Commonwealth Baseball: Trying to Take Surrey To the Top

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VIEW FROM THE GREEN

by Lawrence Brent

There's something to be said for following baseball in the Commonwealth. The cricket background makes the baseball arms of these clubs feel something fresh and new and truly part of a global sporting world, unlike cricket which was totally limited to these lands. You get traditions from all parts of the world, great local rivalries, and distinct divisions which means the title series is often a fantastic contrast in cities, crowds, flavors and colors.

The more orderly and test-cricket loving Wisden division is the one that is near and dear to my hear. It's full of the classic, proper British rivalry between Yorkshire and Surrey with the upstarts Leicestershire looking to challenge, you get the sports-mad Oceanic lands with Auckland, Melbourne and Perth and then you get the oddball West Indian side the Jamaica Tallawahs. I enjoy heading to the ground on a Saturday to see a Surrey-Yorkshire game more than anything else but a trip through Australia and New Zealand is always great: the joy, effort and good humor they give to the game, even when their Commonwealth teams haven't always measured up make for a great location for a visiting writer. The party in Jamaica always overshadows the game but that's great for one team out of eight.

Then you get the much more energetic Bengal division, spinning out of the T20 tradition with the Indian sides Mumbai Tigers, Delhi Daredevils and Chennai Super Kings with Pakistani sides Lahore Qalandars and Karachi Kings. With Mumbai, Lahore and Karachi you get essentially unrelenting pressure and expectations...every pitch seems to decide the title and the fans never ever let up. They are the best at cricket and simply now expect to be the best at baseball, and often are. Delhi is joining them, while Chennai remain a bit of a backwater where the game is at times dismissed as a distraction from the serious business of cricket. The African sides can seem a bit off the pace at times, and while I love the trip to Port Moresby, the field seems to lack conditioning and the overall program feels very minor league.

While the WBA claims to be a global league full of diversity but really we wind up seeing London, Sydney plus the big American cities. Yes Mexico City feels different and occasionally Lagos or Buenos Aires or somewhere, but they almost feel like they were picked out to show "Hey, we are global!" but only the Commonwealth can truly give you a global glimpse and feel.

While we don't have any truly dominant world teams, we have teams that can make noise in the European or Asian Cup and a Baseball Cup or Global Cup run comes along every few years to thrill the entire league into cheering for their representative. There is always room to try and reach the ceiling none have reached so far: a true international title or even a Champions League knockout stage, but no one here is really that concerned about it. We have enough to concern ourselves here watching the ebbs and flows of our league that reaching global heights would simply be a bonus.

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The Timeline

2033: WBA and USBL form more information can be found here
The USBL focused purely on what is considered the All-American side of baseball, banning all players who didn't have US citizenship, focusing on markets that were not "global" cities and focusing hyperlocal to try and build loyalty (9 year contracts, writers and media focusing on each team). The WBA wanted to dominate the rest of the world, setting out in London, Mexico City, Sydney along with Toronto, NYC, Los Angeles, etc.

2050: the second tier of the WBA and USBL were added...more cities across the globe for WBA: Tel Aviv, Glasgow, Paris, Frankfurt

2053: The Asian Super League starts up in the face of the WBA, East Asian teams in Korea, China, Japan and Taiwan band together and deliver a blow to the idea of a true Global League while trying to form a regional power

2059: Euroleague follows Asia and delivers another blow to the WBA's hegemony.

2066: The Commonwealth begins.

2077: Kolkata Knight Riders, the most successful Commonwealth team by far (6 titles in the first 11 years) make the jump to the WBA. Delhi Daredevils replace them

2078: 4 expansion teams join the Commonwealth (Leicestershire, Colombo, Port Moresby, Nairobi) and the league splits from one 12 team table without playoffs into 2 8-team divisions (Wisden and Bengal) with a best-of-9 final series for the Commonwealth Trophy.


Commonwealth History

The ladder of success...you can see the Big 4. Two in the Wisden with the Yorkshire-Surrey rivalry and two in the Bengal Division with Karachi and Mumbai, the rivals across the heated Pakistan-India border. Lahore and Delhi rank behind the long-gone Knight Riders with Leicestershire

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Club Profiles

Delhi Daredevils, projected 3rd in Bengal Division

Payroll: $31 million, 1st
Massive fan base for the 2077 expansion team replacing the Kolkata Knight Riders when they bailed on the league for the WBA. Success has come overall at a 55% win rate but the Daredevils have not broken through for a title yet. They made the finals last year to get smacked around 5-1 by Yorkshire. A 2085 run to the Asian Cup final was another highlight before falling to the Perth Scorchers. Like the other big clubs on the subcontinent, often a very young crowd, very enthusiastic and very winning obsessed as the stands can seem on overflow mode. Delhi's fans desperate to reach the level of a Mumbai, Lahore, or Karachi.

2023 Sports Universe Equivalent: San Diego Padres...spending big and have a ton of energy behind them right now but yet to accomplish anything real

Mumbai Tigers, projected 7th in Bengal Division

Payroll: $30 million, 2nd
One of the biggest beneficiaries of the Kolkata abandonment, the Tigers emerged to win 3 Commonwealth titles and 2 Asian Cups in the decade from 2079-2088 and dominated the league, they've climbed all the way to #14 in the World right now but have a bleak outlook this season. A legendary squad is aging and the recent glories look unlikely to continue. In 2084 they fought their way into the Champions League joining the surprising Harambee Stats run in 2082 as the only current Commonwealth team to play in that competition. A 4-6 record certainly was something to be proud of.

2023 Sports Universe Equivalent: Green Bay Packers...big club and fanbase used to success but staring down seasons below their expectations

Karachi Kings, projected 1st in Bengal

Payroll: $29 million, 3rd
Similar to Mumbai in another team to really step up after Kolkata left, Mumbai have been consistently great the last decade but they still have the talent on their squad right now. They have made the longest run of any Commonwealth team in the Baseball Cup, making the Final Four in 2072, adding an Elite Eight in 2084 and 2 other knockout appearances, their 4 appearances double any other team. No other Commonwealth team has bettered their 2083 3rd place Global Cup finish and while they have never succeeded in the Asian Cup, they've built a great resume and look to continue doing so. The hatred between Karachi and Mumbai often bubbles and it takes a brave columnist to judge which is the bigger or better club.

2023 Sports Universe Comparison: Los Angeles Dodgers, just big market club throwing their weight around to remain at the top of the game for a long stretch

Surrey Brown Caps, projected 2nd in Wisden

Payroll: $24 million, 4th
From the glory of Lord's Cricket Ground the Brown Caps always have the classiest crowd in the league...according to their own media. A relaxed attitude, a concession stand serving full meals and the general dress code being three notches higher than you'd see in Mumbai or Lahore. Fans often compare themselves to the "club up north" in terms of everything: pitch quality, food quality, behavior of players, but of course it eventually comes down to success on the field...where it's incredibly even between Yorkshire and Surrey.

2023 Sports Universe Comparison: St. Louis Cardinals...maybe a bit of arrogance in the fanbase but a respect for class and a strong level of success

Yorkshire Vikings

Payroll: $20 million, 5th
One of 4 active teams tied for the most titles in league history with 3 (Surrey, Mumbai, Karachi), Yorkshire see themselves as the premier franchise as well. Class but not as stuck up as the Londoners down South, more kids come to the games and it's a bit more loose up in Leeds but it's not quite the chaos they see the sub-continent games as. The reigning champs want to be the first to 4.

2023 Sports Universe Comparison: Atlanta Braves

Lahore Qalandars, projected 2nd in Bengal

Payroll: $19 million, 6th
A team that most thought would come on and dominate the league after Kolkata left, but it hasn't really happened. Lahore is looking to emerge from a long stretch of struggles with a good team this year, projected for greatness after last seasons Asian Cup win rekindled the fans dreams. Rivalry mainly with Karachi, the Indian-Pakistani bit hasn't really clicked with Lahore since Kolkata left as they haven't been great alongside Mumbai.

2023 Sports Universe Comparison: Boston Celtics...a great history and a current team that looks great and trying to revive the old glory

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Melbourne Renegades, projected t-3rd in Wisden
Payroll: $18 million, 7th


Nothing like a big match at the Melbourne Ground, which can hold 88k and is full of banter-ready Aussies who love a beer, a KFC bucket over their head and a funny chant at any moment. Their Renegades won the 2071 title and were runners-up in 2083 but mostly right around .500 with their west Australia brothers.

2023 Sports Universe Comparison: Chicago Cubs...mostly there for the party but they do have a few highlights on the field.

Leicestershire Foxes, projected t-3rd in Wisden
Payroll: $17 million, 8th

The third English team was added in 2078 at expansion and have come into their own over the past few years to begin to challenge the Surrey and Yorkshire pair at the top. Located right in between Surrey and Yorkshire, the Foxes have finished in the top half of the league the last 6 seasons and are pushing for that first title. Not really recognized as a peer yet by Surrey and Yorkshire, much more established clubs, they have a bit of an underdog mentality.

2023 Sports Universe Comparison: Denver Nuggets...recent success at some level but still looking for true respect that comes with a title

Perth Scorchers, projected t-3rd in Wisden
Payroll: $15 million, 9th


The western Aussies fell horrifically short of early expectations as arguably the worst team in the league pre-expansion, after Sydney's great performance in the WBA and Australia's overall sporting reputation Perth were a huge letdown. They've scratched back in the 80s, adding a famous '85 Asian Cup win to rejuvenate a solid fanbase that had started to tune out. Perth overall is now about an average team, the Melbourne-Perth rivalry isn't really one, it's much more of a friendly thing between two teams who haven't been able to taste the true top end of competition often enough.

2023 Sports Universe Comparison: Milwaukee Brewers...a solid recent history from a very ugly beginning

Nairobi Harambee Stars, projected 5th in Bengal
Payroll: $13 million, 10th


One of the most out-of-nowhere seasons ever was the 2082 Nairobi season where they won the title and followed it up by making the Champions League, only one other team still in the league has ever done so. This expansion team in Kenya has had little other success and finished last 4 times in total, including last season. A fanbase that is still in its youthful stage maybe had expectations raised too high by that lightning bolt that hasn't been close to happening again.

2023 Sports Universe Equivalent: Kansas City Royals...a random blip of brilliance out and fading into poor play

Chennai Super Kings, projected 6th in Bengal
Payroll: $12 million, 11th

Originally based in Singapore before the Indian market took so well to baseball, the league switched the club to Chennai but have not had the same success. Chennai remains one of the dregs in the league with a very mediocre fanbase and without ever making the knockout stage in any Cup or finishing higher than 4th in the league.

2023 Sports Universe comparison: Colorado Rockies...some of the basics to be good but just never actually seem to get good

Colombo Lions, projected 8th in Bengal
Payroll: $11 million, 12th

A beautiful place to visit and despite the name, a team that splits their games between Colombo and the beautiful Galle, Colombo is always one of the most popular trips for visiting scribes and teams. The expansion Sri Lankan side showed early promise but has faded to become an afterthought to the Indian/Pakistani side in the competitive Bengal division. Lions games are often desultory games with not great attendance and a very relaxed atmosphere.

2023 Sports Universe Comparison: Miami Marlins...fun to visit, but it never feels professionally run and the atmosphere is lacking

Jozi Stars, projected 4th in Bengal
Payroll: $10 million, 13th

The semi-dysfuntional Johannesberg-based Jozi Stars have bumbled their way to an incredibly apathetic fanbase and consistently poor seasons. A 2082 runner up in the EuroCup and a long forgotten Baseball Cup Elite Eight run in 2068 are the only highlights amongst the mediocrity, backbiting and awful management over the years. A rundown tiny ballpark with ancient locker rooms, empty stands and a worn-out infield make the on-field product even tougher to watch.

2023 Sports Universe Comparison: Oakland Athletics without the Moneyball

Auckland Tuatara, projected 6th in Wisden
Payroll: $9 million, 14th


A cozy atmosphere for a cozy country. A tiny market but fans that love to set up their lawn chairs along the lines and in the outfield on the green areas at the Harbour Stadium make it a friendly atmosphere. The New Zealand side has had a few runs of solid play but the lack of funds generally drags them out of competitiveness.

2023 Sports Universe Equivalent: Memphis Grizzlies...generally a solid crowd and occasional good results but limited by market size

Port Moresby Barramundis, projected 8th in Wisden
Payroll: $8 million, 15th


The controversial addition of the Papua New Guinean team, partially inspired by a few great camps and tours of the mysterious country, has been a total disaster. They have finished last or next to last in every single season since expansion in 2078. If you think the Jozi Stars field and crowd is brutal, imagine the experience in Port Moresby. A wretched local economy and chain-link fences around the field in places lead to lots of seemingly up to no good locals yelling across the field, there is a trash heap beyond left field and tons of dogs roaming around outside. Not exactly batting practice at Lord's for Surrey. The trip is often chaotic, with the planes landing often held up by locals either randomly incompetent or asking for money. Clover Park seats just 7000 but rarely gets even a third of that despite gates being unmanned and holes being easy to squeeze through. A disaster of an expansion choice.

2023 Sports Universe Equivalent: Pirates/Lions

Jamaica Tallawahs, projected 7th in Wisden
Payroll: $6 million, 16th


A thought that baseball could take-off in the Cricket-mad portion of the Caribbean has failed, as even cricket has waned there. More teams are now tried in a smaller Caribbean League, which is where Jamaica should be playing. It's often a party, with alcohol and drugs circulating through the Kensington Oval but it's often essentially empty, especially for Sunday afternoon games. They haven't been as awful as Port Moresby, but the Tallawahs have never made an impact on a title race.

2023 Sports Universe Equivalent: Pirates/Lions

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Surrey Squad and Mood

This paper still has doubts over the American Gerald Thomas but has an open mind as he heads into his first full year with the Brown Caps. With the health issues of the Australian manager Gareth Blanksby forcing a retirement mid-season, Thomas came into a reigning champion who had not finished more than a game out of first since 2083 and wound up finishing 8 games off the hated rival Yorkshire, who won the title and for good measure took the inaugural British Baseball Cup. Thomas now has a skeptical public looking at him after taking the Champs to also-rans last year, adding the pressure this season was two things in the offseason, first was key man SS Jon Balfour turning down his managers pleas and a reasonable offer and going to those rivals Yorkshire. Balfour, a London man, had been with Surrey for 4 years but left...he was quickly followed by Surrey's 2nd-all time WAR leader in Rand Bishop. Premium defense at SS and CF went north, in what will add spice to the rivalry.

Surrey though opened the war chest to sign 3 big bats for the lineup: a Swiss CF Rafael Labourdette has a case to be the most talented player in the league, taking a foreigner spot and coming from the WBA on a $22 million contract. Canadian C Bret St-Laurent and 1B Reggie Bailey will fill middle-order spots as well and the Surrey ownership will expect their backing to turn into at least a Wisden title this season. Yorkshire remain an extremely tough rival.

Florida Prep Raises Hopes
116 teams descend on Florida every year for the Baseball Cup, Surrey arrived mid-February for a 2-week preseason camp before playing 12 games over 18 days in March against teams throughout the world. Big wins over the Kia Tigers (14-7), Miami Flamingos (7-2) and Dallas Bulls (6-3) highlighted a solid 8-4 record that lost out on tiebreakers from making the Sweet 16. No other Commonwealth team qualified...here's how the league fared

Surrey Brown Caps 8-4, +16 run difference
Auckland Tuatara 8-4, 0 run diff
Yorkshire Vikings 7-5, +20
Karachi Kings 7-5, -1
Port Moresby Barramundis 7-5, -3
Delhi Daredevils 6-6, -6
Jamaica Tallawahs 6-6, +2
Lahore Qalandars 5-7, -10
Mumbai Tigers 5-7, -11
Perth Scorchers 4-8, -23
Leicestershire Foxes 4-8, -30
Chennai Super Kings 3-9, -46
Nairobi Harambee Stars 3-9, -19
Colombo Lions 3-9, -16
Jozi Stars 2-10, -29

Surrey Stars
New signing Rafael Labourdette draws the headlines but ace Jake Day has the history with the club. He enters a contract year negotiating over a long-term extension. The 28 year old has won 64 league games in his 10 years with the club and won 49 more in tournament play. A career 127 ERA+ (strasburg/schilling/cole) shows how good the Canadian has been. Doesn't give up homers or walks...the Surrey brass has a 7-year extension on the table for him.

Other strengths include 3B Sunzamul Saha and closer Rory Hughes. Veterans Logan McLaughlin, Melrose Mallory, and Howie Torrey bring Surrey institutional knowledge. DJ Kadak is a solid second starter but the 3rd starter spot is way up in the air after a failure of the candidates in the Baseball Cup. Baqi Sethi had a 4.3 ERA last year which is just a 77 ERA+ in this pitching heavy league and started this year with 15 walks and 13 ER over 17 IP in the Cup. The other in-house candidate, 32 year old Nathan Martin, pitched in the reserves for WBA2 Denver last year. Rumors are Surrey is searching the market for one more starting pitcher.

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Opening Series Tilts Surrey's Way

Home against Yorkshire to open the season is a special moment...for Gerald Thomas he looked visibly stressed a bit on the opening pitch at 38 degrees. Game One certainly wouldn't have quelled his nerves as Yorkshire knocked around Jake Day to a 6-3 win that wasn't as close as the score suggested.

A sleety day on Saturday meant we got an early season doubleheader on Sunday and it was a warriors effort from local lad and marketing star Rory Hughes that got Surrey off to a good start. Thomas tried to get by without Hughes in game one but the veteran kind-hearted Nigerian Uche Obioma put runners on and Hughes cashed in 3 as Yorkshire overcame a 4-1 deficit to force extras. Hughes, with runners on 2nd to start every inning, fired 3 clean extra innings before Sunzamul Saha walked it off in the 12th.

Later that afternoon Hughes threw 2/3rds more of an inning as Surrey scored 8 runs in the 8th to overcome a 2 run deficit as Saha doubled and homered in the same inning.

Players of the Series
DJ Kadak 6 IP, 1 R, 7/0 K/BB
Rory Hughes 4.1 IP on Sunday, 2 wins, 1 ER, 4 K
Sunzamul Saha 6/15, 3 2B, HR, 5 RBI, 3 R

Disaster Series
Reggie Bailey 3-13, picked off 2 of the 4 times he reached base and messed up several makeable plays in the field. Nerves for the big signing?
Leroy Maema, the South African who is rumored to never arrive more than 30 minutes before the game and to still not know the training staffs name was 0-6.


Elsewhere
Auckland went into Perth and surpisingly swept the Scorchers. The rumors of Mumbai's demise might be accurate, they were pummeled in Lahore, scoring just 2 runs and losing all 3 games.

Up Next
A trip way down south to take on the undefeated Auckland Tuatara in New Zealand.


Big News
It was not just lip service, Jake Day is a loyal Brown Cap. A 7-year extension was signed by the 28 year old Canadian ace, about a 10% increase on this years salary but he probably could have gotten more on the open market. A huge piece alongside Labourdette and Bailey for the future.

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Trip to New Zealand Brings 2 Wins
Jake Day got smacked around on Friday night in Auckland (5 IP, 6 ER) but the Brown Caps brought big bats to bail him out. Melrose Mallory hit two home runs and Rick Osburn, the American many counted off the roster when the rumors were flying about big-name imports, had 3 hits in a 10-6 win.

Saturday brought a much quicker game as DJ Kadak (8 IP, 1 ER) won a 2-1 pitchers duel setting up a chance for a sweep on Sunday.

Nathan Martin, the unheralded free agent signing who won a starting rotation spot, couldn't get through 3 innings Sunday and Surrey didn't score until the 8th and the sweep went begging with a 7-3 loss.

Players of the Series
DJ Kadak 8 IP, 1 R, 4K/0BB
Melrose Mallory 4-11, 2B, 2 HR
Reggie Bailey with a bounceback week 4-11, 2 2B, 3B

Disaster Series
Nathan Martin 2.1 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 0 K
Sunzamul Saha 0-12
Bret St. Laurent 1-12

Elsewhere
Fellow English rivals Leicestershire and Yorkshire swept their opponents on road trips (Melbourne and Jamaica, respectively) meaning 3 of the 4 Wisden division teams with 4+ wins are English (Auckland are 4-2 as well).

Up Next
Home against the Perth Scorchers who followed a home sweep vs Auckland with a road sweep in dingy Port Moresby.

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Nailbiters turns Perth way as Surrey drop first series
2-1 in 10 innings, 3-2 walkoff and 4-3 were the final scores in the series in Surrey but Friday and Sunday tipped the way of the visiting Scorchers. A couple red flags continued to show for the Brown Caps, first the offense which is well off the pace for a top team with a .695 OPS which while league average in this pitching dominated league, is not up to snuff for a title contender.

Second is Sunday starter where last years free agent bust Baqi Sethi got another chance after Nathan Martin's disaster last week, only to get absolutely torched for 3 doubles and a home run in the first 5 batters here. He got hooked after 52 pitches and 5 outs...the free agent market possibly beckons but all attempts there have been rebuffed.

Notable Performances
Ethan Tugh, the rookie 22 yo Brit SS has played sparkling defense and emerged with a 6-12, 2 2B week at the plate
Lionel Gates, the 19 yo Bahamanian rookie straight from a winter signing, hit his first HR


Jake Day returned to form with 8 IP, 1 R, 0 BB, 3 H, 5 K
Rory Hughes (5.2 IP, 0 ER) and Blake Mazibuko (3.2 IP, 0 R) continued their great starts from bullpen.

Baqi Sethi (1.2 IP, 4 R) bombed in his start.


Elsewhere
If the free agent market doesn't return anything, veteran soft tosser Bobby Napier is pitching well in the Reserves for Hampshire County (22 IP, 3 ER). Duncan Samwel is another option (13.1 IP, 10 K/1 BB, 1 ER).

Surrey are 1 of 5 teams with 5 or 6 wins in the Wisden division early.



Around the World
It's year 2 for the Universities League



and the first season for the upper crust Club League. Many of the top Country Clubs in America have decided to add a baseball club, playing just once a week at lush, small stadiums for the benefit of their members.



Roma's move from Euroleague (.463 w%, 0 titles) to the freshly founded LIB (Legha Italiane di Baseball) have led to dominance against the lesser competition. 47-13 last year to win league by 12 games and 21-3 start this year.

Up Next
The perennial cellar-dwelling Jamaica Tallawahs come to England