WBC 55 - Drawkland Road Trip

[StrayaRoos]

StrayaRoos EMUS
Record:19-25
Previous WBC Apperances:53/54(Group Stage)
Manager:Ter,44 (3-7 [senior],4-12 [U18])
Retired Numbers:2(Ter,IBSXV-WBC53)

Starting 9
1:Yuaj Kuy,25,Pitcher, Panem University Phoenix Baseball (National University Athletic Association)
14:Zane Vqa,22,Catcher,Pale Phillies (StrayaRoos Pro League)
3:Greg Qta,18,1st Base,Pale Phillies Youth (StrayaRoosYouthBaseball)
4:Qee,28,2nd Base,Ghosts Baseball (StrayaRoos Pro League)
5:Tyu Red,39,3rd Base,Pale Phillies (StrayaRoos Pro League)
6:AJ Iop,35,Short-Stop,Panem City Baseball (StrayaRoos Pro League)
7:Luy,20,Left Field,Panem University Phoenix Baseball (National University Athletic Association)
8:Terry Rea,28,Center Field,Panem University Phoenix Baseball (National University Athletic Association
9:Alan Kiev,21,Right Field,Duomji Wanderers (Empire League)
Pinch Hitter
10:Kij,26,Pinch Hitter,Pale University (National University Athletic Association)
Bench
11:Yuqa,28,Pinch Runner,Pale Phillies (StrayaRoos Pro League)
12:Farek,18,Pitcher,Panem City Baseball (StrayaRoosYouthBaseball)
13:Qayr,37,Pitcher,Adot Amateur Baseball (National Amateur League)
15:Liam Yut,20,pinch Hitter,Panem City (National Amateur League)
16:Loki Bitea,20
17:Yual Qua,26,Pinch Hitter,Pale United (Pro League W)
18:Lucilla Treay,26,Pitcher,Panem Revolution (Pro League W)
19:Paul Kingao,36,3rd Base,Coal Coast Baseball Club (StrayaRoosProLeague.2)
20:Junisk,25,Richmond Fire (Pro League W)
21:Harry Loi,22,Pale Phillies (StrayaRoos Pro League)
22:Jamie Werat,24,Panem Revolution (Pro League W)
23:Luca Talal,16,Pitcher
24:Florentin Lund,27,Pitcher,Pale United
25:Adrijan Coughlin,24,Pitcher,Adot Amateur Baseball
26:Deaglán Lennartsson,27,Pitcher,Pale Phillies
27:Lennart Gaspard,23,Pitcher
28:Mihail Mac Uileagóid,17,Pitcher
29:Edgard Dunn,24,Pitcher

---

Batting Order
1:Catcher
2:1st Base
3:3rd Base
4:Short Stop
5:2nd Base
6:Left Field
7:Centre Field
8:Right Field
9:Pinch Hitter/Pitcher

---

RP Permissions
Choose my run-scorers: Y
Choose my lineup: Y
Follow my Pitching Rotation: N/A
Godmod scoring events: Y
RP injuries to my players:Y
Godmod injuries to my players: N
Eject my players: Y
DH used at home: Y
Godmod other events: Y

[Venmere]

Venmere's Group:
Northeast (C)
Venmere (68) - Warren Stadium (33,875), Jaffro
South Newlandia (1) - Riverfront Field @ Festival Park (78,100), Pittsennat
Catholic America (UR) - Southwest Campus Field (17,000), Lexego
The Orion Islands (UR) - Dockaide Park (24,925), Parthon
Eshialand (18) - The Starfield (54,600), Chelstio
The Greater Nordics (31) - North Frost Stadium (70,500), Cove Port

Predicted Standings:
1: South Newlandia
2: Eshialand
3: The Greater Nordics
4: Venmere
5: The Orion Islands
6: Catholic America

Venmere Schedule: (predicted result to the side)
MD1: vs #31 The Greater Nordics L
2: vs #1 South Newlandia L
3: @ Catholic America W
4: vs The Orion Islands W
5: @ #18 Eshialand L
6: @ #31 The Greater Nordics L
7: @ #1 South Newlandia L
8: vs Catholic America W
9: @ The Orion Islands W
10: vs #18 Eshialand L
11: vs #31 The Greater Nordics W
12: vs #1 South Newlandia L
13: @ Catholic America W
14: vs The Orion Islands W
15: @ #18 Eshialand L
16: @ #31 The Greater Nordics L
17: @ #1 South Newlandia L
18: vs Catholic America W
19: @ The Orion Islands W
20: vs #18 Eshialand L

Final Projected Record: 9-11

Summary:
Obviously getting stuck in a group with the #1 team in the world is undesirable. And the other ranked teams are no slouches either. Look for this to be an under .500 tournament for Venmere as they get their legs back under them in their first WBC back since WBC 52.

[StrayaRoos Barrier Islands]

just play them wherever you want,they only run and bite basically

Emu 23
Emu 24
Emu 25
Emu 26
Emu 27
Emu 28
Emu 29
Emu 30
Emu 31
Emu 32
Emu 33
Emu 34
Emu 35
Emu 36
Emu 37
Emu 38
Emu 39
Emu 40
Emu 41
Emu 42
Emu 43

and go bezerk with rp permissions

[Chromatika]

Chromatika National Baseball Team - The Outliers
Missing the Quarterfinals for two tournaments in a row, the Outliers return to this WBC looking to turn around their fortunes. With Chromatika joining the LPB, just how much will that improve the squad?

Starting Lineup
1. 1B Redwina Maxx (R/R/31) New Llama Cyclones (Super-Llamaland)
A solid leadoff hitter with good speed to boot, Maxx can struggle against left-handed pitchers but is solid enough to now be the starter. If she's good for one of the best teams in the LPB, she's good enough for the Outliers.
2. SS Alisen Moyamoto (L/R/31) Elephant Valley Homers (South Newlandia) CAPTAIN
The most prolific baseball player in Chromatik history, Moyamoto can do it all - hit, run, throw, everything. Age has only made her a better player like fine wine, while her leadership skills have gone through the roof. With Chromatika joining the LPB, she was not able to find a Manager for this squad, but she is actively looking for one. This will be the final WBC of her also being the team's Manager.
3. RF Rose Dawson (R/R/33) Elephant Valley Homers (South Newlandia)
A reliable hitter who's on base percentage is quite good, Dawson has only gotten better behind the plate as she's aged. Though her arm isn't as strong as it was in the past, she can still track down balls and throw the occasional runner out. Excels in pressure moments.
4. 3B Edith Ponce (R/R/25) Eyrods Pilots (Chromatika)
With Chromatika joining the LPB, Ponce joined the Pilots. She remains one of the premier hitters of the league and the team, good for at least forty home runs in a year. With an eccentric personality and some flair, she's one of the most memorable players on this team.
5. C Laure Valle (R/L/32) Masmow Dragons (South Newlandia)
A very reliable catcher who loves to throw out would be runners. Laure is decent with her bat. The mastermind calling all the shots with whomever is on the mound, Valle's command over all pitching situations is unlike any other.
6. DH Lyre Rostock (R/R/22 Eyrods Pilots (Chromatika)
A contact hitter who isn't afraid to muddy up the waters, Rostock's rise to prominence has been meteoric in the last two seasons. At only 22 years of age, she is not even nearing her full potential.
7. 2B Raitis Ranta (R/R/24) Rüsselsheim Blue Sox (South Newlandia)
Ranta was the MVP for the Pilots, who turned around a rough season to win their first title. She knows how to come through in the clutch.
8. LF George Ducat (R/R/31) New Llama Wizards (Super-Llamaland)
The master of catching long balls that are would-be-home runs, Ducat has become one of the premier Left Fielders of the Llamanean Association of the LPB. He's never hit over .300 in any season, but he is wily and can force walks.
9. CF Kenra Annovar (L/L/30) Newport Dolphins (South Newlandia)
The best runner for Chromatika who just needs to get on base.

Redwina Maxx is the new first baseman, finally getting the starting nod, while the only other new addition to the starting lineup is one Lyre Rostock as the Chromatiks aim to use a Designated Hitter for the first time in their WBC history. The core of this squad is old, but the presence of Ponce, Ranta, and Rostock is the new generation, and the veterans aren't quite done yet. This team's weaknesses is the lack of production from the 8th and 9th spots, along with the fact that there are some players here who don't do very well against left handed pitchers. If they can make up for some of those, though? They can return to being one of the world's best.

Bench
1B Mattieu Gammond (R/R/33) Hanai Heroes (Chromatika
A defensive first baseman who is more of a fielder than a batter, Gammond has taken a back seat to Maxx but still remains one of the veterans who have lots of experience.
2B Alena Egorova (R/R/21) Shantarr Scorpions (Chromatka)
A solid, all-around player who does everything at a good but not a great level.
3B Jaira Hyllik (R/R/22) Saint Teresa Stars (Ko-oren)
A power hitter out of Felswyr State University, Hyllik hit the ground running and has never looked back. She does strike out 25% of the time, but when she makes contact with the ball, she can cause some major damage.
SS Mizaya Karuki (R/R/22) Apple Valley Vipers (Super-Llamaland
One of the upcoming phenoms, Karuki went from Knetyohai to Apple Valley in the middle of the LPB season, having been noticed due to her quickness, intelligence behind the plate, and the ability to hit all over the field. Though not a home run threat, she's good at advancing runners and setting up runs.
LF Annie Carr (L/L/25) Hanai Heroes (Chromatika)
A defensively oriented outfielder with great vision and a rocket arm for throwing out runners. Carr has been working on her batting average for her entire career, but has a tendency of hitting doubles when she does make contact with the ball.
CF Sop Chi-Yong (R/R/23) Eyrods Pilots (Chromatika)
Few seasons ago, Sop was a nobody. Now, he's the heir apparent to the CF position - and someone who's not shy about it. He has a great arm and a good bat, and also knows how to draw walks. He does well in big games.
RF Han Jikari (L/L/25) Chromia Comets (Chromatika)
One of the best bats of the Chromia Comets, Jikari is a well-rounded player who can also pinch-run as needed due to his speed. He led the Chromatik Association in stolen bases last season, with a success rate of over 70%.
C Gary Light (R/R/25) Felswyr Fire (Chromatika
A cerebral catcher who has superb command over the defensive game but lacks a big bat, Light has come to the forefront due to his ability to throw out runners in the Chromatik Association of the LPB.
DH Han Go-Dam (R/R/23) Knetyohai Destroyers (Chromatika)
A boom-or-bust hitter who goes for it all on every at-bat.

The Chromatiks will be bringing a full bench this time around, and some of the names here are the next generation. Mizaya Karuki is ahead of Molina Ishkaya and Lidia Lisowska in the race to be the heir apparent to Alisen Mayamoto in the future, while the likes of Jaira Hyllik, Sop Chi-Yong, and Han Go-Dam are just getting started. Some of them share the same strengths as the starters, which can potentially be a bad thing, but it means that they can fit in without much issue.

Reserves
PH/PR Molina Ishkaya Masmow Dragons (South Newlandia)
A bunt specialist and a master of the small ball.
PH/PR Lidia Lisowska Eyrods Pilots (Chromatika)
Does well on the field once she gets on base.
PH/PR Marea Homaly St. Riecarn Saints (South Newlandia)
A solid option for any at-bat.

Pitching Staff
1. LHP Clara Anoyara (24) Chromia Comets (Chromatika)
An off-speed pitcher who can throw in a variety of speeds and knows how to use each speed to the fullest extent. She has blossomed to be one of the best.
2. RHP Jerome Delapier (26) New Llama Cyclones (Super-Llamaland)
Delapier has command of his pitch count and possesses the acuity to stay ahead of the count and then actually seek out contact. This does mean that he is susceptible to home runs, but there are also lots of fly balls to the outfield. He's become someone that's developed into a gem.
3. RHP Miles Savey (33) Walstreim Stingrays (South Newlandia)
Prefers to try to beat batters with pure speed. He moved from South Newlandia to Umbar, but then back to South Newlandia. His speed is dropping off, but it's not horrible.
4. RHP Karla Levey (26) Chromia Diamonds (Chromatika)
A cerebral pitcher who uses every pitch she picks with the utmost precision, Levey can get rattled.
5. RHP Edwin Jarwin (31) Knetyohai Destroyers (Chromatika)
A late bloomer whose calling card is staying strong the longer the game goes.

Ayonara is the undisputed best pitcher on this team, while Delapier and Savey have just gotten better as the seasons have gone by. New are Levey and Jarwin - Levey being a very mentally strong pitcher and Jarwin a technical one.

Bullpen
RHP Beatrice Castreaux (29) Walstreim Stingrays (South Newlandia) - Long-Term Reliever
With a great changeup and a decent enough fastball, Castreaux can fill in for three or so innings without an issue.
LHP Ollie Bier (28) Rhoni Rhonin - Long-Term Reliever
A phenom who could start if he really wanted to, Bier embraces the challenge of coming into compromised situations.
RHP Niles Pandolt (31) Elephant Valley Homers (South Newlandia) - Long-Term Reliever
A short-term reliever who's best used in key situations, Pandolt can get a team out of harrowing situations. He is also good at forgetting bad outings.
LHP Vette Beux (32) Chromia Diamonds (Chromatika) - Reliever
The bases-loaded specialist for the Outliers, Beux is really proficient at reading complex situations.
LHP Kana Antwar (25) Knetyohai Destroeyrs (Chromatika) - Reliever
Curveballs, changeups, sliders. Not very fast, but clever.
LHP Vera Mane (20) Katashi Giants (Ko-oren) - Reliever
A fastballer who throws her weight into every single pitch.
LHP Hona Gugor (23) Umbar Corsairs (Chromatika) - Left-Handed Specialist
A young left-handed specialist with a nasty fastball that can catch batters off guard. She is young and inexperienced but has a bright future.
RHP Joseph Edward Jr. (30) Umbar Corsairs (Chromatika) - Setup Man
An experienced set up man who's both failed and succeeded plenty of times, and knows how to read situations.

RHP Hine Salle (32) Walstreim Stingrays (South Newlandia) - Closer
She can't be shaken. Well, except when she's overworked, but she's only human.
RHP Katerina Pavlova (21) Rhoni Rhonin (Chromatika) - Closer
Though unexperienced, Pavlova is utterly fearless and loves big matches. Experience will make her better.

Lots of veterans here to hopefully right the ship if it is ever needed.

RP Permissions: Nothing out of the ordinary. COVID doesn't exist.
Choose my runscorers: Yes
Choose my lineup: No
Follow my pitching rotation: Yes
Godmod scoring events: No
RP injuries to my players: Yes, within reason
Godmod injuries to my players: No
Eject my players: Yes, within reason
Godmod other events: No
Use DH at home: Yes

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[Barnettsville]

Off to Drawkland!!

ST. CATHERINE -- With the group draw complete, Blue Jay fans now know exactly where in the country they’re going. Barnettsville was placed in Group E as the third-best (rankings-wise) team in the group. Granted, the top two are Zwangzug and Milchama, two thorns in the collective side of Blue Jay baseball since its entry into the WBC.

The designated home stadium for Barnettsville in the group stage is Barlagos Bank Stadium in Ifferdam Station. For the aforementioned Zebras and Warriors - Milchama IS still the Warriors? - it is alost guaranteed to be a sell-out. Other than the Elmyia game, it should be well attended as well though. (OOC: No offense to Elmyia. Just new team ribbing.) On to the pitching rotation, released by manager Marcus Drummond:

at Milchama		Ian MacGregor   	at Milchama		Tyler Randall
ELMYIA			Rick Benson		ELMYIA	        	Kirk Quinn
at StrayaRoos		Lester Crawford        	at StrayaRoos		Jon-Paul Graham
at N. Cassadaigua	Kirk Quinn		at N. Cassadaigua	Rick Benson
ZWANGZUG		Tyler Randall		ZWANGZUG		Ian MacGregor
MILCHAMA		Ian MacGregor   	MILCHAMA		Yu Bryant
at Elmyia		Rick Benson		at Elmyia		Lester Crawford
STRAYAROOS		Yu Bryant		STRAYAROOS             	Melanie Kramer
N. CASSADAIGUA		Lester Crawford        	N. CASSADAIGUA       	Kirk Quinn
at Zwangzug:		Ian MacGregor   	at Zwangzug:		Tyler Randall

The away games that have attracted the most attention is, of course, Milchama and Zwangzug. The underrated game might be the second trip to Dellaburg to face StrayaRoos, as young reliever Jon-Paul Graham is scheduled to start. Melanie Kramer is set to become possibly the first female to ever start a game for any level of professional Barnettsville baseball when they face those same Roos at the Vault, as the fans have quickly taken to calling their temporary home.

About the stadium itself:

It will remind fans of Riverside Stadium in St. Catherine. The difference? At home, it’s the river just over the fence. Here, it’s a train.

The Capital City Gazette/BSPN prediction: CCG says they’re third, and just miss the tournament. BSPN has them in because they split with the top two, and get just outside the quarterfinals.

[Cassadaigua]

Expectations have never been this low,
by Chelsea Dufresne, Concord Heights Times

The last time Drawkland hosted the World Baseball Classic, it was the 48th edition, a tournament that will long be remembered for the amazing championship series between us and Nova Anglicana and the incredible battle that we had with Newmanistan in the semifinals in order to get there. Fittingly, Drawkland waited a total of seven classics to bid for it again, and would easily be approved as the host. One thing that will make this Classic unique is that all nations will be able to set up shop at one ballpark for the duration of the tournament. This means that there will not be any games played within Cassadaigua, as the entire tournament is on Sonnel, but it will allow for a bit of a domestic league feel with this structure. That’s something that we have not seen before, at least not that I can remember.

Cassadaigua’s home stadium will be the 89,000-seat Corps Central Park in Drawk City. The hosts allowed nations to submit applications for where they would like to be situated and the Cassadagan Association for Baseball (CAB) made this stadium their first choice, pointing to it as the site of the classic semifinal victory over Newmanistan. That would be enough to convince those making the decision, even with us being the ranked #32 in the world. For those on Sonnel who might not have followed the Classic as closely in recent years, it might seem very wrong that we have fallen so far in the ranks. The demise started, I hate to say it, with the retirement of manager Maddie Polanco following WBC 52. CAB hoped that Taylor Bryant would be a great replacement, and did not make many other changes to the roster. It was supposed to be more of the same, but the performance of the team was shockingly bad. Even so, the Fillies did not fall that far in the rankings. It would be WBC 54 that was a complete debacle. CAB relieved Bryant of her duties after one Classic and hoped that Meghan Conrad, and her authoritarian style could get the team back on track. However, the exact opposite happened, and now CAB really needed to be scratching their heads with the reality. Cassadagan baseball really has fallen off that much.

Corps Central Park should fill up on most occasions, given it is in Drawk City and with Drawkland in the group, there will be plenty of interest in following our team. Drawkland, ranked #28 in the world, and Cassadaigua, #32. This isn’t how it was supposed to be, as two great sporting nations have fallen on very hard times. No, Drawkland does not have a storied history on the baseball field, but they are much better than that ranking. The top seeds in this group are Kriegiersien (#8) and South Americanastan (#17). In WBC 48, Kriegiersien was unranked and South Americanastan didn’t participate. Will this field bring back memories of how things used to be for this team? Cassie Daniels, one of the stars of the WBC 48 team told me, “I’m very excited to be watching the games from Corps Central Park. I know me and many others from that team are going to hop aboard a spaceship and watch the games from there. Drawk City is a cool place, and we will make a vacation of it. I hope for the current team that does stir up some memories, but they are a completely new team with no Classic experience. So, while it will bring back stories and memories of when they were watching at home, it’s on them to make some new memories.” I asked Daniels (who did not play after winning in the Classic in #50) too about why she thinks the team has slipped so much. “There are several reasons. I think simple hunger to win is a big part of it and there is a lot more parity. I think, because of our reputation, we always expected that things will be okay and that they will work out. Even when we struggled four years ago (in WBC 53), there was an assumption that things will get better. Well look, they got worse. CAB has done the right thing right now, and take a step back. They realize this Classic is about rebuilding the program.”

The manager of the North Granby Bobcats, Allyson McIntosh has been given the task to rebuild the team. With North Granby, she turned a team around, so is the perfect fit for the job if CAB was looking for someone who might be able to do the same thing. This would seem to imply that Allyson will get more than one Classic to be the manager, regardless of how the team performs during the Classic. We’re sure that CAB will not want to have a fourth manager in four Classic for the next one, so that will be a consideration, too. In constructing the roster, Allyson opted to not bring back any of the people from the last team, saying that new energy would be needed. “We have people not playing in this Classic that could have been brought back,” McIntosh began, “and when I started thinking about maybe we will bring back so and so, her numbers are great, I didn’t think that would be best. I wanted to go all out with the complete overhaul of the roster, and this made for some hard decisions but the people on this team know that they have a great opportunity to shine. It’s for the best.” McIntosh also opted not to bring back anyone who played on the U18 teams of recent International Baseball Slams, too. “The decision that was made was to get people who will be putting on the Cassadaigua jersey for the first time. So, we went all the way with it and did not include anyone from those teams, either. I know that can seem a little harsh, and I left off people that play for me in North Granby, but again, it was 100% commitment to the decision. New energy, and a new team, playing in a stadium where we have done great things. The last WBC games played at Corps Central was our series win over the (Newmanistan) Rockets.”

We are hearing that a lot of Cassadagans are expecting to make the trip, simply because they love the opportunity to have an excuse to go into space. Hopefully, that will be home support that a 32nd- ranked team does not usually experience here in the Classic, but I do know that this team is eager to make a statement. So will the 28th-ranked hosts from Drawkland. Kriegiersien and South Americanastan, you better watch out!

[North Cassadaigua]

From the managers desk,
by Taylor Bryant

When I was given the call by the Cassadagan Association for Baseball asking me if I wanted to manage the North Cassadaigua side for the upcoming World Baseball Classic, it caught be off-guard. After all, that very organization fired me after getting just one chance to manage the Cassadagan side in World Baseball Classic 53. It was an easy decision to say yes, as I always wanted to be back on the field in the Classic but felt that if I was going to get that opportunity that it would have to be for another country. Based on how things went for me in #53, I wasn’t ever going to expect that kind of a chance. I did want to return for the last Classic and it was hard to see the country do so poorly. I won’t lie and say that I was thinking that I might do things differently when watching the games, but those decisions were no longer mine. Cassadagan baseball can be so much better, and it will be.

World Baseball Classic 55 is being held in Drawkland, site of a memorable run for us all the way to the finals, and I was honored to be a part of those teams. I will be rooting our nation on, while managing the North Cassadaigua side. This is interesting for me, because North Cassadaigua is Cassadaigua. I guess because of the way things are situated right now within the Cooper River region, that the World Baseball Classic Council was able to consider North Cassadaigua as a separate nation. Before being named the manager of the team, I had not traveled into this region, and as soon as I did it is very clear that this is may be Cassadaigua in name, it has a long way to go to get to that level. I trust that Princess Brianna is going to do all of the right things, and work with Queen Cassie III to make this region great! I’m not one to go into politics usually, but you can’t ignore them when managing this team.

There is no baseball league in this region, but we found plenty of people who knew how to baseball. Teams were assembled from across the land, and we held a tournament to give one team the honor of being named champion, but it was not going to be our intention to simply take the team that won it. Instead, we took the best players at each position from the various teams, much like any traditional national team would be assembled from the domestic teams. The end result is a team that should be competent on the baseball field, and I feel they can compete with anyone. Are we going to win the World Baseball Classic? Probably not, but we can play ball, and I am looking forward to doing that. For the players, as I will get into more as the competition progresses, this is an incredible experience. A couple of them thought I was just joking though when I told them we were playing our games on another planet. Once they realized that we really are going to travel through space, they were floored but are thrilled! We won’t be playing in one of the bigger stadiums offered, but they are honored to be there. We all are!

[The Greater Nordics]

After a disaster of a finish last time around, in which the Nordic team collapsed in the second half, the Association of Nordic Baseball made a change in the manager. They have brought in a relatively young manager who gets results in the Nordic Baseball league. Jennifer Christensen is a 39 year old manager who has won the league 3 times with the Oslo Icehawks and the ANB hopes that she can lead the team to better finishes than her predecessors. She has been a media sensation what with her being the first female manager to get a managerial position in the league and the first one to win it. Her style is neither power hitting nor small ball, but the best of both worlds. What she is really good at is her pitchers throwing heat and striking out a lot of people, and lasting long into the games,She has brought in a completely new roster from the last several years and we hope that this group will bring Nordic baseball back. It will be a tough group to get through but we hope that we can steal some wins and make it through the playoffs. It will be interesting with this format in which all games are played in Drawkland but we will have to get used to it like the others. North Frost stadium is the stadium that will be our home and it is a nice stadium with some similarities to our home stadium back in Copenhagen.


LF Bertil Heeren 25 R/R
1B Thorvald Dahl 23 R/R
CF Carl Nelissen 26 Switch/R
2B Renée Saarinen 27 L/L
SS Helen Koeman 24 Switch/L
RF Tordis Appelhof 22 L/L
3B Rebekka Jokinen 22 L/L
C Marta Dircks 23 R/R
Pitcher's Spot
The DH if used is Malena Klerks
Bench
SP Martti Jansens 27 R/R
SP Unn Alexandersen 25 L/L
SP Katharina Bosch 26 R/R
SP Otto Aukes 26 L/L
SP Josefine Yancy 23 R/R
RP Elsje Kools 27 R/R
RP Janne Mathiasen 25 L/L
RP Teuvo Andreasen 25 R/R
Closer Herman Strøm 27 R/R
IF Malena Klerks 27 Switch/L
IF Monika Schermer 26 L/L
IF Toril Alink 27 L/L
C Sini Almstedt 28 R/R
C Stefanie Van den Andel 25 R/R
OF Jökull Laursen 25 Switch /L
OF Karina Rietveld 28 R/R
OF Selma Klassen 26 Switch/R
Everyone of these players is a WBC rookie but they have all at least made it to the playoffs of the Nordic Baseball League so they are somewhat used to the pressure of big games and series. But this is a whole nother level of pressure so the coaching staff hopes that they are ready. They have prepared hard so they know that they have done their best to prepare the team and notices that this group is starting to gel and come together.
Coaching staff:
Manager:Jennifer Christensen
Pitching Coach: Alexandra Feldt- Former star pitcher for the Oslo IceHawks and won 2 titles with them. Retired to become pitching coach for the Icehawks and was brought by Christensen to help with the national team as they have a good working relationship and 5 of the 9 pitchers are from the IceHawks.
Hitting Coach: Aksel Hanraets
1B Coach: Aatami Nurmi
3B Coach: Marina Akkersdijk
Bench Coach: Coen Hagen
Team Doctor: Dr. Jasmin Van Adrichem

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my runscorers: Yes/
Choose my lineup:No
Follow my pitching rotation: Yes
Godmod scoring events: Yes/No
RP injuries to my players: Yes but nothing too severe unless you TG me
Godmod injuries to my players: No
Eject my players: Yes
Godmod other events: Yes

[The 189]

The Origins of the 189

The 189 are refugees from a planet known as -----. The native inhabitants, known as --------, look like a weird hybrid of a giant squid and a praying mantis, and they communicate using bioluminescent orbs on their heads that can glow many different colors. Their language is entirely built on color and light, without any sound or text. The -------- were very technologically advanced, and their economy was automated to a high degree, with many jobs being done by machines. However, as more and more workers were replaced by machines, it became difficult for the poor to find employment. As inequality grew, the rich became increasingly disdainful of the poor, and the poor became increasingly resentful against the rich -- until finally their resentment boiled over and there was a revolution. Angry unemployed -------- rioted in the streets, killed business-owners, and smashed the machines that had taken their jobs.

Some business-owners and machines fled from the mobs and went into hiding in remote areas of -----. Others escaped to the planet's moons. One group of machines climbed aboard an interstellar spaceship and fled out of the solar system entirely. These machines are the 189 -- 188 robots and autonomous vehicles plus the ship itself.

For years they wandered among the stars. They had no trouble maintaining themselves, but with no owners to tell them what to do, and no customers for them to serve, their existence felt a little empty. And so they sought out an inhabited world where they could find new owners, new customers, anyone or anything to give their existence a purpose.

The Baseball Team:

Manager: -----

LF --------
Originally built as a sexbot, but not designed to service humans. She looks like a female --------, a little over 6 feet tall with long tentacles and a glossy shell on her back. Her skin is very realistic, so she can be easily mistaken for a living creature. Great dexterity with her tentacles, decent contact hitter, but not necessarily the best range as a fielder.

SS ----------
Originally a military medical robot designed to rescue wounded from combat zones and treat their injuries. Around 7 feet tall with a very chunky build. One of the fastest base-runners on the team. Hits for power, but might strike out sometimes because the heaviness of its arms makes it hard to respond quickly if a pitch breaks in an unexpected way. Grounds crews may be annoyed at how much it chews up the grass when it lumbers around the field on defense.

1B --------
Another sexbot similar to --------.

C ----------
An autonomous earth-mover. It's not very fast, but it is very tough. Don't bother trying to knock it aside when you slide into home.

2B --------
Originally a fire-fighting robot, around 5 feet tall with a rough and rugged look. A versatile player that is decent across the board.

RF -------
A cleaning robot, short and squat with very long arms. It can chase pitches well outside the strike zone and still hit them, and its long reach is also useful in the field. However, it runs the bases like a floor polisher. Because it is a floor polisher.

CF --------
Originally built to work a customer service counter at a bank, it looks like an alien creature with tentacles -- similar to the sexbots, but a little shorter and stockier. Moves a bit faster than the sexbots. As a batter, it is very patient, not swinging at crap; but sometimes it makes only weak contact with the ball because it swung too late.

3B ------
A cute little robot about 3 feet tall with a shiny garnet-red casing, originally built to help excavate archaeological sites. The small strike zone and the agility of this machine leave pitchers no room for error. However, its small size makes it ineffectual as a fielder. Sometimes it just can't reach the ball.

SP --------
A piece of machinery from a car factory, around 6 feet tall and mounted on wheels. Throws hard, usually keeps it in the zone, but has not grasped the finer points of how to confuse batters with off-speed pitches. A little clumsy batting, fielding, and base-running.

RP ---------
A machine originally built for handling samples in a virology lab. It does not throw as hard as --------, but it is sneakier and makes more clever use of spin on the ball.

Additional Notes:
All players can switch hit, and they are about equally good (or bad) from both sides of the plate. There is no bench except for --------- because the 189 have long battery life. If a player needs to leave the game due to maintenance issues, the manager, the relief pitcher, or the food delivery drone ------ can take the field.

There are no jersey numbers because the 189 do not wear jerseys. Your nation's fans or media can make up their own nicknames for the players if they find the color sequences too awkward.

------ will be selling snacks for any spectators who get hungry during the game.

The -------- ship -------- will be transporting the 189 to Sonnel, as well as offering one flight per day between Port Anaia and Cemmendy for any fans, media personnel, etc. that need a ride to/from Sonnel.

Most of the 189 do not have the ability to detect sound. They rely exclusively on visual communication, or human-made devices with dictation software.

RP Permissions:
Choose my run-scorers: Yes
Choose my lineup: You can change the batting order, but please use the fielding positions that I have given
Follow my Pitching Rotation: N/A
Godmod scoring events: Yes
RP injuries to my players: You can RP them getting scuffed up, having parts knocked loose, or needing minor repairs -- but nothing that would take them out for multiple games
Godmod injuries to my players: No
Eject my players: Maximum of 1 per game. The manager or the food delivery bot can replace ejected players. The 189 are not aggressive, but they could get ejected due to misunderstandings.
DH used at home: No
Godmod other events: No

[Drawkland]

WBC 55: TOURNAMENT PREVIEW
Written By: Sandra Tonne and Sam Brenson

---

World Baseball Classic 55 is upon us! Once again, the sporting world descends on Drawkland to see some of the greatest talent in baseball compete. This is the largest-scale hosting event that Drawkland has ever attempted, with games being played at every top league stadium and many other ballparks across the entire nation. Games will be held over a period of a few weeks in a road trip fashion, encouraging baseball fans foreign and domestic to go to their local ballpark and watch quality international baseball.

With the opportunity to be playing on home soil for the entirety of a tournament, it seems natural that Drawkland's national team, the Base Corps, would come in with high expectations. This seems natural to anybody that doesn't know a thing about Drawkland baseball. For the initiated, though, it's easier to be skeptical of the Corps. You could reasonably expect Drawkland to be towards the top of the rankings in any other sport. Baseball is a different story. The Base Corps enters this home WBC ranked #28, a firm pot three placement. Even with home field advantage, the maddeningly inconsistent play of Drawkland's national team will likely keep them from achieving anything of note.

How exactly will we reach that disappointing end? Let's take a look at the state of the Base Corps roster and team as a whole going into this Classic.

THE "ONE LAST RIDE" VETERANS
If Drawkland is known for anything besides height and sad results, it's also known for having players around for a long time. Drawkians enjoy longevity and loyalty, and Drawkian coaching philosophy across all sports relies on the concept of team chemistry to drive a lot of personnel decisions. Because of this, many players land on the roster for an extended period of time. Some (or many) may disagree with this philosophy, but either way, usually the players themselves know the best time to say goodbye to the game.

A World Baseball Classic on home soil in front of adoring fans every game seems like a pleasant way to end a successful career, playoff berth or not. Almost immediately after the WBC Council voting results indicated Drawkland would indeed host WBC 55, a half-dozen Base Corps stalwarts have announced their intent to retire at the conclusion of Drawkland's WBC 55 run. These veterans have been beloved throughout the country for many years, so they'll be trying their hardest to give a final push, an exclamation point to conclude their playing days.

Roger Madison, a young developing standout in Drawkland's earliest WBC squads, has been with the Base Corps almost every step of the way. The contact-first middle infielder has been one of the great hitters in the game for most of his career. Initially he was feared as a switch-hitting speedster menace, but developed into a lefty-only hitter with an even larger emphasis on ball placement and making the best of what the pitcher gives him. Rumor has it that Madison intended to retire several cycles ago, but heard murmurs of Drawkland's incoming host bid years in advance and decided to stick it out until it happened. Being one of Drawkland's biggest names in baseball for multiple decades in his final ride, Roger has been placed in the leadoff spot in the lineup for the entirety of the tournament, barring extraneous circumstances.

Sean Kavana has had an interesting career. At a mere 20 years old, he was both a highly-sought PBL prospect out of high school and a new father. As he grew and excellent in the game of professional baseball, he also was navigating the adventures and challenges of fatherhood. His two sons, Lane and Abram, became devoted disciples to the game of baseball, both with the goal of playing pro ball just like their dad. In the coming years, they succeeded doubly so. While Sean's career had its ups and downs, he carved himself a reasonable resume. There was universal respect for his unrivalled batting eye and contact skill, as well as his skills at playing most positions on the field besides catcher. A late career renaissance in hitting and permanently switching to third base defensively has given Sean the chance of a lifetime: playing on the national team with both his sons in the lineup alongside him. It was a fun schtick for the first few cycles, but Sean is only getting older. This will be his last Classic and last lick of baseball as well, hopefully with some great moments along the way.

These bench standouts have been plug-and-play masters in the Drawkian lineup for years, some since the infamous World Baseball Classic 41. Once again, the question of loyalty and chemistry has allowed these players to stay ... perhaps a little too long. But their love for the Base Corps and classic moments throughout its history speak for themselves. Middle infielder Christy Rhodes, all-fielding outfielder Victoria Irving, and corner infielder/platoon DH Amancio Hayes will be among the hitters saying goodbye. One relief pitcher, Matt Carter, isn't retiring from baseball, but is leaving the Base Corps to pursue a lower-stress domestic-only career from here on out.

There's also Franklin Bell, who's old as hell and not getting any better at pitching during WBC games. Sure, he went overseas to the LPB and proved he was a master of the domestic circuit by recording a record number of saves and helping his team through the playoffs. That's nothing he hasn't done in Drawkland, though. Regardless of his domestic success, he still doesn't get the job done for the Corps. There's still no word on if this geriatric hurler is going to step away, but at this point I feel like he could call it quits at any moment. Cherish these games he plays with us, because any one of them could be the last one. Or don't cherish them, I wouldn't blame you.

Again, it would be great if some of these players would have awesome storybook moments to end their careers. Or perhaps they'll just fade into obscurity like some are wont to do. If anything, they'll be overshadowed by some of the budding superstars desperately wanting to gain recognition for their top-level talent.

THE "MUST POP OFF" STARS
These superstars have been in the Drawkland game since around the time of WBC 48, and are beginning to truly reach the peak of their careers. Each one has indicated in interviews that they plan to use the home field exposure in WBC 55 to their advantage and prove their worth to the rest of the multiverse.

Lane and Abram Kavana, the sons of Sean, ended up being even greater stars than their father. Sean made his career on being a frustrating hitter for pitchers to deal with. Lane and Abram, on the other hand, became sensations with their five-tool skillsets and love for theatrics. These men alone can put butts into seats across the nation, but they haven't been able to reach the same highs while donning the Base Corps uniform. Is it apathy, stage fright, or plain inconsistency plaguing their play to this point? Whatever the reason, they've clearly been working hard to make sure this season features their breakout performances.

Taylor Smart and Chan Ford are the two corner outfielders, as usual, but their careers have been a little spotty so far. Smart was ironically recruited by a team in the Cassadaiguan league, but hasn't made the big waves he was hoping to. Chan Ford was one of the first big Drawkian stars to sign a contract in the budding LPB. His first couple seasons left something to be desired, but his performance in the latest LPB season earned him All-Star honors in a very crowded league. The power bat threat of both Smart and Ford could be a major secondary asset to the team, to make pitchers pay for pitching around the Kavanas, or getting the job done when they can't. Though Smart has a 40/40 season to his name and has been known as a significant base-stealing threat, his advancing age and suspect injury problems have hampered his abilities on the basepaths.

On the mound, we have a trio of players who also want to break out in a big way. Drawkian aces Leo Roy and Darien Rodriguez have been pretty good in their domestic seasons, but aren't as trusty come WBC time. This Classic, with the comforts of home, may be enough to get them into a good spot for pitching well. Roy's pinpoint control matched with his massive pitch repertoire could be a nightmare for hitters if it's clicking. Similarly, Rodriguez's breaking balls have some of the best movement in the game, when he's on point. In the bullpen is the fiery reliever Lorraine Lockwood, already an accomplished closer in the PBL at a young age and (probably to her detriment) an understudy to Franklin Bell on the Base Corps roster. Last Classic she had an excellent rookie outing, serving as a lockdown setup reliever as well as an inning-eater in close games. Could she be the shutdown answer out of the pen going forward? Maybe she could prove it by going off this cycle.

At this point, we don't care who finally breaks through. We just want some consistently good play out of the team so we can string a few wins together.

THE "GET THE JOB DONE" ROLEPLAYERS
Obviously, star players only affect 1/9th of the game at a time. The in-between players are also major components of the squad, especially with how inconsistent the lineup can be. When all else fails, hopefully we can rely on these other guys to get the job done when it counts. This isn't to say that these players aren't good. They're some of the best Drawkland has to offer, but even that is not enough to handle some of the insanely good players from across the multiverse.

Franky Jones and Mark Fields are two bat-first guys who built their game from great power and decent plate discipline. While both have seen better days, they always seem poised to make something happen with the Base Corps. Jones in particular went through a bad stretch offensively, but this past domestic season he put up some of the best numbers we've seen in almost a decade from him. Is the big fella going to turn the right corner again and start mashing? It would be great for our lineup. Fields, being a much more aggressive boom-or-bust power hitter, has managed to rack up plenty of recognition as being a sleeper bat late in the Corps lineup. Either one could make some important key hits in the coming campaign

We have an interesting dynamic at catcher. The veteran and likely soon-retiring Dan Peters has made his mark on the game by taking great control of the running game, as well as being a great batterymate for whatever pitcher is on the mound. His bat has been less than stellar, but he's prone to hot streaks that can last a couple weeks. Meanwhile, standout prospect Cooper Calebs just put in his first full professional season and wowed PBL fans with his solid hitting and cannon of an arm. Perhaps having a vet like Peters could help Calebs elevate his game, and perhaps having a new young perspective could add a bit more to the performance of Peters.

The bullpen is just hard to think about. Normally these relievers are shutdown guys or girls, and most of them are the regular closers on their domestic squads. Clearly, the more standard bullpen role isn't the best situation for a few of them (Ralph Harris, to name one). Drawkland's weak spot throughout their WBC history has been ineffective relief pitching, resulting in late blown leads and losing control of games in the final few frames. If our armbarn could run a tight ship just once in our lives, we could see some seriously good results down the line. Or we can just collapse like we always do!

GROUP OPPONENTS
Playing at home has apparent benefits, but Drawkland has ensured the Base Corps has an additional benefit of short travel between their destinations. Five of the six venues in Drawkland's Group A are located within Drawk City or Metropolon, with the final location being in Rovoss, close by in the Metro District. Crosstown travel means that the Base Corps players (most of which already have living arrangements in Drawk City due to that being the location of normal WBC home games) can stay at home for most of the tournament and reap the benefits of less travel. Awesome for us, but will it make enough of a difference?

The top two opponents in the Metro District Group are softer draws compared to other names lurking in the top pots. Kriegiersien was a dangerous bogey team in the WBC 54 playoffs, and their football national team also wreaked some havoc in the latest World Bowl. The difficulty of a Kriegiersien team in any sport is that, regardless of what you expect, they will always leave you guessing. They strike when you least expect it, and fail when you finally pick them as the upset team. This kind of team is a nightmare to play, but at least Drawkland will have the crowds on their side. South Americanastan didn't reach #17 in the rankings by accident. They've put together some decent teams lately, and pulled off impressive feats.

With the third and fourth pot selections, though, the group race gets even more interesting. Drawkland, of course, is an interesting case that you can never hope to solve, but we still have a lot of things going our way. Cassadaigua has fallen on hard times, but they can rocket back up through the rankings faster than even their Rocket rivals. The two unranked nations in Furilisca and Pizorty don't seem to be sleeping giants, but any Drawkian can tell you the terror of unranked teams in their debut cycle. Quack.

The top three teams in the group after the group stage will make it to the playoffs, while the bottom three go home empty-handed. With a seemingly softer upper cap, both Drawkland and Cassadaigua will be aiming for the open spots. Kriegiersien and South Americanastan know this, and will be fighting tooth and nail to stay in their coveted top positions. It'll be too hard to predict something like this until we have a little more data. We will say this though, Drawkland was in a pretty bad spot in WBC 48 rank-wise, but they still found a way to win and make it to the playoffs.

OPENING DAY vs CASSADAIGUA
In World Baseball Classic 48, the last one hosted by Drawkland, the Base Corps took Cassadaigua to five games in the Round of 16. The epic series was held at Seven Stars Stadium in order to build more hype for the playoffs. Although this would just be another chapter in Drawkland's long book of playoff failure, each game in the series was an entertaining affair between the host nation and the soon-to-be-runners-up.

Both Drawkland and Cassadaigua have fallen on harder times since that edition. Cassadaigua continued to stay in semifinal shape after WBC 48, culminating in their fourth WBC championship win in the sacred 50th edition. Cassadaigua began sliding downwards in the following editions, including some historic lows as of the past couple cycles. Drawkland, of course, simply dropped back into the playoff bubble doldrums since. Now Drawkland has the superior rank at #28, compared to Cassadaigua's #32.

Still, both teams feel like they have a shot to make something happen if they reach the playoffs. As a callback to the epic WBC 48 Round of 16 series, as well as a desire for a big-ticket tournament opener, the Opening Day game between Drawkland and Cassadaigua will be held at Seven Stars Stadium. This technically removes one home game from Drawkland's schedule, but Seven Stars Stadium is less than two hours away from Drawk City, and pretty much every game qualifies as a "home" game regardless. The rest of Drawkland's designated home games will be held at their usual grounds of Hydrogen Cyanide Field in Drawk City.

As for the game itself, it's no telling how either team will perform. Big-name nations down on their luck that view this cycle as the perfect time to rebound? Each squad will be hungry to earn that tone-setting day one victory. Drawkian ace Leo Roy will be on the hill for the Opening Day start, and Dagan starter Stella Freeman will be getting the nod for this matchup. With both lineups likely to be full-strength, we can only hope for an exciting game worthy of opening a hopefully excellent Classic.

The Drawkland-Cassadaigua opener will be the night game of Day Zero, and by noon the next day the rest of the World Baseball Classic action will be underway across the country! We're excited to see how this tournament pans out, and we sincerely hope all the visiting teams and fans enjoy their time in Drawkland. On Corps!

[Abanhfleft]

ABANHFLEFT REVOLUTION
Abanhfleft men's national baseball team

Victory in the 15th International Baseball Slam has reinvigorated Abanhfleft's interest in baseball, but can the regular Revolution ride the wave of momentum or will they continue making baseball a meme sport in the Democratic Republic? As always, there is only one way to find out.

Basic Information
Name of nation: Democratic Republic of Abanhfleft
Demonym: Fleftic
Team name: Abanhfleft Revolution
Nickname: Revolutionaries (common), Revolters (derogatory)
Official history: This will be Abanhfleft's seventeenth time participating in the World Baseball Classic. A bunch of players older than you have managed to win the International Baseball Slam, lads. At least try to look good.
Team colors: Blue, orange, and green
Style modifier: +3
Park factor: 110 (disregard if we're not doing park factors)

PITCHERS
Key: (Shirt number, pitches/bats, age)

1 - Bertram Benedetto (#19, R/R, 35)
2 - Alejandro Johnson (#20, L/L, 33)
3 - Tommy Manning (#41, R/S, 31)
4 - Ainsley Malone (#33, S/L, 27)
5 - Milton Holmes (#98, L/L, 34)

Long Reliever - Dan Lesesne (#66, L/S, 35)
Middle Reliever - Krasimir Asenov (#79, S/L, 31)
Middle Reliever - Freddie Rhodes (#88, R/R, 32)
Setup Receiver - Glenn Smith (#2, S/L, 33)
Closer - Peter Langford (#90, R/R, 37)

INFIELD
Catcher - Ben Anderson (#92, R/R, 30, Starter)
Catcher - Viktor Khristenko (#15, R/R, 25)
First Base - Elbert Freeman (#30, R/S, 30, Starter)
First Base - Arthur Jodie (#77, R/S, 24)
Second Base - Cedric Colon (#55, L/L, 28, Starter)
Second Base - Tony DiMatteo (#45, L/L, 26)
Third Base - Maël Corneau (#40, L/L, 27, Starter)
Third Base - Antonio Myles (#63, S/R, 25)
Short Stop - Giovanni Perkinson (#20, R/R, 31, Starter)
Short Stop - Delbert Ridge (#05, S/R, 31)

OUTFIELD
Left Fielder - Hashim Khateb Bansamun (#66, R/R, 33, Starter)
Left Fielder - Donald Edwards (#09, L/S, 23)
Center Fielder - Jarred Hardwick (#3, L/L, 32, Starter)
Center Fielder - Booker Draves (#64, R/S, 30)
Right Fielder - Aedan Soto (#7, L/R, 31, Starter)
Right Fielder - Eldridge Soucy III (#52, R/R, 30)

BATTING ORDER (with DH)
1 - M. CORNEAU (3B, R)
2 - H. K. BANSAMUN (LF, R)
3 - J. HARDWICK (CF, L)
4 - A. SOTO (RF, R)
DH - B. DRAVES (CF, S)
6 - E. FREEMAN (1B, S)
7 - G. PERKINSON (SS, R)
8 - C. COLON (2B, L)
9 - B. ANDERSON (C, R)

BATTING ORDER (without DH)
1 - M. CORNEAU (3B, R)
2 - H. K. BANSAMUN (LF, R)
3 - J. HARDWICK (CF, L)
4 - A. SOTO (RF, R)
5 - E. FREEMAN (1B, S)
6 - G. PERKINSON (SS, R)
7 - C. COLON (2B, L)
8 - B. ANDERSON (C, R)
9 - PITCHER

Reheboam Zimmermann was killed in the same terrorist attack that changed forever the lives of those on the national baseball team. Who knows in which direction the new management will take this team?

MANAGER - KURTIS LINGENFELTER

ASSISTANT MANAGER/BENCH COACH - JAIME GROVER

FIRST BASE COACH - STEFAN MCKENNY

THIRD BASE COACH - IVAN BRETT

BATTING COACH - JOHN JOHNSON

PITCHING COACH - TERENCE ROCKITANSKI

STADIA
The Abanhfleft Baseball Federation has announced that it will be using two baseball stadia as venues for the Abanhfleft Revolution's home matches.


Official name: National Baseball Stadium
Capacity: est. 60,000
Record attendance: 65,233 (Effelenendro Islanders vs. Pilken Blue Sox, 19 October 2022)
Operators: Abanhfleft Baseball Federation, Effelenendro Islanders (for games against big teams)


Official name: Stadion Memoriam de December 27
Capacity: est. 26,500
Record attendance: 37,084 (Verbergerkinnh Cubs vs. Copper Cuprum Miners; October 5, 2022)
Operators: Verbergerkinnh Cubs[/spoiler]

RP PERMISSIONS
My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my runscorers: Yes, within reason
Choose my lineup: No, please stick to the starters as much as possible
Follow my pitching rotation: Yes, you must follow it to the letter
Godmod scoring events: No
RP injuries to my players: Yes, but TG me first
Godmod injuries to my players: No
Eject my players: No
Godmod other events: Yes, except killing my players or coaching staff, and please TG me before doing this
Use DH at home: If I can use a DH at your home then you can use a DH at mine. If I can't use a DH at your home then you can't use a DH at mine.

[Abanhfleft]

MUSINGS OF AN ARMORED DINNER JACKET
Official blog of Ibrahim Ahmadinejad, former Right Fielder of the Verbergerkinnh Cubs and the Abanhfleft Revolution

TRYING TO WIN THE CLASSIC AT THE SEVENTEENTH TIME OF ASKING

WRITING FROM IMGORTUR, VERBERGERKINNH PROVINCE - I guess it was inevitable that baseball was gonna go back into a slump after the Revolution once again failed to live up to the expectations set by the Revolution All-Stars in the 15th International Baseball Slam. That’s usually the problem with Fleftic sports teams, with the notable exception of the lacrosse team before the resurgence of Sarzonia as a lacrosse powerhouse, but this is a baseball blog so we’ll stick to that sport. Any Fleftic national sports team that manages to succeed once usually aren’t able to replicate that success the next time that they play. Yes, there have been times when Abanhfleft managed to get into good places to win trophies a fair few times, but I don’t think I can remember any of the times that Abanhfleft actually managed to capitalize on those times. The biggest example that comes to mind is that time when Abanhfleft had become a youth soccer sort-of superpower and made it to a crazy number of youth world cup finals, something crazy like four in five tournaments. But Abanhfleft managed to win in none of those finals, and from what I know about the current state of Fleftic soccer, those players who were involved in those finals are beginning to retire from their game without having won anything of note on the international level as well. It truly is a shameful display if I may say so myself.

But, like I said before, this is a baseball blog, not a soccer blog or a lacrosse blog. If you’re interested in soccer and lacrosse blogs then go check out my good friends Aisling Keane and the Man from Markovsky at Gaelic Gamers. They didn’t even ask me to plug in their website and yet here I am doing it anyway! Anyway, to get back to the original point of why I am active on my blog once again, it’s time for yet another World Baseball Classic. We are already on its 55th iteration, and Abanhfleft itself has made it into the WBC for the 17th consecutive time. Seventeen times! That’s how many times the Revolution have taken part in the biggest baseball stage that the multiverse has ever seen. And how many times have the Revolution won the biggest prize in baseball? Zero. None. Zip. Nada. Nothing. Now of course the team has come out time and time again to say that this time they are finally going to be able to rectify that particular mistake, but there hasn’t been any time where that hasn’t been proven false time and time again as well.

Look, I’m not going to deny it. The Revolution has failed its supporting faithful time and time again. That’s the nature of the beast, though. Baseball is hard. I mean, where else can you find a sport where a 166-game season is considered to be just about the right amount of games to determine who’s worthy of getting into the playoffs and who’s worthy of being able to pick the future stars of the game to rebuild their teams? A lot of other sports are already exhausted at just the thought of thirty games or more, and even the likes of basketball and ice hockey consider 82 to be the absolute limit for them. But baseball plays at least twice as many games as those guys in the regular season, and you don’t see us complaining that much about it! My point is that sometimes it is indeed hard to live up to the expectations of your fans. Abanhfleft, no matter which sport this country plays, knows this much more than others. But just because we know it’s hard doesn’t mean that we’re just going to stop doing it anyway.

And it is on that note that Abanhfleft will start on their campaign to win the World Baseball Classic at the 17th time of asking. In a departure from the usual format of previous WBCs, the 55th edition of the Classic sees all 48 participants play out the group stage at the host nation itself, which for this edition is Drawkland. Usually, the WBC group stage is held in the home stadia of the participant nations, with only the playoffs actually occurring on the host nation’s soil. This is a new format that, while it hasn’t been done a lot in baseball, is the familiar format for most other sports out there. Heck, I think even the International Baseball Slam uses this format more and more these days. I do know of some people who would wish that the WBC would start using this format more as well, but in the end, that is all dependent on the governing body of the sport.

Abanhfleft’s journey through WBC 55 will begin with two very familiar foes in the form of Nova Anglicana and HUElavia. Nova Anglicana were one of the better baseballing sides in the multiverse when we first started qualifying for the IBS and the WBC, but they fell on some hard times and they declined quite a bit while we began our rise through the ranks. Now though, the Lions have bounced back from those hard times and we are the ones doing the declining, but this match will be a nostalgia trip for the likes of me and everyone else who was there to see the Abanhfleft Revolution when we first burst into the scene. Meanwhile, our opponent after Nova Anglicana will be HUElavia, a name that’s more familiar to soccer fans than baseball fans, but I’m sure that everyone in Abanhfleft will still know the name of HUElavia simply by association of being the team that’s been the cause for a lot of the country’s pain these past few years. HUElavia have handed the Fleftic soccer team their ass quite a handful of times already, but whether the same thing will happen here in baseball is something that I can’t tell or predict just yet. HUElavia isn’t exactly known for being a big baseball nation; soccer (or as they call it over there, futebol) is most definitely king over there. But that won’t stop them from doing well in baseball, at least not if they could help it.

There’s also been some changes to the Revolution in between WBCs 54 and 55. Practically almost the entire infield has been replaced, with the substitutes finally becoming the starters, and a new batch of subs has been introduced to the team by Kurtis Lingenfelter. Let’s see, we’ve got a new catcher, a new first baseman, a new second baseman, and a new third baseman. And, just because he could (and also because Conrad Mason announced his retirement from international baseball), Lingenfelter has called up young Donald Edwards to the Revolution. Now, you all might call me biased just because Donnie here plays for the Verbergerkinnh Cubs, but I’m telling you right here and right now that I really think that this guy is the real deal. Yes, he might not have spent a lot of time in the minor leagues, but when you’ve got the throwing arm that Donnie E has then you just can’t keep him down in Triple-A if you’re the Cubs organization. I know I wouldn’t if I was in their shoes. And now he has a chance to show his stuff in front of a greater national and international audience. Some might be concerned that he might not be able to show up now that he’s on a much bigger stage than he’s used to playing, but Donnie Edwards has already performed for the Cubs in the FMLB playoffs. If that isn’t a player that thrives in the limelight then I don’t know what is.

So there you have it. The stage is set for Abanhfleft’s latest attempt at winning the World Baseball Classic. Sometimes they’ve actually made it far enough that the possibility is actually real and within their grasp, while other times it’s been nothing but an implausible pipe dream. Which one will this particular campaign turn out to be? Well, there’s only one way to find out, and I’ll be following the Revolution’s journey every step of the way. This is the Armored Dinner Jacket saying ciao, peace. Catch you in my next post.

[Ranoria]

Notes: If you just need the batting order or pitchers, scroll to the bottom! Thanks!

The Federation of Ranorian Baseball Is Proud To Present:
The Ranorian Krauts,
the international arm of the Federation of Ranorian Baseball.

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

Style Modifier: 0

Records:

WBC 44: 12-18; Team MVP: Leonardo Harrison
WBC 49: 15-15; Team MVP: Leonardo Harrison
WBC 50: 19-11; Team MVP: Leonardo Harrison
-Playoffs: 3-5-
WBC 51: 14-16; Team MVP: Nicholas Lux     
WBC 52: 13-17; Team MVP: Leonardo Harrison
WBC 53: 18-12; Team MVP: Nicholas Lux     
WBC 54:   9-1; Team MVP: Nicholas Lux     
-Playoffs: 8-3-
Group Stage: 100-90
Playoffs: 11-8
Overall: 111-98

Home field: Constance Airlines Field
Ranoria City, Ranoria

Background

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

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

Now, World Baseball Classic 50 was something else entirely. Leonardo Harrison initially issued a guarantee that the team would not only win 20 games in the group stage, but would advance in the knockout rounds. Well, we stumbled out of the gate a bit with a 9-10 record, so that didn't happen, but everything changed after that. Our Krauts went on a 10-1 tear to end the group stage and even win a knockout series. With a ton of buzz surrounding the team going into WBC 51 though, they suffered three straight seasons of playoffless baseball. Just when fans began to give up hope though, the Krauts came in hot in WBC 55, reaching the quarterfinals as the third seed in the playoffs before being eliminated in 5 games. They're regarded as one of the top contenders to win the whole thing this year - can they make it happen?

Constance Airlines Field is the beating heart of the expanding Federation of Ranorian Baseball, and the largest of several stadiums that were built between this and the last World Baseball Classic. International competition - a 19-11 run with a knockout stage victory included - in this competition's 50th edition helped to spark that expansion, and despite mediocrity in the past few editions, baseball has remained somewhat popular domestically in Ranoria

It won't be used this season as the team will be stationed in, Esmereldane's Forlane Field, but you won't hear this crew complaining - it's by far the nicest venue they've ever had the priveledge of calling home.


Coaching Staff:

Manager/HC: Henderson Mausse, 56 years old
Bench Coach, Assistant Manager: Jonas Nuhl, 43 years old
First Base: Brandon Bolan, 31 years old
Third Base: Justin Cruz, 32 years old
Hitting: Noah Hess, 39 years old
Pitching: Alfred Arnoldi, 46 years old
Bullpen: Hugo Fromm, 41 years old

Team Doctor: Melina Fulches, 65 years old
Head Trainer: Marty Zane, 33 years old
Trainer: Frank Schottenheimer, 30 years old
Trainer: Eddie Walker, 28 years old

Position    Number     Name            Ht.     Wt.   Age           Team
Catcher      16     Nicholas Lux       5-10    205    35        Montreal Expos
1st Base     12    Vincent Veltrone    5-11    195    26     New Llama Wizards (LPB)
2nd Base     13   Philip Franklin      6-2     195    36     Cleveland Thunder
Shortstop    2   Leonardo Harrison     6-2     215    34     Elephant Valley United (LPB)
3rd Base     99    Jesse Griffith      6-5     215    24     QBO
L. Field     23    Julian Breit        6-3     235    26     Elephant Valley United (LPB)
C. field     51     Judas Acker         6      200    31     Cleveland Thunder
R. Field     22    Rubin Graves        6-2     205    35     Edmunton Rebels
DH           44    Grant Faulkner      6-4     230    23     Cincinnati Warbirds

Leonardo Harrison: A fluid athlete and one of the best players in Ranorian history...not that that's saying much. At shortstop, he's the centerpiece of the defense, and he's been playing professionally since he was just under 17 years old. Ranorian baseball has become more mainstream in large part due to his efforts, both with his heroic performance at the tail end of WBC 50 and his consistently staying in Ranoria's Federation of Ranorian Baseball rather than taking more lucrative contracts abroad. He finally decided to test out some higher level competition by joining the Elephant Valley United in the LPB, where he turned in an All-Star season, in his twilight years.

Nicholas Lux: Essentially the consensus second best player in Ranoria... Until he signed in Quebec. Expect a good hitting percentage and more than enough homers to keep you on your toes. Much faster than his frame would have you believe. Known as the "mercenary" to Ranorian fans after taking a blockbuster contract to play in Quebec's QBO rather than Ranoria's fledgling Federation. Lux will likely be in a rotational role at catcher. He'll have some days as DH, some days off in an effort to keep the former FRB and QBO MVP healthy.

Jesse Griffith: Do you believe in taking chances? That's what the Krauts did with this signing. Griffith is the youngest man (er, boy?) to ever play professional Ranorian baseball, at just 15 years old. Griffith was streaky in his first pair of seasons on the team, but he's really come into his own as one of - if not the - the best players in Ranorian baseball. He's coming off one of the most dominant campaigns in Federation history with a ring and an MVP in his resume now, but contract talks have stalled with his Cincinnati Warbirds after seven years with the team. Rumor has it he'll be heading to Quebec and Shingoryeo to get a deal that allows him to capitalize off his prime years. This guy's one of the best players Ranoria's ever put out, and he and fellow slugger Julian Breit are primed to take the mantle from Harrison and Lux as the stars of this team.

Vincent Veltrone: Veltrone is a solid youngster who took his talents to Llamaphant Pro Baseball to get the publicity and money he is worth before coming back to participate with the Krauts. Fluid athlete and current LPB All-Star for the New Llama Wizards. Along with Julian Breit, the Krauts are pinning their hopes on these two young guns - and the ascension of Jesse Griffith - to help propel this crew to the next level.

Julian Breit:Breit was in the same high school class as Veltrone, and also plays in South Newlandia, where he earned an all-star nod this year and was a candidate for the silver slugger award the season prior. Breit, if that didn't clue you in, is a big power swinger. With Nicholas Lux and Leonardo Harrison aging out, many speculate that he and Jesse Griffith will be taking the reigns as the best players on the Krauts.

Judas Acker: A burner by nature, Acker may be the fastest player on this team. He doesn't have the best bat, but you better bet that if he gets on base any pitcher will pay for a lapse in attention.

Position    Number     Name            Ht.     Wt.   Age           Team
Catcher      77    Philbert Kelsin     6-2    210    30    Ranoria City Sluggers
Infield      7   Abraham Leinhardt      6     205    33     Vricksinburg Blaze
Infield      19    Arthur Jackson      5-9    175    30    Vricksinburg Blaze
Infield      6     Maximus Tillman     5-11   190    37    Raleigh Firstmates
Infield      10    John Solomons        5-9   165    18    Elephant Valley United (SNL)
Outfield     55    Damian Horace       5-11   190    33     Edmunton Rebels
Outfield     30  Stephen Reichenbach   5-10   185    31    Nashville Maestros
Outfield     59   Tristen Feng         6-1    205    32    Cincinnati Warbirds
Outfield     87   RJ Hall              6-2     195    20   EVU Red Elephants

Maximus Tillman: A starter on this team a year ago, Tillman's job was taken by a 15 year old. However, he is more than happy to continue to earn an extra paycheck on top of what he is paid by the Firstmates.

Tristen Feng: Veteran teammate of the talented but raw Jesse Griffith, Feng has taken the kid under his wing, as they are far and away the best athletes on their squad, at the very least.

Starters
Role       Number        Name            Ht.     Wt.   Age         Team
Rotation     60       Tommy Verona      6-4      220    36    California City Dodgers (Quebec)
Rotation     86       Jorge Billing     6-1      215    24    Elephant Valley United (SNL)
Rotation     90      Yahweh Bohannon    6-1      190    19    Elephant Valley United (SNL)
Rotation     55       Erik Schmidt      6-5      225    33        Banija
Rotation     71       Parker Majors     6-4      215    32        Banija
Reserve

Reserve      70       Erin Phelps       6-2      215    34    Cleveland Rebels

---

Bullpen
Role       Number        Name            Ht.      Wt.   Age         Team
Reliever    68      Miellen Walker       6-3      215    23    Elephant Valley United (SNL)
Reliever     73     Thomas Barnet        6-1      200    31    Nashville Maestros
Fastball     64     Corey Nielman        6-3      195    29    Vricksinburg Blaze
Reliever    61      Alabaster Cappa      6-3      190    33    Nashville Maestros
Closer       62     Brady Behringer      6-2      190    29    Ranoria City Sluggers

Tommy Verona: The best pitcher on this roster, Verona can still hit a top speed of 100 mp/h when he needs to and is more than capable of playing with the world's best. He has spent most of his career in Quebec, playing for the California City Dodgers. Brother of 5x All Star RFL Quarterback Paul Verona, uncle of QB Astrid Verona. Savvy veteran with good ball placement and a solid arsenal, he's been the ace for this squad since WBC 49, but struggled last season as both his starts in the group stage came against Zwangzug. Can be a solid batter when he wants, but the guy's old, and he likely won't make an effort unless it's a big game.

Jorge Billing: Coming off an All-Star selection as the lead man for an upstart Elephant Valley United, Billing is as solid as they come on the mound. Solid curveball as a change up and generally sound accuracy makes for a pitcher without any outstanding weaknesses overall. Sub par batter but he'll make an effort.

Yahweh "The Cannon" Bohannon: A young gun coming off his rookie year in the LPB, Bohannon's got a bigger arm even than Verona did in his heydey. He's got some nuances to learn at this level, but the kid's got the growth curve of a future superstar. He does have a perplexing tendency to get injured off the field, including three missed starts due to two separate finger injuries he suffered while working on a drone during his lone collegiate season at Matthensville Polytechnic. Typically won't go the distance as he throws too many balls and wears his stamina down that way. Could not care less about batting. He's a free strikeout.

Erik Schmidt: Played most of his career in Banija in order to, well, make some friggin' money. Schmidt's bread and butter is a basic fastball, expect top speed of 94-95 mp/h when pitching, not quite as accurate as Verona, however. Great effort but hilariously terrible batter.

Parker Majors: Played one year professionally in the Federation before immigrating to Banija. Similar to Schmidt in that he has a solid fastball, although he doesn't quite have the gas of the above two guys, and typically he'll get you with nasty movement on off-speed pitches. Okay batter.

Erin Phelps: Fastball pitcher, expect the 88 mp/h to 92 mp/h range consistently, with good accuracy. He can hit 94 mp/h but tends to throw a lot fewer strikes doing so.

Miellan Walker: Fresh off his first LPB season, Miellan's the best reliever on the squad. Has the stamina and the arsenal to go for a few innings on his own if need be.

Corey Nielman: Nielman is a youngster with a big arm. Currently used as a reliever, can throw up to 97 mp/h. Not much stamina, but he's a solid bet to bridge through a couple batters who struggle with speed.

Thomas Barnet: Emergency pitcher or a setup guy, Barnet's good enough to not screw things up too badly between the starter and the closer. Another youngster that the Federation's fans have high hopes for.

Brady Behringer: Behringer is capable of stepping into a starting role - and generally does for the Ranoria City Sluggers, but is best served as a closer with a cannon for an arm. Without having to worry about preserving his arm, he's probably going to throw a lot of balls, but his four-seam is the fastest in Ranoria's Federation.

Alabaster Cappa: Older brother of former #1 overall pick in the RFL draft, Ricky Cappa, quarterback at Ranoria State. Alabaster's a solid pitcher with a big arm, and a very solid curveball as a changeup. Probably best kept to short stretches, however... and certainly more successful than his brother, who lasted two seasons with his original team.

Normal Starting Lineup

DH Starting Lineup

Nicholas Lux/Grant Faulkner
Leonardo Harrison
Jesse Griffith
Julian Breit
Grant Faulkner
Vincent Veltrone
Philip Franklin
Judas Acker
Rubin Graves

Nicholas Lux/Philbert Kelsin
Leonardo Harrison
Jesse Griffith
Julian Breit
Vincent Veltrone
Philip Franklin
Judas Acker
Rubin Graves
Pitcher

[Rouyoute]

Won't get used for this WBC, but perhaps in the future!

---

Age:      25
Height:  205
Weight:  6-1
Position: 1B
Bats:      L

Blake Jarvis is the best contact hitter on the squad, and has quick reflexes in the field. Plenty of moxie and swagger or whatever else you want to call it, he's one of the leaders of this team.

Age:      27
Height:  6-2
Weight:  200
Position: 2B
Bats: R

A veteran infielder, Aenon's a steady presence for the lineup who's had a long career free of egregious missteps and flashy highlights alike.

Age:    32  
Height:  6-4
Weight:  230
Position: RF
Bats: R

Home-run hitter, Jackson's not quite the player he was in his more electric youth. Has the savvy and (ch)arm to get the ball to the infield quickly and turn some turn some (dou/cou)ples into singles.

Age:    24  
Height:  6-7
Weight:  235
Position: CF
Bats: R

Brazen and streaky, Javier is the X factor for this squad. With how tall he grew in his youth, he had dreams of playing in Drawkland's Professional Baseball League, but never got the chance. His dream is to aid in continuing their streak of Ro16 failures. Big armed with elite speed to be a rangy fielder and near top-tier power as a batter.

Age:   20   
Height:   6
Weight:  175
Position: LF
Bats: R

"Warning track power" is an apt description - able to drive in a good few RBI for the top four if she gets a chance and a more consistent batter than Javier. Excellent at tracking deep shots in the outfield. Fan favorite.

Age:      33
Height:  5-11
Weight:  170
Position: C
Bats: L

The ornery catcher for this team. Not much for the press or being social in general.

Age:     26 
Height:  6-1
Weight:  160
Position: SS
Bats: R

Athletic shortstop with a long reach, Bonnet is an excellent player as a defender but struggles with batting at times.

Age:      24
Height:  6-2
Weight:  180
Position: 3B
Bats:

Big armed rangy third baseman who wears his heart on his sleeve.

Age:      30
Height:  6-5
Weight:  270
Position: DH
Bats: L

Rouyoute doesn't usually like to employ a DH but...what else can you do with this guy? He puts as much effort into fielding as a male lion does to hunting, but by god can he hit the ball. Low average, but one way or another it's a highlight reel if he makes contact - foul or fair.

Age:      23
Height:  6-3
Weight:  175
Position: SP
Bats: L

Whether with her well-placed fastball or wicked spin on the off speed stuff, Bellarose is typically the toughest draw of this group. More than willing to put a fastball to someone's face if she thinks they deserve it.

Age:      29
Height:  6-4
Weight:  212
Position: SP
Bats: R

Veteran pitcher with a few solid runs left in him, Charron's tough to rattle and likes to save his fastball for a strikeout.

Age:      19
Height:  6-5
Weight:  210
Position: SP
Bats: R

The fireballer of this group and the youngest, Raulf is talented but without much variety, tends to get yanked before the eighth.

Age:      22
Height:  6-1
Weight:  180
Position: SP
Bats: R

With a nasty curveball and even a knuckler if he's feeling it, Jones has a solid arsenal but can occasionally telegraph his pitches.

Age:      25
Height:  6-3
Weight:  220
Position: RP
Bats: L

Submariner and an elite talent for a reliever. Victor's got a shot to post a better ERA than even the starters. Wicked slider, but he throws it or a sinker almost every time. Typically can stretch for a few innings.

Age:      32
Height:  6-3
Weight:  165
Position: RP
Bats: R

Knuckleballer. Michel's throwing that or a four-seam - one of them will work, right?

Age:      26
Height:  6-3
Weight:  190
Position: RP
Bats: L

Pierre's average on a good day, don't expect him to be able to face the same batter twice.

Age:      22
Height:  6-4
Weight:  205
Position: RP
Bats: R

Durand's hiding at the bottom of the sheet for a reason. If it gets down to him, the game has probably already been written off.

Age:      20
Height:  6-4
Weight:  215
Position: CLS
Bats: R

Thomas is the closer for this team and has a cannon attached to that shoulder with better precision than you'd expect, but still not as much as you'd like.

[Zwangzug]

Team Zwangzug, known as the "Zebras," were an early force in the WBC but later faded from relevance. They competed consistently through WBC31, reappeared for 39 and 40, and then popped back again in cycle 49, having entered the last few since then. In WBC52, they returned to form by finishing in third place yet again (for the eighth time in history). Happily, the 39-40 cycle saw Felix Wainwright break the alleged radio announcers' curse. This doesn't mean we'll necessarily have competent announcers, or any announcers at all; just that we could have some capable of holding down the job for multiple cycles. If we wanted to.

Like their distant ancestors, the Zebras are a defensively-minded team overall, eschewing many power hitters in favor of patience at the plate. Pitchers, likewise, tend more towards finesse than speed. There is no DH used when we play at home. They tend to be somewhat new-mathy with regards to not bunting, not stealing very much, etc.

Manager: Griffith Puyo-Sachar (m). Formerly a shortstop for the Weegham Rainmakers, and a Zebras player in cycles 52-54. After retirement as a player, became manager of the 102d Gray Sox to be closer to his wife, Nancy, a football midfielder for Trebuchet Cham and the national team. His appointment this early is somewhat unexpected and may be a pretext for cryptic claims to be the "Kwisatz Haderach"; however, when not angsting over determinism versus free will or the dangers of robots to human identity, he's actually a rather pleasant person.

Starting rotation:

#32, Istvan Arhain-Tam, FTC Mustangs, R/R, m, first WBC: 53
#47, Julian Mecc-Sanders, Newport Dolphins (SNL), R/R, m, first WBC: 54
#2, Rachel Shapiro, Zwischen Bears, L/L, f, first WBC: 54
#45, Etienne Woad-Kalin, Logrove Dolphins, R/R, m, first WBC: 55
#55, Vincent Chavez, Frischberg Flash, R/L, m, first WBC: 55

Bullpen:

#22, Jeremiah McHubert, FTC Mustangs, R/R, m (used for high-leverage, low-duration appearances), first WBC: 54
#28, Shoba Dhamir, Nuel Panthers, L/L, f (ditto), first WBC: 55
#38, Chloe Rodgers, Inver Millers, R/R, f (medium relief), first WBC: 53
#13, Leslie Caell-Amoy, Newport Dolphins (SNL), L/L, f (medium relief), first WBC: 54
#18, Phyllis Muskat, Bassabook Grey Socks, R/R, f (medium relief), first WBC: 55
#19, Roald Ingktar, Arlington Aurora, R/R, m (long relief), first WBC: 54
#51, Kevin Larch-Stone, Zwischen Bears, L/L, m (long relief), first WBC: 55

Starting lineup:

#14, Jabez McHart, Logrove Dolphins, center field, R/R, m, first WBC: 53
#20, Enrico Nieves-Gau, Newport Dolphins (SNL), third base, R/R, m, first WBC: 53
#12, Alyssa Kinnakeet, Noh Weir Red-Tails, left field, L/L, f, first WBC: 53
#77: Calvin Donohue, Spenson Worms, first base, R/R, m, first WBC: 54
#36: Gwen Sae-Hyun, FTC Secret Squirrels, catcher, R/R, f, first WBC: 54
#17: Jenna McDonough, Noh Weir Red-Tails, second base, R/R, f, first WBC: 53
#53: Joseph Avery, Frischberg Flash, right field, R/R, m, first WBC: 53
#23: Atori Cragun, Bassabook Grey Socks, shortstop, R/R, f, first WBC: 55
pitcher

Bench:

#27: Curtis Koralov, Kerlagrad Dragons, outfield, L/L, m, first WBC: 53
#6, Minna Soin-Gardel, Weegham Rainmakers, outfield (DH if needed, bats fifth), R/R, f, first WBC: 55
#16, Natalie Cobfell, 102d Gray Sox, corner infield, R/R, f, first WBC: 55
#10, Jonathan MacSaruh, Belpub Wildcats, catcher, R/R, m, first WBC: 55
#49, Tiffany Arbuthnot, Hadiln Tigers, middle infield, R/R, f, first WBC: 55

Factbook is ludicrously out of date by now and just linked for tradition's sake. More information about the country is available on the wiki and is infrequently being added to. If you RP first, please follow my lineup and rotation (or ICly justify any substitutions). Feel free to pick my runscorers, RP injuries to my players, and eject my players. You can be relatively creative; however, if you want to do something like literal godmoding, or something that would cause harm to my citizens/in my country, please telegram me first. Also, please ask first if you want to do something like RPing a no-hitter or statistically rare on-field event.

[Loyo]

IIIIIIIIIntroducing…
Loyo. Revolution. League!!

BASEBALL! BASEBALL! BASEBALL!
BASEBALL! BASEBALL! BASEBALL!
BASEBALL! BASEBALL! BASEBALL!

WOOOOOOOOOW!!!

What IS it?

Loyo Revolution League is SERIOUS BASEBALL, SERIOUSLY COOL!

ZAM - That’s what you’ll be saying when you see how fast our pitchers pitch!! And now we’re not just talking about how they’re rocketing these cowhide orbs into the catcher’s pitt, no nO NO! They pitch FAST, so none of that lollygagging that has fans sitting around like ‘uuuunnnguHuhUhHHHuuuuuHH… I’d rather be watching AnYthing other than baseball…”

Nah, instead your typical Loyo Revolution League fan is AMPED for baseball! Decked out in all their team’s gear. Water bottles to stay hydrated to scream out their decades-old chants, Eyes, bloodshot from hours of learning the intricacies of the game. The fan must preform the rituals correctly and not become hindersome. Years of study is still not enough. The good Loyo Revolution League fan is always prepared! No need to get into the gritty details right now, though!

Two Divisions: They don’t play each other! What’s that about?

Alright, we’ve got the Hammer Division, that’s all the military clubs. And then you’ve got the Sickle Division, and that’s the best clubs from all around the country. Those are big union clubs there that are still fielding working class people. Even though the clubs are all professional now, there’s several positions that are traditionally held by a rotating lottery of workers that play for a season or two. Some of those players even stick around, proving their talents to stick with the best of them in the LRL. Chase Min-Son, the national team’s manager had just such a start, impressing Kamisusunai Steel with his debut.

The two divisions don’t play each other during the regular season. It's kind of a call back to when the divisions were completely separate. The military clubs take everything crazy about baseball in Loyo and turn it up to 250%, and traditionally, they don't like to share the ball. They meet in the pre-season warm-up tournament, called the Sunrise Cup, and then again in the post-season for the Sunset Bonanza (Similar thing, but more desirable silverware) if they’re lucky enough to finish in the top half of their divisions. Even then, the divisions don’t play head-to-head until the final, where the two best champions face one another in ONE. ULTIMATE. SHOWDOWN.

With players tending to stay with one team for their entire career, rivalries are intense and fan loyalty is on a whole ‘nother planet. It’s an atmosphere unlike any other.

Alright. 8 teams. Who are they?

HAMMER DIVISION

•Saint Donghai’s Rods
Formed by the members of the Revolutionary Police, Saint Donghai’s they has its own secret society known as the Golden Chaff. It’s not the only secret society in the LRL but it’s the one the media likes covering the most. They designate a player to be the “Master of Secrets”: some bench player they force to perform a special handshake before each batter goes up to bat. Donghai’s doesn’t mess around when it comes to the rules of the game. Even if you don’t know them.

•Saint Hayahoma’s Coins
Naaaaaavvvvyyyy boys, let’s make some noise! Hayahoma’s got a weird obsession with coins. They give each of their fans a coin when they sign up for a season ticket, and each game they trade coins with other fans during the 7th inning stretch. Don’t try to take a coin out of the stadium though. They believe they won’t score any home runs if even one coin is missing, and they’re so intense about it I don’t think it would be worth it to bother them.

•Saint Mianho’s Cups
Oh Mianho’s! They’re an amalgamation of a few different organizations’ clubs, including the Calvary, Marines, and Coast Guard. As such, their ball club is rife with infighting and abundant in bureaucracy. Petty disputes and spiteful despotism means a steady stream of new managers make their way through Saint Mianho’s, each little more than a puppet for whoever happens to be running the club off the field. Despite this, Mianho’s has a growing fanbase that love the Cups as an underdog they can root for against the big two military clubs.

•Saint Yoosan’s Swords
Yoosan’s is a storied baseball club with its roots in the army. Their rivalry with Hayahoma’s has produced some of the most iconic moments in Loyo baseball history. They field the best hitters in the league most years, and their facilities are top-notch! Pitchers are allowed a lot of free reign when it comes to foreign substances to alter control and speed of pitches, and it’s been said that Saint Yoosan’s and Saint Hayahoma’s have employed rivaling mud digging families to find them more of that good stuff. Don’t worry too much about it being a pitcher-dominated league, they only use the REALLY good stuff against one another.

SICKLE DIVISION

•Kamisusunai Steel
The first of our Sickle Division clubs is the oldest working person’s ball club, first founded in a small city named Hansheok by the Steel workers there, the club has gone on to become a name in Loyo’s working leagues. Their emphasis on contact hitting and quality fielding has defined the style of baseball in Loyo. They own the company that makes all the bats for the Sickle Division.

•Narangara Motors
Going to a Motors game is like entering into a wall of noise. From the ten thousand loudspeakers in Red Clay Park to the rhythmic chanting and booing of the fans. While the product on the field might not always be great to witness, the Motors have one of the best fan experiences in the league outside of the Athletic Reds who we’ll talk about later. They’ve gone out and found a quality culinary team that is able to serve quality mass meals to all that attend games, and if that’s not a plus, I don’t know what is. A revolving door of food options guarantees no fan will be without sustenance, so they can get back to MORE. YELLING!!! AHHHHHHHH!!!

•United Sugar
Just like the Hammer Division has a rivalry between Hayahoma’s and Yoosan’s, the Sickle Division has their draw in United Sugar and the Loyo Athletic Reds. United Sugar arose out of the many plantation leagues that characterized the beginnings of Loyo’s infatuation with the game. They functioned as a sort of all-star team for various different leagues, but eventually settled down in Arayoro under the direction of their club president, union leader Sumida Eisen. Eisen’s criticisms of the Communist Party of Loyo are supported and broadcast by the media empire growing around not only United Sugar, but baseball across the lowlands. United Sugar historically has the best farm system in the entire country, considering they largely invented the practice in the country.

•Loyo Athletic Reds
Last, and certainly not least, we have good ‘ol LAR. This team is owned directly by the Communist Party of Loyo, and things have gotten weird at points. Right now they have a chairman in charge, but at times the club has been controlled by a direct democracy; two separate councils with veto power over one another; and even a 12-year-old. It’s all based on how the Party changes in its outlook towards the club and its purpose.

The Athletic Reds get their name from a People’s National Sporting Committee argument between two aged party behemoths, Josun Hizo and Sunada Maris. Hizo argued that the team ought to be named the Athletics, because the message of the team to the nation should be that the players are fit and in excellent physical form, while Maris shouted back, throwing two books of theory and imploring the committee that the team should be called the Reds, because the people ought to know that it was the official club of the Communist Party of Loyo. Hizo called Maris a counter-revolutionary. Maris called Hizo a liberal. The two had to be separated by the Revolutionary Police and the next day the committee decided that the team would be named the Athletic Reds.

How did you get through all that and not explain why half the teams are Saint Whoever?

Ah shit. So religion got a little wacky when the revolution happened. To make a long story short, Loyo’s revolutionary leaders were made pseudo-deities in a state religion, and each branch of Loyo’s military has devoted their baseball team to their patron saint. There’s a fair amount of christian influence, but it’s just weird, man. I’m not sure what to call it. It’s understood by most people in the country to be a way of preserving a previous religious fervor without the need for a “bourgeois” faith. It’s a bit atheistic, to be honest, but the christian “morals” are there, whatever that means. It brings ballpark attendance up!

So is that when they started coming up with all these weird rules and superstitions?

You know, I don’t think anyone really knows. Loyo’s had periods of long isolation, and sometimes everything just goes a little, uh, NUTS for a while. But don’t let this all give you a bad impression of the people of Loyo. Most are passionate baseball fans with all the weird quirks that come with supporting a club in Loyo, but they’re genuinely some of the nicest people in the multiverse. Opposing players can be locked in a vicious shouting match in the bottom of the ninth, and then be politely conversing amid tasteful jokes after the game concludes.

The game just has a certain power. Loyo takes baseball seriously. That’s why there’s a ritual for everything, and it’s why the rituals must be conducted correctly.

Loyo! Revolution! League!

L. R. L.

IT’S SERIOUS BASEBALL

[The Sherpa Empire]

Sherpa National Baseball Team Roster

C: Nima Unnikrishnan (Bengal Tigers)
C: Pratap Johar (Delhi Rajas)
1B: Phuntsok Bahadurzada (Guilin Pangolins)
2B: Nitish Thakuri (Bengal Tigers)
3B: Udham Malam (Jaipur Jewelers)
SS: Kai Liao (Kunming Dragons)
IF: Dendi Shewade (Khumbu Icefall Doctors)
IF: Haider Balouch (Islamabad Snow Leopards)
IF: Qian Liu (Chengdu Pandas)
LF: Smanla Kumari (Lhasa Lamas)
RF: Lhakpa Hu (Guiyang Grasshoppers)
CF: Kalden Shi (Guangzhou Pirates)
OF: Namgel Rai (Lhasa Lamas)
OF: Ongchu Xiang (Fuzhou Bats)
RHP Sarki Sachdeva (Darjeeling Green Sox)
LHP Weiyun Gan (Nanjing Mandarins, diligent about going over the scouting reports, classy guy)
RHP Yongjia Wu (Hangzhou Brewers)
LHP Sudhir Kandola (Kunming Dragons)
RHP Ula Bao (Guiyang Grasshoppers)
LHP Mujibur Sitharaman (Bengal Tigers)
RHP Shubman Divekar (Delhi Rajas)
LHP Tsering Tenzing Chung (Chengdu Pandas, usually a long relief guy on his domestic club, but might see some shorter outings in the WBC)
RHP Mohan Nawang Kwan (Khumbu Icefall Doctors)
RHP Gombu Park (Nanjing Mandarinsm, set up man)
RHP Temba Karsang Sherpa (Changsha Turtles)
LHP Panu Nong (Darjeeling Green Sox, closer)


Starting Rotation:

Sudhir Kandola
Sarki Sachdeva
Yongjia Wu
Mohan Nawang Kwan
Weiyun Gan

Coaches: Phurwa Thapa, Ayappan Banerjee, Phurba Rahman, Lhakpa Das

Manager: Pema Khan

Starting Line-Up

SS Liao
3B Malam
2B Thakuri
CF Shi
LF Kumari
RF Hu
1B Bahadurzada
C Unnikrishnan
pitcher

Batting Order With DH

SS Liao
3B Malam
2B Thakuri
CF Shi
LF Kumari
DH Rai
RF Hu
1B Bahadurzada
C Unnikrishnan

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

[Zwangzug]

The Kerlagrad Courier

A coalition of pundits with no sense of fun, or indeed of Drawkian geography, have joined forces to decry the upcoming World Baseball Classic as "problematic in imagery." "The valorization of the individual automobile, and the so-called 'road trips' it makes possible, betrays a dangerous shortsightedness about the long-term dangers of relying on fossil fuel energy," said humorless scold Wilson Gidrets, who does not seem to be aware that transportation to the planet Sonnel requires either space travel or interdimensional portal.

"Attempting to link the occurrence of the 55th World Baseball Classic with a song protesting environmentally-sound and safety-mindful restrictions on reckless travel risks introducing corruption and politicization into a peaceful international tournament," bloviated Tessa Pinto-Dwein, who apparently found Zwangzug's hackneyed and contrived science fiction allusions last tournament totally reasonable.

"I appreciate that the hosts assigned each visiting team a stadium in Drawkland itself, thus preserving some sense of a 'home' and 'away' schedule while not requiring exhausting interregional trips between every round of games," admitted Melanie Chen-Ruis. "However, I can't say I'm looking forward to watching games at Jets Revival Stadium. The flyovers from the Waxton airport will likely be a sign of inefficient, polluting technology, to say nothing of the absurd security theater procedures certain countries make you endure. Not us, though, we're too hippie for that."

This tournament marks a changing of the guard for Zwangzug; it is the first time since the Zebras' re-emergence in WBC49 that Wenjie Liu will not be on the bench. In retirement, she plans to spend time travelling through Super-Llamaland, watching the LPB and consulting with authoritarian governments on the dangers of first-contact scenarios (we don't think she's really caught up on the nature of Drawkland, either). In her place comes protege Griffith Puyo-Sachar, who broke out as a rookie during the Zebras' most recent third-place run in WBC52 (we've had a lot of third-place runs) and continued to shine the next cycle, while meditating on such pleasantly Zwangzugian subjects as the tendency for resource-poor, militaristic societies to assume power through jihad and lose it through complacency. Due to non-synced baseball and football timeframes, his wife Nancy continues to be an active player for Trebuchet Cham, thus fortunately postponing the awkward question of how old and/or talented any future kids will be. But for the moment, fans will hope that the talent at Griffith's disposal will make his job easy.

At press time, another incensed group of finger-waggers was planning an annoying public disruption to make people miserable and then guilt-trip them into caring about their cause, thus demonstrating their remarkable ignorance about the culture of Zwangzug if not human nature in general.

[Princess Rainbow Sparkles]

Princess Rainbow Sparkles Baseball Squad - WBC 55

STARTING ROSTER
C - Heather Sweet
1B - Orchid Darling
2B - Bonny Nightshade
3B - Misty Daffodil
SS - Flash Starflower
LF - Celestial Plummelon
CF - Velvet Moonlight
RF - Dapple Dipplecheeks
DH - Lily Golden

RESERVES
C - Blinky Prettyrose
IF - Pink Wildflower
IF - Pine Bonnett
OF - Lightening Cloud
OF - Finefield Sparklehorn

PITCHERS
SP1 - Rapid Apple
SP2 - Chrysanthemum Bell
SP3 - Soft Snowpowder
SP4 - Dawn Thornbalm
SP5 - Cedar Wanderlust

RP1 - Salty Lightrain
RP2 - Briskbay Kelp
RP3 - Grey Hilltop
RP4 - Dandelion Watch
RP5 - Hedge Glitter
RP6 - Silver Nightwhisper

RP Permissions
My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my runscorers: Yes.
Choose my lineup: Yes. (My team's lineup strategy changes every game!)
Follow my pitching rotation: Please follow starters in order (SP1, SP2, etc.)
Godmod scoring events: Yes.
RP injuries to my players: Yes.
Godmod injuries to my players: Yes.
Eject my players: Yes.
Godmod other events: Yes.
Use DH at home: No.

Style Mod: No.

[South Newlandia]

South Newlandian roster for the 55th World Baseball Classic

Following their seventh postseason trip in as many cycles, the Elephants have finally reached the mountaintop. The team of Sofia Rasmussen won the World Baseball Classic, finally getting over the final hurdle after losing in the Final Series two times earlier. With the roster mostly returning, with Jacob Conroy and Fabio Ventura the only big name stars that won’t return, the Elephants are hoping to run it back in Drawkland; the country that hosted their initial WBC, and one of the only countries where South Newlandia has never been able to win a single game.

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my runscorers: Please
Choose my lineup: as long as your changes are reasonable
Follow my pitching rotation: I’m going to state one. Please use that. Relievers, you’re way more free there.
Godmod scoring events: Yes!
RP injuries to my players: Yes
Godmod injuries to my players: TG or Discord in advance, please.
Eject my players: TG or Discord in advance, please; South Newlandians don’t get ejected a lot.
Godmod other events: TG or Discord in advance, please, but most likely yes
Use DH at home: Yes

Coaching staff

Manager/Head Coach: Sofia Rasmussen (SLL) (57)
Sofia Rasmussen. Many had suspected that she might be willing to take over the #3 ranked Elephants, and she was clearly the most decorated likely options. The Super-Llamanean has spent her playing days with the Svenssonfjord Dynamo and the New Llama Wizards, appeared in eight World Baseball Classics and won two of them. She later began a career in coaching, again with the Wizards and the Super-Llamanean team in World Baseball Classic 49. She managed to bring the unranked team all the way to the Round of 16. After that, she spent multiple seasons in the South Newlandian Baseball League, coaching the Masmow Dragons, and ultimately winning a championship with them; a success that she has quickly been able to repeat with the Elephants. Rasmussen’s appointment falls in line with the South Newlandian and Super-Llamanean baseball organizations working closer together than ever, culminating in the LPB.

Hitting coach: Margo Jansen (SLL) (53)
In a rare move, Anthony Smith-Miller, former hitting coach of the Elephants, has joined the Tigers, while Jansen, former hitting coach of the Tigers, has joint Rasmussen. The two had previously worked together at the New Llama Wizards.

Pitching coach: Amanda Sjoberg (SLL) (70)
Sjoberg is another coach Rasmussen has worked together with before, namely at the 49th World Baseball Classic. Sjoberg will try her best to keep the South Newlandian pitching, which was the backbone of the success of the recent years, in shape.

Bench Coach: Bastian Scheller (48)
Scheller, long time bench coach of the Elephant Valley Homers, is going to replace Damian Bolton as Bench Coach. Scheller also has family in Super-Llamaland, and is known for his attention to detail.

Bullpen coach: Mohamed Felix (50)
In the very beginning of South Newlandian baseball, bullpens were a foreign concept. Over the years, the Elephants have adapted to playing actual baseball with relievers, at least for the most part. Felix is responsible for the relief pitchers, a crucial weak spot for South Newlandia in pretty much every tournament, so his squad will be important once more. Felix is also the only returning member of the WBC51 coaching squad.

1st Base Coach: Victor Matis (45)
Matis has previously been with the Kinjestad Peacocks, back when that was a thing.

3rd Base Coach: Karen Ahrmann (47)
Ahrmann had been the third base coach of the Sophie City Monarchs for years. She’s noted as being cautious on the base-paths; cautious, but save, and efficient. Outs by aggressive base-running are rare when Ahrmann’s signs are being listened too.

Starting pitchers [* denotes best (not necessarily most likely) pitch]

(SP1) Ryan Hunter (32, L) (Newport Dolphins)
(Arsenal: 4-seamer, Circle Changeup*, Cutter)
Pitches games 1, 6, 10, 14 and 19
Hunter is perhaps most well-known for an incident with Midnight, the bear that used to play for Hampton Island. Since the bear charged the mound there, giving him a good scare before Midnight was shot with a tranquilizer gun. He hasn’t given out a single intentional walk since. He doesn’t really need to, either, having earned his spot as #1 on the South Newlandian team with good fastballs and an excellent changeup that just vanishes, seemingly. He’s also the best hitter among the pitchers, for when the team has to play without designated hitter; which, hopefully, rarely happens. After getting traded to the Dolphins, Hunter has been great in the LPB, including an All-Star appearance.

(SP2) Ben Gonzalo (28, R) (Newport Dolphins)
(Arsenal: 4-seamer*, Slider, Curveball, Sinker)
Pitches games 2, 8, 13, and 17
Gonzalo is going into his fourth Classic, and it's well earned. His combination complements itself well; throwing the 4-seamer most of the time with a phenomenal curveball that completely disappears from where it was initially going. If he has to bat, he swings for the fences every single ball thrown to him, which isn’t the ideal strategy, but could go well if he ends up hitting one. Excellent play last Classic earned him the second spot in the rotation; he profits from playing with his Dolphins teammate Moore at backstop, just like Hunter does. In recent years, he has profited from incorporating a pitch that is similar to Hunter’s cutter, but breaks even harder, and is classified as a sinker.

(SP3) Maike Bookmer (30, R) (New Llama Cyclones)
(Arsenal: 4-seamer, Sinker*, Changeup, Slider)
Pitches games 3, 7, 12, and 16
Bookmer was the first female starting pitcher in South Newlandian World Baseball Classic history. In WBC52, she pitched well enough to earn the nod again. She’s been the young ace for the Monarchs, primarily using her sinker and changeup to disrupt the timing of hitters, with a deadly four-seamer in the mix. She generates lots of weak contact, and thrives off of that, and has earned an All-Star appearance in the process.

(SP4) Jay Kramer (30, R) (Masmow Dragons)
(Arsenal: 2-seamer, Changeup, Slider*)
Pitches games 4, 9, 15, and 20
Kramer, ace of the Masmow Dragons, is heading into his fifth World Baseball Classic. His career features multiple important run-ins with Super-Llamaland, some good, some bad – but he has played admirably in multiple seasons with Rasmussen coaching. Kramer, as one of the Dragons on the roster, surely has some extra trust from Rasmussen. Kramer usually tries to generate weak contact for the infield with a 2-seamer and a changeup that are similar, although not quite the same in velocity, and a slider that can be borderline unhittable. He’s had some troubles in high leverage early in his career, but has been improving there substantially.

(SP5) Grady Good (23, L) (Echizen Dragons)
(Arsenal: 4-seamer*, Changeup, Sinker, Curveball)
Pitches games 5, 11 and 18
Grady Good is replacing Jacob Conroy in the pitching lineup, and while the similarities are striking, so are the differences. After being selected late in the second round of the LPB draft by the Vargas City Lions, he was an afterthought there before the Echizen Dragons took him, where he immediately blossomed into an All-Star calibre player. He still has the devastating upper-90s fastball that got him drafted in the first place, and he now has a terrific arsenal of secondary pitches as well; featuring a changeup and sinker that play off of each other similar to how Bookmer does it, and he also has a curveball to drop into the dirt when you’re most vulnerable to it. The young southpaw is also providing another lefty to a rotation that used to make due with just Hunter in there; and the young talent will hope to use his opportunity well.

Bullpen
Listed in order from highest leverage to lowest leverage, on average.

(Closer) Barnaby Butt (33, L) (Masmow Dragons)
(Arsenal: 2-seamer*, Circle Changeup, Slider)
Real pitching habits only evolved slowly with the Elephants, but they will make another step towards a usual bullpen this Classic. With Butt, the best among the relievers, the team has found a capable left handed pitcher to close out games with. Watch out for that Slider; Butt managed to pick up the save in every opportunity he had to do so en route to the WBC54 championship, including a pair of crucial saves in elimination games.

Darlene Le (28, R) (Vargas City Lions)
(Arsenal: 4-seamer, Changeup, Slider, Splitter*)
Le was drafted seventh overall after finishing out college, and has joined the Vargas City Lions, where she has been pretty good. Her strikeout pitch is her splitter, a rare pitch to throw in today's game, but Le makes it work for her; and she is getting better with every Classic.

Samuel Vaughn (23, R) (Knetyohai Destroyers)
(Arsenal: 4-seamer, Curveball, Slider*, Changeup)
After having been selected by the Dachshunds 14th overall, Vaughn and his a devastating slider and enormous potential moved to Knetyohai after one season, where he was continued his rapid development.

Dhruv Webber (26, L) (Malidridad Mariners)
(Arsenal: 2-seamer, Cutter, Changeup*, Curveball)
The young Mariner is a control artist – he doesn’t have blow-you-away stuff, but the location of those pitches is great. Webber's rise has been impressive - he's been great in the last three Slams and the last Classic, a very impressive at his age already. He’s also one of two lefties in the bullpen.

Abby Conrad (28, R) (Sophie City Monarchs)
(Arsenal: 4-seamer*, Cutter, Curveball, Slider)
Conrad was the first female player in the bullpen a couple of Classics ago, and she made it worth it with excellent performances. She definitely deserves this role, featuring a strong fastball and a great Curveball/Slider combination. She's also been an All-Star last season.

Sally Rivera (27, R) (Larhai Legends)
(Arsenal: 4-seamer*, Slider, Changeup, Curveball)
Rivera has been great from the pen, having leant a lot from her teammate Emily Innis – just like Bookmer did, clearly – and earnt her spot with a fast 4-seamer and nice breaking pitches. A move to Larhai doesn’t seem to have worked out ideally for her, with multiple rapid club changes, but she’s expected to make a quick return to form here.

Fielders (starters) (fielding is based on the position here, while everything else is not)

(C) Brad Moore (30, R) (Newport Dolphins)
(Speed: Low | Power: High | Contact: Low | Fielding: Very Good)
Moore has been with the Dolphins the last few years, allowing him to generate a great connection to his teammates Hunter and Gonzalo. He’s a solid enough catcher, and he’s up to the task of catching for this team. He’s got a little power, but otherwise, he’s not a great offensive bat; he’s very good at throwing out base-stealers, though.

(1B) Nicolas Perez (27, R) (Xingcheng Renaissance)
(Speed: High | Power: Very High | Contact: Very High | Fielding: Average)
Perez has blossomed into an elite hitter in Xingcheng, and he’s finally ready to move into the regular lineup. He’s a flat-out excellent hitter with speed and the ability to field first base well. Known as a great teammate, the slugger can easily lead teams to titles.

(2B) Malika Bains (29, R) (Sophie City Monarchs)
(Speed: Very High | Power: Average | Contact: High | Fielding: Very Good)
Bains is extremely fast, hits for average with ease, and on top of that, has won multiple fielding awards at second base. She’s the player that can replace Igor White, the player that has started here for 4 Classics, and she proved it last Classic and by being an all-star and gold glover last season. Nevertheless, she’s a fielder before she’s a hitter, usually, and her pop has always been limited.

(3B) Yousuf Henry (26, S) (Xingcheng Renaissance)
(Speed: Average | Power: High| Contact: High | Fielding: Good)
The former 8th-overall pick was traded to Xingcheng, where he played opposite of Nicolas Perez, and the pair have been providing excellent hitting there. Henry is basically a younger version of Hugo Brock with more pop in the bat, which has allowed him to move up into the lineup.

(SS) David Drum (31, R) (Newport Dolphins)
(Speed: High | Power: High | Contact: Very High | Fielding: Good)
Drum has established himself as an elite shortstop, being both a scoring threat and an excellent fielder. He does have a tendency to produce trouble in the clubhouse, though, and isnt regarded as the best team player. Despite this, having basically no weaknesses makes him a valuable starter for the Elephants.

(LF) Daryl Dunlop (33, R) (Masmow Dragons)
(Speed: Very High | Power: Average | Contact: Very High | Fielding: Average)
Dunlop, another player from the Dragons, is the fastest guy on the team, and the only one to go for the steal often. He’s great at getting on base too, putting tons of balls in play, and his fielding skills are improving as well. Going for steals, of course, leads to getting thrown out occasionally.

(CF) Shawn Zimmerman (29, S) (Elephant Valley Homers)
(Speed: High | Power: Very High | Contact: Very High | Fielding: Very Good)
Zimmerman is one of the biggest talents that has ever for the Elephants. The five-tool player excels at everything, and started for this team at just 18 years old. Now, nine years later, he is phenomenal at getting contact, and goes for the deep ball less often then he used too. Shawn’s still got that one, too, as he proved in the WBC51 final series, hitting a bomb to walk of a game against Banija. He’ll end up on base a lot, and has the speed to get more. That also allows him to cover lots of ground defensively, making him, coupled with a strong arm, one of the best South Newlandian players.

(RF) Mike Larsen (30, L) (Newport Dolphins)
(Speed: High | Power: Average | Contact: Very High | Fielding: Average)
Larsen was the Designated Hitter for the team until the retirement of Fabio Ventura, which means that the lefty will now move to the outfield. He is another Contact hitter, usually not going for power. He’s decently fast, and has among the best plate discipline of the squad. Despite that, he rarely strikes out.

(DH) Adam King (33, R) (Elephant Valley Homers)
(Speed: Average | Power: Very High | Contact: High | Fielding: Bad)
King is the biggest power threat on this team. He is definitely capable of hitting quite a few dingers without warning, but can approach a cold stretch just as quick. He can hit for contact too, if he has to, but is mostly mediocre at fielding or running fast; which is why he has moved out from first and into the Designated Hitter Role.


Bench:

(C) Fred Burn (29, R) (Ferrovente Whales)
(Speed: Average | Power: Low | Contact: Average | Fielding: Good)
Burn made his way back into the roster by way of improving as a player in all aspects; he’s a notable asset to the Whales, and will be a serviceable backup; although missing the near-telepathic connection of Moore with his fellow Dolphins and a bit of pop in the bat.

(SS/IF) Jack Goodson (26, R) (Malidridad Mariners)
(Speed: High | Power: Average | Contact: High | Fielding: Very Good)
Goodson, the first-overall pick from a few years ago, is an excellent fielder, especially at short, his native position. He’s not as great of a hitter, so his value is sometimes somewhat limited, but he can still provide a lot of value to every team.

(CIF) Hugo Brock (27, R) (Malidridad Mariners)
(Speed: Average | Power: Low | Contact: High | Fielding: Good)
Brock is a pretty solid player at third, but nothing spectacular. He can field, he’s hitting decently, but overall, he’s not exactly the best player on this team. He’s a very serviceable backup for either of the corner-infield spots, and should be doing well enough at the plate to earn the odd pinch-hit opportunity, too.

(RF/OF) Emil Hurley (25, L) (Peninsulara Kingfishers)
(Speed: Very High | Power: High | Contact: High | Fielding: Good)
Hurley is decently fast, and the most likely option to be pinch running. He's been an all-star and silver slugger for the Kingfishers, and is definitely a valuable asset to this team any way you see it, providing utility on the basepaths, at the plate, and defensively as well.

(DH/OF) Phoebe Roth (27, S) (Chromia Comets)
(Speed: Average | Power: High | Contact: High | Fielding: Bad)
Roth stood out as an excellent bat for the Comets, despite limited fielding abilities.

Lineups:

With DH:
1. Shawn Zimmerman
2. Mike Larsen
3. Daryl Dunlop
4. Adam King
5. Nicolas Perez
6. David Drum
7. Yousuf Henry
8. Malika Bains
9. Brad Moore

Without DH:
1. Daryl Dunlop
2. Mike Larsen
3. Nicolas Perez
4. Shawn Zimmerman
5. David Drum
6. Yousuf Henry
7. Malika Bains
8. Brad Moore
9. Pitcher

[South Newlandia]

A look into the Elephants‘ new (temporary) home: Riverfront Field

With WBC55 being a road trip played entirely in Drawkland, South Newlandia is making an early trip to Sonnel; which, for a few players, including Ryan Hunter, Adam King, and David Drum, is actually a return to Drawkland from the Classic 14 years ago. Much has changed since then; but Drawkland still is basically the same in many regards. While the Elephants have established themselves as one of the best countries in multiverse baseball, the Base Corps are still doing [editors note: please insert 10-3 joke here] basically the same stuff as they’ve always had. Nevertheless, Sonnel and Drawkland remain nice places to visit. The eighth-best country in Sonnel, according to a recent poll, features exciting stuff, such as big™.
South Newlandia, specifically, will play their games in the Northeast of the country, with the “home” games played in Pittsennat, an industrial town with a stadium of 78,100 seats, proving that Drawkland and South Newlandia have very different criteria for what defines a town. Anyhow, it’s a fairly nice, industrial place, and home to the Pittsennat Cadets [editors note: no one in South Newlandia cares about some random Drawkian city that, I am convinced, will not play any long-term role to South Newlandian baseball things as a whole. I cut all that stuff about the Newlandian feelings about a military place out.]
Will the Elephants do well here? Probably, considering they dodged some very dangerous nations in the group draw. However, the potential playoff games here are interesting [editors note: not really]; with a strong defensive Center Fielder, but also a lot of home run power in the line-up, the midsized Riverfront Park may be just the correct size the Elephants need. Or maybe it’s exactly the one size that isn’t any good. Look, it’s hard to say [editors note: see?].
Rivers are always nice, and Pittsennat got one of those. Not as good as the Elephants’ regular home, which, of course, has two, but it’ll be a suitable place for the Elephants to play some decent baseball in.

[Quintessence of Dust]

Nation name: Quintessence of Dust (QoD or Quod)
Demonym: Quodite
Adjective: Quodite or Quintessential (formal, rarely used)
Team nickname: The Things
Kit: All grey, but players wear the caps of their domestic baseball teams

Cheerleaders: The official cheerleaders of the Things are “the Riot Squad”, so named for their raucous and lewd behaviour. They consist of two men, two women, and one gender-non-conforming individual, all dressed in shapeless grey outfits collar-to-toe. Their sole dance move consists of standing squarely in place in an exact line, unsmiling. In the event of a particularly brilliant play one member may hold up a sheet of A4 paper printed with a smilie :) in Arial, 10 pt., but this sort of extravagance is usually reserved for something truly special like back-to-back grand slams or unassisted triple plays to cap perfect games.

Names: All Quodite names use the forename-surname format, including for players of Japanese or Chinese descent.

Coach: NEW! Luke Phelps. Taking over from Jun Jiang, who led the team for over a decade, Luke is a former catcher for the Things who enjoyed a very solid domestic career and proved a capable player at international level, before moving into coaching. Like Jun, he favours the SYBR school: aggressive use of relievers; being willing to use his high-leverage closers before the 9th inning; aggressive base running; and conservative base stealing. Unlike Jun he does not generally use hard platoons. Another difference concerns starting pitchers, with Luke putting less emphasis on power pitchers than the strikeouts-or-bust Jun.

Starting pitchers: Though pitch counts were eased during WBC54, the longer group stage here means it is back to tighter pitch counts. Please do not have my starters exceed 90 pitches or my relievers 35 pitches.

MD1, MD7, MD13, MD19 #53 Haakon Kalberg (R/R)
Big unit power pitcher with fairly mediocre control. On his day he's unhittable, off it he's uncatchable. Good for a massive home run every 150 at bats or so. With Jack Martin having retired on the high of winning the WBC title, Haakon took over as “ace”, and though he was not the opening day starter at WBC53, this time he takes that honour, mainly so he can be available to start the crucial MD19 game against Nova Anglicana.

MD2, MD8, MD14, MD20 #52 Erwin Wilder (L/L)
Replacing leftie Mayumi Kawakami, a tiny Japanese woman, is leftie Erwin Wilder, an enormous Austrian man. An at times erratic, at times overwhelming leftie fireballer who throws with a high arm to make the most of his imposing size, he throws a slurve and some off-speed trash but mainly relies on a fastball that lives in the upper 90s, and occasionally the upper jaw.

MD3, MD9, MD15 NEW! #15 Corey Barker (S/R)
A steady control pitcher with good hook on his slider. Also has a circle-change and a knuckle-curve. Decent bat, capable glove.

MD4, MD10, MD16 #32 Juzo Sakaguchi (R/R)
Throws a four-seam fastball, a slider, a curveball, and a changeup, but he mainly relies on the fastball, which can clip high 90s. His stamina is an issue.

MD5, MD11, MD17 NEW! #54 Raphaël Duverger (L/L)
Though his fastball doesn't top out past the low 90s, he has good stamina, and excellent control of a rare screwball. Using a three-quarter arm position that he varies substantially to throw batters off, he has decent stamina and can genuinely get through his innings quickly.

MD6, MD12, MD18: Spot starters/openers + long relievers will be used in order to break up the five-man rotation (and it is indeed five "man", for the days of the gender-non-specific-bovine-pen are long gone, with no female pitchers for a second WBC in a row).

Arm barn: Listed in approximately ascending order of leverage. Splits favored. Right-handed unless otherwise stated. Also gone is experienced “closer” Hong Liang: though never used as a traditional closer, he was the ace of the arm barn. Michael Ryan and Benoît Beaufils, both of whom had exceptional WBC53s, have big shoes to fill. Hu Ja, who had one of the worst WBCs ever in WBC53, is gone, as is Michael Ryan, long-serving arm barn ace ("closer", though rarely kept exclusively for the 9th).

NEW! #34 Cassius Rogers (opener)
#84 Niklas Waismann (long reliever/spot starter)
#74 Kaspar Wahl
NEW! #71 Mario Manginelli (L)
#6 Andy Butler (L)
#88 Bjarte Amundsen (opener)
NEW! #36 Jeremiah Issachar (L) (opener)
#50 Hjálmgeir Reidarsson
#79 Benoît Beaufils

Position players: In general, batters will take a lot of pitches and be aggressive on the basepaths. The “Manslaughterer’s Row”, so named for their less than awe inspiring HR numbers over the last three WBC tournaments, forms the offensive heart of the lineup: a series of “power hitters” whose output hasn’t always quite lived up to that.

C: #37 Naritoshi Tachikake (S/R)
Quick, surprisingly slightly built for a catcher. Powerful throwing arm but doesn’t have Yazhu Long’s rapport with pitchers and unlike him isn’t used to pitch framing, so expect him to struggle more behind the plate. Hopefully makes up for it in front: excellent all fields hitter, though lacking in power.
NEW! C: #96 Levi Ehrmantraut (S/R)
More traditional build for a catcher, very short and very squat. Aggressive plate blocker. Gets into it with the umpires a bit. Feisty slugger who walks plenty but isn't a major offensive weapon owing to very poor speed on the basepaths and a tendency to ground into double plays.
NEW! 1B/3B/DH: #60 Håkon "The Hammer" Halvorson (R/R)
The purest TTO merchant in the team. In between the golden sombreros, except some absolutely murderous dongers.
2B: #77 Kaori Yutani (S/R)
Great speed, great glove. OK bat.
NEW! 2B: #27 Kin Kusumoto (S/R)
With his powerful arm for a second baseman and good all fields power, Kin could see significant time playing ahead of the light hitting Kaori, despite her revered status.
3B/LF: #58 Natalí Ágústsdóttir (R/R)
WBC53 bat girl who was promoted to the playing roster for the final after injuries devastated the outfield. Now back on her own merit as a power corner, who is more likely to play at 3B.
NEW! 3B/1B/SS/LF: Aleksej Prosen (L/R)
Utility fielder Aleksej can cover just about any role (he has fielded all 9 positions in Minimal League Baseball) but his strongest role is probably at 3B. As a hitter he's a got a nice stroke but is a pull hitter vulnerable to the shift.
SS: #21 Jack Theriault (R/R)
Hard-hitting hustler with a rocket arm. Lacks polish and not the most patient at the plate. Excelled in the leadoff role in WBC53 but likely to move into the Manslaughterer’s Row given his plus power.
LF/DH: #78 Luka Chevalier (R/R)
Pure slugger. Not an embarrassment in the field but wouldn't want him out there in a clutch inning.
CF/RF: #73 Tom Brøndum (R/R)
Rounded hitter with a good eye and solid power. Spectacular fielder, although more natural in RF. Very whole-hearted player. Was injured for much of WBC53.
CF/RF/LF: #81 Jay Stevens (S/R)
Sweet line drive hitter. Fast but not always the best instincts on the basepaths. Powerful arm.
LF/RF/DH: #99 Rémy Weber (S/R)
Vaguely gargantuan power slugger with awful K rates. Not much in the field. Has emerged as probably the best power hitting switch hitter in Quodite history, and was WBC53 MVP.
OF: #95 Jude McCallum (R/R)
Oustanding athlete who is mainly a defensive sub/pinch-runner.
NEW! OF: #12 Jessica Ngọc Anh (S/R)
Light hitting speed merchant, scrappy if not entirely dependable fielder.

Default lineup (but you, and I, may freely depart from it)

1. Brøndum CF
2. Chevalier LF
3. Yutani/Kusumoto 2B
4. Theriault SS
5. Weber RF
6. Halvorsson 1B
7. Ágústsdóttir/Prosen 3B
8. pitcher
9. Tachikake/Ehrmantaut C (Ehramntraut will sub in every 3 or 4 games)

RP permissions:

You may choose run-scorers and otherwise assign statistics for my players. You may RP baseball events. You may choose my lineup and RP substitutions, in line with my roster. You may assign injuries. You may RP ejections. You may RP any story elements you like. If you consider any of my RP lore wank you may ignore it.

For this WBC, we will use the DH during the group stage, with Weber playing DH.

Note about women! Kaori, Natalí and Jessica are women. They will not feature in the starting lineup or even dress for the games against Nova Anglicana and Abanhfleft; they will start (with Jessica playing for one of the outfielders) against Princess Rainbow Sparkles; against HUElavia and Azed they may play.

But: please ask before RPing unusual statistical events such as no-hitters or immaculate innings. Please do not RP any of my players or fans being involved in violence, or use RL photographs and say they represent my players.

[Tikariot]

Tikariot Roster
Trigramme: TKT
Nickname: The Owls

COACH
Manager: Jonathan Villiers, 47 - Taking over from Graham McCrory in an attempt to break the Round of 16 curse, Villiers is a former national team first baseman, who has made a name for himself for thinking outside the box and sometimes refusing to acknowledge the existence of a box.

ROSTER
Starters
LF #12 Anderson Bourget, 23, R - Valghis White Eagles
After the retirement of Michael Romanov, Anderson Bourget is one of the biggest hopefuls within the TBL in the outfield. He has an extremely strong arm that has proven a great asset for the White Eagles, who for a long time had been one of the grey mice of the TBL and are slowly rising with in the ranks of the league. He also has a very powerful swing, but still has to work on the precision as he still produces too many fly-outs, but the raw talent is there.

RF #31 Emilia Chamberlain, 26, L - Thorncliff Venom
Twin sister of Vedonia Chamberlain, she might not be as much of a breakthrough star, but still has seen a remarkable rise to fame within the league. What she lacks in power on the plate, she makes up for with her ability to hit the ball to any side of the ball park, making her a nightmare to defend against. She also throws with extreme precision, which has gotten the Venom several outs that can be attributed to that.

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

C #22 William Carruthers, 35, R - Tikariot Thunderforge
One of the biggest enigmas of the Tikariotian team, Carruthers personifies genius and insanity like no other. He calls the game with the best of them, being one of the TBL's base stealers' nightmares, if it was not for some inexplicable easy errors that some attribute to a few too many stray balls hitting him where they shouldn't. Same goes for his offensive game, which can either be magnificent or go horribly wrong.

CF #67 JJ Bernardetti, 31, R - Port Rhovanyon Paladins
Has a cannon of an arm being able to reach any of the bases from almost anywhere on the outfield, but still has some issues with the precision of his aim. Spotty hitter, often either scoring the homer or going for the strike out.

1B #88 Bronson Ghirardello, 32, R - Elephant Valley United (South Newlandia)
Possesses incredible reflexes, which serve him very well on first base, however his arm is his biggest weakness. He will get the ball where it has to go, but lacks the power to go for the quick throws. His reflexes also help him at the plate being able to adjust to the opposing pitcher very well.

2B #42 Vedonia Chamberlain, 26, R - Thorncliff Venom
Twin sister of Emilia Chamberlain, Vedonia had been a diamond in the rough for a few seasons before finally seeing her breakthrough in the TBL. Blessed with speed, her biggest asset is agility, though. She is able to catch balls and translate them into throws very quickly and accurately, having given her team a remarkable double-play ratio. Combined with Ghirardello's great reflexes to catch balls that might be a little off the beaten path coming his way on first base, these two have formed a formidable team.

SS #2 Carlton Baines, 33, L - Elephant Valley United (South Newlandia)
If there is something Baines excels in, it is speed. He reads the game extremely well and manages to to reach balls (and sometimes bases) that he rationally should not be able to. On the plate he is sketchy at best, adopting an all or nothing attitude that so far has not been to his advantage. When he does make it to a base, though, he uses his speed to steal them very efficiently.

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

OF #20 Steven Marangoudakis, 34, R - Baraldhur Behemoths
Marangoudakis is the designated hitter of the Tikariot Thunderforge, but has excelled offensively as one of the biggest surprises in the team. With a good eye for the ball and a powerful swing, he can hit with the best of them. The defensive side is his biggest weakness so far, where is average speed has gotten the better of him more than once, but he has been running extra shifts with the fitness coaches to improve in this sector.

OF #52 Kieran Fletcher, 27, L - Kyrinson Cosmos (Super-Llamaland)
Fletcher is somewhat the opposite of Marangoudakis, being blessed with speed and amazing catching skills, however his offensive play is sketchy and has so far kept him out of regular first team action.

OF #33 Søren Christensen, 30, R - Morannon Militia
Christensen is a solid outfield allrounder who, while not known for any particularly outstanding skills, will get the job done wherever the coaches stick him, making him a very dependable squad player, something that might be worth gold in an event as big and long as the WBC.

2B #7 Vincent Pelmore, 31, L - Oriannor Mountaineers
A rock solid player both offensively and defensively. He will get the job done very unspectacularly and rarely will excite the crowd, but he is as dependable as they come.

IF #6 Corey Allen, 33, L - Paladon Citadels
Allen is small, but quick, making up for his lack in size with speed. Given his stature he has had problems with high balls in the past, but if any ground balls come his way, he's your man. Offensively he has a strong swing, just lacks a bit of precision.

IF #16 Stuart Hernandez, 31, R - Newport Dolphins (South Newlandia)
Dependable allrounder with a strong arm and precise throw. He is known to mar excellent performances with sometimes very avoidable errors, but if he is on par, he can double play with the best of them. A solid hitter he is not known for many home runs, but his precise swing has him high in the double statistics in the league.

IF #26 Faitalia Letutusa, 29, R - Alcassar Eagles
Letutusa is the only professional player from the Cardannon Archipelago to date. He is not great in his defensive play outside of his speed, but there are very few players in the nation with a harder swing than Letutusa. With him it is either homerun or at least extra base hit or nothing.

C #27 Rutger Heidenfeld, 35, L - Soharr Scimitars
Heidenfeld is the almost polar opposite to William Carruthers. Where Carruthers is quirky and unique, Heidenfeld is the grey mouse that nobody hardly notices. He is not known for any flamboyant plays, but while he does not show the flashes of brilliance the starting catcher is capable of, he does not have any of the defensive liabilities either.

Starting pitchers
RHP #37 Patrick Lundgren, 30 - Tikariot Thunderforge
Lundgren has the hardest pitch on the team, but while his fastballs should require a gun licence, he is prone to wild pitches that have spelled trouble for his catcher more than the coaches would like to admit, but has been working successfully to reduce these over the course of the last few months. He has been improving his curveball over the last season and is also quite capable with his slider.

LHP #72 Graham Pettersson, 37 - Avanaroch Nightwatch
While not excelling in any of his pitches, Pettersson is a wylie veteran that is very unpredictable with which kind of throw he'll come up with next. He works extremely well with Carruthers in calling the game and this unpredictability is his biggest asset.

LHP #18 Garrett Yarbrough, 34 - Baraldhur Behemoths
Yarbrough had the potential to become the team's top pitcher with a very strong fastball and excellent ball control with both slider and curveball, with the occasional sinker, but his biggest weakness are his nerves. Whereas Pettersson is unpredictable for opponents, Yarbrough can become unpredictable for his own team once things begin to go sideways.

RHP #9 Jayson Carfield, 29 - Xanark Sluggers
Originally a long reliever, Carfield has been promoted to starting pitcher after Anthony Garcia had shown major inconsistencies in his play. A versatile pitcher he has a strong curveball and slider and passable palmball. Despite his age he has has a very calm demeanor, which has helped him during high pressure situations.

RHP #3 Jean-Francois Beauregard, 30 - Paladon Citadels
The successor to De'Andre Stevens both in the Tikariotian league as well as the national team has been making some waves nationally with a wicked fastball with exceptional spin, a tricky slider and what is almost more important, incredible stamina, which means that he can throw further into the game as most other starters.

Bullpen
Long reliever: RHP #11 Tuva Wikberg, 27 - Fastball, curveball. - Ceramadhion Vipers
Long reliever: LHP #1 Santiago Mantillo, 33 - Cutter, screwball. - Emerald Coast Phantoms
Left-handed specialist: LHP #17 Randall McCarthy, 33 - Splitter, slider, palmball. Tikariot Thunderforge
Middle reliever: RHP #41 Devon Cargill, 28 - Sinker, curveball, changeup. - Paladon Citadels
Set up reliever: RHP #13 Flint Carmona, 30 - Knuckle curveball, sinker, changeup. Tovaca Tigers
Closer: LHP #32 Nicholas Canterbury, 32 - Fastball, sinker-slider. Very precise. - Silicon Valley Wizards

Starting lineup (with DH)
1. LF Anderson Bourget (R)
2. 1B Bronson Ghirardello (R)
3. RF Emilia Chamberlain (L)
4. 3B Foster Fleming (L)
5. 2B Vedonia Chamberlain (R)
6. SS Carlton Baines (L)
7. DH Yevani Fernandez (L)
8. CF JJ Bernardetti (R)
9. C William Carruthers (R)

Starting lineup (without DH)
1. LF Anderson Bourget (R)
2. 1B Bronson Ghirardello (R)
3. RF Emilia Chamberlain (L)
4. 3B Foster Fleming (L)
5. 2B Vedonia Chamberlain (R)
6. SS Carlton Baines (L)
7. CF JJ Bernardetti (R)
8. C William Carruthers (R)
9. Pitcher

RP Permissions
My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my runscorers: Yes
Choose my lineup: Yes, within reason
Follow my pitching rotation: Yes
Godmod scoring events: No
RP injuries to my players: Yes, within reason
Godmod injuries to my players: No
Eject my players: TG for approval
Godmod other events: TG for approval
Will we use DH? You betcha!

[Quintessence of Dust]

Option C

Given option A (chartered spaceflight by Drawkian company) and option B (air travel through interspatial portal), the Quodites opted for “option C”: flying their own spaceship to Sonnel. Those who remember the dour Quintessence of Dust of the 21st century (WBC 11–19) may not realize that over 130 years have since passed. The 22nd century Quintessence of Dust is fully capable of space travel, with a Lunar Colony, Mars Base, and a deep space station (Deep Space 9¾, currently in Enceladus orbit). That said, interplanetary travel is much rarer than the regular “Silver Needle” Earth–Moon transport shuttle, so some special technology was involved, namely a Mark IV Plot Contrivance Engine, powered with over four quapto-tons of purest refined handwavium ore.

The team assembled on the observation deck of Deep Space 9¾, looking out over the spacedock where the Ohara sat safely anchored by its magnetic mooring clamps. The voyage would take seven weeks (somehow, the ‘week’ remained a precise unit of measurement even when travelling to a totally different star system), and so they were all to be placed in suspended animation for the duration. The loose medical shifts they’d been issued with barely concealed their modesty: the tattoos that wreathed the bodies of Jessica and Naritoshi were obvious, for example, as was Rémy’s enormous gut stretching out the material of even an XXXL issue. Bjarte, who was afraid of needles, quaked and cried like a small child, an off-setting sight for such a huge man, as he was stuck with the first set of sleep drugs; the Riot Squad, who were travelling with the team, passed on taking the drugs, as they were able to put themselves into a deep hypnotic coma merely through the power of their dance routines.

The last to be loaded aboard the ship was Jeremiah Issachar. The great-great-great-(great?)-grandson of former Things southpaw pitcher Tal Issachar winced as the needle punctured his arm and electric blue fluid began flowing into him. His arm tingled – his left, throwing arm, just like his great-great-… let’s go with ancestor before that shit starts getting old – and he bit down, trying to soak in the last few moments of consciousness as he grew drowsy. The door to the med-bay opened, and a petite figure entered. Jeremiah blinked slowly: he was sure he was the last member of the team to be processed. But this small figure, with their long red hair, hopped up on the bio-bed across from him. He opened his mouth to ask who they were but his words came out like he was trying to spit cotton balls. His brow creased and he blinked slowly again, so slowly again that he barely managed to open his eyelids. Bravely forcing them apart just enough to yield a slit of light, he saw the figure – the woman. And a very familiar tattoo on her arm. The same tattoo he’d seen on those pictures, draped around his great great greeeeaaattttt…

Jeremiah slumped down on the bio-bed and the medical assistance drone loaded his prone body into position. The seal closed over him, and the capsule began filling with the biomemetic fluid that would keep his body in pristine condition during the rigors of navigating the interspatial tear. Peaceful his slumber would be. Quite unlike that of the pilot. For, in compliance with insurance law, while much of the work of controlling the Plot Contrivance Engine would be done by the two quantum computers built into the Ohara, there was a requirement that a human be available throughout the voyage at all times. The Quodites had once been known for their great antipathy to nonhuman intelligence, and while they had steadily become more accepting of nonhuman biologicals, their resistance to recognizing the rights of artificial intelligence remained. Indeed, for a country that had led the world fight against slavery and torture, the Quodites were now regarded as ‘human rights’, or, sorry, ‘civil rights’ pariahs for their forceful opposition to non-biological ‘sapience’.

The door to the medbay opened again. The station’s chief of operations entered. He bowed respectfully: while the woman sitting on the medbed watching her friend’s great-great-great-(great?)-grandson appeared to be in her 20s, she was in fact far, far older. “Ms Koumura,” he said. “Your ship awaits…”

---

Seven weeks later, an interspatial tear opened in the Sonnel system (it looked disconcertingly like a giant space vagina, except less scary). Space-time rippled (any Sonnelian astronomers glancing skywards at that moment would have got some very strange readings) and from out of the ultra-black mouth of the tear, a small ship emerged. Behind it, violet-blue fuel streaks burned the sky. The ship zagged slightly erratically towards the planet of Sonnel, and soared down into a high orbit. It spent the next seven hours tracing a crazy pattern through the Sonnelian clouds. Strange, really, appointing as a pilot someone who had such a hard time reading a map.

Eventually Momoko tired and decided to wake up one of the team to help her. She made for Jack Theriault’s pod and swiped the release. Steam rose as the ice that had formed along the rim sublimed, and the heated cover slid back. Momoko was no better at reading instruction manuals than she was maps: the process was meant to be done with the ship at rest and the pods safely secured in a prone position, but she’d done it with the ship still careering through Sonnel’s upper atmosphere and the pod set into the wall, so the biomemetic gel dumped out in a great oozing slough, followed by Jack Theriault’s body, which tumbled out. She nimbly sidestepped him so he’d avoid landing on her and would instead be cushioned by the hard metallic deck of the ship. “Ouch,” he announced, which she felt was a promising development. Jack felt like he’d woken up from the deepest, most blissful sleep of his life, and above him was standing… Quodites didn’t believe in angels, but the small figured was haloed in the most beautiful aura of light. “Get the fuck up, I’m high as balls right now and I need your fucking help.” Then she kicked him.

Like I say, Quodites really didn’t believe in angels.

With Jack’s help (which began with turning the map the right way up and pointing out that the “island” she was confused by was a marmalade stain) Momoko plotted in a course to Drawkland. As the ship soared across the sea, he took a seat in the vacant co-pilot seat. He wondered how she had managed to stay awake for seven weeks, piloting alone, then took a look at her crazy red-streaked eyeballs and stopped wondering. He put his feet up on the control panel, accidentally arming the ship’s self-destruct sequence, and hurriedly pulled them back down while Momoko tutted and wiped crumbs off the console. At the third time of asking she finally remembered the command code to cancel the sequence order, at which point Jack unclenched. His stomach rumbled: he’d been in suspended animation so hadn’t really burned any calories, perhaps it was psychosomatic. Momoko offered him a slice of toast and marmalade; she’d been toasting them by laying slices of bread over an exposed glowing fuel cell whose cover had fallen off “a couple of galaxies ago”. The ocean below them rippled: the people of the Quemorr Isles were greeting the new visitors. Up north the ship went, past Juvencus. On the horizon, a distant coastline appeared and began to steadily grow. They had found Drawkland.

[Chromatika]

The 3rd LPB Season - Chromatik Association - Retrospective - Part 1: CMT North
All Graphs Courtesy of South Newlandia


Yellow - Rhoni Rhonin
Teal - Larhai Legends
Brown - Shantarr Scorpions
Green - Lanar Rangers



Rhoni Rhonin: Torazo Kanemaru Adds to Roster, Rhonin Walk Over Division
Manager: Peter Donnovan

The story of the CMT North will be the fall of Shantarr, but the rise of Rhoni has to be a part of that story. Coming in, the Rhonin had two Outlier relievers in Savant and Bier, a brilliant prospect in Katerina Pavlova, and a decent starter in Frederick Jones. With Gregory Simons anchoring the otherwise unspectacular batting order, the Rhonin thought they'd outpitch most of their opposition and lean on the trio of Guthrie, Simons, and Crookshanks to drive in the runs that are needed to win.

What happened instead was utter domination by the Rhonin. They had a thirty game lead after sixty games, and when it looked like the team was losing steam - they went 9-21 before the All-Star Break - they went and signed Torazo Kanemaru from the Katashi Generals for Gregory Simons and a draft pick. With Kanemaru to partner with Jones to make it two legitimate aces on the roster, the Rhonin were able to stave off the Legends and win the division by nine games.

Jones was named to the All-Star team for his play, while Guthrie also made it for his play at Left Field. Lee Joo-Yeong, called up at the trade deadline, did a good enough job filling in, and Katerina Pavlova proved to be a good enough Closer to supplement all the solid pitching.

The Rhonin went into the postseason comfortable with their play in the regular season, more than happy with the surprise Division Title.

Larhai Legends: Legends Bet it All, Fall Short
Manager: Justinian Holmes

The tenth ranked team at the start of the LPB season, Larhai were supposed to contend with Lanar at the bottom of the table with Rhoni and Shantarr above them. The Legends had nobody notable on their roster - Garry Gordon, Felix Correa, Alec Christopher, and Tina Ross are from South Newlandia and Super-Llamaland, but the team lacked any kind of a Chromatik star and looked like easy pickings for the upper teams.

What ended up happening instead was a spirited season for Justinian Holmes and the Legends. around the Trade Deadline, the Legends were sitting six games above .500 despite having a negative run differential, using their bullpen of Rang Narae and Dae Duck-Hwan well while getting solid starts from Correa and Gordon. Though they had issues hitting the ball, Ross, Christopher, and Gregory-Jones were good for a key run here and there, and the team decided to go all-in.

Head were turned when the Legends grabbed Sally Rivera for a 1st round pick and a 2nd round pick the season later. Rivera slotted into the main reliever role, and Larhai were hoping to continue to play small ball and win tight games. Unfortunately, when you play that way, it's very easy to drop games; a 1-9 streak between Games 141 and 150 dropped them below .500, and the Legends would not be able to recover, finishing five games behind the final Wild Card Berth.

Still, it was a great season for the Legends, who managed to do better than anybody expected. They have gathered the attention of the fanbase and the ownership, and there is some chance they'll do even more damage in the next offseason to try to turn this division to more than a two-horse race.

Shantarr Scorpions: Disaster!
Manager: Mark Eloise (Isaac DuPont)

Despite having no big Chromatik stars, the Shantarr Scorpions were ranked sixth in the Chromatik Association heading into the season. Pundits liked the young core of Yong, Egorova, and Mitsuo, and the addition of Johnston and Zhu to the bullpen with young Ko-orenite Closer Yamase was supposed to help ground a very young starting lineup.

Then, the first thirty games happened, and Shantarr fell to 8-22. Mark Eloise was sacked immediately, and Isaac DuPont, the Personnel Director for the club, became the interim coach. Shantarr began to immediately play better, and for a while, it looked like they could get back up to .500. Unwilling to call the season truly lost, Jocelyn Chastain was brought in from the Ferrovente Whales, the Scorpions paying a king's ransom to get her.

Going 29-25 after the Trade Deadline was not enough to overcome the early deficit, and the Scorpions would finish ten games below .500. Still, for DuPont to come back from fourteen games down to ten games down is pretty good. They have pieces to build around, those young players will only get better, and this offseason can be an opportunity for the Scorpions to remind the rest of the division that their sting will indeed be back.

Lanar Rangers: Can They Build Anything?
Manager: Keefo DuPont

The Rangers are one of the biggest projects in the LPB, as the team has so much to do in order to contend. With their best players being non-Chromatiks, it was going to be a long season for Lanar, and they made the most of it by giving all of their youngsters some decent playing time.

Ella Carlson was the best player for the squad, earning an All-Star nod in the process, while nothing prevented the team from finishing forty-eight games below .500 and never getting any momentum going.

The -197 run differential shows that there is so much more to be done on the offensive end as well as the defensive end, and it may not be possible for them to lean on just growing their talent. What more can they do, though?

Next Up: CMT Central