In the Shadows of Olympus: The Modern Invention of Baseball

[Bryan Swartz]

INTRODUCTION

I've always enjoyed alternative history. For those who know of it, I'm particularly a fan of the work of Harry Turtledove, espescially The Guns of the South. A lot of dynasties and stories here revolve around changing history, whether it's full sims from 1871/1901 to the present, a specific era, or various combinations of fictional and historical elements.

This will be different, though. This dynasty is about an idea that I've been playing around with in my head for a long time(years) and I've finally decided to just go ahead with -- an idea that I've never seen explored here. What if baseball had never been invented? Imagine a world where we have soccer, tennis, golf, American football, basketball, etc. ... but Abner Doubleday, Joe Jackson, Ted Williams, Sandy Koufax, Barry Bonds, and the hundreds more of baseball stars too numerous to mention that we all know were just ordinary citizens, or perhaps starred in other sports. Imagine a world where baseball was never the American pastime. Imagine a world where instead the game was invented as a reaction to the modern, western fascination with instant gratification and constant action in it's entertainment.

What would the sport look like? Could it even survive against the competition of other, more established competitions in the modern world? Where would it begin, and how would it spread if it did survive? Who would play it, and how might the sport ultimately differ from the incarnation of baseball we know today? This dynasty will catalogue a hypothetical vision of those events.

The story begins in the seat of one of the great ancient cultures of the world, and very near the place where long-held ideal of pure competition, the Olympic Games, took it's root. I'm speaking of course of Athens, Greece, near the northern shore of the Meditteranean Sea.

[Jamee999]

LOVE the concept, looking forward to seeing the dynasty

[Bryan Swartz]

Thanks

Humble Origins

Few ideas worth celebrating are ever the sole province of one person. Inspiration and ideas often spring from a variety of sources, before finding full expression in the strangest places. Certainly baseball is not a sport which jives well with many aspects of the modern world. A sport with no clock? A game which gives the defense control of the ball and the action? These are very contrary concepts to the constant advancement of more extreme, viscerally intense forms of competition, except perhaps to those inclined to think that the modern way of life has become perhaps too obsessively hurried and impatient.

One such man was Christos Antonakos, without whom this story would not be possible. The basic structure of the game was formed over time, and had influences in many of his friends and business associates, as well as the many disparate travelers he encoutered as a necessary part of the thriving tourism industry in one of the world's most celebrated cities. But his enthusiasm for the game was a driving force behind a small but continously growing band of enthusiasts in the 1990s. As the millenium approached and speculation grew about the possibility(eventually realized in 2004) of the Olympic Games returning to Athens, a surprisingly large element of the youth generation took an interest in the novel sport, a competition that evoked a powerful image of simplicity most appropriate in this particular corner of the world.

It was at the Athens Games themselves that Christos was struck by the need for a formal competition if the game was to grow. Sport is in many ways the religion of modern times, and nowhere was this more obvious than in the pageantry of the Olympics. Baseball was a somewhat interesting local fad, but that's all it would ever be without a way to showcase it's virtues and improve it's quality through the fires of competition. The germ of an idea, formed there, eventually found it's way into reality in 2009, with the formation of the Greece Baseball League(GBL).

The GBL was little more than a recreational summer league, with a 60-game schedule set for mid-June to mid-August of the first season, set to commence in 2010. The league would begin with four teams, with Antonakos taking the reigns of the first, the Aiyion Jets. The Ilioupoli Avengers, Nakaia Riverkings, and Patrai Clerics would round out the charter members of this bold endeavor.

In the early spring of 2010, the league moved from idea to reality in a week of tryouts, with a few hundred able-bodied(to some extent) young men making an appearance. The list was eventually pared down to less than 200 capable of not making complete embarassments out of themselves(again, relatively speaking). Although most were decidedly not in the finest athletic condition, their were a surprising number of fairly capable players even then, which speaks to the rapid growth and local popularity of the game, as well as to the desire to prove themselves in competition for many who don't possess the ability to excel in soccer or one of the other established sports.

An initial player draft of the remaining hopefuls was set for two weeks ahead, in late May. There was no great fanfare, no cameras watching every move, but there was great optimism. The birth of a new and exciting opportunity, however short-lived it might eventually become, was imminent. Antonakos, now 45, was probably more excited than any of the potential draftees, some of which were less than half his age. A dream which was barely even an idea 15 or 20 years ago was about to become reality.

**Inaugural draft preview upcoming**

[Bryan Swartz]

A few things I should mention about the league. No DH, no spring training, no financials. Scouting is off since there's plenty of swing in how players develop in OOTP for things to not be too predictable anyway. Stats will be most similar to dead-ball era to being with, but not at all identical, and will eventually matriculate closer to modern MLB, but not exactly the same. The rest I'm sure you'll figure out as we go. For those who read this, ideas and constructive criticism are ALWAYS welcome.

[muted79]

As a Greek baseball fan (though I live in Australia) I'm very much looking forward to reading more, though for more than just it being based in Greece.

[muted79]

Oh and a small suggestion, base a minor league team (if and when you have them) in the town of Volvi, famous for a big fishing lake. Perhaps they could be affiliated with the RIverkings.

[Bryan Swartz]

GBL INAUGURAL DRAFT PREVIEW -- APRIL 2010

PITCHERS

Christopher ‘Fossil’ Voulgaris(31, R)

Being 31 myself, I take some exception to this nickname, but Voulgaris is definitely a bit of an old man in this group. He is also probably the best pitcher in the initial draft pool. A little wilder than some, but his sinker/slider combo stacks up well with any other option out there, he throws consistently in the low 90s, and is a great natural leader as well.
>>
Thanos Mestas(26, R)
>>
Smart, loyal, and hard-working, Thanos is also one of the youngest of the top arms available. He has three quality pitches and good control, and should be one of the league’s top pitchers for at least a few seasons.
>>
Napoleon Logarakis(28, R)
>>
An incredibly charismatic player and very dedicated, Napoleon is a manager’s dream. He has no stamina at all, but that’s about all there is to critize.
>>
Laertes Tsogkas(23, R)
>>
Laertes may be tiny physically(5-8, 185), but he’s one of the few available players who has the stamina and variety to be a reliable starter right away. He’s pretty wild, which is his greatest apparent weakness.
>>
Corban Constantinis(29, L)
>>
The only notable southpaw in the group, Corban’s versatility is key. He’s not overpowering but has enough variety to keep hitters off-balance, and his pitches and control are just good enough to avoid any huge weaknesses.
>>
Lysandra Koukodimos(34, R)
>>
Loyal and intelligent, Lysandra tires easily but is otherwhise a very solid pitcher. His age will not do him any favors in the draft though, and he could end up waiting a while as younger players are snatched up.
>>
Quant Papafagos(26, R)
>>
A solid arm with little stamina – Papafagos should be decent, but I don’t expect anything great out of him.


CATCHERS

Colin Nomikos(30)

Colin is unquestionably the best catcher available, with a decent arm, good defensive ability, and productive and intelligent as a hitter.

Dorian Fotiadis(33)

Dorian’s pretty much the same talent as Nomikos, but he’s a few years older and appears to already be past his prime.


FIRST BASEMEN

Dorian Rousakis(25)

Dorian is probably the best offensive option at the position, particularly since he gives teams a left-handed bat to balance out their lineups.

Urian Orphanides(25)

None of the players available are impressive fielders at first, but Urian can at least hit some, which makes him more than adequate given the competition here.


SECOND BASEMEN

Zenos Magos(23)

Young and unquestionably the best defensive player at the position, Zenos is strictly serviceable as a hitter. He’s smart on the basepaths though, and is still the best value here.

With hitting basically a foreign concept to the rest of the field, it’s hard to find another good recommendation.

SHORTSTOP

Kozma Vasiliou(18)

The team that snags this youngster will be very happy with their selection unless I miss my guess. Kozma is the best defensive infielder, at any position, in the draft. He’s a hard-working player who is extremely raw with a bat in his hands, but could actually become one of the most productive and patient players in the league in time.

Lykaios Akrivopoulos(27)

If you’re looking for a starter right now, Lykaios is the guy to pick. Solid all-around both defensively, and offensively, he has no glaring weaknesses and doesn’t need development time.

Eryx Katsambis(31)

Similar talent to Lykaios, but not quite as good and a few years older. Nevertheless, Eryx is still a fine option and should be a fairly early pickup.


THIRD BASE

Aetos Antonatos(28)

Not a great hitter, but Aetos will do ok there and he has the strongest arm in the league. With no real competition, I’ll be shocked if he isn’t the first off the board here.


LEFT FIELD

Lysander Panavoglou(25)

Lysander has one of the strongest arms around, is very dedicated, and is just a very solid all-around player. Players on the younger side with his lack of weaknesses are rare to find in this league.

Cosmo Karabatsos(40)

Cosmo has a rare left-handed bat, and might be the best hitter in the league even at his age. I’d expect him to go fairly early even though he won’t be around long.

Zenobio Stasi(25)

Solid all-around, and another guy who hits from the left side. Not particularly impressive, but young enough to have a lot of productive years ahead.


CENTER FIELD

Zorba Katsivalis(25)

One of the smartest players in the league, both in the field and at the plate, Zorba is surprisingly slow for an outfielder but still leaves a very nice overall impression.

Tyrone Sortras(37)

Tyrone is hard-working, but frankly just over the hill at this point. He can still hit some, and is serviceable in the field, but his age is a huge drawback. .


RIGHT FIELD

Zeno Karakinos(21)

Young and already one of the better fielders in the game, Zeno gives a club just enough with his bat that he’s certain to be a quick selection.

Zero Lolos(33)

Defintely on the older side of the equation, but Zero makes a good impression. He’s capable of playing any outfield position and poses a solid threat at the plate as well.

[Bryan Swartz]

GBL INAUGURAL DRAFT -- APRIL 2010

FIRST ROUND

1. Nakaia – LHP Zorba ‘Silverback’ Coulouris

Zorba has youth at 22 and versatility, but I don’t think he has enough talent to get very many batters out which is why he didn’t figure prominently in the preview. By making him the first-ever pick in the draft, the Riverkings show how much they disagree. We’ll see.

2. Patrai – RHP Ptolemy Karaoulanis

No question this 17-year-old has talent, but he certainly isn’t ready now. Hard-working and loyal, he’ll probably get there – but it’s a big risk still taking him this early. Potentially, Ptolemy could be one of the league’s best. A big, big if there.

3. Aiyion – RHP Xylon Katramados

Xylon, 26, could well have made the preview list – he’s pretty much equal with a couple of the lesser lights on it. He just doesn’t seem very dedicated to me, but perhaps the Jets know something I don’t.

4. Ilioupoli – RHP Juliun Chellos

Another solid 26-year-old, but Chellos isn’t a guy that I see putting in a lot of innings, his arm just doesn’t have the endurance for that.


SECOND ROUND

1. Ilioupoli – RHP Thanos Mestas

After the first round passes with a few surprises, Thanos(26) isn’t a surprise at all. A good addition to any team’s pitching.

2. Aiyion – RHP Cyril Polymeropoulos

Another reach here I think. Cyril is young(19), but I think he’s a cut below the other hurlers available.

3. Patrai – RHP Zeno Lambrianou

Lambrianou has a good changeup, but another guy who won’t give the Clerics many innings.

4. Nakaia – RHP Napoleon Logarkis

A good choice – the Riverkings add another solid arm to their staff.


THIRD ROUND

1. Nakaia – RHP Demetrius Souvaltzis

Nakaia goes for innings here – Demetrius is decent, but his strength is in his ability to last on the mound.

2. Patrai – RHP Zosimo Mavromattes

Another project, Zosimo is only 17 but despite his dedication I don’t see him amounting to much. An ok sinker, but not much else.

3. Aiyion – RHP Laertes Tsogkas

The Jets continue to add younger pitchers, and this is the best of the three so far.

4. Ilioupoli – RHP Xanthus Chakiris

A mystery. Youth(24) isn’t everything, and Chakiris just doesn’t impress me at all.


FOURTH ROUND

1. Ilioupoli – 1B Dorian Rousakis(25)

A good left-handed hitter is an excellent way to start building an offense.

2. Aiyion – SS Eryx Katzambis(31)

A good player in the hole, but certainly there were better options available when you consider his age.

3. Patrai – 2B Zale Lathouris(30)

Solid at best offensively and defensively, this is a hard pick to comprehend.

4. Nakaia – RF Zero Lolos(33)

The Riverkings make the veteran Lolos the first outfielder selected.

FIFTH ROUND

1. Nakaia – C Colin Nomikos(30)

Another good veteran, giving Nakaia an excellent start on their lineup.

2. Patrai – 3B Melancton Antoniou(31)

Another strange pick. The Clerics seem averse to adding players with obvious talent in the field.

3. Aiyion – RHP Andrew Kairis(29)

Going all out for pitching help. Kairis had good control and three reasonably decent deliviries.

4. Ilioupoli – SS Timothy Lambrakis(31)

An excellent, versatile infielder that I somehow missed when doing the preview. They’ll be very happy with him in all phases of the game I think.

[Bryan Swartz]

Wow, it's taken me a lot longer than expected to update this. I've been busy and sick and whatnot but I'll be posting more regularly. Anyway, as this unfolds I'm always interested in questions/constructive criticism/ideas etc.

2010 PROSPECT SYNOPSIS

The number of players in the Top Prospects league-wide for each franchise are listed below. It's looking good for the Jets' chances to compete for a long time to come right now -- GM Christos Antonatos appears to have done a fine job in the inaugural draft, as one might expect.

Aiyion(10)
Patrai(6)
Nakaia(6)
Ilioupoli(2)

2010 SEASON

The first game of the GBL involved Ilioupoli and Nakaia, with Ilioupoli's Tymon Skouphas taking the mound first against Nakaia C Colin Nomiko. It was very anticlimactic -- Nomiko walked on four straight pitches.

The first month of the new league was very competitive. At the end of June, Patrai and Aiyion were tied for the lead at 15-13, with Ilioupoli in last only 3 games back. A little over a week later, Patrai, Aiyion, and Nakaia were all deadlocked at 19-17, with the season 60% over. By July 18th, there was an incredible demonstration of parity -- all four teams were tied at 22-22, having accomplished nothing other than equality in the first three-quarters of the season. The final 16 games promised to provide plenty of drama, at the very least.

Continuing a strong month, Ilioupoli edged away from Aiyion while Patrai fell off a cliff -- by the end of the month the Clerics were a stunning 9 games out of first, having gone just 1-12 since the 18th. On August 2nd, Ilioupoli faced off against Aiyion, with the Avengers hosting and holding a two-game lead over the Jets with two games left. Aiyion scored 4 runs in the second, but Ilioupoli took the lead for good with a six-run fourth, leading 7-5 at the time and going on to win 11-8, clinching the first GBL championship in the process. After being in the cellar, 5 games out in early July, the Avengers were clearly the class of the league from that point on.

FINAL GBL STANDINGS

Ilioupoli   35-25 --
Aiyion      32-28  3
Nakaia      30-30  5
Patrai      23-37 12

The league era was 5.63, league batting average .286. Better than 43% of the league's runs(1000 out of 2300+) were unearned -- the GBL isn't a particularly polished product as of yet, that's for certain.
Ilioupoli won the title by doing a lot of things well. They were the best fielding team(.925), had the best ERA(5.33), and despite an unimpressive .279 average they were near the top in on-base percentage as a group(.417), averaging almost a walk a game more than their closest rivals in Aiyion. On the other end of the spectrum, Patrai was by far the worst in the league at drawing walks and also by far the worst in the field, with better than 5 errors a game.

In the long-term view, the extreme tightness of the race most of the way made for an excellent debut season. Antonatos couldn't have possible expected this month's drama. The folks in Patrai are feeling pretty miserable about themselves(having a share of the lead and then losing 15 of your last 16 games tends to do that), but overall the league's first year was a smashing success.

[Bryan Swartz]

2010 BATTING LEADERS

AVG

Andrew Panagou(AIY)    .381
Dorian Rousakis(ILI)   .363
Zenobio Stasi(NA)      .355
Owen Spyridis(AIY)     .348
Zeno Karakinos(AIY)    .340

Dorian Rousakis, the Avengers' first baseman and the first position player picked in the inaugural draft, was named GBL Batter of the Year.

OBP

Dorian Rousakis(ILI)     .528
Agape Batsakis(PAT)      .502
Timoleon Karamanlis(NA)  .472
Zenobio Stasi(NA)        .471
Zeno Karakinos(AIY)      .471

OPS

Dorian Rousakis(ILI)      .891
Zenobio Stasi(NA)         .845
Giles Moscopolis(PAT)     .843
Andrew Panagou(AIY)       .837
Zeon Karakinos(AIY)       .816
Timoleon Karamanlis(NA)   .816

HR

Cyrano Genovelis(NA)   2
Zero Lolos(NA)         2
Giles Moscopolis(PAT)  2

RBI

Eryx Katsambis(AIY)     72
Aetos Antonatos(AIY)    69
Andrew Panagou(AIY)     60
Giles Moscopolis(PAT)   57
Quinn Papastavrou(ILI)  56

SB

Zale Lathouris(PAT)         13
Zoello Giangos(PAT)          9
Odysseus Kokkali(NA)         5
Soterios Mavromikhalis(AIY)  5
Giles Moscopolis(PAT)        4

BB

Eryx Katsambis(AIY)    80
Dorian Rousakis(ILI)   75
Giles Moscopolis(PAT)  54
Cyrano Genovelis(NA)   53
Aetos Antonatos(AIY)   51
Zero Lolos(NA)         51

Some of the names on this list were expected, others were not. Notably, for the hapless Clerics, 16th-round pick LF Giles Moscopolis, only 22, plastered himself on several leaderboards. The young lefty has a big future, despite his team's current predicament.

[Al_Boe]

wow, interesting, anybody with even minimal power in this next draft? GO RIVERKINGS!

[Bryan Swartz]

Well, the homers are intentionally depressed because I wanted it to be more of a deadball-era feel to start off. It isn't that nobody has ANY power -- they'll go up at some point down the road.

[Bryan Swartz]

2010 PITCHING LEADERS

ERA

Andrew Skandalis(PAT)  4.41
Titus Kyprianou(AIY)   5.21

WINS

Zorba Coulouris(NA)       9
Christopher Bizos(ILI)    5
Aetos Constandouros(ILI)  5
Andrew Kairis(AIY)        5
Several others with       4

SAVES

Lysandra Koukodimos(PAT)  6
Xylon Katramados(AIY)     5
Odysseus Pezos(NA)        4
Zorba Couloris(NA)        3
Cyrano Melikis(ILI)       3
Cyril Polymeropoulos      3

IP

Andrew Skandalis(PAT)      69.1
Titus Kyprianou(AIY)       65.2
Damien Telis(NA)           58.1
Tymon Skouphas(ILI)        57.2
Christopher Voulgaris(NA)  57.1

K

Andrew Skandalis(PAT)      64
Agatone Kanaris(ILI)       62
Giles Eliopoulos(PAT)      59
Juliun Chellos(ILI)        58
Christopher Voulgaris(NA)  57

WHIP

Titus Kyprianou(AIY)   1.72
Andrew Skandalis(PAT)  1.96

Quite obviously Nakaia knew what they were doing when they made 'Silverback' Coulouris the top pick in the inaugural draft. With a 9-1 record, 3 saves, and a 3.40 ERA, he was an obvious choice for Pitcher of the Year. The lack of players in the ERA and WHIP categories is due to the fact that only two players managed the required number of innings -- along with all other skills, stamina is low across the league. It is worth noting that the #2 pick in the draft, Ptolemy Karaoulanis, didn't make a pitch all year(though the 18-year-old is considered the #2 prospect in the GBL overall).

[ryanivr]

LOVE this concept. I'll definitely be following along!

[Bryan Swartz]

2010 GBL AMATEUR DRAFT

1. Patrai -- LHP Soterios Spelas(23)

A good pick by the Clerics, who need help everywhere. Spelas is wild, but should be able to bring that sole weakness in line and become a solid pitcher for a long time.

2. Nakaia -- RHP Nestor 'Love Machine' Mandrapilias(22)

Aside from his absurd moniker, Nestor brings an impressive variety of pitches and has enough talent to be an effective pitcher in this league, no question.

3. Aiyion -- LHP Christian Kallabis(22)

Christian has good stamina, but his stuff isn't as good as the first two selections. Decent, but probably not a standout.

4. Ilioupoli -- RHP Apostolos Kostopoulos(19)

Wild, and similarly questionable quality to the last pick. Apostolos is surprisingly well-rounded for a pitcher still in his teens, which is probably why the champion Avengers picked him here to work on their youth movement.

[Bryan Swartz]

2011 TOP PROSPECTS SYNOPSIS

Aiyion(14)
Nakaia(14)
Patrai(10)
Ilioupoli(7)

2011 SEASON

The defending champions got off to a blistering start, winning their first 12 games of the season to grab a five-game lead. The Avengers lost four of five after that, and by the halfway point the surprising Patrai Clerics had caught them, with both teams sitting at 21-10. Aiyion and Nakaia were well in the rearview mirror, pretty much out of it already. Patrai continued to surge, and after last year's late-season collapse the Clerics were in opposite form this year. By late July, with 10 games left, they held a six-game edge over Ilioupoli with the other two franchises already eliminated. A few days later they clinched with more than a week left in the season.

Patrai     42-18  --
Ilioupoli  32-28  10
Aiyion     24-36  18
Nakaia     22-38  20

Scoring was up pretty sharply this year, with the league ERA at 6.89, more than a run higher than the first season. Patrai was first in the league in just about every major category, hitting and pitching both. They just ran away with it this year. After Ilioupoli's 12-0 start, none of the Clerics' rivals even managed .500 ball the rest of the season. Patrai's 4.87 team ERA was better than a full run ahead of their closest competitor.

[Bryan Swartz]

2011 GBL BATTING LEADERS

AVG

Giles Moscopolis(PAT)     .368
Eryx Katsambis(AIY)       .364
Giles Honjas(AIY)         .354
Eryx Gavril(PAT)          .350
Tibalt Papadoupolos(ILI)  .348

OBP

Giles Moscopolis(PAT)  .552
Giles Honjas(AIY)      .517
Eryx Katsambis(AIY)    .516
Zenobio Stasi(NA)      .502
Dorian Rousakis(ILI)   .490

OPS

Giles Moscopolis(PAT)  .937
Eryx Katsambis(AIY)    .898
Zenobio Stasi(NA)      .879
Giles Honjas(AIY)      .879
Eryx Gavril(PAT)       .845

Young LF Giles Moscopolis had a great year for the champs, becoming the first player in the GBL's two seasons to break the .900 mark here. There was no discussion once again in the Batter of the Year award: Giles was the only choice.

HR

Lysander Panavoglou(AIY)  2
Dorian Rousakis(ILI)      2
Zenobio Stasi(NA)         2

RBI

Giles Honjas(AIY)            72
Dorian Rousakis(ILI)         68
Giles Moscopolis(PAT)        67
Narcissus Couloumbis(NA)     65
Soterios Mavromikhalis(AIY)  65

This year's breakout hitter is unquestionably RBI champ Honjas from the Aiyion Jets. A 28th-rounder in the inaugural draft two years ago, the 25-year-old center-fielder was not particularly well-regarded. He only hit .242 in part-time duty last year, striking out more than he walked. With this year's breakout season, the Jets now have two guys in the lineup(along with Eryx Katsambis) who get on base more than half the time. If they only had some pitching to go along with it ...

SB

Zale Lathouris(PAT)  22
Orrin Pezos(ILI)      9
Zoello Giangos(PAT)   7
Zenos Magos(NA)       5
Odysseus Kokkali(NA)  4
Dymas Taflambas(NA)   4

Smashing his own record of 13 last year, Zale Lathouris is another reason why Patrai dominated the league in 2011. Right now he has more than twice as many steals to his credit as any other player in the league.

BB

Giles Moscopolis(PAT)    94
Eryx Katsambis(AIY)      80
Dorian Rousakis(ILI)     75
Lysander Panavoglou(AIY) 74
Giles Honjas(AIY)        72

Look at the #2 and #3 names on this list. They are the same as the top two walk guys last year, and remarkably they exactly duplicated their 2010 performance. Moscopolis, however, left them in the dust.

[Bryan Swartz]

2011 GBL PITCHING LEADERS

ERA

Andrew Skandalis(PAT)  2.66
Xylon Katramados(AIY)  7.25

Skandalis was the universal choice for Pitcher of the Year. A fantastic ERA in a league with this much offense, and he also led the GBL in wins(tied), innings, and strikeouts.

WINS

Zeno Lambrianou(PAT)      6
Thanos Mestas(ILI)        6
Andrew Skandalis(PAT)     6
Corban Constantinis(AIY)  5
Several others            4

SAVES

Lysandra Koukodimos(PAT)   5
Apollo Arvanitoyannis(NA)  2
Peder Bakirdzis(PAT)       2
Aetos Constandouros(ILI)   2
Several others             1

IP

Andrew Skandalis(PAT)      74.1
Xylon Katramados(AIY)      63.1
Agatone Kanaris(ILI)       59.1
Christopher Voulgaris(NA)  59.1
Nike Dasios(ILI)           57.0

K

Andrew Skandalis(PAT)       77
Agatone Kanaris(ILI)        72
Nike Dasios(ILI)            60
Christopher Voulgaris(NA)   60
Juliun Chellos(ILI)         57

This list shows you the strength of the Ilioupoli Avengers: they've got a number of good arms on their pitching staff, but lacked the depth of Patrai's bullpen this year.

WHIP

Andrew Skandalis(PAT)  1.65
Xylon Katramados(AIY)  2.29

[Bryan Swartz]

2011 GBL DRAFT

1. Nakaia -- RHP Zander Kyriakoulopoulos(19)

Raw and wild, Zander is a smart, loyal pitcher who should be pretty good in time.

2. Aiyion -- RHP Christopher Antonakos(18)

Not quite as good as Zander, Antonakos has enough options to keep hitters off-balance once he develops, but will never be overpowering and control may be an issue.

3. Ilioupoli -- RHP Titus Zorbas(21)

The Avengers go for immediate help to get back on top, but Zorbas has major control issues. He's very smart and hard-working, and will get his share of hitters out, but he'll also load the bases far too often on his own.

4. Patrai -- RHP Zarek Raphiadis(22)

Some observers think Raphiadis has the most deceptive pitches of any player in the league. Like Zorbas though, he'll give up far too many walks, and the Clerics will never get a ton of innings out of him. Other than a decent sinker, he doesn't have much to threaten hitters with.

[Bryan Swartz]

2012 TOP PROSPECTS(Top 20 only)

Aiyion(7)
Patrai(5)
Ilioupoli(4)
Nakaia(4)

The Jets continue to impress with their youth, but will that talent ever bring them a championship?

2012 SEASON

Early on it was a three-team race, with Aiyion quickly sinking to the bottom after a 2-8 start. Over the next couple of weeks, it looked like a repeat of last year: Patrai opened up a 3-game lead on Ilioupoli, with Nakaia unable to hang around. That lead held until mid-July, when the Avengers slid down the standings themselves. The Patrai Clerics soon found themselves without much competition, holding a consistent 6-7 game lead, which they expanded at the end of the year. Patrai equaled their 42 wins of 2011, and owned this season even more impressively than last year. Once again there was not much suspense, and the last couple of weeks were almost academic.

2012 GBL FINAL STANDINGS

Patrai     42-18  --
Ilioupoli  30-30  12
Nakaia     30-30  12
Aiyion     18-42  24

Scoring levels were about the same as last year. The young league is doing reasonably well, but the lack of drama the last couple seasons along with the struggles of the Jets(.411 winning percentage in the three years) has stunted the GBL's growth somewhat. Under current conditions, there are no plans for major changes in the league in the near future, but the fledgling sport is surviving plenty well to sustain operations.