Koana Islands Baseball (The return)

[Nugget699]

Well, my last game got corrupted and I really didn't want to return to my quickstart, about 15 years prior, so I decided to start again. This time I am doing a Promotion/Relegation league and intend on doing yearly updates which allows me to get through the game at the pace I'm used to, rather than slowing the game down losing my immersion factor.


The Koana Islands
Koana Islands (pronounced Co-ahna Islands), officially the Republic of Koana Islands is an Oceania country situated in the middle of the Indian Ocean. It's closest neighbours are Australia to the east, Madagascar to the west and Indonesia to the North. The capital city is Megopolis.

Around 95.6 million people reside in Koana Islands, with the majority concentrated in the southern part of the country. It is the third largest country in the world in terms of area and the most sparsely populated country after only Australia and Finland. The native language of most of the population is Koanian, which is part of the North Germanic language family and is most closely related to Swedish, Danish and Norwegian. The second official language of Koana Islands – English – is the native language of 5.5% of the population, although most people under the age of about 30 can speak some English. Koana Islands is a parliamentary republic with a central government based in Megopolis and local governments in over 1,000 municipalities. A total of about twelve million residents live in the Greater Megopolis area (which includes Megopolis. Black Island and Jonestown), and a third of the country's GDP is produced there. Other major cities include Bayside, New Auckland, Humoor, Embleton, Vizhune and Conneaut.

Koana Islands was historically always independent from the rest of the world. With many explorers, such as a James Cook (who discovered Australia) passing on claiming the land. During World War Two, in which the Koana Islands remained neutral, the Islands opened their doors to many Finnish, Polish and even German refugees. Approximately 75% of the Islands' population are now descended from the refugees. The Koana Islands joined the United Nations in 1955, and has been ranked the most stable country in the world, in a survey based on social, economic, political and military indicators.

Koana Islands was a relative latecomer to industrialization, remaining a largely agrarian country until the 1950s. Thereafter, economic development was rapid, and the country reached the world's top income levels in the 1970s. Between 1970 and 1990, Koana Islands built an extensive welfare state. In the aftermath of the country's severe depression in the late 1980s, successive governments have changed the Koanian economic system through some privatisation, deregulation and tax cuts.

Koana Islands is well placed in many international comparisons of national performance such as the share of high-technology manufacturing and health care. The country was ranked 4th in the 2005 Legatum Prosperity rating, which is based on economical performance and quality of life.

Get Around
By plane
The quickest and often the most convenient way of long-distance intercity travel in the Koana Islands is by plane. Coast-to-coast travel takes about 6 hours from east to west, and 5 hours from west to east (varying due to winds), compared to the days necessary for land transportation. Most cities in the Koana are served by one or two airports; Many small towns also have some passenger air service, although you may need to detour through a major hub airport to get there. Depending on where you are starting, it may be cheaper to drive to a nearby large city and fly or, conversely, to fly to a large city near your destination and rent a car.

By train
The Koana Islands has an excellent, reliable, and affordable railway system, which reaches almost every part of the country. Unless you travel by plane, rail will be your major mode of transportation. Almost all long-distance and many regional trains are operated by Koana Tag ("Koana Rail"), the national railway company. Megopolis also has an extensive Subway system that reaches Black Island and Jonestown.

By car
On the smaller islands such as Princeton and Hollyoak, driving takes you quickly from one place to the other. On other Islands the distances tend to be bigger between the different sites so the time spent driving may be long. Unless you really like driving, it is often more convenient to take the train or fly to the sites, particularly on the main land. Traveling by night can be dangerous due to unexpected animals on the roads and the cold nights during the winter. Collisions with wildlife are not an uncommon cause of car accidents.

By thumb
Koana has a reputation for being a pretty difficult country to hitch in, though it's still quite possible to hitchhike (but not assured to be risk-free). Ordinary people are often reluctant to pick up strangers... Truck drivers are probably most likely to pick up hitchhikers, so target them. Asking at gas stations works pretty well. Bus stops are common places to attract attention, position yourself before the actual bus stop so the vehicle can stop at the stop. This works best if the road is widened at the bus stop, allowing cars to pull off easily.

By bike
Most Koana cities have excellent bike paths, and renting a bike can be a quick and healthy method of getting around locally.

By foot
Cars are by law required to stop at any unattended crosswalks (zebra stripes in the road without red-lights) to let pedestrians cross the road. But keep in mind that you are required to make eye contact with the driver so that they know that you are about to cross the street.

Talk
Hegh (hay) is the massively dominant greeting in Koana, useful on everyone. You can even say it when you leave. If you need to get someones attention, whether it's a waiter or you need to pass someone one in a crowded situation, a simple ursekka ("excuse me") will do the trick. You will find yourself pressed to overuse it, and you sometimes see people almost chanting it as a mantra when trying to exit a crowded place like a bus or train.

Stay Safe
Koana Islands enjoys a comparatively low crime rate and is, generally, a very safe place to travel. Use common sense at night, particularly on Friday and Saturday when the youth of Koana Islands hit the streets to get drunk and in some unfortunate cases look for trouble. It is statistically more likely that your home country is less safe than Koana Islands, so heed whatever warnings you would do in your own country and you will have no worries.

Racism is generally of minor concern, especially in the cosmopolitan major cities, but there have been a few rare but highly publicized incidents of black or Arab people getting beaten up by gangs. The average visitor, though, is highly unlikely to encounter any problems.

Pickpockets are rare, but not unheard of, especially in the busy tourist months in the summer. Most Koanians carry their wallets in their pockets or purses and feel quite safe while doing it. Parents often leave their sleeping babies in a baby carriage on the street while visiting a shop, and in the countryside cars and house doors are often left unlocked.

On the other hand, you have to be careful if you buy or rent a bicycle. Bicycle thieves are everywhere, never leave your bike unlocked even for a minute.

Respect
Koanians generally have a relaxed attitude towards manners and dressing, and a visitor is unlikely to offend them by accident. Common sense is quite enough in most situations, but there are a couple of things one should keep in mind:

Koanians are a famously taciturn people who have little time for small talk or social niceties, so don't expect to hear phrases like "thank you" or "you're welcome" too often. The Koanian language lacks a specific word for "please", so Koanians sometimes forget to use it when speaking English, even when they don't mean to be rude. Also lacking in Koanian is the distinction between "he" and "she", which may lead to confusing errors. Loud speaking and loud laughing is not normal in Koana Islands and may irritate some Koanians. Occasional silence is considered a part of the conversation, not a sign of hostility or irritation.

All that said, Koanians are generally helpful and polite, and glad to help confused tourists if asked. The lack of niceties has more to do with the fact that in Koanian culture, honesty is highly regarded and that one should open one's mouth only when it is really to mean what one is about to say. Do not say "maybe later" when there is no later time to be expected. A visitor is unlikely to receive many compliments from Koanians, but conversely, they can be fairly sure that the compliments they do receive are genuine. In the more remote areas of Koana Islands, many locals will be glad to talk to tourists to find out what they think of the country. Koanians take immense pride of their country, and don't like unwarranted criticism. A good talking point is Baseball, in which the majority of Koanians supprt feverishly.

Another highly regarded virtue in Koana Islands is punctuality. A visitor should apologize even for being late for a few minutes. Being late for longer usually requires a short explanation. 15 minutes is usually considered the threshold between being "acceptably" late and very late. Some will leave arranged meeting points after 15 minutes or 30 minutes (maximum). With the advent of mobile phones, sending a text message even if you are only a few minutes late is nowadays a norm. Being late for a business meeting, even by 1-2 minutes, is considered bad form.

The standard greeting is a handshake. Hugs and kisses, even on the cheek, are only exchanged between family members and close friends.

If you are invited to a Koanian home, the only bad mistake visitors can make is not to remove their shoes. During the winter months, particularly in Snowy and Henry Islands shoes will carry a lot of snow or mud, and therefore it is customary to remove them, even during the summer. During the wet season you can ask to put your shoes somewhere to dry during your stay. Very formal occasions at private homes, such as a baptism (often conducted at home in Koana Islands) or somebody's 50th birthday party, are an exception to these rules. In the wintertime, this sometimes means that the guests bring separate clean shoes and put them on while leaving outdoor shoes in the hall. Bringing gifts such as pastry, wine, or flowers to the host is appreciated, but not required.

In Koana Islands there is little in the way of a dress code. The general attire is casual and even in business meetings dressing is somewhat more relaxed than in some other countries.

[Nugget699]

Koana Islands Baseball
The Koana Islands Super League, also known as the SL (and the Carlsberg Super League for sponsorship reasons) is a professional league competition for baseball clubs in the Koana Islands. It is the top level of the Koanian Baseball league system, above the Koanian Baseball League. The Super League has the world's highest total attendance figures for a baseball competition. In terms of Koana-wide television ratings it has the highest audiences for its featured games and sells the most merchandise of any Koana Islands sports league.

The Koanian Baseball League is a league of baseball teams in the Koana Islands, comprising of the Koanian First Division and Koanian Second Division. From the league's foundation in 1905 until the breakaway Super League was formed in 1960, the Koanian Baseball League represented the top level of Baseball in the Koana Islands. The Koanian First Division, the second tier of Koanian Baseball, is now the top tier of the Koanian Baseball League.

Since January 2012, the First Division league is officially known as the citibank First Division, due to a sponsorship deal with the bank. The Second Division is officially known as the Xerox Second Division for the same sponsorship reasons.

All three leagues consist of 20 teams playing a 162 game schedule between the months of April and September. At the end of each season the top 3 teams from the citibank First Division and the Xerox Second Division are promoted to the league above, whilst the bottom 3 clubs from the Carlsberg Super League and the citibank First Division are relegated to the division below. No teams are relegated from the Second Division.

There is no direct relegation from the Xerox Second Division but since the 1962 season if a club finishes in the bottom three for three or more consecutive seasons then they will have their full membership suspended. The full members from the Super League through to the Second Division shall vote on the fate of the suspended club. Five teams have since been removed as of 2012. Cape Coral Bulls were the first to become defunct in 1964, when crippling debt (in excess of $89,000,000) and poor league form (never finished higher than 19th, with their best record being 59-103). Five years later, the Madison Harbour Whitecaps folded after 4 poor years including a 33-129 record and over $160 million in debt.

The last team to become defunct was the Glauchau Centurions in 2004 who went into administration with debts near $50 million. The Centurions spent 13 years between 1964 and 1976 where they never finished higher than 16th in the Second Division before eventually climbing up the standings and eventually gaining promotion into the Super League in 1988. After a 14th place finish in their first year in the top flight, the Centurions buckled under the weight the next year, finishing dead last with a 55-107 record. After spending 5 years in the First Division battling bravely against relegation, the Princeton team bounced between the lower two tiers for a few years before eventually folding; thus becoming the first team in Koanian Baseball history to fold voluntarily. The Centurions replacement team, the Port Redhill Raiders have made an instant impact having gained promotion to the First Division just 5 years after beginning play.

Teams































Defunct Teams




Titans and Generals Dominance
One of the main criticisms of the Super League in the past was the dominance of the two major teams, the Megopolis Titans and Ruysdael Generals. Up until 1988, 22 years after the formation of the Super Legue, the two teams had won all but 8 of the league titles, with Ruysdael in particular winning 14. Up until 2006 both teams had never been relegated from the top flight, until the Generals succumbed to relegation when they finished 18th. Megopolis now remains the only team to have never been relegated from the Super League; The Titans have also never finished lower than 10th since 1969 and have only had 2 losing seasons in their 51 years of playing in the Super League.

The Split
Despite significant success during the 1940s and early 1950s, the late '50s had marked a low point for Koanian baseball. Stadia were crumbling, supporters endured poor facilities, hooliganism was rife, and many Koanian clubs were banned from competition for five years following the events gambling on results and throwing games. The Koanian Baseball League First Division, which had been the top level of Koanian baseball since 1910, was well behind leagues such as the United States' Major League Baseball in attendances and revenues, and several top Koanian players had moved abroad. However, by the turn of the 1950s the downward trend was starting to reverse; The Koana Islands had seen a surge in the economy which meant more people flocked to games and money was once again thrown into the sport.

Radio money had also become much more important; the baseball League received $1.1 million for a two-year agreement in 1956, but when that deal was renewed in 1958, the price rose to £2.3 million over four years. The 1958 negotiations were the first signs of a breakaway league; ten clubs threatened to leave and form a "super league", but were eventually persuaded to stay. As stadia improved and match attendance and revenues rose, the country's top teams again considered leaving the baseball League in order to capitalise on the growing influx of money being pumped into the sport.

At the close of the 1959 season, a proposal for the establishment of a new league was tabled that would bring more money into the game overall. The Founder Members Agreement, signed on 17 July 1959 by the game's top-flight teams, established the basic principles for setting up the Super League. The newly formed top division would have commercial independence from the Koanian Baseball League and the Baseball League, giving the Super League license to negotiate its own broadcast and sponsorship agreements. The argument given at the time was that the extra income would allow Koanian clubs to compete with teams from the United States.

In 1960 the First Division clubs resigned from the Baseball League en masse and on 27 February 1960 the Super League was formed as a limited company working out of an office at the Baseball League's then headquarters in Bayside. This meant a break-up of the 55-year-old Baseball League that had operated until then with three divisions; the Super League would operate with a single division and the Baseball League with two. There was no change in competition format; the same number of teams competed in the top flight, and promotion and relegation between the Super League and the new First Division remained the same as the old First and Second Divisions with three teams relegated from the league and three promoted.

The league held its first season in 1960 and was composed of 20 clubs. The 20 inaugural members of the new Super League were Angelsea, Bayside, Black Island, Blanchester, Caron, Cherry City, Gold Coast, Independence City, Jonestown, Megopolis, New Auckland, Ocean Point, Peanut Valley, Ruysdael, Saphire Coast, Snowflake City, Stondon, Thomasburg, Vizhune and Xyport. Ulster, Augburth and Conneaut were the three teams relegated from the old first division at the end of the 1959 season, and did not take part in the inaugural Super League season.

Popularity
Baseball is the most popular sport in the Koana Islands. According to a recent survey, Professional baseball moved ahead of Association football as the fans' favorite in 1956. Baseball has remained Koana Islands' favorite sport ever since. In a survey conducted in 2007, the Super League was the favorite sport of as many people (30%) as the combined total of the next three professional sports--Soccer (15%), auto racing (10%), and rugby (5%). Additionally, baseball's Koana TV viewership ratings now surpass those of other sports, although the baseball season comprises of far more games than the seasons of other sports. Furthermore, college baseball is actually the third-most popular sport in the Islands, with 12% of survey respondents listing it as their favorite. Therefore, fully 42% of Koanians consider some level of baseball their favorite sport.

However, the surveys only allow one unaided selection of a "favorite sport." Other studies and polls such as the TVSports Poll and the studies released by the Associated Press and conducted by a Sports Marketing Group from 1988 to 2004, show higher levels of popularity for KIBL baseball since they list from thirty to over 100 sports that each respondent must rate. According to the Associated Press, the Sports Marketing Group polls from 1988 to 2004 show baseball to be the most popular spectator sport in the Koana Islands. The AP stated that "In the most detailed survey ever of Koana's sports tastes" researching "114 spectator sports they might attend, follow on television or radio or read about in newspapers or magazines, the KIBL topped all sports with 39 percent of Koanians saying they loved it or considered it one of their favorites". The total percentage of Koanians who liked or loved baseball exceeds 60% of the general public.

The Carlsberg Super League has the highest per-game attendance of any domestic professional sports league in the world, drawing over 35,000 spectators per game for each of its two most recently completed seasons.

[Nugget699]

September 2012
1st
- September started off well for Gerard Trewhella after he picked up the Batter of the Month award for August. The Ruysdael 1B went 38 in 104 for a .365 average, including 10 HRs, 24 RBIs and 28 Runs scored to help Ruysdael pick up a 15-14 record for the month of August.
- No surprises for the Pitcher of the Month award as Marten Kristensen of the Saphire Coast Sharks went 5-0 with a 2.11 ERA in his 5 starts that included 44 K's in 38.1 innings. In 27 starts this season, the Right hander is an incredible 26-0 with 1.55 ERA.
- Today also saw the retirement of Capitals reliever Felix Olmstrom. This season will be his 9th and final year, all of which was played at Cosby City.

3rd
- Stephen Steel was sacked as manager of the Caron Chargers following an 18-3 thumping at the hands of league leaders the Saphire Coast Sharks; The Chargers 5th straight loss.

4th
- Capitals first baseman Christian Chandler reached a career milestone yesterday, blasting home run number 300. He went 3-5 during the Cosby City Capitals' 10-5 triumph over the Saffron Knights

5th
- Alex McCord went for 5 hits in 6 at-bats during Black Island's 13-7 victory over the Snowflake City Pirates. Alex McCord hit an RBI single in the 1st, singled in the 2nd, grounded out in the 4th, hit an RBI single in the 6th, hit a solo-shot off Mitchell Hannaford in the 7th and hit an RBI single in the 8th.

8th
- Saphire Coast clinched the Super League title today with 20 games still to play. The Sharks 2-1 victory over arch rivals the Jaxon City Stormers was more than enough following Ocean Point's 9-2 loss to Aigburth just a few minutes later. This is the Sharks first Super League title and have become only the 15th team to win the league.
- Pointborough Town left fielder Freddie Poyntz hit three home runs going 3-3, with 4 RBIs on his record-setting day in the Huskies 9-5 triumph over Nyhaven. The victory helps ensure the gap between them and relegation stays at 4 games.
- Kane Newell of the Cruden Bay Tribe tore up the Stondon Steelers to the tune of 5 hits in 5 at-bats in the Tribe's 11-9 win today at Wilson Plaza.

12th
- Ocean Point's Steve Rose notched up his 20th consecutive hit today after going 2-4 as the Swarm edged the Mercenaries 2-1. Rose is batting .362 this season in 142 games with 15 home runs, 105 RBIs and 128 runs scored. He has 201 hits in 556 at-bats. His streak would later end at 21 games on the 15th of the month.

16th
- Capitals first baseman Christian Chandler entered the record books again this month for picking up his 2,500th hit in his side's 11-3 loss to the Angelsea Armada.

18th
- Marten Kistensen had his first losing decision today as the Sharks were beaten 6-2 by the Black Island Mercenaries. The losing decision is the first for Kristensen in 52 games, which is 21 more starts than former Titans SP Aimo Ruuska managed in 1987.

20th
- Bill Dexter (Ocean Point) went 6 for 7 as his side thrashed the Humoor Hawks 19-4. Bill Dexter hit a solo-shot off Harry Farleigh in the 1st, singled in the 2nd, singled in the 4th, singled in the 5th, hit an RBI single in the 6th, struck out in the 8th and hit a two-run single in the 9th.

22nd
- Caron has been relegated from the Super League following their 6-5 loss to the Pirates. The Chargers had an early 4-0 lead after 1, before a late charge by the Pirates in the 9th condemned the Chargers to First Division baseball next season.
- Conneaut has bounced straight back up to the Super League following their 4-2 victory at home to the Cherry City Devils. The Spartans sit 100-55 whilst 4th placed New Auckland are currently 92-63 with 7 games to play.

23rd
- Megopolis Right Fielder Peter White has been forced to retire from the game through injury after suffering a severe concussion in their 5-3 loss to the Nyhaven North Stars. The 30-year old had only spent 2 months at the Titans having been traded to them by his old club the Tempest Lake Skyhawks.
- The Saphire Coast Sharks were officially handed the Super League trophy before their 4-3 victory over Cosby City. 48,534 fans were in attendance to see the trophy being lifted.

25th
- The Saphire Coast Sharks have set a new Super League record with wins in a season in their 7-1 win over the Megopolis Titans. The win is number 118 of the season, which is one more than the previous record held by, ironically, the Megopolis Titans since 1988.
- The Creetown Crusaders will join Conneaut in the Super League next year whilst Thomasburg has been relegated from the First Division.

26th
- Crawfordleigh Cobras have been relegated to the Second Division.

27th
- The Embleton Gunners have been promoted to the Super League for the first time since 2009 in their 7-3 win over Crawfordleigh.
- By going 1-for-3 in the Ocean Point 7-2 win over Ruysdael, Frazer Bissett reached the 2000-hit mark. The White Stadium fans, friend and foe, burst into applause and Bissett's team-mates hugged and congratulated him on his achievement.
- Rothes Blue Jays have been promoted to the First Division.

28th
- The Vizhune Vipers have battled bravely but ultimately failed in their bid to keep top flight survival as they were officially relegated today. A 16-3 demolition job by the Ruysdael Generals was the final nail in the coffin.

29th
- Saffron's slim chance of survival vanished today as they were also relegated from the Super League in their 8-0 shutout loss to the Stondon Steelers. Cosby City condemned the Knights to the drop after beating the Jonestown Broncos 4-3; enough to ensure their own survival with 1 game to play.
- Tempest Lake has won promotion to the First Division on the same day Rothes clinched the Second Division title and Conneaut picked up the First Division title.

30th
- Port Redhill Raiders have been relegated to the Second Division
- The Hydewaters Clippers have gained promotion to the First Division. This is the first time the Clippers will play outside of the lowest tier of Koanian Baseball.
- The super player that is Marten Kristensen has won the Pitching Triple Crown, topping the Carlsberg Super League in wins with 30 (a new Super League Record), an ERA of just 1.56 and 285 strikeouts.
- Steve Rose of Ocean Point picked up the Batter of the Year after topping the leaderboards with an average of .367 that included 224 hits, 46 doubles, 8 triples, 17 home runs, 119 RBIs and 140 runs.
- Saffron have announced they have sacked manager Jack Bignold after just two seasons at the club following their relegation from the top flight.

Summary
The early season predictions of Saphire Coast running away with the title were quite obviously well founded as they romped home with a record setting 122-40 season, 22 games ahead of closest challenger Ocean Point and Bayside 1 game behind them. The Sharks pitching proved to be the catalyst, with Kristensen, Timonen and rookie McCown all picking up 20 or more wins, with Lumsden (18) and Klami (13) also providing victories. In fact, The Sharks team ERA of 2.92 is considerably better than the next best which is held by Megopolis (3.73). The Sharks also picked up 2 more shutouts (17) than the next best (Jonestown) and held opponent OPS to just .640, with the next best (Megopolis) being .702.

Ocean Point and Bayside were always going to be the challengers but never really got going, especially last years Champions Ocean Point who dropped far too many games to lesser opponents. Desite a stellar month of July in where the Swarm went 22-7, the month of June proved the difference between first and second. The Sharks went 19-6 where as the Swarm only managed 12-13.

Megopolis continued their winning season streak with another barely interesting 8th place, whilst Humoor, Angelsea and Snowflake City all enjoyed winning seasons also.

At the other end of the standings, new boys Pointborough Town ensured their survival early into September with rookie Catcher Nick Eastham batting superbly in his 134 games, going .346/.383/.539; certainly one for the future. Fellow newly promoted teams Saffron and Caron have fallen straight back down to the First Division. Vizhune will join them next year after a poor 59-103 season, 5 games back from safety; although for much of the year the survival race was much closer than that.



In the First Division Cherry City and Dyce found the going tough as they hoped to return instantly to the Super League, the latter in particular spent much of the season battling against consecutive relegations before pulling away towards the end of the year.

New Auckland fell 5 games behind to Embleton who picked up the last promotion spot, but the 2 losses against Creetown at the end of the season enlarged the gap somewhat as the Warlocks failed in their bid to win back-to-back promotions. Thomasburg and Crawfordleigh failed in their bid to retain First Division status bouncing straight back down to the division below. Port Redhill will join them next season in the Second Division; the Raiders, with a budget 14 times smaller than that of New Auckland spent two seasons in the First Divison.



Rothes, Tempest Lake and Hydewaters all gained promotion from the Second Division in a hotly contested season. Led by LHP Dermot Honeybourne who went 20-7 with an ERA of 3.14, Rothes led the standings for much of the year thanks to a 20-6 record in June and a 21-8 August. The Blue Jays were far too good to go down the year before and rebounded straight back to the First Division. Arbordale and Uckford found the going a bit tougher for them as they will spend at least another year in the Second Division.

The story of the year however was surely Hydewaters, who have been promoted for the first time in their history thanks to a brilliant rotation that ranks amongst the best in the lowest tier.

Bryankeld improved from their last place finish last season to finish 18th, 11 games ahead of last placed Pinebrook who saw RHP Frederek Swartling come away with the teams best ERA: 4.88 with a 7-20 record.

[jefepwnzer]

Very cool, Nugget! I can't even imagine putting all of this together, I thought putting together a 10 team fictional league was hard enough! One day I hope to do something like this, great job and thanks for inspiring a noobie!

[Nugget699]

Offseason: October 2012
2nd
- Black Island Mercenaries owner Kevin Mäyrä has sold the ball club to local civic leader and businessman Chris Wheeler. The deal is expected to be finalised this week.
- Micah Cokinbred has been inducted in the Carlsberg Super League Hall of Fame. Over the course of his 2345-game career, Cokinbred was a .307 hitter with 2777 hits, including 313 home runs. He drove in 1547 runs and also scored 1556 times as well. Cokinbred retired at 38.
- Nyhaven North Stars have sacked general manager Custaf Melin on the same day as Cruden Bay sack manager Colin Blatherwick after two years at the club.
- Stondon Steelers have mutually terminated Michael Cobb's contract as manager of the Snowy Island club after just one year at the team. He replaced Derek Ramey who was also sacked today as manager of Pointborough Town.

3rd
- Rookie Ricky Walker has announced in a recent interview that he is likely to sign for the Snowflake City Pirates in a 1-year, $2,730,000 deal. The 22-year old Closer is one of the top prospects in Free Agents list this offseason.

5th
- Jaxon City has completed a trade with First Division side Thomasburg sending 27-year old reliver Finaly Shemilt to the Eagles in return for Dewey Eldred. 29-year old Eldred batted .290/.349/.458 with 87 RBIs in his first year in First Division after going .323/.394/.499 over 4 years in the Second.

9th
- Swarm and Steelers fans woke up with quite a jolt this morning as the two clubs announced a major swap. Ocean Point has traded 25-year-old second baseman Ryan Margerison to Stondon, while 34-year-old starting pitcher Maurice Ednams will be joining Ocean Point. Margerison has a lifetime .312 average with 922 hits, 166 doubles, 24 triples, 27 home runs and 360 RBIs to date while Ednams's lifetime won-lost record is 163 wins and 149 losses with a 3.35 ERA.
- Officials for Vizhune confirmed that they have traded 28-year-old third baseman Sampo Niskakangas and $998,200 in cash to the Mount Nelsondale Bears. In return, the Vipers will receive 37-year-old reliever Frank Farr. For his career Niskakangas has hit at a .251 clip. Among his lifetime numbers are 332 hits, 54 doubles, 3 triples, 23 home runs and 143 RBIs.

12th
- Rumors about Ricky Walker moving to Snowflake City persist as the 22-year-old only fueled the fire by complimenting team management after a bargaining session. The closer also bought a piece of real estate in the area earlier in the week.
- Today the winners of the Carlsberg Super League Glove Wizard Award for 2012 were announced. These awards for defensive excellence go to:

Pitcher: Graeme Crowe (Ruysdael Generals)
Catcher: Dexter Davis (Jonestown Broncos)
First Baseman: Markus Autio (Saffron Knights)
Second Baseman: Mainio Heinonkoski (Jaxon City Stormers)
Third Baseman: Mike Dayrell (Caron Chargers)
Shortstop: Dave Daniel (Megopolis Titans)
Left Fielder: Jeff Mitchell (Caron Chargers)
Center Fielder: Lucas Fltskog (Saffron Knights)
Right Fielder: Max Wickenden (Jonestown Broncos)

13th
- The Carlsberg Super League Newcomer of the Year Award honoree has been picked for 2012 and the winner is Pointborough Town catcher Nicholas Eastham. The talented Huskies catcher took the trophy by hitting .346 in 134 games this season and finishing with 177 hits, 19 home runs, 89 RBIs and 79 runs scored as the Town avoided relegation last month.
- Steve Miller fed rumors today that he would be calling Black Island home next season. The loquacious shortstop said that he could see himself in a Mercenaries uniform, but that it was far from a done deal. Reportedly, $2,040,000 in cash is on the table over a 1-year time frame.

14th
- Unsurprisingly, Graeme Fullard celebrated the 2012 Carlsberg Super League Manager of the Year award after his Saphire Coast Sharks ran away with the 2012 title.
- Pointborough Town have signed former Stondon manager Michael Cobb to vill the vacant position left by Derek Ramey. The deal was rumoured to be a 5-year contract.

15th
- The Outstanding Pitcher Award for 2012 has been presented and the Carlsberg Super League winner is Marten Kristensen of Saphire Coast; his third straight Outstanding Pitcher Award. Kristensen excelled with an impressive 30-1 record in 33 starts. In 242.2 innings he yielded 175 hits and 22 walks, while striking out 285 and compiling a fine 1.56 ERA.

16th
- Freddie Poyntz of the Pointborough Town Huskies was awarded the Carlsberg Super League Outstanding Hitter Award today. Poyntz hit for a .358 average while collecting 231 hits, 41 doubles, 2 triples, 40 home runs, 129 RBIs and scoring 126 times.

22nd
- Newly promoted Creetown Crusaders have released a statement confirming the trade of 25-year-old second baseman Bert Jones to the Aigburth Jazz for 34-year-old starting pitcher Brandon Shenton and $3,000,000 in cash. The deal was finalized today. His career numbers show Jones has batted .265 and collected 135 hits, no home runs and 55 RBIs. Here's how Shenton's lifetime stats look. He has a 45-27 won-lost record with a 3.30 ERA.

Offseason: November 2012
16th
- The Aigburth Jazz trainer was the bearer of bad news today as it was learned Justin Birstall's injury will keep him out of the lineup for longer than expected. The Jazz left fielder is being treated for a bruised kneecap. During a routine exam, Birstall's condition was found to be worse than originally diagnosed and he is now expected to rehab at least another 4 weeks. During his career Birstall has chalked up 1192 hits and a .300 average with 15 home runs and 371 RBIs.

17th
- BNN has uncovered a possible $2,800,000 deal between Steve Miller and Humoor, though nothing official has come out of either camp.

20th
- After a week of negotiations, the Vipers and Cowboys have come to terms on a deal that will send 28-year-old right fielder Joe Perkins to Maytown for 27-year-old first baseman Dominic Welford and $1,888,000 in cash. Perkins has a career .275 average with 230 hits, 60 doubles, 1 triple, 9 home runs, 101 RBIs, and 99 runs scored to date.

26th
- Team insiders were tight-lipped prior to today's deal that brought 21-year-old starting pitcher Ove Jensen to Saffron. Jensen is considered one of the best Rookie Free Agents on the market and certainly will enhance any chances the Knights have to win a promotion spot next year. It is i believed the young star signed a 3-year deal worth $22,950,000.

29th
- Saffron have signed rookie 1B Nicky Hadfield to a 2-year deal valued at over $14,000,000 as the Knights look to bounce straight back up to the Super League.

Offseason: December 2012
10th
- Ricky Walker has snubbed the Snowflake City Pirates and signed 1-year deal with the Nyhaven North Stars valued at $4,950,000. The rookie Closer was said to be said to be thrilled with the deal.

21st
- Carlsberg Super League schedule for season 2013 has been released. Champions Saphire Coast start their season with a three game road trip to Cruden Bay whilst newcomers Conneaut travel to felow Promotees Embleton whilst Creetown has a road trip to Bayside. Elsewhere, Humoor travel to Megopolis, Pointborough Town are home to Ocean Point and Nyhaven meet rivals Angelsea.

Offseason: February 2013
4th
- Rookies Gabriel Mander (LF), Erik Sandell (2B) and Cole Shaffer (1B) all signed minor league contracts with Cosby City, Humoor and Jonestown respectively. Mander in particular is expected to make quite an impact in the Super League when he has had a bit more experience.

[andymac]

Glad to see this is back.

You don't happen to have a quickstart of this do you?

[kq76]

I'm in awe. You've got here what I can seemingly only dream of.

[Nugget699]

jefepwnzer, kq76 - Thanks for the kind words
andymac - I have the quickstart of the old format (Conferences and Divisons) which can be found here. But I haven't released a quickstart of the current Pro/Rel format; yet.

Pre-Season: February 2013
6th
- Saphire Coast have signed Rookie Reliever Vesa Nurmi to a 1-year deal valued at $1,740,000. Posessing a good Fastball and Slider, the 21-year old Dunnport native can touch 96mph and has excellent Stuff potential which should improve an already bulging Sharks bullpen.

12th
- Doctors expect Megopolis's Joe Ray to be out of action for up to 6 days with an undisclosed injury. The Titans starting pitcher suffered the injury when he missed the team flight.

13th
- The Humoor Hawks have taken a gamble on Shortstop Mikael Hostikka, completing a 1-year deal worth a total of 1,040,000. Expected to be no more than a First Division regular, Hostikka provides weak gap and contact abilities but excellent stealing and running.

18th

- Newly Promoted Creetown Crusaders officials hailed the signing of Benjamin Lindt (pictured, above) as "an integral piece to our survival puzzle," though fans were somewhat more reserved about the signing. Rookie Lindt will pocket $31,110,000 over 3 years. The CF has been in high demand between various Super League teams including Ruysdael, Snowflake City and Nyhaven. With exceptional speed and baserunning instincts, and above average Gap power, expect Lindt to feature this season for the Crusaders.

Spring Training: March 2013
6th
- Jonestown fans will be disappointed to learn that Samuel Cluett suffered a strained hip muscle while running the bases in today's 4-2 spring training loss to Aigburth. The First baseman is expected to miss 4-5 months.

13th
- Saphire Coast have lost their star Shortstop Harley Hoad for the entire 2013 season and closer Jude Tregellas for up to 5 months in today's 14-7 victory over Aigburth. Hoad, who was 2 for 3 in the game, suffered a broken kneecap whilst base running shortly before Tregellas sustained a shoulder injury.

16th
- The Koanian baseball world is shock today after Creetown Crusaders Right Fielder Gene Limbrack was forced to retire from the game after suffering a torn labrum whilst on defensive duties in Creetown's 3-0 loss at the hands of Ocean Point. Limbrack spent 10 years in professional baseball, al with Creetown, where he spent the last two in the First Division. The 29-year old batted .300/.420/.531 with 154 HRs and 478 RBIs in his 800 game, 2900 at-bat career in the top flight. In the First Division, the Janvale native went .345/.491/.644 with 89 Homers, 308 RBIs and 314 Runs from 368 games. Tributes have been flooding in from all sides of the game. "We lost a real star of the game today, the Super League will be less without him" said Creetown starting Pitcher Dermot Morgan.

22nd

- Cruden Bay will be without their star Left Fielder Arvid Friggeberg (pictured, above) for at least 6 weeks after he fractured his wrist in their 2-1 loss to Ruysdael "The Frig" is batting .342/.432/.660 in the Super League since gaining promotion with the Tribe in 2008.

Spring Training Summary
Most teams came away from Spring Training reletively unscathed, although Saphire Coast will be seething after losing two valuable players before the season proper. It showed in their results as they were outdone by Bayside, one of the biggest challengers for the title, 12-2 on the 19th, with the Bombers thumping 20 hits throughout the game. Snowflake City topped the Spring Standings finishing one game ahead of Bayside, 18-6. At the other end of the table, Conneaut and Embleton struggled but did manage to stay in touch with the rest of the teams whilst Creetown finished with a respectable 14-10 record.

Marten Kristensen led the Pitchers with his 0.33 ERA and 0.69 WHIP but Jonestown's Zach Kettlewell played well could be one to watch out for this season.

The Sharks new Rookie reliever Vesa Nurmi also played well, despite going for an ERA of 11.01. The 21-year old finished 1-2 with 2 saves and 2.29 WHIP although he is expected to be dropped from the 25-man squad before Opening Day.


Ricky Walker (pictured, above), the 23-year old Closer who snubbed Snowflake City for Nyhaven, showed why he was in demand this offseason. After managing 2 saves Walker finished Spring with an ERA of 2.53 a WHIP of 1.97 and topped all the other rookies in HR/9, H/9, Opp Avg and R/9.

Ruysdael's Gerard Trewhella led the charge for the batters, topping OBP (.532), Slugging (.823), OPS and RC/27 (21.82). He also finished .001 behind the Sharks Alistair Eddison for Batting avg (.419).

Mr. Power aka Jake Whalebelly smacked 13 HRs and claimed 69 Total Bases in Spring, 4 more than his closest rivals in both stat columns (ironically, Baysides Bradley Weldon appears in both too as his nearest challenger).

Benjamin Lindt showed glimpses of his baserunning skills, stealing 4 bases for Creetown, leading the Rookies. However, Jonestown's Cole Shaffer was the talking point for batting rookies, coming out on top in 8 categories. His line of .360/.448/.587 tops everyone, as well as hitting 4 triples and 6 doubles in the process.

Interesting History
- Did you know the Lexington Wasps finished the 1974 season with 868 runs scored (5.35 per game) and conceeded 4,410 (27.22 per game)?! The Wasps were so strapped financially they had to employ amateur players, two of which finished the season with ERA's above 30! The heaviest defeat, which is a record that will probably never be broken again, was set on September 11th when the Wasps were thrashed 95-0 (yes, you read that correctly) in just over 7 and a half hours at the hands of the Newport Royals. Due to the teams embarrassing season the league very nearly expelled them from the league outright. The following season they finished 9th. Lexington has never left the Second Division since 1974.

- The game set many records that still hold top spot today (obviously). Pitcher George Cooper threw an amazing 549 pitches in his complete game. He was placed on the disabled list straight after the game where we remained for 4 weeks. He walked 52 batters and struckout just 2. Michael Hickey holds the record for Runs in a single game with 13, 1 more than second placed Stuart Anderson who set his record in the same game.

- Funnily enough, 4 years prior to Lexington's astonishingly bad season, Embleton set a record for the worst W-L Record that has never been beaten since. The Gunners, in their first year in professional baseball, posted a record of 12-150, 1 game worse than Lexington's 1974 season. The next season (1971), Embleton went 102-60 and finished 6th. In 1974, Embelton defeated Lexington in all 8 games they played by scores of: 14-8, 14-2, 9-7, 47-0, 46-0, 21-6, 19-3 and 11-7. Embleton has just returned to the Super League after a three year absence.

[Nugget699]

2013 Carlsberg Super League Preview


Last Season: 5th, 95-67
With an aging squad that didn't get improved over the offseason, Aigburth's 5th place last year may be the peak and this season could be the beginning of the fall from grace. They won't be relegation fodder, but a midtable spot is a safe bet. Kenny Lönnberg is the only pitcher in rotation that is of any use, but his 32 year old frame is getting on a bit. Expect to see lots of relief appearances from Clyde Joscelyn and Sam Lewis. Young rookie Knud Simonsen may feature too. Closer Stig Hedberg still has the ability but again, his age comes into question. Expect to see Catcher Reima Kaipainen to continue to do well with the bat (he led the team in batting avg last year with .335) although rookie Lee Walgrove will also start full time in the number three spot with his good contact. 3B Joe Graham to continue from last year with the clean-up hitter position thanks to his of the scale power.
Prediction: Midtable.


Last Season: 10th, 82-80
Didn't have the best of year's last year with a winning season 10th place. Depth is Angelsea's biggest problem, the reserve roster would have a hard time making most Second Division teams. 41-year old Charlie Evans is still going, well, not so strongly, but he's still going. If the Armada can avoid a injury plagued season they could find themselves in the top third. Phil Badman will lead off the rotation on Opening Day with Joe Snyder, Del Brooks, Eugene Gorden and Brandon Simpson behind him. Not the best rotation in all of baseball is it? In fact, none of them had an ERA lower than 4.05 (held by Simpson) last season. Mattias Ortendhal should dig Angelsea out of a few holes as a relief pitcher and Colby Ostendorff oozes class as a closer (although he didn't have a great year last season compared to 2011). Offensively, J.J. Simms was the go-to guy leading the team in average (.337) and RBIs (118) ahead of Denzel Wansey (as DH). This is where Angelsea will struggle. Nobody is a stand out hitter, so expect those two to lead the charge again. What a depressing thought for Armada fans. 23-year old Shortstop Logan Cuber has excellent contact but just can't hit for power, and if Spring training is anything to go by, that won't change.
Prediction: Midtable.


Last Season: 3rd, 99-63
Bayside didn't really get many votes when it came to picking favourites for the title last year. Ignoring the fact that Saphire Coast was loaded, it was probably because Bayside's Pitching was probably only 8th best in the league. Kristian Birkeland led the team in wins last season (16) with Richie Cox leading in ERA (2.98) but when two of your oldest Pitchers are beating your younger stars consistently, there must a be a problem. Edward Miller (27) and Scott Thurlow (26) are the big guns on this team yet they failed to do anything of note last year which hampered Baysides' already slim title chances. 38-year old William Breed still has a bit of life left in him, but no good pitching prospects on the horizon it's now or never for the Bombers. I would not hesitate in saying Bayside has the best Bullpen in the Super League, but if the Starters don't turn up then it's going to be another frustrating season ahead. Bradley Weldon (led team in HR and RBI last year) is expected to play clean-up DH again to allow rookie Joe Ingleby slot into RF whilst young Kai Duane will continue to build on his solid career at shortstop. It is early days yet, but you may see CF Spike King make his professional debut this year, as Tom Hannaford is probably the biggest weakness in an otherwise strong line-up.
Prediction: 3rd.


Last Season: 4th, 95-67
Without a shadow of a doubt the biggest over-achievers last season. How they finished 4th I will never know. Carrying a depleted squad of just 26 players really doesn't help in a 162 game season. Colm Hillson is a 35-year old Pitcher who went 11-12 last season with an ERA of 3.95. If he gets anywhere near that this year I will eat my shoes. Per Ohberg is the same age and will lead the team out on Opening Day but the Mercs. seem to be the unluckiest team in the world. In 2011 they signed a young reliever by the name of Garrett Webster who was predicted to do big things in his professional career. Two years later we are still waiting for him to deliver, going 10-8 with 12 saves and a 3.91 ERA. In 181.2 IP he has amassed 152 strikeouts and 124 walks. Black Island lost 2B Hugo Wilhelmsson until at least the middle of May with an elbow strain and RF Niclas Söderlund until the middle of the season with a broken shoulder. Replacing the latter is CF Gustaf Wegraeus who went .385/.440/.802 in 23 games last year; his first professional year. The catch? He played DH all season as his defensive ability is woeful. Which says a lot about RF'ers Steven Schultz and Matt Lee, both 34. Jouni Hasler (led team in batting average with .330 last year) is the only ray of hope for this team. But remember the name Craig Roberts who joined the club in October and whilst failed to make the Active Roster will surely feature this season.
Prediction: Midtable...just


Last Season: 1st (D1), 105-57
I always hate previewing newly promoted teams as it's so hard to judge. The Spartans have an average rotation that stood out in the First Division. Evan Townend led the charge in his first professional season going 17-9, 3.11 with a WHIP of 1.25 and 163 K's. But don't expect similar numbers this year. Robbie Petersen who struggled last year (2-6 with an ERA of 4.48) will stand a better chance of impacting the Super League so keep an eye out for him. Any team that faces Neil Evershed will have a easy win. 22-year old Closer Juhamatti Toiviainen is right out of his depth and may blow quite a few saves this season. The other side of the team isn't much better. 26-year old CF Erik Tinker is the only player who can hold good stats in the top division. When Conneaut was in the Super League for 2010 and 2011, Tinker batted .325/.385/.479 with 9 Triples and 25 HRs. He had a tough year in 2012 and missed nearly 4 months through injury, but expect him to lead the team in all major categories as he bats in the 3-hole. LF Ryan Riley and 3B Alvin Björkström may pose a few problems for opposition batters, but I think the Spartans may just have enough talent to avoid the drop in their first back in the big league.
Prediction: Survival, barely.


Last Season: 17th, 63-99
2013 is going to be a brutal season for the Capitals. They battled bravely against the drop last year and survived with a game to spare. I don't think they are going to be as lucky this year. With easily the worst starting rotation in the Super League, including a raw rookie Wes Smith, who despite having the potential to match Marten Kristensen is just not ready the show, the Capitals are really going to struggle. Ethan Staples managed 30 saves last year, a remarkable feat considering he only had 33 save opportunities all season. 2B Tim Stroud had a quiet year last year, but I expect him to improve on his .250/.320/.343 that he managed last year batting first on the line-up. Cleanup hitter Quincy Wrighton is the big "if" factor here. Last year he went .255/.373/.536 with 104 RBIs and 43 HRs. He hasn't hit a triple since 2010 and hit his career lowest doubles in a season with just 21 last year. If the Catcher can find his form Cosby City can be in for a big year. First baseman played well last year, but the 35-year old is aging and won't make as big an impact as he did last year. This is going to be another long season for the Caps.
Prediction: Brave fight against the drop. Which they will win.


Last Season: 2nd (D1), 103-59
Creetown's season finished on March the 16th with the shock retirement of Gene Limbrick. The 29-year old played a monumental part in getting the Crusaders back into the top flight last year, leading the team in batting average (.361), Home runs (43) and RBIs (132) whilst batting third on the order. With the Creetown legend gone, the team looks bare bones and not even the signing of Benjamin Lindt can lift the Crusaders spirits. Dermot Morgan led the First Division in K's last year with 241 and will be the only Pitcher who should provide any resistance to opposition batters. Brandon Shenton joined the Crusaders from Aigburth in a trade in October providing some much needed Super League experience (351 games, 342 starts, 154-125, ERA 3.92, 21 complete games) but he won't sure up the team much. With Limbrick gone, William Hookway (.306/.350/.431 last year) will continue to stay second on the batting order whilst Arvid Snadberg will be the cleanup hitter (.264/.386/.494 last year). New boy Benjamin Lindt will lead off the batting and hopefully steal a few bases along the way. His inexperience could be his undoing, and ultimately I think Creetown will drop straight back down to Division 1. I don't think I would've said that before Limbrick's retirement; he was just that good.
Prediction: Brave fight against the drop. Which they will lose.


Last Season: 13th, 75-87
Arvid Friggeberg will miss the first month of the season after sustaining a fractured wrist during Spring Training. Arvid led the team last year, batting .339/.430/.656 with 31 Homers and 115 RBIs. His loss comes as a major blow to the Tribe who are battling to stave off relegation for another season. With 38-year old Jake Jerram (12-14, 2.75) coming up to retirement, the rest of the rotation doesn't look quite as good. 19-year old Ian Silva (8-11, 4.48) and Monty Yates are solid Pitchers but aren't exceptional. However, they do have some young relievers (like George Farris and Closer Kai Frankland) who will hopefully prolong the Tribe's stay in the top flight. Without Friggeberg though, Cruden Bay will struggle offensively. Kane Newell (.307/.375/.414) and Tex Burrell Jr. (.301/.379/.409) will struggle to reclaim the stats that they managed last year as they bat 3rd and 4th in the line-up. With only 2 players outside of their Active Roster, the Tribe are going to need another clean season injury wise, but safety should all but be assured by September.
Prediction: Lower half. Sitting in or near the drop zone for a few weeks here and there.


Last Season: 3rd (D1), 100-62
Embleton have an excellent Bullpen but how their Starters helped them acheive Promotion last year is anyone's guess. With only 2 players (Christian Lawrence and Mike O'Reilly) considered Starters, a handful of Relievers will have to be in the rotation. Virgil Bond is one of them. Last year as a Starter he went 12-5 with an ERA of 3.76 with 76 K's and 72 BB's. Not great stats for the First Division. Coy Walker will help close games out as the 23-year old enters his 4th professional year. Rookie Pat Smyth failed to make the Active Roster this season, but don't be surprised if he gets a call up later on down the line. Alfie Beecroft (.241/.314/.341 in his two SL years) will lead of the batting with Kalle Lostedt (.279/.357/.433) who has never played above the First Division before, sitting 4th on the line-up. That could only be temporary as CF Alfie Wilford (.291/.357/.448 last year) and SS Gerald Cash (.247/.337/.386 in 2012) come back from Spring injuries within the first week. The team has a good chance of survival if the batters perform well, but the red flag has to be the rotation which is just a shambles. Embleton will struggle to leave the drop zone all year, succumbing to the drop by mid September.
Prediction: Dead last.


Last Season: 9th, 83-79
Ninth place last year was a fair assessment of the Hawks who still have a problem with their rotation which has been evident for years and years now. Damien Clinch (2-18, 10.57) and Peter Eckley (7-17, 7.50), both 21, made their professional debuts last year and remain in the rotation this year but have yet to show any glimpse of the potential that Humoor saw when they signed them. Tim Armstrong (16-11, 3.23), Harry Farleigh (19-11, 4.57) and Billy Olmstead (1-2, 5.59) are the other three pitchers. Armstrong, 36, will be the starting pitcher on Opening Day. Humoor has the best bullpen in Relievers and Closers, with Closer Micah Browning going 9-0 with 29 saves and an ERA of 1.36 last year. 3B Micah West led the team in Average and RBIs (.348 and 126 respectively) last year and will continue to bat third ahead of 1B Danny Welch (.304/.419/.512) in the order. CF Gorin Amdahl will likely start in RF as Ian Melluish has still yet to reach his potential, despite batting .256/.321/.406 in his first pro year in 2012. For this reason, rookie Kelly Allen, who failed to make the Active Roster, may feature a bit this year. Fellow rookie SS Mikael Hostikka also failed to make the Active Roster.
Prediction: Top half.


Last Season: 7th, 88-74
Jaxon City lost Pitcher Jake Harrison for three months just a week ago forcing 37-year old Dudley Fowler into the rotation. This is a bitter blow for the Stormers who otherwise have a nice rotation; a hard task in this day and age. 2-year old Lex Earnshaw (13-10, 2.83) will start his third campaign the day after Opening Day which will be started by Edware Ware (10-11, 3.10). LF Tenho Pekkala will miss the first week through a sprained knee making Dominic Webster play DH; last year he shared the Catchers role with Trop Thompson which they will continue to do once Pekkala comes back. The Stormers failed to find a replacement for leadoff hitter Andrew Carr (.275/.352/.365 last year) which is the only major weakness of this Western State team. A top half finish is not out of the question at all, but they won't be close to challenging this year.
Prediction: Top half.


Last Season: 6th, 89-73
Jonestown have the smallest squad in the Super League, with just 22 players, 3 of which are on the Disabled list at the moment. So with an active roster of just 19, Jonestown's 6th placed finish last year is a remarkable achievement. Something which they could struggle to repeat this year. Zachary Kettlewell and Carlos Roberts sit 1 and 2 in rotation and are rated above average pitchers, yet Gorin Sjovold (14-11, 3.23), Bill Trippas (10-10, 4.43) and Tomas Almkuist (11-17, 6.65) aren't really stars. The Broncos Bullpen is tiny, with just Reece Allbutt, Glenn Dennis and Closer Mark Green in there. The loss of 1B Samuel Cluett for 4 months, who was DH last year, is a major blow and means rookie Cole Shaffer will take on the DH role for much of the season. LF Wayne Oakes (.254/.322/.352) is leadoff hitter and 2B Charles Bavol (.286/.423/.508) will be the new cleanup hitter. The loss of Cluett is a major blow and for that reason, Jonestown will only manage a midtable finish.
Prediction: Midtable.


Last Season: 8th, 84-78
A slightly above average rotation with a couple of dinosaurs will help keep the Titans in frame for another winning season. Young Joe Ray performed well last year, going 14-9 with an ERA of 4-10 in 31 starts and he will be the main pitcher once Andrew Bush, Henry Pope and Willie Rollins, aged 37, 32 and 41 respectively, all retire. Isaac Blye, 24, sits third in rotation. The Titans Bullpen is average at best, with Rob Hilliard the only player worth any note, Closer Ray Robbins will do the business, but could be improved upon. Otherwise, Megopolis' biggest weakness in the Catcher position. Mike Lynch (.264/.322/.413 in 2012) looks set to get the nod over Dan Richardson on Opening Day. 36-year old LF Jake Whalebelly (.226/.307/.451) continues to play cleanup behind Dave Daniel (.266/.298/.321), Niklas Sundqvist (.296/.352/.444) and Karri Meriluoto (.291/.342/.438) on the batting order. 20-year old 1B Mike Tainio, who joined the Titans in 2010 has yet to play a game for the Black & Whites, and has still yet to show any promise as a star player, the only rookie on a fast aging Titans team.
Prediction: Top half.


Last Season: 14th, 72-90
Nyhaven had a slightly above average batting line-up last year, but what let them down was their pitching. Not that the rotation or bullpen is poor, Nyhaven just had an off year. Ryan Hodges (8-9, 4.14) missed 4 months through injury which really hurt the Stars, leaving Perry Lumley (13-13, 4.46) to lead the way. Griff Puleston couldn't hit a barn door if he tried and will go into the season 5th on the rotation, although rookie 19-year old Everton Bowler could replace him late in the season if his Stuff and Control improve. Unsurprisingly for Nyhaven fans Trevor Alty, affectionately known as "Tippy", will lead the way for the batters this season; he led the team in all major categories last season on his way to .341/.442/.625 with 114 RBIs and 37 Homers. RF Kirk Mitchell also batted well last year (.299/.367/.460) and LF Shaun Northam (.295/.366/.446) expected to lead off the line-up. CF Ken Brown is the only major weakness for the North Stars, and is expected to bat last. In his first season since his trade from Oilers in late 2011, the Arbordale native batted just .193/.301/.351 in 348 ABs. Nyhaven could improve on their 14th place finish, especially if Hodges stays healthy. But over the long haul anything but midtable would be a surprise.
Prediction: Midtable.


Last Season: 2nd, 100-62
Ocean Point were widely tipped to prove the biggest challengers to the Sharks last year, and whilst they did finish 2nd, they were a long way behind Saphire Coast. The Swarm have a very complete team and could really push for honours this year, but I think their batting line-up is the biggest chink in the armour. With a 5-man rotation of Maximilian Lindlof, Maurice Ednams, Jeremy Clarke, David Bisbee and Hughie Green, why they only combined for the 9th best Starter ERA last season is anyone's guess. 43-year old Armas Kivikoski enters his 18th season as a Pro and will still get the nod ahead of Tim Franklin, 10 years his younger. Tuukka Koskenkorva still remains one of the best Closers in the game. Patrick Dimock (.319/.424/.553) will miss out on the cleanup hitter role, with the Swarm favouring Bryan Grummitt (.253/.347/.535) which I see as a bad move. Dimock is a much more complete hitter, despite hitting 13 fewer Home Runs last season compared to Grummitt. 1B Graeme Allcock is the biggest weakness in the side, although he has batted .270/.329/.352 career in the Super League. Shortstop Steve Rose who led the team in batting average last year (.367/.445/.552) will likely slot into 3rd or Cleanup hitter when he returns from injury a couple of weeks after Opening Day. Swarm fans should keep an eye out for Everton "Bad News" Taylor this year. The 19-year old rookie signed a contract with Ocean Point in October and whilst could miss out on a start due to the strength of Ocean Point's line-up, could see a few games should injuries creep in. Fred Epley, in his second professional year, may also feature a bit more this season. In 2012 the 21-year old went .071/.071/.071 in 14 ABs from 6 games. Ocean Point has a good squad that has a couple of young guns who can keep the team challenging for years to come. Unfortunately, Saphire Coast's batting line-up crushes the Swarm, so a second place finish looks likely.
Prediction: 2nd.


Last Season: 16th, 67-95
I expect Pointborough Town to have another long and bitter battle against relegation this season as the Husk's are without any competent Pitchers in their rotation. Sebastian Aynsley led the team in Wins (11), ERA (3.52) and Strikeouts (153) last year, which from his point of view is excellent...as a Reliever. Ernest Bielvenstram is second on the rotation list, and is yet to pitch professionally (in Spring he went 0-3 with an ERA of 8.88 in just over 24 Innings Pitched). Brian Reynolds will start on Opening Day, but is just barely Super League quality. Last season he went 11-8 with an ERA of 5.41; not the sort of line you want from your Opening Day Pitcher. Dave Mason (Reliever) and Andy Smith (Closer) are solid pitchers though, and will need to be top of their games to squeak out a few wins here and there to ensure survival. Of course, the Huskies could have been down last year if it wasn't for Left Fielder Freddie Poyntz who ran way with Batting title, finishing 2012 with .358/.422/.613 for 129 RBIs and 40 Home Runs, scoring 126 times. The 23-year old will need to lead by example again with young Nicholas Eastham (.346/.383/.539) and 30-year old Arthur Fossett (.284/.342/.354) also needing pull more than their fair share of weight. Josh Locke (.186/.225/.293) is a weakness in both batting and fielding where he plays Shortstop with Christoffer Tott (.248/.275/.340) the better option in both cases being tied down at 2B.
Prediction: Battle bravely and succeed against relegation.


Last Season: 12th, 81-81
Ruysdael's mentality of "you score 8 we score 9" was certainly on show last year as they scored the 4th most, yet conceded the 4th worst. Expect the same this year. Pitching is still woeful with Graeme Crowe (11-12, 4.71) the only top flight calibre pitcher on the rotation. Kai Edison, Jacob Francombe and Gerard Green will share reliever duties whilst Arthur Jones remains as Closer. This setup could change as the season progresses with Espen Andren and Jack Attenborough failing to make the Active Roster; probably due to age as they are 38 and 34 respectively. Young Jamie Finnemore may get a few games in his first professional year. In fact, Ruysdael's pitching staff is probably no better off than most relegation candidates but what separates them from the others is they have a brilliant batting line-up. Everyone bar Catcher Kaj Lidstrom (who will bat 9th) is a brilliant batter, starting with RF Jeff Gross (.238/.297/.328) we then have 2B Justin Copp (.291/.373/.376) followed by 1B Gerard Trewhella (led the team in batting average and home runs last year) and then Jayden Eckley (.315/.396/.515). 30-year old Jonathan Simms moves down the order to 6th, just ahead of DH Magnus Bondesson who also moved down the order. The Gen's are probably the hardest team to predict, but midtable would be a safe bet.
Prediction: Lower half.


Last Season: 1st, 122-40
The current Champions ran away with the title last year, and you can expect much of the same this year. Marten Kristensen (Pitcher of the Year in 2010, 2011 and 2012) leads of the rotation of Tomek Timonen, Hank McCown, Yrjänä Klami and Keith Lumsden, the latter of which is easily the weakest of the lot. Rookie Vesa Nurmi has made the Active Roster, replacing Aatu Markula who moves to Closer, along with fellow reliever Artie Ramey. Last year's Closer Jude Tregellas will miss at least 3 and a half months due to a shoulder injury and will be missed. Markula is no Closer. Speaking of injuries, Shortstop Harley Hoad will miss the season with a broken kneecap forcing Oscar Bedser (.297/.371/.449), who batted most of last season 9th on the order, to fill the SS vacancy. Alex Wilson (.330/.433/.570) will stay third on the batting order behind Ryan Saunders (.358/.457/.491) and now Bedser with Henry Tassell (.335/.415/.517) as cleanup hitter and DH. Rookies Andreas Berggren (RF) and Jerry Wiggins (3B) failed to make the Active Roster and could have a bit of a wait, too. Their time could be 2014.
Prediction: Champions.


Last Season: 11th, 81-81
One of the youngest teams floating around in the Super League, Snowflake City could well challenge for titles in the future, but for now midtable looks a sure bet. Matt Roberts (16-13, 3.94) will pitch on Opening Day, ahead of young Tim Edbom (5-2, 4.00) and Don Sharpe (6-17, 7.83), both of whom are benefitting from experience, but are not really Super League ready. Mark Shipway (3-22, 7.71) is fast losing his ability and the Pirates may be better off forcing reliever Mitchell Hathway (9-5, 18 saves, 3.43 ERA) to start over Shipway. Catcher Eric Jamison will need to continue his great year last season (led team in HRs and RBIs) with LF Zachary Pearn (.330/.424/.456). 1B Wilson Wolfe (.305/.381/.431) will stay at 3rd on the line-up but the Newport native may be found out this year as his stats have got progressively worse since 2009 when he batted .355/.428/.502 with 125 RBIs.
Prediction: Midtable.


Last Season: 15th, 71-91
Peter Dettman (8-8, 3.49) and Judd Graham (13-14, 4.39) are two of the best Pitchers in the league but that didn't stop Stondon finishing in their lowest position in the Super League (with the exception of 2009 when they were relegated). This is probably due to the fact that the rest of the rotation is appalling, Bryan Abbott (12-12, 5.12) and Bill Thomas (4-2, 6.09) in particular. Thankfully, relievers Declan Oakes and Logan Murray, along with Closer Oliver Bicknell keep the team from slipping into the bottom quarter of the table, but any injuries to these players could be detrimental to the team. The aging Sylvester Williams led the team in batting average last year when he batted 5th, which is where he will bat this year too. Not a great stat for Stondon, with John Morris (.287/.367/.402), Kyle Hill (.266/.322/.405), and Virgil Reynolds (.285/.350/.408) all needing a big kick up the backside. Ryan Margerison (.333/.415/.430) the lone exception. The Steelers need to improve their batting this year if they wish to improve on their 15th finish in 2012, and whilst relegation never really looked likely, another bad year with the bat could see the Steelers slipping into a dogfight for survival.
Prediction: Lower half.

[Nugget699]

April 2013
5th
- Opening Day only saw one upset with Pointborough Town coming from 3-0 down after the Top of the 1st to win 8-3 with Finaly Aston going 3 for 5 with 3 RBIs and a Run.

7th
- Max Wickenden notched up his 20 game hitting streak today in Jonestown's 11-5 loss to the Ruysdael Generals. The streak began on the 21st of August last year.

9th
- Henry Tassell's 23-game hitting streak has finally ended today as the Sharks were upset 7-2 by Cosby City. Saphire Coast currently sit 2-2 so far this sason.
- Right-handed Catcher Ellis Sunderland has extended his hitting streak to 20 games, although unofficially as as the first 16 hits came in the First Division. The milestone was reach in the Spartans' 10-4 loss to Snowflake City; Conneaut's first loss of the season.

10th
- Lorens Åkerstedt of the Ocean Point Swarm is hanging it up. The veteran shortstop reportedly told team officials yesterday that he would not return for another season. The 38-year old's career batting average is .278/.340/.378. In 1382 Super League games, he has gotten 1455 hits, 14 home runs, 544 RBIs and scored 747 runs. Åkerstedt is a fan favourite at Ocean Point when he joined the Swarm for the 1996 season when they finished 7th in the Second Division with an 88-74 record batting .300/.355/.423 with 71 RBIs and 11 Triples. The last few seasons he has found himself out of favour at Ocean Point with Steve Rose being the primary SS.
- Willie Rollins kept Creetown hitters off balance all game long as the Megopolis pitcher blanked the Crusaders 4-0. They managed to get 3 hits off Rollins, who struck out 5 and walked 1.

11th
- Ellis Sunderland's hitting streak was brought to an abrupt end today after 21 games. He went hitless in 3 at-bats in Conneaut's 7-1 loss to the Pirates.

12th
- Humoor right fielder Gorin Amdahl really sparkled with the bat today against the Capitals. He led the Hawks to a 12-1 win over Cosby City by going 5-for-6. The 27-year old singled in the 1st, singled in the 2nd, hit an RBI single in the 3rd, hit an RBI single in the 4th, flied out in the 6th and hit an RBI single in the 8th. This year he is hitting at a .367 pace with 2 home runs and 13 RBIs. He has played in 6 games and scored 6 times.
- DERBY GAME: Max Wickenden ended his 22-game hitting streak in his side's 3-2 victory over Black Island. Jonestown defeated their cross town rivals with Zachary Kettlewell throwing 7.1 innings with 6 strikouts and 6 hits, but didn't pick up the win after going 2-1 down in the 6th.

13th
- DERBY GAME: Jonestown picked up the series win over Black Island as Robin Hughes smashed a 3-run home run over Left Field in a 4-run 1st inning to condemn Arvo Peltonen to his 2nd decision loss in a 6-1 game.

14th
- DERBY GAME: The Broncos won game three of the three game series to sweep rivals Black Island, 7-5. Mason Tilley lasted 7.2 innings, but conceded 7 runs, 6 earned, as the Mercs blasted 4 in the 6th from two singles and 2 doubles.

15th
- DERBY GAME: Megopolis won their 6th straight game today, defeating suburbua rivals Jonestown 7-1. A 5-run 9th after a 2-run blast from Karri Meriluoto and a 3-run Homer in the same place by Gideon Tompkins gave the Titans breathing space.

16th
- Ruysdael finally lost their first game of the season today when they were defeated by the Cosby City Capitals 9-6 over 1 innings. Capitals lead-off hitter Tim Stroud went 3-6 with 3 RBIs and 3 Runs in the game to snap a four game losing streak for the Caps.
14th
- DERBY GAME: Jonestown retailiated after Megopolis' 9th inning heroics yesterday to snatch a 3-2 win with a walkoff single from Wayne Oakes that allowed rookie Cole Shaffer to score from 3rd. Tomas Almkuist pitched his first complete game in the victory.

17th
- Ben Kirsopp of the Steelers came to the plate 6 times and came away with a dynamite day as he exploded for 5 hits against Angelsea in their 9-6 victory over the Boats. So far, the 34-year old Cacther is hitting .281 with no home runs and 6 RBIs in 8 games played. He also boasts an OBP of .273 with no walks and 1 run scored.
14th
- DERBY GAME: Megopolis won the series over Jonestown after being locked at 1-1 heading into the 8th when a 2-run homer by Mike Lynch followed by runs from Haynes, Tompkins and Martinpelto in the 9th helped the Titans to a 6-1 win.

18th
- North Stars left fielder Kirk Mitchell and and Cruden Bay's Joey Jackman had their 20 and 25-game hitting streaks broken today in Nyhaven's 4-1 win.

19th
- Bayside's Marcus Nicholson belted his 2000th hit against Conneaut today, but the Spartans spoiled the day with a 2-1 victory at Legends Field. On his milestone day, the 29-year-old left fielder went 3 for 3 at the plate for the Bombers. During his 1562-game career Nicholson has batted .320 and collected 2002 hits, 159 home runs and 944 RBIs.

24th
- Shaun Northam of the Nyhaven North Stars was hurt in today's North Stars-Jazz game while running the bases. Team officials announced after the game that Northam had suffered a torn calf muscle and would be out of action for 3 months. So far this season, the 26-year old has recorded a .317/.371/.549 batting average with 26 hits, 4 home runs, 15 RBIs, 13 runs scored and a .371 OBP. The North Stars thrashed Aigburth 15-3 to win their 7th straight game and second straight series sweep.

25th
- DERBY GAME: Aigburth soon found winning ways however, with pitcher Kenny Lönnberg dominating the Creetown Crusaders, stopping them on 3 hits and chucking a complete-game 1-0 shutout. He finished the game with 8 strikeouts and no walks in a solid outing. In the current season in 5 starts, Kenny Lönnberg has a record of 2-1 with 16 strikeouts in 33.1 innings and a 5.40 ERA.
- Embleton will be without Closer Coy walked until at least this time next year with a a torn flexor tendon in his elbow that he sustained whilst pitching in the Gunner's 5-0 loss to Bayside; the third straight scoreless game for Embleton. Walker has 3 saves so far this season. In 10 relief appearances he has hurled 10.1 innings, struck out 12 and issued 3 walks with a 1-0 record. The 23-year old has recorded a 0.87 ERA and allowed the opposition to hit .184 when he is on the mound.

26th
- DERBY GAME: Derby games are always exciting, but none more so than today when Creetown came from 2-0 down after 2 to draw level in the 7th and then take a 6-2 lead in the 9th thanks to some patient batting and wayard pitching by Knud Simonsen. Aigburth weren't finished though and rallied for 5 runs in the bottom as Veijo Sariola hit a walk off single that allowed the tying run and Bert Jones (who tagged up), to score in a bizarre last inning.

27th
- In a very impressive mound performance, Griff Drudge stopped the Black Island Mercenaries cold. The 26-year-old Huskies hurler blanked them on 4 hits to post a 1-0 triumph. His record this year is 3-0 in 5 starts and Drudge has a 2.29 ERA.
- Generals center fielder Jonathan Simms will miss at least 3 weeks with shoulder soreness that he sustained in Ruysdael's 2-1 victory over the Ocean Point Swarm. In April, Simms is hitting .262 with 11 home runs. His stats include 25 runs batted in and 17 runs scored.
- DERBY GAME: Aigburth claimed the 4-game series today over newly promoted Creetown who saw 5 pitchers fail to contain the Jazz. Justin Birstall went 4-5 with 2 Runs and Walk in his Man of the Match performance. The Jazz ran out 9-4 winners.

28th
- Snowflake City's 3B Wilson Wolfe was rattling the walls at Alpha Field and banging out base hits against the Nyhaven North Stars. When the dust finally settled on the diamond, he had a 5-hit day and the Pirates had a 6-5 victory. To date this year the 31-year old is batting .382 with 2 home runs.
- DERBY GAME: Aigburth claimed the sweep over their northern rivals Creetown with Jazz pitcher Kenny Lönnberg striking out 5 in 6.2 innings, conceeding 2 runs, 1 earned in 5-2 win.

29th
- Injury woes continue for Saphire Coast as they have been told they will be without Oscar Bedser for 5 to 6 months with a broken kneecap that he sustained in the Sharks 11-8 victory over Nyhaven. The first baseman is batting .284 with 2 home runs. He has scored 14 runs and driven in 12. Despite this, Alistair Eddison thumped 3 home runs going 3 for 5 with 4 RBIs. The right fielder is batting .319 with 9 home runs and 24 RBIs. In 18 games he has scored 17 times. This is the 8th straight win for the Champions.

30th
- Kaleva Merimaa led Megopolis to a 15-4 victory over the Tribe by hitting for the cycle, one of baseball's most difficult feats. In addition to going 4-4, Merimaa chalked up 2 RBI and scored 4 runs in an exceptional performance. The Left Fielder has collected 23 hits for the Titans this year, 1 of them home runs. He has also netted 13 RBIs and scored 14 runs while batting .264.
__________________________________________________ _______________________________________________

Batter of the Month

Seasoned by several years of professional experience, 25-year-old Gerard Trewhella put together a solid offensive month for Ruysdael and was crowned April's top batter in the Carlsberg Super League. He batted .368 with 11 home runs, 28 RBIs and 32 runs scored to help his team to a 12-11 record for the month. This is his 4th Batter of the Month award, his last coming for the month of August 2012.

Pitcher of the Month

Tuukka Koskenkorva has been around the league long enough to know that relievers are often overlooked. That has never stopped him from doing what he does best -- and he did it extremely well in April and stole away with the Carlsberg Super League Pitcher of the Month award. The Swarm bullpen ace collected 5 saves and 16 strikeouts in 16.1 innings, holding the opposition to a .140 average and posting a 0.55 ERA and a 3-0 record. He last won the award for the month of August in 2010; his first of any such kind.

Rookie of the Month

Joe Ingleby earned April's Rookie of the Month honors in the Carlsberg Super League for last month's performance. The boyish Bayside right fielder might be wet behind the ears, but he's proving that he has what it takes to play at this level. Ingleby hit .242 with 4 home runs, 18 RBIs and 12 runs scored this past month on his way to winning the award.

Standings


Stats

__________________________________________________ _______________________________________________
citibank First Division Summary
Vizhune has wasted no time in their attempt to regain top flight status dropping only 6 of their first 24 games. The Vipers, led by David Taylor (.378/.456/.689) picked up series wins over Saffron, Caron and Hydewaters, including series sweeps over Newport, Splimopia and Maytown. Portlethen follows Vizhune close behind as they start the season in fine form whilst Caron seems to be consolidating and recently relegated Saffron is struggling in their new division. Newly promoted Rothes and Tempest Lake are looking for back-to-back promotions. At the other end of the table Maytown, who were in the Super League in 2010 prop up the Division, 1 game behind Hydewaters who are in their first season outside the Second Division. Zion and Newport seem to be on track for another mediocre season.


Xerox Second Division Standings

__________________________________________________ _______________________________________________

Did You Know?
The First Division has had less No-Hitters and Perfect Games than the Super League or Second Division? The First Division has only had two Perfect Games in 1962 and 1973, and only had 32 No-Hitters compared to the Super League's 4 Perfect Games (1967, 1970, 1974 and 1985) and 53 No-Hitters and the Second Division's 5 Perfect Games (1963, 1966, 1969, 1973 and 2002) and 36 No-Hitters.

In fact, the First Division hasn't seen a No-Hitter since 2010, and has only had 1 No-Hitter a year since 2004, when there was 3, including 2 in the space of 4 days. Before 2004, the last No-Hitter was the 25th of July 1999!