Participant: Sulayman Ouattara

by **Delaclava** » Wed Feb 10, 2021 1:17 am

Breton Valley Bangers
Representing Delaclava at the 13th International Baseball Slam

The Breton Valley Bangers are the latest in a string of regional-based teams to represent Delaclava in international baseball competitions. With the high level of junior and club teams that typically attend the IBS, the newly founded Delaclava Baseball Association has chosen to bestow the honor of flying the phoenix standard on the Bangers, the Valhalla-based team who are the defending Southeastern Baseball League champions. They boast a handful of players from the Dillobourne WBC49 team who have since turned professional, a stacked pitching rotation, and a hunger to compete and get experience in the hopes of being selected for the full WBC51 national team.

Roster

Manager - #5 Joran Perrot, 42
Assistant Manager - #7 Ignace Degas, 35
Pitching Coach - #55 John Chapman, 62
Infield Coach - #17 Leoš Dohnanyi, 37
Outfield Coach - #43 Vivian Paulson, 67
Hitting Coach - #38 Yetek Apikovy, 43
Bullpen Coach - #56 Bryce Kurdar, 38
Strength/Conditioning - #90 Uriah Kelley, 28
Technical/GM - #00 Jelle Demuir, 35

STARTERS
Pos	#	Name	Age	Height	Weight	Throws	Bats
1B	6	Jack Russo*	24	6-3	220	L	B
2B	2	Ryan Rudock	22	6-0	180	R	R
3B	4	Ilkka Salonen	23	5-11	150	R	L
SS	19	Valery Robiquet	19	5-7	130	R	B
LF	12	Owen Clark*	26	6-3	210	R	R
CF	15	Teuvo Kujala	20	6-2	185	R	B
RF	8	Pavel Malek*	30	6-4	180	L	L
C	22	Lauri Vatanen	26	5-10	195	R	R
BENCH
C	30	Jimmy Frye	28	5-8	205	R	R
C/1B	1	Jacob Roig	23	5-9	175	R	B
IF	23	Arthur Kerderrien	17	5-11	165	L	B
IF	35	Raoul Morin	24	5-7	140	L	L
OF	34	Ahti Rantanen	25	5-10	150	R	R
OF	13	Aymeric Dupont	18	6-1	150	L	B
OF	40	Kali Johnson	30	6-0	175	R	R
PITCHING
Ace	18	Bedin Egozhevy*	23	6-5	180	L	L
2nd Starter	44	Thomas Blunt*	25	6-3	185	L	B
3rd Starter	9	Yannick Ronan	29	5-11	170	R	L
Middle/Long/4th	3	Lucas Beaudoin	32	6-2	180	L	L
Middle/Long	28	Jakub Novotny	25	6-3	180	R	B
Middle/Long	50	Sean Wilson	34	6-6	205	R	R
Short/Opener	61	Marion Mathis	31	6-4	220	R	R
Short	16	Evan Dickey	23	5-11	160	L	B
Short/Set-up	31	Charlie Crowe	19	6-0	180	L	B
Short/Closer	28	Sean Magary*	26	5-9	185	R	R

* = Member of Dillobourne, Hess team which reached Round of 16 at WBC49.

Lineups
No DH: Robiquet, Kujala, Clark, Russo, Malek, Rudock, Vatanen, (pitcher), Salonen
DH: Robiquet, Kujala, Clark, Russo, Malek, Roig (DH), Rudock, Vatanen, Salonen

Notes
- Starting pitchers are not limited on pitch counts. They may be removed for situational reasons, i.e. bring in a righty or lefty, or use a relief pitcher with a different pitch mix, etc., but if the starter is having a Quality Start, there is a good chance he will stay in. However, Delaclavs also will use the "opener". While only Mathis has been designated as the opener, relievers such as Dickey and Wilson, or even starters can be used for the same purpose.
- Delaclavs do not use the designated hitter at any level; therefore, Delaclav pitchers can hit at a comparable level to any field player.
- The Bangers use Salonen as a sort of "second leadoff", giving the team additional hitting and baserunning ability at the turn of the lineup, i.e. 9-1-2-3 (RL parallel - LaRussa in the McGwire era, for example). While Malek is a significantly better hitter than Salonen, he can be used for the same purpose (he hit leadoff for the WBC49 team).
- The Bangers are an aggressive baserunning team and will often steal bases, use hit-and-run, etc. This applies to all players, but Robiquet, Malek, Salonen, and Kujala are the faster players who will be more successful at this.

RP Permissions
Choose my runscorers: Yes
Choose my lineup: I have listed the typical lineup above. Please have a good reason if you are going to deviate from it in your RP.
Follow my pitching rotation: Yes
Godmod scoring events: TG/message me if you have an idea
RP injuries to my players: Yes, injury type only (not severity)
Godmod injuries to my players: TG/message me if you have an idea
Eject my players: Delaclav players do not typically escalate arguments in this manner. Please have a good reason to do this in your RP.
Godmod other events: TG/message me if you have an idea
Use DH at home: No

Home Run Derby

For the sake of clarity, the Breton Valley Bangers will not send a representative to the Home Run Derby.

by **Sarzonia** » Wed Feb 10, 2021 8:16 am

Sarzonia Junior Stars U21 baseball

Code: Select all: My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following: Choose my runscorers: Yes Choose my lineup: No Follow my pitching rotation: Yes Godmod scoring events: No (you can pick normal/realistic baseball events, but no magic bullshit) RP injuries to my players: No Godmod injuries to my players: No DH at home: No

Home field: Khalil Dennis Park, Portland, capacity 39,876
Park Factor: 83

Left field: 335 feet
Left field power alley: 380 feet
Centre field: 415 feet
Right field power alley: 385 feet
Right field: 320 feet
There's a 26-foot high wall in right field called Khalil's Corner

Style modifier: -1.69

Manager Edwin Crawford, 50
Currently manages the Class 4 Catherina Crickets in Sarzonia's minor league baseball system. He also coaches third base and the outfield. [OOC: Class 4 is Sarzonia's equivalent of rookie ball.]
Hitting Coach/infield coach Zayna Quayce, 44
Serves as a coach for the Class 3 Sequoia Comets [think upper Class A.]
Pitching coach Noah Satterley, 40
A retired pitcher, he just served as assistant pitching coach for the Class 2 Saugerties Silver Sox [Class AA]

INFIELDERS
1B 44 Xavier Felton, 21 (6-foot-5, 215 pounds)
Line drive hitter, would average 15-18 homers in a RL MLB season. Deceptively fast, but not a huge base stealer
2B 4 Kyle Monahan, 20 (5-foot-11, 175 pounds)
Good contact hitter, stole 29 bases in 48 Class 4 games
SS 14 Cornell Savage. 19 (6-foot-2, 190 pounds)
He takes over as shortstop from Cristobal Vargas, who was the team's biggest home run and RBI threat. He's more defensive and speed-oriented.
3B 10 Stephanie Alleyne, 20 (5-foot-8, 165 pounds)
Sprays the ball to all fields and can hit behind the runner and play hit-and-run.
LF 19 Deanna Parker, 20 (5-foot-11, 185 pounds)
Not the strongest arm, good average hitter. Little to no pop.
CF 11 Anderson Bradley, 19 (6-foot-2, 225 pounds)
Known for speed and some power, but logged a career high 20 homers in Class 3.
RF 20 Martaye Adams, 21, (6-foot-1, 185 pounds)
Not a threat to run on the basepaths. Known best for a rocket arm in right.
C 24 Rick Zaun, 21 (5-foot-10, 215 pounds)
Calls a great game, cut down 42 percent of would-be base stealers.

LINEUP
Monahan
Alleyne
Felton
Bradley
Adams
Savage
Parker
Zaun
Pitcher

If the Junior Stars need the DH, Wingate moves into the six-hole.

RESERVES
C 15 Dexter Abernathy, 20 (6-foot-3, 200 pounds)
IF 12 Chad Wingate, 19 (6-foot, 180 pounds)
IF 33 Nel Bradley, 18 (5-foot-9, 155 pounds), non-binary
OF 3 Paula Spann, 20 (5-foot-11, 170)

STARTING ROTATION
22 RHP Cal Zane, 20 (6-foot-3, 195 pounds)
Sinker-slider pitcher with a decent change.
30 RHP Darryl Shaw, 19 (6-foot-1, 205 pounds)
Below-average fastball, but excellent offspeed stuff. Can keep hitters off balance.
29 LHP Kiki Felton, 20 (5-foot-10, 175 pounds)
Another junkball pitcher, can get by as a crafty lefty

BULLPEN
16 LHP Vance Ridge, 20 (6-foot-2, 190 pounds)
Long reliever, fastball, slider, curveball pitcher
27 RHP Joyce Khan, 21 (5-foot-11, 180 pounds)
Long reliever, sinker-slider, foshball pitcher. She taught herself the foshball.
49 RHP Tom Crowley, 20 (6-foot-1, 185 pounds)
A middle reliever who became available after his team lost their junior college championship, he features a fastball and slider with a developing change up.
58 LHP Claude Bingham, 21 (5-foot-11, 175 pounds)
Bingham doesn't throw particularly hard, but he can serve as a lefty specialist or throw up to two innings.
39 RHP William Gates, 21 (6-foot-2, 175 pounds)
Set up reliever, fastball, slider, palmball
40 LHP Ned Creighton, 20 (6-foot-7, 245 pounds)
Closer. Fastball, curveball, both fast and hard.

by **Nova Anglicana** » Wed Feb 10, 2021 10:44 am

Nova Anglicana IBS XIII Roster

Nickname: Lions
Acronym: NOV

Starting Rotation (order as given)
RHP #36 Nathan Webster, 26
RHP #44 Gabe Nichols, 27
RHP #19 Bradford Curry, 24
LHP #20 Jean Desmarais, 25
RHP #39 Toby Caldwell, 24

Bullpen
LHP #57 Greg Harper, 25 - long reliever,
LHP #46 Mark Robertson, 28 - lefty specialist,
LHP #48 Matt Townsend, 27 - middle reliever,
RHP #56 Erik McGuire, 27 - middle reliever,
RHP #16 Emil Blum, 25 - middle reliever,
RHP #11 Mitch Ballard, 24 - middle reliever,
RHP #30 Kerry Mercer, 29 - middle reliever
RHP #43 Alex Long, 24 - setup,
RHP #23 Rick Sims, 26 - closer

Catchers (Bats/Throws)
C #60 Jack Corcoran, 25, (R/R)
C #18 Jean-Jacques Duplante, 29, (R/R)
C #51 Marcus Poirier, 24, (S/R)

Infielders (Bats/Throws)
1B #21 Nick McAllister, 26, (L/L)
3B #26 Michael "Mac" McCray, 24, (R/R)
SS #11 Philippe Marchand, 26, (S/R)
2B #6 Alain Gosselin, 29, (L/R)
3B/1B #50 Jason Snodgrass, 25, (R/R)
SS/2B #27 Theron Jordan, 25, (S/R)

Oufielders (Bats/Throws)
RF #25 Roscoe Meacham, 27, (R/R)
CF #35 Rhett Bellamy, 26, (R/R)
LF/RF #29 Scott Elston, 27, (R/R) - Home Run Derby
LF/RF #38 Rob Patton, 27, (L/L)
OF #24 Gaston St. Martin, 24, (R/R)

Rick McDonald #55 (Manager)

Lou Sharp #1 (Hitting Coach)

Willy O'Neill #47 (Pitching Coach)

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

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

Ned Francois #15 (Bench Coach)

Les Sheehan #52 (Bullpen Coach)

Starting Lineup w/o DH
CF Rhett Bellamy
3B Michael "Mac" McCray
1B Nick McAllister
LF Rob Patten/Elston vs LHP
RF Roscoe Meacham
C Jack Corcoran
2B Alain Gosselin
SS Philippe Marchand
P Pitcher's spot

Starting Lineup w/DH
CF Rhett Bellamy
3B Michael "Mac" McCray
1B Nick McAllister
LF Scott Elston
DH Rob Patten/Duplante vs LHP
RF Roscoe Meacham
C Jack Corcoran
2B Alain Gosselin
SS Philippe Marchand

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my runscorers: Yes
Choose my lineup: No
Follow my pitching rotation: Yes
Godmod scoring events: No
RP injuries to my players: Yes, but not serious ones. Back stiffness, jammed fingers, bruises, etc. Nothing that would keep them out of the lineup for more than 1 game. Reciprocity is expected.
Godmod injuries to my players: No
Eject my players: No, but manager is fair game
Godmod other events: No
Use DH at home: No
Style Modifier: +3

by **Daskel** » Wed Feb 10, 2021 1:40 pm

Daskel U-18 National Baseball Team

Full team name: Daskel U-18 National Baseball Team
Trigramme: DKL
Nicknames: Junior Daskies
Home Stadium: Daito Kyūjō (Daikyū)
Colors: co co co co

Daito Kyūjō

Team Overview

As the national high school baseball is a phenomenon in the country, the Junior Daskies have always had a place in people's hearts and minds. After the incredible event that is the national championship, some of the high schoolers have already some star status, and many people wants to watch them in action. U18s are usually from the last three years of secondary education; Players of 16, 17 and 18 years of age, the majority with some national championship experience under their belt.

Last year was stellar for Daskelian High School baseball. Junior Daskies, in the capable hands of Sakamoto Hiroshi, not only participated for the first time outside Daskel's border, but won the tournament in a passion filled game seven. Many clubs and schools tried to lure Sakamoto to coach their teams to no avail. Even the adult national team hired him on the spot as their second coach, but Hiroshi finally decided to stay true to his colors and keep coaching the U18 team. The reporters had a field day when the announcement finally came.

Of course, managing the quick-changing team is a big challenge. 12 new players were added to the team, after the 3rd years finished their last high school year. The biggest name for this tournament is the participation of Shimahara Seiichirō, a 16 year old that has shown impressive skills as a power hitter. Inukai Hiroshi, who won the no-runs game 7, received the longed number 18 after the departure of Kanao, and Shigeki Tomohiro assumed the captaincy of the team.

The Jr. Daskies play in the Daito Kyūjō, one of the biggest and oldest stadiums in the country. the "Daikyū" has a capacity of 60.000 attendants. Its trademark feature is the all-dirt infield.

Baseball in Daskel

Baseball is one of the most dominants sports in Daskel. However, baseball history didn't start with it's professionalization, but with a rapidly developing high school baseball federation. Baseball in Daskel started around 1909, when the sport arrived to the coasts of Kuji Bay. Since it's insertion, it spread through every prefecture of Daskel, creating a vibrant culture of colors, sounds and, of course, loads of baseball. The natural course of the activity lead to the creation of the "Federation of Daskelian High School Baseball", who watch over pesky head coaches, rough kiddos, and tiger parents who strive to see their children turn into the next professional baseball phenomenon.

The National Tournament is held every year in November, start of the Daskelian Summer. In that tournament, 30 schools teams battle in the burning sun, not only defending the pride of their high school, but also the pride of their entire prefecture. It's usual occurrence for other prefecture teams cheer for their final representative, inside and outside the stadium.

One big custom of Daskelian baseball is to bow in front of opponents before and after the game. Watch out for daskelian fans! They know how to make a good atmosphere, bringing music and entire brass bands to the stands.

Staff
Head coach: Sakamoto Hiroshi
Assistant Coach: Hongō Tatsuo
Pitching coach: Kasai Tomoki
Batting coach: Katsumata Kenta
1st base coach: Uekawa Taisuke
3rd base coach: Takebayashi Kō

Team Uniforms

Roster

Pitching Rotation
18. Inukai Hiroshi
^{18 years old - throws Right - bats Right - Overhand pitcher}
24. Tomohiro Kadowaki
^{18 years old - throws Left - bats Left - Sidearm pitcher}
25. Kawauchi Mitsuo
^{17 years old - throws Right - bats Right - Overhand pitcher}
10. Setoyama Shintarō
^{16 years old - throws Left - bats Left - Overhand pitcher}
45. Takashima Daijirō
^{17 years old - throws Left - Switch hitter - Submarine pitcher}

Catchers
2. Imada Takumi
^{18 years old - throws Right - bats Left - Starting Catcher}
33. Tatsumoto Tadanobu
^{16 years old - throws Right - bats Right - Reserve}

Bullpen
19. Fujimoto Kazuki
^{17 years old - throws Left - bats Left - Sidearm pitcher}
21. Imakawa Katsuhisa
^{17 years old - throws Right - bats Right - Overhand pitcher}
11. Kōguchi Shōji
^{17 years old - throws Right - bats Right - Sidearm pitcher}
40. Okitaki Kenji
^{16 years old - throws Left - bats Right - Submarine pitcher}
45. Nire Kōichirō
^{18 years old - throws Left - bats Left - Overhand pitcher (Really weird form, otherwise effective)}

Infielders
3. Mizuya Taka
^{17 years old - throws Left - bats Left}
4. Fukiyama Kōjirō
^{16 years old - throws Right - bats Right}
5. Seri Tadahito
^{18 years old - throws Right - bats Left}
6. Motoyama Keizō
^{17 years old - throws Right - bats Right}
33. Iwanami Atsuya
^{18 years old - throws Right - bats Right}
41. Yahari Nobutoshi
^{17 years old - throws Right - bats Right}

Outfielders
7. Shigeki Tomohiro*
^{18 years old - throws Right - bats Right - Captain}
8. Komatsubara Kenji
^{17 years old - throws Right - Switch hitter}
9. Naeda Daishirō
^{17 years old - throws Left - bats Left}
55. Shimahara Seiichirō
^{16 years old - throws Right - bats Right - DH. Promising slugger}
15. Udatsu Masaki
^{17 years old - throws Left - bats Left}

Batting Lineups
WITHOUT DH
1. Motoyama
2. Fukiyama
3. Komatsubara
4. Seri
5. Mizuya
6. Naeda
7. Imada
8. Shigeki
9. Pitcher spot

WITH DH
1. Fukiyama
2. Shigeki
3. Komatsubara
4. Seri
5. Mizuya
6. Naeda
7. Motoyama
8. Shimahara (DH)
9. Imada

by **Srednjaci** » Wed Feb 10, 2021 3:19 pm

BASEBALL ASSOCIATION SREDNJACI

DR Srednjaci do not have a strong league but send their young team to try their luck. The Srednjaci is a young country, although the young one in NS sports has notable results.
Handball, basketball, athletics and winter sports are very popular. However, with the development of the economy, other sports are also developing, such as tennis, water sports, gymnastics, baseball and archery.
Srednjaci is a democratic country with liberal principles towards society and the economy.
The rapid development of the military and the economy puts them in a leading position in the South Voytana region, and the Srednjaci are the initiator of the Security Council of the South Voytana region.
Baseball is still in its infancy, 28 clubs are divided into two professional leagues.
The first league consists of 10 clubs and the champion is the baseball club Optima from Alt Loka, a small place near the town of Kula.
The other 18 clubs are divided into the second league North and the second league South.
Many foreign coaches and players are helping to develop baseball in the country and are increasingly popularizing it among children.
The largest "Jarun" baseball stadium is located in the city of Kula.

Starting Rotation (order as given)
RHP #89 Mislav Španiček, 20
RHP #40 Bernard Tully, 21
LHP #41 Josip Rehak, 20
RHP #39 Nikola Lauš, 19

Bullpen
LHP #80 Iztok Marić, 20 - long reliever,
LHP #81 Robert Martinović, 18 - lefty specialist,
LHP #82 Christian Wenger, 19 - middle reliever,
RHP #83 Ljubomir Ivanovski, 21 - middle reliever,
RHP #84 Vasily Safin, 20 - middle reliever,
RHP #85 Korent Perić, 19 - middle reliever,
RHP #86 Bruno Jacelić, 19 - middle reliever
RHP #87 Leon Wong, 20 - setup,
RHP #88 Valerije Šimić, 20 - closer

Catchers (Bats/Throws)
C #62 Antun Matković, 18, (R/R)
C #18 Jakov Ivandić, 20, (R/R)
C #39 Taro Watanabe, 19, (S/R)

Infielders (Bats/Throws)
1B #28 Asmir Mujezinović, 20, (L/L)
3B #26 Kristijan Trumbović, 21, (R/R)
SS #11 Victor Kiryagin, 20, (S/R)
2B #6 Mikhail Beresutsky, 19, (L/R)
3B/1B #21 Miroslav Žubović, 17, (R/R)
SS/2B # 71 Ivan Kljaković Gašpić, 17, (S/R)

Oufielders (Bats/Throws)
RF #50 Robert Itakić, 20, (R/R)
CF #55 Ivan Josip Lozanović, 19, (R/R)
LF/RF #19 Siniša Cvetojević, 21, (R/R) - Home Run Derby
LF/RF #30 Maroje Dumbović, 20, (L/L)
OF #44 Vedran Polečki, 20, (R/R)

Velimir Isić #45 (Manager)

Bojan Vezmarić #12 (Hitting Coach)

Ivica Klaić #27 (Pitching Coach)

Ilija Ivanov #99 (1st Base Coach, Fielding Instructor)

Stanoje Đokić #52 (3rd Base Coach, Outfield/Baserunning Instructor)

Ivica Košara #5 (Bench Coach)

Kevin Leary #77 (Bullpen Coach)


Starting Lineup w/o DH
CF Ivan Josip Lozanović - Kula
3B Kristijan Trumbović - Optima Alt Loka
1B Asmir Mujezinović -Bistua Nuova
LF Maroje Dumbović vs LHP -Optima Alt Loka
RF Robert Itakić -Baseball Katanija 
C Antun Matković - Optima Alt Loka
2B Mikhail Beresutsky - Neptun Melarit
SS Victor Kiryagin -Neptun Melarit
P Pitcher's spot

Starting Lineup w/DH
CF Ivan Josip Lozanović - Kula
3B Miroslav Žubović- Dormatisi BC
1B Asmir Mujezinović- Bistua Nuova
LF Siniša Cvetojević - Baseball Katanija
DH Hrvoje Rupčić vs LHP - Optima Alt Loka
RF Robert Itakić- Baseball Katanija
C Jakov Ivandić - Raduč Baseball Club
2B Mikhail Beresutsky -Neptun Melarit
SS Victor Kiryagin- Neptun Melarit

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my runscorers: Yes
Choose my lineup: No
Follow my pitching rotation: Yes
Godmod scoring events: Yes
RP injuries to my players: No
Godmod injuries to my players: No
Eject my players: No
Godmod other events: No
Use DH at home: No
Style Modifier: +2

MAP OF COUNTRY

by **BohemiaIV** » Wed Feb 10, 2021 5:30 pm

STARTERS
Pos Name Age Height Weight Dominant Hand

1B Osmond Blom 27 6'0 203 R

2B Seòras Kavalyow 31 5'8 179 B

3B Sin Spiker 27 5-6 151 L

SS Onesimos Spiker 30 6'5 172 B

LF Owen Clark 25 6-1 210 R

CF Harshad Akbar 20 5'10 165 R

RF Rock HIlls 19 6'0 230 R

C Tomas Mandicc 24 6'3 211 R

BENCH

C Adil Pesty 32 5'11 187 R

C Quique Puig 18 5'7 184 R

IF Aamir Benedito 18 6'6 216 L

IF Thorsten Eugen 21 5'9 194 B

OF Ahti Rantanen 26 6'3 211 R

OF Chryses Villeneuve 27 6'1 188 L

OF Karthikeyan Patton 18 5'10 177 L

PITCHING

Ace Atanasio Piruz 25 6'5 211 L

2nd Starter Johano Ediz 29 5'7 172 B

3rd Starter Yuki Kamado 27 6 190 L

Middle/Long Yuda Bertram 18 5'7 188 R

Middle/Long Luther Keegan 32 5'8 160 R

Middle/Long Iona Ofri 27 6'3 215 B

Short/Opener Vicent Lucius 31 6'4 220 L

Short Christian Ismail 23 5'9 160 L

Short/Set-up Renaud Cropper 26 6'0 195 R

Short/Closer Alfred Moore 20 6'4 224 R

RP Permissions
Choose my runscorers: No
Choose my lineup: No
Follow my pitching rotation: Yes
Godmod scoring events: No
RP injuries to my players: No
Godmod injuries to my players: No
Eject my players: No
Godmod other events: No
Use DH at home: No
Style Modifier: +3

by **Nova Anglicana** » Thu Feb 11, 2021 6:00 pm

Lion's Roar

A SportsWorld Weblog

Who's on Nova Anglicana's IBS XIII roster?
by Omega Lion

Probably you. But also, like, probably most people.

Another International Baseball Slam is upon us! This mid-cycle baseball tournament, a revival of an old tournament is intended as a way for nations to get together, play baseball, and enjoy themselves in a low-stakes environment. Most nations don't send their full national team (unless they stink); they instead opt for U-something teams or college all-stars, or in Nova Anglicana's case, pro players who probably won't make the majors. Officially, this is because the NABL wants to get these players more experience and help them grow. Realistically, this way they can say they didn't really try and can't be embarrassed if they lose. However, when Super-Llamaland's U11 All-Stars make it all the way to the finals, even if you didn't lose to them, it's safe to say that you've been embarrassed. Nova Anglicana has never made it out of the group stage since the tournament's been brought back, but third time's the charm, right?

The team this year is composed of minor league players between the ages of 24 and 29 with no major league at-bats or innings pitched. These players are either in the Twin Provinces League (AA) or the Maritime League (AAA), but have not appeared in the major leagues yet. In addition, none of these players are on current 40-man rosters or are in any team's top-10 prospect list. This means they are not in the majors nor quite even close yet. Hopefully, this experience in the IBS will help them secure a better place in their organization's hierarchy. We'll be doing this in two parts. Today, we'll be tackling the position players. Let's meet the players!

Catchers

Jack Corcoran

After being a 15th-round pick four years ago, Corcoran has actually played his way to the cusp of almost-prospect status. Typically, 15th-round picks play about one or two years and then get released. Corcoran looked ready for that trajectory after compiling just 126 mediocre at-bats in the Labrador League in his first season. Only his good rapport and pitch-calling skills saved him from being cut. Over the next three seasons, he slashed .267/.333/.408 in the Labrador and Twin Provinces League, which was good enough to get him some attention with his other skills. He's not a big guy, nor does he have tons of power or a really strong arm. But he's a good defender, a smart guy, and his bat is growing. This is a test. If he does well, he'll get to AAA and maybe have a shot at a major-league backup job. But he's got to prove himself.

Jean-Jacques Duplante

Duplante is tied for the oldest member of the team. He's been playing now for 8 seasons, including for his third organization, but he still hasn't broken through. It's not because of his lack of power (he once hit 18 homers, a great number for a catcher), or because of his poor arm (he's reported to have quite a strong one). Quite simply, Duplante is unathletic. He's squat, and built like a fire hydrant, which wouldn't be a problem if he could defend behind the plate. He's slow to block balls, poor at framing, and has little foot speed. He's here to provide "veteran leadership" and maybe hit some bombs.

Marcus Poirier

The youngest catcher, Poirier will serve as the third catcher for this team. He's got decent power, he's a switch-hitter, and his defense is actually solid. What is this guy not doing on a prospect list? Switch-hitting catchers who can play defense always are in need. Then I looked at his offensive stats. Now I get it. In his three professional seasons, Poirier's highest batting average has been .222, and his highest OBP has been .273. He's slightly better against right-handed pitching, but he's still terrible. He can run into a homer, but if he's hitting .222 and not taking many walks at the A or AA level, he'll never provide any value at the major league level. Still, if he can get some at-bats or see better pitching here, he might have a shot at improvement.

Infielders

1B Nick McAllister

McAllister is, by all accounts, a very nice defender at first. He scoops, picks, dives, ranges, and even has a fair arm. But he's never hit for enough average or power to be worth anyone's sustained attention. At first, the bat has to play, and McAllister hasn't really unlocked that yet. But he hits some doubles, takes some walks, has a fair average, and his infielders rave about his defense. So he's still got a job. This tournament is about showing off his offensive skills, because as good as his glove is, first base isn't a position where glove alone gets you a major-league spot.

2B Alain Gosselin

Another veteran here to provide leadership rather than up his stock for a major league job. Although, Gosselin's a fine defender and he switch-hits, so he might not be as far away as I originally thought. He's a jovial guy, by all accounts, which is nice. He's not that fast for a middle infielder, and he's kind of a free swinger, so those are definitely holding him back. But if he can play cromulent defense and hit for some average, he'll be useful to this team, if not to a major league one.

SS Philippe Marchand

Marchand is a glove guy, plain and simple. He has some of the softest hands around, and combines them with excellent range and a strong arm. In his five professional seasons, he has committed nine errors and his glove has been valued as saving many runs each season. However, in his five professional seasons, he has hit nine home runs and his bat has been valued as costing several runs each season. He's managed to make it to AAA on the strength of his glove, but he will need to improve his bat to get him to the majors. He has completely re-tooled his swing, shortening it, focusing on quick bat speed, contact, and utilizing his pretty good speed to beat out some bunt hits as well. He may not hit for power, but if he can protect the plate, draw some walks, and hit for average, then his glove will play.

3B Michael "Mac" McCray

"Mac" has a story to tell, even though he's only played three professional seasons. His first season, he was a late-round draft pick, but was cut after a mediocre performance. He latched on to a second team and proceeded to hit .274/.442/.396, a remarkable on-base season, if unspectacular in other ways. This intrigued another team enough to ask for him as a player to be named later in a trade, and he hit .286/.357/.421 in AA for them, which earned him a spot on this team. He's also moving up his organization's prospect charts. His primary talent is his ability to draw walks and to play all over the field. Currently, he's played third, short, and second, but if you gave him a first baseman's mitt or an outfielder's glove, he'd probably do just fine. He gets the starting job over Snodgrass because he actually has multiple skills.

3B/1B Jason Snodgrass

This guy is like everything Nick McAllister's not. He's got the bat (or at least the power) to play at third or first, and he's got a freakin' cannon of an arm. But what he does not do is field or hit for average. He fields decently enough to fake it at third or first, but he'd be much better suited to the designated hitter role, but Nova Anglicana does not use that rule. He also doesn't have a lot of patience at the plate. He'll provide some pop off the bench, mostly.

SS/2B Theron Jordan

Jordan's light on his feet, quick, nimble, speedy, and many other adjectives besides. The thing is, he isn't much beyond that. He can steal bases or get to a ball lickety-split, but he can't hit for average or power, and since pitchers know he's not much of a hitter, he doesn't draw many free passes either. He's a good defender, and he'll pinch-run for sure, but he's got a long way to go if he thinks he's going to be a major leaguer some day.

Outfielders

RF Roscoe Meacham

This guy is a story too. He has not one but two stints with independent league teams in the United States, starting out in independent ball, coming back to Nova Anglicana, heading back to independent ball, and finally re-signing here. Speed is his calling card, though his arm's pretty good too. He just hasn't put together a strong offensive season yet. Fourth outfielder job could be within his grasp with a good job here.

CF Rhett Bellamy

How the mighty have fallen. Bellamy was a 2nd round pick back in his day and combined lightning speed with good range, a fine arm, and a bat that was just good enough. Well, he hit AA and couldn't catch up to decent off-speed pitching. He ended up going through AA three times, which caused him to tumble off the prospect list. By his account, he was almost ready to quit when he was told he was reporting to AA for the third straight year, but he persevered and made it to AAA, where with a solid performance, he can get back, if not to prospect status, then to major league consideration.

LF/RF Scott Elston

Ol' Clompy Clogs! That's not his actual name, but it's what I nicknamed him after watching him play for my local AAA team several times. Yes, he has played left and right, but he doesn't look particularly comfortable in either situation. He just goes clomp-clomp-clomp out there and tries to minimize the damage. So if he stinks out loud on defense, why's he on the team? Two words: plus power. Some guys are glove-first, but this guy is power first, power second, and power third. This guy whacks home runs in batting practice like nobody's business, and has reportedly hit two homers over 500 feet in-game. He's just so lousy on defense, and not particularly talented against right-handed pitching, that with no DH, he can't get a major league job. He'll be part of a platoon.

LF/RF Rob Patton

Here's Ol' Clompy Clogs #2! I haven't actually seen Patton play, but from scouting reports, he's a lot like Elston, except from the left side. Power for days, but pretty awful on defense. He also struggles against left-handed pitching, but I hear he has a better arm than Elston. I also know he was busted for using amphetamines, which is why he slid down the list for his organization. Well, he's getting a second chance here, and the more homers he can bomb without using greenies, the better he'll look.

OF Gaston St. Martin

Good field, no hit. Like the opposite of ol' Clompy Clogs up above. He'll be the backup outfielder and defensive replacement on this team. He is blessed with great range, sure hands, and a decent arm, but his highest batting average came in the A-ball Labrador League, when he hit .247. So far in AA, he's struggled to hit very well at all. He's on the team because he's got room to grow and great defensive skills, but he's the farthest from the majors.

More from Lion's Roar
Lions off to good start in IBC 31
Who should you root for in the World Cup?
What to look for in NAFL season

(OOC: Logo at top shamelessly cribbed from Pride of Detroit, Detroit Lions blog. The opinions expressed above are the opinions of the writer and not necessarily indicative of the opinions of Nova Anglicans or the user behind Nova Anglicana.)

by **The Luck of Jirachi** » Thu Feb 11, 2021 6:49 pm

Alma-Ata Clerical Institute Holy Warriors

Mascot: General Chagatai

Coach: Jaime Ludovico

#  Name           1st Pos Age Ht   Wt Field% Avg 90ft T/H Start, 2nd Pos Year/Origin
1  Josiah Suleimenov  RF  24 5'8  175 .982  .286 4.1s R/R Starter, CF    1
3  Aman Kasharbayev   2B  20 5'9  178 .963  .295 4.3s R/S Starter, SS    5
4  Sergei Tilekov     SS  25 5'10 169 .991  .302 4.2s R/R Starter, 2B    0
7  Marc Briand        LF  21 6'0  182 .966  .324 4.4s R/R Backup,  RF    4
9  Chagatai Asharikov P   21 6'3  185 .992  .206 4.5s L/R Starter, None  4
10 Nikolai Nayerov    3B  23 6'1  192 .978  .339 4.5s R/R Starter, None  2
13 Teo Pierre-Batyr   SS  22 6'3  193 .989  .328 4.4s R/S Backup,  3B    3
14 Josiah Talyev      CF  25 6'1  177 .992  .306 4.1s R/R Starter, 2B    0
17 Teodoro Ismailov   1B  21 6'3  216 .996  .324 4.6s L/L Starter, None  4
19 Vasily Vladimirov  P   18 6'5  238 .942  .100 4.7s R/R Relief,  None  7, Transfer from Sijis Ter Agricultural Institute
21 Alisher Oripov     LF  22 5'10 176 .990  .341 4.2s L/L Starter, RF    3
23 Sayed Rozim        P   20 5'11 205 .950  .150 4.6s R/R Relief,  None  5
27 Makhambet Masimov  SS  24 6'2  201 .991  .315 4.2s R/R Backup,  2B    1
28 Louis Delancourt   3B  23 6'1  196 .983  .311 4.3s R/R Backup,  1B    2
30 Amir Taymetov      C   24 5'11 230 .986  .320 4.6s R/R Starter, 1B    1
32 Ali Aleyev         P   23 6'2  203 .811  .080 4.5s L/L Relief,  None  2, Transfer from Kyzyl-Su Naval Academy
36 Osman Gravier      P   22 6'4  221 .909  .140 4.4s L/L Relief,  None  3
42 Marat Batyruli     P   23 6'2  230 .950  .160 4.9s R/R Starter, None  2
44 Serik Laffitte     P   21 6'3  226 .900  .240 4.6s R/R Relief,  None  4
49 Kyle San Bracero   P   23 6'3  224 .850  .200 4.3s R/S Starter, None  Transfer from Agin Kaya University, Inner AginanaUsordia
50 Ken Simon          C   25 6'2  222 .965  .289 4.4s R/R Backup,  None  0
55 Ladomir Aikalon II P   23 6'5  238 .900  .120 4.5s L/R Starter, None  2
63 Jules Duclerc      1B  22 6'3  223 .993  .382 4.5s R/R Backup,  3B    3
75 Kasim Suleimenov   2B  17 6'0  193 .938  .336 4.2s R/R Backup,  SS    8
84 Marcus Thierry     P   19 5'11 186 .900  .000 4.4s L/L Closer,  None  6

Starting Lineup
S. Tilekov, SS
J. Talyev, CF
A. Oripov, LF
T. Ismailov, 1B
(J. Duclerc, DH) only if applicable
A. Kasharbayev, 2B
J. Suleimenov, RF
A. Taymetov, C
N. Nayerov, 3B
(Pitcher)
My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my runscorers: Yes
Choose my lineup: No, unless I don’t post it Pre-Game; Yes for subs
Follow my pitching rotation: Yes
Godmod scoring events: Yes
RP injuries to my players: Yes, within reason.
Godmod injuries to my players: No
Eject my players: Yes, but no suspensions.
Godmod other events: No
Use DH at home: No
Style Modifier: -2
“May the Luck of Jirachi bless you all”

by **South Newlandia** » Fri Feb 12, 2021 2:20 pm

South Newlandian roster for the 13th International Baseball Slam

Complete Roster

Coaching staff
Manager/Head Coach: Sarang Oli (60ish, The Sherpa Empire)
Pitching coach: Jean-Luc Conrad (35)
Hitting coach: Victor Lo (33)
Athletic trainer: Valentin Metcalfe (30)

After the failure of the IBS12-campaign two years ago, Matteo Maxbar, the former coach of this team, has stepped down. Since then, the SNBA has hired Sarang Oli, an experinced coach from The Sherpa Empire. He coached his national team for three Classics about a decade ago, and while he is known to be grumpy at times, he might be able to turn this team around. While he differs from Maxbar a lot in personality, their approaches to baseball are similar, with usually conservative baserunning and not obsessing over pitch counts. Oli is going to work with three men from last time, and even though Conrad had some aspirations to become the next head coach, they should be able to work together fine, hopefully.

Starting pitchers
(SP1) Michael Michaelson (21, L) (Southwestern Baselanders)
(SP2) Jack Beard (20, R) (Lexen City Rebels)
(SP3) Ben Gonzalo (20, R) (Newport Dolphins)

Due to the small number of total games, the South Newlandian U-22 team will operate with only three starting pitchers. Michaelson and Beard had been pretty bad two years ago against tough opposition, but they will return here; joined by the new talent in Gonzalo. He has been playing well for the Dolphins, and will get his first international experience here.

Relief pitchers
(Primary1) Ethan Ress (19, R) (Newport Dolphins)
(Primary2) Abby Conrad (20, R, *F) (Sophie City Girls)
(Mop-up) Herbert Hoosier (21, S) (Elephant Valley Homers)
(Closer) Stef Svojarnsson (21, R) (St. Riecarn Saints)

Two new primary relievers in Ress and Conrad will hopefully improve the South Newlandian bullpen a bit; and Conrad especially will make history as the first female pitcher for South Newlandia. Hoosier has some WBC-experience, while Svojarnsson had a good season for the Saints along a good performance two years ago.

Starters in batting order
(LF) Oliver Landry (21, R) (Lexen City Rebels)
(CF) Shawn Zimmerman (21, S) (St. Riecarn Saints)
(DH) Rufus Salas (19, R) (Ratzupalfu Rhinos)
(1B) Nicolas Perez (19, R) (Sun City Flames)
(RF) Gary Promises (18, S) (Newport Owls)
(3B) Yousuf Henry (18, R) (Walstreim Lions)
(SS) Jeremy Moss (20, L) (Sun City Flames)
(2B) Malika Bains (21, R) (Sophie City Girls)
(C) Fred Burn (21, R) ([Ko-orenite league])
*If the team plays without DH, the pitcher bats 9th and everyone else moves up a spot

A few of these players may be recognizable to you; along the lines of Landry, Moss or Burn, but most importantly Shawn Zimmerman. The Center-fielder is heading into his third Slam, and has gathered some WBC experience as well as your regular contact hitter with comparatively little power. Of course, Gary Promises also needs to be mentioned. The eighteen-year-old power hitter from the Newport Owls is very good at clobbering homers, and at drawing walks. While he is a very good player, he is also known for being a massive douche. New players include elite power hitter Perez, the young and fast contact hitter Salas, and Henry, a young developmental piece with little upside that will be consistent across the board.

Bench
(Catcher) Alice Wheeler (19, R, *F)
(Infield) Dave Holmes (18, R)
(Infield) Alicia Broughton (17, R, *F)
(Outfield) Nelson Avila (20, R)
(Utility) Dean Fischer (21, R)

These guys aren’t particularly interesting. Different to the South Newlandian football teams, the baseball teams never rotate a whole lot, so the reserve five probably won’t see a lot of action.

Complete Schedule
MD1: Isle of Lowe United -- South Newlandian U22s
MD2: South Newlandian U22s -- Newmanistan U16s
MD3: Hebitaka U21 Heroes -- South Newlandian U22s
MD4: Abanhfleft Revolution All-Stars -- South Newlandian U22s
MD5: South Newlandian U22s -- Kohnhead U-21 Pandas
Rivalry showdown: South Newlandian U22s -- Super-Llamaland U13s

by **Kohnhead** » Fri Feb 12, 2021 4:15 pm

Kohnhead U-21 Roster
Nation Name: The Galactic Empire of Kohnhead
Shortened: Kohnhead
Trigramme: KHD
Nickname: The U-21 Pandas
Record: 14-12
Team info: The defending 4th place finishers at the 12th International Baseball Team the U-21 Pandas are back to compete here in Banjia. In addition the main team is coming off of a trip to the knockouts at the 50th World Baseball Classic in Cassadaigua. Baseball appears to have a very bright future in Kohnhead and the team has high expectations for the tournament.

Starting Pitchers
Duncan Park (18) LH - The southpaw Park is the future of the team. He has all the tools to be the ace but still has to develop in terms of everything especially control. He can get quite flustered at random times and so he is quite a streaky pitcher although he played fantastic in the last IBS. Park was the number two in Tikariot and South Newlandia but now in the 13th edition he will take over as the ace.
Oakley May (20) RH - May does not have even average speed with her best fastball clocking in at 90, instead she relies on control, and offspeed pitches with a variety of other pitches. She throws a change, a curve, a screwball, and a slider quite well.
Teddie McBride (21) RH - I'm going to be honest, McBride doesn't bring that much to the table and I have serious doubts as to why he was chosen for this number 3 spot. He has three pitches, a fastball, changeup, and slider but his slider is definitely a work in progress.
Dane Kelly (16) RH - Kelly burst onto the scene in Kohnhead's top amateur league last season and despite being 16 he is built like a 21 year old. Kelly has lots of speed but he also has incredible touch for his age. That said he is a 16 year old with limited stamina and while there were thoughts he would start out in the bullpen, Huerta has given him a start in the rotation.
Blake Tomlinson (19) RH - Tomlinson is an incredibly raw starter and there was talk that he would not even be on the roster this time around after having been passed by Kelly. He clearly is still here and he has ideal speed and all the physical tools to succeed. He probably isn't going to pitch well but he will always have flashes.

Bullpen
RP Kara Conroy (20) RH - Conroy is probably the best pitcher in the bullpen at only 20 years of age. She if needed can go 3 innings and that can be very useful if a starter has a poor day.
RP Rosemary Velez (21) LH - Velez is only really here because she is left handed. She is probably the worst pitcher on the team but will be brought in for left handed situations
RP Shane Manning (19) RH - Manning is the second best middle reliever behind Conroy and is best suited for the 7th inning with lower pressure. Manning has a good fastball but not much else at this point.
RP Moses Levy (21) RH - Levy is the third right handed middle reliver behind Manning and Conroy and for good reason. He has a good changeup and some other offspeed pitches but is wildy inaccurate.
Set up man Andrea Bellamy (21) RH - Bellamy is the guy to turn to in the 8th inning right before Lane. Bellamy has a good slider and fastball and is a sidearm pitcher which will often surprise hitters.
Closer Mollie Cornish (20) RH - Cornish will be taking over closer duties from Maddy Lane who got called up to the National Team and performed quite well last cycle. Cornish is known to be very clutch and has some of the stuff required for the job and will always give 110%. She also oddly is quite good at hitting the ball despite being a closer although obviously does not warrant any time in the lineup as she isn't that good with the bat.

Optimal Starting Lineup (with DH)
1. CF Alvin Clayton (21) RH - Clayton is your ideal center fielder and lead off hitter. He has a high on base percentage, good speed, good contact, limited power, a so-so arm, and good range in center field.
2. 3B Izabella Fitzgerald (19) LH/RH - Fitzgerald is a switch hitter and can go deep when necessary. Her biggest plus is of course being a switch hitter and she is overall a good hitter. She has an okay arm for a 3rd baseman but very bad fielding skills and is a canidate to lead the team in errors.
3. RF Cory Atkinson (20) LH - Atkinson is your typical right field power hitter who hits third in the lineup. He will get the most home runs and rbis on the team yet at the same time he will probably strike out the most swinging for the fences. Atkinson is overall a decent fielder and won't be a total liability out there in right field.
4. 1B Megan Lewis (19) RH - Lewis is the second of the big three power hitters in the 3-4-5 slots. Lewis however has better plate vision than the other two and while she has lots of power she will also be one of the top members in walks.
5. DH Jules Wise (21) LH - Jules Wise is a power hitter but is an awful fielder however with Callie Dudley's promotion to the main team he will get a chance as a starter in the DH position when we are allowed to play with a DH.
6. SS Gordon Hays (21) RH - Hays has the quick hands and good arm at short and is overall just okay at the plate. He won't go yard very often and his best contributions come from the field as he is the team's best in the field.
7. 2B Fabien Norris (20) LH - Norris is a hard working, great leader, and skillful in the clutch second basemen. His hitting skills are still a bit questionable and he has no power what so ever but he is constantly trying to improve and is a great leader. He's a guy you want on the team for more than just his baseball skills
8. LF Wayne Quintero (21) RH - The third of the three outfielders, Quintero possesses good speed, a good arm, decent range, and not much at the plate. While he doesn't normally strike out he has a tendency to hit a lot of ground balls and short pop ups.
9. C Cassandra Day (20) RH - And batting last, the catcher Cassandra Day. Catchers get little to no love in Kohnhead and despite how difficult the position is most people fail to appreciate catchers. Cassandra Day is not a good catcher, nor is she a good hitter. However the backup situation is even worse so she is the starter.

Starting Lineup without DH
1. CF Alvin Clayton
2. 3B Isabella Fitzgerald
3. RF Cory Atkinson
4. 1B Megan Lewis
5. SS Gordon Hays
6. 2B Fabien Norris
7. LF Wayne Quintero
8. C Casssandra Day
9 . Pitcher

The Bench
IF Oliver Wharton (21) RH - Wharton is a good utility guy to have on the bench as he can play any of the infield positions but catcher. He will be the guy on the bench who plays the most and will be brought in as a pinch hitter the most.
OF Payton O'Donnell (19) RH - O'Donnell is our backup outfielder on days when Quintero is playing so when the DH is allowed. O'Donnell has speed but a weak arm and is overall very eh at the plate.
C Aaron Ventura (21) RH - There's a reason Cassandra Day is the starter, the backup situation is horrid, Ventura does not belong on a U-21 team yet here he is.
SS/2B Deborah Sweet (20) LH - Sweet is just another player on the bench who has decent upside but probably will barely play during the tournament.
Utility: Dua Sweeney (17) - Dua Sweeney may probably receive a starting job next year and is a utility fielder who can play most of the positions on the diamond. At the plate Sweeney provides decent hitting but awful power. She doesn't really have the upside but at only 17 she has a lot of time to improve.

Coaching Staff
Manager: Dolly Huerta (51)
Assisstant: Ember Marshall (45)
Pitching Coach: Austin Sutton (38) (Was a member of the National team at IBS 11 and WBC 49)
Hitting Coach: Louie Hahn (61)
Bench Coach: Dewey Horn (74)

Homerun Derby: Cory Atkinson

Style Mod: +1
Choose my runscorers: Yes
Choose my lineup: Yes
Follow my pitching rotation: Yes
Godmod scoring events: Yes
RP injuries to my players: Yes
Godmod injuries to my players: Yes
Eject my players: Yes
Godmod other events: Yes, please let me know beforehand by tg or on discord
Use DH at home: Yes, pitchers should not be hitting.
Note: As you can see I added a brief description of each player, when rping about them try and follow them. Now this doesn't mean stick to them word to word as there is variance in how they play each game but those are there for your help.

by **Oscioru** » Fri Feb 12, 2021 4:38 pm

OSCI TALENTI

Osci Talenti(University Baseball All-star Talents)
Nation Name: The United Republic of Oscioru
Shortened: Oscioru
Trigramme: OSC
Nickname: Osci Talenti
Record: 0-0
Style modifier: +3
Team info: Baseball is ingrained in Osci University sports life as one of its most popular sports. The team has no history of playing with each other, but an increased need to represent the nation on all sports will probably manifest itself in the most positive ways in the form of Osci nationalism. Osci players are extremely pacey, probably much faster than your faster players, batting on the other is a weak spot, so the team will probably rely too much on pace.

Starters:
C:Zé Robledo
1B:Zé Cousineau
2B:Eutropio Ferro
3B:Nicolò Baldi
SS:Cande Palmeiro
LF:Battista Gallego
CF:Lupe Rodriquez
RF:Ximo Adam
DH:Rubens Roig

Benchmen:
C:Ivan Noyer
IF:Àngel Bellandi
IF:Eliseo De La Fontaine
IF:Dado Page
IF:Desiderio Drago
IF:Constantin Ramírez
OF:Pol Portoghese
OF:Jordán Page
OF:Arturo Silva

Pitching:
RRHP:Danilo Germano
LHP:Lisandro Columbo
RHP:Fermín Olmo
RHP:Constant Noguera
LHP:Albano Berlusconi
RP:Jeremías Adamo
RP:Balbino Di Mercurio
RP:Étienne Echevarría
CP:Aníbal Bello
CP:Théotime Antonelli

Staff:
Manager:Mateo Borghi
Assistant manager:Clément Ruggiero

Choose my runscorers: Yes
Choose my lineup: Yes
Follow my pitching rotation: Yes
Godmod scoring events: Yes
RP injuries to my players: Yes
Godmod injuries to my players: Yes
Eject my players: Yes
Godmod other events: Yes, no killing
Use DH at home: Yes

by **Saint-Domingues** » Fri Feb 12, 2021 4:55 pm

Santo Domingo Toros

Name: Santo Domingo Toros Baseball Club
Nickname(s): Toros, The Old Man, The Greens
Founded: 1892; 129 years ago, as Santo Domingo Baseball Club
Ballpark: Green Field
Capacity: 38,544
Colours: Green and white (formerly red and blue)
Owner(s): The Mariano Family
Manager: Augusto Mariano
League: Columbus League
2019-2020 Season: Columbus Cup Winners

Saint-Domingue and baseball
Baseball is a massively popular sport in the Spanish-speaking parts of Hispaniola, and is ranked as the 2nd most popular sport amongst Spanish speakers in terms of attendance and social media engagement (behind football). It is less popular amongst Francophones, and the majority of Columbus League competitors (and winners) come from the towns and cities that are majority Spanish-speaking, however the sport's popularity is now on the rise amongst all demographics.

Baseball was first introduced to Saint-Domingue from Cuba in the 1880s, and a series of amateur baseball clubs began to be set up. This would culminate in the Santo Domingo Baseball Club becoming the first professional baseball club in 1902 order to prize away players from rival teams. A series of other clubs turned professional and by the end of the decade there were a number of professional clubs who established their own league, the Columbus League.

As a sport, baseball has strong ties to nationalism and Hispanic identity in Saint-Domingue. Baseball is seen as an American sport with ties to the rest of the continent, as opposed to sports perceived to be innately European favoured by the French-speaking population.

Roster

MANAGER

Augusto Mariano
A grizzled old war veteran with a violent temperament and dogged by links to organised crime. An immensely wealthy man, he has owned the Toros for decades and frequently appoints himself as manager whilst ruling the club as his own personal fief.

Player	Age	Position	Bats	Throws	Team
Augusto Mariano II	1 May 1996 (aged 24)	Pitcher	Right	Right	Santo Domingo Toros
Antonio Benítez	12 February 1984 (aged 37)	Pitcher	Right	Left	Santo Domingo Toros
Nestor Salamanca	23 August 1987 (aged 33)	Pitcher	Right	Right	Santo Domingo Toros
Justin Aspar	14 January 1993 (aged 28)	Pitcher	Right	Right	Santo Domingo Toros
Daniel Cedano	29 April 1999 (aged 21)	Pitcher	Right	Right	Santo Domingo Toros
Salomon Beas	21 November 1991 (aged 30)	Infielder	Right	Right	Santo Domingo Toros
Enrique Ledesma	3 January 1989 (aged 32)	Infielder	Switch	Right	Santo Domingo Toros
Pierre Barriau	16 July 1993 (aged 27)	Infielder	Right	Left	Santo Domingo Toros
Ignazio Esperanza	5 September 1992 (aged 28)	Infielder	Left	Left	Santo Domingo Toros
Hernan Fraga	7 June 1994 (aged 26)	Infielder	Right	Right	Santo Domingo Toros
Angelino Cadiz	26 June 1995 (aged 25)	Outfielder	Right	Right	Santo Domingo Toros
Dante Cano	23 November 1989 (aged 31)	Outfielder	Right	Right	Santo Domingo Toros
Osvaldo Amado	24 March 1994 (aged 26)	Outfielder	Right	Right	Santo Domingo Toros
Enrique Santos	22 June 1990 (aged 30)	Outfielder	Left	Right	Santo Domingo Toros
Francisco Mariano	7 February 1986 (aged 35)	Outfielder	Left	Left	Santo Domingo Toros
Henri Lapin	30 August 1999 (aged 21)	Catcher	Right	Right	Santo Domingo Toros
Federico Arenas	24 October 1990 (aged 30)	Catcher	Left	Right	Santo Domingo Toros

BATTING ORDER

WITH DH
1. Fraga
2. Ledesma
3. Cano
4. Esperanza
5. F. Mariano
6. Barriau
7. Arenas
8. Santos (DH)
9. Cadiz

WITHOUT DH
1. Fraga
2. Ledesma
3. Cano
4. Esperanza
5. F. Mariano
6. Barriau
7. Arenas
8. Cadiz
9. Pitcher

Home run derby: Francisco Mariano

RP Permissions
Choose my runscorers: Yes
Choose my lineup: Yes
Follow my pitching rotation: Yes
Godmod scoring events: Yes
RP injuries to my players: Yes
Godmod injuries to my players: Yes
Eject my players: Yes
Godmod other events: Yes
Use DH at home: No

by **South Newlandia** » Fri Feb 12, 2021 6:53 pm

NORTHEAST

Final table:

1 Masmow Dragons             72   48  24   376  235 +141    0.667
2 Newport Dolphins           72   43  29   350  279  +71    0.597
3 Newport Owls               72   34  38   309  330  −21    0.472
4 Lexen City Rebels          72   29  43   288  314  −26    0.403

Masmow Dragons:

With Llamanean Sofia Rasmussen taking over the team, they stormed right back into the playoffs, collecting 48 wins on their route to winning the Northeast. They allowed the fewest runs in the league, partially because Jay Kramer had a phenomenal season, but also because the fielding was one of the best in the league. The Outfield with Dunlop, Llamanean McMahon and Ko-orenite star Caamano was absolutely stacked, and Caamano was voted to be the best player in his division that year. The infield with Llamanean star Gabriel Acosta, Ko-orenite Pijpenbroek, and Jason Valbuena proved nearly impenetrable, producing the fewest errors in the league. There was hardly any stopping this team.
Big win:
MD1: Masmow Dragons 18-2 Southwestern Baselanders
Already in their first game of the season, the Dragons absolutely blew the Baselanders to hell. Eighteen runs scored on home field was exactly the start Rasmussen had dreamed of, and Acosta went deep twice in that game, with Caamano adding two as well.
Big game:
MD58: Masmow Dragons 12-2 Elephant Valley Homers
The Dragons were facing one of the top teams of the league late in the season on home field, after having dropped the first of
the series. They came back, blowing out the Homers in game two. Even though they had a really bad stretch at the time, they ended a streak of 5 straight losses that day.
Big loss:
MD3: St. Riecarn Saints 12-3 Masmow Dragons
Even though it was the only of their opening eight they dropped, this one hurt. At an expansion team playing their first game on home field, the Dragons stood no chance. They were simply outclassed that day, but this game allowed Rasmussen to see and fix mistakes early on.

Newport Dolphins:

Even though the Dolphins couldn’t win their division, they still played extremely well; almost getting a 0.600 record. The young Ben Gonzalo proved to be a real ace on the mound, and Kendra Annovar had an extremely good season as well, hitting way above average. While this team wasn’t as stacked as the Dragons, they still were able to perform with some strong players, including reliever Montaro Wakajoshi from Ko-oren and South Newlandian WBC players Drum and Larsen.
Big win:
MD22: Newport Dolphins 15-1 Ruditown Dachshunds
There is no doubt this absolute domination of the spiralling Dachshunds would be their game of the season. Fifteen runs were quite a lot, with Larsen hitting it deep twice, this was a strong showcase of the power of this team.
Big game:
MD72: Newport Owls 1-7 Newport Dolphins
On the last day of the season, the Dolphins were playing their rivals from Newport, and managed to claim a nice and solid win. They proved they were for real, that they wanted to be in the playoffs.
Big loss:
MD25: Rüsselsheim Blue Sox 11-3 Newport Dolphins
There was also a good amount of bad on that season. In Rüsselsheim, the Dolphins lost big; but this game is also notable
because the Dolphins won the second game of that series, kick-starting a 5-1 stretch.

Newport Owls:

The Owls were not able to replicate their success from last year. It wasn’t a terrible year, but they fell short of an even record by quite a bit; mostly because this team lacked any real stars. Chromatik pitcher Miles Savey was the closest thing to it, and he finished with a below-average ERA, but he couldn’t carry the team either. Gary Promises showed more of the good of the season before, but also much more of the bad.
Big win:
MD62: Newport Owls 12-3 Sophie City Girls
This was one of those good games for Promises, going deep thrice, and helping them to a blowout against the Girls.
Big game:
MD64: Newport Dolphins 8-3 Newport Owls
Just two games later, they found themselves ina position to try for a late-season push; they had won three games in a row and could be able to gain ground on their big rivals at their stadium. They missed on their chance, and only won three more games that season.
Big loss:
MD26: Sophie City Girls 6-1 Newport Owls
This was the start to a 3-9 stretch that really hurt the Owls; and it showed the problems of the team. When Promises wasn’t contributing, he was often pulling the team down with him. Two errors by the Right Fielder were certainly not helping either.

Lexen City Rebels:

The Rebels did okay for an expansion team, but not much more than that. There was simply not much going on with this team, but at least they had Drawkian Bradley Jenkins; probably the best catcher of the league. There was only so much he could do, and the Rebels fell well short.
Big win:
MD1: Lexen City Rebels 13-3 Chekar Tigers
The Rebels started their season off extremely well, defeating fellow expansion team Tigers easily at home to break in their new stadium. They also lost the next game to them immediately after.
Big game:
MD7: Lexen City Rebels 5-4 Elephant Valley Homers
Against the extremely strong Homers, the Rebels managed to take only their third win of the season. Notably, the game went 16 innings, and was ultimately decided by a game-winning double for Jenkins. The Drawkian surely enjoyed securing such a big win on matchday 7.
Big loss:
MD35: Lexen City Rebels 0-10 Masmow Dragons
Ouch.

by **Delaclava** » Fri Feb 12, 2021 7:00 pm

DSGN.com Baseball

IBS XIII Preview: Breton Valley Bangers
DBL champions take on tough competition in Banija

When the Breton Valley Bangers recorded the final out against the Carnstone Cardinals in Game 7 to win the DBL Super Series five games to two, the players jumped onto the field, uncorked the sparkling rosé, and celebrated a dominant season in which they won the North Division with a 123-57 record, then stormed through the playoffs with relative ease to cap off an improbable yet comprehensive championship run. Then, as the excitement died down, they prepared to change from soaked uniforms to clean street clothes, and prepare to kick their feet up for a few months.

But manager Joran Perrot had another plan waiting for them.

"I got the call from the Commissioner that night," Perrot said. "The IBS was coming up and he thought the competition would be perfect for us."

The International Baseball Slam has recently established itself as a precursor to the World Baseball Classic, and captures a catch-all of teams - youth teams of the world's best baseball nations, an assortment of clubs and All-Star teams, and less experienced full national sides. So the Breton Valley Bangers will fit right in, and they will be the first Delaclava-based squad to enter the competition in its 13th edition.

But even after nearly 200 games already played this year, the players are still excited to make the trip.

"We're happy to get this opportunity. We want to do well, but we're not really feeling any pressure," ace Bedin Egozhevy said. "The worst case is, we kind of have some vacation time planned for us. But really, we'll get some good reps in and stay a little fresher than the other Delaclav teams during the offseason."

Egozhevy likely doesn't have the next DBL season in mind either. He is one of six players on the Bangers who originate from Dillobourne, Island of Hess and therefore were on the locally-based squad that surprised the baseball world in World Baseball Classic 49 with a run to the Round of 16, losing their series 3-2. Egozhevy - along with starting pitcher Thomas Blunt, closer Sean Magary, first baseman Jack Russo, left fielder Owen Clark, and right fielder Pavel Malek - were all subsequently signed by the Bangers soon after. While the decision was largely derided among the inner circles of the league, the risk paid off as the Bangers have made the playoffs in each of the past three years. Now that the so-called "Simple Six" - a derisive reference by some general managers to the group's remote upbringings - have surpassed expectations repeatedly, they no doubt will be considered for the full national team that will be sent to WBC51.

The Bangers travel to Dimbogourou, where Group A will be played at Kabaka's Military College - and it'll be a new experience for the whole team. "It's not where any of us thought we'd be headed to start the offseason," catcher Lauri Vatanen admitted. "But we do like having this kind of surprise destination and this will be a great trip. We're not used to it being so hot this time of year, but we think we can handle it.

"We've just got to pack our own mountain brew," he laughed, referencing the Valhallan coffee drink which, along with all coffee, cannot be found anywhere for purchase in the nation of Banija. "I swear, that was about half of our luggage."

The Bangers will open action against the Bohemia Buccaneers national team, and will also contend with youth teams from Quebec, Sarzonia, and Daskel - the defending champions - and Kohnhead - fourth at IBS XII - as well as a collegiate all-star term from Oscioru. Breton Valley is therefore the only fully professional team in the group, but they don't make much of that status, particularly the Hessian contingent of the Bangers.

"We were a whole team of amateurs against pro squads, and we did just fine in Newmanistan," Clark said, referencing Delaclava's performance in WBC49. "We won't make any assumptions until we get on the field and see what's in front of us."

For their part, the Bangers bring a deep pitching squad which averaged a league-best 3.03 ERA this season, headlined by Egozhevy, this year's Denton Wolfe Award winner, and Blunt, and also including starters Yannick Ronan, Lucas Beaudoin, and Marion Mathis, and relievers Magary and Charlie Crowe. The entire pitching staff is ready to put in work during this tournament, and so Perrot and pitching coach John Chapman will have options for any situation.

The Bangers, perhaps ironically, were not known for their power this season, but have made up for it with a batting average of .295 (also a league-best) and speedy and aggressive baserunning. Rookie of the Year Valery Robiquet was particularly a revelation this year, with a batting average of .334 and 104 stolen bases, and Breton Valley offers plenty of speed all the way down the lineup - Malek, batting fifth, was the leadoff man for the Dillobourne WBC49 team, while Teuvo Kujala and Ilkka Salonen were also among the league leaders in baserunning metrics this year.

The team, despite their lack of international experience, thinks they are well equipped to handle the challenges ahead.

"We play a brand of baseball we believe in," Malek said, "We're quick, smart tacticians, and patient with building leads and closing deficits. Everyone says the game isn't over until the final out. We actually believe it."

"We're a championship team," Blunt added, "and we're going to play like it."

by **Banija** » Fri Feb 12, 2021 9:18 pm

So I could play you a normal cutoff song for the first IBS XIII cutoff....

Or I could just take you through a deep dive of my favorite Youtube channels to watch interesting videos. So here we are!

First is this Film Theory channel... As you wait for your scores, remember the Lion King and ask yourself this question- was Scar the rightful King?

Matchday 1 Results
Group A

Daskel U18 Junior Daskies                        0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 3  5
Sarzonia U-21 Junior Stars                       0 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 0  3

Bohemia Buccaneers                               0 0 0 1 1 0 0 2 0 0  4
Breton Valley Bangers                            1 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 1  5

Quebec U22s                                      1 0 0 0 2 3 0 0 0  6
Osci Talenti                                     0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0  3

Group A                                           Pld  W  L   RF  RA  RD 
1 Quebec U22s                                      1   1  0    6   3  +3
2 Daskel U18 Junior Daskies                        1   1  0    5   3  +2
3 Breton Valley Bangers                            1   1  0    5   4  +1
4 Bohemia Buccaneers                               1   0  1    4   5  −1
5 Sarzonia U-21 Junior Stars                       1   0  1    3   5  −2
6 Osci Talenti                                     1   0  1    3   6  −3

Group B

Super-Llamaland U13s                             3 0 0 0 1 3 1 0 0  8
Hannasea Independent All-Stars                   4 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0  7

Northwest Ballina Redhawks                       2 3 1 0 0 0 0 4 0 10
Cassadaigua U18s                                 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0  3

Neptun Taru U21                                  0 1 0 0 0 3 1 1 1  7
Xannerian Junior Maroons                         0 0 0 3 0 1 0 0 0  4

Group B                                           Pld  W  L   RF  RA  RD 
1 Northwest Ballina Redhawks                       1   1  0   10   3  +7
2 Neptun Taru U21                                  1   1  0    7   4  +3
3 Super-Llamaland U13s                             1   1  0    8   7  +1
4 Hannasea Independent All-Stars                   1   0  1    7   8  −1
5 Xannerian Junior Maroons                         1   0  1    4   7  −3
6 Cassadaigua U18s                                 1   0  1    3  10  −7

Group C

Banijan Joint Service Academy All-Stars          0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1  3
Alma-Ata Clereical Institute Holy Warriors       1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  2

Santo Domingo Toros                              1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0  2
Sainte-Maire - Les Espadons                      0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2  3

Silvedania U-21 Sycamores                        1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0  3
Nova Anglicana Lions                             0 0 0 0 0 2 3 2 X  7

Group C                                           Pld  W  L   RF  RA  RD 
1 Nova Anglicana Lions                             1   1  0    7   3  +4
2 Banijan Joint Service Academy All-Stars          1   1  0    3   2  +1
  Sainte-Maire - Les Espadons                      1   1  0    3   2  +1
4 Alma-Ata Clereical Institute Holy Warriors       1   0  1    2   3  −1
  Santo Domingo Toros                              1   0  1    2   3  −1
6 Silvedania U-21 Sycamores                        1   0  1    3   7  −4

Group D

Kohnhead U-21 Pandas                             0 6 1 1 0 0 0 0 1  9
Abanhfleft Revolution All-Stars                  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0  3

Isle of Lowe United                              2 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 1  6
South Newlandia U22s                             0 0 1 0 0 0 1 2 1  5

Newmanistan U16s                                 1 0 0 0 1 4 4 1 0 11
Hebitaka U21 Heroes                              0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0

Group D                                           Pld  W  L   RF  RA  RD 
1 Newmanistan U16s                                 1   1  0   11   0 +11
2 Kohnhead U-21 Pandas                             1   1  0    9   3  +6
3 Isle of Lowe United                              1   1  0    6   5  +1
4 South Newlandia U22s                             1   0  1    5   6  −1
5 Abanhfleft Revolution All-Stars                  1   0  1    3   9  −6
6 Hebitaka U21 Heroes                              1   0  1    0  11 −11

by **Srednjaci** » Sat Feb 13, 2021 10:40 am

WORLD ARENA SPORT CHANNEL 1

FIRST WINN FOR NEPTUN TARU TEAM

Great game and victory of our young players Neptune Taru! 7: 4 victory against Xannerian Junior Maroons. This is a big thing for baseball in Srednjaci but also sports in general.

Srednjaci is a new nation, only recently an internationally recognized country.
We proudly fight for our place under the sun and the best way to be heard for a nation are sports competitions. These young people proudly represent our nation. None of them expected a victory.
Srednjaci have a handball tradition, basketball, athletics and of course skiing. Baseball in Srednjaci is in its infancy, in the beginning and this victory on the international scene will help to draw the public's attention to baseball, bring people to the playgrounds, bring children to trainings and, what is important, sponsors.
In order for sport to take place, in addition to state incentives, the media must also do their part of the job, promoting sport.
The promotion will help sponsors appear and the league be barren.
There may be too much responsibility on these young backs.
They are not aware of it, the guys just want to play baseball, they want to hang out with other people, meet new nations and cultures, travel the world.
Baseball is not just a sport, baseball is a bridge to the world.
Guys, thank you for this great day for baseball in Srednjaci!
We hope that you will continue to make us happy and we will do our best to broadcast your matches.

by **Delaclava** » Sat Feb 13, 2021 1:42 pm

DSGN.com Baseball

Rudock's walkoff shot seals Bangers' IBS opener
Breton Valley salvages blown lead against Bohemia in nervy debut

Dimbogourou, BNJ-- Ryan Rudock's solo home run in the bottom of the tenth inning gave the Breton Valley Bangers a dramatic 5-4 victory over the Bohemia Buccaneers to open play in the 13th International Baseball Slam.

"It was tough to keep fighting through, and we lost our footing a bit there," said Rudock, who had started the day 0-for-4 with two strikeouts before the home run. "But a win is a win and we're happy to get tested and come through the other side."

The Bangers' aggressive small ball initially flustered the Buccaneers and chased their ace Atanasio Piruz after 3.2 innings, with four runs surrendered on eight hits and four walks. They got off to a hot start in the first inning, with Valery Robiquet singling to center and advancing to second and third on a stolen base and a Teuvo Kujala sacrifice bunt, before Owen Clark singled him home. In the third inning, Clark drove in another run with a double to score Kujala, who walked to open the frame, and Piruz was lucky even then to escape with the lone run allowed, in large part due to a Rudock double play with the bases loaded."

"I was pissed about that," Rudock said. "I'm glad my teammates had my back throughout the game, but you really can't do what I did. Not at that point in the game, when we're about to blow it open. I just thought too much about it."

After the Bucs put up a run on Bedin Egozhevy in the top of the fourth, the Bangers increased the pressure as Ilkka Salonen singled to open the bottom of the inning and advanced to third on a Robiquet single. Kujala brought home Salonen with a sacrifice fly to left field, and two batters later, Jack Russo drove in Robiquet with a double, causing Piruz's exit. Vicent Lucius stopped the bleeding and kept the score at 4-1 by striking out Pavel Malek.

As the game went on, the Bucs' pitching staff seemed to be sharper, with Lucius, Yuda Bertram, and Christian Ismail combining for 5 1/3 scoreless innings. Bertram in his own right struck out four batters in three scoreless frame. Conversely, Egozhevy's control seemed to be slipping - after striking out five batters in the first three innings, the Denton Wolfe Award winner gave up nine hits and struck out just three hitters in the subsequently four innings. Remarkably, Egozhevy only surrendered another run in the fifth, and when Joran Perrot allowed him to stay out for the eighth inning, he was protecting a 4-2 lead with 11 hits already surrendered.

Egozhevy's luck ran out then, giving up a two-run home run with one out. Perrot defended the decision to delay on turning to the bullpen: "I've learned to trust my pitchers with how they're feeling, and that's worked well for us. I'm not going to start second-guessing my guys because it sometimes go wrong. That happens to anybody."

Perrot brought in veteran Sean Wilson with one out, clean basepaths, and a tie game, and Wilson virtually closed the show on the Bohemia offense. The 34-year-old's notoriously erratic fastball was locked in, and his slider had the kind of zip that Egozhevy had perhaps lost innings earlier. He struck out the next two batters to end the eighth and tossed scoreless innings in the ninth and tenth, striking out five of the ten batters he faced and eventually recording the win.

With Wilson in command, the Bangers looked to end the game in regulation, and it appeared they would but for a wild sequence of events. Owen Clark led off with a single, and Jacob Roig pinch-hit for Russo for a one-bagger of his own. With two men on and no outs, the runners got slightly greedy, attempting a double steal of second and third. While Bucs catcher Tomas Mandicc didn't notice Clark, who got into third safely, he was well on top of Roig's movement and threw him out at second.

That still left Ahti Rantanen, pinch-hitting for Malek, with a runner on third and one out to work with. When Rantanen flied out to left, Clark tagged up and seemed ready to take off. But the throw from the Bucs left fielder - curiously, also named Owen Clark (OOC: very curiously indeed...) - came in well on target, resulting in a bona fide play at the plate. The Bangers' Clark was called out after colliding with Monticc, although replays seemed to indicate Clark had slid under the tag itself.

Regardless of the misfortune of the ninth's ending, the momentum was clearly in the Bangers' favor. When reliever Renaud Cropper entered in the bottom of the tenth, it was a certain amount of trepidation. Rudock led off, and while some observers might have thought the slumping second baseman should have been replaced, Rudock didn't seem to have any regard for that thought.

"I told Joran that I could do it," Rudock told reporters, "and he believed in me."

Rudock laid into the second pitch, an unconvincing curveball, and sent it well over the left-field wall, cueing the celebrations from the Bangers as Rudock came back to home plate. The team made a humorous statement in showering Rudock with iced coffee, a product not available for sale in Banija, and there was palpable relief that they had recovered the game they had previously let slip away.

"That wasn't nearly as easy as we would have liked it," Malek said. "Defensively, we were escaping just about every single inning with someone still on base. Offensively, we couldn't get our own runners in either. And that ninth inning was so weird, I still can't believe we didn't close it out then. But that was our game, and even though the Buccaneers played well, they couldn't keep it from us forever."

In other Group A action, the defending champion Daskel U18s were 5-3 winners over Sarzonia with a three-run ninth inning, and the Quebecc U22 youth squad emerged victorious 6-3 over Osci Talenti. The Quebec team is next up for the Bangers, who feel that their hard-won defeat of the Buccaneers will prove to be an advantage.

"Our head's in the competition now," Rudock said. "We've faced some healthy adversity early, so we're not going to be taken by surprise at all. We're just going to play our best and either win or lose."

Thomas Blunt will get the start for the Bangers, with the Quebecois starter (and for that matter, the entire squad) to be determined.

Breton Valley vs. Bohemia Scorecard
(NOTE: The scorer allowed his 7-year-old son to score the Buccaneers' batting, so it is very unlikely that the players or sequences of events have been recorded correctly. The only information that is certainly accurate is the runs scored in each inning, as that is reported directly by the Banijan organizers.)

by **Nova Anglicana** » Sat Feb 13, 2021 2:32 pm

Lion's Roar

A SportsWorld Weblog

Who's on Nova Anglicana's IBS XIII roster? Part 2
by Omega Lion

You, after reading this article and the last one.

This article continues from the last article about the players of Nova Anglicana's International Baseball Slam XIII roster.

The team this year is composed of minor league players between the ages of 24 and 29 with no major league at-bats or innings pitched. These players are either in the Twin Provinces League (AA) or the Maritime League (AAA), but have not appeared in the major leagues yet. In addition, none of these players are on current 40-man rosters or are in any team's top-10 prospect list. This means they are not in the majors nor quite even close yet. Hopefully, this experience in the IBS will help them secure a better place in their organization's hierarchy. We'll be doing this in two parts. Today, in the second part, we'll be tackling the pitchers. Let's meet the players!

Starters

Nathan Webster

Webster is, first and foremost, a big body. He's solidly built, but a good fielder for his size. He's got a slow, deliberate windup that can sometimes mess up hitters' timing. His fastball is low-90s, nothing terribly special, but he has a big, slow curve that often looks like it will be too high before nestling into the heart of the strike zone. Unfortunately, if he doesn't follow through properly, that big curve either goes high for a ball, or hangs up in the hitter's happy zone. He's working on a changeup, but so far, his fastball/curve combo has been good enough to get him to the AAA level. He was traded to another organization because they thought they liked him, but he just hasn't broken through for them.

Gabe Nichols

Nichols has served as a starter, reliever, and swingman type in the minors. Of the three, swingman would probably be his best bet at a major-league job, but here, he's being given the chance to show he's got what it takes to be a major league starter. He doesn't throw terribly hard, but he has a nice spike curveball, and he's able to locate his fastball quite well. Despite the fact he has a pretty decent leg kick, he's difficult to steal on because he doesn't have much of a windup. Because he's almost already pitching out of the stretch, he's able to transition well between starting and relieving. He's on his second organization and is hoping that he'll be able to break through here.

Bradford Curry

Curry has been with the same organization for all five of his professional seasons, but has never cracked the 40-man roster, despite now playing in AAA. He has a nice, easy, motion and fires a low-90s sinker on most of his pitches. He's got a curveball, a changeup, and a slider, but only the curve is particularly well-developed. As a result of this, he doesn't strike out many, and if he's not getting the low strike call, hitters will wait for him to bring the sinker into a more hittable position and he gets whacked. Still, if he can improve his secondaries or show that his sinker is a major-league ready pitch, this tournament could be his ticket to a big-league job.

Jean Desmarais

Desmarais is the only lefty and the only Quebecois in the starting rotation. He wears what could be described as "goggles" on the mound, which sometimes unnerves hitters. He's a tall guy with a (are you sensing a pattern?) low-90s fastball that he can throw a four-seam or cut version of, a good curveball, and developing secondaries. If he can get a better changeup, he'll be more viable at the big-league level, because he'll be able to mitigate his platoon splits against righties. His strikeout rate is pretty good, but he has a tendency to lose it if things start to wrong. They snowball and he ends up giving up a lot of runs on bad days. Better mental toughness will be key for him.

Toby Caldwell

And finally, we have Toby Caldwell. Caldwell features a four-seam and two-seam fastball, both in the 89-92 range, with a solid curveball as his primary off-speed pitch. He's trying to work on a slider and maybe a changeup too. He has a nice, compact, motion and hides the ball pretty well until the end of his windup, but it's not his pitching motion or repertoire that we need to discuss. As a rookie who was not highly drafted, Caldwell was struck in the head by a line drive in only his third Labrador League start. He was diagnosed with a concussion, came back, had recurring symptoms, and was shelved for the rest of the year. He's diligently worked his way up to AA over the last two seasons; his organization wants to see how he might perform against international competition and also kind of reward him for recovering and doing well.

Relievers

Greg Harper

Harper has started and relieved, and by all accounts, has fairly good stamina. He drew the short straw among the pitchers to be the long guy. He's had success in the past, but this isn't because of his fastball, which most scouts believe is holding him back. He's kind of long and lanky, without a lot of muscle, and his fastball tops out at 87. Despite this, he has an excellent looping curveball, and a solid changeup. If he had a better fastball, or better than average control or strikeout ability, he'd probably be more of a prospect. As is, he's here hoping to prove he can compete with anyone.

Mark Robertson

Robertson is the resident lefty specialist and another veteran type whose value for this team lies in leadership rather than outright skill. He doesn't have much zip on his fastball (86-88), but he's got a devastating slider that makes lefties flail. You might be thinking, don't many major league teams have room for a LOOGY on their roster? Yes, but Robertson's control isn't the best, and teams tend to pick up on his slider after a bit, because he throws it 67% of the time. If he can develop more deception, more control, or vary his pitches better, he might get a big-league job.

Matt Townsend

The last of the lefty relievers, Townsend is kind of at the end of his rope with regards to his big league chances. He has a nasty three-quarters, almost sidearm release, and his fastball and slider combo is typically good enough to get most hitters, but he does have a changeup if necessary. The problem for Townsend is that he's got control issues on and off the field. He has a bit of a temper (he has been suspended for it before) and a career BB/9 of 5.1, well over the average. If he can control himself and his pitches, he just might get a chance. If not, he might as well quit.

Erik McGuire

Like Webster, McGuire is another big body. Despite this, his fastball isn't all that impressive (91-93). He has a changeup too, but it's his curveball that is his true star pitch and the one he throws most often. Almost 1 out of every 2 pitches McGuire throws is a curve, and it's pretty devastating against righties. It falls off the table and gets a lot of swinging strikes. Unfortunately for him, it's pretty ineffective against lefties, and there isn't much room on major league rosters for a ROOGY. He needs to get lefties out in this tournament by honing his changeup or spotting his fastball better if he's going to be a big-leaguer someday.

Emil Blum

Blum is diminutive, standing just 5'7, 160 pounds, but he's got a devastating split-finger pitch. Opponents often underestimate him, which redounds to their detriment, when he fires splitter after splitter past their hitters. It works against righties and lefties, and he has good control. So what's up? Well, he's missed time on multiple occasions with arm injuries, and the organization is concerned about his mediocre fastball (85-86) and lack of a real third pitch. They don't think throwing the splitter is good for his arm long-term, and that once he can't throw it anymore, he'll be out of baseball. There are also classic size concerns. He's here to prove them wrong.

Mitch Ballard

Ballard is tall (6'6) and has a big, long, three-quarter release. This creates enough difficulty for hitters, but he also has an excellent slider. He throws it more than 50% of the time, usually with good results, eliciting weak contact. Strangely, he doesn't actually strike out that many with the pitch, but it does work. What's held him back so far is a tendency to issue too many walks and a resistance to his organization's desire for him to throw his fastball more, bulk up, and restrict his motion to something simpler. They're worried about arm injuries and control, and he doesn't see anything wrong, as long as he's getting guys out. One side will win this battle, and the IBS will play some kind of role, no matter what.

Kerry Mercer

You might be sensing a pattern to the right-handed middle relievers by now: they all have one really good pitch and mediocre everything else. Mercer's the same way. He hits 95-97 with his fastball, and throws it 85% of the time. So how does a mid to upper-90s fastball guy who's 29 never make it to the majors. Simple. Mercer has zero control. Zero. If he can get it over the plate, his career K/9 is 9.7. But his career BB/9 is 6.9. That's nearly a batter an inning he walks! His organization told him, "sink or swim". If he can work on his slider, get it to have a little bite instead of staying flat, or work on his control, he'll get that job. But it's an open question whether he will.

Alex Long

Long's strength is in his delivery, rather than in any one of his pitches. It's slow and it builds up, until he unleashes it all at once at the end. His fastball is only 88-90, but because of his windup, it seems faster, like it gets in on you in a hurry. He combines that with a changeup as his principal secondary pitch. None of his pitches are particularly good, but changing speeds and the windup mess with hitters' timing and he gets the outs. The higher-ups would really like to see him work on a slider and prove that he can get outs without relying on the "gimmick" of his windup.

Rick Sims

This guys throws sinkers, sinkers, and more sinkers. He's got a 92-94 MPH sinker that he will throw more than three-quarters of the time. But he gets away with it often enough to get him to AAA. He does have a changeup and a curveball, but neither are anything special, and are used more as changes of pace rather than posing any real threat to the hitter. Right now, the sinker's his best pitch, but it's not fooling enough hitters or striking out enough guys (career 5.7 K/9) to get him to the bigs. The name of the game for him is either diversification or honing his sinker so that nobody can touch it.

More from Lion's Roar
Lions off to good start in IBC 31
Who should you root for in the World Cup?
What to look for in NAFL season

(OOC: Logo at top shamelessly cribbed from Pride of Detroit, Detroit Lions blog. The opinions expressed above are the opinions of the writer and not necessarily indicative of the opinions of Nova Anglicans or the user behind Nova Anglicana.)

by **South Newlandia** » Sat Feb 13, 2021 3:29 pm

NORTHWEST

Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD    Win % 
 1 Elephant Valley Homers     72   49  23   406  240 +166    0.681
 2 Elephant Valley United     72   37  35   311  306   +5    0.514
 3 Ruditown Dachshunds        72   29  43   296  347  −51    0.403
 4 Chekar Tigers              72   28  44   279  400 −121    0.389

Elephant Valley Homers:

The Homers, playing in the biggest stadium and with one of the best teams in baseball that year, had found two excellent new players for themselves. Drawkian national team player Darien Rodriguez helped the team with a phenomenal ERA, and Alisen Moyamoto helped support the run rate of a team already equipped with two excellent South Newlandian weapons in Adam King and Fabio Ventura. 406 were the most runs of any team, with the Dragons (376) the only other team in the same universe, followed by the Dolphins (350). Throughout the 72 games of the season, no team managed to shut them out in any single game. Even holding them to one with difficult and rare. They managed to take the North’s top seed with the best record in the league.
Big win:
MD71: Elephant Valley Homers 14-2 Elephant Valley United
The Homers defeated their division rival, United, easily on home field. It was not a very special game, except for two things; for one, this was the game they clinched being the best team in the league with; it was their 49th of the game. With Rodriguez pitching that day, he was certainly happy about the symbolism of winning this game 14-2. But to really understand this game, we have to go back to matches 13 and 14. The Homers hosted United, for the first time that season, and United took both of these games by narrow margins; 3-5 and 3-4. The Homers were not amused by this, and came back against them, beating them in the four encounters following; usually by a lot. First 5-3, then 11-3, then 5-0, then 12-0. This 14-2 beatdown was the seventh encounter between the two teams that season. They wound up losing the eighth one; but who really cared? The point had been made.
Big game:
MD66: Elephant Valley Homers 14-3 Ratzupalfu Rhinos
The Homers took down the Rhinos without too many problems, completing their 4-0 sweep over them this season. For the fourth time, the Homer thoroughly outclassed the Rhinos, with the first two games in the middle of an 11-0 stretch for the Homers. They were, without a doubt, the most dangerous team in the league.
Big loss:
MD58: Masmow Dragons 12-2 Elephant Valley Homers
This game proved the biggest weakness of the Homers; aside from Rodriguez, they didn’t really have an elite level starter. Rodriguez had pitched the game right before, a 9-2 win, but this time, the Dragons’ bats were able to act; and act they did.

Elephant Valley United:

United probably had the most interesting season in the league. It would be Raymond McFadden’s first full year, and he acquired some big Tikariotian talents in the off-season; Bronson Ghirardello would be on first base, Carlton Baines would be playing shortstop. The team managed to get a hot start, jumping out to a phenomenal 21-4 record. It was basically impossible to stop them, and they were leading the league; mostly because of their phenomenal defense. However, they only went 16-31 the rest of the season; with injuries starting to pile up and the production dropping. They only won a single of their last seven games; but they still limped into the playoffs. Ultimately, after a 11th/12 finish the season before, that has to be regarded as a success.
Big win:
MD42: Chekar Tigers 7-25 Elephant Valley United
Yes, that is the actual score. It was a spectacular collapse of the hapless Tigers; their bullpen just could not stop the bleeding as their team ran completely out of gas towards the end. United capitalized, getting a crucial win after beating these Tigers 10-2 the day before, marking both the biggest individual and biggest series blowout of the season.
Big game:
MD8: Walstreim Lions 1-2 Elephant Valley United
This game went 16 innings, tied on 1 run each since the bottom of the second. Igor White secured the game-winning run in the top of the 16th, starting a streak of 12 wins straight; the longest of the league this year.
Big loss:
MD61: Elephant Valley United 1-6 Masmow Dragons
At home against the Dragons, United dropped both of their games at home. They had a chance to fight one last time for their division, but they fell way short in the end, with the Homers besting their rivals – for now.

Ruditown Dachshunds:

After a second-place finish in the regular season last year, everyone hoped to get into the playoffs again; and the Dachshunds collapsed massively. Despite a remarkable 5-0 start, they had no real chance throughout the season, and fell short by a mile. Woof, their head coach, resigned after the end of the season that saw Blake Robbins ineffective and the lineup too weak to put up a lot of runs. They were the biggest disappointment of the season, and are now looking to rebuild.
Big win:
MD29: Ruditown Dachshunds 14-3 Lexen City Rebels
After eight defeats in a row, the Dachshunds desperately needed a response. They blew out the Rebels in what would be their best game of the season, but it didn’t end up lasting, with the Dachshunds losing the next three as well. Now down to 11-21, they had to pretty much bury their postseason hopes anyway.
Big game:
MD71: Ruditown Dachshunds 7-5 Chekar Tigers
All the way to the end of their season, the Dachshunds were one game ahead of the Tigers with two to play, and they at least wanted to safe some face by not coming last in their division. They did win to secure that, but they still ended up with the second-worst record in the league. It was a season to forget.
Big loss:
MD22: Newport Dolphins 15-1 Ruditown Dachshunds
On matchday 22, they got blown out the worst of the season, at the hands, or rather the fins of the Dolphins. It was terrible, and no one from Ruditown wants to revisit that.

Chekar Tigers:

Being an expansion team is never easy. With limited money, a small stadium, and a weak roster, it wasn’t easy for the Tigers. That’s an excuse, but not an explanation on why they ended up with the worst record of the league. They just were thoroughly outclassed in nearly every single match, fighting uphill all the time.
Big win:
MD17: Chekar Tigers 9-1 Southwestern Baselanders
Finding big wins for the Tigers wasn’t easy, but there were some; the biggest of which came against the Baselanders. Nine runs for the Tigers were the most they’d ever get. It was also their first win at home of the season. It took them 7 tries.
Big game:
MD5: Elephant Valley United 0-1 Chekar Tigers
This win over their division rivals from United was one of just two shutouts they got all season, and they used it efficiently. When the team held tight on defense, they had a remote chance; but at 400 runs allowed, they were the worst at that in the league.
Big loss:
MD42: Chekar Tigers 7-25 Elephant Valley United
We’ve talked about this before. It was one of six games the Tigers lost by double digits.

Playoff picture:

Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD    Win % 
 1 Elephant Valley Homers     72   49  23   406  240 +166    0.681
 2 Masmow Dragons             72   48  24   376  235 +141    0.667

 3 Newport Dolphins           72   43  29   350  279  +71    0.597
 4 Elephant Valley United     72   37  35   311  306   +5    0.514

 - Newport Owls               72   34  38   309  330  −21    0.472
 - Lexen City Rebels          72   29  43   288  314  −26    0.403
 - Ruditown Dachshunds        72   29  43   296  347  −51    0.403
 - Chekar Tigers              72   28  44   279  400 −121    0.389

Playoffs:

Elephant Valley Homers – Elephant Valley United
Masmow Dragons – Newport United

by **Saint-Domingues** » Sat Feb 13, 2021 4:06 pm

The Life of Augusto Mariano, I
17 April 1961
Classified location

"Major problems at Red. Over."

"Shit, shit. Mariano! Get over here!" A man shouted, waving his rifle and gesturing towards himself.

Sluggishly, Augusto Mariano complied. He had been hiding in the corner of the ship, trying to catch some shut-eye in preparation for the action. Even in the dim lighting of the vessel, the boyish features and youthful glint in the eyes shone through.

Despite his young age he had been blessed with the ability to grow an impressive amount of facial hair, which was now taken advantage of to obscure his appearance and attempt to portray himself as beyond his years. Ostensibly, this teenaged boy was a man. A man ready to fight, to kill, to take back his homeland from the red menace.

For a brief moment he clasped the weapon tight to his body for comfort, then stretched out his arms, licked at his thumb, and rubbed over his rifle. The vz. 52 was a Czechoslovak firearm, semi-automatic and fired from the shoulder. It had taken plenty of practice and time honing both his strength and discipline to wield the thing competently. The weapons distributed to their group was not uniform, and like the makeup of the brigade itself, their equipment was a hodgepodge. There were eastern rifles such as the one preciously nursed by the young Mariano, American-made rifles like the Browning M1919A6; and Dominguan Leopold submachine guns, ripe for close-quarters slaughter.

They had staged a mock diversionary landing towards the west side of the island, sending equipment and radios broadcasting the sounds of deployment to distract their enemy. From what they could tell, this had been a success. The mission was to progress. The first landings were already underway, taking place at a location known to the combatants as Blue Beach. Their own transport was to land nearby, code-named Red Beach.

The hum of a radio buzz made Mariano look up from his firearm, glancing across the room to Salazar manning the radios. He face bore a frustrated expression.

*bzzt*

Static. They waited a moment to hear from the frogmen. "Report, what is the problem? Over." Salazar demanded.

More static, and then a curt reply. "Red Beach is lit up. They are watching the area. Floodlights. Guards. Need to land elsewhere. ASAP. Over."

"Copy that. Over." Salazar gave a roll of his eyes. "Great, more fucking problems. Get the word out now, we're changing direction." He said with a hasty wave of the hand. Mariano nodded and walked away to distribute the message. The young man took a deep breath to himself, trying to steady his nerves. Like Salazar had said, the plan had so far not been executed well. Their had been engine failures that ate into precious time, whilst some of the smaller boats had been damaged travelling through coral reefs. That had been a failure of intel, as they were told that it was merely seaweed. Meanwhile, they had not heard from the team landing at Blue Beach. Nevertheless, there were currently no signs to suggest that they had been discovered or been drawn into a firefight. Aragonés had suggested that their radios may have merely been soaked with water during the landing. The landing was to go ahead.

Despite the problems, the boy trusted Pepe, and believed in the plans that Pepe and the others had concocted. The invasion would work and the rising would come. And, Mariano thought to himself, he would kill plenty of red scum. The thought of those Godless communists perverting his home made his blood boil and he clenched his fist, allowing himself to imagine the enjoyable thought of choking the life out of one. Mariano lurched towards the back of the vessel, allowing himself to wallow in violent thoughts as the landing got ever-closer.

International Baseball Slam XIII: Everything Thread

International Baseball Slam XIII: Everything Thread

SREDNJACI SIGNED TEAM

NEPTUN TARU BOYS JUST FLY

Who is online