Baseball in the Old World: Rise of the EBL [an iOOTP dynasty]

Bol · 05-04-2012, 05:01 AM

Breaking News: EBL Opens Gates, Starts First Season

The European Baseball League announced its existence today due to a growing interest in the American Pastime on the eastern side of the Atlantic. The Leagu is split up into two conferences, the Western and Eastern Conferences. The Western Conference uses the designate hitter rule, while the Eastern Conference does not.

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We start spring training with a brief look at our very own London Undergrounds. The Undergrounds' general manager is to be 31-year-old Joe Nobody, the youngest GM in the EBL. Here's a look at the roster he has put together:

Rotation:
Nick Hayes, 30 years old, Bats: Right, Throws: Right
With an overall rating of 73 on the 20-80 scale, Hayes has superb control and can go extremely deep into games.

Ienobu Kiyomizu, 26 years old, Bats: Left, Throws: Left
He makes up for his mediocre stuff with good control and excellent stamina, but he will not be blowing any hitters away.

Jorge Gomes, 33 years old, Bats: Left, Throws: Right
Another pitcher with mediocre stuff, but Gomes has some of the best control in the entire league.

Tommy Bell, 19 years old, Bats: Right, Throws: Right
Bell has some pretty good natural stuff, but will need to improve his control to have a shot at being a star.

Andrew Gibson, 28 years old, Bats: Switch, Throws: Right
Gibson has stuff that can be called mediocre at best, mediocre control, little movement on his pitches, and almost no upside.

Lineup:
C: Andres Gonzalez, 30 years old, R/R
Gonzalez has excellent pop in his bad and should get on base at a decent enough rate.

1B: Huang-di Zeng, 30 years old, L/L
Zeng's contact and power are up among the best, and he projects to be a fixture in the middle of the Undergrounds' lineup.

2B: Brian Baker, 27 years old, R/R
just entering his prime, Baker has almost no power, but is quite the contact hitter.

3B: Roberto Torres, 32 years old, R/R
Torres is quite a good defender, but a lackluster offensive player somewhat.

SS: Esteban Mota, 29 years old, R/R
Mota has slightly above-average power, and roughly average on-base skills to go with about average defense at shortstop.

LF: Juan Vazquez, 34 years old, L/R
Vazquez's stellar defense make up for a subpar offense.

CF: Jose Rios, 31 years old, R/R
Rios is a superb defender in center field but not a great hitter.

RF: Jon Hall, 29 years old, R/L
Hall is basically the same player as Vazquez.

DH: Forrest Williams, 32 years old, S/R
Not much power, but gets on base at an average rate, more than can be said for about half the lineup.

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Opponent Previews: week one (Fri 04/01-Sun 04/03)

Prague Voyagers:
5 best players:
1: SP Julio Guerrero, 36, rating 74, potential 74
2: MR Ivan Barrera, 21, 72, 72
3: MR Jose Rodriguez, 26, 69, 72
4: SP Mike Cooper, 34, 67, 67
5: MR Angel Gonzalez, 22, 66, 80

We will be seeing:
Guerrero (0-0, 0.00) v. Hayes (0-0, 0.00)
Cooper (0-0, 0.00) v. Kiyomizu (0-0, 0.00)
Moon (0-0, 0.00 v. Gomes (0-0, 0.00)

Prague has some excellent pitching, but their bats do not quite light up scoreboards, as only 38-year-old 1B Yen-ti Shang has a rating over 60 in the lineup, with 64. Additionally, after Guerrero and Cooper, the rotation starts to fall off significantly, as #3 starter Barrett Moon has a 37 rating.

Bol · 05-07-2012, 03:08 AM

London walks off in exciting opener, carries momentum to series sweep
Opening Day featured battles between promising pitchers, both young and old, but perhaps none more so than that between Prague's Julio Guerrero and London's Nick Hayes. Guerrero gave up three earned runs through seven innings and walked away with a no-decision. Hayes also walked away with a no-decision for the home team, giving up three runs on just five hits through ten superb innings. Right Fielder Jon Hall hit the first home run for the Undergrounds, and center fielder Jose Rios finally provided the lift they needed with a walk-off double in the bottom of the 14th inning. London managed to use just three pitchers, as closer Greg Hall and setup man Tom Murray each went two innings, with Murray earning the win.
The Undergrounds picked up where they left off in game 2, with Ienobu Kiyomizu going eight innings and giving up just three runs, as London's offense thrived behind a three-hit day from DH Forrest Williams.
In the final game of the series, Greg Hall got his first save opportunity and his first save of the year, closing out for a stellar Jorge Gomes, who gave up two earned runs in seven and a third innings. The Undergrounds will ride their hot streak into Rome, who lost two of their first three.

Up next: Rome Centurions (1-2):
1. LF Jorge Rodriguez (25, 70, 70)
2. 2B Chris Grant (27, 68, 71)
3. SP Juan Zamora (24, 68, 71)
4. MR Robb Scott (26, 67, 67)
5. MR Gebre Dakarai (31, 66, 66)

Game 1: Tommy Bell (0-0, 0.00) v. Jesus Molina (0-0, 0.00)
Game 2: Andrew Gibson (0-0, 0.00) v. Juan Ramirez (0-0, 0.00)
Game 3: Nick Hayes (0-0, 2.70) v. Juan Zamora (0-1, 12.27)

Definitely expect higher-scoring games, with the 4 & 5 starters going in the first two games. Rome has a better lineup than Prague, but at the expense of some pitching. Zamora had a pretty awful first start, but is still quite a good pitcher.

Bol · 05-07-2012, 07:07 PM

The second series of the year was not quite as good. We won the first game in Rome, 7-6. Tommy Bell was strong through 6, but blew up in the seventh, and it was tied heading to extras. Brian Baker hit a sac fly in the top of the 10th, giving us the lead. The other two games were ugly. The second game was a 16-5 blowout, as our starting pitching and bullpen both imploded. The third game was a 7-0 loss, though Hayes only gave up 3 earned runs, as 4 of the runs were scored on our 3 errors.

Up Next: Hamburg Ers (4-2):

1. RF Claudio Salas (22, 72, 72)
2. MR Tadamichi Kojima (25, 72, 72)
3. CL Jesus Garcia (22, 72, 72)
4. SP Ernesto Torres (31, 72, 72)
5. SP Luis Rodriguez (28, 71, 72)

Game 1: Kiyomizu (1-0. 3.38) v. Rodriguez (0-1, 1.42)
Game 2: Gomes (1-0, 2.45) v. Wade (1-0, 1.29)
Game 3: Bell (0-0, 8.53) v. Cramer (1-0, 1.12)

Bol · 05-07-2012, 07:11 PM

We lost the first game of the series in Hamburg, 3-2, despite a solid outing from Kiyomizu, but we managed to take the next two, with some very strong starts from Jorge Gomes and Tommy Bell in 5-1 and 11-2 wins. We walked away with a 6-3 record.

Up next: Dublin Voodoo (6-3)

1. RF Jim Blackburn (27, 80, 80)
2. LF Claude Barnes (31, 80, 80)
3. 2B Chris McFarland (34, 78, 78)
4. MR Alfonso Esquivel (32, 76, 76)
5. CF Joseph Burnett (27, 76, 76)

Game 1: Andrew Gibson (0-1, 21.00) v. Pancho Maes (1-0, 1.12)
Game 2: Nick Hayes (0-1, 3.95) v. Jose Vargas (1-1, 2.45)
Game 3: Iyenobu Kiyomizu (1-1, 2.63) v. Hao Bai (0-1, 3.46)

Bol · 05-07-2012, 07:14 PM

Gibson's second start was a total turnaround from his first, as he allowed just 2 runs in eight and a third innings, picking up the win in our 6-2 victory. Our pitching continued to go deep into games, with Nick Hayes going 8 innings in a 4-3 win and Kiyomizu giving up 4 runs (just 2 earned) in seven and a third in the last game, a 5-4 win. In game 3, 20-year-old backup catcher Robert Robinson delivered on his significant potential, hitting a clutch home run to give us the lead in the seventh. Greg Hall continued dominating batters, picking up saves 4 and 5, with an ERA still at 0.00 and a WHIP of 0.41.

Up next: Luxembourg Tribe (10-2):

1. 2B Jose Otero (26, 74, 78)
2. MR Juan Rivera (28, 73, 73)
3. MR Jae Chong (25, 65, 68)
4. SS Matt McGrath (33, 62, 62)
5. SP Salvador Baez (29, 61, 61)

Game 1: Jorge Gomes (2-0, 1.98) v. Tsurayaki Ito (0-0, 9.00)
Game 2: Tommy Bell (1-0, 5.84) v. Eric Snyder (0-0, 6.00)
Game 3: Andrew Gibson (1-1, 7.15) v. Gary Hubbard (2-0, 1.12)

Bol · 05-07-2012, 07:15 PM

Gomes to miss 2-3 months with tendinitis in right elbow
London starting pitcher Jorge Gomes left today's game against Luxembourg in the seventh inning with an elbow injury. He was diagnosed with right elbow tendinitis and will miss 2-3 months. His manager spoke with the media:
“Jorge's been doing so well, we've won all his games, but we felt it was better to give him the DL time now than have this develop perhaps into a UCL tear in a couple weeks.” Gomes is 3-0 this season, with a 1.77 ERA and a 1.03 WHIP in three starts.

05-04-2012, 05:01 AM	#1
Bol Minors (Rookie Ball) Join Date: Aug 2011 Posts: 24	Baseball in the Old World: Rise of the EBL [an iOOTP dynasty] Breaking News: EBL Opens Gates, Starts First Season The European Baseball League announced its existence today due to a growing interest in the American Pastime on the eastern side of the Atlantic. The Leagu is split up into two conferences, the Western and Eastern Conferences. The Western Conference uses the designate hitter rule, while the Eastern Conference does not. --- We start spring training with a brief look at our very own London Undergrounds. The Undergrounds' general manager is to be 31-year-old Joe Nobody, the youngest GM in the EBL. Here's a look at the roster he has put together: Rotation: Nick Hayes, 30 years old, Bats: Right, Throws: Right With an overall rating of 73 on the 20-80 scale, Hayes has superb control and can go extremely deep into games. *Ienobu Kiyomizu, 26 years old, Bats: Left, Throws: Left* He makes up for his mediocre stuff with good control and excellent stamina, but he will not be blowing any hitters away. *Jorge Gomes, 33 years old, Bats: Left, Throws: Right* Another pitcher with mediocre stuff, but Gomes has some of the best control in the entire league. *Tommy Bell, 19 years old, Bats: Right, Throws: Right* Bell has some pretty good natural stuff, but will need to improve his control to have a shot at being a star. *Andrew Gibson, 28 years old, Bats: Switch, Throws: Right* Gibson has stuff that can be called mediocre at best, mediocre control, little movement on his pitches, and almost no upside. Lineup: C: Andres Gonzalez, 30 years old, R/R Gonzalez has excellent pop in his bad and should get on base at a decent enough rate. 1B: Huang-di Zeng, 30 years old, L/L Zeng's contact and power are up among the best, and he projects to be a fixture in the middle of the Undergrounds' lineup. 2B: Brian Baker, 27 years old, R/R just entering his prime, Baker has almost no power, but is quite the contact hitter. 3B: Roberto Torres, 32 years old, R/R Torres is quite a good defender, but a lackluster offensive player somewhat. SS: Esteban Mota, 29 years old, R/R Mota has slightly above-average power, and roughly average on-base skills to go with about average defense at shortstop. LF: Juan Vazquez, 34 years old, L/R Vazquez's stellar defense make up for a subpar offense. CF: Jose Rios, 31 years old, R/R Rios is a superb defender in center field but not a great hitter. RF: Jon Hall, 29 years old, R/L Hall is basically the same player as Vazquez. DH: Forrest Williams, 32 years old, S/R Not much power, but gets on base at an average rate, more than can be said for about half the lineup. --- Opponent Previews: week one (Fri 04/01-Sun 04/03) Prague Voyagers: 5 best players: 1: SP Julio Guerrero, 36, rating 74, potential 74 2: MR Ivan Barrera, 21, 72, 72 3: MR Jose Rodriguez, 26, 69, 72 4: SP Mike Cooper, 34, 67, 67 5: MR Angel Gonzalez, 22, 66, 80 We will be seeing: Guerrero (0-0, 0.00) v. Hayes (0-0, 0.00) Cooper (0-0, 0.00) v. Kiyomizu (0-0, 0.00) Moon (0-0, 0.00 v. Gomes (0-0, 0.00) Prague has some excellent pitching, but their bats do not quite light up scoreboards, as only 38-year-old 1B Yen-ti Shang has a rating over 60 in the lineup, with 64. Additionally, after Guerrero and Cooper, the rotation starts to fall off significantly, as #3 starter Barrett Moon has a 37 rating.

05-07-2012, 03:08 AM	#2
Bol Minors (Rookie Ball) Join Date: Aug 2011 Posts: 24	London walks off in exciting opener, carries momentum to series sweep Opening Day featured battles between promising pitchers, both young and old, but perhaps none more so than that between Prague's Julio Guerrero and London's Nick Hayes. Guerrero gave up three earned runs through seven innings and walked away with a no-decision. Hayes also walked away with a no-decision for the home team, giving up three runs on just five hits through ten superb innings. Right Fielder Jon Hall hit the first home run for the Undergrounds, and center fielder Jose Rios finally provided the lift they needed with a walk-off double in the bottom of the 14th inning. London managed to use just three pitchers, as closer Greg Hall and setup man Tom Murray each went two innings, with Murray earning the win. The Undergrounds picked up where they left off in game 2, with Ienobu Kiyomizu going eight innings and giving up just three runs, as London's offense thrived behind a three-hit day from DH Forrest Williams. In the final game of the series, Greg Hall got his first save opportunity and his first save of the year, closing out for a stellar Jorge Gomes, who gave up two earned runs in seven and a third innings. The Undergrounds will ride their hot streak into Rome, who lost two of their first three. Up next: Rome Centurions (1-2): 1. LF Jorge Rodriguez (25, 70, 70) 2. 2B Chris Grant (27, 68, 71) 3. SP Juan Zamora (24, 68, 71) 4. MR Robb Scott (26, 67, 67) 5. MR Gebre Dakarai (31, 66, 66) Game 1: Tommy Bell (0-0, 0.00) v. Jesus Molina (0-0, 0.00) Game 2: Andrew Gibson (0-0, 0.00) v. Juan Ramirez (0-0, 0.00) Game 3: Nick Hayes (0-0, 2.70) v. Juan Zamora (0-1, 12.27) Definitely expect higher-scoring games, with the 4 & 5 starters going in the first two games. Rome has a better lineup than Prague, but at the expense of some pitching. Zamora had a pretty awful first start, but is still quite a good pitcher.

05-07-2012, 07:07 PM	#3
Bol Minors (Rookie Ball) Join Date: Aug 2011 Posts: 24	The second series of the year was not quite as good. We won the first game in Rome, 7-6. Tommy Bell was strong through 6, but blew up in the seventh, and it was tied heading to extras. Brian Baker hit a sac fly in the top of the 10th, giving us the lead. The other two games were ugly. The second game was a 16-5 blowout, as our starting pitching and bullpen both imploded. The third game was a 7-0 loss, though Hayes only gave up 3 earned runs, as 4 of the runs were scored on our 3 errors. Up Next: Hamburg Ers (4-2): 1. RF Claudio Salas (22, 72, 72) 2. MR Tadamichi Kojima (25, 72, 72) 3. CL Jesus Garcia (22, 72, 72) 4. SP Ernesto Torres (31, 72, 72) 5. SP Luis Rodriguez (28, 71, 72) Game 1: Kiyomizu (1-0. 3.38) v. Rodriguez (0-1, 1.42) Game 2: Gomes (1-0, 2.45) v. Wade (1-0, 1.29) Game 3: Bell (0-0, 8.53) v. Cramer (1-0, 1.12)

05-07-2012, 07:11 PM	#4
Bol Minors (Rookie Ball) Join Date: Aug 2011 Posts: 24	We lost the first game of the series in Hamburg, 3-2, despite a solid outing from Kiyomizu, but we managed to take the next two, with some very strong starts from Jorge Gomes and Tommy Bell in 5-1 and 11-2 wins. We walked away with a 6-3 record. Up next: Dublin Voodoo (6-3) 1. RF Jim Blackburn (27, 80, 80) 2. LF Claude Barnes (31, 80, 80) 3. 2B Chris McFarland (34, 78, 78) 4. MR Alfonso Esquivel (32, 76, 76) 5. CF Joseph Burnett (27, 76, 76) Game 1: Andrew Gibson (0-1, 21.00) v. Pancho Maes (1-0, 1.12) Game 2: Nick Hayes (0-1, 3.95) v. Jose Vargas (1-1, 2.45) Game 3: Iyenobu Kiyomizu (1-1, 2.63) v. Hao Bai (0-1, 3.46)

05-07-2012, 07:14 PM	#5
Bol Minors (Rookie Ball) Join Date: Aug 2011 Posts: 24	Gibson's second start was a total turnaround from his first, as he allowed just 2 runs in eight and a third innings, picking up the win in our 6-2 victory. Our pitching continued to go deep into games, with Nick Hayes going 8 innings in a 4-3 win and Kiyomizu giving up 4 runs (just 2 earned) in seven and a third in the last game, a 5-4 win. In game 3, 20-year-old backup catcher Robert Robinson delivered on his significant potential, hitting a clutch home run to give us the lead in the seventh. Greg Hall continued dominating batters, picking up saves 4 and 5, with an ERA still at 0.00 and a WHIP of 0.41. Up next: Luxembourg Tribe (10-2): 1. 2B Jose Otero (26, 74, 78) 2. MR Juan Rivera (28, 73, 73) 3. MR Jae Chong (25, 65, 68) 4. SS Matt McGrath (33, 62, 62) 5. SP Salvador Baez (29, 61, 61) Game 1: Jorge Gomes (2-0, 1.98) v. Tsurayaki Ito (0-0, 9.00) Game 2: Tommy Bell (1-0, 5.84) v. Eric Snyder (0-0, 6.00) Game 3: Andrew Gibson (1-1, 7.15) v. Gary Hubbard (2-0, 1.12)

05-07-2012, 07:15 PM	#6
Bol Minors (Rookie Ball) Join Date: Aug 2011 Posts: 24	Gomes to miss 2-3 months with tendinitis in right elbow London starting pitcher Jorge Gomes left today's game against Luxembourg in the seventh inning with an elbow injury. He was diagnosed with right elbow tendinitis and will miss 2-3 months. His manager spoke with the media: “Jorge's been doing so well, we've won all his games, but we felt it was better to give him the DL time now than have this develop perhaps into a UCL tear in a couple weeks.” Gomes is 3-0 this season, with a 1.77 ERA and a 1.03 WHIP in three starts.