World Baseball League: Following the Sheffield Mountain Hares

[dinosauryoshi]

Sheffield Mountain Hares' best/worst performers at the 31 game mark

Batting



Koehler leads the batting WAR table. As you’d expect, some of this is for his excellent defensive catching, but he’s also been a force on offense this season, with a superb average of .337, 14 RBIs (behind only Rutz and Muraguri). There have been calls for Reynolds to give Mitch Cooper more reps at the position though, and it’s easy to see why, in only 9 starts he has looked very good, notching up one by far the highest OPS (small sample size of course). Few would argue who the better defender is however, and for as long as Koehler keeps delivering offensively too, it’s hard to see Cooper being the no 1 guy. Sergio Rutz is probably the pure offensive leader, leading the team in home runs with 6, and joint first in RBIs with Muraguri. Rob Graham and bin Jameel have been the biggest disappointments so far, the former having been sent down to the minors again to work on his ailing swing.

Pitching





It’s very hard to pick a leader in the team’s pitcher of the year race, as 4 of 5 starters have a WAR of either 0.4 or 0.5 at this early stage of the season. New acquisition Isaac Saville leads the team in Ks with 34, and has been generally impressive, with the odd dud of a performance. Herzog leads the starters in FIP, while Motoyanagi is last in that stat, likely contributing to his below par 0.1 WAR.

Fielding





Jesus Morales, Jason Portman and Rob Graham lead the team in ZR, while bin Jameel and McBurrows have been the most underwhelming when fielding, according to the same stat.

[dinosauryoshi]

Sheffield Mountain Hares at Zurich Mountaineers (9th to 11th May, 2059)




Game 1

SP: Yushua bin Saqr

Sheffield got off to a good start in a 4-2 win in Zurich, as McBurrows racked up 3 RBI, most notable being his 5th homer of the season. With Sheffield leading 1-0 in the top of the third, McBurrows hit a slider from Jesse Raynor for a 2-run home run - as he went 2 for 3 for the game. Yushua bin Saqr went 6.1 innings giving up two runs in a solid start.

Player of the game: Jeff McBurrows



Game 2

SP: Giobbe Marinello

Travelling Hares fans were treated to an offensive masterpiece as their side overpowered the Mountaineers 10-5. Marinello went 6 innings giving up only 4 hits and 1 run. Offensively Rutz led the team in RBIs with 4, including a towering 3-run homer in the top of the seventh, while McBurrows had another good outing, going 3 for 4. The Moutaineers racked up a couple of homers too, but its hard to wn games when you give up 10 runs. The win takes the Hares to 18-15, and 9th in the division.

Player of the game: Giobe Marinello




Game 3

SP: Alois Herzog

The Zurich Mountaineers did just enough to nip the Sheffield Mountain Hares, 3-2, in 11 innings. Zurich pitcher Blair Holder, in particular, had a standout performance as the Mountaineers won only their 9th game of the season. Indian right fielder Bhadrasa Emankumar, who hit a homer in game 2 of the series, came up clutch in the bottom of the 11th, when he delivered a run-scoring single to win the game for the Mountaineers. Hares pitchers were on fire, as Herzog opened the game with 5.1 innings of shutout baseball, but the offense provided no support, struggling to get runs despite a healthy 11 hits in the games.

Player of the game: Blair Holder

Sheffield record: 19-16

[Sevster]

Originally Posted by dinosauryoshi

The Hares are off to Rome's magnificent Testudo stadium, Rome sit a couple of wins ahead of us in the standings, and so we're in for a bit of a battle... (get it?).


SMH logo by @20_range, RL logo by @low

Game 1

SP - Alois Herzog

Alois Herzog put on a good show, allowing no runs in 7.1 innings, but the Hares offence spluttered, hitting only 1 run in nine innings. This still looked like it might be enough until a Matt Lent double to right-field drove in Nate Underhill in the bottom of the ninth, taking the game to extra innings. The decisive blow was delivered by American Rob Smith at the bottom of the 11th when he hot a bases clearing double off 37 year old Guatemalan Jonathan Baca to win the game for Rome, sending the stadium into raptures.

Player of the game: Alois Herzog



Game 2

SP - Yushua bin Saqr

The Hares fell to their third consecutive defeat, losing 4-2. Once again, it was the offence mainly to blame, as bin Saqr went a strong seven innings, giving up all of the Legion’s runs. The Hares batters only hit for two, coming from bin Jameel and Saetgaliev while Jen-kan Sha’s two-run homer for the Legion was the offensive highlight of the game.

Player of the game: Yushua bin Saqr



Game 3

SP - Giobbe Marinello

Well, the offense finally got something done, but guess what? You got it, the pitching was lacklustre as the Hares fell to their fourth straight defeat, completing a sweep by the Rome Legion. Marinello had a disastorous start, giving up eight runs all in the second inning after the Hares had taken a 4-0 lead in the first inning. Marinello was taken off, and the rest of the pitchers did right the ship somewhat, but stil lgave up a further 6 runs, leading to an eye-watering 14-7 score. Koehler and Castro hit home-runs for the Hares, but it wasn’t enough to touch the onslaught that a hungry Rome offense was dishing out.

Player of the game: Jon Sabido (Rome Legion)



This leaves us at a disappointing 18-21, while Rome end the series at .500. Next up we’re off to Hungary to take on Bucharest Sounds, a team very much in playoff contention.

Is it budapest or Bucharest? Bucharest is in Romania, just saying...

Also, getting swept by the Legion really hurts, ouch...

[dinosauryoshi]

Originally Posted by Sevster

Is it budapest or Bucharest? Bucharest is in Romania, just saying...

Also, getting swept by the Legion really hurts, ouch...

It is Bucharest - so my bad on saying it's in Hungary, which of course it isn't!! I hope I haven't made this error too much, will change...

Thanks for spotting

[dinosauryoshi]

Quick note from me: I'm still very much carrying on with this league and 'blog', but our second baby arrived a few days ago and so time is at a bit of a premium, and so you can expect the amount of posts to slow down significantly for a while!

[dinosauryoshi]

Sheffield Mountain Hares at Patna Roosters (12th to 14th May, 2059)



Team Profile: Patna Roosters
Banners: None
Playoff appearances: None
Last season: 17th
Current record: 16-18

The roosters have struggled since their addition to the WBL in 2055, the same year the Hares joined, with a lowly 13th place in their division being their best placing so far. They’re struggling again at the start of this season.

https://i.postimg.cc/Zq9FvxhF/Screen...t-22-38-20.png

Game 1

SP: Mototomo Motoyanagi

Sheffield Mountain Hares pitcher Mototomi Motoyanagi was in top form, leading his team past the Patna Roosters, 5-1 while giving up no runs and only 2 hits over 7 innings.

Motoyanagi, the winner, is now 2-2, after putting the clamps on the Patna offense. In 7 innings of work, he gave up no runs on 2 hits, while collecting 9 Ks. He also racked up 9 striekouts in one of the strongest Hares pitching performances of the season. It was Irya Muraguri’s grand slam homer in the 5th that more or less single-handedly tied it up for the Hares. The home run ties him with McBurrows for the team’s home run lead.

Player of the game: Mototomo Motoyanagi



Game 2

SP: Isaac Saville

The Sheffield Mountain Hares dealt the Patna Roosters another 5-1 loss, with Adam Koehler the star on offense. He belted 2 home runs, while adding 3 RBIs and scoring twice.

With Sheffield trailing 1-0 in the top of the fourth, Koehler hit a curveball from Reinhard Martin for a 2-run home run. It was his 5th home run of the season and put the Mountain Hares ahead, 2-1. His next home-run came in the 6th, a solo home run that pulled the Hares further ahead. Isaac Saville put in a strong start, going 6 innings while giving up only 1 run and 5 hits before the bullpen took over and shut out the Roosters for the final innings.

Player of the game: Adam Koehler



Game 3

SP: Yushua bin Saqr

In another great performance, the Hares took care of the Roosters 6-1, this time led by an unstoppable bin Saqr start. Yushua bin Saqr went 7 innings, allowing only 1 hit as he perplexed the Rooster lineup again and again, notching up 9 strokeouts in the process. Offensively Adam Koehler hit the only home run for the Hares, as he went 3 for 4 and 3 RBIs but 24 year old Sadafami Fujita also helped with one of his best performances yet for the Hares, going 2 for 4 with 2 RBIs. The hares rise to 8th in the division with the win.

Player of the game: Yushua bin Saqr



Sheffield Mountain Hares record: 21-16 (8th)

[20_range]

One thing I love about your league is that you're so committed to being international that once in a while you come up with a city I've never heard of

[dinosauryoshi]

Originally Posted by 20_range

One thing I love about your league is that you're so committed to being international that once in a while you come up with a city I've never heard of

Thanks 20, that's the same for me! I like deciding where to put teams.
Generally base this on a combination of:
1. the most populated cities in a country (to give as many people as possible easy access to see them)
2. a decent distance between teams, both within countries if there are multiple, but also across countries if not.
3. or sometimes I go rogue and ignore the above because I like a particular place

1 and 2 often means I discover somewhere new, which is always a fun Wikipedia session

[dinosauryoshi]

Team Profile: New Orleans Jazz
Banners: World Series Champions (2040, 2042), North America - East Division Champions (2042, 2053, 2054)
Playoff appearances: 7
Last season: 14th
Current record: 18-19

The Jazz are one of the most storied franchises in the league, winning the very first WBL World Series in 2040, and a further title in 2042. They’ve struggled over the last few years however, and come into the game below .500.

Game 1

SP: Giobbe Marinello

Kolya Saetgaliev was the catalyst in an exciting 11-7 win for the Hares at Frenchmen Stadium, going 2-4 with a home run, a double and a walk, driving in 4 runs. Sadafumi Fujita and Werner Schilchegger hit homers too while Marinello gave up only 1 run in six innings, before the bullpen let things slip somewhat, though thankfully not enough to lose the game for the Hares. The win was the 4th in a row for Sheffield.



Game 2

SP: Adam Koehler

It was Adam Koehler’s turn to get the star role as he helped Sheffield win their 5th game in a row by going 2-4, including his 7th home run of the season as the Jazz lost 8-6. Alois Herzog didn’t inspire too much confidence, giving up 5 runs in his 6.1 innings - but the bullpen kept things steady to allow a solid offensive outing from Sheffield to be enough. Jason Portman continued what has been a surprisingly good offensive season for him so far, going 2-3 with 2 RBIs.

Player of the game: Adam Koehler



Game 3

SP: Hugo Duarte

The big news for game 3 was top Sheffield prospect Eskinder Ali finally making his debut, at 26 years old. The Central African two-way prodigy was drafted as the 4th pick in Sheffield’s expansion draft in 2055. He’s a more consistent offensive force than a pitcher, but has star potential in both. His opening performance was solid if unspectacular, as he went 1-4 with a walk at the plate. Unlike the previous games vs the Jazz, the Hares offense struggled to get much going (although Schilchegger and Koehler did hit homers), and lost 5-3. Jazz Zine Ramadhani had 4 RBIs, helping his team take one back in the series, but it was Fernando Castro’s triple off Hugo Duarte that gave the Jazz the all important lead in the bottom of the seventh. Hugo Duarte’s first start wasn’t the strongest, as he gave up 5 runs in 6.1 inning

Player of the game: Zine Ramadhani



Game 4

The Hares saved their most convincing win for the final game of the series, with a 9-1 win to take the 4-game series 3-1. Ilyas Muraguri went 3-4 with a home run and a double, with a ridiculous 7 RBIs, upping the Hares to 24-17, and 4th place in the division to the delight of the fans. He now leads the team with 28 RBIs. Isaac Saville continues his solid season since signing for the Hares, with another shutout, this time for 5.1 innings, while Su-min Kim capably took over, giving up only one run in his 3.1 innings.

Player of the game: Ilyas Muraguri



Sheffield Mountain Hares record: 24-17 (4th)

[dinosauryoshi]

London Gentlemen at Sheffield Mountain Hares (19th to 21st May, 2059)


Logos by @20_range

Team Profile: London Gentlemen
Banners: European Division Champions (2051)
Playoff appearances: 5
Last season: 11th
Current record: 24-22

The Gentlemen haven’t made the playoffs since 2051, and are looking at another mid-table finish this season.

Game 1

SP: Yushua bin Saqr

The Hares continued their great form with a close 8-7 victory at Kingfisher Park. Sergio Rutz led the charge, going 2 for 3 with a double and 2 walks, while adding 3 RBIs to his season total. Bin Saqr had a disastrous start, giving up 6 runs in 2.2 innings before being taken off, but a solid performance from the bullpen and offense saved his blushes. In the end, tt was Jesus Morales who won it for the Hares in extra innings, with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 10th, leading to pandemonium among the home fans.*


Player of the game: Sergio Rutz



Game 2

SP: Giobbe Marinello

The*London Gentlemen*picked up a win at Kingfisher Park, knocking off the*Sheffield Mountain Hares, 8-3. On the mound for London was left-hander*Hung-Cuong Duong, who*played a key role in the triumph, giving up just 1 walk in 6.1 innings, along with 3 runs. Marinello had a decent outing for the ares too, giving up the same amount of runs in 7 innings, the same amount that reliever Burhan gave up in just the 9th inning, as the Hares’ resistance collapsed. The Hares offense managed just 5 hits.

Player of the game: Hung-Cuong Dong



Game 3

SP: Eskinder Ali

Eskinder Ali’s first outing as a starting pitcher for the Hares took the headlines, particularly as he set the tone by shutting out the Gentlemen in his 5 innings, giving up only 1 hit while putting together 5 strikeouts. He looked entirely at home on the mound to the delight of Sheffield’s fans. He’s yet to get going offensively, and went 0 for 4 at the plate in this game, but that will surely only be a matter of time. Offensively, it was Sadafumi Fajita who got the plaudits, giving Sheffield a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the 5th with his only hit of the game, a towering home 2-run homer.

Player of the game: Eskinder Ali

[dinosauryoshi]

Sheffield Mountain Hares at Kyiv Terrapins (23rd to 25th May, 2059)



Logos: SMH by @20_range, KT by @low

Team Profile: Kyiv Terrapins
Banners: none
Playoff appearances: 3
Lat season: 13th
Current record: 17-26

One of the division’s least succesful teams, the Terrapins have yet to win a division title, and have only made the playoffs 3 times. With a slow start to the season, their hopes of improving on that are slim.

Game 1

SP: Alois Herzog

The Hares dominated game 1 of the series, 5-1, largely thanks to a sterling 5.2 inning opening from Alois Herzog, who gave up just 4 hits and 0 runs, dropping his season ERA to a very good 2.93. The game will be remembered for Eskinder Ali’s first home run for Sheffield though, a cannon of a shot which had the travelling Sheffield fans bouncing in the stands.

Player of the game: Alois Herzog




Game 2

SP: Isaac Saville

Saville has proven to be a very good summer singing so far, and he continued to impress with a 7 inning shut-out performance as he had Terrapin bats swinging wildly in frustration. Motoyanagi’s move to a reliever role (as part of Ali’s promotion) has been successful before now, but in this game he gave up two crucial runs, which he was lucky didn’t cost the Hares the game. Rutz’ 8th home run in the season, which made it 3-0 in the bottom of the 7th, proved to be the all-important insurance run.

Player of the game: Isaac Saville




Game 3

SP: Yushua bin Saqr

The Hares got yet another impressive pitching performance in game 3 of the series, this time from Bin Saqr who went 6 innings giving up only one run, but it wasn’t enough as Kyiv capitalised on a leaky Draghici, who gave up 4 runs in one inning, to win the game 5-2. The Hares offense struggled throughout, putting together just 6 hits.

Player of the game: Yushua bin Saqr

The win leaves Sheffield flying high in 4th place at 28-19.

[dinosauryoshi]

Sheffield Mountain Hares at Minsk Bison (26th to 28th May, 2059)


Logos by @20_range

Game 1

SP: Giobbe Marinello

Giobbe Marinello went deep for the Hares, pitching 7 innings and only giving up two runs, as his ERA for the season improved to 2.51. Werner Schilchegger hit a homer for the Hares, while Jesus Morales once again came through in the clutch, delivering a run-scoring walk in the bottom of the 9th, giving the Hares the win, 3-2.

Player of the game: Giobe Marinello



Game 2

SP: Eskinder Ali

In another close game, the Hares edged it 4-3, in no small part due to their star prospect Eskinder Ali, who pitched 4.2 innings, giving up justo ne run, but also hit a crucial 2-run single in the bottom of the eigth inning as part of a 3-run barrage from the Hares offense in the inning, which put the Hares 4-3 up. Minsk’s high caliber pitching prospect Juska Keinola will be particularly disappointed in the loss, having gone 7 innings without giving up a run.

Player of the game: Juska Keinola



Game 3

SP: Alois Herzog

The Hares lost the final game of the series 6-3 as the travelling Minsk fans left with a little something to cheer about. It was Minsk left fielder Alejandro Avalos who was the star of the show, going 2-4 with his 9th home run of the season and a double, driving in 3 for the winning side. The 32 year old Cuban even got a cheer from Sheffield fans, having ingraciated himself to the fan base by commenting that he ‘loved Henderson’s relish’ in a pre-match interview. Ali and Koehler both went 2 for 4 as the Hares struggled to ger runs on the board, with Koehler hitting his 9th home run of the season, a stat he leads the team in. Herzog went 5.1 innings giving up 2 runs in another solid performance.

Plater of the game: Alejandro Avalos

Sheffield remain in 4th, with a lovely round 30-20 record following the series.

[dinosauryoshi]

Sheffield Mountain Hares at Paris Black Cats (30th May to 1st June, 2059)


Logos by @20_range

Team Profile: Paris Black Cats
Banners: 3 Division Championships (2044, 2045, 2057)
Playoff appearances: 3
Last season: 7th
Current record: 28-22

Game 1

SP: Isaac Saville

The Hares pitching unit posted an impressive shutout as Sheffield dispatched the Blak Cats 6-0. Isaac Saville threw 5.1 innings to start the shutout, while Draghici and Kim completed it. Offensively, Sergio Rutz’ and Eskinder Ali’s home runs helped cement the win, their 9th and 2nd of the season respectively.

Player of the game: Isaac Saville



Game 2

SP: Yushua bin Saqr

It was the Black Cats’ turn to have a superb pitching outing in game 2 of the series. Manfred Koubec, who is tied for 4th in the EAA with 7 wins gave up only 4 hits and 1 run in 7 innings. A 2-run homer from Mike Fitzsimmons, his 10th of the season, kicked things off for the Black Cats, putting them up 2-0, as the Hares never threatened to make a comeback. There were no offensive performances of note for the Hares as they spluttered to 5 hits, and bin Saqr gave up 4 runs in 6 innings in a game Sheffield will be keen to forget as quickly as possible.

Player of the game: Manfred Koubec



Game 3

SP: Giobbe Marinello

Giobbe Marinello was a controversial choice for player of the game, giving up 3 runs in 6.1 innings in an average outing as Sheffield sailed to a 5-3 win in to take the series. Offensively Portman and Muraguri racked up a couple of RBIs each, and Portman, who went 2 for 3 seemed like the better choice.

Hares fans won’t much care though, they’re flying high in 3rd place at 32-21 as they continue to chase a playoff place, as well as their best season record since the club’s addition to the league.

Player of the game: Giobbe Marinello

[dinosauryoshi]

Nairobi Lilacs at Sheffield Mountain Hares (2nd to 4th June, 2059)



Team Profile: Nairobi Lilacs
Banners: none
Playoff appearances: 2
Last season: 7th in African Division
This season’s record: 29-24

The Lilacs are one of Africa’s less successful teams, with no divisional wins and only 2 playoff appearances in their history. They’ve made a good start to the 2059 season however.

Game 1

SP: Eskinder Ali

Eskinder Ali’s two-way days are already becoming essential viewing in Sheffield and further afield, and game 1 was another. Unfortuantely, despite a superb performance from Ali on the mound the Hares offense spluttered as they lost 1-0 at Kingfisher Park. Ali went 0-3 with a walk at the plate as he failed to light up the scoreboard as much as his 6.2 innings of superlative pitching did. In the end, it was a Risto Hanninen double that secured the win for Nairobi.

Player of the game: Eskinder Ali



Game 2

SP: Alois Herzog

Eskinder Ali and Abdul-Karim bin Jameel both slugged their third homers of the season as the Hares rebounded to a 6-2 in win in game 2. Alois Herzog continued what has been a superb season from the Hares on the mound, going 5.1 innings and giving up just one run, as he sits with an ERA of 2.86. The Hares are 4th in the entire EAA conference in terms of pitching ERA, largely led by their starters, who are 3rd (compared to the bullpen at 34th).

Player of the game: Alois Herzog



Game 3

SP: Isaac Saville

The Lilacs managed a 7-4 win at Kingfisher stadium. The Hares got a very efficient 3 runs from only 4 hits (including homers from Pudilla and Rutz), but gave up 13 hits, 7 of which were given up by Isaac Saville in 4.2 innings as he struggled with the Lilacs lineup. 30 year old Tanzanian starter Annan Hami was the player of the game, going 6 innings and giving up 3 runs, leaving the field as Nairobi had a commanding 4-1 lead.

Player of the game: Annan Hami

[dinosauryoshi]

World Baseball League Rookie Draft - 2059

Sheffield Mountain Hares Summary

It was a relatively unexciting draft for the Hares. 2059’s expansion teams got first dibs, and with us now limited to the European region for three rounds it was relatively slim pickings beyond the first round.

Sheffield snapped up Argentine/Spanish dual national catcher Federico Chapa in the first round with the 94th pick. He projects to have very good power, and decent contact hitting, and could certainly fill a starting role at the Hares if he reaches his potential. He’s some way off though and is unlikely to appear in the WBL for a few years.

18 year old French starting-pitcher Jean-Luc Redmond, who shows promising control, and 21 year old Polish all-round centre-fielder Gorzyslaw Kucza rounded out the Hares’ top 3. Neither are expected to be much more than bench players.

With their first pick that wasn’t region restricted, the Hares took 20 year old Jati Susanti from Papua New Guinea. He’s a decent defender, and projects to have good contact ability. If he thrives in th Hares system we might see him in the starting line up in a few years down the line, but it’s far from a given.

[dinosauryoshi]

San Juan Garitas at Sheffield Mountain Hares (5th to 8th June, 2059)



Team Profile: San Juan Garitas
Established: 2055
Banners: none
Playoff appearances: none
Last season: 15th
This season’s record: 24-36

The Garitas joined the WBL as part of the same expansion as the Hares in 2055, and similarly have yet to make the playoffs. In fact, they’re yet to finish above 12th in their division, something that their sluggish start to this season doesn’t look like changing.

Game 1

SP: Yushua bin Saqr

The Hares toppled to a 6-2 defeat in this night game in Sheffield. Liu-liang Huang was the game-changer, going 2 for 4 with a home run, as well as getting hit by a pitch. His 3-run homer off a bin Saqr fastball in the top of the 6th gave the Garitas a 4-2 lead, and they never looked back. There wasn’t much to shout about for the Hares, other than a Rutz home run in the 2nd.

Player of the game: Liu-liang Huang



Game 2

SP: Giobbe Marinello

Marinello kicked things off nicely for the Hares, giving up only 1 run in his 5 innings as the Hares eased to a 6-1 win over San Juan in game 2. The Hares lineup managed 8 hits, the most impressive of which were a Morales home run in the 6th and Schilchegger’s 2 run double at the bottom of the 7th, the latter of which put the Hares up 4-1.

Player of the game: Giobbe Marinello



Game 3

SP: Eskinder Ali

Game 3 of the series was another 2-way game for Eskinder Ali, and so the stands were packed. He put in a superb pitching performance yet again, giving up no runs in 5 innings, as he sits on a ridiculous ERA of 0.83. On the batting side he was less impressive, going 0 for 3 and a walk. Fortunately the rest of the lineup was on form, with home runs from Sergio Rutz, Kolya Saetgaliev and Adam Koehler all helping the Hares to a commanding 6-1 win.

Player of the game: Eskinder Ali



Game 4

SP: Alois Herzog

The Hares dominated game 4 to take the series with a 10-2 win as they hit a seamingly endless strew of home runs, much to the delight of the crowd. Bin Jameel hit two home runs, while there were also dingers from Graham, Saetgaeliev and Morales as Herzog went deep, giving up only 2 runs in 7 innings in a fine win.

Player of the game: Abdul Karim bin Jameel

The Hares now sit in 3rd with a 36-24 record.




Next we'll take a look at Hares player stats after the opening 60 games.

[dinosauryoshi]

Sheffield Mountain Hares Player Stats - After 60 Games

I'm afraid I don't have time to add any commentary, but here's the stats

[dinosauryoshi]

Athens Philosophers at Sheffield Mountain Hares (9th to 11th June, 2059)


Logos by @20_range

Team Profile: Athens Philosophers
Established: 2058
Banners: 0
Playoff appearances: 0
Current season: 29-31

In only their second season, the Philosphers are looking to improve on 14th place from last season, a target that looks achievable given their close to .500 record.

Game 1

SP: Isaac Saville

The Sheffield Mountain Hares topped the Athens Philosphers, 5-3, the lion's share of the credit going to shortstop Ilyas Muraguri, who hit a grand slam home run in the bottom of the eigth to make it 5-3, to the jubilation of the home fans. On the day, Muraguri went 1-3 with a home run and a walk, with 4 RBIs. Isaac Saville didn’t go deep, but did hold the Philosophers to 2 runs in his 5.1 innings.

Player of the game: Ilyas Muraguri



Game 2

SP: Yushua bin Saqr

The Hares are looking unstoppable right now, cementing a five game win streak with a spectacular 10-0 win over the Philsophers in game 2. Koehler smashed 2 home runs, one in the 4th and 6th respectively as he went 2-5 to lead Sheffield to the win. Saetgaliev also hit a homer as part of Sheffield’s 6-run inning in the second. Yushua bin Saqr put in a good shift over 5.2 innings, giveing up no runs, though somewhat lucky having given up 4 hits and 2 walks.

Player of the game: Adam Koehler



Game 3

The Hares looked slightly more human, but still managed to extend their win streak to 6 games as they broke Athens’ hearts with a walk-off 4-3 win at Kingfisher Park to close the series. Abdul-Karim bin Jameel was the walk-off hero for Sheffield. With the game tied in the bottom of the ninth inning, the Mountain Hares first baseman hit a dramatic run-scoring single to send the teams home. Saetgaliev had hit a 2-run homer in the first to put the Hares up 2-0, but Athens made a spirited comeback to go into the 9th 3-2 up. Marinello went deep for the Hares, giving up 3 runs and 5 hits in 6.2 innings.

Player of the game: Abdul-Karim bin Jameel

[dinosauryoshi]

Stockholm Orcas at Sheffield Mountain Hares (13th to 15th June, 2059)


Logos by @20_range

Team Profile: Stokholm Orcas
Established: 2052
Banners: 0
Playoff appearances: 0
Last season: 9th
Current record: 34-28

The Orcas are on the up, having got their first positive record last season, following a .500 record the previous year. They’re unlikely to be contending for their first playoff appearance this year, but it looks like another year of incremental improvement is on the cards. Exciting.

Game 1

SP: Eskinder Ali

A 3-RBI performance from right fielder Sergio Rutz, who finished 5th in the TAO in extra base hits with 83 in 2052, led the Sheffield Mountain Hares to a 6-4 win over the Stockholm Orcas to win their 7th in a row. Eskinder Ali went 5.1 innings, allowing 2 runs on 4 hits in a less spectacular, but still good appearance on the mound, while he went 1 for 3 with a walk at the plate.

Rob Graham, who currently sits on an awful batting average of .182, hit a much needed home run in the bottom of the 4th, his 4th of the season, which Rutz added to with his own in the 7th.

Player of the game: Sergio Rutz



Game 2

SP: Alois Herzog

Eskinder Ali went 1 for 3 with two walks as he smashed a 2-run home run, and got 3 RBIs overall in a solid 8-5 win for the seemingly unstoppable Hares. Rob Graham also had a good outing, going 2-4 with 2 doubles. on the mound, Herzog went 6 innings, giving up 2 runs and 5 hits in a solid outing.

Player of the game: Eskinder Ali

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Game 3

SP: Isaac Saville

Abdul-Karim bin Jameel proved he still has plenty to give in an 8-2 win for the Hares as they swept the series. The 35-year old had a 2-hit performance, hitting a perfectly placed double in the seventh while racking up 2 RBIs. Sergio Rutz’ hit his 15th home run of the season, leading the team by 7 in that category. Englishman Isaac Saville went 5 innings, giving up 7 hits but only one run, thanks to some tidy fielding backing him up.

Player of the game: Abdul-Karim bin Jameel

That’s 9 wins in a row for the Hares, who sit third in the division with a record of 42-24, behind the Madrid Mallards and Bucharest Sounds.

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[dinosauryoshi]

Sheffield Mountain Hares at Warsaw Kings (17th - 19th June)



Team Profile: Warsaw Kings
Banners: Europe Division Champions (2052)
Playoff appearances: 3
Last season: 71-91 (16th)
This season: 24-42

The Kings haven’t made the playoffs since 2053 and have had losing seasons for 3 years in a row now. That doesn’t look to be changing in 2059, as they’ve started poorly.

Game 1

SP: Giobbe Marinello

The Hares finally fell, rather unexpectedly to the Warsaw Kings, in a tight 1-0 loss as pitchers dominated proceedings. Giobbe Marinello continued his great season with a good 7 inning performance, giving up just one run, but the offence couldn’t hit a beach-ball with the bat, never mind Drew McGowan’s blistering fastballs. Eskinder Ali going 2-4 was about the only offensive ‘highlight’, as Sujeev’s homer in the bottom of the third won the game for the home side.

Player of the game: Drew McGowan (Warsaw Kings)



Game 2

SP: Eskinder Ali

The stadium was rocking in Warsaw as Eskinder Ali went 2-4 at the plate with an RBI, while he struggled on the mound, getting hit for 5 runs before being taken off after the third inning. The Hares finally ended a run drought in the top of the 9th, as Ali drove in Portman with a single, but it was far from enough, as they sunk 5-1 in their second loss of the series in as many games. 2057 all-star designated hitter Rene Donato was the brightest in the Kings’ lineup, going 3-3 with a walk and an RBI in a dominant performance.

Player of the game: Rene Donato



Game 3

SP: Yushua bin Saqr

Sheffield right fielder Jesus Morales had a 3-RBI performance, including a home run, which helped his team down the Warsaw Kings, 9-4. Yushua bin Saqr went 5.2 innings, allowing just 1 run on 4 hits, striking out 5 and walking 1. Adam Koehler also bagged his 13th home run of the season, as he closes in on Rutz’ 15. Nestor Barrios’ 2 shutout innings to close the game deserve a mention too, as his stuff was unhittable. The 2-1 series loss leaves the Hares still in 3rd, with a record of 43-26.

Player of the game: Jesus Morales