South Georgia Baseball League (OOTP meets SimCity 4!)

[rleb]

I just want to take a second and say thanks to all of you that have commented and generally been interested in this league. I am glad this has gotten the feedback that is has! It makes it that much more fun to write.

It is a fairly slow-paced league (I prefer cooking this league in a Crock-Pot rather than a 500-degree oven ) but there is lots coming up!

[rleb]

Robert Halford : The Brit who can hit






Jamie Ragnarsson, Pajt-Vorten Daily News
April 22nd, 2015


Pajt-Vorten first baseman Robert Halford had a day to remember today, going 5-for-5 against the Johanssen Suns at the Municipal Stadium in Pajt-Vorten, as the Comets picked up a 9-8 win.

"He was patient up there today," Comets skipper Yura Tambov told the press after the game. "I like the way he waited for his pitch and wasn't overly agressive. Robert has been top-notch for us so far this year"

Halford hit a single in each of his at-bats : in the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 6th and 8th innings. His hit in the 6th also gave him an RBI.

This year Halford has been unbelievable : hitting at a .466 pace with 2 home runs and 16 RBIs. He is easily the SGBL's most prominent hitter so far this season. His closest rival in batting average (Nemessey's Todd Aiken) registers at .382

But, who is Robert Halford? Those with a keen eye will notice he wasn't even selected by a team in the inaugural draft. Surely that must have been a colossal scouting mistake, right? Well, not quite.

Robert Halford was born 23 October 1977 in Solihull, just outside of Birmingham. He gravitated to baseball as a youth and the now-37-year-old has become a legend in the Honkbal Hoofdklasse, the pro baseball league in Holland. From 2001 to 2014, he had recorded 8 batting titles and 4 Dutch Championships.

When the 2015 SGBL Draft arrived in January, Halford was the source of much intrigue by one particular team. Despite not registering, the Pajt-Vorten Comets had Halford on their radar, and were attempting to lure the veteran to the island.

He initially refused to move, but eventually the team upped their offer, and Halford signed a one-year, $81,000 contract on February 11th. The contract makes him the second-highest-paid player on the Comets, behind fellow infielder Alan Bearcroft.

Even though Halford can speak fluent Dutch from his decade and a half in the country, he admitted in an interview last week with GSN that it is refreshing to be able to talk baseball using English terms again "The big factor for me was that South Georgia is part of the Commonwealth, and I can use my native language on a daily basis again."

It will be interesting to see if Pajt-Vorten will be able to retain his services beyond this season. He has spoken openly about his fondness for both England and Holland in interviews, but if the team can do well, he might just consider staying to finish his career. Either way, he will be an expensive free agent proposition at the end of the year, and will turn 38 in October. However, he might just be worth the gamble if the first month of this season is any indication.

[rleb]

For those reading the Halford article and wondering what the salary range is in the South Georgia League : they return to the era where ball players make (almost) a working man's salary.

The league-mandated minimum wage is $25,000 a season. In the league's inaugural season, many teams have gotten away with signing their players in the $30,000-40,000 range, but the league's stars earn between 100-150k.

The highest-paid player is pitcher Mark Higgins, who signed a 2-year contract with Gold Harbour at $172,000 a season.

Halford's contract would be considered in the upper tier of contracts, but slightly below those of the big guns.

[rleb]

Hobbs at his best, tosses a masterpiece for Port Smith






Karl Peters, GSN correspondant
April 14th, 2015


The Port Smith Aces wasted an impressive 11-inning effort from starter Lonergan Hobbs, losing to the lowly Batallion Royals 1-0 at home at Preston Park recently. The Royals, with only their 2nd win in 11 games, have not had much to write home about in 2015.

Despite Rory Mackay's walk bringing in the winning run in the 12th inning for Batallion, it was the losing pitcher that got most of the attention.

Hobbs had a fabulous game. He was able to make short work of the Royals' lineup for most of the evening. After the scheduled 9 innings, the game was still a 0-0 draw. Dylan McGregor and Caleb Wilken were equally as efficient for Batallion.

The big difference in the game was just how quickly Hobbs was able to get his opponents out. After nine innings, Hobbs had only thrown 103 pitches, and seemed to plead with Manager Ben Recker to stay in the game. As the 10th inning arrived, Hobbs was still pitching, and still efficient. Seven pitches later, the teams switched roles again. Hobbs then sat down the Royals in the 11th inning in only 9 pitches, including his seventh strikeout of the night.

Finally, in the 12th, Hobbs allowed a single to Kris Jensen, and he was replaced to a standing ovation by the Aces faithful. A few batters later (after a series of walks), Jensen would score the only run of the game to spoil Hobbs' incredible night.

The win was a welcome relief to a battered Batallion Royals squad, but one can't help but feel bad for Hobbs, who gave us the best game in the South Georgia League's short history. 11.0 IP, 4 hits, 1 ER, 2 BB and 7 K's in 125 pitches. Not bad!

Keep an eye on that young Irishman, he is pretty good...

[rleb]

Week 4 Showcase Review



Welcome to the big leagues, kid!


Bailey Williams gets rude awakening in his major league debut


Walt Vergeer, GSN correspondant
April 25th, 2015

It was a rough initiation to the South Georgia League for Grytviken debutant pitcher Bailey Williams tonight.

In the 3rd inning, he melted faster than local soil samples, and allowed three singles, two doubles and two home runs in the same inning. Needless to say after the Royals got ahead 7-2, Williams was given the hook.

The meltdown essentially decided the game.

"My fastball was actually pretty good" said Williams after the game, "but the guys are good, and they caught up to it. Once that happened, I just tried some off-speed stuff but they seemed to read me. I'll have to look at the tape a bit more. I must be tipping off my pitches or something..."

Pausing for a moment, he added "I think that's enough honesty for one game, guys. Thanks for the interview". He then walked off to another room, slouched over and dejected.

Batallion rode a decent outing from starter Dylan McGregor to victory over the Grytviken Icebergs at Antarctic Stadium. The final score was 9-3. Batallion is still hoping to get on a roll. The win is just their 5th in 21 games.

Batallion manager Magnus Hansen got to keep his job for another 24 hours. The hot-headed leader of the Royals has let his emotions show on quite a few occasions in this young season, especially given his team's horrendous start to the year. Hansen has been the first manager to be on the proverbial "hot seat". The win will give him another day of breathing room.

Batallion outfielder Sam McGuire delivered a big hit for the Royals. The veteran LF belted a 3-run home run in the top of the third. The longball put Batallion on top 7-2. Overall, McGuire went 1-for-4, while adding 3 RBI and scoring once.

"We need to string a few more wins like this one together," said McGuire.

Final Score : Batallion 9 , Grytviken 3

[Dark Horse]

It is no fun walking around with a 27.00 for about a week. Better luck next time, Rook.

[rleb]

Originally Posted by Dark Horse

It is no fun walking around with a 27.00 for about a week. Better luck next time, Rook.

Interestingly enough, his next start is the following Friday (the night of the Week 5 featured game), so I'll make sure to give an update on how he fared in his second start!

[rleb]

Standings after Week 4 (Thursday April 30th 2015)

[rleb]

Minor League Standings after Week 4 (Thursday April 30th 2015)

[rleb]

Hansen Angry at Local Media over Batallion Coverage




Dominic Fry, GSN correspondant
April 30th, 2015

After a fifth consecutive loss tonight, Batallion skipper Magnus Hansen blasted the media over what he considered to be negative coverage of his slumping team.

"You guys are really something, you know that?" Hansen shouted at reporters. "All you want to do is place blame. Why can't you focus on what we're doing that's positive? Some of the guys are putting up great numbers this season, but you never talk about that. It's just a matter of getting everyone together on the same page. But you guys making your snide remarks isn't gonna help us with that, is it?"

Hansen then abruptly stepped away from the bank of microphones and stormed angrily out of the room.

Hansen's Batallion Royals are currently 5-21, and sit at the bottom of the standings. His short fuse has already been noticed by those around the league, and rumors have been swirling that his Managerial role might be in jeopardy unless he can find a way to calm down and unite his team.

[Dark Horse]

nice

[rleb]

WEEK 5 PREVIEW

This week's featured Friday Night game : Speed vs. Power, the eternal struggle
Husvik Valley Spartans (14-11) at Nemessey Giants (17-9)

AT


Sam Sokolov, GSN correspondant
May 1st, 2015

Nemessey
In Nemessey, the only thing harder to buy, other than that rare shipment of unroasted green coffee bean from that supplier off the coast of Ecuador, is a Nemessey Giants baseball ticket.

So far this season, it has been high-flying fun for Giants fans. 13 of their 14 home games have been sellouts, and the team's 17-9 record is good enough for second place in the North Division. The team has thoroughly dominated teams on the scoreboard. Thanks in part to a 19-0 thrashing of Johanssen last weekend, the Nemessey Giants are now statistically the most powerful team in the league at the plate. They lead the SGBL in runs scored, batting average, on-base % and home runs. However, to add to this, they are also ranked second in starters' ERA, and third in both runs allowed and defensive efficiency... so they are no one-trick-pony.

Their team is led by their oak-armed infielder Pogo Kushel. He leads the SGBL with 9 home runs, and has been able to do this while still remaining a dependable and agile second baseman. "I don't want to get totally obsessed with hitting" he said in an interview this week. "My job at second base is too important for me to skip drills or to dream of only home runs. A player has two jobs on a team, and I need to be good at both" he added.

Things have been going fairly well for Nemessey and, for this featured game, they get the added bonus of having their top pitcher on the mound tonight : Elton Lloyd. He has been dominant so far. In 5 starts, he has struck out 35 batters, including 11 in his last start against Johanssen (yes, THAT game, the 19-0 victory).

Meanwhile, the visiting Husvik Valley Spartans have been a totally different style of team.

Husvik Valley
The team is a light-hitting team but with the ability to get on base and cause chaos. It is the brainchild of GM Mick Brady and brought to life by Manager Bud Kahil. They place a premium on contact hitters and base stealers. Their first-round selection in the Inaugural Draft was quick-moving outfielder Oukesson Thrane. He currently leads the league with 10 stolen bases (nearly double his nearest rival) and 7 triples. He is young, fast, and eager to improve even further.

However, the team is not bulletproof. The team's defense is lacking, and their pitching staff is also one of the lowest-rated in the league. In some situations, a near-total lack of power can hinder their chances at getting runs.

They currently sit at 14-11, and have won most of their games thanks to clever base running, and last-minute, edge-of-your-seat scoring. A perfect example of this was during their second game of the season in Salvesen. Losing 8-3 in the top of the 9th, they hammered hit after hit, driving one pitcher off the mound, and then another. The inning went so long, in fact, that Oukesson Thrane had time to notch up a hit, be driven home, and return for another at-bat in the same half-inning. (The second time up, he walked and eventually scooted to second base before the inning finally ended). Husvik Valley ran out of town with the win, 9-8.

On the mound for the Spartans tonight will be the towering 6-foot-7 left hander Branden Stijns. He is a youngster with good velocity, and one of the better sinkerballs in the league. Despite his 5.03 ERA (mostly due to one particularly bad start), he has been dependable in his other appearances for the team.

So, the clash of two opposite baseball mindsets will be held tonight. Don't miss all of GSN's coverage of South Georgia Baseball Night!.

[rleb]

Another rough night for Williams, gets sent back to AAA



Lyle Henderson, Grytviken Evening Post
May 2nd, 2015


Following a catastrophic big-league debut for Bailey Williams last week, the team decided to give him another chance to see what he could do. That second start was last night versus the Pajt-Vorten Comets.

It all started rather well, having only allowed 1 run after 4 innings, but then went through another collapse mid-game, surrendering a long string of hits and 5 more runs before being pulled. Even though his ERA was cut in half thanks to the game (from 27.00 to 13.50), Williams left the field dejected again.

Grytviken lost the game 11-3.

This morning, the Icebergs sent out a short press advisory that the 23-year-old will return to the Grytviken Blue Sox, their AAA affiliate. At the AAA level, things seemed to be more promising : listed with a 1-1 record, a 1.96 ERA, a 0.91 WHIP and notching up 21 K's in only 3 starts. Despite his rocky debut, many people expect Williams to crack the big squad in the short-to-medium term.

[rleb]

The Husvik Valley/Nemessey review to come later today!

[Dark Horse]

Originally Posted by rleb

the husvik valley/nemessey review to come later today!

go spartans!!!

[Gwatkin]

De-lurking to say that I'm enjoying this so far and am looking forward to more. Combining OOTP and SC4 is something I've wanted to do for a while (in fact, it was a thread on this board that inspired me to start playing SC4 in the first place), but I'm very impatient with it - I have a severe case of new-map fever. So it's good to see someone's managing to do it.

When you say you might upload your region file, do you mean just the map or the entire developed region? If the latter, I'd love to see it and take a trip around. Uploads of developed regions seem to be very rare (I've only ever seen one anywhere I've looked).

[rleb]

OK so, the holidays are causing a bit of a delay/writing block but things will return soon!

[Gwatkin]

I thought I'd posted a reply here a few days ago but I must have clicked on the wrong button because it hasn't shown up. So pardon me for repeating myself, but just to say I'm enjoying this so far and I look forward to more. I myself have thought about combining OOTP and SC4, but I'm too impatient at SC4 to get anything going properly.

rleb: When you said in you might upload your SC4 region, did you mean the map or the actual developed region? If the latter, I'd love to see it and take a trip around. Uploads of developed regions seem to be very rare -- I've only ever encountered one.

[rleb]

Originally Posted by Gwatkin

I thought I'd posted a reply here a few days ago but I must have clicked on the wrong button because it hasn't shown up. So pardon me for repeating myself, but just to say I'm enjoying this so far and I look forward to more. I myself have thought about combining OOTP and SC4, but I'm too impatient at SC4 to get anything going properly.

rleb: When you said in you might upload your SC4 region, did you mean the map or the actual developed region? If the latter, I'd love to see it and take a trip around. Uploads of developed regions seem to be very rare -- I've only ever encountered one.

I meant the full developed region file with all the cities. I'd have to check how to upload it, but I believe a zip file should do the trick, and you just drop it in your documents/sc4/regions folder. Let me check and i'll let you know

[rleb]

I am not sure if it will work, but give this a try :

CLICK HERE FOR ZIP FILE

Once downloaded, extract the "South Georgia Island" folder in your "My Documents/SimCity 4/Regions" folder (alongside the other regions).

Then, inside the game, you should be able to load the region file, and it should have all the cities.

Note : the map colors might look strange until you actually open each city file.

Let me know if you are successful!