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rferry · 07-14-2012, 09:06 AM

Introducing Mbijt:

The Whitecaps are a professional club in the regional South Coast League (with teams representing I Cjyll, Urdhi, Grykeder and Lincoln) and long before that the Coastal League. They have twice reached the final game of the most famous baseball competition in Umnyuupia, the now defunct Elby Invitational and regularly play CBL teams in exhibitions (and league play at various points). Despite the club's position and its representing the country's 15th largest city and a huge metropolitan area, it was left out of the new confederated professional leagues and the SCL out of their affiliated leagues. The Whitecaps' fans feel slighted. The Whitecaps even sought to join another national league, but they were rejected by the Greek League. They hoped by joining the rising league, they could have a chance at qualifying for the Euro Club Championship Cup now that Umnyuupia's berth will go to the CBL champ and not the winner of Elby Invitational tournament.
They will continue to play their normal schedule - the SCL's 30-game schedule, tournaments and exhibition games. Only this year, exhibition games against Coastal League and other professional clubs may be impossible with those leagues' scheduling demands. The recent players contracts wars can't have improved the possibility either. The only contests against other Umnyuupian pro clubs are a few against Peninsula League clubs. Cvelfierja Governor Jebmnyk is hoping to broker a truce and game between his region's two most well known clubs - Dasht and Mbijt.

Mbijt Whitecaps

Stadium: Mbijt Diamond (3100). The cookie cutter ballpark isn't special. However, the humid sea air reduces home runs and the sandy soil makes for some inconsistent bounces.
Owner: Nedzati Xhaferi. 64yo born in Elby. The radio station owner has assumed majority control of the Whitecaps from other shareholders.
2012 Preview: Having lost their top lefthanded starter (Malko Bluewings' P Roland Shkelyim), veteran reliever (Brekkar Orioles' Victor Tolr), two-thirds of their starting outfield (Bluewings' Brami Alikaj, Istamo Turtles' Selim Rrustemi) and their SS of the future (23yo Janji Tolka now with the Kishperkujt Cubs), Mbijt is a severely weakened club. They have enough to win in the regional and amateur ranks and would probably remain competitive in the Valley League clubs, but a regional competitor to Dasht or Urdhi they are no longer. They still have C Velimir Raznajatovic and 'The Albanian Hammer' OF Migen Albrup.
Key additions and losses since the CBL Opening Day: Added OF Alberto Perez, P Boguljub Sainovic, C Arjan Naci, P Armando Cabrera and P Armend Koci. Lost P Zenon Ahmeti

Despite the Greek League rejection, the Whitecaps have a tour of Greece planned in May. Other notable events on the Whitecaps road schedule include tournaments in Hetre and Milan, Italy. On the first weekend of June, Mbijt Diamond will host the Mbijt Invitational featuring the Whitecaps and the Albanian national baseball team.

European 2012 preview:

Many of the European leagues started this week or last weekend. Already we've seen veteran Italian 1B Luc Loria extend last season's hitting streak to 28 games, contributing a five for six night to the effort. Among the best native European position players playing domestically are switch-hitting 28-year old Italian SS Nicoli Pavoni and 27-year old German OF Wilhelm Bonner. Pavoni is a disciplined hitter with decent power and blazing speed from the southern end of the peninsula while Bonner is a slugging left-handed batter with a strong arm. The best pitchers are 26yo Dutch hurler P Gertjan 'Hawk' Blanken and the old English southpaw P Shaun Bott. Blanken would have been in the major leagues by now if not for his injury history. Bott's a former cricketer whose cutter is almost as good as his world famous curveball.

Filling out the rosters of the Euro leagues are numerous ex-major leaguers. Ivan Rodriguez signed a $71K salary to keep playing pro ball. Joining him in the Czech League are Mark DiFelice, Armando Galarraga and 3 other pitchers. John Garland and Taylor Buccholz, who nearly signed with the Urdhi Lions, are in Spanish League with Kevin Hart. Rich Harden, who threw 10 strikeouts in his first start, and Dennys Reyes are with the same club in Germany. Former Pittsburgh Pirate Ian Snell and former Houston Astros Samuel Gervacio and Brian Esposito are in France. Brad Hawpe opted out a AAA assignment with the Texas Rangers for a chance to play every day for a huge fee with the St. Petersburg North Stars of Russia. Of course the Italian and Netherlands leagues, while lacking in aging MLB star power, remain the best on the continent. However, Germany and Greece have imported numerous former minor leaguers and college players with loose ties to the countries. These imports still count toward the eight foreign player limit, but the talent intake has greatly improved their leagues. It will be interesting to see whom out of the Czech, Italian, Dutch, German and Greek champions earn the three bids to the Euro Club Championship. France, Belgium and England don't have the talent yet, but Russia and Spain champions could see their former MLB all-stars carry them through.

Among the Umnyuupians that have proven worthy of a foreign player roster slot on Euro rosters are P Janji Naci and IF Vjosa Topalli. The 27yo southpaw P Naci is the ace of the staff for Bologna of the Italian Baseball League and 37yo 2B Topalli is the best hitter in the Czech League (Pudge certainly has him beat now). How he fares against the Czech's unexpected investment in former major league pitchers will reflect on an Umnyuupians' chances of making a major league roster eventually.

07-14-2012, 09:06 AM	#20
rferry All Star Reserve Join Date: May 2002 Location: DC Posts: 549	Introducing Mbijt: The Whitecaps are a professional club in the regional South Coast League (with teams representing I Cjyll, Urdhi, Grykeder and Lincoln) and long before that the Coastal League. They have twice reached the final game of the most famous baseball competition in Umnyuupia, the now defunct Elby Invitational and regularly play CBL teams in exhibitions (and league play at various points). Despite the club's position and its representing the country's 15th largest city and a huge metropolitan area, it was left out of the new confederated professional leagues and the SCL out of their affiliated leagues. The Whitecaps' fans feel slighted. The Whitecaps even sought to join another national league, but they were rejected by the Greek League. They hoped by joining the rising league, they could have a chance at qualifying for the Euro Club Championship Cup now that Umnyuupia's berth will go to the CBL champ and not the winner of Elby Invitational tournament. They will continue to play their normal schedule - the SCL's 30-game schedule, tournaments and exhibition games. Only this year, exhibition games against Coastal League and other professional clubs may be impossible with those leagues' scheduling demands. The recent players contracts wars can't have improved the possibility either. The only contests against other Umnyuupian pro clubs are a few against Peninsula League clubs. Cvelfierja Governor Jebmnyk is hoping to broker a truce and game between his region's two most well known clubs - Dasht and Mbijt. Mbijt Whitecaps Stadium: Mbijt Diamond (3100). The cookie cutter ballpark isn't special. However, the humid sea air reduces home runs and the sandy soil makes for some inconsistent bounces. Owner: Nedzati Xhaferi. 64yo born in Elby. The radio station owner has assumed majority control of the Whitecaps from other shareholders. 2012 Preview: Having lost their top lefthanded starter (Malko Bluewings' P Roland Shkelyim), veteran reliever (Brekkar Orioles' Victor Tolr), two-thirds of their starting outfield (Bluewings' Brami Alikaj, Istamo Turtles' Selim Rrustemi) and their SS of the future (23yo Janji Tolka now with the Kishperkujt Cubs), Mbijt is a severely weakened club. They have enough to win in the regional and amateur ranks and would probably remain competitive in the Valley League clubs, but a regional competitor to Dasht or Urdhi they are no longer. They still have C Velimir Raznajatovic and 'The Albanian Hammer' OF Migen Albrup. Key additions and losses since the CBL Opening Day: Added OF Alberto Perez, P Boguljub Sainovic, C Arjan Naci, P Armando Cabrera and P Armend Koci. Lost P Zenon Ahmeti Despite the Greek League rejection, the Whitecaps have a tour of Greece planned in May. Other notable events on the Whitecaps road schedule include tournaments in Hetre and Milan, Italy. On the first weekend of June, Mbijt Diamond will host the Mbijt Invitational featuring the Whitecaps and the Albanian national baseball team. European 2012 preview: Many of the European leagues started this week or last weekend. Already we've seen veteran Italian 1B Luc Loria extend last season's hitting streak to 28 games, contributing a five for six night to the effort. Among the best native European position players playing domestically are switch-hitting 28-year old Italian SS Nicoli Pavoni and 27-year old German OF Wilhelm Bonner. Pavoni is a disciplined hitter with decent power and blazing speed from the southern end of the peninsula while Bonner is a slugging left-handed batter with a strong arm. The best pitchers are 26yo Dutch hurler P Gertjan 'Hawk' Blanken and the old English southpaw P Shaun Bott. Blanken would have been in the major leagues by now if not for his injury history. Bott's a former cricketer whose cutter is almost as good as his world famous curveball. Filling out the rosters of the Euro leagues are numerous ex-major leaguers. Ivan Rodriguez signed a $71K salary to keep playing pro ball. Joining him in the Czech League are Mark DiFelice, Armando Galarraga and 3 other pitchers. John Garland and Taylor Buccholz, who nearly signed with the Urdhi Lions, are in Spanish League with Kevin Hart. Rich Harden, who threw 10 strikeouts in his first start, and Dennys Reyes are with the same club in Germany. Former Pittsburgh Pirate Ian Snell and former Houston Astros Samuel Gervacio and Brian Esposito are in France. Brad Hawpe opted out a AAA assignment with the Texas Rangers for a chance to play every day for a huge fee with the St. Petersburg North Stars of Russia. Of course the Italian and Netherlands leagues, while lacking in aging MLB star power, remain the best on the continent. However, Germany and Greece have imported numerous former minor leaguers and college players with loose ties to the countries. These imports still count toward the eight foreign player limit, but the talent intake has greatly improved their leagues. It will be interesting to see whom out of the Czech, Italian, Dutch, German and Greek champions earn the three bids to the Euro Club Championship. France, Belgium and England don't have the talent yet, but Russia and Spain champions could see their former MLB all-stars carry them through. Among the Umnyuupians that have proven worthy of a foreign player roster slot on Euro rosters are P Janji Naci and IF Vjosa Topalli. The 27yo southpaw P Naci is the ace of the staff for Bologna of the Italian Baseball League and 37yo 2B Topalli is the best hitter in the Czech League (Pudge certainly has him beat now). How he fares against the Czech's unexpected investment in former major league pitchers will reflect on an Umnyuupians' chances of making a major league roster eventually. __________________ please excuse my grammar, i read baseball weekly in my high school english classes. Last edited by rferry; 07-14-2012 at 06:02 PM.