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Old 05-03-2019, 01:12 AM   #67
rleb
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Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada
Posts: 311
Update #4 : Wild Cards eliminated, Fargo and West Virginia advance!



Two 'Cinderella' stories were eliminated in one swoop, as the hard-hitting Claymores and youthful Akira were eliminated in the League Championship Series!

Here is how the series went :

Imperial League Championship Series

West Virginia 4, Scotland 3

vs

The two most potent offenses in the Imperial League went head-to-head, very appropriately, for the League Championship!

West Virginia, led by long-time GM Greg Abcarian, built up a hard-hitting, fast-moving contender with pitching to boot. 3B Alejandro Lujan and 1B Brad Davis provides the offense, while veteran starters Clayton Lewis and Oniji Yokoyama provides the pitching. But, the depth doesn't stop there : the Alleghenies minor league system is the stuff of dreams : all four of their teams in the minors finished at the top of their division simultaneously in 2028!

Meanwhile, the remarkable turnaround story of the Scottish Claymores, led by enthusiastic rookie GM Vic Caleca, was the opponent. Despite their role as underdogs, having lost 99 games just a season ago, the Claymores had some serious offensive might, built up over the course of the season, as they led the I.L. in runs scored with 736. The current slugging star of the Claymores is mid-season acquisition Don Mercer, pried away from Duluth, who finished the season with 39 homers and 110 RBIs!

West Virginia won the first game behind a good pitching performance from Lewis, but then the Claymores offense hit overdrive, out-scoring the Alleghenies 21-11 over the next three games to take a commanding 3-1 series lead.

However, West Virginia fought back. Clayton Lewis allowed only 1 run and 2 hits in a game 4 win, then West Virginia shut down the Claymores offense, winning three straight games convincingly 4-1, 11-1 and 3-2, to come out ahead after 7 games!

West Virginia, which has only won 1 playoff series in it's history (a wild card series in 2024 vs Kentucky) will now experience the bright lights of the Finals for the first time! It is worth noting, however, that GM Abcarian is no stranger to elite competition, as he made three finals appearances in the Japanese League won two league championships for Fushigi Yigi in 2010 and 2018 before taking over the Alleghenies a few years later!

As the team arrives in the biggest series of all, their weakness has been injures : no fewer than 10 players are currently on the disabled list! That minor league depth might come in handy, as they try to clinch their first title.

Sovereign League Championship Series

Fargo 4, Neo-Tokyo 2

vs

Over in the Sovereign League, both teams were in uncharted territory.

The higher-ranked team in the matchup was the Fargo Dinosaurs, led by GM Cristian Shofar. Through thick and thin, Cristian has led Fargo for 21 seasons now, dating back to 2008; PEBA's second season.

Although the Dinosaurs qualified for the post-season 4 times over the years, they had never won a series until this year, and had recently been in a 10-year playoff drought. However, over the last 5 seasons, clever moves and an eye for a balanced team have crept the Dinos up the standings to the point of qualifying for the playoffs this year, and now, for the first time ever, to the finals! The team's leader is the oldest player in the league at the moment .. their DH, 43-year-old Rob Raines! Although no doubt in the twilight of his career, Raines is still playing for keeps, and is looking to add a second title to his name before he hangs em up!

Meanwhile, their opponent is the 'youth brigade' of the Neo-Tokyo Akira!

The team, led by long-time GM Ron Hiscock, initially made their name in the LRS, the same Japanese League that featured West Virginia's GM. Ron and the Akira also won two Japanese titles during their time there, in 2012 and 2017. However, as the league was absorbed by PEBA in 2021, Neo-Tokyo had an uphill battle adapting a Japanese roster for the big leagues. So, rather than aiming for instant wins, Ron Hiscock instead furiously stockpiled young prospects over the first half-dozen seasons in the league, looking to win long-term. During this time, the team lost 100+ games in 4 of their 5 first seasons.

However, in 2028, things began to seriously pay off.

The Akira nearly equaled the Claymores' offensive production, and is led by outfielder Tomas Martinez, who hit 31 home runs and 105 RBI this season! 20-game winner Jose Fernandez anchors the rotation on the mound.

The series was a back-and-forth affair, as Fargo won the first three games, then the Akira responded with 2 playoff wins of their own, and game 6 not only went down to the wire, but went into extra innings with Fargo squeaking the win in 13 innings to clinch the series!

Fittingly, 'Old Man Rob Raines' was named MVP of the series!

As both teams reach uncharted territory, it will be exciting to see how the Fargo vs West Virginia series plays out! Stay tuned

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Last edited by rleb; 05-03-2019 at 01:24 AM.
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