World Baseball Classic 59 (IC thread)

(O.O) · by **TJUN-ia** » Thu Aug 01, 2024 2:41 pm

After escaping from Hapilopper City with a late win, the Battin' Jagaurs of TJUN-ia were 1-0 and breathing a sigh of relief. Hapilopper certainly pushed them all the way and that's not exactly a good sign against the World #54...but a win was still a win, no matter how you get there. Phillip Hellas-Verona was just happy to start on the right note after the disaster of last time out, but there is still a long way to go and everyone knows that for certain.

Rounders Field in Portside was packed out ready to see their team and the arrival of our opponents from HaIvrim (HAIVRIM, not HALVRIM), with Maddison "Missy" Jembembe getting the start against Bella Thoron. Many critics of these debutants see this side as simply 'Milchama B', relying on players that couldn't make the Milchama squad to fill in their ranks instead of it being a fair representation of Hammers baseball. Despite this controversy, we still had a game to play...and things took time to get going but once the 3rd arrived, everything was a go. Things would start in style with Holly Davids opening things up with a solo bomb with Li Chen Sho joining the fun in the 5th. Hank Dearish got one back in the 6th but so did Al-Rayyan himself, brought home thanks to a triple from Santino Fenatti. 3-1 would become 4-1 thanks to Martina Andrade de Souza and that signalled the end of the game...until Trinity Shelby-Dowora got into some late trouble in the 9th. But we just about held on for the 4-3 win.

2-0. Juldonia is next. GO BATTIN' JAGS!

SCHEDULE (Group 3)
MD1: @Hapilopper (54) - Nathan Ellis Field at Capital Stadium, Hapilopper City W 7-5 (2nd)
MD2: vs HaIvrim (UR) - Rounders Field, Portside W 4-3 (2nd)
MD3: @Juldonia (UR)
MD4: vs Dhemixia (UR) - Rounders Field, Portside
MD5: @Super-Llamaland (4)
MD6: vs Hapilopper (54) - The Diamond in The Gardens, New Washington
MD7: @HaIvrim (UR)
MD8: vs Juldonia (UR) - The Diamond in The Gardens, New Washington
MD9: @Dhemixia (UR) - Brigantine Park, Columbus
MD10: vs Super-Llamaland (4) - Rounders Field, Portside

by **Dhemixia** » Thu Aug 01, 2024 3:36 pm

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The Columbus Dominion(Est.1873)

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Tough loss to Juldonia halts Serpents' momentum

After a tough loss to Juldonia, the Serpents need to find a way back into a positive headspace. Morgan Andrews had a below-average day, going 6 innings with 5 ER on 7 hits, while the offense just couldn't keep pace. The bullpen was rock solid through the last 3 innings, only allowing 1 run to score, but the Serpents just couldn't crawl back and seize the opportunities they did have in that time.

In the offense they did have, the show was run by Terry Hjalmarsson and Wade Carlisle, going back-to-back in the 4th, scoring 3 runs, and each going 3-4 on the day with 7 TB. As for the rest of the Dhemixian offense, not so much. Were it not for the efforts of Hjalmarsson and Carlisle, they would've been no-hit. To say the Serpents' offense was stagnant would be an understatement, and that fact will surely be a major point that Neil McCarthy will try to instill in his players in the hopes to improve.

He's gonna have to get the Serpents to change their playstyle if they want a real shot at beating their next opponent, #4 ranked Super-Llamaland. Cael Robertson will be taking the hill against the dominant August Tai on the other side. If the offense can produce at all, and the bullpen can be a little consistent, it's shaping up to be a major pitcher's duel at Super-Llamaland, so it'll be fun to see how it unfolds under the lights.

Schedule
*blue signifies a home game
----------------------------------
~~@ HaIvrim (Jack Guzman vs. Neta Rothsenns)~~ W 3-2
~~vs. Juldonia (Morgan Andrews vs. __________)~~ L 4-6
@ Super-Llamaland (Cael Robertson vs. August Tai)
@ TJUN-ia (Hayden Young vs. Joseph McAlbo)
vs. Hapilopper (Jack Guzman vs. Pete Lord)
vs. HaIvrim (Morgan Andrews vs. Bella Thoron)
@ Juldonia (Cael Robertson vs. __________)
vs. Super-Llamaland (Hayden Young vs. August Tai)
vs. TJUN-ia (Jack Guzman vs. Joseph McAlbo)
@ Hapilopper (Morgan Andrews vs. Pete Lord)

by **South Newlandia** » Thu Aug 01, 2024 3:56 pm

Being in an unfamiliar environment can be intimidating. The Elephants certainly knew that it’s tricky to play your first ever road game in your World Baseball Classic history – the pachyderms had also started with a shutout loss in their first road game. It must be exponentially harder if you’re in a place unlike any you’ve ever been before. That was certainly the case for the dinosaur gods that were headed to Elephant Valley. Oh, and of course, there’s easier opponents for this than the top-ranked team in the Classic.

Additionally, the Elephants had scouts that were able to get intel on the previous game the dinosaur gods had played with The Kytler Peninsulae. That gave them a decent idea of what to expect, and more importantly, how to deal with it – and things went extremely well for them on both sides of the ball. Starting pitcher Hailey Clark was able to neutralise the lineup quite effectively, only allowing a few scattered hits and no runs. Meanwhile, it must be said that the human arm is quite well engineered to deliver baseballs at high speeds. For the dinosaur gods, that was a problem, as the Elephants feasted on the pitches they saw, turning the game at Elephant Stadium into an impromptu home run derby. Despite surrendering seven home runs and sixteen runs in total, the Elephants and manager Sofia Rasmussen praised their guests.
“They fought well until the end, and remained fair throughout – we are glad no one needed any treatment for scratches, bites, or being eaten. For any team, such a game would certainly be deflating, but these guys have certainly seen a lot of things in their time, and were able to deal with it well. I wish them all the best, and we’re excited for our return trip to Maniraptora.”

Besides some missing roadside trees, a bus needing a new bumper, and a hotel that would need some minor and major renovations, the game could not have gone any better for the Elephants, who are now headed on the road again, facing Equestria next.

logo credit: Sacha

St. Riecarn Saints Preview

Starting Pitchers
SP Wolodymyr King (South Newlandia)
SP Lucy Walker-Diaz (Super-Llamaland)
SP Ashleigh Witters (Chromatika)
SP Pat Jensen (Brookstation)
SP Lester Plattsburgh (Qasden)
6th SP Victoria Greene (Super-Llamaland)
Bullpen
RP Andrew Gilson III (Super-Llamaland)
RP Richie Higgins (South Newlandia)
RP Owen Xavier (Super-Llamaland)
RP Isaac Sabathia (Super-Llamaland)
RP Russell Davidson (South Newlandia)
RP Tina Calibri (Super-Llamaland)

Starting Fielders
C Markus Wren (Loyo)
1B Nicolas Perez (South Newlandia)
2B Kevin Barros (South Newlandia)
SS Apollo Sündstrom (Super-Llamaland)
3B Jimi Fiazzo (Loyo)
LF Isabel Morata (Loyo)
CF Kendra Annovar (Chromatika)
RF Evander Stone (Super-Llamaland)
DH Kieran Ripeppi (Brookstation)
Bench players
C Isidro Short (South Newlandia)
2B Jasmin Ferrara-Robinson (South Newlandia)
SS/3B Anthony Hancock (South Newlandia)
LF/RF Mac Jefferson (South Newlandia)
RF Sasha Belova (Chromatika)

Sündstrom season is the best season. Led by their MVP Apollo Sündstrom, the St. Riecarn Saints managed to return to the playoffs last season, winning the SNL South for the first time – their first division win since they were added to the SNBL as an expansion team. Although they fell to the eventual SNL Champion Snow Bears in four games, it signaled the beginning of the good times under Loyoan manager Velma Soosang. More than just about any team in the SNL, the Saints have found success by building their team from the ground up by drafting and developing well, rather than signing established players to big deals. This season would be a bit of a transition in a few ways.

Principally, they were tasked with dealing with the retirements of a pair of South Newlandian legends; starting pitcher Ryan Hunter and catcher Brad Moore, who formed an integral part of this team. Reliever Lorenzo Harvey also decided to find a new home in Free Agency.
In return, they also made a big signing for themselves; bringing in Elephant Nicolas Perez on a trade from the Xingcheng Renaissance, sending former first-round pick Corey Zang and picks in return. Otherwise, there weren’t too many big new additions; although a few players were signed on cheaper deals to replace the departing pitchers.

With Ryan Hunter enjoying a well-earned and hopefully bear-free retirement, the ace of the squad is now Wolodymyr King. The imposing South Newlandian left-handed Elephant was drafted by the Saints fourth overall and has proven to be worth that investment. Despite being drafted a season and a round later, Lucy Walker-Diaz has similarly been great for the Saints, with the Llamanean just about keeping pace with the South Newlandian; earning herself a big new contract in the process. They’re joined by Chromatik Ashleigh Witters, who also just got a contract extension. Beyond those three, the pitching could use some work. They do have fan favourites Pat Jensen and Lester Plattsburgh, and Llamanean Tiger Andrew Gilson III in relief, but other than that, most of these players are various degrees of failed starters. The Saints will have to hope that Velma Soosang can glue them together into a cohesive unit.

At the plate, the Saints are definitely led by their stacked infield. They now have a pair of Elephants on the right side in Nicolas Perez and Kevin Barros, with MVP Sündstrom and Loyoan international Jimi Fiazzo.
Markus Wren will be the primary catcher for the Saints after a few seasons of being the understudy to Brad Moore. The Saints also signed journeyman Isidro Short as their backup, who brings plenty of LPB experience to the table.
The team also has four solid options in the outfield, led of course by former Rookie of the Season Evander Stone in Right Field. He just received an extension by the Saints and is likely playing a major part for them for multiple seasons to come. His fellow outfielders are all older than him, with Loyoan international Isabel Morata and Brookstation’s Kieran Ripeppi both still in the late years of their prime; while Center Fielder Kendra Annovar is almost certainly playing her final campaign; having lost quite a bit of the athleticism that got her here. Still, she’s bringing a lot of experience to the table. The Chromatik basically operates as the team captain.

This season almost seems like it might be championship-or-bust for the Saints. That’s not quite true – sure, Perez, the Loyoan international duo, and Annovar probably don’t have a lot more good seasons left in them. Sure, the Stuska Okapis, their AAA affiliate, are utterly depleted, ranking as the worst in the SNL. Their first draft pick in the most recent amateur draft was spent at #106, picking a RUoN grad in Dylan Thomas. But there’s also some enduring upside with this team – their young starter trio aren’t going anywhere soon, and they have star power with players like Barros, Sündstrom and Stone that will be something to build around. Despite some weaknesses, they enter the SNL South as the favourites – but the real test will be if they can hold up to the strong squads outside of their division in the playoffs.

Sun City Flames Preview

Starting Pitchers
SP Charles Morgan (South Newlandia)
SP Andrew Barbosa (Delaclava)
SP Nicușor Muggia (Oscioru)
SP Zachariah Dean (South Newlandia)
SP Dario Bernardi (South Newlandia)
6th SP Eric Harvey (South Newlandia)
Bullpen
RP John Trunkman (South Newlandia)
RP Catherine Uwandhaang (Acadiana)
RP Jocelyn Vázquez (Super-Llamaland)
RP Carlos Majerle (Super-Llamaland)
RP Mario Small (South Newlandia)
RP Sophie Palmer (South Newlandia)

Starting Fielders
C Samuele Bandini (Oscioru)
1B Evie Johnstone (Sylestone)
2B Mary Russell-Munda (South Newlandia)
SS Vincenzo Beard (South Newlandia)
3B Maria Ellis (South Newlandia)
LF George Torresino (Delaclava)
CF Esther Martinez (South Newlandia)
RF Teresa Mills (South Newlandia)
DH Lee Joo-Yeong (Chromatika)
Bench players
C Kike-Lothar Gibbemeyer (Acadiana)
2B Emmy St. Clair (Super-Llamaland)
2B Alex Navarro (South Newlandia)
LF/OF/1B Trey Milson-McMillan (Acadiana)
OF/CF Gena Smith (South Newlandia)

For the Sun City Flames, the last season stands out as their worst in the LPB era. A 67-93 record at least gave them access to the first ever pick-off tournament, with an opportunity to win the first overall pick in the draft. They did not do that, and instead picked at 3 – still the first of any South Newlandian team. For manager Al Krauss, it was probably the closest he’s been to losing his job with the team in black, as it’s now been four seasons since he led Sun City to a shock SNL South title – since then, the team hasn’t finished with a winning record. And that’s not to mention anything about the looming threat of the team being moved elsewhere – potentially out of South Newlandia in a similar scheme to what was done with the Drawks.

You might expect that the Flames are once again going to be uncompetitive, but that’s not actually entirely true. While they did let some players, including starting pitcher Ling Xe, go in Free Agency, they also chose to give a new contract to third baseman Maria Ellis – despite the fact that she hasn’t really paid big dividends on the 6th-overall pick that the Flames spent on her.
Additionally, they made a splash for the first time in a long time by signing a pair of Delaclav WBC stars. Left-hander Andrew Barbosa will be a massive upgrade to the rotation, and Left Fielder George Torresino will be a solid bat, likely to bat cleanup for the team more often than not.

Another way to improve your squad is to promote your prospects. The Flames added three Sandiold Echidnas to their opening day roster, all from the draft entering the previous season; joining Teresa Mills of the same draft class, who had already played for the Flames last season. Alex Navarro is likely just some infield depth, but pitchers Eric Harvey and Jocelyn Vázquez each impressed in the minors. Harvey, picked 7th-overall out of EVSI, looks to be on a similar path as current Flames ace Charles Morgan.

Speaking of him, he headlines a solid rotation together with newcomers Barbosa and Harvey as well as veterans Muggia and Zach Dean, which should be at least enough to keep the team afloat. Morgan in particular has blossomed into a great pitcher, also joining the Elephants, thanks to his fastball-first approach.

The bullpen also looks solid, led by Elephant star John Trunkman and Acadianan Uwandhaang. Vázquez will also start her season here, too. The left-hander is cast from a similar mould as Morgan, but the Llamanean probably will need a little bit until the Flames feel confident in him as a full-time starter. Behind them, the depth could certainly be better – there are teams that can deal with pitcher injuries, and the Flames are probably not one of them.

The lineup for the Flames looks similarly thin, although they have some legitimate superstars here, too. Catcher Samuele Bandini has impressed for Oscioru, and Evie Johnstone is a fan favourite out of Sylestone (the rock version of Trunkman, basically). Johnstone has been hitting extremely well for this team, despite being from a nation that tends to be more concerned with the other bat-and-ball game.
The other two big stars are found in the corner outfield, with newcomer Torresino and hit machine Teresa Mills, who the Flames found in the second round out of WBU. There’s a lot of solid pieces around them, and also Center Fielder Esther Martinez, who still hasn’t quite found her footing in the league.

Even though they’ve now called up their pitching prospects, the AAA Sandiold Echidnas still have a good number of bats, ranking middle-of-the-pack in the SNL. Of course, that includes the player the Flames just drafted third overall – that being superhuman athlete Koyie Guzmán. The Llamanean shortstop might see a callup as early as this season, and the same is true of fellow middle infielder Samantha Fields. Also a Llamanean, she plays second next to Guzmán and impressed analysts with her speed and defensive upside. Then again, she was drafted 30th overall – the same spot the Flames took Rose Garcia-Cox one draft earlier, and that one hasn’t aged too well so far.

It’s tough to imagine the Flames actually breaking through and winning the SNL South, but with the competition looking lighter than usual, it’s also not impossible. If they can continue to hit on their draft classes, and unlock some of that Al Krauss magic again, it might be possible for the Flames to shock people across the league. More realistically, they’re still a season or two away.

by **Diarcesia** » Thu Aug 01, 2024 4:13 pm

The result of the Marionets' second game against Banija was expected. The only surprise is that it took the ninth-ranked team five innings to score, but perhaps they were just waiting for us to show their hand before capitalizing on our weakness.

As I write this from my hotel room, I'm watching some highlights from other games in the tournament so far: Banija's 8-4 demolition of Oscioru (ranked 28^th) the previous day and Zug um Zug taking a one-run victory over Kanmer. It looks like Group 9 has become a race between those two for who will take first seed into knockouts.

Now that we've played two matches already with the rest day scheduled in four days, I'd be lying if I said my body wasn't feeling sore right now after all these runs and dives... If there's any silver lining here it's that there are more players available than usual! Having Chinasa van Hofwegen catch today allows Judy Appleton get some time behind home plate; she's been doing an admirable job managing pitchers despite being new at this level herself!

But enough about me though — what can you expect outta Ninoslas Chorvatski? He's basically "Mr Perfect" when it comes down to the diamond! While many observers might've assumed he'd struggle transitioning to an international competition of this caliber (that's not the NS Olympics) given his relatively young age, the 24-year-old has quickly proven himself as one of our most reliable pitchers. With a repertoire that includes an impressive fastball and devastating slider, he's been able to keep opposing batters off-balance throughout both games we've played thus far.

Looking ahead towards our upcoming matches against Kanmer and Oscioru, I believe they will serve as true tests of character for Marionet players & coaching staff alike; especially considering how tight-knit these groups tend to become when every run counts! One thing is certain though: no matter what happens tomorrow or beyond—we'll give it everything we got till the very last pitch thrown!

by **Liventia** » Thu Aug 01, 2024 4:13 pm

Liventia's roster for WBC59 should be taken to be the same as for WBC 58:

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 **Drawkland** » Thu Aug 01, 2024 4:19 pm

7,000

History of the Hit Record

Baseball is a chaotic game. It’s a game where the superstars fail at their jobs around 70% of the time. You can hit the ball in a perfectly ideal manner by every metric, but if it goes directly to a fielder, it’s meaningless. It’s a game that evolves a couple times a decade, a constant cat-and-mouse game between pitchers and hitters that may never end. The fact that anybody can play this sport at a professional level for an extended period of time is nothing short of a miracle.

In every baseball league across the multiverse, there are records considered to be “unbreakable.” Products of a different time, and a player who was simply built different. To challenge such marks would require a player of equal or greater prowess. Many career totals are considered untouchable, simply because the current environment of the game makes the conditions required for breaking them impossible.

It’s well-documented that the Drawkian lifespan is longer than that of a typical human. Most kick the bucket around 120-130, but folks in good health lasting until age 150 isn’t unheard of. The average pro athlete begins their career between 20 and 25, depending on whether or not they attend college. Those who avoid injury or skill regression commonly play past 40. Very few Drawkian athletes play past 50, besides the few players with exceptional durability and skill sets that can justify playing at that age.

Star Drawkian baseballers strive to put together a solid 20 years, two decades playing at the highest professional level. The durable can squeeze out 25, but few ever reach the elusive 30 years of service. Hitting three decades in the bigs requires playing well into your 50s, or breaking into the Show nearly directly out of high school. The number of Drawkians who’ve made it to the PBL by age 20 in the Base Corps era can be counted on one hand.

Thus, the PBL record holders in career volume stats have stood for a long time. Back in the day, college athletics were less prominent, the average ballplayer was not as skilled, the season was not as strenuous, and the true superstars were at a much higher tier compared to the norm. This afforded the stars of yesteryear a much easier environment for racking up huge totals that have been considered unbreakable for centuries. Perhaps the most iconic of these longstanding records is that of the career base hit total.

Let’s do some math. The current number of games in a PBL season is 176. This schedule has been in place for the last century, but Drawkian clubs have been playing at least 170 games per year for the entirety of the PBL’s existence. In a theoretical 30-year career, an everyday player could expect to play over 5,000 games. Even back in the day, few players ever eclipsed this mark. Conversely, the mark of 5,000 hits was a little easier to obtain, with plenty of high-average hitters playing for a couple decades and surpassing 5,000 knocks in their career. The idea of reaching 6,000 hits, however, was considered incomprehensible for a long time.

The 6000 Club

The glass ceiling was finally broken by a first baseman named Dale Wheelan. After his age 51 season, Wheelan sat at a career total of 5,988 total hits, already the career record holder in PBL history. He was old and not really deserving of a starting spot defensively or offensively, but with only 12 hits separating him from the elusive 6K mark, he pleaded with managers across the league to let him have a chance. This was before the designated hitter was invented, so having him in the lineup was going to be a liability one way or another. The Chelstio Stars took a flier on him, signing Wheelan to a league minimum deal and giving him occasional pinch hit opportunities.

Dale Wheelan didn’t waste those opportunities. He went into the All-Star break that year sitting at 5,999 career hits. He obviously didn’t get a nod for an All-Star roster, but he came out of the break determined to make history. In the first game back from the break, the Stars manager brought the righty Wheelan in to face a lefty in the bottom of the ninth. Wheelan cracked a looper over the third baseman’s head into shallow left, scoring the winning run and securing the first 6000th hit in Drawkian history. This was back in the day before great stadium security, so Wheelan was mobbed not only by his teammates, but also half the crowd bum-rushing the field. The 6000th hit ball was never found, likely scooped by a fan and never returned.

Wheelan coasted through the rest of the season, racking up 9 more hits before retiring at the conclusion of the season. For nearly 100 years, the career total of 6,009 hits stood as an impossible mark. Then came the renaissance (or plague, depending on your opinion) of contact hitters. For a good half-century, PBL managers and tacticians believed that the most valuable form of offense was getting as many base hits as possible. This was after the first “live ball” evolution in the game, when power hitters first became a viable career path. Unfortunately for longballers, a vast majority of new PBL stadiums featured huge cavernous outfields that were difficult to take deep. A few teams who had lineups of speedy slap hitters began dominating, and the rest of the league attempted to follow suit.

In this onslaught of guys who Just Got Hits, a fair amount pulled off long careers. A dozen of them eventually passed Wheelan’s mark, scattering their names across the 6000s. Lloyd Russo was the greatest among them, a middle infielder who hung up his cleats after gathering 6,747 total hits. By the time Russo was finishing up his legacy, the age of slap hitters was coming to an end. Power hitters had finally adapted to the larger parks, being able to slug effectively once again. The second age of power hitting had begun, hallmarked with new parks constructed that made it a little easier to go deep. Those of Russo’s ilk went nearly extinct.

Titus Kash

A few decades later came Titus Kash. A lefty outfielder with plus speed and unparalleled bat control, Kash was drafted right out of high school and spent just a year and a half in the minors before being called up to PBL, playing for the Esmereldane Rebels. He was a hit machine, setting a record for batting average by a PBL rookie with .396, reaching qualified hitter status on the penultimate game of the season (thanks to spending the first few weeks of the season in the minors).

Though the age of the contact hitter was long past, Kash was still quite a star for the Rebels. He excelled at pulling doubles and homers down the first base line, though he didn’t do it consistently enough to be a true slugger. Kash preferred to sprinkle the ball to all fields, often finding holes in the infield defense with well-hit grounders. The Rebs signed him to a long-term deal, and Kash consistently performed for them for years. He was instrumental to the first dynasty assembled by Harold Forlane, legendary Rebels manager who won a total of 8 championships during his Esmereldane tenure. Kash was on the roster when Forlane was first hired, and part of the heart of the order that won 3 championships.

Despite his talent on the field, Titus Kash was a bit of a character off the field and in the locker room. He was a true competitor, but this fiery attitude got him into many altercations in the offseason. Though he was respectful to his manager Forlane, he had disagreements with upper level management in Esmereldane, which eventually led to the team deciding against offering him a new contract when his current deal ended.

After fifteen years, one of the best hitters in baseball was available. Though he had a little baggage, he still had a plethora of offers to consider. Titus Kash signed with the Ducentu Brown Sox, and would spend the next decade there. As a member of the Sox, Kash chased the consecutive hit record (66 games) set about a century prior by Ross Donaldson, one of the 6000 hit club members. Kash fell just short, going 0-for-5 after 61 games with at least one base hit. Even so, it was evident that Kash’s bat skills were not waning as he aged. In the final year of his Ducentu contract, at age 46, Titus Kash joined the 6000 hit club.

The Chase

Some expected Kash to chase after Lloyd Russo’s mark of 6,747 hits. Kash was a career .333 hitter, with probably 3-4 years of good play left in him. It would be a bit of a stretch for an outfielder who’d lost a step or two, but it was absolutely possible. In a move marked by nostalgia more than anything, Kash patched things up with Rebels management, and returned to Esmereldane for the twilight of his career. Nobody knew if Kash had enough fuel left in the tank to challenge the hit record, but he proved the doubters wrong … almost.

At the end of his age 50 season, Kash was struggling to get playing time in a DH-less league, often getting pity starts in right field and occasionally first base. The DH was used by half the PBL, but the Rebels were in the wrong half for that. The final series of the season came with Kash sitting at 6745 hits. Manager Forlane decided to let Kash start all three games of the series for his chance to challenge the record … and Kash went cold. In a dozen at-bats over three games, Kash amassed a measly two hits. His final at-bat of the season was a loud liner, some would estimate triple digit exit velocity, directly into the second baseman’s glove. Titus Kash ended the season at exactly 6,747 hits, tied with Lloyd Russo for first in PBL history.

This would not suffice. Despite being a liability on the field, Kash sought a league-minimum deal from the Rebels to put himself firmly atop the record book. All it would take is a single hit, and then he wouldn’t have to worry about it. On opening day of his age 51 season, Kash took his first at-bat in the second inning, being placed 7th in the lineup. He promptly lined a ball over the first baseman’s head and made history.

Titus Kash went on to start once or twice a week for the Rebels in that season, along with the occasional pinch hit opportunity. He racked up a little over 100 hits, not bad for his light workload. He ended up sitting the last two weeks of the season. His last at-bats came in the last game of the season, where he had a send-off start at home. He went 0-for-3, but that didn’t stop the crowd in Esmereldane from giving him a standing ovation as he was taken out in the 8th inning on a defensive substitution. He walked off the field with 6,870 hits, a mark that people have called unbreakable for over a hundred years.

With the way the game has evolved, the idea of a player challenging that mark or even exceeding it seems increasingly impossible. They’d almost certainly have to play for 30 years, which we’ve established is rare even by Drawkian standards. Not only that, they’d have to be producing consistently and playing nearly every day for the entirety of those years. Not to mention, this theoretical player would need to be batting over .300 for most of this time, a mark which is increasingly uncommon in this day and age focused on maximizing OPS. In the same vein, with contact-first hitters decreasing in value every year, meeting all these requirements seems increasingly impossible.

So, will the mark of 6,870 hits set by Titus Kash be surpassed in our lifetime, or at all? Barring some second comeback of the slap hitter meta, it’s not likely. Drawkland would need to produce a player with an eagle eye, unparalleled bat-to-ball skills, impressive durability, valuable slugging skills, and the competitive drive to do all that for around 5,000 games. Does that sound like any Drawkian player you know?

by **Sarzonia** » Thu Aug 01, 2024 5:15 pm

Speaking of firsts for a rookie manager...

Desmond St. John scheduled a meeting with starting pitcher Mike Howe for 8 a.m. in his office. The previous two hours, St. John spent talking with technical director Jeff Parrish about his plans.

"I think I can talk Ned into a suspension for him if that's what you want," Parrish said. "Though a two-match suspension for a starter might not have the sort of impact you want."

St. John didn't say anything at first. He'd thought about that when he woke up early that morning. He wanted a punishment that would send a clear message, but suspensions for a starting pitcher were always tricky. Give a guy a five-match penalty in a long season and they might just relish a chance to rest their arm. Suspend a pitcher for six matches during a 30-match group stage takes away 20 percent of the season, whilst the equivalent time in the ten-match sprint to the knockout rounds still feels like a slap on the wrist.

No, St. John had something else in mind, and Parrish being the former ace of the Sarzonian staff provided St. John with a unique opportunity to sound out his idea. It would be a mix of a significant punishment and a message to Rowe.

"Interesting," Parrish said. "Let me know how it works out."

At 8:01 a.m., Howe knocked on St. John's door.

"Come," St. John said.

Howe walked in with a chagrined look on his face. Obviously, he'd thought about his reaction to his outing's sudden unraveling. He though about the near brawl, the angry words with St. John, and by now the switch that stoked the competitive flames that ratcheted Howe's intensity to blue hot was now well under control.

"Listen, skip," Howe began. St. John put his right hand up in between him and Howe.

"I'll do the talking," he said. "Look, I love your energy and your intensity, but you're the leader of this starting rotation. You're expected to set a better example for your mates."

Howe nodded. "I know."

St. John's eyes narrowed. "And you know your outburst almost injuries a teammate. I know suspensions don't do a whole lot, but I'm suspending you for two matches. In addition," he said, pausing to add gravity to his next words, "you're gonna be in the pen for the home fixture against Caribbia."

"Who's starting then?"

"We're doing a bullpen match," St. John retorted. "I might bring you in if we need it."

"What about the knockout rounds?"

"If we make it that far, I'll address your role then," St. John said. "You have work to do to regain our trust."

***********

As for the team's home debut in front of 56,934 at Fleetwood Park in Woodstock, St. John didn't have to burn his bullpen against fourth ranked Zwangzug. Starter Marcus Greenberg managed to keep the ball on the ground for the first 4⅔ innings. However, he lost Henry Calvo-Rich after an 11-pitch battle and watched catcher Herbert Quachri barely clear the 335-foot sign in left to put the Zebras in front 2-0.

Greenberg pitched through the seventh after the Stars got one run back in the bottom of the sixth thanks to a tape-measure blast by third baseman Lee Worthy, but Greenberg left a 2-1 slider out over the plate to left fielder Lylah Cheltens, and she pounded it over the left centre field wall. The Stars dropped their first home match against Zwangzug, and St. John was asked why he left Greenberg in for the seventh.

"We needed to keep from overusing our bullpen, especially this early," he said. "Marcus only got two pitches up in the strike zone, but teams like Zwangzug take advantage of stuff like that. It's a valuable lesson for all of us."

St. John was asked about Howe's suspension and whether he would be available to pitch the rest of the group stage.

"That's an internal matter," he said. "We dealt with it in house."

by **Holy Marsh** » Thu Aug 01, 2024 5:31 pm

Marshites Prepare for Top Team Milchama

Zwangzug- Manager Verdaloop has made several adjustments and given starter Aslesha Anaadi extra time in the mock game, which ended 3-1 in favor of Team K. "I want her to feel comfortable out there today, and that means ensuring she has a rhythm," he said after the mock game concluded. As the Marshite players concluded the game, Aslesha said she felt, "cool and calm". "They are a great team and I have to bring my best. Haileen and I have worked on a gameplan and we hope to put the team in a position to win," she added afterwards. Still, the issue with the team in the first two games has not been starting pitching. It has been a lack of clutch hits and a couple of mistakes coupled with brief but destructive bullpen collapses. "It'll be hard to win a game in the Classic if your bullpen gives it up late," said Pitching Coach, who emphasized that he has gone over gameplans with the staff more thoroughly. "It is even harder when you hit how we've hit with runners in scoring position," retorted the hitting coach, who made clear that he expectes today's lineup to be more disciplined and seek out better contact.

"It is a team game and we have failed as a team so far. We have been close- really close- in both games. If we put a full game together, we can perform very well," Verdaloop said as the team prepared to start pre-game festivities. The team has undergone several lineup changes. Dejeet Cahju is replacing Hannah Smartine in Center Field. This is a late scratch, as Hannah felt some tightness during the mock game. "We expect her to be fine. This is a precaution," said bench coach . Nirmol Duhan gets the nod at third base. Haileen Charvala at catcher will see her first action of the classic. "I am excited to work with Anaadi tonight and I hope to make proud all of my countrywomen and the great Marshite faith," she said after a short battery session in the pre-game.

Tonight’s Lineup and Rotation:
1. R SS Samara Aiju
2. R LF Sojara Saini
3. L RF Shaleen Tuli
4. R 1B Didar Rai
5. S 2B Antara Abusaria
6. S CF Dejeet Cahju
7. L 3B Nirmol Duhan
8. S C Haileen Charvala
9. L P Aslesha Anaadi

Starter: LHP Aslesha Anaadi

by **Kamijiro** » Thu Aug 01, 2024 5:52 pm

KAMIJIROAN DIAMOND IX PART II: GOING ABROAD?

After starting off with a win against the Ochre Islands, a trip to South Americanastan was next up on the to-do list for the Kamijiroan Diamond IX. For some players, this was their first time traveling in a jet - island hoppers are used between Kami Island and Jiro Island. And that meant you had two players that were nervous as anything as they looked at the gigantic enginee and heard their deafening roars.

Most notably, it was Clarence “Sunrise” Bartley and Shousuke “Ice Cold” Takagi who were the ones who were slightly losing it. Sunrise had an excuse - he’s lived on a farm his whole life, he doesn’t see jets. A thing this big shouldn’t be able to fly, right? Then there’s Ice Cold. He’s got no excuse, he’s from a suburb of Miraisaki, right by the damn airport. The fact he’s quaking is enough to get team captain Orielle de Côteaux to go give him a little pep talk. No dice.

“Oh, for f-…” grumbled a low voice.
“Atsuji, not now.” Orielle interrupted.
“Nah, I have somethin’ for him. Lemme talk with him for a moment. Don’ worry, I ain’ gonna hurt him any. Jus’ got an idea.” The Red Wolf always ‘has an idea.’

Against her better judgement, Orielle re-boarded the plane, leaving Atsuji and Shousuke alone. Five minutes later, Atsuji is fireman’s carrying a fast-asleep Shousuke.

Orielle gasped - “What did you do to him?!”
“Gave him a li’l somethin’ for the nerves. He’s gonna have his naptime now. We can get this plane a-movin’.” Atsuji stalked to the back of the plane and sat, immediately reclining and closing his eyes.

So the flight was off like a herd of turtles. From that point, it was mostly smooth sailing until they landed and went through customs. Maou “Devil King” Ashiya, being the immature 17-year-old he is, had planted a gram of cocaine in Tenshi “Death’s Hand” Hikari’s bag. (Note: outbound private flights from Kamijiro are not subject to bag searches or scans.)

The team fell silent as the brick of powder wrapped in brown paper was pulled from the bag. The more innocent members of the team immediately looked more confused than anything - it just looked like a brown box lunch or something. Magurix “Wings” Gaëtan leaned over to Orielle and whispered “Que’st-ce que c’est?” (Literally, ‘what is this/that’)

Then the customs workers just shrugged and said “Welcome to South Americanastan.”

At the team hotel, Orielle proceeded to rip the Miraisaki crew a new one.
“Do you even realize how lucky we just got? Are you guys idiots? You could’ve been arrested in a foreign jail and have to call the embassy and explain why I have three morons in jail and that you were all carrying illegal substances across borders… I’m so upset I can’t even speak. Atsuji, you promised me your crew’s best behavior. Is this your best behavior? Stupidity?”

Tenshi and Maou looked like they were about to snap, but Atsuji spoke up.
“Sorry, princess.”
“Don’t butter me up right now. Don’t you dare.”
“Alright, alright. We get the picture. We’ll make sure not to do this again. Right?”
Tenshi and Maou just nodded meekly under the glare of Orielle and Atsuji.

The game was the next night. The Miraisaki crew got rid of their contraband (as in, they literally went outside and handed it to some guy walking around and then ran off before asked any questions.) The team slept nervously in a foreign hotel - lots of jitters.

Come game time, Howard “Nightfall” Ellis was on the mound. He did a terrible job in the first inning, giving up four earned runs. The atmosphere was one the Kamijiroans had never played in - thousands upon thousands of fans, booming walkout music and lights even brighter than the ones back home.

The second inning was a much better one from Nightfall, and the bats warmed up for the Lightning, as Lucian “Silk White” Belvedere picked up a double and was brought home by a bloop hit from Markus “Corner Pocket” Blauuw, which dropped between the infield and outfield. Daijiro “Island” Kamada struck out, but Maou “Devil King” Ashiya and Magurix “Wings” Gaëtan both got on base. Félix “Knee Socks” Cavaco proceeded to blast a homer to tie the game at four.

From there, though, it was all South Americanastan. They scored at least one run in every inning up until the eighth. The two runs in the bottom of the eighth frame by the Lightning were just consolation at best. The Kamijiroan Diamond IX fell, 11-6.

The flight home was much easier than the flight in, though, and although they lost, their heads were held high. The Lightning sit second in the group still, and that’s still plenty good.

by **Zwangzug** » Thu Aug 01, 2024 6:06 pm

MD3? MD3.

(For full transparency: Quebec's RP below was not counted for this cutoff. However, if they choose to submit another RP before MD4 cutoff, I'll score the two posts independently, as if the previous one had been posted on MD3.)

Group 1

Avisora                            0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0  2
Yakk                               0 0 1 0 0 2 1 0 X  4

Srednjaci                          0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0
Crpostran                          0 0 1 0 0 3 0 0 X  4

Quebec and Shingoryeo              1 2 0 0 2 2 0 0 0  7
Eshialand                          0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0  3

* Group 1                           Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD 
1 Crpostran                           3    3   0    22    3  +19
2 Quebec and Shingoryeo               3    3   0    20    5  +15
3 Eshialand                           3    2   1    16   11   +5
4 Yakk                                3    1   2     6   19  −13
5 Srednjaci                           3    0   3     4   16  −12
6 Avisora                             3    0   3     5   19  −14

Group 2

StrayaRoos                         1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0  2
North and South Slavo-Baltia       2 0 0 4 0 0 1 0 X  7

New Jarwel                         0 0 1 0 0 5 1 0 0 0 0  7
Tikariot                           0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 5 0 4 11

Drawkland                          0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 4  5
So uh lab here                     0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2  3

* Group 2                           Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD 
1 Drawkland                           3    3   0    18   10   +8
2 North and South Slavo-Baltia        3    2   1    20   11   +9
3 So uh lab here                      3    2   1    12   11   +1
4 StrayaRoos                          3    1   2     6   10   −4
5 Tikariot                            3    1   2    14   19   −5
6 New Jarwel                          3    0   3    15   24   −9

Group 3

Dhemixia                           0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0  2
Super-Llamaland                    0 3 0 0 3 0 1 0 X  7

TJUN-ia                            0 2 4 1 0 0 0 0 0  7
Juldonia                           1 2 1 3 0 0 0 0 1  8

Hapilopper                         2 0 1 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 0  6
HaIvrim                            0 2 0 0 1 2 0 0 1 0 0 3  9

* Group 3                           Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD 
1 Super-Llamaland                     3    3   0    22    8  +14
2 Juldonia                            3    2   1    18   21   −3
3 TJUN-ia                             3    2   1    18   16   +2
4 Dhemixia                            3    1   2     9   15   −6
5 HaIvrim                             3    1   2    14   13   +1
6 Hapilopper                          3    0   3    13   21   −8

Group 4

Valanora                           0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0  1
Liventia                           0 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 X  3

Holy Marsh                         0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0  1
Milchama                           1 0 3 1 0 0 1 0 X  6

Ardsk                              0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5  5
Fezziktopia                        0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0  2

* Group 4                           Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD 
1 Milchama                            3    3   0    17    2  +15
2 Liventia                            3    2   1     7    8   −1
3 Ardsk                               3    2   1    12    8   +4
4 Valanora                            3    1   2    10   14   −4
5 Fezziktopia                         3    1   2    13   17   −4
6 Holy Marsh                          3    0   3     7   17  −10

Group 5

Sarzonia                           0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1  2
United States of Nova Calania      0 1 0 1 1 1 0 2 X  6

Vaishnavaria                       0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0  1
Zwangzug                           0 0 0 2 2 1 0 2 X  7

Oclea                              0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0  1
Caribbia                           0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 X  2

* Group 5                           Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD 
1 United States of Nova Calania       3    3   0    14    7   +7
2 Zwangzug                            3    2   1    13    6   +7
3 Vaishnavaria                        3    2   1    18   21   −3
4 Sarzonia                            3    1   2    12   17   −5
5 Caribbia                            3    1   2    18   20   −2
6 Oclea                               3    0   3     9   13   −4

Group 6

The Fortem                         0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2  2
South Americanastan                0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0

Ochre Islands                      1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3  4
Abanhfleft                         3 1 2 3 0 0 0 1 X 10

Kamijiro                           2 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0  5
Libonesia                          0 0 0 1 2 0 1 0 0  4

* Group 6                           Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD 
1 South Americanastan                 3    2   1    15   11   +4
2 Abanhfleft                          3    2   1    20   10  +10
3 Kamijiro                            3    2   1    14   16   −2
4 Ochre Islands                       3    1   2    12   18   −6
5 Libonesia                           3    1   2    17   16   +1
6 The Fortem                          3    1   2     8   15   −7

Group 7

Ko-oren                            0 0 1 3 0 0 1 3 4 12
Farfadillis                        0 0 0 0 0 2 2 1 1  6

Kronbia                            1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  1
The 189                            1 0 1 0 1 1 1 0 X  5

Mercatoren                         0 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 1  4
Dod Rava                           0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0

* Group 7                           Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD 
1 Mercatoren                          3    2   1    10    6   +4
2 Dod Rava                            3    2   1    10    8   +2
3 Ko-oren                             3    2   1    28   13  +15
4 The 189                             3    2   1    14   15   −1
5 Farfadillis                         3    1   2     9   20  −11
6 Kronbia                             3    0   3     6   15   −9

Group 8

The Kytler Peninsulae              0 0 0 2 0 1 4 0 1  8
Panay Islands and Guimaras         0 0 0 0 1 1 2 0 0  4

South Newlandia                    0 0 0 2 0 0 3 1 3  9
Equestria                          0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 1  3

Dotivija                           0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0  3
Taxonomic Kingdoms                 0 1 0 0 0 0 3 1 X  5

* Group 8                           Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD 
1 South Newlandia                     3    3   0    35    3  +32
2 The Kytler Peninsulae               3    3   0    20    9  +11
3 Taxonomic Kingdoms                  3    1   2     8   25  −17
4 Dotivija                            3    1   2     9   19  −10
5 Panay Islands and Guimaras          3    1   2    10   15   −5
6 Equestria                           3    0   3     6   17  −11

Group 9

Diarcesia                          0 0 0 2 1 2 0 0 0  5
Oscioru                            1 1 0 5 0 0 0 0 X  7

Kanmer                             0 0 1 0 1 2 0 0 0  4
Banija                             2 0 1 0 0 0 0 5 X  8

Nationy Mcstateface                0 0 0 4 0 0 3 0 0  7
Zug um Zug                         1 0 0 0 0 1 3 0 0  5

* Group 9                           Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD 
1 Banija                              3    3   0    28   12  +16
2 Nationy Mcstateface                 3    2   1    11    9   +2
3 Zug um Zug                          3    2   1    13    9   +4
4 Kanmer                              3    1   2     8   11   −3
5 Oscioru                             3    1   2    12   16   −4
6 Diarcesia                           3    0   3    10   25  −15

by **Quebec and Shingoryeo** » Thu Aug 01, 2024 6:09 pm

It was early, sunny morning out east coast, but it still felt like a rainy, Montevicio morning for Heo Myeong-Shin, as the Green Sox and Team Quebec bench coach couldn't help but to feel left numb and shaken by what had happened in the past week. When you normally head into a funeral, especially one that involved a lifelong friend so close to him like Theo-Alexandre Pinson, you would feel the every bone in you melt into 99.9% gelatine combined with your red, bitter-tasting blood replaced by the salty tears. The whole funeral process, which required him to travel outside the country on the preseason, was every bit exhausting, and with the air of solemn, silence in the air over the country over the passing of one of its best-known sporting icons, Myeong-Shin found the entire week pass by him so quickly and with barely any memory to recollect from it.

Right now, Myeong-Shin was back in his office at the Ellington, his mind too occupied with looking at the solitary picture of the Taewha Four, the quartet of him, Pinson and two other friends had been known for over the years, to do any serious work. Of course, it wasn't exactly a full-fledged group of friends, and with Pinson and writer Sir. Asher Lundrigan being at odds with one another, Lundrigan almost never seen in the Joongyeongite high society these days, the quartet was almost never in the same place.

At least I will be left to my device for now, won't I?thought Myeong-Shin, as he briefly checked his phone to make sure that there was no text message or missed call on his phone, before looking back to the picture again. The picture, a rare one with all four of them taken, featured the four of them in their mid-twenties. This likely had meant that the photo was taken over a very short window of time twenty years ago, when all four of them happened to be in the Quebecois soil at the same time, just starting out their careers. Myeong-Shin and Pinson had started out their respective baseball careers in a bang with their respective hometown teams in Kingston Tigers and Saguenay Lions, Ian Lautner would deliver right off the bat as first overall pick in the QFL draft after winning everything in college with the Fighting Irish as a Hector Kweon winner [not-Heisman Trophy -e.d.-], and Lundrigan too would start out as a young starlet in sports and culture sectors of journalism. Life had been kind towards them, as they would follow this up with a career worth living, which had given Myeong-Shin and Theo-Alexandre a historic WBC-54 run and many honours, Ian Lautner five Imperial Bowl rings, a RFL team ownership, and Sir. Asher a eminent literary career that's still underway with In Search of Lost Past series still being written.

He still couldn't help but to feel sad about all of it though, as they looked at ways all four had dressed in suits with a pin or two attached to their breastplate. From the way the trees looked on the background, he could now recall the occasion to be Ian Lautner's wedding when he was 25. While all four had achieved plenty since, he could now recall the cost that had come about in their personal fronts. While not on display here, Sir. Asher, as all of them had known for years by then, was dying, the former catcher prospect undergoing a gradual, three-decade struggle with Charcot-Marie-Tooth, and most of his college days and twenties had involved efforts to live fast and young, which for some time strained his relationship with his eventual wife, Eileen de Ramaut [Plongeon]. This photo, just from the way he looked at it, was taken mere months after the Smurfgate, and he didn't want to think about the stubbornness in which the other half of his high school battery, a man with right intentions but wrong actions taken, had committed to keeping her out of the picture. They would eventually mend relations and get married, with Asher and his wife moving back to her family estate, Coxwell Park, just half an hour away from Ellington Park no less on a train.

Then there was Theo-Alexandre Pinson. The super-slugger, whose burly hair, muscular presence and Azurean complexion [father's Cardenaoan, mother's Azurean] made him a darling among fans, was also plagued by troubles of his own. After many years of amity with Natalie Gregoris, an A-list actress who she met at the after-party of his win in Golden Lion Classic Final Theo and Myeong-Shin's senior year, their feelings had crossed paths and they would marry. At some point, however, things went wrong. Even during his marriage to Gregoris, T-A. was also a man too easy to capitalise his position and benefits, and the dangers associated with infidelity followed him both in the QBO and the CBL, where he was the major piece of the Brattleboro Brats team that aimed to dethrone Myeong-Shin's Concord Heights Royals with little success.

Eventually a scandal broke after he had returned to Quebec, when he signed with Montevicio Dodgers, and not Saguenay Lions as many had expected. The intention there was that Pinson, by moving there to spend more time with family, especially as his wife's career had required near-full-time stay in the warm-weathered city, was to help. But the shadows continued to follow him, and eventually an affair with ex-college gymnast turned model and BingBong sensation ten years younger, was revealed. It would take a full year and half, with a divorce lawsuit in progress, as the family found themselves shattered, and many months of silence, speculations and tension followed with the entire country, both in its sporting and entertainment scene, watching the saga.

Eventually they would made up, with Pinson apologising to everybody on a nationally-televised, and life went back to normal. They would have a second child together, but the rebuilt marriage would only last five years before T-A., perhaps in a way everybody had imagined, passed early. He went his way to go, on a boating crash during a sunny afternoon when he was on his way to travel to pick his daughter Odette from a dance practice.

Fucker, why did you have to leave us so early, thought Myeong-Shin, as he lit a cigarette for the first time in decades. You said you weren't going to leave, but you really went out, and in a you had always wanted.

It was then that the office phone rang loudly. Myeong-Shin quickly broke out of his thoughts, as he eyed the phone screen. It was from Taylor Bryant, the Reapers' manager calling him for the first time in few weeks. They had last seen each other at Pinson's funeral, with the former Dagan legend and manager present in the background as the Team Quebec's new manager, but didn't talk much especially with how occupied Myeong-Shin and his family was over the whole saga. T-A.'s funeral, after all, was also a family event for his wife Naomi and their teenage children, Seung-Geon and Seung-Yeon. 'Yes?' said Myeong-Shin, as he picked up the call.

by **Milchama** » Thu Aug 01, 2024 8:26 pm

Karakorum Forum-Democracy-Times-Tribune-Sun-Stars-Gods-Men-Tribute-Fightin'-Picayune-Post-Gazette-Chronicle-Eclipsor-Ellipsor-Report-Spin-Connector-Deflector-News-Today-Yesterday-And-Tomorrow

Sports Section

3 for 3! A Third Complete Game in Three Gives Milchama Another Win at WBC

Erin Aarons joined in on the fun as she threw a complete game, again, this time giving up one run as the Warriors picked up their third win in three games beating Holy Marsh 6-1 and putting themselves in the drivers seat in the early going of the World Baseball Classic.

At the end of the last World Baseball Classic multiple sports radio programs had started the joke game show "Do You Trust the Bullpen?" where the host would ask a contestant whether they trusted the Milchamian bullpen. Callers generally answered no and if they answered yes the host would argue/correct the contestants until they came around to clearly saying no. This WBC the Warriors have clearly found a loophole to this game and this loophole is, "what if we never used the bullpen?"

This time it was Aarons getting in on the fun, as she threw a Maddux, taking only 98 pitches to complete her victory over Holy Marsh. While she only had 5 Ks through the entire game, her cutter and her 2 seam were on fire as the Theologians and/or Marshites (we're unsure from newspaper reports on their nickname so sorry if we got that wrong) kept inducing weak grounders. Elise Helfand got 10 assists while Tali Mironer got 9 as the weak ground ball up the middle became the main method for getting Marshite hitters out.

This time, unlike the last two games, Erez Goldman did not have a homer in the top of the first, instead he had a double with two outs and scored himself after Maia Tennons hit a single to drive him in to give Milchama an early 1-0 lead. That score held into the third as the top of the order continued their dominance with Batya Jones and MIroner both coming into score on a Tennons double. She would be driven in by Gilli Goldberg to make it a 4-0 ballgame, end my time in this booth, and put the the game out of reach as a contest.

While Milchama would end up scoring 6, again, the real theme of this WBC so far has been the dominant pitching performances. The Warriors have the lowest runs allowed of any team in the tournament and while we can't scour box scores to prove it, they also have the least pitchers used with only 3. The Warriors incredible pitching has driven the team forward to a dominant position in the group and the potential, especially with such a short group stage, to have a higher place in elim rounds where maybe they won't lose in quarterfinals to the number 1 seed like usual. This time it could happen in the semi finals! Which would be a huge improvement.

Anyway now it is our time to celebrate victory! Glorious Victory! We have achieve Glorious Victory again! Hooray for us! Hooray for Glorious Victory! Victory! Glorious Victory!

by **Taxonomic Kingdoms** » Thu Aug 01, 2024 9:59 pm

After getting totally shellacked in Elephant Valley, the dinosaur gods were happy to return home. They welcomed the sight of the half-sunken prehistoric buildings with makeshift entrances on what used to be the 3rd or 4th floor, and the familiar company of the town's birds.

They felt like they had something to prove after losing their first two games, so they pushed each other to stay focused, take their practice seriously, and get ready to kick some ass. Their opponents were an unranked team from Dotivija, and there wasn't a lot of scouting information available, but they did the best they could to prepare.

Tawa wasn't an intimidating presence on the mound, but he had a sneaky curveball that tripped up the Dotivijan batters. He also got some defensive help from Dilophosaurus, who prevented a home run in the 3rd inning by leaping up the outfield wall and snatching the ball out of the air. A human family who was seated in that part of the outfield looked terrified that Dilophosaurus might fall over the wall and squash them, but the big dinosaur managed to keep his balance and drop back down onto the grass.

The offense came together decently too. The first score came in the 2nd inning, when Velociraptor walked, stole second base, and scored on a sac fly from Coelophysis.

The Dotivijans made a comeback in the 6th, but the dinosaurs were not going to let this game get away. They took the lead back with a three run rally of their own in the bottom of the 7th, and Gallimimus added an insurance run with a solo homer to lead off the bottom of the 8th.

The clumsiest moment of the game took place in the middle of the 4th inning when Psittacosaurus accidentally brought second base back to the dugout with him because the base got snagged on his tail quills.

by **Drawkland** » Thu Aug 01, 2024 10:21 pm

7,000

History of the Hit Record - The Contender

Lane Kavana sipped from a glass of water in the downtown Drawk City cafe. It was more of a diner, a real hole-in-the-wall place called Tina’s. It was about a half mile away from Hydrogen Cyanide Field, where the Base Corps played their home games. Sitting on the stool next to Lane at the counter was his younger brother Abram. It was the morning before Drawkland’s home game against Tikariot, and the Kavana brothers were fulfilling a family tradition that had been around since they debuted for the Corps in WBC 47.

Their father, Sean Kavana, was 18 years old when his then-girlfriend became pregnant. Sean was a highly-valued baseball prospect at the time, hailing from suburban Drawk City. He was considering playing in college to further develop his skills, but once he found out he was soon to be a father, he signed a contract with the Akkor Beach Hammerheads when they drafted him in the mid rounds, so he’d have some level of income to support his new family. Akkor Beach became where Lane (and two years later, his brother Abram) grew up.

Sean put together a reasonable career, reaching the big leagues right when his second son was born. He was known most for his defensive versatility, having played multiple seasons at each outfield position and at least one season’s worth of games at every infield position as well. At the plate he was more of a contact hitter, but he was known to pop one over the fence every once in a while. He had a couple All-Star appearances, but he was never really a star.

His biggest moment came later in his career playing for the Metropolon Engineers. In Game 4 of the Drawkian Series (his only time playing for a pennant-winning squad), he hit a 3-run homer to left center that ignited a 5-run comeback for the Engineers. Though the stars on the squad completed the comeback, many recognized Sean’s bomb as the turning point not only in the game, but in the series as a whole (the Engineers went down 1-2 in the series but came back to win in 6 games following their Game 4 comeback).

What does this have to do with a diner in downtown Drawk City? Growing up in Drawk City, Sean often went to Scouts games with his dad, and Tina’s diner was their favored spot for a pregame sandwich. When Lane and Abram were called up to the national team, they suddenly had a reason to be in Drawk City every other spring. Sean would come into town every time the Base Corps played at home, grabbing breakfast or lunch with his boys at the old haunt at least once per home series. This tradition was solidified when Sean himself joined the national team at the tail end of his career. Side note, if you ever wonder why the Base Corps couldn’t get over the hump for so long - Drawkland’s stars were so averse to the idea of playing for the “cursed” team that the Corps had to resort to starting 49-year-old career journeymen on a consistent basis.

Talking Heads

Even as their dad retired and didn’t make it out to Drawk City for every single Corps home appearance, the Kavana bros decided to keep the tradition alive as long as they were both on the team. So here they were, the morning of the Corps vs Owl match, polishing off their submarine sandwiches and chilling. There was a lull in conversation, so Abram was scrolling on his phone while Lane half-paid attention to the sports commentary show on the TV at the end of the counter. Both their interests were piqued when they heard their name mentioned on the broadcast.

“Listen, we all know that Kavana cares about the World Baseball Classic. Heaven knows why, but we all understand at this point that it’s a priority. Still, spring training starts in a couple weeks, and he still hasn’t signed a contract with anybody. He gets a lot of hype in the media about being the greatest player of this generation, or whatever, but you figure teams would be tripping over themselves trying to give him an offer.”

“Well, we’ve heard of at least a half dozen teams that have put together offers, but we don’t know the exact details.”

“Okay, sure. Then why hasn’t he signed? Does he expect more money? If he was after money, he never would’ve left Hessport. Peyton McDonald was willing to dump a bank vault on top of him after that Drawkian Series win, but he opted out and ended up taking a bit of a pay cut to play in Raikennax. Probably for the better, considering that he’s fallen off in the 4 years he’s played for the Eruptors.”

“We live in a world where a guy with a .987 OPS over 4 seasons is considered washed,” Lane muttered to himself as the broadcast continued.

“You haven’t hit 30 homers in a season since you left Hessport,” Abram shrugged. “You’ve said it yourself a hundred times. People only care about the longball anymore.”

“I just wish they’d be more honest about it.” Lane rolled his eyes.

“They do have a valid point.” Abram looked up from his phone, giving his older brother a sidelong glance. “What’s the big holdup? I know we warm up with the Classic, but you’re probably going to look rusty if you sign with a new club in the eleventh hour.”

“I’m trying to decide which environment will work best for me,” Lane answered vaguely. His brother had no immediate response, so the sound of the broadcast took over again.

“You have to ask what he’s looking for with the rest of his career. He’s won multiple MVPs, he’s won multiple rings, he’s got more money than any rational person needs. He could retire right now and be a first ballot hall of famer. He’s turning 45 this year. At most he’s got five more years, but for what? The love of the game?”

“Record-chasing, maybe. He’s over 5500 hits, if he stays healthy, he could join the 6000 club without much trouble. A little over 900 homers, he could make a run at the career home run record if he had a late power surge.”

“Don’t make me laugh. He’d need to hit more than 300 homers to get there. If we’re being generous, he plays 6 more seasons. He’d have to average 50 bombs a year the entire time. He only has 5 seasons where he’s hit more than 50 homers anyway.”

“They say he’s one of the greatest hitters ever. I wouldn’t doubt that he could pull it off.”

Aspirations

“As if,” Lane scoffed with disgust. “I’ll break the 1k mark and they better be happy with it.”

“Look, I don’t want to have this discussion for the fortieth time, but you’re the biggest idiot I know.” Abram leaned back in his stool, shooting a derisive look at the ceiling. “You could’ve easily made a run at the career homer record, but you decided to be all weird about it. I’ve never met a guy so good at barreling a baseball who also hates hitting the ball over the fence. It’s actually the most egregious waste of talent I’ve ever seen.”

“Not to rehash this point for the forty-first time, but it’s because homers have no finesse involved. A caveman could do it. Swing stick hard, get under ball, hope angle right.” Lane blew a raspberry. “Real men know how to hit the ball where it’s pitched. Punishing pitchers for making assumptions is how you really break their spirit. When you swing for power-”

“Yeah, yeah, you have to make concessions, which gives the pitcher an advantage, which is how you lose an at-bat. Listen, I’ve heard your crackpot philosophy 400 times. Sorry grandpa, I think pitchers would get more mad if you took them deep once than if you queefed three weak liners into shallow center off them. I would know.”

“Pitchers get mad when you take them deep because you take 3 minutes to get around the bases. That’s unrelated.”

“Touche. So what then, you’re gonna say to hell with homers for the rest of your career then? Do your best impression of dad and start slapping liners and grounding into double plays until nobody’s dumb enough to pay you anymore?”

“I’m looking to forge a legacy that nobody can touch. I’m going to carve a slice of baseball history. Scratch that, sports history.” Lane cocked an eyebrow. “Something you wouldn’t understand.”

“I’m on pace to be the all-time home run leader at the second base position,” Abram sniffed. “How’s that for history?”

“Oh yeah, you’re so right.” Lane nodded. “I often go on Baseball Reference and look at the position-specific home run leaders. That’s extremely prestigious and certainly won’t be limited to a piece of trivia found solely on your wiki page.”

“Fuck off, pal.” Abram shook his head suddenly, as if remembering something. “So you’re really going to go for the hit record, then? I remember you talking about that like twenty years ago.”

“I’m not going for the record. The record will be mine, it’s just a matter of time. I want more than that.” Lane hesitated, then lowered his voice. “I want 7,000.”

“Seven thous- are you mental?” Abram screwed up his face and barked out something halfway between a laugh and an exclamation of confusion. “You’re at what, 5500 hits? You’d have to average 250 hits a season for six seasons. Forget the homers. You might have to toss extra bases out the window entirely.”

“There’s a lot of green grass in the gaps, my friend.” Lane curled his lips into a smile.

“You and your gapper doubles.” Abram sighed. “Seriously, though. You’d have to be batting like .400 every season or something. Not even you can do that.”

“Says who?”

“Says literally anybody with a brain. You’re more delusional than I thought. No wonder no team has signed you yet, nobody’s willing to pay for whatever rockstar-grade psychiatric medication it’ll take to make you sane again.”

Picky Eater

“You’re closer to the truth than you think.” Lane couldn’t help but chuckle. “Most of the teams want the player I was in Hessport. But I obviously can’t be that player anymore. Correction, I can-”

“Doubtful.”

“-but I don’t want to. I said this forever ago to McDonald when I left Hessport. I’m the greatest ballplayer ever. I’ll be damned if I sacrifice what I want for what some other clown wants. I want 7,000 hits. I will go wherever it is that’ll give me that opportunity. Problem is, nobody seems willing to give me that opportunity.”

“Can’t imagine why.” Abram rolled his eyes.

“Look, when Titus Kash was chasing Lloyd Russo’s mark, the Rebels kept him around and let him go for it. They understood that this was an elite player trying to put an exclamation mark on an all-time career.”

“Kash was a liability in his final years. I’ve seen video compilations of his horrific defense back then. He actively made the team worse. The Rebels were handcuffed by the nostalgia and the wishes of the fanbase.”

“Yeah, but he was stuck because the Rebels were in the ML and didn’t have the DH.” Lane tapped his temple knowingly. “That’s why I’m waiting for the right offer from a DL team where I can get a bunch of starts if my defense falls off. And that’s still an if. I may not be the speed demon I once was, but my reaction times are still elite.”

“You know what’ll really hamper your ability to chase the hit record? Not playing baseball. Like it or not, owners and managers don’t want to be subject to the whims of a mentally ill player, no matter how dense the back of his baseball card is.” Abram paused for effect. “What happens if your little not-too-hot, not-too-cold offer never materializes?”

“What are the odds of that?” Lane replied stiffly. “Is it so unrealistic to imagine a team in the Drawk’s League could use a high-average outfielder to split some time at DH?”

“Yeah, because teams love to waste their DH spot on guys who intend to sprinkle singles all day.” Abram looked over at his brother’s plate, which was empty, besides a couple slices of pickles on the edge of the plate. “See, this is your problem. You’re a grown-ass man, but you still take the pickles off your sandwich.”

“What does this have to do with anything?” Lane looked back at his plate defensively. “I don’t mind the faint taste of the pickle, but if the slices are actively on the sandwich then the taste is overpowering. Plus there’s the texture issue. I don’t throw a fit when they come on the sandwich. I take them off instead of sending it back. Because I’m versatile. That plays into my favor, does it not?”

“Generally, grown adults will just eat the food in front of them.” Abram pursed his lips. “Sometimes it’s not the perfectly flawless ideal of what they wanted. But it’s a meal, it’s sustenance provided by the divine, so we may fuel ourselves, live another day, and ply our trade. If you’re too picky with what you’re given, you risk squandering the very reason it’s there.”

“I’m not going to die of malnutrition because of these three slices of pickle.” Lane picked them up off the plate and stuffed them in his mouth. Still chewing, he continued. “There, you happy? I’m still not sure what this has to do with my contract situation.”

“Your contract offers are like a buffet, but you’re not craving anything they have in the spread.” Abram gestured with his arm, as if painting the scene. “And for some reason, you think that if you just keep taking laps around the dining room, you’ll come back to the buffet and the selections will all be different. Brother, this buffet only has one chef in the back, and he only knows how to make like 5 things. If you keep taking laps, eventually you’re gonna come by and see that the only thing left is lukewarm green bean casserole. You might as well get a couple scoops of mac and cheese while it’s still there. I don’t care if it’s cheese singles half-melted over unbuttered noodles. It’s better than being hungry. You can’t afford to be a picky eater anymore.”

“Point taken.” Lane crossed his arms. “That’s the worst metaphor I’ve ever heard in my life, by the way.”

“I think you mean the best.” Abram slowly stood up from his stool, dropping a fifty-dollar bill on the counter. “Let’s split. If we spend any more time here it’s gonna cut into my pregame nap.”

“Maybe if you hit the cages instead of napping before the game, you wouldn’t be ninth in the order today.” Lane grinned mischievously.

“Hey, the nap is a required part of the routine.” Abram yawned. “Otherwise there’s no way I could stay alert playing in the outfield all day. No clue how you do this on a consistent basis.”

“Maybe if you hit the cages more often in the offseason, you’d still be good enough against righties to warrant getting starts at second base over Lizzie.”

“Okay, that’s it. You’ve taken it too far.” Abram put up his dukes and threw a couple shadowboxed punches aimed at Lane’s jaw.

“You’ve implied that I’m mentally ill like six times in the last 10 minutes. How is that not out of line?”

“The difference is that you’re actually crazy, and I’m spitting facts. Now quick, let’s get out of here before somebody recognizes me.”

by **Super-Llamaland** » Thu Aug 01, 2024 10:39 pm

LPB7: SLL RECAPS

10. New Llama Wizards

Last Season: 55-105 (fourth in LPBC)
This Season: 69-91 (fourth in LPBC)
Home: Tyler Rocke Memorial Stadium (New Llama City, SLL; cap. 43,000)
Manager: Margo Jansen (SLL, R)

Starting Lineup:

1. SS Bo Ayoyara (35/LOY)
2. RF Meghan DeWitt (19)
3. DH Tod Pittman (33/SNL)
4. 1B Vincent Veltrone (32/RAN)
5. 3B Anthony Bergmann (22/SNL)
6. CF Rámôn Dâ Môn (25/FFD)
7. 2B Amber Nilssen (26)
8. LF Taketa Seison (34/SNL)
9. C Tyler Wade-Bennett (21)

Starting Rotation:
1. Jules Antony (25)
2. William White (26/SNL)
3. Alma-Isabell Hermann (24/SNL)
4. Felix Zhuang (25)
5. Teresa Chapman (22/SNL)
Notable Reserves: P Detger Slotiep; 1B Bradley Guo; 3B Chrissy Salvatore
Offseason Additions: RF Meghan DeWitt (drafted #2), CF Rámôn Dâ Môn (trade), 3B Anthony Bergmann (drafted #32)
Offseason Subtractions: CF Lucas Robinson (retired), RF Celina Lang (FA), 2B Samuel Singh (trade)
Trade Deadline Moves: Traded RP Takavila Joda, 3B Chrissy Salvatore for P Wayne Batista, pick
Best Pitcher: P William White (13-8, 3.71 ERA, 8.2 K/9, 2.3 BB/9, 2.9 WAR)
Best Hitter: 1B Vincent Veltrone (.243/.348/.471, 32 HR, 85 RBI, 2.6 WAR)

The Wizards ultimately improved upon their dismal LPB6 by fourteen games, but fans had been hoping that they could return to respectability much quicker with a lineup anchored by #2 pick Meghan DeWitt, former Elephant Tod Pittman, and home run king Vincent Veltrone. Instead, they scored four more runs than the Athletics, who went 50-110 this season, and were comprehensively beaten in the Runs Scored department by every team not named the Stingrays. The nineteen-year-old DeWitt, a college superstar with Elephant Valley, got off to a slower start than expected, batting just .109 in the first month of the season. She eventually righted the ship, but it was not the best rookie season for someone who was largely expected to hit the ground running with the bat. Pittman was solid, although a wrist injury noticeably sapped him of power as the season went on, and Vincent Veltrone was pretty good, but really fell to earth just a season after breaking the LPB home run record. Around the heart of the lineup, the auxiliary bats the Wizards brought in also disappointed: rookie Anthony Bergmann hit just .238 on the season, while speedster Rámôn Dâ Môn found himself unable to steal first base. One pleasant surprise was the timeless Bo Ayoyara, who slashed .280/.335/.461 in what may be the cult hero’s final season with the Wizards.

Despite largely building their team around the offense, which majorly disappointed, the team still managed to finish 69-91, and in fact were looking even better midseason (46-54 and within touching distance of a Wild Card before dealing away more pieces at the deadline and losing steam late). How did this happen? One of the most stunning defensive turnarounds in recent memory. The key appears to have been Dâ Môn, who arrived in exchange for promising second baseman Samuel Singh in the offseason. While fans were angry at both losing a good prospect and facilitating all-star Elijah Tatum’s move to the crosstown Cyclones, Dâ Môn has rapidly established himself as one of the premier defensive outfielders in the world today. His preternatural range has made the adjustment to the LPB much easier for Meghan DeWitt, who actually looked pretty solid in right field, while also compensating for aging left-fielder Taketa Seison’s lack of mobility. It’s an especially good fit for the Wizards, who have a relatively large outfield and many flyball pitchers in the rotation, although you’d like to see him clear the Mendoza line more comfortably in the future.

As for aforementioned pitchers, the defensive support from Dâ Môn and a quietly excellent infield (Bergmann was another glove-first standout in this regard, although he’s more likely to develop into a dangerous hitter) was enough to give them a pretty good ERA on the season, although FIP tells a less forgiving story. Third-year starter William White was the standout with a three-WAR season, although Jules Antony was just as good in his second year with the Wizards before a late injury. Behind the two, a procession of journeymen and late-round draft picks combined for some egregious batted-ball overperformance, courtesy of Mr. Dâ Môn, including Alma-Isabell Hermann (4.25 ERA, 5.71 FIP), Teresa Chapman (4.53 ERA, 6.02 FIP), and 36-year-old Jaden Calderón (3.61 ERA, 5.24 FIP). It certainly seems like rookie manager Margo Jansen has tapped into something with her “use a black hole in center field to turn a bad pitching staff mid” strategy. If it’s sustainable, and the theoretically high-powered offense gets back on track? It could be a very good year next year for the long-suffering Wizards fans who have now gone two seasons without a playoff appearance.

9. Emerald City Greens

Last Season: 100-60 (LPB Champions)
This Season: 73-87 (third in LPBN)
Home: The UltraDome (Emerald Springs, SLL; cap. 39,600)
Manager: Yumi Kasai (KOR, 4)
Starting Lineup:
1. CF Schuyler Duffy (35)
2. LF Jasmine Xu (26)
3. SS René Corbin (34)
4. 3B Ava Llorente (27)
5. DH Mike Larsen (38/SNL)
6. RF Celina Lang (33/SNL)
7. 1B Arthur White (29/SNL)
8. 2B Gordon Chernenko (33)
9. C Daigo Suzuki (30/DKL)
Starting Rotation:
1. Michael Zhao (23)
2. Brent Lee (36/NOV)
3. Mateo Zhao (24)
4. Mikaela Dennis (29/SNL)
5. Nico Cagliari (33)
Notable Reserves: P Bri Pacheco, P Maria Thompson, P Matthew Harvey
Offseason Additions: SS René Corbin (FA), DH Mike Larsen (FA), SP Nico Cagliari (FA)
Offseason Subtractions: SP Jade Guthrie (FA), 1B Von Gunther (FA), DH Brünhild Gunnlaugson (retired)
Trade Deadline Moves: Traded SP Nico Cagliari, draft pick for SP Griffin Gonzalez, 1B Cody Frazier // traded Wayne P Batista, pick for RP Takavila Joda, 3B Chrissy Salvatore
Best Pitcher: SP Michael Zhao (3.32 FIP, 198 IP, 181 K)
Best Hitter: LF Jasmine Xu (.297/.365/.463, 24 HR, 4.1 WAR)

Suffice to say that this isn’t how Greens fans were hoping the title defense would go. Yet just one season after their six-game triumph over the Snow Bears in last year’s Multiverse Series, Emerald City won seventy-three games and were never a serious threat to make the postseason. It’s far too early to discuss firing any part of the management that brought the long-suffering franchise their first LPB title. But with the likes of René Corbin, Schuyler Duffy, Brent Lee, and Bri Pacheco all nearing retirement, it’s clear that big changes must be on the horizon if they hope to return to the playoffs anytime soon. The season was pretty clearly lost by the halfway point - after starting 28-32 (not good, but enough to keep them in the hunt in a relatively level SLL North), they went just 13-27 in their next forty games and found themselves double-digits games out of even the wild card spots, with multiple key pieces injured as well.

It seemed like the logical thing to do was to retool and try to squeeze a few more winning seasons out of the core: the likes of Corbin, Duffy, and Lee all could’ve fetched a lot on the rental market, after all. But after refusing to pay up in the offseason to keep the title-winning team together - the team’s biggest bat (Von Gunther) and best pitcher (Jade Guthrie) both left in the offseason, and SLLCS MVP Brünhild Gunnlaugson retired rather than take an insultingly low offer - ownership decided to go all-in apropos of basically nothing. And so, Chrissy Salvatore was pried from New Llama to replace the injured Ava Llorente, gone for the season with an ACL tear, at the hot corner. And even more consequentially, Monarchs ace Griffin Gonzalez returned to Super-Llamaland alongside former Sarzonian international Cody Frazier as the Greens surrendered ever more of their precious future draft capital to fully commit to a 50-63 team.

Did it work? Obviously not. After their deadline splashes, the Greens went 23-24 over the rest of the season and finished thirteen games out of the playoffs. And not only are a number of players potentially retiring in the offseason, but former #1 overall pick Jasmine Xu (one of the few bright spots in the sputtering campaign) is a free agent whose team can offer her neither money nor playoff contention. That’s not to say that the team lacks a future beyond developing draftees into young stars to play for other, richer teams. Brothers Michael (nearly two hundred innings of 3.45 ERA ball) and Mateo Zhao (168 strikeouts in 152 innings) were a revelation in the rotation, and combined with Gonzalez should form a formidable front of house next season. And rookie pitcher Maria Thompson turned into a lockdown reliever that Yumi Kasai could trust in any situation, allowing just twelve runs while striking out eighty-one batters in sixty-eight innings before being shut down late in the season. But with the pursestrings tightening as they are, the window on this core is likely closed. Three hundred and six wins en route to three division titles and a chip in three years is a very solid return for the team’s rebuild - but, as is the case for any team that isn’t the Cyclones or Lions, the long and slow climb back to the top will have to begin anew.

by **StrayaRoos** » Thu Aug 01, 2024 11:44 pm

WBC 59 - Group 2 - Matchday 2      1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9  R  H  E 
Tikariot                           0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0  5  0
StrayaRoos                         0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 X  2  7  1
T. 3:19 WP: Victor Nolka (1-0)  LP: Ingalill Åhlén (0-1) Sv: Connor Vare (1)
Scoring Summary
▼4 STR  N. Blalo   Single - Blalo advances to 1st, Tearta scores     1-0
▼8 STR  Z. Hloa    Home Run - Hloa scores                            2-0

WBC 59 - Group 2 - Matchday 3      1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9  R  H  E 
StrayaRoos                         1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0  2  3  0
North and South Slavo-Baltia       2 0 0 4 0 0 1 0 X  7  15 1
T. 2:28 WP: Vasilije Duric (1-0) LP: Zach Nolioa (0-1) Sv: Damir Horvat (1)
Scoring Summary
▲1 STR  H. Veral      Double - Veral advances to second, Bakla scores    1-0
▼1 NSB  H. Jovanovic  2-Run Home Run - Jovanovic and Pawlak score        1-2
▼4 NSB  P. Kral       Triple - Kral advances to third, Cerny scores      1-3
▼4 NSB  E. Janda      Single - Janda advances to first, Kral scores      1-4
▼4 NSB  J. Balodis    2-Run Home Run - Balodis and Janda score           1-6
▲5 STR  N. Blalo      Home Run - Blalo scores                            2-6
▼7 NSB  A. Pawlak     Double - Pawlak advances to second, Balodis scores 2-7

After the 3-2 defeat to So uh lab here on Matchday one, the Emus bounced back with a 2-0 combined shutout against Tikariot at Titans Stadium, and then they were sent tumbling back to the start because of a 7-2 demolition by North and South Slavo-Baltia, mainly down to sloppy fielding, which allowed the opposition to get two runs in with a triple followed by a single, and then poorly placed pitches resulted in two two-run homers, the first scored by Hiacynt Jovanovic in the bottom of the first, and then Shortstop Jaka Balodis scored another in the bottom of the fourth.

After the fourth, the score was sitting at 6-1, and unlike the show we saw against So uh lab here, the Emus just collapsed, with Nathan Blalo managing a home run in the 5th, but very little after that, in fact, the standard of play from the Emus was so poor, that it's a miracle they didn't lose by more than five runs, having let up seven hits in the last three innings, though they only conceded one run from those. Despite all of this, the Emus sit 30th seeded, just inside the group of teams that'll head to Zwangzug on run diffrencial, but if the remaining games end up like this last one, it's likely they won't be packing their bags for the first knockouts appearance of a Roosian sporting team in any major tournament for god knows how long.

by **Kamijiro** » Fri Aug 02, 2024 1:40 pm

Kamijiroan Diamond IX, Part III: Musical Numbers

OOC note: I'm a doofus and forgot that the home team always bats second and as such thought the game against South Americanastan was an away game. Considering that I fully RP'd it, I'm gonna roll with it. Just a side note. Enjoy!

Following the loss 11-6 to South Americanastan, the team plane ride home was one of very little sadness. Instead, most of the team was talking about how awesome the opponent's stadium was. The lights, the walk-up music, the fans chanting and singing. It was all very foreign. But of course, this brought up an interesting question:
"Why don't we use walk-up music?" Ellie "Shadow Dance" Xanthe asked - already imagining what song she'd pick as she walked from the bullpen.
"I didn't even know it was a thing." Added Napoleon "Little Emperor" Sarre, who, admittedly, doesn't know much of anything.
"Yo, Princess Orielle!" Shouted a loud, gravelly voice from the back of the plane, none other Atsuji "Red Wolf" Akaminai, of course. The only one with the gall to speak to Orielle "Mains d'Or" de Côteaux in that way. "Can we do walk-up music? Me an' the boys wanna do that."

After a few more minutes of chatter, Orielle finally speaks up. "Fine. I'll go ask the sporting fund people to install speakers before next game. And don't call me Princess!"

Atsuji just snickered at the last comment, but added "I know a guy who knows a guy who can get us some high-quality speakers for cheap. Jus' don't ask where they're comin' from, okay? Also, everybody write down your music picks an' I'll get 'em sorted. Put ya name and song on it."

The cabin went silent, only broken up by the occasional scribble of a song title (or scratching a song title out, some Magurix "Wings" Gaëtan and Lucian "Silk White" Belvedere were really indecisive.) However, before long, the list is set in order. Pitchers get their own song as they walk out to the mound for the first time, same with the bullpen. The batters get their songs every time they go up to bat. Atsuji re-wrote all of the songs in order and handed it to Orielle. "Ya highness." He smirked as he handed it to her. "I'll take that nickname for now." Orielle replied, not admitting how much she actually enjoyed the banter with the Red Wolf.

The paper reads as follows:

TRACK LIST FOR HITTERS:
1. "Knee Socks" Cavaco - Tanto Que Tu Dice - Rokabanda
2. "Sun King" Phaëthon - Blinded By The Light - Manfred Mann's Earth Band
3. "Sun Queen" Phaëthon - Here Comes The Sun - The Beatles
4. "Little Emperor" Sarre - Non c'est définitif - Sexy Sushi
5. "Silk White" Belvedere - Dracula - Bakar
6. "Corner Pocket" Blaauw - Shutdown - SKEPTA
7. "Island" Kamada - Inochino Tabekata (DanceMix Ver.) - Eve
8. "Devil King" Ashiya - Love Impact - Max
9. "Wings" Gaëtan - Advent: One-Winged Angel - Nobuo Uematsu

TRACK LIST FOR STARTING PITCHERS:
"Red Wolf" Akaminai - Take Down the House - Promiseland
"Elbow Grease" Akerman - Uptown Girl - Billy Joel
"Sunrise" Bartley - House Of The Rising Sun - The Animals
"Mains d'Or" de Côteaux - il vento d'oro - Yugo Kanno
"Nightfall" Ellis - Dancing in the Moonlight - King Harvest

TRACK LIST FOR BULLPEN:
"Tiger Claw" dos Santos - I Got 5 On It - Luniz
"Comet" Fox - Fox On The Run - Sweet
"Death's Hand" Hikari - Kiss of Death - Mika Nakashima
"Ice Cold" Takagi - Bling-Bang-Bang-Born - Creepy Nuts
"Shadow Dance" Xanthe - Lay All Your Love On Me - ABBA

And with that, the songs had all been chosen. After the plane landed in East Jiro, a couple of dudes with heavy Miraisaki accents dropped by with a massive sound system ready to be rigged. With a nod from Red Wolf, they were off and setting it up. It would be ready for use against Abanhfleft in the fourth game day.

The game against Libonesia was a nervy one. The Diamond IX started on offense and racked up two runs in quick succession, with Félix "Knee Socks" Cavaco getting on base and Ryuji "Sun King" Phaëthon driving him home. Emi "Sun Queen" Phaëthon struck out, then Napoleon "Little Emperor" Sarre drove in the Sun King. Lucian "Silk White" Belvedere struck out as well, then Markus "Corner Pocket" Blaauw lined out to the right fielder.

On defense, Alexander "Elbow Grease" Akerman started on the mound and he did a great job through the first three innings, although he didn't get much run support. In the bottom of the fourth, he gave up a solo homer. This seemed to spark the Lightning batters, as they immediately responded with a three run top of the fifth, highlighted by a two-run blast from the Sun Queen. Silk White kept up his hot streak later in that same inning, hitting a laser into deep right for his third homer in as many games.

The bottom of that same frame saw Elbow Grease start getting tired, and he gave up a run and got into a jam before Ellie "Shadow Dance" Xanthe replaced him. She gave up a run but got out of the jam. She pitched through the sixth inning and was replaced by Hailey "Comet" Fox in the bottom of the seventh. Unfortunately, her first pitch was taken all the way out to deep left-center for a home run. She shut down the rest of the side and got Kamijiro into the eighth up one run.

After that, it's Tenshi "Death's Hand" Hikari time. He walked out of the bullpen, cool as ever, and proceeded to throw straight heat. He didn't give up a single hit (although he walked two batters) and he kept the lead intact, giving him his second save in three games. He was mobbed by his teammates afterwards and just gave a crooked smile as he walked to the dugout. Orielle gave the post-game interview and kept it pretty short. "On to Abanhfleft. They'll be a tough team to beat. But I like what we're working with here. I'll be on the mound, after all."

Les Jeux Sont Faits - on to Abanhfleft!

by **Diarcesia** » Fri Aug 02, 2024 2:38 pm

The Marionets learned the hard way: "One does not simply walk into Oscioru".

Practice Field

"The group stage is not over yet," manager Yu Yawen said in a stern voice as he stood before his players on the dugout bench. "We have to win against Kanmer in the next matchday if we want any chance of qualifying for the knockouts."

The team remained silent after hearing their coach's statement. Beside him, his assistant continued.

"Does anybody wish to speak up?" Her hands were at her hips and she also faced all 28 members present. No one replied back.

Galatea turned her back with her face tilted towards the clear sky. "Listen up, everyone! I know this isn't the start we were hoping for. It can be disheartening when results don't go our way, but now is not the time to give in or lose faith. Stay focused on our next game. It will mold us to what we're really made of—and whether we belong here."

"Remember," interjected Yawen with his hands clapped together in front of him. "Each one of you has been working hard since you were young: building skills; practicing fundamentals consistently... We cannot let ourselves down now after all those years put into training!"

A few murmurs surfaced amongst the team members while some nodded their heads affirmatively.

"We've got each other's backs out there!" An assertive voice came from Sujay Vinković, the veteran second baseman who currently held position #3 in the batting order slot. "You have my word that I won't give up! I'm sure many of you feel the same way. We are capable of standing side by side with the greats!"

The team, one by one, began to clap in unison.

"Alright!" the manager clapped. "Kanmer is ranked #35. I've seen some footage from a previous tournament. They've managed to get this far through sheer grit. They look ragtag, but do not underestimate them; it may end up being our undoing if we do so." Galatea contributed specifics about their opponent's styles. At this moment, the morale appears to be stable, but how will it hold during their next game?

(O.O) · by **TJUN-ia** » Fri Aug 02, 2024 2:44 pm

After surviving a late scare in our first home game, the Battin' Jagaurs of TJUN-ia were 2-0 and to many in the sport, that was the only thing that mattered this early stage of competition. Everyone was happy with how well things had gone so far, but baseball is a fickle game that can change moods and opinions on a dime. Everyone knew that this team could slip up at any time because that is just the nature of this sport...but no one expected how we would slip up.

We were in an unknown location for our game against debutants Juldonia with Yolande Sirapui the starter for us. In this situation, we had nothing to go off for this one - no teamsheets, no tape, no stadium info either - so we were entering this situation completely blind. This would be shown in the first 4 innings of this contest as a combined 14 runs were scored, with Daisy Goldstein having to try and calm things down earlier than many were expecting. After that flury of action, the remaining innings were a stalemate that neither side could seemingly break...until the bottom of 9th as the hosts walked it off with one final bang. 7-8 the final in this unknown location. The Battin' Jags slipped in dramatic fashion.

2-1. But all hope is certainly not yet lost. One loss does not a team define and many will be hopeful that we can push past this slip and press on towards the Playoffs once again. Dhemixia visit Rounders Field next...perfect. GO BATTIN' JAGS!

SCHEDULE (Group 3)
MD1: @Hapilopper (54) - Nathan Ellis Field at Capital Stadium, Hapilopper City W 7-5 (2nd)
MD2: vs HaIvrim (UR) - Rounders Field, Portside W 4-3 (2nd)
MD3: @Juldonia (UR) L 7-8 (3rd)
MD4: vs Dhemixia (UR) - Rounders Field, Portside
MD5: @Super-Llamaland (4)
MD6: vs Hapilopper (54) - The Diamond in The Gardens, New Washington
MD7: @HaIvrim (UR)
MD8: vs Juldonia (UR) - The Diamond in The Gardens, New Washington
MD9: @Dhemixia (UR) - Brigantine Park, Columbus
MD10: vs Super-Llamaland (4) - Rounders Field, Portside

by **Sarzonia** » Fri Aug 02, 2024 4:47 pm

An experienced manager knows the ebbs and flows of a baseball season, be it the 100-match schedule played in the Incorporated League and the Sarzonian League en route to the Sarzonian Series or the 30-match group stages of World Baseball Classics past.

Even with the 10-match group stage in the current 59th edition, a veteran skipper can figure out how to navigate challenges such as losing streaks, player injuries or disciplinary issues.

Desmond St. John doesn't have the benefit of any such experience for the Sarzonian national baseball team. That lack of experience showed itself again in Sarzonia's 6-2 defeat to Nova Calania, a loss that dropped Sarzonia to 1-2.

The offence, which piled up nine runs in the opening match victory against Caribbia, has scored a total of three runs in the two matches since. Even though both Zwangzug and Nova Calania are ranked opponents, St. John glumly pointed out that 1-2 is still 1-2

"Right now, we don't have room for error," he said. About his team committing five of them in three matches, St. John said he planned to gather the Stars to review situational acumen and fundamentals, spending less time on the scouting report for their away match against Vaishnavaria.

"Our main concern right now is making routine plays," St. John said. "We didn't get squad information about [Vaishnavaria] anyway, so doing a scouting report on nameless players doesn't do any good anyway."

Russ Gerhart will start the match for the Stars, who return to Fleetwood Park in Woodstock for the first half finale against Oclea. They'll have two consecutive two-match homestands bracketing an away match against Zwangzug. Fortunately, however, the Stars will have the designated hitter barring one of the other three unranked sides submitting squad information to WBC organisers. Both Zwangzug and Nova Calania require pitchers to hit.

"It's not easy for a team that's used to using the DH," pitcher Casey Flanagan (0-for-2, two strikeouts) said. "We adopted the universal DH in our major leagues, so there's a lot of adjustment we'd have to make. Flanagan went 5⅓ innings and was charged with four runs on seven hits. He allowed three walks and didn't record a strikeout.

Flanagan bemoaned the strike zone employed by the Banijan home plate umpire, saying he was "hitter-friendly in the extreme."

"Every close pitch was a ball," he said. "It was either throw down the middle and get lit up or try hitting spots and draw a walk."

St. John admitted to phoning longtime Stars manager Geoff Yancey for advice on dealing with the frustration of losing.

"I'm at my wit's end," he said. Did Yancey provide any meaningful advice?"

"Just that I had to be myself and not try overextending," he said. "He also suggested that I loosen up. He said if I'm nervous and tense, the team's gonna play that way." He also mentioned that Yancey told him to not take any opponents for granted with an unranked team.

As for Sarzonia's prospects for qualifying for the knockout rounds, the team are still within striking distance with seven matches remaining and only two of them being against ranked foes.

One thing that the longer 30-match group stages did was reduce the prospect of an unranked side going on an extended run, but even in a long group stage, it's not entirely out of the realm of possibility. Soldera's trip to the semifinals in WBC 53 saw the Snakes start the group stage 5-7 before winning 16 of their final 18 contests. The streak began with a three-match sweep.of the Stars in Fleetwood Park where none of Sarzonia's three losses were competitive.

Incorporated Baseball Federation chairman Ned Colletti admitted years later that the Board of Governors decided to fire Yancey after that series despite entering as the fourth ranked team in baseball.

"The only way that wouldn't have happened is if we won the trophy," he said. "Losing an upset is bad enough, but getting destroyed in each match was unacceptable."

by **South Newlandia** » Fri Aug 02, 2024 5:12 pm

After two dominant performance to open the group stage, the Elephants found themselves on ever so slightly more wobbly footing facing the stripeless Zebras, also known as Equestria. The third-seed of the group gave the pachyderms some trouble in the early going, with the bats unable to provide early run support for starter Charles Morgan.
Instead, in the bottom of the third, it were the Phoenix striking first, with Morgan surrendering four hits in the inning as the hosts took the lead. It would be short-lived, with Sofia Löfgren driving in a pair of runs with a double into left to tie the game. Even after that, though, the game remained close.
When Morgan headed to the dugout after the sixth, he knew that his day was likely over. Overall, it had been a solid start, allowing 2 earned runs on six hits in as many innings, but he was not yet in line for the win. Against the Equestrian bullpen, the Elephants finally managed to re-acquire their formidable batting from the previous two games. Kevin Barros launched a two-run home run in the seventh, and Barros and the pinch-hitting Tiffany Grey added home runs of their own as the Elephants won 9-3 – a final score that betrays how close the game actually was for the longest time.

Having just defeated the Phoenix, the Elephants are getting ready to host.. the Phoenix. Puzzlingly, two of the Elephants group stage opponents are known under the same nickname. This isn’t the first time this happened, either, as the Elephants played a group stage with Tikariot and Eshialand not too long ago.
In any case, the matchup at Elephant Stadium projects to be their toughest test yet. The Kytler Peninsulae is entering the game with a 3-0 record, and the match will decide which of the two squads may remain undefeated. A WBC58 playoff team, these Phoenixes are looking for a Zwangzug trip as well, and they have the players to battle the Elephants for the top spot in the group.

South Newlandia will start Hailey Clark, who happens to be a teammate of some of the Kytlerians. She will face up against Frepresis Whaariny, the lone right-hander in the Kytlerian rotation. In theory, that should mean trouble for the Elephants, who feature plenty of right-handed bats. It will be a big game for both sides, with each eager to prove that they’re the top dog in Group 8, with favourable seeding in Zwangzug on the line.

logo credit: Sacha

Walstreim Stingrays Preview

Starting Pitchers
SP Jonathan Roe (Super-Llamaland)
SP Trevor Arcidiacono (Super-Llamaland)
SP Crissey Battey (Sanford)
SP Quentin Burke (Sanford)
SP Karen Ellis (South Newlandia)
6th SP Adam Freeman (South Newlandia)
Bullpen
RP Frank Chavez (South Newlandia)
RP Manuel Gatti (South Newlandia)
RP Griffin Henderson (Super-Llamaland)
RP Henrietta Chang (South Newlandia)
RP Emily Lan (Super-Llamaland)
RP Ander Parra (South Newlandia)

Starting Fielders
C Vihaan Naik (South Newlandia)
1B Samuel Bergmann (South Newlandia)
2B Masayoshi Kuramochi (TJUN-ia)
SS Abeer Mahto (South Newlandia)
3B Aiden Beasley (Hapilopper)
LF Miles Feliciano (Super-Llamaland)
CF Samuel Parra (South Newlandia)
RF Alejandro Rivera (Super-Llamaland)
DH Isreal Harper (South Newlandia)
Bench players
C Mateo Marchand (South Newlandia)
2B Maryam Barnes (South Newlandia)
3B Trevor Masterson (Super-Llamaland)
DH/OF Andrea Montanari (South Newlandia)
LF Bryan-David Knight (South Newlandia)

For the Stingrays, the previous season was an unmitigated disaster. Finishing with a shockingly terrible 47-113 record, somehow significantly worse than the season before (when they were already the worst team in the SNL), they also had to deal with the Pick-off tournament instead of just being handed the top overall pick. Instead of netting top prospects Kujabi or Dewitt, the Stingrays lost both of their games and fell to pick four.

In order to facilitate a team that performs at least slightly better, the Stingrays made a few small additions, headlined arguably by former Tigers starter Jonathan Roe, previously with the Dynamo. Convinced with what most analysts consider an overpay, he will slot in as the starter. However, the Free Agency additions probably barely cover their losses, with both Michael Otto and Isabella Romero, their top relievers, headed elsewhere; signing with the Chariots and Rhinos respectively. In retaliation, the Stingrays signed former Rhino Frank Chavez, a veteran reliever, to somehow be their closer.

Of course, the team of manager Jack Helstrom-Satanique had one other avenue to improve their chances. That’s their AAA team, the Ineton Waterfrogs, which unfortunately is not in great shape either. The Rays promoted third baseman Trevor Masterson, their second-round pick from the previous draft. The power hitter performed well in AAA, and seems like the logical long-term replacement for Hapilopper veteran Aiden Beasley. They also called up catcher Mateo Marchard to be their backup, despite pretty underwhelming results for the third-round pick in AAA.

This team is not looking very good entering the season – without question, they’re the worst team in the South Newlandian League. The starting rotation features new addition Roe, who should at least be decent, as well as a pair of fan favourite inning eaters from Sanford, and also a lefty named Ellis. The bullpen is somehow in worse shape. Unless Helstrom-Satanique can figure out how to do magic, it seems improbable that these pitchers can actually get the job done.

If there are bright spots for the Stingrays, they’re found in the batting lineup. TJUN-ian Masayoshi Kuramochi has been a solid second baseman for the squad, especially on defense, and is paired in the infield with probably the best young Stingray. Abeer Mahto, a recent first-round selection, has been a perfectly serviceable shortstop in his first two seasons with the club, hitting and defending well. Unfortunately, he’s also on the last season of his rookie contract, so the Rays will need to figure out a way to get him to stick around.
Also on his final season of his rookie deal is the other first-round pick from that draft, NCfIR product Samuel Parra. The Center Fielder can safely be written off as a complete bust as this point, as he’s been unable to stop himself from swinging at every pitch in the postcode. He’s been splitting time last season with Andrea Montanari, and perhaps even more insultingly, his own college understudy Bryan-David Knight, who doesn’t have any skills except laying off pitches.

The third-base-situation is another bright spot, with veteran Aiden Beasley providing valuable leadership for the struggling team, and Masterson looking like a promising step into the future. Masterson is likely to start DHing soon, as starting Israel Harper at this point in his career is not really a way for a franchise to live.

That brings is to the only viable path the Stingrays have for getting themselves out of this situation. Holding the fourth-overall pick, the Stingrays did arguably the smartest thing the front office has in a while; dealing the pick away to the Kingfishers for three future first-round picks, giving the Stingrays a more serious shot at rebuilding in the future. Of course, they might regret passing on talents like left-hander Shivay Sahu and Luke Scholz, both of whom seem like potential Elephants in waiting.
Because of various other deals, the Stingrays still held picks 10 and 14, as well as their own top selection of the second round at pick 31. Knowing they’re still way off from being competitive, they selected quite young players. That’s Right-hander Mikayla Gordon, a Llamanean with exceptional control for a teenager, and Right Fielder Hannes-Maximilian Evans, a teenager out of High School in South Newlandia who set local records for his powerful bat, while also having a well-rounded skillset beside that. They added Antonio Caballero out of local WBU, who stood out as a good outfielder for the Foxes. While they should make the Waterfrogs interesting to follow, they still only rank as the fifth-best farm system in South Newlandia, which is certainly not great for a team with a major league team this bad. There’s only so much Helstrom-Satanique can do about it right now – this team is going to have another very bad season, with the only thing to look forward to a Beasley retirement tour and development of some young guys. The good times will come again eventually in Walstreim, but they must seem impossibly far away for the fans.

by **Quebec and Shingoryeo** » Fri Aug 02, 2024 5:56 pm

''Yes?' said Myeong-Shin, as he picked up the call.

'Myeong-Shin, are you busy?' asked Taylor Bryant's voice, the Cassadagan feeling slightly tired from the sound of her voice, but otherwise fine. 'I see that you didn't respond to your home phone, and I'm sure calling your wife won't help as to what we may discuss...'

'Certainly not,' Myeong-Shin responded. In past employment gigs it would have worked. For years he would to let his kids or wife, national women's volleyball team coach Naomi Goldbloom, answer related enquiries, before he would get back to her, if he was away and unable to respond to the phone call. The Goldbloom-Heos, after all, were very transparent about the goings of both parents and both children, and based their trust towards each other off of it.

Of course, this was going to be hard, almost impossible even, now that they were all apart. Seung-Geon, now a senior student at Universite St. Croix and the Conservatoire de Joongyeong studying a trombone major and composition minor, was living alone after spending his freshman year living with his grandfather and great-grandfather. Seung-Yeon and Naomi still lived back in Kingston, where Naomi's been coaching the QOVO.1 side Kingston KD Bank Stars for eight years, and Seung-Yeon was finishing up her high school senior year.

Myeong-Shin, who called the city his hometown and 'his city', perhaps attributed to his legacy as the Tigers' all-time third baseman, would have been there too, if not for a promising offer from the Saint John Green Sox that he considered to be a good step-up for a managerial gig. It had taken significant discussion from both parties, especially involving the clauses and the salary, but eventually a decision was met and he was in the other side of the country.

'I presume your leave from the Green Sox isn't over yet?' Bryant asked. This was true - the two-week leave was set to last until the end of the day, after which he would resume to their duties as the Green Sox's bench coach. Fortunately for him there was little to no pace lost during the preseason, with the Green Sox so far standing 7-4 with one more game to go before the following weekend's season opening series, a western Acadie classic against Oakwood Dinos no less. 'Hard to believe how time flies by so quickly these days.'

'Yes, I just happened to be at the Park just to make sure I missed nothing, that's all,' he answered, even as he stayed firmly away from anything work-related. He was, of course, going to get back to work later in the day, by checking the splits and the stats, before resuming work the next day with the manager, a 71-year old man named Kiefer Branagh who was once a legendary slugger in his father's days, but has since settled into a simple managerial career that's seen one Quebec Series finalist run in 14 years with the Green Sox.

'Okay, that's good,' Taylor answered. A light silence followed she resumed to speak. 'I know it hasn't been the easiest week or two for you, and I know you are looking for greater heights with your career as manager, but can I get the assurance from you that you'll be back as the bench coach for the upcoming WBC?'

Hmmm, Myeong-Shin thought for a second, perhaps surprised to see this being asked by Bryant. Admittedly it's one that likely came from Bryant on her own experience as a manager, especially one who was hired too quickly to the head honcho after working with legendary Maddie Polanco, who then had to climb her way back up to an international gig after managing North Cassadaigua and then working as Cassadaigua assistant. 'No, I don't think there's any change to the plan, isn't it? If there's any reason for departure in mind, I would have let you know, and there's none to speak of.' Myeong-Shin answered.

'Phenomenal,' Taylor's voice lightened up, perhaps suggesting delight that there's going to be minimal turnover. 'Looks like the upcoming WBC's going to be held under a four-year cycle, so there's still plenty of time. But at least it's good to start figuring staff out before it's too late.'

'Absolutely,' Myeong-Shin agreed. 'Hopefully this means a sign for brighter future to come.'

by **The Kytler Peninsulae** » Fri Aug 02, 2024 5:58 pm

Three games down, three wins on the board; it's exactly how the Phoenix drew it up. Their first, second, and third priority was to avoid being on the wrong end of small-sample nastiness in this condensed group stage of the WBC, and it looks like just that is happening.

Fourth on the list, or second if you yeet duplicates, was to get plenty out of the two meetings with group favourites South Newlandia. The Elephants have put up jumbo numbers in lopsided victories so far, but this is a very different test; neither team has faced anyone as good as the other, and it's not entirely clear it's close in this awfully top-heavy group. The Phoenix broke out huge as an unranked team last WBC, making it all the way to the last eight, and since then four of their players and their bench coach have made the move to LPB - all but one of them to the same South Newlandian team.

"This is the first time either of us will have faced an opponent with any kind of reputation, so it's going to be tremendously exciting," said catcher Ryan Marshall - who is part of that Kytlerian trio who joined former Phoenix bench coach Angufams Pentrove at the Blue Sox. "And it's pretty cool that second cycle back and we're already in that bucket of being established, honestly the near-term goal coming back was to get to that point and we did so ahead of schedule. We're both going to get through unless something really weird happens now - to be fair this group has some weird teams in it so it's possible - so this is all about making a statement to others and also to ourselves, it's a confidence thing."

Victory would also presumably set up an easier route through the playoffs based on the assumption of some kind of seeding based on group performance, but the specifics remain opaque. "I mean, it's Zwangzug, so it's probably hidden behind a complex algebraic barrier or something," joked Frepresis Whaariny. He will get the start after pitching 4.2 innings of one-run ball against the dino-mighty Taxonomic Kingdoms - throwing exactly 75 pitches, the standard cut-off in the three-man rotation that has become the most recognised feature of Kytlerian baseball. "I feel good, this is my normal schedule, the only difference is hopping on teleportals and stuff instead of the team coach like we would in KBL. Multiversal sport is a pretty wild thing, especially in a sport with such tight scheduling as baseball. I'm mostly confused that time dilation doesn't let us just use the same starter every game on full rest, but I guess some realities have to be retained."

One that definitely gets retained is the platoon advantage, which Whaariny will have most of the time against the righty-heavy Elephants lineup. Does that fill him with confidence? "You'd rather have it than not, but batters hit same-handed pitchers for homers all the time. Just not quite as often. You still have to execute, you just get more chance to surprise them at the plate. Those extra milliseconds of reaction time count, but sometimes they aren't the difference. And remember, I've got this spot in the rotation to avoid pitching at home, give those starts to the lefties where they benefit from the dimensions (significantly longer to left field than right). It's not about this one game, but it's nice that it works out this way."

Only time will tell exactly how this one will work out. But for both teams, this is an opportunity without much jeopardy, so expect some exciting play.

by **Zwangzug** » Fri Aug 02, 2024 6:06 pm

Woah woah, it's matchday four (to the tune of "say goodbye to my heart tonight").

Group 1

Yakk                               0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0  1
Eshialand                          0 0 0 0 0 3 2 1 X  6

Crpostran                          0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0  1
Quebec and Shingoryeo              0 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 X  3

Avisora                            0 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 0  3
Srednjaci                          2 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 X  4

* Group 1                           Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD 
1 Quebec and Shingoryeo               4    4   0    23    6  +17
2 Crpostran                           4    3   1    23    6  +17
3 Eshialand                           4    3   1    22   12  +10
4 Srednjaci                           4    1   3     8   19  −11
5 Yakk                                4    1   3     7   25  −18
6 Avisora                             4    0   4     8   23  −15

Group 2

North and South Slavo-Baltia       1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2  3
So uh lab here                     1 1 2 2 0 0 0 0 X  6

Tikariot                           3 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 0  6
Drawkland                          0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 2  4

StrayaRoos                         2 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1  4
New Jarwel                         0 0 2 0 1 2 0 0 X  5

* Group 2                           Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD 
1 Drawkland                           4    3   1    22   16   +6
2 So uh lab here                      4    3   1    18   14   +4
3 North and South Slavo-Baltia        4    2   2    23   17   +6
4 Tikariot                            4    2   2    20   23   −3
5 New Jarwel                          4    1   3    20   28   −8
6 StrayaRoos                          4    1   3    10   15   −5

Group 3

Super-Llamaland                    0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 5  6
HaIvrim                            0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3  4

Juldonia                           0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2  4
Hapilopper                         0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  2

Dhemixia                           0 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 0  3
TJUN-ia                            0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0  2

* Group 3                           Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD 
1 Super-Llamaland                     4    4   0    28   12  +16
2 Juldonia                            4    3   1    22   23   −1
3 Dhemixia                            4    2   2    12   17   −5
4 TJUN-ia                             4    2   2    20   19   +1
5 HaIvrim                             4    1   3    18   19   −1
6 Hapilopper                          4    0   4    15   25  −10

Group 4

Liventia                           0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0  2
Fezziktopia                        2 0 3 0 0 0 1 1 X  7

Milchama                           0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1  3
Ardsk                              0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0  2

Valanora                           0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0  2
Holy Marsh                         0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0  1

* Group 4                           Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD 
1 Milchama                            4    4   0    20    4  +16
2 Liventia                            4    2   2     9   15   −6
3 Ardsk                               4    2   2    14   11   +3
4 Valanora                            4    2   2    12   15   −3
5 Fezziktopia                         4    2   2    20   19   +1
6 Holy Marsh                          4    0   4     8   19  −11

Group 5

United States of Nova Calania      0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0  1
Caribbia                           0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0

Zwangzug                           0 3 5 4 0 0 0 0 3 15
Oclea                              0 0 2 2 0 0 0 0 0  4

Sarzonia                           0 0 0 4 0 3 1 0 0  8
Vaishnavaria                       2 0 1 0 0 1 2 0 0  6

* Group 5                           Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD 
1 United States of Nova Calania       4    4   0    15    7   +8
2 Zwangzug                            4    3   1    28   10  +18
3 Sarzonia                            4    2   2    20   23   −3
4 Vaishnavaria                        4    2   2    24   29   −5
5 Caribbia                            4    1   3    18   21   −3
6 Oclea                               4    0   4    13   28  −15

Group 6

South Americanastan                1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0  3
Libonesia                          1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  1

Abanhfleft                         0 0 1 0 1 0 1 1 0  4
Kamijiro                           1 0 3 3 2 0 0 0 X  9

The Fortem                         1 0 0 0 0 3 2 0 1  7
Ochre Islands                      0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  2

* Group 6                           Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD 
1 South Americanastan                 4    3   1    18   12   +6
2 Kamijiro                            4    3   1    23   20   +3
3 Abanhfleft                          4    2   2    24   19   +5
4 The Fortem                          4    2   2    15   17   −2
5 Ochre Islands                       4    1   3    14   25  −11
6 Libonesia                           4    1   3    18   19   −1

Group 7

Farfadillis                        1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2  4
Dod Rava                           0 0 0 0 1 2 3 0 X  6

The 189                            0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0
Mercatoren                         0 1 0 0 0 2 0 2 X  5

Ko-oren                            0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0  2
Kronbia                            0 0 0 1 0 0 3 0 X  4

* Group 7                           Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD 
1 Mercatoren                          4    3   1    15    6   +9
2 Dod Rava                            4    3   1    16   12   +4
3 Ko-oren                             4    2   2    30   17  +13
4 The 189                             4    2   2    14   20   −6
5 Kronbia                             4    1   3    10   17   −7
6 Farfadillis                         4    1   3    13   26  −13

Group 8

Panay Islands and Guimaras         0 0 2 1 0 0 4 0 0  7
Taxonomic Kingdoms                 0 0 0 2 1 2 0 0 0  5

Equestria                          3 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 0  6
Dotivija                           2 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0  5

The Kytler Peninsulae              5 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0  6
South Newlandia                    1 2 3 0 0 0 0 2 X  8

* Group 8                           Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD 
1 South Newlandia                     4    4   0    43    9  +34
2 The Kytler Peninsulae               4    3   1    26   17   +9
3 Panay Islands and Guimaras          4    2   2    17   20   −3
4 Equestria                           4    1   3    12   22  −10
5 Taxonomic Kingdoms                  4    1   3    13   32  −19
6 Dotivija                            4    1   3    14   25  −11

Group 9

Oscioru                            0 1 2 0 1 0 0 1 0  5
Zug um Zug                         0 0 2 1 0 2 0 5 X 10

Banija                             0 0 0 4 1 0 1 0 2  8
Nationy Mcstateface                0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0  2

Diarcesia                          0 0 0 4 0 0 2 0 0  6
Kanmer                             0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 2  5

* Group 9                           Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD 
1 Banija                              4    4   0    36   14  +22
2 Zug um Zug                          4    3   1    23   14   +9
3 Nationy Mcstateface                 4    2   2    13   17   −4
4 Oscioru                             4    1   3    17   26   −9
5 Diarcesia                           4    1   3    16   30  −14
6 Kanmer                              4    1   3    13   17   −4

by **The Fortem** » Fri Aug 02, 2024 6:55 pm

WBC 59 - Group 6 - Matchday 1      1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9  R  H  E 
The Fortem                         0 1 0 0 0 2 0 1 0  4  8  0
Libonesia                          2 1 5 0 0 0 0 0 x  8  12 0
T. 2:41 WP: Alejandro Castillo (1-0)  LP: David Wells (0-1)
Scoring Summary
▼1 LIB A. Vega   Double - Rivera scores                      1-0
▼1 LIB M. Castillo   Single - Castillo scores                2-0
▲2 FRT A. Brooks   Double - Harris scores                    2-1
▼2 LIB A. Vega   Fly-out - Rivera scores                     3-1
▼3 LIB R. Ortiz  Single - Castillo scores, Alvarez scores    5-1
▼3 LIB J. Rivera  Double - Ortiz scores                      6-1
▼3 LIB C. Mendez  Single - Rivera scores                     7-1
▼3 LIB A. Vega   Single - Mendez scores                      8-1
▲6 FRT S. Kim  Home Run - Kim scores, Reyes scores           8-3
▲8 FRT S. Kim  Single - Fisher scores                        8-4
Credit to StrayaRoos

WBC 59 - Group 6 - Matchday 2      1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9  R  H  E 
Abanhfleft                         1 1 3 0 0 0 2 0 0  7  12 0
The Fortem                         0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0  2  8  0
T. 2:41 WP: Luis Gonzalez (1-0)  LP: Jake Martin (0-1)
Scoring Summary
▲1 ABA D. Morales   Single - Mendoza scores     1-0
▲2 ABA C. Mendoza   Single - Ruiz scores        2-0
▼2 FRT B. Harris   Double - Reyes scores        2-1
▲3 ABA J. Cruz   Ground-out - Vargas scores     3-1
▲3 ABA R. Gomez  Single - Torres scores         4-1
▲3 ABA J. Ramirez  Single - Gomez scores        5-1
▼5 FRT J. Anderson Single - Brooks scores       5-2
▲7 ABA D. Morales  Ground-out - Ramirez scores  6-2
▲7 ABA R. Gomez  Single - Silva scores          7-2
Credit to StrayaRoos

WBC 59 - Group 6 - Matchday 3      1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9  R  H  E 
The Fortem                         0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2  2  7  0
South Americanastan                0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0  5  0
T. 2:41 WP: Aaron Cole (1-0)  LP: Francisco Rivera (0-1) Sv: Jake Williams (1)
Scoring Summary
▲9 FRT M. Sanders   Home Run - Sanders scores, Brooks scores     2-0
Credit to StrayaRoos

World Baseball Classic 59 (IC thread)

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