The Colonial Baseball League (redux)

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Challenger League Championship Results!



Challenger League Championship

Both teams can take their first sigh of relief – they have done enough to earn promotion into the Colonial Premier League. But glory and pride remain on the table: the Colonial Challenger League Championship is still up for grabs.

Game 1 was an instant classic pitcher’s duel, for those that like that sort of thing. Both team’s aces were on their A-game. John Covey allowed just 3 runs in eight innings, striking out 4 and walking 2. Unfortunately for Covey, he was bested by Ethan Wanlace, who allowed just 1 run in seven innings while whiffing 10. Elton Berose picked up his first save of the post season but 20th of the season.

Game 1 – Silverstars lead series 1-0

Game 2 gave us a little more offense, but most of it was contained in a single inning. The Riders managed to tie the series thanks to a five run 4th inning. The offense was powered by a bases loaded double by Greg Greening (yes, the pitcher) that cleared the basepads. Greening’s RBIs, coupled with his six innings of work, was good enough to force a game three back on Scorpia.

Game 2 – Series tied 1-1

The final game of the Colonial Challenger League season saw the two starters from game 1 both going on 4 days rest. Despite the potential fatigue, we saw another great pitcher’s duel. The lone scoring in the game came in the bottom of the 4th, thanks to a two-run bomb by Brad Coffee. The Silverstar Pitching staff did the rest, shutting out the Riders and winning the title. Ethan Wanlace is the series and playoff MVP, with a 3-0 record for the playoffs and ERA under 1.5. His ERA for the championship series was .066. He won both games for the Silverstars. Honorable mention to John Covey, who despite being hung with the loss for both games allowed just 5 runs and had an ERA of 2.5 for the series. His offense just let him down.

Game 3 – Silverstars win series 2-1

The Argentum Silverstars are the 2020 Colonial Challenger League Champions!

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Colonial Cup Championship Results!


Who will add their names to the Colonial Cup?

The Promethea Miners won the tiebreaker, and earned the right to host the best of 5 Colonial Cup Championship series against the Caprica City Buccaneers.

Game 1 took place in Promethea, on Aerilon. The offense came early for both squads, as the C-bucs jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead after the top of the first, thanks to Scott Cattanach’s 3-run homer. The Miners clawed their way back, getting single runs in each of the first three innings to tie the game, then taking the lead with a 2-run fourth inning. Unfortunately for the Miners, that was were their luck ran out, as normally rock-solid closer Rickard O’Gribben gave up a walk and a double before Brice Brown hit a monster 425 foot 3-run homer to put the C-bucs ahead for good.

Game 1 – Buccaneers lead 1-0

Game 2 saw a nice recovery by the Miners offense, highlighted by a 5 run flourish in the fourth. Four consecutive singles to lead off the inning lead to Jerry Krohn’s two run single and then Rodney Hadfield’s 3 run homer to put the game away. Despite a last ditch effort by Caprica City, Miner starter John Daniel was lights out, throwing a complete game 3 hitter while striking out 6.

Game 2 – Series tied 1-1

Game three moved the series back to Caprica City, and the famed Atlas Arena. Ricardo Duarte took the hill for the C-bucs. He led the league this season with 11 wins. Duarte went right to work, striking out the side in the top of the first. His offense gave him run support immediately, with Brice Brown hitting his second 3 run homer of the series. Miner’s starter Jack Kennison did a good job of settling down after that, allowing no more runs while striking out four, but unfortunately for him Duarte was dealing in this contest. He allowed just one earned run while striking out 9. Daryl O’Daal came in in the 8th to record the two inning save, his first of the series and 26th save of the season.

Game 3 – Buccaneers lead 2-1

With the championship on the line, the C-bucs made sure there was no doubt about who was going to win the title. The Buccaneers put an exclamation point on the season with a decisive 12-0 victory to secure the Colonial Cup. Ricardo Nunez capped his 10 win season with a complete game shutout, only allowing one runner past first base. Brice Brown hit his third home run of the series, this time a grand slam. He drove in 10 runs over the 4 game series. Despite those numbers, Scott Cattanach was named series MVP. He went 8 for 17, with 1 home run and 6 runs batted in.

Game 4 – Buccaneers win series 3-1




The Caprica City Buccaneers are the 2020 Colonial Cup Champions

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2020 Season Awards

Shield of Ares (reliever of the year) – Dave Richardson (Ionian Islanders) – 18 saves in 38 appearances. 55 Ks and just 10 walks in 44 innings. 0.61 ERA.

Wings of Nike (gold gloves)


Arrow of Apollo (Silver Slugger)


Zeus’ Lightning (Cy young) – Harold Moore (Promethea Pirates) – 12-3 in 19 starts. Struck out 149 in 132 innings of work. 1.84 ERA, .191 OPP BA

Globe of Atlas (League MVP) – Michael Attrill (Opadea Galaxy) - .360 avg, 119 hits (led league), 62 RBI.

Shield of Ares – Tom Hopps (Itar Aces) – 25 saves in 41 appearances. 55 Ks in 44 innings. 0.82 ERA

Wings of Nike


Arrow of Apollo


Zeus’ Lightning – Dale Hall (Reidi Drillers) – 11-4 (11 wins led league) in 22 starts. 143 Ks in 147.2 innings. 3.84 ERA

Globe of Atlas – Roy MacGowing (Hadrian United) – MacGowing’s 3rd Globe of Atlas trophy. .369 average, 131 hits, 25 HR and 78 RBI

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The Colonial Pyramid League Offseason Preview


As we move towards the winter months here on Picon, the focus turns off the field and into the GM offices around the Colonial League. This is where championships are truly won or lost – the offseason. The draft is still a little over a month away, and while teams are formulating their strategies and figuring out their biggest needs, a more pressing matter begins next week – arbitration and free agency. Here are some of the biggest free agents expected to be on the market this year:

SP Carl Conner – Conner is an interesting study of a great pitcher on a bad team. The four time all-star led the league in losses this season, going just 5-13 for the Ersia Elephants. That being said, Conner had the 8th best ERA in the LEAGUE among starting pitchers, at 3.35. He also led the league in strikeouts with 160, and innings pitched with 166. If Conner had gotten any run support whatsoever, he would probably have been a 8 or even 10 game winner. Instead, he played for a team that was in a relegation spot for most of the season, and an offense that averaged just a little over 2 runs a game when he started (which includes an 8-0 and 9-1 victory, making that stat seem higher than it should). Conner should command the highest free agent salary this offseason, at least among pitchers, and hopefully signing with a contending team will allow his win tallies to get back to where they should be.

3B Jim Hoffman – Hoffman finished second in MVP voting behind former teammate Roy Macgowing on the United. Hoffman is a native of Virgon, so it will be interesting to see if he wants to resign with his mostly hometown team in Hadrian. The biggest boost to Hoffman’s free agency value came in the home run column, as he led the Premier League in round trips this season with 25. The hard hitting third baseman slashed .325/.394/.589 last season, and is a career .283/.362/.498 hitter. He’s also a two-time Wings of Nike winner.

1B Brice Brown – Despite not winning the series MVP award, many on Caprica see Brice Brown as the hero of the Colonial Cup. The first baseman seems to have reinvented himself since signing his two year deal with the C-bucs, improving in every stat category from the slump he fell into while playing for Heim. Brown originally signed a 6-year deal with the C-Bucs, but opted out after this last season to try and pull in the big bucks elsewhere. Brown seems to enjoy his freedom of movement around the league, as he will now join his 4th organization in 6 years when he signed with whatever team gives him the best offer.

CL Tom Hopps – The Premier League’s best closer will also be on the market in a few days, as Tom Hopps has declined his player option for the last year of his contract and will also seek greener pastures. Hopps is a 4 time all-star and last year’s Shield of Ares winner. He has recorded 20+ saves every year of the joined Colonial Leagues, 4 times with Ionia and now twice with Itar. Hopps was absolutely lights out this year, allowing just 4 earned runs in 44 innings pitched. Hopps should break the mark for highest salary for a relief pitcher this offseason.

SP Manus Emery – Emery was third in the Zeus’ Lightning award voting for the Challenger league this year. He went 10-6 with a 2.52 ERA, and was a huge reason the Panthers sat at the top of the table for most of the season. At 42 years old, teams may be leery of offering the righty hurler a big dollar long-term deal, but the veteran had the best season of his career this season, and is looking to prove he can still be an asset for a long time to come.
SS Vasil De Brouwer – Despite his team collapsing down the stretch, Vasil was a bright spot for the Tauron City Bulls, hitting .350/.408/.499. He drove in 46 runs. De Brouwer isn’t a huge home threat, but he is a consistent hitter that gives a solid presence at the top of the lineup.

CL Este Della Vedova – Della Vedova had the fifth 20 save season of his career this year, and he did it appearing in about 8 fewer games than normal. The Riders are moving up to the Premier League, but it remains to be seen if Della Vedova comes with them. It would be hard to imagine he doesn’t make it to the big show in some capacity. Della Vedova is a four time all-star, three time Shield of Ares winner, and one time Zeus’ Lightning award winner.


Free agency filings officially happen in one week’s time. The Star will have daily coverage of moves throughout the offseason.

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Premier League Offseason Team Overview

Yesterday’s edition of the Star had a piece on some of the best free agents available this offseason. Today we have an infographic on each team’s potential needs and losses this offseason.

Caprica City Buccaneers – Its hard to imagine the team that won the league would have any glaring needs, yet there are some holes the champions can look to plug. Particularly on the defensive side of the ball. The C-Buc’s pitching ranked in the bottom half of the league, allowing almost 900 hits this season. That was 3rd worst in the league. Also, opponents batting average on balls in play was .322, which was the worst in the Premier Leauge. The C-bucs Defensive Efficience was just .669, second worst in the PL. So the C-bucs should be in the market for another starter, some back end bullpen help, and a good solid defensive player or two. They will also be losing 1B Brice Brown. Their top prospect is Dave Tracy, who spent the entire season in the Developmental League with the Caprica City Battlestars. He’s a big step down in the offensive categories from Brown.

Promethea Miners - The Miners have similar problems to the Buccaneers; their offense is good and their pitching is medium to bad. Promethea had the worst bullpen ERA in the Premier League, and allowed the most hits. Fortunately for the Miners, free agency won’t be too rough on them, as the only every day starter they’ll lose is 1b Scott Auchnie. Granted, this is a big loss, as Auchnie was the catalyst for the offense for most of the season, but they have the bank to either offer Auchnie a large contract to remain with the team, or go after other elite first basemen, such as the Buccaneer’s Brice Brown. Right field will also be another point of need for the Miners this season, but 1B and the bullpen should be their first priorities.

Itar Aces – In a role reversal from the previous two teams, the Aces lived up to their name and had the best pitching staff in the Premier League. Their offense was good, but just let them down coming down the stretch. Adding a big bat to the middle of the lineup will go a long way to helping the Aces get over the hump and get into the Colonial Cup. Itar was 8th in the league in slugging, 8th in runs scored, and 10th in home runs. Of course, the Aces will have to deal with the potential loss of their closer Tom Hopps. The Wings of Ares award winner will most certainly demand a high price on the free agent market. Either keeping Hopps or adding a another strong arm to the bullpen, plus the addition of a hard hitting corner outfielder could see the Aces near the top of the table again.

Fateu Blaze – The Blaze’s point of need is pretty clear: They need pitching. In every phase of the game. The Blaze pitching staff had the worst overall ERA in the league, at 4.73, the second worst starters ERA at 4.92, and the 3rd worst bullpen ERA at 4.24. They allowed more runs than any other team in the Premier League. On top of that, their one bright spot, Randy White, will be eligible for free agency this year. White went 7-2 with a 3.06 ERA. So the message for the Blaze front office should be clear: pitching, pitching, pitching.

Reidi Drillers – As we get to the middle of the Premier League standings, we get to the more middle of the road teams. The Drillers fit that bill pretty well. They were in the 6-9th place in the league for almost all measured stats. Their biggest area of need is probably at the top of their lineup. As they weren’t great at getting on base this year. That, in turn, led to a lower amount of total runs scored. Free agency has the potential to be rough on the Drillers as well, as their closer Keely Mobbs and starting left fielder David Birnie are both eligible. Left field could be a good upgrade spot anyway, as Birnie only hit .250 this season.

Ersia Elephants – Like the Blaze, the point of emphasis this offseason for the Elephants should be pretty clear: they need offense. The Elephants were the worst offensive team in Premier League, and it wasn’t particularly close. They were actually decent at getting on base, having the 5th most hits in the league, but those singles never came home. The Elephants were last in extra base hits and last in home runs. Their pitching was pretty middle of the pack, and kept them in games, but their lack of production from the plate is a big pain point going forward. Carl Conner will be the biggest name on the free agent market this season. We talked about him yesterday, but Conner’s a big loss for this pitching staff if they can’t keep him. 2B Russ McCoy is probably the other biggest name for the Elephants going to free agency. He hit .325 with 24 driven in for the Elephants this season.

Kobol College Twins – The Twins fall into the camp of teams that need to improve their pitching. They allowed the second most runs of any team in the Premier League this season. However, free agency has the potential to be rough on the Twins, as both their starting corner infielders are potentially leaving the ship this offseason. Third baseman Rodeny Nathaniel hit .343 with 66 driven in this year, while first baseman Paul Twig only hit .260 but drove in 45. This offseason will go a long way in determining if the Twins will be contenders for the Colonial Cup, or contenders for relegation.

Hadrian United – The United had both the league’s MVP and the 2nd place vote getter, yet finished 4 games below .500 and closer to relegation than the Colonial Cup. As seems to be the theme here in the middle of the standings, the pitching staff let the United down. The United scored more runs this season than any other team in the Premier League – 456. They also allowed the second most runs in the Premier League – 434. As noted yesterday, Jim Hoffman is the potential big free agent departure. The third baseman was second in Globe of Atlas award voting, and would take 69 RBI and 25 home runs with him. The United’s closer, Dana Worcester, is also a potential free agent casualty.

Queenstown Wave – If you’ve read the last few reports and wondering where any of the good pitching in the league actually is, the Wave are one of the answers. While they recorded the fewest strikeouts in the Premier League, the Wave managed to be in the top half of the teams in almost all categories. It was the bats that let the Wave down this year. The two-time champions had the worst batting average in the Premier league, hitting a paltry .254 as a team. Fortunately, the Wave can be buyers this offseason, as they have lots of cap room and no major role players leaving in free agency.

Luminere Reds – The Reds has the best starting rotation in the Premier League, with a total ERA of just 3.57. Unfortunately for the reigning champs, a bad June sunk them too deep in the standings to recover from. They really turned it around at the end of the season, managing to get out of the relegation zone and stay in the Premier League. They’re hoping they can build on the momentum going into next season. The Reds will lose two key players in free agency, right fielder Dave Mix and third baseman John Taylor. Mix was the 2018 Colonial Cup MVP, and hit .270 and drove in 42 this season. Taylor hit .318 and drove in 53.

Tauron City Bulls – The Bulls collapse is already the stuff of legend, and the key question the front office must answer this offseason is “why”. The Bulls offense was good, and while the pitching left something to be desired, it wasn’t bottom tier by any means. Finding the correct pieces to the puzzle and keeping morale up will be the key to getting the Bulls back into the Premier League. The Bulls only have 4 players eligible for free agency, but unfortunately all four are role players for the team. Vasil de Brouwer is the big name, but third baseman Aindreas Mickel is the everyday starter who hit .322 with 53 runs driven in this season. Center fielder Dale Windom was the second man in the outfield platoon, and left fielder Josh MacKinnon started all but 3 games for the Bulls.

Landson Vipers – Not a lot went right for the Vipers in 2020. Their pitching was the worst in the league by far, and the hitting wasn’t much better. While the Vipers are a smaller market than most, there is still some money in the bank to try and go get that impact player that will help get them into the Premier League again. Fortunately for the Vipers, they won’t be losing any every day starters or pitchers to free agency. Setup man Aidan Maclan will most likely find himself in a new uniform next year, but other than that, the Vipers will return their normal starters. That might not be a good thing, given their 2020 record, but it is at least a good base to try and rebuild from.

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Challenger League Offseason Team Overview

Argentum Silverstars – The Challenger League champs are a solid overall team, and should probably fair pretty well in the Premier League next season. Their pitching is top notch, but the tougher hitters in the higher league may prove to be a bit more of a challenge. It certainly wouldn’t hurt if the Silverstars could add another solid, veteran arm to their rotation, despite the fact that the pitching market looks to be pretty competitive this year. Argentum’s biggest free agency loss will be most likely be a prospect. Ian Boykin is the #1 prospect in the Silverstar’s system, and is up for free agency. The Picon native right handed starter went 14-9 with an ERA of 3.11 in the developmental league this season.

Dust Valley Riders – The Riders made their charge into the Premier League on the back of the men on the mound. Their offensive numbers left something to be desired, and will need to be worked on if they want to compete in the Premier League. The Riders will also potentially be losing two of their regular starters, with both John Covey and Lloyd Fry eligible for free agency this offseason. Covey was 11-5 with a 2.96 ERA and 110 Ks, while Fry had a bit of a rougher season, going just 5-9 with a ERA a hair under 5. Still, it’s a body the Riders will have to replace this offseason.

Pailyn Panthers – Despite a disappointing finish in the Promotion playoffs, the Panthers are primed to make another run at the Premier League next season. Pailyn features one of the most consistent pitching staffs in the entire Challenger League, as well as an offense that while not overpowering, does enough to win those close games. The Panthers do have the potential to be hit pretty hard by free agency, however, as their top starter, Manus Emery, is up for free agency. Emery went 10-6 with a 2.52 ERA in 19 starts for the Panthers this season. He was hung with the loss for game 2 of the playoff, but only allowed 1 run. The Panthers could also lose their 2nd starter, Gary Wilson, who when 9-6 with a 3.12 ERA.

Promethea Pirates – The Pirates had the best starting rotation in the Challenger League this season, with a combined 3.09 ERA. They also had the best batting average in the league, despite scoring the fewest amount of runs. The Pirates should be looking to add another bat into the middle of the lineup to help drive home some of those base hits. The Pirates won’t be losing any major role players to free agency, in fact only one player on the major league roster is eligible at all, so the Pirates can be buyers this offseason to try and make another run at promotion.

Opadea Galaxy – Despite having the league’s MVP in Michael Attril, the Galaxy failed to make the top 4 and play for promotion. It is hard to find a glaring weakness on this Galaxy team, but if any exists it would be in the starting 4. The starting rotation average a 3.7 ERA. A new solid 3rd or 4th starter would help plug the one weakness this team seems to have. Left Fielder Andrew MacMillan looks to be the biggest loss for the team in free agency. The Tauron native hit .338/.383/.448 this season, with seven home runs and 31 driven in. Russ Galbreath, the everyday SS, is also up for free agency.

Hades Vice – The Vice put up great offensive numbers this season, but struggled on the mound, especially in the later innings. Their bullpen showed and ERA over 4. Expect the Vice to be looking around the free agent market for pitching, but at the major and minor league levels. Unfortunate news for the Vice, as two of their top pitching prospects will be out for the majority of next season with injuries. The Vice won’t be losing any every day starters to free agency, so they can focus on rebuilding their pitching depth throughout the organization.

Spatiu Gol Thunder – The men in purple led the league in most pitching categories, but couldn’t get the work done at the plate to propel them into the top 4. That should be the Thunder’s biggest need this offseason – finding a bat that can hit the ball over the fence. They will lose some of that pitching to the free agent market, but most from the bullpen. The starting 4 will stay in tact.

Tawa Archers – The Archers didn’t put a lot of men on base last season, but when they did make contact they hit the ball hard. Despite being in the bottom quarter of the league in hits, the Archers were in the top quarter in extra bas hits, and second in home runs. Their pitching left a lot to be desired as well, as stats wise the Archers were in the bottom half of the league in most categories. Fortunately for the Archers, no one on the major league roster has an expiring contract this season.

Mangala Krill – The Krill’s starting 4 were one of the best rotation in the league, unfortunately their bullpen and offense let them down. The Krill finished at the bottom of the league in all but 1 offensive category. Finding offense needs to be the Krill’s number one priority if they want to contend for the Premier League next season, but unfortunately, the Krill don’t have a large bank to go after that talent this offseason, so if they want to find that bat, they’ll have to do it through the draft.

Olympia Racers – The Racers were a middle of pack team in almost every respect this season. Not the worst at anything, but they didn’t excel in any stat either. The Racers will be losing their starting first baseman, Rodolphe Velona, along with his 40 runs batted in last year.

Delphi Legion – The Legion mirror the Racers in a lot of ways, as all of their stat categories fall more or less right in the middle of the league. Unlike the Racers, though, the Legion are in a bit of a budget crisis right now, and probably can’t afford to go out and get any big names this offseason. They will most likely be losing closer Sullivan O’Gormley to free agency. While on one hand, that does free up 11 million dollars, on the other, the Legion lose one of the better closers in the league. Despite the financial hit, the Legion will most likely be looking to exend O’Gormley’s contract before he can file for free agency.

Celeste Lightning The Lightning’s pitching staff kept them in many of the their contests, but the offense really let the team down this season. They hit the long ball decently well, but small ball escaped them. A good top of the lineup bat could help propel the Lightning to a better record next season. All of the free agents potentially leaving the organization are from the minor league system, so depth may be the biggest issue of the Lightning this offseason.

Kyros Storm – The Storm have the lowest payroll in the league, and despite that, finished in the middle of the pack this season. Statistically, the Storm were unimpressive, but they did what they had to do to win games. Despite the low payroll, the Storm have a good amount of money in the bank, and could potentially reach for a big name or two to try and facilitate the rebuild and propel themselves up to the Premier League. Their first order of business needs to be replacing closer Callum MacDougall, who saved 18 games for the Storm this season, with a ERA of 2.91. MacDougall is expected to file for free agency. 3rd baseman Charlie Mcinnis will also be departing Kyros. He hit 11 homers and drove in 37 runs for the Storm.

Hidden Bay Arrows – The Arrows had one of the best pitching staffs in the Challenger League, but like the Lightning, couldn’t buy enough runs to support their pitchers. With the second lowest budget in the league, it may be difficult for the Arrows to buy their way into contention. Instead, they will be looking to grow through the draft. The Arrows will get a bit of salary relief, but it means that a number of their major league contracts are ending, and will need to be replaced from the minors. The biggest loss is at second base, as Riley Milburn will be heading for greener pastures. Milburn hit .313 this season.

Gaiam Wolves – The Wolves had the opposite problem as the Arrows; a good offense and a not so great pitching staff. The one bright spot of the staff, closer Woody Thomas, will be leaving in free agency. Thomas had 19 saves and a 3.79 ERA.

Heim Blizzard – Another small market team, the Blizzard will most likely not be as active this offseason, as the budget just isn’t there for a major free agent pick up. The Blizzard will need to draft for pitching, specifically starters, as they had the worst ERA among starting 4s in the league. They will also lose workhorse John Ridenhour to free agency. Ridenhour appeared in 32 games out of the bullpen for the Blizzard, finishing with 33 Ks and a 3.72 ERA.

Hedon Lions – Despite their low finish in the table, the Lions did a lot of things right in 2020. They hit the ball well, and pitched to an acceptable, if not a bit underachieving level. Pitching should be on the free agency agenda for the Lions, and they do have a bit of a bank to go get some.

Boskirk Brewers – Take away April, and the Brewers had a pretty good season. Unfortunately, a 3-14 record in the first month of the season put the Brewers in a hole they couldn’t dig out of. Once they found their swing, the beermakers put up some of the better offensive numbers in the Challenger League. The focus this offseason will be on pitching, and left field, as Oscar Reimer will be seeking employment elsewhere. Reimer, the every day left fielder, hit .348 with 8 homers and 38 driven in. He will be a key piece for the Brewers to replace if they want to move up in the standings.

Ionian Islanders – The Islanders finished last in the Challenger League in every single offensive stat. Despite the fact that they have one of the lowest payrolls and budgets in the league, the Islanders do have a bit of money banked up to go after maybe 1 star player to try and add some pop to the lineup. The biggest free agency loss will be second baseman Angelo Hernandez, who hit .263 and drove in 22 runs.

Jonoel Scorpions – The Scorpions need to figure out the pitching situation, and that should be the focus this offseason. Jonoel will get the first overall pick in the draft, and reports are they are keeping any options open, but are looking at pitching. Closer Martin West will most likely be leaving the team in free agency, as his contract demands are expected to far exceed what Jonoel can offer.

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Offseaon update – October

With the draft just a few days away, we’re going to take a look at where some of the big name free agents have landed so far this offseason.

Jim Hoffman – The third baseman formerly of the Hadrian United will be playing in black and blue next season. He signed a 2 year, 22 million dollar deal with the Itar Aces. We noted that the Aces were looking for a good bat this offseason, and they seem to have found their man in Hoffman.

Tom Hopps – Hopps will be leaving Itar, and joining up with the Fateu Blaze. The league’s best closer signed a 2 year deal worth just over twenty million dollars, with a player option for year three. This signing should help bolster the Blaze’s woeful bullpen.

Este Della Vedova – The Riders managed to convince their star closer to stay. Della Vedova signed a one year extension worth just under ten million dollars.

Oscar Reimer – Left fielder Reimer moves from the Boskirk Brewers to the Reidi Drillers. The Driller offered Reimer a 2 year, 14 million dollar contract.

Scott Auchnie – The Caprica City Buccaneers sniped the first baseman from their Colonial Cup opponents, as Auchnie will jump from the Miners to the C-bucs for a 4 year, 39 million dollar contract. He will replace Brice Brown in the lineup.

Vasil de Brouwer – The Bulls are being relegated, but De Brouwer will stay in the Premier League, as he signs a 5 year, 52.5 million dollar deal with the Ersia Elephants.

There are still some notable free agents left to sign:
Carl Conner
Brice Brown
Steven Joseph
Keely Mobbs

The Entry Draft is next week. Be sure to stay with the Star for full coverage.

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Colonial League Entry Draft Results

Since this is the first year there is an entry draft with two leagues, changes were made to process to determine pick order. After many meetings between team owners and officials, the following was decided:
• Pick order would be determined by team record, with the lowest record getting the first pick, and so on.
• All of the teams in one league will draft before all of the teams in the second league.
• In the first, third, and fifth rounds, the Challenger League will draft first. In the second and fourth rounds, the Premier League will draft first. The order will also reverse for the second and fourth rounds. Meaning the Premier League Champions (in this case the Caprica City Buccaneers) will have the final pick in round 1, and the first pick in round 2. The lowest ranked Challenger League team (in this case, the Jonoel Scorpions) will have the first pick in round 1, an the last pick in round two. It is believed this will allow lower ranked teams a fair shot at good young talent, but overall keep the talent pool balanced between the leagues.
• The teams that are relegated/promoted will draft with the league they were in the prior season (so the Riders and Silverstars draft with the Challenger League, Bulls and Vipers with the Premier League). This is so all teams are ranked based on their records against like competition.
So with that being said, this year’s first round draft order was:

1. Jonoel Scorpions
2. Ionian Islanders
3. Boskirk Brewers
4. Hedon Lions
5. Heim Blizzard
6. Gaiam Wolves
7. Hidden Bay Arrows
8. Celeste Lightning
9. Kyros Storm
10. Delphi Legion
11. Mangala Krill
12. Olympia Racesr
13. Tawa Archesr
14. Spaitu Gol Thunder
15. Hades Vice
16. Opadea Galaxy
17. Promethea Pirates
18. Pailyn Panthers
19. Dust Valley Riders
20. Argentum Silverstars
21. Landson Vipers
22. Tauron City Bulls
23. Queenstown Wave (won coin toss with Luminere)
24. Luminere Reds
25. Hadrian United (won coin toss with Kobol College)
26. Kobol College Twins
27. Ersia Elephants
28. Reidi Drillers
29. Fateu Blaze
30. Itar Aces
31. Prometha Miners
32. Caprica City Buccaneers.

Hadrian, Ersia, and Promethea each received a supplemental draft choice after the first round for free agents lost, then the above order repeated backwards for round two.

With the #1 overall pick, the Jonoel Scorpions select Lee Martin 1B from Scorpia
Martin Hit .320 with 16 HR and 45 RBI in his last season of Rising Star League. Really turned it on late in the season. Scouting report: Good power potential, maybe a bit below average hitter. Fielding needs work.

#2 Ionian Islanders – SP Ed Trzcinski from Scorpia
5-3 with a 2.75 ERA last season, up from 1.16 the year before. Scouting Report: 3 pitch starter with a slider as a 4th pitch but it needs work. Mid 90s fastball with decent life. Scout rating went down this year as his ERA went up, but not enough for anyone to question the Islanders taking him 2nd.

#3 Boskirk Brewers – SP Jim Noftle from Tauron
5-2 with a 2.51 ERA in the last season of Rising Star. 9-2 with a .66 ERA in 12 starts the year before. Scouting Report: Solid Fastball/Slider pitcher. Other pitches need work. High 90s fastball, but command sometimes an issue.

#4 Hedon Lions – C Edwin Reagh from Caprica
Hit .288 with 13 HR and 27 RBI. Average went down in his final year of Rising Star, but power numbers increased. Scouting Report: Power potential has grown, but needs to work on not striking out so much. Rock solid defensively behind the plate. Consensus best catcher in the draft.

#5 Heim Blizzard – 3B Jim Buttar from Libran
Hit .402 with 13 HR and 42 RBI. Was Rising Star MVP last season. Scouting Report: A bit of a surprise he fell all the way to #5 – Solid contact hitter with the potential for power if the coaching is good. Doesn’t strike out much. Defensively, grabs any hit his way in the infield.

#6 Gaiam Wolves – LF Teague Lyal from Leonis
Slashed .340/.387/.478 last year, with 5 stolen bases. Scouting Report: Kid is lightning fast both on the bases and roaming around left field. Contact hitter who won’t hit many home runs, but will set the deck for power hitters well.

#7 Hidden Bay Arrows – 3B Rich Duncan from Scorpia
Hit .313 with 17 HR and 64 RBI in Rising Star last season. Power and RBI numbers have been consistent throughout his Rising Star career. Average was a career high last year. Scouting Report: Despite the uptick in his batting average this season, scouts are down a bit on Duncan. He projects out to a great power hitter, but scouts are afraid he’ll struggle to hit for average against big league pitching. Defensively, lacks the range of Buttar who was taken before him, but doesn’t make many errors and has a good arm.

#8 Celeste Lightning – SP Fogarty Oxpring from Gemenon(also winner of best name in the draft)
Injured most of last year, only appeared in 3 games. Career ERA in rising star is around 2.5. Scouting Report: This is an interesting pick because of the player’s current injury, but Celeste liked him enough to take a chance. Fastball/Changeup/Splitter – low to mid 90s on the fastball. Scout rating fell harshly this year because of injury, but was highly touted before that.

#9 Kyros Storm – CL Matt Kelly from Virgon
15 saves in 18 tries, but a 3.80 ERA. Converted to closer this season. Was a moderately successful starter year before. Scouting Report: Probably won’t be everyday closer, but should be a solid bullpen arm. Low 90s fastball, but with good movement. Groundball pitcher that pitches to contact.

#10 Delphi Legion – 1B Dusty Hall from Sagittaron
Hit .315 with 17 HR and 56 RBI last year. Hit .370 with similar numbers the year before. Scouting Report: Scouts didn’t like that his batting average dropped this last year, but he still projects to be a good solid power hitter. Has trouble with offspeed stuff, so may struggle if he gets behind in counts. Average to slightly below average fielder.

#11 Mangala Krill – SP Barney Richardson from Canceron
6-2 with a 2.13 ERA in his final season of Rising Star. Will be playing for his home town, as the Prommos native will be playing for the Prommos Blast, the D-league affiliate of the Krill. Scouting Report: Mid 90s fastball, complemented will by a great circle change, which is probably his best pitch. Has issues with leaving fastballs up in the zone.

#12 Olympia Racers – CF Jerry Speck from Leonis
Only appeared in 9 games last season due to injury. Career .350 hitter in Rising Star. Scouting Report: Despite the good numbers in Rising Star, not projected to be anything special at the plate. Defensively, however, he’ll run down anything hit remotely near him, won’t make many errors, and can throw out anyone greedy enough to run on him.

#13 Tawa Archers – SP Elton Manners from Virgon
5-1 with a 1.08 ERA and 49 Ks last season. Only allowed 6 earned runs in 50 innings of work. Scouting Report: Healthy all of last year, but missed time in each of the season prior, so injuries are a bit of a concern. Mid 90s fastball and good changeup. Fastball moves but like Richardson he tends to leave it up in the zone. Wasn’t punished by Rising Star hitters. Will probably be punished by Colonial League hitters. Still, numbers were lights out last year, so there’s almost certainly something there.

#14 Spatiu Gol Thunder – CF Cody Adams from Leonis
Hit .281 with 14 RBI last seaon. Made no errors and recorded 8 outfield assists. Scouting Report: Like Jerry Speck, this is a draft choice made for the defensive prowess. Adams just doesn’t make mistakes in the outfield, and has a cannon for an arm. Average to below average hitter, though.

#15 Hades Vice – 3B Darren Boon from Aquarion
Hit .238 with 8 HR and 28 RBI last season. Scouting Report: Despite the lower average last season, Boon projects to be a decent contact hitter than can get on base. He doesn’t strike out much and draws a good number of walks. With coaching, power numbers could increase as well. They aren’t quite there yet, though. Defensively solid – doesn’t have great range, but can cheat the line because he has a strong arm to make up for it.

#16 Opadea Galaxy – SS Alex Shacklady from Tauron
Slashed .205/.294/.289 – 3 HR with 14 RBI and drew 20 walks. Scouting Report – Bat is quick through the zone. Won’t hit for power, but makes decent contact. Great plate discipline; isn’t afraid to take a walk. Elite speed on the basepads, and great mobility around his defensive position. Only made 1 error last season.

#17 Promethea Pirates – CF Shelby Sisson from Caprica
Hit .240 with 11 RBI. Missed a good chunk of the season with a finger injury. Scouting Report: Sisson is a project with a lot of potential. His hitting needs work, and even at the top of his game he’s projected to be around a .250 hitter. Great range in center field, will track down most balls hit that way, and can be lethal running the bases, if he can find a way to get on.

#18 Pailyn Panthers – RP/CL Powell Sharp from Caprica
1 win and 3 saves with a 1.1 ERA in 14 appearances. Recorded 53Ks in 41 innings pitched. Bounced between the bullpen and the rotation last season. Scouting report: Despite 16 starts in his Rising Star career, Sharp will most likely be a bullpen arm in the bigs. There’s a chance he finds himself in the closers roll one day. High 90s to 100 mph on the fastball, with decent control. Good movement on fastball gets a lot of swings and misses.

#19 Dust Valley Riders – CL Todd Murphy from Libran
3-0 with 15 saves and a 0.64 ERA in 24 appearances. 45 Ks in 28 innings pitched. Scouting Report: Fastball won’t hit 100 like Sharp, but still mid to high 90s with good movement. Scouts are raving about this kid. Potential to be a dominant strikeout pitcher and shut down closer.

#20 Argentum Silverstars – SP Bruce Brunwin from Leonis
7-2 but with a 4.2 ERA last season in Rising Star. 1.2 WHIP, but allowed 15 HR. Scouting Report: Solid low 90s fastball, but other pitches are still works in progress. Changeup gets hit out of the park a little too often right now. If he can develop that pitch, he’ll have a good chance of striking many hitters out.

#21 Landson Vipers – SS John Cameron from Canceron
Hit just .206 with 4 HR and 18 RBI last season. Is a career .230 hitter in Rising Star. 27 career stolen bases. Scouting Report: Scouts have ticked down his potential over the last two season, but Cameron still projects out to be a serviceable hitter. The real work will be done with the glove. Plays either middle infield position, and does so well, with good range and a good arm. Probably will land at SS in the big leagues. Also, lots of speed on the bases.

#22 Tauron City Bulls – 1B Eddie Cowen from Caprica
Hit .250 last season after missing all of the previous season with an injury. 8 HR and 22 RBI. Scouting Report: Cowen projects to be good contact hitter at the next level, but really needs to work on his plate discipline to get that batting average up. Solid first baseman, but doesn’t project to be anything special defensively.

#23 Queenstown Wave – LF Mike Heatherly from Aquarion
Hit .254 last season with 20 RBI. Also drew 36 walks. Scouting Report: Scouts have fluctuated on where to rate Heatherly, but all in all he draws favorable ratings across the board. Won’t hit for great power, but should be a solid top of the lineup guy, especially with his ability to draw walks. He has good speed, and is always a threat to steal. He can track down a decent number of balls hit his way in the outfield, but needs to work on taking a better path to them.

#24 Luminere Reds – RF Ferdinand Adie from Scorpia
Hit .348 with 11 HR and 40 RBI last season. Rising Star career batting average of .393. Scouting Report: Projects out as a good contact hitter with the potential to be an above average power hitter. Will need that power if he wants to be an every day player, though. He might as well be walking the bases, and needs to be hidden in right field as he needs lots of defensive coaching.

#25 Hadrian United – C Roy Power from Picon
Hit .266 with 3 HR and 14 RBI last season. Scouting Report: Lots of average here. Should be a decent contact hitter with below average power. Decent eye at the plate, but is a catcher and runs like one. He’s a solid defensive backstop, though, and won’t give up many past balls.

#26 Kobol College Twins – CF Jack MacKimmie from Picon
Hit .314 with 7 HR and 29 RBI last season. Stole 8 bases while only being caught once. Scouting Report: Potential .300 hitter at the next level, but don’t expect many home runs from him. Good plate disciple can draw some walks, and he’s dangerous once he gets on base. Good range in center, but needs to work on his catching, and the arm won’t be throwing out many tagging runners.

#27 Ersia Elephants – CF Morrigan Edwin from Canceron
Hit .300 both last season and for a career in Rising Star. 19 RBI last season. Scouting report: Can play all three outfield positions, but is most comfortable in left. Elephants will most likely start him in center, as that’s more a position of need right now. Good contact and plate discipline mean he should be seeing first base a fair amount. Doesn’t project to be a power hitter. Decent range, but like MacKimmie, doesn’t posses a strong arm that’s a danger to throw out runners.

#28 Reidi Drillers – LF Jadrek Brak from Gemenon
Hit .265 with 21 RBI. Scouting Report: Scouts are high on Brak, despite his high strikeout numbers. If he can improve his plate discipline, he projects out to be a decent contact hitter who should have a respectable average. Good speed on the bases, and a serviceable arm to try and get those runners going home.

#29 Fateu Blaze – RP Jose Menendez from Caprica
Appeared in 19 games, recording 8 saves, but an ERA of 4.43. Menedez has been bouncing between closer and middle reliever his entire Rising Star career. Scouting report: High 80s fastball and a power curveball. Also throws a sinker but it needs work. Decent movement on his fastball, but not enough to miss the barrel a lot of the time. Has been a bit unluck this season, as his BABIP is .412.

#30 Itar Aces – 1B Matt Hagerty from Leonis
Hit .337 with 14 HR and 52 RBI last season. Scouting Report: Those are good numbers for someone taken so late in the draft. Most scouts have been tanking his rating over the last few months after talking to him and his coaches. They just don’t think he’ll get much better than he is now. Hagerty is one of the oldest players in the draft, and despite the good contact and power numbers, they don’t feel there is a ton of room for him to grow. If he does, this is a steal of a pick by the Aces.

#31 Promethea Miners – LF Bryon Gardner from Picon
Gardner hit .352 with 7 HR and 40 RBI in Rising Star last season. Scouting Report: Like Hagerty, scouts are unsure just how much improvement we’ll see from Gardner at the next level. Still, his numbers are good, he projects to be a solid contact and power hitter, and he will probably be major league ready sooner than many taken before him. Defense may be a bit of a problem, and he might switch to 1B before all is said and done.

#32 Caprica City Buccaneers – 3B Jason Graham from Libran
Graham hit .246 with 19 RBI last season. Scouting report: Projects out to be an average to below average hitter, who won’t hit for much power. Solid speed on the basepads, and a great defensive 3rd baseman, however.

Noteable other picks

#33 Hadrian United (supplemental) – C Sean Howey of Libran
.331 average with 6 HR and 35 RBI last season. Hit above .300 entire Rising Star career. Scouting Report: Hadrian picked catchers with both of their first round picks, so this is clearly a position of need for them. Power is the better defensive catcher, where as Howey will hopefully provide a bit more offense. He doesn’t project out as a great contact hitter, but the raw power is there. Needs to work on his plate discipline, as well.

#36 Ersia Elephants (supplemental) – CF Monro Nunns of Libran
Hit .298 with 10 HR and 38 RBI last season. Had 3 double-digit home run season in Rising Star. Scouting Report: The scouts downgraded his potential coming into last season, but this seems like a steal of a pick by Ersia. Nunns projects out to a great power hitter, with the ability to hit to all fields. His contact numbers should come along as well. If he develops out, Ersia may have something here.

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Offseason Update – November

More big name players have found homes in the month of November, with former Caprica City first baseman Brice Brown headlining the list.

Brice Brown – Brown will be leaving Caprica and playing for its twin planet Gemenon, as he signs a 6 year, 69 million dollar contract with the Kobol College Twins. There is a player opt out option after two years. This is a homecoming for Brice, who is a Gemenon native.

Steven Joseph – Another former C-Buc jumping ship, Joseph will join the Argentum Silverstars in their first Premier League year. The 5-time all star and 3 time Arrow of Apollo award winner signed a 2-year deal with the Silverstars worth just under 15 million.

Keely Mobbs – Proving that they are serious about staying in the Premier League, the Argentum Silverstars also picked up closer Keely Mobbs, formerly of the Reidi Drillers. Mobbs signed a front loaded 2 year deal, giving the team some options for what to do with him next season. It is unsure if Mobbs will get the ball in the 9th, or if the Silverstars will stay with closer Elton Berose, who recorded 19 saves last season. Either way, the Silverstars have a great combination for the 8th and 9th innings.

Martin West – Jonoel’s underused closer will probably get a lot more action now that he pitches for Dust Valley. West recorded 9 saves for Scorpions last year. West will most likely be the setup man for Este Della Vedova, who signed a one year extension with Dust Valley earlier this offseason.

Randy White – The long time Blaze ace will be the new top of the rotation starter for the Ersia Elephants. White had a bounce back season last year, going 7-2 with a 3.06 ERA. White signed a 5 year deal worth 55 million.

Rodney Nathaniel – The former Twins third baseman led the Premier League in doubles last year. He’ll try to do the same, but this time in Fateu Blaze colors. The two time Wings of Nike award winner at third signed a 3 year, 13 million dollar deal with the Blaze.

Derek Shenk – Shenk went just 6-9 last year for the Kyros Storm in the Challenger league, with an ERA of 3.69. That didn’t deter the Tawa Archers, who offered him a 4 year, 17 million dollar deal. The last year is a team option.

Big name free agents still unsigned
Carl Conner has still yet to make a decision. Rumors circulate daily, and it seems that he is deciding on offers from Caprica City, Dust Valley, and Kobol College. His agent stated he’s looking for something in the 4-5 years range, at abut 8.5 million per year.

Manus Emery, former Pailyn Panther starter is also still looking for a new club. At 42 years old, age may be a factor for Emery, who is reportedly still looking for elite pitcher dollars. Emery went 10-6 with a 2.52 ERA last season.

Dana Worcester might be feeling a bit left out in the cold. Most other big name closers have already found spots, while the former United game ender is still teamless. Worcester picked up 12 saves last year, with a 1.18 ERA in 34 appearances. Unfortunately, the Landson Vipers didn’t give him many opportunities to pick up saves. He’s hoping a new team will do just that.

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Offseason Update –December through Spring Training

Carl Conner finally has a new home. Last minute negotiations appear to have fallen through with the Caprica City Buccaneers, as Conner will be the new ace of the Kobol College Twins. Conner signed a 6 year, 80 million dollar deal. He slots directly into the top of a rotation that gave up more runs than just about everybody in the Premier League last season.

Manus Emery has also signed with a new club. The former Panther will stay in the Challenger League, as he signs a 1 year deal worth 10.7 million dollars with the Olympia Racers.

Dana Worcester will stay in the Premier League, signing a 2 year, 14.5 million dollar deal with the Reidi Drillers. The Drillers also signed closer Callum MacDougall as the expected closer, so it looks like Worcester will work from the middle of the bullpen.

Major off-season trades throughout the Colonial Leagues

The Landson Vipers traded catcher Raymond Hubbard to the Hadrian United. Hubbard hit .349 with 9 HR and 41 driven in last year. In return the Vipers get two prospects, 2B Dylan Malloch, who is expected to play at the big league level next season, and 2B Frank Brooks, who will most likely stay down in the Developmental League.

The Ionian Islanders traded with their cross town rivals, sending closer Dave Richardson to the Caprica City Buccaneers. Richardson recorded 18 saves for the Islanders last season, with 0.61 ERA, and 55 strikeouts in 44 innings pitched. In return, Caprica gives up two of their top prospects: Starter Dave Barron and shortstop Frank Masnfield. Barron was 10-4 last season with a 2.98 ERA, while Mansfield hit .293 with 31 driven in. Both men played exclusively in the Developmental League last season.

The long winter is over, at least in some parts of the colonies (sorry Aquarion), and it is time for pre-season training once again.

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Spring Recap and Pre-season predictions

The preseason is over, and its time to take a final look at the warm up games and see who the computer thinks will be at the top of the standings and fighting for promotion come season’s end.

It’s important to note that spring training games don’t mean much. The rosters are full of players who probably won’t be playing in the big leauges, and the stars are only in the games for a few innings. That being said, the final tally for the challenger league showed a few interesting things:

Right off the top, the Gaiam Wolves and Ionian Islanders both had fantastic pre-seasons, as they look to improve from bottom of the league teams a season ago. On the flip side, fresh off their late season collapse in the premier league, the Bulls still have yet to figure out how to right the ship as they had a dreadful pre-season. But maybe the biggest surprise is the Pailyn Panthers. The Panthers had a rough offseason, losing a few key players to free agency and not really getting any big names in return. It’s only spring, but the win/loss column might have some fans on Picon worried already.

Preseason Predictions

The Racers made some big free agency moves this offseason and are being rewarded for it by the computers, as they are picked to win the Challenger League. The biggest signing was former Panther ace Manus Emery, but they also snagged former Panther Gary Wilson. If those two pitch as well of Olympia as they did for Pailyn, the Panthers will be in good shape this season. The computers also apparently liked Gaiam’s spring, as they are projected to be near the top of the standings as well.

The experts and computers think Tauron City is in full rebuild mode, as it lists the bulls near the bottom of the pack. The same can be said for the Panthers, as the computers were not impressed by their poor preseason performance. Fellow relegation team Landson is projected to be near the bottom of the pack as well.

The Premier League pre-season was dominated by the Fateu Blaze and newcomers Argentum Silverstars. The Blaze, one of the best offensive teams last season, made some major pitching upgrades in the offseason. With two new starters at the top of the rotation and arguably the league’s best closer in Tom Hopps joining the team, the Blaze, well, blazed through the pre-season.

The biggest shock is the team at the bottom of the standings. Caprica City took a big nosedive from the Colonial Cup winning campaign last season. Again, its only spring, but like their rivals the Pailyn Panthers, this is a troubling turn of events.

The newly promoted Argentum Silverstars are the computers’ favorites to win the Premier League this season. Not only did they keep almost all of the talent that got them up to the Premier League in the first place, they were buyers this offseason. The Argentum front office was not afraid to spend the influx of cash the team would be getting from moving up to the new revenue stream of the Premier League. The addition of Keely Mobbs helps bridge the gap to closer Elton Berose, and sniping third baseman Steven Joseph from the C-bucs ads another bat to an already explosive Silverstar lineup.

The Kobol College Twins got a huge bump from the computers thanks to their offseason acquisitions as well. The late signing of Carl Conners adds an immediate ace to the staff, and picking up hard hitting first baseman Brice Brown from Caprica City adds a dangerous bat to the middle of the lineup.

The computers don’t think that the C-bucs will tank as hard as they did in the pre-season, but they are projecting out as a sub-.500 team. The theme of the above teams is all the players that Caprica City lost this offseason. The starting 4 will all return from last year, but if the C-bucs can put up the same offensive numbers remains to be seen.

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Major announcement from the Colonial League

Caprica City – Colonial League officials today announced an exciting new addition to the Premier and Challenger Leagues. At the end of this season, a tournament will take place between the twelve tribes of Kobol. Instead of playing for clubs, the players of the Colonial Leagues will come together and represent their home colonies.

The tournament will be held every two years, and the host city will rotate between the colonies. The inaugural even will be hosted by Pailyn, Picon.

The twelve tribes will be drawn into two groups of 6. Each team will play 10 games in the group stage, 1 as the home team and 1 as the away team against each other team in their group. The top two in each group will advance to a single elimination playoff. Teams with the better records will be the home team for the single elimination games.

This tournament was formed thanks to requests from the President of the Colonies, and as such will be known as the President’s Challenge, and the winner’s trophy will be the President’s Trophy. This tournament will be a source of goodwill and friendly competition between the worlds.

The inaugural event will take place in Caprica’s October, roughly a month after the regular season ends.

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Complete Challenger League Coverage weeks 1 and 2

Racers, Archers, living up to hype so far
The season is still young, but the Olympia Racers and Tawa Arches are right where the computers projected them to in the pre-season. Both squads had great opening and second weekends, and sit in the logjam at the top of the standings through two weeks. Olympia did it with pitching, as their staff currently ranks first in the league in ERA, while the Archers did it with offense. Their power numbers put them near the top of the league rankings.

Panthers not returning to form
Their lack of moves in the offseason led many pundits to worry about the future of the Pailyn Panthers in the Challenger league, but even they didn’t expect it to be this bad. Last year’s regular season champions are just 1-7 after an opening weekend sweep by the Prometha Pirates and a few uninspired performances against the Hedon Lions. The Panthers pitching staff, once its bright spot, has given up the most runs in the league through 8 games. They’ve allowed 52 runners to cross the plate, good enough for a 5.06 ERA, also the worst in the league.

Vipers struggling in the Challenger League too
Joining the Panthers at the bottom of the barrel are the Landson Vipers. The former Premier Leauge team opened its Challenger league campaign by being swept by the Archers, then dropping 3 of 4 to the Thunder. Landson is in full on rebuild mode, and it looks like even playing in the Challenger League won’t change that.

Matchup of the Week
With the lack of separation in the early going, there are a lot of teams with similar records matching up this week, but we’ll specifically focus on the Olympia Racers vs the Opadea Galaxy. The Racers are expected to win the Challenger League, but they’ll get a test from a team that is a perennial frontrunner. Also, the Galaxy get Michael Atrill back for this series. The Globe of Atlas winner missed the first two weeks of the season due to injury.

CCL standings through week 2 of 19

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Complete Premier League Coverage weeks 1 and 2

Hello Silverstars
So far, all that buying that the Argentum Silverstars did in the offseason is paying off. Argentum is off to a blistering 7-1 start in the inaugural season in the Premier League. The opening weekend sweep of the Wave was impressive, but following that up by take 3 of 4 from the Fateu Blaze really made a statement. This team may be recently promoted, but the club from Scorpia is here to win.

Dust Valley holding their own
While we’re looking at the recently promoted teams, Dust Valley has managed a respectable showing through their first 8 games as well. They started the season by taking 3 of 4 from the Kobol College Twins, but were reeled back into the pack as they dropped 3 of 4 to the Caprica City Buccaneers. Their upcoming schedule is a series against the red hot Silverstars, and then the Ersia Elephants, who currently sit second in the standings. These next 8 games will be the true test of the Riders mettle, and if they can hang with Premier League teams.

Queenstown in trouble early

Still lots of season left to play, but the Queenstown Wave have opened by putting themselves into a hole. The Wave are just 1-7 through the first two weeks of the season. The offense just hasn’t been there for the two-time champions, as they’ve scored the fewest runs in the league through 8. The pitching has been pretty decent, but their hurlers just aren’t getting any run support.

Matchup of the Week
It’s the first of two Colonial Cup rematches as the 5-3 Caprica City Buccaneers take on the 3-5 Promethea Miners. The C-bucs look to keep pace with the Silverstars, while the Miners look to keep from falling too far behind early in the season.

Complete CPL standings through week 2 of 22

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Hello everyone, I am back. Sorry this kind of died; I had some real life stuff come up over the past few months so I wasn't able to keep this active, but I am back and hopefully able to keep this going again. And all the graphics are prettier now because OOTP 19 looks amazing.

Complete Challenger League Coverage weeks 3 and 4

Wolves, Archers leading pack
The Gaiam Wolves went on a tear the past two weeks, going 7-1 over their last eight. The Wolves took 3 of 4 from the Landson Vipers, before sweeping the Delphi Legion in week 4. The offense was rolling against the Legion, as the Wolves scored 34 runs over the 4 games, including a 14-2 victory on Sunday. The Archers, meanwhile, have been consistently good all season, and went 6-2 over their last 8 games. Tawa came out on the better end of multiple high scoring affairs against one of the other league favorites, the Olympia Racers in week 4.

Panthers continue to struggle
The Pailyn Panthers looked to be on the cusp of joining the Premier League last season, but after falling in the Promotion Series, they now find themselves at 3-13 and 8 games out of a potential promotion spot. The team has yet to win a game on the road. There isn’t one specific thing you can point to. Their hitting has been middle of the road, their pitching has been middle of the road, and neither seem to click at the same time. Its still early, but the dreams for the Panthers of advancing to the Premier League seem to be slipping quickly.

Early Stat Leaders

Barney Buckly of the Heim Blizzard leads the league in Home Runs through 4 weeks with 8. He also leads the league with 20 driven in. Vince James of the Mangala Krill leads the starting pitching race with a 1.45 ERA through 4 games. He’s put up a 3-1 record in that time. At the end of the game, Macartan Monkmon leads the league with 8 saves through 16 games. The long time Archer is picking up where he left off last year, recording 21 saves in the 2020 campaign.

Emery to have Tommy John
A bad break for the Olympia Racers, as Manus Emery has been diagnosed with a UCL tear and will have Tommy John surgery. The 43 year old signed a 1 year, 10 million dollar contract with the Racers after leading the Pailyn Panthers to a chance at promotion. Due to Emery’s age and the nature of the injury, many question if we’ll ever see him in the Colonial league’s again.

Matchup of the Week Results
The Racers took 3 of 4 from the Galaxy, kicking off a bit of a slide for the men in orange. Opadea’s star player, Michael Atrill, missed the series due to a fractured wrist. He returns this week.

Matchup of the Week
This week the Tawa Archers take on the Hedon Lions. The Lions are having a strong start to the season, but playing the team at the top of the table will prove to be a good early season test.

CCL Standings through week 4 of 19.

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Complete Premier League Coverage Week 3 and 4

Promoted teams on top
The Argentum Silverstars have cooled slightly from their 7-1 start, going just 4-4 over the past two weeks. Their 11-5 record is still good enough for a tie for second place in the table. Meanwhile, the Dust Valley Riders are on the heater of all heaters, winning 8 straight and 9 of their last 10. All 4 of the Silvestars recent losses came at the hands of the Riders. Dust Valley then swept Ersia in week 4. The Riders pitching has been top notch through 4 weeks. They have the lowest team ERA, have allowed the fewest runs, and have the second most strikeouts in the league.

Ersia takes a tumble
On the opposite side of the coin, the Ersia Elephants have lost 8 straight contests. After a 6-2 start to the season, the Elephants sit tied for a relegation spot. The pitching has fallen apart for the Elephants, as their ERA has ballooned up over 6 in just two weeks.

Matchup of the Week results
The C-Bucs took 3 close games from the Miners, winning all 3 games by one run each. Caprica City couldn’t keep up that momentum, however, as they were swept by the Argentum Silverstars the next week.

Matchup of the Week
The Dust Valley Riders take on the Itar Aces. Dust Valley looks to continue their red hot streak, while Itar looks to get back into the hunt for the Colonial Cup.

CPL Standings through week 4 of 22.

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Complete Challenger League Coverage Weeks 5 and 6

Archers remain on top
The Tawa Archers continue their march to the Premier League, putting up a 7-1 record over the last two weeks. The boys from Sagittaron are getting a big boost from left fielder Stu Petipas, who is second in the league in OBP, and 4th in runs scored. The Archer pitching has left something to be desired this year, as they are in the bottom half of the league in ERA, so if they are in contention, look for them to maybe make a move for some pitching help at the trade deadline.

Welcome back Michael
Last year’s Globe of Atlas winner Michael Attrill came off the DL just in time for week 5, and picked up right where he left off. In the 8 games since he has returned, Attrill has hit 5 home runs, 8 RBI, and has hit just over .350. His return has helped the Galaxy turn things around, as they split the series with the Gaiam wolves, then took 3 of 4 from the Kyros Storm.

Moore continues to dominate
Promethea ace Harold Moore has been named the CCL Pitcher of the Month. Moore won the Zeus’s Lightning trophy last season, and is keeping his incredible roll going. Moore went 4-0 in 5 starts in April, amassing 40 strikeouts and putting up a 1.85 ERA in 34 innings of work.

Matchup of the Week Results
As mentioned above, the Tawa Archers stayed hot as they took 3 of 4 from the Hedon Lions. Closer Macartan Monkmon picked up all 3 of the saves, bringing his save streak to 20 games. The Lions hit a bit of a skid over the past two weeks, losing 3 of 4 to both the Archers and the Hidden Bay Arrows. It was an on-theme but poor two weeks for the Lions.

Matchup of the Week
The Managla Krill take on the Opadea Galaxy in a series that could vault one of the teams to the top of the table. Both teams are hanging around at the 4 games back mark, and a 3-1 or 4-0 series win could do wonders for either team’s post-season chances.

Complete CCL standings through week 6 of 19

[lionden_56]

Complete Premier League Coverage Weeks 5 and 6

Dust Valley cools
The red-hot Riders are more of a medium orange after the last two weeks, putting up just a 3-5 record in the 8 games. This includes dropping 3 of 4 to the Hadrian United. The Riders still lead the Premier League in every major pitching category except home runs allowed, where they are near the bottom of the pack. If they can reel in the long ball, the Riders are far from out of the Colonial Cup chase.

Duarte out for the year
Bad news for Caprica City, as their ace Ricardo Duarte will miss the remainder of the season with a torn rotator cuff. Some of next season may be missed as well. Duarte was tied for the league lead with 11 wins last season. He was 0-2 with an ERA over 6 this season as he battled the injury. The C-bucs called up Keehan Thrilwall from the Developmental League to replace him. Thrilwall went 3-1 with a 2.7 ERA in AAA ball last year.

Burnby burning it up
Prior to the season the Kobol College Twins signed their longtime Shortstop Knox Burnby to a 5 year deal. Burnby is repaying them in kind by putting up huge numbers so far this season Burnby was named the April player of the month thanks to his .400 average, 6 homers, and 24 driven in. Burnby currently leads the league with 9 homers and 29 RBI on the season.

Wave pulling ahead in the wrong race
The Queenstown Wave may be the only 2-time Colonial Cup Champions, but that pedigree won’t keep them in the Premier League if they continue to play as they have this season. The Wave are 4 games short of a safe spot in the table, and their offensive numbers show why. Queenstown is at or near the bottom in every offensive category. There is still a lot of time left, and anything can happen (just ask Tauron City), but the Wave need to figure it out, and in a hurry.

Matchup of the Week results
The Riders and Aces split their series, with each team winning their home games. Both teams hit the skids afterwards, however, as the Riders lost 3 of 4 to the United, and the Aces were swept by the Promethea Miners.

Matchup of the Week
The Queenstown Wave take on the Itar Aces in a battle for which team can right the ship first. Queenstown gets a chance to get out of the relegation zone against a team that is also struggling right now.

Complete CPL standings through week 6 of 22

[Spud Eating Buccos]

Just wanted to say thanks for this, it's been a great read. I check it out at work during breaks and the such and I've really gotten into it. The set up is awesome, makes me want to play something like this. Been rooting for Dust Valley, good to see them get the promotion. Also been watching Kobol College, for some reason. Now if the Promethea Pirates can get in there this year, all will be right. Keep it up!

[lionden_56]

Checking in on some of the big names from the offseason

This past offseason saw a number of big name free agents flip teams. Let’s take a look at how they are doing for their new squads.

Tom Hopps
Hopps won the Shield of Ares award last year, given to the best relief pitcher. He signed a 31 million dollar contract with the Fateu Blaze. So far this season, Hopps is 7 for 7 in save opportunities, with 3 wins as well. However, is 2.7 ERA would be a career high, if the season ended today.

Jim Hoffman
The former Hadrian United star lost the Globe of Atlas trophy to his teammate last season, and went for greener pastures in Itar. So far the move hasn’t been kind to him. The league leader in home runs last season, Hoffman has gone long just 3 times this season, and is on pace to have his worst home run hitting season of his career.

Brice Brown
Brown turned his post season performance last season into a huge payday in the offseason, but so far he hasn’t lived up to his paycheck. Brown does lead the Kobol College Twins in RBI with 13, but the slugger has hit just 4 home runs and is putting up a .5 WAR.

Scott Auchnie
Caprica City picked up Auchnie to replace Brown when he left for Kobol College. That move seems to be about neutral as Auchnie’s numbers are pretty similar to Browns. Auchnie has 5 homers, 16 batted in, and is hitting .250

Randy White
White took a big contract to be the ace for a struggling Ersia team looking to replace Carl Conner. White had a great season in 2020, but looks to be regressing in 2021. He’s 1-4 in 6 starts. While the Elephants are almost notorious for their lack of run support, White’s 4.47 ERA isn’t helping his own cause any either.

Carl Conner
Speaking of Carl, the best worst pitcher in the league with Ersia last year took a big contract with the Kobol College Twins. Now that he's finally getting some run support, the numbers are turning around and he is earning that spot at the top of the rotation. Conner is 4-1 in 6 starts with a 1.70 ERA.

Manus Emery
Finally, Manus Emery was an interesting offseason story, as he was one of the oldest free agents available, yet felt he could make star pitcher money. He did eventually sign a 1 year, 10 million dollar deal with the Olympia Racers. But, as reported a few weeks ago, Manus tore his UCL in a start with the Racers, and faces Tommy John surgery. At 43 years old, most agree it will be a career ending injury.