World Baseball Alliance

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Game 5 Box Score

Michael Reid wasn't feeling it. He was a warrior, throwing 145 pitches over 8 innings. He allowed only three runs, all in the 1st inning, but there was traffic on the bases all game long including a season-high six walks.

Gianfranco Cochetti wasn't feeling it. He singled in the 2nd inning but only his third hit of the series, and he'd go on to leave five men on base in Game 5.

The Kiev Comets were listless, trailing 3-1 heading to the 8th inning. If they lost, they'd still lead the series 3-2, but the Caracas Rangers would have their ace, Santiago Vecchio, ready. Say the Rangers win that, then it's a virtual coinflip in a Game 7. Great for baseball, but maybe not for the Comets.

Then something clicked. For the Comets, it always did.

"I knew we'd get here," third baseman Mel Martin said. While much of the team downplayed their success throughout the season, Martin embraced it, bragged on it. It was Martin who delivered the game-tying hit in the 8th inning, sending the mostly-partisan crowd in Madrid wild. "We were just too good not to win it all."

It's hard to debate that point, and now Kiev will forever have the trophy to prove it. The season belonged to them. They posted the best record in the WBA, they had the best run differential, they threw the first no-hitter... the list goes on.

"Baseball's a team sport," Cochetti said. "And we have a great group here. I wasn't really seeing the ball well, but Mel was, and Michaël (Thierry) was, and it was just their turn to carry us."

The Comets operated like that season. Five different position players tallied 3.9 or more WAR, so no one slump ever sunk the team. You could fool some of the Comets all of the time, and all of the Comets some of the time, but as the league quickly figured out: You couldn't fool all of the Comets all of the time.

The pitching was nearly as good. Henry Jones, the author of the no-hitter, finished the year by going 7 innings in each of his four final starts, allowing three or fewer runs. Michael Reid, who just turned 36 on October 21, wasn't faring as well. He allowed 7 runs in his first start against Caracas, and then allowed the 13 baserunners in Game 5.

"Throw out the numbers, what he did tonight was one of the best pitching performances I've ever seen," Jones said of Reid's start. "What did he throw, 150 pitches? Show me another pitcher in the world who allows three runs six batters in and then battle like that."

"I knew it was my last time on the mound this year," Reid said. "And I was throwing junk up there in the 1st inning. All I was thinking was, I'm not gonna let it end like this."

He gritted it out on the mound, keeping the Rangers off the scoreboard while waiting for his offense to mount a charge. Sure enough it did, and Reid finally gave way to Iskander Pakulin, the 5th starter-turned-reliever. One way to minimize a supposed weak point, the bullpen? Don't give the ball to any relief pitchers in a big game.

Pakulin pulled through, coaxing a groundball from Jude van der Meijden. Gusmani Galatti scooped it and fired to Freyr Hellmann, and before the ball the mitt the bench poured out of the dugout to celebrate.

They were celebrating not just the moment of glory. They were celebrating the incredible season and the extremely high standard they set. They were celebrating their place in history. The Kiev Comets, your 1960 World Champions.

[Imperialism32]

October 28, 1960

Kiev Comets - 1960 World Champions

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October 29, 1960

Promotion & Relegation

On the first day of the offseason, teams are officially promoted and relegated. The last-place team in each division is relegated to the Silver League, while the first-place team in each Silver League division is promoted to the World Baseball Alliance. Teams retain all players in their organization during the shift. For example, the Istanbul Griffins and Belgrade Buzz will also switch minor league affiliates, but all minor league players move with their parent organization to the new level.

As a reminder, promoted teams will remain at their level for at least two seasons. If they finish in last place in their first season, the 7th-place team is relegated instead. There is so such rule for promotion: If, say, the Berlin Knights finish 1st in their Silver League division next season, they'll move back up.


Australasian League

The Tianjin Predators are led by their outfield. Left fielder Zaw Sein Zeya led the team in WAR at 5.4 despite only one home run. He excels at getting on base, leading the ASL with a .446 OBP, and stole 32 bases to boot. In center, Edmund Tae is an excellent defender who provided the power with 16 home runs and 39 doubles. Starter Mistunari Goto headlines the rotation, and they have a strong bullpen as well. They lost in the first round of the ASL playoffs.

The Newcastle Swoop were crowned champions of the ASL, dispatching Christchurch and Daegu en route to the title. Third baseman Yuto Hozan was named MVP of his division and led the way with a .378/.435/.568 slash line. Left fielder Shinji Ueda was good enough to make Team Japan for the World Baseball Championship thanks to his all-around skillset. In the rotation, Kentaro Tachibana led the league in WHIP and ERA, but was bolstered by a .246 BABIP.

Caribbean League

The champions of the Caribbean Silver League, the Santiago de Cuba Dash were led by three offensive stars. First baseman Dharamleen Jones posted a .941 OPS and 5.9 WAR, third baseman Mario Galino hit .312 and stole 24 bases while being caught just four times, and left fielder Emerson Calvo was a stolen base shy of a 20-20 season. Their starting rotation was led by a 39 year-old and a 38 year-old year, so they'll need to replenish that in order to stick in the upper league.

The Medellin Pathfinders had one of the top starting pitchers in the CSL, 25 year-old Dan Velez. He took home the hardware as the CSL's top pitcher. He and Nick Gonzalez give them a solid 1-2 punch that can compete immediately, but there are concerns about the makeup of both. Offensively, they lack a true star to carry the lineup. The closest thing would be Jose Luis Plasencia, who had an .800 OPS and 27 steals.

European Premier League

The Belgrade Buzz won the ESL in seven games over Brussels. 18-game winner Mathieu Tanguay headlines the rotation and Vincenzo Patrarca led the circuit in home runs, but the general consensus was that the Buzz played above their heads all season. They were picked to finish just 66-66 in the preseason. There's something to be said for outperforming expectations, though, so we'll see if they can carry that over to the top league.

Munich replaces Berlin in an intra-German swap in the EPL West. Third baseman Martin Danov is a genuine superstar and should have no issues translating his game at a higher level. He can do it all and should be one of the best player in the EPL from Day 1. Next to him in the infield is Severiano Salas, who missed the end of the season with a back injury but will be ready to go by April. In the rotation, German Bernd Ruchendorf and Adir Pina both have top-tier stuff. The Hops are primed to find more success than Berlin did last season.

North American League

The Calgary Caracals took home to NASL crown, and now they'll add another dose of Canada to the upper league. Third baseman Sawyer Hart is going to be a potent bat even with the step up in competition. He hit .333/.420/.588, leading the league in OBP and SLG. 19 year-old 1B Scott Walshhttps://i.imgur.com/Fhf9Fmd.png will provide some backup in the lineup, as the top prospect got the call up at the very end of the season. Starting pitcher Kaleb Ray was recognized as the league's best and gives them a bona fide ace, but the rest of the pitching staff could use upgrades. The Caracals are the smart pick of any of the eight promoted teams to have the most success, at least early on.

The Washington Eagles were a team whose whole was more than the sum of its parts. Center fielder David Howerton is an incredible athlete, dazzling in the field and knocking 32 home runs. The rest of the roster doesn't catch your eye, but they obviously played well enough to earn their way up. They may need to active in free agency in order to make their stay a long one.

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November 1, 1960

Breaking: WBA Nullifies Sicard's .400; Releases Offseason Calendar

World Baseball Alliance central offices today announced that Louis Sicard's .406 batting average will not be recognized as an official Alliance record. In a statement, they indicated that in order to be eligible for a rate stat record, such as average, OBP, SLG, etc a player must have played in at least 75% of his team's games. Sicard played in just 90 for the Prague Raptors. The pitching qualification standard -- at least 1 IP per team game -- remains in place.

Additionally, the Alliance released the offseason calendar:

November 5th: Interleague trading period opens
November 9th: WBA Dream Team announced
November 10th: WBA Most Outstanding Pitcher Award announced
November 11th: WBA Most Valuable Player Award announced
November 13th: Salary arbitration hearings
November 15th: Free agency begins
December 14th: Winter meetings begin
December 17th: Winter meetings end
March 1st, 1961: Interleague trading period ends

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World Baseball Alliance Record Book

Batting Leaders

(Header and formatting will be updated at some point)

Plate Appearances
639
Rajam Raman - Busan Mocs - AL - 1960

At Bats
596
Gerd Celer - Madrid Kings - EPL - 1960

Hits
218
Brantley Cranston - Miami Sun Dogs - NAL - 1960

Doubles
51
Jacob Yoachum - Toronto Giants - NAL - 1960
Bernard Renzi - Seattle Bluejackets - NAL - 1960

Triples
13
J.C. Garcia - Panama City Seabees - CL - 1960
Andrea Villareal - Willemstad Wings - CL - 1960

Home Runs
36
Johnnie Cho - New Delhi Monarchs - AL - 1960

Runs Batted In
124
Jacob Yoachum - Toronto Giants - NAL - 1960

Runs Scored
128
Jacob Yoachum - Toronto Giants - NAL - 1960

Walks
107
Noah Edenfield - Phoenix Devils - NAL - 1960

Batting Average
.376
Brantley Cranston - Miami Sun Dogs - NAL - 1960

On-Base Percentage
.442
Maximo Loazia - Kingston Cockatoos - CL - 1960

Slugging Percentage
.625
Jacob Yoachum - Toronto Giants - NAL - 1960

OPS
1.061
Jacob Yoachum - Toronto Giants - NAL - 1960

OPS+
176
Jacob Yoachum - Toronto Giants - NAL - 1960

Stolen Bases
30
Salvador Acquiel - Caracas Rangers - CL - 1960

WAR
7.6
Jacob Yoachum - Toronto Giants - NAL - 1960


Pitching Leaders
Games Started
31
(Multi-way tie)

Innings Pitched
246.0
Soo-Keun Bae - Beijing Maulers - AL - 1960

Wins
23
Shinji Yamasaki - New Delhi Monarchs - AL - 1960

Winning Percentage
.864
Josh Sarre - Kansas City Wheat Kings - NAL - 1960

Earned Run Average
2.51
Shinji Yamasaki - New Delhi Monarchs - AL - 1960

ERA+
183
Shinji Yamasaki - New Delhi Monarchs - AL - 1960

WHIP
1.04
Leonard Cruz - Barranquilla Warhawks - CL - 1960
Jamison Rand - Phoenix Devils - NAL - 1960

Opponent Batting Average
.213
Shinji Yamasaki - New Delhi Monarchs - AL - 1960

Fielding Independent Pitching
2.80
Leonard Cruz - Barranquilla Warhawks - CL - 1960

Strikeouts
246
Gene Viveros - Willemstad Wings - CL - 1960

Strikeouts Per 9 Innings
10.2
Gene Viveros - Willemstad Wings - CL - 1960

Walks Per 9 Innings
1.1
Bram Roos - Warsaw Trappers - EPL - 1960
Leonard Cruz - Barranquilla Warhawks - CL - 1960

Strikeout/Walk Ratio
8.5
Leonard Cruz - Barranquilla Warhawks - CL - 1960

Saves
42
Fyodor Pavlishin - Kiev Comets - EPL - 1960

WAR
8.4
Soo-Keun Bae - Beijing Maulers - AL - 1960


Team Leaders
Wins
93
Kiev Comets - EPL - 1960

Losses
93
Seoul Wyverns - AL - 1960

Runs Scored
809
Kansas City Wheat Kings - NAL - 1960

Runs Allowed (Fewest)
488
Mumbai Vipers - AL - 1960

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November 9, 1960

World Baseball Alliance Dream Team - 1960

The World Baseball Alliance Dream Team is selected each year in November to recognize the top players in the world. The best player at each position, plus three starting pitchers, are awarded the honor. There is no set formula in place, though leading your position in WAR is a good start. Here is this year's version:


Click for an even larger version

SP: Leonard Cruz, Barranquilla Warhawks
SP: Taki Arakawa, Mumbai Vipers
SP: Soo-Keun Bae, Beijing Maulers
C: Nicholas Pascal, Caracas Rangers
1B: Freyr Hellmann, Kiev Comets
2B: Matadór Puzo, Barranquilla Warhawks
SS: Jay Givens, Boston Bombers
3B: Mel Martin, Kiev Comets
LF: Josh Dillow, Kansas City Wheat Kings
CF: Jacob Yoachum, Toronto Giants
RF: Mathew Alkire, Yokohama Lynx

[Imperialism32]

November 10, 1960

WBA Names Top Pitcher

[Imperialism32]

November 11, 1960

WBA Announces MVP

[Imperialism32]

November 15, 1960

Free Agency Preview - Position Players

2B Roland Valentin

Valentin was one of the top hitters in the Caribbean Silver League, slashing .331/.416/.516 for Port of Spain. He's not a very gifted defensive infielder but he should be a sought-after target for his well-rounded bat. He hits for average and power and also draws walks, and has the speed to swipe a few bases (though he only stole 8 last season).

Louis Sicard

Louis Sicard was the ultimate surprise last season, starting out the season in the minor leagues and finishing it by hitting .406 in 90 games for the Prague Raptors. His bat isn't that good and he's more like a .330 with only gap power and poor on-base skills, but he's a Gold Glove-caliber corner outfielder. He might wind up being overpaid because of the shiny batting average, but he'll provide value even when that regresses.

Noam Abdelouahed

He had an option year with the Stockholm Bears but opted to become a free agent where he should garner the most expensive contract. He hit .332/.389/.505 in the European Premier League with 34 doubles, 11 triples, and 12 home runs. He's the best pure hitter on the market, and while some teams may prefer Valentin overall because of his slightly better power and eye, Abdelouahed has proven he can hit at the highest level, not just the Silver League. He's nothing special at second base defensively, but that's the only mark against him.

Grayson Hommel

Hommel led the North American Silver League in hits, stole 21 bases, and is considered a very very good defender in center field. That combination will net him a healthy payday even as he lacks in other areas: he doesn't hit for much power or draw many walks. Still, a likely .300 hitter with plus defense in center field should be quite appealing to many teams.

Gaspar Velazquez

Velazquez doesn't do the big things, but he excels at the little things. He won't hit for a super high average, slug home runs, or flash the leather at third base, but he has an excellent eye and once he's on base he's a terror, as last season's 36 steals in the Caribbean Silver League show. He's also considered to be a terrific teammate and great influence in the clubhouse.

Jin-Hyun Cho

Cho was traded in June to the Daegu Demons of the Australasian Silver League where he truly hit his stride. He doesn't have one special tool, but does everything well except run. He's not going to be able to carry an offense, but as a complimentary piece he'll slot in nicely.

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November 15, 1960

Free Agency Preview - Pitchers

Kunyang Zhang

Zhang nearly single-handedly dragged the Shanghai Pandas rotation into the playoffs with 16 wins and a nearly 4-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He's on the wrong side of 30 and his slip may be slipping a bit, but he should be more than serviceable for a few seasons, at least. This seems like a natural point in his career to settle in as a team's #2 starter rather than an ace.

Jerry Rasiak

Rasiak was one of the top pitchers in the European Silver League and at 26 years old he's the best long-term investment of the top available starters. He's a true sinkerballer, throwing a sinker, slider, and forkball to entice groundball after groundball. The one knock on him is his stature (5'9" 175 lbs) and stamina, but he did top 200 innings for Brussels last season.

Rick Everton

Everton will turn 38 during the 1961 season, so he's not exactly a long-term fix. But for any team needing to fill out their rotation with a solid veteran piece, Everton should have something left in the tank. He won 15 games for Perth and tallied 6.3 WAR. A repeat of that is unlikely, but as an innings-eating third or fourth starter he'll be solid.

Arnaud Boyer

Like Rasiak, Boyer was a star in the European Silver League. He pitched 15 strong innings for Team France in the World Baseball Championship in March and followed it up with a 5-WAR season, mainly on the strength of his solid control. He has decent stuff so his K/9 of 5.9 was a bit of a disappointment, and at 32 years old it's fair to wonder if that can tick back up. But that aside he would slot in nicely as a #2 or #3 starter in an upper-tier league.

Lucas Valenzuela

The diminutive righty was the Madrid Kings' best pitcher in the European Premier League. He throws five pitches, though the curveball and slider are more for show than actual effectiveness. Even at 35 years old he's still a flamethrower, touching 100 MPH. Madrid was a good team (they went 70-62) with Valenzuela a part of a three-headed rotation monster and he's plenty good enough to help a team make the playoffs.

Javy Palladino

Palladino didn't lead his Caribbean Silver League division in any category -- except WAR. He is solid but unspectatuclar across the board and would be a nice addition as a back-end rotation piece for an upper-tier squad.

[Imperialism32]

November 21, 1960

Head-Scratcher: Willemstad Trades #1 Draft Pick

Eyebrows were raised around the World Baseball Alliance when the Willemstad Wings of the Caribbean League completed a trade with the Cincinnati Spartans of the North American Silver League. The Wings are dealing Anatoly Fernández, whom they drafted 1st overall this past July, along with a minor league third baseman for starting pitcher Simon Farley. The move was widely panned as critics pointed to Farley's age (32), his ERA (5.24), and the fact that he's a free agent after the 1961 season. Time will tell if the Wings decision is vindicated, but Cincinnati seems to have made out well here.

There have been several interleague trades since the restrictions were lifted for the offseason, though none have been of particularly large import yet.

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November 25, 1960

Belgrade Makes Splash With Bour

The Belgrade Buzz are getting ready to play their first season in the European Premier League after earning their promotion from the Silver League, and they're clearly trying to give themselves a chance to stick. They announced today the signing of starting pitcher Mathieu Bour. He pitched in the EPL for Athens last season and was quite effective, racking up 4.6 WAR while posting a 14-9 record. He'll be 36 years old when the season begins, but the Buzz could surely use his veteran presence. We noted in our preview that Belgrade was one of the weaker teams to earn promotion, but if they're able to flex their financial muscle and hand out contracts like this then they may stick around after. Bour signed for 3 years, earning 17,000,000 each season. He is able to opt out if Belgrade is relegated, though the Buzz are guaranteed at least two seasons in the upper league.

[Imperialism32]

December 14, 1960

Tasch Ready For 'Something Different' In Australia

K.J. Tasch is as Texan as you can be. The laid-back righthander was born in Garland, about 20 miles outside of Dallas. Since turning baseball into a career back when he was 19, he's played exclusively in Texas-area professional leagues, and when the city of Dallas was awarded a franchise in the Silver League, it didn't much convincing to get Tasch to sign on as the headline player.

"Even though it wasn't the top league, I wanted to represent for Texas," he said. "That was important to me, to be in Texas for this new league."

But the season was rather dismal one in Dallas, with the Bulls finishing in last place at 56-76. Tasch, who was under contract through 1962, met with team officials after the season and discussed the possibility of a trade.

"It had to be the right situation," Tasch said. "In my mind that was Houston or Kansas City, but then they came back a few days ago and asked me, 'What do you think about Australia?'"

"Right away I was like, aw, naw, not for me, but it sat in my head and I talked about it with my family and we decided, you know what, this is a crazy opportunity to pass up. After last season, I'm ready for something different."

And so Tasch, rather than playing 20 miles away from his hometown, will be playing 9,000 miles away, for the Canberra Rattlers of the Australasian League. The 35 year-old Tasch was one of the top pitchers in the North American Silver League in 1960, striking out 237 hitters and posting 7.0 WAR. He'll have a shot to prove himself on the biggest tier the sport can offer, anchoring the Canberra rotation.

The Rattlers finished 71-61 last season, contesting the division for much of the year before fading badly late. They dealt a bevy of prospects to Dallas in order to acquire Tasch, headlined by shortstop Jong-Soo Kwan.

When asked what he's most looking forward to in the Australasian League, Tasch gave the most Texan answer possible: "I hear they make good steak in Japan."

[StLee]

Perhaps Jong-soo Kwan should introduce Tasch to Korean barbecue. Nom nom nom!

[Imperialism32]

If anyone is interested, I've uploaded the complete 1960 almanac here (it's named almanac_1961 because I created it on January 1 instead of December 31, oops): https://easyupload.io/5mcth2

The link will expire in 15 days, so keep that in mind. If you're reading this past 15 days and want a copy, post here or PM me.

Be warned that it's a very large file (1.24 GB zipped, 5.27 GB unzipped)

[Imperialism32]

Originally Posted by StLee

Perhaps Jong-soo Kwan should introduce Tasch to Korean barbecue. Nom nom nom!

I still remember my first trip to a Korean barbecue restaurant. A truly magical experience.

[Imperialism32]

March 1, 1961

Which Teams Had The Best Offseason

While there are still a handful of decent free agents available, the obvious difference-makers have all signed. And since today marks the end of the interleague trading window, we can take a pretty accurate look at which teams did the most to help themselves this offseason. Keep in mind that the WAR numbers are the raw number and counts tier B leagues (the Silver Leagues) the same as the major leagues.

San Francisco Prospectors: +17.9 WAR

The Prospectors finished a middling 64-68 last season, 13 games out of first place. But they've gone all-in this offseason. They lost a few players to free agency but none were of big consequence. They made their first big splash in December by signing starting pitcher Arnaud Boyer, who led his European Silver League division in WAR last season. He's not a true ace, but he'll slot nicely into a rotation led by Nolan Bailey and featuring two promising 23 year-olds (Simon Duke and Jaxon Felix). They also invested heavily in their bullpen, completely making over last year's version. Former Havana Lightning closer Constantino Cordero will now try to shut the door in San Francisco.

Offensively they had been quiet until a last-minute trade for second baseman Archie Mills of the Australasian Silver League. Mills was a superstar for the Chennai Steam last season, hitting .398 and stealing 23 bases. He brings his elite contact skills to a lineup that boasts of the top young players in Andrey Burwell, who hit .352/.396/.491 while playing Gold Glove-caliber defense in center field. Their lineup is still light on power, but Mills and Burwell are two of the best pure hitters in the game. Combined with their overhauled pitching, they should compete for a playoff spot.

Vancouver Bruins: +11.9 WAR

If the Prospectors want the NAL West crown, they'll have to come and take it. The Bruins tied with Kansas City for the title last season, officially winning it in a Game 133, and there's little reason to think they won't be back. Like San Francisco, they added a key starter and second baseman. Jerzy Rasiak was considered one of the top SPs available coming off a very strong season for Brussels in the European Silver League. He's stepping up in competition, but the Bruins don't need him to front their rotation since they have ace knuckleballer Matthew Clock. On offense they added Koji Aoi, who hit .315/.366/.499 in the Australasian Silver League. He's not as flashy an addition as Mills, but he's a solid role player.

Copenhagen Condors: +5.5 WAR

The Condors finished next-to-last in their division at 60-72, so there was some urgency to improve and not be in a tight race for relegation this season. They made two medium splashes in free agency, inking shortstop Arturo Vinas and starting pitcher Viktor Malmsteen. Neither is a franchise-changing player but they help to increase the talent level on the roster. They were also active in the trade market, dealing veterans for young players and prospects. While Copenhagen won't challenge for a playoff spot this year, they've at least set themselves up better for future to avoid relegation in the short term and climb the standings in the long term.

Santo Domingo Panthers: +7.0 WAR

Like Copenhagen, this is a team that needed to improve after narrowly avoiding relegation last season. Their gains were modest, with no one player set to make a huge difference. Third baseman Geraldo Betancourt is the closest thing, coming off a 30 home run season for the Caracas Rangers, who advanced to the World Series. But when you're as down and out as the Panthers were last season, shedding below-average players for average ones is a step in the right direction.

Beijing Maulers: +4.9 WAR

The Australasian League had the quietest offseason of the four major leagues, but Beijing made a splash by signing starting pitcher Kunyang Zhang, who won 16 games for rival Shanghai last season. He adds to a talented rotation that features the pitcher by WAR last season, Soo-Keun Bae plus some other quality pitchers. They also traded for first baseman Ryne Howells to add some power to their lineup. Their pitching underperformed last season relative to their skill, but with a bounceback there plus these additions the Maulers should compete for a playoff spot.

[Imperialism32]

March 1, 1961

World Baseball Championship Pools Announced

The second annual World Baseball Championship will get underway on March 6, 1961. This year's edition will take place in Amsterdam in The Netherlands. Last year's was a thriller, with the Dominican Republic taking down host South Korea in the finals, so there's a high bar to clear this year. Pool play is a round-robin format with the top two countries advancing from each pool.

Pool A features the host country as they try to advance for the first time. Last year they went a respectable 5-2 but lost out to the United States and the surprise German team. The WBC will mark the return of Olivier Roosmalen, who is fully recovered from the broken kneecap that ended his 1960 season after 39 games. The other favorite in this group would be Puerto Rico, who won their pool at 6-1 last year but was eliminated in the first round of the knockout stage.

Panama (4-3), Italy (3-4), India (3-4), and Sweden (3-4) all shared a group with Puerto Rico last season and will try to break through. Australia finished a very disapponting 1-6 in their pool last season and are trying to rebound. And while the World Baseball Alliance championship trophy now resides in the Ukraine thanks to the Kiev Comets, it's not likely their national team will make much noise. They also went 1-6 in the group stage a year ago.

In Pool B we have the underdogs of last season's event: The German team went 6-1 in their pool play and managed to advance out of the knockout stage into the final four where they were finally defeated by the eventual champs. They have one of the top up-and-coming players in the world in Geoffrey Mohr, who played in only 3 games last year but will be their premier player this time around. They made a statement in their first game ever with a win over the United States, and they'll share a pool again. The US is looking to bounce back from a knockout stage exit that came partially at the hands of Venezuela, who, like Germany, advanced to the final four last season following a 6-1 group record.

England (4-3 last year), Greece (2-5), Nicaragua (2-5), Canada (2-5), and New Zealand (1-6) round out the group and will try to be this year's Germany, but the US and Venezuela are the heavy favorites to advance.

Over in Pool C we have last year's host and runners-up, the South Koreans. They'll be the big favorites in this pool, led by their ace Soo-Keun Bae, who was simply outstanding in this event last year. The Russian team were another of last year's big surprises, beating out the Japanese team to advance from their pool along with Venezuela. They'll try to make their way back, but they'll have to deal with Matsuo Nakano of Japan again, who hit .409/.481/1.227 in last year's event.

Poland (4-3 last time), Spain (3-4), Curacao (3-4), Mexico (2-5), and Portugal (1-6) will try to infiltrate the Australsian triumverate at the top and make their way into the next round.

And lastly, Pool D features the defending champs, the Dominican Republic. They'll be a favorite again this season thanks to their middle infield duo of last year's hero Maximo Loaiza and Jay Reyes. It was actually China who won the pool last year, posting a 6-1 record to the Dominican Republic's 5-2. China failed to win a game in the next round, but they're hungry to get back. The early elimination for Team Cuba was a disappointment so they're sure to come in with some extra fire.

France (4-3) leads the remaining challengers, and we'll see if they or Taiwan (3-4), the Czech Republic (3-4), Belgium (2-5), and Colombia (2-5) can become this year's upstart underdog.

[Imperialism32]

One year ago, the entire baseball world seemed to be in Oliver Roosmalen's hands. He had just arrived in Seoul, South Korea for the first World Baseball Championship and was the very first player to be quoted. Optimism ruled the day. You could hear it in his voice, the excitement of the event and the season to come.

What a difference a year makes.

Roosmalen is home now, and it feels like the first thing that's gone right in a long time. This year's WBC is taking place in his native country, the Netherlands. Games will be played in Amsterdam, which is about ninety minutes north of his hometown of Roosendaal, near the Belgian border. After a tumultuous 1960 season, he relishes the opportunity to thrill his home fans.

"Last year was just..." his voice trails off, like he still can't put it into words. Not words he wants re-printed, anyway. "It was bad, the worst of my life."

Despite Roosmalen's 1.044 OPS, his Netherlands team was eliminated in the group stage of the WBC, finishing a game behind the United States and Germany. When the regular season started, his first series was against the Amsterdam Valley Foxes, in the very same stadium this year's WBC will be played. He went 0-4 and his Berlin Knights lost.

Things got better, at least for a month and a half. He had found his groove at the plate and entered May 29th batting .404/.439/.627, each of those numbers a season high. He'd collected three hits apiece in his previous two games to push his batting average over .400, and his team had won four of their last five games to pull to 19-20. That was only good for 6th place, but they were within sight of the rest of the pack.

"I was feeling good," he recalled. "I was seeing the ball really well and we were starting to come together as a team, so I figured we'd keep that up into June."

Then, disaster.

Roosmalen was covering second base on a seemingly-routine double play. But he had to bend to a knee to receive the low throw right at the same time that the runner was sliding in hard to break it up. He fell to the ground clutching his knee and had to be helped off the field, unable to put any weight on it.

"I think I knew right away it was bad, but I didn't want to believe it," he said of the moment. "I wanted to think I'd give it a week or two and be back but coming off the field I kind of knew deep down that was it."

Three days later, following a bevy of medical tests and x-rays, the news was confirmed: a broken kneecap with no possibility of returning to the field that season. He'd collected one hit in three trips to the plate before the injury occurred, setting his batting average to .402, where it was doomed to remain. The same day the diagnosis was confirmed, he was named Player of the Month for May.

"One of my goals was to hit .400 this season," Roosmalen said on June 1 when he met with reporters. "I guess this is a lesson to be careful what you wish for."

The bottom dropped out almost immediately for the Berlin Knights without their best player. They lost the game he got injured in. Then they lost again, and again, and again. They were one game under .500 when he broke his kneecap. The finished 32 games under .500, at 50-82. Roosmalen could do nothing but watch as his team slid down the standings, into last place, falling further and further behind, finally sealing their fate: relegated to the Silver League.

"It was all just..." he trails off again, the right words escaping him. What do you say when you're doomed to baseball purgatory, kicked down a level when you quite literally couldn't do anything to stop it? He lets out a deep breath and tries to recapture the optimism of last March. "Well, it's a new year, right?" It's not convincing.

If there's one consolation to the Knights being relegated, it's that he's now slated to be a free agent after this coming season. World Baseball Alliance rules stipulate that players in the upper leagues become free agents with six years of service. But because they want talent to funnel into the upper leagues more quickly, Silver League players become free agents after five seasons worth of service. Roosmalen will hit that mark this year.

While he hasn't issued any statements on his situation, it's no secret he's ready to move on from Berlin. There were reports he requested a trade, though his agent has downplayed those. The Knights, of course, had little desire to offer him up. He's their ticket back into the European Premier League. Trading him away would've likely meant an extended stay in the Silver League.

So Roosmalen will suit up for the Knights again this season. His interests and the team's may not align, but everyone is rowing in the same direction. Roosmalen wants to post the best possible numbers as he enters the free agency market. Berlin wants their shortstop to perform the best he can so they have a chance at being promoted back up to the EPL. At the end, they'll go their separate ways. (In another rule intended to funnel talent upwards, Silver League teams cannot offer contract extensions. So even if Roosmalen was interested, it couldn't happen)

For now, he's simply happy to be back on the diamond, working out with his Dutch teammates as they prepare for pool play. It's been a long road of rest, rehab, and recovery.

"It's fantastic to be back out there," he said. "And I get to play in my home country, with all my friends and family there, which is incredible."

He says it with a wide smile, and this time the optimism seems genuine.

One scout who got a look at the team's practices thinks he's as good as ever.

"He hasn't missed a beat," the scout said. "At the plate, everything was a frozen rope, great contact. He's maybe only going 90% in the field but all the movements look fluid. Only problem I can see is him being too aggressive, trying to make up for the lost months."

After the year Olivier Roosmalen has gone through, having only one problem must feel pretty good.

[Imperialism32]

March 1, 1961

Free Agency Review

Meant to post this before getting into full WBC mode... Oops! Here's the recap of where the top 12 free agents landed. If you missed it, I previewed them here and here.

In something of a surprise, four of the six batters previewed ended up signing with Silver League teams. Clearly the lower levels wanted to make a splash and do their best to earn promotion. The two who signed with upper-tier teams are both in the European Premier League. Noam Abdelouahed had opted out of his contract with the Stockholm Bears, but it's unclear whether he actually wanted to test free agency or simply negotiate a better deal as he re-signed with Stockholm on a six-year deal worth 144,800,000, though Abdelouahed can opt out again after the 1964 season. Louis Sicard signed with the Rome Regiment, inking a six-year deal worth 96,000,000 with two options. He can opt out after the 1963 season, and the final year is a player option.

Roland Valentin opted to stay in the Caribbean Silver League, hopping from Port of Spain to the Tegucigulpa Tanagers on a five-year deal worth 61,700,000 with no opt-outs. Gaspar Velazquez also chose to remain in the CSL, signing a four-year, 47,200,000 contract with the Nassau Nightwings. The Nightwings certainly have the talent to earn a promotion, so we could still see him in the upper league. Grayson Hommel went from one NASL team to another, signing with the Ottawa Capitals for four years and 34,800,000, though he can opt out after the 1962 season. And Jin-Hyun Cho signed with the just-relegated Brisbane Blackbirds for six years and 50,400,000 as he'll try to bring them back to the Australasian League.

Three of the pitchers we previewed all wound up in the same division, the North American League West. Jerzy Rasiak signed on with the Vancouver Bruins, a five-year, 84,000,000 deal with a player option in the final year. Arnaud Boyer was part of the San Francisco Prospector's big offseason, signing for four years and 46,800,000, also with an option in the final season. And Lucas Valenzuela took the Chicago Crusaders up on their three-year, 52,500,000 offer. He can opt out if the team is relegated.

Elsewhere, Kunyang Zhang signed a big contract with the Beijing Maulers, a five year deal worth 123,000,000 and with an opt-out after the 1962 season. And Rick Everton is staying in the Australasian League as well, signing on with the Hong Kong Claws for three yearsand 25,700,000. Javy Palladino decided to stay in the Silver League ranks, signing a six-year, 70,600,000 contract with the San Pedro de Macoris Geese.