2022 Year in Review - Tiers 2-4
For the completionists among you, I'll run down the standings for the top 8 tiers in the next few posts. First, tiers 2-4. I'm going to try to have something interesting to say about each league, though I might be stretching at points!
Second League
............Muni.127 63
............Meka.122 68
..........Semyof.118 72
--------------------
.........Tishmin.113 77
..Ransu Shockers.112 78
...........Nokir.111 79
......A.Canaries.107 83
......Yoho Bears.100 90
...Swans Menmapa..94 96
......Nipte City..94 96
.....Nokelto Utd..91 99
.........Takanse..89 101
...Tenshe.Rubies..86 104
Pelpitimochu Utd..85 105
.........Penhara..82 108
..........Onesti..81 109
--------------------
...........Linir..77 113
.........Rasenok..75 115
..........Wichku..70 120
...Mamtul Wolves..66 124
All three of last year's relegated teams fared fairly well, with Muni and Semyof earning immediate re-promotions and the Canaries in 7th. Semyof has an unusually high number of players who are still around from their 2021 team; typically relegation absolutely blows up a roster because most players have relegation release clauses in their contracts. We'll have to see how that affects their offseason.
None of the relegated teams are real tragedies, although Rasenok BC has played 7 seasons in the EL.
Northern Premier League
...Sunoki Hearts.125 65
..........Yasral.125 65
--------------------
........Moonside.124 66
.Alilia Captains.112 78
....Tsutonsu Utd.112 78
...Sowichark Utd.102 88
....Lempisho Utd.100 90
......Hiolye Utd.100 90
.........Loshtsi..98 92
Enihaka Cyclones..95 95
........Lisa Utd..93 97
.....Ransu Ports..92 98
............Kine..92 98
.........Shalish..91 99
.......Atafe Utd..87 103
..........Oyefit..80 110
--------------------
...........Losap..80 110
.......Moshelosi..75 115
Sapoyo Tortoises..73 117
...........Lesha..44 146
A 7-3 final week was not quite enough for Moonside, so the two teams from Ransu edge it out and capture the top two spots. On the other side, Losap BC (Kiyefexit, LS) entered the final week with a 3-game lead over Oyefit BC, but squandered it by going 1-9 and losing the run differential tiebreaker by 23 runs. Tough pill for Losap, who last season tied their all-time high water mark by finishing 9th in the NPL. I would expect
OF Tseiriki Tushifo to be a target for EL teams after his relegation clause was triggered - league-leading 67 HR this season as a 18-year-old.
Overall, the lower tiers of Lokasi baseball are a much more pitching-friendly environment, especially in tiers 5-7, but here in tier 3 is where it starts to be statistically evident. That's characterized I think most by a pair of Moonside pitchers,
Pilau Mote & Enalo Mosaka, who topped the NPL with 428 and 380 strikeouts, respectively. The EL-leading total of Notsimi Feshasu was just 251! It's just a different environment. Mosaka pitched in the EL for the Galaxy last year, and only recorded 140 strikeouts in a full season.
Southern Premier League
............Fese.125 65
...Killi.Bayside.111 79
--------------------
........Sachlihe.108 82
...........Fachi.108 82
.........Himespo.107 83
.........Shepero.107 83
.........Wikyats.105 85
.Killitash Stars.104 86
......Feshuyalya.103 87
.........Amkutan..99 91
South Shore Aksa..92 98
Killitash Giants..88 102
....Tinshenikosh..88 102
.......Takelehun..87 103
...Hefem Rangers..86 104
...........Hilas..83 107
--------------------
...........Somno..80 110
....Aksa Hornets..78 112
..Hefem Monarchs..71 119
.....Hechemi Utd..70 120
In a crowded promotion race, Bayside's easier closing schedule saw their placement hold up, earning promotion to the 2L for the first time. The 7 teams in contention nearly stayed in exactly the same order over the final week.
Fachi RF Lanoko Newi, just 17, hit the most home runs of any player in any league this season with 69. Fachi, who play in Hokrof, were one of the northernmost teams in the SPL - they have been shifted to the other side of the line & will play in the NPL in 2023. (Three of the four relegated teams from the Second League were southern teams.)
Shepero P Shashacheta Kakosuta crossed the 190 innings threshold in late July, qualifying early for the ERA title... then immediately blew out his elbow, missing the final 2 1/2 months of the season but winning the ERA crown with a microscopic 1.17 in 192 innings. Interesting timing there
Northern Super League
............Pale.113 71
............Fure.111 73
...........Sakse.109 75
..Hokrof Beavers.108 76
--------------------
............Reli.102 82
......Y.Warriors..99 85
...........Lacho..98 86
.....Onemasi Utd..97 87
...........Rukip..96 88
.........Shusnum..92 92
.Kepits Bulldogs..92 92
.........Tesoshi..92 92
....Fampalo City..91 93
.......Fire Ants..89 95
........Tsatsaye..87 97
............Lulo..85 99
.........Santaku..84 100
......Afarpo Utd..83 101
......Malshe Utd..83 101
..........Alilia..83 101
--------------------
....Puchetoshaya..81 103
Muhankas Jesters..81 103
..........Shoron..76 108
..........Pitste..76 108
The NSL this year was a win for the little guys - Pale and Sakse are some of the smallest towns represented this high up the pyramid. Fure is a bit bigger, in the sense that the average Lokasi person would know roughly where it is, but still not huge (pop. 97,000). Given that there are six cities represented in this group with over half a million people, that's a win.
A few posts ago, I profiled the Pale Eagles as perhaps the worst team in the nation (which didn't end up being true, but which would have been good clickbait). Pale BC are the town's main club, and they're interesting for the scale of their finances. They ran a payroll of $29 million this season while only having revenues of $17 million, leading the league in both wins and losses (in a sense). This partially comes about because of relegation - Pale had been in the NPL last season and expected the revenue that comes with that - but also because it seems like teams are willing to overextend themselves financially if there is a good chance of promotion, which seems pretty sensible. Lo and behold, their projected budget for the 2023 season has doubled to $35 million.
Southern Super League
.......Sokroch.120 64
.......Mewofes.117 67
......Sapphire.115 69
........Sheshu.105 79
--------------------
......Sipliyak.103 81
.....Sashrotse.103 81
......Yewetats.102 82
....Tokos City.101 83
.Shepero Bulls..97 87
........Rontok..94 90
......Neshpeki..93 91
.....Air Force..93 91
.Olosharpo Utd..91 93
......NK Royan..88 96
...Hefem Lions..86 98
.......Shizpos..86 98
.......Neshori..85 99
...Somno Stars..84 100
..........Nesi..81 103
Mamtul Jaguars..79 105
--------------------
........Chilka..76 108
...Ehosh Blues..73 111
......Noyelits..70 114
..........Sika..66 118
The Super Leagues are the largest leagues in the pyramid at 24 teams apiece, and that sometimes makes it hard for me to have anything insightful to say about them. There's just a lot of information to take in all at once. It also seems to be the tier of the pyramid that's easiest to pass through: if a team is on an upward trajectory, they usually get promoted without too much issue, and it's true in the opposite direction too.
It's rare for a team that suffers a period of relegations and long decline to be able to fight their way all the back to the top, but that's what Sipliyak BC (Tenshemaho) are trying to do. The 1996 and 1997 Sipliyak teams both finished in the top 5 of the Elite League, but by 2000 they were relegated, and from 2011-2014 suffered four successive relegations that brought them from the Southern Premier League all the way to the tier-7 South Sea Regional Championship. It's only now that they've been pulling out of that spiral, and they just nearly missed out on their third straight promotion here. Manager Les Spopme retired after six seasons on the job, so the way forward isn't super obvious, but the long-term outlook for one of the Second City's most traditionally successful clubs is bright.