World Baseball Classic 51 – Everything Thread (IC)

by **Le Choix** » Sat Mar 27, 2021 2:29 pm

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my Scorers: Yes
Choose Scoring Events: Yes
Godmod Scoring Events: No
RP Injuries to my Players: Yes (I will determine severity)
Godmod Injuries to my Players: No
Assign Penalties to my Players: Yes
Eject my Players: Yes (max 1)
Godmod Other Events: No
Note: Le Choix is a theocratic dictatorship. Any attempts to interfere with the goings-on with "L'Élu" (The Chosen) or the country should be communicated with me directly. Any attempts made otherwise will be ignored.

Style Modifier: -5

Nation Info
Name: La Théocratie Éclairée du Choix/The Enlightened Theocracy of The Chosen
Head of State: Grand Évêque Jacques du Crépuscule
Head of the Church: Pontifax Jacqueline de Feu
Capital: Espoir du Ciel (Hope of Heaven)

Baseball in Le Choix: Despite being one of the longer tenured sports in the Theocracy, Baseball is the least popular sport. It's run for fifteen editions, with Les Croisés (The Crosses) winning the regular season four times and Les Vainquers (The Vanquishers) winning the title four times. Ten teams play in a eight-time round-robin schedule, with the top six teams making it to the playoffs, which are all Best of Seven. Le Choix prefers pitching duels, leading to proficient batters being at a premium.

Team Info:
Nickname: La Lumière/The Light
Home Stadium: Dragon Island Arena, Masmow, Dragon Island, South Newlandia (Cap. 4,500)
There will be no Chosen fans at the game. Visitors will not be stopped from attending.

Baseball History

Yr   #    Table Champions      Series Champions
518  01   La Capitale (1)      Le Répondu (1)
519  02   Les Moines (1)       La Capitale (1)
520  03   Les Saints (1)       La Capitale (2)
521  04   Le Recherche (1)     Les Chevaliers (1)
522  05   Les Illuminés (1)    Les Moines (1)
523  06   Les Vainqueurs (1)   Le Répondu (2)
524  07   Les Moines (1)       La Capitale (3)
525  08   Les Vainqueurs (2)   Les Vainqueurs (1)
526  09   Les Croisés (1)      Les Vainqueurs (2)
527  10   Les Saints (2)       La Capitale (4)
528  11   Le Recherche (2)     Les Vainqueurs (3)
529  12   Les Croisés (3)      Les Croisés (1)
530  13   Les Saints (3)       La Capitale (5)
531  14   Le Recherche (3)     Les Vainqueurs (4)
532  15   Les Croisés (4)      Les Croisés (2)

Coaching Staff
Mattieu Geade, 41, Les Croisés

The Starters
1. 2B Éloïse Baudry (R/R/23), Le Recherche
2. LF Léonie Baudin, (L/R/21), Les Croisés
3. C Audrey Pellerin, (R/R/20), Le Capitale
4. SS Valentine Raynaud (L/R/22), Les Croisés CAPITAINE
5. 1B Jessica Crepin (R/R/24), Le Sauvé
6. CF Tom Pinto (L/L/25), Les Saints
7. RF Oscar Guillon (R/L/21), Les Vainqueurs
8. 3B Noam Armand (L/R/21), Les Illuminés
9. P

The Bench
1. PH/IF Lucile Bresson (R/R/24), Le Capitale
2. PH/IF Maxence Soler (R/L/23), Le Sauvé
3. PH/OF Mariam Poulain (L/L/23), Les Vainqueurs
4. PH/OF David Meyer (L/R/22). Le Recherche
5. PR Enzo Lagarde (R/R/26), Les Croisés
6. PR Sophie Magne (L/L/24), La Capitale

The Pitchers
1. RHP Josée Lahaye (24), Les Vainqueeurs
2. RHP Luc Boutroux (25), Les Croisés
3. LHP Éloïse Lebas (26), Les Illuminés
4. RHP Timothé Saint-Yves (24), Les Croisés
5. LHP Roseline Gide (23), Les Miones
6. RHP William Arceneaux (25), Les Illuminés

The Bullpen
1. LHP Pierre Gérin (26), Les Vainqueurs - Long Reliever
2. RHP Gilberte Auberjonois (24), Les Croisés - Long Reliever
3. LHP Sylvie Favre (23), La Capitale - Reliever
4. LHP Thomas Chevalier (24), Les Illuminés - Reliever (LH Specialist)
5. LHP Miryam Reverdin (25), Les Saints - Reliever
6. RHP Raoul Laframboise (23), Les Vainquers - Setup Man
7. LHP Bethsabée Moreau (24), Les Croisés - Closer

The Schedule
Séries 1: vs. The Hannasean Federation (UR)
Séries 2: @ Ethane (27)
Séries 3: vs. Cassadaigua (1)
Séries 4: vs. Drawkland (13)
Séries 5: @ Delaclava (65)
Séries 6: @ The Hannasean Federation (UR)
Séries 7: vs. Ethane (27)
Séries 8: @ Cassadaigua (1)
Séries 9: @ Drawkland (13)
Séries 10: vs. Delaclava (65)

by **The Sherpa Empire** » Sat Mar 27, 2021 7:40 pm

Sherpa National Baseball Team Roster

C: Nima Unnikrishnan (Bengal Tigers)
C: Pratap Johar (Delhi Rajas)
1B: Jayant Zia (Guiyang Grasshoppers)
2B: Yawei Qu (Hangzhou Brewers)
3B: Tandi Ojha (Islamabad Snow Leopards, switch hitter who can hit just about anything, even if he's just fouling it off)
SS: Kai Liao (Kunming Dragons)
~~IF: Xiao Wen (Chengdu Pandas)~~ -- don't use, he got thrown out of the clubhouse
IF: Haider Balouch (Islamabad Snow Leopards)
IF: Kyidawa Jiang (Guilin Pangolins)
LF: Smanla Kumari (Lhasa Lamas)
RF: Zhiku Tsongba Sherpa (Jaipur Jewelers, loves to swing for the fences)
CF: Tianling Qiao (Guilin Pangolins, a pesky left-handed hitter)
OF: Namgel Rai (Lhasa Lamas)
OF: Ongchu Xiang (Fuzhou Bats)
RHP Sarki Sachdeva (Darjeeling Green Sox)
LHP Weiyun Gan (Nanjing Mandarins, diligent about going over the scouting reports, classy guy)
RHP Kami Akunjee (Khumbu Icefall Doctors, chubby slob, but can still throw a 90s fastball when he really wants to)
LHP Luochong Zhuang (Guangzhou Pirates, tall lanky guy sort of like a nerdy Chinese Randy Johnson)
RHP Daki Chuan (Guangzhou Pirates, knuckleballer, only female player on the WBC team)
LHP Mujibur Sitharaman (Bengal Tigers)
RHP Shubman Divekar (Delhi Rajas)
LHP Tsering Tenzing Chung (Chengdu Pandas, long relief)
RHP Thundu Sudhakaran (Khumbu Icefall Doctors, set up)
RHP Jamil Roshan (Jaipur Jewelers, closer)
RHP Temba Karsang Sherpa (Changsha Turtles)

Starting Rotation:

Weiyun Gan
Kami Akunjee
Luochong Zhuang
Sarki Sachdeva
Daki Chuan

Coaches: Phurwa Thapa, Ayappan Banerjee, Phurba Rahman, Rinzi Gelu Chien

Manager: Chongba Lee

The teams listed after each player's name are where they play during the regular season. The "Bats" in "Fuzhou Bats" refers to the winged animal, not a baseball bat. The meaning of the name is clearer in the local languages. The Khumbu Icefall Doctors are named after the people who prepare the path for mountain climbers up the Khumbu Icefall every year at the start of climbing season, and the team's logo is a pair of picks for rock-climbing -- but the name is often shortened to "Doctors" or "Docs" and there are some pun-loving fans that wear lab coats and stethoscopes to show their support. These people are most commonly found at Syangboche, but some of them may travel elsewhere.

It's also common to find fans using prayer wheels to cheer on the team. Some people find the practice tacky and disrespectful toward religion, but people still do it. There are even special prayer wheels made for this purpose, which are about as classy as those foam hands with the pointy fingers that you sometimes see sports fans waving around. The Sherpa Empire uses dark blue uniforms for many sports teams that represent the Empire in international competition, including the WBC teams. If you see a Sherpa sports fan wandering around with dyed blue hair, that's a clue that they're going to be really noisy and patriotic to the point where it gets annoying. Brightly-colored hair dye is not popular as an everyday fashion statement, so blue hair is probably a patriotic thing to support the team.

The Sherpas had a disappointing WBC last year, and this year is already off to a rough start before the WBC even gets underway. SIBA has been rocked by a drug scandal in which several players were removed from the national team roster after testing positive for performance enhancing drugs. A handful of officials have resigned in disgrace and lab workers were fired after it was discovered that players were bribing labs to falsify their test results. Wangdi Ai is still protesting his suspension, disputing the accuracy of his positive drug test. Pei Tan, Geli Ananthan, Urkyen Bharadhwaj, Kencha Qureshi, David Vanga, Karan Sangakkar, and Yangzhi Yi were also suspended due to positive drug tests.

Sanjay Murthy, Rajinder Pilgaonkar, and Yu Qiong were not implicated in the drug scandal, but were cut from the roster due to other reasons such as health concerns and declining performance.

On the coaching staff, Apa Shah was fired after it emerged that he was assisting players to acquire banned substances. Finjhok Chang retired as he is battling cancer and he wanted to focus on getting well and spending time with his family.

The shake-up has opened the door for several new players to make their WBC debut, but there will still be some returning veterans as well. Among those returning is manager Chongba Lee who led the Sherpa national team to their first championship in WBC 49. Lee's job is likely on the line if the team underperforms again this year, but the Sports Department expressed confidence in him based on his success in WBC 49 and the fact that he was not implicated in the drug scandal.

Starting Line-Up

SS Liao
3B Ojha
2B Qu
CF Qiao
LF Kumari
RF Zhiku
1B Zia
C Unnikrishnan
pitcher

Batting Order With DH

SS Liao
3B Ojha
2B Qu
CF Qiao
LF Kumari
DH Rai
RF Zhiku
1B Zia
C Unnikrishnan

Stadia

Series 3 vs. Chromatika:
Queen of the Hills Sports Complex
Darjeeling, Gorkhaland
Capacity 37,300
This is one of the smaller ballparks in the Empire, but its cozy feel, quaint brick work, and the pretty landscaping around the park are beloved by the fans. There are also other activities like mini-golf nearby if fans want something to do before the game. It has a short outfield, though the outfield wall is relatively tall and long fly balls often bounce off instead of going out. At an elevation of 2,042m above sea level, players and fans are unlikely to suffer severe altitude sickness, but you might still notice some effects such as fly balls carrying farther than usual or starting pitchers struggling to go deep into games.

Series 5, 6, and 7 vs. Qzvarkian Qaz, Hicaña, and Quintessence of Dust:
Syangboche Athletic Complex
Namche, Khumbu Capital District
Capacity 43,800
Built on a mountaintop overlooking the national capital at an elevation of 3780m (12,402ft), this is one of the most extreme hitter's parks in the world because of the high altitude and the short left field. In addition to the altitude, cold weather and high winds are common. Building a ballpark here was pure idiocy, but SIBA and the Ministry of Culture continue to use it anyway because it's the national capital. There is plenty of hot tea, chang (mild local beer), and stew for anyone who needs to warm up. Under the stadium is a museum detailing the history of baseball in the Sherpa Empire. It is common for government officials or members of the royal family to attend games.

Series 9 vs. Bardney:
Feroz Shah Kotla Ground
Delhi Municipal District
Capacity 41,820
Built in 1883, this park has a long history hosting both cricket and baseball games. Some of that history is not particularly glamorous, as the previous owners of the Delhi Rajas were Hindu fundamentalists and advocates of caste-based eugenics. However, the current owners have done a lot to clean up the team's image. There are still a small number of far-right hooligans that didn't get the memo about creating a more welcoming environment at the ballpark -- but most locals just want to enjoy the game and they do not like the hooligans. The concession stands are stocked with lots of spicy and delicious local specialties.

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

by **Qzvarkian Qaz** » Sat Mar 27, 2021 9:30 pm

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

Qzvarkian Qaz has a very unusual legacy so far in it's young sporting history, IFCF is a more traditional look for many nations as football is super popular. We saw for the last two year a team known as Qariq 1000 make the champions league and other teams from the nation do well in those competitions, but largely they haven't sent out a unified international team. They got to enter Lacrosse, but that wasn't a true team. As with most things in Qzvarkian Qaz it was fueled by outsiders. This team is both different and not so different. While baseball is still full of mercs and all, there's a decent amount fo homegrown players too. Where as most Qazians see Lacrosse as a "A variation of football played with sticks", the populace sees the game fo baseball differently. To some in Qzvarkian Qaz baseball is seen as something different, a thinking mans game and not a pure contest of athletic skill like the sport of football is seen. Because of this, a good part of the team is actually compromised of native Qazians. There is even a league of semi-pro baseball players who even fall under the sport-exemption for the yearly cotton harvests. So it's natural QQZ gets in to the WBC it's one of their more "legit" Sports.

Qzvarkian Qaz Tri-Reds

Pitching Rotation

1.) #39 Ivan Dushednik (6'4'' 167lbs) Native son of Sufa, can throw between 90-95mph fastball
2.) #11 Dae-Soo Pak (5'11'' 200lbs)
3.) #37 Ty Johnson (6'2'' 230lbs)
4.) #25 Keyov Bushibekk (6'2'' 215lbs) watch out for his curveball!
5.) #46 Leonid Hakeem (6'5' 250lbs)

Relief pitches

SU #52 Joao "El Toro" Hernandez (6'0 245lbs)
SU #22 Laquan Morrison (6'1' 222lbs)
SU #60 Boris Jurkovski (6'3' 235lbs) It's sort of apropos the navy officer is the one who throws submarine style
SU #93 Kyle Ackbar (6'1' 212lbs) His Slider is a trap!
SU #40 Bowser Henriksson (6'6' 260lbs)
LRP #35 Trentonius Gastonia (5'10'' 200lbs)
RP #48 Alec Harbors (6'5' 250lbs) A giant of a man, he is a former military boxing champ so don't charge the mound late in the game.

Catchers (Starters in Bold)

#15 Bakir Havilchuk (6'0 239lbs) Horrifyingly bad hitter, but his framing is impeccible and has seen his team's average ERA lower by a full run when behind the stop
#27 Taqib Baas-Alif (5'10' 225'') Also DH if needed
#40 Kyler Weatherspoon (6'0' 218lbs)

Infielders

#2 Shazeer Burnett (1B) (5'8'' 190lbs)
#5 TyJuan Grant (2B) (5'11'' 190lbs)
#16 Kevin Vladimir (SS) (6'0'' 200lbs)
#28 Nikita Szepolin (3B/SS) (5'9' 215lbs)
#29 Anton Yasikowa (2B) (6'0 200lbs)
#34 Uri Uli-Ali (3B) (6'1' 195lbs) arguably the best natural born player in Qzvarkian Qaz.
#59 Hashaun Yurvinova (1B/2B) 6('0' 260lbs)

Outfielders

#7 Dieter Schleiber (RF) (6'4'' 250lbs)
#18 Maximillian Proveznov (CF/LF/RF) (6'2' 222lbs)
#19 Akir Beruit (CF) (6'3'' 217)
#25 George Turner Jr (RF/LF) (6'0' 201lbs)
#38 Yvon Francois-DuBois (CF) (6'0'' 200lbs)
#55 Leopald Brandon (LF/RF) (5'11'' 190lbs)
#62 Nakeer Byvogorov (LF) (6'1'' 205lbs)

STADIUM INFO

Cotton Workers Exhibition field (1,000)

The first half of the WBC qualifiers will take place during the cotton season. Usually the farms are tended to by a collection of workers from the general populace who have been entered into a lottery. The government being that this is actually sanctioned by the department of sport, they decided to give a lucky 1,000 workers tickets to home games, through of course, another lotto.

Qariq Outer Ring Stadium (1,900)

The second half of the qualifiers will take place in Qariq, the capital. The Outer Ring is the name of the suburban regions of the capital, Outer Ring is home to two of the four Qairq based clubs with the Capital Falcontamers and the Qariq Thousands playing games here. Qariq Thousands are of course the baseball arm of the Qariq 1000 football club.

by **Tikariot** » Sun Mar 28, 2021 12:11 pm

Tikariot Roster
Trigramme: TKT
Nickname: The Owls
Group stage record: 37-23
Playoff record: 6-8
Team info: After winning the International Baseball Slam XI with their senior team in their first ever international outing and then reaching the Round of 16 of the World Baseball Classic 49, Tikariot suffered what some newspapers have now dubbed as "Margaret's Law", with a strong group stage and then a Round of 16 exit at the 50th anniversary edition of the World Baseball Classic as well. Now they are back for a third time with the aim at finally progressing further.

COACH
Manager: Graham McCrory, 53 - Very experienced with young players after having been a journeyman 2B man during his career.

ROSTER
Starters
LF #12 Michael Romanov, 30, R - Avanaroch Nightwatch
Tikariot's biggest offensive threat, Romanov has been the runaway home run leader of the TBL. With an incredibly powerful swing he has been dubbed the 'Romanov Rocket' that also has resulted in several doubles and even triples as well as a few injuries in opposing players when hit by the ball. Defensively he is less reliable, mostly due to his lack of speed, even though his arm is very capable. He proved himself as the team leader with his experience and competitive fire smouldering inside him.

RF #33 Yevani Fernandez, 27, L - Alcassar Eagles
Also called the Iceman, Fernandez is one player that will not crack under pressure, even if he is one strike away from the team losing the game. His composure has unnerved opposing pitchers many times and while he is not the most powerful of hitters, his aim is uncanny and he can spot holes in the opponent's defense easily. He rose to prominence with his incredible catch in the third game of the semis of the International Baseball Slam XI, where he stole a surefire homerun and sealed his team's road to the finals.

3B #26 Foster Fleming, 20, L - Avanaroch Nightwatch
Foster Fleming has been one of the budding stars of the TBL, but he surpassed even the most optimistic expectations. He promises to grow into an all-rounder, who can contribute both offensively and defensively. Blessed with a strong arm he can cross the diamond with ease and precision also is always good for a home run, unfortunately he is not the most disciplined player and tends to get distracted more than he should. Despite his young age he is, however, the league leader in stolen bases.

C #22 William Carruthers, 29, R - Tikariot Thunderforge
One of the biggest enigmas of the Tikariotian team, Carruthers personifies genius and insanity like no other. He calls the game with the best of them, being one of the TBL's base stealers' nightmares, if it was not for some inexplicable easy errors that some attribute to a few too many stray balls hitting him where they shouldn't. Same goes for his offensive game, which can either be magnificent or go horribly wrong.

CF #67 JJ Bernardetti, 23, R - Port Rhovanyon Paladins
Has a cannon of an arm being able to reach any of the bases from almost anywhere on the outfield, but still has some issues with the precision of his aim. Spotty hitter, often either scoring the homer or going for the strike out.

1B #88 Bronson Ghirardello, 26, R - Elephant Valley United (South Newlandia)
Possesses incredible reflexes, which serve him very well on first base, however his arm is his biggest weakness. He will get the ball where it has to go, but lacks the power to go for the quick throws. His reflexes also help him at the plate being able to adjust to the opposing pitcher very well.

2B #7 Vincent Pelmore, 25, L - Oriannor Mountaineers
A rock solid player both offensively and defensively. He will get the job done very unspectacularly and rarely will excite the crowd, but he is as dependable as they come.

SS #2 Carlton Baines, 27, L - Elephant Valley United (South Newlandia)
If there is something Baines excels in, it is speed. He reads the game extremely well and manages to to reach balls (and sometimes bases) that he rationally should not be able to. On the plate he is sketchy at best, adopting an all or nothing attitude that so far has not been to his advantage. When he does make it to a base, though, he uses his speed to steal them very efficiently.

Reserves
OF #20 Steven Marangoudakis, 28, R - Baraldhur Behemoths
Marangoudakis is the designated hitter of the Tikariot Thunderforge, but has excelled offensively as one of the biggest surprises in the team. With a good eye for the ball and a powerful swing, he can hit with the best of them. The defensive side is his biggest weakness so far, where is average speed has gotten the better of him more than once, but he has been running extra shifts with the fitness coaches to improve in this sector.

OF #52 Kieran Fletcher, 21, L - Kinjestad Peacocks (South Newlandia)
Fletcher is somewhat the opposite of Marangoudakis, being blessed with speed and amazing catching skills, however his offensive play is sketchy and has so far kept him out of regular first team action.

OF #33 Søren Christensen, 24, R - Morannon Militia
Christensen is a solid outfield allrounder who, while not known for any particularly outstanding skills, will get the job done wherever the coaches stick him, making him a very dependable squad player, something that might be worth gold in an event as big and long as the WBC.

OF #4 Blair Consigliere, 29, L - Silicon Triangle Wizards
Blair Consigliere is somewhat of a dark horse in the Tikariotian baseball scene. He has incredible talent both offensively and defensively, but has trouble channelling this talent into consistent performances on the field. He also is known for sometimes hitting up the bar a little too much after a win, which has been a thorn in his coaches' side for a long time now.

IF #6 Corey Allen, 27, L - Paladon Citadels
Allen is small, but quick, making up for his lack in size with speed. Given his stature he has had problems with high balls in the past, but if any ground balls come his way, he's your man. Offensively he has a strong swing, just lacks a bit of precision.

IF #16 Stuart Hernandez, 25, R - St. Riecarn Saints (South Newlandia)
Dependable allrounder with a strong arm and precise throw. He is known to mar excellent performances with sometimes very avoidable errors, but if he is on par, he can double play with the best of them. A solid hitter he is not known for many home runs, but his precise swing has him high in the double statistics in the league.

IF #26 Faitalia Letutusa, 23, R - Alcassar Eagles
Letutusa is the only professional player from the Cardannon Archipelago to date in an almost unchanged roster for the WBC51. He is not great in his defensive play outside of his speed, but there are very few players in the nation with a harder swing than Letutusa. With him it is either homerun or at least extra base hit or nothing.

IF #71 Hamish Shawcross, 22, L - Port Rhovanyon Paladins
One of Tikariot's most promising young players, Shawcross' career has been hampered by injuries, with his right knee being his achilles heel. Having had to undergo two surgeries so far, both coaches and fans are hoping that his knee will finally hold, also thanks to extra fitness sessions with fitness coach Tiffany McFadden. If that is the case, he has the potential to be a starter in pretty much every game.

C #27 Rutger Heidenfeld, 29, L - Soharr Scimitars
Heidenfeld is the almost polar opposite to William Carruthers. Where Carruthers is quirky and unique, Heidenfeld is the grey mouse that nobody hardly notices. He is not known for any flamboyant plays, but while he does not show the flashes of brilliance the starting catcher is capable of, he does not have any of the defensive liabilities either.

Starting pitchers
RHP #37 Patrick Lundgren, 24 - Tikariot Thunderforge
Lundgren has the hardest pitch on the team, but while his fastballs should require a gun licence, he is prone to wild pitches that have spelled trouble for his catcher more than the coaches would like to admit. He has been improving his curveball over the last season and is also quite capable with his slider.

LHP #72 Graham Pettersson, 31 - Avanaroch Nightwatch
While not excelling in any of his pitches, Pettersson is a wylie veteran that is very unpredictable with which kind of throw he'll come up with next. He works extremely well with Carruthers in calling the game and this unpredictability is his biggest asset.

LHP #18 Garrett Yarbrough, 28 - Baraldhur Behemoths
Yarbrough has the potential to become the team's top pitcher with a very strong fastball and excellent ball control with both slider and curveball, with the occasional sinker, but his biggest weakness are his nerves. Whereas Pettersson is unpredictable for opponents, Yarbrough can become unpredictable for his own team once things begin to go sideways. He has been working on it under the tutelage of Stevens, but it definitely still is a work in progress.

RHP #9 Jayson Carfield, 23 - Xanark Sluggers
Originally a long reliever, Carfield has been promoted to starting pitcher after Anthony Garcia had shown major inconsistencies in his play. A versatile pitcher he has a strong curveball and slider and passable palmball. Despite his age he has has a very calm demeanor, which has helped him during high pressure situations.

RHP #3 Jean-Francois Beauregard, 24 - Paladon Citadels
The successor to De'Andre Stevens both in the Tikariotian league as well as the national team has been making some waves nationally with a wicked fastball with exceptional spin, a tricky slider and what is almost more important, incredible stamina, which means that he can throw further into the game as most other starters.

Bullpen
Long reliever: RHP #11 Anthony Garcia, 30 - Fastball, curveball. - Oriannor Mountaineers
Long reliever: LHP #1 Santiago Mantillo, 27 - Cutter, screwball. - Emerald Coast Phantoms
Left-handed specialist: LHP #17 Randall McCarthy, 25 - Splitter, slider, palmball. Tikariot Thunderforge
Middle reliever: RHP #41 Devon Cargill, 22 - Sinker, curveball, changeup. - Paladon Citadels
Set up reliever: RHP #13 Flint Carmona, 24 - Knuckle curveball, sinker, changeup. Tovaca Tigers
Closer: LHP #32 Nicholas Canterbury, 26 - Fastball, sinker-slider. Very precise. - Silicon Valley Wizards

Starting lineup (with DH)
1. LF Michael Romanov (R)
2. 1B Bronson Ghirardello (R)
3. RF Yosvani Fernandez (L)
4. 3B Foster Fleming (L)
5. 2B Vincent Pelmore (L)
6. SS Carlton Baines (L)
7. DH Steven Marangoudakis (R)
8. CF JJ Bernardetti (R)
9. C William Carruthers (R)

Starting lineup (without DH)
1. LF Michael Romanov (R)
2. 1B Bronson Ghirardello (R)
3. RF Yosvani Fernandez (L)
4. 3B Foster Fleming (L)
5. 2B Vincent Pelmore (L)
6. SS Carlton Baines (L)
7. CF JJ Bernardetti (R)
8. C William Carruthers (R)
9. Pitcher

Stadium:
Oceanview Park is part of Port Rhovanyon's Sports City, a large area close to the ocean front, where several sports facilities are centrally located. The proximity of the 36,000 seater stadium to the ocean front has proven to be a challenge for both pitchers and hitters with a tendency for unpredictable wind currents to interfere with play, leading to a Park Factor of 125.

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

by **Cassadaigua** » Sun Mar 28, 2021 3:08 pm

Team Cassadaigua
Official Roster for World Baseball Classic 51

Home Stadium is the 70,000+ seat Dagan Airways Stadium in Concord Heights

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

Coach- Maddie Polanco- 11th Classic with Cassadaigua, Bench Coach of Super-Llamaland's WBC 40 Championship squad among other accolades with Super-Llamaland, and led Cassadaigua to the semis in each of WBC 41 and 42, plus runner up performances in WBC 46, 48, and 49 before FINALLY winning the WBC with the Fillies in the WBC 50.

Starting Rotation (Stats in the last Cassadagan season included)
SP- #33- Brianna Shirley, 28, LHP, Concord Heights Royals, (21-5, 2.10 ERA, 241 K’s)
SP- #35- Jessica Ashfield, 29, RHP, New Lakeland Tycoons, (22-5, 2.32 ERA, 240 K’s)
SP- #27- Desiree Plummer, 31, LHP, Carthage Tornadoes (15-10, 2.22 ERA, 247 K’s)
SP- #28- Jennifer Mandrick, 22, RHP, North Granby Bobcats (19-6, 2.38 ERA, 225 K’s)*
SP- #40- Hannah Phelan, 27, LHP, Concord Heights Royals (18-4, 2.27 ERA, 206 K’s)

Bullpen
RP- #31- Victoria Vassar, 27, RHP, Winchester Gamblers, Anytime Relief
RP- #26- Sierra Ogletree, 33, LHP, Rutland Engineers, Anytime Relief
RP- #38- Suzi Newkirk, 25, LHP, New Lakeland Tycoons, Long Relief
RP- #30- Zoey Valor, 20, RHP, Columbia Attack Geese, Long Relief*
RP- #45- Sophie Calhoun, 29, RHP, Brattleboro Brats, Short Relief
RP- #36- Madison Mahoney, 28, LHP, Grande Mountain Huskies, Short Relief
RP- #34- Danielle Simms, 28, RHP, Grande Mountain Huskies, Set-up Reliever
CP- #43- Becca Fischer, 30, LHP, New Lakeland Tycoons, Closer

Here is our lineup with the players stats from the most recently completed season in Cassadaigua. All players are switch hitters, you don’t get to this level in Cassadaigua without having that ability.

1) #5- Katie Stephens- CF, Concord Heights Royals, 26 (.322, 10 HR, 61 RBI, 85 SB)
2) #3- Rachel Kessler- SS, Starkville Brown Birds, 29 (.357, 18 HR, 89 RBI, 47 SB)
3) #16- Tori Fullerton- LF, Victoriaville Venom, 28 (.337, 33 HR, 110 RBI, 24 SB)
4) #29- Macy Hamel- 3B, New Lakeland Tycoons, 32 (.281, 48 HR, 131 RBI, 0 SB)
5) #14- Steffie Kennedy- RF, Brattleboro Brats, 26 (.329, 26 HR, 97 RBI, 36 SB)
6) #15- Chloe Sorenston- 2B, East Amherst Bison, 22 (.330, 10 HR, 71 RBI, 11 SB)*
7) #25- Meghan Thompson- C, Brattleboro Brats, 31 (.312, 17 HR, 75 RBI, 0 SB)
8) #9- Kaitlin Beane- 1B, Victoriaville Venom, 27 (.302, 19 HR, 82 RBT, 3 SB)
9) Pitcher

Bench:
#55- Melanie Putnam- C, Victoriaville Venom, 25
#22- Sarah Peluso, 1B/3B, North Granby Bobcats, 20*
#4- Erin Jeffries- 2B/SS, Northbury Red Foxes, 29
#1- Ashley McKnight- OF, North Granby Bobcats, 20*
#11- Avery Breen- OF, Starkville Brown Birds, 30
#12- Sarah Millerson- Utility, Grande Mountain Huskies, 28
#13- Hailey Morris- Utility, Grande Mountain Huskies, 20*

*- WBC Rookie

by **Bardney** » Sun Mar 28, 2021 6:30 pm

Bardney National Base Ball Team

Base Ball in Bardney

Bardney plays an earlier form of the game of baseball. The dimensions are mostly the same, but the rules are a little different.

The pitching mound is 50 feet away, not 60 feet, 6 inches, and pitching cannot be overhand. This is not to imply that pitching looks like slow pitch softball, but only that pitchers cannot throw overhand. An underhand delivery or a sidearm delivery is common. Pitchers are allowed and do put movement on the ball and throw with some speed.

Click here to see what speeds from Bardney's 50 feet distance are equivalent to on a 60 feet, 6 inches, mound.

The number of called balls for a walk is 5, and the number of called strikes for a strikeout is 4 (if the batter swings and misses at the third strike, then that is a strikeout, i.e the batter cannot "strike out looking" on the third strike). There is no official strike zone, instead, it is up to the discretion of the umpire to call a strike or ball. Foul balls do not count as strikes.

Catchers typically wear gloves, but do not wear other protective equipment.

Foul balls caught on one bounce are considered outs, and gloves are not typically used.

A ball that bounces over the fence on one bounce, in modern baseball considered a "Ground rule double", is a home run.

In terms of the fan experience, most tickets are SRO and beer is cheap.

There are no uniform numbers.

How is Bardney going to compete with modern teams?

Players have been practicing under the international rules. They are getting used to pitching from 60 feet out and wearing gloves. They have hired some rogue international ballplayers to pitch to them overhand and at the speeds they will be seeing.

As for the pitchers, expect submarine, sidearm, or perhaps even low three-quarters releases with fastballs ranging from the 77-84 range. Also expect curves, sinkers, screwballs, and "rising" fastballs. Pitchers have been listed with their typical deliveries, but they can and will change deliveries if needed. Please also note that it is not the custom of Bardney catchers to immediately throw out balls that have been scuffed in some way. Bardney catchers, pitchers, and position players may even try to intentionally scuff the ball or rub some dirt on it to obtain extra movement. It is up to your discretion as to how much you want to RP Bardney players trying to skirt the rules around the ball and whether or not they are successful. Bardney players, however, have been warned strictly against the spitball, so that shouldn't be an issue.

As for the hitters, they don't have a huge amount of raw power, but they can hit home runs, since they'll be facing faster pitching than normal. But this isn't a team of bunters, either. They will try to hit as many line drives as they can, steal when they can, and take the extra base when they can.

Please also expect the stadiums you play in to be not always kept in perfect condition; the grass might be clipped too short or too long, or the basepaths might be too soft or too hard, or the dimensions might be a bit odd, or there might be too much foul ground for your liking. Some of this is just the way it is, based on how stadiums were constructed. Some of it is gamesmanship by the groundskeepers; it's up to your discretion how much you want to RP this affecting your team.

Will there be different rules when I play in Bardney?

No. Bardney will play by current WBC international rules. They just may play with a different style.

Roster

Starting Pitchers

RHP Kermit "Dartford Flash" Connelly, 29, sidearm, Dartford Mutuals
RHP "Honest" Horace Geiger, 32, submarine, Bristol Excelsiors
LHP Thaddeus "Too-Tall Tad" O'Neill, 26, low three-quarters, Ludlow Redcaps

Note: They will pitch all 9 innings unless being battered around

Relief Pitchers

RHP Stanford "Big Stan" Otis, 28, sidearm, Bristol Atlantics
LHP Noel "Numbers" Osbourne, 25, sidearm, St. Clair Bluelegs

These pitchers will act as long relievers, though they may come in late to offer a change of pitching side if there is a run of same-handed batters

Catchers

C Sterling "Silver" Greer, 30, R/R, Cambridge Red Stockings
C Enright "Politician" McFadden, 26, R/R, Columbia Nationals

Infielders

1B "Gentleman" Eddie Whitcomb, 34, L/L, Maxentia Westerns, captain
2B "Little" Bobby Slocum, 27, L/R, Lakeport White Stockings
SS Roland "Frenchy" Laplace, 31, R/R, Perryville Eries
3B "Papish" Hamish Monaghan, 33, S/R, Cambridge Red Stockings
CI Orville "Duke" Jennings, 32, R/R, Bristol Gothams
MI Jonathan "Sparky" Buchanan, 28, R/R, Ludlow Redcaps

Outfielders

LF Emmett "Duquesne Dynamite" Harrison, 27, R/R, Duquesne Grays
CF Connie "Quickbat" McGee, 28, L/L, Lakeport Olympics
RF Gerhard "Long Gerry" Zeidler, 31, R/R, Schonburg Unions
OF Dewitt "Fancy Dan" Markham, 33, L/R, New Delphia Athletics

Manager: Clarence "Cocky" McArty, 55

Batting Lineup w/o DH
CF McGee
2B Slocum
1B Whitcomb
LF Harrison
3B Monaghan
RF Zeidler
SS Laplace
C Greer
P Pitcher's spot

Batting Lineup w/DH
CF McGee
2B Slocum
1B Whitcomb
LF Harrison
DH Jennings against LHP/Markham against RHP
3B Monaghan
RF Zeidler
SS Laplace
C Greer

Team Photo

RP Permissions
Choose my run-scorers: Yes
Choose my lineup: No
Follow my Pitching Rotation: Yes
Godmod scoring events: TG me if you want to do something and I'll let you know
RP injuries to my players: No
Godmod injuries to my players: No
Eject my players: Yes
DH used at home: No
Godmod other events: TG me if you want to do something and I'll let you know
Other Info: See above
Style Mod (if applicable): +4

by **Karditan** » Sun Mar 28, 2021 7:05 pm

The Wild Kards

20 years on from their crowning glory of 3rd place in WBC 31, promptly followed by the outbreak of a civil war that would pull the nation from the public eye, the Wild Kards have finally pulled together enough support and organization to make a return to the international scene.

Note: There are intelligent ponies on this team. If you are interested in finding out more about how they physically play baseball, shoot me a TG or discord DM and I'd be happy to explain. The ground rules for them are as follows: Pegasi aren't allowed to use their wings to fly, be it in the field or on the basepaths. Unicorns can't use their magic while a ball is in flight, either off a bat or after being thrown.

Karditani teams are known to be prone to errors, and as a result pitchers are trained to rely heavily on strikeouts. The squad selected this cycle features probably the cream of the defensive crop that the Karditani Baseball League (KBL) has to offer, but obviously the pitchers won't upend everything they know about how to approach the game because of that. Starters can reach pitch counts of 110-120 regularly but will rarely complete games as they burn through pitches quickly going for those strikeouts. Pitchers are generally capable enough with the bat, and are especially known for driving in runners in scoring position to help their own cause; there's a long-standing tradition of having them hit ahead of catchers, who devote themselves entirely to their defensive and pitcher-supporting responsibilities.

Manager: Gale Wind, 46, #22. The star of the Wild Kard team that made two semifinals in a row, then had her career cut disastrously short by the war breaking out in her age-27 season. She's been called upon to return and try to lead a new generation to glory. A pegasus who was a three-tool stud in her time, possessing blazing speed and a cannon for a wing alongside prodigious pop. When the KBL went to shit and she had to hole up to avoid a collapsing society, she took to perusing the deeper parts of the internet and found an appreciation for the nerdier side of the sport. She'd always been happy to take a walk but seeing the numbers that bore out how important plate discipline really is has had a great effect on her managerial style.
Hitting Coach: Batl Skard, 55, #5. The Wild Kards survived the war much better than the Ironworkers (Karditan's gridiron team) did, meaning there's a lot more talent still alive to return as coaches. Skard was the star for the early Kards and a veteran presence through their glory run, and was a wizard with the bat--having unparalleled vision and discipline at the same time, making him an absurdly difficult out. This obviously plays well in Wind's gameplan--crank that OBP.
Pitching Coach: Manny D'aquisto, 46, #7. Wind's equivalent in the rotation, a young pitcher who was just coming into his own on those elite Kards teams. Born and raised in the strikeout-obsessed culture of that era, he's carried that focus forward when coaching this team.

Lineup: (Batting order, position, name, age, #, bat/throw, info)
1. LF Skyline, 24, #14, S/L; A pegasus with a serious set of wheels. Played through their teens as the typical slap-hitting bunting type, but is getting rigorously coached on how to wait back and draw walks. Has advanced enough in that field to be trusted with the leadoff spot, but still has lots of room to improve.
2. 2B Bryan Brady, 32, #25, R/R; Has comically little power, but elite plate vision and discipline. Just a hair under half his KBL at-bats end up with him on first base.
3. 3B Adam Ezell, 27, #29, R/R; A solid all-round player with great contact, solid power, a sharp eye, and a quick glove. Isn't a slouch on the basepaths, either.
4. RF Artillery "Art" Support, 26, #77, S/R; The squad's Big Bopper. A pegasus who learned the tricks of chucking balls and hitting bombs from Gale Wind herself. Lacks her speed, but makes up for it with a much better sense for fielding catches cleanly.
5. 1B Vera Cruz, 27, #15, R/R; Another all-rounder, Vera has a similar skillset to Ezell with less speed and more pop. And she's a tall drink of water that's a vacuum at first base.
6. CF Asdrúbal Ramírez, 29, #2, L/L; Yet another all-rounder. You can tell there's a pattern to Wind's player selection here: Players with few weaknesses and above average discipline. Ramírez fits that bill perfectly, a steady glove and quick legs to cover center and a propensity for walking. Has enough pop to require pitcher's respect but is far from a dinger demon.
7. C Robert Humphries, 31; #9, R/R; I know what we said in the blurb up top about catchers not hitting, but Humphries has been a generational talent in the KBL by balancing his defensive responsibilities with a quality bat. Serves as the secondary cleanup hitter if everyone in front of him ended up walking; about as much of a homer threat as Ezell.
8. Pitcher
9. SS Tremor, 28, #19, R/R; An earth pony pure defensive specialist chosen because of a relative dearth of shortstop talent in the KBL right now. He's a black hole both on the field and in the lineup.

With DH: Add in Doyle Christain (listed below) in 6th, shift everyone else down one.

Bench:
C Backstop, 25, #86, R/R; Cut from more traditional Karditani catcher cloth, any time that she'd otherwise spend in the batting cages goes to working with the pitching staff to maximize familiarity and coordiation.
1B Braeden Carlisle, 33, #10, L/L; The neu-KBL's premier power threat, he's been snubbed from the starting lineup for his bad OBP track record and age. Still took the invite to play for the team knowing he'd at least be pinch hitting in high-leverage glory-chasing situations.
SS/2B Charles Stubbs, 23, #40, L/R; Something of a diamond in the rough. He's got prodigious power and great speed, but still needs lots of work on his discipline and fielding. Most scouts and coaches have confidence that these aren't insurmountable obstacles but may take a few years--when everything clicks, watch out.
3B/2B Sara Kovačić, 24, #36, R/R; Solid hands, solid glove, and patient: The Formula. Sara looks to be the heir apparent to Brady's second base; not quite as insane an OBP, but with some real pop that could produce unreal OPS numbers if left unchecked.
LF/CF Miguel Robles, 22, #16, L/L; Projected to be Yet Another All-Rounder, but perhaps with a bit more upside. May be able to reach elite power given time.
RF/LF/1B/3B Corner Case, 25, #99, S/R; A unicorn with good power and strong throwing technique but has trouble holding down a consistent starting spot. Makes headway through providing a higher level of offensive play than most utility players.
DH Doyle Christain, 45, #17, S/R; The last of the original Wild Kards still in playing condition. He never ran to begin with, so his legs turning to dust didn't matter. Still a fiend with the stick, pretty much everything you'd want out of a batter. Even if he's been setting error records playing first base for the worst teams in the KBL since we don't use the DH in any capacity.
UTIL Omnipresence, 28, #00, R/R; A unicorn who regularly plays 3+ positions in every game they're in. Rarely makes a notable play but never makes an egregious mistake; competent but forgettable with the bat.

Rotation:
P Pablo Maraville, 30, #32, R/R; Commonly considered the best starter in the KBL at the moment. Packs three different fastballs of slightly different speeds and very different movement, alongside a 12-6 curve and a changeup to maximize speedplay.
P Southhoof, 28, #84, L/L; Gives Maraville a run for his money, and is without a doubt the best pony pitcher. They rely on a cutter for jamming righties and a slider for catching lefties chasing.
P Ramon Villanueva, 26, #57, R/L; One of many flamethrowers the new-look KBL produces. Loves to challenge hitters with high cheese and pulls the string with a knuckle-curve.
P Frankie Sandoval, 24, #47, R/R; The least strikeout-centric of this staff, packing merely a mid-90s fastball and having a sinker in their inventory. Still hardly a "pitch-to-contact" pitcher in the grand scheme of things, but in relation to his peers he might as well be.

Bullpen:
LR Zane Clark, 22, #43, L/L; Predicted to end up in the Kards' rotation at some point, though estimations of whether they're an ace or a third-slot are still fuzzy. Currently throws mid-90s but should make it to the highs in two or three years.
LR Jawbreaker, 29, #55, R/R; A pegasus with a much heavier build than most of her kind. Nothing special in terms of stuff, but is remarkably consistent for very long outings; if a starter gets chased out in the first few innings, she can finish the game with ease.
MR Katarina Giles, 27, #9, R/R; Another flamethrower. Preferred strikeout pitch is a slider. Will often hit for herself, or even be put in to pinch hit then left in to pitch.
MR Rocket, 25, #69, R/R; A unicorn who's yet another flamethrower. Set apart by her extra flames--a fastball that regularly reaches 102 and has spiked as high as 105--but has yet to really develop a second pitch.
MR Gino Lofton, 28, #22, R/L; The resident lefty specialist. Not as flamethrower-y, but still brings a high 90s fastball with a devastating changeup.
SU Henry Valdez, 23, #21, R/R; A hot prospect with an astoundingly solid standard inventory. Fastball that touches 100, changeup, slider. All quality.
CP Dave Saroyan, 29, #3, R/R; The top reliever in the KBL since its return. High-90s heat, a table-dropping splitter, and a changeup that breaks in on righties to induce even more over-swinging.

Home Stadium: Big Island Field, Ponyburgh. A state-of-the-art stadium in the resurgent downtown of the old industrial city, next door to sister stadium Island Junction that hosted the World Bowl final. Seats 60,000 thanks to the financial backing of Big Island Dressing, a condiment corporation founded in Ponyburgh who's primary product line has become the signature sauce of Karditan's southwestern cuisine and become commonplace across the nation.
Dimensions from left-to-right (in Standard Imperial Length Units) are 330 - 360 - 400 - 375 - 345.

RP Permissions:
Choose my run-scorers: 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: Yes (1 or 2 max, and try to make it funny)
DH used at home: No
Godmod other events: Yes (no killing, no plagues, and funnier is better)

by **Delaclava** » Sun Mar 28, 2021 10:53 pm

Delaclava national baseball team
World Baseball Classic 51

COACHING STAFF
All coaches are from the Breton Valley Bangers, the Southeastern Baseball League champions.

Manager - #5 Joran Perrot, 42
Assistant Manager - #70 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
1B: #23 Ben Dawson - Victoriana Falcons - 26, 6-4, 260. Throws R, Bats R
2B: #2 Ryan Rudock - Breton Valley Bangers - 22, 6-0, 180. Throws R, Bats R
3B: #1 Alysheba Castro - Cleopatrana BBC - 31, 6-5, 175. Throws R, Bats B
SS: #19 Valery Robiquet - Breton Valley Bangers - 19, 5-7, 130. Throws R, Bats B
LF: #12 Owen Clark - Breton Valley Bangers - 26, 6-3, 210. Throws R, Bats R
CF: #15 Teuvo Kujala - Breton Valley Bangers - 20, 6-2, 185. Throws R, Bats B
RF: #21 Albar Ardoya - Carnstone Cardinals - 22, 5-9, 155. Throws L, Bats L
C: #30 Andrew Banks - Farland Owls - 24, 5-11, 185. Throws R, Bats B

BENCH
C: #4 Lubomir Pushkin - Catherina Fighting Doves - 28, 5-10, 190. Throws R, Bats R
C/1B: #42 Daniel Daughters - Victoriana Falcons - 26, 6-3, 210. Throws L, Bats B
IF: #7 Robbie Ian - Carnstone Cardinals - 23, 6-2, 180. Throws R, Bats B
IF: #33 David Hawthorne - Meredith Mavericks - 25, 6-2, 150. Throws R, Bats L
OF: #8 Alejandro Pery - Cleopatrana BBC - 29, 5-8, 140. Throws L, Bats L
OF: #22 Ramin Rashid - Mersatha Canaries - 31, 5-11, 185. Throws R, Bats R
OF: #45 Kaspar Komarov - Triniteras Crossfire - 20, 6-1, 170. Throws L, Bats L

PITCHING
Ace: #18 Bedin Egozhevy - Breton Valley Bangers - 23, 6-5, 180. Throws L, Bats L
2nd Starter: #14 Matthew Kafkes - Quinniville Conquistadors - 24, 6-5, 220. Throws R, Bats R
3rd Starter: #35 Kiefer Guthrie - Carnstone Cardinals - 34, 6-2, 185. Throws R, Bats R

Middle/Long/4th: #44 Thomas Blunt - Breton Valley Bangers - 25, 6-3, 185. Throws L, Bats B
Middle/Long: #20 Brian Orion - Meredith Mavericks - 32, 6-1, 175. Throws R, Bats R
Middle/Long: #50 Sean Wilson - Breton Valley Bangers - 34, 6-6, 205. Throws R, Bats R
Short/Opener: #10 Amaury Racette - Mariana Dolphins - 21, 6-0, 155. Throws L, Bats L
Short: #22 Sven Bengtsen - Bosmond Admirals - 25, 5-10, 140. Throws R, Bats B
Short/Set-up: #9 Sam Beverley - Carnstone Cardinals - 18, 6-0, 145. Throws L, Bats L
Short/Closer: #28 Sean Magary - Breton Valley Bangers - 26, 5-9, 185. Throws R, Bats R

Batting Orders
No DH: Robiquet, Kujala, Clark, Dawson, Rudock, Castro, Banks, (pitcher), Ardoya
DH: Robiquet, Kujala, Clark, Dawson (as DH), Rudock, Ian (as 1B), Castro, Banks, Ardoya

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my runscorers: Yes
Choose my lineup: Use the one provided (in-game substitutions OK)
Follow my pitching rotation: Yes
Godmod scoring events: TG first
RP injuries to my players: Yes, but location/type only (not severity longer than the rest of series)
Godmod injuries to my players: TG first
Eject my players: No, Delaclav players do not complain to umpires or respond when provoked
Godmod other events: TG first
Use DH at home: No

Stadium Info
Series 3 vs. Ethane - TBA
Series 5 vs. Le Choix - TBA
Series 6 vs. Drawkland - TBA
Series 7 vs. Hannasea - TBA
Series 9 vs. Cassadaigua - Pride of Manchester (110,000, converted soccer stadium), Manchester

by **Quebec and Shingoryeo** » Sun Mar 28, 2021 11:52 pm

Quebec and Shingoryeo National Baseball Team

Nickname: Grim Reapers
Acronym: QUE
Denonym: Quebecois (Preferred), Quebecer (that's fine)

Home Colours: Blue, White and Yellow
Away Colours:Red, Black and White
Official Supporters Group: The Bubonic Plague
WBC Season : December 2047-February 2048
Stadium: Commonwealth Park, Montreal, Montreal (Cap. 67,930, Park Factor: 111)
Style Mod: -2

Coaching Staff
Head Coach: Dana Hussul, 50 - F - Winnipeg Rangers
Bench Coach: Gabriel-Henri Matsumoto, 52 - M - Sherbrooke Raiders
Pitching Coach: Choe Bong-Hak, 43 - M - California City Dodgers
Fielding Coach: Seo Sang-Mi, 59 - F - Chicoutimi Lions
Hitting Coach: Grazibella Tuzzio, 53 - F - Ottawa Eagles
Battery Coach: Katie McLelland-Gong, 48 - F - Moncton Dinos
Bullpen Coach: Eric Beland-Michaud, 50 - M - Montreal Twins

Pitching rotation (6)
#99 - FIRST - LHP - Baek Nam-Soo, 18 - M - New Lakeland Tycoons (Cassadaigua)
#4 - SECOND - RHP - Kevin Buchanan, 25 - M - Kingston Blue Jays
#13 - THIRD - LHP - Karine Bessette, 29 - F - Victoriaville Venom (Cassadaigua)
#29 - FOURTH - LHP - Jo Seung-Geon, 29 - M - Levis Wyverns
#15 - FIFTH - RHP - Eric Neeson-Gallagher, 21 - California City Dodgers
#61 - SIXTH - LHP - Kim Gi-Joong, 26 - M - Ottawa Eagles

Bullpen (8)
Long Relief : #61 - RHP - Mathieu Berard, 24 - M - Chicoutimi Lions
Long Relief : #19 - RHP - So Eung-Ran, 31 - F - Halifax Giants
Middle Relief : #40 - RHP - Lara Yoon, 23 - F - Winnipeg Rangers
Middle Relief : #28 - LHP - Janice Grametbauer, 34 - F - Attawapiskat Wiz
Short Relief/One Point Pitcher : #57 - LHP - Samuel-Lee Akers, 22 - Montreal Twins
Setup Man : #23 - RHP - Nadine Seo, 32 - F - Halifax Giants - SIDEARM
Setup Man : #20 - RHP - Jang Hyo-Seung, 28 - M - Elephant Valley Homers (South Newlandia)
Closer : #18 - RHP - Alexandre Farias, 26 - M - Levis Wyverns - SIDEARM

Catchers (3) - Throws/Bats
#22 - R/R - C - Noh Hye-Gyeong, 23 - M - Quebec Bears
#25 - R/S - C - Kelsey Altherr, 27 - F - Moncton Dinos
#47 - R/R - C - Horace Choo, 29 - M - Elephant Valley Homers (South Newlandia)

Infielders (7) - Throws/Bats
#6 - R/R - SS/2B - Kang Sang-Jae, 22 - Prince Eric Athletics
#34 - R/L - DH/1B - Hecto Guerrero Katič, 21 - M - Montreal Twins
#8 - R/S - 2B - Levinson Webster, 32 - M - California City Dodgers
#16 - L/L - 1B/DH - Alexanne Langford, 30 - F - Chicoutimi Lions
#7 - R/R - SS - Gregory Reynolds-Walusimbi, 26 - M - Kingston Tigers
#10 - R/R - 3B - Heo Myeong-Shin, 27 - M - Concord Heights Royals (Cassadaigua)
#49 - L/L - 1B/3B - Samuel Maybin, 21 - Ottawa Eagles

Outfielders (5) - Throws/Bats
#5 - R/L - RF/1B/LF - Kang Ye-Rim, 24 - F - Attawapiskat Wiz
#52 - L/L - RF/LF - Theo-Alexandre Pinson, 27 - M - Brattleboro Brats (Cassadaigua)
#11 - R/S - CF - Samuel Carlini-Mwambutsya, 26 - M - Kingston Blue Jays
#1 - L/L - RF/DH - Hwang Gyu-Seong, 30 - M - Moncton Dinos
#8 - R/R - CF/RF - Park Jeong-Gyu, 21 - Quebec Bears

Notes on our Grim Reapers

Traditionally, the Grim Reapers have taken the pitcher use with great dose of liberalism. Assuming the pitcher has a solid game, the pitching count is loosely observed, and it's absolutely in sight for the starter to go well into seventh or even eighth inning. That said, it is just as likely for the starting pitcher to get yanked within first three innings if one allows too many runs early into the game, which of course have happened before. In those cases, expect at three to five pitchers to be used for remainder of the game.

The Grim Reapers, as with their equivalents in other sports, are very aggressive- it's in their playing colours and will stay like that forever. While they do lack fast players, most of the outfielders and some infielders do have very good sense in stealing bases or making right decisions when taking risks, so while an occasional whoopsie-daisie with early outs do happen, it's not be all end all. Of course, we also have to remember that this is counted into the selection criteria, which means that both the infielders and outfielders are expected to be proficient in defence and even prepare for multiple positions. This is more the case with infielders than outfielders, but both have seen flexible use of such players before anyway.

Of course, there is a bit of complicated situation with the Quebecois history and geographic realities. Traditionally, baseball has been a fairly racially and regionally ubiquitous sport in Quebec, though there are strong regional and ethnic elements that are noticeable to it. Traditionally, there is strong sense of regional pride that derives from many of the iconic QBO franchises that have defined its history, as six regions traditionally dominate in both high school and pro baseball output, which reflects well into the first round of QBO Drafts. There is somewhat divide between those of Central Quebec (Montreal Twins vs. Quebec Bears), Southwest (Kingston Tigers vs. Kingston Blue Jays), Manitoba (California City Dodgers), Southeast (Halifax Giants), Northwest (Attawapiskat Wiz) and Northeast (Ottawa Eagles). There are minor stylistic differences between the regions and how their players' play, but those don't factor as much as how they used to be. Ethnically, the sport does have more Korean-Quebecois players in general rule of thumb, though that means little in this day and age where most Quebecois, whether Indigenous, Caucasian, Korean or of other Commonwealth origins, are fairly mixed-raced. Still, Korean is the lingua franca of the baseball diamond and that continues to be a defining feature of the Quebecois baseball scene as whole.

Starting Lineup (Position, Bats)
1: G. Reynolds-Walusimbi (SS, R)
2: S. Carlini-Mwambutsya (CF, S)
3: Y.R. Kang (LF, L)
4: M.S. Heo (3B, R)
5: T-A. Pinson (RF, L)
6: C. Altherr (C, R)
7: A. Langford (1B, L)
8: Maybin (DH, L)
9: L. Webster (2B, S)

If the DH is not being used on away venue of concern, Guerrero-Katič will alternate with either on RF or A. Langford on 1B.

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my runscorers: Yes
Choose my lineup: Sure
Follow my pitching rotation: Yes
Godmod scoring events: Yes
RP injuries to my players: No
Godmod injuries to my players: No!
Eject my players: Go ahead
Godmod other events: TG me in advance
Use DH at home: Hellyeah!

by **Ranoria** » Mon Mar 29, 2021 10:42 am

Introducing, the one and only...
Ranorian Krauts,
the international arm of the Federation of Ranorian Baseball.

And, in all reality, not the only Krauts. 'Krauts' has become the moniker for all professional Ranorian national teams at this point

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my run scorers: Yes
Choose my lineup: No
Follow my pitching rotation: Do what you want with it! Have fun
Godmod scoring events: Yep
RP injuries to my players: Yep, shoot me a DM or TG please!
Godmod injuries to my players: Yep, shoot me a DM or TG please!
Eject my players: Yep, shoot me a DM or TG please!
Godmod other events: Sure! Get in touch with me for anything crazy
Use DH at home: Ranoria=No DH. Up to you at yours, I suppose
Special Note: No Covid stuff. There is no COVID in Ranoria, just like there is no war in Ba Sing Se

Style Modifier: 0

Records:

WBC 44: 12-18; Team MVP: Leonardo Harrison
WBC 49: 15-15; Team MVP: Leonardo Harrison
WBC 50:  19-11; Team MVP: Leonardo Harrison

Overall: 46-44

Home field: Cardinal Auditorium
Nashville, Tennessee, Ranoria

Background

The Ranorian Krauts are a privately funded team, supported by the joint funds of the Federation of Ranorian Baseball. In their first attempt, in the 44th edition, was a disaster. No talented players agreed to sign up with the exception of Leonardo Harrison. Predictably, the team finished a paltry 12-18 record, with Harrison being the only bright spot, 19 at the time. However, five years later, they fielded a stronger squad, with star players from home along with Ranorians playing abroad. As such, the team gave us a better showing with a somewhat successful 15-15 campaign in the World Baseball Classic 49, they were able to generate some level of intrigue from the nation as a whole.

The concept of starting a national team started when the Federation saw the massive dollars that Ranoria’s internationally competing Gridiron teams were raking in, and decided that, should they field such a team, they would be able to generate revenue in the country by piquing its interest. So far, they’re right, but a true run would be indicative of baseball emerging as a truly impactful sport in Ranorian culture.

Now, World Baseball Classic 50 was something else entirely. Leonardo Harrison initially issued a guarantee that the team would not only win 20 games in the group stage, but would advance in the knockout rounds. Well, we stumbled out of the gate a bit with a 9-10 record, so that didn't happen, but everything changed after that. Our Krauts went on a 10-1 tear to end the group stage and secure a spot in the knockout stages, where they managed to knock off one of the best teams in baseball: The Sherpa Empire. Now, Newmanistan would proceed to thrash us in the second round, but that's alright!

After such an electrifying finish showed that we can compete with the best of the best, baseball has quickly become more mainstream in the nation, with highlight videos peppering television and social media while plans to construct legitimate stadiums are going on. As a matter of fact, Constance Airlines has already purchased naming rights for a field in Ranoria City, which is expected to be completed before World Baseball Classic 52, along with a few others across the country.

So, with all the excitement...what can the Krauts bring to the table in the 51st edition of the World Baseball Classic?

Cardinal Auditorium is the home of Leonardo Harrison's own Nashville Maestros. The field did undergo some renovations this offseason with the heightened interest in baseball, and now has a capacity of 22,450. Located just outside of Nashville, in the suburb of Lebanon, will certainly be a change of pace for many whom may be used to a more lively, crowd-filled venue.

As mentioned above however, the construction of Constance Stadium is on pace to be completed within a year. The team will, likely, be playing most if not all of its home games in the new stadium at that point.

Capacity: 22,450
Left: 335 feet
Left Centre power alley: 355 feet
Centre: 400 feet
Right Centre power alley: 340 feet
Right: 315 feet
Walls: ~15 feet high

Coaching Staff:

Manager/HC: Henderson Mausse
Bench Coach: Jonas Nuhl
First Base: Brandon Bolan
Third Base: Justin Cruz
Hitting: Noah Hess
Pitching: Alfred Arnoldi
Bullpen: Hugo Fromm

Position    Number     Name            Ht.     Wt.   Age           Team
Catcher     16      Nicholas Lux       5-10    205    25     Ranoria City Sluggers
1st Base     7   Abraham Leinhardt      6      205    29     Vricksinburg Blaze
2nd Base     13   Philip Franklin      6-2     195    28     Cleveland Thunder
Shortstop    2   Leonardo Harrison     6-2     215    26     Nashville Maestros
3rd Base     99    Jesse Griffith      6-2     160    16     Cincinnati Warbirds
L. Field     41     Tim von Kuhn       6-3     240    35     Moncton Dinos (Quebec)
C. field     51     Judas Acker         6      200    23     Cleveland Thunder
R. Field     22      Rubin Graves      6-2     205    27     Edmunton Rebels
DH           42   Wolfram von Kuhn     6-4     245    37     Raleigh Firstmates

Leonardo Harrison: A fluid athlete on pace to be one of the best players in Ranorian history...not that that's saying much. At shortstop, he's the centerpiece of the defense, and he's been playing professionally since he was just under 17 years old. Ranorian baseball has become more mainstream in large part due to his efforts. With an explosion of revenue however, his market-resetting contract has quickly become obsolete, and he's looking to get out of it for more money.

Tim von Kuhn: There's a reason he's hiding in left field. Von Kuhn is deceptively quick, but he's here because he can swing very, very hard. He and his brother, Wolfram, have won plenty of championships off of sheer batting prowess. It's made for some exciting championships to be sure, especially if both happen to be playing defense, as opponents will pick on their ineptitude for fielding while they hammer away homers. Tim von Kuhn has been playing for the QBO's Moncton Dinos for most of his professional career, while Wolfram was never quite good enough to get out of Ranoria.

Nicholas Lux: Essentially the consensus second best player in Ranoira. Expect a good hitting percentage (.361 hitting last season), and more than enough homers to keep you on your toes. Much faster than his frame would have you believe. Disclaimer: Ranoria’s pros are not up to the par of many other countries, so Lux isn’t gonna come in hitting a .361 in the Classic.

Jesse Griffith: Do you believe in taking chances? That's what the Krauts did with this signing. Griffith is the youngest man (er, boy?) to ever play professional Ranorian baseball, at just 15 years old. Griffith was streaky in his first season on the team, and at just 16 that looks like it'll continue for awhile yet. However, his lows and highs have both shown improvement.

Judas Acker: Considered an up and comer for the Thunder, this youngster managed to break his way into the Krauts's starting lineup this season, much to the ire of 27 year old Stephen Reichenbach.

Position    Number     Name            Ht.     Wt.   Age           Team
Catcher      77    Philbert Kelsin     6-2    210    26    Ranoria City Sluggers
Infield      19    Arthur Jackson      5-9    175    26    Vricksinburg Blaze
Infield      6     Maximus Tillman     5-11   190    33    Raleigh Firstmates
Outfield     55    Damian Horace       5-11   190    29     Edmunton Rebels
Outfield     30  Stephen Reichenbach   5-10   185    27    Nashville Maestros
Outfield     59     Tristen Feng       6-1    205    28    Cincinnati Warbirds

Starters
Strength   Number        Name            Ht.     Wt.   Age         Team
Fastball     60       Tommy Verona      6-4      220    28    California City Dodgers (Quebec)
Fastball     55       Erik Schmidt      6-5      225    25        Banija
Fastball     71       Parker Majors     6-4      215    24        Banija
Fastball     86       John Stallone     6-1      215    27    Edmunton Rebels
Fastball     70       Erin Phelps       6-2      215    26    Cleveland Rebels

Bullpen
Strength   Number        Name            Ht.     Wt.   Age         Team
Curveball    73     Thomas Barnet        6-1      200    23    Nashville Maestros
Fastball     64     Corey Nielman        6-3      195    21    Vricksinburg Blaze
Curveball    68     Sylvester Wayne      6-4      210    30    Vricksinburg Blaze
Fastball     62     Brady Behringer      6-2      190    21    Ranoria City Sluggers
Curveball    68     Alabaster Cappa      6-3      190    25    Nashville Maestros

Normal Starting Lineup

DH Starting Lineup

Nicholas Lux
Leonardo Harrison
Wolfram von Kuhn
Tim von Kuhn
Philip Franklin
Jesse Griffith
Judas Acker
Abraham Leinhardt
Rubin Graves

Nicholas Lux
Leonardo Harrison
Tim von Kuhn
Philip Franklin
Jesse Griffith
Judas Acker
Abraham Leinhardt
Rubin Graves
Pitcher

by **Sarzonia** » Mon Mar 29, 2021 11:04 am

Sarzonia Stars

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: Yes
Style Modifier: 0

Home field: Fleetwood Park, Woodstock (capacity 57,600), part of the Dave Wilson Athletic Complex. Park factor: 97

Dimensions:
Left: 335 feet
Left Centre power alley: 375 feet
Centre: 415 feet
Right Centre power alley: 358 feet
Right: 325 feet. A 23-foot high wall containing a hand-operated scoreboard sits out in right field, called McVie Mountain

Note: Kate Schmidt's No. 9 is retired and will not be issued to any other Stars player.

Manager: 14 Geoff Yancey
Bench Coach: 15 Brad Howland
First Base/outfield: 46 Joey Musgrave
Third Base/Infield: 20 Lyle Menifee
Hitting Coach: 49 Chad Rossinger
Pitching Coach: 57 Nolan Channing
Bullpen Coach: 36 Calen George

STARTING PLAYERS
C: 4 Matt Lopez (rocket-armed, great defensive catcher, not a great threat offensively)
1B: 10 Cody Frazier (Sarzonian gold Glover on defense, line drive hitter who hits well for average and can occasionally go yard)
2B: 11 Ian Danielson (speedster, led Sarzonia with 64 steals in 92 games. Hit a career-high .326 with 11 homers)
SS: 5 Christine Andersen (Only committed three errors with a fielding percentage of. 992)
3B: 32 Jose Garcia ( Hit a career low .240 with 15 dingers. Sat out the last month of the season with nagging injuries)
LF: 19 Jodie Schein (hit .298 with 12 Homer's. Good at sacrifice hits and bunts)
CF: 16 Ryan Brady (five-tool player who led the league with a. 348 average. Hit 26 homers)
RF: 24 Kenny Evans (here for his rocket arm in right. Only had four assists because baserunners don't challenge him. They know better. Hit 20 home runs in 99 games)
DH: (also a pinch hitter/backup first baseman) 44 Luke Brinkley (He's here for his bat, plain and simple. He hit 22 homers in 61 games after being traded to an Incorporated League team, which uses the designated hitter. Hit four in 24 games beforehand)

BENCH
C: 8 Pat Sakata
SS/3B: 13 Art Mannigan
UT: 6 Desmond St. John
OF: Matt Sain
OF: Frank Spencer

STARTING ROTATION:
34 Jeff Parrish (LHP; hard thrower with a plus fastball and a terrifying slider. His change up is too close in speed to his fastball to be effective)
41 Mark Conroy (RHP; hard throwing, nasty curveball, devastating change; slider is hittable)
29 Jamie Pearson (RHP; Primarily a sinker-slider pitcher who thrives on keeping the ball down. Tends to do worse when he strikes out a lot of hitters)
55 Brian Lynch (RHP; Throws a lot of offspeed and breaking balls, but can sometimes bring his fastball to the mid-90s in a tight situation)
53 Alton Long (LHP; Relies on keeping the ball down and having impeccable control. Like Greg Maddux in his prime, but as a lefty)

BULLPEN
30 Dima Ostrelov (LHP; can give three or four innings so he'll be the lefty long reliever. Mixes speeds and has a Andy Pettitte-quality pickoff move)
43 Alfred Wagner (RHP; he throws mid-to-upper 90s, but runs out of gas after about 50 pitches, so he typically pitches as the righty long reliever)
47 Carnie Weston (RHP; she relies on control and keeping the ball down. Typically pitches in a middle relief role)
50 Myron Daniels (LHP; Fastball/slider/curve, often used to get one lefty hitter out)
15 Scott Lassiter (LHP; fastball, curve, slider pitcher, often used as a setup pitcher. Can close if needed)
49 Tyrell Douglass (RHP; fastball typically in the high 90s to low 100s; also throws a change up. He typically closes)

Starting lineup w/o the DH:
Danielson
Schein
Brady
Evans
Frazier
Andersen
Garcia
Lopez
Pitcher's spot

Lineup w/DH
Brinkley hits cleanup. Everyone else moves down one.

by **Sarzonia** » Mon Mar 29, 2021 11:27 am

Manager Geoff Yancey and the Sarzonian national baseball team will face a different challenge in this 51st edition of the World Baseball Classic.

They enter the Classic as prohibitive favourites in Group 2 as the fifth ranked team in the baseball multiverse. They've gradually improved their playoff performances in each Classic since their return from a long period of national isolation and have qualified for the knockout rounds in three consecutive Classics.

Thus, it's easy to project the Stars will lap the field and run away with the group crown en route to the knockout stages.

That's what has Yancey particularly worried.

"We're going to be expected to roll this field," he said, noting that only No. 16 Tikariot are expected to possibly take a series from the Stars. The rest of the Group 2 field includes No. 31 Devonta, No. 57 Norrhem, and unranked sides Britland Isles and Barnettsville.

Yes. Read that last one again. Barnettsville. A nation that had a long history with the World Baseball Classic is sending a team for the first time in many classics.

Yancey isn't too concerned about the history between Barnettsville and Lycrabon, but he reminded observers about Sarzonia's recent baseball history.

"Remember we came back as an unranked side and we made it into the knockout rounds," he said. "I'm sure we caught a few teams by surprise. We can't afford to underestimate anyone, but especially not a team with the heritage of a Barnettsville."

The Stars return with their entire lineup and rotation intact, and that means keeping Luke Brinkley as a designated hitter for home matches and away matches with teams that also employ the DH. Yancey said requiring pitchers to hit was "not in the cards as long as I'm manager.

"I was a hitting coach when I first started with this team," Yancey said. "You best bet I intend to keep our offence as dangerous as possible."

by **Liventia** » Mon Mar 29, 2021 2:13 pm

For the first time in a number of editions of the WBC, the Liventian domestic season has yet to conclude, with the regular season over but the playoffs yet to begin. The decision has therefore been taken by Baseball Liventia to modify the playoff structure – a permanent change, going forward – as well as to delay the start of the playoffs until the national team's elimination from the World Baseball Classic.

Where previously eight teams from each of the Liventian Baseball Championship's two conferences – the National League (NBL) and Challenger League (CBL) – would qualify for a round-robin first playoff round featuring four groups of four, only six will now make it into a more traditional elimination bracket, with the top two seeds in each league receiving a first-round bye.

There remain 12 teams in each conference, with two divisions of six in the NBL and three divisions of four in the CBL. In the Challenger League the three division winners and next three best teams make the postseason, while in the National League the top two teams from each division plus the next two qualify. Each team plays 144 regular-season games, with the bottom team in each conference being relegated to Division Two.

The standard of Division Two remains really low, with 17 qualifying batters averaging over .500 in a 164-game season. Two hitters surpassed the 100-home run mark, while last year's two relegated teams, Lox Land Talons (159–5) and Schimpol Redbirds (152–12) winning promotion back to the top flight. By contrast, the Cittin Bashers, one of last season's promoted teams from Division Two, managed to stave off relegation, finishing 70–74. While the other promoted team, Weston East Misfits (37–107), found themselves relegated from the NBL, there was a huge surprise as CBL stalwarts Port Cartfort Saboteurs (57–87) – without the services for the entire regular season of national team captain Dermot Rowntree (torn shoulder labrum) – suffered the same fate. The Saboteurs had the same record as the Neverend Gunslingers, but had the worse head-to-head record over the season.

Rowntree, who has not been considered for selection for this WBC for this reason, is now expected to switch teams due to Baseball Liventia's selection policy of not including Division Two players in its squads. However, Baseball Liventia will continue to use Port Cartfort Park as its home stadium for WBC group play.

Baseball Liventia applies the following selection rules to all its WBC teams: no foreign-based players will be selected; no player playing in Division Two will be selected due to the lower standard of baseball; and no position player aged 33 or above will be selected. There is no age limit for pitchers.

Permissions:

Style mod +3

Home stadium
Port Cartfort Park, capacity 24,100; DH used
Home ground of The Saboteurs Baseball Club Port Cartfort (CBL), average home attendance 22,100
Dimensions:
Left foul pole 317 ft; left field 349 ft; left-centre 397 ft; centre field 429 ft; right-centre 402 ft; right field 366 ft; right foul pole 322 ft; wall height 7 ft in left/left-centre; 13 ft in centre; 15 ft in right/right-centre
Right-handed hitters have far more joy at PCP than left-handed hitters. There are also a high number of triples and thanks to the dimensions, inside-the-park home runs are not uncommon at PCP.

The team is colloquially known as the Red-and-Gold, after the colours of the Liventian flag (and their uniforms).

Baseball Liventia has announced the following pitchers will form part of the squad:
Rotation
1. Noah Rippin (#23), age 26, L/RHP, Dover Outer South Bills
Season: 31 GS*, 22*–5, 2.34 ERA*, 15.2 K/9*, 1.6 BB/9, 0.74 WHIP*, 8.4 WAR*, All-Star
Throws: Four-seamer 99-101 mph, cutter, curveball, slider, changeup
Has a repertoire of five very effective pitches, but does not have much stamina. In his 31 games this season, threw a total of 188.1 innings, or just over 6 IP per game on average. Power pitcher with a high fly-ball rate, but good at keeping the ball in the park having given up only 21 HR this season. Also has a remarkable K/9 rate of over 15, and a K/BB ratio of 9.7. Helped massively by his release / arm slot, which is over the top.
Set single-season LBC and CBL records for K (319) and pitching WAR.
Starts MD1 v Hampton Island, MD6 @ Equestrian States, MD11 @ Anthor, MD16 @ Hampton Island, MD21 v Equestrian States, MD26 v Anthor

2. Steven Godsave (#26), age 22, R/RHP, Orean Capital Tiger Cats
Season: 29 GS, 17*–4, 2.48 ERA*, 11.7 K/9*, 1.3 BB/9*, 0.88 WHIP*, 7.0 WAR*, All-Star
Throws: Four-seamer 98-100 mph, curveball, two-seamer, changeup
The first man to throw an LBC no-hitter in the WBC49 season, Godsave has improved on a relative down (but still impressive) year to earn his first international selection. His four-seam and curveball are strong, while his changeup is above-average.
First WBC selection
Starts MD2 v Hampton Island, MD7 v Crilland, MD12 @ Anthor, MD17 @ Hampton Island, MD22 @ Crilland, MD27 v Anthor

3. Doug Rawsthorne (#20), age 26, L/LHP, Orean Capital Tiger Cats
Season: 29 GS, 10–4, 2.51 ERA, 10.8 K/9, 2.3 BB/9, 1.03 WHIP, 5.5 WAR, All-Star
Throws: Four-seamer 99-101 mph, two-seamer, slider, changeup
An extreme groundball power pitcher, Rawsthorne had a career year in many respects this year. Despite regressing in his ERA+ numbers, he put up career-best homerun per nine, walks per nine, and WAR numbers. Hampered by his lack of stamina, averaging 5.1 innings per start in the LBC this season. Internationally, he will continue to work as a follower in tandem with an opener.
Note: To be used as a follower after opener.
Opener games: MD3 v Hampton Island, MD8 v Crilland, MD13 v Aji No Moto, MD18 @ Hampton Island, MD23 @ Crilland, MD28 @ Aji No Moto

4. Gabriel Pickett (#83), age 24, L/RHP, Salfast Manatees
Season: 30 GS, 15–7, 2.56 ERA, 8.6 K/9, 2.1 BB/9, 1.04 WHIP, 5.2 WAR, All-Star
Throws: Four-seamer 99-101 mph, changeup, curveball, two-seamer
Will rely heavily on the cheese, with his changeup above-average and curveball average.
First WBC selection
Starts MD4 @ Equestrian States, MD9 v Crilland, MD14 v Aji No Moto, MD19 v Equestrian States, MD24 @ Crilland, MD29 @ Aji No Moto

5. Ashley Lutley (#4), age 26, R/RHP, Wakeford Capitals
Season: 30 GS, 15–8, 2.96 ERA, 9.3 K/9, 2.1 BB/9, 1.08 WHIP, 4.9 WAR
Throws: Four-seamer 99-101 mph, splitter, forkball, slider, curveball, changeup
Has added a sixth pitch, the changeup, to his repertoire, but more of a jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none. The changeup is used only sparingly; his curveball is average at best. The other four pitches grade out above-average. A groundball pitcher with an over-the-top arm slot. Regressed a bit this season but still did enough to retain his spot in the rotation as Liventia moves to a five-man rotation.
Starts MD5 @ Equestrian States, MD10 @ Anthor, MD15 v Aji No Moto, MD20 v Equestrian States, MD25 v Anthor, MD30 @ Aji No Moto

Bullpen
Howard Sandercock (#47), age 20, R/RHP, Cittin Bashers
Season: 47 G, 11–2 19 SV, 0.98 ERA, 15.7 K/9, 3.9 BB/9, 0.98 WHIP, 4.4 WAR, All-Star
Throws: Sinker 99-101 mph, curveball
For his first full season in the top flight (not counting 23 games in the WBC 49 cycle), Sandercock was impressive for the promoted Cittin Bashers, who survived an immediate relegation back to Division Two. A groundball pitcher, he only allowed two home runs in 73.1 innings of work. Somewhat impressively, improved his K/9 rate from last season in Division Two. A future starting star if he can add a few more pitches, for he has the stamina to do so. However, for his WBC debut, he will be restricted to an opener role.
Usage: Opener for Rawsthorne (no more than two innings); mop-up man if losing big
First WBC selection

Adam Precious (#73), age 25, L/LHP, Wakeford Capitols
Season: 36 G (22 GS), 14–6, 2.95 ERA, 11.2 K/9, 2.7 BB/9, 1.02 WHIP, 4.0 WAR
Throws: Four-seamer 96-98 mph, slider, changeup, splitter
Precious, a starter-turned-reliever this season, will make his WBC debut as a long reliever / emergency starter. His fastball is average at best, but his splitter is above average; his slider grades out as good; and his changeup – his most efficient pitch – excellent.
Usage: Long relief / emergency SP
First WBC selection

Byron Gatehouse (#44), age 33, L/LHP, Lantgoma Snipers
Season: 46 G (7 GS), 9–3 3 H 13 SV, 1.42 ERA, 9.0 K/9, 2.1 BB/9, 0.92 WHIP, 2.9 WAR, All-Star
Throws: Four-seamer 94-96 mph, curveball, two-seamer
Some might say 33 is old to be making a WBC debut, especially when Baseball Liventia puts an age limit on position players. But Gatehouse – one of three lefties in the Liventian pen – more than deserves his call-up after a stellar season. Fastball is above average; his curveball grades just below excellent. Has the stamina to last for four or five innings if really needed.
Usage: Long relief / middle relief / mop up
First WBC selection

Frank Kenley (#19), age 25, L/LHP, Talbott South Hilltops
Season: 51 G, 3–6 29 SV, 1.77 ERA, 14.9 K/9, 1.9 BB/9, 0.88 WHIP, 3.7 WAR
Throws: Four-seamer 93-95 mph, two-seamer, splitter
A slightly off year for Kenley means he loses his closer role on the national team, and will now serve in a middle relief position.
Usage: Middle relief

John Cropper (#18), age 34, R/RHP, Wakeford Capitols
Season: 62 G, 6–4 15 H 8 SV, 1.52 ERA, 13.7 K/9, 1.5 BB/9, 0.72 WHIP, 3.6 WAR, All-Star
Throws: Four-seamer 99-101 mph, two-seamer, curveball
Both the four-seam and curveball are strong pitches for Cropper, who returns to the national setup after missing WBC50. A flyball power pitcher who throws gas. Will serve in a middle relief role.
Usage: Middle relief

Mark Staite (#12), age 25, R/RHP, Dover Outer South Bills
Season: 52 G, 5–3 34 SV, 1.17 ERA, 11.2 K/9, 1.5 BB/9, 0.93 WHIP, 2.5 WAR, All-Star
Throws: Four-seamer 97-99 mph, sinker, curveball
A former closer for the national team and four-time WBC selection, returns to the squad for the first time since WBC 48. Had a strong season but not quite strong enough to feature in the fight for the Red and Gold closing spot this tournament.
Usage: Middle relief / setup

Kyle Sheffield (#31), age 24, R/RHP, Wakeford Capitols
Season: 57 G, 5–3 37 SV*, 1.71 ERA, 16.1 K/9, 1.8 BB/9, 0.88 WHIP, 4.3 WAR, All-Star
Throws: Sinker 98-100 mph, curveball, changeup
Challenged Jake Dominey for the closer role this year and led the NBL in saves, but a lower strikeout rate and higher walk rate means Sheffield will have to settle for the setup role and backup closer this tournament.
Usage: Setup / closer

Jake Dominey (#6), age 34, R/RHP, Jesner Spin Doctors
Season: 54 G, 10–2 34 SV*, 1.62 ERA, 17.5 K/9, 1.2 BB/9, 0.68 WHIP, 5.5 WAR, All-Star
Throws: Four-seamer 95-97 mph, sinker, curveball
An extreme groundballer, Dominey led the CBL in saves this year and figures to win the Reliever of the Year award in his conference for a fourth consecutive year. Improved his K/9 and BB/9 numbers from last season, although an increased opponent BABIP saw his ERA+ plunge. Has been designated the lead closer for WBC 51.
Usage: Closer

Catchers
Harold Welford (#9), age 25, R/R, City Centre Keys INTERIM TEAM CAPTAIN
Season: .326*/.437/.611, 29 HR, 86 RBI, 84 BB, 63 SO, 8.1 WAR*, All-Star
Welford significantly improved his walk and strikeout rates this season, putting together a 1.048 OPS line for the City Centre Keys. Led the NBL in WAR for the second year in a row, and is a guaranteed lock to start behind the dish. Welford will act as team captain in Dermot Rowntree's absence.
Also plays 1B (rarely)

Carlton Phillips (#94), age 25, R/R, Olympton Rapiers
Season: .326/.387/.536, 23 HR, 96 RBI, 42 BB, 42 SO, 5.5 WAR
Earning his first international callup in Phillips, a catcher who has always been able to hit for contact but this year added a significant amount of power, smashing a career-high 23 long balls. While his walk rate – and therefore his on-base percentage – took a hit, he will be a useful backup for Welford.
Also plays 1B. First WBC selection

Infielders
Edward Mull (#17), age 26, L/L, Talbott South Hilltops
Season: .302/.367/.595, 46 HR, 113 RBI, 59 BB, 129 SO, 5.3 WAR, All-Star
Plays: 1B
For the second straight season, appeared in (and for the first time, started) all 144 regular-season games. Saw his power numbers dip slightly from last season's NBL-leading 62 home runs (as did the entire league, with no one surpassing the 50 HR mark), but still an incredibly effective first baseman. Can't run for nuts.

Josh Gwynne (#40), age 25, R/R, Olympton Rapiers
Season: .285/.405/.588, 45 HR, 135 RBI, 100 BB, 147 SO, 25 SB, 8.6 WAR*, All-Star
Plays: 2B
A power-hitting second baseman? Yep, they exist – and Gwynne is one of them. And he can run, too, with 138 career LBC stolen bases. Walk him or pitch to him, he can do damage. Watch out.

David Stelfox (#25), age 31, R/R, Bede Swordfish
Season: .317/.385/.520, 27 HR, 95 RBI, 44 BB, 146 SO, 23 SB, 6.6 WAR, All-Star
Plays: 3B, SS, 1B rarely
Appeared in all 144 games this season, starting 136 of them. Strikeouts remain a problem for Stelfox, but his defensive versatility – he will start at short for the Red-and-Gold – make him an essential part of the national team lineup. Added 10 home runs to his total from last year, too.

Reece Raymont (#29), age 24, R/R, Pardbo Bisons
Season: .325/.360/.652, 194 H*, 48 HR*, 145 RBI*, 33 BB, 123 SO, 27 SB, 7.0 WAR, All-Star
Plays: 3B, 1B rarely
For the second season in a row, led the CBL in hits (this year as the joint-leader). However, it's the first time Raymont has also led in home runs (again as joint-leader) and runs batted in, and he set a career-high OPS mark at 1.012. While his discipline and vision is not the best and he won't walk much, when he does get on base he is a threat to steal.

Alastair Cochrane (#96), age 25, L/R, Dover Outer North Buzzards
Season: .305/.407/.672*, 48 HR*, 118 RBI, 81 BB, 73 SO, 8.6 WAR
Plays: 3B
Despite his stellar season, Cochrane was not selected to be an All-Star mostly due to time missed early in the season through injury. This is a first call-up for the lefty 25-year-old, who led the NBL in both home runs and slugging percentage. Due to his injury proneness, will serve mainly as DH for the national team.
First WBC selection

Outfielders
Danny Hugill (#14), age 25, S/L, City Centre Keys
Season: .300/.429/.529, 25 HR, 83 RBI, 116 BB*, 64 SO, 67 SB, 7.1 WAR, All-Star
Plays: LF, RF
Another speedster, a true superstar in the league. Hugill doesn't have the show-it-all power but he's normally good for about 25 dingers a year. Led the NBL in runs scored (113) and walks this season. Swiped 67 bags this season, the most among national team players, but somehow still not the most in the league. His ability to draw walks is a problem for opposing teams, due to his speed.

Bradley Appleyard (#3), age 26, R/R, Jesner Spin Doctors
Season: .345/.411/.664*, 194 H*, 48 HR*, 142 RBI, 61 BB, 109 SO, 36 SB, 8.5 WAR, All-Star
Plays: RF, CF rarely
Appleyard earns a recall to the national side after a very strong season in which he shared the CBL lead for hits (194) and home runs (48) with Reece Raymont. His slugging and OPS numbers also topped all players in that conference, and when you consider his plus-plus speed, it's no surprise he is a star.

Roy Christie (#11), age 25, R/R, Desert Counts
Season: .317/.443/.543, 25 HR, 94 RBI, 113 BB, 96 SO, 40 SB, 7.0 WAR
Plays: CF, LF
A second straight WBC call-up for Christie, who posted a career-best .317 batting average this season and lowered his strikeout rate while adding walks. Like the rest of the league, his power numbers went down this season, but he isn't needed for his dingers in this stacked team. Oh, and like Hugill and Appleyard, he can run.

Christopher Abley (#15), age 25, R/R, Dover Outer South Bills
Season: .293/.356/.557, 41 HR, 110 RBI, 49 BB, 68 SO, 34 SB, 6.1 WAR, All-Star
Plays: RF, LF rarely
Abley is a what-could-have-been player. Last selected for the WBC48 squad, had two injury-hit seasons that restricted him to just 81 games of a possible 288. However, has returned with a bang this season, having added loads of power for career-high home run, RBI, slugging, OPS, and WAR marks. Also a plus defender in right field, and is speedy around the basepaths (stop us if you've heard that one before). Due to his injury history, will serve as backup right fielder to Appleyard.

Utility
Andrew Batkin (#35), age 27, R/R, Dover Outer South Bills
Season: .267/.375/.484, 26 HR, 86 RBI, 75 BB, 91 SO, 18 SB, 5.3 WAR
Plays: RF, CF, 1B, LF, 3B, 2B (in order of competency)
Batkin regressed massively this year, and this call-up may be considered somewhat of a surprise. However, the selectors felt his defensive versatility – being able to play four positions at an average-or-better level and two more at a slightly-below-average ability – was needed in a team with just five infielders, one of whom will serve as DH.

*Denotes led conference in stat

Starting lineup without DH
1. CF Roy Christie (R)
2. SS David Stelfox (R)
3. 1B Edward Mull (L)
4. RF Bradley Appleyard (R)
5. 3B Reece Raymont (R)
6. LF Danny Hugill (S)
7. 2B Josh Gwynne (R)
8. C Harold Welford (R)
9. Pitcher's spot

Starting lineup with DH
1. CF Roy Christie (R)
2. SS David Stelfox (R)
3. DH Alastair Cochrane (L)
4. RF Bradley Appleyard (R)
5. 3B Reece Raymont (R)
6. 1B Edward Mull (L)
7. 2B Josh Gwynne (R)
8. LF Danny Hugill (S)
9. C Harold Welford (R)

by **Zwangzug** » Mon Mar 29, 2021 3:42 pm

(OOC disclaimer from Zwang: this storyline is loosely based on a recent pop-culture work. It may or may not contain religious discussions, caveat lector. It is not intended to be a criticism of any RL governments or state actors, seeing as how I know fairly little about governments other than the US, and while US society has many issues, top-down governmental authority isn't always one of them. Views attributed to characters may or may not be those of the author. Yada yada. Happy opening week hype.)

Dear Zebras fan,

Your interest in watching broadcasts of the World Baseball Classic, and in particular, games involving the Zebras, has been noted. CYBORG would like to offer you the opportunity to travel overseas to watch the Zebras play in WBC51. This may involve the group stage games in Group 7, or potentially the playoffs in South Newlandia or Tikariot in the event the team qualifies.

CYBORG realizes that the computer-run economy can make it difficult for ordinary fans to purchase tickets and travel internationally on short notice, and we would be covering your travel expenses; you would be responsible for arranging time off work and/or care of dependents if necessary. In return, we would request that you wear a Sensory/Motion Apparatus--Rapid Transmission (SMART) Watch during your stay, which will allow us to collect GPS data about the surrounding environment. By better mapping topography and electrical connectivity in baseball stadiums and other popular tourist areas, we hope to create a next generation of SMART watches that are useful to Zwangzugians and other humans.

Thank you for your time, and go Zebras!

Best,
the Committee for Yearly Budgeting, Organization, Remunerations, and Grants (CYBORG)

by **Hapilopper** » Mon Mar 29, 2021 7:01 pm

Raceway Park, Buckridge
Leading up to the start of the World Baseball Classic group stage: Hapilopper v. the Luck of Jirachi
Dale Moss looked out towards the dated-looking field at Raceway Park in Buckridge and back towards the stands, where fans were slowly starting to make their way into the seats. There was a certain melancholy about him as he looked around at this stadium, so different from Capital Stadium. A handful of Hapiloppian baseball players were warming up around the field. Jerome Hayden was taking batting practice, and a sizable number of fans were out in the outfield trying to catch home run balls from one of their favorite players. Hot Sauce Gibbs was talking things over with catcher Grady Elliott, Hapilopper’s new starting catcher. Dale then looked back towards the dugout and spotted Mo Beverly, sitting by himself, just watching the proceedings.

Dale felt sorry for Mo. He had put so much into the Hapilopper National Baseball Team, and this World Baseball Classic, he was sure to have starred. But just three weeks after Cassadaigua beat Nova Anglicana in the 7th game of the finals of WBC 50, something utterly dreadful happened. It was Opening Day for the West Hampton Royals as they got ready to face the Hapilopper City Nationals.

Capital Stadium, Hapilopper City
Nearly one year before – Opening Day
One of Hapilopper’s many baseball traditions was that the HC Nationals always played the first game of the baseball season. In fact, it was codified in the NLH rulebook that one, the Nationals played Opening Day at home, and two, no other game could start until the HC Nationals had completed the second inning of their Opening Day game.

Hapilopper City treated Opening Day as an annual celebration, along the lines of the Hapilopper National Exhibition. There was a parade, a celebration of the sport of baseball, and uniquely, the Nationals team walk – where the team walked down the street and into the main gate of Capital Stadium to start the first game of the season. Over 66,000 fans of the HC Nationals were excited – after all, their team had just gone through a fresh rebuild, had just picked up some key names, and the Nationals were ready to contend.

Sitting in the clubhouse before the start of the game, Mo Beverly, playing for the West Hampton Royals, felt something was amiss. He felt like there was something up with his knees. But it was Opening Day in Hapilopper City, the closest thing the NLH had to a showcase game in the regular season. Everyone was going to be watching. He couldn’t sit out Opening Day. So he sucked it up, put his kneeguards on and got ready to go to work.

Mo sat pensively in the dugout as the top of the 1st played on. He was 7th in the batting order, and didn’t expect to get to bat in the inning. And when the Royals went down 1-2-3 in the inning, he figured it would be just another inning to crouch behind home plate, frame some pitches to help his pitcher and hopefully get out quickly.

But that’s not how it turned out.

Starting pitcher Jim Winwood had a hard time against the Nationals, giving up two runs in the bottom of the first. And far worse, as the seventh batter of the inning was in the midst of his at-bat, the runner at first base was starting to break for second. Winwood threw quickly to Mo, who then tried to jump out of his crouch to heave the ball to second base. But as he tried to get out of his crouching position, he felt both knees snap. He couldn’t put any more weight on them. His knees had given out.

The loud cheers of the fans at Capital Stadium almost instantly gave way to murmurs of concern as Mo writhed in intense pain behind home plate. His knee injuries were severe, and some thought them to be career-ending. For a few weeks, it sure seemed that way. But Mo decided he didn’t want to end his career that way – with two knees that couldn’t crouch down anymore. Near the end of the NLH regular season, reports coming from West Hampton indicated that Mo was trying his hand at first base in some simulated games. It would be less stress on his knees, and it would allow him to keep his career going. It would also allow him to stay on the HNBT, a team that meant to much to him.

Raceway Park, Buckridge
The present day
But Mo was so miserable on the dugout bench. He wanted to be on the field. Levi Berry, however, was the pre-eminent first baseman in Hapilopper these days, even if fans knew him as a raging, insufferable douchebag. He could get the job done at first base, and he could get on base a lot. A hell of a lot. But holy crap, he could be a douchebag. Teammates were starting to dislike Levi the way they used to dislike Jerome Hayden, but this was a different dislike.

In the last few years, Levi had built a huge head about himself. He had felt this was his team, and the HNBT – and the HC Nationals – were winning teams because of him and him alone. He’d appear in the clubhouse dressed to the absolute nines, and in fact, some suggested one of the biggest line items in the HC Nationals budget – second only to the team payroll – was Levi’s wardrobe. Levi would tell the media that this was his show and nobody else’s.

The difference between him and Jerome Hayden was that while Jerome was a showboat, it was a good kind of showboat. He did his showboating to pump his teammates up, to piss off the opposing team and to throw them off their game. Jerome loved hitting the longball, and he loved propelling his teammates to victory. After all, he wanted that WBC trophy. He didn’t really care about anything else. Levi, meanwhile, was starting to become a clubhouse cancer.

Dale Moss looked back at Mo, then at Levi. He knew Levi was becoming increasingly unpopular among his teammates, but he could still produce. At this point, he felt like the best thing he could do was let a productive situation persist. But if Levi’s behavior became a problem, then he figured he’d step in.

More and more people were starting to file into Raceway Park, to watch their beloved Hapiloppians take on the Alma-Ata Clerical Institute’s Holy Warriors, a team representing the Church of the Luck of Jirachi. Not many Hapiloppians had heard of either the team or the nation, but applauded them politely as they took the field. It wasn’t long ago that the Hapiloppians were in a spot just like the Holy Warriors were. Just a few years ago, the Hap Thrashers were an unranked team, unknown in the annals of international sport, when they burst onto the international scene.

Now, the Hap Thrashers had become one of the top teams in international baseball. They had made it to the playoffs two years in a row after a few rough years. They had taken the mighty Sherpa Empire to six games in the finals of the 49th WBC. A lot of people were suggesting this was their year. So were much of Hapilopper. Much of Hapilopper were certain that when this one was going to wind itself down, the Hap Thrashers were the one to hoist the trophy. But time would only tell.

by **Le Choix** » Mon Mar 29, 2021 8:08 pm

Trente Jours en Enfer (Thirty Days in Hell)
Partie 1: Introduction (Part 1: Introduction)

Note: The following are excerpts from the Chosen Novel, Trente Jours en Enfer. The text that isn't in brackets is the same for both versions of the book. The text in blue was in the original text that was cut out by the Grand Bishops of the Chosen. The text that directly follows after the blue text in parentheses is the text that is actually in the book, approved by The Chosen.

Danielle Thoreau had nobody else to blame but herself. She hadn't been careful enough. [(She'd told the truth about the Chosen and the information that she'd gathered from the outside, paying no mind to the people that she had been with due to the seclusion of the site that she'd chosen for her speech. It had reached a group of about three hundred people, and there had been a positive response. Then, out of the skies came the agents of the Theocracy, and she had been captured almost immediately.) She'd foolishly chosen a public spot for her speech against the ways of the Chosen, and had been ratted out almost immediately by the people around her. A small group of plainclothes officers had arrived to take her away without any consequences going to the gathered populace.]

Pacing around in her cell, she couldn't help but contemplate her fate. [(Anyone who dared speak out in any way, shape or form against the Theocracy ended up going to the Portal to Hell, and almost none of them came back; those that did come back weren't ever the same. She was actually one of the lucky ones; many of the people who had heard her testimony didn't even make it to the compound that she was being held at. Some were sent to the labor camps, some of them disappeared into one of the top security prisons. No such fate for her, though - she would be made an example of.) The citizen stood in her cell, chastising herself for the lapse in judgment that had led to her being coerced to speaking such blasphemies against the ways of The Chosen to the unsuspecting faithful who had been infected by her lies. The leadership of The Chosen had been merciful, taking those who had been poisoned to be cared for, choosing to have Danielle Thoreau take all the blame.]

When people went through the Portal to Hell, they almost never returned; those that did were hailed as heroes and joined the upper echelon of Chosen society almost immediately. [(It had been her opinion from the beginning that this was intentional; she just needed the proof to show to the rest of the people what machinations were behind the Theocracy's power. She had intended to figure out how to get eyewitness accounts from within the Portal; this wasn't the way that she had imagined to get the information at all. There was no doubt in her mind that what awaited anyone who crossed into the Portal to Hell was a life-threatening emergency that would haunt their every move.) Those that survived the trials of the Portal had been cleansed of their sins and recommitted to the cause of the Theocracy; they were all law-abiding citizens who wanted the best for both God and country more than their selfish desires. In fact, many Chosen volunteered for the trip through the Portal to prove that their devotion to the cause was frater than their peers. It was the pride of the Four Grand Bishops and the Pontifax that their flock would martyr themselves for the cause.]

Her mind went back to the basic military trainings that she had received throughout secondary school. All Chosen were taught basic self defense, proficiency with knives, sword, spears, or a bladed weapon of the individual's choice, proficiency with basic firearms, and an additional skill of their choice. She had gone for wilderness survival because she was interested in the flora and the fauna of the world that was around her. [(It filled her with some comfort to know that even from a young age, she had subconsciously prepared herself for what she was going to have to endure to further her cause. She wasn't the best shot or the most skilled with weapons, but whatever came before her, she would meet with heart and determination to ensure that the truth of the world beyond The Chosen would be revealed to the peoples who were being subjected to the tyranny of the oligarchs that rules over them.) Determined to make up for her error, she was comforted by the fact that the skill that she had chosen to learn from the generous instructors in the Chosen schools would be the one that she needed alongside her considerable skills in battle to emerge from the Portal in thirty days' time and become one of the heroes who had overcome the demons within.]

As her sentence was read aloud and she joined the line of those that would cross the threshold, the voices of thousands echoing the same line behind her, the words of "Que les morts glorieux se souviennent de toi! (May the glorious dead remember you!) rang in her head. [(They represented, to the core, the fact that something had to be beyond it all: why would the dead be glorious? What would they have to remember at all? Why did it matter who lived and who died? She steeled herself for the challenges ahead, and walked through the gate, unaware of what waited for her on the other side, but ready to face any challenge.) She saluted them in return, right arm out in a straight line, showing her determination to be one of the people who would prove that a momentary lapse in judgment would not determine the destination of her soul. The glorious dead only remembered those who were prepared to give their lives for the The Chosen. The Theocracy did not demand sacrifice in life; instead, it demanded that the people live with the sole purpose of honoring the memories of those who came before, those who had began this society to ensure that the way of life - of lifting their deity and each other on high - would survive the test of time and whatever came along with it.]

With a final bang, the great door behind her closed.

She could have never guessed what happened next.

by **Chromatika** » Mon Mar 29, 2021 11:04 pm

Chromatik Baseball Asks: Please Notice Us
By: Liana Odonis, Baseball Correspondent

Hello! My name is Liana Odonis, and it's my pleasure to write for The Rebel as its inaugural baseball correspondent! Our sport is picking up in the country with the Rhoni Ronin winning the third CBL title, and with the Amateurs ranked just outside the Top 20 in the world, it's a good time to start watching as any! Last time around, we almost defeated a very competent Zwangzug side in the Round of 32, losing out narrowly; it led to there being an army of Amateurs that decided to play their craft in the league of South Newlandia.

Now, ranked third in their group, the Amateurs look like nothing of the sort. They still remain the only team fielded by Chromatika to not have a dedicated coaching staff, choosing to do everything via committee and taking care of each other. It's a very interesting, unique concept.

So, what should you know about the Amateurs? From 1-8, they don't like to take risks like most Chromatiks. Chromatika is more likely to score off of small hits put together in a row than try to win by the long ball. This means that you have to have solid pitching, and the Amateurs are no joke in that department. Don't get me wrong - they're not world-class or anything - but they're absolutely not that shabby.

Hilary Angelou is the team's ace, and has the distinction of having won multiple WBC Playoff Games. She has the likes of wonderkid Justin St. Augustine, the fast Miles Savey, the methodical Han, and the impervious de Witt to make up the pitching staff. Joseph Edward Jr. is the new setup man, while Hine Salle returns as the team's enigmatic closer who doesn't get shaken no matter what the situation is.

On the field, Alisen Moyamoto is the one to watch. She can do a bit of everything. Gammond may struggle as the leadoff man but is very clean defensively. The firepower will come from the 4 and 5 spot of Jason Duster and Laure Valle. You get Kenra Annovar on base, and she can do the rest.

Honestly, the ones that will decide the WBC for Chromatika are Duster and Angelou. If Duster can show himself to be a consistent scoring threat, that'll go a long way for the Amateurs; for Angelou, she might have to win every start.

The Amateurs start their WBC with a road series at Bardney. Angelou, St. Augustine, and Savey will start the three games. Anything less than a 2-1 would be a disaster, but a 3-0 series score is expected.

Say it with me, say it loud: Go Amateurs!

by **TJUN-ia** » Tue Mar 30, 2021 7:36 am

Full Name: TJUN-ia
Organisation Name: TJUN-ia Baseball
Trigram: TJU
Nicknames: Jaguars (Formal)/Battin' Jags (Informal/Sport Specific)
Home Colours: Blue Unis With Orange Trim/Blue and Orange Hat
Away Colours: Orange Unis with Blue Trim/Blue and Orange Hat
Alternate Colours: Black Unis with Dark Orange Trim/Black and Dark Orange Hat

After 2 long years after the greatness we all saw, the Battin' Jags of TJUN-ia were finally back for another World Baseball Classic, this time taking place in the delightful nations of Tikariot and South Newlandia. We all know what happened in the last edition of the competition, the Golden Jubilee in Cassadaigua: the hosts won and the 22nd-ranked Jags finally evolved to a surprise contender, reaching the semis and taking fucking Nova Anglicana to 7 games before settling for 4th overall. It was a magical run that saw even love blossom on the baseball diamond and our players and coached became household names on route to where we stand now, as the 9th best team in all of baseball according to the rankings. The job Phillip Hellas-Verona and the rest of his team have done to take this program to these highs is beyond remarkable but now, the task of building from that unexpected high begins with an audience that may, for the first time ever, taste gold on the tips of their tounges.

THE TEAM
(Number: Name (Age, Batting/Pitching arm))

COACHING STAFF
Manager: Phillip Hellas-Verona (45)
Assistant Manager: Pedro Volcoron (36)
Pitching Coach: Jack Helstrom-Satanique (37)
Batting Coach: Enrique Lopez (38)
1st Base Coach: Shigeru Moyatawa (41)
3rd Base Coach: Pierre Greziére (40)

POSITION STARTERS
1B: #95 Steven Fulmer (27, R)
2B: #78 Matoko Kagawa (26, R)
3B: #19 Bryce Calhoun (26, R)
SS: #17 Ki Yung-son (27, R)
RF: #14 Pedro Moires (29, L)
LF: #46 Angel Enrique (27, R)
CF: #23 Rafael Llorente (28, L)
C: #67 Joe Gregory (24, R)

STARTING PITCHERS
P: #1 Chris Harris (29, R)
P: #2 Davis Johnson (28, R)
P: #3 Gene Almac (26, L)
P: #4 Jose Almas (29, L)
P: #5 Kyle McNash (28, R)

BULLPEN
RP: #6 Shin Suzuki (27, R)
RP: #7 Harrison Kyle (26, L)
RP: #8 F. G. Greenwood (29, R)
RP: #9 Kim Tsu-Ka (25, L)
RP: #10 Liam "LCL" Christoper-Lee (28, L)
CP: #11 Carlos Buena (27, R)

BACKUPS
C: #97 Leonidas Hall (23, L)
1B/PH: #69 Metsu Hoshikawa (30, L [both batting and pitching])
3B/2B: #68 Hunter Jakes (27, R)
RF/CF: #65 Kupe Lamale (29, R)
LF/DH: #44 Killian O'Mally (26, L [both batting and pitching])

STARTING LINEUPS
Without DH
1. Moires
2. Ki
3. Fulmer
4. Calhoun
5. Enrique
6. Llorente
7. Kagawa
8. Gregory
9. Pitcher Spot

With DH
1. Moires
2. Ki
3. Fulmer
4. Calhoun
5. O'Mally (DH)
6. Enrique
7. Llorente
8. Kagawa
9. Gregory

BALLPARKS
Rounders Field, Portside, JB TJUN-ia (40,000)

Named after an English (U1) game similar to Baseball, Rounders Field is considered by many to be the home of TJUN-ian baseball. It has a retractable roof if the threat of rain is present, while also containing modern amenities. Don't worry about the "artwork" near centre field - that is a tribute to the varied wildlife of both Portside and TJUN-ia. The away changing rooms will still be looked at by a jaguar with the following message:

YOU ARE ENTERING THE JUNGLE
FAIR PLAY SHALL BE OBSERVED HERE AT ALL TIMES
IF NOT, THE CROWD SHALL EAT YOU ALIVE

The crowd here are known for not taking foul play lightly, and this message gives a warning of that to any opposition. TJUN-ia wants to play fairly and the message hopes that the opponent plays fairly too.

The Diamond in The Gardens, New Washington, NAU Zone (42,000)

The Diamond in The Gardens is located in "The Gardens" - a major sporting complex in the NAU Zone capital of New Washington. Just down the road from Gridiron Football's Field of Dreams, it has the traditional ivy as part of the entire back wall - a sign that you are in The Gardens. Built based on classic ballparks in U1 and U2, modern amenities are present within this old-style park. It has 2 modern scoreboards and 1 manual one, which will be used to display the scores across the tournament. Unlike their counterparts in Portside, fans here don't really care about "fairness" and "sporting equality" - they just want to watch some baseball. These confines are certainly friendly and the fans are known for enjoying the game no matter if the home team is winning or not.

PERMISSIONS

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my runscorers: Yes
Choose my lineup: Yes
Follow my pitching rotation: Yes
Godmod scoring events: No
RP injuries to my players: Yes
Godmod injuries to my players: No
Eject my players: Yes
Godmod other events: No
Use DH at home: No
Style Modifier: +0.5

SCHEDULE (Group 7)
S1: vs HUElavia (29) - Rounders Field, Portside
S2: vs Karditan (46) - Rounders Field, Portside
S3: @Tierra de Castro (UR)
S4: vs BohemiaIV (UR) - The Diamond in The Gardens, New Washington
----------------BREAK TIME----------------
S5: @Zwangzug (12) - Worm Hole, Spenson
S6: @HUElavia (29)
S7: @Karditan (46) - Big Island Field, Ponyburgh
----------------BREAK TIME----------------
S8: vs Tierra de Castro (UR) - The Diamond in The Gardens, New Washington
S9: @BohemiaIV (UR)
S10: vs Zwangzug (12) - Rounders Field, Portside

by **Cassadaigua** » Tue Mar 30, 2021 9:03 am

Baseball To Follow Soccer’s Lead,
By Chelsea Dufresne, Concord Heights Times

Brittany Dayton, the manager of the Starksville Brown Birds was asked if she expected Cassadagan baseball teams to pursue international players over the course of the World Baseball Classic 51. Dayton replied, “I think we will need to get ready to hear about this, relentlessly, over the course of the World Baseball Classic. It will be the story of the competition for us, once the ceremonies for our championship in the last Classic are over.” Brooke Garrison, manager of the Victoriaville Venom, “I’ll be attending many games, and not just our games. Yes, this is a scouting trip. I don’t know what we’ll be able to get out of it, and I know many clubs are going to do the same thing, but we are ready to grab as much as we can, and getting international stars in the World Baseball Classic a no brainer.”

So, that is no longer a question. Teams from Cassadaigua plan on scoping out the rosters from all sides, and seeing what they can do with them. Last year, the Grande Mountain Huskies won the championship as a little bit of a surprise to some. This has left many teams looking to get over the hump while realizing that a team like Grande Mountain is not going to stop trying to improve, either. The nations that are playing in Cassadaigua’s group, and there are some very good ones, would be the easiest teams to scout, since at some point, they will be going to Concord Heights. Perhaps, they can get players out of Drawkland. We all know that baseball is not Drawkland’s strong suit, but at the same time, they are decent enough in the World Baseball Classic, and there is plenty of potential with their players. Other than Franklin Bell, many of those players will be pursued. Le Choix, as we are beginning to learn about them, seems like a worthwhile target, in principle, but we have to wait and see about them, as some are saying that those people would not have any interest and might take offense to their even being interest.

Other than all of that, the roster for the 51st World Baseball Classic is not drastically different than it was the last one, so the only thing that will be missing from that team is the desire to end a long drought. Now, that desire will be to repeat, something that we have been able to do exactly zero times in this tournament. Maddie Polanco will be back, once again, in what will be her 11th time. There are some sources out there saying that Polanco may hang them up after this Classic, but that has been neither confirmed nor denied. That is also something that we figure to hear more about as the Classic rolls around. In the meantime, we have some tough group opposition here, but remember, their schedule is harder, because their schedule includes us.

I look forward to talking about all of the action! We start off in Ethane tonight!

by **Banija** » Tue Mar 30, 2021 9:50 am

Banija National Baseball Team

Coaching Staff
The current manager, Ousman Kakay, is in his 6th tournament as the team's manager. He has been wildly successful at the helm, leading the team to a bronze medal his first tournament(WBC 46), and a championship his second tournament(WBC 47), while getting to the quarterfinals in his third and fourth tournaments(WBC 48 and 49). With the team still ranked in the Top 5, he is aiming for title #2.

He is an old school manager, less into analytics and more into traditional baseball thinking. He believes in the strength of this team, which are hsi starting pitchers- he is much more likely to leave a starting pitcher in too long rather than pull them out too quickly. He also strongly rejects the idea of a "bullpen game."

They are making their first changes to the coaching staff since WBC 48. Their bench coach, Isaac Oladipo, has taken the managerial job for Super Llamaland. And with the gap increasing between Banija and the present-day Big 3 of the WBC(Cassadaigua/Newmanistan/Nova Anglicana) considering our three consecutive eliminations in the quarterfinals, Kakay took it as an opportunity to mix things up as they try to avoid the permanent purgatory of 'good enough to get to the quarters, but not good enough to win it'. Ergo, he replaced almost everybody on his staff.

Manager- Ousman Kakay. 66 years old. Starting managing the team at the beginning of WBC 46.
Bench Coach- Baluta Colley. 56 years old. Sixth Classic on staff. Spent last five classics as hitting coach, but when the bench coach, Isaac Oladipo, took the promotion with Super Llamaland, he moved up to the bench coach role.
Hitting Coach- Theodosia Osano. 51 years old. First Classic on Staff. First ever female on the coaching staff.
Pitching Coach- Lemuel Okombo. 44 years old. First Classic on Staff. Like his predecessor, he likes big, tall, hard throwing pitchers. Manager in the WBBL for the past three seasons.
1st base Coach- Elijah Anoko. 41 years old. First Classic on staff. Previous manager of University of Moravica baseball.
3rd base Coach- Jeriah Opolo. 78 years old. First Classic on staff. Served as a mentor to Ousman Kakay, this will be first and only classic on the staff.

The team used the same roster in WBC 41, WBC 42, and WBC 43.Ever since the disastrous WBC 45, they've overgone an overhaul, with this being the first time no players from the WBC 41/42/43 rosters are being used in a major tournament. While they were able to maintain the same core for WBCs 46-48, a number of players have retired out, giving a pathway for the next generation to take the reigns for the Banijans. While Kakay changed up the coaching staff, the roster remained essentially the same- he brought back basically every single position player and every single starting pitcher from the WBC 50 team, and only made one change in the bullpen.

WBBL = Western Banijan Baseball League, Banija's top-flight professional baseball leauge.

Batting Order with Designated Hitter
1 SS Obasey Mazzi. #35. 31 years old. Right-handed. Graduate of Northern Moravica University, WBBL player. Stout defensively, very aggressive and fast baserunner.
2 RF Momodou Joof. 30 years old. Right-handed. Graduate of Istria City College. Aggressive on the basepaths, hits for average but very little power. Played DH and center field at WBC 48, will play in Right field due to Jonkong Sillah's retirement.
3 LF Cyper Kandeh. #19. 34 years old. Right-handed. He can throw baserunners out like nobody's business. Graduated from Golden Valley University.
4 DH Yakuba Kah. #5. 37 years old. Left-handed. Hits for power. Runs the base-paths poorly. Alumnus of the University of Moravica.
5 1B Malik Soley. #30. 24 years old. Right-handed. Young rising star, plays at Northern Moravica. Can also play right field, and has a big arm, although he does not have much range. Throws with right hand. Generates more power batting left, but hits better for average batting right.
6 3B Jung Jassey. #17. 29 years old. Right-handed. Alumnus of Loyola-Istria. Hits for power, takes huge swings, but has a poor average.
7 2B Chiki Uche. #4. 29 years old. Right-handed. Alumnus of Loyola-Istria, WBBL Player.
8 C Xaaf Geele. #9. 32 years old. Right-handed. Alumnus of the University of Ankole, WBBL Player.
9 CF Bailo Suso. #16. 26 years old. Plays at Loyola-Busukuma. Great defensive player, great range and arm, needs to improve hitting.

Bench with a Designated Hitter
1B/3B Idirissa Janneh. 33 years old. Right-handed. Defensive utility player. WBBL player, Alumnus of the University of Moravica.
OF Aman Teklu #22. 31 years old. Right-handed. Defensive utility player in the outfield. Alumnus of Northern Moravica, WBBL player.
1B/C Assefa Mulugeta. #25. 30 years old. Switch-hitter(right-handed). Alumnus of Northern Moravica, WBBL Player.
2B/SS Ifeatu Chee. #2. 27 years old. Great baserunner, often pinch runs. Plays at Kizza I College.
IF Odera Obea. #15. 33 years old. Right-handed. Team's first(And only) female player. Alumnus of Hangaza Tech.

Batting Order without Designated Hitter
1 SS Obasey Mazzi. #35. 31 years old. Right-handed. Graduate of Northern Moravica University, WBBL player. Stout defensively, very aggressive and fast baserunner.
2 CF Momodou Joof. 30 years old. Right-handed. Graduate of Istria City College. Aggressive on the basepaths, hits for average but very little power. Played DH and center field at WBC 48, plays right field when there is a DH.
3 LF Cyper Kandeh. #19. 34 years old. Right-handed. He can throw baserunners out like nobody's business. Graduated from Golden Valley University.
4 1B Yakuba Kah. #5. 37 years old. Left-handed. Hits for power. Runs the base-paths poorly. Alumnus of the University of Moravica.
5 RF Malik Soley. #30. 24 years old. Switch. Young rising star, plays at Northern Moravica. Can also play right field, and has a big arm, although he does not have much range. Throws with right hand. Generates more power batting left, but hits better for average batting right.
6 3B Jung Jassey. #17. 29 years old. Right-handed. Alumnus of Loyola-Istria. Hits for power, takes huge swings, but has a poor average.
7 2B Chiki Uche. #4. 29 years old. Right-handed. Alumnus of Loyola-Istria, WBBL Player.
8 C Xaaf Geele. #9. 32 years old. Right-handed. Alumnus of the University of Ankole, WBBL Player.
9 PITCHER

Bench without a Desiganted Hitter
1B/3B Idirissa Janneh. 33 years old. Right-handed. Defensive utility player. WBBL player, Alumnus of the University of Moravica.
OF Aman Teklu #22. 31 years old. Right-handed. Defensive utility player in the outfield. Alumnus of Northern Moravica, WBBL player.
1B/C Assefa Mulugeta. #25. 30 years old. Switch-hitter(right-handed). Alumnus of Northern Moravica, WBBL Player.
2B/SS Ifeatu Chee. #2. 27 years old. Great baserunner, often pinch runs. Plays at Kizza I College.
OF Bailo Suso. #16. 26 years old. Plays at Loyola-Busukuma. Great defensive player, great range and arm, needs to improve hitting. Only on bench if there is no DH.
IF Odera Obea. #15. 33 years old. Right-handed. Team's first(And only) female player. Alumnus of Hangaza Tech.

Starting Pitcher Rotation
All of our starters are tall pitchers who like to throw the ball hard.
1 Duta Condé. #35. 36 years old. Right-handed. Alumnus of Northern Moravica. Former #3 starter for WBC 46-48, ace for WBC 49. Throws a 4 seam fastball(up to 97), two seam fastball(up to 91), a slider, and a changeup.
2 Suntukung Kandeh. #24. 35 years old. Left-handed. Alumnus of the University of Moravica. Former #4 starter for WBC 46-48, #2 for WBC 49. Throws a 4 seam fastball(up to 95), two seam fastball(up to 89), a curveball, and a sinker.
3 Ensa Suso. #33. 33 years old. Right-handed. Alumnus of Kizza I College. Former #5 starter for WBC 46-48, #3 starter for WBC 49. Throws a four seam fastball(up to 95), two seam fastball(up to 90), a curveball, and a sinker.
4 Ramata Kabba. #35. 27 years old. Left-handed. Female. Alumnus of Loyola-Istria. #5 starter during WBC 49, although promoted to #4 starter for the playoffs. Throws a four seam fastball(up to 96), a curveball, a sinker, and a slider.

Bullpen
LRP Faraba Conateh. #44. 24 years old. Right-Handed. WBBL player, alumnus of Hangaza Tech. Throws a four seam fastball(up to 97), a sinker, a slider, and a cutter(up to 90). A starter for the group stages, drops down to the pen as the team moves to a 4 man rotation for the postseason.
LRP Alifa Kakay. #74. 29 years old. Right-Handed. Alumnus of Loyola-Busukuma. WBBL Player.
MRP Badara Ogunsola. #17. 26 years old. Right-Handed. Alumnus of Bunyoro Central College. WBBL Player.
MRP Mizpah Askari. #45. 22 years old. Second female player on the team. Left-Handed. Alumnus of Ankole College for Creative Studies. WBBL Player.
MRP Yoro Coulibaly. #41. 28 years old. Right-Handed. Alumnus of Istria City College. WBBL Player.
SU Bouba Kujabi. #13. 32 years old. Right-handed. Alumnus of University of Aksum. Long-time middle reliever, promoted to setup man. #41
CL Sama Kinte. #48. 34 years old. Right-Handed. Alumnus of Loyola-Istria. WBBL Player.

Records(W-L, Win %):
All-Time AO Baseball Series Record: 4-2, 66.67%
All-Time Olympic Record: 10-10, 50.00%
All-Time WBC Group Stage Record: 204-141, 59.13%. (This includes Casaran Stage games from WBC 47)
All-Time WBC Knockout Stage Record: 46-33, 58.23%.
All-Time WBC Record: 250-174, 58.96%
All-Time Record(All competitions): 264-186, 58.67%

Accomplishments
2nd place at the AO Baseball Series I
3rd place at XI Olympiad in Aeropag, Commerce Heights.
3rd place at 46th World Baseball Classic.
Champions of World Baseball Classic 47.

Starting Pitching Schedule
As a note, ICly for Banija in the WBC group stages, teams play six games a week. They play Monday through Wednesday, are off Thursday, and then play Friday through Sunday. And repeat. So I say off days even if they are only IC off days to help show who is pitching on short rest(3 days).

As a note, ICly for Banija in the WBC knockout stages for five game series, teams play five games a week. Game 1 is a Monday, Game 2 is a Tuesday, off on Wednesday, Game 3 is a Thursday, Game 4(if necessary) is a Friday, Saturday is an off day, and Game 5(if necessary) is on Sunday.

Round of 32 Knockout Pitching Schedule - Series Opponent is The 189
Game 1: Starting Pitcher- Duta Condé.
Game 2: Starting Pitcher- Suntukung Kandeh
Game 3: Starting Pitcher- Ensa Suso
Game 4: Starting Pitcher- Ramata Kabba
Game 5: Starting Pitcher- Duta Condé.

Round of 16 Knockout Pitching Schedule - Series Opponent is Newmanistan
Game 1: Starting Pitcher- Suntukung Kandeh.
Game 2: Starting Pitcher- Ensa Suso.
Game 3: Starting Pitcher- Duta Condé.
Game 4: Starting Pitcher- Ramata Kabba.

Quarterfinals Knockout Pitching Schedule - Series Opponent is Newmanistan
Game 1: Starting Pitcher- Suntukung Kandeh.
Game 2: Starting Pitcher- Duta Condé.
Game 3: Starting Pitcher- Ensa Suso.

Semifinals Knockout Pitching Schedule - Series Opponent is the Sherpa Empire
Game 1: Starting Pitcher- Duta Condé.
Game 2: Starting Pitcher- Suntukung Kandeh.
Game 3: Starting Pitcher- Ensa Suso.
Game 4: Starting Pitcher- Ramata Kabba.

As a note, ICly for Banija in the WBC knockout stages for seven game series, teams play five games a week. Game 1 is a Monday, Game 2 is a Tuesday, off on Wednesday, Game 3 is a Thursday, Game 4 is a Friday, Game 5 is a Saturday, Game 6 is a Sunday, off on Monday, Game 7 is a Tuesday.

WBC Championship Series Pitching Schedule - Series Opponent is South Newlandia.
Game 1: Starting Pitcher- Duta Condé.
Game 2: Starting Pitcher- Suntukung Kandeh.
Game 3: Starting Pitcher- Ensa Suso.
Game 4: Starting Pitcher- Ramata Kabba.
Game 5(if necessary): Starting Pitcher- Duta Condé.
Game 6(if necessary): Starting Pitcher- Suntukung Kandeh.
Game 7(if necessary): Starting Pitcher- Ensa Suso.

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my runscorers: Yes
Choose my lineup: No(I have it all spelled out for you above! You can make in game subsitutions for pinch runners/hitters or defensive subs as you see fit, but please follow the lineup as given above).
Follow my pitching rotation: Yes (I have it labeled game by game to prevent any confusion, so please follow! Make pitching changes of course as you please, but please do not have other starters coming into a game in relief without talking to me first.)
Godmod scoring events: No
RP injuries to my players: Yes(Just please specify how many games they will miss. Otherwise, whatever injuries you want besides killing people)
Godmod injuries to my players: Yes(Just please specify how many games they will miss. Otherwise, whatever injuries you want besides killing people)
Eject my players: Yes(My manager is a hothead, you can eject him too)
Godmod other events: Yes (Whatever's fair game, but don't godmod scoring events, don't kill anyone w/o my permission, and no COVID/pandemics to effect Banija/any Banijans. Otherwise, have at it!)
Use DH at home: Yes
Style Modifier: -3
Park Factor: 75
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.

by **Delaclava** » Tue Mar 30, 2021 10:29 am

DSGN.com Baseball

Racette set to make Delaclav history
Soccer star joins bullpen, prepared to cap in second sport

The Delaclava national baseball team is back in the World Baseball Classic, and there’s plenty of intrigue surrounding this team. It’s the first time a full national team has been put together in quite some time - it was a regional team from Hess that made the Round of 16 in WBC49, a Mersatha-based squad that reached the quarterfinals of the AO Baseball Series, and the Southeastern Baseball League champions Breton Valley Bangers that finished tied for fifth in the 13th International Baseball Slam.

This version of the Phoenixes includes eight of the Bangers - 2B Ryan Rudock, SS Valery Robiquet, LF Owen Clark, CF Teuvo Kujala and pitchers Bedin Egozhevy, Thomas Blunt, Sean Wilson, and Sean Magary. Clark, Egozhevy, and Magary also featured on the Hess WBC team, while Blunt was a member of the Mersatha AOBS squad. In addition, RF Albar Ardoya returns after appearing in the AOBS.

Beyond those nine, there are plenty of international debutants who have fans intrigued about their potential - most notably SBL home run king 1B Ben Dawson of the Victoriana Falcons, and veteran All Star 3B Alysheba Castro of Cleopatrana BBC. But to a more general audience, perhaps no one will pique curiosity more than Mariana Dolphins southpaw Amaury Racette.

At 21 years old, Racette has played parts of three seasons for the Dolphins. He is small for a pitcher, at six feet tall and 155 pounds, and relies on a mix of sinkers, sliders, and screwballs, working mainly in relief or as an opener. Last season, he recorded a 2.30 ERA in 97 ⅔ innings with a 6-2 record. And he happens to be one of the best soccer forwards in the country.

Racette has always said soccer was his primary sport, even with his baseball success, and he finally was signed by AC Espene last year. He made an immediate impact in his rookie year, making the United Football League Best XI and scoring 49 goals in 73 games to lead AC Espene to their first ever league title. Racette was subsequently called up to the Delaclava national team for AOCAF 63 in Siovanija and Teusland, coming off the bench to score two goals in the Phoenixes’ final game, a 5-3 victory over Dogsmouth. At worst, Racette looks forward to coming back to AC Espene with increased confidence to help them to a repeat title - but the young two-sport star may be taking his game to a more renowned league quite soon.

Although soccer and baseball are two very different sports, Racette believes this actually helps him to be successful in both. “Because the skills I use are separate, I don’t get confused trying to practice either. I can spend my time getting better at both, and when I’m set to compete in either sport, I’m ready to go.” He also credits his coaches on the Dolphins for allowing him to prioritize his soccer career. “The staff here, the way my contract is set up, it’s all very flexible. It takes the pressure off me to try to balance both. And I truly love both sports and this Dolphins team, so I try to make it back as much as I can.”

Delaclava begins their WBC with a three-game series in Drawkland; if Racette takes the mound there, he will become the first Delaclav to compete on two separate national teams. Versatility and range have always been virtues of Delaclav athleticism, and it is common to see athletes excel in multiple sports throughout high school and college, but no one before Racette has continued on to such an elite level.

If Racette takes his soccer game abroad, his baseball career would certainly be in jeopardy, but he insists he isn’t too worried. “I don’t look too far ahead, I just want to keep doing what I like for as long as I can do it. For now, my focus is here. I don’t want to get eliminated from another group stage. I’m going to pitch as well as I can, and see what happens.”

by **Hannasea** » Tue Mar 30, 2021 10:31 am

Nation name: The Hannasean Federation (Hannasea)
Demonym/adjective: Hannasean
Team nickname: Choughs

Information for visitors, minus the bits about soccer, can be found in the CE info-pack. Baseball is much more popular than soccer. It is currently spring in Hannasea, just before the domestic baseball season (thus freeing up players) so the weather will be cool and cloudy, but there shouldn't be much rain about. It's currently Passover but you won't notice much in the way of observance unless you look really hard.

All three games within a series will be played at the same ballpark, as follows:

Delaclava series: Principality Ballpark
In the historic city of Old Blopping, home of the Old Blopping Warlocks. Old fashioned traditional ballpark. Pitchers' park with a slight favor to righties because of a shorter left porch.
Cassadaigua series: HB&B Stadium
In the town of West Chestnut, just outside Butterfly City. Home of the West Chestnut Dragons. Newly refurbished inside a dome with astroturf. Hitters' park, but short outfield walls mean not many triples.
Le Choix series: The Orange Bowl
In the coastal city of Kent. Home of the Kent Oranges. Built on the cliffs, meaning the ground has strong crosswinds that make it extremely hard for leftie hitters to find the stands. The walls are pulled in to compensate and there's a deep left field.
Drawkland series: The Lightning Dome
In Pintook, on the shores of the massive Lake Took. Home of the Pintook Saracens. Newly rebuilt dome with astroturf. Extreme pitchers' park because of the low altitude and deep outfield.
Ethane series: Questionable Ballpark
Home of the New Blopping Mountaineers, but the first part of the name is misleading, the ballpark is well outside the city limits. The second part is accurate and this is an extreme hitters' park because of the altitude. Fences are pulled back to compensate but that adds doubles and triples.

Coaching staff

Manager: John Davidson
Assistant Manager: Harvey Johnson
Deputy Manager: David Harvey
Assistant Deputy Manager: David John Harvey
Assistant Deputy Assistant Manager: John Harvey Davidson
Deputy Assistant Deputy Assistant Manager: John Samuel Harvey-Davidson
Deputy Assistant Deputy Assistant Deputy Manager: David Harvey Samuel Johnson-Williams
Assistant Deputy Assistant Deputy Assistant Deputy Manager: William Peter David Harvey-Johnson-Samuels
Deputy Assistant Deputy Assistant Deputy Assistant Deputy Manager: John Samuel William Harvey David Peter Brontosaurus Ezekiel Whiskey Tango Foxtrot Ulanbatur air horn noise Hugh Chestnut Orion Gladiator slaps knee Walnut Horatio Pythagoras Alabaster Not-Samantha armpit farting noise Unclefucker Quasimodo Pomegranate Nylon Suspenders oh I do like to be beside the seaside, I do like to be beside the sea Neil Gormenghast Sygyzy Truffles doorbell sound Pusilanimous Hector Egburt Hardrada that don't impress-a-me much BOW BOW BOW BOW BOW BOW BOW Hillary Telegraphpole Subway Collection Spanner creak of coffin door opening Johnson-Williamson-Johnson, Jr.
Assistant to the Manager: John

Starting rotation
1. Wyatt Gardner (R/R)
Four-seam fastball (95 - 97mph), curveball, two-seam fastball, knuckle curve. Groundball pitcher with good stuff and control.
2. Jimmy Morris (L/L)
Four-seam fastball (97-99mph, curveball, changeup. Pure power pitcher.
3. Kian Bell (L/L)
Four-seam fastball (94-96mph), curveball, slider, changeup. Raw prospect, mainly a groundball pitcher developing his stuff.
4. Harrison Byrne (R/R)
Cut fastball (95-97mph), curveball, slider, changeup. Wicked breaking stuff.
5. Zac Parker (R/R)
Four-seam fastball (94-96mph), two-seam fastball, curveball, changeup. Good control pitcher, fields well off the mound.

Bullpen

Listed in ascending order of leverage. Right handed unless otherwise stated.

Noah Harris (long relief/spot starter)
Charles Anderson (L)
Justin Nevin
Harrison Johnston (L)
William Whitworth
Benjamin Palmer
Jasper Walsh
Chase Allen (L)
Christopher Philips

Lineup

CF Kai Hart
LF Archie Pearson
SS Jack Jones
3B Aaron Green
DH Joshua John
RF Yael Cochran
1B Isaac Burke
2B Taylor Parker
C Jonah Porter

Reserves

C Zach Walker
IF Christopher Helman
IF Jesse Lowe
OF Ethan Harman
OF Jake Brooks

Permissions

No photos, no violence, go nuts.

by **Nova Anglicana** » Tue Mar 30, 2021 10:32 am

Elizabeth Avenue

Sports, Politics, Pop Culture and a whole lot more

50 at 50: A Nova Anglican WBC 51 Special

Jonathan McGillivray-Smith, Staff Writer

World Baseball Classic 51 is upon us! The Lions of the Nova Anglican national baseball team are returning to the multiverse' premier baseball competition, and they are hungry for a fourth straight semifinal appearance. Our national team won it all in WBC 48, finished fourth in WBC 49, and lost in the finals to Cassadaigua in WBC 50, in a rematch of WBC 48. The Lions are ranked 2nd in the world and have been ranked in the top 10 for decades now, but they've only won one championship in all that time. In fact, it's been 50 years since the Lions first entered the WBC. Way back in WBC 27, Nova Anglicana sneaked into the playoffs, beat two unranked teams, and then ran into a brick wall in the form of Maklohi Vai in the quarterfinals. To celebrate 50 years of Nova Anglican WBC baseball, we here at Elizabeth Avenue are going to be running a special called "50 at 50", where we rank, comment on, and otherwise examine Nova Anglicana baseball in order to determine the 50 very best Nova Anglican baseball players of all time.

Here's how we'll do it: we're going to assemble two teams of all-time greats, each with 25 players. Each team will have five starters, seven relievers, and thirteen position players and will look something like this.

SP1
SP2
SP3
SP4
SP5

RP1
RP2
RP3
RP4
RP5
RP6
RP7

C
1B
2B
SS
3B
OF
OF
OF

C2
MI
CI
OF
BE5

During the WBC, we'll release the top players at each position: starters, relievers, catchers, first basemen, second basemen, shortstops, third basemen, and then a general bench feature. We'll debate who should be first-team, second-team, or honorable mention, along with commentary on their performance and the different eras of the national team, ranging from the original generation of WBC 27 to today. In the end, we'll have the 50 best Nova Anglicans to play the game for the national team. Inevitably, we will have to leave some incredibly talented players off the list, so let us know where you think we go wrong in the comments! In the end, we hope to have a fun conversation between all of us at Elizabeth Avenue and all of you out there on the World Wide Internet about some of the people who best played the sport we love so much. So join us for 50 at 50: A Nova Anglican WBC 51 special!

by **South Newlandia** » Tue Mar 30, 2021 10:49 am

It's time to get underway! This is the first cutoff of the World Baseball Classic, Groups 1-5!

WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC 51

GROUP STAGE - SERIES 1 - GROUPS 1-5

Group 1

Game 1
The Luck of Jirachi        0 0 0 0 0 1 2 1 0  4
Hapilopper                 0 1 0 0 2 2 0 0 X  5

Grey County                0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0
Daskel                     3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 X  3

Silvedania                 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0  3
Super-Llamaland            2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4  6

Game 2
The Luck of Jirachi        0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  1
Hapilopper                 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1  2

Grey County                0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0  3
Daskel                     3 0 1 0 0 3 0 0 X  7

Silvedania                 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1  1
Super-Llamaland            0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 X  3

Game 3
The Luck of Jirachi        0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0  1
Hapilopper                 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 X  3

Grey County                0 0 0 2 0 0 2 0 0  4
Daskel                     1 0 4 0 2 0 3 0 X 10

Silvedania                 1 2 1 0 1 0 0 0 0  5
Super-Llamaland            0 0 1 2 4 1 1 0 X  9

P Group 1               Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Daskel                  3    3   0    20    7  +13     3
2 Super-Llamaland         3    3   0    18    9   +9     3
3 Hapilopper              3    3   0    10    6   +4     3
4 The Luck of Jirachi     3    0   3     6   10   −4     0
5 Silvedania              3    0   3     9   18   −9     0
6 Grey County             3    0   3     7   20  −13     0

Group 2

Game 1
Barnettsville              1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  1
Sarzonia                   0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 X  3

Norrhem                    0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0  2
Devonta                    0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 1  3

Britland Isles             1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0  2
Tikariot                   1 6 0 0 1 0 0 0 X  8

Game 2
Barnettsville              0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0
Sarzonia                   0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 X  2

Norrhem                    2 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0  3
Devonta                    0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0

Britland Isles             0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0  3
Tikariot                   0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6  6

Game 3
Barnettsville              0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0
Sarzonia                   0 0 3 2 1 0 0 0 X  6

Norrhem                    0 0 3 0 1 0 0 2 1  7
Devonta                    0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0  2

Britland Isles             2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  2
Tikariot                   0 0 2 2 2 1 0 0 X  7

P Group 2               Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Tikariot                3    3   0    21    7  +14     3
2 Sarzonia                3    3   0    11    1  +10     3
3 Norrhem                 3    2   1    12    5   +7     2
4 Devonta                 3    1   2     5   12   −7     1
5 Barnettsville           3    0   3     1   11  −10     0
6 Britland Isles          3    0   3     7   21  −14     0

Group 3

Game 1
Delaclava                  0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0  2
Drawkland                  1 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 X  4

The Hannasean Federation   1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2  4
Le Choix                   0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1  3

Ethane                     0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 3  4
Cassadaigua                0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4  5

Game 2
Delaclava                  1 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 0  4
Drawkland                  1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0  3

The Hannasean Federation   0 1 0 0 2 0 0 0 0  3
Le Choix                   0 0 1 0 2 0 1 2 X  6

Ethane                     0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1  1
Cassadaigua                0 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 X  3

Game 3
Delaclava                  7 1 1 0 0 2 0 0 0 11
Drawkland                  4 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 2  9

The Hannasean Federation   0 0 2 0 0 1 0 1 0  4
Le Choix                   1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0  2

Ethane                     0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0  2
Cassadaigua                0 0 2 0 2 0 1 0 X  5

P Group 3                   Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Cassadaigua                 3    3   0    13    7   +6     3
2 Delaclava                   3    2   1    17   16   +1     2
3 The Hannasean Federation    3    2   1    11   11    0     2
4 Le Choix                    3    1   2    11   11    0     1
5 Drawkland                   3    1   2    16   17   −1     1
6 Ethane                      3    0   3     7   13   −6     0

Group 4

Game 1
Abanhfleft                 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0  2
Mapletish                  0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 3  5

Pluvie                     0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1  2
Ranoria                    0 3 0 6 0 0 0 0 X  9

Newmanistan                0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0  3
The 189                    0 2 0 0 1 0 2 1 X  6

Game 2
Abanhfleft                 4 0 0 0 3 0 0 2 2 11
Mapletish                  0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0  3

Pluvie                     1 0 4 2 3 0 0 0 0 10
Ranoria                    0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0  1

Newmanistan                0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1  2
The 189                    0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0

Game 3
Abanhfleft                 0 7 1 0 0 0 0 1 0  9
Mapletish                  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0

Pluvie                     0 0 1 0 0 0 3 0 0  4
Ranoria                    1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  1

Newmanistan                0 0 3 0 0 0 1 1 1  6
The 189                    0 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0  3

P Group 4               Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Abanhfleft              3    2   1    22    8  +14     2
2 Pluvie                  3    2   1    16   11   +5     2
3 Newmanistan             3    2   1    11    9   +2     2
4 The 189                 3    1   2     9   11   −2     1
5 Ranoria                 3    1   2    11   16   −5     1
6 Mapletish               3    1   2     8   22  −14     1

Group 5

Game 1
Xanneria                   0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 3  4
Kriegiersien               0 0 1 1 1 4 0 0 X  7

South Americanastan        0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  1
Ko-oren                    3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 X  4

The Greater Nordics        0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1  3
Squidroidia                0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0

Game 2
Xanneria                   0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0  2
Kriegiersien               1 0 2 0 0 0 0 1 X  4

South Americanastan        0 0  0 0 1 1 0 0 1  3
Ko-oren                    0 0 10 0 0 0 0 0 X 10

The Greater Nordics        0 2 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0  5
Squidroidia                0 0 3 1 0 0 0 1 0 2  7

Game 3
Xanneria                   0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0
Kriegiersien               0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 X  1

South Americanastan        0 0 0 0 3 0 3 0 0  6
Ko-oren                    0 0 0 1 0 0 4 0 0  5

The Greater Nordics        0 0 0 2 0 0 4 0 0  6
Squidroidia                0 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0  3

P Group 5               Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Kriegiersien            3    3   0    12    6   +6     3
2 Ko-oren                 3    2   1    19   10   +9     2
3 The Greater Nordics     3    2   1    14   10   +4     2
4 Squidroidia             3    1   2    10   14   −4     1
5 South Americanastan     3    1   2    10   19   −9     1
6 Xanneria                3    0   3     6   12   −6     0

by **Super-Llamaland** » Tue Mar 30, 2021 11:31 am

I. Oladipo Arrives
II. Alasan Senghore
III. The New Way Forward

FLASHBACK: 2040s HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL FIELD IN VARGAS

ALASAN SENGHORE, aged SEVENTEEN, is taking the mound for the high school state championship in VARGAS CITY, SUPER-LLAMALAND. While he pitches, two scouts, CONCEPCIÓN and CHEN, are holding smartphones and radar guns and fervently studying his approach on the mound as he mows through the opposing lineup. Neither are really paying attention to Senghore himself, but instead the readings from a variety of sensors on their phones.

CONCEPCIÓN: Look at that. That’s incredible. Kid’s sitting lower-nineties, but with 2800 RPMs on the fastball.

CHEN: The curveball is immense, too. I love the movement he creates with that, and the way he shifts the eye-level of the hitters. He’s going to be a strikeout machine in the big leagues.

CONCEPCIÓN: Amazing power. He’s got a good approach on the mound, too, a very smooth delivery that should keep stolen bases down. How’s this kid compare to the other pitchers we’ve been looking at?

CHEN: He’s number one. If he’s still on the board when we pick, we’ve got to have him.

CONCEPCIÓN: We’ll see about that. The boy’s a star.

TEENAGED ALASAN is seen dapping up teammates after a dominant complete-game victory. Suddenly, he is approached by CONCEPCIÓN and CHEN, who pull him aside to discuss his performance.

CONCEPCIÓN: How are you doing, Alasan? My name is Rafael Concepción, and I’m an area scout for the New Llama Wizards. Could we get a few minutes of your time, get acquainted with each other?

ALASAN: Of course.

CONCEPCIÓN: I’d like to introduce you to Ariana Chen.

CHEN: Really impressive performance today, Alasan. I’m a regional cross-checker and analytics head for the Wizards, so I’ve seen a lot of the top high school and college prospects around Vargas City. It’s been a while since I’ve seen someone as talented at getting guys out as you. The command, the movement, the peripherals...Rafa told me you were good, but I didn’t expect this. I hope you’re as interested in playing LBL baseball as we are in selecting you in the upcoming draft.

ALASAN: I’d need to think about it, Ariana. I have a full scholarship to Xingcheng Polytechnic, and I need to decide if baseball is something I want to pursue full-time.

CONCEPCIÓN: That’s all well and good, and we’re big believers in the collegiate leagues too. But we’ve run the numbers, analyzed all aspects of your performance, and you need to know the sky is the limit for a pitcher of your caliber. Our models say you could be in the LBL within a year of being drafted - that’s where you need to be to hone the skills you’ve been given.

INT. LBA HQ, ALASAN SENGHORE’S OFFICE

ALASAN: Alasan Senghore. Pleasure to meet you.

ISAAC: Senghore - that Banijan?

ALASAN: Yeah, on my dad’s side. He was born there and immigrated, my mom’s from Xingcheng, and here I am.

ISAAC: Here we are. I’ll cut to the chance, Alasan. Who are you, and why are you the only one writing those reports? (he holds up the report, picked from the recycling bin).

ALASAN: Those “scouts” and I...we don’t see baseball the same way. Isaac nods.

ISAAC: Explain.

ALASAN: Baseball thinking...it’s tried to get out of the Dark Ages. But it’s overcorrected. There’s a systematic failure to connect the game in RStudio to the game as it’s played on the field. Maybe things can even out over a long domestic season, but it’s a different game on the international level, and now that we don’t have the overwhelming talent of a Cassadaigua or a Nova Anglicana or a Newmanistan, we need to adapt to that reality. People are still thinking in terms of how you get runs, maximize an expected value. But on the international level, it’s just about getting wins and getting sustained momentum.

You can’t treat players like optimization problems on the international level. The sample sizes are so small, the effects of momentum and motivation too big. The guys in there can’t answer why Super-Llamaland fell off a cliff at WBC32 after winning thirty-nine straight, or why the WBC41 team nearly won it all after being crippled by injuries that should’ve lost them the game on paper.

ISAAC: Why isn’t anyone else thinking about this?

ALASAN: Reconciling the numbers with players’ responses to them...it’s a much more difficult question to answer. Once you begin to pull at that string, your understanding of how baseball works...it all unravels. They go to a seventeen year old’s house and hide under the perceived objectivity of their models, telling them they’re a sure thing, that when they know, they know. But they don’t know. They can’t read minds any more than we can.

ISAAC: Did you used to play? Is that where all of this is coming from?

FLASHBACK MONTAGE: ALASAN SENGHORE’S PRO CAREER

Alasan, now TWENTY-TWO but still in the minor leagues, hangs a curveball that is roped down the line for a two-run double. Alasan picks up the rosin bag from the mound and whips it back down in frustration…

ANNOUNCER (VOICEOVER): That’s the hook for Senghore, who allows four runs in just three and two-thirds innings pitched. The former first-round pick continuing to struggle in the Level-2 minors…

Alasan, wearing a different minor-league uniform, pulls a fastball and hits the opposing batter. The two exchange words and Alasan is EJECTED…

ANNOUNCER (VOICEOVER): Senghore, so highly valued for his advanced statistics, even as a high schooler, has continued to underwhelm in the minor leagues. The stuff is there, but the underlying peripherals are now showing he just hasn’t put any of it together…

Alasan, after getting pulled from the game despite allowing just one run over five innings, SLAMS a water cooler down in the dugout, to the chagrin of his teammates…

ANNOUNCER (VOICEOVER): And Senghore is furious with that early hook, but his numbers when he’s going through the batting order for the third time back up the manager’s decision there. He has a weak track record, so the lack of trust is absolutely optimal here…

After all of his teammates have left the stadium, Alasan remains alone in the dugout, head in his hands. Although he is only twenty-six, the past nine years of minor league baseball have left him broken. It will be the last time he steps foot on a field as a professional baseball player. The “can’t-miss prospect” of his teenage years will never pitch in the major leagues.

World Baseball Classic 51 – Everything Thread (IC)

Batter Up!: After History, The Battin' Jags Play On...

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