[darkcloud4579]

FIRST DIVISION
After sporting the best record in the NSD, the franchise from Grensmett is elevated to the First Division, after a four-year stay in the 2nd Division. While the team never won a title during their stay in the NSD, they finished first in their division four-straight times. The club has adopted the name Grensmett Granite after a sponsorship deal with the Granite company located just outside Grensmett.

Perhaps the most embarassing and "sad" new entry for fans of Neloxian baseball over the years, are the revelation that Saint Etienne Excelsior, a club with 9 Neloxian Series titles in its history and that won 4657 games during their Premiership career (1901-1971) have been demoted. The outcry for this demotion was exacerbated by the fact that the Excelsior (39-95) had their worst season in franchise history and was only the second time in franchise history that the team lost 39 games (1926 was the only other time) and so..many said the system was "broken" and should take other factors into account.

League officials say that the policy isn't designed for that and that, they would take a look at it for future years, but..."relegation/promotion is designed to penalize good teams, but its designed to improve play on the field and improve team desire throughout seasons. Not just in relegation years, but for the long haul," said a league official.

Some are calling for "the process" as it has come to be called, to happen every two years, while others want it to occur every six. Some are calling for it to be scrapped all together, with the best teams in the "best markets" being selected for each league.

But smaller cities are rejecting these calls and who can blame them? For the possibility that a team could start out in the 2nd Division and make its way to the top tier of Neloxian baseball in less than a decade, is quite the incentive for all sorts of teams.

"We're playing hard everyday, knowing we have a chance to make it," said a player.

PREMIER LEAGUE
Nicosa is a proud baseball city and its shining day is about to come. Founded in 1901, the Kingfishers won the First Division title in 1971, sported the league's best record and are now in the Premier League, as the first team to EVER to play at all four levels of Neloxian baseball.

"This is an amazing accomplishment and the sort of thing that the process was all about when we innovated it. The idea was to reward successful teams, no matter where they were located in the Dominion of Sanfranchez, no matter how big their city or how deep their pockets, but simply how great the team played."

The Kingfishers won the Township Series in 1915 and made the playoffs 11 times before moving to the Second Division in 1926. They won a staggering 8 Second Division titles from 1931-1941, which included a three-peat (1937-39), before the club moved up to the First Division in 1943.

They won two titles in the First Division (1957 was the other), with last year's title being the most meaningful championship series title beyond the other 10, as that one propelled the club to the peak of Neloxian baseball.

The question becomes, can this club become the first to claim titles at all levels -- a feat that might never be duplicated -- or will they be back in their familiar stomping grounds after four short years?