World of Baseball: South Africa

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Imarika extends season with shutout
Nicholas Goode, South African Sporting Press



Assi Imarika won his 18th game of this historic season and extended his sparkling Taifa Star career one more day with a 2-hit masterpiece. Ighlaf Shabana drove in both runs, was 2-2 and stole a bag to provide all the offense. A day after showing his determination by running up the Eiffel Tower for his conditioning, Imarika reached a global record for wins. Imarika after the game, "The way this season is going I wouldn't count us out. We've had so many ups and downs we are almost immune to bad mojo, we've done so much that we've become very mentally tough. I feel great if this was the last game as a Taifa Star for me but I don't think it will." Roberto Penino will start tomorrow and another win will force a winner-take-all game 5.

Saitama beat Detroit to stave off elimination as well.

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Dodgers erupt to make final; Taifa Stars run ends in semis
Nicholas Goode, South African Sporting Press



A 14-3 drubbing ended the underdog run that had the world cheering for our small club from Tanzania. The Dodgers were the better team and deserve their finals spot but it was a brilliant run from Tanzania. Brooklyn scored five runs in both the 5th and 6th to turn the game into a blowout and Chance Manning won his 15th game of the season. In a nice move the Dodgers fans joined the neutrals and Taifa Stars fans to pay their respects to the lowest-paid team to make it this far. Tanzania started this final season with their core intact with a goal of winning the title. They reached it and so much more by making it this far. A season to remember for a long time.

This makes it two straight seasons a new standard is set by South African teams in international play. Zimbabwe made the Global Cup semis last year before Tanzania now does it in the Champions League.

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Season Recap
-South African Sporting Press staff



Competitions Recap
League Standings

African Cup: Kenya made the semifinals, Lusaka and Kampala made the quarters
Global Cup: Lusaka and Kaizer lost in first round
Champions League: Tanzania defeated Kuala Lumpur in the playoff, went 4-2 in their group and qualified for semifinal via Wild Card. Lost in Semis 3 games to 1 to the Brooklyn Dodgers.

Award winners
Outstanding Hitter
1. Miron Bartoszak, Lusaka-1.158 OPS and 25 HR (2nd most all time) for the biggest name player to ever grace the South African league. A satisfactory 1-season experiment
2. Berihun Baraka, Addis Ababa-1.091 OPS and 24 HR and came up just short of a Triple Crown. His last two healthy seasons he has won and finished 2nd in the award race.
3. Zagwe Akimi, Zimbabwe-.915 OPS at 3rd base

Outstanding Pitcher
1. Assi Imarika, Tanzania-Likely leaving Tanzania after a brilliant career and topped it by winning his first award. 18 total wins and a 2.24 ERA
2. Axamuk Kinoro, Zimbabwe-Led the league in innings for 2nd straight season, 2.28 ERA for the league's best team over the past three years. Kinoro has been a big part of that
3. Atas Kola, Addis Ababa-Big signing proved his worth with 11-8, 2.10 season


Storylines

-Tanzania finally got their title after years of falling short of predictions. Assi Imarika and Masmud Hadji will likely leave for greener pastures secure in their status as players who turned the franchise around and brought the title home.

-Lusaka brought in Bartoszak and made it to international play for the first time ever. They overcame my skepticism and while Bartoszak looked a little disengaged at times, he mashed the ball and won Outstanding Hitter. Kidanu Kizito will sign elsewhere knowing he brought a 2nd place finish to Zambia. Very similar to Imarika and Hadji's story this season

-Kenya's collapse. The best-supported team in the league (4 of the last 5 seasons top of league in attendance) has now gone 3 seasons without winning any trophies or qualifying for international play. This season featured a devastating 2-12 stretch near the end of the season after they had closed within a game.

-Kaizer Chiefs preventing Johannesburg from international play. The Springboks had led the league for most of the season and were close near the end of the year when the Kaizer Chiefs took 3 of 4 to keep them at home. Despite that, it was another disappointing year overall for the Kaizer Chiefs, a stunning 6 straight seasons they have finished 6th or 7th.

-Zimbabwe's steady quality. Four straight top three finishes now for the Dynamos as they finished strong to make the Global Cup.

[Rain King]

How do you go about setting up the group stages (and generally everything else) for the Champions League? Similar to the World Cup stuff with a separate league file?

[toxicavenger74]

I know you discussed the layout in one of your first posts but could you very clearly outline each level of competition.

From what I can tell you have:

Leagues
Continental Cup (African Cup)
Global Cup
Champions League

What are the qualifications for each level?
Do you use associations at all?

Thanks,

[dward1]

Originally Posted by Rain King

How do you go about setting up the group stages (and generally everything else) for the Champions League? Similar to the World Cup stuff with a separate league file?

I schedule all those games manually as playoff games so I can see the stats under postseason splits. The in-season cups and Champions League/Global Cup stats run together in that category but that's ok for me.

[dward1]

Originally Posted by toxicavenger74

I know you discussed the layout in one of your first posts but could you very clearly outline each level of competition.

From what I can tell you have:

Leagues
Continental Cup (African Cup)
Global Cup
Champions League

What are the qualifications for each level?
Do you use associations at all?

Thanks,

I don't use associations as they've always caused trouble with games like these for me. I never could export rosters and the game would crash a ton (still have some problems with crashing).

onto the different competitions:
Leagues-divided by geography. so South Africa covers these countries:

.

That's where the teams are based and the draft pool comes from. Biggest and richest league is the NABL (North American and Canada), followed by East Asia (Korea, Japan, China).

Continental Cup-each continent (or two) has their own in-season Cup. So Africa's is contested among the North African and South African leagues, totaling 18 teams. Cup of the Americas is contested among the NABL, Eastern and Western Federation (2nd tier leagues in North America), Latin America, and South America for a total of 62 teams. teams lower in the standings in the previous year have to play in the first round of the Cup while better teams get byes to the second round. all match-ups are single games and randomly drawn each round and scheduled manually.

Champions League: a postseason tournament of the best teams across the world. 6 teams qualify directly for the group stages and the other 6 spots are determined through play-in series. if you lose in one of the play-in series you go to Global Cup. Better leagues get more spots, NABL get 5 of the 18 total spots due to previous success while North Africa/South Africa/Oceania get only 1.

Global Cup: secondary international competition to the Champions League. losers of the play-in Champions League series plus 20 teams that qualified directly to Global Cup by finishing near, but not at, the top of their leagues. also if you win your Continental Cup you qualify for this tournament. single-elimination until the semifinals, random draw all along the way

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South African Sporting Press Offseason Recap and Season Preview Part One
Nicholas Graves

Kampala's busy offseason
First, the GM was sacked after a 30-50 season.

Then the unexpected Nsen Zouabri transfer business:



Those two stories kicked off an offseason dominated by Kampala. The Cranes had followed up their 2062 title by scoring the fewest runs in league history in 2063 and finishing in last place. They sold Zouabri and lost pitching duo Majid Fakhry and Kifle Muugi but have unveiled a new good-looking rotation full of big signings on one year-deals.
The first big signing was Abu al Khayr Butrus, who had a 1.46 ERA for Dakar last season.



Another is Meddur Njama, the former Springbok pitcher. He's always graded out impeccably in FIP but has been killed by high BABIP's. The Cranes traditional top-of-the-line defense is expected to lead to a sub-3 ERA.

Loren Goodwin, a former Kaizer Chief man who once had a sub-1 WHIP and a 12-win season, comes back to South Africa after 3 years in Baghdad. The final signing was Nigerian Firhoun Mtuvilu, also coming off 3 strong years in the South Asian league.

The lesson Kampala seemed to take from last years anemic offensive performance was we need to give up fewer runs. Pitching, pitching, and more pitching wins championships is the line we've heard out of Uganda for several months now. They did work on the offense as well, signing Algerian catcher Zuhayr Nawfal to a 3-year, $12 million deal. Nawfal's arm and defense come highly regarded.

Overall, the mood around Kampala is positive. The fans understand a rebuilding season last year was not the worst thing in the world after a title, and expect to be right back up near the top this season. Long-time outfielder Larbi Taki reflected what the players thought of the offseason, "We knew last year was unacceptable and the GM being sacked and an entire new pitching staff being brought in tells us that the results this year will be very important and another title challenge is what we expect of ourselves."

Nitty Gritty
Pitching Staff Rank: 3rd
Position Players Rank: 5th
WOB prediction: 47-33, t-1st


Lower-key Lusaka

A year after the splashy Bartoszak experiment, Lusaka is playing it much more low-key in 2064. No players will earn over $3 million and only 2 of the 25 richest contracts will be at the Zambian club. The team is certainly more balanced and there is hope that the last two years with the cash windfall from the sale of two young relievers and international play will provide a base for a consistently competitive team for years to come. Several of the key additions aren't really new, but were signed midway through last season and now get a full year to blossom. Ed Henderson (CF) had a .990 OPS in 18 games last season and is probably the offensive centerpiece. Agellid Zouabri (3B) struggled last season but has a track record of success in North Africa and Takuji Ishikawa (SP) has pitched for Orix, London, and Santa Cruz in his past. Despite all those newer faces, the two men who will be key to this season are what the team does best: homegrown pitchers.

Julian Shukrani and Abdi Odhiambo

Julian Shukrani will step into Kidanu Kizito's shoes as the staff ace. “I've loved learning from Kidanu and don't consider myself a direct replacement for him. He was a hometown hero and I'm not from Lusaka so I can't replicate that. I will try to replicate his attitude and performance and help take us even further.” were Shukrani's words when contacted for this piece. His career has been trending toward top-line ace and last year he had his best season yet. Stamina is his only weakness.

Shukrani's career stats

Odhiambo is the leftover Young Gun reliever after the last years transfers of Tullu Mcheshi (20 saves for Motor City last year) and Johannis Ahmed (4.05 ERA for Miami). Odhiambo enters the final year of his contract with a career 10.2 K/9 and 2.58 ERA. He is 4th on the career South African saves list and should expect 70 or 80 innings this season as he will be stretched to cover a weakened rotation.

There are questions over whether the fans will come out to The Woodlands in similar numbers as last season's record breaking numbers with no Bartoszak and no assurances of a title challenge which is a bit of a worry. The history shows that there can be plenty of empty seats for Lusaka home games.

Nitty Gritty
Pitching Staff Rank: 6th
Position Players Rank: 4th
WOB prediction: 38-42, t-5th

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Quickstart file for anyone who wants it. it's right before the start of the 2065 season

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South African Sporting Press Offseason Recap and Season Preview Part Two: The Rift Valley
Mishago Kudumu

Harambee Stars expect a title
Another offseason done and another offseason where it looks like Kenya has significantly improved their team. The problem the last few years has been the players coming in off good years elsewhere have not performed as expected. Some have said the Kenyan front office puts too much weight on the last year's stats without factoring in underlying skills or how players will settle into life down here. That said, there is another new crop of signings inspiring hope this season. Australian 42-year old veteran Brendon Chatfield, who went 8-2 with a 2.10 ERA in Oceania and brings a great reputation but an aging body to Nairobi. Nimulodi Moyo also comes into the rotation down from North Africa off of a 12 win, 2.14 ERA season. The bullpen has become a strength and holes at CF and C have been plugged via free agency and a trade. The biggest signing might be the former Kenya man Dan Bentley. Bentley won the 2058 Outstanding Player in the Harambee Stars title season. He's back after three years in Columbus.

Could Rohwer be the fix to the constant catcher problem in Kenya?

The Harambee Star fans are not going to settle for mediocrity. They provide the best atmosphere by leading the league in attendance four of the past five seasons. Stretches of three seasons without top 3 finishes should not be commonplace with that kind of support. Last years 2-12 end of season collapse has the team and fans raring to go and most experts share the opinion that Kenya should be right at the top this season. Massin Alami returns to add to his South African records: he is the leader in HR's (143), RBI's (504), 2B's (155), total bases, games and at-bats. His loyalty to the club has led to him being probably the most well-liked player anywhere in the league. He often pays for the food at fans tailgates and makes appearances at those to eat with the fans before the games often. This will be his 13th year as a Harambee Star and the final one on his contract.

Nitty Gritty
Pitching Staff Rank: 1st
Position Players Rank: 2nd
WOB prediction: 47-33, t-1st

Walia Antelopes treading water?

Addis Ababa has also been going through a bit of a down stretch as well. After six straight years of 1st or 2nd finishes, they have just one top 3 finish in the past 5 years. They lost Jaleel Muti, who won 30 games in his 3 years in Addis Ababa, but replaced him with an even better arm in Ephrem Masomakali. Masomakali is the top arm on the South African international team and will have lots of eyes on him in this World Cup year. He is coming off 3 years of sub-3 ERA and a 1.03 WHIP in East Asia so should immediately contend for an Outstanding Pitcher award in South Africa. The pitching staff will rest on his and Atas Kola's shoulders. Kola finished #3 in Outstanding Pitcher voting last season.



The offense is based totally around Berihun Baraka. The young Burundian is coming off the best season by a Addis Ababa player ever and won the Outstanding Hitter award 3 seasons ago. The top of the line players are excellent in Kola, Masomakali and Baraka but the depth isn't quite there for a title charge yet. The Cup looms large as it always has in Ethiopia, ever since the Walia Antelopes won the first one back in 2057. The only team to win two African Cups, Addis Ababa fans generally put as much or more stock in the Cup than the league.

Nitty Gritty
Pitching Staff Rank: 4th
Position Players Rank: 6th
WOB prediction: 38-42, t-5th

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South African Sporting Press Offseason Recap and Season Preview Part Three: The Johannesburg Derby
Steve Graves, WOB.com

It's been six seasons since one of the two Johannesburg teams won the title. The Springboks won the 2062 Cup and led the league for most of last season before winding up in 4th place but Kaizer Chiefs haven't even finished in the top 5 since 2057. It's honestly gotten a little old beating up on these two franchises who continually get in their own way. It's been entertaining to see two formerly rather arrogant teams slip up but it really is a louder, more intense, and more fun league when these two are at the top and fighting with each other.

Kaizer Chiefs move into post-Ngumi life and it doesn't look good
Ifni Ngumi, the 2062 Triple Crown winner and Outstanding Hitter, hit .324 as a Chief and was one of the most loved players in team history. They couldn't win with him, you really doubt they win without him. To pile on the pain, big-money SP Jabbar Hudhayfah is still two months away from returning from injury. The signings have been unimpressive and the huge player-development machine hasn't been turning out players recently. The future is dire for Kaizer Chiefs.

Nitty Gritty
Pitching Staff Rank: 5th
Position Players Rank: 8th
WOB prediction: 36-44, 7th

Springboks want to continue to build

After bottoming out in 2061 with a 30-50 last place finish and massive financial troubles, Kalule Angara cleaned house and brought in an entirely new coaching staff. It immediately paid dividends with an African Cup win in 2062 and a strong season last year before a late-season slump led to a 4th place finish. However the money problems weren't so easy to solve. Johannesburg was essentially silent this offseason in signing new players while losing innings-eater Meddur Njama. To replace him in a strong rotation, closer Idir Mukwhana moves into the rotation. Great starting pitching and the final year of Degife Marsal will be what can help fuel the Springboks this season. Owner Angara is not a patient man and any major slippage will not be greeted lightly in the owner's box.



Degife Marsal enters the final year of his contract

Nitty Gritty
Pitching Staff Rank: 2nd
Position Players Rank: 6th
WOB prediction: 40-40, 4th

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South African Sporting Press Offseason Recap and Season Preview Part Four
Lukwonga Juta

Grace period for Tanzania
Last years brilliant league title and Champions League semifinals run in the final year of Assi Imarika and Masmud Hadji's contracts means no one will be too concerned that this season looks like a rebuilding year. Ala' Waseem is the guy the EDGE scouting system and GM Metin Ergin identified as the star to build around in the future. The 5-year, $54 million deal for a guy without stats that blow you away had many scratching their heads but Ergin wasn't worried, “Ala's skill set and work ethic means his best years are certainly in the future. We believe settling into the environment here will help him even further.”



Bold move building around this guy

Kifle Muugi signed a one-year deal to lead the rotation which is relying a lot on Tarif Isa's development. The 22-year old Libyan threw a shutout in the Champions League last year but has still yet to make a league start. If he pitches well, Tanzania still has Paskar Matari, Ighlaf Shabana, Alhieb Chimsima, and Lema Azikiwe to go with Waseem and that is a powerful offense that could lead to a surprise season. The pitching staff has serious downside though, which has led WOB to pick the Taifa Stars last and for the six-season .500+ streak to end.

Nitty Gritty
Pitching Staff Rank: 7th
Position Players Rank: 1st
WOB prediction: 34-46, 8th

Zimbabwe looks to slug way to top
Zimbabwe returns the most similar team from last season. Bereket Trommler and Kenan Jaja leave via free agency and top prospect Ken Lemonnier moves into the rotation. The 22-year old Canadian has thrown 13.2 IP with 2 R in his career and now gets a chance to start for the first time in his career. The offense is deep as usual and looks to be one of the best in the league. Zagwe Akimi is the leading man with the bat with a career .827 OPS. The pitching staff could have more control problems but overall this looks like what has become a typical Zimbabwe team, which now means one contending for international play and the title.

Nitty Gritty
Pitching Staff Rank: 8th
Position Players Rank: 2nd
WOB prediction: 43-37, 3rd

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WOB Predictions


Positional Rankings

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Kampala adds 2 more big names to signing list
Steve Graves, WOB.com

Kampala spent enough money in the offseason to establish themselves as co-favorites for the title, but the money they spent 8 days into the season now makes them the team to beat in South Africa. The Nsen Zouabri transfer has allowed Cranes owner Berihun Munim to bring in a totally new rotation (allowing under 3 runs a game) and now he moves to the field. First, a massive 7-year, $11.5 million deal to 28-year old catcher Mkrtich Mhoyan.



Mhoyan is coming off two solid seasons in the NABL for Grand Canyon and the Tajik who was the former #5 overall pick of the Moscow Dynamo is apparently a long-term solution for the Cranes. It will be interesting to see how Mhoyan and Zuhayr Nawfal, another catcher signed to a big deal this offseason, split the time. Mhoyan can play some in the outfield as well which we might see.

The other move made more waves as former Outstanding Hitter and Triple Crown winner Ifni Ngumi signed a one year, $4 million deal.



Of course Ngumi is one of the most storied players in Kaizer Chiefs history and the signing was announced just prior to Kampala playing the Chiefs yesterday (won 4-3 by the Cranes on a Labid Nu'man 2-run home run). The Cranes fans copped the Kaizer Chief chant “Ifni, won't you look at me!” as he was announced and waved to the roaring supporters.

Kampala now has the highest payroll in the league and there are rumors of even more players coming in. They have an embarrasment of riches at catcher, that looks like just spending money to get rid of it at this point. You can question the wisdom of some of their signings but there's no question that these two make them the best roster in the league. They are already off to a 6-2 start and atop the standings and now add a former Triple Crown winner and a cleanup hitter type bat into the mix. The message is clear: the title is the only successful result for the Cranes in 2064.

[dward1]

Another day, another monster signing for Kampala
Steve Graves, WOB.com



Right after losing their first game with Ifni Ngumi and Mkrtich Mhoyan (though Ngumi did homer), Kampala came out and announced another huge addition, this time it's the 2062 Outstanding Hitter runner-up Masmud Hadji. Hadji, beloved in Tanzania as their best player ever, signed a 1-year deal worth just over $3 million. He is expected to play 2nd base, though he has the skills to play anywhere outside shortstop. The Cranes payroll has now rocketed above $35 million and with the new luxury tax rules, it will cost owner Berihun Munim even more than that this season. He's put together an absolute juggernaut and has now signed away all-time greats from Tanzania and Kaizer, not to mention Loren Goodwin and Meddur Njama who both pitched a long time for the Chiefs and Springboks.

The reaction around the league has made clear Kampala is enemy #1 right now. “He's trying to buy the league, that's not what neutrals like to see.” said a Lusaka fan. “Crane$ Ne$t” blared a headline in Johannesburg. “We've built slowly, looking toward the future and with homegrown players. For him to sign all these guys for one season makes a mockery of the long-term focus of this league.” was Kenya's long-serving slugger Massin Alami's opinion. “It'll make it even more sweet when we knock them off by doing things the right way.” In Kampala and somewhat surprisingly Zanzibar the opinion was different. In Uganda, Cranes jerseys are flying off the rack at rates never seen before and attendance is already up 30% at Mandela National Stadium. One of the sections of the right-field standing room crowd in Kampala are going to re-name themselves Masmud's Hood and the rest of the crowd shamelessly stole from Kaizer the “Ifni, won't you look at me!” chant to use during warmups until Ngumi tips his cap to the crowd. Zanzibar had more Kampala fans before now than you would think based on owner Munim's ties to the island. He grew up there, still lives there, is a well-respected member of the community, and advertises heavily for the Cranes. The fact his team has angered the mainland Taifa Star fans by signing away their hero Hadji will convert a lot more of the bitter Zanzibar citizens to root for the Cranes. The Zanzibar to Kampala 2 hour flight, game ticket, meal, and hotel room deal for $50 deal is another attempt to build a Kampala fan-base there. There is an option for baseball fans on the island to go watch other than just cheering against Tanzania now.

We are just 9 games into the season and the narrative is already set. Can anyone stop this all-star team from marching to the title?

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Quarter-way recap
Nicholas Goode, South African Sporting Press

Key Games so far

Tanzania won the final two of their tense series against Kampala including this one in 12 innings to show that big investment does not mean easy results. Kampala was 6-2 before they announced the Ngumi, Mhoyan, and Hadji signings and are just 6-6 since. The series in Dar es Salaam was heated due to Masmud Hadji's return, though to the Tanzania fans credit they did give him a standing ovation before the first game. Lots of budding Cranes fans came over from Zanzibar to mainland Tanganyika to cheer against the Taifa Stars and for the Cranes in what has become an interesting dynamic with some historical overtones. Some politicians have used the rift over the Taifa Stars for political points as well. This specific game ended on a wild pitch from Dilgassa Missaoui which allowed Egziabher Boudouani to score in the 12th and set off a celebration that showed this win meant more to Tanzania than just any old game. They are clearly rebuilding this season and splitting with the league favorites with such a loud contingent of away fans means a lot to the proud players and fans that make up the Taifa Stars.



A chaotic game where 7 runs were scored in the 11th inning went to the Dynamos as they established the first 2-game lead of the season. Lusaka's bullpen has been nearly perfect (1.71 ERA) all season which helped them to a share of the lead until the Dynamos took 3 of 4 at The Woodlands. Every starter had a hit for Zimbabwe, perfectly showcasing their strength in depth.

Standings


-Kampala has been the most impressive team run differential wise but they sit 2 games back. There is a sense they will be getting everyone's A game as no team wants to roll over for the “Best team money can buy”, as Dynamics.com a Zimbabwe fansite, labeled them.

-Massin Alami, Mr. South Africa, is off to a torrid start. He leads the league with a .355 AVG and 8 HR's. Alami is known for his fast starts but this is a step above those. Kenya hasn't been able to take advantage and have struggled to a 9-11 start. Very disappointing for the team that was considered clear favorites in presseason.

-The only team more disappointed at their start will be Johannesburg. Kalule Angara, their hands-on owner, was visibly angry during a recent loss to Addis Ababa, and left in the top of the 9th inning in frustration. Ace Axel Lemoine is struggling but really every part of the team has contributed to the 6-14 start.

-Lusaka's homegrown arms in Julian Shukrani (3-0, 1.21) and Abdi Odhiabmo (2-2, 5 SV, 1.31 ERA in 20.2 IP) have been excellent and the offense has used speed to score the 2nd most runs in the league. The Green Buffaloes look like they have the balance to stick around all year again.

-Zimbabwe loses Saled Chafulumisa for the second straight year to a torn labrum. This moves closer Tamirat Abboud (12 IP, 0 ER) into the rotation and means heralded rookie Ken Lemonnier needs to figure it out as a starter (1-3, 8.07 ERA).

-Kaizer Chiefs are already out of the African Cup. Kampala beat them 2-1 in the opening round. The once-great Chiefs are simply no longer a factor in this league.

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African Cup Round of 16
by Steve Graves, WOB.com

The two big stories of the week before we get you to your African Cup coverage.

1. League leaders Zimbabwe hosted title favorites and run differential leaders Kampala in Harare and took 3 of 4. When Kampala rolled over Tamirat Abboud to a 15-2 win in the opener it looked like we could see a new leader but a walkoff triple from Badrak Rono, a walkoff single from Sanjiv Srivaths, and a complete game from Axamuk Kinoro (who is now 5-0) saw the Dynamos win the series. In a gift from the scheduling gods, the two teams play again in Kampala today in the Cup. The Cranes season will be in some unexpected early season trouble if they lose today.


2. A sad story for Lusaka fans and really fans of baseball in general. A shoulder injury at just 24 years old will end Abay Kutisha's career. Kutisha was this seasons leading hitter for the 2nd place Green Buffaloes, so it's a big blow to their title ambitions as well.

African Cup Coverage

My colleagues often get misty-eyed about the African Cup final but I prefer the Round of 16 craziness. You got 8 games going on across the continent so you get a nice workout switching streams to catch the good ones. You see a lot of teams, usually you get to see everyone's ace on the hill, and there's always a memorable game of performance. We're about ready for another round of 16 and I'll be your guide to the madness. The best game will probably be Zimbabwe at Kampala, where the Cranes are under early pressure. They will be facing Tamirat Abboud, who they just pummeled 3 days ago, so I favor them to advance. Other top games include a rematch of the 2062 final as Johannesburg visits Ivory Coast and Addis Ababa renews their quest for their third Cup in Algiers against the Fennec Foxes. It's been 4 years since our league got 4 teams into the quarters, hopefully that's a streak that ends tonight.

1:16 PM: Badrak Rono has just taken Loren Goodwin deep for a 3-run HR in Kampala. It's Zimbabwe 4, Kampala 0. Things are quickly going from bad to worse as this could be 4 straight losses for the Cranes.

1:48: With the bases loaded Goodwin just walked a batter then hit a batter. It's Zimbabwe 6, Kampala 1...In Dar es Salaam, the Taifa Stars are looking to return to the semis where they used to make it every year. Mahmud Machupa just singled home a run and they're off to a good start, Tanzania 3, Lagos 1.

2:15: A Newton Perfect 3-run HR just capped an explosion from the Super Eagles in the top 5th, Lagos 9, Tanzania 3.

2:45: With Abay Kutisha in the owner's box, the Green Buffaloes jump out to an early lead on a pair of RBI singles, in the 3rd it's Lusaka 2, Angola 0.

3:18: Kampala continues their fight-back with a 2-run single from Kagera Zuber, Zimbabwe 6, Kampala 4...Dan Bentley homered and Kisabaka Durojaiye tripled as Kenya fired out of the blocks, top 1: Kenya 2, Kano 0.

3:36: Dan Bentley does it again in the 2nd, a 2-run bomb this time. Kenya 4, Kano 0...Kinfu Akida doubles home a run to cut the deficit to one but leaves with an injury. Zimbabwe 6, Kampala 5 as we head to the 9th in Uganda...The Antelopes have tied it up in the 6th, Lusaka 2, Angola 2...It's scoreless between Addis Ababa and Algiers in the 2nd.

FINAL: Zimbabwe 6, Kampala 5. A double in the ninth is stranded and the Dynamos have beaten the Cranes 4 times in the past 4 days to knock them out of the Cup and take a 4-game lead on them in the league. It's nearing crisis time in Kampala.

FINAL: Lagos 9, Tanzania 4. It's now 4 straight years the Taifa Stars lose their first game in the Cup, a complete 180 after qualifying for the semifinals in the first four years.

4:03: The Pillars are right back into it with a big 3rd inning, Kenya 4, Kano 3...We have a breakthrough in Algeria and it's the Walia Antelopes on the board first, Addis Ababa 2, Algiers 0.

EXTRAS ALERT: Angola and Lusaka are headed to the 10th. Julian Shukrani threw well into the 9th and Abdi Odhiambo is on the mound for the Buffaloes now...We're underway in Abidjan and the Elephants strike first, Ivory Coast 1, Johannesburg 0.

4:54: The Harambee Stars have been all over the bases all day. Bentley and Durojaiye at the top of the order are 6-6, 2 HR, 3B, 2 BB and it's now Kenya 7, Kano 3 in the 6th inning.

FINAL: Addis Ababa 2, Algiers 0. Ephrem Masomakali came up 1 out shy of a shutout but did what he was signed to do with a dominant pitching performance. The dream for a 3rd Cup is officially on in Ethiopia.

5:39: We are into the 13th in Lusaka. Odhiambo is out and fellow shutdown reliever Uregh Ben Bella is in, it's still Lusaka 2, Angola 2...Each team has added a run though the Elephants should have more, it's Ivory Coast 2, Johannesburg 1.

FINAL: Kenya 11, Kano 4. A top-class performance from the Harambee Stars as they rout their Nigerian foes. Dan Bentley and Kisabaka Durojaiye, the top two hitters in the order, went 7-7, 3 BB, 2 HR, 3B, 4 R, 5 RBI in a magnificent game.

6:00: Axel Lemoine's struggles for the Springboks in the league have carried over. A triple scores two more and it's Ivory Coast 5, Johannesburg 1...We are into the 14th in Lusaka.

6:13: Lusaka strands a man at 2nd, we go to the 15th.

6:29: It's almost completely dark in Lusaka now, adds to the drama in what has been an absorbing game. Ed Henderson just got his 4th hit but was caught stealing to end the 15th. It's the top of the 16th inning! The Cup never lets you down.

6:38: Just pointing out Lusaka's Uregh Ben Bella has thrown 4.1 IP without allowing a hit or a walk. It's the bottom of the 16th now.

6:48: To the 17th...Johannesburg is rallying furiously in the 9th, two runs and are in and the go-ahead run is now at the plate. It's Ivory Coast 5, Johannesburg 3.

FINAL: Ivory Coast 5, Johannesburg 3. The game that started two hours after Lusaka-Angola ends before it. Amastan Mongo hits into a double play with the tying run on first in the ninth as Ivory Coast gets a little revenge for the 2062 Cup final. Johannesburg's nightmare season continues. Only in Lusaka is there baseball still going.

6:55: Ben Bella gives up his first hit but that's all. 2-2 to the bottom half.

7:04: 3 up, 3 down. The fans seem slap-happy almost in Lusaka now as the Green Buffalo mascot is spraying some sort of soda over a section of fans. We got to the 18th.

7:16: Our first serious threat in a while. Ben Bella exited with a man on and a man out after 5.2 brilliant innings and the rookie Adugna Macaria has allowed two more hits to load the bases with two outs. The count is 2-0...strike 1...strike 2 on the corner, it's 2-2 now...fly ball to center and Macaria gets the out. Still tied.

7:27: Ed Henderson reached base for the 5th time and stole second base with two outs but Matthew Whitcomb struck out. I was planning on cooking for my wife, but am now eating delivered Chinese food as this game goes on to the 19th inning. Sorry babe, it's the struggles of living with a man who watches baseball for a living.

7:38: Addis Ababa legend Ghenima Kwizera works a walk out of a 8-pitch AB but Macaria strands him.

7:49: Lusaka gets a hit and a reached on error with two outs but strands them. We go to the 20th and towards the 6 hour mark as this game marches on.

8:00: A leadoff single and two groundouts move a runner to third but that's where he ends up. Macaria is skating out of trouble nicely.

WALKOFF ALERT!! It's over! After 20 innings and 6 hours and 5 minutes of baseball this game gets the ending it deserves with a 2-out, 3-run home run deep into right center field from Mahdi Kahil. Ed Henderson's 5th hit of the game started the rally, Whitcomb extended it, and Kahil ended it. An unforgettable end to the 2nd-longest game in South African history. I think this proves my point quite nicely about the Round of 16 being the best day of the season. Four South African teams are through to the quarterfinals for the first time since 2060.





Quarterfinal Matchups
Zimbabwe at Ivory Coast
Dakar at Cameroon
Lusaka at Lagos
Addis Ababa at Kenya

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Kampala roars back and World Cup groups announced!
Nicholas Goode, South African Sporting Press

It's a global sports fans dream as the World Cup qualifiers schedules are out, but first to the league at hand. Just over a week ago, Kampala had lost 6 straight games and were at .500 and 5 games back while crashing out of the Cup. The fans and media were calling for new managar Eitor Pellen's head as the long-time Real Madrid man seemed at a loss for answers, constantly saying, "It will turn around." He was right.



8 straight wins by a 52-run margin have the Cranes back in second place but more importantly looking like the unstoppable machine many feared. Kinfu Akida is down with an injury but it hardly matters with Ifni Ngumi hitting .411 with 6 HR's, Masmud Hadji and Labid Nu'man joining him with 6 blasts, Roba Njoka with 5, and no one on the staff with an ERA above 3.13. Meddur Njama, who has the title of worst ERA on the team, just threw a 1-hitter. Zimbabwe is holding a 2-game lead but Kampala is playing the best baseball this league has ever seen right now.


Current standings

World Cup Qualification Groups!

Baseball addicts rejoice! When this season ends another even better season begins. 92 nations have entered teams into this years qualifying campaign, with 9 making their first appearance on the international stage. This years qualifiers will have a global feel again. First the 24 bottom ranked teams will play best-of-3 series. The higher-ranked teams (coin flip if both are making their first international appearance) will host, with the winner advancing to a spot in the qualification groups.



Those 12 teams will slot into 10 groups of 8 teams. Each continent is no longer guaranteed a certain number of places. WOB's reasoning was we now have the Continental Championships to decide who the best team on the continent is we don't need even more games now. They want to open the game up worldwide. The 10 winners will advance with playoffs being held among the 2nd-place teams to see who gets the final 6 spots at the 16-team World Cup.



More analysis of these groups will be coming after the club season is over when we have time to prepare, but for now it's fun just to feast your eyes on what we have in front of us as the World Cup travels to the UK in 2064.

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African Cup Quarterfinal: Rift Valley Rivalry goes to Kenya
by Mishago Kudumu, South African Sporting Press



It was likely the most important game of the season for Addis Ababa, where the league title chase has been given up as lost and the Cup is taken as almost an equal to the league anyway. Adding in the fact Kenya, their biggest rivals, were the opponent and you can see why this loss will be taken very roughly back home.

It had set up well for Addis with Atas Kola (2.30 ERA last two years) on the hill against veteran Yusef Fung for Kenya. Fung had only logged 14.1 IP on the season after being pulled out of the bullpen after Brendan Chatfield's major injury. Fung was immediately in trouble in the first inning but got a bases-loaded strikeout of Sekla Umar to escape a disastrous start. Kenya took that momentum and built on it, with the first six batters hitting the ball hard in their half leading to three runs. The Harambee Stars piled two more runs on in the 3rd to make it 5-0.

A run in the 5th and another in the 6th chased Fung after 5.1 solid IP and it was 5-2 but Addis Ababa would get no closer. Promising rookie Mekonnen Cyilima and shutdown closer Ebolt Gimelstob were near flawless over the final 3.2 IP and Kenya will return to the semifinals for the 2nd straight season and 4th overall.

It's now been 4 years since Addis Ababa won the African Cup, 6 years since they won a title, and 6 years since they won an international game. For such a proud baseball city it's an surprising record, and it feels as if Berihun Baraka's best days might pass without any trophies to remember them by.


Other Scores
Lagos 8, Lusaka 3
Zimbabwe 3, Ivory Coast 0
Cameroon 5, Dakar 4-Cameroon scored 3 runs in the bottom of the 9th with back-to-back bases loaded walks ending Dakar's dreams of back-to-back double Cup-league titles.

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Halfway Home, Can Anyone Stop Kampala?
South Africa Sporting Press staff


Nicholas Goode
A record 14 straight wins and a insane twice as many runs scored as allowed have Kampala on top of the league and looking like a global powerhouse.




It would be a shock if anyone can stay within shouting distance for more than the next 10 games. Zimbabwe has hung close but just lost a series to Tanzania while losing a 2nd starting pitcher to injury. Star SS Zagwe Akimi is also out for an indeterminate amount of time. The Dynamos do have a leg up on the Global Cup race as they are 3 games ahead of 3rd place Lusaka but Kampala has likely passed them for good. To show the gap in class between Kampala and the rest of the league, Zimbabwe is 2nd in runs with 184, Kampala has 230.

Steve Graves
-Trainwreck in Johannesburg: the Springboks are now 12-28 and to add insult to injury just got swept by Kaizer Chiefs in the Johannesburg Derby. Axel Lemoine, the highest paid player in the league, is 0-8 and no team has allowed more runs than the Springboks. After the last two years signaled hope that they were on their way back to the top, this season has erased all of that. A sign of how far both teams have fallen was the embarrassing 3,700 fans in attendance at the series finale yesterday. The former capital of African baseball hasn't been relevant for 6 seasons now outside of one Cup final. It's a sad state of affairs that is crying out for a strong manager or GM to rescue either club. With Kalule Angara, the outspoken owner of Johannesburg, refusing to speak to the media this season, there are almost no players or coaches with the profile you'd expect from playing here. Degife Marsal is a huge star from the Springboks, but that's about it.


Mishago Kudumu
-Kenya shows their potential now and then but haven't been consistent enough and sit right around .500 again. The 2nd half of the season will be crucial in Nairobi as the club needs an international appearance to break this stagnant cycle. Kun Kim's struggles (5.20 ERA) have inhibited them. They have made some nice moves for the future, locking Nimulodi Moyo and Mideskso Moyenda up long-term. The passionate fans will celebrate the off-the-field moves more if the on-the-field results pick up these last 40 games.





Lukwonga Juta
Strange days in Tanzania. We've pitched well but hit poorly, totally subverting expectations on both fronts but winding up with a similar record to what was expected. Ala' Waseem, the $11 million man, has been an enormous disappointment. He has a .276 SLG with 0 HR and has been injured already. You expect more from a guy who was supposed to lead us into a new era and is signed for 4 seasons after this, he will have a lot of pressure on him to have a good finish to the season. Shenouda Pili is on pace to throw 86 innings out of the bullpen, which will make it hurt even more when he and 3 starting pitchers leave this offseason.