Umnyuupian mission of baseball

[rferry]

Umnyuupia is a small country in Eastern Europe, formerly of Yugoslavia. It has passed through the hands of many powerful European empires only to suffer through WW1, WW2, the Cold War, Balkan ethnic wars, forced secularism and Albanian nationalism in the 20th century. It has celebrated a visit from Pope John Paul II and the independence upon the dissolution of the former Yugoslav Republic. After the earthquake of 2003 and halted aid subsidies by richer European countries, Umnyuupia still remains a poor, but proudly hopeful people. While their neighbors exploited and ignored them, they've always had their faith. And, thanks to connections made through their faith, a national sport unknown to much of the rest of Europe: baseball.

An American Methodist missionary visited Sarajevo after World War II and heard about this small Albanian dialect-speaking, Christian community. When he returned to the U.S., he made it a mission to support the Umnyuupians. Soon, churches, schools, food and infrastructure were brought over and along with it baseball. The missionaries were soon forced out of the country and with it almost baseball. Fortunately one of the greatest supporters of baseball was a local Catholic priest who recalled with fondness the game he once experienced serving in Latin America. He began to promote the game and the episcopal leaders lent support. The game of baseball grew once again throughout the parish playgrounds.

Today, the sport thrives in the country. Many Umnyuupians have been recruited to play in the Dutch and Italian pro leagues. Unfortunately none yet have made the American major or minor leagues. We enter the story upon the agreement of various provincial league clubs to form one national major league known as the Confederated Baseball Leagues of Umnyuupia (CBL).



(Disclaimer: This is a fictional country. Any references to ethnicities, religions and politics are not intended to ridicule. The references will continue and are being used to describe how baseball became the national sport and tell the story of the future of the country and its baseball league. Thanks.)

[rferry]

Announcing the foundation of the Confederated Baseball Leagues of Umnyuupia.
The well-established Coastal League joins some of the larger baseball clubs of the interior for a two-league, 12 team confederation.

Competing in the Coastal League are the Brekkar Orioles, Hetre Rams, Gidrm Pilots, Urdhi Lions, Dasht Padres and Ghosanje Purple Sox. Ghosanje is a new entry in the Coastal League, having found their historical competition against peninsula clubs. They take over the franchise formerly known as the Putjep Yellow Sox.

Joining together to form the new "National League" are the Kishperkujt Cubs, Istamo Turtles, Koder Kesh Lynx, Elby Pelicans, Nur Otters and Malko Blue Wings. Each played in various local leagues before and represent not necessarily the best or largest supported clubs. (Some clubs stayed behind in what is now known as the Valley League, but more on that later.)


Info on the various regions: Bregdet, Mutia, Cvelfierja and Urdhi, Trejtar, Fiermal, Gardhe, Pechkam, Elby.

Here's a map to follow along:

[rferry]

Opening Day coming soon.

A little on the set up. The game is running parallel to the MLB quick start. The hope is an Umnyuupian might one day make the big leagues, maybe even take over third base for the Washington Nationals when Ryan Zimmerman retires in a decade.

Along with the CBL leagues there is an Umnyuupian minor league. These would be the only two professional/semi-pro baseball leagues in all of Europe to have a daily playing schedule. 6 games a week for the Umnyuupian majors, 4 for the minor leagues. The 15 week season culminates in a championship between the winner of the Coastal League and National League.

The Umnyuupian champion earns a bid to the European Cup Final Four where they will compete against champions from the Dutch and Italian leagues (both leagues running 14-week, 42 game seasons) and one other European club (a 10-week, 20-game Euro qualification league of the top baseball-playing nations).

Financials are set with all European clubs with a $840K salary cap paying a range of 20-50K per player with the average salary of $30-35K. 10 of the 20 members of the playing roster must be domestic nationals. Dutch and Italian teams are more dependent on national media rights contracts while European qualification league makes its money from attendance.

The CBL is set with no salary cap (although anything over $680K is going to be difficult) and a 17-40K salary range for an average salary of 23K. Like I said, it's a poorer country. But it's one that loves its baseball. Hence it relies mostly on attendance for its revenue. Also baseball talent is so deep that only 5 of 24 members of the playing roster may be foreign nationals.

Opening Day is coming soon. As the first month of the season progresses I'll introduce you to each club, delving into their history and region they hail from.

[rferry]

Opening Day from the land of mead, artichokes and no President (or King, but I'll explain that in another post)!

The new confederated baseball leagues begin play today. The Coastal League is as it's always been, except one franchise move. The clubs that chartered the new National League must adjust to the national format, including playing outside their regions and starting their seasons in spring. It's an exciting time in Umnyuupian baseball history!


Previewing the teams from the Bregdet region:

Bredget Region. Located along the coast, it accounts for 70% of the country's access to the sea. Two Coastal League teams and three Peninsula League (minor league) teams call it home.

Brekkar Orioles

Stadium: Brekkar Field (3480 seats). An all grass ballpark built outside the city on the road to the airport in Fjuth. Its deep center field allows for many triples.
Owner: Fini Krasniqi. 49yo born in Nur. Krasniqi inherited his family's airline business, Hjuyqi Air, and used it to buy a baseball club.
Affiliate: Fjuth Crusaders (Peninsula League). Plays in the 1680-seat called Crusader Park. It's just 318 down the RF line and 333 to the power alley. Their owner is the Hetre-based KBYY TV owner.
2012 Preview: Despite setting the pace in the offseason by signing former U.S. major leaguer Andy Sonnanstine, the young Orioles expect to finish under .500 this year. However, if they can finish ahead of the Hetre Rams it will be considered a good year.


Ghosanje Purple Sox

Stadium: Ghosan Yards (2890). All grass, well lit facility not far from the museums. Not quite a bandbox, its short right-centerfield steals some flyouts.
Owner: Dimitrije Todorovic. 55yo born in Trini Steza. A member of the Todorovic family, who made their name in tailoring and textiles.
Affiliate: Putjep Yellow Sox (Peninsula League). Plays in the 2160 seat multipurpose Putjep Stadium. They are owned by the Putjep-based Rastik family.
2012 Preview: In an effort to nationalize the major league, the club was requested to cede the Putjep territory and expand the game along the upper coast. They retain Putjep's 'Sox' identity and players. Ghosanje native and 3-time Bregdet Regional League MVP Ndreu Thaqi will finally join the Coastal League alongside the league's best hitter, Petrit 'Bird Eye' Murati, to form a nightmare lineup and impenetrable outfield.


About the region.

Ghosan: The state of Ghoson is well known for its wine making. The seaside town of Ghosanje serves as the capital city of Ghosan and the Bregdet Region government. It is commonly exposed to mud slides in the spring, which always seem to end weeks before the annual summer arts exhibit. Thereby making the event a double celebration. Trifir Isuj are a set of 5 islands just off the coast full of vacation homes for well to do Europeans. Nearby, Fjuth serves as a commercial hub with shopping and hotels to serve the residents of the islands and its seasonal visitors. Fjuth International Airport, one of only three in the country, serves not just the Bregdet Province, but also the Lutuis Bay port towns. The national service academy operates out of Fjuth, sponsoring training at their camp and utilizing Fjuth's airport for international missions.

Tregdet: Forming the southwestern side of Lutuis Peninsula, the state was once home to a big fishing and trading town of Qelm. However, the impoverished years decimated its economy. It maintains its legacy as a beach spot. Much of the state is home to sporadic suburban residential areas supporting Fjuth and Brekkar. Among the larger of such communities is the state capital Treqyt. The nation's only nuclear power facility is located outside of town. The cliffs of seaside Treqyt are said to be quite remarkable.

Brekkar: Brekkar is one of the smaller Lutuis Bay ports, but it has cornered the market on the Lutuis Bay ferry service. Service runs along the coast, to Ragusina and Gidrm, and Putjep as well. Brekkar and twin city Hetre often compete for water rights, invoking historical battles between coastal Umnyuupians and Mutian Slavs. A large manufacturing district has grown to support trade out of the ports.

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Hetre Rams

Stadium: Hetre Fields (3960). A multipurpose stadium with bleacher seating that is very difficult on righthanders.
Owner: Hafizi Ajeti. 55yo born in Istamo. From a family of farmers, he is successful private equity investor.
Affiliate: Tropje Eagles (Peninsula League). They play in the 1700-seat Tropje Ballpark with its a spacious right field. They are owned by the member-supported Tropje Sports Club.
2012 preview: The Purple Sox' bash brothers' top competition for the best hitter award is Hetre's veteran slugger OF Jasa Brnovic, who is supported by the less consistent but still fearsome 3B/IF Fortunato Memmoli. Despite the sluggers and great relief aces, the lack of any solid starting pitching will likely doom them to the bottom of the standings.


About the region

Mutia Region. An autonomous region formed by a large Southern Slav majority. Emigrating over periods of years down the Merpon River to Hetre, where they were granted privileged positions in the bureaucracy in the rein of the ruling empires. The Slav population contributes to Umnyuupia society in trade, arts, theology and scholarship in all the major cities and throughout the peninsula, but especially in Mutia.

Garmut: Technically a majority Umnyuupian district, the sparsely populated county is full of family farms at the feet of the Merperg Mound to the northwest and Fier mountain range to the east. Vanjoher, located on the Merpon River bend, is the state's capital.

Mutjal: Tropje is a large town not far from the river. It lacks nearby fellow Mutjal municipality Gaxa's significance as home to many important sites of Mutian Slav culture or the industry and influence of nearby Hetre. It does however host the state capital and a minor league club in the Peninsula League though.

Hetre: The city-state is biggest and most cosmopolitan of the nation's cities, Hetre is home to many ex-patriates. It is the main port of Lutuis Bay. Football (soccer) finds its most fervent support here, hosting the national stadium, nearly half of the top Umnyuupian Football League clubs and its only professional club. Lutuis College's campus is located on the outskirts of town.

[khucke]

interesting setup! I'll be following.

[rferry]

On the eve of Opening Day, the new nation-wide Confederated Baseball Leagues (CBL) is shocked with a lawsuit from the regional Valley Baseball League (VBL) over its appropriation of talent and charges of illegal privileges from the national government. The VBL claims that Umnyuupian tradition shows deference to regional and local entities and that the new nationwide league is an illegal monopoly. The CBL claims existing employment contracts between the leagues and players are limited from competition to other regional baseball leagues, not a national league. They argue that without the nation's best talent competing against the best talent, the national team's championship chances will suffer.

Some of the larger VBL clubs, notably the Purkullu Dragons and Trini Steza Angels, refused the offer of the CBL to join the nationwide league. The rejections have left the CBL frustrated over the huge gap in the map and the challenge to their national ambitions. In an effort to close the gap, the CBL granted a club license to Koder Kesh and its woefully inadequate stadium and a second club in the northeast. Koder Kesh has been able to stock what was an also-ran into a potential CBL contender with some of VBL's top talent. The introduction of a official lawsuit introduces fresh wounds into a long off-season battle.

No official statement has been issued whether the Peninsula League will or will not join the lawsuit. Putjep Yellow Sox are notably upset they lost their [b]Coastal League franchise, top players and identity to the new Ghosanje Purple Sox club.

Tomorrow's Opening Day games - broadcast over national radio throughout the day - will be played as scheduled, but without the enthusiasm the CBL had hoped for.

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To those unfamiliar with Umnyuupia's political system, the VBL is correct in stating a tradition of deference to the largely autonomous states. The courts have a history of rulings from Distributionist judges that may support a ruling against a monopoly. However, legal scholars suggest that such tradition hasn't always been followed by the courts and that ultimately the democratically elected Justice Committee has the responsibility to review the courts' decisions.


A overview of the political system:

The national government is represented by:
Chief Minister: An elected member of the legislature, the Chief Minister is chosen by his fellow legislators to the role (three yrs - three term limit). The role is limited to figurehead ceremonial honors as well as appointing international diplomats (requiring Foreign Affairs committee approval) and regional judges (requiring Justice committee approval), and serving as a member of National Emergency Council (with the Security and Police department heads).
The legislature is composed of 29 ministers (one per state, staggered six yr terms, no term limit). It is separated into four committees of seven members (The Chief may not serve): Foreign Affairs (oversight over the Security Dept.), Interior (oversight over the local regions), Justice (oversight over the Police Dept. and regional courts), Finance (oversight over the Research Dept.). The legislature act more as judges than politicians because no new laws can be formed. They review regional and department initiatives and legal decisions, issuing strongly-worded recommendations to national and local entities. They can seemingly enforce compliance over the national entities when they set confirm or deny their budgets.
National entities include:
- the Security Department, which is responsible for military defense and foreign intelligence as well as domestic and international service missions. All citizens between ages 16-24 are required to serve a 2 year commitment to either the military or a service mission.
- the Research Department: a catch all for national responsibilities including currency, national statistics, financial analysis and archives.
- the Police Department: administers national prison and provides for national government security

Regional governments (9 of them in total):
Government: Each region may be different, but they all have a Governor (6 yr) and legislature (3 yr) drawn from city precincts. There are political party caucuses (many in fact), but largely irrelevant at this level because committees appointed by Governor, not caucuses allying to form majorities in the legislature. Also, because political parties are restricted from funding campaigns, their power over their members is basically unenforceable. The regional governments have supporting departments, i.e. energy regulation, in charge of various responsibilities.
Courts: Justices rule on cases relating to national and regional laws and on appeals from state/local courts. They are appointed at the national level (Chief Minister and Justice committee) and accountable to national Justice committee reviews and recommendations.

State (29) and local (many) governments:
Government: Each may be different, but basically: A Mayor (3 yrs) and legislature (3 yrs) are drawn from neighborhood precincts. Political party caucuses are more influential at this level as legislatures may award committee roles by majority vote, however, they still not may not privilege or punish their candidates with campaign funding support. The regional governments have supporting departments, i.e. the local police, in charge of various responsibilities.
Courts: Justices rule on cases relating to national, regional and local laws. They are appointed at the regional level (Governor and either the full legislature or a committee) and accountable to national Justice committee reviews and recommendations.

[rferry]

Putjep Yellow Sox' owner and team president Nhedi Rastik publicly rejects any suggestion his club will join the VBL lawsuit. He claims the nationwide league is in the best interests of baseball in the country. The feeling is thought to be mutual among most Peninsula League clubs, whom are significantly smaller than their Valley League peers and rely on the big clubs. While there have been complaints of contracts not be respected, they have yet to make the forceful public comments that some VBL owners have.

Rastik is the eldest son of the former Sox owner and star player Mikel Rastik. When Mikel passed away in 2006, he left control of the club to then Team President Nhedi Rastik. While Nhedi attempted to follow his father's footsteps in baseball, he eventually made his name with his import/export business and now regional manufacturing conglomerate Rastik, Inc. When tapped by his father to join the team's front office in 1998, he has re-embraced his first love of baseball. The Yellow Sox had become a powerful club in the Coastal League under his leadership and his brother Pal. Pal has a noted business history himself - serving as Rastik, Inc.'s V.P. after retiring from a successful baseball career abroad. He now is V.P. of the Yellow Sox and a noted philanthropist.

[rferry]

Got the player creation modifiers and settings right. I had the shift the schedule (ending in August meant lots of players, esp. scrub players, signing to fill out USA minor league rosters). We now have a 114 game season and inter-league match ups for the Umnyuupian majors and 80 for its minors. The Euro Qualification League (Italy and Holland joined it) is now 18 weeks long and the top 3 qualify to meet Umnyuupia's league champion in the Euro Cup Final Four scheduled in early September.



Rest of the Coastal League previews

Gidrm Pilots

Stadium: Gidrm Fields at Mother Teresa Park (3270). The ballpark features a hand-operated scoreboard in centerfield that turns homers into doubles.
Owner: Claudian Culaj. 50yo born in Brekkar. American-raised Umnyuupian businessman.
Affiliate: Ragusina Cannons (Peninsula League). Plays in the 2200 seat multi-purpose, field-turf Ragusina Sports Complex. It's deep center and right-center accommodates an outfield that becomes a football (soccer) pitch.
2012 Preview: The Pilots are expected to challenge. American 1B Bobby Conway, a recent college grad, is all around athlete and ambitious gentleman on and off the field. P Pleurat Abrup leads one of the best rotations in the league. He is one harsh act - mixing in a forkball and changeup to go along with his 94mph cutter and slider. They are owned by the local credit union.


Dasht Padres

Stadium: Dasht Ballpark (3600). The seaside park is a pitcher's playground. The deep fences and the humidity make the long ball difficult. Some question whether the topography around the mound hasn't been adequately leveled.
Owner: Oltion Krasniki. 49yo born in Malko. Owner and publisher of a business-themed newspaper and magazine.
Affiliate: Treqyt Tigers (Peninsula League). Plays in the 1500 seat Treqyt Ballpark. A converted school ground it offers few amenities or curiosities except its 4-foot fences. They are owned by a neighborhood civic organization.
2012 Preview: The club's high salaries kept them from being too active in the offseason. The failure to address holes at RF and in relief may leave the club near the bottom of the standings and in even more desperate financial conditions. Helping avoid that fate they are relying on power pitchers Bora Stolic and Alush Blaku. One rising prospect they'll need to lock down is SS/IF Mendu Pllana. The young, fast, technically sound infielder that is drawing attention of richer European clubs.


About the Cvelfierja region:

Gjadez: The state of Gjadez is located at the entrance point of Lutuis Bay. Gidrm is a city of significant manufacturing, commerce and the nation's largest university, Zhulrot University. Ragusina Isuje is one of the Lutuis Isuj. The other three now rests as small military fortresses to defend the waterway. The southern end of Ragusina Isuje also largely serves to defend the nation. The military college and basic military training is conducted on the island as well as other areas. On the northern end is the town of Ragusina, a planned community built in the 1900s by communist Yugoslavia. It houses the nation's largest amphitheater and a stadium complex.

Cjyll: Once a large state, Cjyll was the epicenter of the 1997 earthquake. Much of the infrastructure has not been sufficiently repaired. The national road system is largely inaccessible throughout much of the state. After years of migration and expulsion, what remains is the new town of I Cjyll just outside of the Urdhi capital state. The citizens are slowly rebuilding their community.

Dasht: The third most populous state, Dasht, includes the nation's 5th and 15th largest cities. It is a large sea side state known for its commerce, art and recreation opportunities. Dasht, the state capital, sits at the terminus of the Polemtisu Canal that connects with the Polemitsu River that cuts the nation into two. It houses the nation's stock exchange. Mbijt sits along the coast and along the southern border. Its shores are a popular beach spot for humans as well as for animals in the nearby protected reserve.

Cveljug: Moseacaduk sits along the Polemtisu Canal as a regional hub for commerce and recreation. It is the gateway point to nation's eastern half, especially since roadways are diverted here from earthquake-wrecked Cjyll. Just east of town the coastland turns to mountains and the valley's rivers make various bends that split the country into east and west. To the south is Lincoln, another communist built community once known as Titodyohje. Upon independence it was renamed for Abraham Lincoln upon by Amerophile mayor Gezim "Garry" Nooja. It houses many large structures that have been re-purposed for state and regional governance. Among them is Prek Cali University. Lincoln is the main campus, but there are branch campuses in Urdhi, Dasht, Mbijt and Koder Kesh. In Lincoln, one remaining brutalist eyesore is its 6000-seat concrete multipurpose stadium that is ill fit for a community this small. It occasionally is used by university's commencement and for various festivals and olympic sports events.




Urdhi Lions

Stadium: Dukagjini Park (3300). A band box of a park that barely fits into the city's grid.
Owner: Uberto Russino. 46yo born in Rimini, Italy. The Italian businessman is one of only two foreign team owners in Umnyuupia.
Affiliate: Qelm Pirates (Peninsula League). Plays in the 1450 seat Qelm Fairgrounds. The nearly square shaped park has among the shortest fences in the PL and a spacious foul territory stretching to either side. They are owned by the amusement park owner they share facilities with.
2012 Preview: Urdhi seemingly has the talent and resources to win the league, but consistently is flawed in severe ways. This year is no different. They have batting champ Xhetan Rama, but among a feast or famine offense of poor-hitting sluggers. The Lions loaded up in hired mercenaries - with their ace from Japan and the American Chaz Rowen, but they and the rest of the rotation can't consistently throw strikes. Former MLB P Brad Kilby was brought in to help in the bullpen. The club was even reported to have signed Hideki Matsui, but it turns out it was a hoax.


About Urdhi:

Urdhi: An autonomous city, belonging to no state or region, it is the capital city of Umnyuupia. The legislature is here as well as the legislature's residence in the Jubuip Mansion. The mansion hosts foreign dignitaries and in times when the government is not in session, the mansion is a public museum. Once a vassal state to Elby in the middle ages, Urdhi and the coastal region it holds influence over now see Elby as their vassal state within the federal republic. The city also supports an important institution of learning: Shenjt Astius University.

[darkcloud4579]

Original concept!

[rferry]

Opening Day!

In a curiosity in the schedule, all the games this year in the Coastal League began in the south. Urdhi hosted the Rams, and Hetre took advantage of their hospitality for a 10-2 victory. OF Jasa Brnovic drove in half of those runs himself. The new Purple Sox began their franchise 0-1 with a 8-2 loss to Gidrm. In the Brekkar vs. Dasht match, P Sonnanstine and P Stolic's less than stellar outings were overshadowed by the 15-inning thriller that the Orioles came out on top of. Malko's Curacaoan import P Rens van der Bas threw 6+ scoreless innings and the Blue Wings were able to beat their rivals Nur 5-0. With 2B Springfield still learning enough of the language to play, Elby and IF Lushi weren't enough to overcome Istamo's much improved pitching. However. the best game of the night saw Kishperkujt's P 'The Natural' Mala face off against Koder Kesh's P Halili. P Halili went a surprising 7 innings, giving up just 4 hits. P Mala matched him inning for inning until relieved in the 6th. It took a 8th inning rally started by OF Jon Hines to land the Cubs on top 3-2.


Umnyuupians abroad:

LHP Janji Naci. The talented 27yo southpaw starts for his club in the Italian league. They hope his 12-strikeout performance in the Euro Championships become more routine.
2B Vjosa Topalli. The technically sound, consistently hitting 2B is probably in his last year as a Euro pro at age 37. For now, he serves as 2B and #2 hitter for his Czech club.

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Istamo Turtles

Stadium: Jubuyp Stadium (3400). Home runs to right field are depressed due to a huge advertising sign promoting Majporte mead.
Owner: Jahja Prenkpalaj. 51 yo born in Urdhi. He is the former owner of Umnyuupian's biggest beer and mead brewery, Majporte.
Affiliate: Dhje Twins (Valley League). Plays in the 1930-seat Regis Stadium. The multipurpose ballpark has a well kept turf that balls just skip over. Owned by the Dhje chapter of Skanderbeg's Knights, a social service fraternity.
2012 Preview: The Turtles are rebuilding at the moment. But that's okay. Having one of the best youth pipelines in the league, they should bounce back soon. However, some wonder if they didn't make a mistake by failing to sign some Valley League and regional leagues all-stars. Their batting side is about to turn over - with half the lineup 25 or younger and most them batting in the top half. The pitching side needs help though. To bridge the gap, they signed former MLB arms P Nelson Figueroa and P Carlos Monasterios and Marlins farmhand P Gaby Hernandez. Still, if this team is expected to compete, slugger LF Pjetri Troshani has to bounce back from a terrible 2011. Istamo wishes they could move him in a trade to expedite the rebuilding process, but after LF Troshani's erroneous campaign with the national squad he is among the nation's least popular baseball stars.



About the Trejtar region:
Trejtar is the heart of the country. It ties together the battle between the Elby region vs. coastal region, harbors the memories of communism and the earthquake, the promise of commerce and the character of farming, the memory of the saints and the sins of our humanity, each all at once.

Putjep: The state of Putjep, named after is capital Putjep, is a Lutuis Bay port community. The large urban city once was home to a medieval monarchy. The palace, chapel and what remains of fortified town square estate now sits in beauty among town's buildings supporting manufacturing and shipping. The largest of these buildings are owned by the conglomerate Rastik Inc. Grykeder is a large seaside resort with its Dominican monastery serving as a key attraction. Grykeder International airport has fallen in reputation as Nusbri Flight has had to constantly restructure itself in response to competition from Lut-Air and the airport they support in Fjuth. Visiting business interests to the southern coast mock the airport and are more likely to transfer from Fjuth to regional airports that they argue are better staffed and maintained.

Trejmut: The state of Trejmut shares a border with Mutjal and as a result has many Mutians living in the western half of the state. The state capital Trqytar, which translates as town of steep hills, sits nearby the beginning of the Fier mountain range. The sleepy town serves as administrative capital for one of the state. Across the mountains and near where Povirgmira Creek meets the Polemitsu River is the small town of Shenjt Josepth. St. Joseph, chaste husband of the Virgin Mary, is a powerful patron for the Umnyuupian people and the town sponsors a wonderful celebration each March 19th for his feast day.

Vysh Sole: The Polemitsu River is a way of life here. The river not just cuts the state in half, it cuts the two of its cities in half. Istamo sits in Vysh Sole and Trejtar while its twin city Pilg is separated by the Pilg Reservoir dam and hydroelectric plant. The unique situation of the power plant between two regional governments means it is governed by a board representing the the two states as well as the two regions, representatives from the national government, and national power commission which oversees Treqyt's nuclear power plant. On the Istamo is the local baseball club and college (Polemitsu College). Meanwhile Dhje also has a twin city: Yezchje. Dhje is the larger of the two, but the title of 'twin cities' serves each town rather well. There are various tourist stops, including a maze of bridges that allow the visitor to hop from shore to shore for various trail activities and kitschy displays. Further east is the state capital Ipusu. Ipusu is home to the large Skanderbeg University. Otherwise, Ipusu is its own distinct town without a shoreside peer although the towns east of the mountains in the state of Trejmut do view Ipusu as regional seat of influence.

[rferry]

Kishperkujt Cubs

Stadium: Cubs Grounds (3450). With center field 433 feet away from home plate and points left and right just about as far, this ballpark is a favorite of pitchers.
Owner: Aca Bajic. 61yo born in Dasht. A member of the wine-making family, he currently serves as Director for the Faltur Sports Club.
Affiliate: Trini Steza Angels (Valley League). Plays in the 3100-seat Trini Steza Diamond. The park is known for its deep fences, but a 14-foot fence in centerfield lacks any advertisements and makes for a perfect batters eye. They are owned by a local newspaper magnate
2012 Preview: While no club is likely to compete with Elby, two clubs merging together might. When you add the Angels' pitchers to the Cubs' bats, they have enough to out seat the perennial champs. The Angels staff is well known, especially brothers P Erion 'The Natural' Malaand P Xhemil 'The Reel Deal' Mala. Also inherited from the Angels is Italian-Umnyuupian veteran knuckleballer P Vincenzio Falchonelli. The Cubs' contribute their United Nations of an outfield - American OF Jon Hines, Mutian Umnyuupian-Croatian OF Cedomil Simic and locally born OF Slobodan Chacic. They form a left-right-left run that fearsome to face.



About the Fiermal region:
The mountainous northern region is where the Umnyuupian resistance hid from their oppressors and represents the cultural center of the nation.

Faltur: The vast majority - 18000 of 28000 - of the region resides in the city of Kishperkujt. The town supports Vladanji College and a number of public and private institutions and organizations that support the large region. The nation's largest and most important shrine is in Kishperkujt. Set near the foothills of mountains, the chapel survived a fire set by Muslim invaders. The chapel is said to have been built using wood used by St. Joseph and brought back from the Holy Land by returning Crusaders. The site and nearby caves have been said to be home to many miracles, only one of which that has been confirmed by the Church and led to increased devotion to Saint Veneranda. Another municipality in the state is the border town of Thyru. Its local air strip is used by regional airlines and the military. Many visitors to the Kishperkujt transfer here.

Fierjal: Nestled deep in the mountains is the small town of Abuya. It sits at the center of a number of roads and trails through the mountains. In times past, many travelers still got lost in the area, allowing Abuya's kind citizens to build up hotels and clinics. Today with a modern road connecting it to Kishperkujt and Elby, the town continues to charm visitors with their hospitality.

Molmal: Molmal is located south of the Fier mountain range but separated from the rest of the country by the great river. The very small communities of Agjend and the capital Molje are known for farming, especially wheat and potatoes. The modern road between Elby and Abuya runs through both towns and the towns are growing in size.

Rhifier: Out of the beauty of the mountains comes the Uvlen River. There, the town of Shpetim was born. The capital of Rhifier sponsors a number of wilderness competitions that attracts national sportsmen and sportswomen.

Scinth: Krah Zog is home to the ancient monarchy that ruled before the Romans. The historical sites have largely been re-purposed and built over by the community. When the Umnyuupian resistance movement sought to establish its legitimacy, it claimed Krah Zog as its enduring capital. Toward the east is the modern state capital, Scinthje, which sits along Uvlen Lake.

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Malko Blue Wings

Stadium: Lezhe Square Ballpark (3310). With its short power alleys, the ballpark is one of the most all-around offensive friendly parks.
Owner: Jasa Sainovic. 61yo born in Treqyt. A former general in the military, he now owns the large international shipping company, Rrujvic.
Affliate: Moseacaduk Bees (Valley League). Plays in the 2550-seat The Hive at Krasnyk Fields. Lefthanded batters love the short right field and its six-foot high walls. They are owned by a Umnyuupian-American.
2012 Preview: Bolstering the Blue Wings' chances is the fact that IF Riza Kraja is coming out of retirement to rejoin the pro leagues. The 34yo 2B/3B displays a consistent strong bat but left the game a years ago. He most recently coached and played sporadically in the Gardhe regional leagues. He hopes the emergence of 1B Thanasi Manjani and the league's deepest pitching staff - aided by Bees' starters P Edi Tolka and P Cedomil Petrovic and the signing of the regional league Mbijt Whitecaps' southpaw P Roland Shkelyim - will be enough to get him a championship ring.




About the Gardhe region:
The northwestern community is surrounded by the Uvlen crater lake to the west and Croatia to the north and east, and Elby's influence to the south.

Chogard: The agrarian community set along the lake retains an appreciation for the Yugoslavian communism that is found no where else in the country. Malko is a seaside town on Uvlen Lake. It is the starting point of the autumn sailing race on the Polemitsu River. Ty Falla towards the north is a farming community. In the 1970s it was said to be visited by unidentified flying lights in the sky. People as far as Elby claimed they saw the lights.

Kireste: The mountain community is part of the Fier mountain range that is briefly interrupted by the Uvlen Lake. Kirestje is settled in a valley between the mountains. The winters are especially harsh.

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Koder Kesh Lynx

Stadium: Municipal Stadium (3900). The multipurpose stadium has an enticing short left field porch to counterbalance its deep centerfield and tall right field wall.
Owner: Arso Obrenovic. 54yo born in Elby. Once a two-term Minister representing Pechjug, the lawyer and well-respected member of the sports club is now in his fourth year as club President.
Affiliate: Purkullu Dragons (Valley League). To prevent more homers from flying over its small fences, the 17-foot maroon monster was installed in right field. The field is the only the third field covered with astro-turf. The team is owned by the Dasht-based KHFU TV station, the smallest of the three national channels.
2012 Preview: RHP Jusufi Halili serves as starter for his club squad and shutdown reliever for the national team, but people wish he could do more. He has talent in spades, but the Former U21 Euro star has never been able to increase his endurance to pitch 6+ innings consistently. With the Lynx flush with cash from the new national league, they went out and bought former U.S. minor leaguer LHP Kasey Kiker in to be their ace. Even if these two win every game, it won't be enough to compete. The offense is just not there. That's not the Lynx' fault. The Dragons are among the worst in the Valley League and contribute nothing to major club. The Lynx' sole national team bat is IF/OF Fehmi 'Mr. Clean' Frasheri. The 26yo with a shaved bald head has a strong bat and strong work ethic. He rotates between 2B, 3B and LF as needed.


Nur Otters

Stadium: Nur Stadium (4000). The multi-purpose field is the only astro-turf covered ballpark in the CBL leagues. The fast turf combines with its deep and high fences for some plays better suited for a pinball machine than a baseball field.
Owner: Bear Kiuprili. 58yo born in Putjep. The long-time owner of Otters also owns KUTV, the largest TV network in the country.
Affiliate: Ipusu Giants (Valley League). Plays in the 1710-seat Duxhyac Park. The outfield is surrounded by a series of ten-foot high billboards. The team is owned by the town.
2012 Preview: With the team's owner flush with cash from his TV network, the Otters are free to spend wildly. They persuaded American P Arjan Paloka away from Istamo and young phenom P Jusuf Petrela from the Urdhi youth team. Throw in their American mercenaries and Cuban refugees - along with the up and coming local prospect OF/1B Jusufi Bytigi - and the Otters are a star-studded team. A star-studded team without an infield and without a hope of actually competing that is.




About the Pechkam region:
The most populous of regions, Pechkam is formed by 7 states throughout the river valley and the Pechiarte mountain range.

Apluth: The state capital Apluthje is home the the annual artichoke fest. The national vegetable. The event features various crop and food contests. In recent years it has included concerts featuring traditional Umnyuupian folk music. The much larger Trini Steza sits along the Codjeten River. The river was once a very polluted creek, but since the Polemitsu split the river has had been replenished. Trini Steza now features a number of large estates, displacing the family farms.

Chopech: Opposite of Istamo is the city of Pilg. The two share the Pilg Reservoir dam and hydroelectric plant. The university sits in Istamo, but the nation's only major seminary, Shenjt Stephen's Seminary and College, is in Pilg. Likewise while the baseball stadium is Istamo, the football pitch is in Pilg. The two cities form a large metropolitan area by which they are largely responsible for their own affairs.

Golbzor: Purkullu sits near the Pemi Creek and north of the Pechiarte mountain range. It is a large urban town - among the largest in the river valley - that citizens flock to for work and commerce. On the outskirts of town there is a refugee camp for Umnyuupians expelled from other Balkan states during the wars. It was later repopulated after the Cjyll earthquake. Despite the waves of populations, the political party in charge has never not held both the mayor and all the council seats since the political parties being made legal in Yugoslavia and in the Umnyuupia independent nation. Over the mountains is the town of Dukeber, a largely abandoned town in ruins. The city government tries its best to prevent access to bombed buildings while the nation's military has continued its search for unexploded ammunition.

Lunije: One of the eastern most states of Pechkam, it considers itself closer to the independent city-state Elby. Lunimal is a largest farming community with an attractive downtown. In town is a convention hall that draws a number of regional conferences. Dannutum is a very small town in the southern end of the state, not far from the Bosnian border. Gidrm-based Zhulrot University operates a research center focusing on Pechiarte mountain studies.

Pechjug: The large state is desolate aside from Koder Kesh. The city sits along the Codjeten River and near the mountains. Prek Cali University operates an extension center in an office building downtown. It is also home to the nation's only mosque outside of Elby or Hetre. Located to the north of the region, not far from Trini Steza are a series of pre-Christian Roman artifacts. The ruins are protected by a trust and studied by scholars from the nation's universities.

Pechmut: Drithje sits along the Polemitsu shortly before the Povirgmira Creek. The farming community was once prone to floods, but a series of improvements along the shoreline have made them slightly more rare. The city also supports a coal power plant. The eastern part of the state is owned by the numerous monasteries - Benedictines, Franciscan, Passionists, Carthusians and Carmelites.

Rhipech: Nur sits along the Polemitsu River just south of Malko and east of Elby. Its town football club is the only one outside of the Mutia or Elby region to ever finished atop the league table. Part of the communist built Nur sports complex is the finest swimming pool of the nation. It serves as a national Olympic training facility.

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Elby Pelicans

Stadium: Forbes Park (3000). Funded by Umnyuupian-Americans, the park is a scale model of Pittsburgh's Forbes Field.
Owner: Punisa Banovic. 58yo born in Trini Steza. The ambitious entrepreneur added the successful Elby baseball club to his assets which include Elby's top hotel and restaurant.
Affiliate: Apluthje Swallows (Valley League). Plays in the 2540-seat Swallows Field. A 18-foot high wall in center and right field makes for some exciting hits to the outfield. The stadium does not have sufficient lighting for night games. The Swallows a fan-supported club focusing solely on baseball.
2012 preview: 2B/SS and leader of the nation's most celebrated club, IF Vlashi Lushi, is loved and hated alike. The switch-hitting IF remains a top player in league play and internationally. As always, he'll have his hands full this year keeping RF Milan Misic and 1B Jose Guillen (no relation to former MLBer) from killing each other. His task this year adds a new challenge: getting his double play partner, young ex-Chicago Cubs farmhand 2B Blair Springfield, invested in the club. On the pitching side, the veteran club pairs a number of experienced arms from the Netherlands and locally-born groundball-specialist P William Gaufi. Joining this year from Apluthje is the crafty American P Curt Morse. There are certainly more talented staffs, but few who are more likely to keep the game close as often.



About Elby:
Elby is an independent city-state within Umnyuupia. Its influence allowed it great privilege while officially under the rule of the Austrian, Ottoman or Yugoslavian empires. Today its influence has shifted to the coastal region, but many organizations retain their national headquarters in Elby. The city hosts many national and international conferences and its hotels and nightlife are among the best in the nation. Elby International Airport, home airport of Treqbuip Air, is located 30 minutes out of town while Elby Institute's buildings are spread across 3 neighborhoods of Elby. The town sits at the nexus of two important rivers: the Polemtisu and Codjeten. The former which was held back by a series of dams built many centuries ago. When one of them broke in 1916, it flooded an arsenal greatly impacting the Central Powers' war effort. Another dam broke in 1928, causing the Polemtisu River to split and its flow to run into the Codjeten.

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April 16th, 2012 (1 week and a half into the season):

Brekkar Orioles (6-3) and Kishperkujt Cubs (8-1) sit atop the standings of each major league.

The Orioles will find it difficult to keep their pace after losing P Andy Sonnanstine to injury. Former Seattle Mariners P Ryan Feierabend is expected to move from the bullpen to start in his place. He's not the only former major leaguer on the DL: Istamo Turtles's P Nelson Figueroa also experienced back trouble. Umnyuupian phenom OF Ndreu Thaqi, of the Ghosanje Purple Sox, also bounced back from a preseason injury to bat .364 with extra base power. In the Purple Sox' series against rivals Hetre Rams, he collected 2 homeruns among 5 hits and added 3 walks, a stolen base and stellar defense in centerfield. The series loss knocked Hetre out of first place and in a three-way tie for second with the Sox as well as the Urdhi Lions.

In the National League, Kishperkujt Cubs have rushed out to a 8-1 record thanks to the emergence of P Niko Grlic, the former Cubs ace who was able to keep his job despite the competition of the Trini Steza Angels' trio. The Cubs haven't just been winning, they've been winning big with their multinational outfield putting runs up on the board. Local hit machine LF Slobodan Chacic has .524 OBP and is averaging two hits and a walk per game. Four of his teammates are also batting over .300. Nur is not far behind at 6-3 thanks to batting leader OF Jusufi Bytygi (.457 in 35 AB) and LHP Abas Duka's great starts: 7-inning, 1 run, 9 strikeouts followed by a 7-inning, 3 hit outing. Perhaps the best pitching performance of all was thrown by former Mbijt Whitecaps and current Malko Bluewings LHP Roland Shkelyim. The southpaw gave up just 2 hits in 8 scoreless innings of a 1-0 victory over the Istamo Turtles. He was denied the chance at the shutout when he was lifted for a pinch-hitter in the 9th. That's right - Shkelyim performed his feat on the road surrounded by hostile fans. Renovations to Lezhe Square Ballpark have forced Malko to play the first week and a half on the road. At the bottom of the table, Koder Kesh sits in a three-way tie for last place with the young Turtles and disappointing Elby Pelicans. However, the Lynx just added former Colorado Rockie P Alan Johnson, LA Angel P Anthony Ortega and Houston Astros P Mark McLemore to their staff. Technically, the Lynx' affiliate Purkullu Dragons signed McLemore, but the Lynx exercised their option after he threw a complete game shutout against the Dhje Twins (the Turtles affiliate).

In the affiliated regional minor leagues, Tropje Eagles' training setup has once again stocked the club with local talent. Veteran 2B Tista Sapunxiu has a hit in every game. The Eagles join the Ragusina Cannons at the top of the table at 5-2. Dhje Twins has an identical record atop the Valley League. LF Djordje Stojkovic, once a starter in the Urdhi Lions outfield, lost his job after the Lions snatched an OF away from the Dasht Padres. The quite upset Stojkovic has been smacking balls all over the Qelm Fairgrounds. If the Lions' 1B doesn't get his bat going, the Lions could look to recall Stojkovic or former Texas Rangers farmhand and son of a MLB slugger OF Ruben Sierra Jr. Another dejected starter turned minor leaguer is former Koder Kesh Lynx and current Purkullu Dragon OF Alberto Perez. The Dominican was signed 4 years ago from the Spain league and before that the Russian league. The Lynx decided that their young prospect was ready for a full-time gig, Perez was kicked to the curb. In his first game he led the Dragons to a win with a homer. A week later, he added two more home runs. Not all players that were reassigned to affiliates were because they lost their jobs. For some, the opportunity to play every day has been embraced. P Kolli Sujejmani is a rising pitching prospect for the Elby Pelicans. The perennial champs would have likely sent the 21-year old southpaw off to college or to pitch against local amateur clubs in between stints helping Elby's bullpen. Instead Sujejmani has been able to start every 5th day for the Apluthje Swallows against top Valley League talent.

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April 30th, 2012

What a wild two weeks in Umnyuupian baseball.

The CBL paired off for their first inter league games with the series split 18-18.
The NL saw Kishperkujt's P Xhemil 'The Reel Deal' Mala throw the first complete game shutout in league history. The ongoing feud between Elby teammates 1B Jose Guillen and OF Milan Misic culminated in an on-field, fists-flying fight when Misic's big mouth met Guillen's fist. Guillen was assigned to the minors and has since been released by the organization. In other disappointing news, former Houston Astros and current Malko Bluewings P Adam Champion experienced soreness in his elbow and returned to the USA for Tommy John surgery.

In the affiliated regional leagues, we saw a batter go five for five game (Ragusina's 1B Milutin Minic) and a league leader dropping four straight (Tropje Eagles).



Off the field, we saw broken contracts, leagues at war, affiliated teams at war. The latter events even brought down a Governor. At the center of it all was almost insignificant transaction by the Moseacaduk Bees. Although certainly the underlying mistrust among leagues has been brewing since the ink was still wet on the new national baseball agreements and its signers still trying to understand what they had exactly signed up for. It turns out that the courts, or at least one in the Gardhe region, were also slow in understanding the terms of the baseball agreement.

On Saturday, April 23rd, the Moseacaduk Bees' recent acquisition SS Sazan Metarapi went down with an injury. Lacking an appropriate reserve, they signed their former SS Gjergi Meshkalla instead one of the many available free agents. IF Meshkalla had been with the parent club Malko Bluewings since the start of the season when Malko exercised an option in their player development contract with the Bees. The infielder and .297 OPS wasn't missed, but the sign had been sent. A day later, Bluewings closer P Djordje Lilic contacted the Bees; the 24-year old Moseacaduk native and former Bee returned to his original club.

The Bluewings, faced with losing their closer who had saved 6 of their 9 wins, appealed to the league and courts to resolve the matter. They filed an injunction against Lilic, Meshkalla and the Bees. A Malko city court opted not to take the case, citing a conflict of interest. Chogard state judge Jasa Tyniqi ruled in favor of the Bees. Judge Tyniqi pointed out that P Lilic and IF Meshkalla had signed their contracts with the Bees. There was no contract binding P Lilic to the Bluewings; he was free to leave. Furthermore, the league contract pledging respect for each others' contracts existed only between NL clubs and other CBL clubs. The agreement between the NL's Malko Bluewings baseball club and VBL's Moseacaduk Bees baseball club was their player development affiliation contract. It granted the right of the NL club to assign players for the purposes of development. The judge found, as even the Bluewings' argued, that the Malko's team performance, not player development, guided its decisions. The 29yo IF Meshkalla was awarded to the Bluewings and 24yo P Lilic to the Bees. An expedited appeal was submitted to the Gardhe region courts where Judge Vinovac agreed with the lower court.

The legal fight caused such a division between the two clubs that their affliation agreement was mutually cancelled. Players on both clubs were granted the option of returning to their original club or signing a new contract with the club they were playing with. In the end, after Malko promised salary increases to the players they had promoted to the CBL, few switched hands. IF Meshkalla chose to play for the Bees as did former Bees struggling P Cedomil Petrovic and American P Luis Yarrito while former Bluewings swingman P Brami Velo and lefty specialist P Jusufi Tatari sought to make the Bluewings active roster.

The dissolution of the player development contract, and the potential that the ruling could be affirmed nationwide when the Justice committee convenes, has led more teams to break free. The entire Valley League has separated free from their affiliation contracts. The VBL sued the CBL over the abuse of player contracts earlier this month, but that court case had been scheduled for hearings by the Justice committee when they convene in the fall. The committee will address charges of illegal privileges awarded to the CBL through a broadcast rights contract and claims of the CBL is an illegal monopoly that distorts economic enterprise in the country.

The Gardhe court hearing had another consequence: the Malko-dominated Gardhe legislature voted across party lines on a vote of no confidence for Governor Bjandiz. Bjandiz had appointed Judge Tyniqi. The vote forces a new election for Governor in the Gardhe region.

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May 6, 2012

It's now been two weeks since the Moseacaduk Bees broke their affiliation agreement. Their Valley League peers soon followed them after a Chogard state court judge ruled the CBL had utilized options in player development contracts to disadvantage VBL clubs. The VBL has been able to return Malko Bluewings closer P Lilic as well as the Mala brothers and others. The VBL has since gone onto to raid contracts from other leagues. The Mala pitching phenoms left the 1st-place Kishperkujt Cubs to return to the Trini Steza Angels, where they will join former Chicago Cubs P Jon Leicester to form a dominant rotation. The Purkullu Dragons plucking IF Jose Ramirez away from the Urdhi Lions and he paid immediate rewards to his new club - 3 home runs in his first 4 games. The Dhje Twins also picked up slighted OF Djordje Stojkovic while the Ipusu Giants broke the bank to bring in former Elby Pelicans P Jasa Milankovic. The roster shuffle forced other moves to shore up their rosters. For example, when Urdhi was left with a inadequate middle infield. They went ahead and added Trini Steza's IF/OF Njaxi Lamaj.

Others took advantage of the climate to stock their club. Koder Kesh picked up former Chicago Cubs P Mark Prior after he was released by his European club team. The Lynx also stole a catcher from Ragusina Cannons. Hetre shored up their starting pitching with P Cedomil Petrovic - making the Rams his third club in two weeks - and former Detroit Tiger Enrique Gonzalez. The Dasht Padres replaced former Atlanta Braves minor league SP Daniel Lopez, who signed with the Apluthje Swallows, by raiding regional rival Mbijt Whitecaps of its other top pitcher P Zenon Ahmeti. Ahmeti was the first Whitecaps player to join the rival Padres this year. Mbijt previously lost their other top pitcher to Malko and many others to CBL clubs. Mbijt responded to Dasht's challenge by immediately raiding other clubs. They were able to tempt a Dasht U20 prospect, three Treqyt Tigers and Purkullu OF Alberto Perez.

Emergency meetings were scheduled among the various leagues. They acted to secure player contracts by requiring non-compete clauses and threatening lifetime bans. Getting the players to sign the new contracts came at the cost of increased salaries and renegotiated contract lengths.

The reforms hope to prevent the contract jumping. However, the proposals would seem to disqualify the practice of college stars contributing in the summers unless the language is tweaked. It doesn't appear owners are willing to. As they're also requiring amateur players to sign exclusive first options with the league if they wish to join for the 2013 season. Terms of the option require the players to accept placement on squads being determined by a draft to occur on September 5th. The team that drafts them would have exclusive rights to that player and the player can not leverage their offers by appealing to the free agency market.

Istamo was notably upset with the decision, fearing they will never benefit from their investment in their youth clubs, however relented for the comity and security of the league. Teams with youth setups will have until the end of the season to promote their prospects to their active roster if they wish to retain control of them. Otherwise the player will have to submit to the first year players draft.

The events caused such a disruption to rosters that games on May 2nd and 3rd were cancelled in the CBL (the regional leagues already have Wednesdays and Thursdays off). The Thursday, May 3rd games were made up with doubleheaders that weekend. However, the May 2nd games had to be rescheduled. The only options are as a weekday doubleheader or a weekend doubleheader in the final weeks of the season. The NL argued that the impacted games featured two of its best rivalries - former VBL peers Istamo vs. Elby and the northeastern Malko vs. Nur. They suggested the CBL to delay the playoffs one day to allow them to capture full home gates for these contests. It was then proposed by Dasht Padres owner Oltion Krasniki that by extending the season 3 days, they could fit in an all-star game into the schedule. The man better known as a publisher of business trade magazines suggested the weekend would also allow the league to involve industry and neighborhood organizations in the mid-summer celebration of the sport. The opportunity to showcase the leagues' best players and maintain home attendance revenue proved a successful compromise for the rest of the owners. The CBL will now end their seasons the weekend of August 17th with the matchups that were originally scheduled for June 28-30. The June 28-30 weekend will accommodate the May 2nd games as well as the competition between all-stars of each league. As a benefit of proposing the agreed upon solution, the CL will choose the host ballpark.

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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.