[JasonC23]

The Huntley Red Raiders will face the Singapore Sluggers for the P408 title!

I talk a lot of trash about Singapore on this board. I actually don't dislike Singapore; I very much respect the Sluggers and the success the team has had in Perfect Team 2.0. It's just that, for always having my "League Placement Setting" at Random, I've seen an awful lot of Singapore over the years.

For example, in 2029, fresh off my first Perfect League title, Huntley was placed in the same league and same division as Singapore. Huntley had a nice season, winning 95 games to earn the right to host the Wild Card. The Red Raiders also finished a cool 36 (!!) games behind Singapore, with an unfathomable head-to-head record of 0-19 against the Sluggers. "Sadly," Huntley lost the Wild Card game, avoiding the specter of an 0-22 record of futility against the Sluggers. (Singapore, incidentally, won the Perfect League Series.)

Then, in 2030, the very next season, Huntley was "randomly" placed in the same league and the same division as Singapore again! The Red Raiders showed great improvement, winning 102 games and only finishing 24 games behind Singapore. Once again, Huntley lost the Wild Card game, avoiding a presumably humiliating postseason loss against the Sluggers. (Shockingly, Singapore lost the Division Series 3-2 to the Seattle Tempest.)

Jump ahead to 2038, and Huntley was placed in the same conference, although not the same division, as Singapore. Huntley won 118 games but finished 6 games (improvement!) behind Singapore for the #1 playoff seed. Huntley was taken out in the Division Series by the Auburn Doubledays, yet again losing prior to a potential playoff matchup with Singapore. (Singapore defeated Auburn in the Sub-League Series but was upset by the Winnipeg WormBurners in the Perfect League Series, 4-2.)

Next, in 2042, Singapore and Huntley were placed in the same league but, for the first time, different conferences. Singapore won 126 and Huntley won 120 as they both claimed the #1 playoff seed in their conferences, but a Perfect League Series clash was not to be, as Huntley was stunningly swept by Towers of the Dub in the Division Series. (Singapore won the Perfect League Series over the Dub, 4-2.)

And so, here we are in 2044, Huntley versus Singapore--amazingly, the first playoff matchup between the two, thanks to Huntley losing early in the playoffs every other time the teams shared a league. And I think I figured out why Singapore bugs me so much--up until this season, their mere presence meant Huntley was going down earlier than expected in the playoffs.

See, sometimes it helps to talk through a problem to truly understand it.

In any case, wish the Red Raiders luck...we are certainly going to need it!