World Baseball Classic 59 (IC thread)

by **Panay Islands and Guimaras** » Fri Aug 02, 2024 7:48 pm

JUST YOUR AVERAGE RECAP FOR THE PANAYENSE BASEBALL
Zwischen, Zwangzug

The Panayenses lost to the Kytlerians, 4-8. It all started in the 4th inning when the Kytlerians scored 2 runs against the Panayenses. Until Adalberto Yoo hit a homerun for the Carabaos, making it 1-2. Until a Kytlerian answered it with his own homerun, and the Panayenses answered it also from an another homerun this time by the captain, Giraldo Salvador. The Kytlerians gave the Panayenses a beat down of 4 scoring runs after a Kytlerian home run. Even though the Panayenses scored their own 2 runs until the other two got striked out. In the last inning, the Kytlerians gave their last home run, making it 4-8 for the Kytlerians. Then onto the match against the Taxonomic Kingdoms, which they won 7-5. It all started with Rolando Santiago, who pitched 3 strikeouts in a row in the first 3 innings, even though the Panayenses scored 2 runs by Villacampa and Araullo. In the 4th inning, Florentín Chieh hit a homer out of the park, but their rivals responded it with a home run and scoring 2 runs. The rivals again scored another 2 runs, trying to get a win but the bases are loaded in the next inning and an another homerun was made by the Panayenses, scoring it 7-5. Solórzano himself was satisfied with the result. The Panayenses are going to face both South Newlandia and Equestria and hoping they would qualify to the next round.

by **Super-Llamaland** » Fri Aug 02, 2024 9:05 pm

LPB7: SLL RECAPS

8. Peninsulara Kingfishers

Last Season: 102-58 (lost in SLLCS)
This Season: 73-87 (third in LPBS)
Home: Magnificent Park 2 (Los Juantos, SLL; cap. 65,001)
Manager: Erick Iglesias (SLL/R)

Starting Lineup:

1. 3B Evanie Zhuang (20)
2. RF Emil Hurley (32/SNL)
3. DH Gary Promises (33/SNL)
4. LF Rina Sanderson (24)
5. C Donovan Cairo (23)
6. 2B Lonnie Hayter (34/HAP)
7. 1B Terry Griffiths-Mills (21/SNL)
8. SS Julia Horn (23/SNL)
9. CF Francis Koo (36/LOY)

Starting Rotation:

1. Shivay Sahu (21/SNL)
2. Simon Chu (33)
3. Advhik Hubert (26/SNL)
4. Nico Harmon (26)
5. Rickie McBride (33/SNL)

Notable Reserves: P Bryce Servopoulos; P Casey Redondo; CF Harry Bond

Offseason Additions: SP Shivay Sahu (drafted #4), 2B Lonnie Hayter (trade), Julia Horn (trade)

Offseason Subtractions: SP Maddie Benitez (FA), C Hansel Eriksen (retired), SP Hailey Clark (trade), 1B Tiffany Grey (trade), SS Sylvi Vermark (FA), 2B Dalen Daniels (trade)

Trade Deadline Moves: Traded SP Simon Chu to the Dolphins for MIF Fernando Webb

Best Pitcher: SP/RP Bryce Servopoulos (13-5, 131.2 IP, 18 SV, 3.07 ERA, 149 K)

Best Hitter: OF Emil Hurley (.292/.364/.477, 26 HR, 21 SB, 5.3 WAR)

After the tumult of the Dominic Stamford era - two new stadia, two new managers, a slew of big-money acquisitions, all culminating in a seven-game SLLCS defeat to the Greens - a normal rebuilding year was just what the doctor ordered. The team’s new ownership is far less monstrous than its old ownership, but they’re also more tight-fisted - after initially declaring they’d “do their best” to keep the SLLCS core together, they reversed course and sold off after realizing how financially infeasible it’d be. The Kingfishers still had time for one last big swing during the teardown, flipping three first-round picks to Walstreim to pick up elite pitching prospect Shivay Sahu. But gone are ace pitchers Maddie Benitez and Hailey Clark, as well as four-fifths of the LPB6 starting infield.

Despite all of this, they somehow managed to keep their heads above water for most of the season, and were 58-62 (just four games out of the wild card!) at the trade deadline. Some may find statistical arguments for why a team that had been stripped for parts just a season ago overperformed, while others might reason that removing a few players from a 102-win team would still leave you with an okay team. But those who really know would know that the Kingfishers were able to stay in the mix due to their successful Vibes Reset. First-year manager Erick Iglesias, last seen trying and failing to lift the Chariots out of the basement a decade ago, proved a prudent hire who righted the ship immediately - the Kingfishers came out of the gate hot, seguing into a 41-39 record at the halfway mark. One core player who stayed during the rebuild is Emil Hurley, the first known case of Stockholm Syndrome in the LPB, who turned in his sixth 20-20 season in seven LPBs. Hurley reportedly even took on a leadership role in Iglesias’ clubhouse, and has also suggested that he’s planning to retire a Fish.

It’s worth noting that Peninsulara was the beneficiary of some serious injury luck that may not be replicable, and the rotation depth was tested later in the season as the team slumped to a 32-48 finish. Still, it’s certainly far from the worst that the Kingfishers, who once won 49 games in an entire season, have ever been. And they were also buoyed by some strong performances from the fruits of their rebuild. Bryce Servopoulos transitioned seamlessly from shutdown reliever to ace starter after Simon Chu was dealt midseason. Shivay Sahu (13-9, 3.71 ERA, 8.7 K/9) won Rookie of the Season for a very solid debut showing, while second-round pick Evanie Zhuang (.292/.381/.408) and Rina Sanderson (27 HR, .342 OBP) both turned in solid-to-great campaigns. The future, all in all, is weirdly hopeful for a team that was crushed by the revelations surrounding their former owner. Was one successful season all it took to turn the ship around?

7. Kyrinson Cosmos

Last Season: 77-83 (third in LPBC)
This Season: 77-83 (third in LPBC)
Home: Earnest Field (Kyrinson, SLL; cap. 40,000)
Manager: Tanya Ericsson (SLL/R)

Starting Lineup:

1. 2B Andrea Pellegrino (30/SNL)
2. LF Lewis Hunter (32)
3. DH David Price (27/SNL)
4. 1B Ron Gunther (23)
5. 3B Ian Zhuang (32)
6. C Lukas Valentine (26/RAN)
7. RF Kieran Fletcher (35/TKT)
8. SS Barron Edwards (31/DRK)
9. CF Melissa Wright (21/SNL)

Starting Rotation:

1. Astrid Abrahamsson (24)
2. Jay Kramer (33/SNL)
3. Rowan Gardner (28)
4. Michael Prakash (28/SNL)
5. Advait Kumar (29/SNL)

Notable Reserves: P Mia Nicholson; P Marcus Cobb; 2B/OF Tobias Wagner Jr.

Offseason Additions: SP Astrid Abrahamsson (FA), SP Advait Kumar (FA), UTIL Tobias Wagner Jr. (trade)

Offseason Subtractions: SP Madison Verdugo (FA), SP Larry Foster (FA), CF Christina Wu (FA)

Trade Deadline Moves: Traded 2B Tobias Wagner Jr. to the Flames for SP Jocelyn Vázquez, OF Gena Smith

Best Pitcher: SP Astrid Abrahamsson (16-12, 219 K, 204 IP)

Best Hitter: 2B Andrea Pellegrino (.293/.370/.452, 4.8 WAR)

In LPB5, the Cosmos made a surprise run to the Wild Card spots, which was seen as a huge validation of Bobby Mohs’ development program and the team’s ability to take the long view. However, it’s hard to ignore that other than that, the Cosmos have largely had the exact same season for six of the seven LPB seasons: starting competitive despite some big free agent losses, but largely fading out of the SLLC division race before finishing slightly under .500. This year was no exception, as ace pitcher Madison Verdugo left to the Lions just a year after star center-fielder Silvia Wang did the exact same thing. Astrid Abrahamsson arrived in the offseason from Ruditown to do her best Verdugo impression, and to her credit did manage to lead the league in strikeouts en route to an excellent first year in Kyrinson. But with the team stagnating as they are, she may be regretting her decision to sign such a long contract already. Tobias Wagner Jr. was the only other major acquisition, with the team having flipped their first-round pick to Walstreim for an okay season and a half from Jay Kramer, but after some clubhouse discontent, the utilityman was flipped to Sun City for Jocelyn Vázquez.

After the huge letdown that was LPB6, Kyrinson fans were hoping to see their team come strong out of the gate. Instead, they got a 21-19 start with a negative run differential, and when you’re sharing a division with the Cyclones and Lions, that doesn’t cut it. Still, they were able to hang around .500 for most of the season, although (perhaps scarred by the failure of their big window last season) they didn’t do much at the deadline. In the end, though, they simply just remained five-to-ten games outside of the second wild card place for the entire season, never seriously challenging the likes of the Vipers, Dynamo, or Renaissance. Their 618 runs scored was one of the worst marks in the league, as the likes of Lewis Hunter (.243/.301/.425) and Ron Gunther (.208/.299/.426) both underperformed. However, rookie manager Tanya Ericsson was able to put together one of the better rotations in the league. Their inability to find a consistent second starter behind Madison Verdugo was a major issue in previous seasons, but Rowan Gardner (a 3.52 ERA in 188 IP) finally put things together to find some semblance of consistency, and Abrahamsson and Jay Kramer were both quietly excellent.

The Cosmos finished with a plus-40 run differential on the backs of their great rotation and very solid defense, but were limited by poor sequencing and repeated bullpen implosions. Mia Nicholson did her thing, but the likes of Marcus Cobb, Sophie Nascimento, and Nicole Rana combined for a 4.92 ERA in nearly two hundred innings that seriously limited the Cosmos’ record in one-run games. The pieces seem to be there, as always - but it’s still unclear how they all fit together into a contending roster. Former Lions manager Tanya Ericsson did her best in her first season in Kyrinson, but with a shaky bullpen, underwhelming lineup, and a rotation whose second-through-fourth starters are all free agents, she’ll have her hands full next season as the Cosmos aim to return to the heady heights of LPB5.

6. Denison Dynamo

Last Season: 78-82 (third in LPBN)
This Season: 85-75 (second in LPBN)
Home: Stony Brook Field (Denison, SLL; cap. 36,000)
Manager: Vincenzo Goodman (SNL/2)

Starting Lineup:

1. LF Lian Peters (27/SNL)
2. 1B Toni Schäfer (29/SNL)
3. C Cerulean Baines (28)
4. 3B Kathryn King (22/SNL)
5. RF Patrick-Kyle Williams (27/SNL)
6. DH Bruno Fan (25)
7. 2B Julia Cartwright-Blythe (23)
8. SS Clark Weaver (26/RAN)
9. CF Christina Wu (29)

Starting Rotation:

1. August Tai (23)
2. Jason McRae (34/TJU)
3. Orion Alcantara (28)
4. Eddie Hedley (32/HAP)
5. Anna Guo (32)

Notable Reserves: P Gerrard McNeil; CF Jeffrey Zimmerman; P Kathrine Peterson

Offseason Additions: SP Anna Guo (FA), CF Jeffrey Zimmermann (drafted #26), DH Bruno Fan (FA)

Offseason Subtractions: SP Jonathan Roe (FA), CF Bella Ashton (FA), DH Antonio Gatti (FA)

Trade Deadline Moves: Acquired CF Ella Carlson, SP Jack Joseph from the Athletics for CF Christina Wu, SP Eddie Hedley, RP Kent Manzanillo, and a future pick

Best Pitcher: SP August Tai (218 K, 199 IP, 2.66 ERA, 7.1 WAR)

Best Hitter: C Cerulean Baines (.264/.330/.491, 34 HR, 5.6 WAR)

It was supposed to be over for Denison. After fading late in the LPB6 Wild Card chase to fall just two games short of their first-ever playoff berth, the Dynamo lost star center-fielder Bella Ashton and DH Antonio Gatti, who they sent a first to Corbin Island to acquire just a season ago. Second starter Jonathan Roe would also cross the strait to South Newlandia, leaving a team that won just seventy-eight games the year before gutted heading into the LPB7 season. With all of that, the Dynamo proceeded to win seven more games than the previous year, with their 85-75 record the best in the team’s tragic LPB history. And with all of that, the Dynamo proceeded to miss the playoffs by a game yet again in heartbreaking fashion. They at least won’t have to deal with any more major offseason losses: star catcher Cerulean Baines, pending free agency in the offseason, has declared that she wants to be a Denison lifer, and star first baseman Toni Schäfer was re-signed last season. But it’s another devastating end to the season for the Dynamo.

Treading water at the trade deadline, GM Kelly McFarland smartly moved for former national teamers Jack Joseph and Ella Carlson, which sparked a late surge - not so much from Carlson, who batted .243 down the stretch as the full-time DH, but from rookie outfielder Jeffrey Zimmermann, who caught fire late and hit six home runs in the final month of the season. But the story of the Dynamo this season begins with August Tai and Cerulean Baines, who put the team on their backs down the stretch as they won fifteen of their final twenty games to mount a heroic - if ultimately doomed - charge toward the final playoff spots. Tai missed time early in the season but took over late to finish with a seven-WAR season. In the pennant chase, he was nearly unimpeachable, putting up 7 IP/1 ER/9 K against the Rhinos, 5.2 IP/2 ER/6 K against the Lions, 7 IP/1 ER/12 K against the Drawks, and 8 IP/1 ER/13 K against the Greens in consecutive starts. Meanwhile, Baines slugged thirty-four home runs in her best all-around season, and alongside Zimmermann anchored the lineup late. Gerrard McNeil was another standout - the half-Drawkian took home Reliever of the Season with an excellent campaign.

Unfortunately, Tai’s last start came a day after the Dynamo were eliminated, as despite an 8-2 end to the season Denison were just too far behind some similarly hot teams in Xingcheng and Apple Valley. The day before, with the division still in question, the Greens whooped Denison 13-4 to end the season for good. Still, there are reasons to hope in the first year of the post-Ashton/Gatti/Roe era. With Baines sticking around, recent draftee Kathryn King slugging thirty home runs in her sophomore season, and corner outfield draftees Patrick-Kyle Williams and Lian Peters holding their own, the lineup seems to be solid enough to stay in the hunt for the Wild Card spots. And while international starters Joseph and McRae will need replacing, August Tai looks to be a bona fide ace for the foreseeable future. Will it be enough to avoid yet another heartbreaking end to the season, and send Denison to the playoffs for the first time in LPB history? They can only hope.

by **Drawkland** » Fri Aug 02, 2024 10:16 pm

Matchday 1       1 2 3  4 5 6  7 8 9   R  H  E
New Jarwel       1 0 0  1 0 2  0 0 0   4  7  0
Drawkland        0 3 1  1 0 0  2 0 X   7 10  0

W: T. Silvanus (1-0)
L: New Jarwel's starter
Sv: L. Lockwood (1)

Game MVP: T. Silvanus (6.0 IP, 4 ER, 8 K, 3 BB / 1-for-3, 2 R, 1 RBI, 1 HR, 1BB)

It's almost everything you want on Opening Day. Some good offense, a couple longballs, and a nice performance on the mound. Thanks to a pair of walks and a double seared down the line in the top of the sixth, Tyler Silvanus was unable to capture the quality start. Still, 6 solid innings of work and handing the ball over to the bullpen with a lead (thanks in part to his solo homer in the 4th inning) is a great day of work for the two-way star.

The scoring was opened auspiciously for New Jarwel. A single in the first at-bat, followed by a hit-and-run, a productive groundout, and a sac fly was enough to get them on the board despite Silvanus's best efforts. Ted Honeycutt tied the score with a bang, leading off the bottom of the second with a solo homer to tie the game. This sparked a small rally punctuated with Abram Kavana spanking a double off the wall to go up by two. The bats were really busy in those early innings, with a couple more runs being scratched across (including the aforementioned Silvanus solo shot).

Even though the combination of Brett Sadler, Terenzo McFee, and Lorraine Lockwood combined for one baserunner and zero runs, you never complain about increasing the cushion. Zac MacBay shot a double into the opposite field gap in the bottom of the 7th, scoring both Lane Kavana and Tyler Silvanus to bring the score to its final resting place for 4-7.

Matchday 2                         1 2 3  4 5 6  7 8 9 10  R  H  E
North and South Slavo-Baltia       0 0 0  0 0 3  0 0 0  0  3  6  0
Drawkland                          1 0 0  1 0 0  1 0 0  3  6  8  0

W: R. Butcher (1-0)
L: M. Yardonav

Game MVP: Zac MacBay (2-for-4, 1 R, 2 RBI, 1 2B, 1 HR)

Before the cycle began, few would've expected a close match against debutants North and South Slavo-Baltia. But after their thorough 10-3 dismantling of Tikariot on Opening Day, the Base Corps knew that they'd have a challenge awaiting them. It didn't turn out to be a slugfest. Instead, it was a pretty tight pitcher's duel filled with clutch moments. Besides a couple solo homers scattered in the early innings, the Drawkian bats were quiet. Similarly, the Slavo-Baltic bats were stymied against Andrew Boone's arsenal.

Boone was pitching excellently, allowing only 2 hits through the first five innings ... until the 6th inning. He induced the first two outs of the inning without much issue. Then Radoslav Matousek put together a great at-bat, fouling off 4 pitches in a 7-pitch at-bat that ended with a single grounded sharply up the middle. Boone still had the advantage though, getting the lefty-lefty matchup against Eugen Janda with a chance to end the inning without damage. Janda stood fearlessly in the box, though, and worked the count full. Boone placed a beautiful backdoor slider on the corner ... except the umpire felt it was a little too far outside. Janda laid off the pitch, and trotted to first with a clutch two-out walk. Samo Korosec, playing DH for the day, promptly pounced on the hanging first-pitch sweeper, parking it a couple rows deep in left field. The tables had turned. Drawkland was now trailing 3-2 at home.

Thankfully, this wouldn't hold. Zoran Babic had pitched a great game, but he was finally chased by a game-tying rally in the seventh inning, starting with a Ted Honeycutt double down the line and highlighted with an Alex Gates single. Toni Berzins came in and quieted the lineup quickly, immediately inducing a double play off the bat of Elizabeth Houston. From there, the bullpens of both teams took over, with no runner from either side reaching scoring position through the ninth inning.

Then it came down to extra innings. Robert Butcher came in for the top of the tenth, known for his fearsome aura on the mound and triple digit fastballs. Butcher tore through the Slavo-Baltics in front of him, striking out the side. The momentum could be felt in the stadium, and the Corps would not be denied in the bottom of the inning. Markas Yardonav came in to try and keep the score tied, but it was simply not his night. After both teams featured excellent pitching performances all game, Yardonav couldn't find the strike zone. Elizabeth Houston led off the inning with a walk, and Richelle Shard followed suit. Now Houston was in scoring position, with still no outs. One or two base hits, even a couple productive outs, could finish the game. Cooper Calebs came to the plate, still hitless in the campaign. Yardonav, perhaps a little frustrated with not finding the zone, left a fastball a bit too much over the plate. Calebs took a nice, level hack at it, lining the ball down the left field line for the walkoff three-run shot. Who can complain about that?

Matchday 3           1 2 3  4 5 6  7 8 9   R  H  E
Drawkland            0 1 0  0 0 0  0 0 4  5  x  1
So uh lab here       0 0 0  1 0 0  0 0 2  3  5  0

W: C. Kirkland (1-0)
L: Sulh Reliever
Sv: L. Lockwood (2)

Game MVP: C. Kirkland (8.1 IP, 2 ER, 13 K, 2 BB / 1-for-4, 1 R, 1 RBI)

If you thought the game against North and South Slavo-Baltia was a pitching masterclass, you would've been blown away by Drawkland's first road match of the group stage. Not much is known about the nation So uh lab here (abbreviated as "Sulh" for convenience), but their starter was ramped up and ready to go. So to was Claire Kirkland, the Drawkian fireballer set to toe the rubber in Matchday 3. With not much information known about the Sulh roster or tactics, it's hard to tell if they used the DH at home. Kirkland is known to have a decent bat, nothing like Silvanus, but still resembling a utility bench bat in efficacy. So, Kirkland pleaded her case to skipper Glenn Sutton prior to the game to let her stay in the lineup. He obliged, though given how the offense played through 8 innings, Sutton probably wished he had gone with Silvanus instead for an extra spark.

Despite the top of the lineup going down in order to begin the game, it seemed like the Base Corps was on the right track when Jimmy Todd led off the top of the second with a loud double over the center fielder's head. Alex Gates scored him with an RBI single shortly after. The rest of the Skyhawk foursome went down in order to finish the inning, but it felt like Drawkland's offense was coming alive.

SPOILER ALERT: They didn't come alive, but it didn't matter. Claire Kirkland was absolutely dominant. Her fastball was hitting 100mph consistently, and her slider was decimating the Sulh lineup. Her one hiccup came when she hung a changeup in the fourth inning. It came out a little flat, and though it was certainly slower than the fastball, it caught too much plate. The Sulh power hitter at the dish took advantage of the "BP fastball" and clobbered it dead center to tie the game.

The intensity ramped up from there. Sulh's starter had to leave the game due to a high pitch count after 7 innings, but Kirkland was pitching so well that she was only at 91 pitches through 8 innings, having racked up 13 strikeouts in the process.

A new reliever entered the game for Sulh with the game still tied in the ninth. He managed to get Alex Gates to ground out, but left a fastball on the inner third for Ted Honeycutt. Big Ted turned on it and broke the tie with his second solo homer of the campaign, putting Drawkland back on top. The Corps wasn't done there, either. Zac MacBay may have popped out to make it 2 outs in the inning, but Elizabeth Houston stretched a soft liner to left field into a double to keep the inning alive. Claire Kirkland was due up next, and many expected her to be pinch hit for. She once again pleaded her case to Sutton, and she was allowed to hit for herself in a big spot. She immediately cashed in, lining the first pitch back up the middle for an RBI single and her first hit of this WBC group stage. Back-to-back singles from Frost and Lane Kavana pushed the lead up to 4 runs, and then the inning came to a close.

Claire Kirkland, now sporting a 4-run cushion, came back out to attempt the complete game. Things did not go in her favor. She immediately gave up a double, then walked the next Sulh hitter to put runners on the corners with no outs. She induced a popup in foul territory, and got the next hitter to poke a weak dribbler to first. Ted Honeycutt scooped it, and turned to throw to second to try the game-ending double play. Unfortunately, Ted proceeded to launch the ball 6 feet to the right of Aaron Frost at the second base bag. The runner from third scored, the runner from first got to third, and the play ended with no outs. Now it was 5-2 with still runners at the corners and one out, so Kirkland reluctantly left the mound when Sutton came out. Lorraine Lockwood came in, allowed a sacrifice fly to the first batter, then struck out the final batter to finish the game.

It was a peculiar game, a pitcher's duel that nearly fell apart for both teams right at the end, but a win's a win. Kirkland's performance, though it was marred in the ninth inning, was definitely the best start in the early going of this campaign. Hopefully that momentum will carry the Corps to perform well against Tikariot at home, one of the most important games of the cycle coming in Matchday 4.

by **Taxonomic Kingdoms** » Fri Aug 02, 2024 11:01 pm

Maniraptora wasn't that close to Hell, but sometimes the storms that brewed around the Lake of Fire could travel a long way. The dinosaurs and their Panayense visitors woke to hurricane force winds, booming thunder, and horizontal soot-blackened rain ripping through the town. "There's no way we can play in this weather!" Tarchia complained.

"Maybe the birds will clear the storm for us?" Eoraptor suggested hopefully.

Parasaurolophus let out a mournful call, summoning the loon goddess Gavia Immer. Parasaurolophus and Gavia weren't close friends because friendship can only exist among equals, but they had known each other for a long time and they often discussed music because they both had similar tastes. Parasaurolophus bowed to Gavia and apologetically asked if she could spare a moment to clear the skies. Without a word, Gavia reared up and flapped her wings and the clouds parted. The rain stopped and dazzling sunlight spilled through the break in the clouds. "Thank you, my beautiful goddess," Parasaurolophus said gratefully.

"It's no trouble," said Gavia. She took to the sky, and the gap in the clouds widened to make way for her.

The weather was still unsettled and windy, but the ground was already dry enough for fielding practice by the time the teams arrived at the Colosseum. While the players got warmed up, a team of troodontids went through the stands wiping down the seats to remove the sooty sulfurous sludge dropped by the storm.

The Maniraptora Colosseum wasn't the easiest place to hit home runs. It was a good-sized stadium, and the ball had to be pretty high in the air to keep it out of the reach of Dilophosaurus and Gallimimus. But on this particular afternoon, the wind blowing out toward center field made it a little easier, and the Panayenses had a couple of power hitters who were well-equipped to capitalize on this.

The dinosaurs had a respectable offense of their own. Kunbarrasaurus hit a two run homer in the bottom of the 4th. The dinos kept the momentum going in the 5th, quickly loading the bases with Deinonychus on 1st, Gallimimus on 2nd, and Tarchia on 3rd. They thought about putting in a pinch runner since Tarchia was one of the slowest runners in the history of the WBC, but they were reluctant to pull Tarchia because she was a solid defensive catcher and they were only halfway through the game. Dilophosaurus hit a long line drive. In the dugout, Dromaeosaurus shook his head as he watched Tarchia lumbering toward home plate. Gallimimus stopped at 3rd, afraid he would get stuck behind Tarchia and tagged out if he tried to score. Deinonychus was halfway to 3rd before he noticed that Gallimimus had stopped. He had to hastily turn around and scamper back to 2nd.

"We could have scored 3 runs instead of 1 if you put me in!" Dromaeosaurus complained.

Tarchia plopped down in the dug out and sat there looking sheepish.

Velociraptor proceeded to hit a foul ball off her own foot, hard enough to crack one of her claws. She hopped around making sad chirping noises, but insisted she could still play. "I'm not going to quit just because I broke a nail!" she insisted. On the next pitch she hit into a double play, getting both herself and Gallimimus thrown out. Dromaeosaurus rolled his eyes as Velociraptor hopped back to the dugout, still making sad chirping noises. The two dromaeosaurs spent several minutes squawking at each other and puffing their feathers before Velociraptor finally agreed that Dromaeosaurus could replace her at 3rd. Coelophysis struck out to end the inning.

The dinosaurs took the lead with a two run rally in the bottom of the 6th, but soon lost it again when the Panayenses hit a grand slam in the top of the 7th.

by **Sarzonia** » Sat Aug 03, 2024 8:52 am

Not again...

Even though Sarzonian national baseball team manager Desmond St. John was familiar enough with the ebbs and flows of the sport as a player and now a manager, he still had that thought creep in his mind when Vaishnavaria jumped out to a two-run first inning lead.

Fortunately for St. John and Sarzonia, the Stars showed some life and a lot more fight than they demonstrated in their previous two contests, putting up two big innings en route to an 8-6 victory that did more than just even the side's record to 2-2.

St. John had done everything he could think of to feign a stoic demeanor, but the two losses to Zwangzug and United Mandarin States were killing him inside. He knew that facing the two ranked opponents in Group 5 meant victories were unlikely, but still. He was a ballplayer recently enough to still feel his competitive juices flow.

When Harry Mills squeezed Dan King's 1-2 slider for the final out, St. John pumped his right fist and smiled broadly. He was thus far staying the course, and Incorporated Baseball Federation chairman Ned Colletti and technical director Jeff Parrish were staying with him. Colletti and Parrish both didn't see a need to issue a vote of confidence in the young bench boss, aware that such a move often portended a firing.

St. John would have a later opportunity to ponder his team's scoring a combined three runs against the two ranked teams and the fact that Sarzonia scored 17 runs against the two unranked foes in the group. More troubling for him and veteran pitching coach Calen George was the fact that both unranked sides scored seven, then six runs against their pitching staff.

Alton Long would get the ball for the team's return to Fleetwood Park in Woodstock, and both men hoped the lone holdover from the previous Sarzonian World Baseball Classic team would provide veteran leadership and give the beleaguered bullpen some badly-needed rest. They would need the rest because St. John planned to employ a bullpen game against Caribbia on Matchday Six. Erstwhile ace Mike Rowe was back from suspension but he wasn't going to just slide back into the rotation afterwards.

He'd have to earn his way back into the team's good graces, especially shortstop Jaia Thornton, who still was angry about Rowe's outburst on Matchday One. Even a hash-it-out session bore no fruit, as neither Thornton nor Rowe were willing or able to just let bygones go.

It would have to wait. Right now, the team was focusing on the next match. And St. John already had enough fires to put out.

by **Milchama** » Sat Aug 03, 2024 9:07 am

"Well we finally had to use the bullpen."

"Yeah, I guess but that was only because the offense sucked"

"True"

"I mean Garrick pitched 9 innings, we only needed the bullpen once we got to extras"

"True"

"And we only used Ha'Adomim anyway"

"Also true"

"So, even so we're still pitching well"

"Yeah but I'm worried about the offense"

"I would also be worried about the offense that wasn't a great game and we haven't really been beating teams badly"

"I don't know it doesn't seem that worrying, to win 3-0 is just as good as winning 10-0"

"I guess that's fair"

"And with the small sample size of this group stage it's fine because any win is a good win. I mean we're undefeated up two games through 40% of the group stage, that's very good"

"That's true"

"And that's what we want/what we need, win and advance until we get to the semi finals and inevitably fail"

"Well maybe we can do better this time, the pitching has certainly been good enough"

"Definitely"

"So we're in a good spot all things considered and that's all that we can do"

"True, if we keep winning than everything will be alright"

"Basically"

"So what do we need then?"

"Victory!"

"Glorious Victory!"

"So much Victory!"

"All of the Victory!"

"Victory!"

"Victory!"

"Glorious Victory!"

by **Avisora** » Sat Aug 03, 2024 10:55 am

Rough debut for Avisora in WBC 59

Image from Minor League Baseball
Pikwee, Central, Avisora

The Community's hopes were somewhat high after a grat first international performance from the football squad. Things couldn't be any more different in the baseball team's first official tournament. A tough 3-4 loss against Srednjaci, in which Tony Almaraz gave up all 4 runs, cements the Penguins at the bottom of the Group A table. Both sides of the ball have been lackluster, giving up 23 runs while scoring only 8. If anyone deserves to be highlighted so far, it's young outfielder Mimo Kurram, who's gotten a hit in all 4 games and has driven in 4 of the 8 runs the Penguins have scored. Fans back home are starting to tune out, waiting for the winter sports to continue in the south as all competitions have been paused for the international tournaments.

Avisoran baseball is in their infancy, this relatively young squad is full of amateurs who have never faced some of the taller and stronger opponents they've faced so far in the tournament. The Community is hoping for some better pitching performances that might allow the offense to wake up and deliver at least one win in the remaining 6 games.

Stay tuned for more Avisoran baseball!

by **Kamijiro** » Sat Aug 03, 2024 2:59 pm

Kamijiroan Diamond IX, Part IV: We Like to Party!

Following the tight win against Libonesia away from home, the Kamijiroans came home straight away. A private charter plane with the tag "DIX" (Diamond IX, but also, well, you know - suggested by everybody's favorite "Devil King") landed at Miraisaki International and the players slowly staggered out, tired from both their game and their long-haul flight. They didn't have to be anywhere for a while - for the most part, players checked into the airport's hotel and waited for their layover to East Jiro via island hopper. However, the local Miraisaki lads (and the ones from the surrounding area, to include Aoshima and Iyo) decided to just go home for a little while.

Or, well, three of the four of them went to Atsuji "Red Wolf" Akaminai's apartment. Daijiro "Island" Kamada went home to his own place, not wanting at all to be caught around inner Miraisaki at that time of night. Red Wolf had promised his team captain, Orielle "Main's d'Or" de Côteaux nothing but their best behavior, but their best is still probably not what Orielle had in mind. However, he was going to hold his friends accountable for the game against Abanhfleft.

"They're number eleven in the fuckin' world." Atsuji said to Maou "Devil King" Ashiya and Tenshi "Death's Hand" Hikari. "That means our partyin' tonight ain't gonna be the normal kinda partyin' for us. No powder, one or two drinks each. Maybe a smoke or two. Got it?"

Maou and Tenshi looked to each other, puzzled. Was this really the same ruthless Atsuji that had garnered the name "Red Wolf" through strong-arming his way to the top of the street scene?

Red Wolf didn't like the looks on their faces. "You're supposed to say, "Yes, Atsuji."

Instead, what Maou asked next turned him Atsuji enough in the face to rival his deep-crimson hair.

"If I didn't know better, I'd say you're going soft on us. But no, that can't be it. You've got yourself a little crush, don't ya, Atsuji?"

Tenshi immediately chimed in with a childish "Ooooouu... Atsuji has a crush on the team captain!"

This, of course, immediately pissed Atsuji off. "Shut the fuck up!" He howled, his face turning redder and redder with every second. "Shut up or I'll gut ya both like some goddamn fish!"

With that, the situation immediately simmered down. But Maou had to know. "Well, am I right? Tenshi and I won't make fun of you, swear."

Atsuji just nodded. "Yeah. I do. Guilty as charged. But if either of you say a single word to anybody about this..." He flicked his switchblade open for emphasis before drawing a line across his throat. "Can't let the rest of the team have somethin' on me, or else we're gonna lose their respect."

Tenshi and Maou silently nodded, agreeing. The rest of that night was spent sober and playing cards, with a bedtime that normally would be considered early for these bunch - two in the morning. The next morning, the trio woke up to a stern knock on the door. It was Lucian "Silk White" Belvedere. "There you three are. You're late for the connection to East Jiro. Come with me. Now."

"How the hell did you know where to find us?" Atsuji asked, his voice low as he pulled Lucian into his apartment. "And don't stand out there. You don't wanna attract the attention of anybody else in this entire damn building, let me tell you." Lucian stumbled in and Atsuji closed the door. "Tell me how you found us. It's a matter of my security if you was able to to just look me up."

"Easy, easy," replied Lucian, his white skin almost glowing from all of the various neon signage hung up around Atsuji's pad. "Even if I told you, you would never believe me, anyway. So just trust me when I say it wasn't by looking you up or anything, okay?"

"Fine. As long as you promise me, pretty boy." Red Wolf said, his voice easing up slightly. "I'll get Maou. You go get Tenshi, he's in the spare bedroom."

A few minutes later, and the four of them were off back to the airport. Tenshi drove his so-called "piece of crap" sedan all the way to the private flight hangar, where Orielle was waiting for them. With a sheepish nod, Atsuji said, "Sorry for the delay, ya highness."

Orielle said nothing, just looked at them for a moment before ducking her head into the front passenger-side window. After a moment, she replied, "Well done, Atsuji. I'm honestly impressed. None of you are drunk or high at all and it looks like you got good sleep. I didn't think you had it in ya. Oh, and also, I'm tired of the highness nickname. Pick something else." At that, she turned on her heel and strode off to the small plane waiting to take the team to East Jiro for their matchup against Abanhfleft that night.

Atsuji had the slightest of dusting of a blush on his cheeks, but Maou and Tenshi knew better than to even so much as point it out. Especially not in front of Lucian, who had been sitting, staring out the window in the backseat for the entire ride to the airport. He unbuckled his seatbelt and hopped out, striding off to the plane without a word. "Guess we oughta follow their lead, huh? Park the car, Tenshi." Maou said, hopping out as well as Atsuji followed suit. Tenshi parked his car in the private lot and jogged over to the plane, the last one on - just like his role on the field.

The warmups went by smoothly, with the brand-new speakers ready to roll, playing a mix of tunes in French, English and Japanese. The Abanhfleft side needed help finding the field, so the Sun King and Sun Queen, Ryuji and Emi Phaëthon were once again sent to collect them. For the first time ever, the national anthem was played over the speakers before a baseball game, as the Kamijiroans bowed their heads in reverence. As the last note played, Orielle "Mains d'or" de Côteaux took a deep breath. It's showtime.

Her first inning as a switch pitcher went perfectly, switching between right and left with each batter as needed - and the fans loved it. The bottom of the first saw the Sun King get on base with a nicely-placed double into the alley on the right. He was going to round for third but slipped and stayed. He was brought in by his sister, the Sun Queen. The side was retired after Markus "Corner Pocket" Blaauw struck out looking. A 1-0 lead through one.

The third inning is where the Kamijiroans came to life. After Orielle gave up her first run in the top of the inning, the Lightning struck back with three in the bottom, with Félix "Knee Socks" Cavaco driving in Maou "Devil King" Ashiya and Magurix "Wings" Gaëtan. Félix himself was driven in by a lined double from Lucian "Silk White" Belvedere, but both he and "Little Emperor" Sarre was left stranded at the end of the inning.

The bats stayed red-hot in the bottom of the fourth following another great inning from Orielle. "Island" Kamada was walked to open the inning and "Devil King" Ashiya hit a single after that. Magurix "Wings" Gaëtan hit a three-run homer to bring everybody home, but the top of the lineup failed to drive in any more runs, with all three of Knee Socks, the Sun King and the Sun Queen popping out.

Orielle gave up one more run in the top of the fifth, but that was offset by solo homers from "Little Emperor" Sarre and "Silk White" Belvedere. Orielle was taken off in favor of Shousuke "Ice Cold" Takagi, who pitched a scoreless top of the sixth inning. The Kamijiroan bats froze up after this, though - they had put up nine runs, which should normally be good for a win. Takagi gave up a run in both the top of the seventh and eighth, before Tenshi "Death's Hand" Hikari made his appearance. Hikari struck out the first batter, hit the second one by mistake and then forced a double play to end the game.

A polite smattering of applause from the home fans was more than enough praise for the all-amateur side, who waved to the fans in thanks for them coming out. In the post-game interview, Orielle just said "onto the next." And so, onto The Fortem.

Les Jeux Sont Faits!

(O.O) · by **TJUN-ia** » Sat Aug 03, 2024 3:14 pm

After taking our first L by way of walf-off, the Battin' Jagaurs were now 2-1 - not perfect, but not exactly in crisis mode either. That game in Juldonia was nothing short of a chaotic mess that we couldn't escape from no matter how hard we tried...but all is not lost because of one walk-off bomb. Everyone knew we still had 7 games left to get into those Playoffs we so desperately want to return to...but as long as we believed in our abilities, everything would be OK. Right?

Back to Rounders Field in Portside for a date with Dhemixia, with Joseph "JoJo" McAlbo starting against Hayden Young. This game ended up being decided all the way in the in the 4th and 5th innings and went something like this: Jaxson St. James home run, Santino Fenatti solo bomb, 2-run bomb from Kassandra Dawson, Khin Marlar Tun's response...and then that's that, All that hype of a comeback only for the Serpents to strangle us at home, 3-2. Pain is the worst when it is a slow burn.

2-2. Now shit is starting to get serious now. We head to Super-Llamaland with hope starting to fade...but we cannot lose hope, not just yet. We cannot give up! Not now, not ever! 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 L 2-3 (4th)
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 **The Kytler Peninsulae** » Sat Aug 03, 2024 3:23 pm

This audio RP covers the top of the sixth inning of the Phoenix-Elephants game on RTX Radio, with announcer Brendan Thompson having to make an embarrassing statement.

by **Diarcesia** » Sat Aug 03, 2024 4:24 pm

The Marionets were given a warm sendoff by the fans in attendance as they acknowledge the unranked away team's first ever WBC win. A win is a win, but it was not without its issues.

"That pitcher really had our number," remarked Erle Avery as he leaned back onto his chair inside their locker room. "I could barely make contact with my swings."

"It's like an artillery shell!" Cepher (Cephorus) Rervvo chimed in.

"I know what you mean," replied Michael Bunodochus while taking off one shoe after another using only his toes. Now that they were finally off, he flexed his toes and went on, "the way the ball moves... it's like a sentient curveball. That's just criminal."

"Well," Galatea Mataracı interjected, carrying bottles of water for players who haven't hydrated yet. "I'll call it an 'Eraser Ball', like how you clean up a blackboard."

The group exchanged curious glances towards one another.

"It's very hard to hit because of its peculiar movement; very deadly when thrown by someone who knows what they're doing. They managed to keep you guys on your toes throughout the game and we couldn't figure out how to approach them at bat."

"At least we held them off at the last inning. We're done for had we gone through an extra," Michael smiled.

AI-generated; Left to Right: Erle Avery, Grimbert Severin, obscured by Cacoctone Argyris, Michael Bunodochus, Cepher Rervvo, Galatea Mataracı

by **Dhemixia** » Sat Aug 03, 2024 4:34 pm

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Columbus Dominion(Est.1873)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Serpents get whacked by Tigers, Recover against Battin' Jags

Yikes, this group stage is not starting the way the Serpents want it to, and it is on the verge of going downhill fast. 1-2 against 2 unranked teams and the #4 Super-Llamaland is NOT good, especially when you have a -6 run differential, and your only win was a 1-run game, just barely fending off a comeback attempt. With the schedule toughening, it's not going to get any easier to pull out a win from here on out, so the Serpents desperately need to adapt and find a way to win some ballgames.

Cael Robertson went 5.2 innings, allowing SIX runs on 8 hits, whilst once again, the bullpen was steady, and the offense was dormant. For the second consecutive game, the show on offense was run by Terry Hjalmarsson, putting another one over the fence, and going 4-4, contributing HALF of the Serpents' hits on the night. Inconsistency like this is what is ruining this group stage for the Serpents, and losing them close games.

Moving to MD4, and the Serpents might be back folks. Beating the #13 ranked team in recent WBC performance, @ the #13 ranked team in recent WBC performance is a hard thing to do, especially when you lose to unranked Juldonia 2 games before, but such is life for the WBC 59 Serpents, wildly inconsistent, but when they do show up, they only show up part of the time, and only in big games.

This inconsistency shows, only scoring 3 runs the whole game, winning by 1, and keeping their run differential at -6 while they're 2-2. Hayden Young had a stellar performance at Rounders Field going 7.1 innings of 2-run ball on only 4 hits allowed, complimented by the lockdown bullpen doing its' job once again, and LPB closer Alexandra Graham recording her second save of the WBC, in a rare pitching performance that put all of the individual greatness together, and allowed the offense, no matter how little support it gave, to still let them win this game.

Speaking of the offense, it was entirely run by 2 people. LPB SS Jaxson St. James, who has little to no pop on his bat, and still managed to go 2-3 with a solo HR, and Kassandra Dawson, going 2-4 with the game-winning 2-run BOMB, leaving the bat at an astounding 109.3 MPH, and going 446 FEET. If that's not a demolition, I don't know what is. Performances like MD4 and MD3 reinforce the point that the Serpents' offense isn't a coordinated unit, and that individual greatness, or people trying to entirely carry the team on their back, is the only offense they have. Like the pitching proved against TJUN-ia, it is possible to put the pieces together, it's just hard to be consistently like that when it happens.

Looking into the future, though, Dhemixian Ace Jack Guzman and the Serpents will come back home under the lights to duel with Pete Lord and his unusually slumping Hapilopper squad in MD5. Will Pete Lord break through and help his squad to their first win in the group stage, or will Jack Guzman lock it down and aid in a second consecutive ranked upset? We'll just have to wait and see what happens under the lights at Brigantine Park.

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)~~ L 2-7
~~@ TJUN-ia (Hayden Young vs. Joseph McAlbo)~~ W 3-2
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** » Sat Aug 03, 2024 5:23 pm

I should really start writing earlier. Minor housekeeping note, Brandon Jackson starts game five and I’ll figure out the rest later.

logo credit: Sacha

Newport Dolphins Preview

Starting Pitchers
SP Althea Bronca-Steat (Zwangzug)
SP Erin Snair-Gannof (Zwangzug)
SP Jael Ballin (Ha'Yarok)
SP Yash Bauer (South Newlandia)
SP Benadita Wright (South Newlandia)
6th SP Nicholas Cox (South Newlandia)
Bullpen
RP Jolene McIntyre (Zwangzug)
RP Tenli Food (Milchama)
RP Boom Tekblam (Milchama)
RP Emilia Fuchs (South Newlandia)
RP Sung Kim (South Newlandia)
RP Matt Decker (South Newlandia)

Starting Fielders
C Zane Gestetner (Ha'Yarok)
1B Tommy Gulnoi-Kedren (Zwangzug)
2B Tali Mironer (Milchama)
SS Atori Cragun (Zwangzug)
3B Angela Bengtsson (Super-Llamaland)
LF Erin Guthrie (Super-Llamaland)
CF Batya Jones (Milchama)
RF Bradley Petre-Sherman (Zwangzug)
DH Tiffany Grey (South Newlandia)
Bench players
C Eva Mercier (South Newlandia)
DH/1B Kurt Sweet (South Newlandia)
SS Jake Persson (Super-Llamaland)
CF Alice Hansen (South Newlandia)
UTIL Francis X. Buntazzo (Super-Llamaland)

The Dolphins are in the midst of the biggest dynasty modern South Newlandian baseball has ever seen. They’ve made the playoffs for six consecutive seasons at this point, never missing them once in the LPB era, and won two championships. The last two seasons, though, they fell short in the SNLCS both times, and the team of manager Zwangzugian Ernest Telyatin looks like it might be on the decline after all this time.

Granted, that’s what people have been saying about the Dolphins for nearly a decade at this point. This time, they do have to work through a lot of roster churn, though, with only so much money available to spend on new players after losing a long list.

Former Zwangzugian Evan Masorka winner Julian Mecc-Sanders has retired alongside his Rebra teammate, Leslie Caell-Amoy. In free agency, Elephant Nolan Ramsey upset the natural order of the league by signing with the hated cross-town rival Owls, and infielders Jack Goodson and Ludwig Schwarz, each valuable role players, have joined division rivals as well. Tobias Wagner Jr. has also left, dealt to Kyrinson for a draft pick.

Still, the Fins found room to add new players. They packaged that earlier pick with another to acquire star South Newlandian hitter Tiffany Grey, who had become disgruntled with the Flames being the Flames, and they promoted Alice Hansen from the AAA Lexen City Rebels as outfield depth. The big additions, meanwhile, came from outside the LPB. They added another Zwangzugian Zebra, left-hander Erin Snair-Gannof. The player with the name that looks like it would spell something backwards was most recently active in Ko-oren. Additionally, the signed another Milchamian Warrior as well, giving a big contract to Tali Mironer to play second base. Besides that, a lot of the roster movement affected less important players. A large chunk of the core of this team that had been so successful remains together, but there are more cracks than this team is used to.

The pitching rotation has been a but top-heavy already, and while the loss of Mecc-Sanders is more or less offset with the addition of Snair-Gannof, the loss of Myron Pacheco, who signed with the Chariots in Free Agency, is going to sting a little. This team does have the two Zebras headlining, and Bronca-Steat and Snair-Gannof aren’t pitchers anyone would like to face. Bronca-Steat is the reigning Evan Masorka award winner, after all, and Snair-Gannof should be just about as good. Behind them, though, they have only Jael Ballin of Ha’Yarok and right-hander Yash Bauer, who’ve been fine at best for the Dolphins; and behind those guys, things only get worse.
The bullpen is in a similar position. The quartet that had been so successful for them there has been reduced to a trio with the loss of Caell-Amoy, but should still be solid; McIntyre, Tenli Food and veteran Boom Tekblam make up a strong grouping, but you can only get so many innings from them at this point. It would be helpful if this team had any sort of other bullpen help, but as it stands, they do not.

The lineup is where the Dolphins still shine. Although they feature a few weaknesses, they are still star-studded, starting with Zebras Tommy Gulnoi-Kedren and Bradley Petre-Sherman, each perennial All-Star candidates and strong hitters near the top of the order. Their fellow Zebra, Atori Cragun, is entering the later stages of her career, but remains a very valuable shortstop, providing value on both sides of the ball. The team feels similarly about its two Warriors, who are the other two players on the up-the-middle positions. Batya Jones has been excellent for this team ever since she arrived, and Tali Mironer will likely have a similar impact, anchoring second base for the team. Tiffany Grey’s abilities were well demonstrated with the Flames, where she’s hit extremely well for six seasons. Now, she’s likely looking forward to playing for a team that can actually win. There’s also the ever-underappreciated Angela Bengtsson, also a long-time standout at third base for a few different teams. Her skillset should really have given her more chances with the Tigers than she’s received.
Backstop Gestetner, who at least certainly makes Ballin better, and veteran outfielder Erin Guthrie are the weaknesses here, arguably, and the Dolphins have gotten good seasons out of each of them in the past. The bench is also rather unremarkable; bringing in veteran Kurt Sweet is unlikely to move the fortunes of this team one way or the other.

The AAA team, the Lexen City Rebels, isn’t even in as bad of a shape as you’d expect for a team that has been happily trading away any draft picks in their reach. Their headliner at the moment is left-hander Lily Kirkpatrick, who holds both South Newlandian and Super-Llamanean citizenship, and has impressed mostly with her off-speed stuff before being drafted in the first round. The team also features Osterhalten outfielder Keenan Cooley, a defensive standout with REU. Both of them are 23 and 22, respectively, so its not implausible that we may see both of them in Newport if the Dolphins are, as they usually tend to be, competitive.

by **Zwangzug** » Sat Aug 03, 2024 6:07 pm

Halfway home, and we'll be there by morning...

As a reminder, tomorrow is an off day. Scorination will resume in 48 hours.

Group 1

Srednjaci                          0 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 0  3
Yakk                               0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0  2

Quebec and Shingoryeo              1 0 6 3 2 3 0 2 0 17
Avisora                            0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0  1

Eshialand                          2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0  3
Crpostran                          1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 2  5

* Group 1                           Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD 
1 Quebec and Shingoryeo               5    5   0    40    7  +33
2 Crpostran                           5    4   1    28    9  +19
3 Eshialand                           5    3   2    25   17   +8
4 Srednjaci                           5    2   3    11   21  −10
5 Yakk                                5    1   4     9   28  −19
6 Avisora                             5    0   5     9   40  −31

Group 2

New Jarwel                         0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0
North and South Slavo-Baltia       0 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 X  3

Drawkland                          2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 1  5
StrayaRoos                         0 0 2 0 1 0 1 0 0 0  4

So uh lab here                     0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0  1
Tikariot                           0 0 0 0 0 2 3 0 X  5

* Group 2                           Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD 
1 Drawkland                           5    4   1    27   20   +7
2 North and South Slavo-Baltia        5    3   2    26   17   +9
3 So uh lab here                      5    3   2    19   19    0
4 Tikariot                            5    3   2    25   24   +1
5 New Jarwel                          5    1   4    20   31  −11
6 StrayaRoos                          5    1   4    14   20   −6

Group 3

TJUN-ia                            2 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1  4
Super-Llamaland                    0 2 0 0 2 4 0 0 X  8

Hapilopper                         0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0  1
Dhemixia                           0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0

HaIvrim                            0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 1 0 0  6
Juldonia                           1 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 1  7

* Group 3                           Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD 
1 Super-Llamaland                     5    5   0    36   16  +20
2 Juldonia                            5    4   1    29   29    0
3 Dhemixia                            5    2   3    12   18   −6
4 TJUN-ia                             5    2   3    24   27   −3
5 HaIvrim                             5    1   4    24   26   −2
6 Hapilopper                          5    1   4    16   25   −9

Group 4
Holy Marsh                         0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 0  3
Liventia                           0 2 0 1 0 0 0 1 X  4

Ardsk                              0 0 3 0 0 0 2 2 0  7
Valanora                           0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0

Fezziktopia                        0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0  3
Milchama                           0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2  2

* Group 4                           Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD 
1 Milchama                            5    4   1    22    7  +15
2 Fezziktopia                         5    3   2    23   21   +2
3 Ardsk                               5    3   2    21   11  +10
4 Liventia                            5    3   2    13   18   −5
5 Valanora                            5    2   3    12   22  −10
6 Holy Marsh                          5    0   5    11   23  −12

Group 5

Vaishnavaria                       0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0
United States of Nova Calania      0 2 0 1 1 0 0 3 X  7

Oclea                              1 0 0 0 1 0 2 1 0  5
Sarzonia                           0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0

Caribbia                           0 0 2 0 2 2 0 0 0  6
Zwangzug                           1 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0  3

* Group 5                           Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD 
1 United States of Nova Calania       5    5   0    22    7  +15
2 Zwangzug                            5    3   2    31   16  +15
3 Sarzonia                            5    2   3    20   28   −8
4 Vaishnavaria                        5    2   3    24   36  −12
5 Caribbia                            5    2   3    24   24    0
6 Oclea                               5    1   4    18   28  −10

Group 6

Ochre Islands                      1 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 1  6
South Americanastan                0 0 2 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  5

Kamijiro                           0 0 3 1 0 1 2 0 0  7
The Fortem                         0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0

Libonesia                          1 0 2 0 2 0 0 0 0  5
Abanhfleft                         0 2 0 7 1 1 0 0 X 11

* Group 6                           Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD 
1 Kamijiro                            5    4   1    30   20  +10
2 South Americanastan                 5    3   2    23   18   +5
3 Abanhfleft                          5    3   2    35   24  +11
4 The Fortem                          5    2   3    15   24   −9
5 Ochre Islands                       5    2   3    20   30  −10
6 Libonesia                           5    1   4    23   30   −7

Group 7

Kronbia                            0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0
Farfadillis                        0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 X  2

Mercatoren                         0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1  1
Ko-oren                            0 0 5 0 0 1 2 1 X  9

Dod Rava                           0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1  1
The 189                            0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2  2

* Group 7                           Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD 
1 Ko-oren                             5    3   2    39   18  +21
2 Mercatoren                          5    3   2    16   15   +1
3 The 189                             5    3   2    16   21   −5
4 Dod Rava                            5    3   2    17   14   +3
5 Farfadillis                         5    2   3    15   26  −11
6 Kronbia                             5    1   4    10   19   −9

Group 8

South Newlandia                    0 0 11 0 0 0 0 0 0 11
Panay Islands and Guimaras         0 0  0 2 1 0 0 0 2  5

Dotivija                           0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0  1
The Kytler Peninsulae              1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 X  2

Taxonomic Kingdoms                 2 0 0 1 0 2 0 0 0  5
Equestria                          1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  1

* Group 8                           Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD 
1 South Newlandia                     5    5   0    54   14  +40
2 The Kytler Peninsulae               5    4   1    28   18  +10
3 Panay Islands and Guimaras          5    2   3    22   31   −9
4 Taxonomic Kingdoms                  5    2   3    18   33  −15
5 Equestria                           5    1   4    13   27  −14
6 Dotivija                            5    1   4    15   27  −12

Group 9

Kanmer                             0 0 1 0 0 2 0 0 0  3
Oscioru                            0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0

Nationy Mcstateface                0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0  2
Diarcesia                          0 0 0 0 0 1 2 5 X  8

Zug um Zug                         0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0  1
Banija                             0 0 0 3 0 0 1 0 X  4

* Group 9                           Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD 
1 Banija                              5    5   0    40   15  +25
2 Zug um Zug                          5    3   2    24   18   +6
3 Diarcesia                           5    2   3    24   32   −8
4 Kanmer                              5    2   3    16   17   −1
5 Nationy Mcstateface                 5    2   3    15   25  −10
6 Oscioru                             5    1   4    17   29  −12

by **Panay Islands and Guimaras** » Sat Aug 03, 2024 7:30 pm

A SOUTH NEWLANDIAN BEATING AGAINST THE PANAYENSES
Zwischen, Zwangzug

The match starting with a pitch from Rolando Santiago, who scored 3 strikeout, surprising the South Newlandians for what they've seen. But not until the 3rd inning, scoring a whopping 11 runs against Leonardo Jang. But the Panayenses tried to bounce back with a homerun by Yoo, but by 2 runs in the 4th inning. Even the Panayenses did their best to beat a powerhouse, but they blew it. "Well, we lost by 6 point. But we hope we have a silver lining to end our campaign with a high note and hope we'll go to the next round.", says Solórzano. "Hope we could win our last group match." The Panayenses will face their last game in the group stages against Equestria.

by **The Fortem** » Sat Aug 03, 2024 7:47 pm

Zwangzug wrote:Halfway home, and we'll be there by morning...

As a reminder, tomorrow is an off day. Scorination will resume in 48 hours.

Group 1

Srednjaci                          0 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 0  3
Yakk                               0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0  2

Quebec and Shingoryeo              1 0 6 3 2 3 0 2 0 17
Avisora                            0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0  1

Eshialand                          2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0  3
Crpostran                          1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 2  5

* Group 1                           Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD 
1 Quebec and Shingoryeo               5    5   0    40    7  +33
2 Crpostran                           5    4   1    28    9  +19
3 Eshialand                           5    3   2    25   17   +8
4 Srednjaci                           5    2   3    11   21  −10
5 Yakk                                5    1   4     9   28  −19
6 Avisora                             5    0   5     9   40  −31

Group 2

New Jarwel                         0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0
North and South Slavo-Baltia       0 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 X  3

Drawkland                          2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 1  5
StrayaRoos                         0 0 2 0 1 0 1 0 0 0  4

So uh lab here                     0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0  1
Tikariot                           0 0 0 0 0 2 3 0 X  5

* Group 2                           Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD 
1 Drawkland                           5    4   1    27   20   +7
2 North and South Slavo-Baltia        5    3   2    26   17   +9
3 So uh lab here                      5    3   2    19   19    0
4 Tikariot                            5    3   2    25   24   +1
5 New Jarwel                          5    1   4    20   31  −11
6 StrayaRoos                          5    1   4    14   20   −6

Group 3

TJUN-ia                            2 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1  4
Super-Llamaland                    0 2 0 0 2 4 0 0 X  8

Hapilopper                         0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0  1
Dhemixia                           0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0

HaIvrim                            0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 1 0 0  6
Juldonia                           1 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 1  7

* Group 3                           Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD 
1 Super-Llamaland                     5    5   0    36   16  +20
2 Juldonia                            5    4   1    29   29    0
3 Dhemixia                            5    2   3    12   18   −6
4 TJUN-ia                             5    2   3    24   27   −3
5 HaIvrim                             5    1   4    24   26   −2
6 Hapilopper                          5    1   4    16   25   −9

Group 4
Holy Marsh                         0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 0  3
Liventia                           0 2 0 1 0 0 0 1 X  4

Ardsk                              0 0 3 0 0 0 2 2 0  7
Valanora                           0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0

Fezziktopia                        0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0  3
Milchama                           0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2  2

* Group 4                           Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD 
1 Milchama                            5    4   1    22    7  +15
2 Fezziktopia                         5    3   2    23   21   +2
3 Ardsk                               5    3   2    21   11  +10
4 Liventia                            5    3   2    13   18   −5
5 Valanora                            5    2   3    12   22  −10
6 Holy Marsh                          5    0   5    11   23  −12

Group 5

Vaishnavaria                       0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0
United States of Nova Calania      0 2 0 1 1 0 0 3 X  7

Oclea                              1 0 0 0 1 0 2 1 0  5
Sarzonia                           0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0

Caribbia                           0 0 2 0 2 2 0 0 0  6
Zwangzug                           1 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0  3

* Group 5                           Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD 
1 United States of Nova Calania       5    5   0    22    7  +15
2 Zwangzug                            5    3   2    31   16  +15
3 Sarzonia                            5    2   3    20   28   −8
4 Vaishnavaria                        5    2   3    24   36  −12
5 Caribbia                            5    2   3    24   24    0
6 Oclea                               5    1   4    18   28  −10

Group 6

Ochre Islands                      1 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 1  6
South Americanastan                0 0 2 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  5

Kamijiro                           0 0 3 1 0 1 2 0 0  7
The Fortem                         0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0

Libonesia                          1 0 2 0 2 0 0 0 0  5
Abanhfleft                         0 2 0 7 1 1 0 0 X 11

* Group 6                           Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD 
1 Kamijiro                            5    4   1    30   20  +10
2 South Americanastan                 5    3   2    23   18   +5
3 Abanhfleft                          5    3   2    35   24  +11
4 The Fortem                          5    2   3    15   24   −9
5 Ochre Islands                       5    2   3    20   30  −10
6 Libonesia                           5    1   4    23   30   −7

Group 7

Kronbia                            0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0
Farfadillis                        0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 X  2

Mercatoren                         0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1  1
Ko-oren                            0 0 5 0 0 1 2 1 X  9

Dod Rava                           0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1  1
The 189                            0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2  2

* Group 7                           Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD 
1 Ko-oren                             5    3   2    39   18  +21
2 Mercatoren                          5    3   2    16   15   +1
3 The 189                             5    3   2    16   21   −5
4 Dod Rava                            5    3   2    17   14   +3
5 Farfadillis                         5    2   3    15   26  −11
6 Kronbia                             5    1   4    10   19   −9

Group 8

South Newlandia                    0 0 11 0 0 0 0 0 0 11
Panay Islands and Guimaras         0 0  0 2 1 0 0 0 2  5

Dotivija                           0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0  1
The Kytler Peninsulae              1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 X  2

Taxonomic Kingdoms                 2 0 0 1 0 2 0 0 0  5
Equestria                          1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  1

* Group 8                           Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD 
1 South Newlandia                     5    5   0    54   14  +40
2 The Kytler Peninsulae               5    4   1    28   18  +10
3 Panay Islands and Guimaras          5    2   3    22   31   −9
4 Taxonomic Kingdoms                  5    2   3    18   33  −15
5 Equestria                           5    1   4    13   27  −14
6 Dotivija                            5    1   4    15   27  −12

Group 9

Kanmer                             0 0 1 0 0 2 0 0 0  3
Oscioru                            0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0

Nationy Mcstateface                0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0  2
Diarcesia                          0 0 0 0 0 1 2 5 X  8

Zug um Zug                         0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0  1
Banija                             0 0 0 3 0 0 1 0 X  4

* Group 9                           Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD 
1 Banija                              5    5   0    40   15  +25
2 Zug um Zug                          5    3   2    24   18   +6
3 Diarcesia                           5    2   3    24   32   −8
4 Kanmer                              5    2   3    16   17   −1
5 Nationy Mcstateface                 5    2   3    15   25  −10
6 Oscioru                             5    1   4    17   29  −12

Hey man, I think you either accidentally switched the score on my game or put in the wrong record bc it says I lost 7-0 but i'm 2-3 now

Regardless

WBC 59 - Group 6 - Matchday 4      1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9  R  H  E 
Kamijiro                           0 0 3 1 0 1 2 0 0  7  17 0
The Fortem                         0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0  0  0
T. 3:29 WP: Orielle de Côteaux (1-0)  LP: Ethan Brooks (0-1)
Scoring Summary
▲3 KAM M. Gaëtan   Fly-out - Kamada scores                    1-0
▲3 KAM F. Cavaco   Single - Ashiya scores                     2-0
▲3 KAM R. Phaëthon  Triple - Cavaco scores                    3-0
▲4 KAM M. Gaëtan  Single - Sarre scores                       4-0
▲6 KAM D. Kamada  Single - Belvedere scores                   5-0
▲7 KAM R. Phaëthon  Ground-out - Gaëton scores                6-0
▲7 KAM N. Sarre   Fly-out - Cavaco scores                     7-0
▼9 FRT J. Anderson   Ground-out - O. de Côteaux no-hitter     7-0
Credit to StrayaRoos

by **Ko-oren** » Sun Aug 04, 2024 3:31 am

We continue with our list of mid-table teams that are a step behind the four contenders discussed earlier. Mind that the four contenders happened to be the same as the list of Western Division teams and that the second and third seed for the upcoming playoffs - aka, the winners of the North and South divisions - are contained in the list below.

Katashi Giants @ Maesaki Park (31250), Katahshi (Katashi), Katahshi (Katashi)
The Katashi Giants - from 'capital' Katashi on Royal Island Leleia - are a huge team that just can't get a win when it matters, and they're forever the smaller version of the Generals for it.
This is your club if you want a likeable team from a big city, with lots of fans, that will still win plenty, but never wins quite enough.
Prediction: Overall: 5 // Pitching: 8 / Fielding&Batting: 8 // Infield: 9 / Outfield: 7 / Starting pitchers: 4 / Bullpen: 10
Fielding: C: Mutebi Nvunyi (19y)★★★✩ - Infield: Madongo Kiribata (28y)★★★★, Leonie Torenden (20y)★★, Manoel Candia (33y)★★✩, Anselmo Lugo (22y)★★ - Outfield: Takaharu Suzuoki (22y)★★✩, Adélard Lépitier (19y)★★★, Sanae Natsuka (25y)★★★ / DH: Takuzō Tanonaka (23y)★★✩
Pitching: Starters: Yatarō Namioka (22y)★★★✩, Suta Akija (36y)★★★, Rudolph Vocar-Dijo (34y)★★★, Neta Rothsenns (28y)★★★✩, Palasan Esesorendhen (21y)★★✩ - Relievers: Ernesto Vara (34y)★★, Jimmy Caruso (28y)★★✩, Vera Mane (25y)★★★✩, Kyōji Iio (25y)★★✩, Jocelyne Jacquet (24y)★★✩ - Closer: Sōnosuke Ichioka (19y)★★✩
Prospects: Shōichi Kumeta (19y)★★★✩, Muneo Nasukawa (19y)★★✩, Kurenai Masutomi (20y)★★★✩

Starting with... not the Katahshi team you expect. The Giants have played second fiddle in the South to the Generals for ages and only rarely eclipse their city rivals, and for a while it looked like they would fall behind the Admirals as well, but we can only commend the moves they've made this past months. This roster still has some flaws, but let's look at the good things first. They still have the the Banijan first baseman as one of the best players in the league, and the starting rotation is bordering on special as well. On the older side, but still, and Namioka will still likely be here for a while. Rothsenns remains a well-kept secret that other teams are pretty scared of. It's the shame the team got rushed into a few signings that might not pan out long term, but they had to sign a few players from the FA list, like Torenden and Lugo. On the upside, the prospects are looking pretty good and might see use as the season goes on. Kumeta especially, the 19-year old should be the core with, say, Nvunyi, Suzuoki, Lépitier, and so on.

However, they're still the Giants and their reputation precedes them: with a very solid squad they went 65-55 last year... only to end up with a wildcard because the Generals were two games better in the end.

Aviansola Admirals @ Naminaka Park (14500), Amahsohla (Aviansola), Leleja (Leleia)
Aviansola, on Leleia, the Royal Island, lost its team for a while when the owner was pursuing bigger markets. For the LPB, they're back, hoping to pick up where they left off. The fans reluctantly and suspiciously are back for the boys in blue.
This is your club if you like underdogs, especially in this southern division. A very diverse team, too!
Prediction: Overall: 6 // Pitching: 2 / Fielding&Batting: 7 // Infield: 12 / Outfield: 2 / Starting pitchers: 5 / Bullpen: 3
Fielding: C: Hiroki Imanishi (21y)★★✩ - Infield: Sarak Parkumaunen (20y)★★✩, Masatane Kanamoli (25y)★★★, Gatsun Wutjuten (20y)★★, Harmisjesin Dunaltinden (36y)★★ - Outfield: Zey Billings (29y)★★✩, Chi-Yong Sop (29y)★★★★, Addison Paterson (31y)★★✩ / DH: Tadanari Amachi (24y)★★★✩
Pitching: Starters: Jeff Bitches (33y)★★✩, Joshua Rouillard (35y)★★★, Santino Fenatti (28y)★★★★, Xesus Medal (25y)★★✩, Jeremiah Dettmer (35y)★★★ - Relievers: Daniel Peterson (34y)★★★★, Mototada Sawada (23y)★★✩, Masao Tonali (21y)★★★, Benvito Tenorio (20y)★★✩, Daniel Peterson (34y)★★✩ - Closer: Ah-Rhee Go (25y)★★★
Prospects: Pafa Jidazen (18y)★★★✩, Shichirō Aiso (21y)★★★★, Yasutarō Nasukawa (21y)★★★

Moving on to the sixth overall team on the list - and therefore the halfway point - and it's another team from the South division. A team that's been building something nice for a while, but hardly a team with easy arguments as to why FAs should play for them. And that haunts them in a division with the Generals and the Giants, who can offer slightly better contracts. The Admirals are a labour of love. And one that has found a way through the pitcher shortage with Fenatti surrounded by all good starters, and several options closing with Peterson leading the charge. The big names are on the way out - well in their 30s - and the infield isn't exactly much to write home about - so the team will have to find answers, but likely only after this season's end. With Aiso and Jidazen the future might look bright, but the present looks just a bit brighter. With how the divisions pan out, this is their opportunity for a division win and who knows how the playoffs look from there... Last season, at 60-60 (which is a fate that could hit this team this season as well) they were two spots out of the wildcard, 4th in the South, as that was somehow the single best (or 'only good') division in Ko-orenite baseball then.

Echizen Dragons @ Uvesaki Field (24390), Ethizehn (Echizen), Alahrenna (Alara)
Alara, the Garden Island, sees baseball as an important pastime (that maybe takes up a bit too much green space). Small field dimensions (and sea-level conditions) give a small advantage to batters. Beyond the fence, it's all picnic places. Along the foul lines and behind the plate, it's all stands.
This is your club if you like to see a team do a lot with a small budget in beautiful surroundings.
Prediction: Overall: 7 // Pitching: 4 / Fielding&Batting: 12 // Infield: 8 / Outfield: 11 / Starting pitchers: 1 / Bullpen: 8
Fielding: C: Keisuke Idoki (23y)★★ - Infield: Kurenai Komamura (23y)★★★, Kanejoshi Watjiten (17y)★★, Leo Jimenez (26y)★★★✩, Kanga Reimeden (21y)★★✩ - Outfield: Yoshihito Oshita (33y)★★✩, Teruyoshi Hosokawa (25y)★★✩, Nikhiina Lidirwizu (17y)★★✩ / DH: Nasuwoek Hathisarufan (17y)★★★
Pitching: Starters: Grady Good (28y)★★★★, Molovisa Gotou (35y)★★★✩, Mochiyoshi Doi (35y)★★✩, Jay Kramer (33y)★★✩, Maddison "Missy" Jembembe (26y)★★★★ - Relievers: Daki Chuan (33y)★★✩, Hidemichi Makino (31y)★★✩, Pugke Ribzidrunen (18y)★★★, Kazushi Watase (32y)★★★✩, Nolisuke Minagawa (35y)★★ - Closer: Benoit Everson (33y)★★✩
Prospects: Honou Reimeden (21y)★★★✩, Armel Hotard (23y)★★★, Jirokichi Nagasato (23y)★★✩

Finally, our first North division team. Of course it's the Dragons, what did you expect? Sovereign leaders of their division and one of the defining teams of our LPB stint - and great ever since - the core is still well together but not the same as it once was. Hence their spot in 7th overall, where has the time gone? They were once the best hitting team in the country, but with contracts handed out to youngsters like Idoki, Watjiten, Reimeden, Lidirwizu, there's some extremely questionable stuff going on. Without giving the other Reimeden a nod, let alone the other prospects, the Dragons are settling for a few 17-year olds, and there's no way that's going to work out, to be honest. No matter the presence of Jimenez, Good, Gotou, Jembembe, I don't see how you're going to cover for this many steps back in fielding and hitting while retaining probably the best rotation in the country. Thankfully there are always good fielders to be found in Ko-oren so their woes might only last one season, but this cannot be it... right? It does say something that other North teams aren't able to capitalise on this team...

Last season, they were 67-53 and first in the division, going to their fifth consecutive final, but losing to the Whales.

Furune Bees @ Obsidian Hive (22400), Erpuhnur (Furune), Sohlatal (Selesi)
Furune, on Selesi, the Tropical Island, is a city known for its academic and ecological tradition. The Bees are run as eco-friendly as possible, and that includes transport to and from the stadium. The Bees are an expansion team that inherits the full Suvira roster.
This is your club if you want to support a team from its very beginning in a lush and green location.
Prediction: Overall: 8 // Pitching: 12 / Fielding&Batting: 1 // Infield: 3 / Outfield: 3 / Starting pitchers: 11 / Bullpen: 11
Fielding: C: Naokatsu Mase (22y)★★✩ - Infield: Jake Wright (35y)★★★✩, Devon Jimenez (37y)★★★★, Baia Montecalvo (20y)★★✩, Géa Reille (28y)★★★ - Outfield: Hoku Falozen (20y)★★★✩, Édouard Seudhen (19y)★★★, Iago Sarabia (21y)★★✩ / DH: Kazuyo Yokoi (23y)★★★✩
Pitching: Starters: Muneo Nishiyama (21y)★★✩, Alexandra Barra (22y)★★, Kimi Holvanen (28y)★★★, Azhuka Sonodigandhen (22y)★★★, Tomoaki Arimitsu (23y)★★✩ - Relievers: Tamio Suzuoki (22y)★★, Yukiari Chousokabe (33y)★★, Eisuke Fukuhara (27y)★★, Takuya Adachi (24y)★★✩, Koyo Igarashi (34y)★★★ - Closer: Joshivide Tsomjesen (18y)★★
Prospects: Totoka Lagazen (18y)★★★, Takuma Rejuten (20y)★★★, Katsuyoshi Kenguzhen (20y)★★★✩

The Bees have quickly conquered Erpuhnur and are a pretty popular team! They've gone the opposite route from the Dragons - that is, same youth, but different positions - and have a crazy infield to go with a good outfield, but with little in the pitching department. Put together, the Dragons and Bees could craft a menacing squad, but it is what it is. So Wright, Jimenez, Reille, with Falozen, and Yokoi, that's a scary test for the Dragons rotation. But Nishiyama as an ace, and little beyond Holvanen and Sonodigandhen... that's asking for trouble.

Then again, the Bees were a very depressing 49-71 last year - coming far short of their projected 57 to 63 wins - so the only way is up.

Nitoya Silvers @ Twin Field (18000), Nuthatal (Nitoya), Leleja (Leleia)
Nitoya, on Leleia, the Royal Island, are the team where all the hot new prospects hang out. Result-wise, they struggle to stand out versus the Giants and Generals, but some of the biggest in the business have their roots with the lovable Silvers. The ancient ballpark is another draw.
This is your club if you want to see all the good players before they go mainstream.
Prediction: Overall: 9 // Pitching: 11 / Fielding&Batting: 2 // Infield: 2 / Outfield: 5 / Starting pitchers: 12 / Bullpen: 4
Fielding: C: Jirokichi Ogiwara (25y)★★✩ - Infield: Sodjeto Ljotsesen (20y)★★★, Hiroka Ryosuke (29y)★★★, Eikichi Matsuoka (23y)★★★✩, Nobutaka Sawano (22y)★★★✩ - Outfield: Kava Jamana (32y)★★★, Bieito Noboa (23y)★★✩, Kellie Wiley (27y)★★★ / DH: Tamotsu Namioka (24y)★★★
Pitching: Starters: Eustacius Avondrood (24y)★★, Shuko Koido (22y)★★, Natsume Zatsizen (20y)★★✩, Ada Cadavid (21y)★★✩, Kazuoki Nishikata (26y)★★✩ - Relievers: Kin'ya Sugibayashi (24y)★★✩, Elethek Pargalgunden (24y)★★✩, Yuma Shibuya (23y)★★, Ventura de Castro (30y)★★★★, Satoru Wakuri (31y)★★ - Closer: Yumeko Furushima (23y)★★★✩
Prospects: Sanji Tunazen (20y)★★★✩, Shichirō Nasukawa (21y)★★★, Tuzame Fajisen (19y)★★✩

The Silvers are in the mix! In fact, they're not the fourth team discussed in the South for a change, as that's usually where this team ends up in the standings anyway. Last season they were 61-59 so there's some pressure to follow it up with something better - possible in this close division - but the Silvers are not exactly known for their consistency from year to year. They were only two games off a wildcard then, but it's likely they're a little further off this year - especially with wildcards going to the West if predictions hold.

We're looking forward to Ljotsesen's first strides, Matsuoka continuing to dominate, as well as Sawano adding a little more each year. Wiley and Namioka are also a good pairing. The rotation however... oof, that's a difficult list to love. With De Castro and Furushima there's probably a lot of saveable games, but you can't ask them to drag the team back from a certain deficit every night. Though with Tunazen, the Silvers could be on to something for future years.

Katashi Generals @ Katashi Dome (58000), Katahshi (Katashi), Katahshi (Katashi)
The Katashi Generals - from 'capital' Katashi on Royal Island Leleia - are the perennial team to beat. They have more titles, they're older than almost every team, they have the biggest stadium, they've got it all.
This is your club if you just want to see a lot of wins, bandwagoning be damned.
Prediction: Overall: 10 // Pitching: 6 / Fielding&Batting: 11 // Infield: 7 / Outfield: 12 / Starting pitchers: 6 / Bullpen: 6
Fielding: C: Sagorwizuuk Vukwawofan (19y)★★✩ - Infield: Fred Hodgson (35y)★★, Joëlle Grayson (30y)★★★, Liljuane Dumigweladin (19y)★★✩, Njarin Tsahesen (20y)★★★✩ - Outfield: Azusa Ekuni (23y)★★★, Saru Arditen (20y)★★★, Hannah Choe (33y)★✩ / DH: Nobuvilo Voligome (23y)★★★
Pitching: Starters: Dae-Wook Kim (27y)★★★✩, Xeraldo Da Villa (21y)★★✩, Tovi Niva (32y)★★★, Jason McRae (30y)★★★★, Sozuthak Sopdheregdhen (20y)★★✩ - Relievers: Shizuko Hagihara (21y)★★✩, Naoyuki Takewaki (24y)★★✩, Atsuki Kotera (25y)★★✩, Chika Salizen (18y)★★✩, Joshitake Pefasen (20y)★★✩ - Closer: Teluvide Kamei (35y)★★★
Prospects: Yoshitsugu Yoshida (21y)★★, Matsuki Kanemitsu (26y)★★★, Lyōvei Nusazen (18y)★★★★✩

And then, last among pretenders, the Generals. There's a few more teams to go, but the 67-53 division-winning Generals aren't looking to follow up last year with a better performance. In fact, we're curious to see what they're capable of, exactly. It's never truly bad, though Choe is looking a little worse for wear, and Hodgson could/should be on the way out. It's a year of flux for them, likely to return to the top of the division after this spell is done, but for now there's a chance they have to settle for fourth in the division. And yet - if there's one team you can't count out it's them.

And look at that: Nusazen on the group of prospects. Yes, the Generals' future is very bright already.

by **Diarcesia** » Sun Aug 04, 2024 9:04 am

Initially, the Marionets had a tough battle against Nationy Mcstateface, but managed to come out on top with an 8-2 victory. The win was a crucial statement and kept Diarcesia's chances of advancing in the tournament.

Starting pitcher Cacotone Argyris an impressive performance, contributing to seven shutout innings and striking out ten batters. His dominance on the bound kept Nationy Mcstateface's hitters unsteady throughout the game. At plate, Kodey Patton earned two hits and an RBI. Sujay Vinković also chipped in with a hit and run scored to help secure their second win of group stage play.

With this victory under their belts, they will have a shot at redemption when they will host Zug um Zug as part of Matchday Six.

Home Stadium: Vecetxe-Arcedatus Field (Capacity: 40,000)

by **Super-Llamaland** » Sun Aug 04, 2024 12:21 pm

LPB7: SLL RECAPS

5. Xingcheng Renaissance

Last Season: 80-81 (third in SLLS)
This Season: 86-74 (second in SLLS, lost Wild Card Game)
Home: Renaissance Arena (Xingcheng, SLL; cap. 36,600)
Manager: Abraham Kakay (BNJ/R)

Starting Lineup:

1. RF Dane Gilbert (32/CMT)
2. C Sofia Löfgren (26/SNL)
3. 2B Raitis Ranta (32/CMT)
4. 3B Yousuf Henry (32/SNL)
5. LF Jean-Noël Bellefeuille (34/QUE)
6. SS Valery Robiquet (33/DEL)
7. DH Carolyn Sexton (35/SNL)
8. 1B Corey Zang (28)
9. CF Miles Tang (26)

Starting Rotation:

1. Solveig Jørgensen (33)
2. Jade Guthrie (27)
3. Amon Zao (32/LOY)
4. Larry Foster (29/SNL)
5. Mollie Lloyd (34/SNL)

Notable Reserves: P Beatrice Castreux; P Daisuke Rokukawa; SS Billy Kemp

Offseason Additions: SP Jade Guthrie (FA); 1B Corey Zang (trade); SP Larry Foster (FA)

Offseason Subtractions: 1B Nicolas Perez (trade); SP Bedin Egozhevy (retired); CF Fiona Niemi (trade)

Trade Deadline Moves: Traded SP Larry Foster, 1B Corey Zang to the Cyclones for SP Malinda Drake, 1B Celina Campazzo

Best Pitcher: SP Jade Guthrie (17-10, 3.16 ERA, 5.7 WAR)

Best Hitter: C Sofia Löfgren (.282/.361/.500, 31 HR, 19 DRS)

The Renaissance had a nice bounce-back season, returning to the playoffs after their Game 161 loss to Apple Valley a season ago, and came inches away from shocking the heavily-favored Lions in the Wild Card. But for the second consecutive season, an opportunity to make a playoff run just slipped out of reach, and Xingcheng may be headed for a rebuild in the offseason. The offseason saw major changes - star first baseman Nicolas Perez was shipped out in a cost-cutting move, as was outfielder Fiona Niemi. The Renaissance also didn’t bring back a significant portion of their pitching staff, losing Bedin Egozhevy, Edward Zhuang, and Nate Peterson. But while Renaissance fans were starting to believe that their contention window had finally slammed shut, it turned out that GM Amanda Becker had just been clearing up room to land one of the biggest free agents available - ace pitcher Jade Guthrie, freshly off of anchoring a championship rotation with the Greens. Larry Foster also arrived from the Cosmos to strengthen the rotation, while Becker rolled the dice on former first-round pick Corey Zang to replace Perez.

Xingcheng started off hot, and consistently nipped at the Suns’ heels in the SLL South on the backs of a scorching 14-6 start to the season. But an extended slump over the next month and a half saw Nikcoro pull out of reach, and the Renaissance drop under .500 to put even a Wild Card berth at risk. With the Corey Zang experiment not going as intended (the first baseman slashed .230/.299/.385 during his time with the ‘Sance) and the batting lineup in rough shape, Xingcheng flipped fellow offseason acquisition Foster to the Cyclones in order to upgrade to Celina Campazzo (.272/.360/.435 down the stretch), with Malinda Drake (5-2, 2.82 ERA) also proving a solid pickup. It was enough to right the ship and stave off a late charge from the unlucky Dynamo, as Xingcheng went 25-15 after the deadline and locked in a wild card berth in the last weekend of the season. Key to the team’s success down the stretch was a resurgent pitching staff led by the three-headed monster of Guthrie (17-10, 3.16 ERA), Amon Zao (15-9, 3.58 ERA), and Solveig Jørgensen (14-11, 3.78 ERA), who struggled early in what may have been her last season but closed out the regular season with a 1.75 ERA in its final month. In the lineup, Yousuf Henry (.355 OBP, 29 HR) and Raitis Ranta (.381 OBP, 21 SB) were able to pick up much of the slack from Perez’s departure, while Sofia Löfgren solidified herself as arguably the world’s best catcher.

So after a successful 86-win campaign behind new manager Abraham Kakay, last seen failing to win a playoff game with Vargas City, it was off to…Vargas City for the wild card game, as the Renaissance would have to compete with the juggernaut Lions. In a shocking twist, Xingcheng jumped all over Lions ace Madison Verdugo, with a Ranta double and a Campazzo solo shot putting the Renaissance up 3-0 early. Amon Zao was also locked in, leaving after six innings having allowed just one run and whiffing nine. It was at this moment when the bullpen, historically a fatal flaw for past Xingcheng teams but surprisingly solid this year, decided to implode. Daisuke Rokukawa pitched a clean seventh inning, and Kakay opted to try to play the matchups game in the eighth. But southpaw Annalisa Castro’s shuuto just wasn’t working, as she loaded the bases on a single and two walks. With just one out in the inning, Kakay decided to bring on Beatrice Castreux for a five-out save. That is…not what happened, as a two-out, bases-clearing double off the bat of Jeff Huang tied the game. Castreux finished the eighth, at which point Kakay realized that he would have to rely on Jade Guthrie and Solveig Jørgensen on short rest for the remainder of the game. Guthrie pitched three clean innings, while Sofia Löfgren hit a fly ball in the eleventh that would’ve left the yard if not for a leaping grab by Silvia Wang. But in Jørgensen’s third inning of work, rookie Joan Allen’s double down the line would walk off the Renaissance - signalling the end of the first LPB dynasty.

4. Apple Valley Vipers

Last Season: 81-80 (second in SLLN, lost in SLLDS)
This Season: 86-74 (first in SLLN, lost in SLLDS)
Home: Hendricks Field (Apple Valley, SLL; cap. 37,500)
Manager: Elisa Kristiansen (SLL/4)

Starting Lineup:

1. CF Christian Norgaard (23)
2. 2B Elliana Soriano (26)
3. 3B Leo Jimenez (31/SNL)
4. DH Jung Ha-Yeon (29/CMT)
5. LF Philipp Navarro (24/SNL)
6. 1B Jason Lamb (34)
7. SS Mizaya Karuki (30/CMT)
8. RF Lawrence Gonzalez (20/SNL)
9. C Theresa Franco (27/SNL)

Starting Rotation:

1. Naomi Alvarado (22)
2. Cedric Lundy (28/KYP)
3. Brady Behringer (35/RAN)
4. RJ Hayes (29)
5. no thank you

Notable Reserves: P Côme Nguyen; P Leon Perez; P Frankie Lambot

Offseason Additions: SP Cedric Lundy (FA); 3B Leo Jimenez (trade); RP Frankie Lambot (drafted #42)

Offseason Subtractions: SP Gregory Shaw (FA); RP Jan Scherer (retired)

Trade Deadline Moves: None

Best Pitcher: SP Naomi Alvarado (179 K in 143 IP, 3.39 FIP)

Best Hitter: 3B Leo Jimenez (.255/.341/.478, 29 HR, 103 RBI)

The story of the Vipers’ LPB7 season is defined by two numbers: 4/75. A favorite strategy of teams in the Kytler Peninsulae that has recently become in vogue in Esportiva, this entails having four starters that throw ~75 pitches per start (usually enough for two trips through the order), as well as an army of swingmen to switch between rotational cover and multi-inning relief appearances. GM Kevin Weiss, who had reportedly been thinking about it for a few years, pulled the trigger this offseason, adding Kytlerian starter Cedric Lundy and swingman RJ Hayes in free agency while letting traditional starter Greg Shaw cross the strait. This gave manager Elisa Kristiansen a rotation of Naomi Alvarado, a young fireballer with third-time-through-the-order syndrome, Lundy, converted reliever Brady Behringer, and Hayes, with Sophia Beasley, Leon Perez, and Osterhalten’s finest, second-round pick Frankie Lambot, serving as cover.

The returns from the start of the season were not great - Alvarado chafed at being placed on such a strict pitch count, and we later learned that Kristiansen threatened to resign multiple times (and may still leave in the offseason with her contract up). This made itself known on the field, as the Vipers slumped to under .500 at the halfway mark just a season after making a run to the SLLDS. But it would be another offseason arrival, third baseman Leo Jimenez, to keep them afloat with a monstrous first half of the season (.267/.350/.499, 17 HR, 59 RBI) before cooling off in the second. Alongside a tremendous defense anchored by the likes of Christian Norgaard (18 HR, 27 SB, +14 DRS) and Mizaya Karuki (+16 DRS), it was enough to keep the Dynamo within range. And the ship was thoroughly righted in the second half of the season: Alvarado pitched like an ace despite the pitch count, Lundy (3.61 FIP, 8.8 K/9) was almost as good, and Leon Perez (7-5, 2.86 ERA, 108 IP) was one of the league’s most valuable relievers in a swingman role. All in all, it was enough to seize the division lead and fend off a late charge from the Dynamo, setting up an SLLDS matchup against the 97-win Cyclones.

New Llama City were always going to be a tough series, but the way in which the Vipers went down sparked new criticism of 4/75 on the national stage. Not that Apple Valley would’ve done better without it - the offense, which had been hot and cold all season, put up a total of ten runs in the series despite a few lucky breaks falling their way (for instance, a dropped pop-up allowing Jung Ha-Yeon to reach second to launch a late rally in Game Two). And Cedric Lundy, who attracted a lot of national media attention as the “face of 4/75”, put up dominant numbers in game two of the series (5 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 6 K/1 BB) before the bullpen blew a 2-0 advantage. But the disappointing exit, a year after a miracle run from the young team ended at the same stop, does raise some questions about whether to go all-in on the new strategy (likely firing Kristiansen and further reshaping the pitching staff, potentially including an Alvarado deal) or to pivot.

by **Mercatoren** » Sun Aug 04, 2024 1:28 pm

------------------ MERCATOREN BASEBALL LEAGUE------------------

* Mercator Baseball League     Pld     W    L     RF    RA    RD 
1 Leyden Giants                150   106   44    789   504  +285
2 Fairview-Urbania Flyers      150    84   66    701   605   +96
3 Kremer Captains              150    83   67    701   613   +88
4 Marshall Vanguards           150    64   86    626   691   −65
5 Springfield Jaguars          150    61   89    617   818  −201
6 Nordwyk Mustangs             150    52   98    542   745  −203

The Professional league of Mercatoren sees a familiar sight: the Giants are a bit too big for the rest. The east coast club string together wins and titles - not just this year, but they've been MBL royalty for decades. Their historic rivals are the Nordwyk Mustangs but these days there's just a bit too much between them to call it an even rivalry. The third club from the east coast, the Kremer Captains, fill the void nicely and fill in as the modern rivalry of the MBL. Then again, wherever the Giants go they run into motivated teams. If there's any team that can pose a threat, it's the Flyers, who have a rivalry with Springfield, but neither came anywhere close to the Leyden powerhouse. Marshall is the 'new' team in the league.

This year was an especially large canyon between the champions and the rest - they're definitely not always finding silverware as easy as this year.

For many in Mercatoren, the more fun baseball is played by the colleges, who first all play each other in the National Conference phase, followed by a phase where they only play their local rivals:

National Conference                             Pld    W   L    Win % 
1 Cortlandt University Cats                        28   25   3    0.893
2 Kremer County University Knights                 28   22   6    0.786
3 Campus at Urbania Bears                          28   20   8    0.714
4 Marshall County University Mountaineers          28   17  11    0.607
5 Steenwyk University Stars                        28   12  16    0.429
6 Newport University Nighthawks                    28    7  21    0.250
7 Westville University Tigers                      28    6  22    0.214
8 Rhinesborough College Rams                       28    3  25    0.107

  Eastern Conference                              Pld    W   L    Win % 
1 Cortlandt University Cats                        12   11   1    0.917
2 Kremer County University Knights                 12    9   3    0.750
3 Steenwyk University Stars                        12    2  10    0.167
4 Rhinesborough College Rams                       12    2  10    0.167

  Western Conference                              Pld    W   L    Win % 
1 Campus at Urbania Bears                          12    9   3    0.750
2 Marshall County University Mountaineers          12    8   4    0.667
3 Newport University Nighthawks                    12    5   7    0.417
4 Westville University Tigers                      12    2  10    0.167

The combined standings are as follows:

1 Cortlandt University Cats               36-4
2 Kremer County University Knights        31-9
3 Campus at Urbania Bears                 29-11
4 Marshall County University Mountaineers 25-15
5 Steenwyk University Stars               14-16
6 Newport University Nighthawks           12-18
7 Westville University Tigers              8-32
8 Rhinesborough College Rams               5-35

Again, baseball is a pretty eastern sport as far as that's a thing: Cortlandt have a near flawless season and run to another title. They keep their local rivals, the Knights, at bay as the two end up playing out a really fun race to the title. The other eastern teams - from neighbouring towns - the Stars and Rams are far off with the Rams posting a near-historically bad season for just five wins. College ball has always been a little further apart in skill levels, that is, differing budgets for teams, but it's rarely been like this.

In the West, Urbania do just a little better than the Mountaineers - for the record, those from Fairview, sometimes in the same market as Urbania, tend to support 'anyone but the Bears' in college while happily cheering for the same team at the pro level. The Nighthawks have a not-bad-not-great season, and Westville need not really apply.

by **Kamijiro** » Sun Aug 04, 2024 2:37 pm

Kamijiroan Diamond IX, Part V: The French Quarter

"My shoulder hurts."

The last thing you ever want to hear your expected starting pitcher saying on game day is "my ____ hurts." But those were the words Clarence "Sunrise" Bartley was saying to his team captain, Orielle "Mains d'Or" de Côteaux on the morning of the match against The Fortem. A substitute wouldn't be able to make it all the way out to where the team was - they were at an away game, after all. Orielle sent Clarence to a nearby clinic to get checked up. Before long, the news travelled around the team. A pinched nerve in the shoulder. Should be fine in a day or so, but he won't be pitching today. There was an emergency meeting between all of the pitching staff, starters and bullpen alike.

Orielle addressed the nervous room.
"I will pitch. I am the team captain and although I just threw eighty pitches yesterday, they were split pretty evenly between both hands. I think I can do one more game today, but stay warm in the bullpen. If I signal, get me subbed out - I'm not risking another injury to a pitcher."

The room fell into a stunned silence. She was potentially going to overwork herself, something the team could absolutely not afford to have happen. An injury to Orielle and the team probably falls apart. But she had that look in her eye. Don't ask questions, just shut up and follow her lead. And so, Orielle de Côteaux, for the second time in two days, took the mound for the Diamond IX.

The first inning was shaky - she gave up a big hit that just barely went foul, although the wind may have played a factor in that. She was definitely tired to start the game, and that was expected. Not very often do Kamijiroan pitchers go back-to-back days, it's not something the Lightning really train for. But she wasn't backing down. She walked a batter to start the second, finding her focus after that. Another scoreless, hitless inning from The Fortem, though the Kamijiroans hadn't quite put any offense on the board just yet.

The top of the third changed everything. Daijiro "Island" Kamada was able to get on base, followed by a Maou "Devil King" Ashiya bloop hit to short right which eluded the glove of the first baseman. Maou's speed got him to second base, Daijiro to third. Two on, two outs (Napoleon "Little Emperor" Sarre and Lucian "Silk White" Belvedere had both gotten out prior). Then, it was Magurix "Wings" Gaëtan's at-bat. He popped one to dead center, going all the way back to the wall - it was short by a few feet, but it was enough to get Kamada in on the tag-up. Félix "Knee Socks" Cavaco was up next, and he blazed a grounded single out to right field. Maou was off like a shot the moment the bat made contact, and he was rounding third before the ball was even fielded. He made it home, beating the throw by a longshot. Ryuji Phaëthon, the Sun King, was up next, looking to bring Cavaco home. He hit a triple to the alley between center and right, getting a stand-up triple. However, his sister, Emi - the Sun Queen, struck out, ending the inning.

Orielle continued her showing on the mound, striking out two more batters. The top of the fourth saw Magurix drive in another run, as Sarre was able to get home from third off of a single lined to left. That was all the scoring for a little while, no more runs from the Lightning in the top of the fourth or fifth, but "Mains d'Or" was having a pitching performance of a lifetime. She still hadn't given up a single hit. The top of the sixth brought another run, as Belvedere scored off a bloop hit from Kamada. The top of the seventh brought two more runs, with Magurix Gaëtan and Félix Cavaco being brought home by Ryuji Phaëthon and Napoleon Sarre, respectively.

However, it wasn't the Kamijiroan offense that was the buzz at this point. Sure seven runs and thirteen hits through their first seven innings on offense was great, but it was Orielle de Côteaux who was the real highlight. Still sitting on a no hitter, just seventy pitches in. The bottom of the seventh didn't see the no-no go away, she struck out another batter before walking one and forcing the next into a double play. No more runs were coming from the Lightning, either in the top of the eighth or ninth.

But here we are - picture yourself. It's a crisp August evening, you're at a baseball game. You've just watched a switch-pitcher, rare as they are, get 26 outs without giving up a single hit. Anderson steps up to bat, the last one with a chance to prevent Orielle "Mains d'Or" de Côteaux from going down in the Kamijiroan (and possibly World Baseball Classic) history books a subtle nod between Orielle and Magurix Gaëtan, the half-fey, half-elf catcher. The first pitch goes by, taken looking. 0-1, the count. The second pitch, low and away. 1-1. The third pitch comes and there's a crack of the bat. Anderson makes contact. The ball, however, slowly dribbles to second. Lucian Belvedere fields it and slings it over to Félix Cavaco, the first baseman, his glove ready. Money. The ump throws his fist back, the universal signal for an out. Les jeux sont faits, as Orielle would put it.

The next few moments are pure joy from the Kamijiroans. Their team captain, their talisman, their golden-handed queen of pitching, had just completed a no-hitter for the first time in Kamijiroan international history. The Diamond IX rush the mound, celebrating both her achievement and the win. There was a classic water bucket dump on her head, done by who else but Atsuji and Maou, and although she wanted to complain about being suddenly drenched, she knew it was a sign of congratulations - she just let it go.

The plane ride home was a lively one, and even the soft-spoken Miguel dos Santos got involved. Hailey Fox and Ellie Xanthe gave Orielle some makeup for the inevitable interview when they arrived back at Miraisaki International. After all, the news of her no-hitter had beaten them home. They land on the private strip and out saunters Atsuji first, acting as a bodyguard. Orielle hides behind his imposing frame and tries to avoid the cameras. But she's the captain - she has to give an interview. So she peeks out from behind the Red Wolf and gives one. A short one.

"Today was one just of those days you'll tell your kids about." - Orielle de Côteaux.

After the media frenzy died down, it came to the team's attention that it was officially their day off the next day. No game scheduled. What to do, what to do? Orielle decides to go home. It had been a while since she had seen her parents. She'd moved out for college, leaving the island town she'd lived at since birth for Trèves, home of the top French-speaking college in Kamijiro. By comparison, Trèves has around 125,000 people living in it. Her home town of Rém, located on Belle-île, has a population of 750. So she hopped on a train to Château Noire, a small settlement that hosts the only ferry to and from Belle-île.

After a three-hour train journey and half-hour ferry trip, she wandered onto the pier of her old town. She knew the way home by heart. Off the pier, turn right, follow the storefronts until you get to Père's, then go up the stairs to Rue de la Paix. Third door on the right. She hurried, hardly able to contain herself. A few light knocks on the door and there they are. Mère et Père de Côteaux. Hugs all around were in order, followed by dinner...

Meanwhile, in northwestern St. Jerome, Lucian Belvedere was hosting one of his classic soirées, stuff of legend within the upper circles of the Kamijiroan elite. Rumor has it that even King Kaminari himself attended a Belvedere masquerade ball. That, however, has never been confirmed (nor denied) by the King's court. Tonight, though, the theme was Old World. The first few guests were of high esteem. A local politician and his wife (or was it mistress?) were first, the Duchess of Nieuw Volendam arrived with her consort shortly after. Afterwards, it was a pretty steady stream of the upper-crust of Kamijiroan old money. But then, somebody completely unexpected arrived, dressed in a black toga and wearing a laurel crown made from gold.

"Magurix?" Lucian asked. "What are you doing here?"
"I heard you were throwing an event tonight. And based on the fact that I just watched Katsu Fujiwara walk in there with Haruki Kagawa, I'd assume I'm right."
"Yes, but it was invite only, dear."
"Lucian, I'm hurt." Magurix feigns a heartache.
"You're already here. Try not to embarrass me." Lucian grumbled, opening the door to let the gold-adorned fey-elf in. But as Magurix walked in, Lucian stopped him once more. He touched the toga, running his fingers over the material.
"Is this... real? Authentic? An actual wool toga from the era - not a replica?"
"... yes, it is."
"How old is it? Oh, it is wonderful. I am so sorry I doubted you, my dear. Please, come and enjoy yourself."
And so, Magurix Gaëtan became one of the select few to ever grace one of Lucian Belvedere's soirées.

And at Atsuji's bachelor pad, a low-key party is underway. Whiskey shots are being pounded by Red Wolf and his crew and there are smokes being lit. As the night wore on, though, Atsuji found himself standing on his balcony, thinking heavily. Maou and Tenshi were too busy playing video games to notice at first, but eventually, the lack of flashy red hair in between them got too obvious to ignore. Maou nodded to Tenshi and pointed out onto the balcony.
"Bet he's pining." Maou said.
"Shh, don't be too hard on the guy. He's never been in a spot like this." Tenshi replied.
"Go talk to him."
Tenshi sighed and stood up. "Alright." He went to the sliding glass door and walked out into the night air.

"Atsuji, you alright?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. Jus' thinkin'. That's all."
"You thinkin' 'bout Orielle?"
Atsuji went silent for a long time. Eventually, "yeah..."
"She's got you by the balls, huh?"
"Shut the hell up, Tenshi."
Tenshi just chuckled and went back inside, nodding to Maou and chuckling again.

Atsuji just stared out over the city, facing south, towards the department of Chamonix. "I fuckin' hate that he's right." He muttered to himself, flicking his cigarette down onto the street below and turning around with a look of simultaneous longing and annoyance.

by **StrayaRoos** » Sun Aug 04, 2024 11:25 pm

Topic 2, Part One of the Slightly Unhelpful Guide to StrayaRoos

Baseball in StrayaRoos is the nation’s second summer sport, behind cricket, and is currently on an upward trajectory. But If you look far enough into its history, it’d show that it was lagging behind every other sport, but it still somehow clawed into second. This is the story of Roosian Baseball.

The first record of Baseball being played in StrayaRoos is an 1883 newspaper article on a match between two teams named ‘Kangaroos’ and ‘Wallabies’, played at the site that would later become Coal Coast Stadium, with Kangaroos winning 3-2.

The initial games were nothing more than hits outs in the park, and no competitive competition was founded until 1902, when the Base Ball Challenge Cup was founded, featuring 13 teams from around the north-east of the nation, eventually being won by the team representing the town of Coralsa. The Challenge Cup quickly became the nation’s most prestigious event, consistently attracting at least 16 teams from around the country by 1920.

The success of the Challenge Cup gave the National Baseball Association the idea of a representative national tournament, featuring four teams, one from each of the states, made up of the respective state leagues’ best players. This was initially named the NBBA Tournament, starting in 1922 as a single round-robin tournament, and effectively held a monopoly over the sport for the next 30 years.

The NBBA tournament quickly grew from an end-of-season all-star tournament to a 24-game postseason series by 1948, although the teams were still chosen from the state leagues’ best players, who were all amateur. This had been an issue for years, as the RBA (renamed from the NBBA in 1937) had been strictly against the payment of players, even banning several players for life after they were paid for participating in an unsanctioned exhibition game in 1949. These players, and a Circunses-based businessman, Francis Naloera, decided to change this.

On March 17, 1950, days after Cove had beaten West StrayaRoos in the RBA Tournament final, Roosian baseball was turned on its head. Starting in the 1950-51 season, there would be a professional league, the Roosian Baseball League. The RBL would feature 8 teams, at least one from each state, as well as one additional team each from Pale, Circunses and Panem. The RBA reacted as you’d expect them to. They very quickly attempted to shut down the rebel league by the weirder parts of Roosian copyright law, having trademarked the term ‘Baseball’ from being used in any sporting context not involving the RBA or its State affiliates, which was remarkably upheld, despite the stupidity of the concept. The rebel league subsequently rebranded itself as the ‘Roosian Overhand Softball League’, which somehow got the green light, and continued with its plans for the inaugural season.

To Be Continued

by **United States of Nova Calania** » Mon Aug 05, 2024 2:54 am

Nova Calania still undefeated midway in group stage

Saint-Jean-Jacques-sur-Mer, United States of Nova Calania - Nova Calania's baseball team is still in the clouds halfway in group stage after winning their first five matches. On matchday 1, the Tapirs received the host nation, Zwangzug, in Saint-Jean-Jacques-sur-Mer and defeated them 4-2. Tyler Wu-Kwiatkowski had the win to his record while Charlotte Crépeau-Pinette has the save.

On matchday 2, the Nova Calanians travelled to Oclea and won 4-3 in 11 innings. Juan Diego Salazar Valenzuela was the starting pitcher for Nova Calania. The Tapirs took a 2-0 lead in the 4th inning, but Oclea tied the game in the bottom 7th inning and the score was 2-2 after 9 innings. In the top 10th inning, with two outs, Esperanza Juarez Galarraga hits a triple and she reach the plate on a single by Sarah-Maude Couillard. Tapirs lead 3-2 but Oclea ties the game. In the top 11th inning, with one out, François-Xavier Couillard hits a solo homerun and Nova Calania takes a 4-3 lead. Sarah Michelle Faircloth comes to the mound in the bottom 11th inning and she records the save. The win goes to Charlotte Crépeau-Pinette's record.

Tapirs were back in Nova Calania for matchday 3, but this time they played in Ostrow Krolewski, Odlegla Ziemia instead of Saint-Jean-Jacques-sur-Mer and their opponent was Sarzonia. Sarzonia is a team who excels in every sport and one of our toughest opponent in group stage, along with Zwangzug. Starting pitchers were Vladimir Bonilla Gonzalez Jr for the Tapirs and Casey Flanagan for Sarzonia. Nova Calania took a 4-1 lead after 6 innings and added 2 more runs in the 8th inning when Raul Rodriguez Castro hitted a double that sent Riley Gough and Jesus Rodriguez Castro to the plate. Sarzonia added one more runin the top 9th inning. Vladimir Bonilla Gonzalez Jr was the winning pitcher and no save was recorded.

Nova Calania travelled to Caribbia for matchday 4 and won 1-0. Leighton McCloskey threw a no hitter and recorded the win. Riley Gough hitted a single in the 8th inning that sent Esperanza Juarez Galarraga to the home plate.

The Tapirs were back in Saint-Jean-Jacques-sur-Mer for game 5 against Vaishnavaria and won 7-0. Maggie Zhu was the starting pitcher and she allowed 4 hits and had 8 strike outs in 8 innings. She also got the win. The Tapirs took a 4-0 lead after 5 innings. Raul Rodriguez Castro hitted a 3 runs homerun in the bottom 8th inning and the final score was 7-0.

After 5 games, the United States of Nova Calania is still undefeated. Zwangzug is in 2nd place with 3 wins and Sarzonia takes the 3rd place with 2 wins. On matchday 6, the Tapirs will travel to Zwangzug to play against them. Tyler Wu-Kwiatkowski (1-0) will be back to the mound and Althea Bronca-Steat (0-1) is the expected starting pitcher for the Zebras. In other groups, Quebec and Shingoryeo, Super-Llamaland, South Newlandia and Banija are still undefeated.

Gilles Bourdeau

by **Milchama** » Mon Aug 05, 2024 10:58 am

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Sports Section

Offense Fails as Milchama Handed First Loss

The Milchama Warriors were handed their first loss in the World Baseball Classic yesterday as Fezziktopia, a nation that "solves problems" and seemingly does nothing else ended up 3-2 winners. The loss wraps up a pretty good first half for Milchama where they went 4-1 and lead their group with some pretty nifty ball playing.

However, the big story tonight was the opposing pitcher, Fezzik, who tossed a complete game 1 hitter and had a perfect game until the 9th inning when he walked Max Krennick with one out. Pinch hitter Marius McNeesh then hit a 2 run bomb to give the Warriors life and only a 3-2 hole. Fezzik would settle down to get both Batya Jones and Tali Mironer out to end the game.

The other big news from this game is that it was first non complete game at the classic for Milchama. The slacker Eric Ha'Adomim, who got a spot start for this game because manager Gershon Terron wanted ace Diego Numarkez for Liventia, only pitched 7 1/3 innings instead of all nine. Ha'Adomim would only give up 3 runs, a solo shot to Fezzik in the 6th and while he was pulled after walking Fezzik and then giving up a single to Fezzik, Fezzik was able to get a double off Taylor Tailor to bring both runs home and give Fezziktopia enough of a lead to hold onto.

Despite the joke earlier, Milchama continued their dominant pitching performance as 3 runs in 7 1/3 from a starter should be more than enough to win both games but the dominant pitching of Fezzik got in the way of a clean sweep in the first half. However, if Milchama continues to play like they did in the first half we should advance easily and maybe not as the 8th seed which would be the first time in awhile where we were not the 8th best in the world. So tomorrow let us have Glorious Victory and beat Liventia.

by **Sarzonia** » Mon Aug 05, 2024 11:47 am

When you manage an unranked side, patience is the name of the game.

Someone deciding to take the top job for a team that's entering international competition for the first time, whether it's the first time ever or the first time in a long while has to understand there'll be good days and bad days in building a programme from the ground up.

It's a lesson that Desmond St. John understands, but that didn't mean he didn't get hot over his team's poor situational hitting, going 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position in his team's 5-0 loss to Oclea in front of 31,824 at Fleetwood Park in Woodstock.

St. John spent a half hour berating his team for swinging at inopportune times and not working Oclean pitching deep into the count, baserunning blunders including shortstop Jaia Thornton standing off the third base bag absentmindedly and getting tagged for the third out in the bottom of the sixth inning in the one real threat Sarzonia mustered.

"We beat ourselves as much as they beat us," St. John seethed in a rasp that told the assembled media why he didn't show up to post-match media availability in the press room. "I can accept when a team is better than us, but I won't tolerate mental errors and lack of effort, and that's exactly what we saw here tonight."

The scene in the clubhouse the morning of Sarzonia's day off was sombre, as no one dared turn on the music as St. John stepped to the centre of the room.

"I don't know what I was thinking," Thornton said when asked about getting tagged out with her team trailing 2-0 in the sixth.

A spokesman for the Incorporated Baseball Federation said they received belated approval for Thornton to use Adderall prescribed for ADHD from World Baseball Classic organisers, who said in a statement that a typo in the email address prevented the approval from getting to IBF chairman Ned Colletti and technical director Jeff Parrish before the off day.

"We received a formal letter apologising for the mishap," Parrish said. "It should help Jaia," who has languished, hitting. 158 (three-for-18) in the first five matches. For her part, Thornton didn't use the lack of Adderall as an excuse.

"I just haven't been seeing the ball well," she said. "We've been working on developing chemistry out there and being able to anticipate everyone else's tendencies."

Sarzonia (2-3) are currently in third place in Group 5, level with both Caribbia and Vaishnavaria, whom the Stars defeated during the first half of qualifying. Sarzonia will play the home leg of their two-match series with Caribbia at Fleetwood Park tonight.

St. John said the team would employ a "bullpen game" after Mike Rowe came back from his two-match suspension. Relief pitcher Matis Deutsch will be the first on the bump for the Stars. He's expected to go at least two innings and will likely only go through the batting order once before St. John makes the first pitching change.

"Part of it's about trying to keep those guys off balance," St. John said. "That might give us a better shot."

That, and some better focus for Thornton and the rest of the team.

"We're about out of room for error," Rowe said. He wasn't advised if or when he would start again for the team, but said he and St. John continued to talk after their confrontation during the opener.

"Just working through some [stuff]," St. John said.

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