World Baseball Classic 27- Everything Thread (IC)

[Maklohi Vai]

OOC: Can't believe it happened again, sorry. Another piece of crappy dialogue. Hopefully it will get better by the weekend.

"Why do we have conversations like this?"

"Like what?"

"Like the one we're having right now."

"I don't know."

"Are we naturally odd people?"

"Yes."

"So odd conversations then?"

"Yes, I guess."

"Now I have a question: what do you think about Sangti?"

"I think their mothers were hamsters and their fathers smelt of elderberries."

"What..."

"Cambodian temple?"

"No, we're not doing this again."

"Fine. But truly, I think Sangti doesn't deserve it."

"What?"

"A trip to the finals, gosh, what else did you think I was talking about?"

"A poorly worded and plagiarized insult."

"Screw you."

"Do you think Sangti can ever become a top 10 team?"

"Yes, I think so. If they ever DESERVE IT."

"And what could they do to deserve it?"

"..."

"Come on, man, answer."

"..."

"Dude, come on."

...

"Yo, man, are you ok?"

...

"Well he's dead, great. Come on Lumai!"

...

"Yeah, that's what I figured. Let's go Maklohi Vai!"

---

Sangti                 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 2  5
Maklohi Vai            1 3 0 0 0 0 4 0 X  8

Scoring Summary:
1st: Mae'ao drove in Iao Laina, who had singled, with a double.
2nd: Arnao led off the inning with a triple to right-center. Moalna’akai Lai then drew a walk, putting runners on the corners. Wolo Rakinalmanai then hit a three run homer to drive them all in.
7th: Wolo Rakinalmanai led off the inning with a single, and then was sacrificed to second by the pitcher. Ap'uto Roma'ai then eked out an infield single, sending Rakinalmanai to third. Iao Laina then hit a sacrifice fly to center, driving in Rakinalmanai. Ri'ino Uilnai subsequently drew a walk, setting up Mae'ao for a three run homer to drive them in.

HR: Mae'ao 12, Moalna’akai Lai 3, Arnao 2, Iao Laina 1, Ap'uto Roma'ai 1, Ri'ino Uilnai 1, Wolo Rakinalmanai 1
RBI: Mae'ao 35, Wolo Rakinalmanai 14, Arnao 7, Moalna’akai Lai 7, Iao Laina 7, Ap'uto Roma'ai 5, Ri'ino Uilnai 4, Luimao Makai 2, Aonmai Rutulutoa 2, Koilani Ruputuo 2

[Saintland]

Result for Game 3 of the Saintland Semi

Maklohi Vai            0 0 0 0 1 0 3 0 0  4
Sangti                 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 0  3

Maklohi Vai wins series 3 games to 0

This means that I will be scorinating the finals.

[Maklohi Vai]

Result for Game 3 of the Maklohi Vai Semifinal

Strawbee               0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2  3
Milchama               0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0  1

Strawbee leads series 2 games to 1

[Sangti]

EL DIARIO DEPORTIVO DEL SANGTI - BASEBALL - WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC

Sweep
Indios stays in Saintland for a potential match with Warriors
by Rafael Sigua

Dream over.

The Indios of Sangti have had a tough time in the semifinals of the World Baseball Classic, losing all three games to be on the losing end of a sweep. The Lumai will now travel back home to their homeland to wait for the winner of the Strawbee-Milchama series, currently led by the former after grabbing two crucial runs at the last inning to beat the latter, 3-1. The loser will go to Saintland to face the Indios.

Game three of the series ended in a 4-3 defeat. Again, no scoring was done by Sangti in the first six innings, which proved to be the nail in the coffin after the Lumai had scored one run at top 5th and three at top 7th. The Indios tried to chase the four run lead by scopring two runs in the corresponding bottom 7th courtesy of Antonio Luyaben's double RBI and Benjamin Dimacuha's lead off single homer at bottom of the eighth. It was not enough to keep Sangti in the series, and bowed out of contention. However, fans of the Indios in the Royal Stadium and in the homeland applauded them for ten minutes.

The Indios will await the loser of the other series, which may be finished at the next matchday if Strawbee wins another game. If that's the case, then the Indios will face the Warriors, which swept them in the Classic a season ago. The third place series on Sunday will be aired live on TiViSangti Sport 2, while coverage of the World Cup 66 qualifiers will be aired at Sport 1.

[Strawbee]

One Win Away
Strawbee on verge of finals trip after extra innings victory over Milchama

Strawbee               0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2  3
Milchama               0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0  1

Strawbee leads series 2 games to 1

And so the trend of Strawbee games being decided by- Alright Alright I'll stop!

Strawbee has now taken control of this wild semi finals series back after winning the all-important game 3, leaving them just 1 more win away from joining the hosts, Maklohi Vai, in the WBC finals. (Maklohi Vai won game 3 against Sangti 4-3 to sweep to series and clinch a spot in the finals, which will take place on their own soil)

Carbon was called to the mound to start for the Strawbee side, and the young pony has had a very interesting run through this WBC, being openly derided for an apparent collapses in his group stage matchups against the surprising Krigiersien that seemed to spell the end of his days as own of Strawbee's most dominant WBC pitchers, but then when the playoffs started he began to improve more and more with each appearence, starting with a clutch performance in the deciding game 3 against Ko-oren and culminating in the brilliant gem of an outing against the elite Milchama hitting tonight, going a full 9 innings and only allowing 1 earned run, which tied the game and sent him back to the dugout without a decision, as closer Vaan Percy was utilized to finish the game in the bottom of the 10th when Strawbee took the lead. This performance is even more impressive when you consider that the opposing offence he shut down managed 6 runs against Strawbee in game 1 and scored 7 runs against them just a day before.

a double in the gap by catcher Calvin Klugg secured the lead for Strawbee in extra innings, Klugg and Carbon are teammates on the Bellong Barracudas in the Allinlian Professional League. The catcher spoke on how important it was for the team to finish what Carbon started and pull out the victory. "He's just a great kid, and whenever a guy comes out and gives you a pitching performance like that, and has to leave before you can give him the lead, you don't want it to go to waste, you want to finish the game and win it for him. The Milchama pitchers tonight were just something else, we were all just trying to trying to grab any chance we could to get at them."

Milchama now finds itself in a position they probably did not expect to face going into the series, they are on the brink of being eliminated from the tournament and meeting Sangti in Saintland. Strawbee is definitely in the driver's seat but must still win 1 more game against a very consistently tough competitor. This would not be the first time Milchama fought back from facing elimination to winning two straight against Zwangzug in their previous series and now that their backs are against the wall are sure to come out firing in game 4. Strawbee however has not lost a game when they had a chance to clinch the series in this entire tournament. So it may not be an easy task at all to fend off the Strawbeeans once they have tasted blood in the water even for a team has historically dominant as The Warriors.

Bubba Klang will be pitching for Strawbee tomarrow and one point in Milchama's favor in that game could be that while Klang pitched competitively in game 1, it certainly wasn't all that dominant of a performance. With the recent box scores strongly indicating that Milchama may have figured out the Strawbeean hitters, Klang likely will not be able to count on the generous run support he received in game 1, but if you ask the Strawbee players who'd they most like to have on the mound for a game as important to the national team as this one, they all tip their hats to the veteran.

"I've been in this type of situation many times before, though I imagine not very often against a team like this Milchama team." remarked Bubba Klang when asked about starting for Strawbee in a game that could send the team to the finals. "I'm used to this, so I'm just gonna pitch my way and not let the fact that it's Milchama or that it could put us in the finals. I just need to play my game and stick to my style and approach. If you can just stay focused on that, things tend to work out for you."

Maklohi Vai must sit and wait to find out who their opponent is going to be. For Strawbee, a championship that seemed impossible for them to obtain this WBC is now very much within their reach, for Milchama, the great opprotunity they had given themselves by eliminating standout championship favorites Zwangzug is slipping through their fingers. This has the makings of the most thrilling WBC game we've seen yet! Do not miss this possibly historic event! Good Luck Strawbee!!! Let's get it done!

[Maklohi Vai]

Result for Game 4 of the Maklohi Vai Semifinal

Milchama               0 0 1 0 0 0 0 3 0  4
Strawbee               0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0  1

Series tied 2 games to 2

[Milchama]

"Well we're screwed"

"That's a weird way to start a conversation considering we just brought the series to a 2-2 tie and have the home game for game 5"

"That's exactly why we're screwed"

"Explain"

"The home team has lost every game so far this series. We're home, we're screwed"

"But we got our ace, whose name I forget right now, starting"

"And?"

"He's good"

"And?"

"He should win and then we will win"

"Maybe but I doubt it"

"I look at statistics and all the stats in this series say we lose"

"The small sample size thing doesn't get you"

"Meh, it's the playoffs that's all we got"

"You still don't think we could do better?"

"Nope"

"Ok then"

"Yep, and I'm too tired to continue this conversation"

"This isn't facebook, you could at least try"

"Sleep"

"Fine"

"Yeah, sorry dude"

"No worries"

"It's all good"

"Meh, I've been through worse"

"Another useless platitude"

"Hopefully Milchama wins"

"Yep"

[Maklohi Vai]

OOC: Got time to do a vocal RP, found that I was bored, so I did accents and then tried to make it relevant.

Urmakani Daily Sports News - Preview of the Finals

---

Maklohi Vai            0 0 0 0 1 0 3 0 0  4
Sangti                 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 0  3

Scoring Summary:
5th: Mae'ao led off the inning with a solo shot to right.
7th: Iao Laina led off the inning with a double to left, setting up Ri'ino Uilnai to drive him in with a single. Mae'ao then tripled, sending Mae'ao home, and Arnao capped the rally with a double to score Mae'ao.

HR: Mae'ao 13, Moalna’akai Lai 3, Arnao 2, Iao Laina 1, Ap'uto Roma'ai 1, Ri'ino Uilnai 1, Wolo Rakinalmanai 1
RBI: Mae'ao 37, Wolo Rakinalmanai 14, Arnao 8, Moalna’akai Lai 7, Iao Laina 7, Ap'uto Roma'ai 5, Ri'ino Uilnai 5, Luimao Makai 2, Aonmai Rutulutoa 2, Koilani Ruputuo 2

[Strawbee]

It All Comes Down To This
Offense shut down again in game 4, sets stage for winner take all game

Milchama               0 0 1 0 0 0 0 3 0  4
Strawbee               0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0  1

Series tied 2 games to 2

We have gone back and forth in this series but now it will all come down to one final game to decide who joins Maklohi Vai in the WBC finals. As some predicted, Strawbee's offense continued to prove to be a significant problem as the hitters just couldn't seem to find an answer to the Warriors and the result was a wasted gem from Bubba Klang, who went 7 innings giving up only 1 run in the 3rd. Strawbee managed to tie the game up with a solo homer from Hank Orr in the 6th, but Milchama broke through against Strawbee's relief pitchers to win the game 4-1 and force the deciding game 5 that we are about to play tonight.

An interesting bit of trivia in this series is that the team that has been designated as the "home" team has not won a single game, something that could suggest that tonight will end in Strawbee's favor if you believe in such things, the Strawbeean's will be the ones hitting first in game 5.

Viktor Ganzorig is called on to pitch in the final game, long considered to be the ace of the Strawbee team he has since been outperformed by the older Bubba Klang and the younger Carbon. Ganzorig has delivered clutch performances for both the Strawbee team and his Allinlian professional League team, The Seguin Pioneers (who he led to a championship) before, so tonight's game will be as good a time as any for the former ace to redeem himself.

The team will certainly need everything Ganzorig can give them as the hitters have consistently struggled to give their pitchers any kind of run support in this series, the lone exception being game 1 when they scored 9 times to take an early lead in the series. They will definitely have their work cut out for them this time as they must once again face the pitcher who shut them out in Milchama's 7-0 game 2 victory.

"We really have to step it up." said Troy Logan "If we can't rise to the challenge of beating these Milchama pitchers than this thing is over." This has been as close as Strawbee has ever gotten to the WBC finals and the players and fans definitely do not want to see the team's unexpected and gutsy run through the playoffs end just yet. Many Milchama fans seem nervous about their team's chances against the tough Strawbeeans, in which case I must say the feeling is mutual on the Strawbeean side. The concensus seems to be that due to our offensive woes and the pitcher we are facing tonight that this is likely to be the end of our championship run and the begining of our series with Sangti.

Both teams cannot lose this game however, one of them will step up and prove that they are a true championship contender in every sense. In this moment two teams that one would think couldn't be more different due to world rankings and pedigree and past performance now stand as virtual equals. Both have overcome great challenges and adversity to get o this moment, both have shot down underdogs and played that role themselves, both have taken two games from the other and both have displayed pitching dominance and clutch last inning hitting, both also likely face a daunting challenge ahead should they prevail: Maklohi Vai has played almost perfect baseball throughout the tournament and will be playing in their own nation.

Maklohi Vai and Sangti have been waiting patiently to find out who their opponents will be, and it all comes down to this one final game. Play ball!

[Maklohi Vai]

Result for Game 5 of the Maklohi Vai Semifinal

Strawbee               0 0 0 2 2 1 1 0 0  6
Milchama               0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0  3

Strawbee wins 3 games to 2

---

Third Place Series
Milchama vs. Sangti at Royal Park, St. Petrus, Saintland. Scorinated by Maklohi Vai.

Finals
Strawbee vs. Maklohi Vai at Kolo Lahi Stadium, Kolo Lahi, Maklohi Vai. Scorinated by Saintland.

[Strawbee]

World Baseball Classic Finals!

Strawbee vs. Maklohi Vai

60 nations entered, only 2 remain
Strawbee reaches the WBC finals after comeback 6-3 win over Warriors

Strawbee               0 0 0 2 2 1 1 0 0  6
Milchama               0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0  3

Strawbee wins 3 games to 2

Ko-oren, Vaugainia, Southwick, and now Maklohi Vai. Strawbee has reached the promise land of the WBC finals and will remain in Maklohi Vai for at least 4 more days. When asked about defeating Milchama and going to the finals Strawberry took the opprotunity to joke around a bit. "We've taken the liking to the sunshine here in maklohi Vai, me especially, so we just decided to go ahead stick around here for awhile longer instead of heading back to Saintland, that's all." Both Milchama's fans and Strawbee's fans doubted their teams going into game 5 severely, but what they didn't know is that our doubt is what makes our team stronger! Ganzorig pitched well, going 7 innings and giving up 3 runs in the third. Strawbee's hitters, seeing their chances of a championship slipping away, fought back from the 0-3 deficit to pull ahead and ultimately steal the victory, 6-3. When Van Percy got the final out to send Strawbee to the finals, the players swarmed the mound and embraced the veteran closer in a passionate display of jubilation at pulling off yet another huge upset and winning what had been an incredibly hard fought series. You would be hard pressed to find a more grueling than the one the Strawbeeans have been placed on but the team has prevailed past the daunting odds they have faced and now finds itself in the tournament's final. Strawbee's success seems so unlikely that one must wonder if perhaps the Sanctii were right in their claim that God is having a direct influence on the results of this tournament, though perhaps not quite in the way they imagined. Maybe God finds Strawberry and her shenanigans oddly endearing, I dunno.

If self raised allegations that Strawbee's difficult run through the playoffs was the result of Saintland's direct manipulation of the schedule are to be believed, than it would seem that the plan has failed (or at least half of it, as Saintland is likely happy that their co-hosts are in the final as well) Surely Strawbee emerging from a bracket containing Ko-oren, Zwangzug, and Milchama was not a part of anyone's plans.

Strawbee's appearence in the finals has begun to stir up controversy around the world as many object to an unapologetic dictatorship on one of the world's biggest stages, though civil rights in Strawbee are certainly not terrible, internationally Strawbee's patterns of behavior are considered typical of your standard "rogue" nation and accusations about the small desert nation are flying. Allinlia remains Strawbee's only official ally. Strawberry shrugged off the criticisms and protests by some foreigners about the team and her regime, "How typical, we get to the finals and people start up with this. Should have seen it coming actually, it's always the finals when so called "intellectuals" who don't know a thing about baseball feel the need to chime in."

Despite what you may think of Strawbee as a nation (we're not that bad guys, believe me.) from a purely sporting perspective, there's alot to like about Strawbee. No one would have thought a 22 seed would make it this far they have pulled off fantastically exciting underdog upsets against Ko-oren and Milchama and are once again clear underdogs in this final series against Maklohi Vai, and who doesn't love an underdog team that always plays hard and never gives up when things start to look bleak? The Allinlians at least seem to be on board with the Strawbeean team, apparently the so called "rivalry" between the two nations that was declared when Strawbee announced that it would enter the WBC is now officially dead as Strawbee fever has swarmed all corners of the empire and Allinlians are starting to cheer on their western neighbors in earnest. As one Allinlian fan put it, while it may not be their nation, many of the players on the Strawbeean team belong to Allinlian domestic clubs, and that they want to see players that they like and are familiar with succeed and win the WBC. This fan said he has been in attendence in maklohi Vai all through the semi finals, wearing his Patronus Falcons Hank Orr jersey. The Falcons are a popular club in Allinlia and Orr is considered their frnachise player along with Allinlian national team pitcher Jerry Bowler. The Emperor of Allinlia congratulated Strawbee on reaching the finals and announced that him and his family would join Strawberry in personally attending the finals series, likely in Strawbee colors.

There is much reason for us to celebrate, and with the government taking a page from Sangti's book and setting up street viewing parties for the finals we have alot to do it with. However the toughest test of the finals will be here and now in this series. While there is sure to be much debate at where sporting authorities the world over are to consider ranking a Strawbee championship team should we win, as we are a team that has struggled in throughout this WBC in both the group stage and in every round of the playoffs, having only prevailed through the team's incredible resilience and stubborn refusal to be knocked out, there will be very little disagreement that should Maklohi Vai win the finals, they will be a championship team worthy of comparisions to the very best runs of Western Cuba, having lost only 2 games in the group stage and simply decimating the playoffs, going undefeated in all of their playoff series and winning by huge convincing blow-out margins. Maklohi Vai's performance has been simply dominant and near flawless, not only that, but they will be playing every game of the finals in their own stadium, in their own country, and though Strawbee will try it's best to fill the stadium with fans of their team, they will surely be dwarfed by an enthusiastic Vaian crowd. Despite Maklohi Vai being the odds on favorite now to win the championship, people are quick to point out that Strawbee is not to ever be underestimated.

It's sure to be a great series, we have every reason to be proud and thrilled with what our team has done in this tournament so far but they are not finished yet. The finals are beginning, we have a 7 game series to decide if they have what it takes to be champions. I kow I can speak for the players when I say: bring it on!

[Saintland]

Result for Game 1 of the WBC 27 Finals

Strawbee               0 0 0 1 0 0 0 3 0  4
Maklohi Vai            0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0  3

Strawbee leads series 1 game to 0

[Maklohi Vai]

Result for Game 1 of the Third Place Series

Milchama               1 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 0  4
Sangti                 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 0  3

Milchama leads series 1 game to 0

[Maklohi Vai]

OOC: This piece is IC, but written semi-OOCly, if that makes any sense.

An Exodus Continued

The title of this piece has absolutely no correlation whatsoever to the content. "An Exodus Continued" just sounds cool. This piece is a free form examination of 19th century Austrian painting culture, focusing on the inf----

No, screw it, I'm writing about baseball. My first WBC was number 23, and we made a helluva run. We got to the quarters even. I remember Mae'ao telling me, "Arnao, my brother, we're doing something special." That was something. I remember first finding that competition such as this existed and being so excited. I had never had an opportunity to play on the level that the WBC provided, and so I was grateful. I poured many hours into practice for each game, and too much time overall. I could afford it then, I was young and didn't have the work I have now. Now, I'm considered a stalwart, even though I'm hardly old. The WBC has provided me with an outlet of expression that I can't find anywhere else, even in the pro league in Maklohi Vai. I'm able to lose myself in the game for a while, and I enter into baseball as a way of removing myself from the chaos that otherwise surrounds me. I've got a lot going on, you know.

During my first WBC, I was still coping with the loss of a person very close to me. It provided a way to escape the outside world and immerse myself into something completely different. Yes, I've been playing baseball for my entire life, but not like this. Here, there are a multitude of different personalities with which I can interact. There are a multitude of people who I enjoy talking with and practicing with. Above all, there's a sense of community unlike anything else. In the multiverse, you have AO, Rushmose, Esportiva, and all these other regions that for all intents and purposes act as friendly factions. If an AO team wins the World Cup, their region is immediately pointed out. Likewise, there's a set social order of teams in the other parts of the multiverse. It's not like that in the WBC.

Here, each team can be accepted no matter how old or young they are. There were several new nations this WBC that I was very proud to see. It reminds me of my own Vaian team back in WBC 23. Hard work and talent are always rewarded here, and that's what I love. I love that if you work hard enough and put in time, you can be guaranteed to move on up. Barring statistician catastrophe, my very own Vaian team will be ranked in the top 5 after this WBC. That will be something special, and not just for the questions like, "Arnao, how do you feel about being amazing?", but it will be for the sense of success. We started from the bottom, now we're here.

I can't write much more; I need to go practice for the game tonight. But if I leave one thing behind after my time in the WBC is done, whenever that may be, it's that I'm thankful that this place exists, and I don't want it to change. I want everybody to still treat each other with respect, and I want this place to remain a strong community. Thank you to everyone who has helped me, because my Vaian team is just getting started.

---

Strawbee               0 0 0 1 0 0 0 3 0  4
Maklohi Vai            0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0  3

Scoring Summary:
5th: Iao Laina led off the inning with a double to right. Ri'ino Uilnai then singled, driving him in, and Mae'ao then drove him in with a solo homer to right.

HR: Mae'ao 14, Moalna’akai Lai 3, Arnao 2, Iao Laina 1, Ap'uto Roma'ai 1, Ri'ino Uilnai 1, Wolo Rakinalmanai 1
RBI: Mae'ao 39, Wolo Rakinalmanai 14, Arnao 8, Moalna’akai Lai 7, Iao Laina 7, Ri'ino Uilnai 6, Ap'uto Roma'ai 5, Luimao Makai 2, Aonmai Rutulutoa 2, Koilani Ruputuo 2

[Strawbee]

Off To A Great Start
Strawbee hands Maklohi Vai it's first playoff loss, take 1 game lead in finals series

Strawbee               0 0 0 1 0 0 0 3 0  4
Maklohi Vai            0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0  3

Strawbee leads series 1 game to 0

Well, there is no way we are getting swept now. Carbon pitched great in the finals series opener and Strawbee managed to scrape togather a victory by the razor thin margin of 4-3. The pressure is now on Maklohi Vai who are now in a position that they have never found themselves in their entire playoff run: having to answer back after losing a game. Though there was much celebration from the Strawbee portion of the stadium and in the streets of the nation as the game was broadcasted on the big screen in most Strawbeean cities, it must be pointed out that while winning game 1 was certainly nice, and marks Strawbee's very first win in a WBC finals series, Maklohi Vai is far from finished, as the finals is a 7 game series, Strawbee must beat that Vaians 3 more times to be crowned champions, and if the narrow 1 run margin of victory in this game is any indication, that should prove to be extremely difficult.

"I'm proud of these boys." said Manager Kevin Saran, "To see them grow over the years and especially over the course of this tournament to where they are now as ballplayers has really been amazing. Everyone is on board with buckling down and doing whatever it takes to win this series and bring a world baseball classic championship back home to Strawbee."

Game 2 is tonight and we can be confident with the pitcher we will be sending out to the mound. Bubba Klang, our most veteran starter has been rock solid in every single one of his outings in the playoffs and I can think of no one more ready to face what is sure to be an especially determined effort from Maklohi Vai to tie up this series in front of their home fans. Even though Strawbee is technically designated as the home team in game 2, This game and every game in this series clearly have the feel of Maklohi Vai home games, as roughly only 1/4th of the massive, fully packed stadium was gunning for Strawbee in game 1. The team showed no signs of being rattled in the least in the opening game so we have every reason to believe that this will be a great series that will come right down to the final out. The type of series to remember, regardless of who wins it.

Let's go Strawbee!!! Keep it up!

[Saintland]

Result for Game 2 of the WBC 27 Finals

Maklohi Vai            0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 1  3
Strawbee               2 3 0 0 0 1 0 0 X  6

Strawbee leads series 2 games to 0

[Sangti]

We had to face an opponent that we cannot beat last time around. Milchama.

They were expecting at least a win by eight to ten runs. That was a blasphemy.

Because we only lost by an average of 1.5 runs. A 6-4 loss at home and a 3-2 loss at the road.

And now we are facing them again here at Saintland. Yes, here in Saintland,

Not for qualification or even nation pride. It was for a prize.

A third place finish is what's at stake now. And the Warriors are two steps away from taking it.

We lost 4-3. We did what we could.

It was not enough. We still have two or more games to find out.

What's wrong with us? It was our fourth straight loss.

Some nations feel that we did not deserve our run here. We should prove them wrong.

Time to wake up. Monico.

He woke up, and prepared his team to face Milchama for Game Two of their series, a series they badly needed a win.

[Maklohi Vai]

OOC: This is spoken to the team, by anyone who you wish to imagine who would be speaking to the team.

I shouldn't have to explain to you what this means. I shouldn't have to explain why this game is important. I shouldn't have to explain at all.

This game defines you as a team and each of you as individuals. This games defines what you are made of for the rest of your career. This game shows everybody out there that we deserve to be here, that we deserve to be the team we are.

I don't need to tell you about all the hours you've spent on baseball that you could have spent on your family. On your friends. On your schoolwork.

I don't need to tell you what this means. I don't need to tell you why this has meaning.

I need to tell you that this game is that game. It's the big one. It's not the group stage, it's not just the playoffs. This is the fucking world championship finals. This is the game that determines whether you can win the championship.

No, it's not game 7. No, it's not an elimination game. You can't lose for sure by losing this game.

But you can lose your momentum, at least what's left of it. You can lose the entirety of what has come previously. You can lose spirit.

Losing this game doesn't kill you, it just puts you nearly beyond disrepair. The odds are already against us at this stage, but they only get worse the further we go.

I don't need to tell you how your hometowns feel. I don't need to tell you how your neighbors, your friends, your teachers, anyone in your community, feels. You know how much they have invested in this series and in your performance.

I don't need to tell you that this series is important. I don't need to tell you that you have to play your hardest. I know you know that. I need to tell you that this series creates you.

Your being, who you are as a person, will forever be determined by what you do in this series. Thirty years from now, are people going to identify you as the semifinalist? Are people going to say, "Oh wow, there's the runner-up from WBC 27?"

No, they won't. They'll say champion. They'll say you're a champion, and you will be a champion in all meanings of the word.

Be champions today so you can be champions tomorrow. Don't stop until you're done, because this is more than just you.

This series is your mother's hours washing your uniform, it's your father's hours teaching you how to throw. It's your friends' time supporting you at your games, it's your girlfriend's time spending another night alone while you're out there getting better. It's your teacher's time as they try to catch you up on assignments, it's your neighbor's time spent watching you play instead of spending time with their own family.

You're already a champion to them. Be a champion for everyone. Win today.

---

Maklohi Vai            0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 1  3
Strawbee               2 3 0 0 0 1 0 0 X  6

Scoring Summary:
7th: Mae'ao hit a two run home run, driving in Iao Laina, who had singled.
9th: Wolo Rakinalmanai led off the inning with a double, then was sacrificed to third. Ap'uto Roma'ai then singled him in.

HR: Mae'ao 15, Moalna’akai Lai 3, Arnao 2, Iao Laina 1, Ap'uto Roma'ai 1, Ri'ino Uilnai 1, Wolo Rakinalmanai 1
RBI: Mae'ao 41, Wolo Rakinalmanai 14, Arnao 8, Moalna’akai Lai 7, Iao Laina 7, Ri'ino Uilnai 6, Ap'uto Roma'ai 6, Luimao Makai 2, Aonmai Rutulutoa 2, Koilani Ruputuo 2

[Maklohi Vai]

Result for Game 2 of the Third Place Series

Sangti                 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1  1
Milchama               0 0 2 0 0 0 2 0 X  4

Milchama leads series 2 games to 0

[Strawbee]

Keeping the Pressure on
Strawbee wins again in game 2, takes 2-0 series lea

Maklohi Vai            0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 1  3
Strawbee               2 3 0 0 0 1 0 0 X  6

Strawbee leads series 2 games to 0

Well, we did it again. Any thoughts that Strawbee's game 1 victory were just a fluke were erased tonight as Strawbee won again, this time by a wider margin of 6-3, to take a commanding 2-0 lead in the series. While the final result is fairly close, Strawbee seemed to be in complete control of the match as there wasn't a point in the entire game when the "underdogs" didn't have the lead. The hitters got to Maklohi Vai's pitcher early scoring 2 runs in the first and 3 in the second to take a very early 5 run lead that the home team simply could not overcome. Though they managed to put togather a nice rally in the late innings, the comeback effort was ultimately shut down by closer Van Percy. The veteran reliever is no stranger to finals series as his Allinian Professional league team, the Normonwoth Wolves, are now 2 time defending domestic league title champions. It was a day for Strawbee's older pitchers to shine as Bubba Klang clearly enjoyed the generous early run support, recording 6 scoreless innings to start the game and ultimately going 7 innings with 2 earned runs.

The fans back home were once again estatic and had reason to party in the streets as sports analysts everywhere pause to contemplate how Maklohi Vai, which appeared so unbeatable before now, could find themselves in this position in front of their own fans. If I can put my armchair manager hat on I would point to the tendency in lengthy playoff campaigns for teams that have had their backs against the walls and had to fight back earlier in the tournament to elevate their play to a higher level for the rest of the playoffs. It breeds that intangible undetectable something that make players perform above what they previously thought was their best, and makes teams greater than the sum of their parts. This Strawbee team certainly has their fair share of bumps, bruises, and scars from their run to the finals, going back to the 0-3 start in the group stages, to the must win final game and a prayer to get into the playoffs, to the series against Ko-oren, the series against Vaugainia, and the series against Milchama. Something changes in a team that has been through that, they have battled and poured their hearts out to overcome that adversity and they now refuse to be denied. A team like this is so determined that they will fight with everything they have to avoid giving the slightest inch. This trend is most at home in the fast paced adrenaline fueled world of basketball, but it perhaps is relevant here as well. Baseball is a game of extreme pressure and mental fortitude after all .

I'm certainly not trying to show any disrespect to Maklohi Vai's previous opponents by claiming that they had a comparably easy path to the finals, but Vaians made it look easy. What is relevant is that regardless of how strong the teams Maklohi Vai faced were, none of their series forced maklohi Vai to rise up and play at a better, more competitive level than they had previously. Not until this moment have the Vaians had to face doubt. They are undefeated in every playoff series before these 2 finals games, and for most of those wins, the game were not even close. Honestly, I though Sangti would be the team to give Maklohi vai a bit of a scare and give them the push they needed to get to that place, but was very surprised to see them swept away. If Maklohi Vai has not experienced true adversity before in this tournament than they are certainly in that position now. There are few places lower for a team than being down 0-2 to start a finals series that you were widely expected to win going into it. I expected to see that chip on Maklohi Vai's shoulders in game 2 but Strawbee's hitters in the early innings made sure the game was put away before that could happen. If this Maklohi Vai team is ever going to emerge than game 3 is truly where it will happen as they have had all day to contemplate the almost unthinkable prospect of having to fend off a sweep should they lose this game tonight. They will have a fire in their belly tonight and will come out of the gate firing on all cylinders, and Strawbee better be ready for them if they want to win game 3.

Viktor Ganzorig will start, and though his perfomances in this WBC haven't always been pretty he has seemed to consistently found a way to do what his team needs when called on to pitch in crucial games. He had this to say about the upcoming game: "I don't really care that we're up 2-0 in this series. To me, this is game 7. We need to stomp on their throats now. We cannot afford to give Maklohi Vai any hope of being able to win this series, they are far too good for us to do that."

There is a palpable tension within both the Maklohi Vai and Strawbee camps, Maklohi Vai is undoubtedly feeling the pressure of being behind in this series but Strawbee also seems to be dealing with the pressure of holding this great lead, and not wanting to give it up. That even Strawberry has been quiet, for the first time in all 3 WBCs that the team has been in, and has not partaken in any of her japes speaks volumes to how important this series, and winning it, is for this team, and the nation of Strawbee. We as fans have simply just sat back and had fun with the team winning one series after the other expecting to just get past the first round, or just make the semi finals, or just make the finals and get our teeth kicked in by Maklohi Vai but being happy to just be here and having a fun time watching this team in the playoffs. For the first time we are starting to believe in what the players must have believed in for weeks now: we can win actually win this whole thing. The championship trophy is now within reach and this tournament has become serious business. The games are now being treated with the utmost respect by Strawbee fans, as if we are afraid we will jynx ourselves and the whole thing will fall apart.

Strawbee does not have this wrapped up, not by a long shot, but we are close. It is do or die now for Strawbee, and for Maklohi Vai and the teams will have to lay everything out on the field before this whole thing is over. However now that the idea of Strawbee being able to win this series is capable of being taken seriously we can stop and think about what Strawbee winning really means.

It would mean that in this tournament and in this sport, a tiny, dusty little nation in the wastelands off Allinlia's western backside, new to international baseball, that no one outside our region has really heard of, and with only 2 professional teams, can, for at least a brief moment, be the greatest in the world at something. If they work hard enough, If they fight hard enough, if they want it enough, they can make it happen.

I hope you will join me in watching and cheering for this team.

[Saintland]

Result for Game 3 of the WBC 27 Finals

Strawbee               0 2 1 0 0 0 3 0 0  6
Maklohi Vai            0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0  3

Strawbee leads series 3 games to 0

[Maklohi Vai]

Result for Game 3 of the Third Place Series

Milchama               0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0
Sangti                 0 2 0 1 0 2 0 0 X  5

Milchama leads series 2 games to 1

[Maklohi Vai]

"I was looking out over the bay the other day, y'know?"

"Yeah."

"Just looking, thinking."

"Thinking deep?"

"Yeah, thinking deep. Thinking about the future and what lays in store for us, y'know?"

"Like what?"

"Where is this team going? Are we destined to become a power? Or are we just peaking?"

"That's an awfully large question, Wolo."

"Yeah, I know, but it's got to be answered. We have to figure out our identity as a team."

"You're thinking too hard. We need to take it one game at a time."

"But should we not take all the steps to help us that we can?"

"Of course we should."

"Then we need to think. By thinking, we give gravity to this game, gravity to this whole picture."

"That's where I think you're falling. We need only the game."

"Fine, the game. But we need to attach consequence to it, I think."

"I see what you mean."

"What do you think coach will say?"

"Probably something similar, don't you think?"

"I guess so."

---

"Guys, I need you to relax. You've been taking this too hard and too seriously. You play your best baseball when relaxed. That's my only advice."

"But coach, it's an elimination game!"
"But coach, what about everything you told us earlier?"
"Coach, what about the consequences?"

"Hold up. If you guys don't win tonight, we'll be undergoing some changes in our mentality to see what works for next classic. But I bet you'll be better playing relaxed."

"That's it!?! That's all the advice?"
"Come on, coach, you've got something better than that!"
"Coach, you can't just let us go out there."

"That's the final word. Go play."

---

Strawbee               0 2 1 0 0 0 3 0 0  6
Maklohi Vai            0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0  3

Scoring Summary:
3rd: Ap'uto Roma'ai led off the inning with a double to left. Iao Laina then drew a walk, putting runners on first and second. Ri'ino Uilnai then doubled, driving in both runners. Mae'ao then followed up with a triple, driving in Uilnai.

HR: Mae'ao 15, Moalna’akai Lai 3, Arnao 2, Iao Laina 1, Ap'uto Roma'ai 1, Ri'ino Uilnai 1, Wolo Rakinalmanai 1
RBI: Mae'ao 42, Wolo Rakinalmanai 14, Arnao 8, Ri'ino Uilnai 8, Moalna’akai Lai 7, Iao Laina 7, Ap'uto Roma'ai 6, Luimao Makai 2, Aonmai Rutulutoa 2, Koilani Ruputuo 2

[Strawbee]

Mirror Match
Strawbee wins game 3 by the same margin as game 2, are now 1 win away

Strawbee               0 2 1 0 0 0 3 0 0  6
Maklohi Vai            0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0  3

As I expected, I have received alot of criticism for my thoughts concerning how being challenged by and facing adversity from previous opponents can bring a team to a whole other level in later rounds and provide them with the boost they need to ascend to a "championship level" team, and suggesting that comparisons between Strawbee's constant struggle and Maklohi Vai's cruising toward blow out sweeps of their opponents could explain how in the world Strawbee stands with a 3-0 advantage over the host nation. To those who get on my case for partaking in such excercises I ask you: what else do I have to work with here? The baseball world is at a loss to explain how this finals series has shaped out so far. Just think of anything that you could use to analyze this matchup: how the teams stack up "on paper", world rank, past performance in the playoffs, the home field advantage, it all points clearly not only to Maklohi Vai winning the series, but winning it quite handily. With Strawbee up 3-0 one must start looking into the murky waters of the "intangibles" if one is to find any fair explanation for what has happened. Maklohi Vai is a proud and talented group of professional that has played hard in these games, writing them off as "chokers" is insufficent.

Perhaps it simply boils down to the old adage of baseball that "anyone can beat anyone at any time." but a 7 game series significantly benefits the team favored to win. The more games that need to be won to prevail over an opponent, the less of a factor things like luck, randomness, and the element of surprise can play. The 3 game series in the early rounds of the tournament were described as "a crapshoot" by one WBC manager, but the same most certainly cannot be said of the behemoth that is the 7 game finals series. In such a series the better team is supposed to win. A team ranked 20+ points below the other, who got past their previous opponents by just the skin of their teeth, who just barely qualified for the playoffs at all, is not supposed to march into the home field of that other team, which has played perfect baseball practically the entire tournament, and sweep them.


But if everything in sports happened the way they were supposed to, why would anyone play? This Strawbee team can be characterized by it's outright refusal to follow the scripts that have been written for them. Their run through this playoffs has them resembling a bunch of uninvited party crashers raining on everyone's parade than anything else. They are a team that will not play the role we as fans and sports writers have unintentionally assigned to them as a footnote in the great story of another team's success. Back in round one us analysts and fans of the game were enamored by the story of Ko-oren, a team that had picked itself up from it's fall from grace in the group stage with a fantastic second half run to secure a playoff spot while looking every bit like the team that went to the semi finals last season. It had the makings of a fantastic story of redemption as the greenblues would be clear favorites all the way to the quarterfinals. Ko-oren going from completely written off as washed up to competing for the championship is what was supposed to happen, at least it seemed that way at the time. They faced Strawbee in the first round.

Milchama had just fought it's way back from the brink of elimination to an heroic upset victory in the final inning over Zwangzug, the team that was considered the clear standout stone cold lock to win the championship this tournament. Ranked #1 in the world, an undefeated record in the group stage, and respected and feared by all. Milchama's game 3 win over them was truly a sight to behold as they knocked off the standout favorite to become the tourney favorites themselves, reclaiming their status as an elite among elites and set the stage for an epic finals showdown between them and Maklohi Vai. The semi finals were insignificant. Milchama had pulled off the storybook upset and was supposed to be Maklohi vai's opponent, it just seemed so perfect. Their semi finals opponent was Strawbee.

And now we turn to Maklohi Vai, a nation that has only recently burst onto the WBC but in a very short time has built up one of the greatest programs in all of international sports. In terms of their facilities, management, organization, talent scouting, results, and recognition from their fellow WBC nations Maklohi Vai has simply accomplished a stellar international sporting program in it's baseball operations. With a successful bid for co-hosts of the tournament, won largely on their involvement in the hosting of the event the team proceeded to win it's group with ease and go on an amazing undefeated run through the tournament earning themselves a trip to a finals series hosted in their own nation. When Strawbee knocked out Milchama in game 5 of the semi finals, in the last hours leading up to the first pitch of the finals, it seemed like destiny. What better way to celebrate Maklohi Vai's incredible WBC accomplishments and contributions to international baseball than them validating and capping them in the grandest way possible: A championship, and in their own stadium in front of their own loyal fans no less. It may seem strange now but the thought of anything else happening at that time just seemed so foreign. This was just what was supposed to happen, by any logical measure.

A third storybook sports moment, and a third that to happen, requires Strawbee to lose. The series is not over yet, and there is perhaps no bigger story in baseball than the tale of the team that fought back from being down 3-0 in a 7 game series to win the championship. It's not like it hasn't happened before in the WBC, as daunting a task as it is to defeat a team that has proven to be at the very least your equals 4 times in a row, and Strawbee at least is not acting like this story is quite over yet. Every indication from players is that the victories in the first 3 games mean nothing to them, that there is no victory aside from the one that secures the championship and that the most difficult win in a series is always the final one, no matter who you are playing and no matter which game that win is in. Hector Bolormaa is set to pitch in game 4 in a bid to give the top 3 pitchers in the rotation adequete rest for the second half of the series, a move that was planned from the start regardless of where Strawbee happened to stand at the time. Bolormaa has yet to pitch in the playoffs but he was absolutely lights out in Strawbee's 2 critical victories over Unolia in the group stage and has a very strong track record throughout his WBC career. He has been actively practicing with the team and said that it would be "the greatest honor" to be the starting pitcher in the game that brought the championship to Strawbee.

It is telling that in game three, Strawberry of all people was not hopping and hollering, making cat calls to the players, making jokes and stuffing her face but simply watched the game intently, perfectly silent, holding her hooves the entire game in what appeared to be nervous apprehension and only giving a muted smile and slight fist pump after the final out and slinking out of the stadium, declining to give any interviews. We have always simply had a great time poking fun at the team and the WBC but that was when the thought of competing for a championship was far from any of our minds, now that we are so close it has become apparent how much this means to us. Though the players on both sides still look to be having fun out there. This is the beauty of baseball played at the highest levels, the mixture just below the surface of the upbeat joy the players have for the sport and the intense seriousness of the competition and their unrelenting and merciless drive to win.

As we reach the second half of this series everything that has been built up in this tournament until now reaches it's climax. Maklohi Vai and Strawbee take to the field to face off once again, only this time, for the first time, the championship is truly and unquestionably on the line. It is unknown what approach Maklohi Vai will bring to this absolutely critical game 4 but Strawbee's is clear. There are few things more unthinkable in the sports section of our brains than a clear underdog going into a series against a team as beloved and respected as Maklohi Vai, in a series taking place entirely in their home stadium, in a tournament they are hosting, and pulling off a 4 game sweep. Even if Maklohi Vai is to lose the series in the end, even if it is to happen in game 5, they are supposed to at the very least fend off the sweep. They are supposed to defeat Strawbee in this game tonight.

Strawbee does not do what it is supposed to do.

[Saintland]

OOC: Since both Maklohi Vai and Strawbee have RPed, this will be slightly early tonight.

Result for Game 4 of the WBC 27 Finals

Maklohi Vai            0 0 0 0 1 0 3 0 1  5
Strawbee               1 0 0 3 0 0 1 1 X  6

Strawbee wins series 4 games to 0

Congrats to Strawbee for winning WBC 27 with a shocking Finals sweep and commiserations to my co-host for a great run. Thanks to everybody for participating and good luck to both nations still competing for third place.