World Baseball Classic 54 (IC thread)

[Brookstation]

The beginning of a new rivalry
by Ralph Smith

The news of Brookstation's qualification to the Round of 32 of the 54th WBC came as a shock to most Brooks but it was the tiredless effort of Connor Harris' men who made it possible for Brookstation to qualify following a shocking victory over hosts Zwangzug and Krytenia.

But Brookstation's next opponents were non other than our old friends- Chromatika. Chromatika had a phenomenal run in the current WBC , winning 8 of their 10 games and finishing at 2nd place just behind South Americanastan. But one couldn't ignore the fact thta Brookstation had a clean record against Chromatika in terms of the WBC and this was the exact team that had defeated the world champions Chromatika a year ago. So overall, there was still some hope left in the Brooks despite facing a giant team.

This was the first time Brookstation had travelled to Zwangzug for a baseball game and our previous encounters with Zwangzug had not been fruitful at all. Bassabook is a unique city consisting of an overwhelming religious population and it didn't take muck time until I came across the game of Bananagram which is a really fun game indeed. Nevertheless, Delacruz Field had a fair share of audience from both nations and the match was expected to be a good one. But the fan's expectations died out soon enough when both the sides struggled to afford a score. There was something wrong with the field altogether and the balls gained an exceptional swing on their way, making it difficult for the batsmen to hit strong shots. Brookstation as a team has been way dependant on their pitching and fielding and this was again their key strength in the match.

It took exactly 10 innings in total for the first run of the game to show up thanks to an outright home run by Tommy Smith. This was followed by a Cahill single in Brookstation's seventh innings, fetching them their second run of the match. The impressive thing however was the fact that Brookstation didn't allow Chromatika to gain a single run throughout their nine innings delivering yet another blow to the well known baseball team.

The second game pleased a lot of expectations from the Brook side. But sadly for Brookstation, Chromatika happened to break Brookstation's key to success and they managed to figure out a way to crack the Brook pitching. They started their display in their fourth innings when Ducat hit a beautifully planned shot giving enough time to his teammates to double and our extremely talented fielders just helped the Chromatiks in their manuever by misfielding. Chromatika soon got the hang of the game and carefully scored two more runs while retaining the Brookstation team on only 2 runs as well.

This currently keeps the series held at a tied score and everything is dependent on how the team performs in their next two innings. A currently victorious Chromatik team will face the desperate Brook team and in order to get more news related to baseball, stay tuned.

[Ranoria]

@VickHamiltonReporter Ranoria's got the inside track to a first round sweep against debuting Gortolekua. With the Sherpa Empire up 2-0 against Drawkland, could we get a rematch of WBC 50's first round? #GoKrauts #Playoffs

@KrautsBaseball With a walk-off grand slam courtesy of Julian Breit, the Krauts take a 2-0 series lead with their eyes on a potential sweep. #Krauts #Playoffs #Dingers

---

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Ranoria Dominates Gortolekua In Back-To-Back Contests at Constance Airlines Field, Looks To Close Out First Round In Game 3


Harrison and the Krauts are off to a solid start in their bid to secure their first playoff sweep in team history

Outscoring their opponent 15-0 between their two games now, the Krauts showed up fired up and ready to do everything they could to not blow the opportunity they earned in the group stage with that favorable seeding. Both ace Tommy Verona and the young Jorge Billing pitched shutouts through seven and six innings, respectively, while the reliever crew came in to fill in the gap. In the second matchup, Brady Behringer pitched 1.66 innings and racked up two strikeouts in that span to close that thing out.

Though really, with the way Julian Breit smashed a fastball damn near out of the park to make what had been a mutual shutout into a 4-0 ballgame at the end, even a collapse wouldn't have made much of a difference. The LPB power hitter has been a true star for the Krauts, with that being his third home run in just twelve contests including the group stage. Coming off a career year in the LPB, he's keeping the momentum going here in the Classic.

As for the first game, despite all the anticipation, it never got closer than 0-0. The Krauts dialed up a 3-run lead courtesy of a 2 RBI double from Leonardo Harrison in the 5th before running through their entire starting lineup in the 7th. Nicholas Lux started things off with a single and Harrison followed it up with a double, and once the train got rolling, the quality of the hot dogs and bratwursts being served was providing most of the suspense in the stadium.

Gortolekua's debut season was a promising one, making the playoffs is incredibly difficult for a team in its first shot in a Classic - or in general, Ranoria's now cracked that ceiling just twice in seven tries. The playoff experience here will be beneficial to a team that's got a lot of promise going forward.

On the other side of the bracket, we've seen some pretty jaw-dropping results. Murderbum squeaked out a 3-1 win to stay alive against Banija. Quebec and Shingoryeo were blown out 11-5 in their opening contest against Norrhem. Our own Group 8's Brookstation miraculously got a win against Chromatika, a veritable juggernaut, but most relevant to the Krauts was The Sherpa Empire's 2-0 start against Drawkland. The Base Corps are the lower seed, but this was a toss-up series that many at least expected would be a split between the two teams.

Should the Sherpa Empire get the win, it'll be an exciting draw for long-term fans of our national team who remember the thrill of that series. Otherwise, we'll get paired up with Drawkland, who most of our experience with comes in gridiron. They've also had their blowouts against us on the hardwood, and there's some familiarity there between our two nations.

This team has, without the shadow of a doubt, had their best showing through this point ever in a Classic, and barring a historically bad choke they'll at least have secured matching their best finish in the playoffs. Will it be the Sherpa Empire hoping to stop such an exciting run, or the Base Corps hoping to break through their eternal curse of being stopped in the Round of 16?

Stay tuned, because the WBC 54 playoffs are just getting started, and the drama's only begun.

[Milchama]

"We threw a no hitter?"

"Apparently"

"That's weird"

"Yeah I think it's our first in international competition"

"Wow!"

"Yeah and it's pretty crazy considering that 18 pitchers combined for the effort"

"That's more than on our roster!"

"Correct"

"It's almost like we're making a mockery of the game"

"Correct"

"Why?"

"Well we've fallen into the Barnettsville alternative universe"

"What's that?"

"It's that thing where every shutout is automatically a no hitter"

"And?"

"There was a shutout in game 1"

"So therefore it was a no hitter?"

"Correct"

"Oh that makes sense"

"Yes"

"So did we really use 18 pitchers?"

"In that universe yes"

"Which universe are we in?"

"Based on our history, completely unclear, and definitely changes from one RP to the next"

"What's an RP?"

"My point exactly, sometimes you know and sometimes you don't"

"Cool"

"So how is this Barnettsville alternative universe?"

"It's good, 7/10, lot of no hitters"

"Cool!"

"Oh yeah definitely"

"Do they also win all their games?"

"Nah they stick to the scorelines, just not a lot of hits"

"Oh interesting"

"It's fun"

"Can we win?"

"Well we're up 2-0 and look likely to end up in octos"

"Oh that's good"

"Yep pretty much"

"How many multiverses are there?"

"I don't have time for that, it's chag and we're hosting seder"

"Oh yeah let's end this quickly"

"Cool"

"So say as I say and do as I do"

''Ringa pakia!''
''Uma tiraha!''
''Turi whatia!''
''Hope whai ake!''
''Waewae takahia kia kino!''
''Ka mate, ka mate''
''Ka ora, ka ora''
''Ka mate, ka mate''
''Ka ora, ka ora''
''Tēnei te tangata pūhuruhuru''
''Nāna nei i tiki mai whakawhiti te rā''
''Ā upane, ka upane''
''Whiti te rā, hī!''

"Now repeat after me!"

"Forini! Forini!"
"Finidi! Finidi!"
"George! George!"
"Oh Brother! Oh brother!"

*They strip and run around for 6 minutes*

"We pray the Margaret of SnubNose 38 and Random Number God that you may deliver us victory over all our group members and any other infidels that we face in international play"

"Sacrifice the Rubber Chicken!"

*Swoosh of an axe and the chicken is dead*

"Margaret we pray that you take this sacrifice of a rubber chicken in good faith and that by your deliverance Milchama does well in all international competitions"

"Come on You Warriors!"

"Let's Go Milchama!"

[South Newlandia]

Disclaimers:
* this project would not be possible without the efforts from Super-Llamaland. The words and pictures on screen right now were made by me, but would not be possible without extensive background work from both of us. Please do grade accordingly.
* this RP series may, on occasion, mention numbers about your players. Hot damn, does this one mention numbers. Feel free to ignore them if you don’t like them; but keep in mind that scoring rates are lower in the LPB, with roughly 10% fewer runs than in the MLB. The average most commonly used position player in the South Newlandian league slashed .253/.314/.406 and hit 15 home runs.
* The Evan Masorka award is our version of the Cy Young award.
* meaning of the dots next to players: Blue: All-Star | Silver: Silver Slugger | Gold: Golden Glove | Red: MVP | Purple: Evan Masorka winner | Lime: Reliever of the Year (each as of last season)
* if you’re interested in seeing all the 1920 LPB game results, or a specific subsection of them, feel free to dm me about it!
* The players shown on the batting line-ups are “The average most commonly used position player”, at their most common position, at the most common spot in the line-up, excluding players that were traded mid-season.
* This is the last disclaimer here, now there’s 7 of them. Good job reading them all!

South Newlandian League

SNL North Recap (preview for reference: viewtopic.php?p=39496820#p39496820 (includes team charts)

P                           Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD    Win % 
 1 Elephant Valley Homers   160   96  64   735  591 +144    0.600
 2 Masmow Dragons           160   82  78   710  675  +35    0.512
 3 Ruditown Dachshunds      160   79  81   707  709   −2    0.494
 4 Elephant Valley United   160   67  93   665  704  −39    0.419

Elephant Valley Homers

Last seasons:

Season 2: 49-23, 1st in NW, lost in conference round (2-4 Dragons)
Season 3: 48-24, 1st in NW, lost in divisional round (2-3 Dachshunds)
Season 4: 38-34, 3rd in NW, missed playoffs
Season 5: 38-34, 3rd in NW, missed playoffs
LPB Season 1: 90-70, 1st in SNL North, lost in SNLDS (1-3 Stingrays)

Expectations
The Homers were expecting to defend their title in the North, and maybe make a deeper playoff run than last time. They were still the same very competitive team they were the season before, especially with a high-powered batting lineup, even when their pitching staff was not quite up to the speed of most other units in the conference, although Buchanan was a very welcome off-season addition. They still had reigning MVP Moyamoto on the payroll, and Tanya Ericsson is the kind of coach that can get the best out of a team. Despite playing in a conference that had all teams above .500 last season, the Homers were the favourite to win it, estimated to win around 90 games again.
Recap: Overview
The Homers were flying high early on, starting their season with a 36-19 record through 55 games. They regressed a bit after that, but they still led the SNL North since very early in the season, and led the North by a wide margin ever since the All-Star break. Speaking of all-stars, the Homers had only two, King and Zimmerman, with Moyamoto, Ventura, Buchanan, and Pandolt curiously absent. Nevertheless, the Homers proved to be one of the top teams in South Newlandia, and especially proved that they were the best team in Elephant Valley, absolutely demolishing their city rivals 14-2 in 16 games Head-to-Head. They didn’t quite obliterate the other division rivals that badly, winning 9 against Masmow and 8 against Ruditown, but it was still enough to comfortably lead the North. Heading into the final series of the season, the Homers were still looking to improve their seeding in the conference, and successfully did so by sweeping United at home, 4-3 and 3-2, with the former coming on an extra-innings walk-off home run by Adam King.
Recap: Pitchers

You might have expected the Homers to dominate with the bats, but it was actually the pitching that propelled the Homers to the top of the division. All in all, they only surrendered 591 runs, about 3.69 (nice!) per game, which was the best mark in the South Newlandian League, and the second-best across the entire LPB. They were, of course, spearheaded by Kevin Buchanan, who sported an ERA of 2.83, and Darien Rodriguez, who took his demotion from the top starter on the team in stride and finished with an ERA of 3.02, as they each ended up in the top 10 of Evan Masorka voting. The bullpen was stout as well, with closer Niles Pandolt finishing with a 2.56 ERA and 30 saves, and Hoosier, Fang and even new acquisition Jam-Jams proving to be some of the best relievers in the game. Jordan Jam-Jams in particular finished a strong season with an ERA of 3.21, proving he belonged in this league.
Recap: FieldersThe Homers outdid their performance last season with a total of 735 runs, good for 2nd in the South Newlandian League. In the notoriously slugger-friendly Elephant Stadium, the Elephants put up the third-best home run total, and combined for a team-wide OPS of .748 between the main starters by position. They were also the only SNL-team with three players that hit 25 home runs, with Ventura, King and Zimmerman driving the teams offensive production. Zimmerman and King indeed finished top-two in OPS in the SNL, a pretty incredible feat, and while Moyamoto had a down-year by her standards, she still finished with the best OBP of all shortstops. Another contributor to note was Horace Choo, who had a strong season behind and at the plate, along Val Thornton in her second season, where she was able to show off more of her offensive talents, finishing third among SNL second baseman by OPS. Defensively, this team was rock-solid as well, with the middle infield of Thornton and Moyamoto, and the rangy Zimmerman in Center Field. All in all, the Fielders were really solid, even Cochrine, who did his best for someone who’s main occupation is playing cricket.
Awards
As mentioned before, both Rodriguez and Buchanan finished in the top 10 of Evan Masorka voting, while only King and Zimmerman appeared in the All-Star game. Niles Pandolt was among the best relievers, and Adam King and Shawn Zimmerman each took home Silver Sluggers for their contributions, while Alisen Moyamoto ended up with a Golden Glove at Shortstop. Not quite as good as winning all the awards, as she’d done last season, but a very good year nonetheless.
The future
The Homers are heading back to the playoffs, and they took the 2-seed this time, which will give them home advantage for the SNLDS. Long-term, with the addition of Chromatika to the LPB, the future of Moyamoto is uncertain, and players like Ventura, Rodriguez, King and Choo are slowly getting older. Nevertheless, as long as they’re managed by Ericsson, who made the smart decision to reject an offer to coach the Llamanean Tigers in mid-season, these Homers will be competitive.



Masmow Dragons

Last seasons:

Season 2: 48-24, 1st in NE; lost in SNBL Final Series (2-5 Rhinos)
Season 3: 45-27; 1st in NE; lost in Divisional round (2-3 United)
Season 4: 47-25, 1st in NE; won SNBL Final Series (5-0 Blue Sox)
Season 5: 46-26, 1st in NE; lost in SNBL Final Series (3-5 Monarchs)
LPB Season 1: 88-72, 2nd in SNL North, lost SNLWC game (0-1 Blue Sox)

Expectations
After making three SNBL final series in four years, the Dragons took a step back last season, failing to win a single playoff game after losing the division to the Homers. This season, they were hoping to outperform the mark of 88 wins, and get back into the playoffs; including, hopefully, winning the division. After all, they had the best run differential in the North last season. To accomplish this, they had made some major additions, and now had a three-headed monster as their starting rotation, a rock-solid bullpen, and a scary line-up.
Recap: Overview
When an early 8-game losing streak put the Dragons at 7-16, it became clear pretty quickly that the Dragons were not exactly gearing up to win the division. They fought their way back, eventually going back to .500 shortly after the All-Star break, but the Homers remained far out of reach. Instead, their second half of the season was spent fighting over the second wildcard spot, with it constantly going back and front between three teams. Thanks to some help from the opposition, the Dragons had a chance to clinch the final wildcard in the last series of the season, hosting their division rivals and direct contenders, the Ruditown Dachshunds in a series where a sweep would guarantee them a spot. They demolished the Dachshunds, 10-2 and 9-7, thanks to a trio of Acosta home runs in the series, who accounted for 9 RBI all on his own, and taking the Dragons back to the playoffs at least.
Recap: Pitchers

The Dragons surrendered 675 runs on the season in total; relatively mediocre and only the 6th-best mark in the South Newlandian League. Their three main pitchers, Kramer, Maxwell and Donaldson, were all good, but not quite elite, with ERAs of 3.24, 3.18, and 3.58 respectively; while Jeff Bitches, their new acquisition, proved to be mediocre at best and finished with an ERA of 6.12. He’s still just getting used to the environment, he surely can improve in the future. The bullpen was solid; Barnaby Butt had a typical year with an ERA of 2.67 and 36 saves, leading the SNL in that particular category, while Vince Nelsen also finished with an ERA under 3.
Recap: Fielders
The Dragons scored 710 runs, fewer than they had last season, despite a seemingly improved lineup. They still hit more home runs than any other SNL team thanks to the almost comical dimensions of the Dragon Island Arena, but were only 6th in runs scored in the SNL. They key contributors were, as expected, Dunlop and Acosta; the former an amazing lead-off bat that had the best OBP in the league, the latter a great clean-up hitter that hit 35 home runs and drove in more than 100 runs. Other players with good seasons were Len Pijpenbroek, a rock-solid second baseman; and of course Laure Valle, who led the catcher position in home runs. Denis Caamano also had a great season, with a top-20 OBP in the SNL, and Lexi Burrows did Lexi Burrows stuff at third. Meanwhile, Molina Ishkaya wasn’t quite what the Dragons had hoped for at short, and Sophie Lawrence, the Dragons’ trade deadline acquisition, largely disappointed.
Awards
The Dragons had three All-Stars; Maxwell, Butt and Burrows. The former two each finished in the top ten of the award voting of their respective positions, while Burrows won the Gold Glove at third. However, more notable than that was the surprising MVP award for Gabriel Acosta, who hadn’t been an All-Star, a Silver Slugger, or Golden Glove winner; but was seen as the complete package that led the Dragons into the playoffs with clutch homers. It’s a compelling case, alongside him finishing top three in OPS and performing well in defensive metrics.
The future
It’ll be a second straight wildcard game for the Dragons, this time on the road. It’ll be no easy task, but at least they reached the playoffs; with the current core, they will have only so many additional opportunities to pull that off. When seven of your nine players in the line-up are on the wrong side of 30, that is commonly seen as a bad sign. The Dragons, who are still fighting for a new stadium in Masmow, live in uncertain times; will they remain in Masmow at all? In an ever-shifting LPB, everything seems possible.



Ruditown Dachshunds

Last seasons:

Season 2: 29-43, 3rd in NW, missed playoffs
Season 3: 41-31, 3rd in NW, lost in conference round (2-4 United)
Season 4: 40-32, 2nd in NW, lost in conference round (2-4 Dragons)
Season 5: 46-26, 1st in NW, lost in conference round (2-4 Dragons)
LPB Season 1: 87-73, 3rd in SNL North, missed playoffs

Expectations
Heading into the season, Lee Bradley had the simple task of getting the Dachshunds back into the playoffs. They had fallen just short the season before, losing in a tie-breaking game 161 to the Blue Sox. They still had a strong team; with a pair of TJUN-ian star pitchers, and a very decent lineup. Sure, they weren’t quite on the same level as some of the other teams in the SNL, but a playoff appearance seemed within reach.
Recap: Overview
The Dachshunds kept bouncing up and down all season, and they could never quite establish themselves above .500. Instead, they were fighting for the second wildcard; we’d already mentioned that they got slapped by the Dragons to miss the playoffs for a second straight season. A sweep would’ve ensured them a path to the postseason, but they fell short yet again. An eight-game losing streak wrapped right around the All-Star game proved too much to come back from, as they got swept by a quartet of contending teams, including a crucial series against Masmow. In the end, they went 5-11 against the Dragons, which they ultimately finished three games behind of.
Recap: Pitchers

Conceding 709 runs in total, the Dachshunds were middle of the pack in that category. However, they did have one star in Gene Almac, who finished with an ERA of 2.48, while his countryman in Jose Almas (no relation) had an ERA above 3. Brianna Fitch had been pitching decently for the Dachshunds, but she was traded to the Lions mid-season to get Lucas Robinson, who we’ll get to later. While righty starter Griffin Henderson had the typical growing pains as a rookie, Samuel Vaughn in the bullpen was much more fortunate. The right-hander routinely pitched around 100 mph, had an ERA of 2.87, and proved to be a capable addition to the bullpen. Closer Tori Fuller was good as always, sporting an ERA of 3.01, while McGuire and Robertson each had an ERA above 4.
Recap: FieldersThe Dachshunds put up 707 runs; fewer than they had the previous year and only good for 7th in the SNL. TJUN-ian Pedro Moires was their best bat, finishing with the second-best batting average in the league, but the Dachshunds mostly had good-not-great hitters, with Mason Bennett the best of the remaining bunch. At least they had four players hit 20 home runs or more; one of only two such teams. The other? Those damned Dragons, who had five players like that. There was no beating these guys that season. Lastly, we have to acknowledge Lucas Robinson. The former Lion did little for the Dachshunds, barely being an improvement compared to Rufus Salas, while the absence of Fitch was felt immediately.
Awards
The Dachshunds had only one All-Star, Gene Almac, who also ended up winning the Evan Masorka award; while Pedro Moires added a Golden Glove in Right Field to the Dachshunds and TJUN-ian tally.
The future
Once again, the Dachshunds are stuck without a playoff berth; the team will certainly keep trying, but it’ll be hard in a still very competitive division and without a lot of draft capital. The Dachshunds will focus on refining their skills in the off-season, and don’t be surprised if they bring in a couple of foreign players.



Elephant Valley United

Last seasons:

Season 2: 37-35, 2nd in NW, lost in divisional round (2-3 Homers)
Season 3: 43-29, 2nd in NW, won SNBL Final Series (5-3 Flames)
Season 4: 41-31, 1st in NW, lost in divisional series (1-3 Dachshunds)
Season 5: 40-32, 2nd in NW, missed playoffs
LPB Season 1: 85-75, 4th in SNL North, missed playoffs

Expectations
Raymond McFadden had the difficult task of working out what to do with an 85-win team that had the reigning Evan Masorka winner, a lot of young talent, and also somehow still finished last in their division last year. United had faint playoff hopes, but all in all, this team was just that crucial but weaker than other competitors. Most fans were just hoping for a solid developing, winning a couple of games, and maybe not losjng 14 games to their cross-town rivals.
Recap: Overview
After a surprising strong start, United started sliding, and sliding, and sliding. They just could not string more than a couple wins together, and whenever they looked like they might turn the corner, they dropped all those games right back. They concluded their season with a 4-14 run, that also included four more losses to the Homers, as they went into the off-season a bruised and beaten 67-93, regressing 18 wins from last season, one of the worst marks of the league, along with finishing last in the division again.
Recap: Pitchers

After her Evan Masorka season, Hillary Angelou was not quite herself this time. The team only surrendered 704 runs, better than most teams around that win range, and Angelou still finished with a strong 2.76 ERA, but it wasn’t the same. Jacob Conroy had another off-year, and Lola Marques simply wasn’t very good; and the bullpen was one of the worse ones in the LPB. After Jang Hyo-Seung was traded, the dam completely burst, with Connor Harris the only remaining capable reliever on the squad. He finished with an ERA of 3.18, but he simply didn’t really have any help at all, and United underperformed their expected win total based on run differential by 8 wins, the most in the SNL.
Recap: Fielders
There was some good fielding to be had, though. Before all else, Julian Breit established himself as one of the leagues best hitters, finishing with the fourth-best OPS in the league along with hitting 30 homers and nearly driving in 100 batters. Bronson Ghirardello also had a strong season at first, Hansel Eriksen led the catcher position in OPS, beating out Laure Valle, while Harper Yumizuka and Carlton Baines each had solid seasons. All in all, United scored 665 runs; 4th-worst in the SNL, but only 70 less than second place. This wasn’t as bad of a team as their record might make them out to be.
Awards
Eriksen was the only All-Star on United, and he also ended up with a Silver Slugger, while Angelou ended up in top 10 of Evan Masorka voting. Julian Breit, meanwhile, failed to capture an award, despite producing high finishes in a variety of awards, including a top-5 finish in MVP voting.
The future
United is spiralling downwards. The future of Angelou is more than uncertain, the bullpen is not good, and the few flashes in the lineup are not enough to carry the team to relevance. Most experts expect United to scrap the team for parts; whatever they’ll do, they’ll do it without Raymond McFadden, who had his contract terminated after the season. It’s unclear whether his Tikariotian players will go with him.

[Zwangzug]

Happy Easter (Vigil) to those celebrating, may a new season herald new life and hope everywhere!

(Pay no attention to the hopes coming to an end today.)

South Americanastan     2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  2
United Adaikes          0 3 0 0 0 2 0 0 X  5

United Adaikes wins series, 3-0

Milchama                1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1  2
Barnettsville           0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0  1

Milchama wins series, 3-0

Nova Anglicana          0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1  1
Ethane                  0 0 1 2 1 0 0 1 X  5

Nova Anglicana          0 2 2 0 1 0 0 0 0  5
Ethane                  0 3 1 1 1 0 0 0 X  6

Series tied, 2-2

Quebec and Shingoryeo   1 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0  4
Norrhem                 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0  2

Quebec and Shingoryeo   0 2 0 0 2 0 2 1 0  7
Norrhem                 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0  2

Quebec and Shingoryeo wins series, 3-1

Banija                  0 3 0 0 0 0 3 0 0  6
Murderbum               3 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  5

Banija                  0 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 3 0 0 4 11
Murderbum               1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0  7

Banija wins series, 3-1

Kohnhead                2 0 1 1 0 5 2 0 0 11
Reorganized Portugal    0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0  1

Kohnhead wins series, 3-0

Liventia                0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 1 0 3  7
Hapilopper              1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0  4

Liventia wins series, 3-0

Quintessence of Dust    2 1 0 0 0 4 0 4 0 11
Tikariot                0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  3

Quintessence of Dust wins series, 3-0

South Newlandia         0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2  5
The Greater Nordics     0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0  3

South Newlandia wins series, 3-0

TJUN-ia                 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0  3
Eshialand               0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0  1

TJUN-ia                 2 0 4 1 0 0 0 0 0  7
Eshialand               0 1 0 4 0 0 0 1 0  6

TJUN-ia wins series, 3-1

Super-Llamaland         0 0 2 0 4 1 1 7 1 16
Bardney                 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0  3

Super-Llamaland         0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 2  5
Bardney                 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  3

Super-Llamaland wins series, 3-1

Ranoria                 1 5 0 2 0 5 0 1 0 14
Gortolekua              2 2 1 0 0 1 0 1 2  9

Ranoria wins series, 3-0

The Sherpa Empire       0 1 1 0 1 2 0 0 0  5
Drawkland               1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0  2

The Sherpa Empire wins series, 3-0

Chromatika              0 0 0 3 0 1 2 0 0 2  8
Brookstation            1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 4 0  6

Chromatika              0 0 0 1 0 2 0 2 4  9
Brookstation            0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 2  5

Chromatika wins series, 3-1

Mylderm                 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0  1
Kriegiersien            0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 X  2

Mylderm                 0 1 2 0 3 0 2 0 4 12
Kriegiersien            0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0  1

Series tied, 2-2

Scorinated by South Newlandia:

Zwangzug               0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7  7
Abanhfleft             0 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 0  3

Zwangzug wins series, 3-0.

All round of 16 matchups will be posted with the game fives tomorrow!

[Super-Llamaland]

All graphics and most of the background work are done by SNL, so grade our RPs accordingly.

LPB PREVIEWPERLATIVES: SEASON 2, PART 1
Damian Griffin-Smith, LSN Baseball

The first season of Llampahant Pro Baseball saw the full spectrum of baseball emotions hit Super-Llamaland. Whether it was the Vipers coming out of nowhere to win 105 games and the pennant, Vargas City dropping a billion dollars to build a wild card game flameout, or the Kingfishers trading their first-round pick and going 49-111, the Llamanean conference saw no shortage of storylines in their first LPB season. Instead of straightforward team-by-team previews, we thought it would be more interesting to really focus down on the narratives behind each team as we head into a hotly-contested LPB2. Who's on the rise, who's declining, and who's Peninsulara? Today, we'll cover six of the twelve Llamanean LPB teams, and the superlatives that best embody them heading into the season.

Most Likely to Steamroll the League: VARGAS CITY



When tech mogul Mark Donovan and GM Jason Arguiz's multi-million-dollar project was bounced in the wild card round by a young Cyclones team, the pair could've taken it personally and rebuilt everything. But instead, they kept calm, trusted the analysis that told them only bad luck and an inhumanely stacked SLL Central stopped them from going all the way, and remain the consensus favorite to advance to the Multiverse Series. The Lions will be running back the core that won ninety-five games last season and named an absurd eight players to the all-star team.

WBC MVP and Evan Masorka winner Clara Ayonara anchors a rotation comprised of Llamanean ace Isaac Colón, Newmanistani flamethrower Megan Reardon, and a rapidly improving Anna Guo. And the lineup is a veritable murderer's row, with all-stars Edith Ponce, Noah Slater, Marius McNeesh, Lucas Robinson, and Trevor Mikkelson-Yao all hitting between twenty-one and thirty-six (Ponce) home runs last season. The Lions are very low on assets after going all-out last offseason, but they managed to fill the only two holes on their roster all the same, signing second baseman Juan Alvarez from Soldera and drafting young outfielder Annalise Bright with the twentieth pick.

The pressure will be higher than ever to deliver a ring to Vargas City, and another early flameout could see Abraham Kakay fired and the start of a roster shakeup. But it's undeniable - with the core fully settled in, the only thing that can stop the Lions from the pennant are themselves.

Spookiest / Brightest Future: XINGCHENG



One way that analysts like to measure how young a team's core is is by averaging the ages of their starting lineup. For instance, a team whose average age was twenty-five might not be expected to shock right away, but would be full of potential for the future. You might have guessed that 25 represents the average age of the Xingcheng Renaissance's starting nine, since we're talking about them. Guess again - it's actually the oldest starting position player that they have, Ethanian catcher Benjamin Wilden. The rest of the lineup could be mistaken for a list of Western Cuba's greatest WBC performances: 24, 23, 22, 22, 24, 23. Yet this isn't just a team of raw prospects, either. Center-fielder Schuyler Duffy won rookie of the year, first baseman Nicolas Perez was a key contributor to South Newlandia's national team, and Quebecois outfielder Jean-Noël Bellefeuille was one of the most coveted international free agents this offseason. With Yousuf Henry returning from his ACL injury, and Jeff Huang and TJ Wagner critically acclaimed choices in the draft, the future of this young lineup is very bright.

There's reason to believe that the pitching, already respectable last season, could be greatly improved as well. Chris Harris, Syd Masterson, and new signing Nakamura Jossei bring stability and a veteran presence, but the real breakout star could be Tigers fifth starter Solveig Jørgensen, the 23-year-old fireballer. Relief depth could be an issue, as could the lack of a calming presence amongst all the young bats (as good as Jacinta MacRaun has been, "calming" is not a word that describes her well). But with Nikcoro starting to flag, and Peninsulara and South Bryant, well, being Peninsulara and South Bryant, the future might be sooner than we thought in Xingcheng.

Offseason Champions: SOUTH FALLS



There's something to be said for patience when you've just gone 64-96 and finished forty-one games behind the division winners. Especially when you have a young core on its way up, the fourth overall pick in the draft, and some veteran pieces that can be swapped for players that fit your timeline. But sometimes you just have to go "fuck it" and trade for an all-star first baseman, sign five free agents, deal your twenty-one-year-old shortstop who was your first-round pick last season, and take advantage of any opportunities you get.

Whether South Falls' attempt to blatantly disregard the rebuilding "meta" that has swept most of the LPB North will work out is still an open question. But it's certainly way more fun for the fans to watch their GMs do this than to root for the draft. And it's undeniable that they've added impact players who know how to win at basically every weak spot in their roster. The big move was trading for Banijan star first baseman Luxolo Mbeki from the St. Riecarn Saints. Thanks to the Kingfishers inexplicably being willing to hand over three picks for young shortstop Sylvi Vermark in a three-team deal, they were able to pry Mbeki loose for just a single first-rounder (and not their precious fourth pick, either, which they ultimately spent on collegiate flamethrower James Concepción). But they weren't remotely close to being done, choosing to continue strengthening one of the league's weakest lineups with Quodite outfielder Jude McCallum and Sarzonian DH Luke Brinkley, injecting firepower into an offense desperately in need of it. They took care of run prevention, too - Daskel catcher Suzuki Daigo was signed in free agency, while trades saw the arrival of relievers Capan and Kamiizumi and TJUN-ian ace Davis Johnson. On paper, it's a team that could challenge Apple Valley for the division, or maybe fight for a wild-card spot. Of course, games aren't played on paper - but things are still looking up in Ruby Falls.

Most Likely to Close their Championship Window: NIKCORO



It's a little weird that we penciled in the Suns as "most likely to disappoint" after they won the division, made a blockbuster trade for Gary Promises, and then signed Jeff Fucking Parrish to spearhead their rotation. But the fact of the matter is that Nikcoro has already peaked with their five consecutive divisional titles - and their heartbreaking loss to the Wizards in the President's Cup Final two years ago may have been their best shot to get this core a ring. While they navigated a rocky start to win the SLL South (in fairness, the .500 Renaissance were their closest competitors), they never looked particularly threatening while getting swept by the Wizards. The offseason felt like the end of the era in one sense, as the Suns retooled for one last shot at the title. Beloved longtime Michael Shelby left, replaced by Jason Wu (formerly of Xingcheng), and the likes of Koumura, Desjardins, Bridges, and Reefe were all shown the door.

There is some hope that the new acquisitions can spark a second wind in the bay. Jeff Parrish was the ace of a very strong Sarzonian rotation and will leapfrog all-stars Edward Zhuang and Danielle Nørregaard in the pecking order. Fifteenth-overall pick Mason Dirk terrorized opposing catchers on the basepaths with the Rhonin, and slots in nicely for the retired all-star Momoko Koumura. Hiroka Ryosuke and Matt Stallings fill important holes in the Suns' offense, while a retooled bullpen sees Daniel Peterson and Mike McQuimberton join the fray. But the signing with the biggest risk and the biggest reward is the team's decision to flip steady right-fielder and former national team starter Liam Desjardins for the volatile Gary Promises. Promises has a big bat and a lot of potential that Desjardins can't quite match, but what he doesn't have is the defensive stability, the arm, or the emotional maturity. Credit to the Suns for swinging big changes instead of being content to run things back under Shelby - but if their moves don't work out, we could be seeing a new LPB South champion very soon.

Best New Hire: SOUTH BRYANT



Over a decade ago, the South Bryant Chariots hired a young ex-catcher by the name of Michael Shelby to manage their team. Shelby was able to grow a young core containing the likes of Summer Huang and Lily Scutaro into shock division champions before leaving to join the Suns. Now, the Chariots find themselves in a similar position to the pre-Shelby years - cast adrift near the bottom of the league, but with the beginnings of a young core. Who did they turn to? None other than Michael Shelby again, worn out by years of trying to manage an actual contending team in Nikcoro, and looking to go back to doing what he does best. There's the outline of a young core composed of #2 overall pick Will Gutierrez, dynamic shortstop Miles Villeneuve, his Quodite double-play partner Yutani, and a starting rotation with four young starters with ace potential. If Shelby can pull a second rabbit out of the hat, there really could be something here in a few years.

To entice Shelby back (rather than taking a bigger job, like the Llamanean NT), the Chariots gave him increased power to build his core, rather than just develop it. It was his choice to take the catcher Gutierrez in the draft. And while it hasn't all been Shelby's influence, this past offseason was startlingly competent for the Chariots. Aging ace Haakon Kalberg was dealt for a bounty of picks, and to mentor all the young pitchers, the Chariots dealt for cerebral veteran Cedric Wei to replace him. Don't expect immediate results with a largely young and raw group. But with enough time, the Shelby rehiring could spark a new era in South Bryant City.

Fishiest: PENINSULARA



Diehard fans of the Kingfishers have learned to really appreciate all the idiosyncrasies that make their team, their team. To this end, they've embraced the concept of "fishiness", the kind of thing that only the Peninsulara Kingfishers would do. This is largely because anybody who watches the Kingfishers for long and expects them to be a real baseball team quickly succumbs to insanity. Fishiness therefore becomes a coping mechanism of sorts for the faithful. Your team, which is bad, just dealt their first overall pick for an outfield upgrade? Classic fish things. Signed an eighteen-year-old to be your shutdown relief pitcher? Just the fish. Hired Leo de la Cruz, who was not only a coach in a different sport, but also not an especially good coach in that different sport, to manage your baseball team? Typical fish.

The latest Fish was over the offseason, which had otherwise been following a surprisingly normal rebuilding path, when GM Sebastian Weiss realized that South Falls shortstop Sylvi Vermark was the next big thing. So convinced was the front office that they inserted themselves into the Luxolo Mbeki trade to deal three picks, including the one they'd just gotten for star infielder Alana Gonzalez, for last season's #12 pick. Other than that, the main reinforcements have been Baek, the aforementioned eighteen-year-old, and Okay Chromatik Starter Frederick Jones, who they tapped to lead their rotation in the draft. It's looking like another summer of fish in Peninsulara.

[Barnettsville]

Swept with controversy

ZWANGZUG - As predicted, we got swept. A 2-1, 11-inning loss ends it here for the Jays.

The controversy was instantaneous, however. Bulletin board material from Milchamian insiders insulting the NBL's (and, by extension, the national team) penchant at one point for claiming any shutout as a no-hitter or perfect game was taken as a personal insult by the Blue Jay starter. After one pitch, it manifested itself. The leadoff Warrior batter took a 98 mph fastball straight to the coconut, and just as quickly, the pitcher, manager AND the bench coach for Barnettsville were all ejected.

"Pitcher and skip, I can see," commented the equipment manager post-game, as he was forced into action as the acting manager. "But the (censored) BENCH COACH TOO??? What the (censored)(censored) is that (censored)??"

The NBL has already indicated that they will seek an explanation through the Zwangzug baseball officials as to why the bench coach was also tossed. A representative from the NBL gave a more family friendly version of the equipment manager's remarks: "It is custom to eject the manager and pitcher. We do that in the NBL as well. It is, however, highly irregular to also eject who would then normally take over as well on a first pitcher ejection, especially after it is repeated."

The winning run scored via a towering home run in the top of the eleventh to set the final at 2-1. The next batter then also was hit by the next pitch, with only the pitcher being ejected. What the makeup of this team in WBC 55 will be is undetermined.

[Quebec and Shingoryeo]

OOC: Sorry for no RP until now. Lots of RL business and other RP commitments hit me hard this time around. But here's an RP in for something big....

The transit ride back to their hotels after a 3-1 series could not have been any sweeter for Team Quebec's veterans. It has been a decade since their first tournament with a full squad, and with this group of veterans now nearing retirement they have made it to four round of sixteens, this now being their fourth and second straight. Furthermore, they have been there before with disappointments, and were very much familiar about the team's ceilings for the time being. So the veterans had a bit more relaxation on their bones, trying not to worry too much about the matters beyond their control, and just let the life figure itself out on a day or two off they had before heading to their next venue for the round of sixteen.

Of course, Heo Myeong-Shin and Theo-Alexandre Pinson had a bit more on hand. As you'd expect from 34-year old veterans who have spent over a decade on this Team Quebec, they had a lot more familial stuff to handle. It's different when you are thirty-four and not twenty-four year olds, for now you had a fairly stable marriage to someone who knew your profession's stress, probably had a kid or two and most importantly live apart from your family for half a year. It's the inevitable part of being a veteran playing abroad, and there was nothing else you could have done about it.

And it was on the ride back to their hotel that the reality had struck both Myeong-Shin and Theo on the head. With the Grim Reapers' stability into pitching saving them on games two and three, the final game finally saw a strong outburst of offensive firepower where Pinson, starting on the first base on a non-DH lineup, hit a solo home run on the eighth inning to end his long HR-less drought all cycle long. On the surface the home run had meant very little, as it had only changed the scoreboard from 6-2 to 7-2, but the impact it carried for the Brattleboro Brats' veteran, whose national team future remained very much in the air, to return for one more cycle. He, whose wedding to famous actress/singer in Natalie Gregoris was one of the biggest news 7 years ago, had less to worry about returning home and just carry on with his career with the Brats.

It wasn't the same for his best friend, who also happened to be his worst rival in both the QBO and the CBL. As they looked out the window to see the streets filled with flowers, they chatted along like their usual selves, without even realising that Myeong-Shin was going to discuss moving on.

'The Stars won once again eh? They really look good this season, that's for sure,' Pinson said. With his wife Naomi coaching the team, the Kingston KD Bank Stars, the 11th-placed team (on a league of twelve) the previous year, were looking good, with them placed on 4th, firmly within the postseason picture. 'I mean, Naomi was always ready, I guess, but we didn't expect that on year 1.'

'No, that team was in shambles for a while before that.' Myeong-Shin answered, as they continued to hear some background music played by Samuel Carlini-Mwambutsya, another veteran who happened to be up in the air about his national team future. It was a weird feeling for them to start thinking about the future that stood before them. Just a decade ago they were the hotshots coming out of college, and they looked more than ready to take on the World Baseball Classic and the world of international baseball. Now, a decade later, they were feeling the weight of time.

A solid minute passed between them before Theo, who was texting Natalie, noticed that something was off with Myeong-Shin's temper. 'You are going to tell me something and it definitely isn't going to be easy, aren't you?' Theo asked, noticing the heaviness in the air. Myeong-Shin nodded.

'Well, you know what I will be saying,' Myeong-Shin answered, without going into details. 'I'll be playing with Royals until I run out of time with them, but I think this is it for me.' He sighed, before explaining a little bit further. 'You know, I have two kids now and with wife also being a full-time coach for the Stars, it's getting harder for the kids. They barely get to see their father unless spending summer holidays in Concord Heights and I'm not often around when home. Something's got to give.'

'Well, shit,' was what Theo said, as he came to grasp that his best friend's actually considering retirement. After all this time, he thought to himself, realising the significance this had meant for the national team. The H-P duo breaks. I will have to walk alone. 'Does the coach know about this? The federation guys? Heck, your father-'

'Not yet,' said Myeong-Shin, shaking his head twice. 'It's just you and Naomi. But I'll tell the kids when I come home next week, and tell them that their daddy's gonna be home more often during offseason.' He then turned around and asked: 'Have you talked to Nat about...all this? You know, Sam's considering it with his wife. I know Nat doesn't have as much burden or regularity on schedule, but you guys also live out west or in Brattleboro these days.'

'Guess I'll have one more crack at it, but Nat and Odette know that there's maybe one more shot at it,' Theo sighed, remembering that his daughter, Odette, is already five. 'Odette misses her dad, you know.'

[Kriegiersien]

The meat lover
Your magazine for good cuisine

Another win and loss for Kriegiersien in the WBC 54. Now a decidergame awaits against Mylderm.

Mylderm                 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0  1
Kriegiersien            0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 X  2


Mylderm                 0 1 2 0 3 0 2 0 4 12
Kriegiersien            0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0  1

First it looked good.

The grizzled grizzly bear with berries in semolina pudding tasted great, but don't sell the fur before shooting the bear a third time.

The aftertaste was horrible and now we can only hope for a perfect desert.

[South Newlandia]

[Zwangzug]

The remaining rounds of 32 come to a finish!

Ethane                 0 0 2 0 2 0 0 5 1 10
Nova Anglicana         0 0 0 0 1 1 0 4 1  7

Ethane wins series, 3-2

Kriegiersien           0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 1  3
Mylderm                2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  2

Kriegiersien wins series, 3-2

Round of 16 matchups: the team listed second is the "home" team in games 1, 2, and 5 if necessary.

Central Division
Milchama @ United Adaikes: Chet Barzun Stadium, FTC
Ethane @ Quebec and Shingoryeo: East Side Park, FTC

Northeast Division
Kohnhead @ Banija: Paddock Park, Arlington
Liventia @ Quintessence of Dust: Swainyo Stadium, Zwischen

West Division
TJUN-ia @ South Newlandia: Aganath Stadium, Belpub
Zwangzug @ Super-Llamaland: Worm Hole, Spenson

Southeast Division
The Sherpa Empire @ Ranoria: Eastridge Park, Nuel
Chromatika @ Kriegiersien: Delacruz Field, Bassabook

[Chromatika]

Frenei Chromatik Baseball League - Season 5

Regular Season Standings

CBL                        Pld     W    L     RF    RA    RD 
 1 Chromia Comets          150    92   58    722   522  +200 Playoffs
 2 Knetyohai Dynamo        150    92   58    744   586  +158 Playoffs
 3 Shantarr Scorpions      150    91   59    714   561  +153 Playoffs
 4 Felswyr Fire            150    86   64    663   532  +131 Playoffs
 5 Hanai Heroes            150    85   65    643   580   +63 Playoffs
 6 Umbar Corsairs          150    82   68    714   618   +96 Playoffs
 7 Eyrods Pilots           150    77   73    608   652   −44 Playoffs
 8 Rhoni Rhonin            150    76   74    667   647   +20 Playoffs
 9 Urrheddiao Knights      150    75   75    616   643   −27 Eliminated
10 Chromia Diamonds        150    74   76    600   635   −35 Eliminated
11 Alnio Reds              150    70   80    632   680   −48 Eliminated
12 Sanar Vipers            150    69   81    562   627   −65 Eliminated
13 Larhai Legends          150    68   82    596   682   −86 Eliminated
14 Lanar Rangers           150    64   86    620   731  −111 Eliminated
15 Myana Merfolk           150    50  100    512   699  −187 Eliminated
16 Z'ai'ai Loggers         150    49  101    534   752  −218 Eliminated

Quarterfinals

(1) Chromia Comets vs. (8) Rhoni Rhonin

(2) Knetyohai Dynamo vs. (7) Eyrods Pilots

(3) Shantarr Scorpions vs. (6) Umbar Corsairs

(4) Felswyr Fire vs. (5) Hanai Heroes

---

Chromatika Beat Brookstation in Four, Ready to Face Kriegiersien

Despite being shut out in Game 1 of the series - Hilary Angelou simply being outpitched by the ace from Brookstation - the Outliers took the next three games, winning 4-2, 8-6, and 9-5 to advance to the Round of Sixteen, where they will face a familiar foe - Kriegiersien.

In Game 2, the Outliers needed a solid outing from Clara Ayonara for the win, while they had a two-run double at the top of the tenth to break the tie in Game 3 from reliable Laure Valle and held on to combat a late rally at the bottom of the ninth in Game 4. Chromatika drove in eight runs in the eighth and ninth innings against Brookstation, getting to Brookstation's pitchers the later the game went.

Chromatika swept Kriegiersien in the Group Stage, but Mayamoto and company know that this is playoff baseball now.

"They'll be chomping at the bits to get revenge on us," she explained when asked about Kriegiersien, "Nobody cares that they were 4-6 in the group stage. It's all about who wins three games first now."

Instead of Hilary Angelou getting the start in Game 1, Miles Savey will still start to continue the rotation.

"We believe all of us can win," stated Angelou, "And having Miles start gives the rest of us that rest that we are looking for in order to make a deep run."

After losing to Soldera in Game 5 of the Round of Sixteen last time around, the Outliers know that there is no room for error if they want to prove that their win in World Baseball Classic 53 was not a fluke.

"The postseason is where all the statements are made and the legends are born," said Mayamoto, "We need to prove that we are legends."

[TJUN-ia]

Game 3
The Battin' Jags of TJUN-ia entered Game 3 vs the Owls of Eshialand with the series tied at 1-1, a 4-0 defeat countered by a 4-2 win. That meant that this series was going to at least 4 games and with the DH now in play due to the Owls being the "home" team, everyone knew that every advantage would certainly count with 2 more wins required for both sides.

Game 3 would see Gene Almac take on Gene Findley and with both Killian O'Mally and Tyler Gellar now in play, things were certainly going to get interesting. TJUN-ia would start off the hottest with a solo Pedro Moires bomb and when the 3rd added 2 more thanks to Joe Gregory, a pitching change would come already and on would come Johnathan Quarrie. He would hold the fort for the rest of the contest and while Harry Brentwood got a run back in the 5th, Almac turned out to be a pitcher that couldn't be broken down at all. 3-1 was the final score, Jags lead the series 2-1.

Game 4
The potential decider would see Paul Haskell take on Jose Almas and the first 4 innings would be the chaos some wanted and then some. TJUN-ia found 7 runs thanks to a 2-runner from Ki Yung-son, a Grand Slam by Gregory and Killian O'Mally getting an RBI double via Bryce Calhoun. Francis Dreyer was already in the game by the 7th run, but that didn't mean Almas was safe either - he gave up a Kyle Reznor RBI and a Wyatt Carew Grand Slam before "Almas vs Haskell" had to become "Kim Tsu-Ka vs Dreyer". The rest of the game saw the new pitchers do their thing and frustrate the opposing bats at any given turn. The Owls managed one final run in the 8th but Carlos Buena just about did enough to win the game 7-6 and the series 3-1. It certainly wasn't easy, but the Battin' Jags were moving on all the same.

Our next opponents are South Newlandia - what more needs to be said? The #1 ranked side and runners up last time out entered these playoffs as the #2 seed and swept The Greater Nordics to start their journey back to the Best-of-7 Series they nearly won against QoD 2 years ago. They were the side that knocked us out last time, crushing us with an elephant's hoof in a way that made us all realise this ear was ending...now, it seems fitting that #OneFinalRide faces Sofia Rasmussen once more. Can we get revenge? Maybe...but it will certainly be tough. Many would think a matchup like this would be a WBC Championship Series in itself...now, one must fall in the race to the Elite 8. GO JAGS!

---

Round of 32 vs Eshialand (16/#18/5-5/2nd in G7) @Salick Stadium, Inver, Zwangzug
G1: L 0-4 (0-1)
G2: W 4-2 (1-1)
G3: W 3-1 (2-1)
G4: W 7-6 (3-1)
G5:

TJUN-ia Wins the series 3-1

---

Round of 16 vs South Newlandia (1/#2/9-1/1st in G1) @Aganath Stadium, Belpub, Zwangzug
G1:
G2:
G3:
G4:
G5:

[Ranoria]

It was a little more of a shootout heading into Gortolekua than the games at Constance Airlines Field, but hanging 14 runs on the debutant squad was more than enough to secure the first sweep in team history. With the Sherpa Empire sweeping a Drawkland squad with as much momentum as the Base Corps had, their quarterfinal matchup was already determined.

"You two weren't around for that one," Nicholas Lux informed Julian Breit and Vincent Veltrone almost wistfully, "One hell of a series in the fiftieth Classic. Crazy that we've run into them both times we've gotten to the post season now."

"You all won, 3-2, right?"

"By the skin of our teeth," Jesse Griffith chimed in, "It was really my first experience playing baseball at that level, and Newmanistan took us down without a problem in the next round." He couldn't help but smile, "But I'm better now. If we can get past these guys, we probably get a crack at Chromatika."

"Don't go counting your chickens before they hatch," Leonardo Harrison interrupted, "The Sherpas were more than a match for us last time."

Run It Back - Ranoria Gets Another Crack At Her First Ever Playoff Opponent In the Sherpa Empire


Leonardo Harrison was all smiles after a 14-9 shootout to win a third straight match against Gortolekua

There's a lot to be said here. We could congratulate this team on arguably being the best team the nation has ever fielded on the diamond. Given the team's best-ever winning percentage, first playoff series sweep, 5-0 start that was easily the best they've done, and now they're as deep in the playoffs as they've ever been, that's fair.

Or maybe we could point out the history between Ranoria and the Sherpa Empire. It's not much truth be told, and they likely don't consider us a rival, but at the time of that first match, it was one of the biggest moments in Ranoria's sporting history, and by the end it proved we could hold our own somewhere that wasn't between hash marks.

Perhaps Julian Breit's carrying over his momentum from a career year in the LPB to dominate this edition of the Classic thus far? While traditionally our big three have been Leonardo Harrison, Nicholas Lux, and Jesse Griffith, Breit's been damn near playing at that kind of a level. He's the best true home run threat on this team, and it's added just a bit of electricity to any game when he steps up to the plate.

With his added presence, we just might be able to survive our second head-to-head with one of the strongest teams in WBC history. Our favorable seeding netted us a cruise of a first round draw, but that fortune has run out here. There are no easy victories in the round of sixteen.

The Sherpa Empire's 7-3 campaign is a huge step up from our first round opponent, and they're battle-tested, having just swept the Base Corps. The first time we matched up with the Sherpas, the series went to all five possible games before we emerged victorious - can the same be said here?

Notably, star pitcher Kami Akunjee is no longer with the team. He was unavailable during our WBC 50 run due to an injury, much to the distress of both he and Leonardo Harrison, who had been excited to play the other. The ace never got his redemption match against our star, but will his team be able to avenge their loss in the Round of 32 8 years ago?

(We really, really hope not.)

[Milchama]

"So what happened Game 3?"

"Barnettsville were more annoyed at trash talk then on the actual baseball so we won"

"Interesting, is that a strategy we could try again?"

"Not unless we want to use backups against better teams"

"Oh good point but we swept anyway"

"Woot!"

"So that means we play the 1 seed huh?"

"Nope"

"Wait, what?"

"South Americanastan lost to United Adaikes so we're playing the 32 seed"

"So we're the favorite?"

"We were the favorite against South Americanastan also, let's be honest. We're the favorite against any non QoD or Zwangzug team"

"Really?"

"Well Sarzonia's not here, maybe them, Cassadaigua although they got eliminated"

"That's really early for them"

"I know, it's unfortunate for them"

"And Super-Llamaland of course, though it seems like they're not really trying that hard this tournament"

"So we're favorites against a lot of people"

"Yeah most of the field"

"Cool but are we the home team?"

"Nope, United Adaikes has home field advantage"

"So they stole the one seed?"

"Precisely"

"Not great"

"It doesn't really matter, it's not like they are actually at home"

"Oh yeah good point"

"So we should win?"

"We should be very competitive"

"Awesome!"

"Yep"

"So how do we win?"

"Generally don't do whatever Adam Sandler did in Uncut Gems"

"Oh right, good call"

"But we should talk to Margaret"

"Yeah let's do that"

"So say as I say and do as I do"

'Ringa pakia!''
''Uma tiraha!''
''Turi whatia!''
''Hope whai ake!''
''Waewae takahia kia kino!''
''Ka mate, ka mate''
''Ka ora, ka ora''
''Ka mate, ka mate''
''Ka ora, ka ora''
''Tēnei te tangata pūhuruhuru''
''Nāna nei i tiki mai whakawhiti te rā''
''Ā upane, ka upane''
''Whiti te rā, hī!''

"Now repeat after me!"

"Forini! Forini!"
"Finidi! Finidi!"
"George! George!"
"Oh Brother! Oh brother!"

*They strip and run around for 6 minutes*

"We pray the Margaret of SnubNose 38 and Random Number God that you may deliver us victory over all our group members and any other infidels that we face in international play"

"Sacrifice the Rubber Chicken!"

*Swoosh of an axe and the chicken is dead*

"Margaret we pray that you take this sacrifice of a rubber chicken in good faith and that by your deliverance Milchama does well in all international competitions"

"Come on You Warriors!"

"Let's Go Milchama!"

[South Newlandia]

Disclaimers:
* this project would not be possible without the efforts from Super-Llamaland. The words and pictures on screen right now were made by me, but would not be possible without extensive background work from both of us. Please do grade accordingly.
* this RP series may, on occasion, mention numbers about your players. Hot damn, does this one mention numbers. Feel free to ignore them if you don’t like them; but keep in mind that scoring rates are lower in the LPB, with roughly 10% fewer runs than in the MLB. The average most commonly used position player in the South Newlandian league slashed .253/.314/.406 and hit 15 home runs.
* The Evan Masorka award is our version of the Cy Young award.
* If you read this disclaimer, you're legally obligated to send me any cute elephant videos you find.
* if you’re interested in seeing all the 1920 LPB game results, or a specific subsection of them, feel free to dm me about it!
* The players shown on the batting line-ups are “The average most commonly used position player”, at their most common position, at the most common spot in the line-up, excluding players that were traded mid-season.
* This is the last disclaimer here, now there’s 7 of them. Good job reading them all!

South Newlandian League

SNL Central Recap (preview for reference: viewtopic.php?p=39502361#p39502361 (includes team charts)

P                           Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD    Win % 
 1 Rüsselsheim Blue Sox     160   97  63   774  607 +167    0.606
 2 Newport Dolphins         160   92  68   729  632  +97    0.575
 3 Newport Owls             160   79  81   730  742  −12    0.494
 4 Sophie City Monarchs     160   58 102   562  776 −214    0.362

Rüsselsheim Blue Sox

Last seasons:

Season 2: 35-37, 2nd in SW; missed playoffs
Season 3: 44-28, 1st in SW; lost in divisional round (1-3 Flames)
Season 4: 39-33, 2nd in SW; lost in SNBL final series (0-5 Dragons)
Season 5: 30-42, 3rd in SW, missed playoffs
LPB Season 1: 87-73, 2nd in SNL Central, lost in SNLDS (0-3 Dolphins)

Expectations
After only truly getting cooking well after the All-Star break, the Sox turned their season round in spectacular fashion, going 34-9 over the final 43 games of their season; just enough to tie the Dachshunds for the second wildcard spot, which they promptly beat on the road to earn the playoff spot, before beating Masmow in the wildcard game to complete a wild 36-9 stretch. Unfortunately, their magic ran out in the SNLDS against their newest rivals, the Newport Dolphins, who swept them before going on to win the Multiverse Series. However, the Blue Sox showed that they were an extremely talented team with probably the best pitching staff in the league and a highly talented batting lineup. If they could project their final games over an entire season, this team would be able to contend at the top of the SNL again.
Recap: Overview
The season before, the Sox only remembered that they were supposed to be a decent team well after the All-Star break. This season, they went to work earlier. After a mediocre 7-12 start, they went to the moon, winning 20 of their next 22 games. However, they did not exactly have a comfortable lead at the top of the SNL Central, with the Dolphins constantly in pursuit; around the All-Star game, the Sox and Fins kept trading leads back and forth with each other. The Sox eventually took the lead for good by sweeping the Dolphins in games 139 and 140, and later held them off with another sweep, this time in Newport, games 151 and 152. All in all, they beat their rivals 10-6 Head to Head on the season. Had the Dolphins taken the season H2H advantage, the Blue Sox would have lost the division to them; like this, they won 97 games and captured the top seed in the South Newlandian League, thanks to once again finishing strong – 19-6 over the final 25.
Recap: Pitchers

Last season, the highly talented Sox’ pitching lineup struggled with injuries, inconsistencies, and the occasional injustice, but this season, the Sox were able to show off their true colours. It’s rare for a team to have even three true aces; this team basically had five. They were led by WBC champion Juzo Sakaguchi, who pitched for an ERA of 2.56, and had Zwangzugian international Rudolph Vocar-Dijo, Hannasean international Noah Harris, and Kohnheadian international Fletcher Crouch. Rounding out their rotation, they had young phenom Griffin Gonzalez, who was the worst of the five with an ERA of 3.65. They also had a powerful bullpen, with another trio of internationals, led by Hannasean closer Tom DiVicenzo, who had a solid, albeit unspectacular season with an ERA of 2.98.
Recap: Fielders
The Sox already had a terrific line-up the season before, and this time, they were even able to lead the SNL by scoring 774 runs in total. They were led by Quodite Designated Hitter Rémy Weber, who led the SNL in Home Runs, RBI, and Slugging. They also had his countryman in Jack Theriault, who finished with the fourth-best AVG in the league, with Hahn and Ranta joining him in the top ten. Lucca Hahn was his usual self, playing at an elite level at everything he could do, while Ranta slotted nicely into the team, leading all second baseman in the SNL in all major statistical categories except for Home Runs. They also got a nice hitting season from Tom Abbott, a strong OBP season from Placido Taboada, while Videtake Aoyama led all SNL catchers in slugging, as well as having Mathis, who hit 20 home runs, while Will Rentería hit 16. As a team, the Sox led the league in all major offensive categories. However, we do have to acknowledge that the defense overall was slacking, with only Hahn really standing out as a positive contributor in the field, while the entire infield was slacking. They did draft Jake Persson, who was able to make up for some of that as a defensive substitute, but the Sox had a higher ground ball hit rate than teams of this calibre should realistically allow.
Awards
The Sox had six All-Stars, with pitchers Sakaguchi and Vocar-Dijo making the cut – both would later finish top five in Evan Masorka voting – while Hahn, Ranta, Theriault and Weber were included in the field. All of them would later win a post-season award, too, with the latter three taking home a Silver Slugger, while Hahn won the Golden Glove for Center Field.
The future
As the top seed, the Blue Sox will enjoy home advantage throughout the playoffs, as well as getting to host a wildcard team in the SNLDS that will have just used up their ace. Of course, most Sox fans are hoping for a rematch with the Dolphins. Long-term, this team is terrific, and it’s hard to see that change any time soon.



Newport Dolphins

Last seasons:
Season 2: 43-29, 2nd in NE, lost in divisional round (1-3 Dragons)
Season 3: 38-34, 3rd in NE, missed playoffs
Season 4: 35-37, 3rd in NE, missed playoffs
Season 5: 41-31, 3rd in NW, lost in divisional round (2-3 Dachshunds)
LPB Season 1: 104-56, LPB Champions (4-0 Vipers)

Expectations
After a number of seasons of playoff heartbreak in the SNLBL, the Dolphins finally put it all together, winning 104 games before earning two sweeps and a seven-game SNLCS win in the post-season to become the first LPB Champions. With a very similar team, the Dolphins were gunning for another one, and despite the Sox and Owls each fielding competent teams, the Dolphins were favoured by the experts to repeat as SNL Central Champions.
Recap: Overview
Despite playing another good season, the Dolphins failed to defend the Central. They were always close, after a mediocre 7-9 start, they mostly kept pace with the Blue Sox for the division lead. It seemed like the Fins just needed to get hot at the right time, to string together a decent winning streak, but they never did, and ultimately got caught up in a 2-8 stretch toward the end of the season, including getting swept by the Sox and losing a brutal home game against the Wizards, 3-18. They seemed like they’d turned the corner after that, sweeping the Sox back on the road to get within a single game again, only to get swept in Peninsulara immediately after, losing sight of the Sox for good. Nevertheless, the Fins still played a really solid season, won 92 games, and made the playoffs.
Recap: Pitchers

The pitching, which had been the Fins’ biggest asset last season, wasn’t quite as good as in the season they won 104 games, but they still surrendered only 632 runs, good for the 3rd-best mark in the South Newlandian League. They were driven by their three stars, with Hunter and blockbuster trade acquisition and Quodite international Kalberg each keeping their ERA under three, while Ben Gonzalo struggled a bit and finished with an ERA of 3.45. They were not the issue, and neither was the bullpen led by Quodite Benoît Beaufils and Llamanean Y. P. Ying. Instead, they lost ground with their back-end of their rotation, with Garry Gordon, Adam Gilchrest, and rookie Jin Zheng having a rough time out there. Zheng in particular had an ERA above 7 while also having the highest error rate of all starting pitchers in the league, and is expected to move to the bullpen for the upcoming season.
Recap: Fielders
After dominating in the previous season, the Fins’ bats slowed down a little bit. They still accounted for 729 runs, tied for 4th-best in the SNL, but it wasn’t quite as good as the season prior. They were, in many ways, driven by their stars; with Zwangzugian Kelly Tallis, the only qualified batter that exceeded a batting average of .300 in the SNL, and Quodite Luka Chevalier, who hit 43 home runs; each producing a top-6 OPS season in the SNL. They also had Mike Larsen, who had an OPS of .790, David Drum and Brad Moore, all very good with the bat in their hands compared to their position. However, they didn’t get another season of batting wizardry from Kendra Annovar, while Stuart Hernandez was solid especially accounting for his defensive value, Alvin Jiminez and Addison Paterson didn’t do too hot this time around. Despite that, as a team, they had the second-best batting average in the league, behind only the Sox. To make up for that, the Fins were better rounded defensively.
Awards
The defending LPB Champions captured five All-Star spots; with Beaufils, Chevalier, Annovar, Tallis and Larsen all having the honour. Notably missing were Hunter and Kalberg, who only really heated up in the second half, but ultimately produced top-ten Evan Masorka finishes. Tallis and Chevalier also took home silver sluggers, while Moore and Hernandez each captured Golden Gloves.
The future
The Dolphins are hosting the Dragons in the wild-card game, and assuming they win it, will go on to battle the Rüsselsheim Blue Sox in a SNLDS rematch, which is likely colliding the best two teams in the South Newlandian League, once again. In the long-term, the Dolphins are still a power-house team, with most key players in their prime; but regardless of how the playoffs shake out, they’ll look to add talent on in the off-season to re-capture the SNL Central.



Newport Owls

Last seasons:

Season 2: 34-38, 3rd in NE, missed playoffs
Season 3: 39-33, 2nd in NE, missed playoffs
Season 4: 39-33, 2nd in NE, lost in divisional round (2-3 Dragons)
Season 5: 42-30, 2nd in NE, lost in divisional round (0-3 Dragons)
LPB Season 1: 79-81, 3rd in SNL Central, missed playoffs

Expectations
After a season of roughly .500 baseball, the Owls were looking to improve. They added in a couple of crucial places, and while they were still lagging a bit behind the top two teams in the division, they were certainly in position to fight for one of the wildcard spots. It would be about time, too, with the Owls never having won a playoff series in the modern era and their coach on an increasingly hot seat because of that.
Recap: Overview
The Owls dipped into the red pretty quickly, and stood 36-44 at the All-Star break. However, they started to make a run for the second wildcard spot, and eventually clawed to a 56-56 record. They kept climbing, and were in sole control of the second wildcard spot with six games to play. Following a sweep of the Dragons, they were 79-75 with six to play, with a trip to South Falls, a home series against the Monarchs, and hosting the Fins for the final series of the season on their schedule. South Falls and the Monarchs were two teams deep in the red last season, and while the Dolphins obviously were not, and had beaten the Owls up 10-4 in the Head-to-Head so far in that season, they would have a chance against their hated cross-town rivals with their home fans at their back and a playoff spot on the line.
The Owls lost all of those six games. Most of them were close, with the most decisive game being a 4-8 against the Monarchs, but they lost all six games, in the process tumbling out of the playoffs and dropping the season series 4-12 to the Dolphins.
Recap: Pitchers

The pitching had been shaky all season, surrendering 742 runs, tied for the second-worst mark in the South Newlandian League. Their Chromatik starting duo in Miles Savey and Kim Jung-Wook was solid, finishing with an ERA of 3.14 and 3.42 respectively, while Isabella Hart and Tina Calibri, the two Llamanean starters, failed to be league-average. The bullpen was solid, having Rokukawa and Bell to work with and little else – enough to make them a league-average bullpen, with Bell taking back closing duties half-way through and pitching a season ERA of 2.67.
Recap: Fielders
The bats made up for the bad pitching with 730 runs, the third-best mark in the South Newlandian League. They had Chelsea Harlow, who did typical Chelsea Harlow things, and Alana Gonzalez, who had the highest walk-rate of all qualified SNL batters, propelling her to an elite OBP. Harry Brentwood had a solid season, and Brooke Sauter was pretty awesome. Nakajima also had a career season for the Owls, and Liam Desjardins quietly cobbled a good hitting season together. The only bats that were mostly unproductive were Wilson Moore and Jeremy Moss, who each made up for it with defensive value, while trade deadline acquisition Kurt Sweet proved to be a major upgrade at DH compared to the floundering Israel Harper. As they say, you can take the man out of Peninsulara, but you can’t take the Kingfishers out of the man. Anyhow, the Owls also were great in the clutch, having the highest OPS of all SNL teams with two outs and RISP.
Awards
With their mediocre start, the Owls had only three All-Stars, the Daskelian duo and Brooke Sauter. In the end, Savey finished in the top ten of Evan Masorka voting, but the Owls failed to win a positional award at the end of the season, a testament to how they were quite well-rounded and not as star-driven as other teams.
The future
The Owls were at the doorstep, and they came up short. The players are still there, but Rick Shepard isn’t. Following the season-crushing end to the year, he choose to resign, and the Owls are now officially looking for a new coach.



Sophie City Monarchs

Last seasons:
Season 2: 30-42, 4th in SE, missed playoffs
Season 3: 28-44, 4th in SE, missed playoffs
Season 4: 36-36, 3rd in SE, missed playoffs
Season 5: 40-32, 1st in SE, won SNBL Final Series (5-3 Dragons)
LPB Season 1: 69-91, 4th in SNL Central, missed playoffs

Expectations
The Monarchs had no expectations. Do I really have to talk about them?
Recap: Overview
I guess I do. The Monarchs had won the last SNBL out of nowhere, and quickly went back to being irrelephant. After briefly pretending to be a decent baseball team, they quickly fell apart, and didn’t do much of anything. They ended up losing 102 games, setting a new record for losses in the South Newlandian League. They were pretty bad.
Recap: Pitchers

The Monarchs sold out at the All-Star break, jettisoning their only good pitcher, Maike Bookmer, and reliever Sally Rivera. By seasons end, Abby Conrad was the only capable piece left in their pitching staff – she is expected to sign with a new team in the off-season. They surrendered 776 runs, which, clearly, they weren’t even good enough to hit 777. Just a disappointing season all around.
Recap: Fielders
After not managing to cobble 600 runs together last season, the Monarchs somehow got even worse, finishing with 562, worst in the SNL. Sarzonian Cody Frazier, who had a top-5 batting average, is the only remotely decent bat on this roster. Okay, that’s not completely fair; Malika Bains, who stuck around for some reason, was decent, finishing with the second-best OBP of SNL second baseman, and rookie Leo Jimenez was a roughly league-average bat – maybe they’ve got something in him. Fiona Niemi was okay, I suppose.
Awards
Hahahaha! Of course, all teams are guaranteed an All-Star game representer; in this case, it was Cody Frazier.
The future
The Monarchs are now coach-less and have basically no good players. Whoever takes the job will have a tough time. They do have a bunch of picks, though, and a nearly blank slate – if the coaching staff and management can be creative, maybe the Monarchs can rise to mediocrity again.

[Quintessence of Dust]

It’s telling that the physicists involved in the creation of these weapons became the most fervent opponents of their use. Einstein, Oppenheimer, Szilard. Hans Bethe wrote: “If we fight a war and win it with H-bombs, what history will remember is not the ideas we were fighting for, but the methods we used to accomplish them. These methods will be compared to the warfare of Genghis Khan, who brutally killed every last inhabitant of Persia.”

The Frosty Dome was packed. Quodites were not, by and large, a vengeance crazed people, but the WBC51 defeat to the Owls had always been a particularly sore point, and the audience to watch the huge holoscreen projections of the game from Zwangzug, where the Things had already smashed 7 runs and looked to set up a sweep of the series in three games, was packed to the rafters of the chilly Northern stadium.

Momoko Koumura was glad. Not that she had much taste for baseball these days, but Sakiko Wakabayashi did. And she, unlike Momoko, did not have the benefits of a mysterious time travel induced age regression; her brittle old body was much the better off for being surrounded by the balmy warmth of the night air heated by the breath of thousands of shouting fans. On the other side of them, Emily’s chair – roped off, reserved forever – sat empty, forever.

A crack of the bat and Sigurkarl Bórgþórsson was away. The cheers grew louder and even Sakiko, who had arrived leaning on a heavy cane, practically sprang to her feet. Quodites enjoyed no cultural prohibition against running up the score and though the game looked a foregone conclusion, and the series with it, they were going to cheer every run like it was a Game 7 walkoff.

Momoko studied the chart. According to the playoff bracket, they would soon be playing… Liventia. Ah, Liventia. Those memories. Kelly Maddox streaking around the bases, an infield home run. The strange fight. The surging win. Where it had all began, in some ways, for Quintessence of Dust and baseball.

She folded away the chart. Memories, just memories. Almost everyone who’d been on that diamond with her was long gone. Instead, she should be celebrating this new generation’s endeavours, their accomplishments in a new age where Quintessence of Dust were – still so unfathomably to her – world champions.

She had not grown up in an age of champions. The team she had first played with barely qualified with as semi-pro, had come within an inconvenient scoreline of being subjected to a perfect game in their first WBC encounter, managed little more than a couple of Rounds of 16 in six or seven tournaments.

Her nation had been small, irrelevant, a cold grey speck at the bottom of the map, an icebound realm with a faltering economy and a population riven by ethnic divisions. The melting point that did not melt. Famous for its people’s humourlessly bloody-minded secularism and republicanism – or rather, not famous at all, for anything.

Momoko could not shake the thought that what had powered this renaissance, this success, was no cultural revolution, but something far smaller: the atom. It was Quintessence of Dust’s embrace of the power of nuclear energy, both in civilian energy, and in military strategy, that had enabled its hold over the colonies. Its expansion to the stars.

On cue, a Silver Needle began rising on the horizon. It looked like it was chugging slowly across the stars, though of course it was really powering up at hundreds, thousands of metres per second. Without the need for huge hydrocarbon tanks, instead the glow of its nuclear thermal reactor powered its flight towards the rock she had once called home.

Another crack off the bat. Luka Chevalier, thumping deep, as he had 43 times this season in the LPB. The Things were being merciless today. Momoko wasn’t watching the ball as it soared into the stands. Her eyes stayed on the Silver Needle, tracing its flight.

[Banija]

Banija uses comeback wins in Games 3 and 4 to eliminate Murderbum; to face Kohnhead in their 9th consecutive Round of 16 appearance


Banijan baseball players celebrate winning their playoff series against Murderbum

ARLINGTON, ZWANGZUG- After Games 1 and 2 here at World Baseball Classic 54, the series was split straight down the middle, tied one game a piece. Game 1 was a blowout win for the Banijans, as our higher-ranked side blew our opponents away. Away to the tune of scoring 13 runs, and walloping them with a 13-4 victory, giving Ramata Kabba yet another playoff victory. But Game 2, instead of following suit, was another extremely tight matchup. It was one of those games that was 1-1 in the late innings, where both starters went 7 innings, and then it went to the pen. But the Banijan pen, which has been so strong throughout this classic, faltered in the crucial moment. A baserunner scored on a wild pitch in the 8th to make it 2-1 to Murderbum, and then we gave up a solo shot in the top of the 9th for the insurance run. We loaded the bases in the bottom of the 9th of that game, with our own superstar, Malik Solely, at the plate. But Malik Solely, while making good contact, lined out to right field to end that game. Suddenly, series tied at 1 game a piece- a best of 3 on our hands.

So suddenly- we've got some young pitchers, our veterans having already pitched. Can they win the series for us?

Game 3

So this was the interesting one. After both starters went deep just two days prior, it would be the bullpens who would get a lot of work in this one. Xolile Gola only lasted 1.1 innings on the mound- allowing 5 earned runs in just 1 and a third innings, meaning that Isaac Oladipo would have to do what he absolutely hates doing- relying on the bullpen for a long stretch of time. At least after they scored 3 in the bottom of the first, we responded well. After we went 1-2-3 in the first with our own bats, we came alive when we went down early, and put some runs on the board. It all started with a one out walk from the veteran left fielder, Nyaniso Hani. It was a 12 pitch walk as well, as Hani fouled off seven pitches in a row before Murderbum's starter finally came back with a starter that got none of the plate. Patience makes perfect, right?

And that was the Banijan philosophy. Ugonna Akachi came up to the plate next, and you know how he's always swinging for the fences. And he came out first pitch mashing. He hit one way over everybody's heads, but a ball that lined over the center fielder's head and went to the base of the wall. Since it was hit to straight away center, the deepest part of the ballpark, Hani was able to scoot all the way around the bases and score from first standing up on the teenager's double. The throw went in from the relay man to third base. So 3-1. And then Cedron Aloo coming to the plate. He hit a single, men on the corners, one out. The catcher, Zimema, struck out. Men on the corners, two out. Joanna Adoyo at the plate. Aloo steals second by a hair. And then- our #9 hitter, JoAnna Adoyo, hits a 2 out, 2 run single up the middle. Both runners score, it's 3-3.

But of course, Xolile Gola allowed two more runs in the bottom half of the second, and had to be removed. So many outs given to the bullpen- but our relievers stepped up. Naiser Ibeamaka, finished the second and pitched the third. Mizpah Askari pitched the fourth. Arad Akech pitched the fifth. Then we brought on Duka Kondana for the sixth and seventh. When the seventh inning came, we were still down 5-3. But when Murderbum finally went to their own bullpen, we were able to get some runs on the board again. JoAnna Adoyo leading off the inning with a base hit. Mesuli Calata laid one down the first base line and tried to beat it out. While he advanced the runner, the catcher threw him out. No matter- 1 gone, runner to second. Tying run at the plate.

Moses Oneko hit one down the left field line that was barely fair, for a double. Adoyo scores standing up, the game is 5-4. And then, Malik Solely at the plate. And there's a reason he's a superstar, isn't he? He launched one a stunning 465 feet into deep right field, a towering shot that nobody had a chance of catching. The 2 run bomb gave Banija the lead for the first time all night, and that was that. Kondana finished the seventh to earn the win, and then it was to the back of the pen. Banija's back of the bullpen shut the door on Murderbum. Oyella Lagum had a 1-2-3 8th. And in the 9th, our closer, Coulibaly, after walking the opening batter, struck out the side to end the inning, and the game. One win away from the Round of 16!

Game 4

We might've entered Game 4 one win away from the knockout stages, but that also meant Murderbum were one win away from going away. They were going to throw anything and everything at us in order to stay alive and force a game 5. "These elimination games are always tricky at the World Baseball Classic." Manager Isaac Oladipo said. "Murderbum have a solid squad, that's why they got this far. I expect them to throw the kitchen sink at us. Be extra aggressive, pull pitchers more frequently, etc... Do whatever it takes to force a Game 5. It's on us to counter that. If we want to be a top tier team, these are the types of games that we have to win. And nothing will be given to us- it'll have to be earned the old-fashioned way, through blood, sweater, and tears." The last comment appeared to be a swipe at his old employers in Super-Llamaland.

All of Banija's starting pitchers are veterans, right? Xolile Gola is the youngest starter, and she was 29. And then Ava Odoyo, the 30 year old, took the mound for team Banija in Game 4, to try and close the door. She's a veteran. She's lived it all, she's seen it all. But for the second straight day, Banija was in a precarious position. The previous night, we had six pitchers combine to throw 7.2 shutout innings, in order to complete a comeback. But Ava Odoyo, against Oladipo's absolute best wishes, also had to be pulled early. Was it the smart move to do? While he didn't have an abundance of arms on this day, he had no choice. Odoyo's control was erratic in the second inning, particularly. We were down 4-0 with 2 outs, and the bases loaded in the bottom of the second. After getting the first two outs of the inning, she had allowed six straight baserunners, including walking the last run home on five pitches. If Oladipo had left her in, we would've been making plans for Game 5 as early as the break between the second and third inning.

But that would mean a lot of wear and tear on the pen. But that's why they get paid the big bucks, right? And that's also why the team carries two long relievers. WIth so many middle relievers logging innings the previous day, it would be Zamekile Mbizo, who's regularly a starter, who was asked to hold down the fort. After getting the final out of the 2nd inning, he pitched like he was one of the aces that should have been put on the staff. Let's look at his line for the day- 7.1 shutout innings on 98 pitches. That included six strikeouts, and just 2 walks and 3 hits- all singles. And that included getting the strikeout when he came into the game with the bases loaded in the 2nd inning, and the Banijans definitely needed an out. He left after the 9th inning, in a 4-4 ballgame, with a no decision.

But how did we make it 4-4? This was a great team effort by the Banijans. Murderbum's batter got our first 11 batters out, with very early whispers of a no hitter being thrown around. But no matter- Malik Solely put those whispers to rest in a hurry. Just like the night before, he hit another towering bomb down the right field, this one 450 feet, and the score was 4-1. In the next inning, the heart of the lineup went to work. A two out fifth inning rally was started when Cedron Aloo lined one into the gap in right center field. Getting an excellent jump out of the box, Aloo turned around second base at full speed, putting pressure on the Murderbum defense. The throw was definitely in plenty of time to get Aloo out- but the throw was off line. The third baseman had to leave the bag to get it, and by the time he got back, Aloo had slid in safe. The one out triple helps things out, right? And then talk about the bottom of the order. Anathi Zimema looping one into center field to get the run to score. JoAnna Adoyo getting a single herself to put runners on first and second, with two out. And then, Mesuli Calata hitting a gapper himself. Zimema scored standing up. Adoyo tried to score from first to tie the game, but was thrown out by a brilliant relay from the Murderbum defense. Murderbum still led, but the Banijan bats were alive.

We wouldn't wake up agian, however, until we were down to our final 3 outs. Against Murderbum's closer, Mesuli Calata led off the 9th inning with a single. Their closer kept a close eye on Calata, ensuring he wouldn't steal second. And then after Moses Oneko and Malik Solely struck out, we were down to our last out. But our designated hitter, Luxolo Mbeki, ripped one down the right field line. Calata was scooting around third, and there was certainly going to be yet another play at the plate. But this time, Calata was simply too fast. The throw wasn't in time to beat the shortstop, and we had our tying run from first base. Now, for extras. We had ridden one long reliever for the lion's share of the game, as mentioned earlier. Now, to dig deep into the pen again.

We had Ismaela Ndour, who didn't pitch in game 3, throw two innings. The NMU alum was lockdown, going 6 up, six down. Neither team scored in the 10th or 11th. It was the 12th inning where things went wild. The top of the 12th was great. It would be the teenage right fielder who thought he had hit Banija straight into the knockout stages. Solely's spiritual heir, he launched one 455 feet into straightaway center field, bringing power ball back to Arlington. 7-4 to Banija. We had Yoro Coulibaly, our closer, come on for the 12th to close the game down. Game set match, set you later? Not exactly. Our normally reliable closer had a lot of trouble commanding his fastball, and leaving it over the heart of the plate. And Murderbum's hitters simply kept mashing away.

By the time Oladipo had pulled Coulibaly, the game was tied, the winning run was on 3rd base, and there was two outs in the inning. Oladipo pulled Coulibaly for the setup man, Oyella Lagum, who forced Murderbum's cleanup hitter to pop up, instead of driving home the game winning run. Lagum had a little bit of trouble in the 13th inning, allowing a one out double followed by a one out walk, but then got himself out by forcing a pop up, and then a strikeout to end the inning. Just barely avoiding Game 5. We brought on Lwazi Fassie for the 14th inning. He went 1-2-3 in the bottom of the 14th. In the top of the 15th inning, our bats would not be silenced again. Two run home runs by both Luxolo Mbeki and Cedron Aloo made it an 11-7 game, and Murderbum, after surviving that long, was finally down for the count.

Lwazi Fassie struck out the side in the 15th inning, and that put Banija through to the Round of 16 in thrilling fashion. "Hell of a win by our boys." Said team manager Isaac Oladipo. "Life throws curveballs at you, and we responded positively to each and every one of them. We went down early again, we were not fazed. We called on our bullpen to pitch a bunch again, we were not fazed. Over the last two games, every single member of our bullpen logged at least an inning. I'm glad we aren't playing a game 5, because we'll need those extra days to ice these people's arms before we play Kohnhead."

He wasn't wrong. Across games 3 and 4(both wins), Banija's starters were pitiful. Odoyo and Gola combined to allow 9 earned runs over just 3 combined innings. The Bullpen, on the other hand, allowed just three earned runs over a stunning 21 innings across two games. "It's not a winning formula to have the 9 pitchers in the pen log 21 innings over 2 games." Oladipo said. "We won both of those games, and everyone was brilliant. Everyone stayed in their role, did their job, and gave us time to get back into each game. But if they continue to log this many innings, then we don't have a chance. I've got full confidence in Odoyo and Gola, they've done it before at this level. But Kabba will be ready for Game 1 against Kohnhead, and she'll log enough innings for us to have a chance against the Pandas."

[Zwangzug]

Bring on the round of 2^4 aka 4^2.

Milchama                0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 0  3
United Adaikes          3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1  4

Milchama                0 0 3 1 0 2 0 0 0  6
United Adaikes          2 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 0  5

Series tied, 1-1

Ethane                  2 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0  4
Quebec and Shingoryeo   0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2  3

Ethane                  0 0 0 0 0 3 0 2 0  5
Quebec and Shingoryeo   0 0 1 1 2 1 1 0 X  6

Series tied, 1-1

Kohnhead                0 0 0 2 0 0 1 0 2  5
Banija                  0 0 0 2 1 1 1 1 X  6

Kohnhead                0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0  2
Banija                  1 0 3 1 0 0 0 0 X  5

Banija leads series, 2-0

Liventia                0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0  2
Quintessence of Dust    0 1 0 0 2 0 0 1 X  4

Liventia                0 4 2 0 0 0 0 0 0  6
Quintessence of Dust    1 0 4 1 1 0 0 0 X  7

Quintessence of Dust leads series, 2-0

TJUN-ia                 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0
South Newlandia         1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 X  3

TJUN-ia                 6 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 1 10
South Newlandia         2 0 0 0 3 6 0 2 X 13

South Newlandia leads series, 2-0

The Sherpa Empire       0 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0  4
Ranoria                 0 0 5 0 1 0 0 0 X  6

The Sherpa Empire       0 0 1 0 3 0 0 0 0  4
Ranoria                 3 0 3 0 2 0 2 0 X 10

Ranoria leads series, 2-0

Chromatika              3 2 1 0 2 2 0 0 0 10
Kriegiersien            1 0 4 1 0 0 0 1 2  9

Chromatika              4 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0  5
Kriegiersien            0 0 0 1 4 0 0 0 1  6

Series tied, 1-1

Scorinated by Quintessence of Dust:

Zwangzug               1 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0  4
Super-Llamaland        0 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 0  3

Zwangzug               3 5 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 10
Super-Llamaland        0 0 2 0 0 3 0 0 0  5

Zwangzug leads series, 2-0

[Chromatika]

Frenei Chromatik Baseball League - Season 5

Quarterfinals

(1) Chromia Comets vs. (8) Rhoni Rhonin

Rhoni Rhonin            0 0 1 0 0 1 3 0 0  5
Chromia Comets          0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 2  4

Rhoni Rhonin            1 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1  5
Chromia Comets          1 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 2  6

Chromia Comets          0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0  3
Rhoni Rhonin            0 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 1  4

Chromia Comets          0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  2
Rhoni Rhonin            0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2  4

Rhoni Rhonin            0 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 0  3
Chromia Comets          2 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 X  4

Chromia Comets          0 0 0 2 0 2 1 0 0  5
Rhoni Rhonin            0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0  2

Rhoni Rhonin            0 0 0 3 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0  5
Chromia Comets          1 0 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 4  9

(1) Chromia Comets wins the series, 4-3.

What a series. The Rhonin survived a late surge from the Comets in game 1, before the Comets' LF Juriel Santos hit the game-winning double in Game 2. Then, Rhonin CF Dario Crookshanks hit a walk-off home run at the bottom of the tenth in Game 3, and it was going to be that kind of a series. Rhonin SS Mare Isani scored in the bottom of the fifteenth to give the Rhonin a 3-1 lead, and it looked like the Rhonin would win the series. However, the top-seeded Comets, eager to make up for the disaster they suffered last season, won Game 5 barely and Game 6 comfortably before Game 7 arrived. When Rhonin C Dexter Varras scored to tie the game at the top of the ninth, it looked like they'd stolen all the momentum; however, at the bottom of the ninth, 2B Yassen Hynal hit a walk-off grand slam that ended up in the seats, and the Comets had survived to the Semifinals.

(2) Knetyohai Dynamo vs. (7) Eyrods Pilots

Eyrods Pilots           0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0
Knetyohai Dynamo        0 1 0 0 0 0 3 0 X  4

Eyrods Pilots           3 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 2  7
Knetyohai Dynamo        0 0 0 1 3 0 0 1 0  5

Knetyohai Dynamo        4 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0  5
Eyrods Pilots           0 1 0 1 4 0 0 0 X  6

Knetyohai Dynamo        0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 1  4
Eyrods Pilots           1 2 0 0 0 3 0 0 X  6

Eyrods Pilots           0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0  1
Knetyohai Dynamo        0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1  2

Knetyohai Dynamo        4 0 3 0 0 0 0 4 0 11
Eyrods Pilots           0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0  2

Knetyohai Dynamo        0 0 0 0 3 0 1 0 1  5
Eyrods Pilots           0 2 0 0 0 3 2 0 X  7

(7) Eyrods Pilots win the series, 4-3.

The Pilots and Dynamo faced each other in the Finals last time around; the Dynamo wanted revenge this time around, and got so close to getting it, shutting out the Pilots and winning Game 5 on a walk-off double; then, they ran eleven runs up on the Pilots in Game 6 - 3B Mikael Lark hitting for the cycle on that one - but it's the Pilots' rebuilt roster after losing so many players to the LPB that come through in the clutch, led by their new star of the block - 2B Josephine Kerr. The Pilots come through once again.

(3) Shantarr Scorpions vs. (6) Umbar Corsairs

Umbar Corsairs          0 0 2 0 0 0 1 1 0  4
Shantarr Scorpions      0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0  2

Umbar Corsairs          0 1 0 2 0 2 0 0 0  5
Shantarr Scorpions      0 1 1 0 1 0 2 0 2  7

Shantarr Scorpions      0 1 0 0 0 0 1 2 0  4
Umbar Corsairs          0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0  2

Shantarr Scorpions      0 4 0 1 0 1 2 0 1  9
Umbar Corsairs          0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0  2

Umbar Corsairs          2 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 0  5
Shantarr Scorpions      0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0

Shantarr Scorpions      0 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 5  8
Umbar Corsairs          0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0  2

(3) Shantarr Scorpions win the series, 4-2.

C Angelina Granger is one fine player. A great fielder and even good behind the plate, she hit eight home runs in this series. Though the Corsairs - led by RHP Ammond Tynes, who won both of his starts - made it a series, SS Damon Ferar and crew were able to help the Scorpions to the Semifinals.

(4) Felswyr Fire vs. (5) Hanai Heroes

Hanai Heroes            0 1 0 0 0 0 7 0 0  8
Felswyr Fire            0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1  1

Hanai Heroes            0 0 1 0 4 1 0 0 0  6
Felswyr Fire            0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1  2

Felswyr Fire            1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0  3
Hanai Heroes            0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0  2

Felswyr Fire            0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0  1
Hanai Heroes            0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 X  3

Hanai Heroes            1 1 0 2 0 2 0 0 0  6
Felswyr Fire            1 2 0 0 4 0 0 1 X  8

Felswyr Fire            0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1  2
Hanai Heroes            1 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 X  3

(5) Hanai Heroes win the series, 4-2.

LF Annie Carr leads the Heroes on a routine win over the Fire, who took two games but never really threatened, despite the Fire's Gary Light chiming in.

Semifinals

(1) Chromia Comets vs. (7) Eyrods Pilots

(3) Shantarr Scorpions vs. (5) Hanai Heroes

---

Outliers Split with Kriegiersien as Salle Struggles

Despite almost blowing a lead at the bottom of the ninth in Game 1 and giving up the game-winner in Game 2, Outliers SS and Coach Alisen Mayamoto stated that Hine Salle will continue to be the team's closer.

In Game 1, the Outliers had a 10-6 lead at the top of the sixth, but let in three runs before Salle was able to get that final out to center field. Edith Ponce did hit a two-run homer as well as another run-scoring double, but the Outliers let Kriegiersien around for too long. This became even more apparent in Game 2, where most of the runs for the Outliers were scored at the top of the first, the only other one tying up the score before Salle let up a sacrifice fly that ended up being the decider.

As the series moves to Chromatika, the Outliers must take care to not falter at this juncture again.

"She had a few rough outings, sure," explained Mayamoto about Salle, "But she'll be all right and ready to go the next time around."

Clara Ayonara will take the mound for Game 3, the important game of the series.

[Super-Llamaland]

All graphics and most of the background work are done by SNL, so grade our RPs accordingly.

LPB PREVIEWPERLATIVES: SEASON 2, PART 2
Damian Griffin-Smith, LSN Baseball

The first season of Llampahant Pro Baseball saw the full spectrum of baseball emotions hit Super-Llamaland. Whether it was the Vipers coming out of nowhere to win 105 games and the pennant, Vargas City dropping a billion dollars to build a wild card game flameout, or the Kingfishers trading their first-round pick and going 49-111, the Llamanean conference saw no shortage of storylines in their first LPB season. Instead of straightforward team-by-team previews, we thought it would be more interesting to really focus down on the narratives behind each team as we head into a hotly-contested LPB2. Who's on the rise, who's declining, and who's Peninsulara? Today, we'll cover the final six Llamanean LPB teams, and the superlatives that best embody them heading into the season.

MOST LIKELY TO WIN THEIR DIVISION: APPLE VALLEY



There are still those who doubt that the Vipers' run last season, where they went 105-55 before making a run to a Multiverse Series, was the real deal. Admittedly, it's just fans of the New Llama clubs and Vargas City at this point, but there were genuine doubts after their thorough demolition at the hands of Newport in the finals. But any doubts must have been assuaged by their high-flying offseason, and there's no doubt coming into the season that they are almost certain to recapture the SLL North. While there's no doubt that the sweep in the MS took the wind out of their sails, GM Kevin Weiss wasted no time improving the team. He started by absolutely fleecing Sun City in a trade for Ko-orenite NTer Manoel Cardia and all-star reliever Ayo Abe. He then dealt for Nikcoro reliever Connor Reefe before making arguably the signing of the offseason in aging but dominant Quebecois outfielder Samuel Carlini-Mwambutsya.

Of course, the haters had their point last season - it's doubtful that Dinesh Mohn's team were really a 105-win squad by true talent. But they showed an ability to turn up when it mattered (except the Multiverse Series), and Weiss's big improvements have addressed two of the team's biggest holes in third base and outfield. With a strong rotation of all-star Emily Innis, Jason McAllister, and rapidly improving young draft pick Carter Wilkinson, relief ace Evangeline Lu shutting down every late comeback possible, and the likes of Emery Wu and Rose Dawson holding down the lineup, this would be a team to watch even if they hadn't just won 105.

UNLUCKIEST DIVISION PLACEMENT: KYRINSON



If you squint hard enough, you could convince yourself that this young Cosmos team is ready to maybe make a run at a Wild Card spot, or at least .500. Center-fielder Silvia Wang, taken third in the past draft, is a can't-miss prospect with blazing speed and elite plate discipline. Madison Verdugo, last year's #3 pick, is blossoming into a future ace in front of Cosmos fans' eyes, while a third #3 pick, Tikariot's Kieran Fletcher, showed above-average power and ahead-of-schedule defense. Add in the likes of veteran catcher Roland Harlow, Quodite utilityman Teijo Watanabe, and Ethane's Christian Hanks, and there's absolutely something for Bobby Mohs to work with here. Sure, the pitching is a little sparse, with the Cosmos flipping ace Davis Johnson for a pick and draftee Benny Singleton their only good reliever, but the sky's the limit (which I guess isn't really a compliment for the Cosmos. The Boundary of the Observable Universe is the limit?)

There's only one small problem - they play in the SLL Central. They knew this would be an issue going into the LPB, and lobbied to play in the softer North (after all, the North's Emerald City Greens is technically further south than Kyrinson is). But their petition was unsuccessful, and they're now faced with the prospect of playing with Vargas City and both New Llama clubs for years to come. It means that, despite being severely outgunned financially, they'll have to construct a genuinely championship-contending core through player development in order to stand up to the big boys. This has likely made them more patient in their approach to team building, and another can't-miss prospect certainly wouldn't hurt as they try to do so. But even if they do look on track to be ahead of schedule this year, it's a long, long schedule ahead.

LEAST IMPROVED: EMERALD CITY



Below, a list of players that the Emerald City Greens traded for, or signed, in the offseason:

To be fair, they did draft controversial catcher Tyler Danson with the ninth pick, and by many accounts got one of the steals in the draft thirty-third in second baseman Gordon Chernenko. But that's just not enough to compete when you went 72-88 the year before and are in a division with the dominant Vipers and the greatly improved Athletics. It's reported that manager Ernest Telyatin steered the front office away from making some win-later moves, like trading Ralphie Bloggs or Miranda Gray. But while Telyatin may hate tanking, and did get a respectable record out of a team whose true talent was probably in the mid-60s, there just isn't a clear enough path to relevance for the Greens to continue on like this.

There are players to watch, of course. Miranda Gray has put up four 5-WAR seasons in a row while manning third base, even if she is starting to leave her prime. Bloggs and knuckleballer Eddie Headley headline a surprisingly solid roster, and Lauren Allen is a shutdown reliever even at the NT level with Newmanistan. Valery Robiquet and Darrell Striker are international-caliber players as well. But the Greens have nowhere near the star power or depth needed to contend, and have a pretty clear choice to make - continue improving at the margins, like Telyatin wants, or blow it all up. Depending on how this year goes, they may have no choice.

MOST BALANCED: NEW LLAMA CYCLONES



Ask a group of five Cyclones fans who the most important player on their roster is, and you'll probably get five responses. Is it former NT ace April Bendtner, who anchored the team's rotation and impressed in the playoffs? Chromatik NT starter Jerome Delapier, who mastered the art of inducing weak contact en route to a sparkling sub-3 ERA? All-star second baseman Lonnie Hayter out of Hapilopper, who took home a Gold Glove for his highlight-reel season at the keystone and arguably could've won the silver slugger too? Young shortstop Rene Corbin, who shook off the bust label and staked a strong (and, to Cyclones fans, snubbed) case for Rookie of the Year? Or veteran outfielder Jenna Schuster, who earned a Silver Slugger for her legs as much as for her bat, and who emerged as the emotional center of a relatively unproven team? Whoever you pick, there's no denying that they played a key role in upsetting Vargas City and holding their own against Apple Valley last season.

With the rebuild fully over, the Cyclones have turned to improve their team in any way possible. But rather than spending big on a single star, they've again spread the contributions out. Slugger Sophia Smiths of Sophie City will serve well as the team's designated hitter, and was relatively cheap to acquire. Alongside Chromatika's Redwina Maxx and Celina Campazzo, both taken in the second round, she forms a powerful triumvirate that will cover 1B and DH. Bendtner and Delapier will be backed up by the steady Leif Best and promising young pitcher Malinda Drake, also taken in the second round. And a fourth second-round pick, Vickie Lang, projects as a reliable everyday option at third base. Why all the second-round picks? The team was inexplicably able to trade for five total second-rounders, numbering 28, 30, 31, 40, and 42. It was likely more of a publicity stunt than anything - what the numbers mean is left as an exercise for the reader - but had the secondary effect of really bolstering the team's depth. It's clear that the Cyclones have no real weak spots. Now, the only thing between them and championships is who will step up to be the team's star.

HARDEST TANK: DENISON



It must've been pretty disappointing to Dynamo fans when they were given the fifth pick in the LPB draft. There's no lottery, of course, so it's entirely the fault of the Dynamo for playing so well. But 66-94 is usually enough to at least be in the conversation to get the first pick, and not fifteen games away. With the team nowhere near contention, the missive for this year appears much simpler: bottom out as much as humanly possible, so you'll be in perfect position to strike once the Vipers and Athletics are starting to fade. There's pieces to work with, certainly. Draftee Mike Oeland may not be a Gutierrez or a Wang, but he's a young second baseman who's already seen IBS time with South Newlandia. Taketa Seison is limited by his lack of raw physical tools, and dropped to twenty-ninth as a result, but still projects to be an immediate contributor in the outfield. And young DH Tod Pittman and 22-year-old ace Jonathan Roe would fit in on any rookie of the year ballot after what they did last season. But there's just not enough surrounding them.

As such, the motivation this season appears to be to burn the team to the ground. It started a bit in the offseason, as ace Jose Almas was flipped for a draft pick and the young Phil Dunn, but it'll likely spiral into the trade deadline. Kathryn Riggins, Carla McInnis, Killian O'Mally, and maybe even twentysomethings like Rebecca Saunders might be deemed too good right now to fit into the team's strategy. Of course, there's still room to maneuver - a strong start to the season could result in the Dynamo, who do still have a few win-now players, changing course. But with the Vipers and Athletics set up to rule the SLL North for the foreseeable future, Denison can only hope that the race to the bottom won't be as competitive this year.

MOST ALL-IN: NEW LLAMA WIZARDS



The Wizards' five best players last season, by WAR: Kelsie Carmichael, Kai Söderstrom, Joe Gregory, Summer Huang, and George Ducat. Their ages when the season after this kicks off? 34, 33, 30, 34, and 31, respectively. It's pretty clear that this core has precious little time to waste in their pursuit of a first LPB trophy to go with their final President's Cup, won over Nikcoro the season before the LPB was formed. Of course, the good news is that they're already in great position to do so. Gregory, Huang, Ducat, young slugger Vincent Valtrone, and veteran outfielder Victoria Irving (acquired by trading malcontent pitcher Cedric Wei) form one of the best top-to-bottom lineups in the league. Huang in particular has continued to put up superstar numbers en route to back-to-back MVPs thanks to her doubles power, elite on-base percentage, and defense.

The pitching is also a strength, although the back of the rotation is somewhat thin. Carmichael, Söderstrom, and Delaclav ace Bedin Egozhevy form a top three that can go against anybody else's on short rest in a playoff series, although an injury to one of them could prove disastrous. And with the addition of Chromatik Vette Beux to a bullpen that already had three NT relievers (Quodite Jan Scherer and Llamaneans Sam Vandenberg and Courtney Mikkelson), opposing teams would do well to take the lead in the first six innings - because it's likely the only chance they'll get. In other words, with a lineup of big-game players, a stacked top of the rotation, and a shutdown bullpen, this is a team built to go deep into the playoffs. And they've already taken some preventative measures to build for the future, including dealing for Malidridad's (likely top-10) pick this season. But if they don't win it all this season, the future will start to look bleak for the core that briefly became New Llama's biggest team.

[Banija]

Banija takes commanding 2-0 series lead behind a pair of quality starts from the pitchers at the top of their starting rotation


Banijan during Game 1 against Kohnhead

ARLINGTON, ZWANGZUG- The Banijans stayed in Arlington to take on Kohnhead. While the Banijans played a bunch of heart stopping games to beat Murderbum in four, Kohnhead came off of a dominating sweep of their opponents, sweeping them aside in 3 games. It makes for an enticing series, does it not? With Banija's bullpen combining for 21 innings across games 3 and 4, Isaac Oladipo will be looking for his starters to log serious innings against the Pandas. This would mark the 9th consecutive Classic where Banija reached the Round of 16. With neither Cassadiagua nor Nova Anglicana having reached this stage, this stands as the active record for consecutive Ro16 appearances. And we will be competing for a spot in our second straight quarterfinals, as we have played in 7 of the last 8 WBC Quarterfinals, and are looking to make it 8 out of 9.

No Nova Anglicana, no Cassadaigua... Does this mean the world is forced to acknowledge Banija's place as a baseball blue blood?

Without further ado.

Game 1

With Ramata Kabba on the mound, Isaac Oladipo was looking for his starter to come in and have a dominant start. And that is exactly what happened here. She came out firing from the beginning of the game, not allowing a baserunner until a 1 out hit in the third inning. But she was using a lot of pitches, as her command wasn't quite as much with her as one would have wanted it to be. While she did allow a 2 run blast in the top of the fourth, she was otherwise excellent. She was able to keep the Pandas off balance, and although she allowed definitely her fair share of base runners throughout much of the game's middle innings, Oladipo placed his faith in her to work her way out of jams- and she did so. She obviously allowed a 2 run blast in the fourth. But she stranded 2 runners in the fourth, and a man on 3rd in the fifth. She got herself into a bases loaded, one out jam in the sixth, and when Oladipo came to fetch her off the mound, she convinced him to let her stay in. She struck out the side to end that inning, leaving em loaded.

The type of outing you want from your ace, right? It took 107 pitches, but only allowing 2 earned runs across six innings is absolutely the way to go. But what about the Banijan offense? A Malik Solely two run home run in the bottom of the fourth got things started for the Banijans, who would be in a good rhythm with their bats for the rest of the game. A solo home run by Ugonna Akachi in the fifth to give the Banijans the lead. A RBI double by Joanna Adoyo in the bottom of the sixth to give the Banijans a 4-2 lead. In the top of the 7th, Banija's middle relievers struggled, as it took Mizpah Askari, Arad Akech, and Lwazi Fassie to work through the inning. Somehow, they only allowed one run. So in a 4-3 game, with the pressure on? Back to back doubles by Malik Solely and Luxolo Mbeki to get a 5th run on the board. And then, bottom of the 8th, a solo shot by Cedron Aloo to make it 6-3.

Our setup man, Oyella Lagum, had a perfect 1-2-3 8th inning. And in the 9th? We turned to our closer, Yoro Coulibaly. Remember, he got tagged for three runs in an effort where he blew the save in Game 4 of the last series. An extremely poor outing, but- we're not gonna go deep in this tournament without a closer, right? But Coulibaly struggled here as well. Allowing a leadoff triple did not help things. He forced two pop ups after that, but then almost blew another save. A single brought the first run home. Another single put runners on the corners. Yet another single brought another run home, and meant that runners were on the corners again. Oladipo didn't even look to the pen- you've got to trust your closer eventually, right? And then Kohnhead's final batter his a deep flyout, all the way to the warning track. By the very skin of our teeth, a tight 6-5 victory for team Banija. But worries over our closer, normally the only trustworthy part of the bullpen, were not assuaged- in fact, those worries were deepened.

Game 2

Faraba Conateh took the mound in game 2, looking to pitch the Banijans to a commanding 2-0 series lead. And this time out, for the first time in what seems like a while, it would be the Banijans who would jump out to a hot start. Leave it to the superstar to get the team on the board first, right? Malik Solely hit a solo home run to make it 1-0 after the bottom of the first, which gave Faraba Conateh a little bit of breathing room. And then, we decided to give him even more breathing room in the 3rd. Our #9 hitter and center fielder, Joanna Adoyo, led off the third inning with a single. Bringing it back to the top of the order, Calata also was able to get on base with a single. First and second, nobody out? The chance for a big inning here.

Oneko struck out, but then the heart of the order was coming up for Banija with men on base. Malik Solely, who had already homered in the first, drove home his second run of the day by hitting a ground rule double into the gap in right-center that brought Adoyo home. The DH, Luxolo Mbeki, ripped a single over the first baseman's head into right field. It brought Calata home jogging, and since Kohnhead's right fielder got a great jump on the ball, Solely was held at third base. And then, of course, Nyaniso Hani got all of a ball at the plate. He hit a high and looping fly ball to straight away center, backing the center fielder all the way up to the warning track. It was caught on the track for the second out of the inning, but it was more than deep enough for Solely to tag up and score on the sac fly. That gave each of Banija's 3-4-5 hitters a RBI during the inning, and after the third, it was 4-0.

That was more than enough cushion for Conateh to operate as Banija's starter. He pitched his way into a bases loaded, no out jam in the fourth. But he pitched his way out of it. He induced a 6-4-3 double play straight up the middle of the defense. If the bats hadn't given him a four run lead, maybe they'd go to the plate, but in this situation, with the score, you always take the outs. The double play was great, as he struck out the remaining batter in the inning to limit the damage to one run. A RBI double in the bottom of the fourth by the catcher, Anathi Zimema, gave us a 5-1 lead, and that was all Conateh needed. Besides a particularly poor meatball left over the heart of the plate that was smashed for a home run, Conateh aimed to finish the game strong, and he did just that. He got through seven strong innings, allowing just those two earned runs, and leaving the game in line for a win.

In a rather surprising move, it would be Naiser Ibeamaka who would pitch the 8th, and then our setup man, Oyella Lagum, who would pitch the 9th. A controversial decision, for sure. But for Isaac Oladipo, he still professed his faith in his usual closer, Yoro Coulibaly. "We have an excellent veteran closer in Coulibaly, and sometimes, especially with bullpen pitchers, you lose your command for a little bit. He's an integral part of our team, and we're going to need him if we want to show the world that we truly belong at the top of the global game. He's 37, he's seen it all. I gave him the day off because I wanted for him to get a chance to just have a break. Be a bit more relaxed, think things through a little, and get a chance to get back into things. He'll be back for Game 3, and if the game situation allows for it, we're gonna get him in in Game 3 for sure."

With the Banijans up 2-0, the pitching matchups are set for games 3 and 4. Xolile Gola will take the mound for game 3, and then Ava Odoyo will pitch game 4. Both pitchers didn't even last two innings against Murderbum. With Gola on the mound first, Oladipo said that it was important that they recovered. "For starters, too, sometimes bad starts happen." Oladipo told reporters. "It's not ideal for them to happen in a short series, of course. But they happen to everybody. We won the last series anyways- so now, that's the past. It's forgotten. I expect Xolile Gola to forget about that, and for her to attack Kohnhead's batters with the same confidence that she always has when she takes the mound."

[Ranoria]

@VickHamiltonReporter The Sherpa Empire have kept it closer than Gortolekua, but the Krauts still have a 2-0 series lead. Chromatika and Kriegiersien each have a 1 run win against the other - with Ranoria the favorite to advance on the other side of the region, which team is looking to be the Krauts' next opponent? #GoKrauts #Playoffs

@KrautsBaseball Ranoria takes a 2-0 series lead in dominant fashion with a 10-4 win over the Sherpa Empire. Can They complete their second straight sweep? #Krauts #Playoffs #WBC54

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How Times Have Changed:
Upstart Krauts Push 7^th Ranked Sherpa Empire To The Brink In Bid To Make Quarterfinals


Ranoria has lost no steam from their 5-0 start to the season - their overall record now sits at a lofty 14-1

Last time these two teams met, they were as evenly matched as any playoff series of WBC 50. It was incredibly suspenseful duel that ended in one of the most game-changing wins in all Ranorian international sporting ventures. This time, the best Krauts team in history took the bull by the horns and is on the verge of wresting it to the ground. And they are now indisputably the best. Go off of winning percentage, their first finish atop a group, highest playoff seeding, first playoff sweep, and now first wins in the Round of 16, this team is breaking all kinds of barriers as they continue to make a splash in this Classic. Hell, with five straight wins to start the playoffs - just like they had in the regular season - they've won nine straight now and their overall record sits at an impeccable 14-1.

The first game was a tightly contested one, with Brady Behringer closing out the ninth inning to secure a 6-4 win that set the tone for what looked to be another drawn-out battle between these two squads.

In the second go round, our lineup was hot from lead-off Nicholas Lux to Judas Acker bringing up the rear, hanging a nice 10 runs on their opponents in Eastridge Park. As much as many an enthusiastic fan may boast of securing our second straight sweep, the team seems more cautious.

"It's nice to have that cushion," said Nicholas Lux, a former Quebec Baseball Organization MVP. He'd go on to cite their relatively recent WBC 49 title, which came in Ranoria's first season of its current six straight WBC entries. "Can't let our guard down though, this is a team with a championship pedigree and they won't go down without a fight."

"We've got to try and close it out in game three," added four-time Federation of Ranorian Baseball MVP Leonardo Harrison, "We got two wins early, can't let them up for air. The second they think they have some life, they'll make sure to stay that way."

And finally, a one time Federation MVP, Jesse Griffith got his two cents in, "I've improved a lot since last time I played them, it was a long time ago now - but this is probably the best team we've faced this season, right up there with Zwangzug. Mentally exhausting to stay as locked in as you have to throughout an entire game to keep up with the Sherpas."

So take it from some of the most talented players Ranoria has ever produced, if there was ever a team to say "I didn't hear no bell," and find a way to come back and win, it'd be the former champion Sherpas. Even if Ranoria pulls off a miracle and sweeps the closest thing they have to a rival in this sport, any avid baseball fan will acknowledge some measure of good fortune - or the guiding hand of fate for the more spiritual - had to do with those results. These Krauts are making waves en route to break through to the quarterfinals for the first time...can they close the deal?

[Kriegiersien]

The meat lover
Your magazine for good cuisine

WBC 54.
After beating Mylderm 3-2 in the last match and in the series, the Olympic champion went on into the semifinal (2^2) of the Southeast Division. Another success after a Kriegiersien team reached the third place of the IBS XVI.

Kriegiersien           0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 1  3
Mylderm                2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  2

That was celebrated with some leftover desert.

But now a real Topteam awaits again.

Chromatika              3 2 1 0 2 2 0 0 0 10
Kriegiersien            1 0 4 1 0 0 0 1 2  9

Chromatika              4 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0  5
Kriegiersien            0 0 0 1 4 0 0 0 1  6

It is now 1-1.

After the two teams met already in the group stage, there was a repetition of the meal the Kriegiersien team had after the last match.

Squirrel on stick, this time filled with whiskey.


For the main course something new is needed. The booze seemed to have been half the battle.

[TJUN-ia]

Ah yes, South Newlandia - a nation we in TJUN-ia certainly like a lot. It has brought us a lot of good in our time here from the appreciation of the Elephant they hold dear to the racing teddy bear known as Robin Dragonovic. But if TJUN-ia has anything against SNL, it would be Sofia Rasmussen's Baseball Team, the #1 ranked team in all of baseball who absolutely took us down 3-1 on route to the final series two years ago. Now, Elephants and Battin' Jags must face off once more and so now it's all about revenge. Can we get some?

Game 1
Chris Harris vs Ryan Hunter, for good ol' times sake, and this game would certainly be a bit of a tight one. Runs would be scored towards the beginning and the end but other than that, it was just a good pitching performance by both men. Unfortunately for us, all of the runs tonight would be scored by Elephants...and that's fair enough with the DH in play. Mike Larsen would start things off in the 1st with a bomb and then Malika Bains added 2 more...simple as that.

Game 2
WTF can I say about this game? No seriously, WTF can I say?! It was just supposed to be Davis Johnson vs Ben Gonzalo, that's all...but instead, it turned into a 23-run festival of baseball where things certainly changed at every turn:

END 1: TJU 6, SNL 2
END 5: TJU 7, SNL 5
END 6: TJU 9, SNL 11
END 8: TJU 9, SNL 13
F: TJU 10, SNL 13

We once had a 7-2 lead but that got turned on its head in an instant...a perfect encapsulation of how TJUN-ian Baseball is currently in the middle of a sunset. 2-0 down once more...do we have any hope? At least if we fall again, it will be to a nation that certainly deserves it. GO JAGS!

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Round of 16 vs South Newlandia (1/#2/9-1/1st in G1) @Aganath Stadium, Belpub, Zwangzug
G1: L 0-3 (0-1)
G2: L 10-13 (0-1)
G3:
G4:
G5: