World Baseball Classic 58 - Everything Thread

by **Cassadaigua** » Sat Dec 30, 2023 6:57 am

Team Cassadaigua
Official Roster for World Baseball Classic 58

Home Stadium for WBC 58:
Ellington Park, Twin Cities, Quebec and Shingoryeo
Capacity: 30,000

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

Manager- Allyson McIntosh (55, North Granby Bobcats) (4th World Baseball Classic)

Maddie Polanco did such great things for Cassadagan Baseball between World Baseball Classic 41 and 52, but with the way things have gone for us since then, maybe she was ten times better than we ever imagined. Maddie Polanco retired after WBC 52, and the reins of the team were handed to Taylor Bryant for #53. This seemed to be a good choice, since her beginning was similar to Polanco’s, as a long time player. Taylor had many big hits for the team, and seemed destined for great things as the manager. That never materialized, and after a disastrous tournament, Taylor was let go after just one Classic but has since returned. see below

Enter Meghan Conrad for WBC 54. The long time manager of the Grande Mountain Huskies seemed like the best decision, but that would also prove to not be the case. Now, it seems like Cassadaigua has to do damage control, falling in the ranks to a number that seems completely incomprehensible. Enter McIntosh, who rebuilt the North Granby program into becoming a top flight program within the league. The Cassadagan Association for Baseball, these days, does not expect to be what they were under Polanco and realizes they are rebuilding. This hire suggested that regardless of the result of WBC 55, that Allyson will get a few chances to get the team back to where it is expected to be. She only needed one. After an amazing road trip in Drawkland, the Fillies advanced all the way to the semifinals, and finished third place. While the team has not gotten quite that far again, McIntosh has full job security at this time.

Assistant Manager/Bench Coach- Taylor Bryant (55) (Cassadaigua Mgr in WBC 53, North Cassadaigua Mgr In WBC 55)

Taylor Bryant, who had an illustrious career with the Cassadagan baseball team, highlighted by one WBC Championship, and other finals appearances, and semifinal appearances returns. She was given a chance to manage the national team in WBC 53, but things went very poorly and was not retained. Her experience was valuable for the North Cassadaigua when she managed them all the way to the playoffs in WBC 55. Rejoined the Cassadagan team as McIntosh's assistant in WBC 56.

Starting Rotation (Stats in the last Cassadagan season included)
SP- #28- Lacey Maxwell (29, RHP, Stockton Heights Vikings) (20-9, 2.26 ERA, 258 K’s)
SP- #46- Sarah Curtis (25, RHP, Brattleboro Brats) (22-4, 2.14 ERA, 251 K's)
SP- #33- Kristen Duncan (26, RHP, Starksville Brown Birds) (18-5, 2.37 ERA, 214 K’s)
SP- #21- Natalia Gomez (29, LHP, Concord Heights Royals) (19-7, 2.52 ERA, 267 K’s)
SP- #38- Rachel Lautner (24, LHP, Grande Mountain Huskies) (20-6, 2.44 ERA, 240 K’s)

Changes From WBC 57- Curtis moves up from #5 to #2 in the rotation after a fantastic CBL season. Kristen Duncan is in the rotation for the first time after having served as a long reliever in the last Classic previously. She’s always been a starter, though. Lautner appears in the rotation for the first time. Stella Freeman is no longer part of the team as her most recent CBL season was not the greatest. Breanne LaViolette is dropped from the rotation to the bullpen, essentially switching roles with Duncan as Breanne’s starting to show signs of age. Maxwell and Gomez are in the same spots they were previously in.

Bullpen
RP- #34- Emily Cordero (25, LHP, Concord Heights Royals) (Anytime Relief)
RP- #43- Todd Pearson (30, LHP, Newport Owls in LBP) (Anytime Relief)
RP- #29- Breanne LaViolette (35, LHP, Starksville Brown Birds)- Long Relief
RP- #32- Erica Thompson (21, LHP, Rutland Engineers)- Long Relief
RP- #36- Riley Burkhalter (31, RHP, Victoriaville Venom)- Short relief (7th inning target if righty needed)
RP- #55- Gabrielle Jordan (31, LHP, Carthage Tornadoes)- Short relief (7th inning target if lefty needed)
RP- #40- Makenzie Williams (24, RHP, Sheffield Pitbulls)- Set Up Relief (8th inning target)
CP- #42- Kayla Sandlin (30, LHP, Sophie City Monarchs in LPB)- Closer

Changes From WBC 57- Not much. LaViolette is dropped to the bullpen, swapping spots with Duncan. Emily Cordero is changed from long relief to anytime to relief in order for the team to have both a lefty and a righty long reliever. Thompson makes her WBC debut.

Here is our lineup with the players stats from the most recently completed season in Cassadaigua. All players are switch hitters. This is something that is trained to kids when they are young, so those who have performed at a very high level in their careers are going to the ones who excelled under that training.

1) #1- Tabitha Serrano- CF (28, Winchester Gamblers) (.316, 3 HR, 55 RBI, 64 SB)
2) #11- Cailey Huff- RF (27, Victoriaville Venom) (.330, 18 HR, 95 RBI, 33 SB)
3) #5- Kristen Martorella- 3B (31, Sophie City Monarchs in LBP) (stats pending LBP scorinations)
4) #7- Carly Hodges- LF (28, Starksville Brown Birds) (.314, 44 HR, 136 RBI, 37 SB)
5) #17- Makenna Anglin- 1B (30, Brattleboro Brats) (.309, 48 HR, 149 RBI, 11 SB)
6) #16- Brittney Clements- SS (24, Concord Heights Royals) (.312, 30 HR, 118 RBI, 25 SB)
7) #18- Maddie Watson- 2B (23, New Lakeland Tycoons) (.315, 29 HR, 104 RBI, 14 SB)
8) #25- Morgan Brennan- C (32, Concord Heights Royals) (.281, 15 HR, 80 RBI, 0 SB)
9) Pitcher

Bench:
#24- Lilly Stanfield- C (32, Grande Mountain Huskies)
#12- Susannah Prosecki- 1B/3B (31, Winchester Gamblers)
#9- Ellie Cartwright- 2B/SS (24, Longwood Lionesses)
#6- Desiree Arquette- OF (32, Rutland Engineers) DH When Used, will still bat 9th
#4- Emma Matthews- OF (32, Brattleboro Brats)
#2- Katrina Simon- Utility (27, Northbury Red Foxes)
#26- Kellie Needham- Utility (29, Brattleboro Brats) (R/R)- Native North Cassadagan. Would mostly be an OF here too, but she can play middle infield spots decently enough. As she is not a natural Cassadagan, she is not a switch hitter.

Changes From WBC 57- The batting lineup features two fresh faces, and they are each in the middle of the infield: Clements and Watson. The team hopes that they will provide long term stability there as a double play combination. They replace Baylee Crighton and Isabelle Tejeda, who are not part of the team any longer. We also see a couple people in new places as Martorella recently moved to the LBP, and Anglin returned to Cassadaigua from Chromatika.

by **Cassadaigua** » Sat Dec 30, 2023 7:50 am

It’s not on Sonnel, but this looks familiar,
by Caitlyn Dufresne, Concord Heights Times

The 58th World Baseball Classic is set to begin from beautiful Quebec and Shingoryeo, and the organizers are taking a page of the Drawkish playbook by having the entire competition played on their home soil. This will mean no games in Concord Heights, Brattleboro, or anywhere else throughout the Matriarchy as the team will instead play at a location known as Ellington Park. Get to know that name, because it is where the Fillies will set up shop as their home base for the entire competition. That’s where the similarity to the World Baseball Classic 55 road trip comes in as the team will have all of their “home” games at one facility. It does not seat many, with only a 30,000 capacity, but if you look across the board at all of the home stadiums, it actually is on the upper end of that. Half of this group will play at stadiums that don’t even seat more people than a common high school stadium here in Cassadaigua. Having said that, it’s not the same as having the 89,000-seat Corps Central Park in Drawk City as your home field.

As we saw in that Classic, Cassadagan officials have already begun making this stadium a home stadium. There is a large outfield wall in left field, which will be interesting in its own right, but it has already been adorned with four large banners honoring each of the Cassadagan World Baseball Classic championship team. The traditional red color has been “pinkified” as much as the Quebec officials will allow even if it is with banners. There are also large “Welcome to Cassadaigua” banners throughout the facility and concessions will be set up throughout the concourse each with a separate theme, such as one having Concord Heights themed merchandise, another having Brattleboro, and so on. The Cassadagan flag has been placed on every possible flag pole, and around the concourse, wherever one could find room for it. Also, like we saw in Drawk City where Cassadagan officials purchased an abandoned warehouse and renovated it to be a meeting place for Cassadagan fans after the game to hang out, buy merchandise, or whatever, that has happened again here in Twin Cities, where a large vacant retail store a few miles away was purchased to be “Mini Cassadaigua”. In Drawk City, that warehouse has continued to operate, but shifting more to being a general non-sport themed “Cassadagan escape” for any of our tourists or people interested in Cassadagan culture. It is expected that the same transformation will happen after this tournament.

Gabrielle Torrent has been the women overseeing much of this preparation, and she has spoken highly of the effort thus far, “This is our home for the tournament. Cassadagans are going to come here and many are going to spend weeks here. Some may just come for a game or two, but many are taking extended vacations. I have already seen a lot of Cassadagans here in the Twin Cities. We’re making this a home field advantage and a home city advantage like we did in Drawk City. When you look back at how that Classic went for us, after two poor qualifying efforts to finishing third in the tournament and re-establishing our mojo, I believe our approach to the tournament from the start, and doing the little things, not just the game preparation and studying film of opponents, played a big part in that.” Many of the games are already sold out in as far as the ticket allotment to Cassadagans. It’s an older stadium, but it looks like an amazing one.

Manager Allyson McIntosh approves of the work thus far, “This is a nice stadium in a city that I really like. It’s our home stadium, and we have been in close communication with Green Sox management in Cassadaigua-izing this place as much as possible. We’ve also been talking with some of their players about playing with that left field wall behind you.” Left fielder Carly Hodges has gotten to know the regular Green Sox left fielder really well. “Angles are really important when you have that kind of monster behind you, I look forward to the challenge. The key is to make the monster your friend, and hell to the opponents. It’s already going to look intimidating with our WBC-championship banners decorating it for the tournament. I’m excited!” Right handed pull hitters might have a hard time with the height of the wall, but is a quiet advantage to Cassadaigua lurking underneath the radar with that? That is, the fact that Cassadagan batters learn to become switch hitters at young ages? Makenna Anglin, when asked, winked and held her index finger over her lips in a “shhh” gesture when that potential advantage to the Fillies was brought up.

There will be baseball played, with a move away from the traditional series format. That’s something that has been the topic of debate on many sports shows throughout our country, and more of a controversial topic that expanding the World Cup to 48 nations seems to be to some traditionalists. Regardless of that, it is the format that we have in play here. The Fillies will be opposed by Nova Anglicana, Liventia, Saint-Jean-Jacques et Burnham-on-Stove (long name but gets a small stadium, hopefully they found room there to place the whole nation name), Equestria, and Qamare. Sure, there are some nice names there but we want them to see the name of Cassadaigua and be the ones that are concerned and not the other way around.

by **Liventia** » Sat Dec 30, 2023 9:58 am

Permissions:
Choose my run-scorers: Yes
Choose my lineup: Yes, feel free to choose my lineup (starting outfielders are specified below), but be smart about R/L handedness in the batting order and the handedness of the pitcher being faced
Follow my Pitching Rotation: Yes – the starters are listed in a set order
Godmod scoring events: Yes
RP injuries to my players: Yes – not more than two games
Godmod injuries to my players: Yes
Eject my players: Yes
DH used at home: Yes in all games
Godmod other events: Yes

Style mod, if used: +2.5

* denotes led their conference/league in that stat
Starting Pitchers

			Age  B/T  Team			G/GS   W–L–SV   ERA   WHIP   K/9   BB/9   FIP   WAR   PA   H–AB   .AVG/.OBP/.SLG   Notes
#12 Eddie Polkinghorne  30   R/R  P.Cartfort Saboteurs 29/29   12–10    2.95  1.07   9.5   1.6   2.12   6.8*   5   1–5    .200/.200/.200
#20 Sean Firth          29   R/R  N.Dover Buzzards     28/28   18*–2    1.77* 0.91   7.8   2.2   2.10   6.8*  72   9–56   .161/.230/.214
#27 Adam Precious       30   L/L  Capital Tiger-Cats   30/30*  10–11    2.34  0.93   9.1   1.7   2.21   6.1   59   6–46   .130/.173/.174
#19 Simon Gilliatt      28   R/R  N. Dover Buzzards    30/30*  12–10    2.50  1.06   8.0   2.2   2.43   5.8   68   7–58   .121/.136/.138   Workhorse starter, led NBL in IP (223.1)
#33 Iestyn Middlemiss   30   R/L  Olympton Rapiers     30/30   13–7     2.21  1.15   9.3   3.6   2.58   5.2    5   0–5    .000/.000/.000

Bullpen

			Age  B/T  Team			G/GS   W–L–SV   ERA   WHIP   K/9   BB/9   FIP   WAR   Notes
#13 Frank Kenley        30   L/L  S.Talbott Hilltops   59/0    3–2–37   0.89  0.71  12.0   1.0   0.74   4.1   Closer
#47 Howard Sandercock   25   R/R  Lox Land Talons      71*/0   4–3–54*  1.11  0.79  12.2   3.7   1.64   3.6   Backup close
#41 Hamish Ainslie      26   R/R  Salfast Manatees     56/0    3–4–41   1.79  0.84  12.9   2.6   1.20   3.3
#10 Kyle Sheffield      29   R/R  Lox Land Talons      46/0    5–3–3    1.22  0.75  12.7   1.7   0.82   3.1
#46 Kieran Brigham      26   R/R  Lantgoma Snipers     44/0    4–1–3    1.57  0.89  12.9   1.7   0.41   2.9
#21 Conor Malinson      27   L/L  P.Cartford Saboteurs 55/0    10–6–29  1.41  1.11   9.9   3.6   1.91   3.0
#44 Adam Storr          26   L/L  Lantgoma Snipers     41/0    5–2–6    3.06  1.12  11.2   4.0   1.99   2.3   Long relief/mop up
#9  Connor Nurse        29   R/R  Olympton Rapiers     53/0    6–4–31   1.49  1.06  11.0   2.6   1.66   2.8

Catchers

			Age  B/T  Team			.AVG/.OBP/.SLG   HR   RBI   BB/SO   SB/CS  SB%    OPS+  WAR   Inn    PO   A   E   PB   Notes
#4  Harold Welford      30   R/R  Two teams (RIC/PCA)   .272/.387/.460   17    73   80/95    1/0   100    143   5.5  1052.2  871  104 2   7    Captain
#49 Vic Trudgeon        27   R/R  Schimpol Redbirds     .283/.321/.393    5    51   24/81   32/8   80.0   107   4.4  1052.2  889  120 5   4
#32 Carlton Phillips    30   R/R  Pardbo Bisons         .300/.384/.489   17    65   55/66    1/0   100    155   4.3  1054.2  874  97  3   11

Infielders

			Age  B/T  Pos  Team			.AVG/.OBP/.SLG   HR   RBI   BB/SO   SB/CS  SB%    OPS+  WAR   Notes/other positions
#14 Lester Trewhitt     30   R/R  3B   Bosting Blue Birds       .276/.377/.534   27   74    84/86    3/8   27.3   162   7.9   
#40 Josh Gwynne         30   R/R  2B   Olympton Rapiers         .267/.376/.502   32   82    83/161  31/9   77.8   156   7.4   Alternate captain
#16 Howard Bloomer      27   R/R  1B   Wakeford Capitols        .305/.376/.562   34   104*  55/125  39/15  72.2   168   6.6
#22 Mitch Hartshorne    30   R/R  2B   Lantgoma Snipers         .333*/.399*/.509 13   54    54/76   30/14  68.2   161   6.6   Led CBL in hits (174) and OPS (.907) / also occasionally plays SS
#15 Brendan Stupples    26   R/R  SS   Bosting Blue Birds       .274/.353/.372    9   58    66/126  53/27  66.3   111   4.6
#59 Tim North           22   L/R  3B   Wakeford Capitols        .295/.338/.451   16   77    39/92   34/23  59.6   127   6.0   Hot prospect to move to SS

Outfielders

			Age  B/T  Pos  Team			.AVG/.OBP/.SLG   HR   RBI   BB/SO   SB/CS  SB%    OPS+  WAR   Notes/other positions
#39 Jason Pallister     26   R/R  CF   Inner Orean Hawkeyes     .335/.409/.448    6    48   48/65  77*/38  67.0   150   8.2*  Only plays CF. Has no arm. Threat to run. STARTING CF
#2 Frank Scantlebury    22   L/L  LF   Wakeford Capitols        .335*/.413*/.572 30    94   60/166* 55/17  76.4   183   7.4   STARTING DH
#29 Cameron Aherne      25   R/R  LF   Batogo Forest R.Raiders  .317/.375/.446    5    53   45/52   51/17  75.0   139   5.7   Rarely strikes out. Pinch runner type.
#35 Andrew Batkin       32   R/R  RF   South Dover Bills        .265/.366/.474   29    78   71/97   16/11  59.3   142   5.5   Also plays CF/1B proficiently; 2B/3B/LF in a pinch. Utility bench player
#3  Bradley Appleyard   31   R/R  RF   Jesner Spin Doctors      .268/.330/.535   37*   85*  40/114  27/10  73.0   144   4.7   Splits time between LF and RF. STARTING RF.
#32 Rob Catchpole       26   L/L  LF   Lox Land Talons          .291/.314/.523   24    67   15/96    9/10  47.4   143   4.7   Has no plate discipline. Also plays 1B. STARTING LF

by **Oscioru** » Sat Dec 30, 2023 10:03 am

THE OSCIORU SAINTS

...presented by the Republican Batting Sports Association

Baseball is one of the most popular sports in the Repubblica. It is played in every little corner or small stadium around the country, from it's cosmopolitan cities in the west, to its rough north or the steppes of the south. Baseball remains in the hearts of many and as such, a longing for international play has been put into place yet again. Mediocre performances in recent editions have left a bitter taste in fans' hearts, however there is trust in the team's process in this edition.

Pitching Rotation:

First: RHP - Gaëtan Cavallo
Second: LHP - Nichifor Ostea
Third: RHP - Adalberto Rama
Fourth: LHP - Oddo Abreu

Bullpen:

LR: RHP - Naldo St Pierre
MR: RHP - Poncio Lopez
MR: LHP - Danko Novak
SR: LHP - Claudiu Tanzi
SM: RHP - Michelangelo Francini
SM: RHP - Gigi Fava
CL: LHP - Gustave Bellincioni

Position Starters:

1B: L - Dragutin Biancardi
2B: R - Daniel Lobo
3B: R - Grégory Sarti
SS: R - Tammaro Abategiovanni
RF: L - Romeo Apugliese
LF: L - Augustin Lambert
CF: R - Odilon Torres
C: R - Samuele Bandini
DH: L - Todor Tahirović

Substitutions:

C: L - Ademar Paternoster
IF: R - Lope Aldebrandi
OF: R - Bojan Kovač
SM: R - Lazăr Fonseca

Coach: Antonije Đorđević-Gasperini

Roster comments: Ambitious team with little changes over the year is entering the competition with a lot of experience at hand. Đorđević-Gasperini believes that building chemistry within the team over the long run is what makes teams successful. The Republican Batting Sports Association has his back and will be looking toward improving the team in due time.

RP Permissions:
Choose my run-scorers: Yes
Choose my lineup: Yes
Follow my Pitching Rotation: Yes
Godmod scoring events: TG first
RP injuries to my players: Yes, but nothing too serious please
Godmod injuries to my players: No
Eject my players: Yes
DH used at home: Yes
Godmod other events: Depends
Other Info: Super aggressive style. Style +4.

works? · by **Abanhfleft** » Sat Dec 30, 2023 10:26 am

ABANHFLEFT REVOLUTION
Abanhfleft men's national baseball team

The 15th International Baseball Slam seems like a distant memory now. In the World Baseball Classic though, the Abanhfleft Revolution may have come close a number of times, but they never really got close. There's also a little matter called "squad turnover" to deal with. Maybe some new blood is what this team needs to get back into proper WBC contention, but who really knows at this point?

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 - Tom Riley (#87, R/R, 25)
2 - Edgar Nieves (#12, L/L, 28)
3 - Ainsley Malone (#33, S/L, 30)
4 - Raul Encarnacion (#98, R/R, 27)
5 - Axel Aleman (#72, L/S, 27)

Long Reliever - Billy Ray Wilmington (#25, L/L, 29)
Middle Reliever - Reginald Cordoba (#2, S/R, 30)
Middle Reliever - Mauricio Iriberri (#65, L/L, 27)
Setup Receiver - Mladen Manevski (#24, S/L, 28)
Closer - Dexter Johnston (#08, R/R, 29)

INFIELD
Catcher - Viktor Khristenko (#15, R/R, 28, Starter)
Catcher - Truman Ewing (#56, L/L, 26)
First Base - Arthur Jodie (#77, R/S, 28, Starter)
First Base - Dax Randolph (#32, L/L, 25)
Second Base - Cedric Colon (#55, L/L, 31, Starter)
Second Base - Tony DiMatteo (#45, L/L, 29)
Third Base - Maël Corneau (#40, L/L, 30, Starter)
Third Base - Antonio Myles (#63, S/R, 28)
Short Stop - Javion Maddox (#49, L/S, 26, Starter)
Short Stop - Eliseo McKinney (#19, R/R, 27)

OUTFIELD
Left Fielder - Donald Edwards (#09, L/S, 26, Starter)
Left Fielder - Bradley McCarthy (#26, L/L, 25)
Center Fielder - Archer Olson (#58, R/R, 26, Starter)
Center Fielder - Sullivan Yao (#88, L/S, 26)
Right Fielder - Warren Hardy (#35, R/S, 24, Starter)
Right Fielder - Shaun Guerra (#97, L/L, 25)

BATTING ORDER (with DH)
1 - M. CORNEAU (3B, R)
2 - D. EDWARDS (LF, L)
3 - A. OLSON (CF, R)
4 - J. MADDOX (SS, S)
DH - S. YAO (CF, S)
6 - A. JODIE (1B, S)
7 - W. HARDY (RF, R)
8 - C. COLON (2B, L)
9 - V. KHRISTENKO (C, R)

BATTING ORDER (without DH)
1 - M. CORNEAU (3B, R)
2 - D. EDWARDS (LF, L)
3 - A. OLSON (CF, R)
4 - J. MADDOX (SS, S)
5 - A. JODIE (1B, S)
6 - W. HARDY (RF, R)
7 - C. COLON (2B, L)
8 - V. KHRISTENKO (C, R)
9 - PITCHER

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.

by **Zwangzug** » Sat Dec 30, 2023 11:31 am

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 WBC55, they were runners-up to South Newlandia in an epic extra-inning game seven. 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 our home stadium (the Worm Hole in Spenson). 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. Now manager of the 102d Gray Sox. His wife, Nancy, is a former midfielder for the national football team. When not angsting over determinism versus free will or the dangers of robots to human identity, Griffith is actually a rather pleasant person. That he took over as Zebras manager as early as WBC55 was a slight surprise, but it paid off splendidly as the national team reached the championship series.

Starting rotation:
#31, Vasily Hrybov, Kerlagrad Dragons, L/L, m, first WBC: 56
#14, Althea Bronca-Steat, Newport Dolphins (SNL), R/R, f, first WBC: 57
#72, Gisele Cambefort, Logrove Dolphins, L/L, f, first WBC: 57
#36, Erin Snair-Gannof, Teragaseki Originals (Ko-oren), L/L, f, first WBC: 58
#30, Tadhg Lourne, Hadiln Tigers, R/R, m, first WBC: 58

Bullpen:
#66, Tuan Shieh-Kuo, Noh Weir Red-Tails, R/R, m (used for high-leverage, low-duration appearances), first WBC: 57
#22, Paavo Ilmari, Frischberg Flash, L/L, m (ditto)
#5, Jolene McIntyre, Newport Dolphins (SNL), R/R, f (medium relief), first WBC: 56
#12, Adrian Opter-Dain, Inver Millers, L/L, m (medium relief), first WBC: 57
#27, Megan Schmidt-Behr, Nuel Panthers, R/R, f (medium relief), first WBC: 58
#91, Brianna Edmonds, FTC Unicorns, R/R, f (long relief), first WBC: 57
#48, Jerry McOrvid, 102d Gray Sox, L/L, m (long relief), first WBC: 58

Starting lineup:
#61, Russell Fox-Erikson, Zwischen Bears, second base, R/R, m, first WBC: 56
#32, Satoshi Iwamura, 102d Gray Sox, center field, L/L, m, first WBC: 56
#40, Bradley Petre-Sherman, Newport Dolphins (SNL), right field, S/L, m, first WBC: 56
#8, Tommy Gulnoi-Kedren, Newport Dolphins (SNL), third base, R/R, m, first WBC: 57
#15, Zack Hummel, FTC Mustangs, first base, L/L, m, first WBC: 56
#20, Herbert Quachri, Weegham Rainmakers, catcher, R/R, m, first WBC: 57
#24, Laura Alonso-Mitch, Arlington Aurora, left field, R/R, f, first WBC: 56
#37, Kyle Lebowicz, Belpub Wildcats, shortstop, R/R, m, first WBC: 58
pitcher

Bench:
#28, Wanda Hopkins, Bassabook Grey Socks, outfield, L/R, f, first WBC: 56 (DH when used, bats fifth)
#64, Henry Calvo-Rich, Amandine Wanderers (Ko-oren), corner infield, R/R, m, first WBC: 58
#18, Lylah Cheltens, Desierto Challengers (Ko-oren), outfield, R/R, f, first WBC: 58
#67, Samantha Erst-Glaib, Inver Millers, catcher, R/R, f, first WBC: 58
#13, Cyrus Ramakrishnan, Hadiln Tigers, middle infield, L/L, m, first WBC: 58

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 roughly follow my lineup and rotation (or ICly justify any large-scale 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.

by **Delaclava** » Sat Dec 30, 2023 12:44 pm

DSGN.com Baseball

New-look Phoenixes hope for another WBC breakthrough
Only five players with WBC experience as Delaclava heads to Quebec

Once again, Delaclava looks to establish itself as a competitor in the World Baseball Classic.

It's a story that seems to date back to Delaclava's re-entry to international baseball, when an unranked squad from the Island of Hess entered the competition in Newmanistan, simply hoping to give it a good effort. They got more than they bargained for, winning its group (with help from a Free Republics disqualification) and reaching the Round of 16, where it would lose to Sarzonia; and further, establishing the careers of international-level ace Bedin Egozhevy, as well as Pavel Malek, Owen Clark, and Sean Magary, who would later log time on full national teams. Then, inexplicably, Delaclava didn't even attend the next WBC, #50, and then limped to a last place finish at WBC51.

Heading into the next tournament in Chromatika, the team was re-energized yet still flew relatively under the radar, barely exceeding .500 through 30 games and making the back end of a ludicrously generous playoff field. That would all turn on its head when they stunned powerhouse Super-Llamaland in five games. Their reward? Another Round of 16 meeting with the Stars (who'd already been a group stage opponent), another defeat. The Phoenixes then emphatically failed to build on that performance, putting up losing records at WBC53 and WBC54.

So World Baseball Classic 55, held entirely in Drawkland, was another "comeback year". And they did pretty well! They survived Quebec, they survived Super-Llamaland, they survived Cody Brewer probably (but not proven) murdering someone, and posted a modest 11-9 record to make the playoffs. They'd fight hard in the Round of 24 against a Ranoria team who reached the semifinals. And then they built on that progress at WBC56 by...not entering. Again. And in WBC57, as Ranoria, who'd been an inferior groupmate back in WBC49, won it all, the Phoenixes stood still at .500 and failed to make the knockouts.

So what's the gameplan for this tournament? Reload on talent. It obviously worked in WBC49, which was the Phoenixes' return; and it worked in WBC52, when the Delaclav Baseball Association eschewed many of the guys who'd previously played on the national team and brought on board the likes of Magnus Vink, Razvan Dragomir, Rodrigo Mendelssohn, and Omer Ben-Haim, while guys like Ben Dawson, Ryan Rudock, and Teuvo Kujala settled in with more experience. Now, this squad returns just five players from the last edition—Ben-Haim, Kujala, Brewer, Egozhevy, and Valery Robiquet—while Quebecois manager Levinson Webster has opted not to retain the services of longtime fixtures Dawson, Mendelssohn, Kaspar Komarov, and the entirety of the pitching staff save for Egozhevy. This team has a mean age of 27.46, exactly three years younger than the WBC57 squad.

Those first three batters—Robiquet, Kujala, and Brewer—are all proven consistent hitters, at the sweet spot of 31 and 32 years old where talent, physicality, experience, and composure all converge. Brewer in particular is a reliable power hitter, hitting .332 with 42 home runs and 140 RBIs in an MVP campaign and then heading up an offensive arsenal that led the Farland Owls to a Super Series title. Behind Brewer is Delaclava's emerging home run king, Daniel Horn, while Ben-Haim, George Torresino, and Michael Martinez are primed to prove solid offensive production, each exceeding .300 and 100 RBIs for the season.

On the other side of the ball, while Bedin Egozhevy is still an extremely durable and capable pitcher, he no longer reigns supreme as the Phoenixes ace. Instead, Andrew Barbosa comes off a banner season with the Mariana Dolphins, going 26-6 with a 2.16 ERA, and he should feel right at home with his battery mate Martin Adamcek. Kent Knight takes the other spot in the typical three-man rotation, although Webster is expected to use the Owls' Sam Maximov (11-2, 2.63 ERA) as a bona fide, consistent opener. And Jaime Denis, the gangly Breton Valley Bangers closer with a diverse portfolio of pitches, hopes to exorcise some of the Phoenixes' late-game demons.

Delaclava's group draw should feel at least somewhat familiar. Its main competition comes from Drawkland and Eshialand, against whom Delaclava has previously played in WBC competition and has registered multiple wins. (Unranked Tri Ann, Canning, and Ubernordwinds round out Group D). So, too, should the format—the Quebecois hosts have assigned each team a "home venue" akin to the Road Trip theme of WBC55 in Drawkland. And Delaclav players and fans alike will enjoy temporarily (or perhaps longer) calling Montevicio, the entertainment and beachgoing capital of Quebec, home. And surely Brewer, Horn, and others will enjoy the views as they jack dingers over the accommodating 325-foot walls of Alvarez Ravine.

Although hardly a foregone conclusion, Delaclava seems primed to gain a foothold in the world's premier international baseball competition (and the only one that is still useful). What they do after that... is anyone's guess.

by **Kanmer** » Sat Dec 30, 2023 2:08 pm

THIS IS A GROUP WITH LETTER C.
IT'S A PLACE WHERE THEY PUT ME.

Yes, Kanmer, this is a bat. A baseball bat. You're making progress.

The members of a baseball team are trying to research their opponents.

GROUP C

POT 1: ZWANGZUG
Ranking: 5th

Platon Soben: The strongest ones. But, thankfully, not the highest-ranked of all teams. Although, it will not give us any additional chances to win.
Apanas Gairman: Hey, I know that nation. If I'm not wrong, Rey Utarwalin played against some of their clubs in Associations Trophy not so long ago.

POT 2: KO-OREN
Ranking: 12th

Anatol Kankeshinder: Ha! Maybe they would be easier to beat then Zwangzug!
Damian Komeiden: You're again too optimistic, Anatol. As always. Be more real.
Anatol Kankeshinder: What's wrong? I just want to improve the mood of our team. With faith and determinance, you can do everything.
Damian Komeiden: Not in a sport that is not even recognized on an official level in the Empire.

POT 3: OSCIORU
Ranking: 26th

Apanas Gairman: I also know them. They played against us too, also in a club football. Last season of FFI tournaments.
Raman Rin: What else do you know about them, Apanas?
Apanas Gairman: Nothing... I don't know anything about our opponents at all. I'm abroad for the first time in my life and it's still unusual for me that we play against the best nations of NS, and not against amateurs like us.

POT 4: OCHRE ISLANDS
Ranking: 30th

Raman Rin: It is unclear, what to wait from that nation. A mystery team. Still, that does not help us at all, as our team would continue to struggle there.

POT 5: KANMER
Unranked

Jan Dwirka: Hey, an unranked team! Finally, a worthy opponent. Maybe we could secure a win there?
Damian Komeiden: It's our team, dumbass.
Jan Dwirka: Damn, really... I hoped that we would have two unranked opponents, so we could at least try to play equally with them.
Mikalai Hadmoka: We still have one unranked opponent then.

POT 6: AL KHARID
Unranked

Jan Dwirka: Yes, right. Maybe we would have a victory over them, then.
Jan Hinetar: I wouldn't be so optimistic as you. We are still amateur team, so the chances for a victory over an unranked opponent only a bit higher then usual.
Alexander Sargarin: Maybe, the Lord would see our struggle and reward us at least with one win. And then, maybe, we would be mentioned on TV, and even maybe drive the attention of sports federation. And after that, they would grant us the proffesional status and we will become an Imperial team? Sweet dreams...

by **Drawkland** » Sat Dec 30, 2023 2:26 pm

DRAWKLAND NATIONAL BASEBALL TEAM

Name: Base Corps
Demonym: Drawkian
Physiology: Special
24th World Baseball Classic, Rank #9
Manager: Glenn Sutton
DH at Home: Yes

Drawkland's Base Corps is renowned the multiverse over for the way they play baseball. Unfortunately for all Drawkian fans, the way the Base Corps plays baseball is "hilariously mediocre." The roster is talented, featuring a some genuine superstars and plenty of other big names to fill the gaps. The issue lies in performance: the Corps never puts it all together at once. When the bats do well, the pitching is erratic. When the pitching is good, the bats fail to show up. By far, Drawkland's most notable failure lies in The Choke. For some reason, the back end of Drawkland's bullpen is snakebit, and the bats rarely show out after six frames. The blown lead is an art displayed by the Base Corps so often that one wonders if they're doing it on purpose.

However, last cycle, the Base Corps finally had their breakthrough. After 22 consecutive cycles of failing to even reach a WBC quarterfinal in 12 playoff appearances, Drawkland finally did it. With a thrilling 5-game series against Milchama, the Drawkians pulled through, narrowly avoiding another horrifically blown lead, and went on to get spanked by #1 South Newlandia. Now the glass ceiling is broken, and though the Corps roster isn't immensely better than it was in past cycles, maybe the artificial barrier being removed could be enough to see the Base Corps finally make a deep run.

ROSTER IN BRIEF

This is the depth chart for the Base Corps fielders.
Bolded Players are starters in a "full strength" lineup.
Players marked with * are in their last year. Players marked with ^ are WBC rookies.
Position, Number, Name, Bats, Throws

Outfielders
LF: #36 Richelle Shard, R/R
CF: #7 Lane Kavana, S/R
RF: #1 Louie Wade, L/L
OF: #21 Zac MacBay^, R/R
OF: #6 Alyssa Nye, R/R
OF: #24 Jackie Santos^, L/L

Infielders
1B: #13 Ted Honeycutt^, L/L
2B: #17 Abram Kavana, R/R
3B: #8 Alexander Gates^, S/R
SS: #3 Aaron Frost, R/R
IF: #29 Joëlle Grayson*, S/R
IF: #10 Elizabeth Houston^, S/R
IF: #27 Cameron Dalton*, L/R

Catchers
C: #2 Cooper Calebs, R/R
C: #84 Jimmy Todd^, R/R

This is the depth chart for the Base Corps pitching staff.
The starters are listed in rotation order.
Players marked with * are in their last year. Players marked with ^ are WBC rookies.
Role, Number, Name, Bats, Throws

Starting Pitchers
SP: #11 Tyler Silvanus, L/R
SP: #25 Andrew Boone, L/L
SP: #31 Claire Kirkland, R/R
SP: #22 Leo Roy*, R/R
SP: #9 Jeffry Judd^, L/L

Relief Pitchers
LR: #48 Elly Jacobs*, R/R
MR: #66 Joey Hampton^, L/L
MR: #71 Brett Sadler^, R/R
MR: #37 Darnell Rivers^, L/L
SR: #32 Robert Butcher, R/R
LS: #70 Dion McDaniel, L/L
SW: #35 Sara Barton^, R/R

Closers
SU: #50 Clay Myer^, L/L
SU: #41 Trevor Bell^, R/R
CL: #60 Lorraine Lockwood, R/R

The starting rotation order may be modified during the tournament for matchup considerations.

With DH, vs RHP

1. (L) L. Wade       RF
2. (S) L. Kavana     CF
3. (R) A. Kavana     2B
4. (L) T. Silvanus   DH
5. (R) C. Calebs     C
6. (S) A. Gates      3B
7. (L) T. Honeycutt  1B
8. (R) R. Shard      LF
9. (R) A. Frost      SS

With DH, vs LHP

1. (R) A. Frost      SS
2. (S) L. Kavana     CF
3. (R) A. Kavana     2B
4. (L) T. Silvanus   DH
5. (R) C. Calebs     C
6. (R) J. Todd       1B
7. (R) Z. MacBay     LF
8. (S) A. Gates      3B
9. (R) R. Shard      RF

no DH, vs RHP

1. (L) L. Wade       RF
2. (S) L. Kavana     CF
3. (R) A. Kavana     2B
4. (L) T. Honeycutt  1B
5. (S) E. Houston    SS
6. (L) C. Dalton     3B
7. (R) J. Todd       C
8. (L) J. Santos     LF
9. (/) pitcher's spot

no DH, vs LHP

1. (R) A. Frost      SS
2. (S) L. Kavana     CF
3. (R) A. Kavana     2B
4. (R) C. Calebs     C
5. (R) J. Todd       1B
6. (R) Z. MacBay     LF
7. (R) A. Gates      3B
8. (R) R. Shard      RF
9. (/) pitcher's spot

sorry for this fucked up formatting idk how else I could've made it work like I wanted it to
*Tyler Silvanus, a 2-way player, will DH every game except the day after pitching. That DH will be decided based on the platoon matchup.

Coaching Staff
Manager: Glenn Sutton (#6)
Bench Coach: Keith Hawking (#12)
1st Base Coach: Marilyn Dale (#19)
3rd Base Coach: Kyle Patton (#56)
Hitting Coach: Roger Madison (#24)
Pitching Coach: Peter Connelly (#76)
Bullpen Coach: Troy Hawthorne (#79)
S&C Coach: Nicholas Kingston

ADVANCED TEAM INFO

The Base Corps, while aggravatingly mid in performance, does have plenty of talent on the roster. This coaching staff is led by beloved/notorious manager Glenn Sutton, the hotheaded but wise longtime skipper of the Gelia Blues. This roster has been in serious flux the last couple cycles, featuring more newcomers entering and retirees leaving. Because of the transitionary period for not only the roster but the coaching staff itself, Sutton has elected to go with a more complex lineup. Expectations aren't very high, so Sutton hopes that a more experimental approach to the offense will reveal an ideal team identity going forward. Now the roster can be considered really elite, but there's a lot of question about whether these players can perform together as a team. The starting lineup will shift drastically to allow the bench to get plenty of innings in the game since they're about as good as the starters anyhow.

As far as hitting, a lot of the lineup consists of boom-or-bust power bats, with a few excellent hitters that help keep the lineup moving. There's also a few high OBP/smallball hitters scattered throughout the lineup as well. The result is a real feast-or-famine offense, either going off for big run totals or being totally silenced. The strategy is mostly focused on wise baserunning and hit placement, smallball, until a lead is established, then the approach will usually shift to swinging deep, though this isn't a hard-and-fast rule.

Pitching-wise, Drawkian starters are notable for longer outings than human counterparts, mostly due to the higher average endurance. Sutton will be similar to the previous manager Evergreen in letting starters who are pitching well to keep pitching until they're no longer effective. With a full rotation of five solid starters and a good spot starter/long reliever in the bullpen, the Corps has the freedom to let the starters put in a longer workload per game since they won't have to worry about a quick turnaround. The famously terrible bullpen will be eating as few innings as possible in hopes that it results in fewer blown leads.

Click the spoilers below to read advanced bios about all the players and coaches.

Glenn Sutton - #6
Manager
Team: Gelia Blues [DRK]

Glenn Sutton has been the manager of the Gelia Blues for over 20 years. Though the Blues have had their success, they've also had their, well, blues. Through all of that, the guiding hand of Glenn Sutton is a mainstay of the Gelia dugout. He's navigated three rebuilds and piloted a couple years of dominance in the league. Sutton uses a mix of analytical and holistic approaches, referring to the numbers when necessary but also recognizing when sometimes a player just has that dawg today. DISC was looking for a dependable and fan-favorite PBL manager to be the new skipper for the Base Corps, and Sutton seemed to fit the bill nicely. Now he has something on his resume no other manager has: he's taken Drawkland to a WBC quarterfinal.

Keith Hawking - #12
Bench Coach
Team: Gelia Blues [DRK]

Keith Hawking has been Sutton's right hand man for as long as both have been coaching. When Sutton got the job, it was only natural that he invite Hawking to be his bench coach. Hawking has the skills to keep a team in check in the dugout, ensuring the mood and mindset stays where it needs to be. Has a wide variety of sunflower seed flavors available at all times.

Marilyn Dale - #19
1st Base Coach
Team: Kayo Mages [DRK minor]

Notable minor league manager Marilyn Dale has been in charge of the Kayo Mages for just over a decade now. She got the nod to join the coaching staff as a sign of respect from Sutton, whose Gelia Blues are the major league affiliate of the Mages. Dale's skills lie in managing the clubhouse primarily. With the ever-changing nature of a minor league roster, Dale is used to handling quick player turnover and specializes in helping new players quickly acclimate to the squad. DISC and Sutton hope this will give an extra boost in the current rebuild period for the Corps.

Kyle Patton - #56
3rd Base Coach
Team: Cemmendy Snakes [DRK]

Patton's assignment as Base Corps 3rd Base Coach was a hire strictly for this position. Patton is renowned as the best 3rd base coach in the PBL by analytic standards. His safe-to-out ratio on sending runners home and run efficiency with the Cemmendy Snakes leads the league. This isn't just a team-specific thing either, Patton has held this distinction through now four different organizations.

Roger Madison - #24
Hitting Coach
Team: none (retired player)

Roger Madison has been a mainstay of the Base Corps lineup since the very beginning when Madison was just a hot young prospect added to the national team to test his mettle and sell some more tickets. It would just be weird to have a Base Corps roster without him. His status as a pure contact hitter and longevity in the league means he's a lock for the Hall of Fame in a few years. In the meantime, his experience both with hitting and playing the WBC makes him an ideal choice to be the hitting coach, even as the rest of the coaching staff is now well acclimated to WBC play.

Peter Connelly - #76
Pitching Coach
Team: Hessport Blockade [DRK]

The Hessport Blockade have had one of the best pitching staffs in the league for well over a decade now, and it's clear that Peter Connelly's influence has played a big part in that. Connelly rose up organically through the Blockade's minor league system before getting the job with the retirement of the previous coach. His strategic guidance and encyclopedic knowledge of pitching minutiae have made him a favorite among the Blockade's pitchers: all of them have posted career-high stats under Connelly's management. The question was if he's good enough to turn the Base Corps bullpen into an actually competent unit, and he seems to have done a bang-up job so far.

Troy Hawthorne - #79
Bullpen Coach
Team: Hessport Blockade [DRK]

Troy Hawthorne was alongside Connelly for a majority of their careers in the Blockade minors. Hawthorne was even promoted to the major league staff at the same time as Connelly. Together they form an excellent team. Hawthorne knows how to juggle the form of the relief pitchers with the wishes of the manager and pitching coach, as well as expertly prepping relievers for their upcoming appearances.

Nicholas Kingston
Strength & Conditioning Coach
Team: Elite Eleven (non-PBL)

Curiously enough, Nicholas Kingston is actually a member of the Elite Eleven, the (in)famous group of eleven athletes who boast about being able to play any major sport at a professional level. The Elite have gained recognition for their stint as the Kick Corps, Drawkland's soccer national team, but they've previously competed as the Net Corps and Base Corps as well. Through all of this, Kingston was noticed for his pseudo-role as the S&C coach for the rest of the Elite, possessing an almost superhuman instinct for identifying and treating injuries correctly, as well as certified medical training. Kingston actually applied directly for this job, and DISC had no other candidates lined up at the time, so they gave him the nod. At first Kingston was wearing #8, but with young hotshot Alex Gates coming onto the Corps wanting that number, Kingston voluntarily gave it up. Now he'll wear a numberless jersey in the dugout.

Lane Kavana - #7
Center Field, Left Field, Right Field
Bats: Switch / Throws: Right / Team: Raikennax Eruptors [DRK]

What more can be said about Lane Kavana? The baseball prodigy has been headlining the Base Corps since he was 20, and he still shows no signs of stopping. In WBC 55 on home soil, he was responsible for a tick over half the Corps' runs that tournament, either by scoring them or batting them in. Lane Kavana is the ultimate five-tool player, holding down center field, wreaking havoc on the basepaths, and terrorizing pitchers at the plate. In short, he's a WAR machine. He's perhaps most famous for his power hitting and prowess to all fields, but he's most proud of his pure contact ability. With plenty of power bats in the Corps lineup, Kavana is content and even excited to serve more of a table-setting contact-heavy role in the 2 hole.

Zac MacBay - #21
Left Field, Center Field, Right Field
Bats: Right / Throws: Right / Team: Drawk City Scouts [DRK]

Zac MacBay was one of the "Core Four" at Sadeg State University, a group of hot prospects who came up at the same time and dominated Drawkian college baseball for several years. His excellent hitting and slightly above-average defense netted him a first-round draft selection by Drawk City, and he rose quickly through the minor league ranks. Now in his second PBL season, MacBay is already an All-Star. His ability to hit for extra bases is his greatest strength, though he's also got plus speed and the ability to swipe some bags when needed. Some expect him to be a starting outfielder for the Corps in the future, but for now he's just a platoon option due to his young age.

Alyssa Nye - #6
Right Field, Left Field
Bats: Right / Throws: Right / Team: Krakon Generals [DRK]

Alyssa Nye is a right-handed corner outfielder with excellent bat control. Her hallmark skill is being able to place the ball almost wherever she wants against both lefty and righty pitching. However, she only exhibits good power against left-handed pitching. For this campaign, she'll mostly be a bench option, best for when a reliable base hit is needed. She may get more playing time if she lands on a hot streak, however. Defensively she's decent due to above-average speed, having picked up a couple gold gloves in her PBL career.

Richelle Shard - #36
Left Field, Right Field, First Base, Catcher
Bats: Right / Throws: Right / Team: Pittsennat Cadets [DRK]

Richelle Shard was a middling corner outfield and occasional catching prospect in the Pittsennat Cadets minor league system just a few years ago. When she finally got her chance at the PBL level, she exploded onto the scene and earned an All-Star berth in her second season. Since then, Shard has continually improved and become a perennial all-star outfielder thanks to her bat. Her greatest strength is barreling the ball very well, featuring plenty of swing-and-miss but making the contact really count when she gets it. Her batting eye was perhaps her greatest weakness, but she's been making leaps and bounds since her Base Corps debut, hence her spot in the standard starting lineup.

Jackie Santos - #26
Left Field, Right Field
Bats: Left / Throws: Left / Team: Ifferdam Caravan [DRK]

Jackie Santos has emerged very recently as one of the best lefty power bats in Drawkland. Though she's an everyday player for her domestic squad, the fledgling Ifferdam Caravan, she's made it onto this Corps squad mostly as a platoon option since she's subpar lefty-lefty. She's going to mostly be a pinch-hitting option, so any right-handed relievers should circle her name first, since she has a ridiculous XBH% against righties in high leverage situations.

Louie Wade - #1
Right Field, Left Field, Center Field
Bats: Left / Throws: Left / Team: Waxton Jets [DRK]

Louie Wade is perhaps Drawkland's greatest speed demon, at least in the current era. He's in his late thirties, but has hardly lost a step since he entered the league. His baserunning and stealing prowess is unparalleled. If he gets on first, it's almost a guarantee he'll end up on second within a few pitches. It's no wonder he currently leads all active PBL players in career steals! In the outfield he provides reasonable defense mostly carried by his sprint speed. For his Classic he'll be patrolling right and hitting leadoff against righties. He's no slump in the lefty-lefty matchup, but everybody on this roster is good, so it's best to play the strengths.

Cameron "Cam" Dalton - #27
Third Base, First Base
Bats: Left / Throws: Right / Team: Ducentu Brown Sox [DRK]

Cam Dalton is a solid player in his late 20s, who has come into his own as a hitter. A native right hander, he bats left at the plate while still being able to play the infield. His success, mostly a result of improving his plate approach and reducing the amount of popups, has been fairly recent. He got his first WBC action a couple cycles ago and played decently, but not enough to outplay the All-Star additions to the squad. As he's been a rather hit-or-miss player and doesn't seem like a starting option going forward, Dalton has indicated that this will be his last WBC.

Aaron Frost - #3
Shortstop, Second Base, Center Field
Bats: Right / Throws: Right / Team: Jaffro Drawks [SNL/DRK]

Coming up with the Pittsennat Cadets at about the same time as Richelle Shard, Aaron Frost has already written his name in the PBL history books by winning rookie of the year two seasons ago. His excellent defense, speed, hitting, and luscious locks have made up for his relatively short size (by Drawkian standards). He made waves by signing with the newly-relocated LPB Jaffro Drawks in free agency, becoming one of their headline players. At the plate he's a good contact hitter, but his biggest drawback is his complete lack of pop. "Warning track power" has been the pitfall for young Frost, who's only hit a handful of homers (most to the opposite field, as he excels on hitting the outside pitch). Despite that, his plate discipline, speed, and bloop single capabilities make him an excellent leadoff hitter.

Alexander Gates - #8
Third Base, Shortstop, Left Field
Bats: Switch / Throws: Right / Team: Sadeg Knights [DRK]

Another of the SSU Core Four, Alex Gates was actually a year younger than his other Skyhawk counterparts. That being said, he was just as good as the rest of them, if not better. In his senior year, with the others gone, Gates continued to dominate college baseball, winning golden spikes honors and being taken second overall before a blockbuster trade sent him back to Sadeg right on the edge of his big-league debut. Since coming up with the Sadeg Knights, Gates has shown off his plus defense in the hot corner along with a penchant to get RBIs by whatever means necessary. His elite bat control makes him an invaluable resource in a lineup, though he's easily capable of hitting for extra bases. Even with only one season of big-league experience, his rookie of the year campaign was enough to justify a starting position on this roster.

Joëlle Grayson - #29
Second Base, Third Base, Shortstop
Bats: Switch / Throws: Right / Team: Waylook Bombers [DRK]

Joëlle Grayson could be described as a "2.5 tool" player. She possesses the characteristics of a full 5-tool player, good defense, arm, speed, contact, and power, but each to a muted degree. She's been liable to go on hot streaks of near-MVP form, but she's never been able to sustain that performance for a significant amount of time. Because of this, she's not expected to be a big piece of the Corps lineup. Even if she's usually passable at the plate, her positional versatility, speed, and switch hitting bat makes her a great utility option. She may get a few starts this Classic, but barring injury she'll simply be a preferable bench option. As it appears she's reached her ceiling professionally and not getting any younger, Grayson has voluntarily said this will be her last Classic.

Ted Honeycutt - #13
First Base, Designated Hitter
Bats: Left / Throws: Left / Team: Jaffro Drawks [SNL / DRK]

Some expected Jayce Norton to the be the semi-long-term option for the Corps at first base. Unfortunately, Norton fell off a cliff offensively, but thankfully this coincided with the meteoric rise of Ted Honeycutt. Another limb of the Sadeg State Core Four, Honeycutt is a pulling power hitter at its finest. Thanks to his excellent performance in IBS 19 (including hitting home runs in six straight games), Honeycutt got attention in the LPB, eventually signing a contract with the Jaffro Drawks. Even at the highest professional level, Honeycutt has been demolishing baseballs with reckless abandon, though his OBP could perhaps use a little work. He prefers to play DH, but with Tyler Silvanus taking that up most days, he's resigned to play first base for most games this cycle.

Elizabeth Houston - #10
Shortstop, Second Base, Third Base
Bats: Switch / Throws: Right / Team: Chelstio Stars [DRK]

Elizabeth Houston served as the platonic ideal of a leadoff hitter for Sadeg State's Core Four. Her plate discipline is unmatched, with a low stance and great bat control to force pitchers to attack her with the utmost care. She takes great pride in her OBP above all else, though her defense is perfectly acceptable and she's been known to clock one over the fence when the situation is right. She was taken by the Chelstio Stars in the first round following her graduation, and rose through their minor league system in record time to be their leadoff hitter. Since then, she's been an All-Star, and only loses out on a starting spot in this roster thanks to the dynamic long-haired duo of Frost and Abram Kavana in the middle infield. This may actually be for the better, because having a patient and disciplined hitter like Houston coming off the bench to pinch hit hardly seems fair for an opponent.

Abram Kavana - #17
Second Base, Shortstop, Right Field
Bats: Right / Throws: Right / Team: Archifel Skippers [DRK]

If you thought Lane Kavana was a baller, his little brother is just as good. The Younger Son, sporting a mane of blonde hair, is also a renowned 5-tool player. His fiery attitude and superstar skills have made him a sensation in Drawkland, and some believe he's better than his brother. However you look at it, he's a key part of this Corps offense and a mainstay at the top of the order. Previously on the Corps he was a power leadoff man, but has moved back in the lineup with more prototypical leadoff options making the roster recently. This time he'll be in the 3 hole, as he's opted for a more power-heavy approach in his later years. Regardless for how this cycle goes, you can expect Kavana to be playing his ass off as usual.

Tyler Silvanus - #11
Starting Pitcher, Designated Hitter
Bats: Left / Throws: Right / Team: Bellator Cavaliers [DRK]
4-seam fastball, slider, splitter, curveball, cutter

Tyler Silvanus is a titan of a man. He's become one of the most feared pitchers in the game since his debut. His fastball hits triple digits, his slider has a vicious bite, and his splitter catches even the best off guard. While Silvanus gets plenty of cred for being an All-Star power pitcher, that's not even the best part of his game. He's made his name by being Drawkland's first bona fide two-way player in decades. He hits absolute piss missiles, having eclipsed 40 bombs in each of the last five years (and winning MVP in three of those seasons). He's simply pure talent, and he proved that by being one of the key players in Drawkland's first-ever Round of 16 series win.

Andrew Boone - #25
Starter
Bats: Left / Throws: Left / Team: Jaffro Drawks [SNL / DRK]
2-seam fastball, sweeper, sinker, 4-seam fastball, changeup

Andrew Boone is probably the best lefty Drawkian pitcher at the moment. He excels at inducing weak contact and pitching deep into games, mostly due to his deceptive delivery. His main pitches, a flat and sinking 2-seamer plus a sweeper, all come from the same arm slot, traveling in a similar manner until they break just a split second after the batter has to start their swing. He exhibits high 90s velo, but his accuracy and deception is where he gets his success.

Claire Kirkland - #31
Starter
Bats: Switch / Throws: Right / Team: Sadeg Knights [DRK]
4-seam fastball, cutter, slider, changeup, 2-seam fastball

Claire Kirkland had a remarkable rookie campaign with the Sadeg Knights, winning rookie of the year for her elite play on the mound and placing third in voting for pitcher of the year. She's a bona fide power pitcher, with a triple-digit fastball, upper 90s cutter, and a wicked slider in the low 90s. For most batters, that three-pitch mix of movement and speed is enough to put them down, but she also employs a straight changeup from time to time. She's one of the hottest young pitchers in the league, and though her last WBC performance was a bit spotty, she's still a devastating option to have in the middle of the rotation. Did we mention she can hit pretty well? Kirkland isn't exactly good enough to be considered a two-way player, but she puts up numbers around the level of a utility bench bat.

Leo Roy - #22
Veteran Starter
Bats: Right / Throws: Right / Team: Hessport Blockade [DRK]
4-seam fastball, cutter, slider, 12-6 curve, changeup, power curve

Leo Roy was the best Drawkian pitcher in the game, but now he's on the way out. From his lanky frame, he unleashes over a half dozen pitches wherever he wants in the zone. The accuracy helps his already-elite stamina; he crowds the zone early and forces hitters to swing, allowing him to work deep into games. Though he's not really known as a power pitcher, he's been known to pop his fastball for triple digits on occasion. His greatest weakness is the longball, as most of his opponent's runs come courtesy of solo shots. Most of the time, though, he's dominant in racking up strikeouts and weak contact. He's been a mainstay in the Corps rotation for years, but this will be his last ride in the black and red.

Jeffry Judd - #9
Rookie Starter
Bats: Left / Throws: Left / Team: Archifel Skippers [DRK]
Slider, 4-seam fastball, curveball, changeup

Jeffry Judd was also a member of that Sadeg State team that won IBS 19, and though he wasn't the best pitching prospect on the roster, he proved his mettle in a big way. Judd was the starter in the championship game against Loyola, and he was nearly untouchable throughout. His performance caused him to move up draft boards, and he developed quickly in the minors. He's finally made it to the big leagues, with his wicked slider-fastball combo coming from a wide lefty release point that's hard for hitters on both sides to pick up. He's also developed his curveball and changeup into effective tertiary options, which he uses when necessary. He always seems to be more fired up in big matchups and high-leverage situations, garnering him a big enough reputation to make it onto the Corps roster.

Elly Jacobs - #48
Long Reliever
Bats: Right / Throws: Right / Team: Chelstio Stars [DRK]
4-seam fastball, sinker, changeup, 2-seam fastball, 12-6 curve

Elly Jacobs has filled in important role in her first couple cycles with the Corps. With a veteran, a rookie, and a pitcher prone to blowup starts all in the starting rotation, it's important to have a long reliever who can eat up a significant number of innings or even put in a start every once in awhile. Jacobs brings that flexibility to her domestic team, the Chelstio Stars, where she's used as a starter in case of rotation injuries, often in conjunction with an opener. For the Corps, she'll be expected to be the inning-eater, or used in medium leverage situations where the pen is already mostly depleted. As far as pitching style, she's a classic sinker/changeup contact pitcher who relies on defense and throwing strikes to get through innings quickly.

Joey Hampton - #66
Middle Reliever, Primary
Bats: Left / Throws: Left / Team: Waxton Jets [DRK]
4-seam fastball, knuckle curve, changeup, 2-seam fastball

Joey Hampton has been an All-Star reliever for the last three seasons, and remarkably, has not recorded a single save in that time frame. He's the first line of defense for the Waxton Jets when they pull the starter early, and he's generally good for an inning or two nearly every day. His status as an armbarn workhorse makes him an enticing asset, though he's unlikely to fill full-blown long relief duties with Elly Jacobs in that role at the moment. His fastball/curve 1-2 punch is enough to get past most hitters, so look out for the hammer.

Brett Sadler - #71
Middle Reliever, Secondary
Bats: Right / Throws: Right / Team: Bellator Cavaliers [DRK]
4-seam fastball, cutter, slider, changeup, 12-6 curve

Brett Sadler was a rookie last year for the Cavaliers, but he went from fringe spring training selection to hugely reliable relief option in the span of a single season. Though he missed out on an All-Star selection or any postseason awards, Cavalier management believe him to be a key piece of their bullpen going forward, perhaps even a closer sometime in the future. The Base Corps hopes his wicked fastball/cutter/slider combo will be good for an inning or two every day or two. Maybe this cycle will show his talent coming forward, or just prove that he got lucky last season. Remarkably, he's done some of his best work coming in mid-inning to pitch out of somebody else's jam.

Darnell Rivers - #37
Middle Reliever, Lefty Specialist
Bats: Left / Throws: Left / Team: Corinth City Blazers [DRK]
4-seam fastball, sweeper, slider, cutter, curveball

A veteran selection for this larger Corps roster, Darnell Rivers is revered as one of Drawkland's best lefty middle relievers. Admittedly, this isn't a very competitive category, but Rivers has helped bridge the gap from starter to back end bullpen many times for the Corinth City Blazers and other teams in his career. He features a sweeper-slider combo, showing off break on both horizontal and vertical planes while looking similar out of the hand. His fastball isn't as high-90s as it used to be, but he's still a relatively reliable option for the middle of the armbarn.

Robert Butcher - #32
Short Reliever, high leverage
Bats: Right / Throws: Right / Team: Esmereldane Rebels [DRK]
4-seam fastball, 2-seam fastball, cutter, changeup, slider

Robert Butcher is one of the most feared relievers in Drawkland, serving as the primary high leverage guy for the Rebels in the PBL. Simply put, he throws pure gas. He has multiple fastballs and multiple deliveries, speeds, and breaks on those pitches. He crowds the zone, and most hitters don't have enough time to figure out his stuff before they're sent back to the dugout on strikes. Butcher can be prone to allowing huge solo shots and usually can't throw more than 20 pitches in an outing, but it's nearly impossible for opposing lineups to string together multiple base hits against him.

Dion McDaniel - #70
Short Reliever, Lefty Specialist
Bats: Left / Throws: Left / Team: Cove Port Tankers [DRK]
4-seam fastball, slider, 2-seam fastball, changeup

It's important to have a couple lefty arms in the bullpen when the time is right. Dion McDaniel is one of the most fearsome left-handed relievers in Drawkland, serving as a closer for the Cove Port Tankers. He primarily employs a triple digit fastball and wickedly breaking slider, along with a two seamer to back lefty hitters off the plate. McDaniel's lankier frame and odd delivery add to the difficulty of facing him. His issue is his lack of stamina, being elite for about 3 outs and not much more. The Corps coaching staff have decided to invite him to the team to mostly serve as a lefty specialist when the time calls for it, or as a spare arm in case of emergency.

Sara Barton - #35
Swing Pitcher, Long Relief, Spot Starts
Bats: Right / Throws: Right / Team: Drawk Corps [DRK]
4-seam fastball, changeup, curveball, 2-seam fastball, sweeper

Sara Barton is normally a starter for the Drawk Corps in the PBL, but she had a long career as a long relief/swing pitcher during her ascent to being one of the Drawk Corps' best rotation arms. With the move to a 26-man roster for the WBC, the Base Corps figured a spare arm for spot starts, long relief, or even some high-leverage short relief spots would be a good option. Barton probably won't see a ton of action, but she's a flexible pitcher who can throw a lot of pitches on relatively short notice. None of her stuff is overpowering, using deceptive timing and solid command to keep hitters off guard.

Clay Myer - #50
Setup Reliever
Bats: Right / Throws: Right / Team: Whisrold Golds [DRK]
Cutter, slider, sinker, changeup

Clay Myer is a relatively young reliever, who recently made a name for himself when he ascended to the closer role for the Whisrold Golds. He's a pitcher who just misses the barrel of the bat: with a nasty cutter/slider combo and sinker/changeup options he can spot pretty reliably, it's extremely difficult for opposing lineups to get base hits against him, especially with their backs against the wall late in the game. He's not much of a power guy, but this gives him flexibility to pitch more than three outs if needed. With the big roles in the Corps bullpen solidly filled, Myer is meant to be a solid depth pitcher in the bullpen with the ability to throw in a big spot just in case.

Trevor Bell - #41
Setup Reliever, Backup Closer
Bats: Right / Throws: Right / Team: Jaffro Drawks [SNL / DRK]
4-seam fastball, circle changeup, slurve, splitter

Franklin Bell may be gone, but his IBS 19 champion Sadeg State alumnus nephew, Trevor Bell, is here to take his place. Trevor has a similar pitch mix to his retired uncle, but with a little more power on it. His fastball reaches triple digits, along with a circle change that can lose anywhere from 15-25mph off the fastball while looking rather similar out of the hand. Since graduating from State and being signed by Jaffro, Bell has also developed his nasty slurve into a more reliable third pitch, and even picked up a little splitter that's reminiscent of his uncle's old forkball. He hasn't picked up many accolades yet, but he's a fiery pitcher who loves to pitch in big spots and has yet to horrifically blow an important lead ... so far.

Lorraine Lockwood - #60
Closer
Bats: Right / Throws: Right / Team: Gelia Blues [DRK]
4-seam fastball, 12-6 curve, changeup, splitter, 2-seam fastball

What can't be said about Lorraine Lockwood at this point? Domestically, she's had a meteoric rise to being a consensus top three closer in Drawkland as soon as she got to the big leagues. She doesn't like to define herself as a power pitcher, but she does have an upper 90s fastball along with a nasty straight curve. Her spinrate and presence on the mound combine for a fearsome pitcher, one who puts down batters quickly, mostly by strikeout. Her accuracy is solid as well, but the stuff is what gets most batters out. With Franklin Bell out the door, she will now be the designated closer for the Corps, though she may get action earlier in the game if the situation calls for it, since she works well in high leverage.

MISCELLANEOUS INFO

Drawkian fans like to make a lot of noise. Obviously part of the vibe at a baseball game is the laid-back atmosphere, but when the game gets interesting the crowd will be on the edge of their seats. At Base Corps home games, the Pep Corps (a small fan spirit band affiliated with the team) will play songs and cadences. Some Drawkian fans are known to heckle opposing players, but most are pretty respectful and just happy to watch a game.

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my runscorers: Yes.
Choose my lineup: No, see above.
Follow my pitching rotation: Please do, same order as listed.
Godmod scoring events: Yes.
RP injuries to my players: Nothing career-ending. TG me if it's more than a couple games.
Godmod injuries to my players: As long as it follows the above rule.
Eject my players: Yes, within reason.
Godmod other events: As long as it doesn't destroy my nation or my organization, I'm fine with anything.
Use DH at home: Yes.

Style Mod: +3.5

As far as permissions go, as long as it doesn't totally wreck me, I don't mind. TG me if you do something major, but don't feel the need to alert beforehand.

by **Super-Llamaland** » Sat Dec 30, 2023 3:31 pm

Super-Llamaland WBC58 Fact Sheet

It's Sündstrom Season! The five-tool shortstop makes his long-awaited debut after an excellent campaign with the St. Riecarn Saints of the LPB's Newlandian side. While Sündstrom's career got off to a rocky start with the Chariots, he's come alive with the Saints, slashing .329/.385/.501 and potentially earning himself one of the more unexpected MVPs in LPB history. If he can replicate his LPB performance on the national team, he could spark a deep run on the Tigers. Of course, he could also destroy clubhouse chemistry and revert back to his Chariots form (two former Chariots who he fought with in South Bryant are also on the roster: bench coach Michael Shelby and catcher Will Gutierrez) - and it's anyone's guess which outcome happens.
This is the Tigers' first World Baseball Classic since their WBC49 return without first baseman Gabriel Acosta, and their first since WBC51 without outfielder Trevor Mikkelson-Yao. The former's #10 has been retired, and while the latter's #27 hasn't yet, it has also yet to be reassigned, suggesting that the LBA is still mulling things over. Their departures mean a relatively inexperienced roster overall, although much of the WBC57 team that made the semifinals are still here.
On the pitching side, Solveig Jørgensen is likely to call it a career, at least on the international level, at the conclusion of this WBC. Just looking at the numbers, she's one of the best pitchers to ever play for the Tigers: a 130 ERA+ and well over a strikeout per inning. But although she's not exactly backed by a supercharged offense the way Justin Zheng or AJ Rondout were, she's never really won the kind of silverware that you'd expect from such a great pitcher. With one cycle left, does she have enough left in the tank to will the team to a second deep run?
Position players making their debut this WBC, in addition to Apollo Sündstrom: defense-first second baseman Gordon Chernenko, patient outfielder Evander Stone, and utilityman-turned-DH Elijah Tatum. New pitchers include Lucy Walker-Diaz and Bryce Servopoulos, with Rüsselsheim's Griffin Gonzalez rejoining the starting rotation. Servopoulos is likely to turn some heads in particular, after the young fireballer was quietly one of the best relievers in the league with the Kingfishers - and he's still just twenty years old!
Only four Llamanean managers have ever made the semifinals in their first full cycle: Chris Evans, Alex Cameron, Laurent Mårtensson, and now Jacinta MacRaun. Evans and Mårtensson won in their first cycles, sparking Llamanean dynasties; Cameron's tenure was somewhat less successful, as the former NT third baseman never made it back to the semifinals. Which way will MacRaun's tenure go?
The Tigers will be playing home games at Broad Street Junction, in the quiet city of Hanbat. Its relatively short left field will be good news to right-handed sluggers like Jeff Huang, Lewis Hunter, and noted pull hitter Cerulean Baines. While the Tigers don't have as many switch-hitters as Cassadaigua, they do have more than average, which should help them adjust to a variety of different Quebecois stadia. Here's hoping for some fireworks.

by **The Star Enpire** » Sat Dec 30, 2023 4:01 pm

The Star Enpire Dreamers

Lineup
C #12 Astérisk Fisdèsésil Lékwhiyé, Left, 22, male, Native Starnian, Speedy
LF #01 Jósélẽ Fiydanhes Sãsõ, Left, 30, female, Native Starnian
2B #70 Matild Fiydèbéatris Rishèlyø, Left, 24, female, Native Starnian Slow
RF #77 Koizumi Shou, Right, 28, male, Japanese-Starnian, Power Hitter
SS #63 Lúka Fisdèvaléri Sharõ, Switch, 33, male, Native Starnian, Great Defender
1B #96 Bazza Joyner, Switch, male, 32, Refugi-Starnian, Power Hitter
3B #41 Roc Fisdèyasẽt Sãsõ, Switch, 32, male, Native Starnian
DH #51 Jonatã Fisdèmari Gro, Left, 32, male, Native Starnian
CF #79 Rae Harrison, Right, 35, female, Refugi-Starnian

If there is no DH then the 8th and 9th batter is Harrison and the pitcher respectively.

Bench
C #94 Jofre Fisdev Dúfur, Left, male, 33, Native Starnian, Power Hitter
2B #49 Elias Stroud, Left, 30, male, Refugi-Starnian
IF #89 Adelheid Shelton, Right, 33, female, Refugi-Starnian
OF #37 Kõstã Fisdèfernãd Pulẽ, Switch, 32, male, Native Starnian

Starting Rotation
SP #42 Wilbur Fisdjertrúd Walters, Right, 25, male, Americo-Starnian
SP #53 Clemence Fiydèleonore Köhler, Right, 34, female, Refugi-Starnian, Knuckleballer
SP #62 Léõ Fisdèrolãd Savatyé, Switch, 31, male, Native Starnian
SP #74 Dewey Fisdelores Fuller, Left, 23, male, Native Starnian
SP #59 Mars Fiydèsésil Rolã, Right, 27, female, Native Starnian

Bullpen
RP #37 Júpiter Fisdèkarol Dúrã, Left, 25, male, Native Starnian, Groundballer
RP #81 Mick Fisdépauline Pierce, Right, 20, male, Native Starnian
RP #91 Christobel Gulbrandsen, Left, 22 female, Refugi-Starnian
RP #69 Izidor Fisdafné Jak, Right, 39, male, Native Starnian, Strikeout Artist
RP #27 Wiley Fisdèpatty Richardson, Left, 29, male, Americo-Starnian
RP #86 Christabella Fiydèmildred Foster, Left, 32, female, Americo-Starnian
RP #72 Stéfani Fiydèsélin Arnó, Right, 28, female, Native Starnian

Choose my run-scorers: Yes
Choose my lineup: No
Follow my Pitching Rotation: Yes
Godmod scoring events: Yes
RP injuries to my players: Yes
Godmod injuries to my players: Yes
Eject my players: Yes
DH used at home: Yes
Godmod other events: Yes
Other Info: aggressive base stealing, slow to pull pitchers

Slowly Improving?

Starnian boosters like to say that the Dreamers are getting better every Classic. It's true. A 33% winning percentage is technically an improvement to 20%. This argument wins as often as the Dreamers. Even fans were surprised to hear that Star Enpire was taking part in the 58 Classic. Where was the money coming from, now that the Dubwa sponsorship was canceled? The Committee assures everyone that an anonymous and perfectly law-abiding benefactor was feeling very generous.

One bright spot for Starnian baseball was Christabella Foster, who was the first Starnian in the LPB. This resulted in a lot of new disappointed Emerald City Greens fans in the Star Enpire.

The team acquired three new young arms in the off-season: Fuller, Pierce, and Gulbrandsen. Hopefully, they will save the good reputation of the Dreamers' bullpen.

Manager: Étrãjer Fiydéloiz Paskal
The last manager unexpectedly disappeared just before the upcoming Classic, leaving only a terse resignation letter in his former office. Paskal was thus found on short notice. An unimaginative MBA graduate with no baseball experience, she nonetheless has a strangely powerful love for baseball history. Many a player was trapped listening to her recite various baseball feats and statistics in her friendly yet monotone voice.

by **Loyo** » Sat Dec 30, 2023 6:11 pm

The National Baseball Team of Loyo
The Sunshine Tigers

Last WBC Outings:
WBC 57 (18-12) 3rd in Group B, K.O. in Ro16 by South Newlandia, 3-1
WBC 56 (18-12), 2nd in Group H, K.O. in Ro24 by TJUN-ia, 3-0
WBC 55 (10-10), 4th in Group D, DNQ

Information Box

Home Stadium: May Revolution Park (41,600), Hanseong
Most Represented Club(s): (4) St. Yoosan’s, St. Donghai’s, United Sugar
Best BA: Jimi Fiazzo (.328, 13 HR)
HR Leader: Shiryo Gerras (.286, 23 HR)
Strikeout Leader: Lukas Wren (123 K, 3.94 ERA)

Management

Manager: Chase Min-Son, 55
Bench Coach: Peter Ajoba, 47
1st Base Coach: Rodney Lowe, 47
3rd Base Coach: Mike “Mikey” Toussa, 41
Hitting Coach: Lee Sanghyeok, 40
Pitching Coach: Miguel Perras, 47
Bullpen Coach: Jerome Kingman, 44

Starting Lineup

CF: (CF/LF) #12 Sonny James, 30, R (United Sugar)
SS: #18 Bo Ayoyara, 31, R (SLL’s New Llama Wizards)
3B: #13 Jimi Fiazzo, 32, R (SNL’s St. Riecarn Saints)
1B: #17 Shiryo Gerras, 34, R (St. Hayahoma’s)
2B: #11 Ra Min-Joo, 29, R (St. Mianho’s)
DH: (If Applicable) #7 Nika Vulkae, 29 (SLL’s New Llama Cyclones)
LF: #20 Isabel Morata, 31, R (SNL’s St. Riecarn Saints)
RF: #22 Meung Boma, 33, L (United Sugar)
C: #1 Hyon Shin, 30, R (St. Yoosan’s)
(PITCHER SPOT for non-DH games)

Starting Pitchers

P: #15 Seung Hawoo, 30, R (St. Yoosan’s)
P: #21 Lacy Cross, 32, R (Kamisusunai Steel)
P: #23 Kyla Maccz, 30, L (SLL’s Nikcoro Suns)
P: #33 Lukas Wren, 33, R (United Sugar)
P: #56 Amon Zao, 28, R (SLL’s Xingcheng Renaissance)

Bullpen

RP: #25 Avery Min, 33, L (St. Yoosan’s)
RP: #32 Misha Moon, 31, R (SLL’s Vargas City Lions)
RP: #28 Marcos Avantaje, 32, R (SLL’s South Falls Athletics)
RP: #14 Kim Lin, 32, L (SLL’s Xingcheng Renaissance)
CP: #24 Dongho Son, 33, R (St. Donghai’s)
CP: #10 Ari Mun, 32, R (SLL’s Denison Dynamo)
CP: #34 Ju Hajoon, 34, L (Kamisusunai Steel)
CP: #39 Kuma Pordazi, 26, R (St. Yoosan’s)

Bench Players

DH: #7 Nika Vulcae, 29 (SLL’s New Llama Cyclones)
C: #9 Greta Covas, 32, R (Kwanya Stallions)
C: #4 Misty Sang-Jun, 31, R (Narangara Motors)
1B: #8 Haru Hayo, 33, R (St. Donghai’s)
1B: #31 Rita Sassulo, 32, R (United Sugar)
2B: #28 Will Docan, 29, R (St. Hayahoma’s)
3B: #16 Chrissy Salvatore, 32, R (SLL’s New Llama Wizards)
SS: #2 Patrick Dore, 30, R (Kamisusunai Steel)
CF: #23 William “Billy” Yank, 35, L (St. Donghai’s)
RF/CF: #6 Francis Koo, 32, L (St. Donghai’s)
RF: #5 Germaine DiPiccolo, 29, L (St. Hayahoma’s)

RP Permissions

DH: Yes
Choose my runscorers: Yes
Choose my lineup: Yes, check if I’ve posted one in the RP I post for the previous cutoff. If I fail to include one in my RP, or do not RP: use the Lineup provided here, and start Seung Hawoo at pitcher during the first game, Kyla Maccz the second game, and Lukas Wren the third game. Pick relievers as needed.
Follow my Pitching Rotation: See above.
Godmod scoring events: Yes, keep it reasonable, but have fun plays!
RP injuries to my players: Only if you message me with your idea and I agree.
Godmod injuries to my players: See above.
Eject my players: Yes, make it interesting! Limit of one per game.
Godmod other events: Yes as long as no one dies or is seriously hurt.

by **South Newlandia** » Sat Dec 30, 2023 7:35 pm

Elephants in transition – are South Newlandia still top tier title contenders? Thinking about the WBC58 Elephants

Six years removed from winning it all, the team of Sofia Rasmussen is headed to Arrosia with plenty of new faces. While this is partially driven by a solid group of young players joining the team, it also represents many of the title-winning Elephants retiring from international play.
In the starting rotation, the absence of Ryan Hunter will sever the last remaining link the Elephants had to their inaugural squad for WBC48 in Drawkland, twenty years ago. The team will also be without Melissa Silvestri. The young right-hander tore her UCL shortly after the LPB All-Star break, and is still working her way back through rehab. Instead, Brandon Jackson and Charles Morgan will make their debuts on the big stage. Both of them are fastball-first pitchers, who became stars for their respective teams with excellent velocity, but both of them still lack experience, especially in high-stakes games. According to Sofia Rasmussen, both will pitch three starts in the group stage, evaluating their performance in their new situation, with at least one of them likely to be dropped to the bullpen should the Elephants advance to the knockout stage.
In the bullpen, the squad features a returning Samuel Vaughn, in addition to three WBC rookies. Côme Nguyen is the true rookie among them, having impressed with the Vipers, but his rapid addition to the squad still seems surprising. According to Rasmussen, he was on her radar for the team all the way back when he pitched in college for the Foxes, for which he appeared on the All-Division team multiple times.
There is one thing he has in common with the other rookies – he is a right-handed pitcher. In fact, with Hunter and long-time closer Barnaby Butt retired, the Elephants will only feature two left-handers on their thirteen-man pitching staff. Those are Starter Wolodymyr King and reliever Dhruv Webber, who will likely be used strategically. It could leave the Elephants exposed against line-ups with many left-handed batters – also known as “most of their group stage opponents”. Milchama in particular may use as many as six players capable of hitting from the left side against the Elephants, and Srednjaci and Valanora also feature plenty of lefties of their own. In the LPB, none of the Elephants’ right-handed pitchers run terrible splits against lefties, but the WBC tends to be its own beast, so this is a weakness to watch out for.

The lineup has seen even more shaking up than the pitching staff. Of the nine starters the Elephants played when they were eliminated by Banija two years ago, exactly zero of them will play that same position in the Elephants’ opening game against Valanora. There are a variety of reasons for that, beginning with long-time starters C Brad Moore, SS David Drum, LF Daryl Dunlop and RF Mike Larsen, all of which have retired from international play after the third-place run by the Elephants. Star 1B Nicolas Perez is missing this Classic after a first-base collision with the Suns’ Vincent Saint-Denis turned his knee into a 3D puzzle late in the season. Three players, 2B Bains, 3B Henry and DH Schäfer were replaced for performance reasons. If those replacements are upgrades will have to be seen, although Bains remains on the roster as a substitute. Lastly, Shawn Zimmerman, who played his previous nine Classics with the Elephants in Center Field, will be moving to Right Field for this edition, with his athleticism in the field declining at age 35.
In their stead, the Elephants field one of their youngest starting lineups in years. Only 27.5 on average, the group features returners (DH Nolan Ramsey and 1B Tiffany Grey), promotions of WBC57 bench players (C Sofia Löfgren and CF Emil Hurley) and four newcomers to the squad. Rasmussen also claimed that Raffaele Pohl would likely get to make an impact from the bench, especially against left-handed pitching.
The stadium is also worth a look, with the Elephants playing their home games in the Skydome in the city of Kingston. The average to small outfield area is balanced by the stadium being located at sea level, which should make this stadium reasonably pitcher-friendly. It is also symmetrical on both sides, which should be an advantage to the Elephants. Despite having a few left-handed bats, their line-up is still largely dominated by right-handed batting, who will want to pull the ball. A stadium like Beomeo Field could have given them some trouble, with its deep fence in left and short porch in right being a poor fit for the Elephants.

Next to the already mentioned Warriors, who should be the top competition for the Elephants in the group, the other top twenty team in Group E are the Owls from Tikariot; who will match up with the Elephants again after already sharing a group with them in the previous Classic. The Owls gave the Ellies some trouble there, winning a game each at home and on the road, and thereby accounting for the majority of Elephants’ group stage defeats. The group is joined by Srednjaci, who are still finding their footing in international baseball, but send a young and hungry team that could cause some damage. Valanora is definitely the more interesting of the two unranked teams, sending a well-balanced, experienced team that will be easy to underestimate. This same pairing has proven that everything can happen in sports, so the Elephants have been warned.
Milchama, Srednjaci, and Valanora are also all teams that will not be using the Designated Hitter in their home games, which could cause some trouble for the Elephants. With their pitchers very much not used to hitting, playing at least six games with that limitation could cost the Elephants a game or two. According to Rasmussen, the team will be quicker to remove starters in those games when a pinch-hitting opportunity presents itself.

It's going to be an unusual World Baseball Classic in more than one way. For one, the format is unusual, but the tournament is also missing heavyweights Ranoria and Chromatika, who would have been serious title candidates. In their absence, Drawkland is a pot one team, which should not be allowed. The Elephants should realistically be able to advance from their group, barring any catastrophes, but if this squad, clearly in transition, has it in them to actually win it all is a different question.

by **Ubernordwinds** » Sat Dec 30, 2023 9:04 pm

Nickname: The Acorns
Trigram: UNW
Team colors: Royal Purple and Forest Green
Home Stadium:

Prince Eric Coliseum (cap. 25,000) -- Prince Eric Athletics (QBO)
Surface: Grass
Dimensions (L/C/R): 340/415/340

Home to the biggest port in Yoseo region and the west coast, the city is a beautiful city with the city-meets-nature landscape (helps to have mountains and ski slopes on background, and hundreds of islands to the north), small-town feeling and locals' obsession towards leisure and wellbeing. It is also one of the fastest growing in the country at 550,000 residents, and has seen huge influx of immigration, something that has brought out some tensions among local and regional circles.

The proximity to the water, in the meanwhile, is what makes the Coliseum one of the most difficult ballparks to play for both pitchers and batters. On one hand, wide field dimensions, but the other hand it gets very foggy and windy in all directions, making it difficult for outfielders to defend. Also why the concrete outer wall exists, even if it may appear an eyesore for many fans. It is unlikely the Coliseum gets replaced in near-future, however, with the Athletics' small-market status and budgetary issues.

Manager: #10 Liam Christians (56) Innszis
A journeyman starting pitcher who played for eight teams in eight years before retiring, Christians was a one-time All-Star with a career 64-69 record, 4.19 ERA, and the barest smudge of gray ink. But he has turned into a fantastic manager with Innszis. Having worked his way through the minors he was hired as their manager 10 years ago, compiling a 910-710 record, making the playoffs in 7 out of those 10 seasons, and winning a title four years ago. A fairly traditionalist manager who understandably puts great stock in pitching, he tends to give starters a long rope and dislikes the use of the opener; however, he's generally embraced outfield shifts.
Bench coach: #26 Neil Budd (49) Rankfeld
Pitching coach: #16 Thomas Dirnberger (57) Schärdenz
Hitting coach: #23 James Freeman (57) Lüdinglohn
3rd base coach: #12 Gernot Beck (56) Innszis
1st base coach: #8 Easton Daníelsson (63) Ersingen
Trainer: #0 John Larsson (43) Hartburg

Starting pitchers

#5 Martin Israel (34, 6'0", 195 lbs) (R/R) Hartburg
#19 Mick Lotz (25, 6'3", 200 lbs) (L/L) Wolfsding
#21 Andreas Reiter (26, 6'6", 200 lbs) (L/L) Sürstadt
#20 Jep Sulzer (34, 6'2", 190 lbs) (R/R) Grandring
#6 Paul Knudsen (37, 5'11", 200 lbs) (R/R) Schärdenz

Relief pitchers

#3 Josef Cala (32, 6'0", 195 lbs) (R/R) Grandring
#30 Tobias Steger (29, 6'0", 195 lbs) (R/R) free agent
#38 Nicklas Tjarnqvist (36, 5'10", 200 lbs) (L/L) Wolfsding
#9 Thor Kleist (32, 6'5", 200 lbs) (R/R) Rankfeld
#23 Tomas Martin (35, 6'2", 200 lbs) (R/R) free agent
#50 Paul Becker (35, 6'5", 200 lbs) (R/R) Innszis
#16 Holger Sandin (28, 6'2", 190 labs) (S/L) free agent

Closers

#11 Jaime Piechnik (28, 6'2", 200 lbs) (L/R) Elmfingen
#5 Joshua Holzknecht (34, 6'2", 195 lbs) (R/R) Lustenfelden
#51 Huxley Mikaelsson (28, 6'3", 205 lbs) (R/R) Sürstadt

Catchers

~~#45 Gene Thomsen (27, 6'0", 200 lbs) (L/R) Ersingen~~ Injury replacement: #32 Christopher Carstenschoild (6'3", 200 lbs) (R/R) free agent
#25 David Ottl (32, 6'3", 200 lbs) (R/R) Bjørnlev
#31 Wyatt Kurri (31, 6'4", 230 lbs) (R/R) free agent

Infielders

#27 Immanuel Amann (28, 6'7", 210 lbs) (R/R) Lustenfelden (1B)
#23 Hermann Bergvold (35, 5'10", 195 lbs) (R/R) Lustenfelden (1B/2B/3B/SS)
#33 Randall Unkelbach (31, 6'0", 190 lbs) (R/R) Rankfeld (2B/3B/SS)
#28 Gjur Mikkelsen (29, 6'1", 195 lbs) (S/R) Helmlohn (SS)
#18 Lothar Braun (22, 6'2", 185 lbs) (R/R) Herfeld (2B)
#30 Jake Moser (29, 6'0", 185 lbs) (R/R) Gerashausen (2B/3B)

Outfielders

#24 Jamie Dunne (26, 6'5", 205 lbs) (L/L) Pieksiä (RF)
#17 Johan Jensen (34, 6'1", 200 lbs) (L/L) Helmlohn (RF)
#44 Patrik Osterqvist (28, 6'4", 200 lbs) (L/R) Østerager (RF/1B)
#1 Mikael Oskarsson (30, 6'1", 200 lbs) (L/R) Wolfsding (LF/CF)
#13 Sveinn Herjolfsson (31, 6'2", 200 lbs) (R/R) Pieksiä (CF/RF/SS)
#14 Tobias Bøge (30, 5'11", 195 lbs) (L/L) Ersingen (CF/LF)

Lineup

However, expect a fair amount of rotation, especially at DH.

Choose my run-scorers: Yes
Choose my lineup: Yes
Follow my Pitching Rotation: Yes
Godmod scoring events: Yes
RP injuries to my players: Yes
Godmod injuries to my players: Yes
Eject my players: Yes
DH used at home: Yes: you may Ohtani rule but we won't
Godmod other events: Yes
Other Info: I will edit more info into this roster but hopefully it's a start

by **Quebec and Shingoryeo** » Sat Dec 30, 2023 10:01 pm

OOC-2: Primary reference material:Memoires d'Athletes - Do Or Die, the 2038 story of Quebecois HS Baseball's Greatest Match
Other reference materials: RPs from WBC 53 (Theo and Myeong-Shin's story with Haley's song, a Grim Reapers' anthem), TWGS Season Two 'Auld Lang Syne' (involves the story of the narrator)

Parts 1-6
Parts 7-10

Part 11 - Heo, and The Decision

Narrator: Every January you will see, almost around the clock, the collegiate commitments high school student-athletes made during the national signing day. It will bring a lot out of everybody, as they try to figure out what's the best destination possible for them.

There will be some who stay home, choosing to stay closer to their family and community, while others will be heading far and away in search of better opportunities. In the end what matters, however, is that there will always be lots of reasons and even more of unquantifiable emotion involved in it all, and that's what fascinates many, as coaches scout and fans speculate over the future of the student-athlete, who have a critical choice to be made.

Then there is also the question of allegiance, especially for those whose family and program carry certain connections to a college or two. Much of the time this is used as a good way to gauge their collegiate commitments, and we mostly understand that natural, fail-safe element. Every year we see those who do go the opposite way, however, and this kind of news, to no surprise, drives up the news circle, with much artificial controversy to be generated out of. This was very much the case for Heo Myeong-Shin, as the Erskine Collegiate senior would find himself in the centre of spotlight over the decision he had made then.

The camera moves forward to the start of year 2038, as the first fateful year for both Heo and Pinson starts with everybody returning to school, only for their back-to-school calendar to be interrupted by an important event. Held at a concrete gym with tall roof and red bleachers on three sides of the floor, you would normally not think of Riley Jeon-Keane Gymnasium as a conventional gym that numerous alumni of all-time legendries to have come out, but the multiple state and national banners in the sports teams have been strong at - baseball and football, women's basketball, men's volleyball, and fencing - would give a bit of peek.

'So, shall we keep this short and sweet?' A baritone voice says to the camera. 6'2 tall and standing at about 215 lbs, the brown-haired senior was wearing full suit and jacket with red Erskine ties usually used for musical ensembles to perform on concerts and engagements. He was looking back at his friends, his girlfriend Naomi who drove all the way from Cornwall in her Queen's College gear, and about twenty journalists, who were given media access for the ceremony. It was Myeong-Shin's idea to avoid having too much people in the crowd, an odd one considering his reputation and profile as high school prospect.

'Let them enjoy it, any of these options are great for you,' says his mum Maureen Turner, the barrister who also doubles as a choreographer at local dance academy. Her and her husband Dr. Heo Dong-Soo, by now University of Kingston professor, and Myeong-Yoon were also dressed in suit, almost adding to the level of seriousness involved in the news. They, of course, all knew where their son was going - a surprising decision they had come to accept the night before - and were ready.

There would be three hats - blue and white double-B for Universite St. Croix, the purple Q with purple background representing Queen's College at Cornwall, and the Indigo cap of Universite du Saguenay with SG golden lettermark. First two had familial ties, while the final one, while trailing behind the two, was recruiting hard under new head coach, Baek Sang-Joon. Where would he go?

'Ladies and gentlemen,' says Myeong-Shin, feeling a little bit of nerve in his voice. 'I'd like to thank everybody for making this opportunity possible. All three of the programs on this list are national contenders, who I believe could make true difference in not only my sports of baseball and football, but also academically, as I expect to major in history and comparative literature.' That's a hint, immediately eliminating his parents' alma mater that did not offer comparative literature. Of course, that still does not mean anything definitive yet for another second.

'In this fall, I'm going to be taking my talents to South Bend, where I will be joining the Fighting Irish,' says Myeong-Shin, much to the surprise of those in the stands, as he dons the Fighting Irish hat. The storm of photograph flashes would follow, with quite a few people on the stands looking surprised, which include his future wife, as almost everybody's predictions in Myeong-Shin, the top-ranked recruit in baseball and football, would eschew Queen's College, a school he had known to the very brick of the walls, for its out-of-state rival.

After quickly going over the surprised expressions of those in the stands, the camera would shift back to Heo and his family. His parents were smiling as they embraced, Myeong-Yoon looking a little bit bummed while wearing a Queen's College tuque, and both his coaches chuckling. Myeong-Shin, who seems happy enough with the decision made, continues to smile, and that's where the camera freezes at that moment as the interviews go on in the present time.

'God, they were cruel, cruel to Myeong-Shin and his family,' says Ian Lautner, the hall-of-fame-bound quarterback answering from Attawapiskat Broncos training facility. 'And I knew why he felt that way, especially since my dad was the Professor Heo's college friend - that's how they met in first place - and both my parents went there. Those people really loved the Gaels football, and really wanted him and I guess, myself, too, but it was just cruel to watch some of the things said then that only calmed down when his mum passed a month later.'

This part is true, but what did the parents think about it? The next scene moves to an old, 1800s cafe located in the heart of Joongyeong. 'Thank you, sir, for coming to the interview this afternoon,' asks the interviewer. Dr. Heo, who nowadays teaches history and comparative literature at St. Croix where he did his doctorate forty years ago, insisted the interview be held outside the campus or home. 'So we are going to ask you about what happened after that.'

'What happened after?' Dr. Heo, who is nearing baldness and looks aged at his mid-60s, answers rightaway. 'Well a lot of things were said online, and also offline, and those were a mix of nice things and...not so nice things. Those that would be natural if your prodigal son ends up going to your rival, the one you would face at same conference, and your rivalry is played every year at the Stade commonwealth.'

'Thank you, and my apologies, but how did you and the late Mrs. Turner feel when he told you earlier of your choice?' The interviewer asks.

Dr. Heo gives a light smirk, almost as if he's expected to be asked about it. 'It was easy. Queen's College wasn't my first-choice for fencing either,' he answers, a sore spot for former three-time national champion. 'As a sabreur, I wanted to go to Farrer, or St. Croix, or Mount Ester. My father went to St. Croix, and grandpa went to Navy, so there's a bit of that chip on my shoulder and the A.D. back then, Sir. Philippe Ahn, recruited me hard with coach Lundrigan. Yes, which is funny when you think about it because Sir. Philippe was a Redman too, a class of '74?, and with him and his successors Gustave Seo-Hovington and Victoria Han, we really had that powerful pipeline from Erskine to Queen's College.

As for Maureen, her parents were Kingston alumni in the eighties and the area she grew up in didn't really have people going to Queen's College. We loved our time there and that's where we met, but we were never hung up over that. So I knew why my son wanted to go to Saguenay to make his legacy.'

The camera then shifts to montage of various high school grounds with clips of Myeong-Shin, who would quickly find his ground as a running back and linebacker for gridiron, and shortstop and pitcher for baseball. It would alternate with a smaller timeline that would go back to 2034, and would be followed by various television and radio announcements covering the matches.

Narrator: Entering into his final year at Erskine Collegiate, Myeong-Shin had accomplished great success in baseball and football. Myeong-Shin had made his name known first in football, where he would put together 1,100 yard rushing season as halfback and 8 interceptions as a safety and linebacker, and lead what would be a largely undermanned Erskine Redmen squad consisting mostly of juniors and seniors, to a state title in twenty years. The Redmen would that two more times, with back-to-back OFSAA tri-nationals his junior and senior year.

'It's not a common feat to see someone that good, let alone a freshman doing stuff what he was doing it,' says Victor Chae, head coach of the Redmen football team and history teacher at the time. 'And we had some outstanding kids on that senior class, and those who would come after they had come too. Not the most talented but really, really dedicated kids with whom we have not won three tri-states! Those days that we are not going to see again. Very fortunate to have been around as the coach and the teacher to those kids really.'

It is in baseball, however, where Myeong-Shin had drawn national sensation as a submarine pitcher capable of throwing 95-mile submarine pitcher. Erskine, while not always the first name to be recognised among public schools in the city for football, was a national powerhouse in baseball. With the QBO draft divided into two stages, with the first stage allowing each team to select the region's finest player first, both the Jays and the Tigers have had plenty of players there.

'Between baseball and football? He was certainly a better prospect in former, though I think at that point he liked playing football more,' says Jean-Guy Lapointe, the reporter for The Mathletes website. As he resumes to the next part, another montage of Heo pitching in the same motion, cut into a line of five different pitches for five championship finals he would close out in four years there. 'You don't get a shortstop prospect who, at the time, was pitching 95-mile fourseam, or those monstrous sinkers or sliders, like he did. We have seen maybe two, three before that, and none since, just a rare breed of submarines.'

This is something that writer Asher Lundrigan, who was his catcher from the sophomore year onwards, agrees, as he gives his comments over the phone call instead of having the production staff coming directly to his home in rural Acadie. 'I have caught his pitches many times, as early as when we were kids vacationing on the cottage home county of upper Baker Park, and still think that his talent, as a baseball player, may have been at his best then,' Lundrigan says. This would be followed with colourful pictures of Erskine and a dozen high school programs, including Pinson's Sangwon and quite a few other prominent names, posing after winning one of the five titles during that mid-late 2030s.

'But you have to remember why we remember that era, why we remember this celebration, that home run, and every one of those strikeouts and stolen bases,' Lundrigan continues, with the photos slowly subsided by the photos of Heo at school and with his friends. In a few photos younger versions of Lundrigan, Pinson, Lautner and a few other known names would be seen, mostly laughing and having a blast on holidays and tournaments. 'This was the last of golden ages for Quebecois high school baseball, the times when you knew who those kids were not just because of their talent, but because of the passion.'

Heo knew he wanted to play both baseball and football into college, and possibly into the pros, before having to eventually make a decision. It wasn't going to be either or, and there had to be good balance in decisions being made. This, turns out, would be the difference-maker for Heo, as he would later admit in the future years.

'The whole process, for me and my family, had taken a whole year, as early as winter semester of my junior year, so by the National Signing Day we had a clear idea on what we wanted and who we wanted to go with,' says Myeong-Shin, as he visits the old Erskine campus. Most of the new-ish building of the campus were still the same, though he would notice there has to be a bit more cleaning to be done. 'Much of the recruiting would come down to how I could balance both sports, what positions I could possibly play, and eventually where I wanted to be. All my choices came down to that and no more - and any of those three would have made a fine choice.

'St. Croix was an option because I could live with my grandparents, who were old and I wanted to spend more time with. Queen's College would have been a natural pick. I lived for first twelve years of my life there, my parents went and taught there, Naomi my now-wife was playing volleyball there, and my sister already made up her mind on going. But Saguenay had the best promise and I had developed the best relationships there in the year leading up to it.'

by **Quebec and Shingoryeo** » Sat Dec 30, 2023 10:03 pm

Cutoff no. 1 (MD1-2) - Happy New Year!

Group A:

MD1

Group A
Quebec and Shingoryeo (06)                    0 2 0 0 1 3 0 2 0  8
WE-ARE-DICE-land (UR)                         0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1  2

Loyo (16)                                     0 0 1 0 0 1 0 2 1  5
The Miscere Empire (UR)                       0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0  1

The Star Enpire (25)                          0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0  1
Cardenao (32)                                 0 0 1 0 0 0 3 0 X  4

# Group A                                      Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD 
1 Quebec and Shingoryeo                          1    1   0     8    2   +6
2 Loyo                                           1    1   0     5    1   +4
3 Cardenao                                       1    1   0     4    1   +3
4 The Star Enpire                                1    0   1     1    4   −3
5 The Miscere Empire                             1    0   1     1    5   −4
6 WE-ARE-DICE-land                               1    0   1     2    8   −6

MD2

WE-ARE-DICE-land (UR)                         1 1 0 0 2 0 0 0 0  4
Cardenao (32)                                 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 4 X  5

The Miscere Empire (UR)                       2 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0  3
The Star Enpire (25)                          1 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 X  4

Quebec and Shingoryeo (06)                    2 0 0 1 2 0 2 0 1  8
Loyo (16)                                     0 1 0 0 0 1 0 2 0  4

# Group A                                      Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD 
1 Quebec and Shingoryeo                          2    2   0    16    6  +10
2 Cardenao                                       2    2   0     9    5   +4
3 Loyo                                           2    1   1     9    9    0
4 The Star Enpire                                2    1   1     5    7   −2
5 The Miscere Empire                             2    0   2     4    9   −5
6 WE-ARE-DICE-land                               2    0   2     6   13   −7

Group B:

MD1

Group B
Banija (03)                                   0 0 0 2 0 0 1 1 0  4
Vilwandia (UR)                                0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0  2

Abanhfleft (14)                               1 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 1  6
Jabberwocky (UR)                              0 0 0 7 0 0 0 2 X  9

Barnettsville (20)                            0 1 2 0 0 0 0 1 0  4
Sea Dome (81)                                 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0  3

# Group B                                      Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD 
1 Jabberwocky                                    1    1   0     9    6   +3
2 Banija                                         1    1   0     4    2   +2
3 Barnettsville                                  1    1   0     4    3   +1
4 Sea Dome                                       1    0   1     3    4   −1
5 Vilwandia                                      1    0   1     2    4   −2
6 Abanhfleft                                     1    0   1     6    9   −3

MD2

Vilwandia (UR)                                0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0  2
Sea Dome (81)                                 0 1 1 0 6 0 0 0 X  8

Jabberwocky (UR)                              2 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0  4
Barnettsville (20)                            0 0 0 1 0 0 4 0 X  5

Banija (03)                                   0 3 0 3 0 1 0 3 0 10
Abanhfleft (14)                               4 0 0 2 0 0 1 0 0  7

# Group B                                      Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD 
1 Banija                                         2    2   0    14    9   +5
2 Barnettsville                                  2    2   0     9    7   +2
3 Sea Dome                                       2    1   1    11    6   +5
4 Jabberwocky                                    2    1   1    13   11   +2
5 Abanhfleft                                     2    0   2    13   19   −6
6 Vilwandia                                      2    0   2     4   12   −8

Group C:

MD1

Group C
Zwangzug (05)                                 2 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0  4
Al-Kharid (UR)                                0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0  1

Ko-oren (12)                                  0 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 1  4
Kanmer (UR)                                   0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2  3

Oscioru (26)                                  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0  1
Ochre Islands (30)                            1 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 X  4

# Group C                                      Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD 
1 Ochre Islands                                  1    1   0     4    1   +3
  Zwangzug                                       1    1   0     4    1   +3
3 Ko-oren                                        1    1   0     4    3   +1
4 Kanmer                                         1    0   1     3    4   −1
5 Al-Kharid                                      1    0   1     1    4   −3
  Oscioru                                        1    0   1     1    4   −3

MD2

Al-Kharid (UR)                                1 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 0  4
Ochre Islands (30)                            1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0  3

Kanmer (UR)                                   0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0
Oscioru (26)                                  0 1 0 0 2 2 0 4 X  9

Zwangzug (05)                                 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0  1
Ko-oren (12)                                  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 X  2

# Group C                                      Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD 
1 Ko-oren                                        2    2   0     6    4   +2
2 Zwangzug                                       2    1   1     5    3   +2
3 Al-Kharid                                      2    1   1     5    7   −2
4 Ochre Islands                                  2    1   1     7    5   +2
5 Oscioru                                        2    1   1    10    4   +6
6 Kanmer                                         2    0   2     3   13  −10

Group D:

MD1

Drawkland (09)                                1 0 0 0 1 1 4 0 0  7
Tri Ann (UR)                                  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0

Eshialand (15)                                0 0 1 0 0 1 0 2 0  4
Canning (UR)                                  0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 1  3

Delaclava (23)                                0 0 0 0 1 3 0 2 0  6
Ubernordwinds (UR)                            0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0  1

# Group D                                      Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD 
1 Drawkland                                      1    1   0     7    0   +7
2 Delaclava                                      1    1   0     6    1   +5
3 Eshialand                                      1    1   0     4    3   +1
4 Canning                                        1    0   1     3    4   −1
5 Ubernordwinds                                  1    0   1     1    6   −5
6 Tri Ann                                        1    0   1     0    7   −7

MD2

Tri Ann (UR)                                  0 1 0 0 0 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  5
Ubernordwinds (UR)                            0 0 1 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1  6

Canning (UR)                                  1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0  2
Delaclava (23)                                0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 X  3

Drawkland (09)                                0 1 0 3 1 0 4 0 1 10
Eshialand (15)                                0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  2

# Group D                                      Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD 
1 Drawkland                                      2    2   0    17    2  +15
2 Delaclava                                      2    2   0     9    3   +6
3 Ubernordwinds                                  2    1   1     7   11   −4
4 Eshialand                                      2    1   1     6   13   −7
5 Canning                                        2    0   2     5    7   −2
6 Tri Ann                                        2    0   2     5   13   −8

Group E:

MD1

South Newlandia (01)                          1 0 4 0 2 0 1 0 0  8
Valanora (UR)                                 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0

Milchama (10)                                 0 0 0 0 6 0 0 0 2  8
Vonum (UR)                                    0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0  3

Tikariot (17)                                 2 0 3 1 1 0 1 0 0  8
Srednjaci (50)                                2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  2

# Group E                                      Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD 
1 South Newlandia                                1    1   0     8    0   +8
2 Tikariot                                       1    1   0     8    2   +6
3 Milchama                                       1    1   0     8    3   +5
4 Vonum                                          1    0   1     3    8   −5
5 Srednjaci                                      1    0   1     2    8   −6
6 Valanora                                       1    0   1     0    8   −8

MD2

Valanora (UR)                                 1 0 0 0 0 3 0 1 0  5
Srednjaci (50)                                2 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 X  6

Vonum (UR)                                    0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1  2
Tikariot (17)                                 0 0 3 0 0 0 1 0 X  4

South Newlandia (01)                          0 0 4 0 0 0 0 2 0  6
Milchama (10)                                 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0  3

# Group E                                      Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD 
1 South Newlandia                                2    2   0    14    3  +11
2 Tikariot                                       2    2   0    12    4   +8
3 Milchama                                       2    1   1    11    9   +2
4 Srednjaci                                      2    1   1     8   13   −5
5 Vonum                                          2    0   2     5   12   −7
6 Valanora                                       2    0   2     5   14   −9

Group F:

MD1

Super-Llamaland (07)                          1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0  2
New Kiwi Repupirikana (UR)                    0 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 X  3

TJUN-ia (13)                                  0 0 0 0 0 4 2 0 0  6
Gunnison and Telluride (UR)                   1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  1

Dod Rava (22)                                 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1  1
The Kytler Peninsulae (UR)                    0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 X  2

# Group F                                      Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD 
1 TJUN-ia                                        1    1   0     6    1   +5
2 New Kiwi Repupirikana                          1    1   0     3    2   +1
  The Kytler Peninsulae                          1    1   0     2    1   +1
4 Dod Rava                                       1    0   1     1    2   −1
  Super-Llamaland                                1    0   1     2    3   −1
6 Gunnison and Telluride                         1    0   1     1    6   −5

MD2

New Kiwi Repupirikana (UR)                    1 0 2 0 0 5 0 0 0  8
The Kytler Peninsulae (UR)                    0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1  2

Gunnison and Telluride (UR)                   1 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0  3
Dod Rava (22)                                 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0  2

Super-Llamaland (07)                          0 1 2 4 0 0 2 4 0 13
TJUN-ia (13)                                  0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0  1

# Group F                                      Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD 
1 New Kiwi Repupirikana                          2    2   0    11    4   +7
2 Super-Llamaland                                2    1   1    15    4  +11
3 TJUN-ia                                        2    1   1     7   14   −7
4 Gunnison and Telluride                         2    1   1     4    8   −4
5 The Kytler Peninsulae                          2    1   1     4    9   −5
6 Dod Rava                                       2    0   2     3    5   −2

Group G:

MD1

Nova Anglicana (08)                           0 0 4 1 0 0 1 0 0  6
Qamare (UR)                                   0 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 0  3

Cassadaigua (11)                              4 0 3 2 1 0 6 0 2 18
Equestria (UR)                                4 0 0 2 2 2 0 0 0 10

Liventia (18)                                 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 3 0  6
Saint-Jean-Jacques et Burnham-on-Stove (28)   1 0 1 1 1 2 0 4 X 10

# Group G                                      Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD 
1 Cassadaigua                                    1    1   0    18   10   +8
2 Saint-Jean-Jacques et Burnham-on-Stove         1    1   0    10    6   +4
3 Nova Anglicana                                 1    1   0     6    3   +3
4 Qamare                                         1    0   1     3    6   −3
5 Liventia                                       1    0   1     6   10   −4
6 Equestria                                      1    0   1    10   18   −8

MD2

Qamare (UR)                                   0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 1  4
Saint-Jean-Jacques et Burnham-on-Stove (28)   0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 0  3

Equestria (UR)                                2 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 1  6
Liventia (18)                                 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0  1

Nova Anglicana (08)                           0 0 0 0 0 1 3 0 0  4
Cassadaigua (11)                              0 1 0 0 0 0 1 4 X  6

# Group G                                      Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD 
1 Cassadaigua                                    2    2   0    24   14  +10
2 Nova Anglicana                                 2    1   1    10    9   +1
3 Qamare                                         2    1   1     7    9   −2
4 Saint-Jean-Jacques et Burnham-on-Stove         2    1   1    13   10   +3
5 Equestria                                      2    1   1    16   19   −3
6 Liventia                                       2    0   2     7   16   −9

by **Super-Llamaland** » Sat Dec 30, 2023 11:52 pm

LPB6: SLL NORTH PREVIEWS

APPLE VALLEY VIPERS

Coach: Elisa Kristiansen (Super-Llamaland, third season)
Home: Hendricks Field (Apple Valley, SLL; cap. 37,500)
Most Recent Seasons:
LPB5: 90-94, fourth in division
LPB4: 69-115, fourth in division
LPB3: 89-95, second in division
Batting Style: Contact hitters with some speed
Pitching Style: A mix of flamethrowers and sinkerballers
Best Player: SS Mizaya Karuki, a defensive ace good for 200 hits every season
Support If You Like: Aggressive drafting, infield singles, successful underdogs
In: 2B Elliana Soriano (draft, #5), RP Côme Nguyen (draft, #9), SP Gregory Shaw (FA),
1B Jason Lamb (FA), RP Miles Strauss (FA), SP Brady Behringer (trade, NLW),
RP Jan Scherer (trade, NLW), C Theresa Franco (trade, PK), RP Albert Albrecht (trade, XR)
Out: RP Darlene Le (FA), SP Yash Bauer (FA), 1B Alvin Jimenez (waived),
SP Ricardo Esteban (retired), RF Celina Lang (trade, NLW), 3B Kylie Jorwen (trade, XR),
RP Leo Njata (trade, JD), 1B Corey Zang (trade, SRS)
Opening Day Starting Lineup:
Karuki 6 • Soriano 4 • Norgaard 8
Lamb 3 • Jung 1 • Navarro 7
Garcia 9 • McCray 5 • Franco 2
Fan Expectations: .500
TenNinetyThree Projection: 77-83

SP1     Brady Behringer        33 Ranoria
SP2     Naomi Alvarado         20 Super-Llamaland
SP3     Gregory Shaw           27 South Newlandia
SP4     Sophia Beasley         30 South Newlandia
SP5     Leon Perez (L)         26 South Newlandia
RP1     Côme Nguyen            24 South Newlandia
RP2     Jan Scherer             Quintessence of Dust
RP3     Miles Strauss          21 Super-Llamaland
RP4     Alexander Jansen (L)   23 South Newlandia
RP5     Albert Albrecht        25 South Newlandia
RP6                             
C       Theresa Franco         25 South Newlandia
1B      Jason Lamb             32 Super-Llamaland
2B      Elliana Soriano        24 Super-Llamaland
SS      Mizaya Karuki          28 Chromatika
3B      Charlie McCray (2B)    32 South Newlandia
LF      Philipp Navarro        22 South Newlandia
CF      Christian Norgaard     21 Super-Llamaland
RF      Erick Garcia           25 Super-Llamaland
DH      Jung Ha-Yeon           27 Chromatika
backup  Giancarlo Ghiggia (C)  35 Super-Llamaland

The pieces are coming together, even if it’s a season too early to expect results. The Vipers cashed in on their stockpile of draft picks, earned by trading the likes of Emery Wu and Rose Dawson, this draft: they came in with four picks before consolidating them into the fifth and eleventh overall picks. Their rewards, a season after picking Christian Norgaard first, were polished college second baseman Elliana Soriano and stud reliever Côme Nguyen, who will immediately replace Darlene Le as the closer. The newcomers join a young core featuring Norgaard, fellow top-ten pick Philipp Navarro, a pair of young Chromatik stars entering prove-it years in Jung Ha-Yeon and Mizaya Karuki, and young fireballer Naomi Alvarado, who was inconsistent in her age-18 season but showed flashes of NT ace talent. Nobody has proven themselves to be the centerpiece of a title contender quite yet, but there are a lot of players who Vipers fans are hopeful will get there.

GM Kevin Weiss, despite stressing patience in the offseason, has also added a few veterans who will boost the team’s performance right away. Slugger Jason Lamb, once a Vipers killer with Emerald City, arrives from Chromatika in free agency. And Weiss also swung a deal for a pair of Wizards pitchers: Quodite setup man Jan Scherer and Ranorian Brady Behringer, who will be the team’s ace until Naomi Alvarado comes of age. On the other side of Alvarado in the starting lineup, Gregory Shaw bolsters the rotation, while Weiss also flipped middling young first baseman Corey Zang for middling young catcher Theresa Franco.

The Vipers were unlucky to finish fourth in the division despite a 90-94 record, but the fact remains that three straight last-place finishes would be too much for manager Elisa Kristiansen to survive. Still, they should be able to manage third place in the division, and maybe even mount an outside challenge for the wild card spots. As long as they do that, the pressure will remain low: it’s next season where results will be expected. It’s been a slow climb back to the mountaintop after Dinesh Mohn’s Vipers became the first-ever SLLCS champions in the LPB era. But as long as nothing catastrophic happens this year, the climb will continue.

DENISON DYNAMO

Coach: Vincenzo Goodman (South Newlandia, first season)
Home: Stony Brook Field (Denison, SLL; cap. 36,000)
Most Recent Seasons:
LPB5: 91-93, third in division
LPB4: 80-104, third in division
LPB3: 85-99, third in division
Batting Style: Walks and doubles
Pitching Style: Fastball-forward, lots of fly balls for solid defense
Best Player: 1B Toni Schäfer, a slugging first baseman finally playing like the #1 pick
Support If You Like: Cold weather, weird owners, homegrown cores
In: 3B Kathryn King (draft, #21), RP Leonor Pinho (draft, #46), RP Kathrine Peterson (FA),
SP Eddie Headley (trade, SFA), SP Orion Alcantara (trade, CIC), DH Antonio Gatti (trade, CIC)
Out: 2B Juan Alvarez (FA), DH Tod Pittman (FA), SS Carina Reyes (trade, SFA),
RP Carolyn James (trade, CIC)
Opening Day Starting Lineup:
Ashton 8 • Schäfer 3 • Peters 7
Gatti 1 • Baines 2 • King 5
Weaver 6 • Cartwright-Blythe 4 • Williams 9
Fan Expectations: Wild Card Battlers
TenNinetyThree Projection: 86-74

SP1     August Tai               21 Super-Llamaland
SP2     Jonathan Roe             30 Super-Llamaland
SP3     Eddie Hedley             30 Hapilopper
SP4     Orion Alcantara          26 Super-Llamaland
SP5     Trevor Arcidiacono       24 Super-Llamaland
RP1     Gerrard McNeil           29 DRK/SLL
RP2     Ari Mun                  35 Loyo
RP3     Kathrine Peterson        27 South Newlandia
RP4     Amanda Doubleday         25 Super-Llamaland
RP5     Leonor Pinho             23 South Newlandia
RP6                               
C       Cerulean Baines          26 Super-Llamaland
1B      Toni Schäfer             27 South Newlandia
2B      Julia Cartwright-Blythe  21 Super-Llamaland
SS      Clark Weaver             24 Ranoria
3B      Kathryn King             20 South Newlandia
LF      Lian Peters              25 South Newlandia
CF      Bella Ashton             28 Super-Llamaland
RF      Patrick-Kyle Williams    25 South Newlandia
DH      Antonio Gatti            28 South Newlandia
backup  Nathan Kamble (OF)       25 South Newlandia
backup  Philipp Stein (UTIL)     27 South Newlandia

Denison finally has the makings of a contender...but the clock is ticking. Stars Toni Schäfer and Bella Ashton are up for free agency after the season, and former cleanup hitter Tod Pittman is already gone, citing a desire to go to the playoffs (something Denison is one of just three Llamanean teams to never have done in the LPB Era). If they leave, the years the Dynamo spent rebuilding and hoarding picks will have been all for nothing. But luckily, the Dynamo (under former championship coach Vincenzo Goodman) have built a solid team in the nick of time. A playoff berth this year would likely keep Schäfer and Ashton in Stony Brook Field, and maybe even set up a contention window next season. A third straight third-of-four finish in the division, though...best not to think about that if you're a Dynamo fan.

The Dynamo did their best to set up a Wild Card run despite limited resources in the offseason. Kathryn King solves the team's longtime inability to get anything out of their third basemen, while Kathrine Peterson's SLLCS meltdown has let the front office buy low on the onetime Renaissance closer. Eddie Hedley and Orion Alcantara couldn't be more different - one a veteran knuckleballer from Hapilopper, the other a homegrown flamethrower with an ego - but both should provide valuable support to the rotation. Finally, although Pittman bolted, a future pick and underwhelming ex-prospect Carolyn James was enough to secure the services of all-star slugger Antonio Gatti to take his place at the heart of the Dynamo lineup. Add in a season of growth from the likes of Cerulean Baines, Clark Weaver, and Rookie of the Year August Tai (now promoted to staff ace), and it's easy to talk yourself into this team making a run at the playoffs, especially with Goodman at the reins instead of a literal bird.

The result of a pre-LPB merger between the Svenssonfjord Dynamo and the Denison Patriots, this is still a relatively young team struggling to define its own identity. And there remain significant questions around this roster, with doubts over a lack of bullpen depth and not enough established top-tier talent. But if this year goes well? It could be the start of something special in Stony Brook.

EMERALD CITY GREENS

Coach: Yumi Kasai (Ko-oren, fourth season)
Home: The UltraDome (Emerald Springs, SLL; cap. 39,600)
Most Recent Seasons:
LPB5: 102-82, lost SLLDS
LPB4: 104-80, lost SLLDS
LPB3: 73-111, fourth in division
Batting Style: Extra-base power from almost everyone
Pitching Style: A mix of styles buoyed by a dominant defense
Best Player: LF Jasmine Xu, a five-tool outfielder with huge upside
Support If You Like: The SLL NT, player development, ground-rule doubles
In: SP Michael Zhao (draft, #18), RF Arthur White (FA), RP Bri Pacheco (FA),
RP Connor Reefe (FA), C Daigo Suzuki (FA), RP Matthew Harvey (trade, RR),
UTIL Zhu Kun (trade, RR), Teo Santiago (trade, RR)
Out: DH Gabriel Acosta (retired), SP Ralphie Bloggs (retired),
SP Adam Freeman (FA), RP James Concepción (FA), C Tyler Danson (FA),
SS Charlotte Valdes (trade, RR), DH Kelvin Hill (trade, RR)
Opening Day Starting Lineup:
Xu 7 • Llorente 5 • Gunther 3
Gunnlaugson 9 • Duffy 8 • White 9
Bonaventure 6 • Chernenko 4 • Suzuki 2
Fan Expectations: Title Contenders
TenNinetyThree Projection: 91-69

SP1     Jade Guthrie               25 Super-Llamaland
SP2     Brent Lee                  34 Nova Anglicana
SP3     Michael Zhao (L)           21 Super-Llamaland
SP4     Mikaela Dennis             27 South Newlandia
SP5     Mateo Zhao                 22 Super-Llamaland
RP1     Bri Pacheco                31 Super-Llamaland
RP2     Matthew Harvey (L)         25 South Newlandia
RP3     Connor Reefe               35 Super-Llamaland
RP4     Christabella Foster        32 The Star Empire
RP5     Matt Decker                30 South Newlandia
RP6     Adara Sah                  26 South Newlandia           
C       Daigo Suzuki               28 Daskel
1B      Von Gunther                24 Super-Llamaland
2B      Gordon Chernenko           31 Super-Llamaland
SS      Nico Bonaventure           27 Super-Llamaland
3B      Ava Llorente               25 Super-Llamaland
LF      Jasmine Xu                 24 Super-Llamaland
CF      Schuyler Duffy             33 Super-Llamaland
RF      Arthur White               27 South Newlandia
DH      Brünhild Gunnlaugson (RF)  34 Super-Llamaland
backup  Jeb Ostertag (OF)          31 Super-Llamaland
backup  Zhu Kun (UTIL)             27 South Newlandia
backup  Teo Santiago (CIF)         24 South Newlandia

The rebuild has brought Emerald City to the playoffs, but they’re running out of chances to go further. For all the hype around the Greens’ worst-to-first turnaround in LPB4 and the opening of their title window in LPB5, this is still a team with two total playoff wins in the LPB era. And now, they start the season with a number of key pieces from last year’s run, including retired slugger Gabriel Acosta, gone from the roster. Despite all the star talent they’ve painstakingly collected over six years, it’s worth wondering if the Greens’ best chance to make a deep playoff run has already passed. Still, the city of Emerald Springs has surprised the nation before in the LBL era, and they might just find a way to do it again.

Ownership’s notorious tight-fistedness reared its ugly head in the offseason: four starters from last season’s team were free agents, and the Greens were only able to bring back slick-fielding second baseman Gordon Chernenko. Gone are starting pitcher Adam Freeman, closer James Concepción, and catcher Tyler Danson, all former all-stars who secured much bigger bags elsewhere than what Emerald City could afford. They picked up some reinforcements in the offseason, signing Daigo Suzuki from the A’s to replace Danson, drafting Michael Zhao to fill the gap in the rotation left by Freeman, and picking up relievers Bri Pacheco, Connor Reefe, and Matthew Harvey to bulk up the bullpen. Arthur White also arrives from Sophie City, finally letting the aging and increasingly injury-prone slugger Brünhild Gunnlaugson switch to full-time DHing. Combined with another season of development from young stars like Jasmine Xu, Von Gunther, and Ava Llorente, all starters for Jacinta MacRaun’s Tigers, it might be just enough to push them over the edge. But there’s only so much they can do to control their fate when it rests in the hands of a five-game playoff series, as it does now.

Emerald City has a storied baseball history, but their biggest triumphs have long faded from the rearview mirror, something their three-season rebuild was meant to solve before they flamed out against Xingcheng in consecutive first-round series. But it’s been decades since the Greens have last won a playoff series. They need to win a playoff series. If they fail this year, they have no shortage of valid excuses: the hamstringing by ownership, the big spending of the Lions and Cyclones, the return of divisional rivals in Apple Valley and Denison from their own protracted rebuilds. But with the likes of Gunnlaugson, Schuyler Duffy, and Brent Lee entering their mid-thirties, the long, ugly lean years will soon rear their heads again. If this isn’t the year, it might not be for a while.

SOUTH FALLS ATHLETICS

Coach: Dinesh Mohn (The Sherpa Empire, third season)
Home: Diamond Park (Ruby Falls, SLL; cap. 33,000)
Most Recent Seasons:
LPB5: 94-90, second in division
LPB4: 98-86, second in division
LPB3: 109-75, lost SLLDS
Batting Style: Three true outcomes, with a few contact hitters
Pitching Style: Finesse pitchers with deep repetoires
Best Player: 3B Mason Bennett, a speed demon with some power
Support If You Like: Veteran internationals, big spending, a team with a history
In: CF Eric Zhu (draft, #38), SP Nahia King (draft, #39), SP Lucien Ramirez (FA),
CF Ella Carlson (FA), SS Carina Reyes (trade, DD), RF Yousuf Conway (trade, XR)
Out: DH Luke Brinkley (retired), RP Gustaf Sjabard (retired), C Daigo Suzuki (FA),
SP Savanna Wladecki (FA), SP Eddie Hedley (trade, DD)
Opening Day Starting Lineup:
Bennett 5 • Carlson 8 • McCallum 7
Carlini-Mwambutsya 9 • Tachikake 2 • Drum 6
Parent 1 • Cameron 3 • Reyes 4
Fan Expectations: .500
TenNinetyThree Projection: 73-87

SP1     Lucien Ramirez (L)         24 Super-Llamaland
SP2     Jack Joseph                33 Delaclava
SP3     Lola Marques               29 South Newlandia
SP4     Benadita Wright            26 South Newlandia
SP5     Nahia King                 23 South Newlandia
RP1     Marcos Avantaje            34 Loyo
RP2     Mattia Vasav               23 South Newlandia
RP3     Ian Capan                  35 South Newlandia
RP4     Peio De Andrade            24 Ko-oren                             
C       Naritoshi Tachikake         QoD
1B      Nile Cameron               23 Super-Llamaland
2B      Carina Reyes (SS)          23 Super-Llamaland
SS      David Drum                 36 South Newlandia
3B      Mason Bennett              35 Ko-oren
LF      Jude McCallum               QoD
CF      Ella Carlson               32 Super-Llamaland
RF      Samuel Carlini-Mwambutsya  38 Quebec
DH      Bill Parent (OF)           36 Hapilopper
backup  Carolyn Sexton (2B)        33 South Newlandia
backup  Yousuf Conway (RF)         35 South Newlandia
backup  Eric Zhu (CF)              18 Super-Llamaland

Do South Falls’ aging stars have one last run in them? Four seasons ago, the A’s pushed all their chips to the center of the table to bring in international sluggers Jude McCallum, Luke Brinkley, Samuel Carlini-Mwambutsya, and Luxolo Mbeki. Over the next four years, this approach has given them a total of one playoff win, and the last two seasons have seen South Falls run out of gas late in the season - perhaps another symptom of an aging core - en route to second-place divisional finishes. Now, Brinkley and Mbeki have retired, and McCallum and Carlini-Mwambutsya are likely to join them after this season. Other players who might hang it up after LPB6 are starting shortstop David Drum, starting third baseman Mason Bennett, starting DH Bill Parent, setup man Ian Capan, and starting pitcher Jack Joseph. Every offseason this decade, the A’s have spent big in an attempt to keep the championship window open for one more year, but the outlook after this year is bleak.

More cognizant of the team’s mortality than ever before, this year saw GM Nick Herrera try to get a little younger during the offseason while still trying to win the division. Lucien Ramirez, the reliever, was quietly excellent for the Monarchs and the NT. Whether this translates to being a good starting pitcher is an open question, but the Athletics certainly think they’ve found their ace of the future. Carina Reyes has shown some promise in her time with Denison, and the hope is that she can fill the void left by Drum’s incoming retirement after a one-season apprenticeship as his middle infield partner. Herrera also let go of aging stars Savanna Wladecki (a former NT ace, but also 38 years old) and Eddie Hedley, signalling his intent to retool next season.

There are two ways this season could go for the Athletics. If everyone is healthy, this team has a legitimate shot at the playoffs: they were nowhere near full health last season and still finished a respectable 94-90, and there is optimism that Ramirez, Joseph, and the re-signed Lola Marques can keep afloat the underwhelming rest of the pitching staff while the offense rakes. Of course, if all those veteran stars start feeling the effects of age - something that seems pretty likely - the A’s could be headed for their first season in the division’s basement since the miserable LPB1 campaign that prompted them to spend big in the first place. Either way, this team will only go as far as their star-studded but verifably ancient starting lineup takes them.

by **Ubernordwinds** » Mon Jan 01, 2024 9:11 am

BNN: From broken hearts to broken knees, faltering start for Acorns

Despite a rich history of domestic baseball dating back more than 8 decades, the Land of the Ubernordwinds has never previously sent a team to the World Baseball Classic, and the reservations some owners had about releasing their players for a lengthy international tournament in the offseason appear to have been borne out by the devastating loss of star catcher Gene Thomsen, who fractured his patella in a collision at base and is expected to miss six months, including spring training and the first 6-8 weeks of the next RA season. Thomsen, who won the MVP with Ersingen last season, was one of the biggest names to declare eligibility for the Ubernordwinds side, and was expected to be a major contributor with the bat coming off his record setting offensive season, but is now out of the tournament in just 2 games. Other owners will be looking askance at a tournament that could stretch over two months and wondering about the wisdom of allowing their players to participate.

Thomsen's injury cast a dark pall over what should have been an historic moment: the first win for the Acorns at the WBC, in a remarkable 16 inning epic against Tri Ann. It was Thomsen's double that sparked an 8th inning rally as the Acorns appeared to be headed for another defeat on the back of their 6-1 defeat by Delaclava. But his slide for second left him rolling on the ground in agony and after a 23 minute delay he was stretchered from the Prince Eric Coliseum field in tears, his tournament over, and the impact on the forthcoming season unknown. The extra-inning game also forced manager Liam Christians to empty out his bullpen, using six pitchers in relief for starter Andreas Reiter, who threw 85 pitches in a solid 5 inning showing, giving up just 1 earned run on 4 hits and striking out 3. Josef Cala was carrying an L after giving up 4 runs in his 1.1 inning relief effort that included 6 hits, a hit-by-pitch and a base-on-balls, but Jaime Piechnik and Niklas Tjarnqvist prevented any further damage before Thor Kleist came in for the 16th inning.

There were mixed feelings for David Ottl, briefly the hero after coming in as replacement for Thomsen and smiting a 2-out walk-off home run deep into extra innings; but aware that he is now being thrust into the starting lineup to replace one of the Royal Alliance's biggest names. The 31 year old himself is coming off a lengthy injury absence after missing 10 months with post concussion syndrome and played just 31 games last season, hitting .279 with 3 home runs and 13 RBI compared to Thomsen's .350/67/125. He is expected to platoon with Wyatt Kurri. With Thomsen's injury making RA owners newly twitchy about releasing their top players, Christians has had to seek out a free agent to replace Thomsen, with Christoffer Carstenschoild, coming off the end of his 4 year contract with Herfeld, the best he could convince to fly out to Quebec and Shingoryeo as substitute.

Earlier, the Acorns made their WBC debut at the Coliseum against experienced side Delaclava. After four hitless innings from ace Mick Lotz, who struck out five and walked one, the Acorns had taken a lead, with their first run fittingly scored by Immanuel Amann. The 2-time MVP, 7x All-Star is one of the biggest names in the team and had earlier recorded the first ever base hit in Ubernordwinds WBC history; in the fourth inning he drew a walk and scored on a Randall Unkelbach base hit. But the game tilted in Delaclava's favor as Omer Ben-Haim showed off his speed with a double past Amman, and then scoring from second on a Martin Adamczek single. And Lotz's pitching fell apart in the sixth as Valery Robiquet led off with a groundball that Unkelbach booted at third base, before leaving a hanging curve that Teuvo Kujala smacked 353 feet to left field.

The first home run off an Acorns pitcher didn't spark as much interest from the Ubernordwinder baseball historians in attendance. A Cody Brewer double followed, eventually scoring on another base hit from Ben-Haim, as Lotz's day was done on 90 pitches with 6 hits, 4 runs (3 earned), and 7 strikeouts to 1 walk. Delaclava's pitchers combined for a clinical two-hitter, Andrew Barbosa giving up just the 1 run on 2 hits, 1 walk, and 1 strikeout, before Maximov, Young and Denis got the work done in relief, with Ubernordwinds bat flailing haplessly to the tune of 4 strikeouts and 0 further hits. After a Torresino double, pinch-hitter Steven Grace drove in 2 more runs, including Ben-Haim, who went 2-3 with a double, a walk, 2 runs scored and 1 RBI to be Delaclava's best hitter of the day. Amann, 2-3 with a walk and a run scored, was the only Ubernordwinds hitter to look vaguely comfortable.

There will be pressure on Christians to avoid further injuries or else face the wrath of the team owners on his return. He kept Lotz and Reiter on short leashes, but pulling pitchers on 80-90 pitches will require a lot of work from a bullpen whose arms are already smarting after the extra innings against Tri Ann. And he may have a hard time convincing his players they should be showing hustle on the basepaths after Thomsen's horror injury. Randall Unkelbach, who hit the first home run in Acorns' WBC history, says the team are feeling "pretty sore right now" over Thomsen, while outfielder Johan Jensen, who is carrying a .182 average through the opening two games, says they "just have offer more with the bat to support those guys", referencing the pitching staff.

by **Cassadaigua** » Mon Jan 01, 2024 9:24 am

Fan Blog: Kailee Atkinson, New Lakeland

World Baseball Classic 58 has begun, and I am pleased to be in the Twin Cities for the duration of the competition. I will be attending all of the home games here, and heading out to Mini Cassadaigua for watch parties of the other contests. As you may know by now, Mini Cassadaigua is a former vacant retail store of considerable size with will be a home away from home for all of our fans. Going here to watch the games does not mean that we will not be mingling with the locals, as after all they are able to come here as well if they so desired. However, most of the sight seeing here will be done on non-game days but it’s not as if we’re in Joongyeong, where the most interesting non-baseball spots would be located. There’s stuff to do outside of baseball, I guess I would be compared this place to what would happen if Brattleboro and Starksville had a baby.

I’ll be attending the games as a single traveler, and that’s fine. This is not an entire vacation for me, as I will still be keeping in touch with the office to make sure that my subordinates are doing what they are supposed to be doing while I am gone. My assistant, Danielle, does a great job with that so business operations will still go smoothly. It is in my plans to explore the town and the area for any potential investment opportunities while here, since there are a number of highly successful well educated business professionals here that I look forward to meeting. I’m 25, single and already very successful, and I must say that I have always liked foreign men (I shouldn’t need to explain why), so perhaps while conducting business or watching games, I will be able to meet the man of my dreams but I am not necessarily looking for that. Business relationships and making money are the most important things when it comes to that aspect, but you never know what may happen when having such discussions. Being single allows one to do what it takes!

Anyway, the games. Cassadaigua started on the road against talking ponies from Equestria at a place that has a small capacity than essentially every high school in suburban New Lakeland. The name of the place is Lawrence D. Guinness Field and I don’t know the name of the place made me want to have a drink, but it did, so I did. We didn’t travel to that game, but instead watched it at Ellington Park, as we used our adopted stadium as a chance to get together with other Cassadagans and watch the game on the video board. Seeing the large wall was cool, and it’s adopted name will be the “Pink Monster” for the competition. Sure, the outfield walls are painted red, but it is our stadium for the next few weeks and we are making it home! It’s a cool place, but not something that you would find in New Lakeland as it is way too traditional for our great city. It’s cool for what it is, though.

The game started great for us, scoring four runs in the top of the first inning, highlighted by a three run double by Makenna Anglin. With the veteran Lacey Maxwell on the mound, we would well on our way to a victory. While I am on my soapbox, though, I cannot believe that Lacey is still playing for Stockton Heights. She’s loyal to them, and wants to be the reason that they become a great team, although that has not happened yet and it is not going to happen because management there does not spend any money. Even she seems to be making far less money than she should be making, but I have heard that she has not only turned down offers from our great Tycoons here in New Lakeland or even, God forbid, going to Concord Heights, but she has also turned down some very impressive offers from LPB clubs. You know what that league is, of course. If not, you will have people hitting you with previews and in depth analysis of their league no matter where you are and while it’s very interesting material to some, I only care about the CBL.

Up 4-0 against Ponies that are not what they were at one point in the becoming all more distant path, we should have been on our way, but that did not happen. Lacey’s performance in the bottom of the inning is not what we have come to expect from here, and lo and behold, it was 4-4 after one. Our manager, Allyson McIntosh, kept Lacey in the game despite that ineffectiveness, and in the top of the third, we went up by three, with solo back to back home runs by Cailey Huff and Kristen Martorella being the highlight of the inning, and we tacked on two more in the fourth to make it 9-4. Lacey had thrown a lot of pitches in the first, but she had seemed to settle down in the second and third innings. Sadly, two more Equestria runs in the bottom of the inning cut into our lead and ended the day for Maxwell. Obviously, this is not really where we wanted to be against an opponent like this, but at least we were still in the lead.

Our middle relievers stunk up the joint (no, not the type of joint commonly seen and smelled in Quebec), and it was 10-10 after six. What in the hell is going on? Fortunately, things settled down for our pitchers, and we scored eight unanswered runs from that point, with Martorella connecting on another long ball in a six-run seventh inning. Altogether, Kristen had five RBI’s for the day, and I guess everyone in our lineup scored at least one run. Not pretty, but 1-0 is better than 0-1.

This led to the home opener against Nova Anglicana, a storied baseball nation that has one championship to its credit. They were also the last team to win a basketball championship before Quebec began its dynasty. Sarah Curtis got the start, making her second WBC appearance, but with more expected of her this time around coming off a terrific season with Brattleboro. She shut down the opposition at the start of the game, and an RBI single by New Lakeland’s own Maddie Watson stood as the game’s only run for a while. But Nova Anglicana isn’t ranked #8 in the world for nothing, and got through against Curtis in the sixth for one, and the seventh for three more to temporarily be in the driver’s seat. But in the eighth, the floodgates opened for us when Théophile Berthiaume misplayed a deflected off of the Pink Monster that turned a Brittney Clements single (possibly a double) when Makenna Anglin was already on first, to being an inside-the-park two run homer of sorts for Clements, even though it goes in the scoring books as a double and a two-base error by Berthiaume. That made it 4-4, anf the momentum stayed with us to get two more in the inning for the eventual 6-4 win.

I had just as much fun after the game as I had during it, and if that continues to happen, this will truly be an incredible vacation.

(OOC: Yes, she was meant to sound like a snob. She is from New Lakeland, after all).

by **Zwangzug** » Mon Jan 01, 2024 10:12 am

I have this client, I'll call her--Naomi. Obviously I have to be considerate of anonymity with all of my patients, she's no different. There are some extenuating circumstances that just mean she's a little more sensitive about her privacy than most people. Fortunately not the "creepy stalker ex" kind of circumstances, thank goodness.

I moved here to practice in Zwangzug about five years ago when I married Steve. Steve is great. We're kind of an "opposites attract" couple. I do the talking, the counseling, the interpersonal stuff. Steve is quiet, but when you get him onto something he cares about, he just lights up. At first we thought we were going to live closer to my family, but I could tell the toll it was taking on Steve. He'd never say in so many words that he was homesick, but it's a culture shock to be thrown into a completely different way of doing things, and I guess I'm more adaptable than him.

But I don't want to brag about it too much. Like, I'll be honest--I take the trains everywhere, I have to, no alternative. But I'm not used to them the way Steve is. Back home, it was like, I'll just get in my car where I'm physically and mentally by myself. If I ever chose to ride the bus or hang out at the train station, I could expect to find lots of other people there. Panhandlers, vagabonds, loiterers--people who relied on public infrastructure because they didn't have anywhere else to go. Sometimes I gave them money, sometimes I realized there was nothing I could do. Here, everyone is just as quiet and isolated as they would have been in their cars back home.

Where was I going with this? Oh, right, Naomi. When you picture Naomi, you have to picture someone who can walk just as far as anyone else. There are lazy people in Zwangzug, sure. People who eat too much over-processed food. It's not like Bigtopia or one of those famine-afflicted countries. But neither is she morbidly obese. She gets around under her own power.

The problem isn't that she's insecure about her body image. That is, alas, an issue that lots of girls and young women struggle with. Back home I worked with several adolescents who were going through growing pains, and just needed the confidence to like themselves, and then, in some cases, work on their physical fitness. Naomi should have been a routine case.

The issue--well, one issue--is that she's older than me! Knowing that lots of teenagers have been through this isn't a relief for her; it's a frustration, because now she's like "well what's wrong with me, why can't I do it, why couldn't I have gotten it out of the way back in my adolescence." I try to tell her it doesn't work that way and comparing her problems to other people's isn't going to help, but hey, what do I know? I'm just the counselor.

So, yeah, that's what I've got to work with. Wish me luck.

works? · by **Abanhfleft** » Mon Jan 01, 2024 12:05 pm

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

I THINK THIS IS GOING TO BE MY LAST RIDE
By Ibrahim Ahmadinejad

WRITING FROM SONGWHA CITY, QUEBEC AND SHINGORYEO - Change is afoot, and I’m not just talking about this new-look Abanhfleft Revolution team that just rolled up to Quebec and Shingoryeo for the 58th World Baseball Classic. This isn’t just about the national baseball team trying to claim the glory that had eluded them so many times in the past; this, sadly, is also about potentially the final chapter of my story. I’ve been blogging about baseball for almost thirty years now, dating all the way back from when I was still toiling away in the minor leagues. Sure, the blog didn’t attract all that much attention until Abanhfleft went to its first ever International Baseball Slam and I was fortunate enough to be part of the team that went there, but I started up this blog to talk about my own experiences in the sport, the highs and lows of being a player and eventually a fan, and all I have to say is that I’m happy to have had all of you along for the ride, much as you let me come along with your own rides through the highs and lows of Fleftic baseball fandom. But unfortunately, I do have to call time on my blogging career. Like I said, it’s been thirty years since I first started blogging, and unless there’s some sort of fountain of youth out there, all that miles of travel is coming back to bite me where the sun don’t shine, and it is with great sadness that I have to announce that this WBC will most probably be the last time that I will be able to cover a WBC from start to finish. Heck, this WBC might actually be the last time that you might see me blogging regularly or at all.

Trust me, this was not an easy decision for me to make. But it was the one that made sense to me, especially after some lengthy soul-searching in the days and nights leading up to potentially my last trip to follow the Abanhfleft Revolution for yet another baseball event in which we may or may not crap the bed. Believe me, I’m not bitter. Or at least I’m trying my best not to be. Sometimes the ball just won’t fall into your glove no matter how hard you try to be there to catch it. Is that an actual metaphor? No? Then it should be. Anyway, much as I would like to keep everyone on this site as up to date as possible on the trials and sometimes successes of the Revolution, I’ve been doing that for over thirty years already! I don’t want to sound like a broken record but that number has been stuck on my mind ever since the Revolution failed to make the International Baseball Slam for the first time since we’ve become a more active member of the international stage. I don’t mean to brag, but I’ve had a modestly successful baseball career, although most of that success has been on the domestic level and I never even got so much as a single touch on an international trophy until I had technically “retired” and the bastards over at the SBA [Samahang Beisbol ng Abanhfleft] got me and a bunch of the other old boys back together for “one more ride,” which turned into maybe two or three more rides before I said that I was done playing baseball full stop. But to get back to my point, I’ve done pretty much everything that I could possibly do in baseball. Maybe it is time for me to hang up the glove and acknowledge all the work I’ve done and finally take a well-deserved break.

And for all of you out there worrying that this is going to be the end of Musings of an Armored Dinner Jacket, don’t sweat. I promise, it’s not going to be the end of the blog. Sure, I most probably won’t be doing the regular blogging side of things once the WBC wraps up (depending on how far the Revolution can actually go in that competition) but Musings will still be here, just under new management in a manner of speaking. See, my eldest son Anoar has been helping me out here and there with running the website ever since the IBS got resurrected and I got called up once again by the SBA to play for the Abanhfleft Revolution All-Stars, and we’ve had a few talks about the whole blogging thing and we’ve both come to the agreement that Anoar is going to be taking over Musings once this WBC is over. Now I recognize that there is a percentage of followers of my blog who will feel that Musings just won’t be the same once I’m gone, but that’s exactly why I’m writing about the coming transition process, so you all won’t be surprised when I say ciao, peace to all of you for the last time and Anoar takes over blogging for the Revolution. Heck, you might even see Anoar pop up here and there with the occasional post in my place, just to ease all of us into the next stage of Musings, the one where Ibrahim Ahmadinejad is no longer a regular contributor to his own blog site.

Now that that little bit of administrative work is done, perhaps now it’s time to move on to the actual meat of the matter. The Abanhfleft Revolution are in Group B of the 58th World Baseball Classic, and like many Classics in the past, while the group stage will be played in a home-and-away format, all teams will be playing their games within the borders of the Royal Kingdom of Quebec, meaning no one will have the excuse of having to fly thousands upon thousands of miles (in some cases) just to get to another team’s home stadium and play their assigned number of games there. Among us in Group B are Banija, Barnettsville, Sea Dome, Vilwandia, and (you won’t believe this) Jabberwocky. Yes, there is an entire nation out there with a national baseball team of their own that shares their name with the FMLB [Fleftic Major League of Baseball] team from Beledor in Pridnestrovia. Yeah, the same team I almost signed with after Pilken and the rest of the “Wayward Sixteen” split off from the FMLB and the SBA threatened sanctions against Revolution players who stayed with those teams that split off. It’s a long story, and I’m sure I’ve talked about it at length and in summary in other blog posts, so forgive me if I just skim past this one and move on to reviewing the other teams in Group B, which is the other half of why I’m writing this post in the first place.

I mean, do I really have to go in-depth about Banija? It’s no secret that they’re one of our rivals when it comes to sports, although strictly speaking that only really applies to lacrosse. Sure, that rivalry might spill over to other sports like football or basketball, but given how quickly and how much Banija has outpaced us in those sports and are also probably looking to do the same in lacrosse, is it really a rivalry anymore? At least for them? Is there still a rivalry between Abanhfleft and Banija worth blogging about, or is that rivalry like the rivalry between men and maggots, as in there isn’t one? Man, what a fall from grace we’ve had, and our young men and women are only recently beginning to claw back those losses from all of those times when we decided that just showing up was good enough (and sometimes not even that). And it doesn’t get any easier for us after them. Barnettsville, while they’re only ranked 20th in the world when it comes to playing baseball, they got up there for a reason, and it’s not because they’re slouches when it comes to the sport. In fact, given that Barnettsville are really only interested in playing baseball and not literally any other sport on an international basis, baseball is literally all that they’ve got, and by God, they’re going to be damn good at it. What was that old saying? Fear not the man who plays a thousand sports once, but the man who plays one sport a thousand times. Or something along those lines. I’m not really good with quotations.

However, the other three teams in our group aren’t teams that I’ve really heard of, and I don’t have much in the way of information when I tried to do my due diligence and research these teams as well, so this will probably be a quick one. First up, Sea Dome. The name kind of sounds familiar, doesn’t it? Like something you’ve seen before, but just once, and because you didn’t think you were ever going to see it again, you didn’t pay it any attention? Well, honestly, that’s kind of what I feel about Sea Dome. It’s like I’ve seen them before, and like I might have actually played against them before, but I can’t really be too sure about either one of those. Either way, they’re probably going to be tough opponents regardless, so our boys should still be careful around them. And I can pretty much say the same thing about both Vilwandia and Jabberwocky. I just don’t have enough information about either one of these nations, but I do have my hands on a Vilwandia team sheet, so that already makes them both easier and tougher opposition to deal with. Easier because we know exactly who their players are, from their stars to their bench warmers to their roster fillers, and tougher because now we also have some ideas about their personalities. As for Jabberwocky, well, I wonder if our lads will be able to keep straight faces while wondering how or why the FMLB team from Beledor managed to get into the WBC as a team of their own.

And that’s all that I really have for the opening of the 58th World Baseball Classic. We had a good start in the previous one, but that one ended with a spectacular collapse against Chromatika. I was about to say that I hope we get to a winning start once again, but seeing what happens after the Revolution gets a winning start, I don’t know what to wish from this team anymore. Oh well. I’m still fighting for the Revolution anyway, even if they never win in the end. This is the Armored Dinner Jacket saying ciao, peace. Catch you in my next post.

by **Milchama** » Tue Jan 02, 2024 8:41 am

"What a terrible loss"

"I mean expected to lose to South Newlandia, this isn't such a bad thing overall"

"I agree that it's not unexpected but that doesn't mean that it's a good thing"

"Explain"

"I mean losing is still bad"

"Oh yeah, that's fair, losing is still bad"

"So the loss is still bad"

"It also was bad to see Miller just crushed in his first international appearance"

"Yeah, Miller should be better"

"I mean giving up 4 runs in the third inning on 6 hits and having to exit before the inning is over is pretty terrible"

"I know he was good last year with the Akkad Libraries but just because he was good for them doesn't mean he's good enough for international play"

"Yeah, exactly and starting him against the Elephants is just not a smart decision"

"No, there are much better decisions to be made there. Start Miller against a no name like Vonum and use the ace, Numarkez, against SNL"

"Numarkez did look great against Vonum"

"Yeah, of course, but anybody would have looked great against Vonum they're not the issue. The issue is beating South Newlandia"

"Why do you care so much about beating the Elephants?"

"Well we want a deep run and our biggest problem the last two cups with having a deep run is that we've been a second place team so come the quarterfinals we're against a team like South Newlandia or Zwangzug or Banija and we can't beat them. The only way we can avoid that fate is to beat the top seed in our group so that we can be in first place and make our run in the semi finals or finals easier"

"I guess but it's a much tougher break this time around. Instead of half the field breaking it's about a third of the field so we should focus on that"

"I agree with you, the first goal is to break but I'm also looking at our stretch goals and so far we're doing fine in terms of breaking, we beat the unranked, unrostered team with ease so I'm not so concerned about that."

"I guess we just need to see how we go against other teams that aren't terrible or great"

"Pretty much though this group stage does feel slightly more forgiving with playing everybody 4 times"

"Yeah that should benefit us"

"I guess it's not the end of the world"

"No it's not but I agree with you that it would be nice to see some improvement"

"So let's hope for the best"

"Exactly"

"That sounds like a plan"

"I'm glad to hear it"

by **The Kytler Peninsulae** » Tue Jan 02, 2024 10:12 am

This audio RP is an interview from RTX Radio's Adam Watkins with the Kytlerian manager Kevin Anderson following his team's 8-2 loss to New Kiwi Repupirikana.

by **TJUN-ia** » Tue Jan 02, 2024 10:16 am

It's back to the diamond again...with hope in the air. The Battin' Jagaurs of TJUN-ia, now decked out with an Esportivan patch on the sleeve, are a team that has found their place in this sport as a perennial playoff contender that can't match up with the big guns, but there is still hope amongst Phillip Hellas-Verona and his staff that this nation still has fight left in it to battle it out for potential glory. The fact that the Cubs managed to win the IBS was a big deal to everyone here, seeing the stars of tomorrow blossom right in front of our very eyes, and with that burning in our minds, the Jagaurs have to go out there and try and put that magic to good use. Quebec and Shingoryeo will be our home for the next few weeks, specifically Jeongju Veterans' Memorial Coliseum, and with 20 games to face before Playoffs can even be discussed, we have a lot to get through...so let's start here.

Game 1 was up against debutants nation]Gunnison and Telluride[/nation] at the Jean-Claude Jarnefelt Stadium in Attawapiskat. Jason McRae would start the Opening Game against Darell Cooper and things would certainly get off to an uneasy start when Diego Alfonze hit for the stands with 1 out on the board. 1-0 G&T and it would stay that way for a while to come as our bats seemingly couldn't find a way to power through the pressure Cooper was putting on us. It looked hopeless for a little while but the 6th would change everything as a lot of chaos would mean Santino Fenatti finally ending our duck with a go-ahead Grand Slam. With momentum now on our side, Li Chen Sho added two more in the 7th and with Cooper replaced by Walter Roth, the jig was up. We would hold on for the 6-1 win and a good start to our campaign.

Then we took on the top seeds in this group, #7 Super-Llamaland, at "home" in Jeongju and while we were hoping to do well, SLL were coming off a defeat to a UR - and they wanted blood. Kimi Holvanen started against Maddie Benitez but he simply stood no chance as bombs by Ava Llorente, Apollo Sündstrom (2-run) and Schuyler Duffy (Grand Slam) gave the Tigers a 7-0 lead and forced Khamis Ali Makame into the game. KAM held form for a little while, enough for Svetlana Mykvinich to get one run back, but things would fall apart from there Benitez added 2 more and another Grand Slam (this time by Cerulean Baines) forced Trinity Shelby-Dowora out early to essentially throw in the towel. Losing 13-1 is never fun...even if it's only MD2.

That sucked...but we still have a long way to go. New Kiwi Repupirikana, 2-0 on debut, are up next followed by the visit "to" Dod Rava. An interesting start, to say the least. GO BATTIN' JAGS!

SCHEDULE (Group F - Northwest Quebec and Shingoryeo)
MD1: @Gunnison and Telluride (UR) - Jean-Claude Jarnefelt Stadium, Attawapiskat W 6-1 (1st)
MD2: vs Super-Llamaland (7) - Jeongju Veterans' Memorial Coliseum, Jeongju L 1-13 (3rd)
---
MD3: @New Kiwi Repupirikana (UR) - Shin-Cauchon Field, Val-Argent
MD4: @Dod Rava (22) - Daedong Field, Anju
---
MD5: vs The Kytler Peninsulae (UR) - Jeongju Veterans' Memorial Coliseum, Jeongju
MD6: vs Gunnison and Telluride (UR) - Jeongju Veterans' Memorial Coliseum, Jeongju
---
MD7: @Super-Llamaland (7) - Broad Street Junction, Hanbat
MD8: vs New Kiwi Repupirikana (UR) - Jeongju Veterans' Memorial Coliseum, Jeongju
---
MD9: vs Dod Rava (22) - Jeongju Veterans' Memorial Coliseum, Jeongju
MD10: @The Kytler Peninsulae (UR) - Bocola Field, Attawapiskat
---
MD11: @Gunnison and Telluride (UR) - Jean-Claude Jarnefelt Stadium, Attawapiskat
MD12: vs Super-Llamaland (7) - Jeongju Veterans' Memorial Coliseum, Jeongju
---
MD13: @New Kiwi Repupirikana (UR) - Shin-Cauchon Field, Val-Argent
MD14: @Dod Rava (22) - Daedong Field, Anju
---
MD15: vs The Kytler Peninsulae (UR) - Jeongju Veterans' Memorial Coliseum, Jeongju
MD16: vs nation]Gunnison and Telluride[/nation] (UR) - Jeongju Veterans' Memorial Coliseum, Jeongju
---
MD17: @Super-Llamaland (7) - Broad Street Junction, Hanbat
MD18: vs New Kiwi Repupirikana (UR) - Jeongju Veterans' Memorial Coliseum, Jeongju
---
MD19: vs Dod Rava (22) - Jeongju Veterans' Memorial Coliseum, Jeongju
MD20: @The Kytler Peninsulae (UR) - Bocola Field, Attawapiskat

by **Cardenao** » Tue Jan 02, 2024 10:23 am

New Uniform Released For National Baseball Team In The World Baseball Classic

To commemorate starting the 58th World Baseball Classic with a perfect 2-0 record, Marty Smithers, President of the Cardenao Baseball Society, has unveiled a beautiful new uniform for the team to wear.

((OOC: Created by AI))

The uniform, domestically produced by JidMourney, will hopefully provide a confidence boost to the boys in blue and gold as they progress further into this tournament. The uniform’s deep blue pays tribute to blue seas surrounding Cardenao, while the golden yellow is a nod to the picturesque sunrises and sunsets that grace our beautiful nation. Peering closer at the cap, we can see a C, a subtle reference to the name of our nation, in a golden hue showing our desire to “go for gold”. Nothing subtle about the Cardenao that boldly blazes across the chest in white, gotta let them know who they’re up against! The addition of some sort of ‘checkmark’ is seen as somewhat bizarre, but Marty Smithers insisted nothing could be done about it as JidMourney, frustratingly, refused to remove it no matter how much he reworded the work order. Another finer detail is a small ‘Cardenao’ in white on the left sleeve, the rationale being every player needed to keep their country close to their heart.

Oddly enough, no pants or socks were provided in the official preview, a creative decision we understand JidMourney made without informing Marty Smithers. We have been assured that they match the top quite nicely and are blue with gold and white lines down the side of their legs. All in all, it seems to be quite the sharp, sporting look and we’ll all be excited to see the new uni debut in the national baseball team’s upcoming matches. Speaking of upcoming matches…

Let’s talk about them. First up is the unranked Miscere Empire who come into the matchup on the back of two straight losses, not the best start for them so La Furia Azule will need to be prepared for a bounceback game. It really shouldn’t be a challenge for our lads, the 32nd ranked team in the world, as we ride into this game after winning our first two matches. As long as Sergio Woo keeps pitching the way he’s been throwing the ball, this match should be cruise control but you never know with plucky unranked nations like these. A victory here making it three in a row would be the perfect wave to ride into the fourth game of this World Baseball classic and the hardest we’ll face in the group stage.

Quebec and Shingoryeo, tournament hosts and the sixth best team in the world, lie in wait for us. While the Taewha Three have retired, it sure doesn’t seem like it as the Quebecois have blown away the teams they’ve faced so far, putting the unranked WE-ARE-DICE-land to the sword in an 8-2 drumming before sealing away the #16 ranked team Loyo 8-4. Nam-Soo Baek started off slowly and looked like he might get pulled in the third quarter as per Grim Reaper standard operating procedure, but he got his act together quickly and started slinging the baseball as he pitched them to victory. The sixth ranked team in the multiverse is ranked that high for exactly the reasons they’ve shown thus far: they’re good at the sport and I’d say better than us.

No matter though, these sort of matches are exactly why we chose to compete in the first place so good luck to the boys!

World Baseball Classic 58 - Everything Thread

THE CURSE IS BROKEN.

Batter Up!: Esportiva Brings Chaos, Huh?

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